ã€ŠLazy Dungeon Masterã€‹


 Chapter 1

    I Don¡¯t Want to Work¡­!

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to work.¡±

    When I got summoned into a different world, rather, after Kami-sama heard my only condition, he answered me, Masuda Keima.

    ¡°¡­ Umm, what did you want?¡±

    ¡°A life that I wouldn¡¯t need to do anything would be good¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Even if you¡¯re reincarnated as a tree?¡±

    ¡°Ah~, that would be great~¡±

    Kami-sama sighed with an amazed face.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ why did I listen to your condition¡­ will you hear me out?¡±

    ¡°Eh? What is it?¡±

    Though I think his story was about the cirction of mana and something about monsters, I wasn¡¯t really listening.

    ¡°In your original world, could you have researched something like a golem? With that, doesn¡¯t it fill you with motivation¡­?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Hahaha, not really. Though there are some students nowadays like that~¡±

    Making a maid robot to live my days infort, that was my dream.

    Though if I told Kami-sama about such a dream, he¡¯d find out I¡¯m a useless member of society.

    By the way, I did mess around with studying something like a thirty centimeter ready-made robot kit that could move at school. Make it myself? Too much trouble¡­

    ¡°Okay, there¡¯s no time left so¡­ though it was special, I¡¯ll ask the next person.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh~¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just make you able to understandnguages. Oh, be sure to do your best since you have my blessing.¡±

    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to do anything¡­¡±

    ¡°Though there is magic in the world you¡¯ll be reincarnating into, I don¡¯t believe civilization has developed to the point where you won¡¯t have to work. Besides, if you are summoned purposely to do something, it might be just what you want.¡±

    ¡°I want to go back inside¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, do your best.¡±

    My vision was surrounded by bright light.

    Like that, I was summoned to another world.

    *

    ¡°A-alright! The summon was sessful! ¡­ Eh, wait, h-human!? Why!?¡±

    Though I don¡¯t know by what fundamentalw, I appeared in a room whose walls were shining faintly in white.

    Before my eyes was something called a loli wearing a white dress, a cute girl that lolicons would covet.

    Though since I prefer ones more grown up, sorry.

    ¡­ As for my foot fetish though, with her wearing knee socks it¡¯s not bad.

    ¡°Why¡­ such a small fry despite putting in all of the DP¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can I sleep?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Can I go to sleep? Oh, is there a futon?¡±

    ¡°Wha-whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat!?¡±

    This guy. Even though I said I was sleepy she¡¯s still yapping noisily.

    ¡°Ugugu, what, this toy monster is talking and not listening! ¡­ Oh, a human huh. I wonder if that¡¯s why it¡¯s talking?¡±

    ¡°Oi, what are you¡­ you¡¯re giving me a headache, keep your voice down.¡±

    ¡°Ah, o-okay¡­ Wait, what¡¯s with you! I am the summoner, you should obediently listen to what I say.¡±

    ¡°Oi little girl¡­ where¡¯s your papa and mama? I¡¯d like to go home.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s a little girl! Y-you¡¯re a monster summoned by the dungeon core! I¡¯m going to work you until you die!¡±

    Dungeon core¡­ monster¡­ yup, I don¡¯t get it. I was summoned, so am I not a hero?

    ¡°Hey, quickly get up to leave and ughter the bandits! Since I even invested 1000 DP, aren¡¯t you actually pretty strong!?¡±

    She suddenly started talking about something dangerous, oi.

    gqDZ18fg

    ¡°I see, I¡¯ll listen to you for a bit, so speak. What¡¯s a dungeon core, a monster, and DP? As for being summoned¡­ I get that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what, maybe you¡¯re smart since you can talk? I am a mage or¡­ well, it¡¯s fine. This is my dungeon.¡±

    ¡°A little girl is the dungeon master¡­?¡±

    ¡°Aaah, so you know about dungeon masters. But there isn¡¯t a dungeon master in my dungeon. Ah, but I guess¡­ I wonder if I¡¯d call myself the dungeon master?¡±

    Of course I don¡¯t know what in the world dungeon masters are, but I imagine they¡¯re something like the ones in fantasy games from my memories.

    But, the dungeon core¡­ in other words, the heart of the dungeon. This little girl is¡­?

    ¡°Rather, even though you said humans are small fries, aren¡¯t you a human?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, just my appearance is like a human¡¯s¡­ wait, what¡¯s with that ¡®you¡¯!? Call me master!¡±

    ¡°Ah,e to think of it I haven¡¯t heard your name. So, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Mine? It¡¯s Dungeon Core No. 695.¡±

    A number? Talk about cutting corners¡­ well, if there¡¯s a 695 that means there¡¯s at least 694 others. If that¡¯s it, naming would be one of those things that get skimped on.

    ¡°Got it, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What?¡±

    ¡°Well, since it¡¯s hard to say Dungeon Core No. such and such, I decided your name is Rokuko. Your full name is Dungeon Core Rokuko. Ah, I¡¯m Masuda Keima.¡±

    I turned Dungeon Core No. 695 into Rokuko, what¡¯s this girl saying while staring at me?

    ¡°Huh? Mahsewtah Kehma? ¡­ Is that an alias? Rather, what are you saying on your own¨C¡±

    [Naming received, Master acknowledged.]

    ¡°¡±Eh?¡±¡±

    Though I didn¡¯t understand what was going on, that¡¯s how I became a dungeon master.

 Chapter 2

    Death by Working¡­!?

    ¡°Menu! Wait!? Not now! Cancel! Undo!¡±

    Opening a semitransparent window in the air, the blonde-haired loli¡­ Rokuko yells at it, but there doesn¡¯t seem to be any particr response. Ah, she¡¯s already annoying to my ears. This is why kids are¡­

    ¡°Oi, quiet down a bit since you¡¯re being noisy. Rather, shut up.¡±

    ¡°W-what, ordering¡­ ¨C¡­¡±

    Silence.

    Yeah, I see, I¡¯m the dungeon master. And what the master says is absolute huh. Fufufu.

    Though I didn¡¯t n for it, perhaps the elegant life of [Not having to work] has fallen upon me?

    Right, I don¡¯t especially have to work. I¡¯ll let this blonde loli girl do the work and I¡¯ll spend my life sleeping freely away from worldly cares!

    ¡­ Yeah, although it was incredible to imagine it was a waste.

    ¡°¡­ All the same, it¡¯s like this little girl said. Thinking withmon sense¡­¡±

    Fully enjoying life by sleeping as much as I want is what I desire from the bottom of my heart, but I feel that depending on a woman that wasn¡¯t my senior and was the same age as me at most is¡­ it¡¯s dubious if her age is even two digits, this girl.

    ¡°Leeets see, menu? Oh, it seriously came out. Leeets see, what¡¯re these¡­¡±

    A semitransparent window came out in response to my words¡­ okay, it¡¯s a menu window. Ordering it like this is easy to understand. It was divided into three things.

    Labyrinth

    Subordinates

    DP

    It was in a polite speech¡­ no, could I just understand the words like that thanks to God? It¡¯s probably like that.

    ¡°¡­ ¡ª! ¡­ ¡ª!¡±

    Oh, Rokuko is ring at me with a somewhat amazing re. Hahah, even if a little girl res at me, it¡¯s just too cute! I pat her head. Oh, she¡¯s even more angry now. She shouted something silently.

    ¡°If you have something to say, speak.¡±

    ¡°Trash! Stupid! I-I finally have my voice back, you idiot! What did you do!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Rokuko is an idiot, you idiot. Apparently I¡¯m your master, in other words it looks I¡¯m the dungeon master now.¡±

    ¡°Cancel it!¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I-I-I¡¯m the greatest! So¡ª! Obey me!¡±

    The blonde-haired little girl looked this way with teary eyes while her face became deep red in anger¡­ this is bing a problem.

    I get it, she¡¯s an idiot.

    ¡°Who¡¯s an idiot!¡±

    ¡°Oops, I said that out loud. But thinking about it¡­ why did you summon me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ to make you a dungeon monster.¡±

    ¡°In other words, if I obey you I¡¯ll have to fight as a dungeon monster, and die if I fail. Rather, I would probably die without failing too. Though I like to sleep, I¡¯d like to avoid entering an eternal sleep at my age.¡±

    ¡°W-well that¡¯s how it is for dungeon monsters¡­ and moreover you are weak¡­¡±

    ¡°Calling me Keima is fine.¡±

    ¡°Nn, understood Kehma¡­ gu¡ª, I can¡¯t oppose¡­!¡±

    ¡°For now, I¡¯ll check out the dungeon. Looking for a bed would be good.¡±

    I chose [Labyrinth] from the menu. Though I moved it like a touch panel, I guess it works with voice recognition too.

    Well, the state of the dungeon disyed before me, and I froze.

    ¡°¡­ Oi, why is there nothing but one entrance, passage, and room?¡±

    ¡°The n was to get a monster first! I heard that was the strongest way.¡±

    ¡°O-oh, inside this dungeon is¡­ are bandits different from monsters?¡±

    ¡°Ah, those are intruders!¡±

    That¡¯s right, even if I looked at the dungeon map there was an indicator for something enemy-ish on it.

    ¡°Where is this ce! Aren¡¯t we in the dungeon!?¡±

    ¡°This is the master room inside the dungeon core. Well, a different dimension? Kind of?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ in other words, inside Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I feel it¡¯s inside my main body¡­ wait, what¡¯s with that, that obscene expression¡­ pervert.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s cheeks blushed slightly while she looked at me with disgusted eyes. That¡¯s a terrible false usation. I want to demand an apology andpensation. But I¡¯ll confirm the important thing first.

    ¡°From what I see, the dungeon core in the room where the bandits are gathering?¡±

    ¡°Even if I looked, that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why?¡±

    ¡°Eh, the dungeon core is ineffective if it isn¡¯t installed in the dungeon you know? That¡¯smon sense.¡±

    I have a headache.

    When the dungeon core isn¡¯t set up in the dungeon, it¡¯s ineffective.

    The dungeon only has one room.

    Therefore, the dungeon core is installed in that room.

    And there are about eight bandits inside the dungeon core¡¯s room.

    ¡°¡­ Well? Isn¡¯t this checkmate? Am I starting second right off the bat?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I used thest of the DP to summon a monster and kick out the bandits. Then Kehma appeared. A weakling appearing was a mistake, but it can¡¯t be returned now¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so though I want to go back to my original world it¡¯s useless?¡±

    ¡°Impossible. No, since you were summoned it¡¯s not absolutely unreasonable, but the DP is probably overwhelmingly insufficient?¡±

    DP stands for dungeon points, [It¡¯s possible!] is what I was told.

    Well then it¡¯s good for now.

    Though I¡¯m the dungeon master, what happens if the dungeon core is destroyed?

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll die you know? Since the master and core are two as one, you¡¯ll be in the same boat.¡±

    ¡°Dying would be bad¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, since if the master dies the core will be fine.¡±

    ¡°Then isn¡¯t that ¡®two as one¡¯ thing just a one way road!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, though well it¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t die yet. Yeah.¡±

    ¡°How!?¡±

    ¡°These bandits, though it¡¯s been ten days since they made this cave their base, they haven¡¯te to destroy the dungeon core.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    By the way, the dungeon core is about the size of a basketball. The walls and floor of this room also appear to be glowing. Furthermore the dungeon in contrast wasn¡¯t lit well, that is to say it¡¯s rare it wasn¡¯t found. Or perhaps I should say it¡¯s amazing it was put like that to stand out.

    ¡°¡­ So, it¡¯s alright. Besides, though the current intruders aren¡¯t giving much DP, some ising in.¡±

    Will it really be okay?

    No, it probably won¡¯t be okay. Since she tried to summon a monster by using DP.

    ¡°¡­ Got it. By the way, how does DP increase?¡±

    ¡°Well¡ª¡±

    Gathering it all up,

    1. Natural recovery from thend (This is the basic 10 DP per day)

    2. Maintaining the state of an intruder in the dungeon (Depends on the strength of intruder)

    3. Killing an intruder (Depends on the strength of the intruder)

    4. Offering a corpse (Depends on the original strength of the corpse)

    5. Offering treasure (Depends on the treasure)

    That¡¯s how it is.

    By the way, it seems to take 20 DP to summon a goblin.

    If it was like normal you could summon one every other day, but with the eight bandits lodging in the dungeon for the past ten days, that was apparently +80 DP more per day.

    Well, with the 900 DP gained during these ten days that the bandits have controlled the cave and putting it together with the other 100 DP, bing 1000 DP, she yed monster gachapon.

    I see, if it cost fifty times more than a goblin she thought it would be stronger than fifty goblins huh. But you can lose in gachapon. Or maybe you could call me the grand prize? Well, even though she called it gachapon it was probably just the automatic trantion¡­ I have mixed feelings about this. Rare.

    Additionally, there are several ranks of gachapon: 100, 1000, 10000¡­ it goes up by a factor of ten each time, with no upper limit. The 1000 DP gachapon that I came from was second from the bottom.

    Rumors say goblins cane from 10000 DP gachapon and a dragon from 1000 DP. The probability increase with the price, a basic luck game huh?

    ¡°Why not a dragon!¡±

    ¡°No, it wouldn¡¯t be off even if a goblin appeared, aren¡¯t you just aiming too high?¡±

    This blonde-haired loli¡¯s ego was next level stuff. Not even I¡¯m the center of the world you know? Something so convenient doesn¡¯t actually happen. Though I just want to sleep, I was summoned into another world to work.

    ¡°¡­ Well, the remaining DP is¡­ 9?¡±

    Just when she¡¯d reached 1000 DP she pulled the lever. Now we¡¯re t-out broke.

    Looking at the catalog from the DP on the menu, I can¡¯t even summon a goblin with 9 DP.

    Dragons? Even the weakest version starts at 100000 DP, madam. Haha, someone that thought they could get one with 1000 DP is just too much of an idiot.

    Looking at the everyday items page, there were a few that could appear with 9 DP.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve decided.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Kehma?¡±

    Using up 5 DP, I summoned a [Buckwheat Pillow].

    ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Eh, wai-!?¡±

    ¡°While I sleep, please be quiet. Good night.¡±

    Yeah, this is very convenient. Next thing I summon will be a [Futon].

    10000 DP for a [Heavenly Pillow] and 100000 DP for a [Top Quality Futon].

    While Iid down closing my eyes, the yapping voice slowly faded out.

 Chapter 3

    Figuring out the Situation

    ¡°Fuwaah, that was a good sleep¡­ is hard to say. Ugh, my body hurts.¡±

    When I woke up and stood, my shoulders popped loudly.

    Though the floor wasn¡¯t cold and was slightly warm, it was hard and dimly emitted light. Not a good ce to sleep in.

    ¡°Gu¡ª, f-finally you woke up Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Oh Rokuko, how long was I asleep?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know!? Six hours! Aah I can talk again.¡±

    Though I don¡¯t know if time flows the same, but it seems that I slept for six hours for now.

    The 4 DP that I saw before falling asleep became 34 DP.

    ¡­ What¡¯s the timetable for the bandit¡¯s DP? I should probably give up on calcting the exact ie based on their strength.

    ¡°What time is it outside?¡±

    ¡°Seven in the morning! By the way, one day is twenty-four hours! Wait, why am I answering you!¡±

    ¡°I see, thanks. Say ¡®nya¡¯ at the end of your sentences.¡±

    ¡°Stop joking nya!¡±

    One day is twenty-four hours. By the way, it seems that one year is twelve months, three hundred sixty-five days in total. It¡¯s good that it¡¯s the same so it¡¯s easy to remember.

    Though I checked to make sure, I heard that what I can order the body to do on its own depends on my level.

    Despite this being another world, since little girl does whatever I say if I were a lolicon there would be R-18 developments about right now.

    I canceled the order for her to add stuff to the end of her sentences and for now reviewed the current situation once again.

    ¡°What¡¯s the state of the bandits?¡±

    ¡°They got up and left a bit ago. One person is staying here right now.

    ¡°Hmmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll just summon a goblin then. Summon! 20 DP Goblin!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    A glowing magic formation appeared on the floor.

    The magic formation¡¯s light grew stronger and the moment it shed a small person with an ugly green face appeared.

    I wonder if it felt like this when I was summoned? Probably.

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not alright!¡±

    ¡°Adah¡ª!?¡±

    I hit Rokuko¡¯s head with a thump.

    ¡°W-what was that for! The endurance value doesn¡¯t lower! I¡¯ll break!¡±

    ¡°What are you using DP for on your own, idiot!¡±

    ¡°Hah? What¡¯s wrong with me using my DP?¡±

    Ah, so this person is an idiot.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your DP anymore, it¡¯s my DP. If you want to use it you need my permission, if you don¡¯t want to die that is.¡±

    ¡°W-what, is that a threat!? If I die, Kehma also dies!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, if the dungeon core is destroyed I die as well. That¡¯s why I said to not do things at your own convenience!¡±

    ¡°Ugu¡ª¡­ th-then, what now?¡±

    ¡°For now, teach me about the area around here¡­ And can this goblin be returned?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t. Well, it¡¯ll give 2 DP if it¡¯s killed in the dungeon though.¡±

    ¡°One tenth huh¡­ I got it, let¡¯s keep it for now.¡±

    First of all, I decided to give the goblin the order to wait in the corner of the room for now.

    ¡­ Rather, this room is pretty big. Couldn¡¯t it fit something about the size of a gymnasium in it?

    No, if you consider that you can summon a dragon isn¡¯t that much natural?

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see, first of all this ce is called the [Tsuia Mountain]¡­ Incidentally, this dungeon is called the [Ordinary Cave]! Adventurers said so.¡±

    Is this ce even considered a dungeon. Oi.

    Thinking about it, this seems to be the dungeon for a name like that. It¡¯s misleading.

    Well, apart with the room lines with bricks, it does look like an ordinary cave¡­

    ¡°You said something about adventurers?¡±

    ¡°It seems the humans made something called an adventurer guild. Though I don¡¯t know how they¡¯re different from knights, I don¡¯t know.¡±

    There appeared to be knights as well. As for the difference, isn¡¯t it just between being an individual and being part of a peace keeping group?

    ¡­ If Rokuko only knows that general of information from hearing about it, don¡¯t I know more about it?

    ¡°Are there human towns nearby? If there¡¯s a map show it to me.¡±

    ¡°You can see it on the menu.¡±

    I looked at the menu to check.

    It seems that there is a nearby road going down the mountain. Perhaps the bandits¡¯ aim is that?

    When I fiddled with the scaling, topography information for the mountain appeared¡­ However, at most I was able to understand the surroundings of the mountain. There¡¯s a slightlyrge town nearby the Tsuia Mountain, and some distance beyond the mountain a sea.

    Ah, so it seems in addition to the town there¡¯s a few viges sprinkled about.

    ¡­ By the way, this map felt veryckadaisical. No, more precisely I wished it provided distances. Well, it¡¯s fine. It seems to be a map of the nearby area.

    ¡°Hey~, not going to kill the bandits? It¡¯ll be a ton of DP if you kill them you know? I feel that if you do it now, let¡¯s see~, wouldn¡¯t 200 DPe in?¡±

    That would be approximately like them staying twenty four hours for ten days, I¡¯m told.

    ¡°No, I still can¡¯t handle the bandits yet.¡±

    ¡°Why? If it¡¯s just one bandit¡­ about ten goblins should be fine?¡±

    ¡°To gain 200 DP I¡¯d have to invest 200 DP huh¡­ in the first ce aren¡¯t you doubting that¡¯s enough DP?¡±

    I mean, goblins look weak. Ten for a single bandit?

    ¡°I¡¯ll store up DP for a while. It would be a waste, there are better uses for it. Right now it would be better to not move clumsily and provoke them¡­ Clumsily sending out goblins, wouldn¡¯t they say [A goblin came out, let¡¯s destroy the dungeon core!] ?¡±

    ¡°¡­! I didn¡¯t think of that, Kehma is smart!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko is just stupid. So long as you understand what I say, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°O-okay. Got it.¡±

    Now then, with this she won¡¯t do anything on her own. Since I ordered her.

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see, next is thebyrinth? Making a room is¡­ though it depends on the size, if it¡¯s a small rock-faced room it¡¯s 200 DP huh. Passages depend on the length, and traps are separate?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It¡¯s better to summon monsters than to make rooms. That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°You can also obtain and ce treasures with DP huh¡­ ah, that¡¯s why the pillow was in the treasure category.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but is there any reason to ce them? I would rather summon a monster to beat away intruders than use DP for something like tha-¡­ wait, what¡¯s with those eyes? They¡¯re unpleasant.¡±

    Oops, I gave this person making an idiot of herself a disapproving gaze.

    ¡°Yeah, well speaking of dungeons, rather than monsters you¡¯d picture the image of traps and treasures.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? The other cores didn¡¯t say anything like that you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Now that you mention it, Rokuko said she was Dungeon Core No. 695. Are there 694 others?¡±

    ¡°I think the number decreased from lots of them dying from their cores being destroyed¡­ the dungeon core is our heart.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s amazingly risky to leave your heart in nothing but a single room dungeon.¡±

    ¡°After all, the other cores said the amount of rooms didn¡¯t matter!¡±

    ¡°Fufun,¡± the blonde-haired loli boastfully threw out her chest that she didn¡¯t have. That t chest¡­ maybe I should pat it?

    ¡°You¡¯re able to contact other cores?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a gathering. Though I wasn¡¯t able to be there this time because of the intruders¡­ we¡¯re called together once a year¡­ well, it¡¯s like a party. A ce to gather valuable info.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, so because of that you heard those things?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Dungeon Core No. 89 Nee-sama said them. Since 89th Nee-sama is an amazing person with a dungeon in the middle of the imperial capital despite being a humanoid like me! Her number is two digits, her DP ranking is in the top ten, and always cares for me.¡±

    Isn¡¯t she just cheating this girl?

    ¡°Come to think of it, 89th Ane-sama got a dragon from 1000 DP gachapon.¡±

    ¡°That so~. Rather, I¡¯m more interested in her being in the imperial capital or ranking though. For now we need deal with our current crisis somehow though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We can¡¯t do¡ª¡±

    ¡°Guuu,¡± a sound rang out.

    ¡­ Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t eaten anything since yesterday.

    ¡°Duck, or rice¡­ do you have food?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, I see. Monsters eat huh~. I forgot since I don¡¯t need to eat to live.¡±

    By the way, it seems that whenever a monster came she would always use all the DP she¡¯d stocked up to summon goblins. Once or twice a month, adventurers woulde to exterminate the goblins, mincing up their corpses and heading back.

    And I seem to be treated the same as a monster. How rude.

    I used 5 DP to summon bread and water, dividing it a bit with the goblin that was behaving itself in the corner of the room, then ate peacefully.

 Chapter 4

    Let¡¯s Deal With the Bandits Somehow

    Two days passed since I was summoned.

    Somehow or another my DP is even 179, no, it¡¯s 180 now. I could summon nine goblins.

    By the way, I know the reason why the dungeon core wasn¡¯t destroyed. They used it as a hot water bottle.

    The dungeon core shined faintly and was slightly warm.

    The bandits¡¯ boss made the dungeon core room his bed, I understood when he put his feet up on the dungeon core and fell asleep. As expected, when I wanted to see how things were going outside, I pulled up the app and saw the dirty soles of his feet on the wall.

    He kicked dungeon core-san in the heart.

    ¡°W-well? Even I can earn DP if it¡¯s these guys? It¡¯s a win-win you know? Fufun.¡±

    Knowing that her heart was being rolled around by some smelly feet, the blonde-haired loli dungeon core was almost in tears. I saw something adorable.

    ¡°Now then, is there anything to do¡­¡±

    ¡°Summon something! Summon goblins for a ughter!? Ah, a 150 DP lizardman would be good! That guy would never forgive that boss, he¡¯ll stab him over and over!¡±

    ¡°Idiot. Someone like that would just be stabbed instead.¡±

    Seems that she was humiliated by her heart being treated like a heater after all.

    ¡°There are eight enemies, our war potential is overwhelmingly insufficient. If you didn¡¯t summon a goblin to begin with, we would have saved a bit more on food expenses.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I didn¡¯t know about that guy¡¯s maintenance costs¡­ wait, didn¡¯t you also use some of the DP to summon a [Futon]!?¡±

    And another thing, it seems you can see anywhere inside the dungeon from the dungeon core. It was a function of the menu.

    By the way, Rokuko didn¡¯t know that. That makes sense, since it wasn¡¯t a needed feature if you only had a single room.

    ¡°But, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°Ah, what¡­ hey, what about letters? Can Rokuko write? Can the bandits read?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s it¡­ Yea, I can write. I wonder if the bandits can¡¯t read? They seemed to read a book of their spoils, so if it¡¯s easy.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then, please write down what I say out loud for a sec.¡±

    ¡°Oka~y.¡±

    *

    ¡°Booooss! Please wake up!¡±

    ¡°Ngah¡­?¡±

    When the bandit boss woke up in the cave, there was a box.

    Was something like this here yesterday? No, there wasn¡¯t. I would have noticed it before.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? How¡¯d it get here?¡±

    ¡°I dunno. But Rodriguez was on guard and said no one came in.¡±

    ¡°So what, did this just appear out of thin air?¡±

    ¡°So¡­ what now?¡±

    I checked the box, but it doesn¡¯t look like there are traps set on it. When I carefully opened the box, there was a steel helmet in it.

    This is a good item, and new at that.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this pretty good? Seems like it¡¯d sell for a lot. I might even use it.¡±

    ¡°Boss, there¡¯s something written on the bottom of the box.¡±

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this shit¡­ writing? Oi! Braken, you should be able to read these, read em!¡±

    ¡°Yah! Lesseee?¡±

    Showing the box to his underling to read it, it was read.

    The content was unexpected.

    [I¨Cam¨Cthe¨Cdanjun¨Ccor. Thank¨Cyou¨Cfor¨Cdefeating¨Cgoblins. This¨Cis¨Ca¨Cgift. If¨Cthere¡¯s¨Cmore¨Cdone, I¨Ccan¨Cgive¨Cmore.]

    ¡°Dungeon core¡­? Oi, this is a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Eh, no, this ce was called an [Ordinary Cave].¡±

    ¡°Ah, hold up boss! When I was an adventurer I heard this dungeon was named [Ordinary Cave]!¡±

    ¡°Is that true Johnny!?¡±

    The bandit boss was startled.

    There was something glittering from the ground, the warmth felt good when he ced his feet on it. Perhaps, was that the dungeon core?

    He hadn¡¯t heard of being able to talk with dungeon cores, but this was a letter from the dungeon core. To say this was someone¡¯s trick¡­ no one came in even with someone standing watch, and there¡¯s this steel helmet no one could have prepared.

    And ording to the letter, the steel helmet seems to be a gift for defeating the goblins.

    Perhaps it was the goblins near the dungeon core that he kicked out when he came to the cave. For a bandit boss, five goblins were nothing but small fry. To get a steel helmet like this just for beating some small fry¡­

    ¡°Oi oi are you serious¡­? I see my luck¡¯s turning around¡­!¡±

    Stories of dungeons are famous. There¡¯s a dungeon called [White Labyrinth] in the imperial capital.

    No, the imperial capital was made where the dungeon was already at after all.

    As for the dungeon, there were monsters, but it was a ce that produced various treasures, like magic armor. And this is a dungeon. However, there haven¡¯t been any monsters so far. If I had to say anything, there were just the five goblins when we came here. And then there¡¯s this treasure. This steel helmet.

    ¡°It seems I pleased this dungeon.¡±

    The bandit boss grinned.

    The dungeon produced treasure for the person who pleased it¡­ in other words, it was the same as holding infinite riches.

    [If there¡¯s more done, I can give more.] Come to think of it, the goblin corpses had disappeared before they realized it. They thought someone¡¯s subordinate cleaned it up though¡­

    So that means, in other words, it was something like that.

    The box that had contained the steel helmet also disappeared before they realized it.

    *

    ¡°Whyyyyyyyyyy!! Him-! Why-! Why did we reward someone like that guy-!?¡±

    The blonde-haired loli was writhing about.

    [Pen and Ink] was 5 DP, [Wooden Box] was 5 DP, and [High Quality Steel Helm] was 170 DP.

    And spending the DP I had, we¡¯re broke at 0 DP now.

    I used all of the DP to give a [Present] to the bandit¡¯s boss.

    ¡°Why!? It wouldn¡¯t have been very difficult to summon goblins!¡±

    ¡°Then die when they fail? Hahaha, sorry. I don¡¯t want to die yet. I want to sleep.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s why, you¡¯re¡­ a, a traitor!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve gained some time with this for now. Since we¡¯ll massacre them before long, calm down.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Maybe because she was astonished that the word massacre came out of my mouth, but Rokuko exposed a goofy face.

    ¡°Why? You, since you¡¯re human, didn¡¯t you give a tribute in order to help them?¡±

    ¡°Hah? I just want to be safe in my bed. Even so, why should I leave dangerous guys like bandits alone?¡±

    ¡°Eeh¡­ we-well then, shouldn¡¯t you be hesitating in taking care of people of the same race?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I want to sleep. Besides, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll take care of them directly¡­ Ah, since there¡¯s nothing left to do today I¡¯m going to sleep. Alright, good night.¡±

    I took out the futon andid down.

    ¡°W-w-wait up! Please exin a bit more!¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped huh¡­ then I¡¯ll exin some more. Tomorrow. Good night.¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t slee¨C!? ¡­!¡±

    As I fell asleep, I heard Rokuko¡¯s voice fade out.

    It seems the order from the first day is still effective. Good night.

 Chapter 5

    Let¡¯s Make More Rooms

    ¡°Ah, that was a good rest¡­ is still hard to say. I want a better futon¡­¡±

    ¡°Morning. You really sleep all day¡­ don¡¯t you get tired of it?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Well, please exin¡­ though I want you to, check out the DP.¡±

    When I opened the menu to check it out, there was 857 DP.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, it went up all of a sudden. That was dangerous.¡±

    ¡°You knew?¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Ah, I heard it more or less. What happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Adventurers attacked.¡±

    From what I heard, the bandits standing guard seemed to notice adventurers heading towards the dungeon. They ambushed them in the passageway from a blind spot in the room.

    They then killed the four adventurers. It appears the bandits were uninjured.

    ¡°So then the bandits took off the adventurers¡¯ gear and took care of the corpses. Then they pushed ¡¯em against the dungeon core. Even if they didn¡¯t do that I would have absorbed them. It seems they understood when I absorbed a corpse they didn¡¯t do that to though.¡±

    ¡°I see, so they attacked inside the dungeon huh. Aren¡¯t the bandits smarter than Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean!?¡±

    Of course it means what I said you know?

    Rokuko, who had been grinning, was now sulking from hearing that.

    ¡°But why? Why did adventurerse that is.¡±

    ¡°You¡­ even though you yourself said that adventurerse once or twice a month¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh. Come to think of it, I did say something like that huh?¡±

    This cave is probably used to train adventurers while fighting against small fry like the goblins or something. Without destroying the dungeon core, and with what they call this ce, it¡¯s probably used to train rookies. Probably toe and see a real dungeon core.

    Well, the result of whether rookies coulde to such an [Ordinary Cave] like this and fight eight bandits¡­ are as you can see.

    The bandits, as well as five goblins, couldn¡¯t lose against what looks like were six rookies. Since they didn¡¯t think they¡¯d lose, they robbed, they killed. Because they¡¯re bandits.

    ¡°Well, with this, the steel helmet and letter from yesterday¡­ have had an effect on them.¡±

    ¡°Bandits want money. So long as we act friendly and demonstrate it is in their interest, using items to satisfy their greed for cash cash, they¡¯ll cooperate with us. Therefore, in order for the bandits to stay in the cave I showed them the steel helmet and letter¡­ then, they would procure adventurer corpses for us to turn into DP.¡±

    In the case they fought outside of the cave, they probably wouldn¡¯t have brought the corpses back to the ce they slept since they don¡¯t seem to have the fetish for that. But if they could make corpses disappear without a trace¡­ absorbing them into the dungeon core would decrease their chances of being found. They would even get treasure, too. So they¡¯ll probably bring them back here.

    Besides, even if it leaks out to the adventurer guild, they¡¯ll realize there¡¯s not even anything to gain from removing the bandits from an [Ordinary Cave].

    Therefore, with thoughts like [I want to be in this cave] and [I want treasure], even if they call it the [work of bandits], adventurers will definitely be gotten rid of. That they ambushed them inside the cave was a pleasant bonus.

    Though if you thought about it, the best thing to do would be to run away without fighting¡­ but yeah, they don¡¯t seem to have thought of that. It¡¯s good they¡¯re idiots.

    ¡°¡­ Kehma, isn¡¯t if fine even if the bandits go away?¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t fine. We can¡¯t massacre them if they run away. Then wouldn¡¯t the DP I got at great pains be wasted? Being wasteful is no good. I have to wring earnings from them.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Though you¡¯re a human the same as them you call them DP. Kehma, I respect you a little~.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, then I¡¯m going back to sleep. Good night.

    ¡°You just got up and you¡¯re already going to bed¡­¡±

    Are you stupid? I wouldn¡¯t be able to go back to sleep if I didn¡¯t just wake up.

    Even though it was my n to kill adventurers, my conscience does¡¯t feel anything from it.

    Well, the bandits did kill them on their own when I was sleeping, and I didn¡¯t see the said corpses either. I wonder if I¡¯ll wind up directly killing someone here before long? What¡¯ll I think then?

    ¡­ Whatever, it¡¯s fine since I¡¯ve already be something called a dungeon master. I feel refreshed from going to sleep. Our DP also increased a little.

    ¡°Increase the amount of rooms. Buy another box too. Is there still ink?¡±

    ¡°Eh- yeah. There is? But, to make a room that costs 850 of the precious DP?¡±

    Rokuko replied in disappointment as she looked at the DP catalog of monsters that could be summoned for 800 DP and below.

    Hahaha, is this blonde-haired loli learning?

    ¡°Well, adding rooms¡­ let¡¯s see, though I am able put items down when there¡¯s invaders, I can only take monsters out from the dungeon core and can¡¯t add rooms. Then how will I get the bandits to go out¡­? They don¡¯t look particrly easy to defeat either¡­ Well, go ahead write what I say.¡±

    *

    ¡°Bossss! A box appeared again!¡±

    ¡°Oh! What¡¯re you waiting for, move!¡±

    The bandit¡¯s boss jumped up from the floor. No, he literally jumped up to open the box.

    Inside of it is¡­ what¡¯s this? His head tilted as he saw what was inside.

    ¡°¡­ A pillow? But magic items are¡­!¡±

    Despite giving me a steel helmet for five goblins, what¡¯s with this shabby thing for four adventurer corpses? Was the number the important part?

    While the bandit¡¯s boss thought that, an underling read out the words written inside the box.

    Y6CgSK6

    [You saved me! You¡¯re pretty strong! I want to¨Cthank you! Since they¨Cwere¨Cin the¨Cdungeon¨Cpresent¨Cquickly. I am¨Cadding¨Crooms. Since it¡¯s¨Cdangerous¨Ceveryone go¨Coutside. Please¨Cgo outside¨Csoon.]

    I see, so the present is more rooms? Since it was definitely small when all eight of them entered, it might have been taking that into ount.

    So, agreeing with that, they all went outside the cave.

    As soon as they left the cave¡¯s entrance, there were immediately crunching rock sounds echoing from the cave.

    About ten minutes went by. Going inside shortly after the noises stopped, the dungeon core that was on the floor until now was missing and there was a passage which lead inside along with a wooden door. A little flustered, they went inside and saw one more room on each side of the passage. Two more rooms in total were added, with the dungeon core in the room on the right.

    In addition to the two added rooms, there was the same room that was part of the cave since the start. It felt strange that the ce they called a hideout had a wooden door.

    It only took ten minutes for the cave to expand. Would it probably have taken about a month if it were done by manpower? No, if there was a skilled magician it might have been done at the same speed.

    Three rooms in all. It simply increased to three times the amount until now. Moreover, there seems to be a single bed installed in the left room. Was the pillow from the box put there for this?

    Was this prepared for me? What¡¯s this, aren¡¯t you a cute fellow.

    The bandit¡¯s boss muttered so.

    *

    ¡°¡­ Dammit¡­ why, why did you spend 440 DP for a guy like that¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, 10 DP for the box and pillow, 20 DP for two wooden doors, 10 DP for a bed¡­ that¡¯s altogether 40 DP used for the bandits, what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Hah? That room was 200 DP you know.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a stupid thing to say. That room is different from the steel helmet, it can¡¯t be taken from the dungeon to be sold for money. It¡¯s our fixed asset.¡±

    Rokuko stupidly tilted her head to the side when she didn¡¯t understand what I said.

    Yeah, this is a dungeon core in another world, and her appearance is different than her age¡­ this blonde-haired loli is probably younger than she looks. Almost definitely.

    ¡°I expanded the dungeon because it was necessary. I¡¯ll teach you the advantage in having more rooms¡­ if we can have six goblins per room, with three rooms you can ce up to eighteen of them.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s incredible! Let¡¯s add more rooms!¡±

    Yup, you consenting to that is even more incredible.

    ¡°¡­ Wait, huh? T-this is serious! Though there was 860 DP it¡¯s gone now!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s because I used it¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? W-what did you use it on!?¡±

    ¡°Look, this.¡±

    I showed the dungeon map from the menu.

    I left the entrance momentarily, and outside of the passage I had made a cave simr to the original cave a bit of a distance away. 200 DP for the room, 30 DP for five meters of pathway. Though since I didn¡¯t have to make a pathway outside of the cave, I made it close to one kilometer away. It ended up quite cheap, though it used the rest of the DP.

    ¡°¡­ Hah, I never would have thought about extending the dungeon outside of the entrance. That¡¯s a different way of thinking. Well, why did you do it? Isn¡¯t it an obvious waste of DP?¡±

    ¡°Ah, be d. This is your heart¡¯s desire, the goblin room!¡±

    ¡°Yay~? ¡­ Eh, my heart¡¯s desire?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t goblins your favorite?¡±

    Isn¡¯t she always with the ¡®send a goblin send a goblin¡¯?

    That¡¯s why I though that Rokuko liked goblins. To be surrounded and served by goblins.

    ¡°¡­ No, I don¡¯t have any feelings like that.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. To each their own. You are unrted to your goblin fetish, partner.¡±

    ¡°No, what do you mean!? What¡¯s with that ¡®I understand¡¯ face!?¡±

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m not a lolicon. I have a foot fetish. My evaluation of Rokuko¡¯s feet is good.¡±

    ¡°No no no! Really, what do you mean!? Moreover, you¡¯re looking down on me!¡±

    For the time being, the DP was exhausted, so I went to sleep for the third time.

 Chapter 6

    Let¡¯s Use Magic for the First Time

    Since I ran out of DP by adding rooms, I also ran out of things to do.

    That didn¡¯t change even after I slept and woke up again. I still didn¡¯t have enough DP¡­

    On that subject, what of the restroom and my meals? I¡¯ll say this.

    I eat three meals a day, each set of bread and water (5 DP). By the way, the bread thates out isn¡¯t hard brown bread. I can choose from pastries or simple prepared breads. I choose thergest portion of bread whenever possible and share it with the goblin to eat.

    Though next is the restroom, it¡¯s the corner of the room¡­ Well, I should have toilet paper prepared and have it partitioned off right? However, it can¡¯t be helped since I don¡¯t leave the master room.

    Since the dungeon core absorbs all of the trash and excrement without even leaving a smell behind, I¡¯m really thankful. Rokuko puts on a reluctant expression when she absorbs poop though.

    ¡°¡­ How would you like to watch someone poop in your heart, oi?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, a girl saying something as improper as poop. Isn¡¯t it fine? There¡¯s also goblin poop, isn¡¯t Rokuko¡¯s goblin fetish crying from happiness?¡±

    ¡°Hey, do you really think that about me!? Do you even see me as intelligent life!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, an enigmatic creature¡­ kind of. Oh, but I have said before that just your feet are highly rated. They have a lightplexion and absolutely healthy.¡±

    ¡°Nooo this master is scary.¡±

    Even so, I haven¡¯t been in a tub or entered a shower to bathe in several days.

    I wonder if my hair is going to start smelling soon¡­ then I saw the goblin next to me. It had its ugly face andrge fangs as usual. Clothes? It wore just a rag wrapped around its waist. A wild style.

    If such a wild guy were neglected for a few days wouldn¡¯t he start to smell like a dog? ¡­ Is what I thought. However, he was clean. Does he have some kind of secret?

    ¡°Oh, I used the life magic [Cleanup] on him.¡±

    It was magic. Right, this is a fantasy world.

    ¡°Magic huh, if it¡¯s magic there¡¯s no helping it then. Then could you use it on me as well?¡±

    ¡°Eh, you want me to clean you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, the goblin gets better treatment because of your goblin fetish huh.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it! I didn¡¯t know the dungeon master wanted [Cleanup]! Rather, use it on yourself!¡±

    ¡°No no no, what¡¯s with the assumption I can use magic?¡±

    ¡°Eh, you can¡¯t use it?¡±

    ording to her, everyone seems to be able to use magic. Even humans.

    Even the bandits used it when I wasn¡¯t watching¡­

    Can I use it too? I¡¯ll ask how to use it.

    ¡°Just charge magic power and simply use [Cleanup].¡±

    I don¡¯t get it at all. What do she mean by ¡®charge magic power¡¯? ¡®Simply use [Cleanup]¡¯ she says. She¡¯s the kind of person that wouldn¡¯t write down how many teaspoons or grams of salt to use in the recipe book. I¡¯m not one of this world¡¯s magic humans, oi! Even beginners are beginners!

    ¡°¡­ Kehma, can¡¯t you use the menu? It¡¯s the same thing as that alright?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? [Cleanup]¡­ Oh, it worked.¡±

    Along with the sensation of beingpletely covered by a membrane of carbonated water starting at my feet, my body was cleaned.

    With this, I¡¯m free to sleep in peace of mind that my body is clean. I¡¯ll use it immediately after waking up so that I can feel refreshed and go back to sleepfortably.

    I wonder if something like MP is expended? There¡¯s even a pleasant tired feeling. Isn¡¯t this the most optimal magic in order to sleep? This is wonderful.

    ¡°By the way, though manifesting life magic only requires a mental image and magic power, those aren¡¯t the only requirements. For stronger ones it¡¯s no good unless you use scrolls to memorize them you know?¡±

    ¡°Scroll¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, though you can theoretically learn to manifest it by yourself, that¡¯s at an [Unrealistic and Impossible] level. That¡¯s what researchers are for. Well, I normally learn magic by using scrolls. I don¡¯t have any to use though¡­ Ah, aren¡¯t they in the DP catalog?¡±

    Examining it when she said that, there were treasures and items like [Scroll of Fire Ball (500 DP)] and [Scroll of Ice Barrier (700 DP)].

    The attributes were the standard four elements: earth, water, wind, and fire. There seemed to be special attributes like light, darkness, and space-time as well.

    Furthermore, they were each divided into ranks: bottom ss, low ss, middle ss, upper ss, top ss, emperor ss, and divine ss. Fire Ball seemed to be ssified as low ss fire attribute magic.

    Meanwhile, I¡¯m interested on this middle ss earth attribute magic.

    [Scroll of Create Golem (10000 DP)]

    I¡¯m very interested. If I use this, wouldn¡¯t I have a servant that¡¯ll do whatever I say?

    Well, even Rokuko is in a servant-like state that she does whatever I say. All the same, since I¡¯d feel awkward if it¡¯s a little girl, I want something like a robot.

    Though I want that item soon, I wonder if I should go with that or use that DP for the [Heavenly Pillow]¡­

 Chapter 7

    The Bandits¡¯ Boss

    In the end, two days passed by uneventfully since I added more rooms.

    The bandits seems to have taken a vacation and spent all of their time in the dungeon, half of themying down drinking sake. I thought they¡¯d attack travelers and merchants every day, bit it seems I was wrong. They were taking a holiday while their boss was out overnight, I wonder what he¡¯s doing?

    Well, it¡¯s fine though since thanks to that I got a lot of DP with just that little.

    Well, the boss came back with seven more thugs.

    Though I guess he invited them from somewhere, their strength¡­ even if I calcte the DP backwards froming in, they¡¯re just thugs after all.

    One person was roughly between 10-15 DP per day, so seven more people increases the daily ie by around 70-105 DP? Simply delicious. In addition to that, when they went out they came back with a young person that was probably an adventurer.

    Yep, gagged and tied with rope, it was a woman.

    They started stabbing the young person with their swords as I thought that. These people are scary.

    When the ughter finished, they watched the pool of blood be absorbed by the dungeon in mute amazement.

    ¡°Oh, a decent amount of DP came in. 300 DP huh.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Goblin Lover Rokuko, don¡¯t summon fifteen goblins.¡±

    Oh yeah. It was a present to the dungeon, yeah. Wasn¡¯t their effort good? Let¡¯s reward them¡­

    So, since it seems that it took a considerable amount of time for them to stab the adventurer to death, I decided to give them a sharp iron sword (150 DP). 520 DP left. I want to save up more¡­

    ¡°Hey, I wanted you to add something like more rooms ya know?¡±

    Seeing this, even though the bandit¡¯s boss had the sword in his hand, heined while dissatisfied.

    What¡¯s with you, even though I took great pains to bless you with a sword.

    ¡°Haah, say that earlier, whatever.¡±

    ¡°What now? Going to make a room?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like using more DP¡­ ah, that¡¯s right.¡±

    *

    Going to town, I went to sell the plundered goods.

    Well, even though I say that I went to town, more precisely I went to a slum around the outer wall.

    As I expected, public order wasn¡¯t so bad that a bandit boss like me could go inside the walls¡­ it¡¯d be different if I did a bit of bribing though.

    Ah, about the steel helmet I got from the dungeon, I decided to not sell it and use it. It¡¯s probably good to take care of something like a first present.

    Well, I obtained seven newpanions from the street.

    Street thugs, people in my profession, runaway ves¡­ well, everyone gives off that kind of feeling.

    While I was at it, I attacked and stunned a brat adventurer who was walking along the path, bringing them back to the base.

    Hahaha, it really is a dangerous ce away from the city. Rookies shouldn¡¯te to the mountainside by themselves ya know.

    Because of that, I took put it in the dungeon for it to make another room, feeding it the corpse. The seven newpanions had surprised faces when they saw a stiff beingpletely eaten by the ground.

    ¡°Boss, a box came out!¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ wait, what¡¯s this? A sword?¡±

    A sword was put into the box.

    An iron sword. The item was a better quality than I¡¯d used so far.

    But, that isn¡¯t what I want right now. I want a room.

    As expected, with seven more people it¡¯s cramped. Well, it was six people in a small room before. Thinking about the two people rotating out to stand guard, entering the rooms that were increased to three was cramped. I want a new room soon.

    When I mumbled that, a new box came out.

    ¡°Yeah, what is it this time?¡±

    Taking the box, [Since it wasn¡¯t enough to make a new room, make one yourself] was written on the bottom of it.

    Inside were three brand new pickaxes.

 Chapter 8

    Going Well

    He was angry about getting a pick when he said he wanted another room. I don¡¯t get it.

    If the space is open beforehand, I can save DP though¡­

    Then three days passed without anything happening.

    By the way, the bandits were digging a room with the pickaxes whileining. Though it seems they were throwing the stone and dirt they dug up out of the dungeon, I reimed it as treasure. Though it wasn¡¯t even 1 DP, I was right in doing that since they seemed to like me pitching in with the expansion. They¡¯re simple guys.

    ¡°Hmm? Did someone approach?¡±

    Rokuko muttered.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t a bandit?¡±

    ¡°It feels different. Probably an adventurer. The bandits seem to have noticed too, should we ambush it?¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­ in all likelihood, it¡¯s adventurers from beforeing back to investigate.¡±

    Though it¡¯s abrupt, it¡¯s a good opportunity. Thinking about the bandit extermination n, I decided to talk to Rokuko.

    I talked to her about not doing anything unnecessary.

    ¡°Since they purposely came here to investigate, these guys are definitely more skilled than the adventurers from before. Since it would be pointless if they weren¡¯t more useful than thest ones that didn¡¯t return.¡±

    Even the realized, they couldn¡¯t let theme and see the changes to the [Ordinary Cave]. Therefore, there was no choice but to kill the adventurers.

    Then, after killing this adventurer, more and more wille to investigate next time.

    ¡­ Of course, the prepared adventurers would be stronger and stronger.

    Though I don¡¯t know if it will continue indefinitely, the bandits would be defeated sooner orter.

    Right, this was the bandit extermination n that I had thought out.

    Well, my job was to just wait until the point the bandits gave up this spot.

    Hmm? You think I¡¯m doing nothing but sleeping? No no, nothing like that.

    The bandits asionally hunt to go get food and give some of the game they catch to the dungeon. (Though they¡¯re parts like bones and organs that the bandits don¡¯t eat, they¡¯re still DP) And in return, I teach them how to fight effectively in the cave by writing in the box.

    Of course the most delicious thing would be for either the adventurers or the bandits to die in the dungeon, their DP is tasty.

    ¡­ Dammit, I don¡¯t want to wooork¡­!

    However, it¡¯s still fine since the DP tributes from the bandits were easy work.

    ¡°Oh¡­ Kehma, that¡¯s amazing! To have thought of something like that!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. By the way, that goblin room is actually going to be made into a dummy [Ordinary Cave]. In addition, when the timees, move the core there. We¡¯ll feign ignorance and say [Eh? Bandits? My dungeon is unrted though?].¡±

    ¡°Eeh, so that¡¯s it¡­ I thought you forgot that monsters could only be taken out of the dungeon core when there are intruders for sure.¡±

    Oh, I forgot that.

    ¡°The adventurers will arrive soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can see with some effort.¡±

    *

    ¡°Boss, adventurers areing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, as expected, let¡¯s ambush ¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°Expected?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, inside the box with the sword was written to defend against attacking adventurers.¡±

    By the way, the bandit¡¯s boss had been studying his letters recently and was able to read simple sentences.

    Since the letters(or is it correct to call it a treasure box?) from the dungeon were written with simple sentences. Even the bandit¡¯s boss could read it. [TN: Difference between letter and treasure box is a single kanji. Punny.] Well, it¡¯s reasonable to learn how to read in order to read letters from a dungeon¡­ and the bandit¡¯s boss was proud of his intelligence.

    I in particr think making this dungeon their base made them smarter, and they became conceited.

    I wonder if they¡¯ll go back to being fools when they leave the dungeon¡­ probably.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s right, let¡¯s use the neers. If they kill ¡¯em well they can enter the top brass.¡±

    ¡°Got it. And us?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll tidy up the fatigued adventurers after the neers fail. It¡¯s fine if it goes smoothly.¡±

    In fact, many of their strategies came from the dungeon.

    Using the neers, crushing the unusable ones early. This was one of the strategies taught by the dungeon.

    Enduring wind and rain, they use their base to amass money. That is the status of the bandits.

    Though it would naturally be dangerous if their base was exposed, there would be no danger if they killed the people that came one by one¡­ was written in the letter from the dungeon, but the bandit¡¯s boss probably came up with that as well.

    Entering from the entrance to the dungeon, there is a blind spot in the corner of the room¡­ well, since it was small the most that could be jammed in there was seven or eight people altogether. The neers waited there.

    The non-neer bandits waited in the additional rooms to the left and right of the passage. They could give supporting attacks at any time.

    ¡°Huh? Wasn¡¯t the dungeon core right here?¡±

    Those words were thest for one of the three adventurers.

    A neer brandished his sword towards the defenseless adventurer that appeared and rushed at him.

    ¡°Eat this!¡±

    He struck his defenseless neck with the blunt rusted sword, killing him by breaking the bones in his neck.

    You did it neer, are you a delinquent or something? You recklessly tried to look cool and were noisy.

    Though you were told to be silent until you attack, were you fussy about being a delinquent as you tried to kill someone for the first time? But the adventurer was killed in the first attack. You could call the result good luck.

    ¡°E, eeeeh-! With this I¡¯m in the top brass!¡±

    ¡°Bennis!? Tch, bandits!? [sh]!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Gobeh-¡±

    The adventurer¡­ the swordsman¡¯s counterattack cut halfway through the neer¡¯s neck. As you¡¯d expect, it¡¯s at the level where he won¡¯t survive if he doesn¡¯t receive high-ss recovery magic right now¨Cin other words, there¡¯s no saving him. That sharp sword must be taken care off well¡­ no, that swordsmen is skilled and at any rate used a skill. The delinquent crumbled with a thud.

    Though none of the blockheads watched the body quietly finish falling down, the adventurers reacted faster than the bandit neers.

    ¡°Shit, he has a skill! Press on, use numbers¡­! ¨CGubo-¡±

    An adventurer pierced the back of his leather armor with an arrow. The neer quickly died after his chest was pierced. Probably because the adventurer didn¡¯t think he¡¯d die in a single blow, another arrow pierced through his head. High power quick shots. High uracy, too. Does the rearguard adventurer use an offensive bow skill? But the solution for that is to draw close to make archers powerless. They didn¡¯t shift around to take positions in the passage, I wonder if they¡¯re not ustomed tobat? They won¡¯t run away without theirrades, I think.

    From there it was a stomp. Though they were missing a person, they had good cooperation. The adventurers seem to be more skilled than the neers. That much was obvious when they used skills, but they couldn¡¯t win against the numbers. The swordsman was surrounded, and the archer approached the dead shield¡¯s body, copsing.

    Concerning the result of the neers trying to look cool, in exchange for five people, the three adventurers were dealt with.

    The neers finished off the surviving adventurers¡­ well, two of the three were killed, but one didn¡¯t survive. Fortunately a neer that was a former mercenary killed an adventurer and was added to the top brass as promised.

    ¡°Since adding more neers from here on will be a headache¡­ it would be good to have a mediator.

    A surviving mercenary and an escaped ve huh¡­ the delinquents are useless¡­

    ¡­ Now then, can we get more rooms with this? Pleeease, my lovely Dungeon-chan!¡±

    Then, a box came out.

    The contents written were [Good work! Since I¡¯m going to add more rooms, please go outside].

    Fortunately, food filled the box. The bandit¡¯s boss even saw something he¡¯d never seen before, sweet smelling bread was inside. It smells like the luxury fruit known as a melon¡­ coincidentally, the boss was able to get a whiff of it once before. Enthralled by that alone¨Cwell, let¡¯s not talk about it.

    About the bread, when the new top brass were given a taste as a reward, they began eating it with amazing momentum, saying [This is the first time I¡¯ve eaten such a sweet and delicious bread! I promise my loyalty to boss from now on!] Towards their expressions that were more serious than when they joined the group, he couldn¡¯t help but giving a wry smile.

    *

    The adventurers seem to have been more stupid than I thought.

    If they were careful with their scouting, they could have prevented the bandit¡¯s surprise attack.

    Or maybe they underestimated the [Ordinary Cave] after all? They may have thought it was no problem even if they were ambushed by something on the level of goblins.

    They probably didn¡¯t think that the danger increased much while they traveled here?

    ¡­ The rookies may have been caught in an ident, they probably thought that.

    In any case, they should have been more caution when they rookies didn¡¯t return. It was bad for them to neglect that.

    ¡°Yay, it¡¯s delicious! Those bandits saw something good. The dungeon core hasn¡¯t even been stepped on recently.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re the culprits though.¡±

    Whatever, we got 1900 this time, so there¡¯s 2951 DP now¡­ Roughly five bandits for 1000, and 900 for the three adventurers huh. The we lost the steady ie from the five, it was a good return.

    ¡°¡­ Should we add more rooms as requested then? Since they did their best extending from the room on the left, I¡¯ll add one facing the inside to each side. It might be good to make one a jail¡­ oh right, food service.

    ¡°Meh lun bred? What¡¯s this? Something like that¡¯s on the DP menu?¡±

    ¡°Want some?¡±

    I got [Assorted Sweet Buns (15 DP)] [Assorted Bread Dishes (15 DP)] [Vegetable/Dried Meat Set (15 DP)] and a [Box (5 DP)] to put it in, sending it out to the bandits with a message to enter the dungeon.

    Because I used 630 DP to add more rooms, there was 2271 DP remaining.

    ¡­ Still a long way to go for 10000 DP.

 Chapter 9

    Let¡¯s Use DP

    ¡°What¡¯s this, so good! [Melon Bread] is stupidly good! Kehma, you eat delicious things like this!?¡±

    The slovenly dungeon core seemed anxious about the melon bread, taking a bite of it. She scoffed up this rest of it with sparkling eyes.

    You can eat bread? I mean you can eat things? That¡¯s the first time I saw it.

    ¡°W-what? Even I can eat food!¡±

    ¡°But, isn¡¯t it unneeded?

    ¡°Though that¡¯s right, it¡¯s a luxury. Luxuries¡­ isn¡¯t there more?¡±

    As far as this goes, it¡¯s 5 DP for one you know? For a set of drinks that is.

    Since ites with an assortment of six sweet rolls, it was haughty to ask for a set.

    No, I also gave the bandits a bread assortment. She didn¡¯t notice.

    Additionally, since it was a cheap 5 DP for a barrel of beverages¡­ it felt considerably overpriced¡­

    ¡°Well, there are various kinds of bread, but we wouldn¡¯t be saving DP¡­¡±

    ¡°I-isn¡¯t it ok? We have 2000 now you know? S-so, i-if we use just a little¡­¡±

    Ah, her eyes were serious.

    ¡°You even used it on your own to buy a [Pillow] and a [Futon]! Isn¡¯t a little for me fine!?¡±

    ¡°Even though I gave you a goblin~?¡±

    ¡°Wha-! G-Gobsuke has nothing to do with this! Besides, doesn¡¯t Kehma use 20 DP every day for food to eat!¡±

    When did you name it!? That¡¯s news to me!

    ¡°Rather, I give the goblin half of my meal. The goblin actually costs more than 20 DP due to maintenance costs¡­ rather isn¡¯t he a good-for-nothing with our present condition? He¡¯sple~tely your pet now right?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s not it! Gobsuke can be helpful! Right, Gobsuke!?¡±

    The subject suddenly changed, Gobsuke stared nkly in puzzlement with a [Eh? What, why did this the conversation shift?].

    I wondered, it felt like the fangs jutting out under it¡¯s nose looked made it¡¯s face look doggish.

    ¡­ Would it eat dog food?

    ¡°Whatever. Honestly, I don¡¯t mind as long as you don¡¯t use too much¡­ anyway, if we each buy drink and bread assortments from now on, our DP expenditure won¡¯t change.¡±

    That probably suppressed her, seeing as how she fell silent.

    ¡°Yay! Then get a bread assortment out at once!¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you have gotten them yourself? You¡¯ve also used DP from the menu right?¡±

    ¡°Eh? But, I¡¯ve never seen [Assortment of Bread] or [Melon Bread] before you know? ¡­Huh, there¡¯s more? O~h, I can choose from [ck Bread], [White Bread] and [Melon Bread]! I didn¡¯t know!¡±

    Hm? What?

    ¡°Oi, say your choices again.¡±

    ¡°Eh? The three things are [ck Bread] [White Bread] and [Melon Bread]?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ That¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°? Yeah, but what do you mean?¡±

    For my [Bread Assortment (5 DP)]¡­ the choices are [Cream-filled Roll] [Bean Paste Roll] [Jam Roll] [Steamed Roll] [Apple Pie] [Deep-fried Bread], changing the DP.

    ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Bread, right? What¡¯s this, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen it shaped like this. I mean, the bread Kehma produces is wrapped in something transparent, can I eat that?¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t eat it. You tear the stic open and eat what¡¯s inside¡­ by the way, this is called a [Bean Paste Roll]. Try it.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh, so this is called a [Bean Paste Roll]¡­ nom¡­~~~! So good! [Bean Paste Rolls] are also amazing! Eeeh, there¡¯s yellow stuff inside. Ooh, so good! What¡¯s this, so good-¡±

    I thought of something and had passed her a [Cream-filled Roll].

    ¡°Rokuko, look at the bread assortment menu again and see if your choices increased or not.¡±

    ¡°Eh? ¡®Kay¡­ There¡¯s more. [Bean Paste Roll] was added. Eeeh, so something like this can happen too.¡±

    ¡°So next, take out a [Bean Paste Roll]. You can mix it with the melon bread.¡±

    ¡°Really!? Fufufu, then, half and half, three of each¡­ fufu, fufufu!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m taking a [Bean Paste Roll].¡±

    ¡°AAAAAAAH!?¡±

    Incidentally, when Rokuko took out the [Bread Assortment], I took a [Bean Paste Roll]¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s a [Cream-filled Roll]. Even the way it looked, it was a [Cream-filled Roll]. Additionally, it wasn¡¯t reproduced with the stic and was bare.

    ¡°Sorry, Rokuko. That was a [Cream-filled Roll]. This one is a [Bean Paste Roll].¡±

    ¡°Eh, really? Heeh, so this is a [Bean Paste Roll]. Hehe, this one is red on the inside! ¡­ Super sweet! I love this one too! The genuine [Bean Paste Roll] is amazing!¡±

    Sorry for deceiving you again. That¡¯s a [Jam Roll]. Strawberry jam.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to take out another. Make it four [Cream-filled Rolls] and two [Bean Paste Rolls] this time.¡±

    ¡°What this, you want to please me that much? Aaah mou, Kehma is shining today! Four [Cream-filled Rolls] and two [Bean Paste Rolls]!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, what were your choices?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, now that you mention it they increased again¡­ Alright, I brought them out you know? Is it okay to eat them?¡±

    Seeing what Rokuko exchanged DP for, there were four [Cream-filled Rolls] and two [Jam Rolls].

    ¡­ I see.

    Apparently, it seems the DP menu¡¯s priority is what the person themselves recognizes.

    And likely, [What you don¡¯t know isn¡¯t on the menu].

    Just looking to make sure, other than the missing stic, only the name was incorrect.

    Did she absorb it or something? Ah, that¡¯s not it, but she does absorb trash every day¡­ is it recognition after all?

    Nevertheless, there¡¯s a high possibility it¡¯s not limited to things that exist in this world.

    I¡¯ve never seen a dragon even though it¡¯s on the menu¡­ though it could be a default thing for a dungeon master.

    Though I wanted to verify it a little more, it became a hassle. I didn¡¯t want to waste DP either.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay to eat right? Right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, go for it¡­ Alright, since that¡¯s enough for four days, eat it carefully yeah? Split it with Gobsuke.¡±

    ¡°Hae-!?¡±

    Biting into a [Cream-filled Roll], Rokuko froze.

    Don¡¯t worry, even if you finish eating them today, I¡¯ll share mine with Gobsuke. Though I won¡¯t say it.

 Chapter 10

    The Bandit Bought ves

    Two days after the bandits lost five neers, the bandit¡¯s boss lead some neers in with him.

    A whopping eighteen people¡­ Since the seven new guys were reduced by five, that with the other eight it became ten in total. So with these new guys, twenty-eight, a 2.8x increase in one go. Where¡¯s he getting them from¡­ as I thought that, I noticed two were attacking adventurers that had been tied up to be used as sacrifices. Well, even with that, that¡¯s still twenty-six. Isn¡¯t this already the scale of a small vige?

    ¡°Oh, other than those two sacrifices they¡¯re all ves.¡±

    ¡°How do know that? ¡­ Ah, the cors? Well, two sacrifices¡­ okay, guess I¡¯ll add two rooms in the back. As you¡¯d expect, it¡¯s a priority to make sure they fit so we can get the DP¡­¡±

    Looking from above, I added a room shaped like a square in the upper right side.

    Rather, is it okay for ves to be sold to bandits in this world?

    ¡°I¡¯d heard that humans whomit crimes are turned into criminal ves, but¡­¡±

    ¡°So the bandits are buying returned criminals eh? That¡¯s a draining basket¡­¡±

    Well, they were obviously nonbatants¡­there were women, or rather little girls.

    In this world, there¡¯s no reason to look filthy since there¡¯s life magic.

    ¡­ Yep, their eyes were full of malice and they were nearly nude. Heck, wasn¡¯t the ve the boss had obviously in the single digit age range? So they bought a child with eyes like a dead fish like that. Will he raise her as his daughter? Oi, she even has dog ears¡­ wait, oi.

    She is a sex ve.

    You lolicon! Coming here with this R18 development! Well, it was only men till now¡­

    Stripping the scant rags off of her, he used the magic Cleanup while suspiciously stroking her body with his hands. He stuck his face onto her with a dirty sound, pushing her down onto the bed¡­ ah, yep. Cut.

    She has eyes like a dead fish. Perfectly a Doll-san.

    ¡°Wooow¡­ wooooow, amazing¡­. I didn¡¯t know humans could still have reproductive behaviors with such a small body, wo-¡­ I-is Kehma aiming for me!?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t like forcing people. To begin with, someone small like you isn¡¯t in my strike zone! I¡¯m not a lolicon!¡±

    ¡°B-but you evaluate feet right? Mine, as well as that human ve¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Her bare feet are all tattered, even though they have such a good shape, it¡¯s a waste. Damn, I¡¯d like to at least have her wear some socks.¡±

    ¡­ If possible, knee socks would be good. White knee socks, ck knee socks. Maybe not knee socks, but a cor and stockings to match that important part of a dog, the dog ears? ¡­ Oi, erase the filthy bandits that are on the screen.

    ¡°I get the feeling it¡¯ll be ten minutes at most¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pay them any attention. Well, I¡¯m going to goy down¡­ The DP we got from the sacrifices this time was pretty good.¡±

    *

    What¡¯s so good about being a bandit¡­

    I can¡¯t enter a town normally, and shopping costs even more with a middleman.

    Though I talk to the peddlers to not break our cover, they take advantage and raise the prices.

    We have to do amateur repairs on our weapons ourselves since we can¡¯t even go to a cksmith, so we just use crushing weapons. Thinking about my weapon breaking while I¡¯m using it sends shivers down my spine.

    Gold. Our lives our consumed by gaining it. Though I say that, it¡¯s better than risking your life as a mercenary.

    However, strength can steal anything.

    Though the ie isn¡¯t stable, the returns are huge.

    Moreover, in my time as a mercenary I heard it was possible to join something called the Hidden Guild.

    Don¡¯t attack wagons that had the Hidden Guild¡¯s mark, that was the rule. But there many merits.

    You could get anything so long as you had the money¡­ well, it was expensive though.

    One thing is the brothel¡­ though it was nothing but a tent in the slum, it had women.

    Since bandits obviously couldn¡¯t enter the town, we can¡¯t go to normal brothels. But sexual desire builds up. Adventurers are nothing but men, and women adventurers only seed since they gather attention and are hard to attack. Therefore, we can¡¯t help but get the assistance of the Hidden Guild¡¯s prostitutes.

    Even a bandit¡¯s boss has toe to the Hidden Guild¡¯s brothel for that.

    Though they didn¡¯t have satisfactory women, we could only gaze at the feet of the average high-quality downtown brothel with the price.

    Still, you can¡¯t buy a good woman without the money for it.

    ¡­ It¡¯s just better to buy one. With that thought, the bandit¡¯s boss bought the cheapest woman.

    A demi-human child that wasn¡¯t even in the two-digit age range came out. Not even human. The Hidden Guild¡¯s cheapest prostitute didn¡¯t have clothes and only had a ve cor.

    Not even trained, it didn¡¯t know what to do by itself.

    Though if this one¡¯s ears and tail were cut off it would look closer to a human, even that wasn¡¯t done. Most likely, it would have been a bother to pay for a demi-human ve to be treated by recovery magic, or maybe just for someone¡¯s entrics. If you didn¡¯t use recovery magic, she would be in danger of dying¡­ are corpses preferable?

    But it was too small to begin with. It was ridiculous for her to call herself a prostitute like that.

    Though the fruit was immature, a woman was a woman. Grasping its delicate arm that seemed like it would break from contact, I took her.

    The feeling wasn¡¯t bad. Rather, the young and smooth skin was reminiscent of the luxury brothel¡¯s prostitute that I was taken to by a senior in my times as a mercenary. It was arousing.

    After the act, the bandit¡¯s boss decided to begin buying crime ves.

    The Hidden Guild dealt with ves of all kinds. Dying ves were cheap, healthy ves were expensive.

    Killing adventurers reduces the number of neers I have, so it¡¯ll be better to get crime ves that have experience killing. That¡¯s what the bandit¡¯s boss was thinking.

    Sooner orter my underlings will also need sex ves¡­ though sex ves are more expensive than crime ves, it can¡¯t be helped since they¡¯re luxury items. Let¡¯s buy some if there¡¯s a bit of left over funds.

    The bandit¡¯s boss lined up the ves he¡¯d bought. The demi-human child he bought in the brothel was lined up as well. Though he felt the money previously spent in the brothel before buying this would be wasted, since they were cheap, he decided to buy them. They were also priced dirt cheap. Or rather, they were almost for free, a bonus for taking other ves as well. He¡¯d wondered if they were about to be disposed of, their prices were cheaper than ten pieces of tough ck bread.

    Hefortably caressed the child ve that was almost free of charge¡­ remembering the reminiscent feel of the high ss prostitute, the bandit¡¯s boss felt that he¡¯d profited.

    As long as it became yours, you didn¡¯t need to worry about a penalty price for breaking or ripping it up. It was your responsibility to widen unusable holes and cut off the tail and ears.

    ¡°¡­ Should I wait to cut off its ears and tail till it grows up a bit? It¡¯d be a waste for it to die after going through so much trouble. I want the original at least.¡±

    Carrying the sluggish demi-human child that walked slowly, the bandit¡¯s boss headed toward the [Ordinary Cave].

    On the way, we attacked a pair of adventurers we noticed from behind, capturing them alive.

    That was good. With this we might have another room to put the ves in.

    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky!¡±

    Kuku, the bandit¡¯s bossughed.

 Chapter 11

    The End of the Bandits

    It¡¯s been a week since the adventurers attacked. That means the dungeon was peaceful.

    Adventurers haven¡¯te, so the bandits are uninjured.

    The bandits left and brought back corpses twice this past week. The four corpses turned into around 600 DP. It was most likely too difficult to capture them alive.

    ¡­ Though I really did think that, isn¡¯t that poor earnings for twenty-six people? Well, one of them is a nonbat child.

    Ah, their reward? I decided to wait a few days since they hadn¡¯t killed inside the cave. There¡¯s no rush you know?

    By the way, the boss ys around with the dog-eared girl every day¡­ that¡¯s the only part I don¡¯t find peaceful.

    Even if she¡¯s a ve or something, as a Japanese, I can¡¯t just suddenly adjust and ept it.

    Rather than the other ves serving the bandits, just one of them became a ything.

    Is it a small relief that, other than the boss, no one made a move on her?

    It seems his underlings¡¯ evaluations of him is something like [The boss is a lolicon]. After being asked if he would buy more adult female ves, he said they¡¯d get them by raiding.

    ¡°¡­ Still, he doesn¡¯t get tired of doing it day after day¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bing an eyesore now.¡±

    ¡°¡±I had a hunch he was a good guy, but guess I imagined it~¡­¡±¡±

    However, Rokuko might actually have a lot of human characteristics, pouting over a girl being made into a ything.

    ¡°Oi¡­ I don¡¯t like them contaminating the dungeon with their body fluids¡­ it¡¯s annoying.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that? ¡­ Though it¡¯s okay for me to use the master room as a restroom?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s fine if it¡¯s Kehma or Gobsuke, it can¡¯t be helped¡­ I did more or less summon you as monsters.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m considered a monster too? ¡­ Now that you mention it, I was summoned huh.¡±

    ¡°It feels like you¡¯re just going in circles. Don¡¯t be so easygoing¡­ moreover, oi, is there no way to get them to leave?¡±

    ¡°With that tone, your hobby is definitely scat. But your goblin and scat hobbies are bad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not aroused by excrement you know!? Kehma is also misunderstanding that thing with the goblin you know!?¡±

    Yeah, it was fiddling around with Rokuko yesterday.

    It seems like¡­ today is the day the dungeon¡¯s peace will be broken.

    No, the time for peace has arrived, maybe.

    ¡°Ah, something amazing ising¡­¡±

    Hearing Rokuko mutter something to herself, I pulled up the map.

    Map of the surrounding area¡­ As long as it¡¯s within view distance from the dungeon, I can see detailed geographic information and features. On it were red dots signifying enemies, marching forward in well-regted rows.

    ¡°About thirty people huh¡­ they finally came. Were they early? Or slow¡­?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯sing? Those guys?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably the suppression group. And looking at how fast they¡¯re progressing, they¡¯re a trained group. The knights¡­ will probably be the end of the bandits. Though unlikely, it¡¯d be delicious if they survived.¡±

    And it seems that the bandits noticed. Taking out the semi-transparent monitor from the menu, I decided to check out what the bandits were doing.

    It really is convenient since it could be used as though there were surveince cameras installed in the dungeon.

    When I looked, underlings were reporting to the boss in a panic.

    [Boss, it¡¯s bad, knights! They¡¯reing our way!] [What!? How were we exposed, we killed everyone that saw our base!?]

    The bandit¡¯s boss panicked. It seems he didn¡¯t think that knights would be dispatched for them.

    [No, they¡¯re human but having said that they¡¯re knights, it¡¯s better to not be killed¡­ how many?] [S-sorry, I came back as soon as I saw them wearing armor. At least, err, more than five people!] [Tch, can¡¯t be helped then¡­ well, we¡¯re going to ambush them in the dungeon even if there¡¯s more or less of ¡¯em anyway.] [That so?] [If there¡¯s a small amount we¡¯ll use a surprise attack, if there¡¯s a lot of ¡¯em we¡¯ll fence them in from the outside. The End.] [Ooh! I see, as expected of the boss! Alright, everyone heard him! Let¡¯s ambush ¡¯em!] [[[ YEAH! ]]]

    Apparently it looks like they¡¯re motivated; more so, inside the dungeon.

    That¡¯s very convenient. It¡¯s good that I taught the bandit boss how to fight using the exits and passages for ambushes this week. It¡¯s really good he isn¡¯t bright enough to escape from here.

    ¡°Then, can the bandits win?¡±

    ¡°Though it depends on the strength of the knights¡­ if the strength of those thirty are like the recent adventurers, they¡¯ll be wiped out for sure.¡±

    I also checked out how the group of knights were doing.

    I decided to watch until theypleted the long-awaited annihtion of the bandits. Since it¡¯s happening also due to the results of my work.

    As for the bandits, eight were in the entrance room, with eight people on the way to the core room. It seems the ambush will be in the core room with nine people, including the bandit boss. Though they distributed their forces, the rooms limited how many could actually perform an ambush.

    When the bandits finished their ambush preparations, the knights arrived at the cave entrance.

    [Full stop. Henry-dono, is this the [Ordinary Cave]?] [Yes. Most likely, that is the bandits¡¯ hideout¡­ Beck, I leave it to you.] [Yeah. Thanks for cooperating¡­ Life, return the beats to my wave¨C[Life Search].]

    A knight wearing full body armor used the skill. After a moment, a transparent wave extended around the knight using the skill¡­ Judging by its name, it looks like it¡¯s a skill that searches for living things. I wonder if it uses the principles of echolocation?

    At least with this, the bandits¡¯ ambush will lose its effect.

    [Hmm¡­ from what I heard, there are at least eight people that way. They¡¯re preparing to ambush us.]

    There certainly were eight bandits waiting in the first room.

    ¡­ Maybe he can¡¯t hear what¡¯s beyond the wooden door? Or maybe it¡¯s the effective range?

    [That¡¯s it for the information.] [Alright, let¡¯smence the bandit suppression. Though it doesn¡¯t look like there are any prisoners¡­ as a precaution, we¡¯ll use a sleeping drug.] [Understood!] [Five people stay and watch the attack from the outside. The rest, surround the entrance. Kill any escaping bandits.] [Roger that.]

    The group of knights surrounded the cave¡¯s exit, taking position. They began to burn an incense at the entrance.

    ¡­ So that¡¯s how it is? Well, that makes it unnecessary to purposely walk into an ambush.

    After the incense burned for a while, it was time for the bandits to move.

    When they started to smell the aroma of the incense, they weren¡¯t able to endure the drowsiness and copsed.

    [Gu, this is¡­ it¡¯s a sleeping drug! R-run, get to the back room!] [No, we should attack before we can¡¯t move! They won¡¯t have many people if they used a trick like this. Let¡¯s go!] [If we shut the door, the smoke¡­ ugu-¡­ w-what do we do¡­] [Hmph, cowards, you go and sleep. I¡¯m going to kill them all!]

    One of the new guys from before that had finished off the adventurers in the cave, bing top brass, headed out of the cave with five desperate ves.

    The only guy to remain, not copsed from drowsiness, was the guy who suggested to withdraw¡­ he was crouching and hitting his abdomen.

    As for the six who went outside, their fighting strength dropped due to drowsiness. They couldn¡¯t do anything against the swords of the knights that encircled the entrance. They threw their blunt swords in desperation, though it was easily deflected by the knights¡¯ armors.

    Listening to hisrades¡¯ shrieks outside, he mumbled [Ahh, I wasn¡¯t wrong¡­]. He fell asleep with the other eight there, copsing.

    His definitive mistake was to be arade of the bandits to begin with, but it didn¡¯t seem he noticed that.

    Though the smell thinned, they couldn¡¯t tell when it came to the point where it wouldn¡¯t put them to sleep, so the knights used [Life Search] again.

    [[Life Search]¡­ Hmm, there are two left for now.] [Alright¡­ the passage is narrow. We¡¯ll go in in rows of two. Be careful.]

    The knights entered the dungeon one after another¡­ However, that the knights took up positions outside the cave meant that they already knew that the inside of the dungeon was a dungeon.

    Yep, it was correct for us to expand it. Otherwise the DP from those six people dying would have been wasted.

    [¡­ Alright, two bandits left. Be sure to finish them off.] [Is that alright?] [We can¡¯t turn back at this point. Besides, it¡¯s our job to raze the bandit hideout. If we crush the head, it¡¯ll be fine to leave the rest to adventurers¡­ Look, we¡¯re still far from the back. There are probably people better than the underlings arranged at the entrance farther inside¡­ Though it¡¯d be nice if we already defeated the boss earlier.] [Indeed.]

    When they decapitated the two sleeping bandits, DP came in.

    Feeling my clothes being tugged on, I looked at Rokuko. She had a strange look on her face.

    ¡°Is it fine to not take the corpses from a bit ago? It¡¯s wasteful.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You absolutely can¡¯t absorb them you know? If you did that we wouldn¡¯t be able to deceive them anymore.¡±

    ¡°Deceive them?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Once they know that this is a dungeon that eats people, or that this beginner dungeon gained energy, they might consider this dungeon is dangerous and destroy the core. Though I more or less have insurance¡­¡±

    ¡°Uu, I¡¯ll die if the core gets destroyed¡­ Insurance? What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hey, remember the goblin room I made a while ago?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, the area you made a bit away! It was the dummy [Ordinary Cave] right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since this world doesn¡¯t have very urate maps, we can probably deceive them even if the cave¡¯s position shifts somewhat¡­ maybe, well, it¡¯s possible they¡¯ll ept it and misunderstand that this cave is an ordinary cave. That¡¯s just a small hope though¡­¡±

    ¡°Un un, I see¡­ Huh? What about the core?¡±

    In fact, by cing a dummy core, the castling function¡­ though I want to save the function that could instantly switch it with the genuine dungeon core in case of an emergency (It can be used even if an intruder is in the core room), there was no choice. Since it cost 5000 DP, we couldn¡¯t take this out till yesterday. Nevertheless, it¡¯s the type of device that couldn¡¯t be installed if there are any intruders in the necessary parts of the dungeon.

    ¡°¡­ Well, since we separated the rooms on the floor with doors, when the timees we¡¯ll turn the core room into an impregnable trap room.¡±

    By dividing the floors up, we can set up traps even if there¡¯s an intruder on another floor.

    ¡­ Naturally, that¡¯s if there aren¡¯t intruders in the room. That condition still counts.

    ¡°But right now the bandit boss is lying in wait in the core room.¡±

    Of course, the bandits are treated as intruders.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ in other words, right now we want them to overlook us and appeal to them as a harmless dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I get it, so that¡¯s why I can¡¯t take the corpses. Then, how will they overlook us?¡±

    ¡°¡­ F-for now we just wait and see.¡±

    In fact, there was nothing he could do for now.

    He returned his attention to the group of knights.

    [Is the loot room this way? A bed¡­ u-] [¡­ That¡¯s a distinctive smell. Were there women here as well? But, they didn¡¯t use [Cleanup]¡­ there¡¯s so much that even if they used it it wouldn¡¯t be enough.]

    Right now, the knights were examining the boss¡¯ bedroom.

    It¡¯s the room that he made the dog-eared girl his ything. By the way, the dog-eared girl is under the bed right now. She had eyes like a dead fish and didn¡¯t even twitch. Without finding her, the knights moved on to the next room.

    Though the knights probably would have been able to find her if they used [Life Search], they didn¡¯t use it for some reason. I wonder if there¡¯s a usage restriction? The knights probably couldn¡¯t use it just to simply explore. The captain-ish knight that had used [Life Search] outside of the dungeon was, right now, issuing instructions to subordinates at the entrance room.

    The boss¡¯ bedroom had been turned into a jail.

    They did that in order to capture the guys that they attacked, but in the end they didn¡¯t use it. It turned into a loot room.

    [It¡¯s not that good eh.] [Was our timing off? If we¡¯de here a bit sooner there might have been some valuables. We replenished our rations¡­ it looks like we came a bit toote¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi, watch what you¡¯re saying. But well, isn¡¯t it fine with this sake we got?]

    Still, the knights retrieved the valuable items from this room before going to the master room. Though there really wasn¡¯t anything worth mentioning. The bread was moldy and got thrown away¡­ About the magic tool that could be used for light? It was like antern¡­ Though well, the boss brought everything that could be used forbat to the core room.

    So the only things left were old food and bad loot. Since it had be a dead end, the knights put the food into boxes and carried it out.

    After they finished carrying the food out, they resumed the suppression.

    Putting his hand to the wooden door, a knight tried to open it. A sword sprouted from the door.

    [Guah!?]

    It wasn¡¯t a trap. Behind the wooden door was a bandit piercing the knight that tried to open the door.

    Then, the door waspletely destroyed with swords.

    [Uoaaaaaah!] [Gu-!? Ryan, get awa-! Uooooh!]

    The injured soldier withdrew andbat began.

    [Dammit, since they tried to ambush us at the entrance I was negligent¡­ Light, heal this person¡¯s wounds¡ª[Healing]!] ¡°S-sorry, captain¡­ gu-u¡­!]

    Wrapped in the magic¡¯s light, the injured soldier¡¯s wounds were healed. Therge sh wound closed and the bleeding stopped. Though he was still exhausted and weak, he wasn¡¯t in a life-threatening situation.

    ¡­ So that¡¯s recovery magic huh. It¡¯s my first time seeing it.

    Ah, thebat finished while I was admiring it.

    [Sorry, Haggis was also injured in the fight just now. Please heal him.] [Damn, this is too exhausting¡­ Can you take upmand instead if I copse? Light, heal this person¡¯s wounds¡ª[Healing].] [There¡¯s no other way so it can¡¯t be helped. Since I can¡¯t use recovery magic, just captain¡­ Seriously, it¡¯d be nice if more healing scrolls showed up on the market¡­] [There definitely isn¡¯t enough recovery magic scrolls produced, since the Church has a monopoly on it¡­]

    Hmm, hearing that was good¡­ By the way, it seems I can exchange 100000 DP for a healing scroll. Calling it rare¡­ it¡¯s the same price as the cheapest dragon. Yup.

    However, if they¡¯re able to recover from wounds they went to great lengths to inflict, there¡¯s no longer a chance for the bandits to win.

    [Alright then. I checked Ryan a little ago, be careful of surprise attacks okay? ¡­ Even though the [Ordinary Cave] is said to be a very short dungeon.] [Captain. There are pickaxes on the ground. The bandits likely dug more.] [Huh? The walls of a dungeon will be repaired even if they¡¯re dug into. Why do they have something like that?] [I don¡¯t know, but¡­ there are traces of them digging through walls.]

    Is that so? I looked at Rokuko.

    ¡°Usually, the opened holes are closed up, yeah. Don¡¯t humans do that too?¡±

    ¡°Like healing scratches huh.¡±

    ¡°Sort of like that. Though it isn¡¯t particrly painful.¡±

    [Hmm¡­? What does that mean? Though it was already a very unusual thing for bandits to set up in a dungeon, maybe this has something to do with that?¡±

    [No way, the bandits are the dungeon boss?] [Hahaha, I¡¯ve never heard of something like humans being a dungeon boss. Maybe the bandits are dragons?] [The rooms here are too small for dragons to fit in.]

    The knights carefully advanced through the dungeon while joking around.

    As for the remaining bandits, nine were lying in wait in the core room.

    Though they had no choice but to take their time while looking through the eight rooms in the dungeon, the knights finally arrived in front of the core room¡­ However, the knights didn¡¯t know how to open the door to the core room.

    I changed my view to the bandits.

    An underling moved his ear from the door, reporting to the boss.

    [¡­ It looks like they arrived.] [Alright. Prepare your bows, quietly¡­ Shoot ¡¯em dead soon as they open the door.] [Boss, we got this.] [Fuu. Those guys should be exhausted by getting here. If ites to that, we¡¯ll put an end to it and just push through.]

    In reality they¡¯ve recovered. I wonder what they¡¯d do if I told them the knights had no chance of losing.

    ¡­ I¡¯d die from the core being destroyed in a fit of anger.

    ¡­ Creeeak, the wooden door to the core room opened slowly.

    The moment that happened, the bandit boss gave the signal to shoot their bows. Arrows shot towards the passage.

    With heavy impact, there were the sounds of arrows hitting armor. However, just one of them. One of them was really lucky¡ªand the worst case for the knights¡ªthat an arrow slipped into the visor¡¯s opening, going through his brain.

    At the corner of my vision I saw the DP increase. Looks like he died in one hit.

    [Ryui! Dammit, it¡¯s no good! He didn¡¯t survive!] [Tch¡­! Just one person!] [Boss!] [You guys! Go for their joints! Our armor will just deflect-]

    The boss shed at him.

    [Geh-, you bastard, you Melon Vomit!] [Don¡¯t call me thaaaaaat!] [Uwaaah!]

    The bandit boss was enraged, shing with his sword. His vigor engulfed the knight¡¯s body, causing him to flinch. He rammed his sword into an opening on the knight¡¯s armor¡ªviolently stirring up the insides. I saw the DP increase again, guess he died as well.

    I don¡¯t want to see what¡¯s inside¡­

    Rather, the heck kind of nickname is Melon Vomit?

    [Wha-, impolitely vomiting melon while eating together with Hime-sama!] [How dare you do that to Ryui and Eijin, you Vomit Bastard!] [That melon was rotten! It wasn¡¯t my fault! Why did you take my fucking reward moneeeeeeeey!] [More than just vomiting the melon, you killed the chef after falsely using him of making the melon rotten! Right in front of Hime-sama!] [Shut up! He was just jealous that Hime-sama was in love with me! I would have been emperor right now if it wasn¡¯t for him!]

    Ah, thanks for exining how you became Melon Vomit. I literally leaned more about it than I thought.

    Thereafter, Melon Vomit struggled more than expected because he got so angry.

    In addition to killing the guy with his sword, he inflicted many injuries on the knights.

    But that was all.

    With the cooperation of the subordinates supporting each other, they gradually wore him down. The knights sessfully surrounded him, sealing off his movements.

    Then, before he noticed it, a sword grew from his belly.

    [Dammit¡­ after that¡­ even though¡­.]

    Dropping to his knees with a thud, Melon Vomit was defeated.

    Grabbing his hair, the knight forcibly lifted his face.

    [Oi, where are your otherrades? Melon Vomit.] [Tch¡­. everyone was here because of it, goddamn it¡­ why¡­ I did what I was told¡­]

    Though his words near the end were faint, it reached the knight¡¯s ears.

    With that, all of the bandits had be DP.

    [Was there a mastermind? ¡­ Though there was evidence there were women, maybe they escaped.] [Though he said everyone¡­ I don¡¯t get it. Wait, it looks like this room is the dungeon core¡¯s.] [Heeeh, here¡­ that¡¯s a dungeon core huh? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one.] [As I¡¯d heard, it was a small dungeon. There weren¡¯t even stairs.]

    One of the knights aimed his sword towards the dungeon core.

    [Alright then, should I destroy the core?]

 Chapter 12

    A ve Called a Hug Pillow

    The knight said he was going to destroy the core.

    The statement was stifling.

    Shivers ran through me as though my blood flowed in reverse.

    The knight raised his sword in the monitor¡­ then, swung it down.

    ¡°Gob!¡±

    ¡°Gobsuke!?¡±

    Gobsuke rushed out into the master room. Rokuko and I couldn¡¯t stop him.

    That is, it may have been the instinct of a dungeon monster to avoid the core from being destroyed.

    [Uwah-!? Kuh, that¡¯s-!] [Gob-¡­ ah¡­]

    In the monitor, we could see Gobsuke jump out of the core and be cut down.

    Gobsuke was cut in two, breathing hisst breath.

    [Dammit, the goblin got in the way¡­ let¡¯s go again¡­] [Oi, what are you doing!? This isn¡¯t in our jurisdiction!]

    The leader stopped the knight raising his sword over his head.

    [Low ss dungeons like this are controlled by the adventurer guild. Just a goblin came out, I heard that this is a bottom ss dungeon.] [Oops, that¡¯s right¡­ my apologies.]

    Stopped by his captain, the knight quickly lowered his sword.

    [¡­ Shit, even though I could be a Sage Knight by destroying a dungeon core¡­] [Though I get why you would want to destroy the core, it¡¯s already been suppressed. Besides, if you could be acknowledged as a Sage Knight by subjugating bandits in a dungeon where there isn¡¯t even a dungeon boss, the royal capital would be overflowing with them by now.] [Tch¡­ well, just one goblin came out of the core when I said I¡¯d destroy it, maybe it didn¡¯t get enough power¡­] [Fool, I¡¯m cutting your pay when we return.] [Eeh-! That¡¯s-!] [Well, rather than gaining recognition as a Sage Knight with a dungeon where there isn¡¯t even a dungeon boss, wouldn¡¯t the opposite happen?] [¡­ If anything, couldn¡¯t you call Melon Vomit the boss? When you receive your Sage Knight name, do you want it to said like [Travelling to the Ordinary Cave, the Sage Knight that suppressed Melon Vomit]? After that, you¡¯d be known as [Sage Knight of Melon Vomit] or [Sage Knight of the Ordinary Cave].] [Yeah, that sounds pretty bad¡­ Haah, Ryui, Eijin, Thomas¡­ I didn¡¯t think three people would have been lost by something like a bandit extermination.] [Melon Vomit was a formidable enemy¡­]

    Leaving out their losses, the mood became one of workpleted.

    Remembering that I hadn¡¯t been breathing for a while now, I took a deep breath.

    ¡­ I thought I was going to die.

    Aftering to this world, that was the first time I¡¯ve seen the sign of death.

    Thought I was going to crap myself¡­ seriously, ya know? Craaaaap myself.

    However, he had his mind on what he heard them say about Sage Knights destroying dungeon cores.

    ¡°U-uu¡­ G-Gobsuke¡­¡±

    Rokuko was crouched down, sobbing.

    Having said that, the goblin was apanion we¡¯d spent time together with for the past half month.

    As for memories¡­ yeah, but they¡¯re just memories of eating bread together.

    I wonder what kind of rtionship Rokuko had with him while I was sleeping?

    ¡°Leave after giving back my portion of the [Bean Paste Roll]¡­¡±

    Apparently it looks like Rokuko did the same as me.

    ¡°Gobsuke¡­ repaid his debt splendidly. If he didn¡¯t stop them, we¡¯d be dead.¡±

    ¡°Uu, my [Bean Paste Roll]¡­¡±

    No, she was probably meaning to say [Don¡¯t leave me and die¡­ idiot¡­].

    I selected an assortment of six sweetened buns, presenting them to Rokuko.

    ¡°Here, [Bean Paste Rolls] to cheer you up.¡±

    ¡°Eh-really!? I¡¯m cheered up, cheered up! Super cheered up!¡±

    Rokuko was so lively it was to the point that I seriously almost saw an aura around her.

    Ah, now that I think about it, this girl was always a brute that sent goblins against adventurers.

    ¡°What¡¯s this!? Though it¡¯s ck on the inside it¡¯s somehow delicious! Ah, but this one is tasty too¨C¡±

    ¡­ Incidentally, I still had to teach her about [Jam Buns]¡­

    *

    The bandits¡¯ corpses were gathered in the entrance room. It seemed that they would bring the knights¡¯ corpses back home.

    Though I honestly didn¡¯t want to see their grotesqueness, I can¡¯t look away so that I can catch the timing to turn them into delicious DP.

    ¡­ Dousing the corpses with oil, they burned them¡­ In the cave?

    I get the feeling they don¡¯t know anything about carbon dioxide stagnating in the air inside the dungeon in the first ce. Even the bandits used torches for light as usual¡­

    [Even a dungeon funeral is too luxurious for these guys.] [Did you douse them with oil properly? It¡¯d be troublesome if they became ghoulster on.] [Yeah, it¡¯s fine to just burn everything but their weapons yeah?] [That¡¯s right. In they off chance they somehow survive, it¡¯ll be troublesome if they have anything.]

    Though they said that, there wasn¡¯t anything worth using left.

    Just the bandits¡¯ corpses and their bedding.

    So that it would burn everything, they went outside the cave¡¯s entrance before setting the fire. I was thankful for that, since after it burned out I could majestically capture the corpses.

    [Alright, I¡¯ll set the fire¡­ Dance, mes¡ª[Ignition].]

    Ignition looked to be a magic that produced a fire to the level of a lighter from the fingertip. Igniting the oil fuse, the fire extended along it like a snake. The mountain of corpses inside the cave was wreathed in mes surprisingly quickly.

    ¡°Ah. Hey, is that dog eared ve girl alright?¡±

    When I was reminded by Rokuko¡¯s words, the fire snake burned through the wooden door, approaching the bed where the dog eared girl was hiding.

    Her eyes like a dead fish reminded me of despair.

    Maybe, even though the bandits were good, I get the feeling I won¡¯t be able to sleep if I don¡¯t save her here. Is it because she¡¯s a child?

    I¡¯d be troubled if I had a nightmare¡­ I¡¯d lose out on sleep.

    ¡°¡­ I wonder if she¡¯ll be DP?¡±

    ¡°Cut it out. We¡¯ll save her. Can¡¯t you collect her?¡±

    ¡°Collect her huh? You¡¯re going to go and help her now? The entrance room is a sea of fire you know? It¡¯ll be burned out by the time you get there.¡±

    It was like Rokuko said. Regardless of whether or not there were any intruders, you could only enter and exit from the dungeon core in the master room. And even if I left the dungeon core it was just a sea of fire. It was hopeless to just walk there.

    ¡°Besides, don¡¯t you know that I can¡¯t collect invaders? She isn¡¯t an item.¡±

    Hearing Rokuko¡¯s words, it dawned on me.

    ¡°That¡¯s it¡­ an item. What did you just say, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Eh-?¡±

    I spoke to Rokuko like I was persuading myself.

    ¡°ves are called tools. Items. In fact, I never saw those guys make any voluntary movements. Even after their owners, the bandits, died. In other words, ves¡­ are items, she just doesn¡¯t have an owner now. Items of dead adventurers be the dungeon¡¯s. Therefore, she already belongs to the dungeon. Right, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°U-umm¡­ even though they¡¯re called items, they¡¯re living things, having magical power¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if you called them living things, you can deploy demons directly from the dungeon core so long as there aren¡¯t invaders. In other words, it¡¯s possible to send and collect living things. In fact, couldn¡¯t you collect the moldy bread? Isn¡¯t mold a living thing? If that¡¯s the case, you could probably collect a box with a mouse in it for example. So you should be able to collect living things like humans. It¡¯s no good since there¡¯s magical power? Even magic tools have magical power. Didn¡¯t you collect the light magic tool? Therefore, there¡¯s no reason you can¡¯t collect THAT-!!¡±

    I looked at the monitor and map. The fire spread to the bed, beginning to scorch the sheets.

    The girl was shown as a red dot on the map, representing her as an intruder.

    Shit, it¡¯s still no good, I didn¡¯t convince myself enough!

    ¡°A-a ve isn¡¯t an item after all!¡±

    ¡°Then that isn¡¯t even a ve! It¡¯s a pillow! That is a pillow! A dog eared girl type of pillow! An item meant for men concealed under their beds!!¡±

    That¡¯s a pillow, a pillow, a pillow, a pillow, a pillow, a pillow, a pillow¡­

    Imagine it. That is a hug pillow. A pillow that felt very good when you embraced it. Even ying with its dog ears would be amusing, and had the clothing option of adding knee-socks to it to caress and admire¡­ ah, I should have been doing something like that.

    Yeah, such an important hug pillow must not be burned.

    Ah, I want to sleep using that pillow.

    Maybe not having knee socks on its legs is also an option?

    It would also be good to feel cold legs at times, rather than like a hot-water bottle. Speaking of hot-water bottles, the bandit boss used Rokuko¡¯s core as a hot-water bottle huh? Ha ha ha.

    Wait, I got a bit of topic.

    Come to think of it, although there is an item called the heavenly pillow, I wonder if hug pillows are better than it?

    ¡­ Ah, I remembered something unpleasant. Vomit Melon used it like that¡­

    Though being used goods was a demerit, it won¡¯t be a problem if I wash it thoroughly. Cleanup is really convenient. Can it wash hug pillows too?

    Well then, if not I¡¯ll just have to wash it thoroughly.

    I could already only see the dog eared girl as a hug pillow.

    ncing at the map, rather than the red dot of an intruder, there was a green dot indicating an item.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s a hug pillow. Collect it.¡±

    In conclusion, she could do it.

    *

    ¡°Eeeeeh¡­ H-how were you able to collect her!? She was an intruder, the master room¡ª¡±

    ¡°Huh? I just collected a hug pillow. Rather, Rokuko, don¡¯t absorb the corpses before the fire burns out. Wait a while after it finishes, a knight mighte by to make sure.¡±

    Ah, a bit of its hair got burned. Wasting such precious ck hair. Well, it has an auto-restoration function so cutting a bit of it off should be fine. Maybe short is good too¡­ Woah, there¡¯s some white stuff stuck in it. Seriously Melon Vomit, clean up when you¡¯re done.

    ¡°Eh-, i-is that right¡­ No, no no. Wait a moment. If intruders can¡¯t be brought into the core, it isn¡¯t funny she was collected!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Isn¡¯t it natural that a hug pillow, therefore an item, could be brought in?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ I get the feeling that works¡­¡±

    And so, I used Cleanup on the hug pillow.

    As the foam characteristic to the Cleanup magic went from top to bottom on the hug pillow, itpletely cleaned it off¨C

    ¡°Uoh-!?¡±

    ¨Cand it let out a cute sound.

    ¡­Oh, I remembered. Right, I collected a dog eared ve girl.

    Phew, I almost didn¡¯te back after my self-suggestion¡­

    ¡°G-good, I¡¯m back. Right, somehow, I collected her¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re bad? Then I demand an exnation!¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s easy¡­ It¡¯s because I could.¡±

    I thought I couldn¡¯t do it so I convinced myself. Magic is a free and irresponsible thing¡­ though now I¡¯m tired.

    ¡°You saw it right? You can collect ves.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ I can collect ves¡­¡±

    Yeah, it¡¯s better to have Rokuko think that.

    ¡­ Well, what do I do with this dog eared girl? For now, should I really make her a hug pillow¡­?

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s this one¡¯s name? It¡¯d be hard to refer to her without one.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right¡­ Your name? Or maybe your nickname? What is it?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­. ah¡­ ¡­ Meat¡­ is what I¡¯m called, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Though her reaction was a little dull, she answered properly.

    For the time being, Iid down for the day, taking out sweet rolls and a futon and pillowbo with DP, having her rest.

    Though she didn¡¯t move at first, she obediently ate the sweet rolls when ordered andid down, sleeping on the futon.

    For information on how to treat Meat it might be good if the group of knights returned.

    Above that, it¡¯s better that the knights don¡¯t meddle.

    *

    In the end, the group of knights confirmed that the bandits¡¯ corpses burned sufficiently before returning.

    As expected, I slept through the whole thing.

    After that, they returned to their camp without doing anything in particr. Yeah, I think it would have been amazing if they¡¯d just ughtered the bandits to eat their roasted meat. Truly.

    Turning the corpses into DP wasn¡¯t a problem, it also became a significant influx.

    With this, our savings are totaled at¡ª14504 DP.

    ¡°Amazing¡­ this is the first time I¡¯ve seen so much DP.¡±

    Right now, whenpared with our DP savings so far it was a small fortune.

    However, the bandits aren¡¯t here anymore, so our ie decreased.

    Gobsuke isn¡¯t here anymore¡­ but in exchange I have a dog eared ve and have to support it.

    With three meals a day, assuming that sweet roll assortments and beverages are served¡­ that¡¯s a consumption of 15 DP per day.

    And the ie from the core was just 10 DP. It seemed that the dog eared ve earned 0 DP even when left alone since it was collected as an item. Or maybe it isn¡¯t strong enough to collect DP from to start with¡­

    Well, that being the case, I¡¯ll cut her meals to two a day to make it stabilize¡­ no, in order for adventurers to not expect anything when theye, I need to take out a goblin. There would be a deficit. Could I sleep soundly in a situation like this? No, I couldn¡¯t sleep. I¡¯m a coward, so I can¡¯t endure my savings being gradually decreased.

    So, I who cannot endure a deficit management style, will have to fundamentally change the [Ordinary Cave]¡¯s nature.

    ¡­ Haah, I don¡¯t want to work.

 Chapter 13

    Extra: Dungeon Master Kehma

    (Rokuko¡¯s Point of View)

    Strange. How did this happen?

    I just sank 1000 DP into the gachapon, taking a big gamble to turn around this hopeless situation.

    A weak looking human, Kehma, appeared. Of all things, he became the dungeon master and I have to obey him.

    What kind of thing is this? I don¡¯t get it.

    I can¡¯t settle down until I ughter those detestable bandits who kicked my core. It definitely would have been better to use the 1000 DP to summon a ton of goblins than this.

    Aah what am I doing already, while he¡¯s asleep I have to be quiet. I couldn¡¯t speak since he ordered me.

    I have a lot of things I want to say!

    Then, when I summoned a goblin using DP, he got angry.

    Moreover, when there was a chance at revenge when only one bandit was left, he didn¡¯t do anything!

    Why not!? Ane-sama No. 89 said I should summon goblins!

    Ane-sama No. 89 is amazing you know!? She¡¯s the dungeon in the imperial capital! Kehma couldn¡¯t even reach her feet!

    That¡¯s the ton of DP I worked for!

    Then he ordered me to not use DP without his permission.

    And yet he used it for himself. If it were just food it would be fine, but he took out a [Futon]. Gununu¡­ yet he told me¡­

    I mean, doesn¡¯t that guy sleep too much? I¡¯m a dungeon core so I don¡¯t sleep at all you know?

    I wonder if sleeping so much is okay?

    After that, for some reason Kehma used the DP I¡¯d gathered at great pains to give tribute to the bandits.

    Moreover, he had me write something I didn¡¯t mean at all.

    [Thank you for defeating the goblins.] Aaaaah! Come oooooon~~~~!

    This guy, he just wants to tter them desperately to survive!

    I thought, when¨C

    ¡°We¡¯ve gained some time with this for now. Since we¡¯ll massacre them before long, calm down.¡±

    ¨Che spoke with a serious face.

    Moreover, was it to make his bed safe? I don¡¯t get this guy. I can¡¯t understand him. He even went to sleep again.

    Exin it properly!

    Then, adventurers arrived when that guy was sleeping. However, they were defeated by the bandits.

    That was the first time. The first time something other than goblins died in thebyrinth.

    Perhaps the bandits are a good thing?

    Well, I won¡¯t let them kick my core!

    Then after exining it to Kehma, it seemed to be what he nned.

    He expected this to ur, above all getting more DP.

    The bandits definitely earned more DP than he spent on them.

    It wasn¡¯t bad.

    As I thought that, he used DP on the bandits again. He added more rooms.

    With one room, unleash the strongest monsters with a bang!

    Though that¡¯s what I believed, he convinced me with his exnation. Just enough goblins to do what¡¯s needed is fine!

    But he doesn¡¯t let me deploy goblins. I don¡¯t get it.

    In the end, after using all that DP for the group of bandits, he said it was different from the other gifts since it couldn¡¯t be taken away to the town. Well, it certainly feels like that. Unexpectedly, Kehma has a good head on his shoulders. He¡¯s better at earning DP than me.

    But he¡¯s a really sleepy guy huh¡­

    I poked him.

    Ah, Gobsuke. I used [Cleanup] on him. However, Kehma just used [Cleanup] on himself once to bepletely clean.

    Normally, you¡¯d need to douse the water a lot of times, using [Cleanup] over and over to do that. I wonder how he did it?

    After that, the bandits purposely brought corpses back themselves. Killing and bringing back their trophies to the inside of the dungeon, DP increased just like Kehma said.

    Then, the [Melon Bread]. Kehma took out bread I¡¯d never seen before, called [Melon Bread], using DP. It was sweet and so delicious¡­ eating things like this wasn¡¯t bad.

    [Melon Bread] is amazing. Though [Bean Paste Roll] is tasty, [Melon Bread] is the best.

    Eh, I have to share with Gobsuke? ¡­ I-it¡¯s fine, but I won¡¯t share any of the [Melon Bread] you know!?

    Though I told him when the adventurers came, he¡¯d actually made a goblin room a few days ago as a backup n.

    Kehma properly took many things into consideration as the dungeon master.

    He usually slept, making me send various things written in the box, then collecting it¡­ wait, not just that¡­ huh, isn¡¯t he doing quite a lot of things?

    Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t I just throw goblins at adventurers that came¡­?

    Hmm, maybe it would be a good thing to study some more?

    ¡­ And then the bandits were finally cleared out.

    Though I thought that I was going to die when the sword was pointed at the dungeon core, I was saved.

    For me, Gobsuke sacrificed himself¡­

    Recently, I¡¯d started to understand what Gobsuke wanted to say, but now he isn¡¯t here¡­ I¡¯m a little sad.

    As for the bandits¡­ they were massacred just like Kehma said. Theypletely became DP.

    ¡­ Kehma is amazing. He really was able to massacre the bandits.

    I definitely don¡¯t think I could have done it with just me and goblins.

    ¡­ I wonder if Kehma could have done it by just using goblins?

    In truth, the bandits were killed with neither monsters nor traps.

    After that, he collected the tiny ve into the master room.

    Though I don¡¯t know how, even though she was definitely an intruder, he treated her like an item.

    Learning that ves could be collected like items when their masters died was a first for me.

    However, it was natural that I didn¡¯t know since it was the first time a ve was in the dungeon. I don¡¯t know things I don¡¯t know.

    ¡­ I wonder what use he has for the ve? Will it really be a hug pillow?

    No way, it¡¯s Kehma. I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a decent reason.

    But still, [Meat], huh¡­. definitely ng. I don¡¯t think it meant anything good either¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine if Kehma says it¡¯s fine. [TN: The ve¡¯s name in the raw is ¡®Meat¡¯ written in kana instead of kanji¨C¡®Niku¡¯]

    What next? Even though the dungeon has changed considerably¡­

    Well, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll leave it to the dungeon master.

    If I leave it to Kehma, even I could get closer to Ane-sama No. 89!

    Ah, but I¡¯ll help out a bit, too.

 Chapter 14

    Using DP to Create a Golem

    ¡°And so, I think I¡¯ll learn [Create Golem].¡±

    What I had my eye on was the [Create Golem] magic.

    Magic that makes a golem¡­ yeah, isn¡¯t that good, wouldn¡¯t it be easier to have the golem work?

    ¡°Eeh, there¡¯s not a magic that just makes a golem. It¡¯s better to just summon a golem monster with DP. Though it¡¯s 100 DP for one, it¡¯s strong.¡±

    ¡°In other words, [Create Golem] pays for itself after summoning a hundred of them¡­ then everything after that would be the same as being free.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    Hmm, would I summon that many? Or can you even summon things at no cost? Since I have no clue how good a golem¡¯s performance is, I don¡¯t really know if would really need one hundred of them.

    Though to be blunt, there¡¯s a reason I want to make one¡­ but I¡¯ll keep that quiet.

    ¡°So without further ado, I order the scroll for [Create Golem]¡­ ah, it came out.¡±

    In exchange for 10000 DP when I selected the scroll for [Create Golem], a scroll of parchment bound by a string appeared.

    Let¡¯s not worry about the leftover DP suddenly bing less than a third of what it was¡­

    I¡¯ll use it immediately. Unfastening the string, I looked at its contents.

    [Create Golem] was written along the left side, followed by some kind of magic formation.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, how am I supposed to use this?¡±

    ¡°Just put some magical power into the magic formation.¡±

    When Rokuko said that, I tried out pouring magical power onto it. It felt like the life magic¡¯s [Cleanup].

    I sensed my body¡¯s magical power rush from my hands into the magic formation in them. It felt like I grew a little weaker.

    As the magical power flowed from my hands onto the magic formation, the lines of the formation spun.

    I get it¡­ so this is what it feels like when magical power is drained away.

    Well, I wonder how much of it¡¯s enough? For now I¡¯ll just pour more into it. The formation elerated as I continued to fill it with magical power.

    Did it reach a critical point? The magic formation¡¯s resistance vanished with a bang, magical power raining down on me.

    As soon as I was showered by the rain of magical power, I felt the structure of the magic formation embed itself in me.

    No, it probably really was embedded in me. It felt like I could already use [Create Golem].

    As for the scroll¡­ the lines representing the magic formation burned, disappearing in mes.

    ¡°¡­ Heeh, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen something like that. So that¡¯s what happens when you use a magic scroll.¡±

    ¡°Eh-? Rokuko, you haven¡¯t used a scroll?¡±

    ¡°No way, too expensive.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you know how to use it¡­?¡±

    ¡°Fufun, because it¡¯smon sense¡­ Ane-sama No. 89 taught me a bit though.¡±

    I immediately tried out using [Create Golem].

    The required materials were what was needed to make the golem¡¯s body and magical power. I knew that. Probably due to the scroll¡¯s effect.

    Stone was needed for a stone golem. y was needed for a y golem. The amount of magical power changed as needed.

    Should I dig up the y from outside the master room? Standing up¡­ I remembered Meat. She was crouching idle in the corner of the room with her arms holding her knees.

    Yeah, I don¡¯t have to do it. Let¡¯s make use of it.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, Meat, please go out and dig some y from a bit outside the cave. This much is fine.¡±

    ¡°Y¨Ces. Goshujin-sama.¡±

    I ordered Meat to bring back about a ser ball¡¯s worth.

    I bought a shovel (5 DP) since she tried going outside without anything. When I passed it to Meat, it felt like her face looked a bit surprised. Her expression was dead as usual¡­.

    A little whileter, Meat came back with the shovel and y. Holding it with her small body, it looked heavy. Rather, it probably really was heavy for a child.

    Yeah, she cane and go from the master room now.

    ¡°Alright, good job. Have a rest.¡±

    ¡°Ah, uu.¡±

    I praised her while patting her head. Incidentally, I used [Cleanup] on her since she was dirty from carrying the y with her bare arms.

    Though, she said something like, ¡°hyafu-!¡± I wonder if having [Cleanup] used on you is ticklish?

    Now I want to try it on Rokuko.

    ¡°Alright, without further ado¡­ [Create Golem]!¡±

    I poured magical power into the lump of y. Making the circuits with my magical power, it took the shape of a person.

    Likely due to the effects of the scroll, the image of a golem floated in my head¡­ though it was quite smallpared to it, it should be fine. Maybe. Surely. Probably. It¡¯ll work out somehow.

    Following the process in my mind, I kneaded the y, filling with more magical power.

    I reproduced a small golem with a human form as the temte.

    Continuing to pour more magical power into it for around ten minutes, the thirty centimeter tall y golem (mini) waspleted.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s¡­ a golem?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the question!?¡±

    ¡°But aren¡¯t golems normally bigger than adult humans!? I doubt whether or not it¡¯s even worth making a hundred of these.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a bit bothered that I don¡¯t know what a normal one is¡­ well, it should be fine if I make ten thousand or so of them.¡±

    For now it looks like the golems moves when instructed. I immediately decided to have it expand the cave. It¡¯d be saving DP.

    Disying the map, I ordered it to steadily dig towards the separated cave with the goblin room. The freshly made y golem (mini) left the master room without even a shovel.

    ¡°Adaptable golems really don¡¯t exist. It¡¯d be better if it used a shovel to dig through the wall.¡±

    ¡°No no what are you talking about. Right now, I¡¯m impressed by the golem¡¯s possibilities.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯smon sense said that [Golems can¡¯t do anythingplex] as though it were unthinkable.

    For example, take [Dig a hole]. I think that it being able to do something like dig a hole was already plentyplex. If you tried to do the same thing in modern Japan, it wouldn¡¯t be able to happen without you teaching it the movements for its body to dig a hole.

    The location too, if you told it to [Go there] in modern Japan, you would have to teach it how to move its feet. And if it fell it wouldn¡¯t be able to stand up on its own, or if it walked into an obstacle en route it would continue doing so.

    But I just said [Go there and dig through the wall]. Magic is amazing. I¡¯m impressed.

    However, using magic is pretty tiring¡­ alright, let¡¯s go to sleep.

    Ah, right. Let¡¯s make Meat into a hug pillow. I feel like I got her for that reason¡­ no, don¡¯t be afraid. It¡¯s alright since I won¡¯t do anything lewd you know? Yeah, she isn¡¯t wearing knee socks or anything today, it¡¯s better to foster more mutual trust after all¡­

    *

    Well, I¡¯ll say one thing.

    People aren¡¯t suitable to be pillows.

    Though Meat was turned into a hug pillow¡­ oh, I didn¡¯t undress her of course. Yeah, I just turned her into a hug pillow.

    It was good at first.

    Silky smooth skin and her hair smelled kind of good.

    But the problem urred after a while.

    It was hot. Human skin is hot. Yeah, not even for winter. It was a heat to warm each other in a snowy mountain. I mean, I¡¯d heard children had a higher temperature to begin with¡­ while on the subject, dogs also have a higher body temperature than humans. Thus, the little dog eared girl naturally had a high temperature.

    Later, when I started to think the sound of her breathing was getting noisy, Meat was on the verge of suffocating in the futon.

    Right, I was dumb. It¡¯s dangerous if her head isn¡¯t properly outside of it. I rushed to get her head out of the futon.

    Now her face was right in front of me. Slightly opened erotic lips, tender cheeks red fromck of oxygen¡­ no! I¡¯m not a lolicon! I¡¯m not a lolicon okay!?

    Since her breath was ticklish, I faced the opposite direction. Not because of my heart pounding, it¡¯s because her breath was being ticklish¡­ now the back of my hair was being tickled. Uoooh,e on.

    Since there was no other choice, I lowered her head and embraced her again. I lowered the edge of the covers so that she wouldn¡¯t suffocate in the futon this time. Even the heat improved with that.

    It finally felt just right and I could get to sleep.

    But there was still a problem. It was a pretty big one too.

    The problem was that I couldn¡¯t move the hug pillow. Though you had no choice but to push aside the pillows if you had to move, the ve, Meat, couldn¡¯t do something like that. The result¨C

    She is peeing¡­!

    No, that¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m in the wrong here. Thinking that, I got up soaked.

    Meat was flustered and crying into her arms.

    I immediatelyforted her and used [Cleanup] on her, the bed, and I¡­

    Yeah, I was in the wrong. Please push me away if you have to go to the restroom from now on.

    Oi oi, here¡¯s a hamburger! It¡¯s delicious you know! So please don¡¯t cry, I know I was in the wrong here!

 Chapter 15

    The Potential of a Golem

    ¡°Eeh, so let¡¯s begin the session of Kehma¡¯s excitement from bathing in Meat-chan¡¯s pee-pee¡­¡±

    ¡°Wait a sec. That¡¯s a very spiteful interpretation of what happened. It was an ident, judge!¡±

    As for the matter of peeing being leaked to Rokuko, the dungeon master ordered her to be quiet about it.

    Since she instantly quieted down, he decided to make more golems today.

    ¡°Meat, bring me a bit of y. The same amount as yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    So, Meat remembered how to leave the master room and left holding the shovel.

    Which reminds me, I wonder how much work the y golem (mini) got done?

    ¡­ Right, there was something to confirm first.

    ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see here¡­¡±

    Bringing out the dungeon surveince monitor from the menu, he checked the room the golem was ordered to dig through. The y golem (mini) was desperately scratching the wall. How praiseworthy. But wouldn¡¯t it not advance at all like that? The y golem¡¯s hands aren¡¯t strong enough for the surface rock of the wall.

    I was thoughtless. It¡¯s no good without a pickaxe huh¡­

    ¡°Hmm, it¡¯ll continue on as is endlessly unless you tell it to do something.¡±

    ¡°How long will it continue to work for?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Well, probably until its mana expires right? It¡¯s a golem after all. Though because it¡¯s in the dungeon where mana gathers thickly, it¡¯ll never stop you know?¡±

    That¡¯s amazing, that it doesn¡¯t have any maintenance costs is seriously amazing.

    I nearly fainted at how much its performance exceeded my expectations. Wouldn¡¯t it be fine even if I just leave everything to the golem and go to sleep?

    ¡°No no Kehma, the Golem can¡¯t work decently. It isn¡¯t even digging a hole though you told it to dig one, check it out.¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    I looked at what Rokuko pointed to on the monitor. Yeah, the y golem (mini) is scratching the wall¡­ huh?

    Looking closely, something felt out of ce. The y Golem (mini) was wing at the wall.

    However, it¡¯s hands were wearing out. Using its hands to grate against the stone wall damaged them, but it foolishly didn¡¯t stop digging. It did nothing but continue trying to dig.

    ¡°That¡¯s awful¡­¡±

    ¡°Right? Golems are stupid you know. I don¡¯t need to say it, but it won¡¯t do anything else. So it will continue trying to dig a hole even if it can¡¯t.¡±

    Yeah, awful. That is awful.

    However, I¡¯m thinking of something very different than what Rokuko is.

    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grinning.

    For now I¡¯ll tell the golem to return and wait on standby temporarily. I¡¯ll fix its hands.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m back¡­¡±

    Meat returned, carrying the y and breathing heavily.

    ¡°Wee back Meat. Good job, excellent¡­ now then, time for an experiment.¡±

    Since Meat brought the lump of y, I epted it and used [Cleanup] while patting her head.

    It was a simple apology, but right now I want to try something out for a bit.

    While thinking that, I used the [Wow] magic, [Create Golem].

    I poured in magical power while kneading the y.

    *

    ¡°¡­ Well, is it finished?¡±

    ¡°What, this?¡±

    I created a golem the size of my palm that ¡®only¡¯ had three arms of different lengths.

    Inserting a shaft into the center of a palm-sized bowl-like container, it was a golem with three needle-like arms stretching out from the axis.

    ¡°No no no, how is this a Golem? No way, eh, what¡¯s with its shape?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a [Clock], a [Clock].¡±

    Right, this is a [Golem Clock]. After assigning numbers to each of the three arms, I ordered each of them with [One rotation every sixty seconds] to the first arm, [One rotation every sixty minutes] to the second arm, and [one rotation every twelve hours] to the third arm.

    In other words, they were the second hand, the minute hand, and the hour hand. It turned into a clock that would keep working so long as its mana continued.

    ¡­ Adjusting the time was a hassle though.

    By the way, when I realized that the hands didn¡¯t even need a normal shape to begin with, they turned into needle-shaped arms right away. Though the clock was entirely y, you wouldn¡¯t think it was a Golem at a nce.

    ¡°A-a golem with a shape like that¡­ Wooow, Kehma, you¡¯re ignoringmon sense.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about after summoning me from another world? How the heck would I know this world¡¯smon sense?¡±

    Even so, it was surprisingly easy to make a modified golem.

    Moreover, since it was just arms without almost any joints, or maybe thanks to excluding the function to process vague orders, I used considerably less magical power. Feels like around tenth of what the y golem (mini) used?

    ¡°Well, what now? If you wanted to see the time you could look at the menu you know? You didn¡¯t even need something like this.¡±

    Now that I think about it, the dungeon master could make the [Menu] disy the time¡­

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll give it to Meat. Yep, I just made this for the sake of experimenting anyways. Since I learned from it it¡¯s not particrly useless.¡±

    For that reason, I gave the [Golem Clock] to Meat as a gift.

    And, though I noticed it¡­ now that I think about it, Meat was still barefoot and wearing rags for clothing. Oops.

    I immediately spent DP for [Cheap Clothing (Dress: 8 DP)] and [Cheap Shoes (For Children: 10 DP)], as well as [Knee Socks (White: 70 DP)].

    Then, when I noticed Meat didn¡¯t have ¡®them¡¯ on when I saw her change, I quickly bought [Girl¡¯s Underwear (20 DP)]. That was dangerous.

    Though it took a bit of DP, I got another set.

    It wasn¡¯t a problem having one set of clothing including underwear but it helped.

    Their materials weren¡¯t bad, I wanted to deck her out with cute things eventually when there was a lot more DP though. Ah, Rokuko too.

    ¡­ Or rather, I wonder. I feel like knee socks arbitrarily improved her somehow.

    She¡¯s already worth about three and a half goblins. Is she a luxury good?

    I hung the [Golem Clock] around her neck using a [String (5 DP)].

    When I said I was giving it to her, she looked at the [Golem Clock] motionlessly.

    Do you like it? Though I thought that, she didn¡¯t know what kind of thing it was.

    Right, she was a ve, she probably doesn¡¯t know about a lot of things¡­ yep, I¡¯m going to start teaching Meat various things starting tomorrow. But Rokuko-

    Wait, rather, what is Rokuko even doing? Is she doing anything? Let¡¯s change that a bit. She¡¯ll do it instead of me.

    ¡­ That won¡¯t work. She can¡¯t see anything but the future of her Goblin Paradise.

    *

    I mended the hand of the y golem (mini).

    I turned one of its hands into the form of a shovel made of stone since it was specially made. It was pretty easy after giving it a go. After changing the shape of the y and pouring enough magical power into the stone, it quickly took the shape of a shovel.

    ¡­ Revised y golem (mini), ver. shovel hand!

    It made sense that the y required less magical power to process than the stone. If it was a human-sized golem, it¡¯d probably be fine to just give it a pickax if the Golem was made from y from the start.

    After experimenting with this y golem (mini) as a prototype goes well for a while, I¡¯ll probably make a human sized version of it. Though it was long and tedious to call it y golem (mini) each time, I didn¡¯t know if it was even a y golem anymore since its hand wasn¡¯t made of y anymore.

    So I decided to name it. Since it was a golem made for trial purposes, an experimentation-like name would be good.

    ¡°Alright, you are Tester. Tester is your name. Got it?¡±

    Tester, formerly known as y golem (mini), understood what I said and nodded.

    I then ordered Tester to fetch y from outside of the cave again.

    It¡¯ll probablye back with about a basketball¡¯s worth of y. I wonder if it would bring enough materials back before I wake up from sleeping?

    ¡­ It won¡¯t stop moving inside the dungeon, but I wonder about how long it¡¯llst outside of it? I should look into that.

 Chapter 16

    The Potential of a Golem (2)

    By the way, Tester brought a considerable amount of y back while I was asleep.

    However, it wasn¡¯t able to return after getting itself stuck in the hole it was digging, stopping its movements. It seemed to have ran out of mana.

    The golem wouldn¡¯t resume moving until magical power was poured into it. Normally, it could move for about one hour ording to the knowledge from [Create Golem].

    ¡°How long was it moving outside the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, about an hour. Though the monster golem would have been able to move longer than that.¡±

    I wonder what other information there was for [Create Golem]? Taking out to information to remember, there was one that said [When embedding a magic stone, it will continue longer].

    However, there wasn¡¯t the vital information that said what a [Magic Stone] was at all.

    ¡°Rokuko, what¡¯s a magic stone?¡±

    ¡°Eh? A magic stone is, umm, it¡¯s a stone packed full of mana. Though you can often get them from monsters¡­ ah,e to think of it although monster golems have magic stones, the golem Kehma made doesn¡¯t have one?¡±

    It doesn¡¯t¡­

    In other words, it¡¯s like a battery for a golem. Although there¡¯s no problem since mana fills the dungeon, it looks like it can¡¯t move much outside since it doesn¡¯t have a magic stone.

    Fortunately, Tester was quickly retrieved by Meat. The hole the golem couldn¡¯t get out of was about thirty centimeters. Even a child could do it. There was no choice but to drag it out. It was a lump of y about the size of a basketball, so it must have been heavy¡­ Yep, isn¡¯t this dog eared girl strong?

    Tester began to move once it entered the dungeon¡¯s domain. Since it tried to go dig the hole again, it was stopped and ordered to return with Meat.

    It seemed that orders persisted even if it stopped operating. That information was a good harvest. As you¡¯d expect of Tester.

    ¡°So with that, let¡¯s assume that stone and soil will be collected with golems from now on¡­ I want a magic stone¡­¡±

    ¡°A magic stone? Why not buy it with DP?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Crap, I didn¡¯t think of that. I didn¡¯t notice until Rokuko said something, am I an idiot¡­? What a shock.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean!?¡±

    I looked at the DP catalog. Magic stones were listed as treasures. The same categories as things like jewelry. Magic stones also had a few grades, the cheapest being 10 DP and the highest being multiple thousands, it varied. For now I¡¯ll buy a cheap magic stone to try a few things out.

    ¡°Right, Meat. Can you read and write?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can, not. It¡¯s inexcusable, Goshujin-sama¡­¡±

    Meat lowered her head apologetically. Yeah, I¡¯m not angry you know? My heart is hurting here.

    ¡°I see. Then Rokuko, teach Meat her letters. If you can get her to properly remember them, I¡¯ll give you melon bread to eat. Meat too, all-you-can-eat hamburgers if you can memorize them.¡±

    ¡°Eh-, all-you-can-eat melon bread!? Got it!¡±

    ¡°A-¡­ are you sure?¡±

    Good good, light returned to Meat¡¯s eyes at the mention of hamburgers. Now they feel like eyes that are alive. It seems those dead fish eyes disappeared somewhere. Yep, it¡¯s best for children to be lively.

    But dog eared girls like meat after all. I wonder if she¡¯d be overjoyed at a steak, I¡¯ll see if I can¡¯t get one with DP. She might let me caress her feet in gratitude.

    Sooner orter, since Meat will need to do various things outside of the cave, I don¡¯t want her to remember various things.

    Or rather, is it fine for her to stay as a ve at this point¡­? No, since she might not be able to enter and leave the master room if she isn¡¯t a ve, there¡¯s no need to do something right now.

    I wonder if ves in this world are bound by magic or something? I could see a cor though¡­ well it¡¯s fine for now.

    Now then, let¡¯s create a golem while Rokuko is teaching Meat her alphabet.

    Though I¡¯d usually want to go to sleep soon, there¡¯s one thing I prioritize over sleeping.

    That¡¯s the preparations to sleep soundly.

    It¡¯s fine to cut down on sleeping time to prepare to sleep soundly!

    Yep, sleep is the most important thing in the end.

    I exchanged some DP to get a few magic stones and pickaxes to dig.

    Though there was still 3500 DP left, it would disappear quickly if I wasted it.

    I embed one of the 10 DP magic stones into Tester. I wonder how long it¡¯ll be able to move outside the dungeon now¡­ let¡¯s have Tester plow the field outside the dungeon. I did a minor change, altering its hand into a hoe.

    Adventurers still won¡¯t be here for a while either, so it should be safe to work outside.

    Then I started making a human-sized golem this time.

    It should be fine if I use the blueprint from [Create Golem] once¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­ ¡­

    Ah, there¡¯s not enough y.

    Let¡¯s make it lightweight by taking out some. This¡¯ll save materials.

    I embedded it with the cheapest magic stone.

    The golem could move quite energetically.

    Its movements were smoother than Tester. I wonder if that¡¯s because I took out its insides?

    Though Rokuko, who was teaching Meat, was surprised when she looked over, she didn¡¯t mind since it was holding a pickaxe to erge the cave. ¡®Dig through the cave with this,¡¯ it was that simple.

    Ah, I want to make a golem entirely out of stone.

    The stone that had been dug up by the bandits before was all collected as items since it couldn¡¯t be turned into DP.

    *

    After embedding the 10 DP magic stone into Tester, it was nonchntly plowing the field even after a day.

    Looks like it could still go on. Wonder how long?

    The y golem, having a pickaxe, dug five meters into the cave. It was a five meter passage that an adult could go through.

    Yep, isn¡¯t this a considerably hard worker? I repaired its joints since they were starting to break, sending it back off to dig. This manner was increasing our stone and y stores. It also happened to extend the cave.

    Well, let¡¯s immediately make a stone golem as well.

    Power suit type.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. What¡­ is that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an armor golem.¡±

    ¡°Why is Meat inside the golem?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because I wanted her to wear it. Meat, try moving a bit.¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡±

    This time I had Meat put on a frame-type golem and ordered the golem to assist Meat¡¯s movements.

    Meat walked, but it didn¡¯t look like she felt the weight. Though it didn¡¯t seem to be able to follow quick movements, for now it should keep its contents safe from instant death. Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t want to see that either.

    ¡°It¡¯s a little hard to walk, but there¡¯s no problems.¡±

    ¡°Alright, try hitting the wall.¡±

    ¡°Wait up, what are you saying? What¡¯s that stone te?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a wall?¡±

    Isn¡¯t it more authentic to use a wall golem made with the same stone as the golem? I ordered it so that it wouldn¡¯t move, but really I didn¡¯t order it to do anything other than be a wall. I saved a lot due to its simple structure. I wonder if I could make a brick wall variation of the stone walls.

    ¡°I¡¯m,ing.. tei-!¡±

    Doooong! The stone wall shattered brilliantly. Rokuko was incredibly surprised.

    Even Meat, the one who hit it, had her eyes open wide.

    Since she was firmly wrapped in stone, it shouldn¡¯t have hurt, but I wonder if she¡¯s alright? That¡¯s the most important thing right now. I want it to be safe since I¡¯m also going to use it.

    ¡°Alright, good offensive power. I wonder if even fighting would be good with this? Meat, is anything wrong with your legs or feet? Properly let me know if anything serious happens okay?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m alright.¡±

    ¡°Good, good. Since it looks like it can move outside with a magic stone embed in it, it¡¯ll be good for simple jobs. With a little bit of remodeling it can be hidden under clothes, or maybe the opposite for a full body armor kind of thing¡­ then heading to the human vige wouldn¡¯t be a problem, probably?¡±

    Let¡¯s refer to the recent group of knights for the design. While thinking about it, Rokuko tilted her head to the side and spoke.

    ¡°Nn? Kehma, you¡¯re going to the human vige?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I can¡¯t just stay here and do nothing after all¡­ and now that the group of knights tidied up the bandits it should be safe to get there inparative safety. There¡¯s a need to collect information, so I¡¯ll go as soon as possible¡­ ah, can dungeon masters not leave?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not that they can¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s just, I didn¡¯t think Kehma would be interested in leaving the master room.¡±

    Ah, so that was it. I hadn¡¯t left the master room sinceing to this world at all.

    ¡°Well, since the bandits were here¡­ you get it right? They¡¯re dead now.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ right. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    I keenly remembered the time when the bandits were here. Well, the bandits were powerful enemies.

    ¡­ For some reason, I don¡¯t feel anything for them.

    They¡¯ve already turned into DP now. It¡¯s fine with that, yep.

 Chapter 17

    Magic Sword Golem and Clothes Golem

    And so, it¡¯s been three days since then. I¡¯ve since remodeled Tester into Tester Mk. 2 after examining various things rting to Golems.

    A basic Golem¡­ well, it didn¡¯t need a proper blueprint for something like a small clock¡­ Since I made various things out of materials like stone, wood, y, and even materials that didn¡¯t have solid shapes such as water and fire, I confirmed a surprising amount of various things.

    Since the moment I thought about being able to make a fire golem, it burned out and was a failure. Even if I didn¡¯t use fire directly, instead igniting a wood golem, it would just be charcoal. Or rather, since a charcoal golem gets treated as damaged, it¡¯s a failure¡­ It¡¯d probably be scary if it clung to an adventurer while burning though.

    Meanwhile, using water to make an aqua golem was surprisingly normal. As far as its appearance was concerned at least.

    Even though it looked like a proper golem, things entered inside of its hand when it touched them. It looked like it could be used for something, I wonder what? It looked like fish could be raised inside the Golem. Maybe it could be used instead of a ss tank?

    Then there¡¯s this working golem, the de golem.

    Created with the 30 DP [Iron Ingot] as its material, it was a sword-model golem.

    Making it with the image of a Japanese sword in mind, it turned into an unexpectedly good weapon.

    The de vibrated when filled with magical power, cutting through logs while sounding like a chainsaw. Though the de didn¡¯t go to high frequencies, it was still a magic sword.

    Additionally, there was a gimmick where the de would forcefully shoot out, too.

    Then there¡¯s this second golem that supports actions through clothing.

    In the end, the armor suit-type golem stood out too much. Since it couldn¡¯t do quick and heavy movements easily, I decided to give making a clothes golem a go.

    It even had gloves to protect the wrists and assist grip strength.

    As expected, anything is possible with magic.

    Though the fundamentalmand for the clothes golem was to assist movements, I, who haven¡¯t even held a sword before, was able to move like a full-fledged soldier after linking with the de bolem¡­ With sample movements from the group of knights¡¯ and bandits¡¯, as well as the ones dragged out from those adventurers. Menu-san is amazing, automatically recording things previously seen by the monitor¡­ High tech. Smart technology.

    Well, I could keep up with the movement patterns to some degree, but muscle pains were inevitable since I couldn¡¯t keep up with the rapid movements¡­ though it was fine if it just ended at muscle pains¡­ yep, well, I can¡¯t fight anything like this, so no more of that.

    Since iron was ced at important spots as there was a bit left over after making the sword, it should have a reasonable amount of defense capability.

    In extremely bad circumstances, it would run to the cave even if I lost consciousness if I ordered it to [Escape to the cave]. I just want to live in safety. So long as I have my life, I can sleep even if I lose my hands and feet.

    ¡°So this is my current strongest equipment. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t there something off in your head!?¡±

    Rokuko said whatever she felt like as usual. Its usefulness was obvious.

    Ah, was she disappointed I only had enough to prepare for Meat and I?

    Sorry Rokuko, it¡¯s unfortunate, but you¡¯re a dungeon core so you¡¯re house-sitting and don¡¯t get one.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t say something like that you know!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, if adventurerse only take out five Goblins. I think it¡¯ll probably be okay¡­¡±

    I wore the clothes golem and equipped the de golem.

    Meat did the same, but instead of the de golem had a knife-type one.

    Just in case, I ordered her to not attack me.

    With this, we¡¯re ready to go to the human settlement whenever.

    Sp39wz7

    *

    Since she memorized the alphabet to some degree, I gave her a hamburger as a reward. Rokuko was munching on some melon bread, too. Seriously, slow down.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. Hey, Rokuko, is mana and magical power different?¡±

    I asked as I suddenly remembered the question.

    When filling a magic stone with magical power, it enters a state where it can sufficiently collect mana. Then was it the same thing? Why are they referred to differently?

    ¡°Mmm, basically, magical power is in the bodies of living things and it feels like mana is from the outside. Though they often mix, it¡¯s the same thing. Sometimes monsters have mana in them.¡±

    Don¡¯t give me that ¡®mix¡¯. That was sloppy.

    ¡°Well, each person¡¯s wavelength of magical power is different. As a rule, magical power is said to have small differences, meaning mana won¡¯t have small differences after mixing, or something like that was said.¡±

    ¡°Eeh, so it¡¯s like a fingerprint. It¡¯s probably something like that.¡±

    ¡°U-umm, that reminds me, Goshujin-sama¡­ won¡¯t, Goshujin-sama, register magical power?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Meat started speaking.

    What was she talking about? Though I thought that, it appeared that I needed to register my magical power on the ve cor Meat was wearing.

    Bothersome¡­ however, with that other people won¡¯t be able to register so I can¡¯tin, so I decided to register it. It would be bothersome if Meat was stolen.

    Huh? Now that I think about it, didn¡¯t I take her from her former ¡®Goshujin-sama¡¯, the boss bandit? Though I thought that, it¡¯s probably because him dying put her in a freed state. It seems that some generous people free ves when their owners die. Like that, it¡¯s good when vese across those kind of people for owners. It seems that some ves get re-caught by other ve owners and sold back to a ve shop.

    ¡°¡­ Is removing the cor no good?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useless. Death.¡±

    The very cor was a rtively inexpensive magic tool made to be ced on the neck, but it seems that that the ve would die if they removed the cor by themselves after being contracted. The magic from the contract would kill them if they removed it without permission. Scary! Contract magic is scary!

    Then, if the wearer of the cor injured its master, it would strangle them to settle down their rebellious heart. Strict as hell.

    Furthermore, the cor could tighten just by the master thinking about it. It could also be used to lightly strangle them when they are called, for example.

    And suitably, it costs money to release ves¡­ yep, troublesome!

    ¡°Well, in that case I¡¯ll register then¡­ let¡¯s deal with troublesome things first.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please fill the magic stone in the cor with magical power¡­ umm, then to check if the registration worked properly, please lightly strangle me.¡±

    Fill it with magical power to register¡­ Yeah, I felt the path connect. I¡¯m probably registered with that.

    Then, though I was reluctant, I imaged her thin neck be tightly constricted.

    ¡°Hu-, e-¡­!¡±

    ¡°Aah-!? Wai-, release! Release! Stop strangling her ne-!¡±

    I saw the cor tightly strangle her neck. It sunk into her neck.

    That isn¡¯t on the level of being light, oi! Stop right now!

    ¡­ People who use this to call for their ves are brutes.

    ¡°Are you alright!?¡±

    ¡°Hyuu-¡­ Kefu, y-yes, th-thank, you¡­¡±

    Though Meat, who had been forced to stop breathing, was teary-eyed with red cheeks, she answered while in a bit of a coughing fit.

    Yep, I¡¯m honestly sorry.

    ¡°Eeh, now I¡¯m, properly, Goshujin-sama¡¯s ve.¡±

    Meat smiled pleasantly.

    Eh-. Though this is the first time I¡¯ve seen Meat smile, what¡¯s with that timing?

 Chapter 18

    A Human Town for the First Time

    ¡°Remember Rokuko, just five goblins when adventurerse. No more than that. You can eat up to two melon rolls from the [Sweet Roll Assortment] per day.

    ¡°G-got it. Kehma, you be careful too okay?¡±

    And, like that, we left with Rokuko cave-sitting.

    ¡­

    Now that I think of it, this is the first time I¡¯ll be leaving the master room. When Tester stopped moving for one reason or another while digging I had Meat go retrieve it.

    ¡­ I wonder if this world doesn¡¯t have chemicals harmful to humans in it?

    Maybe things like mana and magical power are harmful to human health¡­

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re not going?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. We¡¯re going. We¡¯re going now, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not pushing you know? Definitely not pushing you, you know?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Pushing? I got it¡ª¡±

    Hold up, the trantion function!? Wooah-!

    ¡­ Pushed on the back by Rokuko, I left the master room.

    Entering the dungeon proper without incident, we appeared in the core room.

    ¡°¡­ A-alright, nothing wrong happened right? Phew, scared the crap out of me¡­ wait,e to think of it, can¡¯t I use magic and stuff now? Yep.¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, you? I¡¯m all good.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s hurry up and go¡­ why are you still standing at the entrance?¡±

    No, now that I¡¯m thinking about it, isn¡¯t it bad if the dungeon master leaves from the dungeon after all?

    I should think about this some more¡­

    ¡°Ei-¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the push!? You¡¯re pushing me!?

    ¡°Eh, yes, I¡¯m pushing you.¡±

    ¡°Why!? Is Trantion Function-san overloaded and not working!? Ah-¡±

    My first time(walking)¡­ against my will¡­¡ª!

    ¡­

    Yep, nothing happened. Nothing happened as expected.

    After I took a serious step, Meat tugged on my clothes.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama?¡±

    ¡°A-ah, sorry. Well then, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Just one step towards the forest¡­

    ¡°¡­ Should I push you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Please¡­¡±

    *

    Ohe on, what about the safety zone¡­ though I didn¡¯t say that, wouldn¡¯t I be putting my life in danger by going outside? I followed Meat down the mountain road while grumbling about that.

    If I had to say why we were going outside, the reason would be for safety. You can¡¯t determine if you¡¯re safe without information, the peace right now might just be temporary so I¡¯m descending to the human vige.

    Ahh, I don¡¯t want to work.

    Of course, thanks to the clothes golem, I, who doesn¡¯t exercise at all, can easily run down the mountain path. It¡¯ll properly run after being told [Run to the Sia Township] after all.

    However, though I¡¯m just being moved, we had to take several breaks on the way since I got crazy tired¡­ how is Meat alright¡­ wonder how much muscle pain I¡¯ll have tomorrow.

    Even bringing things like water and food in after considering that we may not arrive in a day, I had Meat carry them after the first break. Rather, she wanted to carry it since that¡¯s work for ves and I didn¡¯t refuse. Even though Meat could still actually run while carrying the luggage, I was already at my limit even with the support of the clothes golem.

    Well, we turned up at the human vige after half a day. We didn¡¯te across anything particrly dangerous on the way.

    Since the clothes golem ran out of mana on the way, I refilled the magic stone with magical power¡­ It¡¯s better to make use of magic stones and not be stingy. I can get a recement when we return.

    We arrived at the human vige after various things, the Sia Township.

    Other than water and food, I brought a lot of money from the dungeon. A portion of what the bandits were hoarding was able to be retrieved when the attack happened.

    A stone brick wall about five meters tall enclosed the town, gatekeeper soldiers were standing guard at the entrance gate. I mean, it¡¯s pretty huge. Isn¡¯t this town more of a city? Wonder how many people live here¡­

    Looking at the map for now, there were gates in the north, south, east, and west. This appears to be the west gate.

    ¡°Halt! What business do you have in Sia!¡±

    Approaching the gate, the gatekeeper was being vignt and called out for us to stop.

    I stopped since making trouble would be annoying.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯m from the country. Do I need to do something to get inside?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Answer the question. What business do you have in Sia?¡±

    ¡°Eeh, I set out from my old way of life to be an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that a ve? Is it yours?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I picked it up by chance.¡±

    ¡°Why did youe at this time?¡±

    ¡°Well, since knights seem to havee by and subjugate some bandits the other day, I thought it¡¯d be a safer journey. I didn¡¯t reallye here to do anything. Peace is good¡­ Wait, perhaps, is there something wrong with the time right now? Sorry, a countryman like me doesn¡¯t know of things like that.¡±

    I didn¡¯t lie at all¡­ After looking through the DP catalog and seeing [Lie Detecting Magic Tool (50000 DP)], I decided it would be better to be careful just to make sure. It was half the DP of the [Healing Scroll (100000 DP)], so it could likely appear on the market.

    Need to be careful to not say too much.

    The country had three residents (one being a dungeon core), and I decided to be an adventurer for information gathering. I picked up Meat in the dungeon, and came across knights on the way (the bandits were in the dungeon) so it became safe.

    ¡°Oh, I see. Sorry then¡­ Right now, some higher ups came. They are rted to those knights you talked about before.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it then? Work must be hard. Then, can I pass? Or do I need something?¡±

    ¡°Do you have identification? If not, it¡¯ll be five silver coins and one copper coin. One copper coin for the ve. The cor counts as identification for the ve.¡±

    Gah, they need a lot¡­ I confirmed I brought my wallet. It had about eight silver and thirty copper in it. Yep, though it looks like I can afford it, how much money will it cost inside¡­

    ¡°Ah, the silver coins are a security deposit. Since you will get an ID from the guild if you be an adventurer, juste backter and show it¡­ But I wonder if you have the money to register as an adventurer after leaving the country? It takes three silver to register at the adventurer guild. Three copper is fine if you have a soldier apany you to the adventurer guild until you can show ID. I¡¯ll tell you now, the two copper is thebor cost. We can go immediately since I¡¯m avable right now.¡±

    Oh, in other words¡­ to save two copper, I can go to the adventurer guild without a guide, register ande back, then ask for the deposit back after showing the ID, then heading back to the adventurer guild¡­ Yeah, bothersome. Better to ask for that.

    ¡°It¡¯s appreciated. Could you please?¡±

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll apany you¡­ Oi, switch watch with me. See youter, I¡¯m off for guide duties.¡±

    I paid the four copper.

    The soldiers for watch duty alternated and we headed to the adventurer guild apanied by the soldier.

    Two copper for directions was cheap, probably.

    ¡­ I didn¡¯t have gold coins, but I wonder if they exist anyways? How much money would it be worth?

    Though there were gold, silver, and copper in the DP catalog¡¯s treasures list, it felt like it kept going on for a hundred pages.

    Ah, but there¡¯s a cart in the main street with a delicious smell. Likely due to therge amount of grilled skewers, it smelled like roasted meat. Wonder what the meat is?

    ¡°Oi, I understand your feelings but can you wait until you get your ID? I¡¯m on the job here.¡±

    The soldier quickly called out and stopped me when I was staring at the cart.

    But this soldier is a good person isn¡¯t he. I¡¯ll spare his life even if hees into the dungeon.

    Walking like that for a while, we came up to arge building.

    A sword, medicine bottle, and a scroll were depicted on arge wooden board hanging prominently from it. It seems that was the sign for the adventurer guild.

    The people inside heading in and drinking appeared to be adventurers. To be drinking like that during the day¡­ I wonder if they worked night shifts?

    When I went to the counter with the soldier, the receptionist held out a nk registration form. This world didn¡¯t use parchment, but rather ordinary paper? Simply well done. Though the nk registration form was written by hand, I wonder if they have printing technology?

    ¡°Can you write your name? It¡¯s one copper for someone to write for you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Meat, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Goshujin-sama!¡±

    I got Meat to write for me. I can only write in Japanese.

    The only thing I couldn¡¯t understand was the characters, the trantion function took care of the sentences and turned them into Japanese in my head.

    Conversely, other people couldn¡¯t read sentences I write in Japanese. It was definitely troublesome, though picking up Meat was really good.

    Hmm? ¡­ The soldier and the receptionist looked alternately between meat and I.

    Eh, what is it? Is a ve that can write unusual or something?

    ¡°It¡¯s surprising¡­ even though she¡¯s such a small child¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh well, it¡¯s because she was taught something useful.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so?¡±

    The receptionist gave an off feeling. Perhaps not writing things was no good in various ways?

    ¡­ Though it might be toote, was my appearance weird for this area?

    Meat has ck hair so I thought it¡¯d be fine to go, but the bandits had European faces huh¡­

    Though the clothing was pretty much just ordinary clothes.

    But it seems that appearance wasn¡¯t rted to registration.

    My name written, the registration waspleted.

    The cost to register was six silver¡­ yeah, two silver and around thirty copper coins left¡­ it decreased a lot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll return since I was able to confirm your registration.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s my job. From now on it¡¯ll just be one copper to use the gate.¡±

    The soldier went back after verifying the guild card.

    With this ID, I could also gather intelligence while checking out themissions.

    ¡°Well then, I will exin guild ranks.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah.¡±

    Though the ID was finished first, it seemed there was still more to be exined.

 Chapter 19

    Extra: Strange Adventurer Applicant

    (Soldier¡¯s Point of View)

    I am a gatekeeper.

    I¡¯m someone who can be called a veteran.

    I don¡¯t mean to boast, but I can tell when a person is suspicious.

    While I was standing watch at the gate, a pair of travelers came.

    It¡¯s a man with ck hair and a girl with simrly ck hair.

    ck hair is unusual around here¡­ I wonder if they¡¯re siblings?

    ¡­ However, the girl¡¯s carrying the luggage while the man is empty-handed¡­ no, he has a sword?

    Though I thought they were brother and sister from the way they looked, taking a closer look at the girl, she was a dog-type beastkin and seemed to be a ve. I see, so that¡¯s why she¡¯s carrying the luggage.

    But to make a small girl like that carry luggage, it feels awkward even though she¡¯s a ve.

    Or maybe he¡¯s racist against beastkin? No, she¡¯s dressed properly.

    The two gave an odd impression. At any rate, it¡¯s my job.

    ¡°Halt! What business do you have in Sia!¡±

    When I called out, the two obediently stopped.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯m from the country. Do I need to do something to get inside?¡±

    They didn¡¯t appear to intend to be hostile and break through.

    I secretly activated a magic tool that detected lies. Gatekeepers have them to check whether there is any falsities given in conversations at the gates.

    Though I could tell they were suspicious people even without it it as a veteran gatekeeper, right now a big shot noble came from the capital. I was told to use it so that there would be no mistakes. It couldn¡¯t be helped, that¡¯s the rule.

    ¡°¡­ Answer the question. What business do you have in Sia?¡±

    ¡°Eeh, I set out from my old way of life to be an adventurer.¡±

    Well, that didn¡¯t appear to be a lie. Hearing sess stories and aspiring to be an adventurer, that was something youths would choose over working and get rich quick. Well, it wasn¡¯t actually that easy.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Is that a ve? Is it yours?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I picked it up by chance.¡±

    That also didn¡¯t seem to be a lie. Since he admitted possessing it as the master, it was unquestionable.

    Since it appears that bandits have been rampant around here recently, it probably had an impact on stray ves.

    Its attire was good¡­ I wonder if this guy doesn¡¯t treat it as a ve?

    ¡°Why did youe at this time?¡±

    ¡°Well, since knights seem to havee by and subjugate some bandits the other day, I thought it¡¯d be a safer journey. I didn¡¯t reallye here to do anything. Peace is good¡­ Wait, perhaps, is there something wrong with the time right now? Sorry, a countryman like me doesn¡¯t know of things like that.¡±

    Hmph, wasn¡¯t a lie. Seems he doesn¡¯t know any detailed information.

    I don¡¯t mind if there¡¯s a little lie for some situations, but he really was an honest guy that didn¡¯t lie at all.

    ¡°Oh, I see. Sorry then¡­ Right now, some higher ups came. They are rted to those knights you talked about before.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it then? Work must be hard. Then, can I pass? Or do I need something?¡±

    Oh, that¡¯s not a gatekeeper¡¯s job.

    I helped him very business-like. When I mentioned money, he seemed to be worried about how much he had on him.

    I promptly informed him about guide services.

    That is, I could work as a cheap guide until he gets an ID.

    I noticed it earlier, but this beastkin ve is different from the ves I usually see. She seems to follow him happily.

    She appeared to be willingly carrying the luggage. She¡¯s probably treated very well.

    She was happy when the man patted her head¡­ Hmm, I understand a bit better now.

    For now, it looks like he¡¯s not a bad guy. And so, I allowed him to pass through the gate and guided him to the adventurer guild personally.

    On the way, their attentions seemed to be attracted by a cart selling skewers, it was a bit heartwarming to see.

    Adventurers would make this town their base when registering here. If that¡¯s what happens, I¡¯m likely to meet them again. It might be good to treat them to skewers at that time.

    Heading into the adventurer guild, we immediately went to the counter.

    Though they said they could write for him if needed, he said it was no problem and asked the ve to.

    Well, surprisingly, the ve was called [Meat].

    Th-that¡¯s¡­ Meat, umm, if I recall correctly, isn¡¯t that the name for a sex ve? If anything, it¡¯s closer to a derogatory term.

    That means, this man¡­ with a child like that¡­ he has ¡®that¡¯ hobby? Ah, so that¡¯s why she¡¯s dressed so good. It finally makes sense.

    ¡­ Well, how the ve is treated has nothing to do with me.

    However, to put her name as Meat on the registration form would definitely¡­ even if she is freed from very, the beastkin girl¡¯s name would remain as Meat from now on.

    Though registered names could be changed, it was fundamentally something that wouldn¡¯t change until death. It took even more money than when you register.

    But purposely spending more of the little money they had on hand¡­ would be heresy. Maybe I was hasty letting them inside the gates?

    Though she seemed to look at him with love, shouldn¡¯t she be filled with some kind of hatred instead?

    ¡­ However, she strangely seemed to be d, so I guess it¡¯s not my ce to meddle.

    The guild receptionist muttered, [Such an adorable child¡­ kuh, I have to protect her], though¡­

    Yep, that¡¯s it, I¡¯m unrted. Since I confirmed they had guild cards, I am now unrted to them!

    Hmmm, so he¡¯s Kehma huh, alriiiight alright, I¡¯m done here, I¡¯m unrted.

    With that, I decided to promptly return to the gate.

    Well, it¡¯s my job after all.

    Because I¡¯m a veteran guard! Hahaha!

 Chapter 20

    Adventurer¡¯s Guild and the First Commission

    In the adventurer¡¯s guild, we paid money -> received cards -> got an exnation, isn¡¯t that order backwards? I said as much.

    Why would they bother to exin to broke people? Was what they said. Harsh.

    ¡°¡­ Well, we only gave you the card beforehand because you came with Gatekeeper-san you know? If we deem you are no good after the inspection, your guild cards will be seized and you will be expelled from the town by the guild¡¯s staff.¡±

    ¡°The heck? Scary.¡±

    ¡°Ah, by the way, I¡¯m sorry but we won¡¯t return the money.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s even more scary. You cheapskate!¡±

    ¡°The inspection has already begun, you know?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I was just kidding. Your treatment of strangers is incredibly reasonable. Yep, very much so.¡±

    ¡°So long as you understand.¡±

    Come on, it¡¯s just troublesome if you do that.

    By the way, we¡¯re in a different room now. Looks like they exin while heading to the inspection.

    They¡¯re almost definitely going to use lie detecting magic tools.

    Let¡¯s try and answer these carefully.

    ¡°Then some questions¡­ your hometown?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, I can¡¯t answer that. I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Me too.¡±

    I wonder how they¡¯d say Japan in this world. Another world¡­?

    ¡°¡­ What are you good at? It doesn¡¯t affect what ss you want. Please say if you have any battle experience or things like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been in a fight, I hope to be a rear guard. Oh, how can I be a mage?¡±

    ¡°I can work using my body. I¡¯m even okay being beaten.¡±

    Meat-san? Why do you look a bit delighted by saying you want to be beaten?

    I was told that to practice to be a mage I¡¯d need to buy scrolls from magic shops.

    ¡°Why do you want to be adventurers?¡±

    ¡°To improve my life.¡±

    ¡°Because Goshujin-sama told me.¡±

    I just want to sleep in safety, I¡¯m not aiming at getting rich¡­

    ¡°¡­ That was very helpful. Well, then for criminal backgrounds, do you have anything you can¡¯t discuss? With that, are those your real names? If those are pseudonyms, please tell me your real names.¡±

    ¡°It is my real name. As for something I can¡¯t talk about¡­ hmmm¡­ ah, did you want to hear about my fetish?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know it since I can¡¯t remember.¡±

    Still, she stared at me with eyes that seemed to say it was alright and that she was looking at something dirty.

    Though it looks like I dodged the subject, I wonder if my nce wandering under the table at her feet (leather boots) was exposed¡­

    M-maybe the magic tool understood what I was thinking about!? Maybe I can¡¯t deal with it after all!?

    ¡°¡­ What do you think of little girls? Please answer honestly.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­? They¡¯re cute, I guess?

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose.¡±

    Huh? I don¡¯t understand the intention of that question. This isn¡¯t time to pick up men, Receptionist-san with beautiful breasts. I wonder if my response was the correct answer?

    And Meat, why did you say you won¡¯t lose? Ah, is it something about Rokuko? Did something happen?

    ¡°¡­ Alright, thank you very much¡­ As for any problems¡­ there doesn¡¯t seem to be any, congrattions. With this you¡¯re clear and ready to be an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Continuing on, I will exin the guild.¡±

    The heck, that¡¯s an amazing objection.

    But we passed since there weren¡¯t any problems.

    ording to her exnation, the guild has a rank system with S at the top, continuing from A to G after that. It seems that people like us who have no experience start at G-Rank. Ranking up is done bymission achievement points and a guild inspection.

    She informed us that sincemissions are put on the bulletin board, we only need to bring one that matches our rank to the counter.

    (Looks like the price for those who can¡¯t read is negotiable. Doesn¡¯t matter to us though.)

    That and that the adventurer guild wouldn¡¯t help at all if wemit a crime. The guild card would be invalidated and confiscated, as well as the reward being taken away.

    ¡°I see, I get it. Oh, should I watch out for anything else while staying in town?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s better to keep away from the slum outside of the south gate. There, even though they¡¯re ves, they get treated harshly.¡±

    Woah. So the ves there get treated more like ves?

    Though I feel awkward treating Meat roughly¡­ she¡¯s a child after all.

    ¡°Thanks for the advice¡­¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t follow it, but I didn¡¯t tell her that.

    From her re, even if I didn¡¯t say it she probably understood that though.

    *

    There were no temte-like events to wee neers. Drunk adventurers? Dead drunk and asleep. It¡¯s good they aren¡¯t making trouble.

    Well then, let¡¯s check out themissions immediately.

    I looked for information about [Dungeons] and the [Ordinary Cave].

    ¡­ Oh, there it is, ¡®Dungeon [Ordinary Cave]¡¯s Survey Reward: 1 Silver Coins, 2 People Minimum¡¯¡­ eh, F-Rank or higher huh. What now? We can¡¯t ept it if it¡¯s not G.

    We need to increase our rank. Looks like it¡¯ll take some time¡­ ah, nope. All of a sudden it¡¯s be tiresome. I wanna sleep¡­

    y9PayBB

    ¡°Meat, are there anymissions we can take at G-Rank? Something easy if possible.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ ah. What about this one?¡±

    The request Meat found was: ¡®Toilet Cleaning, Reward: 8 Copper Coins, Rank-N/A, 1 Person Minimum.¡¯

    Ah, yeah. There it is. I wouldn¡¯t have understood if it said something like herb collecting.

    Huh? But isn¡¯t it fine to use use [Cleanup]? Thinking that, I took it to the counter to ask about it.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, yes. Themission wants cleaning since [Cleanup] didn¡¯t work. Will you do it?¡±

    ¡°Please give me a moment to think about it.¡±

    That¡¯s just filthy¡­ is what I was thinking, when Meat secretly spoke to me.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if it¡¯s Goshujin-sama¡¯s [Cleanup]. It¡¯ll even be more clean than usual.¡±

    ¡°Eh, you think so?¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama¡¯s bubbles are amazing. It¡¯s alright. If that doesn¡¯t work I¡¯ll clean it.¡±

    Is that so? Though the image is important for magic, was there that much of a difference?

    ¡­ Well, I¡¯ll give it a go since Meat said she¡¯ll clean it if it doesn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Excuse me, we¡¯ll do this one.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Alright, you have epted it. The location is the west industrial zone¡¯s cksmith, don¡¯t get lost. Don¡¯t forget to have the client sign themission ticket after you have finished.¡±

    The heck, did I do something to Receptionist-san?

    She was looking at me with eyes like she saw something incredibly filthy. Even her words were sharp.

    Is that it? That I was going to treat Meat more like a ve after all?

    At any rate, we went to deal with themission since we epted it.

    Though the map she showed me was quickly taken back, I didn¡¯t have any problems since I could look at the menu and arrived at the west industrial zone.

    It¡¯s invisible to Meat, so I figured other people couldn¡¯t see it. It¡¯d be better to not stand out in public, it would probably look suspicious for a person to look around at nothing in front of them.

    The walking that I¡¯d left to the clothes golem stopped abruptly. Looks like we arrived at our destination. It¡¯s good we didn¡¯t get lost.

    I decided to finish it quickly and pass themission ticket to the client. The client was a man that felt like an experienced and taciturn artisan.

    ¡°¡­ A ve huh. That mean you¡¯ll have the ve there do the cleaning? Pretty small though¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a look at it first. We more or less epted themission together after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That so? Over here then.¡±

    Peeking my head into the restroom, it was filled with the unique stench of human waste. Blegh, I feel nauseous.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to vomit, but clean it up yourself. I hired you to clean the stains.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Call for me when you¡¯re done.¡±

    The client left quickly. That¡¯s convenient.

    ¡°¡­ You okay, Meat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m used to this.¡±

    What kind of ce where you in? Thinking that, I tried out using [Cleanup].

    I specifically pictured bleaching things with a chlorinated detergent.

    ¡°[Cleanup]¡±

    The entire restroom was covered in a froth of bubbles. After the restroom¡¯s walls and floor were covered, it wrapped the toilet in bubbles before disappearing. It¡¯d bepletely clean, even having a faint scent of chlorine andvender drift through the air. It felt like a real restroom after being cleaned.

    ¡­ Oh, the brown porcin was originally white. The rest of the restroom was the same.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice.¡±

    However, it was over in an instant¡­ Hmm, since I don¡¯t want to be a famous adventurer, this stands out too much in various ways. Maybe I¡¯ll kill time with a little nap?

    ¡°Alright. Well then, Meat. Please pretend to clean the restroom. I¡¯ll go do a bit of information gathering. If someonees say I¡¯m in the middle of cleaning¡­ That¡¯s right, about one hour should be fine. The clock golem you have, does it have enough mana? ¡­ Ah, please watch the clock without letting anyone see.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡­ one hour, then.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you if someonees before I return. If no onees before an hour¡¯s up, get themission end signature and wait for me.¡±

    ¡°U-understood.¡±

    I left Meat in the restroom and secretly went outside.

    ¡­ Even though it¡¯s clean now, it¡¯s still weird to sleep in a restroom after all.

 Chapter 21

    The First Commission Completion?

    I, who had quietly left without Meat, went walking towards themercial district looking for a ce to take a nap.

    Though it wasn¡¯t very far from the industrial district, it was near the main street. It had stalls too¡­ Oh, now that I think about it there were stalls with grilled meat skewers. Maybe I should buy a present for Meat?

    Since I said that I would go and gather information, it¡¯d probably be better to investigate a little bit as an excuse. That¡¯s right, it might be a good ce to gather information while taking afortable nap.

    However, looks like there¡¯s various kinds of shops. They even sell bread¡­ yep, seems hard. I remember the bandits all having their eyes set on the melon bread.

    Looks like you can buy about three loafs of the hard bread for two copper.

    Which reminds me, I can use the menu even though I¡¯m not in the dungeon. I wonder if I can spend DP?

    Maybe I could use it to deal withmissions¡­ ah, though I can look through the DP catalog, looks like I can¡¯t buy anything. Unfortunate.

    Well, it might be interesting topare the actual price of things with their DP cost.

    ¡°¡­ Wait, I was looking for a ce to take a nap.¡±

    I strayed from my original goal and started gathering information.

    Seems like the fantastical environment floating through this alternate world¡¯s town ticked my instincts as a man.

    However, there¡¯s a lot of buildings. I can¡¯t find a ce to head to for a nap.

    Giving up finding a ce by myself, I decided asking a local about it would be faster.

    I immediately went into what looked like a well-informed shop to get information¡­ hmm, is this a greengrocer? The greengrocer even looks like it sold things at an affordable price, the ¡°Listen for a bit after buying this¡± tactic seemed just right here.

    I want a particrly affordable one, probably an apple¡­ yep, it¡¯s an apple. Though it was slightly smaller than the apples I know, there¡¯s also melons in this world, so there¡¯s probably apples.

    ¡°Hey, old man, how much for this?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s three copper coins for two.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll buy ¡¯em. Two¡­ ah, no bag, where¡¯s a good ce to eat these?¡±

    ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t care where you eat it, but stay a bit away. Standing in front of the shop would be a hindrance to business after all.¡±

    I passed three copper coins to the greengrocer old man and took the apples. I moved a bit to the side and sank my teeth into an apple.

    ¡­ Sour!

    ¡°Wow¡­ this is¡­ pretty sour.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Though I think that¡¯s usual for this year¡¯s apples?¡±

    ¡°Mm, no, I¡¯m not calling you stingy, it¡¯s just the first time I¡¯ve eaten an apple here and was surprised. Don¡¯t scowl at me. I¡¯m not from here.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it. You a traveler,d?¡±

    ¡°Adventurer. I just came to this town today¡­ Oh, there¡¯s a sweetness inside the sour, it¡¯s a good taste.¡±

    ¡°I get itd.¡±

    When I said it was pretty sour he scowled at me, but immediately let up his vignce. Felt good.

    It really is sour, but it¡¯s not that bad eating it while thinking it¡¯s that kind of thing.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve heard sour apples go well with sugar, turning into something like a pastry.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, knowledgeable huh. Though since sugar is valuable around here, this apple alone is plenty sweet.¡±

    Heeh, I obtained pretty good information by chance¡­ Should I make sugar with the dungeon? Adventurers would be attracted to the sugar like ants¡­ no, it¡¯d probably be fine even if adventurers didn¡¯t do that. I¡¯ll make a mental note of that.

    ¡°That so? Right, can you tell me if you know about a good ce to take a nap or something?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! You¡¯re interesting to listen tod! Let¡¯s see, if you want to take a nap, I think the park in the central district would be good?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so there¡¯s a park. That sounds like a good ce for a nap.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but watch out for people getting too close to your wallet while you sleep yeah? You should buy fruits from me if you have money inside it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be careful. I¡¯ll buy from you again if I¡¯m ever in the neighborhood.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your patronage!¡±

    Information gathering was going quite pleasantly.

    By the way, if I wanted to take an apple out with DP, it was listen in the food category as ten apples for 5 DP.

    Then again, the apples thate out would probably be the sweet apples that I¡¯m used to instead of these¡­ no, since I can choose hard bread in the bread assortment, I could probably choose the kind of apple too.

    Well, central part huh¡­ I wonder if there¡¯s a sunny ce with just enough shade?

    I bit into the other apple and headed to the park¡­ Hmm, yep, this is sour.

    *

    I was able to nap in the central park without anything happening.

    Though I ordered the clothes golem to repel people that might try to obstruct my nap just in case, it looks like that didn¡¯t happen this time. But I slept quite well, about two hours.

    ¡­ Crap, I slept too long. I wonder if Meat is angry.

    As for information, I only obtained two things. ¡°Apples here are sour, sugar is valuable¡± and ¡°The central park is great for a nap¡±. Well even though I immediately had an idea, I might have to face my honor.

    I rushed to the cksmith where themission to clean the restroom was in a bit of a run.

    Since I didn¡¯t make an appearance of leaving, I secretly entered the restroom.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, you¡¯re back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I gathered enough information. How was it here?¡±

    ¡°I turned him away just one time. Though he came again after that, I said we were done since it had been an hour. I got his signature and was waiting for Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Ah, now that I think about it I didn¡¯t say where to wait¡­ yep, I¡¯m really sorry.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to wait in the toilet and could have been on a table or something you know?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry. Will you punish me?¡±

    Meat apologized while hanging her head down and fidgeting.

    No, I didn¡¯t say you did something bad so why would I punish you?

    I patted Meat¡¯s head as gently as possible. Her soft hair was pleasant to the touch. Her dog ears were soft.

    ¡°Ahh¡­¡±

    Meat made a nk look, making me somewhat shy after a short time of continuing to stroke her.

    Was she ovee with emotion from being stroked? She followed along while hugging my right arm even though she usually restrained herself. What a cute child.

    I lead Meat out of the restroom to show her her reward.

    ¡°¡­ Are you finished?¡±

    I was talking to the client after leaving the restroom.

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah. It¡¯s finished.¡±

    ¡°That so¡­ little miss,e to me when this guy, I won¡¯t be as bad.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to.¡±

    What is this old guy talking about so suddenly with a serious face? Though I thought that, Meat refused him immediately.

    ¡­ He¡¯s ring at me for some reason though.

    Aren¡¯t you liked a lot, Meat? Just what happened while I took that nap?

    ¡°¡­ I see. However, you don¡¯t know what it means to be an adventurer. Keep that it mind.¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡±

    Meanwhile, Meat wasn¡¯tpletely ignored anymore. Seriously, what happened.

    But really, I don¡¯t know what it means to be a Dungeon Master. Though I don¡¯t want to die, there is always a possibility of dying. I can just bring the possibility as close to nothing as I can.

    Well, I might need toy a bit of groundwork in case I die.

    I decided to ask the client something.

    ¡°¡­ If I die and she¡¯s put out on the streets, if you want to, could youe along and help her?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I¡¯d help the little miss even if you didn¡¯t say anything¡­ she¡¯s too good a child for someone like you.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll entrust it to you. Well, I don¡¯t n on dropping dead so easily.¡±

    The old artisan had a surprised look on and nodded after thinking for a moment. As I thought, looks like he isn¡¯t a bad guy.

    Though I called him old, he doesn¡¯t seem like he¡¯ll be kicking the bucket anytime soon.

    I just met him and was asking something of a client in addition, but I felt a bit relieved.

    ¡°¡­ Am I, being, thrown away¡­?¡±

    Hearing such a conversation, Meat looked like she had just watched her pet be run over by a car.

    ¡°What are you saying, I¡¯m not going to throw you away.¡±

    For now, it looked like she improved after I tousled her hair since she looked lively.

 Chapter 22

    For Now, One Night

    It was alreadyte by the time we returned to the adventurer guild.

    ¡°¡­ Yes, congrattions onpleting themission. Here is the reward of eight copper coins.¡±

    The Receptionist-san who was ring at me went beyond being curt.

    Hmph, why is she ring at me so much even though I don¡¯t treat Meat badly.

    ¡°With that, there is an additional one copper coin to the youngdy as a special reward. It¡¯s from the client to pass directly to the youngdy, along with a message. Here.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, that¡¯s good, Meat.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡±

    Meat took the copper coin held over the counter.

    Since Meat is small, Receptionist-san leaned a considerable amount to pass it.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama, here.¡±

    And then immediately presented it to me after receiving it.

    ¡­ No, isn¡¯t it better to keep it?

    ¡°¡­ Use it however you want to.¡±

    ¡°H-here.¡±

    She stubbornly held it out to me¡­ it would be a nuisance to be in front of the counter. Reluctantly, I epted it. I¡¯ll give it back to Meat as pocket money after this.

    ¡°Alright, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Nn¡­?¡±

    epting the copper coin, I patted her head. Meat really looked happy. Her dog tail was wagging back and forth.

    Y-yeah, Receptionist-san, don¡¯t re at me. It stings¡­ ah, right.

    ¡°I want to go to an inn around here, is there a good ce?¡±

    ¡°You can reserve a bed with four copper coins if you go to the south gate¡¯s slums, but it¡¯s safety isn¡¯t guaranteed¡­ ah, if you want you could give the youngdy to me to look after? It¡¯s fine even for free.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll refrain from that¡­¡±

    W-what is this receptionist plotting? Or rather isn¡¯t she just trying to get closer?

    And what¡¯s with the feeling she¡¯ll do something to Meat!? Perhaps, she¡¯s going to do something terrible to Meat while looking after her for one night?

    Kuh, I don¡¯t know what it is but I should be vignt around this Receptionist-san.

    ¡°¡­ One night, something that we can sleep safely in with around forty copper coins, good rice is fine.¡±

    ¡°Then around here, the [Sleeping Songbird Pavilion] is fine. One night and one meal is thirty-five copper coins.¡±

    They seemed like pretty good terms. Receptionist-san was doing her job as a receptionist well.

    I decided to head there right after learning the area from looking at a map.

    Though normal adventurers with a daily ie of eight copper coins per day couldn¡¯t stay there, it was trivial with my other upation as a Dungeon Master. Well, my funds are in a tight spot though.

    ¡­ Right, I¡¯ll earn a bit more from tomorrow onward. I only worked a small bit since we came to the town and register at the guild today after all¡­ oh, but the job was finished so easily.

    I wonder if it¡¯s impossible to get safety and money without working¡­

    Even if I turned the dungeon into a base, it¡¯d be difficult to make trips there since it¡¯s half a day away running at full speed. I think it¡¯d be about a day walking.

    No matter what we¡¯d need to stay a night¡­ well, here¡¯s the [Sleeping Songbird Pavilion].

    It¡¯s a nice wooden inn. Thanks for the rmendation, Receptionist-san. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re plotting, though.

    When I opened the door, a woman was at the reception desk.

    ¡°Excuse me, I was referred here by the adventurer guild, do you have any empty rooms?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, we do. Referred by the guild huh? So you¡¯re a guest adventurer then? It¡¯s thirty-five copper coins for a night with one meal, but¡­ hmm? That¡¯s a child ve huh. What about the ve? It¡¯s five copper to rent a shed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this one wants to sleep in the same room as me¡­ is there an extra fee?¡±

    ¡°¡­ We do not charge extra for something like that. How about the ve¡¯s meal? It¡¯s two copper.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine then. I¡¯ll reserve a room for a night.¡±

    I tried to hand her seven copper and a silver coin since I didn¡¯t have enough copper coins, though when I realized the change would be copper coins I just gave her a silver coin.

    The change was sixty-three copper coins¡­ oi, counting is tiresome. I was thinking that, but she used a tool that looked like a coin case to count them out in groups of ten, so it wasn¡¯t that bothersome. It¡¯s a pretty convenient tool, huh. However, she took out the thirty-seven from the one hundred that came out. The process was a bit fancy.

    ¡°One night¡¯s stay then. Ah, do you want the meal brought to your room?¡±

    ¡°If possible.¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s fine then¡­ oh yeah, I¡¯d appreciate it if you used [Cleanup] on the sheets before leaving the room. Well then, here¡¯s the key. Your room number is seven, it¡¯s on the first floor.¡±

    I epted the key and headed towards the room.

    When I opened the door with a ¡®7¡¯ written on it using the key, the inside really did look like an inn.

    As for the window¡­ yeah, it didn¡¯t have ss and instead used wooden boards. It looked like a double hinged door. Speaking of which, I wonder if there¡¯s ss in this world? I get the feeling the water golem¡¯s value is increasing.

    Light magic tools were set up for lighting. I was told putting a magic stone into the switch to turn it on was this inn¡¯s special feature. It seems that it¡¯s fine whether you use the magic stones sold by the inn or your own.

    Additionally, you could use your own magical power even if you don¡¯t have a magic stone¡­ though you¡¯d need to keep filling it up.

    By the way, though I¡¯d heard this for the first time, when magic stones are used up and worn out it seems that they disappear. It seems theyst longer when periodically filled with magical power.

    Thenes the crucial bed, but it just felt like thin sheets on a wooden frame. It was pretty hard. Rather, it was more like a nk.

    It was more or less just some thin sheets stacked on each other, just a little better than a park bench.

    I think the [Futon] for 5 DP is superior beddingpared to this. It might actually be better.

    ¡°I will sleep on the floor, right?¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll sleep together. It¡¯s cold.¡±

    I want to eat the meal and lie down as soon as possible¡­ The muscle pain from earlier hurts.

    I might not be able to move tomorrow without being forcibly moved by the clothes golem¡­

    Thinking that, I used [Cleanup] on myself and Meat while waiting for the meal.

    ¡°Right, here¡¯s your share of today¡¯s reward.¡±

    I took out five copper coins, handing it to Meat. It was an equal split plus her extra.

    ¡°I, I can¡¯t ept that! I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Meat find themission and tell me it was possible with my [Cleanup]? With that, it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°B-but¡­¡±

    ¡°Those roasted meat skewers were just five copper each huh¡­ I want to eat them with Meat~¡±

    ¡°¡­ I-I¡¯ll ept it.¡±

    Probably since I mentioned the skewers, I heard the sound of stomach rumbling.

    Not mine. Meat¡¯s.

    ¡­ Now that I think about it, she hasn¡¯t eaten anything since we came to Sia huh? Just breakfast.

    I feel a bit guilty from just me eating those apples.

    After a while, someone from the inn brought our meal to the room.

    Mine was two loafs of bread with a vegetable soup, while Meat¡¯s was just two loafs of bread. I see, so that¡¯s the difference?

    I shared half of my vegetable soup with Meat and forced the hard bread into my mouth.

    The vegetable soup was quite good. Yep. It was nd, but it left the feeling of a vegetable¡¯s umami.

    *

    Now, we left the room after one night. My body felt rigid and creaked, but the muscle pain wasn¡¯t that bad. I¡¯m saved.

    This time Meat was even able to be used as a hug pillow without peeing. Going to the restroom before sleeping is important after all. She tried to take off her clothes when we wereying down, but I stopped her.

    I remembered that they asked us to use [Cleanup] on the sheets before leaving, so I cleaned them quickly. I was getting used to [Cleanup]¡­ it was probably amusing seeing the aftermath of being thoughtless in a room being turned spotless. W-well, it should be fine being this clean.

    ¡°Meat, do you have everything?¡±

    ¡°I, have it all.¡±

    ¡°Alright, then instead of getting breakfast let¡¯s go buy something from a stall.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡±

    I returned the key to the woman, leaving the inn.

    It was a typical affordable inn¡­ also the result of gathering information.

    Now that I think about it, I wonder if Rokuko¡¯s fine being by herself in the dungeon¡­ she¡¯s probably alright. She was alone before I arrived after all.

    I¡¯m gradually starting to miss the dungeon¡¯s Master Room.

    Let¡¯s hurry up and collect more profitable information and head back¡­

 Chapter 23

    A Human Town for the First Time, Day Two

    Buying a ham sandwich for breakfast, we went to the adventurer guild in the morning.

    The adventurer guild was considerably packed this early in the morning.

    When I looked, it appeared they were struggling for themissions being posted on the bulletin board.

    ¡­ Yep, don¡¯t want to get mixed in with that¡­

    ¡°Goshujin-sama.¡±

    As though to tell me to leave it to her, Meat¡¯s eyes were sparkling.

    ¡­ Honestly, I¡¯m a bit hesitant to have a young kid go into a ce like that, but¡­

    ¡°Alright, go get amission that looks fine!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Meat plunged into the bustle of people. Her small body was gulped up by them and disappeared surprisingly quickly¡­

    After a while, she came back holding twomission tickets in her mouth.

    I patted her head gently while calling her a good girl. Meat¡¯s body writhed in joy.

    She really does look like a dog in every respect.

    Well, as for themissions she took¡­ ¡°Deliver 10 Items, Reward: 10 Copper Coins, G-Rank Minimum, 1 Person Minimum, Note: Deliver by the end of the day¡± and ¡°Rabbit Subjugation, Reward: Purchase Each Meat for 10 Copper, Rank-G Minimum, 1 Person Minimum, Note: 3 Minimum, 10 Max. Fresh meat only¡±.

    I see, I can be a deliveryman with the clothes golem and a map, and feel like I should be able to subjugate rabbits. These should be fine. I immediately went to the counter with themission tickets.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re going to be a deliveryman after having juste to the town yesterday? I don¡¯t rmend it.¡±

    ¡­ Oh, it¡¯s you again. The same Receptionist-san as yesterday was at the counter.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be a problem if I properly get the address.¡±

    ¡°As far as taking it to a local, wouldn¡¯t it be faster for them to deliver the letter themselves?¡±

    ¡°After learning the address, I wouldn¡¯t go that far.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, taking a subjugation-typemission as well? That¡¯s reckless.¡±

    ¡°Reckless?¡±

    ¡°Yes, reckless. It¡¯s fine to be confident, particrly for a rabbitmission, but these are intended to be used for the skewer stall¡¯s butcher. The meat can¡¯t be made into a mess by amateur swordsmanship and need to be pristine, how would you even take them down?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave it to my partner.¡±

    Meat was honestly a strong fighter.

    ¡°¡­ Furthermore, though I thought I¡¯d exined it when establishing your guild card, you will be fined if you can¡¯tplete amission, as well as punished. Is that fine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Sorry, I wasn¡¯t listening.

    At an rate, I submitted mine and Meat¡¯s guild cards and epted themission.

    ¡°¡­ It has been epted. Be careful. Oh, please go around back to receive the things for the deliverymission from the responsible party.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±

    Receptionist-san was scowling profusely, but other than being being belligerent she did her job diligently and properly gave advice. She¡¯s probably a capable person. She also might be the kind of person to easily misunderstand things.

    ¡°Alright, then let¡¯s go, Meat.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    Meat and I left the counter, going around back to do the deliverymission first.

    *

    Dividing thebor for the deliverymission between us, we finished quickly.

    ¡­ I didn¡¯t run, considering my leg¡¯s muscle pains, slowly delivering three of the cases to rtively close ces. Meat quickly handled the other seven. Even though the clothes golem¡¯s navigationpensated, I couldn¡¯t help praising her excellence. The cuteness of her tail wagging back and forth quickly while I pat her healed me.

    We finished with still some of the morning left over. With this we can probably get the rabbits.

    Incidentally, I wonder where we¡¯re supposed to hunt the rabbits. Crap, I don¡¯t know about that at all.

    For the time being, let¡¯s try and ask the client.

    The client was standing at the grilled skewer stall.

    The smell of the meat as the glistening oil dripped from it while being grilled drifted through the air. My mouth started drooling on reflex, I had to swallow it back.

    ¡°Oh, are you the adventurer that took the rabbit meatmission? Then, the meat? Doesn¡¯t look like you have it though.¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, I still have to head there.¡±

    ¡°That so? Since the meat is for next week, it needs to be hunted today. I¡¯ll be roasting meat here until the evening. Then, was there something you needed?¡±

    Just then, a small noise came from a cute stomach. It wasn¡¯t mine of course, it was Meat¡¯s.

    Bute to think of it, it was lunchtime huh.

    ¡°¡­ Right, how about we get two skewers first? Then, please tell me where we can hunt the rabbits.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Two for ten copper¡­ yep, that¡¯s it. If you¡¯re looking for rabbits, they¡¯re outside town. The west gate would work, in the forest by the Tsuia Mountain, a bit on the side facing us¡­ ah, bring them back intact if you aren¡¯t confident in dismantling them.¡±

    ¡°I see, thank you. Then, we¡¯re off.¡±

    I epted the skewers, passing one to Meat.

    In return, Meat tried to pass me five copper. I didn¡¯t ept them, though.

    ¡°It was just a necessary expense for us to get information, don¡¯t worry about it. Besides, it¡¯s a master¡¯s duty to feed their ves. So, go ahead and eat.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, then what do I¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, when Meat finds something she wants to buy, it¡¯s fine to buy it. Save for something you want.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ that¡¯s¡­ yes.¡±

    Meat put the copper coins away in the small bag she used as a substitute for a purse. She then bit into the meat skewer.

    ¡­ Yep, that¡¯s it, it doesn¡¯t taste bad. It doesn¡¯t taste bad, but it¡¯s a bit smelly,pared to a hamburger the taste is a bit light. Her face said something like that.

    *

    When I showed themission ticket to the gatekeeper at the west gate, we were able to leave without paying the toll.

    Then while heading to the forest, we saw the first rabbit.

    ¡°Kya?¡±

    It was kind of¡­ innocently cute. The small animal¡¯s red eyes were cute. It was fluffy and nomming on the grass.

    However, in the next moment, Meat severed its head. With the knife golem in her right hand, she easily cut through it with vibration mode.

    ¡°It¡¯s meat.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. Well done, excellent.¡±

    This child has no mercy.

    The rabbit corpse¡¯s legs were somewhat bloody from the neck that still pulsed blood. It was thrown into a leather bag after losing the rest of its blood. She also threw the severed head in while she was at it.

    I, with my broken heart, probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to achieve this without Meat¡­ wonder if I¡¯m feeling guilty over those adventurers dying in the dungeon¡­

    Well, I can at least hit a rabbit on the head though. The meat I¡¯ve always eaten is meat that someone¡¯s killed, so when I eat it I¡¯m also assisting that. In that case, there¡¯s no reason to not kill them here seeing as how I eat meat.

    Assisted by the de golem and clothes golem, I could cleanly cut through it.

    Though a little of the blood got on me, I quickly used [Cleanup] to get clean.

    ¡­ Wait,e to think of it none of the blood has gotten on Meat-san huh, I seriously respect her.

    We continued that until we had ten rabbits to bring to the client.

    The breakdown? Eight for Meat, two for me, so what? Meat could instantly decapitate them after all.

    I held out one I found to her, pinning it down with both hands so it couldn¡¯t run away.

    I got this one myself (with the golem¡¯s assistance).

    Wouldn¡¯t Meat have been fine by herself¡­?

    ¡°Heeh, you¡¯re¡­ An-chan, you looknky, but you have skill.¡±

    Sorry, those are the results of this child here.

    My duty was to hold rabbits by the legs while Meat-sensei hunted for them one by one, I just had to throw them in the bag after all the blood drained. Meat-sensei went into the forest alone, I just diligently waited and did nothing outside while they drained.

    At any rate, the client gave us a high evaluation. Though they were sitting in the bag, thanks to draining the blood the fur was in good condition. Except for one of them, he purchased them all for the maximum price of ten copper coins, ny-seven copper¡­ since most of them were in good condition, he gave us a bonus, making our ie one silver.

    Eh? Whose went for seven? That¡¯s right, it¡¯s the one I got on my own. It was pretty bad, the body was cut into two you know?

 Chapter 24

    Ranking Up and the Guild Head¡¯s Story

    After all that, we headed back to the adventurer guild with themission tickets. Suitably, it was slowly beginning to be dark outside.

    Do most people finish their business by evening? It looked like there were less people than yesterday.

    ¡°¡­ Well, how did you do? Was it impossible after all?¡±

    Then there was this Receptionist-san. Was that it? Remembering the neers¡¯ faces on the second day of being registered, I wonder if I should care?

    ¡°No, we properly finished. Here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ You certainly did. More so, with a high evaluation¡­?¡±

    Receptionist-san¡¯s face knit in a frown.

    ¡°Congrattions, you can rank up. Do you wish to rank up?¡±

    ¡°Eh-?¡±

    Ranking up¡­ that means going to Rank-F from Rank-G, I guess.

    ¡°The requirement for ranking up from G to F is to do tenmissions, of which subjugationmissions count twice. In the case of high evaluations, it counts twice yet again¡­ Additionally, the rabbit subjugation asked for three or more, thus was counted as apleted request for every three animals¡­ Therefore, with those, you have met the rank-up requirements¡­ Do you wish to rank-up?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Then, your Guild Card please. Sorry for the inconvenience.¡±

    When Meat and I handed over our Guild Cards, Receptionist-san withdrew to the back room.

    ¡­ Ranking up on the second day of being registered, I wonder if we¡¯re standing out? Though I instinctively wanted to rank up, I wonder if that was a bad choice.

    No, if we get F-Rank we can ept the [Ordinary Cave] surveymission.

    If we ept the surveymission, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to ask for more detailed information about the [Ordinary Cave].

    While we waited on seats at a table, the Receptionist-san came back.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, and¡­ Meat-sama. The Guild Head wished to interview you. This way, please.¡±

    Yep, she was definitely hesitant to address Meat with ¡®-sama¡¯ just now. It felt like she did it because it was her job.

    I wonder if she thinks she¡¯s my ve. Still, I think someone who can properly work and clearly address someone passes the wick.

    However, I¡¯m a bit afraid of the Guild Head zeroing in on us¡­

    But I can¡¯t refuse, there¡¯s no choice but to go.

    Following in behind Receptionist-san, we headed to the Guild Head¡¯s room¡­ it had a splendid door with a te saying ¡°Guild Head¡¯s Room¡± at the top. When Receptionist-san knocked, a rough voice came from inside.

    ¡°Yeah, enter.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    When the Receptionist-san entered the room, there was an old man with a stocky build. He had tanned skin stereotypical of an adventurer, a white mustache that felt confident and seasoned, and impressive eyes that shone like a carnivore¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m Gin, the Guild Head. I heard of you guys from Silia.¡±

    I guess Silia is Receptionist-san? That¡¯s the first time I heard her name.

    The Guild Head stared at Meat, who was standing still.

    ¡°¡­ Jou-chan, what do you think of An-chan here?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is that so.¡±

    Meat answered immediately.

    The Guild Head patted Meat¡¯s head and nodded slowly. Unlike his dignified appearance, his smile gave the impression of a good old man.

    Then, he turned around towards Receptionist-san.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine then, oi, Silia. Do the rank up process properly.¡±

    ¡°Eh-, y-yes¡­¡±

    ¡°Silia and Jou-chan, please go outside. I want to talk to this fellow here for a bit.¡±

    Being told to leave by the Guild Head, Silia left the room with Meat¡­ I also want to leave though. Probably can¡¯t, though¡­

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, wait outside.¡±

    Meat nodded and went out.

    Making sure the two left the room, the Guild Head opened his mouth.

    ¡°She seems to be quite attached.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She¡¯s cute.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What rtion do you have with that Jou-chan?¡±

    It was like he was probing, no, he was definitely probing with that remark.

    Crap, I¡¯m getting thirsty.

    ¡°What, do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t find it off if you said you were siblings, for example.¡±

    ¡°We are beastkin and human, after all.¡±

    ¡°Could be step-siblings. So?¡±

    Ah, that could definitely have been the case. I didn¡¯t think about that.

    ¡°Sorry, but she¡¯s a ve I picked up by chance.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How many years ago?¡±

    ¡°¡­ If we¡¯re talking about years, it was just this year.¡±

    ¡°She got that emotionally attached after a year!?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry, I should have said I picked her upst week.¡±

    ¡°Oi, what did you use. What magic tool did you use, spit it out.¡±

    Hiii-, it became dangerous that quick-!?

    ¡°No¡­ I picked her up when she was dying, so¡­¡±

    ¡°I-is that so¡­? No, I¡¯m sorry. Actually, that child¡­ might be my grandchild.¡±

    Oooooi, don¡¯t stop at that. I-I can¡¯t respond!

    ¡°There¡¯s a possibility you might also be my grandchild¡­¡±

    Shock! I¡¯m the grandson of another world¡¯s old man!?

    No no no, no way. I should still have parents and a grandpa in Japan.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    ¡°My father is the hero of another world. My hair was ck like yours way back when.¡±

    ¡°Heeh¡­ is that so?¡±

    Indeed, from the feeling I got from that Kami-sama I vaguely remember, it didn¡¯t feel like his first time. It was more like he¡¯d done it several times.

    The important information he said was there was another world¡¯s hero.

    ¡°To put it briefly¡­ My son¡¯s whereabouts became unknown ten years ago. Since then, when I see youths with ck hair, I can¡¯t help but feel they may be my grandchild¡­ that¡¯s all. In reality my grandchild may not have been born, but even if my son is no longer alive, I want to know hisst moments¡­ I would be thankful if you have any information to tell me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If I get any information I will bring it to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    The Guild Head bowed lightly.

    The tense atmosphere abruptly dissipated. I realized saliva had been umting in my mouth, so I wet my throat gulping it down. Haaaah, though I was going to die there.

    ¡°However¡­ though I was thinking that when I heard the report about the Jou-chan from Silia¡­ by no means did I think her master would also have ck hair¡­ Her name, Meat, did you give her it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I heard the name from her herself, so I left it as is.¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­ so. It can¡¯t be helped if it¡¯s like that¡­¡±

    The Guild Head drew out a long sigh.

    ¡°As a friendly connection between those who share the same ck hair, let¡¯s amodate each other a bit. If there¡¯s anything, let me know.¡±

    *

    Upon exiting from the Guild Head¡¯s room, Meat was waiting just beside the door.

    The Guild Head¡¯s grandchild¡­ a hero¡¯s great-grandchild, huh¡­ I don¡¯t think that¡¯s impossible, considering her excellence.

    However, I don¡¯t know to what extent the Guild Head¡¯s story was true. There wasn¡¯t any evidence after all. Even if he his father really was a hero from another world like he said, I¡¯d like to see some evidence.

    I mean, it¡¯s strange that it was because of my ck hair. If they¡¯d summoned a foreigner it could have been blonde hair, for it to be so conveniently Japanese¡­ I don¡¯t even know if he was from the same world in the first ce.

    Hmm, I want a magic tool that can detect lies too¡­

    Taking Meat back to the guild¡¯s lobby, Receptionist-san brought out our Guild Cards.

    ¡°Here they are, they have be F-Rank Guild Cards. Please confirm this.¡±

    The cards we¡¯d received did have F-Rank written on them. Having finished passing the cards over to us, Receptionist-san quickly returned to the counter.

    Yep, with this we should finally be able to survey the [Ordinary Cave].

    I immediately began to look for the ¡°Dungeon [Ordinary Cave] Survey¡±mission ticket.

    ¡­ Huh?

    I couldn¡¯t find it, did I overlook it¡­?

    ¡°Not, here¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not here¡­ Then, that means¡­ someone else epted it¡­¡±

    Crap. What now?

 Chapter 25

    Information on Dungeons

    When did it get taken? This morning? Or maybest night?

    We might be able to overtake the adventurer if we go right now, though it would probably turn into a fight if we meet on the way¡­ If that happened, could we win?

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama?¡±

    I nced at Meat. Come to think of it, does Meat even properly know I¡¯m a Dungeon Master? I get the feeling I haven¡¯t told her for sure.

    ¡­ Alright, let¡¯s calm down.

    It should be alright with Rokuko. She should do what I told her to.

    If it goes as expected from the information, there shouldn¡¯t be any problems¡­ The problem is that if my expectations and the adventurer guild¡¯s information differ. If that¡¯s how it is, I need to make sure what they know immediately.

    ¡­ This isn¡¯t the time to sleep. Haaah¡­

    I went up to the counter. Silia-san, the usual receptionist, was there. Sorry abouting back so soon.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to hear about a dungeon, is that fine?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still plenty of time for the many adventurers to return, so until then¡­ well, is there a problem with a dungeon? If it¡¯s a standard dungeon, aren¡¯t you unrted until at least D-Rank?¡±

    I see, so in other words the [Ordinary Cave] isn¡¯t a standard dungeon, huh.

    ¡°Yeah, though that¡¯s right, I was wondering about the [Ordinary Cave] Dungeon¡¯smission ticket. I don¡¯t see it now, but I felt anxious about seeing F-Rank written on it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ well, that was basically amission for a rookie. The investigation of a newborn dungeon, a rarity in the world. It¡¯ll take about half a month.¡±

    A newborn¡­ was she? Maybe I should ask Rokuko about that when I get back.

    ¡°By the way, what kind of orders did they get this time?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I cannot answer that as it is against regtions.¡±

    Yeaaaah.

    ¡°Other than that, you have been nominated for twomissions as the ve Ojou-san partner¡­ though it is for cleaning toilets. Will you do it? It¡¯s a G-Rankmission, but will you ept it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please give me a bit to think about it.¡±

    Toilet cleaning¡­ should I be happy about the publicity? However, I can¡¯t do it now.

    ¡°I want to hear about dungeons specifically, could you tell me about what kind of ces they are?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Dungeons are ces with things such as monsters, traps, and treasures. To sum it up, dive into a dungeon if you are aiming to get rich in one go. Well, a person withoutmon sense like you probably doesn¡¯t even know something like that?¡±

    ¡°E-even I know that much you know?¡±

    I didn¡¯t know that. I¡¯d probably dislike it, but I¡¯d be thankful to learn this mon sense¡¯ thing.

    ¡°Then, do you know about the dungeon bosses and the dungeon cores?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, the core, that¡¯s the dungeon¡¯s heart, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. A dungeon will begin to copse the same time its core is destroyed. The dungeon boss is on the lowest floor of the dungeon, an existence that defends the core. There is also the theory that the dungeon core and the dungeon boss are one in the same, too¡­ In the past, the demon king¡¯s castle copsed when the demon king was destroyed. There is a famous theory that the demon king¡¯s castle was a dungeon, and that the demon king was both the boss and core since the dungeon core was unable to be found. Well, I look at it as the demon king was just someone who was unwillingly forced into it and struggled in vain.¡±

    The dungeon core, a demon king¡­ I wonder if Rokuko gave off the feeling of a demon king?

    When I tried to imagine it for a moment, I could only see Rokuko slipping on her cloak and falling over.

    Yep, let¡¯s stop that, being a Demon King wouldn¡¯t suit Rokuko.

    As for the dungeon copsing without its dungeon core, I wonder if dungeon cores maintain the walls or something? However, things like dungeon bosses and dungeon masters, no idea what part of these terms aremon sense¡­

    ¡°By the way, if you¡¯d like to know more about dungeons, there is a study of dungeons in the education division, so it would be good for you to buy a book¡­ the book is expensive, but I think the contents make the cost worth it.¡±

    That¡¯s exactly the information I was looking for. A study of dungeons, so there was something like that huh?

    That¡¯s valuable information. I absolutely want to get it.

    ¡°Well, the [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons] costs one gold, though.¡±

    ¡­ I don¡¯t have enough on hand. If one copper is one hundred yen, isn¡¯t that a substantial one million yen?

    I¡¯ll need to bring back some valuables after returning to the dungeon.

    Yep, yet another reason why I need to head back to the dungeon.

    ¡°Is that all, then? More people have arrived.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry. Thanks for your time.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s my job to give advice to adventurers¡­ that being the case, could you step aside?¡±

    I haveplete faith in Receptionist-san¡¯smitment to her job. I don¡¯t dislike her.

    I lead Meat and walked away from the counter.

    *

    For the time being, even if I don¡¯t return to the [Ordinary Cave], the core won¡¯t be destroyed. The number of rooms have increased somewhat, but it seems the dungeon will be examined as a valuable research sample.

    Well, if I just thought about DP, it was more economical to not return since DP for living expenses wouldn¡¯t be taken. I should probably stay here and just live in Sia as my base for now.

    But I miss my [Futon]. Compared toying down on a park bench or the self-alleged ¡®bed¡¯, which was like a wooden box covered in cloth, in the [Sleeping Songbird Pavilion], it was morefortable by far.

    I think that after getting the minimum information, I should temporarily return to the [Ordinary Cave]. It¡¯d probably also be good to bring back something valuable. I want to get that book on dungeons¡­ but I can¡¯t find something worth one gold coin easily.

    ¡­ Eh, wait a sec. Maybe¡­ could I possibly buy that book for DP?

    When I looked at the DP catalog, there it was. Maybe it has more information that I want to know¡­ let¡¯s see, [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons (100 DP)]¡­ wait, 100 DP!?

    One gold coin, worth one million yen, is 100 DP. Oi.

    ¡­ I thought that [Copper Coin (5 DP)] was the conversion rate.

    At any rate, looks like I should head back to the dungeon to get the [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons].

    ¡°Meat, we¡¯re going back to the dungeon right now.¡±

    It was already dark outside. If we don¡¯t hurry up it¡¯ll be impossible to leave the gate.

    Leading Meat, I left for the west gate in a rush.

    The guard who guided us through the town was at the west gate.

    ¡°Oh¡­ what¡¯s going on at a time like this? You know that the gate¡¯s going to close in a little bit?¡±

    ¡°I have some business up in the mountains. I think it¡¯ll probably take somewhere around two days though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you fine with being that lightly dressed? From the looks of it, you don¡¯t have much luggage either.¡±

    Oops, that reminds me. Forgot to prepare. Since I was thinking about this like I was returning to my base, I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d really need much luggage. Normally, adventurers wouldn¡¯t have a base up in the mountains.

    Having said that, needing to make preparations every time I want to head back to the dungeon¡­

    ¡°We¡¯re just bringing a bit since we can procure what we need on the way this time, so it¡¯s fine. Isn¡¯t being lightweight good for speed?¡±

    ¡°I see. In that case, there¡¯s no problem.¡±

    I thought it was a horrible excuse, but it looks like he was convinced by it.

    Hmm, maybe I should use the south gate from now on? It¡¯s better to not be acquainted with people like that, but it might be good to be able to easily leave the gates. Saying that staying in the slums save money¡­ feels a bit strained somehow. If I spoke without lying, I think it¡¯s like that since it¡¯d be sleeping outside.

    ¡°So, is your business an herb collectionmission or something? Yourmission document?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not amission. I¡¯ll be paying.¡±

    ¡°That so¡­ The mountain is dangerous at night. You should be careful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thank you very much.¡±

    I showed our Guild Cards, paying the toll fee of two copper coins, including Meat¡¯s, and the gatekeeper let us out of the gate.

    Well then, let¡¯s try and rush back.

    I sprinted back at full speed with the clothes golem when we got out of sight of the gatekeeper¡­ I cried from the muscle pain in my legs.

 Chapter 26

    Intruders

    ¡°Heeh, so this is the [Ordinary Cave] huh¡­¡±

    The male adventurer set foot in the empty cave.

    His party members followed a few steps behind him.

    There were three people in the party in all. They received the investigationmission from the guild and were F-Rank adventurers.

    ¡°Oi oi, be careful. This is still a dungeon, we don¡¯t know what kind of traps there could be.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to worry, didn¡¯t the guild tell us? There¡¯s nothing really here. Just the dungeon core, that is.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¡­¡±

    Even though his timidrade stopped him, he entered as though he didn¡¯t care at all.

    The passage stretched left and right. However, there wasn¡¯t anything to see¡­ just the remnants of a burned wooden door.

    ¡°Guess none of the bandits survived it.¡±

    ¡°You think any of the knights would let them live? Even so, it seems there was around twenty of them.¡±

    ¡°Wow¡­ Well, these guys didn¡¯t have good luck, huh.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this way¡¯s a dead end¡­ The other way then?¡±

    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a room a bit ahead. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    The adventurers backtracked without incident. It was to be expected. In this cave, there were neither traps nor monsters.

    ¡­ But in just one spot, there was about five to ten Goblins that coulde out of the dungeon core.

    As for the contents of themission, it was the delicious work of getting a silver coin by just reporting how many goblinse out.

    It¡¯ll more or less turn into a goblin subjugation. Well, something like five goblins could easily be defeated by a single F-Rank adventurer. Three people would be a surplus for ten.

    Then, they arrived at the room with the dungeon core inside.

    Five goblins appeared from the dungeon core.

    It wasn¡¯t a problem with just this manying out. It was settled with two, three crude swings of their swords.

    ¡°Heeh, pheeew¡­. five. Alright.¡±

    ¡°Commissionplete. Hmm? What is it?¡±

    One of the adventurers was looking at the dungeon core.

    ¡°So this is it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Why not break the dungeon core?¡±

    ¡°Huh!? What are you talking about. The guild told us to not do that!¡±

    ¡°But, isn¡¯t there talk about how knights can be sage knights and get stronger if they destroy a dungeon core? Couldn¡¯t we get stronger and instantly get to A-Rank if we destroy it?¡±

    ¡°A-Rank¡­¡±

    He gulped.

    A-Rank. The title of an undeniably sessful adventurer.

    Even adventurers, those that dream about getting rich quick, most are between F-Rank and E-Rank.

    At D-Rank, adventurers would finally earn enough money to make a living for themselves, and C-Ranks were veterans. B-Ranks were respected among those veterans and earning gold coins from a singlemission would be normal. A-Ranks were sessful people whose names were known all over the world.

    Above that there were even the inhuman S-Ranks. Though it was said a single S-Rank person could affect the world, so far it hasn¡¯t happened.

    ¡°But you know, when they ask us about it, what would we do? There¡¯s also the dudes thate after us, what then, wouldn¡¯t we get caught and our Guild Cards get confiscated?¡±

    ¡°Theeen, wouldn¡¯t it be fine to say it wasn¡¯t us? So then since it wasn¡¯t it, the guys before us would be suspicious¡­ they¡¯d probably wonder about the bandits or knight-samas. They won¡¯t say anything to the guild right? The bandits¡¯re already gone, the knights aren¡¯t adventurers.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oi, you¡¯re a genius.¡±

    Though that would actuallye to light immediately once the magic tool detected their lie, the three unfortunately didn¡¯t know there was something like that.

    The discussion was quickly settled. Drawing his sword, he stabbed it towards dungeon core.

    Once, twice, though the sword was repelled, chips were steadily umting.

    The Dungeon Core didn¡¯t react at all, as if it were ordered to ¡®not do anything¡¯.

    Then, finally, the sword pierced into it¡­ With a high pitched noise, the crystalline sphere shattered.

    *

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    I jumped awake.

    ¡­ There¡¯s an unpleasant sweat covering me head to toe.

    ¡­ I saw a bad dream. In the dream, the dungeon core was destroyed.

    Falling into the hands of a crude adventurer, the dungeon core was shattered.

    ¡­ Ah, seeing a nightmare like that is something you don¡¯t want when you¡¯re sleeping outside.

    Since we didn¡¯t take satisfactory preparations, we had food and water remaining in our luggage, but having to order the clothes golem to intercept enemies and sleep on the cold ground sucked.

    Meat and I were sprinting at full speed to return to the [Ordinary Cave], but the day fell on the way and we decided to sleep in the open.

    Though we wouldn¡¯t meet any idents since we had a map and the clothes golems, in the state where I was getting hit in the face by branches while moving around the forest and couldn¡¯t see that well, I gave up travelling any more.

    clothes golem,e to think of it, how does it even see things? Can it even see to begin with?

    However, I was thinking a lot about what I saw in my dream.

    Someone who became an adventurer for their own desires, destroying the dungeon core for their own desires¡­ that kind of story could be found anywhere.

    Thinking about it now, even withouting to destroy the [Ordinary Cave]¡¯s dungeon core on amission, someone could one daye to destroy the core for personal reasons without amission. Besides, all they needed to do to continue being adventurers was jump ship and head to another town.

    ¡­ Right, in other words, I¡¯ve just been lucky up to now.

    There wasn¡¯t any guarantee that someone wouldn¡¯t just appear one day and destroy the dungeon core.

    That nightmare could be truth in the future if the dungeon¡¯s current state continued.

    No, more than not having themission, it wouldn¡¯t be odd if it happened now.

    ¡°¡­ Nuu¡­ Papa¡­. nyumu¡­ more¡­¡±

    When I looked to the side, Meat was holding me while she slept.

    ¡­ Though I¡¯m a bit reluctant to wake her from such a happy dream, it can¡¯t be helped.

    That said, it was early in the morning and I could see to some degree.

    I used [Cleanup] to clean the sweat from my sticky body, woke Meat up and resumed heading toward the [Ordinary Cave].

    ¡­ Gu-¡­ muscle pains, grah!

    *

    By the time we arrived, it had already be near noon.

    Though it took more time then I though, we arrived at our base.

    ¡­ When we looked at the cave from exiting the forest, we saw an impossible scene.

    At a white table and chairs, Rokuko was gracefully enjoying herself over tea, with an unfamiliar white-haired Ojou-sama. Beside the Ojou-sama was a ck clothed butler with blonde hair¡­ a man? No, a beautiful woman in male clothing?

    ¡°Ah, Kehma! Wee back, that was pretty quick!¡±

    ¡°¡­ What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Eh, can¡¯t you understand just from looking? It¡¯s ady¡¯s tea time you know?¡±

    Rokuko answered with a boast while sticking out her nonexistent chest.

    That¡¯s not it. I wanted to know why the heck you were doing something like that.

    ¡°No. 89 Ane-sama dropped by!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, eighty-nine¡­ No. 89? Wait, a dungeon core!?¡±

    ¡°Ye~s, nice to meet you¡­ ¡­ Kehma-san, are you doing well?¡±

    The white Ojou-sama waved her hand elegantly.

    Though she had an unreasonably honest type, I wonder why¡­

    I felt a chill.

 Chapter 27

    Dungeon Core No. 89

    ¡°Well, yeah, I¡¯ve been telling No. 89 Ane-sama about everything that¡¯s happened this whole time you know. I even told her about Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Rokuko. Come here for a moment¡­ Excuse me, I¡¯ll be borrowing her for a moment.¡±

    After saying that, I pulled Rokuko away and whispered to her.

    ¡°¡­ How much did you tell her?¡±

    ¡°Leeet¡¯s see, just now I was talking about defeating the bandits. Ah, she was happy when I told her how tasty the feast of [Melon Breads] was!¡±

    With a giddy shout, Rokuko seemed to be happy from being praised by her Onee-sama.

    I struck her head with my fist.

    ¡°Ow! What¡¯d you do that for!?¡±

    ¡°Are you good now? Don¡¯t tell her anything else. She might be an adversary¡­ In particr, never talk about things rted to golems.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, understood¡­ But, there¡¯s no way No. 89 Ane-sama would be an enemy.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Who was the one to teach you the stupid strategy of only summoning Goblins?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No. 89 Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Who taught you to summon one strong monster at a time in a single room?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ No. 89 Ane-sama.¡±

    Yeah, in other words, it that kind of thing.

    Dungeon Core No. 89 was the one that kept Rokuko from [Growing up into a dungeon].

    Meanwhile, she herself became a top ranking dungeon.

    She definitely had some motives there, and there was a definite possibility of her bing a nuisance for us in the future.

    Rather, the chances of us being removed in the case we were the ones to be a nuisance were high.

    ¡°Hey, No. 695-chan. Is your secret discussion still going on? Could I join in soon?¡±

    ¡°Y-yesh! I¡¯ming soon No. 89 Ane-sama¡ª¡±

    Still, when Rokuko was called by Dungeon Core No. 89, she was happy¡­ Treating the person with absolute authority over you as rags¡­ No, it was probably an unconscious decision.

    ¡°So then, what happened to the bandits in the end?¡±

    ¡°U-umm¡­¡±

    Rokuko nced at me. She probably didn¡¯t know what was alright to say.

    I answered instead.

    ¡°¡­ Well, as you can see, they aren¡¯t here anymore.¡±

    ¡°The knights cleaned it up beautifully then? Un, that¡¯s good¡­ well, I wonder how much DP they all turned in to? From looking at the report, I would think around ten thousand?¡±

    ¡°Report? ¡­ Excuse me, I don¡¯t know much about you, what do you mean by that?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, you aren¡¯t a human of this world¡­ Let¡¯s do self introductions.¡±

    Dungeon Core No. 89 suddenly straightened her posture further and ced her hand on her chest, introducing herself in a dignified voice.

    ¡°I am Dungeon Core No. 89¡­. From my master, I am known as Haku. Though humans typically refer to us with numbers, I don¡¯t mind being called Haku. I manage [White Labyrinth] in the Raverio Empire¡¯s capital¡­ I am the elder sister of Dungeon Core No. 695, pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    Dungeon Core No. 89 gave a sweet smile¡­ Since she said Haku was fine, I¡¯ll call her Haku-san.

    ¡°¡­ Very polite. I am Masuda Keima. Please call me Kehma. Though I¡¯m being presumptuous, I serve as the dungeon master for your younger sister¡¯s dungeon, [Ordinary Cave]. I look forward to working with you.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, so polite, admirable.¡±

    ¡°I-I wonder if I should also introduce myself!? I am Dungeon Core No. 695¡ª¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to¡­ right,e to think of it, adventurers will being, we haven¡¯t prepared countermeasures yet.¡±

    ¡°My, that is¡­ I wonder, is this the information you were referring to?¡±

    Haku-san took the investigationmission ticket for [Ordinary Cave] from her breasts.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°For a moment, I made use of being an A-rank adventurer. From seeing my country¡¯s knights¡¯ report on the [Ordinary Cave], I couldn¡¯t possibly leave things as they were.¡±

    ¡°But I was told it required two people minimum?¡±

    ¡°There was no reason for it, two F-Ranks couldn¡¯t possibly win against an A-Rank. Well, more or less, this one here¡­ she is Chloe, a Subus. We are both A-Rank adventurers and epted it as a pair.¡±

    After being introduced, Chloe suddenly bowed. Her butler clothing truly was appropriate.

    So she was a beauty in male clothing after all huh? So there was a monster like that.

    However, isn¡¯t that an unfortunate chest for a Subus¡­? I wouldn¡¯t have realized if Haku-san didn¡¯t tell me she was a Subus. A pure schoolgirl Subus. Is she actually a pure schoolgirl porn star? This really is a fantasy world.

    ¡°So for a while, around half a month¡­ it will be fine, Kehma-san.¡±

    Haku-san smiled as if to say I was in her palm¡­ Indeed, it really was unlikely there would be intrudersing for now. Excluding the two in front of me.

    ¡°Right, Kehma-san. Would it be alright for me to be straightforward?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Are you Kami-sama¡¯s vanguard?¡±

    Kami-sama¡¯s vanguard¡­ let¡¯s see, I wonder. When I came to this world, I was told something by Kami-sama, but it wasn¡¯t really about being a vanguard¡­

    ¡°Though I did meet with this ¡®Kami-sama¡¯¡­ he didn¡¯t really say anything in particr.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Excuse my rudeness, but I used lie detection magic. What you said appears to be true¡­ I heard from No. 695-chan that she summoned you from another world, so I¡¯ve been anxious for a while now.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sorry, what exactly is Kami-sama¡¯s vanguard meant to be?¡±

    ¡°Summoned from another world, it is a person who destroys dungeons in ordance to Kami-sama¡¯s will¡­ A person who would defeat me, saying [An existence such as a dungeon obstructs the cirction of mana]. They are referred to as Heroes here.¡±

    Ah, I might be a vanguard then. I have no motivation to really do it though.

    ¡°Well then¡­ I would like to talk to Kehma-san alone for a little bit. Could we have a moment? Ah, I wonder if No. 695-chan will wait with Chloe.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡ª¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Ojou-sama.¡±

    I parted with Rokuko and was lead away by Haku-san. Meat was also left together with her.

    ¡­ This feels very dangerous. I noticed it when Haku-san stood up, but this person¡¯s feet are amazingly beautiful. Crap, it¡¯ll be bad if she noticed me eyeing her feet. Glimpsing at the lines of her legs through the thin cloth skirt¡­ crap. I want to see directly inside the skirt. I want to carefully watch her strip her shoes.

    ¡°¡­ Well¡­¡±

    Once we were far enough away, Haku-san turned towards me. When I thought about how beautiful she was, I understood why Rokuko admired her so much.

    Then, she spoke.

    ¡°Would you kindly stop being a dungeon master?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s troubling!¡±

    This world¡¯s futons were horridly poor. There weren¡¯t eptable at all.

    I don¡¯t feel like quitting being a dungeon master so that I don¡¯t have to find better bedding.

    ¡°Or rather, you. What are you doing to my cute No. 695-chan. How dare you defile that child, if you say you won¡¯t quit being her master, immediatelymit suicide to cast away the absolute authority rights.¡±

    So I¡¯d have to stop being a dungeon master in the end anyways?

    ¡°¡­ Though I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re getting at¡­ well, I would be fine discarding absolute obedience rights, but suicide is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I¡¯ll keep your admirability in mind. However, I wonder if you would truly annul them?¡±

    Yep, since when I found out about the absolute obedience rights, I wanted to annul them.

    Though it was just a dream, when I said ¡°Only put out five goblins, don¡¯t do anything else¡±, it became impossible for her to do anything even if the situation came to the point of the core being destroyed. Therefore, I¡¯d at least want her to be able to use self-defense at her own discretion.

    ¡°Anyway, haven¡¯t you ordered No. 695 something horrible? You ordered for her to forget inconvenient memories¡­ Kuh, you can¡¯t do as you wish! This is why humans¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Wait a sec before falsely using me of things!¡±

    ¡°Hmph, I wonder about that. [Come to love me little by little] or [Marry me], ordering her to do whatever pleases your species, until you finally notice her die¡­ humans are untrustworthy. Even though I made sure to properly teach No. 695-chan¡­¡±

    Ah, so it was something like that¡­.

    ¡°¡­ Since I don¡¯t have any hobbies like forcing people against their wills, let¡¯s hurry up an annul it.¡±

    ¡°Right, then right in front of me¡­ Nn, wait a moment. Then in other words, without absolute authority your hobby would be¡­? What would you do to No. 695-chan!?¡±

    ¡°Your imagination is too wild!!¡±

    It¡¯s not at the level of false usations anymore.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good¡­ Please let me confirm something. Haku-san. Are you an enemy to Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what you are trying to say. I don¡¯t think could ever be something like an enemy to No. 695-chan though.¡±

    ¡­ Then whye?

    ¡°¡­ Why did you teach such a strategy to Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Such a strategy? I taught her various things, but what strategy?¡±

    I asked to check things one by one.

    ¡°Then, why did you tell her to summon Goblins?¡±

    ¡°Because it is the most efficient monster to summon in this dungeon. Even if she summoned a strong monster, she wouldn¡¯t be able to cover its running costs.¡±

    That¡¯s certainly how it is. Their efficiency is good.

    ¡°To the limits of her DP, why summon a lot at once?¡±

    ¡°If there are arge number of them, that would be a threat by itself. In addition, there is no core that would be stingy with DP when a crisis approaches the core.¡±

    That is certainly how it is. No one would usually leave strength reserved and die.

    ¡°Then, why say deploy a strong monster rather than make rooms?¡±

    ¡°Even if more rooms were made, wouldn¡¯t intruders be able to just beat it? It is a fact that monsters need to be produced to kill them.¡±

    That is certainly how it is. No matter if there were more rooms, they would be unable to defeat intruders if they had no danger.

    ¡°In that case, why not teach her about traps?¡±

    ¡°Because they would all be disabled if it was cleared one time. In small dungeons, there is a limited number that can be installed. It would be very expensive to use them repeatedly.¡±

    That is¡­ probably right.

    Given that as long as you presumed it to be from the viewpoint of a dungeon, it could all be said to be correct advice.

    However, that advice crumbles the moment that premise vanishes.

    ¡°I understand your method of arranging conditions for the dungeon. Then, viewing this as a person, wouldn¡¯t it make it out to be a [Safe and harmless dungeon]?¡±

    Right. These conditions were indispensable for a [Dungeon managed by people].

    Otherwise, it would end with the dungeon core destroyed once the Goblins were routed, instead of leaving the dungeon core in the cave.

    ¡°Oh my, you aren¡¯t understanding¡­. it¡¯s simple. Both the empire and the Adventurer¡¯s Guild are my creations.¡±

    Though I was already vaguely aware of it, she really was a big shot.

    Ah, even excluding her being a dungeon core, that is.

 Chapter 28

    No-Good People

    ¡°My, you aren¡¯t surprised.

    ¡°You received the report from the group of knights, didn¡¯t you say that? It doesn¡¯t feel like you hid it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t now did I?¡±

    Haku-san giggled while looking delighted.

    ¡°But, what was your reason for training the [Ordinary Cave] into a weak dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Because she is cute¡­ though I would like to say that, it¡¯s to protect No. 695-chan. That¡¯s the reason I was truly surprised when I heard that the bandits were settled down.¡±

    ¡°¡­ In order to protect Rokuko, is it? ¡­ Why?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my lovely younger sister you know? Though I wish I could give her a guard to keep anyone from invading, wouldn¡¯t the opposite happen by attracting the eye of Kami-sama¡¯s vanguard and be hunted? With that, I made certain to hide her as much as possible¡­ Well? I wonder if my response satisfies you?¡±

    Satisfies me huh?

    ¡­ If I say it, I still might be stuck.

    ¡°¡­ Your reason to hunt other dungeon cores?¡±

    In order for knights to be Sage Knights, they needed the experience from breaking a dungeon core, ording to the story.

    In other words, Haku-san was intentionally having them do so.

    While protecting Rokuko, she attacked other cores. Or rather, the dungeon core was almost destroyed by the bandit suppression due to that.

    ¡°No. 695-chan has no rtion to that¡­ otherwise, Kami-sama¡¯s vanguard would hunt me.¡±

    For your own benefit. A very easy reason to understand.

    ¡°I¡¯m convinced.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you wish to hear? Since this is a special asion, I¡¯ll answer you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Very generous. The reason for that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, well, this is a reward. I had heard it from No. 695-chan, but all of the bandits who kicked No. 695-chan¡¯s core, down to the veryst one, was exterminated without a chance for escape. You would have had to go on a hunt in the mountain if you missed even one.¡±

    Hmm, I see. Then I wonder about hearing more of bing a Sage Knight?

    ¡°Come to think of it, one of those knights who came here tried to destroy the core.¡±

    ¡°Right! Those seventeen knights, they tried to stab a sword into No. 695-chan to gain favor, something like that was in the report, can you believe it!? Seriously, humans are no-good since they can¡¯t understand how cute No. 695-chan¡¯s core is right? They deserve to be executed, all of them! Since it¡¯s impossible to write No. 695-chan into their offenses, I¡¯ll fabricate some minor treason against the country for the unit of knights. No, perhaps there¡¯s no choice but to end it a simple sry cut for the ones that attempted to damage No. 695-chan to give them thoughts of treason? That way it will be a legitimate execution. Ahh, I wonder if the people concerned are returning to the royal capital without knowing anything?¡±

    Ah, this person is a no-good person. Moreover, it¡¯s a waste of authority to settle it like that.

    Something like executing all of the knights goes beyond being dreadful politics!

    ¡°Oh my, I wonder if you think that is going too far?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. Ah, those guys, I figured if there were other bandits, it¡¯d be appropriate for adventurers to take care of it somehow.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, extra offenses then.¡±

    I¡¯ll keep taking advantage of this for now. It¡¯ll be dangerous if I go about this poorly.

    ¡­ Well, I¡¯m starting to understand this a little. This person is definitely not an enemy to Rokuko.

    After all, the basis of her actions is Rokuko. She wouldn¡¯t be Rokuko¡¯s enemy so long as we don¡¯t hinder Haku-san.

    ¡°By the way, what were you saying about Sage Knights a bit ago?¡±

    ¡°Sage Knights? Ah, that¡¯s just a vague title change. Destroying cores is useless unless you¡¯re Kami-sama¡¯s vanguard. By doing something like contributing to the cirction of mana, it seems their favor does increase¡­¡±

    Ah, in the end I¡¯ll, about vanguards¡­ silence.

    I don¡¯t feel like destroying dungeon cores so please forgive me.

    ¡°Un. You seem ipetent by doing nothing but sleeping, but I will tentatively recognize you as No. 695-chan¡¯s master.¡±

    Looks like I was epted¡­ If she¡¯s not an enemy, that¡¯s good.

    A bad person is inside of the beautiful-foot person¡­ no, sorry, it¡¯d be wonderful to be stepped on by a viin like that.

    ¡°However, let¡¯s have a dungeon battle.¡±

    Haha¡­ anooother term I don¡¯t know sprung up. Moreover, it sounds troublesome. Please give me a break.

 Chapter 29

    A Dungeon Battle¡­?

    ¡°A dungeon battle is¡­?¡±

    ¡°We invade each other¡¯s dungeons and, well, have a contest. The entrances would be connected to each other with space-time magic, we would send our troops into each other¡¯s dungeon, and the first to touch the dungeon core wins. Simple right?¡±

    Setting the space-time magic aside, the rules certainly were simple.

    However, the ¡®Imperial Capital¡¯s well-established dungeon [White Labyrinth]¡¯ and this ¡®Beginner-friendly dungeon where nothing but goblins appear [Ordinary Cave](There is a dungeon core inspection tour)¡¯ arepletely not worthparing to each other. They were too different. There was below a single decimal point chance of winning.

    ¡°Oh, of course there will be handicaps. My dungeon¡¯s degree of difficulty is so high that no one has been able to conquer it in over one hundred years, it¡¯s an extrarge dungeon with several derived dungeons.¡±

    Of course, Haku-san had noticed that as well and added supplementing terms.

    ¡°¡­ Right, I will lend you 100,000 DP to prepare. I will create a derived dungeon like the new [Ordinary Cave], and will simrly prepare using 100,000 DP. I¡¯ll install a dummy core there, so it would be your win if you touch it¡­ So?¡±

    ¡°¡­ DP can be loaned out?¡±

    ¡°It can. Since it¡¯s not an exaggeration to call dungeon battles contests¡­ well, right, if you win, it¡¯s fine to not repay the 100,000 DP. In addition, I¡¯ll transfer another 100,000 DP as a prize.¡±

    It seemed to be quite the profitable condition.

    ¡°¡­ Then, what if Haku-san wins?¡±

    ¡°The loaned 100,000 DP will be returned, in full¡­ Ah, that doesn¡¯t mean anything unpleasant you know? You¡¯ll do it as an adventurer in my dungeon. I¡¯ll have you work until you earn back the 100,000 DP. You will swear to hand the responsibility of protecting No. 695-chan until your repayment ends. Isn¡¯t it normally impossible to have such favorable terms?¡±

    They were favorable conditions indeed.

    With the 100,000 DP I¡¯d gain, I could make the dungeon how I like and could fortify.

    However, I should remember.

    Although one Goblin costs 20 DP, just 2 DP is returned when it is killed inside of the dungeon, so that¡¯s the rate of return. In other words, if for instance 100,000 DP was earned by working on single type of monster, that would be fifty thousand Goblins, or ten of the lowest ranked 100,000 DP Dragons. I wonder just how much time that would take?

    ¡­ No, wait. That¡¯s not it. Would it even ¡®submit the DP¡¯ by killing monsters in the dungeon to begin with? Of course, by destroying valuable monsters, wouldn¡¯t the debt increase?

    If so, it was the same thing even if I just aimed for items without even killing a single monster. For items, Haku-san may not ept it since she ced it using her DP.

    At any rate, only dungeon cores and dungeon masters could truly earn DP.

    ¡°¡­ Earning 100,000 DP as an adventurer, well, that¡¯s hard.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t intend something like that. Then 100,000 DP worth of fruits of battle is fine.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I would PK as a monster? Don¡¯t veteran adventurers gather in [White Labyrinth]?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, there is also a derived dungeon for rookies you know?¡±

    Haku-san giggled and smiled like she was enjoying this.

    I really can¡¯t be negligent, this person¡­ is a dungeon core huh.

    ¡°I understand. Then what is expended on you in the derived dungeon of the [White Labyrinth] will be yours and converted to DP, that¡¯s fine. If that¡¯s it, how about it?¡±

    ¡°I agree if that¡¯s the case, but¡­ what merits are there for Haku-san?¡±

    For example, if he found a [Scroll of Healing (100,000 DP)] and used it on himself, it would be achieved.

    ¡°It¡¯s more or less an excuse to circte mana by using DP on adventurers, is my official stance. The best merit is¡­ while you are trying to be an adventurer, No. 695-chan will be protected under the agreement you know? ¡­ I¡¯ll guarantee her safety by filling up the entrance and not letting anyone in, and look after her in the Imperial Capital¡­ normally, that child wouldn¡¯t agree even if I said to.¡±

    I see. So if she can secure Rokuko¡¯s safety, that was enough of a merit.

    ¡°¡­ Go on and ept it! This is a practical test to see if you can really protect No. 695-chan.¡±

    Though, it doesn¡¯t look like I can veto it.

    *

    ¡°So, No. 695-chan, we¡¯ll be having a dungeon battle.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª what¡¯s a dungeon battle, No. 89 Ane-sama?¡±

    You didn¡¯t know!? Haku-san and I then exined it to Rokuko.

    ¡°Heeh, it sounds interesting.¡±

    ¡°Well, DP is going to be wagered for this contest. I¡¯ll lend the DP this time.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª you can hand over DP!?¡±

    You didn¡¯t know? I didn¡¯t learn until a little bit ago but there¡¯s a difference there, oi.

    Come to think of it, I wonder how the DP will be handed over¡­?

    ¡°Umm, it¡¯s not unreasonable that No. 695-chan doesn¡¯t know, there wasn¡¯t a reason for her to. The method to hand over DP is¡­ umm, ummm, k-kissing is needed you know? A kiss!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Chloe-san.¡±

    ¡°No, ording to my memory, a handshake is enough.¡±

    When I asked the butler about it, she answered properly.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s No. 695-chan¡¯s first time, and since 100,000 DP will be transferred, a kiss is needed so that it won¡¯t fail or leak. It¡¯s easy to fail on your first time, so the safest method should be better¡­?¡±

    Such a flimsy excuse again¡­

    ¡°Guh¡ª 100,000 DP!? I can¡¯t take that much!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a loan you know? Besides, it¡¯s to prepare for the dungeon battle. Since the game is about smashing DP against each other, wouldn¡¯t it be boring if we used No. 695-chan¡¯s dungeon¡¯s current state of no DP? This is a handicap from me.¡±

    ¡°U-uuu¡­¡±

    ¡°Since we¡¯ll return it if we¡¯re defeated, it¡¯s just a loan. Don¡¯t hesitate and just ept it. This way you¡¯ll be able to properly listen to Haku-san¡¯s way of doing things.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Uuu¡ª I understand. Then I won¡¯t hesitate, itadakimasu, No. 89 Ane-sama.¡±

    Oh,e to think of it, doesn¡¯t [Don¡¯t hesitate and just ept it] count as an order? I haven¡¯t really been considering my absolute order rights until now huh. Furthermore, it looks like she¡¯s even purposely anxious to follow the order.

    Ah, Haku-san did a thumbs up that Rokuko couldn¡¯t see. I wonder if that hand sign has the same meaning here?

    ¡°No. 89 Ane-sama, how should we exchange DP?¡±

    ¡°Close your eyes, open your mouth and stick out your tongue. Yes, good, good job. Leave the rest to me. Well than, itadakima¡ª¡­ I will transfer it.¡±

    ¡­ Just now, wasn¡¯t she about to say ¡®itadakimasu¡¯?

    Haku-san and Rokuko¡¯s tongue came into contact and glued together.

    Haku-san tenderly embraced Rokuko¡¯s trembling body with her left arm, firmly drawing her head closer with her right hand so they wouldn¡¯t separate. Is it because it¡¯s her first time? She kept her eyes shut just as Haku-san said. She avoided touching anything sensitive, but she trembled and even her ears had turned red.

    Though time seemed to move very slowly up till here, it seemed this was still the preparation phase.

    Haku-san held the back of Rokuko¡¯s head with both hands. Something in their mouths moved¡­ perhaps the DP was being poured?

    Though Rokuko was surprised and almost moved away, the moment Haku-san saw the light connecting their tongues, she was immediately held by both of Haku-san¡¯s arms.

    After that, it took around ten minuted for the DP to be handed over.

    When they finally separated, their saliva made a bridge between their tongues, snapping apart.

    ¡°¡­ Puha, hah, hah¡­¡±

    ¡°Fuu¡­¡±

    hlCoDOl

    The two people who separated their mouths had contrasting faces.

    While Rokuko was breathing roughly with closed eyes, Haku-san licked her lips in satisfaction.

    However, both of them had flushed cheeks from ecstasy.

    ¡°¡­ A little of it leaked, but I gave some extra as service.¡±

    ¡°Hah, hah, t-thanks, vewy, mush, No. 89 Nee-sama¡­ Hau.¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, did you first DP transfer surprise you? Good, since you were held so so long, you should take a rest.¡±

    Haku-san gave another thumbs-up that Rokuko couldn¡¯t see¡­ Apparently, it also meant ¡®good job¡¯ in this world.

    I confirmed how much DP Haku-san deposited into Rokuko¡¯s body.

    ¡­ 114,032 DP. It looks like the DP seeded after all.

    It should have been around 3500 when they started so¡­ oi, she gave the amount of DP we got from exterminating those bandits with great pains as a service? Just what is Haku-san doing for ie?

    ¡°Ah, right Kehma-san. If you don¡¯t make any preparations and [Lose, returning the 100000 DP as is]¡­ something like that is, of course, uneptable you know? I won¡¯t let you use the loaned DP to repay the loan.¡±

    ¡­ Oops, she hit the nail on the head.

    If she didn¡¯t say that it would have been nothing but profit.

 Chapter 30

    Major Renovations

    ¡°By the way, this is a service.¡±

    Saying that, Haku-san passed an [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons] to me.

    The author written on it was ¡®Haku Raviero¡¯. I get it now. Since a dungeon core was the one to write about dungeons, there probably wasn¡¯t a need for a primer after it.

    ¡°Humans should have lot of gaps in what they know, so pay attention. If I recall¡­ this is popr among other dungeon cores I think?¡±

    Haku-san indicated an entrybeled [Safety Zone] with her white finger.

    Quickly scanning over it, it read as [Monsters cannot enter, a safe ce to rest].

    ¡°This is what dungeons call [Production]. Preparing what looks like a magic tool, they tell their monsters to not enter the area. Doing that, humans would go ahead and think at their own convenience that they¡¯d entered a safety zone and let down their guard.¡±

    I see, that¡¯s pretty clever. You¡¯d even get DP from the adventurers while they waited in the safety zone. Above all, the [Safety Zone] really wasn¡¯t that at all. With no witnesses, if the adventurers werepletely off guard¡­ they could cover up all evidence. Of course, since adventurers didn¡¯t leave evidence that they¡¯d entered safety zones, people would think they just died in the dungeon normally.

    ¡­ Since information media is scarce in this world, a ¡®book from a big shot in the Imperial Capital¡¯ would be given a high level of confidence. Like mass media.

    ¡°Sooometimes, when a monster is arranged to enter the [Safety Zone], they would mor about with ¡®A variant species appeared!¡¯. I would just dye their fur a different color to keep it interesting you know? When I pretend to be a diviner and teach them their traits and they give me their thanks, it¡¯s hrious you know?¡±

    Wow, I know what that¡¯s called. It¡¯s called swindling.

    But definitely, ¡®something like that¡¯ is convenient. I can also see that it has plenty of uses. I gratefully epted the book.

    By the way, the contents felt more like a way to tell dungeons apart than a primer. Things like famous dungeon capture guides¡­ didn¡¯t really pop up.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ll be studying and preparing, how about we start in three days? Good luck, alright?¡±

    ¡°Is that enough time to return to the Imperial Capital?¡±

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t go out of my way to learn things from humans that are at best [Crops], since I¡¯m an adventurer¡­ I learned [Teleport]. Ah, the scroll of teleport is 50,000,000 DP you know? Though even if I used it, I don¡¯t use it casually since it uses a quite a bit of magical power. Since it¡¯s normally used by the mage division, I don¡¯t use it alone.¡±

    ¡°¡­ But you just said you¡¯d use space-time magic to connect the entrances for the Dungeon Battle.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a dungeon function in the [Menu] that does that. When I let schrs examine it they said it was some kind of space-time magic, but even though I understand it somewhat¡­ despite understanding if I look at it like connecting spaces, I don¡¯t really get it? Mysterious.¡±

    Looking at it from my side, isn¡¯t it a bitte to call space-time magic mysterious?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m looking forward to three days from now¡­ Follow my memory, fasten my path to the far-off distance. Dash through the sky, dash through time. That ce is this ce, over there is right here. Intersect, ovep, connect together¡ª[Teleport].¡±

    When Haku-san recited the aria, both she and Chloe-san floated upwards¡­ and in an instant, disappeared in an intense light.

    *

    Rokuko, who had grown slightly giddy from Haku-san¡¯s appearance, came back here after a moment. Sobering up, she looked at the DP and was astonished when she saw the 110,000 DP.

    ¡°So, is there a chance to win?¡±

    ¡°There is. There are some rules¡­ but for the most part, they are beneficial to us.¡±

    When I said that, she stared in puzzlement.

    ¡°Really? Are you talking about using the 10000 DP from the service?¡±

    ¡°¡­ There were no rules against using resources we already had, so¡­ to give an extreme example, the rules have no problem even if we put a Dragon in the dungeon, so long as [it doesn¡¯t use DP]. Though I won¡¯t go that far, giving monsters magic weapons wouldn¡¯t be odd.¡±

    Putting her hands up, Rokuko sighed.

    ¡°Haaah. Kehma, leave it to you to make a loophole like that¡­ what should I call you, sly?¡±

    ¡°Your beloved Onee-sama was the one to make the rule. It was amazing.¡±

    ¡°As expected of No. 89 Ane-sama!¡±

    ¡°Seriously. She¡¯s a considerably amazing person alright. In a good way.¡± [1]

    Though I probably wouldn¡¯t poke through loopholes in the rules if my opponent were Rokuko, I won¡¯t go easy on others. If my opponent was essentially me¡­ yep, I wouldn¡¯t go all out¡­ ah, I want to sleep. I want to give everything up and sleep already. It¡¯d be hard to sleep after losing though. The [Futon] is already unpleasant enough.

    ¡°So, Rokuko, Meat. Your job.¡±

    The first thing I took out by using some of the 110,000 DP.

    ¡­ Was a shovel and pickaxe.

    *

    First of all was expansion. Dig the hole. Dig is with a bang. I can get golem materials as well as being economical by excavating from the dungeon.

    I steadily added golems to the materials gathering operation. I had Rokuko and Meat on site to give the detailed instructions while I produced the golems¡­ My natural recovery couldn¡¯t keep up, so I drank a [Mana Potion (150 DP)]. Yep, bitter. It gets absorbed into my body when I drink it, and keeps working without filling my stomach no matter how much I drink. Preferably, I want a barrel. A mana potion¡­ barrel.

    ¡­ Oh, mana potions appeared in the drink(barrel) selection. Seriously, that 1000 DP price is obviously economical. I wonder if those containers were expensive? They were crystal ss-like containers after all.

    Then, I used [Additional Floor (5,000 DP)], adding two floors above and below for now.

    The mountain cave can extend both up and down so that¡¯s a benefit. It¡¯s assumed that dungeons don¡¯t go both up and down as you go inside. With that sort of feeling, I directed the two.

    More and more digging! Stone, dirt, everything is good, since it¡¯s the gathering of golem materials!

    ¡°Well, we dug the first underground floor¡­ hey, do we reaaally need to dig? It¡¯s troublesome so¡­ can¡¯t we just use DP to do it in one go?¡±

    ¡°No good. I want more golem materials, even if it¡¯s just a bit.¡±

    I intend for the first underground floor to be the second floor of thebyrinth. There will be fairly convoluted passages.

    By the way, it takes more than 10,000 DP when done by DP, but just around a rough estimate of 5,000 DP if we handle excavating the passages ourselves. Furthermore, I also get a lot of golem materials, too.

    ¡°I have no choice but to have Rokuko, who can use the map like me, dig and give finemands¡­ I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    ¡°Ugu¡ª¡­ g-got it¡­¡±

    Ah, I¡¯d forgotten about it, but was that just now part of the absolutemand?

    ¡°Rokuko¡­ Though I have order rights, it¡¯s only valid when I say ¡®it¡¯s an order¡¯. Otherwise, act on your own judgement¡­ Well, I¡¯m nning on annulling the absolutemand rights when this Dungeon Battle is over anyways.¡±

    I¡¯m using my order rights this time to make sure there¡¯s no errors in the detailed instructions. I¡¯ll annul them after the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°Fueh? ¡­ Ah, un¡­ Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Partners are of one body and mind. I want us to be equals as much as possible.¡±

    ¡°Partner¡­ U-un, right! Dungeon core and their master are of one body and mind after all!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll leave it to you then¡­ That¡¯s not an order, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, I¡¯ll to my best!¡±

    Rokuko smiled pleasantly, once again heading off to give the golems orders for the excavation.

    ¡­ Well, Meat is¡­ digging several pitfall traps near the entrance.

    Furthermore, I¡¯ll be installing a [Dummy Core (5000 DP)] in one of the passages that are being excavated.

    Pitfalls and dead-ends, the ssics. Well, I¡¯m just cing a dummy core there.

    The dummy core has a castling function, it could be used to swap it and the real dungeon core¡¯s positions. In other words, the dungeon core can take refuge only if there¡¯s a dummy core ced.

    Though Haku-san won¡¯t use the castling function due to the rules for losing being touching the dummy core, I will use it here. I¡¯ll hide what I can hide.

    ¡­ The number of dummy cores that haven¡¯t been found are like the dungeon¡¯s remaining HP.

    ¡°The pitfalls¡­ are all dug. Floorboards, ced tightly.¡±

    ¡°Alright, good depth. Add spikes when you¡¯re done¡­ take care to not fall in okay? Make sure to put the covers over the pits.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    By the way, the pitfalls¡¯ covers were re~ally thin floorboard golems.

    Golems are great for things even outside of the workforce, like building materials. Making a golem into a floorboard was the most troublesome so far though. Saving DP is important.

    Ah, for the wall golems installed into thebyrinth, they sometimes move quietly and change the route. Amusing things like that. Like a mysteriousbyrinth. I¡¯ll get in contact with Rokuko in a bit.

    Now for thebyrinth riddle area.

    There, I ced a [Switch-Style Sturdy Door (1000 DP)]. The switch was hidden by a decoration golem, which would open the door if the riddle is solved.

    By the way, if it was closed and couldn¡¯t be opened at all it would be a breach of etiquette¡­ meaning if it couldn¡¯t be opened, its strength would fall to that of an average door¡¯s and would turn into a breakable object. I don¡¯t really get why it wouldn¡¯t work anymore and lose its strength from the dungeon if it couldn¡¯t be opened. However, looking at it the other direction, the strength from the dungeon turns it into an incredibly sturdy door.

    The switch is it¡¯s ¡®opened easily¡¯. It¡¯s fine even if the solution to the riddle is something ¡®anyone can do¡¯.

    Though I say that, I just mean that it¡¯s a door.

    Hidden by the golem, the door itself is ¡®opened if the switch is pressed¡¯, a very simple riddle solution with ridiculously high strengthpared to its DP consumption.

    The weakness of it is that the golem could be destroyed, but¡­ wouldn¡¯t you think that ¡®it won¡¯t open if the solution isn¡¯t solved¡¯ when you saw something like it? I hope so.

    ¡­ Honestly, it looks like it won¡¯t be solved with a nce, because it¡¯s just¡­ well, the pitfall traps in the room will open with a wrong answer with the golems, so it¡¯ll be interesting.

    Now then, there are still a lot of traps I haven¡¯t started on yet.

    I¡¯ll be sure to mix in plenty of handmade traps with premade DP traps. No premade traps at all if possible, I want to alter them all in some way. If I can think of something.

    ¡­ ¡­ Ah, my time for sleeping is getting reduced.

    I¡¯d like to sleep like a log after all this¡­

    Footnotes:

    He uses ¡®™¤¤¡¯ (often read as ¡®Warui¡¯ -> Bad, hateful, unfortunate, etc) ironically, kind of like how ¡®Sugoi¡¯ can be both amazing and/or dreadful depending on context. Return

 Chapter 31

    Dungeon Battle, Onset of War

    With that, three days after we decided to have a dungeon battle, came the day for war.

    ¡°¡­ W-we somehow made it in time¡­¡±

    ¡°No, we weren¡¯t able to actually do it, but¡­ we used so much DP in one go¡­¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t put together our war strength huh¡­¡±

    We stocked up on a lot of stuff. Not just defense, but also for offense.

    At any rate, my aim¡¯s set on the opponent¡¯s dungeon core¡­ well, I made sure to use the DP properly. I was being economical but still spent somewhere around 80,000. However, they were necessary expenses.

    I already miss the times when I was troubled over 100 DP and 200 DP things¡­

    ¡°I mean, Kehma¡­ that pillow, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Eh? This? It¡¯s the [Heavenly Pillow (10,000 DP)], what about it?¡±

    10,000 DP of the 80,000 DP was used on this.

    No, this wasn¡¯t a waste you know? Isn¡¯t it essential to take an efficient rest to work optimally? Therefore, this [Heavenly Pillow] was a necessary expense.

    ¡°¡­ What do I get? We still have DP left over right?¡±

    ¡°For now, although the left over DP is to deal with what happens¡­ how about summoning 10,000 DP worth of goblins?¡±

    ¡°Why goblins!? I don¡¯t like them that much you know!¡±

    ¡°Then after the battle¡¯s over, Rokuko can use 10,000 DP however she wants. Be it gachapon, goblins, or dragons, or goblins¡­ or goblins.¡±

    At any rate, through the major renovations, we serviced the majority of the cave that was bare rock and ground. It already couldn¡¯t be called an [Ordinary Cave] anymore, it was an imposing dungeon. I should think of a new name¡­ eh, I won¡¯t do it so soon now that I feel like it.

    ¡°Meat also did a good job.¡±

    ¡°¡­. Hahi¡­¡±

    I patted thepletely exhausted her. Though she seemed tired, her doggy tail was wagging back and forth.

    It seems like we could make it. I can¡¯t remember just how many golems I made in these past three days¡­ I even made golems that weren¡¯t hybrids. Yep. Rokuko even said something impolite like, ¡®Eh¡ª you¡¯re making normal ones too?¡¯ Well, that¡¯s because ordinary golems were golems that became ourbor force. They were mixes of stone and y though. Dividing it up would have been troublesome so I just used it without bothering. It looked like a y golem though I guess?

    *

    ¡°How were the preparations? Chloe.¡±

    ¡°Everything went smoothly.¡±

    The imperial capital¡¯s [White Labyrinth]¡¯s derivation dungeon, [White Trial]. The dungeon suddenly appeared slightly away from the outskirts of the Imperial Capital. Of course, this is Dungeon Core No. 89¡¯s¡­ Haku¡¯s dungeon arranged for this time¡¯s dungeon battle. Of course, it was named by Haku herself. She decided to register it using that name at the adventurer guild once the dungeon battle finished.

    This dungeon made with more than 50,000 DP had five floors in all. Minotaurs wandered, spears popped out from the floors and walls, and arrow traps were nted all over. Furthermore, lizardmen would patrol around.

    And, amongst the monsters, here and there were a few armed with magic weapons around 10,000 DP each¡­ right, several.

    ¡°Incidentally, Chloe. It feels as though my weapon stockpile has diminished?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps they were withdrawn by the 17th Knight Division the other day? We should punish them severely.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it can¡¯t be helped then. Though I feel like I remembered something like a Minotaur axe, it surely should be something else.¡±

    ¡°Axes are often like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh my, it seems that Lizardmen came in.¡±

    ¡°This area was originally a Lizardmen rookery.¡±

    ¡°But didn¡¯t those primitives have nothing to do with us when we came here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do about it since they came in on their own.¡±

    ¡­ Obviously, she was concealing that the 50,000 DP didn¡¯t cover everything.

    Of course since she didn¡¯t use DP for them, there was no problem with the rules. As for the 17th Knight Division that had their crimes increased¡­ let¡¯s pray for their happiness in the next world.

    Even though it was newly made, this [White Labyrinth] would be hard for new adventurers to return alive from. Even C-Rank adventurer parties, known as middle ss ones, would find it difficult to clear.

    Even B-Ranks would have to call it difficult due to the mass of monsters eagerly awaiting the start of the battle at the entrance.

    For their offense, she had prepared fifteen minotaurs (3,000 DP), fifty lizardmen (200 DP), and one hundred goblins (20 DP).

    Haku deliberately chose them, they were DP-efficient monsters.

    She at least had a minimal conscience. None of their offense were equipped with magic weapons.

    ¡°So then, how about we begin soon? Chloe, give the signal.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as Ojou-samamands.¡±

    Opening the menu, she signaled the [Ordinary Cave].

    She was used to doing heavy expenditures like this.

    ¡°No. 695-chan, can you hear me?¡±

    [Ane-sama! Yes, I can hear you! Please treat me well today¡ª]

    A cute voice was transmitted through the menu. A smile peeked through onto Haku¡¯s face.

    To this child¡­ she would be attacking relentlessly after this¡­ it was hard.

    However, she would take care to not overdo it and be hated. Haku was thinking about that.

    ¡°Fufu, I wonder if your preparations areplete?¡±

    [Any time is fine!]

    ¡°Then¡­ we¡¯reing. Dungeon battle, start!¡±

    Haku¡¯s words signaled for the curtain of the battle to rise.

    *

    A Gate appeared at the dungeon entrance when it began.

    Golems prepared by the [Ordinary Cave] crowded at the opponent¡¯s gate, which was plenty wide enough for even a group of knights to pass through.

    ¡°I see, golems¡­ he chose high-efficiency monsters for the vanguard, then. It certainly is cheap to prepare quite the number of y golems.¡±

    Golems had the characteristic of being able to move as much as they need inside of dungeons, which were filled with mana, so their maintenance costs were excellent. However, their reaction time for attacking and defensing was slow and they weren¡¯t fast at all.

    ¡°Have the Lizardmen attack.¡±

    ¡°Lizardmen, charge!¡±

    Both armies rushed the gates. Haku, who had judged that the golems would just smash the goblins she had summoned, had the lizardmen lead the assault. The goblins¡¯ turn woulde after the dungeon capture started as scouts. It wasn¡¯t time to meet a loss.

    Leaping through the gate, the Lizardmen shed the golems. Though some were crushed underfoot against the ground, due to their superior speed, the majority were able to turn it into a one-sided battle¡­ meanwhile, the [White Trial] was being invaded.

    ¡°The enemy has invaded!¡±

    The Lamia reported enemy forces on the map. This person was also one of Haku¡¯s retainers. This day, five of Haku¡¯s retainers were in the Core Room, Chloe included. The living armor was in charge of giving directions to the lizardmen¡¯s assault just a moment before.

    Though their introductions were dyed, the [White Trial]¡¯s lineup for the dungeon battle was as follows.

    Amelia themia, in charge of defense.

    Dolche the wraith, in charge of reporting damages.

    Sally the living armor, in charge of offensivebat force.

    Misha the war cat, in charge of offensive scout force.

    Then Chloe the subus, general assistant to Haku.

    Haku would make overall judgement calls and supervise.

    ¡°Number of intruders¡­ approximately two hundred!?¡±

    Her retainers shuddered from Dolche¡¯s report.

    ¡°You¡¯re kidding right!? There¡¯s no way there¡¯s that many! You can even see there isn¡¯t that many¡­¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that! The enemies, they aren¡¯t golems! ¡­ They are rats!¡±

    ¡°Rats!?¡±

    Surprised, Haku reflexively raised her voice.

    Apparently, the invading golems were burdened with boxes filled with rats. Of course, there was a hostile reaction to each of them, so they were specially summoned and put under control. Unquestionably, the rats were enemies. If even one reached the dungeon core¡­. the dummy core for the [White Trial]¡¯s side, it would be defeat.

    The [Ordinary Cave]¡¯s golems opened the boxes that burdened them, allowing the rats to overflow out.

    ¡°Quickly, exterminate them!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no use, the minotaurs can¡¯t deal with them since they¡¯re so small!¡±

    ¡°Send half of the goblins to exterminate the rats! It¡¯ll be bad if we leave this alone!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve broken through the first floor! The enemy is invading the second floor¡­ e-enemy total¡­ around five hundred!¡±

    ¡°The traps!?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re no good, they¡¯re too small and aren¡¯t getting hit! The amount being hit by the arrows is like shooting fireballs at ake!¡±

    ¡°Direct the Lizardmen in the dungeon! Exterminate the rats! Exterminate the raaats!¡±

    Her retainers rapidly became hurried.

    Haku, on the other hand, regained herposure.

    ¡°I think¡­ the rats are used to scout.¡±

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s just a matter of time until they¡¯ll finish. Excuse me, they¡¯ve arrived at the straight leading to the first floor¡¯s staircase.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Chloe. This was honestly unexpected, I wonder what¡¯s next? This is the first time it¡¯s been this hard¡­ ah, Amelia, install some me traps in the third floor¡¯s passages, they should gain us some time.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thank you!¡±

    If the floor was different from the one the invaders were on, traps could be set up. The trap was a bit expensive, but it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    But it calmed Haku.

    Though rats were certainly excellent as scouts, they couldn¡¯t clear.

    Since the boss room was set up in front of the core room, the core room couldn¡¯t be reached without defeating the red minotaur, which was the boss.

    ¡°The golems seem to have been settled with. Our invasion can continue.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The faster we get to their core, the sooner I can see No. 695-chan¡­¡±

    *

    ¡°Oooh, niiice.¡±

    Watching them steadily move through the constructions before me on the map, I muttered while moved.

    ¡°Hey, they¡¯re filling the map with an amazing force¡­ but why are their troops going so far that way? Is there some advantage for No. 89 Ane-sama?¡±

    ¡°You could say that. Though I don¡¯t think a win is possible with this.¡±

    As expected, the enemy dungeon¡¯s map won¡¯t appear in the dungeon battle.

    That was natural, since making a maze would have no point if they could see the map of the ce from the start. If they knew where the dungeon core was, it would¡¯ve been boring.

    Though on the defending side, the map was disyed as usual with the enemies indicated to see how the invasion was going.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, the advance party golem corps, all fifty. Annihted.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right on schedule.¡±

    By the way, that group of golems were almost entirely y golems created with [Create Golem]. Summoned golems were ced at the vanguard, a gift of being economical. It could also be called using scraps. Very economical. Above all, being cheap with DP was good. Though I used magic stones so they wouldn¡¯t suspect anything, it was still a tenth of the normal cost.

    Moreover, their broken bodies could be recycled by collecting them if they were in the dungeon. Likewise, their magic stones weren¡¯t destroyed.

    ¡°So then, next is the pitfall traps that Meat dug. I wonder what¡¯ll happen?¡±

    I gently brushed Meat¡¯s head, watching the battle progress.

 Chapter 32

    Dungeon Battle, A Fierce Fight

    ¡°There are suddenly pitfalls at the entrance!?¡±

    ¡°Send the Goblins ahead! Find the pitfalls!¡±

    On [White Trial]¡¯s side, Haku¡¯s retainer in charge of their offense was busily coping with the traps.

    The pitfall traps tripped them up. A lot of them were immediately caught by them.

    Though the corpses would normally plug up the holes if this weren¡¯t a dungeon, this was a Dungeon Battle so their bodies were immediately absorbed.

    However, if they could figure out where the pitfall traps were, they just needed to avoid them to advance.

    ¡°Alright, pitfall traps found, resume the invasion!¡±

    ¡°¡ª! Wait, a Minotaur fell! ¡­ Gu¡ª, skewered, instant death!¡±

    ¡°What!? The Goblins definitely went past that ce just a second ago¡­!¡±

    However, the pitfall traps in the [Ordinary Dungeon] were only reacting to the Minotaurs and Lizardmen, not the Goblins.

    ¡°The pitfall traps choose their target¡­!? Something like that should definitely use a lot of DP¡­ I wonder if the contest was decided from the start.¡±

    ¡°Aah! Another Minotaur! Eleven remaining! Thirty Lizardmen remaining as well! Do your scouting job right, Misha!¡±

    ¡°The Goblins went by there just a little while ago!¡±

    Another Minotaur fell, reducing their numbers.

    In a different location, two Goblins fell into a pitfall as their footing copsed beneath them.

    Haku didn¡¯t fail to notice the moment their footing copsed and fell.

    ¡°¡­ I understand it now. The reason the Goblins don¡¯t fall¡­ I¡¯m sure of it, it distinguishes them by weight.¡±

    ¡°I see, with just that much of a rough condition, the DP consumption would be reduced and a number could be prepared¡­¡±

    ¡°The pitfall traps are definitely hollows under the floor. Though it would take time, you can advance by striking the ground and checking the sound.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Goblins, forward!¡±

    *

    ¡°Crap, that was a blunder. Goblins don¡¯t activate the pitfalls¡­ the flooring isn¡¯t equally thick since I made it with ack of sleep¡­ yeeep, that¡¯s a miss. Guess it wasn¡¯t thin enough?¡±

    ¡°Ah, look Kehma. Check it out, a Minotaur fell down you know!¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Oi Meat, your pitfalls are going great.¡±

    ¡°A-above all, happy I could help.¡±

    [Ordinary Cave] was seeing some unexpected results.

    *

    ¡°We have broken through the first floor of the enemy dungeon! ¡­ On the way, we sustained many injuries from surprise attacks. We have few Goblins left.¡±

    ¡°That swords would appear out of the wooden door when opened to skewer them¡­ brilliant.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, I would like to use that next time¡­ What is the situation for defense?¡±

    ¡°Enemy forces, arriving on the third floor! ¡­ The fire traps, able to contain a portion of the rats!¡±

    The me trap was a trap that literally spat fire.

    These ones spat fire at fixed timings. Since they couldn¡¯t constantly spout fire or they would malfunction, they couldn¡¯t stop all of them.

    ¡°¡­ The opponents are rats, so the valuable Lizardmen aren¡¯t that useful. What about our offense?¡±

    ¡°Our opponent¡¯s second floor is¡­ it¡¯s abyrinth!¡±

    ¡°Hmph. Challenging the [White Labyrinth] with abyrinth? Divide our units to explore.¡±

    Labyrinths weren¡¯t as effective in dungeon battles as they were against adventurers.

    They could map it out and givemands from a control area.

    ¡°Muu, it looks like golems are wandering around. A set of five¡­ b-bows!? The golems are divided between vanguard and rearguard, with the rear guard covering them with bows! The Goblins won¡¯t stand a chance!¡±

    ¡°Tch, are the likes of golems imitating adventurers? No choice then. We can only respond with Lizardmen¡­ have the Goblins act as sentries, send the Lizardmen and Minotaurs forward in order!¡±

    ¡°Uwaaah!? The enemies¡¯ weapons are too strong! The lizardmens¡¯ swords were cut!? T-these golems¡­ all three of the vanguard are equipped with magic swords!¡±

    ¡°What did you say? ¡­ Golems with magic swords!?¡±

    Even though golems were DP-efficient, they weren¡¯t strong enough to equip with magic swords.

    Since magic swords used up quite a bit of DP, they were valuable and strong, so it was better to give to monsters that moved well.

    ¡°Rather, there¡¯s only been golems so far. Does he like golems that much?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Maybe he has some sort of emotional attachment to them? However, that¡¯s fatal. Merge our forces, pincer them with Minotaurs!¡±

    ¡°Yes! ¡­ H-huh!? P-please wait a moment, the map is being weird, this, why is there a wall there!?¡±

    ¡°¡­!?¡±

    Theypared the map view to the monster¡¯s field of view, but there wasn¡¯t a path.

    While they were puzzled by the change, the force that had started merging finished.

    ¡°No way, a [Transforming Labyrinth]¡­! It¡¯s a lie, there¡¯s no way it could be done with 100,000 DP on this scale!?¡±

    ¡°The important points, I wonder if you don¡¯t designate them¡­. If that¡¯s the case, 50¡­ no, 40,000 DP could do it. But probably, there won¡¯t be anyrge-scale traps after this.¡±

    Haku was impressed by his operation procedures.

    It was extremely efficient as it used a small amount of DP. It was really good. Though it was temporary, the dungeon battle required them to use the same amount of DP. What decided victory or defeat was how it was used.

    Using a small amount of DP to shave away a lot of DP from the opponent, that was how the fight went.

    Then, could Kehma only win when fighting with the same amount of DP¡­? No, she could definitely feel Kehma¡¯s skill.

    ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s too bad that this battle only used 100,000 DP.¡±

    Right, if this wasn¡¯t 100,000 DP, but 1,000,000 DP, the difference in fundamental fighting strength could have been ovee. However, it was 100,000. Looking at it from Haku¡¯s point of view, this could only be a short-term battle no matter how she tried to look at it.

    *

    The vanguard golems were equipped with mass production-type de golems. Only the de part of it was iron with the rest being stone, inly economizing.

    Doing that, a few de golems could be made from a single iron ingot. The stone was free since they dug the materials themselves.

    I also made the bow and arrows. The arrows used scrap material. How they were made¡­ if I had to say,bor and mana potion (barrels).

    Furthermore, though by all rights the weapon golems should have been indicated on the map, they weren¡¯t. This was due to the map not more than necessary, so they appeared as golem + equipment. Convenient.

    So, despite looking at the map, the wall golems could move whilepletely in the enemy¡¯s blind spot.

    ¡°Alright, the wall golems could move, Huge Sess!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ the thing Meat hit the other day and destroyed, right? It could move? There¡¯s no feet though.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a new model. There are tires under it so it can move around.¡±

    Additionally, the cost of this self-propelled wall golem was exactly 0 DP. Handmade and made from scraps. They didn¡¯t even need magic stones since they were only meant to be used inside the dungeon.

    The key word here is ¡®economical¡¯.

    *

    Completing thebyrinth, the rats went towards the fourth floor in the [White Trial]. There were still more than 150 rats remaining. Once they received instructions, they cleverly avoided the me traps. Still, their numbers were decreased by the Lizardmen on defense in the stair room.

    ¡°No way, we need to ascend again after going down, that¡¯s¡­ though I thought thebyrinth was on the third floor, it was two floors together.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not an adventurer, it might be good to have him work as an adviser for our dungeon¡­.¡±

    Then, they climbed up the staircase out of thebyrinth, but it kept going¡­ Two floors. At first, she assumed it was the entrance to the first floor¡­ but what was this, the zero-th floor? Or maybe it was the negative first floor?

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what to call it.¡±

    ¡°Using something like that¡¯s just underhanded¡­ it¡¯s now called the first upper floor!¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly, it¡¯s the first upper floor¡­. there¡¯s a door!¡±

    Borrowing the monster¡¯s field of vision, the door seemed to be very sturdy.

    And there was an exaggerated sign next to it.

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s written on it?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ it seems to be a riddle. I¡¯ll read it aloud. [The answer is easy. Don¡¯t overthink this. The way to answer is to divide one silver coin between three people.]¡±

    ¡°To divide one silver coin between three people¡­? ¡­ Umm, since there is one hundred copper coins in a silver coin, umm¡­¡±

    ¡°I got it. First off, one silver is one hundred copper. Then, to divide it three ways, the person who divided the amount keeps the excess as the fee.¡±

    A problem of this level was no problem for Haku, a dungeon core that had a lot of experience.

    ¡°As expected of Ojou-sama!¡±

    ¡°With her, there¡¯s certainly no need to be frustrated.¡±

    ¡°A perfect answer.¡±

    ¡°I meane on, give up! There¡¯s no way Dungeon Core No. 89-sama wouldn¡¯t know a riddle like this!¡±

    [Wrong. Pleasee again.]

    ¡°¡±¡±¡± Eh¡ª!? ¡°¡±¡±¡±

    An awkward atmosphere settled in the [White Trial]¡¯s Core Room.

    Without them doing anything else, the room¡¯s entire floor turned into a pitfall trap¡­ where was its destination? The entrance floor.

    ¡°Why? My answer should have been perfect¡­!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s settle down for a moment okay!? Hey, all of us haven¡¯t answered yet! Ah, the damage report!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, eh¡ª, a-a Minotaur¡¯s ankle was sprained, impossible to return to battle¡­ two died instantly from the fall¡­ for the Lizardmen, three are safe. The goblins¡­ umm, not good! None left! Our remaining troops, 6 Minotaurs, 12 Lizardmen, and divided into three groups, 8 Goblins.¡±

    Haku pressed her hands against her temples while wringing out her directions.

    ¡°Have the surviving Lizardmen evacuate with the Minotaur that sprained its ankle¡­ ku¡ª, to fail a riddle that I was confident of¡­ disgraceful¡­! Stuff the Minotaur that sprained its ankle as decoration, to remember this disgrace¡­¡±

    ¡°O-Ojou-sama, let¡¯s do this once again with just Goblins! We can go in with the rest of our forces when we answer correctly!¡±

    ¡°¡­. S-such disgraceful conduct¡­ No. 695-chan is watching too you know!?¡±

    ¡°Endure it, this is a serious matter¡­¡±

    ¡°Th-the fourth floor has been broken through! The rats¡¯ movements have improved, they can¡¯t catch them!¡±

    ¡°Ojou-sama¡­!¡±

    Chloe implied that this wasn¡¯t the time for worrying about that.

    Haku was excellent, so she made the decision.

    ¡°Understood¡­ assemble, ass-em-ble! There! Send the Goblins!¡±

    *

    [You distribute it ording to their contribution level of obtaining it!] [Wrong.] [The leftovers are turned intomunity property of the party, the remainder is divided up.] [Wrong.] [¡­ The silver coin is divided into three, giving each person a part!] [Wrong.] [Give it to an impartial third party to distribute it!] [Wrong.]

    Oh oh, that fall was magnificent.

    As expected, after the second time around they sent a single Goblin at a time to be sacrificed¡­ There wasn¡¯t much weight to it if they didn¡¯t answer correctly, in other words, it was amusing.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, this riddle¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, Rokuko. You were able to answer it right in three seconds. You¡¯re amazing, seriously, good job. You didn¡¯t even need to hear the end of it.¡±

    ¡°B-because it says the answer! But, no way Ane-sama would¡­¡±

    ¡°Smart people won¡¯t break out of the loop. Your Nee-chan is worthy of being called smart, I think her constantlying up with answers is also pretty amazing.¡±

    While giving her a sidelong nce, several of the rats, which had decreased in amount, were able to steadily invade deeper into the enemy¡¯s dungeon after bing easier to control.

    ¡­ Maybe I won¡¯t even have to use my hidden gem?

    *

    [¡ªWrong.] ¡°Go fu¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ojou-samaaaa!¡±

    Haku had been thoroughly tricked.

    Even if she thought and thought, it was wrong, wrong, wrong¡­!

    ¡°Ku¡ª, how terrifying¡­ turning this dungeon battle into a mental attack¡­¡±

    ¡°Umm, Ojou-sama¡­ I wonder, is this really a [Gate of Wisdom]¡­?¡±

    Gates of Wisdom. They were special traps that would test the wisdom of people who came to the dungeon.

    It was a very strong door, but once the riddle was solved, anyone could pass.

    Haku had also used them to challenge people with riddles.

    ¡°¡­ Eh, i-is there a basis to think that? Chloe.¡±

    ¡°Yes. First of all, it is impossible to exceed Ojou-sama¡¯s wisdom. Then¡­ considering the amount of DP consumption this far, would there really be enough DP to install a [Gate of Wisdom]?¡±

    ¡°¡­!!¡±

    Certainly, earlier, Haku herself had said it. ¡®There won¡¯t be anyrge-scale traps after this.¡¯

    Even the worst [Gate of Wisdom] costed 30,000 DP. Though it became stronger with a more simple question, it became fragile with difficult questions, and required more DP.

    That much was arge amount for a contest of 100,000 DP.

    ¡°Then¡­ this is¡­¡±

    ¡°There is a possibility it is an ordinary, destructible door¡­ possibly, the pitfall activates when an answer is spoken in front of the door.¡±

    Then it was an extremely foul trap. No matter how you answered, even if it was the correct solution to the riddle, it didn¡¯t matter at all. At the point they decided to stop, they were already caught in the trap.

    T-terrifying¡­ Kehma, what is going on inside that man¡¯s head¡­!?

    ¡°T-this an advanced and cowardly trap!! Isn¡¯t this just unfair!?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, if we didn¡¯t realize it, how many times would we have¡­¡±

    ¡°Uu, but I¡¯m in the wrong for being tricked. I¡¯ll properly acknowledge my defeat here. Fufu, however, Chloe saw through it well. As expected of my right-hand person, you supported me splendidly even though I had fallen into tunnel vision.¡±

    ¡°I am humbly delighted to receive your praise.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    Then, the pink-haired War Cat girl, Misha, raised her hand.

    Of her five retainers, she was the one with the lowest prospects ofpleting riddles.

    Simply put, an idiot.

    ¡°What is it, Misha? I¡¯ve already decided to destroy the door with brute strength, will you hinder me?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing like that! It¡¯s just, that, the answer is¡­ isn¡¯t it [Easy]? It said it¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Easy? W-what are you saying? Misha. Ah, right, it¡¯s certainly easy, in and simple. This trap has no answer!¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s not it, umm, it¡¯s just, didn¡¯t it start by saying [The answer is easy]!?¡±

    The air solidified.

    ¡°N¡ª¡­ no way¡­ no, something like¡­ that¡­ hahaha¡­¡±

    ¡°N-no way Misha, s¡ªomething¡­ that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°A¡ªhahaha, what are you trying to say, Misha-san¡­¡±

    Their voices were strained.

    The other retainers also thought¡­ that might have been it.

    Then, so did Haku. And Chloe.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Chloe. For now, just try it out once¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yes¡­¡±

    If this was the correct answer¡­ her mind would break, and, resolving herself, Haku gave the final answer personally.

    [Correct]

    ¡ªShe broke.

 Chapter 33

    Dungeon Battle, Conclusion

    Slowly, the [Gate of Wisdom] opened.

    As for Haku, she managed to assemble her broken mind, and tried to look at the other side¡­

    ¡­ but couldn¡¯t.

    Because, there was a y wall on the other side of the door.

    ¡­ Under it was a polite [Under Construction] poster.

    Her broken mind exploded.

    *

    ¡°¡­ Oh, she got it right.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with the dead end?¡±

    ¡°Well, there really wasn¡¯t enough time¡­ I-I didn¡¯t sleep y¡¯know? Definitely didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡®Ah, so he slept¡¯, Rokuko was convinced.

    ¡°To be blunt, Rokuko was able to figure it out in three seconds¡ª¡­ is what I thought, so I didn¡¯t finish making it.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because I thought it would be surprising¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely surprising you know. Coming up to a dead end in abyrinth¡­ hey, after this, where should they go?¡±

    ¡°Since I hid three Dummy Cores in thebyrinth in addition to the pitfalls¡­ they went past it.¡±

    Two were in [Small Projecting Rooms] along the outside thebyrinth that was carefully constructed to be rectangr. The other one was hidden in the ceiling.

    However, Haku-san¡¯s group hadn¡¯t found them since they were currently covered up by wall golems.

    Then again, since the dungeon would malfunction if the real dungeon core was confined by walls, I nned to shift just the wall golems away when if we use castling.

    Still, it looks like it doesn¡¯t count as being confined when it¡¯s shut up behind it door. Though I don¡¯t really get why that is, it meant that closing it off by wall golems was no good. I don¡¯t get it.

    *

    ¡°¡±¡±¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡±¡±¡±

    Everyone in the [White Trial] has be silent.

    However, each of them looked slightly different.

    First, Haku.

    Her smile had solidified.

    Misha, who was the only one to answer the riddle correctly, had her face turn blue, ¡®Crap, I said too much¡­¡¯

    Then there was the other four retainers, which included Chloe. With the indescribable smile on Haku¡¯s face, they didn¡¯t say anything.

    ¡°¡­ ¡ªThe enemy, dungeon boss room broken through! C-Core room discovered!¡±

    Amelia¡¯s sudden report pushed away the hardened atmosphere.

    ¡°Eh, hold up! What about the red minotaur boss!? You can¡¯t get into the core room without defeating the boss you know!?¡±

    ¡°Th¡ª¡­. they filled its throat, it died!¡¯

    She shivered.

    Imagining that horrible way to die¡ªnot that it wasn¡¯t perfect¡ªthe rats, mere rats¡­ the fact they defeated a boss monster.

    ¡°Ah¡ªahahaha, t-that¡¯s so funny! How are rats as brutal as that!?¡±

    ¡°Please settle down, Dolche¡­ Ojou-sama.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t lost yet¡­. Keep searching with our offensive forces, we must have overlooked something. Chloe, use my spear to defend the core.¡±

    ¡°As youmand, even if it costs this life of mine¡­!¡±

    As for whether that much was exaggerated for rats, no one could say.

    They were shown the unthinkable and crushing defeat of a red minotaur by its throat being blocked. With Chloe¡¯s very petite build, she probably wouldn¡¯t be able to take more than a single rat.

    ¡°The enemy, still has¡­ one hundred¡­ good luck.¡±

    ¡°I still have to serve Ojou-sama, I can¡¯t die just yet¡­ I¡¯m off!¡±

    So, spear in hand, Chloe jumped out of the core. The rat swarm was just about to reach the dungeon core.

    ¡°Just in time huh¡­! Protect! [Firewall]!¡±

    With those words, a wall of me appeared to enclose and defend the core. The rats took a distance away.

    This was Haku¡¯s magical spear, the [Spear of Firewall]¡¯s ability¡­ It used the wielder¡¯s magical power, manifesting the fire-type upper ss magic [Firewall] with a single keyword.

    ¡ªFurthermore, in the event it was picked up as a treasure in a dungeon, it was said to be worth 10,000,000 DP for a single one. A treasure amongst treasures.

    ¡°Phew¡­ with this, we should have gained some time huh.¡±

    Chloe wondered what would happen next¡­ she expected a mass of rats to make their way through the Firewall.

    When she looked, the rats were huddling together.

    That was good, so long as she prepared herself, she could deal with¡ª

    [Chloe-san! Feint¡ªbehind you! There are enemies behind you! Amount, 10!] ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    She turned around, but there was nothing there¡­ no, she just couldn¡¯t see them!?

    ¡°The heck is¡ª!?¡±

    She searched for the enemies, but she couldn¡¯t find them. She couldn¡¯t see them. Shouldn¡¯t there be ten of them!?

    Weren¡¯t they rats!?

    [¡­ ¡ªIt was¡­ touched¡­!]

    ¡°Haha¡­ the heck is going on¡­.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t understand. Exhausted, she undid the [Firewall].

    ¡­ After the flickering mes went out, she noticed that there was [Something] transparent above the core.

    ¡°¡­ What¡­¡±

    It was transparent¡ªshe hadn¡¯t seen it before, like¡­ an insect, or something.

    *

    Finally, the dungeon core¡­ well, the dummy core, touchdown! ¡ªWait, Chloe jumped out of the core and put up a [Firewall].

    So you can sortie from a dummy core¡­ didn¡¯t know that. Would¡¯ve put more golems to work if I knew it, it would¡¯ve been an infinite hitbo of golemsing out everywhere in thebyrinth after reviving.

    Though still, this me was troublesome.

    Or rather, it was foul y. Just needed one more step. It was obviously a magic item. I want to cross-examine her 100,000 DP.

    The rats were gathering up, let¡¯s see if they can¡¯t somehow break through it¡­ yup.

    Hmm? What¡¯s this¡­

    ¡°¡­ Ah, oi, it¡¯s defenseless from above. Nice, that¡¯s just right. Invoke the [Hidden Gems].¡±

    ¡°H-hey, I don¡¯t get what you mean!¡±

    ¡°Invoke them.¡±

    She isn¡¯t getting what I¡¯m telling her. Drones are something from my world, like a helicopter¡­ she wouldn¡¯t understand something like that.

    Well, I made it with transparent materials.

    I¡¯d thought about making water golems at first, but I didn¡¯t think their propellers would be strong enough for them to fly well. Though since I had some empty mana potion bottles, it went smoothly when I tried putting them to use and made some with them.

    It was transparent and hard to see. The rats could transport them by swallowing them, the wonderful miniaturization was a sess. At most they were the size of a marble.

    Weeell, this time in particr¡­ the flickering mes made them extra hard to see!

    I could make them with a single type of material, it was even a stealth-type since it was a dungeon-restricted golem and wouldn¡¯t need a power supply. A drone with a skeletal frame, battery, andmunications equipment with modern Japanese technology would have looked like a mountain. Magic is amazing.

    And so, the drones were concealed in a part of the rats¡¯ stomachs, going in as capsules that would open in the rats.

    It was my ultimate weapon, [Hidden Gem] (Stealth Drone Capsule).

    ¡­ As expected, they tore their way through the rats¡¯ stomachs. Grotesque. Sorry though, even though they all survived the suicide attacks at the minotaur¡¯s mouth¡­ I won¡¯t feel much heartache from rats.

    Then, the drones quietly made their way above the wall of me, and though they had a tough time operating for a moment there from the hot winds¡ªtheynded softly and¡ª

    ¡ªwe won.

    *

    * Bonus *

    A short snippet from when they were in thebyrinth.

    ¡°Ku¡ª this [Transforming Labyrinth] is annoying¡­ ah, right! Can¡¯t we just break through the walls to advance?¡±

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s foul y for capturing thebyrinth.¡±

    ¡°No, we don¡¯t have the time otherwise so¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll authorize it. Go for it!¡±

    ¡°T-there¡¯smunicationing in from the enemy!¡±

    ¡°I wonder what it is. Connect us¡­ Oh my, Kehma-san, what is it? Certainly, breaking thebyrinth and dungeon walls shouldn¡¯t have been in the rules.¡±

    [Yeah, I was just going to give some good information¡­ Thisbyrinth is¡­ handmade by Rokuko, yeah¡­ Are you fine with destroying it?] ¡°Wha¡ª¡­!? T-that¡¯s¡­¡±

    [In truth, Rokuko helped digging the passages with the golems and a pickax¡­ so, this is genuinely¡­ her first, handmadebyrinth. So¡­ are you fine with that? Really? Would you not regret it even if she hates you for it?] ¡°¡­. Mind games are unfair!¡±

    [It¡¯s my maxim though¡­ So, will you destroy it?] ¡°¡ª¡­ Of course I won¡¯t break it!¡±

    Thatmunication may or may not have happened¡­

 Chapter 34

    Difference Between Postwar Treatment and Words

    ¡°It was myplete defeat.¡±

    To deal with the postwar affairs, Haku-san visited the [Ordinary Cave] again.

    Chloe was wearing the same butler clothing as usual.

    ¡°I may have lost, but I learned many wonderful things through the battle. I surely didn¡¯t think that rats would go that far. To turn your scouts into warriors¡­¡±

    Although she was certain that the rats were scouts, she didn¡¯t think they would be able to defeat the boss even if they got that far.

    In truth, she had thought that a second group of golems would gain control of map pioneered by the rats.

    He was struck with the idea of having a midget strategy when he saw the Minotaur. Since he had nothing to lose, he decided to use fifty of the remaining rats to kill Mino-san with a suicide attack.

    By the way, since the rats were ordered to limit their living space to the forest to survive, he would probably use them again sooner orter.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I wouldn¡¯t be able to find even one of the Dummy Cores. Where did you put the dungeon core in the end? If you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Give me an additional 50,000 DP and I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    ¡°Oh me, is something so small fine? Then please tell me. If I don¡¯t know, I might not be able to sleep tonight.¡±

    Crap, I said it as a joke but she said she¡¯d pay it.

    ¡­ No helping it, I¡¯ll answer her. I don¡¯t need to say where the Dummy Cores were though.

    However, since the real core was set up in a ce that was a huge joke, she might get a bit angry from the answer.

    ¡°¡­ To tell the truth, this dungeon continues¡­ around one kilometer away, there¡¯s a small room. I put it there.¡±

    The direction I pointed to? The goblin room.

    ¡­ I thought about bringing it back at first, but wound up leaving it there in the end.

    As I thought, Haku-san was speechless¡­ Though, it didn¡¯t feel like she was angry. It was more like admiration.

    ¡°¡­ Really, looking closely I do see mana connecting¡­ not just in front of this cave, but extending outside of the dungeon¡­ I didn¡¯t notice.¡±

    ¡°Installing the dungeon core outside of the first floor¡­ such a bold move, surprising isn¡¯t it, Ojou-sama.¡±

    ¡°No. 89 Ane-sama¡¯s teachings were right after all!¡±

    Yep, she doesn¡¯t understand why, but Rokuko found the idea amusing.

    You just disregarded everything but a single room and made nothing else.

    ¡°Haah, thebyrinth was splendid, it was my first time seeing that usage¡­ ah, those pitfall traps were a big gamble. Though I used Minotaurs as primary war potential this time, I could have had my forcesprise of something weightless like Wraiths. The best thing that I saw was installing two floors above and below.¡±

    Definitely, the pitfall traps wouldn¡¯t have activated if that were the case. Well, they also wouldn¡¯t have found the hidden passages inside the pitfalls.

    ¡­ Ah, the homemade pitfall traps didn¡¯t cost DP, but that might have been impossible to tell just from looking.

    Since she especially advised me, I didn¡¯t do something as boorish as correct her. It was better to keep quiet on that.

    ¡°Also¡­ gu¡ª, that [Gate of Wisdom]¡­ was that a riddle from your world?

    ¡°Yeah. Weeell, it was hard toe up with. There weren¡¯t many riddles I could¡¯ve use there.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­ it¡¯s fine already, so please let me hit you once.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯ll decline.¡±

    It was probably very vexing. I didn¡¯t tell her that Rokuko solved it in three seconds.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not very interested in riddles so I don¡¯t use them.¡±

    ¡°What, so you used wordy. Somehow, it seems it¡¯s tranting on it¡¯s own¡­¡±

    Right, for instance, I had told Rokuko, ¡°The futon blew up.¡±

    She heard something like, ¡°The futon burst.¡± That kind of thing. The traditional Japanese gag didn¡¯t go along with it.

    Therefore, for instance [What is the doctor that can only break cars?] [Answer: Dentists (Kanji for dentist reads the same as out-of-service vehicle)], the wordy solution for the riddle didn¡¯t go through.

    Furthermore, riddles that relied on the shapes of words were out. To begin with, the characters were different.

    Since there¡¯s no problem if there¡¯s an image, I n on using that next time.

    Together with remembering how amazing magic is over and over, I should give up on memorizing this world¡¯snguage. It trantes itself too much, I can¡¯t study. I could probably do it if I did my best, but I don¡¯t feel like doing that.

    ¡°Right, Ane-sama, get this! My name is Rokuko now. Ites from 695 in another world¡¯snguage! ¡®Ro¡¯ is 6, ¡®ku¡¯ is 9, and ¡®ko¡¯ is 5!¡±

    Rokuko didn¡¯t even know the origin of her own name.

    When I noticed that and told her, she was really happy for some reason. I thought that she¡¯d be angry that her name came from a number since it was a serious thing, but it looked like she was really happy about it. I don¡¯t get dungeon cores¡¯ tastes.

    Other than the digits was [No.], it might be a unique rule.

    ¡°! That¡¯s amazing, such a wonderful name¡­ ahh, I¡¯m envious.¡±

    ¡°So, call me Rokuko from now on, No. 89 Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. Rokuko-chan¡­ Haah, so good. I¡¯m Haku since my hair is white, you know? Really, Master has the worst taste¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Haku-san, isn¡¯t it Haku since that¡¯s number eight and nine?¡±

    When I unintentionally cut in, Haku-san suddenly stopped.

    ¡°Why would No. 89 turn into white? ¡­ Wait, by some chance, is that how it is in the other world?¡±

    ¡°Well there¡¯s a few meanings to it really, but¡­ well, it can be read as Haku. White too, same with No. 89.¡±

    Haku-san closed her eyes for a moment, pressing down on her temple.

    ¡­ It seems she¡¯s thinking about something.

    After a while, she opened her mouth.

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko-chan. From now on, could you call me Haku? If that¡¯s how it is, it matches another world¡¯s numbers.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Haku Ane-sama!¡±

    I wonder if she still feels someplicated things about it? Haku-san pat Rokuko¡¯s head while smiling.

    ¡°Right, the story drifted off course for a moment. I really did want to review some more, but even if it doesn¡¯t look like it, I am very busy¡­ Because a new dungeon has now been made, I need to process it¡­ Ah, I¡¯ve been wondering what thatst thing was, but it would be inelegant to ask about a dungeon¡¯s trump card, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    Thatst thing¡­ meaning the [Hidden Gems].

    I feel it¡¯d be fine to tell her, but she might have fun trying to figure it out herself.

    ¡°Well then, Rokuko-chan. How about¡­ I transfer the DP now?¡±

    ¡°Y-yesh!¡±

    Taking Rokuko¡¯s hand with a smile, Haku smiled dly.

    It was 150,000 DP with the information fee included.

    Though she said she was busy, she took her time deliberately transferring it mouth-to-mouth with her.

    Thanks for the treat.

 Chapter 35

    I¡¯ll Be an Adventurer Even Though I¡¯m a Dungeon Master!

    We got 150,000 DP from Haku-san.

    We had 30,000 DP left over from the Dungeon Battle¡­ 20,000 DP from Rokuko using 10,000 DP however she wanted. Those put together gave 170,000 DP on hand that could be used freely.

    Let¡¯s use this easy money (it¡¯s DP though) for a few things.

    First of all, I got ten [Beetradish (10 DP)] for forest area around the cave¡­ Radishes could be a source of sugar. Adding a field to plow wouldn¡¯t hinder dungeon affairs and could make some high quality sugar for us.

    Though I could buy some with DP to sell, that wouldn¡¯t be sustainable. This way I could get money without losing DP. Ah, it seemed that 5 DP was fifty copper but it might be more.

    I¡¯ll try it out if the beetradishes don¡¯t work out.

    Then, I bought some magic scrolls.

    Low ss earth magic [Scroll of Stone (700 DP)].

    Low ss water magic [Scroll of Water (500 DP)].

    Low ss wind magic [Scroll of Air Voice (400 DP)].

    Low ss fire magic [Scroll of Fireball (500 DP)].

    Low ss light magic [Scroll of Light (400 DP)].

    Low ss dark magic [Scroll of Blind (500 DP)].

    Bottom ss space-time magic [Scroll of Safe (600 DP)].

    Enough for three people. Me, Rokuko, and Meat¡¯s shares. I should memorize the basic attributes. I might be able to use them somehow¡­ Eh, the space-time magic one was bottom ss, but how was that a safe? From the name it seemed that it would make a different dimensional safe for stowing things in. I wonder if Trantion Feature-san is doing that¡­ [1]

    Then was Haku-san¡¯s rmendation, the widely convenient middle ss space-time magic [Scroll of Storage (10,000 DP)]¡­ it did cost a lot, but I got three of them since it was such easy money.

    I immediately stored the [Heavenly Pillow]¡­ It seemed to have around as much space as a closet. I put the futon in, too. Like this, even if the inns have hard beds I won¡¯t have to worry.

    With that done, I¡¯ve used around 80,000 DP in total with 90,000 DP left. There¡¯s still a lot left over, but let¡¯s try and use it to reconstruct the dungeon.

    ¡­ It doesn¡¯t really feel like I could use the DP down to a single digit.

    A small fortune huh.

    Ah, right. Since I expanded the dungeon¡¯s area, our daily DP ie turned into 100 DP before I knew it. I guess ites from the veins of the ground?

    ¡­ Ten times huh¡­ Well, extensions don¡¯tpare to ten times the single-room dungeon though. I wonder if there¡¯s spot that increases the DP ie? Like a power spot.

    It should be fine to get to sleep now that I¡¯m getting 100 DP a day. Even if I don¡¯t do anything I¡¯m getting 10,000 yen a day you know?

    Well, when I took a good look at the menu after the dungeon battle, there was [Spawn Monster] as a trap¡­ or rather a facility, it was added into the DP Catalog.

    Although it needed a hundred time¡¯s the monster¡¯s specified DP cost, it was a facility that regrly brought out the designated monster.

    ¡­ As for [Spawn Monster]¡¯s condition, it¡¯s probably that it can¡¯t spawn more than a certain number of monsters?

    And although the dungeon had been improved, from here on, I will restructure this dungeon into a ¡®ce that people will visit regrly, staying while giving me DP and money¡¯.

    Right, I¡¯ll turn this dungeon into an [Inn]. That¡¯s my n.

    Fufufu, double earnings of DP and money.

    ¡­ Eh? Cheating? This much is fine.

    I can¡¯t stand out much with god¡¯s vanguard around you know? Oi, I don¡¯t want to die. I can¡¯t sleep if I¡¯m dead. I don¡¯t consider death to be an eternal sleep. [2]

    Anyway, since I want to somehow get to the level that I can rest easy even with god¡¯s vanguard, my goal is [White Labyrinth] in the Imperial Capital. It was an obvious sess case.

    People gather in the Imperial Capital, giving it DP.

    The dungeon expands with the collected DP.

    More and more peoplee to the Imperial Capital for the treasures in the dungeon.

    From then on it became an infinite loop.

    In order to repel god¡¯s vanguard, we have to be as gargantuan as the [White Labyrinth].

    [White Labyrinth] is already dungeon with currently ¡®more than one hundred floors¡¯. That¡¯s a difference of two digits.

    In addition to that, [White Labyrinth] is holding the Imperial Capital itself hostage. Namely, ¡®if [White Labyrinth]¡¯s dungeon core is destroyed, so will be the imperial capital, involving countless innocents¡¯.

    And even with that, Haku-san still had the knights hunt other dungeons to protect herself from god¡¯s vanguard.

    It appeared that was the level we had to get to in order to not be attacked by god¡¯s vanguard.

    Seems too far away to get to in my lifetime.

    And for that reason.

    Though it would be small-scale, I thought about making an inn.

    More urately, I thought about putting myself into the inn.

    I want to seclude myself in a room and sleep for a while.

    In order to do that, I think I¡¯ll build an attractive inn and use it to sleep for a long time.

    Having said that, people won¡¯t go out of their way toe to an empty ce¡­ This was more or less a dungeon though.

    If I remodeled the dungeon into a crowd puller¡­ yep, I should install a [Spawn Monster]-type facility.

    Well, if my life span turned into two hundred years or five hundred years, or even immortal, after bing a dungeon master, I¡¯ll aim for that [White Labyrinth] with that time.

    *

    ¡°Crap, Ipletely forgot.¡±

    Two days have passed since the dungeon battle. I remember that I said I¡¯d return in two or three days to that gatekeeper at Sia¡­ W-well, nothing to do about it now. There¡¯s no problem if I¡¯m just a bitte.

    Hmm? Do I still need to be an adventurer¡­? I thought about that, but having a social status and going to the town as an adventurer is convenient. The various information Haku-san gave me wasn¡¯t enough either.

    That and I don¡¯t have enough hands to establish the inn.

    By ¡®enough hands¡¯ I don¡¯t mean manpower, I could just leave that to the golems after all.

    I need [People]. [People] to serve customers.

    As of right now, we have ¡®one man, two little girls, a lot of golems, and a lot of rats¡¯. Not enough personnel to serve customers.

    I don¡¯t want to do something like sit and work at a reception desk. And guests might not listen to little girls at the reception desk. Serving customers was tooplicated for golems to do, and the rats definitely couldn¡¯t.

    Along with those reasons, the dungeon had a lot of odd secrets. I couldn¡¯t employ general people due to those secrets. Then what should I do?

    ves.

    Buy ves. Though it¡¯d be necessary to look after their food, clothing, and housing, ves were bound contract magic and wouldn¡¯t embezzle, y hooky, or reveal secrets. Meat was proof that they could be excellent employees as long as they could be educated.

    ¡°And so, I¡¯ll be going to town. While I¡¯m at it I¡¯m going to buy some ves this time.¡±

    ¡°A-am I not enough!?¡±

    W-woah, Meat was being incredibly assertive for the first time.

    ¡°Characters, even magic, I¡¯ve memorized, I-I¡¯ll do more, more for Goshujin-sama¡ª!¡±

    ¡°No, uh, thanks. You¡¯ve done your best. I¡¯ve seen how hard you¡¯ve worked.¡±

    ¡°Fue, y-you won¡¯t sell me?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. Calm down, why are you undressing?¡±

    I had to stop Meat, who was calming down from her light confusion, from undressing.

    Listen, don¡¯t take them off. Don¡¯t take off those stockings. Taking those off is the signal tomence night warfare.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I would sell you if you didn¡¯t learn magic in the first ce¡­ You know about our dungeon¡­ you can¡¯t go back to being an ordinary person anymore anyways.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Th-then I¡¯ll be a ve until death.¡±

    Yeah, though that¡¯s how it is¡­ well she looks happy so it¡¯s ok.

    ¡°There¡¯s a way to be a ve even after you die you know? Using the emperor ss dark magic [Necromancy].¡±

    ¡°Yes, please do!¡±

    Rokuko-san, please don¡¯t say unnecessary things like that.

    ¡­ Looking through the catalog for the [Scroll of Necromancy], it was 800,000,000 DP. Looong way to go.

    *

    I turned 10,000 DP into one hundred silver, putting it in the [Safe]. It was a gold¡¯s worth, so that was enough¡­ probably? I¡¯ll put what¡¯s left of the bandits¡¯ inheritance in as well.

    Even so, I took a cloth bag to cover up invoking the [Safe] skill for money¡­ Eh? The chant would expose me? Nope, [Safe]¡¯s chant wasn¡¯t needed at all. Completely chant-free. Therefore, it doesn¡¯t stand out so I can use it. Though I have no idea why it¡¯s like that, it can¡¯t be helped. It could have be chantless from people who didn¡¯t want to say ¡®safe safe¡¯ every time they wanted to take their money out working hard, it was a possibility.

    At any rate, there¡¯s 80,000 DP remaining. G-gotta use it prudently.

    Well, I left Rokuko house sitting and went to the town of Sia once again.

    Though Rokuko was saying that she wanted to go as well, I didn¡¯t feel like leaving the dungeon with only golems and rats. Though people probably wouldn¡¯te and immediately conquer the dungeon, the only people with the authority to activate Castling to evacuate the core at a critical moment are just me and Rokuko.

    (Still, I¡¯ll put the core in that small room on the other side of the riddle door that¡¯s under construction right now)

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re still alive?¡±

    Despite the gatekeeper calling out to us, we paid one copper each to enter Sia.

    It seemed that adventurer schedules weren¡¯t really counted on. It was a world without trains after all.

    ¡°For now¡­ you should make an appearance at the guild. Silia-san¡¯s been worried.¡±

    ¡­ Huh? We had enough of a good impression to be worried about?

    Footnotes:

    The scroll¡¯s name is ¡®Safe¡¯ in kana, which Keima took to mean as a safe instead of the wallet that it was¡­ probably. Note that can be the same thing in JP Return

    Word y here of ¡®death/eternal sleep¡¯ being the same word. Had to retool sentence for it to fit in English. Return

 Chapter 36

    Buying a ve

    When we showed up at the adventurer guild, it was the usual Receptionist-san¡­ was it Siliana-san? Well, she was sitting at the counter.

    The gatekeeper said she was worried about us, but¡­

    ¡°¡­ Tch, where have you been?¡±

    Huuuh? Isn¡¯t this different from the ¡®worrying¡¯ that I know?

    None of those good feelings after all. No, maybe she¡¯s tsundere? [1]

    ¡°Ah, I had a bit to do outside so¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, what do you want? You can¡¯t ept that F-rank dungeonmission that came in a while ago you know?¡±

    Incidentally, it seemed that Haku-san shrewdly tidied thatmission up before the Dungeon Battle.

    I wonder if she was able to report that themission epted in Sia waspleted in the Imperial Capital? Rather, although it was probably excessiveing from someone with influence, it seems that she prepared for [No Abnormalities] to be reported in advance. So she did have time to spare huh.

    ¡°Ah,e to think of it what about my designatedmission?¡± [2]

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s still there. It¡¯s still a G-Rankmission though, will you ept it?¡±

    ¡°Yes please¡­ ah, and do you know somewhere ves are sold?¡±

    He¡¯d be more or less relieved if the adventurer guild rmended one. Adventurers that made use of ves weren¡¯t few.

    They should definitely know of a good ce.

    ¡°¡­ Used for?¡±

    ¡°Various things. It¡¯d be better if they have experience¡­ ah, it¡¯s no good if they aren¡¯t women.¡±

    It was a request from Haku-san, men are no good.

    ¡­ In truth she doesn¡¯t even want me near Rokuko.

    Well, it¡¯s this junior¡¯s intention to follow Sponsor-sama¡¯s inclinations. Right, I don¡¯t want to ever make a harem. I¡¯m really not interested in debauchery. I don¡¯t want beautiful-legged women ves. Wanna licky~. Oops, that leaked out.

    ¡°¡­ If that¡¯s the case, [Grapher¡¯s ve Deal] may be good. I rmend it to the point that I don¡¯t want to refer you to it. Going after dark is best.¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Well, we¡¯re off to clean toilets.¡±

    I heard her click her tongue, but I ignored it.

    Still, the reward for two of my nominatedmissions were twenty copper.

    Well, I brought one hundred silver coins as pocket money this time, but we went through a lot to be designated for it. I used [Cleanup], then went to the park to nap while Meat stayed there on standby¡­ not, I collected information. I obtained information that said the [Heavenly Pillow] on the bench was supreme.

    I wasn¡¯tte returning this time since I ordered the clothes golem to bring me back.

    When the two restroom cleanings ended around evening, it was just about a good time.

    Since the guild might be crowded this time, I¡¯ll head there to report themissions asplete after buying ves.

    And so I went to Grapher¡¯s ve Shop¡­. Yup, it¡¯s a splendid ordinary building.

    ¡°¡­ The ce I was at was a lot different.¡±

    In addition, there was a Dark ve Shop in the slums too. Meat seems to have been sold from there.

    ¡­ Well, it was a bandit that bought the ves.

    I lead Meat inside since there was nothing else to do other than stand outside.

    Now then, time to go shopping.

    *

    ¡°Wee. Do you have business here today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I want a ve.¡±

    ¡°I understand, there are no ves that we can¡¯t get.¡±

    When I said that I came at the guild¡¯s rmendation, the shop manager Grapher himself met me, giving his business smile.

    He was very proper and merchant-like, but that may have been because this was practically in the middle of town.

    ¡°So then, what kind of ves are you interested in purchasing?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, beautiful legs first of all, and female¡­ being smart with various things would be good.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Ah, your budget is?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know the current market price. By the way, how much would you say this one is?¡±

    I showed him Meat to see how much she was worth.

    Meat eagerly stood up straight so that she could increase her worth even a little higher.

    ¡°¡­ I see, although she¡¯s a beastkin, she¡¯s well-groomed and seems to be well disciplined¡­ hmm, can she read? Write? Do calctions? Have skills?¡±

    ¡°She can read, write, and calcte if it¡¯s simple. As for skills¡­ she has none.¡±

    More or less, he had Meat practice some things.

    In truth, she had learned low ss magic from all attributes one by one, up to [Storage]. I couldn¡¯t use her as a reference since her price would jump up if I said that though.

    She had just recently learned her multiplication tables.

    The ve trader was folding his fingers in a strange hand sign¡­ no, was he calcting by hand? Rather than just simply folding his fingers he was raising them halfway. Finally raising his left pinky, it seemed that his price calction finished.

    (Though I heard about finger counting before, from the thumb was one copper, ten coppers, one silver, ten silvers, and one gold in order. Each of the fingers on the right hand can stand up to express zero to nine. It was a way to calcte that turned your fingers into an abacus, it seemed like a merchant¡¯s technical skill. Apprentices probably learn this from seeing it all the time.) [3]

    ¡°If it¡¯s like her¡­ it would be one gold coin here. Intended for merchants and aristocrats.¡±

    ¡­ Money, or treasure? Let¡¯s see, if a copper is one hundred yen, one hundred times one hundred¡­ one million yen?

    Wow I picked up something amazing, though that may be cheap if I think about it as being the price of a person¡­

    ¡°Ten gold wouldn¡¯t have been enough if she were human. I expect her to be charming in the future. So? Would you ept one gold for her? I don¡¯t mind adding a little extra.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want to sell my Meat.¡±

    ¡°Hoh¡­ indeed.¡±

    I, who was able to reconfirm Meat¡¯s value, patted Meat¡¯s head while praising her.

    Seeing that, the shop manager had a bit of an admiring look.

    ¡°Hmm, our inventory right now may be unable to suit your discernment. As expected, years end and pass on by¡­. we have youths around eighteen years old. Although we do have younger ones, they are still unworthy and haven¡¯t been trained¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine since I don¡¯t want child ves.¡±

    Eh, what? Do I look like a lolicon?

    ¡°Oh, I was impolite. Then let¡¯s talk a little more, give me some more details. I would like to hear how you n to use them as detailed as possible.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­ First, they don¡¯t need skills since they will be doing chores. Women, of adult age. The cheaper the better. Budget is around ny silver coins maximum.¡±

    ¡°As well as it being good if they have beautiful legs, yes?¡±

    Looks like he remembered. This manager, he was doing his job.

    ¡°Hmm, so you want ves for chores. If you want cheaper, then non-human¡­ Yes, let allow me to bring out some candidates for you to choose from.¡±

    Saying that, the manager left his seat, returning after a while.

    He lead out four women beside him. They were probably the ves since they were wearing cors¡­ Yep, don¡¯t they all have quite the legs? Wonderful.

    ¡°Hmm, are these to your satisfaction? ¡­ From this one, it¡¯s eighty silver, one hundred, ny, and sixty.¡±

    ¡­ There was one with a higher price than my budget brought out, he was definitely a merchant. I predicted this and responded with a bit lower than my actual budget, but it feels like he anticipated that.

    Well, in order from the one that cost eighty was the bear-eared beastkin, a fox-eared beastkin with good fur, an attractive elf, and a normal human. I looked at each one to discern them.

    ¡°Hm? Why is this one so cheap for sixty? Moreover¡­ judging from looks, she¡¯s human.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, what to say¡­ she has an interesting backstory? Since you wanted them cheap, I immediately brought her out. Should I withdraw her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m interested in hearing her story.¡±

    Putting it simply,

    She wasn¡¯t able to pay back her debt from gambling and fell into being a ve.

    She was returned goods after being returned by her master.

    Is what I was told¡­ The merchant sold her as a delicious dish, but she was returned the next day after biting his lower half¡¯s ¡®that¡¯. The person that was chewed just replied, ¡®She was really bad, return my money¡¯.

    Still, it appeared that his important thing that was regrown with recovery magic was inadequate.

    ¡°I thought ves couldn¡¯t harm their masters?¡±

    ¡°It can be done within certain circumstances. Rather than as a master, she seriously recognized him as a meal presented to her. Of course the cor was operating properly afterwards¡­ The reason she ate her master in the first ce was that various things happened and he presented it to her saying, ¡®Hey, eat up¡¯. Rest assured, the contract magic operates normally.¡±

    Ah, so he gave her permission himself. Couldn¡¯t be helped then.

    ¡°¡­ Having said that, just from saying her history, I haven¡¯t sold her¡­ I bought her debt, but haven¡¯t been able to get rid of her¡­ There¡¯s no problems with her appearance, so it was my mistake. I want to reduce my deficit even a little¡­ so how about it? She¡¯s a bargain.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    She was certainly well-padded, the ces that curved out curved out and the ces that curved in curved in. Her hair was a slightly reddish blonde, I had noints with her appearance. Well, I wouldn¡¯tin so long as her legs were good. Besides, her being bigger might not be bad when considering that she¡¯d used as the inn¡¯s receptionist.

    There¡¯s no problem so long as she doesn¡¯t bite me. I just need to be careful.

    ¡°I want to ask the person herself. So, how about it?¡±

    ¡°Buy me ¡®n give me delicious stuff to eat. Don¡¯t just go ¡®n bring me home and take out something shabby ¡®n tell me to eat it yeah? I wanna eat ¡®n hope to fill my belly, I don¡¯t care what kind of delicious thing it is y¡¯know? At the least fill my belly with seriously good food to eat even if you¡¯re an enemy kay?¡± [4]

    That¡¯s a serious attitude for a ve, oi.

    ¡°Meals¡¯re more important than life, I don¡¯t mind dyin¡¯ if it¡¯s for food, yeah.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see.¡±

    I would do anything if it¡¯s to sleep, she¡¯s even boasting that she doesn¡¯t mind dying for her big three desires. Yup, I like her a lot. Not bad at all. She feels like a bargain too.

    ¡°Meat, what do you think? I don¡¯t think she¡¯s bad.¡±

    ¡°Our meals are delicious, so I think it¡¯s fine.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, yah! You¡¯re gonna get me delicious food?¡±

    The ve with an interesting history cut in despite not being asked. Probably due to her cor squeezing her a bit, she let out a small choking sound. So meals are that important?

    ¡°Really!? I¡¯ll bite it off if you¡¯re kiddin¡¯. My thing eating curse is terrifying.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I promise. In exchange, you¡¯ll work diligently?¡±

    ¡°Definitely! Hey hey hey, you said you¡¯d give him a special price right, Grapher-samaaa. Right? You¡¯d go down to forty-five silver right?¡±

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re saying too much¡ª! Ah¡­ umm, customer, that¡¯s, umm¡ª¡±

    oNTEjgr

    He was incoherent. She seemed to really be a problem child.

    Moreover, her head wasn¡¯t bad either. She guessed we¡¯d buy her, so she supported us in haggling. She even knew her own bottom price.

    That might be due to the ve dealer¡¯s training, but even in that case her acting still wasn¡¯t bad.

    ¡°Ah, well fifty silver is fine with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Thank you.¡±

    I found a bargain, so I added five coins as a tip.

    Footnotes:

    Tsundere is, well¡­ here. Return

    The ¡®clean the toilets¡¯ thing from the previous chapters that he was in town. Return

    He¡¯s talking about this method. He didn¡¯t really exin all of it and I definitely got confused midway through, so yeah. If you¡¯re interested in the skill check it out here! Return

    She¡¯s using a kansai dialect, admitted to be a faked one by the author. Here¡¯s a link for more information. Return

 Chapter 37

    New Member

    ¡°Thanks! Heey, is Nii-san going shopping? Ah, it¡¯s Goshujin-sama from now on, right!¡±

    The ve dealer was like that as well, now with his problem child gone, he just looked like it couldn¡¯t be helped even if he barely profited at all.

    I¡¯m happy that negotiations finished quickly.

    After paying the fifty silver, as well as after the contract magic waspleted, I took the chance to buy her clothes while I was at it.

    A dress and underwear for a silver coin.

    ¡°Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t asked your name huh. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯re you sayin¡¯, ves get their names from Goshujin-sama y¡¯know? Yah, Meat-senpai ?¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Eh? You didn¡¯ know? It¡¯s always like that. Since a night attendant could have the same one as their mom by chance, it gets thrown away no matter how beautiful it is when bin¡¯ one.¡±

    Ah, I get it.

    ¡°¡­ Well, you don¡¯ really go and forget your real one, you want me to answer with the name I had before bin¡¯ a ve? ¡­ Aah, but I wanna new name after gettin¡¯ bought. Can¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. What was your name before you were bought?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Weeell, I was also called [Meat] yah?¡±

    She licked her fingers, as though she recalled the taste of something.

    ¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s the ¡®thing¡¯ she bit off? The second I realized that, I took a sharp breath.

    Hmm. So Meat is a popr ve name then huh? Like a dog being Pochi and a cat being Tama.

    ¡°Using that name would be confusing huh. Right then¡­ what¡¯s your favorite thing to eat? Then your name will be taken from foods¡­ like Apple or Meat Skewer?¡±

    ¡°Setting aside Apple I¡¯d like to refrain from Meat Skewer¡­ how ¡¯bout Melon? Aaah, won¡¯t you buy me some melons? I wanna eat ¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some to eatter if you still want to.¡±

    ¡°Really!? Wooow I¡¯ll do my best~¡±

    Sheughed like she wasn¡¯t a ve¡­ umm, miss nameless.

    ¡°Ah, right. Then how ¡¯bout [Ichika]?¡±

    ¡°Un? What¡¯s its meaning?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a name rted to the god of food. The god called Ishidaka is the goddess of the sea, though I don¡¯t see one around here. Well, mixing in salt, seasoning from the sea, you get Ichika. That work?¡±

    As for why it turns into Ichika when you mix it with salt(shio), well, that¡¯s probably a bug with the trantion function. Am I getting used to it?

    ¡°Well, Ichika is good. I¡¯ll be relying on you from now on.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, take care of me ?¡±

    Ichika, formerly known as miss nameless. We shook hands again.

    However, I saw Ichika looking somewhere when we were shaking hands.

    ¡­ When I followed her line of sight, it was the grilled meat skewers stall.

    *

    With each of us eating the meat skewers held in our hands, we went to the adventurer guild.

    ¡°Hmm? I thought this way lead to the adventurer guild?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I need to report aboutmission we finished earlier today.¡±

    ¡°So Goshujin-sama is an adventurer? What rank? D? C? Or maybe B?¡±

    ¡°F-rank. I just became one the other day.¡±

    ¡°Haah, F-rank? Yet you bought me with that much money¡­ are you a Noble-sama or merchant or something?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a long story.¡±

    She didn¡¯t deny me with something like ¡®No way!¡¯. I already understood she was a flexible person, but Ichika really was a bargain.

    ¡°Ah, does Ichika also want to register as an adventurer? Having ID would be convenient.¡±

    ¡°Ehh? Ah, I wonder¡­ starting over from G¡­ well it¡¯s okay. Then will you lend five silver for the registration fee? I¡¯ll pay it back with my body.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s repayment. Ichika¡¯s price was originally sixty, but it went down thanks to you¡­ half the difference is reasonablepensation.¡±

    ¡°Pu¨C, ahaha! Reasonablepensation he says! It¡¯smon sense that ves don¡¯ getpensated y¡¯know? Well, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll take it out of principle, thanks.¡±

    Ichika¡¯sugh showed her teeth. It was a pretty good smile, she¡¯ll probably be popr as the inn¡¯s receptionist like that.

    So then, we arrived back at the adventurer guild.

    The usual Receptionist-san was at the counter when we went there.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, you sure didn¡¯t take your time buying one. Moreover, a human, and big¡­¡±

    Receptionist-san spoke as she looked at a certain area. Though some people felt the bigger the better, I think anything is fine. Legs are more essential.

    ¡°Along with reporting that wepleted themission, this one¡­ Ichika, please register her to the guild.¡±

    ¡°Yes, here are your twenty copper coins for the twomissions¡­ another name with no sense to it. Well then, I¡¯ll interview her for now¡­e this way.¡±

    I also went with Ichika as her owner.

    ¡­ Ichika huh, so that was a name with no sense to it either¡­? Maybe I should get someone else to do the naming?

    Entering the area that Meat and I had also been interviewed in before, she asked simr questions.

    I understood her personal history as follows.

    Birthce: Pavuera (This seems to be a port city on the other side of Tsuia Mountain)

    Strong Points: Tasting, poison tasting, eating. Also scouting on asion. [1]

    Motives: Eating delicious food

    Notes: Former C-rank adventurer

    ¡°Eh, you¡¯re a former adventurer? Moreover, C-rank?¡±

    ¡°Yah. I don¡¯t have any skills though. Skill scrolls are expensive yah? I¡¯d rather buy stuff to eat than stuff like that y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s how it is, can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    It was an easy reason to understand. At least, for someone like me who simrly aimed to bury myself in sleep.

    ¡­ Eh? Why not cut into food expenses to buy a better scroll you¡¯ve set your sights on you ask?

    That¡¯s the reasoning of someone who wants to increase their rank. We have nothing to do with that.

    Her general questioning finished, Receptionist-san wrote something down and spoke.

    ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll issue you a guild card. However, since you have given up your previous name, you cannot be C-rank. Well, we¡¯ll exempt you from G-rank and make you F-rank.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be easier if it¡¯s that rank, thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°¡­ By the way, how much was she?¡±

    ¡°I drove the price down nicely. Fifty silver coins.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ quite the bargain, without a doubt.¡±

    Receptionist-san sent me a dubious look. I-I didn¡¯t do anything shady alright? Really, really.

    I did get the silver coins from DP though¡­ It seems that money issued from DP is taken as regr currency in the Imperial Capital, so there¡¯s no problem¡­ i-it¡¯s not forgery so it should be okay¡­!

    At any rate, I paid the five silver coin registry fee and received Ichika¡¯s guild card.

    I added Ichika to the party by her suggestion, so we headed for a ce to rest with our new member.

    As for today¡¯s inn, it¡¯s the one we stayed in before. The [Sleeping Songbird Pavilion]. To save money, we just got a single room. Ichika said she would prefer another meal than to rent a shed, so since she didn¡¯t particrly have any problems with a single room, it was decided that we would sleep together in the same room.

    Ah, the three meals were naturally three normal ones, not the ve meals. Eating that ve meal the other day was enough.

    ¡°Un, gettin¡¯ a real meal to eat~. Happiness~.¡±

    ¡°So food¡¯s that important to Ichika? I also get how you feel. I wanted an employee that feels good about their job after all.¡±

    ¡°Hooh, feels good? Meat-senpai¡¯splexion is nice too, when I look at her I just wanna pick her up, yah. There¡¯s noints from me so long as you give me food.¡±

    Somehow or another it seems that I also struck a bargain in that she¡¯s also easy to handle.

    Ichika was drinking up her vegetable soup, wiping the little bit of liquid left over in the dish with bread, eating everything.

    Nothing left to waste. When she said, ¡®Let me eat first, might be poisoned¡¯, what she meant was that she would start even before me, her owner.

    ¡°Thanks for the food~, well, what now? Sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Ichika. You¡¯ll have the bed.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Probably due to not being able toprehend what I said, Ichika tilted her head to the side. Right, Ichika probably thought she¡¯d be conceding the bed to me since there was only one in the room.

    I took out my [Futon] from [Storage] andid it onto the floor.

    ¡°Meat and I will sleep here.¡±

    ¡°Wai¡ª! The heck! You¡¯re usin¡¯ a substitute in such a high ss inn. Wooow, so this is the difference between senpai and me¡­ wait, you used [Storage], isn¡¯t that an expensive scroll?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Just like Ichika won¡¯t yield when ites to food, I also won¡¯t yield when ites to this. Remember, never obstruct my sleep alright?¡±

    ¡°I definitely got it. I absolutely won¡¯ disturb you other than really bad situations¡­ I pledge it on breakfast.¡±

    She pledged it on something really reliable huh. I nodded in satisfaction.

    Footnotes:

    The same kanji used for ¡®Poison Tasting¡¯ also effectively means ¡®Eating Before¡¯. Return

 Chapter 38

    Another Designated Commission

    ¡°He really did jus¡¯ sleep¡­¡±

    Ichika mumbled something iprehensible as we left the inn.

    I¡¯ve gotten used to leaving after just using [Cleanup]. I left the room tidy this time too¡­ That wasn¡¯t a slip! I nned it from the start! [1]

    Aaah my muscles hurt today too~. As expected~. I only slept nine hours after all¡­

    ¡­ That¡¯s enough monologuing.

    Well then, what to do next¡­ I bought a ve, which was the my purpose this time. How about we head back?

    ¡°Huh? We¡¯re not headin¡¯ to the guild? Not doin¡¯ anothermission?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine to not be so serious about it, it¡¯s not like I particrly want to be an adventurer you know. It¡¯d be convenient if there was a dungeon at a rank we could dive into though.¡±

    ¡°C-rank¡¯s good then. Most dungeons have rank limitations y¡¯know?¡±

    By rank limitations, she¡¯s talking about the guild not allowing people below that rank to enter.

    You could still go and die at your own risk, but you won¡¯t be given information on the ce while your rank is insufficient. In the case that the dungeon is being managed, you would be treated as poaching and your loot would be seized. Furthermore, you would be fined.

    ¡°By the way, do you know about the Imperial Capital¡¯s [White Labyrinth]?¡±

    ¡°Probably all adventurers know about it. It¡¯s a dungeon you can go into startin¡¯ at C-rank in the center of the Imperial Capital. I think there¡¯s other dungeons near it you can go into at any rank though.¡±

    Inside of the book written by Haku-san, [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons], ¡®Dungeons are natural phenomena, things that could grow. Dungeons that grow up to a certain point are able to form new dungeons, like starting a family.¡¯ The derived dungeon was a new dungeon made by Haku-san for the Dungeon Battle.

    Incidentally, ¡®A dungeon will rapidly grow up in a day, or possibly degenerate. This is called the transition phase¡¯ was written in beautiful penmanship in the ¡®Dungeon Battle things¡¯ memo.

    ¡°I thought about us going out to visit, so getting a C-rank one would be good.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, to visit huh, amazin¡¯ confidence¡­ Come to think of it, it was captured to floor fifty-two when I was an adventurer¡­ Has it progressed since then?¡± [2]

    Since it had more than a hundred and fifty floors, I guess saying thirty percent was about right¡­ guess it was pretty difficult?

    ¡°So where¡¯re we goin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°To our base outside town. We¡¯re returning there.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm, by outside of town, you don¡¯t mean the slums outside the south gate yeah? If we have to stop for the night on the way, is the base pretty far away?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s in the mountains. Half a day¡¯s run away.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯smon sense to say something to the guild about it anyways. Well, F-ranks don¡¯t really go that far though.¡±

    Come to think of it, that gatekeeper said that ¡®Receptionist-san was worried¡¯ huh. She actually had ¡®that¡¯ attitude though.

    Though I left in a hurry to returnst time, there¡¯s not really any pressing reason this time. Why not go by to say something?

    ¡°Alright, there¡¯s no harm in going by to say something. I¡¯m a bitcking inmon sense.¡±

    ¡°Got it, inform them if you know.¡±

    It¡¯s important to have a colleague with the localmon sense after all.

    Rokuko doesn¡¯t concern herself with a human¡¯smon sense since she is a Dungeon Core, and Meat is ignorant of society from being raised as a ve.

    As for Haku-san¡­ she knows about humanmon sense, but I can¡¯t just go and contact her¡­

    Well, mornings were rush hour in the guild¡­ it wasn¡¯t. Themission notice board was developing its own rush hour and was very crowded though. Maybe I shoulde backter?

    Although Meat looked at themissions and asked me which ones I wanted her to fetch, I didn¡¯te to pick one up this time. Just to drop by.

    Hmm? Maybe it¡¯d be faster to just go and say something at the counter? Since I can set aside more time to sleep if I get back fast, let¡¯s finish this quickly.

    Well, at the counter was the usual Receptionist-san¡ª¡­ a different person! I saw a different person there for the first time ever!

    Showing my guild card, I decided to greet her.

    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m the F-rank adventurer Kehma, but I¡¯ll be leaving the town for a while.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Ah, I¡¯ll go and get the person in charge of you, so please wait a moment.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, yes.¡±

    I decided to quietly wait since I was told to.

    I heard Ichika ask if I did something wrong, but I didn¡¯t really know¡­ did me being a Dungeon Master leak out to the guild?

    After waiting for a few moments, the usual Receptionist-san arrived.

    ¡°Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, good morning¡­ but why you specifically?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Come to think of it I didn¡¯t say, did I? I am assigned to you, I look forward to working with you from here on.¡±

    By assigned to me, that meant she was my dedicated receptionist. It seems that¡¯s preferential treatment to special adventurers. With a dedicated receptionist, things that would need official documents could be processed with just a few words. That, and dedicated receptionists were obligated to give priority to you over other adventurers. If they saw you lined up for the counter you would be called forward to be processed. Things like that.

    It also seems like they would tell you economical information and advice.

    This Receptionist-san¡¯s disposition towards ves aside, she did her work properly so I there¡¯s no problem with her being my dedicated receptionist.

    But I¡¯ve been trying to figure out why¡­ oh, that¡¯s it. The Guild Head said Meat and I might be his grandchildren.

    ¡°So, I¡¯m told you¡¯ll be leaving town today¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be training in the mountains for a bit. I¡¯ve been thinking about setting my sights on the [White Labyrinth] sooner orter¡­e to think of it, the [Ordinary Cave] was an F-rank dungeon right? Is there any problem in me going to check it out?¡±

    ¡°Training? I understand¡­ Though, even if the [Ordinary Cave] is definitely a dungeon, don¡¯t be too hopeful. Other than the Dungeon Core, it can¡¯t be called a dungeon. The result from the other day¡¯s investigation was [No Abnormalities].¡±

    Looks like there¡¯s no problem with me going.

    ¡°¡­ Well, please let me know if there¡¯s anything else. And please never raise your hand against the real Dungeon Core. Dungeons are very academically valuable, so they are protected objects¡­ If you make a move against it, an announcement will go out and A-rank adventurers will head to assassinate you.¡±

    Ah, probably a good thing to know¡­ preventing Rokuko from being damaged by threatening others with the title of an A-rank adventurer.

    When I asked about its location, she showed me aparatively crude mappared to the menu¡¯s, saying it was somewhere around where she pointed.

    ¡°Oh yes, by the way, another designatedmission came for you.¡±

    Receptionist-san, who had visibly just recalled something, held out amission ticket.

    It was¡¯t one for restroom cleaning. It was for procuring of rabbit meat.

    ¡°I¡¯m told that Kehma-sama¡¯s delivery of meat for producing meat skewers were, rather than being of low quality, were delicious and popr¡­ they sold very well, and sold out in the afternoon. He boasted, saying that from now on he would purchase up to six per day at the max of twelve coppers. If possible, he¡¯d like you to tell him the secret.¡±

    Now that I think about it, those meat skewers we ate yesterday were from a different stall huh¡­?

    Thatmission certainly did say that the meat was for ¡®the next week¡¯, that day was probably yesterday then.

    I didn¡¯t know or else I would have went to that stall to eat some delicious meat skewers.

    Well, Ichika probably wouldn¡¯t have been able to eat any since they were sold out in the afternoon.

    ¡°Hooh! Tasty meat skewers!? You won¡¯t overlook that right? Right? Goshujin-sama!?¡±

    Ah, it looks like I¡¯m going to have to ept the rabbit meat designatedmission huh?

    It¡¯s fine though, I¡¯m not in any particr rush to hurry back.

    Footnotes:

    There is supposed to be some sort of thing that sounds dirty like a ¡®oops I didn¡¯t mean that¡¯¨Ctype thing in this part, but I can¡¯t figure out how to make it work in English. Sorry.Return

    The way Keima says ¡®visit¡¯ can also be read as ¡®to y¡¯, a more lighthearted way. Return

 Chapter 39

    Also, Goblin Subjugation

    ¡°How about a goblin subjugationmission as well? You could even do a boar subjugation while you¡¯re at it.¡±

    She was saying that epting the rabbitmission (six of them) was basically going to get a certain fast food.

    Still, though it¡¯s usually a subjugationmission, it seems that you¡¯re able to ept themissions after subjugating them. Since youpletemissions by handing in parts for proof, nothing changes even if you ept itter on. Though since there¡¯s no toll on the gate for leaving if you ept it beforehand, you don¡¯t need to worry about having themission withdrawn.

    Well, looks like this is a rmendation.

    Goblins are destructive things that ruin fields. It seems that the target for this is the ones that are spreading into the field outside of the north gate. Although there are fields inside the gates as well, thend is cultivated at all costs since plots are expensive. Since it was just goblins and boars (wild boars likely) that were wrecking the fields, having adventurers hunt them was enough. Comparing it to the costs of thend, it seemed to be considerably inexpensive.

    Boars don¡¯t appear often and their meat appears to be delicious, so they would be purchased for somewhere between one to two silver coins each, depending on their size. The part for proving its subjugation was its nose, but that seemed to be the most delicious part.

    Meanwhile, it seemed that goblins turned into pretty good fertilizer when carved up and scattered across the field. After you took the right ears off them, I¡¯m told you only need to put the corpses near the field¡­ What about undeadification? Is that okay?

    Goblin and boar subjugations always appeared as F-rankmissions and when bringing in five goblins¡¯ worth of right ears you¡¯d receive thirty copper coins.

    Boars were ten coppers for turning in the snout, or one copper and the snout. It appears that they would segment the snout into three parts right then if you chose to keep it. (They would divide it into three to prevent people from turning it in asmissionpletion again. They didn¡¯t just divide it into two because it seems that usually happens while defeating it.)

    Boars were delicious in two meanings, I didn¡¯t need to worry about transporting them due to [Storage] either.

    And so, although we¡¯re heading west this time, we¡¯ll actively look for them in whatever direction we can find them. Ichika is brimming with motivation for the boars¡­ though I thought that, it wasn¡¯t that much. I wonder why?

    ¡°I hunted those when I was an adventurer¡­ probably not much now¡­ un, it¡¯s nothing. Ah, I guarantee their vor yeah?¡±

    Looks like she¡¯s already given them her motivation.

    *

    Well, we headed out of the west gate for rabbit hunting.

    Although I had huge hopes for Meat-sensei, I wanted to see how the neer Ichika worked.

    Anyhow, she¡¯s a former C-rank adventurer, so she should definitely live up to it. Particrly when it¡¯s for something delicious.

    Since she was unarmed for the time being, I lent her my sword.

    ¡°Ah, thanks. Well unarmed¡¯s alright for rabbits yeah? Their value goes down if ya mess up their fur. That¡¯s why it¡¯smon sense to defeat ¡¯em without damaging them as much as ya can.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? But you can¡¯t drain their blood that way.¡±

    ¡°Drain their blood? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡­ Eh, she doesn¡¯t know about draining blood?

    ¡°If you drain all of the blood from the meat, the meat won¡¯t smell bad. The taste improves too. It¡¯s mostly the blood that makes the meat smelly after all.¡±

    ¡°Heeh! I didn¡¯t know that. Ya know a lot even though you don¡¯t have anymon sense huh, I see, it won¡¯t smell¡­ un, then a lot of kinds of meat will be tasty huh¡­ Fufufu.¡±

    Ichika was drooling while imagining the meat. Seriously, her appetite is demonic.

    ¡°Well, how do ya do it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be easy if you see it happen¡­ Meat, go hunt one.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Meat walked into the forest. Thirty secondster, she brought back a rabbit. It¡¯s neck was magnificently severed in a single stroke.

    I suspended it by its feet, causing blood to overflow from it and form a pool on the ground at my feet.

    ¡°If you do it like this, when you behead it and hand it upside down, its blood will flow out. When blood stopsing out, that¡¯s it¡­ Easy right?¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ Meat-senpai hunted something so small like it was nothin¡¯. I mean, thirty seconds to get a rabbit, were ya a hunter before bin¡¯ a ve? You knew where the rabbit was in the forest¡­¡±

    ¡°? Isn¡¯t it easy? You can find them from their smell.¡±

    ¡°Right, Meat-senpai¡¯s a beastkin. I knew that¡­ No, that was good with those tiny arms¡­¡±

    She was saying stuff like that, but next was Ichika¡¯s turn.

    Since I want to see how practical she is, I left Meat with draining the rabbit¡¯s blood and followed behind her.

    Advancing into the forest, Ichika sometimes stopped and listened carefully.

    After around five minutes, she suddenly brandished the sword and quickly swung it vertically down towards the ground near her.

    ¡°Alright, guess this is good? Oh, a ton of blood¡¯sin¡¯ out¡ª¡±

    Quickly, the beheaded rabbit was lifted by its feet. As expected from a former C-rank, looks like she was able to end it with a single clean blow.

    ¡°Un, normal strength huh. Felling its neck with a single hit¡­ you look like someone with finesse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~, I was a scout after all. A dagger would¡¯a been¡­ well I could do with a carving knife. I can also use a bow to get birds or something to eat too.¡±

    A carving knife huh, let¡¯s make one when we return.

    ¡°I can also cook~, wasn¡¯t I just a great bargain~. Wanna know somethin¡¯? My original price was fifteen gold y¡¯know? Reeeally, fifty silver for me huuuh¡­ I just bit ¡®that¡¯ off.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard your original price, but isn¡¯t it definitely from biting it off?¡±

    I tensed up hearing it even now.

    ¡°But even goblins taste good after drainin¡¯ their blood right? I didn¡¯t think it would be sooooooo bad though.¡±

    ¡°You ate it¡­¡±

    ¡°Before I became a ve, I was in the Imperial Capital¡¯s underground arena to pay back my debt¡­ well, Goshujin-sama held what he called a [Strange Eater] freak show¡­ I had to fight against various demons, eating everything as a set. I ate goblins or other things like that, everything but the bones¡­ Goblin roe is¡­ really bad¡­ Tahaha¡­¡±

    Ichikaughed as though ashamed.

    So there was even something like an underground arena too?

    This world¡¯s amusement facilities stink of crime, too huh.

    For now, we returned to where Meat was.

    ¡°Ah, wee back, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Surrounding Meat, who was standing up while holding the rabbit, were five goblin corpses. All five of their necks were severed clean.

    Lured out by the smell of blood, moreover attacking since there was a small child, looks like the tables were pretty much turned on them huh.

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah~, it happened after all~. I had a feeling~¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t notice at all.

    ¡°Instant deaths huh¡­ Meat-senpai, how¡¯d you beat ¡¯em?¡±

    ¡°They surrounded me, so, I had the rabbit in one hand, so I used my other hand.¡±

    Reproducing her movements, Meat held the rabbit in her left hand and the de golem in her right hand. She whirled around like a ballet dancer with her left foot acting as an axis.

    The de¡¯s height was just enough to sever the goblins¡¯ heads.

    Even though she was assisted by the clothes golem, I didn¡¯t teach her those movements.

    ¡­ It doesn¡¯t have movement assistance like mine, just physical strength reinforcement.

    ¡°¡­ Those aren¡¯t the movements of an F-rank¡­ What kind of trainin¡¯ did ya do?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wonder?¡±

    At any rate, the goblin suppressionmission is done.

    I cut off their right ears as proof.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll leave the remaining four rabbits to you two.¡±

    ¡°Huh, what about Goshujin-sama?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not good with swords¡­ the customer¡¯s demand is for delicious meat, so I¡¯ll be in charge of draining there blood here.¡±

    ¡°Really? You looked trained from the way you were walking though.¡±

    Ah, that was the clothes golem¡¯s assistance.

    Hmm? I¡¯m not doing anything in thismission? Eating without working is the best!

    ¡­ Ah, but being in charge of the draining is work huh¡­

    *

    ¡°Meat~¡±

    Finding a rabbit, its head was dismissed in the next instant.

    Even though Ichika was a former C-rank adventurer, she was a bit worried about the feeling shown by Meat¡¯s performance.

    ¡°¡­ Rather, Meat-senpai, is that a magic sword?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I got this from Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Quickly shaking the sword in her hand, blood flew off of it beautifully. There was no need to use [Cleanup], evidence that the sword was a very good one. It was also proof that her sword technique could cut cleanly.

    Meat held up her sword, once again looking for rabbits. Ichika was holding the rabbit meat.

    Meat was excellent in searching for their prey. Being able to separate the smell of blood from those they¡¯d hunted from the ambient rabbit smell, Ichika felt it wasn¡¯t just skill anymore.

    ¡°But, Meat-senpai was trained in various things despite being ¡®Meat¡¯ huh.¡±

    ¡°? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Eh? No, ¡®Meat¡¯ is¡­ ah. Aah~. I get it.¡±

    Ichika just realized it. Their Goshujin-sama probably named her [Meat] without knowing that meat meant [Sex ve (Meat)].

    And that her Goshujin-sama told her to teach him anymon sense she thought of. If that¡¯s how it was, she would have to teach him for now. ves couldn¡¯t go against their owner¡¯s rules, even verbalmands.

    ¡°¡­ Ah~. [Meat] means¡ª¡±

    More or less, Ichika told taught her a slightly obscured meaning of was [Meat] meant.

    Even though it was obscured, Meat definitely understood the meaning.

    For Meat, she was aware of the significance of the act with her vague memories of it.

    (So it was something like that?)

    She understood as though it happened to someone else.

    Then, she thought for a moment.

    The head of a rabbit she just found flew away while she thought. The amount of corpses increased by one.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep this a secret from Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hoh?¡±

    Ichika raised her eyebrows in inquiry.

    As for Meat, she answered while staring at the rabbit.

    ¡°This name¡­ is one Goshujin-sama gave to me for the first time, something I cherish. If my name changes now, or if it stays like this from here on, it¡¯s not a problem. So, it¡¯s fine to keep a secret.¡±

    It felt somewhat odd, but Ichika held back her response seeing Meat¡¯s bewitching smile.

    She looked like a beastkin adventurer that Ichika used to know.

    For beastkin, they instinctual felt names given to them from their parents were valuable. He said that. In fact, he held pride in being given a name associated with the hero, continuing to always exhaust himself in fulfilling it.

    Being proud of your name, you wouldn¡¯t be ashamed of it. Even she had lost her original name when she became a ve, beastkin absolutely wouldn¡¯t. Even if it looked like they cast it away on the surface.

    However, Meat¡¯s current expression looked just as determined as his. At the same time, it felt d.

    If it was put into words, it would be something like [I can do it].

    ¡­ To Ichika, she didn¡¯t think it was the expression of a child at all.

    ¡°But that¡¯s a problem huuuh, I promised Goshujin-sama. Meat-senpai also knows right? He said, ¡®Teachmon sense¡¯¡­ I can¡¯t go against a verbalmand as a ve, right?¡±

    Meat tilted her head to the side and responded.

    ¡°Ichika, you taught himmon sense. You aren¡¯t breaking the promise.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama didn¡¯t say ¡®who¡¯ to teach. Kuku, quite the schemer huh? Meat-senpai.¡±

    ¡°Will you keep it a secret from Goshujin-sama? If you tell him, I¡¯ll get mad, okay?¡±

    Judging from the looks of it, Meat¡¯s cor seemed to constrict a tiny amount.

    However, Meat simply smiled as she knocked away the final rabbit¡¯s head.

 Chapter 40

    About Time to Return

    I wonder if it¡¯s fine to leave the goblins here¡­ this isn¡¯t a field though.

    Would throwing them into the forest solve it?

    Ah, while I was thinking about that Meat and Ichika came back with the rabbits (beheaded) from the forest. That was fast.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, I hunted the meat.¡±

    I wonder if hunting stimted her dog-eared girl instincts? Meat was faintly smiling. Guess she¡¯s satisfied.

    For now, the three of us went to hanging the rabbits upside down, putting them into the bag when blood stoppeding out.

    ¡°What about the goblins¡¯ magic stones? Well, they¡¯re not much but it¡¯s nice to get some extra money as F-rank.¡±

    ¡°Goblins have magic stones?¡±

    ording to Ichika, it seems they¡¯re buried in their brains. It takes about a minute per to find the magic stone.

    Its head was sliced open with the sword and its brain scrambled around¡­ Uoeh¡­ What came out was a scrap magic stone even smaller than the one I could get with 10 DP. I guess with five of these it might be worth around the 10 DP magic stone¡­?

    ¡°It¡¯s a demon so it has a magic stone. It¡¯s pretty small, but demons have magic stones somewhere in their bodies. If the rabbits also had magic stones, they¡¯d be demon rabbits soon¡­ Hmm, I guess this¡¯d sell for a copper¡­ ah, I think it¡¯d disappear after a night of being used in that light magic tool atst night¡¯s inn.¡±

    If five goblins really did be thirty copper, it wasn¡¯t worth the time in getting its scrap magic stone for a single copper. It¡¯s obviously more profitable to use that time to hunt another goblin.

    ¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s fine to throw them away now? This takes too long.

    I got the scrap magic stone from Ichika for now. It might be useful for a golem.

    Returning to the town with rabbit meat in hand, we immediately headed to the grilled meat skewers stall.

    ¡°Oh, you brought rabbit meat?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, here. Please assess it.¡±

    He decided to purchase the headless rabbits I took out from the back.

    Of course, they were all for the highest amount of twelve copper coins. With six of them, that made seventy-two copper. I didn¡¯t get the money from him since I would receive it from the guild. Adding it to the reward from the goblins, it made around one silver and two coppers. A silver coin was a refreshing reward.

    ¡°Ku¡ª, you did a good job¡­ Eh, by some chance, is that Nee-chan your newrade?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! The name¡¯s Ichika. Good to meet ya! My~, that smells gooood. I wanna eat that meat skewer, Goshujin-sama~, buy it~?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! So An-chan? I¡¯ll throw in a small extra if you buy it, so?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well then, I¡¯ll take three.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the purchase!¡±

    Handing him fifteen copper coins, I received four meat skewers. One as a freebie for buying three seemed like a lot.

    I handed two to Ichika and one to Meat.

    ¡°Though An-chan, she¡¯s a beauty. Even the small Jou-chan has an amazing future, you¡¯re pretty attracted to looks huh.¡±

    ¡°She was a pretty good bargain. She¡¯s noisy when ites to food though.¡±

    ¡°Haha, then go ahead and be a regr customer to my shop. Ah, right. I bought the meat from An-chan, but it¡¯s even more delicious and popr than usual. If possible, I¡¯d appreciate it if you sold it on a regr basis.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t just hunt rabbits¡­ my rank went up.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, congrattions on that. It¡¯s fine if it isn¡¯t rabbits then. Boars or something like that, I¡¯d buy whatever so long as it¡¯s delicious. I was originally a butcher, with this stall as a side job. I can handle anything.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, I hunted goblins.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! Goblins are horrible no matter if you roast them or boil them ya know?¡±

    Is that so~.

    ¡°Well, could you tell me the secret to making the rabbit meat so delicious? I¡¯d offer up to twenty silver.¡±

    ¡°Heeh¡­ that¡¯s pretty generous. What if he teaches ya? Will there be delicious meat stuffs here whenever?¡±

    Ichika spoke with some strenuous effort, at least it was probably that.

    In truth, even I appreciate good meat¡­ but it¡¯d quickly spread around if I told him.

    Alright, let¡¯s not tell him.

    ¡°It¡¯s still a secret for now.¡±

    ¡°Well, can¡¯t be helped. Please let me know when you feel like it.¡±

    Since Ichika looked a bit disappointed, today¡¯s rabbit meat¡­ I had him promise to set some aside for us for a week. I paid twenty-five copper coins in advance¡­ I¡¯ll try to not forget abouting to eat here. Ichika is scary.

    After that, we headed to the guild and received the one silver and two copper coins reward.

    It was finally time to head back to the mountain. Just in case, I told them that I¡¯de back some time next week.

    We went to the west gate to return to our base.

    ¡°Hey, is that enough stuff to go to the mountains? Ah no, I know about [Storage], but¡­¡±

    ¡°Right, this doesn¡¯t seem like enough previsions to people huh.¡±

    Come to think of it, it was a bit dangerous heading to the west gatest time.

    Alright. I¡¯ll hand Ichika a silver coin from today¡¯s reward.=

    ¡°Is this enough for equipment?¡±

    ¡°For three people¡­ I thought we were getting three day¡¯s worth of food? This is enough for a week¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°We can get supplies at our base, so that¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll go and nap in the central park. Go and buy stuff with Meat.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Then, I¡¯ll buy stuff. Can I buy sweets with the change?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Just let me know roughly how much you spend.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me~ ?¡±

    I¡¯m terribly uneasy about this, but I¡¯ll trust the former C-rank adventurer.

    *

    ¡°This meat sandwich is gooood. Mmmm, the vegetables and oil from the meat intertwine and be an amaaaazing vor, artisan-level technique! A good texture and feeling. Moreover, this vor¡­ it¡¯s cheese! There¡¯s cheese in it! I¡¯m so happy. Have a good appetite¡­ eat up!¡±

    There was a food terror as soon as I woke up.

    ¡°Why are you making that face Goshujin-sama? I bought your part too, food~ food~¡±

    When I looked, Meat was also holding a sandwich in her hand. Ichika was holding two. Shrewd.

    I looked over the equipment Ichika while she ate the sandwiches.

    Flint, tent, food, canteens, pelts, food, knife, food, canteens, food¡­ oi, why so much food!?

    ¡°It¡¯s normal, if we lose it we can¡¯t eat, so I got a lot.¡±

    Well, changes of clothes aren¡¯t needed with [Cleanup], and we can use life magic to heat water or warm ourselves with [Generate Heat]. We¡¯d need the magic skill [Ignition] or a flint to make a fire though.

    For the most part, with life magic the most important thing to live in the mountains is edible food.

    A knife was convenient for processing and cooking food, and furs were forying on the ground to sleep.

    But these pelts are white and fluffy¡­ hey, aren¡¯t these rabbit furs? Why do I have a bad feeling about this?

    ¡°I put various stuff in the bag. Even though Goshujin-sama has [Storage]¡­¡±

    ¡°So, how much was it?¡±

    ¡°The sandwiches! Bargains, at six coppers each!¡±

    ¡°Not those.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that. We used it all. Aaah, it¡¯s good we were just barely able to buy the sandwiches~¡±

    Her smile looked as though she were asking to be praised for spending it all.

    Nah, in truth I thought this would happen when I handed her the silver coin. Enough food and equipment for three people for three nights with 10,000 yen would have been pretty hard. It was probably really hard.

    ¡°Seriously, Meat-senpai saved me y¡¯know? She drove down prices hard. Aah, we were lucky the clerk was a guy ?. He kept looking at my chest, because of that we saved fifteen copper.¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t that interfere with his business?

    ¡°Well, you really did well. Thanks. It would have been better for me to hand you a bit more funds huh?¡±

    ¡°What ya gave was fine though? Ah, but you can pay me in food?¡±

    ¡­ You can eat stuff like hamburgers and melon bread when we get back to the [Ordinary Cave].

    And so, now with proper equipment, we headed towards Tsuia Mountain.

    Come to think of it, I¡¯m a dungeon master but it doesn¡¯t feel like it at all. Something like being an adventurer after heading down to a human vige is definitely not a dungeon master¡¯s business.

    Has the life of staying indoors like the bandits and sleeping that I¡¯ve longed for finally arrived?

 Chapter 41

    Base (Dungeon)

    After putting our camping equipment away using [Storage] when we¡¯d reached a spot away from the town, we ran up the mountain trail almost empty-handed.

    Even though Ichika wasn¡¯t being assisted by a clothes golem, she was after all a former C-rank adventurer and was able to properly keep up.

    Although I ignored Ichika¡¯s good advice when she said we should prepare camp since it was going to be night soon, we kept our sight by using light magic tools prepared beforehand.

    We arrived at the [Ordinary Cave] when the sun had setpletely.

    ¡°Meat, time!?¡±

    ¡°Eh, the time it took!? L-let¡¯s see¡­ six hours, thirty-two minutes!¡±

    Meat answered after looking at the clock golem she took out of her pocket¡­ She replied like the boke as usual. Rather, she was keeping track of the time properly huh, amazing. [1]

    ¡°It¡¯s a pain that our speed halved after dark huh. With a bike, we could¡­ no, that wouldn¡¯t work with a mountain path huh? ¡­ Hmm? It doesn¡¯t really need to be a bike, maybe another vehicle would work?¡±

    ¡°Go~shu~jiiin-sa~ma~. I am huuungry, pre~pare~ camp?¡±

    Oops, should¡¯ve gone inside first huh. Rather, I haven¡¯t told Ichika our destination yet have I?

    ¡°We aren¡¯t going to set up camp. We¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°¡­ This is Goshujin-sama¡¯s base? I was sure it would be a vige or something¡­¡±

    I thought about it while bringing her here, but I wonder how I should exin¡­? This is home!¡ªor something?

    ¡°¡­ This is home.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a cave.¡±

    That¡¯s right. Its appearance hasn¡¯t changed since the bandits were here after all.

    ¡­ If it¡¯s going to be an inn in the future, a lot of changes need to happen huh. Wonder how I should make the dungeon a crowd puller?

    ¡°Eh it¡¯s fine, let¡¯s hurry up and go in.¡±

    While using the light magic tool, I lead Meat and Ichika into the cave. Stone floorboards paved the passage, and multiples of [Torch for Dungeon Lighting (50 DP)] illuminated the inside.

    (Still, the [Torch for Dungeon Lighting] is an amazing kind of torch that keeps burning if it isn¡¯t moved from where it¡¯s installed. I guess it uses mana as fuel.)

    ¡°Wai¡ª!? This is a dungeon!¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s this yer base!?¡±

    ¡°This is my base though?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a dungeon¡­ Ah, be careful since there¡¯s a pitfall there.¡±

    ¡°Uoh seriously, this¡¯s dangerous¡ª!?¡±

    When I opened up the map to check it out, Ichika was being treated as an intruder.

    Huh? That¡¯s strange. Despite Ichika also being my ve¡­ ah, I treated Meat as a hug pillow (item) huh.

    Meat and I both have gotten used to it recently, so I don¡¯t really feel guilty over it despite sleeping with her as my hug pillow.

    People aren¡¯t suitable for being hug pillows¡­ there was a time I thought that too. There was a problem at first when I was inexperienced and that ident happened, but she¡¯s been a veryfortable hug pillow since then¡­ Might be hot in the summer though.

    It¡¯s still pretty cool out right now, but it¡¯ll warm up eventually. Wonder what I should do¡­

    ¡°Haah, but for me who used to be a scout to not notice pitfall traps like these¡­ rather, bein¡¯ able to move so fast around these, as expected of Meat-senpai.¡±

    ¡°All of the pitfalls in this dungeon, I know them all. Fufun.¡±

    She was bragging. Well, she did make the pitfalls after all.

    ¡°All of them¡­ Huh? Isn¡¯t this the [Ordinary Cave]? But the guild said¡­ nothin¡¯ was here?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, well¡­ the guild¡¯s information is outdated. That¡¯s how it was a month ago.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, so then now¡­ it turned into this. Guess it was a transformation period.¡±

    A transformation period was the rapid growth a dungeon went through that was exined in the [Introduction to the Study of Dungeon].

    ording to Haku-san¡¯s addition, she only said it to hide the effects of a dungeon battle.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty knowledgeable.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important stuff to know. I heard it from a guy studying dungeons a while back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be counting on you in the future, seriously.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me! ¡­ Wait,e to think of it, Goshujin-sama? I was bought as a chore ve yeah? By chores was it for bein¡¯ a dungeon conquerin¡¯ meat shield?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. I want Ichika to work at the inn so you don¡¯t have to help with adventurers¡­ ah, don¡¯t touch those spears sticking out there.¡±

    ¡°Uoh¡ªwait up, Goshujin-sama! Ku¡ªlooks like this really is his base¡­ you¡¯d have to know of everything to advance that well.¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama doesn¡¯t lie.¡±

    Meat was walking smoothly in front of Ichika, she¡¯d perfectly memorized the traps¡¯ positions.

    ¡­ I just realized. Couldn¡¯t I have went in from the separated goblin room if I used dungeon core castling?

    Or rather, couldn¡¯t I be retrieved to the core room if I asked Rokuko?

    Hmm, my head is hurting.

    ¡°Oooi, Rokuko. Can you hear me~? If you can, retrieve me~¡±

    ¡°Rokuko? Is that Goshujin-sama¡¯srade? Where?¡±

    My vision was filling with white light as Ichika asked. I felt a sensation of floating, my field of view blurred, and I was suddenly in a right room.

    Right, it was the master room. Looks like Rokuko was able to retrieve me.

    Of course, Meat and Ichika also here¡­ Ichika was still being shown as an intruder on my map, though.

    ¡°Wee home, Kehma!¡±

    Turning towards the voice, I saw the blond-haired little girl-type dungeon core, Rokuko. She was smiling with her arms linked in an imposing stance.

    ¡°I¡¯m back. Feels like it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen your face, Rokuko¡±

    ¡°Really? Hasn¡¯t it just been one or two days?¡±

    A simple answer.

    Since Rokuko was a dungeon core, her longevity was also long. Her sense of time was probably different from a human like me. Haku-san said she was alive around a hundred years.

    ¡°So, Kehma. That¡¯s the new ve?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Her name¡¯s Ichika. Well, please get along well with her.¡±

    ¡°Alri~ght, pleased to meet you. I¡¯m the dungeon core, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Wai-wait up, my head isn¡¯t keepin¡¯ up¡­ dungeon core? This cute Ojou-sama isn¡¯t human?¡±

    Ichika was holding her temples.

    ¡°A human-type boss monster corebination¡­? I¡¯ve heard of it¡­ no¡­?¡±

    Though she was trying to figure it out somehow with hermon sense, it couldn¡¯t be helped since the information hermon sense was giving her was wrong to begin with.

    Unable to hold back any longer, I called her.

    ¡°Hey, Ichika.¡±

    ¡°Hey! Is Goshujin-sama¡­ perhaps¡­ the demon king!?¡±

    Why¡¯d I turn into something like that?

 Chapter 42

    Let¡¯s Build an Inn

    ¡°If I assume Goshujin-sama¡¯s a dungeon boss, it makes sense¡­ Not wanting to stand out, the secrets, and yer hidden background.¡±

    Honestly, Ichika¡¯s train of thought was on the right track.

    The dungeon master is the dungeon¡¯s ruler, in other words you could call them the boss.

    Still, dungeon masters don¡¯t exist in the [Study of Dungeons]. Instead, there were things called dungeon bosses. They were strong monsters summoned by the core itself to be bosses¡ªRokuko was a human-type, but there were other kinds like dragon-types too¡ªit was that kind of thing.

    Additionally, you could say I am a monster (?) that Rokuko summoned. You wouldn¡¯t be too off saying that I¡¯m a dungeon boss now.

    ¡°Hey, what would you do if I¡¯m the demon king?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d do anythin¡¯ if you give me delicious stuff to eat! How ¡¯bout destroy Sia? Ah, that¡¯d be a waste of good food huh, let¡¯s make it a conquest.¡±

    There¡¯s a woman that would betray the human race for tasty food right here.

    ¡°No, I want to have good rtions with the town there, I don¡¯t want them to die.¡±

    ¡°That so~. But, if ya conquer the world it¡¯d be an all-ya-can-eat of tasty food y¡¯know? It¡¯d be great¡­ How ¡¯bout we do it soon?¡±

    Correction, rather than betray the human race, she would embark on world conquest proactively.

    ¡°World domination¡­ t-that sounds amazing!¡±

    ¡°Right~? I want to eat all the things~¡±

    ¡°Kehma! How about making our dungeon¡¯s goal world conquest!?¡±

    And now the dungeon core¡¯s pumped herself up.

    ¡°No, what would we do after the conquest¡­? For now, we y it safe. Don¡¯t think about unreasonable things like that.¡±

    ¡°So yer reservin¡¯ strength?¡±

    ¡°Those that stand out are killed. So, rejected.¡±

    I don¡¯t know when god¡¯s vanguard (the hero) wille.

    If they¡¯ve gotten one or two cheats from Kami-sama, the hero probably equals death.

    ¡°Well, how about we take a rest after that run today? We¡¯ll be remodeling the dungeon tomorrow¡­ to be exact, building an inn¡­ ah, right. How about some food?¡±

    ¡°Oooh~¡­. wait a sec, in here? There a kitchen or somethin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, something like that¡­ my power, let me show you it.¡±

    I pretended to gather my strength and quickly took out a [Sweet-roll Assortment (5 DP)].

    To this dungeon that¡¯s getting 100 DP a day now, this is already just small change¡ªerr, DP¡­!

    I showed off the [Sweet-roll Assortment (5 DP)] with a flourish.

    ¡°What¡¯s¡­ this? Bread?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, Meat-san. Please eat some.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Meat tore off the stic wrapping from the curry roll.

    A spicy fragrance particr to the curry roll drifted through the air, stimting her appetite.

    ¡°What the!? My drool isn¡¯t stoppin¡ª! This bread, the heck¡­ mugu¡ª!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a [Karie Roll]. It¡¯s spicy, but tastes good.¡±

    Ichika was gagging a bit violently from Meat shoving the curry roll into her mouth.

    ¡°Oh¡ª, t-this is¡­ mmm, mmm¡ª¡­ haah, t-this smell, dangerous, my mind¡¯s goin¡¯ nk¡­!¡±

    ¡°Here, go ahead and eat more without holding back. This is Goshujin-sama¡¯s affection you know?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, nom, nom¡ª¡­ mmm, aah, sho gewd, this, this is, the besht~¡­?¡±

    3GwS5xV

    As for Ichika, since the curry was spicy, or maybe it being delicious despite being spicy, was melting into a smile with teary eyes.

    I get the feeling that eating shouldn¡¯t be like that.

    ¡°I was born toe heeere¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. If you follow Goshujin-sama, you¡¯ll get a lot more than that, you know?¡±

    ¡°I-I-I¡¯ll do anything for Goshujin-sama¡­ so, mooore.¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Looks like she¡¯s already finished them off.

    E-even though I expected it and am happy, I still didn¡¯t expect her to be that fast. Let¡¯s up the level a bit.

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s various other things you know? Rolls aren¡¯t the only thing.¡±

    ¡°Aah¡­ so unfair¡­ now that I¡¯ve tasted something like that, there¡¯s no way I could be satisfied by normal things¡­¡±

    ¡°It was just a normal roll, a roll!¡±

    ¡°Ichika, how about my favorite, the [Hamburger]?¡±

    ¡°Reaaally? Aah, I¡¯ll do it somehow¡­ ehehe.¡±

    As for those still thinking in one way or another, am I the only one?

    When I caught a glimpse of Rokuko, she was ignoring us and chewing on a melon roll.

    ¡°¡­ I-I won¡¯t give it to you you know!?¡±

    Ah, yep.

    *

    Noon the next day.

    Hmm? Why didn¡¯t I get up in the morning? Ifortably went back to sleep.

    Time to fire myself up. Let¡¯s make an inn today.

    It¡¯ll be right next to the cave entrance. I had the manufacturing golems, Tester included, dig holes for its foundations startingst night.

    Since I¡¯ll be building an inn this time, it¡¯ll take up a lot of space¡­ Ah, even though Ichika was being treated as an intruder on my map, I was able to increase the dungeon¡¯s range without any problems from in the core room.

    I guess it counts as a different floor? I need to look into it.

    ¡°Alright, so then¡­ guess I start with its foundations?¡±

    I won¡¯t be able sleep peacefully unless its foundations are done right. Since it¡¯s going to be my bed, I¡¯ll get fired up and make it.

    I pulled coarse stone out of [Storage].

    ¡°Stone, change your shape, be my servant and obey me, [Create Golem].¡±

    While pouring magical power into the stone, I recited the incantation I had done many times for the dungeon battle.

    Even though I could have done it without the incantation and just use the keyword, properly using the incantation makes the magical power consumption a tiny bit better.

    [Create Golem] is amazing, all kinds of materials can be processed into shape. It can be used for human-type things or even boards, whatever you want. Its shape can be morphed like y by pouring magical power into the raw materials, able to be handled without directly using your hands. You could even knead several copper coins into a copper ingot¡­ I wouldn¡¯t do it since it¡¯s cheaper to just buy the ingot though.

    Though it more or less turns in to a golem, it just stays as a normal object if you don¡¯t order it to do anything.

    This time, I kneaded the stone into a single huge b, covering the surface of the ground and filling the holes.

    I don¡¯t really know how to do actual construction that well, but this is a recement for concrete for now. Piercing it with iron golems to turn it into a recement for reinforced concrete, I made the foundation making sure to not mess up the mix.

    ¡­ Since I¡¯ll also need to make a bath, I¡¯ll need drainage pipes too¡­ well, it¡¯ll be fine if I force a golem through a hole afterwards. It¡¯d also be fine to just make a new area for bathing. I¡¯ll make it for now so nothing breaks though.

    I had a normal y golem help out after that,ying out board-type wood golems and affixing them. I built the hotel as though I were assembling a block¡­ Since I bonded the materials using [Create Golem], I didn¡¯t need nails. It waspletely bonded together, so it was very sturdy.

    I nailed in some nail-type golems to make it look like there were nails from the outside.

    When the walls progressed somewhat after working for a while, Ichika and Meat came out from the cave. Looks like she taught her where the traps were.

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯re ya doin¡¯ Goshujin-sam¡ªwait, seriously the heck are ya doin¡¯!?¡±

    ¡°Eh? I¡¯m just building an inn.¡±

    ¡°No no no, that¡¯s ridiculous, too ridiculous. Even just gettin¡¯ golems to help you, they weren¡¯t here when we came yesterday¡­ a dungeon master huh? They can even do things like this¡­?¡±

    No, dungeon masters have a construction function¡­ there¡¯s a [House (200,000 DP~)] in the DP catalog. It looks like there¡¯s an inn too, but we don¡¯t meet its requirements for now.

    Ah, I briefly exined what a dungeon master was to Ichika for now.

    Though I say that, I¡¯d just said [I can do various things by using my dungeon¡¯s DP]. For more detail¡­. well, I was going to speak more while we ate, but she was like ¡®that¡¯ yesterday. I could only speak a bit after she settled down, and I was tired from the exercise too.

    ¡°Oh right, Meat. It looks like we¡¯re running out of wood, so please go and cut down some trees and bring them back.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Wai¡ª, Goshujin-sama, what about a tool to cut the trees? How ¡¯bout an axe or a saw?¡±

    I silently pointed behind Ichika.

    When she turned around, Meat was holding a golem de horizontally next to a tree that was thirty centimeters in diameter.

    When she slowly pressed the de against it, it let out a loud chainsaw-like sound, cutting through the tree.

    Once, twice, three times. After the third time of cutting the tree from its opposite side, it fell.

    The fallen tree was simply collected by a golem.

    ¡°Woah, what the¡­ I¡¯ve never heard of magic swords bein¡¯ used to cut down trees.¡±

    ¡°Convenient right?¡±

    ¡°No, even though that¡¯s right, t-that¡¯s bad. Don¡¯t ya know¡­ magic swords can break too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s actually happened a few times now. It¡¯s fine already now though since she figured out how to do it.¡±

    ¡°Seriously!? ¡­ Nooo, wasteful!¡±

    That being said, the de golems were just self-proimed magic swords, and weren¡¯t actually magic swords.

    They just had a vibration function with increased sharpness, it couldn¡¯t bepared to the actual magic sword (spear) that Chloe used in the dungeon battle. Real magic swords could use magic by way of keywords.

    It was very cheap since it just cost its materials, so I could just make more if and when it breaks. Its materials didn¡¯t disappear. I could fix a broken de in ten seconds if it broke.

    ¡°How should I put it¡­ how many magic swords has Meat-senpai used?¡±

    ¡°Ah, with the twopleted versions Meat and I have¡­ I guess ten if you include the inferior versions?¡±

    ¡°That many!? C-could I have one too?¡±

    ¡­ Right,e to think of it, I haven¡¯t made a weapon for Ichika huh.

 Chapter 43

    Cheat Discovered

    ¡°Come to think of it, Ichika uses a carving knife as a weapon right?¡±

    ¡°Daggers, spears, I can even use traps, but my main weapon is a carving knife.¡±

    Carving knife, carving knife huh¡­ Yep, let¡¯s make one.

    ¡°Ichika. Please get me a tree branch.¡±

    ¡°Understood. But, why do ya want a branch?¡±

    ¡°To make Ichika a weapon.¡±

    ¡°¡­ With a branch of wood? I said I could use a lot of stuff, but clubs aren¡¯t my strong point y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Just bring me a tree branch to use. Oh, it doesn¡¯t have to berge. It¡¯s just going to be the hilt.¡±

    ¡°Nn, I¡¯ll bring one immediately.¡±

    While Ichika went to pick up a branch, I took an iron ingot out of [Storage].

    With this, I can use [Create Golem]. Guess I¡¯ll make a carving knife de golem from the iron ingot this time? Well, I can do it.

    Meanwhile, Ichika returned holding a branch. I used the life magic [Dehydrate] to take moisture out of the branch. I made the hilt after kneading it, affixing the two together to make the carving knife golem. Furthermore, it was an all-purpose carving knife.

    Finally, I made it so that the de golem would vibrate at an ultra high speed when you poured magical power into it¡­ the magic sword carving knife golem wasplete.

    Even if I¡¯m saying it myself, it¡¯s really good. I¡¯m fond of it.

    ¡°Alright, is this carving knife good?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª, ah¡ª, un.¡±

    Ichika, who was watching me manufacture it, receipted the carving knife golem with her mouth hanging open.

    ¡°Huh? Eh? How?¡±

    ¡°Kukukku, this is my magic, [Maker]¡­! A magic that can make anything! I can easily make something like a carving knife if I use my magic!¡±

    ¡°Whaaaa¡ª, I haven¡¯t even heard of that¡­ is it a unique skill!?¡±

    Oops, I was just saying it as a prank, but it looks like Ichika seriously believed me. Surprising.

    I corrected her in a panic when I noticed.

    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I was just showing off a bit. It¡¯s really just me using [Create Golem].¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Wait a sec, there¡¯s no way [Create Golem] can do stuff like that!? You made a golem with magic!¡±

    Her getting more and more surprised despite me correcting myself was amusing.

    Still, it went beyond Ichika¡¯s permissible range ofprehension as expected. In the end, she said there¡¯s no way it could do it.

    In other words, I¡¯m pretty far away frommon sense.

    ¡°Eh? But this is a golem you know? It¡¯s a carving knife-type one though.¡±

    ¡°U-umm, Goshujin-sama. Golems are humanoid¡­ legs, arms, head, body¡­ umm¡­ ahhh I don¡¯t get it¡­ I know ya don¡¯t followmon sense, but this¡­!¡±

    I wonder if the skill normally isn¡¯t used like this? It¡¯s such a good idea though.

    ¡°It is¡­ but, it¡¯s mostly just talked about. Kinda like how ya can make hot water by shooting a [Fireball] at water¡­ To apply a skill to somethin¡¯ different, just those mages that specialize in skill research can to that. Even with that, some of the less skilled ones would take their entire life to make a single skill¡­ un, Goshujin-sama, it¡¯s not a bad thing. Ya should call it [Maker] instead of [Create Golem] now. Ya could hand it down in yer family as a unique skill like a secret or somethin¡¯.¡±

    Huh? Then wouldn¡¯t the incantation change if I did that?

    Right now, the incantation is more or less, ¡°Soil, change your shape, be my servant and obey me, [Create Golem].¡± Ah, the soil part would change to what¡¯s being used. It¡¯d change slightly depending on wood, stone, and iron.

    Though it¡¯s a bit harder if the materials are mixed, I guess the magical power consumption is a bit better when I say the correct material. Still, for some reason the consumption bes huge if I say tree branch if the actual material were stone.

    ¡­ Ah, so that¡¯s it. It¡¯s fine to move the words around a little, so I guess changing it¡¯s fine? Let¡¯s give it a shot.

    ¡°Tree branch, change your shape, obey me, [Maker].¡±

    Ooh, it worked. Its shape changed when I filled it with magical power. The bark peeled down the branch as it turned into proper strings.

    Then I sessfully made a sheath (sheath golem) from the tree branch.

    ¡°Magic is pretty openly used huh¡­ ah, but [Create Golem]¡¯s a bit easier on magical power, I guess it¡¯s because I¡¯m used to it? Might be a problem of experience.¡±

    ¡°No no no, I just said to call it [Maker], but to change the incantation and the keyword!? Rather, how the heck did you change them!? Magic words are cryptic!¡±

    Hmm?

    ¡°By cryptic¡­. do you mean you don¡¯t normally understand what the incantations mean?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s pretty much thenguage from an ancient magic civilization, I¡¯ve heard stories about it, but no one really knows what the incantations mean.¡±

    Oh. Oooh, I see, so that¡¯s it. I get it now.

    Apparently, even though I¡¯m hearing them as normal words, it seems that that¡¯s due to Trantion Function-san doing his best.

    And he¡¯s properly tranting the meaning of what I say into the incantation.

    Holy crap, the ability to understand words I got from Kami-sama was a cheat.

    ¡­ Isn¡¯t just that enough to survive? No, it¡¯d be bad if I stood out as something like a dungeon master, rejected, rejected! Let¡¯s just use this cheat for myself.

    ¡°Ah, so how¡¯s the carving knife? I can personalize it for your grip.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t need to do anything, the hilt feels perfect in my hand like I¡¯ve used it forever. W-what¡¯s with yer masterful technique? Amazing¡­¡±

    Though all I did was reproduced a carving knife from my memories, looks like the hilt¡¯s ergonomics would be its selling point. (It seemed that this world¡¯s carving knifes and swords were adjusted by winding a leather strip around the hilt.)

    ¡°So try and cut a branch while pouring magical power into it.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Magical power¡­ no way, this¡¯s a magic sword!?¡±

    Ichika raised her voice in astonishment.

    Eh, it¡¯s not you know? It¡¯s a magic sword (self-proimed).

    Ichika poured magical power into it, activating the carving knife golem.

    She quickly brought the carving knife towards the two centimeter thick branch I had set up, swinging it in a meticulous manner.

    ¡°Wooah, there almost wasn¡¯t any resistance.¡±

    ¡°Good, again. Three this time.¡±

    Though it could easily cut a single one, with three branches¡­ it was still cut through like tofu by the carving knife golem that was filled with magical power.

    ¡°This is¡­ perfectly a magic sword huh.¡±

    ¡°That so?¡±

    ¡°Weapons that have special effects when you pour magical power into them are called [Magic Swords]. And some have [Increased Sharpness]¡­ it didn¡¯t look like it earlier, but it has an amazing sharpness doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    If that¡¯s how it was, the magic sword de golem was definitely a magic sword. Not just self-proimed, I did it huh.

    ¡°Magic swords¡­ are unexpectedly really easy to make huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Gaaaaaaaah! This is¡ª! Magic swords are normally gotten from dungeons! Although there¡¯re artificial magic swords, they have way worse effects, and it takes master cksmiths and mages many days to make one! There¡¯s absolutely no way ya just made one in yer hands with that tiny amount of time y¡¯know!?¡±

    Woah, I feel sorry for some reason.

    ¡°Uuu, if I had this carving knife when I was C-rank, I could¡¯a reached B-rank¡­ wouldn¡¯t this be worth a lot of money if it got sold? Without a doubt it¡¯d be worth more than me, a lot of gold coins.¡±

    I heard something good. It was something that was free that could be used for a lot of money.

    ¡­ I could also arrange it as a dungeon treasure huh.

    I could sell it for myself too¡­ ah, that¡¯s no good. I¡¯d definitely stand out if I suddenly showed up with some of these.

    By the way, when I looked into the DP catalog for normal magic swords, they started at 10,000 DP.

    It looked like there were various effects, but one around the same as the de golem¡¯s was around 20,000 DP.

    ¡­ Since high grade magic swords couldn¡¯t be bought with DP either, wouldn¡¯t it be a problem if I revealed a number of these?

    Haah, the de golem and shield golem might be fine though. If it constantly vibrated¡­ hmmm, it¡¯d probably be pretty strong¡­ maybe I should do that¡­? I don¡¯t get it that well. Might be useless to think about.

    At any rate, it¡¯d be great if I can prepare some eye-catching stuff myself.

    It would be good if I could use some other functions too¡­ like using magic.

    Next time I might try and see if I can make a golem that uses magic. Yep, next time. Eventually. I won¡¯t forget about it.

    ¡­ She said it was worth a lot, but I wonder how much it¡¯d actually be worth? I¡¯m afraid there are still some drawbacks to the de golem though, so I don¡¯t really care about it.

 Chapter 44

    Making an Inn and Employee Uniform

    (Maid Clothes)

    Now then, the inn is pretty much done.

    It¡¯s two stories tall, there¡¯s even a room with a window. I made it from the leftovers of the potion bottles from before. I could only make one room with one since there wasn¡¯t much left though.

    ¡­ Yep, let¡¯s make it my room.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, there isn¡¯t a kitchen nor a dining room?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll add them.¡±

    ¡°U-umm, Goshujin-sama. There isn¡¯t a restroom¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll make the plumbing.¡±

    ¡°Kehma! I want a reception room too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll make a separate kennel for you.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s it just me that¡¯s treated so badly!? I¡¯m your partner!¡±

    ¡°Guess that went over your head, isn¡¯t it because we¡¯re partners that we say stuff like that?¡±

    ¡°I-is that so. Good then!¡±

    While gettingments from mypanions, the inn production advanced steadily.

    Then, as it was getting dark, the inn waspleted.

    ¡­ No, not yet. The bath wasn¡¯t sufficient. If you¡¯re talking about a mountain inn, it has to be an onsen. [1]

    For that, I added a small room onto the back of the inn for the bathhouse on the second day.

    Perfectly surrounding the area with a wooden wall, I made an open-air styled building with just a roof held up by pirs. This part was easier than the inn, it took just an hour. With this, our sales might be enough with just taking the bath into ount.

    Now, the essential hot water¡­

    When I checked the DP catalog, there was a [Water Source (1000 DP)].

    Getting a golem to dig a hole, I nned to make an onsen by setting it up near a heat source underground.

    Since Tsui Mountain was something like a volcano, there was the potential of being able to dig up a real onsen. If there was a waterway underground near a heat source, it could turn into an onsen just by digging it up¡­ I¡¯d have to leave whether or not I¡¯d find one up to chance though.

    So to hunt for an underground heat source, I dug into the soil with a drill golem that was around thirty centimeters in diameter.

    This drill golem was a great idea if I do say so myself. It was better than a pickax or shovel that you¡¯d have to use your hands with, this golem was made so that it could move itself. I wonder if I should call it a crawler then? It dug a tunnel with its personal drill, digging the hole efficiently.

    Though I¡¯d be troubled over how to deal with the stone and soil it digs afterwards if I was still in Japan, the physicalbor gets resolved by having it collected by the dungeon. So long as Rokuko collects the stone and soil as resources in the dungeon¡¯s area, it can just focus on digging.

    ¡­ Hey, why didn¡¯t Ie up with this sooner? It would¡¯ve been able to easily construct the undergroundbyrinth floor for the dungeon battle. If I made it before I made the drones with the potion bottles, I could¡¯ve secured some more time to sleep.

    By changing from pickax and golem to drill golem and golem, the mining speed for digging to the goblin room would also increase.

    I don¡¯t need to dig for golem materials anymore since I¡¯ve already done that, but I think it¡¯s fine to just let it be and have it tunnel to the other side of the mountain.

    When the tunnel¡¯s done, maybe I could set up a toll fee or something?

    Fufufu, expand, my dreams! A dream I can see even when I wake up is good too.

    By the way, I entrusted Rokuko and golems with digging holes in order to expand the dungeon¡¯s floors downward. From the know-how they got from the dungeon battle, they were able to dig holes considerably efficiently and could maintain a rate of one floor per day. It¡¯s fine if we just made the walls with golems or DPter on, so they just made wide spaces for now.

    ¡­ Yeah, using DP for it would be dangerous. It takes 5,000 DP to add a floor¡­ I want to make it deep before I open the inn though.

    Right now there are two above ground floors and three underground floors byrinth on the second one), five floors total.

    I want to add at least two more floors; I estimate it¡¯ll be around 10,000 DP per floor with contents included¡­ I should probably expect 20,000 DP to disappear.

    So then it would leave 60,000 DP over huh? It¡¯s going away, slowly but surely. I¡¯m a bit anxious that it might keep going down until it reaches one digit again soon.

    *

    I prepared a clothes golem for Ichika.

    This one was modeled after the [Navy Blue Set of Maid Clothes (500 DP)]. When I was looking for good clothes for a receptionist, they were just right. They were closer to cosy than real maid clothing, but it included everything from underwear and shoes to gloves and the hairband, as well as the main part of the maid outfit. 500 DP for that was pretty cheap.

    Oh yeah, there were thigh highs as well of course, a garter belt too. I won¡¯t concede on this. It¡¯s for efficiency you know? Really, really. They won¡¯t be able to assist her that well without them going over her knees~.

    I was a bit embarrassed when I was turning the underwear and thigh highs into golems, but I properly made all of the clothes golems with magic stones embedded in them.

    Still, what¡¯s with this world? I asked about it when Haku-san¡¯s attendant was wearing butler clothing, but it seems there were maid clothes too. The cloth in this world covered a decent range of materials. There won¡¯t be any problems¡­ probably.

    ¡°These clothes are soooo cute! Is it really ¡®kay for me to have ¡¯em!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, go ahead and wear them.¡±

    ¡°Aah, that¡¯s so nice~. Kehma, give me some too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ning for Rokuko to be the owner, so I¡¯ll be preparing some that look like the dress Haku-san was wearing for you.¡±

    ¡°Yay! Thanks, Kehma! I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be making matching clothes for Meat since you¡¯ll also be an inn employee. Please make sure to wear them in the future.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    While worrying about Meat¡¯s maid clothing¡¯s size adjustments, I handed Ichika all of her maid clothes.

    ¡°Uwaaah, these¡¯rece underwear. So Goshujin-sama had those tastes¡­¡±

    ¡°My preference is more the stockings than those.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama is a leg person? Were somethin¡¯ like beautiful legs and feet part of the reason for buyin¡¯ me perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, he also told me that he valued legs.¡± [1]

    ¡°Hohoh¡­ hey, Goshujin-sama. Wanna watch me put the stockin¡¯s on?¡±

    ¡°¡­ W-why would I?¡±

    ¡°A ve can¡¯t deny their Goshujin-sama, y¡¯know?¡±

    Crap, I want to see it. Seriously, I really want to watch!

    ¡°¡­ Wait, hold up. Why¡¯re there magic stones in these clothes?¡±

    ¡°Eh? So they can still assist when you go outside the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I should¡¯a asked somethin¡¯ before that¡­ these¡¯re magic clothing?¡±

    ¡°Magic clothing?¡±

    Though it was the first time I¡¯d heard that term, ording to her, it seems that it was equipment that disyed effects simr to magic swords when you poured magic power into them. So it was obvious that if there were magic swords you could do it with equipment too huh.

    Since having increased sharpness was enough to make them magic swords, the movement assist and power enhancement was probably enough of a special effect.

    Magic clothing wasn¡¯t produced like magic swords were, and it looks like she¡¯s never heard of something like cloth magic clothing.

    ¡­ It won¡¯t be leaked out if even she¡¯s never heard of them. Alright, there¡¯s no problem with using them freely, so let¡¯s do that.

    Footnotes:

    Onsens are hot springs. Return

    Feet/legs¡­ in Japanese, for this, they are the same. Keima likes both. Return

 Chapter 45

    Meat¡¯s Misguided Common Sense

    ¡°Come to think of it, even though we¡¯re getting new clothes, what about Kehma?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving the ves¡¯ work to Rokuko to handle. I¡¯ll be going with the setting that azy adventurer reserved a room with gold to sleep in.¡±

    ¡°Uwaah, that sounds like a failure of a person somehow¡­ isn¡¯t it better to have a ve do it?¡±

    Yep, even I think I¡¯m a failed case. I¡¯m not denying it, it¡¯s a fact.

    ¡°So long as I can sleep, I don¡¯t care about my reputation. Isn¡¯t my reputation bad in Sia too? That I leave Meat to clean the restrooms alone in the restroom cleaningmissions.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it could be that bad, seein¡¯ how that¡¯s usually a ve¡¯s job¡­ But for Meat-senpai to clean restrooms alone huh¡­ It¡¯s pretty rough, but well, I think that¡¯s obvious for a ve.¡±

    ¡°Well, since I¡¯m actually cleaning it in one go with [Cleanup], Meat doesn¡¯t really resent me¡­ that way, I can sleepfortably. It¡¯s perfect.¡±

    ¡°I-I would never resent Goshujin-sama!¡±

    Fufufu, that¡¯s right. I wouldn¡¯t be able to have my way and sleep if I had to pay attention to my hug pillow having a grudge with me would I?

    I patted Meat¡¯s head. Her tail wagged adorably.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think Goshujin-sama¡¯s peaceful sleep has anythin¡¯ to do with it¡­ does Meat-senpai really just stand and hold the cleaning tools for the restroom? Sounds like a pretty easy job.¡±

    ¡°Right, she holds the tools.¡±

    ¡­ Huh? Come to think of it, I don¡¯t have any cleaning tools.

    ¡°¡­ Meat, did someonee while you were waiting and ask if you had tools to clean with?¡±

    ¡°Yes, someone did.¡±

    ¡°How did you answer?¡±

    ¡°I answered saying that I properly cleaned with my hands, feet, and mouth!¡±

    Meat responded, full of self confidence. Hooold up.

    ¡°Hold up, that¡¯s a pretty intense response. Why did you say that?¡±

    ¡°Fueh? W-was that no good? I¡¯m so sorry¡ª¡±

    When Meat¡¯s face started turning blue as she was getting flustered, Ichika seemed to think of something.

    ¡°Aaah, Goshujin-sama, can I butt in a sec? ¡­ Perhaps, could Meat-senpai¡¯ve been¡­ sold by the dark slums¡¯ ve dealer?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yeah, I got her from a bandit that bought her from there.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it¡­¡±

    Ichika was the only one to understand, her expression seemed a little sad. After that, she stood in front of Meat.

    ¡°Meat-senpai! ¡­ Normally, brushes¡¯re used to clean restrooms! It¡¯s fine to fetch water from a well too! Ya don¡¯t need to use your own body to clean with!¡±

    ¡°¡± Eh¡ª!? ¡°¡±

    What Ichika said with deadly seriousness surprised me. However, as for Meat, she seriously seemed to not know that. Double the surprise! That slum ve dealer, what a cruel person!

    ¡°Un, you¡¯re safe and sound and have beautiful clothes now. The way slum ve dealers treats their ves are the worst¡­ if a young beastkin bes a ve, it¡¯s the worst of the worst. Most die before they¡¯re sold. Of course they wouldn¡¯t have somethin¡¯ likemon sense with lives like that¡­ Meat-senpai, ya really did yer best¡­¡±

    Ichika stroked Meat¡¯s head while tightly embracing her.

    ¡­ Having your face buried in that chest seems like it¡¯d be kinda painful.

    ¡°The number of ves that die from illness destroyin¡¯ their health by doin¡¯ things like restroom cleaning ain¡¯t few. Even though they¡¯re children, they¡¯re beastkin so their vitality gets taken advantage of¡­ it¡¯s also natural for them to be hit or kicked to kill time. They get targeted by skills, cryin¡¯ endlessly as their limbs or ears get chopped off. A beastkin kid is just a few copper coins, nothin¡¯ more than ythin¡¯s for ¡¯em¡­ Even if they luckily survived, there¡¯s no such thing as an upright owner that would buy ¡¯em in the slums, there¡¯d only be hell left for ¡¯em in the world.¡±

    I don¡¯t get it but I think I just heard something pretty incredible.

    ¡°¡­ Meat, you¡¯ve had an even worse time than me.¡±

    ¡°R-Rokuko-sama?¡±

    From the opposite side as Ichika, Rokuko also embraced Meat.

    ¡°Even though I¡¯m a dunce among dungeon cores, even though I¡¯ve been bullied, it wasn¡¯t that bad because I had Haku Ane-sama. Un, I¡¯ll treat you more kindly from now on!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-sama¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll even give you some of my melon roll. A mouthful!¡±

    ¡­ That somehow feels like a huge show of affection,ing from Rokuko.

 Chapter 46

    The Inn¡¯s Program

    ¡­ The story about the slum¡¯s dark ve trader is horrible.

    Well, I¡¯ll just bust apart the slums then! Free all of the beastkin ves! I have no intention of doing any of that. I don¡¯t feel like taking responsibility.

    If I can do away with all danger I¡¯ll do so, though to start with I don¡¯t think I can do that. Hero, I beg you, be an unparalleled soft-heart.

    Meat was doing her best to liberate herself from Ichika¡¯s chest. She was starting to suffocate.

    ¡°Oops! Sorry, Meat-senpai. Ya alright?¡±

    ¡°Y-yesh¡­¡±

    She seems a bit dizzy, but it looks like she¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Ah, Kehma. Our conversation wandered a bit, but please give me more details on that [Setting] thing from a bit ago.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? I was just saying I¡¯d put Rokuko in charge of the ves to deal with adventurers. I would¡­¡±

    I decided to talk about the inn¡¯s program.

    Though the reason I wanted to build an inn in the first ce was to secure a ce to sleep, the Ordinary Cave suddenly turned into a better dungeon than the average one. What now?

    Answer: Something that isn¡¯t suspicious.

    That being the case, I decided to exin it to them in order to get us on the same page.

    First of all, the matter of Haku-san actually being a cooperator.

    ¡°The owner of this inn is Rokuko-san, the younger sister of the A-Rank adventurer, Haku-san. It was made so quickly because we had the help of Haku-san¡¯s adventurer acquaintances. So far so good?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, if Haku Ane-sama¡¯s acquaintances helped out an inn could be built in a day. Like it was brought from somewhere. Though it was actually Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Right. Well, even though me building it is a secret, it¡¯s a hassle.¡±

    I got her agreement. Haku-san gave me the conditions for the situation of Rokuko being the [A-Rank Adventurer Haku]¡¯s [Younger Sister].

    I had to pledge that Rokuko wouldn¡¯t be against her social position. Though there may be people who would attack Rokuko due to a grudge against Haku-san, this is a dungeon. We could just retreat to to the master room if it gets dangerous. We could even be there however long we need.

    ¡°And since I just happened to be nearby and ran into Haku-san, I decided to lend Rokuko, who was Haku-san¡¯s younger sister, some ves to work for her. Then, I became a good-for-nothing adventurer that just sleeps all day after renting out one of the inn¡¯s rooms. That¡¯s the [Setting].¡±

    ¡°Kehma just wants to sleep¡­ that [Setting] is really just¡­¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about Rokuko, in reality I would be the dungeon master.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right!¡±

    Well, I didn¡¯t lie since I didn¡¯t say that I won¡¯t be the dungeon master!

    Besides, ves work tofort their owner. In a sense it¡¯s how it should be.

    Though it looks like things such as inn repair and dungeon administering are things that only I can do¡­

    ¡°Hmm? If that¡¯s how the [Setting] will be, how¡¯s Kehma gonna do anythin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°I made the room to be easy to sneak in and out of. Could I do my work as a dungeon master in front of other people?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­¡±

    Well, there might be some various other things that stand out.

    However, they¡¯ll just let small inconsistencies slide with [Well, it¡¯s because he¡¯s an A-Rank adventurer]!

    ¡°It¡¯s perfect!¡±

    ¡°Right? I can sleep soundly then~¡±

    ¡°Hey¡­ Goshujin-sama and Rokuko-sama, the A-rank adventurer¡­ do you really know Haku, the [White-Winged Goddess]?¡±

    ¡°That? Yeah, there¡¯s no problem since we¡¯ve gotten permission from her. She said we could use her name as much as we liked if it¡¯s for Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°S-seriously? If so¡­ well, un, there¡¯s a tsukkomi to toss in there but it¡¯s ¡®kay. The [White-Winged Goddess] is an A-Rank that¡¯s friends with the higher ups in the imperial capital. Her partner, the [ck-Winged Devil] Chloe, and the other four of her party members, the [Four Kings], make up the S-Rank party known as the [Dungeon Busters] when they are all present. They have so much power that ya have no choice but to ept it no matter what.¡±

    Ichika was saying that it would probably be alright.

    Incidentally, the reason the inn was set up at the dungeon here was Haku-san¡¯s whim. She transferred ownership to Rokuko, a rtive that she trusted. That was the setting I asked Haku-san for in advance.

    It was a setting where she could drop by and visit the inn on the pretext that she wasing to see her younger sister.

    Most of all, Haku-san oversaw the making of this setting¡­ you could even say it was more or less Haku-san¡¯s idea.

    After the dungeon battle, Haku-san asked, ¡°What will you do from now on?¡±

    I answered, ¡°Make an inn.¡±

    But then, ¡°Ah, then how about making Rokuko its owner¡­? That way, it¡¯ll be fine to give my cooperation. You can use my name as an adventurer, but in return, do it properly alright?¡±

    She¡¯d given me the green light.

    I didn¡¯t think that far ahead though.

    Though I wanted a hot-spring hotel, it wouldn¡¯t have just been at the level of suspicious or out of ce if an inn just suddenly sprung up next to a dungeon. When I was wondering what to do, I got an excuse by using an A-Rank adventurer to bulldoze the problem.

    Or rather, Haku-san even went past my expectations as an adventurer¡­ even their nickname was awesome, the [Dungeon Busters]. Did they destroy dungeons? Well, other than her own [White Labyrinth] I guess.

    ¡°But since Rokuko-sama is her sister, the [Dungeon Busters]¡¯ leader is a dungeon core. The irony is hrious y¡¯know.¡±

    Hahaha. That¡¯s right huh? Just the fact that the leader is a dungeon core is enough.

    Ah, Ichika still doesn¡¯t know about Haku-san¡¯s identity. Even if she¡¯s a ve, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to just lightly say to her though.

    ¡­ What? It¡¯s fine yeah? It¡¯s alright like this you know?

    Really, I¡¯m just taking Ichika¡¯s detailedmon sense from this world and condensing it down to the finer points, I think it¡¯s fine¡­?

    To say it myself, I think my persuasiveness is wed~.

    I don¡¯t need to think about being something like Haku-san¡¯s mysterious earth mage acquaintance, Narikin, right? Doesn¡¯t seem necessary¡­ [1]

    ¡­ I don¡¯t actually need to go and make a secret disguise right?

    Footnotes:

    Narikin means ¡®Upstart¡¯. Well, it both does and doesn¡¯t~Return

 Chapter 47

    ns for Ranking Up

    On the third day of the inn construction¡­ I decided to make into a rest day to recover my magical power.

    I didn¡¯t really need to recover it though. When I was chugging down the crazy number of mana potions to use [Create Golem] for the dungeon battle, I hardly felt my magical power being used making the golems. I felt like I¡¯d been working a ton recently, so I decided to take a break for my mental health.

    Ah, it¡¯d be great if the drill golem struck a hot spring while I¡¯m resting.

    There¡¯s still something to make. Even if stocking up on ingredients to eat uses DP, I shouldn¡¯t use that as an excuse to not prepare something. I¡¯ve been thinking about making a garden. Fortunately, the beet-radish field I made with the experimental golem Tester a bit ago has been turning out well. Let¡¯s add to the vegetable garden.

    Well, if I buy vegetable seeds with DP, I should just need to instruct the golems to construct a fence surrounding the field.

    Since Ichika and Meat have also been cutting down an amazing number of trees these past two days, they¡¯re also taking a break with me.

    When I dried the felled trees with the life magic [Dehydrate], Ichika stared with her eyes opened wide¡­ but the trees cracked from drying out all at once from [Dry].

    I used [Create Golem] to mend them back together though, so there was no problem.

    Well, when I ced down my futon in the master room, Ichika started to speak with me.

    ¡°¡­ Come to think about it, Goshujin-sama¡¯s F-rank right? No matter how ya look at it, this is an E-Rank dungeon, and if there¡¯s magic swords it¡¯s probably even D-Rank so ya can¡¯t enter right?¡±

    ¡­ Didn¡¯t think about that.

    Crap. It¡¯s not something uncool like I wasn¡¯t going to go back to it despite it being my dungeon. There¡¯s also the possibility of me getting excluded in general and being unable to return. Normally, there¡¯d even be the possibility that I¡¯d get locked out and be unable to return.

    Even though I haven¡¯t finished the inn somehow or another.

    I wonder what the quickest way to raise my rank is? The requirement to improve ranks from F-Rank to E-Rank is toplete ten or more F-Rankmissions, as well as an examination done by the guild. A practical battle exam.

    ¡°Setting aside the exam, for themissions¡­ the only F-Rankmission I know about is the goblin subjugation one.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not just goblin subjugations though? I did boar huntin¡¯ at that rank.¡±

    For this reason, my job is to remove the right ears from our summoned goblins as part of subjugation proof¡­

    ¡­ Eh, as expected I can¡¯t do something like that to ones I summoned myself. Compared to the goblins living in the wild, summoned goblins like Gobsuke even have my gratitude from saving the dungeon core. I can¡¯t do something so brutish.

    ¡°Have to search for wild goblins huh¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want goblin right ears, why not just use DP?¡±

    ¡°Hah? Rokuko, you, that¡¯s¡­ possible?¡±

    ¡°It should be? Are¡¯t there treasures like dragon ws?¡±

    Now that you mention it, there isn¡¯t any reason for there to not be. I looked through the treasure list. But, it wasn¡¯t there. As expected, it¡¯s pretty hard to call goblin ears treasures.

    I looked through the other pages without giving up¡­ There it is. In the alchemy material list.

    Goblin¡¯s right ear. One for 6 DP. Five for 30 DP. Thirty copper each. It didn¡¯t exactly match up to the reward.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ve already finished one before¡­ forty-five of them huh? 270 DP¡­¡±

    Around two day¡¯s worth of our current DP ie.

    Ah, Ichika¡¯s here right now so our daily ie is 160 DP.

    That is to say, it went up by 60 DP per day. Going through the simple calctions, that meant she had the strength of around three bandits? As expected of a C-Rank adventurer, incredible¡­!

    ¡°Rather, goblin right ears are alchemy materials, what are they used for¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It doesn¡¯t really need to be the right ear, but they get scattered across fields as fertilizer. The guild was originally troubled on how to dispose of the right ears they collected from subjugationmissions, but they came up with a recipe to get rid of ¡¯em.¡±

    Adventurers could resubmit ears that were discarded as-is, so it looks like they had to use them somehow. There are people like that after all¡­ wait, I¡¯m one of those people too for trying something like this? This is a brand new right ear, but I can¡¯t really say I did themission honestly. The original purpose of it was to root out the goblins in fields.

    Well, yeah, it¡¯s fine. Time is worth more than being frugal here. The only thing written on themission ticket is goblin right ears, so it isn¡¯t fraud.

    ¡°A trivial problem for my demon king Goshujin-sama?¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯m not the demon king.¡±

    Then, it became a problem of where to hunt.

    That is, I arranged goblin spawners in the dungeon. It looked like each goblin spawner could have up to five goblins at a time. It could spawn another at any time when one died if it had mana to use.

    ¡­ I also want to install some golem spawners in thebyrinth¡­ 10,000 DP each. It¡¯s even five for one¡­ golems are monsters that have magic stones, so that¡¯s fine. They¡¯re considered an ie source for adventurers too, so it might be a goodmodity.

    And so, five goblin spawners on the first floor, with two more in thebyrinth on the third floor with three golem spawners. Now to make the fourth and fifth underground floors¡­ well, they¡¯re still not needed. I still don¡¯t even know if customers will evene to a suspicious ce like this.

    ¡­ 20,000 DP remaining. Yeah, shouldn¡¯t I be happy there¡¯s still that much left? Losing my fortune isn¡¯t good for my mental state, even more so when I¡¯m resting.

    ¡°Ichika, do you know the conditions for bing D-Rank from E-Rank?¡±

    ¡°Certainly¡­ one hundred totalmissions, as well as a guild examination. They will look at your one-on-one fighting skills. Well, it¡¯ll be an easy win for Goshujin-sama and Meat-senpai.¡±

    ¡­ One-on-onebat¡­ it¡¯d be bad if I didn¡¯t have a n.

    Fortunately, Ichika is a former C-Rank. If the clothes golem learns Ichika¡¯s movements in detail, it¡¯ll be a considerable power up.

    ¡°Ichika is skilled enough to raise her rank up to C-Rank solo huh. So that means you¡¯re pretty strong? Perhaps you¡¯re strong enough to be a knightmanding officer?¡±

    ¡°No waaay, though I think I¡¯, be stronger than an unskilled ce¡¯smander¡­. well, going head-on against a minotaur would be hard.¡±

    So you can¡¯t be C-Rank without that much¡­ No, saying it another way, you can only do it if you have the skill?

    That is, skills other than magic. A strong shing attack like [sh] or something. It¡¯d probably be good to learn that.

    ¡°Want to practice a bit? ¡­ With Meat.¡±

    ¡°What about Goshujin-sama?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be watching, it¡¯s an important role.¡±

    I¡¯ll make sure to watch them through Menu-san¡¯s surveince monitor so that I can record them.

    Having the golems practice and master the movements until they¡¯re natural is an important job.

    As for their one-on-one sparring partners, I just have to make a golem that¡¯s even more human like than the standard human-type golems, there¡¯s no problem.

    ¡°Ah, but well ya can just go through a dungeon and don¡¯t need to go through a rank up solo or anything y¡¯know? It¡¯s easier to go through ranking up with party rank and not solo rank. So long as everyone¡¯s together ya can be recognized as that rank as long as ya have a fixed party like that, that is. We could be a C-Rank party if I¡¯m in it.¡±

    Party rank. Feels like a system with a condition attached. Ah,e to think of it, didn¡¯t Haku-san say her party were all S-Rank yesterday?

    I wonder if it¡¯s a system meant for mages and support-types not good at personalbat, or maybe it¡¯s for aristocrats?

    If a big shot person wants to dive into a dungeon but doesn¡¯t have the rank for it, they could be considered a C-Rank party if they included a guard. Something like that.

    It seems the written exam also gives credit based on the party, probably for being able to bring muscle-brained warriors into dungeons.

    In any case, looks like we¡¯ll be able to rank up easily with Ichika, who¡¯s a former C-Rank.

    ¡°Well, Meat-senpai¡¯s fighting strength is better than a C-Rank¡¯s~¡­ un.¡±

    Eh, are you pulling my leg here? ¡­ I had the feeling, but okay then.

 Chapter 48

    Onsen

    The fourth day of the inn¡¯s construction.

    We have plenty enough timber, so lets have the mock fight between Ichika and Meat.

    Meat and Ichika were clothed in the [Clothes Golem Version 2], the maid clothes golem.

    For weapons, they had a wooden dagger and wooden carving knife respectively. Just the shapes.

    ¡°Uooh-!? What¡¯re with these clothes, even though I¡¯m not putting in any strength there¡¯s such an incredibly power¡­ heeeh, so this was the secret of Meat-senpai¡¯s strength. The mobility efficiency certainly doesn¡¯t match how it looks, I can move however I want!¡±

    ¡°For Goshujin-sama¡¯s sake, try out various movements.¡±

    My job is to spectate the mock battle¡­ though I say that, the monitor I opened up from the menu is properly recording it all.

    If I substitute the repeated practice of those movements with having my clothes record their movements, it will fullyplete the clothes golem¡¯s movement assistance function.

    It¡¯s easier than going through the motions one by one myself. If it were a robot I¡¯d have to go through and program things like the angle of the feet and arms myself after all.

    Even if I can¡¯t do anything, it¡¯ll be fine with these two strong people. This is a really good n for the party rank. To begin with, I didn¡¯t want to be an adventurer. I just want to sleep in peace.

    Nevertheless, I¡¯ve been feeling that I should do more things recently. I don¡¯t get it.

    Alright, well! Let¡¯s rest this day away with gusto! So, I spread the bedding out on the tatami mats in my own room of the inn as the two were having their mock battle recorded outside.

    ¡°Kehma! We hit an underground water source! Moreover, it¡¯s warm!¡±

    ¡­ And just when I tried to take a nap.

    Well, this is also good. We found a hot spring¡­

    ¡°Well let¡¯s make it into an onsen right away then I guess?¡±

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s an onsen?¡±

    ¡°Something like a warm pond. It¡¯s pleasant when you get in it. It helps your blood cirction and is great for your health.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeh, so, it¡¯s fine for me to get in too right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, but does a dungeon core that can move day and night without sleep and doesn¡¯t even need [Cleanup] even need to?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the owner, so I want to properly go and confirm how good it is!¡±

    Rokuko was chattering away in high spirits.

    It¡¯s good that she¡¯s so motivated. Work hard so that I don¡¯t need to.

    ¡°Ah. It might be smelly depending on the quality of the onsen.¡±

    ¡°Stinky!? Humans have changed, getting into smelly water deliberately¡­ I wonder if [Cleanup] removes the smell?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Yep, sorry. Honestly, it feels so good that you¡¯ll want to sleep when you soak in an onsen~. I¡¯m not the only one that thinks that.

    Though there are some people that think sulfur smells good, I just can¡¯t get ustomed to it like those formidable people. It smells like rotten eggs to me¡­

    ¡­ Sulfur springs would probably have a negative effect on weapons. It might be tricky to lure adventurers to the inn?

    Well, I¡¯ll see if it¡¯s a true onsen after checking it out.

    *

    The area where the hot spring was struck was one hundred meters underground. It was found shallower than I thought.

    I established the onsen¡¯s water source as part of the dungeon, putting a little of the water into a bucket I made out of wood golems. (After all, onsens have to buckets. I made them with that kind of feeling.)

    ¡°¡­ Looks transparent. It even has a pretty high temperature, and doesn¡¯t smell at all.¡±

    Even though I haven¡¯t given it a taste, it seems like it could be drank as is.

    Hmm? Hold up, didn¡¯t Ichika say she was good at poison tasting?

    She didn¡¯t say that she could tell by drinking it, but she might be able to tell if there is any poison from doing so.

    ¡°Ichika, suspend the mock battle for a moment ande here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Got it, be there soon.¡±

    I called Ichika, who was battling with Meat, from the window. She headed over immediately.

    For the time being, I looked at the hot water inside the bucket.

    ¡°I want to consult you about the hot water in this, is there poison in it or is it safe?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Let me see.¡±

    Ichika took the bucket into her hands and started to suddenly began to swig down the water inside of it.

    ¡°Wai¡ª, Ichika, what are you doing!?¡±

    ¡°Puhaaah¡ª. Ah, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any poison in it if I¡¯m still going for another two hours!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯ll you do if there¡¯s poison in it!?¡±

    ¡°Aah, don¡¯t worry don¡¯t worry, at worst I¡¯d just empty my belly. From the smell, look, and taste of it I can roughly understand¡­ Kufufu, were you worryin¡¯ about me? Thanks~?¡±

    Ichika was smiling as though she were feeling embarrassed.

    ¡°¡­ H-hey. I wasn¡¯t worried even a little you know? It just would have been bad if my fifty silver was poisoned and died.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see~. I think that if I serve ya devotedly and have good rtions with ya I might be emancipated before long~.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Unfortunately, it¡¯s impossible for me to release you since you know about the dungeon now.¡±

    ¡°Even that¡¯s fine, Goshujin-sama feeds me delicious things after all. Well, I¡¯m gonna return to the mock fight~¡±

    Ichika waved her hand whileughing as she went outside.

    Two hourster, Ichika was still lively and wasn¡¯t having any troubles. Looks like there¡¯s no problems with the water.

    ¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t think that she would suddenly drink the water. Seriously. It startled me.

    *

    I filled the onsen with the hot water. There was a ton of steam, it was still hot.

    I like to take long baths in hot water¡­ let¡¯s try and enter it slowlyter on.

    Because I was able to make the onsen with this, the inn was finallypleted.

    Since it would be troublesome if Rokuko or I had to use [Collection] every time the hot water needed to be changed, let¡¯s just use a thirty centimeterrge drill golem to drill out the onsen¡¯s future piping. I¡¯m not worried about anything copsing, though.

    I still can¡¯t afford to spent DP on it, so I¡¯m still looking for a way of getting rubber to make a pump. I¡¯ll throw the water I got with [Collection] into the stone golem tank in a little while, it should be fine if I make sure to use the hot water that umted so that it doesn¡¯t cool down. If I need to I can fix it by shoving in a fireball.

    The DP spent on the hotel, onsen digging included, was 5000 DP.

    I also installed a [Water Source (1000 DP)] for the inn¡¯s water services. Mainly digging the onsen was 4000 DP¡­ Huh? Wouldn¡¯t it have been cheaper to just set up the [Water Source] and heat it with something¡­ no, I was able to get a natural onsen, so let¡¯s treat it as a good thing.

    I was able to finish it all much more cheaply than building a house with DP (200,000 DP~), so there¡¯s around 15,000 DP remaining¡­ no, let¡¯s do this slowly and in detail.

    There is 16,390 DP remaining. The amount needed for the dungeon¡¯s fourth and fifth underground floors, as well as the amount I gave to Rokuko to use freely from before are excluded from that.

    Still, if I don¡¯t pay attention to our ie and expenditures¡­ aaah don¡¯t wanna don¡¯t wanna! I want to hurry up and earn, sleep, and spend!

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. This onsen thing, how do you use it?¡±

    ¡°Ah, first you take off your clothes, then enter after washing yourself off.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You take off your clothes? Having your underwear seen is embarrassing¡­ aah, so that¡¯s why there¡¯s a wall that keeps people from seeing in surrounding it.¡±

    Rokuko nodded in admiration.

    ¡°No hold up, you have to take off your underwear too you know?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t bring any clothes into a bath¡­ that¡¯smon sense.¡±

    ¡°Wait a second¡­ This, people don¡¯t enter alone right? Are humans thatposed?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right, I forgot about the difference in culture.¡±

    Let¡¯s ask Ichika about baths, despite it being a bitte. Please teach me, Ichika-sensei~

    ¡°Hmm, there was probably a bath in the imperial capital. I think they entered it after changing into some simple clothes?¡±

    ¡°Washing your body is a serious matter¡­ no, did they use cleanup¡­!?¡±

    Kuh¡ª, even though I also diligently made a space to wash your body!

    I should have asked first¡­ even though I made each and every faucet and shower (no hose wall instation type)¡­ I¡¯ll just be asking for grief if I dwell on it¡­

    ¡°¡­ No nudity?¡±

    ¡°Aah, umm¡­ the hero used a towel in the nude when he was at the public bath, I guess? ¡­ Well, that was more Hero-sama¡¯s preference, not the inn¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I get it, if that¡¯s the case we¡¯ll use clothing¡­ We¡¯ll sell or lend the bathing wear to rmend the bath.¡±

    Well, for now I just wanted to get into the onsen, so it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Ah, Meat-senpai and I are ves, so there¡¯d be no problem if we entered together in the nude? How ¡¯bout it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ The women¡¯s bath and the men¡¯s baths are separated. Ah, Ichika. Please teach Rokuko and Meat on how to enter the bath, the women¡¯s bath.¡±

    Well, it¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to watch. I¡¯m anxious for feet and legs though.

    In addition to therge public baths, I also made a [Footbath] that you¡¯re originally meant to wear clothes in. I¡¯m allowed to watch there. Fufufu.

 Chapter 49

    Just Out of the Bath

    I chugged down a coffee milk (5 DP) with my hand firmly on my waist just after getting out of the bath.

    My clothing was obviously a yukata. I was wearing trunks as underwear though.

    (The yukata was one set for 10 DP. For now I bought four people¡¯s worth including mine for 40 DP, cheap.)

    Mmm, the hot water was great.

    My first bath sinceing to this world.

    Looks like I¡¯ll rest soundly tonight.

    Then, when I sat in the massage chair (chair golem), I was already dozing off.

    Still, the materials for this massage chair were just wood and a futon. Really inexpensive.

    I¡¯m sitting on the chair, getting massaged by a golem¡­ adjusting [Rub] and [Drum] was pretty difficult though, so I¡¯m only able to use the vibration function for now. Viiiiiiiiiiin¡­ the vibrations rushed through me in waves. This is prettyfortable.

    It¡¯s made to work for five minutes after putting a copper coin in it. This¡¯ll be popr and be our showpiece~¡­ mmm¡­

    I opened my eyes when I felt something ticklish, Meat wasying a thin nket over me.

    Meat was also in a yukata. There was an entry to buy a version that had a hole in it for her tail with DP, as expected of this world.

    ¡°S-sorry¡ª, I woke you up¡­¡±

    ¡°Faaah¡­ Fuu, aah, well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll be heading back to sleep¡­¡±

    Getting down from the chair with a grand yawn, I headed towards my room attended by Meat.

    Hmm, maybe I should think about measures to take if a customer falls asleep in the massage chair.

    ¡°¡­ Nnn, there¡¯s no feeling of satisfaction afterwards if there¡¯s just vibration¡­ Ah, right, Meat. Do you know how to massage?¡±

    ¡°¡­! Yes, Ichika taught me, though.¡±

    Oooh! When¡¯d she have the time? Meat is so studious.

    ¡°Well done, Meat. So then, what kind can you do?¡±

    ¡°Ah, t-that¡¯s, ah, I can do, a s-stepping massage¡­¡±

    ¡°A stepping massage¡­!?¡±

    A stepping massage. That is, a massage done by her feet.

    Chieflycking the strength, children would have to use all of their body weight to give a good massage.

    The method was simple. They stepped down with their body weight to make you feel pleasant, that¡¯s it.

    ¡ªYeah, they stepped down on you. With their feet.

    You could feel the curve of their foot as they stepped down. It was nothing but a grand prize to a foot fetishist like myself!

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, rather, please do it by all means¡ª¡±

    ¡°Eh, y-yes, umm, then, lie face down.¡±

    Iid face down onto the futon. Come on! Hurry up!

    ¡°Ah, u-umm, I-I¡¯ll start.¡±

    Meat timidly put her feet onto my back.

    I was able able to more or less feel the temperature of Meat¡¯s feet through the thin yukata¡­ Warm.

    She was earnestly holding back as she stepped down, but it was really ticklish¡ªcrap, I¡¯m waking up despite feeling like dozing off.

    It¡¯s not like her feet were bad or anything like that though.

    ¡°Ofuu¡­ please step down a little harder, it¡¯s too ticklish.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, excuse me.¡±

    lunO80H

    Oh. Compared to a moment ago, the strength she put into her feet suddenly shot up. It¡¯s much more pleasant now.

    The soles of her feet were pressing down on all of the spots that felt stiff and I wanted her to focus on.

    ¡°Even more, press your heels and toes against the stiff spots¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes¡ª, l-like this?¡±

    ¡°Aah, good, that¡¯s good¡­ fuoooh, feels so good¡­¡±

    Trying to press into me with her feet, Meat stepped on me as though dancing on my back with her heels.

    Aah, truly a stepping massage.

    A stepping massage while sleeping. This is bad, I can¡¯t feel it while I¡¯m dreaming¡­!

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine to stop when I fall asleep.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Ei¡ª, yah¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oooh, yes, that stomping is good too~¡±

    My lower back was getting trampled gently by the soles of her feet.

    Faah, her regr rhythm was making me feel sleepy¡­ not good, I¡¯ll still getting it¡­ mmm¡­

    *

    When I woke up, Meat was being my hug pillow as usual.

    She smelled faintly sweet.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, good morning¡­¡±

    Meat opened her eyes as though matching mine.

    ¡°M-morning¡­ Hmmm, that was a good sleep. It¡¯s rare that I feel this refreshed.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If I was able to help, I¡¯m d.¡±

    Meat smiled slightly.

    ¡­ I gently stroked her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you for more massages.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, please leave it to me.¡±

    Now then, I feel full of energy and ready to go thanks to Meat¡¯s massage.

    What to do~. I finished the inn¡¯s construction too, so I guess today will be the dungeon¡¯s interior~.

    ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯ll give you a reward since the massage felt great. Is there anything that you¡¯ve been wanting?¡±

    ¡°Fueh!? ¡­ S-something like that, u-ummm, is it alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, feel free to say whatever. It¡¯s fine so long as it¡¯s within the range of what I can do as a reward.¡±

    ¡°R-really?¡±

    ¡°What, doubting me?¡±

    ¡°! I-I would never¡ª¡±

    Meat shook her head back and forth in a panic. Maybe I poked a bit too much fun at her?

    I¡¯ll wait for Meat to tell me her wish. Well, I wonder what she¡¯ll say? Maybe all-you-can-eat hamburgers?

    Just a bit, Meat opened her mouth.

    ¡°Umm¡­ please step on me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    Eh, what did this child just say?

    When I heard the rest of what she had to say, it seems that the act of trampling another¡ªdespite it being for a massage¡ªis considered integral to hierarchical rtionships, and originally belongs to the person with the higher rank¡­ trampling me seems to have greatly upset her mentally. (She was still able to step on Ichika without reservation because she is her junior as a ve or something.)

    Well, she said that she wanted me to step on her to keep her emotions bnced.

    Though it seems that I don¡¯t have to do it if I don¡¯t want to, it seems that she wants me to.

    Moreover, it seems that she wants me to step on her face if possible.

    And if possible, kick her flying¡­ it seems.

    There¡¯s no way I could go that far!

    And so, I pardoned myself by going to the extent of patting the back of Meat¡¯s head with my foot a little.

    Meat raised her head, she looked pleased.

    *

    ¡°As I was saying about this morning; is that what beastkin are usually like?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, in general.¡±

    Troubled by Meat¡¯smon sense, I went to consult Ichika-sensei, but it looks like that was the norm.

    Beastkin trouble themselves quite a lot over hierarchical rtionships, and moreover since Meat grew up as a ve she was trained to believe she was on the lowest level. It was probably natural for her.

    ¡°More than that physical part of it climbing on someone and stepping on them, that¡¯s just how beastkin emphasize the peckin¡¯ order. Famous proposals like [I want you to be below me] or [I want to be below you], that kinda thing.¡±

    Wait, a proposal?

    ¡°Evenmon proposals. [I want to feed you what I hunt and catch every day], or [With my fists, I will fill your belly] are pretty emotional things.¡±

    I can¡¯t keep up. I¡¯m not troubled by the appeals being for food. That¡¯s probably just Ichika filling in the subject with her own take.

    ¡°Others are like [Please brush my tail] or [You are the only one who can touch my belly] or somethin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°By some chance, is Ichika talking about the old days?¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, nothin¡¯ like that. There was a beastkin guy that got treated as an adventurer¡¯s younger brother, I liked to tease him a bit.¡±

    Hey, didn¡¯t the subject switch here?

    ¡°Rather, doesn¡¯t it just mean Meat-senpai likes Goshujin-sama a lot? Isn¡¯t it ¡®kay?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, but something like that¡¯s¡­¡±

    Ah,e to thing of it I asked for another massage didn¡¯t I?

    But it really did feel good¡­ yep, I¡¯ll have her do it again.

    I just have to step on her again as thepensation¡­ Ah, is that alright?

    ¡­ Huh, wait, isn¡¯t there the chance that Meat is a kindred spirit (foot fetishist)¡­!?

    No, no way, hahaha¡­ I¡¯ll go and prepare some hamburgers as a reward.

 Chapter 50

    This and That

    Five days after returning to base (dungeon).

    I wonder if I should head back to Sia tomorrow or not?

    Though going to the human vige is pretty troublesome, I said that I¡¯d show up once per week. I made that meat skewer promise, too.

    Right, let¡¯s take the opportunity to do a rank up¡­ as well as taking an [Ordinary Cave] investigationmission if there¡¯s one there.

    Well, I won¡¯t have any DP remaining when preparations areplete so it¡¯ll be plenty if I say, ¡°It¡¯s turned into something amazing.¡±

    I was able to finish the inn. Next is the dungeon¡¯s interior, but since I came up with an idea while I was sleeping, I¡¯ll be starting immediately. I¡¯ll be making a room to ce this dungeon¡¯s eye catcher, the [de Golem], on the third underground floor.

    There will be golems wandering thebyrinth equipped with [Ordinary y Swords] and [Ordinary Stone Swords]. Well, even though it¡¯s an actual de golem, it¡¯s real shape? It¡¯ll turn into a golem if it¡¯s used. It¡¯s really just a normal blunt weapon.

    Incidentally, I was a bit bothered by something and converted a de golem into DP. If a magic sword was worth 20,000 DP, I should have gotten at least ten percent of that with 2,000 DP.

    The result was¡­ 10 DP.

    ¡­ When taking into ount the iron used for the de portion and the other materials, I guess there was about 5 DP profit each? It¡¯s not a deficit, but now it¡¯s already at the point of being a side job¡­ I don¡¯t get it. Guess there¡¯s still some other shoring to it.

    Ah, it looks like monsters summoned from the spawner won¡¯t be DP even if they are defeated without leaving the dungeon. Since it looks like their corpses will remain, I¡¯m a bit troubled at what to do with the golems¡¯ materials¡­ Iron golems maybe? It¡¯s 500 DP per so one spawner is 50,000 DP huh¡­ I won¡¯t have to be troubled about iron anymore if I make one of them.

    Oops, my train of thought wandered a bit.

    Well, I set up the magic sword room. To get to the room, one has to get past the first floor, escape thergebyrinth on the first and second underground floors, run up stairs before breaking through to the riddle area on the second upper floor, descend the spiral staircase and break through three floors after that, this method can¡¯t be found if one didn¡¯t search through the third underground floor. It says the route.

    Even so, we¡¯ll be in a pinch if adventurers make it this far. I haven¡¯t deployed a boss in the boss room on the fourth underground floor, which is currently the lowest floor, yet¡­ I¡¯ve thought about making an awesome golem and cing it there, but other than looking cool it¡¯d be useless.

    Well, no one will actually make it to the fourth underground floor for a while. We¡¯ll avoid that with the eye catcher.

    In order to advertise the magic sword, I prepared a room to try out the magic sword on the second underground floor.

    Like sample food, or maybe more like a beta test.

    Though the magic sword is magnificently stuck in a pedestal in the room, there¡¯s a mechanism in the room.

    When you pull the magic sword from the pedestal, all of the doorways be blocked.

    You have to return the magic sword to the pedestal to leave the room.

    In other words, you can¡¯t keep the magic sword. If they can figure out another way to take it out of the room, then at that time it¡¯s fine to give it to them as a reward for showing their wisdom. If the same method is used to take it from the room another time, it¡¯ll self-destruct.

    Furthermore, jamming the entrances open won¡¯t work. Using pincushion traps, the passages connected to the room on all sides close up with needles, perfectly sealing the exits.

    My condolences to anyone who stays in the openings there when it happens, but since anyone who approaches the magic sword will also get skewered with needles when they try, well, yep, better be good at escaping I guess?

    Well, I tried it out with some of the dummy wood golems (non-magic stone genuine golems). It might even be a great ce to use as a training area.

    Fundamentally, things were still the same as when we had the dungeon battle. Re modelling this time, the riddle room was improved and afterwards was the spiral staircase. On the second underground floor, I added more trial rooms. Well, we should manage for a while with this.

    And so, my long day of remodeling finished.

    ¡°Aaah, I worked so much~¡­¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your effort, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Meat was giving me another massage.

    It wasn¡¯t a stepping massage though. Yeah, for some reason I thought it¡¯d be better to only do it once in a while since it would be too much paradise for me. A moderate patience is a very important thing to have going through life. If you don¡¯t endure the wait, it¡¯s somewhat harder to be satisfied.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, why so modest~. Even though I¡¯d be fine with it no matter how ya wanted to use my feet.¡±

    ¡°I want to, but you know¡­ to put it a way that Ichika will understand, if a person who has grown fat and a person who hasn¡¯t eats [Cooking Made by a Second-Rate Chef], they¡¯d respond differently. The first: ¡°This is bad. Something like this isn¡¯t food.¡± The second: ¡°Oh, this is great!¡± And he loves it, counting his good fortune. I think I¡¯d feel happier as thetter.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. Even I think it tastes better when ya don¡¯t keep eatin¡¯ the same thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that feeling of happiness is important. If you can¡¯t feel happiness it bes impossible to satisfy yourself, so there¡¯ll be nothing but misery from there.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I also feel like that. Ah, can I have a [Cheese-vored Karie Roll] today?¡±

    ¡­ This girl doesn¡¯t have any self-restraint¡­ Ichika.

    ¡°¡­ We won¡¯t be here tomorrow and the day after right? It¡¯s fine then. I¡¯ll even enjoy the delicious meat skewers.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right but¡ªoooh, aah, there, there. Just now was great, do that again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Meat¡¯s hands stimted a vital point. Uooofu, I let out a strange sound.

    Since Meat was skillfully making use of the gloves golem¡¯s power assistance, there was no problem even if it wasn¡¯t a stepping massage.

    To start with, why are my shoulders so stiff¡­ well, I¡¯ve been working a lot~. Definitely, definitely~.

    ¡°Kehma, you¡¯re going back to that human vige again right? Bring me back some kind of souvenir.¡±

    ¡°¡­ We can buy anything the human vige has with DP, though. Ah,e to think of it, have you used your 10,000 DP yet, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I haven¡¯t used it yet¡­ I thought about giving gachapon a try, but I could do the 1,000 DP gachapon a few go¡¯s, or maybe I could try out the 10,000 DP gachapon once you know~¡±

    ¡°Did you say [Gachapon]? ¡­ What¡¯s that charmin¡¯ sound? Is it somethin¡¯ hard to learn?¡±

    ¡­ Come to think of it, Ichika told me that she built up a gambling debt in addition to her being a gourmand huh.

    A person like that could use up all of our DP in a single day by ying gachapon though¡­

 Chapter 51

    A Quick Rank Up

    ¡°Right! The 10,000 DP gachapon is romance you know!¡±

    ¡°See? It¡¯s best to go out in a big bang!¡±

    As a result of conversing for exactly thirty seconds, how Rokuko would use the DP was decided.

    Oi, is that really alright? Well, I did tell her she could use it however she wanted.

    ¡°Here I go! I¡¯m going to use the 10,000 DP gachapon!!¡±

    ¡°Oi hold up! Don¡¯t do it in my room! Do it in the master room! We¡¯d get crushed if a dragon somehow appears!¡±

    However, Rokuko was already finished emptying her DP by the time I shouted. A magic formation unfolded with a low humming sound¡­ Oi, is my room going to be safe!? The formation¡¯s bulging out to fill the room!

    dikfzg2

    ¡°Oooh, as expected of 10,000 DP!¡±

    ¡°A huge thing¡¯lle out, something big¡¯smin¡¯¡­!¡±

    I prayed that the inn (my bedroom) that I built at such great pains won¡¯t get crushed.

    Rokuko and Ichika were bursting with excitement. Meat stood in front of me to protect me.

    ¡°D~ Ra~ Gon~! D~ Ra~ Gon~!¡±

    ¡°A dragon!? Yay! Steak tonight!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t eat it you know!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯ll regrow the tail if it¡¯s just that though?¡±

    ¡°The fuck!?¡±

    And then, the magic formation finished humming and stopped rotating. It was the size of the room.

    ¡°Mu-mumu?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s shrinking?¡±

    The magic formation gradually became smaller.

    I felt relieved and pat myself on the chest as I breathed out. It looks like the inn won¡¯t be destroyed with this.

    Then, it became even smaller.

    ¡­ Yep, then even smaller than that.

    ¡­ ¡­ Yep, now it¡¯s about the size of being able to be held in your arms.

    ¡°Oooh~¡­¡±

    ¡°A-a failure? Is this one a fail?¡±

    Rokuko and Ichika¡¯s tension visibly dropped.

    Meat still stood vignt in front of me.

    Then, the magic formation disappeared, leaving behind a palm-sized box.

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t know without openin¡¯ it yah? Do it Rokuko-sama, do it.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­ An egg?¡±

    ¡°Make it into an omelette? It¡¯d definitely be crazy good¡­¡±

    ¡°Not that, you know!? ¡­ What is this thing. Hmm, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s something great!¡±

    My room is safe for now.

    ¡°So, what now? Did a manual or somethinge with it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I think we should keep it warm for now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty vague¡­ It took our hard-earned 10,000 DP, don¡¯t waste it okay?¡±

    ¡°U-un¡­¡±

    As for what she just got, I couldn¡¯t figure out.

    For now we¡¯ll heat it with the hot spring¡¯s extra heat. Not so that it would be a hot-boiled egg, but more like body warmth, like an incubator.

    *

    We finished the dungeon¡¯s preparations as well. Let¡¯s hurry up and head to the human vige.

    I also have that meat skewer promise to fulfill.

    Well, I prepared a vehicle for us this time.

    ¡°Hey, Goshujin-sama. What¡¯s this thingy?¡±

    ¡°¡­ A wagon golem, I guess?¡±

    ¡°No horses! No wheels! There¡¯s feet!¡±

    Right, this time I prepared a box-shaped golem that had six legs and could run along the bad roads.

    I used the mana potion bottles to make a windshield for the front. Well, that wasn¡¯t needed since it was automatic though.

    I used horse legs as reference so they are awesomely fast.

    ¡°Weeeell, I guess it¡¯s ¡®kay? It¡¯s quick and easy¡­¡±

    ¡°We can even move fast inside the forest because we¡¯ll bepletely covered by a box. When it¡¯s not being used I¡¯ll put it in [Storage].¡±

    ¡°¡­ Meat-senpai can also use [Storage] huh. I also want to leeearn it¡­¡±

    ¡°It would be a food storage for you huh. Well it¡¯s fine if we have extra DP, but it¡¯d be bad if we don¡¯t get adventurers toe.¡±

    It¡¯s essential that we only get enough adventurers toe that it doesn¡¯t make us famous. Making allowances for that¡¯s difficult.

    Well, using the wagon golem, we were able to reach Sia in around two hours.

    Dismantling it into separate parts to some degree and cing it into [Storage], it took us two hours despite moving thest of the way on foot. Wonderful. We might have to be careful and take a roundabout way so as to not attract attention in the future when there¡¯s more adventurersing this way.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still just secluding ourselves at the mountain though.¡±

    Paying three copper coins to the same guard that¡¯s always there, we started by heading to the guild.

    The meat skewer promise will be waiting for tomorrow, for now I want to do the rank up.

    Though we arrived earlier than usual this time, the morning rush hour should be over. There won¡¯t be many people.

    The usual Receptionist-san was sitting at the counter. I say always, but she really is a hard worker.

    ¡°Hello. It¡¯s been a week, hasn¡¯t it. What business do you have here today?¡±

    ¡°Ah, first of all, please take this.¡±

    Saying that, I took out the forty-five goblin ears¡­ they were bought with DP though. I passed them over.

    ¡°¡­ I heard it from Ichika, but with this we should be able to rank up right?¡±

    ¡°Goblin ears¡­ hmm, there¡¯s no problems with any of them. However, this many goblins¡­ going to the mountains for a week, just how did you hunt this many goblins? Or was it a goblin colony?¡±

    ¡°Something like that. Since it will likely take some time, could we go through the formalities for the rank up examination?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please wait a moment.¡±

    After receiving two silver and seventy copper coins as the goblin subjugation reward, Receptionist-san moved away from the counter in order to process the rank up examination.

    When she came back a short whileter, she told us that we would be taking the examination today.

    Though it seems that it normally took several days depending on the examiner¡¯s circumstances, since we had an exclusive receptionist it looks like being able to immediately take it is one of the preferential treatments.

    Receptionist-san took us to the training area.

    Thereupon, a stern-looking Jii-san was waiting there¡­ the Guild Head was waiting for us.

    ¡°¡­ Guild Head?¡±

    ¡°Umu, been a while. My grandchildren.¡±

    In front of his forged muscles that weren¡¯t suitable at all for an elderly person, I hesitated entering the training area.

    ¡­ I don¡¯t think I¡¯d win even with the golem¡¯s assistance.

    And I¡¯m definitely not your grandchild.

    ¡°Eh? What, what? Goshujin-sama and Meat-senpai are the Guild Head¡¯s grandchildren?¡±

    ¡°The story is just that because our hair is ck, there¡¯s a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, so reserved. You can just call me Ojii-chan you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll refrain¡­ So, since the Guild Head is here, that means¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m your examiner. What, I used to be quite the adventurer in the old days.¡±

    Seriously¡­ well, it¡¯s just the promotion to E-Rank, it¡¯s not like we have to beat the Guild Head or something.

    ¡°I¡¯ll produce a monster with magic, you just have to beat it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Make a monster with magic?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a slightly rare skill, but it¡¯s called [Create Golem]. It only makes a y golem with a magic stone though, but it¡¯s a useful opponent for examinations.¡±

    Ah, I know that skill well. I use it a ton.

    Or rather, it uses a normal magic stone, and moreover just a y golem?

    The magic stone¡¯s size is around that of a marble, I guess around 20-30 DP worth?

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit rushed, but who wants to go first?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m up for it, ¡®kay Goshujin-sama?¡±

    Ichika stepped up.

    ¡°Yeah. Show off the carving knife.¡±

    ¡°¡ªThat ¡®kay? Understood.¡±

    Ichika took out the carving knife magic sword golem that I made.

    The Guild Head took out a magic stone, cing it on to the bare soil on the ground.

    ¡°Done with your preparations? I¡¯m starting¡­ Mass of y, change your form, abide me and be my servant, [Create Golem].¡±

    After the Guild Head¡¯s chant, the magic stone shined as y swelled up from the ground.

    Around two secondster, a normal y golem appeared¡­ Pretty fast. It takes me around ten seconds each one¡­ I wonder if it goes faster after you use it a lot?

    ¡°Then, begin!¡±

    ¡°Yah¡ª¡±

    With the Guild Head¡¯s go-ahead, Ichika¡¯s carving knife crushed the magic stone that shined in the y golem¡¯s chest.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°That good?¡±

    The y golem wasn¡¯t moving. Rather, it looks like it was turning back into dirt.

    ¡°You were Ichika? Promoted to E-Rank¡­¡±

    Oi, that¡¯s it?

 Chapter 52

    Promoting the Dungeon

    ¡°¡­ Next time wait until the golem moves alright? That wasn¡¯t really a test¡­ I¡¯d heard that Ichika was a former C-Rank, she doesn¡¯t need to do it again though¡­¡±

    Right~.

    I decided to go next.

    I waited until the y golem that the Guild Head made started to move before beginning.

    ¡°Tou¡ª¡±

    However, the y golem¡¯s movements were way too slow. I cut the y golem¡¯s magic stone in two.

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? ¡­ K-Kehma-dono, passed.¡±

    ¡°Haaah. Alright, next up is Meat.¡±

    ¡°You looked cool.¡±

    Then, Meat confronted her y golem without taking out her sword.

    ¡­ What is she thinking?

    ¡°Begin¡ª!¡±

    The y golem attacked Meat with its dull movements. However, Meat dodged out of the way and slipped into its bosom.

    Then, she separated from it¡­ with the magic stone that should have been in the golem¡¯s chest in her hand.

    ¡°I retrieved it.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    Her tail wagging back and forth, Meat held out the magic stone to me.

    Amazingly dog-like. I instinctively patted her head.

    I epted the magic stone from her and looked between the golem that turned back into dirt and the guild head.

    ¡°¡­ Passed. Ah, I¡¯d appreciate it if you returned the magic stone though.¡±

    ¡°Ah, here.¡±

    I handed the magic stone back to him.

    ¡­ Apparently, golems normally stop moving as soon as they lose their magic stone.

    My golems move just fine even without magic stones though; I wonder if there¡¯s a difference? Maybe the material near the dungeon is just suited for magic? Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t tried out [Create Golem] outside of the dungeon, huh.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, the examination is done. With this you¡¯re all E-Rank adventurers¡­ Silia, please process their rank up without dy.¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly, guild head.¡±

    When we passed our guild cards over to Receptionist-san, she left to go and process the rank up.

    We stayed here with the guild head.

    ¡°¡­ Still, cutting a golem made from y in half¡­ do you have somebat experience I haven¡¯t heard about?¡±

    ¡°Yes, in fact¡­ I went to the [Ordinary Cave]. I got this sword there.¡±

    I decided to take the chance to broach up the topic.

    If I speak directly to the guild¡¯s top person, it should go faster.

    ¡°That¡¯s different than what I heard. So far as I know, you were hunting a considerable number of goblins. So you got some other booty?¡±

    ¡°Hooh¡­ do you want to hear the details?¡±

    Now, let¡¯s go about promoting the dungeon.

    *

    I showed him the de magic sword golem and two mana potions.

    This was dungeon booty that was [At the level of being fine to sell].

    However, it was still rtively expensive. They were like [Grand Prizes] for small dungeons.

    The magic sword goes without saying, but even the mana potions were one silver each.

    ¡°These are¡­¡±

    ¡°Things I picked up from the [Ordinary Cave].¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely a dungeon, but I thought there was just one room¡­¡±

    ¡°One room? No way, there were at least a few rooms, it even had stairs too. I got this sword there. Since there were also y golems, well, I decided to head back.¡±

    I passed the de golem to the guild head.

    ¡°¡­ A normal iron sword¡­ isn¡¯t it? Mu, a magic stone is embedded in it¡­!? This is a magic sword!?¡±

    ¡°It gets sharper when you fill it with magical power.¡±

    ¡°I see, so you were able to cut the golem in half with this?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    It was actually due to the clothes golem¡¯s assistance in making me stronger, but I won¡¯t say something like that.

    ¡°¡­ Well, honestly the story doesn¡¯t start there.¡±

    ¡°Hooh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­ The A-Rank adventurer, the [White Winged Goddess]¡­ I think I heard that she epted an investigation for the [Ordinary Cave], understand?¡±

    ¡°Haku-sama, huh¡­? Surely, that¡¯s the start of it? What are the details?¡±

    Ah, even a big shot from the guild attaches ¡®-sama¡¯ for you huh, Haku-san.

    ¡°I met her in the mountains by chance. She said that the [Ordinary Cave] showed signs that it would go through a [Transition Phase]. She reported that there were [No Abnormalities] to the imperial capital, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A [Transition Phase] huh! But why did she hide it? Falsifying her report? Well, A-Ranks have disclosure rights, but¡­ Haku-sama is the person who requested that dungeon to begin with¡­¡±

    ¡°And an inn was built there.¡±

    ¡°An inn!? W-what in the world, how did an inn¡­¡±

    Of course it¡¯s extremely unnatural. But well, now to bruteforce it!

    ¡°Does there need to be some rtionship for it to appear? I was told that Haku-san¡¯s acquaintances built it, there¡¯s no point in thinking about it¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what that person¡¯s thinking¡­ directing us to not go against the [Ordinary Cave]¡­ umu, so there¡¯s not point thinking about it huh? Won¡¯t be able to figure it out that well for now I guess.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, one thing lead to another and it¡¯s decided that I¡¯m going to work at the inn¡­ from now on, my base of operations will be there.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That so? Understood.¡±

    Alright, bruteforcing seeded!

    ¡°So then, guess we¡¯ll build a Sia¡¯s adventurer guild branch office there.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    ¡­ A branch office?

    ¡°Umu, thanks for the information. You havepleted a special investigationmission.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, what¡¯s this about a branch office?¡±

    ¡°A branch office is a branch office. If the dungeon matured, adventurers will gather there. If that¡¯s the case, it will be convenient being able to exchange goods there. There¡¯s even an inn there already right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, well, that¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Depending on the dungeon¡¯s scale it could turn into a vige¡­ I need to investigate further, maybe I¡¯ll put something out for it?¡±

    Did he just say a vige!?

    No joke, I never thought it¡¯d be that big.

    I can¡¯t use golems to do fieldbor if too many people gather¡­!

    Crap, can I do agriculture inside the dungeon?

    It¡¯d even get harder to use special golems.

    Just when I thought that, Receptionist-san returned with our guild cards. It was properly updated to E-Rank, but that¡¯s not important right now.

    I finished with the proper farewells and left the guild.

    ¡°¡­ Meat, Ichika, this is pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°The meat skewers!?¡±

    ¡°T-those are fine. We¡¯ll stay here for a night before leaving¡­ let¡¯s go hunt rabbits for inn fees¡­¡±

    In conclusion, we were told toe tomorrow for delicious meat skewers when handed over six rabbits. We were rewarded with seventy-two copper coins, with the inn fees being thirty-five copper. Since we got meat skewers as a reward, tonight¡¯s dinner became a meat party.

    Incidentally, it seems that it was treated as a designatedmission. Rewards for rabbit meatmissions were originally meant to given out by the guild to some extent. Since this time we received it right there, ourmission ticket was annotated saying that we were already paid with money and goods.

    It¡¯ll count aspleted whenever we turn it in.

    *

    Leaving the usual [Sleeping Songbird Pavilion], we immediately headed over to buy some delicious meat skewers from the meat skewer stall.

    It¡¯s a great time for it since the sun¡¯s justing up.

    ¡°Hoooh, I see, definitely. These meat skewers are much more delicious than yesterday¡¯s!¡±

    ¡°Right? I can make some more again next week as well yeah?¡±

    ¡°Mumumu, pleeeeeease, Goshujin-sama~?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t promise anything since we¡¯re going to be busy with a few things.¡±

    I answered her while biting into one of the meat skewers.

    ¡°¡­ Hagu, hagu¡ª¡±

    ¡°Jou-chan, is it good?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Hagu¡ª¡±

    Meat also got one of the delicious meat skewers.

    Though the seasoning was definitely more in than the hamburgers¡¯, the ingredients¡¯ tastes were very powerful.

    It smelled very slightly like blood, that much was obvious. How do I say it, something like it being wild?

    Either way, it¡¯s delicious.

    ¡°¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it be the strongest if you made hamburgers with this meat?¡±

    ¡°Certainly¡­ I approve of Ichika¡¯s opinion.¡±

    ¡­ Maybe I should look for the recipe or seasonings or something?

 Chapter 53

    Investigation Commission: Heaven

    (Adventurer¡¯s Point of View)

    I, Uzoh, am an adventurer. I am a veteran C-Rank warrior.

    Together with mypanion, Muzoh, we¡¯vepleted manymissions.

    This time we¡¯ve received amission to investigate a dungeon that went through its [Transition Phase].

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it just a dungeon where nothing but goblins came out? Nothing else?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get careless, Muzoh. Dungeons go under huge structural changes after their [Transition Phase], there might be a lot more monsters now.¡±

    ¡°Geez, you¡¯re such a worrywart, Uzoh¡­¡±

    Seriously, Muzoh is beyond careless even though he¡¯s the scout.

    I know that¡¯s justing from Muzoh¡¯s own self-confidence though.

    ¡°Heeh, check it out Uzoh. There¡¯s an inn by the dungeon¡¯s entrance. They told us about it, but still.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll stop here for the night and dive into the dungeon tomorrow, sound good to you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I agree.¡±

    The building looked great. We went inside right away.

    There was a woman wearing cute ck and white clothes on the other side of the counter.

    The frilly cloth attracted my eyes.

    ¡°Thanks for yer patronage! This is the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]!¡±

    The beauty had a Pavueran ent and had features like a doll¡¯s, and¡­ well endowed huh.

    I wonder if the ¡®doll¡¯ in [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion] is referring to her? I found myself admiring her in a daze.

    Recollecting myself, I asked how much it¡¯d be to stay for the night.

    It was fifty copper per night per person, so one silver for two people. We rented a room for two.

    Hmm, isn¡¯t this pretty cheap for something so deep in the mountains?

    It might be pretty severe for newbie adventurers, but it¡¯s a small expense for a C-Rank like me.

    ¡°Ah, meals¡¯re extra. Ya can use the bath however much ya want though!¡±

    ¡°Bath? Hooh, so this inn has a bath huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~. It¡¯s a hot spring, so a ton¡¯a people can all get in. Oops, they¡¯re pretty popr in Pavuera, but¡¯re they unusual here?¡±

    They¡¯re unusual in Sia, but I¡¯m a C-Rank adventurer. In other viges, including Pavuera, I¡¯ve went into public bath houses.

    ¡°We have bath outfit lendin¡¯ services. Oops, for food we got from A-Rank to G-Rank, almost forgot about that~¡±

    ¡°Heeh, so there¡¯s something rare like an A-Rank thing¡­¡ª!? A-a gold coin¡­!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~, the top-ss A-Rank meal is the huge amount of one gold coin! In return it¡¯s monumentally tasty! I guarantee it! So good ya might die~?¡±

    A-as expected, it¡¯s out of my reach.

    The heck kind of thing is it¡­!?

    ¡°Hmmm, maybe I should just get the C-Rank one¡­ eh, five silver¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right~, the C-Rank one is five silver coins. It¡¯s still really good. Do ya wanna hear the details?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll pass¡­¡±

    When I looked at the price list, A-Rank was one gold, B-Rank was fifty silver, C-Rank was five silver, D-Rank was one silver, E-Rank was fifty copper, F-Rank was five copper, and G-Rank was one copper.

    ¡°Uzoh, I¡¯ve decided. C-Rank!¡±

    ¡°O-oi. That¡¯s the same as the reward from thismission! What¡¯re you doing, wouldn¡¯t that make this a deficit? I won¡¯t lend you money you know!?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, we should be able to get some separate rewards from this dungeon right? It¡¯s fine then. Hey Ojou-san, what¡¯s your name? When¡¯re you done working? I¡¯m Muzoh, a C-Rank adventurer.¡±

    Muzoh, what kind of pick-up artist are you trying to be? Don¡¯t be so faithful to your lust, oi.

    ¡°Oooh~, is that so~, thank you so much for your patronage, take your time~. Ah, what about the Oniiii-san over here? I rmend getting at least the D-Rank~¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take the D-Rank one. Still, a silver for it huh, expensive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just tastes that good¡­ Thanks for your patronage~¡­ Ah, it¡¯s ¡®kay if you wanna enter the bath first. Want me to the bring food up to yater?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, please do.¡±

    ¡°Heeey, at least tell me your name~?¡±

    She pointedly ignored Muzoh as I handed her the money, receiving our meal tickets in return. It seems like we¡¯ll be able to turn them in for a meal when we go to the dining roomter. I see.

    Then she told us our room number and lent a key¡­ Guess we¡¯ll put our luggage in our room before heading straight to the hot spring?

    When we opened the room with our key, the room had a shelf, cab, and beds. Though there weren¡¯t any light magic tools, there was amp¡­ I wonder if the oil¡¯s sold separately?

    ¡­ Eh, the heck¡¯s this bedding¡­ cotton?

    I heard that there¡¯s a bath, so I was prepared for the bedding to be wooden¡­ ooh, my hand sinks in! Just this alone would¡¯ve been worth the fifty copper.

    Yeah, now I¡¯m going to go check out the bath.

    There were shelves that took my key in the changing room. This was also in Pavuera¡¯s bath houses huh.

    Hmm, so this is the bathing wear? She definitely said we could use them freely. I took my clothes off and changed into the ones for bathing, putting my clothes away on the shelf¡­ Eh, aren¡¯t these better tailored than my clothes? I kind of want to just keep wearing these.

    I then entered the room with the bath¡­ it¡¯s really amazing.

    It¡¯s a splendid stone bath. Steam rose up from the hot water that filled the bath.

    ¡­ For them to use so much water so deep in the mountains like this¡­ I wonder if there¡¯s a water source nearby?

    Well, that¡¯s probably why there¡¯s an inn here.

    I couldn¡¯t wait any longer, so I used [Cleanup] on myself and entered the bath.

    ¡°O-ooooh¡­¡±

    I unintentionally let out a voice¡­ This is so good. It seriously is.

    This is definitely a selling point for the inn¡­ other than me not eating yet, I¡¯m already very satisfied.

    *

    Muzoh entered at some point, it surprised me.

    I got out of the bath. I¡¯ll definitely get in again¡­ Well, I use it as much as I want while I stay here huh. Let¡¯s do it again tomorrow morning.

    ¡­ Hm? What¡¯s with this chair¡­ is that a slot for copper coins?

    When I took a look at it, I saw its description written on the wall. It was apparently a massage chair. Was it a magic tool found in the dungeon?

    But if I fall asleep while I¡¯m still on the chair, I can¡¯tin even if someone else rolls me off of it onto the floor.

    ¡­ One copper for five minutes huh. This massage chair¡¯s caught my eye, guess I¡¯ll give it a go.

    Sitting on the chair, I put a copper into it.

    After a low humming sensation, the chair suddenly began to vibrate.

    O-oooh, t-the heck¡¯s this? I haven¡¯t felt a massage like this before¡­ Oooh, oooooh!?

    My body rxed and I felt myself loosening up, this really is, oooh¡­

    *

    ¡°Oi Uzah, wake up. Don¡¯t you know you¡¯d catch a cold sleeping there?¡±

    ¡°Fuoh¡ª!? O-ooh, Muzoh. Ah, looks like I fell asleep.¡±

    Looks like I was sleeping here pretty soundly until Muzoh woke me up. Heh, this massage chair is incredible¡­

    ¡°Hehe, time for some food! Used five silver on that C-Rank meal, I¡¯m starving!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Right, I spent a silver on that D-Rank meal huh. Wonder what the difference is¡­¡±

    Going to the dining room as we were told, we exchanged our meal tickets for our meal.

    We didn¡¯t even have to wait, it was served immediately.

    ¡°Here it is.¡±

    A young brown-haired beastkin carried out our meals. She was clothed in the same outfit as that woman who was behind the counter, very cute.

    There were a few things served on my square tray¡­ a deep brown soup and bread. And sd. This costs one silver? Well, I can already tell that it¡¯s really high quality food from the smell though.

    ¡°For another helping of bread, it¡¯s ten copper each. Then, after the meal, you¡¯ll get dessert.¡±

    ¡°Dessert? Why didn¡¯t we get it now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s cold, so it¡¯s not rmended. Do you still want it?¡±

    Cold? The heck kind of thing is it?

    Let¡¯s just go with the rmended way for the meal.

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s up Uzoh? Too little?¡±

    ¡°No no, this is plenty enough. So that¡¯s C-Rank huh? That¡¯s a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, mine¡¯s C-Rank, five times better than Uzoh¡¯s! Hahaha.¡±

    As for Muzoh¡¯s meal, it had one more dishpared to mine, a big steak. It also had two loafs of bread.

    I¡¯m a bit envious for that thick steak¡­ huh? The color of his soup¡¯s different, it¡¯s white.

    ¡°And thises with dessert too eh?¡±

    ¡°Mine does too¡­ steak, huh. Looks pretty good, what kinda meat¡¯s it?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this boar? ¡­ Uooh¡ª!? What¡¯s with this bread, it¡¯s so soft and tasty!?¡±

    ¡°Rather, it¡¯s white¡­ the heck, this bread¡¯s amazing¡­ oops, the bread¡¯s almost gone before I¡¯ve even touched the soup.¡±

    I brought the soup to my mouth in a rush.

    ¡­!? I¡¯m astonished, this taste is amazing. It tastes like meat. Rather, now that I¡¯m taking a better look at it there¡¯s meat in it. There¡¯s vegetables in it too, plenty of them.

    ¡°Uoh, the heck¡¯s this, rabbit? ¡­ No, boar? Or maybe it¡¯s minotaur¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, minotaur huh, how would they make a profit from that with one silver coin? Besides, aren¡¯t we the only guests?

    ¡°Yeah¡­ looks like the color of my soup¡¯s a bit different than yours¡­ oi, what¡¯s yours?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Mmm¡­!? Woah, it¡¯s thick, but feels like its weightless. What¡¯s that, milk? I think some stews use it¡­ Aah, right, I ate one in the imperial capital.¡±

    ¡°Looks good. Give me some!¡±

    ¡°No way, this is mine!¡±

    Yeah, this ce¡¯s soup is great.

    Let me bolt down this sd¡­!? W-what the, w-what¡¯s with this food? Even the sd¡¯s surprising.

    ¡­ What¡¯s this dressing? It¡¯s yellowish, and white¡­ oil?

    ¡°Oh, yer eatin¡¯. How¡¯s it, good right~? It¡¯s so tasy~. Aah, how¡¯s the [Mayonnaise] that came with the sd?¡±

    That girl who was sitting at the reception sat next to me¡­ Uoh, she smells amazingly good¡­

    ¡°Wai¡ª, sit next to me!¡±

    ¡°Haha, endure~, I don¡¯t like insistent people~. I just felt like exinin¡¯ in my spare time. Lessee, that white soup. An-chan had it right, it¡¯s a soup called a stew that uses milk. Can¡¯t find it much around here, but it¡¯s eaten pretty often in the imperial capital.¡±

    Heeh, so what Mozuh said was correct huh.

    ¡°Then that brown stew. Surprisin¡¯ yah? It¡¯s beef stew!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Beef, as in cattle? Eh, isn¡¯t that for celebrations!?¡±

    Beef, as in the thing meant for celebrations, the thing that you only get a chance to eat at celebrations when old cattle gets ughtered.

    There¡¯re ranches at the imperial capital, and although it looks like you can eat it at other times, it¡¯s crazy expensive.

    ¡°W-wait a sec. Isn¡¯t his brown stew better than my white stew then!?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, it¡¯s not like that at all¡­ That steak, it¡¯s beef. There aren¡¯t many guests now¡­ rather, you¡¯re our first guests, so it¡¯s free as a freebie yah?¡±

    ¡°Woah! ¡­ Uooh, th-this is beef huh¡­ it¡¯s worth more than five silver¡­¡±

    I see, so it just opened. I guess it¡¯s opening also counts as a celebration.

    ¡­ The meat¡¯s quality is amazing. Is that special as well?

    ¡°A-aah, right right. Right now there¡¯s a special, it¡¯ll usually be boar meat. To make sure we¡¯re properly wee the adventurers that built this inn, we¡¯re preparin¡¯ various things to practice.¡±

    ¡°The adventurers that build the inn?¡±

    ¡°¡­ All I can say is A-Rank adventurers, anythin¡¯ else¡¯s a secret~¡±

    A-Rank adventurers huh¡­ to even kill off a cow, they¡¯re definitely being weing.

    I guess they¡¯re cooking the extra beef in order to practice.

    Still, with these spices and seasonings, even if it¡¯s boar meat instead of beef, it¡¯d still easily be worth the silver.

    Even the bread¡¯s great, everything¡¯s worth licking clean.

    ¡°Oops, guess it¡¯ll be time for dessert soon. Senpai! Bring it~!¡±

    ¡°Y-es¡­¡±

    And so the beastkin from before brought us our dessert.

    White¡­ no, yellow. It was shaped like a mound and looked mysteriously like a flower from above. There was a brown sauce drizzled over it.

    ¡°This is¡­?¡±

    ¡°S¡¯called [Pudding], a dessert. Aah, this onlyes with the D-Rank meal and up, that¡¯s why I rmended it to ya¡­ eat it with resolve¡­ doesn¡¯t it just melt with sweetness?¡±

    Muzoh held it up in his spoon and gulped it down together with his saliva.

    The woman watched him with a huge grin.

    Plunging the spoon into the [Pudding], I scooped it up. It jiggled back and forth.

    And then¡­

    ¡­ Today, I saw heaven.

 Chapter 54

    Investigation Commission: Hell

    (Adventurer¡¯s Point of View)

    We reluctantly left the inn behind.

    ¡­ Ahh, I wanted to stay another night at least.

    The bath was good, the food was good, even the bedding. Everything was high quality.

    One silver and fifty copper including meal fees, beyond cheap!

    Ahh, I¡¯ll stay another night before turning in themission, thene back for another afterwards.

    When we entered the dungeon, the first room was filled with pitfall traps.

    If it weren¡¯t for Muzoh¡¯s skill, [Sense Danger], we would¡¯ve fell into the pitfalls just like that.

    ¡°Grah, dammit, I at least wanted to hear her name¡­ I¡¯ll get her to tell me when we get back for another night.¡±

    Muzoh was being very devoted to that receptionist girl. Well, she was a beauty after all.

    I feel like this happened before¡­ ah.

    ¡°Ah¡­ Muzoh, it¡¯s a bitte for this, but¡­. I know her name.¡±

    ¡°What!? What the, when did you get on such good terms with her!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Sorin.¡±

    I recalled my bitter memories concerning Sorin.

    ¡­ Aah, she really was stripped of all she had by that hand of cards¡­

    She was awfully strong with her sake, her stomach was a bottomless pit. Just how many adventurers did she trick into emptying their wallets as they treated her?

    In addition, though she didn¡¯t have many skills to speak of her strength was above a C-Rank¡¯s.

    ¡°Sorin? ¡­ Wait, Sorin the [Demonic Gourmand]!? T-that¡¯s her!?¡±

    ¡°I heard a rumor that she¡¯d fallen into very, but why¡¯s she at a ce like this¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª, she¡¯s a ve? I didn¡¯t notice at all¡­¡±

    She had a cor on, oi¡­ It was pretty hard to notice with her outfit though.

    Hmm, other than his attention darting towards women, it really is safe with him as the scout.

    ¡­ Particrly today¡¯s dungeon investigation, he¡¯s excellent if it isn¡¯t rted to women¡­ probably.

    ¡°Still, there¡¯s just goblins appearing, eh Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°I wonder if that¡¯s since it was a dungeon where just goblins came out to start with¡­ That aside, there¡¯s a ton of traps huh. They¡¯re even all deadly.¡±

    ¡°Almost became a pincushion to those pitfalls huh. Close call.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, pay attention!¡±

    While collecting the right ears of goblins we killed, we advanced quickly.

    Oh, a box.

    ¡°Muzoh, there¡¯s a box here. Check it out.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s¡­ no traps. Alright alright, treasure-cha~n¡ªoooh, it¡¯s a mana potion!¡±

    ¡°Nice! That¡¯s a silver coin.¡±

    We continued on in a good mood. Muzoh had to use his [Little Heal] a few times, so he probably had a bit of a heavier responsibility than most adventurers.

    And then we came to some stairs.

    ¡°That magic sword we were told about was probably gotten after this yeah, Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m looking forward to it, Muzoh¡­ Brace yourself.¡±

    Golems appeared on the second floor.

    But they weren¡¯t a match for us either.

    ¡°¡ª[sh]!¡±

    My iron sword sliced right through the y golems¡¯ bodies.

    If they¡¯re just on this level, I can defeat them even if I don¡¯t purposely aim to break the magic stone. As for how to defeat golems, there were three main ways.

    The first is to break its magic stone.

    Magic stones are the heart of a golem. It¡¯s somewhere inside its body, sometimes inside of it. If you destroy it, the golem will stop moving.

    The second way is to attack it with with offensive magic skills. Golems are basically dolls that move by way of magical power, so it¡¯s weak to its magical power being disturbed by offensive magic. Well, I don¡¯t have any way to attack with magic though.

    The third way was to just give itrge amounts of damage, that¡¯s it.

    The magical power that dwelled in the golem would disperse, it¡¯s that kind of this¡­ well, it¡¯s probably the same thing more or less. When you attack the golem a few times with something that exceeds its defenses, it¡¯ll abruptly weaken and give you an opening, if you attack it right then¡ª

    ¡°Another one down.¡±

    When I cut the golem in half, it returned to being dirt.

    Muzoh then collected the unharmed magic stone.

    ¡°Nice job, Uzoh. We can get magic stones because of that, pretty good.¡±

    We could collect magic stones from golems that had them on their surface, but we ignored them for golems that had them on the inside since it would take too long.

    We didn¡¯t have enough extra room to do that with just us two anyway.

    Then we found a small room while searching through thebyrinth.

    ¡°Hmm? The heck¡¯s this. This path looks different from the others¡­ ah, a [Safety Zone]!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Let¡¯s take a bit of a break. ¡ªOi, there¡¯s a sword, hey! Muzoh!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s stuck in the pedestal huh. Doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s any traps, let¡¯s try approaching.¡±

    While Muzoh watched our surroundings, we walked into the room.

    [Safety Zones] didn¡¯t have traps to begin with though. Monsters wouldn¡¯t even go into it.

    ¡­ Then, we got close to the pedestal.

    ¡°Hm? Just now, did you hear anything from that passage? Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Eh, not really. Want me to take a look?¡±

    ¡°Might be dangerous if you just head back unprepared. Let¡¯s check out this sword first¡­ Oi, there¡¯s a magic stone in it! It¡¯s a magic sword!¡±

    I shouted out instinctively. My dream is to have a magic sword, but why¡¯s there one on such a shallow floor?

    ¡°Heeh, it¡¯s nice. Could I use it too?¡±

    ¡°We found this one pretty quick, so if we find another one it¡¯ll be Muzoh¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t find any traps. It¡¯ll be fine even if you pull it out¡­ hmm? Crap wait! Don¡¯t pull it out!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Looks like Muzoh¡¯s [Sense Danger] sensed a trap. However, he was too slow. In my excitement, I already pulled out the sword.

    Crash! The sound of something hard grinding against something else resounded from the passage.

    ¡­ When I took a look, the passage had been entirely blocked with needles that were thicker than a sword.

    It was like being inside a beast¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Oi, you said¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sorry, the reaction was dyed since there weren¡¯t any traps targeting us directly¡­¡±

    We got shut in¡­.!?

    *

    How much time¡¯s passed?

    Muzoh said that this trap isn¡¯t dangerous itself and should withdraw in time, and I agree with him. We decided to take a rest in this room we called a safety zone in the meantime.

    Seriously though, this magic sword feels amazing.

    Despite us taking a break, I found myself passing the time by using it before I realized it.

    ¡­ Fufufu, this is the start of the Magic Sword Samurai Uzoh¡¯s big break!

    ¡°Really, you were beyond careless even though I didn¡¯t find any traps in the safety zone, Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s a magic sword, a magic sword! The iron sword I¡¯ve been using up to now wasn¡¯t that bad, bute on, I tried it out on that wooden doll over there and it¡¯s incredibly sharp!¡±

    ¡°Aaah~, yeah yeah¡­ Hey, let me try it out for a bit. I really want to see how good it is.¡±

    ¡°Sure, there¡¯s another doll left.¡±

    I passed Muzoh the magic sword.

    ¡°Heeh, it¡¯s amazing. It gets super sharp when I put magical power into it. As expected of a magic sword.¡±

    ¡°Right!? For us to find a magic sword this good at such a shallow floor, we were lucky.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re blocked in now though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t say that¡­¡±

    Weughed together, cracking jokes at each other.

    With feelings like that, we were able to pass our timefortably. Until the second day.

    *

    We were still confined by the third day. Though I can make water with [Water], we¡¯re slowly running out of food.

    ¡°¡­ Why the heck hasn¡¯t it opened yet?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yeah. I thought that we might be able to break out ourselves, but it¡¯s no use with these needles. We can¡¯t get out.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s from pulling out the magic sword, is there a switch there?¡±

    ¡°I tried putting my sword in it, but it didn¡¯t work¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then should we destroy it?¡±

    ¡°Doubtful. You, can we cut the needles? They¡¯re iron.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How about using [sh] with the magic sword?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯d break.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to, but I¡¯ll give it a shot when the timees.

    For now, Muzoh and I continued to look around the room.

    *

    The fifth day of being confined.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use¡­ I can¡¯t find any way to get out, we¡¯re almost out of food too.¡±

    ¡°Hey Muzoh, I wonder if anyone¡¯de to rescue us¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t feel like dying. I wonder if that¡¯s why they sent us? Huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­¡±

    For instance, they sent C-Rank adventurers in to the dungeon. If they didn¡¯t return, they would guess it¡¯s hard and set the ce¡¯s ranking to at least that.

    In other words, the investigation included the possibility of us dying. Of course, we understood that when we epted themission.

    ¡°¡­ Dammit, if I knew this¡¯d be how it ended I would¡¯ve got that C-Rank meal too¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi cut it out, stupid Uzoh, I¡¯m hungry! Aahe on, shit, now I¡¯m remembering that meal¡­ Shiiit, if I make it through this I¡¯m going to get that A-Rank meal even if I have to sell everything I have!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, guess it¡¯s time to try it huh. Time to use [sh] on the needles with the magic sword¡­ This magic sword is valuable, but notpared to my life.¡±

    ¡°You sure? The magic sword might break ya know?¡±

    ¡°Want to shut up and die then? This isn¡¯t something to joke about¡­¡±

    I brandished the magic sword, filling it with magical power.

    When there was plenty in it, I attacked with all I had.

    ¡°¡­ Haaaaaah, [sh]!¡±

    Giriri! With an echoing metallic sound, it shaved off a bit of the needle¡­ if it¡¯s like this, I can do it!

    ¡°Uzoh! Again!¡±

    ¡°Yeaaah! ¡­ [sh]!!¡±

    Giririririri! There was an even louder metallic ringing, the sound of metal striking metal. Some more of the needle was scraped off. Again!

    ¡°Now, I¡¯ming¡­ [sh]¡ª!!¡±

    Giriririririririri! Like death throes, the needle rang out as it broke¡­ I did it, it broke!

    ¡°Uzoh! Booyah!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡ª! ¡­¡ª!¡±

    However, I couldn¡¯t move anymore.

    ¡­ The needle wall was destroyed. But at the other end, there was another. It was the same kind of needle wall¡­

    ¡°I-it¡¯s all right, you just need to break through it, one more time.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hey, oi, it¡¯s no good.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying, Muzoh? Don¡¯t you want to get out?¡±

    ¡°I want to¡­ But¡­ the magic sword¡¯s at its limit. It can¡¯t be used anymore¡­¡±

    Eh? I looked at the magic sword.

    In exchange for forcibly cutting through the iron needles, the de was cracked.

    The heck, this¡­ is a magic sword right? It shouldn¡¯t break from something like this¡­

    ¡°Moreover, look. The needles are just restoring themselves¡­ if we go any farther, we¡¯ll just get skewered.¡±

    ¡°Dammit¡­¡±

    I went back unwillingly.

    A dungeon¡¯s walls and traps restore themselves over time.

    That was the part that wasn¡¯t really like being confined in the mouth of a beast. Even though this rare magic sword was sacrificed¡­

    In the end, today just resulted in cracking the magic sword.

    *

    It¡¯s the eighth day¡­ I think. In this enclosed space with no sun, it¡¯s hard to tell time.

    And we were out of food.

    We nned to be gone two or three days at the most to start with. Maybe I should say we were lucky to bring this much?

    ¡­ Well, we¡¯re still blocked in by the needle wall.

    We¡¯re helpless.

    Our interactions with each other were getting more and more violent.

    ¡°This all happened because Uzoh just had to pull out the magic sword on his own¡­ even though I said don¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Muzoh said it was fine to pull out the sword, so I took it. Changing your mind so soon after, what you did was worse.¡±

    Things like that. It wasn¡¯t just things that had to do with the sword. Ourints right now were things like being stinky, wanting to strangle each other to stop the snoring, or talking just to insult and me each other.

    Even so, we wouldn¡¯t actually kill each other. We¡¯re still brothers connected by strong bonds. Perhaps if we were partied with someone else, we might kill them or fight for food or something.

    ¡°¡­ Enough already, let¡¯s leave it at that. Sorry for insulting you, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Well it¡¯s fine, but what¡¯s gotten into you Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t do anything and just stay locked in here, aren¡¯t we just waiting to fight each other?¡±

    ¡°¡­ If it¡¯se to that, there¡¯s no point ming each other. It was my bad too, well, as usual.¡±

    ¡°Aaah, the dungeon this time is pretty hard, so that¡¯s why. Yeah? Uzoh.¡±

    ¡­ I wonder if we could eat the goblin ears. No, they¡¯ve probably already rotted¡­

    I closed my eyes to rest in order to suppress my energy use.

 Chapter 55

    First Customers

    With the dungeon redecorated, our operation here is bing more and more genuine.

    Though saying that might be me being enthusiastic, since adventurers won¡¯t immediately rush in.

    By the way, this inn¡¯s name is [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]. That way even if they see golems cultivating fields, I¡¯ll be able to stick with the story: ¡°It¡¯s been that kind of inn since the start.¡± The [Setting] established that the owner, Rokuko, uses golems.

    ¡­ In reality Rokuko was listening to orders, and it won¡¯t be a lie if she learns [Create Golem] with our surplus DP. It¡¯d probably be fine even if we made a crest-like notice that shouted something like: ¡°We use golems at our inn~!¡±

    ¡°Still, this leisure time though¡­¡±

    Ichika wasining behind the counter, but it couldn¡¯t be helped that there weren¡¯t any guests.

    ¡­ Hmm? Wait,e to think of it, there isn¡¯t really a need for someone to sit at the counter the whole time right?

    Since Rokuko will know if someonees into the dungeon¡¯s range, it¡¯s fine if she justes when that happens¡­

    Ah, but maybe that¡¯d be no good after all if I¡¯m sleeping.

    ¡ªOh, soon as I thought that, our first customers showed up.

    A pair of men. I decided to close myself up into my room and observe them through the monitor.

    ¡­ So they ordered C-Rank and D-Rank meals huh. The C-Rank one is [Steak Set (10 DP)] and the D-Rank one is [Beef Stew Set (6 DP)].

    By the way, their vors are about that of an average family restaurant¡¯s. If I consider 1 DP to be a hundred yen, well it¡¯s probably reasonable.

    Well, honestly, selling them for five silver and one silver is pretty expensive. Since if I converted the silver into yen it¡¯d be fifty thousand yen and ten thousand yen you know? Ichika said it would be fine even if it was more expensive though.

    Ah, that¡¯s why I added pudding to D-Rank and above. They were sold in sets of three like from the supermarket, [3-Piece Pudding (1 DP)].

    Even the stic material used as its container is valuable, they¡¯re excellent materials to recycle as materials for golems¡­ Ah, when just two get ordered, wouldn¡¯t there be one left over? Wha¡ª, Ichika, surely you aren¡¯t aiming for it¡­!?

    *

    Well, apart from their meal, hot spring trip and the thing with the massage chair, it appeared that they were very satisfied with the futons. After taking a morning bath, they slowly headed into the dungeon as adventurers.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama~. As expected, it¡¯s no good if the beef isn¡¯t cooked with lots¡¯a spices or the quality goes down huh?¡±

    ¡­ It definitely can¡¯t be helped after seeing their reaction. Meanwhile, she ate the pudding in those few seconds. She¡¯s swooning with an unpleasant smile.

    I wonder if D-Rank¡¯s should be [Ginger-Grilled Pork Special (5 DP)] next time. It¡¯s probably fine to keep E-Rank and below having [Side Bread] and [Buttered Bread]. Still, I can get three of [This ce¡¯s General Bread], which is hard and ck, for 1 DP¡­ Since the [Buttered Bread] is 1 DP for a sack of six of them, the ck bread is more expensive. I don¡¯t get it.

    ¡°Looks like they epted a dungeon investigationmission in Sia. They¡¯re C-Rank adventurers, the Uzoh Muzoh brothers.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re adventurer brothers?¡±

    ¡°Nah, they aren¡¯t tied by blood y¡¯know? They¡¯re just from the same vige.¡±

    Alright, let¡¯s just forget about what ¡°brothers¡± is meant to mean.

    So two customers like that stayed the night, we earned eight silver and one copper, and earned 125 DP. Since one silver was 10 DP when converted, even setting aside meals our earnings were 188 DP.

    Still, for us to get 120 DP from those strong adventurers staying a night huh. I was surprised, but although they were at the same level as Ichika, it seems they were less skilled than her.

    I wonder why.

    When I looked at the red circles that showed intruders on the map, I was able to see how much DP they would individually give me each day. I don¡¯t know when it started being able to do that but it seems its functions have increased¡­ Come to think of it, I¡¯m able to roughly see how much DP I¡¯m obtaining from each area. I wonder if it¡¯s requirement was building an inn?

    Checking it out, Uzoh was [61 DP] and Muzoh was [59 DP]. The twobined were 5 DP per hour.

    But still, that would be the case if it was aplete day. One night is between six in the evening and eight in the morning, fourteen hours in all. It should¡¯ve been just 70 DP. There¡¯s a huge 55 DP difference there between that and what we got.

    Well, I decided to watch them on the map for a bit.

    They were at the remains of the prison left by the bandits from a while back, only the bars remained.

    As soon as Uzoh entered the jail, the daily DP ie from him increased to [183 DP].

    ¡­ It looks like the amount of DP ie increases depending on ce and condition. At the very least, let¡¯s verify [Threefold DP in the Prison]ter. If Ichika¡¯s [65 DP] turns into [195 DP]¡­ yep, Uzoh-kun and Muzoh-kun have brought me some great information. For that, let¡¯s splurge and give them a [Mana Potion (150 DP)].

    Ah, by the way, Meat is [10 DP] per day, with Rokuko and I being [0 DP]. Well that¡¯s because we¡¯re dungeon master and core huh¡­ Meat, did you grow up? Or maybe recover? You were staring death in the face before after all¡­

    That aside, our ie from the dungeon¡¯s earth vein now is just 90 DP? Oops, I shouldn¡¯t think of that as small¡­ do your best, earth vein.

    And then the Uzoh Muzoh brothers descended to the first underground floor while trampling their way through goblins.

    ¡­ Despite the traps being perfectly set at the start, they were making their way through unexpectedly safely. Maybe I should make them a bit harder?

    Combat versus golems began on the underground floors.

    They encountered y golems that were summoned from spawners and roaming around a few times.

    Those guys didn¡¯t even have a simple sword, so they weren¡¯t actually that strong since you just needed to hit them enough times. They were defeated pretty easily.

    ¡°¡­ Incidentally, Golems die when they¡¯re cut in two right?¡±

    ¡°Askin¡¯ now even though Goshujin-sama already has a habit of usin¡¯ golems huh. Ya see, golems can¡¯t move if their magical power drains outa their body. Well, rather than dyin¡¯ it¡¯s more like they just can¡¯t move? Somethin¡¯ like that. The usual way to go about takin¡¯em out is to hit ¡¯em really hard or mess ¡¯em up with magic. Ah, their weak point is havin¡¯ their magic stone taken out, like heart failure.¡±

    And so, Ichika taught me about the golems¡¯ weak points.

    To tell the truth, I didn¡¯t understand them that well since there was no information about them other than how to [Make a Golem] inside of [Create Golem]. I guess making irregr golems was beyond that scroll¡¯s scope to begin with.

    Impacts, magic, and the magic stone huh. I wonder if golems are unexpectedly weak? A y golem is a third the cost of a lizardman (150 DP) after all¡­ Ooh, it might be a good idea to dress them in armor.

    An armor golem on a golem¡­ ah, the heck, I just pictured an armored-type haniwa thing¡­ y-yeah, I just thought of something strange. For the boss golem design, let¡¯s use a haniwa as a base. The meaning behind them is to protect peaceful sleep you know? Isn¡¯t that perfect? [1]

    When I looked back at Uzoh and Muzoh, they¡¯d entered the [Test Room].

    Uzoh pulled out the magic sword de golem from the pedestal.

    Oh. The amount of DP I get from them doubled as soon as the doorway closed¡­ It doubled because they¡¯re closed in, I guess?

    Maybe it¡¯d be a good idea to also given them a key for them to use and call the ce a training area¡­ no, if something like them sleeping in the hotel with the doors closed counted, their DP would¡¯ve doubled then as well huh. I mean, what¡¯s causing it? I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d need to solve a DP ie riddle so suddenly!

    However, looking at him bubbling over with happiness over holding a magic sword, he seems very pleased.

    ¡­ Maybe I should¡­ no way, there¡¯s no way I could¡­ I definitely shouldn¡¯t.

    *

    Three days after the pair dove into the dungeon. In the meantime, although there were zero guests staying at the inn, we were getting 240 DP daily from the adventurers inside the dungeon (the Uzoh Muzoh brothers). Adding up Ichika and Meat, as well as the dungeon¡¯s basic ie and so on, we were getting a total of 400 DP per day.

    Even if I did nothing else, my daily wage would be forty thousand yen. Thirty times that for monthly sry, a crazy one million two hundred thousand yen. Silly ie for a single person.

    ¡°¡­ But why don¡¯t those guys leave the test room?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re probably pleased with its coziness! As expected of my dungeon~¡±

    Even though they could leave as soon as they stab the magic sword back into the pedestal¡­ it doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re going to leave at all. Why the heck do they want to stay inside so bad¡­

    When I checked, they strolled around the room and beat the walls.

    Oh¡ª, he put a normal sword into the pedestal. Unfortunate, but wrong. Won¡¯t work.

    ¡°¡­ Wait, perhaps they don¡¯t know how to leave¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, now that you mention it they did seem like idiots~¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to be called that by Rokuko.¡±

    I wonder if he was unconsciously avoiding the right answer and just didn¡¯t want to part with the magic sword?

    ¡­ Now I¡¯m recalling a story about an ape that tried to take some bait out of a hole with its hand but couldn¡¯t.

    ¡°¡­ Well, let¡¯s just watch for a bit more. They¡¯ll leave sooner orter¡­ the DP is great even if they don¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Wouldn¡¯t it be fine for us to just leave them in there?¡±

    Above all, it¡¯s double DP when confined with a key and three times as much when imprisoned. I learned that it would increase by the huge factor of sixfold when imprisoned with Ichika¡¯s cooperation. However, it seems she was slowly tiring out when confined in the prison. I wonder if it¡¯s due to having DP wrung out of her?

    ¡­ For now, so long as we¡¯re sure that doors are properly locked when people sleep, our ie will increase.

    *

    Day five.

    When staying a full ten days, we obtain the same amount of DP as though they were killed.

    In other words, with Uzoh and Muzoh¡¯s doubled amount of ie for us, we¡¯re now earning more DP than if we had just killed them on day one. Isn¡¯t it fine for the Uzoh Muzoh brothers to just keep staying with us? It¡¯d be great DP if we just fed them and kept them as pets¡­

    By the way, it seems there are human farms in some of the high-ranking dungeons. It was a technique of literally treating humans as livestock for cultivating DP¡­ If it leaked out to humans, it¡¯d instantly be the case of destroying the dungeon core on sight.

    We can¡¯t possibly do that with a small scale dungeon like ours¡­ To keep it a secret we¡¯d have to make deeper floors¡­ no, the risk is too big. There¡¯s no way I could sleep peacefully with so much danger. Rejected, rejected.

    Well, since were still weren¡¯t getting any other guests, I stayed lying down while watching Uzoh and Muzoh¡¯s actions. It looks like they were tired of waiting and tried to destroy the needles that were blocking the entrance.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a shame! Attacking a dungeon object with the de golem is like attacking with a normal [Iron Sword]!¡±

    ¡°Who was that exnation for?¡±

    Ah, usually there would be a monster opponent for them to fully savor its sharpness though. The boss? It¡¯s different from the boss. I¡¯m nning on giving it the ability to disempower my dungeon¡¯s magic swords. I haven¡¯t made it yet though.

    Well, they failed as I figured¡­ is what I expected, but they broke one of the needles blocking them in. Looks like they gave up because two more came back though. For them to try using the magic sword on the test room¡¯s blockade¡­ I made the walls and floor considerably strong so that they won¡¯t be destroyed. In other words, I used the mysterious dungeon power of making a [Puzzle Room that¡¯s Possible to Escape] by putting the key to escape inside.

    ¡­ Eh, what?

    The magic sword¡­ broke?

    Footnotes:

    Haniwa are basically ¡®sleeping charms¡¯. Here¡¯s an image of one. Return

 Chapter 56

    Commission from the Guild

    ¡°¡­ For now, want me to fix the needle trap? It¡¯s just a little DP.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, please.¡±

    I left Rokuko to repair the trap as I immersed myself in my thoughts.

    ¡­ It probably broke during that first attack. When the de golem broke, it went from being the important [Room Key] into a [Normal Iron Sword]. Then the mysterious dungeon power that made the needle traps strengthen dropped drastically because of them losing the ability to escape. They turned into [Objects that can be Destroyed], I guess.

    Then they tried to forcibly break the iron needles with an iron sword, so the sword also cracked. That¡¯s probably what happened.

    ¡°¡­ I get the gist of it, but figuring this out is going to be annoying¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmm, what is?¡±

    ¡°Well, the de golem is our featured product, but can it be used as a magic sword? Its performance seems questionable.¡±

    If I think about this carefully and look at it from another direction, defending against attacks using a de golem is the same thing as [Attacking] a golem in sword form.

    So if the golem is injured, after that there¡¯d be no difference between it and an ordinary [Iron Sword]. Even in the middle ofbat.

    ¡­ The de golem¡¯s weakness that¡¯s been on my mind for a while now was this, huh?

    Although it¡¯s fine in my case because I can mend them, Meat and Ichika can¡¯t. And since they¡¯re serving as the vanguards inbat, their de golems have a high chance of breaking.

    ¡­ Looks like I¡¯ll need to improve them somehow. Let¡¯s think on it.

    Ah, even if Uzoh and Muzoh put the magic sword they broke back into the pedestal, they won¡¯t be able to manually release the blockade.

    *

    The next day, Uzoh and Muzoh still weren¡¯t able to escape the test room. Their DP is delicious.

    Then I saw someone appear on the map. Wonder if it¡¯s a new guest?

    ¡°Owneeer! There¡¯s a new gueeest~¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t she calling for Rokuko¡­?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª, ah, r-right, I¡¯m the owner! ¡­ S-see y-youter!¡±

    ¡°Wait, you¡¯re going to go like that? ¡­ Haah, can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    She was obviously overanxious so I decided to follow her.

    Or maybe I should say that I temporarily revived my absolutemand over Rokuko. [Calm down.][Smile next to me.][Nod if I say: ¡°What now, Owner?¡±][Shake your head if I say: ¡°What do we do, Owner?¡±][If it¡¯s anything else just nod and agree to the conversation.] I gave her those orders.

    ¡­ It was to help cover up her anxiety, it couldn¡¯t be helped. I forced her to calm down despite having such a short amount time. After all, the order authority is too strong.

    When we went and saw Ichika who called us, the usual Receptionist-san from the guild was there¡­ with a gargantuan rucksack on her back.

    I wonder if something¡¯s starting? Is she actually a pretty powerful person? She¡¯s carrying that like it¡¯s nothing.

    ¡­ Her daily DP ie is [80 DP], oi. The heck is this incredible person. Maybe she really is a big shot?

    ¡°This is the first time we¡¯ve met, Owner-sama¡­ Why is Kehma-sama here?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m employed here. Please think of me as something simr to a secretary for now.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I¡¯d like to talk with Owner-sama for a moment.¡±

    ¡°What now, Owner?¡±

    Rokuko nodded her head asmanded. Good, her movements are fine.

    Well, here¡¯s Receptionist-san¡¯s story summed up:

    ¨C She was dispatched to make a guild branch office! The inn¡¯s front area was vacant, she would build it there!

    ¨C She had a tent but would rent things like the toilet for a while! Food too!

    ¨C Ah, the guild would pay money! It¡¯s the same amount as staying normally so it¡¯s fine!

    Well, that was a bit frank but that¡¯s how it was.

    It wasn¡¯t a problem for her to stay at the inn at all. If there was a problem it¡¯d be that the branch office would be set up between the inn¡¯s front and the cave entrance, but I don¡¯t really have a way to refuse either¡­ I still don¡¯t have anything using thend after all.

    ¡°Above all I¡¯d like to receive your cooperation¡­ By the way, how much is the cost of staying here?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Fifty copper per night, meals are between a copper and a gold. Right now there isn¡¯t a discount for staying a long time though. What do we do, Owner? ¡­ Ah, it¡¯s no use huh. We still haven¡¯t figured out the pricing for that yet.¡±

    Let¡¯s stick with the stance that you can only get that as a special thing.

    ¡°One gold coin is it? What kind of meal is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a meal suitable for receiving an A-Rank adventurer as a guest. Ah, the details are shown on the price listings here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ One copper coin for a G-Rank meal?¡±

    ¡°Since you usually need at least E-Rank toe to a normal dungeon, it¡¯s assumed to be used for ves. It¡¯s just ck bread¡­ One above that is F-Rank for beginners, it¡¯s two loafs of white bread. E-Rank¡¯s is a bit of a novelty bread, an original of this inn. It¡¯s a daily special though¡­ As for D-Rank, it¡¯s for adventurers who can earn a bit, white bread apanied with a side dish. It evenes with dessert.¡±

    I pointed to them as I exined so that she could see the prices¡­ I wonder if exining C-Rank is unnecessary?

    Receptionist-san closed her eyes for a moment before responding.

    ¡°Then I¡¯d like to ask for an E-Rank meal.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Feel free to let us know if you change your mind at any point.¡±

    ¡°Fifty copper coins¡­ it¡¯s a considerable price.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s due to the cost of shipping into the mountains¡­ right, Owner?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, that can¡¯t be helped. Roads don¡¯te this deep into the mountains after all.¡±

    Alright, so one silver coin a day.

    ¡°Right, the guild wanted to give a nominatedmission to Kehma-sama, would you like to hear about it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m employed here right now though¡­ what now, Owner?¡±

    Let¡¯s hear about it for now.

    ¡°The other day, the guild put out amission for this dungeon¡­ to find a new name for the [Ordinary Cave], it put out an investigationmission for it¡­ The adventurers haven¡¯t returned.¡±

    Ah, Uzoh and Muzoh huh. They¡¯re sleeping in the test room right now you know?

    ¡°C-Rank adventurers are assumed to be ustomed to capturing dungeons and knowing when it¡¯s time to quit¡­ so when they aren¡¯t able to return, the guild assumes the dungeon has a considerably high difficulty.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm, and so?¡±

    ¡°Even though Kehma-sama has experience in investigating this dungeon and returning alive we can¡¯t issue an investigationmission to you¡­ So, if those adventurers who haven¡¯t returned are still alive, we would like you to rescue them¡­ Well, the possibility of them still being alive is low though.¡±

    They¡¯re definitely still living you know!? Ah, I can¡¯t just go and say that right now.

    ¡°If you ept thismission¡­ we will recognize you as a C-Rank adventurer to capture the [Ordinary Cave]. The Guild Head approved it.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, so only if I ept it, huh?¡±

    It¡¯d certainly be reckless for E-Ranks to enter if even C-Ranks were unable to make it back. So I guess it¡¯s fine for them to recognize me as C-Rank with the condition of me being able to return alive?

    I don¡¯t have a reason to not ept it¡­ Rather, we¡¯re E-Rank if we don¡¯t ept it, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t.

    ¡°¡­ The reward?¡±

    ¡°Investigationmissions are five silver coins, with additional rewards for useful information. As for things obtained in the dungeon, we don¡¯t mind what is done with them but would like to be shown them for a moment. In the case you are able to sessfully rescue them, there will be an additional five silver coins reward from the guild. Please discuss the reward with those concerned.¡±

    There¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t ept it, but it looks like I can expect a pretty good reward. Uzoh and Muzoh are still alive too.

    I don¡¯t want the dungeon to be considered very difficult or nothing but strong adventurers wille here¡­ besides, it¡¯d be a bad omen if the inn¡¯s first customers died after all.

    ¡°¡­ I want to ept themission, but that depends on the inn. What now, Owner?¡±

    I decided to ept themission.

 Chapter 57

    Rescue

    Receptionist-san went outside to the tent that was currently acting as a temporary branch office.

    I released Rokuko from the absolutemands and prepared to dive into the dungeon. By that, I obvious mean preparing just for show.

    At any rate, I have a map too. I am the dungeon master after all.

    ¡°Well, will you rescue them?¡±

    ¡°I will. Otherwise I won¡¯t be able toe and go from the dungeon as I want, it¡¯s a good thing those small fries went in first¡­¡±

    It doesn¡¯t have enough fighting strength, so it would¡¯ve been destroyed if some big shots suddenly showed up. The boss golem? I¡¯ll make it little by little, a super armored haniwa.

    Furthermore, Uzoh and Muzoh are still safe. It looks like they¡¯ve already searched today and are taking a nap, so I¡¯ll draw up ns for the super armored haniwa.

    *

    Well, it¡¯s been ten days since Uzoh and Muzoh were confined. They haven¡¯t been able to find a way out and have slowly stopped moving around as much. The DP we¡¯re getting from them has lowered a bit because they¡¯re weakening.

    I brought Ichika with me into the dungeon.

    Their stomachs were empty as well, so I brought some white bread as a present.

    It was my dungeon, so it obviously didn¡¯t take that long to reach the test room.

    ¡°¡­ Oooi, I came to help! You guys there~?¡±

    ¡°Uu¡­ what¡­ a-a rescuer? W-we¡¯re here, we¡¯re in here! The two of us, we¡¯re still alive, please help!¡±

    Muzoh¡¯s desperate voice came from the other side of the needle wall.

    Well, I knew that from the map though. I also knew they were both alive because I could use the monitor.

    ¡°Well Ichika¡­ how do you think we should open it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ It¡¯s ¡®kay to break it?¡±

    Yep, the needles blocking the way are very strong, but they¡¯re going to open the moment I arrive. It¡¯s somewhat amusing.

    ¡°Well I¡¯m going to smash it open with magic¡­ Alright, opening it nooow! Move away from the entraaance!¡±

    ¡°G-got it, we¡¯re moving, please wait¡­ ¡­ We¡¯ve moved, go for it!¡±

    He called back out from inside the room. I checked the map to confirm that they moved away. After that, I remembered [Fireball] that I learned from the scroll from before.

    ¡­ The chant for it is, ¡°me, be a ball and pierce my enemy.¡± ¡­ ¡­ Such anguage cheat¡ª!

    ¡°me, be five balls and pierce my enemy¡ª[Fireball].¡±

    I nomittally decided to make it five, but five fireballs really did appear andunch themselves at the needle wall.

    Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! The fireballs hit the wall one after another¡­ Yep, guess that much isn¡¯t able to break the needle wall. I wonder if my magical power would be able to make a hundred or a thousand balls?

    ¡­ Looks like I can still shoot more. Let¡¯s change it up a bit on the next one.

    ¡°me, burst and¡­ eeeh¡­ explode for the time being, [Fireball].¡±

    Fwoom. A ball of fire appeared and slowly moved to the wall.

    Ah¡ªcrap. My magical power dropped a ton from that chant. It decreased so much that I¡¯m feeling cold.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, I think this¡¯s dangerous. We should move away a bit yah?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    I moved a bit away being pulled by Ichika and we waited for the ball of fire to hit the needle wall.

    Kabooom! The moment it collided, an explosive sound sted through the air as white light engulfed us.

    However, the needle wall was alive and kicking.

    ¡­ ¡­ O-okay, it didn¡¯t break! As expected of the needle wall, that wasn¡¯t dangerous to it¡­ rather, it actually would¡¯ve been pretty strange if fireballs did anything to the iron. Dangit, thought I¡¯d be able to do something to it.

    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t be helped I guess, I¡¯ll just directly tamper with it so that it can be broken.¡±

    I should¡¯ve just done this from the start. I used [Create Golem] on the needle wall, easily making some cracks¡­ It was already filled with my magical power before I even intentionally tried. I wonder if it¡¯s because it¡¯s a trap in my dungeon? Well, it was easy to alter.

    ¡­ But I¡¯m already tired from that [Fireball] from a bit ago. Let¡¯s leave the grand demolishing to Ichika.

    ¡°Ichika, I made it fragile so do it showy.¡±

    ¡°Nn, got it. Leave it to me~¡±

    Ichika stood in front of the needle wall and brandished her carving knife golem¡­ There¡¯s a water golem hidden in the center to absorb impacts and is made even more impact resistant by the threeyer structure of iron that covers the exterior of the sword. Its magic resistance has been improved (I think) as well, an experimental type de golem. If it works let¡¯s name it the second generation.

    ¡°¡­ sh! ¡­ ish?¡±

    Ichika attacked the wall with movements like she was using [sh] while avoiding pincushioning herself on the needles with nimble movements. The needles were destroyed.

    The needles that broke were thrown inside very showily as they made loud ringing sounds.

    ¡­ Uzoh and Muzoh didn¡¯t die from that right? They¡¯re safe right?

    A fake sh huh. Though she normally had assistance by the [sh] skill, it was being reproduced by the maid clothes golem¡¯s assist function. Since it wasn¡¯t a skill, it might be lot weaker¡­ It looks like you can memorize skills even if you don¡¯t use a scroll, but you can¡¯t learn the real [sh] and use a fake sh huh. I need to experiment on that.

    ¡°Y-you saved us¡­ Oi, Uzoh, we¡¯re getting rescued!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    Hmm, he couldn¡¯t stand properly on his feet by himself.

    Ichika and I went into the test room. Then, the needle wall began to quietly restore itself.

    ¡°O-oi! Wait! Don¡¯te in!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Why¡­ oops.¡±

    The needle wall restored itself behind Ichika and I, locking us in like a beast¡¯s mouth.

    Seeing that, Muzoh¡¯s face looked like it had drained of hope.

    ¡°A-aah¡­ shit, why¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, this is a [Safety Zone] right? Why are you panicking so much?¡±

    ¡°We couldn¡¯t destroy that trap even though we used a magic sword on it. It was no good¡­ from the inside, it¡¯s resistant to attacks to the point of being bizarre¡­¡±

    Though I already know about what happened, I¡¯ll pretend to be surprised for now.

    ¡°Oi oi, hold up. What happened to the magic sword?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°Here. This thing cracked.¡±

    I epted the magic sword and took a look at it¡­ Yep, it definitely broke. It wasn¡¯t a golem anymore, just a ordinary [Broken Iron Sword]. Rather, it did well being able to break one of the needle trap¡¯s needles.

    ¡°¡­ Looks like it can¡¯t be used. It can¡¯t be helped, guess I¡¯ll use my magic sword¡­ Ichika, give them the bread we brought.¡±

    ¡°Ye~s, Goshujin-sama¡­ Here ya go~?¡±

    Ichika took out the bread and gave them each a share of it.

    We brought plenty enough to eat so make sure you eat properly!

    ¡°¡­ T-thanks. Right, did he say Ichika just now¡­? O-oi, Uzoh. This bread, it¡¯s white. It¡¯s the bread we ate at the hotel!¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Are you an angel?¡±

    While Ichika was handing out the bread, I took the chance to approach the pedestal. I first tried inserting the broken de golem.

    ¡­ Yep, no reaction after all. Looks like the pedestal doesn¡¯t recognize the de golem in its current state.

    While I snickered inwardly at being able to take in some valuable data, I inserted the de golem I brought just now into the pedestal. Then the needle wall made a sound of metal sliding across metal as it perfectly withdrew itself.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? W-what did you do?¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t leave this room without inserting the magic sword back into the pedestal¡­ Moreover, I used the magic sword I brought since the broken magic sword didn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Magic sword!? I-I see, so it was like that from the start¡­ dammit¡­¡±

    Muzoh was getting seriously depressed. Let¡¯s make it so that even a more or less broken magic sword will open it if it gets stabbed back into the pedestal. Well, let¡¯s continue with some devilish words.

    ¡°You need to reimburse me properly you know? One magic sword.¡±

    ¡­ Right, everything up to here has been an act for these words! She said it: ¡°Please discuss the reward with those concerned.¡± Since it was a rescuemission, I used the strategy of sacrificing a magic sword to draw out a lot more money.

    How¡¯s that, dreadful isn¡¯t it¡­!? Tremble in fear as you live the rest of your life in debt!

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, sorry, you had to use your valuable magic sword¡­¡±

    ¡°Definitely. You helped to the point where you lost your magic sword, we will pay you back.¡±

    H-huh? What¡¯s with that mutual agreement, oi.

    ¡°It was a magic sword you know? It¡¯s pretty expensive you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ll definitely repay you even though it¡¯ll probably take some time to pay back. I wonder if the guild would help?¡±

    ¡°I-I want a new magic sword if possible¡­¡±

    ¡°Got it. In two years, no, we¡¯ll somehow do it in one year¡­ We¡¯ve lost a bit of confidence from this, but we¡¯re still C-Rank adventurers, we¡¯ll manage it somehow.¡±

    These guys are crazy obedient.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, how much is your rescue fee? If possible, we¡¯d appreciate it if you left us behind with enough money to take on anothermission.¡±

    Eh, they want to pay me even more? What is this deliciousness¡­ Though, I¡¯ve already demanded a magic sword, demanding too much is just cruel. Alright, let¡¯s overcharge for now and lower it to see their reaction.

    ¡°Eh, ah, ummm, let¡¯s seeeee¡­ t-two gold coins, I guess?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡ªT-that¡¯s!¡±

    Ah, sorry. I guess one gold coin per person is too much after all? Alright, let¡¯s cut the price down now! I want to get as much as possible out of them, though!

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great that¡¯s so little!? We¡¯re saved!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, with Muzoh and I that makes four gold huh? We¡¯ll pay it when we return to Sia.¡±

    ¡­ ¡­ Eeeeeeh?

 Chapter 58

    Haku-san¡¯s Visit

    I entirely forgot to ask Ichika about the rescue fee beforehand.

    Being asked by Muzoh to please help him in that situation, let alone all of their money and possessions or something, it seems they couldn¡¯tin even if I demanded half of their selling price as a ve.

    They¡¯d be left in a pretty hopeless spot if I did that though, so it was good manners to leave them with something¡­

    But the market price for a C-Rank is around four gold each.

    ¡°As expected of Goshujin-sama, yer ability to see through people is amazin¡¯. Now they¡¯ll owe you a magic sword in the future, so you left ¡¯em with some funds to get it. When ya add in the magic sword, isn¡¯t it pretty delicious? Weeell, they¡¯ll also owe ya a favor, profitable profit!¡±

    Well let¡¯s just take it as something good.

    Still, I didn¡¯t even have to return to Sia. I was able to receive the money from the adventurer guild¡¯s branch office¡­ Four gold coins. Delicious indeed. Those guys said something like they were going to use their savings on the A-Rank meal. Three of the gold coins were Uzoh¡¯s though.

    ¡­ It¡¯d be 4,000 DP if I converted it into DP. Nah, it¡¯ll be fine to use it as is. Maybe I should get another employee (ve)?

    Uzoh and Muzoh spent another night at the hotel, this time they both enthusiastically ate C-Rank meals. They also treated Ichika and me. As well as Meat, who was my party member, while they were at it¡­ I could¡¯ve wrung more money out of them¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine I guess.

    Right now our C-Rank meal is a special one for our opening, the [Steak Meal]. They heard from Ichika that it¡¯ll be our B-Rank meal after this, so they couldn¡¯t eat it as casually as they were doing just before and now ate it with sad andplicated expressions.

    The next day, after reporting themission to the adventurer¡¯s guild branch office, they left smiling and waving.

    This time, when I put together the ie we were able to get from Uzoh and Muzoh, we got 2,650 DP, four gold coins, twenty-nine silver coins, and five copper coins. There was probably a margin of error when working with small amounts of DP from the dungeon, but it¡¯s fine.

    ¡­ This is worth 4,290,500 yen. Woah, it¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t kill them! I wouldn¡¯t have been able to get their savings if I did. Getting a new magic sword is much more delicious.

    Then there was the investigation and rescuemissions from the guild¡­ Though even if it was an investigationmission, I didn¡¯t have to give them any essential information. Adventurers like me don¡¯t go so far as [Lying] to gain an advantage, but it seems concealing some information is standard¡­ Well, there are magic tools that can see through lies, so yeah.

    The information I gave: [Goblins at the start, golems appearing after descending the stairs][Uzoh and Muzoh were on the floor immediately after the stairs][Once the trap is sprung, it doesn¡¯t seem you can leave]. As well as the stuff Uzoh and Muzoh will report.

    Incidentally, the method to release the trap¡­ [Return the magic sword to the pedestal], telling them that informationted me an additional ten silver reward. Along with the original five, Uzoh and Muzoh seem to have asked, ¡°This is their information, so please add it to theirs.¡±¡­ They¡¯re some pretty upright fellows.

    After that, I drew and gave them a map of the area around the entrance and of the first floor. They bought it for eight silver. They paid quite a bit for it¡­ they¡¯ll probably have an easier time investigating now.

    A total of twenty-eight silver good. A good haul. Receptionist-san¡¯s five days of stay amounted to around 600 DP and five silver coins.

    With this our surplus DP has risen quite a bit huh¡­ Our remaining DP is¡­ 19,532. It hasn¡¯t went over 20,000 yet because I¡¯m using it to pierce a tunnel through the Tsuia Mountain. I¡¯m taking control of the drilling from time to time.

    ¡­ Hmm, we can probably afford a few expenses for a while if our DP¡¯s like this, so we¡¯re probably fine. I could convert the gold coin at any time, but let¡¯s reserve it for now.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so delicious that we got so much ie right at the start? ¡­ It was a bonus, but in just eleven days¡¯ ie we could make three hundred and fifty goblins.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s amazing! But why did you convert it to goblins? Mmm¡­¡±

    Eh, isn¡¯t Rokuko just too easy to get? She was smiling sweetly.

    ¡°Well.. you¡¯re easy to understand but¡­ you shouldn¡¯t be so happy with that!¡±

    I patted Rokuko¡¯s head.

    Investigationmissions are used to measure the difficulty of a dungeon before it is opened to general adventurers.

    The results were that C-Rank and E-Rank adventurers were able to return safely, so I wonder if I didn¡¯t set the difficulty too high? It¡¯d be good if the dungeon bes popr for low-level adventurers since our DP ie would stabilize¡­ and I wouldn¡¯t have to worry about being able to defend the dungeon.

    ¡­ Most of all, even if the dungeon core is set up inside the dungeon, if adventurers ever make it to the final floor it¡¯ll be fine if I just use castling on the dummy core in my room, so I can sleep peacefully.

    Dungeon investigations? Yep, do as you like. It¡¯s fine, since there¡¯s nothing there even if you go inside. You¡¯ll just feel tired from the stress.

    ¡­ Ahhh, maybe I should remodel the dungeon if we get more DP~?

    *

    Several dayster, the dungeon¡¯s new name was finally decided on.

    It¡¯s new name: [Cave of Desires].

    You¡¯ll probably die if you lose to your desires, at least, that¡¯s why they gave it that name. Even though I¡¯d prefer it if they weren¡¯t so vignt and just rx their guard¡­

    It¡¯s requirement was E-Rank. ssified as an ordinary low ss dungeon. Well, it seems that when I saved the C-Rank adventurers Uzoh and Muzoh, I announced the method to escape.

    ¡°Congrattions Rokuko-chan. You were given a name suitable for Rokuko-chan¡¯s charm.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much, Haku Ane-sama!¡±

    Haku-san was the first one to arrive with the news. She was gently caressing Rokuko¡¯s head.

    Chloe-san was standing behind them off to the side a little, wearing the same butler clothing as usual.

    ¡°¡­ So, why are you here, Haku-san?¡±

    ¡°I heard that your dungeon was made public, so I came to be the first to stay here you know? I rushed over to be Rokuko-chan¡¯s inn¡¯s first guest.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but Haku-san is the fourth.¡±

    ¡°What did you say¡­!? ¡­ Three people have already stayed here? I won¡¯t be the first one then?¡±

    ¡°Please stop, you can use our number one room. Please pardon us, you¡¯ll be our suite room¡¯s first guest.¡±

    The suite room¡­ that is, it¡¯s a room I just made to entertain A-Rank adventurers for now.

    The bedding in the suite is borate. It was a higher rank of the [Futon (5 DP)], the [Foam Mat (200 DP)]. Ibined it with a wooden frame I made myself with some high ss sculptures on it, turning it into a bed that overflowed with the feeling of luxury. Additionally, it has a [Duvet (100 DP)]. It¡¯s just amazing, I can¡¯t help but praise myself.

    I added some other pointless furniture for relief, like a light magic tool that looked like a candlestick. There¡¯s even a curtain that covers a window I made with the potion bottles¡¯ ss. It¡¯s pretty great.

    Moreover, there is a bath and restroom attached to the room. They were private stalls, not like an all-in-one you know?

    The bath was made of cypress wood, bringing about a luxurious feeling from the style of it¡­ probably.

    It also had a massage chair in the room. You could easily fall asleep in it after a bath with the included [Towel nket (5 DP)]. [1] You could even press a button to have a meal brought to you so that you didn¡¯t have toe down to the dining room to eat, our service is impable.

    ¡­ I only made this so that we could say our inn can entertain A-Rank adventurers, but only Haku-san is going to use it!

    By the way, it¡¯s fifty copper coins to stay the night in a normal room. Since meals have been set to cost quite a sum of money, the specially rated suite isn¡¯t my room. After all, with its cost people would be like, ¡°How the heck¡¯s an E-Rank adventurer staying there¡­!?¡± It¡¯s different if it¡¯s just my reputation falling, but I¡¯d like to avoid suspicion. Dang it, I wouldn¡¯t have to worry so much if they didn¡¯t make that guild branch office, I would¡¯ve stayed in the suite whenever there weren¡¯t any guests¡­!

    ¡°So, how much will it be? I don¡¯t count as a first customer that wouldn¡¯t need to pay money, so I assume I¡¯ll pay properly?¡±

    There¡¯s no such rule as that!

    ¡°¡­ Aah, we haven¡¯t decided on the fee for the suite yet¡­¡±

    ¡°That room¡¯s the best. I also helped making its interior you know¡­ Haku Ane-sama, how much do you think would be good for a night¡¯s stay?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, I wonder? I¡¯m looking forward to it. Hmm, then I¡¯ll pay a fair price when I leave.¡±

    I¡¯m thankful for that. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t know what price would be fair since I haven¡¯t stayed at a high ss hotel.

    ¡°Oh yeah, we prepare A-Rank meals. The [Setting] is that Haku-san delivers ingredients to Rokuko with [Storage], so we look forward to working with you.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Ah, of course, it will be another world¡¯s cuisine right? Here, this is two gold coins for Chloe¡¯s portion as well. I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    It would¡¯ve been fine without that though¡­ well, it¡¯s fine. ept what you can ept. Paying in gold coins¡­ I wonder how I should say it? This person¡¯s values are off. Well, they¡¯re probably off by two orders of magnitude.

    ¡­ Still, it¡¯s a bitte to say it but I can¡¯t see the A-Rank menu we arranged to be worth a million yen at all.

    Maybe I should change the menu to a three course Chinese meal or a French styled full course after all?

    Footnotes:

    Like a snuggie nket that¡¯s also a towel, here¡¯s an image. Return

 Chapter 59

    Inn, Suite Room 1

    (Haku¡¯s Point of View)

    [Cave of Desires] was Rokuko-chan¡¯s dungeon¡¯s new name.

    It was decided on when Sia¡¯s adventurer guild confirmed the information in the report.

    But still, she was already found¡­ no, she did it voluntarily.

    Well, in addition to that, the report also said that there was an inn.

    I thought that making the [Inn (400,000 DP~)] would take more time and certainly not be announced simultaneously with the dungeon¡­ I wonder what in the world they did for ie? A human farm? Hmm, it¡¯s too early for that. Maybe they excavated some orichalcum?

    And so, I used [Teleport] as soon as I could to be Rokuko-chan¡¯s inn¡¯s [First Customer].

    *

    Unfortunately, although I missed the chance to have the honor of being her [First Customer], I decided to stay in the suite.

    Incidentally, I was given the important duty of assessing a fair price for it. Fufufu, many inns have been built in the imperial capital. Furthermore, to say nothing of the top ss inns¡¯ suites I¡¯ve stayed in around the kingdom for my duties, I¡¯ve also stayed in various inns as an adventurer. There probably isn¡¯t anyone more suited to this than me.

    ¡°Now then, I wonder if I can get a hot bath without needing to wait?¡±

    Though you could perfectly clean your body with Cleanup, it feels great when you wipe your body clean with a cloth dampened in hot water. Although such a service can¡¯t be expected in a cheap hotel meant for low rank adventurers, but something that calls itself a suite room should be able to.

    ¡°¡­ Ahh, um, sorry.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I can¡¯t?¡±

    A demerit right away then? Good grief, if you don¡¯t properly improve your service, it¡¯ll be hard to call this a suite¡­

    ¡°There is a bath in the room if you want hot water, so please use that. Use it as much as you like.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? ¡­ A-as much as I want?¡±

    ¡°There is a mechanism with leversing out of it attached to the bath for that.¡±

    ¡­ Did the [Inn] have a room with that function? Maybe there was an option to enhance it¡­ If it¡¯s just the suite, the expenditure would be lowered. As expected of Rokuko-chan¡¯s master.

    ¡°Yeah, other than the suite, you can enter the hot spring as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s even a hot spring?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s our main attraction.¡±

    A [Hot Spring] would cost DP separate from an [Inn]¡­ I wonder how much they spent? I don¡¯t consider it that expensive, but it seems they¡¯ve splurged.

    ¡­ If I recall, a normal room is fifty copper coins. As for entering the hot spring as much as you want, I wonder if most of the costs went towards that? I wonder if I should have stayed in a normal room?

    ¡°So then Haku Ane-sama, I¡¯ll show you to your room!¡±

    Rokuko-chan led me to the suite room¡­ This service is worth the one gold coin¡­ oops, I shouldn¡¯t allow my opinion to affect the reasonable price.

    Rokuko-chan stood in front of the room she took me to¡­ Hmm, it¡¯s not a normal wooden door, but surrounded by iron ting? It¡¯s also has a lock.

    I wonder if it was broken at one point and they reced it with a dungeon door? That¡¯s probably it.

    ¡°Here it is! Take you time, Ane-sama!¡±

    When I opened the door, it was bright inside. The sun was shining.

    ¡­ There was fantastically carved wooden furniture, as well as a bed. There was also what looked to be afortable chair to sit in. Hmm, what country is this engraving style from¡­? Perhaps from another world?

    There was a clock on the wall. Having a clock was convenient, it was a particrly expensive magic tool. There is a bell that rings in the town, but there¡¯s no way you could hear it out here.

    And the window where the light was shining through¡­ is that a sheet of crystal inserted into it? It looks like you can even shut out the light by shutting the cloth next to it.

    Indeed, in this case this suite might just pass.

    Oh, there¡¯s also a restroom with a bath in it isn¡¯t there? I almost forgot about it.

    ¡­ Let¡¯s give it a look. The bath was made of some kind of wood.

    However, there was no hot water in it¡­ Ah, these are the levers? There¡¯s an exnation written.

    I see, so this one is hot water, this one for water¡­ When I tried it out to experiment, hot water came out into the bath¡­ Isn¡¯t this a little hot? Ah, you can turn on the water one as well.

    ¡°Chloe, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this room wonderful? It¡¯s even better than the kingdom¡¯s hotel¡¯s suites.¡±

    Even I didn¡¯t expect this much.

    For now, let¡¯s sit down on the chair.

    ¡°¡­ This chair is veryfortable, it feels great.¡±

    ¡°Haku-sama, it says this chair is a magic tool called a [Massage Chair]¡­ It seems that it will massage you when you ce a copper coin into it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Try putting one in.¡±

    When Chloe put a copper coin into it, the chair began to vibrate.

    ¡°Wha-wh-wh-wh-wha-what the heck is this¡ª!? Faaah¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Haku-sama!? A-are you alright!?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m fine, ah, this, amazi¡­ fuah¡­ feels so gooood¡ª¡­¡±

    Ahh¡­ I think I could fall asleep just like this¡­ I¡¯ve been working hard recently so that I coulde to this inn¡­ ahhh¡­

    *

    When I woke up, Chloe put the cloth that was next to the chair on me¡­ Hmm, this chair feels very good. Even though it¡¯s light and isn¡¯t that thick, it feels warm.

    ¡°¡­ This chair, I wonder if they won¡¯t finance it. Around ten gold coins¡­¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a magic tool like this before. It might be particrly valuable, troublesome¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wonder if fifty wouldn¡¯t be enough then?¡±

    ¡°It sounds like you liked it quite a lot?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s very good¡­ ah, I slept through meal time. I wonder if it¡¯s fine now? If I remember right, they said it¡¯d be brought if I pressed the button in this room.¡±

    ¡­ There is a button on the wall with a cover over it so that it wouldn¡¯t be pressed on ident. The cover is unexpectedly made of crystal, isn¡¯t it¡­ it doesn¡¯t look like there¡¯s anything holding it together, I wonder how it was made? Was it made just for this?

    At any rate, I pressed the button. For a moment, it sounded like metal was striking against something.

    What kind of mechanism is this¡­? Did an [Inn] even have this kind of option?

    After a while, well, after three minutes, there was a knock at the door.

    ¡­ They prepared the food quickly. Perhaps, did they use DP for it?

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama, I brought your meal!¡±

    ¡°Please enter Rokuko-chan!¡±

    When I opened the door, Rokuko-chan was pulling a rack with dishes on it.

    There were three dishes on the serving rack. They were covered with a metal covering so I couldn¡¯t see what their contents were¡­ So they¡¯re properly using covers, this is also a high level thing¡­ Our country¡¯s suite bring meals bare.

    Oh my, I wonder what¡¯s in these square containers? Ah, there seems to be drinks inside as well. There is a spoon and a straw attached to it.

    ¡­ Wait, crystal sses? To freely use it for that¡­ because of that, I can see what¡¯s inside it, let¡¯s see¡­ green? There¡¯s something white floating halfway up it¡­ could it be a potion and potato mix? That¡¯s somehow an amazingbination¡­

    ¡°Ah, oh my. Three?¡±

    ¡°I-I wanted to eat together with Haku Ane-sama¡­ can¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°You definitely can! Rokuko-chan, leave it to Chloe. Sit, sit.¡±

    ¡°M-mm, I can¡¯t. Chloe is also a customer today.¡±

    Rokuko-chan diligentlyid out the dishes on the table.

    Drops of water were appearing outside the ss¡­ Probably from using ice magic. It looks fairly cold¡­

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s go~. Yeah~, ta-da~!

    When Rokuko-chan removed the cover, there were several things on each tter.

    ¡°¡­ Puttingpartments in the tter to serve multiple things per dish¡­ a novel idea.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, isn¡¯t it amazing? Let¡¯s see, these are [Hamburgers], this is [Naporitan], and these are [Fried Prawns]! These long narrow things are [French Fries], this thing with a g in it is an [Omelet with Rice Filling]! The soup is [Corn Portage]. Ah, right right. This green drink is called [Ice Cream Soda]! It¡¯s a drink, but it¡¯s also a dessert, the white stuff on the top is a delicious cold food called [Vani Ice Cream]! Try and drink it before it melts okay?¡± [1]

    Hearing Rokuko-chan¡¯s exnation, I immediately readied my fork.

    [Hamburger], un, it¡¯s meat. It¡¯s not a steak, but it¡¯s a meat dish. Moreover, it¡¯s beef? There¡¯s even a superb mushroom sauce over it.

    [Naporitan], it¡¯s a pasta. It looks like there¡¯s tomato sauce on it? It leaves a distinct sensation on your tongue.

    [Fried Prawns]¡­ I wonder if this is sea food? Just how did they cook this? A dish from another world¡­

    [French Fries], they¡¯re obviously potatoes. I think¡­ Mm, the crispiness feels great. It feels the same as the [Fried Prawns]. Potatoes are easily obtainable, so it could be cooked so long as you knew the method to cook it.

    [Omelet Filled with Rice] seems to be eaten with a spoon. Some tiny grains spilled out of it covered with tomato sauce and eggs¡­ corn? Hmm, it¡¯s not bad. But what¡¯s the g for?

    [Corn Portage] is sweet and warm, the vor is relieving. It¡¯s the high point.

    ¡°The sd is also pretty good¡­ Ah, but this [Mayonnaise] is quite a thing.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t need to eat to begin with so we don¡¯t need to forcibly eat¡­ Ah, Chloe is eating it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Haku-sama. Hooh, [Mayonnaise], this is¡­ can I have yours if you don¡¯t want it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t say that I wouldn¡¯t eat it you know?¡±

    ¡­ Hohoh, [Mayonnaise] is wonderful. Its taste harmonizes when eaten with vegetables, so that¡¯s the condition? ¡­ Chloe seems to have liked it too, I wonder if I could get some of this?

    However, even if you purchased these dishes with DP, you still need to arrange each food after getting them. It could be called time consuming, but it is much easier than starting from nothing and needing to make it from scratch. My assessment for it this time is that it¡¯s not appropriate to score it as a dish made by DP. In that case, considering the time needed for each dish¡­ un, it¡¯s probably already worth a gold coin. I don¡¯t even have a rough idea of how much time is needed for another world¡¯s cuisine in the first ce though.

    ¡°The stuff left in the corner is [Pudding]! It¡¯s a very tasty dessert with a cherry and cream decorating it!¡±

    ¡°Hmm, this is also a dessert¡­? Come to think of it, cream is a luxury good that is asionally made at the imperial capital¡¯s farms. The cherry¡­ I wonder where it¡¯s produced?¡±

    ¡°Wakoku I think?¡±

    Wakoku? That¡¯s far to the east¡­ To reproduce it, there would be quite a shipping expense¡­ Yeah, so an A-Rank adventurer like myself is directly delivering the ingredient through goodwill, that¡¯s the [Setting]. Things¡¯ time stop in [Storage] after all.

    But it feels like a gold coin might be cheap after taking that into ount.

    Ah, this [Pudding] is delicious. It¡¯s so sweet and bouncy, like it¡¯s trying to melt in your mouth¡­ ah¡ª, that was dangerous. I almost forgot myself.

    ¡­ And then there¡¯s the [Ice Cream Soda]. I unintentionally kept it at a distance because of its potion-like green tint, but Rokuko-chan rmended it, so I have no choice but to drink it.

    It¡¯s a drink thatbines [Melon Soda] and [Vani Ice Cream] to be a dessert¡­ is what I was told, but what in the world is this thing? Oh, there¡¯s a cherry on this too.

    First I¡¯ll try drinking the [Melon Soda] with the straw, itadakimasu¡­¡ª!?

    ¡­¡ªSweet! And there¡¯s a tingling sensation inside my mouth! And it¡¯s so sweet! What kind of violent beverage is this!?

    The drink has that tingling sensation like some kind of sake. But since it¡¯s cold it feels a lot stronger. And then there¡¯s the melon vor that wafts into your nose, and it¡¯s so sweet. This [Melon Soda] hits with quite a punch!

    ¡°Please try to eat the [Vani Ice Cream] that¡¯s on top too, Haku Ane-sama. It¡¯s started to melt a little, but it tastes the best you know?¡±

    ¡°O-okay¡­¡±

    Using the long and slender spoon that seems to have been added exclusively for this ss, I scooped up a little of the [Vani Ice Cream].

    When it entered my mouth, it felt very cold. Then, I tasted a sweetness that exceeded the [Melon Soda].

    However, it tenderized like it was fresh snow because of the heat of my mouth, spreading out as it melted.

    After the [Vani Ice Cream] melted, its sweet savoriness spread through my mouth. The dairy texture felt amazing¡­

    ¡°Ane-sama, did it suit your tastes?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, very much so.¡±

    The motion of the [Melon Soda], the stillness of the [Vani Ice Cream]¡­ a drink with opposite extremes, no, this dessert, I was toyed with by it.

    In the end, the melted [Vani Ice Cream] and [Melon Soda] mixed together¡­ it feels like I caught a glimpse at the truth of this world.

    A gold coin for these? Too cheap.

    Footnotes:

    Naporitan is a Japanese pasta dish simr to spaghetti. Return

 Chapter 60

    Inn, Suite Room 2

    (Haku¡¯s Point of View)

    I sighed in admiration.

    ¡°Truly¡­ that was satisfying.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, I¡¯m honored to hear that from Haku Ane-sama! My inn¡¯s A-Rank dinner is my pride.¡±

    Hmm, with those contents, calling it simply an A-Rank dinner feels a bit insipid.

    ¡°Rokuko-chan. That collection of dishes, is there a name for it? It would be sacrilegious to just call it an A-Rank dinner with those contents.¡±

    ¡°¡­ [Stu¡ª]¡­ No, that¡¯s not it¡­ umm, it¡¯s the [Avarice Meal]!¡±

    It answers the desire of [I want to eat a lot of delicious food], so that¡¯s it?

    To give arger sense of satisfaction, it gives a great diversity in small amounts. What a wonderful naming sense.

    ¡°[Avarice Meal] is it? Quite a good name to go with [Cave of Desires].¡±

    ¡°Right? Oh, Haku Ane-sama. Is it fine if I take your g. I¡¯m collecting them.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s fine with me. Here.¡±

    I took out the small g that had been ced in the [Omelet Filled with Rice] and passed it to Rokuko-chan. Taking the opportunity, Chloe¡¯s as well. When I took a closer look at it, the pattern on it was different.

    I didn¡¯t understand what they were for when I was eating, but I see now. They¡¯re collectibles huh? To go so far as stimte the desire for collecting things, incredible.

    ¡°So Haku Ane-sama, have you entered the hot spring? It feels ama~zingly good!¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t given it a try yet¡­ Right, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been in a hot spring. There¡¯s a bath in the castle, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s a bath where Haku Ane-sama lives!? Amazing~!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, but isn¡¯t there a hot spring here? We¡¯re the same then.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right! Fufufu, I¡¯m the same as Haku Ane-sama~¡±

    Rokuko-chan looked delighted as she smiled cheerfully. Just seeing her melted my heart.

    ¡°Want to enter the hot spring with me? Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, that sounds good.¡±

    A hot spring¡­ hmm, good, really good.

    Although having a personal bath in your room is also good, having arge bath to go together with Rokuko-chan is better after all.

    We just finished eating, but we decided to head there immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯ve even used the indoor bath made by the hero, so I¡¯ll teach you the proper way of using an indoor bath.¡±

    ¡°The proper way! I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±

    *

    It was a splendid bath.

    ¡°¡­ You really don¡¯t wear bath clothes in an indoor bath?¡±

    ¡°Oh my Rokuko-chan, are you getting dizzy? Your face is turning red?¡±

    Still, bathing wear is worn in the public bath in the imperial capital.

    But this is a hot spring, a bath made by Kehma-san, a person from another world. It¡¯s probably correct to conform with the other world¡¯s manners¡­ I was able to see something wonderful.

    However, there was another person there and we weren¡¯t able to be alone. It would¡¯ve been just the two of us if that human didn¡¯t exist¡­ yeah, I¡¯ll just reserve it next time, fufufu. I¡¯ll enjoy myself next time Ie.

    ¡°So then let¡¯s get some sleep¡­ Does Rokuko-chan want toe with us?¡±

    ¡°Ye~s.¡±

    Come to think of it, we haven¡¯t slept together up till now.

    Though dungeon cores don¡¯t need to sleep to begin with. We only have a pseudo-human metabolism¡­ It does speed up recovery from fatigue, though.

    When we went back to our room, Chloe was alreadyying in her.

    ¡­ What is this child doing. To go to sleep and leave her master alone¡­ moreover, still wearing her butler clothing.

    ¡°Chloe?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ha¡ª!? H-Haku-sama¡­¡ª!¡±

    With a single word, she suddenly jumped out of the bed and onto the floor into a [Seiza].

    ¡­ That pose (seiza) is a time-honored method of apology handed down, the first step to a [Dogeza].

    ¡°¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine, sleep is necessary for you.¡±

    ¡°Please forgive my rudeness¡­!¡±

    However, it¡¯s fairly unusual for Chloe to make a blunder. I wonder what caused it?

    ¡°¡­ In truth, I decided to check to see how good the bed Haku-sama would be sleeping in was, but¡­ it¡¯s a wondrous sensation and before I noticed it, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ it seems to be enchanted.¡±

    If it¡¯s the cause of a magic tool or something¡­ I don¡¯t want to think about Chloe, a subus, sumbing to a charm though. Subi are specialists in charm and so advanced in it they shouldn¡¯t be effected by them.

    ¡°Chloe, feel free to continue sleeping on that one. There is another bed after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡ª, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, that¡¯s unusual. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Chloe like that. Well, the beds certainly do feel good though.¡±

    Rokuko-chan pped the bed Chloe was resting on just now with her hand.

    ¡­ Despite how strong it looks like she¡¯s hitting it, the sound is soft isn¡¯t it?

    I also slowly touched the bed.

    ¡­ Gently, my finger¡­ sank¡­?

    What is this? Cotton¡­ no, it¡¯s not?

    I pressed my palm into it without thinking. It was soft, and yet stic¡­ oops, I almost fell into the trance as well. I moved away from the bed for a moment to look at it.

    It was decorated with some tasteful engravings, it seemed to also have worth as a work of art. Just by being a design from another world, it¡¯s probably worth around fifty silver. I myself kind of want it if that¡¯s about the price.

    But still, with this thin cover to sleep under, wouldn¡¯t you get cold?

    ¡­ Oh my. It¡¯s warm¡­ the temperature from Chloe, who slipped out of it, still remains.

    Contrary to how thin and light it is, it has excellent heat instion.

    Hmm, I could see why Chloe would lose herself in this. It¡¯s in a subi¡¯s nature to be particr about their bedding.

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama, it¡¯d be too hot to sleep with two people under this cover, so here¡¯s a [Towel nket] to use.¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko-chan brought the cloth that felt good from over by the [Massage Chair].

    ¡­ I could get used to this. Perhaps Kehma-san¡­ doesn¡¯t want to start a fight?

    ¡°Ane-sama, here, here~¡±

    Stepping into bed before me, Rokuko-chan opened a ce for me toy and pat it¡­ I felt an indescribable happiness that couldn¡¯t be expressed in words. Comfortable feelings arose in my body that caused me to tremble.

    I entered the bed as Rokuko-chan invited me to, and like close sisters¡ªin truth, we really are sisters with good rtions, at least I think so¡ªand cuddled. This will be an unprecedented happy sleep.

    The bed felt amazing, but honestlyying down together with Rokuko-chan was the most important part.

    Dungeon cores do not require sleep. However, I haven¡¯t had the ability to sleep together with Rokuko-chan until now.

    Despite making it so that god¡¯s vanguard wouldn¡¯t find her, for her to live a life like this¡­ Well, what I want to say¡­ Kehma-san has my gratitude, maybe. Well, for now.

    I will absolutely never forgive you if you make Rokuko-chan sad, you know?

    For sleep like this, even one hundred gold coins wouldn¡¯t be enough¡­ w-well, this is different than the lodging expense assessment, so many I should give a tip as a special? Maybe I should directly pass Rokuko-chan some DP to have some pocket money.

 Chapter 61

    One Night of the Suite: Results

    ¡°Twenty-five gold coins.¡±

    In the morning, Haku-san took out a pouch filled with gold coins and sat it down with a thud.

    ¡­ Huh?

    ¡°This is the worth of one night¡¯s stay in the suite. Twenty-five gold coins per night per person, fifty coins for two.¡±

    ¡­ One copper is one hundred yen. One hundred of those is a silver coin, ten thousand yen.

    One hundred silver coins to make a gold coin, one million yen each.

    Fifty gold coins.

    Fifty million yen.

    Certainly, having Rokuko act as their waiter would have increased the value a little bit, as well as induce them to enter the hot spring together, but that shouldn¡¯t make the price fifty million yen for a night.

    However, Haku-san put another thirteen gold coins on the counter.

    ¡°And this is for the meal¡­ it was one gold¡­ but that is too cheap. I know your situation, but with those contents you could even normally take ten gold. At the lowest you should take at least five gold for it. The difference is Rokuko-chan¡¯s portion.¡±

    ¡­ Five million yen for a single meal!?

    [DX Kid¡¯s Meal (10 DP)] and [Cream Soda (8 DP)] for five million yen¡­ that¡¯s some extreme intion. Rather, no matter how I calcte it our profit is over 99%¡­

    Well, even though I want to get as much as possible, I don¡¯t want to get something I don¡¯t deserve.

    Even though I added in the DX level to the [Kid¡¯s Meal] for peace of mind since Haku-san was eating it, this price¡­ If I recall correctly, Ichika also said it would be fine if it was priced at five gold, but to sell something worth a thousand yen in Japan for five million yen¡­ it¡¯s really bad for my heart.

    I¡¯m just a lower ss citizen. Not someone that would rip you off.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could ept that much¡­¡±

    ¡°Do you not trust my assessment?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it! It isn¡¯t absurd either, I¡¯ll gratefully ept it!¡±

    Feeling enough bloodthirst that my spine felt like it was freezing, I straightened myself in a salute and agreed.

    If Haku-san, who was at the top of empire, said it was twenty-five gold coins per night, then that would be the correct value even if it was unjustified. If that¡¯s not the value beforehand, that¡¯s what it¡¯ll be after.

    ¡­ This isn¡¯t something to joke about. If someone doesn¡¯t know the price of a good, the money that people pay to buy it bes the actual value. If someone with the title [Empire¡¯s Top] or [A-Rank Adventurer] says that¡¯s the value, other people can only say, ¡°Oh I see, so that was the value.¡± That tendency was especially strong for works of art.

    Since I asked Haku-san to evaluate the price this time, it should be fine if I just say that Haku-san guarantees its worth. In other words, [Twenty-Five Gold Coins Per Night] and [Five Gold Coins Per Meal] were correct cost assessments decided by Haku-san. To make it any cheaper would be to distrust Haku-san¡­ you could say it would be like me provoking her.

    ¡°¡­ Since you don¡¯t agree, I will tell you how I came to this result.¡±

    ¡°Ah, s-sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°For the first reason, even though the price you could set the prices to go along with the amount of DP used, for things like transportation costs and technological expenses¡­ it feels as though that would omit every cost rted tobor.¡±

    For example, the cherry from that country to the far east. It was a fruit that could only be found in Wokoke, it would cost fifty silver coins to eat a single one in Sia. Because it rots quickly, the time-space magic [Storage] is needed to eat it fresh¡­ [Storage] is more or less only held by A-Ranks, making it an A-Rank [Envoy Commission]. From what I¡¯m told, at cheapest those are five gold for a single trip.

    Looking at it that way, you need to add that into the cost of buying a cherry. That¡¯s why they cost fifty silver each¡­ I see.

    I definitely didn¡¯t think about it like that.

    ¡­ Oh yeah, even if you could get some bread for around one hundred yen in Japan, when you take into ount the transportation andbor costs, the price was only able to get down to one hundred yen after mass producing it.

    Setting aside factories, thinking about a world that doesn¡¯t even have the recipe, its value rising isn¡¯t strange, it¡¯s natural. In this kind of a world where there are such things as half-baked dungeons and magic, mass production technologies never developed.

    ¡­ Kuh¡ª, to think a copper was one hundred yen, was it a failure in my judgement being too simple?

    My standard for converting it to yen was poor, I was calcting it with my modern Japanese experiences.

    It also matched how much Ichika said the meal was worth. Ichika should have just spoken more forcibly¡­ wait, I shouldn¡¯t expect a ve to speak forcibly huh? It¡¯spletely my bad huh.

    ¡°By the way, A-Rank adventurers are treated like aristocrats. They are even given actual peerage¡­ That¡¯s one of the reasons A-Rank adventurers¡¯ standard payments are in [Gold Coins].¡±

    It seems there¡¯s a phrase for A-Rank adventurers¡ª[Take out a gold coin despite buying an apple. Don¡¯t want change since it¡¯s a nuisance.] It was a phrase meant to ridicule A-Rank adventurer¡¯s ridiculous sense of value¡­ yep, I understand how extreme the intion is.

    ¡­ Although, there aren¡¯t many A-Rank adventurers. From what I¡¯ve heard there are around twenty of them even if excluding Haku-san¡¯s group.

    ¡°But even if that¡¯s the meal costs, you don¡¯t have to pay for Rokuko¡¯s portion as well¡ªah, no, I mean, to be able to offer you a dinner with your beloved Imouto-sama, I am extremely honored. Yes.¡±

    ¡°I really do want to pay her charges as her older sister as well you know? However, you can say this is Rokuko-chan¡¯s, the owner¡¯s, home, right? I ampromising and treating this as just a special meal fee, understand?¡±

    ¡°I understand, so please stop sending that bloodthirst over here, sorry¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s fine so long as you understand¡­ Incidentally, for Rokuko-chan¡¯s tip, I wonder if it¡¯s better to pass it to her directly as DP?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, that¡¯s right. It¡¯d be better to do that.¡±

    By the way, both Haku-san and Chloe gave us a daily ie of [0 DP]. I was hopeful since they¡¯re both A-Rank adventurers, unfortunate.

    ¡­ I guess it¡¯s natural since Haku-san is a dungeon core, but why Chloe? I wonder if they don¡¯t give daily DP ie if they are summoned by a dungeon with DP?

    ¡°So, Rokuko-chan, say, ¡°Ahh¡±?¡±

    ¡°Y-yesh!¡±

    And so, Haku-san had Rokuko prepare herself to be given DP. It¡¯s going to be another kiss scene¡­ is what I thought, but Haku-san stuck her index finger into Rokuko¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°¡ªNn, ku¡ª, nnn¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Trying to pull away is no good you know? ¡­ Ease your shoulders, rx¡­ see? Let it pour in.¡±

    ¡°Nn¡ª, u¡ªnn, faaah, nnn¡­!¡±

    Haku-san¡¯s cheeks were blushing as Rokuko, who was dyed crimson up to her ears, desperately sucked on her finger¡­ W-what the heck is this?

    After a while, she pulled her finger back out of Rokuko¡¯s mouth. Slowly pulling away from her, Rokuko¡¯s saliva trailed between her mouth and the finger.

    ¡°¡­ No kiss this time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since Rokuko-chan¡¯s made her official debut as a dungeon as well, considering that other dungeon cores coulde to try and crush her, I think it¡¯d be good to have her be ustomed to other methods of delivery than between mucous membranes¡­ At any rate make sure you turn the tables on them alright? At times like that, she won¡¯t have to kiss other dungeon cores.¡±

    Haku-san smiled.

    ¡­ Oh, then Rokuko¡¯s saliva covering your finger from her licking it with her outstretched tongue is unrted? I want to say that, but it¡¯d be bad for my heart if I carelessly said something like that and got bathed in that bloodthirst again.

    ¡°I wonder if you know? There¡¯s another dungeon on Tsuia Mountain. You probably won¡¯t meet it too soon since it¡¯s on the opposite side of the mountain though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Haku-san, you know saying something like that is a g right?¡±

    ¡°A g? The thing stuck in the [Omelet Filled with Rice] from the [Avarice Meal]? Is that what you mean?¡±

    ¡°No, never mind¡­¡±

    The heck, why am getting this really bad feeling?

 Chapter 62

    The Egg¡¯s Identity

    Come to think of it, Rokuko spent 10,000 DP on an egg a while ago.

    We don¡¯t know what it is, but Haku-san probably does.

    Because of that, we consulted her about the egg that had grown about as big as a softball.

    ¡­ I have no idea why an egg is growing though. Mysterious.

    ¡°This is it Haku Ane-sama, do you know what it is?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, this is¡­ it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen one in a while, a phoenix egg¡­ their meat is quite delicious you know?¡±

    ording to Haku-san¡¯s appraisal, it seemed it was a phoenix egg. And it seems that a phoenix¡¯s meat is delicious¡­ I wonder if phoenixes are all-you-can-eat meals?

    ¡°An existence who is like a mass of magical power¡­ even its blood is medicinal. There¡¯s a lot of various uses for it, it¡¯s not that useful as a monster though.¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t strong?¡±

    ¡°Even though it can revive itself if it dies, it¡¯s basically just a bird that¡¯s on fire you know? It¡¯s considered a B-Rank monster when assigned for subjugations because it¡¯s an unusual existence, but for simplebat even a solo C-Rank adventurer can hunt it.¡±

    Hmm, so it doesn¡¯t look like I can make it into a dungeon boss.

    Maybe it¡¯d be fine if I just make it appear as a rare monster in the dungeon?

    ¡°Incidentally, it needs to be as hot as possible for it to hatch¡­ just putting it inside fire isn¡¯t enough. It won¡¯t die even if it¡¯s frozen though. Even though it¡¯s an egg, it¡¯s still a phoenix.¡±

    ¡­ Furthermore, it looks like it¡¯ll revive even if the egg is broken. How it does that is a mystery.

    It looks like a phoenix can only die of old age. Though since it seems that it¡¯ll turn back into an egg when it¡¯s old, calling it a death is questionable.

    ¡°A phoenix huuuh, thanks for telling us, Haku Ane-sama¡­ I want to thank you somehow, what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, Rokuko-chan¡¯s feelings are plenty enough¡­ Ah, but umm, the massage chair in that room¡­ I want it, but¡­ umm, is that no good? If needed I can pay with DP?¡±

    Ooh, a business chance. Gotta increase its worth as much as I can.

    ¡°Aah~ so that~? It¡¯s just ticklish for me, not that pleasant¡­ Kehma, can¡¯t we just give it to her for free?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way! ¡­ Is what I want to say, but we¡¯re constantly receiving help from Haku-san, so I guess it¡¯s fine?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, really? I¡¯m d.¡±

    Haku-san¡¯s face was smiling, but there was something she wasn¡¯t saying: ¡°I wonder what your angle is?¡±

    I returned the best smile I could muster. My face hurts.

    ¡°No really, it¡¯s just our goodwill. If anything, please continue to favor our [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion] from now on alright?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to even ask. And?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and since it might trouble us after this¡­ I¡¯d like it if you could tell us about that dungeon on the other side of the mountain.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s simple if that¡¯s all.¡±

    Haku-sanughed lightly and gave us information about the dungeon on the other side of the mountain.

    Its name is [me Cavern]. It¡¯s location was exactly on the opposite side of Tsuia Mountain.

    Adventurers had to be at least C-Rank to enter it. For information disclosure, they also needed to be at least C-Rank.

    Monsters that appear in it are fundamentally of the fire type. asionally there would be a ground type.

    Fire type monsters are¡­ things like a magma slime or red lizard.

    Well, that much could be gotten from the guild if you were at least a C-Rank adventurer.

    After that, Haku-san gave information that you couldn¡¯t get from the guild.

    Its dungeon core was a smander type. No. 112.

    ¡­ Smander type huh. So it doesn¡¯t have to be humanoid.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many human types. That¡¯s why I dote so much on Rokuko-chan.¡±

    Eh. So this person was self aware that she doted on her?

    Also, it appears that the [me Cavern] had a dungeon master.

    Moreover, it was a dragon. It was originally a red dragon that built its nest on Tsuia Mountain and was now the dungeon¡¯s master.

    ¡°Dragons like to hoard shiny things. It¡¯s sure to have a lot of treasure you know?¡±

    ¡°No, more importantly, a dragon¡­? So dragons can also be masters huh.¡±

    ¡°So long as the person has intelligence, they are suitable for bing a master¡­ Or maybe the condition was something like having a name? It¡¯s not talked about often, the conditions for bing a master still aren¡¯t well known.¡±

    Come to think of it I still don¡¯t really know how I became Rokuko¡¯s master huh¡­

    From what she told me, once a dungeon core is attached to a master they can¡¯t attach themselves to a new master on their own.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, right. If you have a dungeon battle with that dungeon, don¡¯t use that rat strategy to win.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why not?¡±

    ¡°That dungeon¡¯s floors are fundamentally hot. It¡¯s not a problem if you¡¯re wearing boots, but it¡¯s probably too severe for rats. At best their feet would be burnt after the first floor.¡±

    I heard something good. I probably would¡¯ve mass produced some roasted rats if I didn¡¯t know about this beforehand.

    ¡­ Actually, I shouldn¡¯t assume that we¡¯ll have a dungeon battle. From now on I could just think about ways to not be at a disadvantage¡­ well, it¡¯d cut down on my sleeping hours right? I went to great lengths to be able to sleep for twelve hours a day recently.

    I obtained some rough information from Haku-san.

    At any rate, I was able to buy some very useful information. I¡¯m very happy about using that handmade massage chair to obtain this information.

    Although adventurers could get information about it, we¡¯re E-Ranks right now and wouldn¡¯t know until we became C-Ranks. Besides, getting information on a dungeon master is definitely wee.

    ¡°Then again, I did say it¡¯s on the other side of the mountain, so you probably won¡¯t meet them for a while.¡±

    ¡­ Haku-san, I can¡¯t take that as anything but a g!

    *

    In the end, Haku-san firmly hugged Rokuko, reluctant to leave her.

    We were able to obtain a lot of various things. Both funds and information.

    I¡¯ve thought this before, but Haku-san is like a bonus character huh¡­ I¡¯vee to view her as a god of fortune. Should I pray to her?

 Chapter 63

    Opening?

    It was decided that Rokuko could use her tip however she wanted¡­ It wouldn¡¯t be funny if I incurred Haku-san¡¯s wrath by using Rokuko¡¯s tip.

    ¡°By the way, how much did you get?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Around 100,000 DP.¡±

    ¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it have been fine to have just been a little? My heart just skipped a beat there.

    The number of gold coins given to the inn is sixty-five. Worth 650,000 DP when bought with DP, it would be 65,000 DP if I converted it into DP. We just got a massive amount, so I should just give up on Rokuko¡¯s portion.

    I wouldn¡¯t hesitate if Rokuko used it for the dungeon¡¯s sake though.

    If pushes to shove I¡¯ll have her loan me some, let¡¯s go with that.

    Well, that egg is a phoenix or something, but¡ª

    ¡°¡ªCome to think of it, can we try and see if the egg can really revive?¡±

    Hopping aboard Rokuko¡¯s proposal, we decided to break it then heat it up with a torch.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, I wonder if anyone here knows the Vietnamese food called hot vit lon?

    The boiled duck egg variety.

    However, the contents of the egg contains a baby chick just before it hatches. It¡¯s ssified as a strange food.

    Weeell, it¡¯s somewhat of a curiosity to me since neither eggs nor chicken meat are considered strange food but a mix of the two is, haha.

    Escapism aside, this phoenix egg had that kind of feeling.

    Looks like I started thinking about something else for a moment there before this is unpleasant¡­

    Well, burning its body needed a bit of a guro warning. After that, particles of light gathered up around it and it revived back as an egg in ce.

    Furthermore, its carcass remained. It was so small.

    ording to Haku-san, it revives by forcibly gathering ambient mana.

    Let¡¯s try a second time to make sure¡­ Yep, it takes less than a second to revive after being burned, fast. And gross.

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama said this guy is delicious to eat right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko is considerably mentally strong. My respect.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, un, thanks?¡±

    Any, now to make some hot vit lon¡­ not. Since a phoenix egg [Needs to be inside a fire to hatch], we decided to ce it on one of the [Mysterious Torches that Somehow Don¡¯t Burn Out] that lit the dungeon. This should be an easy way to care for it so it¡¯s fine. It revived even when we dropped and smashed it.

    Though a phoenix egg and even its carcass can be turned into medicine and some raw materials¡­ it¡¯s worth 0 DP if you try to exchange it as a treasure. It would¡¯ve been worth so many points if we just kept breaking it though¡­ I think I would¡¯ve made a golem that automatically kept breaking the egg if it was worth anything.

    Also, since she¡¯d probably get fired up about it, I kept Ichika from seeing (= eating) it.

    The egg would properly revive even if we trampled it. It wouldn¡¯t get us any DP though.

    *

    Several days after forgetting about the g.

    Two avera~ge E-Rank adventurers who came to conquer the dungeon stayed at the hotel and managed to hunt goblins on the first floor. Since they were weary of the ton of traps, their progress was slow.

    Meanwhile, while I was sleeping and using Meat as a hug pillow as usual, Rokuko jumped in.

    ¡°Bad news, Kehma! The tunnel made it through!¡±

    ¡°Fuoh? Finally¡­ wait, hold up, it didn¡¯t make it to the other side of the mountain.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s why this isn¡¯t a time to sleep¡ª!¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s never woken me up from my sleep. This is the first time. Honestly, she¡¯s been diligent about me telling her to not wake me up unless it¡¯s a state of emergency.

    Looking at the dungeon map, we dug up a cave somewhere.

    When I opened the monitor to see directly from the menu, it was a red cave that spread out.

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko¡­ this is¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ A dungeon that¡¯s not ours. What should we do?¡±

    It¡¯s probably the [me Cavern]. A single red lizard is as big as a medium-sized dog, its red tongue is definitely something you don¡¯t want to pick a fight with. Mm, dangerous for golems and eyes.

    ¡°Withdraw! Seal the hole!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll spend DP to make a wall!¡±

    Ah, sorry for the intrusion~. As though to say that, we pulled the golem back and started making a wall.

    Red lizards started rushing towards it instantly¡­ the wall made it just in time.

    Bang! Bang! The door started being beaten.

    ¡°¡­ Oh crap oh crap, it would¡¯ve been a fight if we were even a little slower.¡±

    ¡°Kehma. No matter how I look at it, the fight already started.¡±

    That¡¯s right, we avoided it but the fight did start. It won¡¯t be funny when the wall gets broken.

    ¡°We¡¯ll prepare to intercept them while buying time. Deploy traps in the passage.¡±

    ¡°[Bottomless Swamps] and [Spear Ceilings] then.¡±

    The red lizards broke through the wall, diving towards the interception retrofitted golems that were installing the traps. However, the red lizards fell into the [Bottomless Swamp]. But that monitor lizard, while emitting a lot of hissing steam, just forced its way out without paying it any attention.

    While the golems held them back, the [Spear Ceiling] dropped from above, skewering the lizards and submerging them in the marsh. Good, they stopped moving this time.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, let¡¯s repair the wall now.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    To remake the wall, we destroyed about five meters of ceiling and released it from our dungeon rule.

    It should be fine with this¡­ wait, what¡¯s that sound?

    A loud bang came from the other side of the copsed passage. Breathing fire, arge mass of red,rger than the red lizards from a moment ago, appeared. It was about half the size of the passage, which itself was around wide enough for two wagons to be able to just pass each other¡­ A wagon-sized monitor lizard d in mes burst through.

    While I was thinking, it dried out the [Bottomless Swamp] and blew away the [Spear Ceiling] with fire, running over and crushing the golems.

    [Uoooaaah! Where aaaare yooou!?]

    A smander.

    ¡­ Wait, could that be the dungeon core?

    He talks with a deep yakuza voice.

    For now, let¡¯s try making contact.

    Since he was inside our dungeon¡¯s passage, I could forward my voice to him. I called him using that function.

    ¡°Stop! Dungeon Core No. 112!¡±

    [Ooouuu!? What, you know who I am you son of a biiiitch!? ¡­ Mm? What¡¯s this, now that I take a better look this is a dungeon isn¡¯t it! The fuck are you!?

    When I called out his name, the smander mmed on his brakes.

    Yep, looks like we¡¯ve met the dungeon core.

    ¡°Hiiii¡ª!? N-No. 112¡ª¡­ w-why d-do¡ª! You want to know!?¡±

    [This meager voice, No. 695 huh!? That¡¯s my line! The fuck would you tunnel into my dungeon fooor!?] ¡°Allow me to exin. It was an unfortunate ident, sorry, I apologize.¡±

    [O-ou? Meek aren¡¯t you!? Bastard, who¡¯re you, the dungeon master!? Show yourself!]

    Since he knows we¡¯re the dungeon core and master, even though he probably wouldn¡¯t suddenly kill us, let¡¯s send a golem just instead just in case.

    [Aah!? So you¡¯re the dungeon master huh!? Wait, you¡¯re a golem!] ¡°Yeah, sorry, I didn¡¯t intend to invade your dungeon even if that¡¯s what it looks like.¡±

    [Reveal your real body so I can kill you! No. 695 is a human type, how could a golem be her master¡­ hmm? No, maybe it¡¯s because even the golem is human type? No no, golems are too stupid to be masters!]

    I thought I might be able to trick him for a bit, but looks like that didn¡¯t work.

    It looks like I could lead the conversation on¡­ he didn¡¯t suddenly destroy the golem either, so he probably won¡¯t suddenly kill me without reason.

    If it looks dangerous I¡¯ll just have Rokuko collect me whenever she thinks she should.

    So I resolved myself. On foot. It couldn¡¯t be helped, I couldn¡¯t teleport there since he was treated as an intruder.

    Though it was just a long passage with nothing in it, it took a while to walk down it. I was able to exit one hundred meters from it because that¡¯s where the goblin room is, so I was able to get there rtively easily.

    ¡°¡­ So, how¡¯re you going to settle this!?¡±

    The smander roared. Well, I really was in the wrong here.

    More or less like how monsters can directly leave the dungeon core, a dungeon master can directly set up traps and facilities inside the dungeon. They¡¯d die if they let down their guard since the range is just around five meters though.

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll apologize. To be specific¡­ I¡¯ll patch the hole. Also¡­ right, do you know about [Dogeza]?¡±

    ¡°¡­ O-ou? [Dogeza] huh, of course! It¡¯s when you bow your head while in [Seiza]! Why did you ask?¡±

    ¡°Ah, our talk will go faster since you know it. There¡¯s another level that exceeds it, have you heard of the [Dogene] apology?¡± [1]

    ¡°Hoou, this is my first time hearing that. So what kind of apology is it?¡±

    Ah, I might be able to deceive him here.

    I don¡¯t particrly mind lowering my head, but just doing that might be a problem in the future, so let¡¯s try and trick him.

    Though it¡¯s like I¡¯m picking a fight here, we got information from Haku-san about the [me Cavern] in advance. It¡¯s fine if I just stall for now.

    ¡°Although the [Dogeza] shows apology through bowing one¡¯s head, the [Dogene] apologizes by lowering one¡¯s whole body.¡±

    Iyed a futon out on the cave¡¯s ground while giving a suitable exnation.

    ¡°Oi, what¡¯re you doing there?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? The [Dogene] apology. It¡¯s a polite apology that takes time to prepare. It¡¯s polite to bring lots of food in preparation you know?¡±

    ¡°Food? I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying!¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡®Prepare lots of traps to bring down your prey,¡¯ get what I¡¯m saying by preparations now?¡±

    ¡°I see! I get it.¡±

    I then got into the futon, then spoke.

    ¡°This is the [Dogene ]!¡±

    ¡°O-ooh! Certainly, apart from your head everything is covered¡­¡±

    From what it looks like, this smander seems to believe me.

    This guy is¡­ simple.

    Let¡¯s push it one step further.

    ¡°From here on, I will do the [Dogene] for seven days, five hours a day¡­ no, I¡¯ll do it for eight!¡±

    ¡°W-what!? Eight hours!?¡±

    ¡°Is that not enough!? Twelve hours then! Twelve hours, in other words, I will spend half of the day in this posture! With that, I hope that you can forgive me¡­¡±

    ¡°U-understood! Kuh¡ª, it couldn¡¯t be helped. There¡¯s no way I couldn¡¯t with you doing that, huh¡­ heh, I wondered what kind of person No. 695¡¯s master was, to think you¡¯re so rational¡­! However, I¡¯m the one saying it, but seven days, twelve hours every day¡­ you¡¯ll seriously do it!? Great!!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I understand.¡±

    Then, the smander returned in satisfaction.

    ¡­ I don¡¯t know when he¡¯lle back, but until then why don¡¯t I just continue this [Dogene]? In my room, that is.

    Footnotes:

    y on words. Changed thest syble of [Dogeza] into [ÇÞ (ne ¡ª sleep)].

 Chapter 64

    Stupimander

    [That¡¯s just sleeeeeeeepiiiing!!!!]

    Blowing away the rubble that buried the passage, the smander reappeared.

    I got exposed on the fifth day.

    Took longer than I thought it would. But I really wanted to trick him after going that far. It was such a good excuse to sleep for twelve grand hours¡­

    SYJ5Vmy

    When I sent the golem to meet him in the passage, I guess he thought I was pretty rational since I introduced myself obediently.

    Since I made a room midway through the passage, my [Preparation] this time was that I could teleport there. It¡¯s a lot easier than walking.

    ¡°Oi¡­ are you fucking with me!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rude. I was being serious. So you think that [Dogene] is just sleeping? Unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so?¡±

    Oh? I didn¡¯t expect that reaction¡­ let¡¯s try and trick him again.

    ¡°Yeah, to begin with, if you think [Dogene] is just sleeping, isn¡¯t a [Dozega] just sitting?¡±

    ¡°Ugugu¨C, e-even so¡­¡±

    ¡°Even though I went this far to show my apologetic feelings, and even though I went through so much to patch up the wall¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh¨C. Yeah, well, uhh¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ What will you do to settle this?¡±

    ¡°Mu-mumumu¡­!¡±

    The smander just obediently agreed to what I said. Simple. Very simple. Stupimander~

    ¡°I-I get it. How about I go and repair my wall¡­¡±

    ¡°Just that? You won¡¯t do anything about scorning my heartfelt apology?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine if you understand. I also said too much.¡±

    ¡°Y-y-y-you¡¯re a nice guy huh.¡±

    ¡°By the way Dungeon Core No. 112, has your master given you a name? It¡¯s hard for humans to keep saying Dungeon Core No. 112, so could you please teach me it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s [112]. My master gave it to me, it means one hundred and twelve in draconic.¡±

    It was tranted into [112] as usual. It is the draconic word for it after all.

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s a good name. But it¡¯s hard for me to pronounce it¡­ I actually came from another world, so is it fine if I just parody 112?¡±

    ¡°Oo! What¡¯s the name?¡±

    Ah, so it affects things like that too. I thought about these kind of things during those five days.

    ¡°Ontentoo. If you take one and twelve apart, then divide twelve into ten and two, you get one, ten, and two. Mesh them together and you have Ontentoo. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Hooh, I like it, call me that name.¡±

    Ontentoo, formerly known as Stupimander, smiled in delight.

    ¡°Yeah, Ontentoo. I¡¯m Masuda Keima.¡±

    ¡°Kehma huh, I¡¯ll remember it.¡±

    Ontentoo then went back in high spirits. As expected of Stupimander, tricked him again.

    ¡­ Yep, looks like naming that guy didn¡¯t overwrite the one his master gave him.

    *

    ¡°I thought something was off!!¡±

    Then, Stupimander Ontentoo came back three dayster.

    These ones are pretty quick~. The party that was exploring our dungeon just got reced.

    There¡¯s a D-Rank party and two E-Rank parties this time.

    They memorized the traps and were practicing against the goblins and golems or something. It seemed like the adventurers that came this time weren¡¯t that interested in treasure. Thanks to that I don¡¯t have to go out of my way to rece the expensive treasures, so they¡¯re saving me a bit of DP with that.

    We¡¯re also getting more guests at the inn. Rokuko is in charge of meals and Ichika is working at the reception desk. I went around the rooms using Cleanup on them.

    Well, I haven¡¯t been doing that recently because I¡¯ve been busy with [Dogene]. Hahaha.

    ¡°Oh, Ontentoo. Wee back. So, what¡¯s off?¡±

    ¡°My master said it! You¡¯re lying to me! I tried out the [Dogene] so that I could demonstrate your apology, there¡¯s nothing difficult about it! Even master tried it out in human form, it¡¯spletelyfortable!¡±

    He went out of his way to try it out? What a faithful chap.

    So a dragon can change into human form huh¡­

    ¡°Ontentoo can¡¯t do a [Dogene] to begin with though. It¡¯s not painful for a smander to stay standing right? That much is natural, since the structure of your body is different from a human¡¯s.

    ¡°I-is that so?¡±

    ¡°And wouldn¡¯t a dragon¡¯s human form just mimic the appearance of a human? In reality, wouldn¡¯t their stamina be disproportional to a true human? I¡¯m a normal human, I¡¯d be troubled if youpared me to that. I¡¯d be burned if I tried toy down in the [me Cavern] you know?¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ that¡¯s right too.¡±

    ¡°To begin with, doing the [Dogene] is so painful to humans that they lose consciousness you know? Even I repeatedly lose consciousness doing it¡­¡±

    ¡°W-what¡¯s that!? So that was it huh¡­¡±

    Well, my opening my eyes would be painful when I¡¯m falling asleep!

    ¡°So, what did Ontentoo want me for?¡±

    ¡°U-umuu¡­ I-I wonder?¡±

    You¡¯re asking me? I don¡¯t rmend that.

    ¡°Got it, looks like you¡¯re still dissatisfied¡­ I guess twelve hours a day of [Dogene] wasn¡¯t enough huh?¡±

    ¡°W-what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll add another person, my subordinate, and have them do it as well!¡±

    ¡°W-what!?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, I¡¯ll restrain them myself, making it so that they can¡¯t move. A forced [Dogene]!¡±

    ¡°What the¡ª! ¡­ Hmmm, if you do so, that will be plenty. Kehma, your determination is firm. I understand.¡±

    Ontentoo left yet again.

    At this pace he¡¯ll be back in a day I guess?

    ¡­ Well, as promised, I went back to sleeping with Meat as my hug pillow. As usual.

    *

    ¡°No matter how I think about it isn¡¯t the [Dogene] just sleeping!?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, Ontentoo, you came back huh? So much free time~¡±

    Ontentoo came yet again one day after that¡­ well, he came the next day.

    On his head was a red lizard-tailed¡­ no, crocodile-tailed girl.

    ¡°¡­ You are?¡±

    ¡°My master!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡ª! So you¡¯re the bastard that kept tricking this one¡¯s Danna-sama!?¡± [1]

    Isn¡¯t his master a red dragon? So that¡¯s a dragon tail huh. So Ontentoo¡¯s her husband?

    ¡°By the way, this one purposely changed into human form since this one¡¯s original form was toorge to pass through, be thankful!¡±

    ¡°My goodness, thank you very much for doing that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good isn¡¯t it! You¡¯re wee!¡±

    The red dragon girl threw her chest out in satisfaction.

    ¡°So, what is dissatisfying Oku-sama?¡± [2]

    ¡°Oku-sama¡­ yeah, this one is an Oku-sama! Right, 112!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Oku-sama is my love. Redra, love youuu.¡±

    Oi, don¡¯t just go and suddenly act out a y in my dungeon. Leave first.

    ¡°Ah! That¡¯s not it, you kept cheating him! Guys like you¡­¡ª¡±

    ¡°Oh? That so? Oi Kehma! What¡¯d you do!¡±

    Eeeh. I didn¡¯t do anything you know? Is that it? They¡¯re the type that gets fired up easily?

    ¡­ This couple looks like they¡¯rerades in idiocy!

    Footnotes:

    Think of Danna-sama as the ¡°husband¡± version of Ojou-sama.

    Think of Oku-sama as the ¡°wife¡± version of Ojou-sama.

 Chapter 65

    Negotiations with the Red Dragon

    ¡°So, what could be dissatisfying Oku-sama? I thought that I¡¯d apologized enough with the [Dogene]?¡±

    ¡°O-Oku-sama¡­ ehehe¡­ ah¡ª, that¡¯s not it! Is that [Dogene] thing seriously an apology!?¡±

    Oh, straight to point huh. Her head might not be so bad.

    ¡°Going to the point of lowering one¡¯s entire body and not just their head, there is no higher form of apology. Oppositely, what posture does Oku-sama take as a form of apology?¡±

    ¡°Mu¡ª¡­ umuu, now that you say it, that¡¯s right¡­ this one lies down and shows her belly¡­ or something!?¡±

    ¡°I see. So isn¡¯t the [Dogene] much the same?¡±

    ¡°Huh!? How!?¡±

    ¡°It is the same posture. However, for you to still not believe my apology is sincere despite me going this far¡­ I am saddened.¡±

    ¡°N-no, it¡¯s not that this one doesn¡¯t believe you¡ª¡±

    I wonder if hanging my head and looking at my hands was a bit much¡­? I decided to show her some charades, but that red dragon reacted like she did something bad to me. As expected of Stupimander¡¯s Oku-sama huh.

    ¡°Is that sooo, so if you really believe me¡­ in truth, I dug this tunnel so that we could pass through the mountain from our side, is there any way we could work something out?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Not possible!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Oku-sama, so in other words you don¡¯t believe me¡­¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s not it! Mmm, Tsuia Mountain is mostly this one¡¯s dungeon to begin with! You can¡¯t open a path through it!¡±

    The red dragon looked flustered when she refused. Hey, wait a second, what did she just say?

    ¡°What do you mean by Tsuia Mountain being mostly your dungeon?¡±

    ¡°The mountain. It¡¯s all this one¡¯s dungeon!¡±

    By that, I guess she means all of it is the [me Cavern]?

    I can¡¯t picture it too well so let¡¯s make a model. Taking out some leftovers from when I made the y golems, I formed it into the rough shape of Tsuia Mountain while referring to the map.

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s Tsuia Mountain! You¡¯re good with your hands!¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s see, so if this is Tsuia Mountain, how much is the [me Cavern]?¡±

    ¡°About this much!¡±

    About eighty percent of what the y represented. Half of a little less than the twenty percent remaining was the size of our dungeon right now. It really is just the edge of Tsuia Mountain.

    ¡­ [me Cavern] is pretty huge¡­. It would¡¯ve been hard to dig a tunnel without knocking into it.

    ¡°Or rather, how long have you been making a dungeon in our mountain!?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, that¡¯s a question for our dungeon core¡­ Rokuko, how long~?¡±

    [Eh? ¡­ ¡­ I don¡¯t know exactly, but I think it¡¯s somewhere around ten years?]

    She replied back. Ten years huh~¡­

    ¡°Since around ten years ago.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been here for around five hundred years! We were here first!¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why she¡¯s No. 695¡­ ah? Now that I think about it, No. 695¡­ wasn¡¯t that one a human type?¡±

    Ontentoo was thinking about something that seemed trivial¡­ Setting Stupimander aside, let¡¯s try some negotiations.

    Oh fellow master of negotiations¡­ show me your skills!

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could pass a tunnel through?¡±

    ¡°No, it looks like you extended the cave this far by chance, but any farther is impossible! This one won¡¯t let a single rat pass through her dungeon!¡±

    ¡°Could you part with just a little so that I could build the tunnel? I¡¯d be fine paying in DP.¡±

    ¡°Ou, 500,000 DP for it then! That much because there are things to move if you extended this cave straight ahead!¡±

    500,000 DP¡­ well, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d cost that much to move things around. Also, overwriting territory, wouldn¡¯t that have to be payed for as well? In other words, she¡¯s overcharging me?

    So brazen despite being Stupiwife!

    ¡°Even so, I can¡¯t hand over 500,000 DP.¡±

    ¡°That so? Though it¡¯sing from this one, it¡¯s a pretty great price!¡±

    Hmm, that might not be the market price for exchanging territory, but I don¡¯t know. I probably wouldn¡¯t learn even if I asked Rokuko, so it¡¯s impossible to say if paying 500,000 DP for it is actually an unreasonable amount of DP.

    Although I want to drive down the price, this red dragon seems like an honest person. It might actually be a reasonable offer.

    ¡­ Oh,e to think of it I just got a few gold coins huh?

    ¡°Would fifty gold coins work?¡±

    ¡°What use are gold coins? You¡¯re stupid huh, it can¡¯t be used if it¡¯s not DP!¡±

    The red dragon refused with a smile.

    So it¡¯s no good huh. It would¡¯ve been great if I could pay in gold.

    ¡­ No, wait a second. Dragons should love shiny things, let¡¯s try actually showing it off.

    I took out a single shining gold coin and held it in my right hand to show it off to the red dragon.

    ¡°Hahaha, 10,000 DP for a single gold coin¡­ such a was¡ª¡­ O-oooh it¡¯s this awesome!?¡±

    Hook, line and sinker~~~! When I slowly moved my hand back and forth, the red dragon followed it with her eyes. She looked to the right when I moved right and to the left when I moved left. She¡¯spletely captivated by it.

    Ah, still though. My opponent¡¯s still not sold on it huh?

    I took out a silver coin and polished it till it shined and held it in my left hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give one silver coin for every ten gold coins if you sell now.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª! T-that¡¯s, heeeh, really!?¡±

    ¡°Really! I would never lie!¡±

    Moving the silver coin in my left hand in a circle while I said that, the red dragon¡¯s whole face followed it.

    Alright¡­ time for onest push.

    ¡°B-but, hmmm¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Oku-sama, are you still not satisfied? ¡­ That¡¯s fine, then as a one day special, today only, I will add this service! Today! Right here! Only if you agree to ept the fifty gold coins as 500,000 DP! In addition to the extra silver coins, you will receive as a present¡­ this crystal knight figurine!¡±

    ¡°Uoooh!?¡±

    The moment I put the transparent and shining crystal knight figurine on the table, the red dragon¡¯s eyes opened wide. [1]

    The crystal knight figurine was twenty centimeters tall. I made it with mana potion bottles.

    ¡°T-this is¡­ it¡¯s like it could move at any moment¡­! Wonderful!¡±

    It really could move if I wanted it to. It¡¯s a golem after all. It sparkles and reflects a ridiculous amount of light since it was something made for a dragon¡¯s interests. The red dragon¡¯s eyes were sparkling so much that they wouldn¡¯t lose to it though.

    ¡°This offer only stands only if you give an agreeable response right now.¡±

    ¡°A-alright! Isn¡¯t it great 112!?

    As though she were a child pleading for a shiny toy, she pped her hands against Ontentoo, who was thinking about something in a daze.

    ¡°Aah? ¡­ Wait, right now, feels like I forgot something serious.¡±

    ¡°Muuu, hurry up! This one can¡¯t get that figurine if we don¡¯t answer right now!¡±

    ¡°Aaah, can¡¯t be helped huh¡­. Ah. I remembered!!¡±

    Ontentoo suddenly raised his voice to a roar.

    ¡°No. 695 is that No. 89 the [Betrayer]¡¯srade isn¡¯t sheeeee!!!¡±

    Roar! Fire expelled from his mouth.

    ¡­ Haku-san, this dungeon core is calling you a [Betrayer]. Well, you do hunt other dungeon cores I guess.

    Footnotes:

    To be sure, the table referenced is figurative. He¡¯s referring to [The Offer].

 Chapter 66

    The Second Dungeon Battle

    ¡°Eh¡ª, s-so this one can¡¯t get the knight figurine then?¡±

    ¡°No! That [Betrayer]¡¯srade is an enemy!¡±

    ¡°Enemy! That¡¯s a long word! What¡¯s it mean? Please say it in draconic!¡±

    ¡°Enemy means [Something You Should Trample]!¡±

    ¡°Enemy means [Something You Should Trample]!? This one is itching for a fight!¡±

    Oi, that¡¯s what [Enemy] means in draconic? As expected from the strongest kind of living creature, they look down on things with all they have.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been negotiating with them about territory though! This one wants that knight figurine you know!? This one wants it by any means!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Oi Kehma, what now?¡±

    He just called me an enemy and now he¡¯s asking me. Make up your mind already, oi.

    Is it that? Was the master¡¯s absolutemand used? Something like [Hurry up and get it] or [By any means]?

    ¡°Oi oi, Ontentoo. I¡¯m not your enemy you know?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something lonely like that. That was for that dungeon core. You, I¡¯m pleased with.¡±

    So that was it. I¡¯m also pleased with you, you know? You¡¯re simple to talk with after all!

    ¡°I also want her to have the crystal knight figurine. That doesn¡¯t mean for free though.¡±

    ¡°Really!? You¡¯re a good guy after all. So, what to do then? It can¡¯t be territory.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s easy then. We¡¯ll have a dungeon battle for it then. If we lose, we¡¯ll give the fifty gold coins and freebie silver coins, as well as the crystal knight. In return, we¡¯ll get the territory if we win. We won¡¯t need to negotiate since the match will decide it if we do that. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°Hooh¡­ well that should be alright. But doesn¡¯t our side have the advantage¡­?¡±

    ¡°For that, I want to propose two irregr rules.¡±

    Irregr rules. For example, like how the victory condition in the dungeon battle we had against Haku-san was to touch the dummy core rather than the dungeon core.

    ¡°First, you would be devoting yourselves to defense rather than offence. If you can hold out, it¡¯s your win¡­ how about one day for the length?¡±

    ¡°Hoh, a defensive battle huh. But our dungeon is very deep. Conquering it in one day is impossible.¡±

    The dungeon certainly is five hundred years old, so there are quite a few floors.

    ¡°That¡¯s where the second rulees in¡­ Our dungeon has five floors right now. So for [Equality], it¡¯ll be our win if we can advance further than the fifth floor. Sound good?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, that would make it equal. Fine then. We¡¯ll give you territory for this tunnel if you can win.¡±

    No, that¡¯s not equal at all.

    You could easily invade beyond the fifth floor in a dungeon battle with half a day. I¡¯d have a full day along with being able to fully concentrate on invading.

    Additionally, I¡¯ve been making preparations for the invasion in advance for a while now. It¡¯spletely my advantage.

    ¡°While we¡¯re at it, yeah. If you can touch the dungeon core on the bottom floor¡­ this one will give you half of Tsuia Mountain.

    She said that, getting caught up in the moment. Even so, even Stupimander Ontentoo¡¯s eyes opened wide in surprise.

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? W-what if they actually did it!?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying? There¡¯s no way they could make it to the bottom floor in a single day you know?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah! Of course. A day huh¡­ oi Redra, you sure?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine!? I just want to get that figurine you know!? Along with dealing with the [Enemy (Something You Should Trample)] we also get the gold and silver coins, aren¡¯t those only good things!?¡±

    They don¡¯t think that they¡¯ll be defeated at all.

    ¡°But they¡¯ll get the territory without paying the gold coins if they win right?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way this one will lose with equal conditions!¡±

    ¡°Then the conditions are fine I guess?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! So, let¡¯s do it, how about right now!?¡±

    Honestly, right now? Well, it¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯t.

    But it¡¯d be bad to rush it if I want to make this a certain win.

    ¡°Our dungeon will need to prepare¡­¡±

    ¡°Well then, it will be after a week.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, that sounds good. Then, we¡¯ll head back.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s fine for me to have that figurine right!? Right!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please take it.¡±

    I grinned.

    *

    ¡°¡­ So, can we win?¡±

    Rokuko asked me that as soon as I returned to the inn.

    I answered while patting Meat, who always rushes over to be my hug pillow, on the head.

    ¡°What¡¯re you talking about, Rokuko? The oue is settled you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh? How?¡±

    Rokuko tilted her head to the side, confused.

    Looks like she hasn¡¯t noticed yet¡­ still naive?

    While showing Rokuko the map, I exined it to her.

    ¡°Our easiest victory condition is to get past the fifth floor of the [me Cavern].

    ¡°They said that.¡±

    ¡°How about you, Meat? Do you get it?¡±

    I asked Meat, who was watching the negotiations along with Rokuko. Although Ichika was working at the reception desk and wasn¡¯t here, she probably would¡¯ve grinned from understanding me if she saw it.

    As for Meat, she answered after thinking for a moment.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Umm, the¡­ figurine?¡±

    ¡°Eh? What about the figurine?¡±

    Oi, Meat¡¯s pretty clever. Better than the dungeon core.

    ¡°Because¡­ that figurine, it¡¯s Goshujin-sama¡¯s golem¡­ right? Then, it¡¯s an ally¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? That thing, didn¡¯t you give it to them?¡±

    ¡°I did say they could take it, I don¡¯t recall giving it to them though.¡±

    ¡°But you said it was a present?¡±

    ¡°That was only the case if they epted the gold coins for 500,000 DP. It¡¯s a different story now since they didn¡¯t go for it.¡±

    It may be a heartless pretext, but it still belongs to us. It wasn¡¯t a present.

    And seeing as it¡¯s my golem, it¡¯s obvious that it¡¯d be under my control. It¡¯s part of my forces.

    ¡­ Even if she¡¯s the one to put it in a treasure room, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that one of my men made it past the fifth floor.

    If things go well, we might even be able to touch the dungeon core¡¯s main body.

    If by some chance I¡¯m wrong, as in if the treasure room is above the fifth floor, it¡¯ll already have been carried pretty deep down.

    ¡°Our win is decided.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How?¡±

    ¡°I can confirm where it is on the map and can see and hear through the golem. There won¡¯t be any problems since we¡¯ve snuck a troop into their innermost floors, is something wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Really. Uwaah, so cruel.¡±

    P9owThk

    A general once said: ¡®What is war? Something where victory or defeat is decided beforehand.¡¯

    I agree with it.

    ¡°But that¡¯s just ast resort. If possible I want to win without letting the crystal figurine golem getting exposed¡­ That way, we can eavesdrop on their conversations whenever. That way we can have an overwhelming advantage over them from now on.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, your face says you¡¯re thinking about something bad¡­ you¡¯re reliable!¡±

    But to the end, [I¡¯ll do it if I can].

    I¡¯ll do whatever I can if I can¡¯t win through normal means. I even want the crystal figurine golem to touch the dungeon core without being exposed if it can. Since I¡¯ll be using special golems from now on, maybe I should [Unveil] it soon? Getting half of Tsuia Mountain might be enoughpensation for using my trump card.

    It¡¯s fine even if we just win the tunnel part. We don¡¯t need the mountain to extend the dungeon down underground¡­

    ¡°Well, whatever works.¡±

    I stopped thinking about it since it was getting troublesome. Let¡¯s just focus on the most important preparations. That is, winning however we can.

 Chapter 67

    Information Gathering

    (Eavesdropping)

    ¡°Alright, have to go do the [Dogene] today as well~¡±

    ¡°Kehma has it hard huh, having to do the [Dogene] every day¡­ for twelve hours even. Well, Meat not working while she¡¯s being a hug pillow just makes more work for me though.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Rokuko doesn¡¯t want to work either? But the golems take care of most everything, you just need to take out the food right?

    ¡°¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking that the golems were reliable enough to do it themselves you know. Really.¡±

    Putting on the specially made gloves and shoes y golems made for the inn¡¯s odd jobs, I cleaned some dishes with [Cleanup] while making sure to listen to what Rokuko and Ichika said.

    ¡°Meat can use [Storage], so it¡¯s alright for me to not bring people food.¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, it¡¯d be weird if Meat worked in the dining room to begin with since she¡¯s a hug pillow. Right?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I am a hug pillow!¡±

    Her doggy ears perked up and her tail wagged while she gave that great answer.

    You really don¡¯t want to work huh. As expected of my hug pillow.

    When I stroked her head so that I could hold and feel her amazingly good feeling doggy ears, she closed her eyes and her body quivered.

    ¡°Mumumu¡­ then properly praise me too!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You truthfully have my thanks for everything you know? I wouldn¡¯t be here if Rokuko wasn¡¯t here.¡±

    Thanks to bing a dungeon master, I¡¯ve gotten more time to sleep than when I was in Japan.

    I don¡¯t even have to worry about food because I can buy it with DP.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be relying on you from here on too, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°T-that much is normal! Fufun, well I¡¯m fine even if I don¡¯t rest!¡±

    Rokuko left in a good mood.

    ¡­ Being fine even if you don¡¯t rest huh. That¡¯d be seriously dreadful. There¡¯s no way I could stand that.

    *

    ¡°Well, that guy¡¯s pretty good huh!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If only they weren¡¯t with that betrayer¡­¡±

    The dungeon master of the [me Cavern], the red dragon Redra. And Dungeon Core No. 112, Ontentoo.

    The two were currently talking about their two neighbors that suddenly made an appearance.

    ¡°Also gave me a new name, Ontentoo huh.¡±

    ¡°Eeh, but this one likes the name she gave you better!¡±

    ¡°Haha, looks like it¡¯s hard for humans to say though. Well, the name I got from Redra is more important.¡±

    ¡°You saying that makes this one happy! You¡¯re this one¡¯s lovely Danna-sama after all, [112]!¡±

    Redra called Ontentoo [112] in draconic, but unless you knew thenguage you would probably just hear nothing but roars if you didn¡¯t have a trantion skill.

    Although it was a hard for humans, Redra could speak it fluently even when she changed into human form.

    ¡°But this crystal figurine¡¯s so cooooool with its sparkles isn¡¯t it!? Fuehehe¡­¡±

    ¡°It is, though I¡¯ll have to go through some trouble now.

    Seeing Redra¡¯s face cken from obtaining the treasure she¡¯d set her eyes on, Ontentoo let out a small puff of me in satisfaction.

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, we¡¯re doing a dungeon battle. Have to show signs of a [Transition Phase].¡±

    A [Transition Phase], ording to what was taught to other dungeon cores before, dungeons would drive the obstructive humans away during a dungeon battle. That way, even if the structure is entirely different after the dungeon battle, they won¡¯t question it. Ontentoo was aware of that.

    Increasing the amount or traps, somewhat narrowing the passages, increasing the amount of monsters and the appearance of monsters that didn¡¯t normally appear were all signs of a [Transition Phase]. Even so, it was a convenient cover story for a dungeon battle.

    ¡­ Then again, the origin of the rumor came from Dungeon Core No. 89 the [Betrayer]. Ontentoo couldn¡¯t figure out why she started it. He was just impressed that there were people that fell for something that was too good to be true.

    ¡°Now then, how about adding more traps and monsters?¡±

    ¡°Hey hey [112]!? It¡¯s this one¡¯s turn to do it right!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, make sure to do it properly yeah?¡±

    ¡°No problem¡­¡±

    As for Ontentoo, he just wanted Redra to summon monsters.

    Even if she was the dungeon master, she was his dear wife. Then again, since she herself said that she [Wanted to rage], he hesitated. In truth, this [me Cavern]¡¯s biggest strength was the boss, Redra. There wasn¡¯t a reason for her to not make use of her.

    ¡°¡­ Since the boss room is going to get made on the fifth floor, wait for them there. We¡¯ll lose if Redra is defeated ye know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, this one is an authority on dealing with small fry!¡±

    Kakaka! Redraughed cheerfully. Seeing the way she looked, he couldn¡¯t imagine her being defeated at all.

    ¡°Kukuku, you¡¯re having fun. But that Kehma fellow, his face said he had some kind of n¡­ Well, at worst even if we lose he¡¯d get to the fiftieth floor, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d get half the mountain yeah?¡±

    *

    All of that was happening in the [me Cavern] and was seen by the crystal knight golem.

    ¡°I see, so the boss room will be on the fifth floor¡­ and the fiftieth floor, huh. I see, so the crystal golem¡¯s mark is around there.¡±

    ¡°Muu, I wonder how many traps were added. I don¡¯t know that well since the number one hundred and twelve is moving on the menu.¡±

    Concerning the menu, only I can see it unless I decide to show it, so I understand. I didn¡¯t expect that much to start with though.

    Ah, by the way, this video is a recording. In reality I was asleep when this happened. I was unconscious due to the [Dogene]. I had to lie face up, face down, and even turn sideways. I was really busy after all. Busy.

    ¡°¡­ Kehma, can you win against a dragon?¡±

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know since I¡¯ve never fought against a dragon. I have a n though.¡±

    Even if the dungeon itself is somehow made countermeasures, the dragon doesn¡¯t understand them at all. Maybe the air-headed red dragon is just that strong?

    Well, our win is decided so let¡¯s just rest.

    I don¡¯t have to renovate this time, so it¡¯s fine to just take it easy with the preparations. Suggesting for this to be a defensive battle was the right call after all.

 Chapter 68

    Second Dungeon Battle

    Onset of War

    [Oh, Kehma. Good with your preparations?] ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m good any time.¡±

    [Kuhahahaha! I like your spirit, human! Come to where this one is fast okay? You don¡¯t have any time to waste!] ¡°T-there¡¯s no point in shouting you know!?¡±

    It was the day of the dungeon battle. I was standing next to Rokuko in the master room.

    Meat and Ichika were also together on standby¡­ Eh? What about their inn duties? Yep, I¡¯ll know it if a guestes into the region surrounding the inn and dungeon, so it¡¯s fine if I just forward them to the dining room before they arrive at reception.

    There¡¯s also my trump card of having the golems serve them.

    With the fight being the splendid length of a single day, there¡¯s no beating this perfect situation. I was thinking about that while en route to sleep with my indispensable favorite pillow¡­ Most of all, it seems that mutual dungeon core battles can potentiallyst for a few days. A day is aparatively short-term decisive battle¡­

    [This is thest confirmation. The battle is one day, there will be no offensive movements from us for twenty-four hours, just defense. If I win, we get fifty gold coins, five silver coins, and the crystal figurine. If Kehma wins, you get enough of [me Cavern]¡¯s domain to pass the cave through.] ¡°Oi oi, you¡¯re missing the victory condition. When I exceed the fifth floor¡­ I win if we reach the sixth floor or beyond, in addition¡­¡±

    [Forgot about that. If you manage to touch the dungeon core on the bottom floor, we¡¯ll give you half of Tsuia Mountain. So, sound good?] ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t forget that okay? By the way, how far down is yourst floor?¡±

    [Hahaha! Foolish, you think I¡¯d tell you something like that? But don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not three digits.]

    Concluding the confirmation of our victory conditions, I asked Rokuko and them if they were ready with their preparations.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, the golem corps, are ready, whenever.¡±

    ¡°Ya made ¡¯em to be ready whenever¡­ uuuuum, we¡¯re also good.¡±

    The golems were left to Meat and Ichika respectively. Our main war potential this time is the golems. I got a hold of a lot of materials to use after all¡­ still as expected though, strength in numbers. Even if I summoned the rats they¡¯d just die in vain this time.

    ¡°So then is it fine to start now?¡±

    [Yeah, go for it¡ª]

    ¡­ It wasn¡¯t really disorganized, but that signaled the dungeon battle¡¯s start.

    It¡¯s good enough, though I¡¯m the one saying it.

    At any rate, our dungeon¡¯s spaces connected to each other.

    Tsuia Mountain¡¯s crater that served as the [me Cavern]¡¯s entrance and our [Cave of Desires]¡¯ fourth underground floor room that no adventurers ever came to connected.

    Since we connected at a spot that wasn¡¯t the entrance, we could do the dungeon battle without having to close the dungeon¡­ Conversely, we would immediately lose if they could attack us. That¡¯s the starting position precisely because we¡¯re able to one-sidedly attack.

    ¡­ Incidentally, that crystal golem was put away and locked up in a treasure storage, so we can¡¯t use it.

    And so, we were about to invade with the method I¡¯ve prepared for some time now.

    ¡°So Ichika. Open the door.¡±

    ¡°Roger that~¡±

    *

    It¡¯s been one week since the agreement. Today is the long awaited dungeon battle.

    (How did I do it before¡­?)

    Ontentoo was trying to recall, but stopped. That wasn¡¯t something to think about now.

    Attacking is my specialty¡­

    He muttered.

    This time was a defensive battle. His first dungeon battle in this format. The human would attack their defenses, but this was the first time he¡¯d heard something like that being done for a dungeon battle.

    ¡°That guy came up with something interesting.¡±

    ¡°112! Is it this one¡¯s turn!?¡±

    Though it was obviously unreasonable for them to reach the bottom floor, they might unexpectedly easily be able to get to the fifth floor.

    ¡°Aaalright, let¡¯s see your fighting spirit, Redra!!¡±

    ¡°Yeah! This one increased the number of red lizards to ten times the usual for today! The passages are overflowing with red lizards!¡±

    Overflowing huh, the red lizards aren¡¯t just overflowing in the rooms, but in the passageways as well. All the same, there¡¯s probably a bit too many. However, Redra is my wife and it¡¯s fine to let her have fun.

    ¡°¡­ Well it¡¯s probably just the right amount if we¡¯re bashing our monsters against each other¡­¡±

    [So then is it fine to start now?] ¡°Yeah, go for it¡ª¡±

    With the spaces connected together, it felt like the signal to start with Kehma just now felt a little t.

    ¡­ If I remember correctly, it¡¯s usually something more. Like starting it with vigor and giving it a roar¡­ I think.

    ¡°Mugugu, this one¡¯s fighting spirit was dampened¡­¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s interesting. It¡¯s a praiseworthy achievement if his goal was to weaken Redra¡¯s spirit.¡±

    However, there was no sign that anything entered.

    The time limit is one day, there¡¯s no way he could take his time for twenty-four hours. Is that alright?

    But, I withdrew that idea at once.

    Arge volume of water flowed in from the other side of the open passage.

    ¡°¡­ Huh!?¡±

    Water flooded into the passage like a tsunami. The water hit the [me Cavern]¡¯s hot walls and floors, steaming¡­ The water washed away the red lizards as well.

    ¡°¡­ Huuuuuuh!?¡±

    It was an unbelievably extreme sight.

    This is a volcano. The entrance is normally the top of a mountain. At best the only water that would get it was a bit of rain.

    However, enough water poured in to fill the passage¡­ Our vanguard, the red lizards, were washed away in a group by the water¡¯s momentum.

    The water flowed through the dungeon, reaching the stairs to the second floor with surprising swiftness.

    The red lizards were drowning, knocking into walls, and pummeled by other red lizards. The green dots signifying allies were decreasing in number fast.

    ¡°W-what just happened!? What in the world is this!?¡±

    ¡°Ha, hahaha¡­ the heck¡­?¡±

    And yet, this tsunami shows reactions from the enemy. When Ontentoo looked at the monitor to see how many, well, it showed that the whole surface of the map was painted in red.

    In other words, this water making its way through was bad. It passed through the second floor already and reached the third floor. The time that had passed so far hadn¡¯t even been thirty minutes.

    (¡­ To break through the second floor this fast¡­ wouldn¡¯t he even be able to make it to the fiftieth floor within the twenty-four hours? Kukuku, there¡¯s no way!)

    In truth, at the rate of breaking through two floors every thirty minutes, they¡¯d get to the ny-sixth floor. Almost double the number.

    ¡°However, that doesn¡¯t mean he can keep going like that.¡±

    Ontentoo¡¯s actions were precise. He opened a tunnel that lead outside the dungeon so that this water (enemy) wouldn¡¯t pass the fourth floor.

    He couldn¡¯t remodel a floor with an enemy on it. He¡¯d already given up on the third floor.

    The water promptly reached the fourth floor, but this time it flowed towards the outside of the dungeon. Arge amount of red lizards also flowed out.

    ¡°¡­ Kukuku, what¡¯ll you do now Kehma? Oi, Redra!¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah, huh!? The heck was that for!?¡±

    ¡°Kukakaka! Just letting you know they broke through the third floor! Go to the boss room, they¡¯ll be there soon, show them your spirit!¡±

    ¡°Eeeeh!? Isn¡¯t that too fast!?¡±

    ¡°Send them back if they¡¯re almost dead, don¡¯t kill them on ident yeah? Just show them you [Exist]!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah!!¡±

    Redra teleported into the boss room on the fifth floor while flustered.

    *

    ¡°What¡¯s this, so vulgar¡­¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯? It¡¯s water. You know, the foundation?¡±

    ¡°Foundation!?¡±

    That is, the summit only had a single entrance and exit at the top, so it should be appropriate to pour water into it.

    Moreover, it would rather be a discourtesy if we didn¡¯t pour water into a fire-type dungeon. I already came to this decision when we heard the information about it from Haku-san.

    And so, on dungeon¡¯s first floor¡­ I set up a perfectly secret room with a [Water Source] installed at its ceiling. Then when the battle began, I opened the door and poured it all out.

    It wasn¡¯t just normal water either of course. I mixed in water fleas. Terribly reasonable price of a set of one thousand of them for 1 DP. Since this world doesn¡¯t have microscopes either, they probably can¡¯t even see them mixed in the water. They¡¯re extremely small so it¡¯s hard to use them that easily. They can¡¯t move freely and I can¡¯t even use them as eyes. However, they showed up as allies. Mappingplete.

    Though I made some ball-shaped water golems and threw them in just in case, they were just destroyed on impact when the water knocked them against T-junction walls¡­ Water golems are weak if they aren¡¯t wrapped in something.

    However, Ontentoo reacted quickly. He opened a tunnel to drain it out of the dungeon.

    However, I expected that.

    ¡°Now then, I didn¡¯t use itst time, but the second wave this time is invasion by the golem corps. Rokuko, Meat, Ichika. n B is a go. Are preparations finished?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing! ¡­ But ¡®n B¡¯? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ready anytime.¡±

    ¡°Meat-senpai is frank as always¡­ but let¡¯s give ¡®er a go.¡±

    Hearing the three answer, I nodded.

    ¡°Alright! Golem Army Corps, forward!!¡±

 Chapter 69

    Second Dungeon Battle

    Pursuit

    Anotherrge group of hostile reactions appeared on the map. When he took a look, it was a group of golems.

    However, it wasn¡¯t the kind of golems that Ontentoo knew of.

    ¡°¡­! Oi, the heck¡¯s with those golems, they¡¯re armed!¡±

    [H-huh!? You¡¯re saying they¡¯re armored golems!?]

    The golems wore stone armor and helmets, carrying shields, swords, and short spears. And moreover, they appeared to be moving in a systematic rectangr formation. It was like they were human troops.

    He couldn¡¯t see what was inside it, but they were even carrying a wooden box. Ontentoo though that it might be be something good to reproduce.

    ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s amazing, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen something like this¡­ wait, huh?¡±

    However, as soon as half of the golems appeared, they changed directions and started to head outside the dungeon.

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯re they thinking? Huh? Are the golems¡­ running away from the enemy?¡±

    Ontentoo tilted his head to the side, but since half of them had already infiltrated the dungeon, he had the red lizards that escaped from the water assault before face them. Although the majority of them had been washed away, there were still approximately the same number of them left as there usually were.

    However¡­

    ¡°Tch, even so, they¡¯re hard to deal with. They¡¯re cooperating better than humans unskilled at cooperating.¡±

    They stopped the red lizard¡¯s assault with their shields, skewering them with spears. Even if they breathed fire, the golems in the back row blocked it with their shields.

    Theypletely blockaded against the main force of the red lizards. Then, in the blink of an eye¡­ although it was slower than when the water first appeared, they urately suppressed their way up to the stairway with the shortest route possible.

    An additional group of golems appeared when they suppressed the route. Their bodies also bearing stone armor, they moved to takemand. They advanced through the passage that was being defended by their golemrades, simrly suppressing the second floor.

    ¡°Kuh¡­ these guys¡¯re nuisances¡­ the magma slimes ran away because of the water, and if the red frogs fight against golems, their toxin that¡¯s their main fighting potential won¡¯t even burn them!¡±

    For a fire-type dungeon, theirpatibility against a group of golems was hopelessly bad.

    (The red minotaurs could do it at least¡­)

    He sighed, but they were set up to first appear on the sixth floor.

    ¡°But if they¡¯re just attacking the front¡­ huh!?¡±

    New intruders showed up. However, they weren¡¯t at the entrance.

    He looked at the fourth floor on the map. That was where he¡¯d cleared a hole to remove the water earlier. A group of armored golems entered from there.

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡­ so that¡¯s where that detached force went!! Hahaha, so that was it! The rest was a feint huh!¡±

    If walls were broken by enemy forces, it was possible to mend them even if there were intruders.

    However, it wouldn¡¯t work on the hole he¡¯d opened himself. It wasn¡¯t possible to close up when there were intruders. There was also the remains of the water showing as hostile reactions. Although he might be able to deal with the water if he used all of their capability, there¡¯d just be a second wave of water if he did so. It couldn¡¯t be helped. He might have been able to think up a better n, but the magnificent feint caught him like a fish.

    From now on, that hole¡­ would be a shortcut that could skip the first three floors.

    Furthermore, even though this next group of golems that came in were lightly equipped, they were carrying something. It looked like snakeskin¡­ Connected to the other side of the dungeon, it zigzagged many times as it extended.

    (What is that thing used for? And just how long does it extend?)

    The golems were still carrying it as it stretched on the way.

    This group of golems took a roundabout way outside.

    (The heck are they doing¡­?)

    Although the group of armored golems invaded into the fourth floor¡­ they didn¡¯t move. It was like they were waiting for something to arrive¡­ even when Ontentoo¡¯s side attacked to repel the invaders, they blocked with their shields, short spears, and swords.

    Like that, the golems that stood still were joined up with by the golems carrying the thing that looked like cast-off snake skin.

    ¡°What the heck¡­!?¡±

    Anotherrge group of intruders showed up. They weren¡¯t golems. He couldn¡¯t see them at all.

    However, the snakeskin thing that was being carried by the golems showed a change. It had been t until then, but was now starting to swell. Then, the intruders began to run through it¡­

    (Perhaps, it might be the same as that water from before?)

    It temporarily left the dungeon, before arriving at¡­ the fourth floor¡¯s hole. When he looked, they were pushing soil together where they were, making sure that not even a small amount of water could leak out from there.

    ¡°Hah, hahahahaha! This guy is fast¡­!¡±

    Ontentoo was in a pinch, but he renewed his fighting spirit with a heartyugh.

    *

    The water continued to pour through the hose using the difference in height. The things being poured were water fleas.

    Ah, though I called it a hose, it¡¯s more like one from a fire engine. It wasn¡¯t to the point that the second wave would sh flood the dungeon, but it could still flood the dungeon.

    ¡°Well then, it¡¯s n B, but let¡¯s hear your guys¡¯ impressions.¡±

    ¡°When our opponents made a hole to drain the water, the water poured out through the hole. The hole was closed up¡­ then you¡¯ll do it again if they make another hole farther down, right¡­? I think it¡¯s awful! It doesn¡¯t take their feelings into consideration at all you know!?¡±

    ¡°As expected of Goshujin-sama!¡±

    ¡°Kinda brutish~¡±

    By the way, n A went with the pattern of going straight down without it being drained. n C goes with the pattern of the water beingpletely stopped so that we¡¯d have to entirely stop trying it and go we a head-on assault.

    Though n A was ideal¡­ no matter how you look at it, wanting that to be the case would be a bit selfish huh.

    It¡¯s just¡­ though we bought the fire engine hose with DP, it was still expensive. I used part of the 100,000 DP for it. It¡¯d be profane to trade the gold coins in for DP, so I borrowed some from Rokuko using the gold coins as coteral. Interest free¡­ It was the most expensive thing this time.

    I could think of it as being a waste on this fight which is already a sure win, but it¡¯s probably eptable. I mean, I wanted to submerge them in water¡­ not. It was a necessity to reach the lowest floor. We could quickly capture floors by repeating the flooding. Besides, it¡¯s probably not wasteful since we could reuse it at the inn I guess? Yep, yep.

    A fire engine hose might be alright to sell as a general good¡­ well, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s convenient.

    ¡°Rather Goshujin-sama, ya don¡¯t need me at all? Isn¡¯t it ¡®kay to just attack from the outside?¡±

    I left Ichika with the golem force meant to attack and gain control of floors one by one starting from the first.

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t it fine to just get experience?¡±

    ¡°Well, yah¡­ but isn¡¯t it better to leave and reenter from the closed hole?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right. Go ahead and try that.¡±

    Sorry. You¡¯re insurance for if n B doesn¡¯t go well. You¡¯re not something unneeded. You were just consequentially unneeded.

    ¡°The rat scout force discovered the remaining red lizards. I¡¯m sending golems for a preemptive strike.

    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯ll leave it to you, Meat.¡±

    Furthermore, now there are rats scouting outside the dungeon. They were brought in the wooden box, set free outside the dungeon.

    ¡°Kehma, a new hole opened up. On the fifth floor. Moreover, it¡¯s at the boss room.¡±

    ¡°As expected, defeating the boss by drowning it didn¡¯t work huh.¡±

    However, even though they came up with a countermeasure, I didn¡¯t give up.

    By the way, the boss room looks like it¡¯s a boss room. We can¡¯t advance farther if we don¡¯t defeat the boss. It doesn¡¯t look like even a single drop of water could make it through the door inside it. In other words, there¡¯s no choice but to defeat the red dragon here.

    It¡¯s a very bad game when what looks like thest boss of a fifty-floor dungeon appears on the fifth floor. Even bad bncing has its extremes.

    ¡°¡­ So then, it¡¯s dragon extermination now huh?¡±

    An armored golem peeked through the hole.

    [Gyaaaaaaoooooouuuuuu!]

    Immediately after that, the vibrations were transmitted to the monitor. Then a white light. Then nothing.

    The other golems saw what happened. It was dragon breath. The incredible heat covered the armored golem, instantly melting it¡­ Just how hot is that fire to be able to melt stone equipment!?

    [Kakaka! How¡¯s this one¡¯s breath!? It can even melt their stone bodies you know!? Well well, it looks like this one¡¯s breath is a little hot for your puppets!]

    The red dragonughed in triumph. Her body was overflowing with power, enough to make us recognize her existence as a strong person. It wasn¡¯t something you would imagine from her form when she was together with that Stupimander.

    ¡°K-Kehma? C-can you win!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No clue.¡±

    ¡­ Seriously, I have no idea if we can win against this thing known as a red dragon.

    However, we¡¯ve already won this battle. Let¡¯s give it a shot.

 Chapter 70

    Second Dungeon Battle

    Boss Round One

    [Gaooooooooo!!!]

    The ground shook from the red dragon¡¯s roar.

    The dangerous and intimidating feeling transferred through the monitor. So this is the thing known as a dragon huh.

    ¡°¡­ Sorry Goshujin-sama, I wet myself.¡±

    ¡°I might¡¯ve as well, that dragon¡­ [Cleanup].¡±

    ¡°Hyafu¡ª¡­ T-thank you.¡±

    When I used [Cleanup] on Meat, she became clean. I wonder if Rokuko and Ichika are alright?

    ¡°A red dragon is somethin¡¯ at a level that even an A-Rank adventurer party would need a scapegoat to just barely win. There¡¯s nothin¡¯ wrong in E-Rank adventurers like Meat-senpai and Goshujin-sama wettin¡¯ themselves. Is Rokuko-sama ¡®kay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I can use [Cleanup] myself after all.¡±

    Looks like Rokuko was no good.

    Well, back to the topic at hand, we have to deal with that red dragon somehow.

    ¡­ Nothing to do but to give it a shot.

    *

    ¡°Kakaka! In the end, you¡¯re no match for this one!¡±

    Melting the golems with her breath, Redraughed loudly.

    [As expected of Redra, but be careful yeah?] ¡°112 is a worry wort! Can¡¯t you see, they¡¯re gone in a single hit!¡±

    Although she was indeed surprised when the water flowed through their dungeon, there wasn¡¯t any damage since it was only to the extent that the floors were a bit wet after Ontentoo made the hole. However, the water had hostile reactions. Redra inclined her neck, wondering what the heck was going on.

    (Slimes¡­ no, this many of them? Something even smaller¡­ something that can fuse with water?)

    Then, Redra felt the presence of a new golem, breaking her train of thought.

    ¡°Wha¡ª, how many times does this one have to¡­ wai¨C¡­ o-oi!? Wait a second!¡±

    [Huh? What¡¯s wrong, Redra¡­ uoh, this guy¡­]

    Redra, who started to breath fire, stopped and swalled it back in a panic. Ontentoo wondered what caused it, but understood when he saw the golems that came in.

    The golem was holding a crystal figurine instead of a shield.

    ¡°O-oi! That¡¯s¡ª, can this one get that if she wins!? It¡¯s a pair to the other one!¡±

    [Hahaha! You can¡¯t use your breath, such a detestable guy.]

    The crystal figurine would also be destroyed if she used her breath. It wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that she epted the dungeon battle because she wanted the figurine, she never thought one would be used as a shield.

    ¡°Ku¡ª, then if I use my ws directly¡­!¡±

    Redra tried to crush the golem directly with her ws. However, a dragon¡¯s huge ws couldn¡¯t perform fine adjustments. Her ws were suited for mowing down enemies all at once, she didn¡¯t think she could pull off a stunt like defeating the golem while leaving the figurine (shield) unharmed.

    ¡°¡­ Gauuu¡­¡±

    She was stumped. She couldn¡¯t fight it.

    She growled to threaten the enemy golem. If it was a monster that had animal instincts, it would¡¯ve lost strength in its legs, threw away the figurine, and ran away.

    The golem that held the crystal figurine pulled out a sword and used it to sh at her.

    Not even bothering to avoid the attack since it¡¯d just be warded off, she dared to ept it.

    ¡­ Kachiiin!! With a strange sound, Redra¡¯s scales were damaged.

    ¡°Uoooh!? A magic sword!?¡±

    She retreated a step in a panic. However, the crystal figurine was almost dropped by getting caught up with the tip of her wing. She folded her wings in as much as possible, trying to make sure it didn¡¯t break.

    ¡°Ugu¡ª, this is tricky¡­!¡±

    The golem approached again, holding up the figurine (shield).

    Redra retreated again. She didn¡¯t want to injure the precious treasure. That was all she thought about.

    ¡°Mmm, what can I do¡­ wait, huh?¡±

    She had stepped backwards in order to retreat, but she noticed that the floor had started to flood unnoticed.

    The water was flowing about. When she looked, the hole made in order to drain it out was being closed with golem hands¡­ Likely, this was that same kind of water that had hostile reactions from before.

    ¡°Crafty¡­!¡±

    She inhaled so that she could use her breath on the golems that were blocking the drainage, but the golem she was running away from beforehand cut in front of her¡­ it was holding the crystal figurine.

    ¡°¡ª!!¡±

    She once again swallowed the breath she was about to unleash. Fwoosh. Heat that she didn¡¯t gulp back down leaked from her mouth.

    ¡°Then this one will just use her ws to break the passage!¡±

    [Oi don¡¯t do that Redra, that¡¯s outside the boss room. If you leave the boss room¡­ they can break through the floor.]

    So long as the boss was in the boss room, it was even airtight.

    On the other hand, if there was no boss in it, the water that had a hostile reaction could flow into the following floor¡­ In other words, the fifth floor would be conquered and it would be their defeat.

    Having said that, Redra still wasn¡¯t able to attack her enemies, it wasn¡¯t a situation that they could let continue. Although it was feasible for Redra to just run away for them until the day is over considering her specs, she grew impatient and shouted.

    ¡°What should this one do!? Do anything 112, this one definitely can¡¯t fight!¡±

    [¡­ Aah, can¡¯t be helped¡­]

    And so, Ontentoo, who was Dungeon Core No. 112, absolutely had to answer her request. Even if it meant defeat, it wasn¡¯t much of a problem.

    *

    [Oi Kehma¡­ How about a trade?]

    A transmission came from Ontentoo while we were stalling for time transporting the set of dragon goods¡­ A trade huh.

    ¡°Depends on the contents. What do you mean by trade?¡±

    [Give us that crystal figurine. Then, you can pass the fifth floor.]

    ¡­ In other words, they¡¯re fine losing if they get the crystal figurine. That kind of thing.

    [Incidentally¡­ it¡¯d be great if you didn¡¯t use a trick that kept Redra from being able to attack.] ¡°Giving you the figurine to past the fifth floor is fine, but I¡¯m hard to please¡­ It¡¯d be better if you didn¡¯t interfere with us getting to the final floor.¡±

    [Ah? Aah¡­ In that case you¡¯d fight Redra. Thest boss room is no good. Everything else is fine.]

    Eh, can I? I only wanted to say it though.

    Rather, it felt like something was a bit off in that statement just now. Is it because of the absolutemand rights?

    [It¡¯s a lot better than making holes on each floor of our dungeon to keep it from flooding. We¡¯ll settle this with a do-over at the original boss room to decide the battle. How about it?]

    I see, looks like getting flooded is quite a hard thing.

    In truth, it¡¯d probably be a serious matter for their monsters if they got flooded.

    ¡°¡­ Then do not obstruct us from here on until the boss room. Release locked doors and traps. There¡¯ll be a one hour intermission.¡±

    [Alright! Tradeplete. Oi Redraaa, one hour cease fire!]

    And so, we restarted with strangely advantageous conditions.

    *

    ¡°Gunununu¡­¡±

    ¡°Oooi, didn¡¯t you say do anything, Redra?¡±

    ¡°B-but we lost the dungeon battle¡­ sorry, 112! For this one, you¡­¡±

    Redra was being unusually meek, but Ontentoo justughed it off.

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying? I mean, we didn¡¯t really lose out. Didn¡¯t you get the crystal figurine?¡±

    ¡°But now they can head up to the forty-ninth floor without us resisting¡­¡±

    ¡°Think you¡¯ll be defeated? Kehma would¡¯ve somehow gotten there from the fifth floor anyways, don¡¯t mind it.¡±

    Moreover, in truth, the dungeon wouldn¡¯t have just been cleared if the water attack continued. It would have flooded every floor, dealing a great deal of harm to the monsters and traps. It was clear that the repair costs alone would¡¯ve exceeded 500,000 DP by itself.

    ¡°¡­ That being the case, since we agreed to fight in good spirits, wasn¡¯t the negotiation a win? Redra can be counted on after all.¡±

    ¡°Un¡­ this one will do her best!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll leave it to you, Redra. You could probably even fight them at full strength for the entire day right? You love it after all.¡±

    ¡°Un!¡±

    Redra was back in high spirits. Ontentoo patted her head in satisfaction.

 Chapter 71

    Second Dungeon Battle

    Boss Round Two, Conclusion

    Guided by red minotaurs, the golem corps made their way to the stairway.

    The red lizards and me hounds I could see in the surroundings weren¡¯t interfering.

    Seriously surreal.

    [Redra is eager, hurry up and get there with the guidance yeah?]

    It was said in a way that made me doubt if that¡¯s what he really meant. Maybe he really doesn¡¯t mean it and it¡¯s due to the absolutemand rights?

    Following them, there really were stairs. Moreover, they were newly constructed stairs made to continue down directly. The stairs are more like a mansion¡¯s than a dungeon¡¯s¡­ it took around an hour to get to the forty-ninth floor. Even their hospitality had a limit.

    Though he did say it was better than being flooded.

    ¡­ There¡¯s still a bit more than half a day left. I guess that means Redra will be fighting the entire time?

    Red dragons seem to have the ability to be able to fight with their firepower for more than a day. Being able to shoot their breath forever¡ªthough they need to inhale¡ªis beyond cheat.

    Still, my knowledge about dragons is from Rokuko. ording to her:

    ¡°Particrly among dragons, red dragons specialize in their physical offensive ability! Haku Ane-sama¡¯s white dragon was only defeated since it was an all-purpose type. But, but, Haku Ane-sama¡¯s white dragon is¡­¡±

    Like that, Rokuko spoke about dragons while adding uselessly excessive things. Dreaming of summoning a dragon like Haku-san had, looks like she just heard things about them from Haku.

    If she liked it so much, couldn¡¯t she have just summoned the dragon with the 100,000 DP¡­? Eh? She doesn¡¯t want a sub-dragon, but the strongest kind? Hahaha, how much DP would that take?

    ¡°So, their weak points?¡±

    ¡°Touching the scales under their chin seem to make them mad! Even doing it is hard though!¡±

    Rokuko spoke with a self-satisfied look¡­ what a useless person.

    In the end, I still don¡¯t know its weak point that well. Haku-san¡¯s [They love shiny things] information turned out to be the most useful. As expect of Haku-san, our dungeon¡¯s god of fortune.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, he said it was fine to go to the boss room, but what¡¯ll we do about the dragon in the end? Can we defeat it?¡±

    ¡°Frankly, it doesn¡¯t feel like it. Or rather, we don¡¯t need to win against the dragon.¡±

    ¡°Eh? What¡¯ll you do then?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Did you forget about our trump card (crystal golem)? That guy¡¯s in the floor below this boss room. I¡¯m saying that due to the result from the trade a moment ago, all of the locked doors¡­ even the treasure warehouse¡¯s is wide open. Get it?¡±

    It was our [Trump Card] because we¡¯d only use it as a [Trump Card]. We had [Flexibility] if we didn¡¯t use it.

    In this way, the curtains raised on our second bout against the dragon in which we hadplete victory promised to us.

    *

    ¡°Gaaaaaaaaah!!!¡±

    Wielding all of its power, the red dragon filled the boss room with plenty of its strength.

    Redra moved her head to the side while exhaling a breath.

    With just that, many of the armored golems¡¯ bodies were partially destroyed. However, the parts that were destroyed were immediately reced.

    ¡°Kakaka! Good, good! This one¡¯s been looking forward to this!¡±

    Redraughed in a good mood. When she swung her tail whileughing, the hands and feet of the golems behind her were blown away. She even broke the wall.

    Although the room¡¯s floor melted into magma by her breath, Ontentoo immediately repaired it.

    ¡°Nooow, dance, dance, dance for this one!¡±

    Perhaps the golems¡¯ storages would be exhausted, or perhaps we¡¯d run out of time¡­ at any rate, it didn¡¯t feel like Redra would exhaust herself. At the very least, she¡¯d be able to fight at full strength for a day. Red dragons were very resistant to heat, their special characteristic being that of ruling over fire, so breathing out mes the whole time wouldn¡¯t burn their throat or mouth like other dragons and could just continue as much as they wanted to.

    When it came tobat, they were the strongest.

    That was what a dragon was¡­ particrly, this existence (boss) known as a red dragon.

    Consequently, very few people have challenged her throughout the years. That¡¯s why she¡¯s fighting with such abandon after such a long time. She was enough to invade and fight as many countries as she felt like, but Redra didn¡¯t have the hobby of bullying the weak. Besides, it might also be her work as the dungeon master and her husband, Ontentoo, and hesitated parting from Tsuia Mountain.

    So because of those things, she was having a lot of fun even if her opponents were simply golems. She couldn¡¯t help enjoying herself.

    However, it looked like the magic swords that the golems wielded were also able to damage Redra¡¯s prided scales. Even damage piles up on a mountain. Though it was be hard to do anything to her when she was paying attention, damage would properly umte when she let down her guard.

    It¡¯s good. A proper [Opponent].

    ¡°Kuuu~, it¡¯s irresistible! There¡¯s still a lot more right!? Is there enough to let this one enjoy herself!?¡±

    Just gathering enough equipment for the golems costed a considerable amount of DP. That¡¯s why Redra was worried about how much inventory we had to let her enjoy herself.

    And while such things were happening, a new golem appeared. It had an egg about the size of an ID card in its hand.

    (¡­ What¡¯s that for?)

    Redra wondered.

    ¡°Bringing food? Let me roast it!¡±

    Goou! A sorching breath attacked the golem with the egg.

    However, the golem didn¡¯t melt. Rather, to be more urate, although the stone armor and helmet melted, the golem¡¯s main body and the egg were intact.

    ¡°¡­ What!? This one has never seen a golem like that¡­!?¡±

    It was kind of white, kind of yellow¡­ about the same color as the egg. Now that its armor and helmet were gone, the egg was hard to see; like it was camouged.

    ¡°Well, no time to talk!¡±

    She attacked with her ws this time. As expected, the golem was even crushed into tiny pieces¡­ however, as for the egg, it was thrown before it was crushed.

    It was aimed at Redra¡¯s mouth. Using the height of the inhtion that was followed by a breath, the egg was splendidly thrown into therge opening.

    ¡°Ogu¡ª!?¡±

    Redra unintentionally swallowed the egg.

    However, the egg suddenly stopped while going down her throat.

    ¡°Mugu¡ª!? ¡­!¡±

    As if it grew hands and feet, the egg stopped in the red dragon¡¯s throat.

    (W-what is this!?)

    It didn¡¯tpletely block her respiratory tract. Even though it was big for an egg, it was still too small to block a red dragon¡¯s throat.

    However, she choked a little. The egg moved about in her throat while she thought about that. Following the stream of air inhaled, it entered the esophagus¡­ then, the organ that shot her breath. It arrived at her lungs.

    ¡°Uuu, geh, this feels, bad¡ª¡­ o-ow, what¡­ igii¡ª!?¡±

    Kashiiin¡ªa de grew from the egg, sticking into her lung.

    ¡°Gah¨C, aaah¡ª, gaha!?¡±

    Feeling them for the first time in more than a century, Redra writhed in [Pain] and [Suffering]. Even though dragons had strong bodies, without their scales inside their body, it wasn¡¯t worth talking about how much damage would be dealt. Only the stomach was special. Nothing¡¯s supposed to get into your lungs to begin with. Coughing up blood while breathing desperately, she forcefully ejected the egg from her body.

    ¡°Gu¡ª, gefu¡­ w-what the heck¡­ was that¡­¡±

    She had swallowed adventurers and attacked from inside her body before.

    At those times¡­ it was no where near this painful. To begin with, dragons are generally able to digest even swords and armor that they swallow. Just getting stabbed by a sword wouldn¡¯t affect a dragon¡¯s stomach in the least.

    ¡°So that¡¯s what Ontentoo meant¡­ gu, pe¡ª!¡±

    She vomited out the blood that had collected in her lungs. The wound was already blocked up. This task was aplished by the vitality of a dragon.

    ¡°There probably aren¡¯t anymore¡­!?¡±

    But when Redra looked, many golems had circled around her, each one carrying an egg¡­ ¡­ As expected, even Redra paled at the memory.

    ¡°U-uwah¡ª¡ª!?¡±

    She immediately destroyed each golem¡¯s egg. She kept herself from using her breath so that they wouldn¡¯t be thrown into her mouth, going so far as to close her mouth and stop breathing entirely. When all of the golems and the eggs were destroyed, she inhaled deeply.

    ¡°Ha, haha, what¡­ the heck, that¡¯s all of them¡­¡±

    When she thought it was over, Redra lost strength in her wings.

    When she looked at the ground for some reason, one of the eggs had fallen there.

    (¡­ Missed breaking that one?)

    ¡°¡ª!¡±

    Bam! She crushed it under her tail. With this, it¡¯s do¡ª

    ¡ªRight in front of Redra, beads of light gathered, and the egg revived.

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? What is this¡­!?¡±

    Bang! She destroyed it with her w. However, it revived once again after several seconds.

    ¡°Hiiii¡ª!?¡±

    She once again crushed it in the same way. Revived. Crushed. Revived. Cruched. Revived. Crushed¡­

    ¡°What the!? Whyyyyyy!? Uwaaaaaah!¡±

    In a half-crazed frenzy, Redra continued to attack the reviving egg.

    *

    ¡°Alright, now¡¯s our chance.¡±

    Since Redra waspletely the egg¡¯s prisoner (in a deep meaning), I activated the crystal golem to try and look for the dungeon core. I don¡¯t know how much time we¡¯ll have until the hostile reaction appears though.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. Isn¡¯t that my [Phoenix Egg]¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, as you can see it¡¯ll just keep reviving.¡±

    By the way, the eggshell golem was made from collecting the phoenix¡¯s eggshell, but it obviously didn¡¯t get its revival feature. However, the phoenix egg is raised in fire, so I experimented. What I found was that it could withstand even thermite reactions (a chemical reaction that reaches 3,000 degrees Celsius by igniting metallic oxide and aluminium). It didn¡¯t even leave a burn.

    Well, I made a fully automatic egg-breaking golem.

    Even so, there isn¡¯t much left over after extracting the insides, so the amount of egg-type golems were limited.

    The strategy this time was¡­ egging her.

    I thought about using the issun boshi strategy at first, but I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d be able to damage the stomach at all. So, my goal was shifted from her stomach to her lungs. [1]

    Each and every egg type golem was equipped with hands and feet, as well as having a magic sword golem inside them that I ordered to attack lungs. I also ordered them to hide their hands and feet when they were outside the body.

    However, the egg golem is light. If a dragon seriously breathed out, they would quickly be blown away.

    ordingly, I gave her a bit of a trauma. I decided to have her endlessly attack the reviving phoenix egg. After her lungs were attacked, I surrounded her with golems that each held an egg where one was the real phoenix egg. They would throw the egg golems into her mouth if she wasn¡¯t panicking. My n was to give her a trauma¡­ The results are obvious.

    ¡°Vulgar.¡±

    ¡°Quite a thing~¡±

    I heard Rokuko¡¯s impressions before I asked her for them.

    But in truth, it would¡¯ve been awkward if she was killed by identally exploding her lung. It¡¯d be horribly bad if they sought revenge, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep quietly if we weren¡¯t on good terms with our next door neighbor. I can¡¯t sleep if they bang loudly on our wall after all.

    Because of that, I made it so that they wouldn¡¯t go to the point of her dying.

    ¡°Ah, the dungeon core is here somewhere¡­¡±

    Manipting the crystal golem, I looked around outside the treasure warehouse.

    To say nothing about other room, the stairs leading up to the boss room on the fiftieth floor was open.

    Come to think of it, Haku-san also put the core on the other side of the boss room in the [White Trial] huh. It went up the stairs step by step.

    Then, with the room from the boss room still firmly closed, there was the white and shining dungeon core. I see, so after the boss room was the dungeon core, and after the dungeon core was the treasure warehouse even further inside.

    ¡­ That¡¯s a splendid pedestal. However, if it¡¯s just that tall even the crystal golem can climb it. Thrusting its small sword into the pedestal like an ice pick, it climbed upward. And then¡ª

    [Oi Redra, pull yourself together! Oi, o¡ª¡­ ooiiii!? What is this guy!?] ¡°Touch~¡±

    Using our trump card (crystal golem), we seeded in touching their dungeon core.

    Footnotes:

    Issun Boshi wiki link.

 Chapter 72

    The Trap

    The day after the dungeon battle, I met with Ontentoo again.

    It was to talk about how to deal with the aftereffects of the fight. Looks like he wasn¡¯t able to talk to Redra yesterday until he eventually calmed her down.

    ¡°Hahaha, as expected of Kehma, that was a golem? Outwitting us with that crystal golem, it was the first time I¡¯d seen one that small. Youpletely fooled me.¡±

    He didn¡¯t seem to worry about his loss as heughed it off.

    ¡°Well¡­ don¡¯t you think it was unfair?¡±

    ¡°What, there¡¯s no reason to be upset over something I didn¡¯t notice, right, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, yeah. I just figured the only hope we had of winning against a dragon, particrly yours, was a surprise attack.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, you could have killed Redra there, so thanks, Kehma. Even though you¡¯re rted to that betrayer No. 89, I¡¯m fine being your ally. No. 695¡¯s too I guess.¡±

    Though it was hard to tell with his lizard face, Ontentoo grinned.

    ¡°So then looks like it¡¯s time to teleport¡­ ording to the promise, the way for your cave is yours.¡±

    ¡­ Hmm?

    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t the deal half of Tsuia Mountain?¡±

    ¡°Ah? You¡­ that was if your touched the dungeon core on the lowest floor you know?¡±

    ¡°Right, and I touched it with the crystal golem yeah?¡±

    When I said that, Ontentoo responded¡ª

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying? Don¡¯t you know that our lowest floor is the fifty-first floor?¡±

    ¡ªwith that.

    I touched the dungeon core on the other side of the boss room. On the fiftieth floor.

    And on the lowest floor, the fifty-first floor¡­ there was only the treasure warehouse, no dungeon core.

    ¡­ In other words, there was no way to win from the beginning.

    ¡°¡­ Oi, Ontentoo.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha! No reason to be upset over something you didn¡¯t notice, right, Kehma?¡±

    And now Ontentoo purposely repeated his words from a bit ago.

    ¡­ Right, so then the trade from yesterday was like that?

    Supposing that even if I came up with a way to win after this, the dungeon battle will have already ended with a time out. It¡¯s fine to just end it early, I want go sleep.

    ¡°Well now we¡¯re even, kukuku.¡±

    This guy, even though I thought he was just a simple smander, he¡¯s¡­ pretty capable.

    Let¡¯s just chalk this one up as a tie¡­ Yeah, looks like we¡¯ll have good rtions in the future.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, why would it take 500,000 DP to clear the way in your dungeon? To begin with it¡¯d just be releasing it right? At most, wouldn¡¯t it barely take 1 DP?¡±

    ¡°Ah. That huh, Tsuia Mountain¡¯s center, or should I say it¡¯s core? Doesn¡¯t matter. It wouldn¡¯t be a volcano anymore if it got smashed. So, it¡¯d take 450,000 DP to rebuild it in another location. Remaking the passages and things like that¡­ hah, that¡¯s a lot cheaper.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t it be moved? Left, right, up or down. Anything would work.¡±

    When I said that, Ontentoo¡¯s eyes opened wide.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Oooh!? I didn¡¯t think of that!!¡±

    Oi, capable or stupid, this guy¡¯s definitely Stupimander.

    *

    Well, because of that stuff, the tunnel that went through Tsuia Mountain was now open.

    I call it the Tsuia Mountain Prating Tunnel¡­ I mean, that¡¯s what it is. It¡¯s a straight tunnel, but it takes several hours on foot to travel through since it¡¯s so long. Most importantly, that¡¯s incredibly fast since it would take several days if they didn¡¯t use the tunnel, rather than several hours.

    In additional, it¡¯d probably be better to set off in the morning after resting for the night at Tsuia Mountain¡¯s inn.

    Since it was also done cheaply, I also got a promise for them to help hatch the phoenix egg. It really is good thing to have good rtions with your neighbors.

    A phoenix hatching from the breath of a red dragon¡­ really is amusing. She barely used her breath at the end of the dungeon battle after all. It wasn¡¯t enough to hatch it. It looks like it should hatch with a bit more though.

    So I set that up with them.

    When I went through the tunnel that went through Tsuia Mountain and came to the other side, I could see the sea. I could even faintly smell the scent of the tides drifting through the air. The atmosphere was different, I guess.

    There was a tall hill nearby, so I looked down from there. I saw that there was a port city down there.

    I guess that¡¯s Pavuera if I¡¯m not mistaken? Looks like that¡¯s Ichika¡¯s hometown.

    ¡­ Fish. I wonder if they have the same kind of experience in this world? Right, let¡¯s make a sashimi special for today¡¯s dinner to celebrate the tunnel¡¯s opening. [1]

    Maybe it¡¯d be good for Ichika to also visit her hometown for a bit? I don¡¯t know what would be said since she¡¯s a ve now though.

    ¡°Wow¡­ the scenery here¡¯s good~¡±

    Rokuko, who¡¯d appeared next to me at some point, said that as the wind blew through her blonde hair.

    ¡°It is¡­ Is this the first time you¡¯ve seen the ocean, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Un. I¡¯ve heard people talk about it before, but¡­ the dungeon core meeting doesn¡¯t care about those kind of things.¡±

    I still don¡¯t really know what the dungeon core meeting is that well, but other than that she¡¯s been staying in that small cave this whole time. Alone for such a long time¡­ Well, she has us now though.

    Maybe I should expand her world some more after this¡­ When the dungeon is a bit more on track, it might be a good idea to take Rokuko to the human vige for a little while.

    ¡°You got outwitted this time.¡±

    ¡°Gu¡ª¡­ well, yeah, we did¡­ I never thought Ontentoo would use that kind of a n.¡±

    ¡°Youpletely underestimated that guy~. I was surprised too, I thought Kehma would win for sure.¡±

    Even after showing our trump card, we still couldn¡¯t achieve the total victory. Though we were able to win with the fifth floor rule, it still feels like a defeat for me.

    ¡°But, even though we didn¡¯t get half of Tsuia Mountain, this much was plenty. Kehma can manage one way or another, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We don¡¯t really need to fuss over the mountain.¡±

    I said it before, but it¡¯s fine if we just extend into the fields and ignore the mountain.

    We have the path now.

    The path, yeah¡­ let¡¯s think about seriously taking a toll for using the tunnel. Should I take it depending on how much their stuff weighs when they enter the tunnel?

    I¡¯ll make a spring with a golem¡­ that¡¯ll be good for now.

    ¡°Our dungeon is even more amazing now with this tunnel right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, no matter what happens, we¡¯ll have easy ie from it after all!¡±

    We¡¯re going to open this tunnel to the public. Our dungeon has finally obtained source of easy money.

    Easy money. Aaah, that sounds so good. So far, I¡¯ve built a hotel by using the dungeon¡¯s operations one way or another, then worked at it. And I had to work by designing the dungeon and it¡¯s monster and item arrangements and things like that.

    Meanwhile, I¡¯ll be able to spend time sleeping without having to do anything by using this tunnel as an ie source. I¡¯ll asionally count the toll fees.

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what ¡®ejee monee¡¯ is, but it sounds amazing!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s amazing. Very amazing!¡±

    Viva easy money! Goodbye work, hello life of getting money without working.

    Footnotes:

    Lazy sashimi wikipedia link.

 Chapter 73

    Labor Shortage

    The season flew by and it became Summer.

    I was in my room in the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]¡­ I may be the one who made the inn, but it was aparatively good room.

    When I looked outside my room¡¯s window, I could see the pleasant blue sky.

    ¡­ It¡¯s seriously hot. While thinking that it still had four seasons despite being another world, I stuck my feet into a wooden bucket filled with water.

    Aaah, this cool water feels so good¡­ Well, it probably won¡¯t stay that cold for long though.

    It¡¯s been several months since I came to this world. Somehow or another, I¡¯ve be a dungeon master and I think that I¡¯ve done a pretty good job working¡­ Think I¡¯m done working though. I made a toll fee mechanism for the tunnel I went through great pains to make through Tsuia Mountain. With that, even though I¡¯ve finally been able to get easy ie¡­ now I¡¯m busy managing the inn¡¯s operations and profits from the toll. Oh right, maybe it¡¯s time to get some more people? More people to use for the inn that is.

    As for the dungeon¡¯s primary business, I decided that golems that sometimes carried knifes would wander around the second and third floors that were thebyrinth areas. Of course, the knifes were golem des. The knife magic sword improved its sharpness by vibrating the magical power that filled it. People could get the knife magic sword if they managed to safely beat it. There¡¯s still just five of them though.

    Also, I¡¯ve added iron golem spawners. Though they cost 50,000 DP each, thanks to Haku-saning over a few times to visit, there are now iron golems wandering around past the riddle area. Meaning, she gave me a huge payment in DP for them. Ah, there¡¯s also one in thebyrinth area that asionally shes with adventurers. They¡¯re hard to defeat so people usually run away when they encounter them though.

    Thanks to finagling out such an oue, today there are three parties (one is a beginner party that came to gain fighting experience against goblins) in thebyrinth.

    For the riddle area on the fourth floor¡­ no one¡¯s solved it even though it¡¯s been found. One party was just barely able to reach it by chance, but since they were exhausted, they turned back while wary of traps. After that, there have been people getting incredibly irritated after losing their way in thebyrinth, but no one else has been able to reach it again¡­ Looks like people still haven¡¯t figured out that that correct route changes at fixed times yet.

    The ie we¡¯ve gotten from peopleing to the inn and tunnel is DP and money. Thanks to that, my current lifestyle has gotten pretty easy. I can even turn money into DP. That¡¯s why I¡¯m justzing in my room.

    Therefore, I think I¡¯m going to just sleep in my room all day today and not do anything.

    Maybe I should put an air conditioner in my room¡­ actually, maybe there¡¯s some kind of life magic that¡¯d let me spend my time in Summerfortably? Wait,e to think of it the only life magic I¡¯ve been using is [Cleanup] huh¡­ Even though I went to such great lengths to learn the magic skill, it feels like I¡¯ve just been using [Create Golem].

    That¡¯s somewhat sacrilegious¡­ right, let¡¯s rece the water in this wood bucket with water from the low ss water-type magic [Water].

    I threw the water from the wooden bucket out of the window.

    While anxious, I input the chant as ording to the scroll into my head.

    Fumu fumu¡­ [Water, form a small sphere] huh? ¡­ Let¡¯s mix it up a bit.

    ¡°Cold water, form a smallish sphere. [Water].¡±

    I felt a little of my magical power drain away as a sphere of water appeared in front of me. Then, it fell into the wooden bucket with a ssh as nned. Yep, it¡¯s cold.

    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve used a magic other than [Create Golem] in a while now. Though as expected, magic is convenient.

    ¡°Kehma, mine too~¡±

    It was my partner who was also in my room for some reason, the dungeon core, Rokuko. Oi, this is my room. I have made it pretty wonderful though.

    I exchanged the water in Rokuko¡¯s bucket with cold water by chanting again.

    ¡°Aah~, Kehma¡¯s magic really is strange~. It doesn¡¯t feel so nice and cool when me or Meat does it!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not changed normally after all.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be you know? Normally.¡±

    I thought there¡¯d be anguage analysis done on thenguage¡¯s patterns or something, but ording to Rokuko there¡¯s no one other than me, who has the trantion cheat, that can modify magic. Rokuko doesn¡¯t really know about many people since she doesn¡¯t leave far from her dungeon core though¡­ wait, me, my ves Meat and Ichika¡­ isn¡¯t that just three people? Ah, there¡¯s Haku-san too. Dungeon Core No. 89¡¯s turned into our dungeon¡¯s god of fortune. Imperial Capital Bigshot-san.

    ¡°Well, with her rtionship with the hotel recently, hey, I¡¯ve gotten to know the guild¡¯s Receptionist-san too! S-Siliana-san.¡±

    I probably wouldn¡¯t be that wrong to consider her as another.

    Our rtionship with the guild isn¡¯t bad. Although the guild¡¯s branch office was mostly built by now, Receptionist-san still eats here, as well as bathing here once a week. Looks like she likes it a lot.

    Since the ce where the guild is located is part of the dungeon¡¯s territory, we get a bit over 80 DP per day from Receptionist-san. It¡¯s really delicious. We¡¯d get twice as much if she stayed in a locked room though¡­

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, please replenish the food.¡±

    Meat, who was in charge of taking food to the dining room, entered¡­ it¡¯s troublesome, but there¡¯s no choice but to do it. I took out some side dish breads and low quality dishes and passed them to Meat.

    Meat stowed the dishes I handed her away into her space-time magic, [Storage]. She¡¯d take them out in the kitchen to give to guests. Meals you could get in convenience stores and family restaurants in Japan were very popr in this world. There¡¯s even been adventurers these days that purposely came for the food.

    ¡­ Rather, it¡¯s fine even if Rokuko bought them with DP, but for some reason it¡¯s a higher quality when I do it. I wonder if it¡¯s because of a difference in knowledge?

    Oh? Meat dropped one of them while I was handing them to her. Fortunately, since the side dish breads came wrapped in stic, it wasn¡¯t much of a deal even if they dropped on the floor.

    ¡°¡­ Yourplexion doesn¡¯t look that good. Are you okay?¡±

    I finally noticed that Meat¡¯splexion looked off. I didn¡¯t notice sooner because she normally has beautiful tanned skin, like she went suntanning. It would¡¯ve been easier to tell if she was fair-skinned like Rokuko though.

    ¡°Eh, ah¡­ I¡¯m¡­ fine, I think.¡±

    Meat was a dog eared beastkin, so her body was strongpared to normal humans. However, she was still a child that might not even be in the double digits age-wise. I put my hand to Meat¡¯s forehead. Sweat was sticking to her skin¡­ and she was terribly hot.

    ¡°¡­ Go rest!¡±

    ¡°Hya¡ª¡­ eh¡ª, y-yes¡­¡±

    Iid Meat down on the futon and went out to the dining room for her.

    *

    Meat is fatigued, huh. It¡¯s probably from overworking along with the heat. I¡¯ll have her rest properly.

    Well, I realized something.

    ¡­ We have abor shortage!

    Well yeah, I mean I¡¯ve vaguely noticed it already. The number of guests we¡¯ve been getting has gradually increasedtely.

    First, there¡¯s one person at the reception. Then, there¡¯s another person in the dining area. Those two people are absolutely necessary to keep the inn running. We only have four people, me included, to manage the dungeon and inn.

    That isn¡¯t enough people. Moreover, we¡¯d need two more at the least.

    Since physicalbor can be taken care of by the golems, we basically just need humans to take care of our visitors.

    Since there¡¯s things like the life magic¡¯s [Cleanup], washing and cleaning in this world is overwhelmingly easy, but serving customers still uses up stamina and willpower.

    I was serving tables today instead of Meat, but even though it¡¯s different from town restaurants and we only had a few customers, Meat was amazing at managing the dining room by herself. Seriously.

    I mean, there¡¯s practically been noints about the dining room. Though Ichika was the one running the reception desk whereints were received, and Meat¡¯s a child, a ve, and a child, you could count the number ofints on a single hand. Additionally, it hasn¡¯t even happened again after the first time.

    I was just serving tables today but the number ofints has already risen a level. Come on, what the heck? It settled down when I asked Rokuko to lend a hand, but maybe it¡¯s that. These guys are just lolicons.

    I keep forgetting about it and am not really conscious of it, but when magic is used, magical power¡ªI guess something like mental stamina¡ªgets used as well.

    Meat uses [Storage] to take the dishes out, so it¡¯s probably a big burden on her.

    I carelessly overlooked it since she¡¯s been working with a healthy face, but she must have been incredibly tired every day. Even with that¡­ I¡¯ve been using Meat as my hug pillow when I sleep. Even then she wouldn¡¯t show off an unpleasant expression and would just smile¡­ it¡¯s fine to say something even if you¡¯re my ve, you super girl.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh, did I wake you up? How are you doing?¡±

    I gently stroked Meat¡¯s head. Her dog tail wagged happily under the towel nket she wasying under. She was obviously happy. [1]

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ fine already.¡±

    ¡°Keep sleeping. You don¡¯t have to be my hug pillow today.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ugu¡ª¡­ b-but, this is Goshujin-sama¡¯s sleeping spot¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are other rooms open. Thankfully, this is an inn.¡±

    Like that, I tucked Meat in.

    Lonely since she can¡¯t work, she really is just like a big faithful dog.

    I mean, right. I still haven¡¯t set up proper vacation days yet. I¡¯ve just been sleeping when I feel like it, and though I¡¯ve told Ichika and Meat to do whatever they wanted when there¡¯re no guests, the number of days like that have decreased recently¡­ rather, it¡¯s more like we have guests every day now.

    To add to that, Meat¡¯s been working as my hug pillow.

    She has no holidays¡­ and though I¡¯ve offered the daily necessities, since they don¡¯t really have sries either, they¡¯ve basically been working nonstop with no pay.

    Due to all of that, we have an overwhelmingbor shortage.

    For Meat and Ichika¡¯s sleep, as well as mine, I need to do something¡­

    Footnotes:

    ¥¿¥ª¥ë¥±¥Ã¥È -> Towelket -> Towel nket. Made-up English word that Japanese use for something we don¡¯t have (kind of like a snuggie). Gave a link before, but here it is again.

 Chapter 74

    Let¡¯s Procure Some New Employees

    Since Meat returned to being my hug pillow before I noticed it, she probably recovered from lying down all night. Looks like she slipped in while I was asleep, what a zealous worker. She even paid attention to changing theforter out for a towel nket so that it wouldn¡¯t be hot.

    Though I said we had abor shortage, this inn that¡¯s also a dungeon has a lot of secrets.

    Like how we use the dungeon core to light up Rokuko¡¯s room.

    We can¡¯t hire standard employees. So then, what do we do¡­? We get another one like Ichika. But we probably won¡¯t find as good a bargain as Ichika again. But but! We need more employees that can stay and house-sit.

    With the amount of people we have right now, I can¡¯t even take anyone out to the human vige. Despite going to such great pains to open that tunnel, Ichika can¡¯t go visit her hometown, Pavuera. I¡¯ve gotten a few goods from guests using the tunnel from Pavuera though.

    ¡­ Even though they¡¯ll hand us stuff like fish while saying, ¡°Please cook this!¡± ¡­ It¡¯s not like I can cook.

    And then there¡¯s the mysterious chef that cooks for the inn. Our setting has him named Ex Travagant-san. The setting has no use though since we don¡¯t even have that praiseworthy person called a chef though¡­

    Seems like Ichika¡¯s only interested in cooking to eat it¡­ Ah, she made some grilled fish. Then I ate it myself.

    Right, our next employee should really be someone that knows how to cook. If they can reproduce dishes that we serve using DP, the inn can continue running even if Rokuko and I aren¡¯t here so long as there are ingredients. Sooner orter Rokuko¡¯s probably going to want to go and visit Haku-san.

    ¡°And so, this time I¡¯m going to summon an employee~¡±

    ¡°Summon an employee¡­ ah. A human-type monster that can mimicry!¡±

    A monster like a [Subus], as in like Haku-san¡¯s butler, Chloe. In other words, an intelligent human-type, and if possible I¡¯d prefer a female-type monster that¡¯s good at cooking and has beautiful legs.

    Furthermore, male-type ones are no good since this dungeon¡¯s sponsor (Haku-san) said so and it¡¯s not like I want to have a harem.

    ¡°It¡¯s pricey though you know?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it might be cheaper than a ve once all¡¯s said and done though. Even after subtracting the amount of DP it¡¯d take to teach them [Storage], it¡¯d be cheaper.¡±

    Then maybe I should purposely try to make it an expensive human-type monster? That way if the monster is intelligent, it might be able to use DP. Eh, maybe human-type monsters are expensive because they¡¯re able to use DP?

    ¡°I see! If it¡¯s a monster that can use DP I can go out as well huh!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ And because of that, maybe a subus is the best way to go? Their war potential is reassuring and they have good abilities too.¡±

    ¡°Chloe set a good precedent for them, so there¡¯s a sense of security¡­ but, what about like Redra? A red dragon. They can look like a human even though they¡¯re a dragon by using their human form technique.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t argue their strength, but we don¡¯t have enough DP for a dragon that can use a human form. Even Redra still had her tail. And I¡¯d prefer to get two or three people if we could¡­¡±

    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have enough for subi either then you know?¡±

    Still, it was to the point that it¡¯d use practically all of our DP savings. I don¡¯t really think it¡¯s a problem since we have a steady ie now though.

    ¡°Oh right. Phoenixes can learn how to have a human form. It¡¯s still an egg though! Wait, didn¡¯t you promise to get it hatched by that dragon breath a long time ago?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Craaap,pletely forgot.¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to use the phoenix egg for raw materials anymore if it hatched, so let¡¯s do it after I get a bit more from it¡­ is what I decided to do. In other words, Ipletely forgot about it after setting it up with the automatic egg smashing golem.

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s probably plenty of materials now so let¡¯s go get it hatched?¡±

    ¡°Kehma? You haven¡¯t perhaps been breaking the egg while it¡¯s unhatched have you?¡±

    ¡°D-don¡¯t say something so scary.¡±

    While I was trembling, I went back to the topic.

    ¡°That aside, isn¡¯t it better for it to be cheap and convenient? Ah. Fighting strength isn¡¯t needed right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s more important that they can look after the inn than be able to fight¡­¡±

    ¡°How about this then?¡±

    As for what Rokuko showed me, a [Vampire]¡­ wait, isn¡¯t it both really strong and really expensive?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know there were so many variations of vampires¡­ see? This one at the bottom is so cheap!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a lesser one so its intelligence might be a problem, how about themon one¡­ ooh, it¡¯s still cheap? 30,000 DP huh, with the DP we have now¡­ it¡¯s not that bad.¡±

    It might be a little painful, but there¡¯d be no problem if we converted our cash earnings into DP. Recently we¡¯ve been getting more than 500 DP a day, so we wouldn¡¯t have any problems even if we used it all.

    By the way, there¡¯s one over 1,000,000 DP. It says something like true ancestor¡­

    ¡°¡­ But don¡¯t vampires turn into ash if they¡¯re hit by sunlight?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of customization options you know? Look at this! It even says sunlight immune!¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, isn¡¯t that expensive?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s optional!¡±

    The offensive capability option¡­ 100 was the upper limit, with 0 being the worst. The DP cost was practically synchronized with it.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we try out the offensive capability option at 0?¡±

    ¡­ Taking the sunlight immunity option with it¡­ it became 1 DP.

    As for all of its other weak point immunity options, they were all 1 DP. Cheap.

    Things like bat transformation and blood weapons that were the core ability options for vampires were still expensive though.

    Well, as a result of fiddling with the customization options¡ª

    ¡°¡­ It doesn¡¯t have any kind of ability, it can¡¯t fly, even though it has fangs they have no offensive power, but it has no weak points¡­ a blood sucking¡­ oni?¡±

    It doesn¡¯t really need to suck blood either. It wasn¡¯t even a vampire at this point, it was fine just eating normal meat.

    Moreover, its cost was around 15,000 DP even though it started out at 30,000 DP. About the same as a lesser vampire, oi. Well, it can¡¯t fight at all¡­ it¡¯d bepletely useless if it weren¡¯t smart.

    Though it was doubtful if it could still be called a vampire, let¡¯s put this one on hold as a candidate.

    ¡°What about this silky thing? It looks like a house fairy!¡±

    A silky. It would help with household things, a house fairy that you could say looked like a beautiful woman.

    A beautiful woman, sounds good. Since they also weren¡¯t that strong, they were at the reasonable price of 10,000 DP each.

    ¡°Then this one might also be good. It¡¯s a [Zashiki Warashi]. 5,000 DP though.¡± [1]

    ¡°Hmm? Heeh. A luck fairy huh¡­ ah, it says that only people with pure hearts or children can see it.¡±

    Ah, unfortunate. Guests not being able to see it would be bad. Rejected.

    ¡°There¡¯s also this witch thing. How about that one?¡±

    ¡°Fumu, a witch huh¡­? Maybe that¡¯d be good? It¡¯s probably a human-type¡­ or rather, what¡¯s the difference between it and a human?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t it because it has a magic stone?¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s a monster if it has a magic stone huh. That¡¯s the basics of this world.¡±

    There was an option for the witch to be an apprentice, when it grew up it¡¯d be a sorcerer or something. 15,000 if it¡¯s an apprentice huh¡­ apprentices are expensive. Rather, can¡¯t the monsters sort themselves by intelligence?

    Ah, but they know magic from the start. Apprentices almost know two low ss ones though.

    Rather,e to think of it, how exactly does the system of using DP to summon monsters work? Maybe it takes them from another world like it did with me? Or maybe it just generates the monsters¡­

    ¡°Ignoring special cases like with Kehma, they¡¯re generally created by DP you know? ¡­ And they¡¯ll also normally obey if you order them.¡±

    ¡°Eh, so then what should I summon?¡±

    ¡°¡­ How about using the gacha?¡±

    For now, I decided to summon the monsters.

    The [Vampire (Customized)], the [Silky], and the [Witch (Apprentice)].

    In order to investigate which we¡¯ll get more of in the future, for now I¡¯m going to just summon one body¡ªerr, one person¡ªof each. [2]

    ¡­ Well¡­ I¡¯ll just have faith that at worst at least one of them will be smart enough to serve customers¡­

    ¡°Vampire, silky, witch, summon!¡±

    The magic formation expanded towards the edges of the room with a low hum, stopping at around one meter in diameter.

    Then, there were three girls. They appeared from the magic formation.

    The easiest one to figure out was the freckled girl with brown hair that held a staff and wore a robe. She¡¯s probably the witch. She looked like a normal girl. If she isn¡¯t intelligent, she¡¯s a lie.

    Then next was one with green hair wearing thin maid clothes¡­ she¡¯s probably the silky. Maid clothes, it¡¯s the silky. There¡¯s no way that¡¯s a vampire. At least she wasn¡¯t transparent or anything.

    Thest one was a silver-haired girl in ck bondage clothes. By elimination, she¡¯s the vampire. I don¡¯t know if she has wings or fangs though.

    The three girls that were floating in the magic formation slowly stepped onto the ground.

    The vampire, with her silvery hair that extended to her lower back fluttering, opened her eyes.

    She looked at Rokuko and me with her bright red pupils that looked like rubies.

    ¡°How do you do, master¡­¡±

    ¡°She talked! She can talk!¡±

    ¡°We did it Kehma! She¡¯s smart!¡±

    ¡°Eh, umm¡ª¡±

    Ooh, the vampire is puzzled! Evidence that she can think properly!

    ¡°How about you other two? Can you talk?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, yes. Pleased to meet you, master.¡±

    ¡°I will serve you from here on. I am humbled to make your acquaintance, master.¡±

    It looks like both the witch and the silky can talk as well. All of them. They¡¯re all able to talk.

    ¡­ I have no problem with their looks either, it¡¯s a total win. We did it!

    Footnotes:

    Wiki-sensei giving a link to save the day!

    Doesn¡¯t trante well to English¡ªKeima used counter for bodies instead of people here. He then corrected himself.

 Chapter 75

    Temporary Names and Additional Rooms

    The vampire hung her head.

    She¡¯s grieving from heartbreak. Those are some amazing sobs. The thing that caused it was when she checked her own strength, she had pretty much none. She was at a level where she¡¯d even lose to a goblin.

    ¡°T-this is¡­ kuh¡ª, I¡¯m a vampire that¡¯s even weaker than a normal human¡­ even weaker than a goblin¡­! A disgrace!¡±

    She sat on the floor and beat her hands against it. But since her offensive power was 0 she didn¡¯t do anything.

    The silky gentlyforted her¡­ motherly.

    ¡°¡­ Moreover our master is a human¡­ it certainly doesn¡¯t feel like he wants me to work as a monster, he made me weak in order to use me as his ything!¡±

    I had no such intentions! Still, I definitely won¡¯t be using you as a monster.

    Still, it¡¯d be bad to leave things as they are. I¡¯m a bit reluctant but let¡¯s invoke my absolute order rights. They¡¯re monsters, I¡¯m their superior as the dungeon master.

    ¡°How about we begin the conversation now? It¡¯s an order.¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±Yes.¡±¡±¡±

    I waited for the three to gather.

    ¡®I want you to be inn employees.¡¯ She¡¯s just going to sit down again if I say that. I¡¯m still going to say it though.

    ¡°First of all, I¡¯m not going to be leaving the dungeon¡¯s defense to you all¡­ You¡¯ll be inn employees.¡±

    ¡°¡­ An¡­ inn?¡±

    The vampire responded with a question in unease.

    Well, if she¡¯s smart, she probably made the connection that I didn¡¯t intend for her to be use for battle since I summoned a monster without any offensive capability.

    ¡°Our dungeon manages an inn for humans. I wanted employees that would be able to serve them¡­ Ah, you are candidates for management.¡±

    The vampire looked like she was thinking about something, the silky was still calm and smiling, and the apprentice witch looks like she didn¡¯t understand what I said that well¡­ is she okay?

    Just then, Ichika arrived from me calling her here a bit ago.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama~, you called me~¡±

    ¡°Oh, just in time. Come here, here.¡±

    I called Ichika over to stand in front of the three.

    ¡°¡­ This girl is Ichika. She¡¯s my ve. She¡¯s your senpai, so listen to what she says.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes? ¡­ Eh? A human? Eh, and a ve¡­?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, I look forward to working with you senpai.¡±

    ¡°Ah~, really~?¡±

    Looks like the vampire is hardheaded. The silky seems to be the best worker¡­ What¡¯s up with this apprentice witch? Really, huh?

    ¡­ Even though all three of them are existences created from DP, there¡¯s such big differences. Maybe it¡¯s because of the racial differences?

    ¡°Best regards, ya three¡­ Lessee, names?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m a vampire. Nanashi (No Name).¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a silky. I am Nanashi (No Name).¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m an apprentice witch~. My name¡¯s Nanashi (No Name)~!¡±

    ¡°¡­ So everyone¡¯s a monster? I¡¯d¡¯ve thought ya were adventurers for sure.¡±

    ¡°Mm,e to think of it I haven¡¯t given you all names huh.¡±

    The three monster girls looked at me when I said that. Particrly, the vampire looked surprised.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be named!?¡±

    Named. Wonder what that means.

    Is getting a name special or something? Let¡¯s ask Rokuko.

    ¡°Nn? Riiight, it feels special. Masters only give a name to monsters when they¡¯re promoting them, it¡¯s something special given when they¡¯ve taken a lot of active roles¡­ Gobsuke yed an active part too you know?¡±

    So Gobsuke was treated as a named monster huh¡­ he did do something huge for us though.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll think about it. For now it¡¯ll be an internship. I¡¯ll give you all proper names if you do your work well¡­ So for temporary names until then¡­ the vampire is Alpha. The silky is Beta. The apprentice witch is Gamma. Sound good, you three?¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±Yes!¡±¡±¡±

    ¡°Suchzy names¡­ It¡¯s easier than calling them all Nanashi (No Name) though.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how they were tranted for Rokuko, but I¡¯m thinking about making those our corps names if we get more in the future.

    I used DP to get some of our inn¡¯s, the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]¡¯s uniform, [Maid Clothes], and handed them out to each of them¡­ One for the silky too, just in case. I chose their sizes by eye.

    ¡°Well then Ichika. First make sure you teach them how to receive guests at reception.¡±

    ¡°Roger that~. Well then, let¡¯s start with how to handle money~¡±

    Ichika took the three monster girls with her.

    Ichika could be a backup for the dining room if they learn how to work at reception¡­ Maybe I should have Ichika learn [Storage]? Thinking about how much DP we have left, maybe I should convert the gold coins into DP?

    For the time being, let¡¯s leave their training to Ichika. Ichika even properly knows her times tables, so she¡¯s probably enough to teach them¡­ Alright, let¡¯s give those three monster girls names when they¡¯re able to leave reception duty. I¡¯ll just think about it till then.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Kehma. Are those three going to sleep in the inn as well? Or in the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I forgot. Good job noticing it Rokuko, as expected of my partner. Good girl.¡±

    ¡°Hey¡ª, I won¡¯t get happy or anything even if you pat my head, I¡¯m not Meat you know! I¡¯m not a child!¡±

    What¡¯s this blonde-haired loli saying? You¡¯re still plenty a child.

    Now then, a room for employees huh¡­ Let¡¯s add some stuff.

    Let¡¯s prepare it while Ichika teaches the newbies.

    *

    ¡°Here will be you three¡¯s rooms.¡±

    Leading Rokuko and the three newbies, I went outside the hotel. Sideways from the entrance, near the dungeon.

    ¡°Sleeping in the open? Their bodies would probably be safe since they¡¯re monsters¡­ but what¡¯s with that mask you have on?¡±

    ¡°No, making employees sleep outside would be a bit much. What I meant was, I¡¯ll make the rooms here.¡±

    This Narikin mask is to hide my identity for when I make it after this. There¡¯s a guild branch office on the other side of the inn, so it¡¯s an extra measure taken just so that we¡¯d be safe even in the unlikely event they see¡­ So please stop looking at me with such a pitying gaze, Rokuko.

    ¡°You would be willing to use DP for our sake? Thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°Eh? That¡¯d be wasteful. I summoned you guys since you were so economical you know.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    I began working on it right in front of Rokuko and the three monster girls.

    I¡¯ll make the passage to the inn first. Manipting the raw materials with [Create Golem], I made holes to ce the ordinary walls and rebuilt the path.

    Then next up is the rooms¡­ Although I thought about assembling it together all on site, I realized that I could just connect it to the inn by using the dungeon¡¯s teleport function if I made the hallways and rooms inside the dungeon to begin with. So I made the walls and roof beforehand.

    In other words, I made it in a modr fashion. Like a space station.

    Thus, I¡¯d made the rooms in the dungeon while Ichika was teaching the three newbies. The interior? Each of their rooms are about two tatami mats big with a bed and cab. Of course, they were also made with [Create Golem]. Man, so convenient.

    [Installing] the room modules with the dungeon¡¯s function, I used [Create Golem] to bond the materials together. Even though it¡¯s an add-on to the building, it looks like it was made to have it from the start¡­ and done.

    It took about three minutes start to finish. Probably the fastest ever.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, it¡¯s perfect.¡±

    I wonder if having the mask was pointless?

    Like this, it looks like we won¡¯t have to stop our operations with this modr system.

    ¡°Kehma is convenient as ever~¡­ So, what is that mask?¡±

    ¡°The convenient thing is [Create Golem].¡±

    Then again, it was a magic skill that was only able to make y golems originally, I just modified the magic on my own thanks to the image I fostered in Japan and the automatic trantion ability I got from Kami-sama. It¡¯s probably not wrong to say I¡¯m convenient I guess.

    ¡°Right now, I am Narikin. When I have this mask on, that¡¯s who I am¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Un. Got it.¡±

    Ah, please stop. Please don¡¯t look at me with eyes like you¡¯re looking at a fanciful child.

 Chapter 76

    Employee Training

    By the way, although I extended the inn by using [Create Golem], it originally wouldn¡¯t be able to be used as conveniently as this since your magical power has to be spread across all of the raw materials used. However, since I built the hotel with [Create Golem] to start with you could just call it an [Inn Golem]. Remaking a golem that¡¯s filled with your own magical power is incredibly easy.

    Well, none of the three girls have responded since a bit ago now.

    When I turned my head back to them, the apprentice witch (Gamma) was staring at me with starry eyes.

    The other two looked like their mouths were locked in the open position. In truth their mouths fell open from losing strength. I¡¯d probably be like that too if I saw a building be added onto in three minutes.

    I looked at them while waiting for their reactions. As expected, the apprentice witch (Gamma) was the first of the three of them to react.

    ¡°Amazing, master~! I¡¯ll do anything, please be my teacher~!¡±

    Hmm? Did she just say anything¡­? A girl shouldn¡¯t saying something like that so thoughtlessly.

    ¡°Even my body~! ¡­ Ah, we¡¯re master¡¯s belongings originally anyway though~¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, for now could you just work as a receptionist?¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much master~!¡±

    ¡­ It¡¯s somehow been decided that I¡¯ll be her teacher.

    I retreated a bit from her seriousness, but maybe I should tell Meat to rotate body pillow duties or something? It¡¯s probably a burden for Meat to always be a hug pillow.

    Well, even if I¡¯m supposed to be her teacher, I only know one elementary ss magic from each attribute and two middle ss magic. Since I leave everything to Trantion Function-san and don¡¯t really know the chants that well, I don¡¯t think I could teach her anything. On the other hand, ordering her to be on hug pillow duty would be like deceiving her with rolls of cash that¡¯s really just rolled up newspaper. Those aren¡¯t my principles.

    Therefore, it¡¯s not a waste even if I can¡¯t order her to be on hug pillow duty. It¡¯s somehow not wasteful. It¡¯s fine since I didn¡¯t summon her for that purpose.

    I can¡¯t stop burdening Meat¡­ still, I¡¯ll be careful so that she doesn¡¯t copse.

    When I was thinking about stuff like that, it looks like the other two finally rebooted.

    ¡°So master isn¡¯t an ordinary human¡­ is he a monster that turned into a brilliant mage?¡±

    ¡°It seems there is more to clean¡­¡±

    Oi, vampire (Alpha). I am an ordinary human. I¡¯m also a dungeon master though.

    Then there¡¯s the silky (Beta) whose whole existence is housework, her statement probably means cleaning without using life magic is her hobby? Those maid clothes she appeared with aren¡¯t just for show.

    For now, I took the opportunity of adding more rooms to aplish my goal of showing off my power as the dungeon master to the newbies. How about let¡¯s leave the rest to Ichika and sleep? I¡¯ll leave it to her unless there¡¯s some abnormality.

    *

    Well, working at reception isn¡¯t all that hard.

    Calcting the inn charges is the hardest thing. However, if it¡¯s just counting this much they can do it.

    It¡¯s what even a Japanese elementary-schooler could do.

    There was a time when I thought that too.

    Not even being able to read or calcte numbers at the elementary school level is the normal for this world.

    ¡°Two and two¡­¡±

    ¡°Two times two is?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eight?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably correct~! With this master will teach me magic~!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s six, you two.¡±

    They¡¯re the three idiots.

    Even though the answer is four¡­ This vampire probably won¡¯t be able to remember the times table perfectly by treating it as an incantation.

    ¡°Hey, Goshujin-sama. How did ya memorize ¡¯em?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Un¡­ the times table isn¡¯t popr¡­¡±

    Right, the rhythm of it is probably different since the words are different. Rather, Meat and Ichika were good at memorizing it. Maybe it¡¯s unreasonable to force it?

    ¡°¡­ I could calcte a bit at first, but the cor constricted if I didn¡¯t remember right, so I memorized it perfectly.¡±

    ¡°Woa¡ª, that¡¯s somehow¡­ sorry¡­ today you can eat as many curry rolls as you want.¡±

    ¡°Ooh! That makes me happy~¡±

    Meat can also have as many hamburgers as she wants.

    Now then, that¡¯s what needs to be fixed for them to work at reception.

    Since they can fortunately read writing, they can read out the menu and verify costs. The problem is calctions.

    ¡°¡­ Then maybe I¡¯ll make a calctor?¡±

    Though I can get one by exchanging DP for a calctor or register, it¡¯d probably be impossible to call it a magic tool. Since that¡¯s the case, there¡¯s no choice but to make a calctor so that won¡¯t cause problems being seen.

    So I made one. It took five hours and ten minutes.

    ¡°This is an [Abacus].¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s it used?¡±

    It looked different from the standard ones in Japan, it had a nine spheres per row to stress the importance of beingprehensible by people of this world. I made it with eight rows total. So long as it didn¡¯t exceed ten thousand gold coins, it could beputed.

    Moreover, I made use of the thing known as a golem to make it look like a magic tool.

    ¡°What¡¯s the price for five people¡¯s lodgings, four D-Rank meals, and one C-Rank meal?¡±

    ¡°T-the spheres moved on their own¡­!? Six, five, zero¡­ six hundred fifty copper coins!¡±

    ¡°This is amazing¡­ it can be read as six silver coins and fifty copper coins.¡±

    ¡°Master is amazing~!¡±

    It automaticallyputes using voicemands.

    To breakdown the production time: ten minutes for the externals, five hours to train it to calcte things like lodging and meal prices.

    While the three girls were engrossed with the abacus, Ichika spoke to me.

    ¡°Hey Goshujin-sama. Ya said to count the spheres, can¡¯t it show the number directly?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Do you have an idea?¡±

    ¡°How ¡¯bout this?¡±

    When Ichika summarized her idea, it was to show digits that were painted on a column that rotated, like what a slot machine had¡­ As expected of Ichika to think of something like that after going bankrupt by gambling. However¡ª

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯re [Slots]?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Wait, you don¡¯t know about slots?¡±

    Looks like there¡¯s no such thing as slots in this world¡­ Which means she came up with that on her own. Oi. Is she a genius? She¡¯s a genius?

    ¡°Slots are¡­ right, you press a button to gamble on spinning images. If the images aren¡¯t uniform you get nothing, if they are you win.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh! I wanna try it¡­¡±

    Ichika smiled, spellbound by the thought. You¡¯d probably think it was the face of a maiden that fell in love if you didn¡¯t know she was smiling while thinking about slots. Does she like gambling that much?

    ¡­

    Should I make it? Maybe it¡¯d unexpectedly be a key feature of the inn¡­ let¡¯s sleep first. I even worked for five hours to make sure that golem could automaticallypute things.

    ¡°For now, it looks like you all will be able to use this [Abacus], so please work at the reception desk while using it. Make some number problems as well if you feel like it.¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±Yes!¡±¡±¡±

    All three of them responded well. Looks like ourbor shortage is resolved with this.

 Chapter 77

    The Phoenix

    ¡°Come to think of it, Kehma. Is the phoenix egg not hatched yet?¡±

    Crap, Ipletely forgot.

    ¡°Y-yeah. Redra¡¯s gradually getting better at not going into a reflexive egg smashing seizure when she sees eggs, so it¡¯ll probably a good time. Let¡¯s ask.¡±

    ¡°Heeh~. So it was something like that. It can¡¯t be helped then.¡±

    ¡°Right, right. It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A~n~d~?¡±

    ¡°I forgot. Sorry.¡±

    Grah, Rokuko¡¯s been getting better at guessing recently. That used to be plenty to deceive her.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re my partner. I know Kehma¡¯s thing(s) since I watch him.¡±

    ¡°What, my thing¡­ stalker!?¡± [1]

    ¡°I-I¡¯m not keeping records or anything, you¡¯re my partner you know? One body and soul, you know? I¡¯m not watching you to attack.¡±

    Attack huh, I¡¯d get mad if you interrupted my sleep. I¡¯d forgive you if there was a good reason though.

    Well, I gave a letter to a golem and sent it to the [me Cavern]. Another use of the passage was a room that was made. There was no entrance in or out and the room was split in half between our [Cave of Desires]¡¯ and their [me Cavern]¡¯s territories. Since you couldn¡¯t get into it if you didn¡¯t have a dungeon¡¯s [Deployment] function, adventurers wouldn¡¯t be a hindrance either. We decided to make use of this room when we had mutual business to do.

    Furthermore, although there weren¡¯t any doors or windows, we didn¡¯t have to worry about suffocation since it was still part of a dungeon.

    ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s been a while, eh? Kehma.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been around a month since we metst and I made this room I think.¡±

    ¡°That long huh. Is that some time for humans?¡±

    The smander¡¯s, Ontentoo¡¯s, face was distorted as he smirked while being happy about something. He¡¯s the dungeon core of the [me Cavern]. An openhearted good guy. Although he has his stupid parts, he also has his good parts. Although he has his stupid parts. Although he has his stupid parts.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine to get Redra to use her breath ording to the agreement.¡±

    To receive Redra¡¯s breath, I intruded the [me Cavern] with Rokuko. We were guided to the fiftieth floor¡¯s boss room. If it¡¯s here, it can endure one of Redra¡¯s all-out breaths.

    Still, it looks like Redra is still a bit afraid of eggs. Shameful, despite being a dragon.

    Though the phoenix will be hatched with a red dragon¡¯s breath, I can¡¯t even imagine what it¡¯s going to be.

    ¡°Is it really safe!? It doesn¡¯t walk or run right!?¡±

    ¡°It might walk if it doesn¡¯t hurry up and hatch. So please do your best to heat it up¡­ don¡¯t crush it alright?¡±

    ¡°G-got it!¡±

    Iid down a tile made from phoenix eggshell, setting the phoenix egg on top of it. By the way, Rokuko was waiting with me on the room opposite the boss room, the one with the dungeon core in it.

    Rokuko and I didn¡¯t have the fighting ability to stay in the boss room, where a breath that was able to obliterate the stone golems until there was nothing left would be used. Though since there was imprinting, I wanted to rush to it as soon as possible. That¡¯s why Ontentoo said he¡¯d dly let us use this room.

    Furthermore, Ontentoo took out his monitor to let us see what was going on in the boss room. Ontentoo is such a nice guy.

    ¡°Here I go¡ª¡­¡±

    Redra breathed in slowly, releasing it all in one go. The sound of her breath filling the boss room, Redra heated the egg up by blowing on it with her breath.

    Well, even though I say it¡¯s the sound of her breathing, it¡¯s at a level where light¡¯s being emitted though.

    The floor wasn¡¯t turning into magma thanks to the egg being ced on the phoenix eggshell tile. The floor nearby it might be simmering though. Moreover, Rokuko was saying stuff like, ¡°Look!¡± while staring into the monitor.

    ¡°Fuuu, fuu¡­. haa, haa, a-as expected, this one is a little tired¡­¡± [2]

    After seriously letting out her breath for thirty minutes straight, she finally rested¡­ What marvelous stamina, as expected of a red dragon.

    ¡°I¡¯ll treat you to some ice creamter.¡±

    ¡°[Ice Cream]? What¡¯s that.¡±

    ¡°A sweet and cold treat. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll suit your tastes, but I think it¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, this one will look forward to it! This one will keep going a little longer then! Fuuu, fuuu¡­¡±

    She continued for another thirty minutes.

    ¡°Hmm? Oi, the egg moved, it¡¯s starting to crack!¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Then let¡¯s enter the room soon.¡±

    ¡°Wait a few. You¡¯ll need to take care, it¡¯s amazingly hot in the room right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh, about how hot is it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, saying it a way that¡¯s easy for a human to understand¡­ about the same as inside a kiln. Guess it can burn meat?¡±

    That¡¯s dangerous. But that meant she was emitting a super high temperature behind those doors?

    Opening the entrance door to the boss room, we waited for it to cool down for a while. Meanwhile, there was a knocking sounding from the inside of the egg as its crack grew¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s fussing over how it goes about opening its egg? Very meticulous work. The crack being made was beautifully straight in the horizontal direction. It¡¯ll make it all the way around if it keeps going.

    Let¡¯s ask if it¡¯s still no good for Rokuko, who was standing next to me, to head in.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright, should be good now.¡±

    When Ontentoo said that, Rokuko leapt into the room that was now cooled to be around as hot as an average sauna.

    Hot air drafted in from the open door, it felt like it was enough to burn. Although I also entered the room slowly following Rokuko, the heat was painful to my bare skin.

    ¡°It¡¯s hot! Where¡¯s the egg! It¡¯s hot!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you came, Rokuko! It¡¯s here! It¡¯ll hatch soon!¡±

    When Redra called out to her, the egg¡¯s crack was just a little away from going all the way around it.

    *

    Then, the phoenix hatched.

    The chick was small, but it¡¯s feathers were white, like they were shining. I guess that¡¯s just the kind of bird it is and is born fully feathered.

    ¡°Hooh, a phoenix huh? It¡¯s wings don¡¯t look red though¡­ think I heard somewhere that god¡¯s vanguard¡¯s pet is a blue phoenix?¡±

    Blue huh? It¡¯s the color of perfectbustion. Rather, there¡¯s a phoenix like that too huh. Maybe its color changes to the color of the mes its bathed in when it¡¯s hatched or something?

    ¡°Heeey, I¡¯m Feni¡¯s owner~, look at me~¡±

    ¡°Pi~!¡±

    Feni, is that the phoenix¡¯s name? I said it when she named Gobsuke, but Rokuko is pretty direct when ites to names¡­

    It pped its wings when Rokuko called out to it. Though it doesn¡¯t seem to be able to fly yet, looks like it properly recognized its owner.

    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t it too hot to touch?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably safe. Phoenix mes aren¡¯t hot, they¡¯re magic after all. Its fire is the same as mine¡­ It¡¯s also alright to eat since it has to use a skill to produce fire, bind it with an order before it¡¯s toote.¡±

    I see, so that¡¯s how it is. I followed Ontentoo¡¯s advice and ordered it to not attackrades.

    ¡°Hey now, let me see. I also want to touch it.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what do you want? To pluck its feathers this time?¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, what do you think I am?¡±

    Pluck its feathers huh¡­ a phoenix¡¯s feathers¡­ that might also be good, but well, yeah. right now I just want to touch it. I reached my hand out towards Feni.

    ¡°Pi¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Ada¡ª!? Wai¡ª, that hurts, that hurts!¡±

    ¡°Kehma, it doesn¡¯t like you.¡±

    It used its beak¡­ maybe it remembers being destroyed over and over as an egg? Phoenixes are unexpectedly the type to hold grudges¡­

    ¡°Grah, I¡¯ll feed it then. Ontentoo, what do phoenixes eat?¡±

    ¡°They eat mes. Oi Redra, serve it some breath.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Step away a bit!¡±

    Leaving Feni, Rokuko and I moved away before Redra fired off a serious breath¡­ Even the aftermath from behind her feels hot.

    ¡°Pi pi~?¡±

    Feni was d as it bathed in the breath. Kukuku, good, keep eating¡­ huh? But isn¡¯t Redra the one feeding it now instead of me? Crap.

    ¡­ Maybe I should practice a bit of fire magic?

    Footnotes:

    Sort of a pun going on here. Rokuko said she knows him since she watches him a lot, but [yoku miteru] (watch a lot) also means [takes a close/good look] and is what she really meant, but Kehma yed it as her stalking him and watching him a lot.

    Note that ¡°FuFu¡± is onomatopoeia for breathing heavily in Japanese, and that onomatopoeia ismonly used in Japanese to rece more ¡®standard¡¯ words. Keima¡¯s description of the events was mirroring her actual breathing sounds

 Chapter 78

    Slots

    Well then, ourbor problem is over, Feni the phoenix has hatched, and we have a newly improved inn. The dungeon¡­ is still fine. The riddle area is still peaceful after all.

    And so, I thought about what the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion] iscking in.

    I take pride in our food and sleep being at a level that can¡¯t be found anywhere else.

    The reason toe to the inn is the dungeon. Then, in charge of healing is the onsen. It¡¯s a wonderful lineup.

    ¡­ However, there¡¯s still one thing weck.

    Entertainment.

    I¡¯m not talking about an ero district. Though something like that might be necessary, I want to avoid that since there are children (lolis) here. The owner is the owner, and Haku-san said she¡¯d kill me if I taught her something bad.

    Well, as for what I want to add, some kind of game corner. Somethingmon to onsen inns.

    Though I really want to add table tennis now that I¡¯m thinking about onsens, I decided to put it off since I wouldn¡¯t be able to prepare them without using DP for the ping-pong balls. It¡¯s only good to make it if it can be made with this world¡¯s materials.

    So, a game corner huh¡­ well, since there¡¯s no way I could install video games, looks like gambling¡¯s the best bet. First thing I¡¯m going to make is slots. For the outside, there¡¯ll be indicator panels with spinning disks¡­ what was it called again? A drum reel? I¡¯ll make them using golems and install a lever that powers the spin.

    There wouldn¡¯t be much on the inside, just the spinning mechanism that would do its best to spin when the lever is lowered and make ¡®that¡¯ sound. It doesn¡¯t turn into rotational power directly, the lever would store up power like when you flick a finger, letting it all out when it gets lowered to a certain point.

    As for judging when to stop spinning, that was the drum reel golem¡¯s job.

    Furthermore, there would be a golem that gives money when it¡¯s a win.

    Even if someone disassembled it and asked how it worked, I could just say that I found suitable magic tools to do it. So convenient.

    But for the drum reel, it would stop on its own when the rotation slows down, as well as when the button on the side is pressed. Then, it would just barely slip off of the grand prize if it almostnded on it. I¡¯ll be sure to have it asionallynd on it, but it feels like I¡¯m just giving away my profits.

    ¡­ Unfair? Fraud? This isn¡¯t a charity, this much is natural.

    At any rate, I called Ichika up since I finished with the prototype.

    It¡¯s special, so let¡¯s leave the reception desk to the newbies. We probably won¡¯t get any visitors anyways.

    ¡°Well, this is a slot machine. Ichika, please give it a test y. Here¡¯s five hundred copper coins.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! So this¡¯s slots huh! Leave it to me~, I¡¯ll pay ya back with double!¡±

    Yep. Even if you doubled it, wouldn¡¯t the money juste from the dungeon¡¯s funds?

    ¡°I see I see, so ya put the coin into the hole and pull the lever¡­¡±

    Kachink, kachink, kachink. She put three copper coins into it and lowered the lever.

    Gyurin~. The drum reel spun vigorously.

    ¡°Oooh, it¡¯s turnin¡¯, it¡¯s turnin¡¯! Eeeh, now¡­ this button causes it to stop¡­¡±

    Pochi, pochi, pochi. When she pressed the button, the drum reel stopped.

    ¡°Ooh~¡­ Huh, what¡¯s this mean?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a loss. Try again.¡±

    ¡°Nn, got it~¡±

    Putting more copper coins into it, Ichika gave it another shot. Hmm, it feels a bit in, maybe I should¡¯ve put more thought into its production?

    *

    ¡°Uoooooooh! Go, go, gooooo n¡¯ get it! ¡ª! Aaaah~! Almost!!¡±

    One hourter. Getting small wins over and over, she¡¯d exceeded her starting funds of five hundred coins just once, but now she was down to fifty coins left.

    She was going nuts with a force that might be able to destroy the slot machine. Guess I don¡¯t need to work more on its production huh, let¡¯s add more if she gets tired of it.

    ¡­ Ah, maybe I should make its main body out of iron? Ichika¡¯s clinging onto it hard enough for it to creak.

    ¡°Ichika. You should start finishing up.¡±

    ¡°B-but! I-I still have money left! I-I¡¯ll definitely make a turnaround now! Check it out, y¡¯see how it was just about to hit the thousand copper grand prize? I¡¯ll get it next go!¡±

    Yeah, she¡¯s a no good woman. A typical no good human that spends their money on gambling despite going in to debt because of gambling. Pretty hardcore to not learn from her mistakes even though she fell into very.

    ¡°Yep, it¡¯s unfortunate but that¡¯s impossible. I made it so that it¡¯s not possible.¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­ t¡­?¡±

    Ichika hung her head down with a face full of despair. Yep, I didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d see such a horrible face over something like four hundred fifty-six copper.

    ¡°¡­ In practice it shouldn¡¯t be so obvious, I¡¯ll have to adjust it a bit more. That was helpful, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡ª¡­ I was gettin¡¯ yed¡­ on Goshujin-sama¡¯s palm¡­? Daaaaaaaamn¡­!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you don¡¯t have to pay back the money you borrowed. I¡¯d like for you to return the remainder though.¡±

    ¡°Aaah~¡­! Kuh¡ª, i-it can¡¯t be helped¡­¡ª¡±

    Still, that¡¯s an amazing fit. Ichika might be a bit of a special case, but I¡¯ll prepare around three of these. It should be fine to put them into the newly built game room.

    However, having just slot machines in the game room might feel dull. Maybe I¡¯ll make some other things too?

    ¡°Come to think of it, what other kinds of gambling is there?¡±

    ¡°Nnn~, ya know about dice? The hero made these box things, their faces¡¯re numbered one to six¡­ it¡¯smon to use ¡¯em.¡±

    I see. So dice huh? It¡¯d be easy to produce them too. Incidentally, though I asked if there were ying cards, they aren¡¯t made here because of poor printing techniques and paper quality in this world. There does seem to be something like metallic tes though¡­ they seem pretty rare and expensive though. They don¡¯t appear to be that popr.

    ¡°Basically, all of those are be games of chance. Any that focus on strategy?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s the arena¡­ and horse racing too.¡±

    Fumu, that¡¯d be hard for us to reproduce¡­ no, wait a second. Maybe we could race the rats? It might be a good idea to use all of those leftover rats as subordinates. Nowadays they¡¯ve just been acting as surveince cameras around the dungeon.

    ¡­ Ah, but maybe it¡¯d be hard to hold a race with our current amount of guests? Let¡¯s put that one on hold.

    In this world with little in the way of entertainment, we might be popr if we mass-produced some proper ying cards. Actually, maybe it¡¯d make a good dungeon drop? I already said that we got the massage chair from the dungeon. I¡¯ll say the same for the slot machines.

    Alright, let¡¯s put some ying cards in treasure chests. They¡¯ll have to spread around to get popr after all. So, its appearance should be fine if I say that I found it in the dungeon and put it in the game room.

    I also set up a table with felt stuck to its top, making it into something that gave the feeling of being something to y on.

 Chapter 79

    cksmith g

    Recently it feels like I¡¯ve been working nonstop. Even adjusting the slot machine has been hard

    I¡¯ve been making the game room too, maybe I should rest today? Well, let¡¯s just sleep today away.

    That thought was like painting a target on myself.

    ¡°Kehma, the iron golem that wandered around thebyrinth area was destroyed.¡±

    Rokuko reported something about the dungeon.

    Iron golems. As their name says, they are golems whose bodies are made from iron. For the levels thate to our dungeon¡­ D-Rank, even C-Rank adventurers would have a hard time against it.

    Furthermore, unlike normal y golems, its body itself has value. Because it¡¯s iron. Although its heavy, thinking of it as a resource, a lump of iron the size of a person is a pretty valuable thing. I wonder how many nails you could make from one?

    ¡°What kind of people defeated it? People that are in the dungeon right now¡­ ah, there was that one C-Rank party huh. Those guys?¡±

    ¡°Right, I think it was Gozoh or something, maybe? A dwarf that uses a hammer! He usually hits them with his hammer and doesn¡¯t break the magic stones.¡±

    That so? So he¡¯s dispersing the magical power by the impact huh. Good, it wasn¡¯t something like the iron golem being shed to death. If someone like that showed up, I don¡¯t think I could deal with him right now.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case there¡¯s no reason to worry. Probably. Did he take the iron golem¡¯s remains?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. He¡¯s carrying it out now. He doesn¡¯t have Storage~¡±

    A C-Rank probably wouldn¡¯t be able to handle an opponent like the iron golem.

    If they could, it¡¯d probably be easy money.

    ¡°Incidentally, how are the cards going?¡±

    ¡°Although I¡¯ve been deploying them little by little on the first floor, people are calling them misses. Like ordinary bundles of paper. It seems like they¡¯re troubled since the guild doesn¡¯t handle them.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then start saying you¡¯ll purchase them for five copper.¡±

    ¡°Kehma should say it himself! I¡¯m the owner.¡±

    Should I have put in a memo on how to y it as well¡­? No, it¡¯s already strange that ying cards are appearing, it¡¯d be even more so if a dungeon also gave a memo on how to y.

    If it got too strange, god¡¯s vanguard (the hero) will zero in on us.

    Since ying cards are themselves things that god¡¯s vanguard (the hero) brought in the past, it¡¯s still somehow at the level of being able to deceive people.

    ¡°Oh, maybe we should put out some dice too? Made from wood or bone.¡±

    ¡°Somehow it feels like our dungeon is being eroded by gambling¡­¡±

    Well, we did be the [Cave of Desires] after all.

    ¡­ Maybe I could send out bedding too? As expected, putting out sweet rolls is a no go.

    But really, an iron golem was destroyed huh¡­ then beyond the riddle area, it¡¯d probably be bad if I don¡¯t prepare a stronger monster. Let¡¯s look for something.

    ¡­ It says there¡¯s something like a gargoyle? Eh, how¡¯s that different from a golem?

    *

    The next day, the guild¡¯s Receptionist-san came. I¡¯m told there¡¯s an important matter¡­

    Didn¡¯t you get to know her, Rokuko? I used my absolutemand rights to have her say she¡¯ll leave it to me.

    Well, with Rokuko in smile mode, we spoke with her in the parlor.

    ¡°Huh? A smithy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. A smithy. Although it would be at a spot a little separated from the inn and adventurer guild since it is noisy, this branch is scheduled to be turned into the same thing as the adventurer guild to begin with. Just in case, shall I tell you more about it?¡±

    ¡°Haah, why so suddenly?¡±

    ¡°The other day, an adventurer carried out materials from an iron golem¡­ I think you know this, but the iron golem¡¯s body has been verified.¡±

    ording to her story, it seems that iron golem areas are treated the same as mines. Looks like it¡¯s called something like quasi-mines or golem mines. Indeed, there are huge resources in there. Moreover, the iron golems¡¯ bodies are entirely made of iron and was at the level of being able to be used as materials for cksmiths. With that, it turned into: ¡®Let¡¯s build a smithy here.¡¯

    They nned to build the branch office in order to regte equipment extracted by adventurers or something. I don¡¯t wanna hear it! Ah, even though I said that¡­

    ¡°A mine huh, will this ce show up on maps then?¡±

    ¡°Maps? It has already been recorded. It¡¯s been there since the branch office finished.¡±

    ¡°Wait, do dungeons not get recorded onto maps?¡±

    ¡°The reason dungeons do not have their positions recorded onto maps is so that people cannot go to them without permission after all. There¡¯s also no reason to conceal a dungeon that has a guild branch at its entrance either. Rather, it bes quite the publicity.¡±

    ¡­ Woah, I might¡¯ve made a big mistake.

    God¡¯s vanguard might suddenlye here if it¡¯s on a map¡­ ah, but since god¡¯s vanguard is apulsory S-Rank hero to begin with maybe it¡¯ll be irrelevant? At any rate I can see what needs to be done. Need to stop our poprity from rising.

    ¡°I heard from the guild head that he¡¯s been nning on turning this ce into a vige since learning about the magic sword.¡±

    ¡°¡­ No way.¡±

    He was being serious when he said that?

    There¡¯s a chance I made a mistake from the start¡­ it¡¯s no use even if I said something now huh?

    ¡°Will you listen since this is a special opportunity? Although this inn has a dining room now, are there ns to build a bar as well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, as long as it¡¯s built away from here it¡¯s fine. We don¡¯t serve alcohol.¡±

    I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep if people were getting drunk and making a ton of noise in the inn. That¡¯d be annoying.

    ¡°Then we will advance those ns. We might also build other various facilities. Since there is also bnce to take into ount, we wille to consult with you each time over the construction¡¯s location.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a big help.¡±

    ¡­ The n¡¯s getting huge, but it¡¯s probably fine if the guild does all of the troublesome things.

    Either way, the whole area around here is the dungeon¡¯s territory after all.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, I¡¯ve wanted to ask something.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ When was that building added on? I don¡¯t think I noticed it being added?¡±

    ¡°Haku-san¡¯s mage acquaintance turned up and did it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, an A-Rank adventurer¡­ an A-Rank adventurer¡¯s acquaintance did¡­¡±

    Both Receptionist-san and I nodded with a, ¡®Un un.¡¯

    Since Haku-san¡¯s acquainted with me, it¡¯s not wrong.

    ¡°Ah, and the people at reception and in the dining room are different. No, until now they¡¯ve been the same people as always¡­ they were ves, did you exchange them away?¡±

    ¡°No, they¡¯re resting. Since it¡¯s gotten to the point that we¡¯re getting more guests and work to do every day, they were introduced by the owner¡¯s connections.¡±

    The dungeon¡¯s DP exchange is the owner¡¯s connection. It¡¯s not a lie.

    ¡­ Since the adventurer guild has lie detecting magic tools, I need to be careful of what I say just in case. It¡¯s really troublesome.

    ¡°Is that so¡­ Let me know if you decide to sell her. I wouldn¡¯t do anything bad.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, unfortunately, I don¡¯t feel like letting go of them.¡±

    While I talked with her for now, I told her that I just didn¡¯t feel like parting with them.

    Receptionist-san, you¡¯re pretty obstinate when ites to ves as ever huh. It¡¯s unfortunate that you¡¯re a beauty. But you really do have great legs though¡­

 Chapter 80

    The cksmith¡¯s Arrival

    ¡°Ooh, Gozoh! Thanks for calling me. Is Roppu doing well?¡±

    ¡°Kantra! You¡¯vee! Aye, full of energy as usual.¡±

    Inside the small guild branch, there were two bearded dwarf ossans. [1]

    Gozoh was the C-Rank adventurer that defeated the iron golem to collect its iron.

    Then this new person, Kantra, is probably the cksmith.

    To make a magic sword, after seeing that this dungeon somehow produced good quality iron golems, Gozoh called over his cksmith acquaintance.

    Furthermore, after he defeated that iron golem, he went on to defeat two more.

    Looks like he decided to do that after determining that this dungeon produced iron golems at fixed intervals.

    Because of that, he was confident when calling over his cksmith acquaintance.

    ¡°With that, Kehma. This is Kantra. Take care of him.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªyes¡­ I look forward to working with you?¡±

    ¡°My regards, Kehma-dono.¡±

    Why am I here for these two¡¯s reunion? He caught me leaving from the dungeon together with Meat when we were wearing equipment in order to make it look like we were adventurers, bringing us to the guild.

    ¡°¡­ So, why am I here?¡±

    ¡°Kehma is the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]¡¯s owner¡¯s secretary, essentially number two aye?¡±

    ¡°I heard from Gozoh that yer the [Cave of Desires] dungeon¡¯s top capture person.¡±

    To put it simply, limited to this dungeon, I¡¯m a person of influence I guess? Well, I¡¯m really just the dungeon master though. To be the big fish in the pond is a bit¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to make a smithy a bit away. I don¡¯t know when I¡¯ll be able to make it, but if it¡¯s something like weapon maintenance I can do it immediately, Kehma-dono. Ah, right. As a token of gratitude for our acquaintanceship, may I perform some maintenance on that sword hanging at your waist? It would be free of charge of course.¡±

    ¡°Free huh? Then, please.¡±

    I passed him the sheathed magic sword de golem.

    ¡°¡­ N¡­? Is this a magic sword?¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you know?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a cksmith. It¡¯s my dream to create a magic sword myself one day. I heard that there were magic swordsing from this dungeon, but it¡¯s a good sign that I could hold one in my hands so soon.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. ording to my guess, that sword was obtained from this dungeon. Will you show how to go about maintaining a magic sword?¡±

    ¡°The fundamentals for magic swords aren¡¯t different from normal swords. As for whether the de could be made from water and fire, I dare say that is something else entirely¡­ hmmm, this sword doesn¡¯t particrly need any repairs. I mean, it is closer to say it hasn¡¯t been used at all?¡±

    ¡­ Geh, busted. As expected of a cksmith. This guy can speak to swords¡­ well, it¡¯s a golem though.

    ¡°I am a mage after all. The sword is essentially unnecessary.

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame. However, it can¡¯t be helped then, I¡¯ll return it¡­ What about that small one there?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my vanguard. Ah, could you maintain her sword instead?¡±

    ¡°Aye, leave it to me.¡±

    When I said that, Meat, who had been waiting next to me so far, handed him her favorite golem knife.

    ¡°¡­ Heeh, this one¡¯s a magic sword too? Moreover it looks like it¡¯s been used well. It¡¯s more or less been tended too, looks like it has a good owner.¡±

    Kantra grinned at Meat, who was smiling broadly.

    This bearded old man feels pretty good natured¡­ well, I don¡¯t know his actual age though. Looking at it another way, it¡¯s possible that he¡¯s just a agreeable young man.

    But where did Meat learn to maintain it? Maybe Ichika taught her.

    ¡°Well then I¡¯ll give it maintenance here. I can only do a quick one though since I don¡¯t have any equipment here though.¡±

    With that, he took out a grindstone right there and began to polish the sword. Moving it nimbly, he held the de up and looked at it from the side before bringing it back to the whetstone to polish it again¡­ This was repeated several times.

    Eventually, Kantra nodded approvingly while looking at the sword.

    ¡°There, now it¡¯s plenty sharpened. Then, to finish, [Revitalize]¡­ Ah, good. There we go.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Just now, was that the life magic¡¯s [Revitalize]? Not earth magic¡¯s [Sharpen]?¡±

    Ichika taught me about it before, but [Revitalize] should be the life magic that causes a slight improvement in crop production by making the soil fill with vigor.

    [Sharpen] is a low ss earth magic that improves something¡¯s sharpness the first few times it¡¯s used on it.

    That¡¯s why I thought he¡¯d use [Sharpen] on it for the finishing touch.

    ¡°Aye. [Revitalize] invigorates the ground¡­ then, wouldn¡¯t it invigorate swords? Theye from the ground.¡±

    ¡­ I didn¡¯t think about that. Certainly, minerals are in soil, in other words the ground. In other words, it¡¯s a kind of soil.

    No way¡­ to fall behind in magic conceptualization¡­

    ¡°Also, cksmiths that use [Sharpen] are second rates, magic is a cheat for unskilled maintenance. I may use it if asked since I¡¯m also a cksmith, but I won¡¯t like it that much. I think using magic when you need to heat something up on-site is alright though.¡±

    ¡°Kantra¡¯s [Revitalize] is something like a good luck charm though. I haven¡¯t seen any other cksmith use it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rude, Gozoh. This is a method that¡¯s been handed down from generation to generation after all. My swords reallyst longer and are sharper than other cksmith¡¯s aye?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, that¡¯s because of your skill! Even if that charm has an effect, it¡¯d be small. More like, it¡¯s not like swords will get better even if they¡¯re invigorated. It¡¯s not like they¡¯d go and start cutting things on their own.¡±

    ¡°Come on now, swords are alive! If Gozoh¡¯s a dwarf too, you should also have some love for your equipment¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, a magic¡¯s effect changes depending on the image. Then, it¡¯s probably better to think that it really does get invigorated by [Revitalize] when you think about invigorating a sword.

    Perhaps it¡¯d turn into something like recovery magic when it¡¯s used on a golem? Let¡¯s try it out next time.

    ¡°Ah, our chat went off track, sorry. Well with those reasons, please let me have a smithy here. Although there¡¯ll probably be a lot of orders for armor from adventurers, I can also make nails, tableware, and other things for daily necessities.¡±

    Ah, that so? Although there was the image where he¡¯d only be able to make equipment like a cksmith from a game, in reality they can also make other merchandise.

    ¡°Understood, I¡¯ll request something if we need it.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me¡­ it what I want to say. First I need a smithy, a cksmith without a furnace is horrible and out of the question. I¡¯m nning on making a simple one, but it¡¯ll take around two or three weeks.¡±

    Fumu. That¡¯s quite a while.

    ¡°What do you need to make a furnace?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Bricks filled with strong materials that can resist the fire. I got a hold of a lot of cheap red lizard scales and bones a little while back, so I thought about using that.¡±

    Oops, the fantasy crept its way back in. Right, so make it from heat-resistant materials.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, I have a lot of phoenix eggshells left over. Those would probably work out fine, can¡¯t they resist even a dragon¡¯s me?

    I took out an eggshell and handed it to Kantra.

    ¡°Then as advance payment, take this. You could probably use it if you need something that can withstand heat.¡±

    ¡°Is this an eggshell? From the looks of it¡­ yeah, fire attributed. The eggs of fire attributed monsters be considerably good materials. With this it¡¯ll be a proper furnace. I¡¯ll dly ept it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so in exchange I¡¯ll order¡­ right, when Kantra makes a magic sword, give me one.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi Kehma, isn¡¯t a magic sword beyond overcharging for a single eggshell?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll be indebted to Kehma-dono after this, so how about I present him one when I can make them?¡±

    Kantra. A pretty down-to-earth guy.

    I don¡¯t know how much an eggshell can do, but I want to help him achieve his goal of making a magic sword himself.

    Footnotes:

    ¥ª¥Ã¥µ¥ó -> ossan (Oh-San). Middle aged man.

 Chapter 81

    Extra: cksmith 1

    (Gozoh¡¯s Point of View)

    I am Gozoh, a dwarf C-Rank adventurer.

    Recently, I dove into the [Ordinary Cave]¡­ changed into the [Cave of Desires].

    Before, it was a shabby dungeon for F-Ranks to enter¡­ no, to begin with, it was more of an ordinary cave than a dungeon. At any rate, there was only one path and one room. And now it¡¯s an excellent dungeon.

    Although it seems to be confirmed that it has up to four floors, I¡¯ve only reached to the third floor so far.

    Anyhow, it doesn¡¯t look like you can advance to the fourth floor unless you return to the stairs, it¡¯s somethingplicated that I don¡¯t really get¡­ Well, although I have a special skill that lets me remember paths I¡¯ve taken before, it just doesn¡¯t work in thisbyrinth at all.

    ces that I had definitely passed just before would be a wall, so recently I¡¯ve been doubting my special skill.

    Well, rather than a skill bestowed by god, it¡¯s just a normal special skill. There are things like that though.

    I leave the minor stuff to mypanion Roppu, so today I¡¯m just swinging my battle hammer.

    ¡°Stay down!¡±

    With a dull thud, a lump of heavy iron shed against mypanion¡¯s shield, resounding through thebyrinth.

    Our opponent was something recently found out to appear in the [Cave of Desires], an iron golem. Although they had been seen before, unfortunately, it was too much a burden for D-Ranks and E-Ranks. It was something pretty hard to carry out unless you brought a cart, since you could encounter enemies while trying to do so.

    Most of all, these guys are worth quite a bit of money when they¡¯re defeated, so for me it¡¯s a delicious opponent. I just have to beat it up with my hammer, a truly simple and easy to understand enemy. Yep, a delicious opponent.

    Hitting its head several times with my battle hammer, the iron golem was defeated¡­ Oooh, my hand is tingling. This feeling ain¡¯t that bad, kind of that that numb feeling you get in your hands when drinking sake.

    ¡°Booyah, beat it! Seriously, finding the magic stone when it¡¯s buried like that¡¯s troublesome.¡±

    ¡°Good work, Gozoh. Let¡¯s put it in the cart. Looks like there aren¡¯t any enemies near us now.¡±

    Roppu pulled the rumbling cart. This partner of mine is a human woman. She looks slender, but she¡¯s a C-Rank adventurer like me. She¡¯s also my good drinking buddy. It was a chance meeting that I met this girl when she went to drink at a dwarf vige.

    Ah, stuff like that doesn¡¯t matter right now. I put down my hammer temporarily and helped put the iron golem into Roppu¡¯s carrier. As expected of a human-sized lump of iron, it¡¯s really heavy.

    ¡°Well then, should we head back?¡±

    ¡°Aye.¡±

    Although I really wanted to hunt two or three of them in one go, Roppu¡¯s carrier wouldn¡¯t be able to hold them unfortunately.

    We have to go up and down the stairs several times to start with, making us defenseless each time. It¡¯s best to hunt them one at a time taking safety into ount. It¡¯d be great if Roppu knew [Storage]. That way we¡¯d be able to get a lot of them all at once.

    On the return trip while looking out for traps, we kept killing goblins that tried to attack us. We were able to take back a lump of iron today as well. We¡¯ll have a few days of inn fees with this.

    ¡°Well, maybe we should live as miners for this dungeon?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to though, Gozoh. There isn¡¯t a pub here. The food is incredibly delicious, but there¡¯s no way to get any alcohol.¡±

    Yeah, that¡¯s right.

    This [Cave of Desires] has an inn near it, the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]. Rather, there¡¯s only an inn and guild branch office here¡­ Well, just that inn is incredible enough. It even has an onsen. It feels greaaat, enough to make you feel like a noble. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d like it so much before, but now it¡¯s a necessity.

    For some reason, [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion] doesn¡¯t serve alcohol. It does seem to use it for cooking though¡­ Its food definitely is amazing and it has top quality beds. Excuse me for saying this again. It even has an onsen.

    ¡ªIt¡¯d be supreme if it had alcohol!

    Well, since it doesn¡¯t prohibit it till the point of keeping you from bringing your own, you can get some from tradersing through the path¡­ Rather, what¡¯s up with [Great Tsuia Mountain Tunnel]?

    That dungeon is also¡­ a new dungeon with an unclear difficulty. That is, in the meaning that it isn¡¯t seen as a danger.

    Although new dungeons were asionally short dungeons, this was the first time one has appeared with absolutely no danger. Even [Ordinary Cave] had goblins.

    No one knows was kind of mechanism is used, but you can pass to the other side by paying money in the booth that¡¯s there immediately after you enter. As for its interior, it¡¯s about wide enough for two wagons to pass each other, there¡¯s even a convenient rest area midway through. I hear that some people are suspicious about it, but it looks like there hasn¡¯t been any problems so far.

    Merchants going in with guards can be seen going in and out of it a lot recently. Thanks to that, Pavuera¡¯s sake and salt can be bought cheaply even in Sia. I¡¯m thankful for that.

    From a merchant¡¯s point of view, the money paid to the tunnel seems insignificant.

    ¡°Aah, sake really is the best though.¡±

    ¡°Sake while soaking in the onsen, that would be supreme¡­¡±

    ¡°Ask that Kehma guy, maybe he¡¯d stock some alcohol¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯d dly use my body if I could drink sake there.¡±

    ¡°Please stop¡­ Besides, you know Kehma¡¯s preference, aye?¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ he had that sex ve (Meat) huh¡­ to like such a small kid¡­¡±

    Even that guy¡¯s a good adventurer if you closed your eyes to him preferring children¡­

    No, let¡¯s stop there. I don¡¯t feel like talking about someone¡¯s tastes. Besides, he takes good care of that Ojou-chan, she looks happy. It¡¯d be thoughtless for me to butt my head in.

    Well, while we took a rest andined like that, the receptionist Silia-chan showed up.

    ¡°Gozoh-san. Could I have a moment? A letter arrived from Kantra-san a little ago.¡±

    ¡°Ooh! Kantra huh, should be a good answer.¡±

    ¡°The thing about the cksmith? I also want to hear the result.¡±

    ¡°Aye, let¡¯s take a look. Give me a second.¡±

    So, receiving the letter from Silia-chan, I immediately opened and read it.

    ¡°He¡¯sing immediately! It¡¯s great, Silia-chan!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good¡­ Ah, we still need to call over a carpenter. And consult with [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]¡¯s Rokuko-san about the matter regarding the smithy¡­¡±

    Yeah, Silia-chan looks busy. I think it¡¯d be fine if she rxed a bit more though.

    ¡°Is Kantra-san doing well?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, he is. His old man too.¡±

    ¡°If Untara-san wasn¡¯t in good health, Kantra-san wouldn¡¯t have time toe here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right too huh?¡±

    I nodded to Roppu¡¯s question.

    Still, to finally see him after all this time. I should get some alcohol ready¡­

 Chapter 82

    Extra: cksmith 2

    (Gozoh¡¯s Point of View)

    Several dayster.

    ¡°Ooh, Gozoh! Thanks for calling me. Is Roppu doing well?¡±

    ¡°Kantra! You¡¯vee! Aye, full of energy as usual.¡±

    Reuniting with my friend again after such a long time, I hugged him.

    Oops, almost forgot. I need to be introducing him to Kehma, who I captured on his way out of the dungeon a bit ago.

    Kehma took up residence next to this dungeon, [Cave of Desires], someone who¡¯d absolutely never leave.

    At any rate, he¡¯s the secretary of [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]¡¯s owner, as well as the unmatched top capturer of [Cave of Desires].

    There are two parties that have gone to the fourth floor, but one of those is this Kehma.

    Everyone in his party are ves. Well, that¡¯s often the case, but Kehma¡¯s party¡¯s two ves are cheerful and lively, so I¡¯d be a bit careless to call it something usual.

    It isn¡¯t that usual at all.

    Well, he does have the ves work at the inn, but it¡¯s easy to understand they¡¯re well off there as well.

    ¡°With that, Kehma. This is Kantra. Take care of him.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªyes¡­¡±

    Like that, the meeting between Kehma and Kantra finished.

    Or rather, he was a mage huh? I thought he was a swordsman judging by that magic sword at his waist.

    Heh. After this is the reunion-required bout of drinks, but Kehma headed back without hanging out with us. What a cold guy. The only thing he left was that eggshell he gave to Kantra. It seems like it¡¯ll be material for the furnace.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a fire attributed eggshell, what kind of egg is it?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I was so excited I forgot to ask¡­ Even taking a good look I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, but just one of them eh¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi oi. Monster eggs are wonderfully rare materials. Kehma-dono must have gone to great lengths to acquire this!¡±

    ¡°That so?¡±

    With so many monsters around here, I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be that weird to just casually pick up a fire attributed monster¡¯s eggshells though¡­

    ¡°Then why haven¡¯t I seen any eggshell collectionmissions?¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s because it¡¯s such a rare material that it¡¯s out of the question for B-Ranks to get a hold of on ordinarymissions. Gozoh, you¡¯re C-Rank aye?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Woah¡­¡±

    Why¡¯s it so hard? Even though it¡¯s just an eggshell.

    ¡°Gozoh. Have you seen any monster children in a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Eh? What are you¡­ oh, I haven¡¯t. Right.¡±

    Thinking about it, I¡¯ve only ever seen adult monsters in dungeons.

    As for monster children¡­ I¡¯ve seen them, but only outside of dungeons.

    ¡°It¡¯s not known why, but monster children are rare. Although worm-types and a few others are exceptions, it¡¯s true that you won¡¯t see childish bodies that have no fighting strength in a dungeon at all. Well, there¡¯s no use questioning that the parents would have superior materials, but¡­ their eggs are the exception. Furthermore, monsters birthed by eggs eat their eggshells shortly after birth.¡±

    ¡°Eeh, woah. So that was it? I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Parents fill the eggshells with power for the sake of their children. In other words, it could be called crystallized power. It¡¯s said that monsters can obtain their first divine protection by ingesting this¡­ well, that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    ¡°So there was something like that¡­ hmm?¡±

    Huh? Then how did he get the eggshell?

    If they gobble it down as soon as they¡¯re born, there shouldn¡¯t be anything left over.

    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s necessary to find a monster¡¯s egg somewhere. Then you have to somehow deal with the monster¡¯s parents. The parents would struggle to the death to defend their children.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, that¡¯d be hard.¡±

    Honestly, it¡¯s not unthinkable that parents would show strength to defend their children. Both people and monsters. They¡¯d probably raise one or two ranks doing it.

    ¡°Moreover, isn¡¯t Kehma-dono still at a low rank? It depends on the opposing monster, but even getting lucky this is quite a rare material. To hand it over so willingly, I can give him a magic sword when I can make one. That guy¡¯s important. Kukku.¡±

    Kantraughed.

    *

    Then, the next day.

    ¡°Holy shit. Kehma-dono¡­ holy shit. He¡¯s beyond important.¡±

    ¡°Wh-what is it!? Oi, Kantra!¡±

    When I woke up, Kantra¡¯s face was pale and he was trembling.

    After the drinking bout yesterday while we gazed at the stars, we made ns to construct the smithy today and I fell asleep right there. Ah, I brought along several [Potato Aburaage] I ordered from Kehma. It¡¯s crunchy texture feels great and its saltiness would definitely work great with sake. A delicious dish. [1]

    But why would Kantra wake up like that so afraid of Kehma¡­? Ah¡ª!

    ¡°Was something wrong with the aburaage!?¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯re you talking about that!? Well, it was delicious though!¡±

    Mu, so that wasn¡¯t it? I do think it makes for a great snack even without having sake though.

    ¡°So then what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Remember the eggshell?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What about it?¡±

    ¡°That eggshell, it¡¯s from a phoenix¡­¡±

    A phoenix¡­ I¡¯ve heard those being subjugation targets for B-Rankmissions. Oi, this is serious.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s¡­ in other words, that, right? A ridiculously rare material? Am I right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s no doubting it since it was examined using magic tools that can find out a material¡¯s name. Honestly, this shell is on a legend-grade rare item¡­ Kehma-dono, where in the world did you¡­¡±

    Legend-ss, that¡¯s incredible¡­ It looks like it could turn into the highest ss of furnace if it¡¯s mixed into bricks. As a material that any cksmith would water at the mouth over, even one hundred gold coins would be a foolish offer. Seriously, oi. Wouldn¡¯t that be enough to drink as much sake as you wanted till your death?

    ¡°So, what¡¯ll you do? That shell. Give it back?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll use it. I already promised to ept it. I just don¡¯t understand why Kehma-dono would give me something like this for a magic sword. Or rather, to build a furnace with such a rare material¡­ I truly never even dreamed of it¡­ this is a first.¡±

    To make a magic sword, that concept is often treated as something impossible. Currently, from what I hear even the top researchers in the imperial capital are just barely at the point where they¡¯d say: ¡°It¡¯s somehow a magic sword¡­ I think?¡± ¡­ For a cksmith like Kantra to make it by himself? That¡¯d surely be something impossible. Originally.

    ¡°¡­ Sounds like drunken talk doesn¡¯t it? For a mere cksmith, making a magic sword¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Alright then, well, there¡¯s nothing to it but to give it a go. Perhaps, with this shell, I might be able to make a magic sword.¡±

    Did he calm down from speaking with me? Kantra was already looking like a full-fledged cksmith.

    ¡°Looking at it another way, this is a good chance to realize my dreams. Aren¡¯t there magic swords in this dungeon? They¡¯d be good examples to work off of. Gozoh, for collecting the materials, could I get your help?¡±

    ¡°Aye, for the time being I can capture iron golems here.¡±

    Looking at Kantra¡¯s straightforward eyes, I decided to give him my support.

    ¡­ How should I put it, I really can¡¯t read that Kehma¡­ There¡¯s no way he¡¯s just some ordinary guy¡­

    Footnotes:

    Here¡¯s a Wikipedia link for the food.

 Chapter 83

    The Game Room

    Now then, with the smithy¡¯s construction started, we also pushed forward our preparations, finishing the game room.

    Though I call it that, it had slots, dice, and other things I put in the dungeon chests a few days ago. Furthermore, the inn even started buying the ying cards for five coppers.

    ¡­ The tables were prepared with cloth coverings for the dice and ying cards, just a bare minimum to be eptable rentals. We also let people bring in their own dice and cards.

    If someone asked why it took so long even though that¡¯s all there was, I also soundproofed the walls so that it wouldn¡¯t obstruct the guests¡¯ (and my) sleep, adjusted the slots, and developed dice golems for some trickery business. Well, let¡¯s take a look at them one by one.

    Soundproof walls are obvious. For now I just put some sponge that I bought with DP inside the walls and that seems to have done it one way or another. Although it feels like the walls¡¯ thickness increased a bit, they¡¯re still within eptable levels.

    Adjusting the slots in various ways, I made them rarely be big wins and lose sufficiently. Naturally, it¡¯s at the point that the owner wins when looking at the whole.

    For the dice golems, they¡¯re insurance for when I use them. When you fill them with magical power, you can make their center of gravity be biased for just ten seconds. After ten seconds, they¡¯re ordinary dice.

    Their material is transparent crystal. Since they¡¯re filled with oil that has the same refractive index, you can¡¯t see their internal structure at all. Getting that right gave me a really hard time.

    If people could see it and found out, they¡¯d say something like, ¡°Isn¡¯t this fraud?¡± Well, it really is though. There¡¯s a famous saying that it isn¡¯t fraud if the fraud isn¡¯t exposed.

    Moreover, they use individual identification through magical power so that other people can¡¯t use them. Golems can distinguish between magical powers. That mechanism can¡¯t be used for dungeon keys or anything though.

    With all that, I added on the game room. Stealthily, in the dead of night. Since I wasn¡¯t able to sleep through the night and added on to the inn it can¡¯t be helped that I¡¯mcking sleep. I¡¯ve only slept nine hours today.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been wondering for a while now, but how much sleep per day would satisfy Kehma?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ I guess twenty-five hours would be best.¡±

    Still, the world also only had twenty-four hours in a day.

    ¡°¡­ Can you use space-time-type magic?¡±

    Woah, space-time-type magic reigns supreme. Should I look into it? I¡¯d never have enough DP for it though.

    Then, setting aside that farce, I unveiled the game room.

    Our inn¡¯s frequent guest, Gozoh, arrived immediately. He¡¯s the first guest tomemorate its opening.

    ¡°¡­ Was this here yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Ah, an A-Rank adventurer¡¯s mage acquaintance made it overnight.¡±

    ¡°Hooh¡­ It would¡¯ve been great if he took the chance to make Kantra¡¯s smithy too while he was at it.¡±

    ¡°Themission fee is pretty high. It¡¯s better to make it normally.¡±

    Moreover, the construction had already started, it¡¯s better to not deprive Carpenter-san of his job.

    Moreover, I don¡¯t want to do any extra work. I don¡¯t want to work. I don¡¯t wanna work!

    ¡°Oi Kehma, what¡¯s this? A room to chat in?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a game room. You y dice and cards at those tables. Well, this box is¡ª¡±

    ¡°And sloooooots!¡±

    Ichika ran past me in the middle of my exnation.

    Incidentally, I raised Ichika and Meat¡¯s wages. It¡¯s something more like pocket money though.

    I give them money that¡¯s simple to understand, and if they want something I¡¯d buy it with DP. Ichika¡¯s basis of food is disappearing. No, it disappeared.

    As for why that¡¯s past tense, recently Ichika has been waiting for the game room to open, saving up for her slots campaign fund.

    ¡°Hyahha¡ª! Put three copper in! Next, lower the lever! Spin, spin spin¡ª! Ahahahaha! Button, button, push the button! Stop! Tch, one more tiiime~!¡±

    Her eyes are scary. Fanatical.

    Yep, ban the slots¡­ is it already toote?¡±

    ¡°H-hey, Kehma? That, is it safe? It¡¯s not a dangerous box?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a slot machine, for gambling.¡±

    Ichika was pulling the slot machine¡¯s lever with all she had, totally addicted. Aren¡¯t guests supposed to be doing that?

    ¡­ Well, I¡¯ll let it be.

    ¡°¡­ Changing topics, do you y cards? There aren¡¯t any cards, I¡¯ll y with you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? These have been appearing in the dungeon recently. I heard you¡¯d been buying them, but they were for this huh? Please teach me the rules.

    I taught Gozoh how to y poker and ckjack.

    Because the rules were easy to get, it seemed he liked ckjack.

    ¡°If there were enough people we could y old maid or sevens too.¡± [1]

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of ways to y with them huh, these card things. You thought up so many ways to y even though it¡¯s only been a few days since they started appearing.¡±

    ¡°Well, I just obtained a book that showed ways to y. I got it in the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why you started buying them then.¡±

    Furthermore, they¡¯re one silver if someone wants to buy them. The overcharging is because there still aren¡¯t many of them.

    It¡¯s a pretty good harvest considering that it only costs 5 DP for adventurers to get them. I¡¯ll be buying them for twenty-five copper eventually, so maybe the final sale price will be around fifty copper?

    ¡°Well then, next is dice bu¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s here! YES YES yeeesss! Grand prize! Grand priiize!¡±

    When Ichika shouted out, the jingling sound of copper coins overflowing from the slot machine could be heart¡­ Yeah, I should prepare a box.

    ¡°Ooh!? That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu¡­ With this I can keep yin¡¯¡­!¡±

    The slot machine¡¯s already spinning though.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s give this a bit of a shot. Kehma, how do you use it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s exined on thebel here. Well, it¡¯s not that hard. It gives a return depending on the pattern.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, I see it here. But with an adventurer¡¯s eyes, something at this level is very very simple, mu¡ªgu? T-this is surprisingly difficult¡­¡± [2]

    Sorry. It¡¯s all luck.

    *

    After a while, other hotel guests came arrived as well. Though I say that, there¡¯re only five parties staying here including the merchants, but all of them gathered.

    ¡°Even though that table there is for dice, it has cloth on it eh? Oooi, Doran, got any dice? I¡¯ll be the dealer first, let¡¯s go with hi-lo! [3]

    ¡°Do it! Going in turns of being dealer twice should be fine. Anyone else want to join?¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, those cards were things to y with huh¡­ Maybe I should get some cards of my own too? Next time I¡¯ll not sell them if I find any.¡±

    ¡°Hohoh, I¡¯d also like to buy a house here¡­¡±

    ¡°Gikkon-san, let¡¯s y this [Sevens] game!¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not? Does Roppu-san want to join in with us?¡±

    ¡°Nn, let¡¯s mix up a bit. My partner¡¯s been ying with that box for a while now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Gozoh-san? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a slot machine! ¡­ Oooh, I won!¡±

    A noisy crowd of people. It was exactly that kind of a feeling. The room is considerably roomy since I made itrge thinking about the future, but it¡¯s crowded. Feels great. [4]

    ¡°Ugugugu, my slot machine¡­¡±

    And so, Ichika, who¡¯d tried to monopolize the slot machine despite being an employee, was now taking a break.

    Even though she hit the grand prize, she finished at a plus-minus of zero when all was said and done. People are surrounding it now too. At any rate, it doesn¡¯t look like it¡¯ll open up any time soon. It wouldn¡¯t be good for an employee to upy it when it¡¯s crowded like that.

    ¡°¡­ The slot machine looks popr huh. Maybe I should make another?¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama! Then definitely, a slot machine for my personal use¡­!¡±

    Yup, Ichika¡¯s recovered a bit of her true character hasn¡¯t she?

    Footnotes:

    Old maid. Sevens.

    He¡¯s talking about stopping them at the right time with the button.

    Hi-lo.

    The word he uses for crowded also means to prosper/thrive. It¡¯s [Crowded] with a positive connotation.

 Chapter 84

    The Naming Ceremony

    All three of the newbies reached the point of being able to work at reception.

    As promised, I think I should give them names soon.

    I decided to call the three of them over to the dungeon¡¯s boss room to name them.

    Well, though I could just have it done with saying, ¡°Ah, here are you guys¡¯ new names,¡± in the inn, this seems to be something very important for monsters. I¡¯m a dungeon master that can read the mood after all.

    The production value is important.

    If I grandly perform the naming ceremony like this, they¡¯ll definitely pledge even more loyalty.

    Therefore, I decided to remodel the tasteless stone boss room.

    First is the throne. I ced importance on its appearance since it¡¯ll rarely be used to sit. I made the throne using stone that gave a profound feeling and I made it around two steps higher than the ground, that way invaders could be looked down on even while sitting down. It wouldn¡¯t feel off even if a demon king sat in it. Because stone isn¡¯t a luxurious material, another important thing is that I wouldn¡¯t look out of ce even if I sat on it.

    After that, I ced a stone runner rug that went straight from the entrance to the throne¡­ Well, since the floor was already made of stone, I just had to arrange it a bit¡­ Yep, there¡¯s just a difference in how much the pattern is used, but it¡¯s turned into something like a temple, I guess? It¡¯s mostly grey though.

    Then I made the steps for the throne.

    Coming this far, I also fixed up the walls and added some pirs. They¡¯re unnecessary since they¡¯re just decoration though. Again, it felt kind of like a pantheon temple¡­ how should I say¡­ authentic? Authentic. I guess.

    In the end, I made some statues of golems that were holding up weapons by growing them from the wall. Just in case, I also equipped them with de golems so they¡¯re practical goods.

    Fuu¡­ I only exerted myself since my creative urge welled up.

    ¡°I was wondering what Kehma was up to since you hadn¡¯t slept for a while¡­ this is so amazingly awesome!¡±

    ¡°My confidence is wavering since Rokuko¡¯s the one saying that¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ªwhat!? But that should help your confidence!¡±

    ¡°Because you have that weird hobby of being a goblin lover right? That¡¯s why it¡¯s possible that goblins are your basis for ¡®awesome¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a harmful rumor! Even I think dragons and stuff look awesome you know?¡±

    Ooh, dragons huh. Dragons definitely are cool. Since I¡¯ve seen a living red dragon, maybe I should try out making a dragon golem next time? I¡¯d love it to spit fire or something if possible.

    ¡­ Aah, it¡¯d definitely be weakpared to the real thing though~. The best material I can use right now is just iron. Thinking about that reduces my motivation. Though well, it might be good to try and make it as practice in preparation for the future when I can use better materials.

    The current boss is an iron haniwa golem I finished the other day¡­ let¡¯s make the next boss an iron dragon golem.

    ¡°Oh right, how about calling them soon? You guuuuys, go to your posts!¡±

    ¡°You should call for Meat and Ichika too if you¡¯re done with the golems you know~¡±

    Like that, I had the golems form lines and began the naming ceremony.

    *

    The dungeon [Cave of Desires].

    The first above ground floor had the entrance, traps, goblins, as well as some treasure chests.

    There were wandering golems as well as the magic sword test room in the first underground floor, the second being the [Multi-Floor Labyrinth].

    When passing through thebyrinth, one would ascend. It goes up to the second above ground floor in one go.

    The second above ground floor is the [Riddle Area], where wisdom and knowledge are tested¡­ no intruders have went beyond this yet.

    When one passes the [Riddle Area], they would descend from the second above ground floor to the third underground floor with the [Open Ceiling Spiral Staircase].

    The third undergroundyer has a unique golem¡­ the first generation boss¡¯ normal haniwa golems and the like, it was a [Golem Warehouse Area] that I had irregr prototype golems patrol. There are magic sword de golems ced in chests here.

    After breaking through all of those, there¡¯s a fourth underground floor¡­ the [Boss Room Area].

    (Still, I¡¯ll be adding sequential floors below it starting from the fifth underground floor. I n on spreading the dungeon towards Sia¡¯s town district.)

    Right now, at this time, the [Boss Room] was very crowded.

    ¡­ Though I say that, other than the armored golems that were lined up beautifully, there¡¯s just me, the dungeon master, Rokuko, the dungeon core, and the ves Meat and Ichika¡ªoh, and that pet phoenix (chick), Feni.

    As for what Rokuko was wearing, it was a white dress that looked great on her slender body¡¯s silhouette. I made that guy modelling after Haku-san¡¯s dress, it¡¯s Rokuko¡¯s favorite. The white phoenix (chick) on her shoulder matched it nicely.

    Meat and Ichika were wearing their maid outfits. They weren¡¯t their usual ones but brand new ones.

    In other words, everyone was dressed up.

    Of course, my appearance is like that too.

    I¡¯m in a full-body silver armor with a red mantle. I made the gold leaf by crushing gold coins to make it even more imposing¡­ Really though, the armor is just iron armor that¡¯s been ted. Also, it¡¯s so heavy that I can¡¯t move it on my own. I can move since it¡¯s an armor golem, but I¡¯ll definitely be injured if I make an awkward movement.

    I am sitting on the throne.

    Rokuko stood right by my side, with Meat and Ichika standing on either side of the aisle one step down.

    Standing on both sides of the stone pathing from the entrance to the throne, the armed golems had formed ranks in intervals, lining up and holding their swords up.

    The image of [Meeting the King]. Well, a dungeon master is kind of like a king so it¡¯s probably not wrong.

    I used [Deployment] on the three in front of the door. With this, preparations areplete.

    I told them that I¡¯d be doing their naming ceremony beforehand, but I didn¡¯t tell them that I¡¯d do it so borately like this. Kukuku, I wonder what kind of faces they¡¯ll have.

    ¡°Enter!¡±

    When I called out, the boss room¡¯s doors¡­ massive double doors that also had gold leaf, the golems opened them.

    I could see the three girls that had been standing in front of the door¡ªthey were surprised just for a moment before immediately entering the room with serious expressions¡­ Hooh, maybe I should do something?

    ¡°Halt. Kneel.¡±

    They kneeled in a row, with Alpha the vampire in the middle, Beta the silky on the left, and Gamma the apprentice witch on the right.

    ¡°Now, I will conduct the naming ceremony.¡±

    I put strength into my gut to make my words as strong as possible, speaking proudly. This is getting fun.

    By the way, since there isn¡¯t a ceremony like the naming ceremony to begin with, there¡¯s no etiquette for it either. Well, [When in Rome].

    ¡°Ye whom this one hath granted life, as in ordance with the agreement, shall be bestowed with names.¡±

    I stood up slowly while receiving assistance from the full body armor golem, unsheathing the sword at my waist.

    Made with potion bottles, the sword had a transparent de. The sword somehow reflected blue light, so it looked really mysterious¡­ It¡¯s offensive power? It¡¯d break if it got hit. The sword would, that is. It¡¯s for etiquette, etiquette.

    ¡°Alpha, raise thy head.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡±

    As I spoke, Alpha looked up¡­ Ummm, let¡¯s see, what should her name be¡­

    ¡°To thee, the name of Rei is bestowed.¡±

    ¡°Sir! It is my honor!¡±

    I said ¡®thee¡¯! Hahaha. Well whatever, I was going with the flow.

    As for the name¡¯s origin, it¡¯s because she has zero offensive capability. It¡¯s easy to remember that way. [1]

    ¡­ Yep, even though you¡¯re really happy, somehow¡­ sorry? It was such a fitting name.

    Well, next.

    ¡°Beta, raise thy head.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Her bearing is more gentle than Alpha¡¯s¡­ err, Rei¡¯s. No, maybe I should call it more graceful?

    ¡°To thee, the name of Kinue is bestowed.¡±

    ¡°I shall ept it reverently.¡±

    Her name¡¯s origin is silky -> silk -> kinu -> Kinue¡­ yeah. [2]

    I thought about calling her Okinu-san, but since it was a more popr name and Kinue is closer, it became Kinue¡­

    Now for thest one.

    ¡°Gamma, raise thy head.¡±

    ¡°Okay~¡±

    Ah, yep. Beta, now Kinue, is more gentle¡­ and this one is more carefree. Definitely.

    ¡°To thee, the name of Nerune is bestowed.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, master~¡±

    Her name is because she¡¯s a witch.

    ¡­ Eh? What does Nerune have to do with witches? Let¡¯s see¡­ here, isn¡¯t there the image of stirring something in a cauldron? Stirring until the color changes right? Right? Yeah. [3]

    And again, I¡¯m not your master. [4]

    Well everyone is named with rtively irresponsible names, but since it¡¯s from another world I probably won¡¯t be exposed.

    Rather, Rokuko would probably be happy knowing that the names came from another world.

    That¡¯s all for the naming ceremony. I had it so that the golems would apud when I finished up in a loud voice.

    Now then, the closing words are important¡­ wonder what I should say¡­?

    ¡°Ah~, hey Kehma. It¡¯s fine to end it already you know? Alright! Rei, Kinue, Nerune. Do your best for the dungeon from now on!¡±

    At that moment, the golems¡¯ solid hands¡¯ apuse sounded like a storm.

    Dangit Rokuko, you took away the good part!

    Footnotes:

    Rei = Zero.

    Silk (kana) -> Kinu (Silk in kanji)

    Yeah, so I couldn¡¯t think of a way to show this in English. ¾š¤Ã¤Æ¤ë -> Netteru -> Neru -> Nerune (Stir and stir) Return

    She uses ¡®master¡¯ that implies ¡®teacher¡¯.

 Chapter 85

    Extra: Worries

    (Rei¡¯s Point of View)

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s nothing today either, is there.¡±

    I am Rei the vampire¡ªa monster.

    Summoned to a dungeon, it is a monster¡¯s duty to repel intruders¡­

    That¡¯s how it should be, but my job is to wee intruders.

    The other day, I received the name ¡®Rei¡¯ and became a named monster. The title of named monster is something amazing that is fit for bosses alone. In spite of that, my job is that of an inn¡¯s receptionist. Moreover, assistance.

    As I received my name grandly through a naming ceremony, even though I want to contribute to the dungeon by all means, it¡¯s honestly a letdown.

    I mean, mowing down intruders and crushing them, I want to raise the dungeon¡¯s DP like that.

    However, this dungeon¡¯s dungeon master is Kehma-sama, a human. In other words, he chose the path of living a long life by buttering up to the humans that were the same race as him¡­ No, there¡¯s no doubt that master has also sharpened his fangs. Even if he¡¯s usually sleepy, the feeling of supremacy emanating from him during the naming ceremony was unbelievable.

    That gold and silver was gorgeous, and despite that the armor worn on his body wasn¡¯t tasteless. Just recalling that shining and transparent sword de equipped on master¡¯s honorable figure is enough for me to once again swear my allegiance.

    ¡­ However, my assigned job is as an inn¡¯s receptionist.

    ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    I opened the window of the room that was allotted to me and looked towards the sky¡­ The sun is dazzling, such horrid weather.

    I reaffirmed that I could bathe in sunlight once again. Even though I am a vampire, I am alright with the sun¡¯s light.

    Vampires originally have many weak points.

    However, they won¡¯t have any weak points at all if they be true ancestors. Able to exercise overwhelming might in both physical means and magic means, they could swagger not only through the night but under daylight as well. That is a true ancestor. Starting as a vampire, it is the strongest existence.

    There were also existences known as amon vampires, those that held resistance towards one weak point, like atavism. [1]

    Among vampires, it¡¯s said there is something known as true ancestor atavism.

    I am one of those who has true ancestor atavism, holding such resistances.

    Or maybe it¡¯s already enough to call me a true ancestor?

    ¡­ However, that¡¯s without my curse: offensive power of zero.

    Or more precisely, I can¡¯t use any vampire abilities. With this I¡¯m the same as a normal human, no, worse than a human. I even have less fighting strength than a goblin.

    So again, I sighed.

    At first, I¡¯d thought about what a monster without any fighting capability could do. When I heard that I would be working at an inn, I thought I would be working like a subus.

    However, I assumed the position of receptionist, conveying costs to the guests that asionally arrived, receiving money, and handing them back the change. That¡¯s all. The [Abacus] tells me how many coins are needed for cost and change calctions. It¡¯s fine if I just don¡¯t make a mistake in counting the coins¡­ Is there any meaning in my existence? It¡¯s that easy a job.

    Like that, I work a job that anyone could do and am given meals and a residence. I have been given something very good. It even seems that I eat the same thing as master and Rokuko-sama¡­ I couldn¡¯t possibly afford it. Rather, when I think that Ichika-sense and Meat-senpai are renting two of the inn¡¯s rooms, it could be said that we who were given private rooms were given good treatment.

    ¡­ I can¡¯t understand just what in the world master is thinking. Aren¡¯t I just a normal pet like this? No, even a pet would work to heal their owner, am I not below a pet?

    This is¡­ bad. As a prideful vampire, this is a grave situation.

    I can¡¯t retain my pride if I don¡¯t help master somehow or another. Even though I received a name, it¡¯s like that.

    There was a tapping sound at my room¡¯s door.

    Who is it? Well, obvious. Kinue, the silky.

    As the first step to master teaching her magic, Nerune, the apprentice witch, is learning her job and magic from Meat-senpai. Since it isn¡¯t mealtime right now, it¡¯s probably magic time.

    Master and Rokuko-sama could use the dungeon¡¯s contact function if they had a task for me. Ichika-sensei wouldn¡¯t imitate elegance by just knocking but would call me while knocking.

    Since the inn¡¯s established [Employee Dormitory] is off limits to everyone but staff, the only person left is Kinue.

    ¡°Rei-san, I would like to clean.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kinue. By using [Cleanup] to clean, you don¡¯t have to bring cleaning tools you know.¡±

    ¡°If [Cleanup] could finish all of the cleaning, there wouldn¡¯t be any cleaning tools.¡±

    ¡°E-even so¡­¡±

    This silky seems to like cleaning without using [Cleanup] for some reason. Even though I know what kind of race silkys are because of the information imprinted on me when master summoned me, this girl is praiseworthy, she just cleaned a little earlier.

    Well, I leave it to her though since living in a clean room isfortable.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be cleaning, so please leave.¡±

    Like that, I was driven out.

    ¡­ There¡¯s nothing to do. Hmm.

    Come to think of it, along with cleaning the inn, Kinue is also studying cooking. Nerune is training in magic too¡­ if I could also use magic, I might be useful to the inn somehow.

    ¡­ I¡¯m the only one that¡¯s useless, aren¡¯t I¡­ I don¡¯t like it. Wouldn¡¯t my only use right now be night services¡­

    ¡°Eheheh, nights are your specialty since you¡¯re a vampire right?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡ªplease return my clothes!¡±

    ¡°Eating and living idly for you is a waste, there¡¯s no choice for you but this.¡±

    ¡­ that kind of situation.

    ¡­ Uu, my face reddened by thinking about something weird.

    Although I wouldn¡¯t hesitate if the other person was master, at any rate, I have to be use helpful somehow.

    Wondering what I should do for now as I stood in front of my room, I left the inn for a stroll.

    Even though the weather was detestable with the sun zing down, it¡¯s fine for the current me.

    Walking for a short while, there was a field. Golems that master set to work were harvesting crops.

    Although there were several other kinds of vegetables as well, it appeared that right now it was harvesting beet-radishes to make into sugar¡­ Should I help with the harvest?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡­ There¡¯s nowhere for me to help. The golems perfectly filled the simple work. Moreover since I don¡¯t have order rights for these golems, I¡¯d only be a hindrance if I tried to forcibly help. Since golems don¡¯t tire, there¡¯s no reason for me to purposely help out either.

    Ugugugu. So I¡¯m useless here too?

    I continued walking.

    I came along to [Great Tsuia Mountain Tunnel]¡­ Hmm. So what.

    The cave costs money to enter, so there¡¯s no reason for me to enter it either.

    ¡­ Ah, a merchant is passing through.

    Burdened with a wooden rack on his back, it was the type of trader called a peddling adventurer.

    Most of the traders that pass through here ferry salt from Pavuera to Sia to sell. From there, they would ferry dried vegetables and woodwork from Sia to sell in Pavuera.

    Oh, I could also earn money like that¡­ No, to begin with I can¡¯t do math that properly. Not without [Abacus]-san¡¯s assistance¡­

    Uu, I need to continue studying my [Times Table]. Oh, but before that I need to figure out addition and subtraction, don¡¯t I¡­

    I¡¯m not good at math¡­ I wonder if there¡¯s anything I can do¡­

    ¡­ Next time, let¡¯s consult with master about if there¡¯s nothing I can do.

    Ahh mou, I¡¯m fed up with not being able to do anything.

    I received a name at longst, I don¡¯t want to be useless!

    Footnotes:

    Atavism is the tendency to revert to ancestral type. In biology, an atavism is an evolutionary throwback, such as traits reappearing which had disappeared generations before. In this case, a throwback to the true ancestor¡¯s resistance to all weak points.

 Chapter 86

    Rei¡¯s Consultation

    Finishing the naming ceremony, I thought of something.

    Don¡¯t things like loyalty not matter since I had absolute order rights?

    ¡­ No, even if I have them, they should surely be overflowing with willingness even while working like this. Maybe. Definitely.

    But that armor really was a pain to put on and take off. Full te isn¡¯t something you should wear.

    Now now, how about let¡¯s peek at how the dungeon¡¯s doing today?

    By the way, it¡¯s our dungeon but no one¡¯s dead in it¡­ it¡¯s not like it¡¯s peaceful, in fact it seems like some number of E-Rank adventurers died in the dungeon. Rookies that aren¡¯t careful enough would easily get caught by the traps.

    Even so, since it¡¯s not at the level yet where people would die even if they¡¯re being careful, this dungeon¡ª[Cave of Desires]¡ªhas taken on the significance of being a perfect rite of passage for rookies. It¡¯s a dungeon for beginners.

    Well, there¡¯s even a magic sword test room to show it off established in thebyrinth area.

    I built three more rooms since it was so popr, but nowadays there¡¯s talk about there definitely being magic swords in the dungeon. It seems there¡¯s even an adventurer that heard that and is locked up in the dungeon right now.

    ¡­ Seems like the guy didn¡¯t hear about there being a well-known [Greed Trap] here from the guild. Maybe I should just leave him alone? Though I¡¯m thinking about that, it¡¯s probably better to save him from the brink of death and demand payment from him.

    But I don¡¯t think I can expect any returns from idiots that can¡¯t even gather information from the guild about the dungeon, they even say, ¡°You can leave if you return the magic sword to the pedestal¡±¡­

    Oh he just said, ¡°I¡¯m a rich family¡¯s third son, Drasan! I can¡¯t die in a ce like this!¡± An aristocrat huh. It looks like there¡¯d be a return, but saving him seems tiresome. I¡¯ll pass.

    It¡¯s his own responsibility since it¡¯s a dungeon. Let¡¯s ignore him if a rescuemission doesn¡¯te from the guild.

    Since hisrades that looked like followers were getting irritated, there are ways for them to die other than starvation.

    Things can happen in a dungeon. There¡¯s nothing strange about it even if people die. There wouldn¡¯t even be a body left since the dungeon eats it. Not being saved from an instant death trap, eaten by a monster after letting your guard down, there are nearly infinite exnations for it.

    Furthermore there aren¡¯t even any witnesses outside of those in the room, and everyone¡¯s armed. Yup, I look forward to the DP I¡¯ll be getting.

    The customer is always right. They are our gods. Amen.

    Ah, but there¡¯s another adventurer besides me exploring thebyrinth area right now, maybe there¡¯s a story there?

    How about I secretly make him unable toe to this test room?

    Fufufu, they¡¯re saying stuff like, ¡°Rescue is definitelying soon.¡± It might take a while you know? Setting the aristocrat aside, his followers¡¯ DP are delicious.

    While I was observed such a pleasant situation in the dungeon, Rei came over with a serious expression on. It seemed she wanted to discuss something with me.

    ¡°¡­ I-I want to be useful for the dungeon! I¡¯ll do anything, please give me some work!¡±

    Seriously? When did she turn into such a corporate sheep? No, it¡¯s a dungeon, so maybe it¡¯d be a dungeon sheep? When did she be such a dungeon sheep? ¡­ It¡¯s definitely because of the naming ceremony!

    Well, honestly you¡¯re helping me enough just by working as the inn¡¯s receptionist¡­

    ¡°I also want to do things that benefit the dungeon like Kinue and Nerune¡­ for master!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, you¡¯re helpful enough just being a receptionist you know?¡±

    ¡°Master doesn¡¯t have to sugarcoat it. There¡¯s no mistake that I¡¯m a defective vampire. It¡¯s to the point that I even make mistakes counting coins¡­¡±

    Oi, don¡¯t make mistakes there. Maybe I should automate that too¡­ Like a register¡­ wait,e to think of it I already made something that works like that in the slot machine, I could just make something simr¡­

    But work for Rei huh? Rather, I can¡¯t think of something for a vampire that has no offensive power or special abilities. I just made her on my own, but I haven¡¯t thought about any other time of work for her at all other than as an inn employee¡­ Wonder if there¡¯s any good ideas?

    When I looked down a little to avert my eyes aware from Rei¡¯s serious gaze, I saw the dungeon map being disyed.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, your own offensive power has nothing to do with you ability to move the dungeon¡¯s monsters around.

    I¡¯ve been ordering them around remotely by using a golem, but Rei could do that too right?

    Or rather, Rei can¡¯t open the menu huh?

    Well, I think it¡¯s fine to give her the authority for the menu, but¡­ she¡¯s a dungeon monster. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s normal to entrust the dungeon to subordinates¡­

    ¡°So I can¡¯t do anything to help master after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry, sorry. I was just thinking about something.¡±

    I looked through the menu¡­ Oh, there it is.

    Let¡¯s see, grant authority. Possible targets are [Gobsuke], [Feni], [Rei], [Kinue], and [Nerune]¡­ wait, why¡¯s Gobsuke there!? The others are white, just Gobsuke¡¯s disyed as grey!

    Maybe I can¡¯t delete named entries? Uwaaah. Maybe I should stop naming so casually. I don¡¯t like things being so mixed up like that.

    I don¡¯t see Meat and Ichika, so I guess a connection with the dungeon is needed after all?

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s hang out and try a bit of an experiment.¡± [1]

    ¡°Y-yes! Since I¡¯m a vampire, I am somewhat stronger than humans, so there is no problem at all even if you do it violently!¡±

    I got her agreement, so for now let¡¯s authorize Rei in the menu as a partner.

    In addition, it looks like there¡¯s even options to fine tune its range. The dungeon and inn are specified in the range, and¡­ restrict DP usage? Eh, wait, what? Hold up, it¡¯s saying that I don¡¯t need to personally handle the food? [2]

    Uwaah, I should have looked into this a bit more seriously. Well, there may have been a requirement of having five or more named monsters or something.

    Okay, permission for this, permission for that. Quantity of items and amount of DP that can be used is limited, permission given!

    Managing the menu is for the management. They were originally management candidates after all¡­ if it goes well with Rei, let¡¯s give some permissions to Kinue and Nerer.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see if you can take it out.¡±

    ¡°Fueh!? T-take what out¡­ m-milk!? Breast milk!?¡±

    ¡°Wait. The menu, menuuu.¡±

    The heck is she talking about breast milk for?

    ¡°S-sorry. Master was looking at my chest so¡­¡±

    ¡­ Now that she mentions it, the menu is invisible huh. Crap, I¡¯m not a pervert.

    Hm? Looking at it another way¡­ couldn¡¯t I look at legs if I just say I¡¯m looking at the menu? Ah, no, in the end wouldn¡¯t I just be a person whose only goal is to look at legs? Let¡¯s stop there.

    ¡°Menu,e out! I see, I was authorized as a partner so I can see it, and can make it invisible¡­ so you were looking at the menu while it was invisible!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    In the end it looked like she could make the menu appear. With this I should be able to entrust her with moving the monsters and monitoring the dungeon. She¡¯s originally a race that¡¯s good atbat, so she¡¯ll definitely do well.

    ¡°Like this, let¡¯s have you help out the dungeon.¡±

    Continuing the experiment, I confirmed that I could take away and return her authority.

    She looked incredibly happy that she can help, but there was a possibility that I couldn¡¯t have given it back after taking away the authority again¡­ it¡¯s alright. I wouldn¡¯t have abandoned her even if I couldn¡¯t grant the authority back to her.

    Footnotes:

    Doesn¡¯t trante well as the verb used is very very all-purpose, but he says something that can be taken as ¡°Let¡¯s keep each otherpany¡± in a sexual meaning.

    The word for [Range] here is also implying other things, such as things they could do. Like use deployment for example.

 Chapter 87

    Let¡¯s Pay Back the Loan

    The number of staff that can manage the dungeon has increased.

    That is in other words, the dungeon can be managed without it being unreasonable even if it wasrger.

    For the time being, let¡¯s expand the dungeon towards Sia. The underground can be used for whatever.

    Come to think of it, I¡¯ve been expanding the dungeon¡¯s domain above ground, but it¡¯ll be something hard to deal with if I don¡¯t divide it into different floors and an intruder enters.

    I didn¡¯t split [Great Tsuia Mountain Tunnel] into multiple floors at first, so I wasn¡¯t able to remodel anything if there was even a single person inside it. I had to rush and divide it into floors by separating it into several blocks.

    Even the za in front of where people enter the dungeon that the inn is at is on a different floor from the dungeon.

    ¡­ It seems it can be a floor even if it isn¡¯t divided with a staircase, just what is a floor¡­? I¡¯ve been trying to figure that out recently.

    Furthermore, it takes 5,000 DP to set a floor.

    Although we have more ie now than we used to¡­ it¡¯s still a pretty big expense. I wonder how much days¡¯ profit it is?

    Adventurers thate here are between E and C-Rank. That¡¯s around 30-80 DP generated per person naturally. Parties are somewhere between two and five people and two or three parties enter at a time.

    The amount of DP produced doubles when they¡¯re shut in one of the inn¡¯s rooms too, and there¡¯s also the inn¡¯s ie¡­ the calctions areplicated. Should I make an ounting book? ¡­ Sounds bothersome. Let¡¯s hope that Menu-san gets a feature like that sometime.

    Also, Haku-san leaves stuff like payments or tips to Rokuko whenever shees to stay even if we start losing DP, so maybe there¡¯s not much of a reason to figure it out? That woman really does spendvishly.

    Cream soda is her favorite so she orders one immediately, one at dinner, one when taking a bath and another when going to bed. She buys each one with a gold coin and even gives Rokuko 5,000 DP tips. She has that kind of condition. She¡¯s too kind to her imouto.

    At any rate, I should probably add more floors and move the boss room down.

    Although the riddle area still hasn¡¯t been captured, I¡¯m a bit uneasy that the only things guarding after it¡¯s broken through are golems.

    Let¡¯s assume there¡¯s an adventurer that specializes in golems. That person would win against golems easily.

    If they went beyond the riddle area, our dungeon, [Cave of Desires], would beid bare.

    ¡­ Golems can only use physical attacks huh¡­ At minimum, I¡¯d like some guys that could use magic attacks.

    For that, it¡¯d be necessary to use DP.

    ¡°Let¡¯s raise some money.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Kehma? Why so sudden? We¡¯re getting a lot of money from the inn and toll fee aren¡¯t we?¡±

    Come to think of it, I still haven¡¯t returned the DP I borrowed from Rokuko for that dungeon battle against [me Cavern] huh.

    Rather, when I added floors in a rush to to deal with the problem of not being able to remodel the dungeon, I borrowed even more. I handed her gold coins as coteral, but Rokuko couldn¡¯t use them herself even if she has the gold coins¡­

    ¡°I want to return the DP I borrowed from Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. Kehma and I are partners in body and mind after all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re my important partner that I have to do this properly. I don¡¯t want anything strange to happen and it getplicated.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If Kehma says so, well let¡¯s do it properly then? Fufun, you¡¯re my important partner after all! Don¡¯t want it to getplicated you know!¡±

    Rokuko looks like she¡¯s really happy for some reason. After being alone for so many years, she¡¯s probably happy that she has someone as a partner I guess.

    I opened the menu and checked how much DP I had.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, you¡¯ve borrowed 53,000 DP so far? I¡¯m holding fifty three gold coins as coteral¡­ How much DP does the dungeon have without mine?¡±

    ¡°Since we summoned those three the other day¡­ just short of 9,000 remaining.¡±

    I handed her the gold coins as coteral, but since they would be worth 53,000 DP if we used them as is, the loan is exactly zero¡¯d out. But it would take an incredible 530,000 DP to get fifty three gold coins.

    Since there was a difference in the exchange rates, it¡¯s best to use money for money and DP for DP.

    It¡¯s better to earn enough DP to pay it back.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re mostly even if I used the coteral, you could just pay it back eventually with the inn¡¯s business you know? You even have sugar to sell you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Even though that¡¯s also true, I¡¯ve still been anxious about it. I can¡¯t sleep calmly when I¡¯m anxious.¡±

    Now then, I have an idea to make money. Remember the beet-radish field I made before?

    Those beet-radishes were finally harvested the other day. We¡¯ll be making sugar from now on.

    ¡°Sugar is a treasure¡­ so it¡¯ll definitely be a lot of DP!¡±

    ¡°Oh, but you got those seeds with DP¡­ will it be alright?¡±

    ¡°Even gold coins bought with DP can turn back into DP, so it¡¯s theoretically alright¡­ The only question is how much DP it¡¯ll be, I guess.¡±

    First I turned one of them into DP as-is¡­ it became 5 DP.

    ¡°Ooh, it went up, it went up!¡±

    Since one seed set (5 DP) can be harvested as fifty radishes, even just that is a fifty-fold return.

    I wonder if it¡¯ll be worth even more when it¡¯s refined into sugar?

    ¡­

    Huh? How do you refine it into sugar?

    *

    Even though it was crazy hard, I managed to make some kind of brownish mass of sugar.

    Rokuko saved me after I messed up twice by saying, ¡°Come to think of it, couldn¡¯t you get the recipe with DP?¡±¡­ It cost 20 DP to buy.

    After I crushed it into small pieces, I put it into hot water to boil it down and dissolve the sugar.

    ¡°That was very tough.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks for helping out Kinue-san.¡±

    Kinue-san had also helped with the cooking work. I mean, she¡¯s really skilled. If Kinue-san didn¡¯t help I probably would¡¯ve burned it a few times at the least.

    ¡°Hey Kehma. Why do you attach [San] to Kinue?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Just because? Well, no, she¡¯s turned into something like the dorm mother for the employee dormitory.¡±

    She has this gentle atmosphere and loves to clean, so she¡¯s overflowing with a motherly feeling.

    When I gave her a bamboo broom, she¡¯d go outside and sweep on her own volition.

    ¡°Now then, the sugar¡¯s¡­ brown, but how do you make it white?¡±

    Unfortunately, the recipe ended at the point of making the sugar.

    For now, I converted one beet-radish¡¯s portion into DP.

    ¡­ 10 DP huh. It doubled.

    ¡°Got our money¡¯s worth from the recipe. Guess I¡¯ll leave it to golems¡­ Kinue-san, please give directions to the golems.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, master.¡±

    Well, with this forty-seven beet-radishes became 470 DP.

    With that, 5 DP bes 500 DP¡­ Yep, isn¡¯t that awesome? If I sold it to a merchant, it¡¯d probably be even more efficient by turning the money into DP.

    That means one hundred of them are worth 50,000 DP¡­ Maybe I should expand the field? No, couldn¡¯t I make a field in the dungeon?

    Kukuku, the agricultural king dungeon¡­ sounds nice. It really sounds like an idyllic and peaceful dungeon.

    ¡°But how many days does that take? You said 500 DP, but doesn¡¯t locking a human party up in the magic sword test room for even a single day get that a lot faster?¡±

    ¡­ Which reminds me. There¡¯s that aristocrat and his party of followers that¡¯s been locked up since yesterday. They¡¯re giving us 500 DP a day.

    Since they¡¯re locked up with a jail door too, with the prison effect (x3) and locked-up effect (x2), we¡¯re getting six times the normal amount.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to think about another way?¡±

    ¡°No, well, yeah, I guess¡­¡±

    Dammit, even though I thought that I¡¯de up with a perfect strategy¡­

    *

    And so I changed ns, deciding to sell Ontentoo a figurine made with a golem.

    It sold.

    When I called Ontentoo¡ª

    ¡°I¡¯m in possession of a Tsuia Mountain dragon figurine. How about giving it to Redra as a present?¡±

    Then, when I showed him the gold-ted dragon figurine¡ª

    [Heeh, that thing there¡¯s nice, Redra¡¯d like it.]

    He bought it for asking price.

    Even though I just started out with 100,000 DP¡­

    [Well that¡¯s about right yeah? Hahaha.]

    He paid it in full with a heartyugh.

    100,000 DP. Thinking about the 5 DP sweet-roll assortment, that¡¯d be worth around 10,000,000 yen.

    A ridiculous price! Just what the heck is he doing for ie?

    And so I obtained 100,000 DP and repaid the loan. It ended so easily it¡¯s kind of anticlimactic¡­

    ¡­ What was my anxiety for!

    ¡°But didn¡¯t it take you three days to make that gold-ted figurine?¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s justparing these three days¡¯ ie¡­ against theborious agriculture that finally gave 500 DP¡­¡±

    ¡°You definitely aren¡¯t suited for agriculture, you know.¡±

    That¡¯s right, I am a dungeon master after all. Agriculture is just an extra.

    But I can still get fresh vegetables, let¡¯s have the golems keep on working the fields from now on. Maybe I should sell the beet-radishes to merchants as sugar?

    ¡­ I-it¡¯s not like I¡¯m attached to it! It¡¯s just a side job! And even dust can build up into a mountain you know!?

 Chapter 88

    Aristocrat¡¯s Rescue Party

    Now then, that aristocrat from the other day is still trapped in there.

    There¡¯s been little development.

    ¡­ Unfortunately, they haven¡¯t gotten to the point of killing each other yet. It looks like they¡¯re starting to thin out since their food¡¯s ran out though.

    There hasn¡¯t been any developments in the dungeon, but there has been outside of it. A search party came.

    There were ten people in it. I think that¡¯s a moderate number. Rather, toment on it, that¡¯s a troubling amount.

    The rescue group called themselves elite guardsmen knights and each were in uniforms. They seem to beposed of E-Rank to C-Rank adventurers to dive into the dungeon. Their DP feels great¡­ that¡¯s about the only good thing I can see about these guys though.

    Really, these guys have horrible manners.

    *

    Like when they came to the inn, they surrounded the counter with all ten of them like they were trying to coerce us.

    On the other hand, Ichika who was working at the reception desk handled them easily. It didn¡¯t turn into much of a situation. She didn¡¯t live a life that eventually lead to her bing a ve just for show, she has guts. I might¡¯ve wet myself if it were me.

    (ording to Ichika, it seems she¡¯s seriously afraid of getting surrounded by debt collectors.)

    ¡°Yaho~. Wee to [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]~¡±

    ¡°We are the Rich family¡¯s third elite guardsmen knight order. We will rent this inn¡¯s rooms, be thankful.¡±

    With that, the simple search party¡¯smanding officer threw back his head with an arrogant air of superiority.

    Ichika just let it slide and exined the fees.

    ¡°Heheh~, one person¡¯s fifty copper, meals excluded. I guarantee their deliciousness though~¡±

    ¡°Haah? Fifty copper per person and meals are extra!? ¡­ I¡¯ll have you know that we are the Rich family¡¯s third elite guardsmen knight order!¡±

    ¡°Mmm, so what?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡­ I said that we are the Rich family¡¯s third elite guardsmen knight order!¡±

    I wonder, is [The Rich Family¡¯s Third Elite Guardsmen Knight Order] something amazing? Maybe it¡¯s something like a coupon that saves you money when you mention it?

    Well, it¡¯s not like it¡¯ll work at all at this inn though. It¡¯s management is someone from another world.

    It¡¯s probably better to get payment in advance, these guys seems like the type to say they¡¯ll payter and just run away.

    ¡°The Rich family¡¯s third elite guardsmen knight order huh¡­ Heh~, the adventurer guild branch office nearby will hear about yater~¡±

    ¡°Gu¡ª¡­ whatever, the food from such a cheap inn like this would be unappetizing anyways! We don¡¯t need food!¡±

    ¡°Yah yah, then that¡¯s¡­ one~ two~ three~¡­ ten people huh?¡±

    Ichika got them to behave themselves somehow by saying she¡¯d tattle on them to the adventurer guild. Good job!

    Even if it¡¯s for a rescue, it¡¯s really effective for adventurers that dive into dungeons.

    The search party¡¯smander then put four silver and fifty copper on the counter. Seriously, he¡¯s petty.

    ¡°It¡¯s fifty per person y¡¯know? Rich Family¡¯s Third Elite Guardsmen Knight Order-sa~n?¡±

    ¡°Tch¡ª, greedy Paveueran¡­¡±

    He bitterly ced thest fifty copper coins on the counter¡­ doesn¡¯t this fall under travel expenses? This Rich family must be pretty stingy.

    ¡°Oi, woman. You¡¯reing to my roomter to have a good time.¡±

    ¡°Ah, we don¡¯t have that kind of service here. Help yourself if it¡¯s between you guest knights~¡±

    ¡°¡­ You know we are the Rich family¡¯s third elite guardsmen knight order?¡±

    We get that you¡¯re some kind of knight order already.

    Well, it¡¯s a good thing I got a hunch and had Ichika work at reception. The newbies wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with them.

    Rather¡­ the heck did Ichika-san mean by saying ¡®between you guest knights¡¯?

    Giving up because Ichika easily dealt with whatever he said, he quietly epted keys to five twin rooms, the Knight Order-donos (delinquents) walked to their rooms. First stage sess.

    Then after that, it became mealtime.

    Even though he said that he wouldn¡¯t need food, he came to the dining room at meal time.

    Meat was the one to deal with him there.

    ¡°Oi, give us food. I paid.¡±

    The hell you did!

    Ah, unintentionally felt like standing up and tsukkomi¡¯ing him. I¡¯d just happened toe to the dining room to eat a meal.

    I mean, we have a meal ticket system here. Since you need to hand over a meal ticket to receive your meal, if you don¡¯t have a ticket you won¡¯t be served.

    It¡¯s the same thing even if you lose your ticket somehow. Well, if you bought the meal ticket at the reception desk and exined it properly it would be worked out, but right now only an idiot would forget that guy¡¯s remark.

    ¡°Do you have a meal ticket? If you don¡¯t have one, please purchase it again at the reception desk.¡±

    ¡°Fucking kid! So cheeky even though you¡¯re just a filthy beastkin!¡±

    The self-proimed knightmander lunged at Meat who gave him the temte answer exactly as the manual told her to.

    Filthy? Meat is way cleaner than you guys. She has to smell good to be a hug pillow to sleep with after all.

    ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll educate you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll decline.¡±

    Meat easily avoided the self-proimed knight leader¡¯s attempt to grasp her arm. He looked very uncool there.

    As expected, he was very self-aware about that. He tried to catch her again, but was easily avoided yet again.

    The other guests that hade to eat were whistling and cheering her magnificent evasion performance like it was a show.

    ¡°Guh¡ª, defying me even though you¡¯re just a beastkin!? Don¡¯t you know what the Rich family¡¯s third elite guardsmen knight order is!?¡±

    ¡°I do not know.¡±

    Yep, I didn¡¯t tell Meat since I don¡¯t know either. Maybe someone will exin to us just how great they are sooner orter?

    ¡°The Rich family could easily crush an inn like this!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    I¡¯d told Meat to properly ignore whatever he said.

    Rather, for argument¡¯s sake, even if that Rich family can crush this inn¡­ don¡¯t you just work for them? This guy¡¯s just saying whatever he wants to boast.

    ¡°But yeahhh¡­ right, your body¡¯s more or less good looking, that¡¯ll work. Be happy, give your body to me and I won¡¯t have this inn crushed.¡±

    The heck are you saying to a little girl, oi. You have no integrity.

    ¡°I¡¯ll decline.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t care what happens to this inn then?¡±

    ¡­ He¡¯s gradually turning into an eyesore. The other guests are also getting pretty irritated.

    And so, I stood up in front of Meat as though to protect her and adressed the self-proimed knightmander.

    ¡°Oi, you. Cut it out.¡±

    ¡°Aaah!? The hell are you, don¡¯t you know that we are¡ª¡±

    ¡°This inn¡¯s sponsor is the A-Rank adventurer, [White Winged Goddess]. Saying such thoughtless remarks, she might just decide that the Rich family is a very pesky thing?¡±

    Startled, he stopped movement for a moment.

    ¡°¡­ I-is that true? [White Winged Goddess], backing an inn like this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she oftenes to stay. It¡¯s not a lie, you can go hear it from the guild if you want. They won¡¯t hide it, you¡¯ll learn about it pretty fast¡­ so, you get how bad it¡¯d be to make trouble? Would that Rich family protect you if you made enemies with an A-Rank adventurer?¡±

    The color of blood drained from his face. The power of an A-Rank adventurer¡¯s title is crazy¡­

    ¡°I-I wish to express my thanks for the information¡­¡±

    He coughed before continuing.

    ¡°I-I just remembered that I have some business elsewhere, I must be going.¡±

    Thus, he promptly withdrew.

    ¡°You did good.¡±

    ¡°Should¡¯a helped sooner!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed by relying on~ the~ goddess~?¡±

    While the guests called out with a few teases, I returned to my seat while patting Meat¡¯s head.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, thank you.¡±

    ¡°What, that¡¯s my duty from the start¡­ It¡¯d be good if they behaved themselves now¡­¡±

    ¡°Hyah¡ª, y-yes¡­ that¡¯s right.¡±

    While I yed with Meat¡¯s doggy ears with my fingers, for some reason I had a hunch that it probably wouldn¡¯t work out like that.

    *

    ¡­ Well.

    Really, even though it would¡¯ve been good if they behaved themselves, that self-proimed knightmander just shut himself up in his room and his subordinates are doing whatever they please.

    Particrly when they enter the bath, they don¡¯t use [Cleanup], they swim around, they make a ton of noise and annoy everyone near them, and when they get out of the bath they leave food scattered about the floor in the lounge.

    Even in the game room, they beat against the slot machine and tried to steal the ying cards. Come on.

    When ites to the entertainment business, just that much is just barely tolerable.

    What I won¡¯t tolerate is them trying to take my futons without permission.

    Something huge like that would definitely get exposed.

    However, that would¡¯ve required them to think a little.

    They tried to slice the futons in half and divide the work and take them home.

    Ichika noticed it when she was casually going down the hallway and sweeping, she stopped them just before they cut them¡­ those guys, even without their self-proimed knightmander they tried twisting our arms by saying, ¡°We are the Rich family¡¯s third elite guardsmen knight order!¡±

    The self-proimed knightmander stopped them with a pale face though, yep. It¡¯s already no use. They¡¯ve crossed the line that I can¡¯t forgive.

    They tried to cut my futons into pieces and steal them. There¡¯s no way I could forgive that, right?

    And so, I decided to wee them into my dungeon.

 Chapter 89

    Weing the Intruders 1

    ¡°Fuck¡¯s sake, why¡¯d I gotta dogeza!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear it from themander? They¡¯re supported by an A-Rank adventurer.¡±

    ¡°No way that¡¯s right, why woulda A-Rank adventurere to a ce like this? Themander¡¯s unexpectedly susceptible eh.¡±

    ¡°Oi, he¡¯ll hear you.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ª crap.¡±

    The Rich family¡¯s third knight order. Even though they appeared like that, they were knights that serve Earl Rich¡­ they were an assortment of adventurers being put to use as fighters. Like this time, their tasks included dungeon search and rescues.

    This time, they received a report from the Rich family¡¯s second son, Doran, by way of the guild that they were to rush over because, ¡°The third son, Drason, has met an ident in the dungeon.¡± For rescuing someone from a dungeon, time was of the essence. Therefore, they made certain to act quickly so that they couldter use the excuse that they took the proper measures.

    By the way, as for the ¡®Elite Guardsmen¡¯ part of the ¡®Third Elite Guardsmen Knight Order¡¯¡­ that was a self-proimed title with the reason being: it sounded cool. Meaning¡­ no one in the group knew what it was supposed to mean.

    ¡°Oi, that¡¯s a trap right there. Be careful.¡±

    ¡°Ah yeah. Since us third elite guardsmen knight order are the ones doing it, even dungeon rescue operations are easy as hell¡­ Not if they¡¯re still alive, though.¡±

    It was rare for rescue operations for dungeons to seed.

    All items disappearpletely if they die in the dungeon. You can¡¯t locate something that doesn¡¯t exist. Usually, people would search for two or three days before proiming something like, ¡°Since we were unable to find them, it seems that they¡¯ve died in the dungeon.¡±

    Because of this, for them, this ¡®Rescue Operation¡¯ was basically a way to get some pocket change from the dungeon before ending it with a suitable report¡­ it was really easy to think of it as easy work.

    ¡°Commander~, think that stupid Son-sama still alive?¡±

    ¡°No way. He definitely died some time ago somewhere in the dungeon. If he did manage to live somehow together with those followers of his, well¡­ I¡¯d probably¡¯ve killed him on the second day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah haha, there¡¯s no way. Really, that stupid Son-sama is way too useless.¡±

    ¡°The family¡¯s already decided that the eldest son, Kandra-sama, is going to seed. Kandra-sama even already has an heir too, so the Rich family is happy with him.¡±

    The Rich family¡¯s inheritor was decided to be the eldest son, Kandra. Since Kandra had already had a son, the family was secure. Therefore, the only way the third son, Drason, could be the head of the family would be for him to umte achievement after achievement.

    Naturally, since he hadn¡¯t returned from the dungeon after leaving to find a magic sword in it, it didn¡¯t need to be said that that was also impossible.

    ¡°Well that¡¯s fine ain¡¯t it? There¡¯d be no more idiot, ain¡¯t it fine to just think of it like that?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, gotta point there.¡±

    They spoke ill of Drason, who was definitely the person they served and the family head¡¯s rtive.

    Though they acted like that, they didn¡¯t know that even they were considered the parasitic idiot knight order by the next head of the family, Kandra.

    *

    [But man it sucked I couldn¡¯t y around with that woman¡­ no choice but to save up some more money.] [That slot machine thing was the worst. Already lost the reward we¡¯re getting for this¡­] [Those ying cards, I only took one of ¡¯em, sucks I couldn¡¯t get more¡­]

    Those guys, they¡¯re just doing whatever they want. And that ying card¡­

    So they stole after all huh¡­ have to set up some countermeasures for that.

    Well, although I decided that today will be a weing party for those guys, today¡¯sbyrinth area is special. I¡¯m even letting them pass by the riddle area.

    Maybe I¡¯ll try out the unexplored area¡¯s traps and defensive functions.

    [Oh¡ª, there¡¯s golems. Just like we heard. Get ¡¯em! ¡­ Ah, they ran away!] [Don¡¯t chase them. This is abyrinth ya know?] [Eh, right¡­]

    While instigating them with some moderate golems, I guided them through a path to break through thebyrinth.

    I let Rei and them operate the golems, this also served as practice.

    ¡°Master, is it fine guiding them like this?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re doing fine. Just keep changing their path by leading them on with the golems¡­ Here, look. They¡¯ve met back up.¡±

    The knight order (delinquents) had divided their group of ten into two groups of five to search. As nned, we made sure that they met back up atbyrinth¡¯s exit so it looks like they were guided well.

    [Oh? Your team also came huh. Good timing.] [As expected of us¡­ So, looks like its pretty much unexplored areas next?] [Hoh, sounds great¡­ Though, it¡¯s dangerous too. What do we do?]

    ¡­ Hmm, so all the same they¡¯re careful huh. Will they bite the bait?

    [Nn? Oi, check it out.] [¡­ That¡¯s a treasure chest huh. Pawn, go check it out.] [Yah!]

    A scout named Pawn opened the treasure chest while being vignt¡­. As for its contents¡ª

    [Oh¡ª, a weapon! A knife¡­ there¡¯s a magic stone in it, it¡¯s a magic sword! Commander, can I have this!?] [Alright, good job Pawn. Now, I¡¯ll be taking that.] [But¡­] [It¡¯s fine since we¡¯re splitting the money up afterwards yeah? ¡­ Oi, look. Seems to be some more treasure chests inside. Or rather, there aren¡¯t any traps around here?] [From the looks of it, nope. I heard there¡¯s a riddle somewhere¡­ maybe it¡¯s farther in?]

    Ah, looks like they fell for the simple chests I set up to guide them in. The knight order (delinquents) are moving farther and farther in. They¡¯re so reckless it¡¯s doubtful that they¡¯re really even C-Rank.

    ¡­ Maybe it¡¯s better this way?

    [Ooh! Woah, this is a magic sword too! There¡¯s one here too!] [That makes the fifth one! Hahaha, I can¡¯t stop smiling anymore!]

    Yep, looking good. It¡¯s good they¡¯re so stupid. Well, once they¡¯d went sufficiently far inside, I quietly closed the first room¡¯s door.

    ¡­ They put a door wedge on it, but there¡¯s no problem since I¡¯ll just collect it. Rather, why did they bring a wedge? Is that a C-Rank thing?

    The riddle area was in full effect once the door closed.

    Originally, the door to the room wouldn¡¯t open if the riddle wasn¡¯t solved. You could only enter the first andst rooms without solving them. This was the [Four Room Series of Riddle Rooms]. [1]

    Furthermore, the riddle question followed the usual pattern, whenever a door was opened, it would change to another question. Which meant you couldn¡¯te and go just by solving it once.

    .. Well, in other words, the knight order (delinquents) would be confined in the [Riddle Area] from now on. The DP we¡¯re getting from them doubled.

    I wonder if the amount of DP we get when they die doubles as well? It¡¯s a good opportunity. Let¡¯s try it out this time.

    [Oi, we can¡¯t go back!] [Huh? Hold up, where¡¯s the doorstop!?] [It¡¯s not there¡­ I¡¯ve never heard something like them disappearing this fast. It should¡¯vested a day at least¡­] [Did we overlook some special mechanism? No, maybe a monster moved it?] [I dunno, but at any rate, the riddle appeared when the door closed.]

    What, so it was an item like that? ¡­ Now that I think about it, there was something like that written in the [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons] too, crap. I forgot. Looks like Haku-san that as fakemon sense like with the [Safety Zone] too? I¡¯ll make sure to have a golem remove them from now on. Mice should work too?

    [¡­ What now? Looks like we can¡¯t leave without solving the riddle?] [Yeah. But look, can you solve it?]

    This time¡¯s question was a special one. Anyone could answer it, I prepared a super simple question.

    [¡®How many steps are in the spiral staircase beyond this point, as well as what color is the door at the bottom?¡¯¡­ The fuck?] [Thankfully, the door that continues on is open¡­ Looks like there¡¯s no choice but to keep going.] [2]

    Hello~, this is our ten honored guests¡¯ guide speaking~.

    Footnotes:

    Like advancing into the first riddle room or retreating to thest riddle room.

    From what I can tell, they are currently in the second of the riddle rooms with the first riddle room¡¯s riddle door having the question on it? I¡¯m very, very confused here¡­

 Chapter 90

    Weing the Intruders 2

    The correct answer was just the amount of steps and the matching color of the door at the bottom¡­ but since they couldn¡¯t see it from the top, they wouldn¡¯t be able to know without descending. That was the n.

    [There¡¯s no way to solve it without going further into the dungeon, eh¡­ like we¡¯re getting invited in.] [Shit, were we too careless? We should¡¯ve known there¡¯d be a bit difference from how [Ordinary Cave] used to be.] [Oi! Focus up if you don¡¯t want to die! This is no longer an E-Rank dungeon¡ªthink of it as an A-Rank grade dungeon and don¡¯t wander off!]

    Whoops! Looks like they¡¯re fired up now.

    ¡­ Well, it¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll just have them give their all to assess this ce¡¯s performance.

    So for now, the knight order (delinquents) advanced through the [Spiral Staircase Area]. With a hole down the middle of it, the spiral staircase was made up of wooden footholds that sprung from the walls in a spiral shape. Step by step, they verified that the boards wouldn¡¯t fall¡­ their concern is justified. There are some that would fall if it held a person¡¯s full weight. [1]

    [There are some fake footholds mixed in. Watch your step!] [Yeah. Let¡¯s advance careful¡­ Should we count the fakes too?]

    Step by step, they slowly advanced while checking their footing. Well, they won¡¯t be able to continue like this though.

    ¡°Now then, Rei. Kinue-san. Nerune¡­ Enemies have entered the [Spiral Staircase Area]¡ªPush them off.] ¡°¡±¡± Understood, master! ¡°¡±¡±

    This spiral staircase area was open. Other than it looking awesome, there was another, more proper, reason for this.

    As for what was prepared there, they were bulky¡ªincredibly bulky,rger than the width of the staircase¡ªstone wall golems.

    Then, targeting the knight order (delinquents) that were descending the open spiral staircase, the stone wall golems that were buried in the wall made their appearance. The reaction, simply put¡ª

    [Uwah!? M-move quick! It¡¯s a trap!] [W-wai¡ª, go back!] [Idiot, this way too¡­ u-uwaaah!]

    They were pushed and fell. Simple as that. The were four people that had fallen behind from being too preupied with the fake steps were pushed down by stone wall golems and fell through the open hole in the center¡­ as for how far the drop was, it was from the second above ground floor to the third underground floor. Though they were working on descending the staircase, those four people that fell were the highest up and dropped four floors¡¯ worth of height and fell really fast. When they reached the floor, they turned into red blotches that would¡¯ve needed mosaics to cover up.

    The amount of DP we got was the amount of four E-Rank adventurers¡¯ worth¡­ Hmm, doesn¡¯t look like it doubled even if they¡¯re made to be confined.

    But still¡­ uwaah, that was way more dangerous than expected. ughtering the bandits when I came to this world, at this point I don¡¯t feel any guilt. However, it still looks awful. All four of them were wearing armor, but all four of their heads popped open. Gross. It¡¯s at the level where evente-night anime would hide it with ck shadows. Ugh¡­ well, looks like I¡¯m not eating any meat today¡­

    [Tch, so four people got caught huh.] [Whatever we do, we can¡¯t turn back.] [¡­ ¡­ ¡­ No, look. They¡¯ve already turned back into walls¡­ How abrupt it was was surprising, but the speed that theye out isn¡¯t too fast. They take a moment toe out. If we run past them in one go, we should probably be able to get back up before theye out. We can also descend like that.]

    ¡­ The remaining people: six. As expected of amander¡¯s character, he seems calm.

    They collected valuables and equipment from the dead bodies. What amazing mental fortitude, I want to learn that from them.

    ¡°Sorry, only four of the people were able to be pushed off.¡±

    ¡°No, that much is fine. Instead, it¡¯s good that you pushed four people off¡­ Now for the other six. How about we have somebat training?¡±

    I installed a haniwa golem onto the spiral staircase. Originally, it was meant to be a boss monster, but it¡¯ll never get its chance to make its debut as one and is now a sorrowful existence. I had the cavalry-style haniwa golem slowly walk down the spiral staircase.

    [Oh, there¡¯s that door at the bottom. Red huh? Alright, guess we should head back. How many steps were there?] [¡­ One hundred and sixty. As for whether or not to include the topmost step and the bottom one¡­ wait,mander. Something¡¯sing. It should be at the unique level at the least.] [From above? Where did ite from? ¡­ What is it?] [No idea, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen that shape, there¡¯s an unknown number of them. Please be on guard.]

    As for the haniwa golem, it was an armored golem that was mounted on a horse golem. Its face was a haniwa. The golem¡¯s design was that of a knight that protects my quiet sleep.

    Although it¡¯s usually roaming around however it wants on auto mode, right now, Meat is controlling it.

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be showing this as an example, so please watch.¡±

    Step by step, the haniwa grandly made its way down the staircase¡­ however, it jumped down the center hole as soon as the remaining six people assumed battle postures.

    Although it probably could have been a surprise attack, since this was so that Rei and the other newbies could practice controlling the golems, I decided to have Meat, who was already aplete veteran at piloting them, show off as an example.

    Erasing the impact from crashing against the ground by using the horse¡¯s sufficient legs, it removed the long and slender halberd magic sword golem from its back in a smooth motion. Therge armored golem was about one and a half timesrger than an ordinary human and came with a horse golem to match. The size difference came with an overpowering feeling.

    Although it was enclosed by six armed people, the golem wasn¡¯t agitated in the least. As though it had eyes in the back of its head¡ªin truth, there were no blind spots due to looking through the monitor¡ªthe atmosphere froze as though nothing would be permitted to move.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    Meat¡¯s mutter was something for us. In the next moment, the horse golem dashed forward alone as though shot from a gun, sending one person flying into the wall. Just one blink of the eyeter, the armored golem thatnded on the ground swung its halberd horizontally at knee height.

    Two of the people¡¯s reaction times were dyed due to being surprised by the horse golem. Suddenly, they found themselves severed from the knees down, slipping and falling towards the ground.

    [Gaaah!! Commander! Save meee!] [Run! ¡ªThe staircase is blocked, towards the interior!]

    As the haniwa golem¡ªas Meat nned, she blocked off the staircase. The first person that the horse golem charged had fainted. That person was being trampled by the horse golem, taking up the area in front of the stairs. In addition, the armored golem wielded its halberd as though to defend that path.

    Their escape was sealed off¡­ At the same time, three people were instantly incapacitated.

    As our DP still hasn¡¯t increased yet, they still aren¡¯t dead. The other half will be left for the newbies¡¯ tactical training. My orders were perfectly obeyed, magnificent work!

    The three remaining people ran into the golem warehouse.

    ¡°¡­ That was perfect.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡­ Rather, what the heck¡ª!? The horse golem could be shot out and move that fast!?

    Although I sacrificed its output by using gears for now so that it could move faster, how the heck did you just do that, Meat? How!?

    ¡°When you operate all of the joints at the same time, with flowing body movements, the whole body will shoot. Adding the initial kick off, the eleration increases further¡­ I practiced this with Rokuko-sama. This is a technique that even Rokuko-sama can use. You should be able to do this much if it¡¯s a boss.¡±

    Meat exined to the three newbies so that they could learn it.

    When did she have the time¡­ wait, is it while I¡¯m sleeping? I thought that I was the best at using golems, guess not.

    ¡°Those three people, what should be done to them? Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll add a jail to the golem warehouse. Neutralize and throw them in there. We¡¯ll exploit their DP until they die¡­ drive them there while fighting them. Don¡¯t lose, defeat them. There are various golems, so try out various things.¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Yes, master! ¡°¡±¡±

    Iron golems and stone golems were earnestly chasing them around the golem warehouse area¡¯s passageway. There were ones that were in the shape of animals, ones with four arms, ones with four legs, ones with bows and arrows or spears, none of the golems had ordinary features.

    [Shit, shit, what are these monsters, the fuck, why, why are they chasing us!?] [W-we can¡¯t do this!] [Hiiii!? Pincushion!? Uwah, stay away, stay away!?]

    ¡°This four-legged golem is slow, but it is very stable for aiming with a bow.¡±

    ¡°A broom isn¡¯t a suitable weapon for a golem, is it?¡±

    ¡°Heeeh~, this hedgehog golem is awesome even just by running with it~, so pleasant~¡±

    I had the three use whatever golems I made as prototypes that they liked to chase them into the designated check point.

    At that point¡ª

    [Uwah! A-a web, shit, can¡¯t see¡ª] [Tear it off!] [Igyaaah! Gu¡ª, shit, there¡¯s thorns¡ª] [Oi, they¡¯re behind us! Quickly!] [Uwaaah! They¡¯re, they¡¯reing¡ª!]

    Setting up traps, the haniwa golem took a roundabout path.

    Chasing them, pushing them onward, we had them do nothing but run onward.

    [Haah, haah, shit, this is¡­ t-this¡ª]

    Then, they barely managed to reach the spiral staircase room in the end. It was their only way back.

    [It¡¯s a different room¡­ or not¡­ but there¡¯s none of their corpses. Are they already gone?] [This dungeon is strange, and dangerous!] [I will make it back alive¡­ the number of stairs, count again! Don¡¯t make a mistake counting! Watch out for the walls! ¡­¡ª! It¡¯s that guy, that guy¡¯s cooomiiing!!]

    The haniwa golem urged them on just to make doubly sure they¡¯d go. Step by step, the golem¡¯s characteristically thudding footsteps echoed towards them.

    The walls let them climb the stairs back up withouting out. Though since there were still fake steps, they kept slipping.

    ¡°Master, are you sure? Even though they¡¯ll be able to return home?¡±

    ¡°No, they won¡¯t be able to return¡­ if they did return, they¡¯d definitely have this dungeon be a dangerous spot for beginners¡­ I¡¯ll show you a bit of a trick, so please enjoy yourselves.¡±

    Then, the three remaining finally arrived back at the riddle room.

    [It¡¯s the riddle, hurry before that guy gets here¡ª! How many steps did you count!? I got one hundred and sixty!] [Me too! A hundred sixty!] [One sixty! The door is red!] [Alright, let¡¯s an¡ª¡­ swer¡­?]

    The three people froze. In front of them was a riddle.

    However, it wasn¡¯t a question about how many steps there were and what the door¡¯s color was.

    [¡­ ¡°This is a special question where the answer is [Easy]! What is 25 + 39?¡± ¡­ Eh? The heck is this¡­] [The question changed!? ¡­ But as expected of me, I know this too! It¡¯s sixty-six!]

    The moment that themander answered with that, the room¡¯s floor was reced with a pitfall.

    ¡­ He had an expression on like he was asking why, but I didn¡¯t expect him to make that particr mistake either you know?

    Footnotes:

    The staircase is like this but much, muchrger and more dungeon-y with lots of ways to fall.

 Chapter 91

    Did it¡­

    Making a mistake with his math, the delinquents fell into the spiderweb trap.

    ¡­ Well either way though, he would¡¯ve failed since the answer was [Easy].

    At any rate, all of them were neutralized with this.

    Phew. My work¡¯s over, feels like a heat that¡¯s been clinging to my body is going away¡­ Yep, I calmed down.

    ¡°Hey Kehma. I thought of something, wouldn¡¯t they be pretty vignt if something like ten adventurers sent in together don¡¯t return?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Th-that¡¯s right.¡±

    It¡¯s as Rokuko says.

    If I calm down and think about it, that party of ten people contained at least two C-Rank adventurers. It wouldn¡¯t be strange for them to consider the dungeon to be pretty hard. I may have raged a little there. Those guys almost wounded the Futon-sans.

    ¡°¡­ Were you irritated since they tried to do stuff to Ichika and Meat?¡±

    ¡°No, it was because of the Futon-sans. It was for my lovely Futon-sans.¡±

    ¡°If you like them that much, well it¡¯s fine?¡±

    Mm, yep. I wouldn¡¯t get irritated from someone making a move on Ichika or Meat¡­ well, maybe not. Now that I think about it, maybe. I gave a direct warning to that knightmander for Meat or something, it was something dangerous for me.

    So in other words, yes¡­ crap, I wasn¡¯t thinking at all. I repent!

    ¡°Hey hey, Kehma. Would you massacre them all assuming they had a quarrel with me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a dangerous-sounding question¡­ Well, I half-killed them. Half aren¡¯t dead. Rather, around sixty percent are still alive.¡±

    ¡°But they¡¯re going to die eventually from DP being wrung from them you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Kehma massacred the bandits for my sake, he¡¯d definitely annihte anyone that tries to pick a quarrel with me!¡±

    Rokuko smiled in a pleasant way that felt full of innocence.

    Huh, did what she just say sound weird at all? Like, aggressively violent¡­

    However, since I¡¯ve already ced the traps, there¡¯s no way those guys will be able to return alive. So it¡¯s a wholesale murder in the end huh~¡­ maybe I¡¯ve gotten a pretty wicked side too. In a certain game, I¡¯d be leaning towards chaotic. It¡¯ll be bad if I don¡¯t hit the brakes at a moderate point. I want to stay neutral to the bitter end.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama. Everyone, they were stored in the jail.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good work¡­ However, you¡¯ve gotten good at operating golems, Meat. When did you make such an improvement?¡±

    When I stroked Meat¡¯s head, her tail wagged back and forth happily.

    ¡­ My heart calms down when I stroke Meat. Maybe the equation¡¯s Meat = pillow = sense of security at this point?

    Right, Meat is my important bedding! That¡¯s why there¡¯s nothing wrong with me getting upset if someone tries to make a pass at her! I am not a lolicon!

    ¡°Nnnu?¡­ For Goshujin-sama, I did my best, to be useful¡­ It¡¯s hot recently, so since sometimes I couldn¡¯t be your hug pillow, I¡­ hauu?¡±

    ¡°Jiii¡­¡± [1]

    While I was patting Meat¡¯s head as she let out delighted sounds, Rokuko stared at me with slightly condemning eyes.

    ¡­ Yep, sorry. I was just feeling a bit relieved there.

    ¡°So, what¡¯ll you do to those guys you caught?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    It¡¯d be extremely troublesome to look after the prisoners myself. Besides, it¡¯d leave various bad aftertastes with me. It¡¯d hinder my peaceful sleep.

    Alright! Let¡¯s leave this to my subordinates!

    ¡°Rei, there is work for you. As the jailer, I entrust those guys¡¯ care to you. I will include golems as assistant jailers, go moderately on them.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Please leave it to me, master! May I drink their blood!?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Sure. Go for it. I don¡¯t really mind if they die.¡±

    ¡°Yay! ¡­ Ah, s-sorry, thank you very much!¡±

    Come to think of it, Rei is a vampire huh. I remembered that fact now at thiste hour.

    I mean originally, humans were fodder for Rei. That¡¯s why it seems vampires have the know-how to [Own] humans in their head.

    It might be useful for Rei toe here. It¡¯s good that her being a vampire may not be in vain, she might be able to power up by drinking blood!

    I should think about a device that works in the dungeon so that it isn¡¯t exposed. Not a ve cor, more like a prisoner cor I guess? Yeah, it should be fine if I make it with a golem. Something like a pillory that turns into a guillotine with an order.

    ¡°¡­ Incidentally, so you wanted to drink blood as a vampire after all? I thought there was that option that invalidated that impulse though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I don¡¯t need to. However, master, imagine having a body that didn¡¯t have to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yep. I¡¯d sleep. Definitely would. I would absolutely sleep.¡±

    I definitely understand her. [Unnecessary] and [Unwanted] are different things. It¡¯s like the feeling of not dying if there was bread even though you loved cake.

    Even so, our DP ie skyrocketed huh.

    To be precise, our current ie of 500 DP per day became 1,800 DP per day. That¡¯s three hundred sixty percent.

    About 1300 DP from six prisoners. So we could get this much huh. Double from being locked up and triple from being in a prison. There¡¯s no way to describe how seriously awesome six times as much is.

    ¡°In other words, might as well live today in luxury! Melon roll party tonight, no objections allowed!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-sama, I¡¯d like to eat hamburgers too. And curry rolls for Ichika too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll allow it!¡±

    What happened to no objections allowed? Well, whatever, it¡¯s fine.

    If that¡¯s the case maybe I should offer various kinds of breads tonight. Not sweetened buns, but the kinds of baked goods you can find at bakeries. Sometimes luxury is good too!

    ¡°¡­ Ah, we got DP. Someone died~¡±

    ¡°Nn? It didn¡¯t look like those guys whose legs were chopped off would die that fast since their wounds were cauterized shut¡­ Oh. The aristocrat huh?¡±

    When I looked at the situation in the test room, the aristocrat¡­ his name was Drason I think? Well, he was attacked by his followers. And although he held the magic sword till the end, the followers that surrounded him sessfully returned it to the pedestal and cancelled the lock down.

    There was still some of the aristocrat¡¯s blood smeared over the magic sword that was ced back in the pedestal, but the scene was somehow moving. The men had faces like they¡¯d just ovee a difficult journey.

    Yep yep, they worked hard. Let¡¯s cancelbyrinth¡¯s blockade as a reward.

    Since I¡¯m feeling like doing something kind right now, how about I let them go straight out?

    By the way, after being saved, they could use the excuse that the noble died. Although they could¡­ since there are magic tools that can distinguish lies, they¡¯ll probably be arrested immediately after getting interrogated.

    Well, I¡¯m not responsible for that you know? That¡¯s something outside of my dungeon.

    Footnotes:

    Audible onomatopoeia for staring at someone/something.

 Chapter 92

    Information From Haku-san

    Several days after the sad event of the aristocrat¡¯s murder in the dungeon (it seems the criminals confessed), Haku-san came to visit again.

    How does this person possibly have this much free time? Well, even though I thought that, it seemed she had some business today as well.

    She called me and Rokuko together to a room and looked at us while holding on to some cream soda.

    ¡°A hero ising this time.¡±

    It was shocking information.

    ¡°Eh, a hero? ¡­ Seriously?¡±

    ¡°Would I tell you a lie? Well, I understand how you feel though.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You usually say [God¡¯s Vanguard], not [Hero] though? Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan is wise. Yes, since he has already went through brainwashing training, he¡¯s already under my control. You don¡¯t have to worry about many things.¡±

    I let out my breath, slightly relieved. Let¡¯s not pay attention to her mentioning brainwashing.

    ¡°There is a fool that performed the hero summoning ritual in my country at his own volition¡­ Although he was barely an aristocrat, my ns went slightly awry and thanks to that I was able toe visit Rokuko-chan. His assets have been seized and the present head of the family was executed.¡±

    Excuse me, your ns went awry from seizure and execution so you could meet Rokuko? Wait that¡¯s not it, a hero summoning done on their own, is that fine? Is it?

    Rather, a hero summoning is something that can be done that easily?

    ¡°It¡¯s normally not something that can be done like that, it takes quite the preparation¡­ Perhaps you understand if I spoke in terms of DP? 50,000,000,000 DP.¡±

    This time, it seems to have been done with a special item that was used aspensation, [God¡¯s Tear].

    ording to her, the item itself didn¡¯t have much of a value, it was something that could be used to pay the cost of summoning a hero. Like a hero voucher or something.

    ¡°Why did that aristocrat summon a hero?¡±

    ¡°Likely for distinguished services, he was eyeing a piece ofnd that fell directly in the demon king¡¯s territory, and if the demon was defeated by throwing the hero at him¡­ well, it was like that.¡±

    Demon king. Fantasy just came and pped me in the face.

    ¡°By the way, the demon king¡¯s true identity is Dungeon Core No. 6. His dungeon¡¯s name is [Demon King¡¯s Castle], a castle-type dungeon.¡±

    So the demon king is a dungeon core too? I heard something like that a while back, but it was true? ¡­ Huh? Wasn¡¯t it said that it was already defeated?

    ¡°That was probably No. 66. The same type of dungeon core as No. 6, it was one of the demon king¡¯s followers. There are some other followers as well¡­ Perhaps it could be called the demon king faction?¡±

    So dungeon cores have factions? ¡­ Let¡¯s join Haku-san¡¯s faction. We¡¯ve gotten so much DP from her there¡¯s noints from me.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s fine, back on topic, that is why a god¡¯s vanguard¡­ a hero was summoned.¡±

    ¡°¡®Was¡¯, huh, that phrasing is a little worrying. When did the summoning happen?¡± [1]

    ¡°A guess should be alright. For the past three years, he has trained in that territory. Although he seems to have been educated as ording to the [Hero Training Manual] I tentatively made¡­ Although I wouldn¡¯t have gone so far as to punish him for being in my presence if he properly reported it, it seems he thought that it would make for an outstanding achievement if he did so after defeating the demon king. The head of the family even two generations ago would have been less objectionable, as expected, humans are no good when the generations move on.¡±

    Haku-san grumbled inint by the end there.

    How old is she? I didn¡¯t think that. If I thought that, she¡¯d kill me. Thus I didn¡¯t think it.

    By the way, as for Haku-san¡¯s carefully produced [Hero Training Manual], it was made for the sake of teaching god¡¯s vanguard [Dungeons That Are Fine to Destroy] and [Dungeons That Are Not Fine to Destroy]. It was a very convenient way (for Haku-san) to nt knowledge in them.

    Ah, by the way our dungeon¡¯s previous name of [Ordinary Cave], as well as the current [Cave of Desires] is in the do-not-break category when going to the adventurers guild to find out. The empire¡¯s foundation, Haku-san¡¯s [White Labyrinth], goes without saying.

    ¡°¡­ Ah,e to think of it, there are about six intruders captured and confined right now, could we be a [Dungeon That is Fine to Destroy]?¡±

    ¡°If you are exposed, yes. However, have you set up proper countermeasures? There¡¯s no problem then.¡±

    It¡¯s a jail, but they are perfectly isted. Their strength is falling, but since they¡¯re in a room you can¡¯t get to without the dungeon¡¯s [Deployment] function, ordinary intruders would never be able to make it to the jail.

    Although their strengths should be falling exceptionally, ording to Rei, I¡¯m told it¡¯s fine since they have bodies that can¡¯t run away and will never talk again¡­ so it seems there¡¯s no problem. I didn¡¯t ask for any details.

    Yep, it¡¯s fine so long as we aren¡¯t exposed. Although I myself rejected it since we didn¡¯t have enough people or the know-how, human farms are still really useful facilities. I understand since there are a few people in the palm of my hand already, but just six people gives the huge profit of 1,300 DP per day.

    Let¡¯s be sure to be able to self-destruct them at any time, like a evidence self-destruction switch.

    ¡°Well, that hero heard about the method of those ying cards thate from your dungeon. He said that there may be some connection to his former world. ording to Kehma-san¡¯s n, you have lured him in.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, looks like it.¡±

    Is that so? A dungeon that drops something thates from the hero¡¯s world would certainly be suspicious.

    ¡­ Although it looks like I¡¯ve somehow be an amazing tactician in Haku-san¡¯s head, that wasn¡¯t my n at all. Sorry. It was a simple mistake. Let¡¯s just hide it for now. I shook my head.

    ¡°Naturally, fufufu.¡±

    ¡°Well, although I don¡¯t know what you are nning to do with the hero, since the heroing this time, Nishimi, is under my control¡­ while hiding the things about dungeon cores that¡¯s in the [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons], could you please make best use of him and return him to me?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be helped hmm? Understood.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I don¡¯t dislike obedient children¡­ Right, if there is something you want, how about I finance you a little?¡±

    In that case please allow me to present to you this garter belt and stocking set¡ªah, I should stop. I really want to say it though.

    ¡­ Oi, Rokuko, why are you staring? I won¡¯t say it, I won¡¯t say it!

    ¡°Then DP. I want to y around with a few ¡®capturing alive anti-hero¡¯ things.¡±

    ¡°As a reward for hearing my request, I will give you 200,000 DP as prepayment.¡±

    This terrifying person can just give away one hundred days¡¯ worth of our current ie¡­ that¡¯s four hundred days¡¯ worth of our ie just a few days ago.

    Moreover, she didn¡¯t forget to tip Rokuko either. That Haku-san, her depths are iprehensible¡­

    Footnotes:

    Little awkward in English but I think the point gets through. She uses phrasing as though it happened a while ago.

 Chapter 93

    Now For Some Remodeling

    Well now, even though it¡¯s good that we¡¯ve gotten 200,000 DP from Haku-san, I still haven¡¯t decided what to do with it yet.

    By the way, saying, ¡°This is arge amount, so it wouldn¡¯t be good if any were lost,¡± Haku-san transferred the 200,000 DP mouth-to-mouth. Thanks for the meal.

    Since it was a special, how about let¡¯s give summoning and raising a slime a go¡­ with that, I looked through the DP catalog.

    In this world, there were roughly two varieties of monsters that would have been called slimes in Japan.

    One is the jelly. It is genuinely weak. Jellies move their semi-transparent bodies with jelly-like movements, dying quickly. They hardly have any offensive power at all as well. And they¡¯re 1 DP each, bizarrely cheap¡­ They also seem to be edible. Maybe they¡¯re some kind of pudding or gtin substitute?

    Despite goblins bing the targets of subjugationmissions, these guys are small fry to the point of being ignored.

    Well, the other one is the slime. By being sticky and slimy, they have freely-manipble bodies that can nullify physical blows. They are 10,000 DP a piece. Their weak point is that they are strangely weak, but they are omnivores that can eat anything. Naturally, they can eat people.

    That is what people refer to as a slime in this world. Come to think of it, there were magma slimes in our neighbors¡¯ [me Cavern] huh.

    ¡­ As a dungeon for beginners, let¡¯s try deploying a few jelly spawners in the dungeon for now. Even though they are one hundred times the monster¡¯s initial cost, it¡¯s still just 100 DP. Incredibly cheap.

    Seeing as how they can be eaten, it¡¯s not a waste. Maybe they¡¯ll turn into snacks for adventurers and the goblins?

    And for no reason at all, definitely no reason, I summoned a single jelly into my hand. Then, I tried out rubbing it to experiment¡­ Ooh, yep, as expected. It jiggles.

    I suddenly thought up something. Abruptly. Since I just came up with it, I made the jelly into a pillow andid down on it. Oooooh, its softness is considerably pleasant. This incredibly good pillow probably wouldn¡¯t even lose to the heavenly pillow. To get it for 1 DP¡­ cheap¡­

    *

    I woke up from my nap since the jelly was crushed, my face was covered in a crust. Looks like the weight of my head caused its body fluids to gradually leak out. This is a point that absolutely needs to be improved. Wrapping it in a cover made with the vinyl wrapping thates with the sweet buns might work? The jelly would still be crushed though.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, are the hero countermeasures good?¡±

    ¡°Nn, to be honest, they aren¡¯t really needed.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t!? You¡¯re not going to do anything with the 200,000 DP Haku Ane-sama gave us!?¡±

    Yep, it was all for hero countermeasures, but there isn¡¯t even really a reason to do anything. At most I just needed to make it so that he can¡¯t get to the jail.

    Even if he makes it to the dungeon¡¯s innermost floor, destroys the boss iron haniwa golem and steals a few de magic sword golems, there¡¯s no need to worry since he won¡¯t destroy the core due to Haku-san¡¯s training (brainwashing).

    To begin with, the one at the innermost of the dungeon is a dummy core, the real one is in Rokuko¡¯s room in the inn. Rather, it¡¯s to the point that I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be bad to have some crime prevention in Rokuko¡¯s room. I¡¯ll know immediately if there are any intruders though¡­ I can use castling whenever, I¡¯d usually put it somewhere in the dungeon. I wonder if it¡¯s fine keeping this arrangement when the heroes?

    With all of that, it¡¯s important to not bring too much attention to our dungeon by overdoing it. It might be a good opportunity to assess just how capable the hero is.

    Speaking of necessary preparations though, it¡¯ll probably be fine just making iron haniwa golems and magic swords.

    I¡¯m taking a pretty easygoing stance on the matter.

    ¡°Well, we did get 200,000 DP, so let¡¯s go forward with strengthening the dungeon¡­ To be precise, let¡¯s make some new areas.¡±

    ¡°Un, what kind of areas are you going to make?¡±

    I¡¯ve been thinking about two things. A coliseum area and a meadow area.

    Without hesitation, I put the coliseum area in front of the boss room, also making it so that you could go from the warehouse area to the meadow area.

    There was a boss room if you advanced to the coliseum area from the warehouse area, and it would be a dead end if you went to the meadow area.

    And for the meadow area, when I was talking with Haku-san, she¡¯d told me about the geographical feature facilities for human farms, so I nned to install a [Sky (50,000 DP)] and [Meadow (500 DP)]. They didn¡¯t appear in the catalog until she told me about them, but it¡¯s probably because there was some kind of condition for them.

    Geographical feature instations are applied to the entire floor. For example, [Sky] provides a stream of sunlight, as well as a proper night. It even rains asionally, it really is a [Sky] huh.

    Other geographical features you could get with DP included things like [Coast] and [Volcano]. [Volcano] is a cheap 100 DP, but [Coast] is more than 100,000 DP. I think it¡¯s probably so expensive because a sea is something unnatural in a mountain.

    It seems that if you make a geographical feature using DP, you could even make it like it was the outside world. Although they¡¯re probably instations meant for providing for monsters that rely on certain terrains, you could also use it with the intention of making a human farm that humans won¡¯t really want to leave because there¡¯s no stress.

    Naturally, the [Sky] terrain effect doesn¡¯t increase the size of the room, it seems that room¡¯s ceiling height is also set by the room¡¯s size specifications beforehand. So I intend to make as spacious a room as possible¡­ Let¡¯s make it at the level where a vige can fit in it. It¡¯d be plenty even if they just settled down at the entrance.

    Rather, I want to check what kind of thing the [Sky] is even though it¡¯s a ceiling. I intend to install it in the meadow area anyways.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s make the meadow area a [Safety Zone] too. It¡¯ll be good if they decide to rest in that area. Let¡¯s have them have an easy time to rest there¡­ Should we set some rabbits loose too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s kind to the adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s the original role for a [Safety Zone] anyways.¡±

    The [Safety Zone]¡¯s original role. That is, a ce to make surprise attacks against adventurers that have let down their guard, putting things in order.

    Of course, monsters normally don¡¯t enter them, so it¡¯s used as a campground to rest safely in the field. It wouldn¡¯t be something good to do every time. It¡¯s only effective since it¡¯s done rarely.

    ¡°Before the boss, they¡¯d decide to rest. When they let down their guard, bang!¡±

    ¡°Well it¡¯s like that.¡±

    With that, I decided to do some splendid remodeling. Since we¡¯ll be excavating a lot of holes with golems first, it¡¯ll probably take quite a while. I had them dig carefully while I looked at the map so that we wouldn¡¯t knock into [me Cavern].

    But even though I¡¯m remodeling, right now information for things farther in than the riddle area haven¡¯t been leaked out yet. It¡¯ll probably just seem like there are more jellies when looking at it from their point of view.

    *

    ¡°Kehma-sama. There is news.¡±

    The next day, Receptionist-san came from the guild.

    ¡°You might know already, but there are signs of a transition phase. Please refrain from entering the dungeon for a short while, please stay at the first floor.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ yes, understood.¡±

    Right, transition phase huh¡­ Monsters that usually don¡¯t appeare out, that kind of thing¡­ I¡¯m not nning on doing a dungeon battle though¡­ yep, I forgot.

    By the way, since they worried about monsters overflowing from the dungeon¡¯s entrance, they appear to have set up a cordon. I was also included in the shift. It was treated as a nominatedmission from the guild.

    Somehow, sorry.

    By the way, since the aristocrat¡¯s search party hadn¡¯t returned either, it turned into something like they got involved in some sort of abnormal event inside of the dungeon. Works for me.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s the reason behind you deploying the jelly spawners huh!¡±

    ¡°No, that was just by chance. Rather, I didn¡¯t expect it.¡±

    ¡°Eh, that so? That¡¯s unusual for Kehma huh, are you still half asleep?¡±

    Maybe. I¡¯ve probably been forgetful since I¡¯ve been thinking about variousrge-scaled thingstely and it all caught up to me. Maybe I should get more subordinates to entrust with various things¡­ since I can make as much of abor force (golems) as needed, I just need people wisdom that can control them. Should I get more subordinates to manage the dungeon?

    They don¡¯t even really need to be humanoid like those three girls since they¡¯ll be restricted to being inside the dungeon. Maybe something like an arachne¡­? Ah, monsters with wisdom as well as fighting potential usually cost around 100,000 DP. It¡¯s at the level of making me hesitate a little. Should I get one?

    ¡­ Eh, wait a second.

    ¡°To begin with, isn¡¯t it fine if I leave noticing stuff like that to my partner (Rokuko)?¡±

    ¡°Eh, I should be aware of stuff like that!?¡±

    Rokuko was inly surprised. Oi, partner. Oi.

    Somehow before I realized it, I became in charge of thinking while Rokuko became in charge of rxing.

    ¡°Yep, I can make mistakes and forget things too you know?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, Kehma¡¯s good at joking around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not kidding you know!? You know that if you took away me being a dungeon master I¡¯d just be a normal human right!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No way~, ever since Kehma kicked those bandits around, in my opinion everything¡¯ll be alright if I leave it to you. I¡¯ve just been practicing moving the golems.¡±

    I¡¯m surprised she trusts me so much. I just think that I¡¯m azybones that just sleeps all the time though.

    I should ask for Rokuko¡¯s opinions more often from now on. Or rather, let¡¯s have Rokuko make the dungeon too.

    We didn¡¯t have much DP before, but now our wallet¡¯s overflowing from our Haku-san ie.

    ¡°I got it. I¡¯ll also think about making the dungeon myself.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since I¡¯ll be leaving it to Rokuko, it¡¯ll definitely turn into a goblin dungeon. It¡¯d be interesting to see though.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m a goblin lover you know!?¡±

    Diverging from the golem warehouse, Rokuko made a new dungeon.

    And as for me, I was dragged into working for the cordon for a little while. I didn¡¯t have the chance to look at how she was doing.

    ¡­ Rokuko¡¯s dungeon. It was after everything waspleted that I learned what was in it.

 Chapter 94

    The Hero Has Come

    In preparation for the dungeon¡¯s transition phase that should have been going on, the entrance was being guarded. In truth, it was barren.

    Be that as it may, only people rted to the dungeon would know that. The adventurer guild very seriously constructed a barricade, and while putting a restriction at the dungeon¡¯s entrance, conducted an investigation on the dungeon¡¯s interior and prepared lookouts at its entrance.

    Although there were people being rotated in and out, adventurers with enough skill to deal with any emergencies that may have urred came to the inn to stay, so I was pretty happy about the ie increase.

    Well, I¡¯ll be watching the entrance today as well with the C-Rank adventurer Gozoh. We¡¯re pretty used to each other.

    ¡°So what changed¡­ is that jellies are appearing now? Is that even something to worry about?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, even though monsters like jellies are normally left alone, isn¡¯t it a pretty big deal that they¡¯re suddenly appearing in the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hey Gozoh. Is it alright for me to go and sleep?¡±

    ¡°No way Kehma, you¡¯re only C-Rank at this dungeon. If the situation changes, your C-Rank might get canceled. Keep watch properly.¡±

    Okay then~. But the tension feels overwhelmingly dull to me since I know what¡¯s actually happening. I know that there¡¯s no point to being so stressed out about it.

    ¡°Come to think of it, what happened to the smithy?¡±

    ¡°Kantra huh? I think he¡¯ll have it up and running soon. Those eggshells he got from you are extremely rare materials after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, that so? I got those things from Haku-san originally though~¡±

    Phoenix eggshells are super fireproof. Since it would¡¯ve been troublesome if they asked me something like where I got them, I¡¯ve already turned it into something that Haku-san did. Gozoh also seemed to understand it with, ¡°An A-Rank adventurer¡­ as expected eh.¡±

    Ah, we also made an oven entirely out of eggshells for no reason. It has a uselessly good performance, so Kinue-san, a silky girl that loves housework, was delighted about it. She could roast meat to be juicy with just a little of the fire. It looked like it would¡¯ve burned if she lost focus even once, but she was in high spirits about showing off her skills.

    ¡°Hmm, maybe I should make a kitchen knife to go with the firece? For Kinue-san¡¯s personal use.¡±

    ¡°Oh? A present for the light green pretty Nee-chan huh!? I thought for sure that Kehma was only interested in little girls, but looks like you¡¯re also properly interested in big ones too! Gahaha!¡±

    That¡¯s impolite. I have a foot fetish, but I¡¯m not a lolicon. I do have a foot fetish though. I¡¯m a proper gentlemen that doesn¡¯t use the master authority to send stockings. Those three girls¡¯ legs are all very delicious¡ª¡­ Ahem. Since they have good shapes to them, it would¡¯ve be an emergency by now if I weren¡¯t a gentleman you know.

    ¡°That Nee-chan cooks for the inn¡­ maybe even Kantra¡¯d get fired up about it if it bes the kitchen knife of a cook that can make such delicious food.¡±

    ¡°Maybe. Ah, how much are kitchen knives? Wonder if I could buy one.¡±

    ¡°If you brought him an iron golem he¡¯d probably make one with some left over. I¡¯d help out too if you want? It¡¯d be a favor. To be specific, please stock up on alcohol at the inn.¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to drink alcohol so much¡­ there¡¯re lots of problems with drunkards, I don¡¯t want to keep an eye out for them at the inn. Have the guild build a bar.¡±

    ¡°Even if they built a bar starting now, I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯d take until I could drink. I don¡¯t even know how many days it takes to build a bar to begin with ya know.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, so you want to have the mage that built the inn overnight to build a bar as well huh. It¡¯d cost a lot of money though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, he built that extension before anyone noticed didn¡¯t he? He¡¯s one of [Cave of Desires]¡¯ seven mysteries.¡±

    What seven mysteries? This is the first time I¡¯ve heard about that.

    ¡°Nn? You didn¡¯t know? You¡¯re also included, [The Adventurer That Stays Forever Despite Not Working].¡±

    ¡°Oi, what are the other five?¡±

    ¡°Other than [The Inn¡¯s One-Night Extension] and [The Adventurer That Doesn¡¯t Work], there¡¯s [The Power Spot That an A-Rank Adventurer Likes], [The Little Girl Owner], [The Great Feeling Onsen], oh, and [The Illusory S-Rank Meal] as well as [The Hardworking Golems] I think?¡±

    Aren¡¯t the seven mysteries just everything that has to do with our inn? Rather, isn¡¯t ¡®the great feeling onsen¡¯ just a normal impression and not a mystery?

    ¡°I mean Kehma, don¡¯t you pay that young owner a lot of nighttime visits? There¡¯s even a rumor going around that that young owner is your sugar momma.¡±

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t say something so scary, Haku-san would kill me. That¡¯s not a fact at all!¡±

    ¡°Okay? But Kehma, you¡¯re a man too, so doesn¡¯t your desire build up?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but I specialize in desiring sleep.¡±

    In truth, ever since bing a dungeon master, I haven¡¯t really had many ero feelings. In particr I guess it¡¯s been since Ichika joined us? Till that point I was having to desperately endure my cravings for Rokuko and Meat¡¯s legs. Well, even now I stare at them though.

    Now that I¡¯ve subjugated that appetite as well, I¡¯m sure that I must continue indulging in nothing butziness.

    ¡°Ah,e to think of it, there¡¯s that dog-eared Jou-chan too¡­ so that¡¯s why you¡¯re so carefree?¡±

    ¡°Right, I don¡¯t have to worry about anything since Meat¡¯s there.¡±

    I¡¯m not some pervert that gets excited over a little girl being in front of me. Since Meat stands guard, I won¡¯t do something like be a pervert. So I don¡¯t have to worry.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t the burden on that dog-eared Jou-chan pretty big though?¡±

    ¡°She pouts when we don¡¯t sleep together, so I don¡¯t think she doesn¡¯t want to.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That so, then it¡¯s fine to sleep with her. Take good care of her yeah?¡± [1]

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    While having a conversation like that, we continued keeping watch out for monsters that definitely wouldn¡¯t appear.

    I¡¯m pretty tired even though I¡¯ve just been sitting on lookout. When our job was over, I went back to my room and immediately fell asleep. That kind of everyday life was repeated for a while.

    Then, that finished today. Because we watched for an entire week without anything changing, they came to the conclusion that it should be safe. The restricted admission was also lifted.

    ¡°¡­ Haah, with this I can finally take my time sleeping¡­¡±

    I returned to my room at the inn. Surrendering myself to fatigue, I fell on my futon¡­ Haaah, now to sleep.

    Ah, [Cleanup] first¡­ yep, magic is convenient.

    ¡°Kehma, I finished making my dungeon!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, can I sleep first?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Between sleep and my dungeon, which is more important!?¡±

    ¡°Sleep¡­ Sleep is!¡±

    ¡°Guh¡ª, you didn¡¯t have to say it twice you know!? Hmph, it¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll show it to you tomorrow. You¡¯ll be surprised, definitely!¡±

    Obviously, one of the three major desires of humans, the desire to sleep. Isn¡¯t it natural that sleep would be more important?

    Sleep! I¡¯m going to sleeeep! Night¡­

    *

    The morning of the next day.

    Bang! Rokuko vigorously entered through the door to my room.

    ¡°Kehma, wake up!¡±

    ¡°Morning? ¡­ Still time to sleep then¡­ guh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Humans wake up in the morning¡ªwait, that¡¯s not it! The hero¡¯s here, the hero!¡±

    ¡°The hero? ¡­ Yep, understood, I¡¯ll get up¡­ Give me another five minutes¡­¡±

    ¡°Get up already! The hero¡¯sing here, right now he¡¯s going to the adventurer guild then will be here right after!¡±

    Rokuko vigorously beat me from over my covers. It doesn¡¯t really hurt, but she¡¯s noisy.

    Guess there¡¯s no choice but to get up huh¡­ Looks like the hero¡¯sing.

    ¡°Fuaaaah, haaah~, can¡¯t be helped. So, the hero huh. Let me see.¡±

    I opened the map, looking into the adventurer guild¡¯s branch office. When I checked out his DP ie¡­ around 1,000 DP per day. Isn¡¯t the hero off by a digit there? I want him to stay for a long time despite wanting him to leave as soon as possible. That guy¡¯s unfair.

    ¡°¡­ So what now?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for us to do, when hees to the inn, just do inn work as normal. The usual.¡±

    I opened the monitor from the menu that was floating in the air to check out the hero¡¯s appearance.

    A man with short ck hair. He looks Asian, might be Japanese. Summoned to this other world three years ago, he¡¯s easily my senior at this¡­ Whatever the case is, since he¡¯d probably figure out that I¡¯m Japanese just by looking at me, the fact I¡¯m Japanese would probably be exposed if he saw me.

    ¡°By all means, I don¡¯t want to meet him, so I¡¯m going to sleep in my room. You¡¯ll probably be fine just treating him like a normal adventurer¡­ just say that we got the meal recipes and the ways to y with the cards from Haku-san after she¡¯d heard about them from previous heroes, with Kinue-san preparing the food. That¡¯s it, time to sleep. Rokuko, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±

    ¡°U-understood. Basically as usual, right? Leave it to me!¡±

    Rokuko left the room in a hurry¡­ Good, time to go back to sleep.

    Then, just as I started dozing back to sleep in my futon, Rokuko once again ran into my room with a bang.

    ¡°Kehma, it¡¯s an emergency! The hero wants to lodge in the suite! And wants the A-Rank meal too!¡±

    ¡°¡­ The suite was supposed to be for Haku-san¡¯s personal use, but well there¡¯s no reason for the inn to refuse him if he can pay the fees¡­ As for the kid¡¯s meal¡­ Yeah, well it¡¯s fine. Just serve it as normal.¡±

    ¡°Understood, but is it fine if we don¡¯t eat together? That¡¯s a limited service for Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Nn, yeah~. Well, I¡¯m not going to meet the hero since I¡¯ll be sleeping in my room.¡±

    Making sure that Rokuko left the room, Iid down on my bed again.

    Then, just as I started to doze off in my futon, Rokuko yet again burst into my room with an even bigger bang.

    ¡°I-it¡¯s an emergency, Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Oi, the door. Oi. You broke my door by kicking it. Now I have to fix it.¡±

    ¡°You can just fix it immediately anyway!¡±

    ¡°I can huh¡­ so, what¡¯s up? Did it turn into a situation you couldn¡¯t deal with without me?¡±

    When I asked Rokuko that as I left my futon to fix the door, Rokuko¡¯s face blushed red as she recalled it. While looking down at her inner thighs¡ªwhile looking down restlessly, she spoke.

    ¡°The hero¡­ p-p-p-p-p-proposed to me! W-what should I do, Kehma!?¡±

    Footnotes:

    It probably doesn¡¯t need to be said, but this ¡®sleep¡¯ has a sexual connotation to it.

 Chapter 95

    Extra: Hero¡¯s Point of View

    ¡°So this is [Cave of Desires] huh¡­¡±

    Wataru Nishimi. Nishimi was the hero summoned by the String territory of the Raverio Empire three years ago.

    For the three years after that up until just the other day, he thought that he was summoned to defeat the demon king, with Count Brie String having him trained in hopes of that as well.

    However, Wataru¡¯s existence in the country was found out.

    After somehow performing some meritorious deed, Count String thought he would be able to make an excuse¡­ of course, this was because he summoned the hero to the country without permission.

    As befitting of the term ¡®hero¡¯, his existence was unconditionally recognized as an S-Rank by the adventurer guild.

    The person that attempted to conceal him as his own personal property, Brie String, was convicted.

    Speaking in terms of modern Japan, it would have been like privately developing a missile to arm yourself, obviously viting the Gun and Sword Control Law.

    It wouldn¡¯t end there if you considered that that weapon could be used on whole countries as well, turning into something closer to national treason.

    ¡­ Well, Wataru also agreed that Count String was in the wrong.

    In truth, the count desired political power, saying things like, ¡®Only I am suitable for being emperor!¡¯ For another more concrete example, when he introduced himself to Wataru with, ¡®How do you do, oh hero? I am the future emperor, Brie String. For now I am still a count, however.¡¯ There were various things wrong with that.

    In the first ce, what kind of secret n could turn the current family head¡¯s rank of count into that of an emperor? He wasn¡¯t even part of the emperor¡¯s lineage either, so he¡¯d probably have to go with a coup d¡¯etat.

    In the end, the count was convicted by the actual emperor. As for Wataru, he was protected by Haku Raverio, who was said to be something like the emperor¡¯s ancestor.

    By her awfully long-lived family coupled with her beauty, Haku was rumored to be a high elf. She had already abdicated the position of emperor to her descendant, voluntarily saying that she would live a life of retirement in her imperial vi. Then again, just her body holding a beauty that hadn¡¯t changed in the least since back when the Raverio Empire was founded demanded respect.

    Moreover, her being the active A-Rank adventurer [White Winged Goddess] made her an outrageous existence.

    By being protected by Haku, Wataru publicly became the Raverio Empire¡¯s hero.

    After that, Wataru resigned from the String Chivalric Order that he had joined for training purposes, instead joining the Raverio Empire. With his formal position still under consideration, he was currently being treated as one of Haku¡¯s imperial knights.

    Why had that heroe to [Cave of Desires]?

    An item that some merchant had brought to the imperial capital, ying cards.

    Those cards were made with high quality paper that was clearly different thanmonly circted paper, as well as all of them being perfectly printed on.

    The moment Wataru had seen the ying cards, he couldn¡¯t help but start to remember his previous world that he had already started to forget¡ªJapan. Moreover, the strangest thing could be found on the ying cards¡¯ boxes¡­ there were bar codes. Something this world did not have, something nostalgic that he dearly missed.

    Naturally, this world¡¯s inhabitants would only recognize them as a pattern, while Japanese would definitely make the connection to Japan.

    It looked as though it were definitely arranged.

    When he informed Haku about the location and his reason for going there, it turned out that it was her [Favorite] ce to go incognito. Haku told him about it probably being the source of the ying cards.

    She didn¡¯t really have a reason to stop him. She just allowed him to go, as well preparing a carriage for him to use.

    Then, after around half a month of swaying back and forth in the carriage, Wataru finally arrived at [Cave of Desires].

    ¡°¡­ This is the ce, huh?¡±

    There was a poor adventurer guild branch office and an inn.

    (When I¡¯d asked before, I heard that there was supposed to be a cksmith¡¯s shop a little away, but I can¡¯t see it.)

    Wataru immediately headed towards the inn¡­ however, he thought better of it and decided that he should first give his greetings to the guild, so he quickly headed to the guild to give a quick hello and¡ªhe waspletely detained, having to ept tea.

    (¡­ S-Ranks are serious business huh, it was nothing like this a little ago when I was a C-Rank.)

    Wataru grumbled to himself.

    Then, he headed to the inn once again.

    ¡°W-wel,e¡ª¡±

    Immediately as he entered, a small girl in a dress greeted him.

    ¡°W-wee to [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion] toooooway, I¡¯m Rokuko the owner.¡±

    She spoke with a ferocious vigor. However, she flubbed her words a bit.

    ¡­ Unconsciously, he calmed down. A smile filled Wataru¡¯s face.

    However, for some reason, Wataru was simply unable to look away from Rokuko.

    ¡°Guest? I-is there anything you need?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª, ah, sorry. I am Wataru Nishimi. Ummm, Haku-sama rmended the suite to me. And she said the meals here are incredibly delicious.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh!? Yesh¡ª! P-pwease wait a moment! Ah, there¡¯s a chair over there!¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko dashed inside for a moment. She didn¡¯t seem to be using keigo, but Wataru decided to not worry about it since her tone was already fairly disordered. [1]

    When he entered the inn¡­ faintly, he felt that it smelled like Japan.

    (There¡¯s something here¡­ after all.)

    He thought back on the previous three years. Various things had happened¡­ He wondered if hisrades from the String Chivalric Order were doing well¡­ as he recollected, he stopped midway since he also remembered a trauma together with it.

    Rokuko had also just returned¡­ as before, she was still anxious for some reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s this way.¡±

    Rokuko called out to him with half-cooked keigo.

    ¡­ Before him, both blonde hair and an adorable bottom swayed back and forth.

    Even if he understood that he wasn¡¯t being seduced, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder. It may have been her youthfulness or maybe its shape, but he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her bottom. It was strange, as this had never happened to him before. While feeling slightly nostalgic, his heart thumped in his chest.

    (I want to caress her¡ªw-what am I thinking about right now!? She¡¯s a child!)

    ¡°Guest?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, i-it¡¯s nothing!¡±

    ¡°Ah, uh, this is the suite. Ah, here, the key.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Thank you.¡±

    He finally realized that it looked as though she¡¯d guided him all the way to the suite. epting the key from the owner, he looked into the room.

    Windowpanes, wallpaper, furniture¡­ they were all good. Although it felt as though he¡¯d seen the design somewhere before, it felt weird to be something of this world.

    However, there was a massage chair ced directly in the center of the room. Moreover, it vibrated when you put money into the fee box. It obviously stood out as strange.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not attached to an electrical outlet or anything?¡±

    ¡°Ah, guest. When would you like your meal? It¡¯s time for breakfast right now¡ªah, you haven¡¯t bought a meal ticket yet¡­ ah but maybe you wanted to order it from the suite?¡±

    He understood that she hadn¡¯t practiced serving customers that well at all. However, opposite of feeling it was shoddy, Wataru found it pleasant.

    ¡°Hmm, then how about rmend me something? I¡¯d heard even the bread here is delicious.¡±

    ¡°A rmendation? Then I rmend the [Melon Ro¡ªnot that. Our white bread is famous for its deliciousness.¡±

    Melon rolls. Just now, Rokuko made an obvious verbal slip. Wataru had also heard it properly.

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko-chan huh. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m the owner of this inn you know?¡±

    Though Rokuko averted her gaze, Wataru managed to guess to some degree.

    Haku¡¯s favorite. The fact that Haku rmended this inn. Then, the style of the inn. Thinking about all of these things and mixing them together to get his result, Wataru spoke¡ª

    ¡°¡­ Would you be my partner?¡±

    ¡°Eh, no way.¡±

    Immediately shot down.

    Footnotes:

    Lazy exnation: Polite way of speaking. Think door to door salesman where the person they are talking to is their boss. With their mother standing right behind them. And insulting someone directly means eternal torture. For a more serious exnation, click here.

 Chapter 96

    The Hero and a Meal

    With him proposing to Rokuko, he¡¯ll probably be executed immediately if he manages to return alive. Well, I¡¯m not really worried about him but as expected I¡¯d feel sorry for abandoning someone from the same world as me. I feel like doing a good thing so let¡¯s just continue on with the campaign.

    ¡°¡­ So, what do you think we should do, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°For the time being, tell me how he asked.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Nnn, umm, ¡®would you be my partner¡¯.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s face is blushing from embarrassment¡­ but is that even a proposal?

    Partner can have various meanings after all. Though it could definitely mean a partnership between a man and a woman, it could also mean partners like me and Rokuko.

    Even I use [Partner] to describe Rokuko a lot.

    ¡­ Ah, there¡¯s a chance that Trantion-san is recing what I mean with that unthinkable meaning isn¡¯t there¡­

    ¡°Heeey, Rokuko, did you answer him about the ¡®partner¡¯ thing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well I refused immediately though! I have Kehma so I don¡¯t need another partner.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. Then isn¡¯t the problem solved with that?¡±

    ¡°Wait up! Umm, that¡¯s¡­ he¡¯s really persistent¡­ He invited me wanting to talk and I don¡¯t want to eat together with him. Youe too, Kehma!¡±

    An S-Rank adventurer¡¯s request huh¡­ Wouldn¡¯t it usually be fine if I just refused?

    No, it might turn into a bad situation if we don¡¯t talk to him at all, so eating a meal with him might be a good opportunity.

    And if Rokuko talked with him by herself, yep, I definitely have a bad feeling about that. There¡¯s the possibility that she¡¯s already guilty of something, after all what did she do to make him ask her to be his partner?

    ¡°So I was thinking about properly requesting you to be there, as my partner!¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Yeah¡­ I guess?¡±

    ¡°Hey, do it right! Kehma is my partner after all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I¡¯m your partner, yeah.¡±

    Crap. With this course of events, what kind of meaning is this ¡®partner¡¯? I can¡¯t figure it out.

    ¡­ The problem is that I¡¯m trying to not be seen. Postponing my problems, it really is a Japanese thing to do huh.

    Ah, maybe I could ask the hero about it directly?

    *

    In the end, I decided to talk directly with the hero. While eating a meal together.

    We¡¯re in the suite. Right now, Kinue-san is in the middle of setting up the A-Rank special, the [Avarice Meal], also known as the kid¡¯s meal.

    And as for me, I was sitting in front of the hero with the mysterious earth mage adventurer Narikin disguise. Rokuko was next to me.

    Furthermore, in order for today¡¯s disguise to conceal my hair color as well, it¡¯s closer to a full-face helmet than a mask. I made the mouth area able to be detached for the meal. It¡¯ll be convenient to hide my hair color in the future as well, so let¡¯s go with this from now on.

    ¡°Good to meet you, Hero-dono. I am Narikin. Rokuko¡¯s partner. It is my honor to be able to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Good to meet you. I am Wataru Nishimi¡­ umm, Narikin-san. Rokuko-san. It was very impolite for me to invite you, but¡ªit¡¯s impossible to talk with this meal in front of me, I¡¯m very sorry.

    You could talk while eating though¡­ you can be a bit loose with the kid¡¯s meal~. Well, I thought something like that, but it looked like that was out of the question for the hero. He¡¯s been fixedly staring at the kid¡¯s meal and cream soda for a while now.

    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have served the hero a meal meant for children after all? The hero probably knows how much the kid¡¯s meal costs in Japan, I¡¯m expecting him to call it a rip-off at five gold any time now.

    Then, the hero single-mindedly ate the kid¡¯s meal. Moreover, with a serious face the whole time.

    ¡­ He looks like an adult, but with him silently eating a kid¡¯s meal, the atmosphere¡¯s pretty heavy.

    In the end, he was angry about the price being too high¡ªnot. I thought he might be, but it didn¡¯t look like that was the case.

    ¡°¡ªThank you for the meal.¡± [1]

    Drinking thest drop of the cream soda, the hero, Wataru, who hadn¡¯t left a single grain of food left on his te¡ªshed tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just recalled my hometown¡­ it¡¯s already impossible to return there.¡±

    Three years. I¡¯m sure Haku-san said that three years have passed since this hero was summoned.

    Entering into high school, that would be the same period of three years it would take to graduate. With that amount of time, various things probably happened. I don¡¯t know what happened, but from the way he looks right now, it¡¯s easy to see that he¡¯s gained a grand amount of experiencepared with what he would have living in Japan.

    ¡°You can¡¯t return anymore, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. My hometown is in a different world, so there¡¯s no way to return. I¡¯m still looking for a way, but¡ªeven if I find one, I still wouldn¡¯t be able to return there¡­ Sinceing to this world, my hands have killed many. In my hometown, that is the greatest sin.¡±

    I see, so he¡¯s killed people sinceing to this world. So he can¡¯t return to Japan, huh.

    Murders in another world probably wouldn¡¯t get him arrested as a criminal if he returned to Japan though, but the problem is probably how he feels about it.

    ¡°So then, why are you looking for a means to return despite not being able to?¡±

    ¡°Ah, in the future, I might meet a person from the other world that might want to return to their hometown¡ªbecause of that; and lingering attachments. One¡¯s hometown is something to be missed¡­¡±

    ¡­ For me, even though I don¡¯t feel like leaving myfortable life here to return to Japan, I wonder if I¡¯d want to return some day? I¡¯m happy so long as I can sleep though.

    ¡°I understand the reason Haku-sama rmended this inn. This ce really does have a hint of Japan. I have a few questions I¡¯d like to ask, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­ If I am able to answer, I will answer.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ [Rice]. What region is this from?¡±

    Ah¡ªa difficult question right out of the gate.

    For example, even if I said, ¡®I don¡¯t know since we procured it from Haku-san,¡¯ this hero could go and directly ask Haku-san to confirm it. Then if Haku-san answered with, ¡®I don¡¯t know where,¡¯ or something there¡¯d be a contradiction. It¡¯d be really bad if that happened huh.

    ¡°¡­ Well, we don¡¯t want to leak our supplier since this is a business¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, somehow. I won¡¯t tell anyone else. I absolutely want to acquire it.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I can amodate you. We don¡¯t have so much, but we can sell you the rice that has finished cleaning.¡±

    ¡°Definitely! ¡ªAh, and what kind of soil does it need?¡±

    He didn¡¯t bite. Well, rice is the Japanese soul food, it¡¯s natural for him to be anxious about it.

    He¡¯ll probably keep asking if I don¡¯t answer him. Let¡¯s go with using that appropriate country¡¯s name and be a bit enigmatic¡­ Ummm, what was the name of that country Haku-san definitely mentioned? Wakoku? You could get cherries there right? Alright, let¡¯s go with using that.

    It looked like Wataru expected me to hesitate and think over responding, he was waiting quietly.

    ¡°Do you know of the country named Wakoku?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m nning to go there. [Wakoku], its name matches it being to the east, so it¡¯s been on my mind.¡± [2]

    ¡­ Ah, he¡¯s right! I didn¡¯t notice!

    ¡°Well, Haku-san brought us things called cherries from there.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, so there are cherry trees in Wakuko then! I can¡¯t wait!¡±

    Ah, is that so? Cherries are cherries, so I guess that means cherry trees too.

    So if there really might be [Rice] too¡ªwait, Haku-san said she didn¡¯t know what [Rice] was didn¡¯t she? I don¡¯t think Haku-san would overlook a grain while knowing about a fruit like cherries. In that case, it looks like there isn¡¯t much of a chance then.

    ¡­ Yep, I didn¡¯t say that I got our [Rice] from there, safe, safe. Even those lie detecting magic tools wouldn¡¯t catch my white lie.

    ¡°As for our current supplier, that¡¯s all I can say.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ Next, I would like you to have a look at this.¡±

    After saying that, Wataru took out some ying cards.

    ¡°I heard that these could be obtained from the dungeon [Cave of Desires].¡±

    ¡°Yes, it appears that they are obtained from the first floor. We buy them for five copper coins.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Narikin-san, please look at this.¡±

    The hero pointed to the box of cards¡­ What? What am I looking at? It¡¯s just the normal box.

    ¡°Yeah? ¡­ It doesn¡¯t look like anything¡¯s different, are you trying to show me a magic trick?¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s that weird pattern?¡±

    The hero smiled broadly. I suddenly understood after hearing Rokuko¡¯s response, and immediately my blood flowed backwards as I was attacked by chills.

    ¡­ It¡¯s a bar code. With something like that, it¡¯s aplete out!

    ¡°Yes. This here is called a bar code, it¡¯s a special way of writing a price.¡±

    ¡°Ahh now that you mention it, this pattern, I¡¯ve always thought it was something or another, but it was like that then?¡±

    I promptly handed it back¡­ This guy, he might suspect me being Japanese. He might have even settled on that with my reaction just now.

    Oh right. Haku-san¡¯s surely heard about bar codes as well. So with her thinking that I had schemed some super-excellent n, she probably saw the bar codes as bait. Even though it was really just aplete fail on my part!

    ¡°¡­ Well, this is why I came to this dungeon. It¡¯s a clue for returning to my hometown.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­ Ah, it¡¯s fine to examine it, but since this one is more or less for beginners¡­ please don¡¯t damage it too much, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I understand. I am nning on staying a week for now.¡±

    Hero Wataru said that and bowed deeply¡­ he doesn¡¯t seem like a bad guy.

    Ah. Right. I need to ask about his proposal towards Rokuko too huh. Well, nine times out of ten he probably meant it as a study partner though.

    Footnotes:

    Itadakimasu¡¯s lesser-known brother: Gochisousamadeshita.

    Wakoku = ºÍ¹ú = Ancient Japan

 Chapter 97

    The Hero and His Story

    ¡°Well,e to think of it¡­ you proposed to Rokuko or something?¡±

    Bu¡ª!? Wataru looked like he was punched in the gut.

    ¡°Y-yeah, no, w-well, I did. She rejected me¡­ But I won¡¯t give up. I will absolutely persuade her.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko is Haku-san¡¯s beloved imouto, she¡¯ll erase you if youy a hand on her you know?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll respect the person herself¡¯s wishes.¡±

    If it¡¯s about respecting her wishes, I just want to tell him to give up already.

    ¡°Rokuko is already my partner though.¡±

    ¡°Oh, she still doesn¡¯t seem to have a ring though, have you still not given her one?¡±

    ¡­ Ring?

    ¡°So there is a custom of giving a ring to your partner in the ce Hero-samaes from? Wee from deep in the mountains, so we don¡¯t have that kind of a custom.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then should the present be from me? I¡¯ll send it to herter if she tells me her finger size you know?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha, it¡¯s an important present for my partner, I¡¯ll somehow handle it myself.¡±

    When I took a brief nce at Rokuko, she was smiling with her cheeks blushing. Oi, isn¡¯t this course of events bad?

    The conversation is progressing, but which meaning of [Partner] is it?

    Ring, perhaps¡­ is it the meaning rted to marriage?

    ¡°Right, for a partner¡­ so it goes on the ring finger?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the ring finger.¡±

    Oi, what do you mean by ring finger? Is it the engagement ring or wedding ring after all?

    I should have properly asked what [Partner]¡¯s meaning was. I¡¯m so bad at ad lib.

    ¡°Well, even so, I won¡¯t give up.¡±

    ¡°No, please give up¡­ Rather, why Rokuko? You¡¯re the hero, surely you¡¯re popr?¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of circumstances¡­¡±

    Wataru looked down and began to tell his story.

    *

    It all started three years ago. Summoned to this world, Wataru Nishimi was trained as a hero, joined a chivalric order, and lived a militaristic life.

    Wataru, who had been set up as a hero, was just seventeen years old at the time, a high school student. He liked games, so he aspired to be a hero.

    [Defeat the Demon King]¡ªwith that slogan in mind, Hero Wataru hunted monsters to acquire strength.

    And then on a certain day. The chivalric order was assigned to exterminate thieves¡ªhis first murder.

    He was ovee by intense guilt.

    Even if he knew that others would die if he didn¡¯t kill them, even if he had almost lost himself in the killing with his fellow knights, he couldn¡¯t evade that feeling of killing a person. As a Japanese, it was impossible for Wataru to rid himself of that feeling.

    Wataru shut himself in his room.

    He neglected his training for many days, unable to move due to the crushing weight of remorse.

    Just when Wataru thought it wouldn¡¯t be so bad if he would just die as well, the door to his room was kicked open and he was forcibly dragged out.

    [Idiot¡ª! If Wataru died¡­ what would I do!]

    The one to save Wataru by a hair¡¯s breadth was his chivalric orderrade, Plume.

    Plume devotedly attended Wataru, hearing his story. He spoke about a lot of Japanese things. He spoke about a lot of trivial things. For all of it, Plume listened to him. She never denied Wataru. She epted it all with a smile.

    Then, he was gradually charmed by Plume¡ªand confessed.

    [Un, if you¡¯re fine with me.]

    Getting the OK, Wataru was ecstatic. Merrily, he struggled to store enough funds to marry Plume and epted difficultmissions from the guild.

    ¡ªTo live with Plume in this world, he hardened his resolve.

    [¡­ Eeeh, no way. He doesn¡¯t have what it takes to be a leader¡ª] [¡ªHa ha, right? Wataru¡¯s a weakling. Let¡¯s go on to my room.]

    Then, he saw Plume and another leader go into the same room together.

    ¡­ Even after that, Plume stayed with Wataru with an unchanging smile.

    What he saw was probably an illusion or something, that¡¯s what he told himself. Wataru started to forget about it.

    And then, that time came.

    Count String was arrested, and the chance came.

    [¡­ Plume¡­ isn¡¯t here?] [Oi! There¡¯s a note in her room!]

    The message went like this: [Sorry¡î The count was arrested so I escaped! Everyone, stay healthy? Plume Zan].

    The count was arrested¡ªso she escaped. He couldn¡¯t understand how those actions were rted.

    However, it was immediately cleared up.

    [Oi, don¡¯t go entering my Plume¡¯s room because of the emergency!] [Hah? What¡¯re you saying. Plume is my Plume!] [Wait wait wait, everyone be quiet, Plume and I are nning on marrying you know?] [I am! I am Plume¡¯s fiance!]

    Those were all remarks from separate men.

    And all of their savings had disappeared. After they looked around, they realized that everything with jewels were taken away.

    ¡­ Plum was an assassin sent in by the count in order to ensnare the hero¡ªan international fugitive marriage impostor.

    Furthermore, somehow, Wataru¡¯s savings disappeared as well. As well as his mementos brought from Japan.¡ªMost of all, even though he was able to buy some of it back from pawn shops nearby¡ªPlume, the most important thing, couldn¡¯t be found.

    [Plume was¡­ was¡­ a criminal? But surely there were reasons¡ª] [Come to think of it, the marriage impostor Plume Zan is¡­ a man. To begin with, women aren¡¯t allowed into the String Chivalric Order.]

    What was that? All of his hopes were smashed into pieces.

    *

    ¡°¡­ That is what happened.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s, well, my condolences.¡±

    Somehow or another, he¡¯s went through a sublime experience huh. I didn¡¯t say it though.

    To deceive those guys and their leader, that¡¯s¡­ well, let¡¯s stop there. It¡¯s nothing but me guessing on my own.

    ¡°So then, what rtion does Plume-san have to your proposal with Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°No, love at first sight needs no reasons.¡±

    It had nothing to do with it!?

    ¡°Aaah no! It¡¯s not that it¡¯s unrted, umm, love at first sight, I mean, I value my instincts.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is that all?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all.¡±

    Then why did you have me listen to a story about your past? What a roundabout hero.

    ¡°¡­ However, if Rokuko-san is that important to you, you should want to show her proof of that.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Proof?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. If you showed her proof of it, then I¡¯ll probably have to give up.¡±

    ¡­ Yep, I don¡¯t really get what he¡¯s saying, but I can understand a little.

    ¡°In other words, isn¡¯t it fine if I just kiss Rokuko here?¡±

    ¡°Hyahi!? W-wait, hold on! No no, there¡¯s no way, it¡¯s impossible!¡±

    Rokuko refused with a blushing face, waving her hands back and forth super fast.

    Oi, the hero¡¯ll have no choice but to take advantage of that if you deny it. Well, I¡¯d probably be executed by Haku-san if I actually kissed her though.

    ¡°Hahaha, it seems that¡¯s impossible for Rokuko-san. So then, it looks like I still have a chance.

    ¡°No no, Rokuko is just shy after all. Although it looks like this, we are partners in mind and body.

    I responded to Hero Wataru¡¯s cheerful remark.

    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s do it like this¡­ I fell in love with her on sight. Please let me confirm whether or not you can protect Rokuko-san. Right, if it¡¯s an adventurer that¡¯s superior to me, I¡¯ll be able to entrust Rokuko-san to them with peace of mind.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, surely you¡¯re joking. A condition of being an adventurer that surpasses an S-Rank like yourself, isn¡¯t that a little unreasonable?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I was still a C-Rank before they made me S-Rank.¡±

    Oi, did that count put some pressure on them? Haku-san would definitely find out if the adventurer guild made him a high rank¡­ Looks like the count¡¯s maneuvering was in vain as well.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is. So then let¡¯s have a match. By using that to probe¡ªah, not that, aren¡¯t you excited?¡±

    Wataru corrected himself, standing up trying to pretend it didn¡¯t happen.

    ¡°A match with Rokuko-san on the line, Narikin!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll decline.¡±

    I answered immediately.

 Chapter 98

    The Hero and [Still Refused]

    ¡°¡­ A match with Rokuko-san on the line, Narikin-san!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll decline.¡±

    Even if he says it a second time, something useless is still useless.

    ¡°Why!?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no merit to go along with it is there? Going along with your story earlier, this is just for your own broken heart and I can¡¯t see it as being anything else other than an [Inconvenience to Others] you know?¡±

    ¡°Uguh¡ª! Even so!¡±

    ¡°Iiit¡¯s fiiine, this match, you should ept it.¡±

    Rokuko, why are you so eager about it?

    ¡°Still though, there needs to be some merit for us if we win right, Hero-sama?¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah, ummm, yeah¡­ Well, if Narikin-san wins I¡¯ll keep the thing about him being Japanese a secret? How about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Hey, didn¡¯t it just sound like you said I¡¯m Japanese?¡±

    ¡°Am I wrong?¡±

    No, you¡¯re right. Although you¡¯re right, I won¡¯t admit to it. Even if I said otherwise, there are lie detecting magic tools and magic, so it wouldn¡¯t be any different from a confession. All I can do is avoid that from happening.

    ¡°For argument¡¯s sake, let¡¯s assume that I¡¯m Japanese. Why would I be troubled if you spoke about it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d clearly be troubled by it, aren¡¯t you hiding your face? If not, show me that your face isn¡¯t a fellow Japanese¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°I just have an ugly wound that I don¡¯t want people to see, it¡¯s nothing like that¡­ Aren¡¯t you prying into it a little to far?¡±

    ¡°I-I was being impolite! I didn¡¯t realize!¡±

    And so, Wataru apologized and bowed obediently. This guy really is honest.

    ¡°Well, this inn definitely was built by Narikin-san, and even your name being [Narikin (Upstart)] matcheding to prominence as an adventurer¡­. I thought for sure that was it.¡±

    Almost, but that¡¯s not it. It has to do with the shogi piece. My real name is [Keima (Knight)], so I flipped the piece over to be [Narikin (Promoted Knight)]. Obviously I didn¡¯t say any of that though. [1]

    ¡°So it was something like that huh? My name is¡­ well, that¡¯s just by chance. Looking at it with Hero-sama¡¯s point of it, it is likely a strange name. And for this inn, I built it while referring to an inn a Hero-sama has built in the old days. And then, I decided to ce it here at this dungeon [Cave of Desires] that produces unusual and rare magic tools. Like that [Massage Chair].¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, so that was it¡­ Is it fine if I dismantle it? I could purchase it¡­¡±

    ¡°I gave our spare one to Haku-san, so please abandon your wish.¡±

    ¡°Mumumu, I¡¯ll find one in the cave¡­¡±

    Well whether or not you find one depends on luck. Not. It depends on whether or not I make one. For now.

    I

    ¡°¡­ Well, right. If we win, I want a magic tool¡ªone that can see through lies. With that I will consider epting the match.¡±

    I can get the 50,000 DP if I just turn the fifty gold coins into DP. The suite is twenty-five gold coins per night, and he¡¯s saying two nights. I¡¯ll get it soon, I want to see what kind of thing it really it.

    If I can confirm whether or not he can get it easily¡ªwell, that¡¯s enough of a result.

    ¡°Ah, t-that¡¯s, umm, even though I¡¯ve heard about magic tools like that¡­ sorry. I don¡¯t have one. Magic tools like that arepulsorily bought by the country you know?¡±

    ¡°Even if Hero-sama is an S-Rank?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah¡ª! Right, there might be a chance now that I¡¯m S-Rank¡­! Ah no, wouldn¡¯t I need Haku-sama¡¯s permission¡­ ah, ah, but then it might sound like getting permission for Rokuko-san¡­ umm, is there anything else you want if I can¡¯t?¡±

    Well, there¡¯s no problem with me getting anything since I¡¯m a dungeon master.

    But that guy¡¯s really honest.

    ¡°What¡¯ll you do? ept?

    ¡°By the way, what would you do if we lost?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, please forgive my approach to Rokuko-san.¡±

    Ah, he¡¯s modest. I definitely thought he¡¯d say something like, ¡®I¡¯m taking Rokuko-san!¡¯

    ¡°Well, so long as you respect Rokuko¡¯s will.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I will¡­ Rokuko-san is still small, but I feel like she¡¯s already ady.¡±

    Hero Wataru took a fleeting nce at Rokuko. She was blushing like before¡­ yep, she¡¯s all excited over being called ady. But really? Are you sure?

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t ept the match. After all, I still have no reason to ept it.¡±

    ¡°Really? Disappointing¡­¡±

    He said that, but he didn¡¯t seem that disappointed¡­ He¡¯s probably nning something.

    I had a few suspicions, but the day ended without incident.

    ¡­ For now, let¡¯s pretend that Narikin left to go and stock up on things. For about a week. That way I won¡¯t have to have any more confusing conversations.

    Footnotes:

    More wordy trickery going on here. If you want to know more about shogi and what happens to tiles and why they get flipped and the name changes, go here to learn more.

 Chapter 99

    The Hero and Kehma

    Then, three days had passed.

    In these three days, we¡¯d gotten around 4,500 DP from Hero Wataru. In addition, three day¡¯s worth of inn fees, seventy-five gold coins. And twenty-five gold coins in meal fees¡­ Uhuahaha! Uhuahahaha!

    Ah, the amount Rokuko and I ate on the first day when the hero invited us was a treat from him, ten gold coins.

    By the way, a sandwich is served for breakfast as a service.

    However, the suite is amazing, it¡¯s easy money whenever Haku-sanes over. Even without her tips to Rokuko, we¡¯re getting DP directly as well. For some reason, when Haku-san is there our ie from her is 0 DP per day.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, when will you give me that ring? I want it.¡±

    ¡°Nn, ring? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°You forgot!? ¡­ H-hey, the partner thing.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, ahh, that one. I remember, I remember. Yep. So, what kind do you want? Gold, silver, decorated?¡±

    ¡°Whatever Kehma thinks suits me is good!¡±

    So she¡¯s basically saying she¡¯ll leave it to me, that¡¯s the number one most troubling thing¡­ well, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s a present.

    Rokuko has fair skin and blonde hair, so maybe something bright red? Roses or something would suit her. Making a ring with jewels¡­ ahh no, maybe I should worry about how intense it feels? Should I look for some fantasy metals? Though orichalcum and stuff is really expensive in DP, the amount needed to make a ring probably wouldn¡¯t be that much.

    ¡°It¡¯ll probably take a little time, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, umm, un, I¡¯ll look forward to it!¡±

    Rokuko left the room, squirming a little.

    Did she have to use the toilet? No, that can¡¯t be it, she doesn¡¯t need to use it.

    By the way, when I asked Ichika what [Partner] meant, it seems that it means [Companion]. Though partner also has the feeling of being rted to marriage, it seems adventurers that are close also use the word partner. I¡¯m told that they give each other matching essories (not always rings).

    So Rokuko was just jumping to conclusions about him proposing to her huh¡­ no well, the hero himself confirmed it.

    ¡­ Yep, it¡¯s that. It¡¯s not my self-conceit, Rokuko, isn¡¯t it that she fell in love with me?

    I had no inkling there was that kind of element going on at all though. If so, I really feel bad about it. I like Rokuko¡¯s cute legs.

    But if for argument¡¯s sake I touched her¡ªah, I immediately felt Haku-san¡¯s blood lust. My imagination is too strong.

    [No, this is today¡¯s results too. Please look, ying cards! Two boxes!] [Oh my, that¡¯s amazing. By the way, what kind of magic does Hero-san use?]

    Nerune was talking with the hero at reception.

    The hero hadn¡¯t tried to make a pass at Rokuko since then. Even if he saw Rokuko in the inn by chance, he would just raise his hand and give her a simple greeting.

    Hmm, what¡¯s that guy scheming? I¡¯m so bothered by it I can¡¯t sleep¡­. grah. That guy¡¯s disturbing my quiet sleep.

    [So, will you eat the A-Rank meal today as well?] [Hmm, it¡¯s a bit much to eat the same meal after three days in a row, so let¡¯s go with something else today. The B-Rank meal.] [Would you like me to bring it to your room?] [No, it¡¯s fine. I want to eat in the dining room today. I¡¯m also quite homesick over the system of buying food with meal tickets after all.]

    Because of that, it doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯ll be having the A-Rank meal today. Unfortunate.

    Well, even so it¡¯s still one gold coin. He¡¯s wantonly spending gold coins, but well, S-Rank adventurers probably have a huge ie¡­ I wouldn¡¯t go so far as to risk my life for money though. If I can live as a good-for-nothing sleeper, that¡¯s good.

    *

    While I was taking a catnap before I went to sleep, Rokuko came in eating pudding.

    ¡°Kehma, the hero is looking for Kehma you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Not Narikin?¡±

    For some reason, I¡¯m getting a bad feeling.

    I mean, right now I should only be acquainted to him as Narikin. Why¡¯s he looking for me?

    ¡°Un, he¡¯s looking for Kehma. For some reason, he was talking with Meat.¡±

    ¡°Uwaaah sounds bothersome¡­ can¡¯t you say I¡¯m not here?¡±

    ¡°No, the usual adventurers are in high spirits saying things like: [If it¡¯s him, that guy¡¯s always sleeping in the inn] or [Kehma? Ah, that sloth] or [That boss huh, isn¡¯t he the most informed about the dungeon?] Introduced like that, it¡¯s probably impossible.¡±

    And after that, she said everyone was treated to pudding. His generosity unsealed the adventurers¡¯ mouths.

    Tch, he was prepared.

    Or rather, why¡¯s he talking with Meat¡­? Ah, could it be ¡®that¡¯? After falling for Rokuko, now he¡¯s in love after seeing Meat?

    ¡°¡­ It can¡¯t be helped, he¡¯s calling me huh¡­ Is he in his room?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s waiting in the dining room.¡±

    It feels like he wants to talk in public on purpose.

    ¡°¡­ He tried to take Meat to his room, but Meat didn¡¯t want to so he¡¯s waiting there.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not in his character for that hero to forcibly bring her to his room¡­ However, he tried to bring Meat into his room, huh?¡±

    I woke up a little and went to the dining room.

    If possible, I didn¡¯t want to meet the hero looking like this. Well, it¡¯s probably fine already.

    In the first ce, meeting him as Narikin was just a wait-and-see. My true identity shouldn¡¯t have been exposed, but I have a bit of an expectation.

    When I entered the dining room, Meat immediately came and hugged me. The surrounding gazes focused on me.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. What happened?¡±

    ¡°~?¡±

    When I pat Meat on the head, her tail and ears wiggled in delight. It calmed me down. Alright, let¡¯s go back to my room and sleep.

    ¡°¡­ Are you Kehma-san?¡±

    The hero stopped me. C¡¯mon, read the air.

    ¡°I am, but you are?¡±

    ¡°Wataru Nishimi¡­ I wanted to talk about that girl, however, my intention changed.¡±

    Judging from Wataru¡¯s line of sight, he was probably looking at my hair.

    ¡­ Now then, is me being Narikin leaked? My voice isn¡¯t even different.

    ¡°It would be a little hard to speak here, could youe to my room?¡±

    ¡°Sure, is it fine if Meates as well?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Err, well, yeah.¡±

    Hero Wataru was a little flustered. For now, I brought Meat along to the suite. Some of the onlookers were curious but I just ignored them. Something like having a conversation with the hero, doesn¡¯t this look like an event where he talks with a minor character?

    On the way, Wataru spoke to me.

    ¡°¡­ Are you Narikin-san?

    ¡°Nope. I¡¯m Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your voice the same!? Even though you said that you were leaving to restock!¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Narikin say that he had a scar on his face? Do I look like I have something like that?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ª, you really don¡¯t¡­ wait, no, I didn¡¯t confirm that with my own eyes though!?¡±

    Tch. He didn¡¯t fall for it huh.

    ¡°You! You¡¯re Japanese after all!?¡±

    ¡°My parents were Japanese, so I know a lot of things about Japan. It¡¯s not like I know everything though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, so that¡¯s it?¡±

    He¡¯s obviously sad about it. I didn¡¯t say that I¡¯m not Japanese though.

    Then, we reached his room.

    ¡°So, what did you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°Umm, I asked you on the way here, but¡­ that Ojou-san too, are her parents Japanese? She has ck hair. With dog ears though.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know since I just picked Meat up. So, Meat?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t remember anything about my past. However, I¡¯d be happy if it¡¯s the same as Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Good girl. I stroked Meat¡¯s head.

    ¡°¡­ So, you¡¯re Japanese after all, Nakarin-san.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not Nakarin, I¡¯m Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Then Kehma-san¡­ do you know the meaning behind [Meat]¡¯s name?¡±

    Nn? [Meat]¡¯s meaning? It¡¯s a general-use name for ves. When I asked Meat, she said she wasn¡¯t embarrassed as Meat and would work hard.

    I asked Ichika to make sure, but it seems there¡¯s a huge range of ng for it, so while it can mean [Pet] and [Hug Pillow], for adventurers in particr it also seems to mean things like [Meat Shield, [Meat Wall], [Bait], and [Decoy].

    Those meanings imply disposable too, it doesn¡¯t look like it means something that good. I asked Meat if she wanted to change her name, but she didn¡¯t want to change it since it was the first name I gave her, so she told me that it wasn¡¯t a problem and would work hard to suit her name.

    ¡­ Well, I didn¡¯t intend to throw her away you know? She¡¯s my important hug pillow.

    My profession is dungeon master so there¡¯s no problem with having a bad reputation. That being the case, I just let it as is since she herself wanted to keep it.

    ¡°I know, but is there some problem?¡±

    ¡°Heeh¡­ so you know about the name?¡±

    Boom!

    He hit the table and it broke.

    In an instant. The table was built to be very solid, but it broke with two lines originating right where Wataru¡¯s fist hit it. It looked like the letter [V] breaking it.

    It¡¯s a bitte, but I started sweating a bit. Why, why did you suddenly attack the table!?

    As I thought that, Wataru¡¯s face also looked like, ¡®Ah crap.¡¯ Moreover, Meat took position in front of me while wielding the golem knife as to protect me, ring at the hero.

    This child, so cool.

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to hit it that hard¡­ I will pay for it. However, aren¡¯t you ashamed for using such a small child as a shield!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Including the trouble fees, five hundred gold.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? Ah, wai¡ª, uhh, can you take it in parts?¡±

    To my idle grumble of a sentence, Wataru lost hisposure. Alright, five hundred gold coins GET!

    ¡°Ahem¡­ I didn¡¯t think that you were a person to touch such a small child! I will not leave Rokuko-san to you! Do not approach Haku-sama¡¯s imouto!¡±

    Eh, touch? What¡¯s he saying? Is he thinking that [ve = Ero Things]? Is his head filled with pink?

    ¡°Lolicons that I know say YES loli NO touch and would absolutely never touch a child, it held that meaning among men¡­!¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me that! ¡­ Ah, but I definitely am ¡®touching¡¯ her. As a hug pillow though.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, do I defeat him?¡±

    ¡°Stop. He¡¯s a hero.¡±

    And Meat was going at her own pace. Rather, it felt like she was nning on winning against him.

    She¡¯s be splendid.

 Chapter 100

    The Hero and a Match (Gambling)

    Well back on topic, there¡¯s no choice but to do something about the hero who¡¯d lost his temper.

    ¡°Even so, I heard that Hero-sama attempted to bring Meat to his room though?¡±

    ¡°Eh!? No no, doesn¡¯t that sound weird!? I just wanted to hear her story since she had ck hair.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­ it sounds suspicious¡­ there¡¯s a rumor that the hero proposed to a little girl.¡±

    ¡°T-there¡¯s a reason for¡­ no, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Nn? So there was a reason?

    ¡­ ¡­

    Perhaps, did Haku-san tell him to feel around and investigate the rtionship between me and Rokuko?

    That¡¯d exin his slightly strained conduct. That he confessed so calmly, that he said he wouldn¡¯t leave Rokuko here, and that he broke my table.

    Right, this hero was under Haku-san¡¯s control. It just doesn¡¯t look like it. He¡¯s probably here to find a reason to bring Rokuko to the imperial capital. Her reception¡­ well, I can picture Haku-san rolling out the red carpet. With a house of sweets, making an entire room out of melon rolls with melon rolls filling the room.

    And since I have to see the hero off safely due to my promise with Haku-san, I can¡¯t afford to start a fight with him. Was his training for this purpose?

    Alright, let¡¯s repel him. However, not by injuring him.

    ¡°Understood. Then shall we have a match?¡±

    ¡°Huh? A match? ¡­ A match!¡±

    Hero Wataru took the bait.

    ¡°As you wish, I ept! Well, naturally not a fight to the death, the za in front of the cave seems like a good ce, what time? I¡¯m good immediately after this though.¡±

    ¡°Wait wait wait. There¡¯s no way that I would challenge Hero-sama in a fight ofbat prowess, this. This.¡±

    I showed him a die. A generic six-sided die.

    ¡°A six-sided die¡­ A TRPG!? No way, there are rule books too!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, your thoughts are skipping around too much.¡±

    Tabletop role-ying game, TRPG for short. There¡¯s no way that exists in this world.

    ¡­ Well, when ites to amusement, maybe I should go and poprize it?

    ¡°It¡¯s ordinary gambling. We¡¯ll prepare equal amount of chips and victory will be decided by struggling for them. Towers and dice, cee-lo, even cho-han are fine. Do you know the rules?¡± [1]

    ¡°¡­ A while back, I read about them in manga. I don¡¯t know towers and dice though.¡±

    ¡°You roll the dice, taking the amount of chips that there are pips on the faces. You do this three times back to back, with the person with the most chips in the end winning. It¡¯s that kind of thing. In short, roll them three times, the person with the highest total of pips wins.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s easy to understand. Sounds good.¡±

    ¡°Then, are you fine with using this for the match?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Wataru nodded. He appeared strangely self-confident.

    ¡°What will we do about dice? Use the ones prepared by the inn?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ve obtained some myself. I went to some lengths to get them after all.¡±

    Wataru took some dice out from his luggage. Probably spoils he picked up from our dungeon.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s let these decide our victory or defeat. Lie detecting magic tools if I win¡­ ah, no. Five hundred additional gold.¡±

    ¡°Then I will take Rokuko-san to the imperial capital if I win. And that child as well.¡±

    When he said ¡®that child¡¯ and nominated her, Meat red at the hero. Her eyes were saying that she¡¯d absolutely never follow him.

    Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let him take you. And as for Rokuko¡ª

    ¡°Oi oi, I can¡¯t bet my employer at my own convenience. She¡¯s different from my ve.¡±

    ¡°Ueh!? W-what about her being your partner?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I think you¡¯re confusing me with someone else.¡±

    To thest, I¡¯ll be obstinate in saying that I¡¯m a different person than Narikin. To begin with, I can¡¯t make her the bet¡¯s wager!

    ¡°You just epted the match, you can¡¯t back out now.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh¡ª!? T-then umm, uhh¡­ that child, and reducing the table reimbursement¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t know how Meat is worth five hundred gold though.¡±

    And of course, what we were using were the crystal-type dice golems made by me, the trick dice.

    *

    ¡°And so it¡¯s my win. Thank you for the five hundred gold.¡±

    Competing for the one hundred chips, I won after this and that.

    ¡­ But the hero has some strong luck, always rolling fives and sixes in the three rolls. What level of trick was that? I examined the dice midway, but it was just that he kept throwing fours, fives, and sixes.

    Even so, sometimes I won, sometimes I lost, purposely repeating this over and over. Losing a little, winning a lot, until I took away all of his chips.

    ¡°Well, you were close.¡±

    ¡°¡­ O-one more time!¡±

    ¡°Ehh, can¡¯t be helped~. Then I¡¯ll double down and go for one thousand. I¡¯m fine taking installments if you can¡¯t afford it you know?¡±

    ¡°Guh¡ª¡­ no, please wait a moment¡­ I have a bad feeling about it, let¡¯s go with mutually betting one hundred gold each.¡±

    ¡°Understood, one hundred gold.¡±

    *

    ¡°Ah~. I lost. And it was a pretty big loss~. Unfortunately, I lost one hundred of the gold coins so you only need to pay nine hundred gold coins now. Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    Struggling for the hundred chips a second time, somehow or another it was my overwhelming defeat.

    ¡­ As before, the hero always rolled fives and sixes in his three dice rolls. He really might be doing some kind of trick. This time, I only won one or two times so it was a major loss for me.

    ¡°Well our match should be satisfied with this, how about let¡¯s stop?¡±

    ¡°No! Please wait. I¡¯ll definitely save that child next time!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Then are you fine wagering fourteen hundred gold coins? She still has a gold debt so I don¡¯t want to get rid of her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, let¡¯s do it!¡±

    *

    I started to feel sorry for him so let¡¯s forgive him with this.

    ¡°Well then, you need to pay a total of twenty-three hundred gold coins.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Umm, didn¡¯t you cheat!? I don¡¯t know how but wasn¡¯t that obvious cheating!?¡±

    Hero Wataru is falsely using me.

    ¡°Why do you think I cheated? You supplied the dice and we both properly examined them.¡±

    ¡°What percent chance do you think there is for ones and sixes to mutually appear all three times!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that Hero-sama always got five or above twice the previous times, what chances were that? If you think about it, you might understand my hand as well?¡± [2]

    ¡°¡­ I have the unique skill [Super Luck: Lv 1] that I received from Kami-sama¡­ to surpass that¡­ ah¡ª, are you a summoned Japanese after all!?¡±

    So Hero Wataru had a skill like that huh¡­ I wouldn¡¯t have won honestly huh.

    Rather, as expected of a hero to have such a cheat skill other than Trantion-san. Bad Luck-san taught me about his hand even though I didn¡¯t ask for it. [3]

    ¡°It¡¯s limited to only when I¡¯m protectingrades. To the extent that it¡¯s stronger than yours.¡±

    ¡°S-so there was that kind of mechanism.¡±

    I tried to say something with a deep meaning. Whaaat, I didn¡¯t fix my victory when I didn¡¯t wager Meat earlier, so I¡¯m not wrong.

    ¡°And weeell, that¡¯s enough, no more. You understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Excuse me, as expected, twenty-three hundred gold coins is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Pay it properly. You decided to wager it yourself.¡±

    For him to be seventeen when he was summoned, he should be twenty years old now. He¡¯s an adult by Japanese standards, so let¡¯s have him pay it punctually¡­ Seeing how that would be two billion three hundred million yen, how many lifetimes will it take? Well, an S-Rank Adventurer-sama could probably earn enough to pay it off if they persevered.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with installments. Pay it off with one hundred gold a month for a year and eleven months. You¡¯ll be able to pay it back before two years are over. Easy, right?¡±

    ¡°Ueeeh¡­ if I weren¡¯t an S-Rank that would be an unreasonably absurd and huge payment n¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll pardon the interest out of consideration of Haku-san. I won¡¯t even say something like to be a ve for coteral, so be thankful.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, thank you very much¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t know how much S-Rank adventurers can earn in a month, but he just said it¡¯d be unreasonable if he weren¡¯t an S-Rank right? I¡¯ll believe you, Hero-sama.

    Writing up a contract as well to make sure, he would pay me one hundred gold coins per month for twenty-three months. Do your best with the S-Rankmissions that pay huge sums. If you want, I¡¯m sure Haku-san could introduce you work that pays quite a lot!

    ¡°Ah,e to think of it I didn¡¯t include the nuisance fees.¡±

    The hero¡¯s eyes teared up.

    Footnotes:

    Cee-lo is this. Cho-han is this. Can¡¯t find a link for towers and dice¡­

    Hand as in tactics, means, etc.

    Again, hand as in tactics, ability, means, etc. And ¡®Bad Luck-san¡¯? First time Kehma¡¯s used it, referring to Wataru¡¯s [Super Luck: Lv 1].

 Chapter 101

    The Hero and Meat

    Maybe two billion three hundred million yen is too much after all?

    I thought that while collecting the chips and dice ced on top of the table, but I decided it was fine after all when I saw the table he¡¯d destroyed.

    ¡­ It¡¯s troublesome even using [Create Golem] to mend it, it has decoration, and it¡¯s strength is a problem too.

    ¡°However, that means Kehma-san thinks of her as arade, so why did you name her [Meat]?¡±

    Hero Wataru asked with a curious look.

    ¡°It was at her own request. It was the name she¡¯d had when I picked her up.¡±

    ¡°But even so, that name has such an obscene meaning¡­¡±

    ¡°Nn? At worst doesn¡¯t it just mean [Meat Shield] or [Meat Wall]? That¡¯s what I was told at least.¡±

    When I said that, the hero struck his palm with a fist, making a small p sound.

    ¡°Aaah¡­ I see, I thought something was off. That¡¯s normally for male adventurers. This child, since she¡¯s so small, it¡¯s seen as an absolutely different meaning you know? Well, the ng is really different depending on the region though¡­¡±

    Fumu? That so?

    ¡°Then I want to confirm, what does [Meat] mean?¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, [Meat] means tool. Mainly as wall or shield.¡±

    Meat answered even though I asked the hero. Yep, I¡¯ll ask Ichikater too.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ah, umm¡­ even though that¡¯s not wrong¡­ But that¡¯s when it¡¯s applied to men, for women it¡¯s usually¡ª¡±

    ¡°Wa¡ª! Wa¡ª! You hero¡ª! If you, to Goshujin-sama¡ª! I¡¯ll be your opponent¡ª!¡±

    Meat with the interception! The hero is shot down! Hey, oi!

    ¡°Meat? Could you quiet down for a moment?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    Meat slumped forward, looking as though she lost her energy.

    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard Meat use that loud of a voice. In other words, Meat knows the meaning that the hero is trying to say. And that it looks like she doesn¡¯t want me to know it.

    ¡°Hey¡­ perhaps, is the meaning really bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a mistake to say it means tool either. However, with a sexual meaning attached to it.¡±

    ¡­ I looked at Meat.

    As for her, she was showing her usual expression, but herplexion had reddened, and while tearing up, trembled as though she were ashamed.

    Why did you want to keep the name if it was that shameful!?

    ¡°So, that meaning is generally the most famous. Of course, the sexual meaning.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Meat?¡±

    This time, Meat trembled with a start, paling.

    ¡°Meat, go to my room with Ichika. We have some talking to do.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes.¡±

    Meat seemed to be considerably afraid with her ears and tailcking any energy as she went to get Ichika.

    Seeing it all happen, the hero asked me timidly.

    ¡°¡­ Umm, what are you nning on doing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll definitely scold them. And have them write written apologies, and punish them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s really gentle. I¡¯m relieved you didn¡¯t say something like you¡¯d kill or sell them.¡±

    There¡¯s no way I could do something like that. Meat and Ichika are both indispensable existences for the dungeon.

    Well, I should probably make their punishment more or less severe, but I don¡¯t want to interfere with their schedules.

    ¡°Yeah. And maybe you should give her a new name.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Though I said that, it¡¯s a name that she persisted in keeping the meaning of from me, her Goshujin-sama. I don¡¯t know why she would want to, but she likes it. It¡¯s troublesome for me to change Meat¡¯s name at this point too, but¡­ I don¡¯t intend to use her as a [Sex Tool] either¡­

    Aaah it¡¯s already getting annoying. Maybe I could give her a proper family name? Then I could just call her with that in front of people.

    For now, I have the hero owing me the huge debt of twenty-three hundred gold coins. Me being Japanese? I kept avoiding his suspicions and sessfully left the hero¡¯s room.

    For that broken table, let¡¯s have a maid golem move itter. Maybe I¡¯ll give it to Kinue-san?

    *

    Then, when I returned to my room, there were two people below my line of sight. Yep, Meat and Ichika were dogeza¡¯ing.

    The two are doing beautiful dogezas.

    ¡°S-sorry, Goshujin-sama¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m soooo sooooorry~~~~!!!¡±

    ¡°Alright, how about you guys raise your heads? For now let¡¯s hear why you guys did something like that.¡±

    Even when I said that, Meat kept her head down. It couldn¡¯t be helped so I decided to hear about it from Ichika, who raised her head while desperately forcing a smile.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s~, un. I knew [Meat]¡¯s meanin¡¯. I knew it. But, it¡¯s a bad meanin¡¯ to say. Hey, you wanna make a woman say somethin¡¯ like that? It¡¯s embarrassin¡¯ yah? Umm, I was also called [Meat] where I was before~¡±

    ¡°However, couldn¡¯t you have pointed it out?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I mean I thought Goshujin-sama would¡¯ve guessed it y¡¯know? Hey, ya bring Meat-senpai in every day¡­ I thought ya definitely would¡¯ve known the meanin¡¯.¡±

    Uu, that¡¯s my bad. I¡¯m just using her as a hug pillow, but I definitely bring her into my room.

    After that, Meat looked up timidly and answered.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama definitely hasn¡¯t made a mistake. That¡¯s why, I¡¯ll do my best as Meat, and¡­¡±

    ¡°Then why did you try to keep the hero from telling me what [Meat] means?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? W-why¡­?¡±

    Meat answered it with that; it looked like she seriously didn¡¯t know.

    It looks like even she doesn¡¯t know why she didn¡¯t want him to. It feels like a child lying to cover up their mistake.

    Wait¡­ I forgot since she¡¯s able to do just about everything, but Meat is still a child.

    ¡°Aah, right. It¡¯s probably that, a beastkin¡¯s instincts. Beastkin value their names a lot, she may¡¯ve thought it¡¯d be bad if he said somethin¡¯. And that ya¡¯d throw her away if it got exposed, so her body moved immediately, or somethin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that was the reason.¡±

    With Ichika¡¯s exnation, I agreed.

    ¡­ I didn¡¯t intend to be hostile about it, so it¡¯s probably fine. I¡¯d go into shock if she bore a grudge against me because of this. I don¡¯t have the courage to use someone with that as a hug pillow.

    ¡°First of all, I don¡¯t n on abandoning you. Keep working hard, the same as always.¡±

    When I said that while stroking Meat¡¯s head, she looked a little relived.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. After all, I¡¯m human. I don¡¯t know what I don¡¯t know, I can make mistakes too. Say something if you notice. Alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±

    ¡°Got it. Then next time I¡¯ll say it without holdin¡¯ it back.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll forgive it this time¡­ I¡¯m still punishing you both though.¡±

    It¡¯s that. Compulsory loose socks OR knee-highs should be fine. Of course, those socks will be prohibited from having [Cleanup] used on them for two, no three days. Furthermore, loafers while they¡¯re working. Let¡¯s let them use sneakers when they¡¯re doing physical training.

    Kukuku, this is a tremendous punishment if I do say so myself. Only fellowrades (foot fetishists) will understand how tremendous it is though.

    And well for around a month,pulsory stepping massages and a ban on gambling. And the quality of their meals will drop to this world¡¯s standard, that should work.

 Chapter 102

    Extra: The Hero and Gozoh

    Wataru Nishimi was a hero.

    However, even to a hero, a debt of twenty-three hundred gold coins is a bit¡­ no, is fairly¡­ no, is really painful.

    And because of that, he stopped using the suite, as well as lowered the rank of his meals.

    Although inn fees were provided by Haku, he decided that to set it aside for the payments since it couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Wataru moved into a normal room, but it wasn¡¯t particrly troubling either. Rather, the futon was considerablyfortable. He felt that it¡¯d be fine even if he just stayed in one of them from the start next time he came.

    Moreover, he could enter the onsen however many times he wanted, as well as use the game room.

    He¡¯d want toe and stay at the onsen inn even if there weren¡¯t a dungeon.

    ¡°¡­ But this debt is horrible huh¡­ haah¡­¡±

    Wataru sighed while eating cream stew in the dining room.

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s wrong, Pudding An-chan?¡±

    ¡°Ah, thanks¡­ umm, Dwarf-san?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Gozoh. Thanks for the pudding yesterday. So, what¡¯s with the sighing?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Wataru. And well, it¡¯s just¡­ I have a bit of a debt.¡±

    Wataru gave a smallugh as though to lie to himself.

    ¡°Haah, so that¡¯s it? Something serious happened right after that yesterday huh. After you brought Kehma to the room? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Well, it was just something with this.

    Saying that, he showed him the dice.

    ¡°I was just a little self-confident.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, gambling can destroy your body you know? That receptionist, that Ichika girl? She fell into very after umting debt from gambling. She looks pretty happy now though¡­ actually, today it looks like she¡¯s seeing the end of the world for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯ll take care.¡±

    Wataru smiled wryly, figuring that her name sounded familiar, and it that was probably because of her punishment.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, in debt to Kehma? I haven¡¯t seen that guy gambling at all, but¡­ between you and me, my rtions with Kehma are good. I could tell him you need to wait a little to pay if you need.¡±

    ¡°Haha, thank you for that¡­ Kehma-san said that my installments will be interest free, so well it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Ah is that so? It¡¯s all good then.¡±

    While saying that, Gozoh drank another swig of alcohol from his y decanter.

    ¡°Wait, is that alcohol? I heard that this inn didn¡¯t deal in alcohol though?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I brought it. I traded for it directly with a merchant, they overlook it since I just bring in what I buy for myself¡­ Want to drink some? You gave me that pudding yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Itadakimasu.¡±

    To tell the truth, Wataru hadn¡¯t drank alcohol before. Summoned to this world at the age of seventeen, he continued with his Japanese customs even here and didn¡¯t drink or use tobo until the age of twenty. And now that he thought about it, he was already twenty. Though he was already at the age he could drink, there hadn¡¯t been any chances.

    Wataru epted the y decanter from Gozoh and suddenly drank it.

    ¡­ The alcohol had an amazingly intense vor. However, Wataru didn¡¯t think he disliked that.

    ¡°Hooh, you¡¯re a good drinker.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the first time I drank alcohol, but I think I like it.¡±

    ¡°First time? Fumu, then you¡¯re a natural. Well, drink up, I have others.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then I¡¯ll ept your offer. Itadakimasu.¡±

    ¡°Aye, you should drink alcohol even if something bad happens.¡±

    Gozoh took out another y decanter he brought in with him and drank as well.

    While the two were drinking, Gozoh¡¯spanion, Roppu, came along. Although Gozoh was a dwarf, Roppu was a human woman.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re drinking! And you, I haven¡¯t seen your face, Neer-san?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m Wataru Nishimi. A hero.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, you were a hero huh.¡±

    ¡°Hero!? Isn¡¯t that S-Rank? Eeh, amazing, wait you were drinking with him without knowing that? ¡­ Let me in!¡±

    And so, Roppu began drinking alcohol with them.

    Luckily or not, no one stopped them.

    ¡°Eeeh, twenty three hundred!? You racked up a huge amount.¡±

    ¡°Ye~ah~. Kehma-san, he¡¯s a demon! A devil! Kehma-san is!¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, that¡¯s rude. A demon or devil would¡¯ve let him go with around fifty gold!¡±

    ¡°Uu, half a year of hard work¡­¡±

    ¡°Eeh, you can pay it? S-Rank is amazing~¡±

    ¡°I could get it in a single month if I got serious though! I won¡¯t do it since it¡¯d cause a grudge though.¡±

    ¡°Riiight, it¡¯s better to stop before causing one of those~. Well, drink up, drink up. Today¡¯s on me!¡±

    ¡°Itadakimaaasu!¡±

    Wataru continued drinking whatever alcohol Gozoh took out.

    ¡°Hey heeeey, Wataru-kun. What did you do to Kehma-san? I don¡¯t think twenty-three hundred gold is normal.¡±

    ¡°Weeell, it was a bit of a misunderstanding¡­ you know that dog eared child serving tables here yesterday? That child.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that Jou-chan huh¡­ Wataru did something bad then?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, yeah¡­ thinking that tiny girl was having a hard time¡­ didn¡¯t I have to save her if I could? As a man.¡±

    ¡°Wooaah~, Wataru-kun is cool~¡­ but it¡¯s useless you know? ves are a person¡¯s property. And besides, that child¡¯s madly in love with Kehma-san, she¡¯s not dissatisfied with her current position at all!¡±

    ¡°Looks like it huh¡­ haaah, doing something unnecessary for a twenty-three hundred gold coin debt¡­ twenty-three million rion huh¡­¡± [1]

    ¡°Alright, drink up. Today¡¯s my treat, there¡¯s still alcohol!¡±

    ¡°Itadakimaaaasu!¡±

    He left it all to Gozoh and drank the alcohol Gozoh took out with vigor. With a burp, he sat the y decanter he¡¯d emptied onto the table.

    ¡°Hey Gozoh, it¡¯s not too early to go to Kantra¡¯s ce you know? He said there¡¯s still alcohol at the smithy¡¯s spot you know? And it¡¯s fine even if we make more noise there you know?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, right, Roppu, you¡¯re a genius! Oooi, Kinue-san, bring some snacks! Drink this Wataru, follow me!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming, Gozoh-san!¡±

    ¡°Ah, Kinue-san. The bill. Can you bring it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly. I¡¯ll have Rei bring it all. Are deep-fried potatoes alright?¡±

    ¡°I want those soft and ky fried things!¡±

    In this way, they hit it off with Wataru spewing hisints. However, as for them bingrades that would travel the world under the name of [Team Bhus], that is a story for another day. [2]

    Furthermore, [Team Bhus]¡¯ main directive was to [Drink All of the Delicious Alcohol From Around the World].

    *

    ¡°Mmm~, so alcohol was such a delicious thing~¡±

    The next day, Wataru woke up feeling refreshed, not even having a hangover.

    He didn¡¯t know if it was in his original nature, or perhaps because of a hero¡¯s abilities. However, he was able to enjoy alcohol without needing to worry about how he¡¯d feel the next day. That would be good to do from then on.

    Since he¡¯d nned on going to the dungeon [Cave of Desires] today, he would have had to change his ns if he¡¯d had a hangover.

    And since he¡¯d need to leave soon, this might be the final day that he could properly look through the dungeon.

    So he intended to go as far in as he could today.

    ¡°¡­ Guess it¡¯s time?¡±

    Wataru, equipped with his skills as a hero, went into the dungeon.

    Footnotes:

    I have no idea what rion is either. This is the first time it¡¯s appeared so far as I can recall¡­? I really hope I¡¯m not being stupid here. =| ¡®£²£³£°£°Íò¥ê¥ª¥ó¤«¤¡¡¯

    Bhus, also known as Dionysus, from Greek/Roman mythology. Click here for more

 Chapter 103

    The Hero and the Dungeon

    Hero Wataru dove into the dungeon. Passing through the first floor with ease, he entered thebyrinth area.

    Although the usual pattern for here was to search and explore, today he passed through thebyrinth area farther inside, making his way to the riddle area.

    ¡°Now then, the unexplored area¡¯s after this huh¡­ Gotta focus from here on.¡±

    He wasn¡¯t speaking to anyone in particr, he just talked while looking at the door in front of him.

    The riddle door. Wataru leisurely solved the door, typical known as the [Gate of Wisdom].

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, this is arithmetic. Just need to solve it with some basic algebra.¡±

    ¡°I remember this from that Japanese game show, that matchstick guy. Just need to reverse the triangle.¡±

    ¡°Aah, this one¡¯s a famous riddle. In this world, at least. [Northern Sea].¡±

    ¡°¡­ [Easy], I guess? This doesn¡¯t seem that hard.¡±

    Expressing an opinion that would earn him a headbutt if Haku heard him, he made his way to the spiral staircase area.

    Beyond this point, nothing had been reported to the guild at all.

    Although Wataru thought that Kehma probably had some information as the person who had delved the deepest into the dungeon, it would¡¯ve been hard for him to ask due to his debt.

    As something that gave one an advantage, information in this world was to be concealed. And that if he¡¯d asked for information, his debt would continue increasing.

    Of course, that included information on how to deal with parts of a dungeon. As an exception, information about traps that would be particrly dangerous for adventurers who didn¡¯t know about them¡ªcing the magic sword back into the pedestal in the [Avarice Trap] for example¡ªwould be purchased by the guild to be used asmon knowledge. As for the adventurers who still died to those traps, the guild just viewed them as unfortunate losses.

    ¡°¡­ So there¡¯s a hole in the middle? Wonder if it¡¯d be faster to jump down from here?¡±

    He thought that when he saw the hole¡­ but seeing as he¡¯d likely wind up with fractures even if hended skillfully, although the idea crossed his mind, Wataru discarded the thought of jumping down.

    While paying careful attention to the steps, he descended the spiral staircase step by step.

    ¡­ On the way down, a wall projected outwards.

    ¡°Whoops, that was dangerous.¡±

    For Wataru, it wasn¡¯t dangerous. He evaded the suddenly projected wall so as to not fall.

    ¡°I probably would¡¯ve fell if I was any slower huh.¡±

    He finally noticed the point of there being a hole down the center of the staircase. Then again, there wasn¡¯t much meaning in him realizing it either though.

    When he finished descending the spiral staircase, there was an area that strikingly resembled some man-made ruins. It was as though there was something dividing the areas.

    He entered the near room while confirming that there were no traps.

    ¡°Oh, a treasure chest! Fufufu, I wonder what¡¯s in it? Maybe it¡¯s some manga magazine~¡±

    Wataru, someone from another world, hoped there would be some Japanese item inside the chest. However, it just had a sword in it. Although he was a little disappointed, he saw a magic stone in it when he took a better look. It was a magic sword.

    ¡°Ooh,e to think of it there was some talk about being able to get magic swords here huh. Hmm, it feels like I can fill it with magical power and it feels like it¡¯ll get sharper, I think? Well, it¡¯ll go towards repaying my debt¡­ Would¡¯ve preferred something from Japan though¡­¡±

    Magic swords that improved their sharpness were, among magic swords, located in the lower rank. High rank ones had magic effects. In the case of the magic sword he currently had, by being at the level of being purchasable with several gold coins, it was a third-rate piece of equipment for an S-Rank adventurer hero.

    As for C-Ranks, they would go into a frenzy for equipment at that level.

    While defeating the iron golems that constantly appeared on his way, he found even more magic swords in the other rooms. All of them were sharpness improving magic swords. Although he stored the magic swords together with the iron golem corpses with his [Storage] magic, he was slowly reaching his full capacity.

    ¡°Maybe it would¡¯ve been better toe after getting rid of some stuff¡­ No no, I had to perfectly prepare since I¡¯m travelling alone, can¡¯t be helped, can¡¯t be helped.¡±

    Collecting twenty magic swords somehow or another, he found the stairway to continue going down.

    Although he felt that it was [Still Safe], he didn¡¯t think that he [Still Had Room]. When the timees, he¡¯d probably discard the iron golem corpses for room.

    Thinking that, Wataru decided to take a look at the next floor for now.

    *

    I¡¯ve been going a little easy on him, but doesn¡¯t it feel like he¡¯s progressing just a bit too easily through the dungeon?

    However, I can¡¯t use my never-before-seen lethal traps on him because Haku-san asked me to keep him alive. We¡¯re only able to repel him with monsters, but we¡¯re just losing out since he¡¯s so strong. How the heck is he slicing my iron golems in two with simple strikes of his sword, oi.

    Because of that, we adopted the strategy of giving him a ton of treasures so that he¡¯d hurry up and leave.

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot of magic swords today aren¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Since someone finally made it to the warehouse area, let¡¯s use the opportunity for some advertisement.¡±

    If it¡¯s the level of magic swords we¡¯re showing off this time, high-ranking adventurers probably won¡¯te.

    ¡°The iron golem corpses are slowly filling up his [Storage]¡­ wait, eh? Did I make a passage there?¡±

    When I looked to see how Wataru was doing, he was working on going down stairs that I don¡¯t remember making¡­ That isn¡¯t the prison area, right? The heck are those stairs?

    ¡°Eh? I made those you know¡­ wait, right! I forgot since the hero arrived, but I made a dungeon!¡±

    Oh right, Ipletely forgot about that. Come to think of it, Rokuko did make a dungeon, didn¡¯t she.

    ¡°¡­ So, what kind of dungeon did you make?¡±

    ¡°Fufun, well, take a look! It¡¯s super ground-breaking! Please see what I made, it won¡¯t lose to Kehma¡¯s ideas!¡±

    That sounds good, let¡¯s watch this hero¡¯s strategy for capturing it.

    *

    ¡°¡­ Hey, it¡¯s suddenly way different.¡±

    When he descended the stairs, there was a pool of magma. The heat that gathered seemed to burn his skin.

    In the sea of magma, there was a path dotted by stepping stones to be used as footholds. Even magic tool footwear would burnt up if someone lost their footing.

    ¡°There was that hot spring, so maybe this is something like a volcano¡­ A natural sauna, I guess?¡±

    In truth, this couldn¡¯t be a sauna. The magma was hot enough to melt even bone, but it wasn¡¯t much of a threat to Wataru, a hero. Using his magical power, he produced a barrier that stretched around him like a membrane. With that, even if the stepping stones copsed and he was submerged inva, it shouldst around thirty seconds.

    Even so, since it consumed so much magical power, he slowly advanced, checking his footing step by step.

    ¡°Piii¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Hm?¡±

    He heard a bird¡¯s cry. When he looked, he saw a small white bird flying towards him like a dart. With a bang, he took out his sword to stop it, causing it to ng as it got hit. Knocking against his solid sword, the bird fell into the magma with a plop.

    ¡°What kind of bird was that?¡±

    Though he was a little worried about it, the small bird that fell into the magma was already on fire.

    While not minding it too much, he just noticed there weren¡¯t any golems on this floor. He looked around him once again, searching for the presence of monsters.

    Anyhow, he didn¡¯t feel the presence of any other than that small bird that would¡¯ve gone great in yakitori. However, it was true that he wouldn¡¯t be able to notice golems that werepletely unmoving.

    ¡°¡­ Guess I¡¯ll go on?¡±

    Then, when Wataru moved his foot, something hit his back and he received a light impact.

    ¡°Uoooh!? ¡­ T-that was dangerous!¡±

    He almost lost his footing, but he held out. Looking around, he saw the small and still-burning bird pping its wings.

    ¡°A fire bird¡­ phoenix! Right, it wasn¡¯t because of the magma, it was on fire from the start!¡±

    ¡°Pi!¡±

    The small bird hurled itself forward once again¡­. although it was a phoenix, for surprise attacks, they stopped working once they were figured out.

    While thinking he saw something rare, Wataru cut down the phoenix.

    ¡°Pikya¡ª!¡±

    The phoenix cried as it was cut down, wrapping itself in me¡­ However, a few secondster, the phoenix revived and attacked him again. Reviving faster than he thought it would, Wataru cut it down yet again.

    However, again and again and again, the phoenix kept reviving and attacking him.

    Even though it was very weak, its revival cooldown time was quick, so it looked like there was no point in attempting to defeat it, however¡ª

    ¡°Ah! But couldn¡¯t it be some great raw materials!? Come to think of it, Kantra-san said that he wanted rare fire-type materials huh! Booyah!¡±

    ¡°Pikiii!?¡±

    ¡ªProbably because it felt something dangerous, the phoenix ran from Wataru.

    ¡°My my, saved from cleverness.¡±

    Wataru let out a small mutter. As a matter of fact, he didn¡¯t know how to retrieve the raw materials from a phoenix that would just burn away the moment it dies, so he wouldn¡¯t have been able to do much either way.

    Deciding toe back and examine it next time, he put the thought in the corner of his mind and decided to continue advancing onward.

    On the way, a foothold suddenly copsed, but he somehow or another managed to make it to the interior. There, there was a door.

    When he threw his body¡¯s strength against it, the door opened and he saw a cave filled with heat like what he¡¯d just went through.

    Although its magma didn¡¯t overflow, he was able to see red lizards and magma slimes appear.

    Apparently, the real thing started here.

 Chapter 104

    The Hero and [me Cavern]

    I was troubled.

    ¡°What? This is ground breaking!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it too remarkable though, like an explosion?¡±

    ¡°Why!?¡±

    The dungeon that Rokuko made was the footholds made on the magma sea. However, that by itself wouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    Added to that, even adding the one monster, Feni the phoenix, it was still alright.

    The problem came after that.

    That is, it connected to something out of our dungeon¡ª[me Cavern].

    Probably around its fifteenth floor.

    ¡°¡­ Why is it connected to [me Cavern]!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s convenient to let Feni go out and y you know? I properly asked Redra about it first you know?¡±

    ¡°At least you got permission.¡±

    Then again, they probably would have noticed and said something if she didn¡¯t get permission.

    ¡°¡­ So why is Feni the only monster?¡±

    ¡°Because that floor is for Feni. And this way I save more DP to use on summoning a dragon for the next floor!¡±

    Somehow or another it looks like Rokuko¡¯s dungeon is for her pet¡¯s private use¡­ I guess that¡¯s fine?

    Just then, a message came from Ontentoo saying he wanted to meet. I have a bad feeling about it, but it¡¯s not like I won¡¯t go. Grah.

    ¡°Alright Rokuko. Are you ready to apologize?¡±

    ¡°In that case I¡¯ll dogene! I¡¯ll prepare the futon!¡±

    That¡¯s no good, Rokuko. Don¡¯t do something like that so quickly.

    *

    ¡°Oi, Kehmaaa!? What¡¯s the meaning of this!?¡±

    When we met, the smander Ontentoo shouted with a forceful bellow.

    His reptilian face looks like its ring at me harshly.

    ¡°I feel like I understand what you want to say, but for now let¡¯s assume I don¡¯t¡­ What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°You sent the god¡¯s vanguard into my dungeon, that¡¯s what! Is this a deration of war!? Answer me!¡±

    ¡°It was an ident. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it was an ident? That¡¯s fine then.¡±

    Are you sure? Oi.

    ¡°I know I¡¯m the one saying it, but is it alright?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, it¡¯s fine, the god¡¯s vanguard is moving towards the exit right now.¡± [1]

    As the hero himself intended to advance further and further into the depths of the dungeon, it looked like he was heading towards [me Cavern]¡¯s entrance, which was its exit. Ontentoo seemed to be letting him go outside as is and just ignore the boss room.

    ¡°Kehma and No. 112 are narrow-minded huuuh. Right, Redra?¡±

    ¡°No, Rokuko!? It¡¯s dangerous even for this one fighting all out against god¡¯s vanguard as an opponent you know!?¡±

    In addition, Rokuko and the red dragon Redra (human form) were sitting on good terms with each other in seiza on the stone floor. No, they were made to. By me.

    ¡°Kehma? What were you thinking by connecting to my dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Please ask Rokuko. Or rather, it looks like you didn¡¯t approve it either, Ontentoo?¡±

    ¡°Redra did it without my permission¡­ Comrades in hardships eh?¡±

    Although the reason is that I left it all to Rokuko, Ontentoo couldn¡¯t defy Redra who was his master. Thinking about that, Ontentoo must have a hard time.

    Even with their dungeon of fifty-one floors, it looks like the dungeon master redecorated in secret and he only just now realized it when the hero invaded.

    ¡°This one discussed wanting to connect dungeons with Rokuko!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s convenient for bringing Feni along to y right? Also for me ying with Redra!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rather, Rokuko, Redra. When did you two get on such good terms?¡±

    ¡°When Kehma was sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko and Fenie over to y a lot! This one has free time since adventurers usually don¡¯t make it to the bottom floor!¡±

    Yeah, it is a fifty-one floor dungeon after all¡­ I could probably sleep peacefully for life if I made ours that deep. I sleep a lot even now though.

    ¡°Rather Kehma! You care for Rokuko properly! Learn from this one¡¯s husband!¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah! ¡­ Wait, Redra!? Don¡¯t say it as if I-I¡¯m like Kehma¡¯s w-w-wife¡ª!¡±

    For now, noment.

    ¡°So, what now?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, how about blocking the door?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t it fine to leave it? It¡¯s camouged on a rock surface on our side so it¡¯ll just be guysing from your side.¡±

    Hmm? So in other words it¡¯ll just be a thing that adventurers that came in from our side can leave through?

    ¡°In other words, the guys that get lost at your dungeon will get dealt with somehow by us, how ¡¯bout some thanks?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, then isn¡¯t that just us losing ie? Ours is also camouged, I just decided to get rid of that unmanageable god¡¯s vanguard guy, thanks for that~. I might send god¡¯s vanguard there again though!¡±

    While mutually giving feints, for now we decided to just keep our dungeons connected and camouge the opening.

    And we decided on Rokuko and Redra¡¯s punishments.

    *

    Hero Wataru looked about restlessly.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Light¡­? Huh, the exit? Huh?¡±

    Continuing walking outside of the dungeon, he looked around.

    Apparently, he was at the top of Tsuia Mountain. Sia was a little ways away, and he saw the inn near [Cave of Desires], [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]. There was a forest between him and it, and he still had to descend as well, but it was possible to return more or less easily with a hero¡¯s leg strength.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like an illusion. Is this really the outside¡­? The heck is going on, was there another entrance? Should I return for a moment and report it to the guild¡­?¡±

    With that, he walked down the mountain towards the inn. Running down the mountain¡¯s face, he instantly knew the direction to go.

    Coming out of the forest that was between them, he returned from above to [Cave of Desires].

    Right then, Gozoh was drinking alcohol in Kantra¡¯s smithy.

    ¡°He¡¯s still drinking?¡±

    While a little astonished, Wataru decided to join in afterwards.

    ¡°Oh? If it isn¡¯t Wataru. Didn¡¯t you head into the dungeon? Why¡¯d youe from on the mountain?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Gozoh-san. There¡¯s¡­ an entrance on top of the mountain.¡±

    ¡°On the summit? ¡­ You said you were an S-Rank, but that ce is definitely a dungeon called [me Cavern] you know?¡±

    ¡°[me Cavern]? Is it different from [Cave of Desires]?¡±

    ¡°It should be a different dungeon, but¡­ well, there are lots of things about dungeons I don¡¯t know, so it might be something unusual.¡±

    ¡°Are there no precedents?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯re examples of fellow dungeons being near each other. A famous example is the imperial capital¡¯s [White Labyrinth], the [White Cave] is nearby it and touches a part of it.¡±

    Hearing about it from Gozoh, Wataru remembered hearing about something like that.

    ¡°How far¡¯d you get in there?¡±

    ¡°Ah, into the unexplored area. I don¡¯t know when it [me Cavern] started though¡­¡±

    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s amazing! As expected of S-Rank! ¡­ Was there any alcohol?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately not. Ah, but I did get magic swords.¡±

    ¡°Hooh, I¡¯m envious.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, didn¡¯t Kantra-san say he was studying magic swords? How about I give him one? I got twenty of them.¡±

    ¡°Twenty!? That¡¯s insane! Oooi, Kantra! Wataru is going to give you a magic sword! Today we¡¯ll drink as thanks!¡±

    ¡°Ooh, drinking alcohol today too!¡±

    Many gulps echoed from Wataru¡¯s throat.

    Footnotes:

    This note is ced pretty haphazardly, but I would just like to state again that Ontentoo talks like a yakuza, dragging out his vowels all delinquent-like. Sorry, but I¡¯ve yet to figure out a good way to represent this in English.

 Chapter 105

    The Hero¡¯s Repatriation

    After reporting to the guild, he decided to sell all of the magic swords through the guild to pay off his debt.

    ¡°¡ªBecause of that, I appear to have left from [me Cavern]. Well, here are some magic swords. There are neen of them, I had one more of them at the same quality, but I gifted it to Kantra-san. I would like to sell the rest through the guild.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, certainly.¡±

    With the magic swords lined up, the contents of Wataru¡¯s report were exhrating.

    That he had went through the unexplored area, that [Cave of Desires] was connected to [me Cavern]¡ªa dungeon also in Tsuia Mountain¡ªat an unknown location, and that he had retrieved as many as twenty magic swords.

    They were all wonderful results.

    ¡°Well, how much will you purchase the information for?¡±

    ¡°The market price for that is twenty silver coins. Would you like to auction off the magic swords?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Twenty all at once sounds like it would copse the price doesn¡¯t it. Let¡¯s go with ten. I¡¯ll sell nine to the guild for two gold coins each, so please sell themter. Ah, could I get it in cash if possible?¡±

    That would be eighteen gold, and adding the auction¡¯s sales to that it would probably be close to forty gold.

    ¡­ It was probably a small amount rtive to his twenty-three hundred gold debt, but it could be thought of as an ie of forty million yen. From Wataru¡¯s viewpoint, it wasn¡¯t too bad thinking about it like that.

    For that night he would be having a drinking bout with Kantra and the others, so he decided to return to the empire the next day.

    The details of the drinking bout will be omitted. It was good alcohol, none was left over by the end.

    ¡°Alright, now to greet Rokuko-san and them.¡±

    He headed to the inn¡¯s reception¡­ Sitting there was the mage girl that he¡¯d gotten on good terms with, Nerune.

    ¡°Whaaaa~, you¡¯re already returning~!? Uuu, I wanted to ask more about magic~¡±

    Hahaha, I¡¯lle again. Is Rokuko-san here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes~. I¡¯ll get her~¡±

    Nerune went to go get Rokuko, so he waited for a while. And then Rokuko arrived in high spirits.

    ¡°You¡¯re going back? Say hi to Ane-sama for me.¡±

    ¡°Alright, well, was I able to help?¡±

    ¡°Nn, yeah! Thanks to you I¡¯ll get a ring from my partner!¡±

    There was a certain pact between Wataru and Rokuko.

    That is, when Wataru wanted Rokuko to be his partner, some things were said.

    ¡«¡«¡«

    [¡­ Would you be my partner?] [Eh, no way. I already have a partner.]

    From Rokuko¡¯s reaction, Wataru noticed that his question could have been taken as a confession.

    He quickly corrected that.

    [¡­ Ah! No, sorry. I meant as in a study partner. Not the meaning as in a couple or lover or anything.] [¡­ Un? That so? Well okay.] [Please be my cooperator in researching returning to Japan! Those clothes, I just noticed them now, but they have nylon in them right!?] [Nayon? What¡¯s that?] [It¡¯s synthetic material made from petroleum! ¡­ This world hasn¡¯t ever seen thebination of nylon with cloth, so why¡­!?] [Ah, this dress? My partner obtained it from the dungeon you know. Fufun, isn¡¯t it wonderful?]

    Right, the Hero Wataru saw through the looks of the material as something that existed in Japan with his insight. His eyes moved instinctively, but his reaction was only towards the nylon cloth. It definitely wasn¡¯t like he wanted to look at Rokuko¡¯s bottom. He just only looked at her bottom since her hair was blocking the rest.

    [Yeah, it suits you well¡­ Hmmm, I wonder if I could get some nylon cloth too? I heard the rumors, but it¡¯s amazing¡­ I¡¯d also like Rokuko-san¡¯s Partner-san to be my researchpanion. Is he an excellent adventurer after all?] [¡­ Yeah, he is, he¡¯s the person to have gone the deepest into the dungeon after all. He got a massage chair from the dungeon too.] [Ooh, that¡¯s¡­!]

    He wanted to take it apart and look inside. When he saw it¡ª

    [No way. It¡¯s valuable.]

    Rokuko stopped it. He seemed to have voiced his desire.

    [Mumu, then maybe your Partner-san could teach me about the dungeon¡­ maybe I could hear something about it?] [Nnn, right. I¡¯m fine preparing a ce to talk, but there needs to be an advantage for me!] [Hmm, then how about I treat you to a meal? The five gold coin one.] [It¡¯s my goods, I could eat it whenever I want even if I weren¡¯t treated to it.]

    ¡®Oh right~,¡¯ Wataru thought. He wondered if there wasn¡¯t some kind of bargaining chip he could use against this person he¡¯d just met. He couldn¡¯t think of anything.

    [¡­ Then, maybe there are some of Rokuko-san¡¯s worries I could deal with?] [Worries? Hmm, I can¡¯t think of any¡­] [Umm, maybe some problem with your daily life with your partner?]

    Wataru spoke in desperation, but Rokuko happened to think of something.

    [Right, then I want to get on better terms with my partner so be my stalking horse!] [1]

    [It¡¯ll definitely lure him out for a meal if I say that Hero-sama confessed to me!] [Eh, w-what!?] [I¡¯ll go tell him then!]

    ¡«¡«¡«

    ¡­ And that is what was said.

    As a result of Wataru confessing to Rokuko, a few days ago he¡¯d told them about his unrequited love story. He ended by futilely trying to indirectly appeal with, [Because I distrust women, I really can¡¯t confess to women], but in the end he was cautious of him and wasn¡¯t able to hear anything satisfactory.

    ¡°¡­ But now I have a twenty-three hundred gold coin debt.¡±

    ¡°Eh? That has nothing to do with me you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±

    Rokuko was definitely unrted to it. Even if Narikin zeroing in on him was due to confessing to Rokuko, Kehma was another person so it was something else entirely.

    ¡°Ah, It¡¯s fine if you pay your debt through Haku Ane-sama you know?¡±

    ¡°I want to see Nerune-san and Gozoh-san and them, so I¡¯lle back. I can¡¯t trouble Haku-sama with that.¡±

    ¡®Even though it¡¯s good if you don¡¯t reallye back,¡¯ Rokuko muttered.

    ¡°Well then, see you.¡±

    ¡°Say hello to Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    And thus, Hero Wataru left for the imperial capital.

    Furthermore, he honestly reported the details to Haku, so she decided that he would be sent to work practically till the point of death despite being an S-Rank adventurer, but that was another story.

    Footnotes:

    This is¡­ not something I¡¯ve heard of before. In short, a person who pretends to do something in order to incite a desired oue.

 Chapter 106

    Meat¡¯s Name and Making the Ring

    In the end, it appears that it was decided that [Cave of Desires] was a derivation from [me Cavern] through Hero Wataru¡¯s report.

    Before heading to Wakoku, he¡¯ll be returning to the imperial capital for a while to do several jobs in order to pay back his debt.

    Taking the asion to gather, he made a promise with Gozoh and Roppu to go to Wakoku together with them.

    [No more drinking until I repay my debt!]

    He said that, but can he really keep it up¡­? Definitely something to worry about.

    Then again, Haku-san would probably just shoulder his debt if he¡¯ste on payments so it¡¯s no problem for us really.

    ¡°Weeell, the hero¡¯s heading back, looks like we can go back to being carefree.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, even without the hero here you shouldn¡¯t be that carefree¡­¡±

    I looked away from Rokuko¡¯s remark¡­ right,e to think of it I have to give Meat a new name huh. I just remembered.

    It was a good time for it, so I had brought her to the room and was using her as a hug pillow.

    ¡°Meat. Your name.¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s fine as is. I-I¡¯ll be a good Meat so¡­¡±

    When I said ¡®name¡¯, Meat trembled like a puppy that someone was trying to take their important nket from.

    ¡°¡­ Right, I¡¯ll think about that in at least five years. So for now let¡¯s think of a name.¡± [1]

    ¡°Heeey, what¡¯s ¡®Meat¡¯ mean anyways? I missed the chance to ask¡­¡±

    Aah, I was going to exin it to Rokuko just there, but I¡¯m finding myself at a loss for words.

    ¡­ I can¡¯t say something like it means sex toy. That¡¯d definitely be hard to say to this person that knows nothing.

    And so, I decided that I didn¡¯t hear her.

    ¡°Your new name is Meat ckdog. I¡¯ll call you ck outside. Sound good?¡±

    When I said that, Meat was surprised that I¡¯d be leaving ¡®Meat¡¯ as her name, so she blinked her eyes.

    In the end, I decided for it to be ckdog since she is a ck dog. It has the feeling that she¡¯ll be proud of her ck hair-ness. I¡¯m definitely not cutting corners here. Definitely not.

    ¡­ I¡¯d asked Ichika concerning what to name her, but beastkin really do ce an extreme importance on their name, to the point that it seems more so than their life. The story is that once they learn their name, it will stick with them for life no matter what¡¯s said and done. Hearing countless examples¡ªto the extent that schoolkids would seriously say things like ¡®Will you stake your life on it?¡¯¡ªI got the impression that trying to change it was no good.

    In short, [It¡¯s useless even if I changed it, I wouldn¡¯t know what would happen even if I tried to forcibly do it. Or rather, it¡¯s already toote. Like a field mineid years ago.] I decided to postpone purposely blowing up the bomb.

    Well, when ites to having a name that describes her precisely, even if it¡¯s by instinct, ¡®ckdog¡¯ should be more or less satisfying for her¡­ Yeah. I¡¯m not cutting corners at all. I¡¯m being serious. Serious I said!

    ¡­ I just hope that Meat doesn¡¯t explode until she¡¯s an adult at least.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s go to the guild to try and register your new name tomorrow¡­ It should take some money, but it¡¯s no problem. Even if it took gold coins. Understand?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes¡ª¡±

    Meat answered while dly wagging her tail back and forth.

    ¡°Heeey, so what does ¡®Meat¡¯ mean?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ask Ichika.¡±

    I decided to leave it to Ichika to exin it to Rokuko.

    Even though we were changing Meat¡¯s registered name with the guild, it took thirty silver coins. We were able to easily go through the procedures at the branch office though.

    It was cheaper than I thought it¡¯d be.

    *

    Since Rokuko had deepened her friendship with Redra while I was sleeping, I thought of something.

    When I sleep so much, it feels like I¡¯m useless.

    Well, even so I don¡¯t really mind and could just keep sleeping, but doesn¡¯t it feel like I¡¯m just a mascot? I don¡¯t want to be put in the mascot box! I don¡¯t want to be the mascot with a bad expression that gets caught between two futons like some dorayaki! [2]

    Thus, even though I don¡¯t really want to I decided that I would do some work.

    To speak urately, I would make more magic sword de golems. They¡¯re something that only I can make after all.

    ¡°Oh iron, be a magic sword, [Create Golem]¡ªah.¡±

    I made a de golem with a considerably suitable chant. The magical power consumption is curbed remarkablypared to not using a chant¡­ I don¡¯t really need to bother though since it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll run out of magical power though. Even though I definitely remember feeling fatigued back when I first used the life magic [Cleanup]¡­ wonder if it¡¯s something like growing up?

    For now let¡¯s resupply the [Treasure Chests] and make the same kind of magic swords the hero took.

    As for what these [Treasure Chests] are, they are boxes that replenish the items in them after a certain period of time. At a cost of 100 DP.

    Other than having them use DP to resupply by choosing from a list if you let it happen automatically, you can also replenish them with items chosen beforehand.

    Haku-san said that it¡¯s a popr item among dungeon masters that find restocking to be troublesome.

    I¡¯d like to make more powerful magic swords¡ªerr, golems, but I don¡¯t have a good way to¡­ Even our most powerful piece, the iron golem, turned out to be useless and got sliced up by the hero.

    Although the hero that came this time was rtively friendly, there might be a day that a hero fully intending to crush the dungeon corees.

    It¡¯s probably best to upgrade its materials after thinking about it, so I took a look at the raw materials I could get with DP.

    ¡­ Oh,e to think of it I promised Rokuko a ring huh. Let¡¯s make it before I forget.

    It should need just about as much needed to make a coin, so it shouldn¡¯t cost too much.

    And so I bought [Orichalcum (1 MM Diameter, 10 CM Length: 10,000 DP)].

    Suddenly expensive! But it can¡¯t be helped, it looks great!

    Orichalcum has a golden tint with a silvery sheen, with a slightly rainbow-colored luster. It really does feel like a fantasy metal.

    It¡¯s extremely expensive even though it¡¯s just ten centimeters, and in addition I couldn¡¯t bend it even though I tried to with everything I had. Even when I used pliers, it didn¡¯t look like it was even near yielding at all. The heck is this, is it really a metal?

    For the time being I started processing it with [Create Golem] but¡­ it consumed a considerable amount of time and magical power even though I was just turning ten centimeters of it into the shape of a ring. This is the first time in a while I¡¯ve felt tired from using magical power, it took everything I had even though I properly used a chant. In this case I was able to shape it how I wanted even better than iron by filling it with enough of my magical power, but normally how would someone turn this into a sword?

    I took another look at the orichalcum loop¡­ It cost enough DP to use up ten gold coins, how luxurious. Isn¡¯t this a ten million yen ring? It might have been better to quietly make it out of money.

    Next, I purchased [Synthetic Ruby (Unprocessed Boule: 30 DP)]. It¡¯s really cheappared to the orichalcum. Moreover a huge gem the size of a finger came out¡­ what the heck¡¯s a boule? [3]

    I thought about using a tiny natural gem, but like this the synthetic ruby is cheaper and has a much better color to it. Moreover since it¡¯s synthetic it barely has anything inside it (impurities), so in a meaning it could be called even more pure than a true ruby.

    It¡¯d probably be deemed heresy from a jeweler¡¯s point of view though. At any rate, I have no rtion to it¡¯sposition since I¡¯ll be kneading and kneading it with [Create Golem]¡­ Oh, it¡¯s really easy to do. It feels like my magical power just sticks to it.

    Well, I wrapped the orichalcum loop in the ruby¡­ There¡¯s a lot of ruby left over, maybe I¡¯ll make some hair ornaments?

    At any rate, I made an orichalcum ring with a ruby coating. The orichalcum shined inside the transparent ruby¡¯s red brilliance. It¡¯s a simple design, but it suits Rokuko.

    Let¡¯s make a box that suits it¡­ Ah, handing her this will be a bit embarrassing¡­

    I was able to make the ring, so let¡¯s think about how to power-up the dungeon again.

    I thought about it when I was touching the orichalcum, but wouldn¡¯t it already be the strongest if I made an orichalcum golem where its whole body is orichalcum?

    Let¡¯s ignore how much DP that would take. A little wire was 10,000, so the amount needed for a full golem might be ridiculous. And then it¡¯d be a story of magical power too.

    ¡­ How do people usually process orichalcum?

    Footnotes:

    The original wording might be implying that he¡¯s not serious about that statement, just saying it to soothe Meat due to her trembling.

    Here¡¯s a dorayaki. Two pancakes with sweet bean paste filling between them.

    Synthetic unprocessed boule image here.

 Chapter 107

    Presenting the Ring to Rokuko

    Presenting a ring, I know it turns into a g where you can¡¯t give it to them if you don¡¯t do it immediately.

    That¡¯s why I decided to do it immediately, even though I¡¯m embarrassed.

    It¡¯s not like I should purposely call her to hand it to her¡­ or something is what I thought, but it¡¯s no good. I should call her to hand it to her.

    Because that¡¯s how it is, there¡¯s no options other than handing it to her, so I called her over saying, ¡®I¡¯m going to give you the promised thing. Pleasee to my room.¡¯

    ¡°Kehma! I¡¯m here!¡±

    She came three secondster. Quick.

    If she had a tail it¡¯d probably be wagging right now.

    With a rustling sound, I¡ª

    ¡°Well, Rokuko. Here it is.¡±

    ¡°A box? ¡­ Ah! Can I open it!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    As soon as I said that, Rokuko quickly took out the ring.

    ¡°Ooh¡­ a red jewel? It¡¯s see-through and really pretty. There¡¯s something glittering inside it too!¡±

    And then she immediately tried to put it on her finger¡ªthen stopped.

    ¡­ Then, she took a few brief nces at me¡­ What? Me? Any more service is beyond what you should expect, I only handed it to you. It¡¯s too embarrassing.

    ¡°¡­ Kehma. I heard it from the hero, but it looks like usually your partner puts your ring on for you at times like this you know? W-will you?¡±

    She¡¯s¡­ pleading me¡­? Grah, alright, I¡¯ll do it.

    When I epted the ring back from Rokuko, I quickly took Rokuko¡¯s left hand and took aim.

    ¡­ When I took a look at Rokuko¡¯s face, she was practically ring at the ring from nervousness.

    Now, while thinking about how Haku-san was going to kill meter, I put it on Rokuko¡¯s ring finger¡­ it¡¯s loose. It¡¯s natural considering I didn¡¯t measure her size after all~

    But I anticipated that. I could use [Create Golem].

    Rather, since I expected that I¡¯d have to adjust it from the beginning, I made it so that it would be loose. That way it wouldn¡¯t be a problem to put it on.

    Rokuko, while feeling the ring with her right hand, spun it round and round.

    ¡°Muu, it¡¯s loose isn¡¯t it¡­ right!¡±

    ¡°Nn?¡±

    Just when I was about to use [Create Golem], kashiin! Rokuko started to shine.

    When the light calmed down, instead of Rokuko being there there was an adult that looked like Rokuko, a blonde-haired girl.

    And on the ring finger of her left hand, there was the red ring that I made. It fit precisely.

    Who¡¯re yo¡ª¡­ no, Rokuko? Normally thinking it couldn¡¯t be anyone but Rokuko, no, normally thinking no one could just grow up instantly though huh. Dungeon cores really aren¡¯t normal though.

    ¡°If the ring is loose, I just have to grow! Ehehe, it¡¯s perfect. So, does it suit me?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ Rokuko, right?¡±

    ¡°Un? What wrong Kehma, charmed by me? Mufufu.¡±

    Rokuko smiled and stuck her chest out. Things that looked like meat buns jiggled.

    Her outward age obviously increased. If her old self was a grade-schooler, she¡¯s now a high school student. High school students these days sure do grow up fast huh, hahaha.

    ¡­ I seem to have been attracted towards her legs unconsciously, so I desperately tried to look away. It¡¯d be dangerous if Rokuko didn¡¯t have shoes on.

    ¡°¡­ Umm? Rokuko, what¡¯s with your appearance?¡±

    ¡°Oh,e to think of it this is the first time I¡¯ve showed Kehma isn¡¯t it? How is it?¡±

    Rokuko twirled in a circle to show off, then over enthusiastically fell over. Even her shoes flew off.

    ¡°Ow~. I lost my bnce from growing so suddenly~¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, be careful.¡±

    I sat back down.

    OK, let¡¯s settle down. Those white things or that ce, I saw various things that I shouldn¡¯t see¡­ Kuh, those white knee socks are so attractive! I looked unintentionally! Don¡¯t turn your feet towards me, my heart can¡¯t take it!

    However, I must not look. With those amazing legs and her age isn¡¯t a problem either, I might carelessly fall in love.

    I can easily imagine being ughtered by Haku-san in the future, so I have to desperately endure.

    ¡°R-Rokuko, can you turn back?¡±

    ¡°Un, I can! I mean, this appearance takes a bit of DP to maintain you know~¡±

    ¡°Alright, please return for now. I still don¡¯t want to die.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? Kehma will die when I¡¯m like this!? Got it I¡¯ll turn back immediately¡­ I turned back!¡±

    I nced at her. She¡¯s turned back into a proper loli.

    Phew, that was close¡­

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll adjust the ring¡¯s size¡­ wait, huh?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Ah, it fits now!¡±

    Rokuko spoke while putting her shoes back on. When I looked at the ring on her left hand, the ring that should have been loose fit as well on Rokuko(loli) as it did on Rokuko(big).

    ¡­ Rokuko¡¯s clothes, shoes, and even her knee socks adjusted to Rokuko(big)¡¯s size,e to think of it. Wait, didn¡¯t those shoese off a moment ago? Eh? They adjust even if they¡¯re taken off?

    Alright, let¡¯s not think into this too deeply. There¡¯s the possibility that it won¡¯t adjust anymore if I recognize it as breaking thew of conservation of mass.

    Rokuko looked at the ring on her finger as though spellbound.

    ¡°Ehehe, this jewel is pretty. It¡¯s red and see-through and beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I have confidence in it.¡±

    She looked really happy, looking at it from various angles while twisting it around her finger.

    I also finally calmed down. Seriously, my heart was pounding¡­

    ¡°The twinkling thing in this gem, what is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s orichalcum.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, orichalcum¡­ isn¡¯t orichalcum super rare?¡±

    ¡°This much cost 10,000 DP.¡±

    ¡°He~h¡­. so this much cost ten Kehma huh¡­¡±

    Oi, don¡¯t turn me into a unit. Like that Feni would be above me.

    ¡°Ehehe?¡±

    ¡°Well, most importantly it looks like you like it.¡±

    ¡°Un, thank you Kehma! Love you!¡±

    Two seconds after she said that, Rokuko¡¯s face blushed. Looks like she noticed what she just said.

    Then she ran out, saying something like, ¡®I-I¡¯m going to go show Meat!¡¯

    ¡­ Even if it was a mistake, it was pretty cute.

    No, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s just that I¡¯m happy she was happy from my present, that¡¯s all¡­!

 Chapter 108

    The Vige

    Winter had set in.

    It was autumn until quite recently while I still thought it was summer, and now it¡¯s already winter.

    Well, a vige was established.

    Yeah. A vige.

    I don¡¯t really get what happened that well, but it looks like the stingy adventurers that pitched tents instead of paying for the inn just decided, ¡®These tents are cold, let¡¯s set up some huts~?¡¯

    And then they just settled down right there. ¡®Yo, good morning Kehma-san!¡¯ Don¡¯t give me that. You said you¡¯d build huts but you seriously made some respectable houses!

    Moreover, other adventurers even went: ¡®Oh, looks good. I¡¯ll also build one¡­ ah, how though?¡¯ ¡®Look no more, leave it to me!¡¯ Then settled down by building houses. The heck is this guy, is Koo-san a carpenter¡¯s son? Booyah, I remembered his name from earlier!

    A bar waspleted next to the inn.

    One of Receptionist-san¡¯s juniors joined the guild¡¯s branch office so it turned into a two-person system.

    In addition, shops got built when the smell of business appeared. Thanks to that it¡¯s gotten difficult for us to sell potions and stuff. We didn¡¯t sell that much anyways though. Above all, there¡¯s no reason for me to refuse because of the permanent residents¡¯ and shopkeepers¡¯ DP.

    And like this, a vige formed on its own ord.

    It¡¯s like someone nned this behind my back, but well it¡¯s favorable to me. The adventurer guild is suspicious. Is Koo-san a spy from the guild head? Hm.

    Now that they¡¯re building houses, won¡¯t there stop being guests at the inn? I thought that, but nothing like that happened. Rather, the amount of merchants increased.

    Thanks to carpenters felling trees in the forest for lumber, the roadless forest now has a road to some extent. Since its be easier to travel through, the cirction between Sia and Pavuera increased, further increasing our DP ie and tunnel rental¡¯s ie. It¡¯s gotten hard for the golem wagons to get rented though.

    (Add on to that that since the lumber quests were put out by the guild, Meat and Ichika have increased their amount of achievedmissions.)

    ¡°Having a bar¡¯s better after all! Right Wataru!?¡±

    ¡°Nooo, I¡¯m on abstinence until I pay back my debt! Why did I have to stop drinking even though there¡¯s a bar here now!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, this is ordinary apple juice.¡±

    ¡°Eh, then it¡¯s alright¡­ wait, isn¡¯t this alcohol!?¡±

    ¡°Aaah? No way Wataru. This is juice, it tastes a bit like alcohol but there¡¯s nothing in it but juice. See?¡±

    ¡°Whaaaat, juice huuuh? It¡¯s definitely juice if Gozoh-san says so, ahahaha.¡±

    There are even farces like that, too.

    Well, I don¡¯t really have a problem with him drinking alcohol though. He¡¯ll pay his debt back properly after all.

    Nheless, Haku-san hasn¡¯te around recently. Not since I gave that ring to Rokuko.

    ording to the hero, Haku-san is busy and doesn¡¯t have the time toe here, however¡­ it feels like I¡¯m a death row criminal waiting for execution.

    Furthermore, we¡¯re selling cards and dice to the bar, even renting out slots.

    As expected, simple gambling fits just right with wagering drinking money in the bar. They¡¯re profiting from the slots even with the rental fees, so the setting is promising.

    Well, the cards, dice and slots are being rented out so the game room would be vacant right? It¡¯s nothing like that.

    ¡°Uooooh! Go, go! Number three, Yumenokuni! Aah, don¡¯t stop there!¡± [1]

    Currently, the game room is used for rat racing.

    Those guys that turned into residents and the inn¡¯s guests are participating.

    ¡°Number one, Aonotenteki! Run! Run! Do iiiiiit!¡± [2]

    ¡°A chance for number four! Go, Nazunazuuuu! I bet on you, oi, stop looking for something and run!¡± [3]

    ¡°Oooh, Onsoku came up from behind! First ce, number five, Onsoku! As expected of its dignity, the crowd¡¯s favorite!¡± [4]

    Voices of sorrow and joy came from the audience that enclosed it all, failed betting tickets fluttering in the game room.

    The bets were for which rat woulde in first. Because calctions were troublesome, second ce wasn¡¯t cared about at all.

    ¡°The next race is in one hour! It is today¡¯s final race, those running can be found here.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, Deppa ising out? He¡¯ll decide it in one go, can¡¯t be unprepared.¡± [5]

    ¡°Elekimouse is the favorite to win, that guy¡¯s lightning quick, exactly like thunder!¡±

    ¡°Wait wait, Fighto has amazing willpower too, this race looks like it¡¯ll be interesting.¡±

    ¡°Oraniwasanpo is steady and clever though he¡¯s not powerful huh~. He¡¯s the dark horse. Alright, I¡¯ll buy ten of ¡¯em! One silver!¡± [6]

    While the guests were betting on the following race, the rats that ran in the previous race were given cheese to chew on.

    These guys are subordinates that live in the forest, the rats that were active in our dungeon battle against Haku-san.

    Moreover, when they turned into named monsters when I gave them a name for the race, they became pretty clever.

    They obey my instructions faithfully and determine their order intentionally, purposely building suspense during the race. Fufufu, with these guys investigationmissions are my forte now too¡­ It was a miscalction though. It was a miscalction though.

    And like that, the vigepleted centered around the inn, rather, the dungeon.

    On a certain winter day, Gozoh called me over to the bar. I thought he¡¯d summoned me for a drinking bout or something, but it didn¡¯t feel like that. The adventurer representative Gozoh and the cksmith Kantra, along with Koo-san who¡¯d turned up to build houses, as well as the bar¡¯s master, a shopkeeper, and the guild receptionist¡­ the person in charge of the branch office. Everyone was here.

    ¡°Well then, today I had Kehmae here. There¡¯s an important talk to about this town at [Cave of Desires].¡±

    ¡°Hoh, so we¡¯re turnin¡¯ into a serious vige huh¡­ Ah, here¡¯s some refreshments. So, what¡¯s the talk?¡±

    ¡°Ooh! Tasty! Alright, the chief will be Kehma! Any objections!?¡±

    Eh?

    Kantra: ¡°I consent if it¡¯s Kehma-dono.¡±

    Koo-san: ¡°Ah, I have faith in Kehma-san!¡±

    Bar master: ¡°None here. Ooh, this is karage. My favorite food.¡±

    Shopkeeper: ¡°I think it¡¯s good! It¡¯ll be profitable for us.¡±

    Receptionist-san: ¡°¡­ I have none either.¡±

    ¡­ No one¡¯s going to stop it? What¡¯s with this flow?

    ¡°Wait, please hold up. Oi Gozoh, why¡¯d it turn into me bing the vige chief?¡±

    ¡°Because you have the most free time! Other people have work¡­ whaaat, the vige chief¡¯s just a normal mediator, it¡¯s nothing different from what you¡¯ve been doing so far, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t Rokuko be fine then¡­? She¡¯s mostly free too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma. You¡¯re thinking about entrusting the vige to Rokuko-chan?¡±

    ¡­ No, sorry. I said something weird there.

    ¡°But saying you¡¯ll entrust it to me, wouldn¡¯t I just be a figurehead?¡±

    ¡°Yeaaah. Well, that¡¯s generally how it is. It¡¯s just that if something happens, the vige chief decides. Everyone else also helps out.¡±

    ¡°Eh? That so¡­ well, in that case¡­¡±

    That should be fine then? I acknowledged bing the vige chief.

    Though I have the feeling I was being led on, it¡¯d just be troublesome if I left it to some unskilled guy.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a bit fast but how about we consult the vige chief?¡±

    I knew it.

    Footnotes:

    Paradise

    Blue Raindrop

    SFX for a mouse

    Sonic Speed

    Bucktooth

    Garden Stroller

 Chapter 109

    Consulting the Vige Chief

    ¡°Please lend us money.¡±

    What came out of Gozoh¡¯s mouth was, unexpectedly, amon thing.

    ¡°Gozoh, well, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Nn? Not to me personally ye know? To the vige.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Right. So for the vige¡¯s expenses then? What would it be used for?¡±

    It seemed to be more of a ¡®please lend us money¡¯ than ¡®please pay us¡¯ thing.

    The shopkeeper grinned.

    ¡°Well, here¡¯s the short of it. Food durin¡¯ wintertime and as much food as needed. Taking a route that¡¯d ensure that, Koo-san¡¯ll buildmunal warehouses in the vige at a discount.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hey, didn¡¯t you have some ce originally to return to for wintertime?¡±

    It¡¯s turned into something troublesome so I said that kind of thing.

    As for me, even though I wouldn¡¯t get any DP, it¡¯s not like I really needed it either. It isn¡¯t that bad slowly entering the hot spring without nuisances too. Then pair that with dozing off in the massage chair.

    ¡­ Hm? Everyone, your expressions froze like crazy. You¡¯ve been quiet for a while now.

    Then, the shopkeeper was the one to break the silence.

    ¡°No way, those iron golems¡¯re great quality, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d do somethin¡¯ that¡¯d be like throwin¡¯ away production durin¡¯ wintertime!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, that¡¯s right. We¡¯ve already brought our livelihoods here after all. Right, Koo-san?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯ll follow Kehma-san!¡±

    Gozoh followed up as though trying to fill the gap, then Koo-san instantly made his deration. Why¡¯d you say something like being my follower so proactively? I don¡¯t even remember doing anything really.

    ¡°Well it¡¯s fine. But wouldn¡¯t it be a waste of money?¡±

    ¡°Pavuera and Sia¡¯re always runnin¡¯ short on iron, so it¡¯ll definitely be worth it. ¡®Sides, soon there¡¯ll even be a huge demand for it flutterin¡¯ in. During the winter too.¡±

    ¡°A huge demand huh¡­ Needing a lot of iron, it¡¯d be for weapons and armor¡­ doesn¡¯t that imply war?¡±

    I think I heard some talks about that? Well, when I said that while recollecting, the shopkeeper had a surprised face.

    Ah, looks like I was spot on.

    ¡°W-well, there¡¯s some reasons. I don¡¯t want to stop operatin¡¯ here for that time.¡±

    ¡°So you mean it¡¯ll be more like an investment than a loan?¡±

    ¡°Yah yah! Aaah as expected Kehma-han¡¯s the best, the conversation¡¯s already done! Ya definitely won¡¯t lose out, how much can ya take out?¡± [1]

    While the shopkeeper struck the table with a loud bang, he grinned broadly.

    Hmm, wouldn¡¯t the amount depend on the market? I don¡¯t know about that at all. Though, isn¡¯t this a good chance to use the gold coins that I¡¯ve just been hoarding away without turning into DP?

    I piled up gold coins on the table after taking them out of my [Safe].

    Ten, twenty¡­ eeh, troublesome, this should be around a hundred coins. One month of Wataru¡¯s debt repayment.

    ¡°Is one hundred gold enough?¡±

    ¡°A-a hundred¡ª!? Ah, y-yah, t-that¡¯s enough. Yah, this¡¯ll double by spring, wait, that might be a bit hard though, I¡¯ll return around a hundred fifty!¡±

    ¡°You seem reliable. Then in exchange, I¡¯ll leave you to manage things concerning the vige¡¯s operating expenses, manager. Show me the profit you¡¯ll make¡­ I¡¯ll be checking the books, so don¡¯t embezzle alright?¡±

    ¡°I never thought you¡¯d do somethin¡¯ like take out a hundred and plop it down¡­ I¡¯ll do it, my Dyne Company will do its best with all its got!¡±

    His shop is the Dyne Company huh. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard that.

    By the way, from the sounds of it even ten gold seems like it would have been enough. Well, there¡¯s no helping it now that I¡¯ve taken it out, it¡¯s better than having too little. I took the chance to leave the funds stuff to him. He looks motivated, so it¡¯s ¡®kay.

    ¡°So much money¡­ but, isn¡¯t it too much? Aren¡¯t you suspicious that he may swindle you or run away with it?¡±

    Receptionist-san spoke.

    It would definitely be a pain to lose 100,000 DP worth, but taking it back now would be troublesome, so I¡¯ll make light of it. My ideal role as the vige chief is [Just take an imposing stance, then leave the troublesome things to those around me and sleep soundly].

    Right, so in order to push the troublesome things onto everyone else, let¡¯s give the feeling of being a big shot.

    ¡°Well, I trust him. You, an adventurer guild receptionist, are also present here, aren¡¯t you? ¡­ Besides, if a merchant ran away with just this much money it means they would be just that little of a merchant. Right?¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look down on me! I¡¯ll do whatever ya want if I make a mistake and lose it, dogeza, seppuku, anythin¡¯!¡±

    Not just dogeza, but even seppuku? Ah, if you do that be here so you turn into DP alright?

    ¡°That¡¯s unexpected¡­ Suddenly pressed into being the vige chief, yet already able to take such prompt decisions.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, this is the first time seeing the Dyne-san this riled up.¡±

    I received a rare praise from Receptionist-san. And next to her, that dandy-mustached Oji-sama¡­ The bar master is grinning with some hidden meaning.

    Next is your turn.

    ¡°Then, while we¡¯re at it. I¡¯ll leave the vige chief stuff to the bar master whenever I¡¯m doing something, so as such, please do your best as the vige sub-chief.¡±

    ¡°Ah, me? ¡­ Fumu, Kehma-san is an adventurer as well, so although I don¡¯t know what might happen¡­ understood, I¡¯ll ept.¡±

    Fufufu, looks like he¡¯ll work. Let¡¯s shove away most of my work.

    ¡°Then how about we summarize? First is our policy. These winter preparations¡­ to speak more urately, preparations for iron golem mining during winter.¡±

    I looked at everyone one by one, allotting the minimum work to everyone.

    ¡°Koo-san, begin to build the warehouses immediately starting tomorrow. Kantra, give him priority and make nails or whatever else he needs. Receptionist-san, put out amission for wood collection from the guild¡­ For funds, please discuss with the Dyne Company. The Dyne Company will be in charge of supplying materials and financing. Concerning materials, you may use the inn¡¯s storehouse for now. For the vige sub-chief, review the Dyne Company¡¯s ns for any insufficiencies. Other than that, I¡¯ll leave the detailed instructions to you. Well, for Gozoh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Aye, my work is to hunt iron golems in the dungeon! Leave it to me!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also true, but I¡¯m going to give you an even more important job.¡±

    ¡°Nn? What important job?¡±

    Gozoh inclined his thick neck to the side. I responded with a grin.

    ¡°Please think about this vige¡¯s name. I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Wha¨C!? You¡¯re throwing that to me!?¡±

    As expected, Gozoh let out a hysterical voice.

    ¡°It was your idea after all, think about it however you want. You could name it whatever you want, even if it was something stupid as Gozoh+Roppu¡¯s Love Love Vige. Well, please think about it properly.¡±

    ¡°What!? G-g-got it! I¡¯ll think about it, I¡¯ll do it!¡±

    And like that, I assigned work to everyone present such that I¡¯d have no work of my own.

    ¡­ So far so good, these guys will be thinking about what they should do from here on, so they won¡¯t notice that I don¡¯t have work to do.

    ¡°Looks like it will be busy¡­ I¡¯ll do my best even if I¡¯m just a figurehead. Well, I¡¯ll go back and get some sleep. Good night.¡±

    Now then, let¡¯s get back for some sleep.

    *

    After Kehma left, while the vige¡¯s leadership ate karage in the bar, they talked about Kehma bing the vige chief.

    ¡°Seriously, that guy¡¯s a super big shot. He easily gave out orders after having the position pressed onto him.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Kehma-san! I¡¯ll follow him for life!¡±

    ¡°My my. Why did he ce me as the vige sub-chief?¡±

    ¡°My store¡¯ll be dealin¡¯ with finances¡­ Easily just pullin¡¯ out a hundred gold, seriously a big shot¡­¡±

    ¡°Just when did he prepare that much money¡­? Even though he¡¯s a D-Rank adventurer¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, he ripped Wataru off of twenty-three hundred gold by gambling. He¡¯s paying him a hundred gold a month.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Against Hero-sama?¡±

    For now, everyone had their own opinion regarding the ¡®figurehead¡¯.

    Listening to their opinions andying down policies, giving out directions, and even having discretion.

    It was the work of an excellent vige chief.

    In truth, they¡¯d just nned on asking him to put a good word in from them to the inn to lend the money after he declined being made the vige chief.

    They never thought that the person himself would acknowledge bing the vige chief and make a quick judgement, taking out as much as ten times the highest amount they expected to get.

    Thanks to that, they had beenpletely deprived of their leadership.

    ¡°Even though I thought that I¡¯d be able to more or less pay back Kehma-san lending the slots and giving me the snack recipes.¡± [2]

    ¡°Really~. It¡¯s thanks to Ichika-han workin¡¯ part time that my shop¡¯s even survived.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s even handled rescuemissions for the guild several times¡­¡±

    ¡°Hahahaha! We¡¯re no match for our vige chief.¡±

    By the way, concerning Ichika, even though she independently went to work at the shop part time on her rest days and break times in order to earn money for the slot machines, they assumed that she was sent over by Kehma.

    Even her wasting money on the slot machines, they just took it as Kehma decentralizing the area¡¯s wealth.

    ¡°He even entirely saw through my profit scheme¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that he has his own informationwork. There¡¯s no way he doesn¡¯t as the secretary of an inn with an A-Rank purveyor behind it.¡±

    ¡°Add on to that that he said we could use the inn¡¯s warehouse, which in other words means that he expects the price to hike up quickly. And he gave so much, it¡¯s like he wants me to buy enough to control it.¡±

    ¡°Did he predict that far?¡±

    The bar¡¯s master was amazed.

    Meanwhile, Gozoh poured apple wine into Silia¡¯s ss.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, Silia-chan. What rank is Kehma now?¡±

    ¡°He had his examination a few days ago, bing D-Rank. Rather, wasn¡¯t Gozoh-san his examiner?¡±

    ¡°I know, just wanted to ask¡­ D-Rank huh¡­ He¡¯s an even lower rank than me, despite how it looks¡­ Isn¡¯t he already good enough for C-Rank?¡±

    ¡°As expected as not even one year has passed, he does not have enough achievements to be C-Rank.¡±

    The guild¡¯s receptionist said that while picking up some of the karage before drinking a mouthful of the apple cider.

    And then, there was Koo-san.

    ¡°So good, so gooood¡ª!¡±

    While filling his mouth with karage, his respect for Kehma elevated another level.

    Footnotes:

    Think this is the first time this hase up, but -han is the kansai dialect¡¯s version of -san.

    As in, he¡¯s so much of a big shot it¡¯d be hard to show thanks¡­

 Chapter 110

    Subordinates¡¯ Growth

    I¡¯ve be both a dungeon master and a vige chief.

    However, it¡¯s obviously not like I could use the convenient dungeon functions for the vige.

    Me being a dungeon master is secret, it¡¯d be bad if that got exposed. I¡¯ll only be using them for myself and for the inn.

    It¡¯s fine so long as I can guarantee my leisurely sleeping space.

    Well, the dungeon. I think I¡¯ll be needing to rebuilding up here soon.

    The reason? Hero Wataru took out neen magic swords.

    Because talks about that slowly spread to the world, the number of C-Rank adventurers here increased and have been advancing in capturing the dungeon.

    To be specific, more people have been exploring thebyrinth area, so it¡¯s be hard to move thebyrinth¡¯s walls around.

    And because of that there¡¯s been more adventurers challenging the riddle area.

    Furthermore, even though they would just return to the first floor if they failed the riddle, with people twisting their ankles when being unprepared, it¡¯d turn into a prolonged stay or being brought out on a stretcher¡­ That, and they could even die fully armored if theynded poorly.

    Basically, I don¡¯t want to make a prison. Those people from before are an exception. Yep.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Rei. What happened to those guys we captured a while back?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re still alive. No matter what, my offensive power is zero after all.¡±

    Rei, the silver-haired vampire, responded with a good smile. She¡¯s a good employee that works earnestly.

    I don¡¯t get why they have to be alive just because her offensive power is zero, but I¡¯ll not ask anymore and leave it alone. It¡¯s definitely something I¡¯m better off not knowing. Let¡¯s not wake up from this dream and just keep leaving it to Rei.

    It¡¯s a special asion, so I decided that I should look around and see how my subordinates are doing.

    Kinue-san and Nerune were chatting in the dining room. Since it wasn¡¯t mealtime and already in the afternoon, there weren¡¯t any guests. Since people could now get light meals at the bar, things here have gotten a lot easier.

    Kinue-san learned how to cook from me vaguely telling her how, so it¡¯s gotten to the point that she can even reproduce Japanese dishes to some degree.

    We buy vorings like soy sauce or miso with DP. We get sugar from what¡¯s made by the beet-radishes and salt is left to the Pavueran merchants.

    ¡°Kinue-san, are you doing good?¡±

    ¡°Master. Yes, I¡¯m doing well. I was hearing things rting to magic from Nerune.¡±

    ¡°About magic? Did you want to learn some magic skill?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t a magic that is used for cleaning or cooking though¡­ other than [Cleanup], that is.¡±

    It went against her pride to use [Cleanup] for cleaning, but it seems she prefers it over using wind magic to blow garbage away.

    ¡°You learned Japanese cooking, so I¡¯ll grant you a low ss scroll as a reward.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, thank you. I¡¯ll think about which to choose and consult with Nerune about it, then. Ufufu.¡±

    Kinue-san smiled. She gave off the feeling of an adult woman.

    Contrasting that, the apprentice witch Nerune felt like a girl.

    ¡°How about you, Nerune? Did you learn any magic skills?¡±

    ¡°Ehh~¡­ Excuse me, master. Even though you said you would teach me magic when I learned all of the magic skills Meat-senpai¡­ after all there¡¯s one that I can¡¯t seem to learn~!

    ¡°[Storage]?¡±

    ¡°[Storage]~!¡±

    Well, even though the others are all low ss magics, [Storage] is the only middle ss magic after all. Rather, she was able to learn all of those magic skills? Amazing.

    But still, [Storage] is a magic skill that can be properly learned. Let¡¯s teach her magic next time I feel like it¡­ Nope, it¡¯s too troublesome after all. I mean, this world has scrolls you can learn magic from. With the condition of needing to perfectly memorize the incantation¡¯s pronunciation, saying something like, ¡®Keep reciting the incantation until you get it perfect,¡¯ is like giving them a far-off feeling.

    Magic teachers teach slowly, listening to them and correcting them as necessary. They are patient and polite.

    Once someone¡¯s learned a skill, their magical power consumption will just be increased even if they make a small mistake, so it¡¯s not wrong to have them continuously recite the incantation to start with.

    ¡°Please give me a scroll too~!¡±

    ¡°Alright, so then Nerune. I¡¯ll give you some other homework. I¡¯ll teach you magic if you can clear it.¡±

    ¡°What is it~?¡±

    ¡°Devise a method for golems to use magic¡­ We¡¯ll experiment together when you think you¡¯ve got it.¡±

    ¡°Aaalright, I will you know~? Absolutely you know-? Fufufu, I absolutely will~!¡±

    Neruneughed.

    When our golems get to the point of being able to use magic, we¡¯ll also have magic sword de golems so our dungeon¡¯s freedom will stretch a ton too. Fufufu, please, give it your best and show me your idea.

    *

    Ichika and Meat had learned the offensive swordy skill [sh]. It was the the result of their repeated training with the golem assist.

    As for what Ichika learned, it was just [sh]. However, it seems Meat had learned [sh], [Double sh], [Axel Turn], and [Assassin¡¯s Edge]. Moreover, she was teaching Nerune magic¡­

    It¡¯s probably because of the beastkin physical strength and the children¡¯s distinctive high learning ability.

    When I went to see how the two were doing, they were training with wooden swords and exchanging blows in the inn¡¯s garden.

    Bang, bang. The sound of wood striking against wood resounded as they caught each other¡¯s [sh] midway.

    Additionally, there were pseudo-skills mixed in as well. She was forcibly moving her body with the golem¡¯s assistance.

    I asked Meat about the trick to it.

    ¡°ept the forms. With a *bang*, but not just the golem, umm, y-you also going *boom* is important. Ah, [Double sh] is fast-ness, it¡¯s important, and [Assassin¡¯s Edge] severs throats. Then, it¡¯s *pow*.¡±

    Even though she was exining with gestures mixed in, unfortunately, I don¡¯t get it at all.

    But I¡¯m sure that Ichika had originally been using swords. Is her only learning [sh] because she doesn¡¯t have talent or aptitude¡­? Well, it¡¯s fine. I just wanted to see whether or not they could learn it by seeing it and save me some DP.

    I didn¡¯t want to practice over and over, so I had learned it using a skill scroll. [Skill Scroll of sh] was a low ss swordy, 500 DP.

    ¡°Heeey, Goshujin-sama? It took two months to learn that¡­¡±

    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll reward you with three days of all-you-can-eat curry rolls.¡±

    ¡°¡­ For a week!¡±

    I¡¯ll allow it.

    Still, since the side of rolls is 5 DP for six of them, if she eats six hundred it¡¯d get to the point of her recovering her investment.

    ¡­ Eighty-five a day huh? That¡¯s at the level of getting a sour stomach huh. Good luck.

    Though it feels like meals are given a bit too much importance in this world.

    ¡°Does Meat want a reward too? You learned four of them, so you can ask for four times Ichika¡¯s absurdity.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please pat me.¡±

    ¡°Nn? Sure.¡±

    I pat Meat¡¯s head. Feeling her mellow ck hair felt great. Meat was wagging her tail left and right.

    ¡°So, what reward do you want? Just patting would be wasteful.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nn, this is good.¡±

    Didn¡¯t she just say something adorable? Let¡¯s pet her head with both hands. Her hair became a bit disheveled, but since her tail looked happy while I ruffled it up with my hands, it¡¯s probably good.

    She¡¯s been behaving really doglike after I gave her the family name of ckdog huh~. The name¡¯s effective.

    ¡°I-if Goshujin-sama wants, pet¡­ everywhere, too¡­?¡±

    ¡­ Was the name a bit too effective?

 Chapter 111

    Rokuko¡¯s State and the Speaker Golem

    Ah,e to think of it, I didn¡¯t tell Rokuko about me bing the vige chief huh.

    I headed to Rokuko¡¯s room, entering inside as I knocked.

    ¡°Ufufufufu.¡±

    Rokuko was fiddling with and gazing at the red ring on her left hand¡¯s ring finger with a big grin on her face. It¡¯s a spectacle I¡¯ve gotten mostly used to seeing recently¡­ I heard an auditory illusion of Haku-san¡¯s footsteps, so I almost instinctively turned around and prostrated. Today¡¯s mental rehearsal went perfectly today as well¡­ please at least spare my life.

    I called out for her since she hadn¡¯t noticed me after a few seconds.

    ¡°Ooi, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Huh!? W-wai¡ª, you should knock on the door before youe in you know! You should wait for a response first you know! This is a maiden¡¯s room you know!?¡±

    Rokuko hid her left hand behind her in a panic. You didn¡¯t answer me even though I knocked¡­e to think of it.

    ¡°Ah, my bad my bad. I wanted to talk about something.¡±

    ¡°Eh, about what¡­? Wait, let me prepare my heart.¡±

    ¡°Alright, but it¡¯s just normal business stuff? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re thinking about. Definitely not. Well, I¡¯m the vige chief now.¡±

    I decided to quickly report my business to Rokuko who¡¯d started blushing and rush back to my room.

    How¡¯d this happen?

    I don¡¯t particrly recall raising a g with Rokuko.

    At best, I just drove those bandits from the dungeon, expanded the dungeon, and built the inn.

    Was it something to do with buying those melon rolls?

    ¡­ Maybe dungeon cores just have a tendency to fall for their dungeon masters by themselves or something¡­

    ¡°Wait, Kehma. Vige chief?¡±

    Ah. She stopped me.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯ve been more people around here recently right? That¡¯s why everyone decided for the vige to be a proper one, I¡¯d be the vige chief.¡±

    ¡°Nn, in other words, that means Kehma is the most awesome of the humans, then? Well, obviously, my dungeon¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ As for me, I just want to push all of the troublesome things onto other people if possible though¡­ thinking about it properly, the vige chief is the one in the position of pushing troublesome things onto others.¡±

    The ones to push troublesome things onto heroes were vige chiefs.

    Although they were also at the position where troublesome things woulde flying towards them, since I can¡¯t leave from here as the dungeon master, the eternal form is that the vige¡¯s problems are my problems. Let¡¯s give up quietly about it.

    ¡°Nn? But since you¡¯re the vige chief now, what about the inn?¡±

    ¡°Nothing will really change from how it is now¡­ is what I want to say, however, where I live is a problem¡­ The vige chief renting a room from the inn because he doesn¡¯t have a house is weird in a lot of ways.¡±

    ¡°Aah, then I¡¯ll also move when Kehma builds a house.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Rokuko, this inn is a house though?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Rather, even if I built a basic house, since the vige is entirely within the dungeon¡¯s area, even if it¡¯s called a house it¡¯s like a room. The dungeon¡¯s functions are really practical here.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right huh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe I¡¯ll add on a lodge to the inn since moving would be troublesome¡­? Having to walk to the inn every day sounds troublesome too.¡±

    ¡°That sounds great. Like a dormitory?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, like that.¡±

    Externally, we¡¯re going with the pretense that I got permission to build an annex onto the inn from its owner. It¡¯ll be both the vige chief¡¯s residence and a lodge. How about we promptly go and ask for Narikin¡¯s help?

    There probably won¡¯t be anyints from that party of leaders, but let¡¯s just push it through with the vige chief¡¯s authority if there¡¯re anyints. Even if I¡¯m just a figurehead, I am the vige head after all.

    ¡°Ah, make my room in in the vige chief¡¯s residence area too! It¡¯ll be a piece of cake for Kehma right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well alright, you sure?¡±

    The vige chief¡¯s residence huh, should I make it a little big? There¡¯s still a lot of grounds left to use.

    *

    Well then, I thought of something concerning magic practice. I wondered about whether or not golems could be used for that as well.

    I presume it¡¯ll be used as a record yer.

    I mean, even though it¡¯d be great if I could just buy something like a voice recorder with DP, for some reason it looks like I can¡¯t buy any kind of gadget that aputer would contain with DP. Maybe it¡¯s the transistors? Transistors are no good then I guess.

    ¡­ Still though, there¡¯s a record yer that isn¡¯t aputer in the catalog. But it¡¯s an incredible 1,000,000 DP. That¡¯s why I decided to make one myself.

    The structure of a record yer isn¡¯t something thatplicated. Engraving sounds as grooves from the oscitions in them, the speaker would just vibrate ording to the grooves to reproduce the sounds.

    Then how would I do that with golems?

    It¡¯s easy, I¡¯d make the speaker itself into a golem, the golem would just need to memorize the vibrations.

    Then how would I make the speaker?

    That was even easier. Using paper and hide as a film, it could mimic sounds by vibrating at the precise frequencies. Even a paper cup telephone could be a splendid speaker. In other words, I could simply use 5 DP for twelve paper cups and turn them into golems to be some speakers, then they would be able to be record yers.

    ¡°Alright, how about we experiment a bit?¡±

    I used [Create Golem] on a paper cup. After it easily turned into a golem, I held the cup like it was a telephone.

    ¡°Record the following vibrations¡­ Nn, ahem. Testing, testing. What fine weather we¡¯re having today¡­ Stop recording. Now, reproduce the recorded vibrations. ¡±

    [Nn, ahem. Testing, testing. What fine weather we¡¯re having today.]

    A quiet version of my voice came from the paper cup. Sess! It recorded it all.

    When I made it reproduce the vibrations louder, it turned into almost the same volume as my original voice. Also a sess.

    ¡­ Then, next up is looking into exactly to what extent it can memorize.

    ¡°Right now is the first vibration set. Next is the second¡ª¡±

    For the results, the paper cup-type speaker golem was able to record twenty seconds in total. When I tried to record any more than that, it would forget the first one¡­ This was much, much more difficult order than the usual ones.

    Well, if it¡¯s twenty seconds, it should be able to record magic incantations huh.

    Since saying record and the like each time was also troublesome, I also drew on record and rey buttons. It would record when the record button was touched or rey the recorded sound when the rey button was touched. Doing that limited the recording¡¯s duration to eighteen seconds.

    ¡­ There really is a memory limit for orders huh¡­ Up till now I¡¯ve just been using simple orders like [Dig here] so I didn¡¯t know. This was also a good result to the experiment.

    Well, next let¡¯s try recording a magic¡¯s incantation. First up is water.

    ¡°Oh water, be a small globe. [Water].¡±

    Since a sphere of water appeared in the air above the golem, I stopped the recording¡­ and caught it in the paper cup golem I was holding in my hand so it wouldn¡¯t fall on the floor.

    I swallowed it.

    [Oh water, be a small globe. [Water].]

    ¡­ Ah, guess it was able to y it back despite being wet.

    This paper cup golem can be used both as a speaker and as a cup. What a useful fellow.

    ¡°At any rate, looks like it still can¡¯t use magic huh¡­¡±

    Let¡¯s hand this golem with the [Water] incantation memorized to Ichika for now. Nerune should already know it.

    If she reviews it herself, she should be able to recreate the magic¡¯s incantation while it¡¯s ying¡­ Ah, I just thought of something. Let¡¯s divide the receiver and speaker to make it like a telephone. It should be easier to use like that.

    ¡­ What was that magic Nerune couldn¡¯t remember, again?

 Chapter 112

    Intruder

    I became the vige chief but nothing really changed. Napping is supreme. Futon is cozy. The best time to snuggle into Futon-sama¡¯s love is when it¡¯s just a little cold outside. I want to make and propagate The Futon Religion.

    I wonder if this world has religion? If not I¡¯m fine bing The Futon Religion¡¯s apostle. Female bed mates using believers¡­ no, let¡¯s stop there. Something like that sounds good in passing, but in practicality it¡¯d be no match for the hot and heavy Down Futon-sama. Dreams should be left as dreams to preserve their beauty.

    If I wanted to do that I could use the monster girls.

    It¡¯s not because it¡¯d be troublesome to go through the trouble of bing the founder of a religion.

    ¡­ Ah,e to think of it, this world had the usual god huh. Rather, I actually met him. Rather, there was that thing about me being god¡¯s vanguard.

    If I was asked if I believed in god, it¡¯s not like I could answer with, ¡®I met him!¡¯ Hahah.

    I don¡¯t really know what name he has though¡­ If I got asked about my religion, I¡¯d answer with The Futon Religion.

    Well, after I warmed up enough and slept a second time, I added on the vige chief¡¯s estate overnight.

    It¡¯s interesting that it got so easy.

    Seriously, [Create Golem]¡¯s a cheat heh. Ah, couldn¡¯t help myself in saying that. Even though it can normally only make y golems, you just need to keep operating your magical power¡­ Golems are so convenient¡­ why haven¡¯t they gotten popr?

    I don¡¯t think they¡¯d even need to be replenished near the imperial capital since their magical power would be filled since they¡¯d be in the dungeon¡¯s area.

    Still, the interior design will be using Rokuko¡¯s demands. There¡¯s also her room. Moreover, rooms for Meat and Ichika to use, and a parlor. Just having the rooms is important. It¡¯s easy to add more rooms now because there¡¯s so much vacant area nearby, but that space might be used up in the future. It¡¯ll be my victory for iming it before that.

    ¡­ Well, I could make use of saying, ¡®This space will be secured for the inn¡¯s use,¡¯ as the vige chief, but even then, there¡¯s a limit¡­

    Maybe I should consider building upwards? Like in the shape of a mountain.

    At any rate, Koo-san came along with a dumbfounded face while I was nodding in satisfaction at seeing how the vige chief¡¯s estate turned out.

    ¡°K-Kehma-san!? Didn¡¯t you promise to let me build the vige chief¡¯s estate!?¡±

    ¡°Nah, definitely didn¡¯t. Hurry up and get back to building warehouses.¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡ª, right, you didn¡¯t huh, I just really wanted to though¡­ I¡¯ve already built one of the warehouses. But¡­ this definitely wasn¡¯t here yesterday¡­ moreover, for it to feel like it¡¯s been here since the start¡­ the architectural power feels amazing. As a carpenter¡¯s son, I won¡¯t lose!¡±

    Saying that, Koo-san went back.

    Rather, he¡¯s already built one? What a crazy work speed. Is he unexpectedly awesome?

    ¡­ Well, with the vige chief¡¯s estatepleted and with leaving the troublesome Domestic Stuff for the vige to others, let¡¯s mess around with the dungeon a bit.

    I handed them enough money, so they should be able to take care of whatever. Man~, being vige chief is so hectic~

    *

    I immediately slept in the vige chief¡¯s estate starting, so I¡¯d brought my futon and hug pillow (Meat) to sleep with.

    I woke up. Rather, Rokuko woke me up.

    ¡°Kehma! It¡¯s an emergency!¡±

    Rokuko stamped on me with her foot. Ah, this isn¡¯t her using a rude method of waking me up and is something I requested. You should at least wake someone up with your feet if you¡¯re going to get in the way of their blissful sleep, think about it as a foot fetishist.

    ¡°Ugu, w-what is it!?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an intruder in the dungeon, and it¡¯s bad!¡±

    There¡¯s no reason for Rokuko to wake me up just for an intruder. Up until now there¡¯ve been a lot of adventurers staying in there a while.

    So that meant this person¡¯s gotten a really far way in. Opening the menu, I checked out the dungeon.

    ¡°This guy!¡±

    There was a red light representing an intruder on the map. It had ¡®Dangerous!¡¯ added on as its name. Rokuko probably added it.

    It was advancing through the dungeon incredibly fast and encountered a group of four adventurers that had dove into the dungeon¡­ and they¡¯re wiped out.

    Wait, didn¡¯t I see Bancho and Shatty there? Weren¡¯t they in a C-Rank party? You guys onlysted a second.

    ¡°Nn¡­ Goshujin-sama, what¡¯s¡­ wrong¡­?¡±

    Did I wake her up? Meat looked at me while rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

    ¡°There¡¯s an intruder you know! This isn¡¯t the time to sleep!¡±

    ¡°! To the defense!¡±

    ¡°Hold up, it just wiped out a C-Rank party. First we need to identify our enemy. Rokuko, please contact and wake everyone up.¡±

    Stopping Meat that tried to dash out, I moved to the core room. I looked at the enemy¡­ deep ck, a wolf? There was some kind of mist.

    Its whole body was solid ck, the sole exception being its red eyes. There wasn¡¯t any white in its eyes either, all I could see were jewel-like red eyes.

    ¡°What is that monster?¡±

    ¡°No idea! ¡­ Some kind of wolf type? Does Meat know? It¡¯s a dog and it¡¯s ck, there aremon points!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. But, it feels different somehow.¡±

    Meanwhile, our dungeon was being captured. Despite the traps meant for adventurers and the wandering golems, it left thebyrinth area.

    However, the riddle area was after that. The wolf shouldn¡¯t be able to pass that!

    After the ck wolf moved about in the room and smelled for a moment¡ª

    [Awrooo!]

    With a bang, it crunched the gimmick riddle golem.

    ¡­ Oiii!? I definitely made that with a stone golem though!?

    No way, for the riddle area¡¯s second capture to be from a feat of strength¡­

    ¡°Rokuko, move the dungeon core to the inn!¡±

    ¡°Okay~. Should I move it to the vige chief¡¯s estate?¡±

    Using the castling function on the dungeon core, we reced it with a dummy core. With this we should be safe just in case.

    Around the time it broke through the riddle area, there was a reaction from Ichika and them. I quickly summoned them into the core room.

    ¡°Sorry, we¡¯rete! Some kinda super emergency woke Goshujin-sama up!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, right now there¡¯s an intruder that passed the riddle area and has just entered the spiral staircase. We¡¯ll be defending with the golems in the warehouse area that¡¯s after it. If we can¡¯t repel it with that, we¡¯ll guide it to [me Cavern].¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    At worst, Ontentoo will somehow deal with it. They seemed to have said something like that¡­

    There¡¯s probably no way that not even Ontentoo and Redra could handle it.

    The ck wolf quickly jumped down the center of the spiral staircase,nding on the ground lightly. Itnded with such little sound that it looked like it didn¡¯t weigh anything at all.

 Chapter 113

    Fighting the ck Wolf

    The ck wolf leisurely walked into the warehouse area.

    A wandering iron golem attacked the wolf, but it easily avoided the iron golem¡¯s monotonous attacks, sending it flying with its forelegs.

    Bang! The iron golem crashed into the dungeon wall and instantly stopped moving, turning back into an ordinary mound of iron.

    Moreover, there was a definitely mark from the wolf¡¯s attack left on the iron golem.

    ¡­ You know that iron is the highest defense of what we have, right?

    Shuddering, I gulped.

    What Meat was manipting was a haniwa golem made of stone. It¡¯d probably be over the instant it got hit no matter how much armor was on it.

    ¡°¡­ Alright! Guiding now!¡±

    By guiding, she was saying she¡¯d be following the n of us luring it to [me Cavern] since our chances of winning otherwise were small.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave the path to you! I¡¯ll take the right. Rei will attack it with a bow from the left. Kinue, follow Meat for attacking it and don¡¯t let up on it by operating the next golems one by one! But Meat, there¡¯s no recement for the haniwa so do your best alright!? Nerune¡¯s spiked shell golem will drive it on from behind!¡±

    ¡°Understood! Golem, GO¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-sama! What should I do!?¡±

    ¡°Ichika, block up the side paths with wall golems, guide the enemy forward!¡±

    ording to Rokuko¡¯s instructions, Meat was using the haniwa golem, with Rei using the four-legged archer golems, Kinue-san the four-armed golems, Nerune the spiked shell golems, and Ichika the wall golems.

    They were precise directions¡­ so precise that I don¡¯t need to do anything. Do you guys even need me here?

    ¡°Third archer destroyed! But I seeded in luring it! Coming in the fourth!¡±

    ¡°Is the haniwa golem still alright?¡±

    ¡°Problems, none. As is, will lead to magma area.¡±

    The ck wolf was attacking the haniwa golem when I checked it out with the monitor, but the golem blocked the wolf¡¯s forelegs¡¯ punches with the shield it held in its hands by warding off the blows. It kept the shield, which wasrger than the wolf¡¯s mouth, held out to the front to prevent from being bit. Although it was also attacking with a sword to threaten the wolf, the wolf evaded it.

    Four-armed golems that each tried obstructing it were easily flicked away and sent flying¡­ quickly turning back into piles of stone. However, like an all-you-can-eat buffet, more and more four-armed golems came to attack it one by one.

    Along with that, a spiked shell golem was also urging it forward from the rear, but it didn¡¯t disy much effect. Its tail easily broke through the golem¡¯s stone spikes, taking away its strength and turning it into an ordinary steamed bun stone golem. As there were no other means left to it, the golem resolved itself and rammed towards the wolf¡¯s tail.

    I can¡¯t really read wolf expressions that well, but it looks pretty irritated.

    Then, probably because it didn¡¯t like that it hadn¡¯t defeated all of its enemies, or maybe because the four-legged archer golems¡¯ attacked were really irritating, it focused on attacking and was sessfully lead forward.

    It did nothing but earnestly be induced towards the magma area that Rokuko made.

    ¡°Alright, one more and it¡¯ll be at the magma area! ¡­ Meat, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright¡­ I can, still go! ¡­!¡±

    The haniwa golem¡¯s shield finally gave in. Crunch, crunch. The ck wolf chewed on and swallowed the shield.

    The shield was originally made of stone after all. It did good enough being able tost this far.

    Immediately following that, its foreleg crashed down. Receiving the hit, the horse part was immediately brought down. The body portion barely separated from it in time, but there wasn¡¯t a chance for it anymore.

    It was somehow managing to ward off its attacks with its magic sword, but damage continued to build up on it¡­ The sword that should have been a de golem had already returned to being a standard sword. Though even so, it was still a suitable recement for the shield since it was made of iron.

    ¡­ Thinking about it now, I should have given it a shield made of iron too.

    ¡°¡ªThe sword can¡¯t be used anymore, one more step¡­¡±

    ¡°Just roll into the magma area! Don¡¯t worry about breaking the haniwa!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡±

    Following Rokuko¡¯s directions, the haniwa golem rolled down the staircase into the magma area.

    She said that it was alright to break the golem, but I¡¯m the one that¡¯s going to have to rebuild it¡­ Well, I don¡¯t particrly mind if it breaks though.

    Crashing and banging into the steps on the way down, the haniwa golem shed its stone armor as it crumbled.

    The ck wolf would soon chase it into the magma area¡ªI thought. Its feet suddenly stopped, turning around.

    ¡°Huh!? Wait! W-why!?¡±

    Rokuko panicked. It¡¯s understandable, this was the result despite that golem being sacrificed. Even I¡¯m surprised. What¡¯s it doing?

    ¡­ After that, the ck wolf noticed the wall golems¡¯ existence. After sniffing around, it suddenly destroyed a wall golem by lunging at it.

    ¡°Not good, it¡¯s heading to the boss room. It doesn¡¯t look like we can stop it!¡±

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no choice but for us to receive it in the boss room huh. It¡¯s the iron haniwa¡¯s turn. Meat, are you good to go?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not, confident.¡±

    She was able to put up a good fight against it in the stone haniwa golem, so she should be able to put up an even better one in the upgraded version, the iron haniwa golem. It even has an iron shield.

    ¡°It should left, to Rokuko-sama¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you were able to hold up against that wolf until just a moment ago. You can do it. I¡¯m counting on you, Meat ckdog!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes! Goshujin-sama!¡±

    I fired Meat up by patting her head.

    ¡°Go get ¡¯em!¡±

    ¡°Iron haniwa, I¡¯m going!¡±

    The ck wolf vigorously mmed against the boss room¡¯s doors and entered. It felt like a ck aura seeped from its ck body.

    Our dungeon¡¯s strongest fighting strength confronted it, the iron haniwa golem. Iron haniwa for short.

    Mounted on its iron horse, the iron haniwa¡¯s body was d in iron armor.

    [Gaooooon!]

    The ck wolf howled. Likely to threaten the small fry that stood before it.

    However, the iron haniwa didn¡¯t falter. Meat was manipting this as well.

    ¡°Pseudo-sh!¡±

    Holding the specially-made, oversized magic sword de golem to attack while mounted, it attacked with an imitation of the swordy skill [sh].

    The wolf easily dodged the opening attack, mming against the iron haniwa that had lost its posture on horseback.

    However, the iron haniwa golem avoided the charge by deliberately rolling off the horse¡¯s back.

    ¡°Rokuko-sama, the horse is yours!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    Passing the horse¡¯s operation to Rokuko, she concentrated on manipting the haniwa¡¯s main body.

    It was fundamentally the same as before. Defending with its shield, attacking with its sword.

    And this time, Rokuko also operated the horse¡¯s charges.

    Even though it was called a horse, it was also a golem made entirely out of iron. Just considering how much mass it had, there was a destructive power to it. Running about the room, it bolted towards the wolf after gaining momentum.

    Topare it to something, it was like a giant motorcycle freely crashing about the room.

    [Gurururu¡ª¡­ gaaah!]

    However, the wolf managed to evade the horse¡¯s charges while also dodging the shes and sweeps from the iron haniwa¡¯s pseudo-swordy skills.

    So it¡¯s no use huh¡­ is what I thought, but it looked like it was concentrating on dodging the attacks more than I thought it was.

    ¡­ Looks like it needs one more push.

    ¡°Send out the boss¡¯ followers. All hands on deck! For equipment, bow and arrows, wooden! Don¡¯t bother matching your volleys, take care to not hit allies, do nothing but shoot!¡±

    Although the followers were normal iron golems, they were armed. Their armaments could be reced depending on the strategy, their feature was that they could cope with a lot of situations.

    We¡¯re going with wooden arrows this time. I don¡¯t intend for them to damage the wolf, their only purpose is to divert its attention. Even if they identally hit allies, it won¡¯t do much damage. Wood won¡¯t do much to the iron golems.

    The bows fired towards the wolf, their bowstrings ringing from the force¡­ but were all swatted down by its tail.

    That¡¯s alright. The wolf¡¯s attacks are lessening more and more, constantly being attacked by Meat manipting the iron haniwa.

    Is the wolf tiring? It looks like it¡¯s going berserk in this game of concentration.

    As soon as I thought that, the wolf hurled itself towards the horse golem¡¯s nk mid-attack. mming into the iron horse that hade to attack it at full strength, the wolf disappeared.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s not it! It clung on!?¡±

    The wolf¡ªno, it didn¡¯t look like a wolf anymore.

    The mass of ck mist stuck to the horse¡¯s abdomen.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!? It¡¯s not a wolf-type monster!? Wai¡ª, the horse golem¡­ it¡¯s being eaten!?¡±

    The ck mist wrapped around the horse golem¡­ and swallowed its body into itself, ignoring their difference in mass.

    Then, it returned to looking like a wolf. This time, it dealt with the follower golems in an instant.

    ¡°¡­ Kuh!?¡±

    The Meat-piloted iron haniwa confronted it once again, but the wolf¡­ well, when the golem thrust out its shield to block an iing bite, the wolf¡¯s head was dissipated into a mist, absorbing both the shield and its left arm. Next, the sword.

    Then¡ª

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m so, sorry¡­¡±

    Meat uttered a sorrowful voice.

    The iron haniwa golem was eaten by the ck wolf, unable to do anything.

 Chapter 114

    Consultation With Our Neighbor

    The ck wolf left the boss room, entering our dungeon¡¯s deepest floor, the core room.

    As expected, Meat was tired and was sleeping on my knees. Like a puppy.

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no helping it huh.¡±

    ¡°Ugugu¡­¡±

    After it took out everything we had, all we could do was just watch what happened.

    Even so, right now, the thing in the core room is a dummy core. Just like the real one, it¡¯s a basketball sized jewel that sheds a gentle white light. When touched, it feels around as warm as a water bottle.

    Since it¡¯s a dummy core, there¡¯s no problem even it it gets destroyed.

    ¡­ The ck wolf just nced at the dummy core on the pedestal at the room¡¯s center.

    ¡­ And proceeded to ignore it,ying down with a plop.

    ¡°¡­ Nn?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ it isn¡¯t going to do anything?¡±

    Even though we just watched how things continued for a while, the ck wolf just seemed to be sleeping deeply.

    ¡­ Shouldn¡¯t we do something now? It¡¯s not like we have any fighting potential though.

    We haven¡¯t seen the limit to our enemy¡¯s strength, so it¡¯s better to not attack.

    ¡°For the time being, it looks like we have no choice but to leave it alone for now.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­¡±

    Rokuko looked like she hadplicated feelings about it, but I don¡¯t remember seeing her like that when I was summoned. [1]

    Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t checked our enemy¡¯s strength¡­ rather, I haven¡¯t checked how much DP we¡¯re getting from it.

    Although it doesn¡¯t mean I can read it as a numerical value for an enemy¡¯s strength, it¡¯s a good basis to go off of. Ipletely forgot to check since I didn¡¯t know if it works for things that aren¡¯t human¡­ Let¡¯s see¡­

    ¡­ 950 DP¡­ per day¡­ huh?

    Oi, isn¡¯t this guy on the same level as a hero? That¡¯s why we couldn¡¯t win.

    ¡­ No, it¡¯s not that we couldn¡¯t win because it was strong. It¡¯s my bad for relying on golems too much.

    If an enemy with physical resistance appears, we won¡¯t be able to do anything with golems alone. Even though I already knew that, I didn¡¯t put up any countermeasures for it at all.

    To begin with, there¡¯s a limit to just using golems. Although it¡¯s troublesome to use other monsters, it¡¯s necessary to increase the means we have to fight with.

    There wouldn¡¯t be any point in summoning small fries here. But something with a piercing characteristic, or perhaps just all-purpose strength¡­

    ¡°¡­ Most importantly, we need to figure out some way to deal with this monster of an opponent huh.¡±

    ¡°Right.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯te up with hints.

    This guy didn¡¯t go into the magma area. In that case, he¡¯s probably weak to heat.

    ¡­ Maybe I should get some help from [me Cavern]? Ontentoo might know what this ck wolf really is.

    *

    When I contacted Ontentoo saying that it was an emergency and waited for him at the conference room¡¯s table, he rushed over. I¡¯m thankful that smanders are so fast.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, what¡¯s going on Kehma? It¡¯s the middle of the night.¡±

    ¡°I also want to sleep, but sorry. The only one I could ask was you¡­¡±

    ¡°Haha! No helping it then eh, what happened?¡±

    In a good mood, Ontentooughed with his lizard face sitting opposite of me¡­ He has the form of a reptile, but he really is sitting¡­ Ah, that doesn¡¯t matter right now.

    ¡°A strange intruder arrived a short while ago¡­ it broke through our boss room.¡±

    ¡°Huh!? You¡ª, tha¡ª, whaaa¡ª!? Are you alright!? It¡¯s in your core room!?¡±

    ¡°It stayed there and did nothing, but it¡¯s really bad. Our best couldn¡¯t stand up to it¡­¡±

    ¡°That really sounds bad. What kinda guy appeared?¡±

    While I showed him the actual ck wolf that was snoring in the core room, I told him about its features we saw when fighting it.

    ¡°¡­ So, we tried guiding it to [me Cavern], but it wouldn¡¯t go into the magma area.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ wait, you wanted to push such a risky guy over onto us?¡±

    ¡°I figured that if it¡¯s Ontentoo, you¡¯d be able to take care of it somehow.¡±

    ¡°Hah, obviously! The 100 Series Lot isn¡¯t just for show.¡±

    His lizard face warped with what was probably delight at being relied on.

    Oi, the heck¡¯s a lot? Don¡¯t say something so worrying at a time like this! Wait, dungeon cores are made with lot production?

    ¡°Umm, so, do you know what the ck wolf really is?¡±

    ¡°Nnn? Right, that guy¡¯s a¡­ judging from his appearance, it¡¯s wolf-type, dark-type, or ghost-type¡­¡±

    ¡°Fumu, something like a vampire¡¯s transformation?¡±

    ¡°Transformation eh. That too¡­ ah, perhaps¡­ no, why would that sorta thing be there¡­¡±

    Ontentoo looked like he was stuck thinking about something, mumbling about something for a little while.

    Then, he told me his conclusion.

    ¡°There¡¯s about a seventy percent chance of it being a variation slime-type. A dark and ghost-type hybrid one.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A slime? So it¡¯s wolf shape¡¯s from mimicry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Humans can move around pretty fast by using slimes, so they train ¡¯em to use other animals¡¯ forms. But still, this one¡¯s way too strong. They¡¯d usually just use the limbs of other animals, then there¡¯s that high offensive strength¡­ that¡¯s why, it could be another monsterpletely, so seventy percent.¡±

    Slimes get trained huh. There are tamers?

    ¡°It¡¯s weak points are¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi Kehma? Ya got the consultation fee?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I have a strong alcohol called vodka. How about one of those for the fee?¡±

    I put a bottle of vodka onto the table after buying it with DP. One bottle is 100 DP. It might not be enough since it¡¯s sized for a human though.

    However, using alcohol as gifts is popr in this world, so Ontentoo epted it with pleasure.

    ¡°Ooh! Alcohol, a good one! Does Kehma drink?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t drink much.¡±

    ¡°That so, then I¡¯ll drink it with Redra. It¡¯s a bit small though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ You want two more?¡±

    ¡°Ooh! You¡¯ve got me in a vice!¡±

    Ontentoo opened the vodka¡¯s lid and gave it a whiff,ughing joyfully.

    ¡°Watch your step. Well, it should be fine with just that much.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Kehma and I live in attached caves, we¡¯re like brothers right? Ah, I¡¯m the older brother though yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m happy to have such a reliable aniki. So, your guess at what its weak points are?¡±

    ¡°A-A-Anikiii? You¡¯re gonna make me embarrassed ya¡¯know? ¡­ Say it again.¡±

    That¡¯s all good, so please tell me its weak point, aniki.

    ¡°Nn, its weak points huh. Strong light in the case of dark-types, pure things in the case of ghost-types. If it¡¯s a vampire¡­ there¡¯re various things. Well, magic in general for a slime¡­ nah, it¡¯d be strong against darkness if it¡¯s a dark-type hybrid. And physical attacks should have some kind of effect? Light attributed things would be good to attack with, but there aren¡¯t really much of those that are offensive. It¡¯d be easy to win with Redra¡¯s breath ya¡¯know? It¡¯d depend on the reward though¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Incidentally, how much would that be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like a thousand more of this alcohol.¡±

    100,000 DP huh¡­ a bit difficult.

    ¡°Fortunately, right now it¡¯s calmed down, so I¡¯ll try and deal with it as much as possible by myself. I¡¯ll be relying on you if something happens though.¡±

    ¡°Kukakaka, it¡¯s fine to rely on your aniki at any time ya¡¯know? We¡¯d melt your core room with the breath though.¡±

    ¡­ I¡¯d be troubled if you went that far.

    At any rate, it¡¯s good to know I can rely on him if pushes to shove.

    Saying as much to Ontentoo, I took the chance to give him another five bottles of vodka.

    ¡°Hey Kehma? I¡¯m happy about it, but are you sure? This¡¯s more than the consultation fee yeah?¡±

    ¡°Eh? I interrupted your sleep with the consultation, so it¡¯s natural to repay that too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, it¡¯s alright then. If you need anything else, feel free to give me a call.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll take you up on that.¡±

    Now then, let¡¯s deal with that ck wolf somehow.

    I can¡¯t sleep at ease if I don¡¯t¡­ Haah, I don¡¯t want to work.

    Footnotes:

    Recall the bandit situation.

    £±£°£°·¬Ì¨¥í¥Ã¥È ¡ª This is a term I¡¯m not 100% on. Please note that as soon as I figure out the proper term, I¡¯ll update this and let everyone know in a following chapter release post. £±£°£°·¬Ì¨ is literally: 100 (No.) (Counter/Series).

 Chapter 115

    A Good Idea

    When I woke up from sleeping, Rokuko looked into my face.

    ¡°¡­ Why did you sleep?¡±

    ¡°Eh? No, uhh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sehza.¡±

    ¡°Eh? S-seiza?¡±

    ¡°Un, sehza. Do it. Okay?¡±

    And so I was made to sit in a seiza for some reason. Why?

    Even sleeping is no good? I¡¯m a human, I need to sleep.

    ¡°Well, why did you sleep? Even though I¡¯m in a pinch.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is that a biological question? Humans will die if they don¡¯t sleep.¡±

    ¡°Even if you don¡¯t sleep for one night you¡¯ll be alright. You slept just before this.¡±

    No, well, yeah, but¡­ Please think about it. I woke up. Waking up means I did my best against the terrible drowsiness. I even woke Ontentoo up and consulted with him, so I think I did well. Seriously.

    I did my best since I was no use in the battle you know?

    ¡°Can¡¯t you wake up for my sake too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it Rokuko. I can¡¯t demonstrate my original specs if I don¡¯t sleep, so in other words, I sleep to power up.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Really?¡±

    ¡°Really really. I think about things while I¡¯m asleep, I even thought about how to deal with our enemy while sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. So, how will we deal with it?¡±

    Rokuko stared at me dubiously. She crouched down as though to pry more out of me, who was still sitting in a seiza, from above.

    What to do huh¡­ ah,e to think of it, Ontentoo said that slimes are kept and trained huh. So that means tamers¡­ couldn¡¯t we go with taming it? Alright, let¡¯s use that as an excuse.

    ¡°I heard about it from Ontentoo, but it seems there are these people called tamers¡­ If we tame that ck wolf, wouldn¡¯t it turn into an amazing strength for the dungeon? That¡¯s what I was thinking.¡±

    ¡°I see, it¡¯d really be a strongpanion. Well, how?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. First, there¡¯s a strong possibility of that wolf being a slime using mimicry to take the shape of a wolf. Also that it was raised before.¡±

    ¡°Un, and then?¡±

    It feels like my excuse caught her attention. Let¡¯s keep it up.

    ¡°First we have to know our opponent. We¡¯ll talk to it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Who, and how?¡±

    It¡¯d be great if I could talk to someone directly using the dungeon¡¯s functions, but unfortunately even if the functions allow for us to hear voices inside the dungeon, it doesn¡¯t have the ability to send my voice to wherever I want. If there were, it¡¯d be convenient for convening for emergencies like this. Setting aside the monster girls, Meat and Ichika aren¡¯t even able tomunicate with the dungeon¡¯s menu function.

    But I just now remembered that I made a golem that could reproduce voices perfectly the other day.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯llmunicate to it with a golem. If it looks safe, I¡¯ll get closer to some extent and try using [Air Voice], yeah? If it was raised by humans, I think it should have enough intelligence to understand human speech.¡±

    While I was at it, I also remembered that I ¡®d learned the wind magic [Air Voice]. It¡¯s been a long time. Since before I went to buy Ichika.

    In the end, all I¡¯ve really been using is [Create Golem] huh, it¡¯s really too convenient. I¡¯m definitely a golem expert¡­ That backfired on me a bit this time though.

    ¡°Hmm, you thought about it properly this time.¡±

    ¡°Obviously. Who do you think I am? I¡¯m your partner, the dungeon master.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you¡¯re my partner after all. Sorry for doubting you okay?¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko nced at the red ring that shined on her ring finger, smiling.

    Thinking about if the conversation goes badly¡­ For now, the boss room will turn into a sea of magma and the core room will sink into a sea ofva.

    Well, that¡¯s just peachy.

    ¡°¡­ I couldn¡¯te up with a good idea while speaking after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Nn? Did you say something?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s nothing. Ah, can I stop destroying my legs now? I want to go back to sleep.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma? Right now, this dungeon has been invaded all the way past the boss room, I¡¯m in a pinch you know? I¡¯m afraid and can¡¯t sleep at night though?¡±

    And she had me sit in seiza for another thirty minutes.

    ¡°This much doesn¡¯t seem like a punishment.¡±

    Moreover, she said that and sat on my thighs. It felt like I¡¯d turned into some kind of floor cushion.

    That said, she didn¡¯t do anything else and just stayed sitting down. As expected, I tried to think of a way to start a conversation.

    Since there was thirty minutes of silence, I gave up and spoke.

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll forgive you with this much!¡±

    She dashed out of the room.

    What did Rokuko want to do there?

    ¡­ My legs are super numb.

    Ah, it turned into a punishment huh. Wait, didn¡¯t she just go with what she said at the start?

    *

    I went back to sleep after being released from Rokuko¡¯s floor cushion punishment¡­ since I can¡¯t actually do that, I decided to replenish our golems for now.

    Apart from the three girls¡¯ favorite variety golems that could easily be made with the single incantation, the haniwa golem has a lot of parts that take time to make.

    For now I repaired the stone haniwa golem that had started breaking, upgrading its sword and shield to be made of iron.

    Additionally, I remade the iron golem from scratch since it was eaten andpletely destroyed.

    I didn¡¯t really add any functions to them in particr.

    And I thought about it just now, on the topic of it being a haniwa golem, after being made from y, isn¡¯t it more y golem-ish than haniwa-ish?

    Because of that, I made a simple y haniwa golem with no armor to rx.

    I made it and that¡¯s all good, but there¡¯s no use for it¡­

    ¡­ And so I decided to use it as a messenger golem.

    In short, it was a golem that was in charge of a thread telephone golem.

    First, the golem would run to the other party, and when I talked into the thread telephone golem on my end, it would reproduce my voice on the other end.

    Since I can hear voices by using the menu¡¯s monitoring function, it only needs to deliver my voice to them.

    Then again, it has nothing to do with what¡¯s happening right now since the other person is a wolf¡­ or a slime.

    No, it might be able to talk huh, that smander¡¯s able to at least.

    Still, this string telephone golem was different from a usual string telephone. It was something excellent that could carry my voice along whether or not it was pulled around corners or shut in doors.

    The point is that the string telephone is a single golem¡¯s body.

    [Receive vibrations in the receiving paper cup and y them back with the yback paper cup.] With that order, it¡¯s able to deliver my voice. It¡¯s the same kind of thing as if I told it to move its left hand just like how I move its right hand.

    It¡¯s attained a ridiculous level of convenience, I want a golem telephone line throughout the dungeon. How about I stop being a dungeon master and start calling myself a golem master?

    Ah, oops. Right now we need to get through this unscathed.

    I looked to see what the ck wolf was doing with the menu. It¡¯s still sleeping huh¡­ Maybe we¡¯ll get along?

    ¡­ Ah, doesn¡¯t the taming sess chance go up if you raise a g like that?

    It¡¯s definitely my imagination.

 Chapter 116

    Contact

    We decided to begin our approach to the ck wolf.

    Although it looks like it woke up, it¡¯s not doing much of anything other than swinging its ck tail back and forth.

    Somehow, from the looks of it it seems as though it¡¯s protecting the dungeon core. Rather, it¡¯d be great if it just kept doing that for real.

    And so I had the messenger golem run there.

    It would¡¯ve been possible for me to bring it directly out of the dummy core, but I didn¡¯t want to identally agitate the ck wolf.

    I took up position further away outside of the boss room with the string telephone golem in my hand.

    ¡­ I n on running away if the wolf attacks it through Rokuko retrieving me.

    That might not actually happen, but there¡¯s no reason to not be careful here.

    [Our preparations are done! You can start anytime.]

    It was Rokuko¡¯s voice. If I¡¯m inside the dungeon, we canmunicate through the menu even without using the string telephone golem.

    ¡°Well then, guess it¡¯s time to give it a go.¡±

    While watching to see how things were going in the core room through the monitor, I moved the y haniwa golem inside.

    When the golem timidly peeped into the core room, the ck wolf stood up abruptly.

    ¡­ I gave up the thought of having the y haniwa golem move further into the room and just decided to start talking.

    ¡°¡­ Who are you.¡±

    The wolf¡¯s ears twitched¡­ It might be able to answer if it can talk, but can it really?

    [Gurururu¡­ strange golem. You, that one, what are you?]

    Ooh! It talked! This wolf can talk like a person! Let¡¯s introduce myself.

    ¡°I am this ce¡¯s master, Keima. Who are you? If you have a name, what do you call yourself?¡±

    [A name, I have one! I, am Rin! This ce, it¡¯s your, house? Obediently, surrender it, to me. If you do, I will spare, your life.]

    It¡¯s named Rin, huh. This guy uses a ton ofmas. However, I still understand what this guy¡¯s saying right now. He wants me to ¡®surrender my house¡¯¡­ he wants to make it his base?

    Is it that it came because it wants to hibernate or something?

    [Hey Kehma, what was that a moment ago?]

    ¡°Nn?¡±

    A transmission from Rokuko popped up¡­ What, huh. So she can¡¯t hear it? Rokuko should have been able to hear it too though¡­

    Ah, nope, right. It¡¯s Trantion Function-san doing his job. I can¡¯t even understand if it¡¯s using slime speech or wolf speech yet he¡¯s tranting it properly, seriously awesome.

    ¡°And because of that, we can negotiate properly.¡±

    [¡­ Got it. You said its name was Rin? If the wolf attacks, I¡¯ll retrieve you.]

    I briefly told Rokuko about it and returned to negotiating with the wolf.

    [What will, you choose. Want to, be eaten? Kehma.]

    ¡°Let me think for a moment.¡±

    [I am, hungry, better, hurry. Ku, ku, ku, ku.]

    Thatughter feels bad somehow, like it¡¯s in monotone. Is it because it¡¯s a wolf?

    ¡°¡­ You want food then? What do you¡­ Rin, what do you eat?¡±

    [I eat, anything. Even, golems!]

    It opened its pitch-ck mouth, aiming at the messenger golem, threatening it with its darkly colored fangs.

    ¡­ Ah, right, it thinks that I¡¯m the golem huh?

    Well, whatever. If it¡¯s a living thing that gets hungry, I might be able to win it over with food.

    ¡°You eat golems huh. How much do you eat per day? I¡¯ll feed you.¡±

    [¡­ You¡¯ll sell, yourrades?]

    Rin spoke in deep voice, loaded with a gloomy feeling.

    It feels like my reputation would go down if I actually agreed here.

    ¡°You might say that, but you said that you¡¯re fine eating anything that moves.¡±

    [That, so? You, Kehma? A golem, right? Aren¡¯t you, this cave¡¯s, master?]

    So it really does think I¡¯m a golem. In other words, it thinks that I¡¯m someone that¡¯d sell my followers even if they¡¯re the same race or something. Really, I¡¯m suuuuper nice to myrades ya¡¯know!?

    I started to correct it, but stopped for now. I want to avoid saying that I¡¯m a dungeon master. It¡¯s a secret that Haku-san told me to absolutely protect until they be arade.

    If this guy has a human owner and that person shows up to take it back, it¡¯d get leaked.

    Even so, it¡¯s probably a good thing to say that I¡¯m not a golem. Seeing its reaction from a moment ago, it seems like it doesn¡¯t like people that¡¯d sell out their own race, so negotiations would be hindered.

    And so because of that, I decided to tell it that I¡¯m not a golem without saying too much.

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I am not a golem.¡±

    [Not, a golem¡­? True, you look, strange. You¡¯re like, the strong one, in thatst room, and the one, before that. Were those, your, parents?]

    Our conversation didn¡¯t move at all even though I said that I¡¯m not a golem. Rather, a haniwa golem family huh, that¡¯s a new setting.

    ¡°No, I made them.¡±

    [!? You are, the parent, then!?]

    Why¡¯s it so troublesome to correct it!? Well, the point that I made them isn¡¯t wrong and I can¡¯t think of a good way to say it¡­ Yep, let¡¯s leave it there!

    ¡°For now, if you want to eat golems, just say how much you want me to feed you. How¡¯s that?¡±

    [¡­ I don¡¯t like, golems, much. They aren¡¯t, tasty.]

    ¡°T-that so? Then what do you want to eat?¡±

    [You!]

    The talks went full throttle out of nowhere!?

    Grah, I don¡¯t get what it¡¯s thinking! Isn¡¯t this beyond the point of cultural differences!?

    [¡­ You talk, too much. I am, getting hungry. I¡¯ll eat, Kehma!]

    ¡°H-hold up. It¡¯s alright to eat me, but why¡¯d youe here in the first ce? I want to know.¡±

    [To eat, yoooou! Time, to eat!]

    With a snap, the messenger golem was eaten by the wolf.

    Simultaneously with that, I was retrieved into the master room. Looks like Rokuko pulled me back since the golem got eaten.

    On the monitor, I saw the telephone golem get crunched up by the wolf like it was eating noodles.

    ¡°It ate the golem huuuh. So, what now Kehma? Was the conversation beneficial somehow?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmmm, it¡¯s like we connected and like we didn¡¯t connect¡­¡±

    Should I give it another shot? After giving it some time, that is.

 Chapter 117

    Well, What Now?

    After I headed back to the inn to take a break from negotiating with the ck wolf, a guest arrived. A man with a turban on his head¡­ uhh, who was this guy again¡­? Ah, the shop manager huh. The guy I entrusted a hundred gold to. I forgot his name though. Wait¡­ did I ever even hear it?

    Soon as that guy saw me, he shouted in a panic.

    ¡°K-Kehma-han! I-i-it¡¯s bad! T-there¡¯s been a major incideeent! S-s-serious for the viaage!¡±

    ¡®I need to tell you as soon as possible!¡¯ I got his intention, but I don¡¯t get what the incident is at all. Did someone die or something?

    ¡°Major incident? What happened? Did you fail in that business venture?¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s alright! C-c-calm down and listen ¡®kay!? It¡¯s good, it¡¯s good! Good news or bad news, which do ya want!?¡±

    You¡¯re the one that should calm down. That¡¯s the first I heard of there being good news.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go with the good part.¡±

    ¡°The good one, yeah, that¡¯s¡­ The fourth floor was captured!¡±

    The fourth floor¡­ ah, I forgot to fix the riddle area. Crap.

    ¡°Aah, cool, and?¡±

    ¡°Matchin¡¯ the Hero-sama¡¯s report, the interior continues into a spiral staircase and, well, that¡¯s when they turned back though¡­ Muu, Kehma-han. Yer reaction¡¯s a bit weak¡­ did ya already capture it as well!?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. So, is that all of the good news?¡±

    ¡°Yah. The riddle room¡¯s doors were smashed up so that people could get by! It didn¡¯t look like they were repairin¡¯ themselves after watching for a bit either. People could get to the fifth floor and get magic swords in swarms.¡±

    Aah, so they¡¯ll flock to it until I repair it huh. Haah, so troublesome¡­

    ¡°But here¡¯s the bad part! ¡­ There¡¯s the chance of a boss ss monster is appearing on the second or third floors! It¡¯s bad! In truth, Bancho-han¡¯s corpse got found. The C-Rank adventurer, Bancho-han, was almost a B-Rank and got killed by it. The remnants of his corpse was burned, but there were traces that his armor was chewed off¡­¡±

    Yep, that¡¯s Rin¡­ so it¡¯s about the ck wolf huh. I mean, I forgot about collecting his corpse, huh. Rather, didn¡¯t I forget about all of them?

    ¡­ More precisely, don¡¯t both of those things have to do with the ck wolf? The adventurers were able to advance into the spiral staircase area thanks to that guy wrecking the riddle area. But there¡¯s also the possibility of it roaming the dungeon too, huh. Though it¡¯s actually just sleeping in the core room, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll stay there.

    ¡°¡­ What do you think we should do, Kehma-han!?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be fine to just have the guild put out an investigation or subjugationmission? ¡­ Use the operating funds I left with you to pay for the reward. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you.¡±

    ¡°O-ooh! Right! Leave it to me!¡±

    The merchant ran off.

    ¡­ Yep, it should be plenty leaving it to him. I don¡¯t particrly feel like making him arade though.

    Ah, wouldn¡¯t this look like another transition phase, making another lookoutmissione up?

    Troublesome. Even though I have so much going on right now¡­ Maybe I could refuse it using my authority as the vige chief~

    *

    Since I couldn¡¯t repair the riddle area with all of the eyes on it right now, I decided to just make the parts. It should be a good chance have adventurers try out the warehouse area. There are a lot of iron golems wandering around there.

    Well, it should also be fine to tease the adventurers with the variety golems. I want to steadily show off our characteristics as a dungeon.

    And because of that, while I madepact golems, I had everyone gather to discuss what we¡¯re going to do about the wolf again. I say everyone, but Nerune and Kinue-san aren¡¯t here since they¡¯re working at the inn right now though.

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s discuss for the future.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, shouldn¡¯t you only do one or the other? Make golems or discuss?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid, I¡¯ll have more time to sleep if I do all of the troublesome stuff together.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s Kehma for you.¡±

    Rokuko nodded her head, understanding something. I don¡¯t get what she understood, but I¡¯m happy she gets it.

    ¡°First off, the dungeon. We¡¯ll increase the number of floors again. After the warehouse area, it¡¯ll diverge into the boss room, the magma area, and the new floor.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s still the spiral staircase area to go through now, but won¡¯t adventurers make it into the warehouse area soon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, since it can¡¯t be helped, the new floor¡¯s entrance¡­ will be a new riddle area built quickly with nothing but DP. Well, make it quickly and we¡¯ll hurry to expand the dungeon farther in. I¡¯m making the necessary golems for a riddle area right now, so I¡¯ll leave the instation of it to you, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Got it! I¡¯ll start digging out the area after the riddle area with golems too.¡±

    Hopping onto my train of thought, as expected of my partner huh.

    ¡°¡­ But what about that ck wolf?¡±

    ¡°The ck wolf¡­ its name seems to be Rin. I was able to talk with it¡­ but although I could fundamentally understand it, it was hard to understand.¡±

    ¡°It ate you after all, Kehma.¡±

    The messenger golem, huh. Right, need to make a new one of those too. Let¡¯s make a few since more will probably get eaten.

    Ah, Ichika raised her hand to ask a question.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama. What did that wolf say? We couldn¡¯t get that wolf¡¯s words at all¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I asked what it wanted. The things that wolf wanted are¡­ a dwelling, and food.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯ll be quiet if it gets food and that room?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Docile huh, yeah.

    Right now, Rin¡¯s been sleeping since it ate the golem. Haaah¡­

    ¡°For now, since I was able tomunicate, if we keep trying¡­ even though it¡¯ll be troublesome¡­ me might manage somehow or another¡­ even though it¡¯ll be troublesome¡­¡±

    ¡°Persevering, heeeh. Somehow, that word feels like it suits Kehma the least, and also not?¡±

    ¡°Master, I feel you area working wonderfully.¡±

    ¡­ Yep,e to think of it, don¡¯t I do amazing work when I¡¯m not asleep?

    ¡°The time that other people y is when Goshujin-sama sleeps.¡±

    ¡°My vote is that he sleeps too much!¡±

    ¡°Even though the time he¡¯s awake is short, isn¡¯t master¡¯s workload more than the normal person¡¯s?¡±

    Oi, the story wandered off topic. It feels like they¡¯re praising me but right now we should be talking about the wolf, the wolf!

    ¡°Well, the wolf¡­ Rin, because we can negotiate with it, we¡¯ll keep trying to negotiate with the golem. We can talk with it to some degree.¡±

    ¡°When Kehma did the negotiations, no one else understand that wolf.¡±

    Before, when I¡¯d talked with Rin, after my first, ¡°Who are you,¡± nothing else was in human speech, it was all in wolfnguage. Like ¡®bow-wow¡¯. Trantion Function-san did his best huh.

    Since my opening words were understood, Rin might be able to understand human speech. In other words, we should be able to converse with it in human speech as well if I just listen for the wolf speech.

    ¡°Umm, Goshujin-sama. Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Nn? What¡¯s up, Meat? Can you understand wolf speech too?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. Vaguely, though. I, am a dog beastkin.¡±

    ¡°Ooh! Meat, your doggy ears aren¡¯t just for show! Alright, good good.¡±

    I fiddled around with Meat¡¯s ears. Stroking her head, Meat¡¯s tail wagged back and forth with a pitter-patter.

    This was a good miscalction. She might be able to connect with it better than me for the negotiations since she¡¯s ck colored and a dog type.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s leave the next negotiation to Meat. Show us you winning that wolf, Rin, over to our side, Meat!¡±

    ¡°Yes! Please leave it to me!¡±

    For the time being, let¡¯s make a ck messenger golem for Meat¡¯s use so that it sees it as a different person. I don¡¯t know if it can distinguish them apart though. Being ck may be something important¡­ Maybe it¡¯ll be interesting to mix ck-colored paints into it instead of coating it or something?

 Chapter 118

    Contact Once Again

    Meat, having chosen to wait until around the time the wolf¡ªRin¡ªwoke up, operated the golem.

    So that Meat could see Rin¡¯s appearance with the monitor, Rei opened the menu for her.

    And so this time I was just on standby in the master room in case something happened. A job that doesn¡¯t need to do anything in particr.

    ¡­ Rokuko¡¯s been in charge of retrieving people in the case of something happening for a while now. There¡¯s a proper reason why I¡¯m not taking charge.

    Rokuko can easily collect Meat and Ichika into the master room even though they aren¡¯t ves because I convinced her that [ves are items, so you can]. And although the system might be able to do this to start with¡­ it¡¯s a loophole. The function ban might be lifted if the dungeon grows up.

    Well, whether you could actually say that Meat and Ichika can actually be treated like items¡­ it¡¯splicated. It¡¯s a secret from Rokuko, but I don¡¯t think she can do it.

    It¡¯d be bad if there was a mistake with the retrieval in this situation. It¡¯d also be an out if Rokuko couldn¡¯t do it in the end. That¡¯s my reason.

    In other words, I have nothing to do at all. Just watching.

    We¡¯ve prepared some food with the ck messenger golem and fodder. I wonder if it¡¯ll be enough?

    ¡°Hello.¡±

    Meat promptly addressed it using the messenger golem. Rin listlessly looked at the golem, immediately followed by opening its red eyes in surprise.

    [Wha¡ª, bastard, Kehma!? Why, you should, be eaten!]

    Ah, its shape really is the same as the haniwa series after all. It looks the same with just a variation in color huh.

    [Why, why are, you alive, Kehma!]

    ¡°¡­ That is my Goshujin-sama.¡±

    [Hoh, I see. Looking closer, you¡¯re ck. A different one. But, that guy, is already, my food. So, you, are my, follower.]

    ¡°¡­ No? You¡¯re wrong though?¡±

    Strength = Excellence. Yep, thew of the wild. That doesn¡¯t have anything to do with Meat though.

    [¡­ Wrong? You swear, loyalty to, that dead guy. Admirable.]

    ¡°Yes, I am Goshujin-sama¡¯s, even in death.¡±

    Meat answered Rin¡¯s question in one go¡­ Huh? Just now, didn¡¯t the nuance change a little?

    [Is that, so? Then, what is, your business?]

    ¡°Be my follower.¡±

    [I refuse! I do not, need, a master!]

    Promptly refused. Well, obviously. So it¡¯ll be negotiations from here on huh. Meat manipted the messenger golem to take out a hamburger.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get this delicious hamburger if you join now though?¡±

    [I won¡¯t, ept bait! I¡¯ll eat, you too!]

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Then how about some candy? It¡¯s sweet and delicious.¡±

    [I said no! Garururu!]

    She took out candy, but Rin was already in an enraged state.

    Rather, what? This conversation, doesn¡¯t it feel a little out of sync? Oi, Meat. Rin-san¡¯s angry.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t need candy, you¡¯ll just be my follower?¡±

    [Ridiculous! If you want me, to be, your follower, defeat me! Then, I¡¯ll consider, it!]

    ¡°So you¡¯ll be my follower, then? Thank you very much. Here, a candy.¡±

    [I won¡¯t! I don¡¯t need one! I¡¯ll eat, you!]

    And so it chewed up the ck messenger golem. Simultaneously with that, Rokuko retrieved Meat and Rei into the master room. Wee back.

    ¡°¡­ It was amused, but it ate me. Next time will be alright.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Meat¡­ Perhaps, can you only understand some of the wolf¡¯s words?¡±

    ¡°? Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    She squarely agreed¡­ Yep, that¡¯s it.

    ¡°¡­ A conversation about coexisting didn¡¯t exist there. Rather, it was getting mad. Super mad.¡±

    ¡°!? I-it was no good!? Surely it was hiding its embarrassment¡­¡±

    ¡°It was no good¡­. Well, it went forward a bit when it said that it¡¯d think about bing your follower if you defeated it though.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±

    Well, it¡¯s alright. ording to my original n¡­ even though it¡¯s troublesome¡­ guess I¡¯ll negotiate with it¡­ even though it¡¯s very troublesome. Haah.

    I prepared a not-ck messenger golem just in case something like this happened.

    ¡°Leave the rest to me.¡±

    I patted Meat¡¯s head with a small p and began my preparations for the negotiation.

    *

    ¡°Oooi, Rin. Could you wake up? I have something to talk about.¡±

    [¡­ Another, new one!?]

    When I talked to Rin, Rin looked at the messenger golem with its red eyes.

    ¡°Hahaha, I¡¯m Kehma. So how¡¯s it going, livingfortably?¡±

    [Kehma!? Why are you, alive!? I ate you!]

    ¡°Don¡¯t misunderstand. I wouldn¡¯t die from something like that. You could eat me again if you¡¯d like?¡±

    [Strange golem¡­ even though, I definitely, ate you.]

    Yeah. Even though you ate the golem, the voice actor was still fine.

    [Perhaps, that ck one, is also alive?]

    ¡°Hooh, why?¡±

    [Even though, I ate it, it didn¡¯t taste good. Kehma, it was the same, as you. A normal golem¡¯s, taste.]

    ¡­ Do golem¡¯s taste differently? Is there a strawberry-tasting golem?

    [Kehma is, a unique monster, so I thought, you would have, a delicious, or unusual, taste.]

    ¡°I¡¯m made from y, so I shouldn¡¯t taste any different.¡±

    [Unique monsters, are delicious.]

    Maybe its fundamental sense of taste is different? y normally wouldn¡¯t taste like anything but y. I get the feeling that taming it with Japanese cuisine might be a bit hard?

    I took out the dog food I brought since I couldn¡¯t use it to try and tame it.

    ¡°I brought this, did you want to eat it?¡±

    [What, is it?]

    ¡°Food for dogs. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t really want to eat it.¡±

    [Don¡¯t want it.]

    So it doesn¡¯t want it huh¡­ The heck am I going to do with it now? I can¡¯t feed it to Meat.

    ¡°Well, I heard a bit of it, but you said you¡¯d be a follower if you¡¯re defeated, Rin?¡±

    [Motivated?]

    ¡°Yeah, though not right now. If it¡¯s for you to be my follower, can I challenge you?¡±

    [Go, ahead. I¡¯m eating you, now.]

    Saying that, Rin bared its fangs.

    I said not right now!

    [Time to eat!]

    ¡°¡­ Understood, I¡¯lle again.¡±

    The heck¡¯s with this guy. I didn¡¯t get to ask about anything serious.

    While being dragged back into the master room, I thought about what¡¯s to be done.

 Chapter 119

    Experiment Start

    Even though I told Meat something like, ¡°Leave the rest to me,¡± it just wound up with me getting eaten as usual.

    As her Goshujin-sama, I can¡¯t leave her with a bad example!

    ¡°¡­ I wonder what I can do~¡±

    I was absorbed in thinking about it while eating onigiri in the dining room. It was a lunch that Kinue-san made. When I bit into one, it had an omelette inside.

    The heck is she putting in these¡­? Well, I don¡¯t dislike it though.

    Rather, I¡¯ve been thinking how to defeat that wolf¡­ defeat Rin. But I have no clue what¡¯d be effective. I want to investigate a little more first. Alright, let¡¯s start experimenting next.

    Still, our DP ie exploded upwards with Rin being here. At this point I¡¯m inclining towards wanting to make it arade. I can¡¯t sleep quietly because of the uneasy feeling of having that fellow keep staying for a long while though¡­ yep, I want to hurry up and defeat it and turn it into arade.

    ¡­ That guy also hasn¡¯t particrly made any moves against the dungeon core (it¡¯s a dummy one though) huh. It¡¯d be great if we could just get it to promise to keep on not attacking it.

    If it turned into a situation of Rin going for the real core in Rokuko¡¯s room, it¡¯d be scary. Like how dangerous it is if a burr rushes in¡ªwell, I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll happen though.

    Hmm, I wonder if I should strengthen Rokuko¡¯s room¡¯s security?

    Just when I started thinking about that, Gozoh walked into the dining room.

    ¡°Oh, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Ah, Gozoh. It¡¯s been a while huh. Haven¡¯t seen you in a while.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been spending time at the bar after all! ¡­ I¡¯ve been thinking about epting that investigationmission, but hey. Want to ept it together?¡±

    ¡°Themission put out from the vige? I¡¯m the vige chief though.¡±

    Rather, what does he intend to do if something happens to the vige chief? Well, the bar¡¯s master¡ªthe vige sub-chief¡ªwould just be the vige chief I guess.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing saying you can¡¯t ept amission you put out yourself. The guild acknowledged themission, so adventurers can ept it.¡±

    Is that really alright? Couldn¡¯t you just put out tons ofmissions without having to actually pay anything and rank up super quickly¡­? Maybe that¡¯s the thing aristocrat children use to raise their ranks? It seems like they get ranks as nobles if they have a high rank.

    ¡°Raising through the ranks like that¡¯s limited at C-Rank though. The guild checks to see whether or not themission is appropriate, so it can¡¯t be too easy of amission for the rank. You need a rmendation to get B-Rank or higher, and there¡¯d be no meaning if you can¡¯t pass the examination.¡±

    ¡°So it was something like that huh¡­ But they can still get C-rank huh.¡±

    ¡°That much is possible from just getting a rare item or something; they just pay arge sum of money to get it.¡±

    But C-Rank huh.

    Right now this dungeon¡¯s limited to C-Rank, but thinking about being able to buy the privilege of C-Rank and go wherever¡­ that may be good to do, depending on the price. Ah, but there was talk about there being a written test for ranks above C huh. It seems like people that are irregrly strong are exempted though.

    ¡°So themission¡¯s asking for what?¡±

    ¡°Aye, the investigationmission is asking to¡­ investigate whether or not there is the existence of a demon that threatens [Cave of Desires] floors two and three.¡±

    That didn¡¯t answer me at all though¡­

    ¡°Whether or not there¡¯s a demon that¡¯ll be a threat huh, so how do we go about looking for it?¡±

    ¡°Human wave tactics. If we can¡¯t find it in a few days, we¡¯ll assume it went back farther inside. By the way, since the transition phase¡¯s investigation is going to be held along with this, thepulsory participation in lookout duty will be waived.¡±

    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll do it. Can Mea¡ª¡­ can Kuro and Ichikae along as well?¡±

    Knowing that there won¡¯t be anything showing up makes it seriously hard to get through. Moreover, it¡¯s cold.

    It¡¯s troublesome doing work though.

    ¡°Aye. I¡¯ll be participating together with Roppu after all. We¡¯ll all get along; it¡¯s been decided that we¡¯ll be separating parties in thebyrinth though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be relieved if Wataru came too.¡±

    ¡­ I¡¯d love somehow being able to throw Wataru at Rin¡­ That guy¡¯s a hero. He wins in the DP department. He could use some kind of magic that goes bang! Like Thunder Storm or something.

    ¡°What are you worried about?¡±

    While sitting down next to me, Gozoh put up a sk of alcohol to his mouth and drank some. A product of the dungeon, a high performance sk that provides a heat instion function. Among other things, you could put hot sake into it.

    ¡°Ah, wait¡­ there was those ¡®tamers¡¯. What do you know about tamers?¡±

    ¡°Tamers? Those guys that tame monsters? There¡¯s stories that they¡¯re able tomunicate with monsters, but are you thinking of switching?¡±

    ¡°Converse huh, no¡­ well, it¡¯s all good. I mean, that¡¯s all huh.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to learn how to speak to a monster! To buy the skill for it, even a single weak monster¡¯snguage is ten gold¡­ ah, right. That much is easy for you to take out isn¡¯t it, Kehma? Then isn¡¯t it fine?¡±

    Eh, so there was a skill for monsternguages after all? I didn¡¯t check!

    Let¡¯s check secretly so that Gozoh doesn¡¯t see¡­ hmmm, nope, not there. I wonder if there¡¯s some condition to unlock it?

    ¡°So, what about slimes?¡±

    ¡°Slime? Ah, they¡¯re pretty tough, good against blunt attacks. They¡¯re weak to magic though.¡±

    ¡°So they¡¯re like that huh. Another question, I heard something about slimes normally being trained to take the shape of a wolf or something¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You can even keep them inside of a cylinder. They¡¯re convenient to carry that way.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh¡­. Wait, wouldn¡¯t it turn into a magic sword if you put a small cylindrical slime into the sword¡¯s hilt and had it use magic?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, what d¡¯you think a magic sword it¡­ hmm? Wait, could you? Huh!? W-wait a sec, I need to talk to Kantra!¡±

    With that, Gozoh dashed out of the dining hall, leaving his sk on the counter.

    Huh? Why does it feel like I just identally gave him a technological breakthrough? Well, it probably won¡¯t be stronger than a magic sword.

    Let¡¯s tell Meat and Ichika about thatmission for now.

    ¡­ Then maybe I should talk to the guild about me participating in themission just to make sure. Gozoh even forgot about his alcohol after all.

    Well, themission to search for the demon that appeared and was menacing the second and third floors was settled, they even gave out maps.

    But for them to make such an urate map¡­ they¡¯ve practically found all of the moving and non-moving walls. It¡¯s good that it finished easily, but maybe I need to alter thebyrinth area¡¯s design? Maybe I¡¯ll change some of the wall and wall golems¡¯ positions?

    *

    While the vige¡¯s stuff is proceeding smoothly, let¡¯s return to the dungeon¡¯s side.

    It said something about thinking the vor would be different¡­ maybe I should try seasoning the golem a bit?

    Because of that, I made the next haniwa golem with magma in it. Its body¡¯s insides are boiling. Let¡¯s feed this to Rin.

    It looked hot enough to turn my hands into charcoal if I¡¯d touched the magma directly, so I had the golem put the magma into the hollowed out area inside of it that I made, paying careful attention so that none would spill.

    ¡°Ooi, Rin. It¡¯s lunch time!¡±

    [Kuaaah! You¡¯re still, alive, after all, Kehma!]

    Just as Rin started waking up, I walked in with the messenger golem with magma in it.

    ¡°Now then, eat me.¡±

    [¡­ Kehma, is your, head alright? Normally, people don¡¯t want, to be food.]

    It¡¯s alright, so please hurry up and eat me. The magma¡¯s cooling down.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t your stomach getting empty? It is right? Besides, you know I won¡¯t die even if you eat me.¡±

    [Ah, well, then, I¡¯ll eat now, but¡­ Kehma, you taste bad.]

    ¡°I remembered you say that, so I changed my vor today. Now then, go on!¡±

    [G-got it. I¡¯ll do it now, so¡­ time to eat!]

    With a snap, I was eaten in one gulp. I looked for its reaction on the monitor, but it didn¡¯t look like it really took any damage.

    ¡­ Maybe its weak point isn¡¯t magma? I was off the mark huh. Or maybe there just wasn¡¯t enough?

    Well, it¡¯s fine. There are still more things to try out.

    Next is sulfuric acid, then a strong alkali solution, then various sleeping drugs, there¡¯s gotta be something this guy can¡¯t eat and I¡¯ll find it. Whether this guy bes apanion or stays as an enemy, its useful knowing its weak spot.

 Chapter 120

    The Saintess

    Several days after I started various experiments with Rin.

    As the vige sub-chief, the bar master paid me a visit.

    ¡°Kehma-san, an adventurer epting the subjugationmission arrived, could you go and give a word of greetings as the vige chief?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Troublesome. How about you give the greetings, as the vige sub-chief? I¡¯m just a figurehead after all~¡±

    When I said that, the vige sub-chief refused in regret.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. This person is the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Saintess-sama¡­ if we do not correspond with this properly, it will be an even more troublesome matter. Besides, there is some sort of matter she wishes to talk about¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see. I don¡¯t know what kind of thing the Holy Kingdom is, but it looks like it really is troublesome. So, what¡¯s the Holy Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t know?¡±

    And so he briefed me about it.

    The Holy Kingdom¡¯s something of a religious nation. And it appears to be the empire¡¯s bordering country.

    The saintess was one of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s symbols, a woman who held the power of a strong saint.

    When I stealthily checked out the map, there was an existence in the adventurer guild that was worth 250 DP per day.

    ¡­ So that person¡¯s the saintess, huh. Wait, doesn¡¯t it feel like this course of events already happened back with the hero?

    ¡°And that is the situation¡­ For Saintess-sama toe here¡­ it might be to flip over this vige from its roots.¡±

    ¡°Huh? How so?¡±

    ¡°The Holy Kingdom¡¯s religion is the Light God¡¯s Decree¡­ The Light God¡¯s Decree thoroughly denies the existence of dungeons, things made by demons¡­ If Saintess-sama somehow captures the dungeon, this vige¡¯s reason for being here will vanish.¡±

    That¡¯s bad.

    ¡°This dungeon is the empire¡¯s property as well, wouldn¡¯t it turn into an international problem?¡±

    ¡°It will, but don¡¯t you think that Saintess-sama would disregard it and carry out her beliefs?¡±

    ¡­ So she¡¯s a religious nut? Probably. Religion is scary.

    But for her to be 250 DP, Rin really is an overwhelming existence. It might unexpectedly be possible for her to be on even footing against Rin because she¡¯s its weak point¡­. but it¡¯d be ideal for them to destroy each other.

    ¡°¡­ Got it. For now, how about I go and greet her?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you, vige chief.¡±

    Because of that, it was decided I would talk to her as the vige chief. Seriously, I thought I was just the bobble head chief, I shouldn¡¯t have to be working here!

    Though I guess greetings might be jobs for figureheads, huh.

    I want to get back to sleep.

    *

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Saintess-sama. I am Kehma.¡±

    ¡°The same to you, Vige Chief-sama. I am Alka Lu Nike Hydride. Please call me Alka.¡±

    Me and the saintess with a needlessly long name met in the parlor of the vige chief¡¯s residence.

    Alka smiled, her long and emerald green hair gently spilling downwards.

    She looked something like a gorgeous nun. I think this is the first time I¡¯ve seen something like green hair, this world included.

    ¡°No no, it would be too much to call Saintess-sama by her name. Moreover, this is our first time receiving you as a guest¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s rushed, but should we negotiate the reward?¡±

    Well that was sudden. Is she unexpectedly a bit worldly-minded? Or maybe she¡¯s used to acting as an adventurer?

    Staying alert against the saintess¡¯ jabs, I responded.

    ¡°Oh course.¡±

    ¡°Then, about the reward¡­ on the morning of the threatening monster¡¯s subjugation, I would like to gain the right to destroy the dungeon core. I do not need anything else.¡±

    Yeah, no.

    ¡°That is impossible. That¡¯s as though you are telling this vige¡¯s people to die. As the vige chief, I cannot ept that at all.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it the same this if you allow this monster to continue on and do as it wishes? Consequently, that would allow the monster to kill everyone¡­ Of course, the movement from the vige will have the backing of the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    Rather than it being ordinary work to destroy the dungeon core, she would even pay money for it. But still, no. I¡¯d die.

    ¡°This vige still hasn¡¯t been given a name yet, isn¡¯t now the best time to leave?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, it still doesn¡¯t have a name. Even though I¡¯d told Gozoh to think of one¡­

    ording to my announcement of Gozoh+Roppu¡¯s Love Love Vige, it¡¯d be shortened to Go+Ro¡¯s Love Vige (temp) huh.

    While I was thinking about that, the saintess probably took it as me thinking about the offer and pressed on.

    ¡°Come now, you will have reasonable financialpensation if you do it now and could even be a candidate to migrate to the Holy Kingdom. You are the vige chief, so should I prepare a second ss area for you?¡±

    ¡°Second ss?¡±

    Too stingy for first ss huh. Well, maybe that¡¯s as much special privilege you¡¯d get for being a vige chief in an unnamed vige.

    ¡°Yes, a ce that you wouldn¡¯t be able to live at even with three hundred gold. You can go there through my mediation as a saintess. Please, show your thanks.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, so that¡¯s how it is~¡±

    I don¡¯t understand it too well, but that doesn¡¯t matter. In other words, this saintess is of the rtively discriminatory type.

    ¡°Then, since our talks are settled¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, nope. Sorry if it isn¡¯t possible for you to ept it with the usual remuneration, it looks like it just isn¡¯t meant to be¡­¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? Y-you know what the Holy Kingdom¡¯s second ss is right!? Is it that you want more!?¡±

    ¡°No, not really.¡±

    ¡°N-no!? Y-you¡¯re saying¡­ you don¡¯t want to have a Holy Kingdom second ss area!?¡±

    When I responded, the saintess opened her eyes wide in surprise. She seriously didn¡¯t expect it, that¡¯s what her eyes were saying.

    Even if it was bait, it¡¯s not worth my life.

    ¡°I-I was rude. Phew¡­ right, so you don¡¯t want it? Hmm¡­¡±

    Taking a deep breath, the saintess seemed to be thinking about something.

    ¡°Well, if if you cannot ept themission with the usual reward, there is nothing that can be done here¡­ I absolutely cannot hand over the right to destroy the dungeon core.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I understand. Well then, excuse me.¡±

    Saying that, the saintess stood from her seat and started to leave the room.

    ¡­ Since she was looking around as though to take small peeks at me, I decided to definitely not stop her.

    She¡¯s waiting for me to call out for her to wait with something like, ¡°With those conditions, after all¡ª!¡±. I don¡¯t know if she herself was intending to bargain, but she was incredibly obvious.

    ¡°¡­ He¡ª¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Did you leave something behind?¡±

    ¡°No¡­¡±

    Three minutester, the saintess finally made her way out of the parlor. She waited outside of the room for seven minutes after that for me to chase after her. It took a good ten minutes after that for her to leave the vige chief¡¯s residence.

    I wanted to shout for her to just hurry up and leave.

 Chapter 121

    The Saintess 2

    ¡°The Holy Kingdom¡¯s second ss area, is it? They must be willing to go to some lengths as well.¡±

    Rather than Rokuko, the one to say that was the vige sub-chief, who I¡¯d been sitting with for a moment.

    Yep, I mean, I¡¯m some kind of ornament right? Couldn¡¯t you have made an appearance earlier? You¡¯repletely erasing your presence, you know?

    This vige sub-chief, while just listening to the conversation and being the bar master, was excelling at using the art of fading into the background.

    ¡°Second ss, huh. I wonder which is morefortable between our inn and it¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wonder? That¡¯s difficult to say. However, personally, I think I would be happy with being able to have three days of all-you-can-eat at the inn.¡±

    Three days over permanent residency? So in other words, it¡¯s not in the same league at all.

    Well, it¡¯d just be getting the right to live there, so normally thinking you¡¯d still need living expenses¡­ I get the feeling that someone would be able to livefortably for years if they ebezzled the support money?

    ¡°So what will you do, vige chief?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not even a need to ask that, I¡¯ll go with what I said to Saintess-sama¡­ However, it wouldn¡¯t be good at all if Saintess-sama just went into the dungeon and captured it¡­¡±

    ¡°Saintess-sama is a B-rank adventurer as well as an aristocrat, she shouldn¡¯t do that much without permission¡­¡±

    ¡°Would she be able to avoid international troubles from something like a vige chief¡¯s permission?¡±

    ¡°It could probably be used as an excuse if they got the okay from our side? Or maybe it¡¯s for their own consent needs?¡±

    Their own rules, huh. It¡¯s the same for me, people that try to take my stuff and people that waste food, as well as people that try to get in the way of my sleep¡­ I¡¯ve decided it¡¯s fine to kill them in the dungeon.

    ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not giving her permission.¡±

    ¡°Right, the dungeon¡¯s profits will continue from now into the future. It would be a poorly thought out idea to exchange that for a single burst of money.¡±

    Looks like the vige sub-chief¡¯s thoughts are in about the same area as me. Truly a reliable vige sub-chief.

    Even if I weren¡¯t here, he¡¯d definitely manage things properly¡­ What was his name again? Wozuma or something? Right, let¡¯s go with properly using his name next time?

    ¡°For now, Saintess-sama should be staying at the inn, how about we give her a warm wee?¡±

    And so, Saintess-sama stayed in the suite, had a B-rank meal, and enjoyed a bath.

    *

    The next day. Saintess-sama came again. Compared to yesterday, she has a huge smile.

    ¡°Thank would for your hospitality. Fufufu, you seem to be skilled at getting by in the world¡­¡±

    And there¡¯s the grand misunderstanding. The inn is a business, if you provide the money, we¡¯ll provide the service in proportion to the money.

    She should have paid in advance, how¡¯d she misunderstand?

    ¡°My attendant also said that they were veryfortable.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good.¡±

    She had an attendant with her? Even if she¡¯s a saint, a woman traveling alone would be¡­ Ah, maybe the attendant paid the money? Then maybe the attendant wasn¡¯t staying together with her and used a general room instead of the suite? Rather, was it even alright for the attendant to not attend the discussion?

    ¡°No no, the inn is a business after all. Our services simply correspond to the amount of fees paid.¡±

    ¡°Let alone for the season, I never expected such a rural area to give this sort of reception¡­ Fufu, I understand. In addition to mediating a second ss area in the Holy Kingdom, I will provide fifty gold coins as well.¡±

    Isn¡¯t that just two day¡¯s stay in the inn¡¯s suite (meals excluded)? The loose change feels like it¡¯s increasing¡­ no no, wouldn¡¯t that be like fifty million yen? That¡¯s a magnificent amount of money¡­

    Rather, the suite is super expensive! I don¡¯t n on cutting the price because that would make Haku-san lose face though.

    ¡°Then could you please hand over the dungeon core¡¯s destruction rights?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I can¡¯t. If you absolutely have to, pleasee back after obtaining the emperor¡¯s permission.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­¡±

    The saintess¡¯ eyes look like they¡¯re saying, ¡®The heck did this guy just say?¡¯ I¡¯d prefer if she actually said it.

    However, it should be clear that I can¡¯t give her permission now. Please, hurry up and clear out Rin or get the emperor¡¯s permission. You¡¯re already in the red from being here and the reward should be five gold coins.

    ¡°¡­ I understand, I will go to the dungeon for now.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, are you epting themission?¡±

    ¡°I will enter the dungeon as an adventurer first, I¡¯ll think about it after that.¡±

    Saintess-sama stood up from her seat and went outside. Today she just returned quickly without scuttling about.

    Ah, thank you as well, vige sub-chief. You can go back too. But you know, you could have participated in the conversation a bit¡­?

    Rokuko came over when I returned to my room in the vige chief¡¯s residence.

    ¡°That saintess that came over today too¡­ she seems like a nuisance.¡±

    ¡°Were you watching, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Even I can tell that she¡¯s a bother!¡±

    Well, Saintess-sama showed up at the guild after that and went into the dungeon alone.

    ¡­ Huh, what about your attendant?

    As soon as I tilted my head to the side and thought that, the saintess died to a trap on the first floor.

    Eh?

    When I opened up the monitor to see what happened in a panic, she was admirably skewered from one of the traps that shoots swords out of the door.

    ¡­ W-what? How are you going to pay me back for all those expectations I had!?

    Then, when I looked at our DP, it hadn¡¯t increased.

    Then, the saintess¡¯ body turned into particles of light and disappeared.

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Rokuko, did you do something?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything. Kehma, did you?¡±

    I obviously didn¡¯t.

    Just then, an existence suddenly appeared in the vige area: [225 DP Per Day].

    Moreover, in a room in the inn. I hurriedly opened the monitor. Guest privacy? That has nothing to do with it!

    The green-haired Saintess-sama was stretched out on a futon in the room, along with a young person garbed in priest clothing.

    [Alka-sama! Are you alright!?]

    [¡­ Yeah¡­ Wha¡ª!? Cent. This is¡­]

    [This is a room in the inn. Please ept my humble apologies for the low-cost room.]

    [No, it¡¯s alright. I let my guard down because it was the first floor of a new dungeon and was done in. I need to rest for a little.]

    That was unmistakably the saintess. She seems to be a little weakened though¡­

    ¡°Kehma¡­ what do you think happened?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ maybe it¡¯s like she said. She was [done in], so in other words¡­ she can revive even if she dies, right? It looks like she really revived.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? This girl, the saintess is like Feni?¡±

    That would be bad. If she can revive countless times like Feni, she can [Remember Death].

    ¡­ The first death of an infinite reviver, huh.

    In that case, she¡¯s a dungeon¡¯s worst enemy. Or maybe she¡¯s the best food?

    Since she won¡¯t run into the same trap over and over, I¡¯ll have to make new ones every time¡­ this is seriously troublesome.

 Chapter 122

    Progress

    Can she revive because she¡¯s a saintess? Or is it that she¡¯s a saintess because she can revive? I don¡¯t know, but at any rate, Saintess-sama can revive. The fact of the matter is that three days have passed and she¡¯s challenged the dungeon each day. She¡¯d return by death and take a long rest in the suite each time.

    Her daily DP worth would lower ten percent each time she died, returning back to 250 DP after a while. We¡¯d get about 1500 DP each time she died. I don¡¯t really get what kind of mechanism¡¯s behind it at all, but it feels like the same effect as Feni the phoenix¡¯s. Maybe it¡¯s some kind of skill?

    Rather, dying to so many easy traps despite being a B-rank adventurer. It doesn¡¯t seem like she gets caught by the same trap twice though¡­

    ¡°This world is managed by the Light God. Dungeons are things made by demons in order to hinder the Light God¡¯s management. That¡¯s why we must all destroy dungeons. So, will you please give me the right to destroy the dungeon core?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    While recovering, Saintess-sama visited me.

    It¡¯s super annoying that I have to talk to her each and every time. Aah, there¡¯s no doubt about it¡­ this girl¡¯s my worst enemy. Furthermore, since she was getting a hold of me through contacting the vige sub-chief, he¡ªWozuma¡ªhad to take part as well.

    ¡°Whaaa¡­ even though I preached to this extent¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because the dungeon is under this country¡¯s management. Oh, right, please get permission from the adventurer guild¡¯s guild head as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s unreasonable. The dungeon is in your vige, so it is your property as the vige chief you know!¡±

    No it¡¯s not! Well, it is, but that¡¯s not the point!

    I decided to change the topic to avoid the subject.

    ¡°Come to think of it, didn¡¯t youe with an attendant? Where are they?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better if he isn¡¯t together with me. If I had to say why, it¡¯s to be safe.¡±

    ¡°Oh, even though you are Saintess-sama¡­ are you safe by yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he has a simple altar. As you know, saints can revive countless times so long as there is an altar.¡±

    As I know, huh. I guess it¡¯s well-known in the Holy Kingdom?

    Rather, altars that get used as something like a safety zone for saints to safely revive at¡­ those exist?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that. Wozuma, did you know?¡±

    ¡°No, this is also my first time hearing it¡­ Saintess-sama, I¡¯ve never heard that before.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh my, please excuse my rudeness. It ismon sense in the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    How would I know then? Either way, she just let the secret to her immortality slip. Or maybe she¡¯s actually probing information from us?

    Is it reallymon sense in the Holy Kingdom and she¡¯s just careless¡­? She¡¯s been looking to be careless so far, but I can¡¯t put aside the possibility that it¡¯s an act. Otherwise, she¡¯s just too much of an airhead.

    Even her obstinately trying to get my permission, she may have seen through me being the dungeon master¡­ yep, that¡¯s a scary thought. It¡¯s scary that I can¡¯t say it¡¯s impossible.

    However, if this Saintess-sama is seriously just an airheaded child, there¡¯s no point in me being anxious¡­ grah, she ys dirty!

    Moreover, hering and asking me to hand over the dungeon core¡¯s destruction rights either directly or indirectly is extremely grating to my nerves. Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma won¡¯t even join in the discussion unless I pull him in either. Let¡¯s split this hardship, alright? I¡¯ll leave about a hundred percent to you.

    We talked idly for about an hour after that with me being careful to not promise anything before Saintess-sama took her leave.

    ¡­ And that¡¯s how much of my sleeping time was taken away from me. Did she leave because she felt some killing intent building up?

    She¡¯d revive anyways.

    *

    Now then, setting aside the saintess, back to the ck wolf, Rin. I¡¯ve been sending messenger golems for it to eat as [vors] several times now.

    Today, I decided to test what looks to be its weak point again today.

    ¡°Oooi, Rin. I came to y!¡±

    [¡­ Kuwaaaafu, what, Kehma? You¡¯re here, again. What vor, today? Can I taste?]

    ¡°Yeah, go for the right arm for now.¡±

    I held out the golem¡¯s right arm to Rin, who bit it off in one go. It doesn¡¯t hesitate or hold back anymore. Even poisoned, the golem is an all-you-can-eat buffet. Well, I guess there¡¯s not much to actually eat.

    As it started to crunch the arm into bits, Rin¡¯s face grimaced and it spat out the splintered golem arm. I stuffed plenty into the arm for today¡¯s vor. Plenty of salt, that is.

    [Awroo? Peh, peh peh!]

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s up, Rin? Doesn¡¯t taste good?¡±

    [It¡¯s horrible! This is not, a vor¡­! You can just, go back, already.]

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that, let¡¯s talk some more. Some weird person¡¯s been hanging around recently and stressing me out.¡±

    [T-that so¡­ that stress, so that¡¯s why, there¡¯s such a, bad taste¡­? Mmm.]

    Salt. Yep, Rin¡¯s weak point is salt. Although hydrochloric acid looked like it was going to be effective too, salt is the worst. I mean, it said that although the acid was a bit tingly, it tasted good.

    It¡¯s just salt, maybe it¡¯s because it has a holy attribute to it? Like purification salt or something. Maybe it¡¯s also that salt pulls away moisture from it?

    At any rate, of the various things I tried out, the only thing Rin said was too horrible to eat was salt. When I fed it a full body with salt in it, it writhed and spat it back out. Today it did that with just a single arm of it.

    Alright, let¡¯s go with making a ton of anti-Rin iron armor with rock salt in it.

    [Hey, Kehma. It¡¯s already, about right, to call you, my follower, I think. Right?]

    ¡°Hmm? Really?¡±

    [Really. You, give food, to me. Therefore, you¡¯re my, follower.]

    I get it, I have been feeding it every day after all.

    Wait, no way¡­ did I actually seed in taming it?

    [Moreover, even though, that was horrible, you don¡¯t stop, bringing good vors. You¡¯re, a good guy.]

    ¡°You saying that makes it worth the effort.¡±

    [That¡¯s why, so that you don¡¯t, get any worse tasting¡­ I¡¯ll help, get rid of, your stress.]

    ¡°Really!? Thank you!¡±

    Then again, Rin is the source of about half of my current stress.

    ¡­ Should I try asking it to move from this room? I¡¯ve been thinking some excuse for it to move that¡¯s as gentle as possible. Right now¡¯s the only time I can use it!

    ¡°Aah, in truth, Rin being in this room is pretty stressing to me as well¡­¡±

    [Mu!? My, fault!?]

    ¡°Yeah. Really, this ce¡­ is my toilet, you know? Since Rin¡¯s been here so long, I haven¡¯t been able to, you know¡­¡±

    [Wait, wait. T-this is, your restroom? That¡¯s¡­ err, golems use, restrooms?]

    Oh, thank goodness. Since Rin itself didn¡¯t appear to need to relieve itself, I was a bit worried it wouldn¡¯t understand what I meant.

    ¡°Yeah¡­ It¡¯s embarrassing, but this really is the ce I use. Wanna see?¡±

    [Eeeh!? H-hold up, y-you don¡¯t need, to show me, that!]

    ¡°No no, you wouldn¡¯t believe something like a golem needing to use the restroom without seeing it right? Wait a moment, I¡¯ll do it now¡­ hmph!¡±

    I had the messenger golem squat and took out a light magic tool in a manner so that Rin wouldn¡¯t see it.

    Then, like that, I let it drop to the floor with a bang and shine.

    ¡°Phew, much better now. Here, check it out.¡±

    [Whaa!?]

    Next, I had the dummy core retrieve the light magic tool¡­ From Rin¡¯s point of view, it¡¯d probably look like the the dummy core just sucked up a golem¡¯s excrement.

    See, dirty right? Something you absolutely wouldn¡¯t want to eat, yeah? That was the feint.

    After that, a message came in from Rokuko, who¡¯d just retrieved the light magic tool in the master room.

    [You know, Kehma¡­ even if it¡¯s a dummy core, it feels horrible using a dungeon core like that.]

    ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped, endure it.¡±

    I also thought it was horrible. It wouldn¡¯t be effective if it wasn¡¯t such a horrible thing.

    [¡­ U-understood. I¡¯ll leave, this room¡­ but Kehma, your, uh, feces, it shines¡­ is it warm?]

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s sticky too. Want to feel? I can do it again if you want? It¡¯s hard to do it with someone watching, but there¡¯s more where that came from¡­¡±

    [No, it¡¯s okay. I¡¯m good¡­ But, mmmm. Is there, a room, about this warm?]

    ¡°Hm? If you like it like this, I can warm up another room to be about the same. Give me a sec.¡±

    [W-wait! Don¡¯t, smear that stuff, in the room, alright!?]

    Don¡¯t say something so vulgar. Well, I get what you mean, so don¡¯t worry.

    But you know, when you go and swallow things whole you get everything, feces included. I won¡¯t actually say that though.

    ¡°I won¡¯t. I¡¯ll just mess with the temperature. Leave it to me.¡±

    [That¡¯s good, then.]

    ¡­ I seeded in taming Rin.

    I unintentionally pumped my fists with the messenger golem.

 Chapter 123

    The Saintess 3

    Also on that day, Saintess Alka dove into the dungeon.

    Saintess Alka, an existence that specialized in capturing a dungeon solo.

    Her excellence as a solo power was obvious, but she also had the super rare skill [Revival], so she¡¯d revive even if she died. As she was able to gain experience through her deaths in the dungeon, she would be able to capture it sooner orter.

    Since she could revive even if she died, she was able to acquire countless skills from expensive skill scrolls that wouldn¡¯t be used onmon soldiers. In particr, she had an abundant amount of skills suitable for dungeonbat.

    Due to the [Storage] skill, she could dive into dungeons without worrying about food and drink. Due to [Healing], she was able to heal some wounds immediately. She even had some other skills like [Dungeon Trap Perception]. As its name implies, it¡¯s a skill that allows the holder to see dungeon traps.

    Even so, something strange happened to the saintess in this dungeon. Despite having the [Dungeon Trap Perception] skill, it practically didn¡¯t work at all.

    She couldn¡¯t understand why. It wasn¡¯t an omnipotent skill like the light god¡¯s divine protection of course, it was imperfect in the sense that it wouldn¡¯t react to traps set by people¡­ However, it¡¯d normally find ten traps out of ten in a dungeon. For some reason, though, it was only finding three out of ten in this dungeon.

    She¡¯d been relying on the skill when diving into dungeons recently, but since it wasn¡¯t of much use, switched to looking for traps with her own scouting capability that she hadn¡¯t been using¡­ It had been a long while since she searched for traps manually, so she got caught by more traps than she thought she would at first. The search was a slow process.

    Most of all, since she could record traps she got caught by with her [Mapping] skill, she wouldn¡¯t get caught a second time.

    If she was able to solve a maze orbyrinth, it would perfectly memorize the path. She had negotiated with the guild to receive a map of the ce when she started, so the capture proceeded with rtive ease.

    The saintess passed through the second and third floors that were thebyrinth area.

    (Just how many times have I returned from death¡­)

    She paused a moment in reflection.

    ¡°¡­ Time to move even farther in, is it?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t anything in particr after thebyrinth area. It seemed as though there were a riddle door there at one point.

    Since she couldn¡¯t find any traps nearby either, she kept advancing farther in. Something like the saintess stopping here wouldn¡¯t happen. The only time she¡¯d return would be in the case she captured the dungeon.

    There was a spiral staircase when she passed through the fourth floor. As for traps¡­ she wasn¡¯t able to see any through her skill, but¡­ considering how things had been going, there probably were. She carefully descended the spiral staircase¡ªthe wall shot out, almost pushing her into a free fall through the center. She ran down the stairs in a hurry.

    No, let¡¯s correct that. A stair broke under her foot and she lost her step. She fell.

    ¡°Ogufu¡ª!? ¡­. ¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ª[Healing]¡­¡±

    The impact broke many of her bones, but she wasn¡¯t dead yet. The broken bones were healed by her recovery magic. She would have had tomit suicide if she weren¡¯t able to recover¡­ Once her injuries were mended, she would restart her exploration.

    Her descent(fall) down the staircasepleted, she went into the next room. The moment she opened the door, a warm and ominous air brushed against the saintess¡¯ skin, giving her goosebumps and sending a chill down her back. Despite not being cold, this was caused by a feeling of blood thirst. When she looked, there was a ck wolf.

    An instantter, she saw the ck wolf spring towards her.

    She died.

    ¡°Kuwaaa!¡±

    ¡°Wake up, Alka-sama! Are there any abnormalities on your body¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ None¡­ Fuu, so I died?¡±

    The saintess woke up in the inn¡¯s room. Her upper body had been bitten off and she was still conscious while being swallowed.

    She felt her own body being chewed. It was a level of pain that no normal person would want to experience.

    Even so, the saintess was calm. She was ustomed to dying at this point.

    With the saintess¡¯ck of reluctance towards dying, she probably had a spirit so strong that it wouldn¡¯t break even after tasting death countless times.

    Or maybe it had already broken¡­

    At least in the eyes of other people, the saintess could converse with people normally. She was a person who could open talks with others, so there was no problem.

    ¡°What killed me was the target¡­ the one from themission.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ will you be epting it, then?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see how things y out for a little longer. I had also made it eat poison there, but¡­ I don¡¯t know if it was effective.¡±

    The saintess wore various poisons on her body. Therefore, in the case the saintess ever gets eaten by a monster without a tolerance towards poisons, it would be her victory.

    The poison was something she could use in an emergency to poison her opponents, as well as something she could use to kill herself if she fell into a situation where she wasn¡¯t able to move. Other than those on her clothed, there were a few inserted into her body¡­ Although she didn¡¯t use it this time, there was even a dyed activation poison she¡¯d use when diving into a dungeon to return her at a specific time.

    ¡°At any rate, we will see the results tomorrow. It would be great if this settled it, though.¡±

    ¡°I think that would be best as well.¡±

    Her attendant, Cent, nodded to the saintess¡¯ statement with a smile that seemed lonely.

    *

    Vanishing into particles of light after being ripped apart by Rin, I confirmed that she revived in the inn¡¯s room.

    For now we should be safe today. Her daily DP ie dropped to 225 DP today, too¡­ I think her upper body got eaten, but maybe that¡¯s unrted to it?

    ¡°Heeh, you already positioned that wolf in the spiral staircase area?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Traps won¡¯t work on that saintess twice¡­ So it¡¯s fine if we defend by just arranging stronger monsters. It¡¯ll be even better if we can overwhelm her without needing to resort to surprise attacks.¡±

    Most of all, from her standpoint, that¡¯ll make it feel like a brokenly bnced game. I had to go through so many hardships just to get Rin there after all, isn¡¯t this much alright?

    [Ooi Kehma, with this, your stress, is it gone?]

    Rin roared and called me.

    ¡­ Good doggy. How about I send you a messenger golem filled with sweet syrup? From what I can tell, Rin loves sugared liquids.

    Eh, what¡¯s that? The saintess didn¡¯t stay in your belly, but you felt a tingly sensation and a delicious taste, you say?

    You liked it? Well then, you should keep on eating her whenever shees by.

 Chapter 124

    The Saintess 4

    On the next day, the saintess was eaten by Rin a second time.

    [This one¡¯s, like Kehma too, it¡¯s endless, food.]

    ¡°Keep on eating as much as you want~¡±

    ¡­ Come to think of it, maybe the saintess doesn¡¯t have a holy attribute? Rin said she tasted delicious¡­ I doubt it, but is she something like a ck-hearted bitch? ¡­ Or maybe food with the holy attribute just tastes a bit tingly?

    Well, I decided to spin the 1000 DP gacha every time the saintess dies from here on.

    Yep, the 1000 DP gacha.

    Even though gacha is the reason I¡¯m here in the first ce, I haven¡¯t been using it at all.

    ¡­ I prefer rtive reliability, so I¡¯m pretty bad at leaving things to luck. We haven¡¯t had extra ie to waste so far so I haven¡¯t really felt like possibly wasting money on gacha spins.

    But now we¡¯re getting twenty-five gold a day from the saintess¡¯ inn fees. With Rin¡¯s DP and the saintess¡¯ DP added on to that, we¡¯ve been making a killing recently. It¡¯s been like a never endingedy. We have enough surplus now to use even 1000 DP every day.

    I mean, that saintess is loaded, isn¡¯t she¡­. Even with that, she was only flexible enough to offer three hundred gold coins? Stingy. That¡¯s twelve days of inn fees. Aren¡¯t you going to go past that here soon?

    ¡°So, let¡¯s see whates out of the 1000 DP gacha.¡±

    As a ssic example of a MISS, a scrub brush appeared¡­ Isn¡¯t this like, 5 DP? The heck. Rather, stuff other than monsters cane out too? Didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°¡­ A miss? Kehma is super unlucky~. Do it again, go for it, it¡¯s fine! Where¡¯s your passion, your fighting spirit!? Gugugu, uooh! Do iiit!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re trying to say at all.¡±

    Even though Rokuko¡¯s only ever spun it twice, she¡¯s trying to teach me how you¡¯re supposed to go about gacha¡­ She does have amazing luck though, what with getting another world¡¯s person and a phoenix her two tries.

    Yep, let¡¯s have Rokuko do it tomorrow.

    A knock came from the door, it was Ichika.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama~. Saintess-sama wants an audience~. What¡¯ll ya do?¡±

    So the saintess came again¡­ Haah, what a troublesome person I have to meet. She¡¯s probably here to report about seeing themission¡¯s target. I guess her noting here right after seeing it yesterday was to make sure?

    ¡°Unfortunate, Rokuko. Saintess-sama is here. Please head into the master room.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying, Kehma. Even though we¡¯re together right now, you¡¯d choose that saintess over me? Is she more important? Mou¡­¡± [1]

    She said that like she was pouting, but she¡¯s smiling anyways. Is it because I gave her the ring? She¡¯s been hanging around me more often recently. I don¡¯t really remember when it started though.

    ¡°You¡¯re obviously more important. I¡¯ll introduce you to the saintess. In the tiny chance that you get attacked though, I¡¯d die. Literally.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know~! Fufu?¡±

    And now I feel like someone just said, ¡°Huh? Did I just hear something that sounded like a lovers¡¯ quarrel?¡± Did I just feel Haku-san¡¯s blood lust¡­?

    My remark was simply about the rtion between a dungeon master and a dungeon core, it was a simply fact.

    Seeing Rokuko off as she left for the master room in a good mood, I went to the parlor.

    Ichika hadn¡¯t waited at all and brought Saintess Alka there. She was there with the Wozuma Vige sub-chief who was fully devoted to blending into the background as ever.

    ¡°Now then, do you have business here today?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I have found themission¡¯s target demon.¡±

    The saintess said so with a smile on her face as she sat on the sofa facing me.

    ¡°So, will you be epting themission?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind doing that, but there is a condition¡­ Pass the dungeon core¡¯s destruction rights to me.¡±

    ¡°I cannot talk about that. Please,e back after obtaining the emperor¡¯s permission.¡±

    ¡°What? It is alright if Vige Chief-san simply nods. You can have second-ssnd and three hundred gold coins simply by nodding you know? That is all, doesn¡¯t that sound simple?¡±

    ¡°I shall refuse.¡±

    An ordinary greedy and idiotic vige chief would easily nod, but for me, it¡¯s something more like, ¡°I¡¯ll give you money if you agree to let me kill you.¡± There¡¯s absolutely no way I would give permission to that.

    ¡­ I just thought of this now, but there¡¯s the possibility that magical restrictions exist. I can¡¯t say that something like instant death magic that can destroy the dungeon core as soon as I give the go-ahead exists or not. This is a world where magic exists after all.

    Yep, I¡¯m not exhausted at all. I can¡¯t be half-asleep here. I want to go home!¡ªis what I want to say.

    ¡°However, that is something that cannot be exterminated without me.¡±

    ¡°Hoh? What makes you say that?¡±

    ¡°Because it is a fact. That is a wicked, dark existence.¡±

    And now Saintess-sama is speaking like a chuuni.

    But assuming she¡¯s right, that means there¡¯s nothing it can¡¯t eat huh¡­ Is she bluffing? Or maybe there¡¯s something else at y?

    ¡°However, it would take some time before I could eradicate it¡­ so please decide before then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying I refuse. You can just go back if you can¡¯t ept themission normally you know?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying, without me that demon can¡¯t be exterminated.¡±

    ¡°No, no.¡±

    ¡°No, no, no.¡±

    After that, I ignored her propagating the ¡®Light God¡¯s Decree¡¯, turning down her demands for the right to destroy the dungeon core.

    She didn¡¯t ept themission in the end.

    Even though we were in a stalematesting till dinner time, she even tried solving it by brazenly repeating that she was growing hungry over and over.

    Moreover, even though it wound up with us being in a deadlock till dinner time, she kept shamelessly saying, ¡°I¡¯m getting somewhat hungry,¡± here are there.

    Did she fall head over heels in love with our inn¡¯s meals, the heck is this saintess? Go on and head back to eat. I get it already, you can go back and eat so go on and do it!

    ¡°This food called ¡®bubuzuke¡¯ is delicious. Mmm, it¡¯s turned into a feast. Vige Chief-sama is indeed good at negotiations, I¡¯ll negotiate with the kingdom to present you with better terms. Ah, another serving please.¡± [2]

    ¡°No, this will be billed to you as an extra fee onto your inn fees, so don¡¯t worry about. Also, there isn¡¯t another serving.¡±

    Of course, in this world offering bubuzuke doesn¡¯t mean ¡®hurry up and return¡¯, so it turned into a situation where we ate together normally. Hero Wataru would also probably be happy to eat it, so it¡¯s probably just wouldn¡¯t work in this world¡­

    Footnotes:

    Mou is just used as a pout here. I¡¯m open to any suggestions to anglicize it, though I personally prefer keeping things like that.

    Bubuzuke¡­ where to start? Simply put, it is rice with green tea poured over it with a few toppings. In Kyoto, it is instead known a bubuzuke. If a native to Kyoto asks a guest if they would like some of this dish, it means that person has overstayed their wee and is a way of asking them to leave.

 Chapter 125

    The Saintess 5

    Sad news. The saintesspletely fell for the game room¡¯s rat races. That saintess is surprisingly a worldly person, huh.

    Until the day before yesterday, she would take a rest or visit the vige chief (me) whenever she died, but recently¡ª

    ¡°Goshujin-sama~, the saintess¡¯ here again~?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to see her. Alright, tell her I¡¯m already asleep and that she should go back. Moreover, I gave you this order while sleep-talking. I repeat, I gave you this order while sleep-talking.¡±

    ¡°Waa~, amazin¡¯ sleep-talkin`¡­ There¡¯s no mistakin¡¯ yer alseep since yer sleep talkin¡¯ like that!¡±

    I sent her away yesterday. Well, Ichika brought the saintess along to the game room in order to pacify her grumbles.

    The result of that? ¡°It¡¯s still resting since I¡¯m not moving around,¡± she said and started ying. Turning into a prisoner of the rat race, she started holding onto her betting tickets for the race just like the other gambling adventurers.

    ¡°Bibibi! Let¡¯s go, Bibibi! It¡¯s my order! Ahh no, no! Why are you going the wrong way!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no good, Saintess-sama. Bibibi has only ever won once. Bibibi¡¯s fails are pretty famous.¡±

    ¡°Really!? No wonder the return was so high¡­¡±

    By the way, the one time was to revive someone on the brink of ruin after falling to a series of losses.

    I ce items in the dungeon. The viger adventurers collect items from the dungeon, exchanging them for cash. After they cash out, I collect a moderate amount of it back through their gambling. The money I collect is turned into DP used to prepare more items for the dungeon. It¡¯s a good system. I even get extra DP for them staying here.

    Well, the saintess that came today had that sort of feeling about her.

    ¡°Five hundred gold coins, second-ssnd, and we¡¯ll award you the rights to rat races. How about that?¡±

    ¡°I refuse¡­ Ah, the race is starting soon. I wonder if Onsoku is racing today?¡±

    She gave her concession a bit frank, that saintess is quick when ites to things rted to the race. Eh? You¡¯re already heading back? Really? Please, take care.

    ¡­ Amazing, Rat-donos. You guys truly are amazing subordinates. Please, hold back on winning and do your best in exploiting everyone.

    Right, maybe I¡¯ll use some dice to have her owe me next time shees to intrude? Just like Hero Wataru.

    *

    That day, there was another visitor besides the saintess when I was lounging about in my room. It was the cksmith, Kantra.

    When I went to the dining room after inviting him in, Kantra was waiting with an iron sword.

    ¡°Ooi Kehma-dono! Check this out!¡±

    ¡°Nn? What, were you able to make a magic sword?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, well this is a step towards it. This is thanks to me getting advice from Kehma-dono¡­ I name it: Sword of Light!¡±

    The sword that Kantra brought, its pommel was a light magic tool.

    ¡­ It feels like he added a shlight under the de. Why¡¯s it shining there?

    ¡°Rather, my advice¡­ I thought you we were just talking about tamers, how¡¯d that turn into a magic tool?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I still gotta try that out but¡­. there¡¯re no good tamers around here. So I joined the idea with a magic tool instead.¡±

    ¡°A magic tool instead of a monster, huh?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! You knew? I tried making a magic sword by using cutting edge research to add magic tools to swords. But the endurance of the sword naturally goes down with making it like that and alchemists would be needed to make the sword in the first ce. But with this method I just add the sword to a magic tool pommel made by an alchemist, so the cksmith-made de can be maintained to keep its strength! It¡¯s revolutionary!¡±

    That¡¯s revolutionary? Japanese people would just be like, ¡°Well, let¡¯s try throwing it onto that.¡±

    Nerune, who was serving tables just then and heard that said, spoke.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it more convenient just keeping magic tools as magic tools~, swords as swords~?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah¡ª¡±

    Kantra¡¯s speech ended.

    ¡°T-that¡¯s also true. What Nerune-dono says is reasonable. Uumu, I thought it was ground-breaking though.¡±

    Umm, sorry for our kid. But a sword of light could blind opponents if used properly, maybe it¡¯s a good idea to try adding various things?

    ¡°More importantly, how did you get the magic tool? You were talking about an alchemist or something earlier, but did you make it yourself?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Ah, yeah. I can make simple magic tools. They¡¯re no magic swords though, dungeon-made ones have better performance.¡±

    Was there a skill like that? Rather, you could make it with your skills as a cksmith?

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, could you teach me how to make them? I want to make some.¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re interested? Hmm¡­ it¡¯s not really that good to spread it around, but it¡¯ll be alright if it¡¯s Kehma-dono, I¡¯m in your debt.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I got it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then, how about we go somewhere else? The forge should be better, it has tools too.¡±

    Because of that, it was decided that I would learn how to make magic tools from Kantra.

    If I apply how to make magic tools to making golems, I might even be able to make a [Golem That Can Use Magic]. I¡¯m a bit pumped here.

    I headed over Kantra¡¯s cksmith shop. I brought Nerune along as well since it was rted to magic.

    Kantra easily gave the OK when I asked if it¡¯d be alright to teach Nerune as well, so her eyes started sparkling just by listening in from the side. But really, I thought you weren¡¯t supposed to spread it around¡­? Kantra is a dwarf that can¡¯t say no when asked, huh?

    When we arrived at the workshop, Kantra tool out pens, iron tes, and a few various tools from a locker and ced them on the table.

    ¡°Magic tools, as you know, are tools that demonstrate their effect by being filled with magical power. Making them isn¡¯t that hard so long as you understand what makes its core. Well, this guy is it.¡±

    Kantra held up a magic stone.

    ¡°A magic stone, isn¡¯t that the energy that operates magic tools?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. However, the main material that makes magic tools are magic stones. For example, a magic stone thates from a water-type monster can be easily made into a water-type magic tool.¡±

    Saying that, Kantra ran his pen across the magic stone. When I took a closer look, the tip of that pen had written something onto the magic stone.

    ¡°The effect can be strengthened by drawing special figures. Draw them powerfully.¡±

    Then, hepletely covered the magic stone with a geometric shape that looked like a trianglebined with a square.

    After that, he marked out the same formation about ten centimeters away in each direction on the iron te. He carved out minute images and characters seemingly at random¡­

    ¡°This one here, it¡¯s the shape that represents water-type.¡±

    He¡¯s doing some amazing free-hand here, oi. After that¡ª

    ¡°This one¡¯s especially important. The trick for it¡¯s to draw it all at once really fast.¡±

    He pointed at a portion of letters, telling me to not make a mistake in the lettering¡­ Ooh, I can read the letters he put:

    [Pour Water]

    [Convert Magical Power]

    [Magic Stone Absorption]

    Fuu, that¡¯s Trantion Function-san for you.

    ¡°Well, if you draw the magic formation, it¡¯ll dissolve the magic stone here. Watch.¡±

    When Kantra ced the magic stone onto the magic formation, the magic stone melted into it.

    The instant that it finished melting, the formation shone with blue light. It seemed like it entered a state where it was ready to be used. When he put a magic stone meant to be used for energy onto the formation, water came out from the ce it was specified to.

    If this is built into a tool, it turns into a magic tool. Kantra quickly turned it into a pitcher with skilled hands. Hepleted the magic tool [Pitcher of Spring Water].

    It took around ten minutes start to finish. It was over in the blink of an eye.

    ¡°See, easy yeah?¡±

    Kantra spoke with a smile.

    ¡ªI don¡¯t get it!!

 Chapter 126

    Making Magic Tools

    It¡¯s good that I learned how magic tools are made, but I still don¡¯t get what¡¯s what.

    I seriously have no clue what Kantra¡¯s talking about¡­

    ¡°I get it~, so in other words you do this¡­¡±

    ¡°Oooh! That¡¯s a good line! Good, good, run it along like that.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I want the fire attribute here~¡±

    ¡°Repeat just like that, go again¡­ right, aaaaand, there.¡±

    ¡°I get it~!¡±

    And somehow Nerune¡¯s understood what he¡¯s saying. What¡¯s with this girl. I have a lot of excellent subordinates don¡¯t I~, it¡¯ll be fine doing nothing and just leaving it all to them~

    ¡°Sensei~! There¡¯s that feeling heeere!¡±

    ¡°What a wonderful assistant! Right, the magic formation¡¯s free, so do what you want!¡±

    And now Nerune¡¯s somehow Kantra¡¯s assistant, calling him sensei.

    Rather, whatever she wants? You sure about that?

    ¡°Then then~! Let¡¯s engrave it onto my bodyyy! Wouldn¡¯t that be cool~!?¡±

    ¡°Ooh! That sounds painful! You¡¯re a girl, cut it out!¡±

    What the heck made you feel like putting a magic formation that shoots out water onto a body¡­ well, it¡¯d be useful on a golem¡¯s body or something¡­ yep, maybe I could turn a magic tool into a golem? I¡¯m concerned about whether or not it would interfere with the golem magic formation, but it should be fine if anything goes.

    ¡°It¡¯d be helpful if was an amplification magic formation though~¡­ why not go for it~?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, but I¡¯ve never carved a magic formation onto a person¡¯s body before. Assistant! Carve a bit onto me! It¡¯ll be fine on the chest since it won¡¯t affect my work, so take off some skin with the knife¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes~! Here Ie~!¡±

    ¡°Guah¡ª!? Ow¡ª!! But I won¡¯t give in¡ª!!¡±

    Oi, seriously, the heck are you guys doing? All I¡¯m seeing here is someone stabbing someone else with a knife¡­ rather, she is actually stabbing him¡­

    ¡°Ha¡ª! I lost myself for a little~. Sorry, master~¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ alright, get to the point that you can make magic tools if you want to.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me~!¡±

    Nerune smiled¡­ while still holding a bloody knife up front of her. Oh no¡­ this girl¡¯s a mad scientist type, isn¡¯t she¡­?

    ¡°O-oi, finish your work. The pain is bad but not finishing is worse.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okaaaay, sensei~¡±

    Turning around abruptly, Nerune continued cing the knife in her hand into Kantra. Yep, that¡¯s stabbing~

    Well, she¡¯s having fun, so I¡¯m going to head back. All things considered, it looks like Nerune has talent in making magic tools. Please make me some magic toolster. Her race being apprentice witch wasn¡¯t just for show, huh.

    Come to think of it, I need to actually learn about this world¡¯s writing system before thinking about learning the magic formations and characters used to make magic tools huh. Sounds troublesome. Pass.

    Let¡¯s leave it to Nerune, yep.

    *

    Since the saintess got gobbled up two times with yesterday and today, Rokuko spun the 1000 DP gacha.

    The results¡ª

    ¡°Oh, a dummy core! I know because I know a lot about dungeon cores!¡±

    ¡°This dummy core looks purple. Almost like it¡¯s poisonous, why¡¯s the color different?¡±

    ¡°I wonder? Maybe it feels sick or something?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t you know a lot about dungeon cores? Rather, they turn blue when they feel sick?¡±

    Along with the purple-shining dummy core¡ª

    ¡°This is¡­ I don¡¯t really get it, but it¡¯s a skill scroll¡­ a scroll of [Chef]? I haven¡¯t heard about that skill.¡±

    ¡°¡­ It looks like a skill that Kinue-san would use.¡±

    It was a mysterious skill scroll.

    Both of them seemed to be worth more than 1000 DP though. That dummy core¡¯s worth around 5000 DP¡­ it¡¯s purple for some reason though¡­ and that skill isn¡¯t in the catalog. What¡¯s with her luck? There¡¯s no way her status¡¯ luck level is anything but crazy.

    Well, considering her life till now, she needed that luck to just stay alive¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s assume this skill will go to Kinue-san, but for this dummy core¡­ a spare, I guess? We can put in a new core room somewhere after the new riddle area¡¯s interior finishes, just keep it in the master room¡¯s warehouse for a while.¡±

    I¡¯m getting a bad premonition, but there¡¯s nothing to do about it for now.

    I get the feeling that we shouldn¡¯t use this dummy core if possible.

    Alright, time to ignore it. Let¡¯s pretend we never saw it.

    As I was deciding that, Rokuko poked me in the side.

    That tickles, what¡¯re you doing?

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. What about Rin? Will you put it under the dungeon¡¯s control?

    ¡°Huh? Under it¡¯s control? What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Hey, weren¡¯t you listening just now? It¡¯s the same with how monsters that get summoned with DP, you can have them obey orders and deploy them.¡±

    ¡°Aah¡­ I didn¡¯t know we could do something like that, tell me something like that sooner!¡±

    Rokuko taught me about it boastfully.

    Putting a monster under our control requires its eptance. Furthermore, it¡¯s apparently no good trying to do it without them knowing exactly what it means to be ced under the dungeon¡¯s control¡­ tricking things won¡¯t work.

    There¡¯s also a method of forcibly putting something under our control. We just need to make them surrender; this method is for cing monsters that aren¡¯t intelligent under ourmand.

    But we¡¯ll also stop getting DP from monsters under our rule¡­ I wonder why?

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama taught me.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, thought so.¡±

    ¡­ It would hurt to lose 950 DP a day. Isn¡¯t it fine to just leave things going how they are? Thanks to it we¡¯re steadily umting a lot of DP. Together with Rin Fever, I have Saintess Fever too. [1]

    Well, there¡¯s a limit to turning things into followings. It¡¯d be hard even just saying whether I could get it to surrender.

    Maybe it¡¯ll be fine just leaving it as is¡­ It¡¯s probably no good, but how about I go talk to Rin about it?

    Footnotes:

    The ¡®fever¡¯ being referred to at the end is the ¡®Fever Time¡¯ of pachinko machines. If you¡¯ve ever yed a western pinball machine that had bonus targets which give you extra balls or increased score for a while once you hit all of them, it¡¯s a sort of bonus round like that. -Credit to Raitzeno-

 Chapter 127

    Nerune¡¯s Laboratory

    Well, I decided to go straight to ask Rin whether or not it¡¯d ept our control.

    [Refused.]

    It responded immediately.

    ¡°That so? It¡¯d be a great help if you did¡­ but I guess you don¡¯t want to be my follower after all?¡±

    [Yeah, Kehma is, weak, so no. Besides, when winter ends, I¡¯m leaving, on a journey.]

    Ah, so its just here for the winter? So it came to our dungeon just to wait out the winter huh.

    ¡­ It couldn¡¯t leave the dungeon if it entered the dungeon¡¯s control? Wait no, doesn¡¯t Haku-san bring Chloe with her? Even Haku-san, herself a dungeon core, can go out, so it should be able to.

    ¡°Is there a reason for your journey?¡±

    [¡­ Yeah, to look for, master. Not, here.]

    Master? So it¡¯s a married female? [1]

    [¡­ No, I¡¯m saying, boss. Also, I don¡¯t have, a sex.]

    It revised what it said, did it understand something from what went through the golem?

    Rather, it doesn¡¯t have a sex? So that¡¯s why its wolf form doesn¡¯t have one either? Well, ording to that talk about slimes with Ontentoo, they self reproduce.

    No, more importantly, it has a boss¡­? Maybe its tamer? So Rin¡¯s a faithful doggy that goes out looking for its missing owner huh. Ah, it¡¯d be faithful slime since it¡¯s a slime though.

    ¡°So Rin had a boss huh. What kind of guy is he?¡±

    [Stronger than, me.]

    Seriously? Someone even stronger than Rin¡­

    [I am, strong, because of boss¡¯, training.]

    ¡°¡­ Seriously? So he¡¯s your teacher?¡± [2]

    [Yeah. Master could also, train when I find, master.]

    I¡¯d be fine entrusting the golem if he could make it stronger. But really, what kind of guy is stronger than Rin?

    Now that the mysteries have deepened, I decided it¡¯s about time to end it for the day.

    ¡°Well then, go ahead and eat me. Here.¡±

    [Nnn~¡­ no, I¡¯m fine. Kehma is, my follower, after all. Besides, I¡¯m not, hungry.]

    ¡°Really?¡±

    [Yeah. Thanks, cya.]

    Hmm. Did my intimacy level go up?

    This was the first time I could finish a conversation with Rin without being eaten.

    *

    Well, it¡¯s a shift in topics, but it¡¯s about making magic tools.

    It looks like Nerune figured out the basics, so she¡¯s gotten to the point of being able to make the kinds of magic tools Kantra knew: fire, water, earth, and light.

    That just means things rted to elementsing out of simple magic formations, the so-called fundamentals of magic tools. I think that much is amazing enough though.

    I decided to try it out on a golem immediately. I had her carve out a magic formation on an iron golem I¡¯d prepared. Then, Ipleted it by melting a matching-attributed magic stone onto it.

    The results:

    ¡­ One that emits sand from its abdomen, a sand golem. It wasn¡¯t particrly useful other than being gritty.

    ¡­ One that emits water from its knees, a water golem. It wasn¡¯t particrly useful other than for getting its feet wet.

    ¡­ One that emits fire from its face, a fire golem¡­ sorry, there wasn¡¯t any deep meaning to it.

    ¡­ One that emits light from its right hand, a light golem. Hmmm, it wasn¡¯t particrly useful other than being bright.

    With that, four golems that weren¡¯t particrly useful werepleted.

    Concerning the fire golem, I just thought it¡¯d be cool to have one that could spit fire like a methrower.

    Though well, I seriously want a non-physical way for them to attack¡­ I wonder how? The feeling¡¯s off.

    ¡°How should I say it, with their standalone power, they¡¯re strong enough to be dungeon traps¡­ there¡¯s even a water one like the [Water Source].¡±

    ¡°T-theeese¡­ are just magic tools made by a beginner like meee, they absolutely couldn¡¯t win against dungeon traps~. That would be like a new adventurer challenging god~¡±

    That¡¯s true too.

    Well, they do have the advantage of being able to be installed on golems¡­ Yep, let¡¯s have these guys be a new series, the magic tool golems.

    ¡°The goal is golems that can use magic, guess we could call them gargoyles?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s gargoyle, there¡¯s already a monster named that~. They really are statues that can use magic though~¡±

    ¡°Ah, so they exist¡­ Then magic golems, nicknamed gargoyles. Nerune, from here on I¡¯ll be counting on you to research magic tools and magic in order to have golems that can use magic.¡±

    ¡°Okaaay, understooood~¡±

    By the way, gargoyles are 10,000 DP each. And that¡¯s just for the stone ones. Bronze-types are double that¡­

    ¡­ So expensive. It¡¯d be better making them myself after all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare magic stones and tools for your research. Ah, and make you a room too. It¡¯ll be a room isted from the dungeon, but I¡¯ll put a dummy core there so you can get in and out.¡±

    ¡°Research¡­ a room¡­ A LABORATORY~!!¡±

    Nerune¡¯s eyes sparkled as she banzai¡¯d.

    ¡°Master, thank you sooooo much! I¡¯ll do my best~! I¡¯ll do it~!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. Work hard.¡±

    ¡°By the way, just research magic tools~? Researching stuff like magic skill¡¯s are no good~?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Hmm, right¡­ Ah, then look into how magic skill scrolls can be made with magic formations, that¡¯d be rted too yeah?¡±

    ¡°I understand~! Nerune¡¯s Laboratory: focusing on magic formation research~! I¡¯ll study~!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I look forward to your results.¡±

    Nerune really is excitable when ites to things about magic.

    For her to be that happy about aboratory, I guess apprentice witches love studying magic after all¡­

    ¡°Ah, sorry master. For study materials, I¡¯d love some magic skill scrolls~. And~, and and~, only if you could, an assistant¡­ is that no good~?¡±

    Scrolls should probably be as expected for research costs. Let¡¯s prepare a few low ss ones like [Fireball] and [Light].

    And an assistant, huh. Hmm¡­ a goblin probably wouldn¡¯t work. I wonder what would be a good pick, maybe another apprentice witch like Nerune? ¡­ I prefer keeping with going for diversity than getting more of the same monsters. Should it be another kind then?

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go with giving the next monster Rokuko gets from the gacha as your assistant.¡±

    ¡°Yes~! Thank you~! Go, gargoyle~! Yay yaya, ooooh!¡±

    Nerune was getting pretty psyched up.

    Right, Nerune was happy when she heard about aboratory, so she¡¯ll definitely like a white robe. I looked for the outfit and bought it for 30 DP.

    ¡°Nerune, take this. It¡¯s a researcher¡¯s outfit. It can be worn on top of your clothes.¡±

    ¡°White¡­ clothes~? That doesn¡¯t feel very witch-y¡­¡±

    Oh? She¡¯s disappointed now, dang it.

    It suits Nerune well though. So well that I want to massage her feet. No, I won¡¯t actually do it though.

    Let¡¯s at least have Rokuko get a good assistant for her.

    And so I looked for Rokuko. I found her immediately after looking at the map, though. She just finished spinning the gacha in the master room.

    I said she could spin it once for each time the saintess died, so it looks like the saintess got killed by Rin again. You don¡¯t learn huh, saintess.

    ¡­ Moreover, a green dot representing an ally appeared next to Rokuko. Looks like she got a monster. I openedmunications with Rokuko, who was in the master room.

    ¡°Oi Rokuko, can you hear me?¡±

    [Ah, Kehma. I can hear you! I just did the gacha. Today¡¯s spin was a monster!]

    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s good. So, what is it?¡±

    [Mmm, a gargoyle, some kind of statue thing.]

    ¡­ The heck kind of amazing luck does this girl have?

    Footnotes:

    Word used for master can also mean husband. Return

    Uses shishou here, closer to a mix of both master and teacher

 Chapter 128

    The Saintess 6

    The gargoyle wound up bing an assistant, despite being research towards making the aforementioned gargoyle.

    If anything, it¡¯s more of a super valuable sample than an assistant.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand master¡¯s nerves~¡­¡± [1]

    I¡¯m not at fault here, it¡¯s because of Rokuko¡¯s bad luck¡­ no, good luck.

    By the way, the gargoyle is a stone demon statue with wings on its back. I wondered if it could fly, but they seem to only be for show. Don¡¯t they get in the way?

    The gargoyle doesn¡¯t appear to talk either. It also seems to be the type that indifferently follows orders, like golems¡­ The joints are fully connected like statues normally have, but they can still bend somehow. Even looking at it, it¡¯s mysterious. It feels like ordinary stone when I touch it, the same as the raw materials I use for [Create Golem]¡­

    ¡°Well, researching progresses faster when it¡¯s actually getting done. I set theboratory up in the dungeon for now, so research magic tools as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much~¡±

    Wearing the white doctor robe, Nerune answered energetically. For some reason, she looked happy even with the robe on.

    There was some DP left over this time, so I also wound up making a room to use for moving around with the dummy core.

    It was a pointless expense, but well, the dummy core was 5000 DP and the two rooms were 400 DP total, adding up to 5400 DP. Now that we have the saintess¡¯ and Rin¡¯s ie, that¡¯s somewhere around two or three days¡¯ ie. I mean, that saintess is spending twenty-five gold per day to stay in the suite. That¡¯s enough to be 25000 DP just by converting it into DP.

    Because of this and that, the saintess has already been here for around half a month and has be a terrific earner. Our storage is practically overflowing with gold coins. It¡¯ll probably be alright even if we wound up using some as DP.

    ¡­ Rather, setting aside her inn fees, isn¡¯t that saintess going to go bankrupt here soon with her gambling habits? It¡¯ll be great when she heads back to where she came from. What was its name, the Holy Kingdom?

    The room is set up just above the core room¡­ They¡¯re arranged vertically, but are treated as the same floor. If an intruder enters this room, they¡¯d need to do something unexpected like destroying the core room¡¯s ceiling to get here. People that would do something like that without a hint for it don¡¯t exist.

    ¡°I¡¯ll also help out with the studying. There¡¯s [Create Golem] too after all.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, with Goshujin-sama¡¯s [Create Golem] you could make golems that already have grooves on them~. That way I only need to melt magic stones on them~¡±

    ¡°¡­ Reproducing those difficult shapes sounds like it¡¯d be hard.¡±

    Also, don¡¯t you have to inscribe things onto the magic stone itself too? So much work¡­

    Yep, just practice making water magic tools for now. I¡¯ll prepare a lot of magic stones. Using the options for the type of magic stone I want from the catalog, it¡¯s easy to choose what kind of attribute the magic stonese with. It¡¯s a bitte to say it, but DP really is convenient.

    *

    The saintess returned after being eaten by the ck wolf in the dungeon on that day as well.

    she wasn¡¯t feeling particrly off put though. The reason why? The inn¡¯s suite was just toofortable, rather, she practically wanted to stay in the inn forever.

    Furthermore, the inn had a game room that often held something called rat races.

    Something else that was just as unbelievable was its meals, as well as its hot spring. The inn was simply too wonderful.

    Winning a small amount from the rat race that had just been held, the saintess was cheery. She continued, squandering her earnings by betting it all on the proceeding race.

    ¡°Fuu, all things considered, this bedding is simply wonderful. I¡¯d like it for my house as well.¡±

    Drinking orange juice she¡¯d ordered through the room service, she flopped down onto the futon.

    It only cost a single silver.

    Oranges were easily obtainable in Pavuera. However, it wasn¡¯tprised simply of the fruit¡¯s juice, but with a generous amount of sugar, a luxury good. Given that, she agreed to its price.

    Furthermore, the fee was subtracted from the gold coin the saintess¡¯ attendant had paid with beforehand.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm, this Vige Chief-san is obstinate, even though he has shown me so much hospitality¡­ ah, did Cent pay the fees?¡±

    Currently, the saintess had only been thinking about ways to somehow deal with that threatening ck wolf monster and repay his hospitality. Even though she was paying money, she was receiving supplied from the vige¡¯s precious winter supplies.

    It might appear as though the saintess wasn¡¯t doing anything, but she was steadily memorizing the ck wolf¡¯s movements.

    After three days, she had gotten to the point that she was able to dodge its first attack. She was able to attack three times. If she could invoke the unique magical skill she had as a saintess by gaining more time, it¡¯d be her win.

    The monster was probably of the dark attribute. For the saintess, it was a very advantageous attribute for her.

    However, the difference in the basic capabilities was so overwhelming that it was a trifling thing for it to kill her. She needed to gain more time somehow.

    Following a knock at her door, she heard her attendant¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Alka-sama, do you have time?¡±

    ¡°Nn¡­e in.¡±

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Cent opened the door and came in.

    (¡­ Incidentally, what has this attendant been spending his time doing sinceing here? Wha¡ªno way, has he been at the rat race, ying this entire time¡­!?)

    Thinking up to there, the saintess abandoned the idea. Such a serious attendant wouldn¡¯t do something like that, surely.

    ¡°So, what business do you have, Cent?¡±

    ¡°I am anxious about our remaining funds.¡±

    ¡°It was the races after all¡­!?¡±

    ¡°? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. However, if it is about not having enough funds, it is necessary for us to ask the country for additional funding. I will write a letter, make certain to send it immediately.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you.¡±

    Concerning the letter, it¡¯d likely be delivered within a few days if they put out amission for it through the adventurer guild.

    However, it wouldn¡¯t be certain whether or not themission would bepleted. To be certain, she would put out multiplemissions.

    ¡°Now then, for the letter¡¯s contents¡­ ah, yes. Along with noting Vige Chief-san¡¯s hospitality, let¡¯s write that I still haven¡¯t received the dungeon core¡¯s destruction rights. If I go through the story from the start, I should say that Vige Chief-san said he would hand it over after gaining the empire¡¯s permission.¡±

    ¡°I see, in that case, we can trante that as Vige Chief-dono wanting to hand us the dungeon core¡¯s destruction rights, but can¡¯t as they are handled by the empire. That should work well.¡±

    The saintess epted her attendant¡¯s suggestion, including her remarks about Kehma¡¯s reception, and turned to speak to him.

    ¡°He is a very serious and good person, but hisck of flexibility could be called his only fault. It is a good thing that we can trust his diligence, though.¡±

    ¡°He would be a good vassal. If he could be formally scouted and brought to the Holy Kingdom¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll include that as well¡­ If I write five, at least one should make it.¡±

    The five letters written, all with the same content, she handed them to her attendant.

    However, she was running out of funds that she should have prepared more than enough of. Just where was it disappearing¡­? She¡¯d somehow manage.

    ¡°Should I economize a little until the additional funds arrive¡­? It might also be a good idea to bring out some of those iron golems that I¡¯ve been leaving behind. Would those help for meal fees?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I am deeply sorry for allowing it to reach the point of troubling you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯ll be between you and I.¡±

    Then again, they had enough funds to stay through the winter by just switching the saintess¡¯ room from the suite to the standard room type, but there was no such proposaling from her attendant. For the saintess that was doing such painful work by dying and returning, the attendant simply hoped to ease her mind even a little. He couldn¡¯t propose such a thing, nor did he wish to.

    Once the saintess had made certain that her attendant had left with the letters, sheid back down against the soft bedding, resting.

    Feeling her body sink into it, gently being enveloped, she¡ª

    ¡°I still want this bed¡­¡±

    ¡ªfell asleep, murmuring.

    Footnotes:

    I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying, Nerune~ ¥Þ¥¹¥¿©`¤ÎÉñ½U¤¬·Ö¤«¤ê¤Þ¤»¤ó©`¡­¡­

 Chapter 129

    Fundraising Countermeasures

    The saintess had written a letter. What should I do¡­?

    When I took a peek, it looked like the contents were saying that I would hand them the dungeon core¡¯s destruction rights, along with requesting financial support, but¡­ thinking about just how much DP and funds she was getting us, I can¡¯t say that it¡¯s much of a bad thing.

    However, it¡¯d be a seriously bad thing if the Holy Kingdom started watching me.

    A dungeon that gains attention from the Holy Kingdom, whose doctrine says to smash dungeons¡­ it¡¯ll have a lowered lifespan. Literally.

    Because of that, I called Rokuko to make some countermeasures.

    ¡°Kehma, peeping into a room with a girl staying in it, is that sort of thing your hobby?¡±

    She was looking at me with considerably cold eyes though. Vexing. It¡¯s enemy inspection, you know?

    Yep, it¡¯s because she¡¯s an enemy. It¡¯s not like I wanted to obverse her well-shaped legs and shoeless, defenseless feet or anything. If I really wanted to, I could indulge in Meat or Ichika¡¯s, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯m starving.

    ¡°So, a n for what? To not let them get funds?¡±

    ¡°Good guess, Rokuko. That¡¯s right. Wait¡­ no way, are you an impostor?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯d obviously know that¡­ the question is how we can stop them from getting the money. Rece the letters? Or maybe we stop their delivery?¡±

    ¡°Are you alright? Are you feeling sick!?¡±

    Rokuko was being unusually bright. I ced the back of my hand against her forehead to make sure whether she was feverish or not.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m not sick! Don¡¯t look down on me so much!¡±

    ¡°You were a little hot¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s in your head!¡±

    ¡°That so? It¡¯s fine then. I was worried because you¡¯d suddenly turned smart.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy you were concerned though. Fufun, you could praise me more though you know?¡±

    Alright, she¡¯s back to Rokuko now.

    ¡°So, what will you do? Outside of the dungeon, it¡¯d be hard stopping the adventurers¡¯ deliveries after they took themission. Right, we could take them when they are given to the adventurer guild.¡±

    ¡°Giving the guild liability issues sound like it¡¯d be troublesome in various ways. Even if we reced them, the letters are sealed with wax stamps¡­¡±

    When she put the letters into their envelopes, the saintess stamped them with her seal. It¡¯d be obvious that they were tampered with.

    ¡°For that, wouldn¡¯t it be fine if Kehma¡¯s magic fixed the seal? You could just break the seal then mend it after right? Ah, but if there is a magical effect on the sealing wax you can¡¯t show your technique, we¡¯ll need another one as well won¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Oi Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°What? Did you rekindle your love?¡±

    ¡°You¡­ ¡­ ¡­ are you the real Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°I am though!? So rude, even I think so!¡±

    ¡°Got it, well then show me your foot and I¡¯ll confirm it.¡±

    ¡°You can confirm it with that!? Well, I don¡¯t really know why you need my foot though¡­ H-here.¡±

    Taking off one of her stockings, Rokuko exposed her foot¡­ Fuuu. I took my time validating it, but she¡¯s the real one. In truth, Rokuko¡¯s feet don¡¯t have any beauty marks at all, but I know she¡¯s her. To be urate, I confirmed it by looking at the menu¡¯s map function.

    Well, I¡¯d be in trouble if she were an imitator though. Did she eat something that appeared from the gacha, like a fruit of wisdom or something?

    ¡°No doubting it, you¡¯re the real Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been saying¡­ so, does Kehma have a n?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, I do. I¡¯ll put in aint.¡±

    My n was exceedingly simple.

    We would also write five letters, mailing them to the same address as the saintess.

    Because they¡¯d be the same address, adventurers taking themission for hers would naturally take ours as well for the profits. The guild might even rmend people to ept them as a pair.

    This way we won¡¯t have to obstruct the saintess¡¯ letters at all.

    If it turns into a situation where none of the saintess¡¯ letters arrive, neither will ourints, but in that case there¡¯s no problem at all.

    ¡°Heeh, Kehma¡¯s n is different after all.¡±

    ¡°But who would read a letter from a figurehead vige chief whose vige doesn¡¯t even have a name? That¡¯s the only hole in it. And so, Rokuko, you will do it.¡±

    ¡°Me?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re Haku-san¡¯s younger sister. That is, the younger sister of Haku Raverio, the empire¡¯s ancestor.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can borrow Haku Ane-sama¡¯s influence huh!¡±

    Particrly since this is Haku-san¡¯s favorite ce. There¡¯d probably be no problem using her name for this¡­ Rather, Haku-san¡¯s younger sister might be a more influential title than untactful saintess.

    And because of that, using Rokuko¡¯s name, we prepared five letters to match the saintess¡¯.

    Its contents: [We are troubled by the saintess¡¯ wolfish devouring of our winter rations, paying no heed to the costs. We are selling things to her because it is business, but there is a limit to such things. Could you please tell it to her indirectly, as her country?] It was a petition, one written somewhat grandly.

    We¡¯ll seal it with wax and stamp it with the imperial seal.

    In truth, it¡¯s something Haku-san gave us for when Rokuko write [Request] letters to her. Though we¡¯re using it to directlymunicate with Haku-san through writing letters¡­ borrowing something used to talk directly with Haku-san is very scary.

    Then again, even if we¡¯ll be borrowing this empire¡¯s seal, I get the feeling it¡¯d be fine since Haku-san said, ¡°This seal is for Rokuko to use however she wants.¡±

    ¡­ If we send Haku-san a thank-you note from Rokuko afterwards, she¡¯ll definitely be happy. Definitely. Yep. She¡¯d definitely take advantage of it if I show weakness here, so I¡¯ll end it with a one-sided thanks.

    Looks like the letters were finished being written while I was thinking that, all five arepleted.

    ¡°They¡¯re perfect. Writing five letters with the same things in them is tiring though.¡±

    ¡°Good work. Well, these will do something about the saintess¡¯ letters¡­ I¡¯ll hurry out to make sure they are epted with hers.¡±

    ¡°Un, please.¡±

    The attendant had just left the guild, leaving the saintess¡¯ letters with it. I hurried to the guild, carrying the letters that Rokuko wrote.

    Themission easily went through the guild¡¯s Receptionist-san, who requested the fee for the five letters¡­ along with delivering them to another country, the fee was a little pricey due to getting the option for me wanting them to be taken along with anothermission¡¯s, five silver coins in all. Five silver doesn¡¯t feel like much of an expenditure at this point, huh.

    After that, themission chart was affixed to the bulletin board. It was ced nearby the one for the saintess¡¯ letters, a bit above it to be exact. Like this, they¡¯ll probably be taken together.

    Also, the task of getting to where the saintess¡¯ letters were being kept in the guild would have been a failure¡­ They were put away in the guild¡¯s safe, so I wasn¡¯t able to retrieve them. Rather, there¡¯s a restriction making it so that I can¡¯t collect other people¡¯s things whenever I want huh¡­ Well, if I were able to, I¡¯d be able to go with the savage strategy of just doing something like taking a warrior¡¯s armor and weapon midbat.

    Preparing letters ourselves was the right call.

    ¡°Fufufu, Kehma¡¯s n was correct as expected!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t able to use her n of tampering with the letters though¡­ Rokuko seemed happy for some reason?

    ¡­ But even so, out of money huh. How much longer will the saintess¡¯ fundsst?

    Maybe it¡¯d be better to make a move in exploiting her.

 Chapter 130

    A Cook

    I had the silky, Kinue-san, learn the [Cooking] skill that Rokuko got from gacha.

    As for the results¡­

    ¡°You became good at cooking?¡±

    ¡°Also, the time it takes to cook has be instant¡­ Rtively.¡±

    From what Kunue-san said, along withpensating for her cooking, it also seems to stop time for everything other than her cooking while she is cooking. So the person herself will be properly cooking, but everything around her would see it as immediate. It also doesn¡¯t appear to work for anything other than cooking.

    ¡°¡­ Even while boiling?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can¡¯t do anything else. I cannot do something like room cleaning while it is boiling. But if it¡¯s something like putting away cooking utensils, I can do that.¡±

    That¡¯s harsh.

    But really, space-time magic that¡¯s limited by cooking?

    First off, let¡¯s prepare some ingredients and see what it¡¯s like.

    I took out a recipe and some ingredients with DP. She¡¯ll make strawberry shortcake.

    I invited Ichika and Meat over to act as food samplers. I didn¡¯t call her, but Rokuko came too.

    ¡°It¡¯s a skill I got you know? Wouldn¡¯t I always want to see it?¡±

    ¡°Well, you would¡¯vee anyway even if there was¡¯t a reason.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rather, invite me properly! Wouldn¡¯t I feel like I was being excluded?¡±

    Rokuko sulked. Let¡¯s call her over as well next time.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make it, then. First is the preparations and¡­ done. I am finished.¡±

    ¡°Fast! That wasn¡¯t even ten seconds!?¡±

    There was a beautiful strawberry shortcake in front of us. However, it wasn¡¯t that the cake had simply appeared all on its own. There were traces that the oven made from phoenix eggshell fragments was used as well.

    It was sliced up immediately. White cream and yellow fluff, with a beautifulyer of red strawberries on top. Looks delicious.

    ¡°It really was an instant. It¡¯s more amazing than I thought.¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯know, Goshujin-sama, could ya give Kinue-san to me?¡±

    ¡°To Ichika? Hahaha, of course not.¡±

    ¡°Tch, unfortunate~¡±

    By the way, as far as the inn is concerned, it was decided that Rei, Kinue-san, and Nerune had all threee to be Rokuko¡¯s subordinates. They were treated as my juniors.

    Ichika was my senior in the respect that she hade to the dungeon before me, but Ichika is my ve. There¡¯s no way I could do something like giving my junior to a ve.

    ¡°¡­ From my point of view, an hour has passed since I began preparations. I think not being able to do anything but cooking would be hard for ordinary humans? I am alright with it because I am a housework fairy, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ a considerably severe limitation.¡±

    It¡¯d probably be a godly skill for people that love cooking. I should say it¡¯s the ideal skill for a cook huh? They could spend however much time they want on cooking.

    ¡­ It¡¯s a good thing I didn¡¯t use it myself. It¡¯d be different if I could have used it on sleeping though.

    ¡°Kehma, this is amazingly delicious!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so sweet, like it¡¯s melting, nom nom¡­¡±

    Rokuko and Meat had immediately filled their mouths with cake. A great way to eat.

    I¡¯ll eat some too. Thinking that, I looked for the cake¡­ huh, there¡¯s none?

    ¡°Ah, sorry. This is thest piece.¡±

    Right then, Rokuko was stabbing the final piece of cake with her fork.

    ¡°Oi, seriously? You guys really eat fast. I wanted to eat too¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it, then. Here.¡±

    Rokuko came at me, aiming the fork-pierced piece of cake at me.

    ¡­ Everyone¡¯s lines of sight assembled towards me. This, is is that? The ¡®Aaah¡¯ encounter?

    ¡°Hey, open your mouth.¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, hand over the fork.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t open your mouth, I¡¯ll eat it!¡±

    What kind of threat is that? But I want to eat cake¡­ Kuh. As expected, Rokuko¡¯s gotten smart. I wonder if something happened like her leveling up?

    ¡°I got it, now that it¡¯se to this I have to use myst resort¡­¡±

    ¡°Un, now, submissively be thrusted.¡± [1]

    ¡°But I refuse! Rokoku, don¡¯t think things will just easily go your way!¡±

    I turned my back to Rokuko and spoke to Kinue-san.

    ¡°Kinue-san, please do it again.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll do it n¡ª¡­ done.¡±

    A second cake finished in an instant. Yep, seeing it a second time, that [Cooking] skill really is amazing.

    ¡°Meat, Ichika, we need to eat that one too! Help me!¡±

    ¡°Itadakimasu!¡± [2]

    ¡°It¡¯s bad for Goshujin-sama, but it¡¯s Rokuko-sama¡¯s order~. It can¡¯t be helped~!¡±

    All three of them attacked the new shortcake.

    However, I simply allowed them to do it. As for why¡­

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the remaining ones, then.¡±

    ¡°Fueh!?¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s cheeks were filled with shortcake. There were three other whole shortcakes¡­ The answer why is simple. I ordered her to make four with my fingers. Our oven can easily cook four at a time after all.

    As expected, they weren¡¯t able to eat four more. I also couldn¡¯t eat too much, so I wound up putting them in [Storage]. One will be a present to Rei and Nerune, who aren¡¯t here.

    I immediately isted a piece with my fork.

    Though it was true that the ingredients bought with DP were superior, Kinue-san¡¯s skill in cooking was also really good. I missed this vor, it¡¯s like the cakes I had eaten beforeing to this other world.

    ¡°Delicious. It wouldn¡¯t even be outdone by the cakes sold in Japanese shops.¡±

    ¡°I am honored to receive your praise, master.¡±

    Kinue-san bloomed with a smile.

    ¡°Gu, f-fine Kehma! But remember, this [Cooking] skill is something I got, in other words it¡¯s my achievement!¡±

    ¡°Nom nom nom¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha~n, I ate somethin¡¯ good, happiness. High ss with plenty of sugar, too amazin¡¯¡­¡±

    Yeah, cake is a sugary luxury, huh. Let¡¯s sell some to the saintess. I wonder what cost would be good? About ten gold for a piece?

    Looking outside as I thought about it, it was snowing.

    Winter, huh.

    ¡­ Ah,e to think of it, what did the vige¡¯s name wind up being?

    Ooi Gozoh. You sure you want to leave it as Gozoh+Roppu¡¯s Love Love Vige~?

    Footnotes:

    This¡­ just¡­ lmao.

    This one is Meat.

 Chapter 131

    The Vige¡¯s Name and the Saintess¡¯ Time Limit

    As work for winter, I decided to help out with Gozoh¡¯s iron golem hunting. It was a scary ce since there¡¯s a demon that¡¯s be a threat, but the guild¡¯s purchasing price is at a premium because of it. Well, it¡¯s fine since there¡¯s something I want to hear.

    In the middle of helping defeat iron golems, I asked Gozoh something.

    ¡°By the way, what happened with the vige¡¯s name, Gozoh?¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Ah, sorry. I-I said I¡¯d think about it, but I didn¡¯t.¡±

    This guy forgot.

    ¡°I see. Is it because I¡¯m a figurehead vige chief? That¡¯s cruel.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Aah, on that subject, you were a figurehead?¡±

    ¡°Right right, Gozoh+Roppu¡¯s Love Love Vige huh. Man, sounds like a great name~¡±

    ¡°H-hey, no! I definitely¡­. thought about the name. Golen!¡±

    You just happened to see a golem just now, oi.

    But Golen Vige huh. Well, it¡¯s not bad. The feeling it has from making a pun on [Golem] that represents our dungeon and inn is good¡­ Is golem spoken as golem in this other world¡¯snguage too? The skill name is [Create Golem], so the possibility should be high.

    ¡°Is there any meaning?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s close to being a vige of golems.¡±

    ¡°It does fit, well, that¡¯s good I guess.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? Y-you seriously aren¡¯t going to give it more thought!?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s a wonderful name that Gozoh thought about for a long time, I shouldn¡¯t need to think about it on top of that¡­ Let¡¯s gather the vigers into the bar and make it a grand announcement. We¡¯ll have you announce the name¡¯s meaning to everyone.¡±

    ¡°Sorry! I thought it up just now, forgive me!¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, thought so.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    Gozoh and Iughed with each other.

    ¡°But I did decide on Golen. It leaves a good impression.¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡±

    Like that, the no-named vige became Golen Vige.

    It¡¯s a much better name than Gozoh+Roppu¡¯s Love Love Vige.

    ¡°So it¡¯s been snowing now, is our winter storage doing alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re alright on that front. Rather, thanks to you letting the vige¡¯s people use your inn¡¯s onsen free of charge, we don¡¯t need many magic stones to use as fuel or for heating magic tools. We have lots left. There¡¯s even a lot of extra old flour in the warehouse. The taste¡¯s a bit worse for wear, but there¡¯s nothing wrong with at all. I mean, with having Sia¡¯s and Pavuera¡¯s markets go through us, it looks like the merchants are nning on using this vige as a way station even through this winter.¡±

    In other words, our supplies are perfect. Even if in the rare chance that we run out, we can import. I wonder if he used the hundred gold I gave him to set that up?

    They¡¯ll be using the cave¡¯s toll system, so then we¡¯ll be getting a wee ie even without doing anything. Is this the thrill of investment¡­? Ah, did he say that he¡¯d give more gold back if it went well?

    ¡°Gozoh¡­ merchants are amazing.¡±

    ¡°Really. But you¡¯re also a big shot, being able to take out such a huge amount like it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    I haven¡¯t been able to think of a hundred gold coins as being much money recently after seeing the saintess practically shed it though¡­

    If he¡¯s able to get extra gold back, maybe I¡¯ll try investing two hundred into him next time?

    *

    Several dayster. A response letter appeared to have arrived from the Holy Kingdom.

    It¡¯s contents¡­ an order for her to return.

    [¡­ Return? I haven¡¯t done anything yet though!?]

    [It says something about taking responsibility¡­ not gently, either.]

    [Responsibility? For what?]

    It also looks like the letter Rokuko wrote arrived safely as well.

    One addressed to Rokuko had also arrived.

    Its contents: [We do not intend to wage war, that would be undesirable and is not something we wish to happen. The saintess had done that without permission. Please give our regards to the emperor.]

    With that as an excuse: [The saintess will return home.]

    It¡¯s great they didn¡¯t suddenly say something like they¡¯d go to war with us. I can¡¯t take responsibility for that.

    [I don¡¯t understand. To summon us back as fast as possible¡­ it seems they won¡¯t be providing additional funding.]

    [Guh, I should have been more sparing with the cake then¡­! But I couldn¡¯t resist the temptation! I was told there were only eight slices left of that luxurious thing, I don¡¯t regret it at all!]

    Yep, it was that cake. Once she had one, she had to purchase all eight of the slices at ten gold each for a total of eighty gold for the whole cake. She didn¡¯t hesitate even though she¡¯s running out of money; sweets are incredible.

    Using fresh eggs and ample amounts of sugar with a generous amount of rich milk and superior wheat flower, it was a luxuriously made cake. Moreover, it also made use of the [Cooking] skill¡¯s correction. Being able to eat it in such a small mountain vige, it was probably still cheap at ten gold a slice.

    The saintess put it in her [Storage] after buying it, so it won¡¯t go bad either.

    In addition, even though we can make as many cakes for as much ingredients we have, there weren¡¯t any others made so it wasn¡¯t a lie saying that was thest one.

    [ording to the letter, three more days should be our limit even after pushing it¡­]

    [In that case, there is no choice but for me to capture the dungeon, is there? I feel sorry to Vige Chief-sama, but it should be alright to get approval for it after the act. So that I may repay Vige Chief-sama¡¯s kindness for providing me with these valuable goods, it¡¯s time for me to take this seriously!]

    Oi, the heck are you saying, ¡®It¡¯s fine to get it afterwards¡¯?

    ¡­ Unfortunately, looks like we¡¯ll also have to get serious.

    I decided to leave watching the saintess to Rokuko and went to talk to Rin.

    Rin wasying down in a snugly warm room.

    ¡°Ooi, Rin. You awake? Mind talking for a bit?¡±

    [Nn? I¡¯m awake. What, Kehma?]

    ¡°It¡¯s like this¡ª¡±

    I told Rin that the troublesome saintess would being for around three more days.

    And that it would be great if Rin could keep doing its best defending.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you then, Rin.¡±

    [Nn¡­]

    Saying that, Rin plopped back down. I couldn¡¯t feel its motivation, but maybe that¡¯s just it being in hibernation mode or something?

    Hibernation¡­ man, I want to hibernate too. If possible, I¡¯d love to sleep through spring, summer, and fall as well.

 Chapter 132

    The Saintess¡¯ Serious Mode

    After asking Rin for the favor, I returned to the master room. On foot.

    Rokuko isn¡¯t in the core room right now. She¡¯s still monitoring the saintess in her room in the inn.

    Without Rokuko to bring me into it, there¡¯s no choice for me but to walk there. It¡¯s a bit inconvenient¡­ I kind of want a master room retrieval worker.

    ¡°Still, I wonder what she means by getting serious?¡±

    It¡¯d take no time at all getting back if I exited the inn¡¯s dummy core via the master room after entering the dungeon core from the core room, but I took a moment to think in the master room.

    Using this and that, this room is kept at a good temperature, itsfort isn¡¯t bad at all. Thinking about it, it¡¯s better than the futon in my room.

    From the fighting I¡¯ve seen so far, I can¡¯t think that the saintess would ever win against Rin in closebat. She¡¯s only able to avoid three or four attacks at the most. I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be any easier for her even if she used magic.

    Rumble.

    Just then, there was an earthquake.

    ¡­ Nnn? Magnitude 2, maybe 3¡­?

    Yep, isn¡¯t that surprising¡­ eh, wait a sec. Wasn¡¯t the master room in a different dimension? Why is it shaking?

    Around the time I tilted my head in thought, Rokuko stampeded into the master room.

    ¡°Kehma! Hey, it¡¯s bad!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? An earthquake around that strong isn¡¯t really worth getting worked up about.¡±

    ¡°Earthquake? What are you talking about!? The saintess¡¯ attack, her attack!¡±

    ¡­ Huh?

    What¡¯re you saying, there¡¯s no way her attack on Rin would cause something like an earthquake, right? ¡­ is what I thought while checking the map, but it does look like Rin¡¯s still fine. The saintess is still in front of the dungeon in the first ce.

    Her attendant was also with her, shouldering the simple altar that looked like a rucksack.

    The attendant bowed to the saintess before heading back to the hotel. The saintess headed into the dungeon.

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Look here.¡±

    Rokuko opened the menu and showed me something. It looks to be of the saintess from a bit ago.

    ¡­ It¡¯s showing the saintess offering a prayer to the altar.

    Muttering something, she was praying so intensely that she was sweating. I tried turning up the audio.

    [Death to dungeons, death to dungeons, break the cores, break the cores. Light God¡¯s enemies are here. Oh Light God¡¯s divine protection, ce the power of the seal here now. Death to dungeons, death to dungeons¡­]

    What a scary child. And yet the saintess was shining white. The normally invisible magical power was actually illuminating the room, the density was just that high¡­ rather, the heck is this?

    ¡°That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard such a long incantation¡­ do you know what kind of magic it is?¡±

    ¡°Ah, so that was an incantation¡­? What a horrible one, oi.¡±

    Then, I heard the incantation¡¯s key word spoken.

    [Following the gods¡¯ agreement, for three days, seal this dungeon¡ª[Treaty].]

    The magical power that had been gathering around the saintess sted out towards the dungeon.

    Looks like that¡¯s what caused the earthquake. Still, the vige didn¡¯t shake at all. Rokuko and all of the dungeon monsters seem to have felt the quake though.

    As humans, neither Meat nor Ichika appear to have felt it though¡­ so I¡¯m also a monster? Huh.

    The recording ended there.

    ¡°Seal the dungeon? The heck kind of thing is that¡­¡±

    ¡°Seal¡­? ¡ª, look, Kehma! The DP catalog!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    When I opened the menu to check out the DP catalog¡ª

    ¡ªwith red seals across the board, they said [Use Disabled: 71 Hours Remaining].

    Sealing DP functions¡­ that¡¯s a thing?

    Installing rooms and traps, as well as summoning monsters. They¡¯re all sealed. The only thing we can do is restore traps and damaged walls.

    The gacha¡¯s sealed too¡­ can¡¯t sell weapons and armor either. Ah, it looks like we can still get daily necessities, sweet bun kinds of items and treasure items like jewels.

    I don¡¯t really understand, but she said something about a [Gods¡¯ Agreement] at the end of the incantation. So there was a thing like that?

    ¡°This¡­ really is a dungeon seal, huh.¡±

    Not being able to set up new traps and rooms meant that the dungeon¡¯s growth and change would halt. It makes things like augmenting passages and simr stuff impossible. Moreover, thinking about the fighting strength side of things, you wouldn¡¯t be able to summon monsters or reinforce them with arms. It means that you¡¯d only be able to watch. That is, normally.

    ¡°O-oooh¡­ really!?¡±

    ¡°Though we can still manage since we have [Create Golem], ordinary dungeons probably wouldn¡¯t have any hands or legs to use.¡±

    ¡°R-right! Good job Kehma! Now, repel that saintess!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Guess I¡¯ll do my best making golems?¡±

    Still, speaking of dungeon monsters¡­ what about Rin, who¡¯s just a free-loader at our dungeon?

    Well, even if it was affected, it¡¯d probably just have felt the quake, so it¡¯s all good.

    I headed to Nerune¡¯sboratory, which was researching magic gole¡ª¡­ err, gargoyles.

    *

    Nerune was working together with Gar-kun, her gargoyle assistant, engraving magical formations into golem-made y boards. Taking a look, it seems to be a magic formation that emits fire like a lighter. It¡¯s pretty small, about three centimeters in diameter. There were eight arranged in a circr pattern.

    ¡°Ah, master. What do you think? I got the idea from that cake the other day, I tried making it able to heat things efficiently by arranging the eight magic formations into a circle~¡±

    ¡°¡­ Looks like a portable stove. By the way, how¡¯s the magic formation research going?¡±

    ¡°Yeah~, right now I¡¯m using a scale where I can make several magic formations with a single magic stone, so I¡¯m practicing drawing tiny magic formations~. It¡¯s a lot easier writing on these y boards I got from Goshujin-sama, so I can make them really small~¡± [1]

    It really is extremely detailed. I seriously want a magnifying ss¡­ Nn?

    ¡°You can miniaturize it if you can draw those borate grooves¡­ I mean, if you can engrave them?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯ll be apleted magic formation once a magic stone is melted into the grooves. But my eyes and dexterity isn¡¯t enough going any smaller¡­¡±

    I took out the DP catalog¡­ Yep, I can¡¯t use any of it after all. Still though, magnifying sses fall under the category of daily necessities so I was able to exchange for it without any problems.

    ¡°This is¡­!? What is is, eh, everything¡¯s so big~!?¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t lens or sses in this world?¡±

    ¡°Lens? sses~? There are~, theye with god¡¯s vanguard when they¡¯re summoned, equipped items that correct vision right~?¡±

    Ah, so that¡¯s how they got here? So there wouldn¡¯t be any convex lens if there was never a farsighted hero, huh.

    ¡°Come to think of it, I head that things below crystal balls when you use them lookrge~¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s also a convex lens. Well, it¡¯d be hard to engrave formations using a ball-shape though.¡±

    Now then, this solves her sight problem. Next is dexterity huh¡­ let¡¯s think about thatter.

    ¡°That aside, this should work¡­ Nerune, how many magic formations can you make by yourself per day?¡±

    ¡°U-ummm¡­ in one day, ten in my limit, I think¡­. I¡¯m not confident in urately engraving any more than that~¡±

    ¡°¡­ The only problem is that you can¡¯t engrave the magic formations?¡±

    ¡°Only problem? That¡¯s the most important part you know~. After that is asionally dissolving magic stones~. If not for engraving, one or two hundred in a day¡¯s no different, as long as there¡¯s magic stones it¡¯s alright you know~?¡±

    That¡¯s the most important part. Magic stones are treasure-type items, so I can buy them with DP.

    ¡°Well then, wanna do it? Two hundred a day.¡±

    When I said that, Nerune just looked at me with wide eyes.

    I just came up with a way to mass produce magic formations.

    It¡¯d be embarrassing if it failed after going this far though.

    ¡­ I have to answer the saintess¡¯ seriousness with my own.

    Footnotes:

    She calls him Goshujin-sama here. Author mistake? Or perhaps a verbal slip? She normally says ¡°Masuta-¡±

 Chapter 133

    First off, let¡¯s engrave a single magic formation into a y board.

    Then, pressing iron made soft by way of using [Create Golem] on it¡ªto be more urate, by operating it so that it would urately fill the grooves¡ªIpleted a magic formation temte.

    Following that with another one softened by [Create Golem], I went to make a [Prototype].

    There was a magic formation¡¯s grooves left behind when I separated the temte from the [Prototype].

    After that, I just normally melted a magic stone onto it toplete the formation.

    ¡°Aaand it works.¡±

    ¡°Uwaaah~¡­¡±

    It actually worked when the magic stone finished filling it. I¡¯m saved.

    Seeing the magic formation bepleted, Nerune was surprised.

    ¡°There was a method like that¡­ amazing~, how many could we make like this~?¡±

    ¡°Right? One or two hundred easily.¡±

    To put it simply, it¡¯s a stamp¡­ eh, I guess it¡¯s more like a printing press? Its size makes it so that I could mass produce however many I want.

    ¡°But master, no one but you can do this~¡±

    ¡°Nn? That¡¯s not true. It¡¯s troublesome making the molds, but so long as you have the mold you could do it with things like y. You¡¯d only need to bake the y to improve its longevity too¡­ as for it being weak to impacts, well, there¡¯s a lot of y¡­ Right. I¡¯ll make a [Mold to make molds] to produce y molds. You can use the iron magic formation to mass produce y molds, so if the y molds break¡­ get it?¡±

    When I said that, Nerune solidified for a bit.

    She was probably thinking if that was actually possible in her head.

    ¡­ Rather, there¡¯s even stuff like sealing letters with stamped wax, so I don¡¯t think it should be strange for someone to have an idea like this. Maybe people kept it a secret to enhance the value of magic tools? That¡¯s definitely a possibility.

    ¡°Master, that¡¯s¡­ I can do that right~!? This is a revolution you know~!?¡±

    ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic, why notbine the idea with making different letters and symbols into stamps?¡±

    ¡°No way~!? My master¡¯s calmly using his ideas to repaint history~!? Please wait, I¡¯ll take notes~!!¡±

    Nerune noisily pulled out a notepad and took notes. You don¡¯t need to panic so much¡­

    Well, with this, gargoyle mass production¡¯s looking closer than ever.

    Then again, Rin is going to be defending us, so it¡¯s only in the one in a thousand chance¡­ but that saintess¡¯ serious mode might be enough to defeat Rin.

    I can¡¯t seem to get that seal thing out of my head and haven¡¯t felt like sleeping. That¡¯s why I thought it¡¯d be a good idea to kill time and look into mass producing gargoyles.

    It¡¯s a rare asion, so I decided to seriously try doing it together with Nerune.

    *

    The first day that the saintess was taking it seriously. It was the first day, but she wanted to settle it that day.

    Smoothly making her way through the dungeon, she moved to just before the room that the ck wolf resided in. She was familiar to the area. Moreover, due to the effects of [Treaty] she had invoked through ceremony, the dungeon was weakened. She was able to advance all the more easily, she felt.

    Weakened dungeons wouldn¡¯t have things like an increased number of new traps or new rooms. It was limited in that there was a three day time limit, but even so it was very useful for capturing dungeons.

    In particr, the weakening would also cause boss monsters to be unable to revive. The ck wolf was likely a boss monster for this dungeon, so it shouldn¡¯t be an exception to the rule.

    So she only needed to beat it once. So long as she could kill it, even if she died as well, it would be alright. She now only had to watch out for traps and look for the dungeon core.

    ¡­ Perhaps, she was certain the ck wolf was a dungeon boss simply judging by its strength. With dungeons whose deepest floors hadn¡¯t been captured, dungeon bosses would asionally make their way up and appear on higher floors. It would happen from time to time.

    The stronger and more warlike the dungeon boss, the more likely it would happen. Seeing as how the ck wolf preemptively attacked the moment itid eyes on intruders, that was almost certainly the case.

    ¡­ p!

    She fired herself up by pping her cheeks. She then began to circte her magical power as began to enter the room.

    While continuing to mumble an incantation, she first looked looked inside. The ck wolf turned its attention towards the entrance¡­ the saintess clicked her tongue in her mind.

    (As expected, it can notice even whispers?)

    She entered the room immediately before the incantationpletely.

    The ck wolf dashed towards her in response. Despite its tail wagging adorably, it bared its fangs as it opened itsrge mouth, brimming with the desire to eat.

    [Rooooar!]

    The wolf bellowed. However, something to this extent wasn¡¯t enough to cause the saintess to cower. She knew that if she froze now, she would die.

    She pulled away from the first attack, dodging it. With a snap, the wolf¡¯s fangs stabbed through the ce she had just been¡­ She continued the incantation, not stopping. Seeing the base of its left leg twitch, the saintess dropped into a crouch. Immediately after, its right foreleg swept towards her from side. The wolf¡¯s paw sliced through the air just above her head, so fast that the air rang. It would have been dangerous if she hadn¡¯t dropped even a fraction of an inch lower. A few strands of hair fluttered through the air, the attack barely grazing the top of her head.

    A cold shiver ran its way down her spine. A cold sweat worked its way down her forehead, but she knew from experience that it still wasn¡¯t over. The ck wolf would soon rush towards her, forcefully bringing its right foreleg down to copse on her. Despite its reckless attacks and sessive attacks, it was still adorable.

    The saintess used the momentum of dropping into her crouch to roll towards the left, avoiding it.

    Just then, she finallypleted her incantation. Conveniently, the ck wolf¡¯s nk was right in front of her.

    Thrusting her right hand forward, she shouted.

    ¡°¡ª[Ray of Judgement]!!¡±

    The instant she spoke thest piece of her incantation, a sh of light surged forth from her. After barely a moment¡¯s dy, the ck wolf¡¯s body was prated by the beam. Passing entirely through its body, it rammed into the ceiling, leaving a crater-like mark behind.

    ¡ªTheir fight was decided. The saintess grinned.

    But the ck wolf did not fall.

    The saintess¡¯ vision flickered as her consciousness dimmed. By draining her magical power dry, she cked out.

    By the time she came to, she was already back at the inn,ying in a futon. She was the simple altar.

    ¡°Alka-sama, are you awake?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±

    (What happened?)

    The saintess tried to think about it, despite theintsing from her head after just having returned from death.

    The light-attributed emperor ss magic: [Ray of Judgement]. Greater than upper and top ss magic, it was an offensive magic that could wipe out an army with a single attack, something that could be called a tactical ss magic. A blow of justice that would smash evil to bits. It couldn¡¯t not be effective against the ck wolf that was obviously a wicked existence¡­ in truth, it had been able to open arge hole on the wolf¡¯s body.

    It was arge hole, enough to see through to the other size. It was aboutrge enough of a hole that a child might be able to go through it. However, despite such arge hole being opened on its body, the wolf still snapped through her. It bit off the arm she was holding out, followed by her head.

    She was only vaguely able to remember it, but that was how she had died this time.

    ¡°Did you use [Ray of Judgement]?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it drained my magical power. Emperor ss magic¡¯s consumption is as intense as ever.¡±

    (I used one of my trump cards, but I was still eaten?)

    The saintess sighed.

    ¡°.. However, I opened such arge hole in it, it should be dead about now¡­! This match is my win.¡±

    In the end, as she was able to continue on no matter how many times she died, she would win in due time. She thought that she might not have been able to gain victory this time due to her pressing time constraints¡ªbut she won.

    She decided to report themission¡¯spletion to the adventurer guild after confirming its corpse. With that, one of the reasons she hade to this dungeon would be aplished.

    The saintess sighed, contended.

 Chapter 134

    The Saintess¡¯ Serious Mode 3

    [I was a little, surprised.]

    ¡°I thought you were done in there as well!¡±

    Rin was safe.

    I thought it might¡¯ve been a big loss for arge hole to have been opened on its body, but it appears that Rin [Opened the hole itself]. As expected of a slime, it¡¯s even able to do emergency evasion methods like that huh.

    Though thanks to that, we have a huge hole in the room¡¯s ceiling now.

    [When she, held out that hand, I got a bad, feeling.]

    ¡°As expected of Rin. You got my respect, boss.¡±

    [Kukuku, I am, strong, after all.]

    You could say that again. Still, that saintess is also something. She somehow evaded Rin¡¯s attacks while chanting, managing to let off that cannon-like magic at close range. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to do that even if I knew I¡¯d be fine dying.

    [I¡¯m a bit, hungry. Kehma, mind getting, eaten?]

    ¡°Nn? Sure, go for it.¡±

    [Nom. Om nom¡­]

    Rin quickly gulped down the messenger golem. It feels like it¡¯s been a while since that happened. Also, it wasn¡¯t whether or not I¡¯d get eaten, but if I minded it huh. Me getting eaten was already done and decided on huh¡­ well, it¡¯s fine. Yep.

    Looks like the saintess won¡¯t be able to defeat Rin after all. Mine dungeon¡¯s protector is a wall! [1]

    ¡­ I might raise a g if I keep going, so let¡¯s stop there.

    For now, the saintess doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s going toe back today, so how about I get back to the gargoyle mass production stuff? The main thing I¡¯m working on right now is fire arm gargoyles that have thirty fire magic formations engraved onto their arms. I¡¯ve made ten of them so far.

    Using an iron golem as the base, I hybridized it with y shoulders so that they wouldn¡¯t damage themselves with the heat¡­ Their iron arms will be super hot because of the fire, so they¡¯ll burn stuff when they touch it. Fufufu. I also took the chance and polished them. It¡¯ll be awesome if they roared while glowing a hot red.

    Although¡­ it burns through a stupid amount of magic stones. It¡¯s to the point that it takes 10 DP worth of magic stones for their arms to be active for an hour. Because I¡¯m using practically identical magic formations, they take up 300 DP per.

    Looks like they¡¯ll be able to do various things too. Expand your dreams, gargoyles¡­ [2]

    ¡­ Huh? But hasn¡¯t it be a physical attack rather than a magical attack after all?

    Hmmm, I could try it out if I summoned a ghost-type monster. Let¡¯s give it a shot when the saintess¡¯ seal expires.

    *

    The second day that the saintess was taking it seriously. So that she could confirm the ck wolf¡¯s death, the saintess carefully looked into the room¡ªand the ck wolf looked back.

    The saintess hurriedly took a distance from the room. To put it in a way easier to understand, she ran away.

    She didn¡¯t hesitate at all. She knew firsthand that she would be dead if she dyed her judgement at all.

    ¡°Hah, haah, haah¡­¡±

    After taking a sufficient distance, the saintess calmed her rough breathing.

    ¡­ Impossible, was the wolf immortal? The gaping hole from the day before had closed as well. She thought about things like that.

    There was nothing she could do but kill it immediately. Maybe it would die if she destroyed its head?

    Is it an immortal beast? Still, as long as it was a monster that belonged to the dungeon, its healing should be slowed through the effects of [Treaty].

    If it¡¯s a dungeon boss, all the more¡ª

    ¡­ Just then, the saintess realized that something was off.

    There was nothing inmon between the demons that appeared in the dungeon and the ck wolf.

    That was the usual trend for dungeons.

    For example, fire-attributed, demi-human-type, or beast-type.

    Right, that way, you could even call a dungeon¡¯s monsters the dungeon boss¡¯ subordinates.

    The monsters that appeared in this dungeon¡ªother than the jellies that appeared in ces¡ªcould be roughly divided into being either goblins or golems.

    Both kinds of monsters were close to being earth-attributed.

    The demi-human goblins and the bio-magical golems. Theirmonality was a bit weak, but¡ª

    ¡ªin a ce like that, there suddenly appeared a dark-attributed beast type.

    Going with the usual course of events, it wouldn¡¯t be odd for the boss monster to be a goblin or a golem. Something with a humanoid shape for example. It¡¯s not like the boss monster has to share things inmon with all of the demons, but¡­ at the very least, she¡¯d never heard of something like a boss that didn¡¯t share anything inmon with the other monsters.

    Dark-attributed. Beast-type. Overwhelming physical strength. Immortal resilience. She couldn¡¯t find anything inmon. It was obviously unnatural.

    ¡°¡­ Perhaps, no, it¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s not without precedence, it¡¯s possible¡­¡±

    The saintess thought.

    (Perhaps, is that ck wolf a field monster that has no rtion to the dungeon?)

    She felt that was the correct answer.

    ording to the preparatory audit, this dungeon named [Ordinary Cave] originally only had goblins. It went through a transition phase, bing able to also have traps and golems.

    Moreover, magic swords as well.

    Considering the course of events, it was a pretty possible thing that it was just a field monster unrted to the dungeon that took up residence here.

    ¡­ The original encounter was near the second floor, causing the saintess to be summoned over. She heard from the guild¡¯s report that it had destroyed the [Gate of Wisdom].

    In other words, wasn¡¯t that alone enough proof that it came from outside of the dungeon?

    Using that conclusion¡­ that ck wolf was probably entirely unrted to the dungeon.

    In that case, [Treaty] wouldn¡¯t have any effect on the ck wolf.

    It was a very worrisome fact, but at the same time, that meant that since it wasn¡¯t rted to the dungeon, that also meant it wouldn¡¯t revive if shepleted defeated it.

    Then she¡¯d only have to go all the way this time.

    The saintess made her decision.

    She began the incantation for [Ray of Judgement]. In exchange for its strength versus wicked existences, this magic had an incredibly lengthy incantation. It was natural as something stronger than the upper ss to be so long, but due to its incantation¡¯s length, it wasn¡¯t suited forbat. Instead, it was often used as a [Warning] of the light god punishing sins.

    But the saintess held no doubt that it wouldn¡¯t be effective against the ck wolf this time.

    Because this time, she would aim for its head.

    She looked into the room with the ck wolf in it before the incantationpleted.

    The ck wolf¡­ wasn¡¯t there.

    (¡­ Huh? It¡¯s not there?)

    She wondered. However, she couldn¡¯t stop the incantation once it was started.

    Timidly, she took a step into the room. She thought that it might have hidden itself in a blind spot from the entrance, but that wasn¡¯t it¡­ perhaps it had moved out of the room?

    If it was a monster irrelevant to the dungeon, that might have been the case. It would be strange for it to stay in a room that it knew might endanger its life if it stayed. It would only do something like that if it had circumstances as to why it couldn¡¯t move, was confident in its ability to win, or was just an idiot.

    But what should she do? The incantation had alreadypleted. Firing it for no reason would just cause her to copse from running dry on magical power. She didn¡¯t have the time to stick around any longer.

    [Gurururu¡­]

    She heard the wolf¡¯s growl. From behind her.

    ¡°¡ª[Ray of Judgement]!!¡±

    The timing was great. She hadn¡¯t had much more time. Turning around to look at the damage the beam did, it coincidentally managed to hit the ck wolf¡¯s head.

    ¡°I did it¡ª!?¡±

    The wolf¡¯s head burst open. However, the saintess felt a sizzling bloodthirst.

    Her body lost strength, falling down to the ground in ordance with gravity.

    ¡­ The headless wolf¡¯s foreleg cut through the air, straight towards the saintess¡¯ upper body.

    (Impossible¡ªhow is it moving without a head!?)

    While her consciousness blurred due to running out of magical power, the saintess saw something unbelievable. A burbling ck mass grew out from the area that its head should have been, producing a new head.

    ¡°Ha, haha¡­ what¡­ just what are you¡­!¡±

    [Garoooo¡­!]

    Snap.

    The saintess was eaten by its newly-reformed head.

    With only one day remaining, how could she bring down this ck wolf?

    The saintess couldn¡¯t even begin to guess.

    Footnotes:

    He used a special ¡°I¡± here, so I used a special ¡°I¡±.

    This has appeared a few times in this series, but I have no idea what it¡¯s referencing. Should be obvious what it¡¯s saying though. ‰ô¤¬ŽÚ¤¬¤ë

 Chapter 135

    The Saintess¡¯ Troubles

    ¡°¡­ Did it miss?¡±

    [No, it hit. It was, dangerous. Some of my body, was deleted.]

    It looks like that light was actually too strong. Rather than Rin being hurt by it, the ces touched by the light were eliminated in an instant. It only felt temporary pain and even though its body was gouged out by the resulting aftermath, the wounds didn¡¯t extend to areas beyond that.

    After that, it simply regenerated itself. Rin wouldn¡¯t have been able to do that if it were a wolf demon¡­ wait, it¡¯s a slime, so doesn¡¯t it have a core or something? Rin, where¡¯s your core? Looks like it¡¯s not in your head¡­ can it move it to wherever it wants?

    [So Kehma. Food time.]

    ¡°Want seconds? It¡¯s better to eat a lot if you¡¯re injured. I can send some normal golems if you want.¡±

    [Yeah, do that.]

    I mass-produced golems made with y and sent them to the room that Rin was at. I can have as much excavated as needed even without being able to use DP, so it¡¯s fine so long as they¡¯re stone and y.

    The spawn rate of golems appearing from the magic formations I installed in the dungeon also dropped, so I have to keep making more. The golem¡¯s are working harder too.

    As for Rin, it kept eating the stream of golems like they were never-ending soba noodles.

    Even if it¡¯s a wolf, to be eating soba¡­ it¡¯s not like it¡¯d understand the reference though. Yep, never mind.

    [Fuu, a bit, better.]

    ¡°Good then. One more day, please.¡±

    [Nn.]

    Then Rin finally ate the messenger golem that I was operating.

    What a reliable fellow. If it manages tost one more day, it¡¯ll be our win.

    Still though, I get the feeling that the saintess¡¯ heart shattered in that assault today.

    ¡­ Maybe she won¡¯te tomorrow?

    *

    The saintess¡¯ hand was ced on her forehead.

    She didn¡¯t know what to do. Even opening a huge hole in its body didn¡¯t work, neither did blowing its head off¡­

    She wondered whether or not it¡¯d somehow work out if she sted its entire body away all at once.

    But it would be impossible for the ck wolf to allow that to happen. The difference between their strength was just too overwhelming. It was by sheer luck that she managed to hit it thatst time.

    ¡­ For now, she decided to head into the onsen. She barely had any time left to stay at the inn. She had no choice but to use the chance to enjoy it as much as she could. She felt sorry that she wasn¡¯t able toplete themission or capture the dungeon, but¡­ well, she set it aside for now.

    She wore her bathing clothes and entered the onsen. She felt it was something even better than arge bath. It really was a luxury to her heart. This day, there was one of the inn¡¯s employees in the onsen. Ichika, the ve that had the Paveuran ent.

    ¡°Ah, Saintess-sama¡­ are ya tired?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, you knew?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah. Want me to give ya a shoulder massage?¡±

    ¡°No, there¡¯s a massage chair in the room.¡±

    Ichika waded her way through the hot water, approaching the saintess.

    The saintess and Ichikamonly spent time together in the game room at the rat races, so they spoke to each other a lot.

    ¡°Bibibi¡¯sin¡¯ out in today¡¯s race. I¡¯m gonna make a killin¡¯ in one go!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm, that also sounds like a good idea.¡±

    Luck, huh? When it came to luck, the saintess felt she¡¯d used up all of hers on hitting that ck wolf¡¯s head with [Ray of Judgement]. It¡¯d probably all be the same if she bet on the never-winning Bibibi though.

    ¡°Nn? Whatcha worryin¡¯ about? I can hear ya out if you don¡¯t mind me?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s¡­ not something I should talk about.¡±

    ¡°Well, well¡­ things get easier if you just talk about them ya¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, it¡¯ll probably be alright if it¡¯s Ichika.¡±

    Then, opening with, ¡°Keep it a secret from Vige Chief-sama alright?¡±, she talked to Ichika about her troubles. She left parts out, but she spoke of having to return to her country, the ck wolf¡¯s existence, and that she couldn¡¯t win because it was so strong.

    She also talked about how she felt like her attendant had recently been staring at her butt with lewd eyes.

    ¡°Even Attendant-san¡¯s a man¡­! Rather, does Saintess-sama¡¯s doctrine so men¡¯re no good?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. If I had to say, I prefer zealous men like Vige Chief-sama. That approach of his, and those presents¡­ fufufu, love, I feel love!¡±

    The presents were things that she had paid to obtain, but it appeared as though whether or not gifts came with tolls was a trivial matter to the saintess.

    ¡°Wait? That¡¯s hopeless ya¡¯know? Un, hopeless. The vige chief already has a partner, that¡¯d be two-timing~?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no problem for the doctrine. So long as they have the resources for it, people may have as many partners as they wish. [Birth and spread across thends, ruling everything]¡­ that is Light God-sama¡¯s teachings. I have the resources because I am a saintess, so I could just shelter Vige Chief-sama¡¯s partners.¡±

    ¡°The Light God¡¯s Decree is amazing!? Ya¡¯d even shelter them!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that natural? I am a saintess after all.¡±

    The saintess huffed.

    (The heck¡¯s a saintess¡­)

    Ichika thought. The answer to that was right in front of her, though.

    ¡°W-well, changin¡¯ topics, that ck wolf huh¡­ can¡¯t ya just run if ya can¡¯t win? Failin¡¯ themission doesn¡¯t mean ya have to die.¡±

    ¡°My reputation would decrease though. Besides, for a saintess to be unable to defeat a dungeon-nesting monster so close to Vige Chief-sama¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh, wait, Saintess-san? Seriously? You¡¯re seriously aimin¡¯ for the vige chief?¡±

    ¡°Setting aside whether I¡¯m aiming for him, I would feel bad not returning his goodwill.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ but, ya can¡¯t win yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The once again saintess ced her hand against her head.

    ¡°Knowin¡¯ when to give up¡¯s also important.¡±

    ¡°Even if you say that¡­¡±

    ¡°And between you and me, Hero-samaes to this dungeon around once a month, so even if Saintess-sama doesn¡¯t work hard it¡¯s alright, yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hero-sama? The empire¡¯s¡­ Hero-sama?¡±

    Hearing that, the saintess nodded to herself.

    ¡°¡­ I see, so even if I can¡¯t win¡­ that makes me feel a little better. Well, I¡¯ll keep trying until the end though.¡±

    ¡°Really~¡±

    The saintess¡¯ troubles eased a little.

    She felt getting into the onsen was a good idea.

    Then,

    If the empire¡¯s hero tried capturing the dungeon¡­ and wound up doing so before her, she felt it might be a good idea introducing him to the uncleared dungeon that remained the the Holy Kingdom. [1]

    Furthermore, she bet a ton of money on Bibibi in that day¡¯s rat race. It went magnificently.

    Footnotes:

    Could be more than one dungeon. The raw doesn¡¯t specify.

 Chapter 136

    The Saintess¡¯ Observations

    The saintess¡¯ steps as she advanced through the dungeon were uneasy.

    She didn¡¯t believe that she could manage to win against the ck wolf. But even so, she wouldn¡¯t run away, either.

    The Holy Kingdom had a saying: [Nothing ventured, nothing gained]. ordingly, the saintess challenged this dungeon with that intention. The saintess, unable to perfectly get over her worries, easily defeated the golems while dragging her feet.

    ¡°¡­ Oh? Was there a wall here?¡±

    No, that definitely shouldn¡¯t have been there. Something was off. ording to the [Mapping] skill, there definitely should have been a passage there. Thebyrinth¡¯s walls should have been fixed in ce through [Treaty]¡¯s effects, did the effect already run out somehow?

    ¡­ That wasn¡¯t it. The power hadn¡¯t left into the dungeon¡¯s surroundings in a recoil as it would when the effects end. It hadn¡¯t turned into a situation where it contained none of the power.

    There was no helping that there was no path, so she took a detour.

    There were walls in ces that shouldn¡¯t have had walls, as well as passages in ces that should have had walls.

    ¡­ For some reason, neither [Mapping] nor [Dungeon Trap Detection] worked properly in this dungeon.

    (¡­ Really now, this is a mysterious dungeon.)

    ¡­ And then she arrived at the ck wolf¡¯s room. It just wound up happening.

    She took a decent amount of time being reluctant to go in.

    ¡°¡­ Now¡­ what do I do?¡±

    Before she went inside, she stopped moving and decided to think of a strategy.

    (Should I start the incantation¡­? Or maybe I should spend a little more time on it?)

    [Oi.]

    ¡°¡­ Nn?¡±

    [Oi, you.]

    She heard a voice from somewhere¡­ was it an adventurers? Had adventurers other than herself made it this far in? She didn¡¯t see anyone¡­ but she heard a terrifying voiceing from a shadow.

    ¡°¡­ Where are you?¡±

    [Above you.]

    Told that, she looked up¡­ and right there¡­ was the ck wolf.

    It stood with all four legs on the ceiling.

    ¡°¡­ Huh¡­?¡±

    It walked in such a dignified manner that it gave her the illusion she was the one upside-down.

    No, there was something even more important weighing on her mind.

    Was it¡­ the owner of that voice? No. Her imagination had already connected the two. This ce was an area where no one else was. Above all, the wolf¡¯s mouth was moving.

    [Good job,ing, human.]

    It wasn¡¯t barking, but its manner of speech was clumsy, like it was cutting parts short. There was no doubting that the words wereing from its mouth.

    ¡°Y-you understand human speech¡­?¡±

    [What, is it something, strange? I can talk in, others, too. Guru ruru¡­ gau. See?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand wolfnguage.¡±

    [¡­ Really.]

    Certainly, monsters with high intelligence could understand human speech, some could even talk. For example, dragons were well-known in being able to. It wasn¡¯t impossible for a strong wolf to talk using human speech like this.

    Moreover, the saintess¡¯ thought of this ck wolfing from outside the dungeon was once again reinforced. It was hard to believe that a monster that only ever stayed in a dungeon would interact with humans enough to learn theirnguage. Besides that, very few humans woulde here.

    The ck wolf abruptly parted from the ceiling, making a half-turn midair andnding on the ground. Instinctively intensifying her vignce, the saintess took a stance. However, it didn¡¯t appear as though it was about to attack.

    ¡°¡­ Why were you on the ceiling?¡±

    [Killing time?]

    It didn¡¯t appear there was any deep meaning behind it.

    (How in the world¡­ did it stick up there?)

    If it had made a surprise attack from that position, she would¡¯ve died without even making a sound. In other words, it didn¡¯t intend to kill the saintess¡­ for now, at least.

    She couldn¡¯t figure out what its reason was. Maybe it was merely a whim, just it ying with an enemy that it could kill at any moment. Not much different than a cat ying with a ball of yarn. All of the decisive power were in the ck wolf¡¯s paws.

    Even so, that was good. This was a good opportunity for the saintess to observe the ck wolf. Even if the hero would be the one toe and defeat it in the future, she could contribute by leaving behind information.

    She had already obtained new information: it could understand human speech. Conversations could be held as well¡ªshe was establishing that right then.

    Even if it was due to her negligence, she was gaining valuable time and information.

    ¡°¡­ So, what do you want?¡±

    [You are, tasty.]

    ¡°¡­ Well, unfortunately, I haven¡¯t eaten myself before.¡±

    [In other words, to me, it¡¯s like, you¡¯re giving, food.]

    The saintess smiled wryly to herself. In the end, this wolf only ever saw her as food. While she was fighting desperately, thinking about actual life and death, thinking that her attacks might do something¡ªas far as the wolf was concerned, her efforts only wound up being at the level of food resisting adorably and jumping from its te towards its mouth, ready to be eaten.

    Moreover, she was delicious food that went out of its way to be eaten.

    The difference between their strength was too great.

    ¡°H-hmph. So, you intend on doing something?¡±

    [Yeah.]

    The ck wolfughed.

    Catching glimpses of the fangs that could easily deprive her life in an instant, the saintess felt a chill creep down her back.

    [I¡¯ll make you, my follower.]

    ¡­ Why did it just say?

    The saintess took almost half a minute before she registered what the wolf just said.

 Chapter 137

    Emergency

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    An unexpected ¡®saintess follower¡¯ deration. My head nked out for a moment. Rather, it can talk in humannguage? Oi.

    Which reminds me, what did Rin say when it made me its follower?

    I think it was something like: [You, give food, to me. Therefore, you¡¯re my, follower.]

    Let¡¯s think back on what the saintess has done sinceing here.

    Once per day, she went into the dungeon¡­ and was eaten by Rin.

    Just how is that different from me being eaten by Rin while in the golems?

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s the same!? Shit! It¡¯s an emergency!¡±

    Rather, it dered that the saintess tasted better. What to do¡­ what to do!?

    First off, I called Rokuko. I have a direct line ofmunication to the dummy core in Rokuko¡¯s room from the master room.

    ¡°Oi Rokuko, it¡¯s an emergency! Urgent meeting now!¡±

    ¡°Wai¡ªKehma!? Don¡¯te in so suddenly!¡±

    Rokuko was in the middle of changing her clothes. Yep, sorry.

    ¡°Well, that aside¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not something to set aside you know!? Wait, emergency? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Rin made the saintess its follower.¡±

    ¡°OK I get it. Sounds bad.¡±

    As expected of the recent Rokuko, smart. She understood it immediately and quickly put on an outer garment, going into the master room. Meanwhile, just thirty seconds had passed.

    ¡°The saintess is a follower¡­ so, what now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, there¡¯s been no movement.¡±

    Then, the saintess appeared to have reactivated. Let¡¯s eavesdrop on their conversation.

    [Your¡­ follower?]

    [Yeah, follower. Gave me, good food, so follower, right?]

    ¡­ Wait,e to think of it, wouldn¡¯t that cause everything about me to be exposed to the saintess? I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be much of a problem since I wouldn¡¯t be recognized as the golem though¡­

    [What is, it? If there¡¯s, a problem, say it.]

    [¡­ Umm, right. Then, I want to ask¡­ did youe from outside of this dungeon?]

    [Called, by boss.]

    [B-boss?]

    [Yeah.]

    Particr about that point, Rin didn¡¯t yield.

    [¡­ Y-your bosses from outside of this dungeon?]

    [Yeah. Because I, am strong. This, is mine.]

    I¡¯ve gotten used to holding conversations with Rin since I¡¯ve been doing it so much, but it looks like she¡¯s having trouble with it after all. By the way, to put it simply, it¡¯s saying: [Yes. I came from outside of the dungeon. While on the subject, I am super strong so I control the dungeon and received this room.]

    I have a knack for conversation? It¡¯s experience, experience.

    [¡­ You took over the dungeon¡­? Could something like that be¡­?]

    [Kuwafu, if there¡¯s, nothing else, I¡¯m eating.]

    [P-please wait a moment! By eating, umm¡ªyou eat your followers?]

    [? Is that, a problem? No matter, how many times, you are eaten, you return.]

    [¡­ Today is no good. After that, it¡¯s fine¡­ I want to see the dungeon core, do you know where it is?]

    [Dungeon core? What¡¯s that?]

    Come to think of it, Rin doesn¡¯t know about dungeon cores huh. I didn¡¯t tell it about them when I asked it it wanted to be a subordinate to the dungeon. It refused anyway, though.

    [¡­ A shining orb, about this big?]

    [¡­ Hmm¡­ well, there¡¯s one.]

    [Please show me! Where is it!?]

    [Ah, here. Follow.]

    I doesn¡¯t know what a dungeon core is, but it does know about shining orbs¡­ right, it did sleep in the core room at first huh.

    And so, Rin slowly walked with the saintess following behind it.

    Alright. It¡¯s a defensive fight. Everyone¡ªother than Kinue-san¡ªgathered in the master room as the dungeon¡¯s defensive fighting strength¡­ Kinue-san will be dealing with the inn by herself.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, the haniwa, ready any time.¡±

    ¡°Wall golems¡¯re already in motion. Do you want ¡¯em deployed to make them take a detour?¡±

    As usual, Meat and Ichika felt like they were already used to these things.

    ¡°Many legged golem archers, ready to mobilize, master!¡±

    ¡°Gargoyle forces, ready to move out~! Filled to the brim with magic stones, so many~!¡±

    ¡°Ooh, new troops! Could you lend them to me too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah~, use them however you want~!¡±

    Rei had the many legged golems, with Nerune and Rokuko moving the gargoyle force.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s start this defensive war¡­ ah, let¡¯s evacuate the dungeon core first. Right now the real dungeon core is in the spot right below where Rin sleeps after all.¡±

    ¡°Got it! Should I use castling with my room?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, please do.¡±

    After Rin left the core room, I put the dummy core back at the deepest area. I¡¯m still making another route.

    Most recently, I think I¡¯ve been putting a bit too much effort into researching magic tools.

    ¡­ Then, by moving the dungeon core towards the vige, the defensive war will be carried out safely. Even if theye to the dungeon¡¯s interior where the dummy core was, there wouldn¡¯t be able problems if it was destroyed.

    Even if Rin takes the saintess into the core room, it¡¯ll be alright. Man, security is wonderful.

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Castling, unusable¡ªfor fifteen hours. Because it¡¯s sealed.¡±

    Rokuko spoke with a pale face.

    Uh? Then¡­

    ¡°Perhaps, are you saying, we can¡¯t escape?¡±

    ¡°Correct, I am saying that we can¡¯t escape.¡±

    I felt sweat drip down my back.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve heard death¡¯s footsteps¡­¡±

    ¡­ The master room filled with silence due to my mutter.

    ¡°¡­ Kehma. What did you just¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I said something strange.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s super cool! I want to use that next time! Death¡¯s footsteps!¡±

    ¡°Stop, please. I¡¯m sorry, super sorry!¡±

    While I apologized earnestly to Rokuko, whose eyes were sparkling, we prepared our defenses.

    At any rate, so long as we can kill the saintess one time, it¡¯ll be our victory. The saintess only has until today, after all.

 Chapter 138

    The Saintess and the ck Wolf

    With the ck wolf as her guide, Saintess Alka followed it obediently.

    She wondered how it hade to this, but she couldn¡¯t think of an answer.

    However, since she had always dove into dungeons by herself, she didn¡¯t find it so bad being guided in the dungeon. She even felt like she¡¯d be a tamer.

    [Mu? ¡­ Was there a wall here?]

    Correction, they were lost.

    However, the wolf said something outrageous in the next instant.

    [¡­ Destroy it? Kun kun¡­ yep, I can.] [1]

    ¡°Eh¡ªyou can destroy it?¡±

    [I can. I, am strong. Even if I, destroy it, it¡¯s fine.]

    For destroying a dungeon¡¯s wall, the saintess felt it was a very out-of-the-norm monster.

    However, inside [Treaty]¡¯s effect, the saintess knew that dungeon walls somehow mended themselves at a ridiculous speed. To the extent that they would repair after just 0.1 seconds even if it waspletely destroyed. She had even gotten herself caught inside of a wall, dying. Getting crushed was painful.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s search for a path.¡±

    [Okay.]

    The ck wolf retraced its path. Trying to follow it, the saintess suddenly heard the sound of something moving fast.

    ¡°¡ª!¡±

    She tilted her neck to the side, inclining it on reflex. Immediately after that, an arrow cut through the space her head had just been at.

    Then a pain followed. An arrow hiding in the shadow of the first one managed to strike her in the shoulder.

    A sniper. Moreover, an advanced one. Looking in the direction the arrows came from, she saw a golem with two bows equipped in both of its hands. No, ¡®both of its hands¡¯ was a bit off. Why? Because it had four hands and four feet. A hand extended from its back, re-nocking the bow with arrows.

    However, the ck wolf preyed on it immediately. It never released the next two arrows.

    ¡°Ku¨C, golems¡­ no choice. ¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ª[Healing].¡±

    She forcibly pulled the arrow out. There was flesh still attached to the arrowhead due to [Spines] on it, but she didn¡¯t pay it any attention. Since it was somewhat numbed, she gouged out some more of the wound, rubbing antidote into it as she ced recovery magic on herself. The magical power¡¯s healing of her wound she had gouged out waspensated for, recovering.

    The ck wolf returned.

    [Oi, it shot, my follower, so I ate it, was that bad?]

    ¡°¡­ No, you saved me.¡±

    [Hmm, good then. Let¡¯s go.]

    The ck wolf resumed walking as if nothing had happened.

    ¡­ The saintess once again followed behind it. Unexpectedly, she realized that she was being defended.

    It wasn¡¯t too big of a deal. She was simply shot by a variation species of golem. That¡¯s all.

    It was a monster that used arge amount of poison, as well as a monster that used a bow and arrows. It was even a monster that had four arms and legs.

    However, if the wolf didn¡¯t deal with the golem before she was hit with another poisoned arrow, it might have been toote for her to cope with it.

    [Mu.]

    The wolf flicked its tail¡­ four arrows dropped to the ground.

    The saintess noticed the new attack as well. However, she hadn¡¯t realized the number was doubled. There were two of that variation species this time¡­ they were variation species, but there were several of the same kind¡­ maybe it was a new species? If so, she¡¯d name these hecaton golems or something. [1]

    [What do, you want?]

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll defeat them.¡±

    The saintess retrieved her battle hammer from her [Storage]. They were still golems. Even if they were variation species, their basis shouldn¡¯t have changed.

    The wold didn¡¯t interfere this time¡­ it didn¡¯t attack the saintess from behind either.

    She quickly put an end to the golems and went back to the ck wolf.

    [Then, let¡¯s go?]

    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±

    The saintess had always dove into dungeons by herself. She had also died alone, and captured them alone. It would have been a different story if she hadrades that could be revived, but unfortunately, she hadn¡¯t met someone like that so far. Even if she searched for someone like that, they likely didn¡¯t exist¡­

    And so, this was her first time being defended.

    It was surprising that the one who should have been her enemy¡ªthe wolf¡ªwas the one doing it, though.

    ¡­ She felt a thump in her chest.

    The antivenom she¡¯d taken a while before might have been a little slow in circting around.

    [Mu? This is also, a wall¡­ Destroy it?]

    ¡°No, I have [Mapping], so let¡¯s look for another way. Destroying it is ast-resort measure.¡±

    [Really? Well, okay¡­ Follow me, close. You, are weak, after all.]

    ¡°¡­ Right. Fufufu.¡±

    The saintess obediently followed the ck wolf closely, who was searching for a path.

    This was also the first time she walked onto the battlefield behind someone.

    Even when she asked for a guide, the saintess walked in the lead. The saintess should defend others, because they had limited lives, because the saintess was the strongest.

    But right now, she was being protected by a wolf much stronger than herself.

    (I am weak, so I¡¯ll follow.)

    The saintess walked through the dungeon with fresh feelings that she had never experienced before.

    She even considered spending a little extra time in the dungeon¡¯s capture.

    Footnotes:

    Kun kun is sniffing sounds.

    Hecaton means ¡°hundred¡±. Might be referring to the number of limbs¡­?

 Chapter 139

    Euma-senpai

    The ck wolf and the saintess walked together in the dungeon. They were attacked by golems several times on the way, but the saintess would either stop them herself rather easily or the ck wolf would prevent all attacks against her. Either way, the saintess cleaned them up in the end.

    The golems weren¡¯t just the multi-armed variations that wielded bows, but the spiked shell tortoise-like golems rushed her as well¡­ The saintess took care of them like the other golems, she wasn¡¯t having any problems.

    But there weren¡¯t just golems; there were traps as well.

    The saintess got caught in a pitfall trap, but the ck wolf saved her by holding her in its mouth. Swords asionally burst out of door that the ck wolf attempted to open.

    Incidentally, the wolf stayed calm despite being struck by multiple swords.

    The saintess asked it it would like [Healing] used on it, but it simply responded with: [I¡¯m not injured, nor tired, so why?]

    ¡­ It looked like it had been pierced all the way through though.

    Meanwhile, the entire floor was made visible through [Mapping]¡­ Soon there wouldn¡¯t be any ways to go. It was ast resort measure, but it was about time that they¡¯d have to try breaking a wall.

    They found a golem sitting defenseless in front of a wall. It looked like an ordinary golem¡­ however, this golem was the most variated species the saintess had ever seen.

    [Gururu, garu, gow.]

    [Mu? ¡­ Gururu, goooarga, gururu.]

    The golem spoke with wolf words.

    It wasn¡¯t like it was just randomly barking, it was definitely talking with the ck wolf. In any case, the saintess had no idea what was being said.

    After talking with growl-like sounds for a while, the wolf faced the saintess.

    [Garuru, gururuu?]

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    [Ah, human, right. Mmm, what is, your name?]

    ¡°Ah, um, yes, it¡¯s Alka.¡±

    Asked by the ck wolf, the saintess answered obediently.

    [Let me, introduce. Your senpai, Euma. Euma, your junior, Alka. Get along.]

    ¡°Eh? Senpai?¡±

    [¡­ I¡¯m Euma. Your senpai as a follower. If possible, I¡¯d love if you could hurry and leave.]

    It used human speech. With a strange quality of voice, it unmistakably had just introduced itself. She felt that it somewhat resembled the vige chief¡¯s voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ a golem, right?¡±

    [Did you not expect a golem to talk? You¡¯ve been talking with Rin, so I don¡¯t think it should be too much of a surprise.]

    ¡°Rin?¡±

    [My, name. Call me boss, Ke¡ª¡­ Euma.]

    So the ck wolf¡¯s name was Rin?

    The saintess engraved that name into her mind.

    [Oi, Alka. It¡¯d be a favor to your senpai, could you leave?]

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. I¡­ only have until today.¡±

    [That so? Unfortunate¡­ Oi, boss. I¡¯m going to be defeating this one after this, please don¡¯t get in the way.]

    Slowly, Golem Euma stood up with its back still against the wall.

    ¡°Wait, what do you mean?¡±

    [It¡¯s like this. You¡¯re an adventurer that came to capture this dungeon, and I¡¯m¡­ a dungeon monster, different from boss. Isn¡¯t it obvious?]

    Suspiciously human-like Euma shrugged its shoulders as it responded. Even though it was a golem. However, dungeon monsters would fight to defend the dungeon. It was something natural.

    ¡°Monsters with intelligence are not bound to dungeons, there have been studies that show that they survive even if the dungeon core is destroyed. Euma-san, wouldn¡¯t that path be more convenient?¡±

    [No, it wouldn¡¯t. I strive to protect the dungeon core after all.]

    Was it a boss, then? But was it alright to allow a boss to leave the boss room and wander around?

    [You might have noticed already, but you have to kill me to leave this floor¡ªmoreover, I will battle using my subordinates¡­ Rin, could you please not interfere? Honestly, you¡¯ve already gotten in the way of the arrows and traps.]

    [Hmph, of course. Euma, and Alka, are week. So, I¡¯ll defend, both of you. After all, I am, your boss!]

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    [Eh?]

    Apparently, Euma didn¡¯t understand what Rin meant either. It looked just as puzzled as the saintess was.

    [¡­ Then, please don¡¯t stop me from repulsing Alka.]

    [Refused. I¡¯ll defend.]

    [¡­ Then will you stop going any deeper than this?]

    [Hmm? No. I promised, after all.]

    Giving up trying tomunicate with Rin, Euma turned directly to the saintess.

    [Even if you go, it¡¯s useless. What you¡¯re looking for isn¡¯t beyond here. I put it away.]

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The saintess muttered.

    [¡­ A lie? What¡¯s your basis? I don¡¯t lie.]

    ¡°My [Eyes of Truth] can tell when people are lying. Right now, you¡¯re bright red you know?¡±

    [That so¡­ then, what¡¯ll you do?]

    Bang!

    The saintess swung her battle hammer, but it was blocked with a ck tail.

    Euma didn¡¯t budge an inch. What it that confident in itself, or did it simply know that Rin would stop it?

    [¡­ Rin, don¡¯t interfere.]

    [Interfere? Why.]

    [The conversation¡¯s gone off track for a while now. Oi, Alka. If you don¡¯t kill me, I won¡¯t let you advance.]

    ¡°Boss? Since this is the case, is it alright?¡±

    [Can¡¯t be, helped. If it¡¯s between, fellow followers, can¡¯t be helped. Euma, eating you.]

    Immediately following that, Euma got eaten by Rin¡­ What happened to protecting it?

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ protecting?¡±

    [It¡¯s all right, Euma can revive, over and over, too.]

    With a crumble, the wall that was behind Euma¡¯s back was broken.

    Beyond it was the path onward.

 Chapter 140

    The Saintess and me Cavern

    ¡°¡­ Phew, jobplete¡­¡±

    ¡°Good job, Kehma.¡±

    Manipting the messenger golem I named Euma, I myself was sending my voice from down a tunnel on the other side of a wall.

    I somehow managed to trick her by telling Rin: [My name is Euma in human speech, so please use that.]

    By the way, the named monster list didn¡¯t get [Euma] added to it. Come to think of it, Tester didn¡¯t appear there either. I guess golems made through [Create Golem] aren¡¯t counted?

    There was a chance I¡¯d be exposed due to my voice, but the golemcked theponents to reproduce high frequencies¡­ making it have a [Crackling Voice]. It¡¯ll be great if that was enough.

    If pushed to say something, I could just say: [I¡¯m just mimicking the voice of an adventurer that hade to this floor in the past.] The golem really is just mimicking my voice too, so it¡¯s not a lie.

    I mean, I couldn¡¯t not go out after being unable to repel the saintess due to Rin, so I tried to somehow get her to leave as a fellow follower.

    ¡­ I really hoped that Rin would just stop protecting the saintess, but¡­ unfortunately, that didn¡¯t happen.

    At any rate, the other side of the wall I took position at¡­ well, the saintess is currently heading towards the magma area, which leads to [me Cavern].

    I even said that she wouldn¡¯t find what she was looking for, too¡­ Her objective is a dungeon core. [me Cavern] has a dungeon core as well, so even me saying that I put it away was a lie. Yep, I didn¡¯t say something true!

    But still, that saintess had a lie-detecting skill after all huh. It might a bluff, but epting it as true shouldn¡¯t be a problem.

    ¡­ For it to work through a golem is crazy. Was it a bluff after all? I thought that, but I recalled how wantonly she tossed her money around. There¡¯s a definite possibility that she¡¯s been given preference from her country due to having that rare skill as well.

    Let alone her return chance, her revive chance is 100%, so it wouldn¡¯t be wasted for them to have her learn a rare skill through a scroll.

    At any rate, I was defeated and the path opened. However, that path doesn¡¯t lead to our dungeon core. This should buy us enough time.

    Let¡¯s take a break. The golems and traps that I went to such pains to prepare, as well as the poison arrows that were made from the left over poison from when I tried poisoning Rin were all useless, so I wound up having no choice but to make an appearance myself¡­

    ¡­ And so, this should buy us enough time. Making their way through [me Cavern] should take quite a while. That ce isn¡¯t sealed after all¡­ It isn¡¯t¡­ right? They are connected¡­

    They probably would¡¯veined if they got affected.

    ¡°You did it, master, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rei, your skill in using the bow golems has improved a lot huh.¡±

    ¡°Yes, golems are the only means I have of dealing damage¡­ so I practiced. I bought archery skill scrolls with my DP sry¡­ fufu, even so, I can¡¯t win against Meat-senpai though. What is it with that senpai? Is she truly an ordinary beastkin child? Aaah, seeing her evade those arrows soaring at her so easily, ahahaha, it¡¯s unbelievable, ahaha¡­ haha¡­¡±

    Rei spoke with emotion and somewhat distanced eyes as sheughed dryly.

    Seriously, Rin¡¯s wasting our subordinates¡¯ efforts.

    Right now, Rin is heading to the entrance of Rokuko¡¯s magma area¡ªwhich leads to [me Cavern]¡ªalong with the saintess.

    Last time, it hesitated in entering, but it¡¯s not like magma is particrly bad to it. It said that it was hot and stuffy, but it wanted a more calm ce to sleep at. It was a reason anyone could agree with.

    In addition, it seems it¡¯d be fine even after drinking magma like water¡­ Magma isn¡¯t H20, so thinking about it, it might¡¯ve been a joke.

    [Boss, the atmosphere is different here.]

    [¡­ I haven¡¯t gone, farther than this. I don¡¯t know, the way.]

    The saintess and Rin proceeded through the stepping stones, leaping.

    That¡¯s unexpected, did she lose her unwillingness to call Rin ¡®boss¡¯?

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s pointless sending out the oddball golems with Rin as an enemy huh¡­¡±

    ¡°The gargoyles I worked so hard on didn¡¯t do well either~¡±

    ¡°Alright! My turn! Feni, get them~!¡±

    Thinking that it would be odd for them to not be attacked at all, Rokuko sent Feni out.

    [Mu! That¡¯s a¡­ phoenix!? C-c-catch it!]

    [Eh? Hmph, this is also, Euma¡¯s follower, though?]

    [Tamer! Tamer¡­! Please catch it, the first saintess¡¯ partner was a phoenix! I-I also, I also want a phoenix as my partner¡ª!]

    ¡°Feni, run away¡ª!?¡±

    The saintess started trying to capture Feni, so it quickly ran. The saintess tried to run after it by jumping into the magma sea, but Rin stopped her.

    [That is, my follower¡¯s. Don¡¯t. If you want, ask, Euma.]

    [Uuuu¡­ t-then when I destroy the dungeon core¡­! Before this ce copses¡­!]

    I wonder what she¡¯d say if I told her I¡¯d give her Feni if she stopped going after the dungeon core¡­ Ah, Rokuko¡¯s staring at me. Nope, nope.

    Definitely wouldn¡¯t do that.

    After that, Rin found the entrance into [me Cavern] and went through it. The saintess followed him.

    I can finally go to sleep¡ª

    [¡ªBoss, from here on is a different dungeon¡­ It¡¯s probably [me Cavern]. Let¡¯s head back.]

    [Mu? Okay. Another guy¡¯s, house, huh? Then maybe, next time.]

    ¡ªImmediately after I thought that, the saintess and Rin turned around.

    ¡­ Eh, how¡¯d she know? The heck, saintess? Oi.

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯ll we do, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, we can only meet them head on. I¡¯ll lead them to the boss room. Can¡¯t be helped¡­ I wanted to keep it as a trump card, but I guess it¡¯s time to unveil the new haniwa? As well as the special anti-Rin golem.¡±

    ¡°But Kehma, when did you get the time to make something like that?¡±

    I always take the time prepare things though?

    After all, I don¡¯t want to die.

 Chapter 141

    The Saintess and the Boss

    ¡°In the first ce, this is the opposite direction that boss tried heading at the start.¡±

    [¡­ That so? Good job, noticing.]

    ¡°Yes, of course. Euma-senpai is quite the tactician, isn¡¯t he.¡±

    [That so? Euma, is weak. Now, are we, going?]

    While on their way back across the stepping stones, Saintess Alka was boasting.

    She was also walking side-by-side with Rin without the slightest sense of unease.

    Unfortunately, she couldn¡¯t find the phoenix anywhere, so it had likely hidden itself somewhere¡­ it was very unfortunate.

    Returning from the hot floor full of magma, they came back to the stone-paved and stone-bricked dungeon.

    ¡°This was the first ce that boss was going to go.¡±

    Using [Mapping], they headed through the dungeon while the saintess checked the map with her skill.

    There should have been a wall there. However, it had disappeared because they defeated Euma.

    ¡°¡­ I see, so Euma-senpai was the key?¡±

    [Umu, trouble, some.]

    Then, without any traps¡ªonce again, they saw a golem sitting down in front of a wall.

    It was Euma. The feeling it gave off was obviously different from other golems. It was only sitting as normal, but for some reason it felt like a human.

    When Euma saw the saintess and Rin, it suddenly raised its right hand and greeted them.

    [Yo. It would¡¯ve been great if you just went back, though.]

    ¡°Your n was excellent. Normal adventurers probably would have been caught by it, senpai.¡±

    [Haah¡­ I¡¯ll ask again¡ªcan you not just leave?]

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    [Rin, you don¡¯t feel like stopping Alka either I take it?]

    [Un? Right. I don¡¯t.]

    [Then I¡¯ll just crush you two. Alright? ¡­ I¡¯ll be waiting in the room right after this.]

    [Kukuku, can, you? Good, show me!]

    With a roar, Rin ate Euma. Its momentum destroyed the wall as well.

    ¡­ Just beyond it was a door. It was a luxurious one, the door practically dering itself to be a boss room¡¯s.

    ¡°Euma-senpai talked about defeating boss, could it?¡±

    [Kukuku, I wonder. That guy¡¯s, even weaker, than Alka¡­ but his head, it¡¯s good.]

    Euma seemed to have an intelligence like that of a human¡ªno, better than a human¡¯s. What would stand in their way as the dungeon¡¯s boss?

    The saintess braced herself.

    The door opened with a heavy, dull sound.

    Inside was a statue of a dimly shining iron knight. It was a knight wearing full te armor, riding a horse and carrying ance. However, its face could be seen as its face guard was up¡­ it was a face that could only be described as nk, like an egg with holes in it.

    Where was Euma hiding?

    The saintess advanced slowly.

    Blood thirst. The saintess quickly stepped back twice. Just then, thence pierced into the ce she was just at.

    It raised thence overhead and¡ªbang!

    Rin cut in and stopped it.

    It was a statue, but it moved¡­ it was a golem. It was the first time she had seen a horse-shaped golem, but it was probably possible if it was a boss.

    It was a great surprise attack. If Rin weren¡¯t there, it might have been decided just then.

    [Kukuku, Eumaaa, that you, Euma!? Now you¡¯re, a horse! Huh!?]

    Rinughed in delight.

    [¡­ Now then, let¡¯s do it.]

    The knight golem spoke, lowering its face guard. That was unmistakably Euma¡¯s voice. Taking a short distance, Euma started again.

    [Kukuku! Kuku kuku! I¡¯ming, Euma!]

    Rin and Euma dashed towards each other at the same time, colliding¡­ is what the saintess thought, but Euma quickly leapt from the horse. Only the horse shot towards Rin.

    [This is, from before¡­¡ª!?]

    When Rin ate the horse, just after opening its mouth to an unbelievable size, the horse exploded. Something white shot out towards the inside of Rin¡¯s throat.

    [Gugee!? Guha, pe, pe¡ª! T-this is, s-salt!!]

    [There¡¯s more where that came from, have as much as you want.]

    A door opened behind Euma. A few white horses dashed in from it. Once five of them had entered, the door mmed shut.

    [W-wait, Euma!? These, are all, salt!?]

    [There¡¯s more where that came from, have as much as you want.]

    Using that same phrase, Euma spoke in a heartless fashion.

    The white horses made of salt¡­ the salt horses started relentlessly chasing after Rin.

    While watching Rin take a distance from the salt golems and Euma, the saintess stopped the attacking from behind her with her battle hammer.

    ¡°The salt makes your footsteps stand out even if you try to hide, Euma-senpai!¡±

    [¡­ ¡­]

    ¡°Oh? Not talking, Euma-senpai? You couldplement me, you know? Or is it that you can only speak with one of your bodies?¡±

    It was a second knight-type golem. It was meant to be a surprise attack fully aimed at exploiting her carelessness. However, the saintess was sure that something would appear because it was Euma, so she prepared herself. Rather, she was disappointed it was only something to this extent.

    [¡­ Now then, let¡¯s do it.]

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s, senpai.¡±

    Speaking the exact same words as it did to Rin, the battle begun.

    Euma¡¯s swordsmanship was close to that of a knight¡¯s. However, its capability was sloppy and was that of a C-Rank¡¯s at most.

    The saintess warded off the knight-type golem¡¯s assault with the battle hammer held in her hands. She couldn¡¯t expect for Rin, who was currently being chased by the salt horses, to protect her this time. However, she felt that she could straightforwardly win this battle.

    ¡°Fufufu,pared to boss¡­ this is easy!¡±

    The sound of metal striking metal resonated through the air. The saintess¡¯ battle hammer was made from a mineral that was even stronger than the metal called ck steel. As for Euma, its whole body was made of iron, same with its armor and weapon.

    Whenever it stopped the saintess¡¯ attacks, its sword would tremble with a jarring scream and have a mark left on it from her hammer.

    ¡°Hora hora hora! Good, there, there, and here!¡± [1]

    The damage it was taking quickly became apparent through its movements as it gradually wore down. The saintess continued mercilessly denting Euma.

    Then, Euma staggered, crouching down. Throwing away its sword, it thrust its left hand out in front of it.

    ¡°What? That¡¯s all? Fufufu, you threw your sword away and gave up? But I can¡¯t get to the dungeon core without defeating Euma-senpai right? So, I¡¯ll be finishing you off!¡±

    [¡­ There¡¯s more where that came from, have as much as you want.]

    Euma pointed up with its right hand. With a start, she looked up while still keeping Euma in her sight and staying wary of a possible trap. However, there was nothing there¡­ no, when she took a better look¡­ it was the ceiling. It was white.

    Immediately after that, the ceiling copsed. It was a massive amount of salt. Despite the salt horse and Euma¡ªwho were both golems¡ªbeing entirely alright with it, Rin and the saintess were momentarily force to close their eyes.

    [Mogaa!? Pe¡ª, peh¡ª! Disgusting! Very, disgusting! Ugeh, peh!]

    Rin¡¯s agonized voice could be heard. Apparently, it appeared to have somehow wound up being fed a salt horse when it was forced to close its eyes. Rather, was salt its weak point? No, it definitely was. That¡¯s why, even though she didn¡¯t know why that was the case, Euma had prepared a massive amount of salt to use.

    ¡°Kuh¡ª!¡±

    When she opened up her eyes while solidifying her defense with her battle hammer, Euma was standing in front of her. It didn¡¯t have a weapon, it probably got lost during the violent falling of the salt. Approaching, Euma¡¯s left hand was much closer to the saintess than it was before.

    ¡ªIn the next instant, something tiny shot out from Euma¡¯s left hand, piercing the saintess¡¯ heart.

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    She coughed.

    Blood came from her mouth. It appeared to have also pierced her lung.

    Despite her wearing an iron breastte, it pierced her all the way through.

    ¡°Despite¡­ golem, you used¡­ magic? ¡­ When did¡­ you chant¡­?¡±

    Even if she tried using recovery magic, her enemy wouldn¡¯t give her the chance. Blood was filling her lungs to start with, even breathing was bing impossible. Her speech started sounding like Rin¡¯s style as well. She knew from experience that she was about to die.

    ¡°Gofu¡­ Fufu¡­ I was, careless. I guess, it¡¯s my, defeat¡­ isn¡¯t¡­ it¡­¡±

    [¡­]

    Euma didn¡¯t speak. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t as though it needed to send her off peacefully to her next life or anything. The saintess would revive after all.

    If it exposed its methods, she could take measures against them the next time. Therefore, it said nothing, nor did it answer her.

    Even so, the saintess was able to make some guesses.

    Her clothes were wet. Therefore, it was probably water magic. As it was able to prate her iron breastte, it was probably at least an upper ss magic.

    Euma, rather than being a golem, was probably a subspecies of gargoyle.

    She didn¡¯t understand how it was able to use magic without using an incantation, but she definitely wouldn¡¯t mistake what she just saw. Therefore, next time. Next time¡­!

    ¡­ She didn¡¯t have a next time. For some time after this, the saintess wouldn¡¯t be able to dive into this dungeon. That was one of [Treaty]¡¯s restrictions.

    [Mu¡ª!? O-oi, Alka! You got, killed!?]

    ¡°Gu, my apolo¡ªgies, boss¡­ I¡¯ll be, back, some¡­ time¡­¡±

    Unable to oppose the darkness that slowly took over her consciousness, the saintess¡¯ eyes gradually closed¡ª

    (¡­ Aah, I at least wanted boss (Rin) to eat me in the end. But, it can¡¯t because I¡¯m covered in salt right now¡­)

    ¡ªwhile thinking about such an irrelevant thing.

    Footnotes:

    3x Hora -> just a typical battle exmation. Couldn¡¯t think of a decent way to anglicize.

 Chapter 142

    In the Master Room

    ¡°Booyah! Saintess down!¡±

    I pumped my fist into the air.

    It¡¯s great we defeated her. If that didn¡¯t defeat her, we would¡¯ve had to fall into a war of attrition with the fifty fire arm gargoyles we have stockpiled.

    It would¡¯ve been pretty unfortunate if we weren¡¯t able to hide the gargoyles aftering this far.

    There¡¯s no reason for Rin to want to target the dungeon core, so it was going to be our total win so long as we could defeat the saintess.

    ¡°¡­ So strong. Is that the gargoyle Kehma¡¯s been researching?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a gargoyle specified test arm.¡± [1]

    Water Cutter. That was the identity of the attack that cut through the saintess.

    Magic formations that produce water were crammed inside the golem¡¯s left arm, around a hundred of them. Making a small elongated cone shape inside of the arm, I inserted that amount of formations into the arm.

    It was seriously dangerous when one of them exploded during testing. Man was I happy that I built a separate room alongside theboratory.

    I ultimately managed to make it by encasing it with threeyered ck steel, engraving the magic formations with materials from stic bottles¡ªdaily necessities¡ªand filling it all with water from the start.

    A single one of the magic formations can produce enough water to fill a cup of water in the blink of an eye. If a hundred of those trigger in such a small ce¡ªthough the haniwa golem¡¯s arm is pretty huge¡ªthe pressure gets crazy instantly. In order to increase its prating ability, I added a single ground-type magic formation that produces sand. I wanted to put in fine ruby powder at first, but the water pressure was so crazy that there¡¯s no problems with its power even with sand. Adding on to that, it managed to prate through 3cm of ck steel in one of the experiments.

    Another experiment had a stopper st away at ludicrous speeds¡­ Yep, this Water Cutter is seriously powerful.

    It costs around 2,000 DP for each one, the costs mainlying from the ck steel ingots and magic stones.

    ¡°However, it takes a considerably high quality magic stone (500 DP) to activate and it runs out in an instant¡­ I don¡¯t want to have to use it that recklessly.¡±

    ¡°Uwaaah¡­ hey, wouldn¡¯t it have been better to summon a strong monster to beat Rin into submission? We can¡¯t because we¡¯re sealed right now though.¡±

    Considering the expensive research cost, that might have been better¡­ w-well, we wouldn¡¯t have known if it would¡¯ve won though.

    Rather, after making the two gargoyle-type iron haniwas and horse golems made of salt myself, I think it turned out pretty well this time. I wasted tons of time purging the armor from the iron horses. The salt horse golems that look so obviously like salt get their strength from their iron skeleton hidden by all of the salt cover.

    Next would be the salt ceiling golem, it was their simply to harass Rin.

    It worked~, it super worked. Now I can get some sleep.

    ¡°¡­ Man, all things considered, that was risky.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    ¡°I only prepared [Now then, let¡¯s do it] and [There¡¯s more where that came from, have as much as you want] for the golem¡¯s voice after all¡­¡±

    I was in a hurry, so that was about about all I could rush and record for the golem.

    I was nning on letting them recognize it as Euma by having it speak, then beat her with the second body by using a surprise attack, but as expected of the saintess, she prevented it.

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s all. Even if they broke through, they¡¯d just reach the stairway leading to the [New Riddle Area]. I was still making it though.¡±

    ¡­ Hmm? It¡¯s the boss room, but I never said something like the core room being just after it right?

    Man, I¡¯m d it worked out.

    The dungeon core was put in a different room than the one I was leading them to, obviously. I had already took the opportunity to expand the warehouse area when I mended it after Rin destroyed parts of it, so Rin probably wouldn¡¯t even have recognized it.

    ¡°Umm, Goshujin-sama, how long do I chase it¡­?¡±

    Meat spoke, still using the salt horse golems to chase after Rin. In a sense, her operation of precisely herding Rin around was amazing. Seriously.

    ¡°Oops. I¡¯ll be heading out to talk with Rin with a messenger golem here in a bit, so just chase it a bit more and stop when I give the signal. Ah, Rokuko. Collect that salt that¡¯s on the ground. It¡¯ll be used for Rin¡¯s training after all.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    ¡°Okay~¡±

    Good replies.

    I prepared a messenger golem and headed to the boss room that still have Rin being chased by the salt horse golems in it.

    *

    ¡°Oi Rin, feel like stopping?¡±

    [Wha¡ªKehma! Already, back to, normal!?]

    When I spoke to Rin with the usual messenger golem, Rin looked at me in surprise¡ªand ran straight into a salt horse golem due to looking away, tasting the salt with its whole body.

    It was probably a huge blow to Rin, who doesn¡¯t particrly need to eat with its mouth.

    I collected the two haniwas when I arrived, so there¡¯s just one [Kehma] left.

    [Nuwa¡ª!? S-s-stop, Kehma! You¡¯re me, follower!]

    ¡°I¡¯m alright stopping if Rin bes my follower though?¡±

    [Gunu! That¡¯s, no good!]

    It¡¯s saying Kehma rather than Euma right now, so I guess we¡¯re talking with wolf speech?

    Thinking about it too hard¡¯s troublesome. Either way¡¯s fine I guess?

    [Shit, I didn¡¯t, want to, but, no choice¡­ ¡ªOh dark hole that devours creation¡ª]

    ¡°Oi hold up, I get it! I¡¯ll stop, so cut it out with that crackling!¡±

    Rin started chanting and ck lightning started to crackle around it, so I signaled to Meat in a panic to stop the salt horses. Seeing this, Rin stopped the incantation. How should I put it¡­ ¡®dark hole that devours creation¡¯¡­ a ck hole? That magic is a thing? Dangerous stuff.

    [Hmph, if you did that, from the start, it would be, good.]

    ¡°Haah¡­ oi, Rin. Leave the dungeon if you won¡¯t be my follower¡­ is what I¡¯d like to say, but I¡¯ll leave you alone if you stay in the room.¡±

    [Mm? Self important, huh, Kehma?]

    ¡°It was my win this time after all.¡±

    [¡­ Well, it¡¯s alright.]

    Rin looked dead tired.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll feed you five golems a day, so don¡¯t let intruders make it past that door, boss.¡±

    [Un, while I¡¯m here, I¡¯ll defend. Leave it, to me.]

    ¡°Don¡¯t bring anyone saying they¡¯ll be your follower farther in either yeah? I¡¯ll feed you salt horses if you do.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Got it, alright.¡±

    Rin nodded, appearing to really, really dislike like those salt horses.

    Any more than this might backfire, so it should be fine as is? It might forget if I have it agree to too many things.

    Besides, Rin gives a baseline of 950 DP a day, double that because it¡¯s shut in a closed room. It¡¯s a delicious existence just by it being here. Ites with risks like just now too, though.

    In truth, given its distinguished service of repelling the saintess up until earlier, I¡¯ll forgive it this time.

    ¡­ I-it¡¯s not like I forgave it because I can¡¯t defeat it or anything.

    ¡°¡­ Come to think of it, how long are you going to be staying?¡±

    [Hmm? Right¡­ Attest, when it¡¯s spring, I¡¯ll go. Kehma, will youe, too?]

    ¡°No. I don¡¯t want to leave.¡±

    [That so? I think, without Kehma, I¡¯ll be troubled, for food, though.]

    Can¡¯t you eat anything?

    I mean, you can eat golems, so can¡¯t you just eat dirt?

    Footnotes:

    The word for ¡®test¡¯ here is immensely simr to ¡®crammed in¡¯. Possible word y by author, but might be coincidence.

 Chapter 143

    The Saintess¡¯ Return Home

    I thought that she mighte over to talk immediately after she revived, but it wasn¡¯t like that. Instead, the saintess took a short rest first beforeing over to visit me, the vige chief.

    ¡°It is extremely unfortunate, but I wasn¡¯t able to resolve the issue¡­ I would still be able to stay if my country hadn¡¯t ordered me to return, though¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it can¡¯t be helped can it? I saw you heading into the dungeon every day, so thank you.¡±

    ¡°I am happy to hear that¡­ unfortunately, I don¡¯t have any more time, so I must leave here.¡±

    I¡¯d love if you didn¡¯te back again though honestly. But your DP ie¡­ no, considering the hassle, please don¡¯te back.

    ¡°Well then, Euma-senpai, see you again.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Euma-senpai? Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ No, it was my mistake. Inside the dungeon, there was a golem that talked with a simr voice to Vige Chief-sama¡¯s.¡±

    Yep, you used it just now didn¡¯t you? Your skill that sees through lies. But I¡¯m not lying.

    ¡°Hmm, a talking golem¡­? I¡¯ve went far in, it might be mimicking my voice?¡±

    ¡°Really now¡­? By the way, it introduced itself as Euma, one of the dungeon¡¯s bosses. It appeared to be cooperating with boss¡ªwith the demon. Do you know anything about it?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, there¡¯s nothing that I can tell you.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, really.¡±

    It¡¯s a secret, so I can¡¯t talk about it [To the Saintess]! It¡¯s the truth.

    If she asked me [Are you keeping a secret?], I had nned on responding with [Well, despite how things look I am an adventurer after all], but she didn¡¯t particrly keep digging.

    ¡°¡­ Well then, Vige Chief-sama, see you again.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. If an opportunityes up¡­ Ah, would you like to take pastries with you as a souvenir? I¡¯vee into the possession of something called cream puff. I have five of them for a gold each, would you like then?¡±

    And so, the saintess returned to the Holy Kingdom together with the cream puffs.

    ¡­ Does she have enough for traveling expenses? It¡¯s a secret that I¡¯m a bit worried over that despite being her enemy.

    *

    ¡°Oh! Kehma, look! We¡¯re able to summon monsters again!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, same with walls, passages, and rooms.¡±

    An hour after the saintess had left, [Treaty]¡¯s effects quietly faded. Confirming that the armor, items, traps, and monster things all looked like they¡¯d work in the DP catalog, I took the chance to move the dungeon core to Rokuko¡¯s room.

    I¡¯d put it into the dungeon because the saintess was staying in the inn, but I didn¡¯t think it was even possible to seal off the dungeon core¡¯s functions. To be exact, I want to say that we weren¡¯t able to use our emergency escape¡ªcastling.

    ¡°And there are some more functions in the menu. You can project your voice into the dungeon and establish sortie points!¡±

    ¡°Wish we could¡¯ve gotten those a bit sooner.¡±

    The things we can do in this dungeon are slowly increasing. It¡¯s kind of like the feeling of getting a bonus for clearing the [Treaty] or the dungeon leveling up. At any rate, we can probably make the dungeon wider and deeper.

    ¡­ If there¡¯s something like a reward system, I wonder if we should try out doing a few more extreme things? Like adding floors all the way up to the hundredth. It¡¯d cost 500,000 DP just by adding staircase room though.

    ¡°Rin¡¯s still here, but I can finally get some good sleep.¡±

    ¡°Kehma really does love sleep.¡±

    ¡°Humans have three major desires, it¡¯s their instincts. Well, I¡¯m off to sleep. Not going to do anything but sleep. Going to sleep for around three days straight. I¡¯ll probably eat and go to the bathroom some time midway though. I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be any reasons for it, but don¡¯t wake me unless you need to.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, I won¡¯t! Good night, Kehma.¡±

    Seen off by Rokuko, I headed for my room in the vige chief¡¯s mansion.

    I then had a golem prepare a futon for me. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I fell asleep.

    *

    Three dayster.

    I finally woke up and decided to head over to Rokuko¡¯s room for the first time in a while.

    Mmm, that was a great rest. I slept like a log! I woke up nicely too, maybe I¡¯ll even do some work?

    Then, inside Rokuko¡¯s room, Haku-san was smiling with her whole face while petting Rokuko. She had Rokuko¡¯s head on herp.

    ¡°Good morning, Kehma-san?¡±

    Still with her cheerful smile, Haku-san greeted me.

    Ah¨Cyes. Good morning to you too Haku-san¡­ umm, when did you arrive?

    ¡°I came around midday yesterday? I waited for Kehma-san to wake up before I left, yet you left me waiting. Interesting.¡±

    Oooooi!? I know I said to not wake me up, but wake me up if Haku-sanes! I just kept sleeping from the bacsh of being so busy recently!

    Not leaving from my room except for using the restroom backfired! I only ever refilled the futon¡¯s stuffing with DP and cleaned my teeth with [Cleanup]!

    And now my mind¡¯s pretty jarred.

    ¡°But Haku Ane-sama, I said that Kehma would be sleeping because he was so focused on working recently you know? He got up after three days so it¡¯s alright!¡±

    ¡°Aah, un, that¡¯s right, Rokuko-chan. I¡¯ll pardon the matter of having me wait since Rokuko-chan says so.¡±

    ¡°T-thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°And so, I want you to tell me about various things today. I haven¡¯t been able to see Rokuko-chan since I have been busytely. Really, war is bothersome. It is profitable, though.¡±

    Aah, I¡¯m seeing Haku-san as a big shot again, talking about war.

    Also, I heard that talk about war before, but it¡¯s really happening¡­?

    ¡°The DP I earn lowers when soldiers die, looking at it from the demon king¡¯s army¡¯s perspective, their primary goal is to whittle down the empire¡¯s earnings. Though they should understand that something of this degree isn¡¯t enough to shaking our footing, it is vexing that it is urring so close to ranking season.¡±

    Ah, she did say something about the demon king also being a dungeon core now that I think of it.

    ¡°Umm, what¡¯s this ¡®ranking¡¯ thing?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, you didn¡¯t know? Once a year, there is an assembly of dungeon cores. The DP for each is announced in a ranking. I believe I was seventh ce overallst year?¡±

    Come to think of it, I feel like Rokuko said something like that a long time ago.

    Rather, seventh ce? That means there¡¯re six people above Haku-san!? Err, not people, they¡¯re dungeon cores. [1]

    ¡°Well, sixth ce was the demon king¡¯s army¡¯smander-in-chief, Core No. 6. His alias is [Great Demon King]. It¡¯s alright since he hasn¡¯t particrly done anything himself, but small fry from his faction continually get in the way.¡±

    ¡°It sounds troublesome in various ways.¡±

    ¡°Yes. You could take over some of it if you¡¯d like?¡±

    I¡¯d love to hold back from that with everything I have.

    ¡°Ah, our conversation fell a little off topic, hasn¡¯t it? I would like to hear about the matter that just urred. I have already more or less heard about it from my pawns, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Haku-san¡¯s¡­ pawns?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I shouldn¡¯t say it, but the bar¡¯s master, Wozuma, and that adventurer with talent as a carpenter, Koo-san. Are you acquainted with them?¡±

    Wozuma and Koo-san, huh¡­? Both of them are part of the management for this vige, I mean, isn¡¯t one of them even the vige sub-chief? For even Koo-san to be Haku-san¡¯s pawn, her range is wide¡­ no, to start with, this person stands at the peak of the adventurer guild. The number of pawns connected to such an inhuman person definitely wouldn¡¯t be low.

    ¡°Even though I called them pawns, they are both still humans otherwise unrted to dungeons. Don¡¯t tell them anything about DP or dungeon masters.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes.¡±

    ¡°And so, ording to Wozuma and Koo-san¡¯s reports, the vige chief appears to be a splendidly direct one?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only pressing work onto others.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, well if that¡¯s the case then it¡¯s fine. Wozuma was originally an official that worked in my castle, so it wouldn¡¯t be a mistake to leave domestic affairs to him.¡±

    I heard something good. Let¡¯s send all of the troublesome stuff, he¡¯s definitely some super elite if he worked in the empire¡¯s castle.

    ¡°So, I wanted to ask about various things since I haven¡¯t been able toe over due to being so busy¡­ is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. What do you want to talk about?¡±

    ¡°I would like to hear about that ck wolf and the saintess¡­ but first, what is this about you giving Rokuko-chan a ring?¡±

    I instinctively prostrated on the ground.

    Footnotes:

    This isn¡¯t meant to be offensive. Just the ¡°counter¡± used for the number is reserved for humans in Japanese. The pun is lost somewhere in trantion. Any suggestions to make something simr work?

 Chapter 144

    Extra: Meat ckdog¡¯s Average Day

    A ve¡¯s morning started early¡ª

    However, in the cases where she was being used as a hug pillow, hers would start considerablyte so that she would wake along with Kehma.

    The first thing she would do in the morning is choose her socks. This choice was a very important matter. This was because the ce most visible to Kehma, her Goshujin-sama, was the feet. Meat didn¡¯t understand what foot fetishism was that well, but if her esteemed Goshujin-sama desired it, she didn¡¯t mind going two or three days in the same socks without using [Cleanup] on them.

    ¡­ Yesterday¡¯s were light blue striped socks that went up to her thighs, but today she went with white. She felt that striped ones were unpopr for some reason. It could only be exined as being Kehma¡¯s interests, but through Meat¡¯s experience, she believed that there was a somewhat higher chance of her being used as a hug pillow when she went with simpler, single-color socks.

    ¡°¡­ Nn.¡±

    When putting on socks, the first thing to do was to gently flex them. She only wore underwear and socks overnight so as to not wrinkle the maid outfit that was her work uniform.

    Once she had loosened up her body enough, she put on her maid clothes.

    They were things she had received from her Goshujin-sama, a maid clothes golem. It provided support to Meat¡¯s actions, improving her kinematic performance¡­ This was the same with the socks she put on a moment before, they were both also golems.

    ¡°¡­ Nnnf.¡±

    Preparationsplete, it was time to work. However, because Meat¡¯s room in the vige chief¡¯s mansion was immediately neighboring the inn, there was zeromute time.

    In the morning she would serve adventurers grabbing meals in the dining room. The employees would take alternating shifts.

    Meat generally wouldn¡¯t participate in the morning due to her duties as a hug pillow, but shift alterations were possible for cases like this. [Night Attendance Shift] (Ichika-Christened) was the thing Ichika came up with to refer to the shift with Kehma, but so far there hadn¡¯t been anything in it other than Meat¡¯s hug pillow duties.

    However, the other employees weren¡¯t particrly dissatisfied. Rather, they simply urged their Meat-senpai on to work less and focus more on that.

    Back on topic, the inn served sandwiches for breakfast. There was a bar nearby that would serve other dishes, but the sandwich was really popr due to how delicious it was. Them using white bread instead of cheap ck bread was a well-known secret.

    Meat ate a sandwich just before in preparation for customers.

    ¡°Fuwaaah, morning, ck-chan.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good morning.¡±

    The first to wake up was the guild receptionist, Silia. Since her job was to handle the guild¡¯s reception desk, she needed to wake up earlier than the adventurers.

    After confirming that no one was looking, she quietly ced her hand on Meat¡¯s heat and patted her.

    ¡°¡­ Haaaaaah¡­ I can keep on for another day now¡­¡±

    ¡°Really¡­?¡±

    Although Meat didn¡¯t particrly enjoy it when anyone but her Goshujin-sama patted her head, she endured it for getting the tip. She saved up her tips to make her Goshujin-sama happy.

    Receiving five copper as her tip, she brought her her sandwich. Entering the kitchen since Kinue wasn¡¯t there today, it was a simple task for her to open her [Storage] and take out a premade sandwich.

    Although this made it so that they could be delivered fresh since the time inside [Storage] was stopped, because of Kehma¡¯s policy of saying that it would be troublesome in various ways if people knew about Meat being able to use [Storage], she would temporarily go into the kitchen.

    After a while, the lodging adventurers woke up. Recently, because of Kehma¡¯s [Investigation], [Exploring as far as thebyrinth area is alright], so adventurers had beening aiming for the iron golems.

    It was also alright if they encountered any threats since they could escape. Although there were a lot of people that thought that, in truth, Meat felt that Rin would instantly kill them with its fangs. She wouldn¡¯t go out of her way to be friendly to other people though.

    After finishing up with the adventurers¡¯ breakfast, Meat went to train herself. When she practiced golem operation and magic skills, she would do so in the dungeon, but she trained her fundamentals inside the vige, in the outdoor hall. In particr, she held many mock battles with Ichika.

    By showing themselves train in front of the vigers, it also held the meaning of serving as a warning for just how much fighting strength her Goshujin-sama held. She would never show all of her capability though, of course.

    Flicking the kitchen knife Ichika held away, she pointed her knife at her neck. They were both wooden training items, things Kehma prepared for them in ten seconds.

    ¡°¡­ Aww, I¡¯m not even¡¯a match for Meat-senpai anymooore.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Ichika also wore the a maid clothes golem, the same as Meat. Since Ichika had already possessed the ability of being a C-Rank, it was even more advantageous than for Meat.

    In truth, Ichika was stronger when they started training.

    However, Meat was equal with her after two months and was even stronger than her nowadays.

    The difference was their difference in ability to adjust to the golem¡¯s assistance. For Ichika, who had originally mastered her body¡¯s own style, she was only able to acquire the benefit of simply augmenting her physical strength. However, for Meat, who used golems since the beginning, she learned how to move with the golem and be moved by it.

    She was able to defend against attacks that were in her blind spots through the golem¡¯s perception and was even able to use abnormal maneuvers to dodge arrows fired at her from behind through proper use of the assist.

    Normally, whatever was inside the golem wouldn¡¯tst if it did such absurd movements, but it was adjusted ording to the strength and recuperative power that beastkin had.

    As a result, a small soldier that could freely use superhuman-levels of acrobatics was born.

    ¡°Ichika is still stronger, without the assist.¡±

    ¡°For now.¡±

    Ichika felt that she would be surpassed even without the assist soon enough. Meat was talented. For Ichika, nurturing that talent was enjoyable. She would be lying if she said that she weren¡¯t a little envious, but even so, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing for Meat to be strong. Meat could defend Kehma¡¯s life if she was strong, so she herself would be able to eat tons of delicious things.

    Meat kept training until around noon.

    At noon, she served people in the dining room. Recently, they started serving lunch due to strong demands for it from inn guests and vigers.

    It also served as cooking practice for Kinue recently, so it allowed people to eat delicious meals at moderate prices. Since leftovers could be served the following days due to [Storage], Kinue could prepare things without holding back.

    Once the number of people in the room started dying down, Meat ate her lunch as well. Today¡¯s lunch was rice balls filled with mayo hamburg steak. It was something that Meat had asked for Kinue to make for her and had recently be Meat¡¯s favorite.

    In particr, it was best when filled with the mayonnaise her Goshujin-sama developed. The meat and mayonnaise together were splendid.

    Once she finished licking the remnants of her meal from her fingers, Meat headed to the reception desk.

    She had receptionist duties in the afternoon. However, there wasn¡¯t anything in particr that needed to be done for reception work. To list some of the duties: putting money into the bank-like golem, trading meal tickets for money, and handing over room keys to guests.

    For Meat, who could only calcte simple things, it was no problem by simply leaving it to the golem, so it was very easy.

    Kehma named it the [Register Golem], but Meat only understood that it was something incredible.

    To be strong, it was also necessary to rest. Therefore, when there weren¡¯t any guests around, she single-mindedly listened to the golem that had received a recording of her Goshujin-sama¡¯s [Create Golem] incantation.

    For Meat, listening to her Goshujin-sama¡¯s voice wasforting. After all, being able to hear him any time she wanted, her Goshujin-sama that developed this golem really was a genius.

    In addition, this golem¡¯s appearance was that of a shell that could be found in Pavuera. The kind that someone would say, ¡°You can hear the sound of the sea in it.¡±

    She stored keys she received from departing adventurers in the register golem.

    Once she put the keys onto the golem¡¯s key holder, it would sort them back to their original locations all on its own. It looked like it might get stuck sometimes, but something like that hadn¡¯t happened thus far.

    ¡°Ojou-chan, we¡¯d like to stay the night.¡±

    ¡°One night, fifty copper coins. Ites with a sandwich in the morning. Other mealse with additional fees.¡±

    A new group of guests arrived. They were a group of three male adventurers.

    ¡°Fifty copper!? An meals are excluded!? That¡¯s a ton, lower it.¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine ain¡¯t it? Do it.¡±

    ¡°If you aren¡¯t a guest, leave.¡±

    ¡°Haahn!? There¡¯s no other lodging, this is the only one! This Asure-sama is lowering his head!¡±

    He said that, but his head that should have been lowered was simply looking down on Meat. Judging that they weren¡¯t actually guests, Meat decided to remove the fake-guests.

    She pressed a button that was on the desk. Immediately after, a y golem armed with a wooden training sword that wore an arm band from the adventurer guild appeared.

    ¡°Aaahn? The heck¡¯s this y golem doing? Cheeky bastard¡¯s holding a sword!¡±

    Saying that, one of the fake-guests kicked the y golem.

    Apparently, these fake-guests either didn¡¯t have eyes or were slow in the head.

    The receptionist woman¡ªperhaps it was better to call her the branch head here¡ªexchanged the arm band for cheap inn fees¡­ it was something formally lent to then by the adventurer guild¡¯s branch head. Therefore, strictly speaking, the y golems were to be treated as temporary staff members of the adventurer guild. That fact was generally something understood¡­ but these fake-guests actually kicked the y golem.

    In other words, at this point, these fake-guests were fools that defied the adventurer guild¡ªshe could treat them as enemies and defeat them.

    ¡°Nn.¡±

    When Meat suddenly flew out from behind the reception desk, she seized the legs of the fake-guest that kicked down the golem and left the rest to the golem assist, flinging him away.

    The fake-guests were each thrown out of the inn, rolling outside.

    The three were surprised at the unbelievable strength that came from Meat¡¯s small body.

    Meat then calmly walked out of the inn, a golem knife not meant for practice in her hand.

    ¡°Shit, Ritage, Dogokib! She can¡¯t take all three of us!¡±

    Likely due to the blood rushing to his head, the three of them already looked like nothing but muggers. The number of adventurers like this weren¡¯t few.

    Be that as it may, they had been foolish all the way until now. Right, the delinquents became adventurers for the IDs in order to borrow money. Out of money from paying the registration fees as well as running out of their borrowed money from spending it haphazardly, they came to the beginner dungeon that was making a name for itself as a ce that can be used to earn money.

    F-Ranks were allowed to enter the dungeon [Cave of Desires], so they doubted whether or not it was a ce that could satisfy what they needed though¡­ They knew about the y golems, so they nned to stay until they hit E-Rank and earned enough money to somehow not be up to their necks in debt.

    ¡°¡­ Grey rats are smarter.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that!? Get her!¡±

    The grey rats that were in the rat races were self-aware that what they were doing was entertainment, purposely creating lively races. They would even hold meetings about it the day before, they were very clever.

    Although it was just something Meat muttered, the fake-guests just heard it as provocation.

    She easily cut down the two clubs that were slowlying at her from behind, rolling and kicking the legs of the two whose stances were destroyed.

    ¡°Too, easy.¡±

    Taking the opportunity, she threw the fake-guests again. This time, into the adventurer guild.

    Immediately after that, Meat panicked a little: [Did I get someone else involved by throwing them in?] The ve¡¯s education had wound up bing no-good since her master¡¯s training was inadequate.

    For now, she went into the guild.

    Inside were four adventurers who were guests at the inn, as well as the receptionist.

    Meat bowed her head lightly.

    ¡°¡­ Did I get you involved?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. It¡¯s alright, ck-chan.¡±

    ¡°Nn, good. Then, these ones are the usual fools¡­ more than usual. They refused the arm band, so please take care of the rest.¡±

    Saying that much, Meat turned around and left the guild, heading back to the inn.

    It should end with a stern warning. They might be forbidden from entering the dungeon for a while, or maybe have their qualifications revoked.

    Meat sat at the reception desk again, listening to her Goshujin-sama¡¯s voice.

    ¡­ There would asionally be adventurers with bad heads only seeing Meat as a beastkin child and threaten her. She felt Ichika was better at handling reception, her shifts would end without anything in particr happening.

    Thinking back on her reception work for the day while she was in the dining room again for dinner time, she felt she¡¯d rested a lot. She had to remember guests¡¯ faces and their order tickets, so it was good mental exercise.

    Around that time, Kehma turned up in the dining room. He held a D-Rank meal ticket in his hand. Meat gave him a super express treatment and went to Kinue to receive the D-Rank meal set, carrying it to Kehma.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Nn. Meat? Good girl, you¡¯re doing great, amazing~¡±

    Kehma said that while petting Meat¡¯s head. She unintentionally broke into a grin¡­ no, Meat did her best to smile, but her facial expressions didn¡¯t work that well so her ears pped and her tail wagged instead.

    And she realized that his line of sight was identally ncing at her legs¡­ she really wanted to immediately take her shoes off for her Goshujin-sama to look right now, but he didn¡¯t order it. So she endured. Her Goshujin-sama didn¡¯t have the hobby of admiring feet and legs in public.

    ¡°¡­ Come to my room today.¡±

    ¡°! Yes¡ª!¡±

    Rushing into the kitchen, she told Kinue: [Pillow!]

    To that, Kinue replied: [Understood.]

    With that her shift for the next morning became: [Night Attendance Shift]

    Finishing her duties in a good mood, she purified her body in preparation for her task as a hug pillow.

    What she had to pay particr attention to was only going as far as cleaning off the dust and grime from her body. Also, she didn¡¯t take off her shoes yet.

    Taking off her maid clothes uniform, she gently wiped her body down with the onsen¡¯s hot water, changing into her pajamas¡­ a soft one-piece dress. Meat was the kind of person to sleep in her underwear when she slept alone, but she properly put it on for her hug pillow duties. It might be a remnant from her old life, but Meat found that she couldn¡¯t calm down when she wore too much while going to sleep. However, it was another story altogether when it came to her being a hug pillow for Kehma¡­ That, and ording to Ichika, being shameless was no good.

    After that, she headed to Kehma¡¯s room¡­ and went to use the restroom on the way. Kehma¡¯s night started early and his morning startedte. She obviously didn¡¯t want to wet the bed, so she had to make sure that she wouldn¡¯t be attacked by the urge to urinate midway through the night.

    Finishing using the restroom, the super prepared Meat took a deep breath in front of Kehma¡¯s room. Her heart always throbbed at this point.

    Knocking, she entered the room. Kehma was already wrapped up in his futon.

    Her Goshujin-sama repaired the dungeon and inn, cooked and did magic, researched golems, as well as did his duties as the vige chief. His work was different from things like serving tables and waiting at reception that anyone could do, it was work that only her Goshujin-sama could do. He was very busy every day. She could only think of him as amazing and cool.

    ¡°Nn, you¡¯re here~?¡­ Nn¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes¡ª¡±

    Meat took off her shoes. Kehma¡¯s private room was a Japanese-styled one with tatami mats. She had to take off her shoes when she entered the room. No, she had to show him her taking them off, the fruit of her day¡¯s efforts.

    ¡­ Alright! He¡¯s looking at my feet while wrapped up in the futon!

    Today, Meat showed off her charms while hoping to have her Goshujin-sama move on her with a [Meat (hi)] meaning. She was having a few wicked thoughts.

    From Kehma¡¯s point of view, he only saw her tail wagging back and forth and wondered why she was in such a good mood. He couldn¡¯t even begin to guess what she was thinking about.

    As preparation for sleeping, she slowly took off her knee socks. Additionally, she nned on ¡®carelessly forgetting¡¯ them when going back to her room. Ichika said it would make Goshujin-sama overjoyed. In that case, she naturally decided to forget them.

    ¡­ She also wanted to ¡®forget¡¯ her scent-infused underwear. She hadn¡¯t had a chance to until now though. It might have been better for her to just not wear them from the start, but her Goshujin-sama told her that she had to wear them properly.

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    Changing theforter for one they used when sleeping together, she turned off the lights and slipped in.

    Then, she was hugged tightly by her Goshujin-sama. Her Goshujin-sama¡¯s heat wasfortable.

    ¡­ While searching for afortable position, she made sure to not forget to rub against his body, as though marking him with her scent. She also had no choice but to roll up her sleep-wear one piece. It wasn¡¯t like she did it on purpose, wanting to feel her Goshujin-sama even a singleyer of cloth closer. It was an ident. It couldn¡¯t be helped.

    Meat smelled her Goshujin-sama¡¯s scent as she rubbed against him, it was irresistibly good. She had to stay awake as long as she could to enjoy it.

    She confirmed that Kehma was asleep by his breathing.

    ¡­ Her Goshujin-sama didn¡¯t make any moves on her this time either. Even though she seduced him by rubbing her legs on him, he just slept and exposed his sleeping face to her.

    Meat moved her body just enough so that the sleeping Kehma wouldn¡¯t wake up, nibbling on him sweetly. This y-biting was a general disy of affection for beastkin. The ve cor wouldn¡¯t react either, so there was no problem.

    And then, after spending a considerable amount of time doing this y-biting, she felt satisfied and decided to sleep.

    Let¡¯s work hard for Goshujin-sama tomorrow too! Then he might make a move on me!

    She wished.

 Chapter 145

    Extra: Hero Wataru and Rin

    ¡°What! A dangerous demon like that settled down? Leave it to me!¡±

    I spoke to Wataru about Rin¡­ I mean, I spoke to him about a demon that was bing a threat.

    When I consulted Haku-san about Rin the other day, she responded, ¡°Well, I¡¯ll send Wataru. He should do well enough one way or another.¡±

    In truth, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for either side toe out on top in terms of ability, either would be delicious in death¡ªthat is, as far as Wataru¡¯s debt, it appears that Haku-san will pay it if he dies before he¡¯s paid it off. And now Hero Wataru readily epted themission.

    I wonder if Rin can defeat the hero? This¡¯ll be a sight to see. Let¡¯s just sit back and watch as an unconcerned bystander.

    *

    Wataru quickly proceeded through the dungeon, easily reaching Rin¡¯s room.

    ¡°¡­ And here we go.¡±

    When Wataru opened the door, he saw a ck wolf waiting in an offensive stance.

    [Garururu!]

    ¡°Ooh, looks strong¡­ even stronger than a dragon I guess?¡±

    What he was picking a fight against was Rin. It opened its mouth wide, trying to bite him¡­. however, Wataru slipped under and away, striking it hard from the side.

    Rin flew towards the wall from the force of the blow and crashed into it. With a bang, it sttered into a ck spot on the wall.

    ¡°¡­ Just one hit? No, with that feeling, no way¡­¡±

    As Wataru anticipated, Rin wasn¡¯t dead just yet. With a gurgling sound, the stain moved back into a single spot and retook the shape of a wolf.

    ¡°Geh, so it¡¯s a monster like that after all. A slime?¡±

    [Gururu¡­! You won¡¯t, pass through!]

    ¡°Heeh, you can talk¡­? This is getting worse and worse¡­ I don¡¯t want to fight.¡±

    Despite saying that, he drew the sword from its sheathe at his hip. His opponent was already baring its fangs, so if he didn¡¯t also prepare himself, it was quite possible that he¡¯d be finished off quickly.

    He casually epted themission, but that might¡¯ve been a mistake¡ªis the kind of expression that appeared on his face.

    [Garururu! ¡­ Oh fire, burn brightly and burst¡ª[Fire Bomb]!]

    ¡°Uwaaah!? Wai¡ªI didn¡¯t here anything about magic!?¡±

    Wataru used his sword against the fire bomb Rinunched towards him. The fire bomb split straight in half, exploding behind Wataru.

    [Hoh, nice.]

    ¡°Aah, that surprised me! Yep, got it. Let¡¯s talk! If you can talk, let¡¯s do that!¡±

    [Mu? Alright.]

    ¡°Eh, seriously? Ah, no, yeah, it¡¯s good that you want to talk.¡±

    Wataru wasn¡¯t able to hide his surprise and blurted out that first bit.

    In the end, he wasn¡¯t willing to kill enemies that could speak even if they were monsters. It was a different story entirely if they were ones that killed for pleasure though.

    Although Rin had caused there to be victims, he put that aside for now. To start with, adventurers dove into dungeons with the resolution to die, so falling victim to the dungeon didn¡¯t really count.

    He hadn¡¯t heard of any victims outside of the dungeon either. Therefore, Wataru decided that it was worth attempting to negotiate.

    [Then, I¡¯ll eat you first, so hold still.]

    ¡°Ah, sure¡ªwhat!? Eat me first!?¡±

    [First is, eating, then talking.]

    ¡°You want to talk with someone in your stomach!? That¡¯s killing them!¡±

    [No? So far, I¡¯ve talked, with two people, after eating them.]

    It had met with two people that could talk with it after being eaten? Wataru was surprised.

    Though in truth, one of them was a golem and Rin didn¡¯t distinguish between that and humans.

    [And so, eating now.]

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? Time out, time out! Can¡¯t be helped, I¡¯ll share my bento¡¯s sandwiches with you, please endure it with just that.¡±

    [Sandwitch? What¡¯s that?]

    ¡°¡­ Fufufu, it¡¯s the breakfast from the inn that¡¯s right outside this dungeon¡¯s entrance. I had them wrap it for my lunch! It¡¯s a really delicious sandwich that uses white bread, and the deciding vor in it¡¯s the mayonnaise!¡±

    [Got it. Give it, I¡¯ll eat it.]

    It looked as though Wataru caught Rin¡¯s interest, as it moved its foreleg as though to urge him on.

    ¡°[Storage]¡­ ah, here. I¡¯ll put it on this te, and leave it here, alright?¡±

    [Umu.]

    cing the sandwich on a white te, he ced it in the center of the room. After Wataru moved away from it, Rin approached it and¡ªafter giving it a big whiff¡ªswalled the te in one gulp.

    ¡°Wai¡ª! That te was my favorite¡­ w-well, it¡¯s alright, I still have four others. I got them from this dungeon¡­¡±

    [Hoh, that sandwitch, thing, was good. Smooth, and crunchy.]

    ¡°¡­ Are you talking about the cucumber? Umm, I have more, did you want more?¡±

    [Give it.]

    He decided to use a wooden te to serve the food this time. Taking out another sandwich, he put it on the wooden te and ced that on the floor.

    [Oi. It¡¯s different, from before! Garururu!]

    ¡°¡­ It was that!? The delicious thing was that? The te!? Damn, alright, here!¡±

    Wataru only took out a white te this time.

    ¡­ He got them as a set of five from the treasure chest, so he had three more left.

    [Mu? This time, there¡¯s nothing, on top?]

    ¡°You want to deprive me of those too!? No, it¡¯s alright. Here, a sandwich. On the te.¡±

    When Wataru took out another sandwich to go with the te, Rin once again ate it all in a single bite.

    [Umu. Om, nom¡­ nom, nom¡­ hmph. Sandwitch, good. But, the top thing, not needed, after all.]

    ¡°Damn it! Give me back my lunch! And the thing on top is the sandwich, that bottom part is the te!¡±

    [Kuku, it¡¯s pretty, good. Alright, we¡¯ll talk. One more, first. Give it.]

    ¡°Yay thank you! Damn iiiiit!¡±

    Incidentally, Wataru¡¯s unique skill for being a hero, [Super Luck: Lv 1] went into full effect for no reason in particr. He didn¡¯t understand exactly how it happened, but it somehow turned into them having a drinking party together. He wound up falling asleep in the room, but didn¡¯t catch a cold since the heating was doing its job.

    *

    ¡°And well, that¡¯s how we somehow hit it off.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Hero-sama? You¡¯re saying that you¡¯re going to head back without defeating the monster?¡±

    He was going to return nonchntly. Rin was still safely protecting its room.

    Rather, you reek of alcohol, use [Cleanup], oi.

    Raaather, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯d quit drinking until you paid back your debt?

    ¡°No no no, I¡¯m obviously not just going to go home! I got a promise!¡±

    ¡°A promise?¡±

    ¡°Even if it encounters people, it won¡¯t kill them if they just hand it a white te!¡±

    Hero Wataru looked like he just solved a case. I want to punch him.

    But it¡¯s not a bad promise. If Rin said it was a promise, it¡¯d probably keep it. It¡¯ll be fine so long as it doesn¡¯t carelessly forget about it this time.

    ¡­ Let¡¯s raise the selling price of those white tes. Is the purchase price fine as is?

    ¡°Ah, it also seems like it¡¯ll let people go half-dead even if it¡¯s a te that isn¡¯t white!¡±

    ¡°Eeh¡­ so, can you trust it?¡±

    ¡°I think so?¡±

    ¡°On what grounds?¡±

    ¡°Intuition¡­ I guess? Well, I don¡¯t think that that wolf¡¯s a fundamentally bad monster.

    He probably wasn¡¯t wrong in saying that, but it is irritating for me. But as the vige chief and as an adventurer, it¡¯s not the time for me to quip about it.

    ¡°¡­ So, what if someone wants to go farther into the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not ¡°Ah¡±, idiot hero!¡±

    ¡°No, but¡­! It¡¯ll be leaving when spring arrive! Be patient until then!¡±

    This guy, he got that much information from it?

    In the end, Rin was somehow or another not exterminated by the hero. He couldn¡¯t get themission¡¯spletion reward, but I gave him five white tes as a reward for the beneficial information.

    He was happy because all of the ones he¡¯d had had gotten eaten, so well, it¡¯s all good.

 Chapter 146

    Extra: Rokuko¡¯s Ring and Haku Raverio

    Good morning! It¡¯s Rokuko!

    Today, I, a dungeon core, am working the reception desk!

    Since that saintess wasing here aaaaall the timetely, I wasn¡¯t able toe to the inn for safety reasons. Really, Kehma¡¯s a worry wart! But¡­ that just means he thinks of me as important¡­ it¡¯s not unpleasant you know?

    When I sat down at the reception desk and dangled my feet, Haku Ane-sama turned up for some reason. Chloe¡¯s with her as usual, too.

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama! It¡¯s been a while!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, hello, Rokuko-chan. Is the suite open? I¡¯d like to stay the night.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s open! Oh, do you want the usual to eat?¡±

    ¡°Yes, will Rokuko-chan eat with me? It¡¯ll be my treat.¡±

    Kehma¡¯s sleeping, but it¡¯s the first time Haku Ane-sama¡¯se over in a while, so I have to give her reception my all! Ummm, I think Kehma used [Cleanup] on the suite after the saintess left, so it should be alright.

    Haku Ane-sama tilted her head when she saw the box sitting on the reception counter.

    ¡°¡­ What is this box? It wasn¡¯t herest time I came, was it?¡±

    ¡°Nn? This? Fu fu fu¡­ this box is called a register!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, what kind of box is that?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ Suite, two people, one night! Meal, three S-Rank meals!¡±

    Reacting to my words, it spun around like the slots do and showed the cost. Sixty-five gold coins. That¡¯s probably right¡­ it is right, right?

    ¡°And that¡¯s how we calcte costs, it gives meal tickets and keys when we put money in!¡±

    ¡°Heeeh! That sounds convenient. Does it ever miscalcte?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more reliable than leaving it to people.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I want one of these. My duties would go faster with one of these and I¡¯d be able to visit more often.¡±

    Haku Ane-sama¡¯s looking at the register earnestly. Only dungeon cores can be this cool, she¡¯s so stylish!

    ¡°Nnn, I¡¯ll ask Kehma if I can sell Haku Ane-sama one.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Even without asking Kehma-san, couldn¡¯t Rokuko-chan do it on your own judgment? Also, where is Kehma-san exactly? Making Rokuko-chan work on her own¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehmapleted a huge job, so he said he¡¯ll be sleeping until tomorrow.¡±

    I feel bad for Haku Ane-sama, but Kehma needs to rest. Well, he said he¡¯ll wake up tomorrow so it¡¯s alright, I think¡­ He¡¯ll wake up, right?

    ¡°Hmph. Well, if Rokuko-chan says so, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s been so long since west talked, so how about we use the whole day to catch up?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be amazing!¡±

    Receiving the sixty-five gold from Chloe and storing it in the register, their suite room key and three meal tickets came out.

    I went to the suite together with Haku Ane-sama. Ah, I did remember to find a recement for the reception desk you know?

    ¡°¡­ So, I¡¯ve been wondering for a while now, but that¡¯s the ring you received from Kehma-san, correct?¡±

    ¡°Fueh? What? Haku Ane-sama, how¡¯d you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I heard about it from Hero Wataru. That guy did something really unnecessary¡­¡±

    Oooh, I see! That Debt Hero huh. Come to think of it, I heard about it from Wataru too huh!

    ¡°Though really, that ring is in strangely good taste considering it came from Kehma-san. It fits Rokuko-chan well¡­ Un? That ring, isn¡¯t it strange?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Strange? What is?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I thought it was a gemstone ring, but there¡¯s a metal ring inside it¡­ This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a ring like that. It looks quite expensive.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, well, I¡¯m his partner!¡±

    ¡°Right, for him to hand you a ring with such spirit within it¡­ fufufu, shall we discuss it thoroughly?¡±

    It feels like there¡¯s a ck auraing from Haku Ane-sama for some reason¡­ I¡¯m definitely just imagining it.

    Right?

    ¡°Hey, that ring, what materials went into it?¡±

    ¡°Ummm, I think he said ruby and orichalcum?¡±

    ¡°Heeh, ruby and orichalcum huh¡­ ¡­ ¡­ An orichalcum ring? Moreover, within ruby¡­? Wait a sec, that¡¯s a treasure worth tens of millions of DP!¡±

    ¡°He did say it was expensive after all¡­ but it was that much?¡±

    ¡°Can you see orichalcum rings in the catalog? Well, even if orichalcum could somehow be harvested in this mountain, it should still be expensive.¡±

    As she said, I looked in the DP catalog for [Orichalcum Ring]¡­ Mmm, decoration treasure category, orichalcum¡­ 1,000,000 DP?

    ¡°It says 1,000,000 DP¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The method of processing orichalcum is a dwarven secret, it takes so much time to process that even dwarves need a year to make an orichalcum sword. Although it should be more simple to make a ring, I feel that is a proper amount of DP for it.¡±

    ¡°Ooo¡­¡±

    When did Kehma get the chance to prepare the ring? Ah, but looking at the materials it looks like it¡¯s just 10,000 DP. Our vige¡¯s cksmith is a dwarf too, so did he ask him¡­? Ah, it¡¯d be [Create Golem] for Kehma though wouldn¡¯t it? Since there¡¯s ruby too it feels like I¡¯m not wrong.

    Mmm, I can¡¯t say that to Haku Ane-sama though!

    ¡°Ah,e to think of it, this vige has a dwarf cksmith. Maybe he asked him?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Even so, I can¡¯t figure out how it was buried inside ruby.¡±

    So that was it after all¡­ Uu, it¡¯s so hard not telling her! I think it¡¯d be better to tell Haku Ane-sama more, but I absolutely can¡¯t tell her about [Create Golem]!

    ¡°That ring, would you give it to me for 100,000,000 DP?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Wha¡ª!? N-no! Not this!¡±

    Dangerous, my heart swayed a little there. 100,000,000 DP would be enough to summon an ancient dragon, I couldn¡¯t help it!

    But Kehma could easily prepare a few more of these rings, so it would be an easy way to get 100,000,000 DP from Haku Ane-sama.

    ¡°¡­ That man, I have to purge him after all, don¡¯t I¡­?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, Haku Ane-sama? Umm, s-something¡¯s leaking out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. Ufufufu.¡±

    Haku Ane-sama who smiles so gracefully, what are you angry about? ¡­ Ahh, maybe you¡¯re thinking it¡¯s wasted money? Well, it didn¡¯t really cost that much to get though.

    After that, we talked about the saintess and Rin, as well as the game room. It seems that the effects of [Treaty] changes depending on the person who uses it too.

    Other than that, I weed her with all I had and took a bath together, ate lunch together, slept together, and when I invited her into my room in the vige chief¡¯s mansion, Kehma woke up.

    And now he¡¯s on the ground prostrating to Haku Ane-sama. He looks so natural doing it.

    ¡­ Un, that was a beautiful dogeza! Full marks on pitiability and resolution!

    Ah, it looks like she¡¯ll forgive him for something with him giving her a register?

    I don¡¯t get what¡¯s going on, but as expected of Kehma!

 Chapter 147

    Extra: Ichika and the Bar¡¯s Slots

    30 DP a day or thirty copper coins. That¡¯s the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]¡¯s wages for employees. Also, food and board are free. In other words, wages were free to use however they wanted.

    Considering that it was fifty copper a night without meals and that it¡¯s equal to or a bit higher than the [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]¡¯s standard, it was a pretty great job.

    ¡°Aaaalright, I¡¯ll definitely win today and eat a mountain of curry bread!¡±

    Ichika pumped herself up as she headed to the bar today. She held the day¡¯s wages, thirty copper coins, in her hand. For someone who¡¯d spend all their money overnight like Ichika, it was everything she owned.

    Her aim was the bar¡¯s slots.

    ¡°Heeey, is my beloved Slot-chan ready~!?¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, Ichika-san. Wee back, your usual seat¡¯s ready to go.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! Nooow then, today¡¯ll be a win¡­!¡±

    Weed by Wozuma, the bar¡¯s master, she headed to the second slot machine from the farthest back out of the six in total. The three ones farthest in were the kind that would take between one to three copper per go and¡ªdepending on the amount someone puts in¡ªwould increase the number of hit lines, starting with [Just the center row], then [an additional two rows above and below], followed by [an additional two columns on the sides]. [1]

    The seat second from the back waspletely reserved for Ichika¡¯s use, so Wozuma would quietly make sure it was open and ready for use as the end of Ichika¡¯s shifts approached.

    Ka-chink. Ka-chink. Ka-chink.

    Putting in three copper, she pulled the slot¡¯s lever. The drum spun with a machine-like sound and¡­.

    ¡°I can do it¡­! Haaaaaaah!¡±

    Bang!

    Pow!

    Boom!

    Pushing the buttons with all her might, the designs stopped moving to reveal¡­ a loss.

    ¡°Kuh! Nine more tries¡­ haaaaah!¡±

    She put more money in, pulling the lever once again.

    ¡­ A loss.

    Even so, Ichika didn¡¯t give up. She had enough of her wage left for eight more tries.

    ¡°Phew¡­ but ya won¡¯t see me run away! Do iiit!

    ¡°Oh, Ichika huh? You¡¯re still doing that eh.¡±

    ¡°Mu? What¡¯s up Gozoh? Talkin¡¯ to me to break my focus?¡±

    ¡°Gahaha! Sure why not? So, how¡¯s it, any wins today?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Nah¡­ I can do it, I just know it!¡±

    While saying that, Ichika got another loss.

    ¡°No good huh?¡±

    ¡°Dummy, take a good look! See here!? The right slipped down a bit yeah? This is a sign that the next will be a win!¡±

    ¡°Really? Rather, there was something like that?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s gooo¡­ now!¡±

    And then Ichika received another defeat.

    Gozoh¡¯s vision was piercing her. However, Ichika grinned.

    ¡°¡­ Fufu, don¡¯t be so quick, Gozoh. This¡¯s the flow for a jackpot.¡±

    ¡°Jackpot?¡±

    ¡°When there¡¯s a loss after that slip, the pattern¡¯s that after five times¡­ nine times outa ten, there¡¯ll be a jackpot!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, hurry up and spin it.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well, watch closely!¡±

    Ka-chink, bling, bling, bling.

    Ka-chink, bling, bling, bling.

    Ka-chink, bling, bling, bling.

    She got three more losses.

    ¡°Two more huh?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s not something to get impatient for y¡¯know?¡±

    Ka-chink, bling, bling, bling¡­ another loss.

    ¡°G-gunununu¡­!¡±

    ¡°Alright, if the next one¡¯s a win, I¡¯ll buy ya some karaage.¡± [2]

    ¡°What¡¯d ya say!? Just watch! Let¡¯s do iiit!¡±

    Ka-chink¡­ bling, bling¡­

    ¡°O-oooh! Look, look! There¡¯s two [7]¡¯s lined up in the center!¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s workin¡¯? Now¡¯s thest one, then?¡±

    ¡°Give it my all¡­! Give it my all¡­! Now!¡±

    Bling.

    A [7] appeared, moving into position, then¡­ a loss.

    ¡°Guaaaah!? Nooooo!¡±

    ¡°Ga ha ha ha! Knew it.¡±

    ¡°Gunununu, dangit¡­¡±

    Ka-chink, bling, bling, bling¡­. Ichika pressed the buttons as though she¡¯d lost her spirit.

    ¡­ A set of cherries lined up, kaching! The slots¡¯ bells rang, signifying a win.

    ¡°Oooh, Gozoh, I won! Karaage!¡±

    ¡°Won nine huh? Nice. Bein¡¯ just one try off would¡¯ve sucked, I¡¯ll give ya just one.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, thank ya~¡±

    She won nine as it was a x3 multiplier win for the slot machine. It was a win that was at least better than nothing at all. It appeared around two out of every ten uses.

    Gozoh carried a single karaage stabbed with a toothpick Ichika¡¯s mouth as she was still glued to the slot machine.

    Nom nom. Omnom.

    While savoring the entire karaage, Ichika spun the slot machine again.

    ¡­ In the end, she wound up spending everything she owned on the slots today as well.

    ¡°Kuuh, today was a bad today! Let¡¯s head back~¡­ haaah¡­¡±

    ¡°Aye, ya did your best!¡±

    Depressed, Ichika left the bar.

    ¡­ Immediately after that, at the slot machine second from the back¡ªthe one Ichika was just sitting at, there was an argument.

    ¡°Hey, move aside. You¡¯re in my way!¡±

    ¡°No way, you won yesterday, but today¡¯s my turn!¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, I waited enough, shove off! Today¡¯ll be my win!¡±

    After Ichika uses it, it¡¯ll have a fifty percent chance of winning.

    That rumor somehow spread amongst the regr customers.

    ¡°Aah, you¡¯re all doing great, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Roppu, you¡¯re going to give it a shot?¡±

    Gozoh headed over to the table that his partner Roppu sat down at, drinking a swig of alcohol.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something so foolish, Gozoh. I don¡¯t believe in that rumor.¡±

    ¡°Heeh? Why not?¡±

    ¡°Because of that rumor¡¯s origin¡­ it came from Kehma-san right? The first to go after Ichika would be the first to win¡ªhow¡¯d it go again?¡±

    ¡°The person to go after Ichika will get her winnings, I think? Well, it¡¯s that kind of feeling at least.¡±

    After that, the rapid rumors of [Easy Winning] [Big Jackpots] [Someone Actually Won It] [I won!] had recently settled down into [50% Chance to Win].

    In truth, the seat that Ichika used was such a popr one that it was kept spinning until it won.

    If it kept on being spun, it¡¯d have to win at some point. The more the spins, the more often there¡¯d be a win, so it really was a seat that won a lot.

    ¡­. There were many losses as well, but the race of people known as gamblers didn¡¯t pay attention to something as inconvenient as that.

    Because of that, along with the rumor, that slot machine was particrly popr.

    ¡°¡­ Well, those guys like gambling a lot after all.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if it¡¯s because they¡¯re adventurers?¡±

    Gozoh shrugged his shoulders as though to say that they¡¯re pretty simr.

    ¡°Boooyah! I won!¡±

    ¡°Hurry up and switch out with me!¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, I can¡¯t give my seat up now!¡±

    And so, that day had yet another boisterous night inside the bar.

    Footnotes:

    Looks like this. Kind of. Return

    Karaage is amazing. Here¡¯s the wikipedia page for it!

 Chapter 148

    Extra: An Average Viger-Adventurer¡¯s Day Off

    Yo! My name¡¯s Nanmo. I¡¯m an adventurer!

    Eh? I¡¯m just a viger ¡¯cause of my simple clothes? Good job noticing.

    I¡¯m a resident in this Golen Vige!

    The vige made in front of [Cave of Desires], Golen. Well, it¡¯s only just got its name recently.

    Looks like there¡¯s some super strong wolf demon appearing recently, but thanks to Hero-sama I just dive into the dungeon every day with a te charm!

    Well, today¡¯s my day off since I hunted an iron golem yesterday. If I can get a single iron golem, I can take a few days off without having to do anything. That¡¯s even after splitting it with my partner, Ian!

    Although I take the iron golems to Dyne-san¡¯s shop rather than straight to the guild for them to buy it, it¡¯s a pretty delicious trophy that turns into fifteen silver each. Still, it¡¯s crazy heavy since it¡¯s just a lump of iron so I gotta be careful.

    I don¡¯t even have to pay inn fees since I have something of a house that Kusan built. It¡¯s a bit cold though.

    There¡¯s no firece, but I can make a fire inside the house so I can get by. I¡¯m obviously careful with the fire though!

    Well, the vige chief let¡¯s us use the onsen to save on fuel costs, so I don¡¯t need to spend as much money herepared to when I lived in Sia.

    Now then, breakfast today¡¯s going to be some cheap bread. It¡¯s an item made with the inn¡¯s hearth, using the vige¡¯s reserved wheat flour. It¡¯s cheap and low quality wheat, but it feels as though it tastes like first-rate stuff since Kinue-san makes it. Chomp¡­ hard. Ah, it¡¯s hard from getting cold huh. Yep, well, whatever. It¡¯s bread that Kinue-san made! Delicious!

    Maaan, having a good cook is great isn¡¯t it. Kinue-san¡¯s beautiful too. With her somewhat transient atmosphere making me think she¡¯s some sort of sprite, mmm, I want to marry her.

    Yep, how ¡¯bout I go to the inn today? Maybe I should get her a present sold at Dyne¡¯s business? Rather, they have a ton of stocked essories there don¡¯t they¡­ wonder why.

    Well, because of that I went for one of this dungeon¡¯s special products at Dyne¡¯s business, an iron golem iron ring. Iron golems sell for fifteen silver, so the fifty copper it cost for the ring was a pretty excessive thing for them to charge, but I bought it anyway.

    Now then, the one at reception today is¡­! Ah, it¡¯s Nerune-chan!

    Nerune-chan looks a bit simplepared to Rei-san and Kinue-chan at first ce, but she¡¯s amazing when ites to magic. Unexpectedly, Nerune-chan¡¯s somehow managed to wholesale light magic tools to Dyne¡¯s business. She¡¯s almost definitely an apprentice alchemist huh.

    Though it¡¯s not to the point of being a dungeon town, the vige was built right in front of the dungeon, so since it¡¯s pretty cheap to get upper quality magic stones, there¡¯s a lot of craftsmen that need magic stones using this area as a ce to practice. That¡¯s why this dungeon-located vige has a ton of cheap magic tools that doesn¡¯t really match the vige¡¯s scale.

    Oops! My train of thought went a bit off track there, haha. Well, whatever I wanted to say, I¡¯d also like to marry Nerune-chan. An alchemist wife that supports her adventurer husband, doesn¡¯t that sound great?

    ¡°Yo, Nerune-chan, the weather¡¯s great today isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Wee~. Eeeh~, is it~? Are you going to stay~?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m going to head into the onsen though!¡±

    ¡°Just the onsen huh~, it¡¯s free for vigers~, but for everyone else it¡¯s ten copper~¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m a viger! Here¡¯s my viger card!¡±

    I showed her the iron tag that was the proof of me being a viger. They¡¯re something that the vige chief had Kantra-san, the vige cksmith, make. Each one has an individual name and number on it. I¡¯m the eighteenth, isn¡¯t that a great number? Eh? What¡¯d I say? Hahah, I said it¡¯s a good number, a good number!

    Even so, it¡¯s Nerune-chan; I¡¯ve been here a ton of times show she knows my disposition and always jokes around. See, we¡¯re just like ten steps away from the proposal now huh?

    Fufufu, being a popr man is hard!

    ¡°Ah~, right. I verified it~. Here you go~¡±

    ¡°Yep, thanks. How abouting over to my ce tonight?¡±

    ¡°Ah~, I can¡¯t do something like that~¡±

    I headed off to the onsen while being seen off by Nerune-san in regret.

    There were other vigers in the onsen as well. Ooh, if it isn¡¯t viger number one, Gozoh-san! You brought alcohol! What amazing muscles! Definitely a dwarf!

    ¡°Oh? Yanmo huh, you¡¯re taking a break today too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I hunted an iron golem yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, how many¡¯d you hunt, around three?¡±

    ¡°One with my partner. How about you, Gozoh-san?¡±

    ¡°Aah, I hunted five day before yesterday with Roppu and Kehma.¡±

    Five with three people¡­ fifteen silver times five¡­ umm, fifty silver?

    ¡°Seventy-five silver, twenty-five each.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah, I knew you know? It¡¯smon sense,mon sense.¡±

    ¡°That so? So Yanmo can do math huh. I just leave stuff like that to Roppu.¡±

    Yeah, I felt like Gozoh-san was like that.

    But twenty-five silver huh, so that¡¯s how he can drink alcohol all day; he earns that much money.

    ¡­ Rather, he said Kehma like it was nothing, but that¡¯s the vige chief you know?

    The vige chief was an adventurer? I had no idea.

    ¡°Between you and me, it¡¯s easier to find iron golems when you go in with Kehma. Seriously, Kehma has a great nose for ¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°Eh, the vige chief has a good nose? Did iron golems have a scent??¡±

    ¡°You an idiot? Saying someone has a good nose doesn¡¯t just mean that their sense of smell is better!¡±

    ¡°Heeh! That¡¯s good to know. I¡¯ll tell Ian about thatter.¡±

    ¡°Aye¡­ ah, want a swig?¡±

    ¡°Definitely!¡±

    Saying that, I took a mouthful of alcohol from Gozoh-san.

    This was another of this vige¡¯s charms: being able to get advice from senior adventurers.

    And then another guest arrived in the onsen.

    ¡°Nn? There were people here?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Kehma! Come on in, we were just talking about you!¡±

    ¡°V-vige chief!¡±

    The person who came in was the vige chief. He doesn¡¯t have much muscle at all¡­ is he really an adventurer? You¡¯d normally need to have at least enough muscle to carry the heavy equipment right?

    ¡°Well, first off how about a cup to drink? Have some.¡±

    ¡°Refused. I don¡¯t drink much alcohol.¡±

    The vige chief refused Gozoh-san¡¯s alcohol arrogantly. He¡¯s probably the only person in the whole vige that could do something like that. Other people would just dly drink it, since the alcohol Gozoh-san gets tastes crazy delicious.

    ¡°Tch, no fun. Well it¡¯s all good. Kehma, wanna go golem hunting with this guy here next time?¡±

    ¡°Eh!?¡±

    A sudden invitation. I-is this my chance to earn twenty-five silver a day too!?

    ¡°Nope, sounds troublesome. I just went with Gozoh day before yesterday yeah? Gozoh, you¡¯re not saying you already used it all right?¡±

    ¡°Drinking money runs out fast! Rather, our gracious golems make such a rare hunting ground, there¡¯s still not many people here.¡±

    ¡°That so¡­ so there¡¯ll be more peopleing¡­? I¡¯m going to have more vige chief stuff to do, eh. I¡¯m tired.¡±

    H-huh? What about my twenty-five silver? It¡¯s already gone? Haah¡­

    ¡°E-excuse me. V-vige chief? I didn¡¯t know that you were an adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, D-Rank for now.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re the same rank! ¡­ You don¡¯t look like a vanguard though?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m a rear guard. Kuro¡¯s the vanguard.¡±

    Kuro is¡­ Ah! Kuro-chan! Right, she¡¯s the vige chief¡¯s party member huh.

    Kuro-chan is a girl, yet she has an unthinkable name like Meat, but¡­ she¡¯s strong as heck. There¡¯ve been a lot of adventurers that have suffered from underestimating her due to her physique in the mock battles. I also lost to her.

    It feels like having so much strength despite that appearance is foul y¡­

    ¡°What kind of magic do you use? Ah, you don¡¯t need to tell me if you can¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a secret.¡±

    The vige chief got up immediately after saying that. So cool. Apparently, he just came to warm himself up a bit before heading to bed¡­ It¡¯s still lunch time though? Eh, he¡¯s already going to sleep? What a cker.

    ¡°Haah, still, for the vige chief to be that Kuro-chan¡¯s party member¡­ huh? Then that means the Goshujin-sama Kuro-chan¡¯s always talking about, no way¡­?¡±

    ¡°Aye, it¡¯s Kehma. Kuro fawns over him.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, with Kuro-chan¡¯s name and her using [Goshujin-sama]¡­ uhh?¡±

    ¡°Yanmo¡­ people¡¯s fetishes are best left alone.¡±

    Uwaaah, I won¡¯t say anything.

    Ah, on the topic of fetishes, I love navels you know? They¡¯re so cute and adorable! Gozoh-san feels like he¡¯d like someone who drinks alcohol¡­ Ahh, Roppu-san huh. Definitely.

    So after warming myself up enough in the onsen with all that, I decided to eat some lunch. Kinue-san¡¯s handmade onigiri are great.

    I headed to the dining room. I wonder if Kinue-san¡¯s there~?

    ¡°Kinue-san~¡±

    ¡°Nn? Kinue-san has the night shift today you know?¡±

    The one to say that was the silvery-haired beauty, Rei-chan.

    Her style¡¯s good too. Rather, why are there so many bride candidates for me here?

    ¡°Ah, really? Well, I¡¯m happy I could see Rei-chan though.¡±

    ¡°Today¡¯s lunch is onigiri. Five copper coins.¡±

    ¡°Your silvery hair¡¯s beautiful today too. I¡¯ll take an onigiri, as well as one of your smiling faces.¡±

    ¡°A smile is five copper, making eleven copper in total.¡±

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a charge¡­ Huh? Isn¡¯t eleven a bit over? It¡¯s ten right?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah¡­ it¡¯s a special service just for guests though?¡±

    ¡°Got it, I¡¯ll pay!¡±

    Fuuu¡ªa special service just for me¡­!? Now I feel bad.

    I paid Rei-chan the eleven copper.

    ¡°Here is your onigiri¡­ ehe!¡±

    Oufu¡ª! What a great smile! I want to marry you!

    Her gentle smile was like the sun!

    Come to think of it, even though there was a crazy amount of salt here and there in the onigiri made by Rei-chan, it was a mysteriously edible onigiri. It¡¯s definitely edible because it¡¯s jam-packed with love!

    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s a good smile. How about it, wanna have a meal with me tonight?¡±

    ¡°Would you treat me to an S-Rank meal? You just have to get the meal ticket, ehe!¡±

    As expected, five gold¡¯s a bit much! Fufu, she¡¯s just shy. I know that it¡¯s not like she seriously hates me. Because it¡¯s like that you know? If she really didn¡¯t want to, she wouldn¡¯t have given me a condition. In other words, she¡¯ll marry me if I can do that.

    My my, I¡¯m so popr.

    The onigiri for lunch are every-day ordinary onigiri. There¡¯s something ck used to hold it¡­ something from Pavuera, I think it¡¯s called seaweed? Well, it¡¯s not bat at all. It tastes like Rei-chan¡¯s love.

    Now then, lunch is done so what now¡­? Ah,e to think of it, it¡¯s about time for the rat race huh? Yep, I got the time so let¡¯s go check it out!

    Think it¡¯s time I headed to the game room. Entrance is free. Just watching the rats racing is fun by itself.

    ¡°Oh, Ian huh? So you were here?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Yanmo, you came too?¡±

    My partner, Ian. There¡¯s a betting note in his hand¡­ ah, feels like he just lost.

    ¡°Did you win?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it back on the next race.¡±

    Yep, looks like he¡¯s going to be on a losing streak¡­ so that means if I bet against Ian, I¡¯ll win?

    ¡°Who did you bet on?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I bet on two: Oranihasanpo and Aonotenteki.¡± [1]

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll bet on another one¡­ oi oi, wasn¡¯t Onsoku your favorite? Why didn¡¯t you buy one for it?¡±

    ¡°Because this is the second time Onsoku¡¯s going today. It should be fatigued from it¡¯s first race.¡±

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be like that. Well, I bet five copper on Onsoku.

    As a result, Oranihasanpo stopped just three steps away from the goal and Aonotenteki started running back towards the starting line for some reason.

    The one to win was Onsoku. It walked leisurely the whole way, but it dashed forward the instant Oranihasanpo stopped in front of the goal line, reaching the goal with momentum enough to practically roll in.

    Moreover, while on the topic, Bibibi was sleeping at the starting line.

    ¡­ My five copper turned into seven. Yep, today feels like a good day, lets go all in!

    *

    Hmm, today¡¯s weather is great (escaping from reality).

    No, that¡¯s it yeah? I thought that I should do it. The omens were good. I also won the bet I put on Elekimouse after that, but the ones after one that were no good. I wasted all of the money I had on me.

    Man, I should¡¯ve realized it¡¯d be bad when I saw Ichika in her gambling outfit.

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s end our holiday today and go after another iron golem tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Un¡­ ahh, stopping now¡¯s so disappointing¡­!¡±

    Haah, I sighed while heading to eat dinner. Since there¡¯s the emergency wheat rations, I¡¯m able to make do with a single copper to get some bread.

    When I went into the dining room as it turned night, my beloved Kinue-san was there.

    Kinue-san¡¯s pale green gentle aura is seriously fairy-like. Kinue-san¡¯s just someone where everyone winds up adding a [-san] to her name.

    ¡°Oh my, wee¡­ do you want another loaf of bread? Nanmo-san.¡±

    ¡°Ahahah, I¡¯m embarrassed¡­¡±

    Kinue-san actually remembered my name.

    After all, Kinue-san is¡­

    Ah, I just remembered the ring I¡¯d wound up putting in my pocket.

    ¡°Right, Kinue-san. I have a present for you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what is it?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s this ring!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, it¡¯s wonderful¡­ Nn, how about I give you some bacon to thank you for the gift?¡±

    Saying that, Kinue-san sliced bread that she¡¯d made at some point without me noticing and put a slice of bacon in it.

    ¡­ Kinue-san, you really are a spirit, a pure existence¡­!

    This service must be proof of our engagement!

    ¡°Um, if you could, could you show me you wearing the ring?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m working right now so just this once alright?¡±

    Saying that, Kinue-san took the ring that I bought and put it onto the forefinger on her left hand, showing it to me. She moved it right after since she was working though.

    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Yep, I don¡¯t need to wager bets on the rat race. Buying essories is so much better¡­

    ¡°Well then, please order a proper meal next time, okay?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    I took the bread with a slice of bacon in it and returned home in good spirits. She called my name and made me dinner (bread). It¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that we¡¯re already married, right?

    ¡°Maaan, Kinue-san really is a good person. She even gave me some free cheese.¡±

    ¡°Ian, what you¡¯re getting is just my extras, you should thank me!¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, how about you hurry up and sleep? We¡¯re hunting golems tomorrow.¡±

    I plopped down onto my futon.

    Magic stones from golems are purchased at a good price too, but iron golems are really just better¡­

    Thinking about when my next day off would be, I fell asleep.

    Footnotes:

    There¡¯s exnations for what the different rats¡¯ names mean in the footnotes of Chapter 108

 Chapter 149

    Extra: What Uzoh and Muzoh Are Doing Now

    Lake Izamu is in a cold area. There is a dungeon on theke¡¯s solitary ind that can only be essed during the winter when theke is frozen over, [Ice Mirror Labyrinth].

    This dungeon also had talks of magic swords being easy to acquire in it, so it was a pretty popr dungeon.

    There were currently a pair of adventurers advancing their exploration through its mysterious corridors while paying careful attention to their surroundings.

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°What now, Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t look like we¡¯ve found a magic sword, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, maybe it¡¯ll appear on its own if we keep going?¡±

    The Uzoh Muzoh duo where looking for a magic sword to pay back the person who saved their lives.

    Although they were the ones to set the one year deadline, they hadn¡¯t found a magic sword yet.

    They were also saving up, but they didn¡¯t have enough to buy a magic sword yet either.

    ¡°Well, Kehma-san said that we shouldn¡¯t overwork ourselves.¡±

    ¡°[Return the magic sword even if it takes two years, just don¡¯t do something unreasonable and get yourselves killed] was it? That message we got through the guild¡­ Seriously, Kehma-san¡¯s on another level, Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°I want to work harder and pay him back! Muzoh!¡±

    ¡°Rather, Uzoh. Seems Kehma-san¡¯s turned into a vige chief?¡±

    ¡°Eh, he stopped being an adventurer!? I didn¡¯t hear that, Muzoh!¡±

    ¡°No. He¡¯s still an adventurer. At the usual dungeon¡­ [Cave of Desires] yeah? They set up a vige around it¡­ ah.¡±

    He easily brushed aside a snowball-looking monster that started attacking him.

    It was a monster that appeared often in this dungeon, a snowball. They were very weak alone, but they turn into pretty troublesome enemies when they group up into a snowman.

    ¡°But man, that dungeon seems to have turned into a pretty good one, Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°Really? Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Like there¡¯s iron golems popping up there now. Magic swords too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ If magic swords are showing up there, shouldn¡¯t we head back to [Cave of Desires]? Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Could we show our faces to him without a magic sword? Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°Nope! Stupid question, Muzoh!¡±

    Strolling through the icebyrinth, Uzoh and Muzoh searched for a treasure chest. They exterminated several kinds of cold-type monsters that appeared on their way, like ice goblins, blue lizards, and cold wolves. They weren¡¯t a pair of C-Ranks just for show.

    They were on their guard for traps, but this dungeon didn¡¯t have many of them. The worst of it was what they were standing on was slippery due to ice, but it wasn¡¯t much of a problem since they wore spikes.

    And so, on the second day of their exploration inside [Ice Mirror Labyrinth], they finally came across a treasure chest. In two days, just one. There were so many parties diving into this particr dungeon that even though they¡¯d just found a single chest, they were the lucky ones.

    ¡°¡­ This is a pretty normal pace ain¡¯t it, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Even though we saw a lot of treasure chests when we first dove into [Cave of Desires]¡­¡±

    There was also the inn stuff, so [Cave of Desires] was iparable to other dungeons in various ways. That¡¯s what Uzoh felt.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s in it?¡±

    ¡°Give me a sec¡­ Yep, no traps. Uzoh, you wanna check it out too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Excuse me from getting locked up in a room again, Muzoh.¡±

    After their time spent being trapped in the [Magic Sword Test Room], they¡¯d both been studying traps to deepen their understanding of them. As they¡¯d had to live through what it felt like to almost lose their lives while diving into a dungeon, not just Muzoh, but Uzoh also had enough scouting skills now to work as one.

    After taking some time to carefully check whether or not it was trapped, they took a bit of a distance away and used a pole to open the treasure chest.

    ¡­ It appeared as though there really wasn¡¯t a trap.

    ¡°¡­ So, what¡¯s in it?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ eh, there¡¯s no sword. A magic tool? Uzoh, you wanna check them out?¡±

    Muzoh passed the magic tool in his hand to Uzoh.

    It was shaped very closely to a baseball. He couldn¡¯t figure out its use, but there was a spot to put a magic stone in, so he knew immediately that it was a magic tool.

    It was probably an ice-producing magic tool as those appeared in this dungeon quite often. If so, they¡¯d make a decent amount of money by selling it.

    ¡°Hmm? What kind of magic tool is this? Maybe we could sell it to buy a magic sword?¡±

    ¡°Best thing to do would be to get the guild to appraise it. Well, how about we stop here this time? Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, even without the magic tool we¡¯ve picked up a lot of monster materials on the way, so let¡¯s head back.¡±

    Uzoh and Muzoh decided to head back. It was even colder than they¡¯d thought it would be, so they wanted to hurry up and get back to town to eat some warm soup.

    That in mind, they retraced their path at a quick pace.

 Chapter 150

    Extra: The Winter Demon

    Winter. The frozen season where snow would umte.

    To save on heating fees, I opened up the onsen to vigers free of charge.

    I nned on collecting money through tax one of these days of course, but for now I¡¯ll just pardon them with their DP.

    It¡¯s that cold winter right now, but my room¡¯s instion is excellent. While we¡¯re at it, it¡¯s tatami-mat style.

    I decided that the tatami I was lying down were excavated from the dungeon.

    They were 300 DP each. Fu fu fu, they¡¯re like small luxuries.

    And I have a trap on my tatami mats! Shoes are banned! You have to take off shoes to enter their domain¡­ kukuku, in other words, I can look at undressed feet as much as I want!

    Well, the only ones thate into my room are Rokuko and Meat though.

    My eyes chase legs even though I¡¯m not a lolicon¡­ what an unfortunate tale.

    Alright, let¡¯s think about something else. When I build the employees¡¯ lounge, I¡¯ll fill it with tatami mats. That way, it should be easy to get the employees to enter a certain thing.

    The winter demon, Kotatsu-sama. [1]

    ¡°Did you make this, master?¡±

    ¡°Should I clean this ce up?¡±

    ¡°I helped make it too~¡­. like the dial that can be used to adjust the heat by changing the thickness of the magic formation¡¯s lines¡­ another great idea that will revolutionize everything~¡­ aaah warm~¡± [2]

    The Kotatsu-sama is a square-type table that can fit four people. Nerune got in from the opposite side I got in at.

    Since I made it together with Nerune, we got to test out Kotatsu-sama¡¯s magic before the other employees and lead the charge. Her simple brown socks are pretty good.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll take this spot. Excuse me, master.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be joining too. It¡¯s not meal time right now after all.¡±

    Rei and Kinue-san took off their shoes and got onto the tatami mat. Rei¡¯s wearing ck stockings. Kinue-san moved to sit next to me while wearing green socks, matching her overall green coloring. It wasn¡¯t a color that most people would go for, but since it was an overall unified color she scores top points. They wound up all getting covered by Kotatsu-sama though.

    ¡­ Crap! I can¡¯t appreciate them now though!?

    Was the kotatsu a failure¡­? I needed it to make a Japanese-styled room though. ¡®Kotatsu-sama¡¯, tch.

    ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s warm¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s afortable temperature, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, it was hard getting the temperature to be just right~¡±

    ¡°Aah, yeah¡­ haaah, well, that¡¯s good.¡±

    There¡¯s no helping me not being able to see them, so I sighed in resignation. Whatever, even if it¡¯s just a kotatsu, the results are alright.

    Just then, something touched my foot.

    What¡­?

    ¡°Hyan¡ª!?¡±

    ¡­ it was Rei¡¯s foot. Looks like she extended her legs and wound up touching my foot.

    ¡°S-sorry master. I hit your foot.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s part of a kotatsu¡¯s charm¡­!¡±

    ¡°So you are supposed to stretch out under a kotatsu? Then I¡¯ll do it too¡­ ah. Sorry.¡±

    ¡°No no, don¡¯t hold back, Kinue-san. The area under Kotatsu-sama is like international waters.¡±

    T-this¡­ might be something amazing. As expected of Kotatsu-sama. A brilliant 180 degree turn!

    ¡°Ah, Kehma! I heard! You made something new again!?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Ah, Rokuko. Come join us¡ª-ah, we¡¯re already taking the four spots¡­¡±

    ¡°Aw¡­ well, I¡¯ll sit next to you then.¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko forcibly pushed her way into sitting beside me.

    ¡°Oi. It¡¯s cramped.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you and me can share right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, partner in body and mind¡­ Maybe I should¡¯ve made it a bit bigger?¡±

    I made it a square-type this time, but maybe it¡¯s be better making a rectangr one? Or maybe I could make a huge one that you cany under and just have your head pop out of?

    Well, like that, Rokuko entered Kotatsu-sama and overfilled it.

    ¡°Ooh, so warm¡­ but all of your feet are getting in the way, get out.¡±

    ¡°Eeh~, don¡¯t wanna~. I don¡¯t want to leave the warmth~¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I can¡¯t yield this warmth¡­¡±

    ¡°Besides, isn¡¯t it alright Rokuko-sama? If we left, wouldn¡¯t there be a little too much space?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh. This is best after all.¡±

    The monsters and dungeon core have a good rtionship.

    ¡­ Did Kotatsu-sama¡¯s magic just invalidate the dungeon core¡¯s order? I don¡¯t remember making such a scary magic tool though?

    They were hesitant over leaving the kotatsu for their shifts after that, so I had to give the employees strictmands to keep being punctual with their work hours.

    With those various things and while the slightly sweaty Rokuko stuck close to me, I fully enjoyed Kotatsu-sama.

    This is a kotatsu

    Might be a little confusing, but the speaking order here is Rei -> Kinue-san -> Nerune

 Chapter 151

    Rin¡¯s Parting Gift

    Spring arrived.

    The snow melting, a warmer air filled the area.

    It¡¯s said that spring is a season of encounters, but for [Cave of Desires], it¡¯s one of parting.

    ¡°You have to go?¡±

    [Yeah. Thanks, for the care. Kehma.]

    Promising to leave in the spring, the ck wolf¡ªthe enigmatic ck slime (wolf type), Rin, had already decided to leave the dungeon once winter ended.

    Although I was thinking about tricking it with something like [Winter is forever you know?], it would¡¯ve been pretty bad if I got exposed. It also would¡¯ve felt like keeping a ticking bomb in the dungeon.

    [Ah, right. I made this. Here.]

    ¡°Nn? What¡¯s this?¡±

    Rin handed me an orb. I caught it with the messenger golem¡¯s hand.

    It¡¯s a ck orb about the size of a baseball. It¡¯s so ck that it looks like it¡¯s eating up the light. The heck is this thing?

    [It¡¯s a Gravity, Bomb. If you strike it, most enemies, will die.]

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t give me something like that. Am I some suicide bomber?¡±

    [Kukuku, were you, surprised? It¡¯s alright, I set, a keyword. Hold it with, your hand. After you say it, throw it. The keyword, is [ck te].]

    So there¡¯s a safety¡­ seriously, I still don¡¯t know what this guy is at all.

    ¡°ck¡­ ah, it¡¯d be bad to say it now.¡±

    [Kukuku! You didn¡¯t fall, for it huh! As expected, Kehma is, smart.]

    ¡°Hahaha. Could you give me another? I¡¯d like to try it out against boss.¡±

    [Sure, try a few, times. I make them, myself, so there¡¯s a limit¡­ But, they don¡¯t work, against me, you know?]

    Saying that, five of the ck orbs dropped out from Rins ck pelt. It rolled them over with its forefoot. Are you some kind of powder keg? Your existence itself is like a bomb, though.

    [That¡¯s the limit. Use them, well. Then, see you.]

    ¡°Yeah¡­ when are youing again? Next year?¡±

    [No idea, but till then, don¡¯t die, yeah? ¡­ Ah, Kehma can¡¯t die, so it¡¯s alright, right? Well, see you.]

    Laughing, Rin left the cave.

    On this day, Rin, who magnificently left the cave in broad daylight, was seen by adventurers that carried white tes. It ate a ton of white tes as a midday snack.

    ¡°¡­ It left?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it feels like I just put down some heavy luggage. Phew.¡±

    I sighed.

    So I was feeling stressed by the absurd bomb named Rin being in the dungeon after all? I just feel like I finally removed a popcorn kernel from between my teeth right now, it¡¯s a pretty refreshing feeling.

    There¡¯s also the fact that our DP ie went down since Rin isn¡¯t in the dungeon anymore, so there¡¯s that. It gave us quite a lot of ie over the winter. Well, it¡¯s fine.

    It gave me these Gravity Bomb things, they seem pretty dangerous¡­ I wonder how strong they are. There¡¯s no way they¡¯re strong enough to copse a dungeon right? I¡¯m troubled about where I should put them!

    ¡­ I was also able to advance the dungeon¡¯s development while Rin was here.

    I started making the new riddle area after the warehouse area, as well as an arena area just beyond that.

    The arena area is a kind of miniboss fight. The haniwa golem is the opponent there.

    It¡¯s a bit lonely since there isn¡¯t an audience though.

    After the arena area it turns back into what you¡¯d call more of a normal dungeon area. Taking a break there, the next floor has the boss room and the innermost core room.

    ¡­ By the way, the innermost core room is a twoyer structure, with a dummy core room on one side that conceals a hidden inner room¡­ that also has a dummy core. Why would I make a wasteful thing like that? That¡¯s because I don¡¯t really know where I should put the real dungeon core.

    Since the saintess used [Treaty], a skill that could seal off a dungeon core¡¯s movement, I want to put it in safe a ce as possible.

    On the other hand, just putting it as far in as possible isn¡¯t any good either. Dungeon cores = farthest in. That¡¯s how all adventurers think.

    So then I thought about making a twoyer system using a dummy core and the real core and tried it, but¡­ there might be people that can see through the trick. I realized that after I made it, so I decided to put another dummy core there.

    So right now the real dungeon core is hidden in the arena area¡¯s ceiling lights. It¡¯s hidden among shining orb light magic tools.

    Well, this should be good enough for now. I¡¯ll have to react immediately if people make their way past the riddle area though.

    ¡°Ah, right, Kehma. I¡¯ll be away from the dungeon for a bit, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Going away? You¡¯re leaving¡­? To where?¡±

    Is there somewhere to go?

    Maybe it¡¯s some business in Sia or Pavuera?

    ¡°To the dungeon core assembly!¡±

    ¡­ Which reminds me, there was something said about something like that, huh.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I go with you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen dungeon masters get brought along, so I don¡¯t think so. I think I¡¯ll be back in two or three days, so please wait here. I wasn¡¯t able to gost year because of the bandits after all.¡±

    In other words, what she¡¯s doing isn¡¯t different from what she¡¯s always done.

    ¡°Got it. So, when are you leaving?¡±

    ¡°Ah, today.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s body started emitting a faint light.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­?¡±

    ¡°Un. I¡¯m off¡­ Not like I want to go, though.¡±

    At that moment, a magic formation appeared like it was wrapping around Rokuko and, with a bang, she disappeared.

    ¡­ Tell me sooner, oi.

 Chapter 152

    The Dungeon Core Assembly

    When her vision returned from being filled with bright light, she was at a buffet venue under the blue sky. It looked as though the assembly had already started, as there was a red werewolf filling its mouth with meat, as well a gold skeleton that wasughing while drinking ck tea.

    There was a ck dragon in the distance gulping down alcohol out of a barrel, apanied by a unicorn jeering it on.

    At first nce, there were a lot of races intermingling, making quite a peaceful scene.

    However, each and every one of the people there were dungeon cores.

    Although there were quite a lot of people in the form of a human, the majority were using mimicry to take human form.

    ¡°Now then¡­¡±

    Rokuko, like every year, quietly walked to a corner.

    ¡­ This year was outdoors, so she really didn¡¯t feel like eating. That¡¯s because without there being any walls, she didn¡¯t feel like she was actually in a corner.

    While moving towards the corner, arge snake,rge frog, andrge slug each about the size of a human turned up in front of her.

    ¡°Hoooh. If it isn¡¯t 695. What¡¯re you doin?¡±

    ¡°Gue gue gue gue, rather, you¡¯re still alive eh?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯test year and your DP was 0, so we thought you died, haha.¡±

    ¡°Si-650, 651, 652¡­ L-long time, no see.¡±

    ¡°Haaaah!? Add the ¡®No.¡¯!¡±

    ¡°Hiii!?¡±

    Bang! No. 650¡¯s snake tail make a loud noise, causing Rokuko¡¯s body to once again stiffen up.

    Incidentally, adding [No.] was a form of honorific amongst dungeon cores. Rokuko absolutely didn¡¯t want to use it for those guys.

    ¡°W-what, w-we¡¯re part of the same 600 series, so isn¡¯t it, alright?¡±

    ¡°Huuuuuuuh? I can¡¯t hear you. Gekokoko¡­ What¡¯s this lowest ranked 695 saying?¡±

    As though to block Rokuko¡¯s path out, Core 651, therge frog, went around her right side behind her.

    ¡°Yeah yeah, aren¡¯t you a cheeky one?¡±

    ¡°Hiuuu¡­¡±

    Core 652, therge slub, ced his hand (?) on Rokuko¡¯s shoulder.

    This was the trinity, a three-way deadlock¡­ Rokuko felt goosebumps all over her.

    Therge snake brought its face close to Rokuko, its tongue slipping in and out of its mouth.

    ¡°Shaaa¡­ Fufufu, how ¡¯bout we move over there for a bit?¡±

    ¡°N-no! Let go¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, alright I say~. Not like you¡¯ll die, geko geko geko!¡±

    ¡°Nooow~, how about youe with us?¡±

    The ce they gestured was the ce that Rokuko was originally heading to, but her reason was very different from these three that wanted to take her there. That¡¯s why she was quietly heading there¡ªto avoid being found by this kind of people.

    They were trying to take Rokuko, but no one cared¡­ After all, it was nothing but a struggle between those in the lower rankings.

    Like they wouldn¡¯t worry about ants crowding around toffee dropped on the ground, the majority of dungeon cores there didn¡¯t bother paying attention to Rokuko and the other three.

    ¡°Oh, you alright here?¡±

    Just then, a red smander appeared.

    Dungeon Core No. 112, Ontentoo.

    The dungeon core of a fifty-one floor dungeon that practically filled an entire mountain, [me Cavern].

    Fully enjoying a slow life with his red dragon wife that was his master, even if he couldn¡¯t be called top-ss, he was a firmly middle-ranked dungeon core.

    He was also part of the 100 series, so he was their senior.

    ¡°D-Dungeon Core No. 112-sama!? What business do you have with us?¡±

    ¡°Aah? ¡­ Ah¡­ Ah. Nothing for you guys. You there, 695. Come.¡±

    ¡°Eh? U-um, this person?¡±

    ¡°What, are youining? You, what¡¯re your number?¡±

    ¡°Si-650! E-e-excuse me, No. 112-sama, I¡¯m a fan!¡±

    Because the snake didn¡¯t have a hand to shake, he held out a tail.

    However, Ontentoo ignored him and talked to Rokuko.

    ¡°Right. Well 695, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°U-umm¡­ un.¡±

    Taken by Ontentoo, Rokuko was released by the three¡¯s encirclement.

    Core 650, still holding his tail out, was utterly surprised.

    ¡­ While getting rid of the slug¡¯s mucus with [Cleanup], Rokuko addressed Ontentoo, who was silently walking in front of her.

    ¡°U-umm, No. 112¡­ sama?¡±

    ¡°Aah!? Stupid, I don¡¯t need somethin¡¯ like [No.] or [-sama]. Raaather, when¡¯d you turn into a yesman?¡±

    Turning around almost with a roar as though he were about to snap at her any second, Ontentoo brought his face near her¡¯s.

    As a senior, Ontentoo¡¯s name was somewhat known. That¡¯s why for a little while now since he took Rokuko people had been staring their direction.

    ¡°B-because, a low-ranked dungeon like me¡­ surrounded by three people, I couldn¡¯t talk back.¡±

    ¡°Haah? Ah, ah. Right, right.¡±

    Ontentoo poked Rokuko with his fire-tipped tail that was characteristic of smanders.

    It was obvious that he held back with it, but even so it was still considerably painful for Rokuko. And a bit hot. He had just helped her so it¡¯s not like she could say anything though.

    ¡°Kukaka, you shouldn¡¯t say something like that. You defeated me!¡±

    ¡°¡­ That was thanks to Kehma, not me.¡±

    ¡°Kakaka! That¡¯s not wrong, honestly isn¡¯t bad¡­ but it¡¯s true that you won. Doesn¡¯t a core¡¯s abilities include their master? In other words, for me, the power of my beloved wife is included!¡±

    Ontentooughed.

    People around them heard their conversation.

    ¡°¡­ Defeated him?¡±

    ¡°Against No. 112¡­?¡±

    ¡°695¡­ the lowest rank did?¡±

    Such lines could be hearding from their surroundings.

    In particr, people questioning just what sort of dirty trick she used could be heard, but since they really had used an unfair trick, she couldn¡¯t even say anything. The dungeon battle itself used irregr rules in the first ce.

    ¡°¡­ Kehma said that was a tie you know?¡±

    ¡°Then do you want to try switching offense and defense next time?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but I decline¡­ ah, I can make it from here. Thank you for the help, No. 112.¡±

    With that, Rokuko started to leave. However, Ontentoo stopped her.

    ¡°Well, hold up. [Father]¡¯s greeting will be soon. How about we get something to eat until then? The meat here¡¯s pretty good you know?¡±

    ¡°Ah, good. It¡¯s here this year again¡­ Even though dungeon cores don¡¯t actually need to eat to live.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no trash or poison mixed in at this table so don¡¯t worry. Or do you not trust me? Oooh? I¡¯m your benefactor you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Uu. T-then I¡¯ll take a little.¡±

    Rokuko timidly bit into the meat that Ontentoo held out for her.

    The instant she bit into it, the meat¡¯s juices spread throughout her mouth, wrapping her tongue with the rich vor of the meat.

    ¡­ She didn¡¯t know what kind of meat this was, but it was amazingly delicious. Rokuko believed that its vor would be a hit with Meat.

    ¡°Ou, you¡¯re getting messy. [Cleanup].¡±

    ¡°Om, nom. T-thanks.¡±

    ¡°Kakaka! You¡¯re wee.¡±

    After a while of Rokuko eating her fill, a voice echoed through the area.

    [Yo, my adorable children. Is everyone doing well?]

    Looking up into the sky, there was a single man projected on a huge monitor floating in the air.

 Chapter 153

    Father

    The dungeon cores all looked at the man that was disyed on the monitor at the same time. Naturally, this included Rokuko as well.

    ¡°Tou-sama¡­ it¡¯s been two years since I¡¯ve paid my respects to your countenance.¡±

    Other than [Father] and [Tou-sama], there were also people calling him [King] and [God]. The man had ck hair and dark skin and was wrapped in a deep blue vestment. Although Rokuko said ¡®countenance¡¯, half of his face was hidden by an eye mask. None of his mouth was hidden, though, and he was smiling.

    Not one of the dungeon cores here knew who he truly was.

    However, at the very least, all of the dungeon cores here had been produced by him. This was an unshakable truth.

    The standard leading theory was that he was [Dungeon Core No. 0] and all of the dungeon cores here were his [Dummy Cores].

    Many of the dungeon cores that took human shape did so because he, as their [Father] had a human shape¡ªor, at the very least, appeared in that form.

    Therefore, Haku, who held a human shape from the start, was the object of envy of many of the dungeon cores.

    ¡­ Another reason Haku lowered the ranking of Rokuko¡¯s dungeon was so that she wouldn¡¯t be targeted by others¡¯ begrudging.

    [Oh, are there fewer of you? That¡¯s saddening. Maybe I should supplement it with some new children¡­ What do you think, 1?]

    ¡°Sir! If father believes as such, should father not do so?¡±

    The knight-formed Core 1 answered [Father]¡¯s question. In this dungeon core assembly, the most influential person¡ªexcluding [Father]¡ªwas this person. The single-digit number wasn¡¯t just for show.

    [Hmm. That¡¯s a boring answer. Is there any child that has another opinion?]

    However, seeming as though Core 1¡¯s answer didn¡¯t satisfy him, [Father] asked the other cores for an opinion.

    ¡ªHowever, no one said anything. No, they couldn¡¯t say anything.

    Because if they did say something, that was the same thing as speaking out against Core 1. And to begin with, reproving [Father] was a very awful thing to do.

    ¡°Could I give my opinion, Otou-sama?¡±

    Among them, a single core raised their hand.

    Who? Who was so reckless¡ªthinking that, everyone looked towards the person.

    [What is it? 89, what is your opinion?]

    [Father]¡¯s voice rose as though delighted. Core 89¡­ Haku smiled.

    ¡°Approximately seventy percent of the 600 series are still alive. It might be somewhat premature to birth younger siblings. Would it not be more eptable to wait for them to decrease a little longer?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this [Betrayer] saying!?¡±

    With a roar, a quaking voice shook the ground.

    Core 5, a ck dragon, interrupted the conversation between Haku and [Father]. However, [Father] gently chided 5.

    [5. Right now, I am listening to what 89 has to say. You can speak afterwards.]

    ¡°E-excuse my impoliteness, dad! But!¡±

    [Didn¡¯t I say I would listen afterwards? 5 is wise, so could you wait patiently for me?]

    ¡°Y-yes¡­¡±

    Told that he could wait as he was wise, he would have to deny that if he red up again. Core 5 could do nothing but withdraw.

    Then, [Father] asked Haku again.

    [Now, 89, how much do you believe the number of children should decrease beforehand?]

    ¡°When the number of surviving members of the 600 series drops below fifty person, I think. It has been simr to that until now.¡±

    [Indeed, that is an understandable opinion. Thank you for the consultation.]

    ¡°I am honored to hear your praise.¡±

    Haku bowed reverently.

    [Next, I will hear 5¡¯s opinion. What is it?]

    ¡°Sir! Father, that 89 there is a [Betrayer] and hunts our brethren. Of the dungeon cores that, the majority are due to 89¡¯s guidance. That is likely why she has kept track of the fine details of how much dungeons have survived¡­ she does not deserve having her opinion heard!¡±

    [Hmph. 89, is this so?]

    ¡°Yes, I certainly am trimming away other dungeon cores so that I may live, Otou-sama. Is there a problem with that?¡±

    Haku asserted herself, not shy in the least.

    [None. Sacrificing others in other to live¡ªthat is the correct way. Huh? I get the feeling that I said thatst year as well.] ¡°It has been said every year, Otou-sama.¡±

    [That so? Well, even so, everyone here is my adorable children. Be moderate, alright?] ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Haku smiled.

    Haku being disparaged as a [Betrayer] was a usual thing. [Father] lightly admonishing her was also a usual thing.

    [So now, what is your opinion on birthing new children, 5?]

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­ I think it¡¯s best for dad to do what he wants.¡±

    [Un, thanks. Maybe I should try asking some other children, too¡­]

    Muttering as though bored, [Father] started looking for someone else to ask.

    [Oh.]

    His gaze swept towards Rokuko and stopped.

    Rokuko trembled¡­ Surely he wouldn¡¯t ask her. Surely.

    [112, what do you think? Do you have an opinion?]

    So that was it. He wasn¡¯t looking at her. Realizing that, Rokuko breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Aah¡­ right, huh, I agree with No. 5, father should do what he wants¡­ yeah. If I had to say something, new kids popping up would be interesting? Well, I¡¯ll wait even if it doesn¡¯t happen right now.¡±

    [Heeh. Interesting, huh. That¡¯s good.]

    Forcibly using polite speech, something he wasn¡¯t used to, Ontentoo sounded amusing in various ways. With [Father]¡¯sughing Core 5 sent Ontentoo a look as though to say [Good Job].

    [Well, while we¡¯re at it, 695. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Haeeh!?¡±

    Suddenly talked to by [Father], Rokuko turned rigid.

    ¡­ While thinking that she¡¯d love if he stopped with the surprise attacks, she spoke slowly.

    ¡°U-ummm¡­ I-I, um, right now, I¡¯m the lowest ranked, of the 600 series¡­ so if I could have juniors, I would be happy, umm, I think¡­ If I were surpassed, I think that I would have mixed feelings about it.¡±

    [Hahaha, mixed feeling, huh. People like you are alright, 695.]

    Rokuko¡¯s face reddened up like a balloon. [People like you], in other words [like Rokuko], which meant that he¡¯d watched Rokuko enough to have an impression of her.

    Likewise, she may have simply stood out by beingst in the rankings.

    Contrasting Rokuko, Haku was smiling radiantly.

    Rokuko let out her breath. Even though she knew she was tense, she couldn¡¯t help it.

    He listened to several other cores after that. However, everything followed what Core 1 said in that [Father] should do what he wanted.

    ¡ªI might not have stood out if I said something like that too?

    Rokuko just now realized that.

    [Un, how about we stop for this year? I¡¯ll think about it again next year.]

    Saying that, [Father] pped his hands.

    The tension in the air gently rxed.

    [Alright everyone. If anyone has a question, demand, or opinion, feel free to say it during the feast alright? I can¡¯t interfere with you all much if it¡¯s not on an asion like this after all.]

    [Father]¡¯s mouth formed into a smile. Just then, a single dungeon core¡ªone in the form of a man in his prime¡ªraised his voice.

    ¡°Ooh, our god! May I ask for this one¡¯s wish to be heard?¡±

    [That was quick. What¡¯s up, 380? But first, I¡¯d be happy if you called me dad.]

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible, for a diminutive child like me to¡­. I shall be god¡¯s servant till myst!¡±

    [Aaah, un, so what did you want to ask?]

    Core 380 knelt, speaking his wish.

    ¡°¡ª! A miracle that disys god¡¯s power! I wish for the resurrection of the dead!¡±

    [Oh? You can¡¯t? The revival of your favorite child, that is.] [1]

    ¡°The one this one wishes to be resurrected is his brother, Core 379! During the winter season, he fell into the wicked 89¡¯s machinations and was cast down by the evil god¡¯s vanguard¡­¡±

    [Ah¡­ 379 huh. You were the twin cores, huh. Yep, sorry, but that¡¯s no good.]

    ¡°Why!? Surely, with god¡¯s strength¡­!!¡±

    [No good] was not [Can¡¯t]. There was arge difference between the two¡­ With [Father]¡¯s power, even if a core was destroyed, he could bring it back to life.

    However, [Father] spoke heartlessly as though to warn Core 380.

    [Because it is against the rules.]

    Even [Father] appeared to be bound by some sort of rules.

    [Aah, right! I¡¯ll make a monster that looks the same as 379. The child would be able to take human form the same as you. It¡¯d use just a bit of DP, but it¡¯d be a monster that you couldn¡¯t distinguish from you. 380 won¡¯t be lonely anymore with that right? You could produce as many as you want.]

    Core 380 looked astonished for an instant before bowing in worship.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ oh, god. This one wishes to express his gratitude.¡±

    [Yep, d I could help!]

    Core 380 touched his head to the ground, trembling.

    Was he really happy?

    Did he truly want to express his gratitude?

    Rokuko didn¡¯t get it.

    Footnotes:

    Alright, so pronouns simply don¡¯t exist in this sentence and I¡¯m not sure exactly what [Father] is implying here. I¡¯m assuming [Father] was referring to some named monster that 380 summoned, revealing to readers that you can revive dead named monsters. However, I can¡¯t be sure myself. The raw, literally tranted, simply says: ¡°Oh? Huh, can¡¯t? Favorite child¡¯s resurrection.¡±

 Chapter 154

    Rankings

    [Now then, it¡¯s probably on everyone¡¯s mind, so let¡¯s announce the DP Rankings.]

    With [Father]¡¯s words, the atmosphere felt strained once again.

    [Alright, attention everyone! I¡¯ll announce the top ten first! Well, the order hasn¡¯t changed the past few years so let¡¯s ze through it!]

    The first to tenth ces were announce in one go.

    There wasn¡¯t a change even whenparing it to the time Rokukost attended.

    From 1st to 3rd ce was respectively Core 1, Core 2, Core 3. 4th was Core 7. 5th was Core 9 and 6th was Core 6. After that was Haku, Core 89, in 7th ce, with Core 5 in 8th, Core 10 in 9th, and Core 8 in 10th.

    Roar!

    Letting out a roar in vexation, Core 5 breathed his ck mes towards the skies.

    Most of the top ten was held by cores with single digits. Rokuko felt that Haku, who¡¯d made her way into that, was amazing.

    Moreover, although the amount of DP the person possessed was disyed alongside the ranking¡ªsince Rokuko didn¡¯t know how to read digits over one trillion, even though she understood that it was awesome and endless, she couldn¡¯t read it.

    [Hmm, after all, 1, 2, and 3 are excellent. I¡¯m d. Keep on collecting DP like you¡¯ve been.]

    ¡°I am extremely d to be honored by your praise, father.¡±

    Taking a knee, Core 1 gave thanks like a knight would. Core 2 and Core 3 followed suit as though taking his lead. Core 2 and Core 3 were each respectively silver and copper colored knights. Among the first to ny-ninth cores that were called the First Series, there was talk that [Father] made these three in particr deliberately courteous, so it was taken as natural.

    Even so, after umting so much DP to the point that it was unreadable and still being told to collect more, Rokuko felt that they were truly in a different realm from her.

    [7 and 9, do your best as well. Try to pass Core 3 if you¡¯re able alright?]

    ¡°Yes, Tou-sama.¡±

    ¡°I will do my utmost.¡±

    Core 7 and Core 9 both held female forms and had green and blue hair respectively. They were called [Mountain God] and [Sea God]. Well, Haku was also called [White Goddess], so Rokuko felt they were like her.

    [6, 89, 5, your positions allow you to take watch of those who rank lower. Raising them is important as well, thank you.]

    ¡°Your words are too kind.¡±

    ¡°Above all, I am happy to please Otou-sama.¡±

    ¡°Oh father, this immature Core 5 is d to be of use.¡±

    Core 6. A grim-faced man wearing an ominous ck armor. Generally referred to as the [Great Demon King], he is the lead of the Demon King Faction.

    Core 89. Needless to say, she was Haku. Founder of the Raverio Empire, she was Rokuko¡¯s elder sister. She was called [Betrayer].

    Core 5. As the only one in the top ten to not take the form of a human, he was a ck dragon. He did not wish to conceal the appearance he received from [Father] and did not wish to change his form. Many reptile-type cores, Ontentoo included, chose the same. They were known as the Dragon King Faction.

    [10, 8. You two have been giving it your best. You have my regards forever, keep on living alright?]

    ¡°My king, I appreciate for your happiness.¡±

    ¡°I will answer your expectations with my all, master!¡±

    Core 10. He imitated [Father]¡¯s outfit, but the vestment that wrapped the old man¡¯s body was ornamented resplendently.

    Core 8. Contrasting Core 10, the elder merely wore simple clothing and leaned on a cane.

    [Well them, next I¡¯ll announce everything up to 699th ce. Man, there¡¯s a lot of swapping around in the lower positions so it¡¯s pretty fun to watch right?]

    A hugendscape-oriented table appeared with much smaller writing on it than the cements for the top ten. If Kehma were here, he probably would¡¯ve said that they were simr to test announcement tables.

    It showed all dungeon cores ranking between eleventh and six hundred ny-nine ce.

    It also showed what dungeons had died like Core 379. It recorded how much DP they had at that time, but no further changes.

    And so Rokuko started looking around the low rankings, looking for her name.

    That said, since her earnings increased drastically after Kehma arrived, she was hoping that she might be able to have escaped from the low rankings.

    Then, looking fromst ce up¡­ she saw cores that died immediately after being produced and cores that had used all of their DP in their final struggles, going all the way to 0 DP¡­ she¡¯d looked all the way through to the four hundreds but still didn¡¯t see [695]. This continued all the way through to the three hundreds.

    There were many 600 Series inside of the three hundreds, practically all of them looked different as they couldn¡¯t take human form yet.

    Seeing Rokuko browsing, Core 629, an orange rabbit, piped up to Rokuko while rubbing its face.

    ¡°Nikyu? What¡¯chu doin¡¯ there 695? Aren¡¯chu at the bottom~?¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah, no, um¡­ My number, it¡¯s not there. It¡¯s strange.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯ere finally forgot by papa?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°Then can¡¯chu look with the DP column? Won¡¯t miss it that way!¡±

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    Recalling how much DP she had, Rokuko looked through the DP rankings in front of her.

    ¡­ Three hundredth ce, 629. 351,200 DP in possession.

    Huh? Come to think of it, how much DP did I have right now¡­? I got a lot of DP as inn fees Haku-anesama, how much was that?

    And so, she looked at the DP disy on the menu. After she recently put a limitation on the disy for how much she could use, it had only shown around 100000 DP the whole time. It had been a long time since she checked how much total DP she had.

    729,359 DP.

    ¡°¡­ Un?¡±

    She rubbed her eyes and looked again.

    It hadn¡¯t changed. 729,359 DP.

    .. No, no no. No way. Our property should definitely be in the form of gold coins. Just a little while ago, Kehma said that if he turned all of the gold coins into DP it¡¯d be more than the DP we have now?

    Eh, wait a sec. Doesn¡¯t that mean we have double this¡­.?

    And I¡¯m higher than the 350,000 DP at 300th ce?

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Starin¡¯ at the DP I saved up. I get it¡¯s envious, but it¡¯s no good not earnin¡¯ it yourself~?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s just¡­ Un.¡±

    And so Rokuko made her way up through the rankings¡­ 250th ce, roughly 500,000 DP.

    ¡ªEh. Eh, how far up is it?

    Rokuko finally found her number.

    ¡°¡­ 210th¡­ 695¡­?¡±

    She looked again to make sure, but it definitely said 695. Turning around for a moment before looking back, it still said 695.

    By the way, two hundredth ce had 1,000,000 DP, quickly increasing to 10,000,000 DP at one hundred fiftieth ce.

    ¡°¡­ Fueh.¡±

    An odd smile made its way onto her face without her realizing it.

 Chapter 155

    Core 666

    When Rokuko grinned, the deadlock trio turned up.

    ¡°What¡¯s this here? What are you bothering with 695?¡±

    ¡°Gue gue, here even though you¡¯re the lowest ehhh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Don¡¯t you know what to say to your superiors?¡±

    Rokuko turned towards them, but she was smirking at them.

    ¡°Oh my. For what reason are you all here? What rank did you get?¡±

    ¡°Uwaah, what a gross face. Did your core melt from being talked to by Tou-sama? I went out of my way to let you know that you don¡¯t belong here. Me? 321st, fufufu, I went up three ces ye know?¡±

    ¡°322nd, gekokoko. I passed 650.¡±

    ¡°310th! I¡¯m the best of us three!¡±

    ¡°Oi, 653 getting all cheeky? So, 695. You?¡±

    ¡­ Fu. Rokukoughed haughtily. Then, she spoke with a triumphant look.

    ¡°210th.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nn? Sooorry, what was that?¡±

    ¡°210th! Fufufu, I passed you! I passed all of you!¡±

    ¡°Geko? The eternal lowest ranked 695 in 200th, this is an illusion riiight?¡±

    ¡°Look right there then! Take a goooood look, it says 210th, 695!¡±

    Rokuko pointed at the table. It really did say 695 in 210th ce.

    ¡°Whaaa!? S-seriously!?¡±

    ¡°No way!? Hold up, is something wrong with the disy!? How could the lowest ranked 695 be that high up!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not at the bottom anymore! I¡¯m 210th. Right, I¡¯m higher ranked! Add [No.] to the 650!¡±

    ¡°I absolutely refuse. I definitely don¡¯t recognize you being 210th. Weren¡¯t you just saying some shit about not using [No.] for us?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right, huh.¡±

    I guess [No.] isn¡¯t important, Rokuko thought, changing gears.

    ¡°But what the heck. How¡¯d 695 pass us after so many years of us saving up DP? Father¡¯s mistake?¡±

    ¡°Father¡¯s mistake¡­ no waaaay. Maybe she cheated?¡±

    ¡°Geko geko, yeah, cheated! She¡¯s a cheater!¡±

    Core 651 shouted out [Cheater! Cheater!] with its loud voice.

    Rokuko, who had been the lowest rank until now, suddenly rose to 210th ce. Moreover, the rankings weren¡¯t based on the amount they earned in a given year. It was based on the amount of DP they¡¯d saved since their birth¡­ it was natural for cheating to be suspected.

    Because of that, the cores who were surpassed by that low ranked Rokuko got hooked on by his voice and started paying attention.

    ¡°But what kind of cheating could she have done?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she get some DP from the [Betrayer]? A fixed dungeon battle or something¡­¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, there was something said about her winning against No. 112 a bit ago¡­ how did the lowest ranked core win? Does that mean that No. 112 is a co-conspirator¡­?¡±

    Ah, what they¡¯re talking about is actually close to the truth.

    Rokuko thought.

    Huh? Does that mean I cheated? Did I cheat? It was illegal?

    ¡°Confess! Now, how did you cheat, 695!?¡±

    ¡°I-I didn¡¯t, c-cheat though!?¡±

    ¡°Uwaah, you¡¯re obviously trembling. How suspicious¡­ nyujururu.¡±

    Not knowing how it turned into her doing something wrong, Rokuko¡¯s eyes started to spin, growing hot. She looked like she was about to cry.

    ¡°Stop talking, you unsightly worm.¡±

    A cold voice projected out from somewhere. With those words, the area grew silent.

    A fiery red-haired girl appeared.

    ¡°666¡­¡±

    ¡°Use [No.], 650. Is that notmon courtesy? I am a higher rank than you, and you and I are not close with each other.¡±

    Core 666. The first in the 600 Series to take on human form, she was an excellent core.

    She was also the youngest in Core No. 6¡¯s Demon King Faction.

    ¡°Guh¡ªNo. 666! Say something to 695 too!¡±

    ¡°Why should I?¡±

    ¡°Why!? This cheater passed you!¡±

    ¡°She did not pass me.¡±

    When looking towards the spot Core 666 pointed towards, it said [180th, 666].

    She pushed aside many people, making her way past the 200s.

    ¡°B-but! She cheated to raise her rank! Yeah, she definitely got some from 89!¡±

    With the funds for the dungeon battle and the inn fees Rokuko received from Haku, as well as the DP she got as tips, he wasn¡¯t necessarily wrong.

    ¡ªCrap, was that illegal?

    Rokuko was even more flustered now.

    ¡°Foolish¡­ then shouldn¡¯t you just raise your rank the same, through [Cheating]?¡±

    ¡°Haah!? W-what¡¯re you saying!? Are you stupid!?¡±

    Core 650 shouted, saying it was out of the question.

    Meanwhile, Core 666 simply sighed.

    ¡°Not at all. If the cement was recognized by father, it isn¡¯t cheating, right? Is it cheating to earn DP through means you can¡¯t do yourself? Even if the pretext is extreme.¡±

    ¡°Guh¡­ r-right, 666 gets No. 6-sama¡¯s leftovers like how Rokuko does, so it¡¯s not like she would speak again here huh, soooorry, hohoho.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    With a sh, Core 666 pointed a magic sword d in mes towards the middle of Core 650¡¯s eyes. It happened in an instant, so Core 650 wasn¡¯t able to react in the slightest.

    ¡°If you insult Jiji-sama¡­ I will ughter you like a pig!¡±

    ¡°Hiii!? W-what!? Kill!? Y-y-you wouldn¡¯t actually¡ª!¡±

    Even while saying that, Core 650 (the snake) quickly retreated to Core 651 (the frog) and hid behind him. Core 666¡¯s sword suddenly vanished and she spoke with a nonchnt look on her face.

    ¡°So the snake is a wimp? What do you think, 695?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, un, you could¡­ say that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­. So, wimp?¡±

    ¡°Shaaa!! So cheeky, even though you¡¯re just 695!¡±

    ¡°Eh, wait!? Why did it turn into me saying that!?¡±

    Hmph. Core 666 snorted.

    Core 666 somehowid the me on her, but for some reason she felt less nervous.

    ¡ªBy some chance, did she just help me?

    ¡°¡­ Oh?¡±

    Core 666 just noticed something after looking at Rokuko. As for what she was looking at, it was the red ruby and orichalcum ring on her left hand.

    ¡°¡­ 695. That¡¯s a beautiful ring.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, this? Ehehe, in truth, I got a master you know? Then, I got this ring as a present from him!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, from your master huh¡­ seems expensive. If I¡¯m not wrong¡­ that¡¯s orichalcum, right?¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah, un. Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Could I take a closer look?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Nnn, c-can you see it like this?¡±

    Rokukopletely ignored the roarsing from Core 650, who was still hiding behind Core 651, and held her hand out to Core 666.

    She took her hand and looked at the ring¡­ it was a ring that encased an orichalcum band with pure ruby, one without any mars. Core 666 observed it carefully. 50,000,000 DP wouldn¡¯t be enough, it was a treasure worth at least 100,000,000 DP.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you turn that ring into DP?¡±

    ¡°Eeh!? No way, t-this ring is important, I got it from my master. There¡¯s no way I could!¡±

    ¡°But if you did, wouldn¡¯t your ranking go up quite a lot?¡±

    ¡ªEven more than mine.

    Core 666 stared at Rokuko intensely.

    As for Rokuko, she knew that Kehma had made it with a small amount of DP, so she didn¡¯t think that it would turn into much DP. Well, she didn¡¯t intend to do that since it was her important ring (present), though.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t wanna.¡±

    Hearing Rokuko¡¯s answer, Core 666 let go of her hands.

    ¡°So wasteful, 695. Really, just a bit¡­ just a tiny bit, I want to break you.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t!? It doesn¡¯t sound like a jokeing from 666!?¡±

    When Rokuko said [666]¡­ even though it was like how humans would refer to someone by their first name, Core 666 didn¡¯t particrly take it as anything bad. [1]

    Instead, sheughed with a smile on her face.

    Then, she spoke.

    ¡°Therefore, 695. I request to have a duel with you.¡±

    Footnotes:

    Remember that in Japan, it¡¯s mostly presumptuous to call someone by their first name. It can be anything from rude to intimate. Dungeon cores¡¯ names are structured with µÚXXX·¬ for the number, where I am tranting µÚ as the [No.] portion of the name. In their¡ªthe dungeon cores¡¯¡ªculture, it is like an extra honorific (like san, kun, etc) that is used to make it more formal and not so simr to using someone¡¯s first name. It might be a little confusing, so sorry about that

 Chapter 156

    Seniors to the Rescue

    Wondering if she heard wrong, Rokuko looked at Core 666. It felt like she just said for them to duel.

    ¡°E-excuse me, sorry. What was that?¡±

    ¡°695. I request to have a duel with you.¡±

    It looked as though she really didn¡¯t mishear her.

    ¡°A duel¡­? Umm, is that different from a Dungeon Battle?¡±

    ¡°Right now, right here, we cross des. That¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all, you say¡­¡±

    ¡°My, is that sword at your waist simply for decoration?¡±

    Rokuko was pressured by the girl who looked fired up, as though she wouldn¡¯t be made light of.

    She pointed to the sword visible at Rokuko¡¯s waist. It really was a decoration. She¡¯d forgotten about it up till now, only remembering now that she was reminded it was there.

    ¡°¡­ Now, will you draw your sword?¡±

    ¡°No, it really is a decoration though.¡±

    ¡°You wish to go against me bare handed? Right¡­ you really are looking down on me. Shall we move somewhere else?¡±

    Core 666¡¯s magic sword appeared again and she ignited it in mes as she took her stance. Meanwhile, Rokuko just wanted to know what was going on.

    She looked around her for help. Her eyes met with Core 629¡¯s. He looked away. Worthless orange rabbit¡­ well, it was doubtful whether he could have even helped.

    ¡°Kukuku, serves you right 695. Now hurry up and kill her!¡±

    ¡°Oh, 650. Would you like to join as well?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll pass! I wouldn¡¯t do something so savage.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Dueling is savage?¡±

    In the next moment, Core 666, who was definitely right in front of Rokuko, was suddenly thrusting her sword at Core 650 again.

    ¡°Hii!? I said stop it!¡±

    This time, Core 650 (the snake) retreated to Core 652 (the slug).

    ¡°Hmph. Well, my sword is too good to be used on the likes of you¡­ Now then, 695, shall we start?¡±

    Seeing Core 666¡¯s smile, Rokuko thought about what she could do. Her choices were:

    1. ept the duel.

    2. Run.

    3. More importantly I want to eat Melon Bread.

    ¡­ She wanted to choose number 3 and escape from reality, but that probably would¡¯ve only served as provocation. On the other hand, if she chose number 2 her back would be cut through and number 1 was absolutely impossible.

    ¡ªDangit, I should have at least had Kehma make this sword and these clothes into a golem!

    It was a bit toote for her to think about that, though.

    ¡°Oh my, it looks like you¡¯re doing something interesting, 666?¡±

    Just then, her savior appeared.

    It was Haku, wearing a white dress and smiling.

    ¡°¡­ No. 89-sama. Yes, I was thinking about deepening my friendship with 695.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ however, isn¡¯t dueling somewhat dangerous for that?¡±

    ¡°Did No. 89-sama not also deepen her friendship by doing something simr with No. 8 Jiji-sama? Going with that, could 695 and I not imitate that?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, impudent. Are you not going to discipline her? 6.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, what, 89? Isn¡¯t it 695 that should be disciplined?¡±

    Someone else joined in. The [Great Demon King] that wore ck armor, Core 6.

    Sparks flew in the air between Haku and Core 6.

    ¡°Is that so? Recently, your child has been buzzing around my things. I wonder if it¡¯s too difficult for you to hold the reins on them more securely.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. If I ever find out, I¡¯ll be sure to say something.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu¡­¡±

    ¡°Kukuku¡­¡±

    Core 6 drew his ck de.

    Haku brandished her white spear in response.

    It should¡¯ve been a duel between Rokuko and Core 666, but it somehow turned into a duel between Haku and Core 6 by the time anyone realized what was going on. The mood in the air felt stifling.

    ¡°Heeeeey! You guys! Let me join in toooo!¡±

    Core 5, the [Dragon King], flew through the air towards them with his huge ck dragon body.

    Kabang! The air shook when hended, roaring on impact.

    Rokuko, who received the roar from up close, felt her legs give out from under her and she fell to the ground. She wasn¡¯t confident in herself, but she managed to not let any out.

    ¡­ Meanwhile, Core 666 was standing calmly, while the trivial trio fainted.

    ¡°I¡¯ll crush 89! 6, let¡¯s do it!¡±

    ¡°Do you intend to order me? I would kill you first.¡±

    ¡°Haaah!? You want to settle it before the [Betrayer]!?¡±

    ¡°I am fine taking you both on if you wish.¡±

    ¡°Leave me out of it.¡±

    Waving her spear, Haku provoked the two while warming up.

    ¡­ The surrounding cores all began running away so that they wouldn¡¯t get rolled up in the chaos. Rokuko wanted to run, too. However, she was part of the reason this was happening. It was already doubtful whether or not she was rted to it though. Rather, she could run away either way; her legs wouldn¡¯t move.

    [Okay~, you three, stop it there.]

    Suddenly, [Father]¡¯s words stopped the three.

    [Getting a bit rowdy isn¡¯t bad, but going this far¡¯s no good, alright?]

    ¡°Oh my, my apologies, Otou-sama. I might have gotten a little excited there.¡±

    ¡°Gununu¡­ but I finally had a chance to¡­¡±

    ¡°It was my error, father.¡±

    Core 6 said a bit much as the other two put away their weapons.

    The area calmed down quickly. That was only on the surface though, of course.

    [However, 6, 89, 5. I would like it if you three could deepen your friendship peacefully. All three of you are taking care of young ones, so your juniors are looking towards you, who are their seniors, for guidance¡­ So, shake hands.]

    Urged on by [Father], Haku and the Great Demon King shook hands while forcing themselves to smile. The Dragon King also put one of his ws out.

    It really was a scene that would cause one¡¯s back to freeze up.

    However, looking through the monitor, [Father] found it satisfactory.

    [But well, it might be a good thing to decide victory and defeat once and for all. With something other than DP Rankings, that is.]

    ¡°¡­ Saying that, do you have an idea, Otou-sama?¡±

    [That¡¯s a good guess, 89. You¡¯re correct!]

    [Father] spoke with a smile.

    [Let¡¯s have a Dungeon Battle between your juniors. To be exact, between the 600 Series juniors¡­ Aah, since only 650 doesn¡¯t have a master, he¡¯ll be together with 651 and 652 as a handicap.]

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, there won¡¯t be a duel, but this might be good.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°Mu¡ª?¡± ¡°Hoeh~¡±

    The trivial trio appeared to have woken up.

    ¡­ I don¡¯t know how, but it somehow got decided that I¡¯d be in a Dungeon Battle¡­ I want to talk to Kehma.

    Rokuko pressed against her temples.

 Chapter 157

    Team Battle

    ¡°¡ªAnd well, that¡¯s how it happened. We¡¯ll be doing a Dungeon Battle.

    Just when I started to think it¡¯d been three days after Rokuko left, she came back and suddenly started talking about a Dungeon Battle.

    Rather, who¡¯s this [Father] person? God? It¡¯s definitely god.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, that was the first day right? What about the other two?¡±

    ¡°Eh? The other two were for eating, drinking, merrymaking, having tea¡­ I got 210th ce you know? And Core 112, Ontentoo, got 63rd. Ufufufufu.¡±

    This girl, she¡¯s happy. Is 210th ce something good?

    The big thing I want to talk about right now is the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°So, why are we doing the Dungeon Battle instead of Haku-san?¡±

    ¡°Because that¡¯s Tou-sama¡¯s intention. There¡¯s no choice but to follow it you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What would happen if we refused?¡±

    ¡°In that case, it would make Haku Ane-sama into an enemy. Absolutely no way.¡±

    Ah, yep. I also don¡¯t want to do that. I don¡¯t want to die.

    ¡°¡­ So, the rules¡­ a three team battle, was it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ording to Rokuko, Core 6 and Core 666 are [Team Demon King], Core 5 and Cores 650-652 are [Team Dragon King], and Haku-san and us are [Team Sovereign].

    We need to prepare a new dungeon and only a single dummy core.

    If the dummy core is destroyed, it¡¯s a loss. It needs to be destroyed this time, not just touched.

    The avable DP for us to usees out to 500,000 DP, dummy core included.

    The battle will start in one month and we should prepare the dungeon until then.

    ¡­ And then there¡¯s a troublesome rule for me.

    To cooperate with the superior core (senior), make the dungeon in cooperation with the superior core (senior) using the superior core¡¯s (senior¡¯s) DP.

    If I took this seriously, I¡¯d expose my hand to Haku-san. I¡¯d have to make a dungeon without using [Create Golem] to not expose it.

    ¡­ I want to hide [Create Golem] so that I can use it as ast resort, but then the way we¡¯ve been making our dungeon so far wouldn¡¯t work.

    I think it¡¯d be enough since there¡¯s 500,000 DP, but our opponents have the same condition. How can I be stingy and have more stuff¡­

    Incidentally, the superior core (senior) group is banned from bringing their own things, but it¡¯s OK for the subordinate core (junior) group to¡­ So getting Haku-san¡¯s helpers is no good.

    I guess just happening to pick up some magic swords and other various things that Haku-san has thrown away is no good huh? It¡¯s probably no good.

    ¡­ Maybe I should have Rokuko spin the 1,000 DP gacha two hundred or so times? With her luck, it¡¯d probably be worth it.

    ¡°Nn? But what should we do about our dungeon during the Dungeon Battle? Leaving it alone would be dangerous right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. ording to Tou-sama, the spaces will be connected during it. So we cane back to it every day.¡±

    ¡°Connect space¡­ like a Dungeon Battle huh.¡±

    For him to be able to easily do something like that, this [Father] guy really is suspicious.

    ¡°Your Tou-chan¡¯s pretty amazing huh. I¡¯d like to meet him.¡±

    ¡°You might be able to see him at the start of the Dungeon Battle?¡±

    By the way, a disy for the limit to the DP we can use in this dungeon battle and the amount we¡¯ve used so far was added to the menu. Talk about quick support.

    ¡°So, where will it be connected? As expected, it¡¯d be a big deal if something like a huge gate linking to the imperial capital just showed up in the middle of the vige.¡±

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯ll be connected between the inside of our dungeon¡ªat the arena¡ªand Haku Ane-sama¡¯s imperial vi in the capital. It¡¯ll change to where Kehma decides to make the dungeon.¡±

    How thorough.

    I sighed. If I make it, there¡¯ll be no escaping. I don¡¯t intend to run away, but I really want to.

    ¡°So, what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama is going toe pick us up and bring us to the imperial capital!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Won¡¯t we have a shortage of staff here then?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re worried about it, why not summon more?¡±

    Right. I can do that, can¡¯t I?

    I even summoned those three girls to be the first ones¡­ we¡¯ve even collected a considerable amount of DP, so maybe it¡¯s about time to summon some personnel to manage the dungeon?

    ¡°Fufufu, I am 210th after all! If it¡¯s DP, I have it!¡±

    ¡°Yeah~. Alright, I¡¯ll give Rei 50,000 DP to use to summon whatever subordinate she wants¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why Rei?¡±

    ¡°Because she knows the details about the dungeon. Meat and Ichika can¡¯t use DP, Kinue-san is engrossed with the inn¡¯s domestic chores, and Nerune¡¯s immersed herself in studying¡­ You could call it the result of the process of elimination. Besides, she¡¯s those three¡¯s leader.¡±

    ¡°I see, she¡¯s the most familiar with the dungeon after me.¡±

    Somehow or another, Rei managed to be the three girls¡¯ facilitator. There were a few things that happened when she was first summoned, but it somehow worked itself out. Kinue-san is the best for practical things though.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s fine. Kehma, when we, umm, go to the capital, I want¡­ I want to go sh-shopping. C-could youe w-with me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yep, I¡¯ll lend you Meat to carry luggage.¡±

    Invite me on a date in Haku-san¡¯s area? You know I¡¯d die right?

    ¡°¡­ I want to go with Kehma.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be a bit difficult under Haku-san¡¯s surveince¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Kehma a bit too afraid of Haku Ane-sama? Haku Ane-sama is super kind you know?¡±

    Sure, you¡¯d think that. That¡¯s only towards you¡­!

 Chapter 158

    Weing

    ¡°¡­ Master, I¡­ will live up to your expectations!¡±

    When I gave Rei the 50,000 DP, she pledged her loyalty again. I cried from her passion.

    I nned on something like this, so let¡¯s consider it a good thing.

    And then came the next day.

    The gate opened in the arena and Haku-san arrived.

    ¡°Good morning, Kehma-san¡­ fufu, this room is considerablycking.¡±

    ¡°Wee, Haku-san. Well, even though I tried building an arena, I haven¡¯t finished the monsters yet, so it¡¯s a bit embarrassing.¡±

    By the way, this area is about the size of a ying field, but it¡¯s as big as it can be without butting into our neighboring [me Cavern]¡¯s territory. Ontentoo said we wouldn¡¯t sh with their area if we dig further down, so I n on digging down to expand next time.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s a team battle this time¡­ do you ept?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, I ept. Still, I want to confirm a few things that I wasn¡¯t able to hear from Rokuko, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°How hasty¡­ is it about the reward?¡±

    Haku-san guessed what I wanted to ask. But that wasn¡¯t all.

    ¡°Also, please tell me the penalty for defeat.

    ¡°Of course.¡±

    Haku-san smiled, nodding.

    ¡°Concerning defeat, right¡­ I believe that it¡¯s natural to be concerned about that. It will simply consume the items that were brought and DP. Because this time is something of a proxy battle for us, there are hardly any demerits for you all.¡±

    None? Then in other words it¡¯s fine even if we lose?

    No. It can¡¯t be like that. It¡¯s Haku-san.

    ¡°I don¡¯t particrly mind losing either. Don¡¯t pay too much mind to it.¡±

    ¡°And so if we don¡¯t pay much mind and lose, what will Haku-san do?¡±

    ¡°¡­ We will receive permission to educate our juniors. From Otou-sama.¡±

    Ah, I have to win.

    In other words, isn¡¯t the penalty for losing that Haku-san can do whatever she wants?

    ¡°To go with that, the reward for the team that wins is that Otou-sama will give two [Things You Want] to each core.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can it be any two things?¡±

    ¡°No, they will be chosen by Otou-sama you know? It¡¯s an honor.¡±

    I don¡¯t see what makes it such an honor since I don¡¯t know this [Father] person, but I feel like I understand it a bit if I change it in my brain to [I¡¯ll give you socks taken from your favorite idol]. I¡¯m definitely the only one that gets that.

    ¡­ It probably won¡¯t be [God¡¯s Bedding]. I¡¯d love to have it though.

    While I thought about stuff like that, Haku-san pped her hands together.

    ¡°Right, we¡¯re in a room like this, so how about we have a match? As adventurers.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll decline. I have work to do as dungeon master after this.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s unfortunate. However, let¡¯s elevate you.¡±

    With a smile, Haku-san took a card out from her cleavage.

    When I nced at the card, it was one of the adventurer guild¡¯s IDs, an adventurer card. It had my name on it.

    ¡°I had it reissued.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, I don¡¯t remember losing it though?¡±

    ¡°I am the head of the adventurer guild after all.¡±

    ¡°The rank turned into B though?¡±

    ¡°Congrattions, Kehma-san. You have joined the nobility.¡±

    Right, I was Rank-B on that card.

    And adventurers were treated as nobles started at B-Rank.

    However, as for the noble ranks¡­ there were Duke, Count, and Baron, as well as more below those. It seemed there was a unique rank called Venturer for adventurers. It was a noble rank that onlysted for a single generation, but the person was tentatively treated as a noble. It was proof that the person had skill. [1]

    Additionally, it they continued and umted distinguishing services, they could be a proper noble and pass the title down to their children.

    Rather, is it alright to skip over the exam? I guess it¡¯s fine since the head said it¡¯s fine?

    Moreover, I¡¯ll have the old D-Rank adventurer card left over too¡­ I could use this for something.

    ¡°It normally incurs an obligation to pay five gold coins, but I will exempt it as an exception. If it¡¯s too hard to ept it for free, how about paying with a cream soda?¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­ I¡¯ll treat youter. So, why B-Rank so suddenly?¡±

    ¡°Because I would be troubled if you entered my house as an adventurer. More or less, you need to be a noble.¡±

    Aah¡­ it is the empire¡¯s ancestor, Haku Raverio¡¯s, mansion after all. Even in Japan, there was an elephant given the position of a noble so that it could meet with the emperor a long time ago, so it¡¯s probably like that.

    While on the subject, isn¡¯t B-Rank a huge difference from the D-Rank required to go into Haku-san¡¯s dungeon?

    ¡°Alright, here¡¯s Rokuko-chan¡¯s¡­ Ah, there are also some for Kehma-san¡¯s party members.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯m an adventurer¡­! Thank you, Haku Ane-sama!¡±

    Haku-san handed Rokuko her card personally, handing me the cards for Meat and Ichika as well to give to them. Rather, isn¡¯t it unneeded to make Rokuko into an adventurer since she¡¯s Haku-san¡¯s sister?

    ¡°It would be troublesome for me to give Rokuko-chan a peerage¡­ since she¡¯s my sister.¡±

    Haku-san spoke, practically reading my mind.

    Aah, yep, normally, the empress¡¯ blood kin¡­ would be royalty. It would be a high position, but her existence itself would be something troubling. Yep, hard to understand.

    ¡°Now then, now that you¡¯ve be a noble¡­ I invite you to my house, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Hey, stop standing around Kehma, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko-san grabbed Haku¡¯s hands and dove towards the gate.

    ¡­ Yep, let¡¯s assume I¡¯m supposed to go too.

    Footnotes:

    Venturer is my interpretation of a y on words used here. The rank is called ¡°Boukenshaku¡±, where ¡°shaku¡± means ¡°Peerage¡±. This reces ¡°sha¡± from ¡°Boukensha (Adventurer)¡±, which means person. So instead of ¡°Boukensha (Risk Taking Person)¡±, you have ¡°Boukenshaku (Risk Taking Peerage)¡±. I am definitely open to suggestions that keep the pun!

 Chapter 159

    Haku-san¡¯s Imperial Vi

    When I passed through the gate, it was a warehouse.

    There was armor, spears, swords and the like all decorating the walls.

    There¡¯s a shelf with a wooden box filled with swords and shields thrown away like junk.

    ¡­ Even those swords in the box all look high quality with gems embed in them though.

    Rokuko and Haku-san, who¡¯d went through the gate before me, were waiting.

    Meat, who I¡¯d picked up, was holding on to my clothes. It looked like bringing her along worked.

    ¡°Just in case, I connected the gate to my hobby room¡­ my warehouse. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t lend any of the things here nor DP this time.¡±

    So this is her hobby room¡­ so that means the stuff in those boxes are like her collection or something? ¡­ Are these all magic swords? Huh. So Haku-san¡¯s hobby is collecting magic swords.

    Are these all handmade? Setting aside borrowing one, I¡¯d definitely love to watch at least once.

    ¡°Ooh, I remember thisnce. This is the one that put up the Fire Wall when we had the dungeon battle isn¡¯t it, Haku Ane-sama!?¡±

    ¡°Ugu¡ª! ¡­ Y-yes, it is.¡±

    Rokuko casually ripped open an old wound. Harsh.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve prepared a temporary room for you to stay, this way.¡±

    Lead by Haku-san, who was smiling bitterly, we walked to the vi.

    It was mostly white, just like a temple. I wonder if she¡¯s worshiped?

    ¡°Here it is, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°Oooh¡­ so big!¡±

    It¡¯s just about the same size as the suite in our inn. Furnished with a canopy, there was a queen-size white bed. Must be nice¡­ I want one. There¡¯s a see-through curtain going around it¡­ is that called a veil?

    Are the pillows, mattress, and covers all made from down? It¡¯s all puffy and looks so soft. I want to dive into it. And then sleep.

    Other than the bed? Ah yeah, it all looks high spec. I don¡¯t know for sure, but I think the lighting¡¯s all taken care of by magic tools. Ah, there¡¯s the massage chair we sold her.

    But yeah, as expected of the room prepared by Haku-san, it¡¯s obvious at a nce that it¡¯s a high-end futon. Just looking at it makes me feel tired!

    ¡°Ah, Kehma-san and that ve¡¯s is over here.¡±

    Eh, I was ushered into a small dull room a short distance away.

    Whoosh. A tasteless four tatami mat room. It feels like a room you¡¯d use as a storeroom for luggage.

    There isn¡¯t even a single futon. There aren¡¯t any pillows either. It reminds me of the time I first came to this world.

    ¡°W-wait, Haku Ane-sama, this treatment is really¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? Kehma-san won¡¯t work if he sleeps though?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No¡ªu-umm, d-did I say something like that?¡±

    Rokuko had a look on that looked like, ¡°Ah,e to think of it I did say something like that before huh~¡±.

    Huh. So this is your fault, Rokuko.

    Well, even without that I didn¡¯t expect to be treated the same as Rokuko in the slightest.

    ¡°Hey, e-even so, a futon would be¡­¡±

    ¡°In that case isn¡¯t it alright if he returns to the dungeon every day?¡±

    Right, that¡¯s very Haku-san-like. She just wants me to go back so she can keep Rokuko here. That¡¯s alright though. I don¡¯t mind. Should I fake it a bit?

    ¡°¡­ Well, it¡¯s a good enough room for just being lent to me, yep.¡±

    ¡°Ah, do you want toe to our room? The bed is big enough for three people to sleep in.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry, Rokuko-chan. That bed is for dungeon cores only.¡±

    ¡°Really!? Uu, there¡¯s no helping it then¡­¡±

    Rokuko, you know that¡¯s a lie right? Dungeon cores only? Isn¡¯t that nothing but Haku-san just wanting to sleep with you?¡±

    ¡°Enough about rooms, where should I make the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°I am d that you¡¯re so motivated. Let¡¯s go to the conference room then. I¡¯ve prepared a map.¡±

    This time we headed to the conference room.

    It was another white room, but in its center, it had a three-dimensional map¡­ of the entire empire. And the neighboring countries¡­ As well as a matching map for the Demon King¡¯s territory.

    ¡°¡­ What an borate map. It feels like it shows so much more than I¡¯ve ever seen.¡±

    ¡°Yes. This map is an important strategic intelligence resource. After all, it¡¯s formed from knowledge brought back from previous heroes, as well as harpies directly documenting from the skies.¡±

    Another world¡¯s knowledge is nothing to joke about, it¡¯s serious stuff. Thinking that, I took another look over the map.

    Tsuia Mountain and our dungeon in it is inside of the empire¡¯s territory. Calcting backwards using the size of the mountain¡­ yup, it¡¯s huge. Just how many Hokkaido¡¯s would fit in it? [1]

    Moreover, there are dozens of other dungeon locations recorded on the map. There are a lot around the area by the capital, are they all Haku-san¡¯s dungeons?

    ¡°And so, how about making the dungeon here? There are many geographical features, so you could utilize various things¡­ Moreover, it is nearby a monster vige.¡±

    Hmm? Using a monster vige is alright with the rules for this?

    I was wondering about it, but Haku-san smiled. Looks like it¡¯s alright.

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯d be better to actually check out the spots and narrow down the candidates.¡±

    ¡°Yes, for now, I rmend this mountain. With a mountain, you could use all of the techniques that you all have been using thus far, correct?¡±

    Looking at the spot that Haku-san pointed to as she said that, it was located a little ways away from the capital.

    A mountain not far off from the Demon King¡¯s territory¡­ Ah, so a dungeon to keep that in check huh?

    I wonder if she¡¯s intending to use it as a lookout after this? Rather, I wonder what¡¯ll happen to the dungeons that get made for this.

    ¡°Ah, for the dungeons made for this Dungeon Battle, the winning junior will receive theirs, while the losers¡¯ will be given to their seniors. So don¡¯t worry about that and do your best, alright?¡±

    If we lose, she can use it as a lookout dungeon, so it¡¯s OK. If we win, we¡¯ll be the ones to use it as a lookout, so that¡¯s OK too. In other words, Haku-san profits either way.

    ¡°Heeey, Haku Ane-sama. You know what Kehma¡¯s thinking even without him saying anything?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I can tell from looking at his face. It is because I am used to negotiating with people.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I can do that too if I work hard? I want to know what Keima things about.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko-chan doesn¡¯t need a skill like that, though?¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Rokuko thought.

    ¡°In other words, even without having the skill, being one body and soul with Keima¡­ my thoughts are Keima¡¯s thoughts!?¡± [2]

    ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to read Rokuko-chan¡¯s thoughts in a certain meaning recently¡­¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s because I¡¯m growing up!¡±

    Rokuko stuck her nose up with a triumphant look. Yep, some things never change.

    Haku-san nodded with a relieved look.

    ¡°So Kehma, isn¡¯t this area here alright? It¡¯s the ce that Haku Ane-sama rmended.¡±

    ¡°Well, hold on. There are other candidates. It¡¯ll influence what kind of dungeon we make.¡±

    Like that, narrowing down the number of candidates, we decided to inspect the spots in person starting tomorrow.

    ¡­ It¡¯s troublesome, but there¡¯s no helping it. I don¡¯t want to lose.

    By the way, Meat and I returned to the dungeon after that and Rokuko decided to stay the night there.

    Footnotes:

    Hokkaido prefecture is 32,222 mi sq, 83454 km sq. So yeah, pretty big. Return

    Note that the word for ¡°thought¡± here can also mean concepts, ideas, expectations, etc. She¡¯s also saying ¡°What I believe, he believes¡± here¡­ and probably the other way around. Probably.

 Chapter 160

    Touring the Imperial Capital 1

    On the second day since Haku-san¡¯s vi was connected with the gate, I decided to take a tour through the capital.

    The first candidate for being our dungeon is [Inside the Imperial Capital].

    If I had to have a reason why, I¡¯d say there were a few, but the number one reason was that if it was still our dungeon after the Dungeon Battle, we¡¯d be able to go to the imperial capital immediately through [Deployment].

    Eh? A reason why that¡¯s an advantage for Dungeon Battle? Maybe I could call some local adventurers over on the day of the Dungeon Battle to defend it. It¡¯s not something we couldn¡¯t do at another ce though.

    And now we¡¯ve went in a circle, but well, to be blunt, there¡¯s nothing else to do here. Ah, that¡¯s my official reason at least.

    The real reason is that I wanted to take a look around.

    Haku-san¡¯s base, the ma of adventurers, the imperial capital. Developed as the capital of arge country, there are a lot of people.

    Even the street I¡¯m going down right now is within the range of the dungeon, and there¡¯s so many people in sight¡­ not only are there a ton of people here, all of them are the sources that produce Haku-san¡¯s DP.

    There aren¡¯t any disadvantages to it for simple sightseeing or like with the final evolution of our vige. My aspirations aren¡¯t this high though.

    ¡°There¡¯s so many people, Haku Ane-sama! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen so many humans.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, this is a daily thing.¡±

    Incidentally, Haku-san is apanying us for the preliminary inspection.

    However, it would¡¯ve been a pretty big issue if she just walked around, so she¡¯s walking around in her DP-saving form¡­ her loli mode.

    Rokuko wasn¡¯t the only one to have a variable age feature. She looks like the just-barely-older sister to the loli Rokuko. Something like a mature young girl.

    Since Haku-san (small) was like that and was still being called [Ane-sama], Rokuko was obviously in her small form as well.

    Ah, Meat¡¯s with us too.

    ¡­ Let¡¯s name this formation the Loli Triangle. Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m actually going to name it though.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, Kehma-san¡ªOnii-chan¡­ should I call you that?¡±

    ¡°No, please continue as you always have.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well then, is there some ce you want to go? There are no ces in the capital that I don¡¯t know about.¡±

    Looking over her shoulders while leading the way, Haku-san spoke with an innocent-looking smile.

    The emphasis feels a bit differenting from the person who controls this capital both in name and in reality.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, I¡¯d like to check out a few shops, as well as the adventurer guild¡­ right, I¡¯d like to take a look at an underground arena too.¡±

    ¡°Oh? An underground arena¡­ fufu, that is something for night. Well, shall I guide you to themercial district first?¡±

    *

    Haku-san lead us to themercial area. There were shops selling vegetables, fruit, clothes, as well as shops selling clothes and decorations. There were even butchers and fish dealers. Which reminds me, this ce is pretty close to the sea. It¡¯s even more prosperous than Sia.

    I didn¡¯t see any shops that sold weapons or armor. Maybe they¡¯re sold in another district?

    ¡°This is the main street of themercial district. There are some ornamental-type armor sold here, but arms are mostly sold on the adventurer street. This ce also sells convenient magic tools for things like illumination.¡±

    Looks like that¡¯s how it is. Haku-san immediately took hold of Rokuko and brought her into the clothes shop. It looks like a shop mainly for high spec stuff, like for royal purveyance, and also appears to know about her incognito loli mode. Maybe it¡¯d better if I said it¡¯s a shop for when she wants to drop in incognito?

    ¡­ She¡¯s definitely shopping. I¡¯ll follow them in for now.

    ¡°There are a lot of designs, like ones brought by heroes as onesing from clothing-type items from the dungeon. Like this bunny outfit, or this white angel outfit.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t those just a bunny suit and a nurse outfit¡­? Those past heroes¡­¡±

    There was also a policewoman outfit, a maid outfit, and a school swimsuit. It looks like they somehow made them with this world¡¯s materials, but they¡¯re reproduced very nicely. There are even male-use outfits here too, I can feel a deep sense ofmitment in them¡­ One of the past heroes was probably a cosyer.

    ¡°The price¡­ yep, ten gold. As expected, clothes are expensive¡­¡±

    ¡°This is an ultra high ss shop after all. Now, Rokuko-chan, shall we change?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    She said that, but one of the things in Haku-san¡¯s hands was the bunny suit from before. There was even a bikini armor. Are you sure about that, Rokuko?

    ¡°Meat¡ªerr, Kuro, is there anything you want?¡±

    ¡°Ummm¡­ I-I want to look at the clothes over there.¡±

    Saying that, Meat pointed at the undergarment corner.

    ¡­ This is such a high difficulty level.

    Rokuko was changed into various different outfits, but she ended up in a safe dress.

    By the way, it was cheaper to buy things with DP and they¡¯d even have a good quality, so I didn¡¯t buy anything, but Haku-san bought a lot. On her tab.

    She¡¯d even expressly had the castle pick up the tab, so it looks like gives this shop preferential treatment. That is, people nearby would know that the shop deals with the castle. So there¡¯s something like that huh, troublesome.

    ¡°It¡¯s the obligation of those who stand at the top to disperse money into the economy. Ah, I¡¯ll give this to Rokuko-chan as a present after the Dungeon Battle finishes.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you so much, Haku Ane-sama!¡±

    The clothing they bought was great, but is temporary clothing alright?

    ¡°How about we go to the magic tool shop next?¡±

    *

    There were various tools ced here and there in the magic tool shop.

    There were magic tools that emitted fire, that gave water, as well as those that shed light. They look like they¡¯re pretty popr and sell well. I¡¯m told they¡¯re also sold in the adventurer street¡¯s shops.

    There¡¯s an instrument magic took that looks like a keyboard harmonica as well as a magic tool meant for cooking that peels of potato skins. I don¡¯t see why it needs to be a magic tool, but there¡¯s a fountain pen magic tool¡­ huh? It automatically refills its ink? So it doesn¡¯t run out of ink huh? Heeeh, that¡¯s amazing.

    In particr, I was surprised that magic tools like ones that could manufacture paper were being sold to the general public.

    ¡°This [Papermaker-kun] is a magic tool that a previous hero invented. When you put fine bits of wood into it and turn it on, it turns it into paper. This [Permanent Fountain Pen-kun] is bought by a lot of merchants together with it.¡±

    It looks like [XX-kun] is the series naming convention for magic tools made by heroes. Taking a closer look, there are a lot of magic tools with [XX-kun] names.

    ¡°I do think that something that makes paper is an important tool, but is it alright to just sell it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it as it was the inventor¡¯s wishes. It can only be repaired in the imperial capital if it is broken though.¡±

    By the way, I¡¯m told that it¡¯s only able to make a single sheet of A3-sized paper every few hours, with the purchases being recorded in a name register for maintenance and after-sales services.

    While I was taking a look at those sorts of production-type magic tools, Rokuko came over holding a pan in her hand.

    ¡°Kehma, isn¡¯t this [No Wood Pan] amazing? It gets hot automatically!¡±

    ¡°Like a hot te? Can you adjust the temperature?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you can.¡±

    ¡°Oh, [Heating Pan-kun] can adjust its temperature and doesn¡¯t need wood either. Low, medium, and hot¡­ it¡¯s a popr item for both adventurers and cooks.¡±

    The one that couldn¡¯t adjust its temperature was five silver coins, while the one that could was five gold. For just being able to change the temperature to give this much difference¡­

    ¡°Right. The same with [Papermaker-kun], they can only be made by the [Hero Studio]¡­ Besides, the cheap ones are fragile.¡±

    So they¡¯re like brand name goods huh.

    And if they¡¯re too cheap they might even ignite inside your satchel¡­ basically, by making inferior goods from a no-name brand, they make it seem like the better choice to pay for the brand¡¯s name by raising its rtive value.

    It¡¯s something you could appeal to sue shops with in Japan, but it looks like all of the goods other than the brand name ones in this city are non-warranty junk items that you have to be responsible for yourself. They¡¯re doing quite well.

    Ah. Were they made by Haku-san?

 Chapter 161

    Touring the Imperial Capital 2

    I ended up buying a [Permanent Fountain Pen] from the magic tools shop and put it in my [Storage].

    Let¡¯s have Nerune look into whether or not we can make something simr when I get back to the dungeon.

    I looked at various shops after that while wandering around.

    ¡°Next is¡­ hmm, shall we go to the Adventurer Guild? Themission rush should have settled down by now.¡±

    With Haku-san guiding us once again, we went from themercial area to the adventurer street.

    There was a huge stone building with a veryrge signboard¡ªthe Adventurer Guild¡¯s headquarters. It had storehouses and disassembly ces next to it.

    Comparing it to the Adventurer Guild in Sia¡­ it¡¯d be likeparing an estate to a hut, to say nothing of the doghouse branch office at our dungeon.

    When we grandly walked in through the entrance, I saw that the office with cafe addition was styled and furnished with refinement. There are some adventurers that have been drinking since the morning spoiling the cafe portion¡¯s view though.

    ¡°Oh, such cute children¡­ haven¡¯t seen them before. And a sleepy looking Nii-chan huh?¡±

    ¡°Hoh, aren¡¯t they gonna be some beautiester on?¡±

    Adventurers that were nearby walked over to us.

    Thinking they might be picking a fight, I got ready¡­ Um, Haku-san, why are you hiding behind me and grinning? Rokuko, what¡¯s with that [I don¡¯t care!]-like expression? Meat, please put your knife away. Alright, keeping your hands on the handle is OK.

    ¡°Hey, boy. This is the Adventurer Guild.¡±

    A noticeably rough leader-like man spoke.

    ¡­ I have the golem assist, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d win. What to do¡­?

    While I was troubled over what to do, he put his hand on my shoulder with a p.

    ¡°Rx. As their senior, you gotta protect those Ojou-chans. Here, I¡¯ll give you some candy. There¡¯s some for all of you.¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s here¡ª! Tokoi aniki¡¯s candy¡ª! The tasty honey candy that¡¯s a hit in the mercenary group!¡±

    ¡°The killer technique for aniki who loves children even though they¡¯re afraid of him, the candy! As expected of aniki, who donates most of his own earnings to orphanages~!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s even gotten used to kids being on guard ¡¯cause of his scary face scaring~! We¡¯ve seen kids cry from him approaching them with a smile at least a hundred times now yeah~!?¡±

    ¡°Oi, Kalbi, Harami, Rose, shaddup.¡±

    Somehow or another, this guy is an extremely nice person. I epted the bag with four candies in it that he held out.

    ¡°Umm.¡±

    ¡°¡­ My bad, did I scare you? Ah, I-I¡¯m no one suspicious! I¡¯m a B-Rank adventurer, my name¡¯s pretty well known too. You can ask the guild¡¯s staff if you want.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­ then, just to be safe.¡±

    When I asked a staff member to make sure, it looked like all of the things that the three others said were true. Even though the B-Rank adventurer¡¯s face is scary, he loves children and is the leader of a mercenary group.

    My nervousness went away.

    ¡°You¡­ didn¡¯t even hesitate asking the staff¡­ no, it¡¯s alright. It¡¯s our first time meeting, so making sure was the right way to go. Fufu, it¡¯s alright, it¡¯s all good¡­ you were just being a good guardian to protect the children, right? Hahaha. If you get in any trouble just ask.¡±

    With a voice that sounded like he was about to cry, the rough man and his group left.

    ¡°¡­ Just who was that?¡±

    ¡°A famous adventurer of a certain kind that has be this guild¡¯s specialty. One of the [Useful] pawns this time. That you could meet him was fortunate¡­ Ah, in the event you use him, please do the negotiations yourself.¡±

    When I asked Haku-san, that¡¯s how she responded.

    ¡­ I see. So Haku-san also thought of the [Call adventurers in to fight on the day of the event] strategy huh. Well, a mercenary group would act for money, too. Setting aside whether or not I use them, let¡¯s remember that.

    ¡°Now then¡­ how about I introduce you to the Guild Head here? Follow me.¡±

    ¡°Wait, the Guild Head¡­ isn¡¯t that Haku-san?¡±

    ¡°I am the Grand Master. I usually leave everything to my subordinates.¡±

    Saying that, she headed behind the counter. Not even being stopped by the staff, she went to the Guild Head¡¯s office. Haku-san knocked lightly on the door and waited.

    However, there was no response even after waiting a while, so Haku-san calmly opened the office¡¯s door.

    ¡°Supyaa¡­ supii¡­ nyaa fufufu¡­¡±

    Inside the Guild Head¡¯s room, there was a pink-cateared girl sleeping on the desk.

    ¡­ The soft sunlight and warm interior of this office would be great to sleep in. I want to sleep too.

    Wait, surely she¡¯s not the Guild Head?

    Haku-san abruptly took out a wooden mallet and swung it downward at the sleeping cateared girl¡¯s head.

    Godun.

    With a dull sounding from the painful-looking collision, the girl jumped up.

    ¡­ Hitting someone when they¡¯re sleeping so peacefully? How savage.

    ¡°Pikya!? W-what¡ªa-an enemy!? Ah, Haku-sama!¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Misha. How is work?¡±

    ¡°Ah! There are no problems whatsoever! There was a quarrel but it was no problem!¡±

    Even though she was giving a proper salute, there were traces of saliva near her mouth and there was a puddle of it on the desk.

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, Kehma-san. As this is the first time you¡¯ll have met her, I will introduce her. This Misha, a werecat. She is one of my party members and is also a dungeon monster.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Misha! I pass as a cat beastkin in the guild but I¡¯m a werecat!¡±

    ¡°What a lively cat! I¡¯m Rokuko!¡±

    ¡°Kehma. Pleased to meet you?¡±

    She looked like a cute girl with cat ears and a tail.

    How exactly are cat beastkin and werecats different?

    ¡°I¡¯m taking a human form right now. My arms would be covered with hair all the way down to my elbows if I turned back you know? I¡¯m super soft and fluffy.¡±

    Ah, so she can do that.

    Soft and fluffy, huh.

    Even so, there should be a magic stone somewhere on her body since she¡¯s a demon, shouldn¡¯t there?

    ¡°Even though she looks like this, Misha is still an active A-Rank adventurer, so even just keeping her here is effective. She even has fighting strength¡­ I can¡¯t entrust many other duties to her though.¡±

    So those were the circumstances¡­ right person right ce really is important.

    ¡°Hey! Look here, I¡¯m useful! No matter what, I was able to solve that [Easy] question that Haku-sama had so much trouble with on my first try!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Ow!? Haku-sama, don¡¯t pinch meeeee!¡±

    Ah, that riddle from the first Dungeon Battle huh. ¡°The answer of this problem is [Easy],¡± in other words, a problem that a smart person would get stuck on¡­ so this girl solved it huh.

    It was a problem meant to be easily solvable so long as you didn¡¯t think about it¡­ yep, I¡¯m convinced.

    ¡°¡­ As you fell asleep on the job, I¡¯ll punish youter.¡±

    ¡°Hiii!? I-I¡¯m sorryyy!¡±

 Chapter 162

    Touring the Imperial Capital 3

    Leaving the Adventurer Guild, we ate lunch at a fancy restaurant.

    I couldn¡¯t taste the meal that well from the mental strain, but it was probably more delicious than our inn¡¯s food. I definitely want to bring Kinue-san here and have her steal the vor.

    However, I was tired after the meal so I took a nap in a park.

    The sightseeing can wait tillter¡­ Well, Rokuko and Haku-san both left to buy evening party dresses, so I¡¯m just sleeping during the meanwhile. Why didn¡¯t they buy it at the clothing shop from earlier? It¡¯s a different kind of store. That one was a clothes shop for daily-type outfits, different from the tailor-made evening party dresses. It¡¯s like the difference between buying casual wear and a suit. Rather, that bunny suit is casual?

    ¡­ Well, it seems that I slept for around five hours, but Haku-san and Rokuko returned about the same time I woke up. It was evening.

    ¡°Un, I knew that Kehma would be sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Eh, he was seriously sleeping? The entire time? Surely he was thinking about what to do.¡±

    ¡°No, Haku Ane-sama¡­ Kehma is a man that sleeps when he sleeps!!¡± [1]

    By the way, Meat stood guard the whole time I was sleeping on the bench. I said to do whatever, but are you sure you wanted to do that? I probably should¡¯ve given her a silver coin for pocket money to use how she wanted along with that though.

    *

    And then it was night. Finally time for the underground colosseum.

    People would enjoy watching monsters and diators fight in the arena.

    There were various rules and regtions, but the most popr was, as expected, the [Anything Goes Deathmatch].

    Once we¡¯d temporarily returned to the vi, we rode on a carriage towards the underground arena.

    Taking the chance, Haku-san had returned to her usual adult form. However, she wore a white mask that hid her eyes.

    It was a in one-colored mask, but there were three blue jewels under the left eye that looked like shooting stars. How tasteful.

    ¡°¡­ Why are you in your original form?¡±

    ¡°Oh, do you not want to watch from the special seating? It¡¯s more convenient there. Here, Rokuko-chan¡¯s mask. Kehma doesn¡¯t need anything.¡±

    ¡°Wooow, thank you!¡±

    Hold up, an appearance that hides your social position? And you didn¡¯t even talk about Meat at all. Well, neither Meat nor I have one to hide though.

    ¡°¡­ Just in case, wouldn¡¯t it be weird if Meat and I didn¡¯t have them?¡±

    ¡°Oh well. Alright, here.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s had two gems, but mine and Meat¡¯s didn¡¯t even have a single one. It feels like it was definitely intentional, like something that shows off your status even while going incognito.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be mypany for now, so please try to not do anything embarrassing, alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be careful.¡±

    ¡°By the way, if you don¡¯t wear a mask, it means that you¡¯ll be a diator. I wanted to see how well Kehma-san could fight but, but oh well.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hahaha. So a mask without jewels means servant?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu.¡±

    So it meant that after all? Dangerous.

    The carriage went into a tunnel, continuing underground. Just when I thought that, the field of view suddenly opened up a bit and I saw a splendid colosseum.

    While I was thinking about stuff like underground construction and how the technology to build it would be amazing, I realized that a dungeon could make it all in one go. I¡¯m also building it in a dungeon.

    When we entered the colosseum being guided forward together with Haku-san, there were seats reserved for nobles with a great view.

    The chairs were only for Haku-san and Rokuko, but well, this is good enough.

    The arena grounds was entirely a dirt field.

    It looks like the current fight going on is between monsters, a huge boar named [Big Boar] that walks on four jumbo legs and a bipedal human-type cow called a [Minotaur]. They¡¯re fighting showily. The minotaur stopped the big boar¡¯s rush by grabbing onto its fangs. It was a masterpiece when, even while it was leaving grooves in the ground by the force of the charge, it threw the beast sideways using its muscr strength.

    [Now, which will be the loser to show up as tomorrow dinner~!?]

    Thementary said something good. I¡¯m not Ichika, but I¡¯m getting hungry from it.

    Ah,e to think of it, I haven¡¯t eaten dinner huh.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it quite strong?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Haku Ane-sama. How to say it¡­ the sound, I mean, the impact was amazing.¡±

    Bangs resounded each time the two monsters collided, causing the air to tremble.

    ¡°Bumooooooh!¡±

    Eventually, the minotaur, which had managed to tip over the big boar, took a mounted position over it and bashed it on its soft underside, letting out a roar.

    ¡°By the way, the losers really do be ingredients for the restaurant. That¡¯s why thisbination is rtively popr. Incidentally, they are also cheap in DP.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it was a monster summoned by DP after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes. Dolche¡­ even if I say that, you wouldn¡¯t know her. Same as Misha, she is my party member. I leave this stadium to her. She¡¯s passing off as a top-ss tamer.¡±

    Being able to summon a monster that follows your everymand from the start would indeed make her look like a top-ss tamer.

    [Now that everyone¡¯s riled up, our next contender is¡ªeh, one sec. Are you sure? Eh, seriously? The OK came from above? ¡­ Er, oh, sorry about that everyone. Ahem¡ªWell then, I¡¯ll now introduce our next contender!]

    It looks like the presenter was having a bit of trouble there, is there something off about the next one?

    My question was solved immediately.

    [Jumping into today¡¯s fights, from the Adventurer Guild, Guild Head Mishaaaa! We¡¯ll finally see the strength of the cat beastkin that heads the Adventurer Guild¡¯s headquarters! She looks like a young girl at first sight, but her intellect as well as the true age of this drowsy woman is unknown! However, her strength is guaranteed as an elite grappler! The destructive force of an A-Rank adventurer isn¡¯t for nothing, her fist can even smash through adamantite! ¡­ Rather, she is an A-Rank adventurer, but can the Guild Head reallye to a ce like this!?]

    ¡°Shaddup! Aah mou, Haku-sama said I had toe here¡­ well, she¡¯ll look over my dozing if I defeat my enemy here, so I¡¯m going! Fufufu, it¡¯ll be an easy win even if I just fight normally though~¡±

    Ooh, Misha-san huh? When I took a look at Haku-san, she was smiling.

    This is her punishment?

    [And now for the monster that will be her enemy¡ªthis arena¡¯s star monster, the big tentacle slime! It has a transparent slimy body with tentacles, it¡¯s immune to physical attacks so it¡¯s pleasant in various ways! A grappler dares to challenge an opponent that negates physical attacks, this is exactly what a challenger should be!]

    ¡­ Yup, this is definitely a punishment.

    Undting, the slime¡¯s body looks around twice Misha¡¯s size. The slime lurked along into the arena like a sea anemone, its tentacles billowing as it was being introduced.

    ¡°Eh, no way, I didn¡¯t hear anything about this! Wa¡ªwait! Hyaaah¡ª!?¡±

    The scream of an A-Rank adventurer echoed through the colosseum.

    Furthermore, Haku-san put her hands over Rokuko¡¯s eyes from behind.

    ¡°Huh? Haku Ane-sama? I can¡¯t see.¡±

    ¡°Please wait a moment, Rokuko-chan. I¡¯m in the middle of punishing an undisciplined subordinate right now.¡±

    Misha had to endure something a bit awful in the arena.

    For now, I closed Meat¡¯s eyes as well.

    Ah, it was amazing how her body got knocked down by the tentacles on the first move. Like ying with a child.

    Footnotes:

    Note that the word for ¡®sleep¡¯ also means y down¡¯. This is a pun where Rokuko is also saying ¡®sleeps when heys down¡¯. I felt this way was more amusing, so I kept it like this.

 Chapter 163

    Touring the Imperial Capital 4

    We¡¯re a bit away the imperial capital at the sea today.

    At a sandy beach. It¡¯s still too cold to wear a swimsuit, but I want toe and swim in the summer.

    By the way, Haku-san isn¡¯t with us today.

    ¡°As expected, work piles when you take three days off to y around¡­¡±

    ¡°Nooo, Chloe can deal with this much. I¡¯m busy entertaining Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t possible.¡±

    ¡°Ah, w-wait. Kuh, I-I¡¯ll work today. However, I¡¯ll finish up three days¡¯ work in this one day! And I¡¯ll take tomorrow off again!¡±

    Like that, Chloe dragged her off.

    It looks like you have to do a lot of stuff once you turn into the leader of an empire¡­ Rather, Haku-san actually has that much work? Isn¡¯t she supposed to be a retired person, living her life free of worry?

    ¡­ Ah, is it that a person of power who doesn¡¯t even need to worry about session issues from aging and longevity can¡¯t be idle?

    Being efficient¡¯s a problem too. I swear that I¡¯ll just leave it to proactive people and sleep.

    ¡°¡­ The sea~~~~~~!¡±

    ¡°Woah Kehma, what¡¯s wrong? You just shouted out of nowhere.¡±

    I wanted to give shouting at the sea a shot.

    White sand with not even a speck of garbage, a transparent blue sea, and bright, refreshing sunlight.

    It¡¯d be the best if there were a beach house or something to take a nap in though. Napping with a seaside breeze¡­ well, it¡¯s not summer so it¡¯s alright.

    There¡¯s a ce made to be a sightseeing spot meant for nobles closer to the capital from what I here, but there aren¡¯t any buildings there either¡­ Haku-san¡¯s nning on taking Rokuko to a spot being converted into a tourist attractionter on.

    Well, the ce we came to today is this beach with nothing on it. We got here with Dolche-san¡¯s¡ªa member of Haku-san¡¯s party¡ª[Teleport].

    It seems as though all of Haku-sans¡¯s party members other than Misha can use [Teleport].

    Right, other than Misha, who after being slimified by that big tentacle slime yesterday and who somehow defeated it in the end with a physical attack, thinking, ¡°Can¡¯t I just d my fist with magical power?¡±, it seems they could all use it.

    Dolche-san, who wore a white robe that looked like a certain RPG¡¯s white mage, was exhausted and wasying t in the shade of a big rock. She was in human form and she didn¡¯y have any particr problem with the sun, but as expected, with her origin being a wraith, she didn¡¯t seem to be that good with bright ces.

    ¡°Ueh, the sun can just die¡­ I¡¯m melting¡­¡±

    ¡°Umm, excuse me, there are a lot of sea roaches.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m fine. I like insects and spiders. Fufufu, scutter scutter¡­¡± [1]

    ¡­ Let¡¯s leave Dolche-san alone.

    Maybe there¡¯s some shade nearby that I can sleep in too? I brought a parasol and beach chair just in case though.

    ¡°Wait, we came here for the preview where to build the dungeon, not to sleep!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right¡­ Aah~, doesn¡¯t that cliff over there look like it has an awesome vibe to it? Like a criminal would get chased on to it.¡±

    ¡°The heck? Please do the inspection properly.¡±

    After thinking about it, even if we inspect the area, we¡¯re going to be making the dungeon underground, so it doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯ll change much depending on where it¡¯s built.

    I could use as much salt water as I want here, maybe I could make some salt?

    ¡­ Salt, yep. Come to think of it, I wonder what Rin¡¯s up to around now?

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯vee here, but this ce is smelly isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be the smell of the salt water. The smell is a bit weaker than the ocean I remember, but I don¡¯t really dislike it.¡±

    ¡°Smells fishy¡­ Hey, Kehma. Could we use the sea¡¯s monsters?¡±

    Sea monsters huh¡­ maybe. Something like a kraken or sharks?

    I opened the DP catalog from the menu.

    ¡­ Hohoh, there¡¯s even a shark with two heads. I wonder if there¡¯s stuff like ghost sharks or flying sharks?

    For right now, the ones that stand out are the giant squid, giant octopus, and giant nautilus. There are ones pretty close to humans like sahagins and mermaids, as well as plenty of sea creatures like jellyfish and sea cucumbers. [2]

    ¡­ Dagon? Feels like I shouldn¡¯t look to closely at the catalog. It doesn¡¯t really matter this time though. It costs more than 100,000,000 DP. [3]

    And then I noticed something.

    Various sea-type things were cheap in the DP department¡­ In exchange for that, mountain-type things like [Heat Source] or a wyvern, which were both unconnected to the sea, were more expensive.

    Even something like the iron golem, which was 500 DP each at Tsuia Mountain, had quadrupled in price up to 2,000 DP here.

    ¡°¡­ Could it be that DP changes depending on the location?¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, let me see¡­ Un? Goblins didn¡¯t change, they¡¯re still 20 DP.¡±

    Why was the first thing you checked goblins? As expected of Rokuko.

    ¡­ Ah, ghost-types are cheaper? I guess they would appear more often at sea. I would¡¯ve thought that they would in mountains as well though.

    ¡°I see, so there¡¯s a difference in DP depending on the situation, matching the characteristics of the area¡­ It seems the dungeon core and master increase or decrease the various costs as well.¡±

    ¡°No no Kehma, what¡¯re you saying¡­ it would¡¯ve been impossible to get another world¡¯s rice if it weren¡¯t Kehma.¡±

    Oh yeah. So it was my characteristics that made it so I could buy Japanese goods with DP then? Maybe golems as well since they¡¯re human-type? Haku-san was also using humanoid bipedal monsters that used both hands.

    ¡­ In that case, it¡¯d be better to learn about our opponent. Looks like we could take advantage of it for some countermeasures.

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko. What is our opponent this time like?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Umm, the first one is Team Dragon¡¯s three cores, a snake, a frog, and a slug.¡±

    What a three-way deadlock. Reptile, amphibian, and¡­ what was a slug? A shellfish? Seems like those guys would get creepy-slimy monsters on the cheap. [3]

    ¡°Well, the Demon Lord Team¡¯s was in human form, but¡­ umm, Core No. 666 is¡­. what was she? Sorry. I don¡¯t know!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll try asking Haku-san tomorrow.¡±

    For now I took out the beach chair and parasol I¡¯d put in my [Storage] for just this sort of asion.

    Stabbing the parasol¡¯s pole into the sand, Iid down on the beach chair under the shade.

    The sound of the waves made for a really pleasant background sound. Looks like I¡¯ll get some good rest here.

    ¡°¡­ Meat, doesn¡¯t it look like it¡¯d be really fun to make a castle where the sand meets the sea?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll join you.¡±

    By the way, when I woke up in the evening, it might¡¯ve been washed away by the tides or maybe they just didn¡¯t make it, but there was no sand castle.

    Footnotes:

    She uses a sound effect in her speech here that can also mean [damp/humid] and [gloomy/depressing]. Return

    Sahagins are a monster from Final Fantasy, as well as from D&D Forgotten Realms, though they are known as Sahuagins there. Return

    A lovecraftian monster. Dagon is a deity who presides over the Deep Ones, an amphibious humanoid race. Also known as Father Dagon, he is a Great Old One and the consort of Mother Hydra. Return

    The ¡®three-way deadlock¡¯ (raw version) is a reference to The Tale of the Gant Jiraiya¨Cthe story that influenced a major portion of the Naruto anime. There was a reference I¡¯d missed in the Dungeon Core Assembly chapters.

 Chapter 164

    Touring the Imperial Capital 5

    Today is the mountain. And we¡¯re being guided by Amelia-san, amia.

    Unfortunately, Haku-san is still stuck working today and couldn¡¯t make it. Aaah, it¡¯s so nice being carefree.

    ¡°May I ask for your cooperation, Rokuko-sama?¡±

    ¡°Err, what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Please say [My Onee-sama that can do her work is so amazing].¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    Like that, Haku-san was able to work energetically for the rest of the day.

    Let¡¯s enjoy this foray into the forest under the guise of it being an investigation. To be exact, by taking a nap.

    ¡°¡­ Haku-sama is usually a very amazing person you know? Umm, when you all influence her, she, umm. She feels rxed? Maybe I should say that she¡¯s able to feel less restrained¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. Yeah. I guess.¡±

    ¡°Sorry¡­¡±

    Yep. It¡¯s not your fault, Amelia-san.

    Now then, let¡¯s start over. Today, we went to a mountain that bordered the Demon King¡¯s territory.

    The forest was thick, the sound of many leaves being rustled by the wind was pleasing to the ears.

    I immediately opened the DP catalog.

    ¡­ Hmm, they¡¯re almost the same costs. Looks like Haku-san didn¡¯t rmend it for nothing. I¡¯d be able to make a dungeon that¡¯s practically the same feeling as our current one here.

    I could even make one that¡¯s exactly the same as [Cave of Desires]. I¡¯d have to show off my hand, though.

    ¡­ Even if Haku-san isn¡¯t here, she¡¯ll be monitoring us if the dungeon¡¯s within her territory through Menu-san¡¯s power. I can¡¯t do anything careless.

    ¡°¡­ I wanted to ask Haku-san about Core No. 666, but she isn¡¯t here. Oh well.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Kehma? What¡¯s that for? Are you going to catch a boar or something?¡±

    ¡°Nah, this is called a hammock. It¡¯s bedding!¡±

    By the way, other than the that I¡¯ll be using to sleep on, I also got a cloth to act as a wall. It¡¯ll be morefortable to sleep like that.

    ¡°Heeh, that looks interesting.¡±

    Amelia-san chimed in. By the way, she canceled her humanization aftering to the mountain, so her lower half is like a snake¡¯s. As expected of amia. It¡¯s seven meters long.

    ¡°Whenever I go to sleep outside, I sleep coiled around a tree.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, a sleeping technique unique tomias huh. Sounds great, what¡¯s it like?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I coil around a big tree andy my upper half on a thick branch. So, how¡¯s this hammock thing used?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you.¡±

    It¡¯d be faster to show her than trying to exin, so I looked for a suitable tree.

    Luckily, there¡¯s a lot of trees here.

    I asked Meat to attach hooks to some trees at appropriate intervals and set the hammock up there. After making sure that it wouldn¡¯t give in with some weight put on it first, I went and lied down in the hammock.

    It kinda feels like being an orange wrapped in a.

    ¡°Like this. It¡¯s prettyfortable.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, hmm¡­ Is there a longer one? Around seven meters.¡±

    ¡°Not on me, unfortunately. It¡¯s pretty easy to make though, the structure is simple.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see. Looks like a bedding that lets you sleep while stretching out your legs.¡±

    What legs? Your lower half is a snake¡¯s.

    ¡­ ¡­

    Eh, why¡¯s it suddenly feel so erotic? The heck.

    Rokuko came over and poked me through the hammock. Then shook me.

    ¡°Hey Kehma. Couldn¡¯t you do stuff like that over at our dungeon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s that, this is this.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. I want to see all sorts of stuff since this is such a special asion!¡±

    Come to think of it, Rokuko doesn¡¯t usually get out much huh. She¡¯s pretty much always in the dungeon¡­ she¡¯s practically a hikikomori.

    Her personality¡¯s a pretty active one though. I can¡¯t figure out if she¡¯s the indoors type or outdoors type.

    ¡°Why not go check things out then? Amelia-san will be with you, it¡¯s not like you¡¯d be in any danger.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Kehma would be defenseless though! Wouldn¡¯t you be attacked by animals?¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s a problem. I forgot that a bear or something might show up.

    ¡°Protecting Goshujin-sama, I volunteer.¡±

    ¡°Aah, ve-chan ve-chan. If I had to say, this area is rather dangerous, so it really would be rather dangerous if I¡¯m not with you. There¡¯s even a High Orc vige¡­ ah, they won¡¯t attack so long as I¡¯m here though. I¡¯m pretty strong.¡±

    A High Orc is an advanced species of Orc, they¡¯re pretty strong. They¡¯re weaker than dragons, but are definitely stronger than me. A vige would be as strong as two or three orders of knights.

    By the way, that vige is one of the ones under Haku¡¯s control, so I guess they¡¯re part of her reserve forces for her war against the Demon King¡¯s army¡­ There¡¯s also the possibility that Amelia-san telling them to not attack us and negotiate was included in the [Assignment from the upper core], so I¡¯d like to avoid that for now. Haku-san did also say that I should negotiate with mercenaries myself.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm, well, it¡¯s not just monsters and animals, the normal insects are irritating and it¡¯s not as good of an environment to sleep in as the sea¡­ oh well. Mountain nts or whatever, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    ¡°Yay! Let¡¯s go, Kehma!¡±

    I decided to go along with Rokuko, who was in the lead with a giant grin on her face¡­ It¡¯s not like I went along because Rokuko was giving off an aura that shouted that she wanted to go for a walk or anything. The hammock just didn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯m not sleepy at all.

    ¡°Kehma, can I eat this mushroom!? It¡¯s so blue!!¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t just go and touch it. There was some crazy mushrooms that can harm you just from touching them in the world. Rather, isn¡¯t that one obviously poisonous? Throw it away.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that one is edible.¡±

    ¡°Seriously!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I mean it is formias. It¡¯s poisonous for normal people.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wonder if a Dungeon Core can?¡±

    ¡°Haku-sama said that it is better to not eat them.¡±

    ¡°Amelia-sama, this one?¡±

    ¡°Ah, ve-chan, that one is a delicious one that can be eaten by humans as well. Let¡¯s stew it upter.¡±

    With that sort of mood, we strolled along with Rokuko asionally picking up poisonous nts and Meat finding wild nts that could be eaten.

    Thanks to Rokuko, I¡¯m now pretty good at finding the poisonous flora around here. Hahaha, wonder if I could use that for something? Making a dungeon here might just be pretty useful.

 Chapter 165

    Touring the Imperial Capital 6

    We¡¯re at a prairie today.

    It¡¯s a t area sizable enough to be used for military maneuvers.

    Haku-san¡¯s here today. Misha¡¯s with us as well for some reason.

    Misha carried arge parasol so that Haku-san and Rokuko could be in the shade.

    Isn¡¯t that Chloe-san¡¯s job?

    ¡°Chloe can process documentation, Misha cannot. That is why.¡±

    So that was it?

    Haku smiled andughed while walking hand-in-hand with Rokuko¡­ This is a pic, isn¡¯t it.

    ¡°However, this area is used for maneuvers, so it would be a little troubling for the dungeon to be made here. If it were somewhat closer to the border, however¡­¡±

    ¡°That ce is obviously used as a battlefield though?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Wouldn¡¯t that be great for DP ie? Besides, undead would be quite inexpensive, right?¡±

    It¡¯s the always-smiling expression from a while ago. Looks like she¡¯s d to be able to settle her business and go out together with Rokuko.

    By the way, when I checked out the DP catalog in this prairie, buffaloes, boars, and other quadrupedal animals were cheap. Even rabbits, too.

    ¡°Well then, shall we have you a simted fight against Misha today, Kehma-san?¡±

    With a smile, Haku-san pped her hands together¡­ what¡¯s she saying now?

    ¡°Having Misha, an active A-Rank adventurer, to practice with; aren¡¯t you happy enough to weep?¡±

    ¡°Nope, I¡¯m the dungeon master. I have to stay in the back.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be troubled if you didn¡¯t at least have enough skill be a B-Rank adventurer.¡±

    ¡°What about Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan is okay. Isn¡¯t her cuteness S-Rank? Besides, jeopardizing the dungeon core is ridiculous.¡±

    Her attitude difference between me and Rokuko is too much¡­ maybe I should be used to it already? Even though Rokuko is a B-Rank adventurer too¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a break to watch Misha and Meat have a mock battle?¡±

    Rokuko came up with apromise.

    I took a quick peek at Meat¡­ she was overflowing with enthusiasm.

    ¡°Haah, then please practice with Meat. Don¡¯t be too hard on her.¡±

    ¡°Please, Misha-sama.¡±

    ¡°Umu! Leave it to me!¡±

    Misha struck her chest. It shook.

    ¡°Well then¡­ Oh budding seeds. Sprout and stretch¡ª[Grow Wood].¡±

    When Haku-san cast a spell, a tree grew up.

    Misha put away the parasol into [Storage] and took out a cloth, cing it in the tree¡¯s shade.

    ¡­ She grew a tree to use instead of a parasol? Really?

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, let¡¯s watch from here.¡±

    ¡°Alright, Ane-sama.¡±

    I also went into the tree¡¯s shade. I wasn¡¯t allowed to sit on the cloth, but I didn¡¯t particrlyin about it.

    Holding her golem knife, Meat faced off against Misha.

    Meanwhile, Misha was barehanded. As we were shown just a few days ago, she was a grappler.

    It¡¯s a mock battle, but weapons are serious. After Haku-san proposed that both sides use what they normally would, Misha gave the OK to it as well.

    ¡°So¡ªstart whenever, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Misha stood casually, not taking a stance. Just then, Meat suddenly shed down.

    However, the side of the knife was abruptly pushed aside by Misha¡¯s hand, evading it without even a single step.

    ¡°Hmph, that¡¯s a good de. Your skills aren¡¯t too shabby either. You¡¯ll get better. Now, please,e at me. I won¡¯t even move a step, alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hah!¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡±

    Gakin!

    The sound of metal shing against metal rang out.

    The source was Misha¡¯s foot meeting Meat¡¯s golem knife.

    When I took a better look, Misha¡¯s body was covered with an aura that protected her against the knife.

    ¡°Fufufu, to aim for my feet right after I said that I wouldn¡¯t take a step¡­ your owner¡¯s teaching is good.¡±

    ¡°You stopped¡­ it?¡±

    Meat backed up, taking a distance from her. A smile spread out across Misha¡¯s face. Looks like she didn¡¯t intend on attacking.

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    ¡°[Hard Qigong]. It makes things incredibly tough¡­ Misha, if you take even a single step, you lose, alright?¡±

    ¡°Eeeh!? W-wait a sec please, Haku-sama! Really, that¡¯s¡ªat least let me use kicks!¡±

    ¡°Alright, Meat. Go ahead and use whatever skills you want. I will reward you if you win~¡±

    ¡°Understood! Oh me, be a ball and hit my enemy¡ª[Fireball].¡±

    ¡°Uwaaah, wa¡ª!? Fireball at my feet!? H-hoooot!!¡±

    After that, Meat mercilessly continued with magic skills and long ranged attacks, each being intercepted through Misha¡¯s [Distant Guard]. She guarded against the relentless strikes at her feet with [Hard Qigong]. She also counterattacked Meat who had drawn closer.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°Hoi!¡±

    ¡°Ugu! ¡­ Ukyuu¡­¡±

    Struck a counter, Meat was thrown to the ground from a blow to the gut. She was held against the ground with hands on her back. She wasn¡¯t able to move, let alone get up.

    That¡¯s match set, huh.

    ¡°Phew, see, Haku-sama? I won!¡±

    ¡°Well done, Misha. You won against a child.¡±

    ¡°Eeeeeh~~¡­¡±

    Standing up, Meat walked over to me.

    ¡°My apologies, I lost¡­¡±

    ¡°What? You did well against Misha, she¡¯s an A-Rank.¡±

    We¡¯re originally D-Ranks, so that result should be reasonable. I stroked Meat¡¯s head.

    Meat closed her eyes infort and wagged her tail.

    ¡°Now, next up is Kehma-san, correct? If you can cause Misha to take even one step, if will be Kehma-san¡¯s win¡­ If you win, I¡¯ll give you information on Core No. 666.¡±

    Haku-san smiled pleasantly. Did she hear something from Amelia-san?

    ¡­ Will she seriously not give me the information if I lose? If I lose the Dungeon Battle, she¡¯d be able to legitimately take Rokuko, wouldn¡¯t she?

    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t be helped, is it fine if I get the first shot?¡±

    ¡°Well, that much should be fine. Is it alright, Misha?¡±

    ¡°Honestly, that dog eared one is stronger, so it should be fine. Ah, let me change my stance before we start.¡±

    Saying that, Misha spread her legs apart at shoulder-width, dropping her center of gravity.

    Improving her stability huh. Just when I thought that¡ªBang! Bang!¡ªshe stamped against the ground with each foot like a sumo wrestler¡­ She¡¯s serious here, huh?

    ¡ªCome at me.

    Misha looked at me as though to say that.

    ¡­ I¡¯m going to wipe off that confident look of yours.

    ¡°Kehma, decide it in one shot!¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, do your best.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Getting Rokuko and Meat¡¯s encouragement, I stood before Misha.

    I then ced a small magic stone at Misha¡¯s feet and recited a spell incantation.

    ¡°Mass of earth, change your form, abide me and be my servant¡ª[Create Golem].¡±

    ¡°Uwah!? A golem, under me!?¡±

    Misha fell over. It¡¯s my win.

 Chapter 166

    Touring the Imperial Capital 7

    Idiot, a Dungeon Master wouldn¡¯t fight you head on.

    It doesn¡¯t matter how well you prepare your stance if the foundation under you overturns.

    ¡°Yep, my win.¡±

    ¡°Crafty, as expected of Kehma. No one beats you when ites to unfair victories!¡±

    Rokuko smiled.

    Was that meant to be apliment? It probably was. Stuff like cowardice and cunning are justpliments to Dungeon Masters.

    ¡°¡­ Oh my, oh my. It looks like you were defeated, Misha?¡±

    ¡°No, uhh¡ª! I was just tricked right!?¡±

    ¡°Taking even a single step would count as a loss. Did you not take more than a single step? You would be a splendid loser by stopping there though? To start with, it was worse for you to not be vignt of earth magic after hearing the rules. Fufu, with this, do you see just how absurd resourceful generals can be, Misha?¡±

    ¡°Uwaaahn¡­¡±

    Misha started sobbing, but Haku-san¡¯s judgement wasn¡¯t budged.

    ¡°So then, now to talk about Core 666, is it? What do you want to hear? I¡¯ll teach you anything that I can answer.¡±

    ¡°First thing¡¯s first then, what kind of Dungeon Core is Core 666?¡±

    When I asked that, Haku-san closed her eyes a bit and hummed as though trying to recall.

    ¡°Mm, I only vaguely remember what she is since she uses humanization. First off is the Demon King Faction, they are material-type or demon-type.¡±

    ¡°Material-type? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I have a Living Armor as well, it¡¯s like that. Other than that, there are things like Mimics¡ªimitation treasure chests¡ªas well.¡±

    So they were something like that huh. Maybe I should assume something like that will appear in the Dungeon Battle?

    ¡°Yeah, and this is something that Rokuko-chan knows as well, but¡­ she has a zing magic sword and red hair. Also, the victory condition this time is [The Destruction of the Dummy Core]. It was No. 666 that had destruction be the condition rather than touching.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s right huh! She definitely wants do crush and smash it somehow.¡±

    ¡°Oi Rokuko, there¡¯s some important info there.¡±

    ¡°Eh, her wanting to crush it?¡±

    ¡°No, her going with the destruction method.¡±

    Since she suggested it, there¡¯s got to be some hidden intention there.

    On the other hand, I could also suspect that she wants me to think that¡­ but even so there¡¯s some meaning to it.

    At the very least, I can¡¯t win by having rats suicide attack the dummy core. Rats don¡¯t actually have much offensive power.

    ¡°Mm, I can¡¯t say anything more about 666. It is a breach of etiquette to discuss the true form of a core that uses humanization in the first ce.¡±

    That said, Haku-san ended our talk.

    It¡¯d be great if she taught me more about their etiquette, but at least she told me the essentials for this.

    ¡°Rather, Kehma-san, that was a splendid [Create Golem].¡±

    ¡°Yeah, [Create Golem] is my specialty.¡±

    I wound up showing one of my hands, but I¡¯d originally nned to show that one.

    I can add golems without using DP, so that would be exposed immediately. In truth, even though this skill is a little rare, it¡¯s not like there aren¡¯t any adventurers that know it.

    You can get it through DP, so Haku-san, a Dungeon Core, would obviously know about the skill.

    ¡°You can augment your monster forces without needing to use much DP if you have a create or summon-type skill¡­ fufu, I haven¡¯t done it recently, but I used to use that method a lot in the past.¡±

    Right? There¡¯s no way that Haku-san wouldn¡¯t have used such a great cost-to-performance method.

    The summon-type one is a magic skill that is able to summon monsters that exist somewhere on this world. It¡¯s not as convenient for dungeons as it continues to consume magical power while being used, but it¡¯s not a problem if you pinpoint summon something as a boss when needed. Also, the amount of magical power needed changes depending on the strength of the monster you summon.

    ¡°Please let me know if you have any other rmended creation or summon-type skills for me.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, they are in the DP catalog though? I rmend all of them.¡±

    ¡­ Maybe it¡¯d be fine to use up all of this time¡¯s 500,000 DP on those. Even if the dungeon gets taken away, it¡¯s not like I¡¯d be losing anything after using the scrolls on myself.

    ¡°By the way, [Summon Golem] is upwardlypatible with [Create Golem]. If you are skilled, you could even summon stone and iron golems.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing to know.¡±

    I might even be able to summon a mithril or orichalcum golem. It might also be a good idea to use one as a boss monster for the dungeon if I can.

    When I thought about something like that, Meat was asking to be able to practice with Misha.¡±

    ¡°Misha-sama, I, want to get stronger¡­ Please.¡±

    ¡°Sure~. Beastkin and Werebeasts are like rtives after all. Let¡¯s get along, Kuroinu-chan.¡±

    Misha held out her hand. Meat nodded and shook hands with her.

    Then, Misha continued by striking Meat in the head just like that.

    Meat was blown back about three meters.

    ¡°Hyaaha~! There¡¯s no need for first-ss practice for a lowly doggy! I¡¯m a battle junkie that won¡¯t even go easy on children! Losing your focus in a field is inexcusable~!¡±

    ¡°Guh¡­ I let my guard down¡­¡±

    ¡°You can still stand? I¡¯ll go juuust soft enough so you won¡¯t get seriously hurt, so be don¡¯t go and get too bashed up now. Excellent adventurers are the Adventurer Guild¡¯s treasures after all. I¡¯m beat it into your soul that kitties are better than doggies!¡±

    ¡°I look forward¡­ to that¡­!¡±

    So there¡¯s a discord between cats and dogs in this world too huh. Misha was practicing with the high-spirited Meat as though she were trying to bully her.

    When she was too injured to continue, Haku-san would heal her with [Healing], allowing for Meat to be battered yet again.

    This continued on until evening.

    Meat wasn¡¯t able tond even a single blow on Misha the whole time.

    ¡°¡­ Phew, your reactions are pretty great¡­ for a doggy. I¡¯ll be looking forward to your growth.¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ thank you¡­¡±

    Meat spoke whileying stretched out on the group. Good work. Seriously, good work. Tonight¡¯s dinner will be an all-you-can-eat of Meat¡¯s favorite, hamburgers.

    Meanwhile, Rokuko was sleeping with her head on Haku-san¡¯sp. Must be nice~.

    Well, that¡¯s something that¡¯ll be exclusive to Rokuko.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, it¡¯s over?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You woke up. They just finished, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, s-sorry, Haku Ane-sama, drool¡ª! I¡¯ll [Clean¡ª¡±

    ¡°Fufu, I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    By the way, I heard that Misha is able to keep fighting for seven days straight without rest.

    Being able to fight without sleeping for a whole week, she¡¯s inhuman¡­ Ah, she¡¯s a Werecat.

    ¡­ I¡¯m tired just from watching it all. Let¡¯s sleep with Meat as a hug pillow when we get back.

 Chapter 167

    Extra: A Souvenir and Technological Innovation

    ¡°¡­ Ooooooh! This is wonderful~!¡±

    When I handed Nerune the [Permanent Fountain Pen-kun] that I got from touring the capital, she was already incredibly excited.

    ¡°Gugugu, I want to take it apart¡­ but there¡¯s a protection on it that would erase the magic formation when it¡¯s disassembled¡­!¡±

    ¡°There is?¡±

    ¡°Said so in the manual~! As expected of [Hero Studio] huh~¡±

    Wonder if it¡¯s the cheat skill of a god¡¯s vanguard/hero?

    ¡°Hmmm, making something the same as it would be impossible then huh.¡±

    ¡°It looks like it replenishes ink when you fill it with magical power~. Liquid, and ck¡­ is it earth magic~?¡±

    By the way, there¡¯s a transparent te on the side of the fountain pen, so we¡¯re able to see the remaining amount of ink.

    While on the subject, the color of the ink ites with isn¡¯t just ck, but a colorful red, blue, and green too. I just bought the basic ck one this time.

    ¡°Is the ink made with water?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it something else~?¡±

    ¡°Eh, I don¡¯t know. Maybe they¡¯re using oil or something?¡±

    Just to say, normally, ink is made from magic tools like [Hero Studio]¡¯s [Ink Maker-kun]. How is that normal¡­

    ¡°¡­ In other words, [Hero Studio] does nothing but focus on getting monopolies, huh.¡±

    ¡°Looks like it~. Or maybe it¡¯s just that no one could even imitate them~¡±

    For them to continue the workshop for a few hundred years, it¡¯s like they made [Magic Tools That Make Magic Tools] or something. Or maybe the person is still alive?

    ¡­ Let¡¯s not think too hard about it.

    By the way, I didn¡¯t buy the [Fueless Pot] or [Hotpot-kun], but I told her that there was stuff like that too.

    ¡°The [Stove] that master talked about a while ago is more convenient~. You could even use it with normal pots and pans, switching in and out is simple too~. It¡¯d be a single iron te as a magic tool, so it wouldn¡¯t take up space either~¡±

    ¡°¡­ It does sound convenient with you talking about it like that.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Gar-kun, bring me the 16th fire prototype¡­ Ahh, thanks~¡±

    Nerune¡¯s assistant gargoyle silently brought her a box, handing it to her.

    When Nerune took the box from it and patted its head, the gargoyle seemed satisfied as it returned to its spot in the corner of the room.

    The thing that was in the box was an unfired y te with a magic formation engraved into it.

    ¡°This is the prototype stove~. I made it out of y since it¡¯s a prototype, but since I used the dial¡¯s magic formation from when we made the kotatsu, the strength can be regted too~¡±

    ¡°As expected of Nerune, making something like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s thanks to master~. It would crack if it got put into a bag since it¡¯s made from y, but master could easily mass produce them with steel tes right~?¡±

    It¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯t, but it sounds like a pain. Seriously.

    Moreover, like this, the whole stove gets hot when it¡¯s used.

    In that case, let¡¯s make a single raw y te and not care about being able to carry it around. That should be fine for a prototype.

    ¡°Right, could I make a wooden base that the y te can be put in? I want the handle to be strong, so let¡¯s use an iron rod for it. Let¡¯s see¡­ even if I put a hole into it here, it won¡¯t affect the magic formation right?¡±

    I took care of the y te. Cutting out a nk area with [Create Golem], I made a hole for the handle. After that, I made a wooden board that¡¯ll fit on top of it. It¡¯ll bepleted by putting the iron rod in.

    Yep, a slim stove. Gives off some good vibes. [1]

    ¡°¡­ If it¡¯s like that, you don¡¯t have to worry about it cracking if I cover it with a lid huh~. That way it¡¯ll still be made with y, so I can make it without having to trouble Goshujin-sama~¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good. As expected of Nerune. Well then, please take it from here.¡±

    Oh, so she¡¯s going to make a lid for it as well huh. Really, our researcher is excellent.

    I handed the raw y te with a magic formation on it back to Nerune. I¡¯ll show it off to Gozoh when it¡¯s done.

    ¡°I¡¯m not that good, it¡¯s all thanks to Goshujin-sama~¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so humble, Nerune. I¡¯ll be expecting a lot from you!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not humble though~? I have no ideas~. Hafuu.¡±

    Nerune sighed.

    ¡°Making magic formations with y with endless magic stones¡­ it¡¯s at the level that Kantra-shishou would get stunned and faint you know~?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Come to think of it, I¡¯d like to add a timer to the oven. Could you link a timer golem to it? I¡¯d like it to be something like a dial that you turn to the time you want, twisting back to the off position over time.¡±

    ¡°See!? A technological innovation just like that! Uwaaaaaahn.¡±

    Nerune lightly wailed her hands against me.

    Hahaha, this girl. It¡¯ll start hurting after a bit, so please don¡¯t do it too long.

    *

    Later on, it looks like my [Take it from here] was understood as [Mass produce them with this], so ten slim stoves werepleted.

    So mass producing them became feasible huh¡­ just one would¡¯ve been enough though.

    I decided to put a tabletop toaster oven (made with phoenix eggshells) in Nerune¡¯sboratory as a bonus. I made it after figuring out I could mix together the phoenix eggshells with the stove with [Create Golem].

    With this, she¡¯ll be able to have as much toast or whatever as she wants. Wonder if she¡¯ll like it?

    ¡°¡­ Kantra-shishou would die in agony~. Well, it¡¯ll be easy to fire the y in theboratory now, so things will be easier now~¡±

    ¡°Ah, that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah~, thank you so much~¡­ And something like a desk oven huh~, that¡¯s something else new~¡±

    ¡­ Well, above all, looks like she¡¯s happy.

    Let¡¯s give Kinue-san one of the leftover stoves and put the rest in the dungeon¡¯s treasure chests.

    They¡¯ll be the jackpot.

    Footnotes:

    As you can see from this line, what Keima made is supposedly a slim stove (Keima Version). However, if you know about Japanese slim stoves, you¡¯ll also realize that the prior lines don¡¯t truly match up. Unfortunately, this is because I simply wasn¡¯t able to understand Keima¡¯s exnation. I tried to retool the lines in such a way that might still make sense in hopes that the average reader will be able to understand. Please, if any reader out there knows Japanese well enough to help me out here, it would be greatly appreciated. I tried contacting a few other trantors, but had no luck in figuring out the lines. The raw for this chapter can be found here. Super apologies for having to resort to knowingly misrepresenting the author¡­ =(

 Chapter 168

    Dungeon Battle Strategy Meeting

    I think it¡¯s about time to get started on making the dungeon.

    I was able to see various things around the capital with the feeling of a tourist.

    Now I just have to decide on a ce and hollow out a dungeon.

    Because of that, I decided to have a meeting to determine the dungeon¡¯s location. Rokuko fell a sleep a few seconds into the meeting since she was tired from ying though. Her sleeping face looks happy, what a free girl.

    Haku-san was pardoning her and wrapped a nket around her. I think she¡¯s spoiling her a bit much though. Isn¡¯t this a discussion about Rokuko¡¯s dungeon?

    ¡°So, Kehma-san. Where are you wanting the dungeon to be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking of making it here.¡±

    I pointed to a ce on the map.

    ¡­ The sea.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Kehma-san, are you jesting?¡±

    Her smile disappeared, reced with blood thirst. Oh crap.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious, really! I¡¯m not kidding around!¡±

    ¡°Please exin then. Us high-ranking cores have received the rights and obligation to hear exnations regarding strategy as [Advising our juniors] from Otou-sama.¡±

    ¡°Y-yea! I will begin exining my strategy for this battle!¡±

    I could feel Haku-san leaking anger and expectations as she started speaking more politely to me. It was probably intentional, but still, it¡¯s super scary.

    There¡¯s a gimmick I¡¯ve been thinking about for the Dungeon Battle. It¡¯s an undersea dungeon.

    Assuming that I made a dungeon at the bottom of the sea, it¡¯ll be a sea, so naturally, it¡¯d be impossible to breathe.

    Impossible to capture? It¡¯s just a dungeon that anyone can enter. It just has a bit of water everywhere.

    Like when we captured [me Cavern] with the water flea strategy¡­ it¡¯ll be kind of like that, but as it¡¯d obviously be hard to actively search around with water fleas, I¡¯ll just substitute them out for some small fish. I¡¯ll summon a massive amount of sardines, unleashing a tsunami in our enemy¡¯s dungeon.

    This is a hand that can only be used with the sea. This wouldn¡¯t be enough to expose my hand. I explored Haku-san¡¯s dungeons using rats inrge numbers, so she already knows about it too.

    It¡¯d be awesome if I could use sharks to destroy the enemy¡¯s dungeon core.

    ¡­ Well, it might be ineffective against the inanimate-type Core 666, but it should at least be effective against that three-way deadlock trio. If I do that, it should be alright for me to just focus on countermeasures for Core 666. [1]

    ¡°With that, I will narrow down the opponents I need to focus on in the Dungeon Battle to be solely Core 666.¡±

    ¡°I see. That is a suitable reason, at least¡­ well, Kehma-san, what do you intend to make for the undersea dungeon? Working underwater, let alone so deep¡­ will 500,000 suffice?¡±

    I thought that the 500,000 would be enough, maybe not?

    ¡°¡­ Besides, there is the minimum condition of having [Aisles] and [Rooms] that humans can survive in, so they cannot be made in water. Even if they were possible to make, I think that it would turn into something like a bubble dome. Moreover, it would require an inefficient amount of DP to maintain the walls.¡±

    So there was something like that? Rather, from how she¡¯s talking it sounds like something like that exists.

    ¡­ A bubble dome huh. Sounds like The Pce of the Dragon King. [2]

    ¡°You could, perhaps, keep the dungeon walls shaped properly while they are copsing and being repaired at high speeds. They wouldn¡¯t appear too shoddy that way. Even so, I cannot approve of making a dungeon on the ocean floor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m convinced. Let¡¯s choose a different spot.

    As expected of my experienced senior, she has an experienced opinion¡­ Ah. Exchanging information like this is probably what this [Father] guy intended huh. Well, it would¡¯ve been great if there weren¡¯t a drawback to it though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick here then.¡±

    I pointed to the beach this time.

    ¡°Hoh, there? Do you have a reason?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. If I can¡¯t make it in water, can¡¯t I just sink it into water after I make it?¡±

    I know that I can fill it with water after I¡¯ve made it¡­ I¡¯ve even done it.

    When I said that, Haku-san made a face that looked like she just got a headache.

    ¡°Just where did you get that idea¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it no good?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s possible. It really is. However, to sink a dungeon you made yourself, it¡¯s practically unheard of¡­. rather, wouldn¡¯t it be impossible to live in?¡±

    Hmm? Why¡¯s she talking about now?

    ¡°Why are you talking about living? Aren¡¯t dungeons ces to kill your enemies? Even more so as this dungeon is just for the sake of a Dungeon Battle. Even then, I have [Cave of Desires] for a home.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, that¡¯s right, you do have that. Kehma-san is a human, so you haven¡¯t thought about something like living in the dungeon, have you? ¡­ This would be something like Rokuko-chan¡¯s holiday house if you win, you know? Wouldn¡¯t you dislike it if your holiday house were submerged under water?¡±

    Haku-chan took a quick nce at Rokuko. Still though, Rokuko hasn¡¯t even said anything since the meeting started. She¡¯s just been sleeping while sitting on that chair.

    However, she hasn¡¯t given a dissenting opinion to her holiday house being submerged, so should I take that as an OK?

    ¡°Haku-san. There¡¯s a saying in a famous story from my hometown.¡±

    ¡°A saying from another world? What is it?¡±

    I coughed to clear my throat.

    ¡°Victory is all that matters in the end!!¡± [3]

    The joke shouldn¡¯t be able to pass on to people from another world, but the nuance should be able to.

    And so, the sleeping Rokuko woke up with a jolt.

    ¡°Fueh!? W-wha, I-I definitely wasn¡¯t sleeping!¡±

    Hey. You¡¯re still drooling and you¡¯re trying to say that?

    ¡°Well¡­ in short, the most important thing is winning, respecting honor and courtesyes after that. Win any way possible.¡±

    ¡­ The saying exins Kehma-san¡¯s thinking quite well, doesn¡¯t it? Certainly, there is no such thing cowardice in a Dungeon Battle.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what? What¡¯s going on? Kehma, tell me!¡±

    ¡°I just exined it. You were sleeping though.¡±

    And so I once again exined to Rokuko about my ns to submerge the dungeon.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Alright? Rokuko-chan, your holiday house would be underwater. Are you really sure?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Don¡¯t we just need to drain it after the Dungeon Battle? Right, Kehma?¡±

    Oh, Rokuko gave a sound argument. That way, she could use it as both.

    Was she thinking about it while she was asleep? Who does that remind me of¡­?

    ¡°Well, Kehma can do what he wants. I¡¯ll just fix it up after.¡±

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯ll leave it to you, partner.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, partner. Fufufun.¡±

    She started saying some pretty reliable stuff at some point.

    By the way, you wouldn¡¯t be able to fix anything up if we lose. It¡¯ll just get confiscated. In a sense, she¡¯s just believing in my ability to win¡­ right?

    ¡°¡­ I seem to somehow lost my ability to think flexibly, apparently¡­ haaah¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just because I¡¯ve been with Kehma the whole time! It¡¯s experience, experience.¡±

    ¡°Should I be pleased by Rokuko-chan¡¯s growth or should I bementing over her being tainted by Kehma-san¡¯s way of thinking¡­¡±

    Haku-san was seriously suffering over something that could only be a good thing.

    After that, we hammered out the underwater dungeon n with things like the dungeon monster selection, working on it all while getting Haku-san¡¯s council. She pointed out a lot of small things I wouldn¡¯t have noticed on certain ways to cope against enemies, as expected of Haku-san. My admiration for her was renewed.

    Looks like I¡¯ll be able to win without needing to use my trump card, the special golems.

    ¡°Our opponents have Core 5 and Core 6 with them.¡±

    I was thinking about that, but Haku-san gave me a warning. Right, just like our team, theirs had veterans as well. I can¡¯t rx.

    After that bountiful meeting, I decided to start constructing the dungeon tomorrow.

    Eh, Rokuko? You fell asleep again.

    Well, whatever. You¡¯ll fix it all up after I do what I like¡­ better be ready!

    Footnotes:

    I¡¯ll put the footnote from chapter 163, when I first exined ¡®three-way deadlock¡¯ here: The ¡®three-way deadlock¡¯ is a reference to The Tale of the Gant Jiraiya¡ªthe story that influenced a major portion of the Naruto anime. There was a reference I¡¯d missed in the Dungeon Core Assembly chapters. Return

    Underwater pce surrounded by an air dome. Return

    Reference to Jojo¡¯s Bizarre Adventure. I decided against going with directly using their trantion as it felt rather¡­ Engrish. Here¡¯s the page in question: V12 Ch105

 Chapter 169

    Making the Dungeon

    First off, I excavated the dungeon.

    I had our golems dig out holes with shovels and pickaxes to save on even a small bit of DP.

    I¡¯m in the dummy core¡¯s temporary Master Room. For this Dungeon Battle, [Father] provided special dummy cores that allowed for a ce for the seniors and juniors to rx in. (I don¡¯t get how it¡¯s different from the non-temporary Master Room, but Rokuko and Haku-san said, [It just has that feeling], so yeah.)

    Well, I shut myself up in here and started issuingmands to the golems to dig holes.

    At any rate, I dug holes. Nothing but dig holes with a bang.

    ¡°How stingy.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s stingy. It¡¯s not as though we don¡¯t have the time.¡±

    Haku-san said that as I was making the dungeon.

    We gradually collected the excavated earth, spreading the area bit by bit. asionally tossing magic stones onto the ground, I increased the number of workers through [Create Golem].

    ¡°What will you be doing with this soil?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be using it to make wallster on and reuse it. I could even use it by turning it into golems, as you see here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, using what you are able to is fundamental¡­ However, you were using this way to economize? Using [Create Golem] to make use of the materials after you have dug it up is quite useful.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well.¡±

    It¡¯s a bit difficult exposing my saving techniques, but this much should be fine. It¡¯s just standard economizing, so exposing it to Haku-san shouldn¡¯t help her any. It¡¯s like talking to someone that manages the national budget about how to save on some loose change.

    Well, it¡¯s fine as long as my magic altering cheat that I mostly use on [Create Golem] isn¡¯t exposed.

    ¡°Haku-san probably doesn¡¯t need to worry about stuff like that now, you have an abundance of DP even if you don¡¯t economize.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ It is useful for using with rules that limit DP like this time and the one I had with Kehma-san before, but I rarely do Dungeon Battles like this. They are usually unrestricted.¡±

    Well for me, two of the three rounds including this time have had DP restricted rules.

    ¡°Fufun, Kehma¡¯s strong point is being stingy with DP!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it so pointedly.¡±

    ¡°It is a fact that I cannot help but recognize how skilled you are at it though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Kehma is a coward that¡¯ll even win against Haku Ane-sama if he has the same DP!¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you trying to praise me or beat me down here?¡±

    ¡°Eh? I¡¯m praising you! Coward.¡±

    ¡­ That¡¯s apliment? Dungeon Core culture is amazing.

    Ah, incidentally, Haku-san finally started using the technique of being with Rokuko outside while working on her paperwork. So now she¡¯s filling out documents and letters while sitting next to Rokuko, who was supervising the golems¡¯ work.

    ¡°¡­ Chloe-san. Is it alright for Haku-san to be taking those official documents outside like this?¡±

    ¡°It isn¡¯t alright exactly, but something of this degree is no problem so long as Haku-sama is able to work infort. If something happens, Haku-sama will just have to ept the responsibility for it.¡±

    Ah, that so? The person in charge said they¡¯d be taking responsibility if anything happened, so she took them out and disregarded anything good or bad about doing so huh.

    ¡°Kehma, don¡¯t you have to work as the vige chief?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I left everything to all of my subordinates. Well, I¡¯ll show up if there¡¯s any problem to take care of, but it¡¯s going well right now.¡±

    Honestly, it¡¯s probably going so well because I¡¯m not there.

    ¡°Enviable. Right, Kehma-san, help me out a bit with these documents. My ie and expenses aren¡¯t matching, can you see where?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a noble or something lining their pockets on the side? Rather, please don¡¯t show me the empire¡¯s confidential documents. Are you trying to get me killed?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Doesn¡¯t Kehma-san already know the empire¡¯s most well kept secret of me being a Dungeon Core? What are you saying sote into the game.¡±

    Come to think of it¡­ she¡¯s right!?

    ¡°Eh, then Haku Ane-sama¡¯s been aiming at Kehma¡¯s life the whole time!? That¡¯s a no no Ane-sama! Kehma is my partner!¡±

    ¡°My my. It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m not aiming for his life at least.¡±

    ¡°Ah, good. That¡¯s alright then.¡±

    At least¡­ eh, doesn¡¯t that mean you¡¯re intending to do something to the point that I won¡¯t die?

    I handed back the documents she gave me so that I wouldn¡¯t see inside.

    Let¡¯s just concentrate on making the dungeon for now¡­

    I say that, but it¡¯s just the golems digging holes and expanding the area bit by bit as we decided before, so I¡¯m free for a while. I¡¯ve made plenty of hole digging golems. This is a dungeon so they can get mana from it and won¡¯t stop moving either.

    ¡­ Ah,e to think of it, Rokuko knows [Create Golem] too huh. When did that happen again¡­?

    Couldn¡¯t I just leavepleting the dungeon to Rokuko and have some leisure time? Rather, her [Create Golem] should look more natural than mine.

    ¡°Rokuko, can I head out for a bit?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright with me, but what are you going to do? Sleep?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to think about what kind of traps to use.¡±

    I¡¯d love to say that I¡¯m going to go sleep like usual, but I can¡¯t leave Rokuko to work while I go sleep since Haku-san¡¯s here. Grah, doesn¡¯t it feel like I¡¯ve been awake too much recently!?

    Well, putting that aside, I¡¯ll think about what kind of traps we¡¯ll use.

    ¡­ We¡¯ll be putting them underwater, so I want some electricity. Maybe some poison sprayers?

    But what should I do against inanimate-type opponents¡­ Maybe I should go along with what Haku-san rmended and crush them with heavy stuff. Aah, I could use various things as much as normally do if I used [Create Golem], but do I have to make each one of these with DP?

    ¡°Maybe I should put some skewers near a falling boulder?¡±

    By the way, the main troops I¡¯m nning on using are [Sardine School], [Shark], and [Merman]. The mermen should be able to fight onnd even if we fail to flood the opponent¡¯s dungeon with water.

    As expected of Haku-san¡¯s choice¡­ Right, maybe we could use some octopuses too. Octopuses are the ninjas of the sea. They can camouge in a ¡®smokescreen¡¯ and are excellent at invading areas to scout.

    I have to think about the traps we set up as much as possible so that it doesn¡¯t affect us.

    ¡°Excuse me, Kehma-sama? What is this dagon thing? I have never seen it in the DP Catalog¡­¡± [1]

    When I was looking through the catalog, Chloe walked over and took a peek.

    I wasn¡¯t particrly trying to hide it though¡­ ah, she smells good. Come to think of it, she¡¯s always in male clothing despite being a subus huh.

    But¡­ huh. So it¡¯s not in Haku-san¡¯s DP Catalog?

    ¡°¡­ Ah, this is a creature of myth from another world. If you could, please avoid saying it¡¯s name. Do not look at the catalog either. It¡¯ll chip away at your SAN value.¡± [2]

    ¡°To lose one¡¯s sanity just by looking¡­? Frightening.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s not something to get involved with.¡±

    I quietly hid the dagon from showing up. If it¡¯s not in Haku-san¡¯s catalog, it might be that that¡¯s part of me being someone from another world. It¡¯s also a monster, so I guess it¡¯s that kind of thing. Maybe I should pay some more attention to the monsters I¡¯m using?

    For now, let¡¯s just go with the safe monsters that Haku-san rmended. Yep.

    Footnotes:

    Mentioned in Chapter 163, here¡¯s the footnote once again: A lovecraftian monster. Dagon is a deity who presides over the Deep Ones, an amphibious humanoid race. Also known as Father Dagon, he is a Great Old One and the consort of Mother Hydra. Return

    Reference to lovecraftian tabletop games and their derivations. SAN = Sanity. Reach 0 and you go insane.

 Chapter 170

    Rokuko¡¯s Five Back-to-Back 10,000 DP Gacha

    The second day of making the dungeon. I decided to have Rokuko spin the gacha.

    Depending on what pops out, I might change the dungeon¡¯s structure quite a bit.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go straight for the 10,000 DP gacha then!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Go for it.¡±

    I¡¯m thinking about having her go and use 200,000 of the 500,000 DP on spinning. First will be five 10,000 DP spins and a hundred fifty 1,000 DP spins after.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Kehma-san was summoned through the 1,000 DP gacha, wasn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he was.¡±

    ¡°Then perhaps ten Kehma-sans will pop out from this gacha?¡±

    Haku-san smiled as she spoke.

    I already had her do this back when we got the phoenix egg though.

    ¡°Gacha is very inefficient. You won¡¯t know what wille out, so summoning from the catalog that is exact¡­ is what the overwhelming majority of cores do. In truth, there are very little sesses thate out. It is almost always better to purchase things directly with DP.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I heard that Haku-san had summoned a dragon from the gacha though?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s something I verified when I had an excess amount of DP. I spun the 1,000 DP gacha ten thousand times before a single infant white dragon appeared. All of the others were failures.¡±

    You used 10,000,000 DP in one go¡­? That¡¯s a 0.01% chance!

    Nn? Wait a sec. For Rokuko¡¯s luck to only give results better than the amount put in, what in the world¡­ no, let¡¯s not think about it.

    ¡°I trust Rokuko¡¯s luck!¡±

    ¡°I was trusted¡­! Here I goooo¡­! Hah!¡±

    Vwoom.

    Arge magic formation, around ten meters in diameter, appeared.

    I wonder if it¡¯ll be the same as the time she used the 1,000 DP gacha and god the phoenix egg (Feni)? It pressed against the outside of the room that time.

    ¡°¡­ I suddenly feel like she got a sess.¡±

    ¡°See?¡±

    Come to think of it, when I spun the gacha, all that appeared was a super small magic formation.

    Just then, the magic formation rotated and began to shrink down to around two meters in diameter¡ª

    ¡ªand transparent tentacles gushed out, we can see it all now.

    TENTACLE SLIME-SAN APPEARED!

    ¡°Uwaah, what¡¯s this guy¡­ eh, didn¡¯t we see him a bit ago? He was about twice as big though.¡±

    ¡°For a tentacle slime to appear¡­ its affinity for the dungeon is great, too. Ah, what you had seen before was a big tentacle slime, Rokuko-chan. It was the evolved form of this one.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so it was a small win then?¡±

    It was worth an equivalent of 80,000 DP. I wasn¡¯t expecting such a big return so quickly, so I found myself smiling.

    As expected of Rokuko. Alright now, let¡¯s have her spin another 10,000 DP gacha.

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s small!¡±

    ¡°This one is a fail. Well, this is the usual result.¡±

    Somehow, the magic formation that appeared was only a meter wide. What happened, Rokuko!?

    An octopus appeared out of the formation. It has eight deformed legs and a round head. It has a headband on it for some reason. It¡¯s like some kind of anime character.

    ¡­ This is an octopus, right? It¡¯s not a dragon, right¡­?

    ¡°This is a toon octopus. They are popr as friendly pets due to how cute they look, but they are weak as monsters.¡±

    ¡°Mumu, really?¡±

    They are 500 DP in the catalog, but it looks like they¡¯re sometimes sold for a few silver?

    ¡­ Maybe I should sell it through one of Haku-san¡¯s connections?

    ¡°Ah, but they are able to use a smokescreen underwater. They are able to cause total darkness with an unsustainable smokescreen thatsts for several seconds. Moreover, they won¡¯t die from some fatal attacks and are even able to take quite a beating. Even if they suffer a major injury, they tend to healpletely within around a week¡¯s time.¡±

    The heck, is that some sort of gagpensation? Is it really a toon?

    The octopus is defective in that it has no attack¡­ it¡¯ll get along well with Rei.

    And now it was time to spin the next 10,000 DP gacha.

    Rokuko¡¯s legendary luck triggered again as anotherrge magic formation appeared.

    ¡°Another sess¡­ Rokuko-chan, you really are lucky, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Fufu Haku Ane-sama, of course! Nooow, what¡¯lle out?¡±

    This time, the magic formation shrank to around one meter. Then, with a bang, a barrel appeared.

    ¡­ A barrel¡­? The heck¡¯s this?

    ¡°¡­ That isn¡¯t a monster. It is an item.¡±

    Come to think of it, we got that [Cooking] skill scroll before huh.

    ¡°An item? What kind?¡±

    ¡°It is alcohol. This is an extremely aged vintage wine¡­ It is too much for you, I¡¯ll keep charge of it for now.¡±

    Haku-san cheerfully put away the barrel into her [Storage]. Umm, excuse me¡­ that came from my DP too though? ¡­ Well, it¡¯s all good.

    The fourth time. A particrly huge magic formation appeared. Another sess huh?

    Woah, isn¡¯t this one almost fifteen meters wide?

    ¡°Oh, this one¡¯s pretty amazing.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A jackpot? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen one.¡±

    After Haku-san said that, once the magic formation shrank down to being super small, an orb about the size of a palm flew out.

    ¡°¡­ This is some sort of skill orb. They are like scrolls, but you won¡¯t be able to know what skill they have until they are used¡­ Well, we know which the ones we usually have are since we buy they with DP through the catalog.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh. There¡¯s stuff like that? Kehma, try using it.¡±

    ¡°Why me? I won¡¯t be in the front lines even if it¡¯s a battle skill or something. You sure?¡±

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry. Unlike scrolls, skill orbs can be used several times.¡±

    When I looked at the DP Catalog and didn¡¯t see any skill orbs, Haku-san said that it is because I haven¡¯t purchased many skill scrolls. It¡¯s true, I haven¡¯t used many.

    By the way, the DP cost of an orb is one hundred times the cost of the original scroll. Even so, they¡¯ll break after about ten times, so they are extremely inefficient items when ites to DP. That¡¯s why no one uses it, it doesn¡¯t appear much in society either.

    At any rate, I decided to try using it.

    It¡¯s used the same way as a scroll, so I put some of my magical power into it.

    It was a skill that we got from a jackpot sess, so I had some expectations for it.

    In response to my magical power pouring into it, the orb started shining brightly as a magical formation entered into my head.

    ¡°Uoh, t-this is¡­ what an unusable skill!¡±

    ¡°What kind of skill is it?¡±

    The skill that I learned¡­ was [ckout Resistance Lv9].

    It¡¯s effect¡­ the ability to resist effects from skills that causeck of consciousness and medicine and the like. It¡¯s possible to not lose consciousness even in an environment that one would otherwise faint from¡­ Moreover, [Sleeping] is included in the category of [cking Out]. MOREOVER moreover, they¡¯d be fine even after a month of not sleeping.

    ¡°Mmm, Dungeon Cores don¡¯t need something like that!¡±

    ¡°Oh, but it is a fairly useful skill for adventurers and Dungeon Masters. Not cking out means that they could continue working without losing their senses. As a Dungeon Master, not sleeping in the middle of a Dungeon Battle decreases how often they are inactive¡­ Kehma-san, now you can continue working without needing to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Please, please spare me¡­¡±

    Additionally, it¡¯s a passive skill. It is always on.

    Is this punishment for working too much and not sleepingtely? Oh God of Sleep, please have mercy on me!

    ¡°Kehma, look, look! I did thest 10,000 DP gacha spin, it was a fail but [Super Strong Sleeping Pills] came out! It¡¯s an incense type!¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ but I can tell by intuition¡­ I won¡¯t work on me anymore¡­!¡±

    Excuse me, God of Sleep? Are you teasing this pitifulmb!?

    This lostmb will have to count sheep over and over from now on!

    ¡°Kehma, can¡¯t you turn ckout Resistance on and off?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I can¡­ I¡¯m saved¡­ Thank you Rokuko. You saved me!¡±

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s good. There are many passive skills that cannot be turned off.¡±

    Thank goodness. Let¡¯s worship the God of Sleep. I don¡¯t know if it exists though.

    Seriously, such a dangerous skill is going to be restricted to OFF! It¡¯s a matter of life and death here.

 Chapter 171

    1,000 DP Machine Gun Gacha (x150)

    The hundred fifty machine gun back-to-back 1,000 DP gacha finished.

    For its results, ten monsters, with one hundred and forty skill scrolls and potions, as well as misceneous goods and armor.

    In conclusion, we made a killing. I knew we would the moment that Rokuko started spinning them though.

    Let¡¯s start with the monsters.

    For fails: a flying squid, two marlin tuna, five sharks. For sesses: a baby diamond shell turtle and an ammoknight.

    ¡­ Why are all of the thingsing from the gacha water-type? Is it taking the location into ount or is it thanks to Rokuko¡¯s luck? There was no where to store the sharks and stuff so it was a great help that we¡¯re so close to the sea. Where are they now? They¡¯re running free in the sea. It¡¯d cause a hugemotion if there were people on the beach!

    Ah, the flying squid is a mysterious existence that can soar through the air as though it were swimming underwater. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s good for both water and air, but it¡¯s cool.

    And then there¡¯s the turtle.

    ¡°Oh? This is¡­ a jeweled turtle? A diamond type one, at that. It is still an infant, but even that would cost 50,000 DP to purchase you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ How long does it take to grow up, and to what size?¡±

    It¡¯s about the size of those green turtles you can buy at festivals¡­ even at that size, there¡¯s a super clear diamond on its back.

    It looks like it¡¯d be worth quite the sum of money.

    ¡°They grow somewhere in the vicinity of one centimeter per year. Oh,e to think of it, jeweled turtle farms are a convenient way to earn DP. It takes around five years to recoup your investment, bing pure profit after that. I rmend it for dungeon cores that don¡¯t use human farms¡­ The method will get worse if it gets too popr, so don¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°Ah, of course.¡±

    Five years of waiting huh. You¡¯d have to be pretty patient and you wouldn¡¯t even able to do it as a dungeon with low ie because of their 50,000 DP starting cost.

    ¡­ Well, thinking about it as an investment, it might be a good idea to get a few of them now. Our current ie¡¯s enough and it should be a guaranteed return¡­

    ¡°¡­ Oh right, I was wondering, was Rokuko-chan¡¯s ring made by raising a jeweled turtle? By making an orichalcum ring first, then putting it on a ruby type¡¯s back. After growing for about a year, it might turn into an orichalcum ring encased in ruby? Then making it¡­ by filing it down afterwards¡­ perhaps. But still, you would need to pay careful attention so that no other impurities would make their way in, hmm¡­ alright, let¡¯s use this method to have a dwarf start slowly making a ring that matches Rokuko-chan¡¯s¡­¡±

    Haku-san started muttering as she thought about something, so let¡¯s check out the remaining rare result, the ammoknight.

    Well, it¡¯s official name as a monster is something like ammonite knight.

    First off, its size. Its shell is about the size of a coffee table. The shell has a whirlpool pattern and isn¡¯t soft on the eyes at all.

    As for what¡¯s inside the shell¡­ there¡¯re a lot of tentacles moving about like a nautilus. It¡¯s pretty disgusting if you look up close. It glides around in the water with them. Its defense is pretty high, so this guy¡¯s pretty useful.

    And for the knight¡­ eh, it¡¯s knight. It uses a sword and shield. It moves around underwater like a knight does onnd. A pretty strong person. It¡¯ll get weaker when it goes ontond, but it¡¯s not as though it bespletely immobile.

    By the way, why were there so many things with tentacles this time? Sure, the tentacle slime and manga octopus can have them, but even the flying squid has them. [1]

    ¡­ Ah, maybe Rokuko¡¯s desire for Tentacles/Goblins influenced it!?

    No way, right?

    Ah, the rest aren¡¯t monsters, but this is everything.

    Potions

    ¨C 28x Recovery Potion

    ¨C 35x Upper ss Recovery Potion

    ¨C 12x Mana Potion

    ¨C 14x Upper ss Mana Potion

    ¨C 4x Status Recovery Potion

    ¨C 1x Berserk Potion

    ¨C 1x Elixir

    Scrolls

    ¨C 3x Scroll of sh

    ¨C 10x Scroll of Ice Bolt

    ¨C 4x Scroll of Lightning

    ¨C 1x Scroll of Grow Weed

    ¨C 1x Scroll of Create Golem

    ¨C 1x Scroll of Summon Gargoyle

    ¨C 1x Scroll of Storage

    ¨C 13x Scroll of Healing

    ¨C 1x Scroll of Area Heal

    Misceneous

    ¨C 1x Turtle Scrub Brush

    ¨C 1x Submersible Motor (stic Model Use)

    ¨C 4x Orichalcum Coin

    ¨C 1x School Swimsuit (Old Type: Deep Blue)

    ¨C 1x Bikini Armor

    ¨C 1x Fisher Shirt [2]

    One hundred and forty in total.

    ¡­ Why are there more [Upper ss Recovery Potions] than [Low ss Recovery Potions]? Moreover, is [Elixir] what I think it is? A full heal? It¡¯s some sort of ointment, heeeh~

    For scrolls, thirteen [Scroll of Healing] appeared¡­ they¡¯re worth 100,000 DP each. The superior [Scroll of Area Heal] came out too. There¡¯s even a [Scroll of Summon Gargoyle]. Seriously, too crazy.

    As for the misceneous scrolls, I don¡¯t get why we got stuff like submersible motor or the orichalcum coin. We have a motor with no battery now. And really, why did the old school swimsuit, bikini armor and fisher shirte out? 1,000 DP gacha, are you trying to dress Rokuko up?

    By the way, [Elixir] costs 300,000 DP each, [Scroll of Area Heal] costs 250,000 DP each. Just buying those two from the catalog would¡¯ve cost us practically all of the DP we had to use this time. Even the [Orichalcum Coin] is 100,000 DP each. We have four.

    ¡­ We got upwards of 2,000,000 DP in value from 150,000 DP. That¡¯s not on the level of ¡®positive earnings¡¯! That¡¯s a cheat, a cheat! That¡¯s over 1000% in revenue!

    If asked how much is going to be useful for this Dungeon Battle, I¡¯d say not much¡ªnot. [Scroll of Summon Gargoyle] is awesome.

    It looks like [Grow Weed] just takes magical power to grow weeds, but I could probably make it grow trees. I¡¯d use it when I go back home so that Haku-san wouldn¡¯t see. I would just be [Carrying Over] timber, so it¡¯s alright.

    I could even use the [Berserk Potion] on an enemy so they¡¯d kill each other.

    Furthermore, ording to Haku-san, seeing the results¡ª

    ¡°I wonder if she has a skill like Hero Wataru¡¯s [Super Luck]¡­?¡±

    I also wondered something like that.

    Rokuko¡¯s luck has to be from some sort of skill. Rather, please be from one.

    Well, that Rokuko¡¯s enjoying herself by ying with the scrub brush.

    ¡°By the way, why are you so happy about that brush?¡±

    ¡°Eh? It matches that one Kehma bought a while back though? Aren¡¯t you happy?¡±

    Well, even if they match, scrub brushes are a bit sensitive to talk about.

    Footnotes:

    Note that Keima uses ¡®manga¡¯ here instead of ¡®toon¡¯. Intentional by the author, I think. Likely showing that Keima just nicknamed it something more ¡®Japanese¡¯. Return

    A souvenir t-shirt fad from what I can tell. Written as [Umi (Ocean)], read as [Uminchu]. The word is on the t-shirt and is sold in Okinawa. People taking trips there on school trips and the like would all buy one and wear them for their stay, kind of like a Hawaiian flowery t-shirt. Here¡¯s an example of them being sold. If anyone is familiar with a more proper term for these than ¡®Fisher Shirt¡¯, please let me know!

 Chapter 172

    Summon Gargoyle

    ¡°Heeey, Kehma. There¡¯s already five floors dug out for the dungeon, we¡¯re still going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m nning on there being about ten floors for this.¡±

    ¡°Uwaah, using 50,000 DP on just that, what a luxury.¡±

    Using the submerged gimmick, the deeper the better. Even the vertical height of one floor it quite long.

    We used 200,000 DP on the gacha and 50,000 DP on floors. The remaining 250,000 DP will be for traps and monsters for each of the floors. Ah, can¡¯t forget about offense either.

    Because of that, let¡¯s go with using 150,000 DP for developing the floors, 50,000 DP on preparing offensive troops in advance, and the final 50,000 DP on the day of.

    ¡­ Ah, right. [Father] was the one who prepared the dummy core, but it was deducted from the limit. I¡¯ll count that as floor development costs.

    *

    Now then, leaving the dungeon to Rokuko and Meat, I temporarily returned to [Cave of Desires].

    And I immediately took the scrolls that Rokuko got from the gacha, [Summon Gargoyle] and [Grow Weed], as well the extra [Ice Bolt] and [Healing] scrolls and learn them.

    I decided to give [Healing] and [Ice Bolt] scrolls away to the four who take care of the inn to learn.

    I recorded the incantations for [Summon Gargoyle] and [Grow Weed] with a golem and handed them to Nerune. She should be able to use them in the future.

    ¡­ I can use [Summon Gargoyle] now, but let¡¯s have Nerune keep researching gargoyles (magic golems). I can¡¯t help but feel like she¡¯s been making nothing but magic toolstely though¡­ different from true gargoyles, maybe we should call them degraded gargoyles? It feels like we could just go back to calling them magic golems though.

    Well, let¡¯s give the incantation modifications a shop.

    Here¡¯s how the basic incantations for each go.

    ¨C ¡°Open a gate. Summon a stone monster that wields magic to do my bidding¡ª[Summon Gargoyle].¡±

    ¨C ¡°Oh seed, bud and grow¡ª[Grow Weed].¡±

    ¨C ¡°Oh icy projectile, pierce my enemy¡ª[Ice Bolt].¡±

    ¨C ¡°Oh light, heal this one¡¯s wounds¡ª[Healing].¡±

    So obviously, what I¡¯m going to be looking into this time is [Summon Gargoyle] since I¡¯m interested in it the most.

    The part about it being a stone monster that wields magic is probably the key for gargoyle. Does that mean that I¡¯ll be able to summon other monsters by changing that part?

    Let¡¯s give it a shot.

    I¡¯m in my room in the Vige Chief¡¯s Mansion just in case.

    ¡°Open a gate. Summon an iron* monster that wields magic to do my bidding¡ª[Summon Gargoyle]!¡±

    Vwoom.

    A purple magic formation folded out in front of me.

    ¡­ ¡­

    But nothing came it. It just disappeared.

    Huh? What happened? I thought that it would¡¯ve summoned an Iron Gargoyle¡­ let¡¯s try something else.

    ¡°Open a gate. Summon a goblin* to do my bidding¡ª[Summon Gargoyle].¡±

    A purple magic then appeared, followed by a single Goblin walking out of it.

    ¡°Gobu.¡±

    ¡­ A sess. I was able to summon a Goblin.

    No clue why I was able to summon a Goblin with [Summon Gargoyle] though.

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see, can I use you?¡±

    When the Goblin heard me, it nodded. Looks like I can.

    Let¡¯s try the next.

    That is, if I speak the monster name directly, will Trantion Function-san take care of the rest?

    ¡°Open a gate. Summon a Gargoyle to do my bidding¡ª[Summon Gargoyle].¡±

    The third purple magic formation appeared. Wonder what¡¯ll happen this time?

    ¡­ A gargoyle appeared from the magic formation,nding on the floor.

    I was able to summon a Gargoyle¡­ I can feel a connection-like thing connecting my magical power to it. It feels bigger than the one for the Goblin, is that because it needs more magical power to maintain?

    At any rate, it looked like I could have it do stuff too.

    ¡°I just got a crazy magic¡­¡±

    With this, couldn¡¯t I summon any monster I know the name of?

    Let¡¯s try summon something that isn¡¯t a monster.

    ¡°¡­ Open a gate. Summon Ichika to do my bidding¡ª[Summon Gargoyle].¡±

    A purple magic formation unfolded before me¡ªand I lost consciousness.

    When I opened my eyes, my head was resting on Ichika¡¯sp. The Goblin and Gargoyle weren¡¯t there.

    I couldn¡¯t see her face since her chest was in the way, but these thighs are definitely Ichika¡¯s.

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    ¡°Oh. Ya woke up, Goshujin-sama? What sorta weird thing¡¯d ya do this time?¡±

    ¡°Hey, why are you calling it weird already¡­¡ªah, ow, what¡¯s with this headache!?¡±

    It¡¯s a pain like what happens if you eat too much ice cream, an acute pain in the forehead. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s like three times as bad. This hurts like crazy. The heck¡­

    Ichika gently patted my head¡­ ah, she¡¯s soothing me. [1]

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, weren¡¯t ya practicin¡¯ magic here? That¡¯s obviously it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A-ah¡­ So this is magical power exhaustion?¡±

    ¡°Magical power exhaustion¡­ so ya heard about fainting after using too many magic skills but not the part about a headache? ¡­ Well, a violet magic formation appeared under my feet a bit ago for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that was just me trying to summon you with [Summon Gargoyle].¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama!? I¡¯m not a Gargoyle though!? That¡¯s why ya fainted.¡±

    ¡°It worked with a Goblin just before it though.¡±

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s [Summon Gargoyle]!?¡±

    ¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s just harder to try and summon a human? Maybe it didn¡¯t work since I didn¡¯t have a magic stone? It might also be something like what happens when you divide by zero in a program and get an error. Or maybe it was because I specified a certain individual?

    In any case, it¡¯s probably a good thing that the magic skill got interrupted. My head might¡¯ve popped if I had [ckout Resistance] on¡­ Scary.

    This headache is too bad to verify it. It¡¯s almost to the point that I want to seal [Summon Gargoyle].

    Maybe I should at least have experimented a bit slower.

    ¡°Huh? Come to think of it, why are you here, Ichika? The summon should¡¯ve failed.¡±

    ¡°I came in through the door like normal. Ummm, I got some info about Goshujin-sama from the magic formation? I was enterin¡¯ the magic formation, but it disappeared midway for some reason, so I came to check it out since it felt like something bad happened. Goshujin-sama didn¡¯t respond even after I knocked, so I wondered if ya were sleepin¡¯ but ya were definitely doing magic experiments right? So when I came in, Goshujin-sama was here on the floor.¡±

    Apparently, the Goblin and the Gargoyle had returned when I fainted.

    It¡¯s a good thing that they disappeared as well instead of having just the envement go away, I would¡¯ve been attacked when I fainted.

    ¡°What was that about info about me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, how should I say it¡­ a feeling like whether or not to resist the person? I more or less got that it was Goshujin-sama doing it though, so I wasn¡¯t going to resist¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, I wasn¡¯t able to summon the Iron Gargoyle when I tried summoning it with that incantation for some reason. Maybe that was because it was resisting me?

    ¡­ Uuumu, nothing but more questions now¡­

    Well, I got a headache, so I decided to just enjoy Ichika¡¯sp pillow for a while longer.

    Footnotes:

    Second part of this line is saying (literally) ¡°Ah, the soothing came.¡± Same structure as the ¡°YURI KITAAA¡± meme, but obviously not as overblown. Wasn¡¯t sure how to Englishify this. Open to suggestions!

 Chapter 173

    Checking on the Vige

    I¡¯d tried out [Summon Gargoyle].

    What about the other magics though? [Healing] for example.

    ¡°Oh light, cure my headache¡ª[Healing].¡±

    A faint light covered my head¡­ Ah, it worked.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama? Wouldn¡¯t it¡¯ve been better to use that earlier?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, probably. I keep forgetting to use it since I¡¯m not that used to it¡­ I should rely on magic more.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ya already? I also forget to use ¡¯em though.¡±

    Just one. I¡¯ve only been using [Create Golem]~

    Looks like there¡¯s no problem with my magical power now, so let¡¯s resume the investigation!

    Putting aside [Ice Bolt] since it¡¯s an offensive-type magic, let¡¯s look at [Grow Weed].

    Frankly, magic that helps out daily life are more useful to alter.

    I went to the garden with Ichika.

    ¡°Oh tomatoes, grow and bear fruit¡ª[Grow Weed]!¡±

    I changed the incantation so much that it doesn¡¯t even look like a prototype, but the tomatoes grew, bloomed flowers, and bore fruit¡­ it was fertilized instantly? I thought about it for a sec but decided to not worry about it.

    I took one of the fresh red tomatoes that sprouted and tried taking a bite.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Bleck!¡±

    It¡¯s a tomato, but the texture¡¯s like it¡¯s dried out. The taste is super thin too. It¡¯s like eating sand.

    They look like perfectly edible tomatoes though¡­

    ¡°It¡¯s no good. It¡¯d only be usable for emergency food.¡±

    ¡°Ehhh, let me try too, Goshujin-sama¡­ ¡­ aah, it¡¯s pretty bad.¡±

    ¡°Sure it¡¯s not the worst?¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama. There¡¯s still a lot worse than this out there y¡¯know?¡±

    The food-experienced Ichika¡¯s pretty convincing when ites to food.

    ¡°Ah, you can eat the rest.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Seriously? With my mouth?¡±

    ¡°Mm? What do you mean? They¡¯re tomatoes.¡±

    I had Ichika eat the no-good tomatoes for now and moved on to the next trial.

    Tomatoes might¡¯ve turned out bad since they¡¯re fruit. What about vegetables though?

    ¡°Oh cabbage, grow¡ª[Grow Weed].¡±

    A good-looking cabbage popped up from using [Grow Weed].

    ¡­ I peeled off two or three leaves that looked edible from the outside of it and popped one in my mouth.

    Biting into it¡ªah, amazing. It¡¯s paper. I¡¯m eating paper. I¡¯m a human shredder.

    I might even be a goat!

    ¡°[Grow Weed] is a no-go for vegetables too. Gross.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate~¡±

    ¡°Well, Ichika can take care of the rest¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously? ¡­ With my mouth?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a vegetable, you can do it. I¡¯ll give you some curry breadter.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Understood, I forgive you!¡±

    What¡¯re you forgiving?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m saying to just go and eat it all is! You could go and have Kinue-san season it you know? You could even try seeing if curry powder makes it any better.¡±

    ¡°Would¡¯ve been great if you said that sooner! I ate another tomato¡­¡±

    ¡°Ichika¡¯s strong point is that you don¡¯t waste food. Seriously, you¡¯re a good woman.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯d be happy if Goshujin-sama helped dealing with the cabbage too. A full one¡¯s a bit much yeah?¡±

    It couldn¡¯t be helped, so I decided to help out. I gave the paper-like cabbage to Kinue-san¡­ it was unexpectedly edible when she seasoned it, I was surprised.

    I decided to ask Kinue-san for her opinion while she¡¯s here.

    ¡°[Grow Weed]¡­ it¡¯s a magic that seems like it would be good for grooming awn. Wouldn¡¯t it be useful if it was used for something other than eating? Hiding pathways with grass, for example.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, that¡¯s a good idea. Let¡¯s go with that.¡±

    A room full of ivy with so much grass that you couldn¡¯t make it through without having to push your way through the grass, that might be a good idea. For an underwater room, I could use stuff like brown seaweed or kelp.

    Fufufu, I didn¡¯t expect Kinue-san to be such a good tactician.

    ¡°Ah,e to think of it, I haven¡¯t seen Rei around¡­ did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Rei is off duty right now, I believe she¡¯s considering how to use the 50,000 DP she was given charge of from master by searching through the catalog.¡±

    She still hasn¡¯t used it? Well, it¡¯ll be her first subordinate after all.

    It¡¯s fine if she takes her time thinking about it¡ªwait, hold up. We¡¯re absent because of the Dungeon Battle, that DP was to use for replenishing theck of personnel. Why hasn¡¯t she used it yet?

    ¡°¡­ Is the inn alright? For staffing I mean.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s alright. There is no need for master to worry about it.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re sure, alright then. I¡¯ll believe you and leave it to you all. And tell Rei to use that DP soon.¡±

    ¡°Certainly.¡±

    She said they¡¯re alright, but I¡¯m a bit uneasy wondering if they¡¯re really alright¡­ Well, I did leave it to them, so let¡¯s not say too much about it.

    It¡¯s alright as long as nothing happens with the dungeon.

    ¡°Is stuff other than the inn going well? Are there any problems that can¡¯t be dealt with without the vige chief?¡±

    ¡°The vige sub-chief has the permission to give the OK on anything other than the inn and the Dyne Firm that¡¯s responsible for fund management has been doing well, so there are no problems. Regardingnd remation and the highway¡¯s development, they are progressing smoothly as a public works project by cooperating with the Adventurer Guild.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, what? Remation? There are more people here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the dungeon¡¯s domain has been extended ording to the n of development as well.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±

    Come to think of it, I did give them the authority to use the menu didn¡¯t I?

    So there are more people here now¡­ our DP ie increased.

    It was a bitte to ask, but when I asked if there were any problems with waste management, she just responded by saying that it was alright so long as they could put it in the dungeon to disappear by itself. Now that you mention it, that¡¯s right huh. Trash, even corpses, are just food to a dungeon.

    Having a dungeon attached to a human vige is like having a perfect waste management system.

    Even though I¡¯m not really doing anything, it looks like there aren¡¯t any issues.

    If I had to say something, it¡¯d be me worrying about whether or not we¡¯re standing out from getting a bit toorge or something.

    For any problems concerning food problems, there are [Jellies] loitered about inside the dungeon for emergencies, but even then, there¡¯s plenty of flour stored in the first ce.

    ¡­ If there are more people here now, maybe it¡¯s a good idea to add more Iron Golem Spawners?

    ¡°How should I say this¡­ um, I¡¯m d to have such excellent subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment, master.¡±

    Now then, guess it¡¯s about time I focus on the Dungeon Battle.

    Let¡¯s make a ton of de Golems.

 Chapter 174

    The Day Before the Dungeon Battle

    The day before the Dungeon Battle.

    Finallypleting the dungeon, tomorrow is the day of the Dungeon Battle.

    So today we¡¯re having a meal that¡¯s also serving as a Dungeon Battle Send-Off Party¡­ in short, it turned into an animated banquet.

    ¡°Well then, I pray for your victory in your Dungeon Battle starting tomorrow¡ªkanpai!¡± [1]

    ¡°¡±¡± Kanpai~! ¡°¡±¡±

    Everyone raised their cups after Misha¡¯s leading cheer.

    From our [Cave of Desires], there¡¯s me, Rokuko, Meat, and Ichika.

    From Haku-san¡¯s [White Labyrinth], there¡¯s Haku-san, Chloe-san, Misha, Dolche-san, Amelia-san, and Sally-san participating.

    I just met Sally-san for the first time today, but she she¡¯s another member of Haku-san¡¯s party and was the only one to not participate for this Dungeon Battle.

    She¡¯s a Living Armor Onee-san, but right now she has a body since she used humanization for the meal.

    Normally, she¡¯s a strong person that serves as the First Chivalric Order¡¯s leader¡­ Rather, this country, it really is in Haku-san¡¯s hand huh. Well, the first conversation we had went like this.

    ¡°How about we have a bout next time? Ah, a serious one of course.¡±

    ¡°I politely refuse. I avoid fights that I can on principle.¡±

    ¡°So then, how about we have a bout next time? I¡¯ll make it an unavoidable one.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that just a threat at that point?¡±

    After that, I somehow managed to dodge the date by talking about how weak I am. It was decided that Meat and Ichika would be having a mock battle with her some time in the future, but I don¡¯t have a problem with it.

    I poured some more apple juice into my cup after emptying it from the toast.

    ¡­ Eh? Why isn¡¯t it alcohol?

    I have a Dungeon Battle tomorrow morning ya know? Who¡¯d want to do that with a hangover? Our staff are all banned from alcohol.

    Why on the day before? Trying to sabotage?

    Honestly, Haku-san is absolutely good with me losing. That way she¡¯d be all, ¡°Uhahaha,¡± and get her hands on Rokuko because of the [Guidance Rights].

    Rokuko and Haku-san walked over to me when I started eating some roasted chicken.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, try this, it¡¯s delicious!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Some kind of fried rice huh? Yep, it¡¯s good.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, this is the imperial capital¡¯s castle after all. All of the ingredients here are of the finest ss and the chefs can cook them to perfection. It is natural that the food will be delicious¡­ Right, chef that has received the training of Hero Ishidaka, renowned as the Food God, as a direct disciple was pleased that some secret recipes could be reproduced through using the [Rice] we received the over day. This [Fried Rice] is one of the reproductions.¡±

    Ishidaka, wasn¡¯t that the original name I used for making Ichika¡¯s name?

    I¡¯d heard that he was a god of food and seas, but to think he was a hero huh.

    By the way, the origin of him being called the sea god is that he taught the art of cooking fish and a much superior salt manufacturing technique. There¡¯s also a legend that he healed sailors that got a strange disease from sailing with lemons. Ah, he really is like a sea god. [2]

    He was probably a Cooking Cheat Hero-sama.

    As I was thinking about stuff like that, Haku-san talked to me.

    ¡°Now, Kehma-san. Did you decide what to name the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s my decision? If I just decided on whatever I¡­ oh, right. I¡¯m in charge of it, huh.¡±

    ¡°Yes. It should reflect Kehma-san¡¯s view on it. Do you have any ideas?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, taking Haku-san¡¯s dungeon names as an example, it¡¯d be fine as [White Beach] or something right? This dungeon has no desire-based elements to it after all.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a wonderful name. Then¡­ Misha, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Understood~!¡±

    Misha responded energetically. Her face is red and she¡¯s already drunk¡­ is that alright?

    ¡°Eeeh~? It¡¯s alriiight, I¡¯m nyaaat drunk~¡±

    ¡°All drunks say that.¡±

    ¡°Weeeell I¡¯m gonna drink nyaow~, nyaaan~¡± [3]

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you already¡­?¡±

    ¡°Kshhh~, I got caught~¡­ But Kehma-san~? Why¡¯m I the only one you treat so unseriously~?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s because you sleep a lot, it feels kind of familiar. Saying it is a bit embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Oh oh~? Are you making moves on me? We can sleep together after this if you want~? We won¡¯t be sleeping though~¡±

    ¡°No, let me sleep. I have an important match tomorrow, so please get away¡ªoi!¡±

    Misha clung to me as though twining around me. Man she¡¯s strong, I can¡¯t get her off!

    ¡°Hey¡ªMisha! Get away from Kehma, he¡¯s my partner!¡±

    ¡°Nyaha, nyahaha~! Just kidding~, Rokuko-sama¡¯s so a~do~ri~ble~? Heeey, Kehma-san, kiss me~, kiss~¡±

    ¡°This girl¡¯s a super bad drunk¡­¡±

    I used my hands to protect my lips from Misha while looking to Haku-san for help.

    ¡­ Ah, not good. She won¡¯t help me! Right now she¡¯s hugging Rokuko in delight!

    Eh, Misha!? Stop licking my hands, it¡¯s ticklish! The roughness hurts a little!?

    ¡°Hey Misha, let go of Kehma-sama.¡±

    ¡°Amelia~? Can I nibble~? Can I nibble on your tail~?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ Sorry Kehma, this girl always gets like this when she gets some alcohol in her.¡±

    Squeezing between me and Misha with hermia snake tail (legs), Amelia-san dexterously pulled her off of me. Phew, I¡¯m saved.

    I thought that, but¡ª

    ¡°As an apology, would you be my partner? It¡¯s alright, I¡¯m gentle.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Amel-san, are you drunk? You¡¯re drunk, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Here, doesn¡¯t my tail just feel nice and cool?¡±

    Amelia-san wrapped her scale-covered tail (legs) around me, pressing her soft twins against me to tempt me.

    ¡­ Her nice and cool tail (legs) cooled my head down a bit. I know, this is a honey trap. I mean, Haku-san¡¯s been grinning since a while ago whispering stuff like, ¡°Don¡¯t you have faith in Kehma-san? If so, it¡¯s alright.¡± Rokuko¡¯s been watching me rather pointedly and believing in me with a, ¡°Gununu¡­¡±

    If I don¡¯t do something with how things are going right now, I¡¯ll be in tatters before I even see the morning, let alone the match.

    ¡°Amelia-san, could you please separate from me?¡±

    ¡°Ohhh, how cold. Even though I¡¯ve seen you giving my tail such passionate gazes¡­¡±

    ¡°Next is my turn? Amelia¡¯s turn is over~¡±

    It feels like they aren¡¯t trying to hide it anymore. Next is Dolche-san, the Wraith. Oi, does that mean that Chloe-san and Sally-san areing after?

    ¡°Even though I don¡¯t have legs since I¡¯m a Wraith¡­ what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Outside of my strike zone. Pleasee back after humanizing.¡±

    ¡°Waaah, how refreshing, like being purified¡­ Alright, next is Sally.¡±

    No motivation!? No, that¡¯s actually a help though.

    ¡°A knight of the empire wouldn¡¯t use such an underhanded trick as seduction! Therefore! I! Pass!¡±

    ¡°Aah~. Sally has a boyfriend huh. Oh well then.¡±

    ¡°W-w-wha, t-that¡¯s not true!¡±

    ¡°Oh~? Is that so? Sally, how distant of you. Please tell me, who is it?¡±

    ¡°Haku-sama, I have sworn to be a lifelong knight of the empire. I would not get caught up in something like love.¡±

    ¡°Well then, isn¡¯t there a possibility that the imperial knight leader will be caught in a honey trap? Not investigating their identity is no good, you know?¡±

    ¡°Plume isn¡¯t like that!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, so it¡¯s Plume? Isn¡¯t that the marriage swindler wanted internationally?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a fabricated crime!¡±

    Haku-sanughed happily. Good, Sally-san looks to be alright. [4]

    Next is¡­ eh? Chloe-san isn¡¯t here?

    ¡°Oh? Where did Chloe go off to? Going with this order, Chloe should be the closer. Did she run away?¡±

    ¡°Maybe. She is fully devoted to Haku-sama after all.¡±

    If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯m saved. Phew.

    ¡°Then now¡¯s my turn to seduce him~! Goshujin-sama~¡±

    ¡°Oi Ichika. This is an order, go eat some food.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t have to tell me twice~. Ah, Rokuko-sama¡¯s, there¡¯s melon ya know? Want me to get some?¡±

    ¡°Yes please.¡±

    Phew, everyone should be repelled now right? Are you satisfied now, Haku-san? Sexual harassment won¡¯t work on me, see?

    Haku-san looked at me with a smile.

    ¡°Then as a reward, I will serve you some alcohol. Is an ale fine?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll pass. There¡¯s the thing tomorrow, so alcohol is a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoh? You won¡¯t drink my alcohol¡­?¡±

    The final barrier was power abuse.

    I gave in. Geh¡­

    Footnotes:

    I assume most people reading this knows what [Kanpai] means, but just in case¡­ it¡¯s a mix of cheering and toasting: ¡°Drink up!¡±Return

    Just to say it, he ¡®cured¡¯ scurvy, a disease caused by a severeck of vitamin C. Return

    The raw here says ¡°goronyaaan~¡±, meaning a happy meow. As it isn¡¯t anywhere near asmon in ourmunity, I¡¯ll be leaving it as ¡°nyaaan~¡±. Just know that she probably did the signature ¡®kitty pose¡¯ as well. Return

    She¡¯s alright because Haku-san already knows about it. Probably. Also, lol for referencing Plume from way back in Chapter 97. Return

 Chapter 175

    Extra: The Banquet and Meat

    After Kehma was honey trapped by the imperial capital big shots (Haku¡¯s party members), Ichika, who had nonchntly joined in, turned back to the foodden banquet table with bouncy steps. No matter what, she would have to dine from now on due to her Goshujin-sama¡¯s order. She didn¡¯t dislike it. Rather, she was super enjoying it.

    ¡°Oh, Meat-senpai.¡±

    ¡°Nom.¡±

    She called out to Meat, who had nomming on a piece of meat.

    With arge bite, Meat swallowed down the meat. After that, she wiped off the sauce left around her mouth with a handkerchief she¡¯d gotten from her Goshujin-sama and turned to Ichika.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ichika? Is there something especially delicious?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, there¡¯s lots of tasty stuff but Goshujin-sama is being popr over there.¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, popr?¡±

    Fufun.

    Meat pushed out her chest in pride. It was Kehma. A master¡¯s honor is a ve¡¯s honor.

    ¡°Well, he refused ¡¯em all though.¡±

    ¡°Really? It is Goshujin-sama after all.¡±

    ¡°Meat-senpai isn¡¯t going to try? Goshujin-sama might be taken away by some other person~?¡±

    At any rate, since Meat was being used as his hug pillow and how he hadn¡¯t reacted when Ichika made a move on him, she wasn¡¯t worried in the least. It wasn¡¯t a threat to the role that Ichika yed after all.

    However, Meat didn¡¯t look flustered either.

    ¡°I am Goshujin-sama¡¯s hug pillow, so I will continue doing my all to be Goshujin-sama¡¯s favorite. If the timees that Goshujin-sama doesn¡¯t need me, then I will just have to do my best at that time.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, so this¡¯s a genuine ve?¡±

    But I can kinda understand why you adore Goshujin-sama so much~¡ªIchika thought to herself.

    No matter how one were to look at it, Kehma was the ideal Goshujin-sama. He gave them meals, the meals were delicious, he didn¡¯t use violence, the curry bread was the best in the world, he made no unreasonable demands, but really, that curry bread. That curry bread was too strong. The world¡¯s best.

    ¡°I¡¯d be fine bein¡¯ Goshujin-sama¡¯s hug pillow too, but¡­ Don¡¯t you nibble on Goshujin-sama when you¡¯re with him?¡±

    ¡°¡­ y-biting isn¡¯t¡­ about anger you know? Waking him up is no good though, of course.¡± [1]

    ¡°Hooh, really? Heeh~¡±

    Ichika picked up some food to eat and took a bite¡­ it was great! Even if these were casually cooked dishes, they were things made for a banquet held by the head of an empire (Haku) by the top chefs with the best ingredients. There¡¯s no way they could be unpleasant. In other words, it¡¯d be a waste if there were much of it left over. It¡¯d probably be food for the servants, but she couldn¡¯t let that happen.

    ¡°It¡¯s normal to store it in [Storage].¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know [Storage] though! Meat-senpai, put it in yours!¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have permission from Goshujin-sama or Rokuko-sama for my [Storage], no.¡±

    ¡°But¡­ what should I do theeeeeeen!?¡±

    Meat was a little amazed at how seriously Ichika looked like she was mourning.

    ¡°Haah, it can¡¯t be helped then can it, Ichika? ¡­ I¡¯ll teach you right now.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªnow¡¯s the time for my talent in magic to bloom¡­! Teach me, Meat-senpai!¡±

    ¡°The incantation for [Storage] is¡ª¡±

    However, even though she was taught the incantation for [Storage] by Meat, there was no way she¡¯d be able to use something she hadn¡¯t been able to this whole time so conveniently.

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it if you can¡¯t. You should just eat what you can, then.¡±

    ¡°No way¡­ then I¡¯ll just have to rely on the space magic in my stomach¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Ichika, if you¡¯re saying you want to go home with the leftovers, I could put them in my [Storage] for you?¡±

    Rokuko, who was concerned over Kehma until just a moment ago, suddenly cut into their conversation.

    ¡°You were a goddess!? I¡¯ll follow you for my whole life!¡±

    ¡°O-oh, it is a great meal, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s enough to be treated like a goddess over¡­¡±

    ¡°Food grudgesst a lifetime, but so do food debts y¡¯know~?¡±

    ¡°Do they really? Well, if you say it¡¯s alright, then okay¡­¡±

    Rokuko put one of the big tters sitting in front of her into her [Storage] for now.

    Ichika wondered if it was really alright to take the tters as well, but decided there wasn¡¯t much of a need to worry about it since it was Rokuko.

    ¡°¡­ Oh? Come to think of it, where¡¯s Goshujin-sama?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Kehma fell asleep after Haku Ane-sama got him drunk. Meat, could you carry him to his room? You know the ce.¡±

    ¡°Yes, certainly!¡±

    When she looked over to the spot Rokuko pointed to, she saw the red-faced Kehmaying on the floor, asleep.

    There was a fluffy carpet, but he would probably end up catching a cold if he was left there.

    ¡°I¡¯m off to bring Goshujin-sama to the futon, then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll leave it to you!¡±

    Thanks to the golem assist, Meat was able to easily carry Kehma as she left the banquet.

    ¡°¡­ Oh? Didn¡¯t this turn into a huge win for Meat-senpai though? It¡¯s a bitte, but Rokuko-sama, are you sure about lettin¡¯ Meat-senpai do it?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Meat¡¯s a hug pillow, there¡¯s no need to worry¡­ So, you¡¯re not going to eat?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªI¡¯m eating, I¡¯m eating! I have my eye on that dessert too~, wanna have some together?¡±

    Ichika wondered what was up with her line of thinking, tilting her head.

    But for now, she decided to just focus on eating what was sitting in front of her.

    Footnotes:

    I don¡¯t particrly get the flow here. Sorry if that¡¯s too apparent here

 Chapter 176

    Third Dungeon Battle: Onset of War

    I was sleeping with Meat as a hug pillow by the time I came to. Alcohol is scary.

    ¡­ It¡¯s be a good idea to build an rm clock golem for stuff like this. Let¡¯s use [Healing] on my head. Aah, much better.

    But it¡¯s a good thing I clocked out so fast. She might¡¯ve had me drink until I died of alcohol poisoning if not. Haku-san got drunk midway too since she drank out of her machined crystal jug, saying stuff like, ¡°Drink! Drink Beer-sama!¡±

    For now, I just pressed down on my bedhead and poked Meat¡¯s squishy cheek.

    ¡°Nuu¡­¡±

    Meat woke up and let out a voice that sounded like it was stuck in her throat.

    Still yawning, I left the room with Meat, who was still rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes.

    Heading to the conference room¡ªour meeting ce¡ªI joined up with Rokuko.

    ¡°Morning, Kehma. You woke up on time, huh.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Rokuko. It¡¯s a good thing I had an rm clock¡­ haah, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve been woken up by an rm clock since I came to this world¡­ never again¡­ Rather, you¡¯re looking energetic.¡±

    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s because I recharged my batteries so much yesterday with the banquet.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s skin looked all shiny.

    Being able to actually recharge from a banquet like that, isn¡¯t that some kind of talent? It just made me tired.

    Ichika was already waiting by the time I made it to the meeting room too. It appears she was the first one here.

    Ichika¡¯s skin was glowing as well, so it¡¯s obvious enough that she felt recharged too¡­ ahe to think of it, Meat¡¯s fur looks a bit glossy too. Am I the weird one here!?

    ¡°Ichika¡¯s unexpectedly diligent. There was plenty of time to take your time.¡±

    ¡°Being punctual formission deadlines and stuff¡¯s the mark of an excellent adventurer after all. It¡¯smon sense.¡±

    ¡°That so¡­ maybe I should quit the adventurer stuff then. I only started being one to be able to enter the town.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Even if it was from takin¡¯ a shortcut, we made it to B-Rank, let¡¯s keep at it, yeah? Yeah?¡±

    And then Haku-san arrived. Just on time.

    ¡­ Haku-san¡¯s footsteps feel light, like she¡¯s really looking forward to the Dungeon Battle. After all, win or lose, she¡¯ll be able to be physically closer to Rokuko.

    I¡¯m more or less thinking of this as a war-by-proxy between Haku-san and the other upper ranking Cores though.

    ¡°Oh dear, Kehma-san, do you think you¡¯ll lose?¡±

    ¡°I feel like we¡¯ll win.¡±

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any problems with me rxing then. Us upper cores (seniors) are only meant to give advice from the backseat in this Dungeon Battle. Give it your best.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, I¡¯ll give it a shot.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, I¡¯ll give you tender guidance even if you lose, alright?¡±

    ¡°Please treat me well if that happens, but Kehma won¡¯t lose.¡±

    Temporarily returning to the arena in [Cave of Desires], we passed through a gate that went directly to [White Beach]¡¯s core room. After arriving there, we went into the Master Room inside of the Dummy Core that was ced there.

    I then first used [Summon Gargoyle] to summon ten Gargoyles and had them go to the ce scheduled for the Dungeon Battle Gate to be. Summon-types have the w that when their summoner faints, they¡¯re sent back. That¡¯s why I waited until just before the battle to summon them.

    When I finished looking over and tidying up all of the gimmicks I have scheduled to be active today, it was finally time for the Dungeon Battle to begin.

    [Noooow then, it¡¯s time, everyone. You ready to start the Dungeon Battle?]

    I suddenly heard an unfamiliar voice reverberate through the Master Room we were waiting in. It feltckadaisical, yet somehow had a gravity to it that made it so that you couldn¡¯t oppose it. It¡¯s a voice you wouldn¡¯t know what to think of. One of the walls turning into a monitor, a man dressed in a navy blue robe with swarthy skin, ck hair, and golden eyes appeared. Half of the man¡¯s face was hidden behind a mask.

    ¡­ This is [Father]? He looks younger than I expected.

    [Team Demon King, prepared, father.]

    [Team Dragon King, no problems, oh father.]

    ¡°Team Sovereign. We are ready, Otou-sama.¡±

    The three teams¡¯ seniors responded¡­ Haku-san also bowed her head, he really must be great.

    [Alright, let¡¯s start then¡ªah, before that. Do any of the junior cores have anything they want to say?]

    [This is 666¡ª695, this is our duel!]

    [Hey! Ah, 650 here. I just want to say that we¡¯ll be the ones winning. Even if both of you cores work together, we have three! Three! We¡¯re set to win!]

    ¡°¡­ This is 695, but I don¡¯t really have anything to say. Please hurry up and start, I¡¯ll be the one to win.¡±

    Rokuko said that? That¡¯s pretty self-confident.

    [Hahaha, everyone¡¯s pretty motivated eh? Well then, let¡¯s start¡­ In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ 3-Team Dungeon Battle, START!]

    At the same time that [Father] said that final word, two gates opened in the room specified beforehand with a, ¡°Bwoon!¡±

    I prepared plenty of Golems in the room. There are even some Golems carrying boxes on their backs. Inside those boxes are scouting personnel.

    Moreover, immediately after that, an overflowing wave of snakes, each the thickness of an arm, poured vigorously out of one of the gates. Looks like that one¡¯s the gate for Team Dragon King.

    From the other one came piles of human bones, moving with a clitter tter noise¡­ Skeletons. So the Demon Lord Team went with those?

    While dealing with the snakes and skeletons that appeared with the Golem Corps, I gave Meat instructions.

    ¡°Guess we¡¯re starting right away. Invoke the submerging gimmick.¡±

    ¡°Understood. First floodgate, opening.¡±

    Meat operated the monitor.

    Dodododododododo¡­ dobaaa!

    The floodgate that connected the dungeon¡¯s floor and the ocean opened up. A vast volume of seawater flooded in through the opening, submerging the bottom most floor¡ªthe floor with the gates in it¡ªin seawater.

    The thing that was just opened was the flood gate that connected the bottom floor to the ocean.

    In truth, I made sure to think about the dungeon¡¯s shape to properly make use of the submerging gimmick for this Dungeon Battle.

    It¡¯s probably understandable just by me calling it a tower-type dungeon. With the entrance on the bottom floor, you have to capture it while moving up. Then¡­ what would happen if water came down at you from above?

    Well, I had it so that the water woulde at invaders from above. Water flows towards downwards after all.

    So that¡¯s why I built the dungeon downwards like this. Having the entrance at the bottom floor and the core at the first floor, it¡¯s the opposite of the normalyout¡­ You¡¯d have to get to the bottom floor by first entering the top floor though, so it¡¯s the same as a normal dungeon in the sense that it is the farthest in though.

    ¡°Really, Kehma-san¡¯s way of thinking surprises me.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, with the water pushing them back like this, we can block intruders better than just submerging them!¡±

    Just submerging them wouldn¡¯t affect opponents like golems that don¡¯t have to breath. However, if it¡¯s something more like a sh flood, it¡¯ll work like shackles¡ªno, more like an attack.

    Seeing the water flood in so strongly on the monitor, I¡¯m confident that their self-confidence is going to copse.

    When I checked out the map, 90% of the bottom floor had already been flooded. I made sure toe up with a way to funnel the water so that the majority of the seawater¡¯s momentum would eventually rush towards the room with the gates in it. It¡¯s best to think of the gate room as being a ditch¡¯s final destination.

    Choosing the timing, I opened the door to the gate room.

    Seawater flooded into the gate room, water raging like a tsunami. Swept away by the current, the snakes, skeletons, and golems were all pushed into the enemy gates.

 Chapter 177

    Third Dungeon Battle: Onset of War

    (Attackers¡¯ Point of View)

    # Team Dragon King¡¯s PoV #

    [Hahaha, everyone¡¯s pretty motivated eh? Well then, let¡¯s start¡­ In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ 3-Team Dungeon Battle, START!]

    Together with [Father] saying start, two gates opened up in the designated room. Core 650 (Giant Snake), Core 651 (Giant Frog), and Core 652 (Giant Slug) decided on going on the offense right away.

    ¡°Noooow, go, Bite Snakes!¡±

    ¡°Gekokoko, I¡¯ll leave the first wave to you, 650!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the most agile after aaaaall~¡±

    Snakes rushed into the gates as soon as it opened.

    To be precise, the gate appeared in a room packed to the brim with snakes beforehand. The n was to make it so that invaders wouldn¡¯t be able to rush in, stopping their starting dash.

    ¡°This is the strategy we learned from 5-sama!¡±

    ¡°Gue gue, getting to summon so many monsters, this is the stuff we can do with so much DP!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯d lose with this many monsteeeers!¡±

    Manipting the snakes to overflow into the enemy dungeons, 650 decided to deal with the enemy forces in the rooms first. Team Sovereign¡¯s dungeon had Golems, with Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon being packed full of Skeletons.

    They were probably the enemies¡¯ main forces. If they just had that number of them, neither the Skeletons nor Golems were a match for the Bite Snakes¡¯ agilitiy. That¡¯s what 650 and the others decided.

    ¡°Aaaahahaha! My cute snakes are the best!¡±

    The snakes defeated the skeletons by coiling around their bones, breaking them. The golems were defeated by being slowly bit away at. However, their enemies were formidable and would fight back against the snakes, smashing them, crushing them underfoot, as well as cutting them into pieces with the weapons they held.

    They weren¡¯t losing forces at a 1:1 ratio, so they would win with their current number of forces. Even so, they were sustaining losses.

    Well, they were giving their opponents evenrger losses, so it was alright. At any rate, they didn¡¯t take much DP and had plenty to use.

    ¡ªThen again, the DP their opponents could use was the same¡ª

    The current battle was proceeding smoothly, so 650 and the others didn¡¯t think about it too deeply. They could continue on with their current momentum since it was going so well, and Core 5 wasn¡¯t saying going out of his to say anything either.

    ¡­ And then it happened.

    The door to Team Sovereign¡¯s gate room bursted open and a vast amount of water surged in.

    Their gate room, which was protected from being invaded by being packed with monsters, was filled with water. The snakes that were inside it got pushed back into the passageway.

    ¡°W-wh-what the hell!? H-h-ho¡ªstop! W-what should we do!?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­!? Damn, that 89 used such a cowardly trick!¡±

    ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happening, Dungeon Core No. 5-samaaaaa!?¡±

    Core 651 (Giant Frog) asked Core 5.

    ¡°They flooded it! It¡¯s a strategy of washing away enemies by using a mass of water, deal with the water!¡±

    ¡°D-deal with it!? What should we do!?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, 650! Snakes can swim in water. Quickly, stop the enemies that flooded in and finish them off! 651, 652, collect the other water that flowed into the dungeon where you can and cast it out of the dungeon! In ces with no enemies, it¡¯s just ordinary water, so you can still deal with it, hurry! This trick will end once the water they have stored runs out, it¡¯s a disposable strategy! Even if they can do it a second time, we can use the time until they collect enough water!¡±

    The junior cores all moved in ordance with Core 5¡¯sments. The water came flowing in with a staggering momentum, followed by enemies, enemies, and more enemies.

    y golems¡ªones that were already turned into wreckage¡ªthat had wooden boxes on their backs came pouring in, crashing into the walls along with several snakes.

    Some stuff with enemy reactions came out from inside the boxes when they broke.

    ¡°H-hey, the heck are those!? Fish¡ªeh, fish? FISH!?¡±

    ¡°651, you too¡ªcalm down! Use the frogs to eat the fish! We can¡¯t collect any water with enemies in it! Dammit, damn that 89! GAAAAA! If this were my battle, I¡¯d use my Dragon Breath to instantly evaporate all of this water!!¡±

    If it were Core 5¡¯s dungeon, it¡¯d all be evaporated along with the enemies in the water by the Dragons that filled his dungeon.

    However, this battle between their juniors was limited to 500,000 DP, an exceedingly small amount (for Core 5). For him, a battle that you couldn¡¯t even have a single Dragon simply couldn¡¯t be considered a fight. With 500,000 DP, they could only just barely summon a Lesser Dragon, a ¡®failure¡¯ that was barely better than a normal animal.

    ¡°Dungeon Core No. 5-samaaaa! Water, there¡¯s too much water! Nothing woooorkiiiiing!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, keep it up! If you don¡¯t get rid of the water, the dungeon will get filled with it!¡±

    Core 652 did his best to collect the water as Core 5 instructed him to, draining it outside the dungeon.

    However, most of the floor had already been submerged in water. The water finally reached the second floor, washing away not only the enemy¡¯s fish into it, but the Skeletons and Golems as well.

    ¡­ Draining water is pretty hard.

    *

    # Team Demon King¡¯s PoV #

    [Hahaha, everyone¡¯s pretty motivated eh? Well then, let¡¯s start¡­ In 5, 4, 3, 2, 1¡­ 3-Team Dungeon Battle, START!]

    Together with [Father]¡¯s final word there, two gates opened up in the previously specified room.

    Snakes overflowed from one of them. The other gate was ominously silent.

    She¡¯d leave the snakes to the Skeletons.

    ¡°Bone-domos. Advance, trample them!¡±

    Passing down her orders to the Skeletons, Core 666 watched how the situation yed out.

    She wasn¡¯t yet able to break into Team Dragon King¡¯s gate, but it was likely just a matter of time. Team Sovereign¡¯s room had Golems.

    During the battle, some of the snakes continued attacking the Skeletons despite having the chance to move further inside from the gate room.

    Core 650 and the others were likely manipting them and not thinking about anything like that. They were ipetent. Going farther inside if a chance to do so arose was the very role of an advance party.

    ¡­ Even so, Team Sovereign still hadn¡¯t invaded. They might be scheming something.

    Just as she starting thinking that she was looking forward to it, water came pouring in from Team Sovereign¡¯s gate. A flood. No, a giant flood.

    Golems and snakes washed into the dungeon¡­ The Skeleton enclosure was quickly broken through, the enemies entering the dungeon.

    ¡°Haha, good one, 695! Now this is why you¡¯re a suitable rival for me!¡±

    Seeing her own dungeon be ravished by the water, Core 666ughed in delight.

    It was time for her to get serious, too.

    ¡­ She first replenished her Skeleton troops with [Summon Skeleton].

    Core 666 sang the chant in a way like she was enjoying herself.

 Chapter 178

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 1

    Well now, our troops (fish and Golems) were taken into the enemy dungeons after being swept up by the water.

    Team Dragon King had tons of snakes and frogs.

    There¡¯s probably some slugs, too. Salt should be effective against them, but I wonder if seawater is too? I haven¡¯t seen any appear yet though.

    Team Demon King just has skeletons.

    ¡­ So that¡¯s what demon-types are like? Salt should be effective against them in another meaning, but seawater¡­ well, I don¡¯t know. It¡¯s not working.

    ¡°Kehma, the dungeon maps for our opponents¡¯ first floors are done! Their descent on the stairs to the second floor is going nicely too!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they can keep on going.¡±

    Once we reach the point that they can¡¯t go any farther, it¡¯ll be the Golem and Sahagin Corps¡¯ turn. The dungeon capture¡¯s progressing smoothly so far.

    ¡°I was a little doubtful about this strategy when I first heard you talk about it, but this flooding strategy does look quite strong¡­ you might win with this alone, no?¡±

    ¡°No no, Haku-san. As you can see, there¡¯s a lot weak points to it¡­ It doesn¡¯t seem to be effective against those Skeletons.¡±

    It looked like the Skeletons were able to move around just fine in Team Demon King¡¯s now-underwater room.

    And there were two knights d in full body ck armor. They really do feel like Demon King army material, so cool¡­ Those guys don¡¯t look like the water¡¯s bothering them at all either.

    However, it looks like they aren¡¯t able to deal with the water either. If things keep up like this, their whole dungeon¡¯s going to be submerged¡­ No, maybe that¡¯s their n? The water won¡¯t flow anymore once the dungeon is fully submerged. It¡¯ll give my fish-type troops an advantage, but maybe they have some n to reverse the situation?

    ¡°Let¡¯s stop the water for now. I¡¯ll lure them out and wash them all back with a slope.¡±

    ¡°Okaaay~. The door¡¯s ready to be opened whenever, Kehma!¡±

    Stopping the water, I decided to have the Golems advance to check on them after the water settles down. I¡¯m still holding the Gargoyles back.

    ¡­ Ah, the fish that were exploring Team Demon Lord¡¯s dungeon found the boss room on the second floor. Looks like the boss is a huge bone fish. Wonder if they set that up on the spot to deal with the flooding?

    On Team Dragon King¡¯s side, we hit the third floor. They¡¯re doing their best in draining the seawater, so it¡¯s decreasing bit by bit. Looks like they¡¯re collecting the water in ces that we don¡¯t have any troops in.

    Now then, I wonder how many floors each side has?

    ¡­ The water settled down, so I had our Golems advance into the enemy dungeons. I can only see the map, so I just had them take the shortest routes¡ªbut our opponents obviously wouldn¡¯t be so docile.

    In Team Dragon King¡¯s dungeon, frogs appeared, pushing their way through drowned snakes. They swung their tongues like blunt weapons to smash the golems¡­. Tongue ckjacks?

    In Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon, the two ck armored monsters fought like paragons. They mowed everything down by brandishing their ck swords. The bare-handed y Golems operated by Meat don¡¯t have any chance of winning against them.

    ¡°Setting aside Team Demon King, Team Dragon King is harder than I thought it¡¯d be too¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san¡­ Team Dragon King has Core 5. He¡¯s a muscle-brain, but his specialty is ordingly fighting. As such, they should be able to fight after receiving his teaching.¡±

    ¡°G-got it, Haku-san. I won¡¯t let my guard down.¡±

    Being vignt towards Team Dragon King, I had the fish and y Golems go to ces they could. There should be traps that 5 taught them about, too.

    Let¡¯s try sending some sharks over to Team Demon King¡¯s side to see if we can defeat that boss.

    ¡°Ichika, are the sharks ready? We¡¯re in a stand-off right now, so send three small ones in. Press in.¡±

    ¡°Aye! Sharks, going~!¡±

    Three shark fins¡ªerr, three small sharks headed into Team Demon King¡¯s gate. The dungeon¡¯s turned into a fully submerged dungeon, so the small sharks should be able to perform well while our enemies should have their movements dulled by the water resistance.

    Two of them were in by the ck armors, but one of them was able to make its way through.

    Hmm? Come to think of it, that¡¯s the first time we lost DP, huh. Ah, right, I lost the magic stone costs for those Golems. I got rid of a lot of our opponent¡¯s Skeletons too though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave that bone mini-boss to you, Ichika.¡±

    ¡°Aye, I got it~. I¡¯ll crunchy crunch it with my shark~!¡±

    As that happened, our opponent made a move as well. One of the ck armors dove into Team Dragon King¡¯s dungeon.

    It then started ughtering our other opponent¡¯s snakes and frogs¡­ Yep, she probably sunk a ton of DP into that thing. It¡¯s seriously strong.

    ¡°Kehma, our first room¡¯s defenses were broken through!¡±

    Turning the remaining Golems in our first room into our assault, our defenses had been thinned out quite a lot.

    Enemy Skeletons and snakes were diving into our dungeon too. Looks like we lured them in nicely.

    ¡°¡­ Well, pour Stock 1.¡±

    ¡°Okay~. Opening Stock 1 room¡¯s door~¡±

    A lot of fluid spilled out.

    ¡°¡­ Oh? Kehma-san. Is¡­ that what I think it is? Tentacle Slime body fluids?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is.¡±

    ¡°Going onto¡­ the slope?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡±

    Other than the Tentacle Slime¡¯s body of slime, its body fluids almostpletely nullify physical attacks.

    A Tentacle Slime¡¯s body fluids are very slippery and, well, slimy.

    Slippery stuff. By the way, it¡¯s also effective in improving blood cirction, but let¡¯s ignore that.

    What would happen if it was poured onto a slope?

    ¡ªWell, we should take a look at the mass of bones and snakes on the monitor for our answer.

 Chapter 179

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 2

    # Team Dragon King¡¯s PoV #

    A ck armor suddenly appeared and started crushing the snakes and frogs.

    ¡°Uaaaaah! What¡¯s this this ck thiiiiiiing!? 666, the heck did you summon!?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, 650. It appears to be mobile despite being submerged, so it should be a living armor type. Surround it! Use your numbers and deal with it!¡±

    ¡°Like this, No. 5-samaaa!?¡±

    However, the difference in strength between it and both the frogs and snakes was too big. Each time the ck armor brandished its sword, snakes were split in two and many frogs¡¯ tongues were severed, lowering their capability drastically.

    Some individuals were simply crushed, trampled by the weight of its armor.

    Following Core 5¡¯s instructions and attacking it from all sides with frogs, several attacks finally hit their mark. It was bit also bit as the snakes snapped at its legs.

    However, whatever the ck armor was made from made it so that the Bite Snakes¡¯ fangs and the Big Frogs¡¯ tongues had little to no effect on it.

    ¡°Tch, this thing is practically like God¡¯s Vanguard. The monsters can only make it stand still huh.¡±

    ¡°No 5-saaama, the water¡¯s settled dooown! Should I send monsters too?¡±

    ¡°Alright, 652, send your snakes to invade¡­ Have you prepared monsters that can work in water? Oi! Can you get Sea Snakes!?¡±

    ¡°Y-yesss! Doing it now!¡±

    Core 650 summoned snakes that could swim underwater. Although underwater snakes couldn¡¯t live onnd, they were suitable given the current situation. He sent a few of them into Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon straight away.

    ¡­ Ah,e to think of it, I get the feeling Sea Snakes can¡¯t live if they aren¡¯t in sea water huh¡­ must be my imagination. With that, Core 5 decided to stop thinking about it.

    ¡°651, you go on the offense as well. 652, attack Team Sovereign. 651, attack Team Demon King. 650, keep on defending¡­ dammit, I don¡¯t have enough workers. Why aren¡¯t your underlings here?¡±

    Right now, this dungeon was the only one to have three cores operating it.

    In this fight that was a three-way team battle, having three was already pushing the limit. Well, although they should¡¯ve been able to use their subordinates¡ª

    ¡°¡±¡± B-because there¡¯s no way we thought they¡¯d eat each other!! ¡°¡±¡±

    ¡°Stingy fools! That¡¯s why you should summon intelligent monsters! Come on, thanks to that we don¡¯t have enough workers nor DP!¡±

    ¡ªRight, the monsters they used their specially-given DP on to summon and be their supporters were, respectively, a snake, a frog, and a slug.

    These guys,cking intelligence as always, took their eyes off of them for just a bit. When they came back, there were only carcasses remaining.

    As expected, this left Core 5 at wits¡¯ end.

    After all, he had a somewhat optimistic view about this since his side had three cores.

    ¡°Alriiight, I got control of Team Sovereign¡¯s firssst room! Advanciiing!¡±

    ¡°Geko, the ck armor for Team Demon King is in the way on my end¡­ I¡¯ll leave them to you, 652.¡±

    The Bite Snakes were manipted by Core 652, the slug. They almost carelessly attacked the Skeletons, but here, they were mutual enemies to an enemy. They headed farther inside together.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Here we gooo, up the slooope!¡±

    Once they were moving up the slope, a viscous liquid flowed down. With no room to avoid it, the snakes and bones all got swallowed up by it. The bones were washed away, but the snakes were stuck to the slope.

    With this, they were one step ahead of Team Demon King¡­ however.

    ¡°Ugueeh! W-what¡¯s that!? Uwaah, uwaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, 652? Tell me!¡±

    ¡°The snaaakes, they can¡¯t move at aaaaall! It¡¯s too sliiimy!¡±

    Unable to move because of the slimy liquid engulfing them, the snakes writhed in attempt to break free, but only managed to push themselves down the slope.

    Their momentum gradually built, until¡­

    Bang!

    They crashed into the skeletons that were trying to make their way up.

    ¡°W-what¡­ what can I dooo¡­¡±

    The slimy liquid kept them stuck wriggling on the ground. Inevitably, the snakes¡¯ bodies twined around each other, making it even worse. Even giving it their all, they still weren¡¯t be able to make their way up the slope. Core 652 sighed, thinking that he could do something if there were slugs there, but the only things there were, unfortunately, snakes.

    ¡°Aaaaaah! Those bones¡¯re in the waaay! Ugeh, they¡¯re stepping on them!¡±

    ¡°Use them as rides, coil around the bones, 652!¡±

    ¡°O-okaaaay!¡±

    Despite doing as Core 5 instructed and having the Bite Snakes coil around the Skeletons, they just turned into weights for the Skeletons and caused them to slide along the slippery ground back toward the bottom.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t wooork, the footing¡¯s too slippeeeeery!¡±

    ¡°Hah!? Slippery!? Ssswitch with me, 652! Snakes originally moved on water! Bad footing like thisss isn¡¯t something that should ssstop them!¡±

    ¡°Ah, ch-change! Switch! ¡ª! Uaaah!? The ck armooooor!¡±

    Reced, Core 652 panicked because of the ck armor that was decimating them. Core 650, on the other hand, was calm.

    ¡°Alriiight, I¡¯m going! I can jussst use the walls if the floor¡¯s no good! These ssstone walls are more than enough!¡±

    Manipting the snakes, Core 650 had them move up the wall. Avoiding the slimy floor, he felt they¡¯d make it through and¡ªit happened at that moment.

    Water that was filling the passageway suddenly flushed all of them away.

 Chapter 180

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 3

    Huh. So snakes can move along walls? That was a blind spot.

    Even though most of walls were covered with slime as well, the [Lotion Slope] was, unexpectedly, easily ovee. The cause might be because slime doesn¡¯t really build up on walls so it wasn¡¯t that effective.

    ¡°Oh, is that alright? You¡¯ll wash away all of your precious Tentacle Slime juice.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping that we could use it to gain a bit more time, but it got ovee rather quickly¡­ Well, I have another three rooms¡¯ worth to use on the upper floors still.¡±

    With that, I opened the flood gate and hit the reset button by washing everything away.

    Looks like I can still use the flood attack. It feels like flushing the toilet though¡­

    Ah, for the slimy slopes, the difficulty will get harder on the upper floors since I put the Gargoyles there to rain down magic on them from above. There¡¯s even a ce they have to cross over a thin bridge that doesn¡¯t have any handrails¡­

    ¡­ Huh? Aren¡¯t snakes unexpectedly strong? They could just cross it like they would a tree branch.

    Well, it¡¯s fine. Snakes are snakes, there¡¯s lots of ways to deal with them.

    ¡°Still though, Team Demon King¡¯s second ck armor hasn¡¯t made a move yet?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s still clearing out the snakes and Golems in the entrance room! So eerie.¡±

    ¡°How about their bone fish boss?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m chasin¡¯ it with the shark, but it¡¯s pretty quick. I¡¯ll get it soon!¡±

    Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon is almost entirely filled with water now.

    The traps that were nted in their passages were rendered ineffective from the water, making things go very well for Team Sovereign (us), but Haku-san said that, ¡°6 wouldn¡¯t let it end with that.¡±

    ¡­ Conversely, you¡¯re saying that there¡¯s a good chance it¡¯ll continue on as-is for Team Dragon King?

    Ah, we reached Team Dragon King¡¯s fifth floor already? That was fast. Isn¡¯t there a boss? It¡¯s like the mermen are are vacation or something.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama. Enemies have reached the second floor.¡±

    Hearing Meat¡¯s report, I looked at the monitor. Those snakes and bones that got washed away had all ascended the slope again. I¡¯m going with the stance that [We can¡¯t flood again immediately] even if we can do it whenever, so I let them up this time. Let¡¯s constantly flush them out when they get to the higher floors. It¡¯ll affect more stuff that way. Water flows downwards after all.

    ¡°Alright, how about we use some DP to harass them?¡±

    ¡°Oh? What kind of harassment do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll know once you see it.¡±

    And so I summoned a monster. [1]

    *

    # Team Demon King¡¯s Point of View #

    ¡°Oh¡­ so water won¡¯t be used this time?¡±

    Core 666 said in a somewhat disappointed tone.

    Summoned by [Summon Skeleton], the Skeletons were continuing to march, but their progress was slow going.

    Furthermore, their ck Steel Living Armor on Team Dragon King¡¯s side had just sliced a tough-skinned huge slug that was around three meters long in half. Well, even if it¡¯s skin was hard, it was just to the degree of being iron-like, so her master-manipted Living Armor was able to kill it more than easily. They hadn¡¯t spent that much DP on it for nothing.

    Its movements had dulled somewhat due to the water¡ªdue to the seawater, but it was still a boss.

    Well, let¡¯s leave our Zack to taking care of their troops.

    Master looks like he¡¯s having fun operating the Living Armor, so it¡¯s probably better that I don¡¯t interrupt him.

    ¡ªWhat is important is Team Sovereign¡¯s dungeon.

    The corners of Core 666¡¯s mouth raised a little in anticipation of what might appear next.

    After ascending and making it through the slope, there was a small room. There were no branches in the path. This dungeon was practically a single path, it didn¡¯t really need to be explored at all. It was probably because it was specialized to direct the water. After all, the less ces that the water could lose its vigor, the better.

    There were Gargoyles in the small room. They attacked the Skeletons by hurling balls of fire and balls of water at them.

    ¡°Heeh, that¡¯s quite a lot for them to handle. It might be too much for the Skeletons¡ªhowever, I have the numbers advantage.¡±

    Manipting the Skeletons, Core 666 surrounded each Gargoyle with five Skeletons. They only had bone weapons on them, but they could manage if they were able to disrupt the Gargoyles¡¯ mana by constantly hitting it. Even if no single attack was fatal, the Gargoyle would eventually fall from the umted damage.

    However.

    Bite Snakes attacked the Skeletons that were surrounding the Gargoyles.

    ¡°Oh? Have they gone senile?¡±

    They shook off the pests hanging from them. Throwing the Bite Snakes off, they were beheaded. [2]

    And when she looked, the skeletons were attacking the Bite Snakes even though she hadn¡¯t ordered them to.

    ¡°¡­ Heeh. I didn¡¯t think about something amusing like that.¡±

    When she looked at the map, they didn¡¯t have the blue color that signified they were allies.

    In this three-way Dungeon Battle, all enemies had red markers. In other words, these red Skeletons of hers were enemies to them.

    And so, Team Dragon King¡¯s snakes also had red markers¡­ In other words, the Skeletons should look like [Team Demon King¡¯s Skeletons] to Team Dragon King.

    There was even the possibility that the Bite Snakes that had attacked a moment ago were Team Sovereign¡¯s monsters. Or, perhaps, it was just that Team Dragon King mixed in with them, simply tricking them before attacking in revenge? ¡­ The possibility of that was greater.

    It wasn¡¯t as though they had to give her any hints to work with, after all.

    ¡ªCore 666 had just realized that believing [My enemy¡¯s enemy is my ally] was [Naive].

    ¡°Kukuku, so that¡¯s how you want to do this!? Good, good! I¡¯ll do it your way then! I¡¯ll take care of these statues first ande after your snakes next¡ª! I¡¯ll ughter you all!¡±

    She should have done it like this from the start. Enemies are enemies, even if they are the enemy¡¯s enemy. She didn¡¯t have to do something so ipetent as cooperate with them.

    ¡°Aah, what a fun battle this is!¡±

    Core 666 smiled from the bottom of her heart.

    *

    ¡ªCore 6 watched on in silence.

    Since the start of this Dungeon Battle, he hadn¡¯t interfered at all. Even when it came to how to make the dungeon, he left everything to Core 666 and her master.

    Core 6 didn¡¯t trust Core 666¡¯s master at all.

    Her master was originally a swordsman-type human that came from a human farm. Trusting livestock wasn¡¯t something that should be done. If you did, it would be for trusting them to be some good DP.

    On a certain day, a human that should¡¯ve been [Crushed] became Core 666¡¯s master, so it was decided that he would serve as Core 666¡¯s [Servant]. Since then, that human hadn¡¯t displeased Core 666 ever¡ªit appeared that she had scolded him to train him asionally though¡ªand had survived to this day.

    He decided to use this Dungeon Battle as a sort of test case for Core 666¡¯s master.

    If he was [Usable], then it would be fine.

    If he was [Unusable], then he would have to think of something. He even considered disposing of this master under the guise of [Guidance].

    And so, like this, Core 6 sat back and observed in silence.

    Footnotes:

    Might be more than one monster. Doesn¡¯t specify. Wille back and adjust once it is rified. Return

    It doesn¡¯t say whether the Skeletons or Bite Snakes were beheaded, so I don¡¯t know which were. I¡¯lle back and adjust if/when it is rified in the future.

 Chapter 181

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 4

    [Right, Kehma-kun, there¡¯s something I wanted to ask you. That alright? There¡¯s no aquatic-type core right now. If I had to say why, it¡¯d be that they wouldn¡¯t be able toe to the party¡­ Kehma-kun. Do you think that something like a merman-type core coulde to the party?]

    ¡°¡­ Couldn¡¯t they participate if you hosted it next to the sea or at a pool or something? I mean, couldn¡¯t they participate even if you just put a big bucket on a wagon? Or maybe you could just have them know humanization from the start? I¡¯ve heard stuff about mermen like that before.¡ªOoh, couldn¡¯t they just have some sort of skill that let them swim in the air?¡±

    [Ooooh, good, good. As expected of Kehma-kun. I¡¯ll make a note of that!]

    [Father] suddenly openedmunications with us. He asked me a question, so I gave him a suitable response.

    Please don¡¯t make a personal consultation during a battle, referee!

    ¡°Kehma, you were able to respond like usual with Tou-sama? Amazing!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s your Tou-chan right? I¡¯m just going with that kind of feeling.¡± [1]

    He¡¯s Rokuko¡¯s father, so I decided to not care even if he was God. There¡¯s no reason for me to worry about it.

    ¡°To call him Tou-chan¡­ that¡¯s rather impolite to Otou-sama, Kehma-san.¡±

    [Un? I don¡¯t mind, call me what you like. Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind even if Kehma-kun called me Otou-san¡­ ah, I¡¯d actually prefer him to call me Father-in-Law-san you know? Lyon-kun used that for me.] [2]

    Listening to us like it was nothing, he answered. Oi, who¡¯s this Lyon-kun guy?

    When I was thinking about that, Ichika whispered it into my ear.

    ¡­ Ah, so he¡¯s the first emperor of the Raverio Empire. In other words, Haku-san¡¯s master, huh? Looks like he even turned into their currency. One copper coin is 1 Lyon.

    ¡°It would be nice if you avoided speaking of that man, Otou-sama. He¡¯s a past mistake.¡±

    [Gotcha.]

    Hearing them talk about him like a normal father and daughter, it felt somewhat strange. So the first emperor¡¯s an ex-boyfriend huh¡­ ah, I¡¯m sensing bloodlust from Haku-san. Nothing to see here! Nothing!

    *

    Well, back on topic now, I made a move against the snakes with the [Skeletons] I summoned and mixed into their midst by taking advantage of their turmoil while fighting against the Gargoyles.

    Team Dragon King splendidly retaliated against Team Demon King¡¯s Skeletons. How gullible are these guys? Team Demon King took it a step further though.

    They started annihting Team Dragon King¡¯s snakes.

    ¡­ From the looks of it, I¡¯d say that after finishing off the Gargoyles, they decided that Team Dragon King was simply a nuisance after our meddling.

    The snakes started dashing away like baby spiders, so it was decided that they¡¯d advance separately¡­ Well, the dungeon¡¯s practically a single path the whole way because of the water though. The only branches really, particrly on lower floors, are just the flood gates¡¯ areas. They¡¯re basically just dead ends.

    It doesn¡¯t look like they annihted all of the snakes for now, but it looks like they¡¯re definitely going to make it through the areas separately.

    I appreciate that. I didn¡¯t want to think about how good two teams working together would be.

    ¡°Ah, I should replenish the Gargoyles huh.¡±

    I repeatedly used the incantation for [Summon Gargoyle]. It¡¯s a pain, but Haku-san¡¯s right here.

    The summoned Gargoyles went out to counterattack.

    ¡­ Ah, the next floor¡¯s apletely submerged area? Before making their way up an ascending staircase, it was a floor that they had to first make their way down a staircase into water.

    For another way to picture it, think of the bend just below a toilet. It¡¯s the thing that prevents pests from making their way into the bowl from the sewers.

    As a dungeon restriction, there had to be a point where they could take a rest and breathe air on the way since a dungeon that couldn¡¯t be captured was an out, so it wasn¡¯t right to say it waspletely submerged, but still¡­

    Setting aside the snakes, the Skeletons didn¡¯t need the rest point at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send the Gargoyles to wait at the rest point just in case. They have the magic skill [Spark] since they¡¯ll be at a ce where everything¡¯s drenched in sea water¡­ but still¡­¡±

    ¡°? Is there something to be uneasy about, Kehma? It sounds like it¡¯ll work to me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wonder if electricity works against bones¡­¡±

    ¡°Oooh.¡±

    It¡¯d mess muscles up pretty bad, but they¡¯re just bone.

    I nced at Haku-san.

    ¡°If you have something you want to ask, please go and ask it. [Spark] is a light-type magic, so it is effective against Skeletons.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s that sort of thing?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean by ¡®that sort of thing¡¯ though?¡±

    But well, those bones are just going to skip the rest point. The snakes will probably take a break there though.

    Even if I tried having them use [Spark] from the surface of the water¡ªit¡¯d scatter in the water, so it wouldn¡¯t work.

    And that¡¯s how the defense is going, but what about the offense?

    ¡°Ichika, Meat. How¡¯s our attack going?¡±

    ¡°Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon, just now won against that bone bone with the shark. The boss room door popped open so I sent the sardines into the third floor to explore.¡±

    ¡°Team Dragon King¡¯s dungeon, the ck armor is obliterating, so I left it to Team Demon King and am just searching and guiding. It¡¯s going well. Also, slugs appeared in defense. They are crowding the ceiling. Should I project it onto the monitor?¡±

    Let¡¯s not look at Team Dragon King¡¯s dungeon. It¡¯s doing alright. What¡¯s on my mind is how to go about interrupting the enemy team that are invading us together. Well, they¡¯d be better off cooperating in trying to capture the dungeon. They¡¯d make progress.

    There¡¯s a hand I prepared but haven¡¯t used, but well, there¡¯s no reason for me to use it if I can win without it. [3]

    It looking like they are progressing, so let¡¯s add some water to slow them down before they get to the submerged area.

    ¡°Alright, open the gates~. Leave them open for a while and drain the water into the enemies¡¯ dungeons.¡±

    ¡°Kay~. For where they are¡­ the third flood gate? Opening!¡±

    Dodododo¡­ the seawater surged, overtaking the Skeletons and snakes.

    ¡°¡­ Oh?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, emergency! The aren¡¯t getting swept away!¡±

    The snakes were washed away. However, the Skeletons anchored down by clinging to the walls.

    Lining up single file against the wall, the Skeletons sliced through the water current.

    By having one of them take the brunt of the water¡¯s momentum, they were able to make it easier on all the rest.

    This is a method used by several groups to counter sh flooding¡­ our opponents figured it out faster than I thought. Was it because of a hint from Core 6? Or maybe it was Core 666 or the master¡¯s ability to cope?

    ¡°Leave the water going for a while. It doesn¡¯t look like they¡¯re able to move while the water¡¯s flowing, so I¡¯ll throw something at them.¡±

    ¡°G-got it.¡±

    Loading a Gargoyle up into a [Mana Potion (Barrel)], I put it into the water current and had it hit the Skeletons.

    The barrel and several of the Skeletons broke, so I sent more Gargoyles in.

    The Skeletons weren¡¯t able to hold up, so their formation copsed and they got washed away.

    I decided to have the Gargoyles that got washed into Team Dragon King¡¯s dungeon along with the Skeletons continue on and explore.

    ¡­ I wonder if they¡¯ll think up a countermeasure for the Gargoyle-in-a-barrel?

    Let¡¯se up with something else.

    Footnotes:

    Please note that almost every character is referring to [Father] with very slight differences. As most of terms aren¡¯t generally known by English readers, I¡¯ve resorted to tranting the lesser-known ones as either [Dad] or [Father]. Return

    An example of a lesser used ¡°Father¡±¡­ Gifu-san -> Father-in-Law/Stepfather. Author even goes so far as to tell readers to read it as ¡®Otou-san¡¯. It¡¯s such a mouthful in English though ._. Return

    This might be more than a single trump card. Doesn¡¯t specify. Wille back and edit if mentioned in the future.

 Chapter 182

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 5

    # Team Demon King¡¯s Point of View #

    The water was unexpectedly troublesome.

    Even though they could deal with it, they couldn¡¯t advance. By the time that the water had finally stopped, Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon was underwater all the way to the third floor, so another bone fish boss would go there. This time, they learned from their opponent and went with mixing a single boss in with sardine-like small fish.

    ¡°¡­ Haah, it looks like the DP I was saving till today is running out too.¡±

    Core 666 let out a sigh.

    For now, she summoned some more Skeletons and sent them into Team Sovereign¡¯s dungeon.

    The Skeletons were all moving together like a centipede and somehow managed to endure the water current and advance.

    ¡­ But thanks to that, she realized a new way to deal with the water. She could use this.

    ¡°695 is fit to be my rival after all¡­¡±

    When Core 666 had the Skeletons advance forward, she found a small room near a stairway. The stairs descended into water. It appeared she took the wrong way¡ªor maybe not. Perhaps the floor was pre-submerged?

    At any rate, the Skeletons were basically expendable, so Core 666 sent the Skeletons in.

    It was like the bottom of the sea.

    There was practically no light and there was seaweed growing in it. It all shook side to side, making the visibility even worse.

    When they looked up from in the water, there appeared to be a small room with lighting from it, looking like moonlight.

    ¡°This is a very stylish floor.¡±

    However, it was still a dungeon. Naturally, it would have traps.

    When she tried having the Skeletons use their hands to push the seaweed aside and open a path, their hands abruptly fell off.

    ¡°¡­? Did something happen? No¡ªis something there?¡±

    She had the Skeletons advance further to make sure, but their arms fell off just like their hands had.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s¡­ Jiji-sama, what is that?¡±

    Hearing Core 666¡¯s question Core 6 looked at the monitor.

    It was hard to see, but 6 was able to see something.

    It was thread¡ªorichalcum-made thread that had been stretched incredibly thin.

    ¡°Hoh. It appears to be thread made from orichalcum¡­ How was it made so thin, though?¡±

    ¡°Orichalcum!? Come to think of it, 695 was wearing an orichalcum ring, Jiji-sama.¡±

    ¡°She was? Perhaps she has a skilled master dwarf cksmith¡­ Right, I¡¯ll show you an orichalcum ingot next time, it looks quite lovely.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, sounds fun. It¡¯s a promise.¡±

    Still, thread? She didn¡¯t even have a way to cut it, it was orichalcum.

    No matter how thin it was, orichalcum couldn¡¯t be broken without the dwarves¡¯ processing methods. In other words, there was no way for her to remove the thread.

    When she looked around, the passage divided into the current way and a side path. The current way was filled with the thread. And ahead, the path that was divided in two merged back together.

    The thread was ced like some sort of crude web.

    It didn¡¯t matter for the Skeletons, but there appeared to be a small room beyond the web that you could take a breath in.

    So if you tried to run straight through the passage to try and get a breath of air¡ªyou would be sliced into small pieces.

    ¡°¡­ So that¡¯s it.¡±

    Core 666 guessed that it could also be used with the water trap.

    The thread was sharp enough to slice through bone just by touching it. If they were pressed against it by the force of the water, they¡¯d likely turn into mesh-shaped mincemeat (bone in this case). Just imagining it was gross. It was wonderful.

    ¡°Jiji-sama, what if I used my magic sword?¡±

    ¡°You should avoid it. My magic sword has the [Indestructible] property, so it could do it, but even so, breaking through orichalcum takes too much effort.¡±

    ¡°Heeh¡­ even Jiji-sama¡¯s magic sword¡­¡±

    Using [Summon Skeleton] yet again, Core 666 smiled daringly.

 Chapter 183

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 6

    I caused a water current to start up in the submerged floor. Water¡¯s justing in from the floor above though.

    If I let the water drain down from above into the drainage traps, the water will flow downward.

    Is it hard for them to hold their ground underwater? The Skeletons were sliced into small pieces by the orichalcum wire like gtin.

    ¡­ Fufufu, this wire¡¯s super effective¡­!

    ¡°Orichalcum thread¡­ it¡¯s good that you could prepare such fine thread.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a skilled master cksmith at our vige.¡±

    Let¡¯s go with that. Well, I¡¯m the one that actually made it of course.

    Taking out the four orichalcum coins that Rokuko got from the 1,000 DP gacha, I tried out making them into superfine threads like fiberss. It was enough just making it thin enough that it started drooping. It looked like what I saw on TV before.

    Using [Create Golem] to manipte the orichalcum¡¯s even easier than the normal way used to forge iron, I¡¯m in full control too.

    I was a bit worried about its strength since it was so thin, but it almost sliced through my fingers when I tried picking it up. Rather, it¡¯s at the point that Iron Golem would easily get sliced up.

    And that¡¯s all despite it being thinner than a hair. Orichalcum is scary.

    I was somehow able to pick it up after attaching handles to both ends of the one meter long orichalcum wire. I ended up making a crazy level wire.

    (Keeping it cheap by using iron for the handles, I made it by having it adhere to the orichalcum.)

    ¡°Maybe I should have something made next time?¡±

    ¡°Please ask through me, that person is a little obstinate. Even if you talked to him directly, he¡¯d just say stuff like [It can¡¯t be made!].¡±

    ¡°Really? Well, keeping capable craftsmen on a leash is important. I¡¯ll leave the ordering to Kehma-san when the timees, then.¡±

    Concerning the orichalcum processing, I already more or less revealed it with the ring.

    Eh, well, there¡¯s a pretty big difference in difficulty between making a ring and making a wire that¡¯s thinner than a hair though.

    ¡°Hey Kehma. It¡¯s a middle level at this submerged floor right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s that kind of feeling.¡±

    ¡°So then that means it¡¯s turning around? What¡¯s it like on enemies¡¯ sides?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see what¡¯s going on in Team Dragon King¡¯s dungeon. Meat?¡±

    ¡°¡­ First of all, we reached the seventh floor in Team Dragon King¡¯s dungeon. It is the seventh floor, but this boss room isn¡¯t a miniboss, it¡¯s the dungeon¡¯sst boss.¡±

    ¡­ There weren¡¯t any decent gimmicks in their maze at all. They were all meant to be used against humanoids, so they practically didn¡¯t affect the fish at all. Even for Team Demon King¡¯s ck Armor, its armor¡¯s strength was so strong that it was unhurt. The only effective trap against it was the skewer trap, but that¡¯s normal.

    I never thought that we¡¯d make it that far so easily.

    Now we only need to look forward to the dungeon boss, but the ck Armor¡¯s super motivated and swinging its ck sword around. Our turn isn¡¯t going to show up, is it?

    I mean, there¡¯s a decent chance that it¡¯ll turn on us if we tried interrupting the fight.

    Let¡¯s let it do whatever.

    ¡°How is it progressing in Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Nn, we¡¯re at another boss-like room on the fifth floor. Feels miniboss-ish.¡±

    There¡¯s a big skeleton guarding the door that leads farther in.

    It¡¯s probably a boss monster they prepared to use from the start, unlike the bone fish from the second floor.

    Unlike how the bone fish felt like it was prepared after seeing their dungeon get flooded, this one feels like it belongs in this dungeon.

    Although this dungeon had the usual traps like spring noose traps, pitfall traps, and traps that would shoot arrows at you if you touched a wire, they were all just shabby.

    I don¡¯t know what¡¯ll happen after this, but I won¡¯t be careless.

    More of those ck Armor monsters might appear as the dungeon boss.

    ¡°! Kehma! The ck Armor that was in Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon entrance came to our dungeon!¡±

    Seriously? They¡¯re finally going to try and capture us seriously huh. Taking a look, a ck Armor was walking into our dungeon with a lot of Skeletons. It was surrounded by the Skeletons, so it looks like it¡¯s wary of traps.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try giving them a dose of water to chew on. Open the first floodgate.¡±

    ¡°Kay~¡±

    I added a Barrel Gargoyles while we were at it. Now then, what¡¯ll they do?

    Their response appeared immediately.

    A few of the skeletons in the front were struck by the barrel, but the ck Armor cutting the Gargoyle that appeared from inside it in half with its sword. Then, they probably replenished their forces through a summon-type skill like [Summon Skeleton].

    It was used a lot during that fight at Team Demon Lord¡¯s dungeon entrance, but summon-type skills really are strong, huh. They can keep on replenishing pawns for free.

    I followed their lead and used [Summon Gargoyle]. If a single Barrel Gargoyle¡¯s no good, what about five? What about ten? Well, it probably won¡¯t have much effect, but¡­ Gargoyle-kuns. I¡¯ll leave it to you.

    ¡­ It feels like they¡¯re resenting me from being used as sacrifices, so don¡¯te back even if you survive, kay?

    Aah, if that¡¯s the case maybe it¡¯s easier using [Summon Skeleton] like this? They¡¯re dead from the start after all. Ah, but there¡¯s that scary grudge feeling huh. Which way would be better then¡­ Hmm.

    ¡°What now? Gonna keep the water goin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s better if we keep them going only for short intervals rather than constantly flowing. The strongest thing about it is the initial punch of the water current after all. And so¡ªtake out [The Big Ball]. We¡¯ll be using it here.¡±

    ¡°Finally! [The Big Ball], go!¡±

    Rokuko manipted the monitor in glee and and room that stored [The Big Ball]¡ªit was ced on the ceiling¡ªswung open.

    Then, [The Big Ball]¡­ a gigantic ball of iron, fell down the slope.

    It¡¯s something prettymon in certain adventure films.

    Following the obviousbination of [Gravity + Slope + Ball], [The Big Ball] slowly rolled down the hill.

    To say it another way, the ball was a huge bowling ball. The enemies? Our pins.

    While on the subject, it¡¯s made to be just barely the same size as the passage. It can¡¯t be avoided unless you¡¯re in a room. Even if you cut in half, its crazy momentum would stay the same!

    [The Big Ball] moved slowly at first, but it gradually picked up speed. By the time it encountered that ck Armor it¡¯d be strong enough to knock them into their next life.

    What, even though it just barely fits the passage, that means there¡¯s a little room in the corners? Those are blocked, so don¡¯t worry. There¡¯s no room to dodge. The remnants of those snakes are all just red spots now!

    Moreover, this trap was Haku-san¡¯s idea. She rmended it because I¡¯d already prepared the slope, which it needed. It really is stronger than a water current.

    ¡°Fufufu, the fusion of my idea for a trap and Rokuko-chan¡¯s dungeon¡­ this is wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    ¡°Gooo! [The Big Ball]! Realize my and Haku Ane-sama¡¯s strength~!¡±

    Its momentum at the max, the iron ball encountered the ck Armor-led group of Skeletons.

 Chapter 184

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 7

    Its momentum at the max, the iron ball encountered the ck Armor-led group of Skeletons.

    It happened in an instant.

    The Skeletons were destroyed. Their bone fragments scattered in all direction. And¡ª

    ¡ªno longer spinning, the iron ball had been pierced by a red magic sword.

    The ck Armor stabbed the red-hot glowing magic sword into the iron ball, bringing its momentum to a stop.

    When it swung its magic sword several more times, red lines ran across the iron ball.

    It melted.

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    My mouth hung wide open. I mean like, that was an iron ball big enough to fill the passage, you know? I never thought that they¡¯d be able to stop something with that much mass and momentum with a single sword. Seriously.

    Also, just how much heat did they use to actually be able to melt that thing?

    ¡°Uwah, even though I didn¡¯t think they could do it¡­ they melted Haku Ane-sama¡¯s big ball!¡±

    ¡°They overcame it splendidly. Well, things like this can happen, too¡­ Oh? Rokuko-chan, that magic sword¡­ isn¡¯t it Core 666¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Really? Ah, it is¡­ wait, no way, the Dungeon Core herself¡¯s taking part!?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª. I thought it was just a Living Armor though?¡±

    I thought the Living Armor would just be empty on the inside though¡­ So you could use it like that too huh. Well, I¡¯m using Golems like that after all.

    Dungeon Cores don¡¯t actually need to breathe, so there¡¯s no problem even if they¡¯re underwater¡­ or maybe her true form is this Living Armor?

    ¡°Really, those fellows from the Demon King Faction are all so belligerently troublesome¡­ Hahhh¡­¡±

    Haku-san sighed and held her hand against her temple.

    Perhaps it¡¯s like this a lot with the Demon King Faction? Maybe they¡¯re all a set with dungeon boss-like true forms.

    ¡°¡­ Well, yep. Ichika, send our Sahagins into Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon. Now¡¯s our chance since the ck Armor isn¡¯t there.¡±

    ¡°Roger~¡±

    ¡°Meat, do you need reinforcements?¡±

    ¡°I think we should wait and see a bit longer? Gargoyles would be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll go and summon some.¡±

    Using [Summon Gargoyle], I sent them to the bottom floor¡¯s flood gate room.

    ¡­ It¡¯s a bitte for it, but the Gargoyles can move between floors. They use the non-standard route of traveling through the sea outside the dungeon. There¡¯s a flood gate room like a space ship¡¯s airlock on each of the floors, so using that route, they can get to any floors I want them to. They can even move about without causing floods if I just collect the water.

    As far as outside invaders are concerned, our response is shutting the gates firmly. There¡¯s a proper route to use, so please use it.

    ¡°Mu, the ck Armor has already reached the submerged area on the middle floors.¡±

    ¡°Muu, we can¡¯t use [The Big Ball] against 666 anymore huh?¡±

    ¡°Just in case, prepare another one to hit them right after leaving the submerged area. Let¡¯s try adding water with it so that it won¡¯t be melted.¡±

    It might be at the point of being identally lethal to Core 666, but it¡¯s probably worse that she came to the front lines as the Dungeon Core in the first ce.

    ¡°¡­ For argument¡¯s sake, it won¡¯t be my fault even if Core 666 dies right?¡±

    ¡°Well, there are idents in Dungeon Battles. Feel free to kill her.¡±

    I got Haku-san¡¯s approval. Let¡¯s keep with it then.

    ¡°Middle floor, release the water. Let¡¯s have the orichalcum wire give them a hug.¡±

    ¡°Okay~¡±

    ¡°Ah, go with a counter-current too. They won¡¯t be able to hold their ground as easily.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then we¡¯ll need to open another gate from another direction?¡±

    It¡¯s the middleyer, but we can pour water in from the lower area on the opposite side.

    By using that huge amount of water to cause a counter-current, the water current should jolt about, chopping them up finely with the orichalcum wires.

    *

    # Team Demon King¡¯s Point of View #

    ¡°That was¡­ a little scary.¡±

    That iron ball had a lot of force behind it. She was almost toote in reacting because she thought there¡¯d only be that water.

    She almost got squashed to death, but she seeded in dealing with it.

    She shivered from the thrill. This¡ªthis was what she wanted.

    ¡°Aahhh¡ªthis is so much fun!¡±

    She couldn¡¯t help herself from smiling.

    This is what Core 666 lived for, the excitement she all but begged for.

    Tranquility was nothing but a poison, one that dulled the mind and senses.

    ¡°Battles are amazing. Wisdom, traps, strategy! 695, I wonder, are you feeling this pleasure too?¡±

    Core 666 absolutely wanted to share this delight with a [Rival (Friend)]. She¡¯d felt this way for a long time.

    ¡ªHowever, that hadn¡¯te true. Until now, at least.

    Why was this? It was because Core 666 was superior to all other cores in the 600 Series (her generation). No other core in it couldpare to her. Even the previous 500 Series of cores ended up refraining when it came to Core 666.

    She truly respected the strong ones in those previous series, but as far as what she felt towards those who were at the same or weaker than herself, a 600 Series (the youngest generation), she felt they were pathetic.

    That is why she didn¡¯t have a [Rival (Friend)].

    But for this Core 695, a member of the same series as her¡ªshe might possibly be able to be a [Rival (Friend)] that she could share these feelings with.

    It was like her thirst was being quenched for the first time. It was painfully irresistible, she wanted more of it. More.

    The pleasure of her empty pot made of insatiable desire being appeased¡­ she wanted it so badly.

    If she had something like a [Rival (Friend)]¡ªshe couldn¡¯t think of a better word¡ªthat she could enjoy it with, she would definitely want to trample and wreck them. That would be the best.

    [Aidi, I defeated Team Dragon King¡¯s boss. I found the core.] [1]

    At that moment, an indifferent report came from her master.

    The voice that called Core 666 [Aidi] belonged to a youth. It was a report that he¡¯d suppressed them.

    ¡°Continue on, break it. How did you ovee it?¡±

    [It wasn¡¯t a big deal. They failed.]

    It seemed that a Poison Wyvern appeared as the boss.

    [I didn¡¯t expect that the poison from its breath would explode, but that¡¯s all.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Poison wouldn¡¯t work against the Living Armor her master was operating at all, but it appeared that it scraping against the cobblestone floor with its ws after the room was filled with poison resulted in an explosion.

    So that was their trump card?

    It was surprising, but that¡¯s all it was.

    ¡°Will youe over here when you destroy the Dummy Core?¡±

    [I will. I just destroyed it.]

    As though to confirm her master¡¯s report, [Father] openedmunications.

    [Alright~, Team Dragon King lost! Sorry, 5, you¡¯re out of the running.]

    [Ugaaaah! To lose heeeeeeere!?!?]

    [[[ Sorry, 5-samaaaaa! ]]]

    Those nuisances¡¯ grief was audible.

    With this, the nuisances were taken care of.

    ¡°Finally, it¡¯s just me and 695. Let¡¯s have some fun.¡±

    Core 666 advanced further into Team Sovereign¡¯s dungeon.

    Compared to the majesty of the Living Armor¡¯s armor, its footsteps as it advanced were joyful.

    Footnotes:

    I believe that [Aidi] is a pun for [ID], as in identification.

 Chapter 185

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 8

    Team Dragon King wound up losing without even getting anything done.

    Reasonable. That¡¯s the word that crossed through my mind. Team Dragon King was constantly repressed by the floods and ughtered by the ck Armor in the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°Well, the Sahagins would¡¯ve been annihted if I sent them against that boss though.¡±

    We didn¡¯t have a problem like that thanks to the ck Armor, but they would¡¯ve been nothing but sacrifices to a big shot like that Poison Wyvern. That would¡¯ve set us back.

    ¡°Ichika, how is it going on your end?¡±

    ¡°A little more. The Sahagins arrived, I can win.¡±

    The Sahagins and the shark were tossing a big skeleton that was the boss about in a room that got submerged.

    In particr, it looked like there was a Sahagin Rider on a swordfish that looked rather strong. From the looks of its bones, it¡¯ll be defeated in a bit as Ichika said.

    ¡°What about that ck Armor that went to our side? It didn¡¯t go and defend.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re going all out on their offence, aren¡¯t they. We should use [The Big Ball] again!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s put it to use while the ck Armor is in the lower floor. While we¡¯re at it, collect the first floor¡¯s water and dump it outside.¡±

    Since Team Dragon King¡¯s gate, which had kept on gulping down our water, ended up being closed, if we don¡¯t discard it ourselves the water would umte pretty fast.

    We¡¯d look like a true submerged dungeon if we didn¡¯t.

    ¡°What is Core 666¡¯s ck Armor doing?¡±

    ¡°It turned back in the middle floors. It looks like she wants to continue after meeting up with the other one.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Would it be a nuisance if they met up or would that be a good thing? I mean, I could take care of them both in one go¡­ Rokuko, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be a nuisance either way, right? At the least, Core 666 has [Summon Skeleton] after all.¡±

    Core 666, aren¡¯t you getting tired of using [Summon Skeleton] so much?

    I¡¯m the same with [Summon Gargoyle] though, so it¡¯s not like I can say anything.

    *

    Well, I tried bashing the second ck Armor with [The Big Ball], but it challenged it head on and stopped it. They really are going with the brute force approach, its feet even cut grooves into the ground as it slid back.

    Moreover, [The Big Ball] broke. That being the case, I can¡¯t reuse it¡­

    However, it had a lot of scratches on its armor, so it looks like it finally took some damage.

    ¡°Hmm, it didn¡¯te with any Skeletons, so it¡¯s probably getting information from Core 666. I was wary of that. That¡¯s why I let them learn that they can [Cope] with the iron ball by using it against them the same way again, then I¡¯ll hit them with it along with the water current in the upper floors.¡±

    ¡°Well, there will be two of them, so it feels like they¡¯ll be able to deal with it¡­¡±

    ¡°So that means we need take care of one of them in the submerged area, right?¡±

    If we can. If.

    Now then, the two ck Armors came into the submerged area. The orichalcum wire has already been seen through, so they probably won¡¯t get caught by it.

    ¡°Rokuko, send out the Gargoyles and the octopus. Kill them if possible.¡±

    ¡°Okay~, going!¡±

    *

    # Team Demon King¡¯s Point of View #

    ¡°Shall we go then?¡±

    [Un.]

    They walked into the submerged area.

    Skeletons in the lead, they advanced slowly so that they could cope even if a water current suddenly sprung up.

    The passageway was basically one way. It intersected with the direct route that had orichalcum threads strung up in it four times.

    ¡­ There were several Gargoyles in the straight route¡¯s intersection. They couldn¡¯t see the thread easily, but it wouldn¡¯t allow them to advance.

    The Gargoyles used magic despite being underwater. It¡¯s true that it inanimate-types didn¡¯t have to breathe, but the kind of offensive magic that Gargoyles could use underwater was practically ineffective.

    Water or fire, the surrounding water would just get in the way.

    By process of elimination, they¡¯d probably only be able to throw rocks at them. It¡¯d do some damage to the Skeletons, but it wouldn¡¯t even be able to leave a scratch on the Living Armors made out of ck steel.

    ¡°Should we just ignore them and keep going?¡±

    [I¡¯ll go first, then.]

    The Living Armor manipted by Core 666¡¯s master went first.

    The sound of rocks hitting them was noisy.

    The first crossroad had the threads to the right¡ªit looked like there was a pocket of air beyond it, but the Living Armor didn¡¯t need to breathe.

    Circumventing the first orichalcum thread passage, they finally made their way to the ce where the Gargoyles were earlier. It had been just a few steps away from them, but since they had to go all the way around to avoid the dungeon¡¯s trap, it was very troublesome.

    The Gargoyles had gone further in, past the next orichalcum thread passage, and once again threw stones to hinder them. Rather than to hinder, it was more like they were just trying to annoy them.

    Just then, a water swimming through the water appeared.

    [¡­ An octopus?]

    ¡°What¡¯s this? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen this monster¡­ Jiji-sama, do you know?¡±

    [Yes¡­ I believe it¡¯s a monster called an Octopus¡­ I don¡¯t know it well.]

    Core 6 wasn¡¯t too informed about monsters in general. He paid even less attention to particrly weak monsters. He naturally wouldn¡¯t remember its characteristics.

    That¡¯s why he was a little surprised when it suddenly caused everything to go pitch ck.

    ¡°Crap¡­ I can¡¯t see at all in this.¡±

    [Watch out for attacks. Solidify your defenses.]

    The stones kept hitting them, ringing as loud as ever. A few secondster, they were able to see.

    The octopus was gone, though.

    ¡°What were they trying to do?¡±

    [I wonder? Well, it¡¯s alright. Let¡¯s continue.]

    ¡°! Wait!¡±

    Ignoring the stones being thrown by the Gargoyles, the master¡¯s Living Armor walked forward.

    [¡­ Wha¡ª!?]

    They were underwater, but the armor copsed under its own weight and¡ªas is, its body fell into pieces. The Living Armor had died.

    [I was killed¡­! Aidi, what happened!?]

    ¡°The floor, it rotated. You were killed.¡±

    When she¡¯d confirmed it on the map, they¡¯d rotated exactly ny degrees.

    The Gargoyles attacking them from their left side moved perfectly in sync with the rotation, escaping as the Living Armor fell into pieces. There was no wire between the groups.

    She hadn¡¯t made use of the Skeletons despite being able to keep summoning them as long as she had the magical power to. It was toote, but she regretted not having them go first.

    [666. Calm down. Advance while paying careful attention to the map.]

    ¡°Understood, Jiji-sama¡­ Master, I will punish youter.¡±

    When Core 666 tried to walk, this time, the water¡¯s flow fluctuated.

    ¡°¡ªSkeletons!¡±

    The skeletons linked together into a formation parallel to the flow of the water to deal with it.

    Immediately after that, an intense st of water attacked them. It was hard for her to deal with because they were already underwater and couldn¡¯t see the water¡¯s timing.

    [Wait, Aidi! The floo¡ª!]

    ¡°! Cra¡ª¡­¡±

    She had forgotten about the spinning floor.

    It was hard to deal with the current even at the best of times, so now that she was taking the brunt of it head on, the Living Armor¡¯s massive body lost its footing. The Skeletons were swept away by the water current and chopped into bits. The fragments of the Living Armor her master had been operating was chopped up as well.

    She was flying towards the wires.

    ¡°¡ªHaaaaaah!!¡±

    Griiiiing!

    Holding out her magic sword to act as a shield, struck it against the orichalcum threads.

    The magic sword didn¡¯t break. It endured.

    ¡°Aha! As expected of [Indestructible]! It didn¡¯t break!¡±

    Verifying just how sturdy her magic sword was, sheughed happily.

    [Hoh¡­ you added it?]

    ¡°Yeah, it used a lot of the 500,000 DP, but it was worth it!¡±

    Once she had gotten used to the current, she escaped down her original route.

    She¡¯d gotten into a tough spot, but she survived it.

    Like that¡ªCore 666 made it through the submerged area.

 Chapter 186

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 9

    I knew it. I knew that Core 666¡¯s ck Armor would be able to make it through.

    But even so, when she got swept up by the water and went towards the orichalcum wires¡ª

    ¡°Did I do it!?¡±

    ¡ªI said it¡­ I actually said that line¡­ I need to be more careful next time.

    ¡°Kehma, almost, but not quite. It¡¯s okay,e here, now.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯re you patting my head?¡±

    ¡°It just felt like Kehma was a bit depressed.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I was just hating myself for saying something that I believed that I would absolutely never say. Thanks for the thought, but Haku-san is watching, please stop.¡±

    It felt like her super cold re was asking, ¡°Shall tomorrow¡¯s dinner be served alive?¡± I¡¯m like a fish on a chopping board, hahaha. [1]

    ¡°Ah, s-sorry, Haku Ane-sama. We¡¯re in a Dungeon Battle, so we have to concentrate, right!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s a good Rokuko-chan. Could you pat me on the headter too?¡±

    ¡°Mou! Haku Ane-sama, please don¡¯t make fun of me!¡±

    No, she¡¯s being serious. Not like I¡¯d say that though.

    Alright, back to the dungeon battle.

    The remaining troops left to Team Demon King over in our dungeon is a single ck Armor and lots of Skeletons. Those Skeletons are probably from [Summon Skeleton].

    But in Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon¡ª

    ¡°Oi, Ichika. From how it was going a while ago, shouldn¡¯t you have already killed the boss?¡±

    ¡°U-uhh, yeah¡­ but the door didn¡¯t open! I¡¯m back to lookin¡¯ now.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any enemy reactions left in the room. I¡¯m helping, too.¡±

    With that, Ichika and Meat¡¯s responded to me in puzzlement. It looks like our exploration was stalled¡­ No choice but to go back to looking huh?

    ¡°¡­ There is also the possibility that there is a hidden passage on another floor.¡±

    ¡°It could be some sort of door that can¡¯t be found without activating a trap. Don¡¯t forget to look over the ceilings as well¡­ pitfall traps too.¡±

    Putting a passage inside a pitfall trap¡­ maybe I should do that in our dungeon too? Haku-san¡¯s didn¡¯t say anything after telling us there is a correct route. No choice but to search ourselves, then.

    ¡°Fufu, this reminds me of the Dungeon Battle between Rokuko-chan and I.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Aah,e to think of it¡­ that¡¯s right, Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Should we start searching again from the entrance just in case¡­? Send a few Golems and use them.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Fortunately, there isn¡¯t even a single enemy monster remaining. She can look for it freely.

    Are they confident that we won¡¯t be able to find it even after looking for it, or are they amassing forces on an unexplored floor further inside?

    Is there another possibility? Overlooking something would be bad¡­

    ¡°Rokuko, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Mm, it¡¯s strange that the door didn¡¯t open even though there¡¯s no boss left in the boss room. Maybe we should check if it was really a boss room? It might¡¯ve been a dummy one.¡±

    A dummy, huh. There¡¯s definitely the possibility of that. Haku-san brought it up a bit ago, but I also did it¡ªthat riddle door that didn¡¯t have anything after it¡­ there¡¯s also the possibility that there¡¯s nothing after this boss room.

    ¡°Ichika, investigate that boss room for a little while, then look for another.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    As I finished issuing instructions on how to continue our attack¡ªour exploration¡ªI wondered how our defense was holding up.

    When I checked, the ck Armor had just crossed the log bridge that had been jam packed with Gargoyles.

    There was just a single Skeleton left. Its movements are rather good¡­ maybe their master is operating it?

    ¡°Meat, please get back to defense when you finish exploring. Our defense is more urgent¡­ Rokuko. Send Tentacle Slime-san out. Use it to settle Core 666 in the upper floors.¡±

    ¡°Will it be enough?¡ªWait, why¡¯d you add [-san]!?¡±

    ¡°Well, because it¡¯s Tentacle Slime-san.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think that works as a reason though?¡±

    It¡¯s more or less this dungeon¡¯s secret boss.

    ¡°Well then, use [The Big Ball] and flood them out. It¡¯d be great if that¡¯s enough to finish it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Opening the flood gates and dropping [The Big Ball]~. Yay~, get squashed~!¡±

    I knew they¡¯d be fine stopping the iron ball with that scorching hot magic sword, so Ibo¡¯d it up with water.

    The water flooded the space behind [The Big Ball] like it was sting it toward Core 666.

    I can¡¯t help but get a bad feeling. Let¡¯s gather everything in the room after this path¡­

    Even if they stop the iron ball, they¡¯ll be washed away by along with it by the water if they don¡¯t stop it as well.

    If they try to melt the iron ball, the water keep it cool.

    Now, what¡¯ll they do?

    Reacting from the sound of it, Core 666 took the anti-water formation with the Skeleton. [2]

    Core 666 held up her magic sword, pointing it out towards the iron ball. Facing off against therge mass barreling towards her, she thrust towards it.

    ¡°¡ª[Crimson Road].¡±

    And said that.

    In the next instant, both the iron ball and water disappeared in a straight line away from her. The Living Armor¡¯s hand that held the magic sword was glowing red from the heat¡­ was that a skill? A skill like that actually exists?

    Core 666, wasn¡¯t that a bit too hot?

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? ¡­ Uwaaah, whaaaat!?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? ¡­ Isn¡¯t that a bit unreasonable?¡±

    The seawatering up after that flowed past Core 666¡¯s ck Armor.

    Its red hot hand turned back into ck steel.

    ¡°[Crimson Road] is a piercing fire-type offensive skill. Although it has the disadvantage of only being able to be used once per day and dealing fire-type damage to the user, its power is considerable topensate for that. Using it is daring.¡±

    Hearing Haku-san¡¯s exnation, it looks like it can¡¯t be used again today.

    So that means if I had them eat another st of [The Big Ball] and seawater, we could win. However¡ª

    ¡°Kehma, we don¡¯t have anymore of [The Big Ball]!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Seriously? Then collect one of the ones we used and¡­¡±

    ¡°They were melted, smashed, and somehow erased. There aren¡¯t any more.¡±

    Geh, if I¡¯d just prepared more¡­!

    Unfortunately, I can¡¯t just buy one directly with DP. ording to Haku-san, they¡¯re in her catalog as a trap, but they aren¡¯t in ours. Is it because we don¡¯t use normal traps? I usually just use handmade traps¡­ grah, being stingy¡¯se back to bite me!

    ¡°Could we give DP to Haku Ane-sama and have her purchase it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s, as expected, not allowed. It¡¯d be different if it were for preparations, but it¡¯s no good on the day of. After all, in the end, this is to train our juniors.¡±

    In that case, is there anything I could summon to rece the iron ball trap¡­? An Iron Golem? No, that¡¯s no good. They aren¡¯t good at rolling!

    Aah, if Haku-san weren¡¯t here I could just repair an iron ball with [Create Golem]!

    ¡°Well, we can think of this another way. With this, our opponent¡¯s trump card is gone, so it¡¯s like a fifty-fifty trade. We still have some troops and our trump card, so we still have an advantage!¡±

    ¡°Kehma, that might not have been their only trump card, so maybe it wasn¡¯t an even trade after all?¡±

    Rokuko gave a sound argument.

    ¡°¡­ Yep, well, it¡¯s alright. We¡¯ll decide it in the next room.¡±

    I spoke, still collecting everything in that one room.

    Footnotes:

    Alright, so in the quote here Haku is actually saying ¡®Shall tomorrow¡¯s dinner be changed to ikedzukuri?¡¯, where ikedzukuri is a style of presentation to make it look like raw fish is still in its original fish-like shape. I removed this because it just felt like any attempts at adding it to the line itself would just cause the line to feel awkward to read.Return

    Not too sure how that formation works with only a single Skeleton, honestly. Maybe she summoned more skeletons at some point? The raw doesn¡¯t specify if there¡¯s a single Skeleton here still.

 Chapter 187

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 10

    # Team Demon King¡¯s Point of View #

    Core 666 advanced through Team Sovereign¡¯s dungeon.

    Although it was unfortunate that she ended up having to use her trump card, [Crimson Road], she didn¡¯t regret it. She would have been put in a pretty severe situation if she had to expose her body to the iron ball, after all.

    [Aidi, they broke through the boss room.]

    ¡°Alright. But it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll find the Dummy Core.¡±

    [Yeah, they won¡¯t find it.]

    Core 666¡¯s master responded in confidence. His voice reflected how confident he was that they wouldn¡¯t ever be able to find the Dummy Core.

    ¡°So, how¡¯s our dungeon?¡±

    [As nned, they are stumped. After all, the Dummy Core isn¡¯t here.]

    It was in the ck Armor. That was the Dummy Core¡¯s hiding spot.

    The Dummy Core was basketball-sized, but it fit perfectly in the Living Armor¡¯s abdomen.

    The enemy¡¯s dungeon should be attacked with the strongest war potential.

    The Dummy Core, that which must be protected, should be protected with the strongest war potential.

    So that she could follow both of these without contradicting either, Core 666 and her master thought of this n.

    They came up with the reckless strategy of [ce the Dummy Core inside of the strongest war potential].

    This was also the strategy they¡¯d nned to use since long before the Dungeon Battle.

    That is why they had the rule be [Destroy the Dummy Core] rather than [Touch the Dummy Core]. That way, even if their enemy somehow managed to get inside of the armor, it wouldn¡¯t be counted as a defeat. It was a good opportunity.

    Their dungeon itself was made up of five floors that had cost them a fitting 50,000 DP. Most of their traps were prepared so that they would work by themselves even if the dungeon was suspended due to the core being outside of the dungeon. Their monsters were almost entirely gotten through [Summon Skeleton]. And finally, their final boss room was a facade.

    They had to make a boss room midway and buy a bone fish so that they could dam up the water, but¡ªwell, it served its purpose of stalling for time.

    The rest of their DP was used entirely for the sake of strengthening Core 666 herself.

    ¡°Fufufu, I don¡¯t think Core 695 will figure out that the Dummy Core is right here.¡±

    [It looks like they¡¯re starting to look around outside the dungeon¡­ Let¡¯s just have them keep crawling around the dungeon until it¡¯s all over.]

    Core 666 advanced further inside.

    There was a room ahead of her.

    ¡°Master, open it.¡±

    [Yeah.]

    Her master opened the door with the Skeleton he was operating.

    A wiggling sound came from inside the room followed by a translucent tentacle appearing, wrapping around the Skeleton and seizing it.

    [Uwaah!? Kuh, this thing¡ª!]

    Weaponless due to being summoned by [Summon Skeleton], it was equipped with what could at most be considered a bone club. It bashed the Tentacle Slimes tentacle with it¡ªit didn¡¯t deal any damage at all.

    [Tch, I¡¯ll switch to another Skeleton.]

    ¡°Master. Even if I can summon however many Skeletons needed with [Summon Skeleton], even my magical power will run out since we¡¯re outside of the dungeon alright? Please fight properly.¡±

    [That just now was justified.]

    They knew that there was something waiting in ambush behind the door. That¡¯s why she had a Skeleton open the door, so he wasn¡¯t wrong in saying that the cost was justified.

    However, that was that. Core 666 smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s added to your punishment. Please look forward to it.¡±

    [¡­]

    ¡°Oh? Not answering?¡±

    [Hah¡­ understood.]

    ¡°That¡¯s a good master. You are, in the end, my puppet.¡±

    Swinging the fire-d magic sword, she burned the Tentacle Slime.

    With a sound akin to evaporating water, the Tentacle Slime withdrew its tentacle¡­ A slime¡¯s weakness is fire and magic. This magic sword hit both of those perfectly.

    ¡°Even so, they have an unusual slime, don¡¯t they? Is it a boss? What do you think, Jiji-sama?¡±

    [The Tentacle Slime? Physical attacks don¡¯t work against it, so it¡¯s somewhat of a nuisance to deal with¡­ but it¡¯s not as though you could say they don¡¯t have their weaknesses. It being a boss is possible. However, it would take a considerable amount of DP¡­ did they bring it in themselves?]

    ¡°Oh, they brought it in? Did 695 want to enjoy the Dungeon Battle with me that much?¡±

    When she stepped into the room¡ªthere were enough forces gathered together that it could practically be called an army. There were Golems, Gargoyles, even the Sahagins that she¡¯d seen over in her dungeon and the octopus from a bit ago, as well as a Flying Squid and some others she didn¡¯t know. The Tentacle Slime was there as well, of course.

    ¡°¡­ So many.¡±

    Core 666 muttered.

    ¡°What a wonderful wee. But who shall be my dance partner for this party?¡±

    [Thest one standing?]

    ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m getting fired up¡­¡±

    Holding up her magic sword, Core 666 delved into the crowd of monsters.

    *

    # Kehma¡¯s Point of View #

    ¡°The boss room¡¯s door was a fake, huh?¡±

    I just got Ichika¡¯s report.

    ¡°Yeah. Even though I¡¯d finally got it open after breakin¡¯ it, there was just a dirt wall. It was just a normal door.¡±

    ¡°Huh. There wasn¡¯t an [Under Construction] sticker too, was there?¡±

    ¡°[Under Construction] sticker? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s a long story¡­ so, there isn¡¯t a way forward then?¡±

    ¡°Un. I think we might¡¯ve overlooked something¡¯, so I¡¯m going over everythin¡¯ again.¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    I stopped Ichika. I had Meat check outside the dungeon¡¯s entrance, but I was only really able to figure out the the dungeon was located somewhere in an area under the Demon King¡¯s rule.

    ¡­ I¡¯d started wondering what the heck we were supposed to do next, but I came to a conclusion straight away.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Alright¡­? What do we do? We can¡¯t win if we can¡¯t beat Core 666¡¯s dungeon though.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying, Rokuko?¡±

    I pped a hand onto Rokuko¡¯s shoulder and spoke.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the enemy Dungeon Core in our dungeon already?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah¡ª¡±

    Right, the Dummy Core could be anywhere. It could even be hidden and brought here.

    If we defeat Core 666 who¡¯s invaded us, that¡¯ll be our win.

    Either our enemy will lose all of their war potential and be unable to fight or we win because their core is destroyed. It¡¯s our win either way.

    Un.

    Core 666 is either super confident in herself or she¡¯s an idiot.

    I¡¯d be d if it¡¯s thetter.

 Chapter 188

    Third Dungeon Battle: Battle 11

    ¡°Rather¡­ there is a high possibility that Core 666 has the Dummy Core.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A mobile strategy?¡±

    I don¡¯t know how she¡¯s carrying the Dummy Core. However, looking at what¡¯s going on in Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon, that¡¯s almost definitely what it is.

    There aren¡¯t any more traps or monsters appearing, nor are any of the walls or doors being repaired.

    It¡¯s basically like it¡¯s dead as a dungeon. Wouldn¡¯t it copse if something happened? The suspense is real.

    ¡°Yeah. For example, let¡¯s assume that Core 666 is inside that ck Armor and that she¡¯s about as tall as Meat. If that¡¯s the case, couldn¡¯t they put it inside it somewhere?¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The size of a Dummy Core is the same as the Dungeon Core. That is, the size of arge basketball. By the way, I¡¯m told that Haku-san¡¯s cores are a tonrger, so there are differences between them.

    ¡­ The size of the armor¡¯s head is a bit too small, so if we assume that Core 666¡¯s true body isn¡¯t tiny, it¡¯s probably somewhere in the torso.

    Perhaps, if it¡¯s a liquid or gas, Core 666¡¯s body is simply filling the inside of the armor. My prediction is that Core 666¡¯s body is a big ck Armor Living Armor that¡¯s one sizerger and is being worn on the outside, or at least it¡¯s probable. Like a certain superhero¡¯s Over Body. [1]

    Still though, is it okay for the Dummy Core to not be inside of their dungeon?

    There¡¯s nothing I can say about it though, the referee, [Father], isn¡¯t saying anything about it.

    The concept itself isn¡¯t bad. If Core 666 is a peerless warrior able to repel any adversity, it¡¯s a superb move.

    If she could keep using no risk no cost techniques like that unreasonable [Crimson Road], she¡¯d be unbeatable. It¡¯d turn into a one-sided stompfest.

    However, the reality is that she¡¯s now slugging it out with the monster group and is rampaging among them. It doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s tired, but it also doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s strong enough to be considered unbeatable.

    ¡°Even if she could do something like take the core out of the dungeon¡­ Haku Ane-sama, there would be demerits to it right? What kind of demerits would there be?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good question, as expected of my Rokuko-chan! Yes, first of all, depending on the situation, the dungeon would copse. However, Team Demon King¡¯s dungeon has a structure such that it wouldn¡¯t copse even without a core. There are many walls and small rooms, as well asrge areas between each of their floors. Even if a dungeon like this had its core destroyed, it would retain its shape. Even so, without its core, even with it retaining its shape, it would no longer be a dungeon. The core would have to start over entirely if brought to it.¡±

    In other words, it would copse because it doesn¡¯t have a core, and even if it didn¡¯t, it wouldn¡¯t be considered a dungeon anymore and the dungeon¡¯s domain would have to be built up all over again. With it requiring 5,000 DP for assigning a single floor, that¡¯s a pretty big disadvantage.

    Haku-san continued talking.

    ¡°As it would no longer be a dungeon, you would be unable to send out new traps and monsters. Most of the existing traps would be unable to activate¡­ and although the monsters wouldn¡¯t immediately disappear, as an exception, monsters from [Monster Spawners] would quickly die. Those monsters are made such that they are unable to live without being inside of a dungeon.¡±

    The magical power filling the inside of a dungeon is a kind of food for monsters. It¡¯s no wonder why they¡¯d die without their food. Conversely, if proper ecosystems were established, they could revert to normal monsters and be wild.

    She said she¡¯s seen several examples of it happening¡­ as expected of Haku-san, a person who has destroyed several Dungeon Cores.

    ¡°What about monsters summoned through summon-type magic?¡±

    ¡°Those move using the magical power of the person who summoned them, so they are unrted to dungeons. That is, unless they were summoned by a dungeon monster.¡±

    Summon-types disappear when the summoner disappears, and creation-types stay behind with the orders they were given.

    Thinking about what happens after the Dungeon Core is destroyed, creation-types are excellent, but even so, that¡¯s given the assumption that the person would be dead, so for Haku-san, that bonus doesn¡¯t matter to her evaluations.

    For example, the inn would continue on even after I die, but I wouldn¡¯t be there. It could only be used as something to give as an asset to descendants.

    [Heeh, so that¡¯s what happens? Good job, 89. I didn¡¯t know~]

    ¡°Oh? I thought for certain that Otou-sama would know though?¡±

    [Well, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m watching over everything yeah? Particrly what happens to dungeons after they¡¯ve lost their cores.]

    ¡°Well! I am extremely honored to have been of use, Otou-sama.¡±

    ¡ªUmmm, I wound up listening to Haku-san¡¯s story for quite a while there, but I don¡¯t care about stuff like that right now.

    The most important thing right now is destroying that Core 666¡­ err, identally destroying her¡­ err, defeating her. Pretenses are important. It¡¯ll definitely just be an unfortunate ident that happened in this Dungeon Battle because I was striving to beat her.

    Let¡¯s check out the situation.

    When I looked at the map, for enemies, there was just a single Living Armor left in the Monster House I prepared.

    As for the Skeletons that had been surrounding it, they were long since annihted. Tentacle Slime-san had turned them all into bone meal. After all, even with him being able to operate them well, that Zack couldn¡¯t do anything against the physical annulment with Skeletons.

    However, Core 666 is holding a fire magic sword. It had taken a lot of hits from Core 666 while it was dealing with the Skeletons, so many of its tentacles were severed and it was covered with wounds.

    ¡°Alright, Tentacle Slime-san¡­ eh, that¡¯s a bit long, Ten-san should be good. Ten-san, that ck Armor is using a fire magic sword so pull back for now and recover.¡±

    Ah, crap. I just named it, didn¡¯t I? When I looked to make sure, [Ten] was registered on the named monster list. Tehee. Well, adding one more after all this time should be alright. It¡¯s been the most active one after all.

    Ten-san drew back to recover its viscous mass that had been damaged by Core 666. The Ten-san juices we stocked up on to recover it with were effective. Just pushing them into the slime¡¯s body was even more effective than using a potion.

    Gargoyles continued attacking with magic to plug up the hole left over from Ten-san¡¯s withdrawal.

    They were using [Stone Bolt], carpet bombing her and leaving no gaps. The stone projectiles are banging against the ck Armor¡­ but it¡¯s not doing anything! She¡¯s way too hard!

    This is bad. The hole left by Ten-san is too big.

    I gave directions to the Sahagin Corps. Then, I took out iron chains with weights at the ends. A few¡ªno, dozens of them. I bought them with DP a bit ago.

    If we can¡¯t beat her, we¡¯ll restrain her. Yep. Although their quality is overwhelmingly better, we win in numbers. In that case, I will absolutely make use of it.

    They could be cut through with iron, but there¡¯s so many that [that fire magic sword can¡¯t cut through them all].

    And so, the Sahagins all threw their weighted chains simultaneously.

    Several of them were repelled, but being unable to handle the sheer number of chainsing at it, the ck Armor was unable to move after being caught by them¡­ good, we¡¯ve sealed its movements!

    Now we just need to finish it off¡­

    ¡­ Just as I thought that¡ª

    ¡°Kehma! Not yet!¡±

    The ck Armor, unable to move, copsed.

    ¡ªStanding out against her surroundings, a pretty girl with red hair appeared.

    Footnotes:

    Something from Kinnikuman (Aired/published as Ultimate Muscle in the west)

 Chapter 189

    Third Dungeon Battle: Conclusion

    The small, red-haired girl had obviously been inside the armor. This was Core 666 after using humanization.

    ¡°Core 666 detached!¡±

    ¡°Detached¡­ she could do that?¡±

    Her red hair was like fresh blood, her red eyes like zing fire. As if to announce that the armor was inelegant, she was an Ojou-sama that wore a red-based dress with white frills. Even her appearance matched her attribute.

    Looking like it grew from her hand, Core 666 took out her fire magic sword and swung it down towards the captured ck Armor, slicing off the chains that held it down¡­ it looks like she went a bit too far, though, as there was a gash on the ck Armor now.

    Its freedom regained, the ck Armor clenched its fists and stood back-to-back with Core 666.

    The Sahaginsunched more chains at them, but this time the two of them somehow managed to cope and avoid them.

    ¡ªIts movements are different from just a moment ago. Is her master operating it now?

    Still though, did Core 666e out from inside the armor and humanize?

    ¡ªNo, that¡¯s not it. That magic sword. It looked like it grew from her hand, but was it actually like that? In other words, is it that her body is part of the magic swo¡ª

    ¡­ [Magic Sword]¡­ when Core 666 isn¡¯t using humanization, is that her true appearance?

    ¡°Haku-san. Magic swords¡­ could they be monsters?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You didn¡¯t know? Among the world¡¯s magic swords, seventy percent are monsters.¡±

    I just discovered a jarring fact.

    Seventy percent. Seventy percent of magic swords aren¡¯t items, but monsters.

    Well, there¡¯s stuff like Living Armors, so it¡¯s not that weird that there¡¯s also Living Weapons. Just, for it to still be called a magic sword¡­

    ¡­ Ah,e to think of it, our magic swords are Golems, huh.

    In that case, to make a magic sword¡ª

    ¡°Kehma, what should we do!? How can we win!?¡±

    ¡°Whoops, I was lost in thought there¡­ Well, how about we deal with the ck Armor first? Golem Corps!¡±

    I gave the orichalcum wire to the Golem Corps.

    It¡¯s what used to be in the submerged area. I had them collect it and bring it there.

    There were handles at the ends of them to make them convenient to carry, so there¡¯s no problems for them throwing it all.

    ¡°Take this!¡±

    Having weights attached to their ends, I had them mixed in with therge number of chains and all thrown at once.

    *

    # Team Demon King¡¯s Point of View #

    ¡°Fufu, a ce like this won¡¯t be my end!¡±

    Separating from the bound Living Armor she was operating, Core 666 let go of the magic sword (herself).

    Then, humanizing from a magic sword, she grasped onto a sword with the same ability as the magic sword that was her true appearance by using a skill named [Doppelganger], she cut off the chains that were restricting the ck Armor.

    [Doppelganger] was like an alter ego, but if the [Doppelganger] sword was broken, she would die as well. It was that sort of skill.

    ¡°There¡¯s no time to summon Skeletons. I¡¯ll leave the armor¡¯s operation to master, let¡¯s deal with it all ourselves.¡±

    [Got it.]

    Leaving the ck Armor that still had the Dummy Core in its abdomen to her master, she cleared away the chains assailing them with her me-d magic sword. Her master also manipted the ck Armor, continuing to brush away the chains with its empty hands. It was too much for a single person to handle, but they could manage with the two of them. Every direction was covered.

    ¡°If it¡¯s like this, we can do it.¡±

    [Yeah.]

    Chains continued to be thrown at them. Once again, Core 666 used her magic sword and her master used the armor¡¯s hands to clear them¡ª

    Shlink!

    ¡ªHowever, trying to brush them away, both of the ck Armor¡¯s arms and its neck was severed.

    [Huh?]

    Something with an extreme sharpness was mixed into the chains, a few passing barely centimeters above Core 666¡¯s head.

    With a bang, two heavy iron weights hit the ground. A super fine wire stretched between the weights, pulled taut. It was able to withstand the force of being pulled both despite being such a thin wire. This is what cut through the ck Armor just before, it was the same orichalcum thread as before.

    [Is it the same thing as a bit ago¡­? It¡¯s way too sharp.]

    ¡°Oh? Master, look at what you¡¯ve done to my armor¡­¡±

    [Sorry.]

    ¡°¡­ Well, perhaps I should have expected this to happen after allowing you to use it? I can¡¯t leave my back to you anymore¡­ You legs look fine, though. Master, just run around. It will be a little harder, but it should be alright if you pay careful attention to where you¡¯re running.¡±

    The Living Armor wouldn¡¯t die from something like this. However, the chains and well as that super sharp orichalcum thread was thrown at them once again.

    Dashing between them, Core 666 intercepted the orichalcum thread with her [Indestructible] magic sword. It fell to the ground¡­ she¡¯d have to be careful so as to not sever her feet.

    ¡°Those weights at the ends of the wires will serve as a mark for where they are. The armor doesn¡¯t have [Indestructible], so make sure to avoid it.¡±

    [Yeah. Aidi, you be careful too. Only your sword has [Indestructible] after all.]

    They separated from each other. If they ran in different directions, their enemies would have to attack multiple spots.

    The Tentacle Slime used the moment they separated as a chance toe back in. It appeared to target the ck Armor that couldn¡¯t use magic to attack. Conversely, Core 666 aimed at it.

    Another set of weights flew towards each of them. Core 666 didn¡¯t bother evading, relying on her sword to block it.

    The ck Armor avoided it by moving far to the side. However, its body was sliced in two through the middle.

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    [Huh¡ª?]

    The orichalcum string that was caught by her magic sword fell to the ground.

    The ck Armor¡¯s upper body mmed onto the ground with a bang, its lower half copsing to its knees.

    They didn¡¯t know what happened. The ck Armor should have avoided the string. Yet here it was, cut in two.

    As expected, even the Living Armor would die after being cut in two through the center of the torso, thergest part of its body.

    The Dummy Core that had been hiding inside of its upper body had already dropped to the ground. Fortunately, it looked to still be intact¡­ however, as they were deep inside enemy territory and it was without the protection of the ck Armor, their defeat condition was both exposed and unprotected. What would the oue of that be?

    It was as clear as day.

    Even though Core 666 tried dashing over to it, the Tentacle Slime blocked her way.

    She tried attacking it over and over with her magic sword, but the liquid-filled slime wouldn¡¯t be defeated so easily. Moreover, since the Tentacle Slime was able to use more than two tentacles simultaneously, it was more than capable of attacking while blocking the sword.

    The Dummy Core was picked up by a Golem, and before Core 666 noticed¡ª

    ¡ªBroke it.

 Chapter 190

    Victor¡¯s Delight

    The Living Armor being able to move despite having no head was within my expectations.

    Because of that, I didn¡¯t hesitate and attacked mercilessly. We won¡¯t stop attacking until it¡¯spletely stopped moving.

    However, the orichalcum wires had weights attached to both ends, so we can¡¯t hide it.

    Therefore, by using decoy weights, I tried having them fall into a situation where they thought that they¡¯d avoided the wires.

    To be specific, the final orichalcum wire that the ck Armor dodged was a [Half Set] that the Sahagins concealed by holding the weights directly. There was nothing between the weights, so they had to avoid getting found out.

    There may have been a sense of something being wrong like the surrounding monsters¡¯ movements being off or their speed being too slow or maybe something else, but it¡¯d be absurd to think that they¡¯d both realize and perfectly cope with it their first time seeing it. It¡¯s the so-called death by ignorance. I mean, they should¡¯ve at least dodged up or down.

    I read about this a while back in a manga. In the middle of the night, there were [two] cars with a single headlight on each rushing towards a victim. If the victim avoided it thinking that there was only [one] car, he would¡¯ve been run over by the second car. The manga¡¯s protagonist, a master sniper, realized that there were two engine sounds though.

    Well, we were able to get to the Dummy Core after destroying the ck Armor, so we didn¡¯t need to go out of the way and purposely kill Core 666. As expected, it was in the armor.

    [Looks like the game¡¯s over. Congrattions, Team Sovereign! It¡¯s your victory!]

    [Father] spoke. Looks like we really won. I was a bit doubtful about it since thest bit went so fast, but it definitely happened since the judgement call came out.

    Core 666 was wrapped in light and disappeared. [Father] probably returned her.

    ¡­ Oi, is it alright to leave the leftover bits of that armor here?

    ¡°We did it, Kehma! We won! Yaaaay!¡±

    Rokuko shouted out, cheering while bouncing up and down in delight. Are you a kid?

    ¡°I get that you¡¯re happy, so calm down a bit.¡±

    ¡°Fu fufufu fu fu fu, this is my win as well as Haku Ane-sama¡¯s! Double the happiness! There¡¯s no way I could calm down!¡±

    ¡°Then just calm down twice.¡±

    I just stopped her bouncing by holding my hand against the top of her head for now.

    I mean, I could see what was under her skirt. It was immodest. Even though I have a foot fetish, that doesn¡¯t mean I dislike other things. Thighs and butts are good too.

    ¡°Meat, Ichika, good work to you two as well.¡±

    ¡°That was tiring¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be expectin¡¯ a suitable bonus~¡±

    After operating the Golems and sending detailed instructions to the Sahagins and Gargoyles, the two girls were on the ground, exhausted.

    Once our victory was determined, Haku-san smiled.

    ¡°That went smoothly now, didn¡¯t it, Kehma-san? I thought you would give 666 the finishing blow for certain, though.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I wasn¡¯t something we needed to do to win after all.¡±

    Would I really be a Hero after destroying a Dungeon Core? I was worried about what would¡¯ve happened to me, who was also a Dungeon Master, but I mainly didn¡¯t want to increase my troubles by purposely killing a core belonging to the Demon King faction. In the first ce, it¡¯d be an indirect destruction through using a monster, so it wouldn¡¯t have done anything.

    ¡­ No, something still might happen after I go to sleep and wake up. I can¡¯t rx yet! [1]

    Amunication came from Team Demon King.

    When I approved it and connected, a monitor that looked like a full size mirror showing Core 666 appeared in the air. She¡¯s wearing that same red dress from when she disappeared from the dungeon a bit ago.

    [I lost.]

    ¡°I won. Fufu.¡±

    Rokuko threw out her chest in pride.

    Seeing that, Core 666 smiled in delight.

    [695. Let¡¯s have a one-on-one duel next time.]

    ¡°No way, I¡¯m quitting while I¡¯m ahead!¡±

    [Oh? How lonely. Even though we finally became rivals (best friends) through this Dungeon Battle¡­]

    ¡°Best friends? B-best friends?¡±

    [Yeah. Rivals (best friends). Weren¡¯t we already friends? And now we had this mock battle (yed together). How about we not hold ourselves back with each other like Jiji-sama and 89-sama?]

    ¡°U-umm, I¡¯m happy that we¡¯re friends¡­ but aren¡¯t there some strange nuances there?¡±

    Oi, Rokuko, are you sure? This friend of yours is the battle junkie-type that¡¯d cut you from behind with a smile on her face.

    My eyes met with Core 666¡¯s through the monitor¡­ at least I think she¡¯s looking at me? Well, it¡¯s probably being transmitted?

    [Are you my rival¡¯s (best friend¡¯s) master?]

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m Rokuko¡¯s master.¡±

    [Really. 695, your master calls you Rokuko¡­ Could I do the same? We are friends, after all.]

    ¡°Oh? Sure! We¡¯re friends after all!¡±

    [Fufu, thank you, Rokuko. You can call me Aidi then, it is what my master uses for me. Ah, Rokuko¡¯s Master-san, you can use that too, alright? It¡¯s easier for humans to refer to us like that.]

    As she said that, Core 666¡ªAidi, turned towards me.

    [Are that dungeon¡¯s gimmicks due to you?]

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ No, they are due to Haku-san¡­ Senior Core¡¯s training.¡±

    [Hoh, so you did make them. As expected, it seems that the cause of Rokuko¡¯s rapid growth is due to her master.]

    I tried to trick her through a bit of deception, but it looks like she caught me.

    [Let¡¯s do this again sometime.]

    ¡°Please spare me that.¡±

    [It was practically a one-on-one this time as well, but we¡¯ll not let that trash join in next time.]

    ¡°Did you not hear my refusal? Is your hearing bad¡­?¡±

    [You¡¯re looking for a weak point to attack me with next time? So you¡¯ll be attacking my ears¡­ I can¡¯t wait.]

    Uwaaah, she¡¯s not understanding me. So troublesome¡­

    [Even so, it¡¯s vexing that I was so close to the end.]

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    [The core room was just after that room filled with those monsters, right?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we would¡¯ve lost even if you made your way through that room.¡±

    [Heeh¡­ I wonder what that means? Was there still a way to go? It seemed to me that you¡¯d ced all of your forces there for a decisive battle though?]

    ¡­ She¡¯s pretty sharp. In truth, there had only been a core room passed it.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with answering that, but I¡¯d like to asked a question instead. How did that sword stop the orichalcum? Is it made of good materials?¡±

    [Hmph. Alright. Even though I¡¯m the one to say it, it¡¯s just made of ordinary magic iron. I gave the magic sword the [Indestructible] ability to deal with the orichalcum¡ªthough with you asking that, could it be that human-type cores don¡¯t have the [Enhancement] option in the menu?]

    Enhancement¡­ was there something like that? Have I not unlocked it? Or maybe it doesn¡¯t exist for us in the first ce?

    [At the least, magic sword-type cores have [Enhancement] entries that they can use to strengthen themselves by using DP. I used almost all of this Dungeon Battle¡¯s DP to purchase [Indestructible]¡ªah, that should be enough of a reward (service) to the victor? Now for you to answer my question.]

    ¡°Ah, sure¡­ I never thought that we¡¯d both have the same idea.¡±

    [Same idea?]

    ¡°Yeah, our core was also mobile. It was moving about in our dungeon though.¡±

    I attached it to the ammonite¡¯s shell and had it always dart about underwater.

    In truth, particrly when Core 666 entered the Monster House, I had it go outside of the dungeon (but still inside of the domain) through a flood room and hide near lower levels.

    [¡­ I see. So you had that sort of strategy.]

    ¡°However, even though moving your Dummy Core around is fine¡­ you¡¯re a fool.¡±

    [? I thought it was a good idea though? You seem to have been using it as well, so aren¡¯t you a fool then?]

    ¡°Wherever the Dungeon Core was, wouldn¡¯t it have been our win by defeating you? Isn¡¯t that all pointless if youe to our dungeon like that?¡±

    [¡­ Huh!?]

    [Well, you had [Indestructible]¡­ It would¡¯ve been fine enduring whatever in your magic sword form when push came to shove¡­ at worst, you would¡¯ve been restrained until the end of the Dungeon Battle¡ªI told you that before the Dungeon Battle, remember?]

    [Ah, right.]

    I saw a boy with dark red hair behind Aidi. If Aidi¡¯s were like fresh blood, his was more like blood that had darkened after sitting for a while¡­ is that her master? If he¡¯s human, he¡¯s even younger than me.

    ¡°Are you her master? ¡­ A human?¡±

    [Yeah. You too? This is my first time seeing a human master¡­ Given your appearance, you¡¯re from another world?]

    Come to think of it, I¡¯m in my jersey. Did I just give them extra intel?

    ¡°Yeah, this is my world¡¯s pajamas.¡±

    [Pajamas¡­? Wearing pajamas for a Dungeon Battle¡­ what a strange person.]

    ¡°Umu. They¡¯re easy to rx in. Isn¡¯t it important to be rxed during a challenge?¡±

    [¡­ Well, whatever. It won¡¯t matter next time¡­ I¡¯ll cut it.] [2]

    ¡°Ye¡ª¡±

    When I tried to say something like ¡®Yeah, see you next time~¡¯, their master swung the sword that was hanging at his waist. The mirror-like monitor disappeared with a shattering sound¡­ I guess that was him ¡®cutting it¡¯? [3]

    Even though I was wanting to talk a bit more with a fellow human master¡­

    Ah, but I guess I gave killing him in that Dungeon Battle a bit of thought, didn¡¯t I? I mean, killing the Dungeon Core is the same as killing the Dungeon Master.

    Well, it¡¯s all good. With this much, we¡¯re acquaintances now. In this world, that amount of blood lust is normal. Normal, I say.

    ¡°Ah, wait, Kehma. Can I talk with Team Dragon King?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You have something you want to talk with them about?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit.¡±

    ¡°Sure then, go ahead.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really have a reason to refuse her, so I gave her my permission.

    The mirror appeared once again, so it looks like they approved it. Ah, that¡¯s a huge snake. There¡¯s even a slug and a frog standing next to it.

    [What!? 695,e to gloat!?]

    ¡°Hey hey, how do you feel? Hey, how do you feel? You always, always made fun of me, but now it¡¯s all my win, ah, and it¡¯s yourplete defeat! So, how do you feel now? There are three of you, but you couldn¡¯t do anything, are you frustrated? You all going to cry? Hey, hey! Say something!¡±

    [Hey, you really came to gloat!?]

    ¡°Obviously! I, the winner, am great, and you are all stupid! Bye!¡±

    [Ah, oi, don¡¯t run awa¡ª]

    Vwoom.

    The monitor disappeared just like how an old TV would turn off.

    I guess I was wrong earlier about him saying he was going to turn it off? [4]

    ¡°¡­ Phew¡­ that was refreshing!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. Good job.¡±

    ¡°This was all thanks to Kehma! Thank you, Kehma!¡±

    Rokuko smiled in such a way that it looked like a major weight was lifted from her, a true smile.

    I couldn¡¯t say anything in response to her, so I just patted her head.

    [Well then, once again, congrattions 89, 695. Now for the reward.]

    Amunication from [Father] appeared¡­ Is it here?

    Reward time, that is.

    Footnotes:

    Golgo 13 reference. Return

    He only says ¡®cut¡¯ in the original Japanese. This is meant to be open-ended in the way that it could mean ¡®I¡¯ll kill you¡¯, or ¡®I¡¯ll cut through that rxation¡¯, as well as something that appears in¡­ two lines from this. Return

    It also means ¡®turn off¡¯ and ¡®sever connection¡¯¡­ Return

    Again, a bit awkward due to the open-ended statement losing quite a bit in trantion. My apologies.

 Chapter 191

    Rewards

    [Well then, it¡¯s reward time~]

    Yeah, I heard you a second ago.

    [First of all is the extra prize. As a reward for doing your best, this is concerning your names. Haku Raverio, Rokuko Dungeon Core. I officially recognize these names to the limits of my authority.]

    ¡°Ah! Really, Otou-sama!?¡±

    ¡°Amazing, the name I got from Kehma was officially recognized!¡±

    I don¡¯t really understand what¡¯s so good about it, but the two Dungeon Cores were overjoyed.

    Rather, Rokuko¡¯s surname is Dungeon Core¡­ ah, right,e to think of it, I called her with that name a while back huh? [1]

    ¡°Rokuko, you¡¯re Haku-san¡¯s younger sister, so wouldn¡¯t Rokuko Raverio be better?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Really?¡±

    ¡°Besides, if you said your name was Dungeon Core your identity would be exposed immediately¡­ so, would it be alright to adjust it?¡±

    [Hmm, I think using [Dungeon Core] as amon family name for my children is good though. Well¡­ un, as Kehma-kun wishes, let¡¯s adjust it. 695, would you like to receive Kehma-kun¡¯s family name and be Rokuko Masuda?]

    Why¡¯s it my family name now!?

    When I looked at Rokuko, her face was beat red. Is she feeling sick? I ced my hands to her cheeks to check.

    Why¡¯s your face loosening? Oi.

    A grin on his face, [Father] kept talking.

    [I¡¯m not good at thinking up new names. That¡¯s why numbers are an amazing invention, you only have to increase the count.]

    ¡°I think her having the same ¡®Raverio¡¯ as Haku-san would be good though¡­¡±

    [Haku has ¡®Raverio¡¯ because she married Lyon-kun though? Wouldn¡¯t it then be natural for Rokuko, who is Kehma-kun¡¯s partner, to introduce herself with the same family name as you?]

    ¡°Tou-sama, i-in other words, y-you mean¡­ K-Kehma and I¡­ married!?¡±

    I nced toward Haku-san¡­ Hmm? What¡¯s that gesture¡­? Her thumb moved along her neck, stabbing downward at the end¡­ ah, right. [Die].

    ¡°Wait, Rokuko. I¡¯d like to keep our rtionship pure for now.¡±

    ¡°? A pure rtionship? Are there impure rtionships? Kehma¡¯s here so it being a bit dirty¡¯s alright!¡±

    Rokuko smiled tenderly.

    The sudden turn made my chest throb.

    ¡°Right, Goshujin-sama¡¯s [Cleanup] is special.¡±

    ¡°See! Meat gets it! Kehma can shoo away any filth in one shot!¡±

    Rokukopletely affirmed Meat¡¯s statement.

    Ah, so that¡¯s what she meant. I¡¯m a bit relieved.

    Aah, I must have arrhythmia. Super arrhythmia~, I should lie down~. I must be worn out from being so busy with stuff for the Dungeon Battle~.

    ¡°Umm, rather then suddenly getting married, how about making a pun off of dungeons¡­ byrinth¡¯¡ªa word that meansbyrinth in my world¡¯snguage. How about we twist that further into a family name of ¡®Labriheart¡¯? Ah, ¡®heart¡¯ means heart.¡± [2]

    [Abyrinth¡¯s heart huh? Sounds good. Would you mind allowing me to use that for my children¡¯smon family name?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    [Alright, then it¡¯ll be Haku Raverio and Rokuko Labriheart. Under my authority, I again officially recognize these two names. Also, I allow my children to freely use Labriheart for their family name.]

    Somehow, this [Father] really did find thinking up [New Names] to be troublesome. He adopted it at the drop of a hat.

    [¡­ However, Kehma-kun. I heard that presenting a ring to someone is meaningful where youe from? Why would it be [Suddenly] after so long since that?]

    ¡°Mmm, that was just the extra prize, don¡¯t you still have prizes to give?¡±

    [Oh, right. Well then, two for both Haku and Rokuko.]

    Good. I dodged the bullet.

    [For Haku, a magic sword I made. As well as¡­ ah, I guess it¡¯d be better to keep it a secret from Kehma-kun and them? I¡¯ll send you the other er.]

    ¡°Thank you for your consideration, Otou-sama. I ept your gift gratefully.¡±

    ¡­ A magic sword made by [Father] huh. Wouldn¡¯t that be a magic sword strong enough to wreck the? Also, what¡¯s with that secret prize? I want to know what it is¡­

    [For Rokuko¡­ Yep. I¡¯ll give you one of the godly beddings, a godlyforter. Ah, Kehma-kun, remember that this is for Rokuko.]

    Seriously? Godly beddings. Moreover, that ¡®one of¡¯¡­ So that means there are other kinds?

    ¡­ Now I have to collect them all.

    [Make sure to read the instructions before using it, there are various things you¡¯ll need to know. The next prize is for Kehma-kun. I give you this.]

    Bang.

    A white gem about as big as a basketball fell down in front of me.

    ¡°A Dummy Core?¡±

    [No. Although it isn¡¯t numbered and has nothing inside it, it is a genuine core. Go ahead and break it.]

    ¡­ Huh?

    [You¡¯re a Hero while also being a Dungeon Master, didn¡¯t you want to see what¡¯d happen if you destroyed a core? Ah, do you need a weapon?]

    ¡­ Ah, of course I¡¯d be found out. Of cooourse~

    With another bang, a sword fell down in front of me while I was thinking.

    It was a in sword thatcked any decoration, a sword made entirely of metal, even its hilt.

    Yeah. It¡¯s just a simple sword made fully out of metal. It¡¯s just that that ¡®metal¡¯ was orichalcum.

    Bargain bin orichalcum! How many ingots did it take to make this thing?

    [That¡¯s a freebie. I¡¯m feeling pretty good today, so have fun with that. It¡¯s not a magic sword or anything so don¡¯t worry yeah? It¡¯s just normal orichalcum shaped into a sword. Use it however you want.]

    ¡°Could I melt it down into wires?¡±

    [Sure. Do whatever with it.]

    Looks like me being able to process it however I want with [Create Golem] was exposed too.

    I held the orichalcum sword¡­ yep, it¡¯s lighter than it looks. It¡¯s one of orichalcum¡¯s characteristics. After going this far, there¡¯s no way I couldn¡¯t destroy the Dungeon Core that was shining white just in front of me.

    I swung at the mysterious Dungeon Core with the orichalcum sword.

    The response was lighter than I¡¯d expected. So sharp!

    The Dungeon Core was sliced in half from my simple sh. I felt a warm wind break out from the cracked core.

    [So, feel anything? You get a skill?]

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t really feel any¡ªah.¡±

    I felt something like electricity run down my spine. This is it. It¡¯s simr to the sensation from when you use a skill scroll. Information nted itself directly in my brain.

    Aah, yep, there it is. I¡¯m learning something. It¡¯s like it¡¯s telling me to not open another application during the instation¡ªthat sort of feeling.

    I stopped moving for a while and waited for it to finish.

    Once the instation finished, I heard a mechanical voice that felt like I¡¯d heard it somewhere before echo in my head.

    [[Super Transformation Lv 3] has been acquired.] [3]

    ¡­ And it suddenly went to Lv 3 for some reason, the heck?

    Footnotes:

    Chapter 1! Return

    Things in ¡®single quotes¡¯ are written in katakana and aren¡¯t being tranted by Trantion Function-san. Also note that ¡®Labriheart¡¯ is stated phically as ¡®Labyrisuheart¡¯. Assuming the author¡¯s intention was to make a single, shorter word than the mouth-filling ¡®Labyrinth Heart¡¯, I chose to further shorten it into something that sounds less awkward in English. Return

    Author-sama mentions that Super Transformation is very Kamen Rider-ish at the end of the chapter. As a result, I went with the popr way of tranting the ability for Kamen Rider.

 Chapter 192

    Super Transformation

    I wanted an exnation for why it suddenly went to Lv 3, but the only thing I knew was how to use the [Super Transformation Lv 3] that had been nted into my brain.

    Its effects are as follows:

    ¨C Can transform into what is imagined Lv X times per day (3 times for Lv 3)

    ¨C Lv 1 Effect: Can transform into something that exists

    ¨C Lv 2 Effect: Can partially mimic the abilities of what has been transformed into

    ¨C Lv 3 Effect: Once every 72 hours, even if you die, the transformation will cancel and you will revive

    Magical power is consumed during the transformation. I can either turn it off when I want, or when my magical power depletes.

    The amount of magical power consumed seems to be quite huge if I turn into something that¡¯s really different in appearance. And my abilities would be limited in the transformation.

    I don¡¯t know what the Lv 4 effect would be, but the ones I already have are crazy. I can transform into something so long as it exists huh? As expected of a Cheat Skill. And I can revive once every three days too¡­ Well, depending on the situation, it could just be an instant death after reviving.

    Like if I was inva or something.

    [Was that the [Announcement] just now? It gave the same feeling as our [Menu].]

    ¡°Eh, could everyone hear that just now?¡±

    [No, I was just able to observe it a little there. So, what kind of skill did you get?]

    I was troubled over whether or not I should tell him or if I should keep it as a trump card. At any rate, I guess it¡¯s fine to tell him its name?

    I think it¡¯d be better if I didn¡¯t say it since Haku-san¡¯s here as well, but it¡¯s [Father]¡¯s request. It feels like it¡¯d turn into a problem if I didn¡¯t answer him. He said that I was a Hero right in front of Haku-san, so that was exposed already. It might make it seem like I¡¯m nning on rebelling or something if I don¡¯t answer¡­

    Alright, let¡¯s answer.

    ¡°I got that freebie from you, so I¡¯ll tell you the skill¡¯s name. It¡¯s [Super Transformation].¡±

    [[Super Transformation] huh? You got a pretty interesting skill.]

    Hmm? Doesn¡¯t it feel like he knows what it does?

    [In the past, someone even got up to [Super Transformation Lv 7] if I recall? Perfectly copying the enemy¡¯s shape and abilities, they were able to use their opponent¡¯s abilities along with their own. It got pretty amazing.]

    The heck? Wouldn¡¯t that be invincible?

    ¡°Oh? I think I dealt with that person by sending five hundred against them?¡±

    [Yeah, Haku yed a big role in it back then.]

    Ah, so they were defeated by numbers huh. Right, it¡¯s not like I could give it out to others or anything.

    ¡­ Ah, there does appear to be skills that can be shared with others though.

    ¡°So Kehma-san was a God¡¯s Vanguard¡­? I knew that he was a person from another world, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just an everyday Hero that doesn¡¯t intend to destroy dungeons or anything like that. I haven¡¯t even had a Cheat Skill until now. I don¡¯t even think of myself as a God¡¯s Vanguard.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. In that case, it¡¯s alright¡ªso, that skill, would you please tell me more about it in detail? You will, won¡¯t you? To be exact, show be an example of you transforming.¡±

    Okay~, order¡¯s ready~.

    ¡°The number of times that I can transform, so I can¡¯t keep doing it forever¡­ What do you want me to transform to?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ can you transform into Rokuko-can?¡±

    ¡­ Can I? Let¡¯s give it a shot.

    I pictured Rokuko in my mind and said [Super Transformation]. I can activate the skill without saying it, but it¡¯s probably better for me to say something given where I am.

    Uoh, my field of view dropped¡­ Oh, so this is Rokuko¡¯s eye level.

    ¡°Ooh, he really looks the same as me!¡±

    ¡°So I look like Rokuko now? I¡¯m still wearing my jersey, so it looks like it doesn¡¯t affect clothing¡­ Ah, my voice changed too.¡±

    The clothes I¡¯ve been wearing are too big for me now. Oi.

    ¡°You know that you shouldn¡¯t look under those clothes, right? Right!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I wasn¡¯t thinking about it at all.¡±

    ¡°You know that I¡¯ll hit you if you touch your body, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m just curious about whether or not it can reproduce ces I¡¯ve never seen before. Rokuko, do you have any scratches or something that I don¡¯t know about?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I don¡¯t have any scratches or stuff like that that Kehma doesn¡¯t know about.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªI was surprised since there¡¯s another Rokuko-chan, but wait! I can¡¯t ignore that statement!¡±

    That¡¯s a false usation though.

    I undid the transformation.

    ¡°¡­ I make sure to take care of Rokuko so that she doesn¡¯t get even a single scratch. You could even use lie detection magic or magic tool if you like.¡±

    ¡°Are you telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°¡­ It appears that you really are telling the truth.¡±

    Oh. It looks like she really did invoke some lie detecting magic. But it¡¯s a good thing that people can prove their innocence so quickly with stuff like that. They just have to actually be innocent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this chance ask you. You have no intention of bringing harm to Rokuko-chan, correct?¡±

    ¡°Correct! I swear to god.¡±

    [Ahahaha! Swearing to god right in front of me! Good, good!]

    [Father] suddenly broke intoughter.

    Ah, right. God is the one that sends the Heroes. He¡¯s the enemy. Rather, wasn¡¯t there also the theory that [Father] is also a god? At any rate, [Father] isughing pretty hard.

    ¡°Understood¡­ By the way, could you transform into Rokuko-chan one more time? I¡¯d like to hear two Rokuko-chans say, ¡®I love Onee-sama¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry, but I have a limited number of transformations, so maybe next time.¡±

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s unfortunate¡­ Then, could you turn into this envelope? If you can, what¡¯s inside of it.¡±

    Haku-san showed me an envelope¡­ Hohoh, this is definitely to verify something.

    First, can I transform into inanimate objects?

    Second, can I transform into something that I haven¡¯t seen directly and don¡¯t already know?

    Third, can I reproduce the contents of the letter?

    ¡­ As expected of Haku-san. Being able to get all of that from a single transformation.

    Well, alright. Thinking about the insides of the envelope, I used [Super Transformation].

    ¡°¡­ [Super Transformation].¡±

    My body transformed easily¡­ Hmm, somehow, it looks like I just turned into the envelope. As expected, picturing something that I don¡¯t know about in my head isn¡¯t enough to use to transform.

    I fell to the floor. Seeing the Master Room like this is kind of new¡­ Ah, Haku-san walked closer. I saw white under her skirt. Even the knee socks in her long skirt is nice¡­ ah. She picked me up. Maybe she¡¯s trying to take a closer look?

    ¡°Hoh. It even reproduced the destination address that I didn¡¯t show you. However, it looks like the contents of the envelope weren¡¯t reproduced? Maybe what¡¯s necessary is seeing it directly¡­ Maybe I should try tearing it a little? I¡¯m curious about how much damage there will be when he switched back.¡±

    Higii!? Stop!? Ah, I can¡¯t talk. Hey, don¡¯t rip me! Seriously, doooon¡¯t! I¡¯d revive even if I die with the Lv 3 effect but really, stooop!

    With a pop, I released the transformation and turned back into a human. In Haku-san¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Kyah! Please don¡¯t turn back so suddenly, Kehma-san¡ªoh?¡±

    ¡°Uoooh! ¡­ Phew, I¡¯m back. Man, that was close. Thought I was going to die¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehma!? C-clothes, put on clothes¡ª!¡±

    Eh?

    I saw my clothes.

    They were on the floor.

    ¡­ Aah, so that¡¯s it. When I turned into an envelope, my clothes simple fell to the ground.

    In other words, I¡¯m being held princess-style by Haku-san¡­ in the nude.

    ¡°Kyaaaa¡ª!? Haku-san¡¯s a pervert¡ª!!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rude. Calling someone a pervert¡­ If anything, Kehma-san is the pervert. You¡¯re naked, after all.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too calm! Scary!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m used to seeing adventurer corpses in the nude. It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s cute.¡±

    Stop it! That manner of talking is wounding me!

    ¡°Ah, but Rokuko-chan shouldn¡¯t look at something so foul, alright?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Y-yesh! Sorry, Haku Ane-sama! I-I didn¡¯t see anything, Kehma! Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    ¡­ With that, I put my clothes back on with slightly teary eyes.

    Furthermore, [Father]ughed so hard he had to hold his sides.

    *Sniff*

    I can¡¯t take anymore¡­

 Chapter 193

    Third Dungeon Battle: End

    [That might¡¯ve been the first time I¡¯veughed so hard. As I thought, Kehma-kun is the best when ites to being amusing. Ah, don¡¯t worry, you haven¡¯t been connected with the other teams since I started giving out your rewards.]

    ¡°Hahaha, at least there¡¯s that. My dignity as a man¡­ seriously¡­¡±

    I was able to take advantage of the situation to turn the topic away from skills. The result should¡¯ve made it OK¡­ but just remembering it makes me want to cry.

    A lot of stuff was exposed, but I was able to confirm some worthwhile things through Haku-san¡¯s investigation. I¡¯ll verify it again myself when I return.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Kehma-san. Do you want the S-Rank adventurer title as a Hero?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No.¡±

    ¡°Heroes are normally forced into being S-Rank though?¡±

    ¡°Haku-san, wouldn¡¯t a Hero always staying at [Cave of Desires] bring too much attention?¡±

    ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t mind much either way. It wouldn¡¯t change much at this point. Rather, couldn¡¯t you use it as a deterrent against unnecessary problems?¡±

    ¡­ That really does sound like an attractive proposal. However, it would alsoe with the responsibilities of being a Hero.

    ¡°Don¡¯t Heroes have to work for the country in the event of an emergency?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That is why they are given preferential treatment.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll refuse. I¡¯m not a Hero, I am a Dungeon Master.¡±

    ¡ªThat absolutely doesn¡¯t want to work.

    Ah, right. Maybe she¡¯ll pardon me if I turn into Rokuko and ask nicely?

    ¡­ I should stop. That might just make her mad.

    ¡°¡­ Well, it¡¯s alright. You are a Dungeon Master after all.¡±

    Saying that, Haku-san returned to her chair.

    [Father] gathered attention by pping his hands. Monitors for Team Demon King and Team Dragon King appeared alongside the monitor showing [Father], so it looks like hemunication to everyone this time.

    [Now then, Haku, 5, 6. I¡¯d like you each to say something.]

    ¡°From me as the winner of thispetition¡­ 5, have you realized that you are just an ordinary lizard after all? From here on, please make sure keep that in mind and pay me tribute. You don¡¯t have to, of course. That is, if you don¡¯t think you can stomach the results of thispetition that Otou-sama oversaw.¡±

    [Ugu! ¡­ Gunuuun¡­]

    ¡°¡­ 6. Please, show more discipline. To have someone refer to you as Jiji-sama, are you intending to disrespect Otou-sama? Ah, perhaps it has the meaning where you are an old fool? In that case, I have no qualms with it. Fufufu.¡±

    [Hmph. I¡¯ll overlook that.]

    Haku-san, aren¡¯t you just gloating!? I¡¯d be troubled if you caused a war to break out over this. Ah, was this actually not a Dungeon Battle but a serious war between nations? That¡¯s super troublesome. [1]

    [I¡¯m next then, I got second ce¡­ 89, no, Haku. We¡¯re from the same series. Since I¡¯m an old man, aren¡¯t you an old hag? There¡¯s no point making yourself appear young. No, maybe it¡¯s due to your inability to grow up mentally that you¡¯re still such ass. Ha ha ha. I¡¯m so envious of your youth! Not having to face the truths of life must be nice.]

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s thising from the loser?¡±

    [Hmph. 666 may have lost, but she invested in an enhancement for herself. In the long run, the true winner will be 666.]

    ¡°Fufu, so what are you saying? My Rokuko-chan preserved a considerable amount of the DP from this time. Enough to even do this another time.¡±

    She¡¯s adding fuel to the fire. We just settled down and now she¡¯s trying to start it up again!

    It¡¯d be troublesome having to do this another time, so please spare me.

    [Oi, it¡¯s my turn next. Yeah? Good. This isn¡¯t my loss. This happened because of these three handicaps I had to deal with, next time¡ª]

    ¡°Excuses are so uncouth.¡±

    [The losing lizard that only knows how to beat things with force should just keep silent. It¡¯s unsightly.]

    ¡°Speaking of unsightly, 6¡ª¡±

    [Kakaka, that¡¯s it, Haku, you¡ª]

    Ah, he went quiet. And then Haku-san and Core 6 started verbally attacking each other.

    ¡­ Aidi is looking at it happen from behind Core 6 like she¡¯s envious. Huh? Is she seeing this as a caring chat or something? No way, even if you look over here with that slightly excited look and rough breathing, I¡¯ll absolutely never have an argument with you like this one that could bring about a war!

    Don¡¯t even look at Rokuko either! But you¡¯re friends, you say? No means no!

    [Father] pped his hands. With that, Haku-san and Core 6 immediately stopped their quarreling and looked at him.

    [Otou-san is d that everyone gets along so well. It¡¯s regrettable, but it¡¯s about time. Would you care to say your goodbyes?]

    [Hey 695¡­ Rokuko! It may be true that your name was recognized by Tou-sama, but don¡¯t get so cocky! I won¡¯t lose again!]

    [Oooi, 650! What are you doing, interrupting father while he¡¯s talking!? Looks like I¡¯ll have to educate you even more severely¡­ prepare yourself! 651, 652, you guys will take responsibility for this too!]

    [Gekokooo!?]

    [P-please forgive me, 5-samaaa!]

    [Ha ha ha, I don¡¯t mind. I did ask for their goodbyes after all. Please go easy on them for their education, 5.]

    When [Father] said that with a smile, 5 didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Core 650¡¯s face was pale even though he¡¯s a snake though.

    By the way, Aidi appeared to be staring at Rokuko¡¯s face with a smile. As for Rokuko, well, she just smiled back with the feeling that she was smiling at a friend, but¡ªfor some reason, it feels like Aidi has the same aura as Haku-san.

    Right, let¡¯s pretend I saw nothing.

    [Well then, everyone, let¡¯s see each other again at the next assembly!]

    Themunication ended along with [Father]¡¯s final words.

    With this, our third Dungeon Battle hase to an end.

    ¡­ It feels like it took a rather long time.

    Footnotes:

    I don¡¯t quite understand the third sentence from this line. It¡¯s a rhetorical self-question, where Kehma is asking himself ¡°Was it really a serious war between nations rather than several Dungeon Battles?¡± However, I can¡¯t seem to figure out how that makes sense in context and how exactly to structure the sentence. Thus this footnote.

 Chapter 194

    Godly Comforter 1

    Godly beddings.

    Right, godly beddings. As one of the rewards from this, in my opinion, it could be called the main reward.

    The night that the Dungeon Battle finished, I hurried¡ªdashed, even¡ªto Rokuko¡¯s bedroom.

    Even though I say it like that, we went with the pattern of slipping away from the closing party separately and at different times. It was a two-day long party to both celebrate the Dungeon Battle¡¯s end as well as a farewell party. Haku-san didn¡¯t say anything in particr when Rokuko left.

    When Rokuko left, she first made eye contact with me for an instant. A while after that, I slipped out of the room knowing full well what the meaning behind that look was and headed to the bedroom that Rokuko was using.

    As a result, that¡¯s why the two of us met up at her bedroom. Ku ku ku, this is something that a thickheaded protagonist would never be able to imitate. This task was aplished due to the telepathy that exists between partners!

    Naturally, I have no obscene intentions. None at all.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re here, Kehma! I was waiting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Rokuko had already changed into her pajamas. I knelt before her.

    And then¡ª

    ¡°So, please, please show me the godly beddings!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with that no-hesitation dogeza!? You don¡¯t need to do that, Kehma. Hey, look up. Let¡¯s look at the godly beddings together.¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ are you an angel?¡±

    ¡°W-why are youparing me to those dangerous things that stand alongside God¡¯s Vanguards?¡±

    Ah, so angels are like that from the point of view on the dungeons¡¯ side huh. Angels are god¡¯s subordinates after all¡­ So what should Ipare her to?

    ¡°A demon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit off?¡±

    ¡°A¡­ goddess?¡±

    ¡°W-what¡¯re you talking about, Kehma! I¡¯m not some existence that should be worshiped!¡±

    Rokuko said that, but her face was red and she was waving her hands in the air. Looks like she didn¡¯t dislike it.

    Looks like goddess is good. I¡¯ll remember that. Come to think of it, Haku-san is said to be a white goddess or something huh.

    ¡°Now then, please¡­ show me the godly beddings¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Un.¡±

    I¡¯m finally going to see one of the godly beddings, the [Godly Comforter]. I¡¯m so nervous, my heart¡¯s pounding like it wants to pop out of my chest. Rokuko¡¯s just like me, she¡¯s probably excited like how a child is when they open a present from their dad.

    Rokuko took out a box wrapped with a ribbon¡ªit looks just like a present box. It doesn¡¯t lookrge enough to have aforter in it, but it¡¯s probably using a magic like [Storage]. Slowly, Rokuko untied the ribbon with her hands.

    Continuing, she took off the lid¡­ I gulped back saliva.

    ¡°¡­ Eeei!¡±

    Resolving herself, she took it off in one go. It shined for an instant, revealing a divine whiteforter. Rokuko picked it up.

    ¡°¡­ So beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Yyeah¡­ I think so too¡­¡±

    I wound up praising it involuntarily.

    ¡­ This is a godly bedding. This is the godlyforter.

    ¡°To be honest, I underestimated it¡­ No, really¡­ for it to be this¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ It feels amazing. Kehma, try touching it too.¡±

    ¡°No, wait. First is the manual. There¡¯s even the possibility that I won¡¯t be able to return to this world just by a thoughtless touch. It¡¯s probably better if I don¡¯t even touch the box.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. It¡¯s as Kehma says. Let¡¯s be careful. Umm, where is it~?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s under the lid? Try turning it over.¡±

    ¡°Un. Like this? Theforter¡¯s in the way, I can¡¯t see anything. Kehma, do you see it?¡±

    Still holding the godlyforter in one of her hand, Rokuko turned over the present box¡¯s lid.

    ¡­ There it is. It¡¯s a letter.

    ¡°Yeah. I see it. It¡¯s where I thought it¡¯d be.¡±

    ¡°Nn¡­ this? ¡­ Opening it¡¯s a bit scary, huh?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t open it, I won¡¯t be able to see.¡±

    ¡°I-I know¡­ Hey, can you see it now?¡±

    Rokuko opened up the instructions. Inside it were notes on how to use the godlyforter.

    What?

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko, this¡­¡±

    ¡°W-what? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Inside it, there was the following in handwritten letters:

    Name: Godly Comforter (Rokuko¡¯s Use Only)

    Effects:

    Will sleep incrediblyfortably. Will have a good dream.

    No matter how tired, both physical strength and magical power will fully recover by sleeping with this.

    Even if you do intense exercise before going to bed, it won¡¯t hinder your work the next day.

    One thousand year warranty!

    (However, as this is a special item, anyone else using it will receive divine retribution.)

    *Otou-san¡¯s Supplement*

    This is a Rokuko-only item. No one but her can use it, so be careful. If anyone other than the owner tries using it, they will receive divine retribution that would even cause God to pale, so Kehma-kun can¡¯t use it alright?

    ¡­ However, this function is to prevent theft and cheating, so this won¡¯t happen if a couple that has full trust in each other uses it. Well then, have fun.

    Wow, that supplement¡­ is super suspicious.

    What¡¯s with that ¡®have fun¡¯, oi.

    Aah, but there were quite a few stories about cheating in Earth¡¯s legends huh~. So there¡¯s a cheat prevention system attached to thisforter. So then, no cheating~.

    ¡­ But it¡¯s okay if we fully trust each other, huh. Hmmm.

    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s not a problem for you and me right? Or do you not trust me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the thing I¡¯m troubled about. It¡¯s the ¡®couple¡¯ part. If it were simply cheating, you don¡¯t have to be a couple for that¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯m still Rokuko Labriheart. Should I be Rokuko Masuda from now on then?¡±

    ¡°Nope. No can do.¡±

    Hold up, I¡¯ve beenpletely locked on. It¡¯s not like I dislike Rokuko, but it¡¯s still only been a year since we met. I don¡¯t want to speed things up so fast.

    ¡°¡­ Y-yeah. It¡¯s said that you aren¡¯t recognized as a couple until you have a proper ceremony and report it to amunity leader¡ªah, Kehma is a Vige Chief though?¡±

    ¡°Eh? I think that in this case, we¡¯d need Haku-san¡¯s approval¡­¡±

    ¡°Mmm, but you know, Haku Ane-sama doesn¡¯t look like she hates Kehma, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯d be any problems?¡±

    No waaay! Haku-san would immediately remove me if I gave her the chance.

    Just then, Rokuko pped her hands.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be alright if Kehma turned into me?¡±

    ¡°Turn into¡­ Rokuko? ¡­ Ah, [Super Transformation] huh?¡±

    I still have one more transformation left for today. If I use it to transform into Rokuko, wouldn¡¯t I be able to use the godlyforter?

    ¡­ But really, can the godlyforter be tricked? There might be a chance, but considering that the skill came from God, it¡¯s a 50% at best.

    However, I trust Rokuko, and Rokuko trusts me as well. Although we¡¯re not a couple, that adds another 50% to it.

    Booyah! That makes it a 100% sess rate! Hyahoooh!¡±

    ¡°[Super Transformation]¡­ Alright!¡±

    I, who had transformed into Rokuko, touched the godlyforter. It¡¯s a 100% sess rate, so I don¡¯t have to worry about anything!

    ¡­ Ahuhuuun. Just touching it makes my legs want to copse¡­!

    ¡°Kehma, having a look like that on my own face is embarrassing!¡±

    ¡°¡ªSorry, was I making a strange expression?¡±

    I might have drooled, so let¡¯s wipe my mouth too.

    ¡°Does the transformation not break when you go to sleep?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like it. It should be okay so long as my magical power doesn¡¯t run out and I don¡¯t turn it off.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s sleep together then, Kehma. Just in case, alright?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, paying attention to the details. As expected of my partner.¡±

    If I¡¯m sleeping together with Rokuko, that should halve the divine retribution even in the tiny chance it happens. In other words, my 100% sess rate just doubled! That¡¯s 200% sess rate! 200! It¡¯s definitely my win.

    Rokuko got into bed and held up the godlyforter, inviting me in.

    ¡­ I got in next to Rokuko.

    The sensation that the godlyforter isn¡¯t something that I could put into words.

    If I were forced to describe it, it¡¯s like that happy feeling you get just after you wake up, but having itst constantly.

    I had a good dream too, but I don¡¯t really remember it.

    It feels like it was a pleasant dream where I was flying in the sky.

 Chapter 195

    Godly Comforter 2

    The next morning, I woke up staring Rokuko in the face.

    ¡­ My head gradually cleared.

    Holy craaaaaap! That was dangerous!

    Alive, I¡¯m alive! There¡¯s no divine retribution? I¡¯m alright? Aah, it might have a time dy¡­

    The heck was I on about? 50% and 50% make 100%? My math was wrong there, thinking about it normally that makes 75% MAX. Moreover, the divine retribution has absolutely nothing to do with the sess rate, was I so blinded by the godlyforter¡¯s allure!?

    That wasn¡¯t the only dangerous part. There¡¯s also Haku-san¡¯s presence. This was supposed to be Rokuko and Haku-san¡¯s bedroom to begin with. In other words, it wouldn¡¯t be off for Haku-san to walk in and see us like this right now.

    For now, let¡¯s get out of the bed. Phew, night sweat¡­ there¡¯s none. There¡¯s just the cold sweat from just now.

    There were no problems with [Super Transformation]. I¡¯m still looking like Rokuko, a loli. Rather, I¡¯m packed with magical power, there¡¯s no signs of it switching back on its own. I guess I¡¯m full of magical power due to the godlyforter¡¯s effect?

    ¡°First off, my life is safe. For now, at least.¡±

    But still, it feels like there¡¯s a good smelling from my body. Sniff, sniff. The heck¡­ ah, this is Rokuko¡¯s scent? We did sleep together, but I¡¯m transformed into her after all.

    Oh crap, I was just sniffing her armpits. I feel a bit guilty.

    ¡°Nnn.. huh? Why is there another me¡­ oh, Kehma. Morning, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you woke up? Morning, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are we a couple now?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying so suddenly?¡±

    ¡°I mean, hey, Kehma is me, so doesn¡¯t that make us one body and mind? I became physically one with Kehma overnight¡­ so isn¡¯t it basically an established fact? It¡¯s all thanks to the godlyforter!¡±

    ¡°Wrong! Absolutely wrong!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hey, how about it, Kehma? Want to go back to sleep? Thisforter feels great, right?¡±

    Her cheeks red with a smile on her face, Rokuko opened up the godlyforter to lure me back in.

    Kuh¡­! What a tempting offer! The way she¡¯s opening theforter, I can see her legs¡­ what¡¯s with this boom boom feeling deep inside my chest!? My head¡¯s fogging up!

    I-I get the feeling it¡¯ll be no good if I stay like this.

    ¡­ But if I undo my transformation, won¡¯t I lose my countermeasure to deal with Haku-san? Even if I¡¯m found by Haku-san, there¡¯s a good chance I¡¯ll be able to escape if I look like Rokuko. Thinking about that, I can¡¯t switch back. At the very least, [Kehma] leaving this room would be very bad.

    In other words, it¡¯ll be fine so long as I don¡¯t undo the transformation inside this room. There¡¯ll be no problem if I return to my room first and do it there.

    ¡°Kehma, you¡¯re noting?¡±

    ¡°S-sorry, but I¡¯ll continue after we return to our dungeon. This is Haku-san¡¯s territory, so it¡¯d be bad if I¡¯m in this room. I¡¯m going to head back to my room.¡±

    ¡°Aaw¡­ alright. You¡¯ll go back to sleep with me next time then, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Shaking off my reluctance to leave the bedding, I left Rokuko and the room behind.

    *

    I exited into the corridor outside of the bedroom. I have to return to my room as fast as possible to undo the transformation.

    It happened as soon as I took the first step.

    ¡°Oh? Rokuko-chan.¡±

    Eek!

    My body bounced in surprise.

    When I turned around, there stood Haku-san, herplexion bad and with her hand ced against her temple as though she had a headache.

    No way, this is the divine retribution?

    ¡°Ah, umm, H-Haku, Ane-sama!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but please don¡¯t talk so loudly¡­ it¡¯s echoing in my head.¡±

    Ah, whoops. I wound up inadvertently calling her Haku Ane-sama. Now there¡¯s no choice but to deceive her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that we couldn¡¯t sleep togetherst night, I somehow continued drinking. By the time I noticed, it was already morning¡­ O-ow, ow.¡±

    ¡°Umm, do you have a hangover?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it got a little better after I used recovery magic on it though¡ªoh? That appearance.¡±

    When she said ¡®that appearance¡¯, I looked down¡­ I was wearing my jersey.

    Crap, was I exposed already?

    ¡°You already went to bed and got back up, didn¡¯t you, Rokuko-chan? ¡­ Mou. I¡¯d love if you wore those cute pajamas I prepared for you.¡±

    ¡°¡ªNn? Umm, it sounds like you¡¯re saying that I always sleep in jerseys?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, you always wear¡ªow¡­¡±

    Always wear them? They should be bought through DP then.

    I haven¡¯t seen Rokuko sleep much, but I guess she sleeps in jerseys when I¡¯m not around? I don¡¯t really get it, but that¡¯s a convenient coincidence.

    ¡°Well then, would you like to take a bath with me?¡±

    What do I do!?

    Wait, there¡¯s no way I could go! Let¡¯s run away.

    ¡°S-sorry, Haku Ane-sama. I need to go to the restroom first, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, no¡­ shall I go with you then?¡±

    I can¡¯t even escape with the [I need to use the restroom] trick!?

    Kuh, there¡¯s no helping it. I¡¯ll have to use my secret skill.

    ¡°Ah, I-I¡¯m fine. Kehma called for me, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯ll have to change first, then. You don¡¯t want to meet him in that jersey.¡±

    ¡°No, umm, I have to go right now¡ª¡±

    ¡°Dressing up before they meet a man is ady¡¯s enjoyment, you know? It¡¯s not as though this is a dungeon crisis, if he¡¯s in a hurry, he could tell you the matter throughmunication. Preparing yourself has the priority over rushing. Kehma will probably simply go back to sleep waiting, there¡¯s no need for you to worry.¡±

    Even my [I¡¯m being called by my partner] secret skill didn¡¯t work!?

    W-what should I do¡­

    ¡°So, why don¡¯t we go enjoy a bath first? You should change clothes after cleaning your body. I¡¯ll even choose some cute clothes for you and do up your hair.¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah, I don¡¯t want to take a bath right now.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma-san will dislike you if you¡¯re sweaty, you know?¡±

    ¡°I-I wonder if Kehma doesn¡¯t actually like the smell? And I¡¯m in a rush, so I think I could just use [Cleanup].¡±

    ¡°Oh my, how wasteful. I have some new bath additive from Hero Studio. It¡¯ll make your skin smooth and has a light lily scent.¡±

    ¡°Next time! Next time, we¡¯ll take a long bath together!¡±

    ¡°O-ow¡­ that echoed in my head. I couldn¡¯t hear you that well, but you said we¡¯ll bathe together?¡±

    The heck? Haku-san just wants to take a morning bath with Rokuko!

    While I was thinking that, Haku-san grabbed my arm.

    As expected of an A-Rank adventurer, I couldn¡¯t escape¡­ I can¡¯t run away!? What should I do, what should I do!?

    3 Choices ¡ª Choose Only One:

    Choice #1: The handsome me is suddenly hit by an idea on how to escape.

    Choice #2: Be saved byrades.

    Choice #3: Escape is impossible, reality is merciless. Give up.

    Me, a Dungeon Master specializing in ideas, would obviously pick number one!

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯m going to quickly go and change, so please go and wait outside of the room.¡±

    ¡°? Why would you change right before getting into a bath?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same sort of thing as how eating a mouthful of something before a meal improves your digestion.¡±

    ¡°Is there something like that? But why wouldn¡¯t we change together like usual?¡±

    ¡°For me, preparing my body before meeting Haku Ane-sama is just as important as doing it before meeting a man¡­ That¡¯s why, umm, I¡¯ll be happy if you wait. I¡¯ll be fast, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait.¡±

    Yeeees!

    ¡°Well, please wait outside of the room, alright?¡±

    I headed back into the bedroom.

    Then, I¡ªvery, very regrettably¡ªwoke Rokuko up from her amazing sleep. It¡¯s an emergency, please forgive me. Aah, everything considered, just being near thisforter is making me tired again.

    ¡°Munyaah, Kehma, eating socks raw will mess with your stomach¡­ you have to cook them in the onsen first¡­¡±

    ¡°I beg you, wake up, please.¡±

    ¡°Fuah¡­ what¡­? Were the socks tasty?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t eat them. I didn¡¯t eat them then, and I won¡¯t next time. Please, wake up.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nn, Kehma¡­? So you want to go back to sleep after all?¡±

    Unfortunately, no.

    I exined the situation to Rokuko.

    ¡°Haaafuu, I got it. It¡¯s fine if I just go and take a bath with Haku Ane-sama who¡¯s standing outside the room?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah¡ªI had to wake you up, so I¡¯ll absolutely make up for it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll do anything?¡±

    ¡°As long as it won¡¯t cause a major problem.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh well then, you owe me one okay?¡±

    Rokuko said that in delight as she put the godlyforter into her [Storage].

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama, sorry to keep you waiting.¡±

    ¡°Aaw! Rokuko-chan wore it!¡ªOooow, my head¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you alright, Haku Ane-sama? Let¡¯s go take our bath.¡±

    ¡ªThe two¡¯s footsteps faded as they left.

    Did I somehow manage to avoid a crisis?

    Once again, I returned to the room that was given to me.

 Chapter 196

    Godly Comforter 3

    Making it past Haku-san, I headed to the room.

    Ichika was walking towards me, yawning.

    ¡°Ah, Rokuko-sama? Mornin~¡±

    ¡°Morning. Well¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait wait.¡±

    I thought that I¡¯d be able to end it with a simple greeting, but she caught me by the shoulder.

    The heck. You called the name out loud, now I how to pretend to be Rokuko again¡­

    ¡°Rokuko-sama¡­ You were lookin¡¯ forward tost night right!?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kiddin~. Ya spent a hot night together with Goshujin-sama yeah? I heard it with these ears~?¡±

    Oi, are you a peeping tom?

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t hear anythin¡¯ through the door though. I learned about the super love love and filled myself up just by starin¡¯, lookin¡¯, lickin¡¯, and touchin¡¯ it~¡±

    ¡°I-I seriously don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying! We just slept together in the godlyforter, co-sleeping. Right, just co-sleeping!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re kiddin~. Well, I get that ya¡¯re embarrassed. Ya were found and and ya¡¯re still cheerful, was it that good?¡±

    ¡°It really did feel good, but I think it¡¯s different from what you¡¯re asking?¡±

    ¡°Hmm~?¡±

    Ichika looked at me (in Rokuko form) and grinned.

    ¡­ What¡¯s with those eyes that look like they¡¯re staring at a cute animal?

    ¡°Well, long as you did what I taught you before. How¡¯d it go? Did Goshujin-sama fall for ya?¡±

    ¡°U-umm? Un, he fell.¡±

    ¡°Nice! Grats~. I can tell ya even more stuff, juste ask me if there¡¯s anythin¡¯ else~¡±

    Oi, Ichika. What did you teach her, seriously?

    Ichika started leaving in satisfaction before I asked her.

    ¡°Ichika, wait! You absolutely can¡¯t tell anyone else that we slept together alright!?¡±

    ¡°Yah~, I¡¯ll cover for ya~¡±

    ¡­ She left. Just maybe, this and meeting Haku-san was the divine punishment? It wasn¡¯t enough to make God pale¡­ but well, there¡¯s the possibility that the Rokuko Correction alleviated it.

    When I got back to my room, Meat was folding up the bed.

    ¡°Ah, Rokuko-sama. Umm, congrattions?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Where did you hear it from?¡±

    ¡°Together with Ichika, through the door. I left the venue saying that I needed to use the restroom, so I had to return right after, though.¡±

    The heck, even Meat¡­

    ¡°Ummm, should I exin?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. Also, I thought of some advice to give you concerning Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Advice concerning me¡­? Eh, now I¡¯m interested. Let¡¯s keep this up a bit longer.

    ¡°First, this is something to know as a hug pillow, but you should use the restroom beforehand and not drink much water after that. Goshujin-sama rarely wakes up once he falls asleep, but even so it will be easy to get up at dawn or after he¡¯s gone back to sleep after waking up. You can¡¯t use the restroom until then, so it is can be difficult.¡±

    Umm¡­ it looks like she¡¯s gone through hardships. Sorry. You can use the toilet when you need to.

    ¡°Also, Goshujin-sama won¡¯t wake up once he¡¯s asleep even if you lick or sniff him. That¡¯s your chance.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡±

    ¡°You can even y-bite him. His taste is addicting. You¡¯ll find the point that he won¡¯t wake up if you watch his general reactions, so please pay attention to that. Ah, and it is important to dry him off if you lick him.¡±

    Meat, the f*ck are you doing to me when I¡¯m asleep¡­

    No, that much is alright. It¡¯s like having a yful pet. I also feel her dog ears after all.

    ¡°Next, how to respond when Goshujin-sama¡¯s crotch stiffens.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡±

    ¡°Yes? What is it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Stiffens?¡±

    ¡°What sort of things men are, I feel like I heard about it from a senior. Ichika said it as well, that that sort of thing happens.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So, what do you do if it stiffens?¡±

    ¡°First, you move his legs¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, wait. I don¡¯t want to hear it.¡±

    What¡­ why am I listening about what to do if my crotch stiffens from such a small child?

    Oh god¡­ is this the divine retribution?

    Eh, I¡¯m reaping what I sowed? The godlyforter¡¯s divine retribution has nothing to do with it? Yeah¡­

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s something important, but I understand. It certainly is rather hard to put into words, so I will teach you while showing it.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re nning on doing!?¡±

    ¡°First, you move his legs so that they won¡¯t get in the way and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I wasn¡¯t asking. That was a rhetoric question.¡±

    Surely, she doesn¡¯t do something like work as [Meat] in the sexual tool meaning. Surely.

    I¡¯m too afraid to ask. Damned divine retribution. Everything is that guy¡¯s fault!

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    ¡°U-umm, what is?¡±

    ¡°If I can do it, Rokuko-sama will be able to.¡±

    Be able to what¡­

    ¡°? Be a hug pillow.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    By the way, at what point should I turn back into my normal form?

    ¡­ It feels like nothing good is going to happen if I stay looking like Rokuko. Grah, Rokuko¡¯s super luck isn¡¯t copied with [Super Transformation]! I can¡¯t help but grieve over that.

    Because of that, even though it¡¯ll be ridiculously awkward, I decided to turn back.

    Yep, I¡¯m back.

    The jersey I was wearing went back to fitting nicely.

    ¡°¡­ G¡ª¡­ Goshujin¡­ sama¡­!?¡±

    Meat was shocked.

    I was staring at her being shocked for a while, but then she abruptly sat down. And then bowed deeply.

    She flowed into a beautiful dogeza.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°For now, please raise your head.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±

    ¡°So, what are you doing to me while I¡¯m asleep?¡±

    ¡°Eh, umm¡­ y-biting, licking¡­ a-and¡­ I call you D-Dad¡­¡±

    Dad¡­?

    I see, so that¡¯s it. Meat is still a child. She¡¯s at the right age to miss her father. Besides, Meat only has vague memories of her past, she doesn¡¯t even remember her parents.

    Thinking about that, it¡¯s natural that she¡¯d want to call me, who has the same ck hair as her, Dad. It¡¯s not as though I¡¯m that much older, but I am a man. Let¡¯s just ept it at that.

    ¡°Got it. You can call me Dad if it¡¯s just asionally.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­? It¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°Meat, you are excellent and do your best. You never say anything selfish and you do what you¡¯re told¡­ honestly, I think it¡¯d be fine if you took a few days off to take it easy. You¡¯re a child, after all.¡±

    I hugged Meat. Gently, like a father.

    When I pat her head while I was hugging her, Meat¡¯s tail started wagging back and forth.

    ¡°Alright then, is there anything you want to do? Dad will do whatever you ask.¡±

    ¡°T-then, umm¡­ please, let me y-bite your ears.¡±

    ¡°¡­ My ears?¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­ no good?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that it¡¯s no good, well, go ahead. No need to hold back!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Okay!¡±

    After that, she nommed on my ears in abandon. So much so that I identally let out a strange voice when she licked the inside of my ear.

 Chapter 197

    Godly Comforter (Behind the Scenes)

    I slipped away from the party to check on my present from Tou-sama.

    I nced over to Kehma¡­ I¡¯m fine with lending it to Kehma, but he can¡¯t use it before me! Tou-sama even said that this is a present for me after all.

    When I got to my bedroom, I summoned the [Godly Comforter] I received from Tou-sama. It popped out of the menu.

    ¡°Heeh, so this is the godlyforter¡­ it feels amazing~. But it doesn¡¯t feel too amazing?¡±

    An envelope fell down, as well as a box.

    ¡­ Box? The envelope must be the instructions Tou-sama talked about.

    Let¡¯s put down the godlyforter and open the envelope first.

    It had some instructions written by Tou-sama in it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, what¡¯s it say?¡±

    Name: Godly Comforter (Owner: Rokuko)

    Effects:

    You can sleep with the person you desire.

    Maniptes causality, allowing you to sleep until morning.

    (If you cannot meet physically, you will only meet in a dream)

    * This effect can only be used once every 8760 hours (365 days).

    * Forcibly summoning the person you desire may result in confusing their minds somewhat, but this will be cured by morning.

    Share a dream with the person you sleep together with.

    The content of the dream can be set freely. The owner holds the priority in choosing.

    * Moreover, the owner can specify whether the dream will be remembered.

    If you sleep for longer than an hour with thisforter, both physical strength and magical power will fully recover.

    Even if you sleep less than an hour, you will bepletely recovered if you weren¡¯t too exhausted.

    (Injuries will not recover)

    * In the case that the person is someone that the owner does not approve of, it will instead fully drain their physical strength and magical power.

    Moreover, things that are convenient for the owner are more likely to happen.

    The extent of this effect is dependent on luck.

    *Supplement from your Otou-san*

    This is Otou-san¡¯s present to Rokuko! Ah, the present box is a freebie, so you should put it into it before showing Kehma-kun.

    I added a fake set of instructions to show Kehma-kun, they¡¯re under the present box¡¯s lid. I wrote that anyone using this other than Rokuko and her husband would receive divine retribution, so do your best! It¡¯d be great if you can make it an established fact or something.

    Also, please note that this letter will automatically disappear.

    ¡°T-these effects are amazing. As expected of the godlyforter¡­ wait, eh, disappear?¡±

    As it said, once she finished reading it, the letter vanished.

    ¡°¡­ As expected of Tou-sama. I don¡¯t understand!¡±

    Let¡¯s try using the godlyforter right away.

    I put my hands into theforter¡­ what should I do for the wish?

    Let¡¯s try saying it out loud.

    ¡°¡­. Comforter-sama, oh Comforter-sama. I want to sleep with Kehma.¡±

    That was so embarrassing to say out loud.

    But theforter shined brightly. I guess it worked?

    ¡°Ah, with this, Kehma will being huh? I should put it into the present box¡­¡±

    When I pressed theforter against the present box, it went in slowly.

    After that, I put on the lid. Preparationsplete¡­ Ah, let¡¯s temporarily put it into [Storage] too.

    Wait, I haven¡¯t changed my clothes yet! I¡¯m not done preparing! I have to change before Kehma gets here.

    Ummm, my usual jersey is no good. It¡¯d be embarrassing if I matched with Kehma. Maybe I should use the negligee Haku Ane-sama prepared? Wait, there was some pajamas too, so¡ªah, uu, hah, gah¡ªDone!

    Huh, isn¡¯t this a bit risque¡­? Nn¡­ it¡¯s alright! I have underwear on after all.

    Right, I have to wear cute socks since it¡¯s Kehma. Aaah, I have to hurry! Kehma¡¯sing, aah, should I just go barefoot? Rather, we¡¯re going to sleep so maybe barefoot is better! Ichika even said that showing off my feet is good!

    I sat down on the bed in preparation, fidgeting while I waited for Kehma.

    A whileter, a knock sounded at the door.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡±

    He came! Kehma really came!

    I opened the door.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re here, Kehma! I was waiting.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m here.¡±

    Quickly, Kehma dashed in front of me and¡ª

    ¡°So, please, please show me the godly beddings!¡±

    Performed a stunning dogeza.

    It¡¯s Kehma, so I¡¯m not sure if I should be confused or not.

    *

    I¡¯m in a dream.

    It might¡¯ve been due to the godlyforter¡¯s effect, but I know that I¡¯m inside a dream.

    It¡¯s a white room like the Master Room. Rather, this is the Master Room, isn¡¯t it? I wonder if it¡¯s showing this ce since it¡¯s a ce that¡¯s memorable for Kehma and I?

    Kehma wasying down in his beloved futon in front of me. He wasn¡¯t transformed into me, he was the normal Kehma.

    ¡­ This is Kehma, right? The real one? I mean, we should be sharing dreams.

    For now, it¡¯ll be embarrassing, so I decided to have Kehma forget this dream.

    Rather, why is Kehma sleeping inside a dream too!?

    Just how much does he love sleeping? Really now. Humans have such a short lifespan that it¡¯s a waste using it all up on sleeping.

    ¡°Kehma, wake up. Kehma.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Funyaa¡­¡±

    He¡¯s not waking up!? Well, it¡¯s alright, I have plenty of time!

    ¡°Hey, Kehma? Wake up~, wake uuup~¡±

    ¡°Nnn¡­. what, why¡¯re you saying wake up right before I fall asleep¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, this is a dream, so you won¡¯t wake up even if you wake up.¡±

    ¡°The heck¡­ eh, this is a dream? Aah, really. This feeling. A lucid dream.¡±

    Kehma sat up and moved his shoulders about.

    Then, he suddenly held up his hand and, without any kind of logical reason, shot out a beam.

    Vwooom.

    Bwoosh.

    ¡°Yep, it worked.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what was that? Magic?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha, Rokuko. This is in a dream, you can do anything in it. There¡¯s a trick to it though.¡±

    Saying that, Kehma floated up with his futon.

    ¡°What do you think? Flying futon.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the trick? It looks fun, tell me too!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. You just have to believe that you can do anything since it¡¯s a dream.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s it! ¡­ It¡¯s hard!?¡±

    ¡°Haah, such an amateur¡­ well, that¡¯s how it is. This is a Rokuko that my dream brought about¡­ in that case, it¡¯s fine to do what I want with her I guess?¡±

    Kehma mumbled something to himself.

    Ah, so that¡¯s it? He knows that he¡¯s inside a dream, but not that we¡¯re sharing one¡­ Eh? Then, can¡¯t I let Kehma do what he wants? I¡¯m curious about what he wants to do! What Kehma wants to do to me!

    ¡°Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°W-what, Kehma? You can do whatever you want to me, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That so? Alright, get in my futon.¡±

    ¡°Un.¡±

    I got into Kehma¡¯s futon like he told me to. Ah, Kehma¡¯s scent.

    ¡­ It smells a bit like Meat¡¯s scent.

    ¡°Then?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Guu¡­¡±

    He¡¯s sleeping¡­ why are you sleeping inside a dream!?

    ¡°Wait up, Kehma! Hey! Heeey, I said get up!¡±

    ¡°Mmm, so noizy, Rokuko. Let me sleep.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in a dream, you¡¯re already sleeping!¡±

    ¡°But sleep.¡±

    No good, talking isn¡¯t going anywhere. Rather, why did he have me get into the futon?

    Eh, there wasn¡¯t a deeper meaning?

    ¡°Mou, whatever! If that¡¯s what Kehma wants, I¡¯ll just do what I want!¡±

    ¡°Eh, what¡¯re you nning, oi.¡±

    ¡°Futon confiscated!¡±

    When I shouted that, the futon disappeared. Is this the power of priority?

    ¡°What¡­ the heck¡­ oi, Rokuko. My futon just disappeared.¡±

    ¡°What a strange coincidence. I just erased one.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hey, Rokuko, let¡¯s TALK for a bit¡­¡±

    ¡°Wherever you want.¡±

    And so, under the name of TALKing, an epic fistfight began.

    This was a dream. There was no golem assist. This was a genuine fistfight. Kehma looked like he was going a little easy on me¡­ no, he was entirely serious. Me taking away his futon was pretty bad, after all.

    However, I won.

    ¡°Ow¡­ I can¡¯t ept it, my Dream Strength should have been the best. Why¡­¡±

    ¡°There is one reason Kehma lost¡­ I believed that ¡®it doesn¡¯t hurt since this is a dream!¡¯ can¡¯t be believed in!¡±

    ¡°Wha¡­ I was defeated in power of imagination? It¡¯s my loss. Do what you want.

    Kehma copsed, his limbs syed out.

    ¡­ Do what I want, you say?

    ¡°Alright. Then first, change clothes!¡±

    ¡°Oi wait, what are these clothes?¡±

    ¡°Eh? It¡¯s the ce that sold clothes in the Imperial Capital though?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, these are for women!?¡±

    ¡°I want to see what Kehma looks like when he¡¯s wearing them! It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll when them together with you!¡±

    ¡°S-stoooop!?¡±

    *** (Rokuko doing whatever she wanted) ***

    Several hourster.

    While I was doing whatever I wanted with Kehma, he suddenly disappeared.

    He was saying something like ¡®I can¡¯t be a bride anymore¡­¡¯ and was looking far away with an exhausted look, but he won¡¯t die¡­ probably?

    ¡°Ah, morning¡¯s here¡­ Bunny Kehma was so cute~¡±

    It still didn¡¯t feel like it was enough, but let¡¯s be satisfied with that. Un, that was fun.

    I should wake up now, too.

 Chapter 198

    A Promise Forgotten

    While deciding on whether or not I¡¯d continue using Meat as a hug pillow in the future, I decided to be very Japanese-like and postpone the problem forter, maintaining the current status quo for now. First, I¡¯ll return to my dungeon¡ªwait, before that, let¡¯s stroll about the Imperial Capital a bit since it¡¯s a special opportunity.

    Although it¡¯ll only take an instant to return through the gate that can only be used one more time that [Father] made, the next time Ie, I¡¯ll use [Deployment] to soar straight to the dungeon we made this time and then take half of a day to all-out dash to here in a Carriage Golem. If I used a normal carriage, it¡¯d take a full day.

    ¡­ However, if I didn¡¯t have that derived dungeon, it¡¯d take weeks to get here through a regr carriage service. Compared to that, it¡¯d gotten very easy to drop in.

    By the way, I heard that you normally can¡¯t establish derived dungeons so far away from your original, but this time was a special case. Otherwise, Haku-san probably would have made a dungeon near Tsuia Mountain.

    *

    Well, I brought Meat and Ichika over to the Adventurer Guild¡¯s Headquarters.

    Rokuko was having a tea party with Haku-san in the pce. Such elegance.

    I didn¡¯t look at the kinds ofmissions that pop up here in the Imperial Capital, so I decided to go give them a look. Thest time I came, I just met with Misha after all.

    There might be goodmissions since this is the Imperial Capital though¡­ is what I thought, but there weren¡¯t many good ones at all, they were mostly just for thinning out dungeons.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably cause of the mornin¡¯ rush. Stuff like deliveries, work assistance, or anythin¡¯ with good pay would obviously get taken yeah?¡±

    ¡°I guess so. The other people here would be wanting the goodmissions after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah~. There¡¯s the famous sayin¡¯: [An adventurer isn¡¯t just themselves].¡±

    That said, I don¡¯t really want toe here during the morning rush just to see themissions. Maybe I should give up checking them out¡­ ah, what about the high rankingmissions?

    Most of what¡¯s left on the bulletin board are C-Rank stuff. Some C-Rankmissions and any B-Rankmission or higher are known as high rankingmissions and aren¡¯t put on the bulletin board. There¡¯s no choice but to hear about them directly from the counter, limited by things like rank and past achievements.

    I¡¯m more or less a B-Rank now, maybe I could do a general check? A big ce like this should have lots of high rankingmissions too, but there probably aren¡¯t any that could be finished up within a day. Even high rankingmissions would be quickly taken up by other adventurers if the pay¡¯s good.

    Well, let¡¯s go see what¡¯s there.

    ¡ªIt happened as I started to head over to the counter.

    ¡°Huh, aren¡¯t you Kehma-san? Why¡¯re you in a ce like this?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Who is it?¡±

    When I turned to the voice, I saw a pair of adventurers.

    Who? No, really. Who?

    ¡°I¡¯m Uzoh! Kehma-san saved my life!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Muzoh! I promised to find a magic sword for you!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oooh. Right¡­ that happened.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve never forgotten the saving grace Kehma-san bestowed on us that day! Right Muzoh!?¡±

    ¡°But saving people like us has to be amon urrence for Kehma-san, it can¡¯t be helped that he¡¯d forget yeah, Uzoh?¡±

    I only met you guys one time and it was a year ago~

    The Uzoh Muzoh brothers. They¡¯re the C-Rankbo adventurers whose lives I saved in the dungeon since they were the first guests for our inn, [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion]. If I recall, they brought in a ton of DP for us through the test room?

    ¡°By the way, why¡¯s Kehma-san in the Imperial Capital? Did you move away from Sia?¡±

    ¡°I was just doing amission. Just finished it up, so I¡¯ll be heading back to Golen Vige soon.¡±

    ¡°Golen Vige? Was there a vige with that name nearby¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t hear? The ce where that inn is turned into a vige. One thing lead to another, and it¡¯s now named Golen Vige.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The reason I haven¡¯t been using its name that often is because even I tend to forget its name.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯m the Vige Chief.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, or should I say horrible¡­? Right, Muzoh?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s Kehma-san, he should manage somehow, Uzoh.¡±

    What¡¯s with that evaluation? It¡¯s better than getting told they feel sorry for me, but I¡¯d be troubled if they over evaluate me too much.

    ¡°¡­ Which reminds me, it¡¯s be about a year since then.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªumm, Kehma-san. There is something that we have to apologize for.¡±

    ¡°We said that we¡¯d get a hold of a magic sword and give it to you within a year, but, uhh¡­¡±

    Uzoh and Muzoh were lost for words. Is it that? That they were embarrassed about being unable to get a magic sword within a year even though they said they would?

    ¡°What, the magic sword? Don¡¯t worry about it, I don¡¯t mind even if I have to wait another year.¡±

    When I said that, Uzoh and Muzoh hurriedly shook their heads.

    ¡°No, we got one! But it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic sword that has a demerit¡­ it¡¯s a bit inappropriate to give to someone that saved our lives.¡±

    ¡°A demerit? What kind of magic sword is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic sword that causes things to go to sleep. It¡¯d be great if it just did that to enemies, but it causes everything nearby to feel drowsy, even the wielder.¡±

    ¡°Rather, as the closest thing to the magic sword, the person holding it will be the first one to get tired. We thought about having someone buy it, but don¡¯t know what kind of price to ask for because of the effect¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    A magic sword that makes things tired¡­?

    If it¡¯s true, that¡¯s an amazing effect.

    ¡°Alright, show me it. Quick, take it out, quick!¡±

    ¡°Eh? I mean, sure, I don¡¯t really mind¡­¡±

    Uzoh took a sheathed magic sword out from his bag. It was a dagger in a simple scabbard. If I had to say what ornamentation it had, there was a dark-type magic stone in the center of the hilt. The magic stone was about as big as a stic bottle¡¯s lid and was so ck that it seemed to be sucking light into it.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ how do you use it?¡±

    ¡°If you unsheathe it, it¡¯ll spread drowsiness about ording to the magical power you put into it.¡±

    ¡°Could I unsheathe it just a bit?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit, it¡¯d be a bother to others.¡±

    I tried pulling the magic sword out of its scabbard¡­ O-oh¡­ aaah, that¡¯s the good stuff.

    ¡­ This is wonderful. I want to give in to the drowsiness and let this sword take me away.

    ¡°Kehma-san, sorry, please stop. I¡¯m already tired.¡±

    Hearing Uzoh¡¯s sleepy voice, I put the magic sword away.

    This is a good sword. The best sword. No swords are better than this sword. This will take my sleep to another level.

    ¡°Can I have this?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nn, sorry, Kehma-san. I¡¯m half asleep here, it just sounded like you said you wanted the magic sword.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯d be great with taking this magic sword.¡±

    ¡°Y-you seriously said that?¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san, we should be able to buy some other magic sword if we sold that one and used our savings. Why would you want that one?¡±

    The heck are Uzoh and Muzoh saying?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such an amazing magic sword. I¡¯m alright with this. No¡­ I¡¯m super good with this!¡±

    ¡°O-oh.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san¡­!¡±

    Oi, why¡¯re you guys looking at me with tears in your eyes? Don¡¯t look at me like you¡¯re looking at something pitiful. Isn¡¯t it alright? It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to use it to fight.

    ¡°What¡¯s this magic sword¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have one. A magic sword¡¯s name is decided by its first user after all. If Kehma-san really means to use it, you should give it one.¡±

    I see.

    Let¡¯s think up a name for it.

    ¡­ REM sleep. Hmm, REM de? Nah, if I recall correctly, REM is for eyeball movements, that¡¯s not too good. Is there a good name that has to do with sleep? Oh, right.

    ¡°Let¡¯s call it Siesta. Siesta Sword. A Sleepsword.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, Sleepsword huh? The name sounds a bitckluster, but doesn¡¯t that fit the sword itself? Right, Muzoh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Sleepsword Siesta. He has a good sense huh, Muzoh?¡±

    Sleepsword Siesta. Looks like I ended up with the best magic sword in the world.

    However, even if they were just paying back their loan, after getting such an amazing sword from them, I have to bnce it out. I removed the scabbard with a de golem in it from my side and handed it to the Uzoh Muzoh brothers.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit used, but here. Take it.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-dono, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°This is the same magic sword from when you guys were trapped in the [Avarice Trap]. I haven¡¯t given it any sort of name, so feel free to give it one.¡±

    I haven¡¯t given it a name nor have I used it much, so it¡¯s almost brand new.

    I felt it¡¯d be fine to give them this one since I was thinking about making a new de golem out of orichalcum for myself, not to mention that I have Sleepsword Siesta now too.

    ¡°Nn, wait. One isn¡¯t enough for the two of you huh¡­ here¡¯s another.¡±

    With that, I fetched a spare de golem from my [Storage] and pretended that it came from my bag. It¡¯s a knife type that I¡¯d made as a spare for Meat, but since the Uzoh Muzoh brothers are a swordsman and scoutbination, it¡¯ll work out. I¡¯ll make a new one for Meat too.

    ¡°A-are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, think of it as my appreciation for keeping your promise.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll gratefully ept it¡­!¡±

    It¡¯s free to make anyway.

    And so, the Uzoh Muzoh brothers left the guild with their heads still bobbing up and down in a bow. Looks like they¡¯ll be heading out for amission, such hard workers.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, wouldn¡¯t it¡¯ve been better to give ¡¯em some random thing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. For Sleepsword Siesta, it was worth it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, if Goshujin-sama says it¡¯s ¡®kay, it¡¯s ¡®kay¡­¡±

    Hmm? I just realized it, but isn¡¯t its effect coupled with [ckout Resistance] quite strong in a fight?

    ¡­ Maybe I should give them A-Rank meals next time theye to our inn.

 Chapter 199

    Extra: A Promise Fulfilled

    Uzoh and Muzoh came to a new dungeon in search of a magic sword.

    The area was under the Demon King¡¯s rule. There were many yet untouched dungeons here and among them were dungeons that held magic swords.

    ¡°Were we a bit reckless this time, Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, Muzoh.¡±

    Their one-year deadline they¡¯d made with Kehma was approaching.

    They would find a magic sword and return. They didn¡¯t intend to break their promise, but they still hadn¡¯t found a magic sword.

    Even though it was a bit reckless of them to do so, that¡¯s why there was a very strong-looking monster walking down the passage in front of them.

    It was a white wolf that was even taller than a human. If they recalled correctly, its was called a Fenrir¡­? At any rate, they could tell it was dangerous with just a nce. Because of that, as the room they¡¯d escaped to was a safety zone, even though it had saved their lives¡ªit was a dead end.

    ¡°Should we resolve ourselves here? Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way out huh¡­ looks like we¡¯re trapped? Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°What do we do? We do have around a month¡¯s food this time though.¡±

    ¡°We did learn, huh, Muzoh?¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll head off somewhere within a month? Let¡¯s try waiting.¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Three days passed since then, but the Fenrir was still there.

    They were eating the preserved foods that had the least amount of time they¡¯d keep for¡­ and had a lot of free time.

    ¡°Hey, I wonder if trying to attack it from within the safety zone would work¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be great. People say that the safety zone would be invalidated though, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be bad.¡±

    Since they didn¡¯t have anything to do in particr, the Uzoh Muzoh brothers decided to y dice. They¡¯d learned that preparing ¡®tools for killing time¡¯ was a good idea as well. Dice didn¡¯t take up much space, so they were great as something that adventurers had to carry around with them.

    ¡°Five chips, I roll two, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, then I¡¯ll respond with another single chip and roll one¡­ Roll!¡±

    ¡°Roll! ¡­ Dangit, snake eyes!¡±

    ¡°I got a four. It¡¯s my win, Uzoh.¡±

    The Uzoh Muzoh brothers were exchanging a small amount of copper coins back and forth. They were limited by the what they had on hand, so it wasn¡¯t like they were seriously betting money. Instead, it was just a normal game they used real money for chips.

    When they finished, they¡¯d reset their amounts and start another name. After ying many times, they didn¡¯t know how many times they¡¯d won or lost. That¡¯s how they passed the time.

    ¡°Still though, we¡¯re stuck in a room. This is just like with that magic sword one.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s something I really don¡¯t want to remember¡­¡±

    ¡°Least we have food this time. I don¡¯t know if help withe this time, though.¡±

    Bored, Uzoh started to examine the room.

    Just then, a dice happened to roll out of his pocket.

    Clink, clink¡­ rolling across the floor, the six-sided diended on a six.

    ¡°¡­ How about we wait around another six days? If no one¡¯se to help and if that thing hasn¡¯t left, we¡¯ll try attacking it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    It was when he tried to pick up the dice.

    The floorboard¡¯s color was different. He hadn¡¯t noticed since he¡¯d never taken too close of a look at it, but Uzoh noticed that it was slightly lighter in color.

    When he knocked his knuckles against it, it sounded as though it were hollow.

    ¡°Muzoh, there¡¯s something here.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s up?¡±

    He used a dagger to rip up the floorboard. When he did that, what they saw was a sword.

    They also saw that it had a magic stone in it.

    ¡°Ooh! We did it, it¡¯s a magic sword!¡±

    ¡°We did it, Uzoh! ¡­ Will the exit not open if we don¡¯t turn it back?¡±

    ¡°No way. This ce is different from that dungeon, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ what kind of magic sword is it?¡±

    ¡°No clue. Let¡¯s try putting some magical power into it?¡±

    Muzoh picked up the magic sword and filled it with magical power.

    They then copsed.

    ¡°O-oi!? Muzoh¡­ fuwaaah¡­ w-what the¡­?¡±

    ¡°Aah¡­ I¡¯m alright, just super¡­ tired¡­?¡±

    Apparently, the sword had the effect of indiscriminately spreading around sleepiness.

    When the two of them woke up, the Fenrir on the other side of the safety zone¡¯s wall was sleeping as well.

    That was dangerous. The effect attacked indiscriminately, so that means that the safety zone had copsed¡­ no, if that sleep wound up as being regarded as an attack, the safety zone was still unsafe.

    ¡°Hey, couldn¡¯t we beat it since it¡¯s asleep?¡±

    ¡°Cut it out. I don¡¯t know how long it¡¯s been asleep, but if we didn¡¯t finish it in a single blow, it¡¯d wake up. We¡¯d die, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Uzoh.¡±

    ¡­ And then Uzoh stepped on something.

    [Guruuuu!]

    The Fenrir howled.

    They fled into the safety zone at a dash, holding their weapons as faced the entrance.

    ¡°Oi, Uzoh¡­ don¡¯t step on its tail!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that¡­¡±

    At any rate, the Fenrir had woken up and was ring at them¡­ The safety zone appeared to still be in effect. They took a breather.

    ¡°¡­ Phew. Muzoh, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°¡­ War of attrition?¡±

    It was at that time.

    ¡°Oh, found a Fenrir¡­ what¡¯s it doing?¡±

    A youth with dark red hair came walking up from behind the Fenrir. Both casually and without any hesitation. It was entirely as though he were strolling through a garden.

    ¡°Oi, it¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Nn? ¡­ Ah, adventurers?¡±

    He warded off the Fenrir as it tried to bite him with its fangs with the sword in his hand.

    Forcefully pushed away, the Fenrir face nted into the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good with you guys if I take this one yeah? It is, right?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Y-yeah, sure.¡±

    A youth even smaller than him was taking on the Fenrir like he was toying with it. It looked like a joke, but the only thing the Uzoh Muzoh brothers could do in that situation was just stare.

    A few minutester, the Fenrir that had given them such a frightening feeling copsed onto the ground covered in wounds.

    ¡°Good, it¡¯s not dead. Sessfully captured it alive¡­ Ah, right. Seriously, that Jiji told us to do something so troublesome.¡±

    The youth was talking with his sword. It was d in fire, so it was unmistakably a magic sword.

    However, for him to talk with the magic sword¡­ well, maybe there were talking magic swords?

    ¡°This should be good enough for today¡­ Will you guys be getting in my way?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, don¡¯t mind us.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying, you just saved us! Ha ha ha.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That so? I¡¯m off, then.¡±

    Saying that, the youth left in the same way he came. However, this time, he was dragging the Fenrir by the tail behind him.

    ¡°We survived somehow, Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°Ah, we forgot to thank him¡­ we have to give him our thanks next time, Muzoh.¡±

    They didn¡¯t know just how strong that person was, but he was definitely powerful. They hadn¡¯t heard of him, but if he was an adventurer, his name would rise up soon enough. It¡¯d be fine if they give him their thanks if they happened to meet him again.

    Either way, with the Fenrir¡¯s threat gone, the two were able to return to the Raverio Empire¡¯s Imperial Capital virtually unharmed.

    Having returned from the dungeon, the two carried with them a magic sword.

    ¡­ With this, they¡¯d be able to face Kehma. They finally got a magic sword for him.

    ¡°We finally obtained a magic sword¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic sword with a demerit to it though¡­ it¡¯d be difficult to use. Maybe thatst time was just a coincidence? Let¡¯s try having it appraised, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s take it to a shop. If we sell it, we should be able to buy another magic sword if we include our savings.¡±

    The appraisal¡¯s result was that its effect caused everything in the surrounding area to be indiscriminately affected by drowsiness. And that they¡¯d buy it for a single gold coin¡­ That wasn¡¯t a bad price for a normal sword, but it was considerably low for a magic sword.

    ¡°Maybe we could sell it for its sleep-inducing effect, Muzoh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ people would usually just buy a [Sleep] skill scroll for that though. Unlike this magic sword, [Sleep] let¡¯s you choose a target, too.¡±

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t even do anything for someone that doesn¡¯t have magical power. And keeping a weapon nearby when you¡¯re going to sleep would just increase the danger if you didn¡¯t know how to do it right, so aristocrats wouldn¡¯t take it either.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unusable, huh. So there¡¯s no helping the price¡­ rather, it¡¯s obvious it would be so low. Haaah.¡±

    He sighed.

    He thought that they¡¯d be able to buy a new magic sword if theybined its sale price with their savings, but it turned out they wouldn¡¯t be able to¡­ They would be able to buy a bad magic sword that had demerits like their current one, though.

    ¡°Maybe we could buy a magic sword without any demerits to it if we worked a bit more and took on some debt?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ how about we check the Imperial Capital¡¯s high payingmissions?¡±

    Temporarily putting aside selling the magic sword, they went to the Imperial Capital¡¯s Adventurer Guild.

    They found a well payingmission that was just a bit troublesome and decided to ept it.

    However, just as they epted themission, they came across a rather unexpected person.

    ¡°Huh, aren¡¯t you Kehma-san? Why¡¯re you in a ce like this?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Who is it?¡±

    It was Kehma, the person who saved their lives. However, it appeared he didn¡¯t remember them.

    Helping other people was probably an everyday thing for Kehma. There¡¯s no way he could possibly remember each and every person, so, conversely, that also meant that he wouldn¡¯t expect a reward.

    Once again experiencing how great of a person their benefactor was, they decided that they would absolutely repay his kindness.

    Listening to him, it appeared that the dungeon had changed a lot.

    It had been a year since then. Yeah, the one year time limit.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªumm, Kehma-san. There is something that we have to apologize for.¡±

    ¡°We said that we¡¯d get a hold of a magic sword and give it to you within a year, but, uhh¡­¡±

    They were being awkwardly evasive about it, but Kehma seemed to have figured it out. And then¡ª

    ¡°What, the magic sword? Don¡¯t worry about it, I don¡¯t mind even if I have to wait another year.¡±

    Saying that so readily, it looked like he really didn¡¯t expect to be rewarded for saving people.

    Much like an excuse, they blurted out the thing about the magic sword they came across, despite it being a magic sword that had a demerit.

    ¡°Alright, show me it. Quick, take it out, quick!¡±

    Saying that, Kehma was handed the magic sword by Uzoh and Muzoh to look over it. He then pulled it out of its sheathe to check its demerit.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such an amazing magic sword. I¡¯m alright with this. No¡­ I¡¯m super good with this!¡±

    ¡ªHe really wanted the magic sword.

    The magic sword that had a demerit. The magic sword that Uzoh and Muzoh had risked their lives to obtain.

    ¡°Kehma-san¡­!¡±

    ¡°I like it. Can I keep it?¡±

    He looked truly happy. Right, rather then it being a magic sword, he was definitely looking at it as [The magic sword they got within the year]. Something that they got to keep their promise, making him d.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit used, but here. Take it.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-dono, this is¡­¡±

    ¡°This is the same magic sword from when you guys were trapped in the [Avarice Trap].¡±

    Of all things that could¡¯ve happened, he gave them the magic sword that was at his waist as though to exchange it with them.

    Moreover, this was a magic sword that had an improved sharpness. It didn¡¯t even have any demerits.

    Furthermore, he gave them another one since they were a duo.

    ¡°A-are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, think of it as my appreciation for keeping your promise.¡±

    Was he a saint?

    They were able to return their debt of gratitude, but wound up receiving another one. Somehow, they¡¯d ended up receiving two magic swords by giving him a single one.

    They weren¡¯t asked to give him anything back this time¡ªbut they would definitely repay this debt of gratitude.

    ¡°Golen Vige, was it? Looks like Kehma-san¡¯s the Vige Chief, Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°Settling down in and working for the vige doesn¡¯t sound so bad huh, Muzoh?¡±

    They didn¡¯t need to buy a magic sword anymore, so even with travelling expenses, they¡¯d still have room to spare.

    The Uzoh Muzoh brothers decided to finish themission they just epted and head over to the vige.

 Chapter 200

    New Employees

    Sleepsword Siesta wound up being added to the dungeon¡¯s named monster list.

    I was careless. Looks like the magic sword was a monster.

    Because of that, I headed back to the dungeon, [Cave of Desires].

    I was just going through it all day-by-day, but that really did take a while. Let¡¯s check over the situation again. After sleeping for a day, I called for Rei.

    ¡°Let me check over what¡¯s going on, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master.¡±

    First of all was the dungeon.

    Even though there were D-Rank adventurers and below training in the upper floors as ever, there were adventurers at the C-Rank level diving into the dungeon to target the Iron Golems. At the moment, it was a bit unreasonable for them to hope for magic sword de golems.

    Even if the riddle area¡¯s gone, making it down the spiral staircase just beyond that is a spectacr way to risk your life¡­ Nn? There are more traps there now. Why are there ces that have spears popping out from the walls?

    ¡°Ah, there were quite a few adventurers making it to the warehouse area, so I added them.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Good decision. It¡¯d be troublesome if too many of them got de golems from the warehouse.¡±

    So Rei¡¯s the one that added them? She did a great job with that.

    ¡°How many people have made it to the warehouse area?¡±

    ¡°Eight parties. One party was annihted at the spiral staircase, four parties just examined the Irregr Golems, and for the magic swords that the final three parties took away, three swords were stone, with the other three being iron, six swords in total. No parties made it beyond the warehouse.¡±

    So one party was annihted? My condolences, and thanks for the treat. [1]

    So six de golems shipped in a month¡­ that might be a good pace? Let¡¯s replenish themter.

    ¡°The inn?¡±

    ¡°We now have five people after gaining two new people, but there nothing is particrly different. There wouldn¡¯t be much fluctuation in customers within a month, after all.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s how it¡¯d be even with getting new staff. Two new people are working at the inn now. It looks like they¡¯re staying at the inn, but maybe I should expand the employee dormitory? The Dungeon Battle¡¯s over, so it should be peaceful for a little while.

    ¡°Come to think of it, what sort of monsters are those neers? They both had cat ears, so are they a were beast-type like Misha?¡±

    ¡°Umm, they aren¡¯t monsters. They¡¯re beastkin.¡±

    ¡­ Beastkin? Could those be summoned with DP?

    Exceptions like me could be summoned through the gacha, but there shouldn¡¯t be any things that are non-monster people (What Rokuko calls ¡®humans¡¯) or beastkin. [2]

    At the very least, it¡¯s not in my catalog. I don¡¯t think that Rei would be able to summon something that I, the Dungeon Master, can¡¯t though¡­

    ¡°How did you summon them with DP?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I did not use DP. I fed and employed the passing beastkin adventurers. I went with master¡¯s beloved policy of getting the maximum result at the lowest cost.¡±

    Rei spoke with a smile filling her face.

    ¡°Umm. In other words, they¡¯re not under the dungeon¡¯s control?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t, but is that a problem?¡±

    ¡­ How could it not be a problem!?

    ¡°No, wait, wait. I haven¡¯t heard anything though?¡±

    ¡°Eh, but I received permission from Rokuko-sama?¡±

    ¡°Seriously? ¡­ I¡¯ll talk to herter¡­ well, umm. Isn¡¯t them not being under the dungeon¡¯s control a problem?¡±

    ¡°They are only doing the things in the inn, so they are temporarily employed through the Adventurer Guild acting as an intermediary. There haven¡¯t been any problems in thest two weeks.¡±

    It¡¯s alright then¡­ I guess?

    ¡°We can simply report to the guild if they cause any sort of problem, so we only need to deal with them if our secret is exposed. There are no problems.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so clear-cut¡­¡±

    Able to think about things so unexpectedly severe, Rei is a precious existence for our dungeon. I¡¯ve usually been making those kinds of decisions, but I¡¯ve gotten a bit more easy-going.

    I sat up and started over.

    ¡°What did you do with the 50,000 DP I gave you?¡±

    ¡°Eh? That¡­ other than the additional traps, everything went into my enhancements.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Rei¡¯s enhancements?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My enhancements. It was to increase the dungeon¡¯s fighting capability.¡±

    Hold up. That was meant to be used to summon neers¡­

    ¡­ But we have neers¡ªthough they¡¯re working here as a job¡ªso I guess Rei using the rest how she wanted isn¡¯t a problem?

    Hmm, I¡¯m a bit bothered that she used it to strengthen herself, but it¡¯s Rei. Let¡¯s just go with it being alright.

    ¡°That so? How are Kinue-san and Nerune doing?¡±

    ¡°Kinue has been working on increasing her cooking repertoire. Nerune has been absorbed in studying magic formations. She is still excited over the magic tools you gave her.¡±

    Kinue-san¡¯s buying cooking recipes with her sry, while Nerune¡¯s been excitedly talking to Kantra about magic formations. Looks like they¡¯re both living their lives to the fullest.

    As for Rei, it looks like she was happy that I had left my work to her. It¡¯s great that she¡¯s so loyal.

    I heard enough, so I decided to go see Rokuko.

    Naturally, it was to talk about the neers.

    ¡°Oi Rokuko! Let¡¯s talk for a bit.¡±

    ¡°What is it? You want to use the Godly Comforter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s that and this is this. It¡¯s about the new people we hired.¡±

    ¡°Eh, even though it¡¯s been so long?¡±

    It might¡¯ve been ¡®so long¡¯ to Rokuko, but I just heard about it for the first time.

    ¡°They were just hired through the Adventurer Guild. Rei suggested it and I thought about it.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯d be bad if our inn¡¯s secret was exposed though?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯d tell the part-time employees something like that. It¡¯s also not like our inn¡¯s shady. Right?¡±

    ¡°What about the golems?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just ordinary y Golems that Kehma summoned. We¡¯re going with the pretense that you¡¯re resupplying their magical power, it¡¯s not weird at all.¡±

    ¡°What about the cooking?¡±

    ¡°Kinue¡¯s doing the cooking. We barely use DP to get food nowadays, and although we use DP for the ingredients, it just looks like we¡¯re getting it from the storehouse and [Storage].¡±

    ¡°The onsen¡­¡±

    ¡°The part-timers are entrusted with the inn¡¯s reception and serving customers in the dining area. Cleaning is taken care of through [Cleanup] and Kinue¡¯s hobbies, while the hot water is just seen as [Some sort of magic tool]. Ah, the reception¡¯s register is like that too.¡±

    Huh? Somehow¡­ did Rokuko just defeat me in logic? I can¡¯t argue at all.

    It looks like the part-timers aren¡¯t a problem at all. Rather, isn¡¯t it a good idea to hire part-timers and concentrate wholly on the dungeon?

    ¡°By the way, we¡¯re offering meals and rooms to the part-timers for free for their payment. We¡¯re paying a bit to the guild for the handling charges, but considering the inn¡¯s profits, it¡¯s tiny.¡±

    ¡­ Rokuko¡¯s seriously grown up recently.

    ¡°By the way, were they interviewed?¡±

    ¡°Un, by me, Rei, and Ichika. Rather, I called for you too, but you were asleep.¡±

    Come to think of it, there was a time when Rokuko came back here during the stuff with the Dungeon Battle huh.

    It also feels like I was told about something¡­

    Hmm, maybe I should have a talk with them too?

    ¡°Could you call them over now?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Hmm, well, it should be alright if it¡¯s right now. It¡¯s about time they got off work.¡±

    ¡°In that case, please call them in for an interview.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll tell Rei. Don¡¯t fall asleep waiting alright?¡±

    Rokuko got in touch with Rei.

    All things considered, those part-timers¡­ what kind of people are they? I¡¯m basically on their employer¡¯s side, so I have to be stern¡­ Aah, I¡¯m getting nervous.

    Footnotes:

    This is sort of a joke. He said ¡°Goshuushousama (My condolences), soshite (and) gochisousama (thanks for the treat).¡± Just one difference in the phics. ^^ Return

    Note that Rokuko only ever refers to humans with ¡®ningen (human)¡¯ in katakana, rather than in kanji. It hasn¡¯t been important to the story so far, so I haven¡¯t mentioned it, though¡­ Return

    Author Note:

    We¡¯re finally at 200¡­ thinking back, it¡¯s already been one and a half years since I started this series hasn¡¯t it? As always, thank you so much.

 Chapter 201

    The Interview

    As I waited in the owner¡¯s room, I heard a knock at the door.

    It looks like the two part-timers arrived.

    ¡°Come in.¡±

    When I gave permission for them to enter¡­

    ¡°Excuse me~!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    The door swung open rather vigorously, and a dog entered with a¡­ rabbit? I don¡¯t know for sure, but an olive brown-eared, big boobed, animal-eared adventurer in a gym uniform entered alongside a blonde dog-eared girl with sses who wore a white doctor¡¯s robe. Both of their ears were tipped with white fur.

    They¡¯d changed out of the maid cosy outfit that was the inn¡¯s uniform, but what was with their current outfits? Their characters are deep from the start, oi.

    ¡°¡­ Amazing looks you two have going there.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu! These clothes are super easy to move in! Found them in the dungeon!¡± [1]

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the same for me. These feel considerably functional. They might have cost several gold coins if I bought them in the Imperial Capital.¡±

    Ah,e to think of it, I put those as dungeon treasures huh. Gym clothes, doctor robes, sses, that sort of stuff. I didn¡¯t think that anyone would actually wear them though, but it is a fact that the Imperial Capital does sell stuff weird stuff like these¡­ eh? Wait. Why did I suddenly feel a chill down my back?

    Eh, well, alright. It¡¯s our first meeting, so I¡¯ll start with a self introduction.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kehma, this vige¡¯s Vige Chief and working as a secretary to the inn¡¯s owner. Sorry for not being able to participate in the interview from a few days ago, but I had some business to take care of at the time. Umm, sorry, what are your names?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Setsuna¡ªa grappler. You look tired?¡± [2]

    ¡°I¡¯m Nayuta, an alchemist. Pleased to meet you, Vige Chief-san. Do you want medicine that would allow you to work for twenty-three hours a day?¡±

    ¡­ What sort of demonic medicine is that? Heck no! Also, isn¡¯t stuff like that addictive?

    ¡°It¡¯s just some nutritious drinks, there aren¡¯t any side effects. An energy drink for concentration and a stamina drink for endurance. Its effects are weaker than a potion¡¯s though, so the amount it recovers isn¡¯t quite as visible, but its cost performance is great. Anyone can make use of an alchemist with some skill to them.¡±

    Sounds wicked. In various meanings.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, you two were adventurers right? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°We walked here!¡±

    Not that.

    As I held back my retort to Setsuna¡¯s immediate response, Nayuta answered.

    It¡¯ll probably be better to listen to her exnation.

    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m in a party with my sister, but our original n was to pass through here and head to Sia. Then when we got to the vige, it was way bigger than the info we had about it said. The dungeon was unexpectedly great, so we decided to earn a bit from it. As you see, we got something good.¡±

    Looks like suddenly changing your ns like that ismon for adventurers. Not many of them n things out too thoroughly. When it looks like they can earn money somewhere, they do. When it looks like they can¡¯t, they pass on by.

    A very undecided schedule, huh.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. So, you¡¯re sisters? You look fairly different though?¡±

    ¡°My sister and I have different fathers. We¡¯re half-sisters¡­ I¡¯d be happy if you didn¡¯t ask about our family matters too much.¡±

    Sisters with a different father huh¡­ Looks like they have aplicated background, probably shouldn¡¯t touch on that subject.

    By the way, contrasting Nayuta¡¯s golden retriever-like blonde hair, Setsuna has some seriously beast-like brown hair.

    ¡°By the way, although I¡¯m a dog beastkin, my sister is half dog half rabbit. Most often, beastkin will be one of their parents¡¯ kind, but although rarely, mixes can be born too.¡±

    ¡°Dograbbit. I¡¯m a rare mixed breed!¡±

    With that, Setsuna turned around and showed me her tail. It really did look like it was averaged out between a rabbit¡¯s an a dog¡¯s.

    Beastkin mixed breeds. So those exist? Now that she mentions it, I can see Nayuta¡¯s bushy dog tail even from her front, but I couldn¡¯t see Setsuna¡¯s tiny fluff until she turned around.

    I wonder if a cat and dog would make a catdog, or a lion and tiger a liger¡­

    Now I kind of want to know, would a horse and deer make an idiot? [3]

    ¡°Is it alright if I ask why you two became adventurers?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu, Nayuta, you exin.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not much of a story. Our vige was extinguished by monsters. Common enough right? Ah, you should be careful about that ck wolf.¡±

    ¡°A-ah, the ck wolf? It camest winter. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯lle again.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is that so.¡±

    Nayuta furrowed her brows, fixing the position of her sses as though to conceal it.

    If Rin were here, it could help out with making a setting where they get their revenge in the dungeon.

    I don¡¯t know what would happen after that though.

    ¡°So, what do you think about working at our inn?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s great! There¡¯s lots of tasty stuff and we even have time to go into the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯d be thankful if you decide to continue employing us for a while. There are various rare magic tools you can get from the dungeon that I¡¯m super interested in as an alchemist. You even got the register and massage chair from it right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll hire you to continue working, but if you want, would you like to be employed here permanently and settle down here? There aren¡¯t many young female adventurers, the vige would wee you.¡±

    Currently, the ratio between men and women in Golen Vige is around seven-to-three. That¡¯s including our inn.

    Most adventurers are men to start with. There are people who migrated from Sia with their wives, but I should be making it possible for the vigers to be able to look for marriage partners as the Vige Chief yeah?

    ¡°That sounds good too, the food here is amazing. What do you think, Nayuta?¡±

    ¡°Right, I¡¯ll think about it. This ce could be our base we settle down in.¡±

    I didn¡¯t expect much, but it looks like they¡¯ll mostly willing.

    ¡°Other than that, do you have any requests or questions? Like a wage raise, things like that.¡±

    ¡°Free meals and inn fees are enough for wages¡­ My sister eats a lot, so it¡¯s really helpful.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu, I¡¯m ashamed. Sorry for being a no-good sisteeeeer¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. I do have a question, though¡­ who is Kuro-senpai? A brilliant assassin? Ahh, umm, you don¡¯t have to answer if it¡¯s something that would risk our lives if you did. I was just a little curious since we have the same ears. It¡¯s really strange that she¡¯s able to fight us head on at that age.¡±

    ¡°Kuro-chan¡¯s super strong! She¡¯s still growing, she¡¯ll almost definitely be an A-Rank adventurer in the future!¡±

    ¡°Ahh, yep. Well, even I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    Kuro, that is, Meat Kuroinu¡¯s origin is unknown even to me, her master. I just know that she¡¯s a dog eared beastkin. Judging by her hair and eye color, I do think she has some hero blood in her though.

    At any rate, she¡¯s currently giving 160 DP a day right now. She¡¯s even worth way more than the 85 DP Gozoh, who¡¯s our vige¡¯s adventurer representative, is giving. I could get just how abnormal she is from that alone. How¡¯d she get like this? Is she talent personified?

    ¡°Right, I haven¡¯t asked about your ranks have I? What are they?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re both C-Rank. I think we¡¯re as strong as B-Ranks though. We just haven¡¯t taken the promotion exam.¡±

    ¡°Aristocrats are people with tons of troublesome things. You get a lot of taxes when you be B-Rank, so it¡¯s easier to just stay at C-Rank and not be tied down by that stuff. Especially as a beastkin, there¡¯s lots of countries that are annoying about it.¡±

    So it¡¯s like that huh. It feels like I¡¯ve understood the reason why there are so many C-Rank adventurers.

    After that, the interview turned into an idle chat for a while before we finished.

    The idiotic¡ª¡­ the carefree Setsuna, and the firm Nayuta.

    They¡¯re irregr in various ways, but they appear to be bnced as sisters. I can¡¯t help but say that they¡¯re good sisters.

    However, I strengthened my vignce towards the two from this interview.

    ¡°That Setsuna¡­ her elder sister dodged my question.¡±

    When I asked why they came, she answered saying they walked. It¡¯s amon enough misunderstanding in Japanese. But in English, ¡®why¡¯ is a very different wordpared to ¡®how¡¯.

    Is it like that in this world?

    I asked Rokuko.

    ¡°¡ªCome to think of it, that was a strange answer, wasn¡¯t it?¡±

    Now then, just who are these sisters?

    Footnotes:

    Nkyuu = rabbit sound. Return

    Setsuna introduces herself as ¡®Boku (masculine-ish I)¡¯. She also ends most sentences in ¡®nano¡¯. Unlike how I see quite a few JP trantors handle this, I won¡¯t be tacking on a ¡®-nano¡¯ to the end of her sentences. Return

    Horse + Deer (kanji) = Idiot (Baka) For an exnation on its etymology, check this out. Return

    Author Note:

    * [Japanese -> Trantion into other world¡¯snguage by the skill -> Re-trante into Japanese with the skill] is SUPER urate, so even in extreme cases, ¡°Uooooh¡ª!¡± wouldn¡¯t turn into something like ¡°Fish¡ª!¡±.

 Chapter 202

    The Mysterious Sisters

    The two part timers are mysterious.

    After the interview, I understood that after I looked into them.

    ¡°The elder sister, her daily DP ie¡­ is 0¡­!?¡±

    That fact was like a thunderp.

    Daily DP ie is something like a measure of strength, but even the average C-Rank would be around 50-70 DP. In particr, if they know skills, it¡¯ll tend to be higher.

    And that¡¯s why her 0 DP is something I¡¯ve only seen for people who are connected to dungeons like me, Rokuko, and Haku-san or people who have nobat ability at all, like how Meat was when I first picked her up.

    However, I¡¯m thinking that it might be something like the effect of a concealment skill that I don¡¯t know about.

    The younger sister, Nayuta, is 85 DP a day¡­ Around the same level as Gozoh. She said she was an alchemist, so she probably knows various skills. By the way, Ichika jumped from around 60 DP to 75 DP when she learned those skills.

    ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t notice at all. As expected of Kehma, you focus on different things~¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look away from stuff like this, oi.¡±

    ¡°B-but there¡¯s no need to look at individual DP though right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good way to measure an intruder¡¯s strength, see?¡±

    ¡°Uuu, I got it! I¡¯ll pay attention next time.¡±

    Even so¡­ the younger sister has a DP? Hmmm.

    I don¡¯t understand why the other one¡¯s giving 0 DP, but vignce towards them is essential. Particrly towards the elder sister.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. Maybe you could find something out if you transform into Setsuna?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hoh. Let¡¯s give it a shot then, [Super Transformation].¡±

    The best way to learn about your opponent is to be them. Thus, I used [Super Transformation] to be the elder sister of the two part timers¡ªSetsuna.

    Oh, her chest is heavy. Profoundly so.

    And there¡¯s always this sense of incongruity in my lower half when I transform into a woman¡­ but it doesn¡¯t feel like that this time¡­ nn?

    ¡­

    It¡¯s there!? No, what? It¡¯s there!!

    U-uh? The heck? What¡¯s going on? A cross dresser? No, these breasts are real¡­

    ¡­

    ¡­!?

    When I checked it out, there are both a man¡¯s thing and a woman¡¯s thing.

    What?

    What¡¯s going on? No, right¡­

    A hermaphrodite?

    Even her sex is half and half. I¡¯m kind of wanting to believe this is just a w from [Super Transformation]¡­ However, it¡¯s probably better to think of this as reality and really real after taking a close look at the person herself and using [Super Transformation].

    ¡°Perhaps¡­ are hermaphroditesmon in this world?¡±

    ¡°No, umm¡­ I wonder? It¡¯s probably unusual?¡±

    The men and women I¡¯ve met so far are definitely either one or the other, but I¡¯ve never gone so far as to verify what¡¯s between their legs. Rather, I would¡¯ve thought that Setsuna was also a woman if I hadn¡¯t checked like this. Even in her bloomers, there wasn¡¯t a bulge.

    You wouldn¡¯t normally check, right?

    ¡­ Rokuko is definitely a woman. The only one I know that for certain is just Rokuko¡­!?

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Meat, Ichika, Rei, and the others don¡¯t have anything growing there.¡±

    ¡°A-ah. Thanks?¡±

    ¡°Umm, you¡¯re wee?¡±

    I ended up hearing information that I both did and didn¡¯t want to hear.

    For now, let¡¯s summarize what I know about Setsuna.

    ¨C Appears to understand Japanese

    ¨C 0 DP per day. Is she someone rted to a dungeon, or does she have an unknown skill?

    ¨C Is a hermaphrodite.

    That is all.

    And now their identities are bing even more mysterious.

    I don¡¯t even know if they¡¯re truly sisters. Rather, it¡¯s fine if they¡¯re sisters¡­? Well, it¡¯s alright. Even those Uzoh Muzoh brothers are brothers despite not being rted by blood. The elder sister¡¯s a hermaphrodite, but it¡¯s probably still alright?

    Still though, what¡¯s their goal here? Even after transforming, I still have no clue.

    I gave the transformation a shot after Rokuko rmended it, but it only changes my form into them. It doesn¡¯t give me their memories¡­ I don¡¯t know if it would after raising its level though.

    What should I do now?

    ¡­ Let¡¯s wait and see for now.

    Yep, the usual Japanese way of maintaining the status quo. Put off troubling problems. If the problem resolves itself in time, it¡¯s best to not meddle with it.

    What? The problem might get worse, you say? Do your best, future me.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm, well. Just watch them for now. They may take advantage of the interview and make a move.¡±

    ¡°Kay~. I¡¯m the one who hired them, so I¡¯ll take responsibility!¡±

    I don¡¯t know how she nned on taking responsibility, but for now, I decided to go to sleep after cancelling the transformation.

    I returned to my room,id down, and invoked Sleepsword Siesta!

    ¡­ I fell asleep within ten seconds.

    *

    I was concerned about it, so I decided to visit the mysterious sisters directly. Together with Meat as my bodyguard. Nayuta, the younger sister, was sitting at the reception desk right then. As for the problem elder sister¡ªah, ording to the map, looks like she¡¯s sleeping in her room.

    When I went to Nayuta, she bowed and greeted me¡­ Looks like she was reading a book. She¡¯s working, but she was using it to pass the time since there weren¡¯t any guests.

    ¡°Yo, how¡¯s it going?¡±

    ¡°Nothing noteworthy. Good as usual.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What were you reading?¡±

    ¡°A collection of upper ss magic formations. See?¡±

    With that, Nayuta opened up the book and showed me.

    A collection of magic formations was like how a book of poems would have a collection of poems inside it. There was just a single magic formation on the two-page spread¡­ Time¡­ stop¡­ subspace, huh. Hmm. Its effect looks simr to [Storage]¡¯s. About half of it¡¯s missing though.

    ¡°Hmm. There¡¯s nomentary or notes on it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh? Vige Chief-san, are you interested in magic formations?¡±

    ¡°No, Nerune loves stuff like this though. She¡¯d be happy if she could read it.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I already lent Nerune-san the elementary and middle ss ones I had on me.¡± [1]

    In that case, I¡¯m thankful. The range of our strategies is expanding more and more.

    By the way, elementary ss magic formations appear to be simple to analyze, with the middle ss ones havingmentary on their uses for when they¡¯re invoked. For the upper ss magic formations, it just has what was discovered written without what they do.

    ¡°What does this magic formation do?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I can guess from looking at the magic characters¡­ this is [Time], this is [Advance], this is [Separate]¡­ so I believe it is for a doppelganger or something.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? ¡­ Really now?¡±

    The characters that Nayuta pointed out were respectively [Time], [Stop], and [Subspace]. She was wrong about them, but there¡¯s no reason for me to point it out.

    ¡°However, there are times when the characters written down are nonsensical in order to keep the effects secret. This character here, the one that looks like [Advance], it might actually mean the opposite because of the piece that is missing. The part that distinguishes between the two is missing, so I can¡¯t tell.¡±

    Ah, so it¡¯s something like that¡­? Trantion Function-san, you even supplement the missing pieces? You are amazing.

    ¡°That so? Sounds difficult.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s how it goes. To continue, there are hints to conjecture at what the missing pieces in this magic formation are on other pages, so if you apply enough of them, it can exin more parts and¡ª¡±

    She let me go thirty minutester.

    That was a long talk. Moreover, she lent me an introductory primer on alchemy, but yeah¡­ to actually read it and be an alchemist and shave away my sleeping time even more? Don¡¯t wanna.

    Nayuta is an unexpectedly aggressive narrator. The meaning of her name appears to be [A Super Large Unit of Time] and that¡¯s definitely reflected in how long she talks. [2]

    ¡­ Setsuna¡¯s appears to mean [A Very Short Unit of Time], does that mean she talks fast?

    With that, I came across Setsuna, who should¡¯ve been asleep in her room, in the hallway.

    ¡°Ah, Vige Chief-san? Morning~. It¡¯s the afternoon though~¡±

    ¡°Ah, morning. It¡¯s not a problem if you just woke up.¡±

    She was walking down the hallway in her gym clothes. Her thighs are tempting in various ways. My eyes kept trying to look at her crotch, but I managed to avoid it somehow. It¡¯d be bad if she caught me looking¡­

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Hey Vige Chief-san, are you free? We haven¡¯t had a mock fight yet. You¡¯re thest one.¡±

    ¡°Why? ¡ªwait, thest one?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been asking adventurers that are C-Rank and up in the vige for mock fights. I¡¯ve won all of them too. I asked Gozoh-san too, but Vige Chief-san and the others are only C-Rank at this dungeon right? Want to fight?¡±

    ¡°Why not have one with Me¡ª¡­ with Kuro? You did it the other day right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with having another go since she¡¯s strong, but I already fought Kuro-senpai. I want toplete this ce!¡±

    Right, so rather than being a quick talker, she¡¯s quick to use her fists?

    I nced at Meat. Looks like she lost, but she also looks motivated.

    ¡­ I also kind of want to try something out.

    What to do?

    Footnotes:

    I¡¯m not sure why, but the author here uses ¡®elementary ss¡¯ rather than ¡®bottom ss¡¯ or ¡®low ss¡¯¡ªthe only two ranks below middle ss¡ªas he described back in Chapter 6. Return

    It¡¯s not stated whether or not Nayuta herself said the meaning of her name or if Keima is inferring it through Japanese, so I worded it like this. Note that her name means ¡®Ridiculously Large Unit¡¯ in Japanese, like 10^60.

 Chapter 203

    Mock Fight

    I decided to ept the mock fight.

    It was alright to just refuse or leave it to Meat, but I want to test out the clothes golem that I had record an A-Rank adventurer¡¯s movements (Misha¡¯s).

    Meat and Ichika have their own way of fighting, so they only use it for its power assist.

    Because of all that, we went out to the inn¡¯s back yard. Meat was with me, of course. It¡¯d obviously be bad to be alone with these two mysterious people.

    ¡°I¡¯m good any time!¡±

    ¡°Please go easy on me, I¡¯m usually in the rear as a mage.¡±

    I faced off against Setsuna. Not holding my sword, I was using gloves meant for mock fights. Misha¡¯s movements were based on a grappler¡¯s, so I can¡¯t use a sword. Well, she herself could probably use one, but I didn¡¯t have her show me how she used one.

    However, magic is another case entirely. Doing the incantation for [Water], a ball of water floated above the ground.

    ¡°It¡¯d be dangerous if I used fire after all.¡±

    ¡°This is a mock fight, but it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    Setsuna warmed up by jumping around. Her chest also leapt up and down. It¡¯s fun to watch, but isn¡¯t that painful?

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯ming.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll take your first shot.¡±

    Setsuna held up her fists. At the same moment, I shot forward with the ball of water.

    I left my body to the clothes golem while I focused on using magic. It was a bit painful, but I had to put up with it.

    I came at her with a punch¡ªwhich felt like it would give me some muscle pains by itselfter on¡ªbut she blocked it with the back of her hand, pushing it aside. As for the ball of water, she punched out and burst it with her other hand.

    ¡°Hey now, weren¡¯t you a mage?¡±

    ¡°This¡¯ll turn into one-on-one fight anyway, yeah? I figured it was better to just skip the hassle.¡±

    The conventional clothes golem¡¯s performance couldn¡¯t reproduce most of Misha¡¯s, an A-Rank adventurer¡¯s, martial arts. At most, slowly imitating her slowed-down movements was the limit.

    However, right now, I¡¯m able to reproduce about 50% of Misha¡¯s ability. This was thanks to the newly developed supporting joints with orichalcum in them.

    ¡°Ahaha, Vige Chief-san, you¡¯re something.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m overworking myself quite a bit here though.¡±

    Setsuna¡¯s fist sted out towards my face, piercing through the area. My neck shot backwards, moving my head to avoid the blow, but the jolting movement rocked my head, giving me some damage. Ugeeeh.

    My body¡¯s going to break down if I do too much here. Maybe I should just focus on enduring these abrupt, crazy movements rather than using magic?

    Setsuna¡¯s attacks kept on flowing smoothly. Low kick, roundhouse kick, backhand fist, head-butt, grab, elbow, jab, backhand fist, downward fist¡­ I don¡¯t have any time to breathe. I would¡¯ve been knocked out by the first strike if I didn¡¯t have Misha¡¯s footwork helping me out here.

    The damage I took from getting shook about was rtively light since I was avoiding her attacks with the minimum movement required, geeh¡­ uoh, I suddenly swayed backward there.

    There¡¯s a bit of distance between us. I started chanting the incantation for [Water] and¡ªugeh, I got interrupted. I don¡¯t actually have to chant anything, but I really don¡¯t want to show her that I don¡¯t need to. Faking the incantations is also out of the question since there¡¯s a chance that Setsuna might realize it.

    I barely finished stuttering out the incantation all the way and sent a water ball her way, but¡ª

    ¡°Ho¡ª¡±

    She easily burst it apart.

    I give up, there¡¯s nothing I can use. My head¡¯s all fuzzy, I need to breathe.

    Woah, my vision just went ck. Guhaaah. I just want to go unconscious and go to sleep right here.

    ¡°H-hah, c-can we stop here?¡±

    ¡°Eeeh? But it just started to get fun.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m at my limi¡ªwoah!¡±

    I lost my footing and fell backwards out of breath.

    ¡°¡ªKuh.¡±

    ¡°Take thi¡ª¡­!?¡±

    I grabbed the chest of Setsuna¡¯s clothes as she started swinging her fist down towards me with all I had, throwing her over me.

    Bang!

    It was so unexpected and beautifully done that you could call it a perfect [Full Point]. [1]

    ¡­ Come to think of it, there were moves like that too huh¡­

    ¡°Nkuu. You got me, Vige Chief-san. It really just looked like you were falling.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Y-yeah. It was just by chance¡­ Well, that should be enough.¡±

    ¡°I lost huh¡­ that¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve lost in this vige.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more like a draw. Rather, it¡¯s my loss. I can¡¯t even move anymore.¡±

    My breathing¡¯s already ragged. Meanwhile, Setsuna is still full of spirit. Moreover, it looks like she still has a trump card left over. I mean, she hasn¡¯t used any skills at all.

    I¡¯d definitely die from oxygen deprivation if we kept going. I should put a limiter or something on the clothes golem¡­

    Rather, I was thinking about going and losing at a reasonable spot there, but ended up not. Grah. No choice but to insist that it was my loss.

    ¡°No, you said you were as strong as a B-Rank and there¡¯s no doubting that. It¡¯s my loss, I give up.¡±

    ¡°No no, for Vige Chief-san to do such a great throw there at the end, you¡¯re strong.¡± [2]

    ¡°No no no, it¡¯s obvious that I can¡¯t even move anymore. It¡¯s myplete loss.¡±

    ¡°No no no no, it was my loss the moment you decided it with the throw.¡± [3]

    Both of us still on the ground, it somehow turned into a downward spiral of us each trying to lose to the other.

    ¡­ For this fight, the winner is the loser!

    ¡°Ah, then how about a draw?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright, let¡¯s agree on that.¡±

    ¡°We tied then! ¡ª Well, I still think that I¡¯m the one who lost though!¡±

    ¡°The heck, I¡¯m the one who thinks they lost! ¡ª Let¡¯s stop. We¡¯ll just do that all over.¡±

    ¡°Ahaha.¡±

    In the end, we agreed topromised and decided that it was a draw.

    ¡°Good work. As expected of Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°I said Vige Chief-san was strong, but your stamina is beyond abysmal. Are you injured anywhere?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­¡±

    Holding my body up, Meat handed me a cup of water. I moved my tired arm to take it from her and drank¡­

    Aah, that was great.

    At the very least, I figured out that I could use a good amount of Misha¡¯s martial arts. Looks like using it won¡¯t kill me.

    Of course, even if I were killed, I¡¯m transformed into [Myself], so I¡¯d be alright.

    Should I say I¡¯m relieved that it wasn¡¯t needed? I mean, I really don¡¯t want to try out dying.

    By the way, even if the thing I¡¯m transforming into is myself, I still suffer the ability restriction. It doesn¡¯t affect my physical ability, but I can¡¯t use things like my signature move, [Create Golem]. It¡¯s the same if I transform into other people too. I can¡¯t use most of their abilities at all.

    ¡°Hey, Kuro-senpai. Want to have a go? I lost to Vige Chief-san, so I¡¯m pretty pumped right now~¡±

    ¡°¡­ I ept. I won¡¯t lose this time.¡±

    Oi, we we tied!

    I retorted in my head.

    Meat faced off against Setsuna, her wooden knife made for mock fights held in her hands.

    And then a high level mock fight began.

    Slicing, sweeping, striking, dodging, kicking, getting hit, grabbing, twisting, throwing, repeating it all. Everything kept happening as even their positions switched back and forth. When I thought one was to the left, they were to the right. When I thought they were to the right, they were suddenly soaring upward. My eyes are spinning just from watching them.

    ¡­ I still haven¡¯t made any orichalcum joint supports for Meat yet though¡­

    I collected and used all of the orichalcum I¡¯d used in [White Beach] for my supports, but the orichalcum for Meat¡¯s will being from the orichalcum sword I got from [Father].

    (I finished the research and development of it during the Dungeon Battle¡¯s preparation phase, so I made it immediately.)

    Huh? Was I moving like that just a bit ago too? Seriously? No wonder I felt so dizzy.

    ¡°Fuh¡ª! Hyah!¡±

    ¡°Kuh, but¡­!¡±

    Just then, in the instant that Meat shed down towards Setsuna with her wooden knife, Setsuna broke the knife with her fist.

    ¡°Guess it¡¯s my win?¡±

    ¡°Kuh, I can still go.¡±

    Meat threw the broken knife towards Setsuna, running along the ground towards her with her remaining knife. There was a dull sound of something hard hitting flesh as they passed each other. The broken knife she¡¯d thrown at Setsuna dropped at Setsuna¡¯s feet.

    What just happened¡­?

    ¡°U-ugu¡­¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate. Almost, but not quite, Kuroinu-chan.¡±

    Meat crouched forward, her hand pressed against her head.

    Apparently, Meat tried to sh at her shin as she passed her, but it looks like rather than meeting her mark, she was knee¡¯d in the head. That looks painful.

    ¡°I lost¡­¡±

    ¡°Wanna have another go? I can keep on however long you want. I love strong children, soe at me!¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    Meat nced at me. I gently put my hand on Meat¡¯s head¡­ Ah, I can¡¯t use [Healing] either. [Super Transformation]¡¯s restrictions are pretty hash.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to head back to my room. Do what you want.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go too.¡±

    ¡°That so? Well then, Setsuna, let¡¯s stop here. Please practice with Kuro next time.¡±

    ¡°Muu, unfortunate. I¡¯ll let you go for today, but I¡¯ll definitely win against Vige Chief-san next time!¡±

    ¡°Well, you can just say you won already. I¡¯m tired, so I¡¯m going to head to bed. Night.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good~! We¡¯ll have a proper bout to decide it, night~!¡±

    I waved to Setsuna as I returned to my room.

    Ending [Super Transformation], I used [Healing] on Meat and myself. Aaah, that¡¯s so much better.

    Setsuna is generally strong. I don¡¯t know how strong Nayuta is, but she¡¯s very knowledgeable about alchemy.

    ¡­ I¡¯d like to keep these sisters as allies. They aren¡¯t unreasonable existences like the Hero or Rin, so I think I could handle them if something happens. At least, I think I could.

    Let¡¯s think about what to do with them while I sleep. I¡¯ve already done enough today, it¡¯s time to clock out.

    I wonder if I could use the godlyforter¡­ no, let¡¯s stop there. I¡¯m a child that can wait. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m just wanting to use muscle soreness and fatigue as an excuse to stay asleep or anything. It¡¯s also not like I felt a bit of chills there for a moment or anything.

    Footnotes:

    Judo reference: Ippon. [Full Point] is the most valuable judgement that can be awarded for any single action. It also means [Winning in One Blow]. Return

    She uses ¡®ippon¡¯ for ¡®great throw¡¯ in this line, but isn¡¯t using the Judo reference per se. It¡¯s more of a ¡®goody¡¯ for readers, from what I can tell. Couldn¡¯t find a way to make it transfer over into English as well, though. Return

    See 2.

 Chapter 204

    Peeping

    After enjoying herself in those mock fights, Setsuna headed back her room at the inn.

    Her work finished, Nayuta was waiting there.

    ¡°Oh, Onee-chan, did you have another mock fight? You have to use [Cleanup] or you¡¯ll just smell sweaty, you know?¡±

    ¡°Eeeeh? It takes so much though¡­ nnn~. Nayuta, you do it~¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. [Cleanup], [Cleanup], and one more, [Cleanup].¡±

    She used [Cleanup] like sshing her with water. Once she¡¯d used it three times, she waspletely clean.

    ¡°Onee-chan, who were you having the mock fight with? Kuroinu-senpai?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu, Vige Chief-san. Now I¡¯vepleted this vige¡¯s C-Ranks! I lost though. Tehehe.¡±

    ¡°¡­ For Onee-chan to lose¡­ what happened?¡±

    Seeing Setsuna smile awkwardly, Nayuta tilted her head to the side.

    Setsuna¡¯s ability was that of a B-Rank¡¯s, so she couldn¡¯t imagine her losing to a C-Rank adventurer, much less a C-Rank adventurer who was actually a D-Rank everywhere but at this dungeon. Just what sort of method did he use?

    ¡°Right, right, I straight up lost in a grappling match!¡±

    ¡°Grappling match!? Not a hand-to-hand fight? I heard it as a rumor from the vigers, but wasn¡¯t Vige Chief-san a swordsman?¡±

    ¡°Vige Chief-san himself said he was a mage. His stamina¡¯s definitely like a mage¡¯s, but his skill was like a first ss grappler¡¯s. He got super tired and looked dead tired but his movements didn¡¯t change at all, it felt like his body knew all of the movements and was moving from sheer willpower!¡±

    What Setsuna sensed was, in a certain way, very close to being correct.

    ¡°He does have ck hair and eyes, so maybe he does have Hero blood in him? Or maybe he¡¯s the Hero himself?¡±

    ¡°He reacted delicately to Onee-chan¡¯s boke, so the chances of it are pretty big. But then is that rank a rank from him hiding his identity? Or is it the pattern he¡¯s actually hiding his S-Rank? Then again, I can understand that Onee-chan lost if he is a Hero. Heroes have crazy physical strength and cheat-like skills given from god¡­ Did he train his body, or was that a skill? If it¡¯s a skill, with what sort of effect does¡ª¡± [1]

    ¡°Ahh, Nayuta? Are you done? My shift¡¯sing up soon.¡±

    ¡°Ah, whoops.¡±

    Nayuta stopped talking for a moment before taking a breath and starting again.

    ¡°¡­ So, what about Vige Chief-san¡¯s magic? He had to use something if he¡¯s a mage right?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm.¡±

    Setsuna thought back to the magic that Kehma used. The strong impression she got from other things from him overshadowed his magic, so even though she could remember it, it took a bit of time.

    ¡°He used [Water] a bit. I mean, it was a mock fight, so he only used it to distract me.¡±

    ¡°Heeh¡­ Well, shall we report that he¡¯s promising? He obviously knows other magic. He wouldn¡¯t be calling himself a mage if he only knew a single magic so¡ªah.¡±

    Nayuta realized she was starting to talk a lot again, so she decided to cut herself off there.

    ¡°Considering it was by chance, we came across quite a find, haven¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°¡­ By the way, I think that girl¡¯s a Toy after all.¡±

    ¡°Kuroinu-senpai? She really is abnormally strong for her age. Moreover, with her ck hair, eyes, ears, and brown skin¡­ the possibility of her being a Toy is extremely high.¡±

    ¡°If she is, what do we do?¡±

    Nayuta thought for a moment before responding.

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ll just report it for now and wait for further instruction. A little more intelligence gathering might be necessary.¡±

    ¡°Should we sent a message right away?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    Deciding to take a safe approach to it for now, Nayuta began to write a message. Setsuna decided to change into her maid outfit and head to work.

    *

    It looks like they had that sort of conversation.

    I asked Rokuko to have the menu¡¯s monitor function record it. The conversation happened when I was exhausted and sleeping, so it¡¯s already been over a day since it happened.

    I turned off the monitor since I didn¡¯t intend to peep on her changing clothes¡­ ah, was that already cut out? Yep. Rokuko¡¯s gotten able to think about stuff like that ahead of time hasn¡¯t she.

    Report, message¡­ and wait for instruction huh. Setting aside the bits about Heroes, what¡¯s this Toy thing? They said is was a high possibility Meat was one, but is that some title like Hero? Or is it more like an individual name? Meat can¡¯t remember her past much at all¡­ is it like that? I wonder if it has to do with that¡­ well, given her excellence, it might not be impossible.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, I¡¯d peeped at what the letter¡¯s contents were, but it really just looked like the activity report of adventurers staying safe. It wasn¡¯t even written in Japanese.

    However, I didn¡¯t know the other party¡¯s name. The letter turned into a bird when it was finished being written and flew off somewhere. A carrier pigeon? Looks like she used a magic tool, but that¡¯s amazing.

    ¡°What to do¡­ what to do¡­¡±

    Really, more and more I don¡¯t know what to do. The more info we get on them, the more the enigma deepens. Can¡¯t I just ignore it and get back to sleep?

    I¡¯ve pretty much finished my part in contacting them, so the next step is theirs. And since they¡¯re also waiting for instructions, we¡¯re all just waiting on standby. I¡¯ll have them tell me if some letter birdes flying in.

    I decided to observe them with the monitor.

    With a bit of searching, I found Setsuna waiting tables in the dining room. Her job was simple, she just epted order tickets from guests and brought them food made by Kinue-san. It looked like she¡¯d already gotten used to it her cheerful smile was popr among the guests too.

    ¡°Nkyuu, here¡¯s your D set meal~¡±

    ¡°Ohh, thanks Setsuna-chan. Ya busy tonight?¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, I might consider it if you win against me. Wanna have a mock fight?¡±

    ¡°Haha, there¡¯s no one in this vige that can beat Setsuna-chan. Even Kuro-chan lost against ya right? I mean, Kuro-chan¡¯s the strongest in the vige.¡±

    Setsuna generally treated the adventurer guests lightly, but she tilted her head in puzzlement over his statement.

    ¡°Eh? The strongest person in this vige is Vige Chief-san though?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Kuro-chan can¡¯t win against Kehma-san, but he¡¯s Kuro-chan¡¯s Goshujin-sama y¡¯know?¡±

    ¡°Vige Chief-san is strong. I lost against him.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    The dining hall suddenly burst into an uproar from Setsuna¡¯s remark.

    Other adventurers cut into the conversation. They¡¯d challenged Setsuna before¡ªrather, they were challenged by her¡ªand were promptly defeated.

    ¡°Oi hold up there, Kehma-san wasn¡¯t defeated, but defeated Setsuna-chan!?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t in gambling or wordy or something?¡±

    ¡°Yep, it was in a mock fight. He¡¯s strong¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Kehma-san, strong!? He¡¯s always sleeping though!¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, Vige Chief Kehma is this dungeon¡¯s top progresser¡­ right, there was talk about someone training Kuro-chan wasn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Hey, did he seriously win? Vige Chief-san¡­ like, judging from looks, even I could win against Vige Chief-san¡­¡±

    ¡°You could ask Kuro-senpai if you think I¡¯m lying? She was there~¡±

    All at once, everyone¡¯s gazes shot towards Meat Kuroinu, who worked there too.

    Meat answered by nodding¡­ However, even though there high chance that Meat would say anything that would favor me, since it was coupled with Setsuna herself saying that she lost, the trustworthiness of the news was high.

    ¡°Y-you were feeling sick right? Hey, were you having that once-a-month girl thing?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s sexual harassment! Mou, perv!¡±

    ¡°Hebuogu!?¡±

    Setsuna struck the guest with a bang.

    The now-wounded guest flew away.

    Though something at that level was just ying around to adventurers, so there was no problem. It¡¯d be quite a big problem if this were Japan though.

    ¡°Ah, sorry.¡±

    ¡°N-no, it was my bad. Ha, haha¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, I was in perfect condition. After fighting Vige Chief-san, I fought against Kuro-senpai again and won~¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose next time¡­¡±

    ¡°Hooh, I¡¯m ready any time!¡±

    The two held up their trays and locked eyes.

    It felt like sparks were flying between them.

    ¡°You two, your hands aren¡¯t working?¡±

    Kinue-san¡¯s voice came over from the kitchen, ending the topic there.

    However, the rumor that I won against Setsuna spread through the dining hall in no time, eventually making its way into the vige.

    ¡­ Crap. Even though we called it a tie, she¡¯s saying that she lost against me¡­

    However, Setsuna yed it out so naturally that it didn¡¯t look like she was scheming anything. Even if she was scheming something, what was her intention? To investigate the dungeon? Or maybe some investigation rted to Heroes? Or maybe it was like she said in the interview and is chasing the [ck Wolf]¡­? Come to think of it, what is that Toy thing? Is she looking for them?

    At any rate, if they¡¯re reporting to someone and are waiting for instructions, I¡¯ll figure something out by looking at it. Probably.

    In the end, I guess there¡¯s no choice but to wait and see how it ys out¡­

    Footnotes:

    Check this link for more info on boke.

 Chapter 205

    Some Renovation

    I decided to leave the mysterious sisters alone until they get their instructions.

    I thought about getting trying to get some information from Haku-san and Ontentoo, but unlike the time with Rin, this wasn¡¯t really so much of an emergency. It¡¯s better for me to collect information myself rather than owe them a debt. Let¡¯s set aside the conditions of someone¡¯s DP ie being 0, there¡¯s a good chance that this [Toy] thing has nothing to do with dungeons.

    And so I decided to mess around with the dungeon for the first time in a while.

    Let¡¯s check out how it¡¯s doing.

    Starting from the entrance is the entrance area,byrinth area, the empty former riddle area, the spiral staircase that heads down to the warehouse area, which the warehouse area then divides into three branches.

    The new riddle area leads to the arena and the boss room, the meadow area that¡¯s the dead-end campgrounds, and Feni¡¯s miniature garden area that heads towards the fire cavern that Rokuko made.

    By the way, there¡¯s a hidden ceiling in the boss room for the core room. Nerune¡¯sboratory is there too, but that¡¯s another story.

    Now then, let¡¯s renovate two spots this time.

    First is the warehouse.

    I¡¯ve been using it as a substitute for storage space so far, but there¡¯ll be adventurers making their way into it here soon, so that won¡¯t do anymore. With that being the case, I¡¯ll make a proper warehouse in a spot that no one wille to. [Warehouse Area (Real)]. It¡¯ll be a warehousepletely isted from the outside, just like the thug human farm I left to Rei¡­ Honestly, we don¡¯t even need that anymore. We have a pretty huge ie just from the vige. Besides, wouldn¡¯t it be increasingly unneeded with the next thing I¡¯m thinking about?

    With that, there¡¯s another thing I have my eye on. The riddle area. I¡¯m going to renovate it.

    The old riddle area turned into this after it was destroyed by Rin.

    There¡¯s no one there right now, so it¡¯s a good chance to do the renovations. I think I¡¯ll go with setting up the gimmick I thought up earlier.

    However, I¡¯m not going to be building something that will obstruct people. I¡¯ll be making a small room on the side of the passage and make it look like they found a secret passage. The reason it can¡¯t be too big of a room is because it was inadvertently positioned just next to [Fire Cavern]. Well, there are several ways I could describe the small room.

    It¡¯s a DP collection room.

    That is, even if I¡¯m calling it a DP collection room, it¡¯s not as though I¡¯m going to be killing people in it. It¡¯s basically a [Jail]. There will be several cells about the size of a toilet stall that could fit one or two people set up. By confining people there, their DP per day would increase to six times the normal due to the locked up and jail effects.

    So what will this jail be doing, you ask? I¡¯ll get adventurers to walk into it.

    There obviously wouldn¡¯t be people who¡¯d just walk into such a small and suspicious room, so I¡¯ll give them a reward.

    I¡¯ll repay their DP ie with with items and money. Just a small portion of it, though.

    If a person that¡¯s normally worth 50 DP is confined in the jail, they¡¯d be worth 300 DP per day. If they do that, I¡¯d still make a profit by spending around 100 DP of that for a silver coin. That¡¯d be like 10,000 Yen a day for doing nothing. Maybe it¡¯d be alright to just give them fifty copper, they¡¯ll just be sitting there doing nothing after all¡­? Actually, it might be better to give more as some kind of opening event.

    *

    With the renovations over, I brought Meat along as I went to give it a trial run.

    It wouldn¡¯t be a lie even if I reported it to the guild if I actually used it, so I have to go there myself.

    If no one knew how to use it, no one could use it. That disaster from back with Uzoh and Muzoh in the magic sword test room was plenty enough for me. Besides, this time, it¡¯ll be even harder to understand how to use than the test room. I¡¯ll need to report it.

    Destroying the wall that lead to the hidden room, I made my way to the DP collection room.

    The rooms were lined up like private toilet stalls. They were all jail cells, but I disguised them as ordinary doors to protect people¡¯s privacy.

    Moreover, although all of the rooms are vacant right now, a red symbol will appear on the doors of cells that are in use. Just like a toilet stall.

    ¡°Shall we head in?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    I entered a cell with Meat. The only things that were there were two hourss-type timers next to each other and the doors that would lock themselves through a mechanism. I also included a red button for emergencies as a measure of kindness.

    The items and money I set up behind the scenes will fall into the payment hole once the timer hits zero after enough time passes.

    Concerning their payment, something like a ¡®daily DP sensor¡¯ doesn¡¯t exist, so Rei and the others will have to do their best at manually doing it all behind the scenes. I say that, but since they won¡¯t be rewarding anything to those who stay less than twelve hours, they just need to check twice a day. The payment calction itself will also be easy enough since they can use the calctor golem whenever they aren¡¯t needing to help someone at reception. It¡¯ll normally reward money with a few items sprinkled in asionally.

    We have too much money at this point because of the inn. We¡¯re depositing the money in the guild, but we¡¯re never really going to use it.

    I turned the two hourss timers upside down. They were small, but there¡¯s a golem mechanism in ce so that they would take twelve hours to finish. Only one of the hoursses allow for sand to drop at a time, so it ends up being twenty-four hours by the end. If they want to stay longer, they can just flip thepleted hoursses over to go again.

    Everything I¡¯ve seen tells me that adventurers are horrible at remembering things if I make it tooplicated, so I made it as simple as possible.

    Right now I¡¯m nning on spending the next twenty-four hours in leisure as a test.

    Iid my futon out inside the private room. I designed it so that it would just barely fit. Then, Iid down with Meat as my hug pillow as usual.

    I¡¯ll eat some of the food that¡¯s in my [Storage] if I get hungry. Haaah¡­

    *

    Crap, there¡¯s no toilet¡­ this is a serious w.

    As expected, even I got woken up by Meat.

    I got Rokuko to collect it this time, but humans can¡¯t go without using the toilet for a full day¡­

    Should I put some sort of pot with a jelly in it to deal with that stuff in the room? Ah, crap. Jellies are monsters, so I can¡¯t put them in safety zones. What should I do about the restroom?

    ¡­ Should I remove the safety zone? Toilets are indispensable.

    For now, we took a toilet break and let twenty-four hours pass. Three silver coins dropped down into the payment hole located under the hoursses with a clinking noise at the same time that the door unlocked.

    Looks like the device is working properly¡­ By the way, this isn¡¯t taking me being here into ount. My daily DP is worth 0 after all.

    Let¡¯s get an adventurer¡¯s point of view on it now.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I made that kind of facility. Ichika-sensei, what do you think about it?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®-sensei¡¯¡­ Eh whatever, first off the money¡¯s bad. Wouldn¡¯t it better better for ¡¯em to just earn money like normal instead of going in there?¡±

    I got an immediate fail.

    Now that she mentions it, if they have the ability to make it past thebyrinth area, they¡¯d earn a lot more money by hunting iron golems.

    ¡°It¡¯d just be pocket money and gettin¡¯ locked up in such a small room would be horrible, let alone being alone for half a day¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ They could just sleep though?¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama¡¯s the only person who could sleep that much. Twelve hours is way too long. Ya can¡¯t get rid of the safety zone either, people wouldn¡¯t be able to be at ease in a dungeon without it.¡±

    ¡­ Now that she mentions it, I¡¯m fine with it since the ce is like my home, but for anyone else it¡¯d just be spending twelve hours in a dungeon, not knowing what or when something might happen.

    So they can¡¯t rest without the safety zone huh.

    ¡°I¡¯m stumped on the toilet part though.¡±

    ¡°For a toilet ya can just have a pot and use [Cleanup] on it.¡±

    ¡°Eh, that works? [Cleanup] is convenient.¡±

    [Cleanup] is seriously all-purpose. For it to even work for a toilet¡­

    ¡°Well, the earning¡¯s bad but if there¡¯s a jackpot kinda thing, it might work out. Goshujin-sama should know yeah? Like that time with the Uzoh Muzoh bros.¡±

    ¡°Should I use a de golem as bait?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Like bein¡¯ able to get a magic sword just by waitin¡¯ for half a day. That¡¯d make for a great story.¡ªIn fact, how ¡¯bout we trade for the magic sword with gold coins?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, Ichika. Are you some evil overlord?¡±

    ¡°Not as much as Goshujin-sama, kukuku~¡±

    Ichika and Iughed evily together.

    It¡¯d be a problem if we distributed too many magic swords and caused their value to drop, but that much wouldn¡¯t be a problem if we kept the demand high.

    Moreover, since the de golem is pretty close to an ordinary sword, it¡¯s pretty much a consumable item. It¡¯ll recover somewhat if magical power is poured into the magic stone in its core, but it¡¯s alright since it¡¯ll break sooner orter after doing it two or three times. From what I hear, there¡¯s a lot of other magic swords like that so it won¡¯t be a problem.

    And so I went to go report the new facility to the guild.

    That it would lock you up when you turn the hoursses over, but would let you out immediately if you pressed the red button.

    That you would obtain silver coins by waiting until the sand in the hourss finished falling.

    And that the two hoursses each took twelve hours to finish.

    With the above information, I earned ten silver.

    There was an investigationmission sent out from the guild the following day. Several adventurers headed to the DP collection room along with various items meant for killing time.

    As a result of the several-day-long investigation, it was recognized as a ¡°ce that would give money and items if you waited twelve or twenty-four hours¡±. It looks like one of them was even lucky enough to get a magic sword. It also looks like that guy went to buy food and immediately returned for a second go at it.

    The result of his second time? Twenty copper.

    After various things, the small room was dubbed the [Avarice Lodge]. There were a lot of people that slept through the whole twelve hours.

    Since there was a chance at getting a hold of a magic sword without even having to do anything, there were a lot of people who went there.

    It ended up turning into a facility that generated a decent amount of DP.

 Chapter 206

    Probing

    Several days passed.

    I was watching for that message birding back to the sisters, but it looks like the letter arrived through the guild instead.

    And the letter was this:

    [Please show this letter to the Vige Chief.]

    ¡­ They don¡¯t intend to hide it?

    Well, because of that, Nayuta was bringing the letter to me. Keeping Meat at my side, I met with her in the parlor with a table between us. Setsuna wasn¡¯t here since she was working.

    ¡°Vige Chief-san, a letter arrived from my client for you.¡±

    ¡°Nn? Nayuta¡¯s client¡­? Who? It¡¯s not Rokuko I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a long termmission. Wakoku¡¯s daimyo¡­ Ah, a daimyo is like an empire¡¯s emperor.¡±

    Wakoku. So it¡¯s showing up now¡­

    ¡°You two came from Wakuko?¡±

    ¡°Me? No, my name¡¯s definitely in Wakoku¡¯s style, but I¡¯m from somewhere else. They¡¯re just employing me.¡±

    ¡°Hoh¡­ so, what does Wakoku¡¯s daimyo want with me?¡±

    ¡°Maybe to scout you? I reported that you were strong after all.¡±

    Ah, she didn¡¯t hide that either. Isn¡¯t she actually pretty open about all this? She might even tell me a few things if I asked her directly.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, right right. Before that, could you check this out for a moment? I picked it up in the dungeon, but I don¡¯t know what it is.¡±

    Nayuta suddenly pointed a gun at me. It¡¯s a revolver-type pistol.

    She said she didn¡¯t know what it was, but she¡¯s pointing the muzzle at me with her finger on the trigger. My body jumped from the surprise.

    ¡­ Meat responded to my subtle reaction, standing in front of me as though to block the way. Man this girl¡¯s so awesome¡­

    ¡°Oh, you reacted? As I thought, you¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll happen if you suddenly send so much bloodthirst my way. And don¡¯t you actually know the way to use that thing? It feels like you¡¯re ustomed to it.¡±

    ¡°Mu, now that you mention it¡­¡±

    Nayuta took her finger off of the trigger and pointed the gun down.

    ¡­ By the way, I don¡¯t recall putting something like that into the dungeon. It¡¯s not even in the DP catalog in the first ce, so Nayuta definitely brought it along herself.

    Now that I¡¯m taking a closer look at the gun, isn¡¯t it odd? It¡¯s a revolver, but there¡¯s no hammer. Moreover, the revolver¡¯s cylinder is copper¡­ huh? There aren¡¯t any holes that should be there to load bullets into? Capped?

    I¡¯m not a gun maniac so I¡¯ve never seen a real gun in person, so I wouldn¡¯t be able tell if it¡¯s real or not if someone told me there was a gun like that.

    ¡°So, would you exin to me what caused you to send so much bloodthirst to your employer?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯ll go bald if you fuss on the details¡ªsorry Kuroinu-senpai please stop it with the knife on my neck sorry Vige Chief-san sorry for what I said sorry!¡±

    Yep, Meat closed the distance in an instant and held the knife up against her throat. As for her standing on the table to do it¡­ well, let¡¯s go with it being fine for this. Nayuta¡¯s holding up her arms like she¡¯s in a holdup. She even dropped her gun to the floor.

    ¡°Ah, yep. I¡¯m not going bald, I¡¯m still young. Well, it¡¯s all good¡­ Kuro, let her go. How about I read the letter from that daimyo person now?¡±

    I opened the letter.

    ¡­ A part of it is weird in that I can read it normally, but hey, isn¡¯t it written in Japanese? Sure, Japanese characters sh in my head as I read this world¡¯s writing, but I can only see this as Japanese. Honestly though, if I had to say, the handwriting looks great.

    Are they trying to see my reaction, or is there another reason? ¡­ I don¡¯t know.

    By the way, this is what the letter says:

    Dear Golen Vige¡¯s Vige Chief-sama,

    How is this vividly green season treating you? If you don¡¯t mind, would you pay a visit to Wakoku? I¡¯m certain that Nayuta must have done something rude, but as it was due to my instruction, she had no choice. If you are Japanese, I would absolutely love to speak with you. If the timees that you would pay a visit, we would shoulder all of the traveling expenses for you to do so. We have sashimi, soy sauce, and miso soup. [1]

    ¡­ A Japanese person? Really. Really now.

    This is a seriously troublesome person. Super troublesome.

    Alright, I decided. I saw nothing!

    For the time being, I can¡¯t read it.

    After turning the letter upside down, narrowing my eyes, flipping it over and scowling at it, I held it out to pass to Meat.

    ¡°Hmph, Kuro. Can you read it?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Vige Chief-san, you can¡¯t read the characters?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not too good at reading and writing. So, how about it, Kuro? Can you?¡±

    ¡°Umm, Goshujin-sama. This letter appears to be written in unreadable characters.¡±

    As a result of her education, Meat¡¯s able to read the lettersmonly used in this world. In other worlds, this is probably written in Japanese after all. Wakoku has a lot of mysteries to it.

    Come to think of it, didn¡¯t Wataru end up heading over to Wakoku? Let¡¯s ask him about it next time he¡¯s here.

    ¡°That so? Well, if those characters aren¡¯t from around it, it¡¯s natural I couldn¡¯t read it either then.¡±

    I tried to appeal that my inability to read it wasn¡¯t because I was stupid¡­ was I a bit too forceful about it there?

    ¡°So, what¡¯s it say? You can read it, right Nayuta?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Hmm, it¡¯s about scouting you out after all. It¡¯s talking about the conditions for being employed, it even looks like the annual sry¡¯s a thousand gold! That¡¯s as much as an A-Rank adventurer.¡±

    I doesn¡¯t say anything about a thousand gold ie anywhere though? Guess they worked that out beforehand.

    Oh right. I saw nothing. I read nothing.

    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m this vige¡¯s Vige Chief, so I have responsibilities. I¡¯ll have to refuse¡­ I¡¯m not troubled by money either though, and most of all it stinks of something shady.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too bad, I thought it¡¯d be fun if you were a coworker. Ah, Kuro-senpai got an invitation too?¡±

    ¡°If Goshujin-sama refuses, so do I.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I get it. Well, I¡¯ll write back saying you refused then.¡±

    Her hand waving, Nayuta responded as though it were trivial.

    Looks like decided that I saw nothing was the right answer. Booyah.

    ¡°Incidentally, could you give me a closer look at that item? You said you got it from the dungeon, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen it. I¡¯d like to check it out as the Vige Chief, even buy it if I could.¡±

    I touched on the subject of that gun.

    When I said ¡®buy it¡¯, Nayuta¡¯s tail sprung up.

    ¡°Ah~, sorry. To be honest, this is something I made myself. Me getting it from the dungeon was a lie.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, handmade? It looks like a weapon, is it a magic tool?¡±

    ¡°¡­ As you guessed, it¡¯s a magic tool weapon. It¡¯s something I tried reproducing from the world of the Heroes. Its strength, currently¡­ well, it¡¯s basically a kid¡¯s ything.¡±

    Saying that, she shot the gun towards the wall. With a sound that feltcking, something lightly struck the wall with a sound that sounded much like as if a small pebble hit it.

    ¡­ When I looked at it, the conical bullet looked like a dart. Bullets weren¡¯t this shape right? They should be more aerodynamic. Moreover, judging by the feeling of this, it¡¯s iron, not lead. Heeeh.

    ¡°The real thing seems to be something that fires bullets through an explosion though. It didn¡¯t shoot like I¡¯d nned when I tried making it as a magic tool, so it¡¯s not even strong enough to stick to wood doors. It¡¯d be bad if it got you in the eye though¡­ Honestly, it¡¯d be stronger to just throw the bullet. Haah¡­ I wonder if I shoulde at it from some other way?¡±

    It¡¯s apparently something that came about through Nayuta¡¯s own trial and error.

    Looks like she wasn¡¯t told much about guns and gunpowder. The looks of it surprised me though.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re reproducing magic tools from the heroes¡¯ world? Well, if it¡¯s something that originally has enough power to be a weapon, I¡¯m sure their world has developed their understanding of magic considerably.¡±

    ¡°Huh? It¡¯s the opposite. Their world doesn¡¯t have magic at all.¡±

    ¡°Really now? Then how are you having it explode?¡±

    ¡°The materials don¡¯t exist. It¡¯s just reproducing the looks¡­ uumu, I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to a Hero about it, Vige Chief-san, do you know a Hero?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I do.¡±

    When I said that, Nayuta shot forward, leaning over the table.

    ¡°¡­ Um, could you introduce me? I¡¯ll pay for the referral fee!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to him the next time he¡¯s here.¡±

    It¡¯s about time Hero Wataru will be heading over to make a payment on his debt.

    Apparently, Haku-san forced him to take an absurd job thatsted the entire duration of the Dungeon Battle. Incidentally, I had him pay the payment he¡¯d miss by not being able toe here in advance.

    She¡¯d meet him at reception or while waiting on tables either way, so it¡¯s not like I¡¯ll be asking her for a referral fee though.

    Footnotes:

    Note that Wakoku is written in kanji in the letter. The daimyo also refers to themselves as [Watashi (feminine/polite ¡®I¡¯)].

 Chapter 207

    Magic Tools Shopping

    The weather that day was great.

    Nayuta and Setsuna had a request for Rokuko and I, so we met with them.

    I was using [Super Transformation] while we met with them just in case. It¡¯s pretty cowardly even for me, but oh well. My life¡¯s important. I couldn¡¯t sleep anymore if I¡¯m dead. I don¡¯t ept death as sleep.

    Rokuko was defenseless, so I¡¯ll be a meatshield in case of an emergency. I basically have an extra life due to [Super Transformation] after all.

    ¡°Rokuko-sama, Vige Chief-san. Today¡¯s our day off¡­ but could we sell stuff to adventurers in the dining room!?¡±

    Setsuna spoke with a rather energetic voice. It¡¯s not her work hours right now, so she¡¯s in her gym outfit.

    ¡°Sure? I don¡¯t really mind, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Wait wait Rokuko. Let¡¯s see what you want to sell first. What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s stuff that Nayuta made through alchemy. We were thinking about what we could use for the Hero¡¯s information fees, so we wanted to earn some change.¡±

    Nayuta¡¯s alchemy, huh? In this world, alchemy means using tools to carve magic formations and making magic tools. Selling magic tools directly is rather lucrative.

    ¡°Could I buy that gun from earlier for a gold coin?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Huh? What should I do Nayuta, sell it?¡±

    ¡°That bang banger eh¡­ hmmm, I don¡¯t really want to sell an unfinished product though.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be alright if it was as a toy?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Let me think about it please. I¡¯ll sell it if we don¡¯t sell much this time.¡±

    Honestly, it¡¯d just be a toy even if I bought it, so it¡¯s perfect. Besides, me offering a gold coin for it¡¯s nothing but indulging in something interesting. It might even give me something good and it¡¯s not like I¡¯mcking in money either.

    ¡°More importantly what are you selling specifically? Show me, show me.¡±

    ¡°Various things, Owner. Take this for example, a Smoke Ball. Smoke billows out of it when it is struck against the ground, producing a smokescreen. It is quite cheap at just one silver!¡±

    Oh, a disposable smokescreen for 10,000 Yen? It looks pretty small, around the size of a ping pong ball.

    Rather, why are you speaking to her so civilly, Nayuta? Eh, is it that? The politenguage given only to your employer? Do you not recognize me as your employer?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t a silver coin for a disposable item a bit expensive?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, the conditions needed forbining things into this for the smokescreen are pretty strict. To the point that it¡¯d be good if Onee-chan sessfully makes one out of ten tries. The wind magic formation that causes the smokescreen is hard. But it¡¯s really useful for when you need to escape from an enemy. Buying your life for a single silver is cheap right?¡±

    Well, buying your life for a single silver is pretty cheap, yeah.

    ¡°So, does it work against Golems?¡±

    ¡°Yep. There¡¯s bone dust with magical power in it mixed into the Smoke Balls in order to deal with monsters that can perceive things through magic, like Golems. There¡¯s a deodorizing effect to deal with smells as well, so it¡¯s usable in most cases.¡±

    So it¡¯s like chaff? It really is useful, seeing as it can be used in so many situations. [1]

    ¡°There is also this Water Ball. Well, it is simr to a jug magic tool in that it can replenish your water. Wateres out from the hole when you press this button. You could put it in a cup or drink it directly.¡±

    ¡°Hey, have you figured out a price for this one?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ it is a striking five silver coins!¡±

    By the way, a jug magic tool is around three silver. And she¡¯s back to speaking politely for Rokuko yet again.

    ¡°That¡¯s pretty expensive.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because making so small is hard. But it being this small makes it convenient since it won¡¯t keep you from bringing other luggage. We have a sk-type as well, but it¡¯s four silver.¡±

    It¡¯s also about the size of a ping pong ball. I guess it is pretty smallparatively? The sk-type would also be convenient given a suitable situation.

    ¡°There is also this Fire Ball, meant for offensive uses. It will turn into a ball of fire three seconds after pressing the button. This one is one silver for three. It is a magical fire, so it is effective against ghost-types as well.¡±

    A timed ignition device¡­ that seriously is convenient. It could even be a trump card for warriors that can¡¯t use magic.

    It¡¯d be meaningless for me since I can use magic, but maybe I should give buying it a shot?

    ¡°There is also this Quiver Ball, it can be used to give massages. When you press this button here, you can ce it against your shoulders. It feels quite refreshing. I was inspired by the massage chair here and made it.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, its pink color is so cute!¡±

    ¡°I am greatly happy that it pleases you, Owner. Ah, this one is three silver coins.¡±

    This one¡¯s also ping pong ball sized. Rather, why¡¯s everything ping pong ball size?

    When I started thinking about that, Nayuta grinned.

    ¡°Huhuhu, did you notice? This is the concept of having a standard, improving its usability through keeping the sizes equal. You can attach five of your preferred balls onto this Ball Holder¡ªsold separately! Their different colors make them easily distinguishable. I¡¯ll throw in a free holder if you buy ten balls now!¡±

    ¡°Hoooh. You¡¯ve thought a bit about this.¡±

    It¡¯s just like those mail-order salesmercials.

    ¡°There¡¯s even more too! This Sand Ball can produce white and ck sand. It is good for taking notes on the floor when you need to puzzle your way through a riddle. This Breath Ball can be used for breathing underwater. You could even use it in ces where the air is thin, like mountains. In addition to those, there¡¯s this Sweet Ball. It tastes sweet when you lick it. However, as it isn¡¯t as though it will fill your stomach, it is only at most rmended to use it by supplementing your emergency food rations. Or perhaps you have a sweet tooth and don¡¯t want to grow fat? These are my works of art!¡±

    With that, she took out various balls of different colors.

    They were interesting, so I decided to buy one of each. I¡¯m earning enough to make this kind of shopping possible, I even got two holders as a bonus.

    ¡°Well, they look like they¡¯ll sell well. That Sweet Ball in particr. It¡¯d be amusing if it had other tastes in it as well though.¡±

    ¡°This one¡¯s an original I came across while researching magic formations after all. When Onee-chan was licking the te I¡¯d carved a magic formation into, I thought she¡¯d finally gone crazy¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey! You owe your super find to me!¡±

    ¡°In truth, this one is the best seller. Thanks, Onee-chan.¡±

    When I tried licking it, it was faint, but it certainly was sweet.

    Seeing as how this world puts a huge price on sweetness, I¡¯m convinced that this sells well.

    ¡°Kehma, let me try it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, here.¡±

    I tossed the Sweet Ball I licked over to her¡­ Ah, Rokuko turned red. Right. So this is the ¡®indirect kiss¡¯ huh.

    ¡°Alright, hand it back here for a moment.¡±

    ¡°I refuse! It¡¯s mine!¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯m the one that bought it¡­¡±

    ¡°You bought it with the inn¡¯s money, so it¡¯s mine.¡±

    So that¡¯s what she¡¯s going with¡­ Well, she looks happy for some reason, so I guess it¡¯s fine?

    ¡°Huhuhu, Owner really is on good terms with Vige Chief-san. So, Owner, I¡¯d like to show you something to you alone¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoh¡­ let¡¯s do it!¡±

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t go alone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, we can trust Nayuta. It¡¯s okay if you leave!¡±

    And now Rokuko¡¯s 100% ensnared. How the heck¡­

    ¡°But right now I¡¯m also acting as Rokuko¡¯s guard. I can¡¯t leave Rokuko defenseless.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be nice if we could say that our employer can trust us¡­ Right now, we¡¯re also adventurers that are employed by Owner. It¡¯ll be alright since we¡¯re there, right?¡±

    ¡°Employees and guards are different roles.¡±

    ¡°Huhun, I understand that you¡¯re worried about your partner, but his it women¡¯s talk for women. Could you not show restraint? Well, in this case is¡­¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡­! Un, Kehma, it¡¯s alright. If you have to, call for Ichika okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh well then.¡±

    I called for Ichika and had her be Rokuko¡¯s guard.

    ¡°¡­ Ichika, don¡¯t be cajoled by them alright?¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama. Aren¡¯t ya worryin¡¯ too much?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an order.¡±

    Additionally, it looks like the magic tools Nayuta sold did pretty well.

    ¡­ But what was that thing they sold to Rokuko only? She bought whatever it was in the end.

    It was three gold coins.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama. Make sure ya tell Rokuko-sama she¡¯s gotten prettier ¡®kay?¡±

    Ah, it was a beauty product. Yep, got it.

    Footnotes:

    Read this for more information on chaff.

 Chapter 208

    Introductions

    The Debt Hero Wataru arrived.

    As promised, I decided to introduce Nayuta to Wataru. I set it up with a casual setting. There weren¡¯t any problems.

    ¡°P-pleased to meet you! M-my name¡¯s Nayuta!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Setsuna~¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you both, I¡¯m Wataru Nishimi. The empire¡¯s Hero.¡±

    With that, Nayuta and Setsuna were sitting in front of Wataru at a table for four in the dining room. It wasn¡¯t meal time, so there weren¡¯t any other guests there.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, I heard a bit about you two from Kehma-san, but you two are from Wakoku, right?¡±

    ¡°Y-yes. T-that¡¯s why, I want to ask Wataru-san, a hero, so many things! Umm, w-we¡¯ll pay for the information, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, don¡¯t worry about it. Instead, I¡¯d like to ask you a few things about Wakoku back.¡±

    And I¡¯ll be getting information by attending them in thest seat. Information GET¡­ Well, it¡¯s not like I have to be here either way. I¡¯m just here in the off chance the topic turns to me and they notice something. That¡¯d be serious.

    ¡°Wakuko has cherry blossoms, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it does. There are trees that bloom with pink flowers in the spring.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so they bloom in the spring after all. Then maybe it¡¯d be better to go in the spring¡­ well, I don¡¯t have enough leisure to put off my work like that until my debt¡¯s paid off.¡±

    ¡°Debt?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, around two thousand gold coins¡­ I¡¯m paying it back in payments, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, we¡¯d shoulder the loan if you became Wakoku¡¯s Hero¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m indebted to Haku-san¡­ even now, she¡¯s introducing me to so much work that earns me praises.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that Heroes possess such a strong sense of duty¡­¡±

    Nayuta sighed. I don¡¯t think Setsuna understood too well, but she was smiling.

    ¡°Hey hey, wanna have a mock fightter? I¡¯m suuuper interested in strong people.¡±

    ¡°Haha,ter sure. By the way, what else is there in Wakoku?¡±

    ¡°Umm, there¡¯s miso and soy sauce.¡±

    ¡°It was a bit scary eating raw fish, but that sashimi was really good.¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ As expected of Wakoku. Is there sake too?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t any ginjo, but there¡¯s shochuu. It can¡¯t be called Japanese sake since it doesn¡¯t use rice, but it could be called Wakoku sake¡­ ah, but I heard that rice was discovered recently. That¡¯s why we came to the Raverio Empire, to investigate it. From the looks of it, growing it is easy enough, there just needs to be the rice itself to grow.¡± [1]

    ¡°Eh? There wasn¡¯t any rice in Wakoku?¡±

    Ah, crap. Come to think of it, I said there was, didn¡¯t I¡­

    ¡°Hey, wasn¡¯t there something more important you wanted to ask the Hero¡ª¡±

    ¡°From what we heard, our employer¡¯s only gotten a hold of a very small amount of what was discovered in the Raverio Empire. Unfortunately, the Mikado was only presented a preprocessed version¡ªah, the Mikado is the most important person in Wakoku, a descendants of the Hero that founded Wakoku.¡±

    I tried to interrupt casually but failed. Nayuta isn¡¯t paying any attention to me at all, oi.

    ¡°Mikado¡­ I see, Mikado (Emperor), huh. So Wakoku was a country established by a Japanese¡­ so that¡¯s why it¡¯s name is Wakoku¡­¡±

    ¡°And when the Mikado was shown the rice, it was unmistakably the real thing. Reproducing Japan is Wakoku¡¯s number one goal. An edict to investigate the area that produced it and obtain seeds came out. Ah, that¡¯s a state secret.¡±

    ¡°Haah, I get it. So, for that rice¡­ ah, is it alright for me to ask about it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s supposed to be kept a secret¡­ but we¡¯re currently seeking even a trickle of information about it, so spreading it¡¯s alright.¡±

    You sure about doing that with a national secret?

    I wanted to tilt my head.

    ¡°Then about that rice¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hey, Wataru. Wouldn¡¯t that former hero that was able to build a country be a clue for your goal of returning to Japan?¡±

    I promptly interrupted. By the way, there hasn¡¯t been any rice appearing in the set meals recently, not even for the A set meal. We still have a lot of the wheat we bought tost through the winter, so we¡¯ve been using that. Thanks to that, it looks like Nayuta didn¡¯t realize that this inn used to have rice. She would¡¯ve asked about it if she knew.

    ¡°Eh? Ah, Kehma-san didn¡¯t know? Hero summoning crosses through time. The Food God, Hero Ishidaka-san, was a person from about the same time period as me judging by the cuisine he poprized, so the flow of time here¡¯s different.¡± [2]

    Eh, really? Feels like I¡¯m just now hearing about something really important.

    ¡°Rice is more important than that though, Kehma-san! It looks like there¡¯s no rice in Wakoku!? Hey Kehma-san, I need to talk to you about¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright, hold up. Sorry, but I need to borrow Wataru for a moment. C¡¯mon.¡±

    ¡°Eh, w-what¡¯s wrong, Kehma-san?¡±

    I got out of my seat and pulled on Wataru. I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t see Nayuta re at me like I got in her way.

    ¡°Keep quiet about you and I being the ones to bring rice to the empire, alright?¡±

    ¡°Eh, but¡­ don¡¯t the people of Wakoku really want rice? Let¡¯s share.¡±

    ¡°Stupid, that¡¯s exactly why. That¡¯s why we can sell it for more. Supply and demand, it¡¯s themon sense for a merchant. I¡¯ll add to your debt if I get a loss due to your careless remarks. Be prepared to pay a hundred gold a month until you die if you say anything¡­ yeah?¡±

    ¡°Uuu, the heck man¡­ why¡¯s my weakness (money) being seized even though I¡¯m a Hero¡­ but then, Kehma-san, where did you get the rice?¡±

    ¡°You think I¡¯d tell you with that loose mouth of yours? Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I understand. I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡±

    I returned to my seat after finishing my talk with Wataru. Sitting here with him was the right choice after all.

    ¡°¡­ Even if you¡¯re looking for rice, I can¡¯t help at all. Maaan, sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°Vige Chief-san? Just what did you¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Now, didn¡¯t you have something you wanted to ask the Hero? Go ahead and ask.¡±

    ¡°Ummm, well, excuse my discourtesy, but please take a look at this.¡±

    With a nk, Nayuta put her handmade revolver on the table. I guess she didn¡¯t want to seem threatening like how it was against me since she knew he was a Japanese?

    ¡°Nn? It looks like a gun¡­ but what is this?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to reproduce a weapon from the world of heroes. I¡¯d like to get your opinion on it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see, so you¡¯re trying to reproduce guns. What for?¡±

    ¡°My hobby!¡±

    ¡°Your hobby¡­¡±

    Her hobby was a troublesome answer.

    So I decided to interrupt.

    ¡°By the way, Wataru. Concerning the gun, it appears that the only information written about them is their appearance and that they propel bullets through explosions. It seems that the means of the explosion itself isn¡¯t understood¡­ I wonder why the Hero from that time decided to leave out the rest of the data?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah¡ªright, he was concerned about the existence of guns destroying the culture, so he only left information about how to defend against them without being able to make them¡­!? Kuh, then considering that, I¡­ can¡¯t say anything further concerning guns! Sorry, Nayuta-san¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, umm¡­ yeah, oi, Vige Chief-san? Could you please leave if you¡¯re just going to get in the way?¡±

    This blonde dog eared girl just called me a hindrance.

    ¡°I¡¯m doing the introducing, what would you do if I weren¡¯t here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be getting information from him now wouldn¡¯t I!?¡±

    ¡°Wataru, could you use the backyard to have that mock fight with Setsuna?¡±

    ¡°Hero-san, let¡¯s fight! Fight!¡±

    When I brought up the matter of having that mock fight against Wataru as I ignored Nayuta, Setsuna took the bait as nned.

    ¡°Y-yeah. It¡¯s fine with me. I mean, I wasn¡¯t able to give much helpful information after all.¡±

    Wataru answered while looking at Setsuna¡¯s swaying breasts.

    But that girl, she doesn¡¯t just have a top part. She has a bottom thing too.

    I didn¡¯t say it though.

    ¡°¡­ You look like you¡¯re enjoying yourself, huh~?¡±

    Nerune violently put her wooden cup down on the table. A little of the water in it spilled onto the table¡­e to think of it, today was Nerune¡¯s waitress shift, wasn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Eh, ah, no! You¡¯re wrong, Nerune-san!¡±

    ¡°Wrong about what~? Fufufu~, you don¡¯t need to worry about me though~?¡±

    ¡°Are you mad? You¡¯re mad at me aren¡¯t you!¡±

    ¡°Hero-sama~, do you like them big~?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it¡ª¡±

    ¡­ Huh? Nerune¡¯s reacting like she¡¯s jealous over something. When did you guys get into that kind of a rtionship?

    Nerune diverted her eyes for a moment. Following her gaze, Rei was over there with her thumb up in the air with a triumphant look.

    So that was it? Her mming the cup on the table a second ago was at Rei¡¯s suggestion. A performance.

    ¡°Oi, Wataru. Even though you confessed to Rokuko, now you¡¯re making a move on our young miss? That¡¯s some nerve you have there, oi.¡±

    ¡°Eh, no, I was just a bit excited by our magic discussion, I¡¯m not guilty of anything yet¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yet? Then you were nning on doing something in the future¡­? Guest-saaan? That¡¯s troubling, we aren¡¯t that kind of inn though?¡±

    ¡°T-t-t-t-that¡¯s not what I meant! I¡¯ve just been talking about magic with Nerune-san¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s nothing~. I¡¯m only interested in the magic Hero-sama knows~. No more, no less~¡±

    Ah, Nerune¡¯s true intentions. I can vaguely see them as the Dungeon Master, but that¡¯s her honest intentions. This girl is seriously only interested in magic. She¡¯s not a monster called Apprentice Witch for nothing.

    And so after various things, it was decided that he would bring her some magic scrolls next time as a present.

    Well done.

    I held my thumb up towards Rei in praise.

    Footnotes:

    Ginjo-shu (Ò÷á|¾Æ) (at least 40% of rice polished away; with or without alcohol added; if bottle isbeled Ginjo, it means distilled alcohol was added; ifbeled Junmai Ginjo, it means no alcohol added). Sh¨­ch¨± (Ÿ†ôü?) is a Japanese distilled beverage less than 45% alcohol by volume. Shochuu is not a sake. Ginjo is. Return

    Note that Ishidaka was summoned a long while before Wataru. Also note that it seems that Keima¡¯s question hinted that the ancient hero managed to leave behind something that allowed his descendants to get info from Japan, thus why they were aware of modern Japanese culture, and that could be a clue to sending Wataru back.

 Chapter 209

    Wataru¡¯s Side of Things

    The mock fight ended in Wataru¡¯splete victory.

    ¡°Well, if you can get me out of this circle, it¡¯ll be your win. If you win, I¡¯ll tell you something good in secret behind Kehma-san¡¯s back.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Wataru?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, it¡¯s alright. I won¡¯t lose.¡±

    Having five matches, as he said, he never stepped out of the ring of approximately one meter in radius.

    In the first match, Setsuna got hit head-on and rolled backwards on the ground.

    In the second match, she was thrown high into the sky and got caught in a princess carry.

    In the third match, without even a slight movement, she was tripped up and was sent rolling away.

    In the fourth match, he easily avoided Setsuna¡¯s fierce assault in the circle and ced his sword against her neck at some point.

    In the fifth match, he suddenly seized Setsuna¡¯s head with his arm¡­ unable to move, she surrendered.

    It looks like the Hero got that strong in the four years of serious training he did. And he¡¯s still improving.

    ¡­ I wondered if he might be a good reference for the golems, but there¡¯s no way. Their levels are just way too different.

    ¡°Ah, would Kehma-san like to have a mock fight as well?¡±

    ¡°Haha, do you even think I could win?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten strong right? I can tell. How should I say this¡­ you have a ¡®something¡¯ trying to hide about you!¡±

    The heck do you mean ¡®something¡¯? At least say something with a feeling like atmosphere or aura.

    In truth, I have [Super Transformation Lv3] on me so I probably have gotten stronger as a hero, but as expected of Wataru to see through that. Ah, it might also be because of the clothes golem¡¯s enhancement.

    ¡°Nkyuu! I want to see Vige Chief-san and Hero-sama fight!¡±

    ¡°Right, I¡¯d like to see Vige Chief-san get kicked a few times.¡±

    ¡°See? Setsuna-san and Nayuta-san said so too. We can even go with the same rules.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright, then could I use a weapon?¡±

    ¡°Sure, go for it.¡±

    And so I went to prepare my weapon.

    I brought my futon. Laying out a cloth, I ced my futon on top of it.

    ¡°Um. Your weapon?¡±

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s start this mock fight, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Eh, the heck are you doing!? Hey!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Well, good night then.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    I crawled into my futon¡­ Yep, this mock fight has a fatal loophole.

    There¡¯s no defeat conditions for me at all.

    In other words, I can go to sleep right next to Wataru, ignore him and even go back home. So long as I don¡¯t acknowledge my defeat, it¡¯s not my defeat.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. Feel free to let me know whenever you can¡¯t take it anymore and need to use the bathroom. But it¡¯ll be your loss the moment you take a step out of that circle. You know what? I¡¯m good to keep this mock battle going till you starve.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a mock fight at this point! Aaah mou, I get it, rule change!¡±

    ¡°Nn? What¡¯re you saying. The rules will stay. Why¡¯re you trying to change them on your own? You epting your loss?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s my loss! Kehma-san¡¯s mean!¡±

    With that, I won the mock battle against Wataru.

    But even though he admitted defeat, Wataru wasughing. Did he hit his funny bone or something?

    ¡°Vige Chief-san, I don¡¯t think that¡¯s what you should¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°¡­ My opinion of you has raised a little.¡±

    Setsuna was obviously unsatisfied by it since she was expecting an intense fight, but it got surprisingly good results from Nayuta. I was probably raised from being scrap, though.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯d win against you if we went head on. I¡¯d be a joke.¡±

    ¡°It really looked like you just intended on sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Meying out my futon right in front of him was to get him to give up quickly. If I did it seriously, I would¡¯ve went back to sleep and wait for you to leave the circle.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ so then could you start over and do the mock fight normally?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t wanna.¡±

    I¡¯m a mage in the first ce. I¡¯m not recognized much as one since I don¡¯t use magic in front of people though. I don¡¯t even go out in public much after all.

    ¡°Then how about you attack with magic? I won¡¯t attack back. If you can put me out of the ring in a minute, it¡¯ll be your win. How about it?¡±

    ¡°Refused. I¡¯ll be taking my win and leaving.¡±

    Wataru persistently tried to change the rules, by magic is a mage¡¯s trump card. It¡¯s not like I¡¯d easily expose my hand to adventurers who aren¡¯t even my party members.

    And even if I used [Create Golem] to flip him over like I did with Misha, Wataru could just take advantage of the rules that allowed him to move within the circle and trample the golem. Rather, this Hero¡­ can he fly?

    ¡°Eh? Aren¡¯t we bonding? I want us to get closer, that¡¯s why I¡¯m reducing my debt.¡±

    ¡°Then how about I double the debt amount as interest? Maybe I will. I mean, that way, our rtionship will double.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, please spare me from that¡­¡±

    Wataru bowed spontaneously.

    It was mostly a joke to start with, so let¡¯s forgive him.

    Seeing us talk to each other like that, Nayuta was frowning like she¡¯d eaten something bitter.

    ¡°¡­ Even though Heroes are existences that should inspire fear and awe¡­ no, maybe this Hero-sama is a special case¡­? Or perhaps Vige Chief-san is.. un, Vige Chief-san is suspicious. Setting everything else aside, Vige Chief-san is beyond suspicious.

    ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not something you should say right in front of someone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m saying it so that you¡¯ll hear it.¡±

    Tentatively, I¡¯m the most famous person in the vige. The vige chief.

    ¡°You¡¯re a figurehead, right? I know Rokuko-sama¡¯s background. As well as how Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma-san handles everything himself.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s background¡­ as a Dungeon Core? No, it¡¯s gotta be about her being the empire¡¯s head¡¯s (Haku-san¡¯s) little sister.

    So Rokuko is the most famous person in the vige. I see.

    I¡¯d heard that beastkin were fussy about pecking order, but it¡¯s like that? I¡¯m at a pretty low spot in Nayuta¡¯s mind? So that¡¯s why she¡¯s been talking to me with that sort of attitude.

    She reported that I was strong to the point of being a good match against Setsuna, so although I should¡¯ve been¡ªwhat was it, [Promising]? Well, although I should be that, what kind of evaluation criteria did Nayuta have for me to be so low in her books? Maybe it¡¯s more about ingenuity than battle prowess?

    Maybe it¡¯s because it looks like I just sleep everyday and eat delicious food without doing anything? I even recently refused Gozoh¡¯s invitation for preparing for an emergency after all. I was sleeping though. [1]

    Well, I decided to leave Nayuta alone and ask Wataru something.

    ¡°By the way, Wataru. Why Nerune? You could get anyone you want as a Hero.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s just it. I¡¯m a Hero. Women either draw close to me because of my title or stay away like I¡¯m some monster. Then it turns into stuff like marriage fraud by some country¡¯s spy¡­¡±

    Wataru had a distant look to him. Heroes have it pretty tough, huh.

    As he said the word ¡®spy¡¯, Setsuna¡¯s tail twitched. Anyone other than me would¡¯ve missed it.

    And with her having Wakoku¡¯s confidential information¡­ so it¡¯s like that? Looks like her identity suddenly offered itself up on a silver tter.

    ¡­ Hmm? But thinking about it more, didn¡¯t she practically say she was a spy? She even said that her employer was Wakoku¡¯s Daimyo. Is it alright for her to actually say that?

    ¡°On that point, this inn is nice! I¡¯m not treated any differently and it¡¯sfortable like when I was in Japan! Kehma-san even looks Japanese-ish, so I practically want to just live here.¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re an M?¡± [2]

    ¡°I¡¯m not! But you, Rokuko-sama and Nerune-san all just talk to me, not caring about my title¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡±

    Seeing his lonely expression, it¡¯s pretty hard for me to say anything in response.

    This guy¡­ so he had a lonely attribute to him? Maybe I should go a bit easier on him¡­

    ¡°Also, Kehma-san¡¯s the first person to beat me in a mock fight since I debuted as a hero!¡±

    ¡°Oi cut it out. Don¡¯t go off saying that I beat a Hero or anything.¡±

    ¡°I knew you¡¯d find it troublesome, Kehma-san, that¡¯s just like you. I won¡¯t say anything. Ah, but in exchange, about my debt¡­¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be reducing it at all. That¡¯s thepensation for wagering Kuro.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I will pay it off with everything I have.¡±

    Right then, he bowed and gave a true apology.

    It might be a bitte to think about it, but he even sent his dignity as a Hero to the wind, huh.

    ¡­ Or did he not have it from the start?

    Footnotes:

    I don¡¯t recall ever seeing that invitation¡­ something ¡®off screen¡¯ perhaps?Return

    M -> Masochist Return

 Chapter 210

    Rice

    Wataru wanted to somehow give Nayuta and Setsuna some rice, so I decided to cooperate just a bit.

    ¡°Oi Wataru, a little help here?¡±

    ¡°Ah,ing.¡±

    I had Wataru bring a bag filled with husked rice out from the warehouse into the kitchen.

    And then Kinue-san turned them into rice balls.

    Then, I¡ª

    ¡°We made rice balls out of some rice Wataru brought, want to eat them? We¡¯ll just treat it as part of your free meals, so go ahead.¡±

    With that, I gave them to Nayuta and Setsuna.

    They looked like something surprised them, but I didn¡¯t lie.

    Wataru was also surprised by seeing them. Why?

    ¡°Wow, this is the legendary rice that everyone in Wakoku has only ever heard in legends. The ultimate item, onigiri¡­!¡±

    ¡°Is it alright for us to eat them¡­? They would sell for a high price if we brought them back to Wakoku.¡±

    No, they¡¯ll go bad on the way there¡­ ah, maybe they have [Storage]?

    ¡°Om, nom¡­ un, it¡¯s delicious, but it¡¯s not that good. Maybe genuine Wakokuans would have a different impression of it? I¡¯d expect nothing less of something that has been passed down by Hero-samas¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want, why not buy a bag of rice? A hundred gold should be enough.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How much is ¡®a bag¡¯?¡±

    ¡°This much.¡±

    I held up the bag.

    A single bag is ten kilograms. I tried out overcharging them by asking for a hundred gold (equivalent to around a hundred million yen), but will they buy it?

    ¡°A hundred gold coins¡­ that¡¯s expensive for a single bag¡­¡±

    ¡°Hero-sama, by the way, how much are these wholesale?¡±

    ¡°U-umm¡­ one bag is ten gold coins.¡±

    Asked for the wholesale price, Wataru answered with the price he pays.

    Incidentally, this guy¡¯s buying a bag of this every month despite having a debt. He seems to be halving it with Haku-san though.

    ¡°Such a markup.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, the number of people that can buy this is limited, you know? Also, resale isn¡¯t allowed. Wanting to sell it out of the country is a ridiculous thought. You can¡¯t miss this chance to get it yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Twenty gold.¡±

    ¡°Out of the question. A hundred and ten.¡±

    ¡°It went up!?¡±

    ¡°It goes up with my mood, didn¡¯t you know that? I gotta make a profit.¡±

    There¡¯s no other suppliers, so I can be as bullish as I need in negotiating.

    To say it another way, I don¡¯t really mind not selling it. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll rot and it¡¯s not taking up storage space. DP is super convenient.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like I have to sell it. Well, guess you don¡¯t want it.¡±

    ¡°W-wait! ¡­ Th-thirty gold!¡±

    Nayuta called out when I started putting away the bag of rice. However, I still haven¡¯t raised the price enough.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll assume this talk never happened.¡±

    ¡°Forty coins, t-that¡¯s my maximum¡­ could I talk to my boss? ¡­ Immediate cash is impossible.¡±

    ¡°Well, sure. I¡¯ll give you it ahead of time. I¡¯ll set the preferred price as forty gold coins as a minimum¡­ The talk will go faster with the actual thing yeah? I¡¯ll send them a bag a month from now on ording to how much they pay alright? Tell them to think over it carefully.¡±

    With that, I handed the bag of rice to Nayuta¡­ it was heavy, so Setsuna picked it up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that we¡¯ll run away with it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll just add a hundred gold coins to Wataru¡¯s debt if that happens. Sound good, Wataru?¡±

    ¡°H-hey, Kehma-san, could youe here for a sec?¡±

    Wataru called me over, so I followed him.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you wanting to increase my debt!?¡±

    ¡°The whole thing about giving rice to Wakoku was brought up by you after all. Go ahead and be the guarantor as well. Ah, if you don¡¯t want to, I don¡¯t mind not giving them even a single grain of rice. That way¡¯s easier for me.¡±

    Moreover, there¡¯s no problem even if they escape.

    ¡°¡­ Understood. I can get a hundred gold in a month¡­ they definitely won¡¯t run away though!¡±

    How very Hero-like of him, being able to get a hundred gold in a month.

    ¡°Why do you trust those two so much even though you just met them for the first time today?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s cheap considering the fee for information about Wakoku. If everything works out, it¡¯ll have been free. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re genuine or not, but they did show me their passports and identification.¡±

    I see, so he thought about that too?

    By the way, their passports werecquered ck with Wakoku¡¯s golden crest on it. It¡¯s rtively extravagant.

    With that, our discussion ended so we headed back.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be adding a hundred gold coins to Wataru¡¯s debt if you run away. Make sure to pay if you do not want to lose the Hero¡¯s faith in you.¡±

    ¡°Definitely! Please Nayuta-san, make sure not to run away with it, alright?¡±

    ¡°Ah, un¡­ understood. I can¡¯t betray Hero-sama¡¯s faith.¡±

    Incidentally, one bag of rice is 50 DP. I¡¯ve gotten used to overcharging recently, haven¡¯t I?

    ¡°Well, if you¡¯re able to find a direct route rather than procuring it through the empire, you can end the deal right then.¡±

    ¡°How gracious. Hmph, we¡¯ll find it right away. There has to be a route that they use to get it in the first ce.¡±

    Be that as it may, it¡¯sing from right here.

    If you¡¯re able to find somewhere other than here, I¡¯d love to hear where it is.

    *

    Done with introducing the three of them, I went back to my room as the vige chief.

    Wataru won¡¯t go off bbing his mouth after I said that much stuff to him, and more importantly, Nerune¡¯s monitoring him.

    ¡°And now we have another source of easy money.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so good at making money, Kehma. Reliable!¡±

    And for some reason, Rokuko dropped by. The timing was so good that it felt like she was watching me through the monitor the whole time, but I didn¡¯t say anything in particr about it.

    ¡°But still, those sisters, they were Wakoku spies?¡±

    ¡°They weren¡¯t exactly trying to hide it, so maybe they¡¯re ninjas.¡±

    ¡°Ninja? Is that the name of some secret service?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a possibility too. It¡¯s the name of an upation associated with the Mikado and Daimyo of Japan.¡±

    I just gave her a simple exnation of it for now. I said that they were shadows specializing in intelligence gathering and craftiness.

    ¡°¡­ Ninjas! Shuriken, caltrops, smoke bombs¡­ ninjutsu!¡±

    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s shinobi too. They¡¯re much more pragmatic.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s okay.¡±

    What¡¯s okay?

    ¡°Haah, but that¡¯s a bit refreshing. Those sisters are actually ninjas¡­ that aside, they¡¯re Wakoku¡¯s spies. In that case, we don¡¯t need to fire them then!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, handling them will be easy enough if they¡¯re gathering information that openly and we can even exchange rice with them. But there¡¯s still an important point remaining.¡±

    ¡°¡­ The hermaphroditism?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem if she was just born with that body. Rather why¡¯d you say that? There¡¯s something more important.¡±

    ¡°Well, Kehma¡¯s been watching them for a while now, so I was wondering if you had a preference for it or something. I wouldn¡¯t lose in terms of boobs, but I don¡¯t have anything down here¡­ would it be better if I grew one too?¡±

    ¡°You absolutely shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I could even if you wanted me to, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Like I could do something like that¡­. ah, I do have [Super Transformation] huh. Yep.¡±

    There¡¯s a restriction that the thing I want has to exist though. Ah, we went off topic.

    ¡°So what¡¯s the important thing?¡±

    ¡°DP, her DP. The elder sister¡¯s daily DP is 0, remember?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that was a thing, huh!¡±

    Right. The mystery of why Setsuna¡¯s daily DP was 0 still remained.

    ¡­ And yet Rokuko forgot such an important matter. Maybe it¡¯s a reaction from her doing her best recently? That¡¯s relieving.

 Chapter 211

    Teach Me Ontentoo-senpai

    I can¡¯t investigate anymore on my own.

    It¡¯s not exactly like I could ask Setsuna why she¡¯s not worth any DP either.

    So what should I do?

    ¡°Haah, so someone like that came eh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You don¡¯t find it strange, Ontentoo?¡±

    Answer: Ask a guide.

    That¡¯s why I decided to ask the Stupimander (Stupid Smander), Ontentoo. It¡¯d be easy to pay him back even if I owed him a favor. Neighbors are supposed to help each other out. It feels like it¡¯s been a one-sided rtionship so far though.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothin¡¯ strange about it. Kehma, you¡¯re 0 DP too yeah?¡±

    ¡°No no, this person¡¯s an adventurer you know?¡±

    ¡°Haaah? Kehma, you¡¯re a human adventurer too aren¡¯t ye?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a Dungeon Master, it¡¯s different.¡±

    ¡°Then isn¡¯t that girl a Dungeon Master too?¡±

    Hmm, that¡¯s a good idea.

    There¡¯s a possibility that¡¯s the case, but there¡¯s other things I want to check first.

    ¡°Have you ever seen someone other than a Dungeon Master or a Dungeon Core being worth 0 DP? I thought you might know something since you¡¯ve been doing this for a while.¡±

    ¡°Ah.. sorry, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen this daily DP thing. Between you and me, most of our stuffes from Tsuia Mountain¡¯s Earth Vein. I don¡¯t care much about intruder DP. I can tell about how strong they are though.¡±

    Woah. Me knowing more than Ontentoo was outside of my expectations.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a good chance that girl¡¯s someone rted to a dungeon. That said, there shouldn¡¯t be some dog rabbit beastkin mix in the Dungeon Cores, maybe it¡¯s she¡¯s a Master¡­? Ah.¡±

    Ontentoo stopped like he just remembered something and scratched his face with his foreleg.

    ¡°What? Don¡¯t worry, just say it.¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s just something 5-sama said a while back. Ye know about Core 4?¡±

    ¡°I saw Core 5 and Core 6 the other day, but I haven¡¯t seen Core 4.¡±

    ¡°The heck¡¯ve ye been doing? Ah, right. 695 got into some dispute. We even got some family name¡­ did ye win?¡±

    So that got conveyed to the Dungeon Cores that were unrted to the Dungeon Battle as well, huh¡­? I took a second thinking about how to answer him, but decided to just say it since it¡¯s not like I really need to hide it.

    ¡°Yeah, we won.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, that so? As expected of someone who beat me. Setting aside the brats under 5-sama¡¯smand, ye even beat Core 6 and 666 eh? Good, good.¡±

    Ontentoo¡¯s lizard face warped into a smile.

    So Ontentoo calls the trivial trio brats?

    ¡°By the way, the family name was my suggestion.¡±

    ¡°Ye did eh? With that, it makes my name Ontentoo Labriheart? Cool yeah?¡±

    His fire-d lizard tail struck the ground in what looked like delight.

    ¡­ Sorry, I should¡¯ve thought up a betterst name. Right now it¡¯s just giving off a ¡®lovely¡¯ feeling when added to Ontentoo. [1]

    ¡°More importantly, what¡¯s this about Core 4?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Core 4 is¡­ well, that guy¡¯s called ¡®Chaos¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Chaos¡­ why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? However, doesn¡¯t being a mix breed match chaos?¡±

    ¡°Ontentoo, have you seen Core 4?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ never have. That one doesn¡¯t go to the Dungeon Core Assembly¡­ at least not since I¡¯ve been born and that¡¯s been what, four, five hundred years?¡±

    Ontentoo, you¡¯re so unsure of your age that you don¡¯t even remember if you¡¯re in your four hundreds or five hundreds? The Smander¡¯s paired up with a Dragon, so maybe his sense of time¡¯s already gone fuzzy?

    ¡°Core 4¡¯s rank is low for one with a single digit, rather, it¡¯s beyond low considering the other single digits. Brats¡¯ll ask about him when they pop up but no one pays much attention him at this point, same with me.¡±

    ¡°I see. By the way, do you happen to know what a thing called a ¡®Toy¡¯ is?¡±

    ¡°Toy? No clue.¡±

    This guy¡¯s useless. Well, setting that aside, I beckoned Ontentoo over.

    Ontentoo bent forward and brought his ear¡ªwell, the part of his head he hear¡¯s from¡ªand leaned over the table.

    I didn¡¯t really need to do it like this since we¡¯re the only two in the room, but it sets up the mood just right.

    ¡°¡­ Would you like to help me with a bit of an experiment?¡±

    ¡°Sounds interesting? I don¡¯t mind, but ye¡¯ve gotta share the results yeah?¡±

    ¡°Obviously. You¡¯re a big help, Neighbor-san.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re lying, I¡¯ll have you¡ªeh, what¡¯s the thing for times like that¡ªeat a thousand needles?¡±

    ¡°The punishment that was introduced by God¡¯s Vanguards was [Eat A Thousand Needles]. It might be different for Smanders and Dragons since you guys can eat swords and iron, but normal humans would just die. In other words, it means they¡¯re putting their life on the line.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Humans are hardcore.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s a loophole for that punishment. For example, there¡¯s a fish called ¡®porcupinefish¡¯ that¡ª¡± [2]

    While having a brief chat about God¡¯s Vanguards and deepening our rtionship, we performed an experiment. I don¡¯t want to bite into a porcupinefish either and it¡¯s not like I want to hide the results, so I¡¯ll just tell them to him.

    As a result of the experiment in the Rokuko-made Feni garden area that had a door to [Fire Cavern], normal dungeon monsters were found to be worth a very small amount of DP.

    For monsters with the authority to use the menu, it became 0 DP.

    So I guess that¡¯s why Chloe was 0 DP?

    ¡°Heeh. So that happens when ye make them able to use the menu eh? That¡¯s enough, [Burning Fire].¡±

    When Ontentoo said that, the fire spirit exhaled a puff of fire and returned.

    By the way, it¡¯s name, [Burning Fire], appears to mean ¡®burning fire¡¯ in Draconic. I¡¯m hearing it like that because of Trantion Function-san, so Redra¡¯s probably the one that named it. It really does give the feeling of a plume of fire soaring into the sky though¡­ Does that mean there kinds of fire that don¡¯t burn for Dragons?

    ¡°That guy¡¯s a cheap and easy-to-use guy for our dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­ it¡¯s a bit hot for our dungeon. Might be good to put in Feni¡¯s area though.¡±

    When I looked at the catalog, I saw [Fire Spirit: 400,000 DP]. Expensive.

    ¡°Aah? Ah, it¡¯s about 200,000 for us. I¡¯m a Smander after all.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, there was that, huh.¡±

    ¡­ Or maybe it has something to do with them owning the majority of Tsuia Mountain?

    Either way, the core, Ontentoo, is a Smander, and his master, Redra, is a Red Dragon. Moreover, their dungeon¡¯s located in a volcano, so it¡¯s obvious that they¡¯d be extremely specialized in fire. It¡¯s natural that a Fire Spirit would be cheaper for them.

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you change your monsters to not have menu ess to earn DP?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯d be no good. Even if that Fire Spirit from a bit ago didn¡¯t have menu ess, it¡¯d just be 20 DP a day yeah? The efficiency loss isn¡¯t worth it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Another thing I was thinking about was sending monsters to other ces.¡±

    With this, that¡¯s one thing figured out.

    It¡¯s easy for monsters sent from one dungeon to another to be exposed. All the more if they have ess to the menu since they¡¯ll be worth 0 DP.

    ¡­ Setsuna¡¯s true identity is some dungeon¡¯s monster that has ess to the menu, huh?

    At any rate, I now know the conditions for being worth 0 DP without being a core or master.

    Should I try out getting them to a ce with a Dummy Core using a pitfall trap or something?

    Footnotes:

    Lovely is a pun on the beginning of Labriheart. Laburi -> Lovely. Return

    Note that porcupinefish = thousand needles in Japanese. Return

 Chapter 212

    The Invitation

    And so I decided to try guiding Setsuna to a Dummy Core with a pitfall trap or something.

    ¡­ As for the elder sister, Nayuta, hmm, I want to separate them first. What to do, what to do¡­

    By the way, concerning the rice I sold to Nayuta, an envoy came from a Wakokuanpany that¡¯s in Paveura. He made a down payment of forty gold coins and took the bag.

    It¡¯s definite that they won¡¯t be running away. When I told that to Wataru, he just said, ¡°Yeah, I knew they wouldn¡¯t run,¡± even though his expression looked like he was relieved. Anyone could¡¯ve noticed that.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, Wataru. How long are you going to be staying here? You usually head back after two or three days.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Haku-san gave me a bit of a longer holiday than usual since I was so busyst month. I¡¯ll be here for a bit longer, alright?¡±

    Now that he mentions it, his schedule was packed to the brink during the Dungeon Battle.

    It¡¯s a rare chance, so I guess I¡¯ll have him help me out.

    Setsuna and Nayuta would probably want to go together with Wataru if he invited them to go into the dungeon.

    ¡°In that case, could you bring those sisters into the dungeon? You see, quite a bit of stuffing from this dungeon is stuff from Japan, so you¡¯d be able to give them more details on it all, yeah?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but you could do it as well since you¡¯re also a hero¡­¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, are you dreaming there Wataru? I haven¡¯t said anything like me being a hero. My parents are Japanese though.¡±

    ¡°I-believe-you.¡±

    He answered in monotone. This guy sees me 100% as a Hero, doesn¡¯t he?

    But I did imply that I had a super skill before, so that might be why. Let¡¯s give removing that misunderstanding a shot.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Heroes get skills that are way more amazing than normal ones right?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Yeah. Doesn¡¯t Kehma-san have a skill like that too? A cool one with restrictions so that you can only use it in order to protect yourrades.¡± [1]

    ¡°Ah, that was a lie. It was the first time I¡¯d met a Hero that isn¡¯t one of my parents so I wanted to try bluffing. It¡¯s a bitte for me to say it, but I don¡¯t have a skill like that.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­ i-is that so?¡±

    Wataru was clearly shaken.

    By the way, note that I said ¡®a Hero that isn¡¯t one of my parents¡¯. I didn¡¯t say that my parents were Heroes. I also don¡¯t have a skill that can only be used to protect myrades, so none of it was a lie. Look at how honest I am!

    ¡°It was just a simple trick. If you knew what the trick was, you¡¯d beughing alot more right now than back in that mock fight.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why are you telling me that now?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to keep up the act anymore, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to skip out on your debt yeah?¡±

    ¡°Mumumu¡­ you¡¯re right. I willpensate you for wagering yourrades, Kehma-san.¡±

    Wataru shrugged his shoulders and agreed. Seriously, this guy¡¯s too honest.

    ¡°By the way, could you tell me the trick?¡±

    ¡°What foolishness are you saying? That¡¯s my livelihood. Who¡¯d tell you that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ By the way, my [Super Luck] went up to Lv 2, so I could probably even do something like rolling three sixes with three dice. And I¡¯ve been winning every time at that rat race, so Ichika-san banished me from the game room in tears.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t go and spin the slots in the bar then, Hero. You wouldn¡¯t want to go and ruin this vige¡¯s market.¡±

    ¡°Yeah~. Well, my earnings from that was reduced by buying pudding though.¡±

    His [Super Luck] became Lv 2 huh.

    ¡­ In other words, Haku-san had him capture a dungeon somewhere.

    Rather, Wataru¡¯s bbing on way too much about his skill. It¡¯s convenient for me though.

    Ah, let¡¯s bring the topic back to Wataru taking those sisters into the dungeon.

    It¡¯s just that although they¡¯ll go because of Wataru, Wataru¡¯s going to be a hindrance. I have something just for that.

    ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯d like you to bring Nerune along with the sisters.¡±

    ¡°Nerune-san?¡±

    I¡¯ll have him bring Nerune along in order to guide them all and keep Wataru from saying anything unnecessary. Two birds, one stone. Delicious.

    ¡°Yeah. In truth, a new facility was discovered recently. Nerune¡¯s been wanting to check it out.¡±

    ¡°A new facility?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s some small room that can give you an item if you stay in it for twelve hours. It looks like it usually just gives money, but if you¡¯re lucky, you could even get a magic sword at no risk to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Heeh. [If you¡¯re lucky], you say?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. [If you¡¯re lucky]. Want to give it a shot?¡±

    As the holder of [Super Luck], Wataru¡¯s peerless as far as luck is concerned.

    We¡¯re actually the ones deciding whates out, but it¡¯s a good way of saying it to entice Wataru.

    ¡°I was thinking about taking Nerune there myself, but now you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°¡­ In other words, you¡¯re wanting me, a hero, to do it? I¡¯m expensive, you know.¡±

    ¡°What, you want to be alone with the two girls somewhere without Nerune?¡±

    ¡°Please stop¡­ I¡¯ll guarantee Nerune-san¡¯s safety with my name as a Hero.¡±

    It¡¯s easy to see he likes her.

    ¡°Huh? Was Nerune-san an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you on about? There¡¯s a dungeon right here next to us. There¡¯s even a branch of the Adventurer Guild right in front of it. It¡¯s super convenient for people who want to be adventurers, even low ranked ones. She¡¯s E-Rank though.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san, please tell me that it was so that she could dive into dungeons together with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, you¡¯re not wrong.¡±

    ¡°Yahooo!¡±

    By the way, all three of the girls are E-Rank. I forcibly raised their sessfulmission count by making them work at the inn through the guild. I even fixed it so that their battle tests used our golems.

    Now then, if Nerune does it right, the only person to make it to the Dummy Core will be Setsuna. I¡¯ll need to remodel that facility a bit beforehand. There are people there so I can¡¯t do much though~

    *

    With that, Wataru went to dive into the dungeon with the other three on the next day.

    This ce was practically Nerune¡¯s home and Setsuna and Nayuta were ustomed to being adventurers, so there weren¡¯t any problems at all.

    ¡°Really~, we can rx since we¡¯re with the hero~, right~?¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha! Leave it to me, Nerune-san! Ah, there¡¯s a trap right there, watch your step.¡±

    ¡°Eh~?¡±

    ¡°Woah¡ª! Ah, huu¡­ it was just a stone arrow huh?¡±

    ¡­ It¡¯s her home, but Nerune still walked into the trap. She¡¯s alright since Wataru protected her though.

    Nerune, you¡¯re acting, right? You didn¡¯t seriously get caught by it, right?

    And it looked like Wataru got hit in a spot on his upper arm that doesn¡¯t have any armor on it¡­ why¡¯s he unhurt? It was a stone arrow meant for beginners though.

    ¡°The arrow didn¡¯t do anything to Hero-sama¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha! Even if I look like this, I¡¯ve been training! I received a certificate from Haku-sama saying that I¡¯m at a level beyond human!¡±

    ¡°Amazing! Could I try stabbing you with a knife?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t. It¡¯ll bring up memories of me being stabbed for training¡­¡±

    Yep, he¡¯s not human anymore.

    ¡°Oh~? It¡¯s Goblin-san~. Ahaha~¡±

    ¡°A Goblin appeared, huh¡ªwait, why¡¯s it casually waving back at you!?¡±

    ¡°Right, Nerune-san. Goblins turn into fertilizer through alchemy. Its body is still plenty good as fertilizer without being processed though.¡±

    ¡°Is that so, Nayuta-san~? Hoeh~, you learn something new every day~¡­ Ah, it ran away~¡±

    ¡°W-well, let¡¯s ignore the Goblin. Shall we move on?¡±

    With various things happening, they made it through thebyrinth safely and reached their destination.

    Footnotes:

    Kehma says he has a skill stronger than Wataru¡¯s super skill back in chapter 100.

 Chapter 213

    Introductions

    Led by Hero Wataru, the group made its way to the corner of the former riddle area, a ce called the [Avarice Lodge].

    ¡°Huh, there¡¯s a shop in a ce like this?¡±

    ¡°Oh? ¡­ Preserved food and rental books? Heeh. It¡¯s pretty expensive, but it¡¯s nice to have.¡±

    Although there was a room with the main cubicles lined up, there was a ce in front of it inside the range of the safety zone for people to shop.

    ¡°I can¡¯t even think of this ce as a dungeon with this shop here.¡±

    Wataru spoke with a wry smile.

    The Dyne Firm, well, our vige¡¯s ministry of finance put a serious shop here when I was talking with them about something that reminded me of those cafes that let you rent manga while you¡¯re there. I was the one talking about it, but it surprised even me.

    I wondered how they¡¯d make a profit from consumers with something that shouldn¡¯t exist like that, but it appears they make a profit by only keeping the store open for a short window of time. It goes by following the idea that its main consumers will match their timing up with it.

    ¡°So you have to pay in advance or show your Adventurer Guild Card to rent a book, huh. You can¡¯t skip your bill that way.¡±

    ¡°They have hard bread and jerky¡­ haven¡¯t seen this kind of bread recently, huh¡­¡±

    Nayuta and Setsuna paid for books and food respectively. There were both textbooks and storybooks there to rent, but it looks like Nayuta went with renting a storybook.

    ¡°This has got to be the weird facility that was discovered recently~¡±

    Nerune already knew about the facility, but only from the management side of it. This was the first time she¡¯d gone the normal way.

    We were going with her really wanting be brought there to see it, so she was looking at the small rooms like they were super interesting to her.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s give them a go. Twelve hours is a bit long, though.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯ll be easier to kill time if we split into pairs?¡±

    Nayuta responded to Wataru¡¯s statement with an extremely proper idea. After all, spending twelve hours alone is quite a long time.

    ¡°Please wait~. Our time is limited~, so wouldn¡¯t it be better to get more chances in one try~? There¡¯s enough rooms for it~¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. It¡¯d be bad for me to make a pair among those here wouldn¡¯t it!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right. Let¡¯s go with one person per room then.¡±

    Thanks to Nerune¡¯s intervention, we seeded in safely breaking everyone up. Now we¡¯re done with the first step.

    ¡°I borrowed some futons from Kehma-san, please use them.¡±

    ¡°Oh? How thoughtful.¡±

    ¡°Okay~, let¡¯s meet again in twelve hours~¡±

    The four each entered a stall after Wataruid out a futon in each of them.

    With the hoursses turned upside down, the twelve-hour timer began.

    *

    Only a single hour had passed, but Setsuna was already getting bored. Giving up, she decided to try and get into her futon and sleep, but it didn¡¯t look like she was tired.

    Is it about time?

    I called Rokuko over. She joined me in the Master Room within three seconds of me calling her.

    ¡°The true identity of those sisters will finally be revealed!¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    Manipting the Golem, I prepared a letter from the backside of the room Setsuna was waiting in. The timer was still going, but I dropped the letter down into the ce that the itemse out from. I hadn¡¯t put the letter into an envelope and just folded it twice, but it still rang out as it hit the bottom.

    It looked like Setsuna, who didn¡¯t know what to do with her spare time, noticed it.

    [Nn? ¡­ It hasn¡¯t been twelve hours yet has it?]

    Setsuna reached out for the letter timidly.

    The letter was written in a very official manner, reading: [If you wish to have a conversation, please press against the wall beneath the hourss.] Looking like she¡¯d figured it out with that, Setsuna didn¡¯t looked worried in the least and pressed against the wall.

    The wall shifted backward. Once it had moved around twenty centimeters back, it started sliding sideways. The wall with the hourss on it was a Golem, so it could move on its own. The gimmick was just so that I could operate it from here and see Setsuna¡¯s reaction.

    The other side of the wall had a passage, followed by a stairway after a little while. It was originally a passage meant for employee-use only, but I redecorated it a bit for appearances.

    [I guess it wants me to advance?]

    She advanced slowly.

    Then, Setsuna arrived in the small room that I¡¯d ran the Golem back to wait on standby in. It¡¯s the Messenger Golem with the ability to talk that I¡¯d made a while back.

    I put it there to stop her in the off chance she went to destroy the Dummy Core.

    [A¡­ Golem?]

    Setsuna tilted her head upon seeing the golem sitting with its back against the wall. Activating the golem, I used it to talk to her.

    ¡°Yo. Nice to meet ya, how¡¯re you?¡±

    Hearing the thick voice that sounded like it had been run through a voice changer, Setsuna reacted with a start.

    [The Golem talked!?]

    ¡°Hahaha, what¡¯s so weird? You came to talk yeah? Wouldn¡¯t it be impossible if I couldn¡¯t talk?¡±

    [Ah, un¡­ I guess?]

    Setsuna nodded in doubt. She was wary, but it looked like she did intend to have a talk with me.

    [What are you?]

    ¡°I¡¯d like to check with you first, what do you think I am?¡±

    [¡­ ¡­ A Golem?]

    ¡°It¡¯s as you see, but is that all?¡±

    [Umm¡­ a dungeon monster?]

    ¡°That¡¯s also correct¡­ is that all?¡±

    When I emphasized thatst part, Setsuna thought for a moment before speaking like she was having to squeeze her voice out.

    [¡­ Are you¡ªa Dungeon Core?]

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s that kind of feeling.¡±

    It looks like Setsuna concluded that the Golem was a Dungeon Core. Cores and bosses being one-in-the-same is amonly known ¡®fact¡¯, so I still can¡¯t make a judgement on her identity¡­ nn? Weren¡¯t they called dungeon bosses? I could narrow it down further if she¡¯d said Dungeon Master, but¡­ yeah, this is taking too long. I¡¯ll try asking her myself.

    ¡°Please, call me Euma. So, what are you?¡±

    [I¡¯m Setsuna. Just an ordinary adventurer~!]

    ¡°Let¡¯s try asking again¡ªwhat are you?¡±

    [Asking again? A Wakoku spy!]

    ¡°That¡¯s not all, is it?¡±

    [That¡¯s right, I¡¯m actually¡­! A certain Dungeon Core¡¯s child!!]

    Setsuna dered it with an unnecessary pause. Ah, so she was connected to a dungeon after all¡ªwait, did she just say¡­ child?

    Oi hold up, Dungeon Cores can reproduce?

    I looked toward Rokuko. Realizing my thoughts, Rokuko blushed and started banging her hands against me.

    Judging by her reaction¡­ she can? Or not? Which is it?

    ¡­ I take it Haku-san knows? Yep, can¡¯t ask her. She¡¯d kill me.

    She¡¯d said that the Emperor had the founder¡¯s bloodline, but I don¡¯t know if that meant Haku-san¡¯s bloodline since she didn¡¯t say.

    Alright, let¡¯s ask clearly. Can Dungeon Cores have children?

    ¡°Ummm, was that a metaphor?¡±

    [It was literally.]

    ¡°While we¡¯re on the subject, what¡¯s the core¡¯s name?¡±

    [¡­ Ummm, Core 410¡ªI think that¡¯s how you all say it? He¡¯s my papa!]

    A number I don¡¯t know. I¡¯d thought that she was definitely involved with Core 4, but I just heard it from Ontentoo. I guess the timing was just too good.

    Incidentally, she said that she had a different father than Nayuta, but I¡¯m convinced this is the reason she¡¯s worth 0 DP.

    ¡°Rokuko, do you know about Core 410?¡±

    ¡°Nn~¡­ nope, sorry!¡±

    Yeah¡­ there¡¯s not even much known about the famous cores.

    It was clumsy, but the self-introduction ended like that. I already learned the gist of what I was wondering though.

    Ah, I still haven¡¯t asked what her goal is. Well, she¡¯s talking with me like this, so although I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be a violent goal¡ªlet¡¯s try asking bluntly.

 Chapter 214

    Question Time

    Now then, guess I¡¯ll try asking Setsuna what her goal is directly.

    ¡°Let me ask this first. What¡¯s your goal? I don¡¯t want you to do something violent here, could you pardon me if I¡¯m your enemy?¡±

    I said it at the start, but this is practically all of what I want to know left.

    [I don¡¯t want to be hostile either. There¡¯s something I¡¯m looking for, so I¡¯m gathering information, I guess? Well, as an adventurer, I¡¯m going to be hunting a few monsters, so¡­ sorry?]

    Setsuna apologized and pped her hands together. Her breasts shook a bit.

    ¡­ And now Rokuko¡¯s kicking me lightly. Why?

    It¡¯s natural for adventurers to hunt monsters, so there¡¯s no problems with her hunting monsters as an adventurer¡­ ah, the Goblins? Is it because she¡¯d be hunting Goblins? Seriously, Rokuko¡¯s hopeless when ites to her Goblin fetish. She can endure somewhat, but I¡¯d like it if she could keep her Goblin preferences under check even with them being hunted.

    Still though, information, is it? She¡¯s still being a bit vague. The contents of that information might a hostility.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t mind, I assumed that¡­ So, you want information? Sure, if I know it and you pay, I¡¯ll answer.¡±

    [Pay? ¡­ No way, with my body!?]

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying to a Golem? Or were you meaning working as a boss at this dungeon?¡±

    [I mean, don¡¯t dungeons eat corpses? If you told me to chop off my arm or something, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d want to¡­]

    ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry about that. Money¡¯s fine, so are items. I¡¯m even good with information.¡±

    [That¡¯s pretty normal¡­]

    ¡°You would prefer a non-normal exchange? Then I¡¯ll also ept a leg.¡±

    [No, normal is good~, I¡¯m great with normal~!]

    Setsuna hurriedly agreed to negotiation. And I got pinched by Rokuko.

    What? Even for me, taking a leg would be too extreme, I wouldn¡¯t want it.

    [Come to think of it, you didn¡¯t call mypanions? Or did you call them to a different room?]

    ¡°To answer that question¡­ ah, whatever. I¡¯ll make this one a freebie since you told me so much in your introduction. The others are still in those stalls.¡±

    [¡­ Not as hostages, right?]

    ¡°Who knows? I¡¯ll answer that question for a copper coin as payment. I don¡¯t mind if you suggest a payment yourself either.¡±

    Setsuna presented the copper coin.

    ¡°They¡¯re not really hostages. That room¡¯s a safety zone to start with so there¡¯s nothing I could do to them anyway.¡±

    [That¡¯s great.]

    ¡°Now that the tutorial¡¯s out of the way, let¡¯s move on with it.¡±

    Setsuna nodded. Well then, let¡¯s hear her questions.

    [The first thing I want to know is about the ck wolf. Could you tell me if you know anything about it?]

    ¡°The ck wolf? That¡¯s too vague, I don¡¯t know what to talk about. Could you be a bit more specific?¡±

    [Nnn, then¡­ the ck wolf that was staying in this dungeon for a while¡ªdo you know about it?]

    ¡°I do. For that information, hmm¡­¡±

    I¡¯m also wanting to collect information for the payment, but I can¡¯t really think of anything I want to ask.

    ¡°¡­ If you tell me [where Core 410 is], I¡¯ll tell you some of what I know.¡±

    [Where papa is? ¡­ Nnn, alright. You know the ship that leaves for Wakoku from Pavuera? There¡¯s an ind on the way there. I think it was called Bania Ind?]

    Bania Ind. Let¡¯s remember that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you what I know then. That thing was named [Rin]. He spent the whole winter snug in this dungeon. That spot you guys were at used to be a riddle area, but it got destroyed by it. I left it alone because fixing it was troublesome¡­ It left once spring came.¡±

    [I see¡­ it does have the same name as what we¡¯re chasing.]

    ¡°If you want to hear a more detailed ount, could you tell me why you¡¯re chasing Rin?¡±

    [Hmm. It¡¯s grandma¡¯s pet. It ran away, so we¡¯re chasing after it¡­?]

    Dungeon Cores don¡¯t have grandmas though¡­ if there were something, it¡¯d be a grandpa, [Father]¡­ Ah, she could be like an old neighborhooddy couldn¡¯t she? Let¡¯s confirm.

    ¡°That grandma you mentioned, who is she? Your actual grandmother?¡±

    [Un, my grandma. Mama¡¯s mama.]

    ¡°¡­ So in other words, it¡¯s alright to send you the bill for the damages to the dungeon?¡±

    [Send that to straight to grandma please¡­ you don¡¯t inherit debts, after all.]

    ¡°Then where is this grandma of yours? I¡¯d like to send her the bill.¡±

    [If I knew that, one of our journey¡¯s goals would be done with. Haah¡­]

    Setsuna sighed. Now I want to know just who that grandma is.

    [So, the rest of the information about Rin?]

    ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s not to the point of being its weakness, but salt was effective against it. It seemed to hate it. Its favorite food was the white tes that can be found in this dungeon. While on the subject, it didn¡¯t die even after having a hole punched through it. I believe that it¡¯s actually a slime. Since you said it¡¯s a pet, the owner might have more information.¡±

    [W-woah¡­ that info was more intense than expected. It was raised by grandma after all¡­]

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s good you got what you wanted. So, your grandma, you didn¡¯t say anything about her.¡±

    [¡­ Nnn~, it¡¯s a secret. I¡¯d have to exchange it with some pretty huge information to tell you.]

    Ah, so it finally happened. She gets how this works now eh?

    ¡°That so? Well then, ask your next question.¡±

    [Hmm~. Guess it¡¯s time to ask. Do you know anything about rice?]

    ¡°Rice? Yeah, I¡¯ll tell you if you tell me about your grandma.¡±

    [Ah, pass. I don¡¯t care that much about the rice.]

    Oh? Unfortunate. Even though I was thinking about giving her a seed. Just one though.

    ¡°Anything else?¡±

    [Nnn, ah. That ck haired dog ear girl living outside the dungeon, you know her?]

    Meat huh. She called her Toy or something.

    ¡°I know of her. What about her?¡±

    [Is that child connected with the dungeon somehow?]

    ¡°You¡¯ll have to pay five copper coins for my response.¡±

    Setsuna quickly held out five copper coins, so I epted them.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. I can¡¯t answer that.¡±

    [Eh¡ªbut I just paid the five copper!?]

    ¡°That was the price for the knowledge that I couldn¡¯t answer. That¡¯s why it was so cheap, no need to shout. I mean, what kind of connection are you talking about to start with? You could even say that adventurers hunting monsters is a kind of connection.¡±

    [¡­ How should I say this¡­ was she given a special power or something?]

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s included in the stuff that I can¡¯t answer. If there¡¯s some circumstances, maybe try asking another way?¡±

    [Muu. It feels like you¡¯re the one getting information.]

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I could tell you something without knowing that you want it. Right, if it¡¯s about that dog eared girl, she likes that man that¡¯s always near her a lot. Is that information what you wanted? It¡¯s inconsequential right?¡±

    [¡­ Ooh.]

    Why¡¯d she bite at that? Does she like romance stories?

    Even Rokuko sunk her teeth into it.

    ¡°Wh¡ª¡­ at? Meat¡­ likes Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Oi, Rokuko. That¡¯s a surprise?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma likes me the most though, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. You¡¯re number one. You even have that ring yeah?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all good then!¡±

    I don¡¯t really get it, but I guess it¡¯s alright.

 Chapter 215

    Question Time 2

    Setting Rokuko aside, let¡¯s keep asking Setsuna questions.

    ¡°What type of core is Core 410? Beastkin-type?¡±

    [I don¡¯t really know. He might¡¯ve been a rabbit?]

    Setsuna¡¯s animal ears that looked like neither a rabbit¡¯s nor a dog¡¯s moved.

    ¡­ Which reminds me, her younger sister, Nayuta, had a different father. Their family is beyondplicated, or maybe that¡¯s just how it is for beastkin? If that¡¯s the default, then it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t understand the feelings of those guys preaching their human supremacy doctrine either.

    ¡°I see, so your mother is a dog-type? Does that ck dog eared person have any rtion to that?¡±

    [Mmm, I¡¯ll tell you the answer¡­ if you tell me about rice.]

    ¡°Sure. You can obtain it in a certain part of this dungeon. The location¡¯s a secret.¡±

    I decided to just answer her with inconsequential information.

    That¡¯s not a lie either since Setsuna can obtain it by buying it at the inn.

    [So this dungeon is where the ricees from¡­ no way, Hero-sama came to this dungeon to get rice¡­?]

    ¡°So, the dog eared person?¡±

    [Why do you even care? Isn¡¯t she just a normal adventurer as far as the dungeon¡¯s concerned?]

    ¡°She¡¯s a regr here. She¡¯s weaker than a Hero, but she¡¯s strong for her size. I¡¯m a little concerned about it.¡±

    [Hmm¡­]

    Did that convince her?

    Setsuna stroked one of her ears.

    [I have a younger sister, Nayuta.]

    ¡°That blonde dog eared person that came in with you? I heard you guys say something like that when you dove into the dungeon.¡±

    [¡­ Un. Well, I have other dog-eared family members than Nayuta too. Grandma took them away though.]

    That grandma again? Aggressive, isn¡¯t she?

    ¡°And that ck dog eared person is¡­?¡±

    [There¡¯s a possibility, I guess?]

    Then ¡®Toy¡¯ was a family name? Also looks like a different father.

    ¡°Do you have any way to to tell?¡±

    [A genuine Toy would know about a certain thing¡­ but I don¡¯t know since she her memory was erased.]

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you be able to tell if she was your younger sister to start with?¡±

    [I think I¡¯d be able to tell by smelling her scent, but I¡¯m not sure if I could if grandma messed with her. If I sniffed her all over andpared her to Nayuta for an hour¡­]

    I see, that¡¯d be troublesome. Something like that wouldn¡¯t even be possible without some kind of other confirmation though.

    But I¡¯d know why Meat¡¯s so strong if she was a Toy.

    It might not be a bad idea to try out lending her as a hug pillow for a night for confirmation.

    ¡°Your grandma, seriously, who is she? What kind of information do you want for that?¡±

    [¡­ Mmm, information on where grandma is¡­?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who your grandma is, how would I have information on where she is? At least tell me her name.¡±

    [¡­ Her name is Leona. As for her age¡­ I don¡¯t know it. She looks about the same age as me though.]

    An immortal-type? Seriously, what the heck is this grandma¡­ She¡¯s not human right?

    [She¡¯s a dangerous person with ck hair and red eyes. She doesn¡¯t have animal ears though.]

    ¡°ck hair and red eyes, huh¡­? What race is she?¡±

    [¡­ I don¡¯t really know, but it¡¯s one with no honor. A Subus or something?] [1]

    For a few moments there I was thinking she might¡¯ve been a Hero, but a Hero wouldn¡¯t have red eyes right?

    ¡°Rokuko, do Subi normally have ck hair and red eyes?¡±

    ¡°The only Subus I¡¯ve seen is Chloe, but she¡¯s blonde.¡±

    That so? Then maybe there¡¯s a chance that she has Hero blood in her too? But really, Subus, beastkin, and Dungeon Core¡­ isn¡¯t she too mixed? There¡¯s so much blended together there that I can¡¯t even figure out what¡¯s what anymore.

    Even her gender¡¯s been mixed up.

    ¡°Setsuna¡¯s way too mixed.¡±

    ¡°But Kehma, aren¡¯t you both Hero and Dungeon Master?¡±

    ¡­ Even if I¡¯m the one saying it, I¡¯m pretty alright. Does mixing light and darkness cause the ultimate to appear?

    ¡°Rather, what¡¯s with the multi-species marriage?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Aren¡¯t Kehma and I partners?¡±

    ¡°Ah, un.¡±

    Eh, huh? ¡­ Huh?

    While I was busy being puzzled, Setsuna poked the Golem.

    [Helloooo? You awake?]

    ¡°Y-yeah. I was just thinking about something there. I do know a Subus, but they¡¯re blonde.¡±

    [Who?]

    ¡°Would you give me some information on your grandma for that information?¡±

    [¡­ Nnn~, just a bit.]

    We came to an agreement, so I told her about Haku-san¡¯s butler, Chloe.

    ¡°She¡¯s [White Labyrinth]¡¯s Subus¡­ I don¡¯t know if you could meet her or not though.¡±

    [Hmm, my turn then. Grandma can change her appearance. In a pretty special way too.]

    ¡­ The heck. So I can¡¯t even rely on that information about her having ck hair and red eyes now can I?

    She could even be using however many aliases she wants, so that might have just been her name and appearance back then?

    ¡°¡­. Isn¡¯t finding her impossible then?¡±

    [But even grandma would only seldomly change her appearance¡­ at the very least, she was using that ck hair and red-eyed appearance eight years ago. Also, a Subus should be able to tell that something¡¯s [Different] about her.]

    I see, so I found out that I should be careful about Subi. I have plenty of extra DP, so maybe I should prepare a Subus?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll keep an eye out for her.¡±

    We just chatted about trifling things after that, then I had Setsuna head back to the small room. Twelve hours passed peacefully after that and Setsuna and the others all got suitable items.

    Nerune got something too, a potion.

    Ah, I had Wataru get a two liter bottle of Japanese sake. It took quite a lot of the DP I got from him, but he was really pleased with it.

    Looks like he¡¯s going to being again some time.

    Footnotes:

    Note that ¡®honor¡¯ here also means chastity.

 Chapter 216

    Uwaaah, Weak Little Girl [1]

    Alright then.

    Now that I know about Setsuna and Nayuta¡¯s identity, the dungeon¡¯s probably safe. This is the upside to sharing info with each other.

    Everything should be alright now.

    And after winding up spending the following two weeks sleeping day and night, not thinking about anything in particr¡ª

    ¡°Vige Chief Kehma, let¡¯s get a brothel.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯re you talking about?¡±

    Vige Sub Chief Wozuma suddenly started talking about something ridiculous.

    A brothel. In other words, a shop that used professional Onee-sans to do lewd things.

    A bad ce as far as a child¡¯s upbringing was concerned. Very bad.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get a brothel.¡±

    ¡°No, I heard you. By brothel¡­ you mean *that*? I mean, the establishment meant for adults?¡±

    ¡°Yes, a brothel.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to die, Wozuma? You do know who¡¯s supporting the vige¡¯s¡ª¡­ the inn¡¯s owner, right?¡±

    Rather, Wozuma is Haku-san¡¯s pawn. Even if there were some people between him and Haku-san, even the part-timers could figure out the person backing Rokuko. There¡¯s no way that someone as excellent as Wozuma doesn¡¯t know about Haku-san.

    If Wozuma being the Vige Sub-Chief was her doting on Rokuko, he should know that just bringing something like that anywhere near Rokuko would be enough to upset her.

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many women here¡­ and the number of frustrated men is rising. It¡¯s necessary in order to control that¡­ at worst, all of the employees might be assaulted.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ I¡¯d just like to say for them to go to Sia, do we really need one?¡±

    ¡°This is a mine, after all. Not having a brothel at a mine is rare.¡±

    So if there¡¯s a mine, there¡¯s a brothel¡­ that kind of thing?

    Rather, it¡¯s like wanting to dig into another kind of hole since you¡¯ve already dug one kind? So fussy. Well, this mine¡¯s actually a dungeon so it¡¯s not like they¡¯re actually digging holes. [2]

    ¡°In truth, research has shown that areas with brothels have lower levels of crime and improved public safety.¡±

    He said that while putting a document down on the desk. Did you actually go and put that together?

    He feels crazy passionate about it, his eyes even look bloodshot.

    ¡°But I refuse. Have them go to Sia, there¡¯s even a road.¡± [3]

    ¡°Is that so¡­ Honestly, I thought that you might consider it because of their stepping massages, Vige Chief.¡± [4]

    ¡°Nng! Gefu, geh, gofun¡­! N-no, no can do. I said no, so no.¡± [5]

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±

    Wozuma sighed. Perhaps he just wanted to go to it himself?

    He should go to Sia then. It¡¯d only take a few hours by wagon.

    ¡°But Wozuma, I didn¡¯t expect you to propose like that. Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s just that peoples¡¯ desire has been umting recently. Nothing in particr has happened.¡±

    Really now¡­ but there is a demand for it?

    ¡°¡­ If you¡¯d like, how about you head off to a brothel in Sia with some of the people that want to? Like a holiday from the bar. Kinue-san could handle the bar while you¡¯re away if it¡¯s just for two or three days.¡±

    ¡°No, the bar is my life. Thank you for your concern though, Vige Chief Kehma.¡±

    It¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t stuff on my mind too, but for me it¡¯s more wanting to sleep than my libido.

    I know that it¡¯s not like that for everyone, but I decided to reject building a brothel anyway.

    *

    That night.

    I used Meat as a hug pillow as usual, but I had a strange dream.

    The dream was me in our inn¡¯s suite, I was sleeping on the bed.

    ¡­ Yep, I can do anything I want in a dream so there¡¯s no problem with that at all.

    However, why is there some girl with pink hair who I have no recollection of sleeping with right next to me? Moreover, she doesn¡¯t have clothes on. I¡¯m not a lolicon though?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Vige Chief-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Who¡¯re you?¡±

    ¡°Huhu, I wonde¡ª¡±

    I kicked the little girl out of the bed.

    ¡°W-what are you doing!? Doing that to such a cute girl!¡±

    ¡°You must be cold, too bad. Well then¡­ night.¡±

    ¡°Wait, please wait! W-why? I-is that it? Was I not shy enough? Sorry, please let me start over!¡±

    I rolled over, turning my back to the pink-haired girl who asked for a redo and closed me eyes.

    Haaaah¡­

    ¡°P-please don¡¯t go to sleep! How about we do something good together, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯re not going to start over¡­? Go home then.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll start over right now!¡±

    I cked out for a moment.

    When I came to, the pink-haired girl was sleeping next to me. Looks like she¡¯s wearing a white micro bikini this time. Yep, haven¡¯t I said I¡¯m not a lolicon? Ah, I didn¡¯t, did I?

    ¡°Y-you like it like this, don¡¯t you?¡±

    The little girl was blushing.

    Not bothering to respond, I kicked her out of the bed.

    ¡°Why? Why!? Aren¡¯t I perfect!?¡±

    ¡°Haaaah¡­¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t work even if you pretend to sleep! Look, look! One of the little girls you love so much is spreading her legs right now, don¡¯t you want to see? It¡¯s fine to do whatever you want~. Hey hey~¡±

    I ignored her and tried getting back to sleep¡­ but she really is noisy, isn¡¯t she?

    ¡°¡­ Alright, you said I can do whatever I want?¡±

    ¡°Yes! You¡¯re dreaming right now, so you can do whatever naaaaughty thing you want. Socially revolting, disgusting, or even bizarre things, anything¡¯s OK! I await your desire!¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s see, I¡¯ll need a rope and a gag¡ªah.¡±

    A rope and gag popped into existence, I took the chance and prepared a blindfold as well.

    ¡°Eh? Umm, where did thosee from just now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a dream right? They didn¡¯t have toe from anywhere. It¡¯s a dream, after all.¡±

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re used to this¡­ who are you?¡±

    ¡°Well, keep still for a sec.¡±

    I attached a blindfold to the little girl as she waited there patiently. I then tied her up with the rope so that she couldn¡¯t move.

    ¡°Ahn~? S-so tight¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah.¡±

    I put the gag in the girl¡¯s mouth that started spouting a heated voice.

    Now she¡¯s quiet. Good.

    Iid back down in the bed.

    ¡°¡ªYou didn¡¯t do anything!?¡±

    ¡°Tch, you escaped¡­? Maybe I¡¯ll use packing tape next?¡±

    ¡°Uwaaaan, there¡¯s something wrong with this guy¡¯s head!¡±

    Huh? Did a half naked little girl just say there¡¯s something wrong with my head?

    ¡°No, wouldn¡¯t it be strange for a human to make a move on a young girl?¡±

    ¡°But you should be venting your desires, this is a dream!¡±

    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m good.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh, n-no way, you¡¯re already venting it enough in reality? A-are you a pervert?¡±

    Well, my desire to sleep is being vented enough since I¡¯m sleeping in reality, but that¡¯s no reason to call me a pervert.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m getting cold, can I get in next to you?¡±

    ¡°Oh well. It¡¯s obvious that¡¯d happen with what you¡¯re wearing.¡±

    I let the micro bikini girl into the futon.

    ¡°¡­ Vige Chief-sama¡¯s so warm~¡±

    ¡°That so? Well, night. Get some good sleep okay? You¡¯re still growing.¡±

    ¡°Kay~¡±

    The little girl said a pretty dodgy line when she got into the futon after I let her in, but she started to doze off.

    Then, after making sure that her eyes were shut and was asleep¡ªI went to sleep as well.

    Footnotes:

    The title is a y on a Japanese meme. In short, the original is ¡®Woah, super strong little girl!¡¯¡ªlike a magical girl or something. This title is the opposite, a really weak little girl. If you want to see a page that exins it, check it out here. (It¡¯s in Japanese though) Return

    You get one guess as to what that ¡®other kind of hole¡¯ is¡­ Return

    The raw says Tsuia rather than Sia. Seeing as how Tsuia is a mountain(range), I think it was a typo on the author¡¯s part, so I altered it. Return

    A stepping massage is the same kind of massage that Meat gave him a while back. Return

    Err¡­ he¡¯s coughing here.

 Chapter 217

    Sleeping With the Little Girl

    That was probably an attack by the Subus.

    ¡°Seriously, what a timely attack. Rather, that brothel thing¡¯s got to be the Subus¡¯ plot. What¡¯s she up to?¡±

    When I woke up, I stroked Meat, who wasying next to me as my hug pillow.

    Her dog tail was sticking out of the futon.

    It was wagging.

    ¡­ Yep, I¡¯m healed.

    By the way, there¡¯s that little girl with pink hair sleeping on the other side of Meat. She¡¯s not nude nor was she wearing that micro bikini, but she¡¯s pretty close to it. She¡¯s outside of the futon.

    ¡°¡­ A trespasser? Meat didn¡¯t notice her, so she¡¯s pretty skilled eh?¡±

    I did make sure to lock the door, so was it some sort of ability¡­?

    For now, I used the map to check out the girl who was drooling happily as she slept.

    She gives 20 DP per day. Equivalent to an ordinary person¡­ that¡¯s actually a prettyrge amount given that she¡¯s a little girl. She might be a Subus though.

    Come to think of it, there was that ve cor you could buy with DP huh. It was 5,000 DP.

    ¡­ Do you just have to put it on for it to work? Or did you need contract magic¡­?

    *

    The young pink-haired girl started to wake up inside the futon I¡¯d put her in.

    ¡°¡­ Fuaaaaah, funyah¡­ That was a good rest~¡±

    ¡°Oh, morning. Want some breakfast?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, itadakimasu~¡±

    I held out a sandwich I¡¯d prepared for her, so she took it with both hands and started to munch on it.

    She has some good eating manners.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? I don¡¯t know this room?¡±

    ¡°You finally noticed? Was the sandwich good?¡±

    ¡°Mumu, who are you!? A kidnapper!? ¡­¡ªuwaaah! The Vige Chiiiief!?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha, good morning, mademoiselle. Did you know? Trespassing is a crime. Ah, you better not try and run away if you don¡¯t want to die~¡±

    ¡°Pii!? Die!?¡±

    I gestured towards my own neck, pping against it.

    Seeing as how she went to touch her own neck, it looks like she realized there was something on it.

    She finally realized she had a cor on.

    ¡°W-what did you do?¡±

    ¡°I just gave you a collor. Right, Meat?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Meat suddenly appeared next to me, touching her own cor in pride.

    There was a ve cor on Meat¡¯s neck. Seeing it, the young girl¡¯s face paled.

    ¡°P¡ª¡­ pervert¡ª!? What are you going to do to me!?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha, by the way, I built this room so that it¡¯s sound proof. Understand why?¡±

    ¡°Why¡­? N-no way¡ª¡±

    Yeah, it¡¯s so that I can sleep quietly at night.

    Ah, by the way, the cor on the young girl¡¯s neck is just a normal dog cor (10 DP).

    I couldn¡¯t actually use a ve cor without being able to use the contract magic, so there wasn¡¯t much meaning to getting one and decided to go with a bluff.

    ¡°So, why did you sneak into my room? Petty Thief-san.¡±

    ¡°Thief? Huhun, I don¡¯t steal! I was just looking into the rumors about Vige Chief-sama! So I¡¯m innocent, please release me!¡±

    ¡°Then give me back the sandwich.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll clean dishes, I¡¯ll scrub the floors, anything, just please leave me my chastity!¡±

    To be worried about her chastity¡­ is this girl not a Subus?

    Meat leaned over against me like she was snuggling. I gently stroked her head.

    Seeing that, the pink-haired girl became increasingly panicked for some reason.

    ¡°Just my chastity! That alone! I decided to have my first time with the person I love! Ah, were you wanting me to vomit? So your goal was my vomit! So you¡¯re someone that gets excited by a little girl¡¯s vomit! You just pant at the thought of a little girl¡¯s fragrant stomach juices all over chewed up food, don¡¯t you!? Or maybe you wanted to see me cry!? Both!? Was it BOTH!?¡±

    The pink-haired little girl started to stick her hand into her mouth after she said that. Yeah, uhh, stop?

    But really, this girl¡¯s pretty knowledgeable about some weird preferences. Maybe she¡¯s a Subus after all?

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to vomit. Can I hear your name?¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ªm-my name¡¯s Michelle. Even if you eat me, I don¡¯t taste good!¡±

    ¡°Hmph. So what kind of rumors have you heard about me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ T-that you¡¯re a little girl lover that goes after children¡­!¡±

    I see. So they believed in the rumors and sent a little girl¡­? What a poor informationwork. [1]

    ¡°Your goal?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, well¡­ to seize Vige Chief-sama¡¯s weakness¡­¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°¡­ O-Onee-sama, umm¡­ I don¡¯t know. She just said to find some weakness. Please let me go. I¡¯ll cry if you don¡¯t let me go!¡±

    So that Onee-sama person is the mastermind?

    I got closer to the pink-haired girl¡ªMichelle. With a start, she started trembling.

    I quietly undid her cor.

    ¡°Ueh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    Bewildered, Michelle looked between my face and the cor. She touched her neck, making sure there wasn¡¯t a cor on her neck stuff.

    ¡°¡­ Hu, it looks like you¡¯ve already fallen for my charms! As expected of me!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure. I might end up pouncing on you if you don¡¯t run away right now even.¡±

    ¡°Pii!? T-thanks for the sandwich and sorry for the intrusiooon!¡±

    Opening the window, Michelle escaped in a panic. Ah, she tripped.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up, Meat?¡±

    ¡°Was she¡­ your preference?¡±

    ¡°No. She seemed a bit simple, so I let her back out to sea.¡±

    I put a mark on her with the map, so I¡¯ll know where she is if she¡¯s inside the dungeon¡¯s territory¡­ nn? She left the vige, huh? Well, I¡¯ll find out the moment shees back.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama, if feels like you¡¯re kind towards young girls. Me included.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t deny that¡­ children are treasures, and besides, that girl¡¯s sleeping face was great.¡±

    ¡°Sleeping¡­ face?¡±

    Pinching and rubbing her face, Meat kept mumbling to herself.

    ¡°Sleeping face¡­¡±

    ¡°Your sleeping face is cute too. It heals me.¡±

    When I said that and patted her head, her tail wagged.

    And then I heard a knock at the door.

    ¡°Kehma. I just saw a young girl I¡¯ve never seen beforeing from your window?¡±

    Now then, time for the troublesome exnations. I¡¯ll end up a lolicon pervert at this rate.

    ¡­ Was that her goal?

    No way.

    Footnotes:

    It doesn¡¯t mention who ¡®they¡¯ are, but I assume Keima is referring to Wakoku.

 Chapter 218

    Subus

    I exined what happened to Rokuko.

    ¡°I see, so in other words, Kehma tied up a little girl with a rope and put a cor on her.¡±

    ¡°Yep, my reputation is bad.¡±

    She should¡¯ve understood what happened, but¡­ why did she kick me in her little girl form? That hurts. At least be in your bigger form.

    ¡°Rather, in that case, wouldn¡¯t it be alright if we summoned a Subus of our own? Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to summon one after getting that info from Setsuna? What happened to that?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, I forgot that I was going to do it afterwards. Yeah, we could summon a Subus with our current DP. Let¡¯s do it right now.¡±

    And so I checked the catalog¡­ Hmm? 30,000 DP? That¡¯s way cheaper than it used to be. Is it that? Because there¡¯s a lot of people rted to Subi nearby?

    ¡°Well, alright. Let¡¯s try summoning one. It might even be a good employee for our inn¡­¡±

    ¡°I have expectations for it too. Maybe we could put it in a butler outfit like Chloe?¡±

    With that, I decided to move to the Master Room and summon a Subus.

    Consuming 30,000 DP, I saw the magic formation expand for the first time in quite a while.

    Once it got to around one meter in diameter, a single woman appeared¡ªor not?

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    ¡°Did it fail?¡±

    When I took a closer look, a ring had fallen to the ground.

    ¡°What¡¯s this ring? It wasn¡¯t here a moment ago right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, wait, Kehma. That¡¯s a Subus.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh? You say what now?¡±

    A Subus? This is a ring. It has a transparent magic stone on it like some jewel though.

    What¡¯s going on?

    When I picked up the ring¡ª

    [Master. Nice to meet you.]

    ¡°Hm? ¡­ Oh, it has a voice. This is the Subus¡¯ voice?¡±

    ¡°Looks like it. Hey, let me see it.¡±

    I let Rokuko see it and looked at the catalog.

    It said [Subus (30,000 DP) *No Body].

    When I took a closer look, I saw it written in red letters. I¡¯dpletely overlooked it.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s unfortunate, but I guess she can¡¯t be an employee? What should we do? I was looking forward to Subus legs though¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehma? Seiza in my roomter, okay?¡±

    Eh? Why?

    But really, what¡¯s with the no body thing? What should I do now?

    ¡°Umm¡­ what can you do? Without a body, that is.¡±

    [I have no body, so I can possess people through their dreams.]

    ¡°Hou, you can possess people? So, do you have to keep the possession up forever?¡±

    [No, it can be released at any time. The ring is more or less my true body, so it will end if it is separated from them.]

    ¡°Heeh¡­ Then could you possess me as well?¡±

    [Yes! ¡­ Ah, sorry. Master¡¯s magical power and dream power is beyond strong, so I would not be able to without Master¡¯splete cooperation.]

    What¡¯s dream power? And Rokuko¡¯s over there mumbling, ¡°A Kehma¡­ Subus!? I never thought of that!¡±

    Wouldn¡¯t I be an Incubus since I¡¯m a man?

    ¡°Rather, does it matter if it¡¯s a man or not?¡±

    [Yes. But men will be otokonoko.] [1]

    ¡°¡­ Sorry, could you run that by me again?¡±

    [A man will be an otokonoko when I possess them. For example, as Master¡¯s magical power and dream power is so strong, I would temporarily be a peerless beauty upon possessing you. To the level of being a Super Subus that would be assaulted by walking anywhere, even causing any provided bodyguard to turn on us. The strongest.]

    ¡­ Could that truly be considered the strongest?

    Let¡¯s decline trying out the possession on me for now.

    ¡°So, Rokuko, you take it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Un? I already have a ring though? The one you gave me as a present.¡±

    ¡°No, I want you to be possessed.¡±

    [Rokuko-sama¡­ oooh! Such a wonderful magical power, dream power, and your libido¡­ guheheh¡ªah.]

    Yep, that ring¡¯s magic stone is shining ominously. As expected of a Subus¡¯ Ring, it¡¯s nothing but shady.

    ¡­ It¡¯ll probably be better to pass on having Rokuko put that on. It¡¯d be troublesome if that did something to a Dungeon Core¡¯s body.

    ¡°Alright, cancel that. Let¡¯s try giving it to someone else.¡±

    ¡°Mu. Oh well then.¡±

    [Eeh!? But if I possess her she¡¯ll definitely get a super suggestive hi outfit!? Master, don¡¯t you want to see Rokuko-sama wearing a super suggestive hi outfit?]

    ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m good.¡±

    [So you¡¯re already in such a close rtionship that you¡¯ve seen every nook and cranny of each other? I understand, I was rude.]

    I kind of wanted to throw the ring away, but I kept myself in check.

    Who would be best to try giving the ring to? Rokuko and I decided to try calling all of our subordinates over.

    The first ones we called were the three monster girls.

    ¡°How about these ones?¡±

    [Let¡¯s see, the silver-haired vampire appears to be the most suitable. However, it seems to me as though she is under a curse¡­ the other two are about the same. The feeling is subtle. Do either of you two have sexual desire?]

    Looks like her trait of having zero attack power is no good for being possessed by a Subus either. And it looks like the presence orck thereof is a parameter for thepatibility¡­ There¡¯s Kinue-san, a Silky that exists to clean, and Nerune, an Apprentice Witch that indulges in her research. Yep, they¡¯re definitelycking in sexual desire.

    ¡°Master. Vampires and Subi are simr in that they are both residents of the night, humanoid, and prey on humans, but! Vampires and Subi are absolutely different existences, that¡¯s why!!¡±

    ¡°I understand. I just wanted to see your aptitudes.¡±

    [Could I try to posses one for now?]

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, but who?¡±

    ¡°Me~, pick me~. Could you posses me~?¡±

    The one who offered was Nerune. Hoh? That¡¯s unexpected.

    When I handed Nerune the ring, she immediately put it onto her right hand¡¯s middle finger.

    [Possession!]

    A wind engulfed Nerune followed by her clothes changing into a slutty researcher¡¯s robe over a tiny swimsuit.

    While on the subject, it also feels like her chest got bigger. And above all, her legs are attracting my eyes.

    ¡°Heeh~. My clothes changed~. Is this some magic that changes equipment the moment it¡¯s invoked~?¡±

    Nerune looked over herself while touching her body. Her touching her smooth body with those smooth motions was pointlessly erotic.

    ¡°My boobs got bigger too~. It used body remodeling-type magic too~¡­? Fufufu, I¡¯ll have more to learn than I thought~¡±

    ¡°Hmph, then, Subus, can you manipte Nerune now?¡±

    [Aah, sorry. Could I release the possession? I feel sick. Release!]

    You feel sick? Oi.

    The Subus ended the possession before I could even say yes or no. Nerune¡¯s appearance and her clothes returned to their usual style. An country girl-style that doesn¡¯t show much skin, a normal cute girl.

    [¡­ Phew! I did my best, how was I!?]

    ¡°What, there¡¯s a time limit?¡±

    [Nerune-senpai thinks at a dangerously high speed in her head. And, umm, there¡¯s that. She probably doesn¡¯t have any sexual desire at all, she just desires her research¡­]

    So Nerune was the type that looks calm but is actually thinking about a ton of stuff in her head huh¡­?

    Kinue-san looks like her head is only filled with cooking recipes and methods to clean, so it¡¯s dubious as to whether or not she has any sexual desire either.

    Because of that, I decided to give up trying to have her possess the three girls.

    Footnotes:

    I wasn¡¯t sure about if I should localize ¡®otokonoko¡¯ or not, but I decided to leave it as-is for now. Think professional cross dressing. It also apparently has a wiki page in English, so yeah.

 Chapter 219

    Subus 2

    Next was Ichika and Meat.

    So, when I called the two over¡ª

    [Fuooooh!? W-what is this amazingness!? Master, it¡¯s crazy!]

    The Subus started shouting in joy¡­ Let¡¯s see, towards Ichika?

    [That dog ear ve girl, she¡¯s a bundle of promise! Uehehehehe, Ojou-chan. C-could you put your finger into my hole? Go for it, just pop it right in there!]

    I knew it¡­ Well, thinking back to what Setsuna said, Meat might also be talented at being a Subus. And you¡¯re a ring, don¡¯t say ¡®my hole¡¯. It¡¯s not wrong though.

    ¡°What, a Subus? Aah, no helpin¡¯ it then. I put food before romance.¡±

    [Your body has various good things though. Well, you¡¯re a human, so you¡¯ll have at least some sexual desire. Those three from before were monsters, so it wasn¡¯t strange for them to not have any.]

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Nerune a human-based monster?¡±

    [Her thirst for knowledge has reached the point of being monstrous¡­ she¡¯s a monster. I understood that with my body, not my head.]

    You don¡¯t have a body though?

    Well then, I wonder how it will go with Meat¡ª

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    [T-there, yes, keep going¡­ aaahn! Possession!]

    Bang!

    Meat shined. What¡¯re you in a rush for?

    Rather, this is way different from when you did it with Nerune, oi.

    Then, when the light dimmed down¡­ wearing ck strings, Meat was stretched out on the ground in a form that had grown into my preferred age range. She was barefoot, the soles of her feet facing me. Her toes twitched like they were calling out to me.

    ¡­ Gulp.

    My heard beat like it was grabbed on to.

    W-what superb feet¡­ kuuh!

    [The descent¡­ of Subus Wanko!]

    ¡°¡­ Desu.¡± [1]

    Meat raised the corners of her mouth with a clumsy feeling. It was a slightly embarrassed smile that would cause someone to want to protect her through rain and storm. Ah, I want to hug and lick her.

    ¡°Ooooh¡­ wait, Meat, your appearance¡­ isn¡¯t it like Kehma¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Nope, Rokuko-sama. No matter how ya look at her, she doesn¡¯t look like Goshujin-sama at all. She¡¯s a sexy girl that¡¯s even causin¡¯ my heart to thump though.¡±

    Hmm? Are we all seeing something different?

    Still not looking away from Meat¡¯s feet¡ª

    ¡°Oi, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    [Sorry, I think it¡¯s the passive skill, [Charm]. Ichika-san might be seeing the most proper version?]

    ¡°So Rokuko and I can¡¯t see her properly?¡±

    [I think so. Seeing your reaction, you got super charmed.]

    What did she say¡­? I got charmed¡­? What an idiot. I¡¯m just thinking that I want to rubby-rub-rub my cheeks between her feet, that¡¯s all. Right now, even.

    ¡°¡ªWait, holy crap I got charmed! Ichika, hit me! It¡¯s an order!¡±

    ¡°Aye aye! Toooh!¡±

    Bam!

    Ichika¡¯s fistnded on my cheek. I fell back and rolled over on the grand.

    I, who¡¯d fallen down on the Master Room¡¯s white floor, felt my head cool down.

    I¡¯m going to just stay here and take a breather.

    ¡°Phew, I¡¯m back to myself¡­¡±

    ¡°What are doing, Kehma? You¡¯re really weird.¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re even worse off.¡±

    When I sat up, I saw Meat wearing a ck bikini. She didn¡¯t grow up. It just looks like her face is sexy, like she¡¯s delirious over something. Nn, did her eyes turn red? ¡­ Also, Rokuko¡¯s hugging Meat and nomming on her dog ears. Zealously.

    ¡°I see¡­ so that¡¯s what being charmed looks like?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, haaah, your ears taste so good. Nom nom.¡±

    ¡°Funyaah! R-Rokuko-sama¡­ that¡¯s ticklish¡­ kuun?¡±

    ¡°Oi, get back to your senses, Rokuko. That¡¯s not me, it¡¯s Meat.¡±

    ¡°Haah, Haah¡­ it¡¯s fine even if it¡¯s Meat¡­ aah, Kehma¡¯s great scent, kun kun.¡± [2]

    ¡­ I guess it¡¯s fine to keep going?

    ¡ªOh crap, hold up. I almost got charmed again. I concentrated on the pain in my cheek and managed to get a hold of myself.

    ¡°Subus, release the possession!¡±

    [H-hyai, Rokuko-shama¡¯s¡­ technique, sho good¡­ release!]

    With a pop, Meat returned to her usual maid-outfit self.

    Rokuko popped out of it a few secondster.

    ¡°Huh!? Meat? Why am I using Meat as a hug pillow?¡±

    ¡°You got charmed.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Subi are scary. By the way, Kehma, what¡¯s up with your cheek?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. [Healing].¡±

    Recovery magic is amazing, the pain¡¯s gone just like that.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, are ya okay? I hit ya with all I had.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you saved me. Rather, Ichika, you were fine through all that?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was thinkin¡¯ about how Goshujin-sama got to use Meat-senpai as a hug pillow every day and got filled with power so I guess I got charmed too?¡±

    Isn¡¯t our Wanko Subus too strong? [3]

    Just then, the Subus¡¯ voice came from the ring.

    [Woow, it didn¡¯tst long but I got to subate~. That charm was more than I deserve! Master, Meat-senpai is good! I want to get along with her! To the point of unifying!] [4]

    ¡°Rejected. It¡¯s too strong and can¡¯t be controlled. It was like being caught by a Siren.¡±

    It might be nice as a trump card, but not for daily use.

    We just created an ultimate weapon for our dungeon.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a little¡­ unfortunate. I thought that I would be able to help¡­¡±

    I suddenly felt startled by Meat when she removed the ring. It¡¯s probably because of some lingering effect.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma, couldn¡¯t we just let Meat have the ring? Isn¡¯t it alright so long as she doesn¡¯t get possessed?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm.¡±

    ¡°Then what do we do with the ring? Did you want it? Sure, Kehma can be a Subus.¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    Oh. I was thinking that she was possessing people, but now that I think about it careful, it doesn¡¯t actually have to be a person, does it?

    ¡°Subus. Can you possess Golems?¡±

    [Golems? I can, but¡­ yeah, so long as it has a body, I can. It won¡¯t be a perfect body since it won¡¯t have any sexual desire, but it won¡¯t have anything like a consciousness to get in the way either. I could do it with Master giving me magical power? If you do, there shouldn¡¯t a problem. Besides, none of that even matters if it¡¯s inside a dream.]

    Looks like she figured it out. She¡¯s pretty smart, this¡¯ll go quick.

    ¡°Good, I¡¯ll have to prepare a Cute Golem then.¡±

    [Heeh, a Cute Golem? Aren¡¯t all Golems the same¡­?]

    ¡°Oh, right. You still haven¡¯t seen my [Create Golem] since you¡¯re a neer huh. Just watch this Dungeon Master¡¯s¡ªno¡­ this Golem Master¡¯s skill!¡±

    Like this, my [Create Golem] was about to re up.

    Take a good look at my [Cute Golem]¡ª!

    Footnotes:

    Yeah so I had no idea what to put here other than ¡®desu¡¯. I usually avoid keeping stuff like this, but there¡¯s really nothing else for this line¡­ Ah, and note that ¡®Wanko¡¯ is a cute term for ¡®Puppy¡¯. Return

    ¡®Kun Kun¡¯ = sniffing sound. Return

    He said Wanko Subus, yet the Subus said Subus Wanko¡­ Mm. Return

    This line is weird in all sorts of ways, so my apologies for that. ¡°Subate¡± is obviously a made up word here (the raw made a simr one up). The second sentence appears to be a pun that I can¡¯t quite work out. The third doesn¡¯t fully work in English, so I needed to retool it. The forth and fifth make a pun of their own. @

 Chapter 220

    Subus 3

    ¡­ Ah!

    Crap, I wound up staying up all night. It¡¯s already morning!

    ¡­ I can¡¯t stop myself when I get into making a robot. I just gave priority to something that isn¡¯t sleeping¡­ I need to be more careful.

    Well, thanks to that, the Golem that¡¯ll be the Subus¡¯ container is done, but¡ª

    ¡°What do you think? This is feminine yeah?¡±

    [Ah, sorry. I fell asleep. So you finished?]

    You need to sleep even though you don¡¯t have a body?

    By the way, its theme is a robomaid. I made it have a curvy, feminine body by making an Iron Golem¡¯s joints mannequin-like. I¡¯m pretty confident in my results here. Other than its face.

    ¡­ The face is, well, it¡¯s a simple round face with cyber-like red sunsses. The artificial ruby eyes I made for it feel like they¡¯re tsurime, but I¡¯m not too confident in them so I put a simrly artificial ruby-made horizontal line-type visor on it to cover them up. [1]

    I feel like the result has a good robomaid feeling to it.

    [Hmm, couldn¡¯t the face be a little more beautiful? It looks rather in, doesn¡¯t it?]

    ¡°Please don¡¯tment about anything concerning the face. That¡¯s my limit¡­¡±

    [Eh? Hmm, oh well then. This is good enough, I¡¯ll let you off the hook.]

    Hoh, how self-important you are.

    ¡°By the way, where did Rokuko and the others head off to?¡±

    [Rokuko-sama and them went outside. She said they were going to head back home and sleep¡­ but why would a Dungeon Core say ¡®head back home¡¯?] ¡°Ah, there¡¯s an inn I built outside. We usually sleep there.¡±

    ¡­ Still though, her reaction towards my [Create Golem] was pretty weak.

    [Well, I was surprised when you started yesterday. You went into serious mode when you were giving orders for you to make the arms and legs, don¡¯t you remember?]

    ¡°Aah, yeah, maybe? It feels like I did something like that¡­ yep, even if I¡¯m the one to say it, the legs really dide out great. They look soft even though they¡¯re made from iron.¡±

    [You had me possess Meat-senpai to use her legs as reference after all. Master was saying stuff like it wasn¡¯t good enough while putting so much energy into it, it was such a turnoff~!]

    I don¡¯t remember that at all. I did that?

    [Eh? You don¡¯t remember? ¡­ You were licking her legs. And were tickling them. Meat-senpai begged for you to stop, but Master wasn¡¯t taking no for an answer¡­ and then you two became one.]

    ¡°Eh, holdup. Sorry, did that really happen?¡±

    [Nope, that was a lie. Specifically, it was a lie starting from the possession part. Rokuko-sama stopped you.]

    That was a lie? Bastard. Ah, she¡¯s not a bastard, she¡¯s a Subus. [2]

    I put her ring onto the Golem to posses for now.

    Now I¡¯ll just make it fit properly with [Create Golem] aaaand¡­ done.

    ¡°There you go.¡±

    [Alright, I¡¯ll possess it.]

    Its ruby eyes shed¡ªat least, it felt like they did.

    The Golem got up and moved even without me ordering it¡­ Yep, those are some fine legs. My ability to shape them is amazing if I do say so myself.

    [Oooh! This is¡­ so much more human-like than I thought it¡¯d be! How should I say it¡­ the operating feel, yeah, the operating feel is very human-like!]

    ¡°Good, I¡¯d mixed a bit of orichalcum into its joints, so it shouldn¡¯t be slow in day-to-day tasks like Golems usually are. Rather, it should even be fine in a hand-to-hand fight.¡±

    [Seriously? For you to make a Golem with orichalcum in it, that¡¯s amazing, Master.]

    The Golem punched the air. Yep, the performance is so much different when I use orichalcum. It shouldn¡¯t even be called a normal Golem at this point.

    ¡°Rather than a Golem, it¡¯s more like a Doll. There¡¯s no mechanisms in it to call it a machine doll after all.¡± [3]

    [This is wonderful, Master! I¡¯ll follow you forever!]

    ¡°How about we go show it off to Rokuko and the others! This is my number one masterpiece!¡±

    *

    ¡°Ah, Kehma. Morning. You¡¯re back to yourself now?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. That was, uhh, I went on a high since I didn¡¯t get any sleep¡­¡±

    After going to sleep and getting back up, I was performing a seiza in front of Rokuko.

    The Subus inside the Doll was together with me.

    ¡°But still, you made a cute Golem huh. I thought you¡¯d just focus on its legs though.¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯d be gross to see a normal Golem with amazing legs. That¡¯s why I had to make sure its whole body was done right.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So you did it all for the sake of its legs?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so?¡±

    It¡¯s like how you¡¯d be weirded out by seeing a pair of nice legs on some old man. That¡¯s why making it so that the whole body was coordinated was a super, super natural conclusion.

    ¡°¡­ Well, I might¡¯ve went too far with the arms¡­ but then there¡¯d be imbnced Golem arms on a dainty body, then there¡¯s also the moe element¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehma, have you slept enough yet? Are you okay?¡±

    And now she¡¯s worrying about me for some reason. Shaddup.

    ¡°Well, we couldn¡¯t put a Golem like this in the inn right? What should we do with it, decorate your room?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, right¡­ I was thinking it¡¯d be good if we had her possess the massage chair. I mean, it¡¯s also a Golem.¡±

    ¡°I see, so it¡¯d have a charm effect for getting repeat customers¡­ Ah, but wouldn¡¯t it be alright if you just went with saying you got it in the dungeon like the massage chair? Like say it was in a treasure chest.¡±

    ¡­ Would that work?

    It wouldn¡¯t be strange if I passed it off as getting it from the dungeon, and I am supposed to be the person whose gone the furthest into the dungeon. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem at all even if I said it¡¯s an item that only I could get.

    By the way, concerning the massage chair, I went with putting hand-sized versions that just need magical power to run inside the warehouse¡¯s treasure chests just like how I did with the de golems. They¡¯re popr items.

    ¡°It¡¯d be fine if you made people able to get Golems from the treasure chests too. Just make them move when they¡¯re supplied with magical power and follow what their owner says. That shouldn¡¯t be a problem for you at all, right Kehma?¡±

    ¡°I see, those do sound convenient.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s idea was pretty great.

    And it might be useful for my Golems to spread about in case anything happens.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make some obedient golems be an ultra rare item in the treasure chests from now on. I¡¯ll even make a Doll like this one as a super jackpot. Well, one that doesn¡¯t have a Subus possessing it.¡±

    ¡°Right, that sounds good. There shouldn¡¯t be any problems if you just tell the guild you got something new from the dungeon. Even if there¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ll silence them.¡±

    They know that Rokuko is able to borrow Haku-san¡¯s influence.

    And so that¡¯s why we¡¯ll have new Golem employees.

    ¡°By the way, now that it¡¯s like this, are you going to make the Subus one of those¡ªa named monster?¡±

    [Eh, seriously? I¡¯m deeply moved that you¡¯d give me a name!]

    ¡°Right. Then, you¡¯re a Subus, so¡­ [Neru]? From ¡®sleep¡¯.¡± [4]

    [Woohoo! It¡¯szy¡ª! But I¡¯m named now, yay!]

    It looks that made her happy.

    Rather, I¡¯ll be relying on you to guard against Subi y¡¯know?

    Footnotes:

    Check out this page if you want to learn about tsurime eyes. Return

    This is making a pun off of the fact that bastard/son of a bitch/asshole is a word in JP used almost exclusively on men. She¡¯s a Subus, therefore female. Yeah. Return

    A bit is lost in trantion here, as ¡°machine doll¡± -> Automota, something that¡¯s generally considered above Golems¡ªwith Golems considered above Dolls because, well, they are monsters and Dolls aren¡¯t¡­ Yeah. Return

    I was thinking about making an English pun for her name as well, but people are already wanting to stone me for other simr things¡­ so yeah. Sleep(EN) = Neru(JP). Therefore, she¡¯s named Neru.

 Chapter 221

    The Little Girl Returns

    The pink-haired girl that invaded the vige, Michiru.

    Her job was to ensnare the Vige Chief.

    ording to their information, the Vige Chief was simply a figurehead with the true master being the bar master, who was also the Vige Sub Chief. That said¡­ as the Vige Chief held the final say, he could easily discard the Vige Sub Chief¡¯s proposals.

    They knew that the Vige Chief was a person who had a thing for little girls (lolicon) from previous investigations. That¡¯s why she, an immature Subus, was assigned to the job.

    As little girl lovers (lolicons) could often easily detect adult subi using mimicry to look like a young girl, he was a strong enemy with a low sess rate. However, as Michiru was truly a young girl, she wasn¡¯t using mimicry.

    Moreover, they didn¡¯t mind much even if she failed and were repelled, so she was a sacrificial pawn¡­ well, it wasn¡¯t to that extent, but they hadn¡¯t expected much from her.

    That¡¯s why the only thing she was told about her mission was to ensnare the Vige Chief, not receiving much other information at all. She truly was repelled, so it could be said that the decision of not giving her much information was the correct choice.

    ¡°¡­ But I haven¡¯t given up! I¡¯ll make that Vige Chief fall into the palm of my hand!¡±

    Clenching her fists, Michiru¡¯s spirit was on fire.

    However, when she snuck into the vige again that night, the Vige Chief was absent.

    Was he being vignt on the day after it? Michiru¡¯s shoulders drooped.

    And her stomach growled.

    ¡­ It looked as though her body remembered that she hadn¡¯t eaten anything after that sandwich.

    ¡°Uu¡­ even though I¡¯d be alright as long as I had life energy¡­ even an animal would be fine¡­¡±

    But this was an adventurer mining vige. There weren¡¯t any households that kept pets. There wasn¡¯t anyone among the adventurers that kept lesser monsters like tamers either.

    Meanwhile, sneaking in a night visit (having a meal) with an adventurer was hard for Michiru.

    It was at the time she sat down in front of the inn at a loss for what to do.

    ¡°Oh? Youngdy, why are you in a ce like this?¡±

    ¡°Fueh?¡±

    When she raised her head, she saw a beautiful woman with pale green hair.

    She was wearing a frilly outfit¡­ it was probably the outfit for people who worked at the inn.

    ¡°Are you one of the guest¡¯s children? ¡­ Youngdy, where is your papa or mama?¡±

    ¡°U-umm, umm¡­!¡±

    Michiru grew panicked and confused. This was the enemy¡¯s territory, she couldn¡¯t say something careless.

    However, her body was honest. A cute rumble came from her stomach.

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re hungry, aren¡¯t you? Would you like me to treat you to some leftover bread?¡±

    ¡°A-are you a goddess?¡±

    ¡°Oh goodness, no. I¡¯m just a normal maid.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªbut Onee-sama told me not to follow strangers¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll introduce myself then. I an Kinue. I work at this inn. You?¡±

    ¡°M-Michiru¡­¡±

    ¡°Michiru-chan, is it? That¡¯s a lovely name. Now, I¡¯m not a stranger anymore, am I?¡±

    With a smile, the woman¡ªKinue, held out her hand.

    Michiru timidly took Kinue¡¯s hand. Her hand was gentle as it helped pull Michiru onto her feet.

    Michiru wondered if this was the kind of feeling a mother would give.

    ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯m not a guest at the inn though¡­ is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then I¡¯ll just have to give you a treat as a friend then, Michiru-chan.¡±

    ¡°¡­! U-un! Friends! We¡¯re friends, yeah!¡±

    And so Michiru was taken into the inn¡¯s dining room by the green-colored maid.

    *

    ¡°The target has been taken in. What now, Rokuko-sama?¡±

    ¡°What now, hmm¡­¡±

    Although the girl Kehma had tagged on the map appeared, just when he thought about making a move and seeing what happened since it somehow felt like she was a puppy on the streets, they somehow wound up sheltering her.

    She was currently sleeping rather soundly after filling up on bread. Her sleeping face was innocent, she could only be seen as a normal child.

    But what should they do now?

    She tried talking to Kehma about it, but as he was concentrating on making the golem that¡¯d be the Subus¡¯ container, he only responded absent-mindedly. Rokuko knew from experience that she¡¯d just have to leave him alone when he got like that.

    ¡°Shall I get rid of her?¡±

    ¡°Un, I¡¯m not one to say but that¡¯s cold. Kinue, you¡¯re pretty merciless aren¡¯t you¡­ Even though you said you were friends.¡±

    ¡°I am a maid. Work has priority over personal affairs.¡±

    ¡°What do you personally want to do?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, could I take her as my subordinate and teach her how to clean? She is my first friend, after all.¡±

    ¡°Ooh. I see.¡±

    Rokuko nodded her head.

    ¡°Wait, huh?¡±

    And then tilted it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t those adventurers usually ask you to [Please be my friend]? What about them?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko-sama. They only really mean that as [Please be my lover]. My lover (cleaning) is settled on, so I refuse them.¡±

    ¡°Ah, really?¡±

    ¡°I might think about it if they at least presented me with some residence I could clean though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You know I won¡¯t give Kehma up to you right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    Kinue smiled. Kehma possessed multiple buildings she could clean: the inn, the vige chief¡¯s mansion, and the dungeon. Moreover, he provided her with an environment of not only being able to clean but also being able to cook as much as she liked. This was much too much of a blessing for her.

    That¡¯s why, whenbined with the effect of her naming, Kinue¡¯s intimacy meter to Kehma was close to the peak. She adored him to the point that she would even get rid of her first friend if that friend became an obstacle to Kehma.

    ¡°Also, also you friends with Rei and Nerune?¡±

    ¡°We get along well, but we are more colleagues than friends. We serve the dungeon together.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Rokuko felt that Kinue was unexpectedly businesslike.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll wait on dealing with her till Kehma¡¯s done with his Golem. He got really fired up so I wonder if he¡¯ll be staying up all night and doing something weird again?¡±

    ¡°Again?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this happened a while ago. He went nuts over building something and forgot to sleep.¡±

    Kinue was unable to imagine Kehma, someone who gave sleep priority over anything else, concentrating on something so much that he forgot to sleep¡­ Then again, he was prioritizing making a Golem over sleeping right now.

    ¡°Kehma is amazing when he concentrates! He could even make a dungeon that wins against Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we could expect that Golem to be perfect.¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯ll be no good if he doesn¡¯t get sleep when he¡¯s done. What we¡¯ll do with the girl will be after that. Keep a watch on her in the room. I¡¯ll adjust your work shifts.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    Kinue bowed to Rokuko respectfully¡ª

    (¡­ Now then, I wonder just how much information I can get out of my long-awaited friend.)

    ¡ªand smiled.

 Chapter 222

    The Little Girl¡¯s Midnight Visit

    ¡°And that¡¯s how it is!¡±

    ¡°Yep, but why?¡±

    Simply put, the little girl I put a marker on came back rather thoughtlessly, so Kinue took her in. It also looks like they be friends and she managed to get a lot of information from her¡­

    While I was being surprised at Kinue-san¡¯s unexpected excellence, I sorted out and reviewed the information we have concerning that pink girl.

    ¨C ¡°It¡¯s a secret, but I¡¯m a Subus.¡±

    ¨C ¡°I know I look like this but I¡¯m probably older than you, Kinue!¡± (Her mental age seems to be about what she looks like.)

    ¨C ¡°Fuah!? This cake is super tasty!¡±

    ¨C ¡°Umm, Onee-sama is a super amazing Subus though?¡±

    ¨C ¡°Kinue is my friend. I¡¯ll protect you so that Onee-sama doesn¡¯t attack you.¡±

    ¨C ¡°Ah, but you can make cake so you¡¯re definitely useful, Kinue!¡±

    She was able to get her to say those things.

    ¡­ Isn¡¯t that girl a bit too easy?

    ¡°Kinue said that there was also the possibility of it actually being a trap.¡±

    ¡°So the info is what¡¯s behind what she said?¡±

    So they decided to leave the call to me, huh. Is it that I¡¯m trusted or that I¡¯m good at performing?

    Enough about that little girl being a Subus. I¡¯m more anxious about her older sister.

    ¡°Oi Neru, time for some work.¡±

    [Kaaay, Subus hunting!]

    ¡°No, my guard. In my dreams.¡±

    She¡¯s getting a bit ahead of herself there. Just a bit.

    *

    Under Kinue¡¯s cooperation, Michiru came to the inn room the Vige Chief slept in.

    It looked like he moved his bed to a part of the inn with lots of people as a precaution against Subi.

    ¡°Uu, thanks Kinue. You even went this far to help me.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, aren¡¯t we friends? You don¡¯t have to worry about it, Michiru.¡±

    ¡°Friends¡­ Kinue. Please tell me if you¡¯re ever in trouble okay? I¡¯ll help with anything!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, in that case, would you help me working at the inn next time then?¡±

    ¡°Un!¡±

    Seeing Michiru¡¯s smile cover her whole face, Kinue smiled back.

    ¡°Oh, the room is locked. What will you do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright! I¡¯m a Subus so I can sneak into the room with Dream Dive! But I¡¯ll end up turning back into my physical body if I wind up actually sleeping though¡­¡±

    ¡°Will you go to sleep in the hallway then? It isn¡¯t dirty since I¡¯ve cleaned it though. Right, shall I bring you a nket?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, my physical body disappears when I use Dream Dive. Cya in a bit!¡±

    With that, Michiru used her skill, Dream Dive. Her body disappeared like it had melted into the air.

    Her view changed. Her vision ignored doors, walls, even floors and ceilings. The only things she saw were people who were asleep. This vision was something that only those who could dive into others¡¯ dreams, such as Subi and Incubi, could see. Sleeping people looked like masses of white light, everything else was pitch ck.

    Moreover, as Michiru was a Subus, the masses of white light that represented men had red outlines. The red outlines were a sign that they were targets she could get into. (Although it wasn¡¯t as though she couldn¡¯t get into ones without a red outline, it was somewhat difficult to do so.)

    She could see the people who were sleeping in the inn¡¯s other rooms as well, but she ignored everything other than the Vige Chief.

    As though nothing were obstructing her, Michiru ignored the door as she slowly approached the white light that belonged to the Vige Chief.

    Caressing its red outline, she poofed into the Vige Chief¡¯s dream.

    In it was the same gorgeous room as the other day.

    And something that was also the same as the other day¡ªthe Vige Chief was sleeping in the bed.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll definitely seed in charming him this time!¡±

    Michiru squirmed into his bed. The bed was sofortable that it felt like a good ce to go to sleep¡­ but if she fell asleep, she¡¯d wind up being driven out of the dream. (It appears that she wouldn¡¯t be driven out if the dream¡¯s owner was paying attention to her.)

    Resisting the urge to sleep in the sleep-inducing bed, Michiru¡¯s head popped out from underneath the nket right next to the Vige Chief¡¯s head.

    Once it appeared as though the two were sleeping together, she reached out and shook the Vige Chief awake.

    ¡°Vige Chief-sama, Vige Chief-sama.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ ah, you¡¯re that girl from the other day?¡±

    ¡°U-umm¡­ d-don¡¯t you want to feel good with me?¡±

    Her clothing seemed more shameful than arousing the other day, so she was in her normal clothes this time. Even so, it was a Subus¡¯ default, so it still showed a lot of skin.

    ¡°Yep, no way I¡¯m holdin¡¯ back! A little girl, ha ha!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaah!? V-Vige Chief-san!?¡±

    Michiru got overwhelmed by the Vige Chief¡¯s sudden excitement. While thinking about how she hadn¡¯t expected for her normal garment to be attractive, she felt a tinge of fear from the Vige Chief¡¯s bloodshot eyes.

    ¡°U-umm, please be gentle¡­ uhh, it¡¯s alright since this is a dream, but, umm, just¡ªjust in case, okay?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, just leave it to me. I might look like this, but I¡¯m a gentleman.¡±

    ¡°Kyaah, sto¡ªt-there¡­. nn! Kyaah, hyaah!?¡±

    The Vige Chief abruptly started ticking Michiru¡¯s feet.

    ¡°Haha! A little girl¡¯s feet, ha ha!¡±

    ¡°Kyahahahaha! Th-that¡¯s tickliiish! Ahaa, hyaaau, aha, ahahahahaaa!¡±

    And like that, Michiru¡¯s feet kept being tickled until the Vige Chief was satisfied.

    She felt like her stomach muscles must¡¯ve gotten a workout¡­ it was a dream though.

    *

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep when it¡¯s so noisy¡­ well, I¡¯m already dreaming though.¡±

    Listening to theughtering from the little girl, I¡ªstill inside my futon under the bedined.

    I¡¯d asked Neru to be my substitute.

    Subi are able to change their appearances freely inside dreams, so I asked Neru to act like she was a charmed version of me and see how the girl reacted.

    A so-called sting operation.

    By the way, I wanted my guard (Neru) to be near, so I got the ring back and put it on. There¡¯s no problem so long as she doesn¡¯t use Possession.

    ¡­ Besides, sleeping with the Doll would be a bit¡­

    It¡¯s a hard, heavy lump of iron that¡¯s way too cold to sleep with and above all, its existence alone would make the sting operation fishy.

    Although I¡¯ll have to pretend that I got charmed after I wake up, but Subi basically only use their seductive techniques to get what they want inside dreams. Given the premise that I¡¯ve been charmed after I wake up, I probably won¡¯t be found out if I just act the part. Probably?

    Well, it doesn¡¯t really matter even if I fail, so I guess it¡¯s alright.

    ¡­ Rather, is that what Neru thinks I¡¯d do? Isn¡¯t that just a bit overkill?

    I think that I¡¯d be a bit more amicable¡­ and when I thought that, a telepathicmunication came from Neru.

    [It wouldn¡¯t feel like I was charmed if I didn¡¯t do this much.]

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡±

    [Please don¡¯t say anything. We¡¯ll be found out if she hears right?]

    Yep, it¡¯s a dream so I can obviously use telepathy. Well, I¡¯ll leave it to you, then.

    [I¡¯ll keep doing my best in this act then! I¡¯ll leave what¡¯s after to you okay?]

    Just as Neru said that, the situation on top of the bed progresses.

    Or perhaps I should say that it looks like Neru strengthened her attack.

    ¡°¡­ Can I¡­ lick your feet? I can, right?¡±

    ¡°Hiii¡­ hyuuu, p-please sto¡ª¡­. ah, no, it¡¯s not like you can¡¯t, umm, j-just, my breath¡­ and various other things will leak if you¡­¡±

    ¡°Liiicky licklick lick liiiiiick, lililiiiiick!¡±

    ¡°Nyahiii¡ª! Kyuhyuuu, kahyuu¡­ a¡ªhyuuuu¡­!¡±

    I could hear the sound of her gasping and writhing on top of the bed.

    ¡­ Just what is she doing up there? Sounds a bit nasty¡­

    Well, I¡¯ll just put my earplugs in and get back to sleep. I¡¯m already dreaming though.

    *

    And then morning came.

    ¡°¡­ Hmm, that was some good sleep¡­ woah.¡±

    Waking up, I saw the pink-haired girl¡­ Michiruying next to me.

    However, whether or not she was conscious was a bit dubious. Her eyes were vacant, she was breathing weakly, and most of all, she twitched every so often. There was even the traces of tears on her eyes. Saliva dripped from her half-open, weakened mouth, too.

    Are you alright? Oi.

    Let¡¯s see¡­ her eyes are open, so she isn¡¯t asleep, right?

    ¡°H-hello?¡±

    ¡°Yeeeesh!? Ha¡ªah, haah, haah¡­ I-I¡¯m alive¡­ haah, I can breathe, it¡¯s a miracle¡­¡±

    Ah, good. Looks like she¡¯s alright.

    Michiru was taking deep breaths.

    Then, at the moment she took a victory pose, she locked eyes with me.

    ¡°¡­ Hyiii!? V-Vige Chief-samaaa!?¡±

    ¡°H-hey there.¡±

    She frantically backed up towards the wall. What¡¯s this girl doing¡­ ah, right, I have to act like I got charmed.

    ¡°Lst night was crazy yeah, Babe? I¡¯ll answer whatever, got anything to ask?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Crap. Was that a bit too forced?

 Chapter 223

    The Little Girl¡¯s Older Sister

    There was an awkward silence.

    Guess I gotta go the distance and keep on pushing¡­

    ¡°Phew. Michiru, you¡¯re so charming. Enough so that you even charmed me.¡±

    ¡°Fueh!?¡±

    ¡­ Yep, she didn¡¯t think I¡¯d say it.

    I¡¯m acting like I got charmed, but well, I don¡¯t feel like I could act like Neru who was doing whatever she wantedst night at all.

    As soon as I started to think I failed, Michiru looked at me as though to see if I really was.

    ¡°Eh, really?¡±

    ¡°Michiru-chan¡¯s so cute.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe¡­¡±

    When I praised her to make doubly sure, Michiru went full-on shy mode.

    Is it alright for her to be like that?

    ¡°Y-you¡¯ll do whatever I ask?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, just ask. Michiru-chan¡¯s so cute, how could I not~¡±

    When I said that, Michiru smiled.

    ¡°T-then, Vige Chief-san! Please turn around and wave.¡±

    While thinking about what the heck was up with her request, I turned around in a circle and waved at Michiru.

    ¡°I did it! Then next, please do a handstand!¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I can¡¯t do a handstand.¡±

    ¡°Do something about that!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I think the charm might break from the shock of me failing though~¡±

    ¡°¡­ If you can¡¯t do it, oh well.¡±

    Is it alright for her to be like that?

    I¡¯m the one to say it, but the hurdle for looking like I¡¯m charmed is pretty low. Neru obviously overdid it. I nced at the ring (Neru). It felt like the ring¡¯s magic stone was shining faintly as though to gloss over it.

    Well, let¡¯s just say you passed.

    ¡°So, what should I do for Michiru-chan? Tickle you?¡±

    ¡°Pii!? No tickling! Y-you can only a-attack me inside a dream! Ah, umm. I want Vige Chief to go somewhere with me¡­ umm, outside of the vige.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head out.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but let¡¯s get breakfast before that since I¡¯m hungry!¡±

    ¡°Okay, are you good with a sandwich?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    Her smiling face was dazzling. How should I say this¡­ you didn¡¯t actually charm me, so uhh, sorry?

    ¡­ Wait, won¡¯t I actually get charmed if I start thinking like that? Gotta be careful.

    *

    After eating the sandwiches I brought out, we quietly left the inn and headed outside the vige.

    Although I¡¯d be leaving the dungeon¡¯s domain¡­ I have the clothes golem and was using [Super Transformation] to transform into myself and give me an extra life, so I have a decent safety margin. I should be able to manage one way or another.

    The only w in this state is that [ckout Resistance] is weak, but since I have Neru here they shouldn¡¯t be able to do anything even if they make me faint and try to do something in my dreams.

    At worst, there¡¯s the possibility I get possessed and turn into a Subus¡­ no, let¡¯s not think about that.

    We headed out to a clearing in the forest.

    After unhesitatingly walking all the way here, Michiru looked around restlessly. It wasn¡¯t like she got lost, but it felt like she was worrying over whether or not the person she was going to meet was here.

    Michiru put her fingers into her mouth and blew hard.

    ¡°Phuuuuu¡ª! Huh? But there¡¯s a sound when Onee-sama does that¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Were you wanting to whistle?¡±

    ¡°U-umm, please don¡¯t worry about that.¡±

    ¡°Aah, I can see the adorable Michiru-chan¡¯s cuteness, so I¡¯m not worrying at all. Couldn¡¯t you just call for her by shouting?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right¡­ ONEE-SAMAAAA! IT¡¯S MICHIRU, I DID IT¡ª!¡±

    Michiru cried out in a pretty loud voice. It hurt my ears a bit.

    A little while after that, an well-styled adult woman with the same pink hair as Michiru came out from behind the thicket¡­ Hoh, those are some wonderful legs. Even her feet¡­ gulp.

    ¡°Onee-sama! I did it!¡±

    ¡°Shh! You¡¯re too loud. But, Michiru, well done.¡±

    Wearing very Subus-like, lewd clothing that didn¡¯t really cover much, the woman stroked Michiru¡¯s head. Michiru cuddled against the woman¡¯s stomach with her cheek like a puppy.

    So this is her [Onee-sama]? The one Michiru said was a Subus? Yep, she definitely looks like one.

    ¡°This person is the Vige Chief? ¡­ I¡¯d heard the rumors, but he really is young.¡±

    She licked her lips, gulping back some saliva.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you. [Onee-sama]-san? Could I ask your name?¡±

    ¡°Before that. Michiru, is the Vige Chief really under your charm?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    ¡°Okay¡­ then, could you order him to dogeza and to say that he wants to lick my feet?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Vige Chief, go on.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please let me lick your feet, Onee-sama! Without your shoes on, if I can!¡±

    I dogeza¡¯d with the feeling of wanting to devour her. I¡¯m acting, so I have to do this. Ah, it¡¯s so hard for me to do this~, why is she making me dogeza~, why~

    ¡°¡­ I see, he proactively responded to an order to do something with a woman even though he likes young girls. He is definitely charmed.¡±

    ¡°Right!? Huhuhun.¡±

    Looks like Onee-sama was totally deceived by my acting.

    So, your feet? ¡­ Ah, no, it¡¯s nothing.

    ¡°So then, could you order Vige Chief-san to sign this contract?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Vige Chief-san, please sign this contract.¡±

    I got up out of the dogeza and received the pen and contract from Michiru.

    ¡­ Hohoh, this paper is official. Let¡¯s see¡­?

    ¡°Please hurry up and sign it, right under Onee-sama¡¯s okay?¡±

    ¡°One moment, I¡¯m the type to properly read everything inside a contract before signing it. Wouldn¡¯t if be bad if the charm broke from me doing something different from what I usually do? It¡¯s Michiru¡¯s charm yeah?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right.¡±

    ¡°For you to be so stuck to your habits even while charmed, you really must be an unexpectedly proper Vige Chief.¡±

    ¡°Even as a figurehead Vige Chief, I don¡¯t want to identally fall into debt~¡±

    Michiru and that Onee-sama looked convinced, so I read the contract.

    ¡­ As for its contents, hmm. Huh? Isn¡¯t this the same contract as what Wozuma brought me a while back? It¡¯s just asking for the permission to construct a standard brothel. The only difference is that the person in charge of it is written to be [Suira].

    ¡°Who is this Suira person that would be in charge?¡±

    ¡°Me.¡±

    So that¡¯s you huh. Looks like Michiru¡¯s sister is named Suira.

    ¡°Hmm, what is Suira-san¡¯s goal? I¡¯d like to know so that I could sign it with good faith.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Michiru. Order him to hurry up and sign it.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Vige Chief-san, please sign it.¡±

    ¡°Well well. Let¡¯s see, Michiru-chan and Suira-san alone wouldn¡¯t be enough to work at one of this size huh¡­ Would the other employees be Subi as well? Why would you want this vige in particr? Wouldn¡¯t it be more profitable at Sia?¡±

    ¡°W-wait a second. Are you really charmed? How are you able to be so detailed¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t that stuff natural to ask? Natural, I say. Ordinary. Commonce even. To the point that it¡¯s like breathing. Even if you finally make it, it would just copse if you don¡¯t have enough employees to manage it. If you have more employees, that means more vigers, which means we¡¯d have to secure more food, and there¡¯d be a racial difference. You wouldn¡¯t have to worry about that stuff if you went to Sia, so I wanted to make sure. See? It¡¯s natural.¡±

    Michiru looked at me somewhat doubtfully as I smoothly spouted off random stuff. And so I now have to show off that I¡¯m still charmed, like I¡¯d just remembered I was.

    ¡°Aah, Michiru¡¯s suspicious expression is soooo cute~¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s still charmed¡­¡±

    ¡°Is he? Is it because I¡¯m a half¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hey now! Michiru, you are a splendid Subus! I guarantee it!¡±

    ¡°Onee-sama¡­!¡±

    The two embraced each other. This is good. I¡¯d like to ask if they¡¯re sure about that, though.

    ¡°¡­ Well, alright. There are eight other Subus employees and one human. Subi¡¯s main nutritiones from life energy, so it¡¯s alright if we just eat enough normal food to camouge that¡­ As for why we aren¡¯t going to Sia, it¡¯s because we don¡¯t have money to open a business there.¡±

    Believing that I¡¯m charmed, Suira answer quite well.

    I see, so there¡¯s eight other Subi and a human.

    ¡°Wait, there¡¯s a human amongst you Subi?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Arade in prostitution. Enough of a nympho to be called a Subus¡­ wait, that¡¯s enough, so sign it alright?¡±

    Aah, what should I do?

    I already heard what I wanted to hear, so I guess it¡¯s fine to expose myself?

    ¡°Rejected. It¡¯d bad for children¡¯ education.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    Suira was stunned.

    Michiru pulled on my clothes in a panic.

    ¡°H-hey, Vige Chief-san!? That¡¯s not what I said, I said sign it¡­ please sign it because of my cuteness!¡±

    ¡°Aah, Michiru is cute, very cute. I¡¯m going to head back home now. Ah, I don¡¯t mind hiring two or three of you if you want to work as waitresses. It looks like you have some circumstances, but eleven people really is a bit much, so maybe a shift system with hourly pay¡­¡±

    ¡°Please wait! You aren¡¯t charmed!?¡±

    Suira stood with her hands out before her. The starting actions to cast a magic skill.

    ¡°You know that we are Subi, so we can¡¯t let you live.¡±

    ¡°Hoh¡­ Then I guess we¡¯ll just have to fight?¡±

    I also took a stance. I have some new techniques since I was watching Wataru teach Setsuna judo a few days ago when he came by, so let¡¯s finally give them a try.

    I caught Suira¡¯s arm and, while pulling on it, kicked out her legs. I then pinned her on the ground.

    ¡°Kyaaah!? T-this isn¡¯t happening¡­¡±

    I was worried about something falling out since her clothing covered so little, but it ended pretty quick. Back-lying perpendicr arm bar. [1]

    ¡­ Ah, she smells good. And that soft squishiness particr to women feels great.

    And then my mind started feeling warm andfy.

    Footnotes:

    This is the move he used. It¡¯s ¡°one of the official 29 grappling techniques of Kodokan Judo¡±.

 Chapter 224

    Charmed

    Ah, I wound up defeating Suira instantly.

    But this feeling really isfortable¡­ ah!? Why am using one that takes her arm!?

    Why didn¡¯t I choose a technique that holds her legs!? I¡¯m such an idiot!

    ¡°Wh¡ªat, just¡­¡±

    ¡°I tripped you then held you in an arm bar¡­ it¡¯s just a technique for one on onebat.¡±

    ¡°Kuh, l-let go of me.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    Suira asked me to release her, so I did.

    Fufufu, now I can use a technique that lets me hold her legs. Suira, what a thoughtful woman you are.

    ¡°So then, what next?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Tch, for everyone¡¯s sake, I can¡¯t lose here¡­!¡±

    ¡°So you have to defeat me? Pfft, sure, why not. I give up.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nn?¡±

    There¡¯s not really any meaning behind winning or losing here anyway.

    So don¡¯t we just call it my loss? Hmm? Suira¡¯s looking at me strangely. She said that she couldn¡¯t afford to lose, so why isn¡¯t she happy about winning?

    Hmmm¡­ a woman¡¯s heart is mysterious.

    ¡°Please spin in a circle and wave your hand.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Like this?¡±

    I don¡¯t really get it, but if Suira wants me to, why not?

    I spun around and waved as Suira told me to.

    ¡°He¡­ got charmed¡­?¡±

    ¡°Please wait, Onee-sama. I just checked that earlier. He might still be acting.¡±

    ¡°Then, umm¡­ then could you sign the contract from a moment ago?

    Those upturned eyes are unfair! C¡¯mon, now I just have to sign it!

    ¡°Got it¡­ This good?¡±

    I signed the document that Suira held out to me once again. By the way, although I can¡¯t write the characters of this world¡¯snguage even though I can read them, I¡¯m now able to write a few words a bit shoddily with the glove-type golem I made with Rokuko¡¯s coboration. My name¡¯s one of the words.

    Suira looked at the document I¡¯d passed back to her and checked to see if I really signed it. Hmm? She looks like a deer stuck staring at headlights. Her face looks great like that too.

    ¡°¡­ We did it?¡±

    ¡°A-amazing, Onee-sama! You even charmed a man of a different preference!¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it, Michiru. This man¡­ doesn¡¯t appear to be a lolicon.¡±

    Ah,e to think of it, they were mistaking me for a lolicon, weren¡¯t they? Seriously, I¡¯m having to deny it all the time. Who¡¯s spreading rumors like that?

    It¡¯s the fault of that rumor that Suira had such a strange misunderstanding about me¡­ I¡¯ll have to figure out who¡¯s doing it and shut them down next time.

    ¡°¡­ Vige Chief, tell me a secret that you can¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? A secret that no one can know¡­ like what you two are?¡±

    ¡°Correct. Oh, please ignore that thing about Michiru.¡±

    ¡°Got it. So a secret I can¡¯t tell anyone huh?¡±

    A secret I can¡¯t tell anyone huh, that¡¯s pretty hard. If it were a big secret it¡¯d have to be the dungeon, but I can talk to Rokuko and the others about it and they all know about my earth mage Narikin mast.

    In other words, it has to be a secret I can¡¯t even talk to Rokuko about¡­ do I have something like that? Hmm, I have to think of something so that I can tell Suira about it¡­

    ¡°In truth¡­ I still don¡¯t really know the meaning of the word ¡®partner¡¯, but recently, my partner, Rokuko, has been casually getting into my personal space. It¡¯s a bit scary¡­¡±

    Yep, that¡¯s a secret I can¡¯t even talk to Rokuko about. Now it¡¯s a secret I share with Suira.

    ¡°¡­ Are you head over heels for her?¡± [1]

    ¡°Fufu, so you¡¯re asking that? It¡¯s alright, Suira is the only one in my heart.¡±

    ¡°That makes me so happy. Is there nothing else then? A fetish you can¡¯t tell anyone perhaps?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, a fetish I can¡¯t tell anyone about. That¡¯s hard¡­¡±

    ¡°Are you a lolicon?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    I am a foot fetishist, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯m hiding it. Rather, I¡¯m pretty open about it. I even tell Rokuko I am whenever ites up. And it feels like Meat knows something about it since she asionally ¡®forgets¡¯ her socks in my room.

    So as for something I can¡¯t tell anyone¡­ hmm, it really is hard. It doesn¡¯t feel like I¡¯ve had much of a libido since bing a Dungeon Master in the first ce?

    But! If Suira is asking for it, a man must answer!

    ¡°Ah, right. Recently, I¡¯ve felt a bit nice when I turn into a little girl.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You like cross dressing?¡±

    ¡°Something like that? I mean, it¡¯s a bit fun to be cute.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that truly is a weakness¡­¡±

    Weakness? I don¡¯t really know if that is one, but Suira seems to be happy so it¡¯s all good.

    It might be fun to transform into Suira and make out with her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also been thinking that female bonding might be good recently.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then how about next time I turn you into a girl and tease you? It would be a sensation you can¡¯t taste in reality.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be awesome. I¡¯ll look forward to it.¡±

    I can actually use [Super Transformation] to be a girl in reality too, but a proper man wouldn¡¯t resist a woman¡¯s advances, probably? I think. Definitely. Maybe.

    ¡°So then, what do you hate?¡±

    ¡°My sleep being obstructed. If someone does that for something that has no reason rted to me, I¡¯ll¡­ recognize them as an enemy and crush them. Anyone who disturbs my sleep is an enemy.¡±

    This question was an easy one. Fufufu, but I wouldn¡¯t mind if you woke me up yeah? Being able to hear Suira¡¯s voice would be plenty enough of a reason¡­ maybe it¡¯d be just barely enough? No, that¡¯s actually difficult. I¡¯d have to think about it even if it were Suira.

    ¡°¡­ What have you done to people that did?¡±

    ¡°I think I had the dungeon eat them? Those are some good memories.¡±

    Yep, those bandits were great nourishment. Well, that¡¯s the feeling I got when I asked Rokuko about it.

    ¡­ Huh? Suira, did you just pull a bit away?

    ¡°Ah, sorry. Did I scare you?¡±

    ¡°N-no. It¡¯s nothing, I¡¯m alright.¡±

    ¡°If so, okay.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Onee-sama. Isn¡¯t this person dangerous? He¡¯s killed people?¡±

    ¡°This about it from another angle, Michiru. This will be a weakness.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I really did it myself, but well, she can turn my dungeon into a weakness? Yep, as expected of Suira. There¡¯s nothing I can add to that either.

    ¡°¡­ Well, this much should be enough. So then, Vige Chief-san, go back to your room and forget everything about us until we meet again. That we were here is a secret as well¡­ but you will agree to having signed this contract.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll head back to my room then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good boy. I¡¯ll give you a reward.¡±

    When Suira said that, she brought her face close to mine¡ª

    ¡ªand, gently meeting my lips with hers, nimbly inserted her tongue.

    Her soft and sweet tongue made it feel like my hips were going to give out¡­ I somehow endured it.

    My heart¡¯s beating like a drum in my chest. I¡¯m sure that my face is beat red too.

    ¡°¡­¡ªpuah. M-my¡­ legs aren¡¯t working.¡±

    ¡°Puah. Oh? How cute¡­ For you to get like this from a simple kiss, you¡¯re unexpectedly innocent aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°P-please don¡¯t look so much. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­? Haven¡¯t you done something horrible to your Partner-san? Huhu.¡±

    ¡°What? Rokuko has nothing to do with it¡­¡±

    After that, I walked back to the inn.

    Then, as she told me to, I forgot about Suira and Michiru.

    Footnotes:

    The original line says ¡°noroke kashira?¡±, where ¡°noroke¡± is like up ying/speaking fondly about your significant other. Basically, ¡°Are you gushing about your love life right now?¡± I don¡¯t think that has the same feeling as the raw, though, so I altered the line a bit. Further input from anyone familiar with it would be appreciated.

 Chapter 225

    In the Shadows

    [And that¡¯s what happened!]

    ¡°So you were just watching that whole time?¡±

    [I don¡¯t have a body, it¡¯s not like I could¡¯ve done anything to stop it. And I can¡¯t use Posession on you unless I have your permission either, Master.]

    I thought I¡¯d headed back to the inn and had some good sleep, but it looks like I was charmed by the Subus and lost my memory.

    After hearing Rokuko, Neru, and the others¡¯ testimonies I quickly learned that I¡¯d blundered and got charmed. Moreover, my own written note was conclusive evidence on it. I¡¯d written a note saying: [I got charmed and will be losing my memory]. Seeing the memo I¡¯d left with Rokuko, I got some of my memory back.

    The part of my memory that came back wasn¡¯t the part of me talking with Suira but the bit about preparing the stage.

    Since I couldn¡¯t remember the parts concerning Suira, I headed back to my room and had Neru supplement my memories¡­ heading back to my room first saved me. It was a secret that I couldn¡¯t tell Rokuko after all.

    [Rather, this is what you expected right?]

    ¡°Well, something like it.¡±

    The part about me being charmed was going as nned so far.

    The strategy I thought up went like this:

    Temporarily pretend to be charmed by the pink-haired girl.

    Lure out her sister, expose that I wasn¡¯t charmed, then be charmed.

    Neru would then return me to myself if she could, else devote herself to gathering information if she couldn¡¯t.

    *Additionally, Meat would be hidden in the shadows, tailing them back to their base if possible.

    As for getting charmed after revealing that I wasn¡¯t charmed, that was to get my opponents to rx their guard.

    And so, by carrying out this strategy, I got some insurance by sealing my memories and forgetting about thetter half of the strategy. My handwritten memo would act as the key.

    The method I used to seal them was practically the same as what Suira used. I wasmanded through a charm.

    As a result of that, since I was charmed, I acted practically unconsciously.

    Additionally, I was set so as to not spill anything big about the dungeon by being told that it was [Something not to discuss].

    Neru¡ªpossessing the Doll¡ªhad me charmed under Rokuko¡¯s supervision¡­ but that¡¯s another piece I don¡¯t really remember¡­ I didn¡¯t do anything weird, right? Rather, you guys didn¡¯t do anything weird to me, right?

    ¡°Still though, I put various things in the inn¡¯s warehouse to appear to be weaknesses¡­ but they didn¡¯t get brought up at all. Grah, that didn¡¯t turn out well.¡±

    [I don¡¯t think someone¡¯s thought patterns when they¡¯re charmed are that easy to figure out though? It all turns cryptic once the charm ends.]

    I wasn¡¯t expecting to predict it perfectly though.

    The only [Weakness I¡¯d prepared] that made an appearance was that [I¡¯d killed people (bandits) and had the dungeon eat them]. I¡¯m just barely safe because of the way I said it. On the contrary, maybe its authenticity improved?

    I headed back to the Master Room where Rokuko was waiting.

    Rokuko looked up from some book she was reading when I entered.

    Meat had returned as well. Looks like Rokuko collected her when she returned to the dungeon¡¯s domain.

    ¡°Are you alright, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m pretty sure my memory¡¯s filled in¡±

    I removed the ring (Neru) and handed it to Rokuko. I¡¯ve already finished my task so there¡¯s no reason for me to have it.

    ¡°So then, how did it go on your end, Meat?¡±

    ¡°I found their base. I can clean them up whenever.¡±

    ¡°That so? Good job.¡±

    Meat¡¯s tail wagged back and forth when I started petting her.

    ¡­ Seeing Meat like that, I suddenly had a thought: isn¡¯t talking about cleaning them up worse for her education than building a brothel?

    Rather, Meat, your way of dealing with things¡­ it¡¯s a bit brutal, you know? It¡¯s good that you¡¯re faithful to the dungeon, but you might end up as a smiling, bloodthirsty, knife-wielding killing machine if you keep it up.

    You¡¯re still going about assuming that the normal way is to clean them up¡­ how¡¯d you get like this?

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s go the peaceful route for now, okay?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    It looks like they have some circumstances going on, so talking with them is important¡­ let¡¯s go with that.

    Still though, charms are scary, they can even seal memories¡­ I wonder if I could get a charm resistance skill from the gacha? It¡¯s not in the catalog though.

    ¡°Peaceful, huh? Won¡¯t you put the brothel under the dungeon¡¯s control? I don¡¯t mind though.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko¡­ please help me think up an excuse for Haku-san.¡±

    ¡°What, couldn¡¯t you just say you built it to shelter Subi? They¡¯re great for the dungeon right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Would that work?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, aren¡¯t you too afraid of Haku Ane-sama? You even beat her.¡±

    Alright, let¡¯s try moving forward with building the brothel (Quivering Voice).

    ¡­ Well, each of the Subus are worth dozens of thousands of DP and there¡¯s ten of them. If I can make them ourrades there¡¯s no doubt that it¡¯ll be a nice catch for us. It¡¯s a bit of a problem that one of them¡¯s a human, but I¡¯ll figure that out after talking with them.

    ¡°Now then, Neru. Please tell me what the Subi did to Kehma.¡±

    [Okay! I¡¯ll tell you everyone other than what I was forbidden to say!]

    Oi, you just said there¡¯s something you can¡¯t say.

    ¡°¡­ In other words, there¡¯s something that needed to be forbidden? Looks like there¡¯s some punishment in order for those Subi¡­¡±

    ¡°Alright, how about we leave that behind? Oookay, the Subi! They might get away if we aren¡¯t quick!¡±

    I rather obviously changed the topic.

    ¡°You will tell meter, right?¡±

    ¡°Well, if I still remember.¡±

    ¡­ It¡¯s troublesome in a number of ways, so I¡¯d be better off forgetting~

    *

    Because of all that, Meat headed out for the Subi¡¯s base with the Subus Ring on.

    It¡¯s a shack built here in the forest¡­ is it a hut used by lumberjacks as a rest area or something?

    I took control of the surrounding forest as the dungeon¡¯s domain, the only area not included is the shack the Subi are using.

    As for me, I¡¯m in the Master Room deploying Golems to the areas we gained control of.

    I used the Messenger Golem, Euma, and had him stand in front of the shack and will be talking through him. I¡¯ll be contacting them like this since it looks like I¡¯ll be charmed again if I meet them personally.

    In other words, I¡¯m raiding them as the Dungeon Master¡­ rather, as a Dungeon Boss.

    [Aah, aah. Let¡¯s see, you guys are surrounded. Resistance is futile, so pleasee out.]

    ¡°Who is¡­ ¡ª! W-w-w-w-what the heck!? A Golem sea!?¡±

    By the way, I¡¯d deployed fifty Stone Golems, enough to encircle the small building.

    Now then, let¡¯s have a peaceful chat¡­ surrounded by Golems.

 Chapter 226

    On the Level of Taking an Arrow to the Knee

    The encircling siege formation¡­ err, well, it¡¯s just a simple Golem wall, but as there¡¯s a chance I¡¯d get charmed if I met with the Subi directly, negotiating as the Vige Chief would be self-destructive.

    That¡¯s why it¡¯s necessary for me to deal with them as a Dungeon Master, someone that can negotiate remotely through a Golem¡ª

    [Let¡¯s see¡­ hm? There¡¯s just nine of you?]

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, just nine.¡±

    [Hmm.]

    Suira and the other Subi came out from the shack, but there were just nine people. There should have been eleven people in total¡­ I guess the people that aren¡¯t here are Michiru and the human?

    I looked at the nine again. All of them were wearing clothes that should be measured more as string length than by cloth yardage. The exposure amount was amazing. There weren¡¯t any humans among them, probably. If there were, they¡¯d be sluts.

    Well, it¡¯s more convenient without humans given the circumstances.

    Still having Meat standby in the forest, I faced the person who was probably the Subi¡¯s leader, Suira, and addressed her.

    [What, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m really looking for a fight. I just thought we should have a bit of a talk¡­ You can trust me, alright? It¡¯ll work out better for both of us that way.]

    ¡°¡­¡±

    [Alright, at least it looks like you¡¯re understanding me.]

    Suira was just ring at me silently, but since not trusting = fighting = war, she has no choice but to trust me if she doesn¡¯t want to fight against a crowd of Golems that their charm doesn¡¯t work again.

    But since it¡¯s not my intention to actually fight, I¡¯ll move right on to what I¡¯m here for.

    [Alrightdies, how do you feel about being employed by my dungeon?]

    ¡°Dungeon? ¡­ B-by some chance, are you¡­ a Dungeon Core?¡±

    [Ah, you could think of me as something like that.]

    Suira face cramped. Did she remember something unpleasant about a Dungeon Core?

    ¡°¡­ E-excuse me. Is it for [Cave of Desires]? You¡¯re scouting us for there?¡±

    [Yeah.]

    ¡°Umm, if we refuse?¡±

    [I won¡¯t do anything if you leave. Well, I can¡¯t say for sure if you keep loitering around nearby¡­]

    ¡°¡­ Let us talk for a few minutes.¡±

    [Sure.]

    I visibly looked over Suira¡¯s group.

    It looked like they finished talking after a bit of time.

    Suira looks displeased, I wonder how she¡¯ll answer?

    ¡°¡­ If you are fine with us not going under your control, we are fine with doing what you say.¡±

    [Hoh, so you know that much? Great, that¡¯ll speed this up. Sure, that works.]

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    Really?¡ªis what Suira¡¯s face was saying.

    [Hmm? You¡¯ll do what you¡¯re told right?]

    ¡°We won¡¯t listen if you tell us to die you know.¡±

    [As long as you listen to our demands and don¡¯t do too much, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t intend to ask for anything unreasonable. Okay?]

    ¡°We also have secrets though.¡±

    [I¡¯ll do some investigating, but if you¡¯re concealment experts it¡¯s the same as me not doing any. I¡¯ll overlook any secrets that aren¡¯t detrimental to the dungeon.]

    ¡°¡­ What are you nning?¡±

    [That¡¯s a bit excessive. You understand that having disturbances nearby is bad yeah? It¡¯d be good if you followed that policy.]

    ¡°Why did you bring so many Golems then?¡±

    [I thought it¡¯d go faster this way. I mean, it really did go quick.]

    By bringing out this many Golems, there wouldn¡¯t be any doubts about the Dungeon Master and we¡¯d avoid any unnecessary fighting.

    And instead of a deposit, I¡¯ll give them some normal food.

    [Even if you¡¯re all Subi, you¡¯re still more or less fine with normal food yeah? I brought along several days¡¯ worth of food.]

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a big help.¡±

    ¡­ She looks surprised, I wonder if she was thinking I was a Dungeon Master that wouldn¡¯t even guarantee her livelihood despite inviting them for the job?

    ¡°I¡¯m just surprised that a Golem understands the concept of eating.¡±

    [Ah, well, I¡¯m a representative to thest.]

    I see, so that was it huh.

    At least it looks like I won¡¯t have to worry about finding any new employees for a while.

    [By the way, you still have otherrades in hiding right? Would they be fine working for the dungeon too?]

    ¡°¡­ Umm, you saw through us, huh.¡±

    [Maybe. But I¡¯m not reallyining, you know? I just wanted to negotiate properly.]

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll trust you¡­ But, umm, it¡¯s hard to say, but one of us is a human.¡±

    [Hoh, a human, is it?]

    I already knew, but I pretended that it was the first time I heard about it.

    [I¡¯d like to not meet with them if possible.]

    ¡°¡­ She¡¯s¡­ already behind the door. She¡¯s, well, more or less heard and agrees. She won¡¯t tell anyone about the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Alright. Please instruct her about the policies¡­ I¡¯ll be thinking about your instructions, so please rest properly until then.]

    And then, just as I tried to leave.

    ¡°¡­ Please wait!¡±

    I heard a voicee from the behind the door. With a bang, the door tried to open. It hit against the Subus standing in front of the door.

    ¡°Oh, someone¡¯s in the way? I wonder who it is. Could you please move?¡±

    ¡°Hya!? N-no! It¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Please stand down!¡±

    Bang, bang.

    Someone inside struck against the door over and over.

    Staggering, the Subus kept holding the door closed.

    ¡°No, this is where I must show my sincerity.¡±

    ¡°Why do you sound so happy then!?¡±

    ¡°Because, doesn¡¯t it sound like it would definitely be amusing if I went out there!?¡±

    What sincerity? I¡¯m getting a bad feeling here.

    [Yeah, well, cya.]

    ¡°Alright. Leave this to me¡ª¡±

    I tried to escape with the Golems while that Subus held the door closed.

    ¡°Hey!? Please don¡¯t be rash! Please, please stand down, Leona-sama!¡±

    Did she just say¡­ Leo¡­ na? I unintentionally stopped moving.

    Boom!

    A loud noise rang out as the door was blown away, revealing a human walking out.

    And that human was a woman. A woman with a ck ponytail and red eyes.

    ¡°Pleased to meet you.¡±

    The woman smiling there¡ªwas Leona.

    Well now.

    Could I call this a counted yakuman? [1]

    Footnotes:

    Mahjong hand that¡¯s super hard to get and rewards super points. More info here.

 Chapter 227

    Leona

    It wasing through the monitor, but a cold shiver ran down my back.

    It¡¯s simr to the time I first saw Haku-san¡ªa dangerous person.

    I don¡¯t really know what she¡¯s thinking, but she has that unreasonable [Something] scent to her.

    Right. I should be able to see her DP per day since she¡¯s inside the dungeon¡¯s domain now.

    I opened the menu to quickly check it out. Let¡¯s see¡­

    124,800 DP?

    My eyes must be worn out.

    I rubbed them and took another look.

    It¡¯s 1248 DP this time.

    I see, so 1248 DP huh.

    That¡¯s great, she¡¯s just at the level of a Hero.

    I was just seeing things. There¡¯s no way she could be worth more than 100,000 DP¡­ yeah, let¡¯s go with that.

    I didn¡¯t see anything. Please spare me.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m called Leona.¡±

    [¡­ Nice to meet you. I¡¯m¡ªright, you can call me Golem-san. Well, that¡¯s all for today then.]

    ¡°Golem-san, is it? Fufufu, I¡¯ll be receiving your dungeon¡¯s graces for a while!¡±

    To be honest, I don¡¯t want to get involved with her to the point that I don¡¯t even want to tell her my pseudonym, Euma.

    ¡­ Rather, Leona. The grandmother of our two part-time waitresses Setsuna and Nayuta, the owner of the ridiculously broken wolf slime Rin, and the person who might also be Meat¡¯s grandmother¡­ is that all?

    She has ck hair and red eyes, so she matches with the information I heard from Setsuna. I can only really see her as a high school girl, but that¡¯s also following along with the information.

    Come to think of it, Setsuna said that she was a Subus or something and that a Subus would be able to understand she was [Different] on sight, didn¡¯t see?

    ¡­ Do I not need to be wary her being a Subus but that she¡¯s [Something that isn¡¯t a Subus that slipped into a group of Subi]?

    Umm, about that¡­

    Seriously, please spare me.

    ¡°Ah, there are some circumstances causing me to be chased so I¡¯d be thankful if you could hide me.¡±

    [Well, about that. I can¡¯t guarantee it. It¡¯ll depend on the other party.]

    ¡°It¡¯d be great if you could. Well, it¡¯s not like I couldn¡¯t handle it myself if not¡­¡±

    You know who¡¯s chasing you right? They¡¯re your grand kids yeah?

    [Umm, right. Should I call you Leona-sama or something?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if you want to drop the honorific. Everyone seems to end up using it though.¡±

    Leona nced over at a Subus. But the Subus just shook her head really fast.

    ¡°But Leona-sama has all of my gratitude¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like that.¡±

    [The heck did you do?]

    ¡°I just improved the Subus race¡¯s food situation, it wasn¡¯t anything major.¡±

    The Subi¡¯s food situation? Just what did you do? It¡¯s probably better if I don¡¯t ask. Let¡¯s just move on.

    I decided to change the topic.

    [¡­ Uhh, so why is a human like you moving around with Subi?]

    ¡°Because it sounded fun.¡±

    [I¡¯m just making sure, but umm, you are a human and not a Subus right?]

    ¡°I¡¯m an everyday seventeen year old human female.¡±

    Seventeen eh? Is that so. I¡¯ll overlook that.

    But one of the Subi asked Leona directly.

    ¡°Leona-sama, didn¡¯t you say you were seventeen around three years ago?¡±

    ¡°There are some humans that don¡¯t age.¡±

    No there aren¡¯t!

    ¡°For a famous example, there is Haku Raverio, the empire¡¯s progenitor.¡±

    There is! But Haku-san is a Dungeon Core!

    At the very least, Leona has perpetual youth¡­ that¡¯s also ording to what I know already though.

    [Well alright. Since I don¡¯t intend to deal with you as a human¡­]

    ¡°Ooh, so you want to turn me into a seedbed for Goblins and Orcs!?¡±

    [Why do you look so happy?¡ªI mean, I¡¯ll be treating you the same as the Subi.]

    ¡°Aww¡­¡±

    ¡­ Why do she look so down put? I seriously don¡¯t get what she¡¯s thinking¡­

    I feel like I¡¯m started to understand why Rin was how it was if she¡¯s the one that raised it.

    I looked away from Leona and spoke to Suira.

    [Please wait in the shack here for now. I¡¯ll call for you when I¡¯m ready to ept you all. It should be around three days at thetest.]

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    [Cya then.]

    *

    We collected the group of Golems lead by Euma into the Master Room.

    Whoops, we have to collect Meat as well. With that, I looked at Rokuko.

    Rokuko had fallen over onto the floor for some reason.

    ¡°O-oi, Rokuko!?¡±

    ¡°U-uu¡­ K-Keima?¡±

    She responded when I shook her.

    ¡°¡­ Uu, my head¡¯s pounding¡­¡±

    Eh, what happened?

    Come to think of it, Rokuko¡¯s been quiet since a bit ago.

    ¡°It suddenly went boom and I started feeling bad¡­ like something amazing jolted my body.¡±

    ¡°No way, did Leona do something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I felt it when she entered the dungeon¡¯s domain.¡±

    Does that have any rtion to when I saw that hundred thousand-plus DP per day?

    ¡­ No way, for her to do a Direct Attack to the dungeon Core¡­ seriously, who is she?

    This is something I have to figure out sooner rather thanter.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I don¡¯t really know why¡­ but I¡¯m alright now. I mean, I feel fine physically.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself okay? But you know your body the best, so¡­ ah, please collect Meat.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    As soon as Rokuko waved her hand, Meat teleported into the Master Room.

    Teleported, Meat fell onto the floor like she¡¯d hit her limits and was exhausted.

    ¡°Hey!? This time it¡¯s Meat?¡ªOi, are you alright!?¡±

    When I touched her shoulder, her body felt strangely cold.

    When I took a closer look, herplexion was bad and she was trembling.

    ¡°¡­ G-Goshujin-sama¡­¡±

    ¡°Calm down. What happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­ N-nothing, at all¡­ but my body, it won¡¯t stop shaking¡­¡±

    I should warm her body for right now.

    I heated up water I¡¯d created with [Water] through a weakened [Fireball] and put it into a 5 DP hot water bottle.

    ¡°Th¡ª¡­ thank you very much¡­¡±

    ¡°Meat, are you alright? Do you want to eat a melon roll?¡±

    ¡°A hamburger would be nice¡­¡±

    It looks like she has a bit left in her.

    She gradually calmed down after I gave her a warm hamburger to eat.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t know why?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. Sorry. I should have been watching the shack from a long distance away, but my body stopped moving at some point.¡±

    [You¡¯d talked to the point that I wasn¡¯t exposed either, but there wasn¡¯t any reactions at all~] [1]

    So it¡¯s better if Meat doesn¡¯t contact Leona huh.

    Considering that Wanko Subus is what I thought our best fighting strength was, what should I do¡­ the Subi¡¯s employment is already full of troubles.

    I guess for a silver lining here, it¡¯s not as though she¡¯s hostile, she¡¯s at least friendly on the surface.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma, what are we going to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Let me think for a bit.¡±

    But like a lot of unpleasant situations, that doesn¡¯t seem to be her true intention.

    We can¡¯t approach this haphazardly¡­

    Footnotes:

    I can¡¯t seem to figure out the proper pronoun for this sentence. The raw only says ¡°[nk] had talked to the point I wasn¡¯t exposed either, but no reaction at all~¡±

 Chapter 228

    eptance Preparations

    I¡¯m getting the feeling that what¡¯s going on is a bit over what I can deal with, so let¡¯s inform Haku-san about what¡¯s going on.

    I mean, I don¡¯t think our neighbor (Ontentoo) could even handle them.

    I had Rokuko to write a letter saying [Some dangerous girl named Leona came].

    I then teleported the letter to [White Beach] that I¡¯d made during the previous Dungeon Battle.

    ¡­ There¡¯s a [White Labyrinth] derivation dungeon next to it for contact purposes named [White Secret] (named by Haku-san). It¡¯s basically a dungeon for the sake of having a hotline to contact Haku-san.

    After the Dungeon Battle, Haku-san set up a cabin¡ªthat¡¯s all the dungeon is. To be frank, it¡¯s just one of Haku-san¡¯s holiday houses that has dungeon functions.

    She even has a Silky living there as a housekeeper.

    Rather than for maintaining the cabin, the housekeeper¡¯s only there to wait for Rokuko trying to contact her. It¡¯s a bit of an extravagant usage, but that¡¯s just something the existence known as Haku-san can afford to do.

    While I¡¯m definitely thankful that it gives us a means to quickly get in contact with Haku-san, it¡¯s pretty terrifying.

    Entrusting the letter to the taciturn girl wearing green-colored maid clothes, I returned.

    By the way, the person waiting for letters on our side is the Dungeon Boss Tentacle Slime, Ten-san. Jiggly.

    It¡¯s arranged such that when letters are mailed to our box and gets to Ten-san, he¡¯ll contact me.

    Now that our report was sent, the response shoulde soon. It¡¯s Haku-san we¡¯re talking about, so it¡¯ll be tomorrow at thetest.

    *

    Let¡¯s make a dormitory for the Subi to stay in for now¡­ As for its location, I guess I could put it in the Meadow Area? That is, the rest stop ce I¡¯ve been making next to the Warehouse Area.

    Didn¡¯t I make it a Safety Zone? It won¡¯t be a Safety Zone anymore if there¡¯s going to be monsters in it will it?

    ¡­ Well, it¡¯s time for Narikin Mask for the first time in a long time!

    ¡°Umm, Kehma? Do you need to do that? No one¡¯se so far into the dungeon yet though?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of mood, so I¡¯m Narikin.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it if it¡¯s about mood huh¡­ well, will you be building it instantly this time too?¡±

    ¡­ I¡¯ve just been taking out the stuff I¡¯d built in advance though?

    ¡°Still, I¡¯m going to have to build the modules out of Wood Golems this time. So please prepare arge amount of wood for me.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll take it out of the stockpile.¡±

    Rokuko dropped a ton of logs and branches from the Master Room¡¯s corner out into the Meadow Area, forming a pile. It caused a few to break or crack, but it¡¯s not a problem since I¡¯m going to be using [Create Golem] anyway.

    ¡°Well then, here I go¡­ [Create Golem]~¡±

    I filled the small hill of wood with my magical power, permeating it and gaining control of it. Then I changed its form like I was kneading y¡ª

    The first thing I need to do is organize it all. I finished cutting it down into nks, supports, and other wood products needed to build a house.

    The bark can be used for something else so I kept it in another pile.

    ¡°Kehma, couldn¡¯t you make a living with that trick alone at this point?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call it a trick. I¡¯m not even worried about making a living anyway since we have the inn yeah? Also, I have the mask on right now, I¡¯m Narikin.¡±

    Although just processing wood into lumber would be plenty enough to make a living, I seriously don¡¯t want to work.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be taking out some normal Golems and attaching everything together with them through [Create Golem] next.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t even need nails huh~¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be using some as camouge anyway though.¡±

    Getting help from therge Stone Golems I¡¯d made to be like heavy machinery, I bonded them together.

    I finished all twelve of the room modules rather quickly. The reason there¡¯s one extra is so that it¡¯ll be a nice and even number.

    Well, I used each of the rooms to build it like a single container house and I¡¯m nning on having the toilet and bath shared, so it¡¯s mostlyplete.

    As for furniture, for now I¡¯ll just put a single futon and an empty box to put things in in each of the rooms. It¡¯s perfect.

    ¡°Now I just need to add a roof and make an entrance pathway and it¡¯ll be done¡­ whoops, I gotta add the toilet and bath as well still.¡±

    Six containers were lined up next to each other with two rows facing each other, making twelve in all. [1]

    It has a bit of a vige feel to it. I¡¯d say it feels more like a downtown shopping street if it was a shop though.

    I set up a water source nearby and made a proper toilet with the dungeon¡¯s functions¡­ ah, do Subi even need to use the toilet? Whatever. I also made a bath.

    The onsen¡¯s water pipe heads through the area near here, so I¡¯ll just extend it a bit to make a bathing area here as well. It¡¯s a perfect open-air type.

    ¡°Finished.¡±

    ¡°One hour forty minutes!¡±

    So you kept looking at the clock to keep track of the time it took?

    ¡°¡­ Awake Kehma is suuuuper efficient.¡±

    ¡°Cut it out, I won¡¯t do anymore work even if you praise me.¡±

    ¡°But you didn¡¯t even take two hours¡­ I heard that a good carpenter would normally take a few days to build a house though, you know?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t secure my sleeping hours if I¡¯m not fast after all.¡±

    Still though, [Create Golem] can do anything.

    And now everything¡¯s in ce to call over the Subi.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d nned on making it so that we could observe them as much as possible, but it¡¯s more like we¡¯re just inviting enemies into the dungeon. I guess we¡¯ll move the core to the inn when we bring them here?¡±

    ¡°Probably. We should pay close attention to that Leona girl too right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I¡¯ll have Rokuko and the others keep up the surveince. I¡¯m going to sleep.

    ¡­ Tomorrow should be good for calling them all over.

    *

    Haku-san¡¯s reply came the next day.

    ¡°What did she write?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, how should I put it?¡±

    Haku-san¡¯s letter said: [Absolutely kill Leona if you have the chance. As for you being killed instead¡­ that probably won¡¯t happen, but don¡¯t push it. Also, make sure that Rokuko-chan doesn¡¯t get seen by Leona. It¡¯ll corrupt her.]

    ¡°What, Haku Ane-sama knows Leona? It looks like she has a grudge too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Really? Who is she? Seriously.¡±

    An influential person that¡¯s lived a long time. She¡¯s even been marked by Haku-san? Or is she the one that marked Haku-san¡­ Either way, getting Haku-san¡¯s message saying that [You being killed won¡¯t happen], that¡¯s huge. Well, it¡¯s a bit vague since she said ¡®probably¡¯ though.

    It didn¡¯t look like Haku-san was panicking, so it¡¯s probably not an imminent crisis for now at least.

    I can feel relieved for now¡­ now, to sleep!

    ¡­ Also, Haku-san¡¯s letter said to [Not talk about the dungeon¡¯s stuff], that¡¯s really troubling.

    Crap¡­ seriously, crap. I already tried out employing the Subi for the dungeon. If I told Haku-san that, my life might be in jeopardy¡­

    Yeah, let¡¯s keep quiet on that.

    ¡°Well, the most important thing is that we know what¡¯s going on before they came into the dungeon. Well, guess it¡¯s time to invite the Subi over with Euma?¡±

    ¡°By the way, how are we going to get them into the dungeon? Won¡¯t they be exposed if theye in through the entrance?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I forgot about that.¡±

    I¡¯ll have to open up a side entrance to the dungeon huh.

    Should I close it up when we¡¯re done or keep it open as a back door?

    Footnotes:

    I might be picturing this wrong, but in my head it¡¯s almost like an entrance into a hallway with 6 rooms on each side of it¡­? Keima¡¯s description is weird.

 Chapter 229

    The Second Godly Beddings

    I led the Subi¡ªLeona included¡ªto the dungeon using an out-of-the-way path.

    I¡¯d decided have them enter through the backdoor I made.

    ¡°Just to be sure, I would like to check things out first.¡±

    [Of course, go for it.]

    Suira herself checked the residences before returning to the back door and saying that she found nothing wrong.

    Not having proper bedding would be troubling, after all.

    ¡­ Ah, the ¡®I¡¯d be troubled if it turned into [I¡¯ll kill you after all]¡¯ kind of situation? That huh~. It¡¯s obvious when you take credibility into ount.

    This time, I guided the Subi and Leona into the dungeon.

    Michiru, who wasn¡¯t there before, came as well. She was tightly holding onto the corners of Leona¡¯s clothes in fright.

    The other Subi¡¯s clothes are all practically strings, so maybe she was the only one whose clothes she could hold on to?

    Also, even though the Subi were all wary of traps, Leona walked in the lead without the slightest worry.

    ¡­ It¡¯s like her momentum would break traps just by stepping on them.

    By the way, there are traps, but I¡¯ve set them so that they¡¯ll only activate if unauthorized peoplee here.

    ¡°There were several rooms on the way, but there weren¡¯t really any traps, were there?¡±

    ¡°Cheh, how boring.¡±

    Why¡¯s she looking disappointed¡­ Wait, was her confidence from being able to manage even if there were traps? This isn¡¯t a situation where I can pick a fight.

    Like that, we appeared in the Meadow Area. There were twelve container houses lined up. Everyone other than Suira, who¡¯d already seen them, was surprised.

    Leona looked at me with a smile.

    ¡°Golem-san, thank you for preparing such a good residence for us.¡±

    [Ah, yeah. Please let me know if you need anything. Though as for whether or not I¡¯ll be able to amodate you, I don¡¯t know.]

    Leona¡¯s daily DP is still changing a lot. It¡¯s at 2480 right now, but it was 0 a little while ago. C¡¯mon, it¡¯s changing way too much for me to figure anything out.

    Or maybe this is also something that happens with people with a connection to dungeons¡­ I mean, she is something like Haku-san¡¯s acquaintance¡­ she said to not talk to her about dungeon stuff though¡­

    ¡°Being given something as great as this, aaah, it¡¯s so wonderful. I could bring anyone I want here!¡±

    [Though there is a possibility that people wille along since this is a dungeon¡­ well, you all can do what you want with them. Just don¡¯t kill them, let theme back alive.]

    ¡°May we take away their possessions too?¡±

    [¡­ Try not to overdo it okay? At least leave them with their underwear intact.]

    ¡°Eh, but that¡¯s the most delicious spot!¡±

    [I¡¯m not so sure I know what meaning of ¡®delicious¡¯ you¡¯re using, but in that case at least leave them with a jacket. If you just roll them over there unconscious, I¡¯ll have Golems take them back out in front of the dungeon.]

    ¡°Kaaay~¡±

    Leona replied obediently. The other Subi appeared to assent as well.

    [I¡¯ll make sure to bring normal good as well since there won¡¯t be so many peopleing here.]

    ¡°Thanks¡­ But really, there¡¯s even a toilet and a bath, isn¡¯t there? Are you not nning anything?¡±

    [Nothing right now. As for what I¡¯ll be nning, I¡¯m thinking of how I should make use of you Subi from here on.]

    ¡°Oh? The ¡®no n¡¯ type? So that¡¯s why even my eyes can¡¯t see through this.¡±

    What¡¯s that about your red eyes now?

    ¡­ Yep, first thing I¡¯m going to do is somehow contact Setsuna from the dungeon side of things and leak her whereabouts.

    ¡°Right, Suira. Should we give it ¡®that¡¯ as thanks?¡±

    ¡°¡®That¡¯, you mean¡­ Leona-sama, you don¡¯t mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s give it the Subus treasure, the [Godly Beddings].¡±

    ¡­ Did she just say¡­ [Godly Beddings]¡­?

    I recalled the Rokuko-exclusive use [Godly Beddings] series [Godly Comforter] Rokuko got from [Father] from our previous Dungeon Battle.

    I also used it one time by transforming into Rokuko, but it really did feel wonderful.

    ¡°Oh, Golem-san. The [Godly Beddings] are beddings said to be the highest quality of pleasant sleep you could ever have¡ªto the point of being godly¡ªif you collect the full set.¡±

    Supreme sleep at the level of godhood¡­ that really is attractive.

    It might be a good idea to try collecting the rest. I¡¯d absolutely love to get it from her if I could.

    But unfortunately, the Subi stopped Leona.

    ¡°Please wait, Leona-sama! The [Godly Beddings] is a Subus treasure. It¡¯s an item that is powerful and must be strictly controlled!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Leona-sama! It¡¯s an item we left to you because you¡¯re Leona-sama! I can¡¯t approve of just giving it to Golem-san who we just met yesterday!¡±

    ¡°Now now¡­ sleep isn¡¯t necessary for Golems, so I thought that its management would be fine in Golem-san¡¯s hands. Besides, it would be [Authentic] if it was put in the deepest depths of a dungeon right?¡±

    Authentic, huh¡­ being a treasure deep within a dungeon would be authentic.

    ¡­ I want that Godly Beddings.

    Howfortable must it be if it¡¯s even called the Subus treasure?

    ¡ªah, I can¡¯t be greedy here. I have to pretend to be disinterested to the bitter end and get the Godly Beddings through a natural flow.

    [Well, I¡¯m fine either way, but if I had to say, if it¡¯s something you¡¯re offering, I¡¯d like to have it. I¡¯m a bit curious, could I see the Godly Beddings? Rather, could I even use it? I mean, I¡¯d also like to hear if it¡¯s restricted as a Subus-only item or if there¡¯s some other restriction.]

    ¡°Wow, Golem-san¡¯s suuuper drooling for it.¡±

    ¡°See, Leona-sama? It obviously wants it! Even though it¡¯s a Golem!¡±

    W-what did I do wrong? Even though they shouldn¡¯t have been able to read my expression through the Golem¡­

    [What¡¯re you talking about. You¡¯re misunderstanding me. All it was was that I¡¯m a little interested in the effectiveness of the Godly Beddings and itsfort. I never intended to misuse it at all! I genuinely just want to try using it as my beddings!]

    ¡°¡­ For now, that¡¯s enough as thanks right?¡±

    ¡°No but it¡¯s still the Subus treasure, it¡¯s not something we can give away so easily right, Leona-sama? I¡¯m also afraid that it will be misused¡­¡±

    Why are the Subi¡¯s expressions all like they¡¯re looking at something bad? Is using it no good? Kuh, the heck!? Beddings are meant to be used!

    ¡°Now now, I think it¡¯s alright if Golem-san uses it how it wants if we give it it for now. Rather, I¡¯m interested on how Golem-san will use it.¡±

    [¡­ Ooh¡­! You¡¯re very reasonable, Leona.]

    ¡°But what Suira and the others have said is true. We haven¡¯t known you for long, Golem-san, so let¡¯s put the Godly Beddings on hold~¡±

    [¡­ Kuh, o-oh well. There¡¯s still a lot of stuff we don¡¯t know about each other, it can¡¯t be helped that you don¡¯t trust me yet. So then, umm, about when do you think it¡¯d turn into being alright?]

    ¡°I wonder now. Hmm, I guess I¡¯d be fine offering it to you if I feel that we can get along well. So sooner orter?¡±

    Leona spoke with a sweet smile on her face.

    ¡°Right, we will give you the Subus treasure, the Godly Beddings¡¯ [Godly Comforter]!¡±

    A duplicate~

 Chapter 230

    And I Don¡¯t Intend to Hide Her At All

    So those can have doubles too, huh.

    I¡¯d thought that there were only one of each of the Godly Beddings in the world like a certain set of balls, but I guess not? [1]

    Well even if they are [Godly], they are beddings, so there has to be spares¡­ even those balls had other ones with different stars.

    [Y-yeah. Godly Comforter huh? Sounds warm.]

    ¡°Can Golems even be warm or cold¡­?¡±

    [It¡¯s a matter of the feeling behind it.]

    Well, it being a double isn¡¯t a problem in the least since I¡¯d be able to use it separately from Rokuko¡¯s.

    What would happen if we tried using them both at the same time?

    [What other kinds of Godly Beddings are there?]

    ¡°From what I know, other than theforter, there¡¯s a pillow, mattress, nket, nightcap, as well as pajamas, and underwear.¡±

    [Umm, how is underwear a part of beddings?]

    ¡°Would you sleep naked under the pajamas? It¡¯s like that.¡±

    Well, if I had to say if it was or wasn¡¯t a part of beddings, I guess it¡¯s rted? It¡¯s more beddings-ish than Chanel No. 5 or something at least. [2]

    ¡°That aside, are you sure about us being on defense here?¡±

    [Yeah, we¡¯ll go with you all having the duty of being on standby for defense. Well, there haven¡¯t even been any adventurers that have made it this far so you can just rx. By the way, would you like a guard just in case? Or do you not need one? Leona seems like a pretty strong person?]

    ¡°No way! I¡¯m just a weak, insecure girl, so please go and leave five¡ªno six Orichalcum Golems here!¡±

    And just whose mouth is thating from¡­? By the way, Leona¡¯s current daily DP ie is at 5000 DP. That¡¯s four or five Heroes¡¯ worth.

    [That would be a bit much¡­ I¡¯ll leave ten Iron Golems. You should be able to somehow manage any adventurers that make it here with that many.]

    ¡°I want some iron, could I have one of them?¡±

    [¡­ If it¡¯s just one, go for it.]

    I was also a bit worried about what they¡¯d do without any armor.

    I decided to wrap up our conversation and head back.

    Then, when I looked at Rokuko, she was spread out across the Master Room¡¯s floor.

    Again?

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ just a bit weak right now. Rather, it¡¯s like my blood cirction is amazing.¡±

    So it¡¯s like Leona just gave Rokuko a massage, making her a limp noodle eh? The heck kind of attack is that¡­

    ¡°I-it¡¯s probably her DP. I got a simr feeling when Haku Ane-sama gave me her DP.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    The probability of her being some dungeon¡¯s staff is increasing more and more¡­ ah,e to think of it, wasn¡¯t Setsuna¡¯s dad a Dungeon Core? Taking that into ount, isn¡¯t it alright to just assume that she¡¯s some dungeon¡¯s official for certain? But then why did Haku-san tell me to not talk to her about dungeon stuff¡­?

    I moved Rokuko over to her bed put her down in it. Even though I say it like that, I just used the deployment menu function to send her to her room¡¯s bed.

    The Godly Comforter can full recover both magical power and physical stamina, so she should be alright.

    *

    I decided to leak the information about Leona to Setsuna immediately.

    I should have her tell me about who Leona really is as a trade.

    So when I secretly left a letter saying [I acquired information about Leona. Come alone, immediately], she came immediately. Even if she wasn¡¯t on her shift, it was still faster than expected.

    Setsuna, havinge to the small room that¡¯s called [Avarice Lodge] in the corner of the former Riddle Area, asked about Leona right off the bat.

    ¡°You said you got information about Grandma?¡±

    [Yeah. To be exact, Leona¡¯s whereabouts.]

    ¡°¡­ Umm, is it really my Grandma Leona?¡±

    [She more or less matches the information you gave me. I¡¯d need more information to be exact.]

    With that, I spoke of Leona¡¯s appearance.

    After listening to the gist of it, Setsuna nodded.

    ¡°¡­ Ponytail huh, that¡¯s definitely Grandma¡¯s favorite hairstyle. Alright, I¡¯ll tell you who Grandma is, so tell me where this Leona was sighted. I feel bad for everyone, but I have to chase after her¡­¡±

    [I¡¯m alright with telling you where first, but I won¡¯t give any guarantees. Please tell me who she really is.]

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Setsuna nodded suddenly. So I¡¯ll finally know about what Leona truly is¡­

    ¡°Grandma is¡­ a Dungeon Core.¡±

    [Hoh, a peer of mine? ¡­ Hmm? But how is her identity something that needed to be hidden from me?]

    ¡°She¡¯s a Dungeon Core, but, umm, she¡¯s not just a Dungeon Core¡­ I mean, uhh. She¡¯s also a Dungeon Master.¡±

    A Dungeon Core turned into a Dungeon Master¡­? Like how Rokuko called herself when we first met?

    At any rate, I guess her being rted to a dungeon is a fact now that I know she¡¯s a Dungeon Master.

    ¡°And it¡¯s also super hard to say¡­ but she¡¯s also a Hero.¡±

    I see, so she¡¯s a Hero eh?

    ¡­ Hold up. I can understand being a Hero and a Dungeon Master. I mean, I¡¯m like that.

    But what about a Dungeon Core being a Hero?

    [Is she a self-proimed Hero?]

    ¡°No, she¡¯s a genuine Hero that was properly certified by God. She said that her ck hair is evidence¡­ as for me being the descendant of a Hero and a Dungeon Core, umm, there¡¯s that. I-I don¡¯t want to cause trouble.¡±

    [Well, that¡¯s good. I understand that you trust this ce¡­ But she¡¯s not a Hero¡¯s descendant right? I¡¯d heard that Heroes have ck hair and brown eyes?]

    ¡°Her eye color turning red is a side effect of the skill she has.¡±

    [Heeeh¡­]

    A skill that causes the person¡¯s eyes to turn red, huh. What kind of skill is it? A sight-type skill?

    ¡­ Ah, is that why Haku-san¡¯s eyes are red too? No, it¡¯s alright right now huh? [3]

    [What kind of skill is it?]

    ¡°She said that it¡¯s [Super Massage Lv 10].¡±

    [¡­ Eh?]

    It has [Super XX] as it¡¯s name, so it¡¯s a Hero¡¯s skill, but massage? Moreover, Lv 10? That has to be a joke.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the truth or not, but it seems like a Hero¡¯s skill.¡±

    [Assuming it¡¯s true, it sounds scary¡­ but why¡¯d that turn her eyes red?]

    ¡°So that she can see her target¡¯s diforts I think?¡± [4]

    [O-o-oh.]

    It¡¯s to the point that I¡¯d like to treat it like a hoax, but I can¡¯t say anything about it after seeing what Rokuko was like after I¡¯d talked with Leona.

    [So uh, what¡¯s up with her being a Hero, Dungeon Core, and Dungeon Master?]

    ¡°From what I was told, she has some skill called [Super Alchemy]¡­ umm, it mixed them into her. The Hero and Dungeon Core parts, I mean.¡±

    [¡­ Eh? W-why¡¯d she do something like that?]

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know why, but that¡¯s what she said.¡±

    In other words¡ªassuming what Setsuna said is true¡ªLeona is literally light darknessbined. She¡¯s basically a dangerous existence.

    Is she an upgraded version of me? Ha ha, hah¡­

    ¡°So, where¡¯s Grandma?¡±

    [Ah. She came to this dungeon the other day¡­ Right now she¡¯s living in an area I built even farther inside than this ce.]

    ¡°¡­ Eh? She¡¯s HERE!?¡±

    Setsuna shouted in astonishment. Understandable.

    [Yeah. To be frank, I want her to leave, but I thought it¡¯d be better to take your situation into ount. She¡¯s under a kind of house arrest¡­ she¡¯s being docile for now, but I can¡¯t say how long that¡¯llst. You should hurry up to meet her if you want to. I won¡¯t block your way if you and Nayuta go together yourselves.]

    ¡°Alright¡­ assuming Grandma¡¯s here, it should take some time to prepare, two days at most.¡±

    [Now that I think of it, I did keep her here for you. As a service for that, please, tell me your goal.]

    ¡°Okay. My goal is to have Grandma change my body back.¡±

    Saying that, Setsuna smiled.

    Footnotes:

    Dragonball series reference. Return

    Information about Chanel No. 5 perfume at this Wikipedia page. Return

    Pretty sure this is Keima referencing how Haku always seems to be aware of his thoughts/actions when she¡¯s away, causing him to feel her bloodlust. Return

    The word for ¡®diforts¡¯ here also means: muscle stiffness, swelling, lumps, uneasiness, etc. Leona can basically see what¡¯s affecting her target negatively. Supposedly.

 Chapter 231

    Reunion

    I see, so that¡¯s the hermaphrodite girl (?) Setsuna¡¯s goal?

    [In other words, you were mixed with things through [Super Alchemy] as well?]

    ¡°Something like that¡­ Grandma¡¯s the only person that can restore me.¡±

    [That so? I don¡¯t really know the details, but do your best yeah?]

    ¡°Un, thanks. I¡¯ll bring you something next time.¡±

    [If you do, please bring me some information about the Godly Beddings.]

    ¡°Godly Beddings¡­ un, alright.¡±

    With that, our talks came to a close.

    Setsuna returned to the small room and pressed down on the interrupt button to leave.

    *

    Then the next day came. Setsuna and Nayuta dove into the dungeon.

    Although they appeared to have shifts as waitresses today, it looks like Meat took their ce. I know their circumstances and readily gave my permission but¡ªwell, alright. Let¡¯s just enjoy Leona¡¯s reaction.

    ¡°¡­ I feel like I should goy down in my bed in anticipation for what¡¯sing. Rather, I want toy down.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take my lines¡­ well, I get what you mean.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll quicklyy down if Leona does something!¡±

    It was too troublesome to bring her to her bed, so she decided to head back if she felt anything unusual.

    While we were talking about stuff like that, Setsuna and Nayuta had easily arrived in the Meadow Area that had the Subi in it. It could be called obvious since I¡¯d had Golems guide them there¡­ but still, they didn¡¯t think that I¡¯d deceived them at all? I wasn¡¯t deceiving them though.

    So now, let¡¯s see what happens.

    *

    They were told about it beforehand, but there really weren¡¯t any dungeon traps or monsters getting in their way.

    Rather, a Golem even guided them so that they¡¯d easily pass right through thebyrinth and not encounter any other adventurers.

    They made their way down the Staircase Area¡ªsomething that they¡¯d heard was chock-full of traps¡ªwithout anything really happening and went through the Warehouse Area¡ªa ce that they¡¯d heard only the Hero had been able to investigate¡ªlike it was a stroll in the park with the Golem¡¯s guidance.

    Once they¡¯d been guided to the staircase that was the boundary to the area, the Golem guide left waving.

    ¡°We really were weed in huh. Are we sure this isn¡¯t a trap?¡±

    ¡°I feel that we can trust Euma-san.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t met him myself, but¡­ un, he doesn¡¯t seem ordinary. If Onee-chan says he¡¯s trustworthy, I¡¯ll trust him too. So she¡¯s right after this?¡±

    ¡°Seems like it¡­ Shall we go in with some caution and see how it goes?¡±

    When they went down the stairs, they saw a meadow. There was even a sky even though it¡¯s inside a dungeon.

    There were asionally rooms and floors within dungeons that had environmental changes like this. This wasn¡¯t their first time seeing something like this, so neither of them were too surprised and were able to calm down and continue looking around.

    They were told that there was a rectangr building there with a woman named Leona living in it.

    ¡­ She hadn¡¯t heard the details, but Euma had told her that he couldn¡¯t guarantee her safety in the floor that Leona lived in. In other words, she was someone not under the dungeon¡¯s control¡ªperhaps Leona was a traveler like them, or maybe a pet? That was what they originally assumed.

    ¡°¡­ Still though, this really is amunity.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d heard talks about there being a vige in the dungeon¡­ but it¡¯s like this?¡±

    There was a building surrounded by a fence made out of waist-high wooden nks. There was even a small gate with a brand-new wooden sign that said: [Our Passionate Wee! Subus Vige].

    ¡°Subus Vige¡­ Subus, huh¡­ Looks like Grandma¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°Subi are troublesome as enemies. They said wee so how about we ask them?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it. Umm¡­ hello~, is anyone there~?¡±

    When Setsuna said that at the gate, several of the small houses¡¯ doors opened.

    A person walked out. She had a rather seductive appearance and wore what would better be described as strings than as clothes.

    ¡°Hello~, are you adventurers? Oh, girls?¡±

    ¡°Subi? This really is a Subus Vige then¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Umm, what should we do? We didn¡¯t expect that our first guests would be girls.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Is someone named Leona here? We came to see them.¡±

    When Setsuna said that, the Subus put herself on guard.

    ¡°¡­ Leona-sama¡¯s pursuers!? Girls, get out here, quick!¡±

    ¡°Eh, pursuers!? Where!? Hey, bring the spears!¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t let you take Leona-sama!¡±

    Various Subi popped up and approached.

    ¡°W-wait! I, umm, please let us talk!¡±

    ¡°To Leona-sama?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! ¡­ Well, that¡¯s if she¡¯s the [Leona] that I¡¯m thinking of¡ª¡±

    At that moment, a woman wearing an ordinary outfit came out of the room that was the farthest away from them.

    Her face was exactly the one that Setsuna and Nayuta remembered, the red-eyed, ck-haired Leona.

    ¡°Ah! You¡¯re here!¡±

    ¡°Grandma! Is it really you!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, if it isn¡¯t Setsuna? Nayuta too? Doing well~?¡±

    Setsuna and Nayuta assumed their battle stances on reflex. Although this caused the Subi to once again be wary of them, Leona simply waved her hand. She was the only person left looking carefree, looking like she was just meeting her rtives after a few months.

    ¡°Umm, Leona-sama. Should we not attack them, then?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Suira, don¡¯t make this get violent. These are my cute granddaughters after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Leona-sama, weren¡¯t you seventeen? How do you have such grown children?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I have grandchildren at seventeen years old.¡±

    Setsuna and Nayuta both looked at Leona with reproachful eyes. Leona simply smiled back at them.

    She appeared to not ept their visualints.

    ¡°Grandma? Would I lose if I tsukkomi¡¯d here?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it alright as-is, Nayuta? So, why¡¯d youe to meet me? But don¡¯t use ¡®Grandma¡¯, call me something with some more love in it okay? Why not trying saying it? Repeat after me~, Leonan?¡± [1]

    ¡°¡­ Setting that aside, I want my body restored.¡±

    ¡°Oh?

    Hearing Setsuna¡¯s request, Leona tilted her head.

    ¡°But aren¡¯t you cuter this way? Besides, it was a Power Up~? You¡¯re supreme in power and cuteness now~, fufufu.¡±

    ¡°You¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh my, don¡¯t get angry, now. Don¡¯t ruin your cute little face¡ªwait, it¡¯s not so bad, is it? You¡¯re even cute when you¡¯re angry, Setsuna. Let Grandma give you some allowance.¡±

    Regarding Setsuna, who had tried to hit her, Leona simply dropped a silver coin down into her cleavage from behind.

    Although she definitely hadn¡¯t taken her eyes off of her, she vanished instantly and had appeared behind her.

    ¡°Hyah! W-when did you¡ª!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Setsuna, you¡¯d be able to surpass even me if you keep on training you know? After around three hundred years.¡±

    ¡°Three hundred years¡­ my lifespan would run out first.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Setsuna, don¡¯t you know that you don¡¯t have a lifespan anymore since I made you immortal? Congrattions Setsuna, you¡¯ll be able to train forever!¡±

    Setsuna hadunched a backhand strike towards Leona as she¡¯d turned around. But her fist was easily deflected. Completely getting out of range of Setsuna, this time Leona gently patted Nayuta¡¯s cheek from right in front of her.

    ¡°Do you also want to be made immortal if I get the materials, Nayuta?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll decline! Who would want the ridiculous downsides forced on them!?¡±

    ¡°Eternal youth is a woman¡¯s dream though? It¡¯s easily enough to take on some pain and hardship for. Besides, isn¡¯t not like the side effects are even really that bad now are they? ¡­ By the way, Nayuta. You¡¯re travelling alone with Setsuna? Are you two sharing a room?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re sisters, so obviously! W-we haven¡¯t done anything strange!¡±

    She was swinging her knife around and blushing, but Nayuta was meant to be a rear guard in the first ce, she was much less suited tobat than Setsuna. Even Setsuna¡¯s quick fist hadn¡¯t been able tond, so it wasn¡¯t like Nayuta¡¯s attack would evernd.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it alright!? Restore Onee-chan!¡±

    ¡°Mmm, sorry, but no can do¡­¡±

    Leona spoke with an innocent smile.

    ¡°I mean, that doesn¡¯t sound fun at all.¡±

    Although Setsuna took a short run to punch her, her fist was blocked nonchntly.

    Even after receiving Setsuna¡¯s full-powered punch, Leona¡¯s palm didn¡¯t so much as quiver.

    Footnotes:

    ¡®Repeat after me¡¯ is spoken in English.

 Chapter 232

    Someone Who Really Doesn¡¯t Want to be Involved

    Leona grasped Setsuna¡¯s fist tenderly and patted it.

    ¡°¡­ You tampered with my body¡­ for fun?¡±

    ¡°Yeah? What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    ¡°You demon¡ª!¡±

    She started to throw a punch with her other hand, but before the fist could even reach her, Setsuna copsed powerlessly.

    ¡°H¡ª¡­. huh¡­ my, strength¡­.?¡±

    ¡°I just gave you a bit of my prided massage. Kay, Suira. You can eat up now~. In the Subus way, that is.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh!? ¡­ I mean sure, but are you sure? They¡¯re your grandchildren aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure, go for it. Setsuna¡¯s a delicacy, she¡¯ll be super delicious. She¡¯s a bit weak right now¡­ so just knock her out and roll her over kay~?¡±

    Leona handed the unmoving Setsuna over to the Subus and looked at Nayuta.

    ¡°W-wait, Grandma? That means you won¡¯t hear my request?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Nayuta, you have a request too? Did you wantrger boobs or something? ¡­ Yep, we have a good amount (Subi) gathered here, so I¡¯ll exchange yours for whichever pair you like okay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want that! Papa not waking up, that¡¯s your doing isn¡¯t it, Grandma!?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Ah, that? Hmm¡­ it¡¯s definitely something I did but I reaaally don¡¯t remember it, so¡­ sorry?¡±

    ¡°Guu¡­ y-you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, Nayuta, I love your angry face so much! It¡¯s alright, did you know that there¡¯s a Philosopher¡¯s Stone that can be produced by researching alchemy to the extreme? Despite its appearance, it can produce miracle cures if you use it and can cure most abnormalities. Check out this sample of a Philosopher¡¯s Stone, see it?¡±

    Leona took a stone that glowed with a faint red color out of her [Storage].

    Guess that¡¯s the Philosopher¡¯s Stone she¡¯d mentioned.

    ¡°¡ªGive me that thing!¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, sure~¡­ [Super Alchemy]. Alright, it¡¯s just an ordinary rock though.¡±

    Leona changed the red stone into a gray-colored¡ªordinary rock, then tossed it over to Nayuta.

    Even so, Nayuta caught it. She hoped to get even a tiny clue, but even after examining the stone again with her alchemy skill, it was nothing other than an everyday rock.

    ¡°¡­ How far will you go torturing people before you¡¯re satisfied¡­!?¡±

    ¡°I believe you¡¯ll be able to reach the extremes of alchemy yourself, Nayuta. Even an ordinary human could make it in just a short ny years, so you should be able to do it in give or take thirty. Well, I made my first one in three days though! Kusu kusu kusu.¡±

    Leonaughed with an irritatingugh. Nayuta red back at her, but it didn¡¯t do anything.

    As for Leona, she just gently stroked Nayuta¡¯s head. Although Nayuta noticed that she was suddenly being pat, she¡¯d already be unable to put any power into her body.

    ¡°Well then, good night to you too, Nayuta. It¡¯s alright. You¡¯re my adorable grand kids. I¡¯ll leave you both with your robe and gym outfit¡­ I¡¯ll be taking your panties though?¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡­ you, pervert¡­¡±

    Nayuta copsed with a thud.

    Like this, the face-off between Leona and the two ended in her one-sided victory.

    *

    Leona was a more ridiculous existence than I¡¯d thought she was.

    First, her brute strength. She was about to take Setsuna¡¯s all-out attacks with ease, so it doesn¡¯t look like we could win with our strength at all. Moreover, I couldn¡¯t even see her move. Was she teleporting? Or maybe stopping time?

    Second, her suppressive strength. I can¡¯t say if those were really massages, but she instantly disabled both Setsuna and Nayuta, making them lose consciousness. Those two are now the Subi¡¯s food. They¡¯re eating up rather mercilessly even though they¡¯re girls, those Subi.

    And finally was her Super Alchemy. If what got talked about was true, it looks like she can even make someone have eternal youth as long as she has the materials. Moreover, she even turned the Super Rare Item known as a Philosopher¡¯s Stone¡ªsomething that costs more than 500,000,000 DP ording to the Catalog¡ªinto an everyday rock¡­ She can probably pop them out whenever she wants. Her skill is called [Super Alchemy], so it¡¯s definitely a Hero skill. That is, it¡¯s a cheat. A cheat, I say!

    ¡­ Also, the most troubling thing of all, she has a horrid personality.

    I don¡¯t feel like I¡¯d be able to get a wink of sleep with someone like that zoned in on me. It feels like I¡¯m starting to understand why Haku-san said to kill her if I get the chance.

    ¡°Kehmaaa¡­¡±

    Hearing my name, when I looked over to Rokuko, she was a bit giddy and blushing.

    ¡°Oh, it looks like today¡¯s is rtively alright, but are you alright not heading back to your room?¡±

    ¡°Nn, I¡¯m ¡®kay. Maybe¡¯s it¡¯s because we weren¡¯t her opponent this time? Those two part-timers were¡­ Feels like I got hit by the aftershocks though.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s aftershocks to that stuff? We shouldn¡¯t walk around by yourself then.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, with you saying it it just sounds like an excuse to sleep the whole time.¡±

    You know me well, Rokuko. As expected of my partner.

    ¡°By the way, Rokuko. What do you think of Leona?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Right¡­ if she doesn¡¯t give us any trouble, we could get along¡­ I think? How should I say it, it feels like she just does what she feels like.¡±

    ¡°And if we assume she will give us some trouble?¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll agree with Haku Ane-sama¡¯s opinion, we should kill her. I think that would benefit the whole world¡­ Kehma, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think that I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep at will with someone like her following me around.¡±

    ¡°How Kehma-like of you.¡±

    Rokuko smiled.

    ¡°So, what do we do?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­ maybe we should just leave her alone? I don¡¯t want to poke a sleeping threat. There¡¯s a saying in my hometown: you¡¯ll scare out a snake by poking at the bush.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t telling Setsuna and Nayuta about Leona being in the dungeon count as poking her?¡±

    Now that you mention it, I guess I already did.

    ¡­ Rather, what Setsuna said was that she came after hearing that Leona was here, so maybe I wasn¡¯t exposed? I should at least keep her from saying anything about it I guess?

    ¡°W-well, yeah. I¡¯ll be assigning those Subi to some suitable side jobs here before long¡­ they¡¯ll be worth DP just by existing here, but I don¡¯t think I should let them have so much free time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward kind of work you¡¯ll give them.¡±

    I¡¯d never expected Leona to be such a bullcrap existence. Let¡¯s just pray that Leona doesn¡¯t get angry over the information leak and do something.

    *

    On the day Setsuna and Nayuta went to Leona, I was eating dinner in the dining room.

    I was leisurely eating at a corner table in the dining room while thinking that it was pretty crowded today¡­ when I suddenly heard a voice. It was asking to share the table, somethingmon enough at times when it¡¯s packed like this.

    ¡°Sorry~, could I sit here?¡±

    Although there were other tables with open seats still to take, seeing as how their question sounded like they wanted to talk, I guess they wanted to sit here either because I¡¯m the Vige Chief or because they¡¯re a friendly kid.

    I didn¡¯t really have a reason to refuse them, so I answered while lifting my head up to look at them.

    ¡°Sure. I don¡¯t min¡ª¡­!?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is there something on my face?¡±

    Like I could even care about that right now?

    With her ck hair pulled into a ponytail and red eyes, the woman¡ª

    ¡ªLeona sat down right across the table from me.

    Oh crap, I might die.

 Chapter 233

    The Existence Named Leona 1

    My hands froze up.

    Why¡¯s Leona here? Wasn¡¯t she staying inside the dungeon together with the Subi?

    I wasn¡¯t using [Super Transformation], so I¡¯d die if she killed me. Let¡¯s flip [ckout Resistance] ON just in case.

    ¡°Here is your C-Rank meal, it¡¯s crowded right now, so please don¡¯t take too long in eating it.¡±

    ¡°Oh! This, this is it! I¡¯ve been wanting to eat some since I heard about it~¡±

    Today¡¯s C-Rank meal is some grilled ginger pork with rice instead of bread.

    Rei ced the C-Rank meal in front of Leona, not taking notice of the sweat waterfall taking ce in my mind.

    ¡®So please don¡¯t take too long in eating it¡¯¡ªhuh, how formal. Also, help please?

    I was begging for help in my mind, but she obviously wouldn¡¯t be able to hear it.

    Rei wouldn¡¯t be able to due anything to Leona with her nonexistent offensive power anyway. Rather, she should escape while she can.

    ¡°Ufufu, how many years has it been since I¡¯ve had rice? Did I eat it back when I was seventeen¡­? Ooh, that would¡¯ve been only recently then, wouldn¡¯t it? Tehee~?¡±

    Is that joke about being seventeen your trademark or something?

    ¡­ Wait, I still haven¡¯t actually met Leona directly. There¡¯s a good chance that she just happened toe to the seat across me by chance, I can just slip away at some point. As for how I¡¯ll slip away, well, I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°Well now, Golem-san.¡±

    ¡°Bugofu¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, do you prefer Keima-san?¡±

    Yep, she found me out. I understand that perfectly.

    It¡¯d be alright if she just used my name even without me telling her, I¡¯m the Vige Chief. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to get my name and using perfect Japanese diction for it could¡¯ve just been happenchance. But Golem-san is an out.

    ¡°Hahahaha¡­ ¡­ ¡­ please spare me my life.¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly asking this lovely young girl something so weird? It¡¯s alright, I just want to talk today¡ª[Istion], [Camouge], there we go. Alright, now it¡¯ll just look like we¡¯re having a fun little conversation to anyone else, so being blunt¡¯s OK~¡±

    When Leona snapped her fingers, I couldn¡¯t hear any soundsing from all of the people around us. It looks like she used some skill to produce a space that we can talk privately¡­ which also means that I can¡¯t call for help.

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    ¡°I came as a friend today, so don¡¯t worry about honorifics. Golem-san¡¯s way of talking would be good¡­ The next time you speak overly polite, I¡¯ll flick you in the forehead, alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright.¡±

    Leona smiled. Actually, I think ¡®grinned¡¯ might be a better way to put it?

    At any rate, her forehead flick sounds like it might cause my head to straight up vanish so being overly polite is hereby banned!

    ¡°Oh, wondering about my skill? I guess we could¡¯ve moved to a room, but I¡¯m not some cheap woman that would let some strange man bring me to his room so easily~¡±

    ¡°Today¡¯s my treat! Everyone, feel free to eat and drink all you want!¡±

    I called out, but the people around us didn¡¯t pay me any attention and just kept on eating.

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, no reaction at all. Alright, sure. I¡¯ll trust you.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, that¡¯s amusing. It¡¯s the first time I saw someone react like that, it¡¯s usually ¡®please save me~¡¯ and stuff.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s up? Rather, how¡¯d you know who I am?¡±

    ¡°Oh? It¡¯s hard to like men that are too hasty, you know? ¡­ Well, I don¡¯t mind telling you.¡±

    Leona pointed to her red eyes and spoke.

    ¡°I have [Super Appraisal]¡­ I can see your everything.¡±

    An appraisal-type skill. I¡¯d thought that she¡¯d have one, but seeing as how it has ¡®Super¡¯ tacked on, it¡¯s a Hero Skill?

    ¡°Fufufu, isn¡¯t it a standard? I could see that that Golem¡¯s name was Euma, and that it was manufactured by ¡®Keima-san¡¯. Also that you¡¯re older than the seventeen year old me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s a standard or not, but I don¡¯t have an appraisal-type skill.¡±

    ¡°Hoh? Then couldn¡¯t you transform into me with your [Super Transformation] for a taste of it?¡±

    So she even found out about my Hero skill huh¡­ [Super Appraisal] is a frightening skill.

    I wonder if she could even see me as having [upation: Vige Chief (Dungeon Master-cum-Hero)]?

    ¡°But I don¡¯t rmend transforming into me, you¡¯d probably go mad and end up dying¡­ You have Lv 3 though, so maybe you¡¯ll respawn?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Go mad? Wow. Why would that happen?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d also have my abilities, but you would get juuuuuust a little cursed. I¡¯m fine¡ªrather, I guess it¡¯s more like I be alright?¡ªbecause I have [Magic Absorption], but the curse will just flow over to you when you take on my form.¡± [1]

    Seriously? ¡­ I didn¡¯t transform into Leona with [Super Transformation] like how I did with Setsuna because I had some information beforehand, but holy crap. That saved me.

    ¡°Do you know what cursed you?¡±

    ¡°Do you keep track of how many grams of meat you eat every day? I sure don¡¯t. It¡¯s like that. Ufufu, just think of it like the whole world¡¯s cursing me, isn¡¯t it thrilling?¡±

    So there¡¯s just too many sources?

    ¡°So, how have you been, Golem-san?¡±

    Rxed, Leona asked me a question like she was wanting to do some small talk.

    ¡°Please call me Vige Chief-san, not Golem-san¡­ right, I just recently started feeling like some lion was staring me dead in the eyes.¡±

    ¡°Well, it definitely must be a cute, everyday lion then. Ah, how about you call me [Leonan?] then? Like a boyfriend, with affection and love.¡±

    ¡°Leonan, I¡¯m the type to use honorifics for lovers and juniors.¡±

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll just use our names, Keima-san.¡±

    Leona gulped down the rice while eating the grilled ginger pork.

    ¡°Mmm! Rice really is the soul food of Japan! Why is it this world doesn¡¯t have any? I gave up after trying to make it didn¡¯t work out, even turning rocks into orichalcum was easier. Did you know that rice isn¡¯t even on the Lv 10 recipe list for [Super Alchemy]? Even though something like the Philosopher Stone was listed at Lv 1¡­ Well, [Super Alchemy] itself is derived from the Philosopher¡¯s Stone though.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, so you¡¯re a Japanese after all?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re one too, Keima-san? My eyes being red is because of my skill.¡±

    ¡°[Super Massage]? Or [Super Appraisal]?¡±

    ¡°So you heard about that from Setsuna? Neither, it¡¯s amon [Magic Sight]-type skill. With it, I can even see things like the flow of magical power within a dungeon¡¯s domain¡­ Haku-chan has it too, you kno? Haku-chan¡¯s eyes were red to begin with though.¡±

    Wow, it looks like I just learned something good. She isn¡¯t nning on erasing me now, right?

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to be so scared, I¡¯m just speaking so freely since it¡¯s fun to speak with another Japanese¡­ So, how long has it been since you came here, Keima-san?¡±

    ¡°¡­ About one year.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been around five hundred for me, I think? I look younger than my age because I have eternal youth though. Oh dear, a woman shouldn¡¯t talk about her age, how inconsiderate of me.¡±

    What are you going off saying on your own now?

    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your age, so please don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Really really? Weren¡¯t you a lolicon that¡¯s only interested in gachi loli? Ah, I was thinking that that information was a countermeasure for the Subi, but you really fooled me! My evaluation of you got a super UP!¡± [2]

    I don¡¯t recall deceiving anyone, but it looks like she went and got deceived on her own. I don¡¯t know if my evaluation being improved is a good or bad thing though.

    ¡°Should I ask you straight up then? What¡¯s your goal?¡±

    ¡°My goal? Hmm, alright, I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    With acent smile, Leona assumed an important air about her.

    At that moment, the air around her felt like it literally turned ck.

    ¡°I want to be the [Final Boss].¡±

    Footnotes:

    I¡¯m assuming by ¡®also have my abilities¡¯, she¡¯s meaning super, super reduced versions? Leona has mentioned the past two times she mentioned it that Keima would in fact be able to use her [Super XXX] abilities to some minor degree. Return

    As a result of diving into 2ch for quite a long time, I¡¯ve discovered that [Gachi Loli = ¡®genuine lolis ONLY, no look-alikes, nothing else mixed in¡¯]. No one ever seems to exin it explicitly, though.

 Chapter 234

    The Existence Named Leona 2

    ¡°I want to be the [Final Boss]!¡±

    Leona said it a second time. It¡¯s that important to her?

    She kept on speaking when I was about to try asking what she meant.

    ¡°I, well, want to use my power how I want, when I want, doing what I want, selfishly, mercilessly, irresponsibly, and never have to think about whatever ties people down like apologies, reasons,pensations, or annoyances. I just want to enjoy myself¡­ In other words, I want to live my life in this world doing whatever I feel like, I want to be the Last Boss! Fufufu.¡±

    Leonaughed giddily. She still hadn¡¯t finished, though.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t there been circumstances altering Last Bosses recently like [He¡¯s actually a good guy] or [There was no other choice but to] or [The evil ones were actually humanity]? That¡¯s stupid, I hate stuff like that. Last Bosses should move in ordance to their desires and wield their strength how they want. An antagonist that overruns, piges, plunders, and steals without ever feeling guilty about any of it. I want to be that sort of absolute authority.¡±

    In other words, someone wholly engrossed by their selfishness. Looks like the Last Boss is the existence named Leona.

    ¡°There¡¯s even a Demon King in this world, gods too. Well, even if he¡¯s calling himself a Demon King, he¡¯s a Dungeon Core. The Destruction God is the God of Light and the God of Darkness is the Evil God¡ªthe Creation God isn¡¯t doing anything. They don¡¯t feel like Last Bosses at all yeah? That¡¯s why I¡¯ll turn into one and that¡¯s just how it is.¡±

    It¡¯s like that¡­ well, it¡¯s probably better that I don¡¯t understand.

    ¡­ Hold up. The God of Light is the Destruction God and the God of Darkness is the Evil God, the heck? That¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard that! There¡¯s even a god called the Creation God? And he¡¯s at the level of creating existence? Please don¡¯t spout off something so crazy like it¡¯s nothing¡­

    ¡°Aah, but I have my own policies though! I like to y my games with a few handicaps.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Should I ask about them? What do you mean by handicaps?¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, there¡¯s quite a few, but if I were to put it simply¡­ I favor children that please me. I don¡¯t get off on killing them, I actually give them blessings so that they won¡¯t die.¡±

    They¡¯ve gotta be curses¡­

    ¡°I use some of my time to make sure that those children get strong and wise. I hope they¡¯ll be able to kill me some day. So then when they do get strong enough to kill me, I¡¯ll harvest them¡­ Aah, I can¡¯t wait! It¡¯s my dream to turn those darlings that¡¯ll someday get strong enough to kill me into pets unable to do anything but resent and vilify me! I just can¡¯t wait to see what¡¯ll happen when I still love on them¡­ Hah hah!¡±

    ¡°That kind of love¡¯s a bit much, kind of ruins the mood¡­ was that called yandere?¡±

    ¡°Keima-san, I¡¯ll raise your strength to the limit if you decide to be a candidate to be one of my pets. How about it, want to sign the contract?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯ll decline.¡±

    ¡°Ah, unfortunate. Unexpected even, there¡¯s a lot of people that want to get strong so much that they would even sell their soul to a demon. I¡¯d put the probability at those who sign the contract with me after I offer it at about 80%, even. Ah, I also keep my promises. That¡¯s another one of my policies.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Leona, you¡¯re a demon?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, to call such a sweet and innocent human girl a demon¡­ How praiseworthy. Well, there are a few heretics revering and worshiping me as the [Chaos God] or something, so I might actually be a demon.¡±

    What a no-good girl, I have to do something and do it quick¡­ but I can¡¯t turn this into a fight.

    ¡°So then, it¡¯s your turn now, Keima-san. As someone in a simr situation as me, what do you desire in this world? I might even make you mypanion if you want half of the world.¡±

    By simr situation, she¡¯s probably referring to how I¡¯m two things that should be hostile toward each other, how I¡¯m both a Dungeon Master and a Hero.

    Still though, my desire? I¡¯ve already figured that out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want something outrageous like half the world. I just want to sleep in peace of mind.¡±

    ¡°Oh, how lovely. I think having a simple dream like that is nice. If you ignored how f*cking boring it is, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for thepliment. I think your dream¡¯s amazing, too¡ªif you took out how ridiculously troublesome it sounds.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, it is troublesome. Yeah, we¡¯re already friends! Better yet, we¡¯re already close friends!¡±

    ¡°You do know that I¡¯m not going to pay any friend charge or sign that contract, right?¡±

    ¡°Aw, unfortunate. Well, alright, Haku-san¡¯s already paying for it anyway. This ce is Haku-chan¡¯s favorite, so I promise to not wreck it.¡±

    So Haku-san¡¯s paying some kind of friend charge¡­ oh, is that why she¡¯s had to hunt and attack dungeons for a long time? So that means¡­ no, let¡¯s stop there. It¡¯s just my imagination.

    ¡°Well then, I¡¯m going to be living here in the dungeon for a while. I¡¯ll take some strolls now and then, but you don¡¯t mind, do you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t mind since you look more or less like a human, but please don¡¯t say anything that could cause trouble, alright? That includes to your grandkids.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same for the Subi, though. They aren¡¯t any different from humans if they just hide a few things. Like that waitress girl you have over there¡­ ooh? Why¡¯s her attack power at 0? That¡¯s suuuuper interesting!¡±

    ¡°Cut it out.¡±

    With that, Leona snapped her fingers again. The surrounding mor returned.

    ¡°Well, thanks for the meal. Put some rice in our provisions next time, okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    Returning her dishes now that she finished eating, Leona left the dining room.

    ¡°¡­ Holy crap, I thought I was going to die¡­¡±

    I suddenly started sweating.

    I might¡¯ve even fainted if I had [ckout Resistance] set to OFF.

    ¡­ I need to start using [Super Transformation] even here in the inn from now on, don¡¯t I?

    I ate my now-cold dinner and returned to my room.

    By the way, after turning into the Subi¡¯s meal, Setsuna and Nayuta rolled out of the dungeon with vacant eyes the next morning. Well, our Golems were what rolled them out though.

    Try not to catch a cold out there alright?

 Chapter 235

    The Anti-Leona Strategy Meeting

    I decided to call the dungeon¡¯s executives together to hold an Anti-Leona Strategy Meeting.

    The participants are me, Rokuko, Meat, Ichika, and the three monster girls. Subus Ring Neru is here on Meat¡¯s finger, too.

    My identity was found out, so it suddenly feels like there¡¯s a knife to my throat¡ªmore like a guillotine¡ªand I¡¯ve already went through something dangerous¡­

    ¡°Because of all that, our goal is the dungeon¡¯s survival and Leona¡¯s expulsion.¡±

    As a result of talking with Leona¡­ I figured out how much of a hedonist she is¡ªor maybe it¡¯s better to say she¡¯s living in the now for her future¡ªand well, I don¡¯t want to be involved at all. At any rate, I now understand that she has a troublesome personality.

    Her actions are entirely based off of whether or not something is amusing.

    ¡°Still though, the Last Boss, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Rokuko. That¡¯s what Leona told me. It almost sounded like a bluff though.¡±

    Having seen the recording of it, Rokuko blinked in surprise when I responded to what she said.

    ¡°Huh? Why¡¯s that? She looked pretty enthusiastic about it to me.¡±

    ¡°It was like she was trying to persuade herself¡­ it just looked like acting to me. She¡¯d even obviously prepared it all beforehand, seeing as how there weren¡¯t any logical facies. Maybe what she¡¯s thinking deep down is quite the opposite. To to hurry up and kill her or something. The Last Boss is an existence that is eventually overthrown, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, really?¡±

    ¡°If not, she wouldn¡¯t be giving herself those handicaps and ying around, she¡¯d be doing whatever she wants and dominating the world.¡±

    Hmm? But Leona¡¯s already threatening Haku-san, the empire¡¯s top dog. Maybe she¡¯s already finished with her world domination? Well, whatever.

    ¡°By her deliberately saying [want to be], not ¡®if¡¯ or ¡®when¡¯, she¡¯s holding her ground¡­ as Leona.¡±

    ¡°Troublesome, isn¡¯t she¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously.¡±

    It¡¯s not like she¡¯s trying to think about how to be the Last Boss, but rather that she¡¯s going to end up as one. The strange part is that she said that she wants to be it despite herself knowing that it would be like that. It appears that she¡¯s hiding something, but I don¡¯t really feel like figuring out what that something is. At any rate, she herself is aiming to be the incarnation of selfishness itself, so it¡¯s probably something dumb.

    Whether it¡¯s the truth or a lie, it doesn¡¯t change the fact that she might just explode at any moment. The best option for us is to get her to leave as soon as possible.

    ¡°As Haku-san said, Leona likely won¡¯t kill us, so we can be a bit bullish about it.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, why do you think she won¡¯t kill us?¡±

    ¡°Because [it wouldn¡¯t be interesting]. It¡¯d be over if she killed us. She¡¯ll go with the way that leaves us with some hope. [It would be interesting].¡±

    Seeing as how Haku-san told us to [kill Leona if you get the chance], that¡¯s probably how it is. I don¡¯t think that she¡¯d ever put Rokuko into a dangerous situation.

    And I don¡¯t think Leona would approve, either.

    ¡°Kehma¡¯s amazing. Even after listening to it all I didn¡¯t understand any of that!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ It feels like she did something when I met her. I started understanding Leona for some reason. I feel sick. I¡¯m also having trouble thinking right¡­ Neru. Please check to see if there¡¯s some condition on me. I don¡¯t even care if you have to possess me for it.¡±

    [Kaaay. But what if the point of what she did was to get you to say you don¡¯t care?] ¡°It might have been a passive skill that improved our affinity with each other, or maybe some kind of persuasion-type skill that could convey your intentions to another person easier¡­ Ichika, do you know about any skills like that?¡±

    ¡°Not that I¡¯ve heard about. It wouldn¡¯t be weird if there were skills rulers could learn that ordinary adventurers didn¡¯t know about though. If Goshujin-sama says so, there¡¯s gotta be a possibility. There¡¯s not in the catalog?¡±

    ¡°None from what I saw, but it¡¯s not like every skill is listed on the catalog¡­ Rokuko, please send a letter to Haku-san and check.¡±

    ¡°Alright. There¡¯s probably going to be other stuff to tell her, so I¡¯ll wait to write it until after we¡¯re done.¡±

    If it¡¯s a skill with the effect of allowing the user¡¯s and the target¡¯s consciousnesses to be tuned to one another, I think that there¡¯d have to be some other adverse effects. Even if it seems mostly harmless on the surface, just having someone know the way you think is, in a way, dangerous.

    ¡­ That might also have been why Haku-san san [make sure that Rokuko-chan doesn¡¯t get seen by Leona. It¡¯ll corrupt her]¡­

    However, even so, we¡¯re now meeting to set up our Leona countermeasures. Setting up measures against someone we know should be easier than otherwise.

    ¡°Master. I understand we¡¯re considering countermeasures here, but what if we went with [Doing Nothing]? To be urate, make it so that nothing happens. We¡¯ll have her realize that this ce is boring and let her grow bored. Wouldn¡¯t she leave of her own will?¡±

    ¡°Rei, you¡¯re definitely on the right track¡­ but it¡¯s toote for that.¡±

    Leona has clearly shown interest in me. She¡¯d also taken an interest in Rei during our conversation.

    Even excluding that, Nayuta and Setsuna are here at our dungeon, same with Meat. I doubt she¡¯d get bored of staying here.

    ¡­ I absolutely don¡¯t want Meat to meet Leona.

    Setsuna and Nayuta said that Meat is a [Toy], so the reason Meat can¡¯t remember her past is probably because Leona did something to her. If she met with Leona and they were unsealed, what would happen to the current Meat? I could solve it all since she¡¯s under my control as my ve, but I don¡¯t even want to think about it. If she resented me for turning her into a hug pillow and want to stab and kill me or something, it¡¯d be a pretty big shock.

    ¡­ Rather, if she regained her memory that she¡¯s Leona¡¯s grandkid and that made her be like Leona¡­ yeah, that¡¯d also be a shock.

    ¡°Then maybe it would be a good idea to have something else she¡¯s interested in happen somewhere else?¡±

    ¡°Maybe Haku Ane-sama could do something?¡±

    ¡°That would be scary in a number of ways. On the other hand, the amount we¡¯d be indebted to our neighbor (Ontentoo) by pushing her onto him would be awkward.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How about we win over Setsuna and Nayuta and talk with them to get them to lure Leona to some other ce?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a pretty good idea, Rokuko.¡±

    As expected of my partner. She can do it if she tries!

    ¡°Come to think of it, what were Setsuna¡¯s and Nayuta¡¯s Leona countermeasures? Looks like it wasn¡¯t too effective seeing as how they were dealt with pretty quick, though. Do you know they¡¯d nned, Kinue-san?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It appears that they¡¯ve procured various things that Leona hates¡­ Seeing the recording, it appears that they weren¡¯t able to take those things out, though.

    ¡°¡­ Things Leona hates, huh. I kind of want that information too, so maybe it would be better to win them over as allies? ¡­ Getting them to go to the [Avarice Lodge] so that I can talk to them with Euma each and every time is troublesome, after all. So, Nerune. Talk with them about being someone from the dungeon. Be the middleman. Speak about us only ever ambiguously, decide how much you should say depending on how it¡¯s going.¡±

    ¡°Got it~¡±

    Setsuna said that she was a Dungeon Core¡¯s child, so we should be able to talk a bit about what¡¯s going on for us.

    And as for why I chose Nerune¡­ that¡¯s because Nerune has been getting along with them the best as an employee. Rei feels like their boss, Kinue-san feels like an older sister, and Meat and Ichika have some circumstances stopping them from doing it. There¡¯s not too much of a difference, but Nerune is the closest to them. Her naive appearance seems to have an influence on it, too.

    Also, the one least likely to make a mistake is Nerune. Rei has some thoughtless moments¡­

    ¡°Now then, Meat.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s ask again. You are what to me?¡±

    ¡°A faithful horse.¡±

    ¡°Wrong. You are my hug pillow¡­ so you don¡¯t need to be a fighter. You won¡¯t be making a move this time so that you don¡¯t get stolen¡­ but even if you are stolen,e back to me. As my hug pillow.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes.¡±

    Meat nodded, her face blushing a little.

    I will continue to emphasize that she is my hug pillow till the very end.

    Assuming Meat has some of Leona¡¯s brainwashing and training in her, there¡¯s a good chance it will activate with her as a [ve] or as a [Fighter]. Even if there¡¯s something there, it¡¯d be great if her being a [Hug Pillow] works as a loophole.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Meat. You¡¯re Kehma¡¯s hug pillow right? Then you can just leave everything to Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll also be leaving it all to Kehma this time.¡±

    ¡­ Well, that¡¯s good. It¡¯s better that I don¡¯t let Rokuko and Meat meet Leona.

    ¡°For the time being, we¡¯ll talk with Setsuna and Nayuta and try collecting some things Leona isn¡¯t too good against.¡±

    With that, [Operation Eject Leona From the Cave of Desires] began.

    Rokuko was the one to name the operation, it had nothing to do with me!

 Chapter 236

    [Operation Eject Leona], Begin

    Setsuna and Nayuta, who¡¯d both fallen into rather a unbing appearance, sent back to the inn, they woke up on the afternoon of that day and regained their senses.

    The adventurers that first found them were Gozoh and Roppu, so I guess it¡¯s a good thing it ended with the minimum exposure for them? Well, I¡¯m the one that caused it though.

    When they woke up after being yed around with (very, very much so)¡ª

    ¡°Uwaah! Ah-haah¡­ dangit! We got beat again¡­¡±

    ¡ªit seemed like they¡¯d gotten used to it.

    As for what they looked like after being toyed with by the Subi, it appeared they didn¡¯t care at all. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because they were used to this kind of thing or if it was just them being used to Leona, though.

    Just to be sure, I gave them a day off and made use of the opportunity by having Nerune go to visit them. With the purpose of talking about the dungeon, of course.

    ¡°Setsuna, I¡¯m actually a spy from the dungeon~¡±

    ¡°Oh, I thought so.¡±

    And that¡¯s how anticlimactically it went.

    The who brought her to meet me as [Euma] back in the beginning was Nerune, after all. It seems like Setsuna started questioning the possibility of it when Nerune waltzed through the dungeon so naturally.

    Nerune was holding a stone (Stone Golem) that could greet them with Euma¡¯s voice for proof just in just, but she didn¡¯t even have to use it.

    ¡°And because of all that, we want Leona out of here~¡­ we¡¯ll let you meet her again if you cooperate~¡±

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve already met her two, no three times and wanted to definitely have her take an attack from us this time, but that didn¡¯t work out¡­¡±

    ¡°We can give you our cooperation too~?¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    ¡°Cooperation, we¡¯ll give it to you~¡±

    ¡°¡­ If possible, I¡¯d like the chance to punch Grandma with your cooperation to meet her. That you will grant my wish of hitting her in her body or head¡­ promise me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll consult with my superiors, then~¡±

    It looks like they hadn¡¯t been nning on somehow encountering her by chance, they¡¯ve already challenged her several times.

    Let¡¯s start preparing a trap that takes her views into ount.

    ¡°By the way, what about Nayuta-san~?¡±

    ¡°Nayuta wanted to have Grandma teach her how to cure Papa who¡¯s been sleeping continuously¡­ so her wish more or less came true. It sounds hard, though.¡±

    I see. She really did tell her how to cure him¡­ it¡¯s just that a Philosopher¡¯s Stone is required for it.

    ¡°So, does Leona have any weak points or things she¡¯s not good at dealing with~?¡±

    ¡°Aah, un. They are¡ª¡±

    *

    Several days passed.

    Leona hadn¡¯t really made any movements. Rather, she was basically only ever flirting with the Subi in self-indulgence. Rokuko didn¡¯t let me have anything to do with her surveince because of that, so I had Nerune and Kinue-san do it since neither of them would get worked up by any of it.

    Ah, Rei had only watched through the openings between her fingers with her face covered by her hands, so I took her off that duty.

    And since there aren¡¯t any adventurers that can make it to Subus Vige, it¡¯s practically just an ordinary vige that I have to support with food.

    I tried having them sculpt [Wood Carvings] as item drops for the dungeon as a side job, but they only ever managed to sculpt things that looked like matsutake mushrooms for some reason. Basically just ¡®miss¡¯ items¡­ they did say they were great as massage tools though. [1]

    Well, with things ying out like that, once I was done arranging traps after referencing the information we got from Setsuna, we were ready to begin [Operation Eject Leona From the Cave of Desires].

    The strategy¡¯s outline was simple.

    ¡ªHave Leona decide to leave the dungeon of her own will.

    It all boiled down to that since there¡¯s no way we could manage anything with our own power. We¡¯d somehow seize her weakness, as well as use Setsuna.

    It¡¯s a pretty ambiguous n, but thanks to Setsuna¡¯s information, it all fell into ce.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I asked Nerune to ask Setsuna, the Leona specialist, what her was bad with¡­ but eggnt? She hates eggnt? ¡­ I mean, I don¡¯t like it either¡­ but really? Eggnt?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not good to be picky, Kehma. It¡¯s bad for your health!¡±

    There were various other things as well, but what she hated the most were eggnts.

    In truth, when I tried out including an eggnt with the supplies I sent to them, Leona immediately leapt back from the box the instant she saw an eggnt in it. She wouldn¡¯t even get close to it after that and had the Subi deal with dispose of it (properly, as food).

    And the subus who ate it wasn¡¯t allowed to evene close to Leona that day.

    ording to Leona,

    [I don¡¯t hate eggnts, I actually love them. But I am [Abstaining from Eggnts] and praying for world peace. So if I eat an eggnt, the world will have a crisis, okay? Ah, sorry, but I seriously can¡¯t kiss a mouth that¡¯s eaten an eggnt, so please get away from me.]

    It seems to be like that. The world has be something that can be saved with eggnts.

    By the way, the Subus ate the eggnt dly. It looks like Subi love stuff like mushrooms, eggnts, and cucumbers. The Ring Subus Neru said it so it¡¯s probably not wrong.

    ¡°She really hates it huh. But she didn¡¯t throw it away, she¡¯s pretty mindful, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Not wasting food is probably one of her handicaps¡­ how Japanese of her.¡±

    Even though she¡¯s been in this world for five hundred years¡­ ah, maybe the reason she doesn¡¯t waste food is because she¡¯s had a bad food situation here? Japan is filled with food after all~

    ¡°But Leona¡¯s also a Dungeon Master, couldn¡¯t she just replenish her stocks of food whenever she wants¡­ huh? Come to think of it, can Leona use DP too?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen her use it¡­ why?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get it. I mean, she said it was the first time she¡¯d eaten rice in a long time.¡±

    She¡¯s been using the [Super XX] Hero skills left and right, but she hasn¡¯t used any dungeon functions¡­ did something weird happen? Or is it another handicap?

    Hmm, this girl has way too many mysteries.

    Footnotes:

    Matsutake mushrooms = super phallic. Yeah.

 Chapter 237

    Preparations

    That day, Leona was taking a stroll about Subus Vige.

    Though I say that, she didn¡¯t exactly walk far, seeing as how the ce the vige was in was just a single dungeon floor. It looked like a spacious meadow, but it had walls and a ceiling.

    ¡®There¡¯s nothing new to see¡­¡¯ is what she thought, but then she suddenly found a red button sitting on a rectangr pedestaling up from the ground.

    ¡°Oh? Was this here before?¡±

    Not pausing at all, Leona pressed the button.

    ¡°¡­? Nothing¡¯s happening.¡±

    Click. Click, click click.

    Leona pressed the button repeatedly.

    Cli-click, click, clickity click click click. She even started trying to press it sixteen times per second, but even then nothing happened.

    [Oi Leona, what¡¯re you doing?]

    And then a Golem appeared.

    ¡°Oh, Kehma-sa¡ª-Golem-san. Well, I was pressing this button here.¡±

    [¡­ You pressed it?]

    ¡°¡­ Yeah?¡±

    [How many times? ¡­ Mm, fifty-two times eh? Kay then, here ya go.]

    ¡°Eh, what¡¯re you gonna give me?¡±

    He dropped an eggnt into Leon¡¯s outstretched hand.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want them¡­!¡±

    [Sorry, it¡¯s one of this dungeon¡¯s rules. Someone who presses this button here has to eat an eggnt¡­ Alright, here¡¯s the four others.]

    ¡°Such a weird rule, change it!¡±

    [You want me to change it? Oh well then. Then you¡¯ll have to give me something in exchange¡­ how about five Philosopher¡¯s Stones instead of the eggnts? You can make them at the drop of a hat right? I¡¯d like to experiment.]

    ¡°Sure, here.¡±

    Five Philosopher¡¯s Stones¡ªalchemic treasures¡ªtumbled across the ground.

    They weren¡¯t worth any different than simple rocks to Leona.

    [Ah, thanks.]

    ¡°Seriously, why¡¯d you suddenly make such a weird rule?¡±

    [I made it since the Subi wanted to eat eggnts. I¡¯ll just remove this button then~]

    With a rustling sound, the Golem removed the button along with its pedestal from the ground. It then slung it over its shoulder like it was just carrying a nk.

    [Listen here, if you got discouraged by this, go and try pressing some more buttons whenever. Absolutely press them!] [1]

    With the Golem telling her not to press buttons, it left without waiting for a reply.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Leona smiled.

    *

    ¡°She should definitely press the next button shees across now.¡±

    ¡°Well, she¡¯ll definitely press them after you told her to press them like that.¡±

    ¡­ Did it turn into that because of the trantion function?

    ¡°Just to say it, what I told her was to not press them. It¡¯s an intentional mistrantion that feels like a scheme. Leona¡ªwho¡¯s also a Hero¡ªshould hear it as-is in Japanese, though.¡±

    ¡°Eh, what? She¡¯ll press them even though you told her not to press them¡­?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll definitely press them.¡±

    Leona¡¯s weak points. That is, [Eggnts] and [Promises]¡­ rather, [Clich¨¦s]. [2]

    She keeps her promises, all the more so when they are clich¨¦s. In that case, it¡¯s a definite thing.

    While on the topic, my saying [Absolutely press them!] was a [Clich¨¦] to the point that the trantion function mistranted it. With that, Leona¡¯s pressing of the next button shees across is virtually a sure thing.

    ¡°With this, the foundation for Leona catching herself in the trap has beenid. Next is making the instakill trap¡­ well, it won¡¯t kill her, but it should at least drive her out.¡±

    Still though, I wound up getting a hold of these Philosopher¡¯s Stones in the preparation stage.

    I was expecting for it to blow over as a joke, but it looks like Leona really does treat them as the same worth as pebbles¡­

    ¡­ Maybe I should¡¯ve asked for fifty-two of them? Well, no point in crying over spilt milk.

    ¡°¡­ Should we try turning one into DP?¡±

    ¡°Oh, wait. Don¡¯t¡­ I get the feeling that they¡¯d be 10 DP at most.¡±

    Rokuko stopped me when I tried to convert a Philosopher¡¯s Stone into DP as a treasure.

    She¡¯s gotten to the point of being able to know how much DP a treasure is before crushing it? Just when did that happen¡­

    ¡°Hm? The heck, is it a fake?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I get the same kind of feeling with Kehma¡¯s Ring? It¡¯s just a guess, but I think it might be because it didn¡¯t take much time or effort to make? Like you get proportional DP to the effort it takes.¡±

    I see, so it¡¯s the same as the DP-light magic sword de golems I made¡­ Conversely, when I raised those beets and turned them into sugar, the value of those cheap seeds went up after I put so much time and effort into them. It¡¯s that kind of feeling.

    Ooh, now that I think of it, that DP-raising method about raising a Jewelled Turtle that Haku-san taught me did take up quite some time, didn¡¯t it?

    ¡°Leona¡¯s able to make them from any old rock right? But they still function normally. It¡¯s like that.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    In that case, maybe I should give one to Nayuta? ¡­ is what I thought, but I don¡¯t really have a reason to actually give her one.

    I got it from Leona after taking great pains to do so myself, so I should use it for my own sake. Just giving it away is no good.

    But Nayuta doesn¡¯t have anything I actually need. Even her gun is a defective prototype¡­ maybe some freshly used socks?

    ¡°¡­ Eh, wait. You tried crushing the ring I gave you?¡±

    ¡°Hueh!? N-no, Kehma! Haku Ane-sama said she wanted to buy the ring for 100,000,000 DP, so I was like ¡®I wonder how much it¡¯s worth~¡¯ and just started thinking about¡ªah, I obviously turned her down though, you know that right!? Don¡¯t worry, I really definitely absolutely wouldn¡¯t betray your love and trade it in for money or DP! So, umm, right! Let¡¯s sleep together tonight!¡±

    ¡°Wait wait wait, STAHPPU, STAHPPU.¡± [3]

    I calmed down Rokuko, who¡¯d started panicking for some reason.

    ¡­ 100,000,000 DP though, woah. But Rokuko¡¯s also amazing for actually turning that down. If it were me, I would¡¯ve sold it. I could¡¯ve used that to buy a bed and a luxurious life of indolence.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have minded if you sold it for a 100,000,000 DP though, I could¡¯ve made another.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the ring I got from you though! There¡¯s no way I could sell it. Don¡¯t say something so mean¡­ Muuu¡­¡±

    Rokuko pouted.

    ¡­ And now I¡¯m thinking this girl¡¯s naturally adorable.

    It¡¯s just a ring to me, but for Rokuko, I guess it¡¯s something important she got from me.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma¡­ I wonder, umm, a Dungeon Core and a human, they can make kids, right? Taking Setsuna as an example, they can, right? How do they make kids?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a story for right now, alright? Oookay, let¡¯s change topics~!¡±

    Ask Haku-san about something like that¡­ no, actually please just forget about it and never ask anyone. It¡¯d get me killed.

    But still, Rokuko¡¯s in this state¡­ did Leona do something to her? I really do have to rush Leona out of here or I¡¯m not going to live for long.

    ¡°Really Kehma, you don¡¯t have to get shy. We¡¯re in a rtionship, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re partners.¡±

    I once again strengthened my determination to drive Leona out.

    ¡°¡­ So you made that Leona-use floor after all? There are a lot of things you made that I don¡¯t understand though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I made sure to prepare a chance for Setsuna to get an attack in on Leona too.¡±

    With that, my preparations are in order.

    Next, I¡¯ll be sending Leona to the specially-made floor and do something to her.

    ¡­ As soon as Setsuna¡¯s preparations are ready, it¡¯s go time.

    ¡°Nerune, how¡¯s going on their side?¡±

    ¡°I gave the weapons I got from Master to them~, they¡¯re probably ready whenever~? They were practicing with the weapons they got~¡±

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll start the operation tomorrow.¡±

    I decided to do onest look-over of the Leona-use floor.

    I really just wanted to sleep to prepare for tomorrow, but it looks like Rokuko would get into my bed if I tried sleeping now, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to sleep in more than one meaning¡­

    Footnotes:

    Keima is actually saying [DON¡¯T press them]¡­ by using Japanese wordy that doesn¡¯t work in English at all. Return

    He adds the ¡®this is important O¡¯ modifier to ¡®Promises¡¯, causing it to gain a second meaning: clich¨¦s. It might be a bit of a spoiler in English, but understand that this meaning isn¡¯t used much in Japanese. This is meant to be wordy that bes apparent in the next chapter. Return

    Keima started speaking English here, so I put Engrish.

 Chapter 238

    Commencement

    ¡°Today¡¯s weather is pretty good.¡±

    Waking up in the morning, Leona walked outside her cabin and stretched. Inside her hut was the thick, sweet fragrance of Subi. It was good to the point that she¡¯d started getting groggy and even fell asleep while loving on the Subi, but today she felt fully revitalized.

    As if to say that this was a ce they could live peacefully, the Subi were fully enjoying their life of little work and adequate food. They were stillpletely on guard a few days before, but they¡¯d already grownx.

    ¡®¡­ There¡¯s so much free time¡­¡¯ is what Leona thought.

    ¡°Maybe I should use [Short Teleportation] and y around in the vige¡­ nn?¡±

    Just then, she saw a suspiciously red button.

    ¡­ Thest time she¡¯d pushed a button, she suddenly had eggnts appear over her head. But there¡¯s no way she could do something as boring as not push it.

    She hesitated for just a moment, but a pair of Subi just happened to be passing by. It was Suira and Michiru.

    ¡°Suira, Michiru. One of you, please press this button.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What does the button do, Leona-sama?¡±

    ¡°Kay! Like this? ¡­!?¡±

    Seeing Suira tilt her head to the side in doubt, Michiru pressed the button without reservation.

    With that, a hole opened up in the ground and not only Michiru, but even Leona and Suira, fell into it.

    ¡°Hyaaaah! What just happened!?¡±

    ¡°Kyaaaah!? Leona-samaaaaa!¡±

    ¡°Oh wow, it¡¯s much more extensive than I thought it¡¯d be.¡±

    The pitfall trap that had practically reached the point of being a slide led to a ce with a mat ced out in front of it.

    The three of them fell onto therge white mat in a dimly lit room.

    ¡°Uuu, what happened? What was that?¡±

    ¡°A pitfall trap¡­ I think? Leona-sama, what was it?¡±

    ¡°You had it, it¡¯s a trap!¡±

    Leona looked happy.

    [Ladies and gentleme¡ª¡­ ah, justdies! Well,dies, wee to today¡¯s brand new floor!] [1]

    It was a voice that sounded like it went through a loudspeaker¡ªEuma¡¯s voice.

    At the same time, lights lit up the floor. They were in a small room. Other than the mat they¡¯d fallen butt-first onto and the door right in front of them with a banner that said [Starting Point] in this world¡¯snguage, the room looked rtively ordinary.

    Having greeted the three, Euma then appeared wearing a yellow bow tie and holding a microphone. The bow tie was made out of a shiny yellow cloth that sparkled and looked very much like something that belonged on a ridiculous party host.

    ¡°Golem-san! What¡¯s going on? Is this a trap!?¡±

    [Fu fu fu, calm down, Michiru. Truthfully, I had a thought: I made a new floor, so I should give it a trial run¡­ As the person who pressed that button, you did notice the agreement noted nearby it, correct?]

    ¡°I did not!¡±

    [Really? Alright, then you may take the stairs to your right if you want to leave.]

    Euma pointed to a wall. With a rumbling sound, a hole opened up in it and a stairway appeared.

    [¡­ So, assuming Michiru will be heading back, what about you two?]

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯m so doing it. This looks interesting.¡±

    ¡°Leona-sama!? ¡­ I-I¡¯ll apany you¡­!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­ if Onee-sama is going to, I¡¯ll¡­¡±

    [You¡¯re going to join in then, Michiru? In that case, all three of you, step riiiight up! Please, head into the next room.¡±

    Euma opened the [Starting Point]¡¯s door and bowed in a respectful gesture, urging them on. As for it having such human traits despite being a Golem, the three of them just let it slide as it being the usual.

    Getting ustomed to a Golem talking in the first ce was weird enough.

    The first room was an abrupt slope. It was even at a steep angle, as well as having water flow down it. At the top of the slope was a door, the door heading to the following room.

    Taking a side path at some point in time, Euma was already standing next to that door.

    [Now then, their first barrier¡­ The Slope! Will these challengers be able to reach the door at the slope¡¯s summit!?]

    ¡°Can¡¯t you do something with your naming sense?¡±

    [Ooh, that¡¯s a good question, Leona-san¡­ I¡¯m open for suggestions!]

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it. So what kind of barrier is this supposed to be?¡±

    Hearing Leona¡¯s question, Euma gave a short nod.

    [Hmm. As you can see, this slope is incredibly slippery. I¡¯m sorry for test-takers, but it is an AMAZINGLY! SLIPPERY! SLOPE!] [2]

    ¡°I see, so it¡¯s a very severe barrier to test-takers¡­¡±

    ¡°Umm, Leona-sama, Golem-san. What does that ¡®test-takers¡¯ thing have to do with the slope?¡±

    [The bottom of this slope has a pitfall! It¡¯s game over if you slip, followed by a punishment game!]

    ¡°Kuuu! It¡¯s so slippery you¡¯d definitely slide down it! It really is severe! Sorry, test-takers!¡±

    ¡°Excuse me!? Just what do those ¡®test-takers¡¯ have to do with this trap!?¡±

    Leona and Euma ignored Suira as they grew ever more excited. Also unable to understand the reason, Michiru tilted her head to the side.

    [Well, you just have to not slip. Got it? Alright then, oh challengers, make sure you don¡¯t fail this barrier, for the sake of all the test-takers the world over¡ªthose of other worlds included¡ªand break through it!]

    Saying that, Euma disappeared beyond the door.

    ¡°¡­ Umm, Leona-sama? Just what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, this is the first time I¡¯ve been excited in a long time! Oh hoh hoh, this water has some viscosity to it! Both of you, calm down and be careful as you go up the slope! Hey, Michiru. You¡¯re the lightest, so how about you go first?¡±

    ¡°Alright, Leona-sama! Onee-sama, youe on too.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­¡±

    Careful so that they wouldn¡¯t slip, the three began to make their way up the slope.

    *

    ¡°So, Kehma, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Once the three started going up the slope, Rokuko asked me a question.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯? It¡¯s what it looks like, a slope. Ah, I didn¡¯t use the Tentacle Slime¡¯s mucus this time though.¡±

    ¡°Un, I get that part. I¡¯m more wondering why you¡¯d set up such a nonsensical trap in such a nonsensical ce.¡±

    Right, I was going with testing out a new floor as the pretext, but far from the current pitfall traps, it was questionable if it was even fatal, given the matsid out.

    Moreover, after this, the traps¡­ traps? I mean, the people they¡¯re meant for aren¡¯t supposed to be adventurers in the first ce. There¡¯s even barriers like [Can you guess what¡¯s inside just by feeling it?], for example. Adventurers are people that would ignore instructions and look right on inside the hole. Rather, they would even go so far as to try heading straight through the door and ignore the box entirely.

    ¡°Well, yeah, to put it simply¡­ including the mic performance, I was setting up the mood.¡±

    ¡°The mood?¡±

    ¡°The barrier I made will probably keep Leona enjoying herself with the rules I set up. However, that will only stay true so long as she¡¯s having fun. In other words, these are simply my opening moves for setting up the final trap¡­ Ah, and Setsuna will be prepared along the way.¡±

    ¡°Umm, so you¡¯re entertaining her so that she¡¯ll walk into the trap willingly?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, exactly. You hit the nail on the head.¡±

    With all that, this is another one of Leona¡¯s treasure trove of [Clich¨¦s]¡­ the reproduction of a variety game show.

    Suira and Michiru are with her as well, but her bringing Subi with her was well within my expectations. Let¡¯s switch their route to one that has multi-people attractions, sit back, and watch.

    ¡°Well now, why don¡¯t we just enjoy the show as Leona and the others y themselves right into our hand?¡±

    ¡°y themselves into it, hmm?¡±

    When Rokuko looked at the monitor, Leona was smiling as she caught a hold onto Suira, who was about to slip.

    Footnotes:

    First sentence was said in English. Return

    ¡®Test-takers¡¯ is referring to those students cramming and preparing for entrance examinations.

 Chapter 239

    No Stopping Until There¡¯s a Punishment Game!

    After the slope were barriers like a Tarzan rope, rock climbing wall, and a wall you had to pass through while maintaining a given pose. But Leona made it through all of them in high spirits.

    So now, what stood before Leona and them now was a barrier much unlike those prior.

    ¡°Hyaah! I-it moved!? D-do I really have to put my hand in it!? I-is it a living thing!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, the rule is that we can¡¯t tell you the answer. Do your best, Michiru!¡±

    ¡°Not even a hint? Uuu, how frustrating!¡±

    Michiru was nervous as she thrust her hand into the box whose contents she couldn¡¯t see. Only one face of the box was open-faced, which allowed Leona and Suira, who were sitting right in front of that face, to see inside. Well, it¡¯s one of those popr ¡®guess the contents¡¯ game.

    By the way, I put a mandarin orange in it. Did it move, or did it just tumble about? That second-guess inducing nature is used often.

    ¡°Frog, it¡¯s a frog!¡±

    [Whoops, unfortunate, you¡¯re wrong~! The correct answer was ¡®mandarin orange¡¯!]

    ¡°Eeeh, no way, that can¡¯t be it! It moved!¡±

    [Now for the punishment game. Come in~]

    With that, a Golem entered the room. It was wearing ck tights for no reason in particr and held a paper fan-shaped pstick in its hands.

    ¡°E-eh, wai¡ªwho¡¯s that!? ¡­ Ow!¡±

    It made a great pping sound when it struck the top of Michiru¡¯s head.

    The sound itself was rather loud, but it didn¡¯t really do and damage-like damage to her.

    Now that Michiru had been struck, the Golem withdrew.

    [Alright, here¡¯s your constion candy. Next challenger, step right up~]

    ¡°Yaaay, a candy~! Om nom.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll go up next, Leona-sama.¡±

    I switched the contents in the box when Suira was getting ready. This time, it was a pear.

    Suira felt it up. After seeing what Michiru looked like a bit before, she probably thought that being hesitant wouldn¡¯t work out. Doing it this way was much more efficient than being timid, it¡¯s the right way to go about it.

    ¡°I got it. It¡¯s a pear.¡±

    [Amazing, that is correct! Boom boom bang bang~! Ah, here¡¯s the pear as your reward.]

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that just what you had inside it?¡±

    Like that, Suira got the correct answer without anything too interesting happening. And so it was finally Leona¡¯s turn.

    Naturally, I prepared a special item for Leona.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally my turn! ¡­ I wonder what¡¯s inside?¡±

    Leona quickly put her hand into the hole on the box¡¯s side. Using that timing, I made it so that the other two could see what was inside the box.

    ¡°Eh, wait, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°W-wow¡­ eh, we can¡¯t give any hints, alright? But do your best, Leona-samaaa~!¡±

    ¡°Craaap! So this is the pattern where the third person gets something weird!? Gaah, what is it!? A snake? A frog? Or maybe a human head!?¡±

    [Buh-boo! Wroooong~. Time for the punishment game~]

    With that, the pstick-wielding Golem made another appearance.

    ¡°Eh, ah, wait, that just now wasn¡¯t my answer! Eh, I can¡¯t?¡±

    [You answered with your hand in the box, so it¡¯s an answer.]

    ¡°The heck¡¯s that! At least let me answer properly!¡±

    [¡­ Oh well, I¡¯ll let you have one more try since you¡¯re whining about it. So, your answer~?]

    ¡°Kaay! Hmm, what is it¡­¡±

    The pstick-wielding Golem stepped back unwillingly. Leona fumbled her hand about in the box once again.

    She could feel something with her hand. It felt soft, jiggly¡­ her fingers seemed to press into it if she put any strength into them¡­ was it a big fluid steam bun?

    ¡°Eh, wait, it¡¯s food? Ah, that¡¯s not my answer!¡±

    [I wonder? That¡¯d be a hint~. Ah, but if I had to say, I wouldn¡¯t eat it¡­ but I¡¯m a Golem after all!]

    ¡°Ahaha, something a Golem wouldn¡¯t eat huh~¡­. Hmm, this feeling¡­¡±

    It felt like it would deform itself to her fist and feltfortable to the touch.

    Leona felt it tremble. There¡¯s no mistaking it, it was alive. It was a living thing.

    ¡°¡­ Is it a Slime?¡±

    [Is that¡­ your final answer?]

    ¡°It is!¡±

    A drum roll suddenly started to y out of nowhere.

    [¡­ ¡­]

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    A dozen or so seconds passed with them staring at each other. Once it started to feel like it might go on for too long, a ¡®Ta-daaa!¡¯ sound yed as the drum roll ceased.

    [Unfortunate! The correct answer was ¡®Jelly¡¯!]

    ¡°So close!! But wait, isn¡¯t a Slime good enough!? It¡¯s super close to a Jelly!¡±

    [Yeah, that¡¯s why I let you try again. You would have gotten it if you said them both over the two tries. But s, you got it wrong. You missed a 50% chance after losing the 100% chance, what an incredibly fair contest it was~. Alright then, time for the punishment game.]

    The pstick-wielding Golem appeared for a third time. Standing next to Leona, it resolutely held up the pstick.

    ¡°Kyaah~? Be gentle with m¡ªkyaah¡­ hauu?¡±

    The pstick came down onto Leona¡¯s head with a loud bang.

    ¡­ The Golem and Leona stopped moving for a moment afterwards as though to enjoy the moment, but both started to move immediately upon hearing the Host¡¯s, Euma¡¯s, voice.

    [Alright, good job, Golem-san. Leona, here¡¯s your participation prize candy. Please move on to the next room through the door to your right.]

    ¡°Kaaay~. Let¡¯s go, Suira, Michiru!¡±

    ¡°¡± Okay, Leona-sama! ¡°¡±

    Leona and the rest headed into the next room in high spirits.

    Moreover, the next room¡¯s barrier was piping hot oden. [1]

    *

    After Leona and the others left, the pstick-wielding Golem put its hands to its head and slowly detached it.

    ¡­ To be exact, it was Setsuna taking off a paper mache Golem helmet.

    ¡°Puah! Aah, that Golem head was so hot¡­¡±

    ¡°Good work, Setsuna-san~¡±

    In order to set up an opportunity for Setsuna to get a hit in on Leona, I prepared the rule that the Golem would [Strike the person¡¯s head with a pstick if they lost as a punishment game].

    Leona kept avoiding the punishment game, but she finally had one. Unexpectedly, Suira hadn¡¯t been missing either. Even for Michiru, that was her first punishment game.

    Also unexpectedly, they were also able to make it through the physical-type variety games since Leona was supporting them¡­ Well, after trying so many random things to make her have a punishment game, I finally prepared a barrier that had a practically fixed loss.

    With all that going on, we had Setsuna get inside a Golem. Then, we had her hit Leona on the head with the pstick¡­ In other words, the goal of Setsuna wanting to hit Leona was fulfilled.

    Assuming her wish got fulfilled one-sidedly with this, I won¡¯t need to do something like cooling Leona down after attacking her. Otherwise, I¡¯d have to show her Setsuna getting out from inside the Golem at some point.

    ¡­ I hope she¡¯ll ept this as her wish being fulfilled.

    ¡°So, you did hit Leona with the pstick~¡­ was that enough~?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I thought that it wouldn¡¯t be any good if I couldn¡¯t hit Grandma straight up, but it feels like the curse has broken. I want to check, so could you help me take this off?¡±

    ¡°Yep yep,es right off~¡±

    Nerune slipped out from inside the Golem with Nerune¡¯s help. Setsuna¡¯s clothes and skin were covered with sweat due to her wearing the paper mache suit the whole time while waiting for Leona to get a punishment game.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ mm. Hmmm¡­¡±

    Setsuna felt around her body like she was groping herself.

    It didn¡¯t look like anything had changed from the looks of it, but¡ª

    ¡°¡­ Un, the curse has lifted.¡±

    Setsuna¡¯s face grew delicate. The curse was lifted, but was there something else?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the most important thing~¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Nerune-san.¡±

    ¡°Yeah~, now for our reward~? You can pay with your body if you want~¡±

    ¡°Un, I¡¯ll promise to do anything that I can do. I could even work for a month if you want.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm~. I¡¯ll just try asking my superiors~¡­ By the way, what did Leona do to you~?¡±

    ¡°¡­ U-umm¡­ M-my body has a secret¡­¡±

    Setsuna squirmed as though she was embarrassed.

    I wanted to ask as well. Just what did Leona do?

    ¡°I was cursed to believe that I was originally just an ordinary girl¡­! She even made Nayuta think that!¡±

    ¡­ Eh, you were like that from the start?

    Heeeh¡­

    Footnotes:

    Oden is a Japanese one pot winter dish consisting of several ingredients such as boiled eggs, daikon, konjac, and processed fishcakes stewed in a light, soy-vored dashi broth. Ingredients vary ording to region and between each household.

 Chapter 240

    The Final Trial

    It turned out that Setsuna was special by birth.

    ¡­ No, there¡¯s also the possibility that this is just Leona causing yet another misunderstanding. For instance, she could keep her promise but also go with something roundabout like [I didn¡¯t say that I would restore you, I just said that I would so something].

    Well, I guess it¡¯s unrted to me. I don¡¯t particrly feel like bedding Setsuna or anything.

    ¡°So, Kehma. What next?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve achieved our mid-goal of having Setsuna bop Leona on the head. Now we just need to entertain Leona a bit more and have her leave.¡±

    Alright then, let¡¯s entertain Leona a bit more with our expulsion strategy¡¯s final trial.

    *

    The Dragon Pond, a trial of copsing footholds over a sea of magma¡ªwhat was so hard about it, you ask? Well, we used actual magma so even the ces you¡¯re supposed to stand were burning hot. Leona and the others easily made it through, entering the room of the [Final Trial].

    With the room dark, the only thing visible was a Golem lit up by a spotlight.

    [Now, it¡¯s finally time for our Final Trial. Your current score is¡­ woooah! A record high of 960 Points~!]

    Holding the microphone, the Golem gestured grandly with its arms. Now that they¡¯d made it to the ending, they were also a bit reluctant, but¡ª

    ¡°Hey, Onee-sama. Was there anything mentioned about points earlier?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so¡­ to start with, even if it¡¯s a record, I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re the first ones since we are here to check over the newly made floor¡¯s functions, Michiru.¡±

    ¡°Really. You two, don¡¯t fuss over the details, okay?¡±

    Setting aside the score that held no particr meaning, Leona and the others squared off before the final trial.

    With a p, the room lit up and the final trial came into sight.

    [The Final Trial is¡­ a True/False Quiz!]

    There were two passage-like gates before them. One had a paper door with a [O] on it while the other had a [X].

    [If you think the question you¡¯ll be hearing is correct, go through the [O] door! If you think it¡¯s wrong, go through the [X] door!]

    ¡°Oooh¡­! By the way, what happens when you choose the wrong door? Flour? Muddy water?¡±

    [A pitfall trap that leads directly out of the dungeon. There shouldn¡¯t be a need to worry about any injuries. Getting something in your eyes might hurt though.]

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Leona appeared to be thinking about something. She was probably considering whether being right or being wrong would be more interesting.

    [And if two out of the three of you answer correctly, since you will have seeded 1000 Points¡ªall of the Subi will receive a one-year supply of their beloved eggnts! Moreover, as an extra special prize, I will award you a giant eggnt made out of stone!] [1]

    With the design of [Eggnt Made to Look Like a Cow With Chopstick Legs], something often seen as Lantern Festivals, an actual cow-sized statue was carted out on top of a wagon. The reaction Leona had was very differentpared to the two Subi¡¯s.

    ¡°That¡¯s an eggnt!?¡±

    ¡°Ah, oh my, that eggnt cow¡­ is super huge.¡±

    [By the way, it¡¯s also a storage for more eggnts!]

    ¡°¡± Oooh! ¡°¡±

    When the Golem opened the small window on its front, there were more eggnts within it, but that was all.

    ¡°¡­ I have to get this right!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I have to get this wrong¡­!¡±

    Suira and Leona clenched their fists.

    And then looked into each other¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°¡­ Leona-sama. A one-year¡¯s supply of eggnts is very attractive. Being able to eat eggnts every day would overjoy everyone in Subus Vige.¡±

    ¡°Kuh, please spare me!¡±

    [Hmm? What¡¯s this, a quarrel? You¡¯ve all just barely been able to make it to this Final Trial together, so please stop. Or Leona, do you intend to break away and leave? Ites with a free travel set if you buy right now. I¡¯ll even throw in a portable Othello game.]

    ¡°¡­ That works too. Suira. If you two answer correctly, I won¡¯t return to the vige. Okay? At least not for a year, until the eggnts are all gone!¡±

    ¡°We traveled together to find a peaceful ce to live, but if that¡¯s how it is, we can only part ways here¡­!¡±

    Egged on by the Golem, Leona gave them an ultimatum.

    [Well then, I¡¯ve ced the travel set in the loser¡¯s area, so use it how you will.]

    ¡°Huhuhu. So then, what¡¯s the question?¡±

    [Ooh! Let¡¯s see, you only have one chance at answering the question due to the conditions of the set, so all three of you will have to dive into the one you think is correct at the same time¡­ Alright, now for the question!]

    Hurried by Leona, the Golem read the question aloud.

    [This dungeon¡¯s name is [Cave of Hope]. True¡­ or false!?]

    The Golem gestured towards the doors.

    ¡­ However, the group of three all tilted their heads to the side.

    *

    I tried making this as easy a True/False question as possible, but Suira, Michiru, and even Leona all looked clueless.

    [¡­ Umm, what was the name again?]

    [I don¡¯t know!]

    [Un, it¡¯s a really difficult question¡­ I think I heard it at one point?]

    Even though Leona would have chose the incorrect answer left the dungeon of her own will¡­ she doesn¡¯t know the right answer¡­?

    ¡°Hey Kehma. The answer is [X], right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is¡­ Well, you should obviously know it, but uhh, is it such a difficult question?¡±

    ¡°I guess they didn¡¯t care about knowing the name of the ce they¡¯re living in? You don¡¯t really need to know the name of a dungeon to live in it!¡±

    I guess that¡¯s true?

    But crap. Seriously. The heck. Our strategy¡¯s sess rate suddenly fell to 50%. I have to do something about this.

    [Come to think of it, I did hear the name at one point. This dungeon is¡­ un, cave of something. It definitely sounds like that¡¯s it.]

    [I see, so there¡¯s a good chance that cave of hope is the correct answer then!]

    [Then we just need to go into the [O] door to get the eggnts!]

    With that, Michiru started crouching to jump forward. I decided to hurry up and stop them.

    *

    The Golem blocked Michiru, who was just about to start moving.

    [Woah there, hold on, Michiru. Are you truly sure about your choice?]

    ¡°Eh, what do you mean?¡±

    [Are you alright with deciding on your answer without hearing the hint?]

    ¡°Hint! There was one of those!? Please tell me it!¡±

    [Sure. The other two can listen as well¡ª]

    With that, the Golem thought for a moment.

    [¡ªThis cave has various traps. Among them are traps that became the origin of this cave¡¯s name. The room that cannot be left once the sword in its pedestal is taken is one of such traps. In that trap, a certain pair of adventurers¡ª]

    Then, while the Golem was talking¡ªin a ce the Golem could not see¡ªa y Golem appeared.

    It stood in front of the [X] door and made an [O] with its arms.

    Next, it stood in front of the [O] door and made a [X] with its arms.

    [Hmm? Is there something behind me?]

    Following Leona and the others¡¯ eyes, the Golem slowly started looking behind itself. However, by the time it did so, the y Golem had already hidden itself.

    [What, there¡¯s nothing there? Let¡¯s see, where was I¡­]

    When the Golem turned its back back towards the gates, the y Golem appeared yet again. It repeated the same gestures again this time as though to confirm it. Then, it disappeared.

    [¡ªand that¡¯s what happened. Got it?]

    The Golem asked in confirmation.

    Leona nodded.

    With that, breaking into a run¡ªSuira and Michiru plunged into the [X] door, with Leona going into the [O] door.

    Footnotes:

    Apparently this is a thing that exists.

 Chapter 241

    The Beach

    And so Leona jumped forward with her eyes closed, falling down and eventually rolling across sand.

    When she opened her eyes, what she saw was a beach.

    ¡°¡­ Oh? I really am outside, huh.¡±

    She looked around. It wasn¡¯t just a [room that looked like one] like that floor that was the Subus Vige, it was a true ocean, a beach.

    A rucksack fell down. This was the travelling set. When she looked inside, she saw preserved food, a cup magic tool that could produce water, and a portable Othello game.

    By the way, there was rice in the preserved food. Seeing that, she grinned.

    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s all for this ce, huh¡­ now then, I wound up getting found by those girls too, so maybe it¡¯s time I go for another journey~. Travelling wherever I want by myself for a while doesn¡¯t sound so bad¡­ but really, where am I?¡±

    This ce was definitely a beach. A ce that had to be very far from the dungeon that dwelled within Tsuia Mountain. She had been moving a bit each time she broke through a trial, but if pushed she¡¯d say that it was only like they were going in circles.

    It had maybe four, no, nine rooms in a 3¡Á3 grid, maybe? She felt like she wasing and going through the same rooms multiple times, just with their contents switched out.

    ¡°¡­ Still though, for it to end there, kind of leaves a sour taste¡­ nnn?¡±

    With that, a piece of paper fell out of the rucksack. When she picked it up, it read, in Japanese: [Sorry! The correct answer was [Cave of Desires]!]¡­ It felt like it was the first time she read Japanese in a long time.

    ¡°Oooh,e to think of it, that was the name.¡ªBurn the paper, [Fireball].¡±

    Giggling, Leona burned the page with magic.

    ¡°Now then, how about I go on a proper journey¡­ I wonder where I¡¯ll end up?¡±

    Putting the rucksack away into her [Storage], she set out in a random direction.

    ¡°It¡¯s been so long since I had that much fun¡­¡±

    Leona muttered to herself.

    Her expression looked somewhat lonely, but she was smiling gently.

    *

    Leona left.

    ¡°¡­ Haah. That was tiring.¡±

    ¡°Good job, Kehma.¡±

    What made me tired was that I was talking through the Golem that whole time, so I¡¯m seriously tired. Not in the usual way.

    ¡­ I might be tooting my own horn here, but I was a pretty good host. Didn¡¯t expect that¡­

    But still, with this, Leona has now been left at the Imperial Capital¡¯s beach.

    Even if she wants toe back, it should take her a while¡­ well, it didn¡¯t seem like she wanted to though.

    [Oooi, Kehma.]

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, Ontentoo? Sorry, you helped me out here a lot.¡±

    [No, it¡¯s alright. So this one¡¯s my win, yeah?]

    ¡°Oh? It should be one win, one loss now though?¡±

    By the way, behind the scenes of our anti-Leona strategy, I held a Dungeon Battle between my sub-dungeon [White Beach] and Ontentoo¡¯s.

    ¡­ To be exact, it was only a Dungeon Battle in the formal sense in that I had its gate left open to let Leona through and closed it by surrendering when she jumped through the gate.

    I had Rei and Kinue manage the Dungeon Battle at [White Beach] while Nerune acted over here as a scene shifter. Rokuko and I were in the Master Room. Ichika and Meat were working at the inn.

    [Still though, now I¡¯ve won once yeah? Kukuku.]

    ¡°Yeah. I knew you were going to say that. But well, thanks?¡±

    [What, it¡¯s fine. We even got one of those Philosopher¡¯s Stones, it has a great redness that even Redra¡¯s loving.]

    As a reward for his help, I gave one of the Philosopher¡¯s Stones I got from Leona to Ontentoo. It feels like I justundered something I got illegally, but let¡¯s just call it a Win-Win.

    Ah, but as change for it, Ontentoo gave us a pretty big chunk of territory near our dungeon. Practically all of Tsuia Mountain is Ontentoo¡¯s territory, so we¡¯d already expanded as close to them as we could. Getting some area we can expand the dungeon into in the future and store those props in helps a lot.

    [Rather, what¡¯s up with that, Kehma?]

    ¡°That?¡±

    [Having a Dungeon Battle just for driving that so far away. You were wanting to have the Dungeon Battle for that, but when it entered our dungeon for just that instant, we saw that that seemed pretty crazy?]

    ¡°¡­ Ah, Leona? She¡¯s something like a Dungeon Core and Dungeon Masterbined? I don¡¯t know what core number she is though, I didn¡¯t ask.¡±

    [Eh? The heck.]

    In the monitor, Ontentoo tilted his head. Yeah¡­ even I had thought that.

    [Alright then. Let¡¯s have a proper Dungeon Battle next time, yeah?]

    ¡°If I feel like it~¡±

    ¡°Ah, hold up, Kehma. There¡¯s something I want to ask 112 (Ontentoo).¡±

    Rokuko interrupted as I tried to round up the conversation.

    ¡°112 (Ontentoo), do you have kids?¡±

    [Eh? Kids?]

    ¡°Kids with Redra, you know, kids. Leona has grandkids, so I was wondering if anyone else did.¡±

    [Ooh, I do. The eldest is just about three hundred. I have grandkids too.]

    Ah, so he does have kids and grandkids. First time I¡¯ve heard about that.

    It¡¯s no wonder after seeing how love-love Redra and Ontentoo are¡­ rather, maybe it is strange seeing as they react like newlyweds?

    Is it that [Fire Cavern]¡¯s lovers are perpetually heatedly passionate with each other?

    [Dragons live forever after all. They generally live until they¡¯re killed. There is that one guy that¡¯s still alive after dying though.]

    ¡°An Undead Dragon! I hadn¡¯t even thought of that!¡±

    [Yeah. Well, there¡¯s even precedent of some living into the tens of thousands of years. I don¡¯t know how long cores can live, so maybe I¡¯ll die first? Ah, but we¡¯ll leave together when the timees. Hahaha.]

    ¡°Otou-sama said we¡¯re immortal, but isn¡¯t even Core 1 just around six hundred?¡±

    That scale¡¯s huge. Humans would be doing well to hit even one hundred.

    [So, was that all you wanted to ask?] ¡°No. Please tell me how Dungeon Cores can have children with other species.¡±

    [¡± Bufuu!? ¡°]

    Ontentoo and I both felt like something punched us in the gut.

    [W-wha, what¡¯re you asking me!? Ask Redra that!]

    ¡°Ah, right. I¡¯ll bring Feni with me to go y again then.¡±

    [Wait, why¡¯d you ask me!? Don¡¯t you have a reliable Nee-chan!? It¡¯d obviously be better to ask another female human-type core!]

    ¡°But I can¡¯t since Keima said that I absolutely couldn¡¯t ask Haku Ane-sama about it.¡±

    So that¡¯s why she asked Ontentoo¡­? Who is she getting that unpredictable behavior from? Me? No way, I shouldn¡¯t be that bad.

    ¡°H-hold on, Rokuko¡­ You wanting that information, could you be intending to have kids with me?¡±

    When I asked that, Rokuko¡¯s face turned red as she looked up at me with upturned eyes.

    ¡°Changing the question, is there anyone else I could have them with?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the problem though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not like I¡¯m wanting to have them right away or anything. But wouldn¡¯t it be troublesome if I didn¡¯t know how when the time came? Well, 112 (Ontentoo), cyater.¡±

    Rokuko turned away, her cheeks puffed out a little in anger.

    [Y-yeah. Kehma, uhh, hmm. Be strong?]

    ¡°Yeah¡­ well, uh¡­ yeah.¡±

    I closed themunication with Ontentoo.

    ¡­ Well, is it alright since she¡¯s not thinking about doing it right now? No, too much knowledge might incur Haku-san¡¯s wrath, I should stop there.

    Eh? Before that, were Rokuko and I married?

 Chapter 242

    Confirmation and a Trap

    Now, Leona¡¯s gone, but it¡¯s not like I can sleep yet.

    Because I still have to do the final confirmation.

    With that, I went to [White Beach]. The footprints from where Leona had walked had almostpletely vanished, but I guess she walked in that direction?

    I went into the forest.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, it was definitely this way¡­ oh, a broken branch. Looks like she was here.¡±

    I went farther into the forest.

    ¡­ Huh? What am I doing? Why did I go this far again?

    No, yeah. I have to confirm. The final confirmation. Yeah.

    I arrived in front of a cave. There were some burned areas, as well as bits of it still smoldering. It looks like she forcibly opened it up through some viinous magic, making an impromptu cave.

    And my target was inside. Right, I could understand that from the details. This is why I came.

    When I looked into the cave¡ªLeona was spread out sitting on a futon, waiting.

    Crap, I have to run! No, it¡¯s fine¡­!? The thoughts for [STOP] and [GO] lit up in my head at the same time.

    W-wha-what the heck. My head¡¯s all mixed up.

    ¡°I was waiting.¡±

    ¡°¡ª¡­.¡±

    Spoken to by Leona, I held my head. I was using [Super Transformation] today, it¡¯s alright. I have an extra life. Calm down.

    ¡°There¡¯s something you want to ask, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. There is.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead, I¡¯ll even teach you how to have fun and live for hundreds of years.¡ªSetsuna, Nayuta, the Toys, how to raise your skills, how to kill and deceive gods, even how to steal their powers, anything. Now, what do you want to ask first?¡±

    ¡°Leona, what era did youe from?¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    Leona smiled with a smile that said she hadn¡¯t expected him to ask something so simr to asking her age.

    But she probably wouldn¡¯t have a problem with it¡ªshe was seventeen, after all.

    ¡°Well¡­ let¡¯s say it was an era that made today¡¯s entertainment feel nostalgic. It was like that for you too, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That so, well, I¡¯m happy you liked it.¡±

    ¡°I really enjoyed it, enough so that I wanted to stay there for longer¡­¡±

    Leona¡¯s smile looked lonely. What she was thinking wasn¡¯t something me, someone who won¡¯t even live till five hundred, could understand.

    ¡°Which is why I felt that I definitely had to give you my thanks and call you here with this.¡±

    Leona patted the futon¡­ The Godly Comforter? I see, so that¡¯s it?

    It looks like I was lured here by the Godly Comforter¡¯s divinity. Like a moth to the me.

    ¡°So next you¡¯ll want me to tell you about Toys. That girl, Meat Kuroinu, if I recall?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You knew? No, so Meat¡¯s like that?¡±

    ¡°I knew~. It¡¯s something I made after all¡­ or maybe it¡¯s better to say I¡¯m making? Unlike Setsuna, that girl isn¡¯t natural.¡±

    ¡­ Meat is¡ªno, Toys are created existences¡­?

    ¡°Different from Setsuna and Nayuta? I thought something was said about them being sisters?¡±

    ¡°Setsuna is natural, I haven¡¯t adjusted her at all. And yet she¡¯s so interesting right? The seed I¡¯d chosen randomly brought forth a miracle. That¡¯s why I gave making Nayuta and the Toys a shot.¡± [1]

    Hold up. She just said something outrageous like it was nothing.

    Leona continued talking about her story.

    ¡°Setsuna¡¯s talent value is super close to 6V and feels like 5V! Ah, you don¡¯t know what I mean? Well, anyways, she has miraculous talent. However, she¡¯s a bitcking in the head, so I adjusted Nayuta¡¯s head to be better. Toys are things I made when I wondered what would happen if I raised their talent to as high as possible! There¡¯s a lot that I did that so, so I decided to call all of them Toys¡­ oh, the origin of their name is the Japanese word ¡®toy¡¯. Well, setting aside Nayuta who I¡¯d only added checks to so that she wouldn¡¯t be unreasonable, I¡¯ve had a lot of failures too. Really, training so many different creatures causes a lot of troubles. I¡¯ve finally gotten to the point that I can mix a few things together without changing their appearance though. After many sacrifices, I finally made five Toys to assemble the Toy Rangers!¡ªah, that part was a lie. The Toy Rangers aren¡¯t a thing~. It¡¯d sound too cheesy. Well it¡¯s true that I had a ton of failures, only three of them ever turned out exceeding their nned talent values. Ah, but don¡¯t worry! My lovely grandchildren and my failures weren¡¯t for nothing. The staff happily epted them, turning them into materials, food, even furniture¡­ ah, there was even one of them that became a toilet! Ufufu, I said something good there¡­ Hmm? But isn¡¯t it weird? The failures should¡¯ve all been locked away and recycled? And I know where the three sesses are? Huh? Then that means there¡¯s a fourth, I guess? Maybe it¡¯s one of the ones I discarded and stopped paying attention to? Well, it¡¯s a trivial problem. It¡¯s probably just that I threw her into a slum in attempts to see if she¡¯d be able to break through her limits in such a horrible environment and forgot about it. There¡¯s also the possibility that Haku-chan stole my research results. That child has a hero under her control after all. There¡¯s also the chance of godly intervention, but well, that¡¯s not much of a problem either. What I can¡¯t remember doesn¡¯t matter, probably. Ah, I started babbling didn¡¯t I? Well, with all that¡ª¡±

    Leona took a deep breath before continuing.

    ¡°¡ªthe Toys were created by me! Amazing, right!?¡±

    ¡°You already said that.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    Yep, most of the middle part¡¯s fuzzy, but I do get that she¡¯s done a ton of bad things. I was listening since it seemed like she¡¯d break me if I didn¡¯t though.

    ¡°Hmph, then let¡¯s talk about something else. How about raising hero skills?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sure.¡±

    ¡°+1 if you destroy a Dummy Core. +1 and a chance to learn a new skill if you destroy a Dungeon Core. If you¡¯ve maxed out all your levels, it¡¯ll be stockpiled until you learn a new one¡ªYou probably know that as well, right, Keima-san?¡±

    Nope, didn¡¯t know that. I did realize that the level went up when you destroy a Dungeon Core though.

    ¡°Then I wonder if you¡¯ve noticed that, for us who are also Dungeon Masters and who are affiliated with the Dark God¡¯s faction, we can level up as much as we want?¡±

    ¡­ Eh?

    ¡°H-h-hold up. Huh, what?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    I mean, Dummy Cores are things that can be bought for 5000 DP. I used to think that was a lot, but nowadays I can earn 5000 DP pretty fast. In other words¡ª

    ¡°I can power level myself!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    I can power level myself like eating french fries at a buffet.

    Let¡¯s level [Super Transformation] as soon as I get back.

    ¡°¡­ Ah, but I don¡¯t rmend leveling hero skills all at once. The Light God will eat your soul if you do.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Please, wait. What?¡±

    ¡°Fufu.¡±

    Leonaughed.

    ¡°Do you think that so out-of-the-norm skills like hero skills can be mastered so easily? Your soul¡¯s growth and adaptation wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up. If you aren¡¯t a capable container, you should level up only once or twice in a year at the most.¡±

    So it¡¯s like that? Rather, soul¡¯s growth and adaptation? Just what are skills?

    ¡°It¡¯ll corrode your soul if you go past your limit. And since hero skills are the Light God¡¯s territory¡­ do you understand now that I¡¯ve spoken this much? Yeah, if you give it your all in raising your levels at a fast pace, you¡¯ll turn into God¡¯s Vanguard.¡±

    ¡­ Let¡¯s keep it to one level a year! I¡¯ve probably already hit my credit limit, I mean, I¡¯m probably just barely safe. I went straight to Lv 3 after all.

    ¡°Well, you usually wouldn¡¯t be able to capture multiple dungeons in a year, so it¡¯s a double standard unique to people like us. Even if other Heroes did their best, being able to capture multiple in a year is something they¡¯d probably only be able to do as a God¡¯s Vanguard in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°Leona, uhh, have you been corroded?¡±

    ¡°Me? No? I¡¯m still fine, my soul isn¡¯t a what a single person should have and can¡¯t bepared to yours. It¡¯s a rule I found out in an experiment with Haku-chan. Well, I kept it quiet so Haku-chan probably hasn¡¯t noticed though.¡±

    So many horrible things. The experiments, Leona, and the Hero Skills.

    ¡°Oooh right. Could you take care of Setsuna? You could add her to your harem. But make sure to have lots of kids since I¡¯ll be taking one.¡±

    ¡°Eh? I don¡¯t intend to make a move on any of my employees though? And let alone a harem, I haven¡¯t touched anyone.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Surprised, Leona opened her red eyes widely.

    ¡°¡­ Uwaah, seriously? Unbelievable, you¡¯ve gathered so many pretty things¡­ eh, is that it? You¡¯re gay? Ah, Setsuna has a penis, you know? She is a girl though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m straight!¡±

    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re a no-good virgin.¡±

    ¡°H-h-h-how does that have anything to do with someone being a virgin!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Shall I give you some confidence then? It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll be gentle.¡±

    Tapping the top of the Godly Comforter, Leona moved her shirt a little out of the way. She exposed part of her vicle, even her cleavage¡­ but dang. I can¡¯t see her legs at all with that pose. In other words, it¡¯s not effective against me at all.

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been rejected? Interesting, is theforter¡¯s effect not working¡­? No, it worked in bringing you here. Do you have some resistance¡­?¡±

    Staying here any longer might be dangerous.

    ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m attracted to that futon, but I¡¯m heading back!¡±

    ¡°That would be a problem.¡±

    When I came to, bandages had been twined around my hands at some point¡­ and Leona was opposite me. The heck. I didn¡¯t ck out though?

    ¡°Whaaat, it¡¯ll be over before you can count the dots on the ceiling~, or not~?¡±

    ¡°Wh-what¡¯re you trying to pull, cut it out!?¡±

    And then I lost consciousness.

    Footnotes:

    There¡¯s some word y going on here that I believe is going over my head. My apologies.

 Chapter 243

    Courage

    I woke up. A throbbing pain was pounding in my head.

    ¡­ What happened? I¡¯m sure I was¡­ huh? I¡¯m in a room at the inn? And the suite room at that.

    I was trying to be sure about something to do with Leona, but didn¡¯t I get caught in a trap?

    Why am I here? Did I lose my memory? Or maybe I¡¯m in a dream?

    I heard a knock at the door.

    ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Meat.¡±

    It was Meat¡¯s voice. I started to give her permission to enter the room¡ªbut then I noticed what I was wearing.

    That is, nothing at all.

    Moreover, this futon. It¡¯s the Godly Comforter for some reason. The suite room should¡¯ve had a down-filled mattress.

    Moreover moreover, I felt a weight on my body. When I looked to see what it was, it was Rokuko clinging to my body, still asleep.

    Sh-she¡¯s wearing her pajamas. Am I safe?

    ¡°Hold up a moment, Meat. I¡¯d like to check over something, but could you please answer me through the door?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°¡­ How many days ago did Leona leave? The day I held the Dungeon Battle with Ontentoo, that is.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that was day before yesterday, so¡­ two days ago.¡±

    ¡­ What? There¡¯s a day¡¯s worth of memories missing.

    This is scary. Not only did I lose consciousness, which I might be fine with by itself, Leona almost definitely did something to me.

    I decided to wake Rokuko up. I feel sorry for doing it since she looks happy with some drooling from her mouth on to my belly, it had to be dome.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, Rokuko, get up. Oi.¡±

    ¡°Kehmaaa¡­ mnmnn, nmmm¡­.¡±

    ¡°Uoooh, stop licking my bellybutton, it¡¯s ticklish! And stop squirming about please, it¡¯s starting to make me feel weird! Please, get up, please!¡±

    ¡°Heeaah!? Ah, Kehma! ¡­ You¡¯re back to yourself!?¡±

    Judging by the first thing Rokuko said as she woke up, I¡¯m starting to feel uneasy.

    What the heck did I do yesterday!?

    ¡°Yesterday was dangerous. You definitely lost your mind. Only Meat and I noticed it though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Uhh, what do you mean by that, exactly?¡±

    ¡°You suddenly hugged me and whispered to me that you love me. Umm, no, I mean I was happy that you were so passionate about it, but it didn¡¯t feel like ¡®Kehma¡¯. So I brought you to the Godly Comforter and had you go to sleep.¡±

    So to put it another way, she used the therapeutic effect of the Godly Comforter¡­ it cured abnormal statuses as well?

    ¡­ Huh? Wait a sec. Now¡¯s not the time to be calm. Don¡¯t we have to be a married couple to prevent having divine punishment fall down on me for using the Godly Comforter? What happened to the divine punishment? Is that it? Did we get deemed as a couple? Eh, oi. Did god just officially recognize Rokuko and I as a couple?

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You and I, are we¡ªwait, first off, why am I naked? Also, please let me put on some clothes.¡±

    ¡°Ah, un. Good, you¡¯re back to being you¡­ And you¡¯re naked because you took off your clothes when we got into the Godly Comforter. They should be on the floor now.¡±

    Just as Rokuko said, my clothes were strewn about the floor¡­ I quickly put them on.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Umm, please stop staring at me like that. It¡¯s embarrassing to dress with someone watching.

    A short momentter, I¡¯d finished changing my clothes with Rokuko staring at me the whole time.

    Should I ask it now then?

    ¡°Ah, umm, right. Rokuko. I need to ask you something.¡±

    ¡°Sure, what?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You and I, are we¡­ a couple?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Rokuko responded in a nk voice¡­ Wait, what¡¯s that ¡®Eh?¡¯ supposed to mean?

    ¡°¡­ Ehhh!?¡±

    ¡°Please, Rokuko. Please answer me clearly.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah, um, that¡­ we¡¯re partners?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t dodge the question, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Well, we¡¯re¡­¡±

    We¡¯re¡­? We¡¯re what!?

    ¡°¡­. Not a couple, right?¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ a couple, yeah¡­¡±

    Rokuko hung her head with a serious look on her face. Yeah, now it¡¯se to this.

    ¡°¡­ Crap. This is the Godly Comforter, I might get hit by that god-paling divine retribution¡­! What should I do, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Eh!? Ah, th-that? Umm. Well, if that¡¯s it, it¡¯s ok. It¡¯s set up so that it¡¯s alright when I give the permission.¡±

    ¡°Eh, really? Exclusive-use items can get set up with things like that?¡±

    ¡°Uhhh¡­ yeah. Definitely.¡±

    Seriously? Tell me sooner if you can make adjustments like that to it!

    ¡°That¡¯s good then¡­ Man, now that I know it¡¯s fine, I¡¯m tired. Can I borrow it?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Mm, well¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Meat¡¯s still waiting outside, huh. Meat, is anything wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, I just came to see how you were doing. If you¡¯re safe and back to yourself, that¡¯s good.¡±

    Finished saying that, Meat left.

    Alright, let¡¯s go back to sleep.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma? ¡­ What kind of, err, what kind of rtionship do* we have? We¡¯re not¡­ a couple, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. We¡¯re not a couple. We haven¡¯t really went through a marriage or the formalities, after all.¡±

    ¡°Is that¡­ why? Kehma, do you not¡­ want us to be a couple?¡±

    Rokuko looked at me with an expression that seemed like she was about to cry.

    ¡­ It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t want to. I mean, I definitely don¡¯t dislike her. Rather, I couldn¡¯t think about anyone else in this world being my parter other than Rokuko. Ah, maybe Meat? But she¡¯s a serious hug pillow girl¡­ Which means Rokuko really is the only one.

    But if I say that we¡¯re married or something like that right now, Haku-san would kill me. Twice. Once to remove [Super Transformation] and once after the extra life was gone. In other words, she wouldn¡¯t stop killing me until I¡¯m dead.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like we¡¯re lovers, so¡­ isn¡¯t it alright to stick with being partners?¡±

    Even if I said we¡¯re lovers this far into our rtionship, I think I¡¯d still get killed by Haku-san. I don¡¯t exactly want to be killed, so I feel like my best bet is to bulldoze forward with our [Partner] set-up and not step on thendmines that are ¡®lover¡¯ and ¡®married¡¯. We¡¯ve been like that this whole time, after all.

    ¡°Then if you make someone else your lover, I¡¯ll, I¡¯ll¡­ I¡¯ll pout!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll pout? Not oppose it?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, I don¡¯t think you¡¯d do something like that without a reason, so it¡¯s alright. But you do know that I¡¯ll definitely pout about it, right? I¡¯d need at least three servings of fresh melon bread.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really think it¡¯ll happen, but you should be really angry if it does.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll forgive you if it does! Nehee~¡±

    I rubbed Rokuko on the head.

    ¡­ She smiled. She¡¯s even in her loli form, such a warming sight.

    ¡°Oh, umm. Should I stop sleeping with Meat?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Meat¡¯s a hug pillow, why would you stop?¡±

    I just don¡¯t get Rokuko sometimes. Well, I¡¯m ustomed to using Meat as a hug pillow nowadays, so it¡¯d be a bit hard on me if I suddenly had to stop using her.

    ¡°Right¡­ Meat is your exclusive hug pillow, isn¡¯t she¡­? Could you lend her to me too? I¡¯ve been wanting to try using her for a while now. I¡¯ll let you use the Godly Comforter in exchange.¡±

    ¡°Sure, why not.¡±

    Our negotiations concluded. Now that I know there won¡¯t be a divine retribution, there¡¯s no reason for me to hesitate about the Godly Comforter anymore.

    But well, there¡¯s a risk that I might be addicted to it. That isn¡¯t a reason to hesitate from enjoying it, though.

    ¡°We could also all three of us sleep together in the Godlyforter.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! That sound great, let me call Meat back so we can get back to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Meat has a shift and there¡¯s only the two of them right now. Meat joining in can wait tillter¡­ How about we sleep till lunch?¡±

    ¡°Sure~¡±

    Rokuko and I somehow arrived at apromise about our rtionship.

    I should probably give my thanks to Leona for it, seeing as how she was the main culprit behind us two sleeping in the Godly Comforter. Not, let¡¯s not. It¡¯s Leona, after all.

    Still though, pushing forward with our rtionship as ¡®partners¡¯¡­ I don¡¯t think the old me would¡¯ve done that.

    Rokuko and I were¡ªno, I think I was caring about the typical concept of ¡®lovers¡¯ and ¡®couples¡¯ too much.

    How should I say it¡­ oh.

    Like I got some courage?

 Chapter 244

    A Letter from the Sia Family

    That day, a trouble was sent over to me by way of Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma.

    ¡°Vige Chief. Do you have a moment?¡±

    ¡°What, is it about that brothel again? Are you pretty backed up or something?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not it. I¡¯ve received a letter from the feudal lord of Sia¡­¡±

    Seriously, why do you think I gave away so many of my authorities for. But well, Sia¡¯s lord is a noble.

    Since it¡¯s such a big shot, it¡¯s my duty as the Vige Chief to handle it¡­ even if I¡¯m just a figurehead.

    I took the lord¡¯s letter from Wozuma. Let¡¯s see, what¡¯s it say?

    [In this auspicious season of the mountain god¡¯s remembrence, the white goddess dances to¡ª]

    ¡°¡ªThis is a pretty long greeting. It¡¯s annoying to read, do you have a summary?¡±

    ¡°Right here.¡±

    I wanted to tell him that he should¡¯ve just given me that first if he had it, but really, Wozuma is excellent. Even his manners are great¡­ he¡¯s not someone Haku-san sent over just for show.

    By the way, the summary was three lines long.

    ¨C The Sia family has assessed me, an excellent adventurer, as being valuable, so they have prepared to support me.

    ¨C ¡®Would you marry our daughter?¡¯ While they would prefer me marrying into the Sia family, a standard marriage was also permissible.

    ¨C They want to meet me in person and get a verbal response. (Aka: Have to go)

    ¡°The Sia family wishes to have a consultation with you. Tying the knot with the vige¡¯s chief, so to speak. They are currently cooperating with the Adventurer Guild in this.¡±

    Oh. It¡¯s called Sia because it¡¯s the Sia family¡¯s territory. Right.

    ¡°Still though, being able to expand these three lines into all of this. Nobles truly are worth respecting.¡±

    ¡°They ce important information within that decoration, use roundabout mannerisms to say to what extent they value you, and use those same mannerisms to ascertain whether or not you are a brutish person incapable of understanding their phrasing. There isn¡¯t anything hidden within it this time, though.¡±

    ¡­ Which leaves the other two parts. Well, I just leave it to Wozuma either way.

    ¡°Still, Vige Chief, if I recall, you are D-Rank going by your adventurer rank, weren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t believe that could be said to be very good as an adventurer, does that mean they¡¯ve gotten a whiff of your excellence from somewhere¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm¡±

    I can¡¯t say it¡¯d be strange if Wozuma, Haku-san¡¯s pawn, knew about me having a B-Rank Adventurer Guild Card. Is that what he¡¯s telling me?

    ¡°By the way, about thepulsory part on that third line¡­ do I really have to go? I¡¯d like to just end it with a letter.¡±

    ¡°They arended nobles, after all. They aren¡¯t people that an ordinary Vige Chief can simply refuse. There isn¡¯t much of a distance between Sia and here, either.¡±

    ¡°¡­ But I¡ª¡±

    Whoops, I almost said [But I have Rokuko]. That was close. Wozuma is Haku-san¡¯s pawn. Haku-san might just put on her war mask and lead a campaign to my house if I said something like that. Uhh¡­

    ¡°¡ª¡­ have a tiring job to do?¡±

    ¡°Please postpone your ns. A Vige Chief¡¯s number one duty is toply with their lord. Here is your invitation.¡±

    Yeah¡­

    ¡°Haaah, oh well. I guess I¡¯ll just refuse¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re going to refuse?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I mean, there¡¯s no advantages in it for me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d be a noble though? It may not be toorge of a chance, but you could even be the lord of Sia.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon, you know those aren¡¯t merits as far as I¡¯m concerned.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess not. You don¡¯t seem to be interested in status or honor, not even money¡­¡±

    Me bing a noble might cause business to improve, but I make more than enough even without that happening. The Dyne Company has been causing the gold coins I get from Debt Hero Wataru¡¯s repayments and the rice payments I forcibly sell through Nayuta, too.

    You need money to make money. I don¡¯t know who said it, but it¡¯s a famous saying.

    ¡°Right, our Golen vige¡¯s food lifeline is Sia. We import our flour from Sia, as well as basically all of our vegetables. We import some from Pavuera too though¡­ but please, don¡¯t offend the lord.¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡±

    I wound up getting a warning from Wozuma.

    But that just means it¡¯d be a good idea to have the dungeon give rice and vegetables as drops even if I fail, right? That would be a bit suspicious though. Alright, I¡¯ll refuse them with all I have!

    I guess I need to go talk with Rokuko about all this, seeing as we¡¯ve finally decided that we¡¯re partners (aka decision postponed).

    I went to exin what was going on to Rokuko, who waszing about in my room.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I¡¯ll have to take a trip to Sia.¡±

    ¡°Bring Meat with you. You going alone would make me feel anxious.¡±

    Huh? Didn¡¯t she leave everything to me before though? Did my reliability fall or something?

    ¡°¡­ Ah, umm, didn¡¯t Leona do stuff to you? It¡¯d be bad if there wasn¡¯t anyone to stop you if you started going wild. Like that time.¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­¡±

    The day I can¡¯t remember. The day that I supposedly made passes at every woman that caught my eye. From what I hear, I told Rei, the other monster girls, Meat, Ichika¡­ and even the guild Receptionist-san that I loved them.

    The one at fault was Leona. It was caused by Leona in the first ce. Yeah, Leona¡¯s fault. Definitely her fault. It¡¯s a fact.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take her along.¡±

    ¡°Make sure to get me a souvenir¡­ Oh right,e here and I¡¯ll give you a farewell kiss!¡±

    ¡°Oi, where¡¯d you learn that from?¡±

    ¡°From something called manga I bought with DP¡­ Oh, right. I learned a bit of Japanese, so I can read it if it¡¯s simple enough!¡±

    I-is she just haphazardly learning Japanese!?

    Setting aside the fact she bought manga with DP, Japanese! Japanese, anguage known for its learning difficulty!

    ¡°There was something called [Japanese] in the skill scroll area, it was 5,000 DP.¡±

    So it¡¯s from a skill? Rather, you can learnnguages through skills? Fantasy, I should¡¯ve known.

    ¡°Wait, let¡¯s back up. That farewell kiss. Uh, you don¡¯t really have to do it.¡±

    ¡°Partners do that sort of thing! No buts. Come here and give me your cheek!¡±

    ¡°O-okay.¡±

    No buts?

    I leaned down a bit towards Rokuko and showed her my right cheek.

    ¡°S-s-s-so then, Kehma. Farewell¡­ n, nn¡ª¡±

    With that, Rokuko kissed me on my cheek. Crap, my face is hot. Her lips tickled my cheek. Is Rokuko still calm?

    Taking a look at her, she was looking away, her face blushing top to bottom. Her lips were trembling slightly in embarrassment.

    ¡°Ce back in one piece, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m heading out.¡±

    ¡­ Yeah, I definitely have to turn down that marriage discussion.

    Apanied by Meat, I set off for Sia.

 Chapter 245

    Visiting the Sia Family

    We went to Sia in a cheap wagon that rocked and jolted constantly.

    Showing the invitation to the people at the gate, we were able to head through the gate especially quickly.

    The toll was free even including Meat, how nice. As expected of the lord¡¯s invitation.

    Passing through the gate, we immediately went to the lord¡¯s mansion¡ªor not. We first headed to the stalls. I came here to refuse them, so it¡¯s best not to expect any warm wees from here on. Quickly going and quicklying back, I decided to intrude on them during that marvelous time in the early afternoon.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s that meat skewer stall. Smells great.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Let¡¯s buy a lot.¡±

    ¡°Heya¡ªooh, long time no see, An-chan!¡±

    Hmm? Who was he again¡­ oh, right. He¡¯s that old guy we delivered the rabbit meat to way back.

    ¡°You¡¯re not selling rabbit meat today?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m D-Rank already so I¡¯ve graduated from rabbits. I¡¯m not troubled by money anymore either.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate, but congrattions on that. If you ever feel like bringing me any rabbits again, I¡¯ll buy them from you.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for the offer. Well, I¡¯ll buy five of them.¡±

    ¡°Coming right up. Ah, want to try a new vor? I stocked up on some sauce from a peddler recently. I bought a few different kinds, but this one goes good with rabbit meat. It¡¯s delicious.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sure, I¡¯ll try it. Kuro, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Is it our dungeon¡¯s sauce? Now that I think of it, we were giving out some in the dungeon to use in the inn as well I think? For it to spread over here¡­ let¡¯s just say it¡¯s as expected.

    When I paid him the twenty-five copper, he gave us six meat skewers, one of them as a freebie.

    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for your help back then.¡±

    Meat downed the whole skewer immediately¡­ yep, her tail¡¯s wagging. Guess it tastes great.

    I ate one too. It has sauce, so it¡¯s like yakitori.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah. I¡¯ll have one more, you can eat the rest.¡±

    Her tail pped back and forth.

    Meat immediately dug into the rest and nommed them up¡­ there¡¯s sauce all around her mouth. So cute.

    I pat her on the head.

    ¡°You two are the same as ever¡­ why not release her from being a ve?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a line that I can¡¯t cross. Taking the one in a thousand chance into consideration¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t trust her, but there¡¯s always the chance of her leaking information about the dungeon if she was tortured after being released from very. That¡¯d be bad. And since it¡¯d be bad, no can do.

    I definitely don¡¯t think she¡¯d attack me after being released or anything like that.

    ¡°It¡¯splicated.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, I won¡¯t poke into it¡­ but take care of her, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    I bought ten more skewers and put them into my [Storage] to give to Rokuko and the rest as souvenirs.

    Now that we¡¯ve ate, I guess it¡¯s time to get going?

    ¡°It¡¯s time to head out¡­ by the way, any clue where the lord lives?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No idea.¡±

    *

    I headed back to the gate.

    As expected, Sia¡¯s gatekeepers were civil servants and memorized the city¡¯s streets.

    One of them even guided me there. It was probably due to the invitation.

    ¡­ I recorded it on the map, so I can get here myself next time!

    The lord¡¯s manor was a pretty big house evenpared to the houses in this luxurious area in the northeast part of Sia. It was a three-floored, white European-styled building that felt like it was perfectly maintained even despite the spacious garden that could be seen from the gate.

    Then, giving the invitation to the mansion¡¯s gatekeeper, I was brought into what looked like a reception area.

    ¡­ The gatekeeper didn¡¯t say [This lowly adventurer is¡­!] or anything like that. He was thoroughly polite in his responses and was trained well.

    The sofa was so soft that it made me think about the ones we use at our ce. After sitting next to Meat for a while doing nothing, there was a knock at the door.

    ¡°Ah,e in.¡±

    Reflexively responding to it with a wee, a solidly build gentleman that was wearing clean clothes came in.

    ¡°Did I keep you waiting? I¡¯m Von O¡¯Doll Sia. I take it you know that I¡¯m the lord?¡±

    ¡°I am Kehma. Pleased to meet you, Lord-sama. I wasn¡¯t waiting too long.¡±

    ¡°That so?¡±

    Introducing myself to him and shaking his hand, I sat back down.

    ¡°¡­ Now that, if you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me a bit about it? About that vige, I mean.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, but, well¡­ Concerning the matter of why I¡¯m here¡­¡±

    ¡°I have heard some stories about Golen Vige, but how many iron golems are there to secure?¡±

    ¡°How many, is it¡­ it¡¯s not as though I have a detailed understanding of the matter either. We were able to capture around thirtyst winter, though. But really, concerning the matter of why I¡¯m here¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoh, thirty? That¡¯s a decent amount. That¡¯d be enough to forge two hundredplete sets of armor. Or maybe if we just forged swords, ten thousand of them? Of those thirty, how many did you capture, Kehma-dono?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I did it alone, but six of them¡­¡±

    ¡ªWait, is he probing around for how much I earn? ¡­ Annual ie is important, I guess.

    ¡°Umm. It¡¯s about the reason I¡¯m here, but¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah, one moment please. Ooi, Mai,e on in!¡±

    ¡°Alright, sorry for intruding.¡±

    Saying that, a girl¡ªshe has blue hair!?

    With the hair on the sides of her face in ringlets and wearing white and neat clothes, a just barely ten year old girl walked in.

    ¡­ Yep. It¡¯s one of those.

    ¡°I am Mai O¡¯doll Sia. Are you Kehma-sama, the one who is my fiance?¡±

    A N O T H E R L O L I.

    The heck? Is the suspicion of me being a lolicon so concrete?

    ¡°¡­ Err.¡±

    ¡°Hey now, Mai. That¡¯s not it. He¡¯s not your fiance yet. Right, Kehma-dono?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Uh, yeah¡­¡ªno, I don¡¯t intend to be her fiance at all.¡±

    ¡°Hoh. So quick to jump to spouse-hood? How lively, Kehma-dono. Ha ha ha!¡±

    ¡°How hasty, Kehma-sama¡­ fufu.¡±

    No, I just refused you. Why does it seem like they just took a step forward?

    Mai O¡¯doll hopped up onto the sofa next to Von O¡¯doll with a quick heave-ho.

    Seeing that, Meat raised her hand.

    ¡°¡­ May I?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is something wrong, Kuroinu-dono?¡±

    ¡°This matter, he refuses.¡±

    She said iiiiiiit!! Meat just blew apart their flow in just a few words!!

    Well done Meat, how reliable! I love it when you¡¯re like this!

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t believe I heard you correctly. Could you say that again?¡±

    ¡°He. Refuses.¡±

    She totally just said it even shorter thanst tiiiiiime!! Her reliability makes me look timid¡­ I was supposed to have more courage now, butpared to Meat, my courage is trash. Trash, I say!

    When she said that again, the conversation¡¯s flow got so blown up that they were at a loss!

    ¡°¡­ Kehma-dono? Is that your intention?¡±

    He scowled at me, but it wasn¡¯t too scary. Compared to Haku-san¡¯s bloodlust-filled eyes, his is more like a spring breeze.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t intend to get married¡­¡±

    ¡°Great! Isn¡¯t that nice? How about we simply respect Kehma-dono¡¯s esteemed opinion on the matter?¡±

    ¡°Otou-sama, your view clearly seeped into your words¡­ Kehma-sama, you¡¯re so dreamy!¡±

    H-huh?

    Was refusing them the correct answer from the start?

    ¡°Right! It¡¯d be different if you were born a noble, but Kehma-sama, you came from amoner. This is my first marriage interview, and for the person who offered to have such a childish body as mine¡­ the result should be obvious.¡±

    Mai O¡¯doll kept nodding¡­ is she on my side here?

    ¡°Which is why I decided to make you a fiance candidate and that it would be better for us to move forward with the engagement when I know your disposition better.

    ¡°Ooh, I see. How wise of you, Mai. Kehma-dono, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°Eh? No, I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d definitely like to be friends with you, Kehma-sama. The stories of your adventures¡­ I¡¯d really, really, really love to hear about them!¡±

    Mai O¡¯doll was leaning forward toward me with her whole body¡­ Von O¡¯doll was holding her back.

    ¡°Mai, isn¡¯t it around time for you to study?¡±

    ¡°Oh, excuse me, then. Kehma-sama, see you again.¡±

    Mai O¡¯doll hopped off the sofa and left the room. She bowed toward me and smiled, waving on her way out the door.

    How should I put it¡­ it feels like my opinions have been mostly ignored since the moment I entered the room. Should I just run away?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Now, Kehma-dono. I have something to talk with you about, so hear me out.¡±

    Von O¡¯doll¡¯s face was smiling, but not his eyes. It definitely feels like it¡¯s about something troublesome.

 Chapter 246

    The Sia Family¡¯s Request

    ¡°So in other words, you¡¯re wanting that cute Ojou-san to have a fiance that can be cut off at any time to keep an evil bloodsucker away?¡±

    ¡°Exactly.¡±

    Von O¡¯doll nodded in satisfaction.

    That¡¯s how the story turned out.

    Thanks to the recent discovery of a certain tunnel, Pavuera¡¯s feudal lord grew interested in having his son marry Mai O¡¯doll. However, the rumors about his son weren¡¯t too good. He wanted to refuse the offer, but he needed a reason to do so.

    And so he decided that he would prefer getting her a fiance, allowing him to refuse the engagement.

    So it¡¯s not a fake marriage so much as it is a feigned betrothal.

    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t have been too hard of a thing to refuse if she was already engaged, but now that he¡¯s already started to show interest in her, I needed the man to have some prestige. On that point, Kehma-dono, as the one to discover that tunnel, as the one to first retrieve a magic sword from [Cave of Desires] after its transition phase, and as the one who has governed Golen Vige in its development, you have quite a record.¡±

    Hearing it like that and setting aside what actually happened, it really does sound like I¡¯m excellent.

    Moreover, I¡¯m not a lolicon. In other words, I¡¯m the most suitable marriage candidate.

    ¡°However, there is one matter that troubles me, this thing about you preferring young girls¡­ is it true?¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°But that Kuroinu-dono you bring with you, isn¡¯t her name¡­ Meat?¡±

    ¡°Kuro is a beloved member of my family. There are various matters concerning her name.¡±

    Unexpectedly, I felt something soft beating against my waist. When I took a look, it was Meat¡¯s tail wagging back and forth bumping against me. How cute.

    ¡°Alright. But I intend for my daughter to be clean until her marriage, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, but it sounds to me as though this is advanced with the assumption that I¡¯ve agreed. Is that my imagination?¡±

    ¡°I wonder. With your excellence, you should know how to maneuver this to your advantage, right? I¡¯ve, naturally, prepared a reward for you. How about it? You¡¯re an adventurer, so you could just think of this as amission.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not exactly troubled in my finances, so I would still like to refuse. I have my own circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Right, how about some information on a Godly Treasure? It would be about the Godly Pillow, a divine tool.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nn? W-well, maybe I can hear you out?¡±

    A lord¡¯s power for information gathering is frightening. Did he know it was something I want¡­ Wait,e to think of it, didn¡¯t I tell the Adventurer Guild that I would buy any and all information about the Godly Beddings¡­ maybe he learned about it from them?

    But¡­ it¡¯s information about a new piece of the set. Not another duplicate. I want it.

    It was hard to refuse Von O¡¯doll¡¯s coerciveness after behaving so modestly, but if it¡¯s about that, I¡¯m prepared to let him keep the initiative for a bit longer.

    ¡°What, it¡¯s not too serious. Just let me use your name for around a month.¡±

    ¡°A month?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s all I¡¯ll need to refuse him. So how about it? Just a month.¡±

    With that, Maid-san knocked at the door, came in, and whispered into Von O¡¯doll¡¯s ear.

    He nodded with a sigh.

    ¡°Kehma-dono. We¡¯ve prepared a guest room for you to use, so please, stay the night. Having you return right back to Golen Vige the same day after expressly calling you here myself would disgrace my name as the lord¡­ Ah, I suppose you would arrive in the middle of the night if you left now?¡±

    Oi. This is one of those [You can¡¯t refuse my hospitality, now can you?] moments, isn¡¯t it? I could¡¯ve sworn that I¡¯de at a time that would allow me to leave immediately¡­ was I waiting for him longer than I thought I did?

    What should I do? Wozuma told me to not offend him¡­

    I guess I should just ept it¡­ I want information on the beddings, anyways.

    ¡°I¡¯ll ept your hospitality, then.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great. It¡¯s such a rare event, so please tell my daughter about some of your adventuring storiester. That girl loves to hear about things like that.¡±

    I guess I¡¯m alright with epting this feigned betrothal if it¡¯s only going to be for a month.

    Biting onto the Godly Beddings bait dangling in front of me, that¡¯s what I felt.

    *

    ¡°Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Arriving in the room prepared for me, Meat followed in behind me and whispered to me.

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯re being watched.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Meat secretly pointed to the wall. She did so in a way that wouldn¡¯t allow them to watch from the other side of the wall.

    ¡­ We¡¯re being monitored? Well, it¡¯s almost definitely better for him to have more information on the person that would be his daughter¡¯s fiance, but it doesn¡¯t feel so good for me.

    Let¡¯s y a prank.

    I sat down on the soft sofa that was in the guest room. I sat in such a way that my back was to the wall.

    ¡°Meat,e here.¡±

    ¡°¡­! Coming.¡±

    Guessing my intention, Meat sat in the same position as me.

    She sat down using my front to lean back against, fitting snugly in front of me.

    This was due to her being so used to this after being a hug pillow night after night.

    ¡°Nn¡­ haah, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Good girl, good girl.¡±

    I stroked Meat on the head, mixing in some asional skinship.

    Each time, Meat¡¯s voice woulde out with a [Aah] or [Huuu].

    ¡­ Huh? This is a bit different than I¡¯d imagined. How should I put it¡­ I was wanting to make the one monitoring us feel absurd for looking at someone petting their pet.

    ¡°No no no, it needs to look like a parent and child¡­ Right, you and I are family. So it¡¯s alright!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Parent, child¡­ Otou, san?¡±

    Hoooh! My child is so cute. Let¡¯s pet her some more.

    ¡­ Is doing this what¡¯s caused the suspicions about me being a lolicon to spread so much? Eh, whatever. My child is cute and cuteness is my child. Huh? She didn¡¯t change into a Subus, right?

    ¡°Nn~¡±

    Meat starting rubbing her body against me. She really is like a dog. Good girl.

    We can¡¯t even really talk about anything right now since we¡¯re being watched. Just as I started to think that I¡¯d just continue loving on Meat until someone called for me, I heard a knock at the door.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, it¡¯s Mai O¡¯Doll. Could Ie in?¡±

    ¡°¡ªAh, one moment¡­ alright, you cane in.¡±

    Having Meat sit to my side, I invited Mai O¡¯Doll in.

    Opening the door slowly and gracefully, Mai O¡¯Doll came in together with a maid. She looks serious. Mai O¡¯Doll sat down on the sofa facing mine, but the maid remained standing to the side behind her.

    ¡°Now then, how can I help you, Mai O¡¯Doll-sama. Oh, did you want to hear about my adventures?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like to hear more about you, Kehma-sama¡­ Umm, could you please call me Mai?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could, I¡¯m just an average, humble adventurer, after all.¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll spoke with her hand ced against her chest. Is that it? Is she one of those people that prefers to be called more intimately?

    ¡°You¡¯re my fiance¡ªI mean, you¡¯re a candidate to be my fiance, so we are connected like that. So¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll call you Mai-sama, then.¡±

    ¡°Could you not add on that ¡®-sama¡¯?¡±

    ¡°You add ¡®-sama¡¯ to my name as well, Mai-sama. Now we¡¯re equal.¡±

    Refuse once, thene to apromise. Yep, that much should be alright.

    Now then, time to talk about my adventures¡ªis what I thought, but¡­ now that I think of it, I haven¡¯t really done anything as an adventurer that could be called an adventure.

    I¡¯ve just done toilet cleaning, deliveries, rabbit hunting, and information on the dungeon. I can¡¯t even tell anyone more than half of what I do.

    ¡°To be honest, I haven¡¯t done much adventurer-like adventuring, less that I could talk about. I do know stories I¡¯ve heard from other adventurers though, would you like to hear one of those?¡±

    It appeared that my abridged story about Momotaro pleased Mai. [1]

    Footnotes:

    Momotaro, ¡®Peach Boy¡¯, is a popr hero of Japanese folklore. Information about Momotaro can be found

 Chapter 247

    The Sia Family¡¯s Dining Table

    ¡°And then, Momotaro, having tamed the dog, monkey, and pheasant, overthrew Ogre Vige and took all of the stored treasures and magic stones it had.¡±

    ¡°Hooh¡­ that was the first time I¡¯ve heard about Urashima¡¯s underwater dungeon too, but this one about Momotaro is more exciting.¡±

    Urashima¡¯s was a bad ending with him getting eaten by the treasure mimic in the end after all.

    Momotaro¡¯s feels more like a battle scene. By the way, Meat was listening off to the side as well. I also got a bit into it and wound up starting to gesture as I spoke ever more magnificently.

    After a while, I heard the sound of a bell ringing.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s time for dinner. Kehma-sama, let¡¯s go to the dining room.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already thatte?¡±

    I didn¡¯t feel too hungry since I ate those meat skewers before I came here, but, well, I still feel a little hungry.

    Why don¡¯t I treat my self to this Lord-sama¡¯s meal? I wonder what sort of things there¡¯ll be? I¡¯ll use it as reference for the inn.

    I saw a long table when I entered the dining room. It looks like it could feed everyone all at the same time.

    Von O¡¯Doll was already seated along with three others.

    A young man, a mature woman, and an adolescent boy¡­ his family, I take it.

    ¡°Oh, Kehma-dono, allow me to introduce everyone. Starting from the closest to me, you¡¯ll see my eldest son, Raund, my wife, Waltz, and my second son, Gierb.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Pleased to meet you all. I am Kehma, I serve as Golen Vige¡¯s vige chief.¡±

    I bowed¡­ Yep, gotta keep on the face of a fiance candidate. It¡¯s time for the stress test.

    A butler pulled out chairs for us when we went to sit. Mai O¡¯Doll and Meat sat obediently. I was a bit surprised, but I sat down as well.

    And so the meal began.

    *

    The meal was more shabby than I thought it¡¯d be. The bread was white, but the vegetable soup was just salty. There was also rabbit meat that had been carefully drained of blood. And the sd was, well, a sd.

    The lord¡¯s meal was a lot more simple than I thought it¡¯d be.

    Just, is it that the ingredients were good, or the cooking? Or maybe both? It was a simple, yet powerful taste that made full use of the ingredients.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t as grand a meal as what gets served at your inn, right? Are you disappointed?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s a good meal that had much care go into its preparation. The vor of the ingredients is good.¡±

    ¡°As far as I¡¯m concerned, that¡¯s the bestpliment you could give it. Today¡¯s ingredients were practically all produced in Sia, after all.¡±

    When I responded honestly, Von O¡¯Doll¡¯s smile deepened.

    At that point, the eldest son, Raund, spoke to me.

    ¡°Kehma-dono, you don¡¯t look that muscr for an adventurer. Are you a mage?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, more of a rear guard. I can use a sword well enough in case anything slips by.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is that so¡­ I¡¯d heard that you were rather brave, so I was wanting to have a bout with you.¡±

    ¡°You had probably heard something about Kuro here, not me. She may look like this, but she¡¯s the strongest of party¡¯s front line.¡±

    ¡°¡­ She really doesn¡¯t look like it. If so, that¡¯s amazing.¡±

    Raund seemed to have an interest in one on onebat. I don¡¯t know how much daily DP he¡¯d be worth, but he¡¯s probably trained himself a lot. He definitely does look to be confident in himself on that.

    Once Raund¡¯s interest turned to Meat, the second son, Gierb, talked to me.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma-san. How do you hunt Iron Golems? Swords can¡¯t cut through them since they¡¯re made of iron, right?¡±

    ¡°You can aim at their exposed magic stones or attack them with magic¡­ You can even just bash them with a hammer. Well, one of my C-Rank acquaintances uses a hammer.¡±

    ¡°Magic, huh¡­ Kehma-san, what kind of magic can you use?¡±

    ¡°I can use a few kinds of magic to help from the rear. Any more than that is my secret as an adventurer. Exposing my hand recklessly would bring me closer to death, so forgive me on that.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, now I want to know¡­¡±

    I take it that the second son is interested in magic? Feels like he has a chuuni atmosphere. No, magic ismonce in this world, so I guess it¡¯s not really like that? Probably closer to how programmers are considered in Japan, then? In the brain power meaning, that is.

    When I said that it would bring me closer to death, it made it so that Gierb wouldn¡¯t be able to ask me about it any further. Next was the lord¡¯s wife¡¯s, Waltz¡¯s, turn.

    ¡°Kehma-san, I hear that you are skilled in trade and vige management? I would like to hear about how you¡¯ve been developing that vige.¡±

    ¡°No, not at all, I am aplete amateur. There are talented merchants gathered in the vige, so I left all of the business to them. It¡¯s the same with the vige¡¯s development, Iron Golems just happened to start appearing in the dungeon. None of that was due to me.¡±

    ¡°How modest of you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Finished in dealing with the lord¡¯s wife, next was Mai O¡¯Doll.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, you found lots of rare things in the dungeon, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I was lucky.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the most unusual thing you¡¯ve found?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ right, the most unusual thing I¡¯ve found recently came from a treasure chest. They¡¯re Golems¡­ I think?¡±

    ¡°From a treasure chest? Are they like a mimic?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re more like submonsters. If you give them magical power, they follows you around like a pet. They¡¯re even pretty smart. I have them working at the inn nowadays.¡±

    ¡°Working Golems!? That¡¯s amazing!¡±

    Our conversation continued like that for a while until we finally finished eating¡­ I wanted to hurry up and return to my room with Meat.

    Then, when we were drinking tea after the dinner.

    ¡°Oh right, I heard that Kehma-san received words ofpliment from the White Goddess?¡±

    Waltz spoke to me. Huh? Oh Miss Wife, could you run that by me again?

    ¡°The White Goddess?¡±

    ¡°Ahem! Right, I¡¯m told that Kehma-dono¡¯s inn has an onsen? The White Goddess seems to like it a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she does. It sounds like Kehma-dono has a wonderful inn.¡±

    Von O¡¯Doll very artificially cleared his throat. Yeah, so that¡¯s it? He wants to make a connection with Haku-san?

    Now that I re-think it all, he was being very coercive against a mere vige chief. I¡¯d chalked it up to what a noble would do when facing amoner, but¡­ if that¡¯s the reason, I get it now.

    ¡­ He offered information on the Godly Pillow not for the betrothal, but for gaining a connection to Haku-san?

    ¡°More importantly, Kehma-dono, you talked to Mai, right? She¡¯s a good child, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s more than someone like me would deserve. Don¡¯t you think that the engagement between her and someone like me would damage your reputation?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Being engaged with Kehma-sama wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing at all. We want to know about Kehma-sama, too. Right, Otou-sama?¡±

    ¡°Right. It¡¯s a good thing, even.¡±

    Eh, is it better for this world¡¯s nobles to have more engagements then? Or maybe it helps build up their resistance? Or maybe there¡¯s like an engagement point card? Like ¡®get 1 point when you break up¡¯?

    ¡°So Kehma-dono, you don¡¯t dislike Mai right? In that case, how about staying two or three more days to get to know each other some more?¡±

    ¡°I have work to do, so I need to return tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°In that case, could Mai go to Golen Vige with you?¡±

    Don¡¯t kid around. Wouldn¡¯t I have toe back, then?

    I caved, reluctantly.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, I¡¯ll stay for one day¡­ but I¡¯ll have to issue some orders for work, they¡¯ll need be delivered quickly.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll send a messenger, you can even give us a letter to send.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get to writing it now, then. Excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡±

    I took Meat, who was starting to doze off, and left my seat.

    ¡­ Now then, what should I write?

 Chapter 248

    An Outing With Mai O¡¯Doll

    I addressed the letter to Rokuko and wrote that I would be a little slow in returning, as well as that I might not be able to refuse them if things went bad, but also that I would try my best.

    ¡­ The messenger guy was also told to say that I may, juuuust may be two or three dayste.

    I told him to get a response as well, so¡­ yeah. Time to sleep.

    I decided that I would sleep with Meat as my hug pillow.

    ¡­ The guest room¡¯s bedding amodation was a futon. One of the ones from our dungeon. For it to even be incorporated into the lord¡¯s residence¡­

    *

    The following day arrived. A letter from Rokuko arrived, let¡¯s see, what¡¯s it say?

    [O ko.] [1]

    Just two letters. It¡¯s in Japanese. Rokuko¡¯s getting a handle of her [Japanese] skill quick.

    But still, the heck¡¯s [o ko] supposed to mean? [Oko (Mad)]? ¡­ I get the feeling she said that she wouldn¡¯t be angry even if I took another wife, but is it [Oko (Mad)] after all?

    No, wait, let me think about this. There¡¯s a chance that this [o ko] could be a shortened [o ko k], something that¡¯d read as [OK OK], meaning [Understood, go for it]¡­

    ¡°She seemed to be pouting a lot for some reason.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah¡­¡±

    Even Rokuko¡¯s a girl. The kanji for ¡®a woman¡¯s heart¡¯ (Å®ÐÄ) is inside the kanji for ¡®angry¡¯ (Å­), and thinking about the fact that there¡¯s the character for ¡®again/still¡¯ (ÓÖ) in it also, she could be angry that I¡¯m making a move on another woman.

    And she didn¡¯t say that she wouldn¡¯t be angry, just that she would pout¡­

    ¡°So what should I do today? Maybe I could sleep through it all. Let¡¯s go back to sleep.¡±

    With that, there was a knock at my door.

    Yeah, I know. It¡¯s breakfast time.

    Arriving at the table after being lead there by Maid-san, only Mai O¡¯Doll and Von O¡¯Doll were there. There was freshly baked bread, fried eggs, boar bacon, and sd for breakfast. It¡¯s simple, but it really did feel like breakfast. The sd¡¯s tomatoes were delicious.

    ¡°Now then, what do you n on doing today, Mai?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about visiting the orphanage with Kehma.¡±

    ¡°I see, it might be a good thing for Kehma-dono to personally understand the work that us nobles do. As for your escort¡­ hmm, seeing as Kehma-dono will be going with you, perhaps you don¡¯t need one?¡±

    Looks like I just got nominated to do something troublesome. At the very least, I¡¯d like to refrain from doing work for free. Even if I can¡¯t get any money from it, I can¡¯t let him make this a [Free of charge] thing. Therefore, I¡¯ll blow the price up to get out of it.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯ll only be for half a day, but I will undertake it if it¡¯s a one day long escortmission for my party.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll even do it at the market price. I¡¯ll do it as a designatedmission.¡±

    He went for it even though I said to pay me a day¡¯s wages for half a day¡¯s work. Maybe I should¡¯ve asked for more¡­ no, he¡¯s a noble and a lord, so he should have the money¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry up and go, Kehma-sama!¡±

    Like that, Meat and I headed for the orphanage, dragged along by Mai O¡¯Doll.

    *

    The orphanage was an annex on a church. From the looks of it, we¡¯d be visiting the church first, followed by the orphanage afterwards.

    Seeing as how the priest greeted us personally, it also looks like he¡¯d been told in advance that Mai O¡¯Doll would being.

    Come to think of it, what religion is this church? It¡¯s not following that dungeon busting Light God¡¯s Decree, right?

    Just as I started to think about that, Mai O¡¯Doll exined it to me.

    ¡°This church worships the Raverio Empire¡¯s founding adventurer¡¯s god, the White Goddess. Come, let¡¯s pray.¡±

    It¡¯s obviously Haku-san. Yaaaay, give me your blessings~ (Not).

    ¡°So this White Goddess, she even has her own churches¡­ is it alright for a real existing person to be a god?¡±

    ¡°? Gods are all existing people though? Are there any gods that don¡¯t exist?¡±

    Aaah, right. In this world, gods are things that bring about miracles and divine blessings.

    So then it¡¯s not a problem at all even if a living person became a god. So long as they could bring about the miracle stuff.

    Well, there were even great people worshiped as gods and religion-founders treated like deities back on Earth, so I guess it¡¯s like that.

    Listening to our conversation, the priest chimed in.

    ¡°¡­ Could it be that you are not a follower of the White Goddess Faith?¡±

    ¡°I follow the Futon Religion. Our teachings follow the White Goddess Faith quite well, we worship the god that defends the night¡¯s tranquility.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of that religion, but¡­ the night¡¯s tranquility? Does that mean it¡¯s a religious faction of the Dark God? If so, it truly must have an amiable rtion with the White Goddess Faith.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well, it¡¯s something like that.¡±

    Let¡¯s go with what the priest says, he sounds informed.

    I don¡¯t really know how they go about praying, so I used Mai O¡¯Doll as a reference and went to my knees with my hands in front of my chest. Please let me unshackle myself from these troublesome things and head back home as soon as possible. Amen.

    ¡­ She wouldn¡¯t give blessings at all. Ever. Of that, I am sure.

    With our prayersplete, we headed for the orphanage.

    When we entered the premises, I heard the noisy sounds of many children. Lot¡¯s of high-pitched ¡®yaaay¡¯s and ¡®wooo¡¯s. They should follow our Meat as an example¡­ ah, Meat might be a bit too hard for them.

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s Mai Ojou-sama!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s really her, Mai Ojou-sama! Ojou-sama~!¡±

    A lot of kids around the same height as Meat and Mai O¡¯Doll or perhaps a bit smaller came over with smiles all over their faces.

    Beastkin, humans, elves, and even some that I think are dwarves¡­ there¡¯s a lot of races.

    It¡¯s a bit weird to say, but they look unexpectedly tidy. There¡¯s magic like [Cleanup] in this world, so maybe it¡¯s because of that?

    ¡°Who¡¯s that Nii-chan¡­?¡±

    ¡°Ah, he is¡ª¡±

    ¡°I am Mai-sama¡¯s escort, an adventurer. Same with this small girl here.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a guard? But she¡¯s so tiny! How could she guard anything?¡±

    Idiot. Meat¡¯s even stronger than me. I didn¡¯t say anything about it since her appearance manages to make her opponents drop their guard though.

    ¡°Even so, she¡¯s a D-Rank adventurer. Well, it¡¯s not like the public order here¡¯s bad, so I¡¯m enough to guard her.¡±

    ¡°Oooh~¡±

    ¡°And since we¡¯re escorts, we have to stay by her side.¡±

    ¡°Kaay~¡±

    Still though, I¡¯m not good at handling children, are they making fun of me¡­.? No, it¡¯s not like their intelligence is¡­ uuh.

    Well, let¡¯s set that aside. Mai O¡¯Doll seems to be popr among the children. Even though she¡¯s a noble, she remembers all of their names. I wonder if shees here a lot?

    ¡°Kehma-sama, are you going to y too?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. I¡¯ll be taking it easy in the shade over there.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, Mai Ojoooou-sama! C¡¯mon, let¡¯s y mino!¡±

    ¡°Coming! Ah, I¡¯m off then, Kehma-sama.¡±

    Turning around in excitement, she ran off. It looks like they¡¯re ying something simr to tag. From the looks of it, you lose if they touch your back with a stick. I¡¯m guessing mino stands for minotaur, so it¡¯s like losing from being killed by its weapon¡­? Yep, definitely too troublesome for me.

    ncing next to me, it looked like Meat¡­ didn¡¯t go to y with them.

    Meat really is different from normal children¡­

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to join in?¡±

    ¡°¡­ If I did, that much would end instantly. Not fun.¡±

    I see, so their level is just too different?

    However, a child that heard Meat¡¯s mutter challenged her.

    ¡°We¡¯ll also be adventurers in the future!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose so easily! I can even keep an adult busy for five minutes!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Suddenly standing up, Meat grabbed the boy¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Wh-what are¡­ uwaaah!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, done.¡±

    Meat threw the child against the ground softly and pped his back.

    ¡°S-surprise attacks are dirty¡­¡±

    ¡°But would a real minotaur care?¡±

    Meat caused the boy to grow silent¡­ He probably hasn¡¯t even seen a real minotaur before. I wonder if he understands the difference between them now?

    However, it turned into a disaster for Meat after that. Meat, having shown off a portion of the her skill, was surrounded by a great number of children.

    ¡°Wooah!¡±

    ¡°So cool!¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d you do that? Teach me!¡±

    ¡­ Yeah, don¡¯t try and look at me with those eyes. Figure it out yourself.

    Being able to interact with other kids her age will be a good experience for her.

    Footnotes:

    This part doesn¡¯t work if I trante it, so I¡¯ll do my best at exining it alongside Kehma¡¯s exnation to follow. As ever, I¡¯m open to rmendations.

 Chapter 249

    An Outing With Mai O¡¯Doll 2

    Liberated in exchange for Meat, Mai O¡¯Doll walked over.

    Spreading out her handkerchief next to me, who was resting in the shade, she sat down.

    ¡°Phew¡­ really, those children don¡¯t hold back.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s what children do.¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll¡¯s voice was lively as she said that. I wonder if it¡¯s because she enjoys ying with children the same age as her?

    ¡°Most of the children here are the children of adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Heeh¡­¡±

    Meaning that is the reason they are orphans, probably.

    Maybe there are children of adventurers that died at our dungeon, too¡­ now I feel a bit weird.

    Having taken a short rest and caught her breath, Mai O¡¯Doll turned toward me.

    ¡°¡­ Um, this is the orphanage I¡¯m supporting. Kehma-sama, what do you think of it? Do you think it¡¯s just a publicity stunt?¡±

    ¡°Are you doing it with the intention for publicity?¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯d never do it for something like that. Just, there¡¯s people who say I do.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it alright then?¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll looked to be somewhat relieved when I said that.

    ¡°At first I did it for the orphanage itself, but then, when I saw the children ask for more food with those smiles, I¡­¡±

    ¡°Kids not starving is a good thing.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Excuse me, Kehma-sama. I want to continue supporting this ce even when I am married.¡±

    ¡°Alright? What¡¯s the problem?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯s a matter of money. I¡¯m able to support it now thanks to my father¡¯s help, but I would have to ask my husband when I¡¯m married. I mean, Keh¡ª¡±

    ¡°I get it. Relying on others for money is unstable. So why not earn it yourself? Rather, why not have the orphanage earn you money?¡±

    Don¡¯t say Husband = Me, yeah?

    Good, let¡¯s use this chance to nonchntly show off how little money I have. I have to do it casually so that she won¡¯t dislike me so that I can still get information about the Godly Pillow from Von O¡¯Doll.

    ¡°Have the orphanage earn me money?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, then if you can¡¯t get any support, wouldn¡¯t you still be earning money on your own from the orphanage?¡±

    ¡°But when you mean earn money from the orphanage¡­ do you mean¡­ sell the orphans?¡±

    How the heck did you get that idea? Well, I think I might know why, but still.

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you have to go and make them ves or anything. You just have to teach them a trade. With that, you won¡¯t even have to pay them¡­ Have them set up a stall and sell small baubles they make. They could even cultivate some fields. So long as it makes them able to live on their own, anything would work.¡±

    ¡°Live on their own?¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if the orphans wouldn¡¯t starve even if you left them alone? It¡¯s not like they¡¯ll die even if it fails, they used to not have your support at all, yeah? Thinking about what they had to do for that to work is a bit troubling though¡­ Right, there¡¯s a merchant in my vige that¡¯d definitely say something good like [Teach them all how to run a business!].¡±

    Kukuku, she should be disillusioned by my [Whaaat, orphans? Leave ¡¯em be]-esque attitude now.

    ¡°I see! So I should hire a merchant to teach them!¡±

    ¡°Eeh? Well, that works too.¡±

    Eh? What just happened?

    ¡­ If it¡¯s like that, I¡¯ll push with my greedy side!

    ¡°You can lend the initial funds and collect when there¡¯s a profit. If it goes well, you can add interest. If that happens, it¡¯ll be great. If it doesn¡¯t¡­. well, think about that if it happens.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, mmm. I can think of it as normal support if it fails. I can do also something on my side about the necessary trade permission, interesting.¡±

    Getting the permission won¡¯t be much of a deal with the lord¡¯s daughter backing them. Being able to trade how you wanted so long as you used orphans, honestly, wouldn¡¯t merchants actually want to pay for the opportunity?

    Eh? It¡¯d be harder to fail that way? Hahaha, how stupid. Making money through trading isn¡¯t that easy, the reason my merchant paid the money back was because he¡¯s excellent.

    But in the small chance they seed, I don¡¯t want to be restrained. [1]

    ¡°Mmm, the children just want to enjoy themselves, and if you¡¯re wanting to show that you¡¯re supporting them for the sake of supporting them, it might be better to just continue handing them money as-is.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Mai-sama, you should do what you want. It¡¯s none of my business.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right.¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll started to brood over something.

    ¡­ Did I seed? Or fail?

    What a hassle. Thinking about it won¡¯t help, so maybe I should go and help Meat out?

    ¡ªHey, brat! That¡¯s my hug pillow, don¡¯t get your snot all over it!

    *

    Having left the orphanage, we were walking down an uptown street.

    We weren¡¯t really travelling incognito, so we didn¡¯t hide. I just need to look impressive.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, could we visit that shop?¡±

    ¡°Hm? ¡­ A grocer?¡±

    Now that I take a look at it, isn¡¯t that the shop I bought an apple from a long time ago? It was sour.

    ¡°You want to buy something? An apple?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Shopkeep-san, do you have a moment?¡±

    ¡°Heya, welco¡ªM-Mai O¡¯Doll-sama! Wee to my shop!¡±

    As soon as he saw that it was Mai O¡¯Doll, the shopkeeper fixed his posture and started speaking more politely. Seeing as her face is well known, maybe she takes strolls like these a lot?

    ¡°Could I have some of that fruit over there? Is this enough to buy it?¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your patronage!¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll handed a silver coin over to the shopkeeper.

    The shopkeeper moved away from the shop¡¯s front into where he kept his inventory.

    ¡°Here it is! Here you go!¡±

    With that, the shopkeeper walked out with a barrel of bananas¡­ there¡¯s a lot of them, so I guess she intends to distribute them? Wouldn¡¯t it have been better to buy those before we went to the orphanage?

    Rather, she doesn¡¯t have any attendants here, so is she intending on having me carry them? When I casually looked to my left, Meat¡¯s tail was wagging back and forth as if to say leave it to me.

    However, Mai immediately stowed the barrel into an empty space she created with [Storage].

    And then looked at me with pride and spoke.

    ¡°Fufufu, I can use [Storage]. I¡¯ll have some at home, but this it more than I can eat so I¡¯ll pass them out next time I go to the orphanage.¡±

    ¡°Hooh, amazing. [Storage] stops the passage of time too, so it¡¯s great for storing perishables. It¡¯s convenient for carrying them around, too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t seem too surprised and you know so much about it. Have you seen [Storage] before?¡±

    It¡¯s because I use it so often. I didn¡¯t say it though. It seems like a pretty expensive skill.

    Uhh, let¡¯s use the established setting to deceive her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen White Goddess-sama use it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ As expected of Kehma-sama.¡±

    Shouldn¡¯t that be as expected of White Goddess-sama?

    When I looked at Meat, her once vigorously wagging tail at the thought of carrying the barrel was now moving limply back and forth.

    Did you want to carry the bananas that badly? Okay, I¡¯ll buy a bunch for you too since you¡¯re so lively.

    Footnotes:

    I have absolutely no idea why Keima says this here, sorry¡­

 Chapter 250

    The Outing¡¯s Conclusion

    Previously: We bought bananas from a grocer.

    Honestly, a few people have been following us for a while now.

    Are they Mai O¡¯Doll¡¯s acquaintances¡­? There¡¯re two or three adult males who look a bit shady, like they feel like they¡¯re about to rob someone.

    Hmm.

    Maybe they¡¯re guards the lord sent out to guard her from behind the scenes.

    As evidence of that, they haven¡¯t made a move on us. A genuine thief would¡¯ve already had a decent number of chances to cause a stir and swoop off with her.

    But sure, this works.

    Mai O¡¯Doll still looked like she wanted to go somewhere, but it¡¯s about time for us to head back to the mansion.

    ¡°Mai-sama, let¡¯s head back.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh I wanted the date tost a bit longer¡­ can¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°No. You¡¯re being escorted¡­ Please, look that way secretly. See the men that look like a thieves?¡±

    ¡°Eh!? ¡­. I-is there? Aren¡¯t they from the Pavuera family?¡±

    Oh, was that it? Nobles spying on each other?

    ¡­ Von O¡¯Doll making me into her guard was probably also to show off and get information. Let¡¯s hurry up and head back by devoting myself to my job as her guard. If I keep doing my work here indifferently, even they shouldn¡¯t misunderstand.

    ¡°Which is why we¡¯ll be ending our stroll here. Alright?¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­ but Kehma-sama, if you just dealt with them¡­¡±

    ¡°My job here as your guard is to not expose you to dangerous matters¡­ Do you want to be carried like a princess all the way back so that we could hurry?¡±

    ¡°Eh!? ¡­ L-like a princess? U-umm, do you mean¡­ that ¡®like a princess¡¯?¡±

    I don¡¯t know what she meant by ¡®that¡®, but it looks like she understood what the carry is.

    Mai O¡¯Doll thought about something for a while, twisting and curling the ringlets in her blue hair. She then turns back to me and spoke with determination.

    ¡°Then, u-umm¡­ please!¡±

    ¡°Sure, let¡¯s head off then¡­ Kuro, carry the Ojou-sama.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    It¡¯s not like I ever said I would do it.

    Mai O¡¯Doll¡¯s face filled with confused puzzlement, Meat suddenly picked her up and started carrying her.

    Now for the assist functionality of the clothes golem to shine.

    *

    Upon reaching the mansion, Meat let Mai O¡¯Doll down.

    We made those thief-looking people eat our dust. The victory goes to the clothes golem¡¯s boost¡­ My hips hurt.

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re fast. I wasn¡¯t shook around at all. You¡¯re much stronger than you look.¡±

    ¡°Ehen.¡±

    Meat was as expressionless as ever, but she still puffed her chest out in pride. Right, maybe she just expresses herself with her body instead of her face?

    ¡°¡­ But I wanted you to do it for me, Kehma-sama. The princess carry.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, I¡¯m weak. I leave the physicalbor to Kuro.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-sama, please give me a princess carry next time.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s another opportunity, I will.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be growing up fast from here on, though. It¡¯s an easy chance for you to do it now!¡±

    ¡°What, I said I¡¯m weak, but I can at least carry a woman. It¡¯s alright even if I don¡¯t do it now.¡±

    ¡°Uhuhuhu.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll hid her mouth with her hand as sheughed. Even though she¡¯s so small, this loli is an aristocrat.

    ¡°Well then, how about we go report to Von O¡¯Doll-sama?¡±

    ¡°You can princess carry me to Otou-sama¡¯s room¡­¡±

    ¡°Outside of emergencies, I refrain from touchingdies in peaceful moments.¡±

    ¡°Muu, even though I wouldn¡¯t mind¡­¡±

    Mind it! Rather, I just want to go back home.

    I went to Von O¡¯Doll¡¯s office, Meat and Mai O¡¯Doll in tow.

    Knocking on the door, I went in after getting permission. Von O¡¯Doll was working on paperwork at his desk. cing his fountain pen back in its holder, he smiled at us.

    ¡°Wee back. That went fairly quickly, I thought you would have yed for a bit longer?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we had finish early due to a few suspicious fellows. Also, is it alright if Iplete the guard escortmission with this?¡±

    ¡°Sure. What sort of fellows were they?¡±

    I briefly exined the characteristics of the men I saw. Von O¡¯Doll nodded, his expression unchanging for the most part. I guess it was the Von O¡¯Doll sent them as guards route after all? It was a great excuse.

    ¡°¡­ So, what about you? Have you decided to be Mai¡¯s fiance?¡±

    He said it like me bing her fiance was a done deal.

    But I refuse.

    ¡°On that, I shall refuse.¡±

    Right next to me, Mai O¡¯Doll seemed to dete when I said that.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ might I ask for your reason? You two only met yesterday, but I assume you would have learned at least a little about her in that time?¡±

    ¡°First off, nothing¡¯s changed in the past half day. Secondly, honestly, I prefer my women bigger.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ that so?¡±

    Ah, he hasn¡¯t given up. He looks like he¡¯s thinking about what hand to y next right now.

    But you¡¯ve activated my trap card! I¡¯ll stop that train of thought in its tracks!

    ¡°Could I say something, Von O¡¯Doll-sama? On this matter, I do have an idea.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What?¡±

    ¡°Before that¡ª¡±

    I took a nce at Mai O¡¯Doll. Von O¡¯Doll seemed to have guessed my intention.

    ¡°Mai, please head back to your room.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A. Kehma-sama, I, I won¡¯t give up!¡±

    Listening to Von O¡¯Doll, Mai O¡¯Doll exited the room after a little hesitation.

    ¡°Mai seems to like you quite a bit. Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t intend to do anything that would cause it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll have Mai tell me about itter. So, what was your suggestion?¡±

    I smiled from ear to ear.

    Eat it¡ªmy revenge!

    ¡°It¡¯s just a proposal¡­ but to be frank, she doesn¡¯t exactly need to be engaged to a man, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­!? W-what do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Exactly what I said. I rmend that Kuro here be used for Mai-sama¡¯s feigned engagement.¡±

    Very straightforwardly, I presented Meat to him.

    ¡°I have several reasons¡­ but mainly, she¡¯s my party member, so she has the same achievements as me as an adventurer. Moreover, I can guarantee that she has a proven track record in the administration of Golen Vige. All of my achievements are thanks to Kuro.¡±

    And I guarantee that all of my achievements are actually entirely because of Meat! I will continue to insist this, I will not ept any objections!

    Meat looked my way. She was surprised. Von O¡¯Doll was surprised, too.

    ¡°So, is there any other prestige she¡¯d need?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, let¡¯s say that her being a woman is alright. She¡¯s even close to Mai in age¡­ But isn¡¯t she a ve? She has a cor on.¡±

    ¡°Kuro just likes wearing it. I am more or less supposed to be her master, but Kuro only wears that because she has a master fetish and can¡¯t settle down without wearing it. Von O¡¯Doll-sama, you had a son, correct? In other words, even if I married Mai-sama, it isn¡¯t like I would be the lord¡­ it¡¯s not like it matters either way, though. At any rate, it¡¯s just a feigned engagement, so it isn¡¯t as though the marriage would actually happen.¡±

    I prattled on and on with a sound argument, causing Von O¡¯Doll to flinch somewhat.

    ¡°Y-yeah¡­? Could I consider it?¡±

    ¡°Then for your consideration, I shall add this.¡±

    Time for the final blow. I took out Meat¡¯s Adventurer Guild Card and showed it to him.

    It was what we got from Haku-san¡­ Ventulier, was it? I¡¯m sure it had a noble rank like that. In other words, her B-Rank Guild Card was also proof of her nobility.

 Chapter 251

    Fiance (Fake)

    ¡°This is¡­¡±

    ¡°Kuro¡¯s Guild Card. By the way, as I¡¯m D-Rank, she¡¯s even better than me.¡±

    I also showed him my D-Rank card.

    ¡°Mm? Kehma-dono, you aren¡¯t B-Rank?¡±

    ¡°As you can see, I am D-Rank.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ is that real? You shouldn¡¯t counterfeit those, Guild Card forgery is a serious felony you know?¡±

    Von O¡¯Doll said that as he looked at my Guild Card¡­ eh?

    What¡¯s with his reaction?

    Wouldn¡¯t it be better for him to choose Meat as the fiance rather than me, a plebeianmoner? I showed him the card thinking he¡¯d follow that route, but his reaction is like he knows that I also have a B-Rank card.

    ¡­ Should I try feeling about?

    ¡°¡­ Why do you think I¡¯m B-Rank?¡±

    ¡°Your name is in the Raverio Empire¡¯s aristocracy listing as a noble near Sia.¡±

    What¡­ the heck.

    Seriously? There¡¯s an aristocracy listing? No, there¡¯d obviously be one, but I never thought that my rank could be found out by it.

    ¡­ So him trying to force Mai O¡¯Doll on me was exactly because he knew that I¡¯m (kind of) a noble.

    Rather, Haku-san, how far do your ws reach¡­ no, maybe it wasn¡¯t her? Was my name ced on the listing because I was registered as a B-Rank? That means it was an out the moment I got the B-Rank Guild Card.

    ¡°¡­ Which means you knew that Kuro is a noble?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. Her name is rather eye-catching.¡±

    Yeah, seeing [Sex ve (Meat)] in a high ranking list like that would be a bit surprising. As an aside, a man named that would hold the meaning of [Meat Shield (Meat)] from what I hear. [1]

    ¡°By the way, does that list include gender?¡±

    ¡°It does. It does, but¡­ names are names. It might work if we went with saying that the listed gender is a mistake? Not even I thought that it would truly be a woman.¡±

    Right? ¡­ I wonder if I should change names since it¡¯s on there?

    ¡°By the way, the list gets renewed every five years. It only came out just recently.¡±

    ¡°Could you show me it?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    A veryrge, thick, leather-covered and imposing book was brought out.

    We¡¯re listed among the newly added nobles? Nobles that have newly established houses¡­ oh, Rokuko¡¯s there too. Her family name¡¯s Labriheart.

    ¡°There has never been an adventurer with the name of Meat bing a noble before this. Virtually all of those named Meat are rankless ves, and even those that register as adventurers would change their names. And even if they didn¡¯t, any sensible record keeper would stop them when they became a noble¡­ there wasn¡¯t an inquiry?¡±

    Haku-san isn¡¯t sensible¡­ no, I guess it¡¯s more that she¡¯s merciless.

    As for me, I¡¯m Kehma Golen.

    It¡¯s a very Golen Vige¡¯s Vige Chief-like name. That¡¯ll give me away. did I not give Haku-san my family name?

    But it not being my real name¡ªMasuda¨Cis convenient. I can insist that Golen that isn¡¯t me.

    ¡°Ah, so that¡¯s it. I was surprised when you suddenly said I was B-Rank, but that¡¯s not me. As you can see, I am a D-Rank adventurer, just Kehma.¡±

    When I said that, Von O¡¯Doll looked at me dubiously.

    However, I never said that I was a noble.

    ¡°¡­ Did you just go crazy? Didn¡¯t you just admit to it a moment ago?¡±

    ¡°Huh? I was just checking out why you thought I was B-Rank. It¡¯s true that there¡¯s a noble family whose name matches that of my vige, so I can¡¯t me you for connecting them to me.¡±

    ¡°That so¡­ so Kehma-dono, you insist that you are a D-Rank adventurer?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is as is written on the Guild Card. This card is a real one, I don¡¯t have the courage in me to do something like forgery.¡±

    You could even use a lie detection magic tool, my Guild Card is the real thing.

    With that, Von O¡¯Doll burst outughing, unable to hold back.

    ¡°Kukuku, right. Sticking with it¡­ You can hold your own evenpared to nobles, Kehma-dono.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for thepliment.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with your proposal and have Kuroinu-dono be the fiance.¡±

    Oh? He said that he¡¯d [Think] about it a moment ago, but he¡¯s already decided?

    Well, Meat¡¯s definitely the better pick assuming I¡¯m not a noble. She¡¯s young, fit, and has an obedient personality. Other than her gender and ve status, there¡¯s no shorings about her.

    ¡°Now then, my reward, please?¡±

    ¡°Mm, information about the [Godly Pillow] was it? Sure¡­ The [Godly Pillow], a part of the [Godly Beddings], is an extremely important sacred object for our Raverio Empire. Everything I say after this will be between you and me.¡±

    It¡¯s amusing that beddings and sacred object ovep in meaning there¡­ ah, but he probably wouldn¡¯t know that huh? [2]

    ¡°Listen carefully as I¡¯ll only say this once. The [Godly Pillow] exists and is something that each lord of the Sia family protects from generation to generation.¡±

    ¡­

    Eh, so you mean it¡¯s like that.

    The [Godly Pillow] belongs to the Sia family?

    ¡°By the way, its management is not administered by the the feudal lord themselves. Neither the sessor nor the sessor candidate can touch the [Godly Pillow]. This includes their partners¡­ do you understand?

    The one managing it isn¡¯t the feudal lord, Von O¡¯Doll.

    Same with his eldest son, the sessor, and his second son, the spare.

    Same goes with his spouse, which means¡­

    ¡°¡­ Mai-sama¡­ is the manager of the [Godly Pillow]¡­?¡±

    ¡°Mai¡¯s fiance would fit the management criteria as well.¡±

    ¡­ I see. So it¡¯s basically him saying you need to be the formal fiance if you want to use the [Godly Pillow].

    ¡°In the name of the Sia family and White Goddess-sama, founder of the Raverio Empire, I swear that everything I said is true.¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    His oath was a guarantee of the Raverio Empire¡¯s upper ss nobility.

    It¡¯s meaning was that [If this is a lie, I wouldn¡¯tin even if Haku-san destroyed the Sia family and its conspirators]. Come to think of it, Haku-san did tell me [They all swear on me] as small talk at some point. Also, it appears that this oath has never been broken by anyone before.

    ¡°I could put my oath into writing if you want? I couldn¡¯t write about the contents of our chat though.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I understand.¡±

    I had him write it down just in case.

    *

    By Meat bing her fiance, it was decided that we would stay one more day.

    Meat will once again be introduced to her family, this time as the fiance.

    I wrote another letter and had it sent to Golen Vige.

    Its contents were simply: [I passed bing the fiance over to Meat].

    I returned to the same room asst night. I have some free time until dinner, so I decided to get some rest.

    Just then, Meat tugged at my clothes, holding my shirt tightly.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama?¡±

    ¡°Nn? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Meat was trembling¡­ what happened?

    ¡°¡­ Oi, what¡¯s wrong? Are you alright? Does your stomach hurt?¡±

    ¡°A-are you, getting rid, of me?¡±

    Meat asked me in a strangled voice.

    ¡­ Oh, so that¡¯s how it sounded to her? That¡¯s my bad.

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I would part with my important hug pillow. We¡¯ll just be lending your name for a while.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then I can keep¡­ being Goshujin-sama¡¯s ve, forever¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be my hug pillow ve for as long as I live.¡±

    She stopped trembling when I said that.

    I know that it¡¯s me saying it, but isn¡¯t it a bad thing for me to treat her as a pillow ve her entire life?

    Well, for now I decided to just take Meat as my hug pillow and have a nap.

    ¡°Kehma-sama! What happened!?¡±

    ¡­ You could at least knock, Mai O¡¯Doll.

    Footnotes:

    I feel like Keima mentioned this a long time ago. Return

    Sacred Object = shingu = beddings Return

 Chapter 252

    Persuasion

    Mai O¡¯Doll entered the room just as I started to sleep with Meat as my hug pillow.

    This setup¡¯s like a man just got caught cheating on his wife, huh. It¡¯s a bit awkward.

    I decided to just sit up and hear her out.

    ¡°Kehma-sama! What happened!?¡±

    ¡°What happened about what?¡±

    ¡°About bing my fiance! Why isn¡¯t it going to be you!?¡±

    Oh, so it¡¯s about that. I thought that she was going to ask about me sleeping with Meat.

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m sure that I declined from the outset though? Also, if I had to say, Kuro is a much better choice than me.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-sama, you¡¯re better! If it¡¯s not you, I don¡¯t want to!¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll said that as she shook both her head and body. Her blue ringlets swung about.

    What vigor. Guess she doesn¡¯t want to have a girl as her fiance, moreover a ve girl¡­ there¡¯s also the possibility that she wasn¡¯t told about it being a fake betrothal. It should be obvious that it¡¯s fake since Meat is a girl, though.

    ¡°I am honored, but sorry, I have someone that I like. I couldn¡¯t even think about being with another person.¡± [1]

    ¡°Having several wives split between the legal wife and concubines ismonce for nobles. THEREFORE! Kehma-sama, it¡¯s alright so long as you marry me and be a noble!¡±

    ¡°Oh? So that is to say that Lord-sama has concubines as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, though they didn¡¯te to yesterday¡¯s dinner.¡±

    Is that so~¡­ So that means there¡¯s people other than Mai O¡¯Doll who are qualified to manage the Godly Pillow?

    Von O¡¯Doll, assuming you didn¡¯t lie, you never said that Mai O¡¯Doll was the manager. You didn¡¯t break your vow¡­ Well well. How many people are there that have the qualifications?

    ¡°A-also, Kehma-sama, do you prefer dressing up as a woman? If so, although I can¡¯t be a man, I can cross dress as one while you dress up as a woman!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh. Kuro isn¡¯t the person I was talking about. I was talking about a woman, she stayed back in Golen Vige.¡±

    I was trying to figure out what she was talking about for a moment there, but I figured it out after a second. She probably heard that [Meat is a man] from Von O¡¯Doll.

    Rather, what¡¯s with that double cross dressing? It is a situation that pops up here and there in manga and games, I guess.

    ¡°In that case, isn¡¯t Kuro-cha¡ª¡­ Kuroinu-sama already simr to being your concubine, Kehma-sama? Wouldn¡¯t it be no problem at all to include just one more person¡ªme¡ªas well?¡±

    It looks like she¡¯s confused about a number of things¡­

    ¡­ Well, she is just a ten year old girl, so I guess her being so confused after quickly recing her fiance-to-be like that is natural.

    It¡¯s like suddenly being told [You must like this person from now on] and having your fiance decided for you. Much less a child that doesn¡¯t know too much, she¡¯s at a sensitive age. Her age right now is basically when she¡¯ll be the most confused.

    But thanks to that, I got some valuable information. I wonder if Von O¡¯Doll would know this would happen?

    Well, whatever. He¡¯s the one that tripped up first.

    ¡°Well, your current fiance is this Meat Kuroinu right here.¡±

    ¡°I said, if it¡¯s not Kehma-sama¡ª¡ª¡­ current?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Whoops, that a slip of the tongue. What I said was confidential between Lord-sama and I.¡±

    Mai O¡¯Doll appeared to have picked up on the hidden meaning there. How excellent these aristocratic educations are.

    Mai O¡¯Doll settled down quickly.

    ¡°Well, umm. Kuroinu-sama is gentle, much stronger than appearances suggest, and umm, is excellent enough to be bestowed with the title of ventulier at the age of ten, so I can¡¯t say that there¡¯s nothing better to wish for in a fiance¡­ other than the dressing up as a female part and the name. Ah, perhaps being a beastkin, too?¡±

    ¡°Those are trivial matters.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Trivial?¡±

    ¡°Yes, trivial. For appearances, using different clothes and using the name Kuroinu solves them. Concerning the point about being a beastkin, well, the racists can bark all they want.¡±

    With that, I felt a tug on my clothes. When I looked down, Meat was looking at me with puppy dog eyes.

    ¡°Uhh, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to change my name.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, you don¡¯t have to change it if you don¡¯t want~. Then just use the name when you¡¯re with outside people.¡±

    ¡°Nn.¡±

    Meat nodded. Looks like I got her consent.

    ¡°¡­ Is that name so important, Kuroinu-sama?¡±

    ¡°Nn, important.¡±

    ¡°I-is that so? But Kuroinu-sama, no matter how I look at you, I can only see you as a girl.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well.¡±

    She is a girl after all. She¡¯s not just dressing up as one.

    ¡­ I wonder if I can leave the rest to these two youngsters and get some sleep till dinner?

    Even though that¡¯s what I wanted, it somehow turned into me telling her adventure stories again.

    It went to the point that I even had to start fabricating adventure stories so I wanted to stop¡ªbut it wasn¡¯t just Mai O¡¯Doll who looked so happy listening to them, but Meat too.

    ¡°Like that, it¡¯s said that Mr. Gold defeated, tamed, and mounted the brown bear while carrying his favorite axe over his shoulder.¡±

    ¡°Umm, why was it a bear and not the horse?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard it told with him mounting the horse and it ying an active role in the end¡­¡± [2]

    ¡°¡­ Rather, wouldn¡¯t it have been better if the bear was his mount from the start?¡±

    Well, I don¡¯t too much about kintarou¡¯s fable in detail, there¡¯s even a possibility that that bear was actually a human. I don¡¯t know, though.

    ¡°Ah, Kehma-sama. It¡¯s about time for dinner.¡±

    ¡°Oh, should we get going then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please be my escort.¡±

    With that, Mai O¡¯Doll held her hand out toward me.

    I stood aside, cing Meat where I was.

    ¡°¡­ Shall we go?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah¡­¡±

    Hahaha, cheer up! That¡¯s your fiance after all.

    *

    ¡°¡ªAnd that¡¯s why, through Kehma-dono¡¯s express rmendation, that Kuroinu-dono became Mai¡¯s fiance.¡±

    Von O¡¯Doll gave the announcement about the fiance matter before the meal began. He didn¡¯t say that it was fake, though.

    The lineup of people was the same as yesterday, but thedy of the house, supposedly hearing about it before this, didn¡¯t miss a beat and kept her smile up the entire time. The eldest son, Waltz, looked somewhat bitter, while Gierb stood up and struck the table.

    ¡°Hold up, that one¡¯s a ve! And a girl at that! There¡¯s no reason for someone with such an idiotic name as Meat to be Mai¡¯s fiance!¡±

    ¡°Gierb. Kuroinu is a man.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s even worse! I won¡¯t acknowledge someone I can only see as a weak woman!¡±

    I wonder who he decided to tell that this was a fake betrothal¡­ well, at the very least, it doesn¡¯t look like he told Gierb. Waltz looks a bit doubtful, but maybe he told him since he¡¯s the next family head?

    Haah, how troublesome. Really, Dungeon Masters should only have to think about dungeon stuff. Seriously.

    ¡°Oh? Gier Nii-sama, Kuroinu-sama is powerful. He was able to easily run all the way from the central district to here. Wouldn¡¯t that be impossible for you?¡±

    ¡°E-even so, doesn¡¯t he look weaker than me?¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­ Kehma-dono, could you have Kuroinu-dono disy some of his skill?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but Kuro is hungry. Can it wait for after dinner?¡±

    Meat kept having to wait despite the food right in front of her, staring at it the whole time.

    Today¡¯s meal was boar steak. Aaah, the fragrance of that roasted fat drifting up and the salt and pepper¡­ it looks tasty with just a nce. Can Meat endure such a great sight?

    Nope. Please wipe off your drool.

    Oh, Meat, you know how to use a fork and knife, right? Eh, you¡¯re fine with chopsticks?

    ¡°Ah, right. The food would get cold, shall we eat?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s do the mock fight in the garden after we¡¯re done. Perhaps you may be an opponent for me?¡±

    And so we did the fight after the meat. It wasn¡¯t just the second son, but even the eldest son that loved fighting.

    The result? Yeah, Meat¡¯s overwhelming victory.

    Footnotes:

    ¡®Person¡¯ here is written as woman, spoken as person. Kehma¡¯s implying female, but Mai, well¡­ Return

    I myself have never read/listened/etc the kintarou fable, so I may be misunderstanding Keima here¡­ my apologies.

 Chapter 253

    Escapism

    ¡°You are amazing. If you want, why not break off your engagement with Mai and have me look after you?¡±

    ¡°I refuse, Raund-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I got rejected. Ah, Kuroinu-sama was a [Man] huh. Hahaha, please get along well with Mai.¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    Oh, he knows about it? Guess the heir was told after all.

    By the way, the mock fight was entirely in Meats favor as she spent the full thing avoiding Raund¡¯s attacks, ending it by tapping her wooden knife on his neck.

    If I had to ce Raund¡¯s strength in an adventurer ranking, I¡¯d say he¡¯s upper-mid C-Rank? He wasn¡¯t a match against Meat, who¡¯d practiced with the A-Rank Misha.

    ¡°B-but elder brother can use magic as well though!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Meat nced at me. Yeah, Meat¡¯s also able to, but there¡¯s no need to bother saying it.

    I shook my head slightly. Meat responded with a small nod.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯vemunicated something?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mai-sama? Even though they¡¯re your fiance, they¡¯re my party member. We¡¯ve known enough for so long that there¡¯s no way we couldn¡¯t do something like that. Please don¡¯t feel envious, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I was just thinking that I envied how long you¡¯ve known each other.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been around a year.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh, isn¡¯t that short?¡±

    ¡­ We¡¯ve been together around 99% of the time since I¡¯vee to this world, so I¡¯d never think of that as short. Meat¡¯s memories from before she became my ve are all fuzzy, so she feels to same.

    It¡¯s only been a year, but it¡¯s been a rich one.

    ¡°¡­ I wonder if I should be an adventurer too, then?¡±

    ¡°Have fun with rabbi hunting. Please give it your all, I¡¯ll be rooting for you.¡±

    With me saying that, Maidence looked frustrated. Good, I chose the correct answer.

    ¡°Now then, you should have a good idea about their ability at this point. Anyins, Jitter-sama?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d be putting elder brother down if I still did. I acknowledge him!¡±

    Good, now there¡¯s no more obstacles for the fake betrothal!

    ¡°Now that there¡¯s no problem¡­ can I head back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry about that. You can return, have a good rest.¡±

    On the way back to my room, I informed a maid that I wouldn¡¯t be needing breakfast in the morning.

    *

    And so I decided to secretly slip out in the middle of the night and return to the dungeon.

    Stuuupid! The longer I stayed there the more troubles I¡¯d have to deal with, so now that I¡¯ve settled it all, staying in the lord¡¯s manor would only be a bad move!

    Just in case, I left behind ater stating: [As promised, I will lend Meat Kuroinu¡¯s name for a one-month period. If you wish to borrow the person themself, inform Golen Vige as soon as you can that you wish to borrow them].

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯m tired but I can do it¡­ maybe. Let¡¯s go, Meat.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Seeing that the sun had gone downpletely, I took Meat and left the mansion.

    Uuu, so tired. But I have to endure!

    It wasn¡¯t perfectly dark outside due to the shops¡¯ lights and the other various night time lighting such as street lights and the various taverns. Come to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯ve walked around Sia after dark¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s darker in the side streets?

    We reached the gate before long.

    ¡­ It¡¯s closed, we were toote. Crap, we can¡¯t get out. Should we climb over the wall? No, there might be a magical defense function that stops that. We can¡¯t go about this haphazardly. What should we do¡­

    ¡°Oi, what are you doing here?¡±

    Just as I was figuring out what to do, a guard suddenly spoke to me. Night patrol I guess? How eager you are with your duty.

    ¡°Oh, Guard-san. I was wanting to get out of the gate.¡±

    ¡°The hours for passing through the gate are over. Come back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s no way I can?¡±

    ¡°No way at all¡ªis what I want to say, but I have an obligation to exin. If you have the lord¡¯s permission or are a noble yourself, you can pass after following some procedures.¡±

    It looks like this guard really is serious about his duty. Good guard.

    ¡­ I thought about showing him my invitation from the lord, but it¡¯d be troublesome if he went to the lord¡¯s mansion to verify its authenticity. I decided to use Meat¡¯s status as a noble. It¡¯ll stay on their records, but they¡¯lle to Golen Vige eventually after seeing I¡¯m gone so it¡¯s not like anything will change.

    ¡°You were a noble? My apologies.¡±

    ¡°No, thank you for your efforts thiste.¡±

    Receiving the noble¡¯s (Meat¡¯s) words of gratitude, the guard saluted. The procedures were worked on in the meanwhile.

    ¡­ It¡¯s a good think that I can write simple things with the gloves golem.

    Like that, we finished the procedures and went outside through a staff entrance.

    Well, we also have the lord¡¯s permission toe back.

    ¡°Now then.¡±

    It was pitch ck outside the gate¡­ nooo idea where anything is. Should I have a golem bring me back automatically?

    I used [Create Golem] to make a pnquin. The type of pnquin that¡¯d belong in the Edo period. Then I made two y golems to carry it.

    For some reason, golems are able to see in the dark rather well. They¡¯ll have an easy time heading back by following the map.

    *

    ¡°So that¡¯s why you came back?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so coooooool, but it¡¯s like you gave them the cold shoulder, is that alright?¡±

    ¡°What, Rokuko, wasn¡¯t it already decided that I¡¯d do that?¡±

    Hearing Rokuko¡¯s reasonable question, I answered obediently.

    ¡°¡­ I knew that!!¡±

    Yeah, I can¡¯t keep up interacting with nobles at all. I¡¯m wiped. Which is why I demand a break. Particrly right now, I just got back and I¡¯m super tired, let me get to sleep please?

    The ride back on that pnquin was unexpectedly rough, I couldn¡¯t rest on it at all.

    ¡°¡­ I, umm, I got a bit mad, but I¡¯m better now. You rushed back home, and even came to see me first.¡±

    Ah, she got mad after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go sleep for two or three days, so I¡¯ll leave it to you. Do your best at filling in for me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just leave it to me. I¡¯ll absolutely be interrogating you, you know? I¡¯ll definitely wake you up when Ie to do it!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright. But at least let me sleep¡­ and don¡¯t wake me up¡­¡±

    There are times where you want to escape reality.

    This moment right now was one of those times.

 Chapter 254

    The Patrolling Vige Chief: Start

    Well, by the time my head felt a bit better after sleeping till noon, the lord¡¯s messenger still hadn¡¯t arrived.

    ¡­ Yeah, sure, let¡¯s go back to sleep.

    ¡­ ¡­

    Even after I went back to sleep and woke up again, there was still no news. Did I actually manage to get away from them? I doubt it for some reason.

    ¡°Eh? You¡¯re up? Morning, but it¡¯s only been a day, Kehma.¡±

    When I walked into the Vige Chief¡¯s office, Rokuko was nomming on a melon bread at the desk. It wasn¡¯t one of those cheap Sweet-roll Assortments (5 DP for 6), but one of those super expensive bakery kinds. Our ie¡¯s definitely high enough to cover it now though.

    ¡°Morning, Rokuko. Anything to report?¡±

    ¡°Nope. We¡¯ve been on the lookout though.¡±

    No way, is there actually a chance that they didn¡¯t notice yet?

    Or maybe they did notice, and they¡¯re in the middle of preparations? In that case, I could sleep a bit more¡­

    No, thinking about it like that¡¯s bad. I don¡¯t care, I just want to sleep anyways.

    ¡°¡­ I was a bit concerned about it and didn¡¯t sleep too well. I ended up pushing it all on you, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, you¡¯re actually caring about the details¡­ well, I like that though.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Did you say something?¡±

    ¡°I said that I like it when you¡¯re worried about pushing troublesome things over to me, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Oh? I like you too, Rokuko¡­ oh, you¡¯re blushing? And a lot at that.¡±

    Rokuko was hiding her face with her hands.

    ¡°I-I can¡¯t help it! You said something like that, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I have not said it then?¡±

    ¡°Say it more! We¡¯re partners, after all.¡±

    ¡°Okay, love you, Rokuko~¡±

    It¡¯d be perfect if I also nted a kiss on her right here, but I¡¯m not yboy enough to just kiss her so easily.

    Aah, my ears are burning up. I¡¯m not used to stuff like this.

    *

    Well, I looked into my partner¡¯s situation a bit after leaving the letter to her, so I guess I give looking around our Golen Vige a shot. I may be a figurehead, but I¡¯m still the Vige Chief.

    I¡¯ve been neglecting it all recently, so I want to check out how things are going.

    ¡°Oh? Goshujin-sama, goin¡¯ on a stroll? Could I tag along?¡±

    ¡°Ichika? Sure, it¡¯s more of a patrol than a stroll though.¡±

    Ichika said she¡¯s been working a part time job at some store on her days off from the inn, so she knew the current state of the vige a lot better than me.

    She herself says: [I want money! To spin the slots!] She was given permission to work the job so long as it didn¡¯t affect her performance at the inn.

    And it appears that she had a day off from her part time job today as well.

    ¡°I see, so since I¡¯m guidin¡¯ ya, buy me some bakery curry buns.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s your goal?¡±

    ¡°Obviously. I¡¯d do anythin¡¯ to get some curry buns. Ah, wanna rub my boobs?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t sell yourself to other people like that, right?¡±

    ¡°Only to Goshujin-sama. I¡¯m not cheap, and more than anythin¡¯ I¡¯m Goshujin-sama¡¯s ve. I can¡¯t say stuff like that on my own¡­ or did you want me to do that? If you¡¯re interested in that, then depending on the renumeration¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. Sorry for asking you something strange.¡±

    ¡°Then two curry breads, ¡®kay?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I¡¯ll buy you two of them.¡±

    Promising Ichika a reward, it was decided that she would take me around.

    ¡°So, wanna rub my boobs?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about something else.¡±

    *

    First off¡¯s right in front of the dungeon. [Cave of Desires] has a simple fence set up at its entrance.

    Goblins and the like never reallye out of it, but it seems to be something ced there just in the off chance anything does.

    ¡°There¡¯s been more kids here recently, so it¡¯s like tellin¡¯ em to not enter on their own or somethin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Eh, more kids?¡±

    ¡°Merchants¡¯ children and adventurer families, stuff like that. There was a lot of people that came in the winter and started makin¡¯ new families, but those kids aren¡¯t born yet so they don¡¯t count.¡±

    It appeared that there was quite a number of people who wanted to migrate here because they could spent winters here leisurely in the hot springs. I heard that Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma was keeping strange people out of the vige, but even so there¡¯s been a lot of people migrating over.

    Even Kusan, the carpenter adventurer, was busy doing adventurer stuff despite building housing.

    ¡°Hearing that, I¡¯m starting to feel that I really am a figurehead.¡±

    ¡°Really? They seem to go to you for your consent though.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I left all the decision-making stuff for immigration to Wozuma and Kusan.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ooh, so that¡¯s it?¡±

    With that, we arrived at our inn, [Dancing Doll¡¯s Pavilion], and the Adventurer Guild¡¯s branch office across the street from it.

    The inn is attached to the Vige Chief¡¯s residence and the employee dormitory, so it uses up quite arge area. There¡¯s a warehouse behind the branch office and a bar next to it. Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma works as the barkeep there¡­ well, Wozuma was working there from the start.

    ¡°Oh yeah, has the bar been doing well? There¡¯s a lot of stuff a sub-chief has to do.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely thrivin¡¯. Bars mainly get busy at night, so¡­ see? There¡¯s construction goin¡¯ on behind the bar, it¡¯s expandin¡¯.¡±

    Just as see said, it seems like they were building something. I could see a few of the adventurers that stay at our inn helping out the construction work. I wonder if he ced amission for it at the branch office?

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s making that much money?¡±

    ¡°Even if it didn¡¯t, he gets a lot of money as Vige Sub-Chief. There hasn¡¯t been anyints.¡±

    That so? Alrighty then.

    After that was what was next to the bar, the Dyne Firm. Dyne, the merchant that manages our vige¡¯s finances. He¡¯s apetent merchant that¡¯s able to multiply funds after being handed them. Thanks to him, our vige easily operates in surplus funds.

    Ah, just in time. Dyna was stocking goods.

    ¡°Hoh? Ichika-yan. You don¡¯t have work today, what¡¯s goin¡¯ on?¡±

    ¡°Just escortin¡¯ my Goshujin-sama around on his patrol. We¡¯re just window shoppin¡¯, no need to fuss about us.¡±

    ¡°That so? Then take your time lookin¡¯ around and¡­ wait! Kehma-han, massive thanks for your patronage!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, you seem to be doing well, Dyne.¡±

    Those two¡¯s Pavueran ents get tranted into a quasi-Kansai dialect, it seriously sounds like it. [1]

    ¡°Oh yeah, that magic tool called a [Stove] you got from the dungeon¡ªit¡¯s great!¡±

    ¡°A stove, huh?¡±

    The stove is a magic tool that our Apprentice Witch Nerune developed. It¡¯s use is exactly like a normal stove, it simply uses magic stones as fuel. A magic formation is drawn on a y te inside it, it¡¯s even possible to adjust the caloric heat output.

    I put it in some treasure chests inside the dungeon as well, but I also brought some directly to his shop. I just said I found it in the dungeon. (It wasn¡¯t a lie either, as Nerune¡¯sboratory is inside the dungeon.)

    ¡°It¡¯s light and can be used for most kinds of food as-is, they sell like hotcakes even to non-adventurers¡­! If ya find any more, definitely make sure to bring ¡¯em to my shop.¡±

    ¡°I will if I find any more. But for now, could I see what you have for sale?¡±

    ¡°Sure thing~!¡±

    He lined up several weapons and magic tools meant for adventurers.

    Other than the weapons and magic tools he gets from our dungeon, it looks like some are from Kantra, the person who taught Nerune the basics of making magic tools. Kantra¡¯s a talented guy that¡¯s both a cksmith and an alchemist.

    ¡­ Oh, there were those swords that¡¯re both swords and magic tools too. Are they being sold? Ah, nope. Thought not~. [2]

    ¡°.. Hmm? There seems to be some essory-type things here too. This ring, is it a magic tool as well?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a normal essory. But they¡¯re in great demand!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, wonder why. Maybe people buy them aftering to sightsee?¡±

    Our reputation¡¯s been spreading through word of mouth with people saying things like ¡°I came for the hot spring¡± or ¡°I came for the food¡±. Is that why they want souvenirs too?

    ¡°No, I sell the wood sculptures to those customers.¡±

    The wooden sculptures are goods that the subi in subi vige produce. We collect them and throw them into the treasure chests as fail prizes.

    Furthermore, they only make things shaped like matsutake mushrooms for some reason. He¡¯s been selling them by asserting they¡¯re limbless dolls or something. [3]

    ¡°¡­ Eh, why?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re items you get from a dungeon, wouldn¡¯t somethin¡¯ like that be interestin¡¯ for most people? They¡¯re strangely smooth even though they¡¯re made from wood, so they feels curiously good. Well, I sell them for a reasonable cost as amusing curios.¡±

    ¡­ I wonder if they have some lingering subus scent on them?

    I picked up one of the dolls that had been lined up in a corner of the shop and gave it a whiff. I think I did smell something, but couldn¡¯t figure out what exactly it was.

    Footnotes:

    Kansai dialect tl;dr ¡ª they talk super bouncy and bubbly and use waaaay different words. Return

    This line doesn¡¯t seem to indicate whether he¡¯s seeing the swords just then or if he¡¯s only recalling them. Sorry about that. Return

    Kokeshi dolls, like this. Return

 Chapter 255

    The Patrolling Vige Chief: End

    ¡°Come to think of it, there¡¯s only preserved foods here, where do people go to buy food?¡±

    It¡¯s not like everyone only ever eats at our inn or the bar, right? In that case, there should be people that cook food for themselves.

    ¡°There¡¯s a new shop specializin¡¯ in food that got built over that way.¡±

    With that, Dyne pointed over to the district the viger¡¯s houses were cluttered together.

    Kantra¡¯s smithy was in the same direction, but it was a little ways away from it.

    ¡­ Has there been enough neers to open up a food-focused shop?

    Guess we¡¯ll check out the housing area next. Bidding farewell to Dyne, I headed there with Ichika.

    ¡°Still though, there wouldn¡¯t be too many ces for me to actually see there, huh. It¡¯s just a housing district.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, Goshujin-sama, see this?¡±

    Ichika pointed at the shacks in front of her.

    ¡°And this?¡±

    She then pointed out the ordinary wooden houses. There weren¡¯t many of them, but they were clustered together like there was a definite division.

    It caused it to look like there was a definite upgrade between them.

    ¡°Kusan and the other carpenters have gotten better, so they¡¯re gettin¡¯ good enough for some proper housin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, was there a river around here? What are they doing for water?¡±

    ¡°They use the water jug magic tool Kantra made. They work with magical power or magic stones, even the scrap magic stones you can get from goblins. For adventurers, goin¡¯ into the dungeon¡¯s like going to pump water.¡±

    True, goblin magic stones are basically free in dungeons.

    ¡­ But aren¡¯t goblin magic stones like tiny seeds inside their brains? What a gross way to draw water, oi.

    ¡°These are nned to be destroyed so new ones can be built.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    Honestly, I¡¯d like the ones that got built near the inn to be fixed up first¡­ nah, they¡¯re good until they stop being good.

    When we strolled a bit further into the residential district, there were people out hanging theirundry and some leaving with hoes in their hands¡­ wait, hoes?

    ¡°Oh, look there Goshujin-sama. There¡¯s fields over that way! They¡¯ve been growing vegetables.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. They¡¯ve even cut a ways into the forest, haven¡¯t they.¡±

    When I looked over, the area had been developed more than I thought it was¡­ I was somewhat concerned about the environmental destruction, but even with checking the map to confirm, they hadn¡¯t even used up one percent of it. The nature here¡¯s abundant¡ªrather, beyond abundant.

    ¡­ Well, even if the environment was destroyed, there¡¯s magic skills like [Grow Wood], so the trees could be regrown if it came down to it.

    Magic sure is convenient.

    ¡°Oh, Ichika and Vige Chief-san. Doing well~?¡±

    ¡°Vige Chief just works at his desk all the time, you gotta move your body. Wanna help with the fields?¡±

    ¡°Here, take this. It¡¯s some vegetables I grew.¡±

    As we continued the stroll¡ªerr, the patrol, vigers with a local, country-like ent came up to us and handed me some vegetables¡­ aren¡¯t you guys ordinarily adventurers? I remember you two by face.

    ¡°¡­ Rather, how long have you been drnd farming?¡± [1]

    ¡°Since this past spring, maybe a month or two? The area around the dungeon¡¯s filled with magical power, so it shows a good result for harvesting.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the best for us farmers. Well, we¡¯d ruin the soil if we did it too much!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine if we keep usin¡¯ fertilizer. Goblin corpses are a dime a dozen anyway.¡±

    Seriously? It¡¯s one of those settings where magical power causes vegetables to grow quickly? And then with goblin corpses as fertilizer? What bloody vegetables. Be it water or fertilizer, goblins take an active role.

    Also, you guys were definitely ordinary adventurers, since when did you pick up that ent and since when did you turn into farmers?

    ¡°Well, I was the fifth son in a family of farmers, so¡­ I¡¯ve been yearnin¡¯ to have a field of my own.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been trying to mimic Pa¡¯s ent, but it really feels like I¡¯m a farmer when I use the ent doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Eh, you guys had the ent originally? It just looked like fake personas to me though.¡±

    Can¡¯t say I get it, but at least the two of them were enjoying the ¡®viger life¡¯.

    After that, I headed to Kantra¡¯s smithy, still holding the fresh vegetables.

    ¡°Compared to vegetables grown with [Grow Weed], it¡¯s like night and day.¡±

    ¡°Yah they¡¯re pretty tasty. Like actual vegetables¡­ ah, it¡¯s Kantra.¡±

    Kantra was banging some metal into shape¡­ is he making a single-handled pot?

    Noticing me, he stopped and waved with his hammer.

    ¡°Ah, Kehma-dono. You¡¯re back? I heard you¡¯d be married into the Sia family or something?¡±

    ¡°You were misinformed, but more importantly, is that a pot? Not a magic tool, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I got an order for a normal pot. They wanted a small one they could use on one of those portable stoves.¡±

    I also had one of periods where I thought cksmiths only ever made weapons and armor.

    Well, even excluding the obvious things like cutlery, they make nails and pots and the like.

    ¡°Right, Kehma-dono! Please take a look at this, it¡¯s something new I made!¡±

    ¡°Oh? What is it, uhh, a spear?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, firees out from the base of the de when you press the switch on the grip, heating the de up. It¡¯s hot!¡±

    Kantra was using alchemy with the goal of making a magic sword of his own.

    By the way, he said it releases fire, but it¡¯s at most as hot as a lighter, maybe a stove burner.

    ¡°I see, so it ups its offensive strength a little.¡±

    ¡°Though as a downside, it takes some time to warm up and bes brittle if it¡¯s cooled down suddenly, breaking easily.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a pretty big weakness? Is it not possible to make it so that it heats up fast enough after turning the fire on after the start of the battle?¡±

    ¡°Maybe if it was kept on the entire time¡­ aah, that¡¯d use so many magic stones though.¡±

    By the way, the reason he made it a spear instead of a sword is because it would get so hot that you wouldn¡¯t be able to hold it.

    It¡¯s chock full of faults, huh.

    ¡°Well, it can be improved. Why not let the firee directly out from the de?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, hmm¡­ that definitely would look cool. But then bncing the intensity would be hard. If I used orichalcum¡­ hah, that¡¯d be a legendary weapon. Maybe ck steel would¡­ Kehma-dono, have you seen any ck steel golems appearing further within the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Not as of yet.¡±

    I am considering using a golem with orichalcum joints as a dungeon boss though. I¡¯ve been using mostly iron golems recently, but maybe I should up the metal type for the golem spawners here soon¡­

    ck steel golem spawners are 1,000,000 DP¡­ woooooow. I wonder if I could afford it if I used all my current wealth?

    ¡°That so? Well, let me know if you see any. It¡¯d be cheaper than if I had to import it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, will do.¡±

    Thinking that it was about time I check somewhere else out, I bade Kantra farewell.

    ¡°Still though, Kantra-han¡¯s doin¡¯ some awesomely cool stuff. But Goshujin-sama, ya just make magic swords with [Create Golem], so¡­¡±

    We left the smithy. Let¡¯s see, what other facilities does the vige have¡­

    ¡°I guess the inn¡¯s next? We don¡¯t really need to though, it¡¯s our base anyway~¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ll check it out anyway, followed by the dungeon.¡±

    Making my rounds patrolling the vige now that it had be splendidlyrge, I headed back to the inn.

    Footnotes:

    I have no idea when ites to farming, so here¡¯s a Wikipedia article about it. Return

 Chapter 256

    Extra: Soap Bubbles

    Soap bubbles, Rokuko, and Meat.

    On that day, Rokuko, having purchased something interesting from a peddler, was looking for someone to show it off to.

    And she¡¯d found Meat training in the backyard.

    ¡°Hey, Meat,e here for a sec and check this out.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Rokuko-sama?¡±

    Suddenly, Rokuko took out a long and slender bottle.

    She thought that it was something to drink, but it didn¡¯t appear to be so.

    ¡°It¡¯s something strange I bought from a peddler, he said he purchased it from Spanner¡¯s Store or something. It¡¯s a toy you y with, soap bubbles!¡± [1]

    ¡°Soap bubbles¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so let¡¯s y!¡±

    Rokuko put the tip of the cap into the liquid inside the small bottle and, taking it out, blew into the liquid that had adhered to the item.

    Upon doing so, arge bubble formed on its other side, shaking and undting as it expanded¡ª

    ¡ªuntil it popped.

    ¡°Wow! The bubble was suuuper big right!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, its coloring was beautiful.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s pretty hard. There¡¯s a trick to making it big like that. Meat, here, you give it a try.¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko passed the small bottle over to Meat.

    Meat imitated how Rokuko dipped the part of the cap into the bottle, pulled it back out and blew on it.

    With that, tiny soap bubbles formed and blew away.

    ¡°Ahahaha, you blew way too hard! You have to blow more gently to make the really big ones!¡±

    ¡°Mmuu, it¡¯s hard. But aren¡¯t the small ones beautiful too?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re just always beautiful.¡±

    The soap bubbles drifted about in the air. Meat tried poking them.

    ¡­ But they dodged her.

    ¡°Muuu.¡±

    She tried poking two or three more times, but she couldn¡¯t touch them for some reason.

    It was like they had wills of their own or something.

    She started to get worked up about it and pulled out her de golem on reflex.

    Slicing at one after setting it as her mark, she cut it cleanly in two, its two halves rolling up simultaneously as it popped.

    Meat let out her breath, contented.

    ¡°¡­ There.¡±

    ¡°Hohoh.¡±

    Seeing that, Rokuko held up the small tube and blew tiny bubbles over to Meat.

    ¡°!¡±

    Ping, ping. Meat chased after the soap bubbles, slicing each of them.

    Chasing them out of instinct, she cut through them.

    ¡°Ooh, you can do it, Meat! Look, there¡¯s some behind you too!¡±

    ¡°Teeeyah!¡±

    Meat kept chasing them, popping them all left and right.

    Virtually all of the bubbles popped, Meat let out another satisfied breath.

    ¡­ But Rokuko took the chance to blow more bubbles.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Take this! Can you win against my Bubble Army!?¡±

    Meat¡¯s tail wagged back and forth.

    This had be something that wasn¡¯t mere ying. Again, ying with soap bubbles had be something other than ying.

    Rokuko continued blowing the bubbles until the liquid ran out, with Meat continuing the pop each and every one in opposition.

    ¡­ As a result, Rokuko¡¯s mouth was soaked with the soapy liquid, but that¡¯s a story for another time.

    Footnotes:

    Spanner is part of the author¡¯s pen name, Onikage Spanner

 Chapter 257

    A Look About the Inn

    Our inn, [Dancing Dolls Pavilion]. The base I built at the dungeon¡¯s surfaceyer.

    It¡¯s an inn I made myself through the use of [Create Golem]. So that I could move it through the menu¡¯s [Deployment], I made it a subdivision of a floor.

    Recently I¡¯ve been living in the Vige Chief¡¯s residence, which I annexed on to it.

    [Welco¡ª¡­ ah, Master.]

    ¡°Ah, Neru, you¡¯re on duty?¡±

    A doll I picked up in the dungeon that had awareness¡­ using that as the pretext, it was actually a golem I made to look like a humanoid figurine that the insubstantial ring subus Neru is possessing. She was sitting at the reception counter.

    I¡¯d originally established that y golems were helping us, so her existence here was fully epted with a simple ¡°Well, it is [Dancing Dolls Pavilion] we¡¯re talking about!¡±

    ¡­ Please continue being our inn¡¯s patrons!

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s so many golems here anyway¡­ People probably don¡¯t care too much about seeing a single extra doll.¡±

    [Yeah, it¡¯s to the point that people want to shake my hands.]

    ¡°Neru, did you turn into a tourist attraction¡­?¡±

    I headed past the reception desk and into where the dining hall and guest rooms were. There wasn¡¯t much to say about the guest rooms. They were just fifty copper a night, no meals. They had a futon and a light magic tool in it.

    And as for the dining hall¡­ well, it was a dining hall. It used a food ticket system to serve guests their food. The food itself used to be stuff we bought with DP, but nowadays we have Kinue-san cooking practically all of it.

    The midday rush is over so it¡¯s mostly empty now. Today¡¯s waitresses are¡ªright, the two part-timers, Setsuna and Nayuta.

    I knew that the two of them were dungeon-rted individuals, but they didn¡¯t know that we had anything to do with the dungeon at all (with the exception of Nerune¡¯sing out about it). Let¡¯s have a conversation with them.

    ¡°Ah, Vige Chief. Hungry?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, a bit.¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, Goshujin-sama, me too~¡±

    Ichika popped up and begged like a starved racehorse when I responded to Setsuna. Alright already, you can back off, I¡¯ll order you some too¡­ rather, aren¡¯t our employees supposed to be given meals?

    With that, we ate some simple sandwiches.

    By the way, Kinue-san learned the unique skill called [Cooking], a great skill for a silky¡ªthat is, for a house fairy that loves house chores.

    ¡­ Oooh! Kinue-san, you got even better. Aren¡¯t you more skilled than the Sia lord¡¯s cook at this point?

    Now that I¡¯ve filled my belly, let¡¯s take a look at the rest of our inn¡¯s facilities¡ªthe onsen and the game room, I guess?

    The onsen should be alright¡­ other than the massage chair golem I have there, it¡¯s pretty much just a standard onsen. There¡¯s no culture for bathing in the nude here though, so wearing a bath towel¡¯s be the default¡ªah, but I think there was talk about asionally entering nude? It¡¯s fine either way, honestly.

    ¡°By the way, Goshujin-sama. Do we have pocket money to spend for uhh¡­ testin¡¯ the game room?¡±

    ¡°Obviously not.¡±

    Sorry Ichika, but no.

    We entered the game room.

    The game room now has two tables to enjoy yourself on with things like poker and dice, as well as two varieties of rat races. The slots are all over at the bar now, just being able to earn money from them through the rental fee alone is good.

    ¡°Ooookay! Time¡¯s almost up to ce your bets¡­ oh, Master.¡±

    ¡°Rei? You had a shift here today?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Ah, will you ce a bet?¡±

    When I took a nce to check out the runners¡ªthe rats¡ªour eyes met.

    ¡­ Trantion Function ACTIVATE!

    Allow me to exin. This trantion function I acquired uponing to this other world allows me to understand even a rat if I activate it consciously!

    [Hooray! Master¡¯s here! Now I can win!]

    [Hey now, who said you¡¯re gonna win? Only one of us can, Deppa.]

    [But isn¡¯t it better for the one Master puts down on to win? Definitely would make him happy.]

    [No, hold it. Shouldn¡¯t we go as always? I mean¡ª]

    [Nn? In that case, Faito is next up to win, yeah?]

    [Wait up. Wouldn¡¯t it be bad for the one Master bets on if they lose? Have to reject that.]

    [Faito, did you happen to forget that you were meant to be first?]

    [N-no way, definitely not¡­ I am wise!]

    Yep, the rats seem well today. Let¡¯s not ce a bet.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about ying some dice today.¡±

    [[[[[Eeh¡ª]]]] ¡­ ho¡ª]

    Whoops, Trantion Function cancel¡ªthere we go.

    I then tried moving over to the suitable table¡­ ah, looks like there¡¯s a guy on a winning streak here. He looks well dressed, probably not someone from this vige¡­ alright, time to take away his stuff.

    ¡°Mind if I join?¡±

    ¡°Nn? Sure, I ept anyone¡¯s money!¡±

    How motivated you are. Sorry, but those dice are my golems.

    *

    Phew, this guy was crazy lucky. He never rolled below a three. Maybe he has the [Luck] skill?

    ¡°No way¡­ I¡­ lost? What cheat did you use!?¡±

    ¡°Come on, there¡¯s no need to use me like that.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! There¡¯s no way I lost, you absolutely cheated! I¡¯m not going to pay a copper!¡±

    Woah, an annoying person.

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re not a resident here are you? ¡­ Did you know this, then? In this vige, cheating is allowed so long as you don¡¯t get caught. Those who shirk their debts are treated the same as thieves. In other words, if you say that you won¡¯t pay, it¡¯s fine to treat you as a ve and take your possessions. You can check with the Vige Chief on it if you want.¡±

    When I said that, one of the viger-adventurers closed the entrance. Nice one. I¡¯ll give you a puddingter.

    ¡°Haah? You think I¡¯d f*ckin let you make me a ve? Don¡¯t make meugh, I¡¯m a B-Rank adventurer¡ªa noble!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t care. Are you going to pay up or not¡ªare you a thief?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a thief! Rather, I¡¯ll have you executed for going against the crown! I¡¯ll forgive you right now if you give me your woman, how¡¯s that sound?¡±

    Ahh, so he¡¯s bluffing.

    Rather, isn¡¯t it even worse for a B-Rank to be a thief like that? Honestly, only the ridiculous S-Rank heroes can do as they please, and even those get purged by Haku-san if they¡¯re too outrageous.

    The Adventurer Guild is strict with its members thatmit crimes.

    While on the subject, it¡¯s a heavy crime to impersonate as a noble.

    And above all, starting a fight against me or anything that¡¯s mine is an auto out.

    ¡°Right, so you¡¯re saying that you don¡¯t intend to pay?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, you f*cking cheat!¡±

    The self-proimed B-Rank adventurer pulled out his sword and stabbed it into the table.

    Oh, I¡¯m going to have you pay me that back too.

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. I¡¯ll give a pudding to whoever deals with this guy.¡±

    ¡°Hyahaah! I was waiting for that!¡±

    ¡°The pudding¡¯s mine! Practically been bouncin¡¯ outa my shoes waitin¡¯ here!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have this shit give me back some of the money I lost!¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ªhey¡ªwai¡ª-!¡±

    Hearing my order, adventurers popped up and attacked him all at once, capturing him in just a few seconds.

    Ah, you third guy¡­ you¡¯ll be a thief if you actually do that. Even if he cheated, it¡¯s valid if you can¡¯t figure out why.

    By the way, Ichika participated even though his capture was already guaranteed. Guess she wanted some pudding, too?

 Chapter 258

    The Patrolling Dungeon Master

    Handing over the imitation B-Rank adventurer (D-Rank) to the adventurer guild, I treated everyone to pudding.

    Incidentally, I had a decent amount of spending money on me, so that amount was basically just within the margin of error looking at the ie we have nowadays.

    Also, the dice that guy used only ever came up with fours, fives and sixes. It looked like he¡¯d been secretly switching in his dice when I checked them out.

    Done with looking into the inn, thest thing to do is the dungeon.

    First, [Great Tsuia Mountain Tunnel]. It¡¯s actually only a part of [Cave of Desires], but as far as the adventurer guild¡¯s management is concerned, they are separate dungeons.

    It has a mechanism that opens the gate upon the toll being paid, the toll itself being based simply on total weight. Because of that, the main trade goods going back and forth were Pavuera¡¯s spices and Sia¡¯s wheat as they were rtively light goods and sold at a decent price.

    The rooms that had the tollgates were arranged side by side in the center of the cave. If someone couldn¡¯t pay the toll, they¡¯d either have to turn back, abandon some of their cargo, or try and sell it to other merchants right then and there.

    I¡¯ve moved the tollgates around and even increased the number of them, but no one seemed to think much of it since there weren¡¯t any monsters. It¡¯s convenient, but is it alright for them to be like that¡­?

    ¡­ Maybe the merchants all think they¡¯d be kept from being able to the use cave if they make too much of a fuss?

    ¡°Well then, Ichika, that¡¯s enough. I know what¡¯s happening from here on.¡±

    ¡°Nn? ¡®Kay, reward?¡±

    Ichika smiled and left after I handed her curry bread as her reward.

    From here on is the main dungeon, [Cave of Desires]. I headed back to the vige chief¡¯s room.

    ¡­ To be blunt, I was tired of walking. Using the menu should be good enough yeah? It is a dungeon after all.

    The first thing after passing the dungeon¡¯s entrance was the stone entrance floor.

    It had many traps, such as des popping out of a door or how some of the gstones on the ground turning into pitfalls. The traps further in were deadly if not handled carefully, but the ones near the entrance were just to the level of causing someone to twist their ankle.

    And Goblins being the enemy was a feature.

    They¡¯re suitable for making a floor that beginners can train on. You could even say that it¡¯s thanks to this floor that this dungeon is seen as rtively peaceful. They¡¯re filled with cheap things, but there are a good number of treasure chests that spawn, so it¡¯s even a good way for beginners to earn some pocket money.

    Next up, thebyrinth floor. Taking up both the second and third floors assuming one took the correct route, this was the main money maker for those in our dungeon!

    The reason for that was that iron golems spawned here.

    The body of an iron golem is made out of solid iron. In other words, it was a giant iron bar. It could sell for a considerably good price.

    The iron golems could spawn practically infinitely through the monster spawner, so even though it looks like a dungeon, there¡¯s a good reason it¡¯s called a dungeon mine.

    I also make various things using their iron. As for killing my associates, well, golems are materials. They¡¯re different.

    Something like that.

    Moving on, the golems that mimic walls and move around change thebyrinth¡¯s route slightly.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, the magic sword test room is there too, huh. It being a proper test room is finally starting to bemon knowledge.

    What appeared immediately after making it through thebyrinth was a facility that had been named the [Avarice Lodge]. It was set of DP exploitation rooms, they could be passed by without needing to stop at.

    The DP I can get from adventurers increases if they are confined. Therefore, the [Avarice Lodge] was several small rooms where those staying in them could acquire items and gold for locking themselves up in the room for twelve or twenty-four hours.

    In truth though, we¡¯re just putting a suitable amount of money or items in from behind the scenes. We¡¯ll give out a magic sword de golem sometimes as a special prize, so it¡¯s a very stupid¡­ very profitable facility.

    After passing by the [Avarice Lodge] and descending the trap-infested open ceiling spiral staircase was the warehouse area.

    It¡¯s the ce I protect with the various golems I make through my experiments with [Create Golem] like the four-armed golem or the pincushion golem, but it¡¯s basically an easy area that you can get a magic sword de golem from. Having both orderly pathways and rooms, it really was a warehouse.

    Adventurers had started to make it there recently.

    After that, the path divided into four. One led to the arena, followed by a boss room. Another led to our neighbor dungeon, [me Cavern]. The third one led to the riddle area, followed by an area I¡¯m still working on. The final one led to Subus Vige.

    My handmade haniwa golemsy in wait in the arena. They had various gimmicks and were pretty strong. It would take at least a C-Rank adventurer to do anything against them.

    The boss room had an iron haniwa made of solid iron just waiting to greet intruders in it.

    After that was the core room. It¡¯s just a dummy core, though. By insisting that this was the final floor to the outside world, it should cause our dungeon to be recognized as a good, shallow dungeon.

    Our apprentice witch, Nerune, had herb stationed as a hidden room within the core room¡¯s ceiling. She researches magic tools day and night there¡ªwhen she isn¡¯t working her part time job, that is.

    ¡­ I think she¡¯s looking into an [Engine Magic Tool] right now? She¡¯s developing a magic tool that rotates and uses pistons. The pistons move through the expansion of air caused by thermal energy, so it should be able to be a clean energy if we use magic tools for that.

    Eh? You say that an engine golem would be good enough?

    Well sure, but there¡¯s meaning in having things that people other than me can make. Honestly, an engine magic tool might even perform better.

    ¡­ Rather, there isn¡¯t really much else to research right now.

    As for the cave that led to [me Cavern], well, it¡¯s basically Feni¡¯s house. Having an entire floor loaned out as a kennel feels luxurious as heck.

    It¡¯s been swimming through the magma like an archerfish more recently, increasing its offensive strength somewhat. There¡¯s nothing really else to talk about. Our rtions with [me Cavern] are good.

    And uhh, I made a variety of variety show attractions for the ce that¡¯s still under development. It looks like a yground for people into crossfit. Well, the interior¡¯s still under development, so what else would you expect?

    Finallyes Subus Vige, a vige protected by subi.

    Right now I just have them making limbless dolls as a side job, but they¡¯ll squeeze any adventurers that wander in dry and strip them down to their underwear before rolling them outside the dungeon. Man or woman, they¡¯ll have fun with anyone. I told them to not go so far that someone dies though.

    Furthermore, I¡¯ve made preparations to give reinforcements if adventurers resist them. Looking at how I set it up, it¡¯s practically the same thing as a bottakuri bar. [1]

    Suira acts as the vige chief for Subus Vige¡­ they want to have proper jobs and not just a side job, but I can¡¯t think of anything for them to do right now. Sorry.

    When I checked them out through the monitor, I saw the loli subus, Michiru, carving a small doll for her side job. Holding onto the limbless doll with such a serious face, fixing it little by little as she rubs her face against it and licks it¡­ Yep. Looks like she¡¯s particr about its feel. Maybe that¡¯s why they¡¯re so popr~

    I closed the monitor. Looking about¡ªdone.

    ¡­ Time to sleep!

    Footnotes:

    A bottakuri bar is a bar that invites guests in, forcing them to stay until they run out of money through force. Illegal as heck.

 Chapter 259

    The Marriage Interview Discussion (Yudence¡¯s Point of View): Start

    I am Yudence Sia, the lord of Sia.

    On that day, I was looking over thetest version of the peerage listings.

    I stumbled across the name of Golen Vige, a vige that cropped up justst year but was developing remarkably quickly.

    ¡°Kehma Golen¡­? Hmm? If I recall, Kehma was the name of that vige¡¯s leader¡­ he was a noble?¡±

    That question lingering in my mind, I immediately put in an inquiry.

    Information on aristocrats can be obtained by contacting the administration bureau in the imperial capital.

    For ventuliers, there we also be information regarding their party members and past achievements as adventurers. B-Rank adventurers will have made a name for themselves and have some distinguishments in their history.

    A few days after I made an inquiry through magic mailing, the information was sent to me.

    ording to the information I received, Kehma Golen had three other party members also at B-Rank and hadpleted five dungeons with his party.

    [White Trial] [Cave of Desires] [White Beach] [Bone Cave] [Cave of the Three-Way Struggle]¡­

    ¡­ I¡¯d never heard of some of those dungeons, but hepleted them all with a single party. It even says that he finished three of them after obtaining the peerage. He even went so far as to destroy two of them.

    Hepleted two dungeons that he was just barely permitted to enter due to their danger. In other words, he has shown himself to be a considerably powerful individual. Moreover¡ª

    ¡ª[White Goddess guarantees this individual¡¯s wit.]

    Of all things, it had thatment added on.

    ¡­ That¡¯s bad. When I saw that sentence, I unintentionally wound up dropping my cup of tea, breaking it. An influential person made a vige this close to Sia and was developing it? And having the White Goddess, someone who everyone knows of in the Raverio Empire, backing him¡­

    No matter how I think about it, that¡¯s bad. I can¡¯t leave this alone.

    Gah, my stomach¡¯s starting to hurt. I might lose some hair over this¡­

    By the way, ording to that same bit of information, there was also an inquiry sent to Sia from the imperial capital.

    Are you fine with the [Godly Pillow] that is being managed in Sia being moved to Golen Vige? That was a rather nonchnt question¡­

    I am not such a fool as to misunderstand the meaning behind such a frank question¡­ It was telling me that I should use the [Godly Pillow] as a trump card for securing my friendship with them.

    What to do¡­ Should I try marrying my daughter to Kehma Golen?

    There¡¯s a chance that he¡¯s a different person I suppose, but I suppose I should take precaution as an insurance policy.

    It may be because he himself has attempted to hide his peerage, but Golen Vige¡¯s chief is stated to be Kehma, amoner.

    And as the vige¡¯s chief, Kehma is very good at what he does.

    Reason Given: ¡®The excellent Vige Chief is the vige¡¯s best adventurer.¡¯

    Reason Given: ¡®He is a sincere man who lends aid to others.¡¯

    Reason Given: ¡®An extraordinarily wise and capable man.¡¯

    Seeing Golen Vige¡¯s remarkable development recently, the credibility of his reputation is high.

    The fact that he was able to develop a ce that was empty justst year enough to easily make it through winter¡ªno, even develop through winter is a frightening aplishment. He¡¯s been able to fully utilize the dungeon mine¡¯s capabilities and is on the right track for its management¡­ While he is certainly lucky, doing that would be impossible without enough talent to match it.

    Even if he wasn¡¯t backed by White Goddess, just his talent alone would make bringing him into the family not a loss.

    Well, there is a rumor about him preferring young girls, but aristocrats are sometimes like that.

    At any rate, let¡¯s invite him over for a chance to see him face to face.

    *

    Havinge to my estate, Kehma-dono was a polite man with ck hair and dark eyes.

    He had also brought along a beautifully dressed dog beastkin ve¡­ She should be one of his party members, Meat Kuroinu, if I recall.

    It was an awful name. Assuming I¡¯m not wrong, this girl should be the origin of the news saying that he prefers them young. That said, I¡¯m not sure whether it¡¯s because of this girl that he¡¯s considered as such or that he brings her around because he is like that.

    ¡°Did I keep you waiting? I¡¯m Yudence Sia. I take it you know that I¡¯m the lord?¡±

    ¡°I am Kehma. Pleased to meet you, Lord-sama. I wasn¡¯t waiting too long.¡±

    ¡°That so?¡±

    He didn¡¯t appear to be angry at all despite me having him wait in the room for enough time for the bell to toll.

    ¡­ Is he a man that doesn¡¯t care about time or is he going to stick with the pretense of him being amoner? At the very least, the rumors about him that say he¡¯s tolerant appear to be true.

    I noticed right away that Kehma-dono was uninterested in marrying my daughter, Maidence.

    To Kehma-dono, someone who is preferred White Goddess-sama, the position of being a family¡¯s head might not hold any significance.

    Either way, I kept trying to forcibly tie him to us. I inquired about the vige¡¯s n and Kehma-dono¡¯s own story. I¡¯d already looked into that information in advance though, of course.

    ording to what Kehma-dono¡¯s said, they had captured around as much as thirty iron golems, but just from the information we¡¯ve collected here, they¡¯d exported forty golems¡¯ worth of ingots. If I assume there¡¯s some we didn¡¯t catch, there should be at least fifty worth, if not more.

    Normal vige chiefs would generally exaggerate their reports¡­ yet Kehma-dono merely said it wasn¡¯t a big deal.

    In other words, it meant that something like that wasn¡¯t muchpared to the rest of his exploits.

    As we were conversing with each other, Mai came along and began talking with Kehma-dono as a fiance candidate.

    My sagacious daughter understood that Kehma-dono was an amazing person from that short talk.

    I also want to tie her together with Kehma-dono. At the very least, I don¡¯t want them to be hostile with one another.

    But just then, Kuroinu-dono spoke up.

    ¡°This matter, he refuses.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma-dono? Is that your intention?¡±

    My daughter was dissatisfied by the abrupt and grand refusal, so I tried scowling at him after infusing magical power into my eyes.

    As the lord and as the father whose betrothal invitation was just denied, it should just barely be seen as not hostile.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t intend to get married¡­¡±

    But Kehma-dono didn¡¯t even bat an eye. A weak human would have fainted, even a well-trained merchant would have broken into a cold sweat¡­ what terrific willpower.

    As expected of someone that the White Goddess has guaranteed. Ah, I might be seen as hostile if things keep going like this, let¡¯s turn the flow of the conversation back around.

    ¡°Great! Isn¡¯t that nice? How about we simply respect Kehma-dono¡¯s esteemed opinion on the matter?¡±

    ¡°Otou-sama, your view clearly seeped into your words¡­ Kehma-sama, you¡¯re so dreamy!¡±

    After that, Mai¡¯s cleverness made it so that Kehma-dono would be her fiance candidate. After she left, I spoke under the pretext that we would simply be borrowing his name to use as her fiance.

    I said that an impertinent youth from Pavuera was wanting to marry Mai, saying that the want was spurred by the tunnel that now connected our towns¡­ and that we refused.

    There¡¯s rumors about him being a child prodigy, but I didn¡¯t want Mai to leave Sia. That said, Golen Vige is rather close, so that¡¯s fine.

    ¡­ I know that it¡¯s my own selfishness, but really, my daughter is so cute.

    When I hinted at Kehma-dono possibly gaining the [Godly Pillow] as a reward, he showed enough interest in it that it surprised me.

    The timing felt right, so I figured it just might work if I pushed a little.

    By the way, the room I lent to Kehma-dono is able to let me see what¡¯s happening¡­ but ording to what my spies tell me, Kuroinu-dono refers to Kehma-dono as ¡®Otou-san¡¯ and that Kehma-dono treats their rtionship as one between a parent and child.

    Kehma-dono himself referred to her as an important member of his family, and now that I think about it, they do both have ck hair. In other words, they may both be descendants of a hero.

    It wouldn¡¯t be odd if the two truly were connected by blood.

    There¡¯s even a high probability that the two are parent and child.

    Kehma-dono said that he¡¯s single, so he might have had a rtionship in the past that he doesn¡¯t wanting to light.

    His daughter¡¯s name is Meat, something that basically acted as a ve cor for her¡­ it¡¯s probably something he doesn¡¯t want to talk about at all.

    How should I put it? Despite their circumstances, I wound up saying things that did a great disservice to Kehma-dono and Kuroinu-dono.

    There were rumors about them often sleeping together in the same room, but it would be natural to sleep with your daughter.

    I would like to sleep with Mai if I could. Maybe that wish woulde true if I were amoner? It¡¯s impossible for me to abandon my position as the lord, though.

    ¡­ I¡¯d like to hear more details about his circumstances, but probing any further would just be hostile toward them.

    I told the spies to tell me if anything else happened and went back to my normal routine.

    But Kehma-dono¡¯s age is a bit young for a daughter that big, just what age did he have her at?

    Kuroinu-dono would have had a dog beastkin as a mother, but I don¡¯t recall hearing anything about dog beastkin having an elerated growth period?

    Does that mean Kehma-dono is older than he looks, then? He may not only draw on the blood of a hero, but maybe of elves, too?

    ¡­ Could he be White Goddess-sama¡¯s¡­? No, he couldn¡¯t be. Right¡­?

    *

    We entertained Kehma-dono with a dinner.

    After introducing my family, our head chef¡ªI say chef, but he merely just learned by following a single person¡¯s example¡ªdid his best to prepare the meal.

    Our head chef is the best chef,uded throughout the Sia territory¡­ is what I thought, but it¡¯s said Kehma-dono¡¯s inn serves new and rare dishes.

    For such a brilliant chef to work at a lodge in a remote area like that¡­ mmm, just that much makes it feel profound.

    I can¡¯t know which of the two chefs are better withoutparing theirs with ours, but there¡¯s a possibility that chef might have the same skill Cooking God Ishidaka had, [Cooking]¡ªdoubtful, though.

    Kehma-dono talked about this and that during the dinner, the mood was good.

    But it felt like Kehma-dono had his mind on something.

    ¡°Kehma-dono, you¡¯re still capable despite being a rear guard right? How about we have mock fight after dinner?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, surely you¡¯re jesting, Rondeau-sama. You wouldn¡¯t have fun with someone as unskilled as me.¡±

    ¡­ Rondeau, you are the eldest son. You need to put more effort into your official duties than standing in the front line.

    By the way, I¡¯d told everyone here about how Kehma-dono¡¯s wit was guaranteed by the White Goddess, as well about his distinguishments in his dungeon captures. Due to that, the engagement discussion for Mai and Kehma-dono was taken well.

    My wife looked at me as I drank some tea after the dinner and smiled.

    Ah, I was making the face I make when I¡¯m thinking about bad things. She gets me.

    ¡°Oh right, I heard that Kehma-san received words ofpliment from the White Goddess?¡±

    ¡°¡­ The White Goddess?¡±

    Despite his expression having been generally unmoved this entire time, even during my coercion from before, Kehma cocked his right eyebrow at that.

    ¡°Ahem! Right, I¡¯m told that Kehma-dono¡¯s inn has an onsen? The White Goddess seems to like it a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she does. It sounds like Kehma-dono has a wonderful inn.¡±

    Waltz, you did that on purpose, didn¡¯t you?

    One way or another, we¡¯re still uncertain as to whether this Kehma-dono from Golen Vige was the same Kehma Golen found on the peerage listings. She was probably wanting to make certain.

    What a lovely wife. But please, let me know you¡¯re going to do something like that in advance.

    Well, Waltz probably also already thought that Kehma-dono and Kehma Golen were the same person. Something like 98% certainty bing 99% certainty¡­

    He reacted with something simr to ¡®you knew about that?¡¯ as a pretext. Usually, people would have been thrilled to show off White Goddess-sama¡¯s affection, it wasn¡¯t something to be hidden.

    Nevertheless, him sticking to hiding it probably means he has some circumstances going on.

    Circumstances that make him hide his peerage.

    Sublime circumstances that make him have to hide his rtion to his daughter¡­!

    ¡°More importantly, Kehma-dono, you talked to Mai, right? She¡¯s a good child, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, she¡¯s more than someone like me would deserve. Don¡¯t you think that the engagement between her and someone like me would damage your reputation?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Being engaged with Kehma-sama wouldn¡¯t be a bad thing at all. We want to know about Kehma-sama, too. Right, Otou-sama?¡±

    Even if the engagement got annulled, getting engaged to someone talented enough to earn the White Goddess¡¯ attention wouldn¡¯t marr her reputation.

    Well, it¡¯s not as though it wouldn¡¯t do anything, but it definitely wouldn¡¯t harm it much.

    ¡°Right. It¡¯s a good thing, even.¡±

    Setting aside my wants as the lord, I¡¯d prefer to take my time in marrying off my adorable Mai, but that¡¯ll just be my little secret.

 Chapter 260

    The Marriage Interview Discussion (Yudence¡¯s Point of View): End

    I had Kehma-dono act as Mai¡¯s guard for the morning of the following day.

    And they did return¡ªbut it looks like he found out about the spies I sent to trail them? Once again, it looks like he truly is a skilled adventurer.

    Kehma-dono once again refused being her fiance. Hmm, does he have a woman already? Perhaps Kuroinu-dono¡¯s mother?

    I can¡¯t do anything about that, but maybe there¡¯s still another way we could tie ourselves together¡ª

    ¡ªjust as I was beginning to think that, unexpectedly, Kehma-dono tested out the idea of Kuroinu-dono being Mai¡¯s fiance.

    What a great opportunity!

    I trembled from such good news.

    Moreover, it appears that Kehma-dono¡¯s achievements are also considered Kuroinu-dono¡¯s.

    ¡­ I want to ept it. I seriously want to ept it right away, but I have to endure it and keep up my appearance here. I¡¯ll see if he has some other motive first, I can ept itter.

    As I thought that, Kehma-dono took out Kuroinu-dono¡¯s Guild Card.

    ¡­ It looks like he wants me to decide right away, showing me Kuroinu-dono¡¯s own peerage like that. Should I allow myself topromise and ept it so quickly? I wouldn¡¯t be able to probe for more information first, though.

    With that, Kehma-dono also showed me his Guild Card. It listed him as D-Rank.

    When I asked him about it, it appeared as though he¡¯d never heard of the peerage listings.

    And he continued to insist that he was an ordinary D-Rank adventurer.

    ¡­ In other words, him receiving White Goddess-sama¡¯s favor is for no reason other than because of being a key person with special circumstances to him.

    Furthermore, although it¡¯s not well known tomoners, the Raverio Empire does indeed allow same-sex marriage. Thew book has a single sentence on the matter: [In the case of same-sex marriages, even sisters may marry].

    Therefore, same-sex marriage is allowed even within the same family to reinforce intrafamilial bonds. While heretical, it¡¯s even possible to continue a bloodline through [Futanaru], a potion made by the Chaos God that throws one¡¯s sex into chaos. [1]

    Such expensive potions are rather rare amongst the lower ss aristocracy, but it should be acquirable with my family¡¯s power.

    Or perhaps Kehma-dono¡¯s n is to change Kuroinu-dono¡¯s sex¡­? For him to do something like registering her name as [Meat] on the aristocratic record, there must be some impossiblyplex circumstances surrounding him.

    If Mai were registered on the record as [Meat] and I was unable to have her name changed¡­ even I might think about at least changing her sex. That is what we call parental love.

    Kukuku, I get it, I get it, Kehma-dono! Our daughters are just too cute!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go with your proposal and have Kuroinu-dono be the fiance.¡±

    After that, I gave Kehma-dono information on the [Godly Pillow] as a reward for borrowing his name as a fiance.

    I couldn¡¯t give him all of the information about it, so I told him all I could with full sincerity.

    ¡°¡­ Mai-sama¡­ is the manager of the [Godly Pillow]¡­?¡±

    ¡°Mai¡¯s fiance would fit the management criteria as well.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say exactly who the manager of it was, but anyone should be able to figure it out with that.

    I¡¯m not sure what sort of circumstance is making him want the [Godly Pillow] so badly, but as a fellow father of cute daughters, I want to get along with Kehma-dono.

    After Kehma-dono returned to his room, Mai entered the room.

    ¡°I should marry Kehma-sama, Otou-sama!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s this, now?¡±

    ¡°If I want to truly save the orphans, I need to hire merchants, educate the kids, and give them work. Just feeding them is no different than admiring pets!¡±

    ¡°H-huh? I think I get the gist of what you¡¯re saying, but could you exin it to me just in case?

    It sounds like Mai was overwhelmed by Kehma-dono¡¯s wisdom.

    Kehma-dono had given her a n on how to help the orphanage by giving them an education, hiring them on as workers and helping them be independent.

    But she said that she also said something about how it not being necessary if she was just doing it for the publicity.

    Mai seems to have taken it as sarcasm, but I don¡¯t believe that what Kehma-dono said was sarcasm, but simply something resulting from abiding to political measures.

    People feel relieved when they can see that there are some more unfortunate than themselves. Although there¡¯s also a slum outside the south gate, having an orphanage within the town would certainly fall in line that that intention.

    But I¡¯d rather not teach her about filthy things like that. I¡¯d prefer for the people to trust in the beautiful existence that is Mai.

    Well, there shouldn¡¯t be too much of an impact even if the orphanage is improved, so maybe I should let Mai do what she wants for the experience?

    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea, it would certainly help the economy, too. You could implement it by recycling your current budget, would you like to give it a shot?¡±

    ¡°Yes, absolutely!¡±

    Mai¡¯s eyes sparkled in motivation.

    ¡°And that¡¯s why I absolutely definitely really really have to marry Kehma-sama. Kuro-chaaa¡­. Kuroinu-sama carried me in her arms, so¡­? K-Kehma-sama has to take responsibility as her master.¡±

    ¡°Oh, about that¡­ Kuroinu-dono will be taking his ce as your fiance.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    Mai inclined her head to the side.

    ¡°During my conversation with Kehma-dono a moment ago, we decided that Kuroinu-dono will be your fiance.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I-isn¡¯t she a girl though!?¡±

    Oh, I haven¡¯t taught Mai about the same-sex marriage thing yet, have I? Maybe I postponed her education a bit too much.

    ¡°It was Kehma-dono¡¯s rmendation. Also, you shouldn¡¯t treat Kuroinu-dono as a woman.¡±

    ¡°Eh, K-Kuro-chan is a cross dresser!?¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ W-well, yeah, something like that.¡±

    Kehma-dono did speak as though to insist she were male, so I understand that it¡¯s probably better to treat her as such.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll go talk to Kehma-sama! I won¡¯t agree to this without hearing about it directly from him!¡±

    Saying that, Mai ran out of the room.

    She¡¯s still a child, isn¡¯t she¡­ I think that Kehma-dono should be able to persuade her, but let¡¯s hope that this doesn¡¯t cause him to get angry and break this off. It should be fine though, I¡¯ve already given him his reward.

    Later on, Kuroinu-dono escorted her to dinner. It must have gone well.

    That said, my second son, Jitter, raised his voice.

    ¡°Hold up, that one¡¯s a ve! And a girl at that! There¡¯s no reason for someone with such an idiotic name as Meat to be Mai¡¯s fiance!¡±

    Crap, Jitter hasn¡¯t been taught about same-sax marriage either? Rondeau seemed to understand it, though. Waltz just smiled wryly.

    There¡¯s no other choice than to have Kuroinu-dono show her skill, forcing him to consent.

    I thought that Jitter would be able to win against Kuroinu-dono¡­ but even as someone strong enough to toy around with Rondeau, I couldn¡¯t see through her at all with my eyes.

    *

    The following day, having told the maid that he wouldn¡¯t be having breakfast, Kehma-dono didn¡¯te for breakfast.

    It was only during my work after the meal that we discovered what had urred.

    ¡°Lord-sama. Last night, a soldier contacted me saying that a ventulier passed through the gate.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ wait, was it Kuroinu-dono!?¡±

    We receive reports from the gate when aristocratse and go through it. We would receive notifications right away for aristocrats passing through the gate outside of normal hours, but it¡¯s not like that for when an ventulier does so.

    After all, they often need to use the gate at night for adventurer purposes.

    ¡°Crap¡­¡±

    Kehma-dono¡¯s room was vacant with just a single note ced atop the beddings they¡¯d used.

    The note had on it as follows:

    [It¡¯s hard to sleep under surveince, so I¡¯ll be returning to my vige. You may freely use the name of Meat Kuroinu for one month. If she herself absolutely has to, contact me at Golen Vige.]

    Geh! ¡­ So he realized he was being watched from the start¡­ as expected, he¡¯s an amazing man.

    Still though, to head back without saying anything¡ªwait, I think I heard him say something like thatst night? In a sense, him using his authority as a ventulier could be his way of telling us he¡¯s off.

    At any rate, I¡¯m allowed to use Kuroinu-dono¡¯s name as Mai¡¯s fiance for a month, signed in writing.

    ¡­ In other words, what he was really saying¡­

    [If you canplete the preparations within a month, I¡¯ll allow my daughter to marry yours] ¡­!

    Phew¡­ what wonderful love for his daughter! I can already imagine drinking alcohol next to Kehma-dono as we watch the two of them marry.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll have to get the [Futanaru].¡±

    But this¡¯ll probably cause a dispute over where the two live.

    ¡­ Would the normal thing to do be suggesting each of them to live away from us parents?

    Hmm, well, that¡¯ll be up to Mai and Kuroinu-dono to decide.

    Footnotes:

    Futanaru = be a Futa. me Leona!

 Chapter 261

    Extra: A Certain Typical Dungeon

    A story about when Kehma was busy doing this and that during the Dungeon Battle.

    A certain Dungeon Core¡ªCore No. 629 was leisurely managing his dungeon that was set to be a grasnd.

    He was a rabbit-type Dungeon Core. As an orange rabbit, the first floor of his dungeon was the surrounding grasnd itself.

    ¡°Haah, nyo adventurers nyow either~. So myuch spare time~¡±

    Core No. 629 was hopping about with three other rabbits.

    These rabbits were dungeon monsters, more or less. Unlike ordinary rabbits, they each had a single horn growing from their foreheads: horned rabbits¡­ Other than their horns, they were no different from normal rabbits.

    ¡°I caught a grasshopper~. Looky looky~¡±

    ¡°Omnomnom nom nom¡­. grass is tasty~¡±

    ¡°Ow~!? Who bit my nyeaaar!?¡±

    The rabbits were happy-go-lucky and were messing around. The sight of them doing so was very pleasant.

    As for how theymunicated, Core No. 629 being a rabbit-type core was sufficient for them to understand each other. However, there were times where the rabbits did not listen to what they were told due to theircking intelligence.

    ¡°Nyuu guys~. Make sure nyuu look around~! Want some kyarrots?¡±

    ¡°Come on~, 629-syama isn¡¯t myotivated either though~¡±

    ¡°The weather¡¯s so nyice~, the grass is so gooooood.¡±

    ¡°I wanna rub my floofy tail though~¡±

    Core No. 629 sighed, not knowing what to do about his whimsical rabbits.

    It was peaceful.

    It was nice spending everyday sunbathing outside, but doing that wouldn¡¯t earn him DP.

    By the way, defeating a grasshopper would give him 1 DP. Locusts would give 5 DP, too. As this meadow was located in an area where not many humans went, grasshopper hunting was important work to earn funds.

    ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    And, just then, he saw a hawk flying through the sky. Hawks were birds of prey, a rabbit¡¯s natural predator.

    They only saw rabbits as food. His dungeon didn¡¯t have an underground floor back when he first started, so many of his fellow rabbits were taken by them, never to return.

    ¡°Oizy byums! Enemy spotted, let¡¯s give it to him!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± ROJYAAAH! ¡°¡±¡±

    If they got caught by the enemy, that would be the end. They assembled into an anti-hawkbat formation.

    Of the three horned rabbits, two were on the ground with one on top of them.

    ¡°Nyukay, I¡¯m going to run away so do nyour best!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Eeeehhh!? ¡°¡±¡±

    ¡°What? If it myanaged to get me the dyungeon would end~¡±

    ¡°Truuuue, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Kyinda cruel?¡±

    ¡°Ah, hyold on, the hawk¡¯s here. Intercept, intercept~!¡±

    The hawk lowered its altitude to attack. Taking their chance, the three rabbits leapt at it.

    Two of them turned into the footstools while the third leapt into an attack. By hopping off of the ground and once again from the backs of the other two, it hurled its body high into the air like a multi-stage rocket.

    This was the secret technique they developed to take down hawks, the Pyon Pyon Attack!

    ¡°Ah¡ªmissed.¡±

    ¡°Whoops.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re dyead~¡±

    But as a one-shot kind of move, it came with the huge gamble of them missing so high up in the air.

    Even though they missed, the hawk returned to the sky to start over after realizing theyunched a counteroffensive.

    ¡°Don¡¯t gyive up! We can still do it!¡±

    ¡°629-sama, run away~!¡±

    ¡°We can dyo it! I¡¯ll be a footstool this time tyoo!¡±

    They quickly assembled into formation once again. This time, Core No. 629 also participated as one of the footstools. The horned rabbits put their feet on Core No. 629¡¯s head and prepared the formation.

    The hawk once against descended and took aim.

    ¡°Now! Pyon Pyon Attack #2!¡±

    ¡°Ah, wyait¡ª¡±

    ¡°Uwaah, whaaat!?¡±

    Their tempo copsed. The hawk descended as though it saw a chance to attack, but the rabbit thatunched into air fell back down and barely managed to hit the hawk with a headbutt from above.

    Falling to the ground, the hawk breathed itsst after a train wreck of various people making various mistakes.

    ¡°While embyarrassing, we did it~¡±

    ¡°Good job. Nyow to groom myself~¡±

    ¡°We can hold our nyears as high as bro!¡±

    The three horned rabbits frolicked about. Core No. 629 decided to shoo them off of his head and on to the ground.

    Upon collecting the hawk¡¯s corpse, his DP increased by 150. A good ie.

    ¡°Hmph, nyot a hard enemy at all! Easy win, easy win.¡±

    ¡°629-sama, nyuu tried running away~¡±

    ¡°Yeah~, nyuu tried running~¡±

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯re nyuuzybyones chattering about¡­ okay, I¡¯ll reward nyuu! Strawberries!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± STRAWBERRIES!! ¡°¡±¡±

    Strawberries were rare delicacies for rabbits. It would be bad for their stomachs if they ate too many, but nothing held more appeal to them as long as they kept it to small amounts.

    He¡¯s gotten an unexpectedly good amount of DP, so splurging a little would be alright. Dungeon Core No. 629 looked over his three horned rabbits in contentment, still unsure of what to do about them.

    ¡°We nyormally only get to eat grass spawner weeds~¡±

    ¡°Those taste good too, but strawberries really do taste the best~!¡±

    ¡°Fuheheh, strawberries, gimme strawberries, gimme gimme~!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright nyow, let¡¯s head byack for strawberries, nkay~?¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± STRAWBERRIES~~~! ¡°¡±¡±

    By the way, this dungeon, [Rabbit Paradise] increased in difficulty as one went lower underground.

    It had magic rabbits, rabbits that acquired the ability to use magic, armor rabbits, rabbits that wore solid armor, as well as soldier rabbits, rabbits that walked on two legs and used both weapons and armor. New adventurers would asionally chase a rabbit and stray into its borders, never to be seen again¡­ its nonreturn rate is 99%, with a 100% nonreturn rate for its underground floors.

    Its a field dungeon that not even the guild knows the location of thanks to that, but for the select few adventurers that love rabbits, this paradise¡¯s existence is gossiped about as gospel.

 Chapter 262

    Preamble

    I fell asleep, woke up, and started to think.

    I¡¯d went about patrolling without any particr reason to do so, but it might not have been needed.

    There weren¡¯t any inquiries from Sia even after me looking around, either.

    ¡­ Calm down, it¡¯s only been a day or two. There¡¯s a good chance that the lord is just building up his strength.

    Or maybe he¡¯s trying to make me feel agitated?

    Gah! The heck man. I¡¯ll just develop a new dungeon boss to get rid of this feeling.

    In truth, it¡¯s an idea I¡¯ve been working on for a while now.

    I¡¯ve made weapons using magic tools, but phenomena caused by magic tools are generally stronger when caused by traps. For example, [Water Source] for producing water or [Fire Trap] for producing mes. I can¡¯t really use superior traps from the DP catalog since I haven¡¯t been using many traps, but they are stillpletely better than magic tools for what they do.

    ¡­ Oh? I can customize traps now, I don¡¯t think that was there before?

    Well, it¡¯s only about as much as being able to somewhat change its effective range when I set it up¡­ alright, let¡¯s finally see if it¡¯s possible for us

    It¡¯ll use up quite a bit of DP, but oh well. It should be fine.

    I can¡¯t set traps up in the Master Room since it¡¯s in the Dungeon Core, so I¡¯ll do it in the boss room.

    First, I¡¯ll test to see if I can put a trap onto a golem.

    I brought an iron golem over into the boss room and opened the catalog.

    ¡­ Yep, no can do. I can¡¯t choose it as the target to set it up on.

    Next: can I set traps up on walls?

    ¡­ That¡¯s normally possible, so I dismantled the iron golem and turned it into and ingot. I then thinned it out and put it onto the wall before trying to see if I could put the trap there.

    I¡¯ll try it out with [Water Source] first¡­. ah, maybe I should use [Fire Trap] instead so I don¡¯t flood the room?

    Seeing firee from the dungeon¡¯s wall, I had the iron roll up into a lid to cover it.

    ¡­ No luck. I was nning on putting [me Traps] into portraits if that worked out, but guess not. Oh well.

    Or perhaps it didn¡¯t work because the iron golem was its mount? ¡­ Well, maybe I could use this to make a sauna in Subus Vige?

    Then, I incidentally noticed that there was an entrybeled [Interior] in the DP catalog.

    Taking a look at what it had, I saw various decorations. They¡¯re probably what you would ornament the interior of a dungeon with.

    I haven¡¯t looked at them at all since I¡¯ve been making all the decorations myself so far, but there¡¯s quite a lot huh¡­ Pirs, walls, paintings¡­ wait, could I¡­?

    I selected the statue (100 DP) I saw and bought it.

    The statue of a goblin holding its sword threateningly before itself appeared in front of me¡­ It cost five goblins¡¯ worth to get a single goblin statue. Normally, there wouldn¡¯t be much of a reason to buy it.

    But this was a stone goblin statue. I could ce traps on it.

    Interior items are apparently considered part of the dungeon, so I could put traps on them.

    ¡­ Seeing a [Fire Trap] spew me from the chest of a goblin is so surreal.

    I used [Create Golem] on the goblin statue and changed its shape. It looked like it would stop activating if I tampered with the spot I installed the trap to, so I altered everything around it into a simple cylindrical shape. It didn¡¯t activate, though.

    Apparently, it recognized what I did as [Destroying] the [Trap].

    And so I tried repairing it with DP.

    A momentter, it appeared to be working nicely, spewing mes from where the cylinder was aimed. Oooh~, it¡¯s a methrower.

    Alright, now I know that traps can be used even if I change their shape.

    That was a big step forward. For example, now I could put a methrower like this into the mouth of a dragon-type golem or something.

    ¡­ Ah, but it doesn¡¯t look like I can install traps on things I¡¯ve already altered with [Create Golem]. So annoying. So I can only repair it like that huh?

    Moreover, the me pir would engulf the cylinder if I made it too thin¡­ I¡¯d end up burning my hand if I did that. Note to self: don¡¯t.

    I tried out customizing the [Fire Trap] by how wide its emission is, but it looks like thirty centimeters is how small it¡¯ll go.

    I can only do the customization when I first make the traps, so I¡¯ll have to think about it all in advance.

    And I discovered another problem.

    When I took the methrower out of the boss room to show it off, it stopped working. However, it went right back to working properly when I brought it back in.

    As a result of a few further verification experiments, it turned out that traps would only activate on the same floor they were installed on.

    The boss room was separated from the rest of its ¡®floor¡¯ so that I could [Install] more monsters in case of an emergency, leading to it not working when I took it out of the boss room.

    I¡¯m thinking that traps are only ever meant to be used as set-it-and-forget-it types and not move around.

    It¡¯s a bit confusing, but I should just remember that traps can only be used inside the same floor they¡¯re made on. Move them away from the floor is banned.

    Well, so long as I keep that shoring in mind, this means that I can make a new golem model that incorporates traps.

    Alright! I¡¯m pumped to make a giant fire-breathing dragon golem, let¡¯s do this!

    Yeah!

    *

    I fell asleep. Good morning.

    I went back to my room and fell asleep after putting some time into the dragon golem.

    I should be able to finish it after one or two weeks of working on it. Either way, no one¡¯s even made it to the boss room.

    ¡°Ah, Kehma. Morning.¡±

    ¡°Morning, Rokuko. Has anyone contacted us from Sia yet?¡±

    ¡°Nope, it¡¯s great.¡±

    Muu.

    I get that I did what I wanted, but now I can¡¯t help but feel anxious over when it¡¯ll happen. Thanks to that, I was only able to sleep eight hoursst night.

    I told him he could use my name for a month, so maybe nothing will happen if I leave them alone for the next month?

    In other words¡ª

    ¡ªI¡¯m going to feel like this for a month?

    Give me a break. Seriously?

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s attack Sia.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Kehma? I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying, exin please?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll exin.¡±

    Attacking them really would be a bit hasty.

    But I have to do something from my end, don¡¯t I¡­?

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. What do you think I should do?¡±

    ¡°Leave it alone?¡±

    Rokuko answered like it was someone else¡¯s problem. I mean, that was my original intention¡­

    ¡°But I¡¯ll think about it if I¡¯m thinking about it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re saying¡­ but in that case, um, how should I say it? Can¡¯t you forget about it if something elsees up?¡±

    Something else, huh¡­ either way, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep.

    There being nothing going on is always going to be the best¡­

    ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s almost time for Wataru toe by, huh.¡±

    ¡°Should we give Nerune a special holiday when he gets here? He¡¯s a good way to get information.¡±

    For some reason, I had a faint, yet certain hunch.

    ¡­ Wataru was going to be bringing us an extraordinarily unfortunate story.

 Chapter 263

    The (Former) ¡°Kuh, kill me!¡± Female Knight

    After a few more days of Sia not contacting us, Wataru arrived.

    He brought a woman.

    I figured I¡¯d see him after he finished this month¡¯s debt repayment¡­ so, in the parlor, sitting next to him opposite of me was a girl sitting upright with a strangely good posture. She had blonde hair and her ears were pointed.

    Yeah, an elf.

    ¡°¡­ So, who¡¯s this? Your new lover? You were just ying around with Nerune?¡±

    ¡°No! I¡¯m serious about her!¡±

    Serious huh. Nerune¡¯s only interested in researching stuff about magic, she doesn¡¯t feel anything likepassion.

    I¡¯d tried asking her about what happened with Wataru, but she only replied with something that made me even more confused: [Eh, Wataru¡­? Oh, oooh~. I know~, tasty~].

    I don¡¯t really understand what she meant by tasty there, but I do get that she¡¯s not looking at him as a love interest at least.

    By the way, I also think that Wataru¡¯s tasty¡ªas far as ie is concerned. He even buys rice.

    ¡°This girl is the daughter of an acquaintance, umm, could you introduce yourself?¡±

    ¡°Yes! I am the eldest daughter of my esteemed father Dyne Kukkoro, my name in Shikina Kukkoro! I am a knight from the Fourth Chivalric Knight Order of the Raverio Empire¡­ or at least¡­ I was¡­¡±

    She was so lively there at the start, but ended weakly.

    Seeing as how it¡¯s past tense, I guess she was discharged?

    ¡°So, what¡¯s this former Knight-sama doing here?¡±

    ¡°Well, in truth, I¡¯d like Kehma-san to train Shikina-chan. I mean, you¡¯re a bit underhanded yeah?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with you calling me underhanded? How rude.¡±

    ¡°No no, I wasplimenting you. Shikina-chan here had to resign from the chivalric order because she was too honest.¡±

    She was so honest that she had to resign from being a knight? What kind of rotten chivalry is that¡­ ah, so it¡¯s Haku-san¡¯s eh?

    ¡°¡­ How do you fight if you¡¯re too honest? It turns into a weakness, she won in a duel against the First Chivalric Knight Order¡¯s captain and was forced to resign. It¡¯s not like the whole organization is corrupt though!¡±

    The heck¡­ wait, First Chivalric Order¡¯s captain? If I recall, isn¡¯t that Sally-san? [1]

    Yep, even it rotting wouldn¡¯t be strange.

    ¡°Which is why I thought she should be a bit more unfair¡ªunderhanded, I mean.I think that she¡¯d do well learning some tricks but she¡¯s just so honest that it¡¯s a bit hard. So then when I told her about you, Kehma-san, she said she really wanted to learn from you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re better off leaving the knights, if you stay you¡¯ll just get defeated by some orc and turned into a nursery¡ªis what she told me. But then she said that I could go back if I learned how to be underhanded! SO! Please be my teacher, Kehma-dono!¡± [2]

    ¡°¡­ I really don¡¯t get why I¡¯m getting brought into this though.¡±

    ¡°Everything near Kehma-san is polluted to some degree or another¡­ hmm, maybe it¡¯s more like they get polluted?¡±

    Oi. You didn¡¯t have to correct yourself.

    ¡°What¡¯s with you treating me like some kind of poison? It¡¯s annoying, either you start paying interest on your debt or you buy double the amount of rice. Your choice.¡±

    ¡°See, Kehma-san¡¯s the kind of person that can say that kind of stuff like it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Yes! That is exactly what I¡¯mcking the most!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m doubling your debt.¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait wait! Forgive me, I¡¯ll buy double the rice!¡±

    ¡°Oh well, guess I¡¯ll let you off the hook.¡±

    Thanks for your patronage.

    ¡°Kehma-san, you talk like that, but you¡¯re kind. Please see what you can do about this girl¡¯s problem.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s something else entirely.¡±

    ¡°If the problem¡¯s about a tuition fee, I can provide two gold coins per month as well as food expenses.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not about the money.¡±

    Two gold coins was basically around two million yen, so that was an attractive offer. [3]

    But we have a secret here¡ªthe dungeon, I can¡¯t take on too many people, the less the better.

    ¡­ The two part-timers, you say? Well, they¡¯re basically already people rted to dungeons.

    ¡°Is there anything you can do, Kehma-san? Could you do it for me?¡±

    ¡°Why would I do it for you? You¡¯re basically just an annoyance at this point¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, Kehma-dono, I will do anything!¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    She said that she¡¯d do anything.

    I looked at Shikina once more. A blonde elf with a full bust and nice thighs. Supple legs. White socks that go up to her knees. And leather boots that look a bit stuffy. I wonder, did she walk here?

    ¡­ Anything, huh~? Anyone~, hooh~, hmmm~

    ¡°Hmm, anything, you say? To what limit does that offer go?¡±

    ¡°There is no limit! I would do this and that, as well as that and this!¡±

    ¡°Could you be specific, then?¡±

    ¡°D-do you intend for me to say¡­ say something so embarrassing, Master!?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? You said you¡¯d do anything, that includes speaking. Be sure to tell me in a big, loud voice I can hear you properly with.¡±

    ¡°T-that¡¯s¡ªalright! Then I will say it!¡±

    Then, with a very loud voice, Shikina said [Exactly] what she meant.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright even if you OOOO my XXXX, even YYYY in my VVVV if you desire, no, rather I would desire it! Furthermore¡ª!¡±

    And what she said all had to do with R-18 things.

    I think it¡¯s safe to say that what she said froze my brain from hearing it said so directly. The shame easily shaved a few seconds off my life.

    ¡°¡ªand if Kehma-dono tells me to I would eveny with a goblin! I would do it with a face like I won¡¯t want to under the guise of being ordered but I would definitely feel a faint arousal from it!! I would eventually XXX its OOO out of my own want to do so!!!¡±

    ¡°STOP! You don¡¯t need to continue!¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªare you sure!? I-I still have a ways to go until I reach my climax!¡±

    ¡°Please shut up, please!¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Shikina, closing her mouth, was breathing heavily with a flushed face, looking almost as if she wanted to say: [I finished~].

    Seeing that, Wataru was grinning from ear to ear.

    ¡°So, Kehma-san. You have to be her master now that you¡¯ve made her go that far, yeah? She may not look it but she is the daughter of a pretty influential noble, so it might be bad if you don¡¯t~¡±

    ¡°You¡­ that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t stop her? Rather, wouldn¡¯t it work out if she just stuck with you?¡±

    ¡°Hahahah, I¡¯m earnest about Nerune-san, I can¡¯t have another woman with me. I also have my work as a hero, Shikina-chan would definitely die if I brought her with me. Besides, it¡¯s because of your influence that I turned out like this, Kehma-san. It¡¯d obviously be better for her to be closer to the source, right? Right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Dammit. Alright, I give it! But for being such a burden, I¡¯m charging you five gold a month!¡±

    ¡°Good, negotiationpleted.¡±

    Even though I¡¯d added an extra three gold into the demand, Wataru just smiled and ced the gold coins on the table. You nned on paying that much from the start, didn¡¯t you?

    ¡­ Haah. Oh well. The one who said how much was me and he did pay it. I¡¯ll just have to keep my word.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this great, Shikina-chan? Make sure to call Kehma-san ¡®Master¡¯ from now on.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you very much, Wataru-sensei! I look forward to learning from you, Master Kehma!¡±

    Immediately after Shikina bowed, Rokuko burst into the room were were in with an amazing force.

    Rokuko¡¯s face was red, did she hear that embarrassing stuff from a bit ago?

    ¡°Kehmaaaaaaa! I need to talk to you!!¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence, I need to talk to you too.¡±

    Now then, how should I start exining¡­ yeah, I¡¯m getting a headache.

    Footnotes:

    Sally-san is, in Keima¡¯s words, ¡°a Living Armor Onee-san¡±. One of Haku¡¯s party members. Return

    Her family name, Kukkoro, is a pun off of a hentai trope. Kukkorose, ¡°Kuh, kill me!¡± As in ¡°Let me die with honor, not as some sex ve!¡± Return

    2,000,000 yen ~ $20,000.

 Chapter 264

    Guess We¡¯re Having Some Duels?

    ¡­ Come to think of it, I should make the dungeon go even deeper, shouldn¡¯t I? Let¡¯s make a haniwa, a haniwa, I say!

    I started thinking about that in attempt to escape reality.

    I wonder if, in my attempt to do so, I instinctively started thinking about ways to strengthen my shut-in lifestyle.

    ¡°So Kehma, you don¡¯t really, umm, want to assault me or anyone with a goblin or something like that, right?¡±

    ¡°Obviously, she just went off and said that herself.¡±

    ¡°Sir! I did not! Master told me to say it!¡±

    ¡°Oh shut up, I get why you were fired from the knights.¡±

    ¡°Sir! I will be silent and not say anything I don¡¯t need to!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Haaah, well alright. I trust Kehma.¡±

    And so I was able to quickly clear up the misunderstanding with Rokuko. Thanks for trusting me.

    ¡°So, who¡¯s? Did something troublesomee along? Wataru, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice, you didn¡¯t ignore me. Weeeell, to be honest, this girl here¡¯s my acquaintance¡¯s daughter and I¡¯m wanting Kehma-san to train her. It is Kehma-san, after all. Rokuko-san, you think Kehma-san¡¯s amazing too yeah?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Yeah, that¡¯s Kehma-san for you.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san is so amazing you can¡¯t help but feel like relying on him right?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s Kehma-san for you. Fufufu.¡±

    Rokuko started to take pride in it, like he was talking about her.

    I do feel like he¡¯s cheating me, but I¡¯ll just keep quiet and see what happens since her epting me taking on the girl as an apprentice is convenient. Man, Wataru¡¯s gotten pretty good at this too.

    ¡°Oh well then I guess, we can house her in the inn¡­ though she¡¯s not to go into the Vige Chief¡¯s house, it¡¯d put Kehma¡¯s chastity at sake.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it great, Shikina-chan? We got Rokuko-san¡¯s permission too!¡±

    ¡°Sir! Thank you so much, Rokuko-dono!¡±

    Looks like their discussion wrapped itself up.

    *

    I decided to introduce the newbie to everyone else.

    Rokuko went to her room after saying that she was going to make a new shift table incorporating Shikina and Wataru headed off to get in the hot spring, so neither of them were present.

    Rei, Kinue-san, and Nerune were all currently working, so I put off introducing her to them¡­ and thankfully, everyone else was already gathered in the backyard.

    When I went there, Meat and Setsuna seemed to have just finished having a practice duel and were epting towels and water bottles from Ichika and Nayuta.

    ¡°Oh, Goshujin-sama. Yae to check out the trainin¡¯? Or maybe ya came to do somethin¡¯ indecent~?¡±

    ¡°Why would you think that¡­¡±

    ¡°Cause I heard that passionate scream a bit ago, wonder what that was about? Hmm?¡±

    Meat nodded deeply, following up on Ichika¡¯s remarks.

    ¡­ Ah, so it was audible outside after all? Well, I guess I realized that after Rokuko came bursting in.

    ¡°That was just a misunderstanding. Uhh, well, it turned into us getting a new resident. Wataru¡¯s acquaintance¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Sir! I am my excellent father¡¯s, Dyne Kukkoro¡¯s, eldest daughter, Shikina Kukkoro! I have be Master Kehma¡¯s apprentice! Pleased to meet you!¡±

    ¡°¡­ She said that she¡¯d do anything, so I¡¯m going to have her work at the inn. Please teach her how to after this.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, anythin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°When I asked her exactly what she meant, it turned into what you heard earlier¡­ Ichika, please stop grinning like that, I don¡¯t n on doing any of that.¡±

    ¡°Whaaat, I thought you¡¯d finally got some interest in someone other than Rokuko-sama or Meat-senpai though!¡±

    I don¡¯t get what you¡¯re talking about¡­

    ¡°By the way, did you two just have a duel? I would like to take part too!¡±

    ¡°Ooh! You talk the talk, can you walk the walk!? I¡¯ll take you on then! You use a weapon? We have wooden swords.¡±

    As our resident battle junkie, Setsuna pounced on her offer like a wolf.

    She sure is pretty energetic after just finishing a duel with Meat.

    ¡°I will ept your offer and use a wooden sword. I will show you a Raverio Imperial Knight¡¯s swordsmanship! I may look as I do¡­ but I was once a knight, I am confident in my skill!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hold back then!¡±

    Setsuna took a stance. Standing opposite her, Shikina held up her wooden sword and did the same.

    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡±

    ¡°Yep, me too¡ªoh right, I¡¯m Setsuna, heya.¡±

    Even though the duel already began, Shikina was quickly defeated.

    ¡°I-I admit defeat¡­ I cannot move my arms nor my legs.¡±

    ¡°How should I put it¡­? You¡¯re way too formal, way too easy to fight.¡±

    ¡°I have heard that very thing for a long time, it is my pride!¡±

    No, that¡¯s not apliment¡­

    ¡°Setsuna-dono is much too strong. I may look as I do, but I have been told that I have the potential to be around B-Rank.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Why not try fighting me next then? I can only fight at a C-Rank level though.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please! Excuse me, what was your name?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s Nayuta, my voluptuously boing boing little sister!¡±

    ¡°My best regards, Setsuna-dono¡¯s voluptuously boing boing little sister Nayuta-dono!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m voluptuously boing boing¡­?¡±

    The next one she challenged was Nayuta. I didn¡¯t think she was much of a fighter, but I guess she can? That¡¯s a bit unexpected.

    By the way, nobody denied Setsuna¡¯s im of her sister being voluptuously boing boing.

    ¡­ The result was Nayuta¡¯s perfect victory.

    She took a distance from her opponent, threw stones, sand, kept mercilessly aiming for her eyes, used magic, as well as use other sneaky and cruel methods, resulting in her perfect victory.

    ¡°Ugwoooh, my eyes, my eeeeeyes!¡±

    ¡°Underhanded. As expected of Nayuta, underhanded. Heal this person¡¯s wounds, [Healing].¡±

    ¡°Aaah, phew. Thank you, Master¡­ I-I should have been able to¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you could have won if you were able to properly exhibit your potential.¡±

    ¡°That is right! I have the potential!¡±

    No, she¡¯s saying that she defeated you that soundly because she kept you from doing anything.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯d be a good opponent? Ah, I¡¯m Ichika, yo.¡±

    ¡°Sir! Please do!¡±

    And thus is was a fight against Ichika this time.

    The fight went on with them feeling like their strength was evenly match.

    But in the end, Ichika came out on top.

    ¡°I-I admit defeat¡­¡±

    ¡°Phew. It¡¯s amusin¡¯ ya got caught by that feint. I think ya¡¯d get stronger if you could handle ¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°Father said that to me many times! Feints are my eternal homework!¡±

    No, that means you¡¯re supposed to ovee them.

    I used [Healing] on her again, just in case.

    ¡°I will bring shame upon the imperial knights if I can¡¯t¡­ th-then I just need to win at least once, right! Tiny one! Have a duel with me!¡±

    ¡°Okay. Fine.¡±

    ¡°I will not go easy on you!¡±

    It goes without saying, but the result of her duel with Meat ended in Meat¡¯splete victory.

    ¡°Whyyyy!?¡±

    ¡°No, Kuro-chan here¡¯s so strong she can win against me maybe three out of every five bouts now.¡±

    ¡°Haha, Senpai¡¯s kiddy looks made ya underestimate her huh?¡±

    Eh, Meat¡¯s gotten strong enough to win against Setsuna? Kids grow up so fast.

    I pat Meat gently on the head. Her ears and tail wiggled.

    ¡°W-wasn¡¯t Setsuna-dono the strongest one here?¡±

    ¡°Eh? If you want to talk about the strongest person among us, that¡¯d be Vige Chief Kehma. I lost against him and have never won.¡±

    ¡°What!? As expected of Master!¡±

    We agreed that that was a draw¡­

 Chapter 265

    (Nothing Really Happens)

    ¡°For me to be the weakest¡­¡±

    Having been thoroughly defeated by the duels, Shikina seemed to havepletely lost confidence in herself.

    I don¡¯t think I can help her when ites tobat, so I¡¯ll leave it to those four. She¡¯ll get stronger sooner orter just by dueling them.

    And if she doesn¡¯t, I dunno. I became her master, but uhh, I wasn¡¯t told what to do.

    In other words, if I feel like it, I can just insist I¡¯m the sleeping master and y asleep!

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t have to be strong. You came to me to learn, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, that¡¯s true!¡±

    And she quickly pepped back up. Her ability to be so positive is a little enviable.

    *

    A little whileter, I introduced her to Rei and the others.

    She was surprised to see Neru¡¯s doll (a golem possessed by the ring subus) sitting at the counter, but she was able to greet her.

    I was relieved that she didn¡¯t assault her right off the bat for being a monster.

    ¡°Nerune-dono and Neru-dono have simr names, I might mix them up!¡±

    It looks like Shikina is the type of person to say whatever¡¯s on her mind.

    I guess that¡¯s just another reason why she was forced to resign from being a knight.

    ¡°By the way, Master¡­ Will Shikina-san be another body pillow? It¡¯s not as though you¡¯ve ever called for us, though¡­¡±

    ording to Rei, the dining room also heard Shikina¡¯s shouts from earlier.

    ¡­ In other words, it appears that most of the inn¡¯s guests heard it. Uwaah, there¡¯s going to be more rumors now. Like the Brute Vige Chief or Erotic Vige Chief.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about. Besides, you know that with the way you said that, it could be taken as you and the others wanting to be body pillows right?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, umm. Right, that¡¯s not what I, uhh¡­ It might be presumptuous of me, but I think the order¡ªumm, her rank is important.

    Wait, she really wants to be my body pillow?

    ¡­ The top rank bes my body pillow? What the heck lead to that, oi. It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve known Meat for a while and she¡¯s convenient, it has nothing to do with body pillows.

    ¡°Master Kehma, Rei-dono and the others certainly wish to be body pillows! Rei-dono wishes to be embraced and she indeed has aura of a good girl. Kinue-dono seems soft and fluffy, as well as have the smell about her of freshly baked bread. Nerune-dono is both simple and cute¡­ however, she smells of medicine. And since Neru-dono smells of iron, you may be able to have fun dreaming of a battlefield. You may be crushed if she turns over in bed, though.¡±

    ¡°You can shut up now?¡±

    ¡°Sir! I will now shut up and not say anything that I shouldn¡¯t!¡±

    You¡¯ve already said plenty enough¡­ seriously.

    ¡°Although it may be a misunderstanding on my part, I generally don¡¯t intend on using anyone but Meat as my body pillow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand.¡±

    Rei suddenly bowed her head. By the way, I used [generally] there because Rokuko sometimeses along.

    After the partner deration thing, she sometimeses bringing the godlyforter with her.

    But I¡¯m afraid of that divine retribution, so I don¡¯t use the godlyforter. I just stroke it and enjoy the best touch sensation in the world¡­ please spare me, please¡­

    Rokuko always tells me it¡¯s OK because we¡¯re partners, but she doesn¡¯t have any basis for it.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Nerune-dono is Wataru-sensei¡¯s sweetheart, isn¡¯t she? She has a simple cuteness to her! I understand why Wataru-sensei likes her.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh~, is that so~?¡±

    ¡°It is! There have been many instances of self-proimeddies always attempting to dress up for him in the capital. He has had me make appearances to act as repents against them.¡±

    ¡°I see~, Shikina-san, please tell me more about that~¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    Ooh? Is Nerune actually¡­ interested in Wataru?

    No, she¡¯s probably just thinking about ways to extort information from him. Nerune looks like a pure country girl, but she¡¯s actually a ck-bellied miss.

    It¡¯ll definitely give us new information on the imperial capital and the hero. Aah, so good.

    Like that, Wataru, havinge to enjoy the hot spring, was quickly toyed around with by Nerune.

    Thanks for the meal.

    *

    ¡°Haah, today was incredibly enlightening¡­¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good.¡±

    At the end of the day, I was drinking tea in the inn¡¯s employee lounge.

    It had a Japaneseyout with a kotatsu over tatami mats, so it was cosy.

    Well, now¡¯s not the time of year for a full kotatsu, so it was just a thin sheet. It was still a kotatsu, though. The heating function itself was off, of course. Maybe I should make it have a cooling function, too?

    ¡°Guess it¡¯s around time for me to head back to my room and get some sleep.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are going to bed? I shall apany you.¡±

    And just as I got out from under the kotatsu, Shikina did the same.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Why?¡±

    That¡¯s strange, Shikina should already have a room of her own prepared, what¡¯s she saying?

    ¡°It is so that I can study each and every one of Master¡¯s actions by sleeping in the same room¡­?¡±

    ¡°It troubles me that you say that so naturally¡­¡±

    ¡°But that teeny¡ªKuroinu-dono is alright?¡±

    With that, Shikina pointed to Meat, who was standing next to me.

    Meat is alright, she¡¯s Meat. She is my super important body pillow, after all.

    ¡°Moreover, Kuroinu-dono herself said that she¡¯s gotten stronger since she began to sleep with you¡­!¡±

    It¡¯s true that Meat¡¯s definitely gotten stronger sincest year, but there¡¯s no causal rtionship between that and her sleeping with me¡­ there isn¡¯t, right?

    It¡¯s just thanks to the clothes golem, right?

    I nced over to Meat. She, either due to knowing what I was thinking or not, nodded.

    Yep, she definitely doesn¡¯t know what I want to say.

    ¡°Rather, Rokuko said that you aren¡¯t to enter the Vige Chief¡¯s House. Give it up.¡±

    ¡°Sir! Come to think of it, she did say that. I shall give it up!¡±

    Shikina returned to the room prepared for her when I said that.

    Her ludicrous honesty and obedience made her give it up so quickly that it felt almost like she was scheming something.

    ¡­ By the way, she really did give up. The next day came without anything happening.

 Chapter 266

    Wanna Go to the Dungeon?

    ¡°Master Kehma! What will we be doing today!?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be diving into the dungeon.¡±

    I decided to try out taking Shikina into the dungeon in hopes that she¡¯d be the person I can push whatever jobs Gozoh brings to me about heading into the dungeon.

    By the way, I¡¯m bringing along Meat as well, making us a three-person party. It¡¯s just a stroll for Meat and I though.

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ll be going into a dungeon! I have exterminated monsters on many asions, though!¡±

    ¡°That so? Well, make sure to keep an eye out for traps.¡±

    ¡°Yes, of cou¡ª-I sprained my ankle!¡±

    Oi. I just told you.

    Helping Shikina out of the pitfall trap, I used [Healing] on her.

    ¡°Could you not get caught by a trap immediately after I tell you not to¡­?¡±

    ¡°I am ashamed. I wouldn¡¯t be hurt like this if I had my magic sword.¡±

    ¡°Magic sword? They can have functions as convenient as that?¡±

    ¡°My beloved sword, Sion, has the effect of being able to negate damage.¡±

    Eh, isn¡¯t that game breaking?

    ¡°Why not use it if it¡¯s that useful?¡±

    ¡°So I can use it!? I¡¯ll use it then.¡±

    With that, Shikina unsheathed the sword at her waist.

    It was a steel sword. Its handle was fitted with a tear-shaped blue magic stone. So this is Sion, then?

    ¡°I have been told to avoid using it if at all possible.¡±

    ¡°Does it have a huge downside to it? Like you take all of the damage it negatester on?¡±

    ¡°Nothing like that. It¡¯s just that my clothes take the damage when I am hit. Using my sprained ankle from before as an example¡­ I¡¯d have holes in my socks.¡±

    So in other words, the sword transfers the damage to her clothing.

    ¡­ The f*ck is that magic sword!?

    ¡°Also, if I take a fatal hit it causes me to immediately be naked.¡±

    ¡°What a powerful magic sword, very powerful¡­¡±

    ¡°It certainly is useful, but it is not a sword a father would want his daughter to use.¡±

    Obviously¡­!

    ¡°Well, when you¡¯re on the battlefield, I¡¯d just end up dead if I worried about being naked, so I use it freely!¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. Just be careful, yeah? Ah, hold up, that door¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Huh? Uwaaah!?¡±

    Stabbed by a sword that popped through the door, a portion of her clothing disappeared. Even though it was her upper body that took the hit, what took the damage was her skirt.

    ¡­ It¡¯s true that it keeps her body unharmed, but isn¡¯t she going to steadily run out of clothes at this rate?

    ¡°¡­ Shikina, stay behind Meat and I. Meat, please teach her about these traps.¡±

    ¡°I-I will. Thank you, senpai.¡±

    ¡°Okay. First off¡ª¡±

    Then, even with Meat¡¯s guidance, one thing lead to another and she got caught in another trap, dealing serious damage to her skirt.

    ¡°How¡¯d that even happen?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It happened while I was helping her, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kuh, please don¡¯t look so intently, Master!¡±

    Fidgeting around, Shikina hid her underwear with her hands.

    Even Meat looked apologetic¡­ no, Meat, you did well. It¡¯s her fault for getting caught in a trap, not yours.

    ¡°Well, hide your underwear at least. Here, use this.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, thank you. But Master, I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s you peeking.¡±

    Sure, seeing her thighs peeking through her tattered skirt is charming, but I¡¯m not starving for it or anything.

    What I pulled out from my satchel (what I secretly bought with DP) and passed to Shikina was a cloth to tie around her waist.

    ¡°Master is well prepared¡­ it¡¯s almost as if you knew that my skirt would be torn!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say something so weird. I only brought the cloth in case we had to bandage an arm or use as a tourniquet or something. Rather, why don¡¯t you bring spare clothes if yours break so easily?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh! That¡¯s a good idea!¡±

    Idiot. That¡¯s the obvious thing to do if you¡¯re worried about your clothes breaking.

    ¡°As long as I have recement clothes, I can take as much damage as I want! As expected of Master! I¡¯ll immediately buy more when we return.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just make sure to buy old, secondhand stuff. Think of them as your remaining lives.¡±

    ¡°Remaining lives! What an urate phrase! In other words, so long as I have remaining lives, I don¡¯t need to worry about traps!¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t fall for traps in the first ce. Pay attention to them!¡±

    With that, I noticed two goblins somewhat near us.

    She was defeated in all of the duels yesterday, so let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t raise her spirit by having her fight off goblins, the representatives of all small fry monsters.

    ¡°Oi, there are goblinsing from over there. Can you take them yourself?¡±

    ¡°Sir! I can!¡±

    Urging the goblins over to be sacrifices, I urged Shikina to prepare for a fight.

    The two goblins soon arrived.

    ¡°I¡¯ming! Deeeeryaaa!¡±

    ¡°Gobu¡ª!?¡±

    The first goblin was cut cleanly in two, beautifully even.

    The second goblin, seeing that, brandished its club.

    ¡°Toooooryaaaa!¡±

    The goblin blocked her sword with its club.

    However, Magic Sword Sion broke through it and cut through the goblin¡ªor not.

    A weirdly disagreeable sound echoing out, Shikina took a step back.

    ¡°Guh!? Dang!¡±

    ¡°Oi, weren¡¯t you supposed to have the potential for a B-Rank? What are you struggling against a goblin for?¡±

    ¡°Th-this is nothing! Seeeiya!¡±

    Following the sound of metal passing through flesh, the goblin¡¯s head fell off. Its headless body fell to the floor.

    ¡°¡­ I won!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ So, what was that strange sound? It sounded like it came from your sword.¡±

    ¡°Ugu. It¡¯s as you say. It may have cracked from the battle just now¡­¡±

    When I took a look, there was a crack about half the sword¡¯s width from hitting the club.

    ¡°Yes, it will break after just one or two more full-strength swings.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ even though it¡¯s such a great magic sword. Unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°Really. I won¡¯t be able to use it until tomorrow, now.¡±

    ¡­ Hm?

    ¡°It repairs?¡±

    ¡°Sion breaking happens a lot. It will repair so long as I re-sheathe it.¡±

    The heck. It can even repair itself? So cool¡­ wait.

    ¡°You said that sword breaks often?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It will break as soon as I attempt to cut through something too hard, so I have to make sure it slices through cleanly.¡±

    Is it made of ss or something?

    Now all I can think about is her equipment growing tattered and her sword breaking with a [Shiiing], leaving her unhurt due to its effect.

    ¡°¡­ So that means iron golems and the like are basically your worst match-up?¡±

    ¡°Iron¡¯s alright if I cut through it. Personally, I find goblin clubs to be much more difficult to handle. Rather, golems are easy. It¡¯d break if I ever made a mistake though.¡±

    She just said that cutting through iron is easy. What.

    As an aside, it sounds like Meat¡¯s able to cut through iron as well. You two are amazing.

 Chapter 267

    Yeah, Let¡¯s Go to the Dungeon

    ¡°Right, so why don¡¯t you dual wield swords?¡±

    ¡°Two, swords¡­!? I would be twice as strong!¡±

    Simple girl, two-sword style isn¡¯t so simple. There¡¯s various matters to it, like physical strength.

    But just to have her try it, I lent her the golem de that was my reserve weapon.

    However, it didn¡¯t work out well when she tried swinging it.

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m still not used to it. Fighting with just one sword is ingrained in me¡­ ah.¡±

    During one of her swings, the golem de broke in half. It was practically new, but it just suddenly happened¡­ is it one of Sion¡¯s effects?

    Looks like two-sword style¡¯s impossible for her. Sion seems to be a rather jealous magic sword.

    It¡¯d probably break anything that doesn¡¯t have [Indestructible] or something simr.

    ¡°I-I broke Master¡¯s magic sword¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry about it though. I¡¯ll bill you for that separately.¡±

    ¡°Y-you¡¯re demanding money for it even though you just said to not worry!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re rich, it¡¯s not like you need to be frugal.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I-I¡¯ll pay with my body!¡±

    The moment Shikina dered that, Meat nonchntly stood between Shikina and I.

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ senpai? Why?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°It is my burden to bear, I cannot trouble my house!¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°¡­ M-Master¡­!¡±

    I patted Meat on the head and poked Shikina on the forehead.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sell your body so cheaply. I¡¯ll let you off until you¡¯re sessful in your career. If you don¡¯t want to trouble your house, make sure topensate me yourself.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes!¡±

    ¡°Meat, you have noints either, yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°If you make a move on someone, I think there is already someone you should do so for first.¡±

    I-is she talking about Rokuko? She is my partner, after all.

    After that, we went hunting for an iron golem for Shikina to carry back under the guise of training.

    ¡°[Body Enhancement]¡ª! Fuuuunu!¡±

    I honestly expected it to be impossible for her to carry back the human-sized lump of iron, but she was able to shoulder its weight through the help of her skill. She had to re-cast it every thirty seconds though.

    Even Gozoh, a dwarf, has to use a cart. Skills are amazing.

    ¡­ Maybe it¡¯s also possible that Shikina¡¯s simplicity is amazing?

    *

    ¡°Well, this and that happened, but we figured out that it¡¯ll be useful for us to acquire a massive amount of clothing. Also, I should be able to push off Gozoh¡¯s iron golem hunting to Shikina.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Rokuko came to my room, so I told her about what happened today.

    By the way, Shikina copsed out of exhaustion after bringing the iron golem back out of the dungeon.

    As expected, using the [Body Enhancement] skill in rapid session like that was hard on her body. I asked Ichika about it, she said that normally it¡¯s a bad thing to not allow for some cooldown time. I decided to let her rest for the day.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. When you, umm, when you saw Shikina¡¯s clothes tear up¡­ y-you didn¡¯t get excited, right?¡±

    ¡°Nope, not at all. She doesn¡¯t have an ounce of seductiveness to her at all, unfortunately. Even though the base materials are so nice¡­¡±

    Yeah. Blonde elf, (former) female knight, boobs, butt, and great legs¡­ even though they¡¯re all so good, her mouth ruins it all.

    She¡¯d be cute if she just shut up.

    I took another look at Rokuko.

    Blonde hair, a doubly tasty existence for being able to be big despite being a loli right now, white knee socks going up her legs, and well-shaped feet. She even has a cute red tint on the sole of her foot (important).

    By the way, what I like about feet¡ªthe soles in particr¡ªis the [Padding] portion. The ce that looks like tiny meatballs on cats and dogs.

    I love rounded toes and the plump area right where they meet the foot¡ªah. I got caught up by the seeing them up so close. Got off topic there¡­ I really can¡¯t overstate how squishy and great they look.

    ¡°Rokuko also has some great materials~¡±

    ¡°What, so I have something you don¡¯t like as well¡­? Out with it.¡±

    ¡°No, not really, Rokuko.¡±

    Honestly, I¡¯m not dissatisfied at all. She¡¯s adorable and I don¡¯t dislike her slightly foolish personality.

    She¡¯s also a straightforward, hardworking person. Her good points have been increasingtely, too.

    There¡¯s a difference in our lifespans, but that just means she¡¯d look young for my entire life yeah? I¡¯d feel guilty for dying first, but my time wille when ites.

    And above all, she¡¯s said that she likes me.

    Yep, to be honest, I like Rokuko too.

    ¡­ However, she has a super scary Onee-san whoes as a package deal.

    I¡¯m pretty sure that Haku-san will be watching me so long as I¡¯m inside the empire.

    In that case, it might be a good idea for me to leave the country. I¡¯ve also had Wakoku on my mind for a while.

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko¡­ want to go on a trip to another country this time?¡±

    ¡°Eh, Kehma? Are you alright? Do you have a fever? Have you been sleeping?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is me saying something like that so strange?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Kehma, you don¡¯t even leave your bed if you can avoid it. There¡¯s no way you¡¯d say something like going to another country without a good reason.¡±

    A smile appeared on my face. She reeeeally gets me.

    ¡°Right, maybe I¡¯m feeling a bit off because of that stupid elf. Maybe I¡¯ll turn in for the day.¡±

    ¡°Ah, want to use the Godly Comforter then? I cane too if it¡¯s right now.¡±

    ¡°Using it without you there is scary¡­¡±

    By the way, I tried out having a goblin use the godlyforter on its own as an experiment. It dried up and died.

    Even though Rokuko said that it¡¯d be alright so long as she gave permission.

    ording to her, she said that she didn¡¯t want anyone other than me to use it¡­ but it¡¯s so dangerous that I don¡¯t want to use it so easily.

    ¡°Hey, could we sleep together today?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Separate beds. Bring your own.¡±

    ¡°By the way, Kehma, please tell me about what that OOO thing the elf said is~¡±

    ¡°Mmm, don¡¯t say that word, it¡¯s vulgar. Particrly in front of Haku-san, that¡¯s definitely a no.¡±

    If you really want to know about it, ask Ichika¡­ No, I might get killed because of Ichika then? Rokuko, please stay pure, please.

 Chapter 268

    The Waitress and a Secret

    Today, Shikina was waiting tables in the dining room.

    Can this disappointing elf actually do her job properly and take the shifts Rokuko set for her? I had my doubts about that, so I decided to observe her through Menu-san¡¯s monitor function.

    ¡°Thank you for waiting!¡±

    With a bang, Shikina ced a set meal on the table.

    Seeing that, Ichika, the one working together with her as her teacher, drew an eyebrow.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Shikina, would it hurt to do it a bit more carefully? Yer not doin¡¯ it right at all.¡±

    ¡°Sir! Understood!¡±

    With that, she ced the next one down carefully.

    In fact, she did it so carefully that it took her almost thirty seconds to put the dishes on the table ever-so-soundlessly.

    ¡°Slow! Do it faster! Do it carefully and quickly!¡±

    ¡°Sir! Understood!¡±

    With that, she alternated between going too slow and too hard back and forth until finally settling into doing it with just the right mix of both.

    ¡°¡­ Alright! Don¡¯t forget how ya did that!¡±

    ¡°Sir! Thank you very much, instructor!¡±

    Shikina spoke and saluted her.

    The guest adventurers all started to p for some reason. I guess they see Shikina giving it her all at being a waitress favorably.

    ¡°Maaan, how cute. Ya got a boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t have a boyfriend, but I am Master Kehma¡¯s apprentice!¡±

    ¡°An elf huh? Pretty rare around these parts, where¡¯d yae from?¡±

    ¡°The imperial capital! I came to be Master Kehma¡¯s apprentice!¡±

    ¡°You got a nice ass there, I wanna p it around.¡±

    ¡°The only person who can p me around is Master Kehma!¡±

    Shikina even answered the adventurers¡¯ questions with her all.

    ¡°The Vige Chief again, eh?¡±

    ¡°I know, right? All of the vige¡¯s beauties flock to Kehma-san.¡±

    ¡°At least share one of them with us¡­¡±

    And so some hate got directed toward me. The elf¡¯s just saying all that on her own, cut it out.

    Besides, there¡¯s that Guild Receptionist-san if you want a beauty, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯re all just going for me.

    ¡°Ooooh? Dear customer, ya sure ya should be sayin¡¯ that? There¡¯s female adventurers too.¡±

    ¡°They all got men though!¡±

    ¡°How ¡¯bout doin¡¯ what Roppu¡¯s veteran group does? They¡¯re makin¡¯ a name for themselves for training neers, so if ya teach some new girls ya might just get to kiss ¡¯em.¡±

    ¡°¡­ But wouldn¡¯t they still be vignt against people sayin¡¯ they want to teach ¡¯em?¡±

    Ichika grinned.

    ¡°Which! Is! Why! Ya take amission for training newbies from the guild! They should have a bit of confidence in ya if it¡¯s done through the guild. Well, ya¡¯ll have to actually do the job but then ya getta be a cool senior adventurer to ¡¯em¡­ yeah?¡±

    ¡± !! ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m¡­ going to go take amission, be back in a bit.¡±

    ¡°Oi, I¡¯m not about to let ya get a head start on me!¡±

    ¡°Have fun~,e again~¡±

    After listening to Ichika, several of the adventurers who were lounging about the dining room stood up and ran out without even finishing their food.

    A certain female adventurer (with a boyfriend) spoke to Ichika.

    ¡°Hey, Ichika-san. The new adventurer trainingmissions you mentioned, what¡¯s the chances they actually get put in charge of a new girl?¡±

    ¡°I wonder~? Thosemissions usually get assigned to people the same sex, so I guess it¡¯ll just depend if there¡¯s an uneven number? But there¡¯s been a loooot of newbiesin¡¯ recently~, maybe they¡¯ll hit it big and win~¡±

    ¡°So how much is the guild paying you for referrals?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a secret~¡±

    Ichika grinned at her with a toothy smile. It looks like she just made a profit.

    ¡°Instructor, what did she mean about referrals?¡±

    ¡°I set up a thing with ¡¯em to get people to do the trainingmissions for a small fee¡­ ah, keep this secret from Goshujin-sama! Kay?¡±

    ¡°I understand, sir!¡±

    Ichika, just when did you set up that advertising agreement?

    Well, it¡¯s not like I really mind her trying to earn some pocket money. She¡¯ll probably just use it all on slots and food anyway.

    *

    So with all that, it looks like Shikina¡¯s actually able to work as a waitress, but can she protect Ichika¡¯s secret?

    Note that I¡¯d told Ichika to tell Shikina some secret and have her keep quiet about it to me.

    As Shikina will be living with us for a while, her ability to keep a secret is something I¡¯m wanting to confirm.

    I need to know how much I have to hide from Shikina about the dungeon.

    Well, I don¡¯t exactly intend to tell her the secret even if she¡¯s able to keep it, but it¡¯s a matter about whether I¡¯ll have to refrain from using the menu in the inn¡¯s hallways. And I guess it¡¯ll affect how we handle things if she finds out?

    I called Shikina over to the lounge and asked her for a report of what she did today.

    ¡°Hey, Shikina. Is there something you¡¯re hiding from me?¡±

    ¡°Something that I¡¯m hiding?¡±

    Shikina inclined her head and put her fingers to her lips.

    ¡°Umm, not really¡­ oh, right. My panties today are white! Do you want to take a look?¡±

    Saying that, Shikina unhesitatingly flipped up her skirt.

    Yep, they¡¯re white. Disappointing elf is disappointing.

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean. Like if Ichika were keeping something from me¡­ for instance.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I didn¡¯t report it because she said that it was a secret, but she told me something about referral fees!¡±

    Shikina spilled the beans all too quickly.

    She didn¡¯t even try to hide it. What a talkative mouth she has.

    ¡°¡­ Didn¡¯t Ichika tell you to not say anything?¡±

    ¡°She did say that, but not going against your superior¡¯s orders ismon sense.¡±

    ¡°Wasn¡¯t Ichika your superior?¡±

    ¡°You are the owner of authority here, Master Kehma. Therefore, Master Kehma¡¯s word isw.¡±

    I see, so she goes by rank.

    For Shikina, everything¡¯s divided by rank. You follow those above you.

    She¡¯s like a dog.

    ¡°By that standard, who is the topmost rank for you?¡±

    ¡°Sir! I have sworn my loyalty o my country, so that would be the emperor!¡±

    ¡°So if I told you a secret¡­ and if the emperor ordered you to tell them, you would?¡±

    ¡°Sir! It is as you say!¡±

    ¡°If the emperor told you to kill civilians, would you?¡±

    ¡°Sir! I would kill them!¡±

    Seriously? You could¡¯ve hesitated at least a little.

    That even causes me to pull back a little.

    ¡°Incidentally, every knight in the imperial knight orders are of the same heart! An imperial knight ces orders above even friends and family.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Heeh? Well, you¡¯re not exactly a knight right now though.¡±

    ¡°M-my heart is still that of a knight!¡±

    Yeah, I know. I have to hide everything rted to the dungeon from Shikina.

    By the way, I recall that there was a guy who tried to destroy the dungeon core despite knowing it would go against imperial orders. He was taken care of in the end, but there¡¯s no way they¡¯re all as united as Shikina said.

    ¡­ At the very least, I should teach her enough so that she can keep secrets from those above her.

    Right now she¡¯s no different from a golem, unable to think about anything for herself¡ªno, a golem¡¯s actually better. A golem wouldn¡¯t say something better left unsaid.

    Right¡­ let¡¯s also have her learn how at least be ashamed or conceal herself enough that she¡¯ll have some sex appeal to her.

    Enough that there¡¯ll be some noble who picks her up even if she can¡¯t return to the knight order.

    I established my policies on Shikina¡¯s educational n.

 Chapter 269

    The Disappointing Elf and a Lie Detector

    Several dayster, I decided to educate Shikina.

    To be specific about what I taught her, there were the things you¡¯d learn in elementary school like arithmetic andplex words, lessons about morals for when my brain¡¯s exhausted, and how to impersonate sensible speech and conduct.

    Me teaching her mainly about feeling shy and not using vulgar words was very different subject matter from Japanese morals, but thanks to that, Shikina¡¯s even felt like she¡¯se to be a proper person recently.

    ¡­ As an aside, Meat was there for the morals lessons as well.

    It¡¯s just that her having to take those sses alone would¡¯ve been too pitiful, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to say that Meat didn¡¯t know how to be embarrassed or anything. She¡¯s usually my body pillow though. Rei and Nerune were present for the arithmetic andnguage lessons!

    Well, it happened on a certain day a whileter.

    ¡°Kehma. Haven¡¯t you only been thinking about Shikinately?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Now that you say it like that¡­ huh. I have.¡±

    ¡°So you prefer upfront lewdness like that elf after all?¡±

    ¡°No way.¡±

    No way. At least, I shouldn¡¯t¡­?

    It¡¯s true that I¡¯ve been thinking about Shikina so much recently that it feels like I haven¡¯t been sleeping as much.

    No, it¡¯s not just a feeling. My daily sleeping hours has definitely reduced between one and two hours.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to die fromck of sleep if I don¡¯t do something.¡±

    ¡°But you sleep eight hours a day as well as take naps? Honestly, isn¡¯t waking up early like you¡¯ve been recently actually healthier?¡±

    ¡°Getting up¡­ earlier? Hold up. I, I, have been waking up early¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, to look after that elf.¡±

    I was aghast.

    For me, someone who would take going back to sleep over having three meals in a day¡­ to wake up early? There¡¯s something wrong happening here.

    Is it something Shikina did? No, it has to be her.

    Did her blunt eroticism stimte my desire, upsetting the bnce between my three major desires and damage my sleep!?

    ¡°¡­ Shikina is causing it?¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask her if you want to know?¡±

    I have to ask her straight up about it¡­

    *

    ¡°I¡¯ming!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah.¡±

    And it somehow turned into us having a duel.

    If it was before, she would have been like [I will answer any of Master¡¯s questions! You want to know my three sizes? Measure them for me please, for I don¡¯t know them!] or something, but now she negotiated it into [I will answer you if you can defeat me in a duel!].

    They grow up so quick. It¡¯s still annoying, though.

    So because of that, Shikina and I are alone in the inn¡¯s backyard.

    Meat and Setsuna wanted to spectate, but I refused them. The reason I gave was that I didn¡¯t want to expose my skills, but that¡¯s just part of the truth.

    My movements are only done through the clothes golem, after all. It¡¯d just be annoying if my movements always being the exact same were exposed. Setting aside Meat, I definitely don¡¯t want Setsuna to see.

    By the way, Shikina¡¯s wearing clothes that are easy to move in, a gym uniform and bloomers she got from Setsuna.

    ¡­ A blonde elf in bloomers¡­ how should I put it? It¡¯s like we reached a level of cosy that¡¯s never been done before.

    ¡°Ah, one second.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°If you win the duel, I¡¯ll cancel tomorrow¡¯s lessons. Think of it as a holiday.¡±

    ¡°What!? A holiday!?¡±

    ¡°But if I win, I¡¯ll give you a bean paste roll as a freebie.¡±

    ¡°A bean paste roll!! ¡­ W-why isn¡¯t that if I win!?¡±

    So that it¡¯ll be easier for me to win, duh.

    By the way, among all of the set meals and sweet rolls, the bean paste roll is Shikina¡¯s favorite.

    ¡°And I¡¯ll have you answer the question I asked.¡±

    ¡°Umumu, then if I win, I¡¯ll be Master Kehma¡¯s body pillow!¡±

    ¡°Refused. If you win, you only get the day off.¡±

    ¡°How bold¡­ as expected of Master! Ah, but there¡¯s no one here, are you intending to say this never happened?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I keep my promises.¡±

    Shikina held up her wooden sword. Seeing that, I held mine up¡­ and left the rest to the clothes golem and its support.

    Like that, I instantly defeated Shikina with Misha¡¯s movements. An A-Rank adventurer grappler¡¯s movements.

    My sword? It was just for show. I tossed it after the first hit. Misha¡¯s mimicked style is stronger.

    ¡°Stupid, did you think that I would use a sword since I was holding one!? Naive!¡±

    ¡°I-I lost¡­¡±

    However, it¡¯s only mimicking the way Misha moved, so even the feints are fixed. If I ever have a second duel with Setsuna, I¡¯m sure that I¡¯ll be defeated quickly enough. I should still be able to fight a few more times if they¡¯re all instakills like this one though.

    ¡­ I can basically only wreck someone that thoroughly on the first time they see the move.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the bean paste roll along with the holiday tomorrow. Isn¡¯t that great~?¡±

    ¡°Uuu, you doing that for me even though I lost makes me so happy¡­!¡±

    When I patted Shikina¡¯s head, she smiled in delight.

    ¡­ She really has quit with most of her horrid behavior recently.

    ¡°So Master, what is it that you wanted to ask? My three sizes? Then from the top, eighty¡ª-¡±

    ¡°As soon as I let my guard down! No. And you actually know your own sizes?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. It¡¯s required for me to order armor.¡±

    Come to think of it, this girl goes through armor like its nothing because of her sword, huh.

    ¡°What I want to as is, Shikina, what are you scheming?¡±

    ¡°Scheming¡­? I am aiming for the role of Master¡¯s body pillow and not really anything else!¡±

    ¡°That so? Take a look at this then.¡±

    As I said that, I took out a certain something.

    It was a crystal ball small enough to fit in my hand with a bit of extra space. It was transparent right then, but it would glow red under certain conditions.

    ¡°This is¡­ a magic tool that sees through lies.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you know of it?¡±

    ¡°I am a knight.¡±

    Yes, it¡¯s a lie-detection magic tool I bought from the catalog for 50,000 DP.

    By the way, each time it glows red froming across a lie, it takes a magic stone that costs 50 DP.

    Best of all, we don¡¯t have any problems with our current ie. At least not for using it to question Shikina.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie. If you lie, no bean paste roll for you.¡±

    ¡°What!? How cruel!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a normal punishment for lying¡­ actually, it¡¯s going easy on you.¡±

    ¡°Mumumu¡­ so, Master, now that you¡¯ve taken out such an exquisite magic tool, what do you intend to ask!? Even if you ask me who took my first time, I am not yet able to answer!¡±

    ¡°As soon as I let my guard down, you go back to being¡­ Whatever.¡±

    I pushed a magic stone into the magic tool. Seeing the magic stone be swallowed up like that despite it being solid when I touch it is so weird.

    ¡°¡­ Well, let¡¯s confirm a few things first. Shikina, are you a man or a woman?¡±

    ¡°I am a woman.¡±

    The crystal ball didn¡¯t shine. Yep, I know that. By the way, the annoying part is that it¡¯s impossible to tell what the person themselves recognizes as fact.

    For example, if Shikina¡¯s body was that of a man but her mind was a woman¡¯s, it wouldn¡¯t have lit up.

    ¡°Do you hold any ill will towards me?¡±

    ¡°None that I can think of¡­ Please don¡¯t ask me something so cruel.¡±

    It didn¡¯t light up there either? Her not having any is a good thing.

    However, it caused Shikina to look dejected.

    ¡°¡­ Sorry, but this is necessary.¡±

    ¡°The crystal ball didn¡¯t light up, so it must be true. I understand and I will answer honestly, so please continue to ask me questions!¡±

    By the way, it would glow if I said a lie right now, too. Its range of effect is five meters. It¡¯s possible to distinguish between who tells the lie by which part of it lights up.

    ¡°Did someone order you toe here?¡±

    ¡°Yes. My father also said that I should learn how to be dishonest from Master Kehma.¡±

    It still didn¡¯t cause the ball to light up, but yeah, what was that? Father also?

    ¡°Did anyone else order you to?¡±

    ¡°The First Chivalric Order¡¯s Commander Sally-sama said that I shoulde learn from Master Keima too! She said that I cane back to the order once I learn from you!¡±

    ¡­ Ah. That¡¯s suspicious.

 Chapter 270

    The Disappointing Elf and a Lie Detector (2)

    I decided to ask her about that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, by Sally, are you talking about one of the party members of the Dungeon Breakers, the group lead by the White Goddess?¡±

    ¡°I am. Rather, I heard that Sally-sama and Kehma-sama are close friends.¡±

    ¡°Hahahah, we¡¯re not close at all.¡±

    ¡°What about you drinking alcohol together?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That didn¡¯t happen.¡±

    The crystal orb shined toward me.

    Nice, it detected my lie. Just as I thought it would! Ahem.

    ¡­ ¡­ I put another magic stone into it. Haah, I wound up wasting one.

    ¡°Master, does this mean that I won¡¯t be getting a bean paste roll now?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll not count that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good then, but I never expected that Master and Sally-sama would be drinking buddies¡­¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say we¡¯re friends, exactly.¡±

    The light didn¡¯t shine red towards me.

    Now then, let¡¯s reveal the truth.

    ¡°Alright then, I get that you aren¡¯t holding any ill-will against me¡­ so tell me about your situation in a bit more detail.¡±

    ¡°You understand that I hold no ill-will against you, yet you still wish to continue?¡±

    ¡°I just want to check the facts. Even if you aren¡¯t malicious, there is the possibility of you being used¡­ Do you have any skills that affect others¡¯ minds or bodies?¡±

    ¡°Skills that effect others¡­ I have [Body Enhancement]! I can apply it on others, but the effect is weakened.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever used it on me?¡±

    ¡°I have not.¡±

    It didn¡¯t shine red. Hmm, guess that was the truth. Did she say it in a way that could have avoided something?

    ¡°Do you have no others?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I do not¡­¡±

    ¡°Is it that you cannot think of some other skill?¡±

    ¡°I do not understand! At the very least, I only feel like doing something with Master Kehma!¡±

    It didn¡¯t shine red. Wait, doing something? Huh?

    ¡°Master, I like you to the point that I would like to be your hug pillow¡­ See? It didn¡¯t shine red. I¡¯m telling the truth~¡±

    Shikina grinned.

    ¡­ And just as she said, the orb didn¡¯t shine at all. She¡¯s being serious?

    ¡°¡­ Seriously? But I have Rokuko, I refuse.¡±

    ¡°You have Kuroinu-dono as well, so isn¡¯t it alright so long as it¡¯s about being your hug pillow?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because Meat is my daughter!¡±

    The crystal orb shone red. At me.

    I-I guess calling my hug pillow my daughter was a bit much~?

    Or perhaps I should have said my pet? Yep, that¡¯s it. I got caught~

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would be a good thing if it were true.¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡ª! Pretend that didn¡¯t happen!

    ¡°Master, I¡¯ll keep quiet about it if you test me out as your hug pillow for one night.¡±

    Woah, the heck? Did she just ckmail me?

    ¡­ They grow up so fast¡­

    I pretended to add another magic stone.

    ¡°You¡¯re getting better, but Shikina, that was just an act.¡±

    ¡°What!? Then your lust toward Kuroinu-dono¡­¡±

    ¡°I have none.¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t react?¡±

    That was close¡­ I really like Meat¡¯s legs, it definitely would¡¯ve reacted if I actually put another stone into it.

    I stealthily deposited a magic stone into it from inside my sleeve by using the magic arm golem I had on.

    ¡°So to return to the topic at hand, please tell me more about the orders you received from Sally-san.¡±

    ¡°My orders were to learn [Underhandedness] and [Unfairness] from you, Master.¡±

    Exactly as I¡¯d heard before?

    ¡°Nothing else was said to you? Anything, like maybe a way for you to act around me?¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ oh,e to think of it, she said that if you refused my begging, I should try coaxing you in various ways¡­¡±

    ¡°Coaxing me?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ Master, I want you to make me your hug pillow. That way, I can hear everything you say.¡±

    With that, Shikina looked at me with upturned eyes, her index finger ced on her lips and her eyebrows pressed closer into a pouting look as if to say [Won¡¯t you, please?].

    ¡­ This beautiful elf can have quite a bit of destructiveness to her if she puts her mind to it.

    ¡°I refuse. Rather, see? That¡¯s their scheme¡­¡±

    ¡°Their scheme?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    This probably has Haku-san¡¯s hand in it. So her goal is probably¡­

    ¡°A honey trap.¡± 1

    ¡°Seduction to further one¡¯s goals¡­? I was sent here for that purpose?¡±

    Shikina was so surprised, her eyes opened wide.

    Understandable. She was being used as someone else¡¯s pawn. Moreover, it was her idol, the knights¡¯mander, doing it.

    Following that, Shikina shut her eyes tight and quivered¡­ guess it was a huge deal to her. I shouldfort her, as her master¡ª

    ¡°So in other words, this body of mine is useful for the Empire! I am so happy!¡±

    Wow, she was just super happy.

    The heck is with this girl, she¡¯s even given her body to the Empire. Like, the orb didn¡¯t shine at all, oi.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t your chance at a honey trap wrecked now that it¡¯s been exposed?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh no!? Master, Master, could you please do something with your supreme might!?¡±

    ¡°Obviously not?¡±

    ¡°¡­ W-Well, it¡¯s still not for certain that my purpose here was for seduction. I¡¯m sure that my main goal here is to learn from you, Master. Probably. I believe in it. Definitely!¡±

    Aaand she¡¯s back to trembling.

    ¡°¡­ I will attempt to contact Sally-sama. I just remembered that I was given writing paper for times like this. I was originally told to use it when I had achieved sufficient results, though¡­¡±

    Perfect for honey trap-use. Yep.

    ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know what Sally-san was thinking about when she sent you, but for now I¡¯ll assume it was for your education¡­ I have been paid, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you in advance again, Master!¡±

    ¡°However, to prevent excessive contact between us, I will leave the majority of your education from here on to Ichika and Meat.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer for you to teach me yourself, Master¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ I¡¯ll teach you in the afternoon between three and five, less than now.¡±

    I should have a bit of my sleep time back now.

    By the way, the vige has clock golems that I arranged to be findable in the dungeon, they could be found here and there now. Unlike Sia, they don¡¯t ring every hour. This means that the sound of ringing bells will never disrupt my sleep.

    There¡¯s also rare drop version of the watch golem, a pocket watch-type.

    ¡°Muu, alright then¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s that¡­ I¡¯ll be getting back to my work now.¡±

    ¡°Sir! Do your best at your wor¡ª¡­ ah.¡±

    The crystal orb shined red. At me. FFS. Now she knows I¡¯m just going to sleep.

    ¡°¡­ Do you n on going to sleep? Then please use me!¡±

    ¡°I said no, you honey trapper. Now get back to your work in the inn.¡±

    Let¡¯s just assume that Shikina was sent here as a honey trapper from here on out.

    ¡­ Shikina never told a single lie the whole way through, did she? I¡¯ll have to give her a bean paste roll and the day off.

    Telling Shikina to head to the inn¡¯s reception desk and switch with Meat, I headed back to my room.

    Now then, time to get back to sleep~

 Chapter 271

    Visitors

    Several days after Shikina wrote the letter, a certain big shot came to our inn.

    So, just as I was about to take my siesta, Ichika came to get me to greet the person at our inn¡¯s reception area.

    ¡°Long time no see, Kehma-san. It looks like you¡¯re doing well.¡±

    She was loud¡­ that is, the forty or fifty kilos of silvery full te body armor she wore was loud.

    Standing, she was a wall. Sitting, she was a fortress. When she walked, she looked like someone¡¯s moving castle.

    The First Chivalric Knight Order¡¯s Commander and direct subordinate to the White Goddess (Haku-san), she was Sally-san, the living armor.

    Moreover,cking a helmet, she was showing off the stiffly beautiful face she had when she was humanized.

    ¡­ The feeling she gives off is definitely difference from that in-training disappointing elf.

    ¡°¡­ Sally-san. For you toe to our inn so abruptly, did something happen?¡±

    ¡°What, my superior just said that I should rest my de for a while and take a personal vacation. Well, I dide to see how my former subordinate¡¯s doing, too.¡±

    Looking at the timing, I¡¯d judge that as a lie.

    But the situation was such that I couldn¡¯t conclude it was a lie for sure.

    ¡°Hey, Sally. There¡¯s an onsen here! I wanna get in it. With you, if possible.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t, Plume. The onsen here is separated into men and women, but from what I heard from my superior, there is a bath in the suite here, so we can get in that together¡­¡±

    Yeah, Sally-san brought her boyfriend.

    It was doubtful whether or not he was actually a man at a nce, but Sally-san¡¯s bashful look whenever she looked at him screamed BOYFRIEND¡­ transgender? Or maybe he¡¯s a futa like Setsuna?

    ¡°Either way, you would wear something as serious as your armor while on a vacation¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s basically part of my body, so I actually feel more calm with it on.¡±

    Let alone part of her body, it¡¯s her body. I knew that already.

    But it¡¯s weird for her non-dungeon-rted boyfriend to not see it as strange at all.

    ¡°¡­ Your boyfriend¡¯s okay with it?¡±

    ¡°Sally is strong, so she¡¯ll be able to defend and protect me. Besides, that just means I¡¯m the only one who knows what Sally¡¯s like without it, you know? Right, Sally?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah! I¡¯ll defend Plume with all I have, so there¡¯s nooooothing to worry about¡ª! Ufufufu!¡±

    Wooow, she¡¯s super lovestruck.

    Plume was much shorter than Sally-san, so he had to stand on his tip-toes and stretch to pat her head. Sally-san being bashful sounded like a rock slide due to her armor.

    The suite¡¯s fine, but don¡¯t break the floor alright¡­? Guess I¡¯ll reinforce it just in case.

    With that, likely hearing from what was happening, Shikina turned up.

    ¡°Sally-sama! My apologies for not writing you in so long!¡±

    ¡°Oh, looks like you¡¯re doing well too. I read your letter, Shikina.¡±

    ¡°Sir!¡ªErr, today is your reply, I take it?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m on vacation. Incidentally, my response is [No]. I want you to be stronger, that¡¯s why I referred you here.¡±

    ¡­ If I had my lie detecting magic tool right now, it¡¯d probably be shining red.

    I wonder if she asked if she was here as a honey trapper in that letter?

    Also, for her to say that in front of the person who actually was a honey trap as well as the person she was being a honey trap for¡­

    ¡°Is that so¡­ I distrusted you, my apologies.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, that¡¯s actually proof that you¡¯re growing¡­ Ah, here¡¯s recement writing paper. I¡¯m giving you several, so please let me know about how you¡¯re doing when the timees. I¡¯ll give you some to use for whenever Wataru shows up, too. So please send one every month.¡±

    ¡°Sir! Thank you, Sally-sama!¡±

    She understands that she¡¯s supposed to contact her regrly.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, who is that woman?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°M-My apologies!! He seems so delicate that the wind might blow him over!¡±

    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯m doing my best to hold him down so that he doesn¡¯t fly away.¡±

    That wasn¡¯t a good praise, Shikina. Well, it looks like it worked out either way though.

    ¡°Hey, Shikina. Show Sally-san to her room. The suite.¡±

    ¡°Sir! Understood!¡±

    ¡°Fufu, Shikina. How has Kehma-san been treating you?¡±

    ¡°I have been taught many things by Master. I have be able to do multiplication and division!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you nning on being a civil servant? Well, it¡¯s better than not being able to I guess?¡±

    Shikina took Sally-san and that boyfriend of hers back into the inn.

    ¡­

    Guess I¡¯ll sleep?

    *

    I woke up. Aaah, such a good sleep~

    Once I awoke from my catnap and went into the inn, Rei greeted me.

    ¡°Master, you woke up? A customer ising.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, Sally-san? I know.¡±

    ¡°No, a different customer.¡±

    Something else? I inclined my head.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not a guest for the inn, is it?¡±

    ¡°Correct. It is a customer for Master. Meat-senpai is currently greeting them.¡±

    Two things in one day, how rare.

    But Meat¡¯s doing it? Who is it? No way, did Mishae along as well?

    ¡°She¡¯s a blue-haired girl named Maidence, she said she¡¯s here from Sia.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    Crap, I totally forgot about what happened in Sia.

    Rather, it¡¯s already been a month? I take it this is about the contract¡¯spletion?

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see, where¡¯s she waiting?¡±

    ¡°The parlor.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go there now.¡±

    I headed to the parlor. Well, just next to it at least.

    As I approached the parlor, I heard Maidence and Meat talking.

    Maidence¡¯s voice was somewhat excited.

    ¡°U-Umm, Kurinu-sama. It hurts if you do it so rough like that.¡±

    ¡°Muu, it¡¯s difficult to do it like that¡­ how about this?¡±

    ¡°Aah, it¡¯s starting to feel even better¡­ nnn¡ª¡±

    What, she¡¯s giving a massage?

    I knocked on the door and entered.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯ming in¡­!? S-Sorry¡ª!¡±

    And what I witnessed was Maidence in a very udylike position. I dashed back out of the room and closed the door.

    Catching my breath on the other side of the door, I heard Maidence call over from inside.

    ¡°U-Umm? Kehma-sama, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°No uhh, so¡ªsorry. I didn¡¯t think that it was going to be a foot massage.¡±

    Yeah. I caught a glimpse, a glimpse of Maidence¡¯s bare feet.

    ¡­ No matter how young Maidence is, she¡¯s already at a marriageable age. She¡¯s at the point that I¡¯d have to take responsibility. That was close.

    ¡°H-Haah¡­ that certainly may have been immodest.¡±

    ¡°The noises were alright, but you shouldn¡¯t do that in the parlor.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I was thoughtless. Goshujin-sama, I will tidy up immediately.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Kuroinu-sama? Was that so immodest?¡±

    Meat tidied up very matter-of-factedly despite Maidence¡¯s confusion.

    ¡°You can enter now.¡±

    When I entered the room again, Mai was sitting on the sofa and putting her shoes back on. Hoh.

    Ah, I¡¯m just now seeing it, but she¡¯s here with a maid. Well, there¡¯s no way she would¡¯vee alone.

    ¡°¡­ Well, Maidence-sama. What business do you have?¡±

    ¡°Please call me Mai, Kehma-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Mai-sama. You came for some reason, yes?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Saying that, Maidence took out a single ss bottle from her storage.

    It was a blood red liquid¡­ and it seemed disgusting for some reason.

    ¡°This is¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is the thing father said you desired, Kehma-sama. With this, the engagement can happen without issue.¡±

    A drug I desired? The heck?

    ¡°It¡¯s the drug that makes one¡¯s sex uncertain, [Futanaru].¡± 1

    ¡°What? Sorry, could you run that by me again? I don¡¯t think I heard you right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the drug that makes one¡¯s sex uncertain, [Futanaru].¡±

    ¡°¡­ Makes one¡¯s sex uncertain, then¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°[Futanaru].¡±

    I thought I was hearing things, but it looks like she really did bring some weird drug for some reason.

    But what I want to know is¡­ the f*ck?

    Could someone tell me what¡¯s going on?

 Chapter 272

    Kehma, Making a Decision.

    The magical drug Maidence brought, [Futanaru]1, makes your sex be chaotic. Why did Lord Yudence of Sia send this to me?

    ¡°Why would I want this?¡±

    ¡°Do not worry. You can simply treat this as a betrothal gift.¡±

    We¡¯re not on the same page here, it¡¯s not like I need it.

    So why? For me to try? Or who?

    Right. Who¡¯s it for?

    Let¡¯s think about this. Why did Yudence send me this?

    The point is, who is he saying to use this on?

    The drug¡¯s effect is to cause your sex to be [Chaotic]¡­ in other words, to be a futanari. Then there¡¯s also the point about her saying the betrothal can proceed without any issues with it. So then that means it has to be something required for the engagement to happen. In that case¡ª

    He¡¯s saying to use it on Meat?

    I see, it¡¯d be bad if people found out his daughter was betrothed to a woman, so he¡¯s saying he prepared a drug that can prepare a physical countermeasure against that?

    But then where¡¯d he get the idea that I wanted that? I don¡¯t recall saying anything about that at all.

    But even with me thinking about it, all I cane up with is that he wants it used on either Meat or Maidence¡­ but there¡¯d be no reason to show it to me if it was for Maidence¡­ and seriously no to using it on Meat.

    That aside, for there to really be a drug that changes your sex¡­ this world¡¯s amazing.

    Moreover, it¡¯s name. [Futanaru]. The person that first made it was definitely a hero¡ªsomeone from Japan.

    ¡ªA certain eternal seventeen-year-old with red eyes and a ck ponytail passed through my head.

    No way, Leona invented this? The heck for?

    No, she wouldn¡¯t have needed a reason, she¡¯d just say she did it for kicks. Rather, it being a futanari-making drug and not a true sex swap just screams Leona.

    ¡­ Let¡¯s be cautious.

    ¡°Umm, Kehma-sama?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about something.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡­? Umm, Kehma-sama, should I call you Father-in-Law from now on?¡±

    Huh? It¡¯s already the one month deadline though?

    ¡°Mai-sama, did you forget that it was just a temporary thing?¡±

    ¡°I know, which is why this magical drug was prepared to formally bind us with Kehma-sama. By engaging myself to Kehma-sama¡¯s dau¡ª¡­ rtive, Kuroinu-sama, everything will beplete.¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­ but the deadline has already been reached?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that the first one month contract is finished¡­ and that it must be done again? This drug will be for another time, then.¡±

    Saying that, Maidence put the drug into her [Storage].

    Well, there¡¯s no helping that she wouldn¡¯t let me hold on to it. It seems like something hard to obtain and very expensive.

    If I didn¡¯t y my cards right and epted it, I would have toe up with some excuse. In that case, it¡¯s actually better that Maidence kept it.

    ¡°So then, Father-in-Law.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall allowing you to call me that yet, Mai-sama.¡±

    ¡°Oh well¡­ Kehma-sama.¡±

    Taking my refusal for her to call me that in stride, she continued.

    ¡°Umm, well¡­ I could like to stay here for a while. Could I rent a room?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, please choose whichever room you want then. So long as you pay the fees and there¡¯s no guest already in it, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay! Thank you very much.

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s already a guest using the suite, so be aware of that.¡±

    ¡°Aw, oh well¡­ but still, the fees for it truly are expensive. I¡¯ll give up on that.¡±

    I¡¯m definitely not letting you stay here for free.

    ¡°Well, I can simply a room until I can use my house.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Mai-sama, isn¡¯t your house in Sia?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it would be better if I had a secondary residence closer to my fiance? The arrangements have already been made, it will beplete in several days.¡±

    Seriously? A house in the residential area then¡­?

    ¡­ Sia¡¯s definitely trying to stake a im here. Is their goal to watch me? I¡¯m not evading taxes or anything, go ahead and check.

    ¡°Well then, I think deepening my rtionship with my friendship with my fiance would be a good idea. Right, Kuroinu-sama?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    ¡°To be on good terms.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ummm.¡±

    Meat looked at me¡­ I got her a bit caught up in the whole fiance thing, but I don¡¯t think two girls getting along is a bad thing.

    ¡°Right. Well, making friends is a good thing. You can be normal friends¡­ Oh, Mai-sama. I think you should stay away from doing indecent things like a bit ago, though.¡±

    ¡°U-Umm. It was just a standard foot massage¡­¡±

    ¡°And if you absolutely have to, it¡¯s better if you lock the door first.¡±

    ¡°W-Well, if you say so.¡±

    I¡¯d be troubled if I identally saw and had to take responsibility.

    ¡­ I-It¡¯s not like I want to look, you know? She¡¯s still a child.

    Just then, Mai opened her mouth as if she¡¯d just remembered something.

    ¡°By the way, Kehma-sama. Is there no church in this vige?¡±

    ¡°A church?¡±

    Come to think of it, Maidence worships Haku-san¡ªI mean, she worships The White Goddess. She¡¯s part of The White Goddess Faith.

    I haven¡¯t gotten any requests for one yet, but maybe I should make one to help with public peace?

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any in my vige, but¡­ yeah. Maybe I should make one?¡±

    ¡°If you do, would it be for The White Goddess Faith? Golen Vige is a vige of adventurers, after all.

    ¡­ She herselfes by quite a lot¡­

    Wait, couldn¡¯t I make going to my inn be like a pilgrimage to a holy ce? Could I turn it into some sacred thing?

    In that case, maybe I don¡¯t need to actually build a church. Making it would be troublesome¡­

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think I need to really make a church for The White Goddess Faith.¡±

    ¡°In that case, what about one for your religion, Kehma-sama? For The Futon Religion.¡±

    Something stirred inside me.

    I¡­ I have to build that. It must be enshrined. It¡¯s a divine revtion.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯ll built it right away. Immediately! Right now!¡±

    ¡°U-Umm, in that case, please pay the Sia Family to do the construction.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m saying that I¡¯ll build it. It¡¯s The Futon Religion, after all.¡±

    I don¡¯t want it to be done badly. I¡¯m the only follower of The Futon Religion in the first ce. In other words, I¡¯m the religion¡¯s founder. I¡¯ll build it and gain more followers!

    Viva sleep! Protect sleep supremacy! Sleep is prayer! It¡¯s an easy way to pray that everyone can do for hours a day.

    If it¡¯s for spiritual health, that means there¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with sleeping two times a day or having siestas at all!

    My god, this is an amazing discovery. I absolutely definitely positively have to build it. Build it, build it, build it! YAH! Build it!

    ¡°This is an urgent matter, I must leave.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay?¡±

    With that, I left the room.

    ¡­ I¡¯ma build a church! A frickin huge one!

 Chapter 273

    I Founded a Religion.

    I, having decided to build a church for Beddhism, decided to ignore various issues and begin its construction. I¡¯m basically escaping from reality.

    ¡­ I was thinking about making it huge, but now that I¡¯m thinking about it, I don¡¯t really have thend for that.

    Well, this will be its first church, so doing it so-so should be fine? Let¡¯s treat this as a rough-draft for building a gigantic er on.

    I prepared some paper and pens and worked in my office.

    First off is its appearance. When I think of churches, I picture blue roofs and white walls.

    As for materials¡­ the white would be mortar? From shell limestone or something1. As for the blue¡­ wait, the heck would I even use? Rusted copper? Hmm, maybe I should just go with using paint?

    I also want to have some windows that let warm sunlight though. Window ss is expensive in this world, but I should be able to make them by using [Create Golem] on potion bottles. Let¡¯s go with that.

    Going with that for the outward appearance, nextes the inside.

    Something that allows you to line up in prayer¡­ right, let¡¯s go with desks so you can take naps at them.

    Sleep is how you pray in Beddhism, after all. Desks¡¯ ability to make you feel tired is a marvel. Maybe I should go with adding partitions so you don¡¯t have to care about who¡¯s next to you?

    Then, finally, the main object it¡¯ll enshrine has to be a bed¡­ wait, hold on a sec. Maybe I could set up a 5 Yen coin on a string to make a pendulum? The kind of one that gets used for making people tired.

    Actually, using a 5 Yen coin as our symbol might be a good idea. Kind of like how Christianity uses a cross. It¡¯s convenient.

    ¡­ Though now the main question¡¯s whether I should have the 5 Yen coin have a hole through the center in the symbol. That actually sounds like a good idea, people could wear them as pendants that way.

    With that, the religion¡¯s symbol became a 5 Yen pendulum¡­ a pendulum clock? Eh, whatever, it¡¯s fine.

    I made the lecture tform after that¡­ rattling on with long stories to make people tired is important.

    Right, let¡¯s even make the book so hard that it makes you want to sleep. The only book I know about in this world is [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons], but maybe I could have The Dyne Company supply them all? I have more than enough money for it.

    ¡°Yeah, looks great so far.¡±

    I looked over the blueprints again.

    ¡­

    It¡¯s a ssroom¡­ The only difference is that there¡¯s an object of worship instead of a ckboard.

    Right, it¡¯s very private school-ish. Maybe we could use it like that too¡­ yeah.

    Oh, right. Should I make confessionals too? I could make those more ordinary¡­

    Just as I started writing down more general things, there was a knock at the door.

    ¡°Kehma? I heard about it from Meat, but what¡¯s with you making a church?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko? Come on in.¡±

    ¡°Pardon the intrusion¡­ So, you making a church¡­ you¡¯re going to worship Haku Ane-sama too?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m making a church for Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°Beddhism?¡±

    Rokuko tilted her head¡­ Come to think of it, I¡¯ve never told her about it, have I?

    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of it. Is it a religion from where you¡¯re from, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°I founded it. No, I guess it¡¯d be more urate to say that I¡¯m about to? I just mean that it¡¯s not strange for you to have never heard of it.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t know it¡­ but why are you founding a religion?¡±

    ¡°I mean, the White Goddess Faith is a thing that exists and it¡¯s just deifying Haku-san, so why not?¡±

    ¡°Why¡­ not?¡±

    Yep. Why not. Why not found a new religion (cult)?

    ¡°What sort of doctrine will it have then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very peaceful religion that¡¯ll ce safety, peace, and pleasant sleep above all else. To sleep is to pray. It¡¯s something easy you do every day, right?¡±

    ¡°Right. As long as it¡¯s not sixteen hours a day or anything.¡±

    ¡°It can just be cat naps and other standard sleep, yep.¡±

    ¡­ I think sixteen hours is easy enough though¡­

    Either way, I noted down that sleeping is praying as a memo.

    ¡°Then, as the pi¨¨ce de r¨¦sistance¡­ Beddhism may be believed in as a [Subreligion].¡±

    ¡°Subreligion¡­ wait, what?¡±

    ¡°I mean you can still believe in the Light God, Dark God, Evil God, whatever. Beddhism allows that. Even if you believe in them, you can still believe in Beddhism. That¡¯s all.¡±

    It¡¯d be like a sub-job in game terms, something like that. Like if you were a warrior and wanted to be a monk as your sub, that¡¯d work. Same thing if you followed The White Goddess Faith and wanted to follow Beddhism. Beddhism as someone¡¯s main religion works fine too, of course.

    Pray to your main god for safety, Beddhism for peace. Just think of it like that.

    ¡°You sure that¡¯ll work? I¡¯ve never heard of anything like that.¡±

    ¡°Definitely. There¡¯s gotta be a ton of people open-minded enough yeah? Right, Rokuko. You can be Believer No. 2!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll reserve No. 695, so do your best getting followers okay?¡±

    ¡°O-Okay.¡±

    That¡¯s a ton¡­ guess I¡¯ll give Meat or Ichika the honor?

    ¡°How should I say it¡­ you don¡¯t have one of those religious-ish stories?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh yeah¡­ I¡¯ll make a good one. A story that exins the importance of good sleep¡­ Oh, and mosquitoes are the enemy. We¡¯ll treat them like demons.¡±

    Mosquitoes, the invisible fiends that continually let their existence be known to those trying to sleep, disturbing one¡¯s attempts to do so. Fight them back with Holy Sword Katori Senko2¡­!

    Oh right, I know what the holy sword can be. Let¡¯s go with Sleepsword Siesta being the divine sword that¡¯s able to spread the salvation of sleep. Memo, memo!

    ¡°By the way, wouldn¡¯t you treat people that don¡¯t need to sleep like me as renegades?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just that you don¡¯t need to sleep. Rather, anyone that¡¯s able to sleep, even if they don¡¯t need to, can be a Beddhist3.¡±

    ¡°Howckadaisical.¡±

    ¡°Beds are gentle things that help anyone and everyone¡­ they do not distinguish between good and evil, they love everyone equally. Your bed is like your mother¡­ but not for mosquitoes, the bastards.¡±

    Yeah, I¡¯ll make our scripture be like that. Let¡¯s make some more memos for stuff like that¡­!

    Ack of sleep is damaging to your skill¡­ that¡¯ll appeal to women.

    You can¡¯t fight without taking a rest. You much rest to fight¡­ rxation is important for fighters.

    Don¡¯t rush, don¡¯t rush, rest, rest¡­ that should attract priests.

    Make sure to sleep so that your body doesn¡¯t give out¡­ that¡¯ll be good for workers.

    It¡¯s hard to tell a poor thinker from a sleeping one¡­ wait, that one¡¯s a bit off there.

    ¡°Beds are everything, everything is a bed¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehma, are you getting enough sleep? Are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, no problems here.¡±

    Now I just have to make the church and gain followers. If I get enough believes, I can just sleep whenever I want in the name of prayer¡­ whenever I want! Pay no attention to how I already do that!

    If everyone else goes back to sleep after waking up, there¡¯ll be nothing wrong with me doing it!

    That¡¯ll make it so that no one can say anything about me taking naps¡ªrather, that¡¯ll make it praiseworthy! Fuhahaha!

    ¡°Right, I can use [If you join now, you get a mini azuki pillow4 as a present!] for the adventurers, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Ichika would like that.¡±

    Well, they¡¯ll onlyst around half a year at the most, so they¡¯d probably just end up getting eaten.

    I wonder if using [Cleanup] on them would make themst longer?

    **************************

    ¡ªIn the beginning, th¡¯re wast the w¡¯rld.

    Creatures w¡¯re b¡¯rn into yond w¡¯rld. Then, rest too wast given birth.

    Rest is peace, tis salvation.

    Ev¡¯ryone hast an equal right to rest.

    M¡¯re than all, whatzar rest is Bed.

    Bed is loveth, Bed is life.

    Bed is the manifestation off¡¯rt itself.

    Bed distinguishes between neith¡¯r valorous n¡¯r evil, n¡¯r doest t conc¡¯rn itself with belief in oth¡¯r gods. T epts all life.

    Th¡¯ref¡¯re, all life art Bed¡¯s children.

    What is Bed? Bed is the ev¡¯r watchful moth¡¯r caring f¡¯r h¡¯r children.

    Has¡¯t a sup¡¯ri¡¯r rest. Af¡¯rtable catch but a wink. Tis Beddhism¡¯s doctrine. 5

    (Excerpt from Beddhism Sutras, Chapter 1 Paragraph 1: ¡®Bed, Peace Manifest¡¯)

 Chapter 274

    I Built It! I Built the Church!

    And so I built the church. Overnight.

    Through the aid of the mysterious construction mage, Narikin, I¡¯vepleted the perfect church.

    The chapel is prepared to seat sixty people at any given time. Sooner orter, all seats will be filled with people praying, drool dripping from their sleeping lips.

    The stained ss meant to fill the room with warm sunlight depicts a white bed. This was also a masterpiece.

    I can¡¯t draw human faces, but I managed to do it. Yep, it vaguely, maybe, possibly, kind of doesn¡¯t look like a bed, but I¡¯m sure people will understand that it¡¯s a bed. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a bed, right? Right.

    By the way, I built it between the tunnel and the inn. It¡¯s even reasonably close to the residential area.

    With it being here, it¡¯ll definitely draw in both vigers and general merchants to worship.

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Hey Kehma, you already built the church? Did you stay up all night doing this?¡±

    ¡°Ooooh, Rokuko, I told you to call me Narikin1 when I have this mask on¡­ well whatever. Check it out, it¡¯s a Beddhism Gathering. Isn¡¯t it great? Hahaha.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay, I¡¯ll give you ap pillow, so how about you take a rest?¡±

    ¡°Eh? What are you¡ªoi why are you taking those off? Ah,p pillows? I need to add that to the sutras. Alrighty then Rokuko, please.¡±

    With that, I took off the mask and ced my full-night¡¯s-sleepcking head down on Rokuko¡¯sp pillow.

    ¡­ ¡­

    When I woke up in the private room area I¡¯d built in the church, I felt a bit regretful.

    Rather, why is Rokuko petting my head going ¡®there, there¡¯ still giving me ap pillow? Haku-san¡¯s going to murder me.

    ¡°Kehma, are you better now? I thought you were going crazy when you said you were going to make a church, but are you perhapscking sleep?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, I don¡¯t think¡­ so? Maybe?¡±

    ¡°In that case, me having you go to sleep was a really great thing then. Fufufu, Nice Assist, me!¡±

    No no, even if I wascking sleep, that shouldn¡¯t be too big of a deal¡­ right?

    Either way, I sat up. I was a bit sad to leave Rokuko¡¯sp pillow, though¡­

    ¡°Well, uhh, thanks, Rokuko. I¡¯m good now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wee. So, what¡¯re you going to do? Sally came to say hello to me too yesterday.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ Sally-san¡¯s insisting this is a personal trip for her, so we¡¯ll just leave her alone and keep things how they are, together with Shikina. As for Maidence¡­ yep, let¡¯s keep things how they are there too. So with that, how ¡¯bout we go propagate Beddhism?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, there isn¡¯t anything that seems urgent, is there?¡±

    Yep, there¡¯s a lot of troublesome stuff, but it¡¯s fine to just leave it all as is. I want to sleep.

    ¡°So, any ideas on how we can propagate it? For example, people who follow Beddhism get free tolls for the tunnel.¡±

    ¡°That would expose that Beddhism and the tunnel dungeon are connected with each other if you did that. Do you need more sleep?¡±

    Rokuko pped her hand against her leg¡­ Yep, good argument.

    Rather, Rokuko, you¡¯ve really gotten smarter recently, huh. Aren¡¯t you going to be as good as a sage if you keep improving like that?

    And you¡¯ve gotten to the point of being able to know exactly what I want¡­ clever.

    ¡°Then how about we let believers get a free pudding for staying at the inn as a service?¡±

    ¡°That sounds like it would work, but I think that would cause a rush. By the way, is there any sort of ceremony to convert?¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ nope, that¡¯d just be a hassle. Let¡¯s just go with having them say ¡®I am Beddhist¡¯ and settle it with that. Let¡¯s sell holy-marked drilled coins to applicants.¡±

    ¡°How lighthearted.¡±

    ¡°I did say it was troublesome¡­ I¡¯d rather just go sleep.¡±

    By the way, the drilled coins would be one copper for a copper one. Five copper for an iron one. A silver coin for a silver one, and a gold coin for a gold one. They¡¯ll be amulets that protect your sleep.

    Also, strings and chains sold separately. Other than making it into a ne, it could be turned into a key ring or strap or something.

    ¡°This coin¡¯s in though, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t think of a good design¡­ Right, let¡¯s have it soo that believers just need to draw what they see in their dreams on it.¡±

    ¡°Would that be alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very rule-like rule. Either way, it¡¯s fine. If you have any requests right now, I¡¯ll take them.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say it¡¯s to the point of being a request, but there is one thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh, what?¡±

    ¡°This church, who¡¯s going to manage it? Kehma, won¡¯t you just sleep and ignore it?¡±

    ¡­ ¡­

    Crap!! Ipletely forgot about that. Even if I made the building, it¡¯s no good without someone to look after it! Precept-san, sister, brother, anyone like that!

    ¡°Haah, judging by that look on your face, you didn¡¯t think about that at all, did you? Well, it won¡¯t be a problem if you summon some monster to do it.¡±

    ¡°R-Right. I can just summon a monster that can act human, right.¡±

    ¡°But Kehma, isn¡¯t that a waste of money?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Yeah, it¡¯s a waste.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, how long have you said I can¡¯t use DP freely since you¡¯re the dungeon master? And who¡¯s been squandering so much DP recently?¡±

    Ugu, it¡¯s true that the only DP I¡¯ve been giving to Rokuko is at the level of being pocket money. But then again Rokuko¡¯s been getting tips from Haku-san, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯ve been using that much DP, but¡­

    ¡°Which is why you should try solving this using as little DP as possible. You can use up to 1000 DP. If you can, right¡­ I¡¯ll lend the Godly Comforter to the church as its object of worship.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°You can think of it as prestige yeah? It¡¯s fine to use it like that during the day.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m on board.¡±

    ¡°Well then, from here on the DP you can use is limited. You lose if you use more than 1000 DP until you figure it out. And if you go over that¡ªhmm, right, you have to do any one thing I say, alright?¡±

    ¡°Alright, as long as it¡¯s not too unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    Rokuko smiled.

    ¡°No wishing for more wishes or anything.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I could have done that? Wow, Kehma really is a genius, huh.¡±

    I get the feeling that¡¯s a natural desire, but alright.

    I opened the menu and messed with the DP disy¡­ I separated it from what¡¯s used to manage the dungeon aaaand¡­ there we go, 1000 DP. Menu-san has some seriously convenient features, really.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Let me see¡­ yep, perfect. Do your best, Kehma. It¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t though, you know?¡±

    ¡°What, there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t.¡±

    Fufufu, I have to do it to borrow the Godly Comforter. For the sake of Beddhism!

    With that, just as I renewed my vigor, there was a knock at the door.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, are ya up!? There¡¯s a problem!¡±

    ¡°Huh, Ichika? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    She looked like she¡¯d rushed here. Havinge into the room, Ichika was slightly out of breath.

    ¡°Shikina smashed that magic drug Sia¡¯s Ojou-sama brought, it¡¯s turned into a dispute! Do somethin¡¯!¡±

    ¡­ Woaaah.

 Chapter 275

    The Smashed Magic Drug

    When I went the the backyard after hearing there was a dispute happening, I saw a flustered Meat, a repeatedly bowing Maidence, and a prostrating Shikina.

    ¡°I apologize for my incredible transgressioooooons!¡±

    ¡°E-e-even if you apologize, that won¡¯t bring the medicine back! Besides, I-I am the one at fault, wh-what do I do¡­ what can I do, what can I do!? I¡¯m so sorry, Kuro-sama!¡±

    ¡°U-uh-ummm.¡±

    ¡°No! The me is miiiiiine!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s miiiine! Aaaaah, Kuro-sama, I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­¡±

    Dis¡­ pute¡­?

    I have no clue what the heck happened, but I take it the quarrel is over whose fault it is?

    With that, my eyes and Meat¡¯s met.

    ¡°G-Goshujin-sama!¡±

    Bam!

    With that, Maidence and Shikina looked at me as well.

    Then came at me with watery eyes and noses¡­ and clung to me.

    ¡°Wh-wh-wh-what should I do, Father-in-Laaaaaaw!?¡±

    ¡°Please help me, Masteeeeeeer!!¡±

    ¡°Maidence, could you not call me Father-in-Law so casually? And uhh, could you just exin what actually happened¡­?¡±

    ¡°Th-then allow me to exin it from my point of view¡­¡±

    ¡°No, from mine¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh, yep. In that case, we¡¯ll go with Mea¡ª¡­ with Kuro, then. Please exin what happened, with you two supplementing if needed.

    Asking Meat by calling her Kuro since Maidence was here, she nodded.

    *

    ¡°I¡¯m happy that we could sleep togetherst night, Kuro-sama.¡±

    ¡°It was to improve our friendship¡­¡±

    Kehma hadn¡¯t returned that night at all, so Meat and Maidence chatted with one another, entered the onsen together, and slept in the same bed.

    ording to Maidence, there was no problem at all since they were engaged, apparently.

    ¡°With this, there is a fait apli.¡±

    ¡°Fait apli?¡±

    Meat tilted her head in confusion, but Maidence simply smiled without giving an answer.

    Setting aside the fait apli matter, in actuality, the way they called each other had be more intimate.

    ¡°So, what was your impression of sleeping with me?¡±

    ¡°Nn, Mai, you smell good.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Wha¡ª, umm, s-smell? How embarrassing¡­ K-Kuro-sama, you s-smelled good, too.¡±

    Maidence fidgeted, her face blushing red.

    Seeing her blue curls swing back and forth, Meat remembered the [Hairdressing] magic the maid used on her.

    It was a magic she¡¯d never seen before, so she felt that Nerune would be happy to hear about it.

    She then took out her watch as if recalling something. It was the watch golem she¡¯d received from Kehma.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for my daily practice.¡±

    ¡°Kuro-sama, what is that?¡±

    ¡°What is what? ¡­ Oh, this? This is a clock I got from Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Such a small clock¡­ is it from the dungeon? As expected of Kehma-sama.¡±

    Seeming as though she¡¯d decided to go along for practice as well, Maidence went to the dining room to get a breakfast sandwich together with her before heading to the inn¡¯s backyard.

    From the backyard, they saw a church that had definitely not been there the day before.

    ¡°U-umm, Kuro-sama, what is that building? It wasn¡¯t there yesterday, was it?¡±

    ¡°¡­? I don¡¯t know. Maybe Goshujin-sama did something.¡±

    Seeing Meat say that as though it was natural, Maidence calmed down, thinking something simr.

    ¡°It is Goshujin-sama, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he is Kehma-sama.¡±

    No matter how you put it, building a building in a day¡ªno, overnight could only be seen as strange, but it was settled by the magic word that was his name.

    ¡°Oh, Kuroinu-dono! It¡¯s your training time huh! Oh? Is this young girl your friend? She doesn¡¯t look like a child from this vige, though?¡±

    ¡°Nn. She¡¯s Maidence, from Sia¡­ Mai, this is Shikina, my junior.¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice to meet you. My name is Maidence Sia. I am Kuro-sama¡¯s fiance.¡±

    ¡°! Excuse my discourtesy. This is the first time we have met, my name is Shikina Kukkoro1.¡±

    When Mai introduced herself, Shikina straightened up and responded.

    ¡°Kukkoro? By some chance, are you [Beast King] Dyne Kukkoro-sama¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°You know of my father? I am his daughter¡­ More importantly, what is this about you being Kuroinu-dono¡¯s fiance?¡±

    ¡°It is as I have said.¡±

    By the way, Shikina¡¯s father, Dyne Kukkoro, is famously known as the [Beast King] because he has so many summoned beasts following him that their numbers rival an army corps.

    ¡°If you are Dyne-sama¡¯s daughter, does that mean you are a summoner as well?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I am no good in that department. Currently, I am training under Master Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Well now! To be a friend of the Kukkoro family as well, as expected of Kehma-sama.¡±

    ¡°Rather, it is surprising that the Sia family¡¯s little princess has been engaged to Kuroinu-sama.¡±

    Maidence and Shikina were getting along well together, so Meat started practice-swinging in the meanwhile. The wooden practice sword made whooshing sounds as it swung through the air.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, Maidence-dono, you aren¡¯t actually a man, right? No, I mean, I have confirmed for myself that Kuroinu-dono is a girl¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a woman. However, honestly, I have a certain thing, so there is no problem.¡±

    Saying that, Maidence took out a strange, blood-like magical drug from her [Storage]¡ªshe had taken out [Futanaru].

    ¡°What is this potion?¡±

    ¡°It is a medicine that causes one¡¯s sex to be thrown into chaos.¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a magic drug of the Chaos God!? Heresy! I cannot overlook this as an imperial knight¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh? This, umm, it¡¯s illegal?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ It isn¡¯t exactly illegal, but, well, I guess it¡¯s in the grey area¡­? Most of the Chaos God¡¯s drugs are addictive, so many are illegal depending on type and concentration¡­ and judging by this one¡¯s transparency it shouldn¡¯t be permanent, so it might be alright, but¡­ ah! That¡¯s right, right now, the knight leader, Sally-sama is here! Let me ask her for a moment! So please, let me borrow that drug.¡±

    Shikina grabbed onto the medicine bottle. Naturally, Maidence resisted.

    ¡°Eh, no, th-this is¡­ I can¡¯t marry Kuro-sama without this, so could we have her not take a look?¡±

    ¡°I cannot do that! But once we know that there are no problems with it, I will make sure to hand it back.¡±

    ¡°N-no! I might not get it back then!¡±

    The two of them tugged back and forth on the bottle¡­ neither were willing to let go.

    ¡°Gugugu, you are stubborn¡­¡±

    ¡°C-can we have her decide without taking a look at it? That way, we¡¯ll both be happy, right? Right?¡±

    ¡°I have to get Sally-sama¡¯s to make the call, else I cannot walk with my head held high¡­!¡±

    Crack.

    A crack ran through the bottle.

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Kyah!?¡±

    Upon hearing that sound, Maidence let go of it on reflex, causing Shikina to jerk all of a sudden due to the effort she was putting in. Suddenly slipping out of her hand, the bottle flew high up in an arc through the sky.

    *

    ¡°¡­ And then it hit the ground and absorbed into it?¡±

    In that case, is the a futanari now?

    No, we¡¯re within the dungeon¡¯s domain. In other words, the dungeon¡­ Rokuko¡­?

    No no, if that were the case, I would¡¯ve realized something off in thatp pillow. Let¡¯s think a little here.

    ¡°No, umm¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just, uhhh.¡±

    Meat and Shikini looked away in extreme awkwardness.

    ¡°What, cat got your tongues? ¡­ Mai-sama, what happened?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, the [Futanaru], it¡­ it poured out onto Shikina-sama¡¯s head.¡±

    Hmm, I see. In other words¡ª

    ¡°Masteeeeer! I don¡¯t know how to use a peeeeniiiiis!!!!¡±

    It seems that the disappointing elf got even more disappointing.

 Chapter 276

    It has to do With Beddhism

    ¡°First off, cut it out with shouting out penis, it¡¯s vulgar.¡±

    ¡°Sir! Understood¡­ umm, then, wh-what should we do, Master?¡±

    She gazed fixedly at me.

    ¡­ I have no idea, seriously.

    When I looked away from her to escape her gaze, I saw the freshly-constructed church.

    Maidence caught my line of sight and looked toward the church. she then looked back at me and spoke.

    ¡°Khema-sama. Is there anything concerning what to do at times like this in Beddhism?¡±

    ¡­ I see, religion should have doctrine concerning stuff like this, huh.

    ¡°What would be done ording to White Goddess Faith?¡±

    ¡°In the event of a problem, the best action to take is to refer to your leader.¡±

    What a very adventurer-god-like answer.

    So, in this case, I¡¯d be the leader¡­ yep, I am the vige chief.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, right¡­ In times like this, Beddhism says to sort out the problem and let time take care of it. Urgent matters have to be dealt with quickly. Another point is that it¡¯s very flexible¡­ As for who¡¯s at fault, that¡¯s an inconsequential matter for this. If forced, it would say that this was just an unfortunate ident.¡±

    I patted Maidence and Shikina¡¯s heads.

    ¡°But then I wouldn¡¯t feel good about it¡­¡±

    ¡°In that case, you could offer reparations. Or perhaps you could prepare a recement?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, that¡¯s right! I could repay it! But I can¡¯t pay it all back at once, so I will lend the Kukkoro family¡¯s heirloom, the [Godly Mattress], as coteral to Maidence-dono.¡±

    ¡°I am grateful that you would make amends, but you do not need to deposit any coteral. I trust Kehma-sama, and would never dream of disgracing his pupil by demanding that.¡±

    ¡°Muu, really? Well, I promise to make amends, even if I have to rely on my family to do so.¡±

    Huh? Hold up. What¡¯s this about [Godly Mattress]? Can we rewind?

    ¡°¡­ Shikina. What did you just say about coteral? What was the item?¡±

    ¡°The Kukkoro Family¡¯s heirloom, the [Godly Mattress].¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m mishearing you. I could¡¯ve sworn you said [Godly Mattress].¡±

    ¡°I did say that though?¡±

    ¡­ Seriously? I didn¡¯t mishear?

    I wound up suddenly getting information on a piece of the godly beddings.

    How should I put this¡­ is someone ying a joke on me? To be more specific, who¡¯s behind this? Haku-san? Leona?

    Let¡¯s see, so now I know about the [Godly Pillow] in Sia and the [Godly Mattress] being in the Kukkoro family¡¯s possession¡­ And Leona has the [Godly Comforter]. Rokuko has a duplicate of it and Leona¡¯s currently gone to who knows where, so I can ignore her.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ Shikina. Err, do you have the [Godly Mattress] here with you now?¡±

    ¡°I do. I was appointed its warden by my father, so I bring it with me everywhe¡ª¡­ ah, that¡¯s a secret! Please pretend that you heard nothing.¡±

    Shikina easily let go important information.

    She¡¯s not doing it on purpose at least. No, maybe she is¡­? But I mean, it¡¯s Shikina, so maybe it¡¯s just something natural?

    ¡­ I¡¯ve got nothing to lose, so maybe I¡¯ll try seeing if I could borrow it.

    ¡°¡­ Alright. I will give you money to pay your reparations with. Mai-sama, how much?¡±

    ¡°Umm, I¡¯ll check with father.¡±

    ¡°Please do. So, Shikina. You must entrust coteral with me¡­ to be precise, the [Godly Mattress]. Lend it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, did I mishear?¡±

    ¡°No. Lend it.¡±

    ¡°Muu. Master, what do you intend to do with the [Godly Mattress]?¡±

    ¡°Well.¡±

    I pointed at the church with my thumb.

    ¡°I want to decorate Beddhism¡¯s altar with it to attract people. Also, I want to try sleeping with the [Godly Mattress].¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s refreshing to hear you say it so directly¡­! In that case, Master, alright. I will lend it to you!¡±

    ¡°Are you sure?¡±

    Hearing her say alright so easily, I identally asked back out of reflex.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. However, you absolutely must not lose it. It is an heirloom after all.¡±

    ¡°It will be thoroughly protected.¡±

    ¡°Then I will hand it to youter.¡±

    I know that I was the one to give it a shot, but it felt way too simple.

    Is this a trap? It wouldn¡¯t be out of ce for this to be a trap. Definitely not. I¡¯ll be careful¡­ ah, I should get a church manager before that, huh? With 1,000 DP.

    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll be heading back.¡±

    ¡°W-w-wa-wait, Master! The problem¡¯s still not fixed!¡±

    Even though I started to think about a manager for the church and went to return to my room, Shikina restrained me.

    ¡°What, the medicine will be reimbursed right? What else is there?¡±

    ¡°Uh, what about m-my p-penis? Master, I want you to teach me how to use it¡­¡±

    ¡°I will provide you with diaperster. That way you¡¯ll be able to pee yourself as much as you need until you can figure it out yourself.¡±

    ¡°Diapers!? M-Master, really, diapers would be very shameful for me! Ah, but if Master likes that kind of thing, I won¡¯t hold back.¡±

    Why¡¯s she blushing like that now? I seriously don¡¯t have that fetish.

    ¡°¡­ Oh well, talk to Setsuna about the thing between your legs then. Don¡¯t ask me.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why Setsuna-dono?¡±

    ¡°Well¡ª¡±

    Because she¡¯s a futanari¡ªis what I¡¯d started to answer with, but then I remembered that me knowing what was up with Setsuna¡¯s sex didn¡¯t make any sense.

    Setsuna is generally considered a female. Me knowing about what Setsuna actually is is due to me stealthily using [Super Transformation] and hearing about it as [Euma].

    ¡°¡ªI mean, well, it has to do with Beddhism. Yeah, it has to do with Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It came to me in a dreamst night. It said relying on Setsuna was alright, so it definitely had to be a prophetic dream. Also, her younger sister Nayuta is an alchemist, so maybe she might know something about the drug.¡±

    ¡°A prophetic dream!? I¡¯ll ask her then!¡±

    Saying that, Shikina ran to the inn.

    Phew, I tricked her.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, umm¡­ I am extremely sorry for this, but I will prepare another as soon as possible so that the engagement can continue as nned.¡±

    ¡°No, rather, I don¡¯t remember ever saying anything about requiring a drug for an engagement?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand that.¡±

    ¡°And the promise was only for a month, did you still need to borrow a fiance¡¯s name? I¡¯d require an extension charge, you know?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. In that case, Kehma-sama, how about we, the Sia family, lend you the [Godly Pillow] for a time as payment?¡±

    Eh, are you sure?¡ªis what I almost asked.

    This conversation took waaaay too good of a turn.

    ¡­ What¡¯s going on? Did something happen?

    Or maybe¡­ no way, is this a Beddhism Miracle!?

 Chapter 277

    A Very Beddhism Baptism

    As a result of loaning the godly beddings, Maidence said that she wanted to take a look at the church.

    ¡­ It still doesn¡¯t have a caretaker yet though¡­ ah, maybe I could get people to do it so I won¡¯t have to spend DP?

    As I thought about that, I guided Maidence to the church.

    Meat and Ichika came along too. So did Maidence¡¯s escort maid.

    ¡°So this is Beddhism¡¯s church¡­ It¡¯s considerably different than a chuch for the White Goddess Faith.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing for you to see it without any furnishings due to it being so new, but¡­ oh, how about it? Want a holy symbol?¡±

    ¡°No, I will not convert from the White Goddess Faith.¡±

    ¡°What, you can believe in Beddhism as a subreligion. No one¡¯ll even force you to apply the doctine either.¡±

    ¡°S-subreligion? What¡¯s that?¡±

    Ah, I should¡¯ve exined starting at that, huh.

    I then exined it to her, cherry-picking the best parts.

    By the way, it¡¯s not like you have to have a holy symbol to be a believer. As an advantage of being a subreligion, it doesn¡¯t matter even if you use another religion¡¯s holy symbol to pray, all that matters is that you love resting.

    ¡°¡­ I see. So in other words, one could believe in Beddhism while still holding faith in White Goddess-sama.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not impossible. I would rmend Beddhism to anyone who sleeps, but it wouldn¡¯t force anyone away from other religions.¡±

    ¡°Oh, how nice. The holy kingdom¡¯s Light God¡¯s Decree is so overbearing that it¡¯s frightening¡­ by the way, does Kuro-sama follow Beddhism as well?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the same as Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Looks like Meat¡¯s joined Beddhism too. Rather, I¡¯d feel bad if she didn¡¯t join.

    What about Ichika? She believes in Food God Ishidaka though.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join too, then. It¡¯s important to have the same beliefs as your fiance.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, thank you very much.¡±

    Follower GET!

    ¡°Well then, please baptize me¡­ oh, will there be a priesting?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it may be forward of me, I am responsible for that.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-sama, you have priest qualifications as well?¡±

    ¡°Just for Beddhism.¡±

    So priests need something like that?

    ¡­ Well, I am the rule for Beddhism. If I say it¡¯s OK, so does Beddhism.

    In other words, there¡¯s no problem in me saying I¡¯m a priest of Beddhism. If you think I¡¯m lying, go ahead and contact Beddhism. Contact me.

    ¡°Mea¡ª¡­ Kuro hasn¡¯t had a baptism yet either huh, let¡¯s take the chance to do it. Please repeat after me¡­ I am Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°I am Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°I am Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Beddhism too~¡±

    Ichika snuck hers in.

    ¡°Alright, now you¡¯re Beddhists. Get some sleep, good night.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Th-That¡¯s all?¡±

    Maidence was confused.

    Yeah? Is anything else needed?

    ¡°Are other religions different?¡±

    ¡°Well, yes, like being doused with holy water and reciting verses¡­ then doing a ceremony where you wash your limbs.¡±

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    I was thinking that people would like it more if entering the faith was simple, but maybe they¡¯d prefer more of a ceremonial performance?

    In that case, maybe I should do something based on the Beddhist Scriptures¡­

    ¡°Let¡¯s pray, then. I will use my Sleepsword Siesta.¡±

    ¡°Is it a holy object?¡±

    I pulled out my beloved sword, Siesta. Although Maidence¡¯s Maid-san suddenly took a battle stance and pulled out a dagger, I continued without paying any mind.

    ¡°This is a holy sword capable of bestowing sleep. It has the effect of bringing sleep to its surroundings upon being given magical power. Ah, if falling asleep would cause you stress, Maid-san, I rmend moving a little further away¡­ Yeah, that¡¯s far enough.¡±

    ¡°I see. So you must endure the sleepiness and pray?¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t need to endure it. Just sleep. That is Beddhism.¡±

    It¡¯d be dangerous to fall asleep standing up, so I had the three of them sit down first.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s recite the Beddhist Scriptures Please close your eyes and repeat after me¡­ Waan Sheeepe. 1¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Waan Sheeepe. ¡°¡±¡±

    ¡°Tooo Sheeepe.¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Tooo Sheeepe. ¡°¡±¡±

    The three of them repeated the way I counted sheep with an extraordinarily bad pronunciation¡­ perfectly.

    Are they actually hearing it as Japanese sounds? No way, did I just discover a hole in Trantion Function-san?

    ¡°¡­ Excuse me, Kehma-sama? What does this scripture mean?¡±

    ¡°This is a charm to bring about sleep. [Sheeepe] means [Thing that brings sleep], it¡¯s appearing is generally akin to a sheep. [One] and [Two] are for counting how many there are¡­ Normally, one would continue counting until they fall asleep, but for now, we will just count until ten to finish it.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ so then, three Sheeepe, four Sheeepe¡­2¡±

    After this, I¡¯ll have to write 99% of the scriptures concerning Sheeepe, huh.

    ¡­ By the way, since I created the scriptures with [Create Golem], I can change the order of pages or insert pagester as needed.

    Right now, it¡¯s like a notebook that¡¯s about as thick as a pillow. Some might call it bluffing or something, but it¡¯s important to be big enough to be used as a pillow if needed. Such is the way of Beddhism! Thickness bringing easier sleep is important!

    ¡­ Whoops, I should use Siesta here soon. I¡¯d used it to fall asleep yesterday too, so it was out of magical power. I put some into Siesta¡­ fuuuah, I¡¯m tired. It¡¯s working.

    ¡°K-Kehma-sama. I¡¯m starting to feel tired¡­!¡±

    ¡°Me too¡­ Fuaaah, aah¡­. tired¡­¡±

    ¡°Five Sheeepe¡­ six Sheeepe¡­¡±

    ¡°Kuaah¡­¡±

    Meat and Maidence continued counting Sheeepe.

    Ichika was sleeping. She was using her arms on the desk as a pillow.

    ¡°Umu, that¡¯s great. Good Night.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-sama, what does Good Night mean?¡±

    Huh? So that¡¯s excluded from Trantion Function-san now too? It really is spell-like, I guess.

    ¡°Good Night is something you use before you sleep, it¡¯s like a prayer. It means to have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important that the meaning is that, you can use it when you¡¯d go to bed normally and use it as a quick prayer.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so it¡¯s easy to pray in normal, everyday life, huh¡­? Good Night.¡±

    ¡°Good Night¡­ ffff¡­¡±

    Ah, Meat¡¯s sleeping now too.

    I want to sleep too¡­ as the priest, I have to stay awake right now, so let¡¯s get Maidence to fall asleep so I can as well. Let¡¯s quickly turn [ckout Resistance] ON¡­ Now I shouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep.

    Rather, not being able to fall asleep even when you¡¯re feeling drowsy is a living hell yaknow!? Seriously, [ckout Resistance] is a horrid skill.

    ¡°Nine¡­ Sheeepe¡­ n, nn¡­ sss¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Good Night.¡±

    Maidence fell asleep too. She couldn¡¯t even make it to ten with Siesta here, huh¡­ I¡¯ma go to sleep now, too.

    I took a good seat, turned OFF [ckout Resistance], and entrusted my body to this overwhelming drowsiness.

    The Beddhism Church was filled with warm sunlight. I really did make afortable ce to sleep in.

    Alright, night¡­ Fuaaah.

 Chapter 278

    Rokuko¡¯s Plot

    Maidence had joined the faith.

    A little while after I woke up, the Maid-san used [Cleanup] on the drool-covered desk and picked up the sleeping Maidence and carried her away.

    Later on¡ª

    ¡°I slept so soundly¡­ Beddhism is amazing. I will rmend it to father as well.¡±

    ¡ªI received Maidence¡¯s seal of approval, but she didn¡¯t say anything about whether or not she would have a manager sent along with the pillow.

    Now that she¡¯d entered the faith, she did say she would lend me the [Godly Pillow]. By the way, she also said to please not use it¡­ grah.

    However, she didn¡¯t say anything about where it should be ced¡­ is she cing her full trust in our crime prevention?

    Now then, my promise with Rokuko¡­ the thing about me figuring out the church¡¯s manager problem with no more than 1000 DP¡ªhasn¡¯t progressed in the least.

    Which is why I still haven¡¯t even used a single DP, but I have no idea.

    Still though, if it¡¯s about economizing on DP, I already know what to do.

    I could use [Create Golem] to do something about it as usual, but where the heck should I get the person who¡¯ll actually be the manager?

    Just leaving a golem to be the manager is out of the question.

    Managers need to be able to listen to someone¡¯s story and correspond as needed. Golems just don¡¯t have the intelligence required for that.

    In that case, I have no choice but to recruit someone that¡¯s already here.

    It should work out if I have the person utilize the golems as their hands and legs. In that case, the possible candidates are¡ª

    ¡°¡­ Meat, Rei¡­ Ichika too I guess? Then¡ª¡±

    I thought about who would be best fit for the job given that golems would handle the misceneous duties.

    For Meat, she¡¯d be good since she was already something of a mascot for the vige and people liked her, but that was it. She was much too young to act as a manager for a facility that outsiders would being to visit as well.

    For Ichika, she has a silver tongue so she could probably get us to have more believers, but she¡¯s not like a nun at all. There¡¯s also the fact that she seems like someone who¡¯d embezzle funds to gamble with if it weren¡¯t for the fact she¡¯s a ve¡­ that might actually be useful for an end of the century church1, but not for the first church of a new religion.

    And for Rei¡­ she¡¯d probably be able to do it easily.

    Well, she is a vampire. That is, an undead-type. I don¡¯t know about a church¡¯s manager being an undead¡­ but I guess it¡¯s a trivial problem seeing as how people assume she¡¯s human?

    Rather,pared to how the empire¡¯s leaders are basically all monsters, it¡¯s barely a problem at all.

    ¡°I guess Rei really is the most fit for the job right now¡­ Alright, let¡¯s make Rei the manager. Case closed!¡±

    Well, after taking a bit to think about it, I didn¡¯t even need to use a single DP.

    *

    ¡°Nope. Rei has massage reservationsing in a month in advance already.¡±

    My n was quickly rejected by Rokuko.

    ¡°¡­ Seriously? Then I¡¯ll just wait to start it up for real for a month.¡±

    ¡°Nope to that too. Maidence has already been talking quite a bit about Beddhism. Even if the church weren¡¯t already here, it¡¯s the talk of the town.¡±

    Crap. Maybe I should have went slower in building it and took my time¡­?

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. I already know a very wonderful solution. Do you want me to tell you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What is it?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, you can just be the manager. That, or you can just obediently give up, summon a monster, and do what I say. What¡¯ll you do?¡±

    Rokuko grinned.

    ¡­ No way.

    No way. Did¡­ did Rokuko just tell me to choose between [Work] and [Doing One Thing She Tells Me]?

    ¡°Fufufu, Kehma? It¡¯s a great suggestion right?¡±

    ¡°Could it be¡­ that you¡¯re going to reject any other idea I give?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, nothing like that. I would never reject a perfectly wonderful idea¡­ you would have to work otherwise, right?¡±

    Rokuko figured out how to deal with me!?

    She figured it out and she¡¯spelling me to choose!?

    ¡°¡­ R-Rokuko, haven¡¯t you¡­ haven¡¯t you been acting weirdtely? Are you real?¡±

    ¡°And haven¡¯t you been impolite recently!?¡±

    ¡°You definitely had to have eaten something strange¡­ ah! Could it be the dungeon? The dungeon¡¯s been developing, so your brain¡¯s getting bigger too!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re trying to say, but I have heard that cores grow smarter depending on howplex their dungeons are.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t imagine your recent progress is at that level though¡­¡±

    I stealthily took out a lie detecting magic tool.

    ¡°Rokuko, please say that you¡¯re the real Rokuko again.¡±

    ¡°How rude! I am the real Rokuko! Are you happy now!?¡±

    The magic tool didn¡¯t light up red. However, this magic tool won¡¯t activate if the person saying it truly believes it¡­

    ¡°I am a growing woman, Kehma¡­ fufu.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±

    Rokuko smiled with augh and struck a pose. Ah, yeah, she¡¯s the real thing. What a relief~

    ¡­

    Wait, I still have no idea what I¡¯m going to do about getting a manager¡­ I¡¯ll have to do something quick or I¡¯m going to have to do it.

 Chapter 279

    Negotiating With the Subi

    If things keep up and Rokuko¡¯s plot works out I¡¯m going to have to work or do any one thing Rokuko tells me to.

    I¡¯ve gotta do something.

    First off, three of the vige¡¯s adventurers showed up while I was working out my n in the church, so I baptized them.

    ¡­ But seriously, I was told it was best for there to be a bit extra to it so I had them perform the Sheepe counting ceremony (nap). There were two more people when I woke up for some reason, but I guess they just wanted to join the religion too.

    It¡¯s pretty easy to get more followers, huh¡­ it¡¯s still just the second day.

    Well then, I was thinking about it while sleeping, but¡­ honestly, I just have to attract people who don¡¯t have jobs or anything to do.

    In other words, me¡ªnot! I¡¯m too busy doing my job¡¯s required sleeping.

    I have them, those girls who keep ying around carving those kokeshi dolls as a side-job in the dungeon!

    Yeah, I¡¯m going to put those subi to work!

    ¡°Which is why I was going to turn up there in front of Subus Vige, but when I thought about about it, I¡¯d only met them as a golem. So having them work at the church in the vige would be a bit much, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I suppose~. So why¡¯d you bring me too, then~?¡±

    I sent Nerune, who¡¯d been busy working on magic formations in herboratory, to do it.

    To be my negotiator, of course.

    ¡°I was thinking about having you act as the [Person on the Dungeon¡¯s Side].¡±

    ¡°So you want me to deal with it all~. I don¡¯t mind though~¡±

    I¡¯d already told Setsuna and Nayuta that Neruna was the dungeon¡¯s spy, so I figured it was best to keep my points of contact limited as much as possible.

    ¡°Alright, turn on the messenger golem. I¡¯ll operate it from here through the monitor. Right, please refer to the golem as Euma-sama.¡±

    ¡°Kaaay~, here we go~¡±

    Answering frivolously, Nerune led the ck golem I put there into Subus Vige.

    I watched through the monitor from behind the scenes.

    ¡°Excuse me~¡±

    ¡°An intruder! Let¡¯s have some fun andmemorate the second time it¡¯s happened and¡ªwait, hmmm? Isn¡¯t that Golem-sama?¡±

    [Hey, you seem energetic. I¡¯ve brought some work today.]

    ¡°Work!? Allow me to send for Suira, then!¡±

    The subus ran inter Suira¡¯s room in the far back.

    Suira came out immediately after.

    ¡°Sorry to have kept you waiting, Golem-san. I¡¯m told that you¡¯re here about work¡ªdoes it have to do with that girl with you?¡±

    [She isn¡¯t entirely unrted, but I want to ask you a question first. You know about the vige outside of the dungeon?¡±

    Suira nodded. Well, Suira was originally trying to build a brothel there after all.

    [A church has been constructed in it. So I want a few of you to work as sisters there.]

    ¡°Sisters? Us?¡±

    [Correct. You would pass as humans with the proper clothing, right?]

    I briefly exined Beddhism to her.

    About how it was a religion that valued and emphasized rest.

    About how I wanted them to work as sisters in the church.

    About how I would reward (pay) the workers¡­ Ah, I n to use whatever alms or offerings the church gets for their wages. I¡¯d pay our inn employees whether or not we had customers, though.

    [Do you have any problems with that? Not being able to dress like that, or something?]

    ¡°¡­ We would be alright wearing clothes, but wouldn¡¯t sisters that aren¡¯t well-known or have connections with it be sent away?¡±

    [Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. I have a cooperator there. It¡¯ll be taken care of if you have this girl here introduce you.]

    I exchanged looks with Nerune. She smiled.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s were this girles in, then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already infiltrated the inn~. Aah~, honestly~, the church needs so much help it¡¯d even settle for goblins¡¯ help~, I just have to say you¡¯re apprentice sistersing to help~¡±

    [Beddhism generally wouldn¡¯t have any problems even if you said you wanted to take a nap, so it will be alright. So then, how many of you could go?]

    I was prepared to purchase the sister outfits costing 200 DP per set.

    It came with a hat so it would even hide their horns. Oh, maybe I could insist they have the blood of sheep-type beastkin in them? Eh, they can withdraw their wings and horns? Subi are amazing¡­

    ¡°¡­ What¡¯s to say she won¡¯t betray us?¡±

    [I guarantee she won¡¯t. She is a dungeon monster, after all. Named, at that.]

    ¡°I~ am called Nerune~, an apprentice witch~¡­ I mean, isn¡¯t it more likely you¡¯d betray us~? Really~¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see. No, we will not betray you. Even if we did, it would only be after informing you. We are not under the dungeon¡¯s control, but we are indebted to you.¡±

    Ah, there¡¯s the possibility that they¡¯ll have to betray me, huh. They have other people they¡¯re indebted to, like Leona.

    Suira thought for a moment, then gave her answer.

    ¡°In that case though, everyone.¡±

    Whoops. Including Michiru, there are ten subi¡­ that¡¯d be over budget.

    [¡­ What about Subus Vige?]

    ¡°I just mean that we can all go, the number actually going would depend on how many would be employed.¡±

    [Err, I mean, are you that tired of living here?]

    ¡°Honestly, this area is peaceful and that¡¯s nice, but¡­ there aren¡¯t any people here, so there is a shortage of vitality essence in the air. I hasn¡¯t influenced us yet, but sooner orter there should be someone whose health deteriorates¡­ I was thinking about consulting you about it before it happened, though.¡±

    What, subi needed something like that? Ites from people, so maybe it¡¯s like a subtype of DP or something?

    [You¡¯d been alright so far though?]

    ¡°We were somewhat near to human viges, as well as having Leona-sama with us¡­ she was able to supply us more than enough all by herself. She is erotic. Super erotic. As the incarnation of eroticism, she could easily supply even a hundred subi herself.¡±

    Seriously, Leona is crazy. Compared to her, Shikina¡¯s just some girl who¡¯s heard about sex through the grapevine.

    She just has a big mouth, I guess.

    [Then¡­ should I send over goblins to, err¡­?]

    ¡°Geh, that would be ast resort. It¡¯s like if we were starving and that was our only choice, some of us would choose to die¡­ And I don¡¯t want Michiru to taste that¡­¡±

    Suira¡¯s face looked like she swallowed something bitter¡­ Yep, goblins are really disgusting.

    ¡°Which is why I would appreciate us going to the vige. I am still uneasy about it, though.¡±

    [Hmm. Then by having everyone go, perhaps we could enact a system of shifts¡­?]

    It¡¯ll be fine to have them use the back door foring and going¡­ and if it¡¯s not a rush, I could even have the Dyne Company order the sister outfits.

    Let¡¯s go with it not being a problem to rush five outfits.

    [Then for now, I¡¯ll prepare five sister outfits for you. Please share them.]

    ¡°Michiru¡¯s size wouldn¡¯t match others¡¯. Is it alright for her to keep a set for herself?¡±

    [Sure, negotiationplete. I will prepare the outfits and have Nerune deliver them. Please make sure there are five people ready to head into the vige.]

    ¡°Yeah. And please make one of those sets a child¡¯s.¡±

    [I understand.]

    With that, Nerune and I temporarily left Subus Vige.

    *

    ¡°Ooh, so they are Beddhist apprentice sisters? Wee.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Maste¡ª¡­ Priest-sama~¡±

    I was talking to Nerune at the Beddhism gathering. Behind her were the five apprentice sisters (Subi).

    Nerune introduced Suira and the other subi as Beddhist apprentice sisters that came from another town.

    And I was the priest who would amiably ept them.

    Yep, it¡¯s a farce!

    Obviously, as Beddhism is still unknown to basically any other vige.

    But the subi, believing the lie, were relieved. Some of them were looking at me with passionate gazes though¡­ I wonder if subi find clergymen tasty?

    ¡°Umm~, there¡¯s five others that aren¡¯t here right now~, but could you ept all of them~? It¡¯s fine if they can onlye five at a time~¡±

    ¡°Hmm? So they¡¯remuting or something? Guess they¡¯re living somewhere. Would the five be staying at the church in shifts be fine?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah~. Ah, but they¡¯re only apprentices so they still don¡¯t know much about Beddhism~, is that alright~?¡±

    ¡°Of course. As the scripture says, [Everyone has an equal right to Rest], Beddhism epts all. Besides, we are short on manpower right now¡­ it seems as though they have their circumstances, but I will rest my eyes on that matter. One wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep soundly if they worried about each and every matter.¡±

    I looked to Suira and addressed her. She¡¯s as beautiful as ever¡­ for such a beautiful sister to be a subus¡­ yep, we¡¯re going to get a lot more people.

    ¡°Err, Suira, was it? You are the representative of the apprentice sisters, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Thank you very much for your hospitality, Priest-sama¡­ Good Night.¡±

    Suira awkwardly brought her hands before her chest and prayed.

    Come to think of it, the subi were supposed to have erased my memory huh.

    Perhaps I should tease them a little to make them keep their distance a bit?

    ¡°¡­ Oh? Have we met somewhere before?¡±

    ¡°Eh!? No, no, we haven¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­ was it just my imagination? No, I feel like I¡¯ve met you¡­ well, alright. And you, littledy, nice to meet you¡­ I think?¡±

    ¡°Fueh!? Ah, umm, nice to meet you, Vige Chief-san!?¡±

    ¡°M-Michiru. This is Priest-sama. Priest-sama, alright?¡±

    ¡°Hah hah hah, I¡¯m also the vige¡¯s chief, she can call me whichever she prefers. You don¡¯t need to be so polite either, you can talk however¡¯s easiest for you.¡±

    Now they shouldn¡¯t want to be involved with me any more than necessary.

    They might figure out what¡¯s going on if I¡¯m not careful interacting with them, after all.

    ¡°Let me guide you through the church, this way please.¡±

    With that, I seeded in making the subi be the sisters managing the church.

    See that, Rokuko? Things won¡¯t go how you¡¯re nning!

    ¡­ Well, honestly,pared to doing work, hearing whatever Rokuko¡¯s wanting wouldn¡¯t be much right?

 Chapter 280

    Knight Leader Sally-san, Leaving

    I was sitting across from Sally-san, the first knight order leader, in the parlor. It was just us.

    Not in a sexy way at all though. It was more like I was a student who got a call from their teacher to help them.

    Apparently, Sally, who¡¯d been having a rtively thin presence since arriving here¡­ was investigating things about me and those around me.

    ¡°Maaan, that bath is great. The bed too¡­ I¡¯d like to stay two, no three more days, but I think I¡¯ll have to move on to my next stop here soon¡­ Coincidentally, Kehma-san, you¡¯ve made something pretty interesting, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh¡ªO-Oh, yeah, I just went¡­ and built a church.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, a church¡ªone for the White Goddess Faith?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No. Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Beddhism. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve heard of that one before? ording to what I¡¯ve heard, its scripture came from the dungeon?¡±

    Yep, so she¡¯s here to ask about what¡¯s up with the religion even though she already knows. Definitely.

    Ah, yeah, I get it, so uhh, SORRY.

    ¡°¡­ Yeah. I made it myself a few days ago.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯ll have to report that to Haku-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh yeaaah, I didn¡¯t tell her about it, did I? Thanks for that.¡±

    It could be solved straight away by us using the [White Beach (Hotline)], but this is way too good of a chance to let go. I¡¯ll have her do it. This way, it¡¯ll even dy the report a bit.

    ¡°I believe that it will work well with the White Goddess Faith, for now at least, but¡­ a subreligion? Really, there¡¯s no way we¡¯re going to deal with whatever problems pop from that. Kehma-san, you¡¯ll have to deal with those yourself.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±

    I understand perfectly well that you¡¯re far from never hearing about it.

    Well, it¡¯s natural that she¡¯d know at least a bit about it given how the vigers won¡¯t stop talking about it.

    ¡°Ah, to shift gears a bit, I want to follow up on Shikina Kukkoro1. It seems as though she¡¯s wound up on the receiving end of [Futanaru]? I¡¯ve confirmed it, it looks like the effects are just temporary, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Haah, is there something I should be cautious about for that as well?¡±

    ¡°Please take good care so that she doesn¡¯t get close to Rokuko-sama. Another of that drug¡¯s effects is a powerful aphrodisiac to make it so that there will definitely be offspring left.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªyeah.¡±

    Oh, god. Shikina¡¯s going to get even worse¡­?

    Rather, what¡¯s this about confirming something? Confirmed what? What did you confirm?

    No, let¡¯s stop there. I really don¡¯t want to hear about the boyfriend-having Sally-san doing something to the now-endowed Shikina.

    ¡°It¡¯s strong enough that you¡¯re better off restraining her until the effect ends.¡±

    ¡°Hahahah¡­ I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    By the way, I¡¯ve only been face-to-face with Shikina and it one time since it appeared. She¡¯s pretty much kept to being locked in her room since having Setsuna teach her how to use it. I have no idea what she¡¯s doing. None.

    Should I also add a lock to the outside of her room and seal her off entirely?

    ¡°However, you haven¡¯t made a move on the lord¡¯s daughter, nor on Shikina. That was a bit unexpected.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, nothing. Nothing¡ªnothing at all. Please pay me no mind.¡±

    Well now that you¡¯re talking to me like that I can¡¯t help it¡­

    So Maidence and Shikina really were honey traps, huh. Well, it was easy to get that Shikina was.

    ¡°This is just me talking to myself, but the next one will be thest.¡±

    ¡°Thest?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh my, did I say something?

    Yeah, so you¡¯re going to stick with the talking to yourself thing?

    ¡­ Well, I guess that means there¡¯ll be another honey traping. OK, I get it.

    But there¡¯s also something I don¡¯t get.

    Why did Sally-san tell me that?

    Did Haku-san tell her to? Or did she decide to on her own¡­? If Haku-san told her to, there¡¯s a chance there won¡¯t be any more and she¡¯s just bluffing, or heck, there might even be two or more.

    If she decided to tell me on her own, then¡­ no, I really don¡¯t get why Sally-san would tell me.

    Seeing me look puzzled, Sally-sanughed lightly and stood from her seat.

    ¡°Fufu, well then, that¡¯s all¡­ Sincerely, please don¡¯t be a bad thing for Rokuko-sama. Also, I will be reporting the matter of you resting on herp.

    ¡°¡­ Okay.¡±

    I-Impossible! Where¡¯d that get out from!? Was there a fly on the wall monitoring us or something!?

    Rokuko might have¡­ no way!

    At any rate, Sally-san and her boyfriend left the inn arm-in-arm.

    Rokuko came to see them off, so I had Shikina wait in her room.

    Also, the person who told Sally-san was Rokuko. The heck¡­

    ¡°Kehma, aren¡¯t you misunderstanding Haku Ane-sama? She¡¯s kind.¡±

    ¡°To you, sure! She¡¯s tough on me¡­¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s nothing to worry about if you don¡¯t do anything bad, right?¡±

    ¡°To Haku-san, doing anything with you is something I have to be careful of, let alonep pillows or sleeping together.¡±

    ¡°¡­ R-Really¡­? It¡¯s fine, I wanted to do it, after all.¡±

    It¡¯d be fine if I didn¡¯t care about my life, sure.

    ¡°Come to think of it, you managed to prepare managers for the church, didn¡¯t you? At exactly 1000 DP, even.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I put those subi to work. You give up now?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It wasn¡¯t like it was a contest or anything though? But Kehma, did you know?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Know what?¡±

    ¡°I said that you could use up to 1000 DP. You used 1000 DP, so¡­ you lose?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    I looked at the menu. The remaining DP out of the 1000 DP disy¡­ was 0 DP.

    ¡­ This is that, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s not that there¡¯s no funds left, it¡¯s like when your remaining HP hits 0 and you die¡ª

    ¡°Seriously¡­?¡±

    ¡°Seriously. Err, well, Kehma? You¡¯re going to take my request, right?¡±

    Rokuko keep ncing to and away from me shyly¡­ Haah, oh well. It¡¯s my fault.

    ¡°¡­ What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­! N-Not yet! Now¡¯s no good, not now. It¡¯s still bright out! Ah, but would it be bad in the day? I have to clean up the suite!¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko rushed back into the inn with a bright red face.

    Rokuko, the heck are you nning to have me do?

    ¡­ It¡¯s probably something like having us sleep together in the suite. Yeah.

    Now then, let¡¯s see how far the construction of Maidence¡¯s house ising along~

    By the way, that night, Rokuko gave me a bunny suit. She¡¯d bought it with DP.

    I tried stretching it out, it looked to be properly sized for a man.

    ¡­ Eh? Wear this? Who would want that!? Wait, Rokuko does!?

    What the heck kind of interest does Rokuko have¡­ wasn¡¯t it just her goblin fetish¡­? The mystery deepens.

    ¡­ Eh? I seriously have to wear it?

 Chapter 281

    Extra: The Church in Our Vige (1)

    I¡¯m Robou1. I live in Golen and I¡¯m a poor adventurer.

    I arrived in Golenst winter. I heard that you could capture iron golems in the dungeon here so I came to make some money.

    Then next thing I knew I¡¯d gotten a field and settled down permanently.

    I was originally the fifth son of a farmer, so I¡¯ve always longed for my own field.

    The first born son seeded all of the family¡¯s fields, so rather than being used like some ve, I became an adventurer¡­ which is why I never thought in my wildest dreams that I¡¯d get a field of my own, let alone one so close to a dungeon.

    I¡¯m so moved. Whoops, there¡¯s a weed growing there. Crops grow quickly this close to a dungeon, but that also causes weeds to pop up quicker so I gotta make sure to get rid of them fast.

    I also wound up being a farmer. Really, that fact makes me smile.

    After acquiring my field, I found myself going for goblins to be fertilizer for my field rather than caring about iron golems.

    Sometimes when I¡¯m feeling extravagant I¡¯ll form a temporary party with the the other viger-cum-adventurers to hunt iron golems, but that¡¯s about it.

    When I was done with daily maintenance and didn¡¯t have anything really to do other than overlooking my field, Zun and Doko came over and talked to me.

    ¡°Heya, Robou. Lookin¡¯ over yer field again are ya?¡±

    ¡°If you like your field so much you should just marry it!¡±

    ¡°Shaddup. You guys¡¯re always gushing over my field, and I would if I could, I love my field!¡±

    Weughed it out together.

    These two are fellowrades who got fields in Golen. They¡¯re also people I form a party with often. They¡¯re good guys with good personalities.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m gonna go hunt iron golems here in a bit, wanna join?¡±

    ¡°I feel like drinking a ton of alcohol today. It¡¯d be great if ya¡¯de too, Robou.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go. I have some free time for it, what about the cart?¡±

    ¡°Zun¡¯s prepared it, ya just need to bring yer stuff.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    Heading back into my house for a moment, I pulled out my equipment. I hadn¡¯t been neglecting to maintain them either, so my preparations were done in a sh.

    ¡°Gonna pray today?¡±

    ¡°Obviously.¡±

    With that, we headed to a certain somewhere before heading into the dungeon.

    It was a clean building with white walls and a blue roof.

    The church.

    A Beddhism church abruptly appeared in Golen¡ªit seems like it was amission sent out to a mage Vige Chief Kehma knows, ording to him¡ªand it¡¯s already an indispensable existence for this vige.

    Reason: You¡¯re able to encounter iron golems after praying to Beddhism.

    Reason: Reciting the scriptures in the church cures insomnia.

    Reason: The sisters are so, so, so pretty that they leave you feeling oddly refreshed.

    It¡¯s especially effective for insomnia and sleeplessness in general. I hear that even Sia¡¯s lord converted to Beddhism.

    Maybe thanks to that, Beddhism¡¯s started spreading through Sia.

    Simrly, I¡¯m also a Beddhist.

    I already followed the very adventurer-ish White Goddess Faith, but it¡¯s a sub-religion so I went and started believing in Beddhism too. I¡¯ve felt better since I started praying to Beddhism so nowadays it¡¯s turned into my preferred one.

    At any rate, I pray to Beddhism before I go to sleep and all I need to do is say [Good Night], that¡¯s all. We don¡¯t even actually have to say it.

    Furthermore, even me just grinning at my field is praying to Beddhism, it¡¯s basically the best religion for me.

    We passed through the church¡¯s doors.

    The interior held a clean and calm atmosphere with warm light streaming through the colored ss windows.

    It felt faintly tender, with just enough humidity that it didn¡¯t feel dry.

    A breeze swam through the church, ruffling the air and dispersing just enough of the built-up heat on our bodies. The room felt so carefree that we all let out yawns before we¡¯d even had a chance to stop ourselves.

    There were several Beddhists in the church, sleeping with books held in their hands.

    ¡­ The books they were reading were all free of charge, so generous. I think Vige Chief Kehma donated them?

    Just then, a sister walked over to us. The head sister, Suira-san.

    Her pink-colored hair shook buoyantly, her great scent drifting over to us.

    She was wearing a sister outfit that stood for purity and tidiness, but her sexy body-type wasn¡¯t hidden by it at all.

    I¡¯m not sure if it was for taking mobility seriously or not, but her skirt had a slit up its side, letting people see her bare legs underneath. How erotic. Her chest shook with a bounce every time she took a step, drawing in my eyes. Her hips and butt were great, so great that it makes me just want to¡­ ah! No, no. I¡¯m not some pervert. I¡¯m not the vige chief!

    ¡°Oh? Robou-san, Zun-san, Doko-san. Are you here to pray?¡±

    Her erotic voice caressed my ears and sent pleasure down my spine.

    Honestly, how many people converted just because of Suira-san?

    Then again, all of the sisters here are attractive. As women.

    ¡­ As sisters too, I guess?

    I mean, well, everyone (me too) is d for having such young and beautiful sisters.

    ¡°Yeah, prayers, sister.¡±

    ¡°Suira-san, you¡¯re looking extra beautiful today.¡±

    ¡°Oh, here¡¯s an offering from me.¡±

    With that, Doko cheekily handed the sister a vegetable he grew from his field.

    ¡°This carrot looks delicious! Thank you very much.¡±

    Her cheeks blushing, the sister put the carrot to her face as though in love with it as she proceeded to kiss it and touch it lightly. I guess she really loves her vegetables, she must definitely find it delicious. How envious¡­ no, nothing. Nothing!

    Doko, what are you slouching forward for? No, I take it back, I get it.

    ¡°It looks like you¡¯re all prepared to head into the dungeon, so you¡¯re praying before you head off? If you¡¯re in a rush, would look like today¡¯s to be more informal?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    We each passed a copper coin to the sister. Although offerings aren¡¯t exactly required, everyone says the blessing is more effective if you give one.

    A god would rather want to give their divine protection to someone who gives them something than someone who doesn¡¯t, yeah?

    It giving us an excuse to touch Suira¡¯s hand every time has nothing to do with it at all.

    ¡°So then¡­ let¡¯s work only long enough to ensure that we can sleep well¡ªGood Night.¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Good Night ¡°¡±¡±

    We returned the scripture to the sister, who¡¯d prayed with her hands on her chest.

    Well, that¡¯s just because today¡¯s was informal.

    ¡°Have a good day, all of you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re off!¡±

    ¡°Gotta earn some money!¡±

    ¡°Expect a souvenir, Suira-san.¡±

    Being sent off by the sister was great. Very great.

    To the point that I¡¯d love to be weed back each time Ie back to the church.

    Feeling refreshed, we headed off into the dungeon.

 Chapter 282

    Extra: The Church in Our Vige (2)

    And so, with the prayer¡¯s effect on us, we hunted an iron golem in safety.

    As a result of exchanging it to the guild and splitting it three ways, my wallet got pretty fat.

    ¡°It¡¯s seriously better when we pray!¡±

    ¡°I can y around for a while now~¡±

    ¡°Still gotta work the fields though.¡±

    For me, field work is my life¡¯s work. If I had to choose between that and being an adventurer, I¡¯d choose the field. I¡¯m super fortunate that I can have both at once¡ªnow I just wish I could have a bride.

    ¡°So, wanna go pray at the church?¡±

    ¡°Yeahhh, us getting that iron golem was thanks to Beddhism¡¯s help after all.¡±

    ¡°Zun, you¡¯re just saying that because you wanna see Suira-san, aren¡¯t ya?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you on about, Doko! I just wanna pat Michiru-chan¡¯s head!¡±

    ¡°You lolicon.¡±

    Like that, we headed to the church.

    As for the time, it was in the evening. It closes early since we all sleep at night, but it should still be open now.

    ¡°Ah, wee~?¡±

    The small sister, Michiru-chan greeted us.

    Come to think of it, her child sister outfit has a slit in the skirt too¡­ and I heard that the Beddhism sister outfits were all prepared by the vige chief¡­ yep. Well, yeah. Guess that¡¯s that, then.

    Going that far, honestly, I think there¡¯s some respect to be had.

    Zun patted Michiru-chan¡¯s head as he said he would and handed her an eggnt he was holding on to. Zun, just when did you pick that up¡­?

    ¡°Yaaay~, eggnt~!¡±

    Michiru-chan rubbed her cheek all over the eggnt¡ªwhat¡¯s this feeling? It feels like I¡¯m witnessing something wrong.

    Passing our offerings to Michiru-chan, we did the informal prayer.

    ¡­ It feels like giving pocket money to a niece. Calming.

    ¡°Well now we¡¯re gonna head off to the bar for a drink, youin¡¯ too Robou?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m gonna pray a bit more. I want to read a book.¡±

    ¡°Sure, suit yourself. We¡¯re off then.¡±

    Saying that, I broke off from Zun and Doko. They¡¯re a great pair I can talk to easily.

    I borrowed a book rted to agriculture from the bookshelf and sat back into a chair. I can¡¯t read much since reading¡¯s so difficult, but as an adventurer, I can manage enough to figure out what¡¯s on amission slip.

    Moreover, this [Tranted Edition: Ichika] book has lots of memos written by an adventurer, so it¡¯s easy to ready.

    ¡­ What¡¯s this? Fertilizer, flour made from grinding shells, into the field¡­ heeh, shell powder can be used as a fertilizer? So it¡¯s not just goblins? Maybe I¡¯ll try it out with the next merchant heading to Pavuera?

    I continued reading the book. It was very good¡­ but I guess the day¡¯s fatigue was building up, since I started dozing and¡ª

    ¡ªah! I wound up falling asleep.

    I hurriedly used [Cleanup] on the book and desk I drooled a bit on to. I don¡¯t know if it was made of anything special, but the book cleaned up very nicely¡­ that was dangerous, there¡¯s no way I could pay to rece the book.

    With that, a cloth fell down. It looks like one got put on me.

    ¡°You were praying zealously, Robou-san.¡±

    Suira-san stood next to me with a gentle smile.

    ¡°¡­ Umm, Suira-san, this cloth, did you¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I put it on you so that you wouldn¡¯t catch a cold¡­ You have an adorable sleeping face.¡±

    She saw my sleeping face?

    I didn¡¯t think much of my party members seeing my sleeping face, but just thinking about Suira-san seeing it is a bit embarrassing.

    The sun had already set, it was night out. It was a time that the church should have already closed.

    ¡°Sorry for causing you trouble thiste.¡±

    ¡°No, nothing of the sort! If you¡¯d like, you could continue sleeping a little longer?¡±

    ¡­ Suira-san smiled, looking almost¡­ disappointed?

    Suddenly, I was reminded of a child caught red handed eating a treat¡ªno, what am I thinking? It¡¯s gotta be my imagination. But there¡¯s no way Suira-san would do something like that, right?

    ¡°¡ªCome to think of it, did you know that this church has a private room?¡±

    ¡°A private¡­ room?¡±

    When I asked back, Suira-san smiled gently.

    ¡°Yes, a ce for Beddhists to calm down and pray one by one¡ªah, of course since it¡¯s Beddhism praying, that means to have a nice long rest, but¡ªit¡¯s a room like an inn room. There¡¯s even a key to lock it from the inside, of course.¡±

    Suira-san smiled.

    Then, she put her face close to my ear as though to whisper. My ear suddenly felt ticklish and my mind quickly grewforted and tired. I wonder if this is that ear-happiness thing?1

    ¡°If¡ªif you provide two silver coins as an offering, you could even do a special prayer in the private room that uses two people¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡­ t-two silver coins, s-special!? With two people!?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, what will you do? You¡¯ve been praying so¡­ passionately, yes?¡±

    The moment she said passionately¡ªI gulped back my saliva.

    Suira-san smiled coquettishly. Corrupted¡ªwith a feeling entirely unbing of her sister outfit.

    And inside my wallet¡­ it¡¯s there! I nodded right away.

    ¡°This way, then¡­¡±

    Handed her the silver coins, I was led over to the private room with her soft hand pulling me.

    Once there, I saw a small bedid out. It was a room meant entirely to sleep in.

    There, I¡ª

    ¡ªslept on Suira-san¡¯sp.

    Hmm? Wait, what? I mean, it¡¯s definitely different from what I¡¯d expected, but this is good. Rather, it¡¯s great. Man, it¡¯d actually be a bit ridiculous if I¡¯d be able to do what I wanted to do with Suira-san for just two silver, hahaha. Hah¡­

    ¡°You can fall asleep whenever you wish. I will leave the room midway, but I will take care to not disturb your prayer.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay.¡±

    She stroked my hair gently. Aah, this feels so good¡­ wait, she smells so good, crap. Suira-san really smells super good¡ªis there an incense specifically meant for Beddhism or something?

    ¡°Close your eyes, rx your body¡­ that¡¯s a good boy. Now, slowly, breathe deeply¡ªI¡¯m here, don¡¯t worry¡­¡±

    ¡°¡ª¡­¡±

    Listening to Suira-san talk, I grew ever more tired.

    I slept soundly until morning.

    As expected, Suira-san wasn¡¯t there when I woke in the morning, but¡ª

    ¡ªIt might¡¯ve been because I rested on herp, but what I dreamed about doing with Suira-san is a secret.

    ¡­ It¡¯s also a secret that I used [Cleanup] on myself when I woke up¡­ Might¡¯ve been the first time I wet the bed since I was a child.

    At any rate, I, having slept all night, came across Suira cleaning when I walked out of the room.

    ¡°Oh, Robou-san. Thanks for the treatst night¡ª-I mean, you prayed zealouslyst night. How do you feel? Well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I feel great, thanks. Nahaha.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    Suira-san smiled.

    ¡°Should I keepst night a secret?¡±

    ¡°Well, no, but it would be best to keep to only telling those you can trust. However, there is a limitation on the number of private rooms we have, so we may not have one open, and sisters hold the power of refusing anyone they deem unreasonable.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ By the way, if you want to pray another night, next time will be a three silver coin co-sleeping course¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle again!¡±

    I grabbed Suira-san by the hand and almost yelled it.

    Suira looked at my face, her eyes looking bashful as they gazed into mine.

    She then grasped my hands back and opened her mouth.

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s a promise, right? You¡¯ll definitely be here again¡­?¡±

    SO CUTE, I¡¯m falling in love.

    Guess I¡¯ll tell Zun and Doko about it for now. They¡¯re probably dead drunk in the bar around now.

    ¡°Gotta go check on my field first though!¡±

    With that, I headed to my field.

 Chapter 283

    Chatting with Wataru

    A week after Knight Commander Sally headed back, Wataru came.

    ¡°Heya, Kehma-san! How¡¯s Shikina-chan doing nowadays? She holding up?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s gotten into a bit of a huge problem right now actually.¡±

    ¡°Eh, is she alright?¡±

    ¡°Sally-san said she¡¯ll be fine so probably.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sally-san¡­? Ah, that Demon Instructor-sama. If Sally-san said that, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Judging by how his eyes zoned out there for a sec, I guess Sally-san taught Wataru back in the imperial capital.

    I told him about Shikina¡¯s sex being thrown for a spin after she absorbed [Futanaru]. I already told Sally-san about it, so there¡¯s not really any reason for me to hide it.

    I showed Wataru to the parlor, we sat facing each other on opposing sofas.

    ¡°Wait, Sally-san came here? I have to greet her¡ª¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, she leftst week. By the way, she¡¯s traveling with her boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°Eh, did Sally-san have a boyfriend¡­? An armored boyfriend¡­ I can¡¯t picture him¡­ rather, I haven¡¯t even seen Sally-san¡¯s face. What kind of armor did this boyfriend have?¡±

    ¡°What, are you saying Sally-san¡¯s a living armor? I¡¯ll tell on you.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, it was a joke. Please don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ording to him, she¡¯d always been in her full te fully done, even with her face guard down, while training.

    Wataru knowing that Sally-san is a living armor¡­ is probably not a thing, but he might¡¯ve started suspecting already.

    Well, Haku-san should be able to sort that out one way or another.

    ¡°By the way, Sally-san herself is a beautiful blonde1. Her boyfriend wasn¡¯t wearing armor, he was a androgynous, I-love-older-women type of guy.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh¡­ a beauty, huh. She definitely did have a nice voice, I guess.¡±

    ¡°You should see him next time, though make sure you don¡¯t fall for him yeah?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, no way. Oh yeah, what was Sally-san¡¯s casual wear like?¡±

    ¡°Armor.¡±

    ¡°Even her casual wear¡­¡±

    Wataru looked up to the ceiling.

    Even I think that it¡¯s to the point that calling her a living armor as a nickname wouldn¡¯t be off.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, here¡¯s this month¡¯s payment. It has Shikina-chan¡¯s monthly fees too.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    I took the gold coin-filled bag from Wataru.

    It¡¯s a bitte, but this would be like handing over a suitcase of money in Japan¡­ For it to be handed to me so readily¡­

    Getting lost in that feeling and feeling like I¡¯d wound up as a big shot as I counted the coins, the door to the parlor was knocked on.

    Then, a certain blonde, disappointing elf jumped in.

    ¡°Masteeeeeer! And Wataru-sensei! It¡¯s been so long!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Err, who are you, again?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s Shikina-chan, obviously? Kehma-san, why are you tilting your head?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu¡­ it¡¯s fine, Wataru-sensei. I¡¯ve been locked up in my room for a while now, after all. If I recall correctly, I believe there is a saying in your birthce, Wataru-sensei, that says [Boys grow fast in just three days¡¯ time, so pay attention2] In other words, as I haven¡¯t been seen in thest several days, I am basically a new Shikina from Master¡¯s point of view! Therefore! It¡¯s natural for him to not know who I am!¡±

    Shikina threw her chest out in pride. She reminds me a bit of what Rokuko used to be like¡­

    Looks like she¡¯s gotten back to her old self.

    ¡­ I was wanting her to feel better, but this is a bit¡­

    For the time being, I put the hundred and five gold coins I counted out into a different dimension using [Safe].

    Not needing a real safe because of magic is really convenient, seriously. [Storage] is a low level skill, but with [Safe], I¡¯m even able to do stuff like get small change for some reason. It¡¯s a really allowing magic. I was told about its currency exchange just the other day.

    Furthermore, there wasn¡¯t even much of a reason for me to count the money since you¡¯ll know exactly how much money you put into the [Safe] the moment you do it. However, since you¡¯ll only know what your bnce is, even if you say something like [You were five coins short], someone could just answer back to you with [You must have miscounted then?].

    It¡¯s important to count them properly before putting them into the [Safe] to prevent idents.

    ¡°Well, jokes aside, it¡¯s been a few days huh, Shikina. Could it be that that is gone?¡±

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t disappeared, but I learned how to use my penis thanks to the diapers I got from you and Setsuna-dono¡¯s help! It¡¯s pretty convenient now that I¡¯ve gotten used to it!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say penis like that, it sounds vulgar¡­ hey, is she really a nobledy?¡±

    The Kukkoro family is a considerably distinguished family, but¡­. well, maybe this is just another result of Kehma-san¡¯s education?¡±

    Don¡¯t me that on me. The vulgarity of her words and her straightforwardness was there from the start.

    ¡°Oh. Wataru-sensei. I¡¯d like you to ask father if he could prepare a drug called [Futanaru].¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, I heard about it from Kehma-san, but you cracked the Sia lord¡¯s daughter¡¯s drug, right. Sure, I¡¯ll pass it on.¡±

    ¡°Sorry for troubling you. Master said he would shoulder the debt, but there is nothing better than recing the original thing with another if at all possible¡ªoh, also ask him to take care of the legalities as well?¡±

    ¡°Got it. Now that I think about it, there¡¯s been a lot of those chaotic-type magic drugs appearing in the imperial capital¡¯s market recently, so getting one should be possible.¡±

    Heeeh, I wonder why~¡­

    A certain girl popping into my head, I looked away from the two as they chatted.

    ¡­ I wonder if Nayuta knows how to make [Futanaru]? She is her grandkid, and she¡¯s an alchemist.

 Chapter 284

    Rookie Hunting (1)

    A certain man and woman adventurer couple arrived in Golen.

    They were a two person C-Rank group. The man was named Gesunoh, with the woman being Kiwami.

    Gesunoh and Kiwami took pleasure in hunting those who were weaker than themselves.

    Hunting meaning killing people and taking their possessions, of course.

    It was both their hobby and their source of ie¡ªaround an 8:2 split.

    Most of their targets were those people who¡¯d just be adventurers and had only just started learning to some extent. There was no sweeter nor easier to hunt prey than a rookie, someone who was basically blind through ignorance or negligence.

    But above all, the younger their targets, the better. They wouldn¡¯t have much money, but there were various other ways to have fun with them.

    To put it bluntly, these two were sleazebags.

    They¡¯d been staying in Pavuera before then, but they¡¯d started being tracked down after ying around a bit too much and had to escape. They had their sights set on two or three spots to move on to.

    For them, they just took it as how a migratory bird would migrate depending on the season.

    ¡°So, darling, what do ya think we should do next?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, well, honey¡­ we should find some young ones to be ourpanions.¡±

    The two would often try to work their way into parties with just three or less beginners, teach them a few things and get their trust, then kill them. They¡¯d usually spend a few days doing it, but sometimes they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold back and do them in on the first day.

    They chose groups with that number so they could kill one off and take another hostage to make them watch how they enjoyed themselves with the third.

    Depending on the situation, they might have to do stuff like kill off two at the same time or use paralytic poison on all three to do it one by one, but¡ª

    ¡ªThe two making sure they had their fun before the kill was just their style¡­ Specifics will be left out.

    Which is why they¡¯d found Golen to be a perfect ce toe along.

    There was a dungeon filled with things too good for newer adventurers to pass up, such as the iron golems, so there were always tons of peopleing and going.

    As it was a new vige, it didn¡¯t even have a gatekeeper. It was a great ce for criminals to hide out in.

    There was a ton of prey, it wasn¡¯t strange for neers to suddenly appear, and best of all, the dungeon would take care of whatever corpses they¡¯d leave behind.

    The more they¡¯d heard about Golen, the more they felt like it was a great ce. It was a vige made especially for them.

    ¡­ Is what they thought.

    The first thing they did after arriving at the vige what head to the guild branch office.

    Other than the veteran adventurers aiming to hunt iron golems, there were tons of delicious-looking rookies.

    However, their current objective was to inspect the dungeon. They would get a look at the dungeon map and find ces that seemed like there wouldn¡¯t be many people¡ªthat is, ces they could y around in.

    They decided to split up in order to collect information. Gesunoh¡¯s goal was to learn about the hunting grounds, and Kiwami¡¯s, the prey.

    Gesunoh walked to the newer looking of the two behind the counter. He spoke amiably, showing his C-Rank guild card and behaving gentlemanly.

    ¡°Hey, Receptionist-san. Is there a dungeon map?¡±

    ¡°There is one for the first floor only. Viewing it is five copper coins, while purchasing a copy is ten copper coins.¡±

    ¡°Just the first floor?¡±

    He paid eleven copper. One was a tip.

    Five copper to inspect the map was cheap. In other words, although it wasn¡¯t too big of a floor, there should at least be some information on the following floors.

    ¡°The second and third floors are mazes, so as the path changes frequently, a map cannot be made for it. Although it is possible to get a feel for the rough direction you need to go for the staircase, it is hard.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh¡­¡±

    ¡°If you would like to view a map that shows only the fixed traps and the stairway¡¯s positions, that is ten copper coins. Thirty to purchase one.¡±

    This time, be paid the thirty coins to buy the map.

    ¡­ All that was drawn on the good quality paper map was a rough outer edge, a protruding room, and the position of the staircase.

    There was a cautionary mark on the protruding room.

    ¡°What¡¯s this room? It says a Safety Zone¡­ trap?¡±

    ¡°That is the [Avarice Trap]. Um¡ª¡±

    This information didn¡¯t appear to have a cost to it, as she readily told him. Gesunoh thought to himself that it would be better off written down on the map in the first ce.

    The [Avarice Trap] was something like a room that was itself entirely a trap.

    It had a pedestal with a magic sword stuck in it. Upon pulling the sword out, it would lock down¡ªhowever, you could leave after returning the magic sword to the pedestal. It was only a prison for avaricious people, those who couldn¡¯t put the magic sword back.

    ¡­ Hearing this, Gesunoh couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    A room that locked down¡ªa room they could do whatever they wanted in.

    ¡°Oh, thanks. I¡¯m off, then.¡±

    ¡°Take care.¡±

    Getting all the information he needed from the receptionist, Gesunoh went and joined up with Kiwami, who¡¯d gathered some information from separate adventurers.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, honey? Find out anything good?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, darling. I heard about a blue-haired kid being brought by a blonde elf to register as an adventurer. There was a dog beastkin ve too.¡±

    ¡°Any good men?¡±

    ¡°They were all women, so cute I just wanted to gobble them up¡ªand they were all dressed up nicely, even the ve, they¡¯ve got to be something like a rich girl, her escort, and her pet. How¡¯d it go on your end, darling?¡±

    ¡°Ah, well I did hear about a ce that sounds amazing. I¡¯m thinking we should go to check it out right now even.¡±

    With that, the two headed right into the dungeon.

    The goblins couldn¡¯t match up to them at all. They headed straight for the [Avarice Trap].

    They¡¯d memorized the map, so they quickly found it even with various walls getting in their way.

    Just as he¡¯d heard, upon taking the sword out¡ªthe entrance was blocked by thorns.

    ¡°What do you think, great right?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so amazing! But it looks like sound can make it through that entrance? I think screams would make it through.¡±

    ¡°Girls screaming really does carry pretty far huh¡­ yeah, we¡¯ll just cave their throats in first!¡±

    ¡°We could even watch the dungeon eat them up after we kill them if we bring them here.¡±

    The two snickered.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a good ce, how about we get a bit of exercise?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, sure, darling¡­ is what I¡¯d like to say, but how about we save it for our prey?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunate, but if you say so¡­ I¡¯m looking forward to it. Haaah, I can¡¯t wait to make that rich girl drink the ve¡¯s piss. She should be able to keep it down since it¡¯ll be from her cute pet, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Ufu, I¡¯m sure that she¡¯ll be pleased to tears.¡±

    Then, stopping at a kiss, the two began to search for their prey.

    That is, for the three women that would fill their wallets and provide them with endless fun.

    The child and ve would obviously be rookies, so they wouldn¡¯t matter at all. The bottleneck in their n was the blonde elf.

    The blue-haired child and the elf were very likely an aristocrat and her escort. That being the case, the elf should have some level of skill to her.

    They would need to act buddy-buddy with them to gain more information.

    ¡°Now then¡ªlet¡¯s n this out. For our fun future!¡±

    ¡°For our fun future!¡±

 Chapter 285

    The next day, Gesunoh and Kiwami found their targeted group of three in the guild and immediately struck up a conversation with them.

    They were all smiles with them.

    ¡°Yo, you guys! Wanna merge parties with us? I¡¯m Gesunoh, a C-Rank.¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, and I am Kiwami. Also a C-Rank.¡±

    Showing their guild cards, they addressed the blue-haired youngdy and the blonde elf who were sitting on a chair. The dog beastkin was standing next to the two of them, but as a ve without any say-so, they ignored her.

    It seemed to them that the guild grew a bit noisy now that they¡¯d addressed the group.

    Maybe they were people who were also looking to butter up to them?

    They were idiots, the early bird gets the worm, particrly here, where they¡¯d heard news of a particrly famousdy killer that preferred them young. After finding out about that person, Gesunoh decided the best way to go for them was to do it quickly. He cackled inwardly.

    ¡°U-Us? Umm, I-I don¡¯t mind, but why?¡±

    ¡°What? You guys¡¯re obviously rookies yeah? I just thought we, as your seniors, should team up.¡±

    ¡°Ojou-sama, are you sure? There are other adventurers here that seem more reliable.¡±

    ¡°Umm, but they¡¯re C-Rank adventurers and they seem fine with us?¡±

    Unexpectedly, the youngdy was interested. ordingly, Gesunoh elerated his ns a bit.

    ¡°See? The Ojou-sama¡¯s on board, so what about you, Beautiful Elf-san?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. We¡¯ll be safe, Darling¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Shina, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, Ojou-sama, I won¡¯t speak against it anymore¡­ However, I will not forgive you if you do anything to Ojou-sama!¡±

    Gesunoh smiled wryly at the elf¡¯s re.

    Smiling, the youngdy gave a small bow.

    ¡°Please call me Mai. And she¡¯s Shina¡­. Th-This girl¡¯s our¡­ p-pet, yeah, our pet! Ehehe.¡±

    The ck-haired dog beastkin had its head pat, its face expressionless. Mai, the one patting its head, was smiling foppishly.

    She¡¯s treating it almost like a human with those clothes on her.

    Gesunoh thought to himself.

    ¡°¡­ Looks like everything¡¯s falling in ce huh, Darling.¡±

    Kiwami whispered so that only Gesunoh could hear her. She was looking at the dog beastkin¡¯s tail.

    Kiwami knew that a beastkin¡ªdog beastkin in particr¡ªwould wag their tails if they were emotionally attached to their owners.

    A surprising percentage of even those ves who were well-dressed and well-treated by their owners would harbor grudges against them.

    In any case, a master often didn¡¯t consider what their ve wants. When that happened, a ve would likely hope for their master to fall destitute or be attacked, [Leaving] them to be injured or killed.

    Since there was an equal danger to their life between a sword pointed at them and the cor on their necks, the person they¡¯d listen to varies depending on the ve. If they¡¯d die either way, they¡¯d generally go after the person they hated. That¡¯s just how things went.

    ¡°So then, Mai Ojou-sama. Shall I escort you to the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Well, umm, before that, could we go to the church to pray? I haven¡¯t gone to pray yet this morning.¡±

    ¡°The church? ¡­ Yeah, sure, I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Saying that, Mai got down from her chair and headed to the exit. The ve followed just after her, with Shina staying between Gesunoh and Kiwami and the Ojou-sama.

    Gesunoh and Kiwami followed after them out of the guild.

    One of the adventurers there that saw it happen stealthily spoke to the receptionist.

    ¡°¡ªIt¡¯s going as the vige chief said, huh.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡ªSo, next is¡ª¡±

    Neither Gesunoh nor Kiwami heard this happen.

    Gesunoh and Kiwami decided to wait outside while the youngdy prayed in the church.

    It was because they understood that humans such as themselves couldn¡¯t stand before a god¡ªnot. It was because they were called over by a beautiful sister.

    Kiwami¡¯s expression warped a bit when it happened, but she decided to not mind it and treat this as intelligence gathering.

    ¡°So you were in Pavuera before this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I may not look like much but I¡¯m pretty good, I¡¯ve never missed snatching my prey. Sister, do you dislike adventurers?¡±

    ¡°Not at all, the god of adventurers, White Goddess-sama, and our Beddhism are very close to each other. With that, I have no reason at all to dislike adventurers.¡±

    ¡°This is the first time I¡¯ve heard of Beddhism, what are its teachings? What kind of god does it have?¡±

    ¡°In truth, Beddhism believes in no god.¡ªAnd its teachings are simple. Sleep, rest, value those above all, as well as never disturbing another¡¯s. Saying that is all is no exaggeration.¡±

    Seeing the sister smile erotically, Gesunoh gulped. It was because he was impairing others¡¯ rest¡ªnot. It was just because the sister was charming.

    ¡°So how about it, want to go with us into the dungeon next time?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Are you sure you should be saying that in front of your girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, a good man is resourceful, after all. Darling wouldn¡¯t be satisfied just by little old me, he needs two or three more to prey on!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you next time if I have the chance. I did hear about some of the sisters wanting to register as adventurers¡­¡±

    Seeing Gesunoh ogle her, Kiwami thought having the sister be their next prey wasn¡¯t too bad of an idea.

    ¡°Sorry to have kept you two waiting.¡±

    Mai Ojou-sama and the the others returned while they were talking.

    Their expressions changed quickly, as though they were other people.

    ¡°Now then, Gesunoh-sama, shall we go? Will you escort me this time?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course. Well then, sister, till next time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ Have a nice rest, Good Night.¡±

    As the sister said that and with a smile and moved her fingers around in a circle (like a shrine monk), Gesunoh took the youngdy¡¯s hand and led her, his prey, into the dungeon.

    They would soon be at their hunting ground.

 Chapter 286

    Oi, I heard you guys.

    The heck? You¡¯re nning on hunting rookies?

    I was checking out the dungeon¡¯s state of affairs for the first time in a while out of curiosity since it¡¯s been a pretty long time since anyone had used the [Avarice Trap], but then there was a bunch of whispering going on. Curiosity got the best of me and I just started eavesdropping.

    And then I heard their discussion about rookie hunting. Hahaha, too bad for you two.

    They¡¯re wanting to target Maidence, Shikina, and even Meat. Judging by what they were saying, they¡¯re nning on doing stuff that¡¯d need an R-18 tag on it. That¡¯s a huge no-no for Rokuko and Meat¡¯s education.

    I happened to see Maidence say that she was wanting to be an adventurer like ¡®Kuro-sama¡¯ since she was her fianc¨¦e, so it appears that she¡¯d decided on bringing Shikina and Meat as escorts to make a three-person party.

    ¡­ I don¡¯t think I would¡¯ve bothered doing anything if they just chose people that had nothing to do with me, haha.

    Maaaan those two are shit out of luck.

    First off, they dered they¡¯d be killing the vige¡¯s resident adventurers. Not only was that picking a fight with me as the vige¡¯s chief, but also with me as the dungeon¡¯s master since it would take away from my regr DP ie. That¡¯s their first OUT.

    I¡¯d let them live if that was all. (I didn¡¯t say I¡¯d let them be uninjured.)

    Next, among those they targeted was an aristocrat¡¯s daughter who I¡¯m keeping a watch over. That¡¯d obviously bring more crap my way. Besides, they¡¯re wanting to do it in the dungeon, they¡¯re obviously intending to me it on the dungeon right? You¡¯re kidding me. With that, that¡¯s two OUTS.

    If that was all, I¡¯d leave them their lives. (I didn¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t make them prefer death.)

    But what they really screwed up on was targeting Meat, my hug pillow. Guess I¡¯ll have to have them die. Fufufu. Please repent, okay?

    So because of all that, I decided to inform the guild.

    ¡­ I mean, it¡¯d be alright if I did it myself, but if a C-Rank who¡¯d been properly collecting information about the dungeon just up and disappeared, that¡¯d raise rms.

    For example, if they didn¡¯t return after telling the guild something like how they¡¯d just be checking around the safer parts today, that¡¯d seem off.

    It¡¯s not like it would be too troublesome to wrap it all up myself, but letting the guild know to bury them in a legal sense is a lot easier.

    So I decided to prepare by reporting that I got the feeling they¡¯re trying to hunt rookies! It¡¯s just their fault that the rookie they picked will be flipping the tables on them!

    Proof won¡¯t be needed! Because it¡¯ll be from an ident in the dungeon!

    Well, in short, I¡¯m justying the groundwork.

    With all that, I went to the guild, leaned up against the counter and told the usual Receptionist-san we needed to have a word.

    ¡°¡­ Which is how I wound up hearing them talk about hunting rookies, but what can we do? I think they¡¯re aiming for Mai-sama and Shikina since they¡¯re nobles, and I think that¡¯d be a big problem~¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. How do you wish to handle it, then?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ummm, we couldn¡¯t go for capital punishment, could we? I mean since they¡¯re repeat offenders and all¡­¡±

    ¡°Understood. I will leave taking care of them to you, Kehma-sama. I will prepare it so that those two adventurers¡¯ assets will be frozen.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I would like to use whatever they have stored within the guild aspensation for their victims¡¯ bereaved families, so I would be thankful for any amount of information you can get from them. I understand that it isn¡¯t your responsibility for that, though, so if you aren¡¯t able to, you don¡¯t need to worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Umm, excuse me¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is there a problem?¡±

    Err, how should I put it? This is going way, way faster than I¡¯d nned.

    Is it alright for us to go on like this without her checking the facts? Doesn¡¯t she think I¡¯m lying at all?¡ªWait, maybe she was using a lie detecting magic took under the counter?

    Even so, wouldn¡¯t it be necessary for her to question them first?

    ¡°Umm, isn¡¯t this going way too fast? Don¡¯t you need evidence first or something?¡±

    ¡°No. Although you haven¡¯t prepared any evidence, we have your testimony, am I correct?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Which allows for capital punishment to be allowed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Wait, hold on, just by having my testimony?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    Even if she was using a lie detecting magic tool under the counter, I still think she¡¯d need confirmation or evidence. There¡¯s even the possibility of me having made a mistake.

    ¡°¡­ Would you prefer for me to exin?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Please.¡±

    When I responded to Receptionist-san, she just sighed as though she really didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°First of all, Kehma-sama, you are the [Vige Chief]. Putting it more directly, were you aware that as the person in charge of this vige, you hold judicial authority here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ you put it a bit harshly there¡­¡±

    So it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t hold authority despite being a figurehead¡­?

    ¡°Having a vige chief¡¯s testimony is enough to close the trial immediately. So, as I, the person responsible for the guild side of things, have confirmed your judgment, all that is left is their execution.¡±

    ¡°Haaah, so that¡¯s how it is?¡±

    In other words: [Hey you, you¡¯re going to die since the most influential person and the people in charge of you agreed on it.]

    ¡­ The heck! This world takes lives so easily!

    Well, this is a world where you can buy people for a single gold coin (around a million yen1), so that¡¯s just the way it is here. I mean, Ichika was just fifty silver¡­

    ¡°Also, could I borrow your ear for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Okay.¡±

    I lent her my ear to hear what she wanted to say confidentially.

    Then, with a voice quiet enough to not be heard by others around us¡ª

    ¡°¡­ Kehma-sama, as an aristocrat, you could easily bestow punishment on your word alone if it¡¯s simply for twomon adventurers.¡±

    ¡­ No waaay~!?

    So that¡¯s how it all actually went.

    An [Aristocrat (Me)] decided to punish twomon adventurers.

    An [Aristocrat (Me)] rmended capital punishment. Furthermore, the [Chief Executive (Me)] proimed their sentence was appropriate.

    Simultaneously, the [Judicial Authority (Me)] decided their sentence to be appropriate and confirmed its decision with the adventurer¡¯s guild. As there were no contradictions or discrepancies between the testimonies given by an [Aristocrat (Me)], the [Chief Executive (Me)], and the [Judicial Authority (Me)], the person responsible for the adventurer¡¯s guild deemed the judgment valid. The primary reasons being due to the testimonies given by the [Chief Executive (Me)] and an [Aristocrat (Me)].

    The [Chief Executive (Me)] requested to carry out the punishment.

    Now what follows is simply to carry it out.

    Right. So as long as I out someone¡¯s crime even if it wasn¡¯t rookie hunting like this, so long as I don¡¯t lie, they¡¯re screwed?

    Even a figurehead chief like me could be seen as an aristocrat dictator.

    I definitely can¡¯t just go and lightheartedly say someone should die¡­ so this is power, huh? It¡¯s scary!

    ¡°¡­ Umm, why do you know I¡¯m an aristocrat?¡±

    ¡°That is something I cannot answer due to a duty of confidentiality.¡±

    Hmph. So was it Sally-san? Or maybe there was some story passing through this guild about it having a more reliable backing after the aristocrat listing was made? It could¡¯ve been Haku-san herself doing something, too¡­

    Wait, even if this is because of Haku-san, there¡¯s not much of a reason for me to care about how she got her information, huh.

    Well, me getting the guild¡¯s cooperation is convenient.

    ¡­ No way, was thatst thing Sally-san mentioned meaning Receptionist-san?

    Let¡¯s be cautious.

    ¡°I am even aware about your two cards. You have many exceptions surrounding you, so please align yourself into being solely B-Rank as soon as you can. Have you taken the examination?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Haah, I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    I didn¡¯tmit myself to it. I have no intention of publicly bing a noble.

    ¡­ Oh, but Meat showed her B-Rank card to the lord huh~. What should I do about that?

    ¡°By the way, about the rookie hunters, do you know what their modus operandi is?¡±

    ¡°Oh, if that¡¯s all¡ª¡±

    I gave away their motus operandi. Well, that¡¯s just a service for her.

    ¡­ Now then, how am I going to go about disposing of them? I should get them to give up as much information about their victims as possible¡­

 Chapter 287

    Hunting Preparations

    Something a bit unexpected happened, but it looks like I¡¯ll be able to deal with them how we want.

    ¡­ Letting the dungeon¡¯s darkness bury them sounds good.

    It¡¯s not as though I¡¯m exposing Maidence and Shikina to danger.

    Among the things Rei enhanced herself with was the [Illusion] skill. It was an ability that allowed you to show illusions to another.

    She hadn¡¯t used it at all since enhancing herself, so I figured now was a good chance.

    ¡°If we use your [Illusion] skill to make two body doubles, how long will theyst?¡±

    ¡°Err, using it to make body doubles? It would be different if it was just for the two of them to see it, but having a lot of people see it would be impossible¡­ sorry.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Rei, your illusions aren¡¯t like disguises, but are more like targeted hallucinations?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ummm, I don¡¯t get it too well myself yet, but it doesn¡¯t work if there are a lot of people there to see it¡ªit gets undone. It¡¯s fine if it¡¯s just one person, but it gets hard with two others. I might be able to deceive maybe five people at the same time?¡±

    What¡¯s up with that? Is it that this world identifies phenomena by when they are observed, so that if there are a lot of observers, you need a rtive increase in power to maintain the illusion? Mmm, I¡¯m not sure. It does sound like it has some crazily annoying requirements though.

    At any rate, I guess I should just remember that she can¡¯t use it in front of a lot of people at once.

    ¡°Oh, I can use it even if there¡¯s a lot of people if I have them disappear!¡±

    ¡°I see. People wouldn¡¯t be viewing them if they¡¯d disappeared, after all.¡±

    Based on that, yeah, looks like I can use it.

    ¡°So you can do it if there¡¯s two people?¡±

    ¡°I can! ¡­ Ah, but they¡¯ll be found out if they get touched, they¡¯re just air. Having something for them to cover would be good. If you could lend me a golem¡­. but maybe they¡¯d be too hard?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Maybe we could trick them if we have them wear gloves wound in thin cloth? And dress them up?¡±

    Luring them from the guild where there¡¯s so many people looks to be impossible, so I guess we¡¯ll do it in the cave?

    I¡¯ll have to have Maidence and Shikina wait in the inn until it¡¯s safe though. Maybe I should call for them for a chat?

    ¡°Ah, umm, Master? There¡¯s another thing that¡¯ll be a problem for using illusion¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t reproduce a body with [Illusion] unless I¡¯ve properly memorized the person¡¯s body, so what if I could give them a full body massage¡­ or something? Ah, but even then I think the limit I can remember them is a day¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ So we¡¯ll need their cooperation. Got it. Well, please call for them and Meat.¡±

    I asked her to get Maidence, Shikina, and Meat. Rei left the room, immediately returning with all three of them.

    Maidence¡¯s maid didn¡¯te in, but she was standing outside the door.

    ¡°Umm, Kehma-sama. You wanted to talk?¡±

    ¡°I heard that it is rted to me as well. Is it about Beddhism?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Pillow rted?¡±

    Looks like Rei didn¡¯t tell them anything.

    And Meat, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d do something as scary as ask them about anything hug pillow rted, yeah?

    I should get this moving.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, from here on out I¡¯ll be speaking as the vige chief¡­ Violent criminals havee into the vige. They are adventurers belonging to the adventurer¡¯s guild, but they are murderers who hunt rookies.¡±

    Immediately after I spoke, Shikina¡¯s eyebrows knit together and Maidence grew serious. Meat remained as expressionless as usual.

    ¡­ Maidence¡¯s reaction was a bit surprising. It wouldn¡¯t be surprising for youngdies like her to grow pale after hearing that, but she just held the brave gravity of a person ced above others.

    It looks like I won¡¯t have to watch my words for her in this.

    Since Shikina would follow my orders and Meat would do anything I said, I just need to focus on speaking to Maidence here.

    I faced toward her.

    ¡°This is a horrible turn of events. Kehma-sama, what will you do with them?¡±

    ¡°Capital punishment. They appear to have targeted a certain group of three individuals, so I was hoping that Shikina you, Mai-sama, could wait it out in the inn while I take care of them.¡±

    ¡°How could I just sit and watch, I would like to be of help! ¡ªAnd why is Kuro-dono alright!?¡±

    ¡°Keep quiet, Shikina. I¡¯m talking with Mai-sama right now. And Kuro is strong, that¡¯s why it is alright.¡±

    ¡°So I am weak¡­!?¡±

    ¡°Shikina, you are weak against surprise attacks, exactly what these criminals specialize in. Even if you are vignt, they could catch you off guard. If you understand me, quiet down.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ugugu, it¡¯s vexing, but you¡¯re right. As expected, Master understands me¡­ thoroughly.¡±

    What¡¯s with that thoroughly bit? And stop blushing. I¡¯m ignoring you now, ignoring you!

    Shikina managed to take my attention away, so I faced Maidence again.

    ¡°I would like to apologize for any inconvenience this gives you, but there is something I would like your cooperation in.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind¡­ but how can I help?¡±

    ¡°If you want to help and don¡¯t mind skipping the details, I¡¯d like Shikina and you to receive a full body massage from Rei.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, I don¡¯t follow?¡±

    Right? I¡¯d tilt my head and not understand how receiving a full body massage would help with catching criminals if I were in her position either. Only Maidence would have the blue curls to shake like that though.

    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s a requirement for a skill. Rei will be using her [Illusion] skill, so I intend to have her create body doubles. However, the skill isn¡¯t something quite so convenient as to be readily usable¡­ she must massage someone¡¯s body and will be able to reproduce it for up to a day afterwards.¡±

    ¡°So that is the reason? I understand.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, since it can¡¯t be used in front of many people, we will have to wait to encounter them in the dungeon.¡±

    By the way, me talking so explicitly about Rei¡¯s skill here is so that I won¡¯t use it poorly in the far future and so that I can dere that it can¡¯t be misused.

    It would¡¯ve been better if it was a lie and I could abuse it though.

    ¡°¡­ I see, alright.¡±

    ¡°Ooh! Then let¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªBut Kehma-sama. This means that they will be going into the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Well¡­¡±

    ¡°Forcibly arresting them as soon as you detected then would have been fine, but I assume that you going through with this roundabout measure is to keep this from rming the public?¡±

    Crap, I could¡¯ve done that! ¡­ Not, I wanted to go through the proper steps just in case. Yep.

    Another problem is my confidence in it. Unless I show that they actually hunt rookies, I might end up as being seen as offhandedly forcing punishment on innocent people.

    ¡­ Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s my own selfishness.

    ¡°In that case, I think it would be best for us to temporarily act as decoys to lure them into a dungeon, then seize them there.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You have a point, but there is no denying the possibility of the danger that that would put you and Shikina, aristocrats, into. You may even be taken as hostages.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d like to help Kuro-sama, my fiance.¡±

    Maidence just stared at me fixedly.

    I guess I can put her to use if she really wants to? I can put something out through the adventurer¡¯s guild as a nominatedmission.

    ¡°In that case, please catch their attention in the guild and lure them out to the church. I will tell the church about it beforehand, so we will switch you out for your decoys ther. Sound good?¡±

    The criminals shouldn¡¯t want to make their move inside the vige, so it should be fine. Moreover, Maidence also seemed pleased with the n and nodded in agreement. Shikina, however, interrupted.

    ¡°Master! Use me too, me too!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Can you do the act?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ I-I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    Well, Rei wouldn¡¯t be able to use her illusion inside the guild at all anyway, so let¡¯s have Shikina get a bit of experience in that too.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll allow it.¡±

    ¡°Yay! Mai-dono, I will do my best!¡±

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s give it our all, Shikina-sama!¡±

    The two of them shook hands. Good luck.

    Also, when I was telling them the gist of their performance¡ªwhen I mentioned that Meat would be Maidence¡¯s pet, Maidence seemed overly worked up about it and blushed furiously. Well, let¡¯s not look too much into that.

    With all appearances set up, time to work on preparing what¡¯ll actually happen.

    Also also, she had to memorize the feeling of their clothes as well, so I had them lend their clothes along with the massage¡­ but I could only see Rei as a pervert after seeing her smell their clothes and rub it against her cheeks like that. Let¡¯s keep that bit a secret.

    ¡­ I mean, she really was being serious about it. She was smelling the clothes like a wine taster would sample wine.

 Chapter 288

    Rookie Hunting (3)

    ¡°Well then, want to head right into the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you, Gesunoh-sama, Kiwami-sama.¡±

    They went into the dungeon, led by Kiwami as their scout. Mai, the blue-haired youngdy, set foot into the dungeon¡ªyet still, she was more calm than Gesunoh had thought she would.

    He wished she would have at least been excited for entering a dungeon for the first time. Maybe she was just good at concealing her expressions?

    ¡°Ojou-sama, have you been inside a dungeon before?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I asked Shina to show me around a little yesterday. Well, we turned back after seeing the second room though.¡±

    Oh, so she¡¯s already been into a dungeon before?

    Gesunoh thought to himself, now understanding why.

    This dungeon was particrly special, it was a dungeon you could enter with even a G-Rank in your party, or even a party of F-Rank adventurers.

    Though if you wanted to enter with a G-Rank, your party would need to have a person in it of at least D-Rank to be allowed in.

    ¡°Shina¡¯s here too, a dungeon like this should be an easy thing.¡±

    ¡°Ojou-sama, please don¡¯t let down your guard. Dungeons are dangerous ces, okay? ¡­ Gesunoh-san, Kiwami-san, please say something to Ojou-sama as well.¡±

    The topic had suddenly shifted, but Gesunoh and Kiwami just smiled.

    This youngdy being so cocksure would only serve to make it easier on them.

    ¡°Oh no no, it¡¯s as our Ojou-sama says. A low difficulty dungeon like this is so easy that even beginners are allowed to delve into it. We¡¯ll be able to manage even without you two worrying about anything.¡±

    ¡°Right? That¡¯s why darling and I are here.¡±

    Kiwami winked at Mai. Having great timing, two goblins appeared and attacked them. Gesunoh made quick work of them, defending Mai and Shina as they¡¯d dered.

    Even with their rotten core, they were still C-Ranks. Mere goblins would never best them.

    ¡°Amazing work. Don¡¯t you agree, Senpa¡ªPet-chan?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The pet beastkin looked on with cold, expressionless eyes.

    ¡­ She didn¡¯t even look at the youngdy. As I thought, the two of them don¡¯t get along well.

    Kiwami was convinced of it.

    ¡°I-I want to give a reward to Gesunoh-sama after doing such amazing work. Please ept this.¡±

    Saying that, Mai pulled a silver coin out from her [Safe] and handed it to Gesunoh.

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯ll keep it as a good luck charm.¡±

    How much money does she have in there?

    Not skipping a beat and still keeping a smile on his face, Gesunoh started thinking about how things stored inside containers created by space-time magic¡ª[Safe] for example¡ªwould spill out if the caster died.

    ¡°Oh? I don¡¯t get any?¡±

    ¡°The person who defeated the goblins a moment ago was Gesunoh-sama though? Kiwami-sama did nothing. Right, Shina?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Kiwami had done nothing. Rewarding a person who simply stood and watched would be wasteful.¡±

    Tch, f*cking amateur bitch.

    Hearing her say that, Kiwami cursed her out in her mind. In fact, Kiwami had noticed the goblins ahead of time and closed off their path of retreat while Gesunoh took care of them.

    However, that could also mean that Shina took her to be a useless individual and may lower her guard a bit more.

    Though besides, speaking entirely in terms of how little someone had done, Shina was the most useless as she¡¯d only stood next to the youngdy the entire time.

    ¡­ They preferred enjoying themselves with people that were still alive, but it wasn¡¯t exactly a requirement. They could still have fun with someone after they¡¯d killed them.

    ¡°Darling, could you give me that? I¡¯m going to embed it into her with [Healing] after cutting the tendons of her arms and legs. We¡¯ll do the youngdy on her like that and kill herter.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, as expected of my honey. That¡¯s a great idea. Let¡¯s slice up this Ojou-sama with the sword in there.¡±

    Gesunoh and Kiwami spoke to each other in whispers so that the other two wouldn¡¯t hear them.

    ¡°Well then, how about we check out a bit deeper in? I heard about an interesting room at the guild. Wanna try it? Not like there¡¯ll be any trouble with us here.¡±

    ¡°Yes, please guide us.¡±

    ¡°Ojou-sama, I do not believe that we should go any further in, it is dangerous.¡±

    ¡°Be quiet, Shina. We have Gesunoh-sama here, a C-Rank. There won¡¯t be any problems.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    The beastkin pet sighed, her eyes still cold.

    Making their way through the first floor, they finally made it into thebyrinth area. Even there, they didn¡¯te across any major enemies. Although it did have iron golems in it, all they came across were y golems.

    They were cleaned up about as quickly as the goblins.

    Although there was abyrinth, they easily made their way through it using the map¡¯s help and quickly came upon their goal¡ªthe [Avarice Trap].

    Gesunoh and Kiwami entered first, followed by Mai and Shina after being invited in.

    Kiwami approached the pedestal with the sword in it. With everyone in the room¡ªGesunoh standing in the rear¡ªshe pulled out the sword.

    Shortly afterward, they heard a noise and the entrance was blocked by needles.

    ¡°Crap! We¡¯re shut in!¡±

    Gesunoh spoke with a forced tone.

    ¡°!? Wh-What happened?¡±

    ¡°Wh-What is this?¡±

    Thedy and her escort reacted in simr ways. Their behaviors were so alike that it was like they were connected by strings. Seeing them like that, Gesunoh grinned.

    It looked like thedies hadn¡¯t collected any information about this room. It would have been somewhat annoying had they known about it.

    ¡°Gesunoh-sama, what is going on?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Ojou-sama. In truth, after pulling that magic sword out of its pedestal, the room will lock itself down for a single night. It is a safety zone, there is no danger.¡±

    ¡°Just one night?¡±

    ¡°Yes. We will rest here and return tomorrow in the morning.¡±

    Gesunoh smiled as warmly as he could to reassure thedy.

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    She appeared to be convinced.

    ¡°However, you unterally deciding our schedule is troubling. We haven¡¯t prepared to camp?¡±

    ¡°I am sorry for that. Don¡¯t worry, though. We have prepared ordingly, including enough for the Ojou-sama, of course.¡±

    With that, Gesunoh invoked [Storage] and took out a copsible tent and sleeping bags.

    The [Storage] scroll was expensive, but it was convenient. Time inside it was stopped, so you could even keep severed animal parts preserved in it.

    ¡°Oh? You can use [Storage]? Is that why you weren¡¯t worried about meals before?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we can eat freshly prepared meals like this.¡±

    Gesunoh took out some soup, steam still rising from it.

    The soup was, however, drugged. It wasn¡¯t so much that you would notice after a mouthful or two, but around an hour after finishing it, you would grow numb and be unable to move.

    Feeding them this would make their job easier than just attacking them normally, but¡ª

    ¡°Ojou-sama. Please eat what I have prepared. We don¡¯t know if they put anything in that.¡±

    ¡°If you say so, Shina. Gesunoh-sama, please eat that with Kiwami-sama.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Oh well, then.¡±

    Of course it wouldn¡¯t go that smoothly.

    Gesunoh clicked his tongue. Even so, they wouldn¡¯t have any problems if they just attacked them during their sleep. He decided to wait for night.

 Chapter 289

    Rookie Hunting (4)

    It was hard to keep track of time inside a dungeon, but you could know if it was day or night. This was because dungeons also darkened at night.

    Unless you had the [Night Vision] skill, it was difficult to move around at night.

    During one of those dark nights. Mai and the other two had let down their guard and fell asleep in the tent Gesunoh prepared for them.

    Holding no lighting, Gesunoh and Kiwami stood in front of their tent.

    The two tents were a little ways away from each other. Their reason for standing there was, of course, in order to attack.

    ¡°Sorry for the intrusion¡­¡±

    With that whisper, Kiwami stealthily entered the tent. Although the inside wasn¡¯t toorge, it wasrge enough for three or four people. Mai and Shina were asleep on their bedrolls, with the beastkin pet asleep in a sitting position in the corner.

    She nces at the pet. She¡¯d appeared to be asleep, but their eyes met.

    ¡°Ya know, I won¡¯t do anything if you keep quiet, yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Looking uninterested, the pet just kept staring at Kiwami.

    ¡°I knew it.

    Smiling, she took a cor from the pouch at her waist¡ªa ve cor. She then ced it around the neck of the sleeping Shina.

    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡­¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ª[Illegal Order: 5].¡±

    The cor shined. It was a sess. With that, this cor would force her to follow Gesunoh and Kiwami¡¯s orders.

    They¡¯d purchased this magic from a shady peddler a while back, it was a spell that made it possible for them to cause a ve¡¯s cor to tighten five times.

    The ve cor would be unable to be taken off, as how it should be. However, it wouldn¡¯t stop strangling the ve on the fifth use. Because of that, it was a defective spell.

    Now that the biggest hindrance was out of the way, it was time for them to have some fun.

    ¡°Darling, it¡¯s time for fun.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, honey. Love ya.¡±

    When Kiwami called for Gesunoh, he entered the tent.

    With that, Mai stirred.

    ¡°Mmm¡­ huh¡ªKiwami-sama? Eh, wh-why is Gesunoh-sama here?¡±

    ¡°Finally awake, Ojou-sama?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here so that I can escort youdies, kukuku.¡±

    Gesunoh smiled. It wasn¡¯t the kind smile he¡¯d disyed back at the guild, but a distorted smile, one that caused people to feel ufortable.

    ¡°No way¡­ Shina, wake up! Cut down these ruffians!¡±

    ¡°Mm¡ªO-Ojou-sama! I-I¡¯ll do it right no¡ªw! Guh!¡±

    Her neck wrung, Shina fell prone.

    ¡°Hah, what a meager elf. She¡¯s already out with just that teeny bit of strangling? She was seriously your escort?¡±

    ¡°What did you do to Shina!?¡±

    ¡°We just disciplined her a bit with her cor. Come now, we still have the whole night ahead of us. As long as you stay quiet¡ªwell, maybe we won¡¯t do anything to this immature brat? I¡¯ve wanted to y around with an elf for a while now.¡±

    Gesunoh looked through Shina¡¯s luggage, felt around for her pouch, and took out her Guild Card.

    ¡°¡ªWhat, you were a D-Rank? Man, I¡¯d thought you were gonna be skilled with you being a guard and all, but I guess we didn¡¯t need to watch out so much for you. Here, honey. A present.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, darling. Love you~¡±

    Kiwami epted Shina¡¯s Guild Card from Gesunoh.

    Kiwami took out an iron skewer from her [Storage] with several Guild Cards on it already. He then prated Shina¡¯s Guild Card, adding it to the decorations.

    ¡°Ufufu, my D-Rank collection¡¯s grown a lot~¡±

    Kiwami kept a collection of Guild Cards as trophies.

    They couldn¡¯t be used for anything and just took up space in her [Storage], but Kiwami herself just thought of it as a hobby and found it a reasonable thing to do.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Seeing that, the beastkin pet got up and fished around their luggage.

    Just as Kiwami started to wonder what she was doing, the beastkin handed her another card.

    It was Mai¡¯s F-Rank Guild Card.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing! Stop this instant!¡±

    ¡°Oh hoh? Looks like she hates you, Ojou-sama, ufufufu.¡±

    Kiwami epted the card from her, simrly adding it to her F-Rank collection.

    Then, the moment she tried to put it back into her [Storage]¡ª

    With an incredibly rming speed, the beastkin pet thrust her hand into the open [Storage]¡¯s hole.

    She then grabbed her E-Rank and C-Rank Guild Card collections.

    ¡°Wha¡ª!?¡±

    ¡°Any more? ¡­ None at B-Rank, none above. Mm, good.¡±

    She had many F-Rank and E-Ranks in her collections, but she didn¡¯t have too many D-Rank or C-Rank cards.

    ¡°What the f*ck are you¡ª¡±

    The moment Kiwami tried to say that, she was thrown down to the tent¡¯s floor. She fainted on impact. The beastkin pet then clenched her right hand and punched her forcibly in the face.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Eh, shouldn¡¯t we question them for any other victims? I thought you¡¯d enjoy what came after this, in a way?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯ve gathered the victims¡¯ cards. That is enough.¡±

    Gesunoh heard a voicee out of nowhere. The pet was responding to that voice.

    What the f*ck is going on?

    Gesunoh was incredibly confused, but he managed toe back to himself. Then¡ª

    ¡°Don¡¯t move! You know what¡¯ll happen to this Ojou-sama if you move, yeah?¡±

    Saying that, he¡¯d picked Mai up in the crook of his elbow and pointed a knife at her.

    Gesunoh¡¯s quick reaction was probably the best thing he could have done.

    ¡°What should we do? Meat-senpai.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Perhaps he could be useful for Goshujin-sama somehow?¡±

    ¡°No, no, he knows too much now that he¡¯s touched the body this money.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    At least, it would have been the best thing if this situation was like anything Gesunoh could have expected.

    He¡¯d intended to buy enough time by taking a hostage to get Kiwami back up and escape the tent.

    Moreover, once the beastkin pet¡¯s master died, it would have been freed. With that, he could have used magic on its cor to be her new master¡­ At worst, he would have gained at least enough time to seriously think about his next move.

    However.

    The ve, a beastkin that should have wanted to have control over its own life and death, was binding Kiwami¡¯s hands and feet of her own volition. She didn¡¯t seem to care about him at all.

    ¡°What the hell, seriously what the f*ck! Release Kiwami! Are you fine with me killing this girl then!?¡±

    ¡°Feel free to do whatever you want with the toy.¡±

    ¡°What did you just say¡­?¡±

    With that, Gesunoh suddenly realized that something was off. The Ojou-sama hadn¡¯t been asleep, she¡¯d already woken up. Even so, she hadn¡¯t said even a single word since he took her hostage. She hadn¡¯t even moved.

    She didn¡¯t even appear to be breathing, nor did she seem to have a body temperature.

    At longst, Gesunoh looked down at the [Ojou-sama] in his arm.

    The person¡ªno, the thing he saw there was a wooden doll. Her hair seemed strangely real, but her face was t. There weren¡¯t even eye sockets or a mouth.

    The doll slowly moved its head to stare at Gesunoh.

    ¡°Hiiii¡ª!?¡±

    Gesunoh threw the doll girl at the ve and ran away at full speed, abandoning Kiwami.

    Him throwing the doll at the ve gave him enough time to get out of the tent and run toward the pedestal. To escape from the room, he had to return the magic sword to its spot in the pedestal.

    He¡¯d have to get close to the tent again, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape without doing this first. Despite everything that had happened, Gesunoh was still confident that he could do this with his C-Rank skills.

    ¡°What the fck, what the fcking f*ck¡­ it was going so well!¡±

    He wondered if he¡¯d done something wrong¡ªwell, he obviously had, but he didn¡¯t mean it that way.

    ¡­ He felt sorry for Kiwami, but it was for the best for them to break up here.

    They were monsters in human form. They¡¯d be killed after being caught. They were just mimicking being human¡­

    ¡°¡­ Monsters? Wait, this is a safety zone¡­¡±

    Which means they were variants? Right, they were variants!

    Reporting the existence of a variant was the obligation of all adventurers, they¡¯d even be rewarded substantially for the information. Yeah, that¡¯s right! He wasn¡¯t running away right now, he was strategically withdrawing so that he could report their existence!

    Gesunoh plunged the magic sword that had been at his waist back into the pedestal.

    ¡°Good, now I can¡ª¡±

    Gesunoh turned around to see his way out.

    However, the passage remained blocked off by needles.

    As if he¡¯d been trapped within a monster¡¯s mouth.

 Chapter 290

    Rookie Hunting (5)

    The magic sword was back in the pedestal, but the entrace was still closed.

    ¡°Why¡­ this isn¡¯t what happened when we checked it out¡­ it should be open¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s weird. We¡¯ll be locked in here over night after withdrawing the magic sword¡ªthat¡¯s what you said though? I even took great pains to make that true.¡±

    Upon turning toward the voice he suddenly heard behind him, he saw a silver-haired woman he didn¡¯t recognize.

    ¡°Who are you!? How did you get in!?¡±

    ¡°How? There¡¯s obviously only one entrance to this room.¡±

    The woman let out a smallugh.

    ¡°Now. This is your end. Thank you for the meal.¡±

    ¡°Wh-What are you¡­¡±

    Snapping her fingers, the woman caused a rock to fall from the ceiling.

    Just as Gesunoh recognized it as a rock trap, the rock got up¡ªit was an iron golem.

    ¡°No way¡­ this is a safety zone!¡±

    ¡°So what if it is? It¡¯s of no concern to you. You¡¯re about to die.¡±

    He looked up. Doing that, he saw that the ceiling was covered with lumps of iron.

    ¡ªNo way, were those all iron golems?

    One of those masses of iron, the one clinging to the roof directly above Gesunoh, moved.

    He hurriedly dodged out of the way. It crashed to the ground directly behind him.

    ¡°You better watch out, that spot¡¯s not safe either.¡±

    ¡°!?¡±

    Yet another iron golem crashnded in front of him.

    Him dodging, having another golemnd, and dodging yet again repeated over and over. He slowly ran out of ces to escape.

    ¡°Uoh, uwaaaah!!¡±

    ¡°Hmm hmmm. This seems to be a fairly effective trap.¡±

    ¡°Dammit! Help me, please! I have money! I¡¯ve left a lot of it with the guild, I¡¯ll even give you all of Kiwami¡¯s toooooooo!¡±

    Just as Gesunoh finished his plea, the golems stopped falling.

    ¡°Hah, hah¡­ I¡¯m, saved¡­?¡±

    However, the iron golems that had fell began to surround Gesunoh. Even if they were stone golems rather than iron ones, the C-Rank Gesunoh still wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out of this.

    Where would he even run to? The entrance was still blocked off by needles either way.

    ¡°Rei, why are you ying around?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªsenpai. I¡¯m not, I¡¯m just experimenting with this trap Master made. I¡¯m definitely not ying around at all, okay?¡±

    The silver-haired woman talked with the beastkin ve as though they knew each other well. Behind the ve was a wooden doll wearing Shina¡¯s clothes. On its neck was the ve cor Kiwami gave her. On her shoulder was Kiwami herself, still unconscious.

    Gesunoh finally realized that they¡¯d been set up.

    ¡°Dammit¡­ why, why are you looking at me like that!? What did I do to you!?¡±

    ¡°Senpai, what is that thing talking about? You there, were you not hunting rookies?¡±

    ¡°Hunting people that are weaker than you ismon sense! I¡¯m not in the wrong!¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what you want to say in your current situation? Alright, then.¡±

    Hearing her say that, Gesunoh also realized that he himself was a pathetic, weak thing to the golems hounding him.

    How stupid could he be to say that?

    ¡°Kiwami, wake up, Kiwamiii! Get up, save me, do somethiiing!¡±

    Hearing his voice, Kiwami stirred.

    ¡°Uuu¡­ darling? I¡­ ow! Eh, what? What happened?¡±

    ¡°Honey! Kill theeeeem! Hurry up, don¡¯t hold baaaack!¡±

    Gesunoh shouted four orders to the cor of the doll holding Kiwami.

    With that, the cor would tighten until it broke the doll¡¯s wooden neck.

    As nned, Gesunoh managed to use [Illegal Order: 5]¡¯s effect to destroy its neck.

    Its wooden head dropped to the ground. Following that, Kiwami also fell to the ground.

    ¡°Kill them! Hurry, do iiiit!!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really get what¡¯s happening, but die!¡±

    She quickly cut through the cords restraining her limbs with a small knife she¡¯d had tucked into her sleeves.

    Then, following through with her movement, she simrly went at the silver-haired girl with a needle-looking weapon she¡¯d had tucked in her other sleeve.

    She¡¯s dead!

    Gesunoh and Kisumi both believed that to be so, but the attack didn¡¯t hit¡ªit missed¡­ That is, although it had definitely hit its intended location, it passed right through her.

    ¡°That was my afterimage.¡±

    ¡°You mean illusion?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no, senpai. We didn¡¯t need to tell them the truth¡­¡±

    The two had a back and forth, watching Kiwami stumble forward from her attack.

    ¡°Wh-What is going on, seriously!? Why are there so many iron go¡ªgehoh!?¡±

    Just as Kiwami, not understanding what was happening at all, was looking looking around to try and catch up, the beastkin ve struck her in her face.

    Courteously, she did it on the opposite side of her face asst time. Once again, Kiwami fell unconscious.

    ¡°I made it more quiet.¡±

    ¡°Good job, senpai. I¡¯m a bit surprised at how your training¡¯s progressed¡­ but still, I wonder why the mannequin golem¡¯s neck broke?¡±

    ¡°I think it has to do with the ve cor¡¯s effect.¡±

    ¡°Well, as for that magic¡­ I¡¯ve received an order from Master. We will question him about itter.¡±

    They continued talking as though nothing had happened. Kiwami¡¯s resistance turned out to be meaningless.

    ¡­ There was too much of a gap in strength between them. How did this happen to him? Gesunoh felt his mind fall into the abyss.

    ¡°Oh, Golem-donos. Please hurry up and seize that thing for me.¡±

    The silver-haired girl said it as though she were telling them to pick up garbage from the ground.

    Following her orders, the iron golems swarmed Gesunoh.

    An indication of being a C-Rank adventurer was being able to take an iron golem on one-on-one.

    Gesunoh, one of those C-Rank adventurers, was surrounded by countless iron golems. He desperately tried resisting but was beaten by their iron fists until he crumbled, cking out.

 Chapter 291

    Rookie Hunting (6)

    ¡°Uwaaaah! ¡­ Huh?¡±

    When Gesunoh woke up, he was in some stone passageway. Kiwami was with him.

    His body didn¡¯t hurt and Kiwami¡¯s face had somehow returned to normal.

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Oh, so it was a dream. That was a weird one.¡±

    He had no idea why he¡¯d fallen asleep at a ce like this, but he figured it was probably due to a trap or something.

    Their prey were monsters, the ve was a monster, and there was a silver-haired girl that controlled iron golems. There¡¯s no way that had actually happened.

    Let alone the fact that there was a literal swarm of iron golems. What a horrid nightmare.

    Given that his body and Kiwami¡¯s face were perfectly alright, it had to have been a dream. He could recall it with far too much rity, but it was a dream.

    Let¡¯s just forget that one.

    Gesunoh told himself.

    ¡°Hey, Kiwami, get up.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ what is it, darling? ¡­ Huh?¡±

    Gesunoh shook Kiwami awake, causing her to look about.

    ¡°¡­ What happened to the Ojou-sama and her elf guard? And that silver haired girl?¡±

    ¡°H-honey, you had the same dream?¡±

    ¡°Dream¡­? Right, yeah, it was a dream.¡±

    Kiwami answered, feeling her face.

    ¡°So then this is¡­ somewhere you brought me, right, darling?¡±

    ¡°No, I just woke up too. Honey, you don¡¯t know where we are either?¡±

    ¡°No clue¡­ we¡¯re in the dungeon though?¡±

    Judging from the feeling the area gave off, probably. Maybe part of thebyrinth?

    They suddenly heard footsteps.

    Other adventurers? No, there¡¯s too many. And those footsteps sound too heavy¡­

    ¡°Does that sound like iron golems to you¡­? And a lot of them¡­¡±

    ¡°A swarm of iron golems¡­? Let¡¯s get away from here.¡±

    Reminding him of the iron golem swarm he saw in his dream, Gesunoh paled.

    Kiwami also saw a lot of iron golems in her dream, so she chose to run without ridiculing Gesunoh at all. They may have been C-Rank adventurers, but there were only the two of them, after all.

    However, Kiwami hadn¡¯t noticed it. This door was more gorgeous than the ones other rooms had.

    It was this dungeon¡¯s boss room. A door that lead them even deeper into hell.

    ¡­ Inside the room, it was like a castle¡¯s audience chamber. However, there was no one in it. Only a treasure chest.

    ¡°Kiwami, look! There¡¯s a treasure chest.¡±

    ¡°Wait up, Gesunoh. It has to be trapped. Let¡¯s be careful.¡±

    They took its appearance as a silver lining to their situation.

    As the two approached the treasure chest, the door they came in mmed closed.

    Then¡ªit fell down.

    Baaaang!

    A tremor so loud they could feel it in their guts. Having fallen onto the stone pavement, it let out a jarring metallic sound everytime it moved its body.

    It spread its wings and lifted its head up. Its red eyes devoid of life locked onto the two of them.

    It looked exactly like the strongest of all species¡ªa dragon.

    [PULAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!]

    A different metallic noise, one more like a flute sounded out as it roared.

    ¡°An iron¡­ dragon!?¡±

    ¡°R-Run away!¡±

    Abandoning the chest, they found a door further in the room after looking for a way out.

    The two of them ran to it as fast as they could, but the door was locked.

    ¡°Quick, get it open Kiwami!¡±

    ¡°Wait! Crap, I-I can¡¯t open it!¡±

    ¡°Wha¡ª¡­ you¡¯re a scout though!? Just open it, quick!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not even a keyhole, how could I!? We¡¯re in a boss room!¡±

    It was a door that wouldn¡¯t open without first defeating the boss.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not my fault! You¡¯re the one that said toe into here!¡±

    ¡°And you agreed!! You¡¯re a warrior, so deal with the dragon!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I could, it¡¯s a f*cking dragon!¡±

    Bang, bang.

    The dragon slowly approached them.

    They didn¡¯t have time to argue back and forth.

    ¡°¡­ Honey, I have an idea. One of us will get its attention while the other runs to the other door.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that means you¡¯ll be the decoy right, darling?¡±

    ¡°How about we go opposite directions, whichever it follows will be the decoy. Yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Alright.¡±

    And so the two took off to the left and right, running in opposite directions.

    The dragon headed to Kiwami¡ª

    ¡ªand struck at Gesunoh with its iron tail. Gesunoh was slow in dodging it due to running, but was about to manage avoiding the blow, when¡­

    ¡°Ugoh!¡±

    The tail changed its trajectory midway as though it had its own set of eyes, knocking Gesunoh over and causing him to lose consciousness.

    £ª

    ¡°Uwaaaah! ¡­ Huh?¡±

    When Gesunoh woke up, he was in some stone passageway. Kiwami was with him.

    His body didn¡¯t hurt and Kiwami¡¯s was sleeping next to him.

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Oh, so it was a dream. That was a weird one¡­¡±

    He had no idea why he¡¯d fallen asleep at a ce like this, but he figured it was probably due to a trap or something.

    ¡­ Deja vu.

    ¡°Hey, Kiwami, get up.¡±

    ¡°Mmm¡­ what is it, darling? ¡­ Huh?¡±

    Gesunoh shook Kiwami awake, causing her to look about.

    ¡°¡­ What happened to the Ojou-sama and her elf guard? And that silver haired girl?¡±

    ¡°H-honey? Was that a dream? More importantly, you didn¡¯t see the dream with a dragon in it?¡±

    ¡°Dream¡­? Right, yeah, it was a dream¡­ Dragon? No, I didn¡¯t¡±

    Kiwami answered, feeling her face.

    She didn¡¯t see the dragon? In that case, with what happened there, this is a dream too?

    ¡°So then this is¡­ somewhere you brought me, right, darling?¡±

    ¡°W-Well, lets just get away from here. I¡¯m getting a bad feeling.¡±

    ¡°Eh¡­? Well alright then, how about we hide in that room there?¡±

    The room Kiwami pointed at was the room they were attacked by the dragon inside his dream.

    ¡°We should stay away from that room.¡±

    ¡°But I can hear footsteps, and a lot of them at that¡­¡±

    Gesunoh heard them too. There were a lot. And they were heavy¡­

    If Kiwami couldn¡¯t remember anything, then maybe it really was a dream? I mean, I should be dead now otherwise.

    Coming to that conclusion, Gesunoh decided to escape into the room.

    He couldn¡¯t see the treasure chest that had been there, reassuring him that it was just a dream.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let your guard down, honey. Like the ceiling¡ª¡±

    ¡°The ceiling? There¡¯s nothing there. What are you watching out for, darling?¡±

    ¡°A dragon. This is a boss room.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Setting aside the dragon thing, this is possibly a boss room.¡±

    They could see a door leading further in at the end of the room¡­ just like his dream.

    ¡°¡­ That door¡¯s locked, probably. No keyhole either.¡±

    ¡°Eh? How do you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to keep watch here at the entrance, make sure nothing gets in.¡±

    ¡°Well, okay¡­ but you¡¯re acting weird, darling.¡±

    Then, just as Kiwami started heading to the door at the other end¡ª

    [PULAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!]

    There was a metallic roar, loud enough to hurt their ears. Coming out of seemingly no where, an iron dragon just appeared. It was like he saw in his dream, the same shape and everything.

    ¡°Hii¡­ uwaaaaah!¡±

    ¡°Darling!?¡±

    Gesunoh immediately ran away. Deserting Kiwami, he went out of the room¡ª

    ¡ªand saw countless iron golems waiting outside, blocking the passageway on both sides.

    ¡°Please go back inside.¡±

    It was hiding among the golems¡¯ shadows, but the dog-eared ve was there.

    Gesunoh¡¯s legs trembled.

    A fully equipped adult adventurer, trembling before a tan-skinned young girl. It was a strange sight.

    ¡°That¡¯s strange, your memory should have been erased¡­ Neru? Did you not do it?¡±

    [I diiiid, but doing it five times in a row is hard. Let alone normally, just removing the memory of feeling the fear of death is hard at that point.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I understand. Goshujin-sama still wants us to test the dragon, though.¡±

    Test? Goshujin-sama? What about the blue hair¡ªno, the doll? And the dragon?

    His head didn¡¯t feel right.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!? What is your goal!?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just say it? We¡¯re testing¡­ oh well, let¡¯s erase your memory more thoroughly. It¡¯s alright, we know from experience that you won¡¯t die so long as we heal you. So please don¡¯t worry and go challenge the dragon¡ªNeru, possession.¡±

    [Yessss! A possession request! ¡­ Understood, prating noooow!]

    £ª

    ¡°Uwaaaah! ¡­ Huh?¡±

    When Gesunoh woke up, he was in some stone passageway. Kiwami was with him.

    His body didn¡¯t hurt and Kiwami¡¯s was sleeping next to him.

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Oh, so it was a dream. That was a weird one¡­ it was a dream, yeah, a dream¡­ huh? What¡­ was I dreaming about¡­?¡±

    Still confused, Gesunoh decided to wake Kiwami up.

    Gesunoh would never know how many times this reurred.

 Chapter 292

    Rookie Hunting Hunting

    I informed the guild about dealing with the two rookie hunters were deep in the dungeon.

    Once I handed over the skewered guild cards they had on them as proof, they expressed their gratitude.

    By the way, as for their [Collections], I had Meat turn into Subus Wanko1 and charm them, causing them to tell us everything.

    I didn¡¯t know about it when we actually assaulted them, but, obviously, they had G-Rank Cards skewered as well. Three full skewers of them.

    ¡­ Rather, what was up with the guy keeping body parts for his collection? Stuff like ears, fingers, stuff that stuck out like that. I incinerated them all.

    ¡°¡­ Looking at the oldest cards they had, it seemed they traveled through the Holy Kingdom and Daido beforeing to the Raverio Empire. They also appear to have killed quite a few people. However, it seems as though none of them were the children of aristocrats that will raise issue with us, so that is one worry out of the way, thankfully.¡±

    So that¡¯s what the guild was worried about¡­? Or is it that there not being any dead aristocrats is good?

    It appeared as though it was fine to simply say that they couldn¡¯t confirm any aristocrats¡¯ deaths.

    Something like she¡¯d have to do extra work if there were actually any dead aristocrats, I guess.

    It looks like I¡¯ll even be getting a reward¡­ well, guess I¡¯ll ept it.

    As an adventurer, I¡¯ll have to split it with my cooperators¡ªMaidence and Shikina.

    £ª

    Well, that¡¯s why I now have a pair of rookie hunters.

    I¡¯d told the guild that they died in the dungeon, but I obviously kept them alive.

    ¡°So Kehma, how are you going to kill them? You¡¯re not going to let them live right?¡±

    ¡°Obviously. They targeted my body pillow, they¡¯ll have to pay with their lives.¡±

    ¡°So will we put them in the human farm that got made a while back?¡±

    Come to think of it, we had one of those, huh. I think I left it to Rei to manage¡­? I wonder if they¡¯re still alive? We don¡¯t need them anymore with the vige and all, huh?

    ¡°I¡¯ll have them be dungeon testers.¡±

    ¡°Testers?¡±

    ¡°To keep it brief, I¡¯ll have them simte boss battles and use them to experiment my traps on.¡±

    The only people that have made it deep enough into the dungeon for the boss room so far was the ck wolf Rin and the saintess. Outside of the first four floors meant for rookies, our dungeon is still verycking in actual testing.

    That included the haniwa golem, the iron haniwa golem, and the most recent golem dragon boss I¡¯d built with traps installed in it.

    Although I¡¯d been putting them to the test against Meat and Ichika as a temporary measure, I end up having the bosses hold back. I mean, there¡¯s a chance they¡¯d die if I didn¡¯t.

    I¡¯m also testing them with golems I don¡¯t need anymore¡­ but really, having them fight against actual humans would be for the best.

    In addition to those, I¡¯ve never even tried using the passage that has a hidden ss wall2 that breaks into an oil pond. Would it actually be effective?

    I finally have C-Rank adventurers to try everything out on, so let¡¯s make use of them.

    ¡°I¡¯ll even be able to have Meat and Neru practice with the possession.¡±

    The dungeon¡¯s ultimate weapon, Subus Wanko3. I hadn¡¯t tested it out due to how excessive it would be, but I don¡¯t mind giving it a go on these death row criminals of ours.

    At any rate, I¡¯d like them to keep testing all these things out without being afraid. If that¡¯s possible with memory maniption through charm, there¡¯s nothing I won¡¯t throw against them.

    Even in the worst case scenario and they attack, given their strength, Meat could easily deal with them.

    I¡¯d already had her go out to confiscate that girl¡¯s collection and her effectiveness was self-evident.

    I also had her take their money and items, so I¡¯ll turn that all into dungeon treasure after I look through it.

    I¡¯ll even be able to figure out how far I can push them to dying before [Healing] stops bringing them back.

    I¡¯ll get myself as much experience out of the two of them as possible.

    £ª

    While gradually raising the hurdle each time, I had them go against the golem dragon and haniwas, test the traps, and fight against the golems an goblins en masse while I was at it.

    It was pretty grotesque, but I was able to get plenty of training in recovery magic. I came to find out that even if their arms broke, it¡¯d be fine as long as it was still attached. It ate through a lot of magical power, but I could even regrow fingers.

    They weren¡¯t able to move regrown appendages too well after that though, so I suppose rehabilitation would be necessary. But even that problem went away by using charm to imnt the concept that it was properly regrown into their minds.

    Like seriously. The allpurposeness of charm is nearly at [Create Golem]¡¯s level.

    Since I wasn¡¯t able to regrow an entire arm, I put a y golem on the man to act as his prosthetic left arm.

    He himself was convinced it was his actual arm because of the charm, so while it did creak a bit, he was able to use it properly. In truth, it was actually pretty scary.

    This one was a y golem, but imagine how crazily effective it would¡¯ve been if I¡¯d used orichalcum to make the prosthetic? I wouldn¡¯t do it, though.

    Well, I had them go through this and that¡­ and while I¡¯d nned on having them go through being half-killed, healed, and having their memories erased as many times as they had Guild Cards on those skewers, it looked like I was going to ovee the limits of recovery magic before that.

    Now then, I wonder how much longer they¡¯llst~¡­ oh.

    Well, the woman just took the golem dragon¡¯s breathFire Trap head on.

    Woah, talk about crispy. Is it because she was already covered in oil? Still though, there¡¯s only bone left. She¡¯s definitely dead¡­ I¡¯d be freaked out if I could make her live through that.

    Must have tweaked the output incorrectly¡­ she was getting a bit rattled in the head after having her memory erased so often though, so oh well.

    [Uwaaaaah! No, no, I don¡¯t want to diiiiiie! Geho¡ªwh, wha¡­ my arm¡­ hiiiii, a golem¡¯s arm!? Where¡¯s my aaaaarm!?]

    Guess he hit his limit too.

    I had the golem dragon behead him.

    I got the DP ie from them dying. I¡¯d defeated them over and over, so it was just a single digit¡¯s worth.

    He got cremated after that so he only had bones left too, but¡­ yeah.

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re dead, I still have a few uses for you two.¡±

    And so I took their bones.

    I¡¯d been seeing a lot of grotesque stuff with me practicing recovery magic on them, so that¡¯s probably why I didn¡¯t feel so grossed out by their bones this time. Yeah, that¡¯s got to be it.

    £ª

    ¡°Hyah! Eat this!¡±

    ¡°Uoh¡ª!¡±

    A few dayster, in the Golen adventurer guild¡¯s training za.

    In the za were two skeletons serving to act as training partners for rookies.

    They were equipped with foam armor. Yeah. I¡¯d turned Gesunoh and Kiwami¡¯s skeletons into golems. I used iron to supplement the bones from Gesunoh¡¯s missing left arm.

    They were now being treated as temporary guild staff to act as anti-skeleton practice.

    The veterans seeing skeletons having duels against people with foam weapons scoffed at it, but it was valuable tactical training for the rookies.

    Our dungeon had a stable number of goblins in it, so there were many rookiesing here to acquire experience in actualbat. Thanks to that, these skeletons had quickly be popr.

    I don¡¯t know who named them, but I hear they¡¯re calling them [Pooji] and [Rodah]. I don¡¯t know what the names mean or which has which name, but maybe they¡¯re fallback names like Pochi, Tama, and John Doe?

    I talked to Receptionist-san, who was overseeing the training.

    ¡°How are the two doing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kehma-san. You¡¯ve found weird things yet again¡­ ve skeletons?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I found them pretty far into the dungeon. The fact that it¡¯s simr to what the Beddhism scriptures says happens to criminals is merely a coincidence.¡±

    As I said, bing an enved skeleton that wouldbor day and night without pay had be one of the highest punishments in the Beddhism scripture. Like ¡®oooh, how scary¡¯.

    ¡°They work well together, too. They sometimes perform keen attacks, keeping the tension high. If I gave them a rank as adventurers, I would have to say D-Rank, perhaps even C-Rank.¡±

    ¡°I see, it looks like they are useful.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, they have been very useful for training¡­ However, those movements, surely they aren¡¯t those rookie hunters? But I just get this feeling¡­¡±

    As expected of Receptionist-san. As keen as ever.

    I watched for a bit longer, but the skeletons just punched and beat rookie opponents.

    Well, whatever. Having people that killed rookies instead serve to work for their sake from here on is probably for the best.

    They could at least work until their bones are ground down to dust.

 Chapter 293

    Attack

    Today in Golen was peaceful.

    The adventurer-cum-farmer vigers were devoting themselves to caring for their fields.

    ¡°Man, my field¡¯s doing great today too. Grow big, my lovely cucumbers.¡±

    ¡°Aah, your leaves are shining so fresh today! Don¡¯t be giving anyone sneak peaks of your good stuff, my Radish-chans!¡±

    ¡°Pfft, who¡¯d want to look at your radishes? Follow my elegant potatoes¡¯ example!¡±

    They, who¡¯d obtained the knowledge of [Talking to your nts helps them grow] from the book at the Beddhism Gathering, had begun talking to their beloved vegetables as part of their daily routine.

    They¡¯d doubted it at first, but their nts were still alive.

    There were nts that moved about to eat people like monsters, so they figured it wasn¡¯t too weird. Deciding to give pouring their love onto their nts a shot and noticing that there truly was a difference, they abandoned anyst traces of doubt they had about it.

    And, indeed, they grew even more delicious.

    So there wasn¡¯t actually a need for them to continue talking to them.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost harvest time, huh~¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, I¡¯ll have Kinue-san cook them and get the Sister-sans to nom on my children¡­ no, my prided children!¡±

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s that?¡±

    One of the vigers noticed something up in the sky.

    It started out as a small dot, but steadily grew muchrger.

    Its body was huge and covered with red scales. It had featherless, bat-like wings and a reptilian head, upon which grew huge horns.

    It was a red dragon.

    ¡°!? A dragon!? We gotta run!¡±

    ¡°Whaaat!? Are you aiming for my field!? You bastard, I¡¯ll drive you away with my holy radishes! Just you see!¡±

    ¡°You want my cucumbers!? Three of them!? You don¡¯t!? Do you!?¡±

    ¡°Dammit, so you actually want mine!? ¡ªNo wait, we gotta run, seriously!¡±

    The fire-attributed red dragon, or rather, its body was d in a fiery ze. Was it a me dragon, even more specialized in the fire-attribute than red dragons?

    Once the viger got to the point of realizing that, the dragon pped its wings and stopped mid-air. Following that, it opened its mouth¡ªand breathed.

    ¡°Crap! This is the first time I¡¯ve seen it but that¡¯s definitely its breath attack! It¡¯sing!¡±

    ¡°H-Hey, you want me to leave my radishes!? I can get a few more, just give me a sec.¡±

    ¡°You wanna die!? You can grow more radishes! ¡­ Wait, uwaaah!?¡±

    Immediately after¡ªmes covered the ground.

    £ª

    ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s how a part of the vige was burned by a dragon.¡±

    ¡°How many were injured?¡±

    ¡°There were none, thankfully. A small mercy.¡±

    ¡°That so?¡±

    I nodded after hearing Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma¡¯s debriefing. Well, I already knew since I saw it on the map.

    By the way, I¡¯d started wondering if this dragon was going to be another overpowered thing annoying me like Rin, but it flew up to the summit of Tsuia Mountain.

    It was probably a field dragon1, so Ontentoo¡¯s dungeon should be able to manage¡­ actually, maybe it¡¯ll be hard since they both specialize in fire? Let¡¯s ask him about itter. Oh, maybe it¡¯s Redra¡¯s rtive?

    ¡°What will we do?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Oh yeah, I guess I¡¯ll check out the actual damage it did first¡­ As for the dragon, well, I¡¯ll think of something.¡±

    Although I went to go see the burned fields after that, the ground wasn¡¯t particrly vitrified.

    It just looked like it was burned normally. It¡¯ll be able to be reseeded by the evening if I send out golems to plow it again.

    ¡°So it was the improved version of a red dragon, a me dragon? Seriously, if it can just breath out mes like that, it¡¯s like it was just ying around or something.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Vige Chief Kehma, you were familiar with dragons? It¡¯s like you¡¯re a top ss adventurer.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko knows a bit about them. I just heard it from her.¡±

    Let¡¯s not say anything about me actually knowing a red dragon.

    ¡°By the way, why are you crying like you just watched you just watched your daughter get killed?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the owner of this field. This ce is where I raised and hand-nurtured my radishes¡­ and they¡¯re all gone.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t too many, but I did manage to get a few of my cucumbers to safety! My potatoes were in the ground and just got roasted, so they¡¯re roasted and delicious to eat too!¡±

    Oh, so that¡¯s why today turned into an all-you-can-eat potato festival? I ate some of them too.

    The radish farmer¡¯s friends, two others who were simrly affected by the dragon, pped the radish farmer¡¯s shoulders to cheer him up.

    ¡°Hah hah hah! This is the the elegance of potatoes! A huge win for potatoes!¡±

    ¡°By the way, my cucumbers I mixed in with the potato sd tasted great right?¡±

    ¡°Ya bastards!¡±

    Unexpectedly, it looks like they¡¯re doing fine, that¡¯s all that matters.

    ¡°Rather, none of the radishes are still edible? They¡¯re root vegetables, right?¡±

    ¡°It spoiled my n to put knee socks onto the younger white radishes though, dammiiiiiit¡­!¡±

    ¡°You¡­ alright. So that¡¯s why you were heading into the dungeon so aggressively recently, you were getting enough for them, huh? Alright, go ahead, you can cry.¡±

    ¡­ Unexpectedly, it looks like they¡¯re doing fine, that¡¯s all that matters.

    Well, their primary ie is from adventuring, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯ll go broke from their crops being ruined. They could even borrow equipment from the guild¡­

    Rather, from what I got out of their skit from before the dragon attacked, I can¡¯t even tell if they¡¯re idiots, hard-headed, confused as heck, idiots, have some secret way to survive, or idiots.

    ¡°Err, well, it¡¯s great that no one died.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, Vige Chief Kehma. By the way, they¡¯re just idiots. Normal adventurers wouldn¡¯t have frozen and would¡¯ve actually ran away. They were saved by the dragon¡¯s whims.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That so? Oh, their houses burned down as well. Let¡¯s allow them to stay at the inn at a discount while their houses are repaired.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you won¡¯t allow them to stay for free?¡±

    ¡°They won¡¯t work if they don¡¯t have to pay.¡±

    Wozuma looked at me and sighed.

    Yep, what¡¯s that about me ying innocent? Huh?

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I don¡¯t have to work. I¡¯m just a figurehead, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I think you work plenty enough though?¡±

    Hahaha, good joke.

    Even if you say I¡¯m working, I¡¯m just signing a few documents a day, it¡¯s super easy. I¡¯ve delegated all of the troublesome stuff to everyone else.

    My job basically just amounts to making an appearance every now and then, like how I¡¯m out and about because of this stuff.

    Yep, being a figurehead is a great job!

    ¡°Well, pick yourselves up. You¡¯ll be farmers again soon, Golen will help you.¡±

    ¡°Vige Chief¡­! I¡¯ll do my best to raise my radishes again! I¡¯ll definitely put kneesocks on them this time¡­!¡±

    ¡°Nice. Right, do you have any seeds left?¡±

    ¡°Oh,e to think of it, those went with my house¡­ will I have to leave my field for a while¡­?¡±

    ¡°Hm? You¡¯d have to leave your field empty? That¡¯s no good, how about trying to raise these?¡±

    Pretending to fish around the bag at my waist, I took out sugarbeet seeds from my [Storage]. They were the things I¡¯d gotten frustrated at after trying to use to earn money way back when.

    ¡°Oooh¡­ thank you, Vige Chief! What sort of seeds are these?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re sugarbeets, they can be used to make sugar. There should be a book in the church on how to do it, so give it a look.¡±

    The recipe for that should be in a part of the book that talked about fertilizer that Ichika tranted.

    ¡°¡­ Vige Chief, where did you get seeds like these?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a Beddhism secret.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Beddhism is the best¡­ thank you! Good Night!¡±

    ¡°Woah, I¡¯m so jealous¡­ Vige Chief, please give me some too!¡±

    ¡°Me too! Me Too!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, but

    The cucumber farmer and potato farmer came and asked for some as well, so I gave also gave some to them. They were my leftovers either way, so go for it.

    Oh, but now I¡¯ll have to call all three of them sugarbeet farmers, so how should I split them up¡­? Eh, whatever.

    ¡°As expected of the Vige Chief. When did you manage to prepare those?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve forgotten at this point, it¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Wozuma just shrugged his shoulders in response.

    ¡­ Did I say something weird?

    1. As in not dungeon-rted.

 Chapter 294

    The Dragon¡¯s Rtionship

    A reaction came from [me Cavern], the dungeon in Tsuia Mountain, for the first time in a long time.

    As dragon-formed Redra rushed down the passage surprisingly quickly despite barely fitting in it, a red dragon was eating magma slimes as though they were snacks.

    Well ustomed to the path, she descended the stairs unhesitatingly.

    The other dragon went down the quickest path it could take to get to the boss room on the fifth floor, looking as though it was ustomed to the route and arriving surprisingly quickly.¡ªNormally speaking, there would be a red minotaur waiting there. Today, however, the red dragon, Redra, someone who was both this dungeon¡¯sst boss and dungeon master, was waiting there.

    Upon the two red dragons meeting face to face, they both took a deep breath in. It was in preparation for a breath attack¡ªand a serious one at that. Then¡ª

    ¡°¡± GAAAAAAAAAH!! ¡°¡±

    Simultaneously, they both let out a shining, fiery breath as though they¡¯d rehearsed it.

    Their white-hot mes shed, instantly raising the boss room¡¯s temperature. Cutting off their breaths after a while, they walked halfway over to each other, leaving their footsteps in the heat-softened stone floor.

    Then, they cheerfully bumped each other with their noses.

    ¡°Look at you! Your me¡¯s looking good! You haven¡¯t shirked your practice huh, Igni!?¡±

    ¡°Of course Mama! Who do you think I am!?¡±

    ¡°My daughter, obviously! Hahaha!¡±

    The dragons bellowed out in high spirits. Their rtionship was that of mother and daughter. Redra was the mother, with the me dragon Igni being the daughter. It had been several decades since they¡¯dst seen each other.

    Just then, the father¡ªthe smander dungeon core Ontentoo popped up.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re lookin¡¯ good eh, Igni.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m back, Papa! Yep, really good!¡±

    With her huge me dragon body¡ªIgnis charged at Ontentoo.

    Their size differences was like a minitruck and a bus, but this was the dignity of a father. Ontentoo stood his ground and took her charge, using his tail to help disperse the force of it as his hind legs sunk into the floor.

    ¡°Ya¡¯ve gotten bigger sincest time, hah. Aren¡¯t ya going to pass up Redra here?¡±

    ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t Mama just getting smaller?¡±

    ¡°I am not! Seriously, young people nowadays just grow up too fast! Well, I guess I¡¯m still young for a dragon though!¡±

    Her head patted by Redra like some kind of hug, Igni giggled like a child.

    ¡°Still though, the area¡¯s changed a lot.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been what, thirty years since yast came here? ¡®Course it¡¯d change. Like that vige at the mountain¡¯s base.¡±

    ¡°It was a hundred years ago. Oh right, now that you mention it, I did have a bit of fun with some insects on the way up the mountain! They ran around in such a panic!¡±

    Seeing Igni smile, Ontentoo¡¯s face cramped.

    ¡°Oh, err, where exactly are ya saying this happened?¡±

    ¡°About halfway up I guess. They were some clothed, not-burning monkeys1 They had some little huts so I burned them for a bit too.¡±

    This caused even Redra to realize what happened as well.

    ¡°¡­ Hey, 112Ontentoo, by insects, could she mean¡­¡±

    ¡°Probably. Aaalright,e here for a sec Igni. Ya didn¡¯t forget how to transform riiight?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Papa, what are you¡­ ow ow ow!? Don¡¯t pull on my wings!?¡±

    *

    When I went to listen to what Ontentoo had to say, there was also a child around Meat¡¯s age¡ªwith red reptilian scales on her arms and legs and a tail that looked like Ontentoo¡¯s, as if Redra had changed into human form and rolled back her age¡ªwith him.

    ¡°Sorry, Kehma! Our idiot daughter troubled you!¡±

    And the first thing Ontentoo did was bow his reptilian head.

    ¡°Ontentoo, you actually had a kid¡­? Well, please raise your head.¡±

    ¡°Yeah! She takes after Redra in her cuteness and idiocy¡­¡ªI mean, her stupidity¡¯s troubling¡­!¡±

    Looking at me as I scratched my head, Ontentoo bowed again.

    In other words, it looks like the me dragon that burned those fields is Ontentoo¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°Papa!? Why¡¯re you bowing your head to an insect like him!?¡±

    ¡°Shaddup you stupid girl! He¡¯s my friend, so bow your head after troubling him!¡±

    ¡°Papa¡¯s friend!? Papa has a friend!? I thought you only ever stayed deep in the rookery or flirted with Mama though!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what ya care about!? Papa¡¯s a dungeon core, I can¡¯t just leave whenever!¡±

    At least it looks like they get along well.

    ¡°Just to make sure we¡¯re on the same page, Ontentoo, this girl is the dragon that burned my vige¡¯s fields?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah. All I can do is apologize for your colleagues¡¯ deaths¡­ but if ya want, I can hand ya some DP. Igni¡ªthat¡¯s her name. It¡¯s selfish to ask¡­ but please leave her her life.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, it¡¯s fine. All that happened was some fields and houses burning down, no one died. Taking a child¡¯s life would be way too much anyway.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great. One of them silver linings eh?¡±

    Ontentoo let out a relieved sigh. What a good father.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems with it if you pay reparations with DP¡ªmm, I really don¡¯t, but¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like ya want to say it¡¯s fine since it was a kid havin¡¯ some fun. Just say it¡­ how can I make up for it? Is there anythin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Something troublesome¡¯s happened.¡±

    Yeah, troublesome. Even if I¡¯m just a figurehead, I¡¯m still the vige chief.

    ¡°I was thinking about putting together a dragon subjugation group.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma, even if it¡¯s ya, I¡¯ll kill ya if ya aim for my family¡¯s lives. Even if she¡¯s an idiot, she¡¯s still my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Anyone would be like that, even me.¡±

    ¡°What, Kehma, ya¡¯ve had a kid with Rokuko? Kukaka, children are cute yeah?¡±

    ¡°No no no no, I haven¡¯t. I. Have. Not.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Really? I thought humans reproduced quickly though?¡±

    I cleared my throat and brought the conversation back on topic.

    ¡°I was thinking that I¡¯d probably put together a dragon subjugation group.¡±

    ¡°Why though?¡±

    If I had to put it bluntly, it was to get rid of public unease.

    I don¡¯t mind it after talking about what happened with Ontentoo, but there¡¯s no way that humans were a species that would be fine knowing a threat like that¡¯s nearby.

    And so I, burdened by the billboard known as being a vige chief, had to cope with the vige¡¯s threat.

    ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s what¡¯s happened. Just a lot of annoying stuff.¡±

    ¡°Aah, well, humans are stupid weak alone. Though there are some exceptions.¡±

    ¡°Which is why I¡¯m going to establish the group¡­ It¡¯ll give me the best control over the situation. Then I¡¯m nning on just saying that we drove back the me dragon.¡±

    ¡°I get it.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! There¡¯s no way insects could beat me, no matter how many of you group together! I don¡¯t know what¡¯s up with you being Papa¡¯s friend or whatever but you¡¯re an idiot!¡±

    Igni interjected, loudly at that. mes appeared, clinging to her body and raising the room¡¯s temperature.

    Ontentoo promptly knocked her on the head.

    ¡°Igni! Kehma¡¯s not fire resistant, restrain yourself!¡±

    ¡°Agu! ¡­ Sowwy¡­¡±

    Aah, yeah, please be careful. I¡¯m currently using [Super Transformation] to turn into [Me], so even though I have an extra life, I¡¯d seriously like to avoid dying.

    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a good chance one of those [Exceptions] will be in the lineup.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is it that hero that came to our dungeon before? So there¡¯s a chance he¡¯ll be in it too?¡±

    ¡°Moreover, he¡¯s even had a power up since thest time you saw him.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? ¡­ Then even Redra might be in trouble if they go head on.¡±

    ¡°Eh, Mama might not win?¡­ Isn¡¯t that bad?¡±

    Igni finally seemed to have grasped the weight of the situation.

    ¡­ Now then, how about we start our preparations?

    1. Yeah, it says not-burning. No clue. Maybe it¡¯s just how she sees them since they didn¡¯t get hit by her mes?

 Chapter 295

    The Day of Departure

    (One Night Two Days at Most)

    Gozoh, the adventurer representative, came to the vige chief¡¯s office. Putting down the unfinished Beddhist scripture, I listened to what he had to say. The first thing Gozoh opened with was this.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna rout that dragon, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So there¡¯s really no getting around that, huh.¡±

    The vige¡¯s executives had gotten together for a meeting when I was talking with Ontentoo.

    ¡°Kehma, you knew?¡±

    ¡°Did you think of anything else?¡±

    ¡°No. We¡¯ll have to drive the dragon away or kill it if we can, even if it¡¯ll cost us dearly¡ªso, that¡¯s why I came to ask you, our vige chief, if you knew of a way to decrease the number of sacrifices there¡¯ll be¡­ Wozuma said he was sure you¡¯d have a n, but¡­ do you really have one?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±

    I responded quickly¡­ but wait, Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma, what¡¯re you on about?

    Still though, I have to be confident here.

    ¡°Seriously?¡±

    ¡°However, this specific method is my secret. I¡¯d like to keep it to as small a number of people as possible so that it doesn¡¯t leak out. In truth, I¡¯d like to keep it to just me, Kuro, and Ichika. We should be plenty.¡±

    It¡¯s hard to move about with a lot of people. More so when there are secrets to keep. If possible, I¡¯d like to make it done with just us¡­

    ¡°Kehma, even if it¡¯s you, there¡¯s no way. At least let Roppu and I help.¡±

    Tch, so three people taking on the dragon was stretching it too much huh.

    Not trusting his figurehead of a vige chief that far was probably natural, though. Particrly when the only one who could really hold their own in a straight up fight among us would be Meat. Meat¡¯s the strongest adventurer in Golen¡­ a young girl being the vige¡¯s strongest has got to say something about the vige.

    ¡°And you should get Setsuna, that part time worker of yours to help out too.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, yeah, I¡¯ll have her defend the vige.¡±

    Come to think of it, Setsuna¡¯s a thing that exists, huh. She¡¯s an adventurerparable to Meat¡­ She and her sister know about dungeons and it¡¯d just get confusing and troublesome if I brought her along, so let¡¯s keep her on house-sitting duty.

    ¡°And there¡¯s him too yeah? Wataru¡¯s going right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not nning on sending for him though?¡±

    ¡°Eh, but I saw him outside the inn a bit ago? You didn¡¯t ask him toe?¡±

    Nope, definitely think I¡¯d remember doing that.

    That debtor hero, why¡¯d you have toe so early this month¡ª

    ¡°Kehma-san! I just heard, a wild dragon cropped up!?¡±

    ¡ªAh, speak of the devil. Wataru entered the room, not even bothering to knock on the door first.

    So he¡¯s really here¡­ I was hoping it was a false rm.

    ¡°Oh, hey Wataru. Yeah, well, it¡¯s not something you need to worry about. It¡¯s our vige¡¯s problem after all.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying! I already feel like a resident here! See!? I have a Beddhist symbol!¡±

    Saying that, Wataru took out a Beddhist symbol from his breast pocket. It was the most supreme type, the gold one. I heard that some merchants and aristocrats had bought some, but you bought one too?

    ¡­ Are you nning on buying a matching one for Nerune too? Eh, you already did? Thanks for the patronage~

    ¡°Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve also been spreading the word of Beddhism!¡±

    Oi, stop being such a busy body!

    ¡°Rather, it¡¯s not an exaggeration to say that I, a Gold Beddhist, am practically already a member of this vige¡¯s top brass!¡±

    ¡°Gold Beddhist¡­ what? Beddhism is a religion, so you¡¯re a believer, not some gym member. We don¡¯t make distinctions between followers based on the symbol they buy.¡±

    ¡°Okay sure, but I definitely think I can help you! I may act like this, but I¡¯m a hero!¡±

    Sure, that¡¯d normally be right, but it¡¯s annoying for me if you just act on your own¡­

    ¡­ If that¡¯s how you¡¯re going to be, guess it¡¯s best for me to get you under my thumb at least.

    ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s include you in the subjugation group then¡­ Gozoh, you agree that we¡¯ll be fine with just Wataru and us then yeah? A single hero¡¯s got to be worth at least a hundred people.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, then let me, Roppu, and Wataru all go with your team.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, then this is Team Bhus¡¯1 first job! Let¡¯s give it our all, Gozoh-san!¡±

    A drinking team? You get along so well. Though really, I guess Gozoh and Roppu will be joining because of that [We].

    I didn¡¯t think that Gozoh and I were on such different pages with that [We]¡­

    In the end, it was decided that Hero Wataru would join the lineup¡­ Hmm, let¡¯s think about it another way. If I figure that I can push all of the merits over to Wataru when pushes to shove, it¡¯s not such a bad turn of events. In fact, let¡¯s do just that.

    ¡­ I guess the whole [That me dragon¡¯s still a whelpling so my team should be able to handle it ourselves] n we came up with is going to go to waste.

    That strong opening and follow-up conversation flow is something only a hero could do.

    *

    Since forming the me Dragon Subjugation Group came together quickly, I decided to have us finish up our preparations and go to Tsuia Mountain¡¯s summit. Using climing equipment. We wouldn¡¯t have needed to climb all the way up if it weren¡¯t for Wataru and Gozoh, but oh well. Let¡¯s focus on the reality of it.

    ¡°Go for it, vige chief! Avenge my radishes!¡±

    ¡°The hero¡¯s here too, so it¡¯ll work out. Maaan, so our vige chief¡¯s gonna be a dragonyer¡­ how prestigious.¡±

    ¡°I wonder how dragon steak tastes? Vige Chief Kehma, it¡¯d be great if you brought some treats back¡­¡±

    The vigers were waving their arms and rooting as we departed.

    I can¡¯t bring any steak back¡­ Meat? Could you please stop drooling? Beef raised for food is way more delicious. Just because its huge, strong, and rare doesn¡¯t make it tasty.

    ¡°Kehma! Are you alright? You didn¡¯t forget anything?¡±

    That voice quieted everyone else down right away.

    But the person to do it was just Rokuko. Huh? Did something weird happen?

    ¡°Hey, Kehma, did you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Yeah, I heard you, I heard you. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m ready.¡±

    ¡°Do you have your weapon? Food? Handkerchief¡­ that Meat¡¯s using right now, right. Here, take mine.¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko took our hercy white handkerchief from her breast pocket and pressed it against me. It smelled nice and sweet. Ichika secretly gave Rokuko a thumbs up. So she¡¯s behind this? I can see you, you know?

    ¡°Really, no having an affair with other girls just because I¡¯m not there, alright?¡±

    ¡°Uh-ummm¡­ affair? I¡¯m going on a dragon subjugation though?¡±

    The surrounding vigers all started murmuring when she said affair¡­ Huh? It¡¯s not like they don¡¯t know about Rokuko, she¡¯s definitely interacted with the vigers and adventurers as the inn¡¯s owner and dining hall waitress¡­

    ¡°A-Alright Kehma, set off! ¡­ I-I¡¯ll g-give you a, a¡­ k-ki¡­! Anyhow! See you soon!¡±

    ¡°Yea¡ªow, I¡¯m off. Really, that hurts, you don¡¯t have to hit me because you¡¯re embarrassed.¡±

    The red-faced Rokuko was knocking me on the chest with her fists. What¡¯s she doing, seriously? A goodbye kiss? I don¡¯t know who told about that, but there¡¯s no way I¡¯d do that in front of so many people.

    And Ichika¡¯s dinner is now forfeit.

    With all that done, we set off to climb the mountain.

    By the way, once I checked with Gozoh on the mountain, the cause of everyone murmuring was, apparently, natural, since Rokuko, my legal wife gave me a warning to not have an affair since I was taking Meat with me. Apparently. Apparently.

    That¡¯s not it though!? Rokuko¡¯s my partner and Meat¡¯s my hug pillow though!? I¡¯m not doing anything to feel guilty about though!? ¡­ I¡¯m not, really!

    1. The name Hero Wataru gave the Wataru/Gozoh/Roppu drinking group after getting drunk with them many moons ago!

 Chapter 296

    To the Mountain Where the Dragon Dwells

    The Three Hour Walk to the Summit

    ¡°Maaan Kehma-san, Rokuko-san sure does love you huh.¡±

    Oi, Wataru. Don¡¯t say anything about that to Haku-san okay? Seriously, don¡¯t. Like, not a peep.

    Well, setting that aside, we began to ascend the mountain.

    There was pretty much no trail to use at all, so we were just walking uphill and over the rocky terrain toward the summit. Even using my golem assist, it felt like I was going through one of those dreaded leg days. Talk about tiring.

    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯ll say this so this isn¡¯t misunderstood. I called us a subjugation group, but our goal is solely to prevent damage from happening to the vige. We don¡¯t have to defeat it.¡±

    ¡°I see. So in other words¡­ Kehma-san will think of something!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, yeah. Well, something like that.¡±

    ¡°Maaan, I didn¡¯t even need to be here then huh!¡±

    I had no clue why, but Wataru suddenly started acting like he could rely on me for stuff.

    Though him not needing to be here is true.

    ¡°You can head back if you want.¡±

    ¡°No way! I have to see Kehma-san¡¯s secret n with my own two eyes!¡±

    ¡­ Which if why this sucks. Oh well then. Guess I¡¯ll have to think up a better way for this hero to not be a witness.

    I can¡¯t go with what we¡¯de up with in that meeting with Igni. Meing up with a secret n in time is a definite¡­ probable¡­ kind of¡­ maybe¡­ wish¡­ Yeah.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting pretty worn out here, can we take a break?¡±

    I proposed a rest to everyone around halfway up the mountain.

    ¡°Kehma, we¡¯ve not even been going for an hour¡­ Well, I figured as much. You¡¯re strong, but you have no endurance eh¡­ oi, Wataru, carry him with this wood shoulder rack here.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Oh, hey, is that why you invited me?¡±

    ¡°Heeeh. Now that¡¯s a luxurious way to use a Hero-sama, haha!¡±

    ¡°¡®Course not, chief jokes a lot. Now Wataru, please.¡±

    ¡°Your vige is so great, neither Kehma-san nor me get preferential treatment.¡±

    Wataru was smiling. Was he an M? Maybe that trait¡¯s why he supports women (Nerune).

    With that, he started carrying me on his back like a stack of firewood. Aaah, sofortable.

    Gozoh, ncing over to me as I started to think about the preparatory meeting I¡¯d had about this while I was being carried, sighed.

    ¡°You¡¯re really just going to let him carry you, Kehma? Don¡¯t you feel like you¡¯ll lose something as an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Gozoh, you¡¯re the one that suggested it though? The slowest one among us was me anyway. To put it another way, this is the most efficient way we can travel. How logical. As expected of one of our vige¡¯s adventurers.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, Kehma. What¡¯re you doing, having our strongest person do something like that¡­ to be honest, I prepared that to carry back an injured or dead person.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine. We¡¯ll just make it so that no one dies or gets injured, then I can do it on the way back too.¡±

    ¡°But thedies, Ichika and Kuro, are walking¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, what¡¯re ya sayin¡¯ Gozoh? Isn¡¯t ves walkin¡¯ beside their master the way of it? More like shouldn¡¯t Goshujin-sama be on my back?¡±

    Ichika spoke up, followed by Meat nodding in agreement.

    Come to think of it, my party members are all ves huh. I half forgot about that.

    ¡°Oi, Wataru, you say something.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san¡¯s light, it¡¯s fine. I mean, won¡¯t we get there by noon if we go with it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Really. Roppu, what about you?¡±

    ¡°I would not want to as an adventurer, but if Kehma-san is fine with it, shouldn¡¯t we just let it go?¡±

    ¡°Haah, is it just me then?¡±

    As Wataru said, at this pace, we¡¯d make it to the summit by noon. I really was slowing everyone down.

    ¡­ Maybe I should train a bit? I mean, I am more or less a hero now, so I should get stronger if I train¡­ still though¡­

    Let¡¯s not. Too bothersome.

    I can just keep sleeping in the inn, there¡¯s no reason for me to train at all. I¡¯ll just keep pushing the annoying stuff and the adventures to Wataru.

    Sleeping in my dungeon master-esque room really agrees with me.

    *

    Like that, we made it to the summit.

    Looking around to make sure that the me dragon wasn¡¯t there, I saw traces of something big entering the dungeon [me Cavern].

    I¡¯d asked Igni to make sure she left marks beforehand, so I guess she did it.

    ¡°¡­ Looks like it¡¯s not here? Did it hide somewhere¡­? We can try luring it out, but I guess it¡¯s definitely in there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s no doubt about it, those marks appear as though it¡¯s gone in and out several times. That¡¯s what I think as a hero.¡±

    ¡°[me Cavern] huh¡­ well, I had a feeling that might be the case, so we came prepared.¡±

    We would rush into [me Cavern]¡­ though before that, we decided to take a break next to the entrance first.

    ¡°Here¡¯s your lunch, and your lunch¡­ Kinue¡¯s lunches are great~¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be getting any food tonight, so make sure you enjoy it yeah?¡±

    ¡°Why!? I was just wantin¡¯ to help out Rokuko-sama and Goshujin-sama¡¯s rtionship though!¡±

    ¡°Hahahah, Ichika, you said you want red pepper paste to drink? That¡¯s what you said, right?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t take my drinks tooooo!? Please forgive meeee, Goshujin-samaaaa!¡±

    We ate our sandwiches as we talked. As expected of Kinue-san¡¯s sandwiches, the vegetables still had a freshness to them.

    ¡°¡­ The sun¡¯s still high up, we should be able to make it back before night.¡±

    ¡°Oi Kehma, there¡¯s no way we could yeah? Looking for the me dragon inside [me Cavern] then actually ying it will take a good bit of time.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, yeah, I guess.¡±

    Whoops, I was careless. I was thinking this would be done and over before the day¡¯s end since I actually know where Igni is and can just have a talk with her, but Gozoh and the others didn¡¯t know about that.

    But since dying my return might cause a bit of that, let¡¯s take the initiative here.

    ¡°¡­ Well, I¡¯m already used to [me Cavern]. There aren¡¯t many traps in the upper floors, so I already have a rough idea of where the dragon¡¯s going to be. Leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi. Wataru¡¯s been carrying you this whole time yeah? You barely even leave your room, how could youing here enough to be ustomed to it already?¡±

    Gozon had a point¡­ I mean, he¡¯s right. Who would want to leave their room?

    ¡°Please wait, Gozoh-san. How Kehma-san is used to [me Cavern]¡­ is something I believe I know!

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    I felt a chill go down my back. No way, did me knowing Ontentoo get leaked¡­ no, there¡¯s no way, but Wataru, what are you going to say¡­?

    ¡°Please, recall this. [me Cavern] is connected to the dungeon in Golen, [Cave of Desires]! Kehma must have used that connection to secretly scout it out!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah. Right. Wataru, you figured it out, huh?¡±

    ¡°Reeeeally? Hmm, well, if that¡¯s the case, I guess it does make sense, but¡­¡±

    That was close, seriously. I was so surprised¡­ Guess I¡¯ll have to say some excuse now.

    ¡°¡­ Well, in truth, I purchased information about this dungeon from the construction mage1. After confirming whether the information was urate with Kuro and Ichika using the route Wataru mentioned, it turned out to be very urate.¡±

    ¡°I see, so in addition to that masterful mage¡¯s information, the twodies are experienced in exploring it? If that¡¯s how it is, alright.¡±

    Looks like Gozoh was able toe to an understanding, so that¡¯s great. I pat Meat on the head.

    Mm? Ichika, you want me to pat you too? Eeeh, you want me to cancel your dinner ban instead? ¡­ Sure, I¡¯ll consider it. Make sure you¡¯re useful during this farce of a dungeon delve.

    Once we finished our lunch break, we entered [me Cavern].

    1. Narikin! The Definitely-Not-Kehma Inn-Building Mage of Overnight Construction!

 Chapter 297

    Secret n

    It was around the time we had finished eating and entered [me Cavern].

    Well, also we did take a break to eat, we¡¯d already long since entered [me Cavern]¡¯s domain, simr to how it is with our vige.

    ¡°Come to think of it, me dragons are said to be the offspring of fire spirits and red dragonsing together, did you know that? There was mention of it in some of the literature in the imperial capital¡¯s library.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, really? So that¡¯s why they¡¯re so specialized in the fire attribute. You could say a red dragon with a fire spirit¡¯s blessing is an unbeatable existence when ites to fire, huh. Did you know that, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ve heard about it from an acquaintance before.¡±

    I was walking along with Meat and Ichika ahead of me. Gozoh and Roppu were following up the rear as though to protect me.

    Although Wataru was in the center same as me, it was so that he could respond to both attacks from the front and the rear as quickly as possible. There was basically no difference in our cement, but his role was entirely different.

    Gozoh and Meat were ying the red lizards while Ichika and Roppu focused on dissecting their bodies¡¯ essentials so that our baggage wouldn¡¯t grow toorge. Wataru put the goods into his [Storage].

    Me? Well, I was just guiding everyone down the path Ontentoo told me about beforehand that would lead to Igni in the fifth floor¡¯s mid-boss room. That is, I was ying the fiend agent. Hahaha, what a great way to share the burdens among us.

    By the way, there were periodically red lizards on the path, but there¡¯d be red slimes straight away if I made a mistake on the way to go. Physical damage was ineffective against slimes, so Wataru would do some kind of bash thing on them to deal with them. Heroes are amazing, you¡¯re like some magic swordsman.

    Eh, you¡¯ll teach me too? ¡­ Isn¡¯t that great, Meat~. It¡¯s a great chance, so learn it.

    ¡°Phew, that was the third red slime.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, let¡¯s head a little ways¡¯ back.¡±

    ¡°Eh, again?¡±

    ¡°Red slimes aren¡¯t supposed to appear on the route I investigated. That¡¯s how I memorized the route.¡±

    We headed back a bit. Was it a left turn a bit ago and not a right one?

    Just then, Gozoh spoke up.

    ¡°By the way, this supposed n of yours, Kehma¡­ could you tell us about it here soon? What is it exactly?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Please, we¡¯re about to put our lives on the line for a n we don¡¯t know anything about.¡±

    ¡°It kind of feels like we¡¯re bettin¡¯ huh.¡±

    ¡°Heh, I don¡¯t care what the n is, I believe in Kehma.¡±

    Oh? That¡¯s unexpected, so I guess this figurehead vige chief statuses with some faith?

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. My n is¡ªthis.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that the red pepper paste you were saying you¡¯d make Ichika eat? What good¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°I heard from a certain source that me dragons love alcohol and spicy things.¡±

    As an aside, that certain source was the person herselfIgni, so it¡¯s definitely urate.

    I asked Ontentoo about it since she looked like a young girl when she humanized, but it looks like there¡¯s no problem with it since she¡¯s a dragon.

    ¡°I have plenty of alcohol I procured from the dungeon in my [Storage], as well as some things I had Kinue-san make especially for this. To put it simply, I¡¯m going to lure it with its favorites.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I like drinking alcohol too. Give me some.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get you some of the same stuff when we head back. We¡¯re working right now, so hold out.¡±

    ¡°Hyuu! We definitely can¡¯t mess up then. Right Roppu, Wataru?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no more of a proper way for Team Bhus to defeat a dragon than with alcohol. Let¡¯s do it, Vige Chief Kehma.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Eight-Headed Serpent! I got it!¡±

    Let¡¯s ignore Wataru¡¯s reference to that Japanese mythEight-Headed Serpent.

    With that, I had their consent and moved inside. We¡¯d arrived at the mid-boss room of the fifth floor, our destination.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s eating a red minotaur¡­ was that the original boss here?¡±

    When we looked into the room, Igni was eating the red minotaur in her dragon form.

    I¡¯d wondered if it was alright for her to eat a mid-boss, but apparently all of the upper floors¡¯ stuff are Igni¡¯s favorite snacks. How much are they spending on their daughter¡¯s food? Talk about ignoring Engel¡¯sw1.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be off then. If I fail, Wataru, I¡¯ll entrust the rest to you.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll take your bones. You can be revived if there¡¯s even a scrap of bone left!¡±

    Eh, this world has revival magic?

    ¡°Oh, revival magic has a one in four sess rate and costs ten thousand gold regardless of it working or not, but you can leave it to me to do it until it goes through alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Wataru, it¡¯d be great if you could afford it.¡±

    That¡¯s great. At the very least, it¡¯s not something everyone can use.

    ¡­ Oh, maybe it¡¯s a performance for Haku-san to gain followers? There¡¯s a possibility of her using doppelganger50,000 DP for it. It¡¯d just be yed off as memory loss or personality change following revival or something.

    In that case, I wouldn¡¯t be able to live if I died after all.

    ¡°Guh¡­ I would do it if it¡¯s for you, Kehma-san! Same for the travel expenses to the Holy Kingdom, too!¡±

    Moreover, it¡¯s from the Light God¡¯s Decree? Uwaaah, stinks like a scam.

    Aren¡¯t they just using that Saintess¡¯ revival ability to show it works sometimes?

    ¡°Well, either way, I¡¯m off. Conveniently, it¡¯s a boss room, so just Kuro and I will head in. I¡¯ll call you guys inter if my n works out.¡±

    ¡°Will you really be alright in there with just you two?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I don¡¯t want to show people my secrets if I can avoid it. I¡¯ll close the door behind me¡­ right, Ichika¡¯s cor will let you know if I die. If that happens, you can decide if you want toe in or run and escape.¡±

    ¡°¡­ For you to use the ve cor for something like that¡­¡±

    A ve¡¯s cor would somehow know when the master dies.

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll die, though.

    ¡°Kehma-san, is that why you brought these two ves?¡±

    No, it¡¯s because I didn¡¯t want to tell you about any dungeon secrets.

    ¡°Heeeey, Goshujin-sama, Goshujin-sama, if you die, can that dinner ban go away?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t die though?¡±

    ¡°Just in case!¡±

    ¡°Alright, if things turn out well, Ichika¡¯s cor will gently constrict twice and strangle her a bit.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? Gently? Gently right!?¡±

    ¡°Radiomunications through ve cors¡­!? You could call it [ve Cor Transmission], Kehma-san!¡±

    What¡¯s with that shallow book series-like name?

    *

    At any rate, Meat and I entered the boss room and closed the door behind us.

    ¡­ I can finally rx.

    [Oh, you¡¯re here! I¡¯ve been waiting, ah, want some minotaur?]

    ¡°Oi, quiet down. There¡¯s a chance the hero¡¯s listening in.¡±

    [Oh, right. Sorry, sorry, I forgot.]

    Igni scratched her head. By the way, our conversation was being carried out in draconic, so Meat just tilted her head to the side¡­ An ordinary humannguage would just be understood by anyone listening, after all. I didn¡¯t want to take any chances with Wataru listening in though, so I figured it was alright if we just kept our voices low.

    [So, what¡¯ll happen next?]

    ¡°First off, the hero¡¯s right outside the room. I have to pretend to do my secret n.¡±

    With that, I took out a barrel containing the red pepper paste from my [Storage].

    ¡°Here, a present.¡±

    [Alcohol and something spicy? You really did bring a present.]

    ¡°By the way, you probably already know, but it¡¯s the meeting¡¯s second situation.¡±

    [Hey, hey, I can drink this right? Right?]

    ¡°¡­ I want to make sure we¡¯re on the same page first. You do remember the second one, right?¡±

    [Ummm, umm¡­ There was a lot of extra stuff, but something about leaving people behind, maybe?]

    Oh, so she does remember?

    By the way, the first situation was just me getting here alone. The third was where I¡¯d have to bring someone uninvolved in.

    Number three would make the whole thing be a more and moreplex farce depending on who it was¡ªbut to put it simply, I wanted to avoid having to use my super bullshitting technique. Go me.

    ¡°Well, with that being the case, we have it a bit easier than otherwise. You can have it if you don¡¯t take it all at least. You also need to smell like alcohol so yeah, just not enough to make you tipsy.¡±

    [Really!? Yaaay! Love you, Uncle!]

    ¡°Who¡¯s your uncle? Aren¡¯t you older than me?¡±

    [You¡¯re Papa¡¯s friend, so you¡¯re Uncle.]

    ¡°¡­ At least call me your big brother or something.¡±

    [Thank you, Big Brother~!]

    After that, I¡¯d restrain Igni who¡¯ll be pretending to be drunk and call the others in. Once they¡¯re inside, I¡¯ll just have her tear off her restraints and run off. With that, it should look to witnesses outside that she flew off of the mountain towards somewhere else.

    It¡¯s a bit painful to have to make her depart so soon after her long-awaited homing, but what¡¯s most important is that the farce goes well. Hahahah.

    [Uwaaah, what¡¯s this!? This is the first time I¡¯ve ever drank something so delicious! It¡¯s¡­ so spicy! WHAT WHAT WHAT!? It¡¯s so spicy and tasty! Uwaaah, it¡¯s even better than red minotaur!]

    ¡°¡­ Hey? Don¡¯t overdo it, yeah?¡±

    [Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t woooorry, I¡¯m good with alcohol! ¡ªPhaaah! It goes well with this spicy minotaur meat! Big Brother, you want to have some too?]

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll hold back.¡±

    ¡­ Hmm? Wait, why am I getting a horrible feeling about this?

    1. Engel¡¯sw is an observation in economics stating that as ie rises, the proportion of ie spent on food falls, even if absolute expenditure on food rises.

 Chapter 298

    My¡­ Secret n¡­

    ¡°Oi, Kehmaaa, what¡¯re you doing, getting my daughter drunk like that?¡±

    ¡°Sorry. She said she was good with alcohol so I prepared some good alcohol for her, but I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d end up dead drunk.¡±

    Before me was an empty barrel and a me dragonying on its back like a drunkard, as well as a certain smander as her guardian. Ontentoo, the guardian, appeared when I called for him, thankfully.

    Looks like the way to defeat dragons from Japanese myths (through alcohol) appears to work in this world too. Hahaha, Japanese myths are this world¡¯s cheats! Just kidding¡­

    ¡°¡­ Man, I tried stopping her, but stopping her in her me dragon form was impossible.¡±

    ¡°Yeeeah¡­ Maybe if she were in her human form, but¡­ oh, Kehma, are you stronger than a minotaur?¡±

    ¡°No? But wait, why?¡±

    ¡°Ah, I was wondering if maybe it would¡¯ve turned out different. Igni¡¯s still stronger than a minotaur even in her human form, after all.¡±

    The heck. She could¡¯ve ripped me apart if things went bad, seriously.

    ¡°Still though, Kehma. What¡¯re you nning now? She¡¯s not gonna wait up till morning, and good luck waking her up, she gets rough.¡±

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s a chance that she¡¯ll be attacked by the hero if she gets rowdy¡­ hmm.¡±

    ¡°Should I ask Redra to be a stand-in? Humans shouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference between them yeah?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Red dragons and me dragons look too different, even for us humans. It wouldn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°Really? Ah well, guess so. But they act like each other, like their habits. They felt so in sync getting out of their magma bath yesterday, like a real mother daughter duo.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re proud of your wife and daughter, I get it.¡±

    Telling me they wipe their bodies off the same way is troubling. In various meanings.

    ¡­ So, what should I do? Should I wait until she wakes up?

    Or should I call for everyone since they¡¯d probablye in before then?

    There¡¯s also the fact that the alcohol smell will fade if I wait till she wakes up.

    Hmmm. I really don¡¯t want to wake up someone when they¡¯re sleeping as peacefully as that, but I guess I have to¡­?

    ¡°Alright Ontentoo, you wake her up. I don¡¯t want to get crushed.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ well, guess it¡¯s all we can do. Oi, Igni, get up.¡±

    Ontentoo shook Igni¡¯s body with his foreleg.

    Bang.

    Her tail, thicker than a log, struck Ontentoo.

    ¡°Ouch,e on. Get up, Igni.¡±

    [Ugyaoo¡­ three more¡­ hours¡­]

    However, Ontentoo merely caught her tail with his body, not looking jostled at all.

    Yep, shaking her would¡¯ve been impossible if it were me, let alone taking her tail head on and continuing.

    I looked at Meat, who was standing beside me¡­ I wonder if she could¡¯ve? No, still, no way. I wouldn¡¯t even want to try it out since it might kill her.

    ¡°More like, Ontentoo, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°This¡­ this is my pride. I gotta show her my dignity as her father.¡±

    ¡°Pretty different from your usual then? You¡¯re always so flirty with Redra.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oof¡­ don¡¯t talk about that right now¡­¡±

    Igni turned over, letting out a me as she breathed out. Even so, Ontentoo continued eagerly trying to wake her up as Meat and I looked on from the corner of the room. We were sitting down with our arms around our knees in front of us just trying to not get in the way.

    ¡­ Igni¡¯s w marks and breath were starting to cover the boss room¡¯s floor. It was more like a record of Ontentoo¡¯s hardships.

    Yep. I would¡¯ve been in trouble if Ontentoo weren¡¯t here. Meat and I never would¡¯ve been able to get her up. Would we even leave bones behind if we took one of those breaths?

    ¡°Hey, won¡¯t this turn into dealing damage to the dungeon core if it goes bad? Are you really okay?¡±

    ¡°Shut up! A father won¡¯t die from his adorable daughter tossing in her sleep! I mean yeah my body¡¯s wounds are from her, but¡­ alright just wake up!¡±

    [Migyah!?]

    Being a father¡¯s tough¡­

    Bang!

    Just as I thought that, there was an explosion on Igni¡¯s head that would¡¯ve caused a human¡¯s neck to erupt with something simr to ketchup.

    [Ueh¡­ that hurt, papa¡­ uuu¡­]

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯re up? You got drunk again, are you alright?¡±

    [Nn¡­ my head¡¯s pounding¡­ uhh, what was it called¡­?]

    ¡°A hangover¡ªoh well. Just hold it back, you gotta run.¡±

    [Ummm¡­. oh, oh yeah, I had to escape, huh?]

    ¡°Oooi, Kehmaaa! Looks like it¡¯s alright!¡±

    Seriously? But there was so much suspense.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­ alright, Meat. Please get the rope out of your [Storage].¡±

    ¡°Yes, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    With that, Meat took a copsible tform cart and rope out of her [Storage].

    It¡¯d be great if we could bind Igni up in the rope directly, but¡­

    Thinking about it, Igni shouldn¡¯t be able to move, so we have to put her on the tform cart first¡­ and Meat and I couldn¡¯t lift her giant body.

    ¡­ I¡¯m also worried about the thing¡¯s weight limit. Rather, can I even pull her outside on it? Maybe Wataru could manage it somehow?

    ¡°Igni, please get on the tform cart. Your body¡¯s way too heavy for us to carry.¡±

    [Aaah, oooh? I¡¯ll just¡­ go to my human form¡­]

    ¡°Oh, no, just ride it normally¡ª¡±

    Igni went to her human form as she spoke. It was the little dragon-human form I saw when I met her.

    ¡°Fuaaah¡­ ¡®kay, niiiight¡­¡±

    Saying that, she curled herself up on the cart and fell asleep. Without changing back into a dragon.

    ¡°¡­ Umm. Ontentoo, is this okay¡­?¡±

    ¡°Heck if I know¡­ probably not?¡±

    Ontentoo tried tapping her on the head, but Igni didn¡¯t even stir.

    ¡°¡­ Looks like it¡¯d take a while to get her up this time.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I ask Redra to substitute in after all?¡±

    ¡°No way, that definitely wouldn¡¯t work.¡±

    What should I do?

    Just then, Meat opened her mouth.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama. How about calling in Ichika and the others as is?¡±

    ¡°As is, you mean¡­ like how she is now? With her looking like a girl sleeping on a cart?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ I think¡­ I think her strength is obvious just by looking at her. She is a true dragon. And, well, Wataru is na?ve, so¡­¡±

    I see, I get what Meat¡¯s wanting to say.

    Wataru is na?ve. That is, he couldn¡¯t even find it in himself to take down Rin¡ªthe ck wolf that upied our dungeon for a time¡ªbecause it could talk.

    And this is a young girl that looks like a human. There¡¯s no way he¡¯d just suddenly kill her.

    He¡¯ll probably say something about wanting to negotiate when she wakes up. Heck, I¡¯ll say it if Wataru somehow doesn¡¯t.

    Then we can just have Igni surrender and run off¡­

    ¡°¡­ Can you really see how strong she is just by sight? She just looks dead drunk to me though?¡±

    ¡°Wataru definitely will. Gozoh, Roppu, and Ichika will too, probably.¡±

    I can¡¯t see how, but they¡¯ll probably see it if Meat says they will.

    ¡°Hmm, well, in that case, Igni probably won¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s good? In that case, I¡¯m going to head back. Kehma, I¡¯ll leave the rest to you yeah?¡±

    Saying that, Ontentoo got up and moved to leave as he struck my shoulder?, but I called out for him to stop.

    ¡°Hold up, Ontentoo¡­ there¡¯s still something I¡¯m worried about. There¡¯s a possibility that Igni might say something when she wakes up¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah¡­ Kehma, you should be able toe up with something, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Depending on the situation, sure, but I¡¯d like to prepare a little¡­ help, Ontentoo.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s for my daughter, nothing¡¯s too expensive, what do you need?¡±

    ¡°Please prepare a trap that¡¯ll hit her with something to keep her from speaking, a switch activated kind. And just in case there¡¯s an emergency, I¡ª¡±

    I held a preparatory meeting with Ontentoo (for the second time that day) before I called Wataru and the others in.

    ¡­ Seriously, this isn¡¯t going to n at all. Sheesh.

 Chapter 299

    Meeting Up

    ¡°Geh, ageh¡­! Oh, guess it worked out.¡±

    Waiting outside the boss room¡¯s door, Ichika spoke after her cor tightened twice.

    It had surprised her a little, but it had only tightened slightly as was promised.

    ¡°It took a good bit of time, but as expected of Kehma-san.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. These fire rat skins turned out pretty good too, let¡¯s head in.¡±

    The party had been hunting nearby fire rats while Kehma was fighting in the boss room. They were inedible, but their fire resistant fur was decently profitable.

    Stopping their side task of earning funds, they opened the closed door to the boss room and met up with Kehma.

    ¡°Hey, you two safe?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯re fine.¡±

    When they opened the door to the boss room, they saw Kehma and Meat looking rxed inside. Beside them was a push cartrge enough to carry a dragon on it.

    ¡­ And yet there wasn¡¯t a dragon on it.

    ¡°¡­ Sooo, Kehma? Where¡¯s the me dragon?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s on the cart.¡±

    However, there was no dragon on the cart Kehma pointed to. Instead, there was a girl with red dragon-looking hands, feet, and tail sleeping on it.

    Moreover, she smelled like alcohol¡­ More like, Team Bhus and Ichika all instantly realized that it was the smell of a really high quality alcohol.

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re saying this girl¡¯s the me dragon¡­? No wa¡ªy¡­¡±

    Heading closer to the cart, Gozoh felt a pressure weigh down on him. Why hadn¡¯t he felt it before getting this close?

    Had there been a unique sort of barrier erected around her? He hadn¡¯t even felt it this strongly when he¡¯d looked in from outside the boss room before.

    Gozoh felt a cold sweat down his back at the magnitude of powering from the child¡¯s body.

    He also noticed that Kehma wasposed after going head on with it.

    Wataru probably would have been able to win in physical strength. Magical power, however, was another story altogether.

    To put it in terms of water, Gozoh¡¯s magical power would fill a cup. Wataru¡¯s would be like the inn¡¯s bath. This thing before him was like a rainstorm. A dragon with a specialized attribute wasn¡¯t just for show.

    Furthermore, Kehma was unfathomable, like a fog.

    Taking a good look about, there were signs of an intense fight.

    w marks had gouged the walls and floor, leaving spiderweb-like cracks.

    There was even an area where the floor had vitrified due to intense heat, likely the dragon¡¯s breath.

    ¡°Kehma-san, you made her drink alcohol?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t make it sound like I made a young girl drink. She¡¯s a great drinker though, you¡¯d all get along.¡±

    Kehma spoke, returning a wry smile to Wataru¡¯s. He could tell just by looking that she wasn¡¯t just a young girl.

    Even so, Wataru wasn¡¯t sure he would even be able to take the girl out withouting out uninjured.

    Having to deal with someone like that and stilling out unhurt would be harsh. Moreover, to be able to have that person drink alcohol¡­ Kehma really wasn¡¯t an ordinary person.

    Wataru once again rose his evaluation of Kehma. Though Meat had also taken part in the fight, of course.

    ¡°Looks like there was a fierce fight.¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, yeah. I guess. The fight was hard. Let¡¯s wait for her to wake up.¡±

    ¡°It might be safer for us to put an end to her now, Kehma-san.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Wataru, are you being serious?¡±

    Kehma looked at Wataru as if he¡¯d just said something impossible.¡±

    ¡°Taking the vige¡¯s safety into ount, it¡¯s the quickest way. Even I would take the chance with such a dubious enemy.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ bute on, just look at her. Doesn¡¯t she make you hesitate?¡±

    ¡°It would make my heart ache somewhat, but it would be bad if she goes on to destroy the vige. She burned the vige¡¯s fields unprovoked, remember?¡±

    ¡°No but like, she¡¯s just a child. It definitely had to just be some kind of prank. She¡¯ll surely understand if we just talk with her.¡±

    ¡°That would be nice if we were confident we could win if it went bad¡­ Kehma-san, do you have a method to suppress this dragon from rampaging if pushes to shove?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    Kehma thought for a moment before answering clearly.

    ¡°I will settle this through negotiation. End of discussion.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Hearing Kehma say it as firmly as he did, Wataru put some faith in him and withdrew.

    Although he did still have some reservations about it, Kehma had managed to capture the dragon intact in the first ce. He did use alcohol to make it happen, but a dragon¡¯s a dragon. Even if it looked like a human child.

    What surprised him when he made the proposal to finish it was Kehma¡¯s attitude, it seemed to say that they¡¯d all be safe even if they didn¡¯t kill the dragon.

    Then, when asked about when he¡¯d be able to handle the dragon, he seemed to be worried about [What excuse can I give?] and [How much of my hand should I show?].

    In other words, he¡¯de to the conclusion that he wouldn¡¯t have to borrow Wataru¡¯s strength at all. He¡¯d originally nned to do this without Wataru there at all, so it could be said to be natural.

    To Kehma, this dragon might only look to him like a little girl.

    ¡°¡­ Truly, Kehma-san. You¡¯ve managed to hide more that a little of your strength from us, huh?¡±

    ¡°I have no clue what you¡¯re on about, are you alright?¡±

    Seeing Kehma y it off like he had no idea what he meant, Wataru smiled.

    *

    I seriously didn¡¯t expect Wataru to see a young girl and ask if we should kill her.

    Meat¡¯s expectation was off the mark. It was unexpected for me too.

    Is she something you need to be that wary off? I can only see her as a sleeping, cosying, young girl. One stinking of alcohol, but still.

    So she¡¯s might be an opponent that not even Wataru could beat¡­ hm? But Rin was an opponent Wataru had an easy time with?

    Though maybe it was because of it having to do those negotiations¡­

    Just then, Igni stirred. Did she wake up?

    ¡°Nnfu¡­ huh¡­ can¡¯t move¡­ right¡­ mmm¡­¡±

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t move¡­ Remember getting drunk?¡±

    ¡°Fueh?¡±

    I spoke toote. Crap, she already snapped some of the ropes. Oh well.

    I pushed the switch I¡¯d hidden. Immediately following that, a sticky material that resembled birdlime dropped onto the cart and restrained Igni. It was the trap I¡¯d asked Ontentoo for.

    ¡°Wah!?¡±

    The mysterious white substance made it so that Igni couldn¡¯t move. ording to Ontentoo, it was his anti-Igni restraint and wouldst two turns. By two turns, I guess he meant it wouldst through two times of Igni trying to get out of it?

    ¡°O-oi, what the heck? I just saw the dragon move and somethin¡¯ fell down!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeeeah, that was me. Don¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you did it? ¡­ Eh, so it woke up? Guess we¡¯re leaving the talkin¡¯ to you, Kehma?¡±

    Satisfied with the answer, Gozoh withdrew. He¡¯d brandished his weapon, but I guess it¡¯s fine? Wataru had gripped his sword¡¯s handle as well.

    Either way, neither Wataru nor Gozoh seemed to have the nerve to attack Igni head on. I wonder what¡¯s got them so jumpy? Maybe it¡¯s that strong aura thing I can¡¯t feel?

    It kind of feels like I¡¯m getting left out of something.

    ¡°U-Unc¡ª¡±

    I quickly pressed the switch a second time.

    Badunk!

    A stone fell from the ceiling and crashed right into the top of Igni¡¯s head. The stone cracked in half.

    Igni let out a voice that sounded like she¡¯d been poked. Even though it would¡¯ve ended in my skull cracking instead if it were me¡­ Well, her father yed a role in the trap, so I guess she¡¯ll be alright?

    ¡°O-Oi! What was that this time!?¡±

    ¡°That was me. Don¡¯t ask.¡±

    ¡°R-Really?¡±

    Gozoh, you overreact way too much. It was just a rock.

    ¡°Now then, me dragon. Are you up for negotiating with us?¡±

    ¡°Eh? So standoff-ish¡­ Call me by my name, Uncl¡ª¡±

    Pressing the switch a third time let loose an iron ball. It didn¡¯t cause any damage to her either though. Ontentoo, are you holding back since she¡¯s your daughter? Well, I guess this was also adjusted to give her only as much damage as a poke would.

    ¡­ Gozoh just kept staring at me this time.

    ¡°Now then. What should I call you? Please tell this big brother of yours.¡±

    ¡°Big brother. I. Am Igni.¡±

    ¡°Right. So your name¡¯s Igni huh?¡±

    Her response was awfully monotone, but let¡¯s hold off on pressing the switch for the fourth time.

 Chapter 300

    Dragon Buster

    ¡°Man, you liked alcohol and appetizers that much? Well it looks like we canmunicate with words, so I guess we can move on with the negotiations, yeah?¡±

    ¡°The snacks were super tasty!¡±

    I was just about to press the switch for the fourth time. The next time shouldn¡¯t be a problem, though. Yep. If I recall, the next one¡¯s stone spikes that¡¯ll stab her.

    ¡°Now then, I suppose I should fill you in on what¡¯s happening since you seem to be confused. First of all, you were caught by me.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Oh, shouldn¡¯t I escape now?¡±

    ¡°Wait. Take a look, see? Yeah. Let¡¯s talk.¡±

    I held up three fingers so that only Igni could see them. She should get it. It¡¯s the third situation. The third one.

    The one where she¡¯s supposed to ad-lib and follow what I say. She¡¯ll definitely remember¡­ right?

    ¡°¡­ Umm.¡±

    ¡°Could you hear us out without moving about, little miss?¡±

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    It was a great response. She was able to read to mood properly, but can Igni put on an act?

    ¡°So, why did you attack that field in my vige?¡±

    ¡°Well, I was just killing ti¡ªI-I mean¡­ it was a prank! Surprising them was fun¡­¡±

    Ooookay, I almost wound up pressing the switch when she was about to finish saying she was killing time. It looks like she figured that was a bad thing to say when I smiled peeeerfectly at her.

    I was trying to appeal to the group that the whole matter was because of Igni¡¯s childishness. NO killing time YES prank! That was also covered in our meeting prior to this.

    However, her eyes were darting this way and that. I guess she just barely remembered in time?

    ¡°A prank, huh~? Even so, it was a field we use to grow our food. You can¡¯t just go ruining it, we¡¯ll lose our source of food and be unable to sustain our meals to eat.¡±

    ¡°Being hungry¡¯s bad!¡±

    ¡°Exactly. So you won¡¯t do it again, right~?¡±

    ¡°Right! Sorry!¡±

    ¡­ Her being so obedient¡¯s actually making her less persuasive! Even her expression¡¯s off, she¡¯s way too serious.

    I turned to Wataru and Gozoh.

    ¡°¡­ So what do you guys think?¡±

    ¡°H-Hah¡­¡±

    ¡°W-Well.¡±

    Wataru and Gozoh both responded immediately, but neither felt too convinced on the matter. Obviously, even I think it sounded like a lie.

    ¡°It looks like the two of them aren¡¯t convinced yet. Come on, apologize to them as well.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why should I apologize to bugs¡ªOW!? Umm, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    I sessfully activated the switch for the fourth time. It was a conical shape this time and looked much more painful than the previous balls.

    ¡°Kehma-san is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no. This was all just a child¡¯s folly, let¡¯s let it slide, how about it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not a child!¡±

    BIKIIii!

    The conversation¡¯s flow I¡¯d worked so hard to set up shattered.

    Team Bhus with Wataru in the lead took battle formation. Meat and Ichika also stood as interception between Igni and I. As though to protect me.

    ¡­ They moved crazy quick. They were on alert. They didn¡¯t trust her at all, no doubting that.

    Should I push the child route a bit more?

    ¡°Only children grow angry when called children.¡±

    ¡°Ah, then I won¡¯t get angry! Because I¡¯m not a child!¡±

    ¡°Oooh, how great of you.¡±

    I walked over to Igni and pat her on the head.

    ¡°Kehma-san, she¡¯s dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Oooh, yeah, sure. She is a me dragon. Bute on, she¡¯s already apologized and said she won¡¯t do it again, it¡¯s fine already. Right, Igni-chan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m an adult and I keep my promises!¡±

    BWOOSH!

    With that, everything fell apart. This brat just tried making some kind of adult-like pose. Probably.

    Everyone reflexively held up their weapons (me included). Ichika and Meat both know about the circumstances¡­

    Well, it¡¯d be hard to get them to put faith in her anymore. I guess I¡¯ll have to use my ultimate weapon?

    ¡°Hey, Igni-chan. Sit.¡±

    ¡°Kay.¡±

    Doing as I said, Igni sat down.

    ¡°See? She¡¯s very obedient. Why is everyone so tense around her?¡±

    ¡°No no no no, Kehma, aren¡¯t you the one being too calm? That¡¯s a dragon.¡±

    Gozoh¡¯s frightened!

    Why¡¯s Gozoh, a person who can head off and drink with a hero like it¡¯s nothing, so afraid? Are the people of this world so horrified by dragons?

    No, even Wataru¡¯s on guard¡­

    ¡°¡­ But she¡¯s obviously a little girl?¡±

    ¡°But I¡¯d lose if she went wild!¡±

    Hmm. Gozoh wouldn¡¯t let down his guard. Guess I¡¯ll have to show off my true ultimate weapon.

    I didn¡¯t want to have to use it if I¡¯d been able to avoid it. It¡¯s an ultimate weapon so strong that it would¡¯ve been fine even if I didn¡¯t use it, but¡­

    ¡°Haaah, alright. I¡¯ll let you guys know my secret then. You¡¯ll agree with me after knowing about it.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Your secret?¡±

    I sighed deeply and pped my hands.

    ¡°¡­ Pleasee here, Ontentoo.¡±

    Resolving myself and saying that, a whirlwind of fire appeared behind me.

    Within it appeared a single smander.

    ¡°Da¡ªebuuu¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hoh, what an obedient me dragon child.¡±

    Ontentoo held down Igni, who¡¯d began to stand up.

    Ontentoo, my true ultimate weapon. A familiar existence to me, as well as an existence capable of suppressing a me dragon. Because he is her father.

    ¡°Wataru, Gozoh. This is my secret¡­ I¡¯ll introduce him. My friend, Ontentoo, the smander.¡±

    ¡°Kehma¡¯s friends? Hello.¡±

    Ontentoo grinned and let his fangs appear on his reptilian face.

    My friend to the end. A real friend.

    ¡°¡­ What.. the¡­ you subdued a smander¡­ a great fire spirit¡­?¡±

    ¡°Huuuh!? Subdue my ass!¡±

    ¡°Hey now, calm down, Ontentoo. They¡¯re just startled, your face is pretty scary.¡±

    I tapped him on the shoulder. So far, this is how our meeting went. We were going for a whole ¡®appeal through a hard to please existence that can¡¯t just be used whenever¡¯ kind of thing.

    Moreover, Ontentoo was keeping Igni under his foot. When all¡¯s said and done, parents can make their children bow¡­ yep.

    ¡°Ah, sorry then¡­ now! You apologize to them too! Properly!¡±

    ¡°Eeeh, s-sorry! Hyah!? I¡¯m sorry!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not gonna go off and burn any more fields, RIGHT!?¡±

    ¡°Right! I won¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°Goooood. Next time you do, I¡¯m gonna break off this horn here and give it them!¡±

    ¡°Hyah!? Sorry! That hurts, I¡¯m sorrryyy!!¡±

    Igni, urged on by Ontentoo and her mind reeling, apologized. As expected of Ontentoo, he¡¯s good at this.

    As an aside, her horn takes around ten years to regrow. I wonder if recovery magic could speed that up? Maybe mass-production¡¯s possible¡­

    ¡°So. That¡¯s how it is. Maaan, it¡¯s a great thing we could solve that so easily. Yep!¡±

    ¡°I-I see. So it was the smander? Yeah, for a smander, a great fire spirit, a me dragon would definitely be below a normal dragon, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Team Bhus is good with this too yeah? It¡¯s an existence that can make a me dragon submit whenever it wants.¡±

    The effectiveness was obvious. No one had anyints about that.

    ¡°And I guarantee this guy¡¯s trustworthy.¡±

    ¡°Oi, you¡¯ve got Kehma¡¯s guarantee yeah? So dwarfy over there, can you trust me with his guarantee?¡±

    ¡°Of course I can! Vige Chief Kehma¡¯s guarantee is more than enough and there¡¯s no dwarf alive who wouldn¡¯t trust a smander, the great fire spirits!¡±

    ¡°Riiiight!? Kakakaka!¡±

    So he couldn¡¯t believe me about the dragon but the smander¡¯s just fine? That¡¯s a bit weird, but I guess we somehow came to an agreement¡­

    I guess dragons are just no-gos after all?

    ¡°So Ontentoo, I¡¯ll leave Igni to you. Please educate her properly.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me. I¡¯ll discipline this brat.¡±

    I went with the strategy of leaving the whole Igni matter to Ontentoo. The drawback of this n is that it brings

    Ontentoo¡¯s existence to the surface. The advantage is that it means Igni can continue her stay home.

    It didn¡¯t really matter much to me either way, so I was totally willing to go with it when Ontentoo agreed to it.

    ¡°Oh, you can have this alcohol as payment. Well, it¡¯s just the leftovers of what we brought for her.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh! Thanks for the gift!¡±

    Ichika, Gozoh, and Roppu¡­ I told you guys I¡¯d already prepared the same alcohol for you to party with when we get back, so stop it with the drooling.

    ¡°Kehma-san. Could youe over here for a moment?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up, Wataru?¡±

    ¡°How the heck did you get to know such a big shot!?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ parents are great, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? You were a second generation?¡±

    I was talking about how the smander was able to reign in his daughter, the me dragon, of course. Not about having Japanese parents that introduced the smander to me. (I won¡¯t have anything to do with remedying that misunderstanding, though.)

    ¡°Oh, and it¡¯d be great if you all could keep me knowing Ontentoo a secret. I don¡¯t really want to be asked about it.¡±

    ¡°Understood¡­ but¡­ how should I put it? You¡¯re friends with such a strong spirit¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ What, Ontentoo¡¯s that strong?¡±

    ¡°Ohe on! Smanders are great fire spirits! It¡¯s said that all fires bow their heads before smanders!¡±

    Fires? Heads? How though.

    ¡°Kehma-san, have you not heard of the four great spirits? Gnomes of earth, Undines of water, Sylphs of wind, and Smanders of fire. They¡¯re famous¡­. You don¡¯t happen to be friends with other spirits, right?¡±

    Famous huh. I¡¯ve definitely heard names like that in games before at least.

    ¡­ Huh? But Ontentoo isn¡¯t a smander, he¡¯s a smander-type core. I wonder if that puts him on the same level as them?

    Eh, either way, with Ontentoo pinning down Igni, we managed to end it all with myst resort.

    We did it.

    Right?

 Chapter 301

    An Achievement or Something

    Leaving Igni to Ontentoo, we headed back to the vige.

    I was getting carried on the way back as well, but¡­

    ¡°We wound up not having to bring anything more back huh. Let¡¯s hurry up and go back.¡±

    ¡°Eh, wait up Wataru. What¡¯re you doing?¡±

    ¡°Preparing to go back down?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a cliff though?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the shortest route back. We just didn¡¯t take it on the way up since the ascent would¡¯ve been a bit much.¡±

    ¡°No way, no, nope, no way!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be as careful as possible, but you do know you¡¯re going to bite your tongue if you keep talking yeah?¡±

    ¡°Hey Gozoh, get him to stop! This is basically vertical!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you on about? This is easy enough to just walk down. Kehma, you should stop swinging your legs, you¡¯re going to trip him.¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­¡±

    We were able to return in just fifteen minutes and that¡¯s good and all, but it was way scarier than even the jankiest of rollercoasters.

    But like, both Meat and Ichika made it down casually¡­ wait, am I the odd man out here? Or maybe it¡¯s because I was being carried? Either way, it¡¯s a good thing I relieved myself before we headed back.

    ¡°Mm, you made it back safe and sound huh.¡±

    ¡°Ooh~, wee back~¡±

    The ones to greet us upon our return were Rokuko and Nerune. Rokuko was waiting with a triumphant pose for some reason though?

    Did Ontentoo contact her?

    ¡°I figured it was about time you all got back¡­ Kehma, could you get down here and crouch a bit?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s up?¡±

    I got off Wataru¡¯s back and bent over as instructed.

    ¡°¡­ W-We-Wee¡­ b-back¡­ d-d-dea¡­ ¡ª! W-Wee back!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so could you stop hitting me? No clue if you¡¯re embarrassed or something but could you not?¡±

    Wee back dear? What? Did Ie back from a business trip or something?

    Rokuko aside, Wataru was called over by Nerune too. Yeah, so I knew they were getting along but it was to the point of her weing him back?

    ¡°Sooo, Wataru-san~? The me dragon scales~? The horn~?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ th-there were some, uh, circumstances¡­ so, it¡¯s not what I said, but how about some fire rat fur or red slime fluid¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Aah! Sorry, we wound up making up with the dragon so I couldn¡¯t really get them!¡±

    ¡°Then neeext time~, I can expect souvenirs~?¡±

    ¡°Yeah! Leave it to me, please!!¡±

    With that, Nerune returned to the inn after leaving Wataru super eager to please her.

    ¡­ Ah, so she¡¯s got him whipped. When¡¯d that happen?

    ¡°Wataru. I know it¡¯s me saying it, but are you alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Rather, I feel great.¡±

    Yep. A whipped perv.

    ¡°Oh, no, I don¡¯t mean like in an M way or anything. More like, uhh, a cat?¡±

    ¡°So you see Nerune as a cat sith or something?¡±

    ¡°There are cat siths1 in this world!?¡±

    I saw them in the catalog at least? They were monsters though.

    With that, other vigers realized that we¡¯d returned. Around five of them.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true, they¡¯re back! And none of ¡¯em are dead either!¡±

    ¡°But what about the dragon meat!?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all alright! How¡¯d it go!?¡±

    The vigers all talked over each other.

    ¡°Ah, yeah. We¡¯re all good. It worked out somehow.¡±

    ¡°Th-That so? So you defeated it after all? Even though you had Hero-sama with you, you did it with so few people¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we defeated it¡­ mmm, how should I put it? ¡­ .¡±

    I turned to Gozoh, giving him a look that asked him to do it but not say too much.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll start from how it ended. We disciplined the dragon with Kehma¡¯s secret method, so we don¡¯t have to worry about the me dragon anymore.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Disciplined¡­ a dragon? Haha, great joke, Gozoh.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the truth. I saw the dragon bow with my own eyes. It even apologized for burning that field. Right, Wataru?¡±

    ¡°Man, Kehma-san did basically all of it this time! He and Kuro-chan took it on themselves!¡±

    Crap, Wataru didn¡¯t get that that was in the ¡®too much¡¯ category!?

    ¡°Hold up. The disciplining part¡¯s a misunderstanding, we just came to an agreement.¡±

    ¡°HEEEEY! OUR VILLAGE CHIEF¡¯S A DRAGON TAMER!!¡±

    ¡°Seriously!? That¡¯s WAY cooler than a dragon yer! I¡¯m proud to be in this vige! Our vige chief got justice for my radishes!¡±

    ¡°Wait what!? I¡¯m not a tamer though!? Hey!¡±

    Like that, the matter of me personally subduing the dragon quickly spread throughout the vige.

    Why though? I¡¯d even tried pushing it all off onto Wataru¡­

    ¡°Hey guys¡­ don¡¯t press all your achievements on me¡­ why do you think you were all brought?¡±

    ¡°To be witnesses yeah? And I didn¡¯t say anything about Smander-dono.¡±

    ¡°We really didn¡¯t do anything. There¡¯s nothing for us to press onto you, everything was your doing.¡±

    ¡°Come on, isn¡¯t taking over my troubles a splendid achievement?¡±

    ¡°That could not be called an achievement. Also, wouldn¡¯t this be enough to allow you to be a B-Rank adventurer, Kehma-san?¡±

    The guild people know about me currently having two ranks.

    So this means there¡¯ll be a chance for those ranks to be equal¡­ yeah, it¡¯s likely.

    Ugugugu, but wouldn¡¯t that make me be B-Rank on the surface as well? B-Ranks are basically aristocrats. Aristocrats are troublesome. Yeah.

    ¡°No way, I still haven¡¯t even done the advancement from D-Rank.¡±

    ¡°No, Kehma. I know you really don¡¯t want to work, but this matter could even make Roppu and I be B-Rank. Even with me honestly saying that we didn¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ If we told the whole truth, you going straight to A-Rank wouldn¡¯t be a stretch, Kehma-san.¡±

    ¡°Wait. What¡¯s that now? Why?¡±

    ¡°Dragon subjugation is a great aplishment that would normally require several B-Rank parties to aplish with many deaths. In other words, you could say that just surviving it would make you B-Rank. This was just two parties, and even though IS-Rank came along, I didn¡¯t help at all. Even then, Kehma-san, you really just did it with your own party¡ªa party of just you two¡ªand challenged the dragon. Uninjured. And you even managed to make it docile¡­ that¡¯s already A-RankInhuman, no, S-RankSuperhuman. Get it now?¡±

    Now that he put it like that, I started to understand the significance of what just happened.

    I think I was undervaluing the existences known as dragons too much.

    The only dragon I¡¯d met and known well was Redra, one that was casually lovey-dovey with Ontentoo¡­ I¡¯d fought

    her in that Dungeon Battle back then, but I probably just couldn¡¯t understand how much of a threat she really was.

    No, I still don¡¯t understand. It¡¯s the same for the Core No. 5, the Dragon King, the one at the summit of all dragonkind. The only feeling I get toward them is just like ¡®Oh, that person¡¯s pretty dangerous huh.¡¯¡­

    ¡°I mean, Kehma-san, even if we obscure your achievement as much as possible, your n made it so that we seeded repelling the dragon with no casualties. That¡¯s impossible to deny.¡±

    Right¡­ this world has lie detecting magic tools.

    Crap¡­ we can¡¯t hiding anything if they ask to deeply, huh.

    ¡°¡­ Eeh, dragon subjugation¡­ I mean, hmm. Can¡¯t B-Ranks handle that much?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m trying to tell you that¡¯s impossible. I couldn¡¯t even face a dragon and get out uninjured, alright? I¡¯d have to prepare myself to lose an arm or two. Something that would take even recovery magic two or three days to bounce back from.¡±

    Seriously? B-Ranks are unexpectedly weak¡­ or maybe dragons are just too strong?

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re definitely B-Rank now at least. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°I want to decline it though?¡±

    ¡°That means you¡¯d have to quit the adventurer guild. I don¡¯t rmend it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then I¡¯ll quit adventuring and just be an ordinary vige chief or a Beddhist father.¡±

    ¡°Either way, I¡¯m pretty sure that Haku-sama will summon you to elevate your rank. You¡¯d be sentenced to death if you refused, probably.¡±

    Ah¡­ I¡¯ll do it if it¡¯s Haku-san. I¡¯d have to. No lese majeste for me! Because it¡¯s Haku-san. Because¡­ it¡¯s Haku-san!

    ¡°Well, organization heads¡¯ authority is far reaching, so there¡¯s not much trouble you¡¯d have to deal with. Oh, how about we head to the capital together? I¡¯ll drop my escort price down for you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go through another route. And no way I¡¯m going to pay for an S-Rank escort.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the friend bonus, you¡¯d only have to pay for food and transportation!¡±

    ¡­ In that case, maybe I could ask him to?

    I¡¯ve never been to the imperial capital through the normal route, it might be a good opportunity if I have a hero escorting me. I don¡¯t even know the normal route there, after all.

    ¡°Well¡­ sure, why not. If that¡¯s all, let¡¯s do it.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m going to go prepare for the trip now then! Oh, Kehma-san, you have [Storage] right? How much of it¡¯s open? You should put tons of water and food into it.¡±

    Unexpectedly happy about it, Wataru spoke¡­ Actually, I guess he¡¯s always like that.

    Later that day, the sessful dragon subjugation party engorged themselves on the alcohol I¡¯d brought¡ª[Certain Dragon yer].

    Haha, nah, it¡¯s just normal Japanese sake! I didn¡¯t give it any name like that! And it doesn¡¯t kill anyway!

    1. So cat sith could either be referencing the Final Fantasy version of them, the ¡®actual¡¯ Celtic myth version of them, or maybe some other JP reference.

 Chapter 302

    Traveling Preparations

    In the end, we decided on the date we¡¯d head out for the imperial capital. It turned out that I did get summoned.

    It even called for someone not in the subjugation group, why¡­ oh, right. Rokuko¡¯s name was in that list as if it were the most natural thing in the world. This is definitely Haku-san¡¯s doing, I can¡¯t see it being anyone else¡¯s.

    And then the next day came. Shikina and Maidence came out to meet Meat and I when we turned up at the inn.

    ¡°Master Kehma! Thank you for your hard work!¡±

    ¡°Kuro-sama! Um, Kehma-sama, could we have a talk? As expected of my fianc¨¦¡­ err¡ª¡±

    For some reason, I just can¡¯t seem to feel calm whenever I see the no good elf and miss ringlets here.

    And I dunno when, but Maidence seemed to fall head over heels for Meat at some point¡­. Meat, what did you do to her? Hm? You don¡¯t remember doing anything?

    Oh really? Well, then maybe it has something to do with the aristocratic mating cycle? Like just being near your fianc¨¦ causes feelings of love. Or something. Someone needs to announce this to the academy¡ªgenerations of nobles living with nothing to look forward to but arranged marriages have changed their innate instincts!

    ¡°So, I heard Wataru-sensei say that you will be taking a trip to the imperial capital! I would like you to allow me to apany you as well!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh, why?¡±

    ¡°The reason is obvious: I have already paid for this month¡¯s tuition costs¡­ it will take you at least a month to reach the capital, correct? I would naturally be apanying you as well, in that case!¡±

    Geh! A legitimate reason! But really, I haven¡¯t exactly taught her anything proper enough to call it a tuition. But still, I guess Ichika and Meat¡ªthe ones handling all of themon-sense and battle-rted stuff¡ªareing with me too, so oh well.

    What am I teaching this elf? I guess math at most?

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the imperial capital, Kuro-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Mai-sama, wouldn¡¯t you be taking care of the ce in our absence? Of course, you could also take a return trip to Tsuia.¡±

    ¡°Of course I couldn¡¯t, Kehma-sama! I know how I look, but I am ustomed to travel.¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t take responsibility if something were to happen to you, please understand.¡±

    ¡°Muuu¡­ responsibility, duty. Adults always say the same thing.¡±

    Saying that, Maidence took Meat by the arm and hugged it. One might say that she was simply acting as a child at a convenient time is just like what an aristocrat would do.

    ¡°Kuro-sama, you would protect me, right?¡±

    ¡°No. I will be protecting Goshujin-sama, please do not get in my way.¡±

    ¡°¡­. Kuro-sama, your faithfulness to your duty is wonderful!¡±

    This is going nowhere. It¡¯s the same thing that happened with Wataru.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, Maid-san. Err, while we are away¡­¡±

    ¡°I understand, I will return her to the Tsuia residence, so rest assured.¡±

    Maid-san responded so perfunctorily, it helped ease me.

    ¡°Vige Chief Kehma¡ª! Fight me! I¡¯ma beat up Vige Chief Kehma, the Dragonyer~!¡±

    Just then, our part-time worker, Setsuna, came running, her chest and doggy ears bouncing. Yep, let¡¯s not have that fight.

    ¡°Vige Chief! While you¡¯re gone at the capital, I¡¯ll be defending the vigehouse-sitting, so let me fight you first!¡±

    ¡°¡­ How about you fight Wataru instead?¡±

    ¡°Nerune was all, ahem: [Wataru¡¯s a guest~, bothering him is off-limits~] though!¡±

    Nerune? Are you really someone in a ce to say that? And what¡¯s with calling him Wataru? That¡¯s cold! Oh, how the hero has fallen! Gah, I want to feel sympathy for him. I don¡¯t, though.

    ¡°¡­ Haaaah. I¡¯ll allow you to practice with him. In exchange, you can¡¯t fight me.¡±

    ¡°Booya, our Vige Chief is reasonable as heck! Understooooood!¡±

    Saying that, Setsuna left with a pep in her step.

    ¡°Wait, what? Defense? ¡­ Right. Gozoh and Roppu areing with us, huh.¡±

    Setting aside Meat, Gozoh¡¯s party is this vige¡¯s representative adventurers. I can¡¯t deny that the vige¡¯s defense will drop without us all here.

    ¡­ Well, I guess the vige will be fine with Setsuna here, even if it¡¯s attacked. Probably.

    I don¡¯t think people would want to attack the vige in the first ce, what with there being an adventurer¡¯s guild branch being here and all.

    Or maybe it¡¯s the fear of monstersing out of the dungeon and overrunning the town if its defenses are lowered too much? I can guarantee that won¡¯t be an issue, at least.

    Hah¡­ guess I¡¯ll have make preparations. I¡¯ll do what Wataru suggested for now and stock up on food. Anything put inside of my [Storage] has its time stopped, so we¡¯ll be able to eat freshly-prepared meals whenever.

    I can¡¯t take Kinue-san with us, after all¡­ I mean, she¡¯s basically the inn¡¯s key person at this point.

    *

    I knocked on the door to Rokuko¡¯s room.

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko. Are you done preparing?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kehma. I just finished. Kehma, between red, ck, and white, which do you prefer?¡±

    ¡°Hm? ¡­ ck, I guess.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that too bold?¡±

    What¡¯s she on about¡­? Well, I¡¯ll have lost if I think about it too hard. As a man, that is.

    Probably.

    ¡°Am I good toe in?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s safe.¡±

    Entering only after getting confirmation, I saw Rokuko looking at a memo book after gathering her luggage.

    She had [Storage] as well, but it seemed like she¡¯d packed various traveling bags in addition.

    ¡­ We both have [Cleanup], so it¡¯s not like we really need to bring many changes of clothes though?

    ¡°What¡¯s with the memo book?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s for the DP I¡¯ve gotten from Haku Ane-sama. From what I was told, I can only use the DP I have at the time I leave the dungeon.¡±

    Ah, I guess Haku-san told her through the [White Beach] hotline? When though?

    ¡°¡­ I wonder what DP really is? And only being able to use DP you have at the time you leave a dungeon¡­ what does it mean to have DP? It¡¯s that sort of thing. Like I can do it, but I don¡¯t get it.¡±

    ¡°If you can use DP elsewhere, you¡¯re definitely bringing it with you. It¡¯s not like it¡¯ll disappear if you don¡¯t use it, so you don¡¯t need to go out of your way to.¡±

    ¡°I guess. It doesn¡¯t exactly have mass¡­ so maybe it¡¯s simr to magical power?¡±

    Rokuko wouldn¡¯t know, but I just figured it worked simr to how digital currency did in my world.

    ¡°The dungeon will use a certain amount as well, but it¡¯ll replenish if I leave the core here, so¡­ alright, let¡¯s bring around 500,000 DP.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah¡­e to think of it, about how far can we go until we can¡¯t use the DP we leave in the dungeon? Is it within the range between here an Tsuia?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know, but it can change depending on the situation, like if there were any other dungeons in-between.

    Well, I don¡¯t think there¡¯ll be anything 500,000 DP can¡¯t handle¡­ Fufufufu, I¡¯ve saved up enough DP to have this kind of conversation. I¡¯m growing up~¡±

    I nodded in agreement. It¡¯s true, she¡¯s very differentpared to back when I was summoned, both in brains and DP.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be heading out tomorrow, so make sure you don¡¯t leave anything behind. Well, we¡¯ll have DP so it¡¯d probably be fine either way.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Oh, where do you think I should put the Dungeon Core? In the dungeon, right?¡±

    ¡­ Oh, she¡¯s talking about the main corelight orb? I thought Rokuko was saying she wouldn¡¯t being for a sec there.

    She¡¯s definitely afraid to keep the Dungeon Core in the inn, like what if there was a thief?

    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s hide it before we head out.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s.¡±

    While saying that, Rokuko put the Beddhism holy seal into her bag.

    ¡­ Do I have some of them stocked away too? Yep.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, between the inn and the church, do you think we¡¯re leaving enough manpower behind?¡±

    ¡°The church should be fine because of all the subi. As for the inn¡­ well, the inn and church worked out with just us before the subi, so even without the four of us now, it¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. It should be enough with the subi huh?¡±

    ¡°Actually, wouldn¡¯t it be great if we could get the subi to help out here at the inn too? We could say the Beddhism Sisters are volunteering. I mean, I¡¯d still pay them, but yeah.¡±

    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s ask Rei and Kinue to join us as well.¡±

    As for why she didn¡¯t include Nerune there, well, yeah. The girl¡¯s immersed in her research.

    It should work out alright as long as I let Suira know about it.

    I guess I should go confirm our route to the imperial capital¡­e to think of it, what direction is it? Wataru said he came on a carriage¡­

 Chapter 303

    <strong>At Tsuia</strong>

    All in all this time, our lineup had my party: Meat, Ichika, Rokuko and I.

    Followed by Team Bhus: Gozoh, Roppu, and Wataru.

    We even had Maidence, a noble of Tsuia, and her maid. Oh, and the no-good elf Shikina.

    We had ten people in all, the coachman excluded. Maidence and the maid will be left in Tsuia though, so we would be heading for the imperial capital with eight people in all.

    By the way, the carriage and coachman were furnished by the Tsuia family. It was a noble¡¯s coach, one with a door that had their family¡¯s coat of arms on it. It was no covered coach. It was a properly made box-type carriage. Big enough that all ten of us could fit.

    Thankfully, we¡¯ll be able to use this carriage up until Tsuia. We¡¯ll be fine with our luggage since we have [Storage], too.

    Gozoh came to talk with me before we left.

    ¡°Hey Kehma. Eh, erm, what about Smander-dono?¡±1

    ¡°It still has to discipline the me dragon and it¡¯s being a bit difficult, so it won¡¯t be leaving Tsuia Mountain yet.¡±

    ¡°O-Oh. So it¡¯lle if you call for it?¡±

    ¡°How would I? Send it a letter or something?¡±

    ¡°Huh? No, I mean isn¡¯t there something for that in your contract? Like that time in [me Cavern].¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just because it was originally hiding there. That guy¡¯s been passing his time in [me Cavern] from the start, after all.¡±

    There¡¯s a Smander passing the time by idly in there... well, that¡¯s the sort of setting we¡¯re going with for Ontentoo¡¯s public appearance.

    ¡°I see. So that¡¯s why I felt sofortable with you there...? Or maybe the key to it was Beddhism?¡±

    Like I¡¯d know?

    Well, after all that, we started on our journey to the capital.

    Rei, I¡¯ll be leaving the inn and dungeon to you!

    *

    We arrive at Tsuia in the horse-drawn carriage without much of anything really happening.

    Still though, for us to take just two hours for the trip... it used to take us six hours hiking from the dungeon to Tsuia way back when. I doubt it¡¯d take even one hour on a fast horse.

    ¡°That was such afortable ride, as expected of a noble¡¯s carriage... but still though, we didn¡¯t even have to be examined or pay the toll since Maidence-sama was with us... truly, as expected of a noble.¡±

    ¡°Ya shouldn¡¯t need money to walk into yer own house aye? And this carriage here¡¯s basically one big identification device.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, Gozoh-san. Though nobles do need to pay the toll. Even I have to!¡±

    ¡°Oh aye, you were one of them kinda-nobles since yer a Hero, Wataru. I forgot.¡±

    I mean, we could have went past without paying the toll for a single carriage this time since it¡¯d be put on the guild¡¯s tab.

    So I guess we should really be saying more like as expected of Haku-san, the adventurer guild¡¯s grand master.

    ¡°Haaah, I want to stay with Kuro-sama though.¡±

    ¡°... We¡¯ll be reaching the lord¡¯s manor soon, so prepare to get off.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Kuro-sama. I left my preparations to my maid, so I can be next to you until thest moment.¡±

    We¡¯d decided to head to the lord¡¯s manor right away.

    Doing so, we received a personal greeting from Yudence Tsuia, the lord himself.

    ¡°Oooh, Kehma-dono. It¡¯s been a while! And you too, Nishimi-dono! Mai, have you been doing well?¡±

    Wonder what made him greet me first? Did he have some ulterior motive?

    I can¡¯t see it as him just greeting the person watching over his daughter first, since he greeted Wataru¡ªthe person to bring her to me in the first ce¡ªsecond.

    ¡°Yes, father. I have also deepened my rtionship with my fianc¨¦, Kuro-sama.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see! So you¡¯ve gotten to the point of giving Kuroinu-dono a nickname! Isn¡¯t seeing our children getting along so well refreshing, Kehma-dono?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha.... well, as you see, your daughter has been brought back safe and sound as you anticipated.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t tell what his hidden meaning was there that well, so I went with forcing a smile just in case.

    ¡°Wait, what!? Her fianc¨¦...!? Kehma-sama, isn¡¯t Kuro-chan a....¡ª!? No way, a crossdresser...!?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah, Wataru, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªsorry, I lost myself there for a moment.¡±

    Oh yeah, Wataru had that marriage fraud issue with the crossdresser a long time ago, didn¡¯t he.

    ¡°Kehma-sama. We will be parting from you temporary, but please, feel free to continue using the carriage. So long as you have it, your exit from the town should go just as smoothly.¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡±

    ... It has their crest on it though? I want a different carriage.

    When I nced back to Yudence, our eyes met.

    ¡°Whaaat? Don¡¯t worry about it. It¡¯s natural that my daughter¡¯s fianc¨¦ would have ess to something like this.¡±

    ¡°... Could I get one without the crest on it? I get the feeling various troubles will crop up because of it.¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, I believe those troubles would only ur if you didn¡¯t have our crest on the carriage. However, Kehma-dono, would you prefer for us to arrange one without our crest for you?¡±

    I wonder if Haku-san¡¯s hand is in this somehow...? I¡¯m worried about bandits attacking us midway because of the crest though...

    With that, Wataru interrupted.

    ¡°Oh, Yudence-san. We would love a covered coach with your crest on it! Really, traveling in a covered coach is the best way to go, right Kehma-san?¡±

    ¡°Hm? I will prepare a covered coach as you¡¯ve requested then, Nishimi-dono. I assume you are fine with that, Kehma-dono?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. I¡¯ll leave the decisions about it to him, I¡¯m not too versed in wagons.¡±

    Traveling in a covered coach, huh. Man does that remind me of RPG games.

    ¡°Hey, Wataru. Why the crest?¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san, you know how Golen is so near Tsuia? It¡¯s better for you to clearly show off your connection with Yudence-san.¡±

    ¡°... So it¡¯s to prevent other nobles from intervening?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! See how helpful it¡¯ll be to borrow their crest now?¡±

    So that was a thing, huh. Troublesome...

    ¡°Kehma-dono! How about a cup of tea while you wait for the coach to be prepared? I¡¯d like have a chat with you and that girl with you, too.¡±

    The lord smiled at both Rokuko and I.

    ¡°Oh, well look at the time. I have to go do something for the journey. Leave it to me, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°I have to deliver a few documents to the guild and pick up a deliverymission for a bit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going too. Party members should do stuff together right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll go with ye then!¡±

    ¡°Want to get some alcohol with me, Gozoh? Wataru, we¡¯ll fetch themission as Team Bhus.¡±

    Like a bunch of spiders scattering, they left Rokuko, Meat and I alone in the blink of an eye.

    Though it felt more like they were ditching something annoying than leaving tactfully. Yeah.

    ¡°... Well, it¡¯s a good chance, so how about we treat ourselves to some tea, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°... Yeah.¡±

    Seeing as how I was able to hear some good stuff about aristocratic etiquette during the chat over some tea, I guess it turned out alright.

    *

    The coach, prepared while I was listening to valuable tales from the lord, had our luggage already loaded onto it so that we could leave right away.

    It was almost entirely just small luggage bags, so the time to part with Maidence came surprisingly quickly.

    ¡°Please take care of yourselves, everyone. And Kuro-sama, see you... nn¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ª¡±

    Oh, Maidence actually gave Meat a goodbye kiss... on the cheek. She pulled off something Rokuko couldn¡¯t, and easily, at that. So that¡¯s the strength of an aristocrat¡¯s daughter?

    ¡°Wha¡ª!? W-Wow, you did it, Mai.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, if you can¡¯t manage something of this level, Kehma-sama might get snatched away from you, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    ¡°N-No he won¡¯t! Kehma and I are in a rtionship that¡¯llst to death....! It¡¯s alright, right, Kehma?¡±

    Yeah, it¡¯s alright. Probably.

    ¡°Hm¨Chmmm? That is not necessarily true, Rokuko-dono! For I am here!¡±

    ¡°Step back, you perverted elf. Say that after you can at least manage your multiples of seven without making a mistake.¡±

    ¡°I-I don¡¯t make any mistakes though! ... If I use my fingers.¡±

    When did Rokuko and Shikina get on such good terms? I had no clue they were this close.

    Like that, we left Tsuia. We had to drink tea with Yudence this time, but now I guess we cane and go whenever we want?

    ... This is the first time I¡¯ll have travelled further than here. I¡¯m a bit excited to see what it¡¯s like.2

    ¡°It will be around five days to reach the next town.¡±

    ... That¡¯s pretty far though!?

 Chapter 304

    En Route

    And so it took five days to reach the next town from Tsuia.

    We¡¯d been proceeding down the prairie road in a horse-drawn wagon. To the right was forests as far as the eye could see. To the left was much the same of mountains, mountains not a part of the Tsuia Mountain Range¡­ Watching the unendingly simr scenery, I grew bored.

    I couldn¡¯ty down even if I wanted to go have a nap, so I wasn¡¯t even able to do that. Maybe I should¡¯ve had at least one more wagon prepared for us?

    ¡°Hey, Ichika. What was the name of the town we¡¯re heading to? Now that I think about it, I don¡¯t think I ever asked?¡±

    ¡°The next town¡¯s Mikhan. The town¡¯s in a meadow, so there¡¯s tonsa sheep and stuff.¡±

    ¡°Sheep¡­ I see, somb chops¡­ shish kebabs¡­¡±

    ¡°Mostly wool, tonsa wool. Well guess there¡¯s meat too. And they¡¯re pretty behind Tsuia in most everythin¡¯ else though, but they¡¯re great at farmin¡¯.¡±

    I see.

    ¡°Man am I getting tired of the wagon¡¯s movements.¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, this is an aristocratic wagon on a t road ya know? Normal wagons¡¯d shake yer butt like no tomorrow, people who can¡¯t get used to it just end up barfin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Motion sickness, huh¡­ yeah, I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    ¡°This wagon¡¯s so amazin¡¯ because of its anti-shakin¡¯ manufacturin¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, mind if I hop in to the conversation here, Kehma-san!?¡±

    With that, Wataru started talking with Ichika.

    ¡°You know, there¡¯s a suspension system on this wagon.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, a suspension system¡­ is that suspension system thing what¡¯s causing there to be no shaking?

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, it suppresses the back-and-forth rocking by having springs around the wheel area. The Hero Studio in the capital came up with the idea.¡±

    Phew, that was close. Wataru¡¯s still casually probing to see if I¡¯m a hero, huh¡­ I thought he¡¯d given up.

    ¡°Come to think of it, what do you usually travel to our vige with? A wagon? Or [Teleport]?¡±

    ¡°No no, there¡¯s no way I could use something like [Teleport] so readily. I¡¯d say only Haku-sama and her party could do something so crazy. I mean yeah, I wish I knew the spell, but the scroll¡¯s crazy rare, so I generally use a horse. Once I get to Tsuia, I go the rest of the way on foot.¡±

    ¡­ Is he saying he¡¯s faster than a horse?

    ¡°¡­ Huh? So that¡¯s where it is now?¡±

    ¡°Ah, no. I rented it out to the adventurer guild. I said I didn¡¯t mind as long as it was returned to a local guild.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh.¡±

    ¡°How did you make your way to the vige of Golen, Kehma-san? Oh, I suppose it was before it was a vige, huh.¡±

    ¡°My legs, really.¡±

    It was actually through a 1000 DP gacha summon though. Well, I guess I didn¡¯t exactly use a vehicle, so saying I used my legs wasn¡¯t wrong.

    ¡°I got brought in a ve transport wagon.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, Ichika-san, you do have the Pavueran ent, huh. Is that where it happened?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, I went a biiiiiiiit overboard in the capital¡­ did stuff, fell inta debt, and got cored.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you¡¯re a debt ve? So couldn¡¯t you buy yourself back if you used the reward we just got?¡±

    Huh?

    ¡°Wait, hold up, ves can buy themselves back?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Kehma-san, you didn¡¯t know? There are several kinds of ves, debt ves can even buy themselves back. Though since ves are generally put to work with no pay, that rarely happens.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh, wait up. I¡¯ve got a few circumstances, I¡¯m not a debt ve. I don¡¯t feel like stoppin¡¯ bein¡¯ Goshujin-sama¡¯s ve anyway, not even a bit.¡±

    S-So that¡¯s how it was? I didn¡¯t know. So there was the chance the dungeon¡¯s secret could¡¯ve leaked out if I bought a debt ve¡­ that was close.

    ¡°Huh? Then what kind of ve are you, Ichika?¡±

    ¡°¡­ A crime ve, I guess. Well¡­¡±

    What the heck did you do?

    ¡°Remember how I told you I earned a ton a grudges? I was innocent, but I got set up.¡±

    Come to think of it, didn¡¯t she mention something about that?1

    ¡­ Huh? Wait, then what kind of ve is Meat? It doesn¡¯t sound like she¡¯s a debt ve, so is she a criminal ve then? The bandits definitely did take her.

    ¡°She¡¯s probably an illegal ve, thinkin¡¯ about her history. Maybe some war ve, ves that caught in war. There¡¯s times when people kidnap kids to enve too, but guess that just happens sometimes.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I¡¯ve heard how useful those war ves are to adventurers. I¡¯ve never used one, though.¡±

    The war ves used by adventurers as meat shields were generally the men. They get more by starting a war¡­ the Raverio Empire is merciless.

    ¡°Honestly, I feel like the bar to return to being a civilian after being enved is just too high. It¡¯s to the point that I think it¡¯s impossible outside of just being a contract ve.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s a contract ve?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re ves with pre-determined terms and conditions to their being a ve. Stuff like lover contracts, yeah?¡±

    He then went on to talk about how there were various sorts of them, all depending on the conditions like how long it wouldst, what their reward would be, what would happen once the master died, etcetera.

    Hmm, setting aside Ichika, maybe I should change Meat into one of these contract ve things?

    But well, it¡¯s not really an inconvenience right now, so I guess it¡¯s fine¡­? It¡¯d be a dead giveaway to the ve trader if I put something like [Don¡¯t talk about the dungeon] into the contract, and I don¡¯t know how effective it would be if I obfuscated my meaning. I guess I could get Haku-san¡¯s help, but asking her for anything is straight up frightening.

    ¡°Actually, Kehma-san, you have ves. Shouldn¡¯t you know more about this stuff than me? Didn¡¯t you get an exnation about all this when you purchased Ichika-san?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right back at you, did you just look into all that for getting a night ve or something?¡±

    ¡°No¡ªI mean¡ªum, that wasn¡¯t it. I figured it would be a good idea to know this kind of stuff as an S-Rank adventurer, so I looked into, err,mon sense?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t tell Nerune.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why do I feel like I have to say thanks even though I¡¯m not guilty here? Thank you.¡±

    Still though, there¡¯s a ton of types of ves¡­

    I nced at Meat. Rokuko was holding her and ying with her ears and tail. Yuri! Yuri! Yuri!

    Then I looked over to pleasant scene of Roppu and Shikina¡ªno, Shikina¡¯s face gave off more of a feeling of wild perversion. Like [Guheheheh¡­].

    My eyes met with Meat¡¯s. Meat generally didn¡¯t have an expressive face, but she looked troubled. Like she didn¡¯t know what she should do here.

    ¡­ Yeah, personal contact is important. Good luck.

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s some monsters out here, small fries. What¡¯s the n? Kill ¡¯em?¡±

    Just then, Gozoh, who¡¯d been keeping watch next to the coachman, spoke.

    Hearing that, Wataru quickly moved to the driving area.

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re small fry alright. Let¡¯s kill them for the sake of keeping public roads safe. Oh, I guess it¡¯s also a good chance for a bathroom break?¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll go.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Have fun, Meat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go too then, I need the bathroom break. Gozoh, could you stop the wagon?¡±

    It somehow turned into us taking a bathroom break even though monsters appeared.

    I guess what appeared were on the level of goblins or something, then?

    ¡°They¡¯re just ordinary orcs, Kehma-san. Five of them. Definitely small fry.¡±

    Wataru spoke calmly, but were those really small fry? I guess a Hero would just see them like that, but still.

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen orcs. How strong are they?¡±

    ¡°Speaking in terms of subjugation difficulty, they¡¯re a bit easier than iron golems. A party of novice adventurers might choose to run from them, but with us, they¡¯d need over a hundred easily. I mean, we could probably take on a dragon.¡±

    I see, so then Meat should be able to take them out herself. Still though, Wataru could take a hundred of them on? Wow.

    ¡°As expected of you, Wataru-sensei! Master, I would like to go as well!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Stay here.¡±

    ¡°But why!? Is this not the perfect chance to see how much strong I have grown!?¡±

    This no-good elf has a horriblepatibility against humanoid monsters. Ande on, they¡¯re orcs. It¡¯s obvious what¡¯d end up happening if this elf went off against orcs.

    ¡°Kehma-san. Would you like us to try leaving just one to you all? I¡¯ll help out if it appears dangerous.¡±

    Hmm¡­ I guess it¡¯d be good training?

    ¡°Alright, sure then. Meat, you up for it?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Yessss! We¡¯re gettin¡¯ some orc skewers tonight! My belly¡¯s already rumblin¡¯!¡±

    Wait, Ichika, you¡¯d eat orc? But it¡¯s a bipedal, human-shaped pig? ¡­ Wait,e to think of it, this world eats minotaur and the like, huh. I guess they¡¯d eat orcs too.

    ording to Wataru, it tastes like pork. Ichika said it was even better than boar meat. I even started getting a bit hungry after listening to them.

    By the way, Shikina lost big time to the orc. Wataru helped her out and kept anything else from happening, but she really was useless.

    I mean, she was all pigeon-toed and fidgety the moment she stood in front of the thing. I couldn¡¯t see her face from where I stood, but I bet her face was flushed red. Freaking elf with an orc fetish.

    ¡­ We do have a certain goblin-fetishist, though. I can¡¯t really say anything about Shikina¡­

    To be honest, I think I may have mistranted it back whenever this was originally mentioned. I don¡¯t recall this.

 Chapter 305

    <strong><i>Author Note:</i></strong>

    By the way, Wataru pointed out that it was faster for him to get to Golen from Tsuia by running instead of using his horse, but it was more that he was more confident running through the terrain than the horse.

    And still, since Haku-san had given Wataru the task of [Maintaining the Roads¡¯ Security], Wataru often ends up walking alone with his guard ¡®down¡¯ to lure out thieves and monsters. He wasn¡¯t just ying around whenever he went to Golen.

    <strong>The Town of Mikhan (1)</strong>

    After a trip filled with various things happening, we finally made it to the next town: Mikhan.

    It wasn¡¯t to the point of Tsuia¡¯s, but it did have a rtively big wall surrounding the town.

    It also appeared to be surrounded by pastures filled with shepherds and their sheep.

    ¡°It was so long... I thought I¡¯d fall asleep in the coach... but it was unexpectedly busy, eh.¡±

    ¡°There were a good number of monsters on the way, after all. I was expecting a few thieves too, but I guess there weren¡¯t any up for a fight. ¡±

    Setting aside the monsters that would naturally want to attack us, there weren¡¯t many thieves confident enough to attack a coach with an aristocratic crest on it.

    I mean, well, that¡¯d be them making enemies of an entire family of wealthy individuals.

    ¡°I figured we¡¯d at least be able to lure at least some out since we only had a single coach and no guards.¡±

    ¡°You wanted them to attack?¡±

    ¡°Thieves are great. Whether you kill them or capture them, you get money from them.¡±

    Wataru¡¯s been tainted by this world down to his depths, huh... There¡¯s no way he¡¯d be able to make it in Japan anymore.

    By the way, we¡¯d camped out on the way here, but like... wouldn¡¯t there normally be some small vige for that or something? Like an inn town.

    Gozoh answered when he voiced his question.

    ¡°An inn town? Yeah there¡¯s a few of ¡¯em, they¡¯re always wherever there¡¯s no monsters and great security. They¡¯d get gobbled up if not.¡±

    ¡°... Wasn¡¯t there a vige near Tsuia?¡±

    ¡°The area around Tsuia¡¯s already opened for development. In a sense, it¡¯s like the frontier. Besides, with an inn town so near like that there¡¯s less escort requests and more adventurers.¡±

    ... So that¡¯s how it was?

    I couldn¡¯t get any good sleep since we camped out and slept in shifts, so that topic¡¯s a sore spot in travelling for me. Yep... wait, huh? Come to think of it, I hired Wataru to do it... I could¡¯ve just left it all to him...

    ... Eh. Well, at least the coachman was good at sharing stories during that, so let¡¯s call it even. Like how while there were weeds for the horses to eat at that point, there was a rivalry between whether it was best to use [Call Fodder] or [Grow Weed] to feed your horses when there weren¡¯t, or like how you¡¯d call even non-horses horses if they pull your coach. Really, they were just a ton of inconsequential stories.

    ¡°Heeey, c¡¯mon, let¡¯s hurry up and head into town. I wanna eat~¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t go¡¯n bother Kehma, Ichika. Well, it¡¯ll go nice and quick if we use the aristocrat-only entrance... Right, Roppu and I should be officially B-Ranks soon, so we can do that stuff soon too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, but the aristocrat¡¯s gate toll is expensive. Setting aside this time, ordinarymissions won¡¯t waive the fee so we¡¯d be takin¡¯ the other gate normally.¡±

    ¡°... Being able to make the choice is the upside to being a Ventulier. You could even leave in the middle of the night.¡±

    Ichika was hungry, so we decided to hurry up and enter through the aristocrat¡¯s gate.

    The inspection went without a hitch and we were able to enter the town as smoothly as Maidence said we would.

    Compared to Tsuia, Mikhan felt a lot more like a peaceful farming vige.

    The outer walls and buildings themselves weren¡¯t much different, but I guess it was the spacing between everything?

    Wait, isn¡¯t this all even closer together than the capital?¡ªNoticing that along with the poption density made me want to tilt my head. Err, there¡¯s a ton of buildings here?

    ¡°Most of the area is needed for livestock, so there¡¯s rtively less people. Tsuia has more in terms of poption, yeah? Also, at the time this town was founded, parchment was a popr export and there were way more people, but once the Hero Studio started developing paper of its own, most of the artisans moved to other towns... Nowadays, the demand for paper can be satisfied even by just using restoration magic on the parchment and not even produce it.¡±

    I see. So that¡¯s why there¡¯s a huge plot ofnd here with so little people?

    ¡°Guess we should be headin¡¯ to the adventurer guild first. Coachman, please.¡±

    ¡°Ah, there¡¯s a veggie roll stand! One of Mikhan¡¯s staples...!¡±

    ¡°Veggie roll? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s where ya lightly cook some flour and roll strips of vegetables and grilledmb in it!¡±

    That did sound pretty good. Like a spring roll, no, maybe more like a vegetable crepe? No, wait, I¡¯ve heard of a type of shish kebab like that... I wonder if it¡¯s another trace from Hero Ishidaka?

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling hungry, too. Let¡¯s get some, Kehma. I¡¯ll pay!¡±

    ¡°Ah, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll go too. Leave the shopping to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to try some of themb skewers.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeeeah, Meat-senpai¡¯s the type that loves meat skewers huh! But they have vegetables too?¡±

    ¡°... Yeah, we can, butter. After we go to the guild though. We could get into hassles if we do all that in a coach with this crest on it.¡±

    Besides, I wanted to hurry up and get to an inn. After camping out for four days with the women in the coach and men outside in a tent... well, I want to sleep in a room.

    I had to share a tent with Wataru, Gozoh, and the coachman, so there wasn¡¯t even enough room for me to use my futon. I¡¯m going to use my futon tonight, dammit! My body pillow too.

    ¡°Wataru. Let¡¯s stay here for two days. I want to catch up on sleep.¡±

    ¡°I was nning on us staying here that long to replenish our supplies, anyway.¡±

    That¡¯s good, then. Let¡¯s not leave the inn tomorrow.

    Like that, we reached the adventurer guild as we talked. It was crowded.

    ¡°There are a ton of monsters that want to eat the livestock, so there¡¯s also a ton of adventurers here that want to take on subjugationmissions.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll deal with checking the coach in, so we¡¯ll leave reporting our arrival to you, Kehma-san. Oh, and here¡¯s the luggage I got with my deliverymission.¡±

    ¡°Sure... hey, hold on. Where¡¯s Rokuko and Ichika?¡±

    By the time I realized it, neither of them were there. There¡¯s no way they got lost even after we made it this far in the coach, right?

    ¡°They went to a nearby stall to buy something. They should be back soon.¡±

    ¡°... Well, I guess it¡¯ll be fine since Ichika¡¯s with her. Alright Meat, could you help me out with this luggage?¡±

    I handed some of the luggage I¡¯d got from Wataru to Meat and entered the guild with her.

    I felt gazes fall on us as we entered the guild.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, where¡¯s the counter for turning inmissions? I have luggage here for a deliverymission.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s over here. Wee to the Mikhan branch.¡±

    A person that looked to be a receptionist called us over to the counter.

    ¡°Alright, then here¡¯s this, and this. Is that it?¡±

    ¡°Yes...!? E-e-eeeeh¡ªWatar¡ª... nnn! Yes, that is everything. Would you prefer for thepensation to be evenly distributed to all cooperators?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, please.¡±

    Wataru had entered the guild midway through our conversation and sat down as he waited for me.

    ¡°Huh? What, you¡¯re safe?¡±

    ¡°Safe? Did you think I¡¯d manage to get into trouble from something like this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. I mean, the first time I came to this guild they told me [I¡¯ll help ya for a small fee]. I wonder if it¡¯s just that Japanese have child faces... Right, Borl-san?¡±

    ¡°Th-That was incredibly rude of me, Hero-sama, I wasn¡¯t aware! Please excuse my transgression!¡±

    Called out by Wataru in good humor, the adventurer averted his face in embarrassment.

    He¡¯d thought Wataru was some sheep, but he turned out to be an S-Rank adventurer, and a hero at that... I guess it just speaks for how gentle Wataru is, seeing how often he gets mixed up in stuff like that.

    ¡°Looks like he¡¯s already repented if things turned out this way. I guess you told him to keep an eye out for adventurers with ck hair or something yeah? Guess I was able to make it through without anything happening thanks to that.¡±

    ¡°That so? ¡°Man, Borl-san, it¡¯s a good thing you didn¡¯t try anything with him. I¡¯ve challenged this guy a few times now and I haven¡¯t even won once.¡±

    ¡°Huh!? He¡¯s stronger than you!?¡±

    ... Now that I think about it, I did win against him in that loaded gamble and that handicapped mock fight, but I don¡¯t think that makes me stronger than him?

    ¡°Not to mention how he challenged a me dragon the other day and came out uninjured. Just him and the girl next to him.¡±

    ¡°He brought a child to a natural disaster¡ªan A-Ranked monster!?¡±

    Well, I guess I did? It was just a farce since that me dragon was Ontentoo¡¯s daughter, though.

    ¡°Hey, cut it out Wataru. You know I don¡¯t like making a fuss.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine if it¡¯s just now and then? I mean, it¡¯s not everyday you leave Golen.¡±

    Has Wataru been a bit overly conscious of calling me by name, saying I¡¯m from Golen, and spreading information about me since a bit ago?

    Meat looked happy though. Her tail was wagging at ny miles an hour.

    ¡°... By the way, this girl here¡¯s even stronger than me~¡±

    ¡°G-Goshujin-sama?¡±

    ¡°This little girl¡¯s stronger than the man who¡¯s stronger than the hero...!?¡±

    Although looking puzzled at being brought to the limelight, she looked at Wataru and spoke.

    ¡°Umm... H-He¡¯s stronger.¡±

    ¡°The hero is stronger than the girl who¡¯s stronger than the man who¡¯s stronger than the hero!¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha, what the heck?¡±

    Wataruughed cheerfully. I think he said the guy¡¯s called Borl? Seems like a go with the flow kind of guy. Let¡¯s all get some alcohol after this.

 Chapter 306

    The Town of Mikhan (2)

    I treated the adventurer who¡¯d mistakenly made a move against Wataru a drink at the guild¡¯s bar.

    Getting back on topic after that though, we did more things in the adventurer guild.

    ¡°Ah, now¡¯s a good chance for us to look to see if there¡¯s s deliverymission for the next town we¡¯re heading to. We¡¯ll ept just before we leave day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why wait?¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯d have to worry about themission¡¯s luggage otherwise. Besides, it¡¯s not like we really need to take amission if some other person takes it.¡±

    Oh, guess he¡¯s right.

    Wondering what sort ofmissions there were avable, I went over to check the bulletin board. All of the goodmissions were taken from the morning¡¯s rush, but I figured I could still get the gist of what kind ofmissions there generally were by the leftovers.

    ¡­ Hmm, tons of subjugationmissions. There weren¡¯t many gatheringmissions and almost all were for D-Rank and higher. What¡¯s with the rest of themissions, the ones for E-Rank and below, all being for in-town?

    ¡°Tsuia usually has lots of medicinal herb gatheringmissions for beginners, but since most of the surrounding area is used for farming, they¡¯d all need to send people into the woods. Because of that, there are a good number of C-Rank and higher adventurers who have a good bit of experience here.¡±

    Wataru then went on to exin that rookies tended to either head to Tsuia formissions or make due by fulfilling the in-townmissions here. There used to be another vige nearby, but once Tsuia opened itsnds for development, virtually everyone moved to Tsuia when it began to develop so quickly.

    Just then, the female receptionist came over to us holding amission ticket.

    ¡°U-Um, Wataru-sama? There is thismission I would absolutely love to use this opportunity for you to ept¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s up? It¡¯s fine with me if I can get it done in around a day, but¡­ hmm, a subjugationmission? It looks easy enough. Kehma-san, want to give it a go with me?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t. I¡¯ve got a bed with my name on it. It¡¯s been calling for me, already told it sure. You should bring someone that wants to.¡±

    As an aside, I saw that the subjugation was for an elk bear when I took a peek at it. It¡¯s basically a bear with elk horns on its head. The one for thismission was a lot bigger than usual and some C-Rank party had already failed to take it out or something. The reward was one gold coin.

    ¡­ Just go alone dude. Take Shikina if you really want.

    ¡°Well, yeah. Gotta go, can¡¯t keep my bed waiting¡ªwhat inn do you rmend though?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s one near here called [The Ripe Fruit Lodge]. That one should be good¡ªoh, I¡¯ll ept themission. I¡¯ll bring my co-participantster.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay! Thank you!¡±

    Sent off by the receptionist bowing toward us, we exited the guild.

    We immediately joined back up with Rokuko and the others after leaving the guild.

    ¡°Took you while. Oh, want a veggie roll? We have some skewers too,mb ones.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sure. Don¡¯t wander around too much, okay? It¡¯s our first time here, we don¡¯t know the area.¡±

    ¡°Ichika and Roppu¡¯s here, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not their first time here either.¡±

    Well, I guess everyone in Team Bhus are well-versed in the area, plus Ichika was even a C-Rank adventurer before she became a ve.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be heading out to subjugate an elk bear, any of you want toe? Kehma-san passed, though.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have te pass, gotta drink m¡¯self sober.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll pass too, since I¡¯ll be going with Gozoh. Wataru, you should join us when you¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°I will go! I may not have beat that orc, but I should be good against a bear!¡±

    The only person form Team Bhus heading out was Wataru, but Shikina wanted to go as well.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to look around town a little more. Kehma, want toe with me?¡±

    ¡°Nope, the inn¡¯s calling to me. I¡¯ll be taking Meat, so bring Ichika with you.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­¡±

    With that, no one from our party would participate¡ª

    ¡°In that case, Meat, I¡¯ll be Kehma¡¯s pillow, so you go help out with the elk bear.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ Meat, you can go if you want to. It¡¯s a good chance, so make sure to get a feel for the hero¡¯s strength.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I will, then.¡±

    ¡°Guess I¡¯ma just help the coachman with gettin¡¯ provisions.¡±

    With that, our party decided to do things.

    Guess Meat wanted to go out for a hunt, judging by her tail wagging back and forth. But then her tail sank when she looked back to me.

    It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not mad¡­ go for it.

    ¡°Looks like I¡¯m Kehma¡¯s pillow then!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Err, umm, it¡¯s alright, you don¡¯t need to. Rokuko, you said you wanted to go around town with Ichika and the others, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, well¡­ I was just saying that as an excuse to go on a date with you, I don¡¯t actually want to look around that much. So, umm, c-can I¡­?¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s face was beat red as she spoke.

    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­

    Yeah, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯d die the moment I stepped into the capital.

    ¡°Hey, Wataru. What¡¯re you grinning for?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Nothing~. I just thought that I should tell Haku-sama about this.¡±

    ¡°Do you want me to die!?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You won¡¯t die, you¡¯ll just have more stuff to deal with.¡±

    I guess if it¡¯s just ordinary work, it¡¯s okay¡­.? I really don¡¯t want to do have to deal with something that tends to try separating my head from my body.

    ¡°Huh? Kehma, ye and Rokuko weren¡¯t married yet? I thought ye would¡¯ve tied the knot ages ago?¡±

    ¡°Like you¡¯re in a ce to talk, Gozoh? What about you and Roppu, huh? Oi.¡±

    ¡°Oh, aye, how can I put it? The timing¡¯s gotta be right. Yeh.¡±

    ¡°Turning into B-Ranks would be great timing. Want to go with a Beddhism ceremony?¡±

    Gozoh tried to poke fun at me, so I did the same.

    ¡°Kehma, what does a Beddhism ceremony entail? We¡¯ll need to prepare, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    With a grand self-detonation.

    Rokuko really dide to my room on the next morning, so I got a bit worried. Nothing came of the pillow thing though, thankfully.

    I mean, I said OK since she just asked [Can I stay in your room?] without mentioning anything about being my hug pillow.

    She probably won¡¯t do anything weird in my room while I sleep¡­ (faraway look)

    *

    Now then, after catching up on sleep and a bit extra for the trip by sleeping the whole day, it was finally time for us to leave Mikhan.

    I didn¡¯t really get enough sleep to be honest, but I was able to use my futon I brought and Meat as my hug pillow after she got back from hunting the elk bear, so I did at least manage to recover a little bit thanks to it being so much closer to my usual sleeping amodations.

    By the way, the dinner we had on the second day was a giant bear hot pot. Man did that fresh bear meat have a wild vor to it!

    ¡°Oh yeah, is it alright that we didn¡¯t greet Mikhan¡¯s lord?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know the lord here, so it doesn¡¯t matter much.¡±

    ording to him, since we used the aristocrat entrance and reported our arrival to the guild, they were definitely informed. Since they didn¡¯t approach us themselves, we didn¡¯t need to bother.

    He also said that there were times that you should greet go to greet them yourself even if you weren¡¯t summoned for if you were a lower rank. We were using the Tsuia family¡¯s crest currently, so we didn¡¯t need to. Well, to sum it up, aristocrats are troublesome.

    ¡°Alright then, everyone ready? Anything you all forget? It¡¯ll be three days until we reach the next town. We¡¯re using a safe route this time, and Kehma-san, it even has inns on the way.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright even if there aren¡¯t¡­ huh? Wait, did you just say this time?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªcoachman, let¡¯s head out.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Wataru. Hey. Are you saying there was a route from Tsuia where we wouldn¡¯t have had to sleep outside?¡±

    As a result of me saying that, I found out that the moremonly used route was much more safe than the direct route, the one that went along the side of [Hell Forest], the forest I¡¯d been staring at off to the right side the entire time. It would¡¯ve made the trip take more than twice as long, but still¡­

    I knew monsters that¡¯d need a C-Rank group of adventurers to defeat appearing along that route was strange!

 Chapter 307

    Extra: Elk Boar Subjugation

    Elk bears. Bears with horns growing from their head like elk. Monsters.

    Havinge from Japan, Wataru thought that their horns were simr to the one found on horned rabbits. Heading toward the forest, he also wondered about if they grew new horns every year if they were the same horns as an elk¡¯s.

    Hispanions for this were Shikina Kukkoro and Meat Kuroinu.

    Although Shikina was equal to a B-Rank adventurer in her strength alone, she was excessively weak against humanoid monsters. With an extra helping of superficial, lewd knowledge, she was a no-good elf.

    Judging by appearances alone, Meat was just a young girl. She was also, however, a beastkin with a good level of flexibility and agility, as well as unexpectedly powerful for how small she was. With the exception of her name, Meat, which was usually a name given to disposable ves, she was perfect.

    ¡°Alright then, we¡¯ll be facing the elk bear here soon, but how should we look for it? I figure we should let the person who finds it get the kill.¡±

    ¡°No way, Wataru-sensei. There¡¯s no way we could take down an elk bear by ourselves, right, Kuroinu-dono?¡±

    ¡°? Firste, first served is fine?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ so you want to fight it one on one too, Kuroinu-dono? I want to go with Wataru-sensei.¡±

    Seeing Meat tilt her head to the side, Shikina sighed before she spoke.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just stick together then.¡±

    ¡°Kuroinu-dono, could you find it by smell?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know its smell, so no.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you could if you knew how it smelled¡­? How about we go whatever direction you smell a best in, Kuro-san?¡±

    Meat nodded and began leading the other two into the forest.

    She asionally stuck her nose into the air or put it to the ground to take a deep sniff and eventually managed to find something she wasn¡¯t looking for¡ªan orc.

    Wataru quickly beheaded it, while Meat severed its tail to serve as proof for its subjugation.

    ¡°I wonder if we could lure it out with the smell of its blood?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, sounds good. Elk bears are omnivorous, but maybe it knows how people taste?¡±

    ¡°Huh? It eats people? Were there any victims?¡±

    ¡°It did almost kill someone but they managed to get away by just losing their arm. They¡¯ll have to retire if they can¡¯t get the temple¡¯s help¡­ oh, Kehma-san¡¯s a Beddhism priest, so maybe he can use recovery magic?¡±

    Meat recalled how her Goshujin-sama actually did create an artificial arm with Create Golem a while back after hearing him say that, but it wasn¡¯t something she could talk about so she let it be.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Master did use [Healing] before!¡±

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know how much damage Goshujin-sama can heal.¡±

    ¡°Maybe I should ask Kehma-san about itter~. Well, he probably wouldn¡¯t give me a straighter answer though.¡±

    Their chat ended with that.

    They found arge mark on the side of a tree nearby the dead orc. It looked like ws had raked across its surface, a bear¡¯s markings.

    Putting that information together with what they already knew, this was likely the elk bear¡¯s territory. They decided to leave the orc corpse there and wait in ambush.

    A whileter, likely smelling blood in the air, a giant, two-meter long great boar came along.

    ¡°Whoops, looks like we attracted the wrong thing. I¡¯ll go and deal with it real quick.¡±

    ¡°I will do it, hoh!¡±

    Shikina stood before the great boar and unsheathed Magic Sword Seon from its ce at her waist.

    Meat and Wataru both thought it would¡¯ve been better to take it by surprise, but she was probably just confident in herself. They decided see what happened next.

    Meanwhile, the great boar felt like it was being provoked and rushed on to Shikina¡ªwhich is when she swung her sword down, cutting it in half.

    ¡°Hyah¡­!¡ªgeh!¡±

    ¡­ However, although she¡¯d managed to cut clean through it, she didn¡¯t manage to kill the boar¡¯s momentum. It barreled into her,unching her into the tree before finally falling aside in two halves.

    The effect of Shikina¡¯s Magic Sword Seon activated, transferring the damage to her clothing. The clothing at her abdomen burst open.

    ¡°Alriiight! I really did get stronger from Master and everyone¡¯s help!¡±

    ¡°Shikina-chan, are you alright? Your clothes tore, but they¡¯re just normal cloth.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright! Wataru-sensei, you already know my clothes tore because of Seon¡¯s effect. I¡¯m not injured at all~¡±

    Setting aside Shikina, who was busying herself with being pleased at her exposed belly, Meat took the nose from the now cleanly-bisected boar¡­ It was cut in two, but she figured it should be alright.

    ¡°There¡¯s so much meat¡­ we could eat it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s bring it back when we¡¯re done. We could sell it even if we don¡¯t end up eating it.¡±

    Wataru stuffed the remains of the great boar into his [Storage]. His [Storage] had a huge capacity, so he just shoved it all in in one go. He figured he¡¯d probably take the orc and elk bear¡¯s corpses as well once this was over. He confirmed that Shikina and Meat each had [Storage] too, so he figured it might even be a good idea toe out and hunt for something else after they finished.

    ¡°Hmm, I smell something¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, nice. It¡¯s probably the elk bear.¡±

    This time, a bear with elk horns turned up a few minutes after. It would be around three meters tall if it stood up on its hind legs.

    Given that a more normally sized elk bear would¡¯ve been one and a half to two meters at most, it was definitely out of the ordinary.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty huge.¡±

    ¡°Shikina-san, did you want to give it a shot?¡±

    ¡°Alright, let me try an¡ª¡±

    Before Shikina had a chance to get out her sword, Meat jumped out.

    She ran up to the elk bear and, using the tree and its leg as scaffolding, leapt up to its neck and used the knife golem she¡¯d had at her waist to pierce into its throat. The super-vibrating knife golem easily slipped through its fur, skin, and muscle, destroying its ability to breath. Then, following through, she continued by slicing off its head.

    It all happened so fast that the elk bear was unable to react, despite being aware of the three of them. Unable to so much as let out a roar, it fell to the ground so hard the ground shook.

    ¡°¡ªKuroinu-donoooo!?¡±

    ¡°Firste first serve, right?¡±

    Standing next to the elk bear¡¯s body with blood sttered on her, Meat tilted her head to the side as if to ask if there was a problem.

    ¡°Ahahaha, that was brilliant! I guess you could call it a straight-on surprise attack huh?¡±

    ¡°I saw my chance, so I took it.¡±

    Meat put the elk bear¡¯s body into her [Storage] as if nothing happened¡ªthe elk bear really hadn¡¯t had a chance to do anything, though¡ªwhile Wataru used [Cleanup] on her¡­ she didn¡¯t seem to see what was so special about it.

    ¡°Guess we should head back? Shikina-chan, want to bring the orc?¡±

    ¡°Alright! Here we go¡ª!¡±

    Shikina threw the orc corpse into her [Storage]. Like that, their elk bear subjugationmission came to itspletion.

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t know bear meat was that weak.¡±

    ¡°Kuroinu-dono, you don¡¯t even put dragons in your eyes~¡±

    ¡°Man, Kuro-chan¡¯s turning into an assassin-type. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d be able to take it out in one strike with that knife of yours.¡±

    The elk bear was delivered in a very clean condition, so Wataru said [This girl¡¯s the one to do it. In one strike no less.] and pointed to Meat, which was followed by someone shouting [As expected of the girl who¡¯s stronger than the man who¡¯s stronger than the Hero!]¡­ but that was a story for another time.

 Chapter 308

    En Route (2)

    We were en route to the second inn-town after Mikhan, passing through a pretty rocky area filled with shaded areas. We¡¯d finally arrived somewhere with good public safety, a main road.

    ... That town we stopped atst night was great. Being able to sleep properly in a private room was a huge differencepared to sleeping out in a tent.

    Just then, we were stopping for a toilet break. There were a lot of shaded areas and there weren¡¯t any enemies around, so it was a great opportunity.

    We decided we¡¯d have some lunch after we were done relieving ourselves.

    ¡°Phew...¡±

    ... Humans had to deal with physiological phenomena to keep living, I was no exception. Rokuko was, though, since she was a dungeon core.

    ¡°Oh, Master Kehma. I¡¯ll join you, excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Uoooh!? Why¡¯d youe here for!? I¡¯m in the middle of something!¡±

    ¡°Ohe now. The men in the knight order always do it and I wanted to give it a try too, so I figured now was a good chance!¡±

    Shikina was standing next to me as she spoke.

    ¡°But you¡¯re a girl! You can¡¯t¡ª¡±

    ¡°~?¡±

    ... Oh,e to think of it, she got affected by that [Futanaru] magic drug so she had it. I¡¯d forgot. Wait, it¡¯s still there?

    ¡°Mmmm, penises are so convenient!¡±

    ¡°Just stop, you lewd girl. Girls shouldn¡¯t talk like that.¡±

    ¡°Whoops, excuse me. Still though, it was hard to get used to. I mean, I have two holes to pee from now so it¡¯s pretty hard to just get it out the right one. So I¡¯ve been practicing with it!¡±

    ¡°Please spare me the details. Women shouldn¡¯t talk about pee like that.¡±

    As ever, she¡¯d never stop on her own.

    ¡°... Ummm. So, it¡¯s still there? When¡¯s it supposed to go away?¡±

    ¡°She said it¡¯d be sometime within the next year... but it¡¯s basically just a part of me now. No, it¡¯s always been a part of me! ... I think of it like my child. Like how it grows up when I care for it¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ahem! Uhh, so, we¡¯ll be going to the imperial capital, your house is there right? ... Will it be alright?¡±

    Although I didn¡¯t exactly damage her... she did manage to have an extra, well, tool.

    Her parents learning of that seems a bit scary.

    ¡°Well, you could probably hide it for a little while, but...¡±

    ¡°Do not worry yourself! For I... have realized I am a man! Just look at this thing!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I¡¯m worrying!¡±

    Don¡¯t say anything about having one, seriously. I mean really, promise me, yeah? It¡¯d suck, so please don¡¯t.

    ¡°But well, I feel like we¡¯ve deepened our rtionship, Master! So this is what they all talked about, bonding by peeing together? I bet it is!¡±

    ¡°The... f*ck? Never again. Seriously, please, I can feel my mind breaking.¡±

    ¡°A! ... Oh well, I¡¯ll join in on Wataru-sensei or Gozoh-dono next time!¡±

    It looked like the next victim wouldn¡¯t be me again, so I decided to leave it be.

    Let¡¯s not step on any snakes I don¡¯t have to...

    *

    After we ate, I suddenly remembered how I was the only one left out when we were dealing with the me dragon a few days before. I was a bit worried about it, so I decided to ask Ichika for more information.

    ¡°Sooo, Ichika-sensei. Got a sec?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    Hmm, how should I put it? I was worried about everyone easilying to grips with Ontentoo but just couldn¡¯t ept Igni.

    ¡°Why was Igni no good but Ontentoo was OK?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s ¡¯cause of magnitudes.¡±

    ¡°Magnitudes?¡±

    Ichika nodded when I parroted the word back to her.

    ¡°Like their status. I meant, between Igni and Ontentoo, Ontentoo¡¯s is bigger. Like, Ontentoo¡¯s is waaaaaay bigger.¡±

    ¡°... Yeah, I don¡¯t follow.¡±

    I mean, if his is bigger, wouldn¡¯t that mean Ontentoo¡¯s more frightening?

    ¡°Mmm, to put it a way ya¡¯ll understand... it¡¯s likeparing a bag of flour to the entire field? Igni bein¡¯ the flour, Ontentoo the field.¡±

    Oh.

    I started to understand what Ichika was saying.

    To put it another way, it¡¯s the difference between being able toprehend a numerical value at first sight versus not.

    To put it some other ways, a truck versus a skyscraper, or a dump truck versus the ground itself. Like what kind of damage could it deal...?

    ¡°Igni¡¯s, well, easy to understand just how strong she is. Ontentoo¡¯s more... unknowable. It¡¯s more like yer the only person that¡¯d think [Oh yeah, he¡¯s a great guy], Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s that big of a difference?¡±

    Saying that, Ichika leaned forward to whisper something into my ears so that no one else could hear.

    ¡°By the way, Goshujin-sama... in terms of magical power only, it¡¯s probably the same for Goshujin-sama too?¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°I mean, yer a hero. It¡¯s natural ya¡¯d be that strong right?¡±

    ¡°... But like, I haven¡¯t trained at all?¡±

    Ichika shrugged and sighed, a gesture that seemed to say something like [That¡¯s why ya don¡¯t get it, Goshujin-sama].

    ¡°Goshujin-sama¡¯s been usin¡¯ [Create Golem] most every day ya? That¡¯s magic, remember? And I¡¯ve heard stuff about how stuff like meditation and faith raisin¡¯ magic power.¡±

    ¡°... Wait, sleeping is training?¡±

    Now that I think about it, I¡¯d had to drink tons of mana potions to restore my magical power from using [Create Golem] during thatst Dungeon Battle, but nowadays I basically don¡¯t use them at all. Well, I they do taste kind of alright, so I do sip some now and then.

    ¡°I¡¯ve also heard about how using yer magical power up and then letting it entirely fill back up over and over and over again can actually improve yer resilience and capacity. Dunno if that¡¯s true though.¡±

    I see, so your resilience improves by exhausting your supply, while your maximum capacity increases by storing it up... or something? Though she did say it might not be true.

    ¡°So then, it¡¯s just my guess but like... imagine heroes have like a hundred points. Wataru woulda split his half ¡®n half between strength and magic yeah? But yers is more like all in on magic. Get it? It makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Great job, Ichika. Your theory makes sense.¡±

    ¡°Also, Goshujin-sama, ya know how far you¡¯ll be able to go usin¡¯ magic yeah? Yer upper limit I mean.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Crap, I have no clue. I mean like, magic¡¯s something that you can do anything with if you have the magical power for it, is that the upper limit?

    Isn¡¯t that a contradictory question, like if you¡¯re asked a [Yes] or [No] question like [Is your answer [No]?]. Whatever you answer could mean either.

    ... Come to think of it, it was a fail, but I did try summoning Ichika with that [Summon Gargoyle] magic a while back, and even that should be possible if I¡¯d reorganized it to be closer to [Teleport] or something. I just needed the magical power for it.

    ¡°Not bein¡¯ able to respond straight off is what I mean. To be honest, me, Gozoh, Wataru¡ªnone of us can figure out how strong yer magical power is, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°And physically?¡±

    ¡°I could probably beat ya if ya didn¡¯t wear a clothes golem. Ya¡¯d probably even lose against a Pavueran punk.¡±

    Oh. Alright then. Well, I¡¯m confident in my magical ability so there¡¯s that I guess.

    ¡°Hey, am I actually pretty awesome?¡±

    ¡°Yer just now gettin¡¯ it?¡±

    Ichika spoke in amazement. It got me thinking.

    ¡°But yeah... as far as battle¡¯s concerned... Goshujin-sama, yer magical power¡¯s just too much. If ya put it next to Igni¡¯s magical power, yers would probably drown itpletely? It¡¯s like S-Rank with a good bit to spare. Ya¡¯d get wrecked if ya didn¡¯t have the clothes golem on, but with it... ya¡¯d beat even B-Rank adventurers... yeah.¡±

    Mulling it over for a moment, Ichika turned to me again.

    ¡°Objectively lookin¡¯, Goshujin-sama¡¯s amazin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°O-Oh.¡±

    I guess I am? I guess, since if not there¡¯s no way I¡¯d ever have something like a connection to B-Rank adventurers.

    ... Though I guess it wasn¡¯t just a connection, be it the dragon subjugation or Ontentoo.

    ¡°So. Today¡¯s dinner is meat from the great boar Meat-senpai and everyone hunted. Wataru sliced the meat suuuper thin and boiled it!¡±

    ¡°Shabushabu1 huh. Is there any sauce?¡±

    By the way, this world has shabushabu too. It sounded like the god of food, Hero Ishidaka, made it well known... I wonder if he spread the concept of draining the animal¡¯s blood first, too?

    Well, I guess it¡¯s possible he didn¡¯t. It¡¯d be a profitable thing to keep close, after all.

    ¡°... Is there a magic that can drain blood in one go?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why¡¯d ya bring that up? That¡¯d be super convenient. You can do it?¡±

    ¡°Is it space-time magic, or water magic? Should the blood drain out of the body directly? Or maybe from its mouth... well, it might be impossible.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d kill a human straight off if ya used it on them... Goshujin-sama¡¯s cruel.¡±

    Don¡¯t say that. It¡¯s supposed to be a convenient magic, not some instakill magic.

    ... I guess it¡¯s just another example of it depending on how it¡¯s used?

 Chapter 309

    Extra: The Dungeon at That Point

    It had already been several days since Kehma and the others left the dungeon. Golen¡¯s dungeon [Cave of Desires] was crowded.

    ¡°Vige Chief Kehma, Gozoh-san and everyone¡¯s gone right now! We can make a killing!¡±

    ¡°The Vige Chief always just pops up an heads in once a week, sweeps the ce, andes out with some crazy treasure¡­ now that he¡¯s not here, it¡¯s all we can get!¡±

    With those thoughts in mind, a considerable number of adventurers were exploring the dungeon in their parties.

    Although it was true this party had always done that, they were particrly heated this time.

    And as a result of their exploration, they found a box on the floor inside thebyrinth area.

    This dungeon¡¯s treasures always appeared within treasure chests on the floor.

    Suppressing their excitement, they opened the chest while keeping an eye out to their surroundings.

    ¡°Oooh, it¡¯s sake! There¡¯s a bottle for each of us!¡±

    ¡°Oh maaaan¡­ it¡¯s usually only ever Vige Chief Kehma or Gozoh-san getting those.¡±

    ¡°Rather, the Vige Chief gets them all to sell at the bar, huh.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that they were upset he was holding a monopoly on it all. Actually, they were pretty grateful Kehma was so uninterested in alcohol and sold it all at the bar.

    They wouldn¡¯t be able to drink it regrly if he didn¡¯t sell it, after all.

    But it was expensive.

    What they felt was more like envy towards Kehma being able to get so much of it from the dungeon.

    Just then, a few goblins appeared. A party of five.

    There was the sound of the air being cut. With a ng, an arrow hit the ground next to the adventurers¡¯ feet.

    ¡°Watch out! There¡¯s a goblin archer, protect the sake with your lives!¡±

    ¡°Again!? I mean, what¡¯s with all the fights today!? Even if they¡¯ve all been goblins¡­¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a group of three y golems behind them, should we fight? Or run?¡±

    ¡°Seriously!? Dammit, lucky goblins. We¡¯d get caught up in those golems too, let¡¯s run.¡±

    Having quickly decided to escape, they ran through the dungeon.

    By the way, the goblins were divided into two types.

    The first was the small fry goblins, the second being armed goblins.

    It was easy to distinguish between the two types. Armed goblins held some sort of weapon and were often found in groups¡­ Their weapons¡¯ quality were poor and their corpses were no different from normal goblins, so you could say there were no upsides in fighting them.

    Rookie adventurers would quickly be defeated by them. Even C-Rank adventurers might fall to them if they were careless.

    Moreover, there weren¡¯t too many victims produced by armed goblins since it was so easy to recognize and run away from them. There were even some rumors that they were only appearing to remind people to stay weary and wouldn¡¯t give chase, but whether or not it was true, it didn¡¯t change the fact that people should never let their guards down in the dungeon.

    Due to all of that, they were able to quickly escape from them.

    ¡°Haah, haah¡­ alright, looks like we got away? Man, I was getting high off that treasure, why¡¯d so many monsters have to pop up? That¡¯s gotta be abnormal.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a Transition Phase¡­? Though it could just be bad luck¡­ oh¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hm? Did you think of something?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What if the Vige Chief and Gozoh-san keep the poption down?¡±

    Yes. Kehma and the others didn¡¯t onlye in for loot, but also to keep the monster poption down.

    Upon realizing that, one of them even muttered how amazing those two parties were.

    ¡°No, hold up. Gozoh-san doesn¡¯t kill this many monster.¡±

    Although Gozoh definitely showed proof of what he killed and did subjugationmissions properly, Kehma sort of just came in and did things in a bang. How much he did exactly, though, was unknown.

    But doing the calctions backward from what they knew Gozoh killed¡­ didn¡¯t that mean Kehma killed the most monsters by far?

    ¡°What the¡­ and when we usuallye in is right after Vige Chief Kehmaes in to clean the dungeon¡­¡±

    ¡°Seriously. The Vige Chief¡¯s crazy.¡±

    Just how many monsters was he killing with his weekly attacks on the dungeon? He even did it with a sense of flippancy, sometimes even solo.

    ¡­ And he was dealing with that many monsters? Kehma, strolling like a walk in the park, had been dealing with enough monsters that even full parties would have no choice to run away from.

    Although it was impossible to picture with how he usually looked and acted, now that they thought about it, even Hero Wataru said that Kehma had beaten him.

    If that was the case, it would exin how he had the strength to deal with groups goblins and golems like it was a walk in the park.

    ¡°¡­ Man, he¡¯s going to keep that monopoly.¡±

    ¡°Rather, we¡¯re going to keep buying it while he keeps the monopoly¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Vige Chief Kehma¡¯s way up there¡­¡±

    And that was how Kehma¡¯s fame rose in a group he had no clue about.

    *

    Within the Master Room, Rei received a report from Nerune.

    ¡°And with that~, they think Master and Meat-senpai were the ones killing the difference in monster numbers~, is this what you wanted~?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This is what I was hoping for.¡±

    Sitting in the chair that was meant for Kehma to sit in in the Master Room, Rei¡¯s mouth crept into a smile as she looked at the monitor produced by the menu function.

    Her smile was out of delight for being entrusted with the dungeon.

    ¡°Fufufu, the one who shall protect Master¡¯s interests is I! Rei, the vampire! Fuhahahah! I shall perfectly replicate the dungeon as it should be during Master¡¯s absence!¡±

    With that, having allowed her brewing emotions to manifest, she took a deep breath. Yeah, she felt much better.

    Also with that, Kinue, who was standing beside her, tapped Rei on the shoulder.

    ¡°Rei. You¡¯re satisfied by this?¡±

    ¡°Hm? What is it, Kinue?¡±

    ¡°Rei, do you truly think this is Master¡¯s perfect?¡±

    Somewhat dissatisfied, Kinue spoke. Rei¡¯s parade was thoroughly rained on, but she knew well that she could not be as perfect as Kehma. She was not conceited. She just felt a bit ted and wanted to try saying that, so she epted the rebuke.

    ¡°Do you have something to share? If so, go ahead.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t hesitate, then¡­ Surely you don¡¯t think Master would stop at that?¡±

    In other words, Kinue was saying that if Kehma truly entered the dungeon as an adventurer, the number of monsters he would have defeated could not be ounted for by their current surplus.

    Rei noticed what she meant immediately. She was right!

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s as you say, Kinue! Nerune, please, increase production further! Double it!¡±

    ¡°Okaaaay~, I¡¯ll give it my all~! Let¡¯s kill all the adventurers~¡­¡ªah, that¡¯d be bad~¡­ let¡¯s half-kill all the adventurers~!¡±

    ¡°Oh? We were allowed to kill half?¡±

    ¡°Rei, half-killing means to hurt them to the extent they do not die.¡±

    Due to this happening, the difficulty level of the dungeon at that point was very high.

    As it also caused the general popce to raise their evaluation of Kehma, one could say that that was Rei¡¯s intention.

    ¡­ Whether or not that was Kehma¡¯s wish was another story entirely.

 Chapter 310

    The River Town of Donsama (North Side)

    The River Town of Donsama. It was the second town after leaving Tsuia.

    After entering the aristocrat-only gate as we did back at Mikhan, there were a ton of uniform, stone brick buildings that looked basically. I guess buildings like that weremon in the empire.

    That aside, its poption was closer to Tsuia than to Mikhan.

    This town was at the junction between the paths that stretched to Tsuia, the capital, and Pavuera. It also seemed that it was the only safe route that headed to Tsuia, followed by Golen¡ªwhich had the tunnel leading straight to Pavuera.

    ¡°By the way, why¡¯s it called a river town?¡±

    ¡°Donsama is divided in two by a river. There¡¯s North Donsama and South Donsama, bothbined forming Donsama. The size of thembined is just a bit smaller than Tsuia.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s two parts to it? Sounds troublesome.¡±

    By the way, the gate we¡¯d just entered through headed into North Donsama. The gate for South Donsama heads out toward the imperial capital. You¡¯d need to use the ferry to get from one side of the river that splits it in half to the other.

    ¡­ They don¡¯t have a bridge?

    ¡°Are there any differences between the north and south sides?¡±

    ¡°Not from our point of view at least. But there is for people that actually live there.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are the two sides hostile toward each other or something?¡±

    ¡°The conflict isn¡¯t as bad as that, but there are even two adventurer guilds. Let¡¯s go greet the north one today.¡±

    We¡¯d be staying two nights this time, too. One in North Donsama, one in South Donsama.

    I guess it¡¯d be bad if we don¡¯t do the greetings twice? Let¡¯s leave that to Wataru.

    ¡°Hey Ichika, is there any good food here?¡±

    Rokuko turned to Ichika.

    ¡°They¡¯ve got grilled fish, but nothin¡¯ really stands out except it bein¡¯ a fresh catch~¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go buy some right now!¡±

    ¡°Nope. We¡¯ve got to leave the coach at the guild first.¡±

    Ichika went without saying, but it seemed that even Rokuko was all for the food while we¡¯re out travelling.

    I seem to recall something about how Dungeon Cores didn¡¯t need to eat, but she¡¯d been in love with melon bread for ages by now I guess. Oh well, maybe she¡¯s just enjoying herself.

    Even Meat¡¯s tail was wagging back and forth.

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to be keeping our coach at the inn this time. But how about we go drop off this deliverymission we picked up for here first?¡±

    ¡°Aye, Gasho, if ye would.¡±

    By the way, it turned out that the coachman was called Gasho. Gozoh seemed to be getting along well with him, at least enough to be on a first-name basis with him.

    With that, Ichika and Rokuko hopped off to go buy some fish when we arrived at the guild. Along with being their escort, they brought Shikina with them to carry their bags.

    ¡­ I guess it was alright. I¡¯d wanted her to help us with the luggage since there was so much of it this time¡­ but at least buy us some fish too?

    Wataru and Gozoh entered the guild after shouldering the barrels they¡¯d kept in [Storage].

    Meat, Roppu, and I were carrying wooden boxes¡­ what were inside these things? Well, even if I was interested there was nothing to be done about it. It wasn¡¯t fragile, at least.

    There was probably so much luggage to take since there was so much traffic through the area.

    ¡°This is for our deliverymission. Please look over it all.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve confirmed that¡¯s everything. Thank you for your work, Wataru-sama.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be going to the south side tomorrow, followed by the capital after that. If you have a deliverymission for either¡ª¡±

    ¡°In that case, we¡ª¡±

    After making the delivery, he received more luggage to deliver. Taking the single small wooden box, Wataru ced it into his [Storage].

    ¡°You epted it straight away this time?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not much to deliver to the south side from here, so I decided to put it in my [Storage]. That way, I won¡¯t have to worry about it being stolen. The south side should have deliverymissions for the capital. Now we should be set to head to the south side.¡±

    Wataru spoke with a smile.

    I see, guess he didn¡¯t ept a subjugationmission this time. Well, although we were here just as long as we were in Mikhan, one of those days would be us crossing the river.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen the river yet, but is it that big?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s around fifteen meters deep and a hundred wide. We could probably just run over it.¡±

    No way. Pretty sure you¡¯re the only one that could do that.

    ¡°¡­ I wonder if I could make it over?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. Pretty sure running over water isn¡¯t normal.¡±

    ¡°Eh, that¡¯s not true. Right, Roppu-san?¡±

    ¡°Ten meters is my limit. What about you, Gozoh?¡±

    ¡°Ye think I can run on water? I can jump three meters, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Wait, what¡­.? I guess that¡¯s just how crazy adventurers¡¯ physical abilities are.

    ¡­ Meat¡¯s tail is wagging, did she take that as a challenge to see how far she can go?

    ¡°¡­ Wataru, you¡¯d save us if we fall in, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kehma-san, you want to give it a shot too?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m good. I¡¯m asking for Kuro.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s important to know how far you can push yourself if pushes to shove. Kehma-san, you should go for it!¡±

    He had a point, but I didn¡¯t really feel like doing it. I was with Gozoh. Who¡¯d want to run on water?

    Rokuko and the rest arrived, their shoppingplete, just as we left the guild.

    ¡°Good job, Kehma. Here¡¯s your fish.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    She distributed some more to others after giving me mine first. It tasted like river sweetfish, but salty and on a skewer. It was probably salted before it was grilled.

    ¡°Oh, they had some sweetfish? Thanks Jou-chan. It¡¯ll go good with my alcohol.¡±

    ¡°I love the vor too. A lot of Pavueran peddlerse here too, so salt¡¯s pretty cheap here.¡±

    So they have sweetfish here too, huh¡­? Guess it¡¯s like that time with apples? Although it was a different thing, it had the same name¡ªthat kind of thing. I don¡¯t get it.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty big.¡±

    ¡°Really? Isn¡¯t it smaller than the fish I order at the inn?¡±

    The fish sold at the inne from Pavuera and its sea, after all. So yeah, I guess it¡¯d be smaller than a fish from the sea. It¡¯s still pretty big for a sweetfish though.

    ¡°Still though, the carts started selling cheaper when they saw Ichika and everyone looked bitter. Did you do something?¡±

    ¡°It was a long time ago~¡±

    So you did?

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head to our inn for tonight. This one¡¯s called [Northern Hero Pavilion], it¡¯s an inn that North Donsama¡¯s famous hero, Ortega-san, founded. It¡¯s a good inn. As an aside, tomorrow¡¯s is [Southern Hero Pavilion], Ortega-san¡¯s son built it when he became self-dependent.¡±

    ¡°Did Donsama split in half because of them¡­? Hey, is there really not going to be a fight between north and south?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re not about to jump out and attack each other. I don¡¯t know much about it, but you could try asking Ortega-san if you¡¯re interested?¡±

    ¡°Nope, don¡¯t care that much.¡±

    Why would a traveler want to intervene in some fight between a parent and their child? Let¡¯s leave that trouble aside.

    I¡¯m not some main character, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d jump out and solve whatever problem Ie across.

 Chapter 311

    Extra: Crossing the River

    The next day, we¡¯de to the river to make our way to South Donsama.

    ording to what Wataru told me, the river was around a hundred meters across if you went straight. There were stairs that descended to a harbor around two meters above the water, along with a ferry docked there.

    There was a slope for wheeled vehicles to descend as well, of course.

    That said, we weren¡¯t at the area to get onto the ferry.

    ¡°¡ªand so we¡¯ll be crossing the water today.¡±

    ¡°Oi, hold up.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kehma-san?¡±

    ¡°I mean yeah, crossing the river is fine. But how¡¯d ite to [Running Across the River] being a thing?¡±

    ¡°Because it¡¯s something special in this town, water running!¡±

    Yeah. Following Wataru here, it turned out that this was some sort of self challenge spot.

    It seemed he was a bit of a celebrity here too, since people who¡¯de here to challenge themselves were calling out to Wataru and seeming overall giddy at seeing him.

    ¡°Wataru-san! Please teach me!¡±

    ¡°Over here! Watch me run, Wataru-sensei!¡±

    ¡°Are those people with him his pupils?¡±

    ¡ªthat kind of stuff.

    Incidentally, it seemed that the number of people that were able to sessfully cross the river was somewhere in the double digits, including Wataru.

    ¡°Alright then, how about you give it a go, Kehma-san?¡±

    Heck no. I don¡¯t feel like running over a river. Do I look like a sports junkie to you?

    ¡°Oh yeah, Ortega-san, the person who made the inn we were at yesterday, managed to do it, too. In this town, people who¡¯re able to cross the river are called heroes.¡±

    ¡°Heeeh, thanks for the info.¡±

    ¡°Which is why, Kehma-san, I think you should at least give it a go.¡±

    ¡°Which is why my butt. I ain¡¯t doin¡¯ it!¡±

    ¡°I want to see if you can do it, Kehma.¡±

    Rokuko supported Wataru from off to the side. Nope! Definitely not!

    ¡°It¡¯d be bad if I fell into the river. I could drown.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry man. This ce is famous, there¡¯s a rescue team always swimming around.¡±

    Famous? How much free time do these people have to even have a rescue team? Monsters won¡¯t appear? It¡¯s safe? Oh, so it¡¯s only safe during a certain time range huh. Heeeh~.

    ¡°¡­ Changing clothes after I get wet sounds troublesome.¡±

    ¡°You have [Dry] and [Cleanup]. That¡¯d be enough.¡±

    Kuh, life magic is too convenient!

    It looks like Wataru¡¯s wanting me to do it, no matter what.

    ¡°C¡¯mon dude, give it a shot. Maybe you¡¯ll like it?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do the impossible.¡±

    ¡°When there¡¯s a will, there¡¯s a way!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any merits like that.¡±

    ¡°Could you show me that you do?¡±

    Rokuko interrupted us with a self-satisfied look. But like¡­ I don¡¯t. It¡¯s more like I¡¯d just get another demerit after I fall in¡ªwhich I definitely would.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Meat looked like she really wanted to try it. Her tail was wagging back and forth. She was definitely looking forward to it.

    ¡°Kuro. You don¡¯t have to hold yourself back for me, go for it.¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    ¡°Oh, so Kuro-chan¡¯s participating! Alright, let me show you how to do it.¡±

    Saying that, Wataru crouched in preparation to dash.

    ¡°Momentum is important! Kehma-san, make sure you take a good look too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m off! Hoh!¡±

    Lot listening to me in the least, Wataru took off running. No¡ªit was more like he got shot from a cannon.

    Each time his feet hit the water, they sent out waves of force.

    ¡­ Just before his left foot would sink, his right foot hit, followed by his left foot doing the same.

    After a moment, Wataru reached the other side and came back.

    ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s how you do it. So how about it, think you go it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s inhuman. As expected of a hero.¡±

    ¡°Hah, don¡¯t tter me~¡±

    You took that as praise?

    ¡°Umm, Kuro, you don¡¯t have to push yourself.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san, see how hyped she is? You should follow her example!¡±

    You can stop looking at me like that¡ªI¡¯m not going to do it. You know that, right?

    With that, Meat crouched to prepare herself to dash.

    She was concentrating¡­ and then started running. She then began to kick at and soar across the water.

    Maybe she can do it?¡­ But soon as I thought that, she sank around halfway across the river.

    Collected by the rescue team, Meat was brought back to where we were standing.

    ¡°Ah, too bad. You almost made it across¡ªyou get brought to the other side if you make it more than halfway.¡±

    ¡°Muu¡­¡±

    I used [Cleanup] and [Dry] on Meat, whose tail was sagging down in disappointment.

    Gozoh stepped up.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m gonna give it a go! Roppu, see if you can figure out the trick.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, good luck, Gozoh. I¡¯ll get you something good to drink if you make it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible for me! How ¡¯bout ye get me some tofort me after I fail?¡±

    Gozoh was up to bat this time. Again, with a crouch.

    ¡­ He broke into a run, but sank on the first step. The rescue team nearby collected him and quickly brought him back.

    ¡°Kuh, guess it was useless¡­¡±

    ¡°You made it two meters at least. It¡¯s okay.¡±

    Seeming like he knew it was going to happen, Gozoh didn¡¯t look too down about it. He used [Dry] on himself.

    ¡°Alright, next up¡¯s Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Nope, not gonna. What¡¯s with you wanting me to cross the river?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll make it.¡±

    ¡°I think so too. Kehma can do it.¡±

    ¡°I agree.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit much¡­ I can¡¯t do what I can¡¯t do.¡±

    Haaah, oh well. If they¡¯re going to be like that, why don¡¯t I just try it?

    ¡°Alright, I get it. I¡¯ll just go until I hit the other side.¡±

    ¡°Oh! So Kehma-san¡¯s finally getting serious¡­¡±

    Everyone took that crouching start so far, so I¡­ didn¡¯t.

    I just prepared to run off normally.

    ¡°Hoh. So you¡¯re going ssic style, eh?¡±

    Wataru said that, but I had no clue what he was talking about.

    I didn¡¯t pay him any mind and took a step into the water. And sank.

    I then continued to just swum to the other side.

    ¡°Wh¡­ at¡­!?¡±

    It was a bit hard to swim with my clothes on, but even while being pulled downstream, I managed to keep going thanks to the golem assist.

    With that, I made it to the other side.

    ¡°¡­ Phew, that was tiring. Hey guys, c¡¯mon and hurry up¡ª!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to just swim though!?¡±

    Rokuko raised aint from the other shore, but I ignored it. I mean, I never said that I would run across.

    *

    In the end, Rokuko and the others just came along with the coach on the ferry. The heck, doesn¡¯t that just make me look stupid?

    ¡°That was an amazing defeat, Kehma-san.¡±

    Wataru spoke with such a big smile that he was practically radiating light. I tilted my head.

    ¡°Eh? I never said I¡¯d run across though?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant! We¡¯d overlooked the essence of river crossing to start with. Essentially, river crossing is for the sake of making it to the other shore. There was never actually a rule for running across! In other words, Kehma-san, the moment you decided to go ssic style for your start, you won!¡±

    What an abrupt, weirdly reasoned exnation. Very.

    I just took it as Wataru¡¯s usual, annoying goal of wanting to lose to me. Given that he loves getting yed around with by Nerune, he¡¯s definitely an M.

 Chapter 312

    The River Town of Donsama (South Side)

    After crossing the river and heading back into Donsama proper, I headed straight the the inn since I¡¯d tired myself out. I slept soundly, falling asleep as soon as my head hit my pillow, and kept at it until just before we left the next morning.

    Maaan can I get some nice sleep after tuckering myself out.

    ¡°I don¡¯t see anything different between the north and south sides, are they really different?¡±

    ¡°The adventurer guilds aren¡¯t a part of the conflict at least, so that¡¯s all that matters for us.¡±

    The whole thing¡¯s inconsequential for travelers like us though.

    At most we just had to ster smiles on ourselves while listening to people say stuff like [Oh, you were in the north side yesterday? My goodness! It was so much more warm andfortable down here, can¡¯t you tell?]. Like heck we can!

    ¡°Alright, so we¡¯ll be leaving Donsama today¡ªis there anything we¡¯re forgetting?¡±

    ¡°I ate fish from the carts and some more for dinner. I¡¯m greeeeat, plus I can just get some more on the way back if I think of somethin¡¯!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d expect nothing less, Ichika-san. What about you, Kehma-san?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good. Now we¡¯re just going to ept amission from the adventurer guild yeah?¡±

    ¡°What about solving the inn parent-child duo¡¯s discord?¡±

    ¡°Pass.¡±

    With that out of the way, we went to South Donsama¡¯s adventurer guild. Wataru had delivered the luggage he got from North Donsama¡¯s adventurer guild some time beforehand, so we just epted a deliverymission heading for the capital without much happening.

    Just as we were all about to head back outside, someone called out Wataru¡¯s name.

    ¡°Wataru-sama. Someone asked for you specifically for an escortmission to Corky. Would you like to ept it? The person you would be escorting is a merchant.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What do you think, Kehma-san?¡±

    Wait, you¡¯re asking me?¡ªis what I first though, but then I remembered that I¡¯d already hired Wataru to be my escort.

    In that case, I¡ªthe client¡ªhad the power to make the decision. By the way, Corky was the name of the next big town on the way to the capital at around three days away by coach.

    ¡°The coach¡¯s already too cramped to bring another person.¡±

    ¡°They have their own.¡±

    Wataru spoke while looking at themission ticket he received from the receptionist.

    By the way, the reason the receptionist already knew that Corky was our next destination was because Wataru came here saying [We¡¯re nning on heading to Corky next on our way to the capital, are there any deliverymissions we could take?]. Nothing about it seemed suspicious, but¡­

    ¡°Why¡¯d they nominate Wataru directly? Wouldn¡¯t it be a good bit more expensive to request a hero directly?¡±

    ¡°It happens asionally. They could have something that requires a hero, or perhaps their very goal is to be escorted by a hero.¡±

    So some people just want to get closer to a hero? I see. He¡¯s a bit off, but he is a hero¡­ Still though, it just feels like one gold for a three-day escort by Wataru is expensive.

    ¡°Well, it says that it will be switched into an ordinary escortmission asking for an appropriate adventurer if it isn¡¯t epted, so Kehma-san, let me know whatever you decide.¡±

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s fine. If you get onto the merchant¡¯s coach, that just means we¡¯ll have one less person on ours.¡±

    ¡°Aww¡­ alright, fine.¡±

    Saying that, Wataru went back to the receptionist to ept themission. The merchant was delighted and asked to shake Wataru¡¯s hands, to which Wataru responded.

    ¡­ So I guess there¡¯s these kinds ofmissions too.

    With that, Wataru finished greeting the merchant and came back as the merchant looked as if they were in a rush to head outside.

    ¡°He asked for us to wait a little longer so he can fetch more goods to bring.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I guess it makes sense for him to want to bring more now that he knows a hero¡¯s going to escort him, not to mention that he¡¯d want to bring more to recoup his losses from the nomination fee.¡±

    ¡°Well, Corky¡¯s public security isn¡¯t too bad in the first ce¡­ But I heard there was an eyewitness report about a band of thieves stalking the area, so I figured that it was a great chance since it said the merchant has four wagons.¡±

    Oh, so he wants to fish out some thieves. Which means that him epting the escort this time is for the sake of fighting people¡­?

    ¡°Kehma-san, have you killed anyone before? If not, don¡¯t feel like you have to push yourself.¡±

    I have as a Dungeon Master, but that¡¯s indirectly¡­

    If I was attacked by a thief¡­ I could probably do it? Hmm. Let¡¯s not worry about it.

    ¡°By the way, it¡¯smon for C-Ranks to be escorts¡­ that is, they¡¯re at a level that are able to fight thieves, robbers and the like. Kehma-san, I know you¡¯re D-Rank, but do you think you¡¯ll manage?¡±

    ¡°As long as no big shotes out, probably. I¡¯d be able to stall if I get surrounded, so make sure you save me if it looks dangerous, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Got it, leave it to me.¡±

    I didn¡¯t just have to rely on the clothes golem, I had magic too. I figured I could manage one way or another.

    Gozoh and Roppu were C-Rank, and Ichika was formerly one, so they should be fine¡­ and Meat¡¯s even stronger than Ichika so she should be fine. The problem¡¯s actually whether or not she¡¯d be able to hold back enough to not kill them.

    By the way, it also seems like our coachman has the strength of a C-Rank adventurer, too. As expected of an aristocrat¡¯s coachman.

    I guess the only problem¡¯s Rokuko? She has a clothes golem, but I can¡¯t picture her actually fighting. She¡¯s wearing a rapier, but it¡¯s just a decoration right?

    ¡­ Is Rokuko, a non-human, the most typical person among us?

    ¡­ Let¡¯s have Ichika guard her.

    ¡°Alright, shall we wait at the meeting area, the south gate?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    *

    And that¡¯s why we decided to wait at the south gate out of Donsama toward the capital.

    Ichika headed out with Meat for some nearby stalls to procure food¡­ I thought she said she didn¡¯t forget to eat?

    ¡°Still though, getting a nominationmission¡­ Wataru really is famous, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°He is a hero, after all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kind of strange since we see him all the time at our inn though.¡±

    Hearing Rokuko and I chat with each other about him, Wataru hopped into our conversation.

    ¡°Were you talking about me just now?¡±

    ¡°We were, we were. About how totally different people treat you in and out of our vige.¡±

    ¡°Golen¡¯s special. Because the vige chief is Kehma-san.¡±

    Wataru spoke as if it was my fault. Rokuko even nodded in agreement. Why tho.

    Me being the vige chief has nothing to do with it¡­ I mean, I¡¯m just a figurehead. Heck, Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma, Receptionist-san from the adventurer guild, even Gozoh as the adventurer representative had more authority than me.

    ¡°While we¡¯re on the topic of the vige, how¡¯s it going with you and Nerune?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s going great! Nerune-san said she¡¯d go on a date with me to Tsuia next time she has an opening in her schedule. So, Rokuko-san, please give Nerune a vacation. Actually, she needs money, so please raise her pay too.¡±

    ¡°Oh well¡­ I guess I¡¯ll just have to give Nerune a holiday the next time youe by, Wataru! I¡¯ll lend you her.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±

    Huh? Nerune¡¯s always on holiday whenever Watarues. She should be able to do whatever she wants with him.

    And it¡¯s not like there¡¯d be any issue with her going on a date with him to Tsuia¡­ eh, whatever.

    A whileter, the merchant we¡¯d be escorting arrived.

    He had four covered wagons. They looked like they were loaded with a lot of goods. From what I heard, his [Storage] is filled up too¡­ But wouldn¡¯t the wagons get stuck from being so weighed down?

    Let¡¯s stop there. I get the feeling I¡¯ll raise some g if I keep up that train of thought.

    ¡°Alright, Mr. Hero-sama, my safety is in your hands.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, leave it to me. We¡¯d even be able to deal with a dragon, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°That is very reassuring.¡±

    The merchant then bowed his head toward us as well. We look forward to working with you for the next three days.

    We took the merchant and exited the gate, leaving for the next town.

    Although Wataru predicted that we¡¯d be attacked¡­ even if we were, he would probably go so hard that he¡¯d take them all out himself.

 Chapter 313

    En Route (3)

    Leading along our escort target and his four wagons, we made our way out of the River Town of Donsama and set off for Corky. We found a wagon with a broken axel stuck in the middle of a meadow next to somerge rocks.

    It was still somewhere around a kilometer ahead of us¡­ but it was positioned in such a way that we wouldn¡¯t be able to pass along its side, nor could we take a detour. Also, there was a man standing next to it with crossed arms looking troubled.

    Seeing that, Gozoh immediately went to checking that his equipment was all in ce.

    ¡°Kehma, that¡¯ll be the thieves. Be ready fer a fight.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so I guess they popped up after all?¡±

    ¡± ¡®Course they did.¡±

    Gozoh popped his neck in preparation.

    Yeah¡­ the wagon¡¯s just too suspicious.

    ¡°Alright, so it¡¯s at least eighty percent suspicious that they¡¯d get stuck right in the middle of the road like that. The proper etiquette is to either dismantle the wagon or at least move your luggage off it. So someone just standing there like that man is either an idiot or a thief.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any horses either. Just an obviously broken wagon¡¯s a bit¡­ eh, we just gotta deal with them, it¡¯s a profit for us~¡±

    Hearing Ichika¡¯s supplement, Meat also stood up in the wagon.

    ¡°We borrowed this wagon an¡¯ I don¡¯t be feeling like riskin¡¯ the crest to them. Let¡¯s stop here and walk the rest¡­ who¡¯s up fer lookin¡¯ after the wagons?¡±

    Gozoh gestured toward the wagon¡¯s crest as he spoke.

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯ll stay back then. All you in Team Bhus should be enough to deal with the thieves. Take Shikina along, she¡¯s a nuisance.¡±

    ¡°I¡ªI am a nuisance!?¡±

    Yep, for my beauty sleep.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good chance for you to fight some thieves, hopefully it doesn¡¯t turn out like it did with that orc.¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll be fine!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Alright then, guess Kehma¡¯s party¡¯s gonna be lookin¡¯ after the wagons. We¡¯ll not be needin¡¯ te worry about that then. Oi Wataru, hear that?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Loud and clear.¡±

    Sitting next to the merchant in the furthest back wagon in the coachman¡¯s seat, Wataru responded.

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan and everyone, be careful.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll put up an [Air Barricade], so you should be safe from arrows¡­ but please be careful.¡±

    Stopping the leading wagon around four hundred meters from the thief¡¯s position, Gozoh, Roppu, and Wataru got off the carriage. Then, doing their best to look defenseless, they called out to ask what happened and if they needed help.

    They were probably going for a surprise attack.

    Guess I¡¯ll just leisurely see what happens while I watch over the wagonssit back and rx.

    Just as I started toy down, Ichika unsheathed her kitchen knife¡ªher weapon.

    ¡°Man am I ready, Goshujin-sama!¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯re you doing, Ichika? We¡¯re just watching over the wagons, we don¡¯t really need to do anything?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re ya talkin¡¯ about? It¡¯s our job to defend the horses, coachmen, and wagons from the thievesyin¡¯ in wait? A chance to show off. Right, Meat-senpai?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Goshujin-sama, I will show you, my good points.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯re four wagons, so we got lots to defend. I never thought ya¡¯d actually volunteer us for the harder job, Goshujin-sama?¡±

    Eh¡ª?

    Seeing Meat also pull out her knife golem and prepare to fight, I started to ask if she was sure¡ªbut just as I was about to, Gozoh and the others¡¯ fight began.

    Simultaneously with that, arrows flew toward the wagon, but Wataru¡¯s [Air Barricade] caused them to miss their mark.

    ¡°¡­ Oh, so watching the wagons was the more involved choice?¡±

    ¡°One of those arrows just now was aimin¡¯ straight for the coachman~. They¡¯ve got an archer with a pretty great aim. Alright, guess it¡¯s our turn?¡±

    ¡°Leave the support role to me!¡±

    Rokuko, you sit down. And if you have a bow gun, isn¡¯t the rapier at your waist not needed?

    *

    Seeing that arrows were ineffective, the thieves that had been hiding came shuffling out. There was a handful of them¡ªno, more than ten. This is bad. How could three of us hold off against that!?

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re pretty outnumbered.¡±

    However, my prided magic can make up for ourck of manpower¡­ it¡¯d be troublesome to get the materials and magic stones for using [Create Golem] ready, so let¡¯s go with [Summon Gargoyle].

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ [Summon Gargoyle]¡ª[Summon Gargoyle]¡ª[Summon Gargoyle]¡­ geh that¡¯s annoying,e here times ten, [Summon Gargoyle x10].¡±

    Reciting the magic¡¯s name each time was annoying, so I skipped over them and caused magic formations to appear around the wagons one after another. A gargoyle burst forth out of each one of them.

    ¡°Gargoyles, defend the wagons!¡±

    Although the merchant and coachmen were surprised at suddenly seeing so many monsters, they looked like they realized they were support after hearing me tell them to protect the wagons.

    However, it seems like that also caused the thieves to put their marks on me.

    ¡°They¡¯re summons, they disappear if that Summoner-dono dies! He¡¯s in the first wagon!¡±

    Looks like they know how to deal with summons. I don¡¯t know if that meant they¡¯re knowledgeable or not since it could bemon knowledge¡­ but I guess it¡¯d be bad to just stay here?

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna head out too~¡±

    Meat and Ichika stood in the way of the thieves that had started making a move toward where I was.

    ¡°It¡¯s a woman! Her body¡¯s great, she¡¯ll make a great pet ve, let¡¯s grab her!¡±

    ¡°Refused! My chastity¡¯s Goshujin-sama¡¯s!¡±

    Ichika. What?

    ¡°Ei!¡±

    The two of them easily cut down the thieves. Oi, Meat was even having an easy time beheading human opponents¡­ what a scary girl.

    ¡°They¡¯re strong!¡±

    ¡°Underlings, rush them! We¡¯ll overwhelm them with our numbers!¡±

    With that, the underlings¡­ the ones with ve cors on them rushed toward Meat and Ichika who were defending me.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t forget about me! Teei!¡±

    Rokuko shot her bow gun¡­ and shot a gargoyle in the head.

    Yeah, friendly fire. Sit down.

    ¡°The girl¡¯s an aristocrat! She¡¯ll sell for a ton, don¡¯t hurt her to much and capture her alive!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll make back our losses even if all the ves die!¡±

    Whoops, looks like more and more of the thieves are concentrating on our wagon. I won¡¯t let them, though.

    ¡°Chase them, [Summon Gargoyle]¡ª¡±

    I mean, I had enough gargoyles to make a small fighting unit. I just had to have them stop the thieves¡­

    ¡°Tch! You f*cking ves, rush in and¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough.¡±

    Wataru pinned down the thieves¡¯ boss. Checkmate. That was pretty quick.

    By the way, Shikina was on the ground and twitching, so I guess she was bad against thieves too.

    *

    With the fight over, we decided to restrain each of the thieves. I left that to Team Bhus and Shikina.

    They¡¯d turn into a decent amount of pocket change since we could sell them as ves if we kept them alive. If we sold them at a good ce, we could expect around five silver each since none of them had physical defects. Even if we sold them at an inn town, we could expect three silver each¡­ crime ves are cheap. But it¡¯s a principle of mine to pick up whatever change I see, so long as I have the time to.

    ¡°Good work, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°You too, Meat. Not many of them died, huh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, thanks to you, Goshujin-sama. I would have had to slice through all of their necks if it weren¡¯t for the gargoyles.¡±

    Ah, so she would have been able to handle it. I mean seriously, this girl¡¯s way of thinking is dangerous. She is reliable, though.

    ¡°That was an awesome strategy. But are ya fine showing it off? The gargoyles, I mean.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I mean, now that I¡¯ve shown them off I can just say this is my limit from here on.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I guess. Using summons as decoys or things to do things for ya is super convenient¡­ but the amount ya used was stupid¡­ no, super stupid.¡±

    The thieves called me Summoner-dono earlier, but did I end up using too many?

    ¡°Haah, I wanted to at least kill one of them.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, you¡¯re pretty disturbed. I mean, you¡¯ve been like that for a long time now, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s that. I wanted to see if I would get DP if I killed someone outside of the dungeon. I wasn¡¯t wanting to do it for the sake of killing someone, you know?¡±

    ¡­ I see. I hadn¡¯t thought about that. There isn¡¯t a disadvantage for us in finding out if we can obtain more DP even outside of the dungeon. Let¡¯s see if the one Meat killed gave anything¡­ nope. Alright.

    But it¡¯d be weird for her to kill one of them now that we¡¯ve got them restrained, so let¡¯s give that a shot next chance we get.

    Just then, Wataru walked up.

    ¡°Good job. Did any of the thieves escape?¡±

    ¡°I have gargoyles holding them all down. Should I have let some escape?¡±

    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. They¡¯ll tell us what we want with a bit of force.¡±

    Wataru answered with that when I asked him the question with the nuance of [Should we use that to find their hideout?].

    ¡°But man, Kehma-san, you¡¯re amazing. You can control that many gargoyle summons¡­? You¡¯re like a one man army.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a trick to it. I give them a simple order and leave them with some autonomy.¡±

    ¡°Still though, there¡¯s so many of them. Ordinary summoners would have trouble with three, ones at the level of court mages would have trouble getting to double digits.¡±

    ¡­ Yeeeeeeah, I summoned somewhere around twenty.

    Ummm, let¡¯s unsummon the ones that aren¡¯t doing anything. Go back, go back¡ªgood job.

    By the way, we went with Wataru to the thieves¡¯ hideout afterward.

    I thought that their hideout might¡¯ve been a dungeon, but it was nothing like that. Just an abandoned vige.

    Guess bandits and the like don¡¯t usually take dungeons as their bases.

    Their remnants were easily dealt with by Wataru. I¡¯d expect nothing less.

 Chapter 314

    The cksmithing Town of Corky (1)

    We decided to just sell the thieves off in the following inn town on our way.

    It gave us some spending money, so our wallets were warm and happy. Well, they weren¡¯t cold to start with since we brought some anyway.

    ¡­ Still though, it feels like we sold them at way too cheap a price, but it beat bringing them along with us longer. I also didn¡¯t want us to keep having slow down for them since they were walking.

    ¡°So, Gozoh. What¡¯s this Corky ce like?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s called the cksmithin¡¯ town. It¡¯s where my and Kantra¡¯s family¡¯s from, so we be stayin¡¯ a bit longer.¡±

    ¡°Hohoh¡­ so there¡¯s a lot of dwarves in the cksmithing town?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also called [Dwarf Vige], after all. Our actual origin is further into the mountains, though.1¡±

    Really now? So it¡¯s where Gozoh and Kantra are from, huh. I guess I wouldn¡¯t mind staying there for a week or so to catch up on sleep?

    ¡°There¡¯s a ton o¡¯ taverns too. Nothin¡¯ but beans and potatoes fer sides though¡­ I¡¯m gonna eat potatoes and fried karaage.¡±

    ¡°Are there cooks who can deep fry there?¡±

    ¡°Ye probably wouldn¡¯t find one in the whole town¡­ eh, if there was one, it¡¯d be the talk of the town. I dunno fer sure but bein¡¯ able to deep fry would be imperial cookin¡¯ ss¡­¡±

    It sounded like Gozoh and them were nning on spending the one-off ie we got from the thieves entirely at the bar.

    And as for the deep frying thing, well, Food God Ishidaka¡¯s teachings were licensed.

    You wouldn¡¯t be issued a license for it if you couldn¡¯t freely use an open-air fire to deep fry food. Since it was just easier to use a tool for the fire, he probably didn¡¯t want it to spread around too much.

    You¡¯d need an environment where you could practice with plenty of oil, which was rather expensive, so that would inevitably lower the number of people capable of acquiring the license. You couldn¡¯t just teach yourself either, so that lowered it even further. As a result, it had turned into a sort of secret teaching of the food god.

    As for our vige, Kinue and Wozuma had already acquired licenses for it. An examiner came from Pavuera and tested them before giving them licenses.

    ¡°Did you bring some souvenir for your home?¡±

    ¡°I brought a bottle of sake, that¡¯ll be plenty.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! I drank it, Roppu.¡±

    ¡°Really? And I was wanting to bring them something nice.¡±

    Seeing Roppu shrug her shoulders and sigh, Rokuko jumped into the conversation.

    ¡°¡­ Roppu, you¡¯re unexpectedly diligent even though you look rather boorish, huh. So this is that [I¡¯ll be a good bride] thing?¡±

    ¡°Hey!? Th-That¡¯s not funny, Rokuko!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t intending it to be a joke though? I just wanted to follow your example.¡±

    Roppu and Rokuko were pretty frank with each other, huh. Wait¡­ is Rokuko actually good at talking with people? Who¡¯d have thought.

    She did manage to befriend Shikina at some point¡­ really though, when? When I was sleeping, maybe?

    *

    And that¡¯s how we made our way all the way to Corky¡¯s gates.

    It looked closer to what I was expecting as a big city in the empire. It was surrounded withrge stone walls. Whether it was due to the Raverio Empire¡¯s architectural style or due to this era¡¯s technology was a mystery, though.

    Or maybe it being so uniform was due to being made through magic?

    As for the gate, we had an escortmission ticket so we were able to go through without any issues. The merchant had to go through some baggage inspection and it turned into uspleting themission right there at the gate.

    After having themissionpletion signed and receiving the reward, Wataru came back.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a while, wee back.¡±

    ¡°No it hasn¡¯t, Kehma-san! Leaving me to stick with that merchant the whole time, c¡¯mon! That was horrible!¡±

    ¡°Hey, I cooperated by letting you do themission you epted however you wanted. Think of it as me letting myrade do his own thing.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, whatever. I¡¯ll just have to exaggerate your role in that fight and be all [The adventurer Kehma is the strongest, not even a hero would win against him!].¡±

    Could you not?

    ¡°I was just kidding. I know you don¡¯t like that kind of stuff, Kehma-san. I wouldn¡¯t want to spoil our friendship.¡±

    ¡°Alright, good then¡­ alright, shall we head to the guild now?¡±

    And so we had the coach head to the adventurer guild.

    We kept hearing the sound of hammers striking metal as we passed through town, it really did feel like a dwarven vige.

    By the way, female dwarves look like lolis from a human¡¯s point of view. Personally, I was just happy they weren¡¯t the type that had beards¡­ but well, it seemed like dwarves could tell the difference between them and young humans.

    As we made our way down the street, I saw a ton of dwarves and adventurer parties standing at food stalls and drinking even though it was barely midday. Most were dwarves, but there were a few humans, elves, and beastkin. Either way, they were all being boisterous.

    Looking around, I saw someonerger than the other people. A giant? Heeeh, I thought it was just a normal human. And there was another with some feathers sprouting from them¡­ so there were winged people too? It looked different from a bird beastkin, first time I¡¯d ever seen one. There weren¡¯t any in our vige¡­ oh, there were more of them to the south? Heeeh. I wonder how many races there are?

    ¡°Hey Ichika. Is there anything tasty here?¡±

    Rokuko turned to Ichika.

    ¡°Mmm, basically just alcohol. There¡¯s meat, potatoes and beans, but it¡¯s all just to go with the alcohol¡­ Rokuko-sama, do you drink alcohol?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like it much. It¡¯s bitter.¡±

    Rokuko was starting to get more curious about food, was Ichika rubbing off on her?

    Rather, even though she¡¯s gotten to look older, it¡¯s only to the point of looking around fifteen. Isn¡¯t drinking alcohol at that age a bit bad? Come to think of it, didn¡¯t she drink at the Dungeon Battle closing party? I can¡¯t recall.

    ¡°In that case, you could drink a fruit cocktail? With that, you should be able to drink it, Rokuko-dono.¡±

    ¡°Shikina. I thought about that, but then wouldn¡¯t it just be more tasty to drink fruit juice by itself?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, you don¡¯t have to force yourself to drink if you don¡¯t want to.¡±

    By the time Rokuko and Shikina finished, we arrived at the adventurer guild.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll be gettin¡¯ luggage and leavin¡¯ the coach to ye, Wataru.¡±

    ¡°Huh? You¡¯re going, Gozoh¡­? Guess you¡¯re going to say hi to some acquaintances then?¡±

    ¡°Aye, somethin¡¯ like that.¡±

    We entered the guild with the deliverymission¡¯s luggage.

    I thought there¡¯d be adventurers drinking inside, but unexpectedly, there wasn¡¯t even a bar in this guild.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have a bar despite being the dwarf vige¡¯s ¡°adventurer guild?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like there¡¯s nowhere else to drink at, yeah? No reason fer ¡¯em to have one. People¡¯d just get more rowdy.¡±

    I guess that¡¯s true? Forcing themselves to add a bar would just give them more work.

    We took the luggage to the counter. There was a plump young girl there¡­ probably a female dwarf. Yep. She¡¯s wearing makeup and has the feeling of a receptionist about her.

    ¡°Yo, Anita! I got a deliverymission, could ye confirm it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, long time no see, Gozoh! Around a year, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Been gone fer a few reasons, but now I¡¯m bin¡¯ a B-rank.¡±

    ¡°B!? Hey¡ªGilmouth! C¡¯mere, Gozoh¡¯s a B-Rank!¡±

    ¡°Whaaat!? Gozoh? Really!? That¡¯s great! This calls fer a celebration!¡±

    The receptionist dwarf called out another dwarf from inside the guild. But.. Gilmouth. Wasn¡¯t that the name of the guild master? Is it alright for him to go about calling for drinks this early in the day? Or maybe there¡¯s some kind of use that allows him to do that?

    ¡°Oh, Kehma, Anita¡¯s Gilmouth¡¯s wife, so don¡¯t be makin¡¯ no moves on her, ye hear?¡±

    ¡°Like I would. Who do you think I am?¡±

    ¡°The loli killer¡­ oooh. I hear dwarf women look like young girls to humans, but maybe ye can tell the difference, Kehma? Ye truly are the loli killer, bein¡¯ able te tell the difference ¡®n all.¡±

    ¡°No, er, yeah. Umm, it¡¯s been going on for a while now, but could you stop talking about me like I¡¯m some kind of pervert? Though while we¡¯re on the topic, how old is she?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Right, I think she¡¯s¡ª¡±

    The receptionist, Anita, tapped on my shoulder as Gozoh was mid-sentence.

    ¡°Hey there! Are ye Gozoh¡¯s party member? Ye look pretty weak~¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, I¡¯m¡ª¡±

    ¡°Anita. This guy¡¯s Kehma. He¡¯s Golen¡¯s Vige Chief, not my party member. He¡¯s more like ourmandin¡¯ officer. He looks weak, but Kehma¡¯s actually the reason I¡¯m gonna be a B-Rank.¡±

    ¡°Oh hoh! So yer Kehma-kun! That makes ye Gozoh¡¯s benefactors then! Well, well, my Gozoh¡¯s in yer debt. Ye wanna drink too, Kehma-kun?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not much for drinking. I¡¯ll have a side dish though.¡±

    ¡°Ye don¡¯t drink!? Are ye sufferin¡¯ some horrid illness? For ye to not even have a beard bein¡¯ so young, how pitiful¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, it¡¯s alright¡­¡±

    Oh, so she¡¯s old. She looks like a loli, but she¡¯s definitely old on the inside. I decided to just let the old loli think what she wanted to.

    I never found out how old she was¡­ is it taboo to ask a woman¡¯s age here too? Let¡¯s give that up for now.

    1. Vige also = hometown here

 Chapter 315

    The cksmithing Town of Corky (2)

    And so it quickly turned into us buying alcohol and food from a nearby bar.

    It wasn¡¯t called the dwarf vige for nothing. Some dwarf came over carrying a tankard that looked like a small barrel with alcohol in it and exchanged a toast with Gozoh.

    And other than me, Rokuko, Ichika, and Meat were here as well.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama~, what, yer not gonna drink? C¡¯mooon, drink, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Oi Ichika, stop pouring that. You¡¯re really drunk.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mooon, we¡¯re in the dwarf vige, how could ya not drink?¡±

    Yep, you should stick to juice. Ichika¡¯s so free despite being a ve. Well, not like I mind.

    ¡°Though really, Gozoh¡¯s hometown is so full of drinkers.¡±

    ¡°Gahahahaha, ye should drink up too!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have to pass, I am sick, after all. Right, Rokuko?¡±

    When I looked over to Rokuko next to me, she¡¯d just taken her lips away from a stein of her own.

    ¡°Puhaaah¡­ so bitter¡­ I knew drinking juice would¡¯ve been better¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡ªwait, who gave Rokuko alcohol!?¡±

    ¡°That would be me!¡±

    ¡°Shikina! Don¡¯t give children alcohol!¡±

    I red at Shikina, who was waving her hand from the other end of the table.

    ¡°Fueh? Rokuko-dono is a high elf, just like Haku-sama. Is she not much older than she looks?¡±

    ¡°Her ears are obviously not an elf¡¯s, how¡¯d you make that mistake?¡±

    ¡°I figured it was because of some magic tool. I mean, even I have one of those, so I figured just changing her ears wouldn¡¯t be hard. Probably!¡±

    ¡°Is it time for a ban on lewdness? You no-good elf¡­ hyou!?¡±

    Just as I started reprimanding Shikina, I felt something brush against me under the table. Trembling as I pushed my chair back to see what it was, I saw Meat, her face flushed red.

    My movement caused her to cling to my legs again.

    ¡°Me¡ªKuro? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-sama¡¯s scent¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re drunk!? Oi, who gave Kuro alcohol!?¡±

    ¡°Huh? That wasn¡¯t juice? Ahahaha~¡±

    ¡°Rokuko!? It was yooou!?¡±

    It¡¯d be dangerous to call her Meat in front of so many people. God dang it, are none of these people sane!?

    Where can I escape to¡­?

    Kehma-kun, over here!

    Receptionist Anita-san! Legal lolidy! You win!

    I took Rokuko and Meat¡ªwho¡¯d been clinging to my leg¡ªunder my arms and fled to Anita-san.

    ¡°Are ye alright, Kehma-kun, children?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saved¡­ could I have some water?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, here¡­ oh, my bad, that was alcohol. This one¡¯s water, here.¡±

    Handing back the alcohol for water, I had Rokuko and Meat drink. When I brought the ss close to each of their mouths, they drank a small bit of it¡­ alright, calm down, me. I almost pet them. I really would have if my hands weren¡¯t taken.

    ¡°Uuueah, Kehmaaa, Kehma¡­ nn¡­¡±

    ¡°Goshujin-samaaaa¡­ meat¡­ zzz¡­¡±

    And so they fell asleep. The two girls were fast asleep.

    I figured the two of them were better off resting, so I decided to take them to the inn¡­ but then I remembered that we still hadn¡¯t settled on one to stay at.

    ¡°Hey, Wataru. What inn are we staying at? Rokuko and Kuro want to sleep.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s one next to Gozoh-san¡¯s family¡¯s house, so there.¡±

    ¡°Alright, so where¡¯s Gozoh¡¯s family¡¯s house?¡±

    ¡°Oh? So the girlies got smashed? The house is close by. Oi guys, I¡¯ma be steppin¡¯ out, gotta bring Kehma and them to my house.¡±

    Leaving the festivities with Gozoh leading us, I carried Rokuko and Meat to the inn.

    ¡­ I thought about this a bit ago, but boy would my lower back be killing me if I didn¡¯t have this golem assist. Even if they¡¯re little girls, two of them are enough weight to overwhelm me.

    ¡°So Gozoh, what do your parents do? Kantra¡¯s family are all cksmiths right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re adventurers specialized in mining.¡±

    Mining specialty, so I guess there are metallic golems around here too?

    ¡°Dungeons¡¯re great ces te mine from, some have minin¡¯ spots like the one here. Though they keep producin¡¯ ore, monsters alsoe right out at ye, so it¡¯s somethin¡¯ fer adventurers to do.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, so there¡¯s stuff like that too?¡±

    I secretly looked through the DP Catalog. It looked like there were mining areas for the moremon metals. They were in the treasure category.

    I wonder if mining areas are possible because they¡¯remon, or if it¡¯smon because there are mining areas for them? Eh, either way works.

    It might have just been that it wasn¡¯t in my catalog, but I figured precious metals like gold, silver, and mithril probably needed natural veins or certain monsters.

    ¡°Ah, here we are.¡±

    [Honey Grove Arbor]. A three story stonework inn pretty close to the guild. Nearby was a two story stonework house that seemed to be Gozoh¡¯s family¡¯s house.

    ¡°Roppu and I¡¯ll be staying at me parents¡¯, so guess it¡¯ll just be rooms for Wataru, Shikina, and the three of ye? Four rooms should do.¡±

    Gozoh went in and greeted the inn¡¯s owner. The person wasn¡¯t a dwarf, but a bear beastkin.

    As expected from them being neighbors, they knew each other and hadunched into a discussion for the first time in a long while¡­ I¡¯d like to hurry up and get to sleep though¡­

    A whileter, Gozoh came back scratching his head.

    ¡°Oi, Kehma. They don¡¯t have enough rooms, just two.¡±

    ¡°What¡­ oh well then. Then Wataru and Shikina can stay at your ce. My party will use the inn.¡±

    ¡°¡­ They¡¯re probably gonna be drinkin¡¯ the night away anyway, so aye.¡±

    It should be fine if I just leave Shikina to Wataru¡­ they both look like they¡¯re getting pretty drunk, though. I don¡¯t care if they cross the line either, I¡¯ll just be able to push it all on Wataru that way.

    I was at least able to secure our inn amodations one way or the other, so I could finallyy Rokuko and Meat down.

    ¡­ Guess I¡¯ll sleep too?

    I rolled out my futon in the room next to where I put the two to sleep and fell asleep.

    *

    When I woke up, I felt something soft pressing against me.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I suddenly thought about just falling back asleep since it was pretty warm andfy¡­ but what exactly was this soft, bouncy thing? It definitely wasn¡¯t my futon. This feeling touching my face¡­ was definitely something wrapped in cloth, but it wasn¡¯t cloth on the inside.

    And it stank of alcohol. No, like, it really stank of it. Wait, hold up, am I being held onto?

    I raised my face as much as I could.

    ¡°Afuuuuh¡­ that¡¯sh tickle¡­ ishhh~¡­¡±

    It was Ichika. Why am I being Ichika¡¯s hug pillow? Oi.

    I calmed myself down and started sorting through my confusion.

    ¡­ It probably happened like this.

    Gozoh told them that he left us in the inn.

    Ichikae to the inn to rest too.

    The inn¡¯s owner guided her to her room¡­ Correction. My room.

    The drunken Ichika went into the futon.

    Stayed like that all night ¡û Present

    What. Did Ichika and I look like a couple?

    ¡­ Whatever. It¡¯s better than if Rokuko came to sleep with them.

    But what should I do now? Going back to sleep would be bad, but I can¡¯t move since she¡¯s clinging to me so tightly.

    Right. Let¡¯s ignore everything and just go back to sleep.

    Coming up with such a nice idea, I decided to move back to my previous position¡ªwait. That would mean I¡¯d be cramming my face back into Ichika¡¯s breasts, isn¡¯t that like really bad? On the other hand, me staying like this and looking straight up into Ichika¡¯s face was also horribly hard.

    ¡°Aaaw, I cannah eat¡­ anymore¡­¡±

    ¡°Uwaapp¡ª!?¡±

    Suddenly hugged even tighter, my face filled Ichika¡¯s valley¡­ she reeked of alcohol. I could at least breathe though.

    It was something Ichika did herself, so I call it an act of God! Besides, Ichika¡¯s my ve anyway so there¡¯s no problem even if I bury my face in her breasts. Yeah, it¡¯s OK! Time to go back to sleep.

    Just as I decided to go back to sleep, Ichika started squirming.

    ¡°Nnn¡­ huh? Hmm¡­ a dream¡­? But that huge curry bread¡­ kuh, I coulda eaten it then¡­¡±

    Oi, why¡¯d you have to wake up now? You¡¯re going to wake up with my face between your breasts¡­? G-Go back to sleep! Sleeping is the best, it ovees everything!

    ¡°Huh¡­ I¡¯m holding onto some¡­. thing!?¡±

    Ichika stiffened when she realized. Come on, I was so close to her that I could literally hear her heartbeat.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t¡­ Meat-senpai¡­ h-huh¡­ G-Goshujin-sama?¡±

    We both had ck hair, but nope.

    Looks like Ichika finally noticed.

    I just kept pretending to sleep. In, out, in, out. I just breathed. Ignore me, just leave, everything will be fine¡­ no, please, leave.

    ¡°How did I even get¡­ owowow, guess I drank too much yesterday, I can¡¯t remember¡­ the inn? Huh, why am I with Goshujin-sama¡­ huh?¡±

    Ichika¡¯s heart started pounding faster. She was probably confused.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Oh!? So I¡¯m a hug pillow! He got me drunk for it!?¡±

    Why would you think that!? ¡ªAh, I want to say something but I have to keep pretending to sleep. I¡¯ve gone this far, so I¡¯ll give sleeping my all to see it through!

    ¡°Ohe on~. I would¡¯ve done it whenever, he didn¡¯t need to go to so much trouble. Oh, but maybe Goshujin-sama¡¯s the kind that doesn¡¯t like breasts?¡±

    Ichika said something embarrassing while patting my head. You¡¯re wrong! That¡¯s not it! And I do have a leg fetish but I don¡¯t dislike breasts!

    ¡°¡­ Whoops, I might wake Goshujin-sama up. That was a close one. Maaan, it¡¯s a good thing I asked Meat-senpai about this stuff~¡±

    Saying that, Ichika hugged my head lightly. Yeah so uhh, I have no clue what to do now.

    ¡°¡­ But I don¡¯t really wanna nibble him~¡±

    The heck¡¯s she saying? Did I just mishear her?

    Whatever. I¡¯m sleeping. I heard nothing.

    By the way, Meat came along a little whileter to teach Ichika [The Method to Slip Away Without Waking Goshujin-samaMe], so I stuck with my n of not noticing anything. End of story.

 Chapter 316

    The cksmithing Town of Corky (3)

    Having stayed overnight in the inn, I decided to head over to Gozoh¡¯s house and rush through my greetings before checking out Kantra¡¯s house. I mean, Gozoh¡¯s family are all just normal adventurers. Wataru was still continuing his drinking bout fromst night and Shikina was dead drunk. Let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t see a noble daughter sleep-puking.

    Alright, guess I can go check out Kantra¡¯s now? Or maybe more like go observe it? I also just really want to see what a cksmith¡¯s home is like.

    By the way, Ichika and Rokuko were with me.

    Meat stayed behind. She wasn¡¯t feeling up to walking (she had a hangover).

    ¡°Still though¡­ stiiill~¡­ Goshujin-sama~¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with you being so clingy today? Did something happen?¡±

    ¡°Eeeh~? I woooonder? Weeeell, it¡¯d be nice if Goshujin-sama said it~¡±

    ¡°Hey, Ichika? You¡¯re too close to him! You¡¯re going to make it hard for Kehma to walk with you holding on to him like that.¡±

    Rokuko pushed her way between Ichika and I. And since Rokuko started holding on to me instead, it was just as hard to walk. Either way, I have no clue. The reason Ichika¡¯s being so touchy-feely today is something I have absolutely no clue about or inclination of.

    ¡°I know Rokuko-sama¡¯s the legal wife though! Mhmm! I¡¯ma ve hug pillow! So Goshujin-sama can just use me like an item¡­ like a pet ya can y with, yeah?¡±

    ¡°I see, so you¡¯re a pet! Alright then, I mean, I even let Feni stand on my hands and shoulders, after all!¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s pets included Feni, a phoenix, and Dia, a jeweled turtle. She¡¯s equating Ichika to them?

    ¡­ Oh, I guess it fits. She treats them about the same.

    How should I put this¡­? Meat¡¯s more pet dog-ish, but she¡¯s treating Ichika as the pet? Meat is my hug pillow though. Maybe that¡¯s why?

    ¡°So, this is where Gozoh said Kantra¡¯s house is¡­?¡±

    We¡¯de from around back¡­ but there were tons of dwarvesing and going, as well as the sound of metal striking metal inside. It looked like smokeing from some furnace was rising out of it, so I figured this was the only ce he could¡¯ve meant.

    It¡¯s a bitte to think about it, but I wonder if I could get them to show us around?

    I mean, I had Kantra show me around his, but his family¡¯s¡ªmaster¡¯s (?)¡ªis more, err, high-level feeling¡­ Well, it looks like a serious workce, I have no clue if they¡¯ll let at outsider like me look around.

    I¡¯ll give up if it turns out it¡¯s a no go. I don¡¯t actually care that much.

    I just figured that I might be able to reproduce it to some extent with golems after using Menu-san¡¯s recording function if they showed me around. Like maybe it¡¯d help Nerune out or something.

    I was able to forcibly process even orichalcum with [Create Golem], so the only advantage for me was the possibility of being able to mass-produce things without being so dependent on [Create Golem].

    ¡­ Wait, isn¡¯t Kantra enough for that? Me taking a look here¡¯s unneeded then? No no, I¡¯ll have to collect a lot of samples to learn this world¡¯s standards.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. We¡¯re not going in?¡±

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m not actually sure if we can¡­ Alright, head on in, Ichika!¡±

    ¡°Eh, me? Guess it makes sense to announce ya first. I¡¯ma do it then¡­ Heeeeya! We¡¯re here to meet Kantra-han¡¯s family~!¡±

    When Ichika went and called out, a dwarf with white hair came out using a cane.

    ¡°Hm? Kantra¡¯s our brat, but who be ye?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m from a vige called Golen. Kantra-han¡¯s always helpin¡¯ me out with stuff so I wanted toe and say hi. I¡¯m always havin¡¯ him fix up my weapon too~¡±

    ¡°What? Let meh see that.¡±

    Ichika handed the short sword¡ªthat is, the kitchen knife golem she kept at her waist to the dwarf.

    epting it from her, the dwarf then flicked it with his finger.

    ¡°Hoh. A magic sword, eh? Ye, there¡¯s some ¡®a Kantra¡¯s work done te it.¡±

    ¡°Ya could tell just by that? That¡¯s awesome, nothin¡¯ less from a dwarf cksmith~¡±

    ¡°Hrmph, ¡®course I could. He¡¯s me son, I¡¯d know the brat¡¯s work this close up any day.¡±

    ¡°Hohoh. So yer Untara-han then?¡±

    ¡°Oh aye, Untara be me name. Gahahah!¡±

    With that, the dwarf¡ªKantra¡¯s father, Untara¡ªburst into a heartyugh.

    ¡°Guess Kantra¡¯s been doin¡¯ good fer himself. How¡¯s a cup o¡¯ good stuff sound,ss?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯d be great. But could I introduce my Goshujin-sama and everyone to ya first? He¡¯s Golen¡¯s Vige Chief.¡±

    Ah, looks like it¡¯s our turn now. Though woah, Ichika¡¯s great at hitting it up with people, she talking with him so casually it felt like they¡¯ve known each other for a while.

    ¡°Err, it¡¯s good to meet you. Kantra¡¯s helped me out a lot.

    ¡°Aye, so ye be that Vige Chief she mentioned? Ye be lookin¡¯ like a bean. Are ye good with leadin¡¯ what I hear¡¯s a vige o¡¯ adventurers bein¡¯ so weak ¡®n all¡¯?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, Goshujin-sama looks like that ya, but he¡¯s super smart. He even managed to deal with a ton of thieves we came across on the way here without even havin¡¯ to lift a finger, practically on his own.¡±

    ¡°Did he now!? Aye, ye¡¯ll be letting me take a look at that sword ye have then, looks like a beauty, it does.¡±

    Ichika managed to clear that hurdle in one go and he went all out at pping me on the back. Come to think of it, I definitely shouldn¡¯t go using Magic Sword Siesta as a weapon, huh¡­ Rather, I can¡¯t actually use it as one, maybe I should go around carrying a cane¡­?

    ¡°Yeah, but be careful with it, alright?¡±

    ¡°Aye, ¡®course¡­ I wi¡­.? Eh!¡±¡±

    Untara had only barely began to unsheathe Siesta before immediately putting it back in. Judging by how he was mopping his brow with the back of his hand, it looked like he¡¯d broke out into a cold sweat.

    ¡°The heck¡¯s with this thing. Just barely took it out and it¡¯d been makin¡¯ me head swim¡­ bein¡¯ able to master it¡¯d be no easy thing. Though I wonder¡­ how do ye maintain its de?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh.¡±

    Now that he mentions it¡­ I haven¡¯t¡­ Well, I haven¡¯t really used it to cut through anything and it¡¯s a magic sword¡­ so maybe it doesn¡¯t need it¡­?

    Let¡¯s try sending it the thought-question of [Want to be maintained?] like how I speak with Neru, the ring subus.

    ¡­ It answered with a [Mm.]. Uhh¡­ yeah, that probably means yeah.

    Huh. This guySiesta is in the monster area for the dungeon¡¯s named list, after all.1 I guess us being able to talk isn¡¯t too weird.

    [¡­ Umm, I¡¯m going to get you some maintenance then, so could you not make us drowsy during that?]

    [Mm.]

    I still can¡¯t tell if that [Mm] is yes or no¡­ but whatever, I can figure out the feeling behind it because it¡¯s telepathy. It was a yes. This guy¡¯s just taciturn I guess. Reminds me of how Meat used to be¡­ well, other than itcking her ears and tail.

    [While we¡¯re talking, can you make it so that you only make enemies drowsy?]

    [¡­ ¡­ Mm.]

    Ah, that one was a no, huh. The considerable feeling of regret it sent¡­ it couldn¡¯t even not affect the wielder, let alone split up between friend and foe. I could tell because of our telepathy.

    Eh, either way, it turned out I could turn the drowsiness on and off so I was able to have Untara take care of the sword¡¯s maintenance.

    ¡°¡­ I had it turn off the drowsiness for a while, so could I have you maintain it?¡±

    ¡°What!? ¡­ A-Aye, there be none of that feeling anymore. Ye really are a fit wielder for it, eh.¡±

    Untara unsheathed the sword again, a grin on his face.

    I couldn¡¯t tell him that it was because I had a conversation with the person himselfsword itself though. Speaking of talking with a sword though, I get the feeling I¡¯ve heard about people stuff like that before? Likemunicating to its soul.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. I think I want mine maintained too!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Have you ever¡­ actually used that rapier?¡±

    ¡°Gahahah! Aye, that¡¯s fer the Ojou-chan¡¯s self defense eh? It¡¯s good she ain¡¯t be needin¡¯ te use it!¡±

    She did have to use that bow gun of hers when we fought the other day though. I guess it is true that it¡¯s best if Rokuko never has to fight with her sword, though.

    When weter handed him some of Feni¡¯s eggshells and one of Igni¡¯s scales as gifts, he happily gave us a tour around his smithy. Fire-attributed items were great for being used as fireproof bricks, after all.

    They were just leftovers and shed scales, but he epted them in delight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make ye anythin¡¯ free o¡¯ charge! Be it a weapon in me shop or something ye want to use, anythin¡¯!¡±

    He spoke with bloodshot eyes, but there wasn¡¯t really anything I needed¡­ oh, maybe I could have him make a symbol for Beddhism?

    1. ¡­ Was this ever mentioned before? I don¡¯t recall¡­

 Chapter 317

    The cksmithing Town of Corky (4)

    I had him make a mithril holy symbol and a mithril knife for Meat, along with performing maintenance on our equipment. I also got one of the mithril carving knives that was hanging out in the store area for Ichika. Everything was free.

    As for the staff I was wanting just to show off, I would have had to go to a magic tools shop since his was on reserve. Well, I didn¡¯t really need it in the first ce. I gave him mithril ingots for the materials. They were a glittering silver and around thick enough that they filled your hand.

    He had crossbows there as well, but the crossbow golem Rokuko was using had better performance. It was a self-winding magic crossbow, after all. I was still working out how to make the material for the bow portion though.

    ¡°Maaan, thanks to Goshujin-sama my knife¡¯s amazin¡¯ now, Deheheh~¡±

    Looks like mithril¡¯s a pretty luxurious material. Well, me dragon scales weren¡¯t exactly anything to scoff at either, so he still probably came out ahead on the trade. I don¡¯t know how much, though.

    I¡¯ll have to turn the mithril knife and mithril carving knife into magic sword golems after this. Maybe even tinker around with their internal structures a bit¡­ don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any room for me to fiddle about in though. It should be weak to ballistic impacts in that case, but let¡¯s just call this the base version and get a feel for the material as-is.

    When I took the chance to ask if he could do something for Beddhism¡¯s holy symbol, he answered saying¡ªand I quote¡ª[I¡¯m part o¡¯ that Beddhism religion and I¡¯m goin¡¯ do meh part too.]. So yeah. Good Night.

    ¡°¡­ Come to think of it, isn¡¯t this trip the first time you¡¯ve went to spread Beddhism?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t really felt like doing it. I don¡¯t even feel like doing it now, either.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, too.¡±

    Not doing things directly with how this world¡¯s religions put so much importance on profit is a serious failing. I¡¯m not even doing anything with how Beddhism spread all the way here on its own.

    ¡­ Maybe I should start selling mail-order futons?

    After we finished looking around the smithy, we decided to look around just to see what there was to see.

    Still though, there were a lot of smithies other than Kantra¡¯s family¡¯s.

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you think they¡¯d run out of customers with so many of them here?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a ton ¡®a ordersin¡¯ in from other ces too, along with equipment for soldiers, adventurers, and one-off use items, so I don¡¯t think they¡¯re oversupplyin¡¯.¡±

    So that¡¯s how it was, huh.

    We saw other, non-cksmith shops as we walked. Most of them were taverns, but we saw a few alchemic ateliers and jewelry shops.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. Isn¡¯t that an alchemic atelier? Let¡¯s check it out!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Does it sell magic tools or something¡­? Wait, it looks like the kind of shop witches would hang out in.¡±

    Led forward by Rokuko, I walked into the dubious-feeling shop.

    The walls were covered with ck cloths like some forteller¡¯s shop¡­ or maybe it just felt like darkness-type magic?

    Everything was ced on the tables with the same nomittal feeling¡ªlike they were neglected.

    ¡­ The storefront was open, so they should be open? Shouldn¡¯t they at least have things in chests or boxes or something¡­? And maybe they could take it another step and actually put price tags on things.

    ¡°Wee. Make sure to look around.¡±

    A shopkeeper in ck robes spoke¡­ Rokuko, isn¡¯t this more of a ck magic shop than an alchemy one¡­?

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is our love potion¡­ It is quite effective, and only one gold coin to purchase!¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Well, I don¡¯t need it. Right Kehma?¡±

    Ah, yeah. Yep.

    ¡°And this?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ is a magic tool, it¡¯s effect is¡­ umm¡­? I think I made that one¡­? Oh yeah, that one is fifty silver coins.¡±

    You¡¯d want us to pay for something with an effect we don¡¯t know? That¡¯s like five hundred thousand yen!

    Alchemic goods are pretty expensive¡­ huh? Is that a pillow?

    ¡°Shopkeep, is this a pillow?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. That is a pillow. Two silver coins.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Does it have some special effect?¡±

    ¡°Do you know of Beddhism? It¡¯s some religion that seeks to protect peace of mind, that pillow was blessed by its founder at its main shrine. It should make it easier to sleep on.¡±

    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Uh-huh.

    ¡°Could you run that by me again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a pillow blessed by the founder of Beddhism, it¡¯ll make it easier to sleep.¡±

    Founder¡­ so¡­ me? There aren¡¯t any others.

    I don¡¯t recall ever blessing a pillow though¡­ maybe a merchant took one out after mass?

    ¡°It¡¯s really effective though. I tried it out as an experiment and it cured my insomnia.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, it did?¡±

    ¡°It did! There was even an aristocrat that favored it. But I¡¯ll part with it for just two silver if you buy it now.¡±

    It just looks like a normal cotton pillow to me, but I guess it makes sense if it¡¯s a pillow that some aristocrat used?

    ¡°I¡¯ll even throw in some Beddhist holy water as an extra.¡±

    ¡°What? Beddhism¡­ holy water?¡±

    ¡°If you take two or three drops before you go to sleep, it will help you sleep soundly until the following morning. All you need to do is mix the drops in with a cup of water.¡±

    Saying that, the shopkeep took out some very transparent violet-blue liquid in a potion bottle. Hoh, so this is Beddhist holy water¡­

    ¡°Hey. Rokuko. Were we selling holy water? Like some sleep medicine?¡±

    ¡°We are, but it¡¯s not this color. Ours is a rxing herbal tea.¡±

    ¡°Ichika, what should a follower of Beddhism do at times like these?¡±

    ¡°Of Beddhism¡­? Goshujin-sama, ya should do what ya want, right? It¡¯s yer religion after all.¡±

    As a result of my secret back and forth the the two of them, it was decided that I¡¯d do whatever I wanted.

    ¡ªBut wait, we¡¯re selling holy water? Since when? ¡­ Eh, whatever.

    Alright, let¡¯s talk with this shopkeep. I need to hear more.

    I put a lie detection magic tool on the counter and replenished it with a new magic stone.

    ¡°Excuse me, shopkeep? I¡¯d like to ask you a few questions. Where did that Beddhist pillow and holy watere from?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know for either, I came to have them from a merchant.¡±

    It glowed red. That was a lie.

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s this, amp magic tool? Do you want to sell it?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? This here¡¯s a lie detection magic tool. I suppose it¡¯s not weird that you don¡¯t know of them, owning one requires the Empress¡¯ permission, after all. I have permission though.¡±

    Alright, time to replenish the magic stone. The cost performance ratio of this at one stone per lie detected sucks.

    ¡°¡­ Umm, esteemed guest, what¡¯s going on? Do you have aint about our products?¡±

    ¡°I do. Because I am the founder of Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh!? But you¡¯re so young!? Ahahaha, good joke¡­ ¡­ eh, seriously?¡±

    Upon seeing how the magic tool wasn¡¯t glowing, the shopkeep swallowed deeply. It shining read at his own lie earlier meant that what I said was the truth.

    ¡°No matter how tolerant Beddhism is, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for you to arbitrarily use its name for weird drugs¡­¡±

    ¡°N-No, that guy¡¯s the person who said that. I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    Oh, red light. Which means someone did bring it. And that that person was no merchant. I see.

    ¡°Shopkeep, I am willing to say I recognize this holy water and this pillow. If they truly work and that there aren¡¯t any ill side effects, of course.¡±

    ¡°R-Really!?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll even bless the pillow if you want.¡±

    ¡°O-Oooh¡­!¡±

    ¡°However, you need to tell me about who brought these to you. What kind of person? When?¡±

    ¡°O-Okay! Umm, I got it from a wandering alchemist, around three days ago. I think they¡¯re still in Corky, they said they¡¯d bring more.¡±

    It was easy to get him talking. Meanwhile, the magic tool didn¡¯t light up even once.

    ¡°What does the alchemist look like?¡±

    ¡°Right! She kind of looks like, well, she was a woman, same colored hair as you, Founder-sama! With red eyes!¡±

    Woman. ck hair. Red eyes.

    I only knew of one person who could fit that description.

 Chapter 318

    The cksmithing Town of Corky (5)

    I wound up hearing something I definitely didn¡¯t think I would by just walking into some atelier.

    A ck-haired, red-eyed woman. An alchemist, at that. The possibility of it being Leona was high.

    Assuming that to be the case, staying in this town at all was dangerous.

    ¡­ Which reminds me, didn¡¯t I drop her off somewhere near the capital with [White Beach]¡­? Wouldn¡¯t that be on the other side of the capital from here? Well, I guess if we take the amount of time that¡¯s passed since then, it wouldn¡¯t be too strange to think she¡¯d made it here.

    ¡°Well, that alchemist-ish person said she believed in the Chaos God as well as Beddhism. Something about how Beddhism was a sub-religion and you could follow both.¡±

    Where¡¯d she hear about Beddhism from? This town¡¯s pretty far away.

    ¡­ I guess there have been a good number of merchants bing Beddhists¡­

    ¡°Oh, the woman also sold me some Chaos God drugs. I can¡¯t really leave them out in the open, but here¡ªcheck these out. [Futanaru] and [TA]! I even have [Hole B-Gone] and [Pole B-Gone]! Their effects range from the lowest purity of one night to the maximum purity of permanency, so I asked how the heck she¡¯d gotten them and ya know what? She tried telling me she made them herself¡­ I might¡¯ve believed her if she told me she stole them from some rich aristocrat¡¯s vaults, but I haven¡¯t heard anything like that recently either.¡±

    The shopkeeper was taking out various drugs from his box as he spoke. He arranged them by color, from slightly transparent to mostly opaque.

    The reason he didn¡¯t feel like they were suitable to put on disy here was probably due to their scarcity. Like the whole it needs to be special since it¡¯s so rare thing.

    ¡­ Though more importantly, it¡¯s definitely Leona. Absolutely positively¡­ Leona.

    Heck, I pray there¡¯s no one else that¡¯d make those dubious drugs in this world. I could probably even figure out what crazy things they do from their names.

    And what¡¯s with her using A instead of S for [TA]!? TS means transsexual, so it¡¯s a sex change drug. There¡¯s definitely no one else in this world that would put such a stupid name on the drug¡­ Wait, was that her goal?

    ¡°She said they were suuuper expensive and would fetch a high price at auction so I should show it off to people bit by bit¡­ but! As a special one-time-offer for you, Founder-sama¡­! I will sell it to you at cost price!¡±

    ¡°Oh, then could I have the year-long [Pole B-Gone] one¡­ no, the half-year one should be fine! And could I have it wrapped?¡±

    ¡°Certainly! That will be ten gold coins!¡±

    So expensive!? ¡ªWait, the f*ck are you buying, Rokuko!?

    Rokuko took ten gold out of her [Safe] and paid for the item.

    ¡°This could be able to counteract Shikina¡¯s issue right? It¡¯d be a good idea to have one around this effective just in case.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ Ten gold, huh.¡±

    It was an amount that we could cover with Shikina¡¯s monthly tuition, but it was still basically ten million yen.

    How to put it¡­ it¡¯s like she¡¯s some frivolous hot-shot. Oh, but I guess even I¡¯d used a hundred gold to fund the vige. It¡¯s Wataru¡¯s fault that my sense for money¡¯s gotten so weird. Freaking Wataru.

    Oh,e to think of it, our inn¡¯s suite is twenty-five gold a night.

    But huh, I doubt we¡¯ll even see that drug that got dumped being sold from here on. The possibility¡¯s tremendously high. By the way, that one was procured for a hundred and fifty gold. When I asked about the one-year duration one¡­ he said it was twenty gold.

    ¡°¡­ Still though, if it¡¯s twenty gold for the one-year duration one¡­ how much is the permanent one? You must have a lot of money stored to buy all these.¡±

    ¡°I sold everything I had in stock at the auction, theeeeen using those profits, I repeated the process until I was finally able to buy one each. They were a thousand gold each. Man, I¡¯m happy I could buy them while that person was here.¡±

    A thousand gold¡­ wouldn¡¯t just four of them be more than Wataru¡¯s debt?

    And that¡¯s just the cost-price. I have no clue how much it could rack up to at auction. If twenty gold coins¡¯ worth could go for a hundred fifty at auction, just one could outweigh Wataru¡¯s debt¡­ Yeah, an ordinary person would have to work their whole life for one¡­

    ¡°¡­ Huh? You said you purchased the pillow three days ago?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a hot item, so I restock on them regrly. Let¡¯s see, shees by every week, so I guess she¡¯ll be here again in three or four days?¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Yep, gotta hightail it out of town by then. Mmhmm.

    My intuition was screaming warnings at me to get out of town ASAP. I¡¯ll have to convince Gozoh and everyone to leave, today even¡ªif possible.

    Or maybe even just us ourselves. Fortunately, the imperial capital¡¯s a short two or three day walk from here!

    ¡°Alright, you can keep using Beddhism¡¯s name for the pillow, but that holy water¡¯s no good. Sell it under some other name.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay. My apologies for the trouble.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Also, I have some very troubling memories of that alchemist, so don¡¯t tell her about me. And for the holy water¡¯s name, tell her someone who didn¡¯t know about Beddhism at all came by and made you think you were better off with some other name.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I understand! Oh, could you please bless these pillows?¡±

    With that, the shopkeeper pulled many, many pillows out of his stockpile. How many was he keeping? It was enough to just call this a pillow shop!

    ¡­ I ced the holy symbol on the pillows, held my hand over them and recited [Good Night].

    *

    I contacted Wataru and Gozoh as soon as we got back to the inn and managed to convince them into us leaving Corky the following day.

    Thinking about the possibility that the shopkeeper would tell her I was here, I wanted to leave as quickly as possible.

    Tuck my tail in and run! He who runs from a fight may live to fight another day! Never, preferably!

    ¡°¡­ Seriously, and here I was wantin¡¯ to stay a while, why¡¯re ye wanting us to leave so quick and all?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I just got a very bad hunch¡­¡±

    ¡°Eh, don¡¯t worry yerself none. I figure ye got a reason fer not telllin¡¯ us.¡±

    Gozoh spoke while scratching his head. His posture was saying that he disliked it, but he didn¡¯t actually seem to care.

    ¡°Right, I believe in you, Kehma-san. To be honest, I¡¯m actually more worried about Corky¡¯s safety now. Did you see something really bad? Like symptoms of ck lung disease or something?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be great if that was all.¡±

    ¡°Wait, there really was something?¡±

    I put a hand on Wataru¡¯s shoulder and spoke with a gentle smile.

    ¡°Let sleeping dogs lie. It¡¯s better if you don¡¯t know. Seriously.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sounds like it¡¯s a SAN value crisis, don¡¯t tell me!¡±

    Good choice, man.

    We left Corky¡¯s gate in our covered coach¡­ and didn¡¯t look back. I don¡¯t want to risk carelessly seeing that red-eyed ponytailed girl.

    ¡­ Oh, but we¡¯ll have toe back here on the way back, huh. Maybe I could have Haku-san teleport back¡­ or no, maybe I could find some reason to break off from Gozoh and the others and return through [White Beach]?

    Alright, let¡¯s go. To the capital!

    The road was well-maintained, so we should be able to arrive by tomorrow night if we put the figurative pedal to the metal¡­ yeah.

 Chapter 319

    A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size.

    Once More at the Imperial Capital (1)

    We finally arrived at the capital.

    It was such a long trip¡­ in vain.

    We saw a long road made of stone bricks after passing through the capital¡¯s gates. Shops and wooden buildings lined the road on both sides. It was overwhelmingly showypared to the towns we¡¯d passed through until now. To go with the alchemist groups and Heroes Workshop, the capital also sported a huge number of super European-esque buildings that just felt woah.

    There were tons of people and carriages moving about on road, fitting for its status as the capital¡¯s main street. A good tenth of them had aristocratic crests on them, even.

    ¡°This is the capital!¡±

    Wataru stated grandly in the coach, the street a backdrop to his statement.

    We couldn¡¯t really see that well since he was standing in the way and all, but I was able to make out someone embarrassed at the country bumpkin. Yep.

    The city-elf, Shikina, just looked at him with lukewarm eyes that seemed to say: [People like hime to the capital every so often, so people go about not minding them.]

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the capital alright.¡±

    ¡°Huh, you¡¯re not surprised? It¡¯s like you¡¯ve seen a town like this before.¡±

    ¡°Setting aside Mikhan, Tsuia, Donsama, and Corky were pretty big towns though?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d say their scales are very different.¡±

    ¡°Ohe on. One, two, three, more, more, more, more. At some point it just stops making a difference and all you feel is like [Oh hey, this is a big town]. Compared to Golen, they¡¯re all huge, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°How half-assed! But I¡¯d expect nothing less of you, Kehma-san.¡±

    Well, I¡¯ve been here before, too. I didn¡¯t say that though. And what do you mean you expected me to be half-assed?

    As an aside, our coach made it through the capital¡¯s gates without a check as well. The effect of being summoned¡¯s amazing.

    ¡°Well, how about we head to the closest adventurer guild first? There are several here, just like in Corky. One in the center and another at each cardinal direction, making five in all.¡±

    ¡°One for each gate, huh. Let¡¯s head to the east guild then.¡±

    By the way, Misha was at the central adventurer guild. I didn¡¯t feel like heading all the way together¡­ I didn¡¯t, really. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m supposed to know Misha at this point either, after all.

    ¡°More importantly, Kehma. Food! Ichika, what¡¯s good to eat here in the capital?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯re ranches all around, so there¡¯s a ton of dairy products and stews.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, the cheese here is delicious, too. It might be a bit much for newbies, but their fragrances are distinctive and entirely irresistible to cheese enthusiasts!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, so that¡¯s your rmendation, Roppy? Alright, let¡¯s eat some cheese, too! I¡¯ll deal with it when the timees if I don¡¯t like it!¡±

    ¡­ Rokuko. You¡¯ve totally been influenced by Ichika¡­ I don¡¯t not understand you, though.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Rokuko, do you remember why you¡¯re here?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Wasn¡¯t it to go on a food journey?¡±

    ¡°Oh you poor thing, that¡¯s entirely off~. You were called here after the dragon¡¯s defeat, remember?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, that was a thing, huh!¡±

    ¡°There are a few things we have to do here, unlike the towns so far. Wataru, what¡¯s our schedule looking like?¡±

    ¡°Right. I showed them the letter at the gate, so they¡¯ll definitely get in contact with us soon. They¡¯ll probably do it once we make our way to the guild, we can just go with the flow after that.¡±

    Maybe they¡¯re waiting for us to turn in at some inn. Why¡¯s he so sure they¡¯re waiting for us at the guild?

    *

    When we dropped off the packages at the guild and decided to look around a bit in the guild¡¯s dining hall, she appeared.

    ¡°Nyoho~! I¡¯m here to pick ya all up~!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Misha-san. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, Wataru. Guess you¡¯re out and abyout as always, huuuh? I¡¯ll practice with ya anytime, juste at me nya~!¡±

    Bleh, so it turned out to be Misha. The pink-haired idiot of an A-Rank cat beastkin-cum-guild master, that is. But huh. She sounded stressed, wonder what¡¯s up?

    Let¡¯s pretend I don¡¯t know her at all.

    ¡°So Wataru, is this Misha someone you know? Could you introduce us?¡±

    ¡°Nya? What¡¯re you talking about, Kehma-san, why would he have to¡ªoh, right! Nyof course he needs to introduce us! Yeah, yep, nyuh-huh! I am pleased to meet ya for the first time.¡±

    She couldn¡¯t act for shit, but yeah. Misha and I shouldn¡¯t know each other. I mean, I¡¯m always hanging out at Golen and Misha¡¯s always at the capita¡¯s guild headquarters.

    In other words, Misha and I are two people who definitely should never have crossed each other¡¯s paths. Although we do know each other due to dungeon-rted things, us knowing each other makes no sense outside of that.

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Misha-san, Kehma-san, do you two know each other?¡±

    ¡°Nope, this is the first time we¡¯ve met. I¡¯ve never met her before but she seems nice~. I hope we can get along, Misha!¡±

    ¡°Yep! It¡¯s the first time we¡¯ve met, but it feels like I¡¯ve knyown ya for a long time! I bet we¡¯ll get along great!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can tell we¡¯ll get along just by looking at you, we¡¯ll be best friends, best friends! Yaaaay.¡±

    ¡°Yaaaay!¡±

    I went for the whole overy it till you make it strategy. Did it work? I hope so. Even if not, I¡¯ll just keep this train a¡¯ going and not let them follow up!

    ¡°Alright, let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Kehma. Golen¡¯s Vige Chief. This girl here¡¯s Rokuko. These two are my ves, Kuro and Ichika.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to introduce me, though these two are my party members, Gozoh-san and Roppu-san.¡±

    ¡°My name is Shikina Kukkoro!¡±

    ¡°Yep yep! I¡¯m Misha. The imperial capital adventurer guild¡¯s guild master, good to meet nya!¡±

    Good, now there shouldn¡¯t be any issues with us knowing each other from here on.

    But Wataru was still tilting his head to the side in thought, so I whispered something into his ear.

    ¡°Wataru. Don¡¯t tell anyone, but Misha came to me a while back. She was undercover, though. So please don¡¯t say anything strange.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, I see. So that¡¯s how it is?¡±

    Convinced, Wataru nodded. I guess Misha overheard, since she gave me a thumbs up.

    Alright. Perfect. Now I can use that as an excuse next time I see one of Haku-san¡¯s party members. I can also just pretend I¡¯d never met them, too. I can also also pretend that I was just pretending to not know them because of reasons. It¡¯s perfect.

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go! I¡¯ll guide ya there with my mount, so please follow me with your coach nya~¡±

    With that, Misha straddled her lion (that had feathers and a snake for a tail). We would follow behind in the coach.

    ¡°Okay, Rokuko-sama,e here please.¡±

    And then Misha reached her arm out for just Rokuko as if the rest of us were chopped liver.

    ¡°Misha. Right now, I¡¯m just Rokuko, you don¡¯t need to be so polite.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah. Sorry, I¡¯m nyot worth your concern.¡±

    Seeing that, let alone Wataru, even Gozoh and Roppu looked like they wanted to say [Oooh¡­ yep, got it] or something, but also looked like they figured it was best they didn¡¯t. Shikina tilted her head at Misha¡¯s response, like she even added -sama to Rokuko¡¯s name. She was entirely giving preference to Rokuko.

    ¡°Let¡¯s try this again¡ªlet¡¯s go to the castle. Please follow me and don¡¯t get lyost~¡±

    Misha started to lead the way again. Misha¡¯s mount really was rare, though. It kept drawing everyone¡¯s eyes¡­ and she tried to get Rokuko to ride it? Heeeh~.

    Still though, is it really alright for you to show it off, Misha? Isn¡¯t that like your ace in the hole?

    ¡­ No, maybe Haku-san ordered her to show it off to keep anyone from wanting to make a move against Rokuko?

    No way. It¡¯s Misha, after all.

 Chapter 320

    Once More at the Imperial Capital (2)

    While we were being led by Misha, everyone in Team Bhus were secretly talking to Rokuko (though it wasn¡¯t exactly secretly since they were just doing it inside the coach).

    ¡°Hey Jou-chan. Should I start n¡¯ use -sama fer ye?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why would you?¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-sama~¡­ yep, Ichika and Kuro are always addressing you like that, so it doesn¡¯t even feel too out of ce.¡±

    ¡°Not you too, Roppu!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll just keep calling you Rokuko-san as always!¡±

    ¡°Oh, Wataru, you can go ahead and use -sama.¡±

    The reason she was only treating Wataru like that was probably due to my influence on her¡­ She is my partner, after all. Well, it¡¯s not like we dislike him or anything so it¡¯s k.

    And that¡¯s how we passed the time on the way to the castle. Unlike Haku-san¡¯s vi, it had a stone rampart that emphasized practicality. Most striking was that it didn¡¯t seem like there¡¯d ever be a force enough to actually stress the defenses.

    As Misha was leading us, we were easily let inside.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, we¡¯re still using the coach with the Tsuia family crest on it, is that alright?

    It feels like it¡¯ll make people start corrting us, but I guess that¡¯s actually the truth?

    With that, we¡¯d just passed through the second gate on the way in and Misha stopped. Our coach stopped alongside her.

    ¡°Oookay, please leave the coach right here nya~. Leeet¡¯s see, I gotta leave my mount too¡­ oh! Sally, you¡¯re just in time. Please bring him back to his stable~¡±

    ¡°Misha, please don¡¯t just dump him on me¡­ Oh, Kehma-san. It¡¯s been a while.¡±

    Ah, it¡¯s Sally-san, the knightmander and living armor, one of Haku-san¡¯s party members. Though uh, is it fine to walk about in your armor like that? ¡­ I guess it is.

    ¡­ Oh, I guess Sally-san doesn¡¯t have any reason to hide. I mean, she came all the way to our inn without hiding at all.

    ¡°Yeah, it has. Shikina¡¯s here too.¡±

    ¡°I-It has been a very long time, Sally-sama!¡±

    ¡°Well if it isn¡¯t Shikina, I see you¡¯re back. Have you already greeted your father?¡±

    ¡°N-no, I¡¯ve just recently arrived! I will see him eventually!¡±

    Shikina saluted as she spoke. Wataru joined the conversation and bowed.

    ¡°Sally-san, did you enjoy your vacation?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Wataru, you¡¯re here too?¡±

    I figured that he knew Misha, but I guess he knows all of Haku-san¡¯s party members since she¡¯s been having him do all of thosemissions for her.

    ¡°Yeah, my vacation was pretty good. Let¡¯s go practice for a bit.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sally-san, you¡¯d seriously kill me, could we not¡­?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it more effective that way? A hero like you should do things like that! What¡¯s wrong with that?¡±

    Sally-san struck her chestjust te armor though as she spoke. Wataru¡­ you¡¯ve gone through some hellish training¡­ what a main character-like thing to do.

    ¡°Hey, Sally~. Could you please hurry up and run that errand for me nya~¡±

    ¡°Hah? How bold of you to try and use me, the knightmander, as an errand runner.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh? What¡¯s that have to do with me? Gehnyan¨C!?¡±

    Just then, Sally-san pulled Misha¡ªwho¡¯d started rubbing against her¡ªoff of her by the head.

    ¡°I have a message from Haku-sama. She told me to tell you to not do anything unnecessary and to not ignore what you need to do. Now please, return to your guild master duties¡­ It¡¯s been piling up, right? Your work.¡±

    ¡°Ugu¡ªI-I knooooow. Alright Kehma-san, let¡¯s have that match next time! I won¡¯t lose nya!¡±

    Misha waved as she said that and hopped onto her mount.

    ¡­ Could she just not?

    ¡°Kehma-san, you beat Misha-san too? Even I¡¯m only at a fifty-fifty win-loss ratio with her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s basically the same as with you.¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯d expect, Kehma-san!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. You can use -sama for me like with Rokuko as well.¡±

    ¡°As I¡¯d expect, Kehma-sama!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, please don¡¯t. That just gave me goosebumps.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s horrible! Hahaha¡±

    Next to the nowughing Wataru, Sally-san took the initiative to lead us into the castle.

    ¡­ Guess it¡¯s finally time. I mean, what¡¯s going to happen? It¡¯s a bitte, but like¡­ can¡¯t I just stay an ordinary, every-day adventurer?

    Just as I thought that, what we were guided to wasn¡¯t the audience chamber but an ordinary-feeling guest room.

    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying in the guest rooms meant for barons for now. We¡¯ve prepared a room for each person, so please use them for today. The peerage elevation will happen the day after tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Huh, it¡¯s not going to be today?¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san¡­ the Emperor isn¡¯t so free as to rush things like that. You arrived much sooner than expected and the schedule readjustment has been a serious issue, you know? Even so, you¡¯ve been given quite the priority.¡±

    Come to think of it, we did finish up at Corky well ahead of scheduled¡­ uhh¡­ sorry.

    ¡°Wait, Emperor?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The Emperor, he who is supposedly Haku-sama¡¯s descendant. Haku-sama will also be attending, of course, but it is best does with the Emperor¡¯s authority.¡±

    Oh really? Now that she says it, Haku-san definitely gives off the feeling of a recluse thatzes around in her vi. So then although she herself is the most powerful, she gave the lead position a figurehead status. Like how I¡¯m just a figurehead of a vige chief.

    ¡­ It¡¯s just one-sided, but I¡¯m starting to feel some kinship here. But well, being vige chief and being the leader of an empire are very different things.

    ¡°Besides, you will need to choose outfits for your audience, so please use tomorrow to do so. Feel free to rest for today, though.¡±

    I guess rehearsing and preparing is important. Though rather, is it day after tomorrow entirely because of that?

    ¡°Would you like to eat in the dining room? Or have them brought to you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, then brought to us.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯ll let the staff know. A maid will arrive in a little while, so make sure to let her know if you need anything¡­ Also, don¡¯t walk about carelessly. You will be arrested as a spy if you do, after all.¡±

    Saying that, Sally-san bowed her head and trotted off in her nky armor.

    ¡°¡­ I fer one am happy we¡¯ll have some time teh prepare. Roppu, ye goin¡¯ te wear a dress?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, maybe I should? Gozoh, you will be wearing formal clothes too, right¡­?¡±

    ¡°Meh, it¡¯ll work out even if I don¡¯t! It¡¯s not like I¡¯d be executed even if I sneeze in the middle of the Emperor¡¯ speech.¡±

    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be executed, but imprisoned maybe?¡±

    Wataru interrupted their conversation with some lightheartedness.

    Well, we tentatively decided to each head to whichever room we wanted. There were four rooms per side of the hallway, making eight in total. The rooms were all the same, each with a bed, desk, and vase. Pretty simple, honestly.

    I¡¯m thankful for the beddings to be a futon.

    ¡°Still though, even Rokuko was given the same room as us. Guess Haku-san can¡¯t have everything her way?¡±

    ¡°Maybe she¡¯ll be called for tonight?¡±

    ¡°Maybe.¡±

    At any rate, we¡¯d rest today in anticipation for tomorrow, then have the audience the day after that.

    ¡­ I have to make sure I don¡¯t forget the reason we¡¯re here!

    I mean, I do remember. Really, I do.

 Chapter 321

    An Audience With His Majesty the Emperor

    After taking the day of rest, it was time for our audience.

    In the chamber for our audience was a red carpet rolled out betweenrge white pirs, making it all feel like a temple.

    A handsome man with silvery hair sat atop a golden throne stationed three steps higher than the rest of us. Raverio Empire¡¯s emperor, Lionel Raverio.

    And beside him stood a young and beautiful white goddess¡­ our Haku-san.

    We were wearing luxurious, rented outfits and kneeling before the steps on the carpet.

    I was in the front with Wataru and Rokuko to my left and right respectively. Behind us were Gozoh, Roppu, and Shikina, with Meat and Ichika in the rear.

    Sally-san, the knight leader, was there as Haku-san and the Emperor¡¯s guard, as well as several other civil servants. It looked like there was even some kind of clerk, so I guess they were there to formally transcribe the event.

    ¡°Raise your head.¡±

    ¡°Your Majesty.¡±

    As I practiced on the previous day, I looked up toward the emperor.

    ¡°Kehma Golen. You have repelled a me dragon. Is this true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is¡­ Please ept my offerings.¡±

    Saying that, I handed a me dragon talon fragment (from her trimming her nails) and some scales (what I had left after giving the rest to the cksmith) to a civil servant. The man ced them on a silvery trayprobably mithril and delivered them to Emperor Lionel.

    The emperor picked up the scales and talon fragment.

    After he examined them for a bit while eximing to himself over them, Haku-san cleared her throat, prompting him to bring himself back to the matter at hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s true then, these are indeed the scales and talon of a me dragon¡­ Very well. For your distinguished service of repelling the threat of a me dragon from Our empire, we award you the title of Baron. For those who apanied you, they will gain the Ventulier title. And for Count Nishimi, there will be a mary reward.¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Thank you, Your Majesty. ¡°¡±¡±

    Baron. It was what I was informed I¡¯d get, but well¡­ eh, h. Normally, B-Rank adventurers would be Ventuliers, but that wasn¡¯t sufficient to reward the achievement I¡¯d been the main yer in. Wataru was there too, though¡­

    Starting from the lowest peerage, there were Ventuliers, Landed Knights, Bars, and Barons, so it was three ranks above everyone else. It was four ranks abovemoners¡­ and was a title that would be seeded by my children. Hurrah.

    And as I had just been elevated to a rank at least as high or above a Landed Knight, I was given the ceremonial sword tap to the shoulders and had to swear fealty to the empire.

    ¡­ Some hero just had to have told them about this ceremony. It has manga and anime written ALL over it. I took the ceremonial sword as was practiced while thinking that.

    By the way, I¡¯d be keeping this sword. It was something like a proof of me being a Baron¡­ let¡¯s decorate the office when I get back home¡­ it¡¯s not one of Haku-san¡¯s magic swordssurveince cameras, right? This is just a standard, run-of-the-mill jewel, right?

    Anyhow, everything was going ording to schedule and all that was left was iting to an end. Pfft.

    I mean, it¡¯s not like I was expecting to chat with the emperor or anything, the only reason I was summoned here was for this. But seriously da faq couldn¡¯t they have just ended this with a letter saying it all¡­ I mean, they obviously couldn¡¯t, but still.

    ¡°You may ask these men for more information. I shall now¡ª¡±

    ¡°Alright, could I have some time now? It will be somewhat informal starting now.¡±

    Haku-san smiled as she interrupted the emperor.

    Called it.

    Haku-san interrupted! I knew this would happen from the instant I saw her here.

    Haku-san waved her hand, sending the civil servants scurrying out of the room. Were they on her payroll?

    The only ones left were Haku-san, the emperor, Sally-san, and us¡­ I wanted to head off as well, but I figured that probably would¡¯ve been bad.

    ¡°Rokuko-chan.¡±

    Hearing Haku-san call for her, Rokuko blinked, looking like she was at a loss.

    This was definitely not in the script we¡¯d rehearsed yesterday.

    ¡°Now, would youe here?¡±

    ¡°O-Okay.¡±

    Called forward oh-so familiarly by the white goddess¨CHaku-san¡ªRokuko thoughtlessly went up the steps.

    Oi. Isn¡¯t this entirely against what that person yesterday told us about those steps being there to show the difference in our ranks? The heck¡¯re you goin¡¯ up ¡¯em for!? The difference in importance between them and our dungeon is huuuuuge!

    Though even the emperor was knitting his brow as if to show his displeasure. This was probably a spur of the moment thing from Haku-san. No, it was definitely a spur of the moment thing from Haku-san.

    ¡°Ufufufu?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Umm, this is different from our rehearsal though, right?¡±

    Rokuko asked not Haku, but the person next to her.

    Oi, Rokuko, that person you just asked something is this empire¡¯s Emperor, you know that, right? Like, a super important big shot? He¡¯s not some old dude running some weapon shop. I mean, couldn¡¯t you have at least asked Haku-san? She¡¯s right there.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ This is the first I¡¯ve heard of it as well. Would you please enlighten me, Ancestor-sama?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course.¡±

    And so Haku-san ced her hands on Rokuko¡¯s shoulders with a grin.

    ¡°Let me introduce you. This is my younger sister, Rokuko. Rokuko, this is Lionel. He is the emperor, so please refer to him appropriately.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ Ummm, nice to meet you, Emperor¡­ Lionel?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ I am pleased to have made your acquaintance, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    Oi oi oi this is off. Really, really off. His Majesty the Emperor just used -sama for Rokuko, whaaaaat¡­ da faq.

    Gozoh and Roppu both wore expressions that spoke for themselves, like [Oh¡­ yep.] and [Figured as much.].

    Ichika, Meat, and Wataru didn¡¯t really react in particr. They knew.

    As for Shikina, eh, she was just lost.

    ¡°Umm, Haku Ane-sama. Didn¡¯t you say that me being your sister was a secret?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re off the record right now so it¡¯s fine. Rokuko-chan, you¡¯ve gotten to the point that you were able toe here naturally so I had a bit of wiggle room. On that note, everyone, this is off the record. If you tell anyone, I¡¯ll consider it treason, okay?¡±

    Everyone nodded. To do otherwise would¡¯ve been suicide.

    Seeing as how the emperor nodded too, it looks like he really is under Haku-san¡¯s thumb.

    ¡°Now then, Lionel.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What is it?¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan is my precious little sister. You understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­ If you¡¯d like for Us to give up Our seat as emperor, I would dly¡ª¡±

    ¡°Not that.¡±

    Wait, he straight up offered his position? I mean, it turned out that wasn¡¯t it, but like¡­ woah, he must be really stressed.

    ¡°I mean to be amodating if something were to ever happen. Wouldn¡¯t that be just lovely?¡±

    ¡°¡­ If that were all, there shouldn¡¯t have been a need for you to interrupt this audience¡­?¡±

    ¡°There would have been various nuisances if I hadn¡¯t done so before the introduction.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I am sorry for troubling you, Ancestor-sama.¡±

    Oh, so he consented? Still though, Haku-san could have just used her dungeon functions to take care of anyone that¡ªoh.

    Could it be that she¡¯s even kept the dungeon a secret from the emperor?

    To the whole empire? He¡¯s more or less the leader of the empire though? He doesn¡¯t know about the dungeon¡­ even though he¡¯s Haku-san¡¯s descendant?

    No wait. She doesn¡¯t have a Master, so maybe it¡¯s better to not tell anyone? It would definitely be better for as few people to know about it as possible¡­ but still, even the emperor?

    ¡­ Maybe he only knows that the dungeon is entirely under Haku-san¡¯s control?

    Come to think of it, Sally-san did say that he was [supposedly Haku-sama¡¯s descendant], but did she mean that they weren¡¯t connected by blood or that he hadn¡¯t been told many things?

    There¡¯s a possibility that he was just a pawn to use for running the empire, seeing as how the emperor spoke like he was entirely up for leaving his position.

    And even her speaking about Rokuko in this situation with non-dungeon rted people, was it so that I wouldn¡¯t say anything unwanted to the emperor? That is, for the sake of avoiding the one in a million chance I wound up divulging information about the dungeon to him?

    Woah. That just sounds like all sorts of troublesome.

    ¡°Alright then. I¡¯m sure a few people will start causing a ruckus if we take much longer, so I¡¯ll end it here. Rokuko-chan¡­ I¡¯ll see you againter.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko skipped down the steps.

    Phew, wee back.

    And that¡¯s how we¡ªwith a slight ident¡ªsafely made it through our audience with the emperor.

    ¡­ We¡¯re safe, right¡­?

 Chapter 322

    At Haku-san¡¯s Vi

    After we finished with that, Rokuko and I were invited to Haku-san¡¯s vi.

    To be more urate, we were all invited, but everyone was too scared to go... so I, who¡¯d be a baron, and Rokuko, who was my partner, were dispatched as our representatives.

    Sally-san also followed up by informing everyone that they were only invited for appearances and asked them to please decline... but that wasn¡¯t exactly needed. Other than Meat, that is. She looked reluctant.

    ... I wanted to decline as well, but she called me out directly. There¡¯s no way I could just ignore her.

    And well, we¡¯vee to Haku-san¡¯s [White Vi] for the first time in a while because of all that.

    We were greeted by her butler-clothed subus, Chloe, and guided inside.

    We were immediately brought to a tea party setup in the courtyard... and hey, there was even a seat for me. Neat.

    ¡°I was finally able to invite you to my vi.¡±

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama, it¡¯s been too long.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy I could see you again too, Rokuko-chan. You as well, Kehma-san.¡±

    ¡°Yeah... so, I want to ask this right away.¡±

    The corners of Haku-san¡¯s mouth lifted as she feigned ignorance.

    ¡°... How much does His Majesty the Emperor know?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted to know? Right... I¡¯ve told that boy everything up to me being a Dungeon Core. As well as this empire being under my control.¡±

    Huh? Did I read too much into it? I thought she would¡¯ve hid more from him though.

    ¡°However, as you have expected, Kehma-san, I have not told him about Dungeon Masters.¡±

    ¡°... I see.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it natural? That boy is no Master, so there was no reason for me to teach him.¡±

    ¡°Oh? But then Haku Ane-sama, that means you concealed information about Kehma from him too then?¡±

    Rokuko softly pped her hands in front of her as she spoke. Haku-san opened her eyes in surprise.

    I was surprised, too.

    ¡°I mean, you did right? You introduced me as your younger sister, but didn¡¯t say anything really about Kehma at all. It was a move made to attract attention away and toward you, right?¡±

    ¡°... ... ... Did Kehma-san tell you that?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t! O-Oi, Rokuko, did you eat something weird?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rude, Kehma.¡±

    Rokuko looked away, sullen.

    But now that she put it like it, it does seem like that¡¯s what happened.

    I thought she called us here so that I wouldn¡¯t say something she didn¡¯t want me to, but it¡¯s looking more like it was all to hide me... never thought that would happen.

    ¡°... You¡¯ve grown up, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been thinking a lot.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, I never thought I¡¯d see the day where you would see through my ns... Yes, I thought Kehma-san would have understood as well, but you are correct. I am wanting to hide Kehma-san¡¯s existence as much as possible.¡±

    Haku-san assented.

    Sorry I didn¡¯t figure it out.

    ¡°The existence of Dungeon Masters is the most important secret of our dungeons. It is a secret that must never be let known to a non-Master human... Nevertheless, Kehma-san, do you not know how much attention I have paid you? I told you to not stand out so much.¡±

    With my ck hair and dark eyes, I clearly had the bloodline of a hero.

    Sessfully developing the frontier, bing the founder of a religion that the White Goddess Faith officially recognized, and even performing such a heroic endeavor as repelling a dragon... there were also supposedly talks of wondering whether they should have treated me like a hero, make me S-Rank, be elevated straight to Count, or even have a parade in my honor.

    However, Haku-san had managed to keep things at a minimum thanks to her influence. Thank you...!

    ¡°So then you used telling the emperor that I¡¯m your little sister as a reason to ease his discontent over exerting your influence to crush naysayers. You made my existence outshine Kehma¡¯s, right?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say such horrible things, Rokuko-chan. I didn¡¯t want to expose you to the public, I really didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Really, Ane-sama?¡±

    ¡°Really. Come here, how about having one of these berry tarts? They¡¯re delicious. Ah~¡±

    Haku-san presented a tart to Rokuko-chan as she prompted her to eat it. Rokuko took a small bite and ate in what looked like a tinge of indignance.

    ... Wait. Rokuko actually managed to lead Haku-san around by the nose...? What...?

    Doesn¡¯t this mean Rokuko¡¯s already surpassed me?

    Oh, but I did notice one thing.

    ¡°... It¡¯s not because concealing me makes it easier to eliminate me... right?¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, ufufu.¡±

    She didn¡¯t deny it. Oh shit.

    ¡°... Ane-sama. You won¡¯t eliminate Kehma, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Kehma-san just needs to know his ce.¡±

    ¡°He is my partner. You can¡¯t, okay?¡±

    ¡°He will be fine as long as he doesn¡¯t be my enemy.¡±

    To be honest, I think that the exact definition of [Haku-san¡¯s Enemy] is up for extreme debate here.

    ¡°By the way, Rokuko-chan. You called him partner, not master. That¡¯s to conceal him being a master?¡±

    ¡°Eh? No?¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Oh, so we¡¯re already into debating the definition? I felt a chill run down my back... that¡¯s bloodlust. Hey now.

    Haku-san just slowly took another sip tea, not saying a word until she was done.

    ¡°So, Kehma-san. What do you think of all this?¡±

    ¡°... I have no intention of being hostile to you, Haku-san.¡±

    ¡°I see. So then you believe I am fine with that?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know what you mean since you¡¯re being so obtuse, but... I don¡¯t want to do anything that will make Rokuko sad.¡±

    I took a mouthful of tea.

    ¡°... If that¡¯s what Rokuko-chan wants, well, I suppose there¡¯s nothing to be done. I will allow you to hold her hands... no, you can hug her... ... ... Anything else and, well¡ªhow is that young womanloli from the Tsuia family and that awkward female knightdunce treating you?¡±

    ¡°... So those two were on your payroll.¡±

    ¡°I wonder what you mean? I just received some reports about them... Right, how about you go live a little and visit one of those shops? There are many here in the capital.¡±

    Haku-san spoke with a smile.

    ¡°... Well, I do specialize in sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Kehma...! Mmm, first off, let¡¯s hug. We even got permission from Haku Ane-sama! By the way, what kind of shop were you talking about? Could I try going with Kehma?¡±

    Pfffft!

    Haku-san and I both spat out our tea.

    If she said that on purpose, this is a big deal. But judging by the look on her face, she really didn¡¯t understand.

    ¡°Kehma-san...¡±

    ¡°Please wait, this isn¡¯t my fault!¡±

    ¡°... I see. I think I¡¯ll need to teach Rokuko-chan various things. I¡¯ll tell you about some things when we take our bathter, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°? Kaaay.¡±

    Why teach her in the bath...? No. Let¡¯s not think too much into that.

    I had no intention of being hostile to Haku-san, so she decided to only trust me so much... phew...

    ¡°But still, it was off the record... but I finally managed to openly be with you as my little sister.¡±

    Off the record yet openly? How though.

    And she said off the record, but won¡¯t the aristocrats find out anyway? Informationworks are crazy.

    ¡°The emperorLionel doesn¡¯t think that you¡¯re my real younger sister, though.¡±

    ¡°Really, Ane-sama?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I believe he¡¯ll likely think of you as someone special enough to catch my eye, rather than being my true younger sister. In truth, other cores are my younger siblings as well, so he¡¯s not entirely wrong...¡±

    Come to think of it, OntentooNo. 112, AidiNo. 666, the Trivial Trio, and even Haku-san were siblings as they all came from the same [Father], huh. There¡¯s no way they¡¯d treat each other all like humans would see their family, there¡¯s just way too many of them.

    ¡°Of course, the only one I see as my little sister is you, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    Haku-san lovingly pat Rokuko on the head as she spoke.

    Rokuko¡¯s mood improved as she smiled.

    ¡°Well, okay. I can call myself your little sister now, Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was unofficial, but the emperor has already acknowledged it. Use my name if you get into trouble, alright?¡±

    ¡°Okay, Ane-sama.¡±

    The two of them practically shined as they smiled at each other. I drank some of the newly-brewed tea that the butler... that is, Chloe-san refilled my cup with. The berry tarts really were tasty. Oh, could I have I take some as souvenirs? There¡¯s an always-hungry girl waiting for us.

    ... Man, peace is great...

    ¡°Oh, right. Kehma-san, I have a small thing I would love for you to take care of. You can refuse if you want though, alright?¡±

    True peace is oh so fleeting. Practically impossible to obtain, in fact.

    ... Haaah. That was basically an order. I can refuse? Yeeeah right~!

    GIVE. ME. PEACE.

 Chapter 323 - Haku-sanâ€™s Request

    <h4>Chapter 323</h4> <h4>Haku-san¡¯s Request</h4>

    After the tea party, the situation naturally followed into talking about that [Request].

    Rokuko was present as well¡­ that is, she was sitting on Haku-san¡¯sp.

    And probably because of that¡ªno,?<i>definitely</i>?because of that¡ªHaku-san was smiling pretty widely.

    ¡­ Well, Haku-san started looking a bit sullen after Rokuko hugged me right in front of her, so she was sitting on herp to cheer her up.

    But eh, what¡¯s important right now is that request thing. It¡¯ll definitely be something annoying.

    ¡°So, Ane-sama. What did you want to ask?¡±

    ¡°My request is, well, concerning a Dungeon Battle.¡±

    See? Called it. And a Dungeon Battle at that¡­ super annoying.

    ¡°¡­ Ummm. You want to have a battle with us again, Haku-san?¡±

    ¡°Eh, we¡¯re going to fight against Haku Ane-sama again? If you want revenge, weKehma<ruby>we<rt>Kehma</rt></ruby>?ept your challenge!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s not what I mean. I don¡¯t want to fight you, Rokuko-chan. To be more exact, it¡¯s more that you won¡¯t need to do anything at all this time, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    Haku-san lovingly stroked her hand through Rokuko¡¯s hair.

    ¡°I would like to ask for Kehma-san¡¯s assistance¡­ as an adviser¡ªno, I suppose producer would be more correct.¡±

    ¡°Producer?¡±

    Upon hearing a word that hadn¡¯te from this world, I parroted the word back out of reflex.<sup>1</sup></a>

    To be honest, I didn¡¯t exactly know what work that entailed. At the very least, it didn¡¯t feel like the kind of job that was just tapping some terminal at predetermined times.

    ¡°A dungeon was recently found in the grasnds between this empire and the Demonds¡­ I first thought nothing about it, but it turned out to be a 600 seriesNewest Lot<ruby>600 series<rt>Newest Lot</rt></ruby>?dungeon.¡±

    ¡°600 series, so they¡¯re the same lot as me.¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Well, the dungeon¡¯s core asked us for aid. To save it from someone from the Demonds from killing it, that is.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Asked you?¡±

    I spoke, not realizing what I said until it was toote.

    ¡°Is there some issue with them asking me?¡±

    ¡°Umm, I mean, [me Cavern]¡¯s core called you a traitor, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, that, yes. Somehow or other, it appears that the dungeon was judged to have entered my faction by this Demonds hooligan and has already been challenged to a Dungeon Battle.¡±

    The Demonds, huh? Speaking of Demonds cores, the only one that came to mind was Core No. 666, Aidi.

    She self-proimed herself as Rokuko¡¯s best friend (but basically bitter enemy) though.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Aidi always talked about duel this duel that. I wonder if all Demonds cores are like that?¡±

    Rokuko tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°Right? They are all barbarians that would sooner fight than greet someone. So although the loser won¡¯t lose their lives, there will be a rule for absolute obedience to the winner.¡±

    So greeting someone turns into a battle to be a ve or not? The f*ck.

    ¡°¡­ Umm, does that mean the core who asked for help wasn¡¯t already in your faction, Ane-sama?¡±

    ¡°They should have been in the Beast King¡¯s faction since they¡¯re a beast-type core, but it seems as though they haven¡¯t been able to contact them at all¡­ And even though they contacted me, I can¡¯t help since it¡¯s in such a bad location for me.¡±

    Oooh, well it is hard to get in contact with people here¡­

    On top of that, it being directly between the Demonds and this empire was beyond bad. If the Beast King faction took part in it, it could easily devolve into war.

    ¡°Which is why I am requesting for you to please help me with this.¡±

    ¡°Is there a possibility that they will double-cross us for the Demonds?¡±

    ¡°There is the possibility of them being a spy! Who for though?¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t. I know that they aren¡¯t lying. They have a saying in that country: [Be weak and die. Or maybe die].¡±

    ¡­ Isn¡¯t that a pretty messed up saying? But actually, I guess it just means you either improve yourself to live another day or definitely die right then. Still though, you dying in the end is definite¡­

    Moreover, the Demonds has an annual tournament where their cores demonstrate their own might or something. If they expose themselves as being unfit¡­ I guess they¡¯d be treated as you might think?

    ¡°By the way, this core is a rabbit type. You could even say they have no strength at all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So it¡¯s unlikely they belong to the Demonds, then.¡±

    A rabbit in that country of demons would straight up be food for the ughter.

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t matter much to my empire even if that core dies. It wasn¡¯t something I cared much about to start with, so I won¡¯t lose anything. Nothing would change for me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Then why are you talking about having us help?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s you, Kehma-san, I feel like you could frustrate those Demonds guys to an?<i>amusing</i>?point. Even if you don¡¯t win, you might bring the big picture to a draw. I believe you could produce an interesting conclusion from this situation.¡±

    Oh. I see. So that¡¯s why I¡¯m a producer rather than an advisor?

    ¡­ It could just be Trantion Function-san having some fun though.

    ¡°Rabbit-type¡­ Ane-sama, could it perhaps be No. 629?¡±

    ¡°It is. Oh, if they teased you, we can drop this whole matter. Maybe Kehma-san could put an end to them?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, actually¡­ No. 629 talked with me normally.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s help them, then. For that, I¡¯ll leave it to you, Kehma-san.¡±

    It looked like the core was on good terms with Rokuko. No. 629, you just saved yourself.

    ¡°¡­ So, the reward?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already paid you in advance. I gave you permission to hug Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡ªyes.¡±

    ¡°I will revoke the permission if you lose.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, do your best! I¡¯ll help!¡±

    Haku-san grinned.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, I was wanting to return to my dungeon first, would I have time to make it there after that though? It took a few days just getting here¡­¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t be an issue. You¡¯ll be able to return to [Cave of Desires] instantly after first going to [White Beach]. I will simply tell Wataru and them that I sent you all back through my [Teleport].¡±

    Oh, I guess that works? I forgot that that was my original n.

    By the way, since [Teleport] takes magical power proportional to the number of people sent and the total distance, even Haku-san would have to take a day or two of rest if she sent us all the way from here to [Cave of Desires] through [Teleport].

    Which is why the magical power needed to send us straight to [Cave of Desires] would be a bit much, but sending us to [White Beach] wasn¡¯t a problem. Actually, that¡¯s where we were send for our previous Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°Actually, perhaps we could take this chance for you to learn [Teleport] as well, Kehma-san? I wouldn¡¯t mind trading you a [Teleport] scroll for three massage chairs.¡±

    Oooh, that¡¯s quite a bargain. It¡¯s normally a few dozen million DP to purchase a [Teleport] scroll, so getting one with three massage chairs is a steal!

    ¡°That would be great¡­ wait,e to think of it, Haku-san, you use [Teleport] by yourself, but didn¡¯t you say something about that being a magic skill meant to be used by a group of casters?¡±

    ¡°You should be able to manage it, Kehma-san. As a hero, your magical power capacity is nothing to trifle with. At the very least, I can guarantee you should be able to take one other person with you to something around as far away as [White Beach] is from the capital.¡±

    I got a guarantee from Haku-san¡­ still though, isn¡¯t she doing this to make it so she¡¯ll be able to make it easier for Rokuko toe here to the capital?

    Also, if my supposed crazy magical power capacity is only enough to make it that far, just how much does Haku-san have?

    ¡°Ane-sama, what about me?¡±

    ¡°You, well¡­ mm, that¡¯s still a bit doubtful. Maybe in another century? But at your current growth, perhaps in the next decade¡­ no, maybe even in the next several years?¡±

    It¡¯s a bit of a hasty generalization on my part, but she was basically saying that one¡¯s magical power limit increased for as long as one lived. So that¡¯s why Haku-san was able to [Teleport] all of her party¡­ (except for Misha)

    ¡°¡­ Alright! Kehma! Let¡¯s learn [Teleport] and go on a date in the capital!¡±

    ¡°Eh¡ª¡­ gu, kuh¡­.! ¡­ Rokuko-chan, how about going on a date with me? How does that sound?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Ane-sama. I want to go on a date with you too!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan¡­!¡±

    Yep, Rokuko really was leading her around by the nose. Not purposefully though. Haku-san¡¯s face kept switching from one emotion to the other, but I¡¯d never point that out.

 Chapter 324 - Shikinaâ€™s Family

    <h4>Shikina¡¯s Family</h4>

    We had a Dungeon Battle waiting for us, but we still had some time.

    To be specific, we had a month to prepare. What shape the dungeon would take is something I¡¯d think about only after meeting the core themselves¡­

    For now, I decided to join back up with Wataru and the others.

    I heard from a maid that they were all at Shikina¡¯s family¡ªthat is, Count Kukkoro¡¯s estate¡­ It was in an aristocratic city, so it was basically a castle.

    Due to that, I headed to the Kukkoro estate on a wooden carriage with Rokuko. The carriage was prepared by Haku-san, who said we shouldn¡¯t go around on foot.

    It barely shook at all, did it have some kind of suspension system? As expected of a royal favorite.

    Still though¡­?<i>that</i>?Shikina¡¯s family, huh¡­ Haaah¡­ It won¡¯t be some rapid-fire jargon when we meet will it?

    Oh, what¡¯s that??<ruby>Their daughter<rt>Shikina</rt></ruby>?has a defect? I¡¯m at fault for that, so I don¡¯t really want to meet him, but I don¡¯t think I could avoid it. That said, I heard that it¡¯ll fix itself over time and I even obtained medicine that would take care of it if needed, so I fulfilled my responsibility as her supervisor. Worst case scenario I can just use the medicine on Shikina right then and there.

    Once we arrived at the Kukkoro estate, we were let into the garden.

    Shikina, Roppu, Meat, and Ichika were there were practicing in matches in groups of two, with Wataru, Gozoh, and some old elf guy with swept-back hair watching them. He was wearing some expensive clothing, so he was probably Count Dyno Kukkoro¡­ Shikina¡¯s father.

    Seeing us approach, Wataru raised his hand and called out to me.

    ¡°Good work, Kehma-san. How was the tea party with Haku-sama?¡±

    ¡°She had a bit of a request for me and somehow wound up approving of my rtionship with Rokuko up to the point of hugging. So, Wataru, who is this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I should manage the introductions. This is¡ª¡±

    ¡°Dyne Kukkoro. My daughter is indebted to you, Kehma-dono. Rokuko-dono.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve been helping her!¡±

    Mr. Dyne smiled at Rokuko¡¯s upfront and honest statement.

    The most important takeaway is that it looked like Shikina being a problem child that didn¡¯t quite getmon sense was the case. No, I still don¡¯t get why he¡¯d entrust her to someone he didn¡¯t know like me though.

    By the way, there was the Dyne Firm in our vige as well, but the merchant Dyne in our vige just had the same name as Mr. Dyne. Commoners don¡¯t have surnames though.

    ¡°Oh, Master Kehma! Good work!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Just do what you¡¯ve been doing.¡±

    ¡°I will!¡±

    Still though, between Roppu and Shikina, Shikina looked to have the upper hand.

    She had a good foundation to start with, she just needed to ovee how predictable she was and she¡¯d be plenty strong. Didn¡¯t Ichika say something about her being tough even when she won against her?

    ¡°Oh yeah, Haku-san will be sending us back through [Teleport] to make her request easier, so we¡¯re here to say goodbye.¡±

    ¡°I see, alright. It is Haku-sama, after all.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? [Teleport]¡¯s somethin¡¯ that takes several people to use. And for goin¡¯ all the way to Golen¡­ it wouldn¡¯t be off to see the people goin¡¯ through die.¡±

    Eh, [Teleport]¡¯s that dangerous? Wait, I could?<i>die</i>? Haku-san promised to teach me [Teleport], but like¡­ I better not try and go too far at once.

    ¡°W-Well, Haku-san said she could send us alone. As expected of White Goddess-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hooh, that¡¯s amazin¡¯. As expected of White Goddess-sama¡­ way, no no, that¡¯s crazy though? White Goddess-sama doing it herself? Wooow.¡±

    ¡°Think about it though. She¡¯s Wataru¡¯s boss.¡±

    ¡°I guess so¡­ but that¡¯s still crazy. Rather, Wataru is for servin¡¯ her.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got something wrong with him alright. I want to hurry up and head to bed for the day though.¡±

    Oh, what should I do about the coach we borrowed from the Tsuia family?

    ¡°I¡¯ll have Gozoh-san and the others bring the coach back to Tsuia.¡±

    Just as I thought that, Wataru spoke up.

    Hm? Gozoh and the others¡­? He spoke like he wasn¡¯t nning on going with them.

    ¡°Oh, I have another job, so I¡¯m nning to go through the empire on another route. Haku-sama has me doing something else.¡±

    ¡°That so? Haku-san¡¯s jobs must be pretty hard on you.¡±

    ¡°I have to pay back my debt to you somehow, right? Though I would¡¯ve went to Wakoku so long ago if I didn¡¯t have to¡­! Kuh!¡±

    Come to think of it, he¡¯s already repaid about half of his debt by now, huh? ¡­ Well, Wataru will probably let me know when he¡¯s finally done.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave the coach to Gozoh. So Gozoh, Roppu, and Shikina will be heading back on it I guess? The coachman, too¡­ The road¡¯s unexpectedly dangerous, maybe I should hire some escorts?¡±

    ¡°Nah, Wataru cleaned ¡¯em all up. It¡¯ll be alright¡­ ¡­ but well, maybe we could find some people wanting to head all the way to Golen anyway? Maybe even in Corky.¡±

    Come to think of it, Uzoh and Muzoh said something abouting to our vige if their work let them, wonder what happened with that? Is them not doing that yet due to work, or because¡­ well, they¡¯re adventurers. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if something happened to them, I guess.

    Just then, I noticed Mr. Dyne looking at us.

    ¡°Ummm¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I was just thinking that it was amazing that you managed to get a job directly from White Goddess-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, we¡¯re just maids, Dyne-san.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s as you say, Wataru-dono, but you know, the way you are treated is much better than what an ordinary aristocrat. The most we can do is offer her wine during festival season. I¡¯m merely amoner who was elevated into aristocracy after achieving a meritorious deed in wartime.¡±

    What festival, a festival of gifting Haku-san alcohol?

    ¡°By the way, Kehma-dono, have you decided on your amodations for the night? Gozoh-dono and the others were talking about staying at my residence here for the duration of their stay here in the capital, but if it is alright with you, Kehma-dono, could I speak with you for a while?¡±

    ¡°Haaah, well, I don¡¯t think I could talk with you about it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind that. I would like to talk to you concerning Shikina herself.¡±

    Ah¡ªhe found out. Rather, there¡¯s a good chance she was the one to spill the beans. She probably said something along the lines of [I have returned?<strong>WITH A PENIS</strong>!].

    ¡°What, her condition should take no more than a year to work itself out, right? Elves have longer lifespans than humans and beastkin, so it¡¯s no problem.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I have prepared a cure for her if you want.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d expect no less from you, Kehma-dono. Just as Wataru-dono told me, you are quite the man.¡±

    Alright. He pardoned me!

    ¡°However, there is a problem. That is, the problem of who will take my daughter¡¯s hand in marriage.¡±

    ¡°¡­ That shouldn¡¯t have anything to do with me though?¡±

    ¡°I am aware¡­ however, my girl was raised in a somewhat rough environment around manymon knights, so she¡¯s a little¡­ very¡­ vulgar, you see. And most importantly, she isn¡¯t too aware of what she¡¯s doing¡­ I would feel much more at ease if you could improve that aspect of her, could I ask you for that as well?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d depend on her own effort¡­¡±

    Well. At least the way she talks doesn¡¯t run in the family. So that¡¯s nice.?

 Chapter 325 - The Dungeon Battle Meeting

    <h4>The Dungeon Battle Meeting</h4>

    Alright, now that we¡¯d decided where to stay, time for the Dungeon Battle meeting.

    It was a secret, so we were summoned over to the capital¡¯s central adventurer guild.

    We were using me being given a nominatedmission after having be a B-Rank as the reason, so it wasn¡¯t unnatural at all for me to go there.

    I had a duty to keepmissions confidential, so that¡¯d also be a reason to not tell anyone about it.

    In other words, using me epting themission to disguise the Dungeon Battle preparation was optimal. Everyone in my party, [The Dancing Dolls Pavilion Group (Temp Name)], entered the adventurer guild¡¯s doors. We headed straight into the meeting room.

    ¡°Yo, Kehma-san! It¡¯s been a while!¡±

    And since I was summoned by the adventurer guild, that effectively meant Misha had summoned me.

    ¡°Yo, Misha. No sleep today for you?¡±

    ¡°I just woke up, tahahahanya~¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s how it should be, Misha.¡±

    I gave Misha a high five and shook her hand. She and I greeted each other like we were best friends. Kindred spirits~

    ¡°Where¡¯s Haku-san?¡±

    ¡°Oh, pretty sure she¡¯s gonna be a bit~. The client¡¯s already here though, so wanna start nyow?¡±

    ¡°¡­ By the client, you mean the rabbit-type core?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡±

    ¡°Did they use humanization?¡±

    ¡°They can¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that they¡¯re a rabbit?¡±

    ¡°So tasty looking nya¡­¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t eat my client¡­ can it talk?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s a talking rabbit, after all~¡±

    A talking rabbit, huh. Oh, but I¡¯ve already talked with a snake, frog, and a slug, so I guess I shouldn¡¯t sweat the details?

    Still though, I can¡¯t help but wonder how the rabbit was able to ask Haku-san for help.

    ¡°Alright, guess I¡¯ll go get your client~¡±

    Saying that, Misha left the room for a moment before returning. She was carrying an orange rabbit inside a birdcage¡­ It was an ordinary-sized rabbit, yep.

    As soon as the rabbit saw Rokuko, he oh-so-cutely raised his front leg to greet her.

    ¡°Nkyuu! If it isn¡¯t you No. 695, Rokuko! It¡¯s been nkuuite a while~¡±

    ¡°It has, No. 629. Why¡¯d youe in that?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu. Becaaause this pink cat beastkin kepting and looking like she was gonna eat me but doesn¡¯t when I¡¯m in this nkyuu¡­ oooh, the blood lust¡­¡±

    When I nced over to Misha, she was drooling.

    I took the time to check out Meat and she was staring at the rabbit like she was going to hunt it.

    As for Ichika, well¡­ you can imagine. He was already cooked in her eyes.

    ¡°Come on you guys, that¡¯s our client¡­ don¡¯t try to eat him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ashamed nya, but it¡¯s instincts! I can¡¯t suppress my appetite¡­!¡±

    ¡°This is the only time I¡¯ll share an opinion with her¡­¡±

    ¡°I-I have to deny myself? But it¡¯s so rare I bet it¡¯d taste outa this world!¡±

    Is this even going to be possible? We¡¯ll have to frustrate the Demon King faction before eat him out of deliciousness.

    ¡°Kyuaaah¡­ save me, Rokukooo! I don¡¯t wanna get eaten!¡±

    ¡°Alright, everyone. Come back to your senses.¡±

    Rokuko pped her hands and everyone stopped.

    ¡°Phe. Kyuu saved me, Rokuko. I thought my heart was gonna stop there nkyu.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, I heard rabbits could die out of loneliness. That was true?¡±

    ¡°Dying huh~, dunno about that nkyuu¡­ So, kyuu are Rokuko¡¯s master?¡±

    The rabbit did a thing with his mouth inside the cage and turned toward me.

    ¡°No. 629, right? I¡¯m Kehma. Nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I heard kyuu would being to help from Haku¡­ sama. I¡¯m lookin forward to it!¡±

    Looks like Core No. 629 still wasn¡¯t used to adding?<i>-sama</i>?to Haku-san¡¯s name.

    Well, I guess that¡¯s to be expected since he just fell under her umbre. Unwillingly, at that.

    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s hard to say 629 all the time, can I call you something else?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu? I don¡¯t mind. Give me a cool name!¡±

    With that, I nced over to Ichika.

    ¡°Ichika, got any good ideas?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Ya want me to decide? Right¡­ then how ¡¯bout Orange?¡±

    This world¡¯s oranges were also the color orange. His orange fur definitely made you think of them.

    Giving a rabbit a food-based name feels a bit like thinking of him as emergency rations, but eh, guess it¡¯ll be fine?

    ¡°So that¡¯s why that¡¯s what we¡¯ll call you, you good with that?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu. Good with me, so kyuu can call me Orange.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°Nn? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    It looks like Ichika didn¡¯t be his master.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, Orange, do you have a master?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu? Nope.¡±

    And he doesn¡¯t have one yet¡­ I decided to give it a shot in the small chance it worked out, but I guess there¡¯s some other requirement I don¡¯t know about? Guess it¡¯s not just all about the name.

    Well, it¡¯s not like this is really the time to talk and find out though.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, guess it¡¯s time we start talking about the Dungeon Battle. Orange, what sort of ce is your dungeon at?¡±

    ¡°Ooh, yeah. My dungeon¡¯s in a meadow.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, a meadow. Is there anything else?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s rabbits and nothin¡¯ else really~¡±

    So we have a rabbit-type Dungeon Core in a meadow with nothing but rabbits¡­ uh-huh. No, no, I won¡¯t have the full picture until I ask for more details.

    ¡°Where is your Dungeon Core?¡±

    ¡°Fu fu fu¡­! It¡¯s a secret, but it¡¯s in a spot underground¡­ kyuu, I dug up a hole to hide it from hawks wanting to attack it!¡±

    ¡°What sort of non-rabbit monsters can you summon? Any traps?¡±

    I decided to just exchange information about simple stuff like that until Haku-san arrives.

    ¡°¡­ So you only have rabbits?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu, I¡¯m going with the strategy of surrounding people that trip and ganging up on them! Even if a single strike¡¯s weak, we can beat ¡¯em up till they die! With that, we can win!¡±

    ¡°I understand what you¡¯re saying, but you can¡¯t rely on that for Dungeon Battles.¡±

    ¡­ I think I understand why Haku-san was saying [Frustrate Them] and not [Win].

    At any rate, Orange¡¯s [Rabbit Paradise] was a simple dungeon with an above-ground meadow and a single underground floor¡ªsimple enough to bring [Ordinary Cave] to mind.

 Chapter 326 - Visiting Rabbit Paradise

    <h4>Chapter 326</h4> <h4>Visiting Rabbit Paradise</h4>

    ¡°Kyuu can help right? I hope kyuu can!¡±

    The orange-colored rabbit flicked his ears from within the cage.

    ¡­ He¡¯s so fluffy¡­

    Just then, Haku-san suddenly appeared in the room. Like a ninja¡­ she probably used [Teleport]¡ªwait, no, it was probably the menu¡¯s [cement] function. At the very least, the capital was within Haku-san¡¯s territory.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting. I see you¡¯ve started?¡±

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama.¡±

    Rokuko walked over to Haku-san.

    ¡°Haku¡­ sama. Thankyuu for helping me for this¡­¡±

    ¡°For the Demon King Faction to set their eyes on you, you were in a tough spot, No. 629.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nkyuu. Seriously.¡±

    Orange settled onto his hind legs and stamped twice. It felt like it was the rabbit¡¯s way of showing stress.

    It was natural he¡¯d be stressed, though whether that was due to the Demon King Faction or Haku-san, well. Well.

    Right, let¡¯s ask him what¡¯s been on my mind.

    ¡°Say, Orange, how¡¯d you manage to contact Haku-san? It¡¯s not like you hopped all the way to the capital, right? You¡¯d definitely have gotten yourself hunted by someone.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu!? Don¡¯t say something so scary! ¡­ But I wanna know kyuu! I was just holding my head from the stress and Haku¡ªsama, just appeared kyuu. So I yielded to her!¡±

    Yep. I get the feeling that a rabbit would just yield as the default but alright?

    With that, I looked over to Haku-san, who gave her response while embracing Rokuko.

    ¡°I received a deration of war from the Demon King Faction, saying [We will destroy your faction¡¯s dungeon]. So then when I inspected the ce they mentioned, I found you.¡±

    ¡°C¡¯mon nkyuu. They didn¡¯t listen to me at all¡­ uuu, they just found me when I was frolicking in the meadow¡­¡±

    Orange stamped the ground again.

    ¡°By the way, is ¡®Orange¡¯ No. 629¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was hard for me to keep using a number as his name.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. So, were you able to be his master as well?¡±

    ¡°No?¡±

    Looks like Haku-san caught on to me wanting to experiment. Orange himself didn¡¯t seem to notice though. He didn¡¯t, but he still tilted his head is puzzlement.

    ¡°Ohh, right! How should I improve my dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Right. First, I will be giving Kehma-san some DP. Please cooperate with him to somehow make it through the Demon King Faction¡¯s assault.¡±

    ¡°¡­ You¡¯re skillfully delegating your work away, Haku-san.¡±

    ¡°Rather than me giving the instructions, I believe that leaving it to Kehma-san will certainly produce more amusing¡ªwell-suited results.¡±

    She definitely just said?<i>amusing</i>?there. Well, I guess Haku-san wants to see at least a little of what¡¯s up my sleeve.

    ¡°Which is why I will be officially allowing you to join my faction, Orange. You are wee.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha~! My deepest thanks nkyuu!¡±

    Orange bowed his head. His hind leg seemed to stamp the ground there for a sec, but let¡¯s pretend I didn¡¯t see it.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, are there any other factions than yours, Haku-san?¡±

    ¡°Most of the dungeons in the Raverio Empire are mine. It¡¯s not as absolute as in the Demon King Faction or the Dragon King Faction, though.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Which is why they mistook me for being in the Betrayer¡¯s Faction nkyuu¡­¡±

    Ah, he just said betrayer, there. Well, Orange was also in the Betrayer¡¯s Faction, it¡¯s just official now.

    ¡°Uuu, even I was basikyuuly in the Beast King Faction¡­¡±

    ¡°Right. I was wanting to ask about that, too. Who¡¯s this Beast King person?¡±

    ¡°Core No. 8.¡±

    I¡¯d asked Orange the question, but Haku-san responded with an audible frankness.

    ¡°Although beast-type cores generally belong to his faction, they also follow thew of the jungle and push their children into bottomless pits and leave them there.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So what you¡¯re saying is that they forsake the weak ones?¡±

    ¡°Kyuun¡­¡±

    I started to feel like the orange rabbit was pitiable¡­ Alright, I have to properly help him in this Dungeon Battle¡­!

    ¡°Alright then, it looks like our meeting is now at its end, so how about we go examine the area?¡±

    Haku-san recited the incantation for [Teleport]. It would¡¯ve been different if it was just Haku-san and Misha, but she couldn¡¯t use dungeon deployment since were all going as well.

    Wrapped in [Teleport]¡¯s light, we appeared in the meadow.

    ¡­ You could say it was a sea of grass for as far as the eye could see. This vast meadow was Orange¡¯s dungeon? Or perhaps we¡¯re underground and this just?<i>looks</i>?like a vast grasnd?

    ¡°Nkyuu, my dungeon¡¯s around a fifty meter circumference around here. Ummm, my hole¡¯s somewhere around here, but¡­. o-ooh, here, here it is nkyuu~¡±

    Orange was hopping through the grass and stopped at a spot with some exposed dirt.

    So he put an illusion over it to make it so that enemies wouldn¡¯t find it? I see¡­

    ¡°You could sprain your ankle if you didn¡¯t see it and fell in.¡±

    ¡°Fu fu fu! And then we¡¯ll beat ¡¯em up! Horned rabbits, armored rabbits, magic rabbits, soldier rabbits~, everyone, I¡¯m baaack!¡±

    After descending the stairs, I saw a big room. There were rabbits that looked like armadillos and others with a single horn sprouting from their heads. I guess they¡¯re the horned rabbits and armored rabbits he was talking about.

    They all twitched their noses. They seemed to be saying [Wee back~]¡­ I guess Trantion Function-san doesn¡¯t work with rabbit speech?

    ¡°Wee back~¡±

    ¡°Any souvenirs~!?¡±

    ¡°Something stinks~¡±

    Oh, there it goes. I could understand what the three horned rabbits were saying¡­ This¡¯ll make it feel weird next time I go to eat rabbit meat.

    And Meat, I can see your tail wagging back and forth there, but you can¡¯t hunt them, okay? Really.

    ¡°Nmu nmu. Oh, Kehma. This is my dungeon, nkyuu, and these guys stop people here. The magic rabbits and soldier rabbits run out from that room there and pincer them~. Nokyuu intruder¡¯s ever made it past! It¡¯s the best strategy!¡±

    ¡°I see. But that Demon King Faction guy walked in and out?¡±

    ¡°¡­ He stopped when he saw my core while the armored rabbits were holding him back. Nkyuuu, if he continued, he¡¯d have killed everyone¡­¡±

    Orange kicked the ground in frustration. He seemed to be aware of his own strength.

    Well, up until then it was probably just beginner adventurers hunting rabbits. I mean, even D-Ranks were considered to have graduated from rabbit hunting back in Tsuia.

    Still though, getting swarmed by monsters as soon as they entered would definitely do in a rookie.

    You could even call their 0% return rate a splendid achievement for a dungeon, an existence that turned lives into?<ruby>DP<rt>Nourishment</rt></ruby>. It also had a disadvantage, though.

    At the very least, it was definitely much better of a dungeon than ours when I became its master.

    ¡°Did you think of that strategy yourself?¡±

    ¡°I was taught it by my rabbit-type core seniors nkyuu. We may be rabbits, but if we swarm them, we can win.¡±

    Oh, so there¡¯s other rabbit-type cores. Heeh¡­e to think of it, wasn¡¯t something said about Setsuna¡¯s father being a rabbit-type core? Maybe it¡¯s one of them.

    As I thought about such irrelevant things, Haku-san wrapped her arms around Rokuko from behind and asked me a question.

    ¡°So, Kehma-san. Do you think you could frustrate the Demon King Faction with this dungeon?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d like a little more information. Like who we¡¯re up against.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re not saying you can¡¯t?¡±

    Just as Haku-san smiled, Rokuko rubbed her nose with a prideful humph.

    Err, she was praising me there though?

 Chapter 327

    <h4>Dungeon Producer Kehma, Start.</h4>

    Our opponent would be Core No. 564, a grunt from the Demon King Faction. There was even the possibility they were even less skilled than Rokuko, that kind of Dungeon Core.

    Well, looks like I won¡¯t have to worry about there being too many peopleing our way, at least.

    Those from the Demon King Faction pride themselves on individual prowess. Therefore, no matter them being around the same rank or whatever, they¡¯d definitely see Orange as a weakling and not bother attacking en masse.

    Now that I think about it, doesn¡¯t that mean she saw us as equals back in that three-way dungeon battle? Also, seeing as how Aidi came at us herself to finish it in the end, I guess she really did fit the bill to be in the Demon King Faction.

    ¡°Alright then, is there anything else you would like to hear?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, around how far are we from the capital here?¡±

    ¡°Around a day¡¯s ride on horseback. If you left the capital in the morning, you would just barely make it here at dusk, I believe.¡±

    ¡­ Hmm. That¡¯s closer than I thought it¡¯d be. I guess that¡¯s why beginners asionally vanish?

    ¡°Wait, the Demon King Faction¡¯s making a move even though it¡¯s so close to the capital?¡±

    ¡°Think of it as them trying to sneak it past me. It¡¯s troubling that they do these sort of things just to annoy me.¡±

    I see¡­ well, I guess I can understand what¡¯s going on now.

    I came up with an [Eh this is fine] n.

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯ll be enough to actually win, but it¡¯s not like we have to win.

    It¡¯s a bit harsh to say, but the person dying if we lose isn¡¯t me. And even if Orange dies, that just means I¡¯ll seed in annoying the Demon King Faction. It¡¯d be better if Orange doesn¡¯t die, though. Winning would be for the best, of course.

    That being the case, I¡¯ll be trying out some tactics I¡¯d never do under ordinary circumstances.

    ¡°Our budget is 100,000 DP from Haku-san and 350,000 DP from Orange¡¯s reserves, huh¡­¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu. Sorry, my portion¡¯s all I have¡­ I don¡¯t want to use it all up¡­¡±

    The support from Haku-san was 100,000 DP. Whatever was leftover would be a bonus to our reward. Let¡¯s see if there¡¯s anything they can help us with.

    ¡°Ummm. Just to check if there¡¯s anything you can help us with¡­ is there any secret thing you can do at the adventurer guild, like inform them about this dungeon or something? Not immediately though.¡±

    ¡°Of course. That would be no problem. Cooperate with them, Misha.¡±

    ¡°Okay, understood nya!¡±

    Great, now we should be able to attract adventurers and get some extra DP.

    Actually, setting aside Rokuko and I, Ichika and Meat should be sources of DP as well¡­ I¡¯ll have to take that into ount for our budget¡­

    Alright. Let¡¯s make our first move right away.

    ¡°Orange. Let¡¯s do some rearranging.¡±

    ¡°Kyuui?¡±

    Orange tilted his head.

    ¡°What do kyuu mean?¡±

    ¡°Make a sub-dungeon and move your Dungeon Core there.¡±

    ¡°Hooh¡­ so there¡¯s that kind of strategy nkyoo¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, I beat Haku-san like that.¡±

    ¡°Huh!? Seriously!?¡±

    Orange looked over to Haku-san, who was smiling bitterly and likely thinking back to it.

    ¡°Seriously¡­!? Nkyuu, wait! That means Rokuko beat Haku-sama?¡±

    ¡°It does. We had a mutual handicap of limiting ourselves to 100,000 DP, though. Isn¡¯t my Kehma amazing?¡±

    ¡°Nyuu! That¡¯s awesome, Rokuko!¡±

    Yeah, this was the strategy I went with back in my first Dungeon Battle, the one against Haku-san.

    Back then, I just put the core in a dummy cave rather than a full sub-dungeon, but Haku-san still wound up magnificently falling for it. So I won.

    There was no reason for me to not use a strategy that even worked against Haku-san, so I figured we should put the all-important Dungeon Core in a safe ce.

    Fortunately, there was nothing but meadows all around. Us just digging a hole in a good spot without leaving any traces and putting the Dummy Core in it was all we¡¯d need to do. That way, we could just swap it with the real Dungeon Core on the day it all happens.

    ¡°So, Haku-san. I want to make a sub-dungeon¡­ but is it alright if we make the dungeon around half a day¡¯s ride closer to the capital from here?¡±

    ¡°So about halfway between here and the capital? It won¡¯t be a big deal if it¡¯s around there. Do as you please.¡±

    If we make the territory extend veeeeeeeeery thinly out that way, even if it¡¯s a half day¡¯s ride away in distance, we should be able to fit in our budget.

    Now that I have confirmation on it, looks like it¡¯s time to do something about defense.

    ¡°Haah¡­ Kehma. Kyuu beating Haku-sama is crazy.¡±

    ¡°What, it¡¯s only because of the conditions.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Which reminds me, I heard Rokuko beat No. 112-sama too or something, but was that kyuu too, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°No. 112¡­? Oh, Ontentoo? Yeah, though only because of the conditions there too.¡±

    ¡°Oh! And! Kyuu won against No. 666 in a Dungeon Battle right? What about that?¡±

    ¡°That win was due to the conditions as well.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Wait, waiiit¡­ D-Did I, actually¡­ get a really great ally?¡±

    Only if you paid attention to the oue, I guess.

    Though I¡¯m more a greatly?<i>terrible</i>?ally if you take into the fact that it means you¡¯re under Haku-san now.

    ¡°I¡¯d prefer there to be special win conditions if possible¡­ Orange, are you able to contact your opponent to add more victory conditions? Like holding out for a day for us to win or something.¡±

    ¡°Contact them huh~¡­ I don¡¯t have a way to, nkyuu¡­ I can wait till they¡¯re here again? They said that¡¯d be at the start of the Dungeon Battle though¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm, oh well¡­ wait. Haku-san, do you have any way to contact them?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see¡­. I suppose I could send a letter to No. 6. Would you like me to ask for a conversation concerning our factions¡¯ cores having a Dungeon Battle with each other?¡±

    Yeah, so Orange, you really did manage to get yourself involved in a conflict between two major factions. My condolences¡­ Wait, aren¡¯t I involved now too?

    I don¡¯t think it¡¯d be a good idea to make it any more of an issue than it already is. Yep.

    ¡°¡­ Nevermind. I¡¯ll just have to see what I can do.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu. I¡¯m relying on kyuu, Kehma!¡±

    Orange rubbed his head on my ankle. Meanwhile, three horned rabbits came along and did the same, saying stuff like [I¡¯ma join~], [Me too~], and [Looks fun~].

    Fluffy. So. Fluffy.

    Oh, horned rabbits¡¯ horns are hard. They¡¯re rubbing against me¡ªow. That y-biting hurts too.

    Eh? The armored rabbits areing too? H-Hold up, they aren¡¯t fluffy at all, they¡¯re just a bunch of scales and?<i>oh god there¡¯s so many of them</i>! Stop! Staaaahp!

    ¡°Kehma, you¡¯re covered with rabbits there.¡±

    ¡°Could you get them off me? Some of these guys hurt.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Actually, can I join in?¡±

    Wait. Haku-san¡¯s here, please don¡¯t.

    Oh, Meat I don¡¯t mind if you do, but please not with your knife out. They¡¯re our allies.

 Chapter 328

    Haku-san and Misha headed back.

    Which is why I figured I should start with the all-out remodeling of Orange¡¯s dungeon.

    When I told Orange that, he just groaned sullenly.

    ¡°But my dungeon¡¯s survival rate is 0%, nkyuu. I thought it was good¡­¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also a downside though.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡±

    Not one of the beginners made it out alive. That was a good thing as well as a bad thing.

    As a result of there being no survivors, this ce was basically unknown. As said by the saying ¡®dead men tell no tales (except undead)¡¯, the number of peopleing here never increased.

    ¡°Nkyuu. Isn¡¯t that a good thing?¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get DP.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oooh. Right.¡±

    There¡¯ll be nothing trying to kill you without enemiesing along, so you could live another day. That¡¯s a good thing.

    However, without enemies, the dungeon will stall.

    ¡°By the way, I told Haku-san that you¡¯ll be moving, but we¡¯ll actually be making two or more.¡±

    ¡°Really? Nkyuu, wonder if there¡¯s enough DP¡­¡±

    ¡°What, you¡¯ll easily get this much back here on out, don¡¯t worry about it¡­ I¡¯ll be making you a dungeon with a 100% survival rate. For that, I had to guarantee you a location near the capital.¡±

    Half a day¡¯s trip at an all-out pace from the capital, double that at a more normal pace. There¡¯ll definitely be repeat visitors.

    ¡°100% return rate? Can kyuu get DP from that? Wouldn¡¯t kyuu only get DP from the earth vein if kyuu don¡¯t kill anyone?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know? You¡¯ll get DP even if you don¡¯t kill people for as long as they¡¯re in the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh? Really?¡±

    Eh, he really didn¡¯t know?

    ¡°You should be getting a good amount just from Meat and Ichika being here, how is it?¡±

    ¡°Seriously¡­? Seriously!¡±

    Guess he looked at his menu. He should already be getting some portion of Meat and Ichika¡¯s daily DP worth.

    Still though, I thought it wasmon sense for Dungeon Cores that they¡¯d get daily DP from people. Was I wrong?

    ¡­ Wait. What about the opposite and there¡¯s ways of earning DP that Rokuko doesn¡¯t know about¡­?

    Let¡¯s think about thatter.

    ¡°Hoheeh, so kyuu can get DP like this. Convenient~¡±

    ¡°Pretty much.¡±

    ¡°So dungeons with a 100% survival rate¡­ nkyuu, cram and lock them in?¡±

    In truth, therge scale ones are called human farms.

    ¡°No, you will be locking them in, but you won¡¯t be cramming people in. You¡¯ll make a shop.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A shop?¡±

    ¡°Wait, Kehma. You¡¯re talking about trading with humans like at our dungeon right? No. 629, can you use humanization?¡±

    ¡°Ukyuu¡­ trading, huuuh¡­. I can¡¯t use it. Kyuu, I might be able to if I reeeeally try, but it¡¯d cost 300,000 DP.¡±

    Still petting a rabbit, Rokuko hopped into the conversation. She had a point.

    Being able to use humanization was like a kind of prestige amongst Dungeon Cores.

    This was because the Dungeon Cores¡¯ [Father] took the shape of a human and the veteran cores first acquired humanization in order to show respect to him.

    It was also why Rokuko and Haku-san, who didn¡¯t need to do anything to humanize since that¡¯s how they were from the start, were so disliked.

    300,000¡­ so Orange would have to blow the majority of his savings, huh.

    ¡°Even if you knew humanization, I can¡¯t see it being too beneficial¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know either, kyuu. I¡¯ve never done it before!¡±

    Orange didn¡¯t have the leeway to spend 300,000 DP on something like that, so that¡¯s just how it would have to be.

    ¡°Well, there are a number of things that could mimic being human to work in the shop, so it¡¯s not like you have to. Silkies and the like.¡±

    ¡°Mmm, wait a sec. Was there anything like that¡­?¡±

    With that, Orange ran his eyes through the empty air. He was probably looking through his catalog from the menu¡¯s function.

    ¡°No silkies¡­ There¡¯s soldier rabbits though? They can walk and kyuse weapons. Can¡¯t speak humanese, though.¡±

    ¡°Ichika, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯d be hard passin¡¯ ¡¯em off as rabbit beastkin. Pass.¡±¡®

    Mmm, well, even if they can walk on two legs and carry a spear, they¡¯d still be a rabbit. That¡¯d be a bit much.

    ¡°Show me your catalog, I want to see your selection.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    Orange did a few things before a menu suddenly appeared in the air. He was showing me his catalog.

    ¡­ Hmm. His UI was no different from ours. Let¡¯s see¡­ yep, yep. Rabbits really are cheap¡ªI mean, they¡¯re practically all rabbits.

    The pitfall traps were uselessly cheap. Same with items, there were only cheap ones.

    Well, I guess Orange was a fundamentally different Dungeon Core from Rokuko. Of course what they could do would differ. Still though, worst case scenario I can just do what I want by purchasing monsters and items myself with his DP and transfer the ownership to Orange. No problem.

    Oh, maybe he¡¯ll be able to get silkies and the like once he uses humanization? Probably.

    ¡°Oh, this wererabbit one doesn¡¯t look bad? Misha¡¯s a werecat, so shouldn¡¯t it be able to change into a human too?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I-It¡¯s 50,000 DP¡­ a bit much, nkyuu¡­¡±

    Meanwhile, there was no wererabbit in our catalog. And 50,000 DP was so-so.

    Even from Orange¡¯s point of view, it was around a seventh of his assets.

    It was definitely a lot, but it was a necessary expense.

    ¡°I¡¯ll handle the cost if it doesn¡¯t work out, so give it a go.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, I will then¡­! Hikyuuu, I¡¯m super nervous. This is the first time I¡¯ve spent over 10,000, and it¡¯s 50,000¡­¡±

    ¡°Just let ¡®er rip man. Go for it.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, kyuu¡¯ll really take responsibility if it doesn¡¯t work out right!?¡±

    Even while saying that, Orange started to summon a wererabbit.

    A magic formation around two meters wide appeared.

    Soon after, a red-haired, rabbit-eared girl appeared with a plop. Contrasting Orange¡¯s ears that hung down, hers were more perky like you¡¯d think a bunny girl¡¯s would be¡­ Fur covered most of her body, like she was wearing a one piece swimsuit despite having no clothes on. Her arms from the elbow down and legs from the knee down were furred as well, like gloves and boots.

    ¡°Oooh, so she appeared like the other rabbits, nkyuuu¡­ a human rabbit¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Umm, nkyu. Hel¡ªI¡¯m pleased to meet you.¡±

    ¡°She taaaaalked! She can speak humanese~!¡±

    It was all too simr to when I summoned Rei and the others.

    ¡°Her face is pretty cute, will she work out? Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. She could probably even work at our inn¡¯s reception desk.¡±

    If it¡¯s like this, she¡¯s at the level where she could deceive people even without being able to turn into a human.

    When I looked at her face, her cheeks reddened and she hid her face with her hands. Whoops, excuse me.

    ¡°Orange, give her a name. A girlish one would be good.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Make her a named monster? Well, she cost 50,000 so I guess, nkyuu¡­ hmm¡­ Bloodpool? ¡­ Kyuu, no¡­¡±

    The f*ck was that name? Scary.

    Orange looked up toward Ichika.

    ¡°Hey, kyuuu there, human. Kyuu named me, so think of another. I don¡¯t even know what a girlish name is, so I¡¯ll leave it to kyuu!¡±

    ¡°Huh? Gonna let me decide? ¡­ Hmm, how about Strawberry then? She¡¯s pretty red.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu! Alright, kyour name¡¯s Strawberry! Nice to meet kyuu!¡±

    ¡°O-Okay, thanks¡ªthank¡­ you!¡±

    And what¡¯s with Ichika¡¯s naming sense? Does she only use food for names?

    Well, I guess Strawberry¡¯s pretty girlish.

    ¡°So, to what extent can you mimic humans?¡±

    ¡°Nkyu! Show him, Strawberry! Show him what kyuu can do!¡±

    ¡°Umm¡­ nkyuu, fuah¡­!¡±

    Taking a guts pose and covering her mouth with her fists, Strawberry showed up her transforming into a human. Her ears didn¡¯t change, but the fur covering her arms, legs, and body started going away to look more like a human¡ªwait, clothes, she needs clothes! Eh, you don¡¯t have any? Rabbits don¡¯t usually wear any, you say?

    I quickly turned my head away from Strawberry to not see her nakedness.

    ¡°R-Rokuko, please give her some clothes.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma. Pervert.¡±

    ¡°It was an act of god!¡±

    She gave her clothes. I mean, there weren¡¯t any in Orange¡¯s catalog, after all.

    ¡°By the way, what would the shop sell? Rabbit skewers?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuuuu!?!?!? Th-Th-There¡¯s no way I could sell myrades¡¯ meat though!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll sell rabbits, but not as meat. Guess it¡¯s time I give you an exnation¡ª¡±

    And so I began to tell him my ns for the dungeon.

 Chapter 329

    <h4>Rabbit Dungeon 1</h4>

    ¡°¡ªWhich is why it¡¯ll be a shop that sells therapy through making the cuteness of rabbits its gimmick. We¡¯re going to make a rabbit caf¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Cuteness! I¡¯m confident in that, nkyuu! I spend a lot of time on grooming!¡±

    Orange took a pose as if to show off¡­ like a?<strong>kitten</strong>.

    We just ignored him and continued.

    ¡°¡­ Will it be sellin¡¯ food?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be a bit tough for rabbits to do¡­ it doesn¡¯t have to be a caf¨¦. It can just sell time with some adorable rabbits. That¡¯ll be enough to get DP. It¡¯s a win-win. It might be easier to understand if I call it a [Petting Zoo]¡­ what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Mmm, big shots¡¯d all have pets of their own so I think they¡¯d get the point, but adventurers¡¯d be a bit¡­ I mean, isn¡¯t the first thing ya think of after ya see a rabbit its meat?¡±

    Yeah, same with me. Let alone Misha, even Meat and Ichika kept looking at the rabbits hungrily. Since we first came here, even.

    ¡°Still though, I think it¡¯ll work.¡±

    ¡°Hoh. Why¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Just look at them.¡±

    I pointed ahead of me. Rokuko and Meat were ying with the horned rabbits.

    Young girls surrounded by fluffiness. Cute multiplied by adorable. The strongestbination.

    Meat, who¡¯d only been looking at them as food. Rokuko, the goblin fetishist. Both were enjoying themselves and ying with the rabbits.

    ¡°¡­ Ooh¡­ Now I¡¯m thinkin¡¯ it¡¯ll work after seein¡¯ Meat-senpai like that.¡±

    ¡°Right? But first we have to make people see rabbits as cute animals, not food. For that, we needed Strawberry-chan.¡±

    ¡°Nkyu!? Me?¡±

    Suddenly hearing her name brought up, Strawberry the wererabbit perked up.

    ¡°I see, so yer sayin¡¯ Strawberry¡¯s gonna be a clerk?¡±

    ¡°Eventually. It¡¯d be fine if she just lives normally, but first we¡¯ll be having her register as an adventurer. After that, she¡¯lle with a team of adventurers to survey the newly-made rabbit dungeon and guide them in the ways of loving on rabbits.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see, so ya¡¯ll be tempin¡¯ them!¡±

    In Japanese, you¡¯d call them shills<sup>1</sup>.

    ¡°But how would ya get amission put up for such a new dungeon¡ªoh, yeah. That¡¯s where ya¡¯d have Mishae in.¡±

    ¡°Yep, exactly. We¡¯ll be preparing for adventurers up to C-Rank till then. Which is why I needed to get Misha to promise her cooperation.¡±

    It¡¯s really convenient to have big shots helping out at times like this.

    ¡°A-Am I really enough, f-for something so important¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Maybe I should go with you? Actually, maybe it¡¯d be good for there to only be one or two outsiders? Then we could set up a kind of [Let¡¯s go to practice]¡ªkind of feeling. That way, we can choose suitable adventurers. Ichika, Rokuko, please prepare some suitable equipment for her.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me.¡±

    Yep, Ichika¡¯s definitely useful. It feels like she¡¯s the person with the mostmon sense at our dungeon.

    I mean, we can just throw mine and Rokuko¡¯smon sense out the window and Meat¡¯s isn¡¯t much better, let alone Rei and the others¡¯ since they¡¯re all thinking about things from the dungeon¡¯s point of view.

    You¡¯ve gotten reliable, Ichika.

    ¡­ But for someone who fell into debt and was turned into a ve because they gambled too much to be the person with the mostmon sense among us¡­

    Yeah, let¡¯s stop there. I¡¯ll lose if I think too deeply on that.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s how it is. Let¡¯s start prepping the dungeon, Orange.¡±

    ¡°Oh, got it! Nkyuu, what should we do first?¡±

    ¡°Right¡ª¡±

    With that, we started making a new dungeon.

    That said, what we were making was small so it went pretty quickly.

    <h4>*</h4>

    I had Misha put out a dungeon investigationmission.

    [New dungeon investigation. Looking for 2 people. C-Rank and up. Reward: 50 Copper. Notes: Discoverer apaniment]

    With Strawberry the wererabbit as the discoverer and me taking up one of the slots, themission was actually just asking for one person. Strawberry was a D-Rank adventurer.

    I thought it was pretty stingy for a day¡¯s work, but ording to Misha, it was a pretty good amount that¡¯d draw people in¡­ [nya~].

    And so the person to apply to thismission that was actually just asking for one person¡­ was a¡ªfor some reason¡ªB-Rank adventurer by the name of Tokoi.

    It wasn¡¯t the first time we¡¯d met. It was an adventurer I recall meeting in the capital by chance. The guy who liked children despite his face being so severe.

    It seemed like his reason for going to the dungeon was to, and I quote, [See if it¡¯s safe for them youngsters so they don¡¯t hurt themselves].

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Tokoi.¡±

    ¡°P-pleased to meet kyuu¡­ M-My name is Strawberry.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Keh<strong>ko</strong>.¡±

    In order to hide my identity, I went with using [Super Transformation] to look like a so-so woman.

    I couldn¡¯t transform into something that didn¡¯t exist, but I managed to transform after thinking about transforming into someone I saw in Japan. Moreover, with brown-dyed hair.

    ¡­ Since no one would recognize her, it was the perfect disguise.

    It¡¯d be bad if I transformed into someone without asking and I wanted to be able to do away with any chances ofing across who I turned into. This way, I¡¯ll just turn into another person if anyone starts having a problem with me.

    Furthermore, Misha had also went through the preparations of making my persona be C-Rank. I can just throw this persona away when I¡¯m done with this. Hyaha!

    ¡°Is this your first time surveying a new dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Sort of. You?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it a few times. Still though, dungeons can be entirely different from what you first think of them to be. Don¡¯t let down your guard just because you think you¡¯re safe, you don¡¯t know what kind of danger might wait around the next corner.¡±

    Although he said that awfully gently, his scary face made it sound more like, [Oi, don¡¯t trip up, ya rookie!]

    Strawberry really was trembling, though. She knew that there was no danger, she¡¯s just a great actor¡­ wait, she¡¯s just afraid of Tokoi¡¯s face? Yeah~

    Having such a nonchnt chat while riding our wagon, we made our way to [Rabbit Rest Area] (currently-self-proimed).

 Chapter 330 - Rabbit Dungeon 2

    <h4>Rabbit Dungeon 2</h4>

    ¡°I was thinking there¡¯s no way there¡¯d be an undiscovered dungeon this close to the capital, just half a day out¡ªbut here it is. Kind of simple. I can see why it hadn¡¯t been found.¡±

    Tokoi spoke his thoughts as he looked at the dungeon¡¯s entrance.

    What we saw was a single sign and a staircase covered by what looked like a grass-woven lid covering it.

    The sign read [There are adorable rabbits here. Please get along well with them.]

    ¡°¡­ Hey, what do you think this means? Some kind of riddle?¡±

    ¡°How about we ask the discoverer? So, Strawberry-san?¡±

    ¡°Fukyui!? Oh, umm¡­ I-I think it¡¯s asking us to-to¡­ to get along with some adorable rabbits¡­!¡±

    Oooh, yeah she¡¯s definitely nervous. Me tagging along was definitely the right choice.

    ¡°Looks like there¡¯s a staircase under this lid thing. How about we go in?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ But keep an eye out for traps.¡±

    ¡°Of course. Tokoi-san, you take the rear.¡±

    We carefully followed the stairs down with me in the lead, followed by Strawberry, then Tokoi.

    Touching the stairs and walls as we went down, Tokoi kept examining them for traps.

    ¡°Hmm, this seems to be a fairly new dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Eh, you can tell?¡±

    ¡°Although this staircase is made from y, it¡¯scking any wear and tear. Old dungeons and dungeons with a lot of traffic going through them tend to have their y and stone stairs rounded at the corners and generally worn out. Also, the air down here is moist, but there¡¯s no moss down here, let alone any dust anywhere. That and more makes me think this is a new dungeon.¡±

    I see, that was informative. Unlike me, Tokoi¡¯s not a B-Rank for nothing.

    ¡°This room has¡ªno traps, it looks like. Rather, it looks like a meadow inside. It even seems to be a Safety Zone.¡±

    ¡°It gave us an environment room Safety Zone right away? It¡¯s as if it¡¯s trying to tell us to take a rest here.¡±

    Oh, environment rooms is meant to be a room that¡¯s like entering another world, like the one our dungeon has. They can be things like jungles, deserts, or whatever.

    To be exact, it was listed as a [Meadow] in Orange¡¯s catalog. Probably because there was nothing but grasnd all around outside. Together with setting it as a Safety Zone, it was?<i>really</i>?cheap.

    ¡°Ooh!! P-Please let me see you, you adorable little rabbits~!¡±

    Just then, Strawberry had entered the room with an awkwardly mechanical motion and called out. Following that, ordinary white rabbits headed her way and¡ªwere gripped by the scruff of their necks by Tokoi.

    ¡°Gueh!? Wh-What are you doing¡­!?¡±

    ¡°Idiot, that¡¯s dangerous! Even Safety Zones can be trapped!¡±

    ¡°Hyii¡ª-! S-Sorry, sorryyyyyy¡­.!¡±

    ¡°O-Oh, uh, I didn¡¯t mean to make you cry, sorry.¡±

    While Strawberry was holding onto Tokoi and sobbing, I walked into the room pretending to be vignt. Then, I sat down on something I¡¯d prepared as a chair beforehand¡ªa suitablyrge stone.

    ¡°Tokoi-san, it¡¯s alright. That¡¯s just how Strawberry is. Let¡¯s take a break.¡±

    ¡°A-Alright. Let¡¯s.¡±

    Tokoi seemed to be a man weak to a woman¡¯s tears. As expected of Misha¡¯s rmendation.

    ¡°Uugu, gusu¡ª¡±

    Fluffy white rabbits went over to the crying Strawberry.

    [What¡¯s wrong?]

    [You okay?]

    [You can pull through!]

    They rubbed up against her and twitched their noses as if to say those things.

    ¡°¡­ Uuu¡­. thank you, everyone¡­!¡±

    ¡°Those are some friendly rabbits.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, maybe because there haven¡¯t been any humans here yet? ¡­ They have some nice fur. If their meat¡¯s good as well, I bet they could fetch¡ª¡±

    ¡°Nyuu! No hunting them!¡±

    Strawberry shielded the rabbits behind her. Her expression looked brave, even.

    I will protect these children¡ªthat sort of feeling. It looked like Tokoi understood, too.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, I won¡¯t. Even that sign at the entrance asked for us to get along with them.¡±

    ¡°Yep! We can just y with the rabbits!¡±

    <code>"Yeah, but I''ll leave it to you and Kehko. It''d be impossible for me..." </code>

    Saying that, Tokoi sat on arge stone, dejected.

    But just then, a single rabbit hopped closer to him, one small leap at a time. It was one of the ones that had been hiding back in Strawberry¡¯s shadow.

    Then, after a short moment of staring at Tokoi in thought, it rubbed its body against him with only a slight bit of hesitation.

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    ¡°What a friendly rabbit.¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah. It is¡­ it really is.¡±

    Tokoi, not thinking about its pelt or meat at all now, timidly reached his hand out¡­ and pet it.

    Closing its eyes, the rabbit the gingerly sniffed the scent on Tokoi¡¯s other hand.

    Caught by surprise, Tokoi topped petting it. Now, the rabbit tilted its head as thought to ask [Done already?] before in turn rubbing its head against his hand.

    Seeing that it was very intently?<i>not</i>?attacking him, Tokoi knit his brow in embarrassment.

    With that, Strawberry spoke up as she embraced a rabbit of her own.

    ¡°E-Excuse me, Tokoi-san. Did you know? Petting a rabbit on the back is nice, it calms you down.¡±

    ¡°Does it? Strawberry is well-informed.¡±

    Following Strawberry¡¯s advice, Tokoi began to stroke the rabbit down its back.

    The rabbit hopped up onto hisp and let itself be pet.

    As Tokoi continued, the severity to his face lessened as it was reced by a natural smile.

    <i>¡­ Hook, line and sinker.</i>

    I felt the corners of my mouth raise steadily.

    Incidentally, these rabbits were all being controlled by Orange and the others. They were using [Monster Operation] from his original dungeon along with a [Monster Spawner: White Rabbits (500 DP)].

    They¡¯d gave it their all training under Ichika¡¯s supervision to make their movements lot look too overkill.

    Adventurers were those who lived hunting animals and generally had next to no experience in being liked by them. Only powerful monsters would be tamers¡¯ partners, yet rabbits were weak and pitifully cute creatures.

    Naturally, they¡¯d have absolutely no chances to interact with them like this.

    In other words, you could say that they also had absolutely zero resistance to being loved on by cuteness.

    So they would all fall for them. Particrly big strong men like Tokoi who¡¯d normally be feared.

    Honestly, it took longer to train them to move so cutely than it did to make the dungeon.

    But just seeing the look on Tokoi¡¯s face¡ªit was all worth it.

    I was convinced this strategy would work.

 Chapter 331 - Rabbit Dungeon 3

    <h4>Rabbit Dungeon 3</h4>

    Well, I was able to get the big brother-ish Tokoi to fall for them.

    This dungeon¡¯s safety is practically guaranteed if it was able to make Tokoi, a powerful B-Rank adventurer from the capital, into an ally.

    Misha, good job picking this dude out.

    ¡°Still though, its fur is amazing. There¡¯s no beast-like smell to it at all¡­ like one of those pets aristocrats have.¡±

    Stroking a rabbit from its shoulders to its hind, Tokoi spoke in admiration.

    ¡°Right? Normally, rabbits would smell oily or dirty some other way.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s almost like¡­ yeah, like someone¡¯s grooming them.¡±

    His intuition¡¯s sharp¡­ as expected of a B-Rank adventurer.

    There¡¯s no helping it, though. Let¡¯s just exin the circumstances. Well, the circumstances I¡¯d prepared in advance, of course.

    I turned to Tokoi as if to whisper into his ear.

    ¡°¡­ To be honest, this dungeon¡¯s discoverer¡ªthat is, Strawberry¡ªhas been here many times, she brushes and washes the rabbits.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hoh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because she¡¯s a rabbit beastkin, she feels a connection with the rabbits.¡±

    ¡°I have heard about beastkin sometimes being able tomune with animals¡­ I see, so Strawberry¡¯s the reason?¡±

    I nodded back to him.

    ¡°Alright, so that¡¯s why she looked so unnatural when she entered the room earlier.¡±

    ¡°Exactly. She¡¯s even been camping out here for a long time.¡±

    ¡°She said she didn¡¯t want the rabbits to get hurt¡­ Tokoi-san, can¡¯t you see?¡±

    Tokoi looked over to Strawberry, who¡¯d constructed a cuddle puddle out of herself and various rabbits.

    He was observing her in consideration. I felt a cold sweat drip down my back hoping that this B-Rank adventurer wouldn¡¯t figure it out somehow.

    ¡­ But then he nodded.

    ¡°Your words don¡¯t seem to be lies. Strawberry loves these rabbits from the bottom of her heart¡­ I can see that much. I can understand how she feels. If she wants to protect them, I will, too.¡±

    Uh huh. So you seeing her goodness has nothing to do with you being charmed by the rabbits? I mean, you¡¯re?<i>still</i>petting that rabbit on yourp.

    ¡°However, Kehko, when did you hear that about Strawberry?¡±

    ¡°I met her before you, after all. Besides, we¡¯re both women, so it was easy for her to open up to me¡­ Also, I¡¯ve been wondering¡­ Tokoi-san, isn¡¯t it strange for a man like you to love rabbits like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Yeah.¡±

    His expression reminded me of when he¡¯d identally caused Strawberry to cry. He nodded, a bitter look on his face.

    ¡°There¡¯s a problem I¡¯ve been thinking about¡­ that is, there will be bandits hunting these rabbits when we open this to the public.¡±

    When Tokoi said that, the rabbit on hisp stood up with a start.

    ¡°Whoops¡­ sorry, I let a bit of my bloodlust leak out. Just by imagining that happening¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s said that rabbits are just cowardly, but they can definitely feel that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, small animals are particrly sensitive to bloodlust. Rats and the like can feel impending danger and scuttle away from death¡¯s door. This guy here, though¡­ he¡¯s bold.¡±

    Tokoi looked down at the rabbit he was petting.

    By the way, it wasn¡¯t exactly a problem if people decided to hunt the rabbits.

    I mean, all of these rabbits were just spawned monsters being controlled by Orange and the others.

    A little bit of time went into washing and brushing them, but they were just white rabbits equivalent to around 5 DP each. Everything¡¯ll be fine if the person¡ªerr, the rabbit on the inside stays safe.

    They came from the spawner, so it doesn¡¯t matter how many are hunted, they¡¯ll replenish forever.

    Therefore, as long as there are?<ruby>adventurers whoe to hang out<rt>Repeat Customers</rt></ruby>, it doesn¡¯t matter if some are hunted.

    We could add a pitfall trap that only activates for people who hunt them, maybe.

    Like as soon as they kill a rabbit, they trigger a pitfall that takes them to a really coldke.

    ¡­ Well, they¡¯ll?<i>probably</i>?survive the fall. But there won¡¯t be an exit or anywhere to rest, so they¡¯ll have to tread water until they die. Good luck.

    They might be saved if they can fly, but I don¡¯t think anyone like that woulde here to hunt rabbits.

    ¡°Tokoi-san, could you say something to stop that?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, if it¡¯s just the capital¡¯s adventurers, there¡¯d probably not be many people that would if I put the word out¡­ but there are some who aim to be powerful adventurers and who don¡¯t care about cute things. It¡¯s also possible for adventurers not based in the capital toe¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see.¡±

    ¡­ Yeah. There¡¯s also the possibility that there¡¯ll be people who fall for the rabbits and take them home. Like what if some proficient adventurer starts a take-home business?

    Let¡¯s have them struggle like they really don¡¯t want to leave if someone tries taking them up the stairs. If that doesn¡¯t work, they¡¯ll y dead. It¡¯ll definitely be a trauma for anyone whoes here for the rabbits¡¯ cuteness.

    At any rate, these rabbits just act like normal ones when Orange and the others aren¡¯t controlling them¡­ They¡¯re just ordinary spawned monsters if they leave the dungeon¡¯s domain and would die soon enough.

    Yeah, let¡¯s talk to Orange about this stuffter.

    ¡°Hey, Strawberry. Could youe here?¡±

    ¡°O-Okay. What is it, Kehko-san?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I wound up telling Tokoi-san that you¡¯ve camped out here a lot.¡±

    ¡°Eh! Ah, eh, u-ummm¡­ b-but I said don¡¯t tell anyooone¡­.¡±

    Strawberry put on a suspiciously flustered expression. It was only half acting, but it was bad acting. It felt like she was trying too hard.

    Seeing her, Tokoi spoke up.

    ¡°Strawberry. Did something happen while you were camping here?¡±

    ¡°Fueh! Oh, um, n-no. This ce, well, it gets dark at night, and there¡¯s safe drinking water¡­ and even without a sleeping bag, the rabbits sleep together and keep you warm.¡±

    ¡°!!! Hoh, that sounds perfect.¡±

    The sheer force of the jolt that ran through Tokoi¡¯s face when he heard her say?<i>rabbits sleeping together</i>?was astounding. The only reason he didn¡¯t stand up right then and there was likely the rabbit still on hisp.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s set up camp for the night. As for looking further inside¡­ let¡¯s stay the night first, as we¡¯d nned. If needed, we can stay a second night.¡±

    Yeah, it¡¯s gonna be a two-nighter. No doubt about that.

    By the way, our exploration further inside went quickly¡ªthere was nothing more than a Core Room with a dummy core in it and a few other small rooms with nothing in them?<strong>yet</strong>.

 Chapter 332 - The Rabbit Dungeonâ€™s Underbelly

    <h4>The Rabbit Dungeon¡¯s Underbelly</h4>

    ¡°This¡­ is even more safe of a dungeon than I¡¯d thought it¡¯d be. Maybe there¡¯s something hidden about it. Let¡¯s stay a second night to make sure. I don¡¯t think the reward will change¡­ but does that sound alright to you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind. What about you, Strawberry?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Tokoi-san, let¡¯s get along with the rabbits!¡±

    Big bro Tokoi was so transparent about how cute he found the rabbits he was practically fidgeting. Convenient.

    Well, there really is an underbelly to this dungeon. I mean, this dungeon was [For the Dungeon Battle].

    That night, we divided our tents based on sexes, so Tokoi was in a separate tent.

    Then, temporarily taking off [Super Transformation] and moving to the behind-the-scenes part of the dungeon, I used [Teleport] to go to the original dungeon and saw an orange-colored rabbit jump at me.

    ¡°Uoooh! Kehmaaaa!! Nyuu are amazing, Kehma! I¡¯m getting so much DP~!¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great.¡±

    The DP I¡¯d used to make the dungeon was most of Orange¡¯s DP. However, that wasn¡¯t much in the grand scheme of things. Including the Dummy Core¡¯s 5000 DP cost, it was around 20,000 DP in all.

    Although it looks like Orange¡¯s map doesn¡¯t show him how much DP he gets per day, Tokoi was a very strong person. He¡¯d get a good amount just from a single day.

    Moreover, he¡¯s getting Ichika and Meat¡¯s value as well.

    ¡°Hold on, No. 629. Kehma is my master, you don¡¯t get to embrace him before I do!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fiiine~. Rokuko, you can just embrace him too.¡±

    By the way, that environment room with all the rabbits bounding about¡­ well, it¡¯s a giant [Prison] with two entrances.

    A [Safety Zone] that¡¯s a [Prison]. This [Prison] takes advantage of thete night hours by closing its entrance, causing the adventurers¡¯ DP to skyrocket from three times the amount for being jailed to six times after being doubled for being confined.

    The only person in the room who¡¯s worth DP now is big bro Tokoi, but for Orange¡ªwho¡¯d been hunting insects for DP thus far¡ªit was probably a significant amount. (Even though his daily revenue from the earth vein seems to be much higher than the 10 DP/day my dungeon started with.)

    More importantly, I¡¯m surprised grasshoppers even give DP.

    Maybe it¡¯d be worth giving insect ranching a shot¡­ but it might¡¯ve just been a special characteristic for Orange, and it might get dangerous if I did it haphazardly, so let¡¯s not.

    ¡°But that guy¡¯s great.¡±

    ¡°Great petter!¡±

    ¡°Kehma too!¡±

    Meanwhile, the three sibling horned rabbits that were operating the white rabbits spoke. No sooner than they said that, they went back to controlling the rabbits and closed their eyes toy down. Monster operation was a possession-type operation, so it would cause them to leave their original bodies.

    This let them move the monsters like their own bodies, but it had the drawback of making them unable to move their true bodies unless they were given privilege to do so from the menu. In other words, neither Meat nor Ichika could do it.

    ¡°Nkyuuu. Is it time for the next stage?¡±

    Orange asked me as he began to groom himself.

    The next stage was preparing for the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°Yeah, there¡¯ll be no point unless we get more customersing. We need at least two or three more.¡±

    ¡°The soldier rabbits aren¡¯t getting a chance to do anything.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re going to be pretty busy when the timees though, yeah? Just have them practice in the meanwhile.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu, I just can¡¯t get used to attacking allies.¡±

    The n is to let our customers take care of the defense for this Dungeon Battle.

    We¡¯d be using the method I rejected¡ªhaving adventurers be our fighting strength¡ªback when I expanded the dungeon for our Dungeon Battle against Haku-san. Coincidentally, Tokoi was candidate number one back then, too.

    There were various reasons I¡¯d rejected the method back then, but since our n for this one was to straight up [Annoy] them, we were going with this unreliable n.

    The training for that was simple.

    We¡¯d prepare monsters meant to attack the rabbits. The gimmick was that the Safety Zone would be released when that happens.

    As a result, this¡¯ll imprint the behavior [Defend the rabbits].

    We were going to make it so that it wasn¡¯t strange for the rabbits to get attacked, that it was actually a normal thing for this dungeon. In that case, it would also be a normal thing to defend and protect them.

    The Dungeon Battle¡¯s oue would rest on this n, of having them eliminate the invaders to [Defend the rabbits].

    ¡­ We won¡¯t be giving them any rewards, so maybe we could have the rabbits leave the adventurers that really try some minor gifts?

    We¡¯d be faking it all of course, but it¡¯d be reality on the day of the Dungeon Battle.

    I¡¯d love for all of the adventurers who are there on that day to give it there all in actively defending the dungeon.

    Moreover, as soon as the day the Dungeon Battle is officially set¡­ it would just happened to be a day that Wataru woulde to the rabbit dungeon. Naturally, of course.

    It just happened to take three cream soda¡¯s to get Haku-san to cooperate¡­

    Yeah, so now that we have a hero¡¯s strength¡­ the dungeon¡¯s pretty beefy. Who could break through that? Sure, if it was a group of rats or something maybe a few would break through, but I don¡¯t think they¡¯d rely on numbers like that for their offense.

    And although we still had to prepare our method to attack them¡ªwe were missing information on our opponent.

    ¡°Come to think of it, do you still not know what kind of person they are at all?¡±

    ¡°There haven¡¯t been any reports yet.¡±

    Several days had passed since I asked Haku-san to get in touch with them, but there haven¡¯t been any reports yet.

    I guess it takes a good bit of time to deliver the letter to a hostile group like the Demon King Faction. They¡¯d probably be wary of traps and spend a lot of time making sure it was safe before opening it.

    ¡°Oh. By the way, it was humanized when it came to this dungeon. But it¡¯s probably a demon-type.¡±

    ¡°Eh, are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Probably? It was humanized but it had these big goat horns on its head! I think it was partially cancelled. It would¡¯ve been in the Beast King Faction if it was a beast.¡±

    Orange rubbed his nose with his paw in pride. His prideful expression was pretty despite being a rabbit.

    So humanization can be partially cancelled¡­ ording to Orange¡¯s reasoning, since it wasn¡¯t a beast-type core, it was most likely a demon-type one.

    Hearing that much, I find myself agreeing. A demon was a perfect for a group named the Demon King Faction.

    ¡°Please tell me important stuff like that sooner.¡±

    ¡°I just remembered now though¡­ It¡¯s thanks to you that I had it in myself to remember!¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡±

    That aside, I wonder if holy water would be effective against a demon-type¡­ I get the feeling Beddhism holy water wouldn¡¯t work.

    ¡°Oh, right.¡±

    Just as I started thinking about that, Rokuko spoke up.

    ¡°No. 629, what are you doing for the assembly? I¡¯m going to go.¡±

    ¡°Meeting? Wait, Rokuko, what are you talking about?¡±

    She was talking to Orange, but I spoke up anyway.

    ¡°Huh? I didn¡¯t tell you? The Dungeon Core Assembly ising up.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh yeah, it¡¯s been about that long, huh. And no, you didn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I? Last year.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s basically not saying it at all.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m telling you now.¡±

    I heard about how the Dungeon Core Assembly was held annually back in the three-way dungeon battle we had alongside Haku-san¡­ It¡¯s been a year since then already?

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go too, nkyuu. I really don¡¯t want to go, but I need to go to find out more¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. So, Rokuko, when is it going to happen, exactly?¡±

    ¡°Sometime soon?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean what day.¡±

    ¡°Today?¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko¡¯s body started glowing. Orange¡¯s too.

    <strong>A G A I N?</strong>

    ¡°Don¡¯t cheat on me, Kehma. I told Ichika to keep an eye on you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kehma. Please look after Strawberry and the others for me~¡±

    ¡°I said to tell me about this kind of stuff in advance!¡±

    Rokuko and Orange¡¯s bodies were wrapped in light and disappeared.

 Chapter 333 - The Dungeon Core Assembly

    <h4>The Dungeon Core Assembly</h4>

    When the light dimmed, Orange and Rokuko were in arge room.

    It was luxuriously made, like one used for a ball. This year¡¯s venue was likely a [Castle] setting.

    However, this room wasrge enough to amodate even something asrge as a dragon flying freely through it. She¡¯d never heard of a castle being thatrge.

    The lineup of attendees was as chaotic as every. To point out the noticeable ones, there was a dragon, a pegasus, and a unicorn. There were also ogres, frogs, slugs¡­ as well as various cores that had humanized.

    Even so, Core No. 5, the Dragon King, stood out. His size was in a ss of his own, but what stood out the most was the sheer size of the meat he was eating. What sort of animal did that [Manga Meat]e from? It was practically as big as him¡­

    For the time being, Rokuko decided to rush over to the side so as to not stand out. The venue was held indoors as opposed tost time, which meant there were walls.

    The wall would help settle her mind. Recesses were supreme.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the wall, No. 629.¡±

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m going to go say hi to my friends and make the rounds~¡±

    In contrast to Rokuko, who wanted nothing more than to get out of the way, Orange started to go say hi to his friends¡­ but he froze on the spot and turned around.

    ¡°¡­ Wait, now that I think about it¡­ I changed factions¡­ nkyuu¡­¡±

    Orange shook himself.

    He¡¯d changed to Haku¡¯s faction, the faction of the one known as the [Betrayer]. With that, the cores that had been his friends up till then would likely distance themselves from him. He stamped his foot on the ground.

    ¡°Theeen, Rokuko, please introduce me to the cores in Haku-sama¡¯s faction!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sorry, I don¡¯t know them either.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been keeping me being Haku Ane-sama¡¯s sister a secret from everyone, so¡­ Orange, why don¡¯t you go meet with your friends as usual? We¡¯ll keep it a secret.¡±

    In that case, he could go greet his friends, but still¡ª

    ¡°Nyuu want me to spy?¡±

    ¡ªHiding your identity as being inside another faction. An informer.

    <i>I see, Haku is called the [Betrayer], after all¡­</i>

    Orange was convinced of his own assumption.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t do that to my friends¡­ but still, no one knowing who¡¯s in Haku-sama¡¯s faction is troubling.¡±

    ¡°Now that you mention it, yeah. As expected of Haku Ane-sama!¡±

    Rokuko nodded to herself.

    By the way, Rokuko actually just stood out way more than the other cores, making it easier for them to hide.

    <i>Even if she couldn¡¯t hide Rokuko, making such a cute little sister be her [Pawn]¡­ is her heartlessness her secret to her ranking in the top ten¡­?</i>

    Orange thought to himself.

    ¡°So, Orange, no one knows you¡¯re in Haku Ane-sama¡¯s faction now either, right? You can go meet your friends, you don¡¯t have to spy on them.¡±

    ¡°Ooh. Rokuko, you¡¯ve got a good head on you, but you know? My friendship with them copsed the moment I changed factions! ¡­ Probably.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°¡­ They¡¯re going to hate me, please cheer me up.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have any confidence in yourself, why not just not?¡±

    ¡°Uuu¡­ I¡¯m just being anxious¡­¡±

    In truth, Orange¡¯s friends were mostly timid cores and would very likely run away in surprise upon hearing he¡¯d joined the [Betrayer].

    Of course, his friends were basically all part of the Beast King Faction¡­ Which meant that Orange had be their [Enemy]. That being the case, she could see how it would be hard to stay friends.

    ¡°M-Maybe! If I exined the situation¡­ they¡¯d understand¡­ nkyuu¡­ maybe!¡±

    ¡°What will you do if they understand the situation and still not want to talk to you?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuaaaaw¡­ R-Rokuko is mean! Nyuu are breaking my little heart!¡±

    ¡°Well alright then. I¡¯ll be heading to the wall, you just go y with your friends.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay¡­¡±

    Orange hopped away, leaving Rokuko.

    ¡­ Core No. 112, Ontentoo, came up as Rokuko saw him off.

    ¡°Yo, Rokuko. Long time no see¡­ what¡¯re ye staring at?¡±

    ¡°Oh, No. 112. Oh, well, him.¡±

    ¡°Nnn¡­? The rabbit? You know him?¡±

    Orange was talking to one of his friends¡­ a giant squirrel around the size of a child, as well as a chat about the same height. Soon after, his friends looked at him with difficult-to-read faces¡ªwell, more difficult than usual, seeing as how they were animals¡ªbefore silently walking away from him.

    Carrying an air of dejection, Orange returned.

    ¡°They left me¡­¡±

    ¡°My condolences?¡±

    ¡°Oh, did something happen? Cheer up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ wait, Core No. 112-sama!? U-Um, I¡¯ll try!?¡±

    ¡°No. 629, you¡¯re talking strangely.¡±

    ¡°Kukakaka! Well, I dunno what¡¯s going on, but as long as you got the will left, you can keep moving on!¡±

    Saying that, Ontentoo patted Orange¡¯s head with his tail.

    It was a bit heavy, but Orange received his pat dly.

    ¡°N-Nkyuu! Thank kyuu very much¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m going to go say hey to No. 5-sama. Cya, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, see you.¡±

    Rokuko saw him off with a wave, the ground shaking as he took every step.

    Meanwhile, Orange still hadn¡¯t managed to get a hold of himself and mechanically turned to face Rokuko.

    ¡°Wh-Why did Core No. 112-samae here!? And he talked to you!?¡±

    ¡°Why? ¡­ This is the core assembly, of course?¡±

    ¡°THAT-EXPLAINS-NOTHING! Why were kyuu talking with him like it was normal!? Didn¡¯t kyuu say kyuu had a Dungeon Battle against him!?¡±

    <i>We just talked though¡­ and what¡¯s the Dungeon Battle have to do with it?</i>

    Rokuko tilted her head to the side.

    ¡°I¡¯m friends with No. 112¡¯s master. And Kehma¡¯s No. 112¡¯s buddy, yep. We¡¯re friends with No. 112.¡±

    ¡°Uaaah. How can I put it? Kyuu are his friend even after doing a Dungeon Battle?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s irrelevant.¡±

    Rokuko responded, thinking back to the three-way dungeon battle. That was another Dungeon Battle, but she wasn¡¯t friends with any of them.

    Heck, Core No. 666¡ªAidi¡ªeven dered herself as her best friend¡­ for some reason.

    ¡°Nuuu, I¡¯m going to go meet a friend that¡¯s not part of the Demon King Faction. Core No. 112-sama¡¯s words encouraged me!¡±

    ¡°See you soon. I¡¯ll be at the wall for sure this time.¡±

    With that, Rokuko once again watched Orange hop away.

    This time, the friend was a rope¡­ tentacle¡­ thing? A thing. Rokuko had no choice but to be concerned over the extent of Orange¡¯s group of friends.

    Still though, this time it just pulled away a little before their friendship that had already crossed faction lines took control and led to them embrace each other.

    It still just looked like he was being predated, but it was a beautiful, ish, kind of¡­ friendship. Maybe.

    ¡°Yup, good for you, No. 629¡­¡±

    Watching up till she figured it was probably safe, Rokuko began to walk to her recess that she would definitely actually make it to this time.

    Just then, she heard the sound of footsteps, but when she turned to look who it was, she saw a core that walked gracefully without hiding her true self at all.

    An exemry core amongst the 600 series cores, she had already managed to humanize. The person in question had long red hair, telling greatly of her temperament. With a bold smile on her face, she was putting off a feeling that seemed like she¡¯d use the magic sword that was her own doppelganger to cut you down if you let your mind wander.

    ¡°Rokuko. It¡¯s been a while, doing well?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Aidi! Yep, I¡¯m doing great. You?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, of course.¡±

    It was Core No. 666. The Demon King Faction¡¯s star child¡ªthe one who calls herself Aidi, as well as one of Rokuko¡¯s few [Friends].

 Chapter 334 - The Dungeon Core Assembly 2

    <h4>The Dungeon Core Assembly 2</h4>

    Core No. 666. The Demon King Faction¡¯s star child¡ªthe one who calls herself Aidi, Rokuko¡¯s [Friend].

    Her red valkyrie dress went well with the castle-themed venue.

    Rokuko, who should have been in a hostile faction¡ªwell, every faction was hostile to hers, but still¡ªgreeted Aidi with a smile.

    There was none of the ominous traces or hidden intentions in her smile as those that could be found in Haku¡¯s toward Core No. 6.

    ¡°Did you just arrive, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just now. Did you not?¡±

    ¡°I came with Jiji-sama.¡±

    Jiji-sama, that is, Core No. 6, the top person of the Demon King Faction. Or perhaps he was the top because of his number? Either way, Rokuko didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°By the way, I heard we got some letter from Haku-sama, but did you have anything to do with it, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Mmm¡­¡±

    Rokuko thought about how she should answer Aidi¡¯s question.

    She might have been talking about the letter for the Dungeon Battle. The thing Kehma asked Haku for.

    ¡­ In that case, it was probably better for Rokuko to say she didn¡¯t have anything to do with it. Having another duel or something would just make the whole issue get confusing. She felt they¡¯d almost definitely lose if Aidi joined in.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then how about we have a duel?¡±

    <i>Huh? But I said I didn¡¯t know? Did I make a mistake there somewhere?</i>

    Rokuko tilted her head to the side in puzzlement.

    ¡°¡­ Why¡¯d this turn into a fight?¡±

    ¡°? You¡¯re being weird, friends exist to duel each other.¡±

    ¡°Maybe in the Demon King Faction. It¡¯s not like that for us.¡±

    ¡°Really? Then about our duel¡ªlet¡¯s have it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m saying friends don¡¯t duel each other though?¡±

    Although she¡¯d tried telling her that, Rokuko had been alone so long that she didn¡¯t really understand what friends?<i>did</i>?do together.

    <i>I-I have Redra now!</i>

    She made an excuse to herself.

    <i>¡­ Huh? Bute to think of it, I did a Dungeon Battle against Redra too¡­ And Redra¡¯s always on about how she wants a rematch and that she¡¯ll win next time¡­ Huh.</i>

    The fact she¡¯d only just now thought about that would remain a secret.

    ¡°Friends where I¡¯m from duel each other and have one-on-ones to settle things, so refusing me here isn¡¯t really a reason.¡±

    ¡°But see? I agree with you. I¡¯m just a pacifist.¡±

    ¡°Right. Let¡¯s fix that with a fight. If you win, you¡¯re right. If I win, I¡¯m right. Simple and clean.¡±

    <i>That just makes us have a duel either way though?</i>

    Rokuko stared at Aidi reproachfully.

    Still though, Aidi was smiling both boldly and in nonchnce. Rokuko could tell she was speaking from the heart there.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know¡­ this sword is just decorative!¡±

    ¡°Right, of course! I¡¯ll prepare a sword for you to use then.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Not that, like, I¡¯m saying I have no skill in using swords, okay?¡±

    ¡°Really? Then we?<i>really</i>?need to do this. You¡¯ll only improve if you practice, after all.¡±

    <i>So all roads lead to Duel Land, huh¡­</i>

    Rokuko scratched her head.

    Orange, who¡¯d been deepening his friendship with the tentacle-friend-thing returned¡ªor rather, identally returned.

    Seeing Orange return in high spirits, Rokuko instinctively deemed the situation to be dangerous.

    ¡°Oooh, Rokuko~. I did it, I have a true friend! Thank you for having my back, Rokuko~!¡±

    ¡°No. 629, w-we¡¯re in the middle of something right now.¡±

    Orange was pping his hears in delight. Rokuko looked between him and Aidi in a panic. Aidi was part of the Demon King Faction and Orange would be having a Dungeon Battle with the Demon King Faction. Anything could end up happening if these two met.

    ¡°Oh¡­? No. 629. You seem to know my Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Oh? ¡­. G-Geh!? C-Core No. 666!? I see, kyuu, kyuu¡¯re scoping out the enemy!?¡±

    ¡°Scoping out the enemy, hmm? That¡¯s good, too. Come to think of it, No. 629, you seem to have joined Haku-sama¡¯s faction?¡±

    ¡°Wh-Where did you hear that!?¡±

    ¡°I saw the letter that was sent to Jiji-sama too. You¡¯ll be having a Dungeon Battle against a Demon King Faction core. Against Core No. 564, even¡­ to be honest, I can¡¯t see you prevailing?¡±

    ¡°H-Hmph. I have a powerful assistant! I won¡¯t lose! I¡¯ll turn the tide!¡±

    ¡°Heeh, an assistant¡­ someone in Haku-sama¡¯s faction?¡±

    Aidi nced over to Rokuko and grinned. Rokuko¡¯s own smile, in turn, cramped.

    ¡°I-I have nothing to do with it?¡±

    ¡°Eh! H-How could kyuu say that¡­ aren¡¯t we already friends, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Uuu!¡±

    Rokuko was weak to the word [Friend]. Rokuko had been all alone until Kehma came, after all. As a result, Rokuko was unable to deny Orange¡¯s deration of friendship.

    ¡°¡­ Y-Yeah. You and I are friends, No. 629. We¡¯re in the same faction!¡±

    ¡°Our faction has nothing to do with it! Even if something happens and I have to join another faction, I¡¯ll be friends with kyuu forever!¡±

    ¡°Heeh. You sure say some funny things. Rokuko¡¯s my?<ruby>rival<rt>best friend</rt></ruby>, you know? Do you have the qualification to be her friend?¡±

    ¡°Haah, Core No. 666. Kyuu have it wrong. Friendship isn¡¯t about qualifications, didn¡¯t kyuu know that?¡±

    Aidi was quarreling with Orange, who was standing on the opposite side of Rokuko as her.

    <i>Stop, No. 629, a difference in faction is a difference in culture. The Demon King Faction would definitely require friends to measure up somehow.</i>

    Rokuko felt her stomach start to turn.

    So she was the type of person to feel stomach pain from disputes, huh¡­

    ¡°Hmph. I see how it is, No. 629. Do you want me to duel you, then?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, I have a previous engagement, nkyuu. I have to focus on this Dungeon Battle first.¡±

    ¡°Previous engagement¡­ the one against Core No. 564, then? Oh well. I¡¯ll just have to help you clean up your battle against Core No. 564 so that I can apply to duel you.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Rokuko and Orange both answered in bewilderment. What did Aidi just say?

    ¡°I said that I would apply to duel you once Core No. 564 was put in order.¡±

    ¡°Not that, I mean just before that! Umm, you said you¡¯d help?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. You¡¯re going to wreck Core No. 564 right? I¡¯ll help.¡±

    Looks like they didn¡¯t mishear her. Aidi properly said she¡¯d help.

    ¡°No no no no, what!? That¡¯s the faction kyuu are in though!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s easy¡­ Jiji-sama said that he wouldn¡¯t care if I crushed some fool that would do something as idiotic as picking a fight against someone of the wrong faction. So I can crush No. 564 whenever.¡±

    ¡°Eeeh¡­¡±

    What she said did make some sense. Even if the cement was a bit poor, someone unterally deciding to go fight someone of a non-hostile faction without getting permission from above¡­ well, although that would be enough to justify punishment, it even caused the targeted core to join up with a hostile faction.

    In other words, Core No. 564 had made a false report saying that he would be fighting against a core in Haku¡¯s faction. Even if it wasn¡¯t intentional.

    ¡°Just before this, it was decided that Core No. 564 would not be forgiven unless he managed to either destroy No. 629 or bring him under our control. He should be notified of that decision any moment now, I think.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu.¡±

    Orange let out a weak sound. In other words, his opponent would be taking this very seriously. In that case, the more hands he had around to help, the better. However, Orange didn¡¯t have the authority to seek the help of someone from like a hostile faction such as Aidi.

    ¡°¡­ I want to talk to Haku-sama about this, nkyuu.¡±

    ¡°Right. But I think Jiji-sama will have already talked to her about it, so prepare for that.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu. Still though, Core No. 666, why are nkyuu helping me? Kyuu should have no reason to help me?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s even easier.¡±

    A smile slipping its way onto her face, Aidi spoke.

    ¡°This means I can legally kill Core No. 564. A series 500 core. My blood¡¯s?<i>boiling</i>.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­. ¡­.¡±

    Orange and Rokuko were both reminded right there and then that the Demon King Faction were warlike to a fault.

    Say what you might about Aidi, she was someone that lived to fight the truly strong. A battle junkie.

    ¡°Besides, my?<ruby>rival<rt>best friend</rt></ruby>?is your assistant, right? This means I¡¯ll be able to fight with Rokuko.¡±

    <i>Ah, she found out after all</i>

 Chapter 335 - Rokukoâ€™s Return

    Later, Aidi¡¯s participation was both quickly and easily decided on.¡ªBy that, I mean that Rokuko returned and told me she¡¯d be participating.

    ¡°Which is why we¡¯re going to have a strong helper.¡±

    ¡°Uh huh.¡±

    Well. I definitely didn¡¯t expect a Demon King Faction core like Aidi toe to our aid.

    There¡¯s many things I can¡¯t show her¡­ actually, no, I was already intending to hide all of my trump cards from Haku-san anyway, so nothing¡¯s really changed.

    Rather, the heck¡¯s going on with her helping out? I thought this was turning into some freak proxy war between Haku-san¡¯s faction and the Demon King Faction.

    ¡°You know, that¡¯s not even the most surprising part. I mean, Core No. 8-sama¡ªoh, that¡¯s the leader of the Beast King Faction, the DP Ranking¡¯s 10th position, the Beast King, okay??<i>That</i>?Beast King bowed his head and told Haku Ane-sama [Please take care of No. 629], it caused such an uproar.¡±

    ¡°Heeh. Beast King Faction, so the leader of the faction that Orange belonged to?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, nkyuu~. For Core No. 8-sama to lower himself for my sake, nkyuuu¡­!¡±

    Orange¡¯s orange bunny tail was pping up and down in glee. So fluffy.

    I see, so the faction¡¯s leader publicly lowered his head for the sake of an estranged underling. If doing that would be enough to earn himself that much loyalty, it doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯d be that bad of a hand to y at all. Even without listening to the praising part of the story, I could tell it was about him demonstrating how open-minded he was.

    Moreover, he even managed to raise a g for Orange¡ªwho by all rights should have been alienated¡ªto return¡­ which meant that, by returning with intelligence about Haku-san, he¡¯d effectively be a spy for them.

    I couldn¡¯t be sure if I was just overthinking it or if the Beast King was acting out some master n, but in either case, I felt as though he was an opponent I couldn¡¯t afford to let my guard down against.

    Let¡¯s try and not antagonize him. Well, I doubt I¡¯d actually be able to antagonize someone in the top 10 in the first ce.

    ¡°¡­ But I get the feeling there¡¯s something else going on with Aidi being our ally¡­ Kehma, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, well, I definitely wasn¡¯t expecting her help, but I have no problem with it. It actually settles our offensive strategy.¡±

    ¡°Eh, really?¡±

    I was originally wanting to learn more about Core No. 564¡ªour opponent¡ªbefore deciding on our strategy, but now we can just leave that to Aidi.

    It¡¯d be better if we provided a bit extra for it as well, but keeping it to a modest level would be best.

    ¡°Yep, there won¡¯t be an issue unless Aidi betrays us and attacks us.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ So you¡¯re saying that it¡¯s better to let Aidi go fully on the offense so that she has no part in our defense. I don¡¯t think she would since she pledged to Father-sama, but she could keep the momentum going and turn on us after everything¡¯s decided¡­ Taking that into ount, there¡¯s no choice but to have her attack.¡±

    Rokuko smoothly figured out my reasoning on how to make use of Aidi.

    Yeah. She¡¯s gotten pretty smart, seriously.

    ¡°I was originally thinking about somehow instigating Wataru into it, but now that it¡¯se to this, it¡¯d probably be better to just have him focus on defense.¡±

    ¡°Thinking about that, Aidi¡¯s participation is actually a good thing, isn¡¯t it.¡±

    ¡°All that¡¯s left is using Meat and Ichika, though it might be better to just leave all that to Aidi¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma, Kehma. What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Orange, butter up all the adventurersing to the dungeon.¡±

    I left the customer service portion to Orange, who had been listening in silently the whole time.

    As for the dungeon, after Rokuko and he had gone to the assembly, I¡¯d gone back to disseminate the acknowledgement that this dungeon was for the sake of loving on rabbits. There were a few uncertain issues, but the dungeon didn¡¯t seem to be in danger for the time being.

    Strawberry, the rabbits, as well as Meat and Ichika were all controlling the white rabbits at the moment, doing their best to charm the second search team. (It seemed like Misha had put some word out about it)

    ¡°Got it, nkyuu. I¡¯ll show kyuu I could even charm a subus!¡±

    ¡°And now I¡¯ll be moving on to doing what I couldn¡¯t do while you were absent.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah. I should¡¯ve told kyuu about it sooner, but I thought Rokuko told kyuu already.¡±

    Well, normally that¡¯s the sort of thing a Master and Core would discuss with each other, after all. There¡¯s no helping that Orange thought it was something he didn¡¯t need to tell me.

    ¡°Please tell me around a week before the timees next year, alright?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure, I¡¯ll try to say something if I don¡¯t forget.¡±

    Looks like she won¡¯t tell me next year, either.

    I sighed.

    ¡°By the way, did anything else happen at the assembly?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, I got a lot of attention from having that Dungeon Battle with Haku Ane-samast year. Oh, my rank went up too! I¡¯m 182nd! Aidi was 175th, so I think I might catch up to her next year. I could even outpace her! We¡¯ve really done great, Kehma. Hohoh~¡±

    Rokuko rubbed her finger across the bottom of her nose in boastful pride.

    I couldn¡¯t really tell how good of a thing it was to raise in rank, but it¡¯s probably better than I thought it was.

    ¡°That so? That¡¯s good, then¡­ How about you, Orange?¡±

    ¡°I was 290th, nkyuu. Went up ten ranks sincest year~¡±

    So Orange was overtaken by Rokuko and I in that one year¡­ Well, our earnings still have a huge way to go to get to where Ontentoo and Haku-san are.

    ¡°By the way, what¡¯s Core No. 564¡¯s rank?¡±

    ¡°167th. They had a few million DP.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty strong opponent¡­¡±

    ¡°About what we¡¯d expect of a 500 series Demon King Faction core. But he¡¯s basically sentenced to death by Core No. 6. And you know what happened then? Aidi riled him up and he undid his humanization and returned into this baphomet¡­? Thing.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, baphomet?¡±

    That¡¯s some important information. If we can figure out our opponents true form, we should be able to form a meta (that is, take special measures). Still though, the heck was a baphomet, again? Some kind of goat-headed demon, I think¡­ what kind of weak points would it have?

    Maybe I should ask Haku-san or Aidi¡ªif I have to¡­

    ¡°Are there any special victory conditions for the Dungeon Battle?¡±

    ¡°None. It¡¯s the usual win by touching the Dungeon Core. Aidi said that she might just go and destroy it though.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t doubt that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ But isn¡¯t this basically a three on one? I¡¯m starting to feel sorry for No. 564. Even if it¡¯s three of us 600 series cores against a single 500 series, I can¡¯t see this as bnced.¡±

    Hmm. It I recall, there¡¯s around a hundred year gap between every hundred cores.

    Taking that into ount, it¡¯s hard to tell if even this three-against-one is even¡­ and even then that doesn¡¯t factor in whether they have a master or not.

    Case in point, that trivial trio¡ªall also 600 series cores¡ªhad no masters and were treated as a single team.

    ¡°I wonder if Aidi knows whether Core No. 564 has a master or not¡­¡±

    ¡°She might? She¡¯s Core No.6¡¯s favorite, after all.¡±

    Yeah, let¡¯s have Aidi get us some information.

    I guess all that¡¯s left is to prepare our defenses until the timees?

 Chapter 336 - Invaders

    <strong>Invaders</strong>

    ¡°Uuu, it¡¯s so cute¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ this is paradise. Fluff Heaven¡­¡±

    ¡°Heeh, how can rabbits be such wonderful creatures¡­ I can¡¯t eat rabbit meat anymooooore!¡±

    ¡°Idiots, the rabbits here aren¡¯t like those outside¡­ see how clean and pretty they are? ¡­ Ooooh¡­! Are those for them to eat out of your hand¡­!?¡±

    The adventurers were all over the rabbits.

    ¡°Y-Yes, a cup of vegesticks is six copper.¡±

    ¡°Six for that much? Isn¡¯t that overpriced?¡±

    ¡°Idiot. Can¡¯t ye see it¡¯s somethin¡¯ the rabbits love to eat? Imagine them, right on yourp¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s cheap.¡±

    ¡°A-Also, the profits a-are used to manage the facility protecting the rabbits! O-Oh, and used cups are bought back for a copper.¡±

    ¡°I see, so they¡¯re really just five copper? I¡¯ll take three, then.¡±

    The vegesticks Strawberry was going around selling were very popr as well.

    At any rate, what Strawberry was selling was very popr among the rabbits. They didn¡¯t seem to eat much of the vegetables other adventurers who heard about it brought in, though.

    They may have contained something like catnip for rabbits, but the five copper cost included the management of that. It was cheap and sold like hotcakes.

    ¡­ As for them preferring Strawberry¡¯s, I had them go to eat on their own ord whenever they saw the special cup and judged that it was one of hers. Ignoring that rabbit that could just keep on eating and eating everything put in front of it (the one Ichika was controlling), they ignored mostly everything else.

    The recovered cups were reused by Strawberry to be sold again with the recovery rate currently at a hundred percent.

    Let¡¯s put some n in ce for managing people whoe with their own cups. But like, these rabbits aren¡¯t carefree animals at this point. They¡¯re intelligent creatures running customer service nonstop.

    ¡°Haaah, man¡­ this ce is better than bliss.¡±

    ¡°Oh, big sis Renyu? You¡¯re likin¡¯ it here too?¡±

    ¡°¡®Course I do, it¡¯s too much¡­ fluffy fluffy¡­¡±

    Some of the people in this second search team were a few cuteness-curious adventurers Tokoi talked about. One of them, Renyu, was a female adventurer.

    ¡°I was wondering about the heck Tokoi was on about with the whole rabbit fund but now I think I¡¯ll donate five gold.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re really liking this ce.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I really do. Haah, they¡¯re too cute. I want to take them home and keep them¡­¡±

    ¡°Y-You can¡¯t take them. They live here!¡±

    Overhearing Renyu, Strawberry, who was in the middle of selling vegesticks nearby, spoke up.

    ¡°Huh? ¡­ Oh, yeah. Forcing them to part from their friends would be sad. That¡¯s what you meant, right Strawberry?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if rabbit beastkin can talk to rabbits after all¡­ hey, do you know what this one¡¯s saying?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Mmm, let¡¯s see¡­ yep, yep, I see, I see. [Onee-san¡¯s kind, like! Pat me more, stroke my belly too!] is what he¡¯s saying. Oh, and that he¡¯s full.¡±

    With that, the rabbit rolled over to show off its stomach to demonstrate that her words were true. It was swelling from eating so much.

    ¡°Ooh, seriously? I can pet his belly¡­ haah, uwaah, it¡¯s true. He¡¯s so cuuute. Seriously cute¡­ cuuute!¡±

    Renyu immediately went to petting the rabbit¡¯s stomach. Her vocabry shrinking to some cute-filled amalgamation of baby talk couldn¡¯t be helped, of course. People couldn¡¯t help but saying anything but that something was cute if it was, in fact, cute.

    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen her like this¡­ rabbits¡¯re scary.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re just that cute.¡±

    ¡°I kinda want to live here¡­¡±

    Renyu might have just been joking around, but she did say that.

    ¡°I wonder if we could make a vige around here?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Probably not. We couldn¡¯t make a vige at a dungeon with nothing but rabbits. But if it¡¯s just as a base for us to rx at, we could¡­ wait, aren¡¯t we already using it for that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Big bro Tokoi was talking about setting up a shop that sells stuff to eat here.¡±

    This was an idea that Kehko (Kehma) passed along to Tokoi.

    It was easier to have the idea be epted from a B-Rank adventurer from the imperial capital than from a no-rank adventurer.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that sound fine though? What do you rabbits think? ¡­ Wait, they can¡¯t understand me, huh? Hey, Strawberry, could you try exining it to the rabbits so they¡¯ll understand?¡±

    ¡°O-Okay¡­ Umm, it looks like they¡¯re fine with it. Just, the employees will have to reside inside the dungeon so that it doesn¡¯t swallow up the building.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we could set up the warehouse and kitchen outside, then have the shop itself and the rest inside? Or we could have them just walk around with a box like an arena concessions salesperson.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! As expected of big sis, that¡¯s a great idea!¡±

    It happened just as the three of them were having such a discussion.

    BNNNG, BNNNG, BNNNG!

    A loud noise sounded out.

    Following that, the green light indicating the Safety Zone¡¯s boundary blinked and disappeared.

    ¡°Wh-What was that sound!?¡±

    ¡°Hey, the Safety Zone¡¯s gone!!!¡±

    The members of the survey team started moring. It was natural, of course, as the Safety Zone just disappeared from around them.

    ¡°Everyone, take up your weapons! Prepare yourselves!¡±

    ¡°Sis! You¡¯re scaring the rabbits! Quiet down¡ª¡±

    ¡°No, th-that¡¯s not it! It wasn¡¯t Renyu-san¡¯s voice¡ªthe rabbits, they¡¯re s-saying enemies¡­ areing!¡±

    Hearing Strawberry trante the rabbits¡¯ words for them, they once more prepared themselves.

    With that, moving stone statues¡ªgargoyles appeared from the passage connecting into the dungeon. Three of them. If they were ordinary gargoyles, the research team would be able to handle them with ease.

    ¡°Strawberry, are those the enemies?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Y-Yes, they are! Please defeat them!¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ alright guys, get ¡¯em! Protect the rabbits!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Yeah! ¡°¡±¡±

    To speak of the results, they were dealt with easily.

    They protected the rabbits with their shields, axe, sledgehammer, and sword skills and quickly cleaned up the gargoyles as usual.

    Although it was somewhat anticlimactic for it to end so easily, the Safety Zone flicked back into ce upon the gargoyles¡¯ defeat.

    ¡°The heck was that¡­ uoh!?¡±

    ¡°Wah¡ªhey, hey! What¡¯s wrong with you al?¡±

    Just then, the rabbits that had been frightened up till then gave it their all in loving on them.

    ¡°¡­ O-Oh¡­ s-so much¡­ fluffiness¡­!¡±

    ¡°Big sis! Your face, it¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t look! ¡­ Aw, a-are you all alright? Uoh, s-so cute¡­¡ª¡±

    They appeared to be incredibly happy at the enemies being defeated.

    A few momentster, three more rabbits appeared ferrying along a basket with three potions in it.

    ¡°¡­ Th-They say it¡¯s a gift.¡±

    ¡°Haha, thanks! ¡­ I see, so that kind of a dungeon does exist.¡±

    ¡°That kind? What do ya mean, sis?¡±

    The sign at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. The rabbits. The rabbits¡¯ enemies. The potion reward.

    Connecting the dots, it was easy to understand that it had that kind of rules.

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure that this dungeon gives items for [Defending the rabbits]. There wasn¡¯t an attackst time people came, so there might be other rules!¡±

    ¡°Heeh! That¡¯s great. That means we can protect these cuties and get items for it to boot!¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s a good dungeon, d-definitely.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well we do need to investigate a bit further in, but it¡¯s probably that kind of a dungeon.¡±

    Strawberry smiled back at the conclusion Renyu came to.

 Chapter 337 - Aidiâ€™s Visit

    <strong>Aidi¡¯s Visit</strong>

    ¡°I¡¯m here. Entertain me.¡±

    Core No. 666, Aidi, had arrived. She just walked straight into (not my) house and acted as impudently as some aristocratic girl¡­ Oh, I guess she¡¯s basically like one in the Demon King Faction, huh. Okay then.

    I didn¡¯t see her master anywhere¡­ was she having him on house-sitting duty?

    ¡°You came, Aidi.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, of course I did. This will be fun, Rokuko¡ªbut by the way, why¡¯s this dungeon located in a different spot than what I had Core No. 564 tell me?¡±

    It seemed as though Aidi had went to the original dungeon, which was no more than the cast-off husk of a dungeon at this point¡­ After this and that, everyone had already transferred over to [White Rabbit Garden (Name Pending in the Adventurer Guild)].

    So I answered her.

    ¡°Did you think a rabbit would just stay and wait to be eaten after being found by a predator? They¡¯d normally run, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah. Good thinking, Rokuko¡¯s Master.¡±

    ¡°Well, it was more like everyone came here after seeing how interesting it was, but still.¡±

    ¡°Pfft. How like Rokuko. Kukuku.¡±

    Even herugh was like what you¡¯d expect of a Demon King Faction core. It somehow gave you the feeling of wickedness, yet it also didn¡¯t feel out of ce. The kind of feeling that was hard to understand. It¡¯s probably better to not think too deeply on it¡­

    ¡°So, what will I be doing here?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Could you start by telling us more about Core No. 564? He¡¯s some sort of baphomet demon-type or something?¡±

    ¡°Simple enough¡­ I have no reason not to tell you about him.¡±

    Ooh, that¡¯s better than I¡¯d hoped!

    And so Aidi easily told us what she knew.

    Core No. 564:

    He¡¯s usually humanized. (Wears a tailcoat)

    His true form¡¯s a demon-type monster called a baphomet.

    Although he¡¯s a demon, he can¡¯t hide himself in shadows.

    Physical attacks are effective as he has substance.

    He has enhanced himself ordingly, so Orange would absolutely lose a one-on-one.

    For Rokuko, it would depend on how well she could fight¡­ I don¡¯t think she would win.

    IAidi will also have trouble. I¡¯ll need assistance.

    His dungeon is a demon-type one. He shouldn¡¯t have a Master.

    I¡¯m pretty sure he uses gargoyles. Lesser demons and subi, too.

    His staff are probably greater demons.

    He¡¯ll probably use skeletons and gargoyles as soldiers for the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°Hm, that¡¯s a coincidence. We were nning on using gargoyles along with your skeletons as our soldiers as well, Aidi.¡±

    ¡°Summon-type monsters are unlimited as long as you can still use magic. They¡¯re really convenient to use for soldiers.¡±1

    ¡°Agreed. No matter how I think about it, using DP for them just isn¡¯t worth it.¡±

    By the way, [Summon Skeleton] was apparently something like a staple for the Demon King Faction. The strategy Core No. 6 preferred to use was a summoned army¡ªa legion¡ªof skeletons. He also seemed to use improved [Summon Skeleton]-type skills.

    So¡­ I guess it being a staple for their faction was due to Core No. 6 using it so much?

    ¡°It¡¯s basically like putting on a toy crown to have fun with an informal king¡¯s game, I guess.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Are you sure it¡¯s alright to tell us Demon King-sama¡¯s strategy like that?¡±

    ¡°How many years do you think Jiji-sama and Haku-sama have been fighting? Tons of people have known for a long time, not just Haku-sama.¡±

    So that¡¯s how it is, huh¡­ Well, if you want to win against someone going with numbers, you¡¯ll have to either deploy more numbers or simply fight at a higher level. When I said as much, all Aidi said in response was [So?] with a mockingugh.

    ¡°Judging by how you¡¯ve talked about it, I guess you also y with those toy crowns?¡±

    ¡°Mine¡¯s a tiara I got from Jiji-sama, don¡¯t go confusing that for some toy crown, okay?¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay.¡±

    I didn¡¯t peg her for someone that followed trends. She really is a daddy¡¯s girl, huh.

    ¡°So, what should I do?¡±

    ¡­ I suppose I could have her summon skeletons to condition the adventurers. It¡¯d fit our plot perfectly.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s what you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be relying on you to win the Dungeon Battle, Aidi.¡±

    ¡°Hmph. So you¡¯re teaching undomesticated humans a trick, huh¡­ how amusing. Good!¡±

    And that is how we added skeletons to the raids on the rabbits for the interim until the day of the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Aidi, is there any way I could get a [Summon Skeleton Scroll] from you? It seems cheap enough to buy and I could trade you a [Create Golem Scroll] for it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh, fine. I approve of your offer.¡±

    ¡°Man, equal trades are great, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Magic isn¡¯t my strong point, so it¡¯s not too equal in that respect?¡±

    Incidentally, I had another [Summon Skeleton Scroll] prepared for Orange so that he could keep the system going even after we were gone.

    I will say that Aidi floofing the orange-colored rabbit for the DP exchange was incredibly adorable though.

 Chapter 338 - Meanwhile, at [Cave of Desires]

    Extra: Meanwhile, at [Cave of Desires]

    Rei was left in charge of the dungeon while Kehma and the others were away.

    However, what normally would have been business as usual had turned into [a bit busy due tock of manpower].

    What about the various issues cropping up without Gozoh, the adventurers¡¯ mediator, being in the vige? All of them were taken care of by Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma in one way or another. Rather, the festive mood following Gozoh and Kehma¡¯s B-Rank promotion made it so that there wasn¡¯t really anyone wanting to cause issues.

    ¡°¡­¡ªHaah, every day¡¯s passing by without anything happening even though Master and Rokuko, as well as Meat-senpai and Ichika-senpai aren¡¯t here¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing~?¡±

    With her legs stretched out under the kotatsu in the employee break room, Reiid her cheek down on the table. The other person with her was Nerune, who was enjoying some of Kinue¡¯s green tea.

    Even without creating its own heat, the kotatsu was great. At that time of year, the nket alone was just right.

    ¡°¡­ The adventurers are going fine¡­ the vige is great¡­ neither the church nor the subi are having any issues¡­¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that a good thing~? My research is progressing well too~¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ There not being anything wrong is a good thing, but I can¡¯t show my ability to solve problems if there aren¡¯t any problems to solve. What do you think, Kinue?¡±

    ¡°It would certainly make an impression if you solved any issues, but it would be better if no issues arose in the first ce. Would Master not judge it that way?¡±

    ¡°Uuu, but I want to show my appeal to Master¡­ but it¡¯s only one or the other¡­! Like light and darkness¡­!¡±

    Reiined. In fact, Kehma valued Rei quite highly. It should have been clear from the fact that he¡¯d given her DP to use for enhancing herself. There was also no mistaking that there being no issues was for the best.

    ¡­ Moreover, Kehma himself definitely wouldn¡¯t have felt like correcting any issue that might have arose.

    ¡°I¡¯m back for a moment~. Everything going well?¡±

    Just then, the person himself, Kehma, made an appearance. Kehma quickly gulped down some of the refreshing green tea Kinue casually offered him before handing back the empty cup.

    ¡°M-Master!? H-Huh, you¡¯re back already? Isn¡¯t it still only halfway through the schedule?¡±

    ¡°Just for a little bit. I¡¯ll have to head to the imperial capital here soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay. I guess you came back here to go there through [White Beach], then.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about heading there directly with [Teleport] after since I learned it, yeah. I have to make a massage chair after all this is over in exchange, though¡­ Rather, Haku-san keeps pushing Dungeon Battle stuff onto me. Gah, I don¡¯t wanna work, I don¡¯t wanna¡­¡±

    Kehma appeared to have performed some trade with Haku, a far superior dungeon. Rei and Kinue felt awed despite Kehma¡¯s ending remarks.

    ¡°M-Master, [Teleport], you mean¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, yeah. The space-time magic¡­ But I won¡¯t teach you it. Nerune, even if you tried to use it on just a single person, you¡¯d absolutely suffer from mana exhaustion. I mean, even I feel the strain. It¡¯s enough that I think I¡¯d probably die if I was limited to the amount of magical power you have right now.¡±

    ¡°U-Uguuu¡­ No waaay~¡±

    Nerune hung her head. Kehma once again turned to Rei.

    ¡°So, have there been any issues?¡±

    ¡°No! Nothing to report!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rather, Rei was just saying how she had so much free time since there¡¯s nothing going on~¡±

    ¡°H-Hey, Nerune!? What are you saying!?¡±

    ¡°Hah.¡±

    Hearing Rei and Nerune¡¯s back and forth, Kehmaughed.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, there¡¯s nothing better than free time. I¡¯ll keep leaving it to you, Rei.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll to my best, Master!¡±

    ¡°Kinue, make sure to give Rei your support.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Master.¡±

    ¡°And Nerune, I thought of an interesting idea for a magic tool during this trip. A convenient one.¡±

    ¡°Ooooh¡­ another thing to research, huh~. It could take a long time to get through the stockpile, you know~?¡±

    ¡°Well, it doesn¡¯t need to be a rush job. Let me know if you don¡¯t think you can do it. Alright, I¡¯ll be heading off.¡±

    Saying that, Kehma left the room like a storm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s keep going without any issues, Kinue!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rei, you seem quite fired up now. Well, I suppose that¡¯s one of your good points.¡±

    ¡°Haah~, looks like I have a lot more to work on~¡­. I¡¯ll have to train to increase my total magical power, too~. I¡¯ll be sinking all of my sry and bonuses on mana potions~¡­ Oookay, back to theb~¡±

    ¡°Nerune. Would you like a sandwich for lunch? Or maybe onigiri?¡±

    ¡°Onigiri¡­ no, a sandwich, please~. You can choose what kind~¡±

    Each and every one of them felt their morale increase.

    However, since what they had to do hadn¡¯t changed¡ªexcept for Nerune¡ªthere was nothing really for them to do with that morale.

 Chapter 339 - A Chat With Aidi

    <strong>A Chat With Aidi</strong>

    ¡°You have a good sword arm, puppy.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Thank you, very, much¡­ haaah¡­!¡±

    There was the sound of wooden swords striking each other. The source of this was a practice duel between Aidi and Meat.

    One¡¯s body would grow dull if it just stayed cooped up in a cave. With that reason in mind, the two of them were going through a practice duel with each other in an open meadow.

    Rokuko and I were watching them from a little ways away. Ichika and Orange had joined us watching them, too.

    ¡°Maybe we could bet on which one¡¯ll win¡­?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Tche~¡±

    ¡°Ichika¡¯s suggestion sounds fun, Kehma. I¡¯ll¡­ right~, I¡¯ll bet three melon breads on Aidi!¡±

    Although Rokuko said that, the bet itself was a failure. There¡¯s no way anyone would bet on Meat given how the duel was progressing.

    Meat was attacking Aidi quickly at first by using her incredible agility while Aidi herself used her wooden sword held with both hands to parry. Aidi¡¯s own attacks increased over time, causing Meat to now have to try to block Aidi single-handed swings with her daggers.

    So this was our best anti-personnel fighter, huh. Aidi was strong, sure, but¡ª

    ¡°Aidi, how did you go about fighting in that previous Dungeon Battle again?¡±

    ¡°Like this?¡±

    ¡°I bet he means yer [Style]. Like anti-personnel or anti-group, that sorta stuff. I mean, unlike us, it looks like ya know actual swordsmanship¡ªand a style meant more for fightin¡¯ one-on-one to boot.¡±

    Ichika-sensei chimed in to exin~. Hmm hmm, to put it more simply, there¡¯s a difference between those who learned swordy in a more proper, ssical sense and adventurers who didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Hey, Aidi~. You learned that swordsmanship stuff?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve been trained in Demon King Sword Style, I¡¯m an assistant instructor.¡±

    Hearing Rokuko ask her a question mid-match, Aidi easily managed to respond while continuing to swing her sword. So there¡¯s a Demon King Sword Style?

    ¡°What¡¯s an assistant instructor~? Is it strong~? Is it great~?¡±

    ¡°It means I am at a level where I can train worms into louts.¡±

    With that, Aidi adjusted to a double-handed grip and swung her sword down.

    The wooden daggers Meat had been using were each knocked out of her hands by that strike. That was the match.

    ¡°Come now, grovel and lick my feet. Losers are at the winner¡¯s mercy.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    With Aidi¡¯s instigation, Meat nced at me.

    Her expression seemed to asked if it would be alright with me for her to lick her feet. She¡¯d definitely acknowledged her loss¡­ I stepped in to stop it.

    ¡°End it there, it was just a practice duel. You¡¯d wear out people¡¯s stomachs if you had everyone lick your feet every time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko¡¯s Master? How kind of you, I suppose you only allow this puppy to be a pet that can only y-bite? Or perhaps you intended to lick my feet in her stead?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s temping, but I couldn¡¯t do that in front of Rokuko, so¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Right, that isn¡¯t something to do in front of my rivalbest friend of all people. Pardon my habit.¡±

    Aidiughed with her hand covering her mouth, hiding her embarrassment.

    I might¡¯ve done it if Rokuko weren¡¯t here to see. Ah, I¡¯d have her take off her shoes first though.

    ¡°Aidi¡¯s so strong. Oh, Kehma. I won the bet, so pay up the three melon breads! Muahaha!¡±

    ¡°No way that was a valid bet. I mean, I don¡¯t really care if it¡¯s just three melon breads, but still.¡±

    I ignored Rokuko¡¯s weirdugh and handed her three melon breads. They were Kinue-san¡¯s specially-made melon breads I¡¯d put into [Storage] to stay fresh.

    ¡°Thanks Kehma! Alright Aidi, I¡¯ll give you one since you¡¯re my friend. It¡¯s my favorite bread. It¡¯s so good, you know?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m d¡­ You didn¡¯t poison it, right?¡±

    ¡°Why would I!? What¡¯re you saying, no one should do that to their friends.¡±

    ¡°Really? Too bad, I could have dered war and had so much fun if you did¡­ Oh well, it tastes great.¡±

    Rokuko and Aidi took huge bites out of their melon breads. Yep, seeing them like that, I could only see them as everyday, ordinary friends¡­ even though they¡¯re basically princesses of opposing factions. Not like I¡¯d ever say that out loud though.

    ¡°Jiji-sama would probably invade Rokuko¡¯s dungeon if it meant he could eat some of this.¡±

    ¡°Huh? D-Definitely don¡¯t give him any! This is a promise between friends, okay!?¡±

    ¡°Of course. This is my reward for winning my status as Rokuko¡¯s Rivalbest friend. Jiji-sama should go get something from Haku-sama if he wants¡­¡±

    She took anotherrge bite.

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, so delicious.¡±

    Please spare us from being attacked by the Great Demon King, there¡¯s no way we¡¯d make it out alive.

    ¡°Meat, how was she?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Strong. I was serious¡­ but I couldn¡¯tnd a hit¡­ at all¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? You have potential, puppy. Much better than those worms. However, Demon King Sword Style requires a body that doesn¡¯t need to breathe, so you would only make it to assistant instructor at most. Too bad.¡±

    A body that doesn¡¯t need to breath¡­? Oh yeah, Dungeon Cores doesn¡¯t need to, huh. Right, it was a style birthed by the Great Demon KingDungeon Core.

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko. Why not learn Demon King Style? We could duel every day!¡±

    ¡°Umm, maybe I shouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ¡°Or maybe Haku-san has some style you could use? If so, Rokuko should use that.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, the empire has that Imperial Sword Style, does it not¡­? A contest between styles, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    ¡°No no no, my rapier is just decoration! There¡¯s no way I could!!¡±

    ¡°¡­ How else would you protect your Dungeon Core?¡±

    Aidi inclined her head to the side. I thought she was just joking, but she seemed genuinely curious.

    It was just another cultural difference¡­ that said, Core No. 564 was part of that culture, too¡­

    ¡°Right, Core No. 564 is the same rank as me, assistant instructor. Isn¡¯t it funny?¡±

    Yeah, looks like I¡¯ll be leaving the attack to Aidi after all. I didn¡¯t want to haphazardly butt in.

    Let¡¯s think some more on how to defend when the timees¡­ there¡¯s almost no chance he¡¯d go for the same strategy as what Aidi used before, when she brought the Dungeon Core in with her to attack.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, Aidi, how strong is your Master?¡±

    ¡°About the same as me¡­ no, a bit stronger. But you know, he¡¯s a human, so he¡¯s stuck as an assistant instructor¡­ Also, don¡¯t count him in for this Dungeon Battle, he¡¯s being trained by Jiji-sama for the fightingpetitiondance party right now.¡±

    In other words, he was being trained by Core No. 6the Great Demon King, the founder of Demon King Sword Style¡­ still though, he¡¯s stronger than Aidi, who¡¯s even stronger than Meat?

    I guess Demon King Faction Masters are battle junkies like their Cores¡­ they probably wouldn¡¯tst long otherwise, huh. Still though, written as [Fighting Competition], read as [Dance Party]. What.

    Oh yeah, I¡¯ll have to send out another attack for the adventurers in the rabbit dungeon to deal with. How about we try using some gargoyles this time?

 Chapter 340 - Core No. 564â€™s Preparations

    <strong>Core No. 564¡¯s Preparations</strong>

    (Core No. 564¡¯s Point of View)

    This has be quite the annoyance.

    Why should My Magnificent Self have to wager anything on a Dungeon Battle as inconsequential as this?

    My Magnificent Self merely went to dabble around in the empire¡¯s domain as a member of the Demon King Faction.

    On my way to the Imperial Capital¡ªrather, to the human ranch that No. 89, the betrayer who was given the name Haku by Father, My Magnificent Self fell into a pit.

    A pit in the middle of the countryside. Lo and behold, My Magnificent Self had stumbled upon Core No. 629, a rabbit-type Dungeon Core.

    For such rabble to create a pitfall trap located so close to the Demonds to hinder My Magnificent Self¡ªit must be due to that betrayer and her faction.

    What followed was simply a matter of course. I dered war.

    Although Core No. 629 is simply too far below my station to take notice of otherwise, as he is part of that betrayer¡¯s faction, he must be disposed of.

    My Magnificent Self has doubts that such a gnat could possibly provide any entertainment, but nevertheless, My Magnificent Self shall deign to swat him and his dungeon aside. Be that as it may, perhaps My Magnificent Self will say a few words to that betrayer¡­ perhaps it would be amusing to construct a dungeon of bones brought about by the betrayers hands?

    ¡­ Speaking of which, it is nearly time for the assembly. My Magnificent Self shall allow him one final meal, although it is more than he deserves.

    ¡­ Was thinking that a mistake? My Magnificent Self was summoned by Core No. 6-sama at the assembly.

    It appeared that that Dungeon Core was not part of the betrayer¡¯s faction. Was he not effectively part of it now that he had done such a thing to My Magnificent Self? Iprehensible. Such matters are best left to be crushed and ignored.

    When My Magnificent Self said as such, Core No. 6-sama sighed as if tired for some reason. My Magnificent Self was of the opinion that he should have taken this assembly as a chance to rest if he was so tired.

    Core No. 6-sama told My Magnificent Self that should My Magnificent Self not prevail in this battle, My Magnificent Self would not have a future¡­¡ª!?

    Although it was surprising to be told that by Core No. 6-sama directly, the Dungeon Battle would be between My Magnificent Self, a baphomet-type 500 Series Core and a meager rabbit-type Core, and one from the 600 Series at that. There would be absolutely zero chance of My Magnificent Self noting out of this Dungeon Battle triumphant.

    In fact, being unable to defeat an opponent of this caliber would lead to anyone¡¯s futureing to an end in the Demon King Faction. He had merely stated a fact.

    However, the princess¡ªCore No. 666, who received Core No. 6-sama¡¯s affection¡ªchimed in. She gave counsel to Core No.6-sama, to which Core No. 6-sama appeared to be agreeing with.

    Upon hearing Core No. 6-sama say something along the lines of [Surely you don¡¯t believe he won¡¯t win?], all My Magnificent Self could do was nod.

    ¡­ Was this an excuse for us fellow members of the Demon King Faction to polish our skills? To test the resolve of My Magnificent Self in not backing down by putting the princess on the line?

    That was likely what Core No. 6-sama was intending.

    However¡­ however. Even among the Demon King Faction, the princess was a genius¡ªno, she was a truly skilled person and a well-known disastergenius.1

    If that princess were to lend her aid to the rabbit, the chance of My Magnificent Self seeded would drop from 100% to around 70%¡­ My Magnificent Self shall have to take this more seriously.

    The future will be closed to My Magnificent Self if, in the one in a million chance, My Magnificent Self is defeated¡­ Isn¡¯t this Dungeon Battle only demerits!?

    It is of no matter. My Magnificent Self will win. Even if it ends with the princess bing an enemy¡ªrather, because she will be my enemy, there will be no issue with making her mine afterward.

    Hmm? Does that not make her into a reward for My Magnificent Self? My Magnificent Self could do whatever My Magnificent Self pleases with that brazen princess. There is no mistaking My Magnificent Self¡¯s logic, as My Magnificent Self is the most excellent demon-type core of them all!

    My Magnificent Self expects to be stopped by Core No. 6-sama after the first night, but¡ª

    ¡­ Hohohoh. Anything My Magnificent Self pleases? That does not sound bad. Those subi are bing tiresome.

    Thinking about it like that, My Magnificent self is bing eager for this annoying Dungeon Battle. Eager in various ways.

    ¡°No. 564-sama, what will you be doing for the Dungeon Battle?¡±

    My Magnificent Self¡¯s subus asked me on the bed. This one was one My Magnificent Self had enhanced to be an adjutant and was a favored pet of sorts. She had acquired a number or irreparable wounds recently, however, and was bing tiresome to deal with.

    ¡°Your opponent is effectively No. 666-sama, right?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku¡­ yes. We can¡¯t let down our guard. However, the rest of them are ignorant rabble. All My Magnificent Self must do is counter No. 666¡¯s summoned skeletons with My Magnificent Self¡¯s own¡­ Right, perhaps you subi could use [Charm] to have them betray each other?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, that sounds amusing. Animal-types have low intelligence, so [Charm] is often sessful.¡±

    Yes. Although it was another story if low-willed monsters such as spawned monsters were operated directly from behind the scenes, most demons would use [Charm].

    As a demon, My Magnificent Self, a baphomet, ruled over [Charm]. Mere animals would prove to be little better than feathers. My Magnificent Self had no need to even view a mere rabbit-type core as an enemy.

    ¡°Will there be no issues with [Charm], even with No. 89-sama¡¯s reinforcements?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oh, you remembered. Even My Magnificent Self had forgotten. Yes, even with the famed Core No. 695, the eternal bottom-ranker, it will end the same¡­ It is a shame that she is not a Demon King Faction Core and will not even stand on the battlefield as one should.¡±

    My Magnificent Self would have the opportunity to teach her a lesson directly if she did do so. It would have been enjoyable seeing her be unable to change from human form no matter how much My Magnificent Self tormented her¡­ mm?

    Did the room just grow colder? That won¡¯t do, peak physical conditiones from a proper environment. My Magnificent Self cast [Fireball] on the firece to heat the room.

    My Magnificent Self paying attention to details such as these is exactly why My Magnificent Self is such a magnificent core. My Magnificent Self was even able to realize that Core No. 6-sama was providing My Magnificent Self with a reward.

    ¡°¡­ The monsters a useless human-type core would be no better than a minotaur as best.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps some goblins or orcs if there were a group of them?¡±

    ¡°Kuhahaha! What an impressive lineup!¡±

    There was a chance that would be the case! If so, My Magnificent Self would be able to win even without sending out any monsters.

    ¡°Also, since Core No. 89-sama is helping, perhaps she would bring adventurers into it?¡±

    ¡°Hoh. Still though¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªYes. They will make for great [Charm] targets.¡±

    Humans were especially greedy animals. They were filled with self-illusions, so [Charm] easily affected them. That said, if they were all equipped with magic items that covered up their magic resistance and they had some will to them, even they could put up a modicum of a challenge.

    However, items that provided resistances were expensive and a human¡¯s willpower was barely a candle me that would go out if blown on at all. None of them should be able to put up a fight.

    In other words, regarding any of them as enemy forces were be foolish.

    ¡°In short, My Magnificent Self¡¯s victory is all but assured. My Magnificent Self just needs to focus on the princes¡ªon Core No. 666. If My Magnificent Self has a chance of losing, it will be due to her.¡±

    ¡°You are as magnificent as ever, No. 564-sama¡­ So, shall I prepare a bed in advance for you and No. 666-sama?¡±

    ¡°Ku ku ku, My Magnificent Self has recently heard of something called Beddhism spreading among humans recently. It teaches [Don¡¯t do today what can be done tomorrow], don¡¯t you think that¡¯s a good quote?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, even humans can asionally say some good things, too.¡±

    Like that, My Magnificent Self elegantly prepared for the Dungeon Battle.

 Chapter 341 - Pre-Dungeon Battle Party

    <strong>Pre-Dungeon Battle Party</strong>

    It¡¯s finally the day before the Dungeon Battle.

    The preparatory phase has been going pretty well with a few things happening here and there, so let¡¯s say that the adventurers are well enough ustomed to the rabbit dungeon.

    By the way, the reason there isn¡¯t much else for me to talk about is because I was spending most of the preparatory phase sightseeing around the Imperial Capital. Yeah, so I¡¯ve been using the heck out of [Teleport]. Convenience is king. The magical power it needs hasn¡¯t been an issue either since it recovers quickly enough.

    So, what were we up to now? We were having a motivational party hosted by Haku-san.

    This time, the dungeon¡¯s mainly Orange¡¯s, so it wasn¡¯t hosted at Haku-san¡¯s vi, but was rather in the form of catering at [Rabbit Paradise]. Due to that, Aidi, Orange and everyone was able to join as well.

    By the way, Haku-san was openly sponsoring this, so it felt like some kind of midnightunch event. It was so much fun I decided to bust out some sparkling wine to drink.

    ¡°Honestly, whether you win or lose this, it¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡ªis what she said. Yeah, now that everything was prepared, there wasn¡¯t much else left to say. Rather, it¡¯d be going too far if theyOrange expected anything else after getting so much help after finding themselves in a pinch.

    Given that, as Haku-san said, either way was fine. In the event we did end up losing, the one to lose out the most was Haku-san at 100,000 DP. For Haku-san, that was barely pocket change.

    Oh, there was still around 70,000 DP left of that. 10,000 DP of it was for the [Create Golem Scroll] we traded for the [Summon Skeleton Scroll]¡­ Everything left unused would be ours, win or lose.

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko. You¡¯re really not going to fight in the Dungeon Battle? I¡¯ll have a monopoly on them if you don¡¯t though, you know?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Rather, a monopoly on them would be a bit much. It is a Dungeon Battle.¡±

    ¡°Right. I¡¯ll leave the leftovers to you to clean up then, Rokuko. Whichever of us kills more wins.¡±

    ¡°Aidi, you really love contests don¡¯t you. I¡¯ll pass though. It¡¯s better for me to stay in the back. I¡¯m the general, after all!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko,manders are people who go out and lead from the front, you know? That¡¯smon sense.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just that your way of thinking is too narrow, Aidi. The generals of tomorrow leading from the rear will be the Trend!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko¡­ you sometimes talk in a differentnguage. Is it another world¡¯s?¡± 1

    ¡°Yep!¡±

    There were even a few conversations like that going on.

    Having spent the preparatory period with Aidi, I¡¯de to understand Aidi¡¯s temperament a lot better.

    To put it simply, she was a meathead. She wasn¡¯t a bad kid though. Nope.

    She was just a duel troll.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, aren¡¯t kyuu gonna eat?¡±

    The orange rabbit named Orange ran over to me on the table top.

    ¡°Oh, Orange? You¡¯re eating too?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu! Kyourse! Tomorrow¡¯s the Dungeon Battle, so I¡¯m eating a ton to do my best! Here, eat some sd!¡±

    With that, Orange used his rabbit paws to grab the sd tongs to serve me sd on my te. It was filled with carrots andcked any onions since it was meant for the rabbits.

    ¡°Meat¡¯s not a problem since the sd¡¯s for us!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Haku-san even took that into ount. How very like her.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu¡­ hey! That¡¯s a soup, don¡¯t y in it!¡±

    ¡°Eeeh?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a yellow pool?¡±

    ¡°Ooh so it¡¯s soup!¡±

    It was nice that Orange¡¯s horned rabbit friends were here too, but they were ying in the food. Hmm¡­ maybe they didn¡¯t know food shouldn¡¯t be yed in¡­? Eh, it¡¯s fine.

    Meanwhile, Meat was nomming her way through piles of meat and Ichika was eating whatever Ichika tended to eat. Unlikest time, they could bring back whatever they wanted since we have the gigantic Tupperware container named [Storage].

    ¡­ Ah, looks like Haku-san¡¯sing my way. The super-smile on her face was scary. Jiggle jiggle, I¡¯m not a bad Dungeon Master~! 2

    ¡°Kehma-san.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, what is it, Haku-san?¡±

    ¡°Fufu, you don¡¯t have to be so on guard. So, what do you think are the chances of winning tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well¡­ I¡¯d say around fifty percent since I don¡¯t know much about our opponent.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Kehma-san, I thought you¡¯d say something more bold, like ny percent.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, you overestimating me. Though I think we do have a good chance of winning since we¡¯ll be able to use the hero, too.¡±

    Yeah, Wataru was already in the rabbit dungeon and would be there for the following day¡¯s Dungeon Battle.

    All the rabbits today were snuggling up with and darting around among the adventurers there so there was no doubt about that. They were all pointing at the various rabbits vowing they would protect them forever, so let¡¯s have them uphold those vows in the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°Well, the reason you were throwing the hero at them was for your original goal of [Frustrating Them], so I¡¯ll definitely get that done. So that should be fine¡­ I suppose I can say?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu. I believe that Core No. 6 will likely be viewing their side, he¡¯ll certainly be surprised. You can count Core No. 666 as your strength, so make sure to make this a victory. You¡¯ve thought of an amazing gimmick like you did against me, right? Kehma-san, I¡¯m looking forward to your ideas¡ªno, I¡¯ve been looking forward to your ideas for a long time.¡±

    Even if she was expecting so much, I hadn¡¯t prepared too amazing of a gimmick¡­ please don¡¯t raise the hurdle so high.

    ¡°¡­ Well, I don¡¯t n on losing. It does feel like I¡¯m experimenting with a strategy that I¡¯ve been thinking about using though.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s exactly it, Kehma-san. Right¡­ I¡¯ll reward you with something if you win this fight. How about information on Godly Beddings? It will be information that you don¡¯t already know, of course.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, I definitely don¡¯t n on losing.¡±

    I¡¯ll definitely try. Yep. It doesn¡¯t change what I was already going to do.

    ¡°Haku Ane-sama! I want a reward if Kehma wins too!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Then I want a reward too, in that case.¡±

    Hearing talks about a reward, Rokuko and Aidi interrupted. What greedy people.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I¡¯ll prepare something under my authority. If you win, of course.¡±

    ¡°Yay! You gotta win, Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Fufu, can you even lose with me here? If so, it¡¯ll be because of faulty orders. Give me good directions, Rokuko¡¯s Master.¡±

    Man oh man. Either way, it¡¯s good they¡¯re fired up, at least.

    ¡­

    But now that I think about it, why am I getting a bad feeling about this reward?

    I hope it¡¯s just my imagination.

 Chapter 342 - Dungeon Battle, Start

    <strong>Dungeon Battle, Start</strong>

    There was a white room.

    There were two luxurious sofas, the kind some noble might sit in. One was ck, the other white. They weren¡¯t facing each other, instead facing the same direction¡­ Much like seats in a theater.

    Two magic circles appeared simultaneously, a single person appearing from each.

    One was a beautiful woman called The White Goddess. The other was a man in the prime of his life, The Great Demon King.

    These two, Haku Raverio and Core No. 6, were famously always bickering with each other like a cat and a dog. What sort of situation would ur with these two alone in the same room¡ª?

    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been too long, has it? Since the assembly?¡±

    ¡°Yes, No. 6.¡±

    They spoke surprisingly harmoniously.

    Seeing the sofas, Core No. 6 strode unhesitatingly to the ck one and sat down.

    Haku sat on the white sofa in a simr manner.

    ¡°Today will be fun, No. 6.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I think so too. Let¡¯s see how your treasured child uses my No. 666.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intention to hide her to the point of her being considered treasured.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, I was referring to her Master. You¡¯ve managed to keep a screen up between you and your cute little sister, but I wasn¡¯t talking about her, you fox.¡±

    ¡°Oh my. I would send your words right back at you. I¡¯ve wanted to get a look at No. 666¡¯s Master as well, but he¡¯s not here today either.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, but he¡¯s training for the once every four years Fighting Competition for now. The timing was off.¡±

    ¡°Really? Too bad, then.¡±

    The two continued talking with each other. If someone who knew how they normally acted were to hear them, they¡¯d likely doubt their ears. They weren¡¯t showing any of their usual animosity toward each other.

    ¡°How do you think it¡¯s going to go? I believe No. 564 will be reasonably difficult, even for them.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure either, I¡¯ve been staying away from spoilers. Well, I was told they had around a fifty percent shot, though.¡±

    ¡°By that Master?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Kehma-san.¡±

    ¡°¡­ In that case, what percent do you actually think they have.¡±

    ¡°Fifty percent. He said so himself.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. You seem to trust him.¡±

    Just then, another person appeared from a new magic circle. Different from the ones the other two walked out of, this was a much moreplex magic circle meant to summon an existence from a higher dimension.

    The one to appear from it¡­ was [Father].

    He had a dark, swarthyplexion and ck hair. He was dressed in a blue vestment with half of his face¡ªhis eyes¡ªcovered by a mask. His exposed mouth was sporting its usual smile.

    ¡°Father.¡±

    ¡°Otou-sama.¡±

    ¡°Yo. Oh, you don¡¯t have to stand. We¡¯re family, right?¡±

    [Father], a person whose face was normally only shown through a monitor even during assemblies.

    Actually meeting¡ªalthough it wasn¡¯t clear if this was truly his main body¡ªsomeone who should be called a divinity? His aura was amazing. Haku and Core No. 6, two individuals who usually acted as top dogs, were driven to the point of wanting to kneel.

    ¡°I usually use the monitor so I don¡¯t frighten you children, but I figured it should be fine with you two, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It is as you say, Otou-sama.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, guess not then?¡±

    With that, [Father] snapped his fingers and a sofa like the night sky appeared facing the white and ck sofas. The sofa looked almost illusory, like stars were shining in some ces before blinking out of existence in others. It was enough to make one think that it was crafted out of space itself.

    [Father] sat down on it.

    ¡°What a wonderful seat.¡±

    ¡°Really? Thanks, No. 6. I¡¯ll give it to youter then. You want one too, Haku?¡±

    ¡°Oh, truly?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to hold back. I even incorporated Kehma-kun¡¯s massage chair feature that you showed me.¡±

    ¡°That is wonderful. In that case, I won¡¯t hold back.¡±

    The three were full of smiles. It certainly did have a family-esque feeling of [Intimacy].

    ¡°But Father, is this alright? You preparing a room like this for us, I mean.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fiiiine. Dungeon Battles are a bit amusing for me, after all. Besides, I figured it¡¯d be interesting hearing both of yourmentaries on it.¡±

    ¡°What could we possibly exin to Otou-sama?¡±

    ¡°I keep saying it, but I¡¯m not as omniscient as you all seem to think. I guess I¡¯m pretty good at making things, but well¡­ that¡¯s about it.¡±

    ¡°Father, wouldn¡¯t that make us existences that can¡¯t do anything?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that. Dungeon Cores are existences made to be able to handle various things. Therefore, that includes things I cannot do that you all can. As long as there are people able to do whatever I can¡¯t, it¡¯s fine¡ªat least, that¡¯s what someone told me.¡±

    Father spread his hands and smiled.

    What someone told him¡­ who in the world would say something like that to [Father]?

    Haku thought to herself.

    ¡°Right, how about we start this? What will you two be doing for the starting signal? I want to make an appearance after this as a surprise, so¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? Father, when you set up this room, your involvement became obvious. Won¡¯t it not matter even if you give the starting signal?¡±

    ¡°Wait, Haku. That Master might have realized, but at the very least No. 564 hasn¡¯t seemed to notice. If Father is wanting to hide, he should still be able to¡­ The way people act would change upon realizing a god is watching them, there¡¯s no need for us to be merciful to fools who haven¡¯t realized it for themselves.¡±

    ¡°I see, it¡¯s as you say, No. 6. So Otou-sama, who will give the starting signal? Do you have a preference?¡±

    The reason she asked was because in addition to No. 6 and Haku there in the room, there were also thepetitors themselves to pick from. Then again, it was also to imply that she and No. 6, nonpetitors, were fine with giving the start signal.

    ¡°Hm? Hmm¡­ Alright, let¡¯s have No. 6 decide on it.¡±

    It appeared that [Father] seemed to think it was best for No. 6, the only one connected with both sides of thepetition, to make the call.

    ¡°It¡¯s a big responsibility, No. 6. Do it properly.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me that. Still, rushing and doing this poorly would besmirch Father¡¯s existence, so I will do this with the natural flow. Help me with this.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no helping it.¡±

    A monitor appeared in the air in front of [Father]. Looking at it, it disyed the Dungeon Cores that would be performing in this Dungeon Battle. The same was visible on [Father]¡¯s side of the monitor.

    ¡°Still though, No. 6, Haku, you two get along well. You could just act like that all the time, honestly. I mean, I don¡¯t know what you two are trying to achieve so I won¡¯t say anything.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding.¡±

    ¡°Come to think of it, Haku, have you progressed on your investigation on that matter since then?¡±

    ¡°None¡­ Actually, right now would be good for that. Really, No. 6, you¡¯re so diligent. You should just enjoy the Dungeon Battle. I¡¯ve been keeping myself from asking Kehma-san much for that as well.¡±

    ¡°Oh well. Ah, let¡¯s give the opening speech. Father, could you?¡±

    ¡°Coming right up. In three, two¡­¡±

    Matching the timing of Father¡¯s countdown, the Dungeon Battle¡¯s participants were connected to see the two of them sitting in their VIP seats. They were shown by the monitor to be looking away from each other as if displeased¡­ although they were still smiling, all that could be seen was [Two Rival Leaders] with none of the peaceful mood there had been until then.

    ¡°¡­ Well. It seems everyone is prepared.¡±

    [Yes, Great Demon King-sama! My Magnificent Self will dedicate this victory to you, Great Demon King-sama!]

    [I-I¡¯ll show kyuu who¡¯ll wiiin!]

    ¡°Ku ku ku. You both seem motivated¡­ Don¡¯t disappoint me, No. 564.¡±

    [Sir!]

    Core No. 564, the cause of this whole thing, and Core No. 629. The victory condition for this was [Touch the Dungeon Core], either of these two¡¯s true bodies, or for either of them to dere their surrender.

    Although the previous time was a three-way battle, it was a battle held between the young 600 series generation of cores and was settled in the course of a day. This time would include one of the 500 series. Core No. 6 wondered how many days this one wouldst.

    ¡°Kehma-san. Use No. 666 to smash through him and win, alright?¡±

    [Yeah¡­ I mean, eh, I¡¯ll try.]

    ¡°What are you saying, No. 89¡ªno, Haku¡­ No. 666, I won¡¯t mind if you secretly stab No. 695 during this Dungeon Battle if you want.¡±

    [A surprise attack! That sounds fun, Jiji-sama. I don¡¯t think Rokuko¡¯s going to be in the fighting though. Unfortunate.]

    ¡°Really? Hmph, so the [Betrayer]¡¯s pet is a [Weakling], is she? What¡¯s so good about her?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand Rokuko-chan¡¯s charm. Of course you wouldn¡¯t, seeing how you admire that brutish No. 666.¡±

    ¡°Ahhh? You want to settle this here and now?¡±

    ¡°Fine¡­ is what I¡¯d like to say, but today¡¯s fight isn¡¯t ours. How about we start this?¡±

    ¡°Tch, that¡¯s true¡­ Alright, begin!¡±

    With that, the Dungeon Battle between [Core No. 564] and the [600 Series Core Alliance] began.

 Chapter 343

    No. 564¡¯s Attack

    Core No. 564¡¯s Point of View

    [¡­ Alright, begin!]

    A gate expanded upon Core No. 6-sama¡¯s signal.

    ¡°March!¡±

    Core No. 564 immediately sent out twenty skeletons, ten gargoyles, and three subi.

    He felt that it was overkill for that rabbit, but Core No. 666 was taking part in this battle. The gargoyles would be able to damage her with their magic while the skeletons kept her busy. The subi would use their charm to¡ªwell, they wouldn¡¯t work against Core No. 666, but they could just use their weapons against her instead of their charm.

    However, there were no opponents to be found on the other side of the gate. Not even a single rabbit.

    ¡°Hm? What is going on¡­ are they afraid of My Magnificent Self?¡±

    However, Core No. 564 still had not left his mansion-style dungeon.

    He was using his monitor¡¯s view to look for enemy monsters. He had them advance while being cautious for traps.

    ¡°Mm, a staircase up¡­? Are they beyond this?¡±

    He has the gargoyles advance while being vignt for Core No. 666¡¯s attack.

    With that, there was an open room. It had a sky but was not outside. There was a hut inside the [Meadow] environment room¡ªwith humans.

    ¡°Huh? A human ranch¡ª!?¡±

    Momentster, the leading gargoyles were destroyed by the humans¡¯ attacks.

    Their movements were as if they were trained¡ªno, they likely were trained. Trained for this day.

    ¡°Kukaka! That No. 629 brat, that rabbit set up a human ranch!? No, no, these humans are adventurers! I¡¯ll praise him on collecting such fine specimens!¡±

    However, these humans would easily fall to the subi¡¯s charm. With that, it would be aplete reversal as they betrayed their allies. Core No. 564 judged that his enemies did not understand this information.

    ¡°Now to supply more gargoyles, twenty more¡­ no, make it forty! It won¡¯t be any fun if the subi make it there too soon, so go slowly! Kukuku, My Magnificent Self must show off to Great Demon King-sama. Even if I¡¯m against a 600 series core, some highlights will be necessary¡­ ah, how kind My Magnificent Self is.¡±

    Thinking about how he would please Core No. 6 with the spectacle of these adventurers falling from a confident stance against the gargoyles to one of despair once the subi joined the fray, a grin crept its way to his face.

    Still, though, just where was Core No. 666?

    ¡°No. 564-sama, there is an intruder.¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    Immediately after he sent out another forty gargoyles, an intruder made its way into Core No. 564¡¯s dungeon. He opened a monitor.

    Core No. 666. A red-haired girl in a red dress was making her way toward the mansion through the open gate at the end of the garden. In her hand was her doppelganger magic sword.

    ¡°You¡¯reing here, No. 666? Coming to visit the garden on your own¡ªMy Magnificent Self will provide you a grand reception!¡±

    Core No. 564¡¯s subordinates, skeletons, ghosts, and other devilish existences surrounded Core No. 666. However, Aidi felled each with individual sword shes as she mowed through them like water.

    Using proper swordy against them would have been sacrilege, so she treated them virtually like garbage. They may truly have been that as far as she was concerned, though.

    ¡°Ku ku ku, not going to talk with the small fry? Subus Summoning Brigade, provide her with more gargoyles!¡±

    Just in case, he had his Subus Summoning Brigade use [Summon Gargoyle] to send more gargoyles at her from within his dungeon.

    As an aside, the DP required by a mana potion was much less than what was required to summon a gargoyle, so it was much more profitable in the long term to have the subi learn and use [Summon Gargoyle].

    Although it took quite a number of years to recover the scrolls¡¯ cost, this was something Core No. 564 had realized with his years of experience. It was Core No. 564¡¯s secret information (that basically anyone could figure out with a little math) that bore this fruit.

    However, gargoyles would not be enough to hinder Core No. 666. She¡¯d be an assistant instructor in the Demon King Sword Style, so she was more than capable.

    Still, the path forward from being an assistant instructor would lead her to a body that required neither breath nor replenishment. Therefore, the assistant instructor Core No. 666 could still be [Fatigued]. It was a weakness. Disposing the skeletons and gargoyles would still slowly make her feel fatigued.

    ¡°Kukuku. Receive My Magnificent Self¡¯s wee with your body and My Magnificent Self will be your opponent once you are exhausted. Don¡¯t say it¡¯s unfair¡ªthis is the way of the Demon King Faction¡¯s warriors!¡±

    Furthermore, true warriors in their faction would have allowed their enemies to recover before fighting, but Core No. 564 didn¡¯t have the allowance to do that. He and Core No. 666 were both assistant instructors. The difference between them could be easily ovee, so he had to ovee that by some means.

    ¡ªAnother world¡¯s hero might even say something like [They¡¯re letting me recover here, so I guess that¡¯s the boss room].

    ¡°No. 564-sama, the subi will soon arrive to the humans.¡±

    ¡°Oooh, alright. That¡¯ll be a sight!¡±

    The humans were managing to repel the gargoyles. Core No. 564 exchanged his monitor to see how his subi would turn the situation on its head.

    Wataru¡¯s Point of View

    ¡°Ooh, so this is one of those [Raid Events]?¡±

    He¡¯d heard about a strange dungeon where you just yed around with rabbits back in the capital. Wataru was guided to that dungeon, the [Rabbit Rest Area], by a pair of female adventurers that managed it¡ªRenyu and Strawberry.

    Haku had even said that the dungeon seemed interesting when he decided to ask her about it, so he readily decided to go check it out.

    And so Wataru was observing how it yed out this time. To be more precise, he was keeping watch so that no one would steal.

    ¡°Right, Hero-sama. This is how we get attacked¡­ but could you keep watch?¡±

    ¡°Eh, sure. Still though, who started calling it a raid event?¡±

    ¡°I think it was Strawberry that started it? Raid event¡­ well, it really is like an attractionevent.¡±

    ¡°E-eh, did I? I don¡¯t remember¡­ I think I heard it from someone else?¡±

    Strawberry spoke as she held a frightened rabbit. Wataru thought there was a chance it was Kehma¡­ a month before this, he¡¯d said something about heading out because of a job. It was possible. Very possible.

    ¡°Still though, this one¡¯s a big one¡­ Seriously, a second group of forty gargoyles appeared after that first group of skeletons and gargoyles.¡±

    ¡°I-It¡¯s definitely influenced by the people here, maybe¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯ve got Hero-sama here this time.¡±

    ¡°Eh, it¡¯s my fault? Sorry then.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I-I didn¡¯t mean that. I¡¯m not saying that it¡¯s your fault, Hero-sama. Just, umm, I think they were triggered by how excessively strong you are. I should be the one apologizing if it sounded like an insult. My apologies.¡±

    Wataru had just meant it as a joke, but Renyu bowed in apology out of full seriousness.

    ¡°Haaah¡­¡±

    Wataru let out a sigh. Then, in response to his sigh, Renyu trembled. Even though she was an adventurer¡ªno, perhaps it was because she was such a strong adventurer? Excellent adventurers were sensitive to power gaps.

    ¡°Sh-Should I kiss the dirt? Undress?¡±

    ¡°No no no! You don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t mind at all. See? You don¡¯t need to worry about stuff like that, okay?¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you for your generosity, Hero-sama¡­!¡±

    Wataru once again realized just how different he was treatedpared to how Golen treated him. That vige and its vige chief, Kehma, were likely just special cases, though. As he was thinking about Golen, the rabbits snuggled up against him. There were frightened by the ongoing attack, though.

    ¡°So, is this the end of the raid event?¡±

    ¡°No, these ones are still afraid and the Safety Zone hasn¡¯t reappeared yet. There should still be another waveing¡­ will you be participating as well, Hero-sama?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll join for a bit.¡±

    ¡°Everything should go easily then! Right, Strawberry?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Oh, umm, yeah! Rather, please do!¡±

    With that, Wataru walked up to the front, everyone else practically bowing out of his way. The door where the raiders entered was right in front of him.

    He didn¡¯t like to bulldoze things with his strength, but there was no helping it. He¡¯d quickly put this in order and get back to loving on the rabbits. Pulling out his sword, Wataru took his stance.

    Then, with a creak, the door opened.

    ¡°Oh~?¡±

    From behind it, Nerune¡ªwearing clothes that covered about as much as a micro bikini¡ªappeared, causing Wataru¡¯s eyes to widen in surprise. W-Was she the stripping type¡­!?

    ¡°A-A subus! She¡¯s an enemy!¡±

    Wataru was surprised by Strawberry¡¯s shout. There¡¯s no reason Nerune would have been at a ce like this. Based on that judgement, Wataru immediately gave himself a shallow cut on his thigh to keep a hold of his sanity. Nerune¡¯s appearance seemed to weaken as the subus¡¯ original appearance returned. He recalled that he had an anti-charm magic item he¡¯d received from Haku in his waist pouch and quickly equipped it.

    Are the other adventurers alright?

    Wataru quickly looked around.

    ¡°Hmph! You may look like rabbits but you all are enemies!¡±

    ¡°Bunny girls? Hahaha, real rabbits are much cuter! Try again!¡±

    ¡°G-Guoooh, that kid¡¯s so¡­ amazing¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oi, get a grip! Look closely, she¡¯s got one of those giga racks you hate!¡±

    ¡°Gah! How could I not see those mountains!?¡±

    ¡­ It was going to a questionable area, but they seemed to be roughly alright.

    There were three methods to oppose charm without the use of magic items.

    Charm resistance¡­ in other words, having a strong will. Being attracted to other things more than one¡¯s sexual desire. Blocking one¡¯s eyes and ears to block informationing from a subus (it was an out if one was touched).

    Out of those, the adventurers there seemed to use go with the second¡ªthey overcame the subi¡¯s charm with their love for the rabbits.

    ¡°You all love rabbits that much¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡±

    ¡°I spent my savings toe here.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t beat the floof!¡±

    By the way, Strawberry had covered her eyes with her ears and put her hands over the base of her ears. An impregnable defense only rabbit beastkin could manage¡­

    ¡°Well¡­ I guess you¡¯re an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Gyaan!?¡±

    Wataru quickly cut down the subus standing before him. Once he judged that it was merely a humanoid-type monster and not a human, he cut her down. As expected, heroes who¡¯d resolved themselves were different.

 Chapter 344 - The VIPs in the Meanwhile

    <strong>The VIPs in the Meanwhile</strong>

    ¡°Are those adventurers your doing, Haku? They seem to be used to this.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san¡¯s doing, actually. I mean, I invited him to make the dungeon, it looks like he¡¯s put them through some irregr training?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Those adventurers must have been put through their paces. They¡¯ve even ovee the subi.¡±

    The adventurers had annihted the skeletons and gargoyles. Their movements were well practiced. Moreover, they seemed to shake off the subi¡¯s temptation easily. Normally, adventurers would have quickly been manipted by the subi and started attacking each other.

    Not to mention Wataru, the hero who¡¯d mowed down those subi with his overwhelming strength.

    ¡°By the way, Haku. That one¡¯s a hero, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°If I recall, he¡¯s one of your pawns?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Him having a charm-resistant bracelet was pretty convenient?¡±

    ¡°It would be an issue if a hero were to fall under an enemy¡¯s control, is it not a natural countermeasure?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t recall him having it though?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d just thought it up the other day. Him not having it up until then was not safe, of course.¡±

    Core No. 6 shrugged as if to acquiesce.

    Looking back at the monitor, they saw that Core No. 564 had noticed the hero¡¯s presence and was upset. He was shouting as his prided group of subi was easily devastated and forced to fall back.

    ¡­ It sounded something like him protesting that the hero alone was already too much.

    Still though, that side was going with deploying the hero there since there was only one way in and out.

    They weren¡¯t letting their own allies do the attacking, instead making it so that the hero would only be hunting their enemies. Haku hadn¡¯t given him that order, she hadn¡¯t even been briefed on the dungeon. It was Kehma¡¯s own scheming that brought this situation about so naturally.

    Meanwhile, Core No. 666 was actively raiding Core No. 564¡¯s dungeon. Swinging the fire magic sword that was her [Doppelganger], she easily cut through the gargoyles surrounding her.

    Her breathing visibly rough, she used an arm to wipe the sweat from her brow, showing that she could allow to act tired in mockery. Core No. 6 and Haku knew the truth behind it, but would Core No. 564 after bing so disturbed by the destruction of his troops?

    ¡°No. 666 is doing her best too, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. No. 666 is doing it irregrly, but she has achieved the strength of an instructor.¡±

    ¡°An instructor? Oh, in your Demon King Style. If I recall, it was something about achieving a body that doesn¡¯t tire through an improved humanization?¡±

    ¡°Correct. And No. 666¡¯s brat of a Master ordered her to [Forget] her fatigue. Well, she won¡¯t be an instructor until she¡¯s able to do it herself, but it¡¯s still a valid strategy.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah. The Absolute Command Rights. Haah¡­¡±

    Haku sighed. Even if she felt that the Absolute Command Rights were annoying, she didn¡¯t say it. [Father] was sitting right in front of her, after all. He probably had a deep reason for it¡­

    Just then, [Father] smiled and spoke to Haku.

    ¡°Haku, I have some questions I¡¯d like to ask, but could you ask Kehma-kun them for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course, if you wish. What should I ask him, Otou-sama?¡±

    ¡°No. 666 made it past No. 564¡¯s attack, I¡¯ve been wondering how she hid.¡±

    ¡°Oh. She was in that room from the start. She seemed to have been hiding herself by using [Illusory Wall].¡±

    Yes, Aidi had been in that room from the beginning. However, she only appeared out from behind the insubstantial wall after No. 564¡¯s attacking forces passed by.

    Haku judged it to have been due to the insubstantial trap [Illusory Wall (500 DP)] and couldn¡¯t help but feel admiration for using it to get past enemy troops.

    ¡°Hmm, it looked a bit different to me. Please ask him.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Understood, I will.¡±

    However, Haku couldn¡¯t help but connect her monitor to Kehma and ask now that [Father] had said that.

    ¡°Kehma-san, do you have a moment?¡±

    [Oh, what¡¯s up Haku-san? I¡¯m a bit busy with the Dungeon Battle at the moment.]

    ¡°I have a question for you. How did you hide Core No. 666?¡±

    [Oh? You didn¡¯t see the map? She was in the gate room from the beginning.]

    She hadn¡¯t looked at the map, but Haku did already know that, of course. Besides, Haku already felt she knew how this happened¡­ but when she nced back to [Father], he was looking at her with [Ask how she hid herself!] written on a piece of paper.

    ¡°Umm. How did she hide?¡±

    [¡­ Not going to say for free.]

    The negotiations began. With that, [Father] quickly created a strong will bracelet. Its effect was enhanced through a god¡¯s power, so this strong will bracelet could even be called godly.

    ¡­ Haku felt that Kehma was getting a bit toopensated for this.

    ¡°So, how did you hide her?¡±

    [It wasn¡¯t anything soplicated. See? I spread a monitor to fill the room and made it show the picture of a wall. Then I just had her stand behind it.]

    In other words, he¡¯d expanded a monitor to the maximum size, made it visible, then used it to hide behind.

    ¡°Eh? You didn¡¯t use an [Illusory Wall]?¡±

    [¡­ Illusory¡­? Oh, the trap. Those are expensive though? They¡¯re worth ten futons. A monitor was enough for this Dungeon Battle.]

    Setting aside whether 500 DP was expensive, for him to use the menu¡¯s monitor like that¡­

    Haku was suddenly brought back to the mind-shattering feeling he¡¯d forced her to feel before.

    ¡°¡­ That helped. Thanks.¡±

    [No, no. Please give Father my regards.]

    Saying that, he closed themunication.

    ¡°¡­ It looks like Kehma-san did notice you after all, Otou-sama.¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha! Well, that¡¯s Kehma-kun for you. But maybe I should respond with [You have no right to call me Father!] or something? Eh, I¡¯m not really against it though.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t mind¡­ wait, No. 6? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    When Haku turned toward Core No. 6 next to her, she saw him busting a gutughing.

    ¡°Kukuku, it¡¯s nothing. Just seeing your face when you heard about how he used the monitor was funny. Forgive me.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Did I look that strange?¡±

    Haku ced her hand against her cheek.

    ¡°Yeah, you did. Your eyebrows and mouth froze solid. Kukukuku.¡±

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯ll go all out in my attack in our next war. Perhaps I should lend my magic sword collection to my knights¡­?¡±

    ¡°Wait wait wait! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong here! Right, Father!?¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha! Sorry No. 6, you¡¯re at fault for saying saying a girl¡¯s face looked funny. Though Haku, aren¡¯t you the one that decided he¡¯d used an [Illusory Wall]? I think you should be a bit more flexible.¡±

    ¡­ [Father] had likely already realized what Kehma did even before she¡¯d asked him, but had her do it for her own sake. He was grinning like a kid whose prank just seeded.

    ¡°Did you know? In another world, they have people called shinobi that use cloth colored to look like walls in order to slip past enemies. They call it kakureminojutsuNinja Art of Camouge.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Is Kehma-san one of those shinobi?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be a sight to see, wouldn¡¯t it! ¡ªAh, how about we get back to watching the Dungeon Battle?¡±

    The Dungeon Battle was still in its early stages.

    As for what events would unfold next, only god knew¡ªnay, not even [Father], a god, had no clue and was looking forward to it in excitement.

 Chapter 345

    A Decrease font size. A Reset font size. A Increase font size.

    [Absolute Command Rights] Used Effectively

    (Core No. 666, Aidi¡¯s Point of View)

    Hiding behind a monitor to slip by enemies, then begin a counteroffensive¡­ I see, what an interesting strategy.

    Aidi thought to herself.

    ¡°Rokuko¡¯s Master really doesn¡¯t think like other people¡­¡±

    He was effectively just really good out plotting against people, but it was a very reliable thing for a Dungeon Core¡¯s partner.

    In truth, Rokuko and Kehma were such a good pair that they¡¯d went against Haku in an equally-matched Dungeon Battle and managed toe out with a win.

    Then again, reality rarely provided [Equally-Matched] fights. Even if Haku had just nned to educate him and was negligent, it was a fact that he took advantage of that. If there were no holds barred and a 600 seriesNewest Series core had to go against one of the initial series cores like No. 89, they¡¯d stand no chance.

    To put it simply, despite actually winning, he would have thought something like [It¡¯s fine even if I lose].

    ¡­ It was the same before Rokuko and Aidi had their Dungeon Battle, too. Aidi¡¯s Master had said [Let¡¯s invest the DP into our Enhancement. Why don¡¯t we have some fun with this as a test?].

    In other words, he thought it was okay to lose this, too.

    However, Aidi had absolutely no intentions of losing this.

    ¡°Fufu¡­ Haah, haah, this is getting fun¡­¡±

    She wasn¡¯t in pain at all, nor was she tired. She was still obviously panting, though. It was an entirely wasted motion, but it was of no matter since she wasn¡¯t fatigued at all.

    Aidi was given an [Order] by her Master before this through the Absolute Command Rights: [You don¡¯t feel tired during battle and don¡¯t need to breath].

    It was a seemingly insane [Order], but as she was truly a Core, it turned out to work rather well.

    Dungeon Cores didn¡¯t ordinarily have to breathe nor did they feel fatigue, it was even fine to call her current body an incarnation or avatar.

    Wouldn¡¯t something grow tired even if it forgot that it should? Yes, but it was more weird for something that was originally unable to grow tired to feel fatigue. Even needing to breathe was unnatural.

    If the samemand were given to a human, their body would quickly reach its limit and die. Aidi, however, was a Dungeon Core.

    Therefore, the current Aidi had a body that [Was not fatigued and had no need of breathing].

    ¡°Hah!¡±

    She easily slew the gargoylesing at her while she searched for Core No. 564¡¯s mansion. Then, after she defeated another group, she moved some of her red hair out of her eyes and regained control of her breath to take a rest¡ªto act as if she were fatigued.

    Why was she doing that? In order to draw our more of her enemy¡¯s forces. Then, if things went well, in order to draw out Core No. 564 himself.

    Aidi knew¡ªthis Dungeon Battle¡¯s victory condition was to touch the core.

    This didn¡¯t extend to touching their avatars. However, if you killed the incarnation, you would win due to there no longer being an opponent¡­ This was also something pointed out by Kehma and the others in their Dungeon Battle in the previous year.

    On the other hand, it wouldn¡¯t be a loss for them if Aidi herself died. Although it would be a personal defeat for Aidi if she did die, it wouldn¡¯t be the team¡¯s.

    Aidi obviously didn¡¯t intend to die, but she was in theforting position of [It is fine to die].

    ¡°What a cruel man Rokuko¡¯s Master is, huh? He said it was fine even if I died.¡±

    Even while saying that, she thrust her sword at a subus who¡¯d been summoning gargoyles from behind cover.

    Making sure she¡¯d cut off the monster¡¯s escape route, she closed in. The subus attempted to charm her, a desperate,st-ditch effort. Aidi just smiled amiably back at her.

    Thinking the charm worked, the subus seemed to be relieved for a moment. Aidi then mercilessly cut her down.

    ¡°Aw, I wound up killing her on reflex since she charmed me. I can¡¯t help but want to kill adorable girls.¡±

    With that, she¡¯d acted as if she¡¯d been charmed.

    Yes. It was an act. Charms wouldn¡¯t work on Aidi. She¡¯d been [Ordered] to [Not be affected by status conditions], after all. Mental conditions wouldn¡¯t work on her. Even affects caused through poisons would be invalidated by the core¡¯s functions.

    If she were to receive one, it could only be to the extent of something like a blindfold over her eyes.

    Yes, exactly like the situation she found with this roomced in a [Darkness] trap.

    This room was the next room, it was entirely dark. Opening the door, it was so dark that it was unnatural.

    The ck [Darkness] would probably remain even if shepletely wrecked the room. The dark wall was just that sort of three-dimensional thing.

    She didn¡¯t sense anything breathing inside the room, but she did sense hostility. Likely an undead that didn¡¯t require breathing or an inanimate-type like a gargoyle. There could also be some other trap.

    ¡°Hmph. This looks fun.¡±

    Aidi walked into the [Darkness] unhesitatingly.

    Immediately after she took her first step, arrows were fired at Aidi.

    It was a concealed trap that couldn¡¯t be seen from the doorway and that would fire at the first person to enter.

    However, Aidi cut down the arrow mid-flight and dove into the darkness as if dancing. She moved through the room avoiding traps as she swung her sword about, precisely cutting down an enemy.

    ¡°Oh. So there was something there? I didn¡¯t notice, what a lucky strike.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a lucky strike, of course.

    It was visible to Aidi. Gargoyles and skeletons were hidden in the darkness, stealthily aiming at her. To say how, it was because Aidi was originally a [Magic Sword-Type] Dungeon Core. There were some magic swords that had eyes as a necessity rather than as a happenstance, but Aidi wasn¡¯t like that.

    In other words, she didn¡¯t need her eyes to see. Therefore, if she was [Ordered] to [See your surroundings even within darkness], she could. And so she could.

    Aidi found herself smiling within the [Darkness].

    ¡°Kusu kusu. Rokuko¡¯s Master is great and all, but my Master won¡¯t lose either. Perhaps I should reward him when I return?¡±

    Aidi and her Master made effective, valid uses of [Absolute Command Rights].

    She wouldn¡¯t tire, didn¡¯t need to breathe, and wasn¡¯t affected by status conditions. She could see in the dark and destroy her enemies.

    She didn¡¯t stop single-mindedly killing her enemies.

    Dungeon Cores were capable of this through the proper use of the [Absolute Command Rights].

    It was apletely differentbat style than what Kehma¡ªwho¡¯dpletely abandoned the [Absolute Command Rights]¡ªhad taken. This was how Aidi fought.

    But then again, if she brought that up with Kehma, he¡¯d easily include that stratagem into his and say something like [Well, you are our frontline. Alright, I¡¯ll support you from the back, so have fun].

    And that would be that.

 Chapter 346

    Opening Sess

    (Kehma¡¯s Point of View)

    Alright, looks like the first win goes to us. I¡¯d say it was aplete stomp in our favor, but I don¡¯t know everything well enough to say that for sure.

    Although I hadn¡¯t really taken any measures against charm, it turned out well anyway and Wataru was able to easily deal with the subi.

    I never thought they¡¯d love the rabbits so much¡­ I guess cuteness really is justice.

    I mean, I figured the better adventurers would have some means to resist it, but for everyone to?

    I figured it would¡¯ve worked out either way if the weaker ones ran away or something since Wataru was there, but I¡¯m pleasantly surprised that didn¡¯t happen.

    What would I have done if Wataru was charmed? I just would¡¯ve lost the first floor, that¡¯s all.

    Or perhaps I would have turned it into a charm showdown by having Meat turn back into Subus Wanko again.

    I could probably even get Wataru to give me that bracelet he¡¯s wearing if it came to that. That¡¯d be amusing.

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t have a turn.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Looks like it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Meat. Kehma¡¯s ns are working.¡±

    ¡­ It felt like there weren¡¯t many monstersing over, but it was probably due to how Aidi was straight up obliterating most of the gargoyles. She did say she¡¯d be doing that beforehand though.

    [I took care of what was most notable, Rokuko¡¯s Master.]

    ¡°Sounds good. But isn¡¯t it standard to keep your all-important summoners in a safe area? Why¡¯d they leave that? Are they stupid?¡±

    [Oh? There were no true safe areas though. Where would they leave them?]

    ¡°¡­ Are you being serious?¡±

    I took a nce back to Orange, the rabbit-type core standing beside me. Orange answered following a twitch of his nose.

    ¡°¡­ Nkyuu, the inside of the Dungeon Core is safe though?¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Good, I¡¯m not in the wrong here.

    [¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Oh, right, I suppose there is a safe area within the Dungeon Core. For Rokuko¡¯s sort of strategy, that is.]

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s not just Rokuko¡¯s¡­ but I guess the inside of a Dungeon Core isn¡¯t exactly considered safe for Demon King Faction cores?¡±

    [Dungeon Core subspaces are obviously ces to collect items and trophies.]

    I see, so it was an issue of how it¡¯s viewed?

    It¡¯s true that there wouldn¡¯t be any safer of a ce than there to store treasures. No one could get in without permission, after all.

    [You wouldn¡¯t leave important items outside, right? They¡¯d be stolen.]

    ¡°Indeed. So the Demon King Faction¡­ doesn¡¯t treat subi as important?¡±

    [Aren¡¯t monsters meant to be used and discarded?]

    She was saying that they weren¡¯t worthy to go inside. So where would they be put, then¡­? For him to treat them like that despite having them learn [Summon Gargoyle] was straight up wasteful.

    Maybe it¡¯s because the core¡¯s position would be found out by tracing the gargoyles back to their spawn? No, they just had to change where they wereing from in that case¡­ eh, oh well.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, have any clue where about his Dungeon Core is?¡±

    [Yeah. Inside the dungeon¡­ likely not the highest floor of the mansion, but it¡¯s basement¡ªthe undergroundbyrinth. Undergroundbyrinths are a bit troublesome. It would be a 500 series¡¯ undergroundbyrinth, so I figure it would be considerablyplex. At least ten floors.]

    ¡­?

    ¡°Wait. Ten? That¡¯s all?¡±

    [That¡¯s all? What are you on about, Rokuko¡¯s Master? It would take several days to traverse, considering its traps and structure. It¡¯d be our loss if they conquered our side¡¯s dungeon during that, you know?]

    ¡°That so? It¡¯s fine, that¡¯s way too shallow. I doubt it¡¯d be big enough to take several days.¡±

    [Eh? Too shallow?]

    Yep.

    I get the feeling that Aidi and I are thinking about two different things.

    ¡°I mean, you said ten floors. That¡¯s shallow. That [White Beach] I madest year had ten floors.¡±

    [¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Oh yeah, it did, huh? But that was a straight path and easier to finish. If it was like how we were making our dungeon, it¡ªwait,e to think of it, Rokuko and you all made it all the way in, huh¡­ in a day¡­]

    ¡°Yep. It was easy.¡±

    Rokuko answered in my stead. Yep. It really was an easy one to finish. The only hard part was that Aidi carried her Dungeon Core around, making it portable.

    [¡­ ¡­ ¡­ Rokuko. How long do you think the ten floors would take?]

    ¡°If it¡¯s Kehma¡­ a day! It¡¯s just ten floors!¡±

    [How reliable¡ªas an ally, that is.]

    Oi, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯d take two days. Five a day.

    ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been wondering. Does the Demon King Faction not put much value in [Dungeons]?¡±

    [¡­ Right. We usually use some form of mansion or castle¡­ but there are things that extend underground. I mean, isn¡¯t it hard to fight your enemies if you¡¯re too far underground?]

    I see. Muscle brain syndrome strikes again.

    ¡°Aidi, could you finish the first floor for now?¡±

    [I checked through all the rooms I saw on the first floor. Should I record what I found above on a map?]

    ¡°Yeah, thanks. Please do. Light the building on fire while you¡¯re at it. His furniture should burn nicely.¡±

    [¡­ Huh?]

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    [Did I mishear you? Just now, I thought I heard you say to light a fire?]

    ¡°I did say that though?¡±

    [¡­ Umm, Rokuko¡¯s Master. Are you insane?]

    And now Aidi¡¯s doubting my sanity.

    Well, maybe it won¡¯t burn since it¡¯s a dungeon.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Lighting things on fire should serve to smoke out the remaining subi and give us an idea of where the way up is connected by looking at the flow of the smoke, yeah? Meanwhile, you¡¯ll be fine since you don¡¯t have to breathe and can rely on something other than your eyes to see.¡±

    [¡­ Yeah, I guess you really are sane. I thought you were wanting me to burn the mansion down.]

    ¡°Well that too, of course. If you can burn down the whole mansion, it should make looking for the Dungeon Core proceed much quicker by eliminating the ces it could hide!¡±

    [You truly do have a weird way of thinking, Rokuko¡¯s Master.]

    Let¡¯s try helping a bit by sending some gargoyles to use [Fireball].

    Death by fire!

    ¡°Oh, Orange. Please send out some grasshoppers to scout the underground areas.¡±

    ¡°Gotchakyuu. But won¡¯t a ton of them die? Wouldn¡¯t squirrels be better?¡±

    ¡°Orange, how much do they cost ording to your catalog?¡±

    ¡°Either are 1 DP, nkyuu.¡±

    Hmm. Squirrels would be better than. Even I¡¯d used rats on Haku-san back when I was staring out.

    ¡°Alright, start with a hundred squirrels.¡±

    ¡°Kyuu!? A hundred!? I can¡¯t move that many!¡±

    ¡°That so? Oh well then. Meat, Ichika, lend him a hand. Orange, please use your menu to set the two to be able to operate them. Also, add more if the situation calls for it.¡±

    ¡°G-Got it!¡±

    There¡¯s a knack to getting used to swarm operation¡­ Oh well, Meat and Ichika should be able to handle it.

    ¡°Kehma Kehma! Could I help?¡±

    ¡°Rokuko¡­ go ahead and keep an eye on how many squirrels there are and instruct Orange on when to add more.¡±

    ¡°Alright! So, Orange! Go and add another hundred right away!¡±

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t finished with the first hundred!?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll need them either way so hurry it up!¡±

    ¡°Fuoooh, all the DP I saved¡­.¡±

    ¡­ Well, there are ten floors, so it should work out? I¡¯ll leave it to Rokuko.

    Lost in my ns, I watched over the Dungeon Battle.

 Chapter 347 - Mid-Game and the VIP Room

    <strong>Mid-Game and the VIP Room</strong>

    Core No. 666 cut hermunication from Kehma.

    They thought she¡¯d continue toward the stairs as she¡¯d been, but she didn¡¯t.

    ¡°Oh, it seems No. 666 started something.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s true. I wonder what?¡±

    ¡°It seems like she received an order from your younger sister¡¯s Master¡­?¡±

    She began destroying the furniture in the nearby room with her sword¡ªfurniture like wooden shelves or the small closet within. Bang, bang, bang¡­ everything was demolished and turned to firewood right before their eyes.

    ¡°Really, what is she doing¡­?¡±

    ¡°Is there a meaning to this?¡±

    Bringing the veritable mountain of wood chips to the wall next to the stairs, Core No. 666 thrust the doppelganger¡ªthe fire magic sword into it, causing mes to swell up.

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­ Wh-What is No. 666 doing?¡±

    Having began burning, the mountain of wood sent out plumes of billowing smoke. Some curtains she got from a nearby room was tossed onto the fire as well.

    Woosh! The fire became all the more fierce. It was too grand a fire to be lit within a residence.

    [Fufu, it¡¯s burning well.]

    The fire scorched the wall and singed the ceiling. With this, Core No. 666¡¯s¡ªno, Kehma¡¯s n had be incredibly obvious.

    ¡°S-Surely he¡¯s not¡­ surely he¡¯s not intending to burn the mansion down!? Is he insane!?¡±

    ¡°Ahahahaha! I¡¯d expect nothing else of Kehma-kun! Who needs to think outside the box when you can just burn it down!¡±

    ¡°¡­ One normally wouldn¡¯t think up such a method as this.¡±

    The Great Demon King was in shock, [Father] was in aughing fit, and Haku was simply amazed.

    Still though, the fire was incredibly effective. The mansion was burning, after all.

    Therger one¡¯s dungeon, therger the effectiveness of the dungeon¡¯s protection on the mansion would be. It could be repaired with DP, as well.

    It wasn¡¯t to the point that it was impossible to destroy, though. Moreover, although it was hard to begin burning, it wasn¡¯t as if it couldn¡¯t burn. It would just look as though it was unscathed in the event its burned areas were repaired. Repairing through DP would create new construction materials, leaving the remains.

    Take the wooden pirs, flooring, ceiling, and stairs for example. If one were to destroy them just once, they would be reduced to ordinary wood. Therefore, it would lose the dungeon¡¯s protection effect.

    In other words, it could burn. And boy would it burn.

    The destroyed walls were restored, as well as the pirs.

    However, they would once more be demolished and subsequently catch fire.

    Let¡¯s assume she only broke the stairs that went up to the second floor to turn them into fuel. In the case that the Dungeon Core were on the top floor, the area below would be separated from the dungeon¡¯s first floor. As such, it would immediately lose the dungeon¡¯s protection effect and would quickly catch fire.

    And thus there was no choice but to repair them.

    But even then, Core No. 666 would simply continue to indifferently destroy them and feed the remains to the fire.

    The mansion absolutely could not be allowed to burn. Therefore, nothing could be done but to mend it.

    More destruction. More fire-feeding.

    Noticing that the repairs always started with the stairs, Core No. 666 focused on them as her priority.

    The stairs were repaired, destroyed, then fed to the fire. The stairs were repaired, destroyed, then fed to the fire. The stairs were repaired, destroyed, then fed to the fire.

    The process repeated several more times like a well-oiled machine, the fire growingrger each time.

    [Oh. This is nice. It¡¯s actually fun. If only Rokuko hade along.]

    By the way, in the case where the core were actually in the basement, that would lead to the second floor and everything after being burned without the dungeon¡¯s protection.

    As long as he intended to defend the mansion, he absolutely could not allow the stairs to burn.

    Would the fire cause Core No. 564 to abandon his mansion or cause his DP to run out first?

    Core No. 666, who was originally a fire magic sword, found fire to be aforting existence. She didn¡¯t mind any amount of fire dancing before her.

    The mansion-type dungeon, Core No. 666, and the burn-everything-down strategy. Everything formed a bnce.

    ¡°The more I think about it, the worse it gets¡­!¡±

    ¡°Hey, is that Master a demon? He¡¯s not really a human, right?¡±

    Although it was Core No. 564 that should have been the demon, from all appearances, Kehma¡¯s methods were much more demonic.

    Core No. 564¡¯s gargoyles came to put out the fire and ignored Core No. 666, but¡ª

    [~?]

    She unceremoniously kicked them down. These gargoyles couldn¡¯t even be considered proper opponents to her. Core No. 564 was likely starting to panic about now.

    ¡°Alright, I talked with Kehma-kun a bit ago, so let¡¯s try having an interview with No. 564 next! No. 6!¡±

    ¡°If that is your wish, Father.¡±

    With that, he connected his monitor to Core No. 564.

    [Uoooh!? That sted No. 666, stop it, stop! Gaaah! Don¡¯t destroy those staaaaairs!!]

    Although they¡¯d expected it, what they saw through the monitor was Core No. 564¡¯s panic. From the other side of the monitor, [Father]ughed.

    ¡°¡­. Cough.¡±

    [Ah! Great Demon King-sama! Th-This is¡­ apologies for showing you such an unsightly manner!]

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. How are you progressing?¡±

    [S-Sir! Th-This is nothing! My Magnificent Self will show them true power!]

    Core No. 564posed himself and said as such.

    ¡°Hmm.¡±

    Core No. 6 nodded solemnly.

    [My Magnificent Self was intending to punish No. 666 for her impertinence, do you mind?]

    ¡°Do as you wish.¡±

    [Thank you, Sir! In that case, things will be growing busy, so¡ªgaaah, stop burning it!]

    With that, themunication was cut off.

    ¡°Are you sure? Do as you wish?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve given up on him. I¡¯d meant that there¡¯s no longer any rtion between us, Father.¡±

    ¡°Oh hoh. You¡¯re fine abandoning a 500 series? What a cold heart you have there, Demon Lord-sama.¡±

    ¡°Drop it. I have no real reason to protect him, so I simply undid my protection over him¡­ Well, me telling him that was simply to make him a better stepping stone for No. 666.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    Haku ced her hand on her cheek in thought.

    ¡°To defeat a 500 series despite being a 600 series¡­ is it that No. 564 is weak, or that No. 666 is strong? I wonder which.¡±

    ¡°Both. No. 666 is a genius if I do say so myself. Moreover, she has rapidly grown since acquiring a Master.¡±

    Just then, there was movement in Core No. 629¡¯s dungeon.

    It appeared that a subus had somehow survived and was earnestly reciting [Summon Gargoyle] in attempts to put together some level of fighting potential. However¡ª

    Naturally, it was shown by the map. Therefore, it was attacked by the gargoyles on Core No. 629¡¯s side.

    The gargoyles and the subus ran away even as they fought. Then, once they¡¯d been driven into a corner¡ª

    ¡°Oh, the hero.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s check.¡±

    They were quickly annihted. They¡¯d likely not received any orders from No. 564. If not, they never would have lost their heading and ran into the hero.

    But still, there was no helping it. Core No. 564¡¯s dungeon was currently being ravaged by a campfire of Core No. 666¡¯s doing. Moreover, a total of two hundred additional [Enemies] had infiltrated his underground floors.

    ¡°All he had to do was allocate work to his subordinates, too bad.¡±

    ¡°Thinking about No. 66¡¯s final days, even cing trust in one¡¯s own monsters is a difficult thing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, there¡¯s no helping it, I suppose. I won¡¯t butt into that matter.¡±

    With that, Core No. 564¡¯s underground dungeon was being captured as well.

    The first floor had quickly been broken through.

    ¡°But¡­ are those squirrels?¡±

    ¡°Yet another example of his brutishness¡­ He¡¯d flooded everything with water and fish before. I suppose this is less objectionable, but still.¡±

    Even with the DP-summoned gargoyles that were left to stay there, the swarms of squirrels quickly and freely dashed through the statues¡¯ feet and ran their way through. Even if the gargoyles attempted to strike them down with magic, bullet-type magic like fireball and the like were simple enough to simply avoid.

    Clearly, the ones manipting these were well ustomed to [Swarm] maniption.

    ¡°These subordinates of Kehma-kun¡¯s are good.¡±

    ¡°¡­ What excellent subordinates. Enviable, even.¡±

    ¡°Really. I think so too. I wonder if I could trade Misha¡­ hmm. They¡¯re better than before.¡±

    Although some were cornered against the walls, they were the vast minority. The rest scattered through the dungeon to advance their search. Soon after, they¡¯d discovered the stairs leading to the following floor. They¡¯d managed to explore an entire floor without so much as a single hour passing¡ªa frightening speed.

    ¡°His tactics are as great as ever. No. 6, how would you have gone about doing this?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Let¡¯s see¡­ a long-ranged offensive skill. It¡¯s harder to deal with such a small size and number of enemies, but I would use a type of magic that would deal with the entire enemy within rangepletely. Poison would work nicely.¡±

    ¡°So the Great Demon King of all people would resort to poison?¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, I am the Great Demon King, am I not? What¡¯s so wrong about that?¡±

    Like this, Kehma dominated together with Core No. 629 even upon heading into the mid-game.

    ¡­ Incidentally, Core No. 564 said something about punishing Core No. 666, but what was he nning? If he wanted to do something, he would be better off doing it sooner rather thanter to put on a better show for his spectators.

 Chapter 348 - Reckless

    <strong>Reckless</strong>

    Alright. So a number of things happened, but the stairs finally turned into a nice campfire.

    ¡°¡­ So, Aidi-san? You can go further in if you want, you know?¡±

    [Oh, sorry. This whole setting fire thing turned out pretty fun¡­ Rokuko, perhaps you understand how I feel?]

    ¡°Nope! Now hurry up and finish him off.¡±

    We urged Aidi to continue on after she¡¯d forgotten what she was meant to be doing due to amusing herself with the fire.

    The smoke should¡¯ve spread enough through the second floor as well, so leaving the fire at that should be fine.

    [By the way, what about exploring the underground areas?]

    ¡°Oh, yeah. We¡¯re already somewhere in the third floor¡­ I wonder how far it¡¯ll go?¡±

    [¡­ Eh? Already?]

    Yeah, so the stairway leading down to the third floor was basically right next to the second floor¡¯s entrance. It was hidden behind a fake wall, though. I figure it was probably one of those [Illusory Wall] things Haku-san mentioned.

    ¡°It was hidden in a seemingly empty passageway, so it probably would¡¯ve taken a long time if we¡¯d searched the normal way.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, why¡¯d you have the squirrels run along the walls?¡±

    ¡°You should always scoutbyrinths by using the right hand method, right? I mean, it¡¯s his fault for putting it so close to the start of the floor.¡±

    Even if he couldn¡¯t have ovee the method, he should have at least put it along the outside edge¡­ Or even closer to the middle of the floor surrounded by a ton of traps, that¡¯smon enough too¡­

    ¡°They¡¯ll only be useful as support and have to stop as soon as they reach a Boss Room, though. We can just let gargoyles travel there directly after we find the shortest route, sooo¡­ Open a gate, summoning a stone creature that wields magic, enving it¡ª[Summon Gargoyle]. Alright, listen to Orange¡¯s instructions~¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu, go to the room with the gate passage~¡±

    By the way, Orange was pretty good at deploying monsters I summon.

    Well, I usually just do golem deployment in our dungeon. It¡¯s not like I don¡¯t get it. 1

    [Could I burn just a little more?]

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯d prefer you scouting around more though?¡±

    [The gargoyles should be fine on their own. They¡¯re stone and can fly, so they should be alright even without stairs, yeah?]

    ¡°Oh well¡­ Open a gate, summoning a stone creature that wields magic, enving it¡ª[Summon Gargoyle]. Go and help with the dungeon exploration. Orange, I¡¯m gonna keep ¡¯eming!¡±

    ¡°Gotcha~¡±

    I summoned gargoyle after gargoyle as if I were some gargoyle factory.

    It was even easier than [Create Golem]. As expected of Haku-san¡¯s rmendation!

    ¡°Aidi, could you summon some skeletons?¡±

    [I¡¯d prefer to save my magical power for when I fight Core No. 564.]

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, then.¡±

    [Yeah¡­ Ah, those reinforcements you sent just now weren¡¯t necessary. It looks as if he came to me.]

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Just then, Aidi twisted her body.

    ZUBONG~!

    A sword that had soared in from nowhere pierced and lodged itself into the wall.

    [No. 666iiiiiiiiiix!!]

    [Hello, No. 564. I¡¯ve received your invitation for a dance and ept.]

    Immediately after the sword made its appearance, Core No. 564 did as well. Yep, he was straight up huge being two heads taller than Aidi¡ªwith a goat head, to boot. He held a separate sword to the one he¡¯d lodged into the wall.

    ¡°¡­ So we wound up luring him out, huh?¡±

    Well, of course he¡¯d be angry from us lighting his house on fire. Even I¡¯d be.

    ¡°Kehma, would it be our win if we defeated him?¡±

    ¡°Well, it wouldn¡¯t be an immediate victory if we did¡­ but it would be about the same. Killing might be no good? I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s allowed~¡±

    I¡¯d tried making that a question aimed at the VIP room, but I didn¡¯t get an answer.

    Perhaps they weren¡¯t watching each and every thing happening in our Master Room here? Speaking to myself is embarrassing.

    ¡°¡­ Umm, Aidi, try only half killing him?¡±

    [Oh¡­ I¡¯m not certain if I could win if I don¡¯t go for the kill though?]

    While saying that, she deflected Core No. 564¡¯s sword.

    [Gunu! You braaaaaat!]

    [You think yourself all that for being just one series older? Kusukusu.]

    Err, she looks like she could easily manage to not kill him though? She didn¡¯t even seem to be straining herself.

    I mean, even though Core No. 564 seemed to be stronger, his anger seemed to make his movements monotonous. Not like I¡¯m any expert in that stuff, but still.

    [My Glorious Self will tear off your limbs and make you a wall ornament!!]

    [Well that sounds scary. In that case, perhaps I should take your head as a decoration for my home?]

    Perhaps I should say that I¡¯d expected as much from the Demon King Faction? They spoke to each other as if they were each sure they¡¯d kill the other.

    [Summon Bloody Ghost!]

    [Open a gate. Summon a bone demon and enve it¡ª[Summon Skeleton]]

    In response to Core No. 564 summoning a red ghost-type monster with DP, Aidi used her magical power to bring forth a skeleton. Just as Core No. 564 managed to kill the skeleton blocking him, Aidi managed to round down the ghost with her fire magic sword.

    ¡­ Attributed magic swords can defeat ghosts? Or maybe it¡¯s due to something else, like its [Indestructible] attribute?

    ¡°Hey, Aidi, want us to summon a monster to help?¡±

    [No, Rokuko. I want to continue this dueldance one-on-one.]

    With that, I decided to divide the gargoyles into groups to search the mansion.

    To be exact, I had them enter from the sky.

    ¡­ I mean, is it not normal to leave when you see smoke billowing out? But are those not windows? It¡¯s not entering if it¡¯s entered from the sky.

    We¡¯re not doing this normally? Come now, are there not so many gargoyles that we must use all of the windows to enter?

    Oh, Core No. 564¡¯s private room¡ªis it not just a bedroom?

    Are we not still searching?

    There¡¯re still subi but they¡¯re weak to the smoke and their charm does not barely not not do anything?

    And what do you know, is that not the Dungeon Core?

    Oh. It is not.

    It¡¯s not not a Dummy Core.

    Did he not use Castling¡ª?

    Okay, enough with that. I guess he really did use Castling?

    Still though, I suppose that means the Dungeon Core is underground somewhere.

    By the way, Dummy Cores that have been touched can¡¯t be used in the rest of the Dungeon Battle. That¡¯s a rule. That is, the verdict on using a Dummy Core that had already been touched to perform Castling is that the Dungeon Core itself was touched.

    [¡ª!]

    [Oh, it looks like he made it. You¡¯ve even diverted your attention.]

    [Ge ho¡ª¡­ dammit! Dammit! DAMMIT!! How dare you enter My Glorious Self¡¯s bedroooooom!]

    His attention diverted¡ªdiverted toward something he should have been ready for from the start, but still¨Che¡¯d presented an opening. The fight leaned even further in Aidi¡¯s favor.

    My bad for entering your bedroom, man. Bute on, could you not put your Dungeon Core in there? It¡¯s kind of your fault at that point.

    Just as I started to feel that things were going our way¡ª

    [This duel is temporarily postponed! Summon Basilisk¡ªdammit, such waste!]

    [Whoops¡ªpoison and petrification are annoying.]

    Withrge three snakes appearing before her, Aidi closed her eyes and fought back. Core No. 564 took the chance to escape.

    And then he disappeared. He¡¯d probably used [Deployment] on himself to go underground.

    Alrighty then, I suppose all that¡¯s left is to clear the underground dungeon.

    I mean, that even easier. I was going to do that anyway. Could we hurry this up so I can get back to sleep?

 Chapter 349 - Into The Endgame

    <strong>Into The Endgame</strong>

    ¡°Such a tragedy.¡±

    ¡°Uncouth, even. No¡ªipetent?¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, you guys are horrible. No. 564¡¯s doing his best too, you know?¡±

    Kehma¡¯s gargoyles were being paid close attention to by the VIP room¡¯s guests as they entered the estate from its windows. The exhausted subi that had opened the windows to ventte the smoke out were¡ªforck of a better term¡ªout of luck.

    ¡°Hmm. It probably would have been best for No. 564 to not make a move when the stairs burnt? Haku, No. 6, what do you two think?¡±

    ¡°I believe he should have abandoned the estate immediately.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m in agreement. Putting himself in that situation was checkmate¡­ However, well, I can understand his feelings on not wanting to abandon his estate, it¡¯s hard to put into words¡­¡±

    The person in question making his move directly on Core No. 666 was not itself a mistake. It was just so unusual that anyone would break and burn a stairway like that.

    Moving to fight Core No. 666 directly when she had turned his stairway into a bonfire was also a decisive judgement.

    ¡°At the very least, a 500 series being fought to a standstill by a 600 series alone was a shameful thing to see.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Certainly.¡±

    Thinking back to when she was defeated by Rokuko and the others, albeit with restrictions, Haku averted her gaze. [Father] watched her do so with some amusement.

    ¡°That aside, doesn¡¯t this kinda feel cut-and-dry at this point? What do you think, No. 6?¡±

    ¡°Likely. I don¡¯t dislike seeing reversals, but this is a situation where No. 564 has been driven into a corner. He will find it extremely hard to win from here. I suppose all that¡¯s left is how No. 666 and the rest decide to finish this. All he can do it bide time.¡±

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s try talking to Core No. 564 again, then. He seems to have settled down within his dungeon.¡±

    ¡°As you wish.¡±

    His monitor connected with Core No. 564 immediately afterwards.

    On the monitor was a scene of an angered Core No. 564 striking a subus in the abdomen.

    [Dammit¡­ how did My Glorious Self arrive in this situation¡­! They are merely three 600 series!]

    ¡°Hmph. You seem to be in dire straits, No. 564.¡±

    [! A-Apologies, No. 6-sama! You had to see something unsightly.]

    ¡°Did that subus do something?¡±

    [No? She¡¯s simply here to be hit?]

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Core No. 6¡¯s expression didn¡¯t shift due to the Demon King Faction¡¯s exploitation of the weak as the natural order of things, but Haku, who¡¯d also seen it, frowned.

    That subus had appeared delighted at being hit. It reminded her of an unpleasant person.

    ¡°So what will you be doing next?¡±

    [Sir! The tables will be turned on them, that is certain. Although they have already progressed to the third floor, the monsters themselves are trifling. It is undoubtedly certain that they will be unable to proceed beyond the sixth floor and its elites, the Four Kings! Even before then, My Glorious Self has erected a [Gate of Wisdom] on the fourth floor. They will never break through it!]

    ¡°Hoh. So you¡¯ve prepared a sufficient level of monsters and riddles?¡±

    [Of course! Look at these ten floors, they will not set w or hoof any further. If they attempt to force their way through in desperation, all My Glorious Self must do is calmly go out on the counterattack!]

    He really believes it will go that smoothly?

    Core No. 6 thought to himself.

    Game set and match.

    Haku thought to herself.

    [Father] simply smiled.

    ¡°¡­ Do not disappoint me further.¡±

    [¡­! Ha, haha! Victory is certain!]

    Although Core No. 6 already intended to abandon the core, he had cutmunications himself after speaking.

    ¡°¡­ What did you mean by that [Do not disappoint me further]?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. He¡¯s a failure.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s already been invaded that far, so¡­¡±

    Haku sighed.

    Just then, [Father] spoke up, a smile still ying at his lips.

    ¡°So, Haku. How long do you think it¡¯ll take for Kehma to make it past No. 564¡¯s [Gate of Wisdom] and those [Four Kings]?¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow at thetest, Otou-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hohoh. What grounds do you have for that confidence of yours?¡±

    ¡°First, not even half a day has passed so far. Second, as No. 564 has abandoned his estate above-ground, they can concentrate solely on capturing the underground floors. Third, assuming the Four Kings are not at least as strong as No. 564 himself, they will be unable to stop No. 666. Finally, Kehma-san himself is strong and has likely taken countermeasures.¡±

    ¡°What about the [Gate of Wisdom]? It¡¯s something No. 564 himself is proud of.¡±

    ¡°All they have to do to pass that is answer a question¡­ I fail to believe that he could outsmart Kehma-san.¡±

    The reason he prided his [Gate of Wisdom] was that his floors didn¡¯t seem to be too particrly wide.

    ¡­

    Recalling something unpleasant, Haku quietly closed her eyes before pressing against her forehead with her hand.

    ¡°I guess we can just watch them step into the endgame, then?¡±

    ¡°I suppose so. If it proceeds smoothly, it should happen before the day is out. Kehma-san has concluded all of his Dungeon Battles within a single day thus far, after all.¡±

    In retrospect, Kehma winning all of them was fairly¡ªno, very unusual.

    ording to Kehma himself, he¡¯d supposedly had a rematch against OntentooCore No. 112 at some point and lost, saying that he stood no chance and was in no way undefeatable. So far as Haku was concerned, though, that was very much up to suspect. She couldn¡¯t help but suspect that he¡¯d worked together with Core No. 112 to dash his undefeated record.

    ¡°Still though, Haku. Setting aside that Master finishing this in a day, I don¡¯t think he could even fight for a day?¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san is human, after all. He needs to rest.¡±

    ¡°Looking at it another way, if this drags out until that Master has to rest, it might just be an upset victory.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t be.¡±

    Even for when Kehma rests, Rokuko, Core No. 629, as well as Core No. 666 were there.

    On the subject of three Dungeon Cores, she thought back to the previous year¡¯s Dragon King Team Dungeon Battle , Rokuko had been receiving Kehma¡¯s education. She would not lose to Core No. 564.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say it twice. ¡±

    ¡°In that case, I shall appreciate the way No. 564 will lose.¡±

    ¡°I will as well.¡±

    Saying that, Core No. 6 sat back into the sofa.

    Haku took some cream soda she¡¯d ced in her [Storage].

    ¡°Haku? That thing you¡¯re eating¡­ drinking? It looks delicious. What is it?¡±

    ¡°Oh? You don¡¯t know, Otou-sama? It is called cream soda. Kehma-san gave it to me in repayment for lending him the hero¡­ Would you like one?¡±

    ¡°Definitely!¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you make it yourself, Otou-sama? You could have as much as you wanted.¡±

    ¡°But then there¡¯d be no point. Right, Haku?¡±

    ¡°Oh well, then. How about I lend you one of mine, Otou-sama?¡±

    She didn¡¯t really know what he was talking about, but [Father], tasting the cream soda, looked as if he found it delicious.

    Core No. 6 seemed envious, but neither of them let him have a taste.

 Chapter 350 - Gate of Wisdom and the Four Kings

    <strong>Gate of Wisdom and the Four Kings</strong>

    There were a good number of obstacles I couldn¡¯t pass through with my favored flooding en masse dungeon capturing tactic.

    One among them was the [Gate of Wisdom].

    Unlike the pseudo [Gate of Wisdom] I made by using a golem, it is a solid wall that is all the stronger the greater the potential there is to answer it, blocking the way forward.

    And, as expected, the squirrels wouldn¡¯t be able to destroy the wall so long as the answer wasn¡¯t impossible, however¡ª

    ¡°Kehma, there was a [Gate of Wisdom].¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I figured it¡¯d be impossible for the squirrels to break through it.¡±

    ¡°Huh? They just went through it like normal though?¡±

    ¡­ Before I even saw the question, Rokuko already seemed to have answered it.

    What the heck, man? I didn¡¯t get a turn?

    ¡°Eh, what kind of question was it?¡±

    ¡°It was just a quiz though? A multiple choice one. I just answered it three times.¡±

    Idiot. Sure, you¡¯d be able to get past them if you could just answer as many times as there are choices.

    But the people usually doing the answering were adventurers, and they¡¯d only have a single chance.

    However, this is a Dungeon Battle. We can try it as many times as needed. Rokuko went about it with brute force, sacrificing two noble squirrels to figure it out without even having to think about the question.

    We still had over a hundred and thirty remaining, so that wasn¡¯t even a drop in the bucket.

    Moreover, the contents of the question were apparently something to do about customs specific to the Demon King Faction¡¯s culture. Although it was something that could be understood if one studied their customs, adventurers¡ªpeople who generally wouldn¡¯t even know their own people¡¯s more nuanced customs¡ªstill had a chance of making it through since it was multiple choice. Therefore, it just barely fit the prerequisite of being a [Gate of Wisdom].

    ¡°Nkyuu¡¯re so awesome, Rokuko! Nkyuu threw away those squirrels without even thinking about it!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, I am an excellent Dungeon Core, after all! I¡¯m even in 182nd ce! 2nd among the 600 series!¡±

    She hade a long way from her position inst.

    ¡°If anything, it¡¯s his fault for making it so that each attempt only took a single squirrel.¡±

    ¡°He probably assumed that it would be attempted by either a solo invader or an entire party¡­ that¡¯s just how the Demon King Faction is.¡±

    ¡­ Still though, it¡¯s beyond being just anticlimactic. Even though we rented a hero to act as our defense against a 500 series core, as far as the rabbit dungeon is concerned, maybe we could stop with the rm? If it takes longer than usual and the rm doesn¡¯t stop, he might go out to look for the cause. If Wataru goes all the way in to find the source of what¡¯s going on, the situation could take a turn for the worse¡ªthat is, be annoying.

    On the other hand, our dungeon exploration had been advancing faster and faster. We¡¯d already made it through the first five floors and were heading into the sixth. Even Aidi had calmly made her way through the dungeon and had just arrived at the [Gate of Wisdom].

    Looking at the open door, she took a look at the question.

    [What is a human ranch¡¯s¡­ hmmm. So it was that kind of question. I can¡¯t see someone not in the Demon King Faction knowing how to answer this, but¡­ Rokuko, you knew how to answer it?]

    ¡°Fufufu, this will be an easy victory if you just rely on me.¡±

    [Well! Perhaps you were interested in me and looked more into it? RivalsFriends wanting to know more about each other is natural, I¡¯m happy.]

    ¡°O-Of course! Fufun.¡±

    Yep, you just raise the troubling g of being questioned by the Demon King Faction at some point, Rokuko.

    ¡°Oh, we just found a Boss Room on the sixth floor. Time to shine, Aidi!¡±

    [Fufu, leaving it to me?]

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself if you don¡¯t hurry up, you know~¡±

    [Okay, okay. I do want to see you fight, Rokuko¡­ but there¡¯s no way I¡¯m going to turn down a fight.]

    Havingpanions that are strongbatants is great.

    Just then, I looked over to Meat, who seemed as if she had something she wanted to say.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Meat?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Could I¡­ go and fight, too?¡±

    ¡°No, please keep focusing on controlling the swarm for now.¡±

    While I could rely on Meat for everyday things, this was a Dungeon Battle.

    I could rely on Meat being able to control a hundred squirrels, so I wanted her to take an active part by doing that.

    Just then, something happened in the Boss Room.

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Huh? What happened, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Umm, sorry. It sort of died. We¡¯re heading into the next floor now.¡±

    ¡­ Huh?

    ¡°So¡­ what sort of boss was it?¡±

    ¡°A ck minotaur. It said something about being one of the Four Kings or whatever, but it went down after suffocating it by filling its throat.¡±

    Oh. So she went with the suffocation strategy I used against Haku-san, huh.

    Still though, I guess there¡¯s no helping it against minotaur. That was the only way she knew how to defeat them. She did nothing wrong. I guess the dark part of its name meant it had the darkness attribute or something, but it was its fault for it dying just from having its throat filled up.

    ¡°Nkyuu, so Four Kings means there¡¯re three more bosses?¡±

    ¡°Pretty sharp there, Orange. That¡¯s what I figure.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re already at the next floor. It¡¯s like there was practically only a Boss Room on that floor? I wonder if the next three floors will be the same?¡±

    It seemed as if there was only a rest room and a Boss Room on the sixth floor. Due to that, we¡¯d already found the seventh floor¡¯s Boss Room as well.

    ¡­ I guess it¡¯s going with the trope of having each of the Four Kings on the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth floors respectively, with each floor just having a boss fight, followed by Core No. 564The Final Boss lounging on the final floor?

    It¡¯s definitely a Boss Rush, but doesn¡¯t that make exploration unnecessary? Wait. Can¡¯t I just leave the rest to Aidi?

    ¡°Alright, how about we take a look at what the next boss from these Four Kings is like? I didn¡¯t get to see thatst one.¡±

    ¡°Right. Meat, Ichika. Each of your send thirty to go scout it out.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha~¡±

    ¡°I-I¡¯ll send ten too, nkyuu~!¡±

    If we don¡¯t have to do any exploration from here on, it¡¯d probably be fine even if we used up the rest of them, wouldn¡¯t it?¡ªis what I thought to myself as I decided to lean back and rx as they took care of everything for me.

    When the squirrels scampered there way into the Boss Room in session, what they saw was¡ªa ghost.

    [We¡ª¡­. wee! I am one of the Four Kings, Hinille the Wrathful!]

    Stumbling over its words somewhat, the ghost spoke to the squirrels.

    No, it was probably more urate to say that it was talking to us through the squirrels. If not, it¡¯d have to be one lonely ghost to be talking to a group of squirrels like that.

    [Tonde was an idiot among us Four Kings¡­ but I did not expect him to have been defeated in such a manner! However, that will not work against me, for I am a ghost!]

    ¡­ So our opponent¡¯s a ghost, huh. True, it¡¯d be a bit much to expect squirrels to handle that.

    ¡°Everyone, retreat to the break room!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha~¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu~¡±

    [Huh? H-hey, w-wait! Where are you going!?]

    Rokuko made a snap judgement and had the squirrels quickly return to the prior room in an orderly fashion.

    [Running away!? Do not think you can escape from me, you beasts, for I can move through walls!]

    With that, the ghost gave chase.

    And so it chased them into the break room¡ª

    ¡ªleaving the Boss Room without a boss¡­

    ¡°This one¡¯s an idiot.¡±

    ¡°Definitely, nkyuu.¡±

    One of the groups of squirrels, having divided into two separate groups, lured the ghost away while the other group quietly snuck through the now-vacant Boss Room.

    ¡­ If it was a solo invader or a party of adventurers, they¡¯d very likely have had a good bit of trouble with this ghost for an enemy since it could pass through walls and exit the Boss Room, but for us, well¡­ Did he just ignore the fact that this is a Dungeon Battle? Or did he not even consider the differences¡­?

    Well, we can just leave the ghost to Aidi and her magic sword to defeat it. Now to just keep advancing~

    As expected, the next floor also immediately lead to a Boss Room. The third of the Four Kings was within.

    [You did well to make it past Hinille. I am one of the Four Kings, Natsuno the Sorrowful. However, I would much prefer to not die by having my throat blocked by squirrels, so I shall allow you to pass through! Please don¡¯t kill me!]

    The third of the Four Kings was a subus, but she refused to fight.

    Shouldn¡¯t this have been where she¡¯d say she would fight to her dying breath¡­? Dungeon monsters aren¡¯t supposed to ignore orders, oi.

    [¡­ Honestly, I have no chance of winning¡­ I could charm as many humans as needed, true, but squirrels¡­ and a swarm of them, at that¡­? Oh, I¡¯m actually a monster that came from outside of the dungeon, so I don¡¯t have to follow orders. Rather, I¡¯d even like to revolt. So please, feel free.]

    W-Well, there¡¯s no reason for us to kill her if she¡¯s going to be like that. We epted her offer and made our way through.

    ¡­ Still though, revolt, huh. I guess that sort of thing could happen, too.

    She saw us off through to the next floor with a smile.

    Advance!

    So the next floor will be thest of the Four Kings, huh. Surely there won¡¯t be five of them or anything stupid like that, right?

    With that, we arrived on the ninth floor. The floor with the fourth of the Four Kings.

    ¡°For you to reach it this far¡­ never would I have suspected it possible. I am the final member of the Four Kings, Mushi of Comfort! Your pitiful strategy of filling your enemies¡¯ throats will not work against me, as I can transform into a swarm of bats! Nowe! I shall tear you apart with these ws and fangs of mine!¡±

    Vampire! It¡¯s a vampire!

    Indeed, his throat would unmistakably be fine since he can transform into a swarm of bats.

    Unlike our vampire, it¡¯s unlikely he had the zero attack strength option applied to him, so he¡¯ll be a strong enemy.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. Between a swarm of bats and a swarm of squirrels¡­ which is stronger? I mean, they¡¯re indoors.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Want to give it a go?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡±

    I started to root for the vampire, honestly.

    This vampire was supposedly the strongest member of Core No. 564¡¯s Four Kings, so he should at least have the option to be able to turn into fog or be a wolf or something applied to him as well¡­ right? They wouldn¡¯t leave him with just the whole bat thing¡­ right?

 Chapter 351 - The Final Hurdle

    <strong>The Final Hurdle</strong>

    (Core No. 564¡¯s Point of View)

    ¡°Nuaaaaah!!!??!?!?!?¡±

    Iprehensible, iprehensible, iprehensible¡­! This is absolutely impossible! ¡ª is effectively what Core No. 564 shouted.

    His prided [Gate of Wisdom] (Question Number 52) was solved through the use of a mere two squirrels that wound up dying to his pitfall trap of needle hell. Simrly stressing and iprehensible events had happened with the Four Kings as well.

    [Tonde the Joyful]. An Evil Minotaur that mimicked a ck minotaur and would only show its true colors when delighting himself on weak enemies. A demonic bovine that gleefully mowed down his enemies with his herculean strength. However, soon after making his appearance, his throat was stuffed full of squirrels before he¡¯d had a chance to shed his disguise and disy his strength.

    [Hinille the Wrathful]. A Berserk Ghost that could pass through walls, never allowing an invader to escape. However, she allowed herself to grow too angered by the squirrels and chased them out of the Boss Room, leaving it vacant.

    [Natsuno the Sorrowful]. A High Subus that would sew internal discord by charming half of a party¡¯s members. She would cause the charmed adventurers toe back to themselves and see the aftermath they had wrought, having them feel sorrow. She straight out refused to fight and revolted.

    And then there was thest bastion of the Four Kings, [Mushi of Comfort]. A Demonic Vampire that held the strength of both a demon and a vampire and should easily defeat any opponent with his special ability.

    However, although he was able to avoid that sted squirrel asphyxiation by splitting into a swarm of bats, he¡¯d been immediately overtaken by the swarm of squirrels. Bats that had been captured apart from each other could not be merged back together. Although he would be able to split into bats, it was just a swarm of ordinary bats, ones that held none of his vampiric or demonic advantages. He would surely die soon¡­

    ¡°Dammit! Each and every one of them, done in by squirrels¡­ worthless¡­!¡±

    How had these small fry managed to do this just by usingrge numbers?

    Even if it was a swarm of squirrels, they shouldn¡¯t have lost. That much was obvious. That¡¯s what should have happened.

    ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, there¡¯s no choice but for My Glorious Self to do it personally¡­!¡±

    Core No. 564 stood up powerfully.

    He¡¯d originally ced his two Arch Demons aides in the Boss Room on the tenth floor.

    They had been Greater Demons until recently before evolving from having DP invested into them.

    They were strong enough to defeat any invaders that could somehow manage to defeat his Four Kings¡ª

    ¡ªbut he couldn¡¯t trust that, now that it hade to this.

    My Glorious Self has no choice but to go out personally, he thought to himself.

    ¡°Careless, Reckless! You two will act as bodyguards as My Glorious Self intercepts these intruders as the boss!¡±

    ¡°¡± Sir¡­! ¡°¡±

    Calling out to the red Arch Demon, Careless, and the yellow Arch Demon, Reckless, Core No. 564 waited in the Boss Room.

    Waiting a few minutes for Mushi to be killed, he knew that the ninth floor had beenpleted. More and more of those sted squirrels were making their way into the tenth floor.

    The brown fur of their tails were as fluffy as ever.

    This seemingly adorable miniature army amounting to approximately sixty strongweak made its way to the Boss Room. At their number, it was as if a carpet was moving across the floor.

    ¡°Now! Fire!¡±

    ¡°¡ª[Fire Wall]!¡±

    ¡°¡ª[Thunder Wall]!¡±

    The two Arch Demons activated their magic at the same time. They were trap-like in nature, inflicting damage upon being touched.

    Thanks to the timing he¡¯d put in ce beforehand, it blocked their path just as they were rushing into the room from the entrance. That alone managed to deal with twenty of the critters. The peculiar smell of burnt meat filled the boss room as Core No. 564¡¯s mouth warped into a satisfied grin.

    ¡°Kuhahaha! Hope you enjoyed the wee!¡±

    Core No. 564 made his appearance from behind the two walls.

    ¡°You are mere rodents. You exist only to fall by My Glorious Self¡¯s ingenuity¡­ Now, die!¡±

    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ª[Fire Pir]!¡±

    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ª[Thunder Pir]!¡±

    The Arch Demons each cast magic. Although the squirrels scattered in order to suppress their losses, the fire spread and the lightning arced, each killing the squirrels one by one.

    ¡°Haaahahahaha! You can do nothing! This is the true difference in power between us!¡±

    Core No. 564 gloated.

    It was true, after. Critters such as squirrels were naturally weak and were vastly inferior to him in strength.

    It was already strange that the squirrel army had even managed to make it this far by relying on clever tricks.

    ¡°Now. Careless, Reckless, go. Invade them back!¡±

    ¡°¡± Sir! ¡°¡±

    Following that, Core No. 564 had the two Arch Demons move out in order to erase the disgrace he¡¯d suffered. They would use a secret path to go directly to the outside. From there, they would use the gate.

    A smile settling on his lips, he figured that there were few enough squirrels that he alone would suffice.

    ¡°¡­ Seriously, I¡¯mte for the dance party.¡±

    Just then, he heard Core No. 666¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Rokuko¡¯s pace was too quick! She almost finished it all before I got a chance¡ªright. The ones at fault are those weak bosses. I¡¯m not ming you, you know? It¡¯s praise! Me giving praise is rare, so you should be feeling honored about now.¡±

    She seemed to want to talk, apparently. Not that Core No. 564 was paying attention, though.

    He didn¡¯t like it.

    As for what he didn¡¯t like, that would be how she was ignoring him. She was managing to entirely disregard the thick killing intent broiling off of him, convercing with him as if it wasn¡¯t even worth noticing.

    ¡°You seem confident, No. 666. Even though you must defeat My Glorious Self to advance.¡±

    ¡°Oh? If memory serves, I wasn¡¯t the one to run away. That said, watching you have speak so proudly in front of those squirrels was incredibly amusing. You could make for a famous clown.¡±

    Core No. 666 unsheathed her Doppelganger sword.

    ¡°Kukuku, for you to think you are suited to fight My Glorious Self¡­ you will make for perfect decoration for My Glorious Self¡¯s room once your arms and legs are chopped off!¡±

    ¡°Well then, I guess I¡¯ll just have to strive to make this a good fight?¡±

    ¡ªWith that, the decisive battle began.

    By the way, as for the Arch Demons, they¡¯d gathered the Lesser Demons still left in the dungeon and casually guided them to their destination. The moment they¡¯d turned up in the rabbits¡¯ area, though, they¡¯d apparently been knocked senseless by Wataru.

 Chapter 352 - The Final Battle

    <strong>The Final Battle</strong>

    (Aidi¡¯s Point of View)

    The fight between Aidi and Core No. 564 had begun.

    The would most likely be the decisive battle. She truly didn¡¯t think that they¡¯d actually have managed to capture the entire dungeon in a single day.

    If it were just Aidi alone, it would take several days. No¡ªshe might not have been able to do it at all.

    ¡­ Still though, she definitely didn¡¯t think that the Four Kings would have been done in by that powerless swarm of squirrels. While that ghost was basically just ignored, it turned out to not be an issue since Aidi¡¯s Doppelganger, the fire magic sword, was able to take it down easily.

    She felt a bit sad she couldn¡¯t witness Rokuko¡¯s fightdance personally, but she decided to focus on the enemy before her for the time being.

    ¡°Diiiie!¡±

    ¡°Whoops¡ª¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ª[Summon Skeleton].¡±

    Performing a series of steps as if dancing, Aidi summoned a Skeleton while parrying Core No. 564¡¯s sword.

    The Skeleton was just meant to act as a hindrance. At the very least, it would serve as about as much of an annoyance to her opponent as throwing a handkerchief at his eyes would be.

    ¡°¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö. ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö, ¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ö¡ª[Summon Skeleton].¡±

    ¡°No matter how many times you try that, it¡¯s useless! Are you looking down on My Glorious Self, No. 666!?¡±

    The Skeletons were immediately destroyed, their bones ttering to the floor in an explosive spray. Aidi grinned as if to look down on Core No. 564 even further.

    Her gaze, her actions, all of them served to irritate Core No. 564 more and more, causing his attacks to be telegraphed.

    ¡°So then, this is a Boss Room. That being the case, if I defeat you, the boss, here¡­ I suppose that¡¯ll be it?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, you will not be able to kill My Glorious Self! My Glorious Self is strong!¡±

    ¡°Even though you were just boasting about that ¡®strength¡¯ to a couple of squirrels a bit ago?¡±

    ¡°You heard!? Don¡¯t speak of it! You are the weak one here!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, keep on barking.¡±

    Although he spoke like that, Core No. 564 was unable tond any of his attacks. They each knew the Demon King Sword Style and his two Arch Demon bodyguards had left to invade the other team.

    And while he was continuing to refuse to recognize how he had beenpletely trounced in their war of words, that didn¡¯t change the fact that he had lost.

    A certain person watching their back and forth from the VIP Room probably had a cold expression at that.

    ¡°That should be good¡­ Come on, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°¡ª!?¡±

    Weaving their way through the bones scattered about, squirrels dashed into the room.

    They were Aidi¡¯s reinforcements. Although the majority of the squirrels had be decoys for that ghost when they scattered, Rokuko had more reinforcements be summoned.

    They numbered more than a hundred.

    ¡°D-Dammiiiiiit!¡±

    Core No. 564 shut his mouth hard enough that his teeth ground together, forcing him to practically eat his words.

    Even if they could fit into his mouth, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get in if he kept it closed.

    Although his reaction was effective, his mouth wasn¡¯t their only aim.

    ¡°¡ª! ¡ª-~~~!?¡±

    ¡°Oh hoh, how fluffy. Such adorable decorations, the look suits you.¡±

    They aimed at his eyes, ears, nose, exposed skin¡ªany weak spot, really.

    The squirrels swarmed over Core No. 564, relentlessly jabbing him with their teeth as if he were some chestnut. Core No. 564 rushed toward a wall as he started shaking them off of his body.

    Several squirrels were smashed, caught between him and the wall. Others were blown away from the impact.

    ¡°Motherfu¡ª, [Pulverize]¡ª¡±

    Although he¡¯d swung his sword with a sword skill, his opponents were simply too small. Moreover, the bones were getting in the way. The effect was so small that it only amounted to several squirrels being blown back with some bones.

    As the squirrels swarmed together once more, he gave his all to do a back step. Seeing Core No. 564 run away from squirrels, Aidi couldn¡¯t help herself fromughing.

    ¡°I see. So this is amusement. How wonderful, Rokuko.¡±

    [Riiight~? Numbers are power, see!?]

    ¡°Yes, I understand now. This is what a true swarm is. So, could I finish him off now?¡±

    [Nope! We¡¯re going to somehow drive him out of the Boss Room and win by touching the Dungeon Core.]

    Aidi knit her brows at her rival¡¯sfriend¡¯s words. She started to wonder if she was hesitant to kill a core. However¡ª

    [Core No. 564¡¯s pitiful bitterness after we utterly defeat him¡ªdon¡¯t you want to see it?]

    His entire offensive force dealt with by humans. His residence lit on fire.

    Cornered by squirrels, his Dungeon Core taken control of by another, being made fun of during his big fight. Then, after all of that, only being allowed to live due to provide his enemies with more amusement. All of this happening because of 600 series cores.

    ¡°Wonderful! That sounds so wonderful, Rokuko! You are a genius!¡±

    [Fufun. It¡¯s the result of my Master¡¯s training.]

    ¡°What a great Master. It¡¯s settled, then. Let¡¯s get him to leave the Boss Room and let him live. Rokuko, could you get him to just in front of the entrance? I¡¯ll be able to push him out after that.¡±

    [Don¡¯t make light of our hug pillow. That much is easy! Meat, Ichika, do it!]

    With that, the squirrels¡¯ movement shifted. Although they¡¯d simply been chasing Core No. 564 and making him run away thus far, they started to anticipate his movements. By the time he realized that the squirrels were acting differently, he¡¯d already been guided to a spot next to the entrance of the room. He¡¯d been tricked.

    Aidi had been holding her magic sword up as if drawing it back in a bow. Core No. 564 had carelessly wound up standing directly in its path.

    Now that things had progressed to this point, he would be shoved outside the room. Aidi simply shoved her sword forward.

    Fwip.

    ¡°¡ª[Crimson Road].¡±

    What urred during that fwip was too shy.

    [Crimson Road], a piercing attack of the fire attribute. Although it held disadvantage in that it could only be used once per day and in that it also damaged the user, the fire-attributed damage was ineffective against Aidi, who was originally a fire-attributed magic sword-type core. To her, this was simply a skill with a cooldown.

    When Aidi and Rokuko (and the Trivial Trio) had had their Dungeon Battle against each other, it was this move that had evaporated the iron ball and seawater gimmick.

    ¡°I killed a few squirrels, but that should be fine?¡±

    [Well, yeah¡­ Eh, is he alive?]

    ¡°I held back a bit, so he shouldn¡¯t be dead.¡±

    The Dungeon Battle still hadn¡¯t ended, so he should still be alive. Barely. But alive.

    With that, Aidi turned around and went through the open door leading beyond the Boss Room.

    There in a corner of the Core Room, devoid of anyone else, was the Dungeon Core.

    Although Aidi had thought there might be some Subi hiding themselves there, there really wasn¡¯t anyone.

    That said, even if there were, she would have just cut them down.

    ¡°You know, it¡¯d be even more amusing if we let No. 629¡ªOrange touch it.¡±

    [Ah, then even if presumptuous, nkyuu, I¡¯ll touch it~]

    Saying that, one of the squirrels moved ahead of the rest of the swarm. It was most likely the one being operated by Orange.

    There was nothing left to stand in the way and there were no other Dummy Cores to use Castling with, either. The squirrel managed to sessfully touch the Dungeon Core.

    At the end of the end, it was anticlimactic.

    In this manner, the Dungeon Battle came to a close.

 Chapter 353 - Rewards

    <strong>Rewards</strong>

    [Congrattions on your win, No. 629.]

    Once the Dungeon Core had been touched, [Father] spoke.

    ¡°Nkyuu!? P-P-Papa!?¡±

    [Oh, you didn¡¯t realize? Kehma-kun, you realized, right?]

    ¡°Yeah, sorta.¡±

    The Dungeon Battle caused a stir in the Dungeon Core Assembly. Of course it wouldn¡¯t be strange for [Father] to make an appearance. Ultimately, what decided it was the existence of that VIP seating area.

    Who would prepare seating to appreciate watching a Dungeon Battle? For a confrontation between Haku-san¡¯s faction and the Demon King Faction, that would be Haku-san for us like in the three-way Dungeon Battle we hadst year, and the Great Demon King behind Core No. 564.

    However, there¡¯s a sense of ipatibility between the two of them; it wouldn¡¯t make sense for the two of them to willingly share a room for something like this.

    ¡°Ooh, nkyuu, that hello kyuu said back when Haku-sama talked with us was for Papa?¡±

    ¡°What, you just realized?¡±

    ¡°Even I noticed though?¡±

    [Oh, then I noticed too.]

    Really now? Sure.

    [Either way, good job! Ah, No. 666, could I send you back to the Master Room?]

    [Yes, please d¡ªo, I¡¯m back, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Wee back, Aidi. Good work out there.¡±

    Rokuko and Aidi gave each other a high five.

    ¡°Me too!¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, here you go~¡±

    Pomf.

    Orange tapped Rokuko¡¯s outstretched hand with his paw. So. Cute.

    [Ohoh, you three seem to be on pretty good terms.]

    ¡°Father, Rokuko is my rivalbest friend, we¡¯re obviously close. Well, I think it¡¯s fine to say Orange is my enemyfriend now too, though.¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu! Please pardon me from getting on Aidi¡¯s bad side¡­ oh, but I¡¯m already in Haku-sama¡¯s faction, so being a Demon King Faction Core¡¯s, Aidi¡¯s fr¡ªnkyuu? Enemy? H-How¡¯d that happen?!¡±

    [Hahaha. Right. So, I¡¯m supposed to give a prize to the victors of thispetition. By the limits of my authority, Aidi, Orange, I officially recognize your names.]

    Official recognize¡ªthe moment he said that, both Aidi and Orange blinked in surprise.

    ¡°Thank you, Father. Having a name like Rokuko does makes me so happy!¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu! Yay! Having my name recognized by Papa, am I dreaming!?¡±

    Yeah, so I don¡¯t get how that¡¯s supposed to be a reward. They¡¯re happy, though¡­ so I guess it¡¯s fine?

    [Fufufu, well, that¡¯s just an extra prize. This Dungeon Battle was considerable amusing to me, after all, so I figured I¡¯ll give the victors a proper reward. No. 564¡¯s still unconscious, so let¡¯s talk about the reward time first.]

    ¡°Oh, can I get one of those rewards? If so, I want one of the Godly Beddings I don¡¯t have yet.¡±

    [Oh, as expected of you, Kehma-kun. It¡¯s like you¡¯re ordering me.]

    ¡°K-K-K-Kehma!? What¡¯re you saying to Father!?!?¡±

    Rokuko started panicking, but is it really something to get that flustered about? Isn¡¯t he your Daddy?

    [You¡¯ve already got theforter, right? Maybe I could give a simr reward to Rokuko and make it two? Hmm. You¡¯ve confirmed where the mattress and pillow are, but don¡¯t have them, is it? Hmm, maybe this could work¡­]

    Two of them!? What a great miscalction! But why does [Father] know that I¡¯ve already found out where the mattress and pillow are? Did he look into my head? Or maybe I got some kind of title or achievement just for finding their whereabouts? If anything I¡¯d prefer thetter.

    [The mattress, pillow, nightcap, nket, pajamas, rm clock¡­ oh, err, not the rm clock. The final one is the underwear, huh. So, which do you want? Go ahead and ask.]

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s a hard choice.¡±

    Crap, having to choose myself is hard! What I want most are in a way the pillow and mattress¡ªthe reason being that if you have those two along with theforter, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to say that you¡¯ve basically gathered a full set.

    Still though, I know that those two are currently possessed by Maidence and the the disappointing elfShikina Kokkoro respectively. In other words, just as [Father] said, I already know where to get them.

    In that case, I should make my choice of either the nightcap or the underwear.

    ¡°Wh-What would you suggest?¡±

    [Let¡¯s see¡­ The nket¡­ or the rm clock, I guess?]

    Setting aside the nket, didn¡¯t you just say that I couldn¡¯t pick the rm clock?

    [It was such a work of art. An item that let you wake up feelingpletely refreshed¡­ Haaah¡­ I never would¡¯ve thought that it would be destroyed.]

    It was destroyed¡­? By the Dark God?¡±

    [Why would I have destroyed something I made myself? It was obviously the Creation God.]

    ¡°Oooh, I see. So that¡¯s it. Right.¡±

    Wait. Just now. Did.. did he just call himself the Dark God? And then something about a Creation God?

    [Alright, it¡¯s decided! One rm clocking right up!]

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    [Oh, then you want the underwear instead? It¡¯s all-purpose, either-gender underwear capable of switching between seven styles, including loincloth, boxers, and babydoll modes! Compared to the rm clock, it¡¯s a seven in one!]

    ¡°Err, I mean, you just said¡ª¡±

    ¡°Kehma! KEEEEEHMA! Sorry, Father! He¡¯ll take it! And I¡¯ll have the nket you rmended, the nket!¡±

    Rokuko held me back as she shouted over me. Gununu. Eh, oh well. I don¡¯t really feel like going against [Father] anyway.

    [Ya sure? It sounded like Kehma-kun way about to say something though?]

    ¡°¡­ Oh, nah. I was just wanting to confirm what you were saying, I wasn¡¯t about to object to getting the rm clock or anything. If anything, you did rmend me something.¡±

    [I see, I see! That¡¯s good, hahaha! Alright, now for Aidi and Orange. Maybe I should give a reward to Haku too? I did hear Kehma-kun out, after all. Is there anything you all want?]

    ¡°Oh my! Anything is fine?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu, anything!? Papa¡¯s so awesome~! So cool!¡±

    [I can have something too? How tempting¡­]

    With that, Aidi, Orange, and even Haku-san seemed happy.

    ¡°¡­ Alright, I¡¯d like to be able to talk with Rokuko more easily. Like how wemunicated during this Dungeon Battle, but always.¡±

    ¡°I want a Master, nkyuu! A nice guy like Kehma! ¡­ Please?¡±

    [I¡¯ll have¡­ ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª ¡ª¡­ Thank you.]

    I couldn¡¯t hear any of what Haku-san said she wanted, themunication line was suddenly overtaken by what sounded like a sandstorm. She¡¯d probably jammed it intentionally.

    [Everyone¡¯s asking for such difficult things¡­ but that makes me happy! Alright, leave it to me! Haku¡¯s is good¡­ As for Aidi¡¯s, it might take two or three days, but I¡¯ll incorporate a system for you to exchange messages in your Menus. Oh, Kehma-kun. Could that ve girl there be Orange¡¯s Master?]

    ¡°Eh, me?¡±

    ¡°No.¡±

    [Figured. Alright, I¡¯ll figure out a way to guide someone else to Orange¡¯s core. It won¡¯t be someone from another world, of course, but it¡¯ll at least be an excellent adventurer that can support you.]

    Everything proceeded quickly. Apparently, Orange wanted a Master. That whole support part worried me, though.

    [Oh yeah, Kehma-kun. Here¡¯s a freebie.]

    Saying that, a pure-white orb appeared in front of me¡ªa Dungeon Core.

    ¡­ Come to think of it, it has been a year, hasn¡¯t it? ording to Leona, I shouldn¡¯t suffer the Light God¡¯s corruption if I wait at least that long, I think?

    [Oh, I don¡¯t have an orichalcum sword for you this time, so you¡¯ll have to break it with your own sword.]

    Yeah. Did you think I was going to ask?

 Chapter 354 - The Victorâ€™s Privilege

    <strong>The Victor¡¯s Privilege</strong>

    ¡°Nkyuu. That a Dummy Core?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Yeah¡­¡±

    Come to think of it, I never told Orange or Aidi that I¡¯m a hero from another world.

    Wait, isn¡¯t that Great Demon KingCore No. 6 watching right now? I don¡¯t really want him to find out¡­ No, guessing from the noise back with Haku-san earlier, there¡¯s already a chance she¡¯s properly hiding it.

    As for whether or not to tell Orange and Aidi¡ªyeah, let¡¯s not tell them. It¡¯s not like I have to.

    I can break it after we head back to level up.

    ¡°Yeah. Isn¡¯t this a Dummy Core?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu. Yeah, Papa¡¯s so generous~!¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Generous¡­ Rokuko, hold on to it.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay.¡±

    I handed Rokuko the Dungeon Core. I don¡¯t really have to destroy it right now. Judging by the calm look on the Dungeon Core [Father]¡¯s face when I gave it to her, it looked like he figured I¡¯d do that.

    [Alright, how about we wake Core No. 564 up about now?]

    Saying that, [Father] snapped his fingers. Amunication opened between Core No. 564 and Aidi.

    [Huh!? A-eh¡­ huh¡­? ¡­. Ah!?]

    ¡°¡ª! Aaahha?¡±

    Regaining consciousness, Core No. 564 rushed to his feet. With that, Aidi seemed amused. Very amused.

    [Wh-Wh-Wha¡­.!? Lost? My Glorious Self did? How!? But a 600 series can not win against a 500 series!? How did this brat¡ª!?]

    ¡°Good boy. What wonderful howling, you pitiful dog.¡±

    [Gaaaaaah!]

    ¡°Ahhahahaa! Ahahaha! Good, good! How is it? What are you feeling? Vexed? Sad? Pathetic? Hey, how does it feel being allowed to live by a girl many years your junior? Want to kill yourself? Too bad! I¡¯m the victor. You know what that means.¡±

    [Dammit, dammit, dammiiiiiiiiit!! How, hoooooow!!!?!!?]

    ¡°Pathetic! Your misery is so gooood!¡±

    Aidiughed in ridicule. She looked very happy¡ªno, amused.

    ¡°¡­ Ooh, Aidi, you¡¯re having fun.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko. You lit this me in me, one way or another.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I just said to not kill No. 564 to win though? I just figured we didn¡¯t need to kill him to win. As a result of that, No. 564 would live and you¡¯d be happy. A win-win.¡±

    ¡°On the other hand, it means someone has to live with the fact they¡¯re a loser.¡±

    [Gaaaah!? You¡¯re dead, DEAD, DEAD!]

    Core No. 564 was howling from the other side of the monitor.

    ¡°What perfectly small words for that small mind of yours!¡±

    Aidi, meanwhile, was absolutely enjoying herself.

    Yeah, she¡¯s heated up. I don¡¯t really care, though. Nothing to do with me, you do you.

    [Alright, you two, stop. Could you hear me out?]

    [¡­!? ¡­ H-haha¡­!]

    ¡°Yeah, sorry, Father. I got carried away in how fun ridiculing No. 564 is.¡±

    Core No. 564 finally settled down when he realized that [Father] was here.

    By the way, he¡¯d lowered his head so far he was basically prostrating himself. I guess as far as Dungeon Cores are concerned, he just showed something unsightly to the most important existence in the world. No helping that.

    [Maan, sorry No. 564, but you lost this one.]

    [¡­! My deepest apologies! I never expected that Father would be watching, for you to see such a disgraceful¡­!]

    [No. 6, what do you think?]

    [Yes, first is the previous issue. Oi, No. 564. Setting aside Father watching, do not say that you weren¡¯t aware that I¡¯ve been watching, as well.]

    [¡­ ¡­]

    Core No. 564 sank into silence. Well yeah, he was greeted at the start, after all. And didn¡¯t he say he would devote the victory to him? There¡¯s no escaping from that reality.

    [My humblest apologies¡­!]

    [Hmph. I held no expectations for you from the outset. Anyhow, your opponent was No. 666¡ªAidi. With that Master Haku rmended, it was a forgone conclusion they would prevail against a 500 series. It would be the same with a 400 series¡ªno, perhaps even a 300 series. Don¡¯t you agree, Kehma?]

    ¡°Huh? U-Umm, it¡¯s all thanks to Aidi. Hahaha¡­¡±

    [Hmm, hmm. Well aren¡¯t you quite understanding for someone of that betrayer¡¯s faction? How about it, want to join us?]

    [Now hold on, No. 6. Surely that attempt to steal from my faction was a jest? Do you want to die?]

    [Kukuku, how about I give you Core No. 564 in exchange?]

    [I don¡¯t want that trash. Kehma-san, you can¡¯t go, alright? Your talent is mine to work to de¡ªmine, I was just showing it off.]

    Haku-san. Just now, you were about to say to death. You were, right?

    [Aaalright. No. 564, do you know why you lost?]

    [¡­ A-Apologies! My Glorious Self does not understand¡­ the dungeon should have been perfect. For more than a hundred years, it had even managed to kill those adventurers who were so sure of themselves!]

    Yeah, well, they were adventurers. This was a Dungeon Battle though.

    [Kehma-kun. Would you like to tell him?]

    ¡°¡­ For free?¡±

    ¡°Hey¡ªKehma!?¡±

    Rokuko started to butt in, but this was something I couldn¡¯t back down on. I grabbed Rokuko¡¯s hand to stop her.

    [I gave you that freebie earlier, wouldn¡¯t this much service be fine?]

    ¡°Hmmm. But if I told him why he lost this time, wouldn¡¯t that make him antagonistic from here on? It¡¯s his own fault for not realizing himself. Besides, it¡¯d probably spread throughout the entire Demon King Faction if it¡¯s said here. Thinking about the losses I¡¯d suffer in that case, I¡¯d obviously be on the losing end. I don¡¯t mind if you tell him, but I¡¯d demand something great enough to bnce that out.¡±

    [I see. You have a point.]

    Exactly. If I wound up telling him that his loss was due to his dungeon not being suited for Dungeon Battles right here in front of Core No. 6, the leader of the Demon King Faction, it¡¯d wind up spreading throughout basically the entire faction¡ªis my official stance, at least.

    If Core No. 6 is as excellent as he¡¯s been touted as, he should¡¯ve long since realized. All I¡¯m doing right now is trying to raise the price to sell it at as much of a profit as possible. I just have to make the sell before Core No. 6 reveals he already knows.

    [How about a Boss Monster Spawner then?]

    ¡°¡­ There are Boss Monster Spawners? There isn¡¯t one in our Catalog.¡±

    ¡°You know how you have that respawn named monsters function? It¡¯s like that, but it¡¯ll respawn them for free. There can only be one of the monsters at a time and it has a cooldown time proportional to the boss¡¯ strength, though. I¡¯ll give you a special one that lets you freely set a monster to be respawned with it.¡±

    ¡­! He offered something amazing! For instance, our dungeon¡¯s dragon golem could be set for that. I won¡¯t have to remake it from scratch each and every time it¡¯s destroyed.

    Or maybe I should make a mithril¡ªno, an orichalcum golem so that it can be respawned when it¡¯s defeated. It¡¯ll be like an ever-refilling orichalcum deposit.

    ¡°Umm, does that mean I can switch the set monster?¡±

    [Yep. Oh, but you can¡¯t switch it during the cooldown period. Memories won¡¯t persist like with named monsters either.]

    I see. So he¡¯s saying that any training they¡¯d received would be reset. It could use it as an orichalcum mine forever. I¡¯m a bit worried about its cooldown period, though¡­

    ¡­ Hmm? Did he just casually tell me something crazy important about named monsters? He said it like it¡¯s something I should¡¯ve already known, was I supposed to be making use of that? I should look into thatter.

    ¡°By the way, how long would the cooldown time be on a dragon or something be?¡±

    [About a week for an ordinary Dragon, two for something like a Red Dragon. A Goblin King would just be like eight hours. It won¡¯t be that long unless it¡¯s some crazy monster. You could even rush the respawn if you put some DP into it.]

    Yeah, so I want that. A lot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need two, one for a mid boss and one for the end boss.¡±

    [Kehma-kun. How do you lug around those massive balls of yours?]

    He was amazed, but he gave them to me. Booyah, Father is generous~!

 Chapter 355 - Subordinate and Support

    <strong>Subordinate and Support</strong>

    [However, don¡¯t me me if the information spreads among all Dungeon Cores.]

    ¡°¡­ Eh, as long as he doesn¡¯t actively spread it, I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Which is how I came to receive two Boss Spawners. I figured it¡¯d be fine for me to say it.

    [Alright, could you tell No. 564 the reason he lost?]

    ¡°Sure¡­ to put it simply, [A dungeon strong against adventurers is not necessarily strong in Dungeon Battles]. The number of enemies you¡¯ll be up against is just too different.¡±

    [¡­ You are certainly right. No. 564 likely would have won if it were just Aidi and a few others.]

    ¡°Exactly. You¡¯d obviously deal with a small group very differently than you would an army, right? That was the biggest mistake.¡±

    [Father] nodded along. Core No. 564 listened on in silence.

    Maybe I should say a bit more? I did get two Spawners, after all.

    ¡°This might just be something peculiar to the Demon King Faction, but you just didn¡¯t prepare enough forces. There is power in numbers. Even if they¡¯re individually weak, as you¡¯ve seen, once they move together systematically, they can be a threat. That said, there is a certain knack to have them move properly¡­ Is that enough?¡±

    [Perfect. Thanks, Kehma-kun. So, No. 564, understand now?]

    ¡°Y¡ª¡­ yes, Father. It is quite¡­ understood¡­! ¡±

    Prostrating himself, Core No. 564 gave his answer. Something was off about the way he responded, but eh, whatever.

    He said he understood and [Father] said it was enough, so dealplete! Anything else has nothing to do with me.

    ¡°I was surprised too, Rokuko. I never would have thought that squirrels could be so useful.¡±

    ¡°Fufun, this is one of Kehma¡¯s tactics¡ªhuman wave tactics. They weren¡¯t humans though.¡±

    Rokuko stood next to Aidi as she bragged¡­ I¡¯m the one that came up with it¡­ eh, oh well. She¡¯s my partner, after all.

    [Now then, let¡¯s see if No. 6 and Haku would like to say something¡­ Let¡¯s start with Haku. Anything to say?]

    [Oh. Allow me, then.]

    With that, Haku-san stood in front of the monitor. Core No. 6 clicked his tongue even though he was in [Father]¡¯s presence, was he annoyed at not going first? They really must be on bad terms.

    [Hmm, right¡­ Kehma-san, good work. I will deliver that strong mind braceletter. It is one Otou-sama specially made, so it¡¯s even stronger than the one Wataru wears.]

    ¡°Oh, thanks.¡±

    [As promised, I will allow you to hug Rokuko.]

    Oh yeah, that was a thing.

    ¡°Onee-sama! Can¡¯t we kiss?¡±

    [No. I wouldn¡¯t mind it one time if you kissed me a hundred times, though?]

    What a self-serving person.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to duelkiss Rokuko, too.¡±

    ¡°Huh? No way. If you kiss me when we aren¡¯t sisters I¡¯ll have a kid!¡±

    Umm. What? And wait, are duals equivalent to dating for the Demon King Faction? Besides, isn¡¯t she a magic sword-type core?

    [And for you, No. 629, now named Orange. You may contribute your services to me as Kehma-san¡¯s subordinate from here on.]

    ¡°Hahaha~! Nkyuu! I look forward to working with kyuu, Kehma!¡±

    And now I have a subordinate. I didn¡¯t do anything though?

    [Alright, now for No. 6.]

    [Hrm. First, Aidi, splendid job. As expected of my grandchild.]

    ¡°Thank you, Jiji-sama.¡±

    [No. 564.]

    Core No. 564, still prostrating himself on the floor, trembled on the other side of the monitor.

    [¡­ You have disappointed me. Even if there were three cores, you were brought so low by three of the 600 series¡­ You will keep your life, but you are hereby expelled from my faction.]

    [P-Please, wait! What should My Glorious Self do from now on!?]

    [Like I know? You are no longer under my protection. Do what you will¡ªah, however, I forbid you from calling yourself part of the Demon King Faction or a user of the Demon King Style. If you vite this ban, you will immediately be crushed. Do not forget this.]

    Saying this, Core No. 6 was done.

    Core No. 564 was speechless. He¡¯d probably have a hard time from here on, but, well, good luck?

    ¡­ With that, [Father], who was smiling for some reason, spoke.

    [Oookay, so No. 564. I¡¯ll give you two choices.]

    [F-Father! P-Please, anything.]

    [First, you can live on as you are as a Dungeon Core. Eh, basically it¡¯s the do nothing choice. Second, you can choose to be Orange¡¯s Support Core. What do you think?]

    Orange¡¯s face started to scream that he didn¡¯t want him. I mean yeah, even if he said he¡¯d support him right now, he might start teasing him from here on.

    [¡­ What do you mean, Father?]

    [What? I just said it, do you want to support Orange as the reward? Orange is a rabbit-type core, so he¡¯scking in offensive power. I figured you¡¯dplement him well in that. If it¡¯s an issue of being too close I can just Dualize you two, how about it?]

    He has a point to what he was saying, but Orange just kept shaking his head back and forth as if to say no, no, no, no, no.

    But what¡¯s that Dualize thing? Linking? A connection? Dual Cores?

    [Father. What is Dualize¡­?]

    [Oh yeah, you don¡¯t know about it, huh? It¡¯s when a single dungeon is managed by two cores that are connected together, but Orange would be the main one, you¡¯d be like his support.]

    [¡­ My Glorious Self would have to be under that rabbit?]

    As No. 564 stared into the monitor, Orange dashed to hide behind Aidi.

    ¡°Ohoh, No. 564. You lost against Orange in the Dungeon Battle, a rabbit and a kicked dog, how fitting.¡±

    [Guh¡­.!]

    ¡°Noooo! I don¡¯t want to pair up with a guy like hiiiiim!¡±

    [It¡¯s alright, Orange. Supporting cores can¡¯t act against their main cores, they can¡¯t even harm them.]

    Isn¡¯t that basically very?

    ¡°Save me, Kehmaaaa!¡±

    ¡°¡­ What if he only came when called? I mean, what if you treated him like an ace up your sleeve to save you in a pinch?¡±

    ¡°Nkyuu! So like a mercenary? ¡­ That might be fine.¡±

    [Ugugu¡­ U-Understood. It is disgraceful, but My Glorious Self, as the loser, am in the wrong. Father, please¡­¡ªmake me Orange¡¯s support.]

    [Good choice! Now I just have to get him a Master and we¡¯re good.]

    With that, Core No. 564¡¯s fate was decided. Since it could be said that he¡¯d effectively entered Haku-san¡¯s faction, Haku-san¡¯s expression was a bitplex after having said that she didn¡¯t want the trash of a core. Come to think of it, Orange is my subordinate, and Core No. 564 is Orange¡¯s, so wouldn¡¯t that make him¡­ seriously¡­?

    [Okay, good job, everyone!]

    It felt like [Father] was the most pleased of us all. The heck.

 Chapter 356 - The Godly Beddings

    <strong>The Godly Beddings</strong>

    The Dungeon Battle was over and the celebrations had finished¡ªto be more exact, she¡¯d managed slipped away from them this year as well.

    From here on was Rokuko¡¯s time.

    ¡°I¡¯m psyched up for today!¡±

    Perhaps it was forgotten? Forgot about the [Godly Comforter]¡¯s effect, that is.

    Once every 365 days, the owner could sleep with whoever else they wanted.

    (* To be exact, it maniptes causality to make it so that nothing will hinder you until morning.)

    It¡¯s already been a year. It would be better to wait before using it¡­ or not¡­? No, let¡¯s use it! Rokuko took out the Godly Comforter and started to pat it out. Yeah, let¡¯s do it. It¡¯ll be fine, I can just feel it.

    ¡°¡­ Last time was, umm, that, but this time¡­ I¡¯ll make use of the knowledge I have! Thank you Redra, today, I¡¯ll do, do that with Kehma!¡±

    Even though Rokuko was looking to the sky as she spoke in fervor, she still somehow managed to be too embarrassed to speak without stumbling over herself.

    Knowledge. Redra. Their neighboring dungeon, [me Cavern]¡¯s Dungeon Master. The mother of a girl named Igni. In other words, a strong person.

    ording to her, [I¡¯d go so far as to say that if you can kiss, you can have a kid!].

    Although it¡¯s apparently safe between sisters, since Meat and Maidence¡ªthe lord of Tsuia¡¯s daughter¡ªwere engaged, she couldn¡¯t let her guard down around women, either. For paying attention to that detail, Rokuko¡¯s wit was of no doubt.

    ¡°¡­ Bedding-sama, bedding-sama, I want to sleep with Kehma!¡±

    It shone with light as she gave theforter her prayer. It was the same light I¡¯d seen the year before. In other words, it had activated.

    By the way, this time she¡¯d managed to put on her negligee beforehand, even the ck over-knee socks that Kehma fancied. They were the lucky underwear she¡¯d prepared just for this day.

    I know! Now that I¡¯ve named these my lucky underwear, it means that my fighting spirit is necessary to decide whether they¡¯ll work or not!¡ªis what Rokuko thought to herself.

    A whileter, there was a knock at her bedroom door.

    ¡°Hyahi!? K-Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unlocked,e in!¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? I¡¯ming in then.¡±

    Opening the door, Kehma walked in. He was wearing his usual jersey.

    ¡°Fufufu, we got another Godly Bedding this year, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, one for each of us, too. You finally have one of your own, Kehma!¡±

    ¡°What, you have both theforter and nket, what is my rm clockpared to those?¡±

    Yeah, that¡¯s how it had turned out. Kehma felt a bit of regret over being given something that was meant to wake him up, but that was griping about receiving a luxury.

    ¡°Want to try them out together, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ appear, [Godly rm Clock]!¡±

    Kehma spoke as he took the Godly rm Clock out from his [Storage]. It was a round, analog clock. It had a white face and was otherwise read. On it were letters reading one to twelve in ck, a simple ck needle pointed to the current time.

    There were four thin legs sprouting from its base and two golden bells to act as the rm on its top.

    ¡°Here we go, this is the [Godly nket].¡±

    What Rokuko had taken our was a beige nket. Although it seemed to be ordinary enough at first nce, it was made of microfiber and was ludicrously fluffy to the touch. Unlike theforter, it was heavy without feeling oppressive, making one feel a sense of security from it.

    ¡°¡­ How can I put this? Between the rm clock and the nket, I¡¯d say the nket feels more like beddings¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, rm clocks are used to wake you up. You don¡¯t feel them personally.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Maybe that¡¯s what was up with him saying no to choosing the rm clock?¡±

    Suddenly, Rokuko¡¯s attention was attracted by a bracelet barely concealed by Kehma¡¯s jersey on his left wrist.

    ¡°Oh, is that the [Strong Mind Bracelet] you got from Ane-sama?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was made by Otou-sama though.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Really? It fits you, Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Think so? Well, my jersey will hide it anyway. It has the effect of repelling all mental effects.¡±

    ¡­ Now that he said that, she realized that the current Kehma was acting much more [Sane] than he did the previous year.

    She thought she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about anything since Kehma had also gotten a Godly Beddings, but¡­ could it be?

    ¡°¡­. ¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Rokuko? You want it?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Oh, no, ummm¡­ y-yeah! But it¡¯s something for you¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s just an essory. Right, how about I have you take care of it? Having you hold onto it will make me feel more at ease, anyway.¡±

    ¡°Eh? O-Okay.¡±

    Saying that, Rokuko epted the silver bracelet from Kehma. Feeling his leftover body heat passing into her wrist from it, her heart suddenly throbbed¡­ Just then, she realized that he was staring at her.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°K-Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Umm, you¡¯re kind of staring¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ I¡¯m just admiring you.¡±

    ¡°Eh!? N-No wa, heeh? I-I¡ª.¡±

    Unable to look him in the eye, Rokuko had to turn away, her face beat red.

    Embarrassed as can be, she tried to change the subject.

    ¡°S-So, Kehma. What does the rm clock do? The nket invalidates all attacks. It¡¯s to let you sleep in peace.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s amazing, as expected of a Godly Bedding. Mine clears up any and all abnormal conditions.¡±

    As for whether sleep could be considered an abnormal condition, recall that it could be prevented through ckout Resistance. Since it could cancel it and leave youpletely refreshed, it would allow you to wake up to the best feeling in the world.

    ¡°And even though it has bells, it makes an electric noise. You can designate how long you want to wait until you wake up, anywhere from twelve hours to a century.¡±

    ¡°Eh, is the dial a decoration?¡±

    ¡°You can more or less use it as a normal clock if you want. I¡¯m told it does its own time adjustment automatically, what a convenient clock!¡±

    Although Kehma said that, his gaze seemed distant.

    ¡°If it¡¯s such a good clock, why look like that? Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Oh, just¡­ the effectes from hearing its sound¡­¡±

    ¡°It does? So what kind of sound does it make?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ it¡¯d be faster for me to let you hear it. Please ring in ten seconds.¡±

    Exactly ten seconds after Kehma said that, a just-loud-enough [Pipipi, pipipi, pipipi] to fill the room rung out. It stopped when Kehma pped his hand onto the top of the rm.

    She realized that the slight drowsy feeling she¡¯d had was entirely gone.

    ¡°I see, so the sound itself is small.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. The sound doesn¡¯t have to have to be that loud, since the effect will wake you up. But just hearing it will make you feel refreshed and wide-eyed. You shouldn¡¯t use it before you go to bed.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Father, making such a work of art.¡±

    Rokuko nodded, her headpletely refreshed.

    ¡°But¡­ can you get to sleep now?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Ah! It¡¯s true, I¡¯m not tired at all.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s probably this clock¡¯s only defect. It¡¯s not a Bedding, it¡¯s a tool for waking up.¡±

    ¡°I see. Now that you say it, it is true¡­¡±

    Still though, seeing as how you¡¯ll have to wake up at some point, it should be counted as one of the Beddings¡­ Rokuko thought to herself. No, maybe constructing the Godly Beddings with the concept of ever having to wake back up was off the mark?

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m wide awake again, so I¡¯m going to head back to my room. Thanks for showing me your Beddings. Cya tomorrow, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±

    Saying that, Kehma walked out of the room with a refreshed look to his face.

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Wh-What happened? What about theforter¡¯s effect?¡±

    The Godly rm Clock. An item that was constructed to be strong enough to ovee even the Godly Comforter¡¯s effect.

    Realizing this, Rokuko couldn¡¯t help but to shout.

    ¡°¡­ That rm clock is not a Bedding!¡±

 Chapter 357 - Fate is a Thing to be Seized

    <strong>Fate is a Thing to be Seized</strong>

    (Rokuko¡¯s Point of View)

    After Kehma left her room, Rokuko did some thinking. She once more reaffirmed to herself that she¡¯d absolutely, absolutely sleep with him that day and left her room in high spirits.

    She¡¯d had the feeling it was in the bag the previous time, but Kehma had ended up leaving. She was a bit sad about that, but what could she do!? It was obvious! She just had to do it herself!

    That thought in mind, Rokuko made her way over to Kehma¡¯s room in what could only be called a reverse yobai. 1

    ¡°I¡¯ming in, Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Uoh! W-Wait!¡±

    His voice sounded like he was in a bit of a panic, so she decided to wait ten seconds before entering.

    By the way, Kehma¡¯s room was a dreary room that looked more like a storage room than a proper bedroom. In terms of the bedding, it just had a single bedroll. Even in this dreary room, it had a high quality ss window, as expected of the ce called the White Vi.

    In a room like that, Kehma was sitting down on the futon in his jersey.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Umm, well¡­¡±

    There¡¯s no way she could just say she came to his room for that. It was too embarrassing.

    But Rokuko had an idea.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep because of you. I was hoping you¡¯d use Siesta.¡±

    Yes, now that she¡¯d had her drowsiness entirely removed and wound up fully awake, all she had to do was get drowsy again. For that, she could rely on Kehma¡¯s Magic Sword Siesta.

    Even Kehma felt admiration at that.

    ¡°Oooh, I could do that, couldn¡¯t I? Alright, Rokuko. Let¡¯s head back to your room.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a bedroll right here though? We can do it here.¡±

    ¡°Umm.¡±

    ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d need a spare, I only have one bedroll.¡±

    ¡°¡­! Heeh, is that so?¡±

    Rokuko pped her hands together. The Godly Comforter¡¯s effect was still chuggin along! God(ly Comforter) was working in mysterious ways!

    ¡°Kehma, get Siesta ready, we¡¯ll sleep here.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Okay¡­¡±

    Kehma put Magic Sword Siesta near his bedside beforeying down face up.

    Seeing this, Rokuko grinned.

    ¡°OhwoopssorryItripped~¡±

    ¡°Guah!?¡±

    Rokuko, very clearly on purpose, fell onto Kehma. She performed a splendid elbow drop right into his stomach.

    As yet another coincidence, his jersey was new and hadn¡¯t yet been Golemized. He¡¯d probably just finished making it after feeling refreshed from winning the Dungeon Battle.

    ¡°O-ogogogo¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry, Kehma! Are you hurt? You¡¯re hurt, right!? You should recover with the Godly Comforter, then! Oh, and Siesta, maximum output!¡±

    Saying that, she lied down next to the now-in-pain Kehma as if to sleep with him, followed by her pouring magical power into the nearby Magic Sword Siesta. She simultaneously did that and withdrew the Godly Comforter from her [Storage] before covering the both of them with it.

    ¡°Hey, you¡ª¡­ zzz.¡±

    ¡°Goodnight, Kehma¡­ zzz.¡±

    £ª

    Which is how they ended up in the dream world.

    Produced through the Godly Comforter, It was a dream space By Rokuko, For Rokuko.

    ¡°I¡¯ve~Been~Waiting~, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Hey, Rokuko. Could you exin what the heck just happened?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Hah¡­. whatever. This is a dream, there¡¯s no way I¡¯d get the answer I¡¯m looking for by asking the Rokuko that¡¯s here.¡±

    By the way, for this dream, as a result of having done repeated studies since the previous time, she¡¯d decided to try out leaving Kehma just thinking that [This was a dream]. (Rokuko¡¯s memories were left perfectly intact, of course.)

    Therefore, this time wouldn¡¯t turn into a Kehma Dressup Paradise. Unless Kehma decided to do it himself, of course.

    ¡°Still though, Kehma, this appearance¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s appearance hadn¡¯t changed from what it was before she fell asleep. Since she was officially going with the [Kehma¡¯s Dream] setting, she thought it would have been turned into whatever Kehma wanted¡­ but¡­

    ¡°Do you like it that much? Hey, hey?¡±

    ¡°I-I mean, sure, I guess. But what¡¯s with youing to my room looking like that? What if someone saw you?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care though?¡±

    Kehma¡¯s cheeks blushed somewhat when she said that.

    ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want anyone else seeing you like that, sheesh.¡±

    He muttered.

    What the what? Did she just hear that? Oh, how shemented not being able to use the menu function¡¯s record in this dream world.

    ¡°Kehma, Kehma, just now. That, could you say that again?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    ¡°Eeh~? You can say it~¡±

    Rokuko clung to Kehma as she spoke. Her not-so-abundant chest pressed up against him as she looked up to his face.

    She could hear the pounding a heart ring in her ears. As for whose, however, she didn¡¯t know.

    Readying herself, Rokuko opened her mouth to speak.

    ¡°Kehmaa¡­. could you kiss me?¡±

    ¡°Your foot?¡±

    Maybe I can hit him just a little?

    ¡°Why my foot? My lips, obviously. Are you stupid? Stupid~¡±

    ¡°But I want to kiss your feet?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    They stared at each other for a moment¡ªpractically ring in a standoff. With a sigh, Rokuko broke first.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll let you kiss my feet... if you kiss my body all the way down! Starting with my lips!¡±

    ¡°Got it!¡±

    ¡°Nmu¡ª!?¡±

    Just as she said that, Rokuko felt Kehma¡¯s lips press up against hers.

    ¡­

    ... ...

    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­

    ¡°Oi, Rokuko.¡±

    Rokuko came back to herself upon feeling something poke her cheek.

    ¡°Fuah? Did I fall asleep¡­? Nnn¡­¡±

    ¡°Rokuko? R-Ro¡ª!? Ngu!?¡±

    Hugging Kehma as if to smother him, she kissed him a countless number of times.

    The sensation brought a smile to her face. They¡¯d kissed in various ces, but she liked lip on lip the most.

    ¡°¡­ Puah¡­ hah¡­ so good¡­ ?¡±

    ¡°O-Oi, Rokuko? A-Are you still half asleep¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    Opening her eyes after hearing his voice practically in a falsetto, she saw Kehma¡¯s crimson red face.

    Huh? That¡¯s weird. Why would he look like that after doing it so many times?

    Huh? When did we move into a bedroll?

    Huh? Why¡¯s the window sparkling?

    ¡­

    ¡­ THE SUN IS UP?

    As soon as Rokuko realized what she¡¯d just done, her face turned beet red.

    ¡°K-Kehma!? N-No! Um, there¡ªthere was a giant melon bread!!¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah! A melon bread, definitely! You were dreaming about eating it, yeah!¡±

    ¡°Exaaaactly! Maaan, that was a crazy melon bread! Ahahaha, that was an ident!¡±

    ¡°It was a melon bread, you couldn¡¯t help it! Yep! Yep!¡±

    Rising out of theforter¡ªor more like tossing it aside as she bolted up, Rokuko gave excuse after excuse.

    Kehma epted each and every one of them, nodded each and every time in just as much earnestness.

    Both of their faces were bright red. Rokuko¡¯s eyes had even started to grow watery.

    Once she¡¯d made her excuses, neither could look each other in the eye and had to turn their backs to each other.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to kiss Ane-sama a hundred times.¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­¡±

    And thus was how various things rted to the Dungeon Battle came to a close.

 Chapter 358 - Serving Waitresses

    <strong>Serving Waitresses</strong>

    After Core No. 629¡¯s Dungeon Battle, Kehma and everyone had returned to Golen.

    ¡°I thought we¡¯d have to do a lot of stuff since we¡¯d all been gone so long, but nothin¡¯s really happened.¡±

    ¡°Mm, yeah.¡±

    Since nothing had happened while they were away, both Ichika and Meat were able to get right back to working at the inn without anything feeling off. Well, they¡¯d both beening back in shifts since before the Dungeon Battle had finished, but still.

    ¡°Like, justin¡¯ back and bein¡¯ a ¡®waitress again is weird, ya know?¡±

    ¡°I understand. It¡¯s somewhat simr, but moving your own body is different.¡±

    ¡°Moving around as a rabbit¡¯s fun though~. I wonder if we could keep one here to be a mascot or somethin¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­ a mascot would increase sales¡­?¡±

    Lost in thought, Meat spoke.

    However, Kehma wasn¡¯t exactly worried about the inn¡¯s ie anymore.

    Just then, a guest came in. It was no longer time for them to chat idly, it was time to work.

    She looked up to the entering customer with a well-trained puppy dog expression.

    ¡°U-Umm, K-Kuro-chan? What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Meat inclined her head. As if to say you didn¡¯t bring a carrot?

    Seeing that, Ichika realized what was happening.

    ¡°Senpai, senpai! Not that one!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡ªs-sorry.¡±

    Meat had been constantly practicing so as to make her movements as a rabbit in [Rabbit Paradise] more endearing, going so far as to move her own body in sync with the rabbits¡¯. Although she wasn¡¯t exactly addicted to doing it, perhaps it could be said that she was the type of person to fully immerse herself into it? As a result, she¡¯d managed to fully acquire that begging characteristic.

    Meat bowed her head deeply in apology. Although her expression was practically as nonexistent as ever, thanks to Ichika¡¯s production management, she managed to exude [Adorable] from every part of her body. It was to the point that even her expressionlessness could be interpreted as the cute, unreadable expression of an animal.

    ¡°N-No! R-Right, I was just going to ask for more pudding! Ahaha! I¡¯ll even give you some, Kuro-chan~!¡±

    ¡°Umm, th-thank you?¡±

    Not really understanding what had just happened, Meat acquired a pudding.

    ¡°¡­ I got this somehow?¡±

    ¡°I guess senpai¡¯s definitely the inn¡¯s mascot¡­ still though, huh. Guess we can work this¡­¡±

    Ichika decided to try it herself next time.

    Later on, another guest entered. He approached Ichika.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, Ichika-san? You¡¯re back¡­ is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Ichika bent her body forward, used that upward nce particr to cute animals, and bend her head to the side. However, all the guest could stare at were her breasts and didn¡¯t notice any of it.

    With how Ichika was sitting bent forward in her maid uniform, she was giving off quite the splendid view of her cleavage. Unfortunately, there was no stopping that from happening.

    A man who didn¡¯t take notice of that would have to have been a foot fetishist or something.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°U-umm?¡±

    ¡°Tch, guess I was wrong.¡±

    ¡°Umm, should I put this meal ticket into your cleavage?¡±

    ¡°Hah? (Anger)¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, nothing¡­¡±

    Faced with her anger, the guest simply presented his meal ticket. Ichika epted it and went to give him his food beforeing back to Meat.

    ¡°Guess that¡¯s it. Cuteness is justice.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°My route¡¯s different from senpai¡¯s, I gotta go with sexy. Goin¡¯ the cute route¡¯s impossible for me. That¡¯s all!¡±

    It wasn¡¯t that she wascking in charm. Rather, it was that hers was practically weaponized.

    After letting her thoughts simmer for a while, Ichika turned to Meat and grinned.

    ¡°So, work as normal, huh¡­ You¡¯ll try not to make that mistake again, right senpai?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Muu, sorry.¡±

    Yeah. What Ichika had done wasn¡¯t a simple jest. In order to [Joke] about Meat¡¯s [Honest Mistake]¡ªwhich was entirely possible of identally leaking information about the dungeon¡ªshe¡¯d tried messing around as if she were seriously trying.

    For being able to follow up like that, Meat couldn¡¯t help but feel marveled by Ichika.

    ¡°This debt¡¯s gotta be paid back with karaage.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Couldn¡¯t you asked Goshujin-sama for some?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d have to pay copper for that. I¡¯m already t broke this month.¡±

    ¡°? ¡­ Oh.¡±

    Come to think of it, Kehma did say something about implementing a purchasing system under the pretext that people like Ichika would just eat it forever and ever. Meat herself could only barely remember it.

    ¡°Haah, maybe I¡¯ve got no choice but to beg Goshujin-sama for more¡­¡±

    By the way, as that money was meant to be used as her spending money, the slots were entirely impartial.. But whenever it was Ichika using the slot machines, for some reason, she¡¯d always end up losing it all even without him rigging it.

    ¡°So you need pocket money?¡±

    ¡°Yeah~. Fufufu, I¡¯m such a beauty, after all. See? My cleavage is my strong point¡­¡±

    ¡°Should I put it in here?¡±

    ¡°Hyah!? N-No, ya can just give me some like normal.¡±

    As Meat pulled her finger out of Ichika¡¯s cleavage in understanding, Meat couldn¡¯t help but think that the allowance redistribution wasn¡¯t working out.

    ¡°Senpai, couldn¡¯t ya get more money if ya asked for it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want anything, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Really? It¡¯s makin¡¯ me feel a bit bad for gettin¡¯ favorable treatment though¡­¡±

    She¡¯d forgotten about it a few secondster, though.

 Chapter 359 - A Reward for Wataru

    <strong>A Reward for Wataru</strong>

    The recently discovered dungeon, [Rabbit Rest Area].

    Of the adventurers gathered within, many were muscle-bound, grizzled, and battle-scarred. Due to this, they were also the kind of people able to easily remove any monsters that showed up.

    Now, why were such people as these hanging out in a dungeon filled with rabbits? Wataru, filled with interest about that and receiving orders from Haku to investigate, hade to enjoy himself as well as do the actual investigation.

    After gathering as much relevant information in the Imperial Capital, his investigation quickly ended once he¡¯d arrived on site.

    What he¡¯d found was that these hard-faced, frightening adventurers there were giving rabbits vegetable sticks and just generally loving on the their fluffiness. Wataru understood it right away¡ªthese men and women were [Healing].

    A rabbit unhesitatingly came up to Wataru to be held.

    Even in this other world, the power of cuteness is undeniable. Wataru thought to himself. Maybe I could try out a cat cafe geared towards retired adventurers¡­ it¡¯d be nice if Nerune would join me.

    I¡¯d definitely get addicted if it weren¡¯t for Golen, I probably might never have wanted to return to the Imperial Capital¡­ Wataru decided to stay the night while thinking to himself.

    And thus was how Wataru got rolled up in the [Raid Event].

    £ª £ª £ª

    ¡°Phew, thosest ones were a bit tough.¡±

    ¡°¡­ A bit? They were Arch Demons¡­ so this is what a hero is, huh¡­?¡±

    Returning to the Safety Zone once the Arch Demons were dealt with, they were all relieved that the Raid Event ended with everyone safe. Would those Arch Demons have appeared if Wataru weren¡¯t there? That thought in mind, Renyu found herself trembling.

    By the way, since Wataru yed such an active role, tons of rabbits were floofing themselves all over Wataru in droves. While several adventurers stared on in envy, a few other rabbits went over to them an nestled up against them as if to say [You did your best too~!].

    ¡°U-Umm, the rabbits brought me this¡­! For everyone¡­¡±

    Saying that, Strawberry brought a basket chock full of potions. It was probably the Raid Event reward. It seemed they¡¯d given it to Strawberry to distribute since there was so much of it.

    ¡°There also seems to be a special reward for the hero? They keep saying their king¡¯sing.¡±

    ¡°King? The rabbits¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the rabibts¡¯.¡±

    Just then, a hole opened up in the sky¡ªthe environment room¡¯s ceiling. A basket held up by strings descended from it.

    In that basket was an orange rabbit with a tiny crown on its head¡ª

    ¡°Nkyuu! I¡¯m these guys¡¯ king! Ahahaha~!¡±

    ¡ª-who spoke, causing all of the rabbits to bow toward him.

    ¡°The rabbit¡­ talked!¡±

    ¡°Amazing! A talking rabbit! And it¡¯s orange!¡±

    The adventurers¡¯ reactions ranged from those who bowed to the rabbit, to those who knelt, to those who stood in nk surprise, to those who were deeply moved from seeing a talking rabbit.

    By the way, Wataru was one of those who read the situation and knelt.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, nkyuu. Ummm¡­ Thank kyuu for what kyuu did! Everyone, kyuu saved us from those bad demons that wanted to eat us! They were really serious this time¡­ so we should be safe for a few years, nkyuu!¡±

    ¡°Err, so we were helpful?¡±

    ¡°Yep. Partiiiicrly kyuuu! So great! So strong! Which is why I¡¯m granting kyuu the title of the Rabbit Hero and our rabbit ear ornament!¡±

    After he said that, the Rabbit King deftly grabbed a rabbit ear hairband with his forefoot and presented it to Wataru. Reverently epting it, Wataru put it on his head.

    ¡­ Rabbit Hero. Although it sounded a bit like a joke of a title, for those who¡¯d spent their time here, it was an amazing thing.

    ¡°Amazing, Hero Wataru!¡±

    ¡°Rabbit Hero! Wataru-sama!¡±

    ¡°So cool! Rabbit Hero, so cool! Rabbit ears, so coooool!¡±

    There was a deafening apuse. Although the rabbits weren¡¯t able to properly join the adventurers in the apuse, the rabbits also seemed to be ted about the [Rabbit Hero]¡¯s birth.

    ¡°Oooh yeah, that rabbit ear ornament¡¯s a magic tool, kyuu can make them move when kyuu put magical power into em! It¡¯s thanks for kyuu helping so much. We have our own ears so we dooooon¡¯t need it, but magic tools are worth money in human towns¡­ nkyuuu?¡±

    The king tilted his head, slightly anxious. Wataru didn¡¯t think that a magic tool only capable of moving itself would be worth much, but¡­. he wasn¡¯t a man unable to read the mood.

    Also, he figured that it would absolutely be worth a lot amongst those there with him.

    ¡°Yeah, well¡­ umm, would it be fine if I gave this to someone I know? She¡¯s someone I like¡­ and I think this would suit her¡­¡±

    ¡°Nn, sure! I¡¯ll allow it!¡±

    ¡°Haha, thank you!¡±

    Wataru smiled in delight. The Rabbit King was likely smiling, as well.

    ¡°Hero! Thank kyuuuu!¡±

    After that, the Rabbit King returned to his basket and went back through the hole in the ceiling. The hole shut once the king disappeared.

    ¡­ Was someone rolling him back up? Imagining that was somewhat unreal.

    ¡°¡­ I guess I managed to get a souvenir for Nerune-san.¡±

    ¡°Ummm, c-congrattions, Hero-sama.¡±

    ¡°Thanks?¡±

    Strawberry, the beastkin adventurer who naturally had moving rabbit ears of her own, congratted Wataru.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t y-you use that as proof of being their hero?¡±

    ¡°Umm, I mean¡­ I don¡¯t really need it¡­¡±

    After that, though, a volunteer decided to make and present a Rabbit Hero medal to Wataru.

    ¡­ Honestly, while I¡¯m not about to throw it away and it¡¯s not like it takes up much space, err, it¡¯s bothersome¡­!

 Chapter 360 - Tsuia Lord Yudenceâ€™s Golen (Beddhism) Inspection

    <h4>Chapter 360?Tsuia Lord Yudence¡¯s Golen (Beddhism) Inspection</h4>

    A matter that urred some time before Kehma and the others returned to the vige.

    Certain information made its way to Tsuia¡¯s lord, Yudence Tsuia.

    ¡°What? Monsters are overflowing from the dungeon in Golen?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it appears that [Cave of Desires] has not been thinned out enough¡­¡±

    ording to his subordinate¡¯s report, it was said that the number of monsters inside the dungeon gradually began building up in the days following the parting of Kehma¡¯s group.

    Although he did have some understanding that Kehma and Gozoh¡¯s parties were keeping the numbers down, for it to be by that much¡­

    ¡°There is also a possibility that this is a Transition Phase, but it seems to be much too quiet of a change for that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hmm. It is likely just an umtion of the difference from them not being killed. There is still a period of time before Kehma-dono returns¡­ So be it, please put out a cullingmission for [Cave of Desires] to the Tsuia Adventurer Guild.¡±

    Saying that, Yudence rose from his seat and put on his overcoat.

    ¡°Are you going out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I would like to do an inspection myself. I¡¯ll leave themission to you.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me, sir.¡±

    The dungeon would be taken care of with that, and Yudence himself just wanted to take a trip to Golen.

    A Beddhist mass¡­ and the Saintess¡¯ massage.

    Recently¡ªjust before Kehma¡¯s group had set off, to be exact¡ªa Beddhism Saintess was born.

    She¡¯d originally been giving massages in Golen¡¯s inn, [Dancing Dolls Pavilion], but for some reason, no matter how rough she was, it never hurt. The woman acknowledged as a Saintess worked the [Miracle] of only ever make you feel wonderful. Her name was Rei, or something?

    Her miraculous massages had be something of a helpful organizing effect to the church with its currently missing founder, Kehma.

    (It appeared she was one of Kehma¡¯s subordinates, too, so there wasn¡¯t any confusion when she¡¯d begun organizing them together.)

    Yudence could only make the trip once or twice a week, but he¡¯d bepletely addicted to Beddhism.

    You could hear the light sounds of people sleeping in a Beddhist mass. The massage miracle worked by the Saintess could dispel all pent-up stress.

    To Yudence, who put his duties as a lord before his personal well-being, this was a precious blessing.

    ¡­ He made sure to not be noticed by his daughter, Maidence, on his way out of the estate.

    Although it wasn¡¯t as if he didn¡¯t want to be seen, she¡¯d look at him with?<i>that face</i>?and want toe along and bring bodyguards. Even for Yudence, he wouldn¡¯t be able to take his eyes off his daughter, so leaving for a Beddhist mass was inconvenient.

    Slipping past Maidence¡¯s ever-watching eyes, he got on a the stagecoach heading to Golen.

    Although he¡¯d decided to wear ordinary townsperson clothing for the sake of his inspection, his bearing and overall movements oozed a grace that he couldn¡¯t hide. At the very least, those riding with him were able to tell that he was some aristocrat attempting to travel incognito.

    ¡°Oh?¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    Just then, Yudence¡¯s eyes met with another passenger¡¯s. Although she wore more standard viger clothing, she also held an unconceble grace. More importantly, though, was that it was a face he would never mistake for another¡¯s. It was Yudence¡¯s wife, Waltz.

    ¡°Dear. I didn¡¯t expect to see you here?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, same to you. Have business in Golen?¡±

    ¡°Yes, though I dare say not the same as you.¡±

    Saying that, Waltz took out a circr Beddhist holy symbol. It was silver. From the standpoint of amoner, it was an extravagant expenditure. Yudence happened to carry one, as well.

    Furthermore, although Yudence also had a gold holy symbol, he¡¯d chosen to not bring it with him as that would have instantly marked him as a wealthy merchant or an aristocrat.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you had joined Beddhism. I thought that you were a devout follower of the White Goddess Faith?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Beddhism is a [Subreligion] that even White Goddess-sama herself has recognized. Nothing is wrong with me joining it.¡±

    ¡°True.¡±

    That said, the two of them touched their holy symbols together. This was the standard greeting between two followers of Beddhism.

    ¡°Ohhoh, did the two of ya join Beddhism as a couple?¡±

    ¡°Oh hey, I¡¯m a Beddhist too, Good Night.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a mass goin¡¯ on today, ya goin¡¯? I¡¯m nnin¡¯ to.¡±

    Suddenly, multiple people started to show their Beddhist holy symbols and greet each other. Recently, some traveling merchant started spreading the greeting, saying that exchanging the [Greeting] with a fellow believer would bring good fortune.

    Iron brought more than copper, silver more than iron, gold more than silver. And then there was Saintess-sama¡¯s ruby symbol, more effective than even gold. And then and then there was the giant symbol in the church, the most virtuous of them all.

    They¡¯d likely grown interested in exchanging [Greetings] with their silver symbols. The two Tsuias responded pleasantly to this.

    ¡°Look, this is a holy symbol I made out of wood.¡±

    ¡°Hooh, that¡¯s nice. Please, let me greet it.¡±

    ¡°Sir, let us pray for an abundant harvest of wheat.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful. Tsuia has rich farnds, allow me to do a greeting, too.¡±

    Moreover, given that handmade symbols were valued for being both virtuous and for holding the dreams of the maker, Beddhism¡¯s was practically oozing of generosity.

    ¡°Wheat¡­ I take it you¡¯re from a farming family? What¡¯s this year¡¯s crop looking like?¡±

    ¡°Good enough. We¡¯ve got some reserve ordersin¡¯ in from Pavuera, too.¡±

    ¡°Hoh? Another upside to that cave. It¡¯s shrunk the distance to Pavuera considerably.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, to the point that we¡¯ve even been gettin¡¯ some peddlers wanting to buy from us directly. We turn ¡¯em down since they¡¯re too suspicious though.¡±

    Sharing information was the natural way of things when people greeted one another with their holy symbols. They were able to have good-mannered conversations like this, sufficient enough for everyone to know that the lord strolled about the town under the pretext of inspections and was called the ally of themon man. Still though, he wasn¡¯t able to hide his aristocratic demeanor during those strolls and would end up being distanced.

    It could even be said to be yet another boon he¡¯d received from Beddhism.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ I suppose that means a good amount of people are flowing through as well if people like that are turning up. I¡¯ll tell some acquaintances to keep an eye out for them..¡±

    ¡°Ah, thanks. With your acquaintances helpin¡¯ out, Sir, I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fine. Another Beddhist blessin¡¯, for sure. Hahaha!¡±

    After exchanging simrly useful conversations like that for a while, they arrived at Golen.

    Although the stagecoach shook considerably more than the one he was more used to riding in, it was one of Golen¡¯s models came that with cushions, so he wasn¡¯t in any pain.

    Unlike the thick cushions aristocratic ones came with, it was a much cheaper item that wouldn¡¯t be unnaturally expensive for even amoner to use. It was thanks to these cushions that his rear end didn¡¯t ache from these excursions. Recently, more and more stagecoaches prepared these cheap cushions.

    ¡°Alright, shall we go to the Beddhist mass? I¡¯d like to reserve a seat in the front. It¡¯s the quickest way to get the effect.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I always stay in the back. They let me take my time reading until everything begins.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Waltz, you always did get good grades back at the academy, are there any books that interest you there?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are¡­ Dear, have you not perused their library yet?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ I-I prefer doing things myself¡­ And I figured they wouldn¡¯t have any books about agriculture.¡±

    ¡°Haah¡­¡±

    Waltz sighed.

    Beddhism¡¯s church had a bookshelf. On it were memos on various farming methods from civilians (such as [Sprinkle seashells across your farnd] from Pavuera) that could not be found in the Imperial Capital¡¯s library. As an aside, it didn¡¯t have a the Beddhism Bible on it for some reason. It might have been due to the codex itself being located at the foremost position in the church, but it was worrying that it didn¡¯t seem to care too much about spreading its teachings. On the other hand, it would have been more than troubling if it attempted to spread as aggressively as that Light God¡¯s Decree religion.

    ¡°Let¡¯s borrow one today. You will see the splendor of their books. even if it¡¯s just a single manuscript.¡±

    ¡°D-Don¡¯t be too hard on me. Wait, they loan out their books?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s originally only meant to be for the vigers here, but that can be negotiated upon informing them about your position and paying a security deposit.¡±

    He could only guess at the height of Kehma¡¯s level of thought with him lending such highly valued books to the vigers here. However, Yudence felt that he might have ced too much trust in the townsfolk.

    Just then, right as Yudence was about to walk into the church, something pulled on the nape of his neck. It was Waltz.

    ¡°Dear. It seems there¡¯s been a thief.¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡±

    He looked down to the hole at his feet, followed by the peddler-looking man who was covered in birdlime within it. The man was unable to move.

    ¡­ He was apparently nning on stealing the books. He¡¯d probably been caught through the use of some kind of magic tool. Although he didn¡¯t know what sort of magic tool it was, it was likely made by the master cksmith he recalled this vige having.

    The hole was slowly closing. There were sisters bowing at them from the other side of the hole, so it was probably something of a security measure.

    ¡°¡­ I kind of want one for our house.¡±

    ¡°Really, now. It seemed to me like it would sometimes affect an unrted person, though?¡±

    ¡°True. I wonder if anyone¡¯sined?¡±

    ¡°From what I hear, if that ever happens, they are given a [Cleanup] and a massage free of charge. It even seems as if themon sentiment regarding that is that they were [Able to fall on<sup>1</sup></a>?the thief, the one at fault].¡±

    ¡°What a weird expression¡­ for words to give a feeling of virtue and good omens, religion is strong.¡±

    Of course, they would not receive a free [Cleanup] or massage if they jumped in purposely.

    After that, he and his wife were able to join in on the mass.

    Folding the cushion he¡¯d brought along for just this reason, he fell asleep. By the time he woke up, he feltpletely refreshed¡­ His body was a bit sore since he fell asleep sitting up, but he¡¯d nned to have a massageter on, so that was of no concern.

    ¡°You know, dear. Saintess-sama¡¯s massages are on an appointment basis now. Were you aware?¡±

    ¡°¡­ What¡­ did you say!?¡±

    ¡°Ohohoh, this is a reservation ticket. You can¡¯t have it, though.¡±

    ¡°Guu! What is this? My informants didn¡¯t tell me about this!?¡±

    ¡°They appear to have switched to an appointment basis due to bing so busy after the number of monsters increased so sharply recently. You might have been able to converse with Saintess-sama if you had been reading before the mass¡­ but perhaps you could receive a pressure point massage from a sister?¡±

    ¡°Gununu! Those hurt though!?¡±

    Seeing him squirm, Waltz couldn¡¯t help but giggle.

    It turning into a date between the two of them and Yudence, who wound up not actually inspecting the dungeon, returning to be osted by his steward wondering where he¡¯d been all day with a lightly concealed anger would be a secret forever kept.

    As a small mercy, the issue of monsters overflowing from the dungeon was properly taken care of by submitting that cullingmission to the guild.

 Chapter 361 - The Succubi Who Lived

    <h4>Chapter 361 The Subi Who Lived</h4>

    Within a certain forest within the Demonds, there was a High Subus and a Subus walking along the road.

    It was a narrow road enclosed on both sides by trees. Although it was to the point that it was weird that there was even a road there, well, there was only the one road, so it wasn¡¯t as if they would get lost. There was no one else about, save for maybe some birds or insects.

    ¡°Really, I thought I was going to die. I never thought that squirrels could be such vicious creatures. I felt like I was forced into a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°You did well, Natsuno-sama.¡±

    One of them, the High Subus, was one of the Four Kings from No. 564¡¯s dungeon, Natsuno the Sorrowful. She¡¯d raised the white g to therge swarm of squirrels and took the chance to escape.

    As for the other one¡ª

    ¡°Are you sure you can go against No. 564 already?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m not in pain at all. I wouldn¡¯t feel like this if not. Besides, I¡¯ve found something much more interesting.¡±

    It was one of the subi who had been hit by No. 564 as a sandbag.

    ¡°Still though, unlike me, you¡¯re a dungeon-born Subus, right? I¡¯m surprised you managed to betray it and escape.¡±

    Monsters born within a dungeon would usually like and die with the dungeon. To look at that from another angle, let alone leaving the dungeon as a traitor, it was impossible to even think of it as being possible.

    ¡°The reason¡¯s simple. No. 564-sama told me, no, us that he didn¡¯t care about us. That let mee in contact with that person. I alone was chosen from among us¡ªfor no particr reason, apparently. If I had to say, it was probably down to luck. Let¡¯s dedicate my luck to god.¡±

    ¡°By god, you mean that person, I take it?¡±

    ¡°Is there anyone else?¡±

    ¡°No. Maybe the Evil God?¡±

    Like this, while her fellow Subi were being ughtered in No. 564 and Orange¡¯s Dungeon Battle, this subus appeared, calm and collected. Not that Natsuno, who¡¯d begged for her life, had any room to speak about others.

    Although Natsuno was also scouted by [That Person] in a sense, as far as this Subus was concerned, she was the sole person to be recognized as being chosen.

    ¡°It would have been great if everyone could have been saved, though.¡±

    ¡°It is only because of their sacrifices that I was able to escape without being noticed by No. 564-sama.¡±

    ¡°That guy was the lowest. Not that I can talk about anyone.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, that¡¯s a good thing in our industry.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Your master¡¯s subordinates are all Subi, right? Perhaps I should stop being yourpanion?¡±

    ¡°Kusukkusu, don¡¯t say that. Natsuno-sama, you¡¯re scheduled to y the part of the leading role in this project.¡±

    Let alone that [Project] she¡¯d mentioned, Natsuno didn¡¯t even try to hide the bad premonition she got about that [Leading Role].

    ¡°So, what was this project thing about again? I heard you call it Konyakuhaki Zamaa, but I don¡¯t really get what that means?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an experiment¡­ no, more like a y. Natsuno-sama is the spitting image of the main heroine role. Moreover, the preparations have already been made, including personality correction and nting memories that will lead to a self-indulgent young woman [being convicted and dying].¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, I still don¡¯t really get it, but what is it that your master wants to do?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t hope to understand her thoughts, but she will also be your master from here on. Natsuno-sama, your status will be that of a certain Baron¡¯s daughter from Daido from here on.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I asked¡­ But I assume you¡¯re telling me to figure it out myself, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Seeing the Subus grin, Natsuno could only sigh.

    ¡°I believe that person is interested in what your first [Action] will be, Natsuno-sama.¡±

    ¡°The heck? I¡¯m getting more and more of a headache¡­¡±

    ¡°Please take a look over this while we walk.¡±

    Saying that, the Subus took out a a bundle of paper¡ªand passed it to her.

    There were strange red seals saying [Strictly Confidential] and [Company Secret] on the strangely high-quality material, the characters they were written in were arranged strangely, too. Natsuno wondered if this was one of those rumored printed items as she skimmed through it page by page.

    ¡°Document collection? And this method, what¡­? Such strange, trivial things are a nuisance. What¡¯s with this ¡®illegitimate noble-born child growing up as amon viger¡¯? Then there¡¯s the ¡®cajoling target list¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡°It should be easy for a High Subus like you though, right? Oh, and that list is just to be informative. It doesn¡¯t matter if you only choose one of them or even someone not on it. Everything on the field is left 100% up to your discretion, Natsuno-sama.¡±

    ¡°Really, what is the point¡­? Oh, there¡¯s even a method to capture a prince? So this was made by a Subus, after all? How amazing, you could even control a country.¡±

    At any rate, it seemed as if Natsuno would be free to do as she pleased. She could even spend her entire life as a Baron¡¯s daughter without cajoling anyone. Or she could cajole someone into being her fiance. Really, what was the point of all of this? Natsuno couldn¡¯t figure it out.

    ¡°¡­ If you don¡¯t want to, you could resign. It¡¯s not toote.¡±

    ¡°I never said that I don¡¯t want to. I figure this will at least be amusing to me. If it turned out well, I could even take hold of a country. That¡¯s better than most Subi could ask for!¡±

    ¡°Kusukkusu, what a wise decision.¡±

    Saying that, the Subus put away the knife she¡¯d withdrawn from her [Storage]. Its de was long and thick, the kind one might use for battle¡­ moreover, it even had the [Dreamyer] enchant applied to it.

    As the two continued toward Daido, Natsuno was not aware of what might have happened to her if she¡¯d turned the Subus down just then.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, well, are we walking to the border? Surely we won¡¯t be walking the entire way?¡±

    ¡°¡­ True, I believe that we will be picked up on the way¡­ but we will at least have to walk out of the forest first.¡±

    A ck bird kept its eyes locked on the two Subi as they made their way down the forest road.

 Chapter 362 - 100 Kisses

    <h4>Chapter 362 100 Kisses</h4>

    After the Dungeon Battle ended, a bit before Kehma and everyone headed back.

    To be more specific, it was the day after Kehma and Rokuko slept together.

    ¡°Ane-sama. Let¡¯s kiss!¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡±

    Rokuko, who was supposed to have been preparing for her return, suddenly said something explosive enough to cause Haku to jolt.

    ¡°K-K-K-Kiss? Kiss¡ªyou mean that kiss, right?¡±

    ¡°? Umm, is there another kind? Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°No!! None, none at all¡­ Huh, what? Am I dreaming? Is this a special effect of Otou-sama¡¯s sofa?¡±

    After getting dead drunk from the victory party the day before, she¡¯d woken up on the sofa [Father] had given her. She felt very refreshed after waking up.

    In other words, there was a small, no, a 50% chance that Rokuko suggesting they do this might be because of some sort of ability that sofa had.

    ¡°Nnn, nnnhm. Gehun. Umm, well¡ª¡±

    ¡°Okay, excuse me, Ane-sama.¡±

    ¡°Nmu!?¡±

    Getting on the desk, Rokuko suddenly pressed her lips against the lips owned by the person sitting at that desk¡ªHaku¡¯s. Lip on lip, a true kiss.

    ¡°¡­!?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one. Nn~¡±

    ¡°W-W-W-Wait, Rokuko-chan! Give me ten, no, five minutes!¡±

    Blocking Rokuko with her hand as she¡¯d started toe in for the second kiss, Haku excused herself for a moment.

    ¡°(What what what what the WHAT!? What just happened!? Eeeeeh!?)¡±

    Confused as all hell, Haku ran to the bathroom to brush her teeth. Finishing up with a [Cleanup], she looked at herself in the mirror to give herself the most important look over she¡¯d ever done.

    ¡ªOther then the red suffusing her ears and cheeks, everything was fine.

    Using her fingers to make sure her hair was just right, she returned to the room Rokuko was waiting in and took a seat.

    ¡°¡­ S-Sorry for the wait.¡±

    ¡°Wee back, Ane-sama. Shall we continue?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah¡­ Umm, Rokuko-chan? Why so suddenly?¡±

    Hearing Haku¡¯s question, Rokuko tilted her head.

    ¡°Ane-sama, didn¡¯t you tell me I could kiss Kehma if I kissed you a hundred times?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I did, now that I think about it.¡±

    Yes, she definitely remembered saying that. In other words, Rokuko was wanting to kiss her a hundred times so that she could kiss Kehma. Haku correctly identified the situation.

    ¡°Which is why we have ny-nine to go!¡±

    ¡°O-Okay, I-I get it, bu¡ª!¡±

    Haku¡¯s lips were once more forcibly covered. What was with her aggressiveness? Haku felt like she was about to faint, but she also absolutely couldn¡¯t allow herself to lose consciousness during this. Even if it cost her her life, she absolutely had to stay conscious.

    ¡°Puhae to think of it, Ane-sama, there are kisses that aren¡¯t on the lips, right?¡±

    ¡°Wai¡ªnnn!! Kya¡ªn-no, n-not theeeeere!!¡±

    Once, twice, three times, Rokuko rapid fired kisses down her cheek and onto her neck. Haku wondered just where she had learned such a technique as she was forced to experience it with her own body.

    Haku didn¡¯t recall ever teaching her about it.

    ¡ªThe extent of what she¡¯d taught her for her sexual education (to make sure there was no blunder in the worst case scenario) was: [The act of sexual reproduction is the release of dirty fluids for the sake of feeling good, an act simr to seeing the other person simr to a trash can. The absolute worst thing a man can do to a woman, something to absolutely be refused. To begin with, for a human, it¡¯s a bestial act akin to excretion]. She¡¯d also taught her: [Kisses are things done between people who like each other, it has nothing to do with being man or woman].

    Where did she learn to give such passionate kisses?

    All she could think of was Kehma or Golen. Or perhaps it was something she¡¯d picked up from the Subi Leona had left in the dungeon? Yes, that had to be it. That godforsaken Leona¡ª

    Just then, Haku felt a warm, soft touch on her ear, causing her to body to jump.

    ¡°Hyai!? R-Rokuko-chan, not theeere¡­¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s, mmpu, your ear? It tastes like Ane-sama.¡±

    With her eardrum being tickled by the super-close-up whisper and the sound of a tongue pressing into her ear, her brain shook in pleasure. She never would have thought that her adorable Rokuko¡¯s voice and her lovely tongue would be able to shake her like this.

    My ear¡ªaaah, d-don¡¯t liiiick, a, haah, hguuu¡­. amazing¡­!

    She couldn¡¯t hear anything but the sound of her ear being licked.

    ¡°N-No, Rokuko-chan¡­ M-My ears, they¡¯re my¡­ if you keep licking them¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re your weak spot? Guess I¡¯ll just keep going¡­ nom.¡±

    ¡°Nyahi!? M-My eeeeeear¡­!¡±

    She was melting. Rokuko was causing her brain to melt.

    Both of her ears and her entire face was beet red and she couldn¡¯t even hide any of it. Haku just kept being kissed by Rokuko.

    ¡°¡­ And that¡¯s¡­ one hundred.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ah¡­¡±

    Once Rokuko finished with the promised hundred kisses, she moved a little away from Haku, looking a bit embarrassed¡­ As for Haku, having received those kisses, she couldn¡¯t manage to put any strength into her body. All she could do was stare up at the ceiling.

    ¡°¡­ Ane-sama, you¡¯re drooling.¡±

    ¡°Hya, hyaau. R-Rokuko-chan¡­ wh-when did you grow up so much¡­¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, even I can grow up!¡±

    A triumphant look on her face, Rokuko answered with what wasn¡¯t an answer at all.

    Just then, Rokuko seemed toe up with an idea.

    ¡°¡­ Maybe I should go for another hundred? No, two hundred¡­ no, no¡­! Three hundred¡­!?¡±

    ¡°Hyah¡­!?¡±

    By the end of the day, Haku waspletely drained and couldn¡¯t even manage to see Rokuko off.

    As for how many times Rokuko kissed Haku¡­ that would forever be a secret between the two of them.

 Chapter 363 - Ten-san and Kehma

    <h4>Chapter 363 Ten-san and Kehma</h4>

    Blue sea, white sand. Standing there was a single Tentacle Slime.

    A Tentacle Slime.

    As what was basically [White Beach]¡¯s boss, it was a Slime that invalidated physical attacks. It was not embarrassed to have tentacle in its name, it truly did have tentacles.

    Moreover, it was a named monster¡ª[Ten]. Only the Silky that was the keeper of [White Secret] (a vi under the guise of a dungeon) called it this name, though¡ªRecently, as Dungeon Master Kehma had learned the [Teleport] skill, he¡¯d frequently visited the Imperial Capital and [Rabbit Rest Area] from [Cave of Desires] and he would greet it by name whenever he turned up.

    ¡°Oh, Ten-san.¡±

    Was this that speak of the devil thing? Kehma, that very Dungeon Master, suddenly appeared.

    Ten returned the greeting by waving its tentacle.

    Will you be going to visit [Rabbit Rest Area] today as well?¡ªTen shook its body.

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, it¡¯s not like I have much else to do today. I just figured I¡¯d try out taking a nap there as a change of pace.¡±

    I see.¡ªTen wigged its body.

    If you want to take a nap, I rmend the shade of that tree over there. It would suit your needs perfectly.¡ªIt waved a tentacle.

    ¡°Oh, that does look great. Thanks, Ten-san.¡±

    That¡¯s what I¡¯m here for.¡ªIt swelled a part of its tentacle as if to give him a thumbs up.

    ¡­ These two people (?) seemed to somehow be able to understand each other.

    The only one actually speaking was Kehma. It was understandable that Ten could understand Kehma since it was so intelligent, but Kehma being able to precisely understand the Tentacle Slime¡¯s every word (?) was out of this world.

    Well, this slime was much more expressive than the average, every-day slime, but¡­ still, perhaps that was what made the Dungeon Master the Dungeon Master?

    By the way, it seemed as though he wasn¡¯t using his Trantion Function. He could understand it even without it.

    ¡°Jiggle.¡±

    ¡°Oh, fish? Yeah, I guess we are at a sea. We could fish here and make salt, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Jiggle?¡±

    ¡°How to make salt? You want to? Hmm, wouldn¡¯t the salt dry you out though?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­ ¡­ jiggle.¡±

    ¡°I see, I guess if seawater is fine¡­ well, if you remove the water from seawater, what¡¯s leftover is salt. All you need to do is concentrate down arge amount of seawater by boiling it or leaving it out in the sun to evaporate away.¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s wrong, Ten-san?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Jiggle!¡±

    ¡°Eh, is that possible? You want to give it a shot? O-Okay.¡±

    Ten plunged one of its tentacles into the sea. Drawing water up through it like a pump, it swallowed it all. Another tentacle returned water into the sea like a water hose.

    ¡­ It was condensing it, expelling the excess fluid.

    This continued for around ten minutes before a crystalline square about the size of a marble took form inside it. It was probably salt¡­ was it using magic to bind it together?

    ¡°Jiggle.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re sure?¡±

    Beckoning Kehma forward, it ced the crystal onto his hand.

    After wiping the excess mucus off his finger, Kehma tried giving the slightly pink crystal a lick. Salty. Yeah, it was definitely salt.

    ¡°¡­ That¡¯s amazing, Ten-san! You could produce salt like this!¡±

    ¡°Jiggle?¡±

    Still though, the pink tint it has was Ten-san¡¯s color. Did some of its mucus mix into it?

    Salt infused with Ten-san¡¯s mucus¡­ it didn¡¯t sound like something that would be so appetizing. Still though, it¡¯s not like it wouldn¡¯t be eaten.

    ¡°Come to think of it, Ten-san, you¡¯re a Slime, yeah?¡±

    ¡°Jiggle?¡±

    ¡°No, I mean like, could you make a slime bed? I was just wondering. You¡¯d normally just sink right into one, yeah? But I get the feeling it¡¯d be possible with you. I mean, you¡¯re so big.¡±

    ¡°Jiggle jiggle.¡±

    ¡°Eh, no, I was just wondering. Aren¡¯t you busy with dungeon stuff?¡±

    ¡°Jiggle.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Free, huh¡­ well, people don¡¯te to this dungeon, I guess¡­ Do wild Sahagin ever make it inside?¡±

    ¡°Jiggle.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Too bad.¡±

    ¡°Jiiiiigle.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I see, I see. If you insist!¡±

    And thus it was decided that Kehma would try out a slime bed under the shade of a tree.

    ¡­ It had conveyed something along the lines of [I can skip out if I y it off as being the Dungeon Master¡¯s guard]. For some reason¡ªreally, just for some reason¡ªKehma was able to understand this line particrly clearly. Without Trantion Function¡¯s aid.

    Perhaps they held a connection as fellow gacha-summoned individuals?

    ¡°Jiggle.¡±

    Kehma was picked up by Ten¡¯s tentacle and ced on top of it.

    It then made its way to be under the tree¡¯s shade.

    ¡°Maaan, it¡¯s so good we left this dungeon to you, Ten-san.¡±

    ¡°Jiggle, jiggle.¡±

    ¡°No, I mean, you¡¯re always helping. We¡¯re the ones only ever using you for Dungeon Battles¡­ right¡­ zzz¡±

    Although Kehma was entangled by enough tentacles to look like he was wrapped up in a bamboo mat, their sticity made for a perfect bed, allowing him to easily fall asleep.

    He¡¯d be slimyter, but a single use of [Cleanup] would take care of that.

    Still though, he¡¯dpletely forgotten that its mucus was great for skin health and blood cirction, so it caused a bit of a situationter on.

    When he¡¯d brought the salt to Subus Vige with a letter saying [Health Food for Blood Cirction: Tentacle Slime], it was rather popr.

 Chapter 364 - They Who Were Forgotten

    Chapter 364 They Who Were Forgotten

    ¡°Hey, when are we going to head back to Kehma-san¡¯s vige, Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Dunno. We still have to get his money though, Muzoh.¡±

    The C-Rank adventurer Uzoh Muzoh brothers. Just then, they were being hunters in a certain town within the Demonds.

    What were hunters? They were the Demonds¡¯ version of adventurers. The reason they were called hunters rather than adventurers is that the only work avable there was hunting monsters.

    As most tasks were taken care of by [Demons]¡ªthe Demonds equivalent of aristocrats in the empire¡ªusing their undead, other than those few individuals with essential trade skills or who work in the service industry, the only jobs avable were to hunt and kill monsters.

    Although the Uzoh Muzoh brothers were originally surprised at skeletons pulling carts all around town and cultivating fields, they began epting it since everyone was able to live in rtive ease because of it.

    That day, Uzoh and Muzoh had just finished another monster hunt¡ªIron Toads (frogs with around half a meter thick flesh) for the Nth day in a row and were on their way back.

    Uzoh and Muzoh hade to the Demonds topletemissions after giving Kehma the magic sword approximately one year prior.

    Having identally ended up helping some Demon young master during one of theirmissions, they became free loaders inside a town ruled by that Demon.

    Uzoh wound up sustaining an injury while helping the Demon, so his medical fees were taken care of. Although it turned into them being dependent on others until they returned¡ªit had been nearly a year since they¡¯d been going at a reasonable pace.

    ¡­ As for themission, they were able to report it to the Hunter Guild that existed in the Demonds. Although it was a separate organization from the Adventurer Guild, they apparently seemed to be in a cooperative rtionship with one another.

    ¡°Still though, the Demonds¡¯ people and the humans in the empire are basically no different, Uzoh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯d say the only difference from [Humans] is the magic stone in their bodies¡­ By the way, I heard you went drinking with that Witch girl, Muzoh?¡±

    ¡°Just a bit, just a bit. She t out refused me, anyway. Said all she cared about was magic.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, serves you right.¡±

    Uzohughed at hispanion Muzoh getting rejected. As an aside, he¡¯d tried hitting on the Harpy waitress at the bar but got rejected spectacrly, so this was a retaliationugh for that time.

    Just then, a Werewolf approached them.

    ¡°You made it back, newbies?¡±

    Their senior at free loading, Sukujira. His partner was Shironaga, a Weretiger.

    Although Uzoh and Muzoh were surprised at the Werewolf/Weretiger set at first, they took it in stride after realizing they were basically like beastkin that could transform in such a way that they highlighted their bestial features.

    ¡°Hey newbies, did you hear me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ We¡¯ve already been here for nearly a year. Yeah, Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We¡¯d prefer to not have such a bad nickname, huh, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Mm, true. It¡¯s kind of weird to still be calling you newbies, isn¡¯t it? Let¡¯s see¡­ Uzoh and Muzoh? How¡¯s that?¡±

    Sukujira spoke, rubbing his hand on his chin.

    ¡°That works. We didn¡¯t think you even knew our names. Right Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But we¡¯re always saying each other¡¯s names, Muzoh.¡±

    Come to think of it, aristocrats tended to have long names and would usually refer to each other with pet names. Uzoh and Muzoh both realized that was probably what it looked like to others.

    ¡°I see. Don¡¯t worry, that¡¯s our real names. Not one letter short, yeah Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°Eh? I thought your name was Uzorudatto1 for sure¡­ I¡¯m joking. My name¡¯s also the same, Muzoh.¡±

    ¡°Alright then. Shironaga calls you that, after all. Come on, Uzoh, Muzoh.¡±

    They wondered what he wanted them for. It was probably something about training, though.

    When they arrived at the training area that wasn¡¯t so different than the one in the Imperial Capital a little way out of town, they saw Shironaga swing a wooden sword with a weight attached to it.

    ¡°Ooh! You came, you bastards!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, are you wanting us to train more, Shironaga?¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, but that¡¯s got nothing to do with this!¡±

    Being told it was another matter, Uzoh and Muzoh wondered what it could be if not training and put up their guards.

    ¡°There¡¯s going to be a Fighting Tournament¡­ and you two¡¯re joining!¡±

    Well, this was news to them.

    ¡°Huh? W-Wait. Fighting Tournament, you mean the Fighting Tournament that all those crazy strong people are going to show up for that everyone¡¯s been talking about? Oi oi, we¡¯re just ordinary, everyday C-Rank adventurers. Right, Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. We can¡¯t even do a think against you, Sukujira. There¡¯s no way we could win, right Muzoh?¡±

    ¡°Idiots! Why¡¯re you so sure you¡¯ll lose without even trying!? Still, I¡¯m not telling you to win the tournament, but you should at least be able to make it through the second round. That¡¯d be enough.¡±

    ¡°Why then?¡±

    Hearing Uzoh¡¯s question, Shironaga responded.

    ¡°First, you¡¯ve barely done anything to earn achievements despite being free loaders. You should help out the young master.¡±

    ¡°Ugu.¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s, well¡­ we know¡­¡±

    Although they were actually living with money they earned themselves, as far as the Demonds was concerned, Uzoh and Muzoh¡¯s social status was solidified as free loaders.

    When it came to achievements, all they¡¯d managed was saving the Demon young master when they¡¯d first arrived¡ªand that wasn¡¯t something that went down on official records.

    From the perspective of those who¡¯d earned their status themselves, the Uzoh Muzoh brothers were living their lives in luxury.

    ¡°Besides, won¡¯t it be a good experience? Hey, Sukujira. You tried thest time, how¡¯d it go?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Right¡­ it was definitely a good experience. Besides, even if you get injured, you¡¯re not going to die or anything, the tournament¡¯s management will heal you. You get money if you win¡­ I think it was five gold coins or something for making it through the third round.¡±

    ¡°Which means that even if you just make it through the second round, you should be able to pay back your debt in full, yeah? You don¡¯t have to save much more right?¡±

    By participating, they¡¯d be able to show others that they weren¡¯t cowards. Not having to worry about injuries was another good thing. They¡¯d even get paid if they won.

    They were pretty nice terms. The Uzoh Muzoh brothers didn¡¯t have a reason to refuse at that point.

    ¡°¡­ Guess we could give it a go. Right, Uzoh?¡±

    ¡°¡­ It¡¯s not like we¡¯d die if we lost, Muzoh.¡±

    Thus was how the Uzoh Muzoh brothers decided to take part in the Fighting Tournament.

 Chapter 365 - Level Up

    <strong>Level Up</strong>

    Alright, we¡¯re done with the Dungeon Battle and are back in Golen.

    Let¡¯s go through our rewards.

    Let¡¯s see, first off is around 70,000 DP we have remaining from Haku-san.

    We didn¡¯t have to use any of our DP in that Dungeon Battle, thankfully.

    As another reward, Haku-san made Orange our subordinate. That also included Core No. 564 since he was Orange¡¯s subordinate, but I guess that¡¯s just another matter so eh.

    I don¡¯t have any way to contact him¡­ Aidi asked for [Father] to include a [System to Exchange Messages], so here¡¯s to hoping we can use it, too.

    Next would be the two Godly Beddings we got as a reward from [Father].

    The [Godly nket] and the [Godly rm Clock]¡­ with the [Godly Comforter] we already had, that means we had three of the Godly Beddings set.

    Since I know that the pillow and mattress was managed by the Tsuia Lord¡¯s daughter, Maidence, and the disappointing elf, Shikina, that means that the only ones left to find are the night cap and the pajamas1.

    And then there¡¯s the whole Boss Monster Spawner thing. I got two of them. These will let me constantly restock Orichalcum Golems¡­ fufufu¡­! I¡¯ll have to make a miniature version to figure how long the respawn is first, though. I¡¯d be troubled if it said it would take a century or something to respawn something made from orichalcum, after all.

    After thates the Dungeon Core, but I don¡¯t think I should use it yet.

    To be more precise, since breaking a Dummy Core would just raise the level of the [Super Transformation] skill I have now, I was thinking it might be better to wait until after I learn a new skill.

    Dummy Cores don¡¯t teach new skills, they just raise the level of existing skills, after all.

    ¡­ The Rokuko Hugging Right? Yeah, I guess I got that, too.

    £ª

    Alright. All of that has lead me toing deep into the dungeon, the Arena Area.

    I should be fine experimenting with [Super Transformation] here.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get two Dummy Cores¡ªthere we are.¡±

    Two Dummy Cores popped into my hand, 10,000 DP each. I immediately broke them with my orichalcum sword (The one fromst year. I¡¯d taken some from it to use for materials.)

    ¡­ Come to think of it, Rokuko got a purple Dummy Core from the gacha a while back, didn¡¯t she? I wonder if that one would work? Let¡¯s use it next year if I remember.

    Still though, what¡¯s up with it being purple? They¡¯re normally white? ¡­ Maybe it¡¯s not a Dummy Core? Yeah, it¡¯s scary so lets keep its time stopped in my [Storage] as I¡¯ve been doing.

    Oh, I also have those Gravity Bombs I¡¯d gotten from Rin¡­ what was the trigger word again¡­ [Round te]? No¡­ [ck te]? [Red Prate]¡­ did I just say Prate? Let¡¯s experiment with one of them next time.

    By the way, I¡¯d also put the Dungeon Core I¡¯d gotten as a reward in my [Storage]. Same with the Godly rm Glock. Let¡¯s put the orichalcum sword I just used back inside, too.

    ¡­ Yeah, so my [Storage] is turning into a treasure trove of dangerous stuff¡­ like some pandora¡¯s box. I don¡¯t n on doing anything with them though, so eh.

    Ah, my [Super Transformation]¡¯s level started to rise while I was thinking.

    I don¡¯t feel any mental pollution, good. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯d be able to tell even if I was affected, though.

    ¡­ Level 5, huh. It went up two levels, likely once per Dummy Core, but I can¡¯t say for sure it¡¯ll always be like that. I wonder what the max level is?

    The results¡ªyep, they appeared in my mind. Let¡¯s see the new effects along with the ones I already had.

    Super Transformation¡¯s Effects:

    ¨C Can transform into what is imagined Lv X times per day (5 times for Lv 5).

    ¨C Lv 1 Effect: Can transform into something that exists.

    ¨C Lv 2 Effect: Can partially mimic the abilities of what has been transformed into.

    ¨C Lv 3 Effect: Once every 72 hours, even if you die, the transformation will cancel and you will revive.

    ¨C Lv 4 Effect: Can transform into something that existed in the past. (NEW!)

    ¨C Lv 5 Effect: Post-Transformation restrictions lowered. Can use Inherent Abilities. (NEW!)

    Yeah, what?

    First off, I can now transform five times a day instead of three time.

    That¡¯s nice. Just a straight up increase in the number of times I can use it. Next!

    The fourth level¡¯s effect was that I could transform into things that have existed in the past. Until now, I wasn¡¯t able to transform into things that don¡¯t exist.

    This was easy to understand if we think about me transforming into Rokuko. Up till now, I couldn¡¯t transform into loli Rokuko if she was in her adult Rokuko form. The reason for this was that loli Rokuko wasn¡¯t a thing that was currently existing in the world. Now, however, I would be able to.

    It doesn¡¯t seem to be unlimited, though. For example, in order to transform into [A Letter Before it Burned], I wouldn¡¯t be able to do the transformation without having seen the letter before it transformed.

    ¡­ I¡¯ve only been able to transform into things I¡¯ve seen with my own eyes, after all.

    If it were unconditional, I¡¯d be able to transform into [Young Version of XX] or [Original Version of Rotted Inscription] or something¡­

    And the effect from level five. It feels like an upgrade of the level two effect.

    Specifically, level two¡¯s effect meant that I couldn¡¯t just transform into a Gargoyle to fly. Level five¡¯s meant that I could. Their wings relied on the [Flight] skill, after all.

    I haven¡¯t been able to fight too well after transforming¡­ all I could do really was use some weak magic skills. Although level two let me [partially mimic] them, this meant that [I could use any abilities they naturally had, within limits].

    Since I couldn¡¯t use the middle ss earth-attributed magic skill [Create Golem] even when I transformed into myself, I was able to see how low that upper limit was.

    All of this is why I could only use [Super Transformation] to mimic something¡¯s appearance, but now I¡¯d be able to fly if I transformed into a monster with the ability to do that.

    But now, although still not perfect, it was at a [Usable Level].

    If I had topare it, it¡¯d be simr to [Having a bike but never having practiced it before]. Like I wouldn¡¯t be able to copy something experiences or intuition.

    Which meant that I¡¯d have to practice if I wanted to fly. Man, so troublesome.

    Still though, as a result of me testing it out a bit, I was able to use [Create Golem] even after transforming into myself, so I should be able to use at least up to middle ss magic.

    I couldn¡¯t use the upper ss space-attributed magic [Teleport], so I guess middle ss is the limit.

    Still though, who decided on the demarcation between elementary and middle ss magic¡­? It¡¯s a mystery. Maybe the magical power expenditure?

    ¡°Kehma! So you were down here?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up, Rokuko? Something happen?¡±

    Just then, Rokuko came to the Arena Area.

    ¡°Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma¡¯s looking for you, he heard you¡¯de back and has been trying to find you.¡±

    Huh. Come to think of it, I still haven¡¯t reported that I¡¯m back, have I?

    The vige seemed peaceful enough and Rei and everyone¡¯s report said nothing really happened, but maybe there¡¯s some emergency?

    ¡°I noticed it a while ago, but there¡¯s a vige now. Maybe it¡¯s about that?¡±

    ¡°Huh? We¡¯ve been a vige for ages, what are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°No, not that.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Rokuko showed me the map.

    There, on it, was definitely a settlementrge enough to be called a vige.

    ¡ªOn the other side of the tunnel.

 Chapter 366 - Wozumaâ€™s Explanation

    <strong>Wozuma¡¯s Exnation</strong>

    ¡°¡ªAnd due to all of that, there is now a vige on the other side of the tunnel¡­¡±

    After being summoned for by Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma, I heard about the vige on the other side of the tunnel.

    First of all, the vige was entirely unrted to Golen¡ªis not exactly true, but they were definitely a separate vige.

    Its name was Draco. I got the feeling it was a bit simr to how Golen was named, but maybe it doesn¡¯t have anything to do with a Dragoning by? Who knows. Still though, this is Tsuia Mountain. We did have that whole Dragon thing happen.

    The vige¡¯s Vige Chief is the Pavuera lord¡¯s son, Cid Pavuera. He was around ten years old, about the same as Maidence.

    ¡­ Oh yeah, wasn¡¯t he affected by Meat bing Maidence¡¯s fianc¨¦? I can¡¯t really remember. Wait, wasn¡¯t there something about them borrowing my name? I forgot since I was having to deal with the Kukkoro elf girl, Shikina, times were busy! I should actually look into that¡­ oh, wasn¡¯t there also something about them lending the [Godly Pillow] to Beddhism?

    Well, at least the dungeon side of things will have no issue with it. I mean, Draco¡¯s already inside of our domain. The more they develop, the better it¡¯ll be for us.

    I suppose Rei not reporting to us about it was due to it not actually being an issue. It really isn¡¯t. Rather than being an issue, as far as Rei was concerned, it was like someone else giving us a gift for our dungeon out of nowhere.

    I agreed. It¡¯s not like it¡¯d be an issue for us marily either.

    ¡°I¡¯m told they have also constructed an inn of their own.¡±

    ¡°Hooh, that¡¯s good. It¡¯d decrease how many peoplee to our inn.¡±

    It¡¯d take some of the work off our backs without affecting our DP ie. It¡¯s a win-win.

    ¡°¡­? Sorry, Vige Chief. Did you just say that was good?¡±

    ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You also said that it would decrease how many peoplee to the inn?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing there¡¯s less work to do? I can¡¯t see it as anything but a good deal for us.¡±

    I mean, I only ever made the inn to have a ce to sleep.

    Now that I have my own residence as the Vige Chief, it wouldn¡¯t be a stretch to say the inn¡¯s served its purpose.

    ¡ªWell, I guess it¡¯s still good for entertaining Haku-san when shees.

    ¡°¡­ I suppose you have developed quite the range of businesses, Vige Chief.¡±

    ¡°Have I? It should just be that religion. Was there something else?¡±

    Letting out a sigh, Wozuma moved on to his next point.

    ¡°Fields, shops, even having a bar, they have mimicked many aspects of our vige.¡±

    ¡°Hoh, really? What about having a dungeon?¡±

    I waited for his response, knowing they wouldn¡¯t be able to. A change on the level of creating a new dungeon isn¡¯t just a [Sure, go for it] thing for dungeons.

    ¡°¡­ No, they have not been able to mimic our dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ So there¡¯s no problem then? I mean, our vige is only here because of the dungeon.¡±

    It¡¯s existence is so significant that I¡¯m surprised Draco even became a thing without one. Could they be antagonistic toward us?

    ¡°You said they¡¯ve been copying us, do they have a church, too?¡±

    ¡°¡­ They have shrines. Ones for White Goddess-sama, the Trade God, the cksmith God, and the Food God.¡±

    Maybe I could make a Beddhist shrine¡­ nah, sounds too troublesome. At any rate, we¡¯ve got the founding church of Beddhism here. Let¡¯s just say the the inn is the Beddhist shrine.

    ¡°Anyway, peddlers will like having a vige there, too. They¡¯ll be able to trade their wares even if they can¡¯t make it through the tunnel, making it a good turnaround point. Wouldn¡¯t it be good to promote trade between Golen and Draco?¡±

    It¡¯d be good for peddlers since they wouldn¡¯t have to pay the toll and go all the way to the vige on the opposite side.

    The tunnel¡¯s toll would then be paid by merchants ferrying goods back and forth.

    ¡°W-Wouldn¡¯t¡­ wouldn¡¯t that only serve to please those in Draco?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh? Is that a problem? It¡¯s not like we¡¯re enemies.¡±

    ¡°Not¡­ enemies¡­?¡±

    Was Wozuma thinking of them as enemies? I don¡¯t know why he would¡­ but maybe there¡¯s a reason?

    ¡°What, is it better to think of them as enemies? Wouldn¡¯t that just ruin public order?¡±

    ¡°Huh? Oh, no, public order is important. Draco¡¯s Vige Chief is the Pavueran lord¡¯s son, so¡­ if you say they aren¡¯t our enemies, that¡¯s good¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if they want to say something, they¡¯re on the other side of the tunnel. The tunnel¡¯s not something that¡¯ll choose one side over the other, nor is it something they can just capture. It¡¯s a clear separator between us.¡±

    ¡ªIs how I exined it. It being part of my dungeon¡¯s a secret.

    ¡°In truth, although they didn¡¯t exactly dere war on us when they founded the vige, they did say something about being our enemies.¡±

    ¡°Heeh, what¡¯d they say?¡±

    ¡°That they wouldn¡¯t lose to an upstart.¡±

    ¡­

    I waited for him to finish, but that was everything.

    ¡°That¡¯s all? I mean, that¡¯s probably a summary, but still¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, but many vigers heard them insult you, our Vige Chief.¡±

    ¡°Did they say something that bad?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s permissible that you are an upstart and prefer little girls, but¡­¡±

    I mean, it¡¯s great that it¡¯s permissible and all, but how is preferring little girls alright¡­

    ¡°They also said that you were frivolous, did nothing¡­ and that you are nothing but a figurehead, of all things!¡±

    ¡­?

    ¡­ ¡­ ¡­?

    Oh! Oooh, I see, yeah. I get it. So to Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma, them figuring out that I¡¯m a figurehead is a bad thing, huh. Man, I don¡¯t know what I could even say to refute that. I mean, it¡¯s a fact.

    ¡°Seriously, Wozuma, you¡¯re so diligent.¡±

    ¡°No, no, I could never hope to match up to you, Vige Chief Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, sure.¡±

    Still, Draco¡¯s Vige Chief¡¯s quite cunning.

    Maybe I should go check him out?

    ¡°Still, that deration of war that wasn¡¯t actually a deration of war¡­ have they harassed us? Like putting up a door to the tunnel or trying to charge taxes?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing like that.¡±

    Right? If they wanted to harass our vige, all they had to do was put up some barrier to entry to reduce the number of merchantsing through. They didn¡¯t have to go through setting up an entire vige.

    ¡°¡­ Why did they make a vige?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps you could find out by talking with each other as fellow Vige Chiefs?¡±

    ¡°Right. Alright, Wozuma. Please arrange that.¡±

    And thus it was decided that I would confer with Drago¡¯s Vige Chief in a few days.

    I decided to rx under the pretense of being exhausted from my travels until then¡­ oh, he saw through that, too? Oh well.

 Chapter 367 - Visiting Draco

    <strong>Visiting Draco</strong>

    We quickly arranged the conference¡¯s date. Once we had an adventurer run the letter there, it wasn¡¯t long before we received an affirmative in response.

    However, the ce we¡¯d be having it is Draco. That wasn¡¯t a problem, of course.

    ¡°Why should we be the ones to go there? Really, Vige Chief, you¡¯re too na?ve. You need to take a more firm attitude.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, it¡¯s something I left to Wozuma as the Vige Chief, it¡¯d be bad if they found out I¡¯m not good with this kind of stuff, yeah? Just let it rest already.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, Vige Chief Kehma is kind. I doubt it could have turned out another way.¡±

    At least they agreed with it. It would¡¯ve been bad if they found out I really was a figurehead of a Vige Chief. It was starting to get tiring, so I¡¯m happy they just agreed.

    ¡°Still though, Vige Chief, you¡¯re the hero of the Dragon extermination. At least feel proud about that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah. I guess I won¡¯t have to bother caring about my words that much? I mean, it¡¯s not like this is going to be too formal anyway. I¡¯m just going to deepen our bonds.¡±

    ¡°Please make sure to ask about how Draco is wanting to expand from here on.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha¡­ wait, Wozuma, you aren¡¯ting along?¡±

    ¡°Should I?¡±

    I mean, no¡­ There isn¡¯t really a reason, I¡¯m just going to get to know them.

    £ª

    And so I¡¯de to the tunnel that goes through Tsuia Mountain. My attendants were Ichika and Meat.

    We were going on foot. Also it¡¯d be faster to just deploy us there, alibis are important.

    We passed a number of merchant wagonsing from the Pavueran side. The cave road was wide enough for wagons to pass each other, so it¡¯s not like we had to stick close to the wall or for them to drive slowly.

    After walking for a while, we came to the toll gate near the center of the tunnel.

    The tunnel was even wider here, simr to like a tollgate at a highway, with several roomed lined up side-by-side. It took me a bit of time to make this, so let¡¯s exin it a bit more.

    Each room is separated will three partitions. These partitions each have crystal gems embed in them. The walls would slide up to pass through by touching them.

    The partitions were the entrance, center, and exit¡ªthree in all.

    However, it was impossible for both ends to be used at the same time. The opposite side would be locked once one side was used.

    When someone enters one of the rooms and touches the crystal gem in the middle, the entrance wall would close and they would be billed ording to the weight inside the room. (If they can¡¯t pay, they could open the entrance to return.)

    But if they do pay the fee, the middle partition opens and they can pass.

    Once you get to the partition on the other side, the middle one closes and the exit one opens.

    The exit one will then shut as everyone inside and their wagon leaves.

    I had to upgrade it a few times to get it to its current state, but man, there were so many issues.

    As an upside to fixing all the issues, there haven¡¯t been any idents urring more recently.

    I don¡¯t care if people get crushed by the moving partitions though? I mean, they¡¯d turn into DP and we could put their belongings in [Cave of Desire]¡¯s treasure chests.

    There¡¯s not much we can do about people with [Storage], though. The whole structure¡ªsomething I gave my all making with Golems¡ªcan¡¯t look inside people¡¯s [Storage], after all.

    It cost around ten coppers for three people, not including their luggage.

    For the sake of our alibi, I also followed this rule and paid the fee. I¡¯d get it right back, so it¡¯s not like I really cared anyway.

    A little while after paying the toll fee, Ichika let out a big sigh while we were walking toward the Pavueran side.

    ¡°Haah¡­ this suuuucks¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What does?¡±

    ¡°I mean, the Pavueran lord¡¯s son¡¯s there, right? There¡¯s a good chance there¡¯s also gonna be a ton of vigers from Pavuera. There¡¯ll probably be people who know about the old me there too¡­ ¡±

    I see, the Ichika before she¡¯d be a debt ve¡­

    So that¡¯s why she was feeling so down.

    ¡°So much stuff happened with me and food. It¡¯s when I got that [Demonic Gourmand] nickname.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    So much stuff, huh. There were so many emotions packed into that sentence.

    ¡°¡­ Right, want to wear a mask?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, yeah! With my tidy clothes and a mask on, there¡¯s no way they¡¯d figure out its me, I just gotta keep quiet!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, one sec¡­ [Create Golem] ¡ª Here you go.¡±

    ¡°So fast! I mean, yer always like that, huh. Thanks.¡±

    I made a in gray mask from stone and handed it to Ichika.

    I even put a leather strap on it. Ichika took the mask and slid it on.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty bad for visibility, but not too bad. I shouldn¡¯t have an issue beathin¡¯ either~¡±

    Her voice sounded a bit muffled since it covered her mouth. It sort of changed the way she sounded, so there shouldn¡¯t be an issue even if she spoke.

    ¡­ It really didn¡¯t suit her maid outfit, though. Maybe I should¡¯ve just covered the upper half of her face?

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama. I want one too.¡±

    ¡°Alright, here you go.¡±

    Meat put hers on as soon as I handed it to her. Making use of the beauty that is twenty-twenty hindsight, hers only covered her eyes.

    Still though, two maids wearing masks¡­ how should I put it? I get the feeling anyone passing by us would feel frightened.

    Maybe I should put on my Narikin mask¡­ maybe I shouldn¡¯t havee as the Vige Chief this first go?

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯re almost at the exit.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna shut up. I¡¯ll tap ya on the shoulder if there¡¯s a problem, so yeah.¡±

    ¡°Sure thing.¡±

    We finally arrived in Draco.

    Once we finished passing through the Great Tsuia Mountain Tunnel, we saw a country of snow¡ªnot. We saw many white buildings. Simr to themon houses found in Pavuera, it was a very European-feeling kind of construction. Maybe they were using mortar?

    I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because they¡¯d just built it or because they were anal in keeping everything clean, but everything was as white as freshly fallen snow.

    There were many of these houses lined up from the cave exit leading to Pavuera, much like a boulevard or main street. Actually, it probably was their main street. It would have undoubtedly developed first given that everyone would be wanting to use the tunnel.

    ¡°Looks like a lot more thought was put into their townyout than Golen¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Golen just popped up because of [Cave of Desires], obviously. This one got built properly.¡±

    First thing¡¯s first, the visit we promised. We¡¯d have to look for the person here to pick us up¡ªah, right there. A pair, one was a kid around ten years old. Probably the Pavueran lord¡¯s son. I couldn¡¯t figure out the sex of the other one since they were in full te mail. They gave off a way too serious feeling for an escort.

    ¡°You showed up! So you¡¯re Golen¡¯s Vige Chief, eh? ¡­ What strange attendants.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I take it you¡¯re Draco¡¯s Vige Chief?¡±

    ¡°Precisely. I am Draco¡¯s Vige Chief, Cid Pavuera! ¡­ And this is my attendant.¡±

    So this ten year old kid, Cid, just introduced himself as if he were the savior of the world. What a resolute, self-assured attitude. I should take notes.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s make this quick¡ªI propose a duel. ept it.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Huh?¡±

    I couldn¡¯t stop my response from slipping out.

    ¡°Did you not hear my? I said that I propose a duel.¡±

    ¡°I heard you, but I don¡¯t get why?¡±

    This guy¡¯s a duel fanatic? I feel like I¡¯m starting to understand how Rokuko feels when Aidi asks her for a duel.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk back, just do as you¡¯re told and ept it.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really understand, do you have a reason? ¡­ Rather, you aren¡¯t meaning to fight yourself, right?¡±

    ¡°Obviously not, I have a champion. I have been training, but without exceptional ability, no child will beat an adult. You couldn¡¯t even realize that yourself?¡±

    But like, I have a little girl right here that can handle anyone else in Golen, so¡­

    ¡°So, I take it you want to bet something on the duel? What¡¯re you wanting to bet?¡±

    ¡°Honor. By winning this duel, I will receive the honor of besting you, the person who defeated a Dragon. That is what I wish for.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see. And if you lose?¡±

    ¡°No need! Why talk about an impossibility!?¡±

    Cid spoke in a loud voice. Hmph, looks like he¡¯s serious. I don¡¯t really care about losing, so¡ªoh, wait. Wozuma said something about actually acting like the Dragon suppression¡¯s hero, huh. A hero being beaten would probably be bad.

    ¡°This one here is Harvey. My subordinate, a Pavueran knight. He will be my champion, do you ept?¡±

    Taking a quick nce at my map to confirm, I looked for how much DP he was worth each day¡ª300 DP. Hoh, so he¡¯s at least capable. Ichika¡¯d probably lose. Even Meat might.

    ¡°Wanna go?¡±

    ¡°He seems weaker than that guythe Hero, I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Although Meat sounded pretty reliable there, could she please stop calling a hero that guy?

    ¡°¡­ Alright, then if I win, we¡¯ll have our viges, Golen and Draco, deepen their friendship. Sound good? I¡¯ll elect a champion too. Go, Masked Maid No. 2!¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    When I told Meat¡ªMasked Maid No. 2¡ªto step forward, Cid¡¯s face grewplex. I¡¯d dare say Harvey was frowning behind his full-faced armor. I mean, she was wearing a maid outfit, had a mask, and was basically a child¡ªthatst one being the reason Cid said he wouldn¡¯t fight.

    ¡°¡­ Losing on purpose?¡±

    ¡°You elected a subordinate, so I did as well. It¡¯s the same thing¡­ It¡¯s annoying, so I¡¯ll let you handle the go signal.¡±

    When I said that, Cid winked at Harvey. At any rate, the duel was epted.

    Harvey and Meat faced off in the middle of the main street. Although it was obstructing traffic¡ªwell, it was fine since most were people wanting to see what was going on. Besides, we had Vige Chief Cid¡¯s permission. No problem at all.

    ¡°Harvey, make it quick. Don¡¯t kill her, though.¡±

    ¡°Masked Maid No. 2, make this quick. Try not to kill him.¡±

    The both of them nodded.

    ¡°Alright¡­ begin!¡±

    With Cid¡¯s signal, the duel began.

 Chapter 368 - Masked Maid No. 2 vs Harvey

    <strong>Masked Maid No. 2 vs Harvey</strong>

    Masked Maid No. 2¡ªMeat¡ªslowly approached the man and extended her right hand.

    She was going with operation Handshake. Seeing this, Harvey responded to the handshake.

    However, this was a poor decision.

    Masked Maid No. 2 suddenly grasped his hand and used her single hand to throw him toward the ground with all she had.

    nk, nk, nk.

    The knight¡¯s armor rattled as it hit the ground.

    Continuing, Masked Maid No. 2 raised her right hand and threw Harvey, a fully-armored man, over to her other side and mmed him back into the ground. It was like mming a leather bag filled with nuts on a table. Then like taking a fish¡¯s tail and mming it onto the a ship¡¯s floor. Then like throwing an onion. Sometimes she¡¯d be spicy and swing him in a circle.

    nk, bang, nk, bang.

    Seeing such a small body throw a fully-armored adult like it was nothing was quite the spectacle.

    Even if I¡¯d given her a supporter with orichalcum in it¡­ well, I guess this was the strongest blunt weapon, [The Ground]¡­ Oh, the sword the knight had at his waist just went flying. And there goes his visor. Wait, are those the whites of his eyes? Oi.

    I guess being thrown against the ground so many times would have that effect.

    ¡°No. 2, please stop there. He¡¯s dying.¡±

    ¡°I thought this much would be alright¡­ alright.¡±

    After tossing the now-unconscious Harvey aside like an abandoned doll, he didn¡¯t move.

    ¡­ He¡¯s still alive, right? I mean, I haven¡¯t gotten any DP from him, so I guess?

    Still though, [I thought this much would be alright]¡­ she was holding back? The f*ck is a little girl doing throwing around a fully armored knight like a ragdoll and still holding back?

    ¡°¡­ Wh-What just happened!?¡±

    ¡°Err¡­ I guess I won?¡±

    ¡°Y-Yeah. I-I suppose so. I can¡¯t not admit that¡­¡±

    Oh, that was easy. I figured he¡¯d say something about how she went with a surprise attack, but I guess he¡¯s not such a bad kid.

    Let¡¯s leave him suddenly wanting to duel like that up to his youth.

    ¡°Really, what was that. She¡¯s child a child¡­ a female dwarf? No, those dog ears definitely point to her being a beastkin. She should be as old as she looks, but¡­¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my subordinate, Masked Maid No. 2.¡±

    Cid ran over to Harvey and ced his hand to his neck.

    ¡°¡­ He has a pulse.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good. It would¡¯ve been a bit awkward if we killed someone right after meeting you.¡±

    ¡°Sorry. But we had to duel¡­ I was wanting to duel with a hero of the Dragon suppression, though.¡±

    Hmm. Were there some circumstances?

    ¡°What, there shouldn¡¯t be a problem, then. These two were in my party for that. You could even call this one here our captain.¡±

    ¡°¡­ So you¡¯re saying that¡­ that¡¯s the [ck Watchdog], Meat Kuroino¡­!?¡±

    Whoops! Masked Maid No. 2¡¯s identity was found out. I only really wanted to hide No. 1¡¯s identity, but still. Also, that nickname. Meat seemed happy about it.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the clothing?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s Masked Maid No. 2.¡±

    ¡°O-Okay¡­? So, could I refer to her as Kuroinu-dono?¡±

    I nced over to Meat. Her tail said that yeah, she didn¡¯t mind.

    Well, I guess I have her permission?

    ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°My thanks.¡ªHear me, everyone! This maid is one of the Dragon suppression¡¯s heroes, the [ck Watchdog], Meat Kuroinu-dono! Her martial prowess is by no means exaggerated! Praise to the victor!¡±

    With that, Cid incited onlookers to raise their opinion of Meat even further. Shouts of joy came from our onlookers.

    Meat¡¯s ears twitched. Yeah, she was enjoying her nickname. Even with her mask on, her tail made that much obvious.

    ¡­ Huh? Doesn¡¯t that mean that the amount of information I get from Meat¡¯s facial expression is no different between when she has that unmoving mask on and when she doesn¡¯t?

    ¡°¡­ By the way, could you please exin what¡¯s up with you wanting to duel us so suddenly?¡±

    ¡°Mm. I¡¯ll exinter. Kehma-dono, could I introduce you to my vigers?¡±

    ¡°Eh, sure.¡±

    ¡°My thanks.¡ªHear me! This is the [ck Watchdog]¡¯s master, the Vige Chief of Golen, the [Dragon Tamer], Kehma Golen-dono! He who is the winner of this duel wishes to be our ally! Rejoice, everyone, for Golen is mighty!¡±

    Eh? I have a nickname? I¡¯m not a tamer though?

    Even so, when he said my name, the shouts of joy returned after a few beats of silence. I figured something annoying was going to happen, but it looks like we¡¯re wee here. If it¡¯s going to be like this, I get the feeling we¡¯re going to get along well.

    £ª

    Later on, we were guided to Drago¡¯s Vige Chief¡¯s estate. The same as all of the other buildings, it was white.

    By the way, there were tons of partially-built houses on the way.

    ¡°Alright. I¡¯d like to first apologize for my rudeness about that duel. My apologies, Kehma-dono.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all good, I¡¯m used to it. I have two or three battle maniacs among the people I know, so it¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    Aidi, Wataru, and Shikina¡­ yeah. 1

    ¡°Haah¡­ even so, I¡¯m confident in my skills¡­ but ya took me out before I could do anythin¡¯¡­ you¡¯re strong, girl.¡±

    ¡°Nn. I¡¯m the [ck Watchdog].¡±

    It looks like the two champions were in agreement with each other.

    One of them was dispirited, but they were sharing something inmon as fighters. Meat was still wearing that mask of hers¡­ how long was she nning on keeping it on?

    ¡°So, why¡¯d you suddenly want a duel?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ well, I wanted to rify that Draco¡¯s position was below that of Golen¡¯s. I believe that Kehma-dono should understand just by me saying that.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­?¡±

    Yeah, I don¡¯t. More like I¡¯m in the dark on that, actually. Could someone hand me a shlight?

    ¡°I¡¯d like for us to get along without having to say things like above or below, actually.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. Draco is startingte and we have no dungeon. In the end, of the various things that caused Golen to seed, all that we have is the will to seed. If we treated each other as equals here, I¡¯d forget that.¡±

    Ah, I get it. So that¡¯s it? The whole let¡¯s grow up quickly to match our rival feeling, huh? So that¡¯s why they want us, their target, to be ced on a pedestal.

    ¡°That¡¯s how it is. My apologies for cing you on a pedestal.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it made our Vige Sub-Chief feel like someone lit a fire under his ass, so that¡¯s great. Let¡¯s go with the rival thing.¡±

    Wozuma was full of motivation, so maybe we could turn this rivalry into a good thing.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get along well. There won¡¯t be any issues so long as we can trade equally. We¡¯re rivals, no need to rip each other off as enemies.¡±

    ¡°I promise to let the Pavueran merchants do what they want to make fair trades.¡±

    Cid and I shook on it.

    ¡­ This isn¡¯t a bad deal, right?

 Chapter 369 - The Village Chief Conference

    <strong>The Vige Chief Conference</strong>

    ¡°Still though, Cid¡­ -sama?¡±

    ¡°You can call me by name, Kehma-dono.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll call you Cid-dono, then. Cid-dono, you don¡¯t seem to have a Pavueran ent? It surprised me a bit.¡±

    ¡°Mm, umu. I¡¯m careful to not use the local ent. I had to avoid using it when I went to the Imperial Capital¡¯s academy.¡±

    Cid folded his arms as he answered a question that had been on my mind.

    So that¡¯s how it was? Kind of like going to Tokyo and having your regional dialect exposed and feeling embarrassed, huh. I think it sounds kind of nice though.

    ¡°So why¡¯d you make Draco? And with this timing.¡±

    ¡°Because of profits. Although it won¡¯t be as lucrative as Golen with its dungeon, it was my father¡¯s idea.¡±

    Looks like Draco bing a thing was due to Pavuera¡¯s lord himself.

    A road with guaranteed merchant traffic on their side of the tunnel would definitely be an attractive prospect.

    If I were a merchant or something looking to profit, I¡¯d definitely have ced a vige here too. But I¡¯m a Dungeon Master and my only goal is to sleep, so doing that just sounds annoying. Honestly I just hope Cid, who was sort of forced into creating Draco and bing the Vige Chief, has everything work out for him.

    ¡°As for the timing, we¡¯d been preparing it ever since the tunnel appeared. We simply decided to do everything a little ahead of schedule due to your Dragon suppression, Kehma-dono.¡±

    ¡°That so? Well, there¡¯s no reason the Tsuia side¡¯s the only side that can make a profit.¡±

    Still though, since I was getting DP from the people here in Draco as well, I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll being out way ahead. Uwahahaha and all that.

    Incidentally, it seems that Draco¡¯s name did indeede from the Red Dragon living in Tsuia Mountain¡­ as for Redra being an existence close to being a guardian deity for this region, well, that¡¯s news to me.

    ¡°There¡¯s something I¡¯d like to ask you, though. Why are your attendants wearing masks and maid outfits?¡±

    ¡°The maid outfits are our inn¡¯s uniforms. As for the masks¡­ well, there are some Pavueran people they don¡¯t want to meet.¡±

    I didn¡¯t really have a reason to hide the reason, so I decided to answer him. I mean, if I kept it a secret, he may have started scrutinizing them.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ could you show me their faces?¡±

    ¡°Not No. 1, but I guess it¡¯s fine for No. 2 since you know who she is? Kuro, take off the mask.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    Meat removed the mask. But that was all. I didn¡¯t say to do anything.

    Her characteristic ck hair, ck ears, ck tail, and dark brown skin stayed the same. Even her expression was¡ªwas¡­ well, no different from when the mask was on, I guess?

    But the moment Cid saw Meat, his eyes went wide. Was he surprised by something?

    ¡°¡­ Even seeing your face, Kuroinu-dono, all I can see is a woman.¡±

    ¡°Well¡ª¡±

    That¡¯s because she is, is what I started to say, but I kind of just remembered that Meat is supposed to be ying the role of Maidence¡¯s fianc¨¦. Given his statement [All I can see is a woman], I figure that Tsuia¡¯s Lord, Yudence-sama, told Cid that [Meat Kuroinu is a man].

    Therefore, I had to choose my words carefully.

    ¡°Maids are maids.¡±

    ¡°Maids are maids¡­?¡±

    Man, maybe I could just say the whole sex thing honestly? There are magic drugs for that, anyway. I could just buy one for appearances. They¡¯re sold in that town on the way to the imperial capital, Corky.

    ¡­ But a woman having the name [Meat] just leads to a ton of annoying stuff, so maybe I¡¯ll just not bother? Still though, let¡¯s stick with the frame of mind that it¡¯s fine even if he finds out.

    ¡°¡­ I mean, there¡¯s no need to care about someone¡¯s sex, right? There¡¯s a magic drug for that.¡±

    ¡°A magic drug, huh? I see, that¡¯s true¡­¡±

    Meat, who was still being stared at by Cid, inclined her head to the side.

    ¡°¡­ Is there something on my face?¡±

    ¡°Huh? O-Oh, no, you don¡¯t! ¡­ Just¡­ your skin is so beautiful.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I take care of it in our hot spring.¡±

    ¡°Hot spring, huh? Sounds nice, I want to give it a try. I¡¯d love to build a public bath if we had a hot spring here in Draco, too.¡±

    Speaking of which, there was a public bath in Pavuera too, huh. I remember Ichika telling me about it ages ago. Pavuera has a bathing culture that doesn¡¯t just rely on [Cleanup].

    So that means it wouldn¡¯t be off for some of them toe to visit an inn just for its hot spring¡­ yeah. They¡¯d definitely feel chilly if they had to walk back through a tunnel after taking a bath.

    Sounds like doing that would be troublesome, it might even cause some trouble. I guess having a bath house on top of a hot spring really would be desirable for Draco.

    Oh, now that¡¯s an idea.

    ¡°How about I lend you a magic tool I got from the dungeon that can make a hot spring?¡±

    ¡°What¡­!? Something like that exists?¡±

    Hook, line, and sinker.

    Looking back toward me, Cid¡¯s face was entirely serious.

    ¡°No, I mean¡­ what sort of thing is it? Is it something that finds a hot spring? Or is it a magic tool that creates hot water?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the type that creates hot water. However, there¡¯s a lot of weirdly varied restrictions to it, so I can¡¯t be sure it¡¯ll work here without trying it. We have a natural hot spring, so I haven¡¯t had to use it.¡±

    By the way, the magic tool I was nning to loan him was a customized [Riverhead] ced inside a stone pir. Although it was expensive at 2,000 DP, Draco was at the level that its ie could cover that much in a day.

    The thing itself that I¡¯d stuck inside it like a trap would only work if it was installed within our dungeon¡¯s floors, so it would have to be installed within this Draco ¡®floor¡¯. However, it would be better for me to hide what I was doing by saying it required a special ceremony or something. I could even make keeping the conditions a secret a part of the loan¡¯s conditions.

    And this would be a [Loan]. That part is important.

    By taking in the rental fee, I¡¯d be able to rece the lost ie from people going through the tunnel!

    Moreover, since we would be the ones to own it, if there were ever an issue between our two viges, I could always threaten them about taking it back. Kukukuku, I doubt they¡¯ll ever kick up a fuss like that. I can sleep safe and sound!

    ¡°¡­ Frightening. So the hero of the Dragon suppression is also a skilled negotiator?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that good at fighting, you know.¡±

    Cid smiled wryly. He probably figured out my [Weakness] right away.

    It was the same with Maidence. Man, aristocrats¡¯ children are geniuses.

    Also, if in the tiny chance he refuses to give it back, I can just use the dungeon to make it [Fail] and stop the water froming out. We¡¯ll be the only ones who know the ceremony to repair it. It¡¯s perfect.

    ¡°How much do you want for it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯ll depend. Still though, I don¡¯t know fair prices for magic tool rentals. That being the case, I would like to leave those negotiations up to Dyne, the merchant that manages my vige¡¯s finances. You can pay through him, too.¡±

    Pass all the work onto Dyne!

    Being able to pass everything onto dependable people is the best thing ever. Dyne¡¯ll even be able to makemission off of it, so it¡¯s not like he¡¯s going toin. I will spare no expense in making myself live infort!

    ¡°He¡¯s also a friendly guy. I hope we can all get along, Cid-dono.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I will absolutely have you loan it to us. Under a fair price, of course.¡±

    The smile Cid had felt like it held someplicated emotions.

 Chapter 370 - Inspecting Draco

    <strong>Inspecting Draco</strong>

    As for the hot spring magic tool, well, since there was the possibility of it failing depending on where it was installed, I¡¯d have to look around for potential locations¡ªis what I told them. That way, even if I go to a spot outside of the dungeon¡¯s domain, I could just say oh hey, this spot doesn¡¯t work or something. I¡¯ll be staying in our dungeon¡¯s domain as much as possible, though.

    I also got him to agree to hiding its startup ceremony as a Beddhism ritual, so that¡¯s great.

    Well, after getting him to agree to all of that, I had Cid start giving us a tour around Draco.

    It looked like their fields were mostly watered through the use of magic tools. They did have some tanks in ce to store rainwater, but Golen¡¯s fields were bigger for sure.

    They did have a bigger second-hand shop than us, but the selection avable was basically the same. There were also a ton of ces that sold dried fish from Pavuera.

    I wonder if their bar¡¯s the same? Well, there aren¡¯t usually many adventurers around during the day so I doubt it¡¯s even open.

    As for their inn¡­ they were using futons, of all things. They didn¡¯t have a suite room or hot spring, of course, but they also had fewer rooms. They didn¡¯t have as many guests, so I guess that makes sense. But like, you guys can lure more clientele over, you know? I really don¡¯t mind.

    Those were my impressions from the inspection until then, but¡ªreally, it felt like Draco was the version of what Golen would be if it dropped all of the slow life parts of itself. Live fast and die¡ªthat kind of feeling. Maybe without the whole dying thing, though? It¡¯s probably due to Vige Chief¡¯s youthfulness.

    And then there was the shrine.

    It was a somewhatrge white building with very sacred-feeling decorative pirs. Inside it were several shrines with some vigers who seemed to be believers of the various religions offering their prayers. From the looks of it, most Pavuerans were believers of the Trade God. (At least, that¡¯s what Masked Maid No. 1Ichika told me.)

    Still though, nothing for Beddhism, huh¡­ I guess I never thought about shrines. Maybe there isn¡¯t one because no one knew how to make one?

    ¡°Right, Cid-dono, could you add a Beddhism one?¡±

    ¡°¡­ As part of the friendship deal?¡±

    ¡°Nah, I don¡¯t mind if you don¡¯t want to. It¡¯s not like I want to force it¡­ Do you know anything about Beddhism? Like how its a [Sub Religion].¡±

    ¡°I know. There have been more and more followers of it even in Pavuera, so I started to think it was some sort of cult¡­ it¡¯s spread everywhere, from those living in slums to Tsuia¡¯s lord anddy. It¡¯s even made its way around Pavueran peddlers.¡±

    Oh yeah, they have beening to mass, huh. That hero¡¯s been doing it too.

    Cid nodded.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good opportunity, so I¡¯ll join too.¡±

    ¡°Alright. You just need to say you¡¯re a Beddhist to join Beddhism, so from today on, you can call yourself a Beddhist.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that too lenient!?¡±

    But that¡¯s exactly why it¡¯s spread about so quickly? You can even stop being one just as easily.

    ¡°If you want something closer to a baptism ceremony, stop by the church the next chance you get. Are you going to make your own holy symbol? Or maybe you¡¯d prefer buying one?¡±

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright for people to be making their own holy symbols? That seems way too lenient¡­¡±

    ¡°The only important part of the symbol is the way it looks, so it¡¯s fine as long as it matches. Without people feeling invested in it, it¡¯s just a simple, everyday coin with a hole through its center.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma-dono, you are the founder of a religion. So founders can be like you, too¡­¡±

    I just designed it after a five yen coin. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any deep meaning behind it.

    It went through several redesigns, but still.

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯m just a priest¡­¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the founder who found the Beddhist scriptures inside the dungeon, right? It¡¯s what vigers have been saying.¡±

    That¡¯s all you have to do to be considered a founder in this world? I mean, I really am its founder, bute on.

    ¡°Oh, right. The prayer is [Good Night].¡±

    ¡°Good Night? Sounds like something you say when you¡¯re going to sleep¡­¡±

    ¡°Something like that. Rather, that¡¯s basically what it is.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ Hmm¡­e to think of it, no one knows what sort of design or style to use for a Beddhist shrine, so no one¡¯s been able to make one. Apparently not even the Sisters seem to have any idea about it, but you probably know, right Kehma-dono?¡±

    ¡­ Crap, so that¡¯s the reason after all? Couldn¡¯t they have just made something that felt right and called it a day?

    Maybe I should let Rei deal with it? I could do with faster with [Create Golem], but still. Having our Saintess do it should be better¡­ Rei can¡¯t carve anything, so she¡¯d have to make do with y.

    No, actually¡­ maybe I should have it done by some craftsman?

    Yep. Let¡¯s go with anything being fine as long as it has the holy symbol and a bed on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine as long as it has a bed and the holy symbol somewhere on it as reliefs, it¡¯s fine. Beddhism doesn¡¯t worry about something¡¯s shape overly much, it¡¯s gentle and carefree in many things, after all. Still though, it¡¯d be a bit dangerous for people to be sleeping around here.¡±

    ¡°You just said it¡¯s fine twice. Are you sure¡­? And oh yeah, sleep is prayer in Beddhism, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve looked into it, now haven¡¯t you? Maybe you should put a small shrine in the inn rather than here?¡±

    Maybe even a tiny home shrine or something.

    Just then, I heard the sound of someone¡¯s belly grumble.

    When I turned toward the sound, it wasing from Masked Maid No. 1.

    ¡°¡­ I take it you¡¯re hungry?¡±

    Masked Maid No. 1 nodded deeply, as seriously as can be.

    Cid saw this.

    ¡°¡­ There¡¯s a restaurant nearby, want to go there?¡±

    Hearing Cid¡¯s question, Masked Maid No. 1 shook her head in a frenzy. But you know, you¡¯re not going to be able to eat with that thing on.

    ¡°Hey miss, that ce serves fresh fish from Pavuera, can ya eat with that thing on?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡ª!¡±

    Harvey¡¯s temptation caused Masked Maid No. 1 to swoon.

    But she braced herself, doing her best to avoid letting others find out her true identity. You can do it, Masked Maid No. 1!

    Just then, Masked Maid No. 1 approached me¡­ Hmm? What? Is she wanting to whisper something to me?

    ¡°¡­ Could ya remake mine to be open at the mouth? Like Meat-senpai¡¯s.¡±

    Guess she gave in to the temptation. Oh well.

    I quickly rearranged her mask to be open at the mouth area.

    Soon after, we arrived at the restaurant for our free meals, ending our tour.

    Thebination tter of sashimi was delicious.

    But since all we had to season it was salt and vinegar with some hard sliced bread as a side, maybe I should bring some soy sauce and rice next time?

 Chapter 371 - Village Sub-Chief Wozumaâ€™s Take on What Happened

    <strong>Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma¡¯s Take on What Happened</strong>

    (Wozuma¡¯s Point of View)

    ¡°¡­ Vige Chief, please don¡¯t make such decisions lightly.¡±

    After Vige Chief Kehma returned from his Draco inspection visit, he promptly fell asleep. Ichika reported various matters to Wozuma in his stead.

    The moment he met Vige Chief Kehma on the following day, those were the first words out of his mouth.

    ¡°O-Okay. Sorry, Wozuma. I guess I did a bit much there, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you did.¡±

    Yes, he¡¯d very clearly overdone it. He¡¯d overdone it to the point that he oh so wanted to tell him to not treat Draco¡¯s Vige Chief¡ªthe aristocratic child genius Cid Pavuera with the full backing of the Pavueran lord¡ªas if he were a child.

    But he truly, truly had gone too far.

    It all started with the duel Vige Chief Kehma was forced into when he first made it into Draco.

    The fact that the duel started was fine. However, Wozuma was certain that this was meant to be a chance for Vige Chief Cid to utterly crush Vige Chief Kehma.

    At the end of the day, Vige Chief Cid had chosen Harvey to be his champion. Harvey, the one known as the Dark Knight, was a famously strong person in Pavuera. He had definitely issued the challenge with the intent to win.

    Wozuma knew. He knew that Kehma was a mirror-like existence.

    If one were to challenge him seriously, he would respond in kind. That was the man called Kehma whom Wozuma recognized.

    The match¡¯s conclusion was too one-sided.

    Kehma had Meat Kuroinu stand as his champion, sure, but what in the world was [Faked a handshake and bam bm bang!] supposed to mean? Even after having Ichika repeat the story for him, Wozuma truly couldn¡¯t tell what had happened. Only after several retellings did he finally piece together her meaning.

    Although Wozuma had long since understood that Meat Kuroinu held a strength far outstripping one might believe such a small body could hold, for her to be able to brandish an adult man as if he were a sack of potatoes¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat light headed at the thought.

    However, holding true to his title as a prodigy, the young Vige Chief realized that all he could do from there was pivot into a more amicable approach.

    After showing off his mightiest force of power and having it taken out, he¡¯d effectively had no other choice. A man who continued to show hostility from then on would be nothing but a fool.

    Had he seriously believed that he ever had a chance in besting Vige Chief Kehma, a man who won against a Dragon?

    ¡­ Perhaps it was due to the propensity for a human who knew naught of their Vige Chief to believed that Hero Wataru was the sole person responsible for the Dragon suppression¡¯s sess?

    The Vige Chief hadn¡¯t brought that hero with him and had mere maids as attendants. He likely believed that this was the perfect opportunity. Wozuma himself might even have thought as much.

    However, it was a trap.

    Forcing Vige Chief Kehma into a duel was equivalent to incurring the wrath of a God.

    Vige Chief Kehma demanded [Friendly Rtions] as his prize. This was truly a very Vige Chief Kehma-like thing to do and was something Wozuma felt nothing but admiration towards.

    Also he had merely said [Friendly Rtions], given that it could be taken as irritability at there needing to have been a duel at all, it was in fact a [Favor Owed]. However, as it was stated as [Friendly Rtions], this blurred the upper limit of what could be asked.

    Vige Chief Cid had in all likelihood been swindled by Vige Chief Kehma. His tired looking expression was merely the expression one had as they thought about how to outdo another, after all. It was a blunder to believe that his expression meant that the upper limit of the [Friendly Rtions] could be lowered.

    The moment he¡¯d agreed to the [Friendly Rtions], Vige Chief Kehma had effectively already won.

    Vige Chief Kehma immediately followed up by loaning out that magic tool under the guise of [Friendly Rtions], dealing the finishing blow. It was a magic tool Wozuma had no knowledge of, but it appeared to be one that came from the dungeon, a thing that could produce a hot spring.

    The [Friendly Rtions] were quickly made use of, but it would lead into mutually beneficial trade dealings. It was a deal that couldn¡¯t be outright refused due to the [Friendly Rtions]¡­ but it wasn¡¯t a one-sided offer, either.

    It was what it was, after all. A magic tool that could bring forth a hot spring. Water itself was a valuable resource, let alone to a vige in the mountains. He¡¯d offered an incredibly valuable magic tool to them.

    As Draco did actually have an issue with securing enough water, it was bing difficult for them to expand further than they had. While simultaneously providing them with a magic tool at a [Fair Price] and making good on their [Good Rtions], he¡¯d managed to cor them.

    They would obviously continue looking for a way for them to not rely on that magic tool, but they would be forced to continue that [Loan] until then. However, it was just as obvious that if the price was too high, they could cancel the offer.

    This would definitely turn future negotiations into Vige Chief Cidthe payer offering more money and the Dyne Companythe payee asking for less. On that point, Dyne, knowing well of Vige Chief Kehma¡¯s way of doing things, would certainly settle on a price lower than average market value.

    It was such a splendid disy of forcing a debt on someone that he wanted it to be ced in every textbook across thend.

    Moreover, it wouldn¡¯t look as though it was a strong-armed deal at all. It would simply be a hierarchical rtionship between a religious founder and a believer.

    That issue is likely why Vige Chief Cid said that he was thinking about joining Beddhism so lightly. He¡¯d likely intended to put off actually bing a believer under the guise of having to wait for a baptism or the like.

    However, as Beddhism fully advocated that once one said they were a believer, they were one, that goal of his was dashed.

    Although Beddhism was simple to join and leave, it wasn¡¯t something an aristocrat could say so simply. Vige Chief Cid had only said that as he had no choice so that he could pay back even a small bit of what he hade to owe.

    Yet while that may be so, Vige Chief Kehma hadn¡¯t made any unreasonable demands. Beddhism taught that one should not overwork themselves, after all.

    Then when Vige Chief Cid¡ªwho¡¯d been driven into a corner and unable to back out¡ªyed his hand and offered to build a proper Beddhist shrine in the best part of town, Vige Chief Kehma told him to just put some tiny thing in the inn.

    With that, the [Friendly Rtions] agreement had simply been deepened.

    In other words, the [Loan]¡ªthe [Debt] from their perspective¡ªwas steadily growingrger. The upper limit of that [Friendly Rtions] was dictated by their [Rtions], after all.

    At this point, it wasn¡¯t a stretch to im that Draco had already been taken control of.

    All of that happened from a single visit. Within a single day.

    Wozuma couldn¡¯t help but tremble with awe as he sighed for the umpteenth time. If he¡¯d had such ability when he was working in the Imperial Capital, he would have long since be the prime minister.

    ¡°Umm. I¡¯ll not do anything as the figurehead Vige Chief for a while, alright?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Please.¡±

    Wozuma responded, relieved that Vige Chief Kehma wouldn¡¯t do something so momentous again anytime soon.

    He never thought that he woulde to pity Vige Chief Cid in the span of a single day.

    ¡°Really, not doing anything would be great. Please, don¡¯t do anything.¡±

    ¡°I get it, I get it. I won¡¯t.¡±

    But he¡¯ll have to set up that hot spring magic tool, isn¡¯t that doing something?

    Wozuma prepared himself.

 Chapter 372 - A Silky Set

    <strong>A Silky Set</strong>

    I guess I screwed up somewhere during my visit. Was me unterally deciding that Dyne would handle the negotiations too much for a figurehead of a Vige Chief?

    Oh well, at least Wozuma should think I¡¯m too crappy of a Vige Chief now, so my workload should decrease. He even asked me to not do anything~, aaah, so nice, I want to work oh~ so~ much~ but my hands are tied here~. Oh well~.

    And so I decided to sleep two or three more times, but¡­

    ¡°Kehma, I¡¯m wanting to summon some more Silkies. At least two.¡±

    ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t mind, but why?¡±

    ¡°Our two part-timers in the dining hall are saying that they¡¯ll be quitting soon. I¡¯ve been wanting to talk to you about it for a while now, so I wanted to take this chance for more capable hands to handle the inn¡¯s tasks.¡±

    Setsuna and Nayuta, huh¡­ they¡¯re our only part-timers, after all. They¡¯re actually Wakoku spies, so I guess them staying here for so long is starting to be an issue? It¡¯s been fine until now though¡­

    They¡¯d already stopped for the past several days due to their shifts, but I guess they decided to disappear.

    ¡°Which is why I wanted to try asking you about this, but¡­¡±

    ¡°A Silky Set, 80,000 DP¡­? Isn¡¯t that fine?¡±

    ¡°¡­ You don¡¯t see anything strange about that?¡±

    ¡°Strange?¡±

    I looked at the image in the Catalog, it definitely showed three Silkies for 80,000 DP¡­

    Just then, Rokuko pointed directly at the 80,000 DP cost.

    80,000¡­

    Wait, three for 80,000 DP?

    ¡°Weren¡¯t Silkies just 10,000 DP each?¡±

    ¡°Exactly! But these are 80,000 DP. There definitely has to be something about them!¡±

    Rokuko breathed out heavily in excitement.

    I see. There probably is something about them. I mean, it¡¯d be weird if they just costed more for nothing.

    But like¡­ this menu was made by that [Father]. There¡¯s a chance he¡¯d just be like [Just kidding!].

    ¡°Well, we have a good bit of margin when ites to DP nowadays, so I¡¯d say go for it. Want to summon them in the Master Room?¡±

    ¡°Yay! Oh. And I was wanting you to think of their names to be like Kinue¡¯s rtives since they¡¯ll be working in the inn.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s have Ichika handle that. I probably shouldn¡¯t name monsters that aren¡¯t going to be part of our management.¡±

    And thinking of three people¡¯s names¡­ definitely annoying. So I decided to have Ichika name them in a way that wouldn¡¯t sound weird to this world.

    I¡¯ve gotta avoid the Meat Tragedy.

    £ª

    ¡°¡±¡± We¡¯re looking forward to working with you, Master! ¡°¡±¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Same to you all.¡±

    I¡¯d called for Ichika and summoned a [Silky Set (80,000 DP)].

    They looked like a bouncy group of three youthful Silkies, practically middle schoolers¡­ but well, let¡¯s leave their Special Ability investigation toter.

    They had the same light green hair color and green maid clothes as Kinue-san¡­ It felt like Kinue-san was a one off and that these girls were mass production-types. Hmm, yeah, so all three of them look the exact same.

    ¡°Alright Ichika, you can take care of training them.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll fill the hole left by Setsuna and Nayuta, leave it to me! I¡¯ll teach ¡¯em everything about what they need to do~. Prepare yourselves!¡±

    ¡°¡±¡± Kaaay! ¡°¡±¡±

    The Silkies energetically raised their hands and responded. Even their breathing was in sync.

    ¡°Ah, Goshujin-sama. Could I get some colored hair ornaments? To tell ¡¯em apart.¡±

    ¡°Sure. Alright Ichika, I¡¯ll leave their names to you.¡±

    With that, I passed set of white, red, and yellow hair ornaments to Ichika. For their names, she decided on Hanna, Nakoru, and Pio. ording to Ichika, they were all the names of food.

    Two people leaving, three peopleing¡­ well, it should turn out alright if they get brought up to speed. We¡¯ve even got one extra.

    With this, even if Setsuna and Nayuta leaving so soon, the Silkies should be able to pick up the ck right away. Well, it may take them a little time, but not long.

    But those two were already half-vigers, them not being here sounds a bit sad. Particrly Setsuna, she¡¯d often have practice matches with Meat. Thanks to her, Meat¡¯s already at the point where she can throw fully armored men about like sacks of potatoes¡­

    ¡­ Yeah, isn¡¯t this kid of ours getting too strong? Young superhumans are scary.

    Then, looking as if she just remembered something, Rokuko pped her hands.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Kehma. Are your Boss Spawner experiments going well?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yeeeeeah.¡±

    I¡¯d actually done nothing but sleep.

    I did try making a thumb-sized Orichalcum Golem and registered it on the Boss Spawner. Then I smashed the heck out of it with [Create Golem].

    It¡¯s been five days since then and it still hasn¡¯t respawned. For it to take this long for one the size of a thumb¡­ I can¡¯t switch it during the cooldown time¡ªthe time until it respawns¡ªbut man, I wish it¡¯d at least show the remaining time on the cooldown. Is it going to take longer than a Red Dragon (2 Weeks)?

    A thumb-sized Iron Golem only took five minutes, so I guess it being pure orichalcum is definitely what¡¯s caused the difference.

    ¡°¡ªwhich is why it looks like the whole orichalcum mass production n is a no go.¡±

    ¡°Father said that you could use DP to rush the respawn, but we don¡¯t know how much it would take or how fast it would go, huh¡­ Actually, if we think about it reeeeally carefully, wouldn¡¯t a thumb-sized Golem made out of pure orichalcum be crazy? Would people normally be able to beat it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­? Now that you mention it, it is orichalcum.¡±

    Orichalcum¡¯s a metal so tough that even a hair-thick wire would be practically unbendable. It¡¯s to the point that adding a handle to a suitably long wire would make a super strong rapier.

    And this was a Golem¡ªone the size of a thumb.

    It was made out of pure orichalcum, so its physical performance would be great. Its small body would make it exceedingly hard to hit it with an attack strong enough to damage it. Now that I¡¯m thinking about it, it didn¡¯t even have a Magic Stone, so it wasn¡¯t like the Golems that could be killed by destroying their Magic Stones. Would magical attacks even be effective? I get the feeling that orichalcum is strong against magic, too¡­

    ¡°You¡¯d have to strike it down and disperse all of its mana to defeat it¡­ but even so, wouldn¡¯t you need an orichalcum weapon to even think of doing that?¡±

    ¡­ Holy crap, I just made our dungeon¡¯s Last Boss.

    Just then, Rokuko smiled.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma. Those Golems you make¡­ how small can you get them?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oi, Rokuko. You just thought up something crazy, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Fufufu. Imagine putting a grain-sized Orichalcum Golem in that huuuuge Boss Room, it¡¯d be hard just to find it! ¡­ Sooo? You going to praise me now?¡±

    Rokuko looked self-satisfied. But like, the gimmick was so brutal that it was worth being satisfied at.

    I don¡¯t know if I could make it that small since I¡¯ve never given it a shot, but I could probably handle about the size of a ring. It should be able to fit inside a crack at that point.

    Then even if they find it, it would still be incredibly hard to beat.

    ¡°¡­ Yep, that¡¯s worth praising. You¡¯re awesome, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Fueh!?¡±

    I pat her on the head. Her blonde hair felt nice.

    ¡°W-Wait, Kehma¡­ isn¡¯t this where you ask if I¡¯m really me or something!? I-I didn¡¯t think you¡ªyou¡¯d actually praise me!¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s face was beet red. Seeing that, I couldn¡¯t help but continue moving my hand about on Rokuko¡¯s head as I pat her.

    ¡°No, really, you¡¯re amazing. You¡¯ve grown up, Rokuko!¡±

    ¡°Au, auau~¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, you¡¯ve be a proper Dungeon Core, as expected of my partner! I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    ¡°~~~¡ª! W-Well, I¡¯m your partner, Kehma! Of course I did!¡±

    ¡°And you¡¯re so cute. Goood girl, good girl, I¡¯ma pet you pet you pet you!¡±

    ¡°Kyaaah!? W-Wait, a-are you making fun of me after all!?¡±

    ¡°How rude. Do you not like me giving you my praise? Both hands? You want me to use both hands? Alright, I¡¯ll pet your legs too from here on.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t the only one of us that¡¯d be happy about petting my legs be you, Kehma¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that leg part was a joke.¡±

    I really would be a bit happy, though. I have a leg fetish, after all.

    Well, I guess that¡¯s enough teasing her.

    ¡°H-Hey, Kehma. If you¡¯re going to praise me so much, umm, c-could you, a reward¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What about a reward?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Could you? A-A kiss, or something¡­¡±

    Her saying that with a red face held such destructive power that it pierced right through my chest.

    ¡°W-Well, next time, yeah.¡±

    ¡°Alright. It¡¯s a promise.¡±

    Rokuko nodded, a small smile ying at her lips. She just manipted me into that, didn¡¯t she?

    ¡­ I think I¡¯m going to have to resolve myself.

    In various meanings.

 Chapter 373 - Extra: Rental Fee Negotiations

    <strong>Extra: Rental Fee Negotiations</strong>

    Tsuia Mountain on the Pavueran side, Draco.

    The merchant responsible for all of Golen¡¯s finances, Dyne, arrived at the residence of Draco¡¯s Vige Chief.

    Sitting in the still in and unadorned sitting room in wait for their meeting was Draco¡¯s Vige Chief, Cid Pavuera. Although still a young child, this prodigy would personally tackle the business negotiations for renting the hot spring-producing magic tool.

    ¡°Thank you foring, I am Vige Chief Cid Pavuera.¡±

    ¡°Sir. You can call me Dyne, I am a merchant in Golen. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ¡°Dyne-dono. Allow me to once more thank you for your visit.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, please don¡¯t worry about that, Cid-sama. I am but amoner, Cid-sama. Me bein¡¯ the one to make the trip¡¯s natural.¡±

    Dyne smoothly slid into a Pavueran ent as his opening punch. As the side being visited would natural hold the upper hand, Dyne, the obvious underdog, used this maneuver to dere his intention to concede as much profit as possible.

    By all rights, Cid could have been the one to negotiate in Golen. Although he¡¯d wished to be the one to visually state that he was the underdog in the discussions, he¡¯d wound up receiving a letter from Kehma stating the following: [My Vige Sub-Chief told me to stop doing anything so I¡¯m gonna send a merchant your way].

    The moment he was told that there was a merchant being sent to him, Cid had no choice but to allow it to happen.

    As merchants traveling to see Cid, an aristocrat, was an exceedinglymon event, it wasn¡¯t something he could just refuse without reason if he didn¡¯t want to show his hand. On the other hand, given that Cid had intended to intrude upon Golen¡¯s hospitality, this threw a huge wrench into his machinations.

    Cid¡¯s opening stance had been fixed the moment Kehma sent that letter. What method he should use from there to pay more money and have them take it back¡ªthrough what form of money would he be able to repay his umting debt¡ªwould be the key to this negotiation. Commanding his facial muscles he¡¯d trained as a member of the aristocracy, Cid smiled.

    ¡°Yeah. But today is a price negotiation. I would like for is to argue for a reasonable price as equals.¡±

    ¡°Yah, of course. That¡¯s my job.¡±

    ¡°Allow me to repay you for your travel expenses.¡±

    Saying that, Cid presented a pouch that made the sound of coins clinking inside it. Dyne, however, just smiled with a shake of his head after taking a single look at it and rejected the offer without taking a look inside.

    ¡°Hahaha, Cid-sama. Going with such a poor move?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I suppose not.¡±

    Cid clicked his tongue inwardly.

    Although calling it travel expenses and everything was fine, the pouch had had much too many coins within it. To put it simply, it was a bribe.

    Cid wished to use Dyne¡¯s reaction to the bribe to gauge his caliber, as they would likely associate with one another many times in the future due to his rtion with Golen.

    First, the case in which he simply epted it would make him a non-issue.

    In this case, Cid would very likely be able to win him over somehow through his ability to negotiate. This would have been the easiest case.

    Next, the case in which he refused all bribes due to being a merchant with a strong sense of justice.

    In this case, he would be able to expect a sincerely fair bargain. This was also good.

    And then there was the case in which he understood the intention behind it with his own skill and still epted it.

    There was the possibility of him then deliberately ignoring the purpose of the bribe and continuing as if nothing had happened as well. However, even if this did happen, he would have at least done as much as he could to put himself in the underdog¡¯s position. It may have perhaps even turned into a sort of bargaining power of its own.

    But then there was the final case¡ªthe case in which he was given the most troublesome reaction possible. The case in which his intentions were understood, yet still refused. He¡¯d even been given a bit of warning advice.

    In a sense, this was him stating that he had no intention to negotiate. As he definitely understood just who was in the overwhelmingly superior position, he knew that epting a bribe would destroy that position and wreck the status quo.

    Even without such a trifling bribe, he would still be able to gain profit from this.

    Most of all, he could feel from his reaction that he held a strong connection with Golen¡¯s Vige Chief, Kehma.

    ¡°Sorry, I tested you a bit there. Please pretend it never happened.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, don¡¯t worry about it. I figured it was somethin¡¯ like that. Our Vige Chief¡ªah, Kehma-han trained me for that.¡±

    He¡¯d even managed to treat the matter of the attempted bribe as if he knew it would happen.

    All that Cid could tell from this was that this merchant going by the name of Dyne was much more capable than he¡¯d first assumed.

    It could be said that nothing else should be expected from a merchant that Kehma put his faith in. Underestimating anyone Kehma trusts would lead to one finding the carpet yanked out from under them¡­ no, perhaps even their feet broken.

    Cid gulped at the thought.

    ¡°That ent, are you a Pavueran merchant, Dyne-dono?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But right now I¡¯d prefer ya seein¡¯ me as a Golen merchant.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, I wonder if I could ask for some leniency from a fellow Pavueran?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, ¡®course. It¡¯s my hometown, so I¡¯ll make it very cheap. Keep it a secret from Vige Chief Kehma.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Hahaha.¡±

    Knowing that Dyne knew what he was implying, Cid couldn¡¯t keep the dryness from hisugh.

    And so the negotiations began.

    ¡°First off, since I don¡¯t understand how well it performs, I believe it would be best to set a fixed price for a few months then see from there.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I asked Vige Chief Kehma just in case and he said that the temperature should at least be hot enough to draw a bath, but since its upper and lower values¡¯re a bit vague and ya don¡¯t know where it¡¯ll actually be, I think setting a fixed price would be dicey.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I would like to talk about what sort of ie could be expected toe from the magic tool.¡±

    ¡°No objections here. I was thinking that too.¡±

    Finally finding their first mutual agreement, the two smiled at each other. Their opening statements here would be important.

    ¡°I believe that we should take into ount water fees, bathing fees for the bath house, et cetera. Nothing should be left out.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eighty percent. That should do it.¡±

    ¡°Hmph¡­ Eighty percent of the sales? Sounds fine to me.¡±

    Cid made his decision quickly and held out his hand. Although the negotiations would havee to a swift conclusion if Dyne epted it, naturally, Dyne did not reciprocate.

    ¡°Oh, no, please don¡¯t joke around. I¡¯d never dream of askin¡¯ for such a huge amount. I¡¯m merely wantin¡¯ eighty percent of the profit, naturally.¡±

    (Inner Voice: Ya mishear me? I was obviously talkin¡¯ about profit!)

    ¡°Oh, but wouldn¡¯t there hardly be a profit in it for you?¡±

    (Inner Voice: Kuh, I guess that was a bit much¡­ But profit is way too much of a concession!)

    Although Cid¡¯s [Sales] and Dyne¡¯s [Net Profit] were both eighty percent, they meant the difference between heaven and earth.

    Let¡¯s exin it briefly.

    Take for instance a box lunch sold for 500 yen. Upon selling a single box lunch, [Sales] would increase by 500 yen. [Net Profit], however, would be 500 yen minus various expenses includingbor costs, material, and taxes, among others.

    Assuming that the rate of profit for the box lunch was 25% (making for a profit of 125 yen per unit sold) and that unsold boxes are discarded (making for a loss of 375 yen per unit discarded), the [Net Profit] of the [Sales] of seventy-five out of one hundred units would add up to 0 yen of [Net Profit] and could have actually caused a debt if any less had sold.

    What Dyne was asking for was eighty percent of this [Net Profit]. It was a value that could actually be an expenditure.

    Obviously, this was not something Cid could ept. If he did, this would umte yet another debt of gratitude.

    ¡°Dyne-dono, as a merchant, I believe you should seek greater profits.¡±

    (Inner Voice: No way I¡¯m epting that offer.)

    ¡°I¡¯d love to have Draco ept a congrattory gift if I can. Besides, it¡¯s just a magic tool we had stored away and Vige Chief Kehma¡¯d said it was alright.¡±

    (Inner Voice: Now listen here ya copycat, I¡¯m just the messenger. Vige Chief Kehma¡¯s the one that actually owns this thing. I don¡¯t care even if it¡¯s barely any money. Aah? Get it?)

    ¡°Hmm. Still though, we¡¯re talking about whether we could even continue without the magic tool. Wouldn¡¯t it be better for you to take more money?¡±

    (Inner Voice: Wait! If anything, at least take all of the profit!)

    By all rights, all of the profit generated by the magic tool should have been Kehma¡¯s to reap. After all, there would be no profit without that magic tool.

    Dyne let out a sigh.

    ¡°This is a deal for our friendship, yah? The best way for us to be gettin¡¯ along is for us to both to make a profit. To be honest with ya, I¡¯d even be fine with sixty percent since we¡¯re friends. Vige Chief Kehma likes ya, too, he even allowed me as much discretion as possible. I could lower it about that much for ya.¡±

    (Inner Voice: C¡¯mon, don¡¯t ya get it? The choices are [Friendly Rtions] or [Friendly Rtions]. It¡¯s a great deal, ya can¡¯t pass it up. Ah, I could even make it sixty percent.)

    ¡°Even if it¡¯s for the sake of friendship, sixty percent is simply too low¡­ Thinking about it like that, eighty percent sounds just right.¡±

    (Inner Voice: Alright! I¡¯ll agree! Eighty percent is fine.)

    ¡°Thanks. So we really went with eighty percent of profit, huh. Phew, it¡¯s great we decided so quickly.¡±

    (Inner Voice: Ah, what¡¯re ya gonna do at that eighty percent if ya get in the red?)

    ¡°Ooh, it¡¯s nothing. Right, I¡¯m Pavuera¡¯s lord¡¯s son, so you must have given me some amount of preferential treatment. I wouldn¡¯t like to burden others, nor am I so shameless as to ever possibly push my failures onto Kehma-dono. I would prefer for the contract to take that into consideration, if possible.¡±

    (Inner Voice: Please, please at least make it eighty percent of the surplus! B-Besides, I¡¯m the son of Pavuera¡¯s lord, I definitely won¡¯t cause a loss! Just that much should be fine, right? Please listen to my request! I¡¯m begging you!)

    Dyna nodded to Cid¡¯s desperate pleas as if he could read his mind.

    ¡°In that case, ya good with the contract bein¡¯ for eighty percent of the profit?¡±

    (Inner Voice: Hmm, ah well. Fine with me.)

    ¡°¡­ And will there not be any security deposit required for the magic tool?¡±

    (Inner Voice: Umm, can¡¯t I at least give you a sum of money? How about it?)

    ¡°Don¡¯t need it. Vige Chief Kehma likes ya a good bit, Cid-sama.¡±

    (Inner Voice: Just give up.)

    And thus the negotiation over the magic tool¡¯s rental fee was settled.

    Cid and Dyne shook each other¡¯s hands with a firm grip.

 Chapter 374 - The Guy Who Didnâ€™t Look Like His Return Was Triumphant

    <strong>The Guy Who Didn¡¯t Look Like His Return Was Triumphant</strong>

    As a result of Dyne¡¯s rental fee negotiation for the hot spring magic tool, it was decided that we would receive [Eighty Percent of the Profit].

    I heard about Cid starting with something about how all fees such as water fees and bathing fees would need to be taken into consideration, but Dyne supposedly insisted that he would take no less than that eighty percent.

    Let alone eighty percent of the profit, getting more than an equal split¡¯s way more than I ever thought would¡¯ve been possible. As expected of Dyne, he¡¯s a great negotiator. It¡¯s a good thing I left it to him.

    ¡­ Uhhh, that¡¯s really a fair price, right? You didn¡¯t take too much, right? I don¡¯t want to earn any grudges. What¡¯s that? [It¡¯s a price that¡¯ll make ¡¯em more indebted to us], you say? Alright then, if you say so. Well, I guess it is just taking away from the profit, so both sides¡¯ll be earning¡­ yeah.

    He even managed to make it so that we won¡¯t have to pay anything if they go in the red, but like¡­ he didn¡¯t have to do something so annoying.

    Well, just as we decided that I¡¯d be heading there to install the magic tool the following day, Gozoh & Roppu, as well as Shikina, arrived at Golen. Ah, Maidence too.

    ¡°Man, getting back was pretty hard since we didn¡¯t have Wataru with us¡­ everyone feeling good? We¡¯re finally back!¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t have Kehma-san or the others with us, either¡­ that made it take much longer. We¡¯re back now, though.¡±

    ¡°I am finally baaack! Back to the birthce of my soul, Golen!¡±

    ¡°Has Kuro-sama returned yet? I¡¯d heard Kuro-sama had returned some other way?¡±

    Gozoh and everyone mored about at the vige¡¯s entrance, speaking their minds.

    ¡­ Oh yeah,e to think of it, I didn¡¯t even tell anyone at Tsuia that I returned, huh. Maybe I should say I returned on a carriage? I¡¯ll make sure to say something next time if I remember. If I remember.

    Moreover, even though Gozoh and everyone were B-Rank adventurers returning in triumph, the viges all just treated it as nothing by saying stuff like [Oh, wee back~], [Oh yeah, you haven¡¯t been aroundtely huh], or [Alright, let¡¯s get hammered!].

    I guess they¡¯ve gotten used to Hero Wataruan S-Rank hanging around, so B-Ranks aren¡¯t much of a surprise anymore. Not to mention the fact that all of us came back ahead of time, crushing their chances at a return banquet.

    ¡­ Maybe I should wee them back like the good little figurehead of a Vige Chief I am?

    Although I left Maidence to Meat since she¡¯d headed off to go find her, I showed up at the usual bar to find Gozoh and party plus Shikina having another round of drinks.

    ¡°Yo, wee back everyone. Sure took your time.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kehma. Ye got here before us, eh¡­ Aye but [Teleport]¡¯s quick. We went an¡¯ took a detour on the way back, so ye¡¯d probably have made it back first either way.¡±

    ¡°Masteeeer! I worked hard! Oh, I don¡¯t have to pay the monthly tuition for the time I wasn¡¯t with you, right Master?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s fine with me, but you¡¯re getting pretty drunk there, huh?¡±

    I exchanged a quick greeting with Gozoh, who was holding a wooden mug in his hand. The disappointing elfShikina was just drunk.

    Isn¡¯t that too fast? Like, didn¡¯t you guys just get here a few minutes ago?

    ¡°But really, it feels like everything¡¯s back to normal now.¡±

    ¡°Really? I be hearin¡¯ that those Setsuna and Nayuta girls¡¯re gonna be leavin¡¯ the vige here soon enough. Then something about three girls that look like little Kinues joined ye?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. They¡¯re Kinue-san¡¯s rtives, they came since we¡¯ll be losing our part-timers. If we start educating them right now, they should be strong enough for when Setsuna and her sister are gone.¡±

    ¡°So that¡¯s what¡¯s going on¡­ but strong enough? Ain¡¯t that somethin¡¯ for us adventurers to be worryin¡¯ about? Well, Kehma, ye¡¯ll probably handle their share at the dungeon. Doubt there¡¯ll be any problems there.¡±

    Come to think of it, from the point of view of an adventurer, Setsuna was just about as influential here as Meat. He though of her as part of our war potential, huh¡­? Too bad, I was talking about it from a Dungeon Master¡¯s point of view and it kind of just slipped out as from an adventurer¡¯s.

    ¡°¡­ I mean, I could always have them go clean up the dungeon? They seem awfully great at cooperating.¡±

    ¡°The heck¡¯re ye talkin¡¯ about¡ªthose teeny littlesses¡¯re just girls. What sorta brute would throw ¡¯em into a dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Gozoh. Did you forget who the strongest person in Golen is?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That Kuross is special¡ªis what I¡¯d like to think¡­ but are ye telling me there¡¯s something¡¯ to ¡¯em?¡±

    ¡°Oh, no. They¡¯re probably exactly what they look like.¡±

    The fact that they could walk through the entire dungeon without getting into any danger is something better off not said.

    ¡°Right, you hear about that vige on the other side of the tunnel yet?¡±

    ¡°Aye, I did! Draco or somethin¡¯? Ye headed right off to see what it was about and did somethin¡¯, eh?¡±

    So Gozoh¡¯s already heard about what I did? Well, I guess the bar¡¯s owner is the Vige Sub-ChiefWozuma. Gozoh¡¯s part of the vige¡¯s management as well, so it makes sense.

    ¡°I think I overdid it a bit.¡±

    ¡°I doubt ye actually think that. But ye know, they¡¯re the ones who started it all. Don¡¯t go worryin¡¯ about it.¡±

    ¡°Mashtaaah, I¡¯d like to have a fight with that Pavureaaaan knight Harvey, toooo!¡±

    Don¡¯t muscle your way in on our conversation, Shikina. And don¡¯t bring your face so close, you reek of alcohol.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll let you do it next time, then. I managed to bind us together with [Friendly Rtions], though, so I doubt there¡¯ll be another problem. Oh, right. I¡¯ll be heading there tomorrow to set up the hot spring magic tool, you interested in tagging along?¡±

    ¡°I will go with you! I¡¯ve grown from my travels! I¡¯ll shoooow you what I¡¯m like now, Mashter.¡±

    Really now? Sure, but I¡¯ll pass if it seems unpleasant.

    ¡°Oh, could Setsuna-dono go too? I don¡¯t know if¡ªif she can make it though?¡±

    ¡°Sure, that battle junkie would probably want to go as well.¡±

    Shikina would be alone if I refused, after all. Having another persone along would help them kill some time.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma-san. What sort of thing is that hot spring magic tool? It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve ever heard of one.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, Roppu. It¡¯s obviously a magic tool that lets out a hot spring, aye Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s how you said, it¡¯s just a magic tool that emits a ton of warm water. If you think about it like one of those pitcher ones, it¡¯s not so unusual. This one¡¯s just from a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I suppose it isn¡¯t so unusual if you think about it like that.¡±

    It¡¯s really a [Riverhead] dungeon object, but there were a few options to let me mess with the kind of water it emits a bit, so it¡¯s basically a [Hot Spring].

    The worst thing I can do to it is make it a [Riverhead (of Laxative)], apparently¡­ but let¡¯s just make this one a proper hot spring.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m going to head back. I¡¯ve gotta prepare for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Aye, but ye could also just drink with us. Ye¡¯d just sleep anyway, just us instead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah no.¡±

    I¡¯m afraid I might identally leak something about the dungeon if I got drunk. And I don¡¯t like bitter things. Juice is way better. Sugar is better for the brain, too.

    ¡°Kehma, I dunno how ye manage¡­ but I¡¯m not one to force someone to drink, it¡¯s bad for the alcohol.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s probably best for the alcohol if the person drinking it actually wants to.¡±

    ¡°Aye. We¡¯ll drink your share, too!¡±

    With that, I finished my greetings and returned to get back to sleep.

 Chapter 375 - Visiting Draco Again

    <strong>Chapter 375 Visiting Draco Again</strong>

    Alright, let¡¯s hurry up and get to installing the hot spring in Draco.

    My attendants this time will be Meat (Masked Maid No. 2), Setsuna, and Shikina.

    ¡­ Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma made sure to give me a warning before I left. He asked for me to please not do anything unnecessary.

    I mean that¡¯s fine with me, I¡¯ll just leave the battle junkies here to mess around with Harvey while I¡¯m setting it up, yep. Everything will turn out fine. Definitely. Thereabouts. Oh, Setsuna and Shikina are here this time to be guards for the magic tool. They¡¯re just for show though. Meat¡¯s my guard.

    ¡°That¡¯s a big magic tool, huh~¡±

    ¡°Right~?¡±

    Due to that, the stone block of a magic tool was being transported by cart. It was a pretty hefty one-meter cube, so it wasn¡¯t exactly something that¡¯d be easy to steal. Heavy is heavy.

    Well, it¡¯s actually just a fake. The thing actually doing the work will be a dungeon [Riverhead] I¡¯ll be attaching to it on site.

    ¡°This really does need a wagon to move around, I wonder how you managed to bring it back in the first ce, Master¡­?¡±

    ¡°[Storage], obviously.¡±

    ¡°Oooh! ¡­ Huh? But then why did you not use [Storage] this time?¡±

    ¡­ Oh. U-Uh, yeah, whatever. [Storage] is a rare skill, so let¡¯s go with pushing my luck.

    ¡°Mmm, to be honest, it¡¯s to show off the magic tool!¡±

    ¡°I see! You will surely show off how grand it is this way!¡±

    ¡°Actually, this one here is a fake. I have another one that¡¯s real, this is a trick!¡±

    ¡°Ooh! So it¡¯s to lure out ne¡¯er-do-wells who wish to capture this magic tool? What a Master-like strategy, Master!¡±

    I guess that¡¯s a possible strategy, too. Maybe I could lure some easy targets¡­ no, it¡¯d be better to just do what I need to do. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s anyone who¡¯d fall for it anyway.

    We eventually arrived at Draco while we talked about simr things as we progressed through the peaceful tunnel.

    It appeared that Cid had been waiting for us at the vige¡¯s entrance. He had his guard, Harvey, with him too.

    ¡°Kehma-dono, you¡¯ve arrived.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Cid-dono. I brought it, where do you want it?¡±

    ¡°R-Right now? Err, alright, this way please.¡±

    Ignoring the two guards who were looking like they were having to hold themselves back from having a match right there and then, we all headed to the possible instation site for the vige.

    ¡­ Hmm, looks like we¡¯re still a good ways away from the maximum range of the dungeon¡¯s domain, so we could put it here. There¡¯s even a well-maintained waterway already set up here, so they shouldn¡¯t have an issue dealing with the water here. I held back the urge to joke and say that I didn¡¯t think the spot would work out and got to work.

    I had Shikina and Setsuna help set up the courtesy tent to block out others¡¯ sight as well as bring in the magic tool.

    I ced the giant one-meterrge cube on the white pedestal I¡¯d set up and followed up by installing a dungeon [Riverhead] into it.

    ¡°Alright, now for the ceremony. Everyone but Kuro and I, if you would please leave.¡±

    ¡°Understood. By the way, is there anything else we could do to help?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Let¡¯s see¡­ oh, right. Cid-dono, I do have something¡ª¡±

    ¡°Sure, please, let me know if there¡¯s anything!¡±

    Cid responded quicker than a dog reaching out to bite a steak. W-Wow. What amazing cooperative ability. Is he looking forward to the magic tool¡¯s hot spring that much? I mean, I get how he feels, hot springs are amazing as heck. Thefort it provides is just iparably better than what [Cleanup] provides.

    ¡°The other two escorts I brought with me were saying that they¡¯d love to have a bout with yours. Could you let them? Like a practice match.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. One of them isn¡¯t too strong, at least. There¡¯s various things wrong with her¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoh¡­ You don¡¯t mind them being beaten?¡±

    ¡°Nope. That might actually be better? I mean, she¡¯s the type of person who actually wants to meet those stronger than her¡­¡±

    ¡°I see. In that case, I¡¯ll tell Harvey to treat the challenge seriously.¡±

    Finally able to leave my two guards with their babysitterCid, Meat and I finally went to the challenge of the magic tool instation ceremony.

    Well, it¡¯s not like that¡¯s actually hard. I just had to customize the [Riverhead] with Menu-san. Viva Dungeon! Dungeons are crazy convenient. Ah, does this count as indirectly praising Rokuko?

    ¡°¡­ I guess I¡¯ll first make it so that twisting the faucet changes how much wateres out? I¡¯ll make it so it can¡¯t get as hot as our inn¡¯s¡­ theposition of it¡¯ll be like a hot spring though, sooo¡­.¡±

    Leaving Meat to keep an eye on what was going on around us, I operated the menu. I put it in the pir so that it can¡¯t be seen from the outside with little dots on the surface facing the stone block¡ª

    Alright, all of the preparations areplete now. All that¡¯s left is to press the confirm button.

    But it¡¯s not like I can just stop now, that¡¯d be like saying [Oh, right, so there wasn¡¯t actually a ceremony or anything]. I have some time to kill.

    ¡­ Opening the monitor, I decided to check out what was happening outside. Shikina and Harvey had just begun their practice match. It was such a good point to join in that I decided to watch.

    I couldn¡¯t get a grasp on Harvey¡¯s capability since he was thrown about like a sack of potatoes by Meat in theirst fight. Let¡¯s hope this is more of an even match.

    £ª

    Shikina held up her wooden sword. She was confronting a mighty warrior of Pavuera, Harvey.

    Harvey had taken off his full body armor for today, instead relying on leather armor to protect him. I wonder if he was valuing agility over defense?

    ¡°I¡¯d heard that you wore heavy armor, Harvey-dono?¡±

    ¡°Only when I¡¯m serious. Ah, I mean I¡¯m always serious o¡¯course, but it¡¯s not like I¡¯d die from a cut from a wooden sword, eh?¡±

    ¡°I suppose armor would just be considered extra weight against an opponent with a wooden sword. I look forward to our bout!¡±

    Shikina¡¯s eyes lit up as she gripped her wooden sword tightly. Facing her was Harvey, a wooden sword in each of his hands. Although a two-sword style would require a befitting level of strength, as someone who usually wore full body armor, Harvey was easily capable of it.

    ¡°Gonnae at me?¡±

    ¡°Of course! Teei!¡±

    Shikina started with a sh. Kicking up a cloud of dust as she closed the distance between them, she raised her sword and swung down vertically. However, Harvey deflected it with the sword in his right hand, using the one in his left to attack Shikina¡¯s body directly.

    However, Shikina just barely managed to dodge the blow, almost like it passed through where she¡¯d been.

    Returning to her original position, Shikina set her sword back up.

    ¡°¡­ Phew¡­ haah¡­¡±

    ¡°Hoh, pretty agile, there.¡±

    Seeing Shikina¡¯s slightly elevated breathing and that she was still conscious, he returned to his starting position as well in preparation for another go to happen. The cloud of dust filling the space between the two served as proof of that fact.

    ¡°Hohoh, you¡¯ve gotten to the point where you can fight a human opponent, Shikina-san?¡±

    ¡°Fuahahaha! I have conquered my weakness!¡±

    Shikina proudly answered Setsuna, who¡¯d asked her a question from the sideline.

    Shikina closed the distance between her and Harvey immediately after, this time shing diagonally.

    However, following the dull sound of two wooden des striking each other, Harvey¡¯s response attack¡ªwas ignored as Shikina had already started returning to her starting position.

    ¡°Yer pretty good, Jou-chan.¡±

    ¡°Are we continuing? Master would have finished me by now.¡±

    ¡°Master?¡±

    ¡°Vige Chief Kehma. Master has been instructing me.¡±

    ¡°So yer sayin¡¯ that spindly guy¡¯s stronger than that Ojou-chan¡­? Hmm, Golen¡¯s really a vige that¡¯s stronger than it looks.¡±

    As soon as he said that, Harvey immediately closed the distance between himself and Shikina before¡ª

    ¡°Geho!?¡±

    ¡°Whoops, sorry.¡±

    He made an attack of his own. The attack had a good amount of momentum behind it from the speed. Moreover, it was a two-hit attack due to his two-sword style. Even so, although Shikina was able to stop one of the blows, the second managed to hit her in the gut.

    ¡°I-I was hit¡­? Uguu¡­¡±

    Shikina was dropped by the blow¡­ should I made her work on her defense for homework? Or maybe it¡¯s just that Shikina was also just wearing the bare minimum armor so that she could move quickly?

    ¡­ I guess the reason Shikina was able to parry one of his attacks was because Harvey wanted to stop her from moving, then?

    ¡°Shikina-chan, remember this. Head on attacks are the hardest to deflect, yah? Well, there¡¯s a trick to figuring out your opponent though.¡±

    ¡°Th-Thanks for your instruction¡­¡±

    ¡°I like yer spunk.¡±

    Shikina responded to Harvey¡¯s impressions as she was on her knees. It looked like one of those battle scenes where the victor told the loser where they failed. The match was Harvey¡¯s win.

    Setsuna was crazy eager after watching their match. Harvey had been defeated by Meat, but he was definitely strong enough to be considered one of Pavuera¡¯s strongest.

    What would she do? She looked like she was already trying to figure out what she would have done in Shikina¡¯s situation to deal with that straight thrust.

    ¡°Me next! Or do you want to take a break?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    And so Setsuna and Harvey¡¯s fight began.

 Chapter 376 - Visiting Draco Again (2)

    <strong>Chapter 376 Visiting Draco Again (2)</strong>

    Next up was Setsuna¡¯s fight with Harvey.

    ¡°By the way, Shikina-chan, why¡¯d you head back to your starting position back there? Isn¡¯t turning your back on your opponent a bad idea?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I did that due to it being the cool thing to do¡­!¡±

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s def important.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Setsuna was warming herself up as she spoke to Shikina. Her huge chest kept bouncing around as she did so¡­ Harvey looked away like the gentleman he was. It was a clear opening for him to attack, but he didn¡¯t take advantage of Setsuna¡¯sck of defense.

    ¡°Alright, how about we start?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure where I should look though?¡±

    ¡°This is sportswear from another world, it¡¯s called [Gym Uniform], don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s just easy to move around in.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m not sure where I should look though?¡±

    Still, Harvey was following Cid¡¯s promise to make this a serious fight and shook away his thoughts before returning his attention to Setsuna.

    Contrasting Harvey¡¯s dual wielding style, Setsuna was empty-handed.

    She held up her gloves meant for practice fights.

    ¡°I guess ya¡¯rein¡¯ first?¡±

    ¡°Hyo.¡±

    Almost without sound, Setsuna kicked up a cloud of dust and suddenly appeared right between Harvey¡¯s arms. He leapt backward as he simultaneously received a punch from each of her fists to his abdomen.

    ¡°Kuh, so heavy! Beastkin strength is no joke.¡±

    ¡°Calling a girl heavy is rude~¡±

    Harvey was the one to attack this time, the same one-two attack that beat Shikina before.

    However, Setsuna deflected the blows with the backs of her hands as she once again slipped into her attack range.

    ¡°Soi!¡±

    ¡°Nooah!?¡±

    She clung to his waist, tackling him to the ground. Having unintentionally stiffened at feeling something soft press against his waist as she impacted him, Harvey was unable to defend himself and wound up letting go of his swords.

    ¡°¡ª!¡±

    ¡°Toh!¡±

    Not letting up, Setsuna climbed on top of Harvey and locked his body between her thighs in a scissor mount position.

    ¡°W-Wait!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Did my beautiful counter decide it? Is it my win?¡±

    ¡°¡­ ¡­¡±

    Seeing her fist hang just before his face, Harvey went silent. Setsuna smiled.

    ¡°I give up. I could¡¯ve pulled it off if I hadn¡¯t let go of my swords, y¡¯know.¡±

    ¡°Should I just step on your hands then?¡±

    ¡°Jou-chan¡¯s that cruel!?¡±

    And so the match ended in Setsuna¡¯s favor.

    ¡°You moved so slow there, were you tired after all?¡±

    ¡°¡­ The cause of that¡¯s my instincts as a man. I wasn¡¯t prepared for feeling that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Oooh¡­ wanna go again?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose next time!¡±

    £ª

    With that, I closed the monitor that was showing me the practice fight.

    Yeah, it ended with one defeat and one victory. Two victories including Meat¡¯s fight.

    It feels like our rtions have been deepened with these practice fights, too. How beautiful.

    ¡°Goshujin-sama, will we be finishing soon?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Yeah, this should be enough for the ceremony. Let¡¯s go with the hot spring continuing as long as they periodically offer magic stones to it.¡±

    Yeah, magic stones are originally things necessary for magic tools to operate. That said, this [River Source] doesn¡¯t actually need a magic stone since it¡¯s a dungeon instation.

    I figure having them offer up a magic stone to it around every week should be enough to skirt around that issue. All I¡¯d have to do to make it seem legit is just stealthily take it, that way I¡¯ll be able to get a magic stone as part of the rental fees as well.

    It¡¯s like when I built the inn to get DP as well as the inn fees. Being able to double-dip rewards as a Vige Chief-cum-Dungeon Master is great¡­ I guess it¡¯s still nothingpared to the vige¡¯s DP, though. Maybe I should use the stones for magic sword de golems?

    All that in mind, I pressed the [River Source] instation button. Water began to overflow from the top of the block¡ªthe [Pir] dungeon instation.

    It produced twenty liters of water per minute, so while it didn¡¯t give the vigorous feeling of a hose or something, it evenly produced water from the surface of the block where I¡¯d attached the [River Source]. The hot spring covered the surface of the block like a veil as steam billowed up from it.

    It¡¯d be like a water fountain if I made the space the water appeared from smaller, but that¡¯d be a bit much.

    ¡­ Oh. I should make a ce to put the magic stones with [Create Golem]. If I just give it a tiny door on the side¡­ no, wouldn¡¯t ruin this amazing veil look? Now to adjust the direction it¡¯s flowing¡­ I¡¯ll move the base of it along with the position of the [River Source]¡­ no, that¡¯d put it inside¡­ carefully now, don¡¯t destroy it¡­ oh, isn¡¯t it looking like Merlion now? Maybe I could make this ¡°Hot Spring Lion¡± if I mess with the ornamentation a bit¡­? No, wait. You can¡¯t produce too much water from a lion¡¯s mouth without it turning into more of a jet, huh. Time to start over. Let¡¯s move the [River Source] a bit further inside¡­ then make ite from a tunnel-thing to give it a good feeling¡­

    ¡­ ¡­ Alright, done!

    In the end, I decided on a square work of art. A leisurely fountain with a hot spring pouring out from the bottom of each tunnel that could be found on its four sides.

    It took a lot longer than I¡¯d expected it would, but eh. The ceremony taking a while¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Alright, it¡¯s perfect.¡±

    ¡°Good job, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    And so the hot spring magic tool instation ceremony also came to an end. All that I had to do next was tell them and take down the tent before returning.

    It was probably obvious that the hot spring was working due to the water flowing outside the tent. When I left the tent, I heard a few people muttering to each other.

    Cid called out to me upon seeing me leave the tent. He¡¯d probably been waiting for the ceremony to finish.

    ¡°Kehma-dono. I can see the hot spring working, but did everything turn out well?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, perfectly. Actually, the real thing only started after the hot spring began to appear. Want to see?¡±

    ¡°I can? Then yes, by all means.¡±

    Leading Cid into the tent, I showed him my masterpiece.

    Take a good look! This is the hot spring magic tool!

    ¡°Hohoh. So that square block opened up to let hot watere out from each of the sides? There¡¯s a deep elegance to it.¡±

    ¡°By the way, there¡¯s a sliding lid on the top. It¡¯s where you put the magic stones in.¡±

    ¡°I see. So we just have to deposit magic stones here¡­ but this is much more water than I was expecting. Is it temporary?¡±

    ¡°No, it should be like this always.¡±

    ¡°Always¡­ for the entire day?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. All day¡­ is something the matter?¡±

    It looked like Cid swallowed something bitter, but he denied it.

    ¡°¡­ No, I was just thinking about how many magic stones it would take to maintain this amount of water.¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯d only need an Iron Golem ss magic stone once every week or so to keep going.¡±

    It¡¯d be troubling if it had such a high running cost they couldn¡¯t maintain it, so let¡¯s go with something reasonable. It¡¯d be annoying if I had to uninstall it, after all.

    ¡°A-As expected of a dungeon-produced magic tool. The performance is extremely different.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s dungeon-produced, after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ With this much water all day, it should be more than two thousand.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Two thousand?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But the aqueduct was a good call. Following Dyne-dono¡¯s advice was the correct move.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what Dyne said, but I guess nothing¡¯s wrong? Man, I don¡¯t know what he did but I have an excellent subordinate.

    ¡°Well, I guess my work here¡¯s done. I¡¯ll leave the rest to you, Cid-dono.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll strive to make certain that I can pay the fees even a day sooner.¡±

    Cid and I shook hands. Alright, magic tool instation, done!

    Setsuna and Shikina¡¯s practice fights, my secondary goal, also went smoothly, so now everything¡¯s done.

    Now I can go back and sleep!

    ¡°By the way, Kehma-dono. I would like to talk to you privately¡­ may we?¡±

    ¡­ What. I¡¯m going to decline if it¡¯s annoying, you know?

 Chapter 377 - Visiting Draco Again (3)

    <strong>Chapter 377 Visiting Draco Again (3)</strong>

    ¡°By the way, Kehma-dono. I would like to talk to you privately¡­ may we?¡±

    ¡­ What. I¡¯m going to decline if it¡¯s annoying, you know?

    Although I was thinking that, I couldn¡¯t exactly refuse a request from a (diplomatic) friend like Cid, so I wound up going to the residence of Draco¡¯s vige chief.

    Meat and I were sitting with the escorts behind the two of us. Cid¡¯s housemaids quietly served us all tea.

    ¡°Thanks to that magic tool, it appears we won¡¯t have to worry about water from here on.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Couldn¡¯t you manage with lifestyle magic1?¡±

    ¡°Oh, we can. We¡¯ve been managing with water collectors and water-producing magic tools. Since the amount of rain we receive around this area¡ªah, I suppose this would bemon knowledge for Draco¡¯s vige chief, Kehma-dono.¡±

    So that¡¯smon knowledge, huh. The amount¡¯s probably different since we¡¯re on opposite sides of the mountain, though.

    ¡°So, what¡¯d you want to talk about? Just so you know, I¡¯m going to shoot down any get rich quick scheme.¡±

    ¡°Nothing like that. I believe it is actually something you would like, Kehma-dono.¡±

    ¡°You say that, but that¡¯s exactly the kind of shady thing a shady person would say to lure people in.¡±

    ¡°True¡­ but, well, while it is about making money, it¡¯s nothing dubious. Could you hear me out?¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, what is it then?¡±

    When I urged Cid to go on, he nodded and proceeded to speak deliberately.

    ¡°To put it short, I would like to bind Kehma-dono to a Pavueran house.¡±

    ¡°Hm, hmmmmm¡­ so, a marriage with some Pavueran woman?¡±

    ¡°No¡ªactually, I suppose that¡¯s possible? Right.¡±

    I see. So it¡¯s that. Deepening our rtionship through marriage, simr to the whole Sia thing. I¡¯m pretty knowledgeable about this whole thing, aristocrats are crazy about blood ties to preserve their lineage.

    ¡°Nope. I have Rokuko. Refused.¡±

    ¡°No, not you, Kehma-dono. I mean Kuroinu-dono.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    Cid looked toward Meat as he spoke.

    ¡°Is there any way you could be engaged to me?¡±

    Cid spoke in a serious tone.

    ¡°¡­ Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hold up. You¡¯re embarrassing Kuro. What kind of joke¡¯s this supposed to be?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±

    Meat looked at me as if for aid, but Cid just kept pushing it forward.

    I closed my eyes for a moment to think. Man, I want to sleep. Can¡¯t I? ¡­ Probably not¡­ Couldn¡¯t I just push it off onto Vige Sub-Chief Wozuma to deal with~? Come ooon¡­

    ¡­ Alright, let¡¯s stop the escapism and actually deal with this.

    ¡°Kuro is already engaged to Maidence-sama of Sia. There¡¯s no way for Kuro to be engaged to Cid-dono.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-dono, you are misunderstanding something. There is no reason for the engagement between Maidence and Kuro-dono to be canceled.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    ¡°Many aristocrats take second wives.¡±

    Second wives. For men with excessive resources and who want to hold a flower in each hand.

    That said, the whole thing ces the man in an assuredly troubled situation if the two wives don¡¯t get along well.

    Not to mention inheritance and who gets what¡­ it¡¯s just a troublesome thing wrapped in trouble served with a side of annoyance!

    ¡°No no no, nope! Second wives are no good.¡±

    ¡°But wouldn¡¯t Kuroinu-dono, Maidence, and I being bound together be a good thing?¡±

    ¡°Disagreements like who would be the legal wife and stuff¡­ that¡¯s a big no.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but that¡¯s obvious?¡±

    Between Meat, a ve, and Maidence, an aristocrat, Maidence would obviously be the legal wife.

    ¡°But then there would be no merits for us in the marriage?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Yudence-dono that Kuroinu-dono is Kehma-dono¡¯s child. In other words, a marriage between Kuroinu-dono and I would make you my father inw, Kehma-dono. I could promise that you would receive hospitable aid from Pavuera¡¯s lord, my father. If that sounds agreeable to you¡­¡±

    Cid followed up by taking out a contract already signed by Pavuera¡¯s lord.

    ¡°Wait, is that real?¡±

    ¡°It is. I, Cid Pavuera, guarantee it.¡±

    ¡°Still, a person who can verify it isn¡¯t here right now, so¡­¡±

    Ichika might have been able to, but no, all I could really do is ask Wozuma, who originally served at Haku-san¡¯s castle¡­

    ¡°Excuse me.¡±

    ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong, Shikina¡­ Ah¡ª?¡±

    Having been standing behind me, Shikina suddenly took a look at the contract.

    ¡°Reveal to me the one who signed this name¡ª[Signature].¡±

    ¡ªand recited an incantation with her hand held up¡­ the name that appeared said [Sora Pavuera].

    ¡°¡­ Yeah, Sora Pavuera is in fact Lord Pavuera-sama.¡±

    ¡°What was that just now?¡±

    ¡°Contract magic to confirm signatures. You can think of it as lifestyle magic for aristocrats.¡±

    Huh. So this world recognizes signatures enough to be part of its magic?

    So I guess it¡¯s not a counterfeit signature? Or maybe there¡¯s some kind of counterfeiting magic? Like something to falsify what appears with the signature-confirming magic.

    ¡°¡­ Right, Shikina, you¡¯re an aristocrat as well.¡±

    ¡°Of course I am? My Kukkoro family name is considerably famous?¡±

    ¡°Who was it, the tamer, Dyne Kukkoro-san, that¡¯s referred to as the Beast King?¡±

    ¡°My prided father. He is excellent in every regard!¡±

    I know it¡¯s a bitte to realize it, but his name is really confusing, given our vige¡¯s merchant with the same name. I mean, our vige¡¯s Dyne just shares a given name with Dyne Kukkoro though.

    Cid stood up as I was thinking about that and bowed his head to Shikina.

    ¡°¡­ Shikina-dono, was it? You were a daughter of the Kukkoro family? My apologies, I wasn¡¯t aware.¡±

    ¡°Do not worry about it, Cid-dono. It happened due to me performing escort duties.¡±

    ¡°Would you like be to prepare a seat for you?¡±

    ¡°No, Cid-dono. Right now, I am Master¡¯s¡ªKehma-dono¡¯s escort. My interjection was due to Master being troubled¡­ excuse my interference.¡±

    Saying that, Shikina resumed her position behind me.

    Cid smoothed his expression and took out three more contracts. They were all the same contents.

    ¡°One for Kehma-dono, one for the Pavuera family, one for the Sia family, and one for the guild. As their contents are somewhat indefinite, I had to press father for these. Once I said it was to form a connection with you, Kehma-dono, he signed them straight away.¡±

    When I had Shikina use [Signature] just in case, they were all three proven to be legitimate signatures.

    ¡­ I was told to not do anything extreme.

    ¡°I still have to refuse.¡±

    I read through the contract, but it was easy to understand without any confusing aristocratic legalese and just said that [Golen and Draco will be supported once the marriage is performed]. It basically said that with the exception of the marriage, it was an unconditional promise of aid for Golen. Is it really alright for you to sign a document as crazy as this, Lord Pavuera-san?

    ¡­ Well, I don¡¯t intend to make Meat a second wife either way. I mean, it¡¯d be another story if she wanted to be one, but still.

    ¡°Why? I might be the one saying it, but I believe I look alright, I consider myself smart, and I have a good reputation. Although I may be overshadowed by one such as yourself, Kehma-dono, it is to the point that I am referred to as a prodigy¡­ I believe that I would jump at a simr offer if I were in your position.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I won¡¯t recognize it without a warm, gentle husband caring for her as the primary wife.¡±

    Cid just tilted his neck to the side when I spoke.

    Seeming to realize something immediately after, demonstrating that his treatment as a prodigy wasn¡¯t just for show, he pped his hands together.

    ¡°There appears to be a misunderstanding, Kehma-dono.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Eh?¡±

    Cid took out a certain magic drug, smiling from ear to ear.

    It was [TS2], the sex reversing drug.

    ¡°I would be the second wife, of course, Father-in-Law.¡±

    ¡­ Cid, are you crazy?

 Chapter 378 - Second visit to Draco village (4)

    <h4>378 ¨C Second visit to Draco vige (4)</h4>

    If you think normally, if you are Sid and you see ¡°Niku¡± as a man then it¡¯s normal for you to apply for bride position, is that how you would think?

    but, in this case, it was clear that Niku is a girl from the first ce, so you are amazing you know?

    ¡°That said, this is not something that I can decide alone, I need to consult Bon O¡¯Doll beforehand¡±

    ¡°Of course. Well, this time it¡¯s just a light introduction. But I¡¯m serious, it also fine if you decline it, for that I¡¯ve also prepared a contract here to show that I¡¯m ready at all times.¡±

    Yeah, I will reject it for the time being. I will need to talk to Mai O¡¯Doll at the very least. Also, stop bringing it up, I¡¯m already confused as it is for this gender bender business.

    ¡°Oh, the vige mayor. can I have a little word?¡±

    ¡°What? what¡¯s the matter Setsuna?¡±

    ¡°Can you ask about when and where did he get the medicine?¡±

    Ah, are you worried that this is a medicine made by Chaos God Leona? I understand.

    ¡°By the way, where did you get the medicine?¡±

    ¡°Umu. This is something that wandering alchemists three days ago gave me¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that alchemist have ck hair and red eyes?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it was a ck-haired, red-eyed woman. Who gives me this gender bender drug¡±

    Setsuna face distorts with the expression ¡°wow¡±.

    No way! that¡¯s Leona herself! And what? three days ago? that woman is nearby.

    ¡°Oh, and she was carrying a ck slime.¡±

    ¡°¡­What is that slime¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°She called him Rin. she says she likes white food despite being ck. But she seems to have hated salt even though salt was white.¡±

    In response to Sid¡¯s answer, Setsuna froze.

    ¡­¡­Did Rin and Leona join forces? uhh, that¡¯s bad.

    I have to go home now and prepare to intercept them. I won¡¯t be able to sleep quietly because the natural enemy of my dungeon is nearby. This is scary.

    ¡°Where is that alchemist now?¡±

    ¡°Maybe in Pavuera? At least she¡¯s no longer in this vige.¡±

    Wait. Did they stay here? I¡¯m not Setsuna but I also want to hold my head.

    I felt like there was a knife lingering around my neck. It¡¯s not Sid who is my concern right now, it¡¯s Leona.

    Alright, it¡¯s decided. Let¡¯s immediately turn down this engagement. If Leona was here, I cannot afford to waste my time with this trivial task.

    ¡°The situation has changed. I¡¯ll tell you clearly. Sid, there will be no engagement.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­is it no good?¡±

    ¡°No¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Even if you give me that puppy eyes, no means no¡±

    With that, Sid can only sigh [ahh]

    ¡°I understand, let¡¯s give up if you have said that much¡­ But then again, I already had this medicine. Can you at least bring it with you to ept my feelings? As a friend¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    It¡¯s better to take it in so that Sid doesn¡¯t think too much about it.

    ¡°Ah, do you want me to reimburse you, for the drug cost I mean¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s because I¡¯m cutting off my bad luck. Rather, I will feel better if you take it for free.¡±

    ¡°Really¡±

    I couldn¡¯t say anything more to Sid¡¯s refreshing smile, and I received Leona¡¯s magical drug ¡º¥Æ¥¤?£Á¥¨©`¥¹¡»(Tei.A-Ace) (pole be gone)

    *

    After that, I returned to the Gollen vige without anything special happened.

    So, now I¡¯m reporting to Wozuma¡­ but he interrogated me instead

    ¡°But I couldn¡¯t refuse because Sid had a to put it like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Vige chief. Didn¡¯t I tell you to not do extra work?¡±

    B-But it¡¯s not a job. I just went to my (diplomatic) friend¡¯s house to y.

    Wozuma had a face that looked like he just bit by headache, but when he knows I was refusing Sid engagement proposal, he lifted his brow and put his hand on his mouth.

    ¡°So the vige chief has received this magical drug?¡±

    ¡°Ah. Because it¡¯s dangerous in many ways, I¡¯m putting it in safe house¡±

    ¡°Do we have that kind of building? Well no matter, it¡¯s good with this. I¡¯m d that it¡¯s finally in bnce.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? Are you happy even though I declined the engagement?¡±

    Listening to the words I was worried about, Wozma opened his eyes a little.

    ¡°Oya? this is rare. I must revise my view on this prodigy child¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°It means that he is a person who can act so naturally that even Vige Chief did not notice it.¡±

    Huh? acting? Does Wozuma mean that his intention to marry Niku was just an act?

    I don¡¯t understand it

    ¡°probably the lord¡­ Bon O¡¯Doll already talked about your personality to him¡±

    ¡°Hmm, then?¡±

    ¡°no¡­ it¡¯s nothing, this is just my own prejudice, and by the way, I think that magical drug is worth about 500 gold coins. you should check with a magic drug store.¡±

    Do not suddenly change the story. Wait what? 500 gold coins. What¡¯s the hell that¡¯s expensive.

    Speaking of which, a magical medicine of the same kind who Chaos God sold to Kouki was priced at 1000 gold coins the difference is that medicine effect is a longsting one, there are some jumps up at the final price, so I think 500 gold coins is very fair.

    ¡°¡­ was epting it a bad move?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay to receive it, and it was said that it would be given to you. Just treat it as a tribute to vige chief¡±

    ¡°is that so¡±

    I¡¯m not sure about this, and I have it already. so, it¡¯s useless for us, also it will be a weird situation if Sid proposes once more¡­Hmm? Wait no, that was it acting right? arghh, it¡¯s soplicated.

    Anyway, now I have to prepare to defend the dungeon against Leona¡­ Ah, I don¡¯t think I can win at all if Leona and Rin attack together. I wonder if the Orichalcum golem respawner is ready?

    ¡°¡­But it¡¯s expensive, should I give Sid some thank you gift?¡±

    ¡°Please stop it, I think I¡¯m really happy with the result right now. Well, also I think I learn something about vige chief today, just don¡¯t make the same mistakes in the future¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay? If Wozma says so¡±

    In that case, should we treat them better in the future?

    With that in mind, He did say that a sex-changing magical drug that was sealed in the [storage] is equivalent to 500 gold coins ¡­¡­but I don¡¯t want to keep it at hand, so maybe I¡¯ll sell it to Wataru?

    a bit a word from me the trantor: don¡¯t expect ziru quality trantion, but I just can¡¯t help myself

    Did you just snipe this from ziru?

    Yes sir, I totally did, tho¡­ if he still ¡®alive¡¯ and wants to continue his works then I will probably drop this in no time, he is the better trantor and this series deserves it. But for the time being, I will just go with what I want and ignore the ethical thing that bars us from new updates

    How often will you update this?

    As fast as I can, I¡¯m a total newbie and I¡¯m using this as a medium for my Japanese and Englishnguage training¡­ so yeah¡­ once again¡­ don¡¯t expect Ziru level of trantion¡­

    You probably do this for money anyway!

    Yes and no sir! If I can get something out of this that¡¯s good!! If not? That¡¯s also good! I don¡¯t really give a damn either way! I want to burn my time with something productive, and not justzing around waiting for the corona to die down

    Also, I¡¯m reverting Meat to Niku the joke was obvious enough it doesn¡¯t really sit well with me (personal preference) and I reverting yuidence back to O¡¯doll / orodoru this is confusing enough as it is

    So that¡¯s all I had to say, enjoy.

 Chapter 379 - Leona countermeasure preparation

    379 ¨C<strong> Leona countermeasure preparation</strong>

    Draco vige will now build a good rtionship with us, so let¡¯s focusing our time to strengthen the dungeon against Leona and Rin.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to add some more evil trap.¡±

    ¡°if it¡¯s true that Leona is near, we need a stronger defense¡­ Kehma, do you have any idea?¡±

    ¡°About that¡­¡±

    It¡¯s not like there isn¡¯t one, but I¡¯m skeptical if I¡¯m asked if it¡¯s will it work on Leona and Rin.

    Somehow, I know it wouldn¡¯t work against Leona. she is a cheat character with many hero skills. I feel like she¡¯s going to nullify all traps with some unknown skills.

    Furthermore, with Rin there as support. A ck slime that literal incarnation of Japanese game stereotype ¡°If you level up the weakest monster, it will be the strongest¡±. (though in fact, slimes are a strong race in this world, and jelly is the weakest.)

    If that Rin had undergone Leona¡¯s magical modification, her performance should be even higher than I imagined?

    What kind of trap that will actually work on that kind of opponents?

    ¡°¡­Mmm¡±

    ¡°But, isn¡¯t it easy for Kehma to deal with Leona?¡±

    ¡°This time is different because Rin is with her¡±

    Yeah, I feel that even if I attack them, it won¡¯t work.

    There is no choice but to make a mind trap here.

    When Leona came before, we made a trap-like a variety show and we yed it to the fullest, and when she was satisfied, we drove her away. Will those trick works again? If they have exactly the same content, it will only beughing stock and ignored. I need to create new material¡­

    ¡°will she stop here and solve the mystery¡­ you won¡¯t break the rules, right? Leona¡±

    ¡°¡­well, Leona will follow the rules¡±

    Based on experience I think we can trust her on that point.

    ¡­I¡¯m wondering if I got brainwashed¡­am I the only one who thinks it will be all right if Rokuko already say it¡¯s okay

    ¡°So, it¡¯s decided! I¡¯m going to upgrade the mystery room.¡±

    ¡°Hoho. how?¡±

    ¡°I will prepare this quiz¡±

    I read the prepared question aloud.

    ¡± If the answer is incorrect, you can re-challenge after 24 hours.

    There was a vicious trap in the dungeon.

    If you get caught in that trap, you will definitely die.

    You cannot take treasure unless you cross the trap.

    But one adventurer was able to get the treasure while trapped and cross the trap, so how did the adventurer get over the trap and get the treasure?¡±

    Rokuko tilted her neck.

    ¡°¡­? Will you definitely die if you get caught in a trap?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s right, you will die.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ you get the treasure in exchange for your life?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s enough, and this will cost you a day¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s wrong then¡­ in other words, it wasn¡¯t in exchanged for life.¡±

    ¡°It does sound like that.¡±

    ¡°If the door opens, it¡¯s correct, otherwise it¡¯s wrong. I see.¡±

    So, this is a one-time use-up problem where you can pass through in one shot if you answer it right, in this way, multiple gimmicks that take time to answer are prepared.

    That¡¯s the reason why I need to earn time

    For indicating cooldown time, I can prepare an hourss for a timer that I made at the time for ¡°Inn of Greed¡± and it will turn over automatically when you answer. I will also prepare one more bonus (omake).

    ¡°let¡¯s put this in front of the room first¡±

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s in Japanese. ¡°Under construction¡±-Kehma, what is this?¡±

    ¡°she won¡¯te in if it¡¯s under construction, because it¡¯s under construction.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Is that so?¡±

    And it is important to be ¡°Japanese¡±. Even if you write and put this, ordinary adventurers will just ignore it and enter, but for Leona who understands Japanese will surely be interested. Alternatively, she may consider the possibility that the gimmicks and mysteries inside are iplete.

    The only concern is that Wataru can read Japanese too, so it will be causing some problems if hees here¡­ Well, it does not matter. Leona countermeasures are more important now. I can deceive Wataru anyway.

    What would happen if Wataru and Leona met in the first ce? In the first ce, Wataru is Japanese, and I think he is a person who can understand the concept of Hero and Dungeon, but¡­ It¡¯s Leona who fusses over it. But isn¡¯t it useless to worry? because there is a possibility that Wataru is already acquainted with her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s make another Quiz¡±

    ¡°By the way, Kehma? What is the answer to your question?¡±

    ¡°If you get the answer right, I¡¯ll reward you. Cream melon bread.¡±

    ¡°For reward¡­ Can I ask for another thing?¡±

    Rokuko didn¡¯t get tempted by melon bread!?

    ¡°Okay. Then goblin.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s not it Kehma¡­ besides I can already summon Goblin and all-you-can-eat Melon bread with my portion of DP¡±

    ¡°!¡­yeah, to think of it, it¡¯s true¡±

    What a hell. Did Rokuko have already grown into a woman who can¡¯t be deceived by melon bread and goblins! ¡­¡­wow, I didn¡¯t notice it.

    ¡°So, my reward is to ask Kema to do something.¡±

    ¡°Well, if it within my ability¡±

    By the way, the unique feature of this question format is that it is possible to change the answer with the same question sentence, even though it looks like a one-time question. By using that I can earn time by shuffling the answer, it¡¯s kind of cheating but it is possible to sneak in that secret feature because it is operated with a golem.

    ¡°Will you really do it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ please make it within the range of my ability?¡±

    ¡°I know. at most at the range of [I don¡¯t hate it that much]¡±

    I¡¯m a little worried, but let¡¯s believe in Rokuko.

    ¡°So, are there any other Leona measures?¡±

    ¡°¡­still on nning¡±

    ¡­¡­Yeah, when I was asked if this is enough then no, this time I¡¯m very anxious, but I can¡¯t think of another good idea. Rather, the measures if only against Rin¡¯s as opponents are simple, and Rin would stop if Leona stopped. We can just treat her like a pet.

    Orichalcum Golem also seems to be easily broken if it is against Leona ¡­my guts just tell me so.

    ¡°Oh, Kehma. I came up with the answer to your quiz question¡±

    ording to rules, Rokuko¡¯s answer will have to wait for a day. I will listen to itter.

 Chapter 380 - Answers and rewards.

    380 ¨C <strong>Answers and rewards.</strong>

    next day. Rokuko¡¯s second answer.

    ¡°Kehma, I wonder if the adventurer was actually undead and he was dead from the beginning, so it was safe.¡±

    ¡°¡­ then the door won¡¯t open.¡±

    ¡°Is it different from the answer that Kehma had initially envisioned? Just in case, will you answer with the [correct] or [incorrect] as an answer?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I froze. Because there was a lie detector magic tool in Rokuko¡¯s hand.

    And Rokuko¡¯s answer is exactly what I had originally envisioned.

    Incidentally, the way Rukoko question me also blocks any chance for lie and deception. I can¡¯t fool her unless I ask a question back.

    Yeah

    ¡°¡­ correct answer¡±

    ¡°Yay, I won!¡±

    Tsk, I didn¡¯t expect her to bring out a lie detector.

    If she didn¡¯t have that, I can still weasel my way out, for example, I can say [even if you get caught in the trap you won¡¯t die immediately but will die after some timeg], or [I died once but came back] or [Use the decoy and tools to activate the trap in advance and avoid it] or even worse [I was trapped, but the corpse blew up close the treasure, and the treasure fell into my hand by ident.]

    With proper narrative, I could use any answer I want.

    And even worse? with a narrative trick, [a vicious trap] and [you cannot get the treasure unless you cross the trap] are different things¡±¡­

    Ah, but Rokuko¡¯s first answer, [I got a treasure in exchange for life] is [No], so my answer is limited? I see that question also affected this result¡­

    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me that much¡­ I¡¯m sad as a partner!¡±

    ¡°But I trust you, if I didn¡¯t have this, I trust Kehma will give me an endless answer.¡±

    ¡°tsk, You know me too well¡±

    ¡°We are a partner after all¡±

    Fufun, Rokuko is proud of herself.

    Well to be fair, of all the answers, she was able to guess the one I had originally envisioned. ¡­¡­did she read my thought pattern? Maybe this is a hidden function in the dungeon core-master bond system? Or Is it just the result of Rokuko¡¯s observation of me?

    ¡°Even so, it¡¯s better not to use [yes] or [no] as an indicator to open the door. What will happen if someone poses a question [did the adventure safely bring back the treasure?] then the answer will always be ¡°yes¡± right? didn¡¯t the door will always open then? ¡°

    Oh, she¡¯s right, that¡¯s dangerous. I need to prevent it.

    You cannot open the door until you answer correctly with no hint, no that won¡¯t work¡­

    Even for earning time, if the dungeon system detects that [breakthrough is impossible] then the device will be malfunctioning, so an additional hint is required to be installed.

    ¡­¡­¡­¡­Is this ¡°father¡± decision each time? I wonder if he sorts this one by one?

    Or maybe I can make it that you need to look for the golem, destroy it, and press the switch, then you can break through it, will this work?

    Hmm mysterious and very game-like. Well, it¡¯s useless to think too deeply about this.

    ¡°Then, in exchange for the yes or no answer, let¡¯s put a device that answers the question with [yes], [no] or [irrelevant]. And every time you ask at least one question, you waste one day.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that should work¡±

    Well, then I have to do the work of making the device and installing it. Oh, it¡¯s bothersome I¡¯m getting sleepy

    Rokuko grabbed my shoulder, who was unusually eager to get to work.

    ¡°Wait Kehma. Did you forget about the reward?¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡­ you remember?

    ¡°There¡¯s no way I will forget¡­ well, I wonder if you can put on subus ring and be my hug pillow for a night¡±

    What is this, a torture? do you want to kill me? Or do you want Haku to kill me?

    ¡°¡­I would be transforming to a man girl (otokonoko) then¡±

    ¡°But it doesn¡¯t cost anything, and it¡¯s within your ability, right? There¡¯s no problem.¡±

    ¡± Didn¡¯t you tell me I wouldn¡¯t hate it? ¡±

    ¡± I¡¯m the only one to see it, and if you really hate it, all you have to do is let the subus possess you¡±

    I don¡¯t like that though¡­

    ¡°after all, you said if it within [I don¡¯t really hate it that much] you will do it, it¡¯s just a little embarrassing, no problem at all, right? ¡±

    ¡°Gnunu¡­ oh well, it just a little cross-dressing, right? okay. I will see youter¡±

    That¡¯s right, I¡¯ve only be a hugging pillow, it¡¯s okay if you think me as a slightly longer version because this is Rokuko wish.

    I think that Rokuko must be curious about something, it must be, but what she had in mind?

    That night. I put on a subus ring in my finger and was called into Rokuko¡¯s room. Well, I have no choice but to endure this.

    As I entered the room, Rokuko weed me and she bes excited and her breath bes heavy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Kehma! Now, show me the subus Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Okay, wait a minute. As you can see, I¡¯vee prepared, but Rokuko have you done the same?¡±

    ¡°¡­ my preparation? What do you need?¡±

    Ro tilts her neck.

    ¡°A bracelet of courage that I received during the previous dungeon battle.¡±

    ¡°why?¡±

    ¡°You know, when I became a subus, I would be emitting charm aura, Neru has confirmed it¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind if I got charmed by Kehma though?¡±

    While saying that, Rokuko pulls the hem of her clothes and invites me to her futon. it seems I cannot avoid bing a hug pillow.

    ¡°¡­ did you forget that when Niku turned into a subus, I lost my sanity and rushed in. Didn¡¯t you see Niku lost herself as well? In other words, I can¡¯t control the subus power. Is it okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­you are annoying. I understand I will wear it.¡±

    I relieved; this super-strong spirit-resistant bracelet made by ¡°Father¡± will prevent Subus charm without problems. Without this, I would be stripped off by Ro and attacked, if that happened, I can¡¯t escape by saying that it was a hug pillow y, and as a result, Haku will kill me

    After making sure that Rokuko wore a silver bracelet on her arm, I decided to transform into a subus.

    ¡°Neru, I¡¯ll allow it, Possess me¡±

    ¡°By yourmand!¡±

    I feel like the ring shot a heatwave to the core of my body, I let it pass without resisting while forming an image of gates in my body, my heart beat faster and my eye vision is lowered as I met Rokuko eyes.

    The feeling was simr to when I transformed into Rokuko with [Super Transformation]. Apparently, my form is a small otokonoko subus.

    Power surging to the whole body. Is this possession?

    ¡°Wow¡­ this is amazing. With this¡­ I can rule the country¡­ Uh, sorry, I lied, I can¡¯t move even one finger. But this omnipotent feeling, it feels good!¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡­ so this is Subus Kemma¡­!¡±

    Neru was on feeling anxious. Ro stares at me with squinted eyes.

    ¡­¡­For now, let¡¯s look at the chest. It feels a little soft, but there is none. I put my hand on my crotch. ¡­¡­There seem to be no holes. I¡¯m relieved that only my height has changed but my gender stays the same, I¡¯m relieved.

    ¡°¡­Ah, how do I look? I don¡¯t really know the external shape of my body¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s so cute. Wow, I want to make you wear various clothes¡­ Ah, look in this mirror?¡±

    ¡°Ooh¡±

    Rokuko takes out the hand mirror.

    The clothes are¡­ white ones? The chest area is well covered for a subus, although the length of the skirt is short. Also, ck knee socks and boots. And white long gloves with a cute slit up to an upper arm. Straight ck hair.

    And the red eyes of the subus¨C

    *

    ¨CIt¡¯s morning.

    That¡¯s funny, I can¡¯t remember anything. And I don¡¯t even drink anything?

    The transformation has be undone and I was wrapped in [God¡¯s nket]

    Before I knew it, I wasn¡¯t aware when the subus form be undone, and I was wrapped in ¡°God¡¯sforter¡± while being hugged by Rokuko. Please let me go, what happenedst night?

    I remember a beautiful girl in the mirror¡­no I was a boy? At least I can remember how much my eyes changed when I was transformed.

    I asked Neru trough the subus ring, and she said, ¡°There was nothing happened, I don¡¯t remember anything, isn¡¯t that¡¯s fine.¡± Also, Rokuko only respond with ¡°Ah!, unn, that¡¯s right¡±

    ¡°¡­No, what happened? Tell me honestly.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Rokuko¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­i-it¡¯s a secret !!¡±

    I kinda expect this, but then again it would be better not to ask Rokuko further since she¡¯s already blushing like crazy, so I decided to forget this matter with all might.

    Incidentally, my subus form is also sealed. Let¡¯s never do that again.

 Chapter 381 - Important Visitor

    381 ¨C?<strong>Important Visitor</strong>

    Then, a few days after adding Leona countermeasures to the dungeon.

    Leona¡¯s shadow was still nowhere to be seen and it was a peaceful days.

    after the mass of Beddhism, I was stopped by Shira, the leader of the sisters.

    ¡°Uh, sir. Can I have a little of your time¡±

    ¡°What? Oh, Shira. What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Her pink hair flutters gently, and her red eyes have an unusually glossy, her face is friendly yet stern. if you look at her for a long time, you will be charmed. Let¡¯s quickly finish the business.

    ¡°¡­ the thing is, I have this message for you¡±

    ¡°a message?¡±

    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s from Leona saying [Hey, I¡¯ll y in Daido Country, so you cane over and see me?]¡±

    ¡°¡­Oh, ooh¡±

    ¡­¡­ Apparently, Leona didn¡¯te to the dungeon. Wow. Yess!

    By the way, I recall that Shira once a subus under Leona. I wonder when they make a contact¡­ or rather where is Daido Country. I don¡¯t know and I have no intention of going there.

    ¡°Well, why me?¡±

    ¡°Um¡­ano¡­etto¡­. Leona-sama said that she was inside Uma-sama.¡±

    ¡°You got the wrong person¡±

    ¡°Umm, I will just follow the instructions properly, so I look forward to working with you in the future, please?¡±

    ¡°You got the wrong person¡±

    ¡°¡­with that kind of body?¡±

    Do you believe in what Leona says more than I do? Well, of course, yeah, it¡¯s actually true¡­ damn you, Leona. By the way, it feels weird. Is this what they mean by the saying that ¡®no one is inside¡¯? (scream of the soul)

    But yeah. Leona doesn¡¯t seem toe to my dungeon. ¡­¡­you won¡¯te, right?

    *

    Well just like that. Leona¡¯s threat passed away without me doing anything. finally, I can sleep peacefully.

    There was a time when I naively thought like that.

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, I havee to y.¡±

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama! Wee!¡±

    And now Haku hase to visit.

    Haku was so divine that she is revered as [white goddess]. why youe to see Rokuko even though it hasn¡¯t been so long since thest dungeon battle? Do you miss her that much?

    Though it¡¯s true that It¡¯s been a long time since herst visit. her suite and my inn¡¯s hospitality are always ready ¡­there is but one problem¡­, this time¡¯s attendant was not Clowe.

    ¡°¡­aren¡¯t you just met us in Capital city just the other day.¡±

    ¡°don¡¯t mind it don¡¯t mind it¡­ And I don¡¯t need a reason, aren¡¯t I¡±

    ¡°¡­ is this also rted to certain someone behind you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it is¡±

    the red-haired girl who sent hot stares at Rokuko from behind Haku.

    ¡­¡­Magic sword type dungeon core, 666, Aidi, was apanying Haku.

    ¡°I wee you too Aidi¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I ept your wee. Let¡¯s y [kill each other] right away, ok?¡±

    ¡°Umm, that¡¯s kinda different wee from what I had in mind¡±

    Rokuko greets Aidi, but suddenly she proposed a duel, oh well since it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen each other, let¡¯s duel to our heart¡¯s content in my vige, NO that¡¯s wrong!!

    It seems this is the first time Haku is seen by some vigers, but for now, let¡¯s invite them to the reception room, there must be some more exining to do.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the business between you and Aidi in this visit?¡±

    ¡°¡­well, to put it simply, it¡¯s about studying abroad¡±

    ¡°Ah, are you studying abroad in the empire?¡±

    ¡°No, in the Gollen vige¡±

    Did I make a mistake? It sounds like Gollen vige.

    Oh, it¡¯s a mistake. It must be the neighboring vige, Draco vige. I made a mistake because the names sounded simr.

    ¡°I see you studying in Draco vige.¡±

    ¡°Where is that, anyway it¡¯s this Gollen Vige, she¡¯s going to study abroad in Kehma¡¯s Gollen vige¡±

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t hear it wrong¡±

    Haku smiled at me and told me that there was no escape.

    ¡­Is there something to learn in our vige?

    ¡°By the way, it¡¯s an exchange student situation, so I¡¯ll have Kema-san and Rokuko-chan go to the Demon Kingdom at ater date.¡±

    What is¡­¡­?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t leave the dungeon alone for a while now.¡±

    ¡°Is it about Leona?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it seems she seen to have appeared in a nearby vige, so I can¡¯t rx my guard¡±

    ¡°Then you don¡¯t have to worry. she visited Uchi the other day and headed to Daido Country¡±

    Ah, she really went to Daido Country.

    Damn it Haku¡­ she¡¯s smoothly cutting my escape route¡­

    ¡°¡­but this is a big decision, I need to make up my mind¡­¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, you can refuse it¡­ But one of the beddings of God, [God¡¯s pajamas], is located in the demon kingdom, it¡¯s a prize for the fighting tournament. Ah, also this is count as the information I promised at the dungeon battle, ok? ¡±

    Oh wow, that¡¯s a big piece of intel right there.

    ¡°I had some trouble gathering info this time. Demon Kingdom is an enemy country after all.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Do you need permission to go to the Demon Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°No, anyone can go. but I can¡¯t guarantee your personal safety.¡±

    ¡°Is it necessary to get permission or¡­¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s not about that, but just by going as an empire messenger, you will be less likely to get entangled in trouble¡­¡­¡­probably¡±

    It is said that Demon Kingdom is home for fighting maniac like Aidi and 54th core

    Therefore If you are not a messenger of some country, you will definitely be challenged by random people, and if you lose, you will be a ve, that just like some end-of-century manga setting.

    By the way, even if you havee as a messenger you will still be challenged, even though you won¡¯t end up as a ve. what a scary country.

    ¡°So, I purposely arranged for a short-term study abroad program in Demon Kingdom, but it seems that it was unnecessary for Kehma, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha! Thank you very much, I will ept it.¡±

    I bowed to Haku-san.

    Moreover, it seems you can enter the tournament as a special entry.

    In other words, this exchange study seems to be an opportunity to get ¡°God¡¯s pajamas¡± prepared by Haku.

    This time it¡¯s not just an intel, there¡¯s a lot of services included¡­ Or do I have some hidden value to Haku-san?

    ¡°Well they say it¡¯s a special asion because we sending Kehma for this since this is their first time ever to do study abroad¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ by the way, how long do we usually take a study abroad¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a maximum of one month each. If you feel like it, you can stop anytime¡±

    In other words, is it okay for Aidi to return tomorrow?

    However, was there anything to learn from my backwater vige¡­?

    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t find anything to learn she can just go home, but she seems surprised, for example¡­ When she came to the empire, she said [This human ranch is weird! They are free to enter and leave, and humans are dressed properly]¡¯

    ¡°¡­Is it okay to bring Rokuko to her home country?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, the [Castle Town] is safe. But don¡¯t you dare to take Rokuko to the vige, or to the human ranch, understand?¡±

    Yeah, I definitely won¡¯t take her there.

    ¡°Also No.6 will cover 666 study expense, so let her stay in suite room and squeeze him as much as you can, you can also double the cost as a special fee¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a rip-off¡­¡±

    ¡°You have any problem with my pricing?¡±

    No, Madam! I don¡¯t have anyints. YES.YOUR.HIGHNESS. {he said it in english}

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s the price for staying at enemy territory. And even with 50 gold coins a night, this suite is well withinmon sense.¡±

    ¡°Really¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­also¡­ Isn¡¯t it morefortable now?¡±

    ¡°oh, you noticed?¡±

    Yes. Actually, whenever Ie up with a newfort system, I will implement it in the suite first, so I am improving it like some kind of prototype. That¡¯s my hobby. Sleeping is my life purpose.

    it seems our price of 25 gold coins a night is reasonable, on the contrary, I wonder how much did it cost to stay at suite elsewhere, it scared me since I will go study abroad myself.

    ¡°In addition, if you squeezed him hard here, even if the inn at the study abroad destination is expensive, you will still make a killing¡±

    ¡°Understood! I will squeeze it with all my ability!¡±

    ¡°Good¡±

    Haku nodded with satisfaction.

 Chapter 382 - Accomodation Discussion

    <h4>Chapter 382 ¨C Aodation Discussion</h4>

    By lie jin san

    It should be pointed out that the whole conversation takes ce with Aidi and Rokuko next to it, as a matter of course they listen to it.

    ¡°¡­ In short, I will be charged by unreasonably high price?¡±

    ¡°Ara, you don¡¯t have to worry about that, Kehma will charge you just the right price. Because he will serve you in this inn, it¡¯s only reasonable to charge that much¡±

    ¡°As expected from the top 10 ranker just like Gramps, but do you think you can persuade me to go along with that?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m justying out the fact, so there¡¯s no problem for me, in the first ce the one who will leech you is Rokuko-chan and Kehma¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Aidi closes her eyes and think a little

    ¡°¡­I understand. that makes sense¡±

    and she just epts it, well it¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Kehma, exin it to me?¡±

    ¡°The point is, as an inn it¡¯s alright to charge extra if we give more service¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    Rokuko nodded.

    Speaking of which, there is one problem.

    ¡°By the way, Haku-san, my inn has only one suite, ¡­ are you going to share the room with Aidi?¡±

    ¡°Where else should I stay? I don¡¯t want to stay in a normal room¡­¡±

    ¡°In the first ce that¡¯s not a ce to receive honored guests, ¡­ how about Rokuko¡¯s room? Her room furniture is on the same level as the suite, the price is- ¡ª¡±

    BAM, with a loud thud a bag of coin was ced on the table ¡­ it seems 100 gold coins were inside.

    I was trying to say that the price was same, Why did you add it? but it won¡¯t be good to question this, also Haku-san thinks that it is okay to spend this much, so let¡¯s quietly receive it.

    ¡°For the time being that¡¯s the payment for one night, should I give you more?¡±

    ¡°No. It¡¯s enough.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Haku? This is the exact opposite of the talk just before, why are you overcharging even more for the room?¡±

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you 666. This is my pocket money.¡±

    Aidi decided not to mention it anymore.

    ¡°Kehma, don¡¯t decide on your own¡­ Well, I don¡¯t think there is any other person who can properly tend to Haku-nee-sama¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I will entrust Haku hospitality to you Rokuko¡±

    ¡°¡­leave it to me! Then since Haku-nee-sama will stay in my room, I¡¯ll clean up my room right away¡±

    ¡°Oh? I¡¯m okay with the usual Rokuko-chan¡¯s room¡±

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t, I¡¯m embarrassed because my room is messy.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so? I can help you to clean it¡±

    ¡°Please! Don¡¯t tease me!¡±

    Rokuko then proceeds with red beet face and goes up to clean her room, Haku sent her off with a face full of satisfaction.

    ¡°¡­Ah, by the way, we have various policies regarding study abroad, it¡¯s to ensure the safety of Rokuko. Also, during her study abroad period, I will send Misha to the adventurer guild in this vige, so I can guarantee your dungeon safety¡±

    ¡°¡­Misha is the guild master of the Capital City, right? Is it okay to send her here?¡±

    ¡°She just sleeping every day anyway¡±

    Haku¡¯s insurance seems to be safe. I believe Haku won¡¯t let any harm touch Rokuko, Wait a minute Haku-sama! Now¡­ she said that [Rokuko-chan¡¯s safety is guaranteed] but I¡¯m not included in that calction. what should I do? Well then, I have no choice but to secure it by sticking to Rokuko.

    ¡°For the time being, I will stay for about two days, core 666, if you want to go back, please contact us via the Adventurer¡¯s Guild, you understand?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know Haku¡­ But I¡¯m intrigued by an inn cost of 50 gold coins for a night. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do if I¡¯m not satisfied.¡±

    ¡°Ara, don¡¯t worry about it. Or you can¡¯t trust my words?¡±

    ¡°No, Haku, I trust you. That¡¯s why I decided that if I¡¯m not satisfied, Rokuko¡¯s inn for studying abroad will be in [the vige], of course you don¡¯t have to worry, her safety is guaranteed. Though I can¡¯t guarantee Rokuko¡¯s master safety¡±

    Aidi smiles at me fiercely. [The vige] is, of course, a human ranch that ispletely unsuitable for Rokuko¡¯s education. Don¡¯t you kidding me, you won¡¯t get away with this easily.

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay to take Kehma¡±

    ¡°No, please guarantee my¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I also believe that Kehma can provide the hospitality that satisfy Aidi¡±

    As expected of Haku. she¡¯s putting more pressure on me.

    ¡°By the way, my inn is built by using humans as a standard, but is it okay to treat humanized magic sword core just the same?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I believe it won¡¯t be any problem¡±

    ¡°that is¡­ what about you Aidi?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, oh Rokuko¡¯s master, with an exception of that honest conversation about my room price, I will judge it based on human standard. Of course, I will add a point if I find itfortable¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved then, also please call me vige chief when we are in this vige. It will be awkward if you call me Rokuko¡¯s master in public¡±

    ¡°Okay, Vige chief. Then call me Aidi-sama as well, because I¡¯m a national guest, so you will need to treat me ordingly¡±

    ¡°For sure oh Aidi-sama, we will give you all the best treatment this [Dancing Dolls Pavilion] could muster¡±

    When I said that, she bes embarrassed. Hmm? What¡¯s wrong?

    ¡°¡­he unexpectedly did it. Okay, or rather please just treat me as usual¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay. It¡¯s also tiring to act stiff like that¡±

    ¡°Instead, I¡¯ll get the best service at this inn, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s our specialty, by the human standard though¡±

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s really worth 50 gold coins, but I will let her fully enjoy it, the hospitality of this inn!

    bel><bel>

 Chapter 383 - Noisy

    <h4>383 ¨C Noisy</h4>

    By lie jin san

    Rokuko is back, maybe she has finished cleaning the room.

    ¡°Wee back, that was fast¡±

    ¡°Such task is nothing if I¡¯m serious¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me you just shove it all in the master room?

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko. Come here for a second?¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    As I looked at them, Aidi reached out her hand to Rokuko and asked for a handshake. Rokuko grab her hand, it looks like DP exchange gesture, there was a small buzz and her body trembled a little.

    ¡°Wh-what is this? It feels different from DP.¡±

    ¡°¡­that ismunication function ess code, I just exchanged it with you, so from now on I can always contact you¡±

    ¡°Communication function? ah, that¡¯s right. Aidi asked [father] for one as a prize in the previous dungeon battle. Is it on the menu screen?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you should see some change now.¡±

    When she opens the menu, the [Communication] option was added to it.

    It is also showed up in mine, the function is located in [dungeon unit] branch.

    ¡°It¡¯s not an official version yet, so I have to meet you in person and copy the features.¡±

    ¡°Unn, it¡¯s a hassle.¡±

    ¡°When it¡¯s officiallypleted it¡¯s supposed to be distributed to everyone¡­ but that still has to wait until the next meeting. For now, I¡¯m the only one who has the right to make duplicate copies, so this one is kind of special¡±

    Is it like a beta test or pre-release version? And ites with copy guard protection.

    ¡°By the way, I decided to exchange it first with Rokuko, so I have not given it to Haku and Grandpa yet.¡±

    ¡°Ara, since you have given it to Rokuko is it my turn next?¡±

    ¡°what are you saying Haku-sama, it¡¯s obvious the next one is for gramps¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­is that so¡±

    I feel bad for Haku, but she has no need for it. since we have [white beach] hotline between us, well I guess there will be a different feeling between telephone and letter.

    ¡°But why do you need an ess code? Isn¡¯t the core number sufficient?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s just the core number there will be a possibility that it can be abused to spam prank message, and we are also considering dividing the function between core, master, and monsters so that each of them has their own¡­ or that¡¯s what [father] said, to be honest, I don¡¯t really understand¡±

    When Aidi showed her menu screen, there was a screen like the mail function in PC. And the message from [father] has arrived. He is also adding emoji and reject function, it really looks like an email.

    ¡°I see¡­¡±

    ¡°By the way, I need to ask some question to Rokuko¡¯s master regarding this function, so maybe Rokuko can tell him to contact [father] through this¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­this is amazing, I wonder how this work¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask me, and you can send one message at the cost of 50DP for now¡±

    ¡°Oh, it costs DP, it¡¯s 60 melon bread¡­ No wait, it¡¯s 10 premium melon bread¡­ that¡¯s pretty expensive. It¡¯s cheaper just to send a letter¡±

    ¡°I think it would be amazing if it could reach the destination in an instant and ignore the distance. We are also nning to give it the ability to transfer DP trough this¡±

    DP transfer throughmunication functions¡­is there any meaning to this? can you ask other cores favor with this? ¡­¡­ Well, I can see the future where some core will request or give DP through this, yeah, that makes sense.

    ¡­.. Then, suddenly a message came from [Father] arrived.

    let¡¯s see [I¡¯m using Kehma world¡¯s email as a reference, but I would like to hear your opinion too].

    Let¡¯s reply with [will I receive a reward?] and¡­ sent.

    Oh, I received another reply [No problem! By the way, did you use the rm clock that I gave you?]¡­ Yeah, am I using it? I¡¯m sure I¡¯m using it, huh¡­ rm function? What is that ¡­I know no such thing. {he is trying to make it sounds like he forgot it already}

    ¡°By the way, what is melon bread? Is it bread? Is it a fruit?¡±

    ¡°umm, it¡¯s a sweet bread!¡±

    ¡°Sweet bread?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s delicious bread. It¡¯s faster to show you the real thing¡­ Have you never tried one before?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to remember anything outside swords and weapons, right?¡±

    Rokuko swiftly exchanged 5DP into [Assorted bread]. It¡¯s something that we used to have a lot of before because it contains 6 bread and it¡¯s very cost-effective. With that, you can also choose what you want.

    Rokuko chooses the pack that had a melon bread, anpan, hamburger, curry bread, and chocte co. It has two melon bread¡­ one for her and one for Aidi?

    Aidi almost immediately attracted to the bread.

    ¡°This¡­ has a strange wrapping. Is this sweet bread?¡±

    ¡°Ah, it easier to tear it vertically. It¡¯s convenient because the bread won¡¯t get damp easily¡±

    ¡°This thing will repel the water? This will make a good wrapper for the sword¡­ so how do you make it?¡±

    ¡°Who knows?¡±

    Before this the bread that Rokuko purchase wille out without wrapping and before I know it, ites with stic wrapper now. I wonder if that because Rokuko has a better understanding of stic?

    it will increase the amount of waste in this dungeon, but then it will just get absorbed back, so it was no real problem¡­¡­ wait¡­ is it possible that the dungeon gets a better understanding of the structure by absorbing the stic waste?

    ¡°There is also side dish bread like this hamburger or curry bread, but, I¡¯m definitely in melon bread faction!¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ oh, this one has cool spiral and look sharp¡±

    ¡°Oh, that is chocte co. It looks interesting!¡±

    ¡°Yes, this one definitely looks like the strongest of all.¡±

    ¡°This is the first time I see someone rate bread with strength level¡±

    If you ask me, French bread has the strongest attack power in the bread world rated by poprity, hardness, and size.

    ¡°¡­ oh well, ah, Haku-nee-sama please take it too¡±

    ¡°Ara, then I want the same of what you have Rokuko¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ well, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll just get another one if Aidi want some melon bread too. Kehma do you want some?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m good, I just ate onigiri¡±

    ¡°is that so? Though it¡¯s true you will have the trouble of sleeping if you ate too much¡±

    Rokuko then proceeds to open the melon bread, Aidi and Haku follow after her.

    ¡°Melon bread, it had a smell simr to melon cream soda¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because it¡¯s made from melon too?¡±

    ¡­ kun kun, Haku that sniff the melon bread looks a little cute.

    ¡°so that¡¯s Rokuko melon bread, if my choco co is spear then her melon bread is a shield¡±

    ¡°This is also my first time seeing someoneparing bread to shield and spear, in that case, you might like Croissant, I will give it to youter¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it¡±

    Said Aidi holding the chocte co in one hand while turning it over.

    ¡°¡­By the way, how should I eat this? Head first? Or foot first?¡±

    ¡°I wonder where the head and foot of chocte co is, don¡¯t think too much, just eat it, it¡¯s a bread.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think, but feel it¡­ is that how it works!?¡±

    ¡°Well that also works¡±

    Chocte Co, I wonder¡­ which one is the head and which one is the foot?

    ¡°¡­Fufu, this rotation is nice. the spiral thating together¡­ mmm. wonderful shape¡­¡±

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama, I wonder if that shape also works on melon bread¡±

    ¡°Ara, this easily bes my favorite, also I think it will really go well with melon cream soda, Kehma please serve it for me¡±

    Right away!, I got the money from Haku and I give her melon cream soda, if you put them in the [storage] it¡¯s time will stop and it won¡¯t go bad, Haku also knows that and she takes one and put it on her [storage]

    ¡°this one is not bread, this is melon cream soda this one has both static and dynamic state, isn¡¯t it wonderful?¡±

    ¡°Crispy cookie dough, fluffy contents, and moderate sweetness of melon bread! Aren¡¯t this what Kindness and warmth feel like !?¡±

    ¡°Oh my, I¡¯m certainly not mistaken, the strongest is definitely this chocte co. Rokuko, can you give me more? I want to bring a lot with me.¡±

    Everyone getting along just fine, this is good

    ¡°Well then, please enjoy it¡±

    It¡¯s dangerous it¡¯s dangerous, they said if 3 women gather, they will be noisy {kanji pun¡­ 3-woman kanji will make one noisy kanji}

    as to prevent that, I went back to sleep in my room.

 Chapter 384 - Gollen village study tour

    <h4>384 ¨C Gollen vige study tour</h4>

    Next day, I guide Aidi to sightseeing the vige while Rokuko prioritize Haku entertainment, so in short, I will be stuck with Aidi all day

    ¡°It was fun yesterday. Rokuko is truly worthy to be my Rival and my friend¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it. By the way, how about the amodation fee? Do you think it¡¯s worth the 50 gold price?¡±

    ¡°Choco Co is nice but¡­ the bed was amazing¡±

    Aidi surrendering just like that.

    Not only about the chocte co, but it was also about the suite room beddings

    ¡°I¡¯m intoxicated while sinking into it, no¡­ while it¡¯s wrapping into me¡­, but it would be better if the bed is fire resistant¡±

    ¡°it would be amazing if it had fire resistance, huh¡­ did you burnt it?¡±

    ¡°How rude¡­, I won¡¯t make such an amateur mistake¡±

    ¡­I hope it¡¯s not burned.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have the fireproof version, I think it can be done if you apply some alchemy to it¡±

    ¡°giving it fire resistance¡­ Alchemy can do that?¡±

    ¡°¡­that is the basic of alchemy, right?¡±

    Is there something like that in alchemy? I thought it was just for making magic tools¡­ No, to think of it, the non-burnable cloth is also counted as magic tools.

    ¡°There is some technique to transfer one object characteristic form one to another, is this notmon practice in Raverio empire?¡±

    ¡°eh, All I can do is drawing a magic circle, I don¡¯t know something like that¡±

    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t know if the alchemy of the empire is advanced or falling behind. It also possible that the Hero Workshop monopolizes its technology¡±

    I was shown that product over there and it was amazing. Said Aidi as she walked in front of me.

    The Hero workshop is a studio that can produce A4 paper maker, unlimited ballpoint, self-heating pot, she saw it herself in Capital city.

    Leona also had a skill called [super alchemy], I wonder if they have some connection¡­ Or, the Hero¡¯s Workshop could be Leona¡¯s Workshop¡­ Let¡¯s stop there. There is no point in thinking about it, I could just ask Haku, but I¡¯m afraid that if I know the truth, I will learn something that I don¡¯t want to know, it¡¯s scary just thinking about it.

    ¡°For now, I will show you around the vige, do you have any request where you want to see first?, if you haven¡¯t decided, I will go to church¡±

    ¡°Do you have any smithy?¡±

    She seems interested in cksmithing, is it because she is a magic sword? I replied with [yes, there is] and guide her to Kantara smithy in the vige outskirt.

    Kantara was carving a magic circle on a small copper te when we arrived, he¡¯s so absorbed in his work that he didn¡¯t notice our arrival.

    ¡°Oiii, Kantara. Kantara!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­Hmm? Oh, Kehma-dono,e in! hmm, Who is that?¡±

    Responding to my voice Kantara look at Aidi and send smile at her with very dwarf-like bearded smile, Aidi smiled back at him.

    ¡°she¡¯s a young nobledy who studied abroad in my vige. she wants to take a look at the smithy.¡±

    ¡°My name is Aidi from the Demon Kingdom, nice to meet you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Kantara. Well, if Kehma allows it then it should be alright to look around the smithy, and you said from the Demon Kingdom? Really?¡±

    When she said she¡¯s from Demon Kingdom, Kantara bes restless, I guess it must be rare to have a guest from that ce?

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Kantara, do you need to go to the toilet? After all, you¡¯ve been so absorbed in your work, did you hold it for a long time ?, I understand I understand¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, Demon Kingdom is a ce where magic tools research is blooming, I wonder if ms. Aidi can tell me more about it?¡±

    ¡°That is very true !, also that¡¯s a good attitude you have there, I like it. if you want to learn, I can give advice to you to the extent of what I know¡±

    ¡°Ooh, is that true! Thank you very much! Kehma, I will need to borrow this youngdy¡±

    ¡°Go ahead, go ahead¡±

    If Aidi is willing to, I don¡¯t have a reason to turn it down, rather I will be grateful if Kantara skill as a cksmith is improving with this, ¡­ since I can¡¯t just go back to inn and sleep, let¡¯s wait here.

    ¡°I¡¯m using this magic formation for this one. That¡¯s what my alchemy master taught me.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­..you still using verbal teaching¡­ There are textbooks in Demon Kingdom, though.¡±

    ¡°Textbook. Can¡¯t I get it somehow?¡±

    ¡°It is possible if you ask the vige chief¡±

    Kantara nces at me, Aidi what are you sayi¡­ ah, since I¡¯m going to Demon Kingdom next, I guess I can buy it for souvenir or something, I should buy some too for Nerune.

    ¡°I understand, I nned to go to Demon Kingdom anyway, so I¡¯ll buy it at that time.¡±

    ¡°As expected from Kehma, I can always count on you!¡±

    ¡°It was nice¡­ oh? at ce this furnace looks shabby, but is it possible that this furnace utilizing a phoenix eggshell?¡±

    ¡°ho, you know your stuff youngdy, that¡¯s right! this furnace is using phoenix eggshell as its base, it¡¯s a gift from Kehma-dono, this is the best furnace ever!¡±

    ¡°Hey, the vige chief¡­ can I have this?¡±

    She sent a sharp gaze at me.

    The truth is I have a lot of it, and it¡¯s actually okay to give it for free, oh yeah ¡­ Haku said that I need to drain her wallet. But I need to set a reasonable price so she won¡¯t get back at us when I¡¯m shopping in the Demon Kingdom.

    ¡°I will sell it to you, at a fair price¡±

    ¡°Oh, you won¡¯t double it? ¡­. but can you lend me some money?¡±

    Yes Yes, I will tell Haku about it.

    The day ended with Aidi thoroughly enjoyed her visit to the cksmith as her first choice.

    Is that a copy? She just asked for sword maintenance that really simr to her original body, she really gets along well with Kantara, I think they have be a good friend.

 Chapter 385 - Cave of Desire study tour (1)

    385 ¨C<strong>?Cave of Desire study tour (1)</strong>

    Aidi spent almost a whole day Inspecting the smithy.

    I don¡¯t know what makes her spend so much time, but maybe she was teaching Kantara about some stuff, so it probably why it took some time.

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko¡¯s ring is beautiful¡±

    ¡°ah, The metal ring with ruby inside it? The design looks simple, but that ring craftmanship is amazing¡±

    ¡°are you the one who makes it?¡±

    ¡°Kehma said that it was from the dungeon¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­ aren¡¯t you processing Orichalcum here?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s a dwarf secret, right? This facility can¡¯t do such a thing¡±

    ¡°Then, where is that?¡±

    ¡°¡­the dwarf vige? All I know that it¡¯s located near Corkey¡­ I don¡¯t know the details.¡±

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll keep that in mind¡±

    There was such conversation, but it¡¯s useless, no matter how detailed you inspect the vige you won¡¯t find any info on how that Orihalcum & Ruby ring was made, because it¡¯s from the dungeon.

    From the dungeon, what a convenient word¡­ everything can be exined with this sentence. I didn¡¯t lie either.

    ¡°Vige chief does did mean you have hidden underground human farm workshop¡­?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡±

    Aidi whisper it to me so Kantara can¡¯t hear what she says, I replied it with a smile, please understand, there¡¯s no such thing.

    ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll leave it at that¡±

    ¡°Okay, then. Are you done here?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I already saw what I want. Next¡­ I want to see the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯ste now, how about tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I spent too much time at this smithy¡­ I can¡¯t help it. I still have time while studying abroad, so I don¡¯t mind.¡±

    Saying that Aidi goes back.

    ¡­¡­Yeah, Aidi won¡¯t find anything in the vige, which means she will study the dungeon next.

    this feels like I¡¯m dealing with Rokuko. No, I can¡¯t treat current Rokuko as same as past Rokuko.

    Rokuko is entertaining Haku now, I wonder how are they doing

    After escorting Aidi to suite room, I headed to Rokuko¡¯s room

    ¡°Oii, Rokuko¡±

    ¡°Hinya!?¡±

    I heard a strange sound from inside her room.

    ¡°¡­Can I enter?¡±

    ¡°Wa-wait, I¡¯ll clean up a bit! Haku-nee-sama, thank you for the lesson!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes¡±

    I can hear some bustling noise from inside. What on earth were you doing with Haku?

    I wait for a few minutes until it¡¯s done, then ¡°Okay,e in.¡±

    When I went inside, Haku and Rokuko were drinking tea at the round table. ¡­¡­What did you clean up just now? This is suspicious.

    ¡°fufufu, Aidi tour, I saw it all with Rokuko from this room monitor¡±

    ¡°Oh? is that so¡±

    ¡°i-it¡¯s not like I¡¯m worried that Kehma is cheating, Aidi is our customer so it will be bad if something happens to her!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. Rather, I¡¯m thankful because I can save the trouble of reporting.¡±

    After Rokuko says ¡®cheating¡¯ Haku is leaking a cold air to my direction¡­ but why¡­ did she misunderstood that we are in that kind of rtionship?

    ¡°This is just me talking¡­ but I have not done anything to Rokuko¡±

    ¡°ara, is that right? Hmm¡­?¡±

    ¡°ugh¡­ Ke-Kehma! H-h-hug me!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you saying!?¡±

    Will you do it in front of Haku that leaking intense killing intent for no reason?

    ¡°¡­can I decline Rokuko¡¯s wish?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ please do, you are in public.¡±

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama is a rtive, so it¡¯s fine!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­go ahead then?¡±

    Haku gives her consent with a cold smile, she¡¯s forced to allow the hug because of Rokuko¡¯s words. And you understand that I have no choice but to do this, right? Force Majeure, yes, this is force majeure, right? OKAY?

    ¡°So, excuse me¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡±

    Rokuko hugged me and I hug her back¡­, Rokuko¡­.can¡¯t you see Haku cold aura? Wait, did she filter it for you? so you only feel a warm spring breeze? I¡¯m about to freeze here!

    ¡°fuu¡­ I¡¯m feeling good, is it because Kehma is my partner? Kehma, please take care of me for now on, ok?¡±

    ¡°yes of course, ah¡­ that¡¯s aside, Haku-san is watching, so let¡¯s stop?¡±

    ¡°Muuu, it cannot be helped if Kehma feeling shy¡±

    With a slightly dissatisfied face, Rokuko left me.

    I feel that Haku¡¯s cold air has subsided.

    ¡°By the way, Kehma. Tomorrow you promised to visit the dungeon with 666¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s the n.¡±

    ¡°Can Ie along?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    I don¡¯t have any reason to refuse Haku request

    ¡°¡­It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to show my dungeon to Haku-nee-sama¡±

    ¡°Oh, in that case, it¡¯s fine to¡­.no, no, no, this is important. Rokuko-chan, I¡¯m also an A-rank adventurer, so I will need to make a thorough inspection to determine if your dungeon is on an appropriate difficulty level.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s embarrassing¡­. it¡¯s like showing your bra to someone¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, Kehma is here¡±

    ¡°¡­Kehma, please pretend you don¡¯t hear anything¡±

    ¡°Ah yes. I didn¡¯t hear. I didn¡¯t hear anything¡±

    What are you doing, talking about underwear?

    This is a taboo content that I shouldn¡¯t touch as a man.

    However, I thought the brassiere and the dungeon are different, but unexpectedly it was the same for Rokuko?

    ¡°Well, I understand, it cannot be helped. However, I won¡¯t show you the backside¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s fine. But I¡¯ll need some preparation now, Kehma, tells 666 that we will be going at noon.¡±

    ¡°Mumumu, I will need Kinue to clean up¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it meaningless if you don¡¯t show it as it is?¡±

    There¡¯s no need to clean it in the first ce. I have never done it though.

    ¡°So-somehow I want to keep it pretty, I don¡¯t want Haku-nee-sama to see my dirty dungeon¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°No, it won¡¯t bother me even if it¡¯s dirty¡­ isn¡¯t the dungeon supposed to be dirty?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bothering me! I¡¯ll have her clean it now!¡±

    I see. Dungeon = Rokuko. Is it like taking a shower for her? I like beautiful things, Rokuko.

    And that¡¯s how our dungeon tour for dungeon cores by the dungeon cores was decided.

 Chapter 386 - Cave of Desire study tour (2)

    <h4>Chapter 386 ¨C Cave of Desire study tour (2)</h4>

    The three dungeon cores Haku, Aidi and Rokuko are gathering in the front of [Cave of Desire], this will be their dungeon tour and I will serve as a guide

    Rokuko¡¯s movement is stiff while Haku and Aidi are feeling excited.

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m nervous.¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s expected, Afterall, Rokuko is the dungeon we about to visit¡±

    With the presence of parent (Haku) and overseas student(Aidi), I can understand she feeling embarrassed about them inspecting her (ss)room.

    But since everyone is here, let¡¯s go into the dungeon.

    First, we must pass through the gate that also serves as the Adventurer Guild receptionist office.

    At first, it was only a fence. But after a while the number of people that visiting this dungeon increased and more guild personnel are assigned, they also build this reinforced gate, now it¡¯s required to show your adventurer card before entering the dungeon.

    if you try to enter with people who are not adventurers, as expected you will be stopped at the entrance, but Rokuko and I are B rank Adventurer, Haku is A rank Adventurer, Aidi is¡­ well¡­ a guest. But since Haku is Adventurer Guild Grandmaster it doesn¡¯t matter if you are not an adventurer.

    ¡°umm, is Aidi also need to register as an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°It seems Demon Kingdom hunter rank can be used as Adventurer rank here, so will I be B-rank, right? Haku-sama¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. Oh, just so you know, hunters are Demon Kingdom version of adventurers.¡±

    I see, then this dungeon tour team is equivalent to a first-ss adventurer party with rank B or above.

    With that, we pass the receptionist¡¯s desk.

    ¡°so tired~ Well then, next customer please¡­.¡±

    ¡°Vi-Vige chief¡­, Th-Tha-That person is¡­?¡±

    ¡°ah¡­Haku-san? it will be easier on you if you don¡¯t know the details, just follow the regtion as usual¡±

    ¡°¡­can you get me a signature?¡±

    Perhaps she could hear our conversation. Haku came over to us.

    Haku pulls up a ballpoint pen from her cleavage and draws a signature on the sleeve of the receptionist¡¯s clothes. Oh, it¡¯s an infinite ballpoint pen you sold in the Imperial City? Where did thate from?

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to createmotion, so please keep this secret for 2 or 3 days, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you! Thank you very much! I will make it a family heirloom! right, this way!¡±

    We went into the dungeon while passing the receptionist that still bowing deeply.

    ¡°Is it okay to give that signature?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m used to this, it¡¯s called fan service. Do you need one Kehma?¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯d like you to write one in irogami and I can use that to decorate the inn¡¯s reception table. It¡¯s kindate, but it would be a good promotion if people know that Haku-sama backing up our inn¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea! Sister, please do it!¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, will 50 of them do? Or 100?¡±

    This person really loves Rokuko. One or two signature is enough but she willing to write as many as you like if it¡¯s for Rokuko.

    After passing the adventurer guild¡¯s entrance, you will find another entrance what covered with cobblestone.

    ¡°hee¡­ Rokuko is a cave type, It¡¯s cute. I¡¯m a mansion type, so this piqued my interest¡±

    ¡°Ah. It¡¯s embarrassing, please don¡¯t look so much¡±

    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t this the first time you¡¯ve entered Rokuko-chan since she growing?¡±

    ¡°pl-please be gentle¡±

    Is it because they are also dungeon core that this conversation feels indecent? for Rokuko it must feel like two people (Haku and Aidi) carefully measure her body for up-close, yeah it would be pretty embarrassing¡­

    ¡°Oh, Aidi. There are pitfalls here, so be careful.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡­ I didn¡¯t notice it. unn¡±

    ¡°That pitfall huh¡­ Yeah, it feels nostalgic¡±

    To think of it, she was often caught in it in the first dungeon battle. A pitfall made up of only a thin te that was blending in the stone floor. The goblin weight is just right so that it won¡¯t trigger them.

    ¡°Rokuko. can you exin this to me?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, can I?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this to my honored guest but I can¡¯t tell you how this dungeon works. We can only exin to the extent of what adventurer know, so please analyze it yourself¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m sorry Aidi.¡±

    ¡°It cannot be helped. Just give me a little more time¡­Hmm, it¡¯s hard to understand because the sign is present on this one but not existent on that¡­ hmm¡­., a feint? No¡­ both are real?¡±

    While touching the pitfalls of the stone pavement, Idy was seriously analyzing it. ¡­¡­ What Aidi seeing and analyze is the pitfall that made by dungeon function, what she can¡¯t detect and analyzed is the pitfall made by me¡­ did the dungeon¡¯s trap sending some kind of signal to her?

    While I was thinking about it, Rokuko shook Aidi¡¯s shoulder with a blushing face.

    ¡°¡­Enough! That¡¯s it. Stop it! Next, next, look, it¡¯s embarrassing, so don¡¯t look any more¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s cute and feels good here inside Rokuko. Right, Haku-sama?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree. I knew it, Rokuko¡¯s stone pavement is felt a bit different¡­¡±

    ¡°Aaaa!! What are you saying Haku-nee-sama?

    Rokuko is screaming in agony. It¡¯s like¡­. in terms of human, it¡¯s like your mouth is being observed carefully¡­ no, it¡¯s even deeper? Maybe it feels like being examined with a gastro camera?

    After observing the entrance of Rokuko ( ), we are going further into thebyrinth area. by the way, we are bypassing all monsters.

    It¡¯s natural for a goblin to avoid us because they can¡¯t with against B rank party. Even they attack us, it is just a waste of DP.

    I¡¯m just keeping a lookout while following the sign, but it was unnecessary to exin it to the two dungeon cores.

    ¡°We have arrived in thebyrinth area, but since today is a special asion, I have made a special route that allows almost direct ess to an exit, so please, this way¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s too bad. I want to map it.¡±

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t do that, this is not dungeon battle or dungeon capture¡±

    I¡¯m also embarrassed here. No, actually I don¡¯t want to show it either. Let just say it¡¯s an embarrassing point. I had said that because they are really serious about exploring the dungeon. ahh, I don¡¯t understand the feeling of dungeon core.

    ¡°I wanted to see [Avarice Trap], I heard that was the origin of the name of Rokuko¡¯s dungeon¡±

    ¡°I want to see it too, Kehma, isn¡¯t that located inside thebyrinth area?¡±

    ¡°I understand, I will arrange the direct route to that location¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to miss that, Kehma!¡±

    The [Avarice Trap] can be called our main attraction point, not showing this spot is equivalent to going on a school trip to Kyoto and not seeing Kinkakuji or Kiyomizudera. As expected, it¡¯s a must-see ce.

    ¡°¡­Uuu¡­ well, I think it¡¯s¡­ Okay¡­ to see¡­.?¡±

    ¡°Ufufu, Rokuko¡¯s special ce, let me carefully examine it¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing Rokuko¡¯s [charm point].¡±

    ¡°Okay, shall we go? this way¡±

    I feel like tour leader, it would be nice if I had a g with me, and so I guided our group to our most characteristic and unique ce of this dungeon.

 Chapter 387 - Cave of Desire study tour (3)

    <h4>LDM 387 ¨C Cave of Desire study tour (3)</h4>

    By?lie jin san

    ¡°and now, this is the [Avarice Trap]¡±

    While saying that, I guide them into the trial room with a magic sword, our dungeon prided facility the [Avarice Trap] room.

    ¡°So?the room here is?Rokuko¡¯s?dungeon [Avarice Trap]¡±

    ¡°This is a quiterge room, I thought it would be smaller, medium-size kind of room... oh I can see the pedestal of the Magic Sword¡±

    Haku approaches the magic sword pedestal and pulls out the golem magic sword which serves as the Trial item.

    *Gashan!* the entrance immediately filled with thick iron needles, making it impossible for anyone to pass through, it¡¯s like the beast has closed its mouth.

    ¡°This... you can use this to kill someone who trying to get inside by pulling out the sword.¡±

    ¡°As expected of Haku-nee-sama, she understands this room mechanism instantly. Well,?In?fact, such ident did happen¡±

    ¡°The magic sword... Hmm, it creates a rapid low vibration when you infuse magic power into it, causing it to increase its sharpness, is this Kema¡¯s favorite creation?¡±

    She picks it up and examined it very carefully. I¡¯m a little bit worried, I wonder she found out that the magic sword was actually a golem, but I think I¡¯m safe for now. But that just a beginning¡­..

    ¡°Vibrating type of magic sword... Haku, can I have it for a second? I¡¯m curious since I¡¯m magic sword type core¡±

    ¡­ now it¡¯s?Aidi?turn, she is originally a magic sword, can she distinguish between my golem magic sword and the original magic sword ¡­

    ¡°This feels like Demon type magic sword, but the inanimate one¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so it¡¯s like that?¡±

    Yeah, it goes unnoticed! I made a victory pose in my mind.

    By the way, a magic sword is divided into two types in the catalog. one is Demon magic sword category and the other is the magic tools category, so it matches the magic sword ssification in Demon magic sword category, some of the Demon magic swords can even talk.

    ¡°I wonder if?Aidi?falls into Demon type magic sword category¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right?Rokuko, to be more precise if the sword has a will or intention, it¡¯s Demon type magic sword and if the sword has a special effect due to magic circle enhancement it falls into the Magic tool type?swords,¡­?I think what cksmith in this vige was trying to create is theter one¡±

    ¡°Fun. Speaking of which, Haku-nee-chan?also had a Magic sword collection, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m collecting them without distinction, though the Demon type magic swords are under strict supervision, so we can eliminate the possibility of it being a spy¡±

    Magic Sword the spy, is there such a thing?

    ¡­ to think of it, my beloved magic sword [siesta] should be a Demon type magic sword, since I left it in the dungeon, let¡¯s examine itter.

    ¡°By the way, if you can bring that magic sword out of this room, you can make it your own¡±

    ¡°...Hoo?¡±

    ¡°...Hee?¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s?sudden words made them reacted and look at me

    ¡°The original purpose of this room is to allow adventurers to experience how it feels to wield a magic sword and encourage them to go deeper, would you like to pass this trial anyway?¡±

    ¡°so, it¡¯s okay for me to try it?¡±

    Aidi?starts with the sword stuck in the pedestal, then she proceeds to pull it... out, it closed the entrance. Put it back in, it¡¯s opened again. put in, put out, put in...

    ¡°... this is fun!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y with it, do it quick! What are you going to do if it stuck!¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry.¡±

    Haku-san prompted her to pull out the magic sword. She then walks into the room entrance and pulls out her own fiery magic sword and ready her stance¨C

    ¡°¨C[Crimson...¡±

    ¡°Stop!Stop!Stop!¡±

    I hurriedly stopped?Aidi, and she¡¯s canceling her skill...

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Vige chief?¡±

    ¡°just now, what are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°I thought I would use my attack skill [Crimson Road], If I destroy this needle, I can get out, right? that¡¯s my n.¡±

    Please spare me. that¡¯s a skill that has the power to evaporate iron balls along with the seawater in thest three-way dungeon battle.

    A ferocious skill that pushed back even the momentum Steel ballbined with ocean wave in one straight line

    Even though it is strengthened by the dungeon wall effect, these iron needles can be blown off easily and it will prate through the walls of thebyrinth area.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was going to adjust it. I think this needle is more fragile than the core 564.¡±

    ¡°You can have it, so please don¡¯t destroy my dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Is that so??hufufu, I did it,?Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Congrats?¡±

    Aidi?happily putting Golem magic sword into her [storage].

    ¡°Then it¡¯s my turn now? The magic sword is gone, can you rece it?¡±

    ¡°Usually you need to wait for a while, but this time it¡¯s special¡±

    The new sword is added to the pedestal with the dungeon auto-refill function.

    ¡°Fufu, this is easy. I don¡¯t need to break the entrance.¡±

    Haku pulls out the magic sword¨C

    ¡°... trace your memory and connect a path to the other side. Run in the sky. Run in time. That ce is here. This ce is the other side. Intersection. Ovep. connect-[Transfer]¡±

    she disappeared.

    Haku¡¯s sign appeared on the other side of the needle that grew at the entrance.

    ¡­ ah did she just uses [Transfer]? I didn¡¯t think about that countermeasures.

    I replenish the pedestal with a Golem magic sword to open the entrance. Haku stood there with a smile on her face while holding the Golem magic sword

    ¡°So... even if you take out the magic sword from the room, the entrance won¡¯t open.¡±

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama! You are amazing!¡±

    ¡°Not a half bad, no wonder she is top 10 ranker¡±

    It¡¯s aplete defeat.

    The only countermeasure against this would be to make the magic sword self-destruct after [Transfer]. For the time being, I already memorized [Transfer] chant, and I can teach golems to... but... if she already takes it outside then it self-destructs, It¡¯s unfair.

    ¡°It was splendid, please take that magic sword¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, well, it¡¯s only lower rank magic sword, but nevertheless this is a memorable gift¡±

    Haku putting the magic sword into her [storage] with a good mood.

    *

    And our famous attraction [Avarice Trap], was brilliantly solved by these two people.

    This dungeon¡¯s most thrilling attraction is over with this, so I¡¯ll introduce whatever that left now. Or rather, the only thing that left is the [Inn of Greed].

    the area with puzzle-solving elements ends here.

    After this point is a ce where adventurers rarelye in, and there¡¯s should be no need to bring them there... The spiral staircase area is connected with the warehouse and there¡¯s not much to see inside, except for those irregr golems. Furthermore, it is troublesome if we take a detour to the grasnd area and meet with the subus.

    By the way, the [Inn of Greed] is popr, there is some vacant room but... this ce even has a rental bookstore and preserved food store, do you guys want to live here?

    It¡¯s fine by me because I earned DP from this.

    ¡°There is a warehouse area in the back and it¡¯s storing the same kind of magic sword as before, but most of the adventurers are stopping at this point. In front of the spiral staircase area, so this concludes our dungeon tour¡±

    ¡°is that so? I still wanted to see more.¡±

    ¡°...hmm. You just remodeling this ce¡±

    Haku carefully examining the trace of destruction and the spiral staircase area.

    ¡°... and the construction seems to bepleted?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ah, yes¡±

    Rokuko?seems to remember something, slipped a small ¡°Ah¡±, and?Aidi?was suspicious because she cannot understand the meaning.

    ¡°How about the [Inn of Greed], I haven¡¯t seen that.¡±

    ¡°The detail of that facility is a secret. The exnation I can give is the same kind of what adventurers already know¡±

    In fact, there¡¯s no exnation because I¡¯m doing more than half of the work manually from the other side.

    ¡°Vige chief, I wonder if I can get a magic sword if I stay in the [Inn of Greed]?¡±

    ¡°No, but well, if you¡¯re lucky enough, you can get one¡±

    as you can predict, it was a waste of time to even try it (or rather, both Haku and?Aidi?give us zero DP per day, so we couldn¡¯t benefit from each other), so we turned back.

    It goes without saying that we bypassed the monster once again on the way back and we got out smoothly.

 Chapter 388 - Aidi in the Gollen village

    <h4>LDM 388 ¨C Aidi in the Gollen vige</h4>

    By?lie jin san

    After finished her inspection of the dungeon, Haku hesitantly returned to the capital.

    She¡¯s quite pleased with?Rokuko?service so she gives her generous tip, she also ordered more Melon Cream Soda and put it into her [storage]

    In other cases,?Aidi?is still not leaving, should we cut off her time here and send her home, or shall we squeeze her wallet some more?

    Well, I don¡¯t know how long will I stay at The Demon Kingdom, so I¡¯d better drain her wallet dry, for the sake offortable inn at our destination!

    In case she decided to stay, I will surely entertain her and make her stay longer in veryfortable.... wait, where did she go?

    I checked the map and found out she¡¯s been hanging out in the open space behind the inn.

    ¡°Fufu, you are pretty good, puppy, let¡¯s have some more fun¡±

    ¡°Kuh...I¡¯m not done yet...?tsu¡±

    When I found her, it seems that she had a mock battle with Niku

    I sit next to?Ichika, she¡¯s been sweating a lot. She probably already had her turn before Niku.

    ¡°Ichika, good job¡±

    ¡°Oh master, I¡¯m sweating a lot right now, please wait a minute... [clean]... all right..., do you need me for something?¡±

    ¡°Are you someone who concerned about that? Well, I¡¯m just checking out our honored guest, ... it¡¯s the person right there¡±

    I¡¯m looking at Niku and?Aidi?mock battle, their movement is reaching the level that cannot be followed by human eyes, it¡¯s too fierce.

    That Niku... she¡¯s already quitting the realm of human being, this is definitely not just the power of cloth golem, she¡¯s outperforming her equipment.

    But the one that crazy right here is?Aidi, she¡¯s dominating Niku with a quiterge margin, I wonder if she¡¯s on par with Hero... Though the DP gain from her is zero because she¡¯s a dungeon core.

    ¡°Master...¡±

    ¡°hmm? What¡¯s the matter?Ichika?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m suitable to be Niku-sempai sparring partner anymore, even?Setsuna?must go all out against her, can¡¯t you think a better training partner for her in the future?¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah, I also didn¡¯t expect her growth as?beastman?is this fast, I guess she¡¯s special after?all ?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s abnormal to be able to move like that at her age...¡±

    It means it¡¯s normal if she¡¯s older? Oh yeah, we do have an example case called?Setsuna.

    ¡°Ah,?Setsuna?also unusual, don¡¯t use her as a standard¡±

    ¡°As I said, I don¡¯t understand?beastman?that well¡±

    ¡°From my experience, I will predict that... Niku won¡¯t even lose to adult?beastman¡±

    What, she¡¯s too amazing.

    But the problem currently is... our Niku doesn¡¯t have anyone to be her sparring partner in this vige... I can see the future when she leaving the vige while saying [I want to search for someone that stronger than me] I¡¯m quite sure of this.

    Just what drove her to be so strong...

    ¡°By the way, Master. I will tell you something interesting.¡±

    ¡°Nn, go ahead?¡±

    ¡°She... didn¡¯t use the golem¡±

    ...eh? Are you saying that sh like movement is her own natural ability? That movement that makes her figure seems to disappear, the movement that is so fast so all I can see is after image¡­

    ¡°She could have more attack power with golem clothes, but she is faster without it¡±

    ¡°...That is amazing, Niku¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the Niku-senpai is amazing.¡±

    How much further you will go, Niku...

    If she faces an unskillful Hero now, I¡¯m sure she can win.

    That beast-like potential is certainly suited for Niku, I wonder whether I deserve to be the master of a wonderful ve like Niku... but to think about it, I think?Rokuko¡¯s?luck ying a great part in here. Yeah, that makes sense.

    ¡°Come on! Come on! You can¡¯t be finished with just this right?¡±

    ¡°Mu~~ ¨Ctsu¡±

    A sharp attack with a wooden swordes at Niku, she counters attacking immediately while avoiding the sword with a paper-thin margin, but?Aidi?guard her counter with a wooden sword, wait when you retract your sword back?

    ¡°Out of breath?already ?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Human, so...¡±

    ¡°Breathing is a weakness. Stop it during the match.¡±

    ¡°...Normally, impossible¡±

    ¡°Just throw it away? Those normalcy, boring things.¡±

    No, no, she¡¯s not a dungeon core, so she can¡¯t throw it away, it would be bad if she throws it away.

    Or are you saying you can¡¯t reach Hero ss strength if you are not prepared to throw away physiological phenomenon called breathing? then I¡¯m fine being a normal person.

    ¡°I think I can¡¯t stop breathing for that long.¡±

    ¡°In other words, if you can do it then you¡¯re stronger than the ones who can¡¯t¡±

    ¡°....I?see... that... makes sense¡±

    Niku knife aiming at?Aidi¡¯s?leg, which she easily steps on and holds down.

    ¡°Attacking my feet is a good idea, but it has drawbacks.¡±

    ¡°Kuh...¡±

    ¡°I see, you avoided it. Good job, it was a very good decision to let go of your weapon, but you lose your advantage now.¡±

    Aidi?step on Niku wooden knife and trying to stab her, at that moment Niku let go of her weapon to avoid?Aidi¡¯s?attack, good decision.

    ¡°But without a weapon, do you think you can win against me?¡±

    ¡°...steal your opponent¡¯s weapon?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea. wonderful.¡±

    Saying that she pulled out the fiery magic sword, and throw it at Niku.

    Niku grabs the weapon and immediately cuts?Aidi.

    ¡°!¡±

    ¡°Too bad, that weapon won¡¯t hurt me, the wooden sword is better in that aspect¡±

    The magic sword is disappeared as soon as it cut into?Aidi, ...no that¡¯s a separate matter, the problem is Niku cut?Aidi?without a shred of hesitation, what will you do if it worked?

    ¡°So?is that how it works?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡±

    I think she knew it, she knows there will be some countermeasure when?Aidi?handed over the weapon, so it¡¯s okay to attack her? What¡¯s with that thought... scary.

    In any case, it seems that the mock battle ended here,?Aidi?look at me and smiled.

    ¡°Wee, Vige chief did youe to y(duel) with me?¡±

    ¡°No, I just came to check on you¡±

    ¡°Ah, I was looking forward to ying with you, I heard that you won¡¯t even lose to Hero ¡±

    Herees the misunderstanding, it¡¯s true I won¡¯t lose to Hero in resourcefulness, but I will not win at direct confrontation.

    ¡°Well, if you stay long enough, there will be an opportunity to do that¡±

    ¡°Ohh?, well... at worst you will drain my wallet, but at least I can y with?Rokuko¡±

    So?with that?Aidi?dering her intention to stay here longer. Well, it¡¯s fine just like this.

    ¡­ yeah, when Watarues, I¡¯ll ask him to do mock battle with?Aidi, and if?Nerune?is the one who asked him, this will be easy.

 Chapter 389 - Extra: Aidi Bread Divination

    <h4>LDM 389 ¨C Extra: Aidi Bread Divination</h4>

    By?lie jin san

    ¡°Choco?Co is good.¡±

    ¡°Melon bread is also good¡±

    On that day,?Aidi?and?Rokuko?were munching (mogumogu) bread in the dining room. Nowadays it¡¯s amon sight in?Gollen?vige to see these two people eating bread together.

    Rokuko?is known as the owner of the inn and?Aidi?is her customer.

    Rokuko?was a benefactor of?Kema, and?Aidi?is the strongest person in the vige, she can easily dominate?Niku?in a fight.

    ¡°I think... bread is reflecting your personality¡±

    Aidi?murmured while biting the chocte co

    ¡°Hoho... please exin.¡±

    Rokuko?decides to go along with her story.

    ¡°For example, my Chocte Co, this bread is reflecting an aggressive character¡±

    ¡°What about my melon bread?¡±

    ¡°The surface is shaped like a shield, you have Defensive nature¡±

    ¡°I see, there¡¯s a truth in that¡±

    Rokuko?replied like finally understand the truth behind her words, or she probably just want to act cool and say [there¡¯s a truth in that]

    By the way, since?Rokuko¡¯s?waist sword is a decoration, it was alreadymon knowledge that she only had a paper-like defense.

    However,?Rokuko¡¯s?true value lies in the dungeon battle and?Aidi?never look down at?Rokuko.

    In fact, it¡¯s widely known that?Rokuko?had a talent as a ¡°strategist in the backline¡±, that¡¯s a talent that the Demon Kingdom never had. And that¡¯s the reason why?her?dungeon?has?fearsome defensive power... or so they say, well it¡¯s probably not a mistake, at least it was close enough to the truth.

    ¡°Bread diagnosis...No, I think it¡¯s more like a Bread Divination. I¡¯d like to?know?about other people¡¯s bread as well.¡±

    ¡°is that so? Alright then¨C¡±

    She looks around the dining room and saw?Niku?as a waitress. She then calls her and?Niku?rushed with light footsteps.

    ¡°Answer me, puppy. What do you like?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    Niku?was confused about the sudden question.

    ¡°Ah, she meant bread,?Aidi, you need to specify the subject properly¡±

    ¡°Mm... I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll ask again. Puppy. What kind of bread do you like?¡±

    With?Rokuko¡¯s?help,?Aidi?rephrased her question and it was answered immediately, as for why?Niku?was about to find out.

    ¡°... a hamburger.¡±

    ¡°fumu¡±

    ¡°What kind of personality is this,?Aidi-sensei?¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute?Rokuko. I¡¯m thinking now.¡±

    She lost in thought for a minute and that leads?Aidi?to her answer, a hamburger, a bread with meat in it... that means!

    ¡°...she is Carnivorous! she¡¯s a dog!¡±

    ¡°I see!¡±

    ¡°but that¡¯s naive!, at first nce she looks like a domesticated Dog, but in truth, she¡¯s a wild beast!¡±

    ¡°Not bad?Niku!¡±

    ¡°? thank you¡­¡­?¡±

    Aidiugh loudly, not knowing why she was praised,?Niku?tilted her head.

    ¡°OK, next! Let¡¯s keep going,?Rokuko!¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    Saying so,?Rokuko?and?Aidi?left the dining room in search of their next?victi.... prey.

    The two of them now arrived at?Beddhism?church, there¡¯s no particr reason for choosing this ce.

    In this hour there should be either subus sisters or?Rei?who holds the title?as?Beddhism?saint. They immediately ask her about her favorite bread.

    ¡°My favorite bread? If it were food, it would be blood.¡±

    An anomaly right off the bat, a pattern of people without favorite bread. They are unreadable! It¡¯s going to be even worse when she asks subus sister? is this?a bad?location?for divination?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m a vampire, by the way, what do you want to do with it, was my favorite food is no good?¡±

    ¡°No... this is had to be bread, so¡­?Rokuko... you decide¡±

    ¡°eee... well, maybe it¡¯s jam bread. Strawberry jam bread. It¡¯s red.¡±

    ¡°Jam bread... hmm¡±

    And?Aidi?arrived at her answer

    ¡°I can see the answer, you are innocent (simple and honest)¡±

    ¡°ugh, innocent?¡±

    ¡°See, I¡¯m right. But why are you settled on jam bread?¡±

    ¡°I chose that because it has the same color as blood, simple right?¡±

    Rei?thought that it has nothing to do with bread anymore, but she swallowed her words because Aidi is an honored guest.

    For the time being, they seem satisfied and smiled, and so they left the church?in?search for the next prey.

    *

    ¡°Is this your favorite bread? Is it???¡± (variety of?anpan?with green paste)

    This one answer is better, the question was directed to the Silky that was working on the inn¡¯sundry.

    They all look the same, so it¡¯s hard to tell them apart. this one is probably Hanna.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, because it¡¯s green?¡±

    ¡°No, because it¡¯s the color of big sis?Kinue¡±

    I ask her why and that¡¯s her answer

    By the way, Silkies calls?Kinue?as a sister, maid captain, captain, and so on.?Rokuko?can understand it because it was the same for her sister(Haku).

    ¡°so, it¡¯s not because its green¡±

    ¡°I think there¡¯s a vast difference between calling [because it¡¯s green] and [because it¡¯s the color of sis¡¯?Kinue],??isn¡¯t?Rokuko-sama?also often say [because it¡¯s the color of?Kehma] instead [because it¡¯s ck]?¡±

    ¡°Valid reasoning, ok I will ept it, then?Aidi?what¡¯s your judgment?¡±

    After?Rokuko?confirms it she then passes the baton to?Aidi, and the answer is-

    ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten?Uguisu?Anpan.¡±

    ¡°Ah?... okay, here¡±

    It was a bread that?Aidi?never had,?Rokuko?exchanged the DP for the bread and hand it over to?Aidi. The bread certainly contains green-colored bean paste and shaped like?Anpan.

    ¡­ she tried a bite, but still, she doesn¡¯t understand it.

    ¡°Hmm....well, I do think that it tasted good because it¡¯s unique¡±

    ¡°Is that?bread?not suitable?¡±

    ¡°No, It¡¯s okay. That¡¯s not the main point¡±

    Rokuko?also take it half-heartedly, she¡¯s probably getting bored of this y

    While taking Hanna with them, they are heading back to?Cafetaria?and ask?Kinue

    ¡°Eh? My favorite bread??unnn, It¡¯s... Waffle?¡±

    ¡°That what?Kinue?says¡±

    ¡°Well, that don¡¯t have anything to do with you color,?Kinue.¡±

    If that¡¯s the case then?Rokuko?needs to ask?Kinue, why it¡¯s waffle??Aidi?also know what waffle is, it¡¯s the bread with a grid-like texture like a fence.

    ¡°so why waffle?¡±

    ¡°Is it because it¡¯s easy to clean because of its shape?¡±

    ¡°It just feels special¡±

    ¡°Just because of that?¡±

    ¡°Fortune telling is vague things after all, or rather because it¡¯s vague that¡¯s why people do it¡±

    ¡°Shall I decide it?¡±

    Rokuko?getting tired of it anyway, so because of that she trying?to end¨C

    ¡°Ah,?Rokuko, and?Aidi-sama. Can you read my curry bread next? I love this bread¡±

    Asked?Ichika, who was supposed to be off duty.

    ¡°Oh,?Ichika. It¡¯s over already¡±

    ¡°Eeh!¡±

    ¡°It cannot be helped...I¡¯ll?take?look at it. so what is curry bread?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s this one, have you never tasted it?¡±

    Just like with Hannah,?Rokuko?exchanged some DP and give curry bread to?Aidi.

    ¡°This is... spicy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because it¡¯s curry¡±

    ¡°Then...I like curry.¡±

    ¡°so sloppy!¡±

    They are getting tired of it, so?Aidi¡¯s?bread divination ends here.

 Chapter 390 - Brand new power?

    <h4>390 ¨C Brand new power?</h4>

    By?lie jin san

    ¡°So here is the home of the rumored?Beddhism?religion¡±

    It¡¯s famous, but she only heard them from rumor,?Aidi?who never knew even the word of [B] for [Beddishm] makes her visit, with dignified appearance?Aidi?visit the church in the name of studying?Gollen?vige custom.

    Every day she spent her time ying with?Rokuko?or sparring with Niku, but today she remembered that shee here as an exchange student.

    ¡°So, what do you think about thisfortable nap space?¡±

    ¡°So, what kind of arena this church has?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    I exchanged ce with?Aidi. Did I just hear something that I cannot make sense?

    ¡°The church is not a ce to take a nap, right?¡±

    ¡°Why the church has an arena?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    Aidi?tilted her head, but I¡¯m confused too.

    ¡°Oh, I see, it¡¯s a cultural difference.¡±

    ¡°...Is the church?is?a ce to sleep in this country?¡±

    ¡°Actually no, this?Beddishm?only custom¡±

    Now I¡¯m curious what?Aidi?hear about?Beddishm, I think she only listening to?Rokuko¡¯s?story about it.

    ¡°is it normal for a church to have an arena in Demon Kingdom¡±

    ¡°Of course. And if you get injured you can recover immediately¡±

    ¡°They provide that kind of benefit?¡±

    I think its unique custom of the battle?junkies?country, over there a street fight is an everyday urrence, it makes sense now... that the kind of country where you are very likely to get into a fight with your every footstep. Let¡¯s hope by going as an envoy of another country will negate that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me... the open space where we used to do mock battle is the arena?¡±

    ¡°We did not have that kind of facility here...¡±

    By the way, among us, recovery magic can be used by me,?Rokuko, Niku,?Ichika, and three monster girl executives, a total of 7 people.

    There is also a skill scroll of [healing] that?Rokuko?pulls out from?gacha, I feel like I need to use it now.

    And outside our dungeon member it seems that recovery magic can be used by Sister of the church,?Sui, who doubled as the organizer of subus. also, the other subus seems to be able to use recovery skills that can heal scratches.

    ¡°if you look at it like this, this?Beddishm?religion church is still very church-like¡±

    ¡°in Demon Kingdom, you cannot call it church if it doesn¡¯t have an arena¡±

    ¡°I mean in the?Raverio?empire sense... as for the arena... we have a game room at the inn¡±

    I said that because the word used in fighting and games are simr... did?Aidi?understand what I mean?

    Also, there¡¯s actually an arena inside the dungeon, but I will keep it a secret.

    If she finds out about?it,?she will demand a fight, I¡¯m sure of it.

    ¡°A?game?room?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we have mouse race for betting, there¡¯s also a table for dice and card game, haven¡¯t you visited it with?Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t in that ce before, I can just y card and dice in?Rokuko?room... but I¡¯m curious about mouse race¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s a game where we lined up several rats and betting on which one will reach the goal first¡±

    ¡°in other words, that¡¯s?rats?version of ve race¡±

    There¡¯s seems to be a simr gambling game in Demon Kingdom, but instead of rat, they use ves.

    ¡°Aside from that, what on this cab at the back? ¡­ ah, a book?¡±

    ¡°yes, that is a bookshelf¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s was such a mess in?Rokuko¡¯s?room but apparently book is cheap in this?vige?¡±

    While saying that,?Aidi?pick up one book and flips its pages.

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not sure, but is this the scripture?¡±

    ¡°No, I have never written a copy of my scripture, I¡¯m only preaching it¡¯s content to the mass¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, no matter how you look at it, this one only says about agriculture.¡±

    While said that, she continuing flips the next book.

    ¡°you can also do speed reading?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately,?no. all I did is just flipping the pages, I will read itter¡±

    Ah right,?Aidi?is a dungeon core and she can record whatever she sees and rewind it for reviewter, just like a video. ¡­ it means she is copying it... oi that¡¯s illegal, stop it.

    ¡°Just join us in?Beddishm?and continue to read the book here!¡±

    ¡°Too bad, but I am a Demon God follower¡±

    ¡°Demon God? That¡¯s the first time I heard of that religion¡±

    ¡°Simply put, it¡¯s Demon Kingdom version of White Goddess religion, it¡¯s really simr¡±

    ...aah, I get it, they worship core number 6 as the Great Demon King, and their religion is called [Demon God Religion].

    ¡°But our?Beddishm?is a flexible religion, you can adopt it as a sub-religion even if you are a member of the White Goddess religion. In fact, many?Beddishm?practitioners devote their faith to the Food God, White Goddess, cksmith God, and Gambling god¡±

    ¡°...Sub-religion? It¡¯s a new concept that I heard for the first time. Isn¡¯t?Beddhism?God angry with?such thing?¡±

    ¡°Ah. There is no god in?Beddishm¡±

    ¡°To think of it... I think?Rokuko?already exin this to me, but at that time I don¡¯t understand what she¡¯s talking about... so,?Rokuko?isn¡¯t the God of?Beddhism?¡±

    It¡¯s a?far off?interpretation, why did?Rokuko?ended up as?Beddishm?God?

    ¡°I thought?Beddhism?is founded to collect GP¡±

    ¡°...GP?¡±

    ¡°No way, did you create?Beddhism?without knowing about GP?¡±

    [Well?well, I¡¯m amazed] Her face saying that.

    And seriously what is that, what is GP?

    ¡°GP is God Point, you can give it to [Father] and he will give you DP in return¡±

    ¡°I see¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not in the DP catalog, but it seems to be useful when you have a direct request to father, there¡¯s also a rumor that Haku use this to hunt other core¡±

    Wow, Daddy points are amazing. Or in other words, God Point or GP.

    ¡­...... yeah, in that case, I definitely want it. It will be useful when I need a father to help me with something. Does this mean I can get GP if I collect faith?

    Then suddenly *pirorin* email arrives and the menu opened by itself.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Oh, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°ah..., I just got a message... give me a minute.¡±

    The email was from [Father]

    ......[I will let Haku permit the rtionship between?Kehma?and?Rokuko?for 100 GP.]

    ¡­ are you listening to us? You eavesdropper.

    [I don¡¯t think eavesdropping is a good hobby. Since you request 100 GP for the bribe, does that mean that I can use it?] ¨D¨DAnother reply arrived in one second.

    ¡°Ah, I apologize I got carried away because you are at the church, its rare opportunity to use that joke. Anyway, now you can see the GP on your menu, also you need to generate your own GP or it¡¯s lost it meaning¡±

    Looking at the menu again I can see it disyed below the DP, it says [GP:25], yup.

    ¡°Oh, the GP appeared¡±

    ¡°Ah, good for you... I can¡¯t see mine yet, I¡¯m working hard as an apostle of the Demon God, but I won¡¯t see it until I collect it to some extent¡±

    Apostle, is there such a thing?

    In that case, I¡¯m a founder of?Beddishm?and as a result, I have umted 25GP

    ¡°Well as an apostle of Demon God, it¡¯s forbidden for me to believe in other religion, even when yours don¡¯t have God of their own, so I won¡¯t discuss this any further¡±

    ¡°is that so? But now I want to check the item list for GP for now, can we?call?it a day?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that, but let me know if you learn something new in that¡±

    ¡°...I can¡¯t promise that, but if you want to hear more about?Beddhism, ask Sister.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Then I¡¯ll go back¡±

    And so, I left?Aidi?and went back to Vige chief house. let¡¯s carefully examine the GP.

    I was about to do that... but there were only two text boxes input other than [Exchange 1GP for 100.000DP] option.

    ¡°Dedicate GP: (empty text box)¡±

    Below it

    ¡°Request: (empty text box)¡±

    Only those two

    And those two inputs are divided into a separate field.

    Whether this request will pass or not is depends on [Father] mood? In that case, I will do my best to keep him in a good mood.

    ...... This is too in that there¡¯s nothing to do about it, so let¡¯s just gently closed the menu.

 Chapter 391 - Another new power

    <strong>Chapter 391 ¨C Another new power</strong>

    Eventually, I decided to leave GP as it is.

    It¡¯s been left unnoticed until now, and it¡¯s probably for the best¡­ will it pile up by itself? I need to ask [Father] about that.

    For the sake of umting GP, normally I need to do an event to collect faith, and because I have noparison subject, I don¡¯t know whether 25 GP or even 100GP is big or small in value.

    Comparing GP with DP won¡¯t work.

    For example, gold coins can be converted to DP and vice versa, but you can¡¯t get GP with DP. It¡¯s a one-way transaction.

    Welp, since I only have that to think about, let¡¯s go to sleep.

    ***

    ¡°Kehma, Kehma take a look at this!¡±

    One day after Aidi was here as an exchange student, Rokuko came barging into my room.

    ¡°What? Was it so important that it must disturb my sleep?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it is! I was talking to Aidi about various things and this was added to menu¡±

    Rokuko merrily showing the menu, GP¡­ no, that¡¯s not it, this is not about GP, but about new menu called [Enhancement].

    ¡°look, [Enhancement]! [Enhancement]!¡±

    ¡°¡­ah I remember, Aidi did talk about that before¡±

    I certainly remember during that three-way dungeon battle. she said, ¡°we the magic sword type core can use DP to [enhance] our self¡± or something simr to that.

    It was not on our menu until now, or it just locked? In that case, I don¡¯t know what causing it to be unlocked¡­ could it have been her conversation with Aidi?

    ¡°Apparently, this [enhancement] is a function that allows me to power up!¡±

    ¡°Hoho, I¡¯m listening¡±

    ¡°For example, this [Beastification], it will give me the power of a wild beast!¡±

    Rokuko opens the [Enhancement] menu and shows [Beastification] option inside. It also branching out into more detailed type like [dog], [cat], [monkey], [lion] and many more. Though there are only mammals listed there.

    The price also varied depending on the item, 150.000 DP for [rabbit], 500.000 DP for [Lion]¡­. 3.000.000 DP for¡­ [whale].

    ¡°They also have [Dragonfication]? I think it will be cool if I transform into Dragon and join the fight.¡±

    It listed 800.000 DP for [Wyvern], 30.000.000 DP for [Green Dragon] ¡­ 10.000.000 DP for [Red Dragon] for some reason it¡¯s cheaper than [Green Dragon] is this because we have Red Dragon¡¯s dungeon as our neighbor?

    There are also [Crocodile], [Iguana], [Lizardman] in this option? What¡¯s wrong with this catalog? Won¡¯t it be more urate to call it [Repilization]?

    ¡°I had my eyes on [Weaponfication] and [Armorfication] isn¡¯t it good if I transform into it and let Kehma equip me? So we can fight together ¡±

    There are also a sword, shield, armor, helm¡­. underwear¡­ really, underwear?

    Anyway, equipment type cost 300.000 DP each, and they can further be transformed into lower grade item and then [Magic Sword Enhancement] and a somewhat simr option will appear, I know this from Aidi. (of course, since Aidi is a magic sword from the start, this method are useless to her)

    Is it possible to change Aidi attribute with this [Magic Sword Enhancement]? It may be also possible for her to transform into a spear, armor, and many others.

    ¡°Besides that they also had [humanization], at first I thought this is useless but it turns out quite interesting¡±

    [Human], [Beastman], [Elf], [Dwarf] each cost 100.000 DP, does it changes your appearance drastically? we can probably use this for disguise.

    ¡°Beastman Rokuko; cat ears or dog ears, which one is better?¡±

    ¡°What up Kehma? If you¡¯re curious I can try it¡±

    ¡°Not really, for now, it¡¯s enough with simple ear headband¡±

    And when we go deeper, I can see [Monsterization] as well, I can select the type from my dungeon monster variety.

    Why there¡¯s a dragon too, it seems that everything that rted to us is included in this catalog.

    ¡°Well, in general, it¡¯s cheaper just to summon those monsters normally, so there is no need to spend DP to transform.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you are right.¡±

    ¡­ but for an emergency, It might be useful to turn yourself into slime to defend against physical attack, or maybe ant or something with an unusual shape, you can use it to escape through a small gap.

    ¡°It¡¯s like Kehma¡¯s [Super Transformation], I¡¯m excited¡±

    ¡°but it costs DP.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of which, can Kehma transform into food? Perhaps ball candy?¡±

    It¡¯s not listed on [Enhancement] but my [Super Transformation] can transform me into food, and why Rokuko staring at me like she¡¯s looking at a treat¡­

    ¡°Do you want to eat¡­ me?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t chew so you won¡¯t die¡±

    ¡°I think it will be worse, it¡¯s like being melted and licked without actually died¡±

    ¡°Then melon bread¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you don¡¯t eat me¡±

    That¡¯s no joke, to be melted in Rokuko¡¯s mouth.

    I look at Rokuko and she showing her tongue movement, like licking and rolling a candy. As I watch her mouth she grinned.

    ¡°Hmm? Don¡¯t you want to be licked?¡±

    ¡°Rokuko¡­ let me remind you of one thing¡­ that is more obscene than kissing¡±

    ¡°Nya!?¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s face turned red.

    ¡°I-It¡¯s not like that! It¡¯s not like that!¡±

    ¡°O-okay, I understand, okay?¡±

    She was beating me with a pillow, it hurts.

    ¡°¡­Kehma, hug¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes¡±

    We already got hug permission from Haku, so we can do it as much as we like. That¡¯s why I hug her once. Did she calm down with this?

    ¡°I wonder why I can use [enhancement]¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ it¡¯s not a normal type of [enhancement], usually, it won¡¯t change your type. Aidi enhancement is [indestructible] or something in that nature.¡±

    Well. That¡¯s probably non-organic only enhancement

    ¡°Or probably it¡¯s still locked, I can¡¯t find it anywhere¡­ I wonder if I can also fight?¡±

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to go to front lines Rokuko, it¡¯s the dungeon core from Demons Kingdom that is strange¡±

    Isn¡¯t she gets influenced by Aiditely?

    I don¡¯t want Rokuko to be like Aidi.

    TL note: thanks to all people that pointing my mistake, I really appreciate it

    and yeah¡­ this site forcing me to use ads, but please bear with me¡­ this is still better than that buggy blogspot, also¡­ do you guys want darker theme or this is fine ? I kinda rush this, so¡­.

    anywayment below and about Niku(Meat) name¡­ we will get back to itter, for now it¡¯s Niku

 Chapter 392 - Hot pot, Aidi, and the end of the study abroad

    <h4>Chapter 392 ¨C Hot pot, Aidi, and the end of the study abroad</h4>

    Today¡¯s supper is a hot pot that I made in employee dining room.

    The reason for this hot pot is¡­. No reason, I just wanted to eat rice on the kotatsu

    I will be enjoying this with Aidi, Rokuko, and Nerune, the reason why I invite them is¡­ No reason.

    I just happened cook this Hot pot and they are just happened to be here, so I invite them.

    This hot pot contains seafood from Pavuera it warm and delicious, it cannot go wrong with ponzu {just think it as soysauce+lime}

    ¡°This portable stove technology is simple, but this is good magic tools. I need one¡±

    ¡°ehehehe, it¡¯s been adopted as dungeon loot, but I was the one who made it¡± ¡°This heater appliance also nice. I need one¡±

    ¡°ehehehe, I also made that¡±

    ¡°Vige chief, this child, I need one¡±

    She¡¯s an important inventor of this house so you can¡¯t have one, but I will sell you the stove and kotatsu.

    ¡°ah but it¡¯s bad if misunderstanding spread, in both cases the idea ising from my Master, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Rokuko, your master, I need one¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t give it, because it¡¯s mine¡±

    Now Rokuko ims my ownership, ¡­ well, she¡¯s not wrong, I am her dungeon master.

    ¡°By the way, this ponzu saucees from the dungeon¡±

    ¡°unn, it goes well with a seafood hot pot¡±

    They call it a sauce? I wonder if shoyu{soy sauce} also called sauce.

    ¡°Eating like this is a good idea because we all eating from the same pot, we don¡¯t have to worry about someone poisoning the food, but wait it doesn¡¯t mean you can¡¯t, right? There¡¯s a small window to put it since they served it in a small te¡±

    ¡°¡­ is that how you eat food in Demon Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just me? it¡¯s not rted to the Demon Kingdom custom. it¡¯s just how I¡¯m doing things¡±

    Anyway, Demon are nobles in Demon Kingdom, most of them also dungeon core. It seems their territory is divided by the dungeon area.

    Aidi who is in 600 series also has her own territory, though she only has two viges. And yes, those viges are the [vige] or in other words, it¡¯s a human farm. Please don¡¯t go there Rokuko.

    While talking about that stuff, she pay for the stove and kotatsu.

    ¡°But really, this is a very meaningful study abroad¡±

    Aidi said so when we finished the meal.

    ¡°¡­ are you going home already?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by [already], if anything it feels like I overstayed here¡±

    Rokuko tilted her head, wondering if that¡¯s really the case.

    By the way, it¡¯s been a month since Aidi came¡­ somehow time goes so fast.

    ¡°That¡¯s why Haku wille tomorrow and pick me up¡±

    ¡°It feels so sudden, I totally forgot¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, I enjoyed my time here, that¡¯s why¡­ prepare yourself, when you guyse to our Demon Kingdom, we will wee you with our all¡±

    ¡°yeah, Kehma¡­ when will we go to y to Aidi ce?¡±

    Speaking of which, I didn¡¯t hear anything about that.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t youing with me?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    ¡°¡­nnn?¡±

    Go hang yourself, Aidi.

    ¡°Well, I think I will need some time to get ready so I can¡¯t go right away, I will ask Haku about the detailed schedule, in fact, I will be grateful if I can secure a few days to prepare for your wee at the Demon Kingdom¡±

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll be waiting, Rokuko¡±

    If we want to go there, the fastest route is by using [White Beach] dungeon to cut our travel time to capital, it¡¯s a route that Aidi can¡¯t use. So even Aidi depart earlier from [Cave of Desire] we will still be one day ahead of her.

    ¡°I wonder how many of you will participate in the fighting tournament, is it two¡­ no, plus one puppy, is it three people?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s right. I want to take Ichika with me¡­¡±

    I would like to bring both Niku and Ichika, but our inn cost will be increased too, it¡¯s annoying.

    ¡°Anyway, about the ve, they don¡¯t have to be treated as a person, so you can bring them without worry, I will let you bring them free of charge¡±

    ¡°I cannot do that. She¡¯s an important partner of mine.¡±

    ¡°How soft¡­ just like Beddhism teaching¡±

    Not bad Aidi, she seems to understand the essence of Beddhism teaching. I guess you did learn a lot from this abroad study.

    ¡°By the way, what happens if I take her without treating her as a person?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like handling an item, if it¡¯s damaged, we¡¯ll pay for it, but other than that, it¡¯s on you¡±

    ¡°It looks like it¡¯s a lot of trouble¡­ what will we do, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Even I bring her, aren¡¯t we likely to be in trouble unless I treat them as people?¡±

    ¡°in the first ce, it¡¯s rare to see people treating ves as human, is it not like this in this country?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yeah.¡±

    To think of it, it does likely to be like that, people are treated as a pet and such.

    Ummm¡­ didn¡¯t I also doing that? Treating Niku as a hug pillow.

    ¡°To think of it, Niku is Kehma hug pillow already, it¡¯s hard to imagine Kehma treating Niku as something else¡±

    Even Rokuko agreed

    ¡°¡­I am a dungeon monster that exists for the master too, so can I be treated as a hug pillow too?

    Nerune that¡¯s your worries?

    ¡°¡­sigh, I will miss that Rat Race in the yroom.¡±

    ¡°ara Aidi, you like that game so much?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I will try to recreate it when I returned in Demon Kingdom, ¡­oh right! Can I borrow a ve with the know-how to make that Rat Race? You can bring her to study abroad and I will cover for her amodation¡±

    ¡°oh, you are right, how about it Kehma?¡±

    In other words, bring someone with expertise on Rat Race, and that someone is¡­ Ichika. Apparently, Aidi did notice it.

    ¡°in that case, let¡¯s take Ichika with us. I will prepare and train the rats too¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡±

    Aidi smiled.

    Haku came to pick us the next day, but since she wants to stay one night, Aidi forced to stay for another day. ¡­¡­ It was an obvious trick to squeeze her wallet to the utmost limit.

    TL note :

    Dark modes huh, this is a free hosting version, so all I can do is alter itpletely, I can do that for sure but I need time.

    Niku / Meat voting¡­ will have to wait one more day¡­ I was ridiculously busy today, ah¡­ I nned to make the votest 3 days this time, is it fair enough?

 Chapter 393 - Study Abroad Preparation

    <h4>LDM 393 ¨C Study Abroad?Preparation</h4>

    After staying overnight (in Rokuko¡¯s room), today is the day Haku departs from the vige with Aidi.

    ¡°In the end the Hero, Wataru nevere¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about that, usually he came here at least once a month¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my hearts only regret¡±

    The reason Wataru didn¡¯te¡­ at first, I thought he was avoiding Aidi, but it turns out it was Haku¡¯s order.

    Since Aidi is fighting maniac, she will probably go home after she had a match against Wataru, and furthermore she was willing to wait for him since I told her he mighte, but really, I could handle this better if Haku told us beforehand.

    ¡°But they said that Wataru is participating in the fighting tournament, I will have my fun when the timees¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right Aidi, it might be more fun if you don¡¯t know how strong your opponent is¡±

    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s right, it¡¯s better for have fun on the big stage¡±

    Well, maybe that¡¯s why Aidi says it¡¯s okay to return now.

    ¡°umm, Haku, when we will go to study abroad?¡±

    ¡°ara, I thought I¡¯ve had already told you, it¡¯s two weeks from now¡±

    Hoo two weeks huh?

    ¡°That¡¯s why, pleasee to the Capital by the end of next week.¡±

    ¡°I understand¡±

    Two weeks, in that case, we have plenty of time to prepare, but then again it will take quite a time to move around in this world, so our schedule can be said quite tight, with an exception if you can use the dungeon teleportation function.

    Well, Haku keep in touch with us regarding the various procedure, I still have some leeway here.

    ¡°Oh? Rokuko¡¯s party can travel to capital with such speed?¡±

    ¡°You know 666, I had a dungeon battle with Rokuko before and we use a pair of dungeons for that, she can use that dungeon, it¡¯s located near the capital city, so at most, it will take one day to arrive at the capital city¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there was such a thing¡­ couldn¡¯t we use it to return?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s impossible. You can¡¯t use the dungeon feature¡±

    Haku told Aidi, and she gave up while saying, ¡°Impossible huh¡±

    ¡°I need to return early so I can prepare Rokuko¡¯s wee, I¡¯ll send you a message if I had any question about it, also please tell us about Rokuko¡¯s wish too¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s a good opportunity to try out the message function.¡±

    Speaking of which, there are more useful features in this function that Aidi didn¡¯t have a chance to test in Gollen Vige, but now we can try it.

    So I said goodbye to Aidi and Haku.

    Since it will be my turn next week¡­. what should I prepare?

    ¡°Well, as long as we have DP it will worked out somehow¡±

    ¡°Yes¡­ that¡¯s mean our concern now¡­ Kinue¡¯s cooking?¡±

    I remember traveling with Wataru to the capital city before. This feels simr to that.

    Wait, this is the exact same as before.

    What more, Wataru will be participating in the tournament. If your luck is bad, there¡¯s a possibility to fight him in middle¡­. unnn, can¡¯t we divide the seeds by dungeon affiliation?

    ¡°But¡­. the prize is Godly bedding¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you going to do? Steal it?¡±

    ¡°No, it would be better to let Wataru win the tournament and negotiate it¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I wonder if he will exchange it for Nerune¡±

    well, it may be possible to make somepromise using Nerune, ¡­ is that alright though? didn¡¯t we need to respect how the concerned party feels? We don¡¯t know if she will agree or not.

    But if you order it, Nerune will even go as far as dating Wataru, I think the dungeon¡¯s monster brain is wired differently from a human.

    ¡°in fact, you can order her to kill people with a smile¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good example, it¡¯s like a fanatic¡­¡±

    to Beddhism, NOT, No¡­ it¡¯s like fanaticism to Dungeon core and Dungeon Master?

    ¡­¡­Rokuko¡¯s example are too urate.

    ¡°oh right, if we want to leave the dungeon again, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s better to summon a monster that specialized to manage the dungeon¡±

    ¡°hmm¡±

    She has a point, Rei is busy as Beddhist Saint, Kinue and Silkies already had their hands full with the inn, Nerune is focusing on her research, the ring subus is an anti-nightmare only, what left is Siesta, Rokuko pets, and the rats.

    Eh¡­. there is no named monster in this dungeon, should I bring you here Mr.Tentacle ?

    Then yeah, I want at least one specialized monster to manage this dungeon.

    ¡°Rokuko, do you want to turn the gacha? if you get a good one, we can use it as dungeon manager¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea! I¡¯ll do it¡­ which gacha should I pull?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, maybe the 10.000 DP one?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, I wanted to spin 100,000 DP ones, but I do think it¡¯s better to increase the number of people like Rei¡±

    That¡¯s why we moved our position to the core room, it doesn¡¯t matter what kind of monster is summoned if it¡¯s here.

    Rokuko immediately open the menu and pick 10.000 DP gacha

    *Kyuin!* the usual magic circle spreads.

    Will we hit the jackpot again? and the monster that emerges from the magic circle is¡­

    ¡­¡­¡­..panda.

    ¡°¡­ a ck and white bear?¡±

    ¡°¡­it¡¯s a Panda¡±

    1 meter tall, Panda.

    Is this Rokuko pet¡¯s monster? But it¡¯s still a bear, so it might surprisingly be powerful, but why panda¡­

    ¡°Oh, Kehma, this is not just a bear¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a panda, what¡¯s wrong with it?¡±

    There is a 10 cm small treasure chest where Rokuko is pointing at. It¡¯s attached to the panda tail.

    ¡°¡­ Mimic!¡±

    ¡°Wait a second!¡±

    Isn¡¯t Mimic is a monster that disguised as a treasure chest and attacks adventurers? Why it¡¯s panda-shaped? And why the chest is so small? I have so many questions about this!!!

    ¡°Ah, look!¡±

    ¡°¡­What?¡±

    The Panda entered the treasure chest in front of us. ¡­ That little 10 cm treasure chest, sucked all the body until all that was left was the treasure chest that fell to the floor.

    It can use space-time magic? I pick up the treasure chest with one hand, I can¡¯t feel much weight from it, but that¡¯s is all, and I don¡¯t really care anymore.

    ¡°It¡¯s too unique to be used as a dungeon manager. Well just take it as a pet Rokuko¡±

    ¡°oh Yay, fufufu. From now on your name is¡­ Pakku!¡±

    Panda box ¡­ box(bokkusu).. In short¡­ Pa-kku? it might be just a coincidence.

    So, we didn¡¯t get a dungeon manager today, but Rokuko¡¯s pet is increased instead.

    I must summon something else for the dungeon manager, I can¡¯t give this position to someone that half-baked.

 Chapter 394 - Study Abroad preparation

    <h4>LDM 394 ¨C Study Abroad?preparation</h4>

    After summoning Mimic Panda, we decided to manually summon another monster for the dungeon.

    Together with¡­ Rokuko¡­ who is still busy opening and closing the box of mimic panda¡­.. stop it Rokuko, I know it¡¯s interesting to see it go in and out every time you did that, but can¡¯t you see its troubled face?

    ¡°Don¡¯t we have something suitable as dungeon manager¡±

    ¡°We have Rei for now, but she is busy as Beddhist Saint.¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s worrying to leave this to neers, so at least I want someone suitable to be her subordinate¡±

    I was talking to Rokuko while looking at the monster catalog.

    ¡°If you want something with demon elements, isn¡¯t this [Ogre] is quite smart?¡±

    ¡°I doubt it, aren¡¯t [Oni] is more promising?¡±

    ¡°[Devil] maybe a good candidate, it seems smart, it would be a problem if it weren¡¯t¡±

    ¡°if it turns out like that core 546 that will be a problem, ah¡­ but we can customize him¡±

    ¡°How about this [Rabbit Sage]? it¡¯s color is orange, I wonder how smart it is¡±

    ¡°Why a rabbit is a sage¡­.¡±

    There was various discussion.

    ¡°For the time being, let¡¯s summon [Fairy]¡±

    ¡°Okay¡±

    I don¡¯t care about its size, rather I prefer something that can¡¯t substitute for a dungeon boss monster and did a suicide mission. There¡¯s no problem if it¡¯s only selling point are its intelligence, because it will never go to the front line. So in conclusion when we looking for cheapest and smartest, the only one monster type that fit the bill is a [Fairy]

    Rtionship with a vampire?

    Uh, wing, that¡¯s it, yup.

    But I won¡¯t summon it now.

    ¡°Since it will be Rei¡¯s direct subordinate, let¡¯s give Rei DP and let her summon it¡±

    ¡°I also want to hear Rei¡¯s personal opinion about this, this time I need to know what she needed so I didn¡¯t make a wrong setup¡±

    Let¡¯s give her enough DP to summon 3 monsters, and let her decide what to summon and how to educate it.

    Should I give her DP after I custom it? No, [Fairy] customization is far moreplex than [vampire] let¡¯s give her DP first and let her custom it herself.

    There is some point that I couldn¡¯t understand, such as the height and the presence or even the absence of wings, the expansion and the contraction rate, gender also seems to affect it. There many attributes in this customization.

    ¡­¡­because I can use [Create Golem] I also wish I had a magical talent for customization too.

    ¡°Well, at this rate we won¡¯t be able to summon it before we go to demon kingdom because it¡¯s tooplex¡±

    ¡°No can do, we need to give it a name and admin rights, this need to be done before we depart¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, this monster is for dungeon management¡±

    We can¡¯t grant ess to Admin rights from afar, and the one that can grant it are Rokuko and me.

    We called Rei to the master room and exined our n.

    ¡°a direct subordinate¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s for dungeon manager role, Summon the [Fairy] type monster with yourmand. I will expect the result before our departure¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, understood¡±

    Rei sharply salutes. Then Rokuko asking for a handshake to hand over the DP.

    15.000DP per body, totaling 45.000DP

    ¡°Summon about 3 of them. Since they haveplex customization adjust them ording to your need and make them suited for dungeon management¡±

    ¡°This is a great responsibility, leave it to me!¡±

    Rei looks very happy

    Well, I count on you. We need to do preparation for study abroad.

    Next day.

    A lot of fairies were flying around in the master room.

    Red, blue, green, yellow¡­ and one that bigger than others. This is more than three¡­ or to be exact, 10 of them, oi?

    ¡°¡­ errr, isn¡¯t these too much¡±

    ¡°So many¡­¡±

    ¡°Master!, Rokuko-sama!, I have been waiting!¡±

    Rei smiled cheerfully and weed us.

    ¡°I demand your exnation, I did say three¡±

    ¡°Yes sir, this is actually just one great fairy, one will act asmand tower the others will act as its limbs¡±

    ¡°by the way, what¡¯s it¡¯s the detailed price? 15.000DP for the main body and 30.000DP for 10.000x3set of fairy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wrong sir! This is not fairies, this is just one fairy¡±

    ¡°ooh?¡±

    From her exnation, she said there¡¯s this option called [specialization] and it can divide itself using that.

    ¡°I thought it would be a great deal to use one scroll for virtually multiple entities¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s actually a good idea, Good job Rei¡±

    ¡°Yes sir! I am extremely grateful for yourpliment!¡±

    When I praised Rei, her eyes are glowing. If she was dog-beastman like Niku it would be like swaying her tail.

    ¡°ah, actually I¡¯m going over a little bit by 5000DP, but it¡¯s all right because I spend extra from my saving¡±

    ¡°¡­No, I must refund you for that, this is our dungeon expense fund¡±

    ¡°No, no, I did it on my behalf!¡±

    ¡°it won¡¯t sit right with me, and if I can save DP for scroll it was actually a very good deal. And that¡¯s because of your idea, anyway¡­ do it, Rokuko¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    Rokuko strangles Rei and chomping her ears.

    ¡°Hinya!¡±

    ¡°This happens because you won¡¯t take it quietly, amuamuam¡±

    Rokuko usually hands over DP by hand, the process of handing over DP will always be apanied by little tingling electrizing sensation, I wonder what did Rei feel right now.

    ¡°done, I transferred exactly 5000DP.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Thank you! But it was something I did¡­¡±

    ¡°If we can save DP on scroll then it¡¯s will be more profitable in the long run. In fact, I should get you a bonus for this, if there¡¯s anything you want¡­ as long as it¡¯s not too expensive it will prepare it.¡±

    ¡°Such generosity¡­ Can I really?¡±

    Well anything up to 10.000 DP would be okay.

    ¡°T-then please grant me the honor to be master hug pillow!, ¡­. ah no, that¡¯s too impudent, can I ask for master used pants instead?¡±

    ¡°eh¡±

    ¡°In that case, I do have some, I¡¯ll give one to you¡±

    ¡°eh¡±

    ¡°Yes! thank you!! I¡¯m very grateful!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, what was that¡±

    I urged Rei and Rokuko to stop.

    And why she knows what hug pillow means, did Niku boast it to them?

    ¡°To be with master at his most vulnerable moment, the task that requires a great amount of trust, did I understand that right?¡±

    Oh yeah, that¡¯s not wrong interpretation.

    But why my pants?

    ¡°For the sake of being master hug pillow, I need to train for that future¡±

    And she said that with a serious face, ok, I don¡¯t care anymore.

    And why Rokuko had my pants, I thought I told you to throw it away?

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­. I will use my right to remain silent¡±

    ¡°¡­okay¡±

    What do you mean by your right for silence, that itself is weird, oh well.

    ¡°Now, I need to give this guy some admin rights, you can teach herter. But first, give her a name, she¡¯s your subordinate right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, leave it to me!¡±

    Alright, let¡¯s do this.

    ¡°Oh, actually, I already think a name for her, though it¡¯s a temporary one, can I give it to her?¡±

    ¡°hmm? How diligent, what is her name, tell us first¡±

    ¡°Yes! She is [Echo D¡¯Alpha Phantom Queen of Fairy Christia Faruminaze Trollkiller Hob Goblin Mezaruna Quintet Cell Division Netero Parzesse Doriano Doreano Polka]! ¡°

    ¡°¡­ is it the name of each different parts?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s for the main body.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s rejected! Too Long!¡±

    What¡¯s with that chant-like name?

    ¡°Uh¡­ well, I like that.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Rei, did you pull an all-nighter?¡±

    ¡°U! I-I¡¯m sorry! I did something shameful as Beddisht Saint!¡±

    Ah, okay¡­ this makes sense now. It cannot be helped.

    ¡°Jeez, you are just like Kehma when you didn¡¯t get a proper sleep¡±

    ¡°¡­ how about simr to Rokuko that wish for my pants?¡±

    ¡°ok that¡¯s it! That story is over¡±

    That¡¯s a forceful way to end it, well it¡¯s alright.

    ¡°Rei, without a name I can¡¯t give her an admin rights, so please decide it quickly. Ah¡­ but consult us before you made your final decision, okay?¡±

    ¡°Understood¡±

    Since that happened, the name is still undecided. If would be good if we can decide it quickly. It means our dungeon is ready for us to study abroad.

 Chapter 395 - EXTRA: Reiâ€™s subordinate

    <h4>LDM 395 ¨C EXTRA: Rei¡¯s?subordinate</h4>

    Rei is worried.

    it¡¯s about the custom of [Fairy] that she needs to summon by her Master order.

    ¡°It¡¯s My first subordinate¡­¡± while staring at the customization list in catalog, She found an item called [specialization]

    [specialization] is the ability that enables fairy to split up, almost like a slime.

    Their int will be halved by each division, but if they careful enough not to split too much they will still maintain the ability to follow a simplemand, and in a dire situation, they canbine into one, if they did, they should be smarter than anyone here.

    ¡°Conversely, if youbine 45,000 DP into one, we can save DP by only using one ability scroll, ¡­.! this is my Master favorite method, being economical!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s add [Magical talent] first and then [specialization]¡­ this [specialization] requires some prerequisite, I need to increase the size, ah¡­ it¡¯s be 50.000DP, can¡¯t I cut the cost? No, I can¡¯t¡­ none of this can be thrown away¡±

    She still don¡¯t understand about various items like expansion and contraction rate¡­ but it¡¯s better not to tinker at something you don¡¯t understand. It would be dangerous to touch it and then causing it to be unusable, curse like status like her zero-attack power is a fine example.

    ¡°¡­ Well, if it¡¯s only about 5000DP, I can cover it using my savings¡±

    Rei thought all she needs to do is putting up with her desire for the scroll she wanted, 5000DP is nothing.

    Rei added her saving to 45.000 DP pool from Rokuko and summoned the [Fairy] at 50.000DP cost.

    ¡°It¡¯sing out¡±

    There, standing a fairy in front of Rei, the height is about the same as a human girl.

    Iridescent eyes with purple-navy blue hair, she gives the impression that she¡¯s good at magic.

    ¡°Are you my master?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m your boss, my name is Rei. Also, can you show me [specialization] now?

    ¡°Boss¡­ Rei-sama. I understand.¡±

    The fairy split into two.

    ¡°¡±Is this fine?¡±¡±

    ¡°¡­your colors are different?¡±

    A fairy with blue hair on one side and red hair on the other. The size is smaller than before.

    ¡°¡±I divided my elements.¡±¡±

    ¡°I see. Can you divide more?¡±

    ¡°¡±Yes¡±¡±

    Then, the Fairy keeps splitting¡­ first was 2, then 4, 8, and finally 16.

    They divided into various forms, there was this fairy with only light ball as a body with pair of wings, on the contrary, there¡¯s also a small fairy without wings.

    ¡°This is our limit. If we divide ourself further, we may not be able to return¡±

    One fairy representative reporting to Rei.

    ¡°I see. Now, pleasee back.¡±

    The Fairy immediately sticking together and returning to her original form.

    ¡°From now on I will need you to help out in the dungeon, this is temporary but let me give you a name, the official one will be for the master to decideter.¡±

    Rei also had one temporary name, she once goes by the name ¡°Alpha¡±, it¡¯s nostalgic.

    ¡°What will be your name¡­. hmmm¡±

    The first word thates out was Eco from Economical. Afterall shemade them learn [specialization] to cut the cost of skill scroll.

    However, it may be good to give them her previous name [Alpha] ¡­No, she can¡¯t just give the name that the master gave to her. then, she decided to give them one syble from her name a ¡°Le¡±(re)

    Oh because she will supporting the dungeon from the shadow she is a¡­ [Phantom] yes it¡¯s a good name and in the terms of the size she is fit to be called [Queen of fairy] but wait isn¡¯t she smaller than Kinue?

    Since she is cute, let¡¯s give her [Chris] as a name, Rei doesn¡¯t know what [Chris] means but sometimes human is using that name, but no¡­. she is superior to human because of that Rei need to add a [tier](tia) to her name, so it¡¯s now [Christia]¡­ well, it feels rights.

    She is a [Farumin] which means family, it also oveps with [minase] which means everyone, in short, bes [Faruminase](FaruMIN+MINase)¡­ this is too cool.

    I also want you to have the ability to defeat Troll ss enemy, so you are a [Troll Killer]

    But no, your power is not that important in dungeon management, but at least I want you to be above goblin, then your name is [Hob-Gob](hobgoblin), wait it¡¯s a fairy¡­ but¡­ isn¡¯t goblin also a fairy?

    What about something rted to Fairylike¡­ Nights and moon? I remembered there¡¯s a crescent-shaped sword called [Mezzaluna], that isn¡¯t cute though. Then let¡¯s add some music elements since she can go pom-pom and split, she can be called a [quintet], and since she can divide herself [cell division] is a well-suited name for her or something like that, Rei learned it from the books in Beddishm Church.

    No, it¡¯s not getting cuter

    Cute things, cute things¡­baby are cute! Rei then remembered she saw a baby with the name [Netero] in the vige, let¡¯s use that.

    Or let¡¯s flip it, how about a devil name? Since it¡¯s the scary name her cuteness will be amplified by it.

    Is it [Parzesse], [Doriano], or is it [Doreano]? She can¡¯t remember the exact name.

    Oh, maybe ¡°Polka¡± is also good. It doesn¡¯t really mean anything.

    Well with this she should be satisfied with one of them, should I choose for her or let her choose? Oh well, it¡¯s only temporary anyway¡­

    ¡°you choose from among this name to be used as your temp name¡±

    ¡°Okay¡±

    ¡°¡­¡¯Eco¡¯,¡¯Le Alpha¡¯,¡¯Phantom¡¯,¡¯Queen of Fairy¡¯,¡¯Christia¡¯,¡¯Farminase¡¯,¡¯Troll Killer¡¯,¡¯Hob Gob¡¯,¡¯Mezzaluna¡¯,¡¯Quintet¡¯,¡¯Cell Division¡¯,¡¯Netero¡¯, ¡®Parzesse¡¯ ¡®Duriano¡¯, ¡®Dureano¡¯, ¡®Polka¡¯¡­what are you going to choose?

    ¡°All¡±

    ¡°what?¡±

    ¡°Want All in¡±

    It¡¯s not a mistake

    ¡°Your temporary name will be [Eco Le Alpha Phantom Queen of Fairy Christia Farminase Trollkiller Hob-Gob Mezzaluna Quintet Cell Division Netero Parzesse Doriano Doreano Polka] is this right?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ¡°¡­ isn¡¯t it long?¡±

    ¡°Since Rei-sama has thought hard and long for all those good names, it¡¯s a waste not to use it all¡±

    ¡°Eco Le Alpha (Omitted) Polka¡­! I damn, it feels good to say it¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Eco Le Apl¡­ (Omitted) Polka, Rei-sama!¡±

    ¡°Eco(Omitted) Polka¡­!¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m Eco(Omitted) Polka!¡±

    ¡°E(Omitted)!¡±

    ¡°Yes! E(Omitted)ka Rei-sama!¡±

    ¡°Okay! Now you need to practice [specialization], we need to show it to Master, E(Omitted)ka!¡±

    ¡°Yes! (Omitted) is Rei¡¯s trusty subordinate! You can leave it to me!¡±

    They continued practicing [specialization] while shouting the Fairy new names until the morninges.

    In the end, it was rejected by Kehma because it¡¯s [Too long!], and they had to shorten it to Ereka, one letter from the front, one letter from the back, and one letter from Rei name. (E-Re-Ka)

    TL note:

    Yeah¡­ I will need to edit the previous chapter¡­ what the heck, so many lores for something that you will discard right away¡­

    Those omitted¡­¡­.. are not mine¡­ it¡¯s literally written like that in raw

    ¡°Are you my master?¡± ¨C not you again Saber, go back to your own story!!, she is not actually saying that in fate-something scene, kinda different, but the literal trantion is the same as that.

    About [] what you guys need (or need not )to know is¡­ that¡¯s also the name of an archangel in the Japanese version of YuGiOh (angel is usually a fairy type in that TCG)

    ¡­? That¡­ HxH Netero?

    , the knife for chopping (thanks shokugeki no souma for giving me this unnecessary knowledge)

    Doriano should refer to the devil fruit,

    Basically, those fairy names are tidbit from many anime and japan culture (or so I suspect)

    I ¡®m still confused by faruminase(well this one is a stupid pun and it doesn¡¯t really make sense in the first half), Parzesse, Doreano¡­

    And all this trouble just to be rejected, damn you Kehma!! Don¡¯t you know I had my brain fried by this chapter¡­? I spent twice as long on this chapter trying to decipher those stupid jokes¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.

 Chapter 396 - Prior to Study Abroad

    <h4>Chapter 396 ¨C Prior to Study Abroad</h4>

    Since the Fairy name was decided, I give her the necessary admin rights to manage the dungeon.

    As you might expect, I can¡¯t trust neers that easily. I will let Rei handle the rest, and she seems to be attached to Rei, I think our decision to let Rei summon her is a good one.

    ¡°¡­Ah, tomorrow Misha wille to this vige. I need to make sure that we are ready for her amodation here¡­ I think it¡¯s okay to let her stay in the suite.¡±

    We will need to wait for Misha to arrive before we can leave the dungeon and study abroad.

    Still, in normal study abroad¡­ it¡¯s strange for a Vige Chief from a remote vige to be chosen as representative of the country. But my vigers treat this as a normal thing.

    And there¡¯s also this¡­¡­.

    ¡°Oi, Vige chief! Are you going on a honeymoon?¡±

    ¡°the heck, this is a study abroad! study abroad!¡±

    ¡°oh, Vige chief, are you going with your wife? enjoy the trip, but pleasee back safely¡±

    ¡°You bastard, who is whose wife? I will kill you¡±

    ¡°Kehma, take this. It¡¯s an amulet that might be unnecessary, but you¡¯ll be blessed with a baby if you wear it¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you, Cid. But I¡¯m still single¡±

    For some reason, we are treated as husband and wife even though we are not officially married. What the hell is this?

    ¡°Mr. Husband your wife is calling¡±

    ¡°Ichika! Is this your doing?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a joke, even I just learn this recently¡±

    Kuh, then why did this happen?

    If this reaches Misha¡¯s ear, it will be ryed to Haku, and this is strange! This time Ichika and Niku also following us to study abroad, so why the rumor is about Honeymoon?

    ¡°Well¡­ me and Niku are like maids, while you two are the main character, it¡¯s just a natural impression. I think Haku-sama will also agree?¡±

    ¡°But before this when we went to capi¡­¡±

    ¡°At that time Shikina and Wataru are tagging along right?¡±

    That¡¯s true¡­¡­ Hmm? Speaking of which, what will Shikina do while we are studying abroad? When Aidi was here, she used to do a mock battle with her and Niku.

    ¡°Oh, well, isn¡¯t this like that one time you get into trouble with Mia-sama. is it possible Rokuko-sama behind this?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­that¡¯s it!¡±

    I totally missed that, Thanks Rokuko.

    ¡­ eh? Recently I was sloppier than Rokuko, I need to keep my guard up, maybe I¡¯m tired because my head is too full of problems.

    Especially in this study abroad, I will end up dead if I was caught off-guard. I was toox because [super transformation] can save my life once.

    Alright, let¡¯s strengthen our minds now.

    Ie to the front of Rokuko¡¯s room, by the way, Ichika said ¡°I don¡¯t want to knock¡± which is very suspicious.

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko, I¡¯ming in¡±

    ¡°Wa-Wa-wait a minuteee¡±

    She immediately closes the door that already opened

    Fufufu, I avoided it sessfully because I¡¯m ready for her reaction.

    ¡°¡­ wait, why did you get in?¡±

    ¡°What, you told me to wait, so here I¡¯m, waiting, was it not good?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not What¡­, it¡¯s not no good, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what are you saying? Are you okay?¡±

    For now, let¡¯s wait again, Rokuko then go to the front of me and sit on a chair.

    ¡°What on earth were you nning?¡±

    ¡°Ah, uh, yeah, it¡¯s rted to Kehma, but you don¡¯t have to worry about it¡±

    Seriously, what are you trying to do? Oh, I saw a manga in her room¡­ Is that [rakki sukebe](lucky pervert) monthly? Ah, I see now. It¡¯s a magazine that mainly featured a love story theme in it¡¯s manga, do you want to experience it first hand?

    ¡°Rokuko¡±

    ¡°un¡±

    ¡°When the rumors about the couple reach Haku¡¯s ears, it will be dangerous for me. What are you thinking?¡±

    ¡°¡­Kehma, Haku-nee-sama is kind, so I don¡¯t think that anything dangerous is going to happen to us?¡±

    ¡°That may be true for you, but for me, it¡¯s a different matter¡±

    Muku, Ro intes her cheeks. I feel like an air will leak from her mouth if I poke it.

    Yeah, she¡¯s not denying that couple rumor, most likely she¡¯s the source.

    ¡°Why are you insist that we must go as a couple?¡±

    ¡°I read about a honeymoon in a manga!¡±

    I know there¡¯s no ero-manga in the catalog, I guess she just coincidentally read about honeymoon trip.

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go honeymoon?¡±

    ¡°I do want to, after I got married¡±

    ¡°Kehma¡­, get married.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid of Haku¡­¡±

    ¡°Huh! So, don¡¯t want to bury the outer moat (don¡¯t want to clear their problem)! Do you know?, I worked so hard for this!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re the one that needs to bury the inner moat! Get the permission from Haku, not me! Then I can marry you or anything!¡±

    ¡°So, in other words, if I can get permission from Haku-nee-sama, you will marry me?¡±

    Hmm!? Something is strange¡­

    ¡°You heard that, Misha!¡±

    ¡°Yes Rokuko-sama, I hear it clearly with my two ears!¡±

    Misha suddenly appeared from behind the door¡¯s shadow. Her cat-ears are twitching.

    Before she¡­ wait what, hear what, for what?

    Despite being confused as hell, I greet her calmly

    ¡°Oh, Misha, you have arrived?¡±

    ¡°hello there? Fufufu, I came a little bit early¡±

    Misha greets me while I¡¯m sweating from my back.

    ¡°Oh, yeah, Rokuko-sama, what that¡¯s about outer moat and the inner moat?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s a Japanese idiom, Misha. It¡¯s kind of difficult to exin, but it¡¯s kind of like¡­ The moat basically needs to be filled so they lose their defensive power¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s an idiom about how to break through an obstacle. It was a good words, Rokuko-sama¡±

    Well, rather than that¡­ when Misha heard me, did my intention to marry Rokuko was delivered to Haku? But¡­ since Rokuko was the one that proposed to me, it should be¡­ safer?

    ¡°A one step forward! Fufufufu, this means I can marry Kehma if you get me permission from Haku-nee-sama. How about it Misha, isn¡¯t my n brilliant?¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, right? About that¡­ Rokuko-sama¡­, I can¡¯t cooperate with that n, so please let Kehma be the one who do it ?¡±

    I hope I will not get erased while we studying abroad.

    Tl note :

    Tbh I already forgot the whole Mai Odore arc¡­ if someone remember what incident that happens to be simr to this situation pleasement below, I will cross check it.

    Rakki sukebe{someone please confirm of that manga existence¡­ I need it for¡­ research}

    I don¡¯t want to change the idiom since it¡¯s¡­ beautiful.

    ÍâÜ¥(¤½¤È¤Ü¤ê)¤òÂñ(¤¦)¤á¤ë ¨C Fill the outer moat: to make sure your n seed you need to clear the surrounding problem.

    Don¡¯t shoot the messenger, just grind them to dust, smart Misha lol.

 Chapter 397 - Going to the Capital City.

    <strong>Chapter 397 ¨C Going to the Capital City.</strong>

    For the time being, I set my goal to obtain 100GP to bribe [Father] so he can force Haku to give blessing to our rtionship, but for now, we are going to study abroad.

    ¡°it¡¯s surely convenient that we can bring Niku and Ichika using the dungeon teleport function¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s because ves are items¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡±

    Haku didn¡¯t say anything about bringing Niku and Ichika, but I think it¡¯s okay

    We can¡¯t do this with Aidi, because dungeon core cannot be teleported by other dungeon core. Though it might be different for subordinate dungeon core like that orange rabbit.

    By the way, the pretext we use for this is, we are being transported by Haku using her [Teleport] (separately from Aidi)

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Rei, I will leave this dungeon to you¡±

    ¡°Understood, Ichika, Niku senpai! You can count on me. Master, Rokuko-sama, please enjoy your trip!¡±

    Rei and Ereka salutes us from the Master room

    Rei immediately utilizing the fairy special skill, it seems they dividing the work now.

    ¡°Rokuko, shall we?¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    Rokuko then activated the teleport function and we instantly teleported to [White beach].

    Pink slime with a soft tentacle, Mr. Tentacles already there ready to greet us.

    *nyuru*nyuru* his tentacle wriggling, asking if we are going to stay. Unfortunately, no, we are going to capital right now.

    Mr. Tentacles lift my body up.

    ¡°oi, oi, oi, s-t-o-p it, Rokuko is watching¡±

    ¡°(Nuru Nuru?)¡±

    It¡¯s caressing me with the tentacles, it¡¯s acted almost like a dog. finally, it releasing me reluctantly.

    I moved back to Rokuko side while clearing away the mucus using [clean]

    Hmm? What¡¯s the matter Rokuko, why your face is red?

    ¡°Kehma, are you always this close with Mr. Tentacles?¡±

    ¡°eh? Yeah, sometimes I y with it¡±

    I oftene here when I want to sleep on a sandy beach while listening to ocean waves.

    At those times, I often y with Mr. Tentacles, sometimes we ying catch a ball, sometimes I use it as a waterbed.

    ¡­ Niku shaking her tail as if she wants to say ¡°I¡¯m envious¡±, yeah¡­ Sorry, I will bring you along next time.

    ¡°Well not today Mr. Ten, I need to go to capital now, so we will y next time¡±

    When I said that, Mr. Tentacles moved its tentacle a little.

    ¡°Yes, I love you too. Hahaha¡±

    ¡°Master seems to understand what Mr. Ten was saying¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s easy to understand, it has so many Niku tails¡±

    ¡°¡­ I can only see tentacles wriggling around¡±

    After ying a bit with Mr. Tentacles we proceed to [White Secret]

    It¡¯s a hut style cottage build by Haku, well basically, it¡¯s just a vi.

    ¡°I have been waiting for you¡±

    The silky caretakers are bowing to us, from here we need to rent a carriage and go to the capital city.

    As expected, to use [transfer] for four people will consume too much magic power, and while it¡¯s strange for Haku not to pick us up, but I think she¡¯s taking care of necessary preparation for our study abroad.

    ¡°I think Haku has been notified that we have arrived¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I was told by Haku-sama that she was busy with work so she can¡¯t meet you here. Will you depart soon?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s quickly head to capital city¡±

    We then headed to the capital city in a luxurious horse-drawn carriage.

    ¡­ Wait, isn¡¯t this Royal Family¡¯s carriage? I feel so nice to ride in this, aa I want to lie down and sleep.

    The person who drives this carriage is silky, I see, so Haku can immediately send her back here by using dungeon function.

    We sit facing each other me and Rokuko on one side, Niku and Ichika on the other side. When suddenly¡­

    ¡°Kehma, should I give you ap pillow?¡± ¡­Rokuko says that.

    ¡°Can I? But wait, this is Haku carriage, so I will refrain from that¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just an extension of a hug, this is just a light hug¡±

    ¡°I thinkp pillow is way above a hug¡­ Ichika tell us your opinion¡±

    ¡°Why you involve me in this? Well I think it¡¯s no good¡±

    That¡¯s not it, please help me.

    ¡°Niku-senpai, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Then, isn¡¯t it better for me to be a hug pillow?¡±

    I tried toy down on the chair, but as expected, this is chair too narrow to use a hug pillow.

    ¡°Then how about this? Ichika, give Kehmap pillow, I will sit here while looking at Kehma sleeping face,e here Niku¡±

    ¡°Eh. Master What should I do?¡± (Niku)

    ¡°Understood¡± (Ichika)

    ¡°Sorry, first, we don¡¯t know how long this trip will take, and I¡¯m not sure I can sleep if you staring at my face¡±

    My opinion is splendidly ignored, and I was forced to move my seat to where Ichika is, well I give up, I decided to put my head on Ichika¡¯s thigh¡­ ah, this surprisingly good, Ichikap pillow is morefortable than I expected.

    ¡°¡­ you seem to enjoy it¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I mean this¡­ is good¡±

    Warm body temperature with moderate sticity. It also smells nice. It¡¯s perfect¡­ if only it didn¡¯t smell a bit like curry.

    ¡°Niku, be my knee pillow!¡±

    ¡°understood¡±

    Then Niku sits directly in front of Ichika, and Rokuko puts her head on Nikup.

    With this we are lined up perfectly and staring at each other eyes, Rokukoughed.

    ¡°Ah¡­ you smell nice Niku, I wonder is it because you always held by kehma as hug pillow? You smell like Kehma¡±

    ¡°Is my odor are that strong? I¡¯m always taking a bath and purify myself with [clean]¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it, you know¡­ it¡¯s the scent that soaked in futon? it the same for hug pillow¡±

    ¡°¡­ is it like that? I¡¯m sorry Niku¡±

    ¡°Niku, aren¡¯t you happy being marked by Master?¡±

    Oh, she really is, her tail is swaying wildly.

    ¡°Hey, master, can I mention something?¡±

    ¡°What the matter Ichika?¡±¡±

    I can¡¯t see her face, but Ichika pats my head and say

    ¡°If you don¡¯t count the ves as two people then this is almost like you sharing a bed with Rokuko-sama and did pillow talk¡±

    No, we did not! don¡¯t pull a weird idea here!

    ¡°No, the chairs are separated!¡±

    ¡°Oops, don¡¯t get up? The carriage is shaking, so it will be dangerous if you suddenly move¡±

    Ack, I can¡¯t get up because she held down my head¡­ Rokuko in front of me smiled so happily.

    ¡°Ufufu, sleep together with Kehma¡­? Ichika, please hold him as long as possible¡±

    ¡°Certainly!¡±

    ¡°Oi Ichika, aren¡¯t you supposed to be my ve?¡±

    ¡°If you order it then, okay. but master¡­ I don¡¯t really hate this you know? But if you really don¡¯t want this, I can make an excuse to end this early, but do you really want that?¡±

    She whispers thetter part it so softly that only I can hear her

    Oh, fine, I lost!

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s alright for now.¡±

    ¡°Ichika? What did you say to Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? nothing important¡­. also¡­ Rokuko-sama, Master is just shy¡±

    ¡°So. Fufufu, Sleeping together with Kehma¡±

    ¡°I already said it¡­ This is not a ¡®sleep together¡¯¡­¡±

    ¡­ ah, I woke up right before we arrived in the capital city.

    TL note

    Yeah¡­ there¡¯s also that dungeon core/orange rabbit¡­ ¡°Mikan¡± or ¡°Orange¡±? Well¡­ let just settle at Orange this time? I don¡¯t think he will hold important role

 Chapter 398 - Towards the Demon Kingdom

    <strong>Chapter 398 ¨C Towards the Demon Kingdom</strong>

    As soon as we arrived in the Imperial City...

    We are immediately summoned to the Emperor¡¯s castle to had an audience with him. This time we don¡¯t need to wait a day before we are permitted to face the emperor, I think it¡¯s all thanks to Rokuko¡¯s connection, anyway we finished our business and say hello to the emperor.

    Emperor Lionel only said a little word like [Learns as much as you can] and I bow my head, then we are finished. Where¡¯s Rokuko? She is having tea time with Haku.

    Somehow it was decided that we must go today to Demon Kingdom, so it¡¯s like a speedrun.

    ¡°It turns out, we are not the only one transfer student¡±

    ¡°Yeah, they also send magic tools craftsmen to study to Empire along with Aidi¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so?¡±

    And now Haku apanies us in our ride, or to be exact, we are in Haku¡¯s carriage, it¡¯s a three-seater type carriage, Niku and Ichika are on the separate car.

    There¡¯s no way for me to askp pillow like this, even though Rokuko and I sit next to each other. Haku was sitting in front of us and releasing high pressure to my direction.

    Ah, this is a nice chair with luxurious armrest, the distance between chair is 40cm apart, at least it¡¯s not the distance that you would bump to each other when the carriage is shaking, in the first ce the carriage didn¡¯t shake at all.

    ¡°By the way, Aidi said that she¡¯s ying around just as a bonus.¡±

    ¡°Is that so¡±

    ¡°Yeah she said she learn a lot about management from here and there, the adventurer guild is her main interest¡±

    Speaking of which, in Demon Kingdom, they have a Hunter Guild instead of adventurer guild, as B-Rank adventurer, we should get better treatment than most people there.

    Of course Hunter Guild value strength above all, so there¡¯s a high possibility we will get into a quarrel at first. Yeah, especially when I and Rokuko are looking weak.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Adventurer Guilds are kind of same in other countries¡±

    ¡°As far as I know there¡¯s an adventurer guild in the Daido Holy Kingdom and Wakoku country, but in the Holy Kingdom there¡¯s another kind of guild, a dungeon conqueror guild¡±

    ¡°Ah! we met Saint Alca before, wasn¡¯t she from that guild?¡±

    ¡°You are right, Rokuko. Also, Saint is the highest rank in that guild, which is equivalent to my S-Rank. Moreover, I will never ept that country¡±

    It seems that her decision for the immigration ban is rted to our [Cave of Desire] incident, Saint Alca did try to do aggressive things in our dungeon... If someday we ever cross path with Saint Alca again, it will probably on our trip to the Holy Kingdom.

    In other words, I will never see that annoying saint ever again! Thank you, Haku!

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, are you really going to depart to Demon Kingdom? This is yourst chance to turn back you know?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision Haku-nee-sama, Aidi hase over to my ce, now it¡¯s my turn to return the favor and visit her, so I can call myself her real friend¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I¡¯m happy then... I¡¯m impressed that you can make friend with her Rokuko-chan, but please remember that our Empire and Demon Kingdom are on the verge of war, please don¡¯t be too close with each other¡±

    ¡°Yes¡±

    ..... by the way, are we going to stay in this position until we reach Demon Kingdom? Can I move to the other carriage? Eh, I can¡¯t?

    ¡°Excuse me, Haku... can I sleep in this carriage?¡±

    ¡°Oh, if you want to sleep you just need to fold down that chair andy back, do you need a nket? Oh wait, maybe you don¡¯t need one because you have [God¡¯s beddings]¡±

    ¡°Well, theforter and nket are kept by Rokuko, so can I borrow a normal one?¡±

    ¡°For sure, oh yeah... I just remember what you possess is [rm] function, right?¡±

    After saying that, Haku snapped her finger and Chloe suddenly appeared with a nket, I received the nket wondering where did she keep it? And while I was lost in thought she was gone already.... is there some kind of secret room here? Well, I should expect this much from Haku¡¯s carriage.

    ¡°Then thanks, I will go ahead and sleep. Rokuko you should talk with Haku as much as possible since we won¡¯t meet for a while¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Kehma... then, Haku-nee-sama can I sit with you?¡±

    ¡°Eh...? But this is a single chair, I¡¯m sorry¡±

    ¡°So... Can I sit on yourp?¡±

    ¡°...!? t-that¡¯s..., coe here¡±

    ¡°Yes, thanks Haku-nee-sama¡±

    Ooh, Rokuko attacks! howe you are so aggressivetely?

    As I watch Rokuko sit on Hakups, I decided toy down the chair and sleep. I do intend to sleep for real, it¡¯s too scary to pretend to sleep in front of Haku. There¡¯s also Chloe she probably here for the same reason as to why I wear my ring subus. Also Chloe can detect whenever if I¡¯ve been sleeping for real or not. I have no choice, I need to sleep for real.

    Because Rokuko positions herself to block Haku line of sight, she can¡¯t see me, thanks Rokuko, at least I can be a little rxed here.

    On this point, let¡¯s assume that we must sleep until we reach the camp. Good Night.

 Chapter 399 - Arrived in the Demon Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 399 ¨C Arrived in the Demon Kingdom</h4>

    ¡°Or rather, the city closest to the Demon Kingdom territory is Empire¡¯s capital city isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Demon Kingdom territory has grown to the opposite direction of Empire, in fact, the border between us has not moved for the past 500 years¡±

    Also, Originally Kouki, Donsama, and Shia were undevelopednds, they were part of another country.

    The present empire is in control of those territories after attacking, capturing, and developing them. Is it empire motto to [attack and destroy] ?

    We talk a lot about such things on our trip to the Demon Kingdom, we are moving during the day and raise a camp during the night. The trip takes about a week.

    Ah, there¡¯s also some Bandit¡¯s attacks, but we are fine. The delegation chosen by Haku are all some fine fighters, it seems that you cannot go to the demon country without a that much skill.

    And By the way, The Demon Kingdom Bandits are amazing, they boldly attacking carriage with Royal Crest on it¡­ I don¡¯t know if they are brave or an idiot¡­

    ¡­ on that note, Niku was the most active yer in those battles. before we knew it, she was called a [Neck Severing Dog]{kubi-gari wanko}. I¡¯m sure you can imagine the reason for that name.

    ¡°Finally¡­ I can sleep in other ces than the tent¡±

    ¡°Sorry Kehma, personally I also wish for you to sleep with me in the carriage¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not brave enough to interfere into yours and Haku space¡±

    What amazing is the fact that there¡¯s no checkpoint between the Capital city and the Demon Kingdom, considering our bad blood over the years (it seems in the past all people who tried to build one are died due to war), the only saving grace is that the carriage also served as a bedroom in the night, so it¡¯s quitefortable for Haku and Rokuko. This not need to be said but to be kicked out and sleep outside is just the true nature of a man.

    ¡°Ha~ah, it¡¯s depressing that I have to leave My Rokuko to that Old man¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s the exact thought of core no 6 when He sends Aidi to us?¡±

    ¡°Rokuko is too kind, but it won¡¯t be like that¡­ other cores are just treating the other as a tool, even if they love it like their own grandchild¡±

    We have arrived in Mato (Demon Capital), the Capital of Demon Kingdom.

    ¡­ Is their Capital also close to our border? Isn¡¯t it the same as with the Empire?

    Or they both may want their best force to be as close as possible to the battlefield location?

    As for the city condition and building, it was not all that different from the Empire. The difference can be seen in the race that inhabits the city.

    To be specific this city is flourishing with monster-type race. The lizardman wearing armor, the harpy is carrying the letters, there¡¯s also a lot of beastman race with fluffy fur. Unlike the empire, the race with a human-skin tones is few.

    Also, it seems I got a lot of sharp re even if I just peek a little bit from the carriage, or maybe they just ring at this carriage in general.

    ¡°So, this is the Demon Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Yes, this is¡±

    Haku answer my question with a tired face, I have no words to reply to her, so I just smile.

    I can see a big mansion on where we headed, it seems that¡¯s our destination.

    We pass the gates and park our carriage in the U-shaped yard. There are people surrounding us, are these people are weing us? This is not an ambush, right? RIGHT?

    It was unexpected, but Aidi and Great Demon Lord are waiting for us with them. But wait, since our top person in our country is here as well, it won¡¯t be strange for them toe out and greet us. There is no reason for the Great Demon Lord not to practice a little courtesy.

    ¡°You finallye Rokuko, I have been waiting¡±

    ¡°Aidi! Yeah, I havee¡±

    Rokuko and Aidi hug each other and smiled.

    I will only tell you this, but I¡¯m skipping all the procedure for greeting national guest, I bet the eyes of my country delegation are popping out right now.

    ¡°Hmm. I have epted the exchange student¡±

    ¡°tsk¡­ They are in your care¡±

    The top two people of the opposing country are not questioning Aidi and Rokuko greetings, and they rather shake hands without holding back their words, hold back a little, you guys are immature.

    ¡°Well then, people from Raverio Empire. You should do your best to study at Demon Kingdom¡±

    Core no 6 said so in his capacity as someone from the top, in fact, he is the Great Demon Lord, the ruler of Demon Kingdom. so in short he is on the same level as Haku.

    Following his words, the members of our Empire delegations are bowing their heads and went somewhere else with a guide while we remain here. What should we do next?

    ¡°Oh, Haku-sama do you still need themunication function? I already gave it to gramps, so it¡¯s your turn next, as promised.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take it, Rokuko-chan¡­ if anything ever happens, you should contact me immediately, and I wille right away¡±

    And then Aidi gives Haku themunication function, I feel like she will send an email to Rokuko every day, but it was not my problem. And since it¡¯s Haku, I think she will seriouslye over right away using [Transfer]

    ¡°So what should we do?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah. Rokuko you should follow me, we already prepared a room for you in the mansion¡±

    ¡°Okay, then, see youter Haku-nee-sama!¡±

    ¡°Please contact me every day Rokuko-chan, promise me okay?¡±

    Haku casually requests a regr report. She will likelye to Rokuko if she didn¡¯t get her report, so let¡¯s make Rokuko writes to her every day. Yup.

    ¡­ But I¡¯m kind of worried when we leave Haku and Great Demon Lord alone, should we leave those two unsupervised? In terms of safety and social standing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about that Rokuko¡¯s Master, those two are actually good friends. And as you can see, this ce also serves as an arena¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Looking back at them¡­ I can see Haku pulling out her white spear and Great Demon Lord preparing his ck sword¡­ okay, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s nothing we can do anyway. Let the top people speak with physicalnguage.

    For now, let¡¯s follow Aidi, I¡¯m looking forwards to my life as a transfer student.

    TL note: I leave the pronunciation of demon capital city name as Mato. It means ¡°demon capital¡± so, it will be awkward to put it as a tranted name.

 Chapter 400 - Demon Kingdomâ€™s Carriage

    <h4>Chapter 400 ¨C Demon Kingdom¡¯s Carriage</h4>

    In the Demon Kingdom, an arena is equivalent to a swimming pool in another country¡¯s mansion, each private mansion has one.

    Every town also have at least one public Arena.

    In this country where a duel is a daily urrence, a match between the country¡¯s top individuals like Haku and Great Demon Lord are not strange at all ¡ª¡ª as if that were true¡­ but somehow, I was forced to ept this fact. Oh, by the way, anyone who tried to peep their match is blown away by their Ki Strike.

    ¡°Where are we going to study abroad? Don¡¯t tell me we going to spend our time here?¡±

    ¡°No, it will be in my territory, just south of this city¡±

    ¡°Aidi got territory of her own, how mature¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you saying¡­ didn¡¯t you have your own vige as well? and my territory is just smallnd that was entrusted to me¡±

    Rokuko and Aidi ignoring the fight that ongoing between Haku and Great Demon Lord, they proceed as if nothing had happened. Niku and Ichika can only seal their mouth

    Then Aidies to Ichika.

    ¡°Speaking of which, Ichika¡±

    ¡°yes, Aidi-sama ?¡±

    ¡°You are here on my request, soe here¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see, understood¡±

    Ichika steals a nce at me asking for my permission. Well go ahead, it¡¯s okay.

    ¡°Aidi-sama, please remember that I¡¯m Kehma¡¯s ve, so please don¡¯t damage me?¡±

    ¡°That goes without saying¡­ but can we y just a little bit?¡±

    ¡°I just said no¡±

    ¡°Well, it cannot be helped. Ichika, I¡¯m looking forward to the rat race.¡±

    Apparently, Aidi was serious when she told us she wants to recreate the Rat Race in the Demon Kingdom¡­ I guess it¡¯s fine.

    But first, let us have some rest¡­ or that what I was thought, Aidi now has taken us to a horse-drawn carriage, the horse had 6 legs, isn¡¯t this a Sleipnir?

    ¡°¡­you say we going to rest in the mansion¡¯s room¡±

    ¡°Yes, you are going to rest in my mansion room, in my territory¡±

    I feel betrayed, I thought I could finally take a rest in bed, but it seems our schedule is really packed, as soon as we arrived, we must set off again to Aidi territory.

    Oh, this carriage sways a little bit¡­ to be exact it¡¯s shakier than Haku¡¯s carriage, or that carriage as just unshakeable?

    ¡°It¡¯ll speed up now¡±

    ¡°How far is your territory?¡±

    ¡°It takes three days for an ordinary horse and half a day for this child.¡±

    Was is six times faster because it has six legs? No, normal horses already had four legs

    So, I looked out from the windows of the swaying carriage, we are already far out from the town.

    Thend has a little greenery but it mostly barren, and the road isn¡¯t paved but this horse still can run zing fast on this.

    For this speed¡­ I think this carriage is very stable.

    ¡°This carriage is a magic tool?¡±

    ¡°Correct. And this is a high-performance model that surpasses most of the carriage in the empire¡±

    ording to Aidi, this carriage will sway more at low speed, but not so much at super high speed. It utilizes the principle of an arrow or something like that.

    ¡°It seems that the only one that can beat this is the Imperial family carriage. It¡¯s the carriage that Rokuko use get here¡±

    ¡°Not surprising, that carriage is special. Well, I already know that though. Haku¡¯s carriage is a top-ss product, the carriage uses a lot of rare materials in its manufacture, if wepare it to this, this one is cheaper and can be mass-produced. It¡¯s a good substitute for someone below the lord position, there also a drawback though¡­ the wheel is fragile and the horse are troublesome to secure¡±

    The wheels that used were special, and if they were broken, they will first make the shaking more severe, and then they would bepletely broken so that the carriage can¡¯t run. It is inevitable that a major ident because a crash at the super high-speed will be severe, so this two-stage wheel is insurance to prevent idents. The gimmick was custom-made specifically for this kind of rough road and it¡¯s not cheap either.

    Moreover, it seems that it is quite troublesome to secure Sleipnir because it¡¯s needed so this carriage can run at super-high speed, which is essential. Wait¡­, isn¡¯t it better just to buy them with DP? I checked the DP catalog¡­ oh yeah, it¡¯s expensive. I gently close the catalog¡­

    ¡°So, in short, you will need lord-ss funds to maintain this¡­it¡¯s no good¡±

    They neglected the road maintenance, instead, they build a strong carriage and mount a strong horse, it¡¯s so demon-like, as expected from the Demon Kingdom. With this, it feels quite urate that people say the Demon Kingdom is a country that emphasizes on their individual forces.

    ¡°You are absolutely right, this time the cost is covered by gramps, but I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m capable to maintain this on my own yet. Sleipnir also consume an enormous amount of food and their stamina onlyst for a half-day¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s okay Aidi, you say that you can¡¯t use this with your own resource yet, but we are also using Haku-nee-sama carriage to get here, we are simr in that aspect¡±

    Rokuko proudly smiling for some reason, Aidi also showing us an invincible grin¡­ is it something like exclusivemunication between the core?

    Well at least they are on good terms for each other, and unlike Haku and Core no 6 this one is safer because it¡¯s not involving some duel.

    ¡°Aidi, do you actually often study abroad?¡±

    ¡°n? What makes you think like that, oh Rokuko¡¯s Master?¡±

    ¡°Your adaptability for getting familiar to other people, you are at the level that you are trained to¡±

    ¡°Amazing insight, but you guys are just an exception, and I should exin myself about a various thing after this¡±

    We are an exception? was she treating us differently? If so, it¡¯s probably because of Rokuko¡­

    ¡°Oh yeah¡­ Rokuko¡¯s Master, are you going to participate in the fighting tournament? And you too puppy?¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, yeah. It seems that I will¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will.¡±

    Niku nodded to me, giving me a silent confirmation.

    It was certainly the case, anyway, I need to do that huh¡­ in order to obtain the beddings of God. Which is the prize at the fighting tournament.

    ¡­God¡¯s bedding, I want it, but which is the most effective way to get it? Was it to negotiate with the winner? or just be the winner?

    It would be the best case if I could get it as a prize in the fighting tournament, but I¡¯m not confident to win against an opponent that stronger than Aidi or Niku. Can Aidi even win this tournament? Because it¡¯s a fact that Aidi is not even the strongest person in this country, Yeah, I can¡¯t see the effective way to get the prize.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, where¡¯s your master Aidi?¡±

    ¡°Ah? You can meet him in my territory, My Master also willpete in the fighting tournament as my (friendly)rival¡±

    Come to think of it, Aidi did have a master, though he¡¯s noting as a transfer student in my vige.

    What kind of person her master is, I honestly don¡¯t remember if I ever met him in the first ce.

 Chapter 401 - Demon Kingdomâ€™s Dish

    <h4>Chapter 401 ¨C Demon Kingdom¡¯s Dish</h4>

    They woke me up because we have arrived in Aidi¡¯s town.

    ¡°Light swinging turned out to be a nice perk to make me fall asleep. Good morning¡±

    ¡°Good morning, it¡¯s almost a night though¡±

    ¡°Kehma, you still sleep alot as usual¡±

    It¡¯s size only less half than Shia, but it certainly is a city, or maybe a big vige.

    It feels like that partly because this city has no wall surrounds it, only a fence. Rokuko then asks Aidi about that.

    ¡°Why this town has no wall, there was only a fence¡±

    ¡°If we had a wall then wild monster won¡¯te to attack us¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that is why we build a wall, so monster can¡¯t attack?¡±

    ¡°¡­ah, I see. Another cultural difference huh, how to put it? In this country a monster attack is serve as entertainment and jobs for its people¡±

    It¡¯s said that the Demon KIngdom¡¯s people find joy in fighting and attacking the monster, as expected of the country that earned nickname the fighting nation. It rumour said that they enjoying the act of breaking the monster limbs.

    Furthermore, if the building is damaged by a monster attack, it will be a blessing for people with carpenter jobs. There¡¯s also a risk that the field bes destroyed but it¡¯s fine, the monster meat will cover food shortages caused by it, and if that still not enough you can always use DP you earned from this.

    Since there¡¯s many carnivores race in the Demon Kingdom, the vegetable and grains have little value here, or rather some people only consider them to be the bait to lure out a wild monster.

    ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s a quite different culture we have here. It means the fight itself is entertainment and not work¡±

    ¡°Right? When I was on the Empire, I was wondering why the wall is so high and it¡¯s people are so crowded together, how can you fight the monster like this? And I was shocked to learn that most people didn¡¯t enjoy fighting¡±

    The people in Demon Kingdom¡­ Or at least the majority of them, are fighting maniac. Hitting instead of Greeting is normal here.

    ¡°¡­ Why the technology of magic tools is better than empire, then?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious though? So we can fight better¡±

    Wagons and Carriage are designed to travel for long-distance or even to go through the battlefield.

    The lights are developed so they can fight in darkness.

    Magic tools also designed to kill enemies faster or to counter poison and other impairing effects.

    it¡¯s all a matter of life and death, so they did their best. So at the very least they can die peacefully knowing they already did their all.

    That¡¯s why this country¡¯s cksmith and Alchemist are alwayspeting with each other, sometimes they even putbined effort to create the best tools for battle. That¡¯s the way of the Demon Kingdom.

    ¡°¡­ here¡¯s a little quiz, why did the Demon Kingdom invent a carriage that can do a high-speed movement on the rough terrain?¡±

    ¡°if it is fast and stable, then it will be easy to attack using bow and magic¡±

    ¡°fufu, it seems you understand¡±

    It¡¯s often said that war is a catalyst for technology. Our carriage stops while I was thinking about such a thing, it seems that we have arrived.

    I got off the carriage and I saw this stone mansion.

    The wall is dyed red and with the sunset shone upon it, it like almost like it¡¯s burning. I think this mansion is a perfect representation of Aidi.

    ¡­ Yeah, the sunset here is beautiful too. Of course, the sunset won¡¯t change whenever it¡¯s on Demon Kingdom or Empire.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost a time for dinner and we will be ready shortly. Do you still want to continue your sleep?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m still tired from our travel¡±

    ¡°But Kehma, you just sleeping all the time, and you did sleep so soundly, well Niku and Ichika are asleep too now¡­¡±

    That¡¯s not it, I¡¯m not tired in physical meaning¡­ ah, I still want to sleep.

    ¡°I will give you this town specialty¡­ just give me a few minutes¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to Demon Kingdom¡¯s meal! Is there anything I can do to help?¡±

    ¡°So you woke up? As usual, Ichika is easily lured by food¡±

    ¡°Yess, thank you,dy Aidi!¡±

    Aren¡¯t you d Ichika, but wait¡­ this is a home of fighting maniac, I feel like there will be a battle to get the meal that almost reaches their expiration date {Ben-To reference}

    ¡­. My expectation was betrayed once again that night.

    ¡°First we knead the flour, cut it into strips, put it in soup broth that was made from dried mushroom¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s an Udon¡±

    ¡°and then we put Green Onion to your liking¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s an Udon¡±

    Yes, it was udon. no matter that you say¡­ this is Udon.

    ¡°Green onion¡­¡±

    ¡°wahh, this is delicious. It¡¯s also slippery¡­¡±

    Oi Niku, if you put too much green onion you will get sick, it¡¯s not a food for a dog. But Ichika seems to love it.

    ¡°At first it looks like pasta, but it¡¯s drowned in the soup¡±

    ¡°fufufu, you can also use pasta sauce for this, and it will still be delicious¡±

    If you do it that way, it will be soft noodles.

    ¡°¡­so Aidi. How do you make this?¡±

    ¡°If you mix water with flour, it will form right?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that how you make bread?¡±

    ¡°Yes you can make bread from that, but the key is to put it just the right amount¡±

    ¡°This is like a Spaghetti but thinner¡±

    ¡°If you made it a bit thicker you can also make soumen!¡±

    ¡°So, you have soumen too¡­¡±

    Maybe there are seasonings simr to shoyu in the Demon Kingdom, but still, you can¡¯t find rice in the Demon Kingdom, though the fish sauce can be found in Pavuera, so it¡¯s no so strange if Shoyu existed somewhere

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Udon is the recipe spread by the food god Ishidaka.¡±

    Oh, so that¡¯s why. Once upon a time Ishidakaes to the Demon Kingdom and teaches them to make this, he¡¯s quick on his feet huh?

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Ishidakaes from Rokuko¡¯s master original world?¡±

    ¡°I think he is, Ishidaka was a Hero and he seems to be from japan¡±

    ¡°Are you rted to him somehow?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Nah, I doubt that¡±

    Well, I just found out that there is Udon (and soumen) in the Demon Kingdom. Today we learn a little more about the Demon Kingdom¡¯s history.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it a correct choice to study as a study abroad here? Slurp..slurp¡­gulp¡±

    ¡°Ichika, you seem to like it so much, How about it? Won¡¯t you stay permanently in the Demon Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Hey Aidi, don¡¯t try to recruit my ve. It¡¯s impossible¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but I have to negotiate with Master¡­ so how about it?¡±

    ¡°Rejected!¡±

    You are my important ve. I won¡¯t give you away.

    ¡°Ichika, let me tell you something good¡­ there¡¯s this thing, called Curry Udon. Which is a curry with udon¡±

    ¡°¡­Wha¡­What is¡­!? Master! I will forever follow you!¡±

    TL note: ¡­ I skipped one trantion ¡°girigiri no rainda¡± ¥®¥ê¥®¥ê¤Î¥é¥¤¥ó¤À the heck this is means ¨C barely reindeer ?

    Curry udon huh¡­ I think I still kept some curry block for my emergency food¡­. somehow, I want to use it now.

    As usual thank you lorenz green and Q-riff for supporting me in patreon, thanks to all my patron there now it¡¯s possible for me to buy webhost. Well i¡¯m still selecting the right seller tho, preferably one that can I contact directly (I mean local seller)

 Chapter 402 - Demonâ€™s Kingdom Beddings

    <h4>Chapter 402 ¨C Demon¡¯s Kingdom Beddings

    When we finished eating the staple food of the Demon Kingdom, we are led to the room where we are going to stay.

    The room is the floor is decorated with carpet and there¡¯s a bed¡­ too bad it¡¯s hard. This is only putting up a nket on a box that covered with a sheet.</h4>

    ¡°The bedroom is underdeveloped this much? Don¡¯t you think it will be better to put some padded mattress (futon) on top of this?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to bring a padded mattress to the battlefield, right?¡±

    Oh, I see how it is, if you get used to this daily, you won¡¯t be ufortable when you actually had to go to the battlefield. I guess that¡¯s a Demon Kingdom teaching.

    ¡°Kehma put beddings before food or weapon¡±

    ¡°I had told you when I go as an exchange student, I was like going to a strange ce, and so you will also learn something new here. But I do admit that your bed in that suite is far superior¡±

    ¡°I guess you are right¡±

    ¡°at most what we have here that close enough to Empire beddings are Meat bed. (Niku futon)¡±

    ¡°Meat Bed? Oooh it¡¯s like my Niku¡±

    ¡­ I feel ufortable because she¡¯s more or less fit the description.

    ¡°That¡¯s a bit different, with Meat Bed you need go back to your sword form and sleep inside prisoner or prey. We use it like that because there are many weapon type cores here in Demon Kingdom¡±

    ¡°¡­ it totally different from mine¡±

    ¡°and even if you are not a weapon type core, some people can just cut up the belly of his prey and tie its limbs¡­ oh yeah! it¡¯s like a hammock at your ce Rokuko! and then you only need to go inside and sleep¡±

    What a disturbing hammock, Wait! That¡¯s not hammock!!

    ¡°Oh, I can make one for you if you want it. I guess woman ves are good enough for you? I won¡¯t rmend a monster because they are stinky¡±

    ¡°For me either one will leave a bad taste, so no thank you¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Every time I want to sleep, I need to use one life. It¡¯s very not cost-effective. And I won¡¯t feel sleepy because it¡¯s disgusting, so please, no thank you.

    ¡°Well¡­ It cannot be helped, this is an imported product¡­ to be exact I bought this from Rokuko, but you can use it for now¡±

    Aidi took the same kind of mattress for our Dancing doll pavilion and put it on the bed.

    If it¡¯s this one I¡¯m sure anyone can have a good night sleep, I will guarantee it.

    ¡°Lady Aidi, is there¡¯s one for me?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. Ichika, you will sleep in a separate room, your bed is ready¡±

    ¡°so, it was like that¡­. wait a minute! why only I get a separate room?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Because you are here as not as an exchange student, but as my guest¡±

    ¡°Yeah, just give up Ichika. We are going to sleep together with three of us¡±

    Rokuko pulled my arms. What¡¯s that? [three of us]?

    ¡°Well, Rokuko. Didn¡¯t we also get separate rooms?¡±

    ¡°of course not? We are going to sleep in the same room. Look¡­ Aidi has gone out of her way to personally set up our bed, there¡¯s no way for us to reject her, right?¡±

    What is this¡­ that¡¯s when I saw Aidi smiling at us.

    ¡°oh? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m rooting for Rokuko, and this goes without saying but¡­ whatever happens here to Rokuko or by Rokuko, I swear to keep my lips sealed¡±

    ¡°In that case¡­ Niku-senpai, how about sleeping with me?¡±

    ¡°Stop right there Ichika, if you take Niku away¡­ I will be alone with Rokuko here¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Ichika please take care of Niku¡±

    Wait, isn¡¯t my outer and inner moat is already filled like this? my castle alreadypletely naked, isn¡¯t it?

    {they cleared inside and outside obstacle, I had nowhere to run}

    ¡°I¡¯ll join up the bed Rokuko¡±

    ¡°Thank you Aidi, it¡¯s nice to sleep in a wide bed. ahh this bed cover feels nice, I will use it right away¡±

    ¡­ won¡¯t you at least share it with me? I want to use your Godly pillow too.

    £ª

    So, despite myints I still ended up sleeping together with Rokuko, I did nothing to her obviously. But she still looks very happy when she woke up in the morning.

    ¡°Mufufu¡±

    Before you ask any question, I slept quickly and Rokuko just sleeps beside me. When I woke up in the morning, I didn¡¯t get naked, and Rokuko didn¡¯t sneak into my bed, in the first ce I don¡¯t have the energy to do anything, I¡¯m too tired from the trip,.

    I didn¡¯t even dream, I slept like a log.

    When I woke up, Rokuko looked into my face and smiling.

    I was eating Udon for breakfast, and then Ichika and Aidi stare at me and grinning.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything¡±

    ¡°yes, we understand¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, yes, we understand¡±

    I really didn¡¯t do anything¡­ as proof you can see my body is recoveredpletely now. As expected from bed used in our suite, it¡¯s recovery ability areparable to that [God¡¯s bed]

    Since I feel refreshed, let¡¯s sleep soundly again today.

    ¡°Kema, let¡¯s sleep with only two of us again tonight?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡­.You don¡¯t need to do this every day while we¡¯re studying abroad, did you? No matter how much you like it, I need to limit that.

    ¡°¡­no, I want to use Niku as hug pillow today¡±

    ¡°yes, It¡¯s okay, Niku is a ve, so she does not count¡±

    She started to abuse the [Not count as people] theory Ichika use the other day, this girl is a fast learner.

    ¡°Anyway, Kehma, what are we going to do for today?¡±

    ¡°How about you learn about Demon Kingdom Training method today? With your body¡±

    ¡°¡­ I think I¡¯m still tired, it¡¯s decided, I will go hit the bed again today!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s no good! We are here as an exchange student, so we need to learn something¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Kehma also going to participate in a fighting tournament, so let¡¯s train your body a bit. Let me show you how to, in fact, I¡¯m good at it¡±

    What do you mean it¡¯s no good, even Aidi is justzing around in our inn!

    ¡°Ara? I was practicing (enjoying) your culture over there, so it just makes sense for you to enjoy our culture now¡±

    ¡°She has a point¡±

    ¡°My Master also train, it would be nice if we can train together¡±

    e to think of it¡­ where¡¯s and what¡¯s Aidi¡¯s master doing?

    ¡°So Aidi, where is your master?¡±

    ¡°hm? Did I forget to introduce him? It¡¯s this person over here¡±

    Aidi said that while pointing at butler behind her.

    A Boy with Dark-Red Hair, his face is expressionless, he just doesn¡¯t smile at all. A man with a bloody dark aura.

    ¡°Why dress as a butler¡­?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m a ve, just like the puppy over there¡±

    He certainly wears a cor like Niku.

    It seems he was a ve that raised in a human farm, a well-educated ve that obediently listen to everything shemands. I think he must be very well trained because if he not, he will certainly be hesitated to use the absolutemand to make Aidi stopped breathing. He¡¯s a ve that will absolutely do what his master told him

    ¡°Master, Today I¡¯m going to take Rokuko¡¯s master and puppy here to train¡±

    ¡°¡­ Yes, mydy¡±

    The butler bowing his head.

    I want to sleep. But they force me to train. Sigh.

    ¡°What about you Rokuko? You can join us or watch us¡±

    ¡°Well, I prefer to watch but¡­ Oh, can you let me read a book that teaches me about the culture of Demon Kingdom¡±

    ¡°Sure. Master, please prepare a suitable book for her¡±

    ¡°Understood¡±

    So, after breakfast, we had to train. Ah by the way Ichika is supposed to teach the management about the Rat Race setup and such, so she takes a different action today. When we all done, it will be free time for us, so let¡¯s get this done quickly.

 Chapter 403 - Demon Kingdomâ€™s Training

    <h4>Chapter 403 ¨C Demon Kingdom¡¯s Training</h4>

    When I came to Arena, Aidi¡¯s master was exercising, Niku also did the same, Rokuko and Aidi still preparing something so they willeter.

    Ichika, on the other hand, won¡¯t being because she is busy working on the Rat Race.

    ¡°By the way, Aidi¡¯s Master, what should I call you?¡±

    ¡°¡­because I was born and grew up in [vige] I have no names, but they call me No 52 of the 5th Human Farm¡±.

    What¡¯s up with that serial number, is this normal thing in Demon Kingdom?

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to call you that, and that¡¯s almost like dungeon core name.¡±

    ¡°Be fuckin thankful that we as human has been given the honor to use name simr to Dungeon core.¡±

    Wait, this butler¡­ is he for real? Is he really has been trained?

    ¡°Well, it certainly will be hard on your otherworlder tongue, that¡¯s right¡­ I¡¯m butler, you can call me Sebas.¡±

    ¡°Did you just say that¡¯s I¡¯m an otherworlder?¡±

    ¡°My Lady told me, she said you used to wear otherworlder clothes.¡±

    Oh right, I was wearing jersey the first time I met her.

    This guy¡­ I thought he was showing me a bit of sympathy for me being an alien creature or something, but I guess I was wrong.

    ¡°Enough about me, How should I call you mr dear customer?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s with that mixture of humble and rude speech? Well, you can call me Kehma.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my Education¡­ no my training, but it will be my pleasure, Kehma-dono.¡±

    Sebas then takes out his wooden sword. I was wondering if he was going to do some practice swing at first, but he held it towards me.

    ¡­ are we going directly to mock battle? This is too rushed, oi Demon Kingdom!

    ¡°Can I just do a practice swing?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, that¡¯s fine. But in Demon Kingdom it¡¯s amon sense to start your training with mock battle. You can do practice swing when you woke up in the morning, some people even skip it.¡±

    This Demon Kingdom is really a country of shura. {country of battle crazed people}

    ¡°Then, let me do it.¡±

    Niku stands beside me while holding a wooden sword and preparing her stance. Apparently, she is really motivated to do this. She always been a child that never missed an opportunity to be stronger. This Demon Kingdom atmosphere may be perfect for her growth.

    ¡°Are you prepared to do this?¡±

    ¡°I am a Master¡¯s tools, prepared to be used anytime.¡±

    ¡°Good resolve, you are much fitting to live here in Demon Kingdom, how about it? will you stay here for good?¡±

    ¡°I will not, my ce is beside Master.¡±

    I¡¯m happy Niku, but please tell him when you say tools, it¡¯s not in weapon meaning but as hug pillow.

    Niku ready her two wooden swords in each hand, it¡¯s her dual sword style (nito-ryuu}, but her sword is shortpared to Sebas¡¯s.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready whenever.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Niku did not say another word, but she is replying with a sh attack.

    A single strike from the lower left. However, Sebas lightly avoids it. shurin the sound of a wooden sword cutting the air is the proof that it¡¯s cleanly avoided.

    However, Niku held a dual sword. If the right missed its target, then the left will follow, yet once again, Sebas avoided it. At that moment, Sebas releasing kick to Niku¡¯s body, which sends Niku flying.

    Niku spun in the air once and readied her stance again.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make a voice? Dogs especially like to bark when attacking.¡±

    ¡°In any case, my voice cannot affect anything.¡±

    Shouting is an act of inspiring yourself and putting pressure on others. If you can¡¯t intimidate your opponent, then you can only use it to motivate yourself, which itself is not needed if you already steel your mind. So if you don¡¯t need it, then don¡¯t do it, as simple as that.

    ¡°It¡¯s a good decision¡­ that also Including your jump to the back.¡±

    From a spectator point of view, it seems that it was a clean hit, but Niku appears to jump back herself, the damage she received is minimal.

    As for me¡­ I can¡¯t keep up with their action.

    ¡°Immediately goes into battle I see.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, I¡¯ming, oh Niku and Aidi¡¯s master are fighting already.¡±

    Aidi and Rokuko finallye here. They are wearing gym clothes and bloomers since they sell it in Imperial Capital. I can understand where they get it, but they are also wearing sneakers, where did thate from?

    ¡°Where did you get those shoes?¡±

    ¡°eh why you not praising these cute clothes first?¡±

    ¡°No, I can understand since you want to exercise, that¡¯s suitable clothes for this, but where did you get these shoes?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko purchase this with DP, so this is an other world training suit?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I properly sold it to Aidi with friendly high price.¡±

    I want to retort why it¡¯s high when it¡¯s a friendly price, well I can understand because ites from her DP, but¡­

    ¡°Is it okay to spread(sell) this?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, in Demon Kingdom there¡¯s often a [strange stuff from dungeon]es out.¡±

    I see it¡¯s another case of [it¡¯s from the dungeon] convenient answers. It¡¯s not a lie because it dide from DP. Okay, just take what you like.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Aidi¡¯s Master and Niku almost evenly matched, what do you think Aidi?¡±

    ¡°oh that? He is just ying around with her.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Niku seems to pushed him to the corner.¡±

    ¡°I think he had the situationpletely under his control¡­ how about I teach Rokuko about how to observe this kind of thing?¡±

    Two girls having such talk beside me, I also don¡¯t know it too well, but I can see that Sebas still have so much leeway, while Niku was already giving her all to push him.

    They continued to fight with a wooden sword for quite a while, the mock battle ended when Niku sword finally broken.

    Naturally, it was Niku¡¯s loss.

    ¡­ I feel like this is a pattern? She dered loss when her weapon is broken. Should I weave an orichalcum into her sword? She will then have a sword that never breaks.

    ¡°¡­You are a Dog suitable to be an Assassin¡±.

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°But I can see that you only aiming at my neck, even if you add feint it¡¯s easy to read your attack pattern if you always aiming for my critical spot.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes¡±

    ¡°And don¡¯t break your weapon, you can¡¯t keep fighting if that happens, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    He really hits the bullseye, Niku can only stay silent.

    The two people catching their breath and didn¡¯t move, they sweating a little.

    And then Sebas looked at me and said.

    ¡°So, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I totally forgot.¡±

    I see he thought I was doing some warm-up while he was fighting Niku.

    ¡°¡­Hey dog. Your master is stupid. He will die immediately if he ever steps into battlefield.¡±

    ¡°I will protect my Master.¡±

    ¡°Then what, he will only stare and do nothing until you die? After that he will be defenseless and attacked too, your words did not make any sense to me.¡±

    ¡°muu¡±

    It sounds harsh, but it¡¯s the truth, so next¡­ will be mine and Sebas mock battle. How can I beat an opponent that wins against Niku?

 Chapter 404 - Demon Kingdomâ€™s Training(advanced)

    <h4>Chapter 404 ¨C Demon Kingdom¡¯s Training(advanced)</h4>

    I was lying on the ground, geh, that bastard holds nothing back and kick me as hard as he can.

    ¡°You already saw iting, why won¡¯t you avoid it? Could it be¡­¡±

    I want to answer, but I can¡¯t, I¡¯m holding my stomach and growling on the ground.

    Yes, it was inevitable. Even if I use golem clothes, there are things that I can and cannot avoid. Especially if the attack is exceeding the clothes golem defensive system. You have to avoid it with your own ability.

    Even more, when my Orihalcum supports are sealed. Because it¡¯s not necessary to expose my hands here, also I don¡¯t think I¡¯m stronger than him in terms of ability.

    But this normal clothes golem totally cannot hold Sebas attack, ugh I really feel it in my stomach. I regret taking it head-on.

    ¡°Kehma, you okay? Can you Stand up?¡±

    ¡°I think that¡¯s impossible¡­ I feel so much pain here¡­ so I¡¯m going to sleep today, I¡¯m going to sleep tomorrow too¡±

    ¡°Then you are okay, here let me apply some healing¡±

    Rokuko cast [Heal], ah, the pain subsided already.

    With this, I¡¯m sure Sebas is strong enough to reach the hero power level. However, it¡¯s been quite evident since he can easily deal with Niku, who already in semi-hero level strength.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you too weak? I thought you was better since you will be participating in fighting tournament¡±

    ¡°They have something I want on the prize bracket¡­ but I think it will be difficult now with Sebas and Aidi participating¡±

    ¡°Let me tell you one thing, my Lady will go on different tournament, that¡¯s why ourdies won¡¯t be on the same tournament as us¡±

    Oh? Is that so¡­ then the number of rivals is decreased by one¡­ well that¡¯s wrong, I should say the way to obtain [God¡¯s Pajama] is decreasing by one.

    ¡°oh, is that right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s different tournament for Demon Kingdom¡¯s Dungeon Cores, which is different from our fighting tournament, our¡¯s was an event to show the result of our daily training¡±

    ¡°hoo¡±

    At first, I thought this was going to be like pianopetition, but I should change the way I see it, this is more like fierce battle.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Rokuko, will you join me?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t like this kind of thing¡±

    ¡°even though you can have a shot at challenging gramps?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand the appeal of that?¡±

    ¡°I see, another cultural difference huh¡±

    Aidi face like saying [I can¡¯t believe it]. However, I think it¡¯s amon-sense exclusive to Demon Kingdom.

    ¡°Still, Rokuko¡¯s master is weak.¡±

    ¡°Muu, Kehma, usually you doing a little better than this?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I wonder if that was really the case?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯m only strong when I¡¯m at my home base, I¡¯m a Dungeon Master Afterall¡±

    ¡°I can ept that, but your basic strength should be same no matter where you are, right?¡±

    Aidi smiles proudly as she points to Sebas, she seems pleased that her Master is won.

    ¡°Also, this ce is simr to real tournament arena, you should get used to it, so you can fully demonstrate your ability at the real thing¡±

    ¡°¡­ can you tell me the detailed rules?¡±

    ¡°Sure, Master, tell us¡±

    Aidi passing the exning part to Sebas, he sighed.

    ¡°hah¡­, well the rules are not too detailed. The win condition are if your opponent give up or cannot continue the battle¡±

    ¡°How about a loss because you got thrown outside arena?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s colosseum battle-style, so you won¡¯t have to worry about that¡±

    ¡°what count as [unable to continue]¡±

    ¡°Either you are dead of fainted, because if you only losing a limb and still wished to continue, you can do that¡±

    They casually just allowed you to kill.

    Unless you have fainted, you may suffer serious injury or even be killed. Can I use [Super Transformation] to avoid this?

    However, I can only use for a limited number per day, this won¡¯t do depending on how many matches I need to go through that day. Let¡¯s raise its level one more time to increase the safety margin.

    ¡­ or should I just depend on Niku?

    ¡°How about magic and item usage?¡±

    ¡°Sure, you can use it, you can also use [summon]¡±

    Hmm, with this my option expanding, if I can use [Create Golem], [Summon Gargoyle], and [Summon Skeleton], I can still think of something.

    It might be worth it to get my hand on new summon too.

    ¡°by the way let me tell you this story, in the past an alchemist joined the battle with special golem he created, what do you think happens after that?¡±

    ¡°Was the Alchemist be a sole target of attack?¡±

    ¡°What a boring answer, what happen is, he won the first match, but the Golem be severely damaged in second match, and it waspletely destroyed in third match, and finally in the fourth match he fought bare handed and won. It was a fight masterpiece¡±

    Oi Alchemist, don¡¯t go and win on your own after your Golem is destroyed. I wonder what he is trying to say about that alchemist that going full berserker. {furuboko}

    ¡°Sorry, I still don¡¯t get it?¡±

    ¡°Point of that story is, you should just go with your own strength since beginning, or you can just attack together with the Golem. Ah, after that match, it seems demands for golems are increased, they used it for kid¡¯s training partner¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good story¡±

    ¡°You think so? For me it¡¯s a stupid story, because instead wasting time to research Golem he can just use it to train instead.¡±

    Well, another cultural difference.

    Alright, in my case, I can use [Create Golem] and [Summon Gargoyle] to fight. And since those skills didn¡¯t have usage limits like [Super Transformation], it will be useful somehow.

    ¡°How about using special rules to decide win or loss, like¡­ if you cross this line, you lose!¡­ is it allowed?¡±

    ¡°If both parties agreed then sure, and in the case you broke the agreement, the spectator can and will go to interfere with your fight, at that time you will be assaulted by them, so follow your rules properly. It also your loss if you kill spectator¡±

    ¡°kukuku¡± Sebasugh, his mask ispletely off now, was it rted to his interaction to me?

    ¡°well, Dog, let¡¯s do it again¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    Sebas and Niku once again readied their stance and wooden sword, me? Still not interested. You guys really are energetic.

    ¡°Hey, I want to see more action from Kehma¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll practice my skill, not my physical ability¡­ truth is I want to practice new skill, but I don¡¯t want to buy a new magic scrolls because it¡¯s expensive.¡±

    ¡°in that case, I have a good idea! I¡¯ll draw it with gacha. Will you be more motivated then?¡±

    Rokuko says she will buy it for me, no, I¡¯m delighted if you pull one for me.

    ¡°Aidi, can I use DP here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, go ahead. And that Rokuko lucky pull, I also want to see it.¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, look¡­ 1000DP gacha!¡±

    Rokuko then spins the gacha, **kyuinn** the magic circle spread, and then a scroll falls in the ground.

    Rokuko stands proud with her smug face, but this time she legit deserves it.

    ¡°How about that?¡±

    ¡°¡­To really pulled a scroll. What¡¯s your secret Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°I just feel like this time it will surely came out, so Kehma what kind of scroll is it?¡±

    ¡°let me see¡­¡±

    I can see the name if it came from the DP catalog, but when it¡¯s from gacha, you need to take a look at the magic circle and study it.

    It won¡¯t be used unless you pour magic into it, so it¡¯s safe to just open it normally. Also, since I have anguage trantion function, I can read it with no problem, well ¡­ this is new magic the magic circle is ¡°create¡±, ¡°hole¡±, and ¡°earth¡±¡­.

    Since it seems safe for me, so I decided to learn it.

    I pour magic power into the scroll. the name, effect, and how to use it are flowing to my brain. This is a [pitfall], a magic that literally creates a pitfall¡­ it¡¯s a dungeon master-like magic, and since dungeon function can create one, it¡¯s a magic that you usually don¡¯t need.

 Chapter 405 - Skill verification

    <h4>Chapter 405 ¨C Skill verification</h4>

    [Pitfall] and [Stone pile], that¡¯s the name of the new magic I learned today.

    Where did this [Stone Pile]e from? I brought it with DP because it has good synergy with [Pitfall]

    If I have this one, I can dig a hole and buried my enemy with it, right?

    By the way, the Pitfall Scroll price is unknown because it did not exist in the DP catalog.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you are very motivated today!¡±

    ¡°ah¡­ no, I want to practice my skill in secret, Aidi do you know any good spot?¡±

    ¡°I like that, a secret training!¡±

    So she told me to go to outskirt of the town, there¡¯s a rock here. This ce is not popr and hidden, a part of it because strong monsters are unlikely toe here.

    ¡°So, Kehma, what¡¯s your n?¡±

    ¡°¡­and why did youe with me? I was going to practice alone¡±

    ¡°won¡¯t it be dangerous to practice alone?¡±

    ¡­ yeah, it¡¯s not like there¡¯s no monster around. If someone is watching your back, you can concentrate better.

    ¡°Then, try using my scroll first, the [Pitfall]¡±

    ¡°Okay, The chant for that spell is¡­. Earth, make a hole [Pitfall]¡±

    I ced my hand on the ground and activated the skill¡­ a hole immediately formed in front of me. The hole was one meter deep.

    ¡°hee, this is quite neat hole¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this feels like I ced this hole here and not digging the earth to create one¡±

    In terms of magic flow, it feels like the magic are outlining the Earth with cylindrical shape and put space into it¡­ isn¡¯t this more like space-time magic rather than Earth?

    ¡°Are this skill simr to [Create Golem] where you can modify the shape as you imagine? Isn¡¯t that¡¯s why you need to practice this in secret?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, more or less it is, let¡¯s try this¡­ Earth, make a hole [Pitfall]¡±

    The current target is the rock, I activate [Pitfall] in a horizontal direction, and the hole goes through the stone.

    ¡°eh? If we have this we can create tunnel for free!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that¡¯s impossible, look at this¡­ release.¡±

    The moment I released the magic, the hole is closed and reverted back to its original shape.

    I can feel space is distorted for a second, what will happen if something goes inside the hole the moment you release it?

    I need to try this immediately, I throw stones inside, and I released the [Pitfall], all those stones are spitted out.

    ¡°¡­it seems impossible to trap something in this, it will just spit it out¡±

    ¡°Not really, that conclusion is too early¡±

    I activated [Pitfall] then I activated another [Pitfall] inside of it. This will make a two-stage hole, I throw a stone and cancel the first [Pitfall]. With this, the stone is trapped in second [Pitfall]

    ¡°so, with this we know it¡¯s possible to trap something by using this method¡±

    ¡°¡­hoho, it¡¯spletely trapped¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    ¡°and what happens if you cancel the second [Pitfall] now?¡±

    I already tried it, but I¡¯m not sure what happened. Because I can¡¯t see inside the soil. At least I know the stone didn¡¯t get teleported out above the ground.

    ¡°Is the stone trapped or not¡­?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you test it using a golem?¡±

    ¡°Good idea!¡±

    Now I created y golem instead of stone and threw it inside.

    The result ¡ª Yes, the golem ispletely buried. I can see the soil is a little bit raised, but I can¡¯t see the process because it¡¯s too deep.

    Next test, I tried to make the upperyer thin enough to only to cover the second one and repeat the process. The lid part was pushed a bit, and the golem half-appeared.

    ¡°I see, I can use it to bury something¡±

    ¡­And to destroy something, this is good.

    ¡°This ispletely indistinguishable from the outside when it closed¡±

    ¡°Normally you use it as pitfall, can I make it with skillbination?¡±

    Use the pile stone to make a pile of rock and then use the Pitfall to make a hole directly below it¡­ the activation is a sess, but there¡¯s no visible change from the outside. I tried to send golem to the stone, and it fell down into the hole.

    ¡°yes, it¡¯s a sess!¡±

    ¡°With this you can make as many pitfall as you want¡±

    ¡°Yeah, the pitfall is disappeared when I cancel the magic, but with my magic capacity this won¡¯t be a problem¡±

    The activation procedure is really simr to [Create Golem]. It gives almost the same feeling.

    Let¡¯s try to make a hole to other object aside soil or rock.

    ¡°Kehma, cast it to this armor to see if you can affect it¡±

    ¡°oh, Thank you Rokuko, well I also brought one¡±

    Rokuko took out a metal armor, and I took out a leather armor from the [storage].

    ¡°I will try to make a hole in these armor.¡±

    ¡°I thought the same thing¡±

    Rokuko thenughs a little. She seems happy that we thought about the same thing.

    The result. Both armors can be drilled by this skill, oi isn¡¯t this very bad?

    ¡°Then, next test is a living things!¡±

    Rokuko took out goblin from the [storage], how did she do that? Oh, I see! It¡¯s not a living thing, but a [goblin from the storage]

    ¡°Why do you keep goblin on your storage?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t it good if we prepared beforehand, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to need it but I¡¯m preparing it anyway?¡±

    ¡°No¡­ yeah, I mean¡­ can you put creature in the [storage]?¡±

    Goblin is usually keep moving, what state does it have on it so it can be put in? Well, since time stops in the [storage], it must only feels like an instant just passed.

    Anyway, I test [Pitfall] against the goblin.

    My magic power is bounced back. It just won¡¯t attach itself to it.

    I change the flow and force it through goblin belly, and it got through, it seems the goblin feels nothing and just standing there, the preparation is long, this likely won¡¯t be useable in battle.

    And then I activated it withrge about of mana, a hole is opened in the goblin¡¯s belly.

    ¡°¡­get to Cover!¡±

    ¡°Wow, wait, what¡¯s this?¡±

    Despite having a hole in his stomach, the goblin just standing there with a t face¡­ the internal organ also did not fall from the cut section; I feel like I put a magic wall here, and it¡¯s space is distorted.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, what will happen if you release it with stick still lodged inside it¡¯s stomatch?¡±

    ¡°What a horrible idea you impose to this child¡±

    As expected, I don¡¯t have a heart to do it to an innocent goblin, so I made another tunnel in a rock nearby and put stick made from [Create Golem] inside it. And¡­. release!

    The stick was pushed out with high speed, but its momentum instantly died when the stick ispletely out.

    ¡°It just get pushed out normally?¡±

    ¡°It seems that it¡¯s pushed out to the direction where it stick out more, what happens if you connect both end?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Once again, I made a tunnel in the rock, put a stone and stick into it, connect both with [Create Golem], now we have a giant stone earring.

    And¡­¡­. Release!!

    The result is, the stone earring is breaking into small pieces¡­. is this something I can use?

    ¡°How about Orichalcum?¡±

    ¡°Rokuko¡­ why you are so aggressive today?¡±

    I¡¯m tired though, and I still haven¡¯t done my research on [Stone Pile]

    ¡°Kehma, I wonder if you could alter Stone Pile chant and rece it with Orichalcum?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Stake of stone, be born ¨C that¡¯s the original chant¡­ ughhhh¡­

    ¡°Grain of Orichalcum, be born!¡±

    The next moment, I fainted. I might be dead if I said stake.

    By the way, it really did produce a grain of Orichalcum, just a tiny bit though, I cannot even find it without using the map.

 Chapter 406 - The Making of Special Moves(å¿…æ®º)

    <h4>Chapter 406 ¨C The Making of Special Moves(±Øš¢)</h4>

    Next day. We once again visiting our secret training ce.

    ¡°Let¡¯s us focus on testing [Stone Pile] today, I can think something interesting if Ibine it with [Pitfall]

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Kukuku, I¡¯m thinking about making a pile bunker, a weapon of man¡¯s romance.

    Activate the [Stone pile] inside the hole that made by [Pitfall], then release [Pitfall], it will then push out the stake made by [Stone Pile]

    ¡°¡­Kehma, are you okay? Did yesterday mana exhaustion still remain? Did you drink too much mana potions?¡±

    ¡°is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Because if for that, just using [Stone Pile] is enough, you don¡¯t need to use [Pitfall], maybe it still useful for trapping though¡±

    Rokuko¡­That¡¯s¡­ that¡¯s actually true?

    ¡°Then¡­ let¡¯s go home and sleep for today¡±

    ¡°No, Kehma. I¡¯m very motivated today, so I wonder if we can do test with something other than Stone, we didn¡¯t get the chance to test orichalcum yesterday.¡±

    Well¡­ yeah that¡¯s also true.

    ¡°

    ¡°By the way, Rokuko, how did you find that Orichalcum grain?¡±

    ¡°fufu, Because I think Orichalcum is an important item, I can use the map to search for its location¡±

    What¡¯s that, is it like searching for ore vein?

    ¡°Then let¡¯s test modifying [Stone Pile], let¡¯s try make an iron first¡±

    ¡°Okay, Stake of Iron ¨C be born![Stone pile]¡±

    *jyakin* a Steel stake grows from the ground. It¡¯s a sess.

    ¡°Kehma, how about mithril?¡±

    ¡°Stake of Mithril ¨C be born![Stone Pile]¡±

    Ouch, I feel it sucking my magic power at great speed. However, it¡¯s a sess, a Mithril stake is born. This rate of consumption would be dangerous for Adamantine or Hihiirokane, even if I made it at toothpick size.

    ¡°¡­ this is grown from the ground, but you are essentially made Mithril from magic power, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ can you grow it from living thing as a base instead from the ground?¡±

    And Rokuko pull out a goblin again from her [Storage], is it the same guy as before?

    ¡­. let¡¯s test with armor first.

    The result, Iron stake can be grown from iron armor but not from leather armor.

    And this goes without saying, it didn¡¯t work with the goblin.

    ¡°it seems that it need metal or soil as it¡¯s base. Or something with earth element¡±

    ¡°Wait, is it possible to grow something with same elements with base material? Try to grow a wooden stake from wooded board¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it¡­ Stake of wood ¨C be born! [Stone Pile]¡­. Nope¡±

    I also tried to grow a wooden stake from the ground, but this also failed. It seems to be unlikely to seed unless both the starting point and result are from earth attribute.

    ¡°What about gem?¡±

    ¡°Let me try it¡­ Needle of Ruby ¨C be born! [Stone Pile]¡­ ah, it¡¯s appeared¡±

    The mana consumption is scaring me, so I¡¯m starting from a needle. But surprisingly, I seeded with little mana spent. It¡¯s cost more than mithril though. I don¡¯t know the standard for the mana cost.

    ¡°Needle¡­ you can put iron te in your palm and form a thin one at that point¡±

    ¡°Hidden de?¡±

    ¡°Or if enemy use metal armor, I wonder if you can grow needles from inside the armor¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a scary thought!¡±

    And yes, in fact, I can do that¡­ I can make a needle stick out from inside the armor, for leather armor, I can make it from the metal parts that connects it.

    ¡°.. This [Stone Pile] is brutal magic!!¡±

    ¡°I think the brutal one is Kehma modifying ability? Normally it cannot do that¡±

    Su-such a thing is¡­. the truth¡­

    *

    Time for some break, we spread a mat, eat a sandwich, and take a nap.

    No¡­ I¡¯m notzy, I need to recover my magic power, I can¡¯t rely too much on mana potions. Also, you know I¡¯m a Beddhist, I need a nap to do my daily prayer.

    After some time, I woke up. I saw Rokuko thinking about something while touching the Iron stake I produce today.

    ¡°Is something wrong? Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Kehma, can you use this to create Golem?¡±

    ¡°e? Let¡¯s try it then? [Create Golem]¡±

    The iron stake made from my mana sessfully golemized. Yeah, it transformed without a problem.

    This is¡­ this will save a material cost, and I can make Golem anywhere as long as I have mana. Even Mithril or ruby Golem?

    Yeah¡­ this [Stone Pile] is cheat magic, you can make as much material as you want, even when it¡¯s limited to earth attribute materials.

    For example¡­ you can use [Stone Pile] to pull out a stake of iron from your hand, then use [Create Golem] to make golem de¡­ As long as your manast, you will have infinite swords. {infinite de works!?}

    ¡°Can you instantly make golem bybining both spell at the same time?¡±

    ¡°Is it possible? Well¡­. Iron dolls ¨C be born and be my servants [Stone Pile] [Create Golem]¡ª¨C!!?¡±

    I activate two magic at the same time. But the result is not what we expected. The magic is intertwined, and the formation bes iprehensible. The magical power lost it¡¯s anchor and creating a ball on my hands.

    ¡°Cho, ma, uooo¡±

    THIS IS BAD, I immediately throw it to the nearby rock¡­

    ¨CBokyun! !! Megyon! !!

    The rock that was hit by my magic power are melded and be iron in somece, but its shapes are distorted. It grew from the ground like a hand holding a ball¡­ the heck is this?

    ¡°Achaa, so, this is what happens if you forcefully mix a magic? it will go wild.¡±

    ¡°L-Looks like it¡­?¡±

    ¡°But this seems to holde destructive power, Kehma, can you do it again?¡±

    That¡¯s the idea when she sees my magic power running wild, and now she wants to do it intentionally? Rokuko, what a scary child! Is this because of Aidi¡¯s influence?

    ¡°What will happen when you did it with other magic?¡±

    ¡°¡­ let¡¯s try it with lower tier magic¡±

    ¡°Because it certainly will go wild, let¡¯s mix a lot attributes into it!¡±

    That¡¯s a totally dangerous thing she thought of, but in the end, I decided to do as Rokuko suggest.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s okay! Let¡¯s do it!¡±

    I asked Rokuko to take some distance because it¡¯s possible that this will explode, for myself, I decided to use [Super Transformation] as insurance, with this I¡¯m safe even if I had to die once.

    I won¡¯t even dare to try this if I don¡¯t have revival function from [Super Transformation].

    Anyway, time for the test.

    ¡°Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Light, Darkness ¨C attack my enemy! [Fireball][Waterball][Earth bind][Air Cutter][Light][Blind]¡±

    I build up the formation as attack magic and targeting a huge pseudo-hand I made earlier, the magic power of 6 different elements are mixed together.

    Immediately after contact, the mixed power exploded, let hand-like object are evaporated in 3 seconds¡­

    ¡°Wow¡­ amazing¡±

    I wholeheartedly agree with Rokuko murmur, the power of this spell is amazing.

    And if I didn¡¯t specify it to be an [attack], I¡¯m sure it will explode to all direction.

    ¡°Rokuko¡­ this is dangerous, really dangerous¡­ and you know what? It¡¯s only cost six lower tier spell worth of mana¡±

    ¡°¡­Kehma, how many times you can shoot this with your current magic capacity?¡±

    ¡°As much as I want, it only takes a few second for me to recover my mana naturally¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s give it a name¡­ I know! Let¡¯s call it Elemental Burst!¡±

    Ah, a proper name. With that, we decide to call this move as [Elemental Burst], magic that intentionally let multiple elements go wild.

    Since I had a fixed image now, it¡¯s possible to use [Elemental Burst] as keywords next time I cast it, omitting all other magic elements name. This only possible because I use only the basic form of six elements.

    ¡­ For now, let¡¯s called it my special move. This is also my first original magic.

    I wonder if other people can use it.

 Chapter 407 - Developing skill variant.

    <h4>Chapter 407 ¨C Developing skill variant.</h4>

    Few days away from the tournament.

    Rokuko and I continued our secret training, and we always go to this hidden ce.

    No, seriously, we only did a secret training. I did nothing suspicious.

    ¡°[Elemental shot]!¡±

    psu it opened a hole about the size of a marble on target rock.

    This is the small version of [Elemental Brust]. The chance is my opponent will instantly die if I use [Elemental Burst] on the tournament, so I can¡¯t use it as it is.

    This attack variant is suppressing the radius of Elemental Burst. Still, its power is left unchanged, or rather than unchanged, it¡¯s be more focused, resulting in increased strength and speed.

    ¡°Hopefully if this hit you, you won¡¯t die.¡±

    ¡°Right?¡±

    Though if hole like this opened in my body, I might die from bleeding, but this is a world with healing magic, it should not matter that much.

    There¡¯s also a chance that I hit some bad ce that will be cause an instant kill. If that happens, it¡¯s unfortunate. But I will try to avoid that as best as I can.

    By the way, this [Elemental Shot] ising from Rokuko suggestion, she said [Isn¡¯t it better if you didn¡¯t kill people needlessly] a very sounds argument from her.

    And as a bonus, I can shoot this like a Gatling gun. I feel a little bit like a viin.

    ¡°How about [Elemental sh]? is it ready to use?¡±

    ¡°no¡­ well¡­ I do understand the theory, but for now it¡¯s a suicide technique.¡±

    [Elemental sh] is a wide range circr attack. It works by engulfing [Elemental Burst] around your body and unleash it, this is also Rokuko Idea.

    However, since you have be the center point of that explosion, it¡¯s given that you also took full damage from it. In Rokuko theory you will protect yourself by emitting several [Elemental Burst] in a thinyer to negate its st, but¡­ the problem is [Elemental Burst] is working on magic power that running wild, so you have no control over it, it¡¯s very difficult to activate it in small scale, and it¡¯s not possible to do as Rokuko theory suggest.

    In the end, I can make it to go to all direction, but that¡¯s no different than [Elemental Burst]

    For a substitute, I can make a cube shape image and opening just one side of it to let the st go in one direction.

    I should be able to position it on the left, right, back, front, and top. Excluding the bottom, because it will face the ground, well this would be more like one-sided [Elemental sh]

    We pushed out the idea of [Elemental Shot] so we can use it in the tournament, per Rokuko request

    ¡­ it may be bothersome to win normally, but the most effective way to get [God¡¯s Pajama] is to win the tournament. The second-best thing is to buy it from the winner.

    ¡°Okay let¡¯s wrap up our special training for today.¡±

    ¡°yeah¡±

    Rokuko hugs my arms¡­ our distance be a lot closer since wee to Demon Kingdom,

    What¡­did you think you can do as you like because we are away from home?

    I wonder if I will be killed when we got home.

    ¡°Kehma, can we sleep together today?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, let¡¯s put the bed out first.¡±

    ¡°okay¡±

    Rokukoy futon on a t rock, she said to sleep together, but I intend to do nothing. So, I will just use [Stone Pile] to produce orichalcum, that way, I can put myself into sleep(faint).

    It also serves as special training to increase your magic capacity or to be exact to train your magic recovery power. It seems if you use all your magic at once, your recovery is getting stronger.

    But we are sleeping outdoor, there¡¯s a threat of the monsters lurking around us, so we using Rokuko¡¯s [God¡¯s Comforter]. With this, we will be safe even if a monster attacks, or rather the attack won¡¯t evene in the first ce.

    e here Kehma.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Rokuko invites me while sitting on a bed and spreading her arms wearing [God¡¯sforter] in poncho-like style. The [God¡¯s Comforter] can only be used along with its user, Rokuko¡­. but why she wears it like that¡­ and yeah, I cannot let Rokuko get attacked while I¡¯mfortably using [God¡¯s Comforter]. Hence, it¡¯s only natural to use it together.

    There¡¯s nothing strange about it, there¡¯s nothing weird about it!

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, this is not in Aidi¡¯s territory, there¡¯s only me and Kehma here¡± {I think she meant dungeon monitoring function}

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡±

    I could no longer refuse Rokuko¡¯s invitation, and I was hugged tightly by her inside theforter.

    With the effect of absolutefort given by [God¡¯sforter], I totally sumb to Rokuko warmth, I just cannot resist it, the nket of God¡¯s Comforter has a function to provide you with perfect temperature even if you are dipped into the magma. Once you go into it, there¡¯s no escaping itsfort.

    Anyway¡­ let¡¯s go faint. I mean, let¡¯s go to sleep ¡°Grain of Orichalcum ¡ª be born[Stone Pile].¡± Guh.

    It was evening when I woke up.

    My magic power is fully replenished, this is probably the effect of [God¡¯s Comforter]. However, I do not want to leave this ce because it is toofortable, it feels like kotatsu in the winter.

    Oops, Rokuko is drolling, ¡­ [Clean]

    ¡°Master, how are you feeling?¡±

    Ichika said that while looking down, it seems shee to pick us.

    ¡°Well, hello Ichika¡­ how the Rat Race progress?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all done now.¡±

    What is left is monitoring its progress and troubleshooting. She is allowed to stay as long as our study abroad durationsts. Meaning Ichika will have some free time now. Also, she is the one who had the most open time among us.

    ¡°But really¡­ Do you want to keep staying inside and continue flirting? That¡¯s so hot.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ well, I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, but please keep this as absolute secret to Haku.¡±

    ¡°yeah, yeah, Rokuko-sama, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±

    I get out offorter, Ichika woke up Rokuko by poking her cheeks.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ what is for dinner¡­?¡±

    ¡°Meat Udon¡±

    ¡°Again? I¡¯m tired of it, I want to eat something else¡­ but that¡¯s the only dish that stood out here¡­ uh huh¡­ let¡¯s go home Kehma.¡±

    Rokuko did a long stretch and putting away [God¡¯s Comforter] in the [Storage]

    ¡°Well, Master, since I¡¯m free, will I attend to special training from tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°Oh. well, we are done here, also it¡¯s about time I practice close quarterbat for arena, I have obtained a high firepower, but I¡¯m not sure if I can use it in realbat.¡±

    Ah ¡­ but This is a power also cannot be used in friendly mock battle, especially with yourrades.

    No matter how good your recovery magic is, it will leave a bad taste if you leave a hole open in your friend¡¯s body, you can even die if you hit at a vital ce.

    ¡­ for the arena, I will need to learn CQC with cloth golem assistance. This is our tournament training schedule for now.

 Chapter 408 - Extra: Melon Bread Festival

    <h4>Chapter 408 ¨C Extra: Melon Bread Festival</h4>

    ¡°Melon bread ¡­ Festival!?¡±

    That day Rokuko take a look at Dungeon menu, and such a thing appeared.

    Inside that, there¡¯s several Melon Bread icons, and Rokuko immediately reports to Kehma.

    ¡°Oh, Kehma, take a look at this!¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, what? ¡­ Melon Bread Festival?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡±

    Furthermore, when you take a closer look, there¡¯s a small notice that said [Rokuko Only].

    At a nce it looks like a supermarket pamphlet or flyer, Kehma wondered who sent this? And he saw [Father] signature and decided to stop thinking further.

    ¡°Three days of Melon Bread Festival¡±

    ¡°¡­ a limited time event? So there¡¯s such a thing¡±

    Rokuko about to click Melon Bread icon from the DP catalog. However we are currently on Demon Kingdom, we won¡¯t gain any DP generated from [Cave of Desire]

    ¡°Which should I select¡­ Should I just press all of them?¡±

    ¡°No, please limit it to 1000DP, we need to save our DP¡±

    ¡°¡­oh I know!, I will allow Aidi to use this option, for 1000DP!¡±

    Ah, so you going to y that hand? Rokuko passion for Melon bread is truly surpassing her love for goblin. Kehma said that while scratching his head.

    Then they headed to Aidi¡¯s ce.

    ¡°What is it Rokuko. Do you need me for something?¡±

    ¡°ah Aidi, your timing is just right, there¡¯s Melon Bread Festival being held. Please give me DP, 1000DP for the time being.¡±

    ¡°Melon Bread Festival?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a festival dedicated to Melon Bread¡±

    ¡°¡­ Sorry, I won¡¯t participate on that, I will give it for Choco Co though¡±

    Said Aidi while sight and looking not sorry at all.

    ¡°Yes, there is, a Co¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s Co Melon Bread listed here in the catalog. Maybe it¡¯s a special limited edition for this festival¡±

    ¡°Here, take it, 1000DP right?¡±

    Aidi is quickly fallen to Choco Co temptation. It¡¯s her favorite thing, it cannot be helped.

    ¡°I wonder if it stronger that 100 Choco cos.¡±

    ¡°Okay, with this the negotiation is sess¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, it¡¯s abination of Melon Bread skin and Co shape, a harmony between defense and offence, this is the strongest¡±

    ¡°Yeah I also wonder how will it turn out, ah¡­ I will start with giant Melon Bread first.¡±

    Rokuko catches big fluffy, creamy melon bread, and Aidi gets Co Melon Bread. Looking at them, Kehma felt like his stomach is hurting.

    ¡°oi, You can¡¯t have dinner if you over eat¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Co goes into another stomach¡±

    Troublesome Dungeon core like them are in fact, can have another stomach, on even ¡­ theoretically, they can eat endlessly if they absorb it with dungeon function.

    ¡°Look at this! It¡¯s bigger than Ichika¡¯s boobs!¡±

    ¡°it is!¡±

    ¡°Why did youpare it to Ichika¡¯s chest size?¡±

    It¡¯s bigger than melon from Kehma¡¯s point of view, probably around four or five times bigger than normal Melon Bread.

    ¡°But it has no cream.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just big.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s still good¡±

    Then Rokuko stuffs her face into the giant melon bread. She was like a small animal trying to eat melon bread.

    ¡°It has the taste of normal melon bread, it¡¯s delicious¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s big and powerful, but that¡¯s it¡±

    ¡°no, it¡¯s not what I mean, the taste was the same, but the texture of this melon bread is closer to sponge cake, this is not possible with normal melon bread¡±

    Next, it¡¯s Aidi¡¯s turn to eat Co Melon Bread.

    ¡°The spiral part is hidden by Melon Bread crust, it¡¯s be invisible to the naked eye, but this is certainly a Co, the cream inside have solid rich vour¡±

    ¡°What about melon bread itself?¡±

    ¡°well it¡¯s as you can see, only the crust¡­ this is feels more like gauntlet and sword, it certainly not bad.¡±

    Is it simr to earth weapon called Pata?**

    ¡­ Kehma wonders why shepares bread to weapons, but since she is satisfied, Kehma decided not to pursue it further.

    There are various kinds of melon bread, like¡­ Melon bread with croquette, Melon Bread with bacon sandwiched between it, Melon Bread burger¡­ but the bread part will always be melon bread.

    Isn¡¯t this just putting Melon Bread on everything?

    Kehma thought so.

    ¡°This one is sweet and sour, and the best part, it has melon bread¡±

    ¡°Your rtionship to Melon bread are like dog and it¡¯s master¡±

    ¡°Ofcourse! It¡¯s Melon Bread!¡±

    ¡°Anything is okay as long it has Melon Bread?¡±

    ¡°Yes, anything is okay as long as it has Melon Bread!¡±

    However, for Rokuko, the Melon Bread seems good with everything. Even when it was sweet and salty, so it seemed like an amazing surprise taste in a good way.

    It seems that¡¯s also a whipped cream sandwiched in melon bread, with fruit sd inside it.

    In short, everything is Melon Bread.

    ¡°This is the ultimate Melon Bread! Both real melon and Melon Bread in one, connected by fresh cream, this is [sweet x sweet x sweet = sweet!!!]¡± {that¡¯s diabetes right there}

    ¡°Ro, please share it with mw, I¡¯m also curious about fruit sandwiches¡±

    ¡°A fresh cream and fruit sandwiched between bread, it¡¯s sweet and delicious¡±

    ¡°Can I get a normal fruit sandwichter?¡±

    ¡°Aidi have much DP huh¡­¡±

    Rokuko has satisfied herself with a heaven of melon bread. It seems that she can copse anytime. She also smells sweet¡ªKehma Nod in his head.

    There¡¯s also this melon bread crust without the bread.

    ¡°This is no longer bread, isn¡¯t this just cookie?¡±

    ¡°What makes you think that Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Wait, it has the taste and aroma of melon bread, so let¡¯s call it Cookie Melon Bread¡­ I¡¯ll buy ten of them for the time being¡±

    ¡°ah, okay. Let¡¯s buy it¡±

    ¡°This is not just a dessert anymore¡±

    Why Cookie Melon Bread is dessert? That sandwich earlier is more fitting to be called dessert because it had at least a fruit in them, that¡¯s Kehma retorts in his head, but he will stop questioning it for now.

    It¡¯s useless to argue about this.

    And of course, there are regr melon bread and premium melon bread.

    But overall, it¡¯s the price is low, the super-giant melon bread only cost 5DP.

    If you spend 1000DP on this festival, you can do all-you-can-eat on melon bread.

    ¡°This Melon Bread festival is the best!¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t there be something like Co Festival next?¡± nomnom*

    Kehma thought they won¡¯t be able to eat dinner after this, but as expected of dungeon core, they just absorb it all with dungeon function. There¡¯s also a possibility that they did have a different space to store thatrge amount of Melon Bread in their stomach.

    ¡°¡­in the end I guess you are happy with this?¡±

    ¡°Do you also want to eat Kehma? Here¡¯s a Melon Bread¡±

    The room is wrapped in the sweet scent of Melon Bread.

    Regardless of what he thought, he still receives Melon Bread from Rokuko, and today meal is Melon Bread all day along.

 Chapter 409 - Extra: Those who has been forgotten

    <strong>Chapter 409 ¨C Extra: Those who has been forgotten</strong>

    Aidi¡¯s towns are experiencing a festive mood as the time for fighting tournament approaches.

    This town is originally not her¡¯s, Aidi and Sebas snatch this town from the former ruler by defeating him in a duel.

    In Demon Kingdom, the fight for territory managed by Dungeon Core is likely resembling Japan Warring State period. The method of acquisition is either by duel or group battle and that not only limited to town. Their dungeon area will also be traded along with the territory.

    The state of the town itself is not much differentpared to Empire. For me, they are looks precisely from what I expect from other world towns. The only difference is the existence of a wall. Somehow Demon Kingdom¡¯s town is feels a bit sloppypared to Empire because of this.

    One difference that really stood out more is probably the food.

    ¡°Kehma, there¡¯s a stall over there! Let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ What are they selling? This is¡­ Orange sweets?¡±

    ¡°This is Haruwa, it made from sweetened carrot and wheat flour¡±

    ¡°uuu¡­Carrots¡­ ¡°

    I take a walk with Rokuko in Demon Kingdom town, Rokuko happily murmuring [it¡¯s a date], but since Ichika and Niku are following us, for me, it didn¡¯t feel that way. And Rokuko, you need to eat your vegetables properly, I¡¯m worried if your height won¡¯t increase.

    ¡°Oh? Kehma, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡±

    I was leisurely taking a walk when my name is called. I took a turn to look at who they are, and there stood two adventurers. Who are they? And why I¡¯m feeling a sense of de javu?

    ¡°It¡¯s me Uzoh! You once safe my life!¡±

    ¡°and I¡¯m Muzoh! Also, I¡¯m sorry I still cannot keep my promises to go back to vige!¡±

    ¡°¡­sorry I don¡¯t remember having acquaintance with such name, eh did you really promise me that?¡±

    Uzomuzo Brothers. They are C-ranked adventurers that I met once before. I remember they are my first customer in [Dancing Dolls Pavilion]. Also they got caught in [Avarice Trap] and gave me a lot of DP.

    Because they feel indebted to me, who sacrifice my Magic Sword(de Golem) to save them, they said they will be going to adventure in search for a recement magic sword, and that¡¯s how Ie to possess my beloved sword, magic sword Siesta, a magic sword with the power to inducing sleep. It was given to me as a recement for my Magic Sword(Golem de).

    ¡°Why you guys here, I thought you are Empire¡¯s adventures.¡±

    ¡°yeah¡­ I did a mistake with a quest I received some time ago; we are almost died.¡±

    ¡°Are we are saved by this country people; we cannot go home just like that¡±

    Long story short seems some Demon Kingdom citizen helped them, and to return the favor, they will go into this tournament and get its prize. Theye to this town to register for the tournament.

    ¡°hee, is that so? I will also participating in that tournament¡±

    ¡°Is that right? But I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t give you any leeway if we ended up facing each other.¡±

    ¡°Right, we feel indebted to you, but this and that are different matter.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem with that. But I have this one request.¡±

    Then I asked Uzomuzo brother about ¡®that matter¡¯. [if you happened to get [God¡¯s Pajama] as a prize, let me be the one who buys it from you].

    ¡°and of course I¡¯m ready to pay the proper price¡±

    ¡°I see, yes I can ept that, right Muzoh?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a request from Kehma after all, Uzoh¡±

    Okay, with this we have one more chance to get [God¡¯s Pajama]

    By the way, they told me [In this country, if you are not strong enough, your negotiation partner won¡¯t even talk to you, but since it¡¯s Kehma, I guess that was needless worry], aren¡¯t you guys overestimating me?

    They also finally noticed Siesta, that hanging from my waist.

    ¡°¡­Kehma, what¡¯s the magic sword on you waist?¡±

    ¡°Huh? What¡¯s wrong¡­ hahaha! No way! that sword is¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh. This sword is Siesta that I got it from you guys¡±

    ¡°Sleep sword Siesta! No way! you still have it¡­!¡±

    ¡°Uzo, you don¡¯t know how happy I am at this moment!!¡±

    Don¡¯t exaggerate it, guys. Then they took out their own Magic Sword (Golem de). One of them is a dagger type. I remember giving it to them as a token of appreciation for giving me Siesta.

    ¡°Kehma, We still using the magic sword you gave to us¡±

    ¡°ah¡­ these swords are treasure for both me and Uzoh, but recently they are started rattling and stopped working¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Let me take a look at that.¡±

    I took both swords from them.

    ¡­ ah the golem life in this sword has run out, this sword is basically a golem, the more you use it, the more they will shave their hit points. And Golem is not living being, they cannot heal by themselves. So it means, they will eventually wear out and die.

    Both Golem (de) has died.

    I did give it some protection, but it seems they really have been working hard, and of course, it¡¯s natural for them to reach their end of life. As a creator of these swords, it¡¯s impossible not feeling happy looking at them has been used up to this point.

    ¡°¡­¡­[Activate]¡±

    I hide my hand and apply [Create Golem] to revive them, I also repair wear and tear in the sword¡¯s body. And to mask all of that I cast [Activate] which is falls into life magic to rejuvenates soil.

    ¡°Here, it¡¯s fixed. You guys are lucky¡±

    ¡°¡­ What? Eh? Hey, wait a minute, Kehma!¡±

    ¡°What did you do?! What [Activate] actually did just now?¡±

    Read more chapters at L

    When I returned those swords, Uzoh and Muzoh were surprised, well damn, I would be too if someone pats your magic sword a little and suddenly it¡¯s fixed.

    ¡°I learned this trick from the cksmith in the vige, the sword is basically a metal and metal is originally a soil, therefore I only need to activate the ¡®soil¡¯ to repair the broken part. I¡¯m sure it will works fine now, I¡¯m d it¡¯s not too severe.¡±

    By the way, I do actually try that, and [Activate] can really replenish Golem HP by a bit, though if it¡¯s dead, it won¡¯t have any effect.

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s trade secret, so keep it to yourself¡±

    ¡°ooo okay, I see. Then let¡¯s apply [Activate] everyday,¡±

    ¡°uh huh, by the way, how much this repair cost?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it, don¡¯t mind it, it¡¯s a bonus because Siesta is my favorite sword now¡±

    No, Siesta is not just great. It already recognized as the holy sword of Beddishm.

    ¡°Kehmaaa, let¡¯s do to the stalls, I want to eats some sweets¡±

    ¡°Oops, sorry¡­ well then, see youter¡±

    I was rushed by Rokuko and promptly finished our chat, she then pulled me to nearby stalls.

    ¡°¡­Kehma, why did you fix their sword? They could be an enemy in tournaments. It¡¯s better to leave it broken¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, with this they will owe a me a favour, so when the timees our negotiation should be a little bit easier. And I actually can win easily if it against those two¡±

    ¡°nnn, that¡¯s okay if you already had it nned out, Niku, is it hard to beat those two?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­Yes, I will try my best¡±

    ¡ª- Why Rokuko thirst to win is especially strong this time?

    And Niku seems to be more motivated than usual.

    When we got home, I think she wille to me to do mock battle again, I better do my best too.

    For the sake of [God¡¯s Pajama]

 Chapter 410 - Calculation

    <strong>410 ¨C Calction</strong>

    It¡¯s early in the morning, the day before the tournament.

    Niku and I were using the arena for onest touch on our preparation.

    ¡°Oi, Kehma, your timing just now is¡­¡±

    ¡°ah, I see¡­ it¡¯s better to make it go slower¡±

    By the way, I ask some advice from Sebas, and since then he has seen my fighting style, and it seems he¡¯s mellowed down after that, we are friends now.

    Thanks to his advice my fighting skill has improved, my movement without Golem Clothes also getting better, inbination with my firepower it seems like I had a minimum ability to participate in the tournament now. At least Sebas has said so.

    (Participants usually must go through a qualifier rounds then you can enter main events. But since you are an exchange student from other countries we exempt you from that)

    In the case of Niku, she will at least reach 8th ce or higher, with that our chance to win [God¡¯s Pajama] is increased. And I¡¯m still hiding my trump card (that only I aware of) I think our chance to get the prize is pretty good.

    By the way, Dungeon cores will participate in different tournaments ¨C separate from this tournament where the second prize is [God¡¯s Pajama]. The first-ce winner prize is the rights to challenge the Great Demon Lord (core number 6), it¡¯s a prize for a battle maniac, for me [God¡¯s Pajama] is a better prize, no doubt about that.

    ¡°Hsly, I didn¡¯t think that puppy will grow so fast in this short amount of time¡­¡±

    Fufu, isn¡¯t she¡¯s awesome? Niku won against Sebas in today mock battle.

    That Niku started running around the arena at neck-breaking speed to build up her strength even more.

    Also, she can stop her breathing for a minute now. It looks like she¡¯s been training after been told by Aidi that [Breathing is weakness], it¡¯s kind of funny that she actually can practice that.

    ¡°Oi Kehma, who that puppy really is? Where do you find her?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s my hugging pillow, well, before¡­ she was cheap beast ve that I saved from bandits¡±

    ¡°She is cheap¡­? is it the Empire levels that too high? Or poor judgement from ve trader¡­. I wonder which one is it¡­¡±

    She has the growth potential which no normal beastman had; my support may also boosting that growth.

    Moreover, her clothes are lined up by Orichalcum grain that I produce every day. It¡¯s a new safety procedure. So I just replied to him with a smile.

    I wonder if I can [God¡¯s Pajamas] without the need to negotiate with the winner, I was sure my face is making a perverted grin right now.

    Aidi, Rokuko and Ichikae to us.

    ¡°She¡¯s really did it¡±

    ¡°Yes my Lady, she did take one winning from me¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ Master, are prepared to be punishedter?¡±

    ¡°¡­tsk, for sure my Lady¡±

    Sebas is annoyed. Sending that Sebas a sidelong nce, Rokukoe to me and hands me a towel.

    ¡°Here Kehma, you are sweating a lot¡­ you tried really hard this time.¡±

    ¡°Well yeah, because this time [God¡¯s Pajama] is the prize, I need it for my daily good night sleep¡±

    ¡°You really spare no effort if it¡¯s for your sleep¡±

    I wiped the sweat from my face with a towel I received from Rokuko. When I returned it to her I said [My back is also sweaty] she then put the towel in [storage] and then cast [Clean] on me¡­¡­¡­. wait, from the beginning isn¡¯t [Clean] would suffice?

    ¡°Afterall¡­ tomorrow is the tournament, but I don¡¯t have enough confidence to get [God¡¯s Pajama]¡±

    ¡°eh? What are you talking about? Aren¡¯t you only need to give up at the final and get second prize¡±

    Rokuko said that like that¡¯s a matter of fact, of course, if I could just do that, then I won¡¯t have this problem in the first ce.

    ¡°Do you really think me or Niku can win all the way to final?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m trained with you! I¡¯m confident that you will make it to the final¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not for certain Rokuko, I learned a lot after sparring with Sebas. this [Elemental Shot] can be evaded by people on his caliber, can I really avoid people like Sebas until I reach the final?¡±

    That¡¯s the fact, Sebas can avoid this shot. And once I missed, he will immediately jump in for the counter-attack, I had a n to leave the retreat maneuver to clothes golem, but I just can¡¯t aim in roller-coaster-like movement caused by clothes golem. It¡¯s easier to aim while I am standing still.

    As a result, I can only do once or two decent shots while he approaches me. If only I can use Rokuko¡¯s [Elemental sh] idea, the fight will flow in a better direction.

    ¡°e? What are you talking about? You don¡¯t have to ignore those attacks, just shoot at them. ¡±

    ¡°What am I talking about? What are you talking about? I can¡¯t just ignore their attack¡±

    ¡°¡­I thought you going to borrow my nket?¡±

    ¡­eh?

    ¡°¡­nket? did you mean [God¡¯s Comforter]?¡±

    ¡°OfCourse it is, why would I lend you normal nket?¡±

    Wait. That is.., if I can use [God¡¯s Comforter] then¡­

    ¡°Just a minute Rokuko, are you sure you can ignore the attack with [God¡¯s Comforter]?¡±

    ¡°Yes, [father] has guaranted me that the [God¡¯s Comforter] has an absolute defense¡±

    ¡ª Attack Invalidation? That Comforter is too overpowered.

    In other words, I can use the nket and just barrage my enemy with magic, I will be an invincible magic turret, or better, just wear it like a poncho, and you can be a magic tank.

    Therefore if the enemy can be defeated by [Elemental Shoot], then you can undoubtedly win the tournament. Said Rokuko.

    Afterall there¡¯s no chance that I will run out of ammo. My recovery may fall a little behind the [Elemental Shot] cost, but that is the case without calcting the [God¡¯s Comforter] recovery effect. Hahaha.

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that cheating?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s an example case like Aidi, if it¡¯s counts as cheating when you use magic tools created by my [father] then Magic Sword user should be prohibited? Aidi is Magic Sword type core and she is [father] creation isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°¡­ That was pushing it, but valid logic¡±

    ¡°Also, this tournament epted the use of golem right? What stopping you from using magic armor?¡±

    ¡°¡­ that actually makes sense¡±

    Rokuko theory about Aidi¡­ I don¡¯t see any problem with that.

    ¡­ yeah, I can get it with brute force.

    To think that I was actually preparing to get [God¡¯s Pajama] by negotiating with the winner.

    Before I know it I was influenced by this Demon Kingom¡¯s way too, Maybe all this Udon has eroded my brain.

    ¡°Aidi groups seems to go to challenge Great Demon Lord, while we are aiming at the [God¡¯s Pajama], we can just give up first prize to them, right Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, you are right¡±

    But this makes me feel like I¡¯m cheating, though it suits me as cowardly Dungeon¡¯s Master. Let¡¯s aim for second ce and get that [God¡¯s Pajama].

    ¡°¡­Master, what should I do?¡±

    Niku stopped running and look at me.

    Is she anxious because I can get God¡¯s Pajama without relying on her? Well¡­ Niku is mine and Rokuko bodyguard, it¡¯s never wrong for her to get stronger.

    ¡°Niku¡­ you are you, why don¡¯t you aim as high as possible? ¡­ you can get any prize you want¡±

    ¡°understood¡±

    ¡°Niku, just go for it! I know you can win this¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will do my best¡±

    ¡­ No, I won¡¯t say it easy, because there¡¯s always a possibility that something will happen, so it may be still difficult to win this tournament.

 Chapter 411 - Qualifier tournament start

    <h4>Chapter 411 ¨C Qualifier tournament start</h4>

    Today, the day of qualifier fighting tournament rounds. This day finally arrived.

    We areing to the arena where the event is held, this arena is four times bigger than our usual training Arena. It¡¯s like the difference between the school courtyard and Athletic field.

    ¡°What a great view.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always like this every year.¡±

    The stalls filled up the street, Demon Kingdom people like Harpy and Lizardman (and some actual monster) are merrily enjoying the festival.

    ¡­ uh, I just saw beetle walking on two legs, is he from insect tribe?

    ¡°This is only qualifier rounds, the main event will be held at Demon Kingdom capital.¡±

    ¡°Will Wataru participate?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right Rokuko. as a Hero, he has been seeded for main event so he can skip qualifying rounds. If you want to fight him, then you need to win this and participate in main event.¡±

    It should be noted since I will bepeting as a representative of the same nation(Empire). We will be ced on different block to avoid us shing against each other in the early match. That said Niku will still fight against Wataru if she can advance to semi-finals.

    ¡°Hm? Then Sebas can¡¯t advance to final because he will always face me or Wataru, if that happens then he won¡¯t be able to challenge higher tier tournaments, right?¡±

    ¡°If he lose here, he will participate in tournaments as My Master. It will be miserable for him but it cannot be helped? Since his opponent are Hero Afterall.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately mydy, aside from this cheating guy here, I don¡¯t nt to lose to a sweet hero that always ying in the Luke-warm environment.¡±

    ¡°Ara Master? Don¡¯t you know Wataru is famous as one-man army?¡±

    ¡°Wataru is stronger than Niku, can Sebas that lost to Niku win against him?¡±

    Sebas cannot refute Aidi and Rokuko words, he looks pitiful.

    I mean, Wataru is a one-man army.

    I can only send him a wry smile.

    ¡°He was called a hazy nightmare or a smiling ughterer Pierrot as his second name.¡±

    ¡°What the hell is those names, I will be scared shitless if there¡¯s aughing Pierrot in battlefield.¡±

    ¡°Although it ismon for people from different worlds and heroes to ying with life¡­ Hero Wataru is different, he is not ying with life, he understands the weight of taking someone life and take them properly.¡±

    ¡°¡­now it¡¯s even scarier to imagine what his smile looks like.¡±

    It reminds me that Wataru once told Nerune [I don¡¯t have the rights to go back to Japan anymore] ¡­ Yeah, I should tell Nerune to be kinder to Wataru next time.

    ¡°Kehma, focus on winning swiftly for the time being¡±

    ¡°ah, okay.¡±

    Rokuko cheered for me, and I entered the arena.

    *

    And the qualifier rounds started. The opening ceremony is quickly finished, and the battle starts immediately.

    I wear the [God¡¯s Comforter] like a cloak and join the fray.

    This [God¡¯s nket] can change its outer form to some extent, I changed it to make it look like regr thick cloth¡­ well like a nket.

    For now, let¡¯s see how many should I defeat to qualify in the main tournament?¡­ and is it necessary to have so many matches? When I asked Aidi, she just answers with [Just defeat as much as possible?]

    ¡­ well, this [God¡¯s nket] will serve as my handicap.

    Anyway, the formats seem to be a fight one-on-one. There is four arena, and four qualifiers match can be held at once.

    ¡°Huh,e to me weakling! My fang sword will tear you to shred.¡±

    ¡°ah, nice to meet you too¡­ and it¡¯s better to stop judging people from his appearance.¡±

    My first opponent is Sahagin with pink scales, on top of his scales he wears armor, his weapon is something like piranha fang.

    The battle begins. I shoot [Elemental shot] at once, I must secure the first hit.

    ¡°Gufu!?¡±

    ¡°eh, it hit?¡±

    ¡°u-ugh, you got me¡­¡±

    ¡°Well, will you give up already?¡±

    ¨Cstupid. You just had to kneel to avoid that. If this was Sebas, he would dly start shing at me right now and that shot won¡¯t even hit at all.

    Well, I would give up. If I¡¯m being you, you will only receive pain like this.

    ¡°Kehma Gollen first match, win! Please wait here for your second match, it wille soon.¡±

    ¡°immediately?¡±

    But I still wait as told by the referee, this time pig beastman appeared, he is 1.5 times taller than me and 3 times wider than me. He is massive, not to mention full body armor that he¡¯s wearing.

    ¡°Kukuku, you won¡¯t prate the defense of this great me!¡±

    ¡°Ah, nice to meet you¡­ is it counts as my win if I can prate your defense?¡±

    ¡°Sure! Let¡¯s see if you can! Mwahaha!¡±

    That¡¯s why in this second match I aim right at the center of his stomach because it seems that it was not his vital point, it pierced right through his belly, ah don¡¯t worry I got my aim at the wall, so I won¡¯t bother other participants.

    ¡°What a fearsome pration power¡­ y-you got me¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­oh¡±

    The pigman was carried out by stretcher. But with the wound of that size, it will be patched up by healing magic right away.

    The audiences who witness my match are starting to make a ruckus. I wonder if that pig is actually of the best candidate for champs? No way, right?

    ¡°Kehma Gollen won his second match! Now please wait a minute.¡±

    ¡°oh? I¡¯m still not done? how long must I keep doing this?¡±

    Isn¡¯t a thing like this usually had a break between?

    ¡°This time is special, requested by our sponsor, ah¡­ this how the tournament table looks like.¡±

    ¡°¡­oi, why everyone but me is seeding?¡±

    Look at this! This tournament table is clearly foul y.

    My name is on the leftmost side, but as soon as I won, everyone will seed against me, this continued to the end of the match.

    And if thest one win against me, he will immediately be qualified for qualifier rounds.

    ¡°You bastard! This is obviously rigged!¡±

    ¡°Oh, on the contrary, this make me jealous! what connection did you had to get the match arranged this way? Or is it forced on you? Well either way this is great! Hahahya!¡±

    ¡°¡­Ah, okay, can I switch with the guy on rightmost position?¡±

    ¡°We will not allow such unfair conduct.¡±

    What the heck are you saying, the unfair one is this tournament table!

    ¡°Ke-Kehma!! Just do it!! KILL-THEM¨CA-L-L!!!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko you are too excited, let¡¯s watch this in more elegant manners.¡±

    Rokuko and Aidi were watching from Audience front row, I wonder since when they are there.

    ¡°Oi Aidi! What the meaning of this!?¡±

    ¡°I arranged it for Rokuko sake, and since I let you y more than others, I think you should thank me?¡±

    ¡°Do you even know the meaning of [thank you]?¡±

    ¡°fufu, don¡¯t mention it.¡±

    Not good, my words are not reaching her¡­ is it another culture difference?

    But¡­ unlike Sebas which really strong, all these people are retiring just by one hit from [Elemental Shot], and I sessfully won this local qualifier rounds.

    Some guys able to avoid the first shot but it only took a few more shots to win against them, they can¡¯t prate the (cheat)defensive power of [God¡¯s Comforter]

    ¡­ ah yeah, anyway I¡¯m safe with this [God¡¯s Comforter], and now I wonder if I should win using [Pitfall] or [Stone Pile]¡­ In the end, I was able to win just by showing only one card of mine.

    TL notes :

    Okay, here¡¯s the thing¡­ I miss tranted some of the lines at 410 ¨C it fixed now.

    (Participants usually must go through a qualifier rounds then you can enter main events. But since you are an exchange student from other countries, we exempt you from that)

    That one paragraph, I do actually know the literal trantion. Still, it didn¡¯t make sense to me until I read this chapter, it supposed to be like this:

    (Participants usually must go through a local qualifier to enter qualifier rounds then you can enter main events. But since you are an exchange student from other countries, we exempt you from that)

    ¡°must go through a local qualifier to enter qualifier rounds¡±¡­ I thought this was my error in my understanding, but hey¡­ it¡¯s not¡­ the heck, local qualifier before qualifier rounds, on the same city? But why? Even DBZ didn¡¯t bother to do that much¡­ I me it to DBZ, so yeah¡­ please me Akira Toriyama instead¡­ okay? No? Damn.

 Chapter 412 - EXTRA: Gollen Village Dungeon at the same time.

    412 ¨C EXTRA: Gollen Vige Dungeon at the same time.

    Eleca, a fairy born to manage a dungeon

    She is famously known as Rei¡¯s direct subordinate.

    ¡°Good work today, Rei-sama. Please have some tea¡±

    ¡°ah, thanks¡±

    ¡°Rei-sama, I have done the daily check on Greedy inn¡±

    ¡°ah, good work¡±

    ¡°Rei-sama, y golem production is increased as scheduled¡±

    ¡°I see, I see, Good work.¡±

    ¡°Rei-sama, I have finished repairing the used pitfall trap¡±

    ¡°¡­ Thank you¡±

    ¡°Rei-sama¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute please¡±

    Reies to the master room to check the daily report of dungeon management, Elecas gently flocked into her. As a special fairy, Eleca has the skill [specialization] and can divide her body into multiple characters, which each can take a turn between work and rest.

    ¡°¡­ please merge first before giving me a report¡±

    ¡°¡±¡±¡± Understood¡±¡±¡±¡±

    And her presence has solved their shortage of human resources.

    She can do 16 people¡¯s worth of works. Since she is also a dungeon monster, it¡¯s also possible for her to utilize golem and goblin. With that function, even if she divides herself into only a light ball form, she can still do decent work.

    Kehma also created y [doll] in human shape for her. It serves her well as convenient tools¡­ no, it serves as a suitable body for her.

    (By the way, the first doll golem Kehma made is originally meant for ring subus, she use it for the time she¡¯s working at the inn, But since she apanies Kehma to the Demon Kingdom, her temporary body be vacant.)

    ¡°¡­uhmm, that means my daily work is already finished¡±

    ¡°Yes, I also have done the research about [Tsia Mountain tunnel digger]. It also possible to summon monster in there. So, there¡¯s no need for Rei to inspect that tunnel.¡±

    ¡°Was my schedule for today is empty then?¡±

    ¡°No, we have this one adventurer that recklessly attacking a flock of goblin and seriously injured. Luckily his life is saved by an adventurer that passing by, but I don¡¯t know what to do with him from here.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I already him treated in the church, so there¡¯s no problem there.¡±

    Too easy, that Rei thought after received reports from the fairy.

    Was it always this easy?

    No, of course not.

    Rei is always busy since she also works as Beddishm Saint, however after Elecaes and helps her manage the dungeon. Recently, she only needs to listen to the report.

    Rei felt like there are some muddy feeling in her mind.

    [I¡¯m not satisfied with this, I want to help MasterMaster with my own hands]

    ¡­ it may be against Beddishm teaching, but she wants to work more. Though until recently, she cannot do so because she was already so busy working as Beddhism Saint. But now¡­ things are different.

    If only something can go wrong, then I can do more work¡­?

    ¡°Rei-sama¡­?¡±

    ¡°uh, no, nothing¡±

    It was a dark thought; Rei shakes her head a little and rearranged her mind.

    Dangerous, dangerous.

    The fact that her Master is A-rank adventurer and vige chief of Gollen hired her. It must be to solve just a small problem regarding adventurers that roaming in the dungeon. So, he does not need to personallye to the dungeon.

    She doesn¡¯t think something can go wrong in the first ce.

    ¡°Any other problem aside from that?¡±

    ¡°I think Rokuko-sama¡¯s pet want to y. So, I suggest to do mock battle¡±

    ¡°What kind of battle you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°Since Phenny is phoenix, her main means to attack are ming wing, I consider a battle with Jewel turtle spinning attack and Mimic jump attack will serve as good exercise. That¡¯s some of the training idea I had.¡±

    Indeed, that battle will teach her how to deal with attacks from apletely different race of monsters. Un, okay. That training should do for a while.

    ¡°Eleca are excellent helper, I hope Master Kehma will bestow you more power when he returns.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I hope to be more useful to Rei-sama so she can bezing around like master!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind that, but you shouldn¡¯t overwork yourself. You cannot break your body because there¡¯s no recement for you¡±

    A hypocritical wordes out from her lips, even though she only said that because she wants to do more work. She smiled bitterly in her heart.

    But, She was educating neers. So, that¡¯s also her job. She thought it was also an excellent contribution to her MasterMaster.

    That¡¯s right. Why not rewarding Eleca more? It should count as her job.

    ¡°¡­Eleca. should I give you a massage? I¡¯m good at it because I work as Beddhist Saint.¡±

    ¡°That would be rude¡­ but is it that good?¡±

    The idea of massage is not known to Eleca.

    Rei thought she usually massage her colleague in her spare time anyway, so what¡¯s wrong about massaging Eleca?

    (Especially Nerune who always stiff because she spends her time working without much movement in herboratory desk. It nice to rx your body from time to time, she learned that recently)

    Afterall there maybe also a day where her Master will ask for a massage, there¡¯s no reason not to hone her skill further.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Eleca it¡¯s good, count this as my rewards to you¡±

    ¡°Rei-sama then I will call all [me] so we can to receive a massage together!¡±

    ¡°Well I¡¯m also not proud to dump all dungeon¡¯s work to you so I please split it with me¡±

    ¡°Y-Yes!¡±

    Eleca jumped happily. Well, she¡¯s a fairy, so she¡¯s flying instead.

    Rei gives Eleca plentiful of rewards that day.

 Chapter 413 - watching the qualifier tournament

    <h4>Chapter 413 ¨C watching the qualifier tournament</h4>

    ¡°Wee back Kehma, Thank you for your hard work.¡±

    ¡°yeah I¡¯m back, thank you.¡±

    I finished beating them all and won.

    I approach Rokuko in the audience.

    ¡°Congrattion for qualifying in your block Kehma, after this will be the next block turns.¡±

    ¡°Why not just use one day for the qualifier?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not enough fight(entertainment)¡±

    ¡°¡­as expected from Demon Kingdom citizen.¡±

    Originally, I supposed to do this for three days¡­, the other blocks too. Well, they will proceed normally.

    ¡°Congrattion Master, will you give me Curry Bread to celebrate your victory?¡±

    ¡°Ichika, don¡¯t you have something to give me instead? Well it¡¯s okay.¡±

    ¡°oh, Rokuko¡¯s Master, give me Chocte Co.¡±

    ¡°Aidi, at least congratte me first.¡±

    I serve Curry Bread, Chocte Co and Melon Bread to each of them.

    Is the custom here is that the one who is celebrating is the one who gives out a present?

    ¡°How Niku and Sebas doing?¡±

    ¡°They are making good progress, Uzoh and Muzoh too.¡±

    Rokuko answered my question while chewing on Melon Bread.

    ¡°Look, next one is Uzoh vs Niku.¡±

    ¡°We already won then.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but let¡¯s at least cheers them.¡±

    We go to see Niku match while convinced of our victory. The Arena is divided by four areas, and there¡¯s not much distance from each area.

    Niku block has done its first round, and they are in the middle of the second round.

    Originally, we meant to do quarter-final in the next day, semi-final and final in a day after tomorrow.

    It seems that final and semi-final will be divided into four matches in one Arena.

    I wonder¡­ what will happen to my block?

    ¡°You are the winer of 2nd block.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I see, so it¡¯s like that¡­¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, don¡¯t you need to cheer the puppy?¡±

    ¡°ah, you are right!¡±

    I saw Niku and Uzoh facing each other.

    Niku is as expressionless as ever, and she is quite calm, probably because she¡¯s already getting used to this after her first match.

    ¡°I¡¯m indebted to Kehma, but I won¡¯t go easy on you.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    They keep staring at each other, but there¡¯s no killing aura between them, this feels more like a mock battle. Also, even if you don¡¯t tell her you won¡¯t go easy, she won¡¯t underestimate you. And correction, she is not my child, but she indeed feels like a daughter to me.

    ¡°Kehma, I will just say this once.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Niku is also my child!¡±

    Rokuko put a thumbs up and smiled. Perhaps she wants us to be recognized as a couple? I just send her a smile without confirming about that child matter, I never said Niku is my child in the first ce.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s begun.¡±

    ¡°Wait, it¡¯s embarrassing if you leave me hanging like that.¡±

    Aside from Rokuko who¡¯s now beet red, we had our attention to the Arena.

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°[Fireball]¡±

    ¡°!¡±

    As soon as the referee give it a go, she released [Fireball] at Uzoh. He did evade it, but Niku didn¡¯t waste any time and dashing to where Uzoh wouldnd.

    Niku approaches him from a low angle, making full use of her small stature she sends knife strike aiming at Uzoh ankle which just lost his bnce. However she didn¡¯t use the knife-edge, but it¡¯s t side, she aims to topple Uzoh.

    It sessfully connects and immediately she mounts Uzoh and press her knife to his neck.

    ¡°I-I¡­ Give up¡±

    ¡°okay¡±

    The match ended in an instant.

    ¡°WINNER! Niku Kuroinu!¡±

    After referee deration, she stands up and waves at us. Then she turned around, her face is still expressionless, but her tail is wagging with joy.

    ¡°That was quick.¡±

    ¡°As expected from our daughter¡­¡­¡­e on Kehma, say something¡­¡±

    ¡°ah yeah, okay¡­ I¡¯m proud of our daugther.¡±

    Rokuko is in a good mood now, Niku left the stage and returned to the waiting room, Uzoh also exited the Arena after that.

    ¡°Just now¡­ she did not use any chant?¡±

    ¡°Chanting is something that you can do quietly, Rokuko¡¯s Master you probably won¡¯t hear it because we are so far away.¡±

    Aidiments remind me that Empire¡¯s adventurers didn¡¯t do that at all. No, I guess it¡¯s the difference between a personal battle and party co-op battle.

    ¡°That puppy chant so quietly so only her can hear it, she did that so she won¡¯t underestimating her opponent¡¯s ability, but I think she is overestimate it instead, what a waste of efforts.¡±

    Though it¡¯s okay since she only uses Fireball to defeat him, Aidi is putting her hand on her cheek as she said that.

    Aside from being noisy, I don¡¯t think Aidimentary is necessary since it finished so quickly.

    Niku has grown so much, huh? Let¡¯s give her some hamburgerter, or maybe a food stall meal would be better?

    ¡°Understand Ichika? It¡¯s a tactic.¡±

    ¡°Well I already know about it, since I used to spar with her a lot¡­ her footwork is confusing, and her power and speed are stronger and faster than what her appearance suggest, it doesn¡¯t matter if you choose to take it head on or avoid it, you will still get rolled.¡±

    ¡°Her muscles did not seem to be that strong¡­ perhaps that puppy using some interesting abilities.¡±

    Ummm, that was Golem Power, but it¡¯s our secret. I need to change the topic.

    ¡°How Sebas doing?¡±

    ¡°He just winning, boringly. Well as my Master it would be a it be a problem. if he can¡¯t win this qualifier with one arm only.¡±

    ¡°¡­ One arm only?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I prohibited Sebas to use his other arm for this qualifier.¡±

    He fights with his hand tied up, oh, by the way, tying your hand with a rope is prohibited in tournament rules, so it was ¡®ying-tied-up¡¯.

    ¡°Aidi, you really put a lot of pressure on that butler.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Rokuko, you don¡¯t at least trust your Master to do that much?¡±

    ¡°¡­You are right, Kehma, will you tie yourself too?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to.¡±

    Anyway, my match is already over, so I decline it.

    TL notes :

    hello, yeah I¡¯m back¡­. my head still killing me tho¡­

    and tbh I¡¯m not supposed to do this.. yet¡­ but I do have too much time on the hospital and they didn¡¯t confiscated my phone¡­ so¡­..

    So¡­ that runny nose thest time I talk you guys , it turns out to be bad one.

    one good thing, it¡¯s not Corona (phew) the bad news is, it¡¯s yellow fever¡­ I thought they were kidding when you they say you can have nightmare bordering hallucination when your body heat got around 40 celcius, turns out they are friggin serious.

    also they supposed to release me tomorrow, but expect the trantion to be slowed down a little, maybe I will post it every 2 days, but I will still try to make it into double chapter.

    I guess that¡¯s it for now, so yeah don¡¯t worry it¡¯s not that bad.

 Chapter 414 - Final day of qualifier tournament

    <strong>414 ¨C Final day of qualifier tournament</strong>

    The second day passed without anything worth mentioning, and the final day finally here.

    Not only Sebas but also Niku has made it here.

    ¡­ Sebas was overwhelmingly dominant in this qualifier, although he is a human farm resident, it seems it¡¯s normal for this country¡¯s human farm to increase the quality of their goods to earn more DP.

    Among them, Sebas was the cream of the crop, or in other words, an Elite. his innate talent is exceptionally high, and he never neglected his training, there¡¯s no way for him to be weak.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious about human farm Afterall, since I had arrived here to study abroad there¡¯s nothing wrong for me to at least take a look at it¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t Haku tell you to not go? I can show you in secret, but you must say you don¡¯t see anything¡±

    ¡°Oi Rokuko, you can¡¯t, you really can¡¯t¡±

    ¡°Ah I see, is it a secret to Rokuko¡¯s master?¡±

    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t¡­ it¡¯s not good for Rokuko¡¯s education.¡±

    ¡°un, okay, I understand.¡±

    You really can¡¯t okay?

    Well, this is how ourst qualifier day started.

    ¡°Dedicate your match to our Great Demon Lord!¡±

    The start of the qualifier match began with such oath.

    By the way, currently, I¡¯m spectating from audience seat, the match still ongoing for other blocks. Since my match is already over, I don¡¯t need to go down.

    Sebas match started, his opponent is gigantic bipedal stag beetle, with a pair of halberds (the weapon thatbined battle-axe and spear).

    His head shape is of that Stag Beetle, but he is looking straight like other humanoid creature, they probably gain a simr neck joint in their evolution to a bipedal creature.

    He got four arms, two pair for each side. And each arm is holding a halberd, one for each side.

    His arms are also covered in beetle-like armor.

    If you are normal human you can only wield one halberd in front of you, I see it¡¯s possible to wield it this way with multiple arms, this is will be a useful reference for my multi-armed Golem.

    ¡°You have no chance to beat me human!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s seems you brain is a dull as your outer shell¡±

    ¡°WHAT!!¡±

    Lost in the battle of words he immediately shes on Sebas.

    Sebas hold his sword with a left hand and deflect it. The stag beetle swings his two halberds to sh, hook, smash and thrust but Sebas efficiently deal with it.

    ¡°THIS LITTLE!¡±

    ¡°¡­What a nice breeze¡±

    After saying that, he immediately closes his range and put his elbow to thin part in stag beetle belly.

    ¡°Gueh¡±

    ¡°You are pitiful, no matter how hard your outer shell is, it¡¯s all but useless if you left this front undefended¡±

    ¡°Kuu! I¡¯m not done yet!¡±

    The stag beetles still not to losing his vigour, he throws away his Halberds and reaches to the knives in his belt.

    Sebas now must be dealing with 4 knives just with one hand.

    ¡°Too slow¡±

    ¡°Gu!¡±

    Those four knives are thrown away with just one swing. This time Sebas finished it with his the sword pointing at the beetle throat. His opponent dare not to make any sudden movements.

    ¡°Still want to continue? I still haven¡¯t seen your trick using that scissors jaw¡±

    ¡°¡­ guh, no¡­, I surrender¡±

    With this Sebas has secured his own victory, the cheer exploded at referee deration [WINNER! Number 52 of 5!]

    ¡°I guess that the difference is that much¡±

    ¡°Of course. you are my Master, I will expect at least this much from you¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that your Master is strong, but Kehma perfect form is stronger¡±

    Oi Rokuko don¡¯t make something up, and what do you mean by my perfect form? Is it when I use [God¡¯s Comforter] as my equipment?

    ¡°Oh look Kehma, it¡¯s Uzoh turn.¡±

    ¡°umm No, that¡¯s Muzoh, Uzoh is the one Niku defeated.¡±

    ¡°Is he? That¡¯s confusing.¡±

    Apparently, Muzoh was in a different block than us, and he seems to make it through to this round. Could he probably go to the main tournament? His opponent seems to be a martial artist¡­ he¡¯s unarmed, no if you look closely he is wearing a gauntlet.

    ¡°Woahhh!¡±

    ¡°Certain Death Strike! Baku Ryusu!!¡± {Exploding Dragon Strike}

    ¡°Guehh!?¡±

    His opponent unleashes a skill, and the ground exploded, Muzo also sent flying.

    ¡°WINNER! Gigankin!¡±

    ¡°Mwahahaha, Do you see that? Aljaro, you are next!¡±

    Muzo has already forgotten by him, and he was sending a challenge to a spear user contestant. It¡¯s a sad day for Muzoh.

    ¡°Rokuko, it¡¯s seems there¡¯s a rivalry between Gigankin and Aljaro Menoue. whoever win will proceed to final.¡±

    ¡°Hee, This looks fun, and that¡¯s up with that spear?¡±

    ¡°Devil Spear ¨C Protube huh? well,Ican exin it, but I think it will be more fun to witness the spear ability yourself.¡±

    Rokuko also already forgot about Muzoh, well his injury is not that bad, and he is already carried by medics on a stretcher. Oh well.

    ¡°ah, Next is Niku. I wonder what kind of opponents she will get¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a frog beastman, he is easy opponent for her.¡±

    Now it¡¯s Niku turns, by the way, up to this moment she always quickly finished her match with her strength and speed that mismatched her small stature.

    A Brown Dog-eared girl with ck hair and eyes that always swiftly finished her enemy has made her earn another nickname the [ck Hound]

    She bes a dark horse in this tournament.

    ¡°Guaaaaa! Are you ready ck houuuuuuuund? My name is Aaaaaaaaaaah!?¡±

    ¡°understood, do you want to continue?¡±

    Again. She jumps at the enemy and presses her knife to his neck. The match ended while he was trying to say his name. I think his name will be ¡°Aaaah¡± from now on? At least let him introduce himself! well, it¡¯s his fault since the referee has said: ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°That puppy did some rude thing in duel manners, but it will be bad if you are that weak, most likely you won¡¯t even have time give up if she go at you seriously.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s true¡±

    With that, Niku sessfully advanced to final. If she keeps going like this, she can pass this qualifier.

    ¡°In the mean time, I¡¯m making a lot of money, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Did you bet?¡±

    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s no reason not to, because I¡¯m sure I can win. Ichika, with this we won¡¯t have a problem to shop and eat.¡±

    ¡°Yes! I¡¯m make a killing here, thanks Master!¡±

    In the first ce, she loved gambling enough to make her a ve. If there was a betting event, there¡¯s no way she wouldn¡¯t make Rokuko sponsor her.

    ¡°I should do some betting too¡­ about 100 Gold coins¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko¡¯s Master. Unfortunately, the contestants can only bet themselves, and you automatically bet on yourself when you enter, that is where the fight moneyes from¡±

    There¡¯s also an upper limit on your bet, it¡¯s to prevent yer sabotaging and ganging up on others if the bet is too big. So, it seems you can only earn a small amount of money as participants.

    ¡°It may be fun for yer to sabotage each other, but it won¡¯t be fun for the audience¡±

    ¡­Sabotaging others is fun, as expected of Demon Kingdom.

    Tl note :

    Don¡¯t ask me why we go straight to final, it¡¯s a WN there¡¯s bound to be something poorly nned by the author.

 Chapter 415 - Final day of qualifier tournament (2)

    <h4>Chapter 415 ¨C Final day of qualifier tournament (2)</h4>

    The battle on the final day of qualifier is finally in full swing.

    This will conclude the final match for each block.

    Since the third ce has no meaning, they will take ce after the final match for entertainment.

    ¡°I was doing this even before the final, I wonder how I was got dragged into this¡±

    ¡°Oh? Rokuko¡¯s Master are you impatient?¡±

    ¡°I just want to get it done quickly¡±

    I think the difference of personality are effected by your culture.

    Anyway, now it¡¯s Niku final match.

    She is nervous, as expected¡­ there¡¯s no way that happen.

    As usual she is studying her opponent with her expressionless face and tense tail.

    ¡°Her opponent is werewolf beastman?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wrong Rokuko¡¯s Master, her opponent is a ¡®werewolf¡¯.¡±

    ¡°hm? Werewolf, as in monster type?¡±

    ¡°Yes he is, is that something weird?¡±

    In Demon Kingdom, monsters are not hiding themself, they just live normally like a human. Even in Empire, Misha is insisting that she is not werewolf but a war cat beastman.

    ¡°I think Demon Kingdom have more history in that area.¡±

    ¡°Yes, as long as you are strong, you will be weed here. Though from our (Dungeon Core) point of view, monster only generates a little DP so it would be a problem if they increasing their number too much.¡±

    ¡°Right¡­ I was wondering how human and monster are different, if you put it that way, I can understand it.¡±

    Her opponent are werewolf with thick fur, his head ispletely wolf-like, but his upper body is muscr man, his lower body is almost like a wolf leg. Overall, 75% part of his body is resembling wolf, so he is the very embodiment of the word [werewolf]

    Niku and the werewolf are facing each other in the final arena.

    Signals from referees will still need more time.

    Then the werewolf said something whileughing.

    ¡°Do you think Dog can win over Wolf?¡±

    ¡°Well if I beat you, then I win¡±

    ¡°HaHa, Not bad little pup! I like it! I like it! I think you can give birth to strong baby, bear my child!¡±

    ¡°I refuse.¡±

    What the heck is he is talking about before the match begin, should I snipe his crotch from here?

    ¡°What passionate and lovely speech, I want my Master to have that kind of spirit.¡±

    ¡°oh, is Aidi and Sebas are in that kind of rtionship?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just figure of speech, but it¡¯s true that I like a strong man, I want to serve under one.¡±

    Aidi put her hand on her cheek, and biting her little finger a little.

    ¡­ Rokuko, don¡¯t immitate her.

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    The match started with referee signal, Niku has almost instantly finished her match up to this point, I wonder if she can do it again?

    But the one who made it here are also tough opponent for sure, the werewolf stopping Niku¡¯s knife with his bare hand.

    ¡°muu, I can¡¯t cut it? What a study fur.¡±

    ¡°Huh! If you want to cut my fur, at least bring a sharp magic sword!¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Eh? Uwahhh!?¡±

    Niku had never used the magic sword golem function before, but now she activated it.

    The hand that was grabbing the knife is shed, no it seems he let it go at thest moment, but still he was bleeding.

    ¡°O, Oh? It was magic sword? Why you never used it!¡±

    ¡°¡­ yeah? this also can be used as magic sword.¡±

    ¡°Why did you hide that magic sword so far ¡­Heal my wounds [Heal]¡±

    ¡°Because I didn¡¯t even need to use it?¡±

    While shing, avoiding, recovering, kicking. Niku and the Werewolf talking in a rxed manner while fighting, as if there was nothing going on.

    She can speak while moving her body. Well since she already can put Demon King no breathing style to work, I guess this is a child y for her?

    ¡°Eat this, [sh]!¡±

    With the hand that just healed, the werewolf raised his hand and unleashing his skills.

    [sh] is an attack skill carried out using nail rather than swords. Niku avoid this skill just by turning her body a little.

    ¡°[sh] [sh] [sh] [sh] [sh]!¡±

    ¡°Mu~tsu, ha~tsu, to~tsu, yo~tsu, ho~tsu, ha~tsu¡±

    A Quick continuous attack. His ws trying to hit Niku from all directions, but she calmly observing his two arms and avoids them.

    ¡°[sh] [sh] [sh] sh [sh]!¡±

    ¡°Fu~tsu, ha~tsu, to~tsu, gu! ? A GU~TSU¡±

    However, the flurry of continues attack keeping, Niku cannot avoid it all, and some has reached her. But Niku put her guard up and golem knife fended some of them, but one of the [sh] arended on her back.

    ¡°Wa-wait, Aidi, this is bad! Niku is getting hit!?¡±

    ¡°Calm down, it¡¯s just a [Fake release] that puppy learned how to deal this situation from me.¡±

    ¡°eh? What? Exin it to me Aidi.¡±

    ¡°¡­ The damage she takes just now it¡¯s a just from a scream without an actual skill behind it. That werewolf just releases a flurry of attacks, but some of them are not actually a skill, she just tank those hit where his skill is not activated. It¡¯s amazing how she can pinpoint where the skills are crumbling.¡±

    I see, it¡¯s that kind of technique¡­ It wasn¡¯t just a series of monotonous skills that activated quickly. Hmm.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°I wonder if she¡¯s okay, I¡¯m worried.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s okay. She¡¯s done it a lot while training with Sebas.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Is that so?¡±

    ¡°¡­Yeah, as Rokuko¡¯s master says. That puppy only takes minimum amount of damage, and her opponents already using all his strength from the start ¡­¡­you don¡¯t have to worry, Rokuko. look.¡±

    However, Niku was crouching after taking the hit¡­ the werewolf attacked her in one big swing¨C ¡°GOT YOU!¡± ¨CBut that¡¯s exactly what Niku wanted.

    Niku didn¡¯t miss the chance where he was careless because his thirst for victory.

    She can avoid it but Niku choose dive into werewolf chest, with a speed so fast that made an illusion that she can disappear for a moment. She then aims her knife to werewolf neck. The Knife Golem is activated and it shaved the werewolf fur and dig a little into his skin, Niku stopped just before she hit his carotid artery. The werewolf was checkmated.

    ¡°Do you think you can beat me with your level?¡±

    ¡°¡­got it, it¡¯s my loss. puppy.¡±

    ¡°okay¡±

    With werewolf deration of surrender, Niku left with an expressionless face, but her tail is wagging happily.

    ¡°Ooh! This is unexpected!!, the favorited fighter of thest round of block three are surrendering and lost his qualifier rounds! It was a contestant from the Empire. THE [ck Hound] Niku Kuroinu who snatched the victory from him!! How deep that small fang will prate its way into Demon Kingdom tournament!?¡±

    The referee excited voice are getting louder, it seems that werewolf are someone famous. He is a yer with good track record, at least he always made it to main tournament before this year.

    Niku waving at me, so I waved back.

    ¡°eh? What went wrong with werewolf¡¯s [Fake Release]?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying Rokuko? Niku was the one who use the [Fake Release] you know?¡±

    ¡°he? Is that so?¡±

    Yeah, that was bad exnation from Aidi side.

    Demon King style [Fake Release]

    To tell you the truth, that was my instruction. Originally it¡¯s a demon transformation technique to enable their second form after they are enraged.

    But since Niku don¡¯t have a second form, it would be like her serious mode.

    Ah for example that unnaturalst speed burst, it was done by releasing her Golem Clothes assistance.

    ¡°How about that werewolf, is it a real skill?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t know about that; they can¡¯t give a name to each skill that existed here. That¡¯s how the Demon King style works¡±

    Well of course it would be like that.

    Anyway, with this Niku has passed the qualifier rounds, my daughter are indeed strong.

    Ah, Sebas also passed the qualifier by the way.

    Sebas opponent are just small fry in his standard. so there¡¯s nothing to talk about it.

    Thest participant who qualify is Gigankin who defeat Muzo and Aljiero.

    With this the four fighters to proceed to main tournament are decided.

 Chapter 416 - Demon Kingdom style come back match.

    <strong>LDM 416 ¨C Demon Kingdom stylee back match.</strong>

    We are supposed to participate in the main tournament, and we depart to Demon Kingdom Capital.

    Me, Rokuko, Aidi, Niku, Ichika and Sebas. 6 people riding on one carriage, thankfully this carriage is pulled by the horse with six legs, even at its average speed, it¡¯s still zing fast.

    ¡°This may put a burden on it, but we need to save money¡±

    ¡°I know what you mean¡±

    By the way, Gigankin is riding on a separate carriage.

    His rival Aljiero Menoue impressed by their fight and preparing this special carriage for him (probably his property).

    ¡°Nevertheless, it was a shame about Aljiero Menoue the Demon Spear¡±

    ¡°It was close fight; they both are worn out in the end. If it not for Gigankin¡¯s new skill, if he doesn¡¯t have that Dragon Palm Strike, it would have been a different oue.¡±

    ¡°It was a spear that you can¡¯t see¡­ they said the rivalry between them in qualifier has alreadyst for a long time?¡±

    ¡°Ara, But if it was you, Rokuko¡¯s Master. you would be fine even if theye at you at the same time, right?¡±

    Rokuko and Aidi are excitedly discussing the qualifier rounds.

    Aidi said that the spear is visible if you really pay attention to it, but I really can¡¯t see it. At first, the spear disappeared, but it suddenly appeared in the middle, and those pinpoint precision, it always aiming the spot between your eyes.

    Gigankin managed to maintain a safe range with his new skill.

    It was a great match.

    Well, since the qualifier rounds are over, let¡¯s focus on uing main events.

    ¡°Sebas, congrattion on passing too, but in your case it¡¯s like a natural result.¡±

    ¡°Ah, thanks anyway. But if I can¡¯t do this much, I can¡¯t call myself mydy¡¯s butler.¡±

    ¡°Is that how this works?¡±

    ¡°As a faithful dog, does it make any sense if you told me to win and I¡¯m losing easily?¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    That was supposed to be a convincing exnation? I don¡¯t understand the ve point of view. On the other hand, we have Ichika.

    ¡°¡­No, I can¡¯t do it, I don¡¯t want pass the qualifier, I don¡¯t even want to join the tournaments, rather if you told me to, I will refuse.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    Sebas qualifier is full of [ordinary strong guys], in my match, I just finished them with one shot. So Niku draw the short straw and facing the rare famous fighter this time.

    My acquaintances, the Uzoh and Muzoh brothers are actually pretty capable, I only know this after the match. Still, it seems their skill is more or less better than most B rank adventurers.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t Niku is too strong? She¡¯s already in hero ss strength.¡±

    ¡°Niku-senpai hobby are to strengthen herself after all¡­ I would even believe it if someone told me she¡¯s a Demon Kingdom citizen¡±

    ¡­ yet, Niku beat them so quickly. How strong are you now, Niku? If our theory is right and Niku was really a descendant of Leona, then her body hides so much room for growth.

    Oh, by the way, I had this one opponent, Shironaga the weretiger, he was so confused when I defeat him. It seems Shironaga also a famous fighter, and he will probably be the winner of the second block if not for the fact that I dominate itpletely.

    ¡­¡­My invincible nket turret strategy seems to be good enough even in the main tournament.

    ¡°three fighters that will participate in main tournament riding in this one carriage, this feels like VIP carriage service.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, since two of them are from your faction are you trying to brag?¡±

    ¡°fufu, I didn¡¯t mean it that way, but I¡¯m still happy with this result. Well, we will get the runner-up prize. you need to make sure Sebas take the first ce, okay?¡±

    ¡°Thank you so much for that¡­ but that [God¡¯s Comforter] is really a foul y, it¡¯s not a nket, it¡¯s an iron wall.¡±

    The defensive power of [God¡¯sforter] is no joke. It nullifies all attacks. Also, if there¡¯s any action that will peel off the nket from its user, it will then activate its self-defence mechanism and prevent it. It¡¯s really an item that did not bring shame to it¡¯s [God¡¯s] name.

    That kind of performance is too absurd, is it to support it¡¯s main function to provide you withfortable sleep? Don¡¯t tell me¡­, theforter still hides some function that I don¡¯t know?

    Aidi suddenly send her nces to the window.

    There¡¯s a wild wilderness outside, or in Demon Kingdom sense [a wonderful ce that can take any damage even when we go wild].

    ¡°Something¡¯s wrong¡­?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about to begin, have you noticed anything?¡±

    ¡°ah, I should exin it, this is about a side fight (entertainment), it¡¯s a custom for people to raid the carriage of main event participants.¡±

    ¡°eh?¡±

    ¡°if you can defeat them, you can go to enter the tournaments in their ce¡±

    ¡°Ehhh!?¡±

    ording to the rules of the tournament, there is a ¡°rule for the case of defeating contestant outside the match¡±. The person who defeated the contestants can take their participation slot¡­¡­¡­ What? Then what¡¯s the point of that qualifying tournaments?

    Participants can avoid this situation by hiring an escort, or just straight beat up the challengers.

    ¡­.What brutal rules, if that was not written on the rules, this is will genuinely be awless country.

    ¡°¡­ They¡¯vee. Stop the carriage.¡±

    Aidi decides that we are going to beat up the challenger.

    By the way, they know precisely when and where this carriage will pass, well the info about our departures are not ssified, so you can just ask the station and get it. But why you made it that way!?¡­ then again, this is the Demon Kingdom, I guess this raid is an enjoyable event for them?

    ¡°Master, can you handle this?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, can I use both hands now?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s okay, but make it quick. I want to quickly reach the capital, finish them in less than ten minutes.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Sebas and Aidi are enjoying this, should Ie out and help him? Or just leave it all to Sebas?

    ¡­then my eyes met with Niku¡¯s, she was eager to do this too. She clearly cannot contain her desire to move her body and was looking forward to going out.

    ¡°Ah, NIku¡­ can you take care of them too?¡±

    ¡°understood¡±

    As soon as I give it a go, she¡¯s jumped out the carriage wielding her Golem Knife, with her tail wagging in rhythm, almost like she¡¯s humming or singing.

    ¡­Well, let¡¯s just treat it as an exercise to loosen your body in a long carriage ride.

    TL notes:

    Who the heck this Shironaga¡­ well from his ¡®type¡¯ I would guess a friend of werewolf?

 Chapter 417 - Reunion with Wataru

    <strong>LDM 417 ¨C Reunion with Wataru</strong>

    We arrived in Demon Kingdom Capital.

    Eh? How about the attack by the wild challengers?

    As if someone who didn¡¯t even bother to join qualifier can win against Niku and Sebas.

    It will be a different story if the person attacking us is an extremely strong person who didn¡¯t want to bother with qualifier rounds. However, the chance is he will be seeded into main tournaments like Wataru.

    ¡°Kehma, you should go out and beat them too.¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s too tiring to do it, so I better leave it in Niku and Sebas capable hands.¡±

    Just like that, we¡¯ve arrived safely in the Capital.

    We report at the gates and hand over our medal. This medal is the proof that we have passed the qualifier rounds. Those challengers are aiming for this medal.

    With this, we sessfully passed the gates. Hopefully, there will be no annoying challengers again. Perhaps, I hope, please¡­

    So, we went through and headed to our Hotel, it¡¯s one of the best Hotel in this city, as we checking-in we encountered some familiar faces.

    ¡°Kehma!¡±

    ¡°um? Ah¡­ Wataru?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since we met each other, I heard the story from Miss Haku, but you really are in Demon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡ª Yes, our Hero Wataru.

    I know that he will participate in this tournament, but to immediately meet is¡­ normal. Because this Hotel is fully booked for the contestants, we will naturally bump on each other here.

    ¡°Vige Chief, can you introduce that gentleman to us?¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Aidi, this is Hero Wataru. Wataru this is Lady Aidi, she¡¯s taken good care of me on this study abroad period, don¡¯t be rude to her.¡±

    I introduce Wataru to Aidi.

    Aidi lifted her skirt a little and did a formal greeting.

    ¡°Nice to meet you Wataru, I¡¯m honored to meet the Hero.¡±

    ¡°¡­ likewise.¡±

    Wataru replied with a smile.

    ¡­ Yeah, don¡¯t do killing each other when you met, okay? Especially you Wataru, let go of that sword¡¯s handle. Aidi, please don¡¯t provoke Wataru. Or at least do it outside.

    ¡°Hero Wataru, is this your first time visiting Demon Kingdom? This is a formal greeting here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Sorry. my head understand the situation, but my body just reacted by itself.¡±

    Wataru released his grip. Well¡­ Demon Kingdom is a country that been hostile to Empire, but I cannot evenugh at his attitude.

    ¡°Even so this was surprising, I¡¯ve only known Demon Kingdom as enemy country so I¡¯m honestly surprised when I learn that Kehma is studying abroad to it.¡±

    ¡°About that, Aidi and Rokuko are best friend. Just think of me as their attendant.¡±

    ¡°So it was like that¡­?¡±

    Wataru is confused, well¡­ if you say the Demon Kingdom princess and Empire Princess are a best friend, while their country is on the verge of war, anyone would be confused. Because it just doesn¡¯t make any sense.

    From Wataru¡¯s point of view, He must find nothing that will connect them.

    ¡°The rtionship between countries is something that we could not understand.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s goes for us too¡­ we are studying abroad when the country is almost going for each other throat, are these countries is in good or bad rtionship?¡±

    Wataru nodded with arms crossed.

    Aidi came to us and tilted her neck.

    ¡°Ara? I mean we have good rtionship because we are in war, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Normally you will hate each other when you at war, right?¡±

    ¡°Why is that? Usually people will fight with each other if they are close enough, right?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    Yeah¡­ I don¡¯t understand that one a bit.

    But from my experience in Demon Kingdom it would be like this:

    Good rtionship

    ¡ý

    I¡¯m curious about your ability.

    ¡ý

    Let¡¯s fight (fun times!)

    ¡ý

    Getting closer

    ¡ý

    I want to know about your real ability.

    ¡ý

    Going seriously at each other (super fun times!)

    That¡¯s probably how she perceives this thing.

    Demon Kingdom is a country that will apply the Yandere line of thought like [Only me know everything about you(your skill)!] asmon sense.

    ¡­ as expected, you can get assaulted here without any warnings or consent. Most of it will happen in the arena, so there are some warnings and consent in a way.

    ¡°Cultural difference is terrifying; mymon sense cannot catch up.¡±

    ¡°is it about the difference in our culture? Normally the more you fight with each other the deeper your bonds would be.¡±

    ¡°In human words we call that ¡®barbaric¡¯ but this country magic tools are superior than the Empire, it¡¯s so hard to call you guys barbaric.¡±

    ¡°As for me, I could say that Empire disposition is very close to japan and too peaceful?¡±

    In the case of a married couple, there¡¯s an unwritten rule that they will not do duel until their children can stand on their own. There¡¯s also manners and etiquettes for challenging your parents or children¡­ this is where such tradition existed, the Demon Kingdom.

    ¡°Also Kehma, I hear that you will participate in the main event?¡±

    ¡°yeah, just a little though, I want the second prize.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, and for that purpose you are easily entering the main tournament¡­¡±

    ¡°hahaha, NO! I work hard for it!¡±

    Well, thanks to [God¡¯s Comforter], my work is not that hard!

    ¡°¡­ Wataru, since you and me are on the same side (Empire), we probably won¡¯t meet each other unless it¡¯s a final round. So, here¡¯s the n I will lose to you when that timees.¡±

    ¡°eh? but I want to try to fight you,e on, even if I lose, I will give you the second prize.¡±

    ¡°hahahaha, are you stupid, if I won then I will be forced to fight in higher level tournament, who would like to do that? Don¡¯t worry I will give up for sure!¡±

    Perhaps because I¡¯m talking so loud about getting the second prize, now many eyes are focused on us¡­ challenging, blood-shot, hatred, some even admiring us, also probably because Hero Wataru is here. Everyone already knows that he will participate in the main tournament.

    ¡°oops¡­ we should stop taunting other participants.¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I won¡¯t lose Kehma!¡±

    ¡°Ah, because I¡¯m aiming for second prize, please win.¡±

    ¡°Please at least fight me!¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, Vige Chief and Hero Wataru are probably met in finals.¡±

    ¡°Ichika, I don¡¯t understand why Wataru convinced that Kehma is strong.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡­¡­ I¡¯m just going to say this once, but it¡¯s just given.¡±

    Anyway, I want to sleep, I¡¯m going ahead to my room. Traveling in carriage consumes stamina after all, and it even worse when we had to deal with those challenges.

    ¡°¡­Kehma you didn¡¯t even step out when are attacked.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m d that Niku is taking my ce, thank you Niku.¡±

    ¡°¡­yes, thank you Master.¡±

    I patted Niku head, her tail is once again wagging happily. Her face is the usual deadpan face though.

    As a reward, today¡¯s meal is a hamburger steak!

 Chapter 418 - Main battle start

    <h4>LDM 418 ¨C Main battle start</h4>

    There¡¯s no time to do sightseeing in the capital with Wataru, and today the main event will be held.

    ¡­ just to be clear, today is the day after I arrived.

    ¡°Our schedule are very tight, just the day after we arrived, and the main match has begun¡±

    ¡°Oh, That¡¯s because we arrivedst. The tournament will only start if all participant is presents.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s hard for Kehma get up early.¡±

    ¡°Well, Aidi was the one who manages our schedule, and Rokuko¡­ you are the one who didn¡¯t wake up.¡±

    ¡°What a harmonious rtionship, is that why you guys fall in love?¡±

    And, it turns out that the final will bes a round-robin match of four yers.

    ¡°Why the finals are not single elimination style!?¡±

    ¡°It was changed after my suggestion.¡±

    ¡°Why did you do that!?¡±

    ¡°Because you guys will just win everything, gramps said it will be boring so he changes it.¡±

    True, it will be boring¡­ NOT!!! This will be a pain In the ass.

    ¡°With this the number of battles will increased by two times? No, if we count it properly the final would be three times or more match! Hufufu, I did a great job this time.¡±

    Dammit, another cultural difference. They are seriously enjoying this, so it even worse situation for me!

    ¡°Kehma, look at this table. If you made it to final you will facing Niku, Sebas and Wataru at once.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that will happens¡­ no¡­ it¡¯s all depends on Niku herself?¡±

    As Rokuko said, we are separated by block.

    Wataru the Favorite winner candidate, Sebas, me the Invincible turret, andstly, the dark horse of this tournament Niku the [ck Hound]. If we do well, we will be facing each other in the final match, so please just ignore me. Seriously, I¡¯m only aiming for second ce in this tournament.

    Also, there¡¯s this Sebas that stronger than Niku, which means there will be someone that can beat Niku among the participants, Well if that participant is up against me, Sebas or Wataru then¡­

    ¡°Well, the possibilities aren¡¯t zero.¡±

    ¡°Niku, just do your best!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    Try to win if you can, but don¡¯t go overboard. I pat her head, and Niku is happily wagging her tail.

    With renewed determination Niku heading to the fighter waiting room.

    The interior of the waiting room is not that much different from the qualifier rounds. It¡¯s simple, solid, and very clean.

    In the corner of the waiting room, I found Wataru with a tired look. The other contestants only looking out to him from afar, I guess I will talk to him for now.

    ¡°Oh Kehma, this Demon Country are amazing¡­ I was thinking to buy something in food stalls, but then the owner said [I will give it to you for free if you can beat me!!], I even said that I would pay, but they¡­ they didn¡¯t even ask for money¡­.¡±

    It seems Wataru has constantly been fighting since he arrived in this Demon Kingdom. A lot of people challenged him even though they know they can¡¯t take his participant¡¯s slot and just say [Because it¡¯s natural for us to challenge you].

    ¡°I almost killed about two¡­ no¡­ three people, but they just apud me instead¡­¡±

    ¡°I be just like an Idol, I thought people in Demon Kingdom will bear grudge over that.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing though? People in this country like a strong man.¡±

    ¡°AH! You understand the word ¡®idol¡¯ just now, as I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°Wataru, If you can understand the meaning in the context, you can understand the meaning of the words you never heard.¡±

    ¡°-tsk. As expected, Kehma your tongue is really a Master ss.¡±

    This is why I can¡¯t let my guard down for a second round this man. I wish he would be giving up this matter one day.

    By the way, there is a possibility that I slipped some words already¡­ why didn¡¯t this man realized it?

    ¡°¡­ Nevertheless, there are only a few female participants.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Ido you care about such a thing?¡±

    ¡°Well, I need to exin why I was concerned.¡±

    ¡°I thought that was Hero-like logic in action.¡±

    ¡°¡­That woman is Arachne, right?¡±

    ¡°I think she is; Arachne female is stronger than the male it¡¯s her tribal trait.¡±

    ¡°¡­When I saw how monster live peacefully here, I wonder for what my war really is¡­¡±

    A Hero is someone who fights against monsters, but here¡­ monsters are not that much different from ordinary people.

    ¡°Just what are you saying? War is just war, also keep in mind that Demon Kingdom¡¯s monsters are a bit different from normal ones.¡±

    ¡°To think of it, Haku never did say the Demon Kingdom¡¯s army are evil. She was simply asking me to go to Work, just like [Drove them away]¡±

    Fuh, Wataru sighs and looks at Niku.

    ¡°Speaking of which, Kuro-chan will also participate in this main event right?¡±

    ¡°I heard Wataru is exempted from qualifier rounds?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, but I think that¡¯s because I had a little spar with someone who supposed to go to higher tier tournaments, they probably thought I don¡¯t need to do the qualifier.¡±

    ¡°Did you won?¡±

    ¡°At that time we only use a wooden sword and magic was forbidden, so now one will know what will happen if we fight seriously.¡±

    ¡°What kind of fight did you had?¡±

    ¡°I feel like Demon-king¡¯s style fighters are different in many aspect from us, it was like¡­¡±

    Niku listens to the story from Wataru, and she was enjoying it.

    The air around them is rxing, but the stare of other participants is hurting me¡­. they probably thought that I¡¯m scouting a strong enemy named Wataru.

    But since Niku and I also from Empire, we also received an equal share of hostility.

    ¡°¡­ By the way, may I ask how Kehma won?¡±

    ¡°Just looking forward to how Master fights.¡±

    ¡°aw, can¡¯t you tell me?well, I can just see it in action after this, right Kehma?¡±

    ¡°¡­Sure, but I think I¡¯m not fighting in the way Wataru expected.¡±

    By the way, Niku also didn¡¯t tell him anything about her Demon Lord arts that she uses in qualifier rounds.

    I¡¯m happy that she understands how to manage intel from our side.

    ¡°By the way, who is the red-haired man with you?¡±

    ¡°That is a Rokuko-sama friend¡¯s butler and an expert swordsman of the Demon Lord arts. He is a tough opponent.¡±

    ¡°Hee¡­ if Kuro-chan valuing him that much, it must be true¡±.

    ¡­¡­correction. The personal information management of my inner circle is very well done.

    Well, we were waiting for the opening ceremony of the main tournament to finish, While at it we keep chatting with Wataru and drawing much attention from others.

 Chapter 419 - Main tournament (1)

    <h4>LDM 419 ¨C Main tournament (1)</h4>

    Just like this, the tournament started.

    My turnse right after the tournament ceremony.

    Even though this is just a first match, but there is plenty of nobles seat prepared there.

    Also, the core number 6, aka. The Great Demon King is seated there. He is on some kind of balcony where you can see the whole stage from it.

    Aidi and Rokuko are also watching from there.

    ¡°Kehma, Good luck!¡±

    Rokuko didn¡¯t look nervous even she is seated next to Great Demon King that was looking down at the arena with his arms crossed.

    He can see my opponent facing each other and me, my opponent is karateka with sharp canine¡­ probably a vampire? The sunray doesn¡¯t seem to bother him.

    ¡°Hey you, Empire¡¯s country bumpkin. Don¡¯t you dare to show boring match in front of Great Demon Lord, okay?¡±

    ¡°ah? Oh yeah, that¡¯s right. YOU must do your best.¡±

    ¡°Haa!? you dare?! Fine!!, I will go all out from the start!¡±

    ¡­I only provoke him a little because he taunts me first, but isn¡¯t his boiling point is too low?

    Oh, maybe I just misunderstand it. Maybe he meant to give me some encouragement. Now he is angry because I pay him back with sarcasm, yes¡­ another cultural difference.

    Well with that now (angry) vampire faced me in the arena¨C

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°Uooooooo!!¡±

    ¡°[Elemental Shot]¡±

    ¡°Uogh!?¡±

    ¨CFirst move, [Elemental Shot]. This is my winning pattern.

    *kinnnn* there was a sound of a hard object hitting each other. My shot was blown away by his fist, those fists are probably d in magical power, if he did not do that there will be a hole in his hand.

    ¡°Guu, what is that! It¡¯s resonated with my Magic Fist! Shoot more!!¡±

    ¡°ehhh..¡±

    And the vampire karateka demands another shot, his face looks happy, where did your anger do?

    I shoot more [Elemental Shot] as requested.

    *

    ¡°Winner!, Kehma Gollen!!¡±

    After that, it bes a battle of endurance, I was winning as a matter of course because I could shoot infinitely. I did not move even one step, and the karate vampire only ying with [Elemental shot] bullet happily? It was done just like that.

    There was nothing vampire-like with him, oh wait, his high magical power probably is?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s been a good practice. What do you say Kehma-den would you like to go against my magic fist again? I wonder how many years since thest time this fist has a hole in it?¡±

    ¡°No, don¡¯t want to.¡±

    I was invited to train with this vampire. What happened to our match?

    ¡°the match? Isn¡¯t it between my magic fist versus your magic bullet, and you did surpass it Kehma-den!!¡±

    So it¡¯s like that?

    Then, after that, he was forcing me to take his business card that holds his contact info, and my match is officially over.

    A while after returning to the waiting room, Wataru¡¯s match is started.

    In this room, you can watch the match with a mysterious monitor. (this was probably dungeon monitor function)

    Wataru¡¯s opponents was an elf. A solo-type magician, using magic to hinder his opponents and attacking with the bow. And even though it was a bow, it seems there are no worries about it to run out of ammo, he can sustain the arrow using magical tools. But arrow only flies for few second and disappear.

    ¡°Empire¡¯s Magic user, are you interested in that quiver?¡±

    Contestant Arachne asked me with a curious look.

    ¡°Your magic bullet would be stronger than that.¡±

    ¡°ah, It¡¯s not for me, I was wondering if I can get one for my friend, what is that?¡±

    ¡°That quiver is magic tools, don¡¯t Empire had one like that?¡±

    Apparently, that was magic tools that were made by the Alchemist of Demon Kingdom. The arrow will be created when you infuse magic power in it. However, this arrow will disappear after 5 seconds.

    ¡­hmm, that¡¯s amazing. Is that arrow made from condensed magic?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not too practical, let¡¯s say you shoot it in long range, the arrow will disappear before it can even reach the enemy, you also must count the time you wasted for aiming.¡±

    ¡°ah, I see.¡±

    But it will be very convenient for our dungeon cross-bow trap. I don¡¯t need to refill the trap, and I can maximize its full potential because there¡¯s no need to aim with that.

    ¡°if you talking about dungeon then there¡¯s this [warehouse quiver] that can summon an arrow from the dungeon warehouse. However, the further you are from the dungeon the more it will consume magic power, eventually the consumption will make it unusable.¡±

    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s certainly something concerning.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also this story about [Infinite Quiver] of the [Mayumi] Demon Family, it was a quiver that will refill itself after you use it, also they say you can¡¯t use it unless you are a Demon.¡±

    Ah, I will bet that quiver is magic tools that replenished itself with DP, and the ¡®Demon¡¯ is actually Dungeon Core.

    ¡­Well, you can say it¡¯s a faulty product if you insist that quiver is magic tools?

    ¡°Well as expected from the Nightmare Smile¡­ he just swat it all away¡±.

    ¡°So this is how Wataru fight.¡±

    Looking at the monitor, Wataru smiling as he struck down all arrow with his sword. There¡¯s no single scratch in his body.

    ¡°Oi Empire¡¯s boy, he can avoid all that arrow, why did Hero Wataru bother to ying around with it?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s seems that he going to smash it all because it will be more fun that way?¡±

    ¡°I see! I understand!¡±

    The other contestant asked me, so I will just randomly answer it.

    ¡°Ugh, look at that Death Pierrot Smile¡­ Don¡¯t let it freeze your heart.¡±

    ¡°You will face him if you win your next match, would you be fine showing weakness like this?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ this cut-off right arms of mine is aching, it¡¯s eager to face him!¡±

    By the way, the right arm is right there, it seems to have grown and fully healed. The Demon Kingdom¡¯s medical treatment is amazing.

    ¡°Hey don¡¯t get your horses up, you will face me before you can fight with the Funnyman swordsman!¡±

    ¡°Guh, you are Gigankin! That¡¯s good I, you will make a good exercise before I face him!¡±

    And¡­. two more nicknames of Wataru that I have never heard before¡­ Wataru, you are truly an idol.

    So, Wataru made a good show on the arena and decided to end the match by winning it.

    By the way, contestant Arachne was defeated by Sebas, so tomorrow, she will cheer me from audience seats. It was a good match, but Sebas is still as overwhelming as ever.

    TL notes:

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ this cut-off right arms of mine is aching, it¡¯s eager to face him!¡± ¨C The Demon Kingdom¡¯s medical treatment is amazing {are you sure that¡¯s not some chuuni lines??}

    The funnyman, faaniman (¥Õ¥¡¥Ë©`¥Þ¥ó) ¡ª don¡¯t ask me, don¡¯t ask me¡­ the kana literally written like that. And I cannot even get creative because it¡¯s one of the ¡®two new nickmanes¡¯

 Chapter 420 - Main tournament (2)

    <h4>LDM 420 ¨C Main tournament (2)</h4>

    Main tournament (2)

    ¡°Nevertheless, the magical tools of the Demon Kingdom is really advanced. Like this monitor.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ve never seen it in the empire, and I don¡¯t really understand how it works. I wonder if an expert would know how.¡±

    At the end of the match, Wataru returned to the waiting room and saw the monitor showing the match. He then sits next to me, saying that.

    Now it¡¯s Niku turns. Her opponent is a poison-handed serpent beastman.

    (I got this weird feeling looking at his body thatpletely like a snake, but with hand. But it seems that he can be aplete serpent if he invoking his plete beastification] skill.)

    It¡¯s over the monitor, but Goodluck Niku.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, don¡¯t you think people in this Demon Kingdom supposed to hate poison?¡±

    Wataru points at the poisoned hand and asks me.

    ¡°They said it¡¯s a weak poison and not as effective as it looks¡­ those who use this method are probably using his hand as distraction and you are supposed to be aware of their other gimmicks. Or so they say.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ I think it¡¯s not wrong to say Kehma is the best person that understand Demon Kingdom custom from the Empire side.¡±

    ¡°ha ha ha, I¡¯m not. Besides we are surrounded by people of Demon Kingdom, why did you ask me?¡±

    ¡°Because if I ask them, forget about exining thing, they will ask for Arm Wrestling instead.¡±

    ¡°¡­ they heard you, and they have [can you do that?] expression on their face, you fear now has be reality.¡±

    Anyway, Niku keeps avoiding the poisoned hand attacks. It seems that she is getting slower, it seems I¡¯m the only one who noticed because I¡¯m used to seeing Niku speed.

    ¡°Oh, Kuro-chan is getting slower. Did he use poison gas or something?¡±

    Correction. It, not just me that noticed it, it seems that pro-fighter can see the sudden change that happened in the fight.

    ¡°¡­well, it seems that her breath stopping technique has reached its limit.¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    ¡°I wonder if she supposed to just fight normally, but she probably holding her breath because she is wary about poison.¡±

    ¡°No, wait Kehma, are you saying Kuro-chan fighting while holding her breath from the start?¡±

    ¡°They said that breathing is weakness, I don¡¯t understand though.¡±

    ¡°¡­That kind of muscle brain logic, is it Demon Lord arts?¡±

    I don¡¯t understand. He said I¡¯m the one who knows about Demon Kingdom custom the most, but I think Wataru has a deeper understanding of it.

    And even though Niku didn¡¯t have poison resistance, she ended up winning normally.

    Nikues back to me. It seems that she feels a little light-headed, but her tail is swaying as if to say [praise me].

    ¡°Are you okay? I was worried, is the poison still affecting you¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, it was nothing.¡±

    ¡°O-okay¡±

    Did she learn poison resistance while in Demon Kingdom? My child is getting further away from human standards¡­ scary.

    ¡°Good work Kuro-chan, it was a good fight!¡±

    ¡°Why you still here Wataru? Your match for today has ended right?¡±

    ¡°You are terrible! I was waiting for us to go together, Kehma also waiting for Niku, right?¡±

    ¡°For my sake? Master, thank you.¡±

    ¡°How about me?¡±

    In this main event, I could actually go home after I finished my match.

    By the way, Sebas has already gone home after his match. He said he needs to do his daily routine. Is it to serve Aidi? That¡¯s probably the case.

    ¡°Or rather, I intend to watch until the match ended.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Ah, I see¡­ to think of it Rokuko are still in honored guest seat¡­ isn¡¯t it easier to visit her and invite her to go home?¡±

    Yeah, but if you are unlucky, you will be invited to sit beside the Great Demon Lord instead. If that happens, no matter how many stomachs I have, the stress will melt it.

    You also cannot refuse the Great Demon Lord invitation, it¡¯s a battle that you should not attend to in the first ce.

    ¡°What will you do now Wataru?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s chat until we can go home together!¡±

    So, we decided to spend the rest of the day together.

    ¡­ in the end, I¡¯m going back separate from Wataru. It seems the people who lost the first round are challenging him. Just treat is as practice rounds, okay? It is better for you to get used to this treatment.

    *

    Okay, now we are one the second day of the main event. Let¡¯s do our best again today!

    Yesterday are the first matches because there are many people participating we can only do one match. But on this second day, we can do two matches for each winner.

    And If you managed to sessfully won these rounds, you will be entering the final round-robin of four people.

    I need to make sure that I get a second prize, the [God¡¯s Pajama].

    Well, at worst, I can always negotiate and buy it from the owner.

    My opponents for today is a Dragon newt, he seems to have [Dragonfication] skill to transform himself into mini-dragon. But I defeated him without letting himnds damage on me.

    After all, in front of abination of [God¡¯s Comforter] and [Elemental Shot] it¡¯s just an ordinary drag¡­ correction, it just an ordinary oversized lizard, he was as big as a horse¡­ wait, because he can fly, I should say as big as Pegasus instead?

    ¡°Really Kehma, I already seen it yesterday, but your magic is amazing.¡±

    ¡°Oh thank you, but I cannot tell you the details. I¡¯m not so soft that I will tell my opponents my secret.¡±

    ¡°fufufu. I¡¯m looking forward to fighting youter.¡±

    Sebas and Wataru also won, naturally.

    ¡­Wataru¡¯s battle was intense. The audience was heated; they are totally entertained.

    Sebas, in contrast to Wataru won with a swift attack. His opponent didn¡¯t even have the chance to react. Apparently, yesterday Aidi gave him some instructions.

    And for Niku¨C

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ I lost¡±

    ¡°No problem, good work Niku.¡±

    ¡°My condolonces Kuro.¡±

    ¡ª She was defeated.

    However, it¡¯s not that Niku was weak, her opponent is too strong.

    To be honest, I was kind of relieved? I thought if she got too strong, she would be discarding her humanity and be a demon or something, or she will probably get an irreversible injury someday.

    ¡°Your opponent the Demon Swordsman is too strong, is he using the Demon Lord arts?¡±

    ¡°yes.¡±

    Recently Niku also practicing Demon Lord arts and gained a lot of strength, but her opponent is more experienced and had a deeper understanding of it.

    Personally, I think that swordsman is too powerful to be in this tournament (though still not as powerful as Wataru)

    By the way, the Demon Swordsman is now in the waiting room with us, and he is sending me an intense re¡­ I was secretly checking it with Aidi through the email function, and now I¡¯m sure we know this man¡­

    Should we have a little word, oi Mr.564?

    TL notes :

    she would be discarding her humanity and be demon or something, ¨C is that motherfucking jojo reference!? Yes, yes it is.

 Chapter 421 - Shall we talk?

    <strong>LDM 421 ¨C Shall we talk?</strong>

    I decided to talk to the core no. 564.

    It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen his humanized figure, but I¡¯ve already confirmed that this is core no. 564

    Baphomet type Dungeon Core No.564. He used to have a dungeon battle with us and was defeated by the support of core no. 629, aka. Orange. {orange rabbit}

    ¡°Can I have a little of your time?¡±

    ¡°W-what!?, I don¡¯t have any business with you¡±.

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, will you follow me?¡±

    When I was called him out, the core no. 564 is obviously reacting in suspicious manners.

    ¡°oh Wataru, can I trust Kuro to you? I¡¯ll be back soon,¡±

    ¡°Okay, leave her to me.¡±

    ¡°careful¡­ Master.¡±

    ¡°ah¡­ that swordsman is¡­?¡±

    ¡°F-Fine, where to?¡±

    Core no. 564 is taken under the Orange Rabbit core system, who then bes my subordinate on Haku order, so in the hierarchy, I¡¯m his boss.

    That means core no 564 cannot go against mymand. Well, if you hide your identity, you can just ignore it, but he chooses to obediently follow me.

    ¡­ should be good around here.

    ¡°Oi, why did you bring me to this isted ce!? Are you going to do something to me!?¡±

    ¡°Why did you think that? Am I that nasty as person?¡±

    ¡°muu, Because it¡¯s you! That face, what are you nning!¡±

    ¡°Nothing like that! I just want to talk a little!¡±

    Dammit, why did he conclude it like that? Is this another cultural difference? No, is this a unique thought pattern of core no. 564?

    ¡°So¡­ what do you need to ask from me? I¡¯m just a nameless swordsman.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. why are you in this tournament, core no. 564?¡±

    When I spell out his name, he is clearly agitated.

    ¡°Who is this core no. 564, I don¡¯t know what you talking about, I don¡¯t know such cool and strong Baphoment demon! Oh by the way, I¡¯m a nameless swordsman!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already found out, That¡¯s all there is to it.¡±

    ¡°Woah, hey, impossible? This disguise is perfect!¡±

    ¡°Good, you admit it.¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s no use to insist if the person you talk to already convinced that he is right, so what? This great me won the qualifier properly, there¡¯s no reason for anyone toin for me be being here.¡±

    Well, that¡¯s true, though. He would¡¯ve already reported if he did otherwise.

    For the time being, it seems the Great Demon Lord permitted it. The chance is he already noticed it but leave him alone since [it would be good for the general audience that has nothing to do with dungeon core business].

    ¡°That¡¯s right, let¡¯s just hope the Great Demon King didn¡¯t change his opinion about this¡­ but, I was asking about why YOU in this tournament, did you get banished?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, or rather I don¡¯t have any job under that rabbit, I was free.¡±

    I see he had too much free time.

    ¡­ to think of it, there¡¯s truly nothing to do for him in that rabbit¡¯s dungeon, her dungeon is a caf¨¦.

    Unless there¡¯s a need to do an attack, there¡¯s really nothing to do.

    ¡°Did you have too much free time?¡±

    ¡°I was expelled for the Demon Lord faction, my territory was confiscated, and under that rabbit I cannot use DP as freely as I used to be¡­ I can only use 1000 DP per day, it was immediately gone after I buy food from catalogue¡­ So, I can only train and train, that¡¯s why I decide to enter this tournament.¡±

    ¡°¡­I see, so you did have too much free time¡±.

    Even though he was already exiled from Demon Lord faction, his dungeon is still located in it. And the territory, which is his source of DP are confiscated, but still, he is a dungeon core. He cannot be separated from his dungeon for a long period of time. He had no choice but to live quietly.

    So he wants to at least join festivals (tournaments) in his neighborhood. Was it like that?

    ¡°Well, I used to be in the tournament for Dungeon Core, but since I was emunicated, I need to crawl up my way from bottom.¡±

    He was originally participants of upper-tier tournaments, the one that exclusively for dungeon cores. And he was a member of 500 series, he was in it for many years. He is actually pretty strong.

    Although he lost to us in dungeon battle, his strength is on par with Aidi, and Aidi was unusually strong for 600 series ¨C in short, he is a strong person in Demon Lord arts practitioners standard.

    Yeah, he is a genuine winning candidate. However, everyone who participates in this tournament, more or less, has the ability to go to the upper tier. Even if he is the core no 564, it safe to assume that he will lose the battle if he is not careful.

    ¡°Was is okay to use Demon Lord arts? You were emunicated.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s safe because I don¡¯t specifically call it Demon Lord arts, and it¡¯s the only fighting method I know, I cannot fight with any other method!¡±

    Well, if it was not allowed, the Great Demon Lord will stop him anyway. So, I decide not to pursue it any further.

    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s why I¡¯m here, but why you are here?¡±

    ¡°me? I¡¯m aiming for the second prize, the [God¡¯s Pajama]¡±

    ¡°Hoo? There¡¯s that kind of prize this year?¡­ well, I will win this tournament anyway, so you can have your second ce.¡±

    ¡°Eh, are you confident to win against Wataru?¡±

    ¡°He is just human right? I saw his match earlier, I won¡¯t be beaten by someone that can only have a ¡®good match¡¯ with those guys.¡±

    Don¡¯t trust his words. He also said a simr thing when he about to fight Orange Rabbit dungeon core, 629.

    ¡°Well¡­ if you ended up as runner up, can you give [God¡¯s Pajama] to me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m nning to win the tournament, but okay, if I ended up at second ce you can have it.¡±

    What? He agrees to that? This dungeon core no. 564 is surprisingly kind?

    ¡°It¡¯s a contract then, don¡¯t break it, if either of us do, Let¡¯s do something shameful in public.¡±

    ¡°D-do you mean DO-DOGEZA!? Are you insane? Why you go that far!¡±

    ¡°This is a cheap price, considering I do not need to pay anything else.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ I understand, you willing to go for that much.¡±

    In the Demon Kingdom, Dogeza is a very humiliating act, And I never say that I will do it, I can just make the golem did it for me.

    ¡°By the way, what kind of prize they usually have?¡±

    ¡°umu, Sometimes it¡¯s a weapon, armor or magic tools. There¡¯s also DP-made magic items and or a rights to do custom made item by cksmith under the Great Demon Lord.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ then this [God¡¯s beddings] series are rare?¡±

    ¡°Well if its rare item, it could be the prize.¡±

    So it is, it¡¯s still a mystery if I was lucky this time or someone set this up. But if this lets me get [God¡¯s Beddings], then I will let you y a trick on me.

    There was more discussion between me and 564, then I returned to the waiting room with a good mood. At this rare it almost sure that I will get [God¡¯s Pajama]

    ¡­ ah yeah, if you have that much free time, it¡¯s probably a good idea to lend you to Aidi for sparring partner for a price.

    Tl notes :

    Dogeza: just for anyone who doesn¡¯t know what dogeza is, in short, it¡¯s those are kneeling down positions samurai use when they made a grave sin to their lords.

    Also, those whole sentences are weird, I had trouble tranting it, because Kehma stake nothing in that conversation, well he probably implying that he will give the first position to 564, but he never really said it.

 Chapter 422 - Main tournament (3)

    <strong>LDM 422 ¨C Main tournament (3)</strong>

    By the way, the best four has been decided.

    First was me, Kehma Gollen. The undisputed winner from Empire¡¯s Student exchange.

    ¡°Kehma Gollen, an assassin from the Empire!, He had shown us a steady fight with a consistent and dignified way of fighting since the qualifying round! I can¡¯t hide my surprise when I learnt that a magic ss that should have unfavorable range in the arena can survive in this tournament! If you are looking at his match so far, you will understand his strength, but can he keep winning without moving an inch in these finals? The bottomless mana! Show us how deep you will prate this tournament!!¡±

    Next, from the main the seeder from the Empire, Wataru Nishimi.

    ¡°The one with many nicknames, the Empire¡¯s proud Hero, Wataru! He has show us his overwhelming leeway and overwhelming strength when facing the other contestants, he allow his opponents to show their strength and crush them head-on, he adapts to opponents strategy, a versatile Swordsman! What kind of battle will you show us in the finals!? Was the Hero power is too much for us the handle? This is our arch enemy!! The Hero Wataru!!¡±

    And ¡®Sebas of stability.¡¯

    ¡°No. 52 of Human Farm 5! A blood-stained butler who usually serves the youngdy of the Great Demon Lord! But all of that blood is returned in full! In the qualifying tournament, he was fighting with one arm tied, but in the main battle the restriction was removed and he goes on rampage! His strategy is following the Demon Lord¡¯s arts rapid assault style, sh!, Thrust! And Crush! Even the subus charms are useless and resisted, let¡¯s stop making people from the Empire looks good! Yes! I¡¯m rooting for you! No. 52 of Human Farm 5!¡±

    And finally, Asura.

    ¡°Asura, a six-armed archer and swordsman in the Gidangreed area! A half-giant with big body, an astonishing warrior who can shoots two bows with four arms, and equip a sword and a shield with the remaining two arms! However, in the previous battle, he abandons the bow and switch to the four-sword style to make full use of the four swords two shield! He defeated the nameless swordsman who¡¯s an expert of Demon Lord¡¯s sword arts splendidly! He trampled everything with his versatile strategy and unique power! And please don¡¯t let the imperial guys win the championship at all! I¡¯m counting on you, Asura!¡±

    {¥®¥¬¥ó¥°¥ê©`¥É, gigangreed, gigangurido}

    ¡­¡­Yup.

    564 said he won¡¯t lose to anyone; this will be an easy victory, he said! But then he lost! Dammit, what a waste of negotiation¡­

    Asura, his mother, is from Giant Arachnid race, the race that has six arms and two legs, and the Father was a five meters tall giant.

    Asura inherited both of their good traits and ended up with a three-meter tall body with six arms.

    And core no. 564 was lost to Asura ¡­.

    ¡°oi human, those six arms are nasty, be careful.¡±

    ¡°Why are you still here? Just go home already.¡±

    ¡°Muh, I¡¯m still your second inmand, I¡¯m sure I will win the next one!¡±

    ¡­ and that core no. 564, even though he lost, remained here and have the guts to call himself my second inmand.

    You don¡¯t need to win anything. You said you were going to win the championship, but you lost. I don¡¯t believe anything you said anymore. No, I didn¡¯t believe you from the beginning anyway.

    I mean, it¡¯s better to have Niku during the break, but why they send Niku to the guest room? And I don¡¯t know why they allowed core no. 564 to stay in her ce? Is it because he beat Niku during his match, is it some kind of respect they gave to a winner? Let¡¯s just treat it as a cultural difference.

    ¡°Since it has be like this¡­ there¡¯s no other choice but to aim for the runner-up position¡­ Wataru should be winning over those two, and let¡¯s assume that Sebas will win over Asura, then¡­¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I wonder if that boy can beat someone that defeated this great me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, if you had said so, I¡¯m sure he will, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Ha Ha ha! No need to than¡­ wait?¡±

    So, not counting my match. It¡¯s two wins for Wataru, one win for Sebas, and zero wins for Asura. Then I need to let someone take a point from me and won the tournaments.

    ¡°¡­Should I make Wataru the winner?¡±

    So my strategy was decided.

    If Wataru won over the other two, it still is two points. If I won against him, the match would probably extend to tie-breakers rounds, so it¡¯s better to lose to him. Well, if Wataru won all rounds, then it doesn¡¯t matter who from those two that got a win after that.

    What should I be worried about is, if Wataru got one win and two draws, then the others will go one win one draw, or zero wins and one draw, then I would be a champion with only two wins.

    ¡°Now 564, what will happens in this scenario?¡±

    ¡°um, this is unusual situation where four people are forced to fight each other, but I guess in that case the one that collect two wins will won the tournaments¡­ and Boss, why are you so confident? Your opponents are someone who beat this great me.¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s because my armor is excellent.¡±

    Well, if that happens, there¡¯s nothing we can do about it. Let¡¯s do our best to see if we can somehow exchange prizes with negotiations. ¡­¡­ Or¡­ Can I just pressure them with brute force? It¡¯s the Demon Kingdom, after all. Just like how 564 takes Niku ce here.

    For some reason, before the round-robin rounds started, 564 is ced as my assistant, and no oneined.

    ¡°Okay, now that¡¯s been decided, let¡¯s win!¡±

    ¡°No, I did say that I want the second prize.¡±

    ¡°Gahahah! Don¡¯t be like that, there¡¯s no reason why you don¡¯t want to be champion.¡±

    ¡°I do, I want [God¡¯s Pajama]¡±

    ¡°Just be the champion and rob it from the runner up then?¡±

    Hmm, another cultural difference, But I decided that I would give up and give the first ce to Wataru.

    *

    ¡°I give up!¡±

    ¡°¡­I knew it¡­¡±

    I dered to surrender in the first match against Wataru. The Audiences are booing at me, but I don¡¯t care. I want the second prize!

    Then next, I¡¯m up against Sebas.

    ¡°I give up¡­¡±

    ¡°e? O-okay¡­.¡±

    Sebas trying to attack me and surrender immediately after one shot, the boos from the audience seats are getting stronger during these second consecutive surrenders. I think I heard them say, ¡°Fight properly!!¡±¡ªno one expected to see this kind of battle in finals.

    ¡°The booing doesn¡¯t bother me but¡­¡±

    ¡°You started this, I also don¡¯t care, and this is just as mydy instructed, don¡¯t fight in match you can¡¯t win, you better reserve your strength.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s true I guess?¡±

    Next is Asura vs. Sebas, and I¡¯m heading back to the waiting room. Normally the medics will treat me with healing magic, but I was unscathed. The person in charge of my recovery just gives me a bitter smile.

    The core no. 564 said, ¡°Huh, it¡¯s one win and one loss, we can still make aeback¡± was it even worth to listen to his words anymore? You have too much free time, go home.

    The result of Sebas vs. Asura match, Sebas, is winning.

    It was a close fight, so it can be said that Sebas strategy to preserve strength is the correct one. And it was a heated battle, the audience should be satisfied with this.

    I also took a small break (they did ask me if I needed a rest), but the next game is my turn, so I will enter the arena again.

    I did not know where 564 because I lost sight of him.

    Well doesn¡¯t matter, now it¡¯s me VS Asura.

    When I entered the Arena, Asura had alreadypletely recovered using healing magic, he was waiting for me. The wounds from hisst fight with Sebas are nowhere to be seen.

    ¡­ He is radiating great intimidation when facing me.

    However, no matter how many times Asura tried to attack me, it¡¯s allpletely nullified.

    As expected from God¡¯s series item, it¡¯s the defense is really on God¡¯s level. He tried to strip it from me, but he failed, it just slipping away from his hand, that¡¯s [God¡¯s Comforter] for you! There¡¯s nothing you can do about this!

    I fired [Elemental Shot] to Asura, who could do nothing to me, and I got my second win for today.

    Now, if Wataru won against Sebas and Asura, I will secure the runner-up position.

    But, something unexpected happens in the next match¡­

    ¡°I give up.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    Wataru grinning and told Sebas that he is surrendering.

 Chapter 423 - Main tournament (4)

    <strong>LDM 423 ¨C Main tournament (4)</strong>

    Next match.

    Wataru won with ease against Asura.

    With this all, all participants expect Asura has two wins and one loss. Moreover, they will be surrendering to each other to maintain the bnce.

    ¡°We could say we¡¯re back to the beginning with Asura as exception¡­. 564 what will happen in this case?¡±

    ¡°umm, if three people had the same number of wins then they will need to battle each other again¡­ with this we still have a chance!¡±

    ¡°¡­in other words, a rematch?¡±

    But still, even if I surrender to Wataru, then Sebas will surrender to me, and then Wataru will surrender to Sebas. This is like an endless rock-paper-scissors, damn it.

    ¡°What will they do, this is endless.¡±

    ¡°mu, it¡¯s easy, you guys just need to go at each other at once, then it won¡¯t matter who win over who.¡±

    ¡°¡­ah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    If your win and the loss ratio are perfectly the same, then it doesn¡¯t matter, you just need to settle it in the battle royale.

    It¡¯s kind of sad for Asura who dropped earlier, but now is the time for the true Final rounds.

    ¡°If only Wataru and Sebas will go at each other, then I only need to surrender to the winner.¡±

    ¡°What are you afraid of!? We can do this, you can go for the champion position!¡±

    ¡°I already said that I only want the runner-up position!¡±

    And looking back at Wataru antics, I feel like I want to seriously punch him.

    ¡­ ok, let¡¯s defeat Wataru with Sebas assistance and give the winning to Sebas. This should be the best method for me.

    ¡°Now that it decided, let¡¯s negotiate with Sebas¡­¡±

    ¡°Hm? It seems that little boy had already make a deal with Hero Wataru, don¡¯t you notice that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    As expected from Hero, he is fast.

    *

    Here I am in the final match without any chance to negotiate.

    And unprecedented to past match, the Great Demon Lord give us some warnings before the match begins.

    ¡°¨C Fight with your all, know that surrendering is not eptable.¡±

    Oh, shit, this is too much! Aidi is smiling beside the Great Demon King, her grin almost like she personally saying, ¡°Now you can fight seriously right? No need to thank me¡±.

    Then make the [God¡¯s Pajama] the first prize! I will fight seriously if it for that.

    With Great Demon King words, the already bored audiences are pleased and assured, ¡°Woahh!¡± they said, I did fight properly with Asura, didn¡¯t that supposed to be enough?

    ¡°This is a direct order from the Great Demon Lord¡­ so I will go all out.¡±

    ¡°hey Kehma, you head the Great Demon Lord words¡­ right?¡±

    Wataru and Sebas are eager to start the match.

    Then about me¡­ I look up at the sky and pondering what to do now¡­

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    The referee¡¯s voice echoed. Shortly after that, Sebas and Wataru attacked me.

    This is probably their small agreement earlier, they decided to attack me together.

    ¡°Sebas! work with me and crush this Hero!¡±

    ¡°Rejected!¡±

    ¡°Tsk¡­ Wataru, let¡¯s team up, I promise we will have a good matchter?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother Kehma, I will stick to our n.¡±

    As expected, I was refused.

    They give me a barrage of swords and offensive magic. However, the defense of [God¡¯s Comforter] is truly godly. I feel like there¡¯s some kind of veil surrounding me, it makes me stay calm.

    The attacks keeping, but then they are stopped about one meter before reaching me and disappears.

    A sword assault from behind, a boulder of rock from above, all those attacks are just slipping away.

    ¡°This is not good¡­¡±

    Sebas takes some distance from me, while Wataru keeps pressuring me.

    ¡°Uh, your defense is great Kehma, just what is this?¡±

    ¡°¡­ I heard that is a love power he borrows from Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Love huh! As expected from Kehma, or should I say from Rokuko this time? Then I will do this seriously!¡±

    If I let Wataru attack me until he satisfied, I will probably be able to finish in second ce. But wait¡­ with the Great Demon Lord restriction¡­ how am I supposed to surrender the first ce to Wataru?

    ¡°HAH! [Giga sh]! [Meteor Crash]! [Vacuum Cutter]!¡±

    Well, that was the case when you are wearing the [God¡¯s Comforter], am I prohibited to take it off?

    ¡°[Charge]! [Charge]! [Charge]!¡­¡­[Omega Break]!!¡±

    Can I get away with saying this [God¡¯s Comforter] is borrowed power from Rokuko? In other words, taking off this [God¡¯s Comfoter] are not a vition of ¡°Fight with your all¡± since I will be using my true power if I take it off.

    ¡°[Grand Bomb]! [Lightning Edge]!¡­¡­[Charge release], Come forth, pir of thunder! [Lightning Pir]! Come forth, pir of me! [me Pir]! Be Born! Pir of Soil [Earth Pir]!!¡±

    Ok, first. One of them must fall, then let¡¯s take the nket off and fight.

    ¡°hah¡­hah¡­ Ke-Kehma, what the heck is that barrier! ¡­ I¡¯m not really surprised but still¡­?¡±

    ¡°Oh sorry, I was thinking about something.¡±

    ¡°You kidding¡­ Did you just repelled all those attacks while being absent minded¡­?¡±

    When I¡¯m finally realized, the ground surrounds me is destroyed. It was gouged, burned, and there¡¯s even an earth pir erected. The whole arena wall is full of scratches. It almost like a wild beast, just finished its rampage.

    In contrast to that, there¡¯s a beautiful circle about one-meter size surrounds me.

    ¡°¡­ The strength of a hero is definitely something.¡±

    ¡°Is that sarcasm¡­ you are the amazing one Kehma.¡±

    ¡°This is not my power, it¡¯s Rokuko¡¯s love power.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I see¡±

    And I wonder if Sebas is fine being here in the middle of this fierce attack, but he seemed to have avoided it properly.

    ¡°Mr. Sebas has agreed to team up with me until we can beat you Kehma, I will probably be exhausted in this fight and lost to Sebas, our empire prestige will probably drop from my loss.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Isn¡¯t that bad?¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha! That¡¯s a fame that I could regain once I¡¯m going to the frontlines again, and if I be runner-up, I will get that [God¡¯s Pajama] that Kehma wants, now will you seriously fight me?¡±

    ¡°wow¡­ I¡¯m irritated now, Wataru.¡±

    After exhaling, Wataru once again fastens his grip on his sword.

    Dammit, just how low he will go to make me go at him seriously?

    It cannot be helped then, let¡¯s fight Wataru seriously. And then I can lose to Sebas safely.

    ¡°TAKE THIS, [Elemental Shot]!¡±

    ¡°FuH!¡±

    *Kin* Wataru¡¯s sword is parrying my [Elemental Shot].

    ¡°This [Air] Holy sword that Haku lent me are not just for show!¡±

    ¡°Holy Sword, you wield such thing?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I never use its function until now because it¡¯s magic consumption are ridiculous¡­ it¡¯s hard to use this sword at its full power all the time you know?¡±

    I wonder what the difference between Holy Sword and Magic Sword, but all I know that Haku lent it to him¡­, I could probably beat Wataru with [Elemental Burst], but if I¡¯m not careful, I could kill him¡­ wait, if it Wataru he probably survives with his innate [Ultra Good Fortune] skill?

    Sebase closer to Wataru, he looks prettyx, and then he approaches me.

    ¡°Oi Kehma, can I talk a little?¡±

    ¡°hm? What is it Sebas?¡±

    He approaches me defenselessly, and I casually listen to Sebas¡¯s word.

    ¡°I¡¯m always pondering how to beat that nket.¡±

    ¡°Wha¨C?¡±

    ¡°Fall into slumber. Rest peacefully-[Sleep]¡±

    The moment Sebas murmured that, my consciousness is gone.

 Chapter 424 - Exhausting Tournaments.

    <strong>?424 ¨C Exhausting Tournaments.</strong>

    God¡¯s beddings, its defense capabilities are undoubtedly strong. However, one must not forget that its primary role is beddings, and that rolees with one shoring, which is its specialization of ¡°not disturbing your sleep.¡±

    Therefore, among all abnormal conditions, only sleep will be allowed.

    Different from other ailments, this one not only allowed but even boosted.

    No, if that ailments count as attack with malicious intent, it might get blocked. But since it was used without any intention to harm me, then¡­ no form of defense mechanism was triggered.

    As a result, [Sleep] is easily applied, and I fell to slumber.

    ¡°hahh¡­ third ce huh¡­¡±

    The match was over when I woke up, Sebas takes the first ce and Wataru on second. By the way, I was asleep through the whole awards ceremony, so the event is really has ended.

    By the way, Rokuko takes the third-ce prize in my ce.

    Eh, why didn¡¯t anyone wake me up?

    You can¡¯t wake me up. It¡¯s the [God¡¯s Comforter] absolute priority. Neither the [God¡¯s rm] nor the Great Demon Lord can override it. This [God¡¯s Comforter] cannot be disturbed by external sources if the person inside falls into slumber.

    It was like you are hiding inside the Tenamodo it boasting the difficulty of God¡¯s level to disturb me.

    That¡¯s why the stadium is nowpletely dested, the award ceremony is held while I was sleeping soundly.

    ¡°Kehma, did you wake up?¡±

    ¡°¡­Moring Rokuko, never I imagine to lost to that method¡­¡±

    I woke up when they are cleaning up the arena, Rokuko is waiting for me to wake up and get up.

    Wataru also here as Rokuko¡¯s escort. If you are looking for Niku and Ichika, it seems that Aidi has taken them back to the inn.

    E? How about No. 564? Who cares about him?

    ¡°Thanks for your hard work Kehma, no wait, it¡¯s supposed to be good morning, right?¡±

    ¡°hello Wataru, you look ragged¡­ Did Sebas won?¡±

    ¡°We werepeting to beat you, so whoever beat you win the game.¡±

    It seems Great Demon Lord is permitted to win or lose by agreement but not surrender, can I use that trick? Ah, it won¡¯t work for me. Neither Wataru nor Sebas will agree to that.

    ¡­ and I think they are satisfied after seeing the power that destroyed the arena.

    ¡°I did not expect that status ailment will work.¡±

    ¡°Neither do I, and need to fix this loophole.¡±

    ¡°¡­Mmm, why did I feel like I losing more now? I feel like I missed my only chance?¡±

    If only I had my [Sleep Resistance] turned on, I would probably win this time, but I usually leave it off, so I forgot about it. Let¡¯s hope it won¡¯t be turned off by itself next time¡­ I hope.

    ¡°Hmm, my [Ultra Good Fortune] didn¡¯t seem to work on Kehma¡­¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think that was the case? It was possible that your luck letting you off from winning.¡±

    ¡°it was frustrating that Sebas beat you first, I know you longer.¡±

    ¡°Well, he watches me training longer, Sebas also went to qualifier rounds with me, it was my blunder to let him see my trick before this match.¡±

    ¡°That was a great defense, it not even flinching even in front of my full power, it¡¯s really a shame that I can¡¯t beat you again.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you in better ranking than me? also you won against me when I gave up right?¡±

    ¡°I may with the battle but I lost the match! It¡¯s not even a draw this time!¡±

    Well, you deflected my full-power shot, why would you feel that way?

    However, this [God¡¯s Comforter] can withstand the full power of Wataru attack. This might be useful when I have to face Leona. Let¡¯s remember this.

    ¡°Kehma, let¡¯s go home. You already fully woke up right?¡±

    ¡°Ah , yeah¡­ thanks to you I did not suffer any injuries, Rokuko, I¡¯ll give this back to you.¡±

    ¡°unn.¡±

    Rokuko received the [God¡¯s Comforter] that I wore like a cloak, she then folded it and put it away in [storage].

    ¡°Miss Rokuko, is that cloak is the true nature of Kehma perfect defense?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it also had the ability to regenerate your magic power while you wearing it.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ that¡¯s why he can shot that dangerous magic repeatedly.¡±

    Oooh nice follow up Rokuko, she¡¯s not lying at all, but with this, it will make my usual self looks much weaker than it should be, as expected of my partner.

    Wataru called us again when we are about to go home.

    ¡°Well Kehma, since I had [God¡¯s Pajama] why don¡¯t we set it as a bet and have a match again?¡±

    ¡­ah, that¡¯s true.

    In the beginning, I was thinking about how to get it from the runner-up, just when did it be [get yourself to second ce and win it]?

    I think this Demon Kingdom also influenced me in one way or another.

    Well, it not bad that I gain the power to fight seriously.

    But it¡¯s convenient for me that the one who got [God¡¯s Pajama] is Wataru; after all, I still have some card to be yed on him.

    So, let¡¯s proceed with the negotiation with Wataru.

    ¡°Sure, I will ept that¡±

    ¡°ah? Seriously?¡±

    ¡°But, on unrted manners, I thought about giving you the [rights to confess to Nerune] in exchange for [God¡¯s Pajama]¡±

    ¡°eh.¡±

    And it should be noted that this is only [confession rights].

    If I want to push it further, I could just give Nerune to Wataru in exchange for [God¡¯s Pajama]. I¡¯m sure she will be cherished if she is going out with Wataru.

    But since she is a dungeon monster, she can¡¯t leave dungeon by her own will, it will be a different story if I as dungeon mastermand it to her, she will follow my will.

    but as expected, free will is important, I also think Wataru don¡¯t have a hobby of forcing someone.

    ¡­ah but if I order her to say ¡°No¡± then she will dly do it, so it¡¯s a free will too?

    ¡°You don¡¯t want [Confession rights] to Nerune? Would you rather fight me?¡±

    ¡°¡­ oi, wait a minute.¡±

    I will incite Wataru to get [Confession Rights] that cost me nothing.

    This [Confession Rights] is even more fraud than Rokuko¡¯s [Hugs Rights] that she imposes to Haku.

    ¡°Why do I need Kehma permission to get [Confession Rights] to Nerune?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because Nerune is like a daughter to me, well it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t need it.¡±

    ¡°Waiit, wait, did you just say something really important just now!?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s have our match after I¡¯m back at Gollen Vige, I know a good ce behind the cave of desire.¡±

    ¡°Oi Kehma, wait Kehma!¡±

    Well, because I intend to provide a cozy workce and Rokuko as the parents, so my employee Nerune is her daughter, it¡¯s a cozy workce, it¡¯s important, so I need to say it twice.

    ¡°Rokuko are you fine with Kehma saying Nerune is his daughter?¡±

    ¡°oh, because it¡¯s not exaggeration to say the she is like the child for me and Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Even miss Rokuko admit it? Is this trip to Demon Kingdom is honeymoon is disguise!?¡±

    ¡°Exactly right!¡±

    ¡°What!? Really? Oi Kehma, I said you should call me when you had your wedding!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my first-time hearing about this wedding too, just so you know I¡¯m not yet married.¡±

    Wataru shakes me with full force, stop it, I did not wear [God¡¯s Comforter] right now.

    ¡°Well, since Rokuko even admit this, I will need to think seriously about this [Confession Rights].¡±

    ¡°Ah, can¡¯t you just give me an answer now? It would be too bad if I told Nerune that Wataru love is only this much. Well I¡¯m d though.¡±

    ¡°I will give it, I will really give it to you, give me a break, are you Demon? You ying with someone feeling of love!¡±

    Wataru, you are the one who ys with my desire to sleep. You are the Demon.

    ¡°in the first ce, why did you wat this [God¡¯s Pajama] so badly? If there¡¯s some important reason, I could just give it to you, I have many debts to you.¡±

    ¡°The reason? It¡¯s for the Beddishm purpose, do I need other reason?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see¡±, Wataru nodded.

    Religion and its faith, it always a reason to start a war. Well, Beddishm is a made-up religion that I made.

    ¡°¡­I understand, let me offer this [God¡¯s Pajama] as follower of Beddishm, and please give me the [confession rights] to Nerune as exchange.¡±

    ¡°umu, all right.¡±

    Wataru offers the folded pajama to me, as I reach to it, he avoids my hands¡­

    ¡°By the way, I still want to do another match seriously with Kehma, can you be a little flexible here? Grand priest?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Well, of course, it would be like this.

    ¡°¡­I will think of something about it¡±.

    ¡°Thank you¡­.is it a promise?¡±

    I cannot refuse him, let¡¯s just received our pajama and fulfill Wataru hopes for now.

    And with this, I obtain [God¡¯s Pajama].

    There were various things here, whenever it was fighting or training, but our study abroad purpose was archived. I think our result is wonderful¡­¡­I just want to go home!!

    TL note

    Tenamodo: the cave where the sun god Amaterasu is hiding

 Chapter 425 - Goodbye, Demon Kingdom, I welcome you my Assassin.

    <h4>425 ¨C Goodbye, Demon Kingdom, I wee you my Assassin.</h4>

    I enter my room in the Inn, and with a merry feeling I took out the [God¡¯s Pajama]

    Because this is an official donation from Wataru, I must use it with proper procedures. I would like to use it with [God¡¯sforter]. I don¡¯t mind taking the punishment from God. Probably. I will believe in the power of God.

    I immediately put a hand through the Pajama¡¯s sleeves. Oh, it¡¯s sofortable to wear. There is no discrepancy even if I move my body, this feels almost like an illusion. Is it the characteristic of the highest quality material to not inhibit any friction at all?

    Then Rokukoes to lend her [God¡¯s Comforter] to me, I¡¯ve been eagerly waiting for it.

    ¡°Kehma, is that [God¡¯s Pajama]? It looks like the jersey you¡¯re always wearing.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it seems that the appearance will change into your preferred sleepwear.¡±

    ¡°Huh! that looks interesting. Kehma, let me wear it!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Rokuko¡­ do you want to change your clothes in front of me? And should I change my clothes in front of you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see, fufu¡­ Even as couple we need to take proper step, right Kehma?¡±

    No, that¡¯s why we are not husband and wife, yet. She said she was just joking, but I saw a glimpse of lonely expression on her face.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll behave when we got back¡­ after we go back, we will return to our usual rtionship, so at least¡­ for now¡­¡±

    ¡°Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°I know Kehma, I know that you are afraid of my sister, that¡¯s why only while we¡¯re here where my sister eyes can¡¯t reach you dare to sleep together with me.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    Rokuko suddenly blushed¡­ no, I think she was right. When we are here, I did remove a lot of my restriction, I believe that what my subconsciousness was trying to tell me. Yeah.

    ¡°so, you really put a lot of thought in that.¡±

    ¡°¡­at the very least I tried to act like your wives during this study abroad, was it bad?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say it bad¡­ ah, no, to have Rokuko as my wife, I¡¯m definitely felt happy about it.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you do.¡±

    Fufu, Rokukoughs modestly.

    ¡°if we use dungeon area, I¡¯m sure Haku won¡¯t find out¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­is it okay to say that to me? I will definitely want to continue to act like this if you permitted it.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s okay as long as Haku didn¡¯t find out.¡±

    When I said that, Rokuko crouched and buried her face to my chest.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°W-what I¡¯m saying¡­no..¡±

    While saying that she suddenly takes out the [God¡¯s Comforter]

    ¡°isn¡¯t it perfect if we use it with Comforter and Mattress?¡±

    ¡°Ah yeah, even if you don¡¯t use your pajama, it¡¯s still two of the bedding series.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, so don¡¯t worry about it and let¡¯s go to sleep Kehma?¡±

    I was pushed into the bed, I was in a hurry while she enters it calmly, was it because she tries to acts like my wife? Well, I don¡¯t have anyints about that.

    ¡°Shall I sing you a luby? I was taught one.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure¡­ please do?¡±

    ¡°okay¡­~?¡±

    Rokuko sleeps beside me while whispering melody with a gentle voice. I don¡¯t know if the trantion function is working or not right now. Still, all I know that this rxing melody makes you sleepy, veiled within Rokuko¡¯s cute voice, I fell asleep.

    It was morning when I woke up, I was holding Rokuko like a pillow.

    ¡°I slept soundly¡­¡±

    ¡°un¡­ Good morning, Kehma.¡±

    Rokuko feels so slender in my arms.

    ¡°¡­ We cannot extend our stay any longer, the tournament is over, I¡¯ve also fulfilled my main objective, we learn a lot in this study abroad.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I know.¡±

    If we won the tournaments and advancing to higher tierpetition, we would¡¯ve to spend more expense on amodation, etc.

    ¡°I confirmed it with Wataru yesterday, it seems that he is going back with us as an escort.¡±

    ¡°If¡­ Wataru had to participate in higher tier tournaments, would we extend our stay ordingly?¡±

    ¡°Maybe¡­¡±

    If that was the case, it probably was nice to have him won the championship, and I would have to negotiate with Sebas instead.

    ¡­But I got an excellent deal from Wataru by using Nerune, well though I do have a little regret, let¡¯s say the oue was decent this time.

    ¡°But still, I don¡¯t understand the effect of [God¡¯s Pajama]¡±

    I can just ask [Father] directly, this is where message function will show its use.

    I open the menu and then¡­.. there¡¯s already email from [Father], by the way, I haven¡¯t checked my menu since yesterday.

    [Oh? Kehma, you already god the Pajama! also, congrattion on your rtionship progress with Rokuko, Originally, I want you to give you GP, but since you asked, I will exin the effect of Pajama too.]

    ¡­oi, did you spy on us? And I checked my GP it was 32.

    So, the effect of pajamas written here-

    [God¡¯s pajamas] this is an artifact that provides you with ¡°recovery¡± and ¡°veryfortable feeling¡± also, it has the function to automatically fight back when you are attacked in your sleep. I also install a simr feature in my clothes golem. They have some affinity, huh?

    However, from [father] exnation, there¡¯s some w in this Pajama.

    If you use [God¡¯s Comforter] in conjunction with [God¡¯s Pajama], then theforter ¡®attack invalidation¡¯ will take precedence. Basically, the effect of Pajama won¡¯t ever activate if the attack is from outside.

    Meaning it¡¯s a different story if the attackse from within.

    ¡°¡­Oh, so that¡¯s why we are stuck like this.¡±

    ¡°e? Did you attack me while I was asleep?¡±

    ¡°I just trying to pinch your cheek, then you suddenly hug me.¡±

    What an automatic counterattack¡­. it¡¯s that kind of system, I see.

    ¡­¡­Hmm? So, isn¡¯t this pajama is a ¡°bedding for responding with an attack of the same type as opponent¡±?

    And God¡¯s bedding was made by the ¡°Father¡± for the Creation God¡­ then there¡¯s a possibility that the Creation God might be attacked by someone from inside the bed?

    ¡°¡­Flirt¡­No, maybe it was to assassinate the creation god.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°No, nothing.¡±

    For the time being, we need to get up and prepare to go home.

    I want to see Aidi and Sebas for onest time since I will return directly to Empire from this town, but since they will participate in higher tier tournaments, I decided to send them a simple greeting as such ¡°see youter, I¡¯ll send you a letter.¡±

    Don¡¯t you get emotional from your separation? We don¡¯t do that in the Demon Kingdom! Because it¡¯s Demon Kingdom¡¯s way!

    And with Wataru as an escort, our safety on the way back is guaranteed.

    ¡­ Rokuko was reddening from Wataru teasing, she even turned her face and looked the other way.

    Oi Wataru, it¡¯s about time you stop that, seriously, it won¡¯t be funny if the Empire gets a hold of this news.

    Anyway, I feel like I stayed here for the longest time, but now we must conclude our study abroad in Demon Kingdom.

    Oh, I can¡¯t forget to prepare for Wataru¡¯s challengeter.

 Chapter 426 - Reward

    <strong>426 ¨C Reward</strong>

    We had an audience with Emperor Lionel soon after returning to the Raverio Empire.

    Officially we only need to report when departing. Still, there¡¯s nothing wrong with being summoned for the audience before we go home too.

    ¡°Kehma Gollen, you did well in your study abroad by ced third in Demon Kingdom tournaments.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°If possible, I want you to win, but even our Hero Wataru was only a runner-up, your opponents must be a tough one, if you want, I can raise your adventurer rank to A, do you want it?¡±

    ¡°I thank you for your consideration, but that position is too much for me.¡±

    I don¡¯t want it, why am I the only exchange student that got rewarded, unlike my other peers?

    At that time, I felt Haku stare at me, ah¡­ yeah¡­ she is smiling, but she is clearly angry, what did I do wrong?

    ¡°Is that so? Then let¡¯s me change your rewards, I wonder what will suffice, ah¡­ I know! Let¡¯s make your vige an independent territory outside Shia, named Gollen territory.¡±

    Woah, hold up, what¡¯s way beyond what I could manage.

    However, I had already prepared a reply, ¡°Can I ask emperor a favor?¡± for this situation. I thought this might happen. This is exactly when I should use it.

    ¡°I¡¯m honored but this is tough job for me as Beddhism founder, I had one goal in life, that is to collect all Godly beddings, may your majesty aid me?¡±

    ¡°hm, I understand, then I will give you the rights manage Empire¡¯s God¡¯s Beddings rents, when you pay the appropriate price to the administration, they will lend it to you.¡±

    E¡­? I tried, and it worked.

    That was unexpected, but I will keep my mouth from yelling right now.

    Thank you Rokuko, it was her suggestion to ask for this.

    ¡°This Empire possess two of Godly beddings, a Mattress and Pillow. The Mattress was managed by Kukkoro family and the Pillow is managed by Shia family.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware of that.¡±

    ¡°I see, I will write the rmendationter.¡±

    And that ends my audience with the Emperor.

    ¡­ seriously? Just from this meeting alone, I got two beddings in my hands?

    Since I already had six (five if you exclude the rm). Then the only one that left is the¡­ underwear.

    ¡°Thank you for your work. How was your audience?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it goes smoothly.¡±

    Rokuko weed us in the guest room of the castle.

    She usually assigned to another room, but this time she chooses to wait here and wait for me.

    Niku and Ichika are still in a separate room for ves, though.

    ¡°Oh, I will tell you the summary, in short just by going as exchange student, I managed to collect three Godly Beddings, I don¡¯t know what to say.¡±

    ¡°Is that so, then it was worth it to put some words to Lionel yesterday.¡±

    Eh.

    ¡°Uh¡­ Rokuko, did you just say you said something to Emperor yesterday?¡±

    ¡°eh, that¡¯s because Kehma want to collect all Godly Beddings, so I just did what I think was right, was I did bad?¡±

    ¡°No, it was a big help! I¡¯m really happy!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you asked me about it and you want a suitable rewards, right?¡±

    Wait a minute, what¡¯s wrong with this situation? Whose n is this?

    ¡­¡­No, calm down, calm down me. Think it over carefully, no one is losing in this deal, so nothing bad was happening.

    From the Emperor¡¯s point of view, he is lucky to reward me with Godly Beddings since it costs him nothing. By making me an administrator for Godly Beddings, there will be noints about the price. I only need to pay the proper amount and use it, I¡¯m happy that I could use them anytime I want.

    I was anxious because too much good thing happens at once, but sometimes I think this kind of thing can happen.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°¡­No, yeah. Rokuko did a good job. Thank you¡­.Ah, uhm¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ no¡­.ahh, screw it!.¡±

    ¡­..

    I think I just did something that was out of my character, but I was relieved, it¡¯s embarrassing to see Rokuko face now.

    However, I¡¯m still worried about her reaction, and I steel myself to peek at Rokuko face.

    ¡°~~¡­!¡±

    Oh, bright red. Like an apple?

    ¡°Kemah¡­ hey. hey.¡±

    ¡°Wha-what?¡±

    ¡°¡­ if you keep saying things like that with such face, I won¡¯t be able to hold back¡­¡±

    While saying so, Rokuko¡¯s face approaches me. Ah, this is¡­

    ¨Cknock Knock.

    The sound someone of knocking the door made us jump away.

    I just touched her lips a little, dammit it was dangerous! What on earth we¡¯re trying to do on Haku territory!?

    ¡°Rokuko-chan, can I go in?¡±

    ¡°¡±-!?¡±¡±

    THAT¡¯S HAKU, that¡¯s Haku¡¯s voice. And here is the room she prepared for me. Once again, I need to say it! This is the room she prepared for me, Rokuko¡¯s room is not here, but she¡¯s looking for Rokuko here? And she even asks permission from Rokuko to enter and not from me, it means she knows Rokuko is in my room.

    Were we monitored? How long was it?

    ¡°What should I do, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°¡­But I can¡¯t help it. Kehma, leave Haku-nee-sama to me.¡±

    When Rokuko said, ¡°Okay,e in,¡± she opened the door, and Haku came in. She has a charming smile.

    ¡°Ara, you are here Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Hahaha¡­ yes, I¡¯m sorry for this, now pardon me¡­¡±

    ¡°Where do you think you are going? Kehma¡¯s room is right here.¡±

    If you knew this is my room, why did you say it like that?

    ¡°Kehma-san¡­ what were you doing with Rokuko-chan?¡±

    ¡°No-nothing. I just arrived¡­¡±

    Fortunately, blood is drained from my head earlier, so I can¡¯t yell out that tsukkomi, for now, I¡¯m signaling help from my eyes to Rokuko.

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama, please sit here.¡±

    ¡°hm? What¡¯s the matter, Rokuko-chan?¡±

    ¡°Pleasee here.¡±

    Rokuko begs Haku, Haku loosens up her pressure and move over to Rokuko.

    ¡°Can I ask a favor?¡±

    ¡°¡­Um?¡±

    ¡°Can you pat me? Haku-nee-sama¡­?¡±

    Rokuko leans against Haku¡¯s plump chest.

    Haku shivered and reached for Rokuko¡¯s head. ¡­¡­Pat pat pat ¡­¡­

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko-chan, I was lonely¡­ I¡¯m d youe back safely from study abroad¡­¡±

    ¡°Fufu, Kema protected me.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Because Kema yed an active role, I came back safely¡­. why your hands are stopped, nee-sama?¡±

    ¡°Uh, tsk¡­ Well, was it like that¡­?¡±

    ¡°Nee-sama, can¡¯t you be little kind and praise Kehma¡­?¡±

    While being patted, Rokuko turned her eyes up to Haku. Would such childish trick work on her¡­?

    ¡°¡­Kehma-san, good job on protecting Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°Y-yes, Certainly. I did what I had to do.¡±

    Haku praises me with a bitter smile, as Rokuko requested.

    Well, actually, Rokuko spends most of her time sightseeing with Aidi, but I don¡¯t need to say anything. I will leave this matter to Rokuko.

    ¡°I¡¯m d Haku-nee-sama now acknowledge Kehma, Kehma did a hard work in the Demon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°eh? no, that¡¯s¡­¡±

    ¡°Was I wrong?¡±

    ¡°Muuuu¡­!¡±

    Rokuko keeps attacking Haku with her gentle touch.

    Wait a minute, when did you learn such technique Rokuko? Was it in Demon Kingdom? It must be, right? What the hell did you do while I¡¯m not watching!?**

    Anyway, it seems that I¡¯m safe for now, let¡¯s hurry return to Gollen Vige, and Thank you Rokuko!

    TL note:

    So¡­.st chapter title makes sense now; she will definitely send assassin¡­.

    I case you guys didn¡¯t notice ¡­

    ¡°Ah¡­ no¡­.ahh, screw it!¡±

    **Kehma KISS Rokuko**

    Finally, after spending 426 chapter!!!

    Hopefully, our MCst more than one chapter after that.

    ah also ¡­sorry I took a day off yesterday, I need to help out with my local event preparation, and since we are restricted by new normal regtion the work are doubled.

    I did some ninja edit, I hope you guys did not notice it¡­.

 Chapter 427 - Iâ€™m cominâ€™ home, Goraine Village (1)

    <h4>Chapter 427 ¨C I¡¯min¡¯ home, Goraine Vige (1)</h4>

    Haku said to me, ¡°Write down the Demon Kingdom custom and send the report to us¡±.

    Well, our study abroad cover-up story was we are going as an exchange student. So, let¡¯s do that.

    By the way, Ipletely forgot, but what was the third prize, Rokuko?

    ¡°It¡¯s a magic tool book. a lot of it.¡±

    ¡°¡­Speaking of which I forgot to buy souvenirs.¡±

    ¡°I already bought it. I thought we might need it.¡±

    ¡­¡­ She¡¯s a good wife, for sure.

    *

    We safely returned to Gollen vige via [White Sands]work.

    This is our a secret way to return, I¡¯m used to it. Fufufu.

    ¡°I¡¯m back, Gollen Vige! It¡¯s been a long time!¡±

    ¡°Yes. It was a meaningful study.¡±

    The air of the vige after a long time.

    I can smell the scent of home.

    ¡­¡­

    Ah¡­ I¡¯m managed toe back alive!

    ¡°Kehma, why are you standing in deep emotion?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m really deeply moved. I came back alive; I got the right to use [God¡¯s pajamas] and two other Godly beddings. It¡¯s a super-top result that goes past the top.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s right. You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, I was able to face Haku-san ande back safely¡­! ¡±

    ¡°I already said it was okay.¡±

    Also, Rokuko¡¯s growth is unexpected. It¡¯s about time I admit that she already surpassed me, especially to matters rted to Haku.

    ¡°It¡¯s thanks to Rokuko that I¡¯ve retuned safely¡­ what should I do to thank you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, are you sure? Then I will have a melon bun with lots of whipped cream, if you don¡¯t mind if I eat a lot of that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you can eat as much as you want.¡±

    ¡°Yayy~¡±

    ¡­..

    I guess it¡¯s better not to say the fact that I feel like Rokuko (body)is a bit¡­. overwhelmed. Yeah. Let¡¯s go with that. I just can¡¯t say the tsukkomi to her.

    I can¡¯t afford to ruin Rokuko¡¯s mood while trying her best to cheer me up.

    ¡°Rokuko-sama, Rokuko-sama¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter Ichika?¡±

    ¡°Can we sleep together tonight?¡±

    ¡°¡­ sure, I¡¯m in the mood for cuddling too.¡±

    Yeah, finally, we are back to Gollen vige.

    A lot of meaningful things happened while studying abroad, but it doesn¡¯t mean I want to go back there again.

    I give me thanks to my subordinate that keeps the dungeon running while we are away for a long time.

    ¡°Master, do you want to contact Mai?¡±

    ¡°.. oh, you mean Mai Odore? Yeah, I will ask Niku to do that.¡±

    I obtained to right to use [God¡¯s Pillow], and I need to report that we made it back safely.

    It¡¯s only a matter of negotiation for what we will need to pay for it.

    *

    After resting for a while, I meet with some vigers. They casually asked [Oh, you¡¯re back from your honeymoon?] or [I hope you enjoyed your trip!] or [Where¡¯s the souvenir?] no? Did you forget? Then they will say something like [Well, if you were too busy flirting and forgot about it, it¡¯s cannot be helped.]

    Yup.

    It almost like they already established the fact that Rokuko and I are a couple, don¡¯t tell me Haku informationwork has leaked the story to this vige.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma! Please tell me if you had already retuned!¡±

    Yes, I need to see Misha, the head of the Adventurer guild of the Imperial City, who is on a business trip to Gollen Vige.

    ¡°Sorry Misha. Ipletely forgot.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m gonna forgive you because I ate hamburgers and lots of fish every day in the suite.¡±

    Misha put her arm around my shoulder. Hahaha ¡­ this bitch.

    ¡°So, have you done ¡®it¡¯ with Rokuko-sama?¡±

    Hahahaha, this bitchh. She asked me directly. Her eyes are glowing red, a sign that she¡¯s using her skill.

    ¡°I did not.¡±

    ¡°Nyahaha, Kehma is such a pussy.¡±

    ¡°Misha, can you repeat that in front of Haku?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, forgive me. Oh, did you go to the Human Farm? It¡¯s a pretty good recreational facility.¡±

    The human farm is an entertainment facility? I wonder if she was talking about a normal farm?

    To think of it¡­ that¡¯s probably a ce where you can experience fighting instead of riding a horse, and a petting area is¡­ well, that¡¯s clearly an out. Yeah, not going to happen.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t got a chance to visit it, or rather has Misha ever been to the Demon Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Well, because our Adventurer¡¯s Guild and their Hunter¡¯s Guild are affiliated, so I did go to them asionally.¡±

    ¡°Misha¡­ you¡­ were you working¡­?¡±

    ¡°Kehma-san? I¡¯m still an excellent guild master who reports directly to the White Goddess you know?¡±

    I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯m being fooled.

    I don¡¯t know if Misha read my thoughts or not, but she hugged my head and clung to me. Just like a male friend, My face touches various areas of her body, but she doesn¡¯t care.

    ¡­ indeed, her way of socializing and skinship, are amon sight in the Demon Kingdom. Is she a battle-type, or is she like the Demon Kingdom folks who doesn¡¯t care about the details?

    ¡°Well, congrattion foring home safely, I handed the assassins who were trying to take advantage of Kehma¡¯s absence to Rei-chan.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you¡­ Eh?¡±

    ¡°Then, I suppose I will return to the Imperial City. Ah, now I¡¯m not confident that I can sleepfortably in my bed.¡±

    I stop Misha, who was trying to go home after saying something ridiculous.

    ¡°Hey, wait a second. What this assassin all about?¡±

    ¡°Huh? You know, that one, the extremists from God of Light religion. It looks like he was trying to get at Rei. Those guys don¡¯t recognize other religions; they usually will try to assassinate other religion saints.¡±

    I don¡¯t know, even if you say it like that. Are you serious? Was Rei being targeted for her life?

    ¡°Because it was a small fry, so it was not a problem at all, I¡¯m sure you can handle it, so it¡¯s not something that I need to be thanked for, also because it¡¯s the task that Haku-sama assigned me, to protect this vige. ¡±

    ¡°No, you really saved me. Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then Kehma-san, Kehma-san, as thank you, I want bedding in the suite! Whatttttt!¡±

    ¡°Take it Misha. Well, it¡¯s Misha¡¯s request after all. also, It would be nice if you could join us in Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°I will do it, look I¡¯m saying it, Oyasuminyanasai!¡± {¡®Good night¡¯ in Ziru¡¯s version?}

    Oi. Is it okay for a direct subordinate of the White Goddess to enter Beddhism? I was just joking before¡­ also isn¡¯t Misha, an executive of the White Goddess Religion? Well, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if no one finds out, I guess¡­?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. White Goddess and Beddishm are good friends, and I¡¯ll promote them in the Imperial City!¡±

    Is it okay to do that? Well, if there is a problem, Haku will stop her¡­

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll buy the highest holy symbol from you. is it okay to pay with money? Will you ept DP payment too?¡±

    ¡°¡­the highest we had are a gold coin, do you want to use another metal?¡±

    ¡°Then Orichalcum! Even if it¡¯s has a hole, it¡¯s an armor.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it expensive? I don¡¯t know much I must pay for one orichalcum bar.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I can prepare it¡­ just kidding.¡±

    ¡°You can contact me if you have enough DP¡±.

    In the end, we settled for Mithril holy symbol. I made it personally for Misha, and she paid me quite generously for that.

    Also, I ask for the detail about Rei assassination case.

    ¡°But it¡¯s really not a big deal, because if there¡¯s an intruder the dungeon function will be triggered, and he can¡¯t prate your defense anyway. Besides, now with you around they won¡¯t even dare to initiate an attack.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    ¡°There was information about the Beddhism Grand Priest followed by a dragon, and they been trying to chip away his influence while he¡¯s gone. I wonder if Kehma herself will be targeted by the assassins in the future?¡±

    ¡°Eh, I will be targeted by an assassin?¡±

    ¡­¡­..I guess I should go to the back-end (master room) of the dungeon when I go to sleep.

    TL notes : the tittle kinda¡­ confusing, I didn¡¯t know how to trante this to proper English, it¡¯s literal trantion should be

    ¡°I¡¯m Home, Gollen vige¡± = tadaima gorraine mura, I got little creative because for some reason my Spotify decided to y ¡°Tie a yellow ribbon round the old oak tree¡± while I was pondering what to do with that line, and that¡¯s literally the first lyric of that song. Welp that works I guess?

    I¡­ totally forgot what tittle Kehma use as Beddhism cult/religion leader, is it Pope, Guru, or something else¡­. someone, please write in thement if you remember, I will edit the previous chapter too where Wataru tried to strike a deal with Kehma. For the time being, I¡¯m using the same ¡°Grand Priest¡± as thest chapter.

    Oyasuminyasai / Oyasuminasai ¨C good night in English, it can be literally tranted, but I choose not to, why? Because if you tried to go back to the previous chapter, it¡¯s actually something that not tranted by Kehma¡¯s trantion function, for some reason the resident of the new world never heard Kehma said ¡°Good Night¡± in theirnguage, but instead some spell-like word: ¡°Oyasuminasai¡±. And yes, that¡¯s not typo, it¡¯s just Misha way to say that.

 Chapter 428 - Iâ€™m cominâ€™ home, Gollen Village (2)

    <h4>Chapter 428 ¨C I¡¯min¡¯ home, Gollen Vige (2)</h4>

    I decided to meet with Rei, what did she mean by Assassination attempt?

    That¡¯s why we are heading the Beddhism Church.

    The seats here are filled, so the business is not affected; it seems, some of them are browsing the bookshelf of Beddhism church, I never thought that bookshelf will be this popr.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s Vige Chief, wee!¡±

    ¡°Grand Priest, did youe to sleep? Unfortunately, our desk is full.¡±

    ¡°Reading while waiting for your body to ask for nap, what an elegant holiday¡­ Oh, Grand Priest-sama! Oyasuminasai.¡±

    Our believers seem to have a fulfilling life. However, it might be a good idea to expand this area a little bit.

    Oh, that¡¯s right, I can build a new church in Draco vige, that¡¯s a good idea¡­ since their vige also included in Rokuko¡¯s dungeon area, there will be no difference where people choose to spend their time.

    Well, now it was about the assassin. I found Rei in sister clothes sitting in a chair in the rest room. Massage service is only avable by appointment only, and this seems to be her free time.

    There¡¯s no one looking, was it safe now?

    ¡°Rei, are you free? I need to talk a little.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. What¡¯s the matter Master?¡±

    ¡°I heard from Misha, were you targeted by an assassins?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Misha did give a light report to me, so I kind of forgot about it, but yeah, we are targeted.¡±

    Seriously, Misha is toopetent for this¡­. she made it looks like a small matter and made her forget about it.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that Rei would be targeted, should I dismiss your saint position for now?¡±

    ¡°No, it would be fine even if I¡¯m dead.¡±

    Eh?

    ¡°Um, I mean, I¡¯m a named monster¡­ so I can be revived using revival function, it cost DP though?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ you¡¯re right.¡±

    By the way, [Father] once said to me, why not revive Gobusuke as a test?

    Ipletely forgot.

    ¡°So, what happended to the assassin?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m interrogating him with various means until he could not resist and pulled the information out, after that I send him in the back of the dungeon for DP.¡±

    By the way, the back of the dungeon that she meant are secret area where the human farm was made. The assassin has been taken under Eleca¡¯s care so he won¡¯t ever die.

    I think it¡¯s better for my mental health if I don¡¯t know any more details about that.

    ¡°From what head Sister extracted, he seems to be the member of the dark organization of God of Light religion.¡±

    ¡°God of Light religion huh? Religious group are scary.¡±

    ¡°Master, didn¡¯t Beddhism also religious group?¡±

    Yes, we are, and we are just neers with questionable history and backgrounds. And to make it worse, we are affiliated with the White Goddess religion in a friendly way.

    ¡­If Rokuko will ever be Beddhist Goddess, should we take countermeasures against White Goddess too?

    ¡°In the end I think this is a good thing, that assassin can help me satisfy my vampire urges.¡±

    ¡°Ok, just don¡¯t overdo it, you might be undead, but you will still die if you eat too much.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just like Beddhism teaching [Nemureyasurakani] is it? I¡¯ll eat him slowly and without too much pain¡± {Nemureyasurakani = sleep peacefully}

    Yeah, okay. I can only agree to it.

    ¡°For now, let¡¯s strengthen you, I¡¯ll lend you my sword Siesta for the time being, it has no attack power, but for stopping people there¡¯s no better sword around¡­. also don¡¯t forget to take [Faint Resistance] from the skill orb.¡±

    ¡°Is it alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my beloved sword, so I will have you give it back after we thought something else.¡±

    I give Rei my precious sword, Sleeping sword Siesta.

    ¡­ As for my assurance? I have my magic, so I should probably fine. I will get [Sleep] scroll and learn it for myselfter. [Sleep] is a lower grade dark element spell, so it should cost that much.

    However, I¡¯ve actually tried to apply [Sleep] to myself with Sister Sui¡¯s help before. To be honest, the sleep Siesta provides is far morefortable than [Sleep] spell. As expected from my Siesta.

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What¡¯s up Siesta?¡±

    ¡°¡­.! ¡­..tsu!¡±

    ¡°No, please¡­ I¡¯m asking you to protect Rei.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t worry about me, I will be fine.¡±

    Siesta reluctantly agreed.

    ¡°Master¡­ just now¡­ did you just talking to Siesta?¡±

    ¡°ah? Yeah, she told me she doesn¡¯t want to leave. Sorry, I don¡¯t intend to say it out loud.¡±

    ¡°¡­.¡±

    ¡°ahahaha, Siesta is a tsundere, isn¡¯t she?¡¯

    Well,pared to Niku, she is much harder to read.

    Moreover, Siesta said [I don¡¯t want to leave Master since Misha said your life is also targeted] truly she cares about me so much. Well, but I still have my [Super Transformation], and I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t go down that easily.

    ¡°While at it can you help Rei with the Mass too? I will lock myself in my room in just to prevent the assassination attempt.¡±

    ¡°ah, um¡­ nice to meet you? Siesta¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡£¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh? Yeah that¡¯s right. Rei is your senior in this dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Wait, what? What did she say? What did you talk about?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re supposed to follow Rei¡¯s order okay? Siesta, Rei will need to understand you more clearly, can you shake yourself with magic?¡±

    ¡°¡­!¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ I can feel it move, Master, you can reallymunicate with each other?¡±

    ¡°What? You didn¡¯t believe me? Of course, I can. She is my sword.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I can¡¯t understand her at all¡­¡±

    So, I decided to stay in my room as a measure against assassination. Because my life is being aimed, I can¡¯t help it.

    ¡°Kehma, I was told by Misha that an assassin is targeting your life? So, we need to use [God¡¯s Comforter] right? It cannot be helped this time since this is inevitable.¡±

    Rokukoes to my room while I was preparing my bed. She said those lines with an amazing smile on her face.

    ¡°¡­Um¡­Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°yes? Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say something about holding back or something?¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a couple flirting or anything, it¡¯s the best way to protect the Dungeon Master¡¯s life and thinking about efficiency. Oh, do you want me to call Niku? You¡¯d feel safer with a huggable escort, right?¡±

    Therefore, the three of us, including Niku, decided to take a good rest.

    ¡­¡­¡­ Didn¡¯t Niku gets sandwiched in a hug between Rokuko and me? Well, yeah. she¡¯s a hug pillow, so don¡¯t me us.

 Chapter 429 - Escort Gacha.

    <h4>Chapter 429 ¨C Escort Gacha.</h4>

    I came up with good countermeasures for the assassin.

    Just like Eleca who specialized in managing the dungeon, I also can summon a monster that specializes himself to be an escort.

    For example, a ghost that hides and protects you from behind, I¡¯m not sure about their ability to take damage in my ce though.

    Or, a spider, even better a poisonous spider he will be practical inbat too.

    Shadow type monster also a great choice since they can hide in the shadow.

    Yes, as dungeon master I can prepare a wide variety of monster to guard myself from assassin, there¡¯s no way I won¡¯t make use of this privilege.

    So now I need to consider what monster will be a good candidate for that role.

    ¡°But when we are in the vige, the adventurers will detect it, therefore you need something that you can insist that [it has been tamed].¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are right, want to try to summon a shadow wolf?¡±

    ¡°Goblin are better than that, also since they are categorized as spirit, it did not cost you a meal if you supply it with magic.¡±

    ¡­Before Gobusuke was eating bread, but it turns out that didn¡¯t need it?

    ¡°okay, want to summon shadow goblin?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it work like that, you can¡¯t just put [shadow] on everything¡­ ah, goblin fighting power is poor too, so it won¡¯t make a good bodyguard.¡±

    Oh? This is surprising, I thought Rokuko will be happy if I choose goblin, or rather you¡¯re the one who rmended a goblin, but you just denied it.

    ¡°In any case, if you canmand spirit type monster skillfully you can insist that you had mastered [Spirit User] skill, right?¡±

    ¡°Spirit huh¡­¡±

    I continue to look inside the DP catalogue.

    ¡­ah, a Dragon! Come to think of it there¡¯s a rumor that I managed to make a dragon my followers. Then I can brush it off as it¡¯s the dragon that I tamed, and I can use him as my escort too. But it cost tons of DP, and it¡¯s also stand out, okay as expected, rejected.

    ¡°Since [me Caverns] are our neighbor, should we use fire spirit instead?¡±

    ¡°It also would be cheaper if I ask Ontentoo to summon it for me, but considering its reliability I think it must summon it myself.¡±

    I don¡¯t think that it will betray me even if it was summoned by Ontentoo, but I¡¯m worried that it will leak my dungeon critical info.

    ¡°Kehma is known as expert on Earth magic, how about Gnome?¡±

    ¡°Four great spirit are gnomes, undines, sylphs, and smander, right? to think of it Ontentoo is a smander¡­¡±

    I browse the catalogue, and I found it, a dwarf with a hat, it¡¯s surprisingly expensive. I should expect this much from great spirit.

    ¡°also, it must be a lower-ss spirit, so you can insist that you have tamed it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ let¡¯s see¡­ dryad, nymph, genie, korobokkuru, banshee ¡­ oh, I wonder if spriggan would be a good idea.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about that¡­ I think if we want to use spirit, we should not use one from DP summon function.¡±

    Do you mean something like Eleca spirit ball form when she uses [specialization]? Well, she is a spirit.

    This gets too confusing because there¡¯s too many to chose to.

    ¡°¡­ Rokuko, want to use the gacha?¡±

    ¡°eh? Can I?¡±

    I think at a time like it, it¡¯s better to leave it to Rokuko¡¯s luck. She has proven it to me what she will get something good, at worst if we missed then we can take a look at the DP catalog once again.

    ¡°Until now Rokuko has pulled something that suitable as escort, for example, Phoenix and Mimic Panda.¡±

    ¡°Phenny and Pakko¡­ also Dia, they can be used as shield, right?¡±

    To think of it, that Diamond Jewel turtle also an anomaly.

    By the way, Dia is a magician type. Her affinity with magic is high.

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s try the 100.000DP gacha for the time being, just wish for something that can be used as escort, whatever the form is.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s go! 100.000DP gacha, start!¡±

    Rokuko presses the gacha button, and the usual magic circle appeared.

    *Kyuin*¡­ the magic circle waspressed until finally, it was reduced to a size of 30 cm.

    Then a palm-sized blue lizard fell to the floor.

    ¡°¡­¡­..Lizard?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a dragon!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡­¡­..no, since it¡¯s Rokuko¡­ it¡¯s possible¡­¡±

    ¡°A blue-scaled dragon, maybe a blue dragon? Or is it a water dragon? I can¡¯t tell by its size, it also doesn¡¯t have any wing.¡±

    The blue lizard turned its head to me and walked shakily to my feet, its legs bent, its belly touches the ground, and its yellow eyes are closed.

    ¡°Oh, nice to meet you?¡±

    I held out my hand, and he gave a little lick with his blue tongue and licked the tip of my finger, and then it climbs into my hand.

    What a friendly lizard.

    ¡­Even if the tongue is blue, but it¡¯s not poisonous, right? It looks fine, I hope¡­

    ¡°Kehma, you can talk to it?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t really say anything, but yeah, I can understand it to some extent.¡±

    ¡°hmm, then your name is Gonta!¡±

    When Rokuko gives it a name, Gonta happily dancing in my hand.

    ¡°Why Gonta?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the name I prepared when I own a dragon someday.¡±

    ¡°¡­ Why Gonta?¡±

    I wonder if the name inspired by Gon the dragon, it¡¯s okay if Gonta is male¡­ but I cannot differentiate between male and female lizard.

    ¡°the question is can Gonta serves as my escort?¡±

    When I said that Gonta blinks his eyes.

    ¡°Gonta, you can cast magic!?¡±

    He then sticks his little blue tongue.

    ¡°Well I don¡¯t know that, but as dungeon monster I guess I can order you to.¡±

    ¡°Just let him try it, I will prepare the practice target.¡±

    Rokuko pulled out a strawman, and set it for attack target.

    ¡°Now go! Attack!¡±

    I pointed at the strawman and told Gonta to attack, Gonta set his eyes on the target and in the next moment¡­ *Kororinn* the practise target is frozen inside the ice.

    It¡¯s took less than a second for him to execute that. It was about the same speed that he took to open and close his eyes.

    ¡­

    But what the hell?

    ¡°You did it! That¡¯s my Gonta!¡±

    ¡°Not just did it, this is your strongest pet ever, Rokuko.¡±

    Gonta is blinking his eyes.

    ¡­ Yeah, he will do just fine as an escort.

    But¡­ what are you really?

    It seems I still need to consult Ontentoo after all.

    TL note

    Ontentoo, did I remember him right? His name is written initially as Itetsu in raw.

    At first, I consider to use his original name, but then again¡­ he is a minor character(now), it¡¯s not like he will get mentioned in every 2 chapters or something.

    Leave yourment down below if you think this need to be changed.

    ¾«ë‘Ê¹¤¤(Seirei Tsukai) = Spirit user = Spiritualist? That¡¯s kind of wrong¡­. yeah¡­ I just want to tsukkomi this part, don¡¯t mind this¡­

    ¥³¥í¥Ü¥Ã¥¯¥ë korobokkuru ¡­ I almost thought this is carbuncle, it turned out this is a japanese spirit tree, I remember seeing it as horohoro guardian spirit from shaman king.

    Gon the dragon, I don¡¯t know what your local manga called it, but for me, it¡¯s just ¡°GON¡±. I just literally trante what Kehma is saying in that sentence.

 Chapter 430 - Chat with Ontentoo

    <h4>Chapter 430¨C Chat with Ontentoo</h4>

    Ie to Ontentoo ce with Gonta.

    ¡°Oh this one is a rare find.¡±

    ¡°You know what this guy is ?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. This little guy are called golden eyes Frost Lizard, a normal Frost Lizard had a white eyes. His Golden eyes are said to be the sign for his high magical power, people often mistaken him for a dragon.¡±

    Seriously, did Rokuko really pulled a dragon from gacha?

    ¡°No, he is not a dragon but a spirit, Frost Lizard and Snow Child are falls into fairy type, ¡®Dragon¡¯ are just what human called it without permission.¡±

    ¡°I see, a spirit. Well it¡¯s just as we originally nned.¡±

    For the time being, I¡¯m d the problem about escort is solved, he seems to be a reliablepanion.

    Also, his small body is convenient since he can hide around my chest.

    Especially here in [me Caverns], especially when it¡¯s near Ontentoo. Gonta presence provides me with a cold andfortable sensation.

    By the way, it seems that the thing that froze the strawman is an attack skill called [Freezing Evil Eye].

    If it was done by ordinary frost lizard, only your fingertips would get frozen, but since he is the golden eye variant, his magic isparably more powerful.

    ¡°But as countermeasures for assassin would he be enough? should I lend you Igni? Just say to public that you have tamed her, if she is present on the vige, no assassin would dare to make a move.¡±

    ¡°Thanks for that. but, no thanks. I don¡¯t want to start another uproar concerning a dragon.¡±

    ¡°Kakakakakah! There¡¯s also that too.¡±

    Ontentoo is rudelyughing with his big lizard face.

    This is noughing matter, though, it¡¯s literally a matter of life and death for me.

    ¡°How about Rokuko, don¡¯t you need to prapare escorts for her too?¡±

    ¡°As for Rokuko, I already given her the counter measures against assassination, and her main body is safely guarded in the dungeon.¡±

    For the time being, Rokuko is using [God¡¯s Comforter] as her countermeasures. She wears it as I used to when I participate in Demon Kingdom tournaments, all attacks directed to her will be nullified, she is perfectly safe.

    ¡­how about sleep countermeasures? She will only sleep, right? You cannot do anything further than that.

    And her core is currently deep in the dungeon. The only way to get to it is to attack the dungeon, and my dungeon is well protected.

    The core is located at the deepest part of the dungeon, where the entrance is hidden far behind the room with the dummy core.

    ¡°in addition Haku will also send an escort for Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°¡­you should at least protect your girlfriend yourself. It¡¯s not right.¡±

    Someone has reported the assassin case to Haku (probably Misha), Haku then said she will send someone other than Misha to be Rokuko escort. Haku subordinate has its own role, so they need to rotate the escort role.

    I should add another Suite room.

    ¡°I have my own way doing things, my attempt to increase the number of escort are one of it, I will use all my connection if I have to.¡±

    ¡°Got it.¡±

    ¡°Also¡­ I learned some new moves in Demon Kingdom, but I don¡¯t know how effective this power against a dragon.¡±

    Because there is a vampire who can y with my shots using only his fist, I don¡¯t know how strong it is against Dragon scale.

    ¡°Ooh, I will prepare Red Mino then, show me what you got.¡±

    ¡°Sure, people already has seen it in the Demon Kingdom anyway, please give me some advice about it too.¡±

    After that I shoot [Elemental Shot] to red minotaur chest, it¡¯s only a monster from monster spawner, don¡¯t hesitate he said.

    *Bakyun* The red minotaur died easily with a single headshot. Leaving only it¡¯s meat as a drop item.

    ¡°As you can see, that¡¯s my magic.¡±

    ¡°Oi Kehma, this is not something you can say only to protect yourself; I¡¯d say it can pierce a dragon scale.¡±

    ¡°If that what Ontentoo say, I will belive it.¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just try it!¡±

    ¡°Oh? Do you want me to try it on you?¡±

    Ontentoo said he can tank it because he is spirit.

    ¡­ it seems because he is a great spirit of fire, his body isposed of condensed mana, and thus his defensive power against magic attack is very high.

    ¡°It¡¯s also because I¡¯m amazing! To receive my wife¡¯s love hugs and my daughter¡¯s tackle, I need to get stronger!¡±

    Ontentoo seems to be proud of those facts.

    And me Dragon Igni who can put wounds on Ontentoo also had a very high magic defence, they are strong family, no doubt about it.

    ¡°By the way, when you and Rokuko nned to have a child? Would it be human? I guess it would be soon, right!?¡±

    ¡°¡­ No, we don¡¯t have a n to rush thing.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah, since Rokuko hasn¡¯t change her type, she can¡¯t bear a child yet.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, thank you for that extra knowledge, Haku will kill you for that.¡±

    In Ontentoo case, it seems that he change his type to smander by using [spiritificiation] from [ehancement] menu. That way, they can have a child between dragon and spirit.

    ¡°As a couple, don¡¯t you want to do it?¡±

    ¡°Well yes, no¡­ umm, I¡¯m still young so¡­¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about, by human standard you both are grown up.¡±

    Oh, I see, in this world, an adulthood ageing faster. And that makes me older than I assume.

    ¡­also it might be a problem for the newly established vige if their chief is single and don¡¯t have any child as a sessor?

    I will think about itter if they started to annoy me about it, for now, let¡¯s ignore it.

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about vacation with Redra and let Igni take care of things here, if Kehma cane here asinally and help her it would be a great help.¡±

    ¡°Oi, you would be too stand out if both smander and Dragon going sight seeing in the street.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, me and Redra will use out humanoid form.¡±

    ¡°Ontentoo, you can humanize?¡±

    I could not help but be curious and ask him. He said it¡¯s a natural thing to be able to do that if you have been a dungeon core for a hundred years.

    ¡°I¡¯m in the Dragon King faction, so I don¡¯t need to do this every day, oh ¡­ to think about it I never showed it to Kehma, I did use this form to visit the human vige sometimes, but thest time I had done it was around a hundred year ago.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious. can you transform now?¡±

    ¡°Um, Sure? Wait a second. Mu~~nnn!!¡±

    Ontentoo growls and his body shrank rapidly, his frame be a human¡­

    Rigid muscr body decorated with scars; a man was standing here. He didn¡¯t wear any clothes, but he left his smander scales behind, hiding some of his body parts. And if he were a Japanese, I would be tempted to ask from which Yakuza gang you are from? But he gives a feeling of war veteran too.

    ¡°Cool aren¡¯t I?¡±

    ¡°¡­You looks like a old soldier.¡±

    However, His grinning mouth with a broad smile definitely belonged to Ontentoo. A cheerful smile a child would wear.

    ¡°But this body is weak, I don¡¯t like it very much.¡±

    ¡°is that so?¡±

    ¡°At least it would be hard to tank Igni charge with this body.¡±

    Ontentoo scratches his head and lets out a sigh. You cannot help it, she¡¯s a strong girl.

    ¡°Now, now, want to try arm wrestle with me?¡±

    ¡°No thank you, I don¡¯t want to break my arm.¡±

    ¡°Should I use this form when we meet in the future?¡±

    ¡°Nah, that would make me feel ufortable, please go back to your usual form.¡±

    It¡¯s like seeing people that usually wearing ss, if they suddenly take it off you will sense something is not right.

    ¡°Also that face is scary.¡±

    ¡°Kakakaka! Too bad then! wait¡­ why are you more scared by my human face?¡±

    Ontentoo returns to his original form, the red-scaled smander. As expected, I¡¯m morefortable with this form.

    ¡°Because it¡¯s you Ontentoo, even with Igni I would constantly worried that she would burn me to death, but that was not the case with you, right?¡±

    ¡°Kakaka! And Igni still don¡¯t have that much control over her fire. But if you worried about it, Redra can give you Red Dragon blessing so you won¡¯t get burned, how about that!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to stand out, okay? No one know that I¡¯m a dungeon master.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s not a big deal, it¡¯s just like the clothes Igni wear when she transformed into human. I¡¯ll teach Kehma how wear Redra¡¯s blessing like clothes.¡±

    Redra¡¯s blessing can be attached so subtly. Like sewing it into your body, there will be no particr crest showing anywhere, so it will stay hidden unless you told people about it.

    ¡°Thanks for today, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s take ava bath together next time, Kakaka!¡±

    ¡°¡­ If it doesn¡¯t burn, but the heat is still reach me, then no way, I¡¯ll definitely refuse it.¡±

    After having a lengthy chat with Ontentoo, I finally noticed that Gonta the Frost Lizard had gonepletely limp.

    ¡­ That¡¯s right, His attribute is ice, it was not a good match for the [me Caverns], or even with Ontentoo the Great Fire Spirit¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll give you ice cream, forgive me.

    TL notes :

    sorry, I will need one more days to proofread the next chapter¡­, somehow I forgot to do that yesterday. (spoiler: It¡¯s kinda lewd so I leave some parts to lupus-sensei for some detailed¡­ detail¡­)

    You can expect triple chapter tomorrow.

 Chapter 431 - Just your everyday activity

    <h4>Chapter 431 - Just your everyday activity</h4>

    Just your everyday activity

    Made some changes; the ring subus Neru = Nell to match with Ziru version.

    It turns out that Gonta took a liking to ice cream, especially chocte mint vor.

    We decided his escort fee would be one ss of chocte mint ice cream per day.

    Also¡­

    ¡°My Rokuko staying in my room?¡±

    Along with her other pets, White phoenix and Diamond Jewel Turtle, and Mimic Panda Box, they werezying around in my room while reading manga.

    And now the Gonta the Frost Lizard (with the golden eyes) is lying down on my head.

    ¡°My pet is Kehma pet too, was is bad for them took a liking to Kehma¡¯s room?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t say it bad.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s because we are partner even if we are not couple yet.¡±

    I wonder if Rokuko is properly doing her work, but that¡¯s OK because I also did the same thing. Let¡¯s believe in Rei, let¡¯s believe there will be no problem.

    ¡°N¡­¡­¡±

    *rustle*

    Rokuko rubs her feet together, she doesn¡¯t wear shoes in my room, only knee-socks. But there are faint gray footprints lining from her shoes.

    Because I have feet fetish, I cannot help my eyes that glued to those feet as they are lying down in my room.

    As I watched for a while, her long knee sockpletely fell off her foot and exposed her cute, slightly reddish, freshly peeled soles.

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Apanied by the sound of flipping pages. Rokuko silently tapping her legs while reading manga, I pretend to read one too, but my eyes are glued to her soles.

    ¡°You can do whatever you want with it¡­¡±

    Rokuko said that without looking at me.

    ¡°Wh-what is this all about?¡±

    ¡°¡­nothing?¡±

    I regret it a little.

    Rokuko keeps rubbing her soles while reading manga as if she doesn¡¯t care about that.

    *guni guni* she is applying pressure with the back of her foot as she stretches her toes.

    She is definitely showing it off.

    ¡°Kehma¡­ You can lick it, okay? I know you really like my legs.¡±

    ¡°Well no, I do want to lick it, but¡­¡±

    ¡°I like that honesty of yours Kehma.¡±

    Rokukoes closer to me while saying, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°Nnn.¡±

    Rokuko bends her knees and sends her feet towards me, now it¡¯s within my reach, no it¡¯s even closer than that, so close that I only need to bend over and bury my face on her legs.

    I can smell the pheromone that softly drifts in the air, it¡¯s a smell that makes you feelfortable.

    What temptation! She knows precisely what the weakness of foot fetishist.

    [¡­Since she said it¡¯s okay to lick it, isn¡¯t it okay to do as she says?] I can hear my devil whisper in my head, but I know that¡¯s just a doomsday g. It¡¯s only a fleeting moment of pleasure.

    On the opposite, the Angel whisper [it¡¯s a shameful thing for a man if he did not eat what his woman has served.] wait! You are not an Angel; you are the Devil in Angel skin. Where¡¯s my Angel? Not here? It cannot be helped then.

    So I reach out my hand to Rokuko¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Hyan~¡±

    When my hand touched Rokuko soles, Rokuko let out a cute voice and immediately covered her mouth with her hands, as if she surprised by her own voice.

    ¡°do-don¡¯t stop¡­ please go on?¡±

    ¡°is something wrong?¡±

    Her feet, which still being held in my hand, began to get all sweaty and restless.

    ¡°No-nothing, I just feeling ticklish.¡±

    ¡°oh¡­¡±

    ¡°If you want to lick it, just do it.¡±

    ¡°No¡­ I can¡¯t lick it.¡±

    When I said that, Rokuko¡¯s face is turning into a deep red color.

    ¡°Why¡­? you love it right? don¡¯t you want to lick it?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ out pets are watching, it¡¯s true that I would like to do it, but not when all those stares are focused on me.¡±

    ¡°Kuh¡­ Why the Kehma inside the dream are so insecure?¡±

    A dream? ¡­What are you and Nell doing!

    Wait, was it because Nell send me into her dream and this is not mine? Well you know, if it were me inside a dream, I would be more like¡­ this. Yup, this about right.

    ¡°um¡­ is there something wrong with my legs?¡±

    ¡°eh, it was good.¡±

    ¡°oh¡­ Then won¡¯t you do something to it?¡±

    Rokuko is pouting now.

    ¡°My love to Rokuko¡¯s feet is like Rokuko¡¯s love to Phenny and the friends.¡±

    ¡°¡­my feet is Kehma¡¯s pet? ¡­oh well¡­¡±

    If I had to describe it, it might be like that.

    I continue to massage Rokuko feet, and sometimes she let out a cute moan like [Hin~] or [Hyan~].

    ¡°N-nyahn¡­ Kehma, it¡¯s ticklish, why you had to stroke it so much?¡±

    ¡°You let out pet-like voice when I do that.¡±

    ¡°¡­aah! fine!!, do what you want! But be prepared to do as I sayter, okay?¡±

    I wonder what she has in store for meter? Well, anything is fine. At worst, it¡¯s probably another Melon bread?

    ***

    Then that night after I enjoyed Rokuko¡¯s soles to my heart content.

    She made me use [Super Transformation] into a subus possessed state, and Rokko says she will pay me back in full with love. But I have no regrets, so it¡¯s okay.

    I might say that I will never use my subus form ever again, but since this my [Super Transformation] subus mode, it should be much safer.

    In this form, I should not be emitting that charm aura. For precaution, Rokuko was also wearing the Spirit strengthening bracelet from father.

    It¡¯s hard for me to say this¡­ but if you only want this much from me, I¡¯m willing to do this any number of times to y with your feet again.

 Chapter 432 - Extra: the Demon Kingdomâ€™s Souvenir

    <h4>432 ¨C Extra: the Demon Kingdom¡¯s Souvenir</h4>

    This is about the book of Magic tools that Kehma brought back from the Demon Kingdom.

    Nerune and Kantara the cksmith of gollen vige (which also Nerune teacher) examine it carefully.

    ¡°No¡­ I mean, isn¡¯t this dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Kehma¡­ your souvenir is absurd¡­¡±

    In the Demon Kingdom, magic tools technology is more advanced than the Empire. It was the cultivation of practicality and rivalry between their own citizens.

    And those books of Magic tools are the third prize from the fighting tournament.

    Sure some of it is a blueprint for everyday magic tools and spell, but the others are the blueprint for cutting edges equipment. This should be expected from the third prize of the tournaments.

    The content is something that people of the Empire would make it a present for the Emperor, the top-level national secret. It wasparable to the Hero workshop tech.

    ¡°¡­and this is some experiment notes on attempt to create magic sword.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this is going to make my research much easier¡­ this is a blueprint for magic sword that can shoot fireballs, isn¡¯t it? Though it seems the mana consumption is bad.¡±

    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be cool if there¡¯s fireball flying from your sword when you swing it?¡±

    ¡°I know right?!¡±

    Nerune and Katara found out that there are more than several subjects in the books that Kehma brought home after browsing for a while. So, they decide to choose their own book that they took a liking to.

    ¡°Ice¡­ cold air¡­ ohohoho, I can make this work!¡±

    ¡°This will do¡­ if you inject this lump of mana¡­ this is almost like throwing magic stones, with this you can even use magic you don¡¯t know about.¡±

    When they read the blueprint, their instinct as craftsman ordered them to make it, those books are basically craftsman porn. They then prepared a copper te to carve the magic formation and began to work on it, while using the book as a reference.

    They moved in sync, so much so that Wataru would get jealous if he ever saw this.

    Fortunately, Kantara is a cksmith. He can prepare as many copper tes as they want, and he can melt their failed product afterward. He had spent his ie buying magic stones from the adventurer¡¯s guild. He had created the perfect environment for his experiment.

    Nerune took notice of this and used his workspace to experiment with magic circles. She still did the design in her ownb, though.

    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s modify this magic circle to shoot fireballs with your own magic power.¡±

    ¡°Then I will try to weaken this ice-making magic formation, I¡¯ll limit its power so that it can only produce cold air.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah that would be very convenient tools when I did my work as cksmith, Let me know when it¡¯s done, I will try it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also looking forward to a magic formation that uses your own mana to shoot fireballs.¡±

    If you embedded it to sword hilt, it should pass as a magic sword.

    They continue carving the copper te and draw their magic formation, the research that day seems very enjoyable.

    CASE FILES: Kinue

    Kinue got a bunch of recipes for Demon Kingdom cuisine from Ichika, along with some foreign ingredients.

    There were also some freshly made dishes that she put in the [storage] to stop the decay.

    ¡°Hoho, is this the Demon Kingdom¡¯s¡­ Udon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, however master said that the quality of flour are different from what we have here at the empire, or rather their usage is different, so I brought some back with me.¡±

    ¡°The flour can be ssified in two type: low or high gluten flour; I remember it was written in the recipe that master gave me.¡±

    After carefully listening to Ichika exnation, Kinuepares it with her own knowledge while tasting the Udon using fork. Because she is a house fairy (silky), cooking is her second most favorite job, after cleaning.

    (of course, there are noints from her since Kehma has assigned her to clean the inn and dungeon)

    ¡°Hee¡­ then if I ask Master, can you make this udon too?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not necessary, I can use the DP without master permission. Ichika, should I do it?¡±

    ¡°oh that¡¯s right, Kinue also can use the Catalog.¡±

    Ichika was a top echelon for Kehma dungeon, but since she is a ve, she cannot use the dungeon menu. That also means she cannot use her portion of DP that Kehma prepared for her. She must ask Kehma if she wants to use DP.

    However, she asks Kehma to hand over her DP to Kinue. It will be a convenient way to obtain food ingredients rted to DP since it won¡¯t bother Kehma. Let¡¯s ask Kehma to direct her DP to Kinue next time.

    ¡°Well I also brought many ingredients and Demon Kingdom¡¯s desert with me, please take a look and analyze them. Especially this one, this hot and sweet is good, please try it!¡±

    ¡°What is this orange and sticky thing¡­ oh¡­ this is¡­ carrot? I never expect it would be used this way.¡±

    Kinue and Ichika eat the Demon Kingdom¡¯s desert together.

    Kinue also took a liking to the oyster based dish that she has rarely seen on Empire.

    CASE FILES: Rei

    Rei, along with her subordinate Eleca the fairy, is a dungeon manager.

    Currently, in her hand, she holds Demon Kingdom¡¯s souvenir from Niku.

    ¡°Eleca, we got a souvenir from Niku-senpai.¡±

    ¡°a Souvenir?¡±

    Rei The took out a souvenir wrapped in cloth, inside was a tattered jersey which Niku brought back for them.

    ¡°¡­What is this?¡±

    ¡°This is Master¡¯s jersey, it seems that Master has been training hard in the Demon Kingdom, and this is one of his torn jersey. Niku senpai said that I need to share this with you.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Eleca tilted her neck. Even if Rei said this was ¡°her Master¡¯s used jersey¡± she did not understand the value of this thing, but seeing Rei¡¯s happy face, she doesn¡¯t want to put cold water on her.

    ¡°Fufufu, as expected of Niku senpai, the sweat that seeping to the clothes after the intense training is¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy for you, Rei-sama.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very happy right now! Ah, but I need to share this happiness with my subordinate, which one do you want? Upper or lower part?¡±

    And Rei tries to force her subordinate to pick which part Khema¡¯s jersey¡­ but of course, Eleca has no desire to take any part. Even now, she still wonders why Rei is so happy with it.

    ¡°Ah! I had an idea, I will give you Master¡¯s jersey that I had used before, and I will take this (fresh) used jersey.¡±

    ¡°!!¡±

    Eleca wings twitched sharply.

    ¡°Was it the one that Rei-sama use as pillow as substitute for Master¡¯s arms?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I often use it for that, but if Eleca¡­¡±

    ¡°I want it!¡±

    Eleca nodded vigorously, she didn¡¯t need the Kehma¡¯s used jersey, but if Rei was the one who used it, that was a different story.

    ¡°Okay then, I will change the jersey in my room with this one.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Rei-sama, I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±

    They were indeed a boss and subordinate; they are simr in more than one way.

    But if one needs to ask who they are takes to, then we can point our finger at the root of it all, the Dungeon core.

 Chapter 433 - Extra: The silkies rebellion

    <h4>433 ¨C Extra: The silkies rebellion</h4>

    ¡°Head Maid is unfair!¡±

    ¡°Unfair!¡±

    ¡°We also want souvenirs!¡±

    ¡°Souvenirs!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going on strike!¡±

    ¡°Yes!!¡±

    So just like that, the silkies are going on strike.

    They locked themself and vigers in the inn¡¯s game room, this is the first case of hostage-taking in Gollen vige!

    ¡­ It¡¯s all good because they had done the cleaning properly before they go on the strike.

    ¡°Kehma, what ¡®strike¡¯ means? My japanese is not good enough for me to understand them.¡±

    ¡°Even if you ask me¡­ I will also need refer to dictionary to understand it, because I think they mean something different than what I think.¡±

    More like¡­ where did they learn the word¡¯ strike¡¯? I thought Rokuko was the one who teaches them.

    Thankfully they were only using the game room. There is plenty of entertainment inside. Let¡¯s just treat this as a game.

    My vigers are surprisingly happy with this, so they just y along with silkies.

    ¡°Rokuko don¡¯t you have any souvenir I can give to silkies?¡±

    ¡°There would be a huge number of souvenirs if I need personally gift it to each every member of dungeon, so I tasked Niku and Ichika to handle other member, except Nurune.¡±

    Is that so? Then it cannot be helped¡­no, I feel bad too, this is partially my fault since I¡¯m the one who forgot to buy souvenirs. Forgive me.

    ¡°regretfully, why they had to involve vigers in this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that those vigers also want some souvenirs¡­.¡±

    Indeed, that was certainly possible.

    ¡°Their behaviour will make their parent back at home cry.¡±

    ¡°In that case the silkies parent would be us.¡±

    ¡°By that reasoning, we are terrible parent that forgot to buy souvenirs for their children¡­¡±

    Besides, it is the fact that silkies are working hard at the inn. The least we can do is to bring back souvenirs with us.

    ¡°Master! Leave this matter to us!¡±

    ¡°I take full responsibility of my subordinate misconduct, please let me solve this situation!¡±

    Ichika and Kinue barging in and said that.

    ¡°But we need Master to give us more of that flour.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    ¡°Flour for Udon! that flour that Master brought in big quantity from Demon Kingdom.¡±

    No, Ichika, what are you talking abou¨C, then I realized. That¡¯s right! Kinue can make it, Kinue can replicate the Udon, and I can secretly buy the Udon flour with DP. Then we can cover this up by saying we brought those Udon flour in advance, and now we will let Kinue cook it.

    ¡°Oh!! if that thing, I had a lot stored in warehouse, give me a minute, I will take it out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, did you hear that? With the flour that Master brought from Demon Kingdom, Kinue will make a lot of Demon Kinggom¡¯s Slippery Udon.¡±

    Ichika shouting to the direction of the game room, and Kinue nods firmly.

    I headed for the warehouse and started exchanging DP for Udon flour.

    Why did I do something this troublesome¡­¡­..? I can just hand over the DP to Kinue and let her prepare everything. Well, there¡¯s a risk being seen in the kitchen too¡­ I put the flour bag to my [storage].

    ¡°Kinue, here, please cook it.¡±

    ¡°Understood, and I already got the recipe from Ichika, I can make this right away.¡±

    I handed the flour, and the Udon ispleted in no time.

    Skill : [cooking]

    It¡¯s the skill scroll that Rokuko obtained in the previous gacha, after using that Kinue can stop the time while she cooks. That way, she can instantly serve freshly made food to the customers.

    It looks powerful since it can stop time, but the restriction of that skill is quite severe, you can only stop time when you are cooking.

    ¡­ since she will make it from scratch, will that include kneading the dough? That would serve as good training, huh, I believe kneading Udon dough is as tiring as hitting a sandbag.

    ¡°For the time being I will prepare an Udon for everyone share, Hannah, Nicole, Pio,e out, it¡¯s ready.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Head Maid!¡±

    The three silkies jumped out, and the blockade is easily lifted.

    ¡°So, this is Udon, it¡¯s texture is strange but delicious! This almost like spaghetti but chewier.¡±

    ¡°Ouuudon, look Hannah this is Ouudon! It¡¯s chewy and feels good in your mouth.¡±

    ¡°Oudon and Ofuton(bed) they are so simr¡­ so¡­ warm¡­¡±

    As they see the silkies enjoying their Udon, vigers who y along with the hostage acts areing out.

    ¡°We belive in you vige chief!¡±

    ¡°Yes, there is no way our vige chief would forget our souvenirs.¡±

    ¡°So where¡¯s our share?¡±

    As the vigers reach out to Kinue Udon, Ichika stopped them.

    ¡°Oi you all, where¡¯s the money?¡±

    ¡°eh¡­ what?¡±

    ¡°I mean¡­ those flour cost quite a bit of money you know?¡±

    ¡°So it¡¯s like that? But you are right, normally you won¡¯t even have the chance to set your foot in Demon Kingdom, but still¡­ I want to have a taste of that country! Even if I had to pay for it! So here is it, take it!¡±

    ¡°Good, good, but don¡¯t worry today is special day! So you can get it with only ten copper coins per cup.¡±

    That¡¯s how Ichika begins to sell Kinue noodles for 10 copper coins.

    By the way, just so you know, those Udon sells for two copper coins in the Demon Kingdom, so without a doubt, she¡¯s ripping them off.

    At first, I want to stop Her, but¡­

    ¡°I see, this flour is¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahh, a flour that Shia can¡¯t produce?¡±

    ¡°Quick, sell it to me! I want to brag to everyone that I have eaten the Demon Kingdom¡¯s cuisine!¡±

    ¡°okay, okay, don¡¯t panic, we have enough for everyone!¡±

    The vigers seem to be okay with that.

    Just by being Demon Kingdom¡¯s cuisine, an extra value was added to it.

    ¡°Kehma, I think it¡¯s possible to serve this Udon in cafetaria from now on.¡±

    ¡°Um, yeah¡­ looking at their reaction, I think we could sell it for 15 coppers per cup?¡±

    ¡°Master, I would get a share of the profits, right?¡±

    While I was discussing such a thing with Rokuko, Ichika cut in between us with a money bag in her hands.

    Well¡­ she just raking up few dozen copper coins, so I will give allow her to take some cut.

    ¡°¡­just make sure you split it with Kinue.¡±

    ¡°Whoa! Thank you Master! I love you!¡±

    Ichika returned to her Udon business, Rokuko then tugs my sleeve a little.

    ¡°hm? Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°¡­I love you more, okay?¡±

    Stop with that kind of reaction, you will make me blush.

    And that¡¯s how the first case of hostage-taking in the Gollen vige was closed.

    ¡­ it was not a crime in the first ce, yup.

    TL notes:

    Oudon and Ofuton ¡ª SORRY, I cannot help it!! they just rhyme so well¡­

 Chapter 434 - Dolce arrived.

    <h4>Chapter 434¨C Dolce arrived.</h4>

    The goblin on the first floor of the Cave of Desire is weak.

    They will undoubtedly be a threat in big numbers, but the goblin in the beginner¡¯s dungeon won¡¯t have too much coordination, the number that will attack you at the same time is three at maximum.

    They can¡¯t even break apple with their bare hands.

    If it were me, I could do it without golem assist, but I need to use all my strength before I finally can crack it.

    I remember sharing my apples with Gobusuke after I crack it, at that time, I promised myself I will at least use a knife to cut the apple next time.

    By that example, you know how weak the goblin in my dungeon.

    Inparison, the wild goblins outside the dungeon could be very troublesome due to their infinite number and coordination. You¡¯ll be in a lot of trouble as soon as they swarm you.

    ¡°If the goblins are too strong, it won¡¯t be suitable for novice adventurers, no good.¡±

    ¡°I guess you are right.¡±

    That was Rokuko reply when I told her our goblin is very weak.

    A surprisingly calm and urate judgment despite her goblin fetish.

    No, perhaps because she is a goblin expert, that¡¯s why her analysis is spot on. You cannot call yourself a goblin expert and don¡¯t know this much fact.

    ¡°But why did you suddenly bring this matter up?¡±

    ¡°I mean,tely we haven¡¯t done any dungeon improvement.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we haven¡¯t touch anything after we got back from the Demon Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°¡­ how about adding new monster? Ghost for example¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s a goo¨C, Wait! Who is there!¡±

    When I look up to the source of the voice, I saw a Ghost(wraith) there.

    She¡¯s Dolce, Haku direct subordinate. Dressed in a white robe like a white mage in certain RPG, she then fixes her posture and approaches Rokuko.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a long time Lady Rokuko, I¡¯m here by the order of Haku-sama.¡±

    ¡°¡­no matter what it is, you can¡¯t juste into my room without permission.¡±

    ¡°Yes certainly, but Haku-sama personally ordered me to [watch the situation carefully. Especially when you first arrived, caught them by surprise.] and so I did my best to sneak around the dungeon without appearing in the map.¡±

    Wait, what? you can hide from the map function? That¡¯s scary! That would give the opponent a big deal of trouble in the dungeon battle.

    ¡°Oh? How did you do that Dolce?¡±

    ¡°I simply dive from the sky, I might be not transparent, but I¡¯m still ghost(wraith). I can choose to be immaterial or not, though the dungeon wall will prevent me to pass, so I need to cast a short distance [Teleport].¡±

    It¡¯s was a unique technique of Ghost-type monster. If you fly high up in the sky, you will be in outside of the dungeon map range, naturally, you won¡¯t appear on it.

    The concept of air invasion defense bes meaningless unless you extend your dungeon area upwards.

    But since our ceiling isposed of dungeon walls, she cannot go through it. So, she ignored the wall and used a short distance [Teleport]. Since it was only a few meters deep, the MP cost is not too severe, but that¡¯s still a trick only ghost-type monster can use.

    ¡°How long you¡¯ve been here?¡±

    ¡°Just a few moments ago, also¡­ Rokuko-sama¡¯s smiling face, I will report it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing if my sister knows how me and Kehma flirting¡­¡±

    Dolce-san strongly responded to Rokuko.

    Yep, she clearly separates work and casual chat.

    But to be honest, that was a close call.

    Suppose she ising a little bit earlier. In that case, she will see me ying around with Rokuko¡¯s legs all day long, or see me being pampered by Rokuko in my subus possessed state with the [Super Transformation].

    If that happens, I will die instantly. I feel like she will hit me with an instant death spell or curse.

    I know that instant death skill exists because Leona has received it before.

    ¡°Well since Dolce already arrived, can I leave this assassin matters in your hands?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry ¡®bout it, with myself being here, there¡¯s no way assassin that can hide in the vicinity.¡±

    ¡°You keep switching between serious andx attitude, don¡¯t you feel tired¡­?¡±

    ¡°¡­Not really? I only respect the wishes of Haku-sama¡¯s little sister.¡±

    If that was the case, then it¡¯s okay, but the truth is you only having fun with Rokuko¡¯s reaction, right? Just admit it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk you to your Suite, just follow me.¡±

    ¡°Understood Rokuko-sama, but before I do that, I need to give Kehma a message.¡±

    ¡°hmm?¡±

    ¡°Haku-sama said [Please treat Rokuko-chan with sincerity, you know what I mean, right?]¡­¡­..

    Then? Your answer please?¡±

    ¡°YES! I understand!!¡±

    Just like that, an assassin was ced¡­ I¡¯m sorry, I mean¡­ a bodyguard was positioned in my dungeon. To protect us from the assassin.

    Dolce transformed into her humanized form and followed Rokuko to her Suite¡­ she probably won¡¯t miss the assassin, but I will keep my vignce.

    It may be a good idea to increase the number of ghost-type monsters, as Dolce has suggested, at least they can be used as Dolce assistant.

    No¡­ I should not expect anything that I summon will be any use to her since she is an optimized character who¡¯s good enough to serve¡¯s as Haku party member.

    Then was it best for me to retreat deep into the dungeon? Since it seems that the dungeon walls are imprable by any normal means, though I feel like I¡¯ll be assaulted normally.

    TL notes:

    No, I didn¡¯t mistrante anything, I checked with lupus-sensei btw.

    It just seems what Kehma was hinting at the previous chapter has be a reality, he really paid the price for meddling with Rokuko¡¯s legs¡­ regrly.

 Chapter 435 - A Group of Suspicious men.

    <h4>435 ¨C A Group of Suspicious men.</h4>

    Inside the [Dancing Doll Pavillion].

    Two girls were chatting.

    ¡°This udon is delecious, Mai-dono.¡±

    ¡°Ipletely agree, Shikina.¡±

    Shikina Kukkoro, an elf that has beenpletely reformed by Kehma and Niku¡¯s fiancee, Maiodore Shia.

    The two have be very close. One of the reasons is because the Shia family was in charge of Shikina while Kehma was going to Demon Kingdom.

    By the way, Maiodore often secretly receives a gift from Niku. Although it¡¯s not particrly useful, she is still happily epted it.

    ¡°I wanted some individual souvenir too¡­¡±

    ¡°As for that¡­ didn¡¯t Kuro-sama personally teaches you the technique she learn at Demon Kingdom? Can¡¯t you count that as one?¡±

    ¡°Ah, That¡¯s true! I expect no less from Maiodore-dono.¡±

    For the record, Rokuko souvenirs for vige executives like Gozo are Demon Kingdom¡¯s sake.

    ¡°it was a good thing that my Mentor won the third ce at Demon Kingdom¡¯s tournaments. I¡¯m very proud to call myself his disciple.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Kuro also participates in main tournament¡­ ah¡­ I want to see her manly figure.¡±

    ¡°In case of Kuro-sama I think she will show her happiness since she gets to fight a lot.¡±

    Maiodore sighed.

    She imagined Niku ying her enemies in the arena, she looked great, as it should be as her future husband.

    ¡°I¡¯m also curious about my Mentor¡¯s new skill, I heard it¡¯s a magic attack, can I defend against it?¡±

    ¡°Speaking of Kehma, I heard his majesty has bestowed him the right to manage our divine bedding, and we as the administrator must decide what we want aspensation, if you want you can use yours to let him show you his new skill.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m aware of that, Kukkoro family also had send me a letter concerning that matter. They said they left the decision in my hands.¡±

    Well, of course, Maiodore nodded. This can be said a chance to get close to the famous dragon tamer and the holder of the third-ce winner in the Demon Kingdon¡¯s tournament. It¡¯s a shame to waste this deal on something ordinary.

    It may also worth mentioning if you lend it too easily, your prestige will drop.

    ¡°But you can also make the price low and use it as bargaining chipter.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see, it¡¯s like [you owe me one] situation?¡±

    Then as the conversation heated up, a customer appeared. This is the inn¡¯s restaurant, a gueste in and go was a natural thing, but this customer is ¡ª

    ¡°Hmm, this is better than I expected, a bit cramped though.¡±

    ¡°Price, please don¡¯tpare it to school cafeteria. Even the vige are smaller than the school size.¡±

    ¡°um, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¨CMen with a good upbringing. Three men with a strong presence that differs them from adventurers that usually go in and out in this ce. You can say, they were emitting this prince-like aura.

    ¡°Oi, where should I submit my ticket?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I will ept it here, oh it¡¯s a C set meal?¡±

    A maid with light green hair takes their ticket and show them to their seat.

    Since it¡¯s not too crowded, it seems that their order will arrive shortly.

    ¡°Mai-dono, that was unusual.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is the prince of Daido.¡±

    As an aristocraticdy, Maiodore will be at least aware of the neighboring country prince face. As you might expect of nobles, his face is well known in her circle. Though the real figure of the princess of Empire is still hidden, it is probably as countermeasures from an assassination attempt.

    But Shikina shook her heads.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. It¡¯s just strange that they know how to use meal ticket.¡±

    ¡°¡­is that odd?¡±

    ¡°it is, people whoe here for the first time are usually confused.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Ordinary inn will never bother to use the ticket. High-ss restaurants will avoid ticket usage as not to bother the customer.

    You can search all you want in this vast Empire, but only here in [Dancing Doll Pavillion], you will find a restaurant that uses the meal ticket system.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t they teach you at the counter?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s more like a greeting than anything, they will only ask you to confirm if you familiar with meal ticket system or not. Also, they were saying [I¡¯ve never been here before, but I know what meal ticket are].¡±

    ¡°Shikina-sama can really see things more clearly than I do¡­.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m still no match for my mentor though, didn¡¯t you also used to read Kuro-chan expression?¡±

    ¡°Aside from face, Kuro-sama is quite expressive you know?¡±

    As they talked about such matters, the Prince of Daido country had already received his meal and started eating.

    ¡°I see¡± Mai thought, they also didn¡¯t get surprised with this, Maiodore also noticed this and started to feel uneasy.

    The C-ranked set meal was a stew with beef chunks in it. It would usually be strange to see beef and other meats served up in such a rural vige. It¡¯s possible to serve minotaur meat if the dungeon can spawn one, but in that case, the dish will be named after minotaur.

    Speaking of which dungeon can provide minotaur around here, there¡¯s this [Fire Cavern]. But unless you hire high ranked adventurer like Kehma, you won¡¯t be able to stock up the meat casually.

    And he thought it was not strange that beef was served in this restaurant, even for the Prince of a foreign country who traveled to this vige, he was too naive.

    ¡°¡­Should I tell Kehma-sama?¡±

    ¡°I think we should, can the receptionist ry this message though?¡±

    ¡°Current receptionist is Nerune, do you think she will?¡±

    Nerune will give an impression that she¡¯s an absent-minded girl, she probably won¡¯t even care about the aristocratic rted info, there¡¯s also a high probability that she doesn¡¯t even know the face of this Prince.

    She even treated Hero Wataru just like an ordinary person, did she can even distinguish human face? She probably will forget someone who she just met several times. In fact, Mai is not confident if she can remember her and Shikina name.

    Shikina also agreed that they need to report this carefully.

    ¡°¡­ in that case, shall I tell my mentor personally?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll also let Kuro know this matter as well, she will definitely praise me,¡±

    ¡°I hope my Master will also praise me.¡±

    For now, that¡¯s what Mai and Shikina decided to do.

    TL note:

    Sorry for the dy, but my cat got in heat, and the distraction that she provides to me is MASSIVE.

    It¡¯s like she¡¯s continually ying bite and told me to pamper her.

 Chapter 436 - Dungeon review

    <h4>Chapter 436¨C Dungeon review</h4>

    Reverting greed¡¯s inn to Avarice Lodge for less confusion.

    I don¡¯t know about the details, but it seems that the prince from Daido Country is here.

    After receiving a report from Dolce, Shikina and Maiodore also told me the same thing.

    After thanking them for the information, I remembered that Leona said she is going to Daido country to y or something.

    Either they are connected or not, this is still a matter that requires caution.

    ¡°You are a prince, but you choose not to stay in the suite¡­¡±

    I decided to watch the prince or whatever they called him from the Master room.

    Harks, the prince of Daido.

    And his two aides, Crusch and Kenho.

    Dolce said that in addition of this group of people, there was one other pretty good [shadow] with them (she said he is not an assassin, so she did not really bother, but she also said that ¡®I can deal with him quite easily¡¯)

    And that [shadow] didn¡¯t hide his presence when apanying those three to dive into the dungeon.

    If we judge them by DP they generated per day then, the prince is 202. His two aides are about 250 for each. And the [shadow] is 532.

    532¡­ a pseudo-Hero ss? The other is also pretty good, by the way. Our Goblins and traps are easily obliterated, the golem also didn¡¯t pose too much problem for them. Prince Harks and Kehno are using swords, while Crusch is supporting them with earth magic. The [shadow] are keeping guard at their surroundings, it¡¯s a wless formation.

    They put the drop item into their [storage]¡­ I see¡­ all of them have [storage], this is quite troublesome.

    ¡°¡­ they are quite excellent.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I should review their movement today.¡±

    And before I knew it, Rokuko was beside me. Our faces are very close.

    ¡°Hey Kehma, what should we do about this?¡±

    ¡°I wonder¡­¡±

    ¡°They will capture the dungeon as this rate.¡±

    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s okay, even if they can capture the dungeon it¡¯s enough to just show them the dummy core, just like that time with Wataru.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s also true.¡±

    Also, this is a good chance, let¡¯s review our dungeon state.

    The first is Gollen vige. This is where the dungeon can generate tons of DP just by letting people sleep at the inn.

    Then we got [Shia mountain tunnel] that bypassing Shia mountain to the Pavuera side.

    Next one is¡­ the dungeon first floor, a novice floor with light trap and some goblin.

    The second floor and third floor, from here the iron golem will spawn, this floor is also the location for the famous [Avarice Trap] room.

    The fourth floor, it used to be the mystery-solving room, now it where the [Avarice Lodge] is, basically, a rest area, targeting the seasoned adventurers.

    ¡°For adventurers that diving to our dungeon this is usually their finish line, right?¡±

    ¡°Some also earning money by defeating iron golem.¡±

    Fifth floor, the spiral staircase area, the wall maye out and push people on the stair, or sometimes with breaking foothold.

    Sixth floor, warehouse area. We store Magic Sword Golem there, also some irregr experimental golem. The prototype Haniwa Golem is guarding that area, which makes this quite dangerous floor.

    ¡°Every once in a while there are some adventurers that can reach this floor.¡±

    ¡°The reward is some Magic Swords afterall.¡±

    And finally, the Seventh floor, this is where the dungeon branches.

    7F-1, the grasnd area. It¡¯s where the subus¡¯ vige located, a peaceful ce.

    ¡°You will be stripped of your belonging and thrown out to entrance of the dungeon, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s how thing will go¡­ is there anyone that reaches this floor?¡±

    ¡°Not that I know.¡±

    7F-2, Phenny¡¯s garden, theva pool. It also leads to [me Caverns].

    ¡°ah, That¡¯s the ce where I kept Phenny the white phoenix. I¡¯ve seen some adventurers thate here via [me Caverns].¡±

    ¡°Wataru is the first one though¡­¡±

    7F-3, the new mystery-room. This is the main route if you want to reach the dungeon core. There¡¯s a sign in Japanese saying [Under Construction]. It¡¯s a Leona countermeasure, but the effectiveness is unknown because we haven¡¯t got the chance to test it.

    ¡°The riddles here is designed to consume a long time to solve it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it will take at least a day¡¯s worth of your time. Its purpose is to buy us some time.¡±

    This floor also leads to the arena and boss room.

    You will be forced to fight with Haniwa Golem in the arena, and then Dragon Golem in the boss room.

    ¡°The Dragon Golem is equipped with trap that can spew fire.¡±

    ¡°The trap also can only be used inside the boss room, but that¡¯s fine because the Dragon Golem will never go outside boss room anyway.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still not as good as real dragon though.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯tparemon dragon to Redra, the final boss of [me Caverns].¡±

    And if you managed to break through the boss room, you will finally find the core room.

    It¡¯s a dummy core though. This room was manipting your perception that the dungeon core room =st room.

    In fact, there¡¯s still one more room hidden in the back, it¡¯s also a boss room. The boss is a thumb-sized haniwa orichalcum golem. This was Rokuko¡¯s idea, and we agreed to use it.

    And this tiny Orichalcum golem is hidden behind the ceiling of said room, making it extremely difficult to find. Even if you can find it, to defeat this golem is not an easy feat.

    And let¡¯s say you managed to defeat it, all you did is only opening the door to the core room, whenever you can find the door or not is another story.

    ¡°Mini-sized Orichalcum golem, this is an evil idea, even by my standard!¡±

    ¡°Because normally it would hide itself, and I¡¯m not sure they¡¯d realize this is a boss room in the first ce.¡±

    And let¡¯s assume that you managed to do all that, you finally found the hidden door, inside you will find the real dungeon core, or so you thought, but sorry that was also a dummy core.

    It¡¯s a trap to make you believe that you finally find the real thing after that you¡¯ve found the hidden room and defeated a horrible boss.

    That was the entire picture of the current [Cave of Desire]

    ¡­What? You are asking where the real dungeon core is?

    Until recently, I put it in the arena, but I moved it after listening to Rei and Eleca idea. Since if it stays there, there will be no guarantee that it won¡¯t be hit by a stray bullet from a spell, like my [Elemental Shot].

    ¡­so where is it? It was hidden in the room I made in the middle of [Mount Shia Tunnel], the room was located in the unmarked ceiling of the tunnel passage, the very back of it.

    Also, there are many simr hidden rooms there. Even if you find one secret room, you will not be able to immediately pinpoint the core location. And that will give us time to swap it for the dummy core in the deepest part of [Cave of Desire] using the [Castling] function.

    These double and triple traps, is how I will protect Rokuko¡¯s main body.

    After reviewing the whole thing, Rokuko smile and said¡­

    ¡°Ehehehe, Kehma¡­ I love you.¡±

    ¡°O-oh ¡­you surprised me.¡±

    ¡°Because this difficulty is your proof of love, how can there be a core that isn¡¯t happy to be so thoroughly protected?¡±

    Was it like that? She¡¯s not wrong though.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you can rest assured, this Daido prince can do whatever they pleased.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I will believe in you.¡±

    Or is it better for me to say hello?

    No, if they want to y around, it¡¯s better to approach this carefully. Let¡¯s give up the idea for now.

    TL note

    New character naming time!

    ¥Ï©`¥¯¥¹: Harks / Harkes ¨C which one sounds better?

    ¥¯¥ë¥·¥å: Crusch ¨C I took the easy way out, I¡¯m adopting the name from re:zero and overlord. So this one is set.

    ¥±¥ó¥Û: Kenho ¨C there¡¯s really no other way to pronounce this, so this one is also set

 Chapter 437 - Watching the Dungeon Attack

    <h4>Chapter 437¨C Watching the Dungeon Attack</h4>

    I¡¯m watching the Daido Prince dungeon attack from the Master room with Rokuko, it¡¯s surveince¡­ no, I guess this is more like a show.

    In any case, we decided to watch and see, it may be necessary to interfere with them. Still, we will see how the situation will develop, for now.

    ¡°Kehma, do you want some snack?¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay, I will have some popcorns nd juice.¡±

    We¡¯re watching the prince¡¯s party on the monitor and leaning back on a big pillow as if watching a movie or sports event. After all, the defenses of our dungeon are impregnable for a group of that skill level.

    While munching on popcorn and gulping down orange juice, we watch them. An adventurer struggle is an excellent entertainment if you¡¯ve secured safety, isn¡¯t it?

    Maybe a dungeon where you can watch the frontline fights would be fun. I won¡¯t do that though.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have melon bread version of this?¡±

    ¡°¡­I never even heard of it.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then can I have some of yours?¡±

    ¡°Here ¡®ya go.¡±

    Sharing popcorn with Rokuko and watching the dungeon attack. It¡¯s so peaceful.

    The prince party dungeon attack was going well.

    Next day.

    Once again, they entered through the entrance and attacked thebyrinth area. Goblin and y golem is just no match for prince party. It seems they nned to proceed in the same manner as yesterday.

    At the trial room, the prince pulled the (trial) magic sword. He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t know it was this easy to obtain Magic Sword.¡± He reluctantly put the sword back after [shadow] told him that it was just a trial item and cannot be taken out from this room.

    That [shadow] is a seasoned adventurer, as you might expect from the pseudo-hero ss he is calm andposed. The other three are just doing whatever they want without even bother to gather information.

    If it was only the prince¡¯s party, it was possible that they would have trouble in the trial room, but the [shadow] provided them assistance in every corner. They came here so carefree as if they¡¯de to an amusement park. I wonder if they really qualified as an adventurer to dive into the dungeon.

    ¡°and that wizard on prince party, he is a true muscle brain in that group.¡±

    ¡°Was does being magic user has anything to do with your intellect?¡±

    ¡°¡­yeah, totally unrted.¡±

    Basically, in this world, smartness is not directly affecting your magic power.

    Whenever you can cast powerful magic, or you can use your brain are two different things.

    Magic is just another form of a flying tool like arrows. Suppose youpare it to the warrior ss. In that case, it¡¯s only the difference between hitting your opponents with your muscle or your magic. From them, magic is just a form of useable tools.

    The advantage of magic is that you can save space for equipment and use it anywhere.

    In the meantime, the prince party has finished thebyrinth area. It seems they will skipping on the [Greed¡¯s inn] and go straight to the spiral staircase area.

    ¡°Alright, the magic sword are just up ahead!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not much information about this ce, please becareful, Prince.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah¡­ That¡¯s right. Kenho, I will leave the vanguard position to you.¡±

    ¡°This is a tall staircase, you will be injured if you fall, becareful Kenho.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me! I, the next Knight Commander, will pave the way!¡±

    ¡°¡­ let¡¯s attach this lifeline to Kenho¡­¡±

    The [shadow] swiftly assists the prince¡¯s party that¡¯s about to charge in without preparation. He attached the lifeline to the vanguard.

    Really, if not for this [shadow], this would be the end for them.

    In fact, the guy named Kenho would be dead if it was not for the lifeline he attached. He triggered about 5 or 6 wall push and foothold trap.

    ¡°This wall wille out, and this foot hold will break¡­ I will mark it as we go, so please be careful.¡±

    ¡°umu, yes sir.¡±

    ¡°I can really count on professional adventurer.¡±

    ording to Dolce¡¯s investigation, this [shadow] person is a part of the shadow guard of the royal family, and they hired him through the adventurers guild as an escort.

    (she said an investigation, but I heard the moment their eyes met. He just spewing that ssified info like nothing, almost like a pup showing his belly [shadow] said he didn¡¯te here looking for trouble.)

    With this, they sessfully conquered the spiral staircase area, now they are going to enter the warehouse area.

    It looks like they¡¯re after the magic sword, it¡¯s probably the best if we just give them some and let them go home happily, it would spell some trouble if they get injured and need to spend extra time here, though¡­ it¡¯s a different story if they stay in the suite.

    ¡­ah, by the way, Dolce is staying in the suite for about two nights, and she¡¯s staying in church after that. She says it¡¯s morefortable for her because she is a wraith. So the suite room is now empty.

    But why wraith likes to sleep in church¡­ well it¡¯s not exactly a church, but Beddhism church.

    She¡¯s taking a liking to the damp dan dark basement. There¡¯s also plenty of resentment build up there, so that¡¯s why she likes it there¡­ but in this church, there¡¯s no such thing as a grudge, the church did have a cell for keeping criminals in the basement. But Dolce insists that she can also eat up the umted grudge there, so I just let do as her wish.

    ¡°So what you going to do, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Well for now, let¡¯s make sure they didn¡¯t run into Haniwa Golem and let them find the magic sword.¡±

    That¡¯s why I guide them to magic sword room while I hide the Golem.

    The prince has sessfully obtained a Golem magic sword in his second day of dungeon attack!

    ¡°My prince, this looks like a magic sword.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, you did it Harks! can I have that one.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I¡¯m sure there¡¯s still more, I will give this sword to you, Kenho. It¡¯s a reward since you became a vanguard in the staicase area. Are you okay with this Crusch?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯m a rear guard Afterall.¡±

    When ¡°shadow¡± hands the magic sword to the prince, he gives it away to Kenho¡­ from the way he¡¯s talking, it¡¯s like he is already secured magic swords.

    ¡°Kehma, how many magic swords will you give to this groups?¡±

    ¡°For now, I think¡­ five.¡±

    Even if you called it a magic sword, I¡¯m the one who made it using [Create Golem], so it didn¡¯t even cost one copper coin. However, my magic sword¡¯s market value will drop if you give it away too often, so that¡¯s why some regtion is still needed.

    I think it¡¯s okay to give about five for this group of people since theirbined DP generated more or less the same as Wataru.

    Oh, now that I mention it, I wonder how much DP Wataru generates now? He hasn¡¯t visited us for a while, so I don¡¯t know.

    ¡°Oh! This is the third one!¡±

    ¡°This one is for Chrusch, take it!¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m grateful.¡±

    In the end, they returned with five magic swords initially nned for them.

    I hope they satisfied with this and go home since I don¡¯t know if the boss will win against them.

 Chapter 438 - Naked Bonding

    <h4>Chapter 438 ¨C Naked Bonding</h4>

    It seems the prince¡¯s party decided to rest the day after they got the sword.

    Unusually sparkling guys are now rxing at our inn¡¯s hot spring bath, [shadow] is not with them, he is going to adventurer¡¯s guild and submitting the iron golem as loot.

    For me, it¡¯s time to gather more information about this group. I decided to open the monitor in my room and listen to the prince¡¯s group conversation. What do you mean I¡¯m a peeping tom, you can¡¯t prove it, so, sorry you can¡¯t use me of anything, ok? And this is for the sake of the dungeon.

    ¡­Surprisingly, the three good-looking men seem to be ustomed to taking a bath. They didn¡¯t wear a bathing suit and only wrapped a towel around their waist.

    If you ask me why I did not go into detail how these men look like, it¡¯s because of those unnecessarily pretty face of theirs.

    ¡°Phuah, that was an easy dungeon for our party.¡±

    The prince giggles as he dipped his body shoulder-deep into the hot spring. He is soaking himself in yesterday glory.

    ¡°Pince¡­ Kenho almost died four times¡­¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Well Kenho is our vanguard, it natural for him to face many dangerous situation.¡±

    ¡°Harks, Crusch, Don¡¯t worry about it, also we hired that adventurer for extra measures right? I¡¯m alive and kicking, that¡¯s all that matters!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude Kenho, but¡­¡±

    ¡°But that adventurer¡­ what is his name? Jangaria? is that skill level is normal for adventurer or he is exceptionally skilled? If it was thetter¡­ should I take him under my wings?¡±

    And like that the prince keeps talking about trivial things, I know that the adventurers are good, but I need you guys to talk more about why you are here and why didn¡¯t you leave already. But it seems that they won¡¯t spill it.

    ¡°Ah, Kehma, did you eavesdropping again?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s rude¡­ but you are right.¡±

    Rokuko walks into my room casually, she had manga in her hand.

    ¡°Oops, don¡¯t look at monitor Rokuko, the image inside is the men¡¯s bath area.¡±

    ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t this also my dungeon area.¡±

    ¡°¡­ that¡¯s true but¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehma, I also want to help you.¡±

    ¡°¡­I will ask for your help when it¡¯s concerning the women¡¯s bath area.¡±

    It won¡¯t be anytime soon though, since they all men this time.

    ¡°But¡­ why bother with this? Can¡¯t you just go into the bath and asked them directly?¡±

    ¡°hmm, would that be the quickest way¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is, now get going, I will wait for you while reading manga here.¡±

    Rokuko seems to insist on reading manga here while I¡¯m absent, can¡¯t you read in your own room? No, I don¡¯t have any porn books that I hide here, it¡¯s a clean area.

    The prince group seems to enjoy taking a long bath, maybe I should follow Rokuko¡¯s advice and sneak in there.

    For now, I need to disguise myself as ordinary vige chief, I will cast [Super Transformation] on myself to make me looks like an average human, now even if you inspect me, you will find nothing.

    ¡°What, you¡¯re going to disguise yourself as a Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Of course I will, also if I¡¯m in this [Super Transformation] state I don¡¯t have to worry if something happens to myself.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, anything is fine, good luck, I¡¯ll be here reading manga.¡± {¡­suspicious}

    ¡°Yeah, I already heard you the first time though? I¡¯ll be off now.¡±

    So I left Rokuko who somehow won¡¯t budge from my room, I used [Super Transformation] and changed to my bathing suit. The prince¡¯s group are still there, chatting about some trivial things.

    ¡°So Harks, swordsmanship is all about muscle power.¡±

    ¡°No, I think technique is ying bigger part in that, don¡¯t you agree Crusch?¡±

    ¡°I do think it best to think a little before doing something, I guess Kenho need to pay more attention to that?¡±

    I don¡¯t know what the hell they¡¯re talking about, and I don¡¯t want to know.

    First, let¡¯s use [Clean] and join them.

    ¡°Oi! You there! Don¡¯t enter the bath with your clothes on!¡±

    ¡ª said the prince while pointing his finger at me.

    ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°What? this is your first time? Normally, you take a bath naked, take off your clothes.¡±

    I calmly respond like an ignorant person; this will give him a sense of superiority since he thinks he knows what¡¯s he¡¯s talking about. The prince was blowing his nose while looking down on me.

    ¡°¡­ but you guys also wear cloth around your waist?¡±

    ¡°Towel is the matter of debate, but without it you will see my crotch, so it¡¯s not an option this time, and these towels has been purified, so it won¡¯t pollute the hot water.¡±

    Okay. Where do I start? (to tsukkomi him)

    First, this prince knows the rules of the Japanese bath. The towel itself is sold asmodities in the Empire¡¯s capital, so it¡¯s not surprising if he knows about this.

    BUT, the matter about to use a towel or not in the bath is not somethingmon, it¡¯s possible that such culture take root in Daido Country, but this is clearly Leona¡¯s influence at work. In this case, it means that the royal family of Daido are under God of Chaos influence too, scary.

    Second, he doesn¡¯t know about this bathrobe and assumes it¡¯s my clothes, no good prince¡­ you need to do your homework before you go to your negotiation in the future.

    ¡°Okay now? You understand right? It¡¯s amon sense to take a bath naked.¡±

    ¡°No, this is called bathrobe, and this is the same kind cloth that wrapped around your waist.¡±

    ¡°What? Are you going to wash yourself in that?¡±

    ¡°No. This is to hide my body?¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s the firstt time I heard about it¡­ But no! You need to take the bath naked, and only towel is permitted to be used in the bath, that¡¯s the rules! Do you understand that now?¡±

    The prince snort, annoying.

    In Daido, that¡¯s probably a fact. But here is not Daido country, in this Empire, basic hygiene is done by casting [Clean] on yourself, and towel only used to wipe your body.

    ¡°Hey you, he is the prince of Daido, it¡¯s better for you to do as he says.¡±

    ¡°Yes, just do as prince say, take off your clothes.¡±

    Oi underlings, don¡¯t push your authority to undress me. Do you really want to see my naked [Super Transformaton] body so badly?

    ¡°No, no, what are you saying? please don¡¯t force your Daido country custom here, this is Raverio Empire, right? This country has its own custom, it doesn¡¯t matter if it the bath in your room or public bath ce, it¡¯s still embrassing to expose your skin to others.¡±

    ¡°Muh, that¡¯s a good point.¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true¡­.¡±

    ¡­huh?

    When I point out the logic behind my point, the prince withdrew quickly, this is unexpected.

    ¡°So¡­ that means, we are the one who viting the manners? Is that true?¡±

    And now he asked me if he was bothering us by only using a towel in his waist.

    What¡¯s up with this guys, is this how Daido royalty think?

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that, you don¡¯t need to use bathrobe, and I don¡¯t know how royalty custom works, it just¡­ for usmoner we aren¡¯t used to be seen naked in public, so people use this to cover their body.¡±

    ¡°I see, you don¡¯t have a problem with our towel then?¡±

    ¡°Yes, as long as it purified and did not pollute the bath¡¯s water.¡±

    ¡°umu, this was good lesson, thank you.¡±

    After saying that, the prince turned his palm toward me as if to raise his hand. Then he nodded his head slightly.

    ¡°¡­hm? domoners have different greeting to show courtesy? is this another difference in custom of our country?¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ so that¡¯s what it means. Is that the royal family¡¯s way of showing respect?¡±

    I¡¯ve been thanked just now, so I bow my head a little.

    ¡°eh, what is this mean? I never know that gesture.¡±

    ¡°So in here, they bowing their head, he is probably paying you respect, prince.¡±

    ¡°hoo, you have a good insight, and you¡¯ve got the nerve to talk back to royalty¡­ I like it, won¡¯t you be my subordinate?¡±

    Somehow¡­ he likes me? Well, I¡¯m not going to be his subordinate.

    TL notes

    ¡­ I want to write the [shadow] name as Djungarian ¡­ same as hamusuke¡¯s race from overlord¡­ but it¡¯s missing one word. Very very tempted though.

 Chapter 439 - Temporary Party Member

    <h4>Chapter 439¨C Temporary Party Member</h4>

    Although a little bit surprised by the prince¡¯s behavior, I still managed to blend in with their conversation.

    How much he like me? It was to the extent that he was inviting me while saying ¡°Okay then, we¡¯re going to dive into dungeon again tomorrow, so follow me. We¡¯re going to share the magic sword loot with you.¡±

    ¡­I get out of the bath before I give him my answer, the question is¡­ should I ept it?

    Also, this means that he still looking for more magic swords, how much more magic sword you will farm from my dungeon?

    I didn¡¯t make a promise, but I¡¯m also worried to leave those group unattended.

    Next day.

    I went to the dungeon entrance. Naturally, I came in my disguise using the [Super Transformation].

    The prince¡¯s party already gathered in the dungeon entrance before I arrived. Ie precisely at the promised time, so technically I¡¯m notte, these guys are the one that impatient, they seem to be excited to dive to dungeon again today.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally here Uma, you are thest you know?¡±

    The prince stares at me with his arms crossed, this goes without saying but, Uma is my alias.

    Seeing such a greeting from prince the [shadow] sighed. As if he already has given up.

    ¡°Prince, is this the the adventurer that will tag along today?¡±

    ¡°ah, yeah, I hired him as escort, just like you.¡±

    ¡°¡­This maybe rude, but can he really be trusted?¡±

    ¡°umu, I only met him yesterday, but he is quite pleasant person.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Oh, the [shadows] is dumbfounded.

    ¡°Can I see your guild card?¡±

    ¡°Sure, here you go.¡±

    ¡°C rank huh¡­ hmm.¡±

    This is a guild card prepared by Dolce for my disguise, her authority is significant, so she can prepare this kind of card as much as she likes. By the way, the price for this card is one potato chip and one c.

    After showing my ID card, he permitted me to join prince¡¯s party, and then we proceed to the dungeon.

    ¡­anyway, this prince¡­ he didn¡¯t even check my guild card, what¡¯s up with this prince, doesn¡¯t he know how to doubt?

    ¡°Uma, for now I will need you to follow my instruction, okay?¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m an outsider, it¡¯s natural that my presence will disturb the party formation, it¡¯s expected to do as you say¡­ what¡¯s you name again¡­ mr. Jungaria? I will trouble you for today.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry too, it seems my employer are forcibly invited you, you must be troubled too.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine, since I¡¯m a C-ranker this is a golden opportunity for me to learn.¡±

    So I was positioned in vanguard since I¡¯m using sword (at least that what I told them).

    ¡°I usually dive into the dungeon solo, don¡¯t expect too much from my ability to coordinate with others.¡±

    I slice the goblin that came from the monster spawner with my sword. Even though they will infinitely spawn this is still a friendly fire to my dungeon¡­ well it¡¯s from monster spawner, so it¡¯s doesn¡¯t count! We dismantled many golems too, well it¡¯s toote to do anything now.

    ¡°um, Sorry if my skill as c-rank are too average.¡±

    ¡°Haha, don¡¯t be modest Uma, you are on the same skill level as Kenho you know?¡±

    ¡°The prince is right, how about some sparring with me after we go back from dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Please spare me, I don¡¯t want too much trouble¡­¡±

    Kenho and I are serving as a vanguard, I¡¯m using golem assist though.

    We passed the entrance are, and now we are entering thebyrinth area. My role didn¡¯t change even if we now must facing the y golem.

    ¡°Wait¡­ wasn¡¯t this is a corridor before?¡±

    ¡°Hm? Jungaria, you didn¡¯t tell him?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­ Uma, you know this huh? prince¡­ this dungeon area will change its structure every day, but as I expected, you know about this Uma? I should expect no less from someone that prince scouted.¡±

    ¡°I see, Uma already know this. I expect no less from you!¡±

    I need to act like that in that one situation.

    I¡¯m sure the adventurer Jungaria already looked this up beforehand but isn¡¯t this an achievement for him?

    ¡­No, I know what he is doing! He tried to pass his achievement to me!

    That¡¯s right he is a [shadow], he doesn¡¯t like to stand out, but the same goes to me!

    ¡°Oh please, no need to praise me that much, almost every adventurer in this vige knows about this, right?¡±

    ¡°But you are not from this vige, right? You did your preparation well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not from this vige, but I have a friend here, he is the one who told me about this, I¡¯m even more amazed that Jungaria know about this even though you are aplete outsider.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, well done, Jungaria!¡±

    ¡°..oh ¡­ yeah, thank you, prince.¡±

    I pointed your good point, and you got praised for it, don¡¯t make that sullen face, be happier about it, smile, Jungaria.

    We finally got through the maze, and we¡¯vee to spiral staircase area. The markings that Jungaria put before has gone, this dungeon can absorb anything people left behind. Hence, it¡¯s natural for the marking to be gone.

    ¡°Kuh, the mark you put the day before has gone. Does anyone remember the trap position?¡±

    ¡°I will probably remember it if pass it once again, but there¡¯s a posibility that the position has been changed, should we put life line on Kenho-dono and proceed in the same manners as yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Jungaria, I have memorized it, should I take the vanguard position?¡±

    ¡°Oh Crusch? as next candidate for prime minister I believe you have a good memory, please do so then.¡±

    After Jungaria allows it, he put the lifeline on Crusch and let him take the vanguard position, he seems eager to do this.

    I¡¯m relieved they didn¡¯t put me on that position, because even if I had a lifeline on me, I know exactly where the trap is, so I need to fake it out and sometimes deliberately fall into one of my traps to deceive them.

    ¡°Has Uma even go beyond this point?¡±

    ¡°Just one time, prince.¡±

    ¡°hoho, you managed to get off from this spiral alone? How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°I just went down in hurry while avoiding the protuding walls and run through the falling step, you will get trapped if you are slow, but if you fast enough you won¡¯t get caught in it.¡±

    ¡°Oh what a surprise, I was thinking the same thing! Uma, looks like we are on the same page!¡±

    ¡°ahahaha, thank you, I¡¯m honored?¡±

    Kenho, who agreed with my answer to the prince¡¯s question made Jungaria expression look sour, but he could only keep his silence.

    By the way, my answer is based on the conversation Kenho had with the prince yesterday.

    With this, the prince¡¯s party plus me are safely pass through the spiral staircase area.

    Thankfully I didn¡¯t switch the trap location, so we are going smoothly this time.

    Next, the warehouse area.

    TL notes :

    To be continued

 Chapter 440 - The Princeâ€™s Circumstances

    <h4>440 ¨C The Prince¡¯s Circumstances</h4>

    Warehouse area.

    After fighting off weird golems like multi-armed golems and multi-legged golems quite a bit, we now enter the room where the prince¡¯s party got their first magic sword the other day.

    Then, the prince confirms that there¡¯s no magic sword here and let out a small voice of disappointment.

    ¡°There was a magic sword here two days ago.¡±

    ¡°No prince, since you have taken it, it will won¡¯t be here so easily the second time, no matter how good the dungeon is, item like magic sword won¡¯t be easily spawned again and again, right, Uma?¡±

    ¡°Jungaria is right.¡±

    Well, actually, I can replenish Magic Sword Golem de as many as I want.

    ¡°Still, it¡¯s nice to have an Iron Golem spawned here. I¡¯m jealous of this vige.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. A mining dungeon where you can get an infinite amount of iron, I¡¯d really want this in our country. More iron would improve Daido¡¯s position¡­¡±

    ¡°We have plenty of copper mines, but our iron is mostly imported.¡±

    The prince and his two aide¡¯s sighed.

    It seems that the Daido country has a weak international position. Compared to the neighboring Empire, the Demon Kingdom, and the Holy Kingdom, its position is overwhelmingly poor.

    The Daido country¡¯s location is surrounded by three other countries, and they treated it as a buffer zone. Although the Holy Kingdom would better to take the role since it¡¯s located in a mountain range.

    ¡°Is it only a matter of time before we be a vassal state for one of those countries.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s also a possibility that we will get merged like Pavuera and Shia.¡±

    ¡°Daido territory¡­ No! I want my country to be independent, and I need money for that!¡±

    That¡¯s it, finally. Those statements revealed the Price¡¯s goal.

    In the prince¡¯s eye burns a fire of determination ¡­but money? What use is the amount of money this dungeon can make? Let¡¯s poke it a bit.

    ¡°Oho, Money is it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm. We are¨C¡±

    ¡°We are nning to use the magic sword we¡¯ve got here to conquer more dungeons¨C¡±

    Crusch interrupted the prince¡¯s words and exined the rest. The prince who was stopped on the verge of saying it is a little unhappy. And that they¡¯re going to sell the surplus magic sword to fund their next expedition.

    ¡°To advance to another dungeon huh? Well it¡¯s true that this dungeon is already captured, all that left in here is only the magic sword that will asionally dropped.¡±

    ¡°¡­Is that so?¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know, Harks? Even I knew that.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, to think even Kenho know about this¡­¡±

    Didn¡¯t you know that there was a report in the guild saying [This dungeon is already conquered], prince¡­ please do more research before you dive into the dungeon?

    But it turns out Kenho the muscle brain only knows this because Jungaria told him, good job Jungaria the [shadow] should we get one for our home?

    ¡­¡­.

    When I think about it, everyone in my dungeon is also like him.

    Rokuko is pretty at using her head, and Niku is our main force with a deceiving appearance.

    Rei is a dungeon manager whose job is to torture and extract information from spy under the guise of Saint.

    Kinue and Nerune are monsters too¡­ there must be someone normal among us¡­

    ¡­.No way! Ichika is the most normal one among us? Should I increase the number of human resources? Will I need to buy ves again?

    ¡°Oh regarding the iron golem, can¡¯t we just hunt one here and send it directly to our country? Crusch give me your opinion as next prime minister.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s too much drawback in doing that, for example to export it from here to Daido it will cost too much for the transportation alone, that¡¯s not to mention the tariff they will impose on us¡­¡±

    ¡°Also we cannot maintain the supply if the need arise in short amount of time¡­.¡±

    ¡°In the first ce it¡¯s ridiculous to mine iron in another country mine.¡±

    If you must pay gold for each golem you obtain, it will only strengthen the empire (albeit for small margin).

    Even as a mere vige chief, I could tell that the Daido country is a weak nation¡­ yeah, thanks for the effort? Honestly, that¡¯s all I can say.

    ¡°Being a prince is difficult huh?¡±

    ¡°Uma¡­ you understand me? Okay, serve under me Uma, I will treat you well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but it¡¯s not sitting right with me to serve anyone, you will need to find someone else.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I¡¯m not giving up yet.¡±

    Why is the prince so fond of me?

    ¡°That¡¯s because we are in urgent need of good human resource. I will tell you this because I trust Uma, there¡¯s a lot of turmoil in my country and the number of decent people is scarce.¡±

    ¡°a lot of turmoil?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Uma, have you ever heard the word [Tenseisha]?¡±

    Tenseisha? The reincarnator? Judging by the name meaning it must be a person that retains their past life memories.

    ¡°Please keep quiet about this¡­ Now, in our country, it seems there are many noble daughters and sons of noblemen have be [Tenseisha] and making strange movements behind the scenes.¡±

    ¡°Oh? That¡¯s certainly concerning.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know who or how many of them are [Tenseisha] and I¡¯m not sure how big this [Tenseisha] is, but this [Tenseisha] ¨C at least from what we gathered ¨C nearly all of them have been umting money from the domestic market and they are nning to leave the country sooner orter. In other words¨Cthey¡¯re practically bandits.¡±

    Pooling the money circted in the Daido Country just to send it out¡­ they are no different than a foreign merchant forcibly stripping off the assets of the Daido Country.

    And under the currentw, ¡®Tenseisha¡¯ is treated as a merchant, so it¡¯s hard to get your hands on them. Just listening to this is already troublesome enough.

    That¡¯s why the prince wants to somehow reform his countryw, but first, he needs big capital to force this change.

    That summarizes the reason behind these group actions.

    ¡°I cannot bear the fact that [Tenseisha] is quite capable people too. I also wonder how many of them hide the fact that they are [Tenseisha]. The better they are, the more suspicious they seem to be. At least Kenho, Crusch and I have confirmed that the three of us are not [Tenseisha].¡±

    ¡°Is there someone that can detect them?¡±

    ¡°Yes there is, The director of the Institute of Magic in our country is an excellent person. Oh, of course, this director is not [Tenseisha] either.¡±

    The prince smiles proudly.

    ¡°There¡¯s this one [Tenseisha], but when the director examined her, he found that she had undergone memory maniption¡­ and had never been reincarnated at all. she is a genuine human being of our country who has been imbued with a false memory of a previous life.¡±

    ¡°Well that¡¯s¡­ well, that¡¯s not very¡­ peaceful.¡±

    ¡°Uma now you see? that¡¯s what I¡¯m talking about. Yes, this was an act of aggression. Who¨Cor from what country¨Cis this intrusioning from? In fact, we are traveling while investigating this as well. And if we can find out the source of the problem, it will be a fine bonus to us.¡±

    I see. Prince Harks and his party are excellent people who genuinely work hard for their people; they bear heavy responsibility on their shoulders.

    ¡­By the way, I know one entity who would do such a thing¡­. she is¡­ Leona, the chaos god, but what should I do?

 Chapter 441 - Dungeon Guides

    <h4>441 ¨C Dungeon Guides</h4>

    ¡°Speaking of which, I heard they¡¯ve already conquered this dungeon, what did they found in this dungeon?¡±

    ¡°The guild didn¡¯t have any information about that at all ¡­Well, at least they share the info about how to obtain magic sword.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to go deeper.¡±

    Said the prince¡¯s party and Jungaria, then they look at me.

    Since it will be troublesome for me if they reach the subus vige, I need to agree and carefully guide their course.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but it seems that is not the path we need to take.¡±

    ¡°What, how do you know that?¡±

    Crusch smiled and started to ask me questions, I already said ¡®I don¡¯t know the details¡¯ didn¡¯t you hear me?

    I was about to ignore him, but he persistently asked me, ¡°Can you tell me that info source?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the map of this dungeon before.¡±

    ¡°a Map? The guild says they didn¡¯t have any.¡±

    ¡°Apart from the basic info, adventurers are not obligated to submit everything they know.¡±

    Since they can cross-check whenever I tell the truth or not using magic tools, I need to make up a story that was borderline between a lie and truth. But the course the story about me knowing the path for this dungeon is the truth.

    ¡°If you continue moving along this path, it will lead you to [me cavern]¡±

    ¡°hoo.¡±

    ¡°Then, this way!!¡±

    And Kenho heading to a different direction from where I pointed at, but that is the way to subus vige, I hurriedly grabbing Kenho shoulder and stop him.

    ¡°Uma, Why did you stop me?¡±

    ¡°¡­why that direction?¡±

    ¡°Because if we continue, we will go to [me Caverns] that¡¯s another dungeon, right?¡±

    Well, it is.

    ¡°Don¡¯t use that one, it¡¯s a trap.¡±

    ¡°A trap?¡±

    ¡°You wont die, but whoever going that way will be stripped off until they are naked and they will be returned to dungeon entrance.¡±

    ¡°Oh¡­ is that so? Okay, that¡¯s a problem.¡±

    ¡°Uma, then which is the way to go to this dungeon depth? Since you have seen the map, I believe you know the way.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡±

    This is the prince¡¯s question, I can¡¯t say no to him.

    I tap my toes twice *kon*kon*, it¡¯s my signal for Rokuko.

    Then following my guide, we finally facing the Haniwa golem. Of course, this is only a substitute prepared by Rokuko. The pilot is Niku; also, it¡¯s hard to control the Haniwa golem.

    ¡°Oh, that thing is bad news, well then¡­ I will go back for today.¡±

    ¡°hm, certainly, I have never seen that type of golem before, what is that.¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s a h¡ªOi! Kenho!¡±

    ¡°URrrrrrrrYAaaaaaa [sh]!!¡±

    I was toote to stop him, he was already making his move.

    Haniwa Golem is hesitant. It is confused whenever it allowed to return the attacks or not, and its reaction is dyed.

    Kenho realized that and didn¡¯t waste this opportunity, he then presses his attack, he determined to finish the Haniwa Golem in one breath.

    ¡°Hahaha! We only need to kick his ass before he does it to us! Uma, leave this one to me!¡±

    ¡°Oh no, this Kenho is¡­ Uma, sorry, but please get ready.¡±

    ¡°I will scold him after we are done, that guy really don¡¯t have any self-restraints.¡±

    After receiving Kenho first assault, Haniwa golem taking back it¡¯s horse part and rearranges himself while being chased by the nimble movement that didn¡¯t suit heavily armored warrior. Befoe long Jungaira joins the fray and does additional damage to its legs.

    Furthermore, the prince and Crusch joined too. The battle flow is certainly favoring the prince¡¯s party.

    Dangerous, if these guys get into their formation, they can easily take down Haniwa golem. At the very least, Haniwa golem will never win if it is holding back so that it won¡¯t kill us.

    As the prince concentrate on taking down the golem, I¡¯m was tasked to watch the surrounding.

    Before I can summon more reinforcement, the Haniwa golem has been defeated.

    ¡°How about that, Uma? This is our strength!¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even used the skillbo yet. Our ability are too far apart, I guess.¡±

    ¡°Oh, this golem¡¯s sword¡­ it¡¯s a magic sword. Can¡¯t we get another one or two of them?

    Damn, that was a big miscalction, do I must go at them seriously?

    If the prince gets injured or dying, this will be an international problem, but can Daido really send extra manpower for a matter like this with all those [Tenseisha] running rampant?

    These guys are definitely too much problem for my dungeon!

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t want to push further ahead, can we please go back?¡±

    ¡°Can we at least take a peek ahead? We managed to defeated the guard afterall.¡±

    ¡°Well I think we can afford to face at least two of them at the same time.¡±

    Ugh ¡­ just get out. I mean, if it weren¡¯t for Jungaria¡¯s support, you guys would have been wiped out!

    ¡°Jungaria, can¡¯t we turn back? We are at our most vulnerable state at this kind of moment.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think both sides have a point, how about we explore a little bit deeper and then turning back?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡±

    ¡°I have no objection.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the leader and I¡¯m okay with that too. Majority vote win this time.¡±

    Damn it! What majority vote? Of course, you guys will win! I¡¯m just a temporary member.

    However, it¡¯s okay, just a little further and they will face the riddle area, at least you will need to spend a day just to get the right answer, you will have no choice but to turn back.

    ¡°Tha¡­t¡¯s fine then¡­ but we must go back after we took a peek!¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get going!¡±

    Thus the prince¡¯s party and I are going further inside the dungeon.

    *

    ¡°Since we already here, I¡¯d like to solve the riddle.¡±

    ¡°¡­No, let¡¯s just go home. You said you¡¯d turn back after you saw what¡¯s inside.¡±

    The princes understood the problem properly and answered it, but this room is a riddle room, a ce designed so you will have to fail at least once before you can submit the right answer.

    It will give you another chance to answer after one day has passed.

    ¡°We¡¯ll camp here.¡±

    ¡°Hey, prince, how easy going are you? You think you can be a good king with such careless attitude?¡±

    The prince ignores my words and lets the Jungaria set up his tent.

    ¡°ahaha, Uma, you are getting used to handle prince!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s a good sign.¡±

    ¡°Uma-dono, the prince won¡¯t budge when it alreadyes to this¡­. I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯ll give you the magic sword I mentioned earlier as advance payment for your share, so please bear it?¡±

    Jungaria came to me and lowered his head.

    Guguu¡­I only wished I could go home and sleep on my bed¡­!

    ¡°¡­just one more day! We¡¯ll turn back tomorrow, I promise!¡±

    ¡°Uh huh, for now let¡¯s take our turn to stand guard tonight!¡±

    Thus, I ended up spending the night in a tent with the princes. Damn it!

 Chapter 442 - Finger of Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 442 ¨C Finger of Chaos</h4>

    The next day.

    The prince failed to solve the mystery, again. And we are supposed to return now.

    ¡°Again! Please, just one more day!¡±

    ¡°NO!¡±

    He acts like a spoiled prince, but I had already conceded to his wish once. I can¡¯t y this game any longer.

    I want to go home and see Rokuko, it feels like I¡¯ve been away for a long time.

    ¡°Kuh, it cannot be helped then¡­ will we dive againter?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, I suppose we can do this again without Uma.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯m getting the hang of it!¡±

    I sighed jealously to this prince¡¯s group; they are just so optimistic. I¡¯m so tired, but I cannot turn them down since that Jungaria already lowered his head.

    We fought one Iron Golem on our way back and put the loots into prince¡¯s [storage]. After all, iron is a preciousmodity.

    With this our temporary party is disbanded safely, I got generous share as a nuisance fee, I forgive them, and return to the inn.

    And finally, after quite a while, I canceled [super transformation].

    I¡¯m tired.

    ¡°Wee home Kehma, good job out there.¡±

    ¡°ah yeah, Rokuko, I¡¯m home¡­¡±

    Rokuko greets me and softly hugs my head. It smells good and feels nice.

    I didn¡¯t resist, and Rokuko kept hugging me as she wished, I finally returned to Rokuko after a long time.

    Wait¡­ isn¡¯t this bad? Haku will kill me for this.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Haku has given me the [Hug rights].¡±

    Rokuko said that as if she reads my mind, she continues to hug me and pulls out the [God¡¯s Comforter]. Ah, there¡¯s no way for me to resist this.

    This is how I was put to sleep by Rokuko, and I greeted the morning while feeling refreshed.

    ¡°Kehma, Good morning.¡±

    ¡°Ah, un¡­¡±

    I woke up in my room, Rokuko was already here. As if it was the most natural thing to happens.

    You could say that my conditioned reflexes have been forged in the Demon Kingdom, I was not fazed by this situation at all.

    ¡°How that prince¡¯s party doing?¡±

    ¡°ah, it looks like they will dive to dungeon again today.¡±

    They seem to be heading to the puzzle room again without me. I was there as a temporary member in the first ce, but I wasn¡¯t that much help to the party as a whole. In other words, they will be able to get there faster without me, which they did.

    ¡­why are they so motivated.?

    ¡°Ugh, wrong answer again?!¡±

    ¡°Should we camp here again?¡±

    And that room stopped them wonderfully. This room gimmick is very effective. Make the wrong answer, and you will need to wait for one more day, it¡¯s too strong!

    ¡°Kehma, you can just deal with the prince directly right?¡±

    ¡°If I do that, this will be an international incident.¡±

    Let¡¯s say Daido prince¡¯s died in our dungeon. In that case, the Daido country will definitely send out an investigation team, which will spell more trouble for us. Also¡­

    ¡°If I let him die here, Leona underlings would be out of control, if that happens the world will be in trouble.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s the international problem that concerns you?¡±

    ¡°I want them to round up this [Tenseisha] group and shut them down.¡±

    If possible, I want to crush Leona secret scheme, or at the very least, I want it to let it diffuse naturally. I don¡¯t want to do more than necessary. Still, I want to let them go home with a good amount of money to sessfully push the [Tenseisha] regtion bill.

    ¡°To be honest, I wish I could do something for them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s so nice of you Kehma, so¡­ what are you nning to do?¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, we still have time to think about this, for now let¡¯s just keep an eye on them.¡±

    When I looked at the prince¡¯s party on the monitor, they roasted and ate marshmallows at the camp in the puzzle room.

    ¡­this is the first time I saw marshmallow in this world, was [Tenseisha] is the one who made it?

    It¡¯s been quite a while since I want them too, let¡¯s take out some with my DP and share it with Rokuko.

    Not long after Ichika broke into our room, she was lured by the smell of roasted marshmallows in [fireball].

    *

    Church basement.

    I told Dolce about this situation.

    About Daido, Leona, and what I dig from the prince¡¯s group. All of it. There¡¯s no need to hide anything. It¡¯s just a bunch of unsorted info, and I believe she already reported some of this to Haku, so my information will be a good source of cross-reference.

    There¡¯s only one thing that I did not tell her, it¡¯s the moment when I fell asleep while being hugged by Rokuko.

    ¡°So Dolce, I¡¯m nning to give them some money and let them go home.¡±

    ¡°¡­What with this chaos god business¡­ this is troublesome¡­ so that what was happened in Daido¡­¡±

    Dolce sighed. She was aware of [Tenseisha] existence, but she didn¡¯t know enough about their background.

    ¡°What my men missed¡­ that this is the work of the Chaos God ¡­ and what more, based on what I heard from you, that director of magic institute is clearly suspicious¡­¡±

    ¡°eh? Now that mention it, that¡¯s true.¡±

    That director of the magic institute, aside from the trace of memory maniption, how did they determine whenever you are reincarnated or not?

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that the princes have been brainwashed by the director his memory was embedded with convenient information¡­ no, if that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s consistent with the information we have¡­ the director of the Institute of Magic Research is Toy Tindalos, should I assume he is an finger(pawn) of chaos god? And let¡¯s say this is true, then the prince statement can¡¯t be trusted? Damn it, this is nasty. This also why I don¡¯t like to deal with Chaos God.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    Oh, I see, even if they found some, they can determine that they¡¯re not reincarnated because they¡¯re the ones who falsify the report, right?

    TL notes:

    Finger of chaos = »ìãç¤ÎÊÖÏÈ, the proper way to trante this: Agent/Pawn of Chaos, but there¡¯s a reason why I left it as a finger, you will see it in uing (not next) chapter.

    ÊÖÏÈ (tesaki)= finger/subordinate/pawn.

    Toy/Toi Tindalos = new name, new dilemma, Tindalos part is set, Toy part is somehow set since it really fits the persona of the said person.

    In case you wonder why Tindalos part is set, just google ¡°Hound of Tindalos¡±, but be warned¡­ from his name alone, it will give you huge chunks of spoiler.

    And after this it will be a pretty long-continued chapter, it¡¯s so good though¡­ about¡­ 10 chapters, I guess?

    If you don¡¯t want to be stuck in a cliffhanger, I will advise you to wait for a little, I will still post the chapter every two days, so don¡¯t worry the schedule pretty much same as usual.

 Chapter 443 - Hero Summoning

    <h4>443 ¨C Hero Summoning</h4>

    After I finished told Dolce everything I know about Toy Tindalos.

    Dolce was scratching her head while saying, ¡°this is bothersome¡­¡±

    ¡°ah¡­Thank you for providing this info, let me take care of the rest, I¡¯ll make sure there won¡¯t be something bad happening here.¡±

    ¡°Thank you¡­ ¡­. ¡­. You are not going to kill him, right?¡±

    ¡°ofcourse not, we can press them to hand over their director of magic institute as the condition of reaching an agreement in our negotiation between nation.¡±

    It seems that the situation is not as bad as I¡¯ve thought.

    That¡¯s why I decided to leave it to Dolce-san to deal with the princes.

    Dolce-san, you¡¯re very reliable, unlike Misha¡­ no, Misha is also capable enough¡­ in raw power, that¡¯s it.

    *

    Next day.

    To my surprise, the prince party gave up, breaking through the puzzle room and left the vige with big smiles stered on their face.

    Ms. Dolce !! you are so verypetent, it¡¯s amazing how efficient you are¡­!

    The prince¡¯s party was also looking around for Uma, but many people answered that they don¡¯t know anyone with that name.

    Ichika, one of the few people who knew Uma, said, ¡°He hate troublesome things, he just said hi to us and left the vige¡±, which made them feel a bit gloomy.

    ***

    As usual, Rokuko and I were rxing in my room at the vige chief¡¯s residence.

    ¡°Still this time is scary, What do you think would have happened if they are not stuck in puzzle room?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, they would have broken into the core room, which is one room away from the boss room.¡±

    Iron Haniwa golem are stationed in the arena, and Dragon golem at the boss room, but as we can see, they can break through the first Haniwa golem without even taking damage, there¡¯s a chance that those two other golems can also be defeated with their level of strength.

    ¡°Iron Haniwa method of attack is exactly same as normal Haniwa, as the Dragon golem, he did not have anything special¡­ maybe I should have put more thought into strengthening my dungeon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s certainly troublesome¡­ but you not nning to let them just capture me like that, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­That much is given,¡±

    That ce is just the room for the dummy core. You could say that it was a showroom.

    ¡°so in other word, so far only Kehma, the chief of Gollen vige, are the only one that managed to capture this dungeon, right?¡±

    ¡°I suppose?¡±

    No, I¡¯m not lying about anything to the guild, I submit my report as [I have dive into the dungeonst room and located the dungeon core that ced there].

    ¡°So that means Kehma is the only one that managed to capture me, right?¡±

    ¡°ummm¡­ I guess I am?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, I don¡¯t want others to conquer me(dungeon), because you are the only one who can get to my true core, there will be no other for me. Okay?¡±

    I can¡¯t deny those words, and I pat Rokuko¡¯s smiling face with a light pat to her head.

    I wonder if she wants me to monopolize her, geez, I get it.

    At that moment, I¡¯mpletely off-guard. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t quickly react to the magic formation that was silently forming in my feet.

    ¡°huh?¡±

    ¡°n?¡±

    Then a blinding light filled my vision.

    * * * *

    The next thing I knew, me and Rokko were in a stone room.

    ¡°Oh! a Hero! We did it, the summoning was a sess.¡±

    ¡­and in front of me is a middle-aged man wearing a red cloak and a crown. Two soldiers, a maid, an uncle, and a gramps. Some of them are dressed in robes.

    What the hell happened?

    Rokuko is surprised too, she widens her eyes as if to say, ¡°I don¡¯t know what is going on¡±. And then the crowned middle-aged man ¡ª the king called out to us.

    ¡°Oh Hero, I beg you to help me!¡±

    ¡°¡­What? Hero?¡±

    ¡°Wait, Kehma, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Rokuko and I were just rxing in our rooms, which is why we are barefooted now.

    It seems that we are teleported to this ce¡­ and from what I can gather, it seems they recognized me as a Hero.

    ¡°No way is this¡­ other world transmigration¡­!?¡±

    ¡°As expected of Japanese! Then the exnation will be quick. Wee to my country, Daido. And please, I beg you to save our country.¡±

    Oh, Daido? I see.

    I deployed the dungeon function silently, good it¡¯s still working. From what the map showing us, I can guess this is a royal capital of Daido, so yeah, at least that¡¯s something.

    ¡­Calm down, I can guess this is Leona handiworks, and if we panicked here, that¡¯s just what Leona wants.

    However, Daido country is located down the south of the Empire. It¡¯s quite far from Gollen vige. They¡¯re able to teleport Rokuko and me all the way here means they¡¯re bound to have a tremendous amount of magical power.

    ¡°Kehma, ¡­what to do?¡±

    ¡°For the time being¡­ let¡¯s wait and see.¡±

    For now, should I pretend to be a Hero that was called to Daido country? And should I expose Leona¡¯s secret scheme?

    The man who looks like King of Daido is waiting for my answer, so I¡¯ll just ask him what he needs from me.

    ¡°Uh, may I ask what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. Minister, please exin.¡±

    ¡°Yes. well, from Hero perspective you call this ce a different world. and we would like request your aid to save our country from a crisis. When all hadpleted, we promise to send you back to your origin world along with arge amount of reward.¡±

    The minister said while ying with his beard.

    ¡°¡­What kind of crisis?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the Demon King¡¯s invasion. Our world is on the verge of being swallowed in a Demon King¡¯s invasion.¡±

    The minister said that tiny voice.

    Does this mean that he thinks we are ignorant, and he had no intention of giving us any information?

    ¡°In addition, a country called the Empire is taking advantage of the world¡¯s crisis tounch an invasion, and our Daido country has been robbed of some of its territory.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s harsh.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why we wanted to ask for your help, we want to borrow the power of Hero.¡±

    By the way, ording to what I heard from Haku-san, the Raverio Empire is indeed invading countries all over the world, so it seems that this is not necessarily a lie.

    I steal a nce at Rokuko. This Daido Country that dares toy a hand at Rokuko is¡­ already destroyed.

    TL note:

    Please press F for {you are¡­ already dead / omae wa mou¡­ shinde iru} moment for Daido country.

 Chapter 444 - Footprints of Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 444 - Footprints of Chaos</h4>

    ¡°Forgive my rudeness! Your Majesty ¡ª¡±

    A soldieres into the room and whispered something to the king.

    ¡°Hmm, I understand¡­ please take care of the rest, Minister.¡±

    ¡°Understood. Leave it to me.¡±

    And one by one they left the room, The only ones that left are me, Rokuko, the minister, and the maid.

    ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ¡°ah, first I will need you to wear this Hero bracelet. This will also serve as your ID, so please wear it.¡±

    The minister then pped his hand, and the maid brought forth two bracelets in the tray that she had been carrying.

    I inspect it, this is suspicious. No matter how you look at it, isn¡¯t this ID-like ve cor?

    I stole a nce at Rokuko.

    ¡°Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know.¡±

    It seems that Rokuko is also hesitant to wear it.

    The minister showing his worries seeing how we only took the bracelet without wearing it.

    This is my chance.

    ¡°Can you please wear it?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Is this something you wear on your hand? Ah, I see¡­ our culture is different, sorry¡­ but I can¡¯t wear anything like this bracelet. It¡¯s going against my belief.¡±

    ¡°People in Hero¡¯s country didn¡¯t use bracelets?¡±

    ¡°At least not from where Ie from. No one wore ornaments on their arms.¡±

    That is how I decided to y this. I did not say any lies because I was wary of someone monitoring us with lie detection tools somewhere in this vicinity.

    The bracelet is supposed to be used by holding them in your hand and put it on your other arms. And it was natural if our culture is different, what more, I don¡¯t want to wear such a questionable thing in my hands.

    It also the truth that no one wears bracelets around me. You won¡¯t have a good time sleeping with that attached to you.

    ¡°Also, if you only use it for ID, isn¡¯t it enough to just hold it in your hand and show them whenever you need to, right? Or¡­ there¡¯s some inconvenience for you if we don¡¯t use this?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not, but it had some magic to prevent theft, so please wear it.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Then I will put a string through it and wear it like a ne. Is that okay with you?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t say¡­ there are clothes in this country but you don¡¯t have strings!? This is bad¡­ okay, let me postpone your request and teach you how to make a string, it¡¯s li¡­¡±

    ¡°There are! We have strings! Oi! maid over there! Bring string for two people, at once!¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank God. you have it, don¡¯t you scare me like that. It¡¯s not good for my heart.¡±

    Thus, we managed to avoid being forced to wear bracelets, and the said bracelets are now tied with string and we wear it as a ne.

    And I also managed to read that a magic circle was written at the back of the room.

    There is a chain of words, some of them said e here], [Keima Masuda] and [forced type]

    Yeah, this confirmed it. This is Leona¡¯s doing. The only people in this world who know my name correctly as ¡°Masuda Keima¡± are me and Leona, she is the only one who ever uses the [appraisal] on me.

    Or at the very least, Leona is the one who made this magic circle. I don¡¯t know if she draws it personally or had someone draw it for her.

    ¡°So, you want us to save this country from crisis, right? What do you want us to do, then?¡±

    ¡°Since ancient times, the Hero duty is only to vanquish the Demon King and then married with our princess¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t need thetter part, can¡¯t you see this?¡±

    Then I smiled and hugged Rokuko¡¯s shoulder. Rokko trembles a little and then leans her weight against me. Nice reaction.

    Look, he said he was going to send me home after I finished my work, but this marriage business is a contradiction to that promise, It¡¯s obviously a trap, right?

    ¡°We¡¯re a polygamous nation. All you need to do is leave your descendant here.¡±

    ¡°I decline. My home country doesn¡¯t allow me to have more than one wife.¡±

    ¡°This is Daido country, there¡¯s no problem.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt, since you don¡¯t seem to understand my goodwill on my word choice, but I¡¯m ufortable with the idea of having a second life partner, and even more you when you made an offer in front of her. You have done well to demotivate me; I will expect much more reward for this job.¡±

    ¡°¡­I¡¯m so sorry about this!!¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s treat this one time as a joke, we are from different culture after all.¡±

    ¡°Thank you very much!¡±

    Said the Minister while bowing his head forcefully.

    ¡°Rather, can you give me some time? My mind is not prepared to take down the Demon King, this all too sudden for me. I¡¯d like to consider it, so pleasepile the contents of our work and it¡¯spensation in a document.¡±

    ¡°¡­I understand. Hero, for now, let us take you to your room, please rest while I prepare your request.¡±

    The maid then guides us out of the room. It seems the documents I requested will be delivered after dinner.

    ¡°Pleasee, this way.¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way. We only need one room.¡±

    ¡°Understood, sir.¡±

    Hmm? No, this is fine. I¡¯m only bluffing to the minister but it turned out to be the best way to proceed for now. and I don¡¯t want to leave Rokuko alone, it will be dangerous if the things suddenly go south.

    So, I and Rokuko were left alone in the guest room where the maid has taken us.

    There¡¯s only one bed in the guest room, it had a window, but since it¡¯s on the third floor there¡¯s no way to get out of here. Unless you can fly.

    It¡¯s simple, but this looks like a proper guest room, it¡¯s not a prison or anything. I guess this is just a guest room formon people. Ah, the bed seemed a bit too small for two people to sleep in.

    Rokuko was tired and m down her body on the bed, it turns out the bed is harder than she thought she groaned, ¡°Hoguah!¡±

    ¡°Atata¡­ but Kehma, what does this mean? We¡¯re in Daido country, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°At least I can confirm that this is Leona doing.¡±

    ¡°What on earth is going on¡­¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I really don¡¯t know¡­ the only clue we had is Leona.¡±

    Also, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve crossed any world. the evidence lies in the fact we didn¡¯t meet any gods, and it¡¯s more likely to had something to do with a teleportation system using ritual magic with multiple people utilizing the magic circle.

    ¡±For now. since it¡¯s not like we have anything better to do, let¡¯s send out a reconnaissance. Let¡¯s use DP summon for rats and little birds.¡±

    ¡°Yes. In a situation like this, we can never have too much info.¡±

    Rokuko sends out rats and yellow birds which aremon wherever they are and sent them to scout the area. DP function is convenient.

    ¡±Oh, there¡¯s also an email function that allows you to email others. I¡¯ll send an email to Haku.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Haku-nee-sama will surelye to help¡­ what is this?¡±

    Rokuko tried to ess the email function but it cannot be used.

    ¡°Maintenance¡­?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think [Father] need to do that.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to say this¡­ but this is probably also Leona¡¯s works.

 Chapter 445 - Wrap me in blankets to fool their eyes.

    <h4>Chapter 445 - Wrap me in nkets to fool their eyes.</h4>

    If you look back a little bit, you will realize that I and Rokuko haven¡¯t even introduced ourselves. At most I only called out to Rokuko using her nickname.

    In other words, they don¡¯t even care about who we are, as long as we are willing to be Heroes, I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what important for them.

    Adding the fact of this suspicious bracelet and that forced summon. their intention is just too obvious.

    Rokuko called me, hm? As soon as I got close to her, she¡¯s pulled my hand and she hugged me.

    Oi, oi, this is not the time for-

    ¡°¡­sorry, but I was wary about someone spying on us.¡±

    ¡°Ah¡­¡±

    ¡ª She¡¯s right. I was cautious in the summoning room, but I lowered my guard aftering to this guest room. Even though I know this ce is still a danger zone.

    ¡°It should be safe to put this bracelet in [storage]?¡±

    Rokuko pulled a bracelet that was hanging from her neck and put it into [storage].

    It does not matter if the bangles were used as a listening device because how the [storage] works, anything that put inside will have its time stopped within the isted space.

    The menu screen also has a setting that makes it invisible to others, wait¡­ can I insist that summoning is my Hero ability?

    ¡°¡­ I feel like I have said too many weird things.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more natural to say that, if you say a lot of things that people can¡¯t understand, they will just assume you just said something with otherworldermon sense. ¡­Kehma¡­ do you want more hugs?¡±

    ¡°un, okay.¡±

    Soft¡­ I hugged Rokuko as if she¡¯s my pillow¡­ and she covers me with a nkets.

    ¡°Well. In the meantime, we need to gather more information, what do you think, Kehma?¡±

    Rokuko whisper to me in very close range, it felt a little bit ticklish. But that¡¯s not important right now.

    ¡°For now, there are two options we can take.¡±

    ¡°Move or wait. Right?¡±

    Yeah. To be honest, I¡¯m tempted to choose to run away as soon as possible, but they¡¯re preparing the documents that will outline their request, so I think it¡¯s worth to wait a bit.

    and that minister, he didn¡¯t even check to see if we could read thenguage of this world. I wonder if he¡¯ll write it. It¡¯s not hard to imagine that he¡¯s going to nt some drugs in our dinner.

    ¡°I have faint resistance and [Super Transformation], but it¡¯s still scary.¡±

    ¡°We need something to detect the poison.¡±

    ¡°How about using the rats to test for poison first?¡±

    I suppose it¡¯s not impossible, but what if the poison only works on people? And poison is more likely to work on people than in rat¡­ right?

    ¡°The best way to avoid it is to not eat it after all¡­¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I will say that I¡¯m sick and skipping dinner, how about that Kehma?¡±

    ¡°hm¡­¡±

    And Rokuko takes out the melon bread. Did she pull it from [storage] or did she make it with DP?

    ¡°Kehma, want some?¡±

    ¡°ah, yes.¡±

    Rokuko passed the melon bread to me under the nkets. I take a bite, *nom* delicious.

    ¡°Or I could just go to bed and say we won¡¯t wake up until tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°I see, we can do that too.¡±

    *nom* and Rokuko continues to eat melon bread. She eats it in a very close range¡­ why did she be so strangely sexy¡­?

    ¡°¡­¡±

    ¡°Kehma?¡±

    ¡°I-it¡¯s nothing. ¡­yeah. how¡¯s the reconnaissance going?¡±

    ¡°For now, I¡¯m just trying to get a detailed part of the area. I¡¯m sure if we waited until morning, I could get a good image of the castleyout.¡±

    ¡°All right. Then, I¡¯m going to go tell the maid that we¡¯re going to bed and I don¡¯t want anything for dinner.¡±

    And then I walk away from Rokuko, get out of the nkets, and look out of the room.

    A maid sitting in a chair just outside the room, shees up to me and asks if she can help me. You¡¯ve been waiting diligently in this empty hallway, you¡¯re too devoted to your work.

    ¡±Actually, we were just about to go to bed when we were summoned. *yawn* now so I¡¯m sleepy¡­ We¡¯ll sleep till tomorrow morning, so don¡¯t wake me up. Oh, I don¡¯t need dinner too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. May I ask your n for tomorrow morning?¡±

    ¡°I want to read the promised documents about Hero¡¯s work, also I want something light for breakfast.¡±

    ¡°I humbly receive this task.¡±

    I told the maid of our n tomorrow with a bit yawn in between my words, and she rang the bell and other maids came in, they received the order and left again.

    ¡­Is this maid an attendant for us? I could guess she¡¯s also keeping an eye on us.

    Anyway, I¡¯ve told her as nned. And now I¡¯m going back into the room, swiftly lock the door and go back to Rokuko¡¯s side.

    ¡°Kehma, sleep together?¡±

    Rokuko invites me while wrapping herself in nkets.

    ¡°¡­there¡¯s only one bed. So, It can¡¯t be helped, okay?¡±

    ¡°yes, there¡¯s only one bed. So we can¡¯t help it.¡±

    I was getting used to being wrapped up with her in the [God¡¯s Comforter] in the Demon Kingdom, so it¡¯s a bit toote to say it now, but I still feel shy. I mean¡­ I can¡¯t get used to it, or maybe I should say this makes me nervous.

    ¡­¡­¡­

    ¡°Or rather¡­ should I really sleep in this situation?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll wake you up if anything happens, so, let¡¯s sleep?¡±

    I asked her, won¡¯t it be better if we stay awake in case of an attacke, but she dismissed my suggestion.

    ¡°Kehma will start doing something absurd if he didn¡¯t get enough sleep, so you must sleep while you can.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ cannot deny that.¡±

    Rokuko says she¡¯s can stay awake because she¡¯s a dungeon core and doesn¡¯t need sleep. I also have a fainting tolerance, so I can stay awake without sleep, but if that¡¯s the reasoning, then I have no choice.

    So I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s going to sleep¡­wrapped up in the nket with Rokuko.

    ¡°Rokuko¡­¡±

    ¡°yes?¡±

    ¡°Please keep this secret from Haku¡­¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    She replied so shortly and patted me on the head.

 Chapter 446 - Scent of Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 446 - Scent of Chaos</h4>

    The next morning.

    The minister sent me a paper via the maid, which summarizes the contents of our work.

    I decide to read it while eating my breakfast (sandwich) in my room.

    I don¡¯t know what will they put into my breakfast, so I switch the sandwich with own (DP) sandwich.

    ¡°Uh, surprisingly¡­ it¡¯s turned out to be something more proper than I thought.¡±

    ¡°The content is outrageous, though?¡±

    In short, the documents say:

    The Heroes job is to Defeat the Demon King and repel Empire invasion.

    Every time the Heroespletes their mission sessfully, they will be rewarded.

    When the Demon King is defeated, the heroes will be sent home if they wish to do so.

    The Heroes shall have the citizenship of a count in Daido Country.

    The Heroes will receive primary education about this world andbat training.

    The Daido Country is responsible for the well being of Heroes and their party.

    To think of it wasn¡¯t Wataru also a Count?

    I wonder if that¡¯s the standard position given to the Heroes.

    ¡°In conclusion, they asked me to go to battle.¡±

    I cannot help but wonder if the [Tenseisha] problem prince Harks talked really that severe.

    Or maybe they will try to reach me without anyone knowing? It¡¯s [Tenseisha], after all.

    By the way, after surveince, we were able to clearly see the map of this country. The Raverio Empire is in the north, and the Demon Country is in the south. The Holy Kingdom is across the mountain range to the east.

    Daido is andlocked country that doesn¡¯t have any contact with the sea.

    This confirms it once again, we didn¡¯t cross any world this is just long-range teleportation case.

    ¡°Kehma, what do you want to do now? Should we gather more information?¡±

    ¡°Even if I run away, they will just summon me again.¡±

    I tried to recall the magic circle formation, I¡¯m quite sure that they can summon me as many time as they want using that same magic formation.

    ¡°dammit, Leona¡­¡±

    ¡°Then I suppose that I will stay with Kehma¡­ they also said something about education and training for us, it¡¯s not like our lives are in immediate danger, right?¡±

    ¡°It also depends on their extent of intention to us, if we got drugged in the name of education, that¡¯s not funny.¡±

    There¡¯s no mention ofpensation in the case a Hero deceased or killed, they also didn¡¯t say anything about killing or detain a Hero¡­ I will just ask them directly.

    * * * * * * * * * *

    We have another meeting with the minister.

    The ce of meeting is in the castle¡¯s reception room. We sitting across this seemingly luxurious but hard sofa, I asked the minister about the details of the document.

    ¡°This document doesn¡¯t say how the Daido country will treat its Heroes. Wouldn¡¯t a citizenship equivalent to an earl¡¯s would mean that we will need to follow whatever¡¯s King order throw at us?¡±

    ¡°Of course, that was not the case. I just left out a few words because it feels that it was too obvious. The only thing we ask from our Heroes is to the extent of what was written here, We¡¯ll also help you as much as we can if there¡¯s anything you need to do you are free to do as you will.¡±

    ¡°Can my citizenships be used against me, for example, I could be detained or locked up, even if I did nothing wrong. This is what worries me.¡±

    ¡°¡­If the heroesmit a crime, we will bestow you with penalty, but we also n to educate you aboutmon sense for this world so that won¡¯t happen. We won¡¯t arrest you for something you didn¡¯t do.¡±

    ¡°If I had to say this bluntly, we are not that much different than mercenaries that got hired to fight Demon King and Empire?¡±

    ¡°¡­ you are certainly right, and I¡¯m sorry about that, but the difference is that you will fight in the name of justice, I can guarantee that much.¡±

    ¡°What kind of education and training will you provide?¡±

    ¡°The training will includemon sense teaching, simplews, and history. In addition to the training that our troops generally receive, we will also train you in magic skills. It is said that Heroes are endowed with special powers, so we may need to ask you to discover what your special power is.¡±

    I see, the more I listen to them, the more I feel they are willing to work with me. Well, there¡¯s no guarantee that they¡¯ll keep their word, so I can¡¯t believe them easily.

    There¡¯s no way around this. So how do I make them believe that I willing to trust them¡­ I can¡¯t think of anything.

    The minister may know that it¡¯s useless to make me trust them until I see it for myself.

    Thus, I decided to ask something that had been bothering me.

    ¡°Magic skills, are you saying¡­ are there some great wizards who serve this country or something? Director of the Ministry of Magic, or Director of the Institute of Magic? someone like that?¡±

    ¡°We have a director of the magic institute .¡±

    ¡°Hoo, I¡¯d like to meet him. What¡¯s his name?¡±

    ¡°Certainly. In fact, the magic circle that summoned the Hero was also written by Director Tindalos.¡±

    Director Tindalos.

    As I recall, the name that the Prince mentioned was Toy Tindalos.

    After that, I checked a few things, and I finished my questions.

    ¡°¡­okay, thank you for being so polite and teaching me so much.¡±

    ¡°Not at all. To be honest, we¡¯ve been preparing ourselves for some moreints.¡±

    ¡°oh, that¡­ I was irritated because I was sleepy,¡¯

    It could be they thought that I was angry? Because they summoned me without warning and that put me on high alert.

    I wont get angry about such thin, on the other hand, if you dare to disturb my sleep or make me train until I cannot sleep properly, I will go at you with all I had.

    ¡°oh¡­ I see. Come to think of it, I heard that you were asleep until morning right after that. ¡­It seems we summon you right before you go to sleep, I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you understand.¡±

    Then the minister took out something from his chest, while murmured ¡®I see I see¡¯.

    It¡¯s a disc with a string attached to it in the shape of a pendant. It¡¯s like¡ª

    ¡°We follow religion in our country, it¡¯s called Beddhism. It is a religion that values rest and good sleep. This is its symbol. If Hero wants to, you can also join us in the church.¡±

    ¡ª it is the holy symbol of the Beddhism religion.

 Chapter 447 - Shopping Date

    <h4>447 ¨C Shopping Date</h4>

    Beddhism.

    Rumors said, one day, a sister came to Daidonds and started this religion.

    As for me, All I can see is Leona forcefully spreading it. She¡¯s already done the same thing in the Corky town inside the Empire border.

    What are you trying to do? Why did you help me gathering GP? Just why? I cannot understand it¡­.

    It may be useless to think too deeply about this. There¡¯s also a possibility that she is doing it for just one purpose¡­ Chaos.

    Anyway, Rokuko and I are sightseeing in the outskirts of Daido castle. Naturally, we are not alone, two guards are tagging along to watch us.

    ¡°It¡¯s an honor to be assigned as hero¡¯s escorts, nice to meet you!¡±

    ¡°Hero-sama, this is presumptuous of me, but I would like to guide you around this city.¡±

    They are a young male knight with sparkling eyes (uselessly handsome), a young female knight (Rokuko is cuter), and some escort hiding around us.

    I wonder if they picked this man because of his appearance, or maybe they thought it would be easier to leave a good impression if they are good looking?

    It possible that at first, they want to treat us like ves. But since we persistently refused to use the bracelet, they need to improvise and giving me an incentive instead.

    To be honest, I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea to go out of the castle. We have a meeting with the director of the Institute of Magic Research, Toy Tindalos,ter this night, so we had to prepare now.

    ¡°Do you have somewhere you¡¯d like to go?¡±

    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the right thing to say to someone who came to this world for the first time, it¡¯s a different story if we are someone whoes to this country after doing a bit of research.

    ¡°I want to go to a food stall, and after that¡­ Beddhism church, I¡¯m really curious about that.¡±

    Food is culture. You can tell a lot about a country by the Food, or so Ichika said.

    Besides,pared to the Food served in the castle, it would be rtively safe to buy and eat outside. Also, I can say that I eat too much and skipped dinner again.

    ¡°Food is it?! Then I¡¯m sure Hero-sama will be pleased since recently we have many different new shops opened in this city, please follow me.¡±

    ¡°Beddhism Church is holding their mass today, how about we visit them in the afternoon?¡±

    It¡¯s decided then, our n for today is to visit the food stalls and heading to Beddhist Church after.

    The female knights lead the way for us, the sparkling male knight escorting us from the back. Rokuko linked her arms with mine, so we will not be separated, and we proceed to the food stalls area.

    ¡°If there¡¯s a stall you¡¯re interested in, please tell me, it¡¯s my treat¨CI¡¯d like to say that¡­ but the truth is I¡¯ve been entrusted with some money from the Knight Commander, so it¡¯s the Knight Commander¡¯s treat.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Well, I suppose I should thank him for that. What¡¯s the name of the Knight Commander?¡±

    ¡°Commander¡¯s name is Charidy. And do you know what? he¡¯s also the head of that famous Cthugha family!¡±

    What do you mean by the Cthugha family? Your exnation is too short. Or maybe this female knight doesn¡¯t know that we just got abducted from another world?

    ¡°Kehma! Kehma! They have karaage!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you are right ¡­ they also have baby caste, yakisoba, and okonomiyaki!?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s crepes too.¡±

    The smell of burning sauce and soy sauce wafted through the air. There was also a sweet smell of desserts. Is this Japan? ¡­Oh, they don¡¯t have octopus and squid barbeque. Well, you can¡¯t expect that from andlocked country.

    ¡°Oh, those are the new foods. There¡¯s been a boom in food creation among the noble¡¯s Children. it¡¯s a surprise, does Hero recognizes this Food¡­? and here I thought it was a food that originated from this country.¡±

    ¡°In my original world, we had a pretty much exact type of Food. Hmmm, but you don¡¯t have chocte bananas or taiyaki¡­¡±

    ¡°Hooh, In the world of the heroes exist such a thing? To think of it¡­ a while ago, there were things called chocte bananas. It was a peeled banana with chocte on it. However, it seems that they were smuggling in the chocte and bananas from other countries. As a result, they were arrested ¡­although it was delicious.¡±

    In other words, this lineup of food stalls is the work of [Tenseisha].

    By the way, I also made karaage, pudding, and Ningyoyaki (baked golem) in Gollen Vige, so I don¡¯t want to say too much about this, but this is out of control already.

    ¡­There were no taiyaki, but shops were selling oobanyaki, okonomiyaki, imagawa-yaki, and kaiten-yaki. There are two types of fillings: custard cream and sweet bean paste.

    ¡­If they had a fish-shaped mold, they could make Taiyaki, too.

    ¡°They are all delicious. Let¡¯s go buy them all.¡±

    ¡°They are a little bit different from each other, Kehma, let¡¯s share.¡±

    ¡°I should have skipped breakfast.¡±

    And while sharing various things with Rokuko, I offer some of it to our escorts. Because it seems they won¡¯t be able to eat out of we didn¡¯t tell them to ¡­Yeah, they weren¡¯t even hesitating, and it doesn¡¯t seem to have been poisoned, it means that I can go all out.

    Unlike Rokuko, who can nullify the poison by using my absolutemand authority to the dungeon core, I¡¯m pretty much defenseless against poison. I can allow myself to die once though, since I¡¯ve used the [Super Transformation].

    However, the chef at this food stall is surprisingly highly skilled. Aside from the sauce and mayonnaise, where did they get the soy sauce? And crepes are usually topped with a sweet whipped cream with lots of sugar and stuff like that ¡­ is your food hygiene regted?

    ¡°you are right, but the food carts that still exist now are fine. There were some food poisoning incidents with mayonnaise in the early days.¡±

    ¡°It was the Prime minister is the one who discovered the cause.¡±

    ¡°Prime Minister¡­ is that different man who handles the negotiation against me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the man who negotiate with Hero is cab minister, the Prime Minister is his superior.¡±

    Oh, the Prime Minister, is it? Noted.

    And I just learned that the prime minister¡¯s name is Imasara Dagon. Really, Leona?

    Anyway, we finished our lunch and its already past noon. If we go to the Beddhist Church now, we can see the mass, attend it, and listen carefully to their story.

    ¡°Okay then, let me lead you to Historical Beddhist Cathedral. That building is a masterpiece.¡±

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯m certainly looking forward to it.¡±

    I¡¯m curious kind of history a Cathedral of newly founded religion looks like¡­

    But then again, it¡¯s not that strange if you use an old cathedral that¡¯s been existing before.

 Chapter 448 - Ancient Beddhism

    <h4>448 ¨C Ancient Beddhism</h4>

    Ancient Beddhism

    Beddism Cathedral.

    The two escorts knight then took us inside the Beddishm Cathedral.

    This is indeed a magnificent stone cathedral.

    The air it wears is old-fashioned, and it does look like a building with plenty of history in it. There was no ss in the windows, and the wooden doors were styled as a double door.

    ¡°¡­May I ask, what kind of history does it have?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, It was said that this cathedral originally existed 800 years ago before the Daido country existed.¡±

    ¡°So, the building originally had nothing to do with Beddhism?¡±

    I see, then it¡¯s not strange to call this a historical relic.

    As I was assuming that the knight shook her head.

    ¡°That¡¯s wrong; this is an Ancient Beddhism Cathedral.¡±

    ¡°Ancient Beddhism?¡±

    Ancient Beddhism religion. It was a religion that dedicated itself to the God of creation who created this world.

    Its history goes back to the time of this world creation before the concept of religion was even born in this world.

    Every human being, and every creature, worshipped and prayed ording to Beddhism teaching, which fundamentally believes in peace and tranquility. The ancient Beddhism religion was a religion that was followed by all life forms.

    ¡ª therefore, ancient Beddhism was nothing special. It became life itself and was forgotten in the melting pot of culture.

    Beddhism, which has been revived in this generation, stands as a ¡®sub-religion,¡¯ but it is actually the opposite. Beddhism is the foundation of everything. And all gods people believed in today are sub-religions.

    ¡°¡­So, you¡¯re saying that the Beddhism is a religion that Gods uses to worship the God of Creation?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. That¡¯s what the ancient Beddhism religion was, but since the Creator God has already fallen asleep¡­ the Beddhism of this generation has be a religion for people, not for Gods.¡±

    So it¡¯s an extension of ancient Beddhism but at the same time fundamentally different from ancient Beddhism ¨C do I get it right?

    ¡°So why you say that the current Beddhism is [revived]?¡±

    ¡°As I said before, this cathedral existed before the country. No one in this country had any idea when or why it was here, but one day a sister told us about its history also about the original ancient Beddhism religion.¡±

    Ah yes, yeah, Leona, of course, it is from Leona.

    She continued happily to told me the story about why the statue had a missing arm and about the scratches on the pir that no one cared about.

    This is the stone statue that was thrown and broken by the Son of the Creator God during the Bunk Bed War about 600 years ago. It¡¯s a bunk bed, not a single bed. In other words, a battle to decide which God would be using the top of the bunk bed¡­ are you a child!

    Of course, the source of information is the Sister of origins (Leona). Apparently, she said she used her appraisal skills to find out the history behind this stone.

    ¡°I¡¯m curious, when did this sister spread Beddhism to this country?¡±

    ¡°No one knows for sure. Some say it was ten years ago, others say it was a year ago. It can¡¯t be a year ago, that¡¯s for sure, this religion was already around when I was a kid.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡­..¡±

    At a nce, this young knight probably around twenty years old.

    Rokuko came to me and pulled my arm, she then whispers secretly.

    ¡°This is funny, isn¡¯t it? I wonder what¡¯s going on in this country.¡±

    ¡°¡­. My best guess is that they are under memory maniption effects.¡±

    Let¡¯s say there was a ¡°town built a few days ago¡± where every human being live there was imbued with the ¡°memory of a long time staying there¡±, and there were ¡°buildings which perfectly fabricated as evidence to support it¡±.

    Would that make it into a ¡°Historical Town¡±?

    ¡­. ¡°unreal history of a Historical Town¡±, is that correct? I can only say that Leona can do that in real life, just like in manga or novels. {fuk kill me}

    ¡°Just what on earth does Leona want?¡±

    ¡°Maybe she is doing some kind of grand experiment. I really have no idea.¡±

    I just don¡¯t know.

    Then the mass began.

    A room with long tables and couches like a regr church. We¡¯re in a good spot in the middle of the room, out of sight.

    A Beddhism priest tells the story of the Beddhism religion in the podium in front of us.

    ¡°There was once an ancient Beddhism in thisnd¡­.¡±

    The priest told mass the same story as I just heard before.

    It seems that the knights also grew up listening to this sermon ¨C is that the ¡°setting¡± Leona prepared?

    In the end, he says, ¡°Now is the time for Godless Beddhism to spread in the world of men. Let us obtain peace by human hands, a peace of mind that does not depend on fickleness of Gods.¡± the priest concluded the mass; apparently, this is the end of the mass.

    ¡­this is not like the Beddhism Mass I know. Well, the gathering is to fall asleep on the couch, so it¡¯s not entirely different.

    ¡°How do you like it, my Hero friend? Would you like to join the Beddhism religion?

    ¡°Oh, wait for a second, I will show you something interesting.¡±

    Since this male knight offers me to join, I will show him something amusing. I took out a bracelet hanging from my neck. It¡¯s a bracelet with a 5-millimeter hole at its sides, which had string so it can be used as a pendant.

    I shake it lightly to make it easier to understand.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Hero bracelet?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t you get it? It¡¯s a Beddhism holy symbol. I didn¡¯t say it because I don¡¯t know it exists here, but it really simr to the Beddhism religion from where I came from¡­ Maybe there¡¯s a connection between us.¡±

    ¡°I see! I didn¡¯t know that the Beddhism had spread to the world of the heroes!¡±

    As I say this, the knight takes out a Beddhism symbol made out of greenish-white stone. Is it jade? It¡¯s pretty.

    Kachin, I greeted him by bumping the symbol against each other. This greeting seems to have been passed down in the Beddhism religion over here as well.

    Rokuko and the female knight were also exchanging greetings with the holy symbol (Rokuko¡¯s bracelet also worn around her neck, just like the holy symbol).

    *

    Night has fallen upon us, Rokuko and I are going to have a visit with Toy Tindalos.

    Dinner? I had to decline the offer because I was too full from overeating. Iplimented them on their wonderful food culture, and they were all smiles.

    He told me that he wanted me to be hungry tomorrow night because he wanted me to have a taste at the food court. I¡¯d have to make some sort of ns for tomorrow.

    A soldier led me to the office of Magic Institute Director. The soldier who led me in was one step ahead of me as a messenger. Rokuko and I waited right by the door.

    ¡°Are you really in this room, Toy Tindalos.¡±

    ¡°ording to the Soldier¡¯s story, he is an old man.¡±

    If it¡¯s the Toy I know, the rumor says that he is Leona¡¯s grandson¡­..no, that would suggest that¡¯s his age is about 500 years old (even though she said she¡¯s eternally 17), so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s funny to joke about this.

    Could it be a different person with the same name? Since its Leona, she would definitelye up with bait like that.

    And then the soldier returned. He said we could go in now, and the soldier left as if to say that he had done his job.

    We were finally inside and about to have a meeting with Toy Tindalos.

    When I knocked on the door, an old man¡¯s hoarse voice replied, ¡°Come in,¡± and I opened the door.

    ¡°Excuse me¡ª¡±

    ¡°Master!¡±

    And right after I opened the door, a little kid in a maid¡¯s outfit jumped at me.

    ¡°Eh, what?¡±

    ¡°Master, master, master, master! I¡¯ve missed you, Master!¡±

    The dog-eared brown girl called me master and rubs her head against me like a dog. Wait¨C

    Why is Niku here?

    ¡°Fofofofofo, I¡¯m d.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Master Tindalos, thank you for making it possible for me to meet my master!¡±

    ¨CRokuko¡¯s voice stutters. An invisible old man in a robe appeared and sat on the couch, looking andughing at the three of us.

 Chapter 449 - Toy Tindalos

    <h4>449 ¨C Toy Tindalos</h4>

    ¡°Eh Niku? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Tindalos-sama summoned me here to meet with Master, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    An old man in a robe at the back of the roomughs while ying his mustache. The little dog-eared maid is tearing up while smiling as if to show she¡¯s happy to see me.

    ¡°¡®¡­¡­..¡¯¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Master?¡±

    I push away Niku because I was creeped out by her face.

    ¡°So, you are Toy Tindalos?¡±

    ¡°Eeeh? I got found out already?¡±

    ¡°W-w-what? This isn¡¯t Niku?¡±

    Rokuko is confused. Toy spins around and snaps her fingers as sheughs ¡°ufufufu¡±. The old man who was wearing the robe slowly disappeared, leaving only the robe on the floor.

    At any rate, she doesn¡¯t seem to have any intention of hiding herself.

    ¡°As you may have guessed, I am Toy Tindalos, but¡­ can you tell me for future reference? As for how can you see through my disguise? Leona said my face is a perfect replica of Niku.¡±

    ¡°¡­they way Niku expressing her happiness is different.¡±

    ¡°ah understood! I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t do enough research about that, but I¡¯m d that you told me this, I would like to thank you on behalf of our creator, Leona.¡±

    Toy formally bowed to me, with a stiff smile on her face.

    But when did Leona had time to observe Niku¡¯s outer appearance? ¡­no, that was a stupid question. It¡¯s Leona. She can peep anytime she wants, or even worse, she can monitor us through the eyes of her subus who have been serving as Beddhist nuns.

    ¡°Well, this is going to take some time, please sit down first.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, the more I look at you, the more simr you are to Niku¡­¡±

    She urged us to sit on the couch. This soft, spring-loaded coach is sofortable that it made me feel annoyed instead. Toy snapping her finger, cookies, and tea instantly appear on the table, it had a faint scent of a flower.

    As if to show it to us, but Toy picks up one of the cookies and takes a bite out of it, making a pleasant crunching sound and munching it to show us that it¡¯s not poisoned. But it does not matter, I just can¡¯t trust her at all.

    ¡°What¡­ do you want?¡±

    ¡°About what?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t y stupid, why did you bring Rokuko and me to this Daido country?¡±

    ¡°Oh. It was a gift; don¡¯t you like it here?¡±

    Toyughs with a cunning merchant¡¯s smirk.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? We tried to recreate Japanese food and seasoning as much as possible. Imnt fabricated memories in the locals. For example, these cookies, we put a lot of thought into making it, but if it¡¯s something we readily prepared, it won¡¯t be popr, right?¡±

    Toy eats another one, then she makes a relished face. Rokuko¡­ don¡¯t get tempted¡­ please?

    ¡°It¡¯s not poisoned, you know? you could also prove it by using authenticity judgment magic on me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have that magic.¡±

    ¡°Then, here you go. It¡¯s a [Treaty Scroll], you can also confirm it first, Kehma can understand the true meaning of words contained in magic formation, right?¡±

    I unfold the scroll and spread it on the table. The words said ¡°Divine ss Ritual Magic¡±, ¡°Contracts and Oaths¡±¡­are you serious, this is a real thing? I read it carefully, but I can¡¯t find anything suspicious in the magic circle either. However, I¡¯ve never seen the real [Treaty Scroll] before.

    ¡°Go ahead and use it.¡±

    Urged by Toy, I use the scroll, the magic circle spreads, then floating a bit and enters my body.

    ¡­ I came to understand how to use [Treaty], it seems the scroll is indeed real. The effect of this magic is to enforce an Oath, just like how it was written in the magic formation codes.

    ¡°Do you swear to answer all my questions without lying?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m willing to do so until I leave this room at midnight, I will answer any question you had.¡±

    When both parties agree with each other, cast [Treaty] again, the content of this time oath is for Toy to honestly answer everything I ask to her, and Toy agreed on condition [Until I leave the room, at midnight].

    ¡°¡ªWith this, we agreed to establish a contract, I swear in the name of Ori, the God of Creation, to fulfill this contract ¨C [Treaty].¡±

    Clink, a magical path forms between me and Toy. It¡¯s a sess.

    Now Toy can¡¯t lie to me until we leave this room tonight. Honestly, there should be no benefit to Toy, and it¡¯s been bothering me why he agreed to it without asking for anypensation.

    ¡°Well then, let me ask you a quick question. ¡­¡­.. What¡¯s in these cookies?¡±

    ¡°A love potion. Oh, I find Kehma-sama so attractive that I can¡¯t stand it. I prepared it in the hope that Kehma-sama and Rokuko-sama would be physically connected with each other.¡±

    ¡°¡­really?¡±

    It¡¯s not a lie.

    Rokuko, definitely don¡¯t eat it! okay? I¡¯m serious.

    ¡°What¡¯s Leona up to?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know? She only told me that it was a gift for Kehma-sama. In fact, this Daido country is a great ce for a [Japanese] people to date. I hope you enjoyed your date today Kehma-sama. Oh yeah, Rokuko-sama¡­ how was your date with Kehma-sama?

    ¡°What? Well, yeah, I mean¡­ that wasn¡¯t too bad.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko, you don¡¯t have to answer that question.¡±

    I stop Rokuko, who was trying to answer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s me change the question ¡­ what do you think Leona is up to?¡±

    ¡°My creator, Leona, is a maiden at heart, so she probably wishes to see your love story in the dating spot she¡¯s created?¡±

    Toy replies jokingly. ¡°umm What else¡­¡± she looks up a little and ponders.

    ¡°¡­oh! if you think about it carefully¡­ Is it probably her way to harass White Goddess? Because of that, I hope that you can enjoy your date fully. I also prepared a pamphlet of our favorite date spot.¡±

    Toy snapped her fingers, and a pamphlet appeared on the table, it looked like something you¡¯d find in a tourist spot¡­ ow, they had a theme park?

    ¡°Oh yeah. To dy people noticing your absence, we sent a dummy body that we have prepared for you to your ce.¡±

    ¡°What? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a meat doll that doesn¡¯t have a soul, it will continue to sleep until it dies, but it willst at least six months. That means you still have time to have fun.¡±

    ¡­Please think about it. If it is during that time, you can date as much as you like in thisnd where there is no need to worry about that white goddess interference at all. Of course, even after you can¡­. ¨C Toy whispered to us.

    ¡°Right, we will be free from White Goddess watchful eyes, but go right inside Leona peeping tom eyes, no thanks.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no! to be called peeping tom by a dungeon master, it¡¯s like the pot calling the kettle ck!¡±

    The over-exaggerated reaction (overreaction), which was impossible for Niku, was filled me by a strange sensation that could only be described as ufortable.

    ¡°Well, is there anything else you want to ask?¡±

    ¡°Where is Leona?¡±

    ¡°Well? As a Toy (Toy in a literal sense), I just solemnly wait to be yed with. It is not my ce to be concerned about her. Why don¡¯t you just ask about me and my failures? If you want I can tell you all about it.¡±

    ¡°No, no¡­ it¡¯s fine.¡±

    If you want to y, it¡¯s certainly not impossible.

    Suddenly the sweet and alluring scent tickles my nose, and I noticed that my heart rate increased¡­¡­¡­.

    ¡°¡­do you or Leona intend to harm us?¡±

    ¡°mmm? At the very least, we are not trying to kill you. I¡¯m sure you can say that we are very, very much in love with Kehma-sama, and we want to help your rtionship. Oh, this incense, is an aphrodisiac that also works on the dungeon core, this is not considered harmful, by the way.¡±

    Toy smiles as she tilts her head sideways while holding her index finger to her chin. When I looked next to my side, I finally understood why Rokuko is too quiet, I saw Rokuko¡¯s eyes had be blurry, and her cheeks were red.

    She said it ¡®also¡¯ works on dungeon core, which means it probably works on me as a dungeon master too¡­ crap, it¡¯s not a good idea to stay in this room any longer.

    ¡°It¡¯s not harmful at all if it helps to increase your metabolism rather than harm your body. Fortunately, there¡¯s a bed in the room, so why don¡¯t you go and rest here? Once you leave the room, our contract is over. Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a veryfortable bed, unlike the one we keep in your guest room.¡±

    ¡°Damn it, you little bitch.¡±

    ¡°AhAha! that¡¯s the highestpliment you can give me!¡±

    Toy has a face that looks exactly like Niku¡¯s, and in contrast, her look of ecstasy doesn¡¯t resemble Niku at all. Her tail and ears don¡¯t twitch at all, as if they don¡¯t have any emotion. It¡¯s not that they don¡¯t move, it¡¯s just there¡¯s no trace of emotion in her tail and ears.

    ¡­I hurriedly left the sweet-smelling room with Rokuko in tow.

 Chapter 450 - A lingering sweet scent

    <strong>450 ¨C A lingering sweet scent</strong>

    ¡°Can you walk, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°keeeeemaaaa¡­.¡±

    Her breath is shallower, her cheeks are reds, her teary eyes¡­¡­¡­. In short, she is too sexy!

    No, I must get ahold of myself, I¡¯m getting hit by an aphrodisiac too. I walk down the corridor, lending Rokuko my shoulder.

    The sweet scent of aphrodisiac is still lingering, I can feel the high temperature of her body through her clothes.

    ¡°I¡­. want to¡­.chuu..¡±

    Muttering, she looks into my eyes and begs me to kiss her. Now please just look ahead, because this is too unbearable.

    Rokuko opens her mouth a little and licks her lips with her cute little tongue.

    Hah, hah.

    A hot breath of hers is reaching my body.

    ¡°¡­¡­..Kehma, can you give me a kiss? please? Just a little¡­¡±

    Oh God. Was it because Rokuko was close to the source of aphrodisiac? Or was it an aphrodisiac that only worked exceptionally well on the dungeon core?

    A hot passionate voice is whispered to me, tickling my eardrums. M-my e-ears are in heaven.

    At least, it¡¯s not a good idea to touch her in this state. If you want to do it, at least I want you to do it when you are sober, else, Haku will kill me¡­ please, not here¡­ I¡¯m not going to touch you. Also, Leona is watching.

    I¡¯m the kind of guy who will want to rebel when I¡¯m being challenged. I put a smile on my face as to say, ¡°go ahead¡±¡­!

    ¡°Rokuko? For now, let¡¯s go back to our room, okay?¡±

    ¡°um? Room¡­? Rum¡­? Woom¡­? Just for the two of us¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s riiiiiiiight!!!?¡±

    She sucked on my ear leaf, and I made a funny noise. A sticky, warm, soft tongue crawled over me. I have to hurry and get back to my room¡­¡­..!

    ¡°Wa~~, Khema is so cute¡­¡±

    ¡°Room! Let¡¯s get back to the room first, okay!?¡±

    ¡°Muuu, finee~~¡­¡±

    Rokuko snuggles up to me, and she rubs her body on me. I can¡¯t help but pick up Rokuko, who was giving me trouble in many ways, and pick her up in my arms, I Hold her in princess carry with golem assist.

    ¡­¡­..good, we got less intimate in this position!

    ¡°Ahaaa, Kemaa¡­¡±

    ¡°Hold on tight, okay?¡±

    ¡°yeess.¡±

    Rokuko don¡¯t rub my chest please¡­ oi, didn¡¯t you hear me? It tickles me, and I¡¯m getting aroused.

    I managed to get Rokuko back to this room. I gently lower Rokko down to the bed.

    The only thing left to do is to use the [God¡¯s Comforter], and she will recover.

    ¡°Alright, Rokuko, hurry up and use the [God¡¯s Comforter] nooooooow!?¡±

    ¡°Kema, Kehmaa, Kehmaaaa, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°stoooop¡±

    As soon as Rokuko touch the bed, she hugged me and pulled me down.

    ¡°Come on, shall we? Kiss, Kiss, baby, I¡¯m going to make you a baby, so¡­..¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, wait!!!¡±

    I avoid the kiss by putting my hand between Rokuko lips and my face. I can feel Rokuko¡¯s wet lips on my hand. The tip of her tongue licks up to trace the lifeline of my hand.

    ¡°The taste of Kehma ¡­ delicious ¡­ I like ¡­¡±

    ¡°Ro-Rokuko, can you do me a favor? Bring out the [God¡¯s Comforter].¡±

    ¡°If I put it out, will you put it in?¡±

    They way Rokuko said it¡­.¡­ dammit if this continues, I¡¯m not sure that I can hold myself back.

    ¡°No, not right now, but once you¡¯ve slept on theforter and sobering, why don¡¯t we? Wouldn¡¯t Rokuko want to do it in perfect condition rather than kissing me in the state when your memory is hazy like this?¡±

    ¡°¡­hmmm¡­ right? Yeah, I do want to remember my precious moment with Kehma well.¡±

    ¡°All right, let¡¯s get some sleep. I¡¯ll give you the medicine, and we¡¯ll take it easy. Okay?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you¡¯re going to sleep with me, aren¡¯t you? ¡®kay?¡±

    That¡¯s exactly what I hope for because I need to get rid of this aphrodisiac too.

    ¡­Too bad, Leona! This is not going to work out the way you want it to!

    ¡°Good morning, Khema¡­.¡±

    ¡°Good morning, Rokuko. You¡¯re still blushing. Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°¡­ my body is fine now; rather than that, what are we going to do now?¡±

    It looks like we¡¯re managed to get rid of the aphrodisiac safely. Thank God. Thank you, God¡¯s Beddings.

    Rokuko seems to be okay, so let¡¯s talk about our n for the future.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to do everything in my power to get out of this ce. With all my might.¡±

    ¡°Kehma? Did you forget your promise after we woke up?¡±

    ¡°¡­Rokuko¡­.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just kidding! ¡­I was just trying to lighten the mood a bit, yeah.¡±

    ¡­Are you sure you¡¯re okay? Or did you still recovering?

    ¡°So, let¡¯s give it our all, yeah?¡±

    Rokko casually applied a [clean] to clear out thest night¡¯s sweat while encouraging me.

    I¡¯m still a little nervous, but she seems okay, so let¡¯s talk about our n from now on.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible that Leona still has some trick stored up for us in this country, But I¡¯m going to ignore all that. Our concern now is the summoning magic circle, we must destroy that and then escape. Only then we can buy a little more time.¡±

    After that, I can gobble down mana potions barrel and use [teleport] to escape to the Empire city.

    If I¡¯m summoned to this country again, I¡¯ll smash the magic circle on the spot and flee with [teleport]. I already had this ce coordinates, I¡¯ll escape before they can do anything.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s go, Rokuko. Bring out the Comforter.¡±

    ¡°okay¡±

    The [God¡¯s Comforter] is the most reliable defense equipment against anything other than sleep. And I make Rokuko wear theforter like a poncho.

    ¡°Now what, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°¡­and I¡¯ll give Rokuko piggyback!¡±

    This way, I¡¯ll be able to protect Rokuko while I¡¯ll gain invincible defense and keep my magic power restored.

    ¡°I see, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Oh, please use your loli form, it¡¯s easier to carry.¡±

    ¡°¡­ but my adult form is softer.¡±

    ¡°Loli form, please, be reasonable.¡±

    This is not a situation I want to be in right now.

    ¡°I mean, are we going to go now? Shouldn¡¯t we take it easy and wait for a few more days? There are so many date spots to enjoy here.¡±

    ¡°¡­Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Because they said they didn¡¯t intend to do any harm¡­.¡±

    ¡°Even if she doesn¡¯t mean it, she can still cause real damage to us. They¡¯re the kind of people who willugh while abducting us.¡±

    Probably Rokuko remembers the words she said when she was hit by the aphrodisiac, Toy may be nning to imprint them in some way. The sweet scent of aphrodisiac puts her in a hypnotic state, and by imprinting the words while she is in that state, it¡¯s like she¡¯s trying to embed her trust in Rokuko.

    ¡­Well, I forgot to ask about the princes and his party.

    That sweet smell must have had the effect of disrupting their thoughts. Definitely.

 Chapter 451 - Daido Country Escape Plan

    <h4>LDM 451 ¨C Daido Country Escape n</h4>

    ¡°This goes without saying... But I want to get back at Leona.¡±

    I¡¯ll think about what Leona does not want me to do. ...Is it enough to destroy that summoning room? No, I want to harass her more.

    ¡°Speaking of which, Kehma. Why did you use theforter for our recovery?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Because when you think about effectiveness, the [God¡¯s Comforter] will...¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it more effective if you use the [God¡¯s rm]?¡±

    ....oh, yeah, there was such a thing...

    That sweet smell must have disturbed my mind.

    ¡°Did you really want to sleep with me that badly?¡±

    ¡°...I just forgot.¡±

    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to sleep with me?¡±

    ¡°aaa, that¡¯s not... you know...¡±

    Seeing me unable to say stuttering, Rokuko giggles happily.

    By the way, [God¡¯s rm], Ipletely forgot abo¡ªooh!

    ¡°Thanks, Rokuko, I came up with a great idea to harass Leona.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I will looking forward to that, this is so exciting because harassment that came from Kehma usually pretty rough!¡±

    Then it¡¯s decided, I will start to harass Leona.

    *

    The [God¡¯s rm]. Its function is not a perfect clock or something like that ¡ª it is the power of ¡°Release.¡± It is a clock that sets off an rm, which will force a person¡¯s mental state to return to normal condition.

    Its appearance, time disy, sound, etc. can be changed at will.

    ¡°So. What do you think would happen if I set its sound setting loud enough to cover the entire country¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Sounds like it will destroy everyone¡¯s eardrums as soon as it rings.¡±

    ¡°...ah, you are right. But I think I can add [harmless to human ear] as additional conditions.¡±

    I¡¯ve set it up myself, but I¡¯m not sure if the sound pressure and other function will work if I set it as silent... I¡¯m sure God¡¯s power will adjust it to a reasonable level. I hear that only the range will cover the country, the sound level will stay the same.

    ¡°The sound volume itself is not that important, we need its [Release] ability.¡±

    ¡°yes¡±

    ¡°If Leona has steadily built a nation from the ground up to be dating spots, then setting off this rm won¡¯t have any effect. But if she¡¯s brainwashing them with magic, medicine, charm, or whatever, then one push of this button and they will be back to normal!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. This is going to be a big mess, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Yes. Because there¡¯s no doubt that Leona and her cronies are the ones behind this rapid development, Toy also already confirmed it.

    And for a change that is too sudden, there must be such methods involved in the first ce.

    ¡®So... START!¡±

    I quickly set off the rms before I could exin it any further. It doesn¡¯t make any particr sound, but the moment I activated it, my drowsiness disappeared instantly. Hence, there¡¯s no doubt that it¡¯s working. In fact, I don¡¯t know how far the sound reached ¨C but that¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Good. Let¡¯s get out of here, Rokuko, put on your [God¡¯s Comforter]¡±

    ¡°Right away.¡±

    I change the shape of the [God¡¯s rm] into a wristwatch, wrapped it around my left arm, left the rm on. I took Rokuko¡¯s hand and headed to the summoning room.

    In the corridor, soldiers and maids were puking all over the ce. A faint sour smell wafted through the air........

    ¡°W-what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but this is convenient. Let¡¯s hurry.¡±

    I hurried to go to the summoning room, Ignoring the surprised Rokuko, I really don¡¯t care what will happen to these people.

    This is probably the side effects for forcibly releasing the abnormal status... but since they didn¡¯t get in our way, then I don¡¯t need to be concerned for them.

    While ignoring people who were throwing up, I came to the front of the room made of stone, this is the room where I was summoned.

    ¡°It¡¯s locked.¡±

    Well, it doesn¡¯t matter. We¡¯re going to break it anyway¨C [Elemental burst].

    I remember they called Shotgun as ¡®master key¡¯ in a Western movie, and that¡¯s precisely how I open the door with my [Elemental Burst].

    If it was locked, there would be no one inside, and I didn¡¯t need to be cautious.

    The room was dark without any windows, but I could still check the magic circle drawn on the floor.

    e here], [Masuda Keima], [forced type]... there¡¯s an array of joke words mixed in, but it¡¯s a meticulously drawn magic circle that covers the entire floor.

    ¡±[clean].¡±

    I fired a [clean]at the magic circle.

    With a swoosh, the magic circle painted on the floor disappears. If it had been carved, it would have been necessary to destroy it with [Create Golem] or [stone Pile], but if it¡¯s just written with paint, then there¡¯s no problem to clean it with this.

    There would be no need to give Leona extra information about myself.

    ¡°¡®Kehma, there¡¯s one on the ceiling.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? ...Woah, you are right.¡±

    There is a magic circle is at where Rokuko¡¯s pointed at. It is just a matter of time for them to draw a new one; if this still exists, let¡¯s clean them.

    Let¡¯s once again cast [clean] to erase it.

    ¡°I thought you will destroy the room in a more shy style.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it the next time they summon me. It¡¯s enough for now.¡±

    Time time Rokuko is with me, escape is my first priority.

    ¡°Okay, Next, we will escape with [teleport].¡±

    ¡°Kya~¡±

    I hug Rokuko under the [God¡¯s Comforter].

    Suddenly a fireballrge enough to swallow a person was fired at us. It was nullified by theforter¡¯s ability.

    ¡°Oh, hello, Toy, are you alright?¡±

    ¡°Now, you¡¯ve done it! Masuda Kehma!!¡±

    Decorated with obvious anger on her face that looks exactly like Niku, Toy appeared before us.

    ¡°That fucking annoying sound! Stop it!¡±

    Toy looks like she¡¯s enduring a terrible headache. Could it be that human ears can¡¯t hear this sound, but dogs can? Dogs have a much wider audible range than people, after all.

    ¡°...you can hear it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, no, this sound is ringing not on my ears, but directly to my soul, what the hell is this!?¡±

    It seems volume had nothing to do with it, I took Rokuko hands and...

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re done with this, bye.¡±

    ¡°Stop! U-ugh...¡±

    Toy fainted on her knees, I cast [teleport] and escaped from the castle.

    To be honest, I¡¯m a bit worried about the castle town condition. Still, Rokuko is here. My top priority is to escape this country. I need to keep going to the direction towards the Empire, [teleport]!

    And we arrived outside the city walls. I was able to teleport to grasnd are in one leap.... Ugh, the mana consumptionsh back ising. I need to drink mana potion.

    ¡°Here you go, it¡¯s a mana potion.¡±

    ¡°ah, thanks.¡±

    I almost immediately reaches for the mana potion offered in front of me, but I stopped.

    ¡°Oh dear. You don¡¯t want it? Even though this was freshly made using the herb over there.¡±

    ¡°...Leona.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time since we¡¯ve seen each other like this, Keima-san!¡±

    Leona was there, her dark hair tied back into a ponytail, and her red eyes are winking mischievously.

 Chapter 452 - â€“ The palm of oneâ€™s hand

    <h4>LDM 452 ¨C The palm of one¡¯s hand</h4>

    Did Leona predict my moves, or she guides it? Either way, the oue is the same.

    I hugged and hid Rokuko under the [God¡¯s Comforter].

    ¡°Now now... Don¡¯t be so frightened, you¡¯ll get too cute, that way~¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t care about that. More importantly,... why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I thought it would be fun if I surprise you at the end of your escape, so I got carried away and wait for you here.¡±

    You¡¯re wasting a ridiculous amount of mana just to get ahead of me.

    However, I don¡¯t sense any hostility or murderous intent. It¡¯s a little irritating, but I guess I failed to harass her.

    ¡°Are you surprised?¡±

    ¡°Very. I thought my heart would stop.¡±

    ¡°Ufufufu That¡¯s what you call a [Surprise Sess¡î]¡±

    What kind of surprise is this, damn it.

    But why Toy felt like she was in so much pain before the [God¡¯s rm] sounds and Leona seems to be totally fine with it... no, wait. Come to think of it, this woman is...

    ¡°Chaos God, right? So that means it won¡¯t work for God.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s not it, though? That rm is harmless to me, because I¡¯m still considered human, and that¡¯s how you set it up, right? It was the same for Rokuko since she is a humanoid type core, and Kehma is also a Human dungeon master. Besides, you can find out by looking at that watch and use [super-appraisal].¡±

    Leona giggled. But she must have been peeking at us too. Otherwise, I don¡¯t think Leona could predict our direction. It¡¯s useless to ask about that, though.

    ¡°...Hey, I wonder if Toy isn¡¯t human? She was in a lot of pain.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko-chan, that¡¯s a good question! That¡¯s Kehma¡¯s core for you, indeed. ... she¡¯s a beastman, so she¡¯s human, but herpositions are very unique. I mixed up a lot of things, so I guess homunculus would be a better term for her. Her physical body has stopped aging and growing for about a year now.¡±

    Leona answers Rokuko¡¯s question in a good mood...Come to think of it, Niku also said something about not growing taller.

    ¡®Since I¡¯m using Demi-God as the base, it¡¯s very delicate.¡±

    ¡°Why the Soldiers and maids were throwing up too?¡±

    That one is the result of their body being surprised by the sudden return to ¡®normal¡¯. It¡¯s amazing how little a side-effect it caused considering how thick my influence was. And yeah, and it also released every single curse on my body. As expected from the ¡°Release¡± that can spread throughout the country. It seems that even that Stiff God¡¯s Curse was no match for the items that the Dark God created with serious efforts.

    Leona then smiled andughing.

    The curse that was binding her... is that why Leona wants me to use [God¡¯s rm]?

    ¡°Well, since I was using the [Curse Absorbing] skill, the curse was originally just my buff! But suddenly, It¡¯s was gone and rather weakened me instead, ahaha!¡±

    Leonaughs at that. But the fact is, she weakened right now.

    ¡°But that means...¡±

    ¡°I am weakened, should I use an analogy, it would be a cool sensation as if my hair hadn¡¯t been washed for days and now it washed clean. It¡¯s refreshing.¡±

    ...I thought I was harassing her, but I got used instead. Damn it.

    ¡°So, what do you want from us?¡±

    ¡°I already said it before. I just wanted to see the amazed faces of Kehma and the others, that¡¯s all. Oh, or are you referring to the fact that you were brought to Daido country? If it was for that purpose, Toy would have told you. It¡¯s was a gift ¡ªa used toy I don¡¯t need.¡±

    A used toy.

    It means that Leona¡¯s purpose in the Daido country was fulfilled long ago, and she gave it to me as a present as if she was giving me a used toy as a gift.

    ¡°Because you didn¡¯te when I asked you nicely, I¡¯m forced to do this. And I¡¯m done with this country, except for one thing. I haven¡¯t shown this to Keima. This is a fine finale, right?¡±

    ¡°... I was totally defeated, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I¡¯ve seen a lot more interesting things than I thought I would. The part where Toy got angry and attacked Mr. Keima was so passionate and touching! I¡¯m sure the [God¡¯s rm] had some part on it, but to have that (toy) kid ended up defying my order... amazing.¡±

    Apparently, Leona was going to be happy no matter how the oue will be. Damn it...

    ¡°...I was dancing on your palm...¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear. Well, what do you want to do then? doodle on my finger?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not Son Goku.¡±

    When I say this, Leonaughs heartily, and from there, she speaks up in a good mood.

    ¡°This all started when someone asked me to do something for her. She prayed for me to do something about her selfish daughter. So I put a humble personality into her daughter, you know, I mix her memory and force her to correct it. And that¡¯s how it all started.¡±

    Then she came up with a drama of the false reincarnator [Tenseisha].

    ¡°and while we¡¯re at it, let me ask one more story. What¡¯s with that joke of a surname, like Dagon or Cthugha?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? ...oh, that. Keima wasn¡¯t here to watch it, but it¡¯s all part of the drama. Do you know what an Otome game is? It¡¯s a romance simtion for girls. I wanted something distinctive as a name for the capture target, so I mixed it up incidentally, and I rigged it so that when she cannot reach the harem ending, the n would transform into the corresponding monster form.¡±

    And apparently, the monster part has been purified (or so it seems) because they¡¯ve sessfully achieved a harem ending. Leona brags, ¡°It was a mistake to make the rival daughter a [Tenseisha], and I incidentally embedded her memory with Otome games, and then everyone happily offered their fianc¨¦e to the heroine. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s recounting her failure as a saga. {...bakarinast boss?}¡±

    ¡°I would have liked to see a bit more of a sloppy daytime drama pattern.¡±

    ¡°Why Daytime drama....¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I came here when I was 16 years old, so I¡¯ve never seen a daytime drama or anything like that. I wanted to see it.¡±

    ¡°Then, you just need to guide my mind to do so.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, originally, that¡¯s the way I want it to be, but it¡¯s boring. I¡¯m very impressed with you, Keima because you have managed to diverge from my expectations at every turn. I love it because it¡¯s a total reversal from what I expected.¡±

    Sheesh. The thing this woman hates the most is if I moved as the way she imagined, huh?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a pity that you avoided every trap like the sex change trap and the room that won¡¯t let you out unless you do some naughty things, and all those other traps. I would have liked to see Kehma turned into a girl... haha, you would have turned into a girl if you had taken this mana potion.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m certainly a little curious to see Kehma in her girl form.

    ¡°Rokuko...?!¡±

    ¡°Right? I think he will be prettier than you think, no, I will make it so! in the name of the Chaos God, I¡¯ll make you an erotic pretty girl.¡±

    ¡°oi, Leona!?¡±

    That tsukkomi is by reflexes...

    And here, Leona turns around and turns her back to us. Then she turns around once again and looks at us.

    ¡°um, I¡¯ve got to say I had a lot of fun this time, well.. for now at least. With this, I don¡¯t need Daido anymore, and it¡¯s about time I leave this country. Also, It¡¯s still a mess, but I think this country got the knowledge to make Japanese food, and we¡¯ve added somendscaping, so this country is a perfect ce for an amusement park.¡±

    Amusement park. That¡¯s an urate word to describe the current Daido Country, the yground that was created for her sake.

    ¡°also this about time Haku-chan found out and came over, isn¡¯t it? One of the curses that were lifted is a surveince curse from Haku and some others. Well, it¡¯s only a vague indicator of my presence, but of course, they¡¯lle to check it out when the response disappears.¡±

    ¡°tsk.¡±

    ¡°So, see ya.¡±

    Saying that, Leona smiled, waved her hand, and went somewhere with [teleport].

    To think of it, I may have done something unnecessary this time.

 Chapter 453 - Talk with Haku

    <h4>LDM 453 ¨C Talk with Haku</h4>

    ¡°...Kehma? Why are you here? Rokuko too?¡±

    And just as Leona said, Haku immediatelyes flying here.

    Yes, she is [flying] not [teleporting]. So it¡¯s probably magic with fly effect.

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama... there¡¯s a lot to exin here.¡±

    ¡°Before that, are you both the real ones? Can I confirm it first?¡±

    ¡°To be honest, we also want to check if Haku is not imposter too, but what should we do?¡±

    I feel like Haku and Leona timing is too perfect. This is a proper moment to be cautious.

    ¡°The problem is when a fake thinks they are the real ones. if that just a forced memory maniption [God¡¯s rm] would have canceled it, but if their personality is embedded deeply in them, then the rm won¡¯t work. ... for Kehma, it¡¯s simple though, can you transform into this letter with your [Super Transformation]?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I got it [Super Transformation].¡±

    I transformed into the letter Haku took out without confirming it¡¯s content if it¡¯s my [Super Transformation]. I could copy the text without even seeing it.

    This is how I prove myself, though I cannot do it repeatedly because of the skill usage limit.

    ¡°Okay, with this, I could confirm that Kehma is the real one, but how should I prove myself?¡±

    ¡°uh, Rokuko, do you have any ideas?¡±

    ¡°I think... maybe we should check by confirming a secret only I and nee-sama knows?¡±

    ¡°I see... that way, I could also confirm Rokuko identity. ¡±

    Rokuko and Haku then move a little away out of my sight.

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama is the real ones.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan too.¡±

    We finished our check, let¡¯s continue the talk from before.

    ¡°We were kidnapped by Leona. It was something akin to forced summon with ritual magic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here because I sense that the curse I had on Leona is gone, so I check her final coordinates.¡±

    It seems Leona was right, [God¡¯s rm] has sessfully erased Haku¡¯s surveince curse on her.

    I exined the situation to Haku, and she let out a sigh.

    ¡°From the report I got from Dolce, she said [Rokuko and Kehma also sleeping peacefully today] so that what happened, huh?¡±

    ¡°Can Haku take care of those dummies, please?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I will take care that Rokuko dummy, same goes for yours Kehma, we don¡¯t know what kind of trap Leona prepared inside those dolls.¡±

    Trap, I guess that¡¯s possible.

    ¡°Anyway, to be able to summon Kehma, who was in the Gollen vige in the Shia region, from north of Empire... to this Daido Capital City. This is concerning threat.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so much that I won¡¯t sleep peacefully.¡±

    ¡°By the fact she¡¯s preparing Rokuko¡¯s dummy, it seems from the start she¡¯s also targeting Rokuko, who is a dungeon core... this means that [she can kidnap dungeon core] what a nasty power.¡±

    If Leona wanted to kill a dungeon core, no matter how deep that core was hiding in their dungeon¡¯s depths, she could ¡®summon¡¯ them. Her summons¡¯ range was at least as long as the south of the Empire to the northern provinces.

    ¡°Khema-san, do you have a GP?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yes.¡±

    ¡°If you have about 10 GPs, [father] should be able to give you protection from an involuntary transfer.¡±

    ¡°I understand, I¡¯ll get right on it.¡±

    I open the menu. Oh, the email function is back. And... 56 GP, ooh, I gain quite a bit.

    I¡¯ll offer 10 GPs to [father] and request his protection... please, [father]. I hope he will grant my wish.

    ¡°But just from what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s a possibility that the Daido Country is in trouble. That ce is a buffer zone between the three countries, so won¡¯t it be a problem if it disappears? In case like this, should we lend them a hand?¡±

    At this moment, Haku nces at me. I have a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Is it possible to have Kehma-san go to investigate the extent of the problem? I will be responsible for bringing Rokuko-chan back to the Empire.¡±

    ¡°I just got out of there and now you want me to go back?¡±

    ¡°Leona said she was leaving, didn¡¯t she? If that¡¯s the case, this might be the safest ce from Leona.¡±

    When I expressed my dissatisfaction, Haku quickly counters it.

    Well, what Haku says is not without a point. That is if you believe in Leona¡¯s words.

    ¡°Thinking about the need to retreat in an emergency situation, it¡¯s better to have people who can use long-distance [teleport] alone. Considering that, Kehma is the right person for the job, right?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t there someone like that in the Empire... should it be me?¡±

    ¡°You are right, it¡¯s not that they aren¡¯t any, but we need to use them to deal with escaping Leona, so we don¡¯t have anyone avable to help us.¡±

    ¡°Guh, right... okay. Well, I¡¯m just going to go take a look.¡±

    In other words, She wants me to take responsibility for removing the curse that was attached to Leona and forced me to work... Reluctantly, but it can¡¯t be helped. Besides, I was also a little curious about how the [God¡¯s rm] affected this country.

    ¡°eh? If Kema is going to stay, then maybe I should stay too?¡±

    ¡°I wish you to be in a safe ce. Besides, I might not be able to use the mail function again when I got back to the capital. And in that case, I hope Rokuko will inform Haku about it.¡±

    ¡°... cannot be helped then.¡±

    Rokuko gives up and goes to Haku¡¯s side.

    ¡°Thank you for your understanding. As soon as you get inside the capital, try to use the email function. If it doesn¡¯t work, immediately teleport back to this point. But first, take this mana potion.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡±

    And I receive a mana potion... I hope this mana potion will not change your gender even if you drink it.

    ¡°Well. I have one thing that requires Kehma help, would you be willing to participate in harassing Leona?¡±

    Then, with an evil smirk, Haku smiles.

 Chapter 454 - Extra: true story! This is how I was tricked!

    <h4>LDM 454 ¨C Extra: true story! This is how I was tricked!</h4>

    Niku hase to the basement of the Beddhism Church.

    She was here to meet the wraith that was sent by Haku, Dolce, who at the time was spending her time leisurely, or rather... ghastly? She dragged her feet and standing shakily.

    Dolce, feeling a hint of trouble, calmly facing Niku with a sharp look on her face.

    ¡°Oh...? What can I do for you, little puppy?

    ¡°Dolce-sama. Can I have a consultation or perhaps cooperation? Anyhow, I need your help, because ... my master hasn¡¯t woken up.¡±

    A consultation about the master who was sleeping peacefully.

    Dolce would have left it alone if it was just Kehma, but when she heard that Rokuko was also involved, she let out a sigh.

    ¡°Rokuko-sama too? then it cannot be helped... fine, take me to him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Then she took the Dolce and headed to Kehma¡¯s room. There they found Kehma was sleepingfortably in bed and Rokuko, who was sleeping in his embrace.

    ¡°Let¡¯s check their magic circuits, hmm... nothing? At least we can confirm this is not curse rted things.¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve heard of curses that will keep you sleeping.¡±

    ¡°Well, as long as I¡¯m in this vige, that¡¯s a difficult thing to do unless you¡¯re a God of curses, I¡¯m an expert in curses, and I¡¯ve ced a warding spell in this vige.¡±

    Dolce puts her hand on each forehead.

    Dolce can¡¯t feel a single irregrity on their magic lines, or Rather, they are too clean.

    Isn¡¯t this strange? While thinking about it, Dolce remembered that Haku told her that Kehma had obtained an ultimate anti-curse weapon called [God¡¯s rm]

    The sound it produces is the miracle granted by the God of Darkness that can dispel all evil. Legend said that it was so immensely powerful that it was feared and destroyed by the God of creation¡¯s hand. It was the tales of the old God¡¯s beddings.

    Dolce was convinced. If this is the person who owns the [God¡¯s rm], then this state of cleanliness is possible.

    ¡°Yeah, they are not cursed. I think they are simply sleeping....¡±

    ¡°Uh, are you really sure?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s alright. It happens all the time... you know, Rokuko-sama is a dungeon core, and Kehma-san is a Beddhist Pope, right? They¡¯ve used the God¡¯s bedding so many times, they may have already be a demi-god.¡±

    ¡°oo? Demi-God?¡±

    The Dungeon Cores doesn¡¯t require sleep as well as food, but the same goes for the opposite, they can continue to devour as much sleep as they want, that is, if they want to. This is because Dungeon Cores is a child of the God of Darkness. in other words, they are a demi-God. Likewise, if Kehma is a demi-God too, it¡¯s not surprising that he can choose to sleep as long as possible.

    ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s okay......probably.¡±

    ¡°I see, thank you, Dolce-sama.¡±

    ¡°mm? yeah, yeah, don¡¯t worry about it, this is a part of my job so...¡±

    Thus, Niku, who had always thought that his master was beyond human, was sessfully deceived by the words¡¯ from the curse expert, Dolce.

    She also informed Haku about this incident during her scheduled report. Dolce had determined that there was no particr problem. Since the main story was about Kehma sleeping together with Rokuko, the fact that she never woke up was apparently forgotten at this point.

    *

    ¡°Master and Rokuko-sama haven¡¯t woken up yet.¡±

    ¡°That just how they usually flirted with each other, right?¡±

    Meanwhile, separate from Niku, Ichika had alsoe to Beddhism Church to consult Chief subus sister, Suira.

    The subus Suira and Ichika, who was directly involved in the dungeon management, were on good terms. Of course, she¡¯s received permission from Kehma to do so.

    ¡°No, no, they really didn¡¯t wake up at all. Will you take a look at it? You¡¯re good at peeking into a dream, right? I bet Master must be eating some pretty good food in his dreams.¡±

    ¡°Huh? But... okay, I will take a look at them.¡±

    So Ichika brought Suira to Kehma¡¯s room. She found Kehma sleepingfortably in his while holding Rokuko in his arms.

    ¡°Oh, but... don¡¯t let them wake up.¡±.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring me here to wake them?¡±

    ¡°If I was dreaming about eating good food, and when I suddenly wake up, then usually I would lose my food (in the dream), right? That kind of thing is uneptable. I¡¯m sure I¡¯d punch you in the face if you did that to me.¡±

    ¡°I...... see?¡±

    So, with great care, Suira used her power as a subus ¨C a dream demon ¨C to dive into their dream.

    Ichika saw off Suira, who turned into a ck mist in front of her and disappeared with her clothes.

    She waited for a while, watching Kehma¡¯s sleeping face, and then a shadow gathered, and Suira came back.

    ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°Well, the two of them were dancing and eating a giant Kraken with the size of this inn.¡±

    ¡°A Giant Kraken.¡±

    Squid and octopus are eaten in this world in following the teachings of the Ishidaka (of course, only non-poisonous species are eaten). However, when ites to the big ones like Kraken, we can rarely eat them. You can try to catch them by sending a ship, and they will sink you instead.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like they¡¯re having a nightmare about being attacked, is it?¡±

    ¡°Pope Kehma roasted the leg that Kuro-chan had cut off into rings, and then Kehma and Rokuko-sama ate it together. The Kraken was sitting quietly while Kuro-chan was cutting its legs. It then regenerates its legs, and then the process is repeated, and it seems endless.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all-you-can-eat!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s about right, they just gobbled it up without a care in the world. It was a sight to behold, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel full.¡±

    Ichika nodded. ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°So, do you want me to wake them?¡±¡®

    ¡°No, don¡¯t wake them. If you eat in your dreams, you will not want to wake up unless you¡¯ve had enough or full, right?¡±

    ¡°eeh? Is it possible to be full in a dream?¡±

    ¡°Probably? Though when I woke up, my belly will be hungry again, and I¡¯ll be able to eat all over again!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a very high-quality dream then.¡±

    So, Ichika decides to let the bears sleep until they naturally wake up.

    ¡°Well, if they don¡¯t wake up for another day,e back and see me.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Ichika, who believed that Kehma chose not to wake up on his own, was thus sessfully fooled.

 Chapter 455 - Awakened Daido

    455 ¨C Awakened Daido

    Awakened Daido

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I will need your help right away, I will first put the surveince curse on Leona once again.¡±

    ¡°I would prefer it if I don¡¯t have anything to do with Leona ever again.¡±

    ¡°That seems unlikely, Kehma is her favorite. Just destroy this crystal as soon as you met Leona next time.¡±

    Saying that Haku hands me a small crystal, about the size of her thumb. I can¡¯t refuse, and I have no choice but to ept it.

    ¡°The King of Daido was an excellent person at the time I founded the Empire, I wonder if humans be more stupid with each generation.

    The previous generation has also been killed by the summoned hero. At that time, the prince was only a small child, and he had done a terrible thing to this country. Really, what should we do now?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough man to rece them,¡± said Haku. Apparently, even without a Hero, there¡¯s no danger of the Daido Country falling to ruin ... although the King¡¯s neck is not guaranteed at all.

    ¡°Speaking of which. Did you know that Leona doesn¡¯t like eggnt? Maybe you could make an eggnt field to ward off Leona.¡±

    ¡°...Well, I will consider it. There¡¯s also the option of importing it from the Holy Kingdom, right?¡±

    What was that? Imported? Aren¡¯t eggnt supposed to be amon vegetable to be grown in the Empire? Our vige¡¯s fields have it, and it¡¯s also the favorite food of the subus. I wonder why there are some inconsistencies.

    ¡°Now... Kehma, I¡¯ll leave Daido in your care.¡±

    ¡°Will I get any reward for this?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about what happened in Daido... especially the matters concerning Rokuko-chan.¡±

    ¡°YES, I will do my job without anyints!¡±

    So, I leave Rokuko in Haku capable hands, while I need to return to Daido Country. Sigh... [Teleport] [Teleport]

    *

    Once I¡¯m back in the town, there was a crowd. I peeked in to see what was going on, I found a vendor girl crouched down on her knees beside her stall, mumbling to herself.

    This world... is not the world of [Kaomite]... it¡¯s not... there is no such thing as a [Kaomite] game to begin with. .... didn¡¯t... what... mmm? What is [game]...? AAaaaH.

    What¡¯s that, ¡°Kao¡îMite¡±? That thought was shed on my mind, but the answer is obvious; It¡¯s Leona¡¯s works.

    This girl must have been a [Tenseisha]. Her hair and skin are unusually well-groomed, she¡¯s probably some nobles¡¯ daughter.

    ¡°Young miss, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°Just leave her alone, something like this happens a lot today.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s tidy up the stall and put her in a more safe position... look, that little boy over there also had a simr condition.¡±

    .... well, this is not really a problem. This already harmless.

    That¡¯s why I am directly heading to the royal castle.

    By the way, this time I¡¯ve been entrusted with an imperial¡¯s decree from Haku, but The Hero¡¯s bracelet is still hanging from my neck.... nah, there should be no problem with this.

    But it¡¯s better not to enter the castle with [Teleport] and add unnecessary confusion on their side, so I will just walk through the main gate.

    The Soldier seemed to have already returned to their post, I lightly greet them by raising my hand.

    ¡°Yo~~ hello there, may I pass?¡±

    ¡°You are in Daido¡¯s King castle, who are you?¡±

    ¡°I was summoned here the other day as a Hero, Oh...? Did you forget my face?¡±

    ¡°...wait. Sorry, please just wait. I¡¯ll confirm it.¡±

    I talked while showing him the bracelet, and I was led into a rather luxurious waiting room. It seems that they can handle this situation properly.

    ¡°Was Hero-samae from outside the castle? I¡¯m so sorry, but there¡¯s massive confusion in this city since this morning....¡±

    ¡°Is it rted to something like inconsistencies of memories? I¡¯ve seen a lot of simr things happening all over town.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. You are right. We, too, experiencing a case of memories loss a few days to a few years... excuse me, but we may not be able to recognize Hero-sama.

    Still, that bracelet is definitely a sign of the Hero, but...¡±

    Since I didn¡¯t wear it on my arm, I could be a fake or even this is a bracelet that was taken from the Hero. I¡¯m not going to be able to get rid of it if I wear it on my arm, and it will be my proof.

    I see that¡¯s how it was meant to be. I¡¯m d I choose not to wear it and I¡¯m sure it¡¯ses with one other function.... wait? Is it possible to disable it with [God¡¯s rm]?

    ¡°Hero-sama, It has been confirmed. The King will now see you, please let me take you to him.¡±

    ¡°The King?¡±

    This is a very fast response. But then I remember, Haku said [The previous generation King was killed by summoned hero] or something like that. Does this mean Hero rted thing is the most critical incident to them?

    When I arrived in the audience chamber, the King stood from his throne to greet me and then bowed his head.

    ¡°Hero I¡¯m sorry, but please calm your anger.¡±

    ¡°Well Well Well King, you took a 180-degree attitude from when we met the other day.¡±

    ¡°...yes, I¡¯m sorry. First of all, this might be an empty excuse, but we were being manipted.¡±

    Hmmm, well, is it true? But of course, I know it¡¯s true.

    ¡°Raise your head, please. I¡¯m here to talk to you.¡±

    ¡°Your kindness is truly pained my heart, but I¡¯m afraid that I will rouse your anger once again by my words next, when that happens, please settle this with only my head.¡±

    The King gulps down his saliva and faces me with an expression that was already epting his tragic ends,

    ¡°.....We have no way to return the Hero-sama to his original world...! How dare we summon you and yet... we... I¡¯m truly sorry! But no matter how much I apologize, I¡¯m afraid that my words won¡¯t be enough...¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s right.

    ¡°...Ah, but two of the bracelets were missing. I must apologize to the other brave soul who should have been there...¡±

    Oh, yeah... that too. She¡¯s not here right now, but she¡¯s alright.

    Haku-san told me to go and to pressure him anyway, but what am I supposed to do about this?

 Chapter 456 - Wrapping up

    456 ¨C Wrapping up

    At any rate, the King of Daido was a rather decent man, or rather, he was a honest man at best, and a petty honest man at worst. His demeanor was hardly a king. Please don¡¯t ruin my country, please spare my life, he basically said that from the beginning to end.

    ¡°For the duration of my reign, I will ensure that you will continue to live luxuriously in Daido.¡±

    I was a little tempted by the offer but... I have the Gollen vige.

    Let¡¯s secretly email Haku about this. for now, I remembered that there was one more thing I needed to confirm.

    ¡°At the very least I understand your feeling, but King... I need to ask you about Toy Tindalos, the director of Magic Institute.¡±

    ¡°The director of the Magic Institute is, Boom Somersault, but I haven¡¯t confirmed his wellbeing for now.¡± {sonic boom+somersault kick?}

    That name, I can feel the it in my skin.

    ¡°How about brown-skinned girl with dog ears?¡±

    ¡°Dog Beastman? Minister, did you know anything about this...?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we have taken a custody of a child found in Somersault¡¯s room, she wasying unconscious there. Did she have any connection with Hero in some way? She¡¯s on the way to castle nursery for now.¡±

    This castle has a nursery? That¡¯s surprising, but apparently Toy is being protected like a normal stray child.

    ¡°Ignorance is truly a bliss... She¡¯s the culprit for the incident this time, she can even escape from the jail if you are not careful.¡±

    ¡°What...? Hey! Secure her immediately!¡±

    ¡°Yes sir!, right away!¡±

    ¡°You might ant to put ve cor on her to keep her magic constrained.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s that dangerous?¡±

    ¡°Indeed, also I will suggest that you did not treat her carelessly to avoid being brainwashed.¡±

    The minister and the soldiers move in a hurry to secure Toy. Well, I don¡¯t think the ve cor can do too much.

    Haku reply is here, that was quick.

    ¡±Well, then, King Daido. Let me ry the message from the Raverio Empire to you.¡±

    ¡°Th-The Empire? the Raverio Empire?¡±

    ¡±Oh, I¡¯m sorry to tell you thiste, but I¡¯m actually a nobleman from the Empire. Apparently, I haven¡¯t crossed any world, so I don¡¯t need to live in this country.¡±

    ¡°What...? But that heroic summoning magic circle¨C¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already confirmed that the culprit had modified it.¡±

    ¡°Then, if you are not Hero, what should I call you?¡±

    Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t introduced myself to the king at all, not even my name, I just go along with him calling me Hero-sama. So, it would be for the best for him to know my name from here on.

    ¡°I¡¯m Kehma Gollen, a Baron from Raverio Empire, you may call me Baron Gollen.¡±

    ¡°Baron Gollen... oh, I¡¯ve heard of him. the one that managed to secure a draw against Hero Wataru and rumor said that he canmand a Dragon.¡±

    The best I can do is asking Igni to work for me in exchange for some snack, do that count?

    ¡°ah Minister, here¡¯s my proof, please confirm it.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s me see.... my King, this man is the real deal, he is Baron Gollen, the official envoy of the Empire.¡±

    ¡°Such this is...! Again, I¡¯m sorry for what you¡¯ve been through!¡±

    ¡°I will save that forter, for now I carry the words from Haku Raverio, the founder of the Raverio Empire, may I continue?¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    King Daido and his minister kneel down on the spot to wait for my words, I read out the text from Haku¡¯s email.

    ¡±Since the matter this time is rted to a God of Chaos, the me of the Daido nation itself shall not be questioned. Reparations to the individual affected will be demanded at ater date. For now, continue to fulfill your duties as king...¡±

    ¡°...certainly! Thank you for your quick and generous response!¡±

    There was relief in King of Daido¡¯s voice. The country and the king neck are safe, that¡¯s a huge relief for him.

    And just when I felt like I can finally catch my breath, the soldier who went to secure Toy earlier came back.

    ¡°Hero-sama! I¡¯m sorry, could you pleasee and confirm?¡±

    ¡°Wait, this man is the Hero, but he is also Baron Gollen of the Raverio Empire. Henceforth, you may call him Baron Gollen.¡±

    ¡°Yes, understood, then once again, Baron Gollen, may I ask for your help to confirm our prisoner?¡±

    The minister corrects the soldier and I go from being called Hero to Baron Gollen. Anyway, I¡¯m also curious about what¡¯s going on with Toy, so I decided to go and see.

    ***

    This way, Baron Gollen.

    The soldiers took me to underground prison. It was lined with stone walls and iron bars. There seemed to be other shady noblemen confined here, but I ignored them and went to the very back.

    There was an iron door with a small window at eye level attached to it, this seems to be a room for interrogation.

    ¡°She¡¯s inside.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see...¡±

    When I opened the small window and looked inside, I saw a brown skinned dog-eared girl sitting quietly in a chair with a blindfold on. The gray dress she was wearing was apparently meant for a prisoner. There¡¯s also a ve cor around her neck, and her hands are tied behind her back.... in which made it looks like Niku is the one that being restrained, this is an awful sight.

    But this Girl is Toy. she¡¯s a pawn of the Chaos God Leona, don¡¯t let your guard down.

    Leona once called Niku a failed product, then I should assume that she is stronger or far stronger than Niku in many ways, and from that perspective, this restraint is appropriate.

    ¡°Is this girl really the culprit?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure. Did she offer any resistance?¡±

    ¡°No, sir. she listened to what we said and epted the cor herself, Hero-sama....no Baron Gollen I¡¯m only following your order to capture her... but... I think I¡¯m going too far.¡±

    ¡±Well I have no idea what they¡¯re up to, just don¡¯t let your guard down. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll be manipted again.¡±

    When I said that, the soldier gulped and stare at me.

    ¡°...well what are you going to do now? Interrogate her?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s get right to it, I will hear what she had to say... By the way, who¡¯s in charge of that cor?¡±

    ¡°It was on the one who had captured her, in other words, me... but if Baron want it I can transfer the authority to you

    I see.

    So here we are, let¡¯s meet Toy once again.

 Chapter 457 - Interrogating Toy.

    457 ¨C Interrogating Toy.

    I talk to Toy while secretly activated the [God¡¯s rm] to prevent brainwashing.

    ¡°Hi Toy. How are you doing?

    ¡°Mr. Khema this is the worst, Please just kill me.¡±

    You are blindfolded but you still could tell it was me just from my voice, impressive. It seems she also still calm andposed.

    ¡°After all, as my name implies, I¡¯m Toy Series 101, my name is from 10(to) and 1(i), or in short there¡¯s another 101 of me, one entity perished means nothing.¡±

    ¡°...that¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Well. Now, I¡¯m not being told not to lie to you, but it might as well be true? at the very least it¡¯s a very smarts wordy, right? Fufu...¡±

    The soldier next to me is shaking his head... Oh, I see. I guess he doesn¡¯t understand the pun that make 10 and 1 to read as Toi when it tranted into this world¡¯snguage. also, I¡¯m wonder if Leona takes inspiration from a certain 101 dog movie.

    ¡°Was that joke told by Leona?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so you know it.... could you exin to me what the hell does that means, to be honest I also don¡¯t understand that. I asked Leona-sama about it, but she won¡¯t tell me. Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to at least know the meaning of the words I said before I die?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry to break this to you ¡ª but I don¡¯t know either.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi! It¡¯s amazing, isn¡¯t it? Master Kehma, of all people said that he can¡¯t understand Japanesenguange, AHaHa!¡±

    What so funny about it? Toyughing voice sound so deperate.

    That said, I still can¡¯t read her expression. she should be more expressive than Niku, but I can¡¯t read her expression like I did on Niku. It¡¯s not because of the blindfold, but probably because her ears and tails don¡¯t even twitch.

    ¡°Well let¡¯s start the interogation, if you dare to lie, I will have that ve choker strangled you.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? Wait let me try it. Sugar is spicy, salt is sweet, I¡¯m the real¨Chmm? Strange, isn¡¯t it? This cor didn¡¯t get any tighter, did they use defective product?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    This girl is nullifying the ve cor.

    ¡°You are a criminal that trying to the overthrow this country, I believe if you continue behaved like this you could lose one or two limbs.¡±

    ¡°Well now, are you trying to y it rough? In that case please enjoy me to your heart¡¯s content, it would be fine if you cut off one or two limbs, while at it should I cry while leaking all over the ce? I heard some nobles had that fetish.¡±

    Okay, This starting to get out of hands, its seems that she can handle a lot of pressure.

    And it¡¯s hard for me to determine if she¡¯s just bluffing or telling the truth because her ability to nullify the cor... ah, that reminds me.

    ¡°Hey, did you have magic tools to detect lie? This country should have one to interrogate criminals, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. There is.... but since the cor did not work, I doubt it will work on her.¡±

    The soldier¡¯s answer is actually right, since the cor also magic tools... so how did she nullify it?

    ¡°Toy, did the one before me is just a body double?¡±

    ¡°Oh my? Is that the first thing you conclude? I¡¯m me, this is the real me. It just that I¡¯m resolved to do this, Toy is a ¡®toy¡¯, she will be used until shes broken and thrown away.¡±

    ¡°The beastman trait of loyalty huh? Just why did you so loyal towards Leona?¡±

    ¡°Because the beastman race is created by Leona-sama hands.¡±

    What¡¯s that? this is the first time I¡¯ve heard about this.

    ...this is Leona we talking about, probaly she¡¯s looking at this world and thought [There are no beastmen in another world so I¡¯ll have to make one!] And then she proceed to create one, yeah it could be it.

    Toy replies in a jocr tone while wearing a blindfold.

    ...since I already had the [God¡¯s rm] activated, should I take her blindfold so I can read her better? I want to dig as much as info as I could., hmmm.... ah, yeah. There¡¯s that.

    #Toy¡¯s Side

    ¡°This is getting nowhere. Let¡¯s take a break and figure out what to do.¡±

    After a short time after Kehma left the room with the soldier, a person appeared again in the interrogation room.

    ¡°Oh? Is the break time is ove.... ,n?¡±

    ¡°Hi, Toy. How are you feeling?¡±

    ¡°Leona-sama...! Oh, Leona-sama, Leona-sama!¡±

    The smell, the beating of heart, the weight of footsteps, the way air shake, and her voice. Even though she was blindfolded, Toy could tell that the person in front of her was Leona. She felt an indescribably strong mixture of joy and regrets. Her tears welled up, wetting the back of the blindfold. she may have leaked a little down there too.

    Toy legs was pulled and trembled, the chain that shackles her rattled. If only the restraints hadn¡¯t been in the way, she would have immediately begged for mercy, clutched at Leona feet, showing her a flirtatious smile, and show Leona her belly.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, but why, why did youe here? I was no longer of use to you, right? Was I, the ipetent person who destroyed this yground country with Kehma, now no longer a useless piece of garbage? I see, Leona-sama hadn¡¯t thrown me out yet!¡±

    ¡°What? No, I threw you away. You know that much.¡±

    ¡°Uh..unnn...¡±

    ¡°But then I came up with good recycling{risaikuru} idea!¡±

    Leona¡¯s voiceughing happily. Toy don¡¯t know what the word [risaikuru] means, but whatever. Toy waits patiently for Leona¡¯s next words.

    ¡°...Toy, you will rebel against me.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand, Leona-sama!¡±

    Rebellion. to go against, Toy instantly understand. The contradiction of [do not obey] while obeying the orders. What a distressingmand, that¡¯s the punishment Toy have been given and a new mission for her.

    How sweet it is to be yed by the whims of her God. This is what [toys] are meant to be!

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Listen to whatever Kehma and Haku tell you, and my information ¨C well, give them everything you know about me ¨C and tell them cooperatively, without hiding any of it. Do everything in your power to thoroughly antagonize me. Think of something to sabotage me in your own, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Leona-sama!¡±

    ¡°Good girl. That¡¯s my toy.¡±

    And then Leona gently strokes Toy¡¯s cheek. Oh, a pure happiness. Her brain goes white. Her blindfolded eyes are flickering, drool overflows. Toy can¡¯t stop her tail from wagging. Is it permitted for a toy to be this happy?

    ¡°Kufu, fu, kyunn....¡±

    ¡°Well then, farewell.¡±

    ¡°Ah...¡±

    Leona let go of her hand, Toy was very sorry to have to part with it.

    ¡°From now on, you will recognize me as your enemy and not your master. And you will never have to obey my words again, okay? You have been recycled. you can decide by yourself who is your next Master, well... except me ofcourse? Mmmnn, I¡¯m looking forward to it. Show me how you going to stand in my way.¡±

    ¡°Yes...! Understood!¡± Leona-sama is looking forward to it...! Oh, Leona-sama look forward to me! ME! Then I must do everything in my power to oppose her!

    Toy took to heart the seemingly contradictory, yet non-contradictory, mission to [Rebel and Entertain] her God.

    ***

    A few momentster, Kehma returned.

    ¡°Oi, I will resume the interrogation¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you about anything. I¡¯ll help you with anything. Would you like me to be your ything? Go ahead, do whatever you want with me.¡±

    Toy said that with a sincere smile to Kehma.

    TL notes:

    Toy... you are friggin nutjob.

    This is why I avoid most katakana to be tranted, borrowed word in this novel are often bes a ¡®spell¡¯ because people in this world only heard the word written in katakana as it is.

 Chapter 458 - Dialogue with Toys

    458 ¨C Dialogue with Toys

    ¡°I¡¯m all ears. I¡¯m willing to help you with anything. Would you like to make me your ythings? Go ahead, do whatever you want with me.¡±

    I leave the soldier behind and returned to the interrogation room alone. Toy was there with a sickeningly genuine smile on her face.

    I could see her tail wags, and she was doing her best to appeal to me.

    ¡ª Of course, it¡¯s all thanks to the [super transformation].

    I was once told by Leona that if I tried to transform into her, I would copy the curses ced on her, and I would go crazy and die. But on the contrary, now that I¡¯ve removed the curse, I can transform into Leona without dying.

    It was a bit of a gamble, but I tested it when I was alone, and I was alive and well, so probably Leona was right, her curse was lifted, and I was able to transform.

    I use [super transformation] to transform into Leona and meeting with Toy.

    As expected of a heroic skill bestowed by God himself. The disguise is perfect in both appearance and physical aspect. The rest depends on my acting skills, but I make it up somehow by leaving the blindfold on.

    Then I pretended to be Leona and seduced her, hoping that I would deceive Toy.

    ¡°Master Kehma, shall I lick your feet? Or do you want to look, touch, or stomp on my belly? Haha, putting a leash on the cor and dragging me around the city is also a good idea, isn¡¯t it? Should I keep my clothes on? Or should I take it off?¡±

    I got this obedient pet as a result. I hope she can help me find a way to harass Leona... if someday she managed to find out the truth.. will my life be in danger?

    But I have a feeling that Leona has already seen thising. If Leona was serious about shutting down Toy, she would have killed her already or take her away.

    But she left her alone. This is just a message for me to ¡®do as you please with her¡¯.

    While it¡¯s true I got a lot of info from Toy, it does not matter if the person affected willingly gave it away. Leona must think that it¡¯s more fun this way.

    ¡°What are you plotting this time?¡±

    ¡°There was no plot¨Coh, I¡¯m sorry, I was plotting. Leona-sama was just here, and she asked me to join Master Kehma and Haku in opposing her. she mentioned that I¡¯ve been [risaikuru], but does Kehma-sama know its meaning?¡±

    Oh, and she seems to be following her orders to cooperate and tell us everything. Good job, Toy.

    ¡°Recycling, really? I hate lies.¡±

    ¡°Wonderful, I don¡¯t like lies either. I¡¯m not lying, oh right, how I tell you about this cor that won¡¯t tighten?¡±

    ¡°...how did you nullify the ve cor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple. This kind of magic tools and magic spells are designed to read the body, mind, or soul. It will respond when the soul feels that [I¡¯m lying]. Therefore, if you don¡¯t [feel] anything to what you say or do, it won¡¯t react. It¡¯s using the same principle way as the Demon King¡¯s arts of [still water surface].¡±

    Wow, the difficulty is high. But there is a way like that?

    ...this will be useful. Let¡¯s remember it for future reference.

    ¡°Besides, this cor is a general-purpose product that only judges by the feelings, not by the soul, right? You can fool this just by [emptying your mind]. It¡¯s much easier to fools thispared to the one that reads your bodynguage.¡±

    ¡°You suddenly be chatty...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been tasked to be cooperative and tell what I know.¡±

    Toy looks at my direction with a blindfold still on and smiled.

    ¡°You¡¯re blindfolded, but can you see me?¡±

    ¡°You can usually tell who¡¯s where by smell and heartbeat, can¡¯t you? ...or perhaps you can¡¯t?¡±

    You may say that, but [super transformation] is properly deceived you, right?

    ¡°Oh, sorry... It would have been difficult to sense someone from smell if you weren¡¯t a dog-beastman, wouldn¡¯t it? Leona-sama was able to but to think of it, Leona-sama also had a beast mixed in her body.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s new for me.¡±

    ¡°um, Okay? Then did you know this much, Kehma-sama? Leona-sama is the God of Chaos. She had all kind of a beast attributes in her body, she can use the characteristics of any beast at her disposal.¡±

    At nce, that would be interpreted as a lot of weakness as well, or so I thought, but the fact that she can use it freely means she can also not use it freely. She really is strong.

    ¡°...By the way, what was Leona¡¯s real objective?¡±

    ¡°I have no doubt that one of her purposes was to y with Kehma-sama, but Leona-sama is a person who can n many things in a single move, even when her move is her whims. Her deep and far-reaching ns are beyond my ability to guess. Especially since this project to make Daido Country a date spot is a long-term project.¡±

    How many purposes did it have or still have? Toy said she had no idea of that either.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be funny if she really just did this on her whims or something like that...¡±

    ¡°Leona-sama is the God of chaos, you know? We can only imagine what¡¯s in her heart, and we the mortals can only enjoy it as it goes, no favors, but also no punishments.¡±

    Can she be represented with that exnation? Then it won¡¯t be wrong tobel her as a disaster.

    ¡°By the way, what will happen to me now? If you n to execute me, I¡¯ll run away right now.¡±

    ¡°Well, you could always run away if you wanted to, couldn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Of course, if only this much, I can remove this restraint right away if you wish.¡±

    I knew it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep you in my custody. You just have to do what I tell you to do for a while.¡±

    ¡°Nice, Kehma-sama!¡±

    To be honest, it¡¯s scary to keep this kind of thing in my pocket... but it¡¯s even scarier to leave her alone, even when she¡¯s not as much a threat as Leona.

    since I¡¯m not sure what Toy is thinking. I¡¯ll just push her to Haku-santer.

    ¡°Master Kehma, when will you release me from my restraints?¡±

    ¡°Just get it off yourself. Oh, keep the cor on. I¡¯m going to have to testify that Toy got away from us, and what we caught is a substitute, so it was a mistake and that I¡¯m going to have to show the king a defective cor.¡±

    ¡°Very well. Then I will testify that I am a pitiful puppy who was reced when Master Kehma took his sight of Toy.¡±

    With that, Toy stood up quickly as if the restraints weren¡¯t there. The restraints fall intact with a crunching sound. I feel like I¡¯m watching an escape artist.

    Toy takes off her blindfold, revealing a face that looks exactly like Niku¡¯s, but with more energetic facial expressions. In the meantime, I¡¯ll text Haku to tell her I¡¯ve got Toy under mymand. I also want to discuss about her future ownership.

    ¡°Ah, speaking of which.. Master Kehma. I¡¯m not sure if this has anything to do with this case.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, wait a minute....¡±

    I quickly wrote a mail to Haku. Sending it. Done.

    ¡°Okay. So, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Leona-sama was very close to the Dark God and often epted requests from him. As I recall, a Mere? Anyway, They recently made a thing called [meru]{mail} I don¡¯t know what he paid her in return.¡±

    Is this information helpful? And Toy smiles and wags her tail while tilting her head.

    ...I look at the email I¡¯ve sent. Ah... I wish you had told me a little sooner.

    ¡°Is it useless information?¡±

    ¡°On the contrary, a crucial one. Yeah, I see, that¡¯s why she was able to shut down the mail function?¡±

    ... would it be better not to depend on this mail function in the future?

    Though It¡¯s probably toote for that.

 Chapter 459 - Not guilty?

    <h4>Chapter 459 ¨C Not guilty?</h4>

    It¡¯s time to leave this underground prison.

    I stop the patrolling soldiers and ask them to give a message to King Daido. I said, [It looks like the real culprit escaped from the prison, and Toy was the one who got caught in her stead.]

    She walks away from the underground prison and standing next to me, so it¡¯s not a lie.

    They asked me to wait before I headed back, and after a while, we are permitted to enter the audience room again.

    ¡°Baron Gollen. I was told that the perpetrator had escaped, or rather switched...?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. she was even craftier than I anticipated. As expected from the one that has caused a great deal of turmoil in the Daido Country.¡±

    ¡°She had secured an escape route and scapegoat?¡±

    An uncle that looks like a knightmander steps forwards and starts to questioning my story.

    ¡°That seems unlikely, Baron Gollen... is it possible that you are in cahoots with the culprit?¡±

    ¡°Charidy¡±

    The King tried to stop him, but the Knight Commander shakes his head, gesturing the King that he had no intention to stop.

    ¡°My King, it¡¯s my job to be suspicious and protect this country.¡±

    ¡°But look, your opponents are small girl, you scaring her with your face.¡±

    When I looked to the side, I saw Toy shuddering with a terrified expression... are you an actress now?

    And if I have to tell the truth, the Knight Commander Charidy is right, we are actually in cahoots, or to be exact, she has been switching to my side for now. But I won¡¯t reveal that it will only make things moreplicated than it should be.

    ¡°Mm-hmm. But....¡±

    ¡°It seems there¡¯s still doubt in Knights Commander heart, the cor was not removed because I don¡¯t have the key, let make use of it. Why don¡¯t we use it to force her to testify?¡±

    ¡°Mm. I suppose that will certainly prove her innocence. Girl, you will answer to me. Are you the murderer?¡±

    Following my suggestion, the knightmanders re daggers at Toy. She then trembled more and hiding behind my body.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m innocent! When I realized, I was already there... please! Show some mercy!¡±

    ¡°The cor doesn¡¯t seem to be responding... is it means she¡¯s not lying? but I¡¯ve also heard reports that say that the cor did not work before?¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s right, the soldier has seen Toy nullify the cor.

    ¡°That¡¯s true, oi you, try to lie about something, it will tighten a bit though.¡±

    ¡°t-then... I¡¯m the culprit...argh!¡±

    ¡°Cancel, Cancel it at once!¡±

    Toy jumps at my suggestion and shows us that she is desperate. The cor¡¯s tightening seems to have stopped when the Knight Commander orders the cancel, she said that she can cheat the cor, but I¡¯m still afraid if that cor is identally reacted to what she says.

    ¡°That cor is outperforming those lie-detector magic tools, this is the proof of her innocence.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m convinced. You over there, bring me the key! How long you n to put this ve cor on an innocent girl like this!¡±

    He was easily convinced that she is not guilty. After that, he removed the cor and also had the cor analyzed again to confirm its authenticity. After that, the skeptical knightmander was the one who guarantees Toy¡¯s innocence.

    Well, the culprit is her, but... Leona is the mastermind, she¡¯s just the executor.

    ¡°It¡¯s more than likely that the real culprit has taken over the girl¡¯s mind and manipted it. It¡¯s makes sense if you think of it that way.¡±

    ¡°I see, then, of course, that the cor didn¡¯t respond. she¡¯s just being manipted to move her mouth... anyway, where did youe from, little miss?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember anything... Hero-sama, I¡¯m so scared...¡±

    And the knightmander shows a gentle yet scary smile; Toy is frightened and clings to me... this girls acting skill is top ss; I would be fooled too if I don¡¯t know the truth.

    ¡°It seems that she¡¯s taken a liking to you, Baron Gollen.¡±

    ¡°Charidy... I always said that your smile is frightening, please don¡¯t do it, it would be better that way.¡±

    ¡°Muh... I apologize for scaring you, but from now on, my Croutons family would be responsible for keeping you safe.¡±

    By the way, before this, the knightmander¡¯s family name was supposed to be Cthugha. So Crouton bes Cthugha... so it was subtly altered. Does the signature on the document change after a certain day? If so, that was a subtle prank from her.

    ¡°Hohoho, if you like it, our royal family also can offer you protection until you regain your memory.¡±

    ¡°No, you are scary, Hero, please... don¡¯t leave me alone....¡±

    ¡°Is my face is that bad... Charidy, I¡¯m sad to be hated by children...¡±

    ¡°My King, I¡¯m d to hear that you finally understand my feelings.¡±

    And ignoring the two sad uncles, Toy was hiding her face behind my back and shaking while purring. I think she¡¯s trying to hold back augh. This girl is really....

    ¡°Then what should we do? I don¡¯t even know if she is my citizen or not...¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. But I intend to protect her regardless of that fact, but... it seems that she hates me, .... Baron Gollen, can I ask you a favor?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll take custody of this child here. If you finally find some leads, you can contact me through the Empire messenger.¡±

    And the story went so easy from there. But still, this all thanks to Toy acting skills...

    Isn¡¯t this her strongest weapon? An offensive power that will trigger an old man prot instinct. What a scary child. {}

    So, the discussion was over, we decided on [The culprit may have fled, but since we have too much trouble already, let leave it at that.]

    This is kind of unexpected... but the King and Knights Commander are saying things like [Take this money with you] [don¡¯t you want to change your clothes first?] [Stay here for the night] [I will prepare a feast for you]... to Toy. It¡¯s like a treatment that they will give to their granddaughter. Thankfully, this country¡¯s food culture is very well developed. I will ept their offer for now.

    It would be unnatural to say she didn¡¯t need all that, so we decided to ept it moderately.

    At the time of farewell, the Kinges and send me off for thest time inside the castle gates. He is unexpectedly very friendly King, perhaps?

    ¡°...why do they care about you that much?¡±

    ¡°Umm. Maybe it¡¯s because they were trained to give me preferential treatment when I was acting as director of Magic Institute of Daido?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t [God¡¯ a rm] wakes them up?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t a particrly harmful type of brainwashing. Also, apparently, they wanted a daughter more than a son, and they wanted to spoil her and love her. it was something in that line.¡±

    I see it was like that?

    So, this is a side effect when you did forcefully use brainwash medicine or magic.

    ¡°Okay, Kehma, now that we had sessfully taken me out of jail. What next?¡±

    ¡°First ... we will go to the Empire.¡±

    I need to push her on Haku as soon as possible.

    ¡°Oh... by the way, this may be a trivial matter, but the prince and his groups are still out of this country, you know? What are you n to deal with him?¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t want to have anything to do with him again, but I think it¡¯s better if I break your spell first.¡±

    I don¡¯t know his position right now; I will try to get in touch when he finally manages to return to his home country.

 Chapter 460 - To Gollen Village, I Returned.

    <h4>Chapter 460 ¨C To Gollen Vige, I Returned.</h4>

    To Gollen Vige, I returned.

    And I was going to push Toy to Haku, but...

    ¡°Then, Kehma, I¡¯ll leave Toy in your care.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why me? I don¡¯t wanna.¡±

    ¡°...you want me to keep this kind of dangerous material in the heart of my country?¡±

    She¡¯s right.

    When we had a tea party-style report & consultation at Haku¡¯s detached pce, it was decided that Toy woulde under my care.

    ¡°But her freedom will be restricted. In the first ce, I already ufortable with cing her by Rokuko-chan¡¯s side, so at least, Kehma needs to take her reins should there be an emergency situation.¡±

    She brought up the fact that I can transform into Leona with [Super Transformation] and put Toy in control in emergencies. It can¡¯t be helped. You¡¯re certainly right. Well, I can¡¯t guarantee that I¡¯ll be able to use [Super Transformation] into Leona without any problems in the future.

    in the middle of the discussion, Rokuko, who was still sitting on Haku-san¡¯sp, said, ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good, we already have Niku, and I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get along!¡±

    She was probably thinking, ¡°I already had one dog. Adding one more won¡¯t pose me a problem.¡± Or something like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m home!¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve been home.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wee back, Master, and Rokuko. But when did you leave?¡±

    We use [White Beach] to get back quickly. And the one who weed us back in the vige chief¡¯s residences was Silkies¡¯ er, because her hair ornaments are red, was it, Nicole?

    ¡°Oh, that, Niku-senpai? Hmm? What¡¯s with that outfit? She seems different?¡±

    ¡°Oh. I can¡¯t believe that even this child can see through me... it¡¯s hard to impersonate someone you¡¯ve never seen before, isn¡¯t it, Kehma-sama?¡±

    ¡°Uh, what?¡±

    Toy talks to me, half ignoring Nicole¡¯s confusion.

    ¡°That said, let¡¯s get straight to Kehma¡¯s room; the meat puppets of Kehma and me are still sleeping in it, right?¡±

    ¡°ack, you¡¯re right.¡±

    Rokuko urged me to head to my room at the vige chief¡¯s residence. Inside the room, Rokuko and I were sleeping in one bed, in close proximity to each other. And by the way, Gonta the Frost Lizard wasying down on my head.

    ¡°She is supposed to be your escort, but she was left behind.¡±

    ¡°...I know this since I can read the magic circle, it was clear that only me and Rokuko were targeted. Isn¡¯t that right, Toy?¡±

    ¡°Yes, In that room ... there was a lot of ineffective string of magic form that Leona-sama wrote, originally she only wants to call Kehma-sama and Rokuko-sama, so perhaps Kehma¡¯s assumption was right.¡±

    Gonta alternately looks at me and me (the meat doll) with her blue tongue out.

    As expected, Leona didn¡¯t know about Gonta¡¯s existence, which I had just summoned recently, so it appears that she wasn¡¯t included in the designated target... hmm? But then I remember her perfect timing to summon us. It was when me and Rokuko in the middle of having a good time together. Is it just a coincidence? Well, it¡¯s doesn¡¯t matter now.

    ¡°Oh, Gonta. Come here. That¡¯s a fake Leona made.¡±

    I called for Gonta while holding a cup of ice cream in one hand, and she quickly climbed up my body and reached for the ice cream. She¡¯s gulping it down happily. Lizards is a cute creature when you get used to it.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, can I have some food too?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Kehma, I want some ice cream too.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to do something about this meat puppet first.¡±

    Ro poke me (the meat puppet) in the face.

    ¡°It¡¯s such a waste to throw away this high-quality product, can¡¯t we keep it?

    ¡°You can¡¯t. We don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any strange trap inside.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you do something with the Kehma¡¯s [God¡¯s rm]? Come on, I¡¯ll give Kehma my meat puppet.¡±.

    ... uh, yeah, I could actually do something about this.

    ¡°Hey, Toy, is this some kind of a trap? Can you do anything about this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Rokuko-sama, please wait a minute.¡±

    Toy¡¯s eyes are glowing red, and she touches the meat puppets with her palm. It¡¯s probably a magic vision skill.

    ¡°... there is no particr hidden mechanism in this. The needed nutrients are already stored inside their body, so there¡¯s no need for excretion, but if you give it a strong stimulus, then it will respond ordingly.¡±

    ¡°That what she said, Kehma, please? Can we keep it?¡±

    ¡°You know that thing was created by Leona, right? If we don¡¯t get rid of it now, it will give us some troubleter.¡±

    Let¡¯s say I believe in Toy analysis, it doesn¡¯t mean that Leona wouldn¡¯t be able to set a trap that can bypass Toy perceptions, as long as there is a possibility, it is reasonable to dispose of it. That¡¯s Haku¡¯s advice to me.

    ¡°Let¡¯s immediately contact Dolce-san and have her collect it.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to do that... I¡¯m already here... ¡°

    ¡°Oh, Dolce, you are here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Rokuko-sama. I received a call from Haku-sama a while ago. Ehm, let me collect it then... I am sooo angry right now.... these eyes of mine couldn¡¯t even see through this fake...¡±

    Dolce-san, who suddenly entered the room before I realized, smoothly put away the meat puppet in [Storage] and went out through the wall ...Well, She is Wraith, after all.

    ¡°aaaaah, she took it away.¡±

    Rokuko sits on the bed where the meat doll had been sleeping and looks at the wall where Dolce disappeared with regret. Well, I couldn¡¯t help but think that Rokuko¡¯s meat puppet was a bit of a waste too, but it¡¯s not good to feel attached here. Yeah, it¡¯s not good in many ways.

    ¡°Oh? Kehma-sama ...You look like you about to cry because your mother finally found your ero manga secret stash and dispose it? Yes, I understand. I understand. I¡¯ll be the one tofort you tonight, okay?¡±

    ¡°No, thank you.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm... ah~ that¡¯s right! Rokuko -sama, Rokuko-sama, pleasefort Kehma soul tonight¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°What? What is that?¡±

    ¡°Eh, was it too hard for you to understand? I mean, Rokuko-sama need to use her body to¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important, Rokuko, let¡¯s decide what to do with Toy. As for me, I think it would be wise if we leave her to Ichika and someone else for now.¡±

    I hurriedly interrupt Toy¡¯s words and talk to Rokuko about what to do with her.

    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s fine with me too. Let¡¯s add it to our schedule.¡±

    ¡°All right, well, I just need to exin the situation to¡ª¡±

    ¡°Master! You woke up.¡±

    Then Niku came in with her usual expressionless poker face while wagging her tail. Or rather, in her eyes, we have only been sleeping this whole time... I need to exin this properly.

    Then Niku looks into the room. She meets Toy¡¯s eyes and then staring at her.

    ¡°....who is this dog?¡±

    ¡°Oooh, so, this is the failure that Kehma-sama loves? Fuh.¡±

    Her tail looks angry... but this is a reunion scene between long lost sisters, right?

    As if that could be true.

 Chapter 461 - Dog vs. Dog.

    <h4>Chapter 461 ¨C Dog vs. Dog.</h4>

    Niku red at Toy with her tense tail.

    ¡°Master. Who is this dog?¡±

    ¡°Ah, she¡¯s Leona¡¯s former pawn.¡±

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m your sister. Toy.¡±

    ¡°...my Sister?¡±

    Toy greets Niku with a smile and court bow while Niku keeps her expressionless face and gives her a small bow.

    ¡°Are you really my sister? I do feel like I had seen your face before.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Haven¡¯t you ever looked into the mirror? My face is exactly like yours. This face even fooled Rokuko-sama.¡±

    ¡°Simr? We are?¡±

    ¡°e? not just simr, it¡¯s like a doppelganger.¡±

    Rokuko nodded her head at Niku, who was tilting her head. It¡¯s the truth. The faces of Niku and Toy are exactly the same. It¡¯s not strange to call them twins... wait since there¡¯s more than two, we should call it quintuplets or more.

    However, their expression is the total opposite.

    One is an expressionless cute pillow of mine; the other is a cheerful disgusting pawn of Leona.

    ¡°So, why is Toy in Master¡¯s room? Have youe to wake Master?¡±

    Oh, yeah. For Niku and others, we have only been sleeping. We need to exin ourselves.

    But how to exin this... I was pondering about that when Toy suddenly smiled at me as if to say ¡®leave this to me.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll exin it to you. ¡ª to this ipetent pup.¡±

    ¡±Ipetent? ... what do you mean.¡±

    Niku¡¯s ears twitched.

    ¡°I think I¡¯m kind for using the word ipetent for a stupid dog who doesn¡¯t even realize that her Master has been reced with a fake?¡±

    ¡°...fake?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Kehma-sama and Rokuko-sama had been abducted to the Daido State, and a meat puppet was ced in their ce. And you know what! While the Master was struggling in a strangend, this ipetent dog didn¡¯t even know it. She was content to take care of his meat puppet! Hrious! Shouldn¡¯t she apologize by cutting off her ears and tail? Hahahaha!¡±

    And Toy mocking Niku as much as she can while exining things.

    ¡°...Master, is that the truth!¡±

    ¡°Ah, well, basically yes. I was summoned to the Daido Country, and I just got back.¡±

    ¡°...I ...I cannot recognize my real master?¡±

    Niku is stunned.

    ¡°Toy was the one who kidnaps us.¡±

    ¡°ah Rokuko, you should save it forter. It¡¯s too early to spoil the story.¡±

    ¡°...I don¡¯t understand? meaning?¡±

    Niku tail curls up in confusion.

    ¡°Toy was the one who kidnaps us, and Niku was fooled by meat puppets that were made by Leona. In the end, Haku told us to take care of Toy in this vige.¡±

    ¡°...um? It means? ...um?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the details. What matters now is that we¡¯re taking care of Toy. The detailed stories are too troublesome, so let¡¯s gather everyone first and exin it all at once.¡±

    ¡°oh, I see.¡±

    The tail settles down nicely as if it were convinced. No, I guess she is d that she don¡¯t need to deal with the details.

    ¡±Then she¡¯s a customer, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s wrong puppy. I am here as a tool of Lord Kehma, ufufu I am useful, unlike some useless, food-waster dog, right? I will not ept your objection. you¡¯ve already proven that I am better than you when you have been taking care of my meat puppets with all your heart and soul without realizing that I already kidnap them.¡±

    ¡°Gu ... but that meat doll? Not you who made it.¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, not my creation.¡±

    Toy looks down at Niku with a big grin on her face.

    But Niku responded with a gaze of her own that looked like she was challenging her.

    ¡°Not customer then, you are my Junior?¡±

    ¡°Junior? Oh fine, putting up with ipetent senor is probably fun in its own way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m better.¡±

    ¡°My my, you think you are better than me, spoiled little puppy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your big sister.¡±

    Sparks flew between the two girls.

    ¡°Master, Rokuko-sama. Pardon. I must make this neer understand her position.¡±

    ¡°Kehma-sama, Rokuko-sama, let me teach this little puppy the vastness of this world.¡±

    ¡°ah... okay.¡±

    ¡°This way,e.¡±

    ¡°Yes, show me around. By the way, will you give me that lovely maid¡¯s outfit? Or maybe I should just take it away from you.¡±

    ¡°if possible, try it.¡±

    ¡°Said the fools, fufu.¡±

    Niku and Toy left the room. I should¡¯ve expected this, but I guess hierarchy is important for Dog-beastman.

    But really, how should I deal with Toy? I don¡¯t want to show her my [create golem] and my other ability. Maybe I could just treat her like a guest of honor from Haku, just like I treat Dolce?

    ...then again, it¡¯s also a problem to let her live in the church. After all, there are subuses. I don¡¯t want to leave the Leona former subus with Toy.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a good idea to build an additional dormitory where Rei and others live.¡±

    ¡°¡¯Yes. I think that¡¯s appropriate.¡±

    Now that I¡¯ve got Rokuko¡¯s consent let¡¯s build an extensionter.

    ¡°By the way, I wonder how strong Toy really is.¡±

    ¡°Leona says it¡¯s a finished product... at least she excels in magic power, right?¡±

    ¡°She used to be the director of Magic Institute Afterall.¡±

    Since Niku will have to establish a hierarchical rtionship with Toy, it might be a good idea to use this opportunity to measure her ability.

    ¡°If they were going to have a mock fight, then I¡¯d like to have them go all out in the dungeon¡¯s arena.¡±

    ¡°Hmm... Would you like to make a bet on who will win? The loser has to do a favor to the winner.¡±

    ¡°...that¡¯s a difficult condition, well okay, but no unreasonable demands.¡±

    ¡°Okay ...Then I¡¯m betting on Toy to win!¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯m on Niku.¡±

    Huh. Stupid Rokuko. You seem to be under the impression that Toy was so nasty powerful in Daido Country, but don¡¯t you know thew of enemy characters will be weaker when they be your allies? I already won this bet.

    ...well, thew is a joke, but Niku actually has orichalcum golem clothes that Toy do not have, and I believe that our highest fighting power won¡¯t lose so easily.

    And I hear footsteps running down the hallway. When I looked out, Ichika wasing over.

    ¡°Master! I heard that you were awake. Also, why Niku sempai was split?¡±

    Oh, I¡¯ll have to exin it again.

    TL notes:

    Niku dialog... it¡¯s not my broken English acting up.

    I need to save the word count because Niku speaks in small lines.

 Chapter 462 - Catfight

    <h4>Chapter 462 ¨C Catfight</h4>

    Dog-beastman. They are simr to dogs in some aspects.

    This is why the hierarchy is so important to them, and of course, they need to have a strict hierarchy established when they are neers in their pack. And this is even more important when both party are dog-beastman.

    By the way, if you need an exnation of what they¡¯re wearing, then, Niku, wear a cosy maid¡¯s uniform, which is also the uniform of the inn. Toy wear a normal maid¡¯s uniform in this world, which also her clothes when she was pretending to be Niku.

    The two dog-eared brown-skinned loli maids walk together. Niku is a celebrity in this vige, and Toy has exactly the same face as Niku.

    When they wereing out from the vige chief¡¯s house, the vigers look at them with their eyes wide open, look at them confusingly; some even said, ¡°Am I tired? [Oyasuminasai{goodnight}].¡± And then they went to church to pray.

    ¡°The inn¡¯s courtyard ¨C no, let¡¯s fight in the arena. I¡¯m going all out.¡±

    ¡°Oh my, to think that I would be so disillusioned and think that I can with against you, once again, it¡¯s nice to know you, Can you at least give me some guidance? You don¡¯t want to pull any punch, right? Kufufu.¡±

    ¡°...is this your idea of being annoying?¡±

    Thus, Niku entered the dungeon with Toy. There was a reception desk from the Adventurer Guild, but Niku has a face pass, and Toy, who has the same face as Niku, also has a face pass¨Cwhat? Why are there two puppies? And they passed the receptionist while another guild member was dumbfounded ¨C that is how it went.

    The two ran through the dungeon from the entrance towards the arena area.

    There also some idents where Niku, who was in the front, deliberately triggered an arrow trap to attack Toy, but Toy didn¡¯t give in to such shallow harassment. She simply cast some buff and run after Niku with a smug smile on her face. There is also a moment where Niku needs to avoid a golem that has been thrown by Toy from behind.

    With such warm-up, they finally arrived at the arena. Their breath is still steady, and there were no injuries on their body.

    Light magic tools illuminate the battlefield, and golems were stationed as audiences. Two dog-eared brown-skinned loli maids confronted each other in the center of it.

    Finally, the match for rank was about to begin.

    ¡°I¡¯m Toy. your sister.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Niku. I¡¯m Niku Kuroinu. I¡¯m Master¡¯s hug pillow, and I¡¯m your older sister.¡±

    Niku proudly deres her superiority.

    By the way, the order in the Cave of Desire dungeon is like this: Kehma at the top, followed by Rokuko, then Niku, Ichika, Rokuko¡¯s pets, Rei, other Dungeon¡¯s named monster, and finally the other subordinates. (this is how Niku perceived it.)

    And let¡¯s say a neeres in, where is the appropriate position to assign them?

    Of course, the lowest level! Under Rei and the other executives, among the ¡®other subordinates.¡¯

    From there, you need to climb up with your own abilities, well, it¡¯s not so easy to reach the executives¡¯ level.

    ¡°[Hugging Pillow] seems to be a great job, should I ask for that position? Well, there is nothing that you can do that I can¡¯t do. In fact, I can make your job easier by taking away your job.¡±

    Toy puts a hand over her mouth and chuckles.

    In Toy¡¯s standards, Leona still reigned supreme, and now she¡¯ll be joining Kehma¡¯s side, and in consideration of her abilities, she had noints as long as her ranking in here was at least as high as the executives.

    However, such humility was of no use. She was forced to ept the fact that Niku (the failed product) is ranked on the top three in this dungeon.

    Because Toy feels that she is a capable person, then the idea that she is lower in than an ipetent failure is something that she can¡¯t ept, not even Leona¡¯s order can force her.

    She¡¯s the one who had a country as her ything, and she knows she¡¯spetent, and should someone disagree with her, then they need to destroy her conviction first.

    There¡¯s no way that she would quietly ept that ¡®the ipetent¡¯ is her superior.

    She felt that she should either be in third inmand or at least Niku should be lower than her. And that¡¯s why Toy wants to lower Niku position by teaching them how ipetent Niku is.

    ¡°Anyway... I Just want to confirm how far I am allowed to go? At least it doesn¡¯t feel right if I dispose Kehma-sama¡¯s hug pillow without permission.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s assume we can do it as long we did not cause trouble for Master.¡±

    Niku takes out a wooden knife for mock battles from her [storage].

    Toy took out a wooden stick from her [storage] too. It¡¯s an octagonal pole, a cudgel, as thick and as tall as she is.

    ¡°oh? We can do that much? Then...¡±

    ¡°Ready.¡±

    Once both parties have confirmed that they are ready, they took their battle stance.

    *

    It was Niku who moves first.

    She closes the distance in one leap and cross-swing her knife that she wielded on both hands.

    Toy easily avoided it be springing her body up by using her cudgel as a pole.

    Toy fires a kick that targets on Niku¡¯s head, but Niku rolls backward and kicks up. Both feet sh, resulting in heavy stomp for both parties. Toy readied her cudgel once more and kept her distance.

    ¡°Kufu, you will get the clothes dirty by rolling around in the ground, you know? Wasn¡¯t that clothes are a precious thing your Master gave you?¡±

    ¡°This much. No problem. [clean] will wash it off.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Fuuuun, Toy grunts. A magic circle floats around her.

    ¡°##, ##########, #### [fireball]¡±

    ¡°tsk.¡±

    Niku rolls to the side to dodge the fireball that¡¯sing at her. As expected, she doesn¡¯t want her uniform to catch fire.

    ¡°My oh my, wouldn¡¯t it be better to take your clothes off than to let them burnt?¡±

    ¡°Good joke, as long as it doesn¡¯t hit me, it¡¯s all good.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that, Kufufu.¡±

    Toy snaps her fingers. This time there was no chant, and with that, a fireball flew out.

    ¡°Nah, kuuh.¡±

    Niku ward off the fireball with her wooden sword.

    ¡°ah. It¡¯s just a double chant with double dy. Is this the first time you¡¯ve seen this technique?

    Then how about this? #### ####### [fireballs]¡±

    ¡°.....¡±

    Five fireballs float around her ¨C in turn, they¡¯re flying towards Niku.

    She rolled and bounced, and Niku managed to deal with them without scorching even the hem of her skirt. But Toy stillughs, seeing her put dirt on the clothes.

    ¡°That called quintuple chant. You saw a good one, didn¡¯t you? ¨Ccan a failed product (dog) do this? Now, will you admit that I¡¯m better than you?¡±

    ¡°#### ####### [fireballs]¡±

    But then Niku also sent five fireballs flying at Toy. the fireballs flying at the same time. Toyughed from above and said, ¡°Heh, you can do it, huh?¡±

    ¡°#### ####### [ice bolt]¡±

    Five ice bolts released by Toy intercepted the fireball. They destroy each other.

    ¡±You¡¯re a mere failure, but you can do it. Hahaha, then I, the finished toy, will perform a more detailed quality test for you!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to make it clear to you that I¡¯m better than you.¡±

    Niku stared at Toy, holding the wooden knife, and readied her stance once again.

 Chapter 463 - Catfight (dog version) 2

    463 ¨C Catfight (dog version) 2

    I looked at the monitor and saw Niku and Toy that were fighting in the arena.

    ¡°Oh, they¡¯re already doing it.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, let me see it too.¡±

    While saying that, Rokuko sat down beside me without opening the monitor herself.

    She smells good, like a sweet scent of Melon Bread.

    ¡°Rokuko, did you use perfume? Melon Bread scent?¡±

    ¡°Is those exist? I want one then.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Who had the upper hands?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, for now, it¡¯s Toy. By the way, when did Niku learn tounch five fireballs at once?¡±

    I give Nerune a phonograph golem that contain the chant, I wonder if Niku borrowed it when Nerune had already finished with it.

    How diligent she is.

    ¡°There were other chants that I recorded, but I wonder how much of it she remembers.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But, Kehma, I¡¯m betting on Toy, so I will be rooting for her.¡±

    ¡°Good luck then, Niku, give it your best.¡±

    I cheer for Niku through the monitor. By the way, when I looking at them like this, they show us a really simr expression.

    *

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re a failure, you seem to know one or two things about magic, well, it¡¯s pretty good. But how about physical arts?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Not even trying to win? So, a failure puppy is just a failure after all?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let it get over my head. That¡¯s all.¡±

    Niku closes her distance to Toy.

    ¡°Slow¨C¡±

    ¡°naive...¡±

    Toy reacts to Niku and thrusts her club. However, Niku catches the club and then spins it around to bash her. Toy¡¯s defenseless back got mmed twice.

    ¡°[jump]¡±

    Toy jumped with skill from an impossible position. It¡¯s the skill features that allow her to execute that absurd movement. Basically, it¡¯s a physical skill that improves your jumping ability, but it can be used for emergency evasion.

    ¡°using a skill? Expected, weakling.¡±

    ¡°Hm... it was a convenient skill; how can you not use it? Only an idiot will refrain from it, oh wait, there¡¯s one puppy who did.¡±

    Toy snorts andughs. Niku res at her.

    However, their eyes are locked to each other, trying to find an opponent¡¯s opening.

    ¡°#######,#####,###,##¨C[Curse dance]¡±

    ¡°##,#############¨C[Fireball]¡±

    Niku ms five fireballs into the dark-colored, disastrous spear that Toy unleashed, destroying it.

    ¡°Ahaha, could it be that¡¯s all the spell you can use? As expected from failures, you have a very limited number of moves, huh?¡±

    ¡°Not showing it, why should I?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. But I need to show Kehma-sama my resourcefulness, so he understands the extent of my ability, so I shouldn¡¯t hesitate to use it, right? ###,############### [cast pir].¡±

    The ground cracked. A ck pir the size of a grown man grew out of it¡ªa purple haze created around it, giving it an unapproachable atmosphere.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this one doesn¡¯t have the ability to kill ¨C it¡¯s just a cursed so anyone that touches it will be controlled. Ufufu, that¡¯s right, would it be fun to make you do sexy dance?¡±

    ¡°####,###########,####¡ª-[summon skeleton].¡±

    Niku summons a bone soldier to hold the tower. The skeleton soldier begins to do belly dance, but let¡¯s ignore that.

    ¡°Oooh? Summon spell? You seem to have the basics down, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get serious.¡±

    ¡°Oh, dear. Well, then I¡¯ll be half-serious.¡±

    ¡°then, I will be half-half-serious.¡±

    ¡°is that so? I will be half-half-half-serious then.¡±

    They started to exchange childlike talks ¨C no, wait, they¡¯re actually children ¨C and re at each other.

    ¡°Fine! I¡¯ll... I¡¯ll deal with you in one thirty-second (1/32)of seriousness.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m, um, um, I¡¯m one-sixteenth. See that? I can also divide by double digits. Master taught me.¡±

    Hmph, Nik proudly blows her nose, and Toy puts her hand over mouth andughs a small ¡°pfft¡± at her.

    ¡°Kukuku, you¡¯re twice as serious as I am!¡±

    ¡°?, Isn¡¯t 32 times two is 64? You suck at math.¡±

    ¡°Haha! Wait for a second! Puahaha, It¡¯s a fraction, my dear puppy! Oh, but I can¡¯t me her for not being able to do elementary level arithmetic, can I?¡±

    The bigger the denominator ¨C that is, the bigger the number to be divided, the smaller the result, but unfortunately, Niku hasn¡¯t studied fractions and decimal points.

    In this world, if you have the ability to count integers, that is more than enough. (Many adults cannot do multiplication and division properly.)

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure why, but I feel like I¡¯m being ridiculed. I¡¯m going to hit you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not making fun of you, it¡¯s just the fact that you are an idiot. Ahahaha!¡±

    Then their attacks and defense begin continued.

    Niku doesn¡¯t hesitate to thrust her wooden knife, aiming for Toy face. The aim is her sillyughing face, but of course, Toy avoids it by kicking away the de.

    The next moment Niku kick aim at Toy¡¯s club. Anticipating this, Toy drops the club and try to aim for Niku¡¯s legs joints.

    Toy abandons the club and delivers a kick to her knee¡¯s back ¨C her one leg is lifted, but Niku does not copse. Golem Assist. A secret Toy doesn¡¯t know makes reality turned out different than it ¡°should¡± be.

    There is a slights moment of surprise. But after that very moment, Niku swung down her kicked-up leg back down on Toy¡¯s head.

    ¡°ugggh!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I faked the opening, and you bite it. I did that on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Damn you, damn you failure dog.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been training in the Demon Kingdom. By the way, what shall I call you? A Loser Dog? A good name, right?¡±

    ¡°How could it be good? What kind of a cheat did you use to make a failed project to be a winning dog?¡±

    ¡°Complete control of your body, and don¡¯t let your opponent use you. This is the essence of the Demon King arts.¡±

    ¡°Tsk, it¡¯s the damned Demon King¡¯s arts...!¡±

    Toy knows. That the goal of the Demon King arts is plete self-control¡¯. You can say It is the ultimate selfishness that is not influenced by anyone or anything. If one managed reaches the extreme peak, they can control his body, mind, and even their soul as they wish.

    It was Niku¡¯s bluff, but that was the kind of skill that the Demon King arts used. Toy didn¡¯t expect Niku to be able to use it that well.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll take you seriously this time, too. The Chaos School will swallow everything. Use what you can use, even your enemies. A thousand and one changes, all things are in torrents ¨C [Kaleidoscope]!¡±

    The next moment, Toy divides into four.

    ¡°How about this? Failure puppy?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this simply a technique for creating three illusions¨C?¡±

    ¡°The presences are perfect on all four bodies, right? that¡¯s the difference.¡±

    ¡°The original technique of what school was it........I forget. Anyway, it¡¯s a secret technique.¡±

    And then one by one, they spoke to Niku in turn.

    ...No matter how you look at it, there are four of them.

    ¡°¡±¡±¡± Let¡¯s go, shall we?¡±¡±¡±¡±

    And then the four Toye at Niku, all at once¨C

    ¡°...C, there.¡±

    ¡ª but Niku hit the second from the right without hesitation. She punched the main body Toy with her elbow.

    The three clones disappear.

    ¡°Gah, ughh! Did you just find me in one shot!?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re need to concentrate to control your clones, which makes it much easier to hit you. it was an excellent move, though.¡±

    ¡°...tell me, how did you know?¡±

    ¡°Believe it or not, it¡¯s luck. This is my lucky day. So, do it again, and I might miss it next time, okay?¡±

    ¡°...liar.¡±

    Toyughed enviously and flopped down.

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s just end it as me losing today. It¡¯s also the role of a junior to follow their senior.¡±

    ¡°Good decision, Now, Toy... bow down.¡±

    ¡°...like this?¡±

    Toy bow down quietly. And then Niku climbs onto her, and stand in her head. Maid dog on maid dog.

    ¡°...Mm. It¡¯s a moderate ride.¡±

    ¡°...n.¡±

    Surprisingly, Toy epts it withoutining, but it¡¯s no surprise since she¡¯s on the losing side. That was the way it goes for both of them.

    Niku put her weight on Toy¡¯s head a couple of times as a reminder and got off Toy.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back, Toy.¡±

    ¡°understood~~.¡±

    Toy obeyed Niku¡¯s order meekly. She brushed the dirt from her clothes and head with a flick of her hand and followed behind Niku with a pitter-patter.

    This was the end of the ranking ritual.

    By the way, Niku¡¯s earring is also a cloth golem that Kehma had prepared for her.

    I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve known about gramophone golems, hidden inside that earing is the same mechanism to produce sound. Its purpose is to send a voice to Niku via dungeon function munication] since she¡¯s not a dungeon monster.

    A small voice that can only be heard by Niku through the golem was Kehma¡¯s voice. Just now, Kehma secretly delivered the following conversation to Niku.

    ¡°Hey Rokuko, if you had to guess, then which one of those four is the real one? A to D from left to right.¡±

    ¡°eh, What? Well...C?¡±

    It¡¯s not her own victory. Niku didn¡¯t call Toy a ¡®loser¡¯ because she realized that.

    TL notes:

    Why math!!

 Chapter 464 - â€“ And Soâ€¦

    464 ¨C And So...

    For now, I¡¯ve decided to treat Toy as a part-time worker, and I¡¯ve quickly introduced her to the inn¡¯s staff. We¡¯ll keep the golem mechanisms as a secret.

    As for her bed, we¡¯re going to add an extra room in the inn¡¯s dormitory where Rei and the others sleep. Also, Niku¡¯s room is in the Mayor¡¯s residence, so I wonder if this will give her a better standing than others. Well, even if Toy had won, I won¡¯t put her in my residence.

    ¡°Can I stay in Beddhism Church?¡±

    No, you can¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to put you anywhere near something rted to Leona.

    Because of that, the best ce for you now is in the employee dormitory.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, what¡¯s my job? I was the Director of Magic Institute, and I can do almost every task.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, you¡¯re a receptionist for the inn and a waitress in the dining room.¡±

    ¡°Pardon?¡±

    ¡°Receptionist and waitress.¡±

    ¡°........You are using this me for such a thing? Extravagant, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Because it can¡¯t be helped. We¡¯ve got plenty of dungeon secret here, and there¡¯s nothing else to do! I didn¡¯t want you to have to do anything else; originally, I was going to push you to Haku...

    ¡°I would like to take the job that can make me utilize my ability.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about the ability you talking about... What can you do?¡±

    ¡°assassinate, torture, kidnap, information control, investigate, incite, extort, rob, sabotage, many more?¡±

    So, in short, a ninja.

    ... wait, in that case, isn¡¯t she is pretty useful?

    ¡°Then... I will assign you to do some ¡®research¡¯ on the assassin who¡¯s trying to get to me.¡±

    ¡°Capture and torture? Got it. I¡¯ll just go get him.¡±

    Toy disappeared with a ninja leap. What, now? But not for long, she came back with a catch, there¡¯s an unconscious man by her right arm.

    ¡°Thanks for waiting, sir. May I borrow the torture chamber? If you don¡¯t have it, can I borrow some warehouse or something?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah. you can get to the basement from the well there...¡±

    ¡°Wonderful! You have the room prepared properly, it¡¯s nice. Please hold me. Oh, should I have said please use me as a hug pillow?¡±

    ¡°No, thanks.¡±

    ¡°What a shame.¡±

    After I refused her, Toy grabbed the unconscious man by the cor and went inside the well...

    She pokes her head out and smiles at me.

    ¡°I demand a reward for my achievements. Also, in my free time, I¡¯ll spend my time serving the receptionist at the inn and waitress at the cafeteria, as Kehma-sama ordered, well, just to pass the time.¡±

    With that, Toy went into the well for good this time.

    The reward ... well, a hamburger will do, I guess? It will, it should, I hope...

    *

    I¡¯m just about to rx after dealing with Toy, and Rokuko smiles at me. she¡¯s in an oddly good mood.

    ¡°Kehma, I lose the bet. So let¡¯s go on a date.¡±

    ¡°Wait, I thought I was the one who could give orders?¡±

    To be precise, you need to follow one request from the winner.

    ¡°I think the best time to ask Kehma for a favor is during or at the end of a date. Right? Right? I¡¯m an airheaded dungeon core, so you probably know what I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°...what? You¡¯re going to shamelessly give me fresh socks while I¡¯m on a date or at the end of a date?¡±

    ¡°Kehmaaaa?¡±

    ¡°Just kidding. I just wanted to tease you because your wish was most definitely a kiss.¡±

    Before Rokuko¡¯s cold stare, I withdraw my half-joking request. I¡¯m a dungeon master who can read the air.

    ¡°Hmph, from the way you put it, it seems that Kehma doesn¡¯t want to be with me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to, it¡¯s more like... I¡¯m afraid of Haku-san if I dare to... and we don¡¯t know when or where Dolce will spy on us? Especially when we go on a date, we¡¯re definitely constant surveince, 200% of the time.¡±

    ¡°uuuu.......¡±

    Dolce-san is a ghost type, so it¡¯s scary to think that her minions are also ghost type and me, who don¡¯t have any skill to detect spirit type creature, won¡¯t be able to see them. It¡¯s like an invisible automatic tracking camera.

    ¡°Then, let¡¯s make it a dungeon date. Inside the Cave of Desire, even Dolce can¡¯t get through the walls easily, and any intruder will be detected. So it¡¯s okay if you want to.....¡±

    ¡°Inside the dungeon, there¡¯s a dungeon monster. Rei, Eleca, and the rest of the dungeon management personnel will see us.¡±

    ¡°Th-then, I will personally block their view with my authority as a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°... Also, is there an interesting date spot within our dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Ca-can you not make it sound like I¡¯m not physically attractive!¡±

    Ack, I forgot... for Rokuko, the dungeon itself is her body.

    ¡°Ummm ... then we can just make one! Okay, I¡¯ll make one for you, and properly look at it, I¡¯ll make a better ce than the date Leona made and blow your mind!¡±

    ¡°Wait, Rokuko. Calm down. You¡¯ve lost your priority. The Cave of Desire is not a date spot, to begin with, so it¡¯s no wonder it¡¯s not a fun ce to date. Please don¡¯t do that? I don¡¯t want to use my winner rights to stop Rokuko from running wild.¡±

    ¡°UUUUUuuuuu.¡±

    Rokuko puffs out her cheeks to expresses her displeasure.

    But she seems to understand what I¡¯m saying and has given up on making a date spot.

    ..Now, here¡¯s the problem. How can I use this winner¡¯s rights?

    I took Rokuko¡¯s bet just for fun, but when I thought about it, I didn¡¯t have any use for it... it would have been better if Niku had lost. No, that means I would have to directly handle the troublesome Toy.

    You know, for some reason, Rokuko usually listens to my requests.

    Even though I didn¡¯t use my absolutemand authority, of course. Well, it¡¯s probably because I never make any big requests.

    I can¡¯t just ask for a kiss. Haku will surely hear about this. It¡¯s hard to decide on something like this, the content of the request will not satisfy Rokuko if it¡¯s just about taking socks off from her leg.

    A reasonable yet satisfying request... hmmm.

    ¡°...Ah. Rokuko... I¡¯m going to ask something right now, I will use my winner¡¯s rights.¡±

    ¡°ri-right here?¡±

    Rokuko is squirming. No, this not a kiss, okay?

    ¡°Let me use the dungeon core as a warmer (hot bottle) next time. Actually, I¡¯ve been curious for a while.¡±

    ¡°Oh wait a minute, Kehma. uh, yeah, sure... okay?¡±

    Rokuko nodded with a blush on her face. Okay, it looks like I¡¯ve made a moderately satisfying request. Phew, safe.

    TL notes:

    Okay, that¡¯s the end of this arc.

    With this, we only nine chapters away from the raw.

    So... I need to talk about you all about something.

    Okay, I made it sound bad, huh, no, it¡¯s not that bad... well, little bad, I guess?

    TLDR :

    I will personally write a different letter to all my Patreon. But my general audience will need to know at least this much: my schedule changed, from 7 chapters per week to 4 chapters per week. New series will be announcedter. I¡¯m still reading that potential suggestion from before, too much good stuff out there. I need to decide on something that I know I won¡¯t regret itter.

    Below is the wall of text (skip it, it¡¯s a half rant, no one need to get tortured by this)

    As you know, I started this project as a time-waster because of this corona situation. Still, now... the corona has be our part of daily life, the gear of our life started to move again. It¡¯s a bit rusty because we¡¯ve been stopping for quite some time, but s, we decided to move again, together.

    My daily study will continue, though it¡¯s online-only for now. My part-time job is also calling me more and more now, not just on the weekend.

    I noticed that my schedule bes absurdly packed on the weekend, that¡¯s given tho, I work as a chef assistant in a dimsum restaurant, we only take the online order for now (because you know what), but it still gets absurdly busy at the weekend, don¡¯t worry I enjoyed every part of it. It¡¯s just it drained my stamina soo much that sometimes I need to use my ¡®Patreon¡¯ chapter as a normal release. It was that bad (but the pay is good).

    My schedule is slowly bing packed again, and I want to continue my Japanese lesson. I think I saw some flyers that somece will provide an online ss.

    Because I feel like I¡¯m hitting a tall wall in Japanese, my English had be far betterpared to when I first started this, but my Japanese... I don¡¯t know, it¡¯s like I¡¯m walking in circles, I need a mentor to guide me to the right path.

    So what will happen to my trantion? It will continue, ofc.

    It just... probably be a lot slower.

    Uh, how much slower? Let¡¯s say... I will reduce my schedule from 7 chapters a week to 4 chapters a week, not including the Patreon chapter.

    Wow right? Yeah, that¡¯s why I write this wall of text.

    First is because of that two days of the weekend and it will probably be continued like that for a while, at least until next year? And with this etc. activities, I feel like I could use one day for a rest day, justzing around and reading fun stuff that day.

    This will affect my Patreon the most. They had been giving me the moral support that I need to continue my work. They need to know my n, and it¡¯s my responsibility to tell them.

    Well, that¡¯s basically all I need to say? Thanks for reading this.

 Chapter 465 - In the village.

    <h4>465 ¨C In the vige.</h4>

    In the vige.

    Through collecting information, including interviewing (torturing) an assassin captured by Toy, we were able to find out roughly where the mastermind is located.

    Well, Misha and co. Had already know that the assassin is originated from the Holy Kingdom; also, a nobleman was the one who sent him. I still don¡¯t know why a nobleman from another country is trying to assassinate me, but...

    ¡°The Holy Kingdom... maybe I need to go there once, but I feel like I¡¯ve been going out rather too far from the dungeontely. I don¡¯t want to move around from here. I just want to sleep at my house instead of going out.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, I think you¡¯re pretty muchzing around, though?¡±

    ¡°I am, for now, Haku-san has already sent a guard it¡¯s pretty much safe here, but I think it¡¯s still a good idea to take some action.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure? Sounds like you want to y around to me.¡±

    Cannot deny that.

    And then I heard a knock on the door of my room.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, May I have a moment of your time?¡±

    It¡¯s Toy.

    ¡°What can I do for you?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I just remembered that I have a good story to tell you, Kehma-sama.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s unusual, isn¡¯t it? Well, I¡¯ll listen,e in.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±

    Saying that Toy came into my room with a smirk on her face,

    ¡°Did you been rxing with Rokuko-sama? my, my... should Ie backter?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡±

    She pretends to look at Rokuko and me with surprise, but I urged Toy to go on with her business.

    ¡°Well, then ...I heard that Kehma-sama was interested in the Holy Kingdom, but you don¡¯t want to leave this vige. I¡¯ve deduced that it¡¯s a situation where you can¡¯t decide which one is the best way to proceed.¡±

    Yeah, well, we were just talking about that, but when did you hear that? This room is supposed to be soundproofed for the sake offortable sleeping; don¡¯t tell me you can read minds?

    ¡°I can¡¯t read minds. That¡¯s just a guess. It¡¯s about time you realize that I¡¯m so good that I¡¯m capable of guessing my master¡¯s thought. Unlike a certain bad dog.¡±

    Toyughs and wags her tail proudly. You promised to answer all our questions honestly, right? Don¡¯t back out now.

    ¡°So, then. Do you want to know a method to get out of this vige without leaving it? I believe that Kehma-sama and Rokuko-sama may already know the answer.¡±

    ¡°...going out without going out is a contradiction in itself. Enlighten me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s simple, sir. All you have to do is [possess] a someone and go out.¡±

    Toy answers while keeping her grin.

    ¡°To possess [something] using [possess], that way, my body will sleep in this vige while my consciousness goes outside the vige. Basically, like that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Kehma-sama, as you have guessed. A suitable, healthy body, deprived of free will, is preferable. Fortunately, there are plenty of people in the vige¡¯s hidden dungeons without a ¡®self¡¯ that is considered suitable for the job.¡±

    You mean by hijacking the consciousness of the assassin who¡¯s trying to kill me.

    ¡°That¡¯s unsettling. I don¡¯t know why anyone who will feel fine to use the bodies of people who are trying to kill him.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I have a n for the alternative. Since Kehma-sama is a dungeon master, I thought it would be good to prepare a monster that can transform itself into a human.¡±

    Moreover, it¡¯s more convenient than taking over an assassin body. I can let the monster take over my body while I¡¯m awake over here. Also, since [possesion] is a dungeon function, we could consider it safe.

    [Humanization] is required for monsters that only look ¡®human¡¯ like Rei and others, since they might be found out at the Holy Kingdom¡¯s borders checkpoint.

    ¡°Tell me about your whole n.¡±

    ¡°I will possess the assassin, so we had the advantage of using contacts to enter the Holy Kingdom. Well, if you don¡¯t feel good about it, then we need to find another way.¡±

    No, that certainly has its merits...

    ¡°Then it won¡¯t be a problem if Toy [possess] that assassin and Kehma and I [possess] the dungeon monster. With Toy served as guide, we¡¯ll be able to enter the Holy Kingdom in a more safely manner.¡±

    ¡°Oh, as expected of a woman whose talent only appeared once in a century, Rokuko-sama. It¡¯s a wonderful idea.¡±

    ¡°Stop it~~¡±

    Fufufu, Rokuko snort proudly as she is cajoled by Toy.

    Rokuko, you don¡¯t need toe with us though, But that¡¯s okay. It¡¯s gonna be safe. As long as our body sleeps in the core room while Rokuko and I are possessed, we¡¯ll be fine.

    ¡°Then Toy should have someone to tends to her body. Kehma and I will get you a monster.¡±

    ¡°Very well, thank you for your consideration. Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡±

    With an acted-out bow, Toy left the room.

    ¡°Well, this means we need to go isn¡¯t it? Hey Rokuko...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all good. Didn¡¯t Kehma also want to go too?¡±

    ¡°That said, I don¡¯t like the idea of adopting Toy¡¯s idea, because I¡¯m worried that it would be a trap.¡±

    ¡°[possess] is one of the dungeon function, so it should be safe.¡±

    I thought that [possess] has a limited range just around our dungeon area, was I wrong?

    So I decided to ¡°possess¡± one of the rats in the forest and try to see if I could get out of the dungeon area as far as I could ¨C oh, it worked just fine.

    Furthermore, after releasing the [possession] outside the dungeon area, I was able to [possess] it again. I don¡¯t know how much of range it has, but this will be an opportunity to find that out.¡±

    ¡°.....¡±

    I¡¯ve just realized that the Beddhism Church¡¯s subus could be Leona¡¯s puppet at any time. Oh crap.

    Well, I¡¯m sure there is some subus are already on Dolce¡¯s watch list, so it¡¯s probably safe.

    Oh well, let¡¯s believe that. There¡¯s no way Haku hasn¡¯t noticed.

    I made up my mind to check it outter. Meanwhile, Rokuko and I decided to prepare a monster that can use [Humanization].

    Since the Holy Kingdom teaches the human race¡¯s suprematism, a monster that looks like a human even after [Humanization] is canceled would be ideal. Also, the cost of [Humanization] would be lowered if the body frame was close to human ...And based on that, the budget we prepared is¨C

    ¡°What about 300,000 DP per monster?¡±

    ¡°...we need to calcte the cost of [Humanization] too, so take that into ount, okay?¡±

    I have quite a bit of saving, so I might as well spend that many on luxuries. Considering that it¡¯s me and Rokuko¡¯s second body, it¡¯s still within our budget.

    e to think of it, our dungeon has a very stable ie. I¡¯m close to reaching the 10 million DP mark in savings, or rather, if one gold coin convert rate it 10,000 DP, then our saving was already more than enough. By the way, some of it ising from Wataru wallet.

    Rokuko and I opened the catalog and browsed for the candidate monsters to possess.

 Chapter 466 - Preparing Monsters to Possess

    <h4>466 ¨C Preparing Monsters to Possess</h4>

    So, I¡¯m going to find a monster from the DP catalog that we can use to possess.

    The Holy Kingdom is adopting human supremacy ideology. Beastman that Rokuko and the others regarded as ¡®human¡¯ also be the target of discrimination. Therefore, monsters that had a form close to humans and were subsequently transformed using [Humanization] would have fewer problems.

    The cost of [Humanization] also will change depends on their base form simrities to humans. For example, Phenny, the phoenix that was obviously far from human, would cost me 500,000 DP. In contrast, Nerune, an apprentice witch whose body was already as close to human as possible, would only consume 10,000 DP.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to decide between bear-ear, rabbit-ear, or cat-ear. War rabbit... no Caitsith Kehma probably better, cat ear probably would suit Kehma the best, you will be so cute in that, absolutely.¡±

    ¡°Um, isn¡¯t that why we choose human type? Let¡¯s try to find something more human-like, shall we? Also, we don¡¯t know if their face will be simr to ours.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? I was wondering if a doppelganger or something simr would be nice.¡±

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to use my appearance that has been designated as an assassination target as a disguise. But a doppelganger is 500,000 DP by itself. That¡¯s way over budget.

    ¡°Then what about the [Shapeshifter]? Wouldn¡¯t that be handy, it also can use Kehma¡¯s pseudo [Super Transformation].¡±

    ¡°That one also way over budget too.¡±

    It¡¯s a type of monster that can turn into anything, not just humans. It¡¯s like high ranking slime, should the price wasn¡¯t an issue, the slime would have been a great choice, but I think it¡¯s [Humanization] will exceed our budget.

    ¡°How about living armor? Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to put on armor that Kehma possessed on my possessed monster?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a bad idea.¡±

    It¡¯s not like Rokuko, and I am going to be acting separately. If there¡¯s a human inside, we should im that it¡¯s a magic armor. And you can simply make her learn the skill to transform into a human, like Haku¡¯s subordinate, Sally the Living Armor.

    And, incidentally, it would also satisfy Haku-san¡¯s request of ¡®no men¡¯ in my dungeon, which was made a long time ago. In the case of living armor, it has no gender. If you [humanize] it, it¡¯ll be one or the other, though. No, if it¡¯s a man¡¯s armor, will it be a man?

    ¡°So, let say that is my choice. What will Rokuko choose?¡±

    ¡°Well, if Kehma is going to be the armor, then I better choose something that fully human-like, wouldn¡¯t I? maybe a witch¡¯s apprentice like Nerune? Or vampire like Rei also would be nice.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to use a vampire. The expenses we had to spend just to cover their weakness in excessive, look at Rei zero attack power for example....¡±

    ¡°Mm, you¡¯re right.¡±

    And we continued to flip through the catalog. In the meantime, I¡¯ll keep the Witch Apprentice as a candidate. Also, Silky is not suitable for travel because of their house-dependency tendencies, so let¡¯s eliminate it from the list.

    ¡°How about goblins. Maybe we could use the resurrected goblin or a hobgoblin... or maybe make a goblina?¡±

    ¡°No, goblins form is far from human. And I don¡¯t want to be possessed by Gobusuke.¡±.

    Her love in goblin fetish had no effect. It¡¯s possible that if... no, the cost of [Humanizing] a goblin seems to be quite expensive and wasteful. Goblins itself are cheap, that¡¯s what makes them so attractive, so it¡¯s wrong to spend a lot of DP on one goblin. I¡¯m sure that¡¯s what Rokuko is trying to say.

    Hm, I was a shallow man. Let¡¯s reflect on this.

    ¡°Hey, do you know what kind of monster is Nurarihyon?¡±

    ¡°Some kind of old guy with a long head, he¡¯s probably good at infiltration.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I want to be possessed by gramps; oh, isn¡¯t this Tube fox is cute?¡±

    ¡°The Tube fox has nothing we can use this time.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t we put the armor on Toy, and then I¡¯m going to hide in Kehma¡¯s armor...? Yeah, well, it doesn¡¯t sound that good. Let¡¯s find something else.¡±

    Rokuko reads the catalog further. Rokuko¡¯s fingers stop flipping through the pages at the subus and incubus pages... I didn¡¯t say anything and gently let her go to the next page.

    And so Rokuko looked at the catalog for a while ¨C she seemed to have found something that looked interesting.

    ¡°Hey,e to think of it, the Holy Kingdom is following The God of Light religion, right? I wonder if angels existed there?¡±

    ¡°Angel? Do we have one?¡±

    ¡°I think we do, here.¡±

    And I look at the page Rokuko opened; it looks like it starts at around 100,000 DP, although it will be set with basic customization. To think of it, Demons existed, it¡¯s not surprising if there are Angels.

    ¡°By the way, I remember you used to say that Angels are disgusting beings or something?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are the messenger of the God of Light. As Kehma already knows, they are the dungeon destroyer; they are my [father] ¡®s worst enemy, right? So, I¡¯m just as surprised as you are that there¡¯s an angel in the dungeon monster... has this been around for a while?¡±

    Hmmm. This could be quite convenient. Even if the [Humanization] is unraveled and exposed, it could even be rather convenient for all sorts of things if it¡¯s a being that¡¯s considered to be a messenger of the God of Light Religion.

    Their page cement is a bit interesting because, in the next pages, you will find something like Dagon and Shoggoth, but we probably don¡¯t need to mind the next page with this.

    ¡°Shall we go with this one?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit unsettling in some area, but I¡¯m sure this time it would be convenient to use this one. their [Humanization]... I don¡¯t know how much it¡¯s going to cost, and there¡¯s no need to make it that strong... Oh, it has its own [Humanization] in their customize option.¡±

    ¡°I see, it¡¯s an angel, it isn¡¯t strange that it has that option.¡±

    By the way, the [Humanization] price will increase if the base form is strong. So, yeah, moderate strength would be the best. It would be scary if the former was too strong and became too far removed from a human being. That¡¯s what it¡¯s all about, right? You don¡¯t want to be found out...

    ¡°On that note, we don¡¯t know much it will take to [Humanize] the living armor without summoning it first, as for now, we¡¯ll have to prepare a low-level one and see if we can enhance it. Well, since we have Miss Sally as a reference, I¡¯m sure we that [Humanize] will work.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, I¡¯ll share my DP with you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for that. Then, based on the full te mail type... hmm? Something about the iron armor is noticeably cheaper... is it because of the dungeon¡¯s influence? Then I¡¯ll make the Iron Living armor with 100,000 DP.¡±

    So, putting aside the Rokuko, who was still thinking about how to spend 300,000 DP, I summoned my Iron Living Armor. Considering that I¡¯m going to [possess] it, I made it based on my size. It will be about the same height, so there will be less difort when I¡¯m possessing it.

    So, I immediately named the summoned living armor ¡°Narikin¡± (without a name, it can¡¯t be a target for [Enhancement]) and selected the [Enhancement] option, let¡¯s see... the DP required for [Humanization] is.......150,000DP.

    For a total of 250,000 DP, I don¡¯t need Rokuko to share her DP, and as a bonus, it¡¯ll be able to learn [Storage] and [Create Golem] as well. Okay, Execute the [Enhancement].

    The moment I selected the menu, a magic circle appeared underneath Narikin, who was kneeling. The magic circle spinning speed increased while shining brightly and then it rose from underneath it¡¯s feet to its head and disappeared. With this, the [Enhancement] has beenpleted.

    I let Narikin taking off his helmet, and the in brown-haired man who wasmon in the Empire was there.

    ...Is brown hairmon in the Holy Kingdom as well? I had that thought, but it¡¯s definitely better than ck hair.

    ¡°Oi~~, how it¡¯s going over there?¡±

    ¡°Kehma, are you done already?¡¯ Narikin¡¯... isn¡¯t that a name that Kehma uses a lot? Oh...I see.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good opportunity to use it. Rokuko, what name are you going to give to the angel?¡±

    Aside from the wife setting, she is being Rokuko¡¯s Kagemusha(shadow warrior/body double) is an option we could consider. But if she had the exact same name, that¡¯s going to be a problemter, so something that represents Rokuko... kind of like my subus possession name. Hmmm...

    ¡°How about Rokufa Eve{ROKUFIVE}? FIVE means five, and Eve can be yourst name or your middle name.¡±

    ¡°... so, it¡¯s still forming the number 695. it¡¯s decided then, from now on, you are Rokufa Eve! Kehma, I love you.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s smile made my heart thump and raced.

    ¡°Can you stop saying that kind of thing? it almost like cheating... you always caught me by surprise; it¡¯s not good for my heart.¡±

    ¡°...I love you!¡±

    Well yeah, saying it fairly also not good for my heart.

    TL note:

    Thank you, Jigoku-sensei Nube; you fill my childhood with useless youkai knowledge and loli.

    Dagon and Shoggoth are Lovecraft universe references.

    ... that name... sigh..., this going to need some detailed look on katakana; here we go

    So basically Kehma modified Rokuko name a bit:

    RO KU KO ¡ª> RO KU FIVE, which still mean 695

    From this, we need to look at the katakana

    Here is how ROKUFIVE written in katakana

    ¥í¥¯¥Õ¥¡¥¤¥Ö

    Here is how Rokufa Eve written in katakana or, to be exact, Rokufa ibu

    ¥í¥¯¥Õ¥¡?¥¤¥Ö

    I won¡¯t go too much technical in this, but as you can see, he only adds one dot between her name to make a totally different name, that¡¯s all.

 Chapter 467 - Taking a Closer Look at our Monster to Possess.

    <h4>467 ¨C Taking a Closer Look at our Monster to Possess.</h4>

    The angel Rokufa, who is exactly 300,000 DP, including her [Humanization] was paired with the wizard-type living armor Narikin.

    Narikin is a full te living armor made of iron. He has [Storage] along with [Humanization]. His human form is a brown-haired boy, which was exactly what I wanted.

    I¡¯ll have to give you a copy of my Narikin maskter.

    And the appearance of Rokufa ¨C she looked a lot like Rokuko. She¡¯s a blue-haired Rokuko with a ring of angels and glowing wings, which she uses to defy gravity and float. The wings didn¡¯t grow directly from her body either; it just slightly hovering at her back.

    When she [humanizes], the wings and rings disappear.

    ¡°Rokuko... did you tamper with her appearance? I told you that they couldn¡¯t be too simr to us, right?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not... it just a coincides that she looked a lot like me, her dungeon core.¡±

    ¡°Tell me honestly, did you really not modify her appearance?¡±

    ¡°....¡±

    This is a blunder on my side, and it¡¯s toote already. She looked a lot like Rokuko. Damn it. We already summoned her, so I can¡¯t redo it.

    ¡°But that because her name is 695, just like mine! Instinctively I want her to look like me!¡±

    ¡°But that means that you will stick out like a sore thumb.¡±

    ¡°Since Kehma will be traveling for quite some time, wouldn¡¯t you be happier if you can see my face every day?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m indeed happy, but that is separate matters. You idiot!¡± {Baka!}

    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®idiot¡¯ me! It¡¯s Kehma and Rei that¡¯s being targeted, not me.¡±

    Damn it, that¡¯s a very sound argument!

    ¡°Um, so Master, what can we do to help?¡±

    Standing beside us was [Humanized] Narikin, who ask me in soldier-like manners, next to him, Rokufa also looks at us with a troubled face.

    ¡°Oops, sorry... that¡¯s right, Narikin, Rokufa, you are going to lend us your body, Well, it¡¯s just a reconnaissance mission outside the dungeon.¡±

    I tell him that Rokuko and I will use the dungeon¡¯s [possess] function to explore the world outside.

    ¡°Understood! Our bodies are at your disposal.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, Rokuko-sama, Kehma-sama, our every being is for you to use.¡±

    ¡°ah, by the way, the setting is you two married, is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Oi? Rokuko?¡±

    Narikin and Rokufa nodded seriously at Rokuko¡¯s statement. Well, if the two are okay with that, then it¡¯s good. But are you guys sure? I¡¯m asking seriously here, really? Thanks for your service.

    I immediately test the [possess] function. I want to know how it feels.

    Rokuko and I select our respective monster and use [possess] function from our menu.

    ¡°Ooh, I¡¯ve done it. Roku¡ªfa, how¡¯s it going over there?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem over here too.¡±

    And Rokufa (Rokuko inside) smiled at Narikin(me). Her smiles are no different from the usual Roku¡ªko. By the way, our main body is lying down on the bed.

    Good, they are sleeping normally.

    ¡°It¡¯s amazing; it feels just like my body. I¡¯ve seen that Rabbit doing it in her rabbits¡¯ dungeon, but it really feels like my body.¡±

    ¡°Even more so since they are so close to our original body and size. I heard that you would feel difort if the body is too different.¡±

    And Rokuko canceled the [Humanization] and spread his angel wings.

    ¡°WowWoahah, this is amazing. It¡¯s a new sensation. I mean, I can¡¯t help but float around, but this is so fun.¡±

    ¡°Hoo, As for me...¡±

    I canceled Narikin¡¯s [Humanization] ... Not much has changed, but this is apparently how it feels to ¡®not seeing with your eyes¡¯ because the living armor doesn¡¯t have eyes.

    ...I don¡¯t even have a mouth, so I can¡¯t chant, but I didn¡¯t need to chant in the first ce. Let¡¯s see if I can use magic, [Fireball] ¨C when I imagined it, the Fireball appeared properly.

    it seems that I can use magic without any problems. [Storage] ¡ª This is a separate space from my [Storage], huh? There¡¯s nothing in it. That¡¯s a bit of letdown.

    I can¡¯t talk as it is, so I¡¯m going to [humanize] back ¡ª eh, let try to speak first.

    ¡°Kehma! that rattling, Noisy!¡±

    Oh, I see. Then let¡¯s try this; I tried to talk with my thought; I will treat it like when I¡¯m talking with ring Subus or Magic Sword Siesta.

    ¡°...ah, test, test, Rokufa, can you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, Kehma... I mean, Narikin. I see, telepathic ability?¡±

    ¡°It seems that I can converse properly with this telepathic power.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± said Rokufa, while touching my living room armor with her hands.

    ¡°Hey Narikin, can we practice to wear you? Just in case.¡±

    ¡°Fine with me, wait... I made this in my size, will you fit in this?¡±

    ¡°I wonder if we can use padding inside the armor.¡±

    Or maybe Rokuko can fold her arms in front, and let me do the moving part.

    ¡°Eii¡±

    ¡°Off...¡±

    With a snap, Rokufa tears Narikin¡¯s body apart. Woah, my body can¡¯t feel any pain, but it¡¯sing apart, but I can feel it.

    All I can say is that it¡¯s itchy.

    Rokufa takes hold of my arm, equip it, and lifts it up, saying, ¡°Dokoi-sho. It¡¯s a shoulder-length gauntlet.¡±

    ¡°I wonder if I can move it when it¡¯s detached?¡±

    ¡°Try to move it? Oh yeah, it¡¯s moving...¡±

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s interesting.¡±

    I move the hand part that was removed. Rokufa pokes it if you¡¯re going to put it on, put it on quickly. It¡¯s itchy.

    ¡°Combine! ... It¡¯s cool.¡±

    ¡°Feels warm for me.¡±

    For now, I asked her to put her arms in, but they were still too loose. Should I have made the armor for women instead ...hmm? I was shaking.... oh!

    My arms squeaked and shrank like a messy, washed-out woolen sweater. And then I fit myself into Rokufa¡¯s arms.

    Thew of conservation of mass isn¡¯t working in this thing. What the hell.

    ¡°Oh, somehow, it worked.¡±

    ¡°Rokufa, what did you do? Your steel armor has shrunk?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s probably my [full-body armor aptitude], which I put in my angel ability. I thought it would be a good match for Narikin, the living armor. I also didn¡¯t think it would work this well, but. I can move just as well as if I was in normal clothes.¡±

    This means that you can equip armor of a slightly different size.

    ...is this an RPG world where you can use the equipment for characters of different sizes as long as they have the right aptitude and ss. Well, this is a world with magic and gods, and Rokufa is an angel, so it¡¯s probably na?ve to think otherwise?

    By the way, when she took the armor off, I returned to my original size. Oh, that is surprising.

    Now that our possession monster is ready, I think we can call Toy and start doing our investigation.

 Chapter 468 - Departure and the plan to renovate the dungeon.

    468 ¨C <strong>Departure and the n to renovate the dungeon.</strong>

    Well, since our possession monster is ready, let¡¯s call Toyter and tell her to get ready. Though for now, I will continue to experiment with this function.

    At the moment, there¡¯s one thing I¡¯ve found out about ¡®possession¡¯ that¡¯s troubling.

    Narikin and Rokufa have no consciousness while possessed. They have no memory from the time we ¡®possessed¡¯ them to the time we release the Possession.

    The inability to share memories while possessed may hinder our activities, but that¡¯s where Toy (to be exact an assassin who she possesses, she looks like an adventurer¡¯s scout girl) to take care of that.

    With the [Possession] by Toy¡¯s skill, you¡¯ll bepletely stunned once the [Possession] is removed. Narikin and Rokufa version is better in that aspect.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, if you don¡¯t mind, please feel free to use my body while I possess her, okay?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna.¡±

    Toy¡¯s [Possession] also puts her original body to sleep, just like the dungeon¡¯s [Possession].

    Toy¡¯s body protection? I¡¯ll put her in a cell in the inn¡¯s underground prison. She will be left in a sturdy, lockable room with no visitors.

    It would be a lie to say I have no ulterior motive, but, well, you don¡¯t want anyone messing up your body while you sleep, do you? I¡¯ll make sure you have a duplicate key so you can open the door from the inside.

    ¡°Therefore, you¡¯ll have to go to Pavuera today. We¡¯ll have you travel in the unpossessed state during the day, and we will see if we can ¡®possess¡¯ you at night. If we can¡¯t ¡®possess¡¯ you,e back immediately.¡±

    ¡°Understood. I¡¯m off now.¡±

    ¡°Master-sama, Rokuko-sama, I¡¯ll be expecting for you tonight at 8:00.¡±

    I give Narikin the golem pocket watch. I¡¯ll use that to align our time.

    Bowing reverently, Narikin and Rokufa left with an adventurer, Toy (the possessed assassin).

    *

    ¡°Now, Kehma, you¡¯re free until 8:00. You wanna go on a date?¡±

    ¡°I think I will modify the dungeon in the meantime.¡¯

    ¡°My. That¡¯s nice to hear, but we are on a stable moment at this time, and I don¡¯t think we need to rush?¡±

    ¡°Well, yeah, but I need to have a quick word with the subus vige too.¡±

    Lately, there¡¯s been a lot of information about the Subus Vige, and the people who hear about it are preparing an ¡°equipment that¡¯s just barely worth stripping off¡± to attack the dungeon.

    It might be better to charge a fee to open up the dungeons at the lower level, but I¡¯d like to make the necessary adjustments to the dungeons since it would be bad for newbie adventurer education (she¡¯s a dungeon, so it might be a waste of time for Rokuko).

    ¡°That kind of info was circting in the guild? I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°that¡¯s because Rokuko is prohibited to peek on Subus Vige.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t they be defeated by the subus then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told the Subus to spare their lives, and just strip them, so I heard they¡¯re treating it as a bonus stage in the Cave of Desire...¡±

    If they had even taken their lives, they might have taken this more seriously, but since they didn¡¯t, it¡¯s recognized as one of the most appropriate gimmicks for the Cave of Desire.

    ... Rei has reported to me that this seems to be a modestly good ie and a (meaningful) breather for the subus, thanks to a few enthusiastic repeat customers.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that there¡¯s a lot of information on how to get to the Subus Vige efficiently. Also, there¡¯s a warehouse area in the middle of the dungeon, so the amount of magic sword golem des has been looted is increased. That¡¯s why I¡¯m thinking of rebuilding this area as well.¡±

    Some people use the information to bring back the magic sword golem de and redeem it. Or rather, that¡¯s supposedly the proper use of that information.

    ¡°I see.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I thought I¡¯d at least moving the magic sword storage area to the back. And while I¡¯m at it, I thought I¡¯d renovate something else as well.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Do you have any good ideas of what you want to do?¡±

    ¡°The Magic Sword Trial Room is [Greed] and the Subus Vige is [Lust], so maybe I should also make [Pride], [Wrath], [Gluttony], [Envy] and [Sloth] and name them after the seven deadly sins.¡±

    ¡°...[Sloth] is a fitting word for the avarice inn at the end of thebyrinth.¡±

    Well, there was that one. So, there are four left then.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we call the arena area as [Pride] or [Wrath] for the boss room.¡±

    ¡°The way you put it is like you want just to get rid of something troublesome... I¡¯m not going to let you cut corners on this dungeon(me) design, okay? Besides, since you said that, wouldn¡¯t it make the riddle area to be [Envy] or something, so let¡¯s think up the other four.¡±

    If that¡¯s what Rokuko says, it¡¯s cannot be helped then.

    ...Oh, maybe it¡¯s an excellent idea to create a key that you will need to gather.

    Until you solve all the puzzles and collect all the key, the door to the true (dummy)core won¡¯t open.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind the Seven Deadly Sins naming style, but what the are you going to do with [Gluttony] part? Do you want to make orcs and minotaurs only floor?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an actually nice idea, but I¡¯d like to ask Ichika and others for their opinion.¡±

    She was called an appetite demon by the vige¡¯s people, so we might get a good idea from her.

    ¡°Then maybe you should ask Rei and the others for their opinions in [Pride], [Wrath] and [Envy]

    ¡°Niku also needs to give her opinion; it¡¯s not good to leave her out.¡±

    ¡°Well... the number of questions and people is not matching...¡±

    ¡°Why you need to match the number? Just ask all of them three times on each subject.¡±

    So I decided to call them up in the order in which they were avable and ask them if they had any good idea.

 Chapter 469 - The â€œpossessionâ€ test.

    <h4>469 ¨C The ¡°possession¡± test.</h4>

    ¡°Kehma, It¡¯s almost 8:00.¡±

    ¡°Oops. Is it that time already?¡±

    After listening to everyone¡¯s opinions, I¡¯m was about to renovate the dungeon, but it seems that I will need to save it forter.

    Well, that¡¯s okay. Let¡¯s take it easy on the construction when there¡¯s time. We¡¯re not in a hurry, and I¡¯m still trying to sort the idea.

    Rokuko and I decided to move to the Master room for safety reasons. Let¡¯s try it now, we will see if I can posses Narikin or not.

    The map doesn¡¯t show Narikin position; that¡¯s given since they are way out of range, but since Narikin is a named monster, he could be selected as a target in the name list of the [Posses] function.

    When I opened my eyes, I found myself in an unfamiliar room lit by a fishmp. Narikin¡¯s body was lying on a hard bed, so this was probably Pavuera¡¯s inn. Rokufa was sitting in a chair next to the bed.

    ¡°Oh, did it work?¡±

    ¡°I did it... hi, Narikin.¡±

    It seems that Rokuko was able to possess Rokufa sessfully.

    ¡°Good morning, sir, ma¡¯am. It looks like you were able to sessfully possessed them.¡±

    A maid with a stinky smile waits at the entrance of the room. It¡¯s an assassin possessed by Toy.

    ¡°Okay , Toy ... uh, no, what should I call you?¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s Toy, Niku, ¡®Hey¡¯ or ¡®You¡¯? It¡¯s a fake name anyway. For reference, this body¡¯s code name is Phantom, and the fake name I had prepared is Nana.¡±

    ¡°So be it then, let¡¯s call you Nana. Nana, what with that appearance?¡±

    She was wearing the maid¡¯s outfit that ismon in this world ¨C simple wear with little ornamentation or frills. I don¡¯t think she was dressed like this when they left.

    ¡°We procured it in the town of Pavuera. It seemed more convenient for me to follow you two as your escort and attendant to the couple. If you are unhappy with that, I can change it?

    ¡°No need to, that was a good call.¡±

    ¡°Wife fufufu..., yes. Good, very good.¡±

    Rokuko seems to like it too. Yeah, if you call me Husband and I called you my Wife, they¡¯ll be less likely to be suspicious of Narikin when other people called him, and I didn¡¯t respond.

    It might not mean much to Rokufa, though, since she uses a simr name.

    ¡°Also, I have a suggestion.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°This was from Narikin and Rokufa. Is it possible to make them possess small animals when they are about to be possessed? That way, we can save a hassle of information sharing.¡±

    ¡°I see. That¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m proud of you, Rokufa. Really, really proud, Narikin, go pet Rokufa.¡±

    And Rokufa (Rokuko inside) offered her head ...Yeah, I don¡¯t know if stroking her head would be count as apliment to Rokufa? Well, I¡¯ll still pet it.

    With a clinking sound, I patted Rokufa¡¯s head with the iron gauntlet¡¯s right hand. Narikin is humanized, but it¡¯s only on his head part; if seen from the other side, it will make me look like a rude person.

    ¡°It hurts a little bit. You need to practice patting more, Keep going.¡±

    ¡°...Oh, O-Okay.¡±

    I no longer know for what I¡¯m pat her for, but for now, I opened the menu function with my left hand while continuing to pat Rokufa¡¯s blue hair with my right hand. ...Hmmm, first transfer some DP for Narikin; the functions seem to work properly, this seems to be still within my dungeon range.

    We need to prepare a small animal to possess now. Would a little bird do for Rokufa? Since it can fly too. Oh, I think I¡¯ll turn Narikin into a hedgehog. Hedgehogs are cute, aren¡¯t they?

    ¡°Narikin, I think you should make them bothmon little birds, don¡¯t you think so?¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true too.¡±

    And it¡¯s better for our purpose. It¡¯s cheaper than anything else. 1 DP each, and 2 DP together.

    So I quickly summoned a small bird with DP. The form is like a striped enaga. I give it to Nana for a while. It¡¯s a dungeon product, so it¡¯s faithful to our orders, and won¡¯t need a birdcage or anything.

    ¡°Let them wear ribbons to differentiate them.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Master.¡±

    Now we¡¯re about to possess them, we could first go ahead and possess this little bird and see what¡¯s going on. Then we could discuss things like how many secondster we¡¯re going to possess them; I¡¯ll also give this bird a name.

    ¡°Let¡¯s name them ¡®Turan¡¯ and ¡®Seaver¡¯.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Two radio that will serve as transceiver{turan-seaver}, well, it¡¯s one of those otherworld¡¯s long-distancemunication devices.¡±

    ¡°Well, okay.¡±

    So, I released the ¡®possession¡¯ for today. The first stage of the experiment was a sess. I decided to have him move towards the Holy Kingdom as it is. Basically, they will contact me once a day using ¡®possession¡¯ (including ¡®possession¡¯ of a little bird), and if they can¡¯t, they will have to turn back.

    ¡°That was quite an interesting experience to go into a body that isn¡¯t yours.¡±

    Rokuko stretches out in the bed that is always avable in the master room.

    Eleca, the fairy I summoned to manage the dungeon, brings me a water ss, so I ept it and take a sip. Phew.

    ¡°But this bed size on the Master room is a bit ufortable; this just my whim, but I want to make it bigger just a little.¡±

    ¡°Oh, we only going to use it to sleep while ¡®possession¡¯ is activated anyway, so don¡¯t bother? Or do you want to build a little room that only allowed me and Kehma in? ...Ah!¡±

    And after saying this, Rokuko suddenly widens her eyes. She seemed to have realized something important in her words.

    ¡°Kehma! That¡¯s right, Haku-nee-sama will never be able to peep on us here! Because we are in the core, and not even Dolce can go in here, isn¡¯t that what Kehma worried about?¡±

    ¡°Eh, uh, well, yeah, that¡¯s right?¡±

    ¡°Plus, if you tell Dolce and the others that you¡¯ll need to make sure of our safety when we are doing possession, we will have an alibi to hole ourselves up in this Master room! That¡¯s right, this Master room is the perfect ce to bepletely hidden from Haku-nee-sama.¡±

    Rokuko is closing her distance, her face almost touching mine.

    ¡°...well, that¡¯s true?¡±

    ¡°Yes! also, if you¡¯re worried about the eyes of Eleca and others, just build a small hut instead of a room, just for the two of us, we didn¡¯t have to go to the Demon Kingdom to spend time alone!¡±

    This is it! Ro said with a proud smile.

    ¡°How could I not have noticed that! Isn¡¯t this great, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, well... that¡¯s the problem, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Even if they don¡¯te in here in the master room, our reaction will reveal it to Dolce and others if we¡¯re that happy.¡±

    When I said that, Rokuko is silenced.

    Dolce-san and the others aren¡¯t ipetent; in fact, they can handle something outside the expected n. If we were to flirt and trying to hide it like that, they would soon find out, probably by the next day.

    ¡°B-But I¡¯ll do my best to control it.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who won¡¯t be able to control it, so I¡¯ll refuse. I¡¯m going to be so obvious that I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be interrogated and ripped apart the day after ...So, at least save that idea after we get rid of the assassin source, and the escort from Haku has been withdrawn from this vige.¡±

    ¡°So... Kehma is the one that won¡¯t be able to hold back? T-then then, I guess I have no choice... tehehe.¡±

    Rokuko smiled a sloppy smile with a grin.

    After that, we returned to the inn, but Dolce-san appeared from nowhere and asked, ¡°Did something happen to Rokuko-sama?¡± she asked me with a smile, but her eyes weren¡¯t smiling at all... (Her eyes were glowing red, probably her lie detection magic is activated.)

    ¡°After all, Rokuko-sama seemed very happy, so I came to ask you because I was curious.¡±

    ...Yeah. This is what I¡¯m talking about, Rokuko.

 Chapter 470 - Creating [Gluttony]

    <h4>470 ¨C Creating [Gluttony]</h4>

    Well, let¡¯s rebuild the dungeon while Narikin and the others are on their way to the Holy Kingdom.

    it¡¯s not a job with a deadline to meet, so let¡¯s take it easy. I don¡¯t want to change it (you) too suddenly and activate the transition period. I will take my time.

    First of all, it is [Gluttony].

    I asked Ichika about this [Gluttony] room mechanism when she is on lunch break.

    *

    ¡°What? Ah, I see... the [Gluttony] is a trap that stimtes your appetite, right? Can¡¯t we prepare something like tasty-smelled poison? If you don¡¯t want it to take life, you can use somexative or something simr, I don¡¯t know anyxative that smells good though.¡±

    ¡°Tasty poison....¡±

    Well, if you¡¯re asking if there¡¯s such a convenient poison, let¡¯s see. An amateur pufferfish sushi poison should do? No, no, I don¡¯t even have that.

    ¡°Other ideas?¡±

    ¡°Other... hmmm... maybe a ce in the dungeon where you can get Kinue¡¯s food if you put money in?¡±

    ¡°That will put too much burden on Kinue.¡±

    Kinue can stop time and cook in a rtively short time, but it¡¯s going to be hard if Kinue needs to cook every time you put money in.

    ¡°I mean, [Greed], [Lust] and [Sloth] are all stall traps, right? There is the possibility of dying by ident. If that¡¯s the case, isn¡¯t trapping people in the room with a good meal can be count as [Gluttony]?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°So, if you need a taster for good food, give me a call, I¡¯ll help you out.¡±

    *

    So, this one will be a feast trap, the basic concept it to stall and buying time like the other trap.

    That said, how should I implement this?

    ¡°Prepare a seat, and the dungeon will make you a good meal from scratch.¡±

    You can¡¯t leave the room before the feast is done. It¡¯s a stalling trap that will require you to wait for the meal to be cooked from beginning to the end.

    Of course, the reason for this to do it this in a way so it won¡¯t increase Kinue¡¯s burden, naturally the cook will be a golem.

    ¡°that¡¯s is why I want you to demonstrate to me how to cook a meal, Kinue-san. I¡¯m sorry, but can you show it to me once?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t mind, Master. Then I¡¯ll start cooking without using my [cook] skills.¡±

    [Cook]skill makes it more delicious, but you can¡¯t observe it.

    ¡°And before we started. What are you going to do about the ingredients? The ingredients are indispensable for cooking, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a hassle to replenish it with DPs each time... I was thinking of using something that spawns the ingredients, like the herb or orange spawner.¡±

    ¡°... there¡¯s such dream-like device?¡±

    It¡¯s certainly a dream-like device if you can spawn your foodstuffs and all that. If you have that, you can live without working.

    ¡°No, this time, we are going to use the minotaur and nt-based monsters spawner.¡±

    ¡°I see, that means....¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s practically like using spawners to summon ingredients. You will take only the necessary parts and get rid of the rest, the initial investment is quite big, and...¡±

    It¡¯s not a very ethical thing to do, but fortunately, spawn monsters don¡¯t have souls, so let¡¯s not worry too much about it. Eating means taking life.

    ¡°What a luxury!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s one thing to say that it¡¯s a luxury worthy of being the [Gluttony].¡±

    ...Well, I¡¯m actually thinking that we could integrate a system that cultivates slime to process the leftover food, so it won¡¯t have any waste. Also, I¡¯d like to have the slime attack the thug who escaped without eating their food. If the slime meat is edible, it could be used as an ingredient. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s edible, though, but let¡¯s say it¡¯s acidic; it could be used to rece vinegar.

    ¡°The ingredients are minotaurs, killer weed, killer tomatoes.¡±

    Killer weed and killer tomatoes are grasses and fruits that have fangs and will bite you. Killer weed can be used as a green vegetable substitute or a pepper condiment depending on the nt¡¯s part. I confirmed this with Ichika.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to get some mushroom stuff too.¡±

    ¡°Mushrooms? Surely if we had a mushroom, we could make a stew.¡±

    ¡°If it were up to me, it would be even better if we had some root vegetables. Potatoes, carrots, and onions...¡±

    I wonder if it¡¯s a derivative of Killer Weed or Killer Tomatoes... oh, we have ¡®shot potatoes¡¯? A nt-based monster that fights with potatoes as bullets, this is one of those things? I wonder if the potato it spews is edible?

    A carrot is a ... a ¡®spear carrot¡¯. A carrot that flies in and stab their enemy when they detect one? Why shooting yourself is a popr method of attack in nts monster?

    Onions are ... ¡®ghost onions¡¯? Oh, it¡¯s not a ghost type, but merely a small fry monster that looks scary.

    To be honest, I just know that this kind of thing exists.

    ¡°Surprisingly, when you try to search for it, there are many monsters that can be used as ingredients.¡±

    ¡°Many of the monster ingredients are delicious too. Oh, maybe a Unicorn Rabbit will work better instead of a minotaur?¡±

    ...Yeah, Kinue-san hasn¡¯t seen that Orange Rabbit dungeon, so she can say that. Well, it¡¯s okay because it¡¯s far cheaper than a minotaur and there will be fewer discarded parts.

    Then, I set up a kitchen with a spawner in the master room. Because I¡¯ll need to see how Kinue-san cook once. The stove magic tools have beeny dormant in storage for some time; it¡¯s time to use it.

    ¡°With the push of a button, the trap is activated, and the unicorn rabbit will be processed into meat. because it¡¯s fresh, there¡¯s no need to drain the blood.¡±

    ¡°Can we give the blood to Rei for snack?¡±

    That might make Rei happy, but I don¡¯t know if vampires can eat rabbit blood.

    And Kinue pushed the button without any hesitation at all. The Unicorn Rabbit in the cage was quickly turned into meat. Maybe we can turn the fur into an item.

    ¡°As we discussed beforehand, let¡¯s make a stew with Unicorn Rabbit meat as the main ingredient. A rabbit meat pie would be good too, but a pie would require flours.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m recording it, just do whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Understood, master.¡±

    With that, Kinue began to cook.

    .........

    .........

    .........

    Did you always go through this much trouble...?

    ¡°it¡¯s a lot of work....¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything other than cooking while the [Cook] skill is activated, and for me, it is better if I can spare my time and energy than rush things.¡±

    ¡°But still... this is, you know...¡±

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t worry about it, it¡¯s our pleasure to be of service to the dungeon and its master.¡±

    Kinue bowed her head with a smile as she cooked.

    Hmmm, shouldn¡¯t I give her some kind of reward for this?

    ¡°...is there anything you want?¡±

    ¡°Then, if you would be so kind as to give me a new apron, made by Master.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you want?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I want.¡±

    Kinue-san smiled happily.

    Thus, with Kinue¡¯s help, the gimmick of [Gluttony] is more or lesspleted.

    I¡¯ve recorded the whole procedure; all I need to do is recreate it with the golem.

    I think I¡¯ll have Ichika help me make some minor adjustments to the vors and other details as promised.

 Chapter 471 - Narikin on the move.

    <h4>LDM 471 ¨C Narikin on the move.</h4>

    Instead of suddenly ¡®possessing¡¯ Narikin, I first possess the little bird Turan, exploring the situation around me. A room made of wood ¨C it looks like a ship¡¯s cabin. It seems that they are using a boat to go to the Holy Kingdom.

    On Narikin¡¯s shoulder, I chirped three times and seven beats, ¡°Pippi Pippi, Pippi Pippi, Pippi Pippi Pippi Pippi¡± as a signal.

    ¡°Oh, are you Master? Wait for a second, I¡¯ll link my mind to you¨Chow about now?¡±

    ¡°This is...convenient. I¡¯m d I made Narikin as a living armor.¡±

    It seems that if you be an item type monster, you can use telepathy by default.

    But there seems to be only Rokufa and Toy¡¯s [possessed] Nana around. Turan(me), who can¡¯t speak with a bird¡¯s throat, will have to depend on Narikin, who can talk normally.

    ¡°........Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Narikin, what does Master say?¡±

    ¡°Oh, since Bird (Turan) can¡¯t use telepathy, he can¡¯t talk to us unless it¡¯s trough Narikin... well, never mind.¡±

    He proceeds to exin to Rokufa.

    ¡°It looks like I can still possess it. I¡¯ll possess it once a day as nned, and you¡¯ll be back if I can¡¯t, that¡¯s what I would like to say, but... since we are on the ship, we can¡¯t do that.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t think it through.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t hear from me when you arrive, wait a day. There¡¯s a chance I forgot to contact you, or the timing might not be right.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡±

    ¡°Narikin, what did the master say?¡±

    He proceeds to exin to Rokufa.

    I wonder if I should stop being stingy and rece this bird with a Magic Sword type monster.

    That way, we could have had a conversation all together at once.

    ¡°I will tell you the summary, so you don¡¯t need to ask me each time.¡±

    ¡°Okay, Nariki... hmm? Hey, what¡¯s going on here?¡±

    ¡°Rokufa? ...Um no? Rokuko-sama...¡±

    Suddenly the atmosphere changes. I see, so this is what it¡¯s like when you¡¯re possessed, and I look at Rokufa, who is possessed by Rokuko.

    It¡¯s a blue-haired Rokuko, she looks like Rokuko, it¡¯s an almostplete clone of Rokuko.

    ¡°Rokuko... follow the procedure.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s... Kehma? You are cute!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s ta¨C.... Oi! Stop it!¡±

    I protest to Rokufa by iling around, who has been hugging me tightly. I managed to get my right-wing out of her restraints and p it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s saying, ¡°peeps¡±? Ufufu, cute.¡±

    ¡°Master says, please follow the procedure and let me go.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah? I was going to put it between my cleavage. Like this, it¡¯s nice and tucked in, right here.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t do that.¡±

    Narikin takes me down, and Rokufa (Rokuko) lets me go.

    I pped my wings and sit on top of Narikin¡¯s head.

    Rokufa instead tucked the little bird Seaver into her cleavage.

    ¡°Ummm... ¡®recent Rokuko are too aggressive, its too much...¡¯¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kehma-sama, may I... May I have a word?¡±

    Nana (Toy) raises a small hand. Is she tapping on telepathicmunication, or is she reading my mind... well, whatever.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°As for what Rokuko-sama said and did,e to think of it, I heard a rumor that the tavern in Pavuera has ¡®a subus¡¯ recently, Could that be the reason?¡±

    ¡°Are you saying she¡¯s getting a bad influence from the subus...¡±

    ¡°Exactly, after all, dungeons are influenced by its residents.¡±

    Hmm? I give a shook my head at Nana¡¯s (Toy) statement.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she just use the subus sister¡¯s ero-story for reference?¡±

    ¡°I see, that might be part of it, but dungeon is a demi-god, you know? The Dungeon behaviors are determined by their environment, right? ...You don¡¯t know?¡±

    ¡°...what?¡±

    Demi-God. If the Dark God is the [father], then they are definitely is Childs of God. Their lifespan is also unknown.

    The gods of this world... do they governed some aspect? So, if each dungeon core controls its area... wait, now that if I looked back..., I think that their nature is influenced by their dungeon types, such as their obsession with alcohol or bathing or even food.

    So that¡¯s it, huh?

    That¡¯s what happened to Rokuko these days since our dungeon is moving to pink(ero) direction; it means she is also influenced by it to some extent.

    .........

    Hmm? So, when we renovate the dungeon, was it a bad idea to make it easier to enter the subus vige?

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little dizzy...¡±

    ¡°Because we¡¯re on a ship.¡±

    ¡°ah right, we are cruising.... is it a sea? I want to take a look outside the room then.¡±

    ¡°Then it¡¯s better toe again tomorrow noon, It¡¯s night now, and the seas are dark and dangerous at night, so we can¡¯t go out on the deck.¡±

    They are talking about the ship.

    ¡°Thank you for the important information. I was able to think about the dungeon renovation idea for a bit, so that¡¯s about it for today. I¡¯ll get back to you tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand. I¡¯ll be waiting for you tomorrow, then.¡±

    ¡°What? is Kehma leaving? Well, I¡¯ll go home too. I¡¯ll use Seaver tomorrow.¡±

    Thus, when I cut off the ¡®possession¡¯ and returned to the dungeon¡¯s master room, I found Rokuko sleeping next to me, unprotected. She was not there when I started sleeping.

    And then her eyes fluttered open.

    ¡°Good morning, Kehma. Don¡¯t go alone without permission, and make sure you talk to me before you go.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Are you talking about today¡¯s boat sightseeing? I wonder if I had time for that...¡±

    ¡°Why!? What do you think I made Rokufa for? Seriously...¡±

    Rokuko is sulking ...Sorry, but tomorrow I need to revise some of my ns for the dungeon renovation.

    More beds might be a good idea.

    For the time being, we¡¯re working on fine adjustment for the [Gluttony] trap. Let¡¯s have Ichika to cooperate as promised.

    The next one is [Wrath] or maybe [Envy]?

    Ah, but I don¡¯t want Rokuko to be gluttonous, also I don¡¯t want her to be an angry or jealous girl. Let¡¯s review that too...

    TL note :

    Rokuko Angry and Jealous mode, Yandere-Rokuko?

    Also... kinda forget about this, Toy¡¯s name is not precisely Nana; it¡¯s actually Naana, or probably Nahna if I tried to push it... should I revise that? I decided on Nana, since well... it¡¯s better on the eyes. And I kinda conflicted now since she uses that name quite often.

    Here¡¯s her Katakana: ¥Ê©`¥Ê Na with prolonged a.

 Chapter 472 - Re-designing the [Lust]

    <h4>472 ¨C Re-designing the [Lust]</h4>

    While Rokuko is off to sight-seeing the great ocean, I work on the n re-design.

    It turns out that there is a serious problem with the dungeon¡¯s renovation n ...there¡¯s a possibility that the dungeon¡¯s environment will affect Rokuko.

    ¡°I was going to make it based on the theme of the Seven Deadly Sins, but that... well, I don¡¯t think it would be very good for Rokuko development...¡±

    However, the deadly sin trap itself wouldn¡¯t have much of an impact now. It¡¯s not a kill-type trap, it¡¯s just a stall-type. If we didn¡¯t spread that name around, no one would even know its seven deadly sins series trap.

    It looks like I¡¯d better pull the [Lust] out from now dungeon for now. There¡¯s a good chance I won¡¯t find the right way to modify it, And I¡¯ll just have to rece it with another trap that represents [Lust] Okay, let¡¯s do so.

    While I was lost in my thought at the vige chief¡¯s mansion, Nerune offered me a cup of tea.

    ¡±So, how do you n to do it, Master?

    ¡°Hmm. As for the [Lust]... I¡¯m sorry to say this to the subus vige, but I think we should move them out from the dungeon and ce them in Beddhist Church.¡±

    But the current church can¡¯t amodate them all. They might have toy down the beds on the church¡¯s floor just to sleep.

    Oh, I know! Let¡¯s have the Draco vige build a new Beddhist Church. I will ask them.

    ¡°Can you write the letter for Draco vige¡¯s chief?¡±¡±

    ¡°All right. I¡¯ll write it for you.¡±

    I told Nerune what I was going to write verbally and asked her to write it down; the content was about my wish to build a Beddhist Church in Draco vige. Alright, that should do.

    But first, I must say a few words to Deputy Mayor Wozuma. I¡¯m a decorated vige chief, after all.

    ¡°I wonder if the other dungeon cores are also affected by this condition?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. The way Toy says it makes me feel that way, but... for that same reason, maybe that¡¯s what made Haku called the [White Goddess]. ¡±

    Suppose you¡¯re a child of a god, and you¡¯re affected by the dungeon environment. In that case, as time goes, you may be a being worshipped as a God, which will take precedence over yourself if you are really affected by it. I must confirm this to Haku.

    What Toy said is possible, but it¡¯s not necessarily the truth.

    ******

    And then Haku¡¯s reply email came.

    ¡°This is new to me; I wasn¡¯t even aware of it. Dungeon Master is known to have an influence, but it could be just one factor. And if it¡¯s the result of research of the chaos faction, it¡¯s credible info. I think it also worth considering Kehma¡¯s course of action based on this info. Please share any information like this in the future.¡¯

    ...This is the first time Haku has heard of this? She don¡¯t know if it¡¯s true or not, but Haku-san¡¯s the core of the first batch, so I¡¯m pretty sure she grew up without being aware of what she really is.

    In addition, I saw in the P.S. ¡°Don¡¯t start weird rumors in Rokuko-chan¡¯s dungeon¡±, so it would still be better to dismantle the Subus Vige to be safe.

    Fortunately, I was able to get permission from Sid to build a Beddhist Church in Draco Vige. He also said he¡¯ll provide us withnd and a carpenter. It¡¯s a very generous offer from him, and the best part is that I don¡¯t have to work! Narikin, who is a master of building magic, is traveling right now, so I¡¯ll take his offer.

    In addition to that, ¡±Shall I make one for Pavuera?¡± But I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to get to that point, so I won¡¯t. We have enough sisters, though.

    And then, herees the discussion with the Subus Vige, which is likely to be the biggest problem.

    ¡°So... sorry for making a decision by myself, but we will have to move you out.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    Through the ck message golem, I told the subus representative, Sui, and she readily agreed.

    ¡±No, I¡¯m the one who said that... but, is it really okay?¡±

    ¡°We promised to cooperate with the dungeon, didn¡¯t we? And if you¡¯re going as far as to make our new home in the vige of Draco, then there¡¯s no problem.¡±

    ¡°...Don¡¯t you have any attachment for this vige?¡±

    ¡°There might have been a few, but I¡¯ve seen an increase in visits from adventurers recently.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Isn¡¯t this is a ce where you¡¯ve weed the food who came voluntarily?¡±

    ¡°If they onlye once in a while, but some may havee a dozen times. It¡¯s worrying.¡±

    No matter what, if they say that they¡¯re attending because they¡¯re [Charmed] by the subus, the subus will be considered as a threat that preys on people.

    I heard that even if they are hiding in the red-light district, they¡¯ll chase you out if they know you¡¯re a subus. Resentment mainlyes from people of the same profession.

    ¡±...Don¡¯t tell me, did you are actually [Charm] them?¡±

    ¡°When ites to the act of feeding on prey, well... we are subus, so ites naturally ...but I try to dispel it with the best of my ability, you know? It¡¯s true, I swear to God!¡±

    To THAT God of Chaos, right? I guess, but is it true that safetyes first. From the way she said it, it seems like it¡¯s not surprising that fascination remains.

    ¡±I see, the subus life is so troublesome...¡±

    Also, maybe that¡¯s the reason why Beddhism has quite a bit followers, probably it¡¯s because it¡¯s natural to be [Charmed] by the Subus Nuns, that leads to their favoring us higher than your usual religion.

    Otherwise, no one would believe in such a questionable religion. Hahaha.

    ¡°So, should we leave now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not yet, I haven¡¯t prepared your new ce. Stay here for a while. And if anyonees, spread the word that you can¡¯t stay here anymore, you¡¯re moving.¡±

    ¡°understood.¡±

    Then, I think it would be a good idea to put the [Lust] trap on the former Subus Vige site. I¡¯m going to have to figure out what kind of trap I¡¯m going to use.

    ...Maybe I should seek the opinion from subus who are experts in this business?

    ¡°I wonder if you have any ideas for a moderately erotic trap to put in there instead.¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you use our bodily fluids? Meet me in the church, and I will give it to you as much as you want, including my saliva.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so special about the subus¡¯ bodily fluids? ...is that normal thing to use?.¡±

    ¡°Yes, to put it bluntly, It¡¯s an aphrodisiac. Just filling an airtight space with our scent and it will provide quite an effect, although it¡¯s not very effective for women unless they¡¯re subus at my level.¡±

    Sui is a high-leveled subus, so her bodily fluid can be used regardless of gender.

    ...I see, it seems like it could be incorporated into the new [Lust] trap.

    I feel like it would fine to just paint the subus¡¯ body fluids on the stone statue in a sealed room. If I can¡¯t think of anything else, I¡¯ll just do that.

    ¡°Thanks for the idea. I think I¡¯m going to have to ask for your help with the bodily fluids as well. What can I do to pay you back?¡±

    ¡°Then... if anyone get caught in that new trap, I¡¯d appreciate if I could have a taste... it¡¯s all good as long as they don¡¯t know that it was actually me, right?¡±

    ...Well, I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m going to use it or not, but when the moment hase, I will call you.

    TL notes :

    Only one chapter from the raw, and yeah... still not decided on new series, I want something that I will truly enjoy.

    I will probably take two or three day off just to sort out the series before I made a sample chapter for each potential series.

 Chapter 473 - [Wrath] Mechanism.

    <h4>LDM 473 ¨C [Wrath] Mechanism.</h4>

    By the way, [Subus Body Fluid] is also listed in the DP catalog as a potion, and it was quite expensive. Ah, how about we integrated it with [Gluttony]... No, let¡¯s stop there... I could see a future where it would be popr as an energy drink.

    Well then, I guess our next project is [Wrath].

    I look back to yesterday in the employee break room when I asked Rei and Niku if they had any idea regarding the [Wrath] trap.

    *

    ¡°I need some ideas for [Wrath], something that will piss people off and make them cannot hold back. Do you have any good ideas?¡±

    ¡°Not sure. Rei, What do you think?¡±

    ¡°Eh, Niku sempai, you¡¯re going to push it to me? But if you ask me... I think, first, we should know what will make people tick?¡±

    Okay, Rei that¡¯s great, that¡¯s a solid opinion. If you don¡¯t anger them first, then it¡¯s just a regr stall trap.

    ¡°So, Rei, what kind of situation that will make you angry?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be angry if you made fun of my Master.¡±

    ¡°I agree... but that can¡¯t be used as a dungeon trap.¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ...hmmm, the problem lies in the context.

    It might be a different story if there was some kind of gas that will make you lose your reason if you inhaled it, but the reason for anger itself are different for each persons. What should we do about this?

    ¡°Master, what kind of things that will anger you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm... I rarely get angry...¡±

    ¡°Master would be furious if someone dare toy their hands on Rokuko-sama and us, wouldn¡¯t he?¡±

    Niku say that confidently with *Mufun*(blowing her nose)... eh, was I that angry?

    ¡°The party that was about to mess up the dungeon, Master killed the rookie party.¡±

    ¡°... Come to think of it, yeah, I did that.¡±

    Hmmm, you remembered it well. I forgot about it.

    ¡°In conclusion, we know amon factor is that you will get mad if someone messes up with something important to you, right? now, we need an idea to force that situation to happen ¡ª well, I don¡¯t have any, though.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any idea too, but that¡¯s good enough for now, thank you Rei, Niku.¡±

    A trap that will make adventurer angry, their precious something... like a Treasure?

    So, we need a disappearing treasure? Maybe an Ice jewel made of colored water? No, If they touch it, they¡¯ll know it¡¯s a fake immediately since it will be cold and wet.

    ¡°ah, I think I know how to make it disappear.¡±

    ¡°Niku? Are you sure?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the hint was from Ichika, since the other day she was¡ª¡±

    *

    That¡¯s why I called Ichika to test the [Wrath] trap.

    ¡°Over here.¡±

    ¡°Slot machine!¡±

    Yup, It¡¯s a slot machine. Thankfully, I already report this as a possible dungeon drop, so there¡¯s nothing unnatural about it being in the dungeon.

    ¡°I wonder why I¡¯m the one who needs to test it again?¡±

    ¡°By proses of elimination, you are the only suitable person. At this rate, I might need you to test the new [Lust] trap too.¡±

    ¡°Uh...¡±

    I mean, Ichika is the only ¡®normal¡¯ person in my dungeon, like seriously.

    I¡¯m an otherworlder and a dungeon master, and Niku is... Niku, and apparently, the monster girls are too different from humans in many ways in terms of emotions and feelings.

    When you think about it, Ichika, the ¡®human¡¯ is a valuablepanion. Really.

    ¡°Well, it cannot be helped...I kinda forgot about it since I just take it for granted, but I¡¯m a ve for my Master, I will obediently follow your orders.¡±

    ¡°Well, just close that door and spin the slot.¡±

    ¡°Roger that.¡±

    Ichika closed the door and took a seat. A hole has been opened in conjunction with the door closing; it¡¯s a hole for you to insert a coin.

    I immediately told her to put in a copper coin she has on hand (which we prepared beforehand).

    ¡°Yeshhhhh, that was fast! A hit already! This is sweeet~¡±

    ¡°oh? OH? OOH? HIT again!?¡±

    And when Ichika¡¯s profits had grown to some extent, that was the time gimmick was triggered.

    ¡°Hmm? What is this? I¡¯ve got all the patterns, but I didn¡¯t get anything? Is it broken?¡±

    She has no choice, so she put the copper coin in the slot again. But there is still no response.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, what¡¯s happening... Master, the slot is broken.................................¡±

    Then Ichika turned around and noticed that the door on her back had pictures and letters on it.

    [The door is locked. Only 214 coppers left to unlock.]

    ¡°...what.¡±

    Ichika was momentarily stunned. But such a measly warning, it¡¯s not a problem if you ignore it. She then proceeds to leave the room ¨C and of course, the room was locked.

    ¡°Oi, Oi! What is this? Master!¡±

    ¡°Ah, umm, in short, if you hit the jackpot, the money you gain will go straight to the penalty fine.¡±

    ¡°Fu-Fuck you, you have to be kidding me! This is fraud! You cheater!¡±

    Ichika banging on the door with all her strength. Hmmm, I seeded in pulling out her [Wrath], but it seems that I need to make the door and the slot machine to be quite sturdy.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right... I should make it so, if you leave in the middle of the game, it will be a reset, no.... the amount of money will be taken over to the next person, which means there will be cases where the previous person¡¯s portion is not paid off, and they can¡¯t get out, so what do you think?¡±

    ¡°Whoa, No way! Let me out! Let me out!!¡±

    ¡°Ichika, just put the copper in the slot, and you¡¯ll be out in no time!¡±

    ¡°NOOOOO! My Master is a Demon!

    You need to forfeit all the money you make, so it will only work once, and it¡¯s too dependent on your desire to y the slot machine in the middle of the dungeon.

    ¡°... I¡¯m the one who made it, but I guess it¡¯s a failure!¡±

    Well, maybe we can at least put it somewhere. Let¡¯s think about the next idea.

    TL note :

    Ok, we caught up with the raws, ah btw there¡¯s some kind of voting going on, I forgot to tell you guys.

    https://questant.jp/q/konorano2021

    I want to make detailed guides on how to vote, but well.... This is weekend, I¡¯m at my busiest at weekend, so it will have to wait a little.

    New novel? What is that? Kidding... my brain got a little fried after reading more than 10 tittles at once, I need to cool it down a little...

    Yeah, I did read all thements, but... well...... need a bit more time before I decide.

 Chapter 474 - Arrival in the Holy Kingdom

    <strong>Chapter 474¨C Arrival in the Holy Kingdom</strong>

    Narikin and the others have arrived at the Holy Kingdom¡¯s harbor.

    It¡¯s a long way from home, but they were able to safely enter the Holy Kingdom. And the [possession] is working without any issue.

    By the way, it seems that Toyes back home once a day to loosen her original body at the underground prison.

    ¡°Rokufa, this is the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Mm, we finally arrived Narikin.¡±

    Rokufa(Rokuko) answered energetically.

    The city scape of Holy Kingdom is in full view. The port town is filled with square building with stered white wall ¨C it almost looks like Pavuera, the difference is, there¡¯s a temple with a lot of pir with ornamental stripes. the clothes are also very different.

    ¡°What is this.. Greece?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? It¡¯s the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    It seemed to bemon in the Holy Kingdom for people to dress as if they were wrapped in folds of curtains, this reminds me of ancient Greece. Most of the people walking down the main street were dressed like that.

    By the way, Narikin and Rokufa also changed their clothes before they got off the ship, they were dressed as if they had curtains wrapped tightly around their bodies. Nana (Toy) was the one who arranged this get up for us, with this we will have no problem to blend in.

    ¡°I will definitely stand out with my usual clothes, ah.. M-my lower body part is...¡±

    ¡°Usually he using a pants, no... I wonder if that count as Narikin¡¯s armor?¡±

    I feel like I¡¯m wearing a skirt, oh wait, I¡¯m wearing underwear, thanks god..

    And as for Nana (Toy), her maid¡¯s clothes are the same as they were in Pavuera. The servant¡¯s clothes seem to be same anywhere.

    ¡°Master, Mistress, in this Holy Kingdom, the greater the person is, the moreyers of cloth they will wear.¡±

    ¡°Oh, then, from the looks of it, we¡¯re someone with good standing, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°Of course, ma¡¯am. Together with the little bird on your shoulder, you¡¯re look pretty well off.¡±

    So, that¡¯s our setting.

    However, such logic only limited to ¡®humans¡¯.

    The ¡®beastman¡¯ that can be seen behind the humans who are dressed simrly to us are only wearing pants up to their knees. The men are bare-chested and the women have cloths wrapped around their breasts to cover them, and the elves are modestly dressed for both men and women. The ¡°dwarf¡± is...none. There are no human-like demons that we often see in the Demon Kingdom either.

    And all of those ¡®non-humans¡¯ are wearing ve cors.

    I see, so this is what ¡®human supremacy¡¯ looks lie.

    ¡°Master, In this country, elves and the like can still be servants, which is still fortunate, but beastman can only live as ves, you know? ...There¡¯s also aw that stated that [non-ve beastmen are guilty of walking on the main street. this is called [Negligence ve] crime.¡±

    ¡°Seriously, we can be criminals before we know it?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry this country is unreasonably kind to ¡®humans¡¯. If there¡¯s a problem, I¡¯ll tell you right away.¡±

    Nana (Toy) leads us in very natural way. I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s used to it or if she¡¯s just have no fear, but she¡¯s certainly reliable in this foreignnd.

    I¡¯ve heard that in this country, if you dress a beastman in decent clothes, people will look at you in disgust. Don¡¯t even think to putyered cloth on them, they will start yelling at your face: ¡°Don¡¯t dress these animals like people¡±.

    Beastman are pets at best, and at worst they are food and meat walls for demons. Dog beastmen or lizard beastmen are irrelevant and Avian beastmen (the type of beastmen whose hands are covered in feathers) are treated particrly bad because they are beings that seen as insult to God of Light messenger (angels), or so they said.

    ...they must be extremely ostracized, don¡¯t they? No wonder they look dead in the eyes.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, Master. you have the status of noblemen in travel, your rank is equivalent of that second-ss citizen. The owner of this body seemed to have a part in those kinds of arrangements. It¡¯s a good thing she¡¯s not a semi-second-ss citizen, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°...What¡¯s the difference between a second-ss and a semi-second-ss citizen?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re a second-ss citizen, you direct aint to first-ss citizen, also the treatment are quite flexible on a lot of things.¡±

    The semi-second ss can do nothing if something is done to them. It¡¯s like there¡¯s a disparity betweenmoners and nobles, I see.

    ¡°If you¡¯re a ¡®human¡¯ they were rarely violent towards you, in case they did something to you, just whisper quitely [Oh, well, break the dungeon] in a sincere manner. That¡¯s usually enough to calm them down.¡±

    Nana (Toy) said something like that, which I don¡¯t know if I should take it seriously or as a joke. Rokufa (Rokuko) and I looked at each other and followed her as she guided us.

    Well, Nana (Toy) led us to the inn where we¡¯ll be staying today. When I was shown to my room, the decoration is pretty much the same as the inn in Pavuera.

    ¡°So, what do we do now?¡±

    ¡°...Wait Master. That¡¯s for you to decide, isn¡¯t it? Why did you want toe to the Holy Kingdom in the first ce?¡±

    ...How should I know that? I¡¯m kidding. Of course, I remember.

    ¡°Sightseeing, right?¡±

    ¡°No it¡¯s not... I want to say it¡¯s for inspection, but I don¡¯t have any clear target in my mind.¡±

    ¡°Then... why don¡¯t we check out the tantly suspicious thing?¡±

    The tantly suspicious thing?

    ¡°Apparently, there¡¯s a strange dungeon in this Holy Land of Dungeons Destroyers.¡±

    ¡°...hmm? it¡¯s not in the process of capture or something?¡±

    ¡°Exactly. The dungeon was called as [correctly managed dungeon], and treated differently.¡±

    That¡¯s do sounds fishy.

    Is it because I¡¯m skeptical? I be more suspicious when I hear something like [correct] or something?

    ¡°Can we go? To that dungeon.¡±

    ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, it doesn¡¯t seem to be open to the public. I don¡¯t know where it is, but if we find it, shall we take the birds first and dive in? This body (Nana) could go too.¡±

    True, there¡¯s no need to go inside using Narikin and Rokufa.

    A small bird would be easy to resurrect even if it dies, and Toy would just have to use the next (assassin) body when Nana disappears. It would be a hassle to lose the guide for a while, but it wouldn¡¯t be aplete loss either.

    ¡°For now, our immediate goal is to find this [correctly managed dungeon], I guess.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree, Narikin, Rokufa, Are you two okay with this n?¡±

    **pip**

    With a chrip, the two little birds, Narikin and Rokufa also replied in agreement.

    So, the important thing is how to find the dungeon. in order to do that, first, we need to gather information. That means I needed to go to a ce with a lot of people. In other words, it¡¯s sightseeing time.

    Meanwhile, through Haku¡¯s connection, Narikin and Rokufa have also be adventurers, so I might be able to work in an adventurer¡¯s guild-like ce in this country (we have a partnership, so the adventurer ranks can be used in this Kingdom too) ...but I can¡¯t afford to get injured, I¡¯ll probably do something easy. After all our main objective is to sightsee, right?

    Well, we got a reason to be here. Let¡¯s just rx and enjoy the Holy Kingdom.

 Chapter 475 - Once again, The Wrath.

    LDM 475 ¨C Once again, The Wrath.

    For now, Narikin and Co. will be in charge of searching and gathering information in the Holy Kingdom, while I will take it easy and continuing the dungeon¡¯s renovations.

    First, the subus vige, I need to do some preparation so it can be dismantled anytime I need it to, and [Gluttony] will be ced in their ce.

    ...Ah, by the way. [Gluttony] is ced on the Master Room for now, any member of my dungeon can use it. The main users are Ichika and Eleca.

    And herees [Wrath] that once I abandoned.

    The ideaes to me after watching Ichika get angry; in short, anyone will be mad if their time is wasted.

    Well, herees the next idea...

    ¡°This is a ditch...? No, a maze? ...¡¯ Start¡¯ and ¡®Finish¡¯?¡±

    Ichika tilted her head as she traced a ditch in the wall with her finger.

    ¡°Turn the hourss to start ¨C whoa! Something appeared, oh, I see... I must move this to the goal? Is that right?¡±

    That¡¯s Ichika for you, what a high level ofprehension. As you may have guessed, you need to move the iron rod that just grew out of the wall with your hand and carry it through the ditch in the wall (it almost a straight path) to the goal. Then you can clear it.

    However, she didn¡¯t seem to pay attention to the fact that the ditch¡¯s rim was painted red, except for the start and finish line.

    ¡°Oooh, it¡¯s moving downward on its own; ......awawa! eh, did it supposed to sink in the middle of the way?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you failed, penalty time: one stone golem, attack.¡±

    ¡°I see, you fail if you hit the red line? And it¡¯s a worthless stone golem. Are you going to put this trick in the warehouse area?¡±

    An iron bar that moves down by itself, as if reproducing the gravity. And if you hit the red line, it counts as a fail. You will need to go back and start over.

    The stone golem will fall from the hole in the ceiling every time you make a mistake or if you run out of time. If you¡¯re not careful, your party members will be crushed under it.

    It¡¯s dangerous, but since this is a dungeon, this level of danger is inevitable.

    ¡°that¡¯s about it for this trap.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty funny, isn¡¯t it? At least I think it is.¡±

    So, this is going to be a [Wrath] mechanism to open the door to the treasure room in the warehouse area.

    If you turn the hourss over, a stick will grow out, and if you carry it to the goal before time runs out, it will open the door, and allow you to enter the room. If you fail, the Stone Golem attacks.

    ... should I make it, so there¡¯s no golem attack if you just run out of time? Too kind?

    ¡°So, this gimmick is also known as an ...... irra-zuma stick!¡± {tl: irritating stick ¨C also a pun of Inazuma kick}

    This is one of the games that were used in the TV show where there was a prize forpleting the game. the original mechanism is to send electric shock with an explosion sound when you fail. ...... But because it was a hassle to prepare the electric current and gunpowder, I reced it with a golem attack. Maintainability is also essential for the dungeon mechanism.

    ...... Also, the rage-like naming of its original, well that¡¯s about it.

    ¡°By the way, I was also thinking about the idea of turning over the hourss to open the goblin room across the street and have the goblins attack, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s annoying; youe far to this warehouse area just to deal with a goblin?¡±

    ¡°Is that your reaction? Then I will use it.¡±

    It would be more exciting if there were an obstruction.

    I also n to make minor changes to the maze as more and more people can clear it; I will probably add a rotating wall gimmick and a floor piston gimmick that blocks the passage.

    ¡°So, if you clear this, you¡¯ll be able to enter the room with the treasure chest.¡±

    ¡°Mm, hm.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s divided into three small rooms, with a total of three treasure chests avable. I¡¯ll install a small window to look through.¡±

    ¡°So, you can get three treasures!?¡±

    ¡°But only one of them can be opened in one clearing.¡±

    ¡°Wow, herees the lifting and mming down your expectation. This is indeed my Master¡¯s speciality.¡±

    My specialty, huh? I¡¯m honored.

    ¡°So, these contents are random, ranging from magic swords to trash. I¡¯ll add more magic swords just in case.¡±

    ¡°Even I will be furious if I got trash for my efforts.¡±

    ¡°And if someone else already acquired it, though it will refill itself in half-day, so you may not get anything if it¡¯s right after the previous guy cleared it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, that will work to make people getting angry and angrier!¡±

    This is my rough idea, but it seems the [Wrath] will bepleted with this.

    *

    Every once in a while, I go for a walk in the vige of Gollen, and there¡¯s a ce on its map that¡¯s perfect for sunbathing, which is also rarely visited by people. I came there to take a nap.

    A broad backyard, a perfect spot for a nap. I¡¯ve been eyeing this ce for a while now, and I¡¯ve used the [Create Golem] to set up a ce where I thought it would be perfect for sleeping in the shade of a tree. When I used [Clean] to clear the fallen leaves and dust from the ground, I found just the right ce toy down my bed.

    Let¡¯s put it down and sleep.

    ¡°It¡¯s another peaceful day in the vige of Gollen.¡±

    ¡°... it sure it, huh?¡±

    ¡°Woahhh!¡±

    I jumped in surprise and saw a Wraith ¨C Dolce.

    ¡°Don¡¯t surprise me like that?¡±

    ¡°I mean, Kehma-sama is the one who dares to take a nap in outside like this ....... You already forgot about the assassin, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°...... No, that¡¯s not true. I was just trying to be a bait.¡±

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I believe you, I wish you had notified me then. I¡¯ve been entrusted by Haku-sama to escort you after all.... Haaa...¡±

    Dolce sighs. Um, excuse me?

    ¡°But there haven¡¯t been any assassins heretely, have there?¡±

    ¡°I just saw your doggie hunt for one today. That¡¯s one good watchdog.¡±

    Seriously? And good job to Niku who¡¯ve been dealing with it. I will need to reward herter.

    ¡°You¡¯re investigating the Chaos¡¯s Dog and the Holy Kingdom, right? We are also working on it, and You¡¯ll have to look into it over there as well.¡±

    ¡°Uh, for now, I thought I¡¯d try to find some sort of [correctly managed dungeon].¡±

    ¡°¡®A [correctly managed dungeon]? ...... Is that a dungeon revered by the Holy Kingdom? That¡¯s certainly something to be curious about. Oh, by the way, Ie to give you the information on the assassin mastermind.¡±

    And I received the information from Dolce-san.

    I¡¯ll share it with Narikin and the others at the time of today¡¯s daily report.

    ¡°Then be my guest and have a safe nap? I¡¯ll keep a close watch on you. I will give you sleep paralysis as a service.¡±

    ¡°...... Can I actually sleep with that on?¡±

    By the way, she is really giving me sleep paralysis. That¡¯s was a valuable experience ......

 Chapter 476 - Culture and Education

    <h4>Chapter 476 Culture and Education</h4>

    ? In the scheduled report, I possessed Narikin and passed along information to NaanaRei and the others.

    ? ¡°The Sunstar region?¡±

    ? ¡°Yeah. There¡¯s apparently some big shot there trying to assassinate us.¡±

    ? ¡°Great timing. We¡¯ll be heading there anyway because of our information on the [Dungeon]. Though it¡¯s a town that says everything is equal under the light of the Light God¡¯s sunshine, It¡¯s a town made up entirely of humans.¡±

    ? Sunstar seemed to be attracting people using the slogan that even second and third ss citizens could work together in equality, but it stank of something shady going on. When I inquired into it a bit further, it seemed as if there might be some hidden dungeon there.

    ? ¡°What in the world kind of torture did Dolche-sama resort to? A client¡¯s information is the most sensitive, confidential information there is. For him to confess even that information... fufu.¡±

    ? ¡°The quality of these assassins have been declining. Are they running on a budget after failing over and over?¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, that¡¯s possible...¡±

    ? NaanaRei nodded before continuing.

    ? ¡°... By the way, what¡¯s with the getup?¡±

    ? ¡°Getup?¡±

    ? The situation consisted of Rokufa sitting right next to me in some pretty sparse clothing. How could I put it... Err. I was having trouble figuring out where I should look.

    ? ¡°... Ohohoh? We¡¯re a couple, aren¡¯t we? What¡¯s so strange about a wife sitting next to her husband in her loungewear in their inn room?¡±

    ? ¡°No, I mean¡ª¡±

    ? It wasn¡¯t Rokuko herself at that moment, but Rokufa¡¯s face was exactly like Rokuko¡¯s since she was generally directed by her. Also, her chest was flourishing.

    ? Rokufa, looking like that, seemed as if she was preparing to get to sleep right after the report to save onmp magic stones and was sitting on arge bed in a fairly lightweight gown.

    ? ¡°... Oh! Mydy, master desires you. You should take it off.¡±

    ? ¡°Is that what he meant? My apologies for being so untactful.¡±

    ? ¡°That¡¯s not it! It¡¯s the opposite, opposite! It¡¯s hard for me if you show too much skin. Narikin, please knock it off with that immodest behavior.¡±

    ? Narikin¡ªwho was possessing Tran to switch out for me¡ªflew over with something that looked like a cardigan held in his beak. So much power for such a tiny bird...

    ? [Rokufa, you should put something on for now. It appears you are being immodest.]

    ? ¡°Immodest? Hmm, the only men who may see my skin are Narikin, who Rokuko-sama has determined to be her husband, and master. This is acknowledgement of being a considerably chaste wife.¡±

    ? Dungeon monsters are pretty out there in the weirdest ces... no, wait, was Rokufa¡¯s way of thinking the standard here? I took a nce over to NaanaRei.

    ? ¡°It¡¯s a fairlymon thing in both the Holy Kingdom and the Light God¡¯s Decree, master. After all, this country practices polygamy, so wives that only expose themselves to one or two people are considered exceptionally modest.¡±

    ? ¡°Actual polyamory? First time I¡¯ve heard of something like that.¡±

    ? From what I understood, it was having multiple husbands and multiple wives in the same household, forming something like amunity. In other words, polyamory encouraged both harems and reverse harems¡ªlike a system that existed solely for that purpose.

    ? ¡°So long as the couples are well-bnced and everyone pulls their wait, there usually aren¡¯t any issues with it. It¡¯smon for second-ss citizens to party together and capture a dungeon as a family. Whenever children are born, everyone chips in in raising them.¡±

    ? It would prevent parties from breaking up due to intra-party love affairs, sure. Since child care would be taken care of by multiple people, the burden would be minimized. Moreover, the children would be able to receive a variety of educations from their parents and have a better chance at getting a job role they wanted. It all seemed good.

    ? ... It was not only for the sake of letting big shots have a harem, but also a system to promote the spirit of destroying every dungeon found.

    ? Even the human supremacy might have been due to unifying the children¡¯s race to [Human] so as to prevent any strange conflicts or disputes due to the marital structure...Beastkin children were easy to identify due to their bestial characteristics, after all1. Moreover, beastkin were overly biased towards being warriors... is what I¡¯m told.

    ? If you wanted to construct a party that could fully capture dungeons, it¡¯d definitely be better to have a good bnce.

    ? Yep. The Light God¡¯s Decree goes the distance.

    ? ¡°There arews that allow you to take multiple wives or husbands back in the empire as well so long as you headed an aristocratic family, thoughmoners there are definitely monogamous.¡±

    ? ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m more familiar with... Rokufa, please don¡¯t be affected too strongly by the Holy Kingdom. It¡¯s just an infiltration.¡±

    ? ¡°Ah¡ªI-I see. So that was it, I understand. As you wish.¡±

    £ª

    ? When I ended my [Possession] and returned to the inn, I saw that Meat had snuck into my bed. It was time to head to sleep over there, but it had already been time to sleep back here. Let¡¯s just use her as a pillow and get to sleep as normal.

    ? She stirred.

    ? ¡°Come to think of it, Meat, you caught that assassin, huh? Good job.¡±

    ? ¡°... Yeah.¡±

    ? She let out a proud huff from her nose and wagged her tail as I gave her head a nice patting.

    ? ¡°Let¡¯s give you a reward. Is there anything you want?¡±

    ? ¡°... Can we do the hug pillow stuff?¡±

    ? ¡°No, we always do that... here, wait a minute.¡±

    ? I opened my [Storage] and looked for something good... Man, I really have to sort this stuff a bit...

    ? Ah, right.

    ? ¡°I¡¯ll make you something out of orichalcum. Is there anything you want?¡±

    ? I¡¯d managed to seed in mass-producing the thumb-sized orichalcum golem I¡¯d set as a dungeon boss with the spawner I got from [Father] back then.

    ? Well, it took a month to respawn, to calling it mass-production was a bit of a stretch... but still, get a thumb-sized amount of orichalcum every month was itself a level of treasure that would let you do whatever you wanted in life.

    ? If nothing else, I had two boss spawners, so I could get double the amount every month if I set the other one to use the orichalcum golem as well.

    ? Processing it was difficult since such a small number of people in the market could, making the ces it could be sold heavily limited... but since it was a dungeon product, it could be sold directly in a processed form.

    ? Still, it was safer to not go about selling it, since it would attract a heap of adventurers looking for orichalcum. If I did that, I¡¯d have my hands full with the inn and managing the dungeon¡¯s defenses.

    ? I wasn¡¯t having any troubles with my day to day life either way, not to mention the gold coins I was getting from Wataru making my savings pretty hefty.

    ? ¡°A dagger would be good... but there isn¡¯t enough orichalcum, right?¡±

    ? ¡°I could do it if just a part of it¡¯s orichalcum. The overall weight of the finished dagger shouldn¡¯t be too different than from if I made it entirely from orichalcum. It shouldn¡¯t be too different to use, either.¡±

    ? ¡°Alright, that then.¡±

    ? ¡°Okaaay, I can¡¯t make it entirely out of orichalcum, but I can at least make the front and back side of the de out of it. I¡¯ll make two.¡±

    ? I repeatedly cast [Create Golem] to shape the orichalcum, recing the front and back sides of the des with it. A so-called re-tempering of a dull de. Not that I was actually tempering it or anything.

    ? By the way, the reason why re-tempering a dull de is usually a bad thing is because it causes the de to be so fragile and sharp that it immediately bes unusable. In other words, since orichalcum was antithetical to fragility, its meaning was inverted. It would make the strongest des.

    ? ¡°Now on to the cutting edges...¡±

    ? Orichalcum was too hard to sharpen, so I had to manually generate the cutting edges as well... But all I had to do was soften the metal, then pinch it to make it thinner. After that, I could shape it while maintaining its razor-thin edge... Ah, do I even need to make them de golems? Let¡¯s do it just in case.

    ? ¡°Alright, I¡¯m done. Time?¡±

    ? ¡°Yes. Two of them in fifteen minutes, wonderful work.¡±

    ? ¡°Alright, here you go.¡±

    ? ¡°Thank you, Goshujin-sama.¡±

    ? Meat¡¯s tail wagged in delight as I gave her the scabbards.

    ? ... For such a young girl to be happy about getting weapons... Hmm. Why do I get the feeling I¡¯ve made a mistake in her upbringing...

 Chapter 477 - Whatâ€™s Inside My [Storage]

    <h4>Chapter 477 What¡¯s Inside My [Storage]</h4>

    ? I decided to organize my [Storage] for the first time in a while.

    ? My [Storage] was filled with a good number of dangerous things. ck balls that explode on a given keyword, a purple Dummy Core, a pure Dungeon Core I got from [Father], and an orichalcum de. Those were just the icing on top of the cake that was my treasure horde. There were even a few unused spell scrolls I figured I¡¯d get around to reading eventually.

    ? ¡°Huh?¡±

    ? ... At least, that¡¯s what should have been in there.

    ? When I turned my [Storage] on its head to dump everything out, nothing came out. Only that dungeon core I got from [Father] came tumbling out. That¡¯s it.

    ? ¡°... What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ? Fortunately, I was wearing my godly beddings¡ªthe [Godly Pajamas] as my jersey and [Godly rm Clock] as my wristwatch, so those weren¡¯t missing. The [Godly Comforter] and [Godly nket] were held on to by Rokuko, so those were safe as well.

    ? Still though, where¡¯d everything go? There weren¡¯t any of the dishes Kinue-san prepared or the de golems I¡¯d made in it either.

    ? I put my arm into [Storage] to fumble around and try to find anything else, but there wasn¡¯t anything there. I was usually able to feel whatever¡¯s inside just by thinking about it though.

    ? I tried looking inside. The open mouth to the [Storage] was just ck space, but maybe I could see inside if I put my head in...? It might stop time to just my head, though, causing a bit of an issue with the rest of my body. IT¡¯d be dangerous to try it alone.

    ? Looks like I¡¯ll need someone to stand by and rescue me.

    ? ¡°Which is why you want me to be here, huh.¡±

    ? ¡°You¡¯re the person I can rely on for things like this, Rokuko. I¡¯ll be moving my hand as I stick my head into the [Storage], so pull me out immediately if it stops moving.¡±

    ? ¡°Got it.¡±

    ? Which is why I decided to have Rokuko be my insurance as I take a look inside.

    ? ... Hmm, I put my head in, but I couldn¡¯t see anything.

    ? There wasn¡¯t any sound or light.

    ? Suddenly, light returned to me. It appeared that Rokuko pulled me back out. Moreover, I was a bit startled by feeling soft taps on my shoulder alongside a weird sensation of me also being hit there at the same time.

    ? ¡°Owah...!? Wait, why so soon? It hadn¡¯t even been five seconds.¡±

    ? ¡°Are you okay, Kehma? You stopped moving. For about fifteen seconds.¡±

    ? ¡°Eh, really?¡±

    ? I didn¡¯t feel like I¡¯d stopped doing it, but I guess I wasn¡¯t even able to realize I stopped? It¡¯s a good thing I decided to get Rokuko first.

    ? Also, it seems like she¡¯d tapped my shoulder several times without me responding.

    ? Wait, was it that the sensations from her doing that built up and came to me all at once? Like the sensations were frozen in time and were recognized collectively after I backed out...? It was hard to describe how strange and weird it felt.

    ? ¡°It¡¯s unexpected dangerous... [Storage], that is.¡±

    ? ¡°You got that right.¡±

    ? But like, where did everything else go off to for just that Dungeon Core to be left behind?

    ? It shouldn¡¯t be possible for a hole to open up in the [Storage]... No, I don¡¯t really know how it works at all, so maybe it was possible?

    ? ¡°Hey, Kehma. This is the core Otou-sama gave you, right? You still had it?¡±

    ? ¡°Hm? Yeah. If all I want to do is raise the level of [Super Transformation], Dummy Cores are enough for that.¡±

    ? Rokuko spoke while petting the extra Dungeon Core.

    ? ¡°... Maybe your stuff is in this?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh?¡±

    ? ¡°I just mean that, well, I have a Master Room, right? Maybe this core has one too!¡±

    ? Rokuko pped her hand down onto it. Her reasoning was sound enough.

    ? ¡°... I see. It¡¯s not a Dummy Core. It¡¯s an actual core.¡±

    ? ¡°In that case, it could be convenient since there would be more space to store things... That said, looking inside might be a problem.¡±

    ? As if trying to get inside, Rokuko poked the Dungeon Core as she spoke.

    ? I wonder if another core could enter? ... Is what I thought, but then I recalled it being in Orange¡¯s Dungeon Core. I guess so, then?1

    ? ¡°I wonder if I can¡¯t enter by just imagining a door opening? Kehma, you try too!¡±

    ? ¡°S-Sure.¡±

    ? I put my hand on the opposite side of the core that Rokuko did, matching her... Picturing the feeling of entering Rokuko¡¯s Master Room, I pushed a small strand of magical power into the Dungeon Core.

    ? Wait. I¡¯m trying to pry it open, maybe I should use more?

    ? As I continued to increase the amount of magical power I was pouring into it, the while light shining from the core visibly magnified.

    ? ... Is that it? That¡¯s all?

    ? ¡°Hmm, I feel like we just need a biiiit more~¡±

    ? ¡°I¡¯d at least like to get back my orichalcum sword.¡±

    ? When Rokuko also put some of her magical power into it, the core¡¯s light turned to a soft golden hue.

    ? It feels divine... but also like there¡¯s something wrong with it. I mean, this doesn¡¯t happen when I enter Rokuko¡¯s Master Room or anything, right?

    ? ¡°Hey, Rokuko?¡±

    ? ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ? ¡°What should we do now?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh? Umm, of course we should... uhh... I wonder?¡±

    ? Rokuko tilted her head to the side. Oi.

    ? Just then, the Dungeon Core¡¯s light intensified.

    ? ¡°... Maybe we should stop?¡±

    ? ¡°How strange. I thought so as well and I¡¯m still trying to stop, but it won¡¯t let me?¡±

    ? ¡°... I can¡¯t take my hands away!?¡±

    ? It was like a vacuum cleaner sucking my hands onto it, making it so that I couldn¡¯t pull away. My magical power was flowing freely into it. It was just a tiny amount, though.

    ? ¡°Rokuko, are you okay?¡±

    ? ¡°Ah, yeah. There¡¯s nothing wrong with my hands, I just can¡¯t move them. By the way, it¡¯s a bit sudden, but I¡¯m getting the urge to bathe in the onsen, can¡¯t we?¡±

    ? ¡°We can¡¯t.¡±

    ? What are you saying when you can¡¯t even move your hands? What side are you nning on entering, the men¡¯s or women¡¯s? There¡¯s no mixed bathing at our inn.

    ? ¡°Mmm, no good. What should we do then?¡±

    ? ¡°... Ah. Maybe you could leave with the dungeon function?¡±

    ? ¡°There¡¯s also your [Super Transformation]. Ah, but, umm... maybe we could stay like this a while longer? Look, we can¡¯t leave each other~?¡±

    ? Her hands still on the Dungeon Core, Rokuko moved her face closer to mine.

    ? At that moment, the Dungeon Core suddenly shined brightly.

    ? ¡°Uoh, so bright!?¡±

    ? ¡°Hyah!?¡±

    ? As soon as I moved my hands to shield my eyes, the Dungeon Core let out a popping sound. It seemed to float up into midair. It then promptly fell right into my [Storage] I¡¯d left open.

    ? A freakin¡¯ godray of light rose from my [Storage] before settling down.

    ? ¡°... There¡¯re no marks on the ceiling... What the heck just happened...?¡±

    ? ¡°No idea... maybe your [Storage]¡¯s stuff is back though?¡±

    ? ¡°Everything but the core was gone from the start though... but maybe?¡±

    ? I put my hand into my [Storage].

    ? ... Mmm, there¡¯s a soft and warm feeling. Hmm?

    ? ¡ªJust as I thought that, I felt something slimy tickle my hand.

    ? ¡°Whyah!? W-What!?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh¡ªwhat¡¯s wrong, Kehma!?¡±

    ? ¡°Th-There¡¯s something in my [Storage]!! It licked my hand...!?¡±

    ? ¡°Eeeh, but [Storage] stops creatures from moving? Let me try too.¡±

    ? With that, Rokuko put her hand into my [Storage] and¡ª

    ? ¡°Wawawah!? Wh-What is it!?¡±

    ? ¡°Wha¡ª!? Wha¡ª-!? There¡¯s something in there!!¡±

    ? ¡°What¡¯s this, what¡¯s this!? Eh, there¡¯s something smooth. Hair?¡±

    ? Rokuko felt around my [Storage].

    ? ¡°!? It grabbed me!? K-Kehma, help!¡±

    ? ¡°I-I¡¯ve got you!¡±

    ? I pulled Rokuko back forcibly. With that¡ª

    ? ¡ªA ck-haired girl who was gripping onto Rokuko¡¯s hand appeared from my [Storage].

 Chapter 478 - Daughter

    <h4>Chapter 478 Daughter</h4>

    ? ¡°... Eh, who¡¯s that?¡±

    ? ¡°Kehma, who¡¯s this? Someone you know?¡±

    ? ¡°Nope.¡±

    ? The girl opened her eyes with a snap¡ªthey looked like I¡¯d seen them somewhere before, a shade of blue. Actually, once I got a good look at her, she kind of looked like Rokuko¡ª

    ? Just then, I felt a foreboding feeling run through me. The girl opened her mouth and her first words.

    ? ¡°Papa! Mama! Hello, I¡¯m your daughter!¡±

    ? ... Yeah, I get it.

    ? ¡°You¡¯re the Dungeon Core from earlier, aren¡¯t you!?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh, earlier? Papa and Mama...? Eh, daughter... wait, she looks like you, Kehma!¡±

    ? ¡°Oh no no no, she looks like you.¡±

    ? Wait, why are we talking like a couple in front of their baby?

    ? ¡°This is me guessing, but you know how we focused our power into that core? I figure that.. well, it took in some elements from each of us and hatched into a Dungeon Core... yeah?¡±

    ? ¡°I seeee... So she¡¯s our kid! I¡¯m Mama!¡±

    ? ¡°So then I¡¯m Papa?¡±

    ? ¡°Of course my Papa and Mama would be so quick to figure it out! You¡¯ve got most of it correct!¡±

    ? The girl pped her hands together and confirmed our suspicions with a smile.

    ? ... I was careless. Actually, does this mean we¡¯ve had our first child?

    ? No way, for our first kid to talk and be this big the moment they¡¯re born... I guess it¡¯s possible because of the whole Dungeon Core thing.

    ? ¡°Alright, so I¡¯m going to message Otou-sama1 now.¡±

    ? ¡°Ah, then I¡¯ll get Haku Ane-sama¡ª¡±

    ? ¡°Absolutely not, Rokuko! Let¡¯s get a hold of what¡¯s happening before that!¡±

    ? When I stopped Rokuko frommitting second degree murder and opened my menu, I saw that I¡¯d already received a message from [Father].

    ? [Title: Congrattions, Kehma! You had your first child!]

    ? ¡°Seriously...?¡±

    ? A god just certified her as my daughter...

    ? I opened the message to read further.

    ? [Maaan, first off, congrattions. It looks like you and Rokuko created an additional Dungeon Core, Kehma-kun! I¡¯d originally only prepared the preset core so you could raise your hero skill¡¯s level, but both of your elements managed to boot it up. Well, you two are unmistakably the parents, so make sure to take good care of her, alright?]

    ? ... It appeared to be exactly as I¡¯d guessed.

    ? [PS: I won¡¯t be giving her a number, so name her properly! Also, I also took the liberty of connecting the DP Catalog to her so she can use it as well. Think of it as my baby shower present.]

    ? Seriously though...? Yeah... baby shower, huh.

    ? ¡°What did Otou-sama say?¡±

    ? ¡°... That she¡¯s definitely our daughter... and to give her a name.¡±

    ? ¡°Yaaay! What should we name her!?¡±

    ? ¡°Right, right! I want a cuuuuute name!¡±

    ? ¡°Naming my first daughter¡¯s making me nervous!¡±

    ? She even raises her hand and speaks normally despite just being born. She doesn¡¯t seem to have any questions about what¡¯s going on, either.

    ? ... It must have something to do with being a Dungeon Core. The presets [Father] mentioned must have been a set of basic knowledge, an ecologypletely different from what humans have.

    ? ¡°Wait, Kehma. Let¡¯se up with a name for her together. She¡¯s our daughter, after all.¡±

    ? ¡°S-Sure. Right... wait, first, you. What happened to your actual body, the Dungeon Core?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh? It¡¯s just in there?¡±

    ? The girl pointed to the [Storage] I¡¯d left open.

    ? ... You¡¯re not saying my [Storage] turned into a dungeon, are you?

    ? ¡°My dungeon is Mama¡¯s [Storage]!¡±

    ? ¡°Ah, yeah... figured... huh? What did you just say?¡±

    ? ¡°It¡¯s Mama¡¯s [Storage]...¡±

    ? !?

    ? ¡°Wait, why am I Mama!?¡±

    ? ¡°...? Based on my knowledge of the situation, I decided that Mama is Mama! Huh? Is something about that weird?¡±

    ? ¡°I¡¯m a man, so I¡¯m Papa!¡±

    ? ¡°... Ah, I guess...? You¡¯re a man... so you¡¯re Papa...? I don¡¯t know anything about that.¡±

    ? Yo, Dark God. The heck are with these presets of yours?

    ? ¡°In the case that god isn¡¯t here, god is Papa, not Mama!¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, now that you mention it...¡±

    ? ¡°Right, you had the same kind of education, huh Rokuko...¡±

    ? Dungeon Cores were god¡¯s children, so they themselves were simr to gods... and following that logic, I¡¯m Mama? Come on, what kind of gender free god is this?

    ? ¡°I¡¯m a human and Rokuko¡¯s a human-type core, so apply your logic from a human¡¯s point of view.¡±

    ? ¡°Question, Mama! Shouldn¡¯t god take priority over humans?¡±

    ? ¡°It¡¯s fine, please just go with a human¡¯s point of view... Right, Rokuko doesn¡¯t want to be called Papa either ,right?¡±

    ? ¡°Huh? I don¡¯t really mind either way though.¡±

    ? Not good. I¡¯m going to have to do something here before it¡¯s toote.

    ? I briefly wondered if Haku-san would prefer me being the Mama, but then figured that she¡¯d have the same sentiment as Rokuko and not care...

    ? ¡°Kehma. The important thing is that she¡¯s ours. Isn¡¯t deciding which of us is Papa or Mama trivial?¡±

    ? ¡°That¡¯s a noble thought, but doesn¡¯t it sound like I gave birth to her?¡±

    ? ¡°... Didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ? Rokuko pointed to my [Storage].

    ? ¡°... Ah, that. Well... hearing someone call me Mama Kehma physically hurts me, so please just call me Papa.¡±

    ? ¡°Got it! Papa!¡±

    ? ¡°I don¡¯t really mind, but is it like that in Japanese? Alright if that¡¯s how it is.¡±

    ? That¡¯s all it took!?

    ? No¡ªthat¡¯s good. They said so. No takebacks.

    ? ¡°Alright, back to her name. This whole situation is about an additional core, so how about we call her Soto for now?¡±

    ? ¡°Karinisoto? What¡¯s the meaning of that name?¡±

    ? Why¡¯d she include [karini]?2

    ? Just as I tried to correct her, she pped her hands together with a smile.

    ? ¡°Karinisoto! What a nice name. Soto means outside, elsewhere, and additional in Japanese!¡±

    ? ¡°Drop the for now part, okay? I was saying for now.¡±

    ? ¡°For now means temporarily, for a moment, for now. It¡¯s from another world!¡±

    ? ¡°Karinisoto, Soto for short! Additional for now... how cute! It¡¯s the best!¡±

    ? A core¡¯s sense of aesthetics is a mystery! I wonder if it¡¯s just that it being a foreignnguage is cool?

    ? She was so happy she was basically squirming... wait, are you telling me you¡¯re making the final decision on it being Karinisoto?

    ? ¡°We¡¯ll think about the nameter! Karinisoto is rejected!¡±

    ? ¡°No. It¡¯s decided. I am Karinisoto! Call me Soto-chan please~¡±

    ? ¡°Please think this through...¡±

    ? ¡°Then give me some socks. I¡¯ll think about it if you give me some socks... Oh, what¡¯s this? Papa isn¡¯t wearing socks! And there aren¡¯t any in his [Storage]. Too bad, buying more isn¡¯t allowed!¡±

    ? ... The heck¡¯s she talking about? I mean sure, I don¡¯t wear socks in my room though.

    ? ¡°Therefore, my name is Karinisoto¡ªSoto!¡±

    ? ¡°Good for you, Soto. Ah, my name was given to me by Kehma, it means 695 in another world.¡±

    ? ¡°Uwaaah! Papa¡¯s a naming genius!¡±

    ? Rokuko pumped her chest out in pride. I¡¯m so sorry. It¡¯s all my fault....

    ? Oh yeah, I have to contact Narikin and everyone on time (escaping reality).

 Chapter 479 - Weak.

    <strong>Weak.</strong>

    ? When I returned a few minutester after the regrly scheduled meeting, Rokuko and Soto were, of course, still in my room.

    ? Soto was being hugged the heck out of by Rokuko.

    ? Her name? Yeah, Soto¡¯s fine, whatever. My boundless openness to things like this has no bounds.

    ? ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll have to ask Ichika if [Soto] means anything weird...¡±

    ? ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I did it while you were asleep, Kehma.¡±

    ? Looks like Ichika came to my room during the meeting, so she took the chance to ask whether the name was weird. That¡¯s good. Repeating the Meat tragedy would¡¯ve been a mess.

    ? Ah, my [Storage] is still open. Shouldn¡¯t it have, you know, closed by now...? Does it have to do with Soto turning it into a dungeon?

    ? ¡°Do you want it closed, Papa?¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, yeah.¡±

    ? The [Storage] closed with a wave of Soto¡¯s hand.

    ? It felt awkward that I didn¡¯t have to verify it, like my [Storage] wasn¡¯t mine anymore.

    ? ¡°I¡¯ll give Papa back the authority to open and close it too for now!¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, you can do that? Well, it was originally my [Storage] I guess¡ªwait. While we¡¯re on the subject... Soto. Where¡¯d the stuff in my [Storage] go?¡±

    ? Soto smiled.

    ? ¡°... Where¡¯d it go?¡±

    ? ¡°Teehee!¡±

    ? Teehee my butt.

    ? ¡°Thanks for the meat!¡±

    ? ¡°... There was food in it, true.¡±

    ? ¡°It was delicious!¡±

    ? ¡°But what about the orichalcum sword or my bombs?¡±

    ? ¡°They were great! Such exciting energy... fuhehe...¡±

    ? ¡°You enjoyed it huh~? Okay~ then~¡±

    ? ... She ate so many things!?

    ? No, I mean, it might be natural since she¡¯s a Dungeon Core and all, but still. I guess I should just be happy that she didn¡¯t eat any of the Godly Beddings items...

    ? Orichalcum took a good while to produce, but it wasn¡¯t overly bad since we did have a system in ce to produce more. I guess I could chalk it up to the cost of childbirth...?

    ? Just then, the door burst open.

    ? ¡°Goshujin-sama, congrattions on the baby!¡±

    ? Meat spoke with an excited¡ªerr, no, expressionless¡ªface, but at least her tail was wagging back and forth.

    ? When Meat saw Soto being hugged by Rokuko, she drew closer and bowed.

    ? ¡°Soto-sama. I am Goshujin-sama¡¯s primary ve, Meat ckdog. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.¡±

    ? ¡°So cuuuute! Give me your socks!¡±

    ? Then when she processed what Soto said, she took off her maid outfit¡¯s knee socks unhesitatingly. Her tanned legs exposed, she handed over the pair of knee socks to Soto.

    ? ¡°Here, Ojou-sama.¡±

    ? ¡°Fuhehehe, thanks~... om nom nom.¡±

    ? Upon which Soto began to eat the knee socks. Ravenously.

    ? ¡°Oi!? Spit it out, spit it out!¡±

    ? ¡°So good~! Socks are the best! They remind me of what I ate in Papa!¡±

    ? ¡°I see, so you¡¯re like Kehma there. Make sure to chew your food properly, alright?¡±

    ? ¡°It appears she inherited Goshujin-sama¡¯s blood.¡±

    ? Rokuko calmly took out recement socks and handed them to Meat. Soto had eaten the one for her right leg and was beginning to eat the one for her left. This time she started from the thigh area and worked her way down.

    ? I¡¯ve never done that though!? Don¡¯t physically eat the sock!

    ? ¡°It¡¯s okay, Papa. I¡¯m a Dungeon Core, so eating socks won¡¯t hurt my stomach.¡±

    ? ¡°That¡¯s not the problem here...¡±

    ? ¡°If you don¡¯t give me permission to eat them... maybe I should tell Mama... about the [Collection] that was in Papa~?¡±

    ? ¡°Y-You...!?¡±

    ? ¡°[Collection]? What¡¯s she talking about, Kehma?¡±

    ? ¡°N-Nothing, it¡¯s nothing!¡±

    ? Dang Soto, are you threatening me on your literal birthday!? Dungeon Cores are incredible.

    ? I don¡¯t have a choice but to ept you eating them if you¡¯re willing to bring out the big guns like that! Damn it!

    ? ¡°B-But there isn¡¯t any evidence of my collection anymore...¡±

    ? ¡°It¡¯s alright~. I can reproduce anything I eat! Like thiiiis~!¡±

    ? Before I knew what was happening, Soto was wearing the knee socks she¡¯d just eaten. Seeing that they were sullied, you could definitely say that they were the socks Soto had just eaten.

    ? ¡°... Did you pretend to eat them and pull them out from somewhere.¡±

    ? ¡°Nuh uh uh. It¡¯s the hero power I inherited from Papa¡ª[Weak Replication]!¡±

    ? Soto smiled in a way that reminded me of how Rokuko used to.

    ? ... Hero power? What¡¯s with it being [Weak] and not [Super]?1 Just in case, I checked my brain for anything happening with my [Super Transformation] and¡ªoh, it feels like it went back to Lv4. Did she absorb it? Is that even possible?

    ? ¡°I can duplicate things I¡¯ve eaten before once per hour. The replica disappears after an hour.¡±

    ? ¡°That¡¯s convenient... but why is it limited to things you¡¯ve ate?¡±

    ? ¡°No idea! How would I know if Papa doesn¡¯t even know?¡±

    ? Uh, okay. As an aside, judging by how she had both knee socks, I guess she was able to replicate multiple things so long as they were part of a set unlike my own [Super Transformation].

    ? ¡°All I want to say is¡ªPapa¡¯s [Collection] was an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord! I won!¡±

    ? ... In other words, should could also produce orichalcum des and gravity bombs. Although it would be hard to make use of base materials since they¡¯d disappear within an hour, it was instead an [All-You-Can-Use Smorgasbord].

    ? ¡°... Alright. I¡¯ll let you eat socks, Soto, but no more using my [Collection] as a shield anymore.¡±

    ? ¡°Kaa~y!¡±

    ? Soto agreed with her hands in the air looking pleased.

    ? Really, thinking about her future, it either frightens me or feels ominous. Either way, she¡¯s definitely Rokuko¡¯s daughter.

    £ª

    ? ¡°By the way, Meat, how did you know Soto¡¯s name? I hadn¡¯t told you yet.¡±

    ? ¡°Ichika told me.¡±

    ? Oh, right. I guess that¡¯s how Meat knew toe in the first ce?

    ? ¡°Still though, I wonder how I¡¯m going to exin Soto to the vigers... my secret child maybe?¡±

    ? ¡°She looks like she could be Meat¡¯s sister.¡±

    ? ¡°... My sister?¡±

    ? Oh yeah, there¡¯s that whole thing about Meat being treated as my daughter. The whole ck hair thing.

    ? ¡°... Onee-chan! Wear ck tights next time.¡±

    ? ¡°Tights? Alright, I will tomorrow.¡±

    ? ¡°Yay! White, white tights! Onee-chan would look so cute in them!¡±

    ? Saying that, Soto hugged Meat tightly... I wonder why she likes white... maybe it¡¯s an influence from the ck wolf¡¯sRin slime from the bombs?

    ? ¡°... Well, the vigers should ept it at that... thest barrier will be actually introducing her, I guess.¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry for Haku Ane-sama, I already sent her mail.¡±

    ? ¡°...!?¡±

    ? ¡°I mean, when it¡¯s for something as important as a daughter, wouldn¡¯t she be angry if we kept it from her? ... You think you could hide it from Dolche? And our next child?¡±

    ? ¡°... Impossible.¡±

    ? In that case, isn¡¯t it better to just tell her?

    ? ... If we can reduce the damage as much as possible by letting her know in good faith... my victory condition is survival, after all. Let¡¯s roll with it.

    ? ¡°By the way, uhh, what was Haku-san¡¯s reply?¡±

    ? ¡°She hasn¡¯t responded yet... oh, it just came in.¡±

    ? Geh! I¡¯m afraid, very afraid!

    ? ¡°So... what did she say...?¡±

    ? ¡°Fufufun, look, Kehma! Onee-sama¡¯s blessing us, too!¡±

    ? The mail definitely was saying that congratted Rokuko and Soto.

    ? ... Yeah, it¡¯s a blessing, but my name¡¯s not mentioned anywhere?

    ? ¡°It said that she wants to see her in person and to meet up at [White Beach] tomorrow.¡±

    ? ¡°Uuu, can I run away?¡±

    ? ¡°Of course not? You¡¯re Soto¡¯s Papa, Kehma. It¡¯s important for you to introduce her to Haku Ane-sama, so shape up.¡±

    ? ¡°Kuh... alright.¡±

    ? And that¡¯s how that was decided.

    ? Due to suddenly finding out that I had a daughter and that I would have to meet Haku-san about it, as expected, I only slept a mere eight hours that night.

 Chapter 480 - Judgement of the Goddess

    <strong>Judgement of the Goddess</strong>

    ? And so Rokuko, Soto, and I arrived at [White Beach].

    ? ¡°... So you came, Kehma-san.¡±

    ? Standing there was the Demon King referred to as the White Goddess awaiting us.

    ? I didn¡¯t want to. I really, really didn¡¯t want to. What¡¯s with that ck aura?

    ? ¡°Good morning, Ane-sama!¡±

    ? Good morning, Rokuko-chan. And a lovable one at that.¡±

    ? Haku-san switched her attitude as she turned toward Rokuko. Like she had to make sure none of that bloodlust made its way to her. I feel like I¡¯m going to throw up, here.

    ? After hugging Rokuko and patting her on the head, Haku-san turned and smiled at Soto.

    ? ¡°... So, this is the extra core I¡¯ve heard about?¡±

    ? ¡°N-N-Nice to meet you, Aunty Haku!¡±

    ? ¡°Aunty... hmm, I do suppose you being Rokuko¡¯s daughter would make me your aunt. What¡¯s your name?¡±

    ? ¡°Y-Yes! It¡¯s Soto! I-I¡¯m v-very pleased, t-to meet you!¡±

    ? ¡°... Why are you performing a dogeza?¡±

    ? Ah, that¡¯s sneaky, Soto! Now that you¡¯ve done it, I¡¯ve missed my timing! Guess there¡¯s no choice but for me to do it together with her...

    ? ¡°Stand up. You¡¯re my niece, after all. Your head isn¡¯t so cheap that you can lower it so easily.¡±

    ? ¡°O-Okay!!¡±

    ? Soto stood up so forcibly it reminded me of a jack-in-the-box.

    ? Seeing that, Haku-san smiled... sh-she forgave me... oh, it was just Soto? Please don¡¯t kill me...

    ? ¡°Come.¡±

    ? ¡°Y-Yes, Aunty.¡±

    ? Beckoned over, Soto was sandwiched between Rokuko and Haku-san. I¡¯ll take my thoughts about this sight to the grave.

    ? ¡°Fufu, your eyes look just like Rokuko-chan¡¯s. What a cute girl.¡±

    ? ¡°Uwaaah, how beautiful... ahh, no, I want it... I need this person¡¯s socks...!¡±

    ? ¡°Her ck hair is simr to Kehma¡¯s!¡±

    ? ¡°Mmm, I suppose that point is a demerit.¡±

    ? ¡°What!? I¡¯ll dye it, then! Red, blue, white, gold, anything! Papa, there are things that do that, right!?¡±

    ? Oi,e on. I got this hair color from my parents!

    ? ¡°... Papa, is it. Yes, Papa... Kehma, san?¡±

    ? GEH... Haku-san finally turned toward me, a smile frozen on her lips.

    ? ... Alright, I missed my timing earlier, but now is the time to whip out the dogeza.

    ? ¡°Kehma-san. Could you exin the situation?¡±

    ? ¡°... Well, there was an unexpected ident, umm, how can I put it...¡±

    ? ¡°I see. So you failed in using contraception? For the crime of dodging Misha and Dolche¡¯s sight and soiling Rokuko-chan by impregnating her¡ªlet¡¯s see, what shall I do?¡±

    ? GEH!?!?!? The bloodlust was getting stronger! Haku-san released an aura that came with hallucinations of very precise methods she¡¯d use to kill me...!

    ? ¡°Wait, Ane-sama. What do you mean by impregnating?¡±

    ? ¡°Oh? I mean where you make and raise the child in your belly. This child, Soto... was here, yes?¡±

    ? ¡°Hyah, that tickles, Ane-sama.¡±

    ? Haku-san patted Rokuko¡¯s belly.

    ? ¡°In that case, the one who got impregnated was Kehma, Ane-sama. It was his [Storage] rather than his belly, though.¡±

    ? ¡°Hmm?? Isn¡¯t Kehma-san the father?¡±

    ? Haku-san tilted her head to the side.

    ? ¡°Aunty! Papa told me to call him Papa because human men are called Papa! He¡¯s actually Mama!¡±

    ? ¡°... Hmm? Oh?¡±

    ? Haku-san tilted her head over to the other side... and then.

    ? ¡°Rokuko-chan. Could you tell me through what method this child was made?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh? Well, Kehma got a Dungeon Core from Otou-sama a while back. He kept warming it up, and then...¡±

    ? While listening to Rokuko¡¯s exnation, the aura of bloodlust slowly went away.

    ? ¡°... Oh, right. As a human, you wouldn¡¯t suddenly be so big... So it was through the method as you were taught before... I see.¡±

    ? ¡°Do humans make children differently?¡±

    ? ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that, Rokuko-chan. You¡¯ve already made a child, right? Hmm?¡±

    ? I see. So I guess having Soto call me Papa was a mistake.

    ? Haku-san recognized me as the [Father] in Rokuko¡¯s message and, because [I am not a god], took it to meant that we had a child through the human way of doing it. She¡¯de to the conclusion I¡¯d overstepped my bounds in order to get married or something.

    ? ¡°I see... Kehma-san, you didn¡¯t know how gods make children, did you?¡±

    ? ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡±

    ? ¡°No response from my lie detector, either. I understand, I¡¯ll forgive you this time... in deference to Soto-chan.¡±

    ? Thank you, Soto. I¡¯ll give you Ichika¡¯s sockster! Kinue-san¡¯s too!

    ? ¡°Ah, thank you very much!¡±

    ? ¡°The torture equipment I¡¯d prepared will be wasted, though.¡±

    ? ¡°Ha, haha...¡±

    ? With that, Haku-san dropped a painful-looking weapon out from her [Storage] and onto the sand. It was a warning that she wouldn¡¯t show any mercy next time.

    ? ¡°Wow, that looks delicious. Aunty Haku, could I eat it?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh¡ª...? It¡¯s not food... but alright?¡±

    ? ¡°Yay, I¡¯m gonna dig in!¡±

    ? Saying that, Soto put the torture device Haku-san had taken out inter her [Storage].

    ? ¡°Oooh... it has magic in it! So tasty... loaded with energy...!¡±

    ? ¡°Hoh, so that¡¯s the [Storage] dungeon... I wonder what¡¯s going on inside it?¡±

    ? ¡°Want to go in? Fufufu, if it¡¯s Aunty Haku, I¡¯ll let you in specially! Ah, the admission fee are the socks you¡¯re wearing... those tights will be fine!¡±

    ? ¡°Eh, tights?¡±

    ? Oooooiii Soto!? Don¡¯t be rude, what if you cause a certain parent of yours to hang!?

    ? ¡°Do you y with them? Hmm. Wait a moment... ... ... Here, is this okay?¡±

    ? Somehow, Haku-san took her finger and slid it along her legs through the slit in her clothing to unabashedly take off her tights right in front of us and handed them to Soto!

    ? ¡°W-waaaaah!? Really!? Ultra Divine ss Legendary Rare! Part of the Hall of Fame! Thank you, thank you! I¡¯ll make it a family heirloom!¡±

    ? ¡°I-I don¡¯t quite understand what you mean... but could I go in now?¡±

    ? ¡°Yes! Yes, please, enjoy yourself! It¡¯s a small dungeon without much in it though!¡±

    ? ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be heading in now then.¡±

    ? Haku-san entered the [Storage]. Soto threw her tights into her mouth as soon as Haku-san looked away, eating it immediately.

    ? With [Weak Replication], Soto didn¡¯t have to restrain herself to only eating food. Instead, she could eat whatever she wanted and enjoy herself with it by duplicating itter.

    ? ¡°~~! Ppuah! So, so good! Too good¡ªI-I can¡¯t feel my hips! I¡¯m falling! Mama, hold me!¡±

    ? ¡°Eeeh? Come now, really. You really are Kehma¡¯s kid.¡±

    ? Why¡¯re you saying it¡¯s because of me? She¡¯s your daughter, Rokuko.

    ? ¡°... Actually, why isn¡¯t Haku-san stopping? Normally, isn¡¯t it not safe to go in?¡±

    ? ¡°Oh yeah, she¡¯s moving like normal, huh? Even though time¡¯s still stopped. Meat Onee-chan stopped when she went in yesterday though?¡±

    ? Oi, what all were you guys doing while I was asleep?

 Chapter 481 - An Exchange of Information

    Chapter 481

    An Exchange of Information

    ? A whileter, Haku-san returned from my [Storage].

    ? ¡°It¡¯s structure is reminiscent of what Rokuko-chan¡¯s used to be, but there was a room inside. At the very least, it¡¯s not just the size of an ordinary [Storage].¡±

    ? ¡°... Really now?¡±

    ? ¡°You didn¡¯t know? You need to look into it properly yourself, it could be a matter of life or death for Soto-chan.¡±

    ? ¡°I mean, humans can¡¯t enter it without having their movement stopped. I can¡¯t even use a light in it.¡±

    ? ¡°... Oh well, then.¡±

    ? Haku let out a sigh.

    ? ... It¡¯s something Haku-san said, so maybe I should ignore the risks and investigate? It¡¯s not as if I¡¯m not interested.

    ? ¡°By the way, Kehma-san. You were investigating the chaotic dog and the Holy Kingdom?¡±

    ? ¡°Huh? Yeah, I am.¡±

    ? Haku-san suddenly changed the topic. It was probably due to Dolche-san reporting on it.

    ? ¡°Did you find anything out? We should exchange whatever information we know.¡±

    ? ¡°... Alright. Their culture is out there, such as promoting polygamy.¡±

    ? ¡°Yes. They are efficient, going so far as to ignore individuals¡¯ emotions...¡±

    ? A strength of the Holy Kingdom was that it could suppress that point.

    ? ¡°Oh yeah, there¡¯s also apparently a suspicious dungeon in the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    ? ¡°... A dungeon in the Holy Kingdom? Is it in the Timern region?¡±

    ? ¡°No, Sunstar.¡±

    ? So there¡¯s a region called Timern as well, huh?

    ? ¡°... Hmm, there certainly are some ces where the flow of supplies seem off. A dungeon would go far in exining that.¡±

    ? ¡°You¡¯re saying there are multiple ces like that?¡±

    ? ¡°Timern, around Chromak. The Holy City of Valrai is also suspicious.¡±

    ? The Holy City was the capital of the Holy Kingdom.

    ? ¡°If you asked me, I would say there are three ces other than the Holy City where production levels don¡¯t add up. The Holy City has too many things that go the opposite direction, it consumes too much and exports too little. You could go so far as to say that it consumed so much because it is the Holy City, but you could also say that it is the Holy City precisely because there is something there.¡±

    ? I see, that¡¯s the kind of information an individual like me wouldn¡¯t find out by looking at bits and pieces.

    ? It appears that the Empire¡¯s informationwork has its hands fully inside the Holy Kingdom.

    ? ¡°I think it would be a good idea for you to look into Sunstar¡¯s grain production.¡±

    ? ¡°Grain?¡±

    ? ¡°Yes. There is much more consumption and export in the area than what the area¡¯s production volume could support. If there is a dungeon there, it will undoubtedly be one producing grain. It could even be processing it into ale and the like.¡±

    ? Haku-san spoke while pressing her hand up to her left eye.

    ? ... She¡¯s probably being sent some very good intelligence, but it¡¯s more amazing that she¡¯s able to keep track of so much info in her brain.

    ? I also shared my information with Haku-san.

    ? ¡°A [Properly Managed Dungeon]? From what I recall, that country worships the Light God and uses its heroes and the Saintess to actively destroy dungeons though...¡±

    ? ¡°No dungeons means a poor production strength, after all.¡±

    ? ¡°So the Holy Kingdom has dungeons cooperate with them else risk being killed... or perhaps humans from the Holy Kingdom became Masters? Hmm.¡±

    ? Haku-san put her hand to her chin in thought.

    ? ¡°In any case, let me know if you find anything out. You can get to me through Dolche.¡±

    ? ¡°Alright... But by the way, Haku-san, is there really any information I could find that your informationwork can¡¯t?¡±

    ? ¡°There is much I don¡¯t know about foreign countries. I¡¯m looking forward to your take on it, just like when you were in Demonds.¡±

    ? If I had to say something, it would be that Haku-san seemed to have misunderstood various things about Demonds¡¯ culture and that examining it from my point of view was important to her.

    ? With that, we exchanged various meaningful bits of information¡ªand I was able to safely return to my residence in Golen.

    ? ¡°... I¡¯m alive! I made it!¡±

    ? ¡°You did it, Papa!¡±

    ? ¡°Yeah. Thank you, Soto. You too, Rokuko... for saving my life!¡±

    ? ¡°You¡¯re making a big deal out of nothing, Kehma.¡±

    ? Meanwhile, I would¡¯ve been six feet under by then if I¡¯d done anything to her as a [Human].

    ? ¡°Oh right, Soto. You said something about [Even though I stopped time] when Haku-san entered your dungeon? Could it be that you can control it how you like?¡±

    ? ¡°Yeah~, but I can¡¯t make it move faster than normal.¡±

    ? Hohoh.

    ? ¡°In that case, I should be able to check around inside as well, yeah? And why didn¡¯t you tell Haku-san about it?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh? Well... Papa¡¯s trying to keep information Aunty Haku, right? I figured it¡¯d be better to not tell her much about me either! Same with [Weak Replication]!¡±

    ? You know me that well...? I wonder what circumstances about me were given to her when she took elements from me? I guess the reason she didn¡¯t tell me either would be that she didn¡¯t want to be worse off from saying too much.

    ? ¡°That¡¯s fine. In that case, I¡¯d like to check out your dungeon, Soto. Would you mind? It¡¯s also my [Storage], so I¡¯d like to see what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ? ¡°Sure~. Oh, I¡¯ll make a room for Papa¡¯s personal items.¡±

    ? Moreover, it seems bigger than my original [Storage]... Yeah, Haku-san said it was big, too... but we can build as usual in it? What¡¯s going on here?

    ? ¡°You¡¯re not connecting to other people¡¯s [Storage] or anything, right?¡±

    ? ¡°Huh? I shouldn¡¯t?¡±

    ? ¡°Eh¡ª¡±

    ? Soto grinned.

    ? Hold up. Isn¡¯t that bad? Like, crazy bad in many ways?

    ? ¡°Ahaha, I¡¯m just joking~. At most I could just connect to Papa¡¯s and Mama¡¯s since she has a soul connection-like thing with Papa. And the dungeon monsters, oh and Master Meat Onee-chan¡¯s!¡±

    ? ¡°Really, other people¡¯s [Storage] would have been¡ªoi, that¡¯s still plenty enough to be holy crap about.¡±

    ? Mmm, well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing that we can¡¯t just pull stuff out of a random merchant¡¯s [Storage]...

    ? ¡°... Wait, did I just hear you call Meat your Master?¡±

    ? ¡°Yeah, I had her be Master yesterday! It¡¯s best to do stuff like that early on!¡±

    ? ¡°Seriously...¡±

    ? I held my head in my hands. Can¡¯t say I expected that... Meat became a Dungeon Master.

    ? Still though, it¡¯s not like there are any downsides to Meat being a Master, so...

    ? ... Actually, maybe this confirming that Soto won¡¯t have some weird guy as her Master is an upside?

    ? One of those I won¡¯t let some shady guy have my daughter kind of things.

 Chapter 482 - Sunstar

    <strong>Sunstar</strong>

    ? Possessing Narikin¡¯s group.

    ? ¡°So this is Sunstar?¡±

    ? ¡°Ane-sama told us to look into its grain, but there¡¯s a spectacr wheat field right in the middle.¡±

    ? It was a town with a feeling reminiscent of the granaries on the north side of Sia.

    ? Still, there were too many small, uneven hills breaking up the scenery into terraced fields, different from Sia¡¯s vast ins.

    ? ... The terraces make calcting its rough area coverage difficult, I wonder if it¡¯s an anti-espionage measure?

    ? RokufaRokuko put her hands up to her brows to shield her eyes and look over the fields. She seemed to be having fun more than anything.

    ? Alright, it¡¯s good to have made it this far, but what do I need to find out and how should I go about doing that?

    ? I tilted my head in thought over what to do just as NaanaToy offered his counsel.

    ? ¡°Lord. Perhaps we could go to the Commerce Guild? You might hear something about it if you say you¡¯re considering buying Holy Kingdom grain.¡±

    ? ¡°... Hmm, that might be just the thing. We could even actually buy some grain to get a closer look.¡±

    ? Entering the town arm in arm with RokufaRokuko, we rode the flow of people toward the Commerce Guild. For some reason, NaanaToy knew exactly how to get to the guild.

    ? The Commerce Guild was a Greek-styled white rectangle of a building, easily two or three timesrger than the establishments around it.

    ? Inside were things such as golden vases, marble negotiating tables, and macho busts that made me wonder if they had some weird preferences... they¡¯re garish, so let¡¯s give my eyes a rest and stare at the decorative nts.

    ? ¡°... It looks so expensive.¡±

    ? ¡°Well, it is the Commerce Guild. If they didn¡¯t make money they¡¯d be in trouble.¡±

    ? As the Commerce Guild was an organization based around bringing profit to the merchants using it, they wouldn¡¯t want to rely on something that wouldn¡¯t be able to help them in an emergency.

    ? Well, heading to the receptionist counter¡ªis exactly what I didn¡¯t do. NaanaToy pushed me forward to do it.

    ? It¡¯s a small thing, but I, the express negotiations leader for things like this, had to be the one to do it.

    ? A momentter, I was greeted by a member of the staff.

    ? ¡°Wee to the Sunstar Commerce Guild. My name is Sentak, the chief clerk. What bring you, here to buy the town¡¯s grain?¡±

    ? ¡°Mm.¡±

    ? I responded with a nod, trying to seem as haughty as possible.

    ? We sat down on sofas facing each other across the advised marble table. NaanaToy stood behind me with RokufaRokuko sitting at my side.

    ? By the way, TranNarikin and ShibaRokufa were in the bird cage NaanaToy was holding.

    ? ¡°Let¡¯s talk. How much can you bring out at most?¡±

    ? ¡°At most? Hmm... for a first trade, one hundred bags, I suppose. The price would be one gold coin.¡±

    ? ¡°Hah. So this country¡¯s etiquette is to overcharge first time clients? By all rights a gold coin can purchase double that.¡±

    ? ¡°Well well, forgive my discourtesy, Lord.¡±

    ? Everything up till then had been a merchant¡¯s greeting. It was the case that Holy Kingdom nobility would make purchases without haggling the price, as it was a virtue to waste money so as to reinject it into the economy or something.

    ? ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Lord is an aristocrat from the Raverio Empire, what business does one such as yourself have in the Holy Kingdom?¡±

    ? ¡°What, I¡¯m here on a honeymoon with my wife. I heard there was nicely priced grains here and thought I¡¯d look into it myself.¡±

    ? With that, I hugged Rokufa¡¯sRokuko¡¯s shoulder. Her resulting innocent cry and reddened face painted her as a newlywed wife.

    ? ¡°Of course if I feel the quality is up to snuff, I may even consider a subscription of sorts.¡±

    ? ¡°That would be quite a thing... If you don¡¯t mind me asking, what is a honeymoon?¡±

    ? ¡°Mm. Once one begins to rear children, traveling in abandon bes difficult. Therefore, we go about to enjoy ourselves to our heart¡¯s content. I hear that marriages are different here in the Holy Kingdom, however.¡±

    ? ¡°Yes, in our country, traveling is fine even after having children. For example, there are various ces with nursery schools where we could freely leave our children. If you¡¯re considering having children, what about moving here to the Holy Kingdom?¡±

    ? ¡°Hahah, that¡¯s not in the cards for the moment. I havend restrictions, as well. There is also a dungeon in my province... Though I may be interested in building a vi if I find some attractivend.¡±

    ? We continued our back and forth of mutually inconsequential information to feel the other party out.

    ? ... Oi, RokufaRokuko, why¡¯re you still red for? I tapped her on the shoulder with my thumb so that he wouldn¡¯t notice.

    ? ¡°Ah. Umm, dear? Could we not stay in such a packed ce? I¡¯d like to go somewhere we could move around.¡±

    ? ¡°Mm, sorry. Please wait just a little longer... Hey, Sentak. Could I take two bags as a sample, let¡¯s say for a silver coin?¡±

    ? ¡°Yes, that would be fine. Do you have [Storage]?¡±

    ? ¡°Naturally.¡±

    ? ¡°Dear, grain alone wouldn¡¯t be interesting. Let¡¯s buy more. Okay? Financial leeway is necessary for dungeon capturing.¡±

    ? ¡°Hmm, right... Let¡¯s throw in some local food. Please add some rare things as well. I hear Sunstar has many things to offer, so throw in five silver¡¯s worth.¡±

    ? I added more silver coins under the guise of taking a request from RokufaRokuko. Seeing seven silver coins, Sentak smiled and gently ced one into his own pocket.

    ? ¡°I understand. Lady, Narikin-sama, please wait a little while longer.¡±

    ? ¡°Hurry, if you would. Time is finite, use it to take even one step further, right?¡±

    ? ¡°Yes, please do it quickly.¡±

    ? Sentak left his seat and called other staff members into another room.

    ? ... By the way, the phrase Rokuko used was something from the Light God¡¯s Decree. It was something NaanaToy prepared.

    ? ording to him, the setting is that of a nobleman of the Empire was seduced by a woman of the Light God¡¯s Decree or something?

    ? A whileter, we were brought two bags of wheat, a bag of soybeans, a bag of cornmeal, and some bagged fruit.

    ? Oranges, bananas, apples... huh, a melon? ... Mmm, I guess the climate and season they need is different? Though I guess if it¡¯s just the season, it wouldn¡¯t be unthinkable for them to have just had a ve learn [Storage].

    ? ¡°Amaaazing! So many kinds of fruit!¡±

    ? ¡°Hmm, so Sunstar has orchards as well, does it?¡±

    ? ¡°Yes, by God¡¯s grace. They don¡¯t keep so long, so they aren¡¯t suitable for trade, however.¡±

    ? ¡°... I see, so it is a boon of the Light God?¡±

    ? ¡°Amazing! Dungeons really are bad, I mean look at how grow the Light God is!¡±

    ? ¡°Ooh, thedy understands us very well! Some fruits can only be eaten here, so please by all means consider that vi.¡±

    ? Was that crude pstick of a skit really enough?

    ? ... At any rate, there¡¯s definitely something up here. Either they have a greenhouse or they have a dungeon.

 Chapter 483 - Dungeon Site

    Chapter 483

    Dungeon Site

    ? It seems like they don¡¯t have any greenhouses, so there¡¯s definitely got to be a dungeon behind the production... So... where¡¯s the dungeon?

    ? ¡°I wonder if I could do some research with the map function?¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea. Well, assuming it¡¯s in the town.¡±

    ? Agreeing with RokufaRokuko, I quickly opened the map.

    ? Even if I was just possessing Narikin, I could still open the map as expected. I just had to give Narikin the permission to do so.

    ? The area around Sunstar appeared on the map.

    ? There was a ton of farnd. Wheat fields, orchards,

    ? ... and a ce called dungeon site. It was a bit suspicious that it was in the za, but ording to NaanaToy,

    ? ¡°As its name implies, it¡¯s the site of a dungeon¡¯s destruction. Like a memorial park, it¡¯s a tourist attraction.¡±

    ? ... is what I¡¯m told. A couple could break a white, round urn that mimicked a Dungeon Core together.

    ? ¡°It seems like they couples break jars in a simr fashion in the Light God¡¯s Decree as well. Mydy, perhaps you should go try doing it with the lord?¡±

    ? ¡°Sounds great! Let¡¯s go, Kehma... I mean Narikin!¡±

    ? ¡°Yeah, wait? Did you forget what we came here for?¡±

    ? ¡°We¡¯ve already gathered a ton of information from the Commerce Guild, so can¡¯t we just let the rest of today be free time?¡±

    ? ¡°Lady, perhaps I could gather information on my own?¡±

    ? ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll allow it. See you tonight.¡±

    ? ¡°Oi, Rokufa, don¡¯t just go and allow it... but I guess a single day is fine.¡±

    ? NaanaToy released TranNarikin and ShibaRokufa from the bird cage. Unlike ordinary birds, they obediently stopped on my shoulders.

    ? ¡°I will take my leave and¡ª¡±

    ? ¡°Wait, Naana. Take Tran with you just in case.¡±

    ? ¡°¡ªunderstood, my lord.¡±

    ? I had TranNarikin go apany NaanaToy as she1 was about to leave so abruptly.

    ? ¡°Alright, how about we try going to the orchard, then? I feel like there¡¯s profit to be found pairing what you pair hearing stuff like [Where what this harvested? I¡¯d like to see the ce it was borne] and the fruit we bought earlier.¡±

    ? ¡°That too, but let¡¯s go to the white urn first!¡±

    ? Yeah... but it¡¯s meant to represent a Dungeon Core, are you sure you want to??

    ? At any rate, Rokuko¡¯s obstinate desire led us to the dungeon site.

    ? ... Well, this¡¯ll also serve as information gathering.

    £ª

    ? Now then, the dungeon site park. There used to be a dungeon here.

    ? As for what kind of dungeon it used to be... it was twelve floors in all with a small hill at the entrance, the enemies that appeared were mainly quadrupedal animals.

    ? ¡°At least that¡¯s what was so kindly written on the sign at the park entrance.¡±

    ? ¡°It was probably from before I was born.¡±

    ? So I guess you wouldn¡¯t know what core number it was then?

    ? Still though, it having a signboard like that means this ce must be a pretty poprmemorative park or sightseeing spot. There was a reception desk in front of the cave at the dungeon¡¯s entrance. If you paid the entrance fee (adult: 10 copper, child: 3 copper), you could even sightsee inside the dungeon.

    ? In other words, the former dungeon was now a popr tourist spot where you could enjoy the feeling of conquering a dungeon.

    ? ¡°Are you alright, Rokuko? Isn¡¯t this basically the corpse of a Dungeon Core?¡±

    ? ¡°Hey, I¡¯m Rokufa. Don¡¯t mistake that.¡±

    ? ¡°Whoops, sorry... so, are you alright?¡±

    ? ¡°I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything special about this ce. Once a core¡¯s been shattered, it turns into any other sort of hole in the ground without the protection of a dungeon.¡±

    ? Guess that¡¯s just how it is.

    ? At any rate, the area around the dungeon was a grass-filled park. Let¡¯s try heading straight to the former dungeon¡¯s reception desk.

    ? ¡°Wee, two people? ... Will you be alright in such light gear? We could provide rental equipment if you wish.¡±

    ? Looks like that¡¯s part of the attraction.

    ? ¡°No thanks. We¡¯re adventurers, have whatever we need in [Storage].¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, my apologies then. Still, there are amodations inside that can provide you with snacks and rest, so please use them.¡±

    ? ¡°Amodations?¡±

    ? ¡°Yes, as there are twelve floors.¡±

    ? I see, it¡¯s not as if they could just use [Deployment] or something to let people check out the twelve floors. In addition to the twelve sets of stairs, there¡¯s also the floors¡¯ areas to take into consideration.

    ? It was the kind of ce you¡¯d go to to stay overnight, I suppose.

    ? ¡°Hey, I¡¯d like to break the urn.¡±

    ? ¡°Oh, it¡¯s possible to do that here, but it¡¯s particrly best to do that in the former Core Room on the final floor. The price for doing it here is one silver coin, or five silver coins in the final floor.¡±

    ? ¡°Hmm, so it¡¯s four silver more to do it inside?¡±

    ? ¡°It¡¯s due to the transportation costs.¡±

    ? That makes sense. Carrying a fragile object the whole way would be a hassle, plus you¡¯d have to add in the fact that the former Core Room a special ce. The price fit it.

    ? ¡°Let¡¯s go with that one!¡±

    ? ¡°Hm? Ah, yeah.¡±

    ? It¡¯s not like four or five silver was anythingpared to the amount the inn makes. Splurging should be fine.

    ? ¡°The route is over there in that case. Please take your time and enjoy yourselves.¡±

    ? I paid the twenty copper entrance fee and we went into the former dungeon. It was a cave-like dungeon illuminated by light magic tools arranged at regr intervals. Still, they¡¯d added reinforcements by way or wooden pirs or bricks here and there.

    ? With the Dungeon Core damaged and its influence lost, it was easier for the walls and floors to copse. It seemed like they were trying to prevent that from happening. At least, that¡¯s what the sign hanging on the wall at the entrance said.

    ? ¡°They really did go and make a dungeon into a tourist attraction~¡±

    ? ¡°Yeah, there are even signs on the walls... Hmm.¡±

    ? ¡°Kehma? Looks like that¡¯s the way further inside.¡±

    ? ... Whoops, so that¡¯s the route?

    ? It also looked like a bit of a staff-only ce, but let¡¯s try going all the way in the normal way. If we get found out, we¡¯ll just sneak inter. Maybe I could summon a spider with DP and let it go in?

    ? Still though, I didn¡¯t easily get tired even after walking for a long while.

    ? Even without the Golem Assist, Narikin¡¯s body was much harder to fatigue. It was originally a Living Armor, after all.

    ? On the other hand, RokufaRokuko seemed tired.

    ? ¡°Haah, haah... can¡¯t we take a break?¡±

    ? ¡°... Alright. Just in time, there¡¯s a rest ce up ahead.¡±

    ? It looked like a coffee shop, one where we could also get snacks.

    ? The Safety Zone was marked with green wallpaper even. How polite.

    ? ¡°For there to be a coffee shop just at the time Rokufa, who has the endurance of an adventurer, feels tired... I guess that¡¯s what they want. There seems to be a good number of people in it, too.¡±

    ? ¡°Either way, let¡¯s go in. I¡¯m tired.¡±

    ? ¡°Sure.¡±

    ? I led RokufaRokuko into the coffee shop.

    ? ... Unexpectedly, it was like a normal coffee shop inside. Despite being inside what used to be a dungeon.

 Chapter 484 - Dungeon Site (2)

    <h4>Chapter 484 Dungeon Site (2)</h4>

    ? ¡°Mr. Clerk, you sleep in the dungeon?¡±

    ? ¡°It would be a hassle to travel this far every day, of course.¡±

    ? After we were done with the coffee shop and left, we decided to follow the route to go down¡­ Although I say that, even that route had branching paths on the way. Whenever there were, there were signs that said things like [Quick Route] and [Detour] so that we wouldn¡¯t get lost.

    ? We¡¯d have to stay at the inn located within this former dungeon if we took the detours. It end up making me leave NaanaToy unattended, though I could contact her through the birdTran¡­

    ? This was the sort of ce it¡¯d be scary to take my eyes off of even temporarily, so¡­

    ? ¡°Let¡¯s go with the straightforward route this time.¡±

    ? ¡°Alright.¡±

    ? And so we quickly advanced through the dungeon.

    ? We saw other guests on the way¡ªgroups of three to five who seemed like adventurers¡ªthough they seemed to have chosen the long distance routes.

    ? ¡­ It looked like the trend was to say stuff like [This next!] when taking their route.

    ? Still though, this was a safe dungeon that didn¡¯t have any enemies¡ªah, there were wolf monsters drawn on life-size panels. Of course, they didn¡¯t exactly attack anyone.

    ? There were stamps on them, so maybe it was like a stamp collection checkpoint or something?

    ? ¡°¡­ Them having exhibitions like that makes it feel like a museum.¡±

    ? ¡°Look dear, look! Isn¡¯t it cool!?¡±

    ? When I looked, I saw RokufaRokuko wielding a y sword against the life-size wolf panel. Even the sword looked pretty good, it was made out of some sort of white wood that was pretty light.

    ? ¡°Oh, yeah. It¡¯s cool.¡±

    ? It was a good asion to, so I took a picture with the monitor function.

    ? ¡­ It was the kind of scene where you¡¯d take a picture if you had a camera. I wonder what normal people would do in a situation like this? I doubt they bring canvas to draw a picture on.

    ? ¡°Alright, your turn now.¡±

    ? ¡°You want me to do it too?¡±

    ? ¡°Of course I do.¡±

    ? And so I took the wooden sword from her and posed¡­ At least RokufaRokuko seemed to be enjoying herself.

    ? Along with taking short stops like that on our way down, we went down eleven sets of stairs in total, bringing us to the twelfth and final floor. We should be able to make it back before the end of the day.

    ? By the way, the hotel district was somewhere on the fifth or sixth floor. It had small rooms that seemed to be something like a warehouse area that was just repurposed as an inn.

    ? Some of them were strong people sleeping there and living in this former dungeon¡ªcafe clerks?

    ? ¡°Still, it looks like environment rooms just turn into big boxes when a dungeon goes away. It¡¯s been enlightening!¡±

    ? ¡°Makes sense when you think about it.¡±

    ? I mean, the dungeon was responsible for actually creating the environment.

    ? ¡­ Still, it¡¯s not like it takes any maintenance cost to keep it going after it¡¯s installed. That was curious. Though I guess it makes sense if you think about it as being like buying something outright instead of in payments.

    ? ¡°Still, I¡¯m tired¡­ I wonder if we¡¯ll use the same route for the way back?¡±

    ? [Pii.]

    ? ¡°Oh, yeah, I guess I could head back first.¡±

    ? Right. We could just have Rokuko return that body to Rokufa.

    ? I could also just use [Teleport] and¡­ ah, Narikin can¡¯t use it, huh. He hasn¡¯t learned it, after all.

    ? ¡°There¡¯s the Core Room!¡±

    ? ¡°Former, but still.¡±

    ? There was a reception desk in front of the Core Room. A man sat there with a smile on his face.

    ? ¡°Good work, Adventurer-sama. The room behind me is the Core Room.¡±

    ? ¡°Hmm. How easy¡­ it appears to have been harsh for my wife, though.¡±

    ? ¡°Oh? That is unfortunate. The basis of adventure is to always have something left in reserve. As the first generation Saintess-sama said, [It is dangerous to venture forth].¡±

    ? I remember hearing that saying in Japan, could they have also been a Hero?

    ? ¡°Saintess-sama, so the Light God¡¯s Decree?¡±

    ? ¡°Ohoh? Is Adventurer-sama not of the Light God¡¯s Decree?¡±

    ? ¡°We are tourists from afar, we do not part natural-born citizens of the Light God¡¯s Decree.¡±

    ? ¡°So that¡¯s how it was.¡±

    ? The receptionist seemed to understand. I wasn¡¯t part of the Light God¡¯s Decree, so it¡¯s not as if I was lying.

    ? ¡°So, since you¡¯re here¡­ I assume there¡¯s a separate reception fee to go inside?¡±

    ? ¡°Well, yes. I¡¯m also the Core smashing receptionist.¡±

    ? ¡°Rokufa. This is the reception desk for the jar smashing, but do you still have the energy to go through with it?¡±

    ? ¡°Of course I do, I¡¯ll be fine! It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll have to escape from a dungeon copse or anything after we break it, right? We can just take a break after.¡±

    ? And so I paid the five silver coin cost. It was the fee we¡¯d heard about in advance back outside the entrance.

    ? ¡°Alright, please wait here for a moment. Once ready, you can break it however you wish. Oh, and be careful so as to not damage the pedestal. There is also usually a ten-minute time limit, but there isn¡¯t anyone else here today, so you can take your time after going inside.¡±

    ? ¡­ So there are days when this is crowded? It really must be a popr attraction.

    ? The receptionist took a wooden box out from another room nearby. It likely contained a white jar that would mimic a Dungeon Core.

    ? After a little while longer, the receptionist returned once again.

    ? ¡°Please enjoy yourselves.¡±

    ? Urged on by the receptionist, RokufaRokuko and I set foot down the path leading to the former Core Room.

    ? The interior of the former Core Room only had a pedestal with a white jar meant to mimic a Dungeon Core on it.

    ? ¡­ Yep, this is what the Core Room is all about. It¡¯s the same with ours.

    ? Well, the pedestal itself seemed to be a light magic tool able to illuminate the white jar and make it glow. It all looked pretty artistic.

    ? ¡°Oooh, so it¡¯s like that!¡±

    ? ¡°It¡¯s a good reproduction¡­ how about we go and break it?¡±

    ? ¡°Y-Yeah!¡±

    ? Struggling a bit, RokufaRokuko hefted the white mace that was left for us to [Smash the Core]. It was probably meant to be lifted as a couple.

    ? ¡°We get to make a wish when we break it right?¡±

    ? ¡°¡­ Like for finding clues?¡±

    ? ¡°Not like that. Like for being blessed with children.¡±

    ? ¡­ Yeah, it was definitely for couples.

    ? ¡°Soto was just born the other day¡­¡±

    ? ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s for the future. Right?¡±

    ? ¡°Besides, it¡¯d definitely be better to ask your Otou-sama than to ask here.¡±

    ? ¡°It¡¯s not the same!¡±

    ? I guess not.

    ? ¡°¡­ Ah, then maybe you could ask for Haku-san to approve of it?¡±

    ? ¡°I thought Haku Ane-sama already approved¡­ whatever! Let¡¯s gooo!¡±

    ? Kaching!

    ? The two of us broke the urn.

    ? Rather, before anything, we left the Core Room with a [Hrm.] sort of feeling like breaking a (jar that stood in for) a Dungeon Core in order to make a wish was wrong for a Dungeon Core. RokufaRokuko was satisfied as she held my arm, though.

    ? ¡°Hoh, that was quick. You can return that way.¡±

    ? ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ? The male receptionist gestured toward a staircase.

    ? It was different than the one we came down on.

    ? Well, the route felt like a one-way street, so it¡¯s probably something I should have predicted.

    ? ¡°I wish you would have told us about that first if you had something like that¡­¡±

    ? ¡°Ohohoh? How could we, the superior [Humans] not be able to create a stairway twelve floors down if the dungeon was able to?¡±

    ? Uh huh.

    ? Moreover, he also said they¡¯d added direct holes for venttion. It¡¯s true, without those they¡¯d have suffocated as it was just a hole in the ground rather than a dungeon. Yeah.

    ?

 Chapter 485 - After the survey of the dungeon site

    Chapter 485 ¨C After the survey of the dungeon site

    AN note: Written as ¡°survey¡± but read as ¡°date¡±.

    TL note: yo, it¡¯s me again, you all know the drill, I will be tranting this until the Ziru feels like to trante again, I will stop when he writes his updates. Yes, just likest time.

    And just reminder, I won¡¯t bend with Niku(Meat) name, everything else I could edit to your likingter, but Niku is the only thing I won¡¯t change.

    After finishing the dungeon tour and meeting up with Naana, I released my possession and returned to the [Cave of Desire] master room.

    When I woke up from sleep, I found Rokukoying down beside me, she was the one who wanted to go home quickly because she didn¡¯t want to climb the 12 floors of stairs.

    ¡°Oh, wee home, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°...I¡¯m home. What are you doing here?¡±

    Rokuko is hugging my arm, just like Rokufa just did.

    ¡°uhm, i-it¡¯s hitting me. Get off please.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t say that before.¡±

    ¡°It was Narikin and Rokufa that did it. ... it¡¯s different when Rokuko herself does it, I couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed.¡°

    ¡°fuun~,¡± says Rokuko, looking into my face as she smiles at me.

    ¡°oh well... but I don¡¯t like it, so I won¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°because you don¡¯t like it, you won¡¯t leave?¡±

    ¡°If I leave now, I will leave in bad mood.¡±

    In other words, she seems to be in a good mood now for some reason. I wonder why.

    ¡°Hey, dar¡ªling?¡±

    ¡°...I think you should only do that when you¡¯re in Rokufa, you know, just in case.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve even got a child now, I don¡¯t know what you worried about.¡±

    Rokuko teases me by rubbing her body against my arm. She behaves like a cat, so I tickled her under the chin, and she lets out a cat-like ¡°nyah¡± and jolted.

    ¡°~Afuu, that... don¡¯t do that...¡±

    ¡°Fufuhn, I¡¯m not just going to stay and take it quietly, Rokuko.¡±

    I pushed Rokuko off and got out of the futon. As I stretched out, I noticed that my body was quite stiff.

    It¡¯s a strange feeling of being tired but not exhausted.

    Come to think of it, I had possessed Narikin and while doing so I felt very tired, but when I returned to this body, the body was still asleep, so my stamina was preserved. I have to stretch to get rid of the stiffness though.

    But mentally, I¡¯m exhausted, so I¡¯m going to bed soon.

    ¡°Still... I need to do some exercise....¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let Eleca possess Kehma¡¯s body? Let her exercise in your ce, how about that?¡±

    ¡°Yes? What is it about me?¡±

    Suddenly The dungeon management specialist, the fairy Eleca tilted her head and interrupt us.

    ¡°You¡¯re always in the master room, so you¡¯re the right person for the job.¡±

    ¡°mm, I wonder...?¡±

    I could even do some muscle training for you while I¡¯m asleep. ...That¡¯s certainly useful if they can do it, but handing over my body as a dungeon master is scary, it does not matter how many monsters I have under mymand.

    I mean...

    ¡°... Wouldn¡¯t a golem assist be enough to exercise the body?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, you¡¯re right.¡±

    And if that¡¯s not enough, or perhaps I¡¯m worried about some side effects, I could develop a device that sends electricity at the right level to make my muscles twitch.

    Maybe by utilizing some monster like the electric catfish? I could make a golem out of copper wire and mas to make a generator.

    I wonder if the monster exist?

    ¡°Anyway, I took a look at it with my magic vision, and it¡¯s a perfectly normal cave.¡±

    ¡°Yes, my intuition tells me that it¡¯s not a dungeon. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a disguise either.¡±

    Narikin, as a living armor, have magic vision skill. When consciously switches his vision mode, he can see the flickering magical power in the inverted monochrome color world.

    It can make your head feel a bit dizzy if you¡¯re constantly activating it. The dungeon is easy to understand because the flow of magic power is like a river, but it doesn¡¯t leave the area and circtes.

    And I couldn¡¯t see that characteristic flow in that site.

    ¡°Okay then, tomorrow I¡¯ll use my magic vision to explore the town and look for suspicious ces.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess we should. I¡¯ll send some bugs to check out the dungeon site just in case, but I think we should try the orchard first.¡±

    It¡¯s because there¡¯s an evidence that there were fruits that were not in the right season, so there is no doubt that grains, fruits, and other foods are suspicious.

    ¡°Then, Papa! I¡¯ll deliver the DP to the monster over there!¡±

    ¡°WHOA!?¡±

    Suddenly, my [storage] opened up beside me, and Soto came out.

    ¡°Hey Soto, don¡¯t do that, it surprised me... and since when you¡¯ve been eavesdropping?¡±

    ¡°Um? My dungeon is my Papa¡¯s [storage], so I¡¯m always around and can hear what papa said.¡±

    ¡°What, you can hear me talking?¡±

    What happened to my privacy?

    ¡°...At the very least, don¡¯t peek when I¡¯m the bathroom or the toilet, okay?¡±

    ¡°understood.¡±

    My daughter Soto answered cheerfully while raising her hand.

    ¡°Oh? If Soto going to deliver the DP to Narikin and others, then there¡¯s no need for us to save DP right?¡±

    ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have to teach Soto about DP delivery!¡±

    ¡°Yay~!¡±

    Rokuko proudly said that and... WAIT.

    ¡°Then, Soto, open your mouth slightly and stick your tongue...¡± {SWEETHOME ALABAMA}

    ¡°Wait, Rokuko, you don¡¯t have to kiss to hand over the DP, shouldn¡¯t you have her practice shaking hands or something at first?¡±

    ¡°eh? But this is how I was taught by my sister at first? It¡¯s better to learn thing in order, right?¡±

    Haku said that because she wanted to make out with you Rokuko. I¡¯m sure Haku-san will stab me if I tell Rokuko the truth.

    ¡°If I remember it right... it¡¯s to prevent DP leaking right? so Haku uses the easiest mouth-to-mouth connection whenever possible...Then why don¡¯t we just do it in my [storage]? Even if leaks out, it¡¯s still in Soto¡¯s dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Good idea!¡±

    Even if this theory is true, then Haku should have handed over her DP in the ¡°Cave of Desire¡± (at that time: ¡°Just a Cave¡±) dungeon instead of the dungeon entrance.

    Well, let¡¯s not think too much about it, ignore it! I¡¯ll pretend I didn¡¯t notice. In fact, the area in front of the dungeon was also a dungeon area, so I SHOULD not need to think too much about it.

    ¡°Well, Kehma. Let me enter you?¡±

    ¡°That wording... Soto, let her in.¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡±

    And then Soto opened the [storage] again, and Rokuko walked into it hand in hand with Soto.

    It urred to me that if this was going to lead to that side anyway, I might as well take Rokuko directly to it and give it to her, but that was another story.

    In any case, it seems that I will be able to replenish the DP of Narikin and the others.

    Now, our option has expanded, what kind of method should I use?

    TL notes:

    I already forgot how many ents this author uses rofl, well... I will need some time to get used to it again, give me a break for this chapter.

 Chapter 486 - First time DP transportation

    Chapter 486 ¨C First time DP transportation

    As a result of Rokuko¡¯s guidance, Soto has learned how to deliver DP.

    I¡¯m going to ask her to go give 1,000 DP to the Narikins right away. I had already informed the Narikin and had them wait in the inn room.

    While waiting I check the Narikins¡¯ vision from the Cave of Desire using the monitor function, so I can observe what¡¯s going on over there.

    ¡°Will Soto be able alright?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m believe in her.¡±

    Rokuko and I, along with Soto¡¯s master Niku, watched over her errand.

    ¡°Master, it appears that Soto has been sessfully transported to the Narikin ce.¡±

    ¡°...being able to travel to that distance with no timeg, that¡¯s cheat performance, Soto.¡±

    Just by sending monsters that have learned [Storage] around the world, awork can be created through Soto. It¡¯s dangerous, definitely dangerous.

    As a means of transportation and movement, there is no means better than this. You don¡¯t even need to build a railroad-like infrastructure.

    Though I know I should make one sooner orter, but there¡¯s no point in rushing to make one since this [Cave of Desire] is very likely to be doomed if we ever on a pinch anyway. For now, let¡¯s keep an eye on Soto¡¯s errand.

    ¡°Hey, Mama, Papa, Niku-neechan. Are you watching? I¡¯m going to hand over the DP now.¡±

    She gave a peace sign and a smile towards Narikin, and then squeezed Rokufa¡¯s hand with both hands, she firmly caress her hand ...is that necessary? Ah, perhaps this is a technique to induce sweat and increase contact? Surprisingly, there was a good reason for that, no¨C

    ¨CNo way that was the case!

    And that¡¯s why Rokufa was feeling ticklish and fidgety, but she seemed to be able to hand over the DP without any problem.

    ¡ºI¡¯m done¡»

    ¡ºYes, you have done it splendidly... Thank you very much, Master Soto.¡»

    ¡ºThen, I¡¯m going home.¡»

    Then Soto returns via Narikin¡¯s [storage] again. Her movement is instantaneous. She popped back out from my [storage ].

    ¡°I¡¯m back! How was it, everyone?¡±

    ¡°It was perfect. Well done.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s my girl.¡±

    ¡°E~he¡±

    Soto puffed out her chest with pride, while Rokuko and I patted her head.

    Please praise me too, Niku-chan!¡±

    ¡°Well done.¡±

    ¡°Can I fluff your tail then?¡±

    Niku nced at me to see if I¡¯d give her permission. Well, do as you please.

    ¡°Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°Yay! It was worth it to choose my sister as the master.¡±

    As soon as Niku gave his permission, Soto burrowed her face into Niku¡¯s tail and started smooching and sucking on it. My daughter is a bit of a pervert. Should I teach her to restrain herself more?

    But before that, I¡¯d like to give some instructions to Narikin.

    ¡°Narikin. Use the DP I just gave you to summon spiders and other insects and release them into the town to gather information... It would be too suspicious to release them all at once, so we¡¯ll take a walk around town tomorrow and release them one at a time in the right ces.¡±

    ¡ºunderstood.¡»

    Okay, that¡¯s good.

    Or rather...I should have known sooner thatmunication can be used with monsters that are outside of the country from the Cave of Desire.

    I turned off my monitor.

    ¡°Oh, Kehma. You just lost 300 DP by using the monitor andmunication.¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s because the distance was too far causing themunication cost to be high, but it seems that our DP was consumed rapidly.

    The negative value is the total that has beenbined with the ongoing DP generated in the vige, so it actually consuming more than 300 DP.

    ...Maybe it was deducted at the time I use[possession]? If that¡¯s the case, it might be best to leave the investigation of the Holy Kingdom to Narikin and his team while keeping contact to a minimum.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to [possess] Tran for a bit, please keep an eye on the DP.¡±

    ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll check.¡±

    I decided to do a little research and found out that when I use [possession], I lose a little DP at the start and the end.

    ...Hmm, with this I could conclude that exchanging video and audio over long distances is the one that constantly consumes DP. If I did it all the time, it¡¯s going to cost a lot.

    It seems that [possession] is still the best way to go.

    Well... Toy was the one who first to say [why don¡¯t you use possession], yeah it was originally her proposal, maybe she knows it from Leona? Or she was imitating how Leona would do a thing?

    ¡°I see, then... Niku-nee-san should also use possession when she¡¯s going on a long trip!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right Soto-sama, let¡¯s summon kobold.¡±

    ¡°Kobold! Okay! she will look a lot like big-sis!¡±

    Oh, that¡¯s right, now that Niku is also a Master, she can also possess monsters.

    ...wait? does this means the monster can utilize all of Niku¡¯s fighting skills...?

    ¡°Using Niku to [possess] mass-produced monster and let her go on assault as much as she wants?¡±

    Isn¡¯t this a low-key amazing enhancement? Should that not enough, you can use Golem Assist topensate the monsterck of muscle strength.

    If you¡¯re someone like me, you¡¯d rather fight by controlling the monster through a controller, but Niku is stronger when she actually fights face to face with the enemy. If she can do that without dying, even if the ¡°possessed¡± monster dies, she can switch the monster and fight again...

    ¡°...Kehma, should we set up a kobold spawner in Soto¡¯s dungeon for now?¡±

    ¡°Good idea. You can share the DP with Soto, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Okaay.¡±

    The all-you-can-spawn monster generator that can also appear and disappear anytime via [Storage].

    Wow, that¡¯s too sinister.

 Chapter 487 - The fruit is delicious ^q^.

    Chapter 487 ¨C The fruit is delicious ^q^.

    I¡¯ve replenished my DP. Now that all the preparation isplete, I¡¯m going to search for that properly managed dungeon.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go to the orchard today, perhaps I¡¯ll need to go to the bathroom first.¡±

    I don¡¯t want to pee while I do the [possess].

    It is important to unload before you went to bed to separate yourself from your body and be unconscious. Because even if you leak it, you wouldn¡¯t even know if it weren¡¯t for Eleca who was in the Master Room.

    If you did not cancel your [possess] at regr intervals to go to the bathroom, a long-time possession could lead to a disaster.

    ...Yeah, I heard that you secretly use [cleanse] on me when I visited the dungeon site the other day. Thank you Eleca, thank you for not reporting it to Rokuko.

    By the way, Rokuko was fine because apparently dungeon core didn¡¯t need to use the toilet.

    I didn¡¯t realize that there was such a trap set in [possess].

    Because of that, Toilet is important! Toilet is important! (I said it twice because it really important!).

    So, before the possession, I returned from the master room to my room in the vige chief¡¯s residence and headed for the bathroom.

    ¡°Hey, Master.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    As I was walking down the corridor of the vige chief¡¯s residence to use the restroom, Ichika spoke to me.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been investigating the Holy Kingdomtely, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s right. I¡¯m going to check out the orchards for now.¡±

    ¡°An orchard?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s some kind of unusual... fruit that¡¯s out of season there.¡±

    For the record, the fruit in question was put into Narikin¡¯s storage, let¡¯s took it using Soto¡¯s ability and show it to Ichikater.

    ¡°Oh, the one that Soto was eating?¡±

    ¡°...?¡±

    ¡°eh? Is it not? I had it from Soto-sama¡¯s [weak replication] and ate it, it was delicious. I had Oranges, bananas, apples, and melons.¡±

    ¡°......??¡±

    Okay, Now I¡¯ve got some business to discuss with Soto. I told Rokuko to stop the possession and looked for Soto.

    **

    ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry I ate it without permission!¡±

    Soto was elegantly reading aic book (she brought one from Rokuko¡¯s room) in her room, which had been added to the vige chief¡¯s mansion. I was a little surprised that she could read Japanese, but when I tried to ask her about the fruit from the [storage], she immediately admitted her crime.

    It seems that when she connected the space with Narikin¡¯s [storage] for her first errand, it rolled into my [storage] space, in other words, Soto¡¯s tummy. Yeah. then, you just ate it? Well, it¡¯s fine.

    ¡°Since you reflecting on it, I¡¯ll forgive you this time, but if you ever want to eat again, just tell me.¡±

    ¡°uu~ Papa, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°More importantly, the disappearance of fruit we¡¯re going to investigate is kind of hurts few our efforts...?¡±

    Wait, should I ask Soto to use [weak replication] to produce one?

    ¡°...can you put out only one?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right. I can use DP to get bananas, oranges, and other fruits. but it¡¯s not the same as the real thing.¡±

    I try to use DP to get a banana, it cost 2 DP for 1.

    ¡°Papa! This is way better than the one I had!¡±

    ¡°...Well, this is the improved variety we grow in Japan, so it¡¯s given ...Here, how about this?¡±

    I pulled out arge, green Shine Muscat (no, it didn¡¯t glow) for 20DP, this fruit could be called as the culmination of selective breeding. You can eat the whole skin, with no seeds, and it has a mellow aroma and sweetness. You could even call it a jelly that grows on trees. It costs more than 2,000 yen at a Japanese supermarket. {yup I could testify those grapes are jelly on tree}

    I handed it to Soto, she ate one and her eyes widened in surprise.

    ¡°!? P-Papa? Th-this is?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there will be trouble if we start selling it in this world. So, it¡¯s exclusively only for our family, you¡¯ll get in trouble if anyone else finds out. Don¡¯t let anyone else eat it or be seen while eating it.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Do you understand now? you could get an assortment of fruits that were better quality than the ones I had purchased with silver coins.

    Though, if I showed this to someone and they asked, ¡°Where did you get this?¡± I don¡¯t know how should I answer.

    ¡°Oh well, I could just go to buy some from themercial guild with an excuse that it was so good that I came back for more. Soto, deliver the fruit money to Narikin and the others.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir. I will connect the [storage] and throw it inside, easy. that¡¯s why... can I have another muscat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you this fruits assortment. ...Make sure you brush your teeth afterward, okay?¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡±

    With that, I give her a letter with instructions for Narikin. I¡¯ll back to Sunstar¡¯s orchard tomorrow.

 Chapter 488 - Sunstar Orchard

    488 ¨C Sunstar Orchard

    After using [possess] on Narikin, I came to the orchard in Sunstar. The location of the orchard was already surveyed by Naana(Toy) beforehand.

    I came here on foot, so I was apanied by Rokufa (Rokuko), who linked her arm to mine, along with Naana (Toy) behind us.

    In the orchard, a farmer was tending to his orange trees. I called out to him over the fence.

    ¡°Oii, you, the energetic one,e here!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? ...What is it, sir?

    The man answered while looking somewhat suspicious while keeping his manners. He replied in a tone more suited to merchants than a farmer.

    ¡°I bought some rare fruit from the Commercial Guild the other day, is that fruit grown in this orchard?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? What did you buy?¡±

    ¡°Melons and bananas, I think? The fruit I bought was said to be the local product, and there¡¯s only one orchard in town, so I assume it¡¯s grown here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s definitely our fruit, sir.¡±

    The farmer simply admitted. I already told Soto to prepare a duplicate of the original, but it seems that I don¡¯t need it.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to buy it directly from you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir, but we have an exclusive contract with amercial guild, so I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll have to go through them.¡±

    ¡°Even just a little for my wife here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but that¡¯s the contract.¡±

    The lowly man, who looked more like a merchant than a farmer, readily admitted that the orchard was the fruit source, but he also stated that he could not sell it here.

    Since he¡¯s bound by a contract, we can¡¯t help but do it here. The contract in this world involves magic and difficult to break. If you just want to buy something, you can just buy it through amercial guild, and I¡¯m wasn¡¯t really nned to buy it here either.

    ¡°Okay. Then, please show me how they are actually growing beside the oranges here; what else do you grow? I think it¡¯s important to check the quality of the products we buy. Besides, my wife seems to like the fruit here. I want to see how much we can get at most.¡±

    I shed the bag full of gold coins to show him that we could buy inrge quantities.

    It¡¯s full of real gold coins. No, it¡¯s not just the gold coin I ripped off from Wataru.

    ...Now that you mention it, Wataru is really amazing. He can make the equivalent of 100 million yen a month. It seems that you can make a lot of money being a hero in this world. I have no intention to be one, though.

    ¡°It¡¯s a rule that transactions must be done through amercial guild...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just sightseeing. We¡¯re not going to make a deal. There should be no problem with that?¡±

    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡±

    It seems that he needs one more push. I gently pull out one silver coin.

    ¡°...Well, if you just want to see, that should be fine. But only the section I¡¯m working on.¡±

    ¡°Is it divided into sections and assigned to different people?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you cane in from here. Oh, and please be careful not to touch the fruit trees. And don¡¯t let those birds go either, because there are magical tools to keep them away.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    The man received the silver coin stealthily led us to the entrance by the fence.

    ...as usual, the power of money is amazing.

    ¡°...Hey, does our inn properly anticipated this kind of thing?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Why did you think I keep a close connection to our ¡®family¡¯ for?¡±

    People who are hired by money may betray you with money. That¡¯s why we use ves and monsters as employees. If you are a ve, you have no choice but to work diligently, even if you are like Ichika, a debt ve who is forced to sell herself because of gambling.

    ...The person most likely to inadvertently reveal our secret now is Soto, followed by me.

    And the farmer went on and gave us an exnation, ¡°This is an orange tree ...¡±, Rokufa tried to answer so it wouldn¡¯t be too unnatural ¡°Oh, this is where the oranges came from.¡± With Naana still following us while holding Trans and Shiba in the cage.

    Speaking of which, he mentioned earlier that there was a ¡°magic tool for avoiding harmful birds¡±... Maybe there is also a magic tool for mice and insects. In that case, it may be difficult to send a spider to investigate.

    ¡°hmm, I¡¯m also interested in your magic tool to repel the bird. I¡¯d like to see how it looks like.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not my area of expertise.¡±

    Is it managed by a different person?

    ¡°Do you have it in a separate section?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think it¡¯s over there. Though it was useful, thanks to it, the insects also can¡¯t get to the flower. We have to pollinate them by hand, which is a pain, but we do it to keep the quality.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so it keeps the birds away as well as the insects?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course. If there are no birds to eat the insects, the insects will multiply all over the ce.¡±

    As expected, it seems to have an effect on insects as well. But looking at Trans and Shiba¡¯s condition, it seems to have no effect on the bird in a cage.

    ¡°What kind of magic tool is it? Does it seal their ability to fly?

    ¡°I think it designed simply to keep small creatures at bay.¡±

    ¡°Oh. So it¡¯s a bad idea to be walking around with a pet bird.¡±

    ¡°... It¡¯s pretty docile, isn¡¯t it? Is it really alive?¡±

    They really didn¡¯t move at all..., I stared at it, oi, are you alive? Then Trans send me a message.

    ¡°Master. Actually, my head has been hurting since I crossed the fence. It¡¯s not unbearable, but it¡¯s...¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s not good.¡±

    It seems that the two little birds have received some damage. It¡¯s good to be patient, but it would be more helpful if you could tell me about such things earlier.

    ¡°This is bad. Naana, why don¡¯t you go back outside the orchard? I¡¯ll join youter.¡±

    ¡°Very well, sir.¡±

    Naana bowed and headed out.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I was not considerate enough.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all right. Now, where do you get all your other fruits?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry about that, too. I¡¯m in charge of oranges. The other fruit is further back here, but as you may expect, I can¡¯t show you, sorry.

    I see. So there is another person in charge from here on out?

    ¡°Can you introduce me to the person in charge...?¡±

    I took out three silver coins and tried to negotiate with him. The farmer smiled.

    ¡°Yes, well, if you just want to look around, I guess he won¡¯t mind it that much.¡±

    ...Hmmm. The power of money is amazing.

 Chapter 489 - Survey of orchards

    489 ¨C Survey of orchards

    Hmmm. The power of money is really amazing.

    ¡°Oh, this is the magic tool that protects against insects and birds. Can you cover an entire orchard with just one of these?¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how we¡¯ve adjusted it. and since it¡¯s a magic tool made by human hands, the quality is guaranteed to be excellent.¡±

    Currently, me and Rokufa(Rokuko) were being led to the center of the orchard, to the magic tool control room.

    ...Seriously, I feel like you can do anything with money; when I gave 5 silver coins to someone who looks like the manager, he immediately gives the permission to sightsee easily.

    I¡¯m not sure if this is because the Holy Kingdom is too lenient or because of human greed ...either way, it¡¯s fine.

    By the way, I checked the area with magic vision, but I cannot be sure if this a part of the dungeon or not, partly because of the bird and insect repellent magic tool¡¯s wide area of effect.

    ¡°This is the magic tool that keeps the temperature constant.¡±

    ¡°Hoo.¡±

    And there it is, a magic tool with the same effect as a greenhouse!

    The greenhouse mechanism itself is quite simple, it is not impossible to imitate, but in this world, it is a luxury because it has to be made entirely of ss.

    Could it be that this ce is really just an ordinary orchard, and this whole thing was just a misunderstanding and a waste of money?

    As if ¨C they would love to make me think that way, though.

    ¡°So, what do you want to buy, sir?¡±

    ¡°Hmm... let¡¯s see, honey, which one and how much?¡±

    he asked. I am immediately telegraphing instructions to Rokuko using telepathy at a table in the reception room.

    ¡°Five hundred melons! I want to eat so many melons I¡¯m going to throw up. Will you buy them for me?¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll order themter through the Commercial Guild, but can you get me 500 ready?¡±

    ¡°For sure, but... melons are not in season at the moment, so they will be expensive, and with that amount, the sum is quite...¡±

    ¡°How many gold coins? 20? Or perhaps more? just tell me if that¡¯s not enough.¡±

    ¡°...!! Oh, yes, yes. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure we can prepare it, sir.¡±

    ¡ª I purposely ordered a quantity that is impossible to meet if youpare their greenhouse production capabilities. But he said he could prepare it, hmph.

    I¡¯m not sure I can eat 20 million yen worth of melons, to be honest, and I feel like I¡¯m wasting my money.

    ¡°yes, yes, though you will need to check with themercial guild. About 15 gold coins should be enough.¡±

    ¡°is that¡¯s right. Good for you, Rokufa.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you, my dear!¡±

    And then Rokufa kisses Narikin on the cheek. I didn¡¯t tell you to do that!

    ¡± Oh, you¡¯re so red, dear.¡±

    ¡°um, ah, ahahah, ... I¡¯m d you love it -haha, right!¡±

    ¡°Yes, indeed. Well, you are indeed a second-ss citizen. You know how to spend your money for your wife.¡±

    It was tant lip service, but I guess that¡¯s what you get when you¡¯re a customer with a big order.

    ¡°Then make the arrangements.¡±

    ¡°Umm, because of the volume of the product, we have to harvest it after receiving the order...¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯d like to order and pay here. Can you deliver the order for me? I want to get it as soon as possible for my wife.¡±

    ¡°Haha, no problem. I¡¯ll make the arrangements as soon as possible!¡±

    ¡°...Just for the record, will you guarantee to preserve the quality properly? I don¡¯t want you to sell me garbage product.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. You¡¯ve seen the equipment in our orchard, right? We¡¯ll deliver the best melons to meet your request.¡±

    Of course, during this exchange, I gave him a silver coin as a tip, bold use of money that lived up to the name ¡°Narikin¡±. I was riding the momentum as if to as ¡°This is so cheap.¡±.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Well, if you can deliver it right away, I¡¯ll give you a gold coin as a tip. How about it?¡±

    I put 16 gold coins on the table. I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯m throwing money around. I had spent so much money that I felt as if I had eaten poison, along with the te. but as an ordinary citizen, this makes me want to throw up. {proverb, tln for exnation}

    Oh, God. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m spending so much money on it. If this turns out to be a mistake, I won¡¯t be able to face it.

    ¡°...Yes, there will be some back and forth, but considering your contract with the guild, it should be no problem at all! We will make immediate arrangements right now!¡±

    ...Wow, he just agreed to prepare 500 by today, the best Melon nheless.

    When I looked earlier, there were only about five melons at most that were ready to be sold. Just. Wow.

    Rokufa secretly opened the map, and we could see that most of the farmers were gathered in one ce, and it¡¯s not; it¡¯s not the same as the melon field from earlier, is it? There must be something in that ce, something like... a dungeon where you can produce Melon as much as you like by spending DP.

    If we sell the information to Haku-san, we can get our 16 gold coins back, right? Well, I don¡¯t care if I can¡¯t get the money back. I¡¯m not in that much need of money.

    ¡°By the way, what are you going to do after buying 500 melons? I could make a lot of melon bread.¡±

    At this point, Rokufa pretended to be flirting with me and asked.

    ¡°There¡¯s no melon in ...... melon bread.¡±

    ¡°What? What, there¡¯s no melon juice in it?¡±

    Well, some of them do. Should I use it to create melon soda? I could send it to Haku. I think I¡¯d get my money back if I did that.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to eat that much. Maybe we should give it to everyone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You can use the [storage] to preserve it. I¡¯m sure I can bring enough home with me.¡±

    ...I should not saying unnecessary things too much; I don¡¯t know if the wall here has ears. Though visually, I cannot see anyone.

    If this whole ce is a dungeon, they can use the monitor function to keep an eye on us whenever they want, or at least that what I would do.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t eat it, we can hire an adventurer who can use [storage] to send it home. The servants will eat it.¡±

    ¡°Servants, ah, yes. That¡¯s good. That¡¯s good. There are a lot of kids in my house who eat a lot. Like the neighbors.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. We can give it to them as a souvenir.¡±

    By servants, I don¡¯t mean Ichika and the others. It seems like my words have been misunderstood by Rokuko.

    I mean, I can use Soto¡¯s dungeon as a means of transportation and storage area. If her space not enough, she can expand it by using her DP to add more room. Soto¡¯s [Storage] dungeon has a serious cheating performance.

 Chapter 490

    Chapter 490

    We went back to the dungeon and reported to Haku-san . I thought I could just send her an email, but he said he wanted to see Rokuko¡¯s face, so she wanted me to bring Rokuko to her and report in person, so we set up a table with a parasol on the [white beach] and had a debriefing and tea party while looking at the blue sea . It was an elegant tea party with Chloe-san and Kinue-san serving as waiters .

    Soto? She¡¯s staying at home today . I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m going to do, so of course, I wouldn¡¯t invite her if Haku hadn¡¯t requested for her . After all, she had a criminal record where she was eating Haku tights when they first met .

    Fortunately, I have nothing to be guilty of this time, so my stomach is at ease . ¨C and that was a lie . Even though we¡¯ve been possessing Narikin and Rokufa in the Holy Kingdom, I¡¯m very aware that I¡¯ve been flirting with Rokufa for quite some time, so I¡¯m rather prepared to be killed .

    ¡°...So, I¡¯ve copied the map here for you . ¡±

    Haku-san nodded in satisfaction as she took the map of the ce I consider suspicious that I presented to her .

    ¡°...orchard in Sun Sitar . Hmm, I knew it was suspicious, but it¡¯s tantly ridiculous to be able to harvest 500 melons at a moment¡¯s notice . You did well by finding it . ¡±

    ¡°But... since there is some magic tool that can drive away birds and insects, the possessed monsters are not suitable for further infiltration, I thought it would be better to leave it to the secret agents that Haku-san has sent if we want to investigate it further . ¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a wise decision... and since you already narrow down the range so precisely, it will be easier for us to move . If we find out anything, we¡¯ll share the information with you . ¡±

    Haku gives a map to Chloe and sips her tea .

    ¡°But... Kehma, you¡¯ve done some rather bold investigations, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry . Does it bother Haku since I was one of a nobleman from your country?¡±

    ¡°Not really . There are no nobles called ¡°Narikin¡± in our country, so it¡¯s not a problem . There may be an adventurer registered with that name, but anyone can go and registered himself as adventurer up to C-rank regardless of your nationality is . ¡±

    In other words, they want me to do whatever I want because they¡¯ll just deny it .

    ¡°It¡¯s not about that, it¡¯s about the 500 melons . It¡¯s too much for personal consumption . ¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sister . The container is full of melons, and the box inside is also packed to the brim . I don¡¯t even want to look at melon for a while, though melon bread would be fine . ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t overeat and throw up . ¡±

    And as you would expect, Haku chuckled as Rokuko shrugged her shoulders .

    ¡°And also . It¡¯s not impossible for you to be under that Chaos Dog brainwash, so use the rm [father] gave you on a regr basis . At least, if it¡¯s through magic or skill, I¡¯m sure it will be able to get rid of it . ¡±

    ¡°Ah . . understood . ¡±

    ¡°Since normally, I doubt Kehma would be willing to throw that kind of money . I hope it¡¯s just a case of her being overexcited while traveling . ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s part of it because when you use ¡°possess¡±, your consciousness is drawn to that body . The monster you¡¯re possessing may be humanized, but it¡¯s still living armor, isn¡¯t it? The structure of the body is fundamentally different, so I think it will affect you quite a bit . ¡±

    Is there such a thing as having your consciousness adapting to the body? Well, it¡¯s true that when I¡¯m possessing Narikin, my tone naturally bes arrogant . It might be because of it .

    ¡°I believe Rokuko¡¯s body double is an angel? You¡¯ve chosen an unusual one, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty cute once you get used to it . right?¡±

    ¡°Is that so? But be careful not to let it affect Rokuko-chan too much . ¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, sister, I¡¯ll influence her instead!¡±

    Yeah, the fact that Rokufa is unexpectedly close and assertive with Narikin may have been influenced by Rokuko .

    ¡°However, as long as you are apanied by the Chaos Dog, the possibility of being brainwashed cannot be erased . When you¡¯vee back from the monster you possessed, always remember to use the rm at once . ¡±

    ¡°Yes, I understand . I¡¯ll keep that in mind . ¡±

    Or I can also ask Soto to take the rm away with her instead of waiting for me toe back to my body... Oops, I didn¡¯t tell Haku about Soto¡¯s transportation capabilities .

    ¡°In the meantime, here is the reward for the information . ¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank¨C?¡±

    It was a bag full of gold coins . The bag weight resembled the one that Wataru always brings to me, so there are probably 100 coins inside . At least that how heavy it is .

    ¡°Is it okay for me to take this much?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, that was a good piece of information . Keep that in mind, Kehma . if you don¡¯t have to pay this much for this kind of information, it¡¯s usually bad info . ¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind . ¡±

    Covering her mouth, Haku chuckled . Information is important, don¡¯t be stingy with it . I¡¯ve learned something important today .

    ¡°You can¡¯t eat 500 melons at once . If you nned to transport them from the Holy Kingdom to the vige of Gollen, bring them to me . If you use this route, you won¡¯t be traced, so I¡¯ll take as many as you want . ¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay . ¡±

    ¡°Of course, if it¡¯s ready to eat, I¡¯ll dly pay for it . There are many of my subordinates who had [Storage], so don¡¯t hesitate . Okay?¡±

    ...Haku loves melon cream soda, don¡¯t she? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be happy if I send her a set of soda water and ice cream as well .

    And a crew for [storage] . It¡¯s a good idea to have a dedicated team of people to handle these kinds of matters .

    ¡°Sister, is there any monster with [storage] function?¡±

    ¡°Yes, there are . You can also let your magic sword learn [Storage] . It¡¯s convenient . ¡±

    I see . Scrolls can be used with monster-type magic swords instead of magic tools? And although magic that requires chanting cannot be activated by a magic sword that cannot speak, [Storage] seems to be usable because it is magic that does not require chanting .

    I¡¯m sure it wille in handy in many ways, and since it doesn¡¯t have a lifespan, it can be used for a long time . It¡¯s also possible to use the ring subus to learn normal spells that require chanting . I¡¯ll keep that in mind .

    Also, if three monsters learn [Storage] it means you can triple the amount you can bring, but it¡¯s irrelevant to me since I have Soto¡¯s dungeon!

    ¡°......?¡±

    Wait? Isn¡¯t it better to let the magic sword I¡¯ve made learn [Storage] and scatter them around the world? And since it falls under my control, all of their [Storage] should be eligible to be connected with Soto¡¯s dungeon...

    No, well, Haku-san is going to be suspicious when she found out that I¡¯m scattering the sword around the country for nothing . So I had to limit myself to one or two swords and give them to the customer in the name of super jackpot . But that idea will probably lure adventurers more than necessary, so I probably should not do it .

 Chapter 491 - As if we had remembered, we started developing the dungeon.

    <h4>Chapter 491 ¨C As if we had remembered, we started developing the dungeon.</h4>

    After finishing the discussion with Haku, we decided to rest in our dungeon.

    ¡°Master, isn¡¯t the Gluttony trap is still in development?¡±

    ¡°...I forgot about it because I was so busy.¡±

    I don¡¯t feel the need to do it since it was something I did for killing time. I¡¯ve been busy until Soto showed up, and I want toze around when I get a chance.

    ¡°Papa! Is that a nice ce where you can eat all you want !?¡± {Gluttony is written by using excessive+eat, that¡¯s why Soto misunderstood it}

    ¡°Whoa! Soto, don¡¯te out so suddenly; you will scare me.¡±

    Soto suddenly opened the storage and appeared.

    ¡°You lurking in my [Storage] again?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my dungeon!¡±

    My [storage] is... oh well. Did you eavesdrop again? Your dungeon is going toe in handy for a lot of things.

    ¡°Anyway, what is [Gluttony]?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an all-you-can-eat stalling trap that Master was developing. It consists of golem that keeps cooking for you using ingredients you get at monster spawn!¡±

    ¡°Dad, please make a foodie trap for my dungeon too! All-you-can-eat, what a wonderful word!¡±

    Soto begged with a twinkle in her eye... Well, it doesn¡¯t take that much DP to make one, so why not?

    That¡¯ why I tried to, I make [Gluttony] trap in Soto¡¯s dungeon.

    ¨CBut I couldn¡¯t. There¡¯s no spawner in Soto¡¯s dungeon DP catalog.

    ¡°Why!?¡±

    ¡°...Come to think of it, my dungeon didn¡¯t have a monster spawn at first either.¡±

    ¡°Maybe there¡¯s a condition?¡±

    ¡°No wayyy! What kind of condition do I need to get to be able to create spawner?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s probably the number of summons. So why don¡¯t you just summon rabbits for a while? They can also be used as substitute until the spawneres out, for now, you should summon rabbit using DP.¡±

    ¡°muuuuu.....¡±

    Soto is disappointed. In the meantime, I gave her the chef golem and had it procure the rabbit manually.

    Well, there was even a weed spawner at Orange¡¯s ce (rabbit dungeon), so as long as we put out a lot of stuff, it will eventually be avable. There¡¯s a possibility that the key is to get the right kind, but we¡¯ll see.

    In the first ce, it¡¯s not a significant expense to summon rabbits using a DP. If Ichika stays in Soto¡¯s dungeon for a night, Soto can earn enough for a day¡¯s worth of rabbits. Now that the number of vigers has increased, she can afford to spend that much, or should I just give her DP?

    ...Well well, look how bourgeois I¡¯ve be. When I first came to this world, the dungeons were upied by bandits, and the ie was only 10 DP per day due to the effect of the earth¡¯s veins.

    ¡°Well, Soto-sama, why don¡¯t you just use [weak replication] to make more food?¡±

    ¡°Even if I duplicate food with that thing, it doesn¡¯t fill my stomach, so I can¡¯t get full.¡±

    ¡°Oh, because disappears in an hour? The fact that you can eat as much as you want is something I envy.¡±

    ¡°Ichika-onee-chan is a food gourmet, right?¡±

    She¡¯s not a gourmet because she also eats all kinds of food, so you could call her gross eater.

    ¡°But Soto-sama is the best eater of all people that I know.¡±

    ¡°Right? fufufu, If you want, I can share Aunt Haku¡¯s goddess-grade Legendary Rare tights with you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t eat those, can I?¡±

    But as expected, even Ichika couldn¡¯t eat socks, but I think she will get along great with Soto.

    It¡¯s not bad for the body because it disappears in the stomach, but it still too much.

    Now that I¡¯ve made [Gluttony] trap for Soto. I wonder if I should make the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins trap.

    [Greed] is a trial room, and [Sloth] is a rest area, so both are already operational.

    [Rage] is already installed in the warehouse area, and I¡¯ll rece [Subus Vige] with [Gluttony]. To think of it, it¡¯s time for the Subus to move out.

    [Lust] is a small room with a stone statue of Subus, with an aromatic steamer of Subus bodily fluids. Located between the arena, the puzzle-solving area. ...This one is too good, so it¡¯s okay that it¡¯s rarely used.

    All trap was ready, except for this two. there are two left, [Envy] and [Pride]... that¡¯s why I consulted Nerune, who is famous in our vige for her despicable behavior towards Wataru...

    ¡°I think it¡¯s better for [Pride] to not exist.¡±

    ¡°meaning?¡±

    ¡°Since the trap is following the theme of seven deadly sins, eventually someone will notice it, right? thinking [if there are 6 other sins, then [Pride] must exist as well]¨C¡±

    Nerune then paused a little.

    ¡°¡ªthat¡¯s where the trap located, a human pride that thinks that he knows all about the dungeon is the trap itself.¡±

    ¡°...I see, It¡¯s quite a nasty idea, isn¡¯t it, Nerune? Thank you.¡±

    ¡°No no no, it¡¯s nothing. But Thank you for thepliment, Master.¡±

    ¡ª- I get the point. The trap exists because it doesn¡¯t. It was a trap worthy of the name [Pride].

    Well, if it¡¯spletely shapeless, some people might think of searching every corner of the dungeon, so I¡¯d better prepare a door that will never open. Assuming the person has found the other six, then that door should be located at the end of the arena, right before the boss room.

    So, next is a [Envy].

    ...well, maybe I¡¯ll just make a room where I can show off my treasure through the ss, to make people jealous, knowing that they¡¯ll never get it.

    But the ss might break, so I need to think about something else. In the worst-case scenario, I can use the dungeon monitor to disy an image in the room.

 Chapter 492 - Letâ€™s Play with Orichalcum

    <h4>Chapter 492 ¨C Let¡¯s y with Orichalcum</h4>

    I decided to start the research on Orichalcum with Soto¡¯s help.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, Soto, can you give me Orichalcum sword.¡±

    ¡°Just in time! I also want to eat some socks.¡± {ckmail}

    ¡°I will give you NIku¡¯s...¡±

    ¡°Okay! Here ya go!¡±

    And that¡¯s how I got Soto to cooperate with me. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t even need to do this. I could just order Niku to use her absolutemand to order Soto, but I think this is an important bonding moment for parent and child. Yup.

    The sword I got from Soto will be used in an experiment, or to be exact, the sword I got from her can only be used as an experiment. With the time limit of one hour.

    I suddenly start to tinker around with Orichalcum because I wondered if I could make a sturdy, transparent material. I thought that if I had clear and sturdy ss, I could use it for the [Envy].

    Is it possible to make ss that even stronger than the ss from the potion bottle? And to do that, I n to mix Orichalcum and ss together, and because this is such a random idea, I won¡¯t be able to try it if I don¡¯t have an unlimited supply of Orichalcum.

    By the way, I¡¯m also making an alloy metal with Orichalcum.

    It won¡¯t be as strong as pure Orichalcum, but it will be way cheaper. If you want an alloy with outstanding performance, you need to research the ratio carefully, which is not possible if you don¡¯t have a lot of Orichalcum supply.

    In terms of softness and sticity, I would say that it surpasses Orichalcum. The disadvantage of Orichalcum is that it is too hard. It¡¯s not possible to make a spring with Orichalcum.

    ¡°Then, [Create Golem]¡±

    I knead the ss and Orichalcum together. Just like in cksmithing, you need to stretch and fold them together repeatedly until you reach your desired oue.

    ...hmm, kneading them manually is fun but not very effective. Since an hour time limit will be wasted if I took my time. I might try to use a rolling pin. After kneading it thoroughly, I can stretch and fold it faster.

    ¡°Eh? What are you making, Kehma? A bread?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko. No, I¡¯m not. I¡¯m experimenting, I wonder what will happens when you mix ss and Orichalcum together.¡±

    ¡°...from here, it looks like you¡¯re making bread. But certainly, when I look closely, that totally not a bread dough.¡±

    For me, it feels more like cksmithing, though.

    And then the dough that I¡¯ve been working on for 10 minutes is finished.

    ¡°...yeah, it¡¯s an Orichalcum color at least.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s opaque, a golden with rainbow motif.¡±

    It¡¯s mixed well, though. But it¡¯s looks like an opaque tile. So even if I made a box out of it, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see what was inside.

    ¡°I still have to check its toughness...¡±

    ¡°Magic resistance, too. Good luck with that, Kehma.¡±

    As it turned out, the box was unbreakable when you hit it with a hammer, impervious to heat, electricity, and cold. It also won¡¯t bend even if you put a lot of weight on it.

    However, for some reason, it broke apart when I shot it with [Elemental Shot], and when I cut it with an Orichalcum sword (leftover from my research), it easily snapped.

    ... well, it¡¯s like a weak version of Orichalcum. I wonder if I can add more ss to increase its volume? On a side note, the golem de can¡¯t even scratch it; its edge was chipped instead.

    In the meantime, an hour has passed, and the Orichalcum has disappeared.

    ¡°Look, Kerma, it¡¯s be frosted ss!¡±

    ¡°...Indeed. a Frosted ss. It even feels like one to the touch.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Can¡¯t you use it to make this?¡±

    ¡°No, if you want to make something like this, you could probably do it by sanding the ss with rubies or something. or rather, you can make it this way from the beginning, the same way you make sandpaper.¡±

    ¡°...it won¡¯t produce this fine texture, though; by the way, did you have to knead it with your hands or a stick in the first ce?¡±

    Well, no, but I¡¯m in the mood for it.

    In exchange for the socks(again), I asked Soto to give me another Orichalcum sword.

    Now let¡¯s make it into an Orichalcum reticted ss. This one is easier.

    ¡°Yup, it was easy.¡±

    ¡°This is just a ss, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s a bit stronger overall, I guess... Also, the Orichalcumting will remain even if you break the ss, so you can¡¯t get through.¡±

    The section is filled with ss, but the structure¡¯s bone itself is made from Orichalcum, so it¡¯s strong.

    ¡°Then..., why not just Orichalcum from the start? If it only to prevent someone to get in?¡±

    That¡¯s true, too.

    A strong ss is needed if you want to keep the wind out and the light in, but if you just want to put it where people can¡¯t touch it, then you don¡¯t need ss in the first ce, that¡¯s for sure.

    ¡°Want to try use orichalcum ting for the prison bar?¡±

    ¡°...Hmm, I¡¯ll practice Orichalcum ting then.¡±

    Orichalcum is much easier to manipte than other metals once you let the magic flow through it. So when I was ying with it afterward, I learned the restraining technique by instantly cementing a walking goblin with Orichalcum.

    I named it... [Orichalcum Bind]. I cannot coat the target too thinly, so I need to use a lot of Orichalcum. But I think it¡¯s pretty strong.

    It costs a lot of money(DP), though.

 Chapter 493 - â€“ kukuku, Iâ€™m gonna strip you nakedâ€¦ (as magic tool and magic circle formula)

    <h4>Chapter 493 ¨C kukuku, I¡¯m gonna strip you naked... (as magic tool and magic circle form)</h4>

    Now I¡¯ve had finished my report about the Holy Kingdom to Haku, I will continue my own investigation.

    The melons I bought in bulk are all in the Soto¡¯s [Storage] dungeon, so there¡¯s no need to worry about them going bad. We¡¯ll just have to find the right time to pretend that they¡¯ve arrived in our vige and sell some of them to Haku-san.

    To avoid suspicion, I¡¯ll share the ones that originally [don¡¯t fit] in the Storage with Ichika and the others.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting tired of melons.¡±

    ¡°Well, there are 500 of them. How many have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°About thirty? And because Soto ate a box of melon in her dungeon, you can eat as many as you want next time.¡±

    Soto¡¯s [weak replication] can take out the item she eats at once, so if she eats a box, she can take out a box. That¡¯s great. All you can eat fresh melon, but you have to finish it within an hour, and that¡¯s including the cooking time before it disappears.

    ¡°I¡¯d better cook the rest of it..., but that¡¯s not important anyway. What about the survey?¡±

    ¡°Well, Haku-nee said she will use her subordinate to investigate. Do you want to take part, Kehma?¡±

    It¡¯s true that I¡¯m curious about it, but I don¡¯t want to drag my feet unnecessarily.

    ¡°Want to try to send in the rats?¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s a magic tool that can repel small animals, right? won¡¯t it be unnatural they got found out?¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, I¡¯m kind of curious about its performance though.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s find out!¡±

    ¡°... How?¡±

    When I asked how Rokuko giggled.

    ¡°You have seen the magic tool, Kehma. You can do a [super transformation] to be it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right, we got that hand to y. we can check out the area of effect by examining the products on the site, and we can investigate the form here.¡±

    So, we sent a message to Narikin and the others to use rats to check the area of effect, and I use the [super transformation] to morph into the magic tool in the master room.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to do a [super transformation].......... why Nerune is here?¡±

    ¡°Of course, she is. Kehma... Do you think I can do the investigation by myself? Nerune is the best person to investigate magic tools.¡±

    ¡°I know a bit, of course, somewhat... I¡¯m a witch, Afterall.¡±

    That¡¯s right. She¡¯s [Cave of Desire]¡¯s magic tool expert, isn¡¯t she? And since this is the Holy Kingdom¡¯s magic tool, and it would be a good reference.

    ¡°Then Nerune, If there is a magic circle that you have not seen before, please write it down so I can look at it and try to decipher itter.¡±

    ¡°Oka~y, I understand.¡±

    And so, the investigation of the magic tools began.

    **

    I transformed myself into a magic tool with the [Super Transformation]. It¡¯s a big tool, about the size of a small ssroom.

    As soon as I transformed, Nerune and Rokuko immediately investigating it.

    ¡°It¡¯s very easy to use, isn¡¯t it? Do you move this small lever to switch the range of effect?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take off the cover, okay?¡±

    I¡¯m a magic tool, so of course, I can¡¯t speak, and I shouldn¡¯t feel any pain or other sensations, but I feel strangely ticklish as if the buttons of my clothes are touched and undressed.

    ¡°This button is linked to this magic circle. ...... Hmmm...this is how it works? The way they swapping the magic circle with a switch is effective.¡±

    ¡°Hey, hey, Nerune, what¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a fire magic circle. ...ack.¡±

    Boom! There was an explosion deep inside me, and some of my magic drained away.

    ¡°Did... something explode?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a trap. It¡¯s designed to destroy itself so that no one can find out this tool secrets.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, are you okay?¡±

    I tried to reply, ¡°No problem,¡± but I couldn¡¯t speak. I can¡¯t use [Telepathy] either. It seems because I¡¯ve transformed myself into magic tools, I cannot use my skill at all.

    ¡°If you¡¯re okay, please stay transformed for a bit longer so I can examine the broken parts and countermeasures.¡±

    ¡°Be careful, Nerune. It¡¯s a littlete for that, but what if there¡¯s a trap that kills you?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll be able to revive me with DP, right?¡±

    ¡°I can also use [healing], so if you get hurt, make sure you tell me. As soon as possible.¡±

    With that, Nerune gets down on all fours and enters me.

    ¡°This is burnt area... hmm, this is the important point because it is thoroughly destroyed, isn¡¯t it? If that¡¯s the case, could we shave the board from the other side and sever the magic lines...?¡±

    ¡°Nerune, how it feels inside Kehma?¡±

    ¡°... it feels so good! I¡¯m getting excited! I¡¯m going deeper inside of you, Master. Mm-hmm.¡±

    Can¡¯t you word it less lewd...!

    ¡°Okay, it¡¯s finished, can you untransformed and try again?¡±

    So, I redid the [Super Transformation] and tried again. I¡¯m at lv5, so I can do it four more times today.

    It¡¯s a foul thing to be able to do multiple dismantling operations, which usually can only be done once. We can do it many times without fear of failure.

    ¡°... I can make it now, can¡¯t I? It¡¯ll take a while, but I¡¯ve got the blueprints.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you a top-tier magic engineer now? Maybe I should give you a special bonus.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Nerune, what do you want?¡±

    ¡°Did I get a bonus? Then new spell, please!¡±

    That¡¯s how we use the power of Nerune and me to go through every inch of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s magic tool.

    ... It took a few days, though!

 Chapter 494 - Legends can be fabricated.

    <h4>Chapter 494 ¨C Legends can be fabricated.</h4>

    ¡°So, Kehma, what next?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, what indeed.¡±

    After the magic tool was investigated, we tried to think about what to do next.

    Incidentally, reports have alsoe in from the Narikin group. I know exactly what the area of effect is. Or rather, the only thing I could find out was something like, ¡°Range of effect: full power as much as possible.¡±

    The lever to switch the area of effect seemed to only switch between magic stones that were processed intorge, medium, and small sizes, respectively.

    ¡°I mean, we don¡¯t really need to look into anything, do we? Let Haku take care of everything, let Narikin and the others go sightseeing as they please, and we¡¯ll just sleep in peace. Meanwhile, You can also renovate the dungeon......and I¡¯m getting sleepy.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but that would be boring for me. I feel restless unless I¡¯m doing something.¡±

    ¡°... well, it can¡¯t be helped if Rokuko feels bored.¡±

    It¡¯s a decent reason, on the same level as my reason to sleep.

    ¡°By the way, how about We take a second look into Kehma¡¯s [Super Transformation]?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°If you die when you undergo a Super Transformation, you will be resurrected, right? Like, where does it happen, and how long does it take for you to wake up?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s definitely good information to know, but I¡¯m afraid to die, even while transformed.¡±

    ¡°For reference, In the future, I¡¯m sure is curious to know what will happen if I lick and melt Kehma that transformed into a candy ball and eat him!¡±

    ¡°Oi, don¡¯t do any scary experiments like that, okay?¡±

    If I¡¯m not careful, I¡¯ll pierce Ro¡¯s stomach. I don¡¯t want to appear like a certain kind of alien. ......! On the other hand, if you actually try it somewhere else, there¡¯s a chance you¡¯ll die right after resurrecting, and if that happens, it¡¯s game over. This is not something you can try casually.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it doesn¡¯t have to be me... but I also don¡¯t want goblin to lick Kehma... what should I do?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just stop trying to investigate it!¡±

    ¡°Mmm, oh well, it couldn¡¯t be helped...¡±

    Rokuko said regretfully. What kind of sexual fetish she has?

    Although she said ¡®it couldn¡¯t be helped,¡¯ I cannot shake the feeling that she¡¯s still curious about this, So I tried to steer the conversation in another direction.

    ¡°Well, instead of doing some research, how about looking for something to do in the vige?

    ¡°Like a job in the vige? But I¡¯m already doing my job as an inn owner. ...... Oh, wait! Do you mean as Mayor(your) wife? That¡¯s definitely a meaningful way to spend my free time!¡±

    ¡°I wonder what kind of job is that? Oh well, I¡¯m going to bed...¡±

    ¡°And I will make the vige even better while Kehma falls asleep. Maybe we should take a lesson from the Holy Kingdom and make a park that could be used as a date spot.¡±

    Rokuko excitedly started nning something. Good, now I can sleep as much as I want.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to make a specialty attraction, something simr like two-person core splitter attraction. Kehma, do you have any ideas?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me that? Well, Let¡¯s see...¡±

    When I was in Japan, I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in dating or anything simr, so I don¡¯t really understand the standard of those activities. Should I refer to something that Leona made in Daido? No, it might be better to use anime and games as references.

    ¡°... If I use the ssic, it would be a Legendary tree where the couple confessing love under it will live happily ever after.¡±

    ¡°a Legendary Tree... Wow, that sounds great. Let¡¯s make one! If you confess your love under that tree, you¡¯ll always be a couple or something like that!¡±

    You¡¯re going to make it? That¡¯s a legend, you know?

    ¡°fufufu, legends are made by people, right? So when it¡¯s finished, you should confess to me for starters.¡±

    ¡°...... Hey, wait, why would I do that?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only when the representative of Gollen Vige takes the initiative that the legend can be created. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t turn you down. Okay?¡±

    That¡¯s a fraud, isn¡¯t it!? At least, I think so!

    ¡°So, we confessed, and we became a couple. Isn¡¯t it just a little roundabout way to spread two facts? Ah... maybe we could let Wataru confess to Nerune? But she will just turn down that Hero...¡±

    ¡°Then you should give him some advice, Kehma. Make a beautiful confession that Nerune would never turn down!¡±

    ¡°Or you could just tell Nerune about the situation, and if she is going to refuse, don¡¯t let him bring her there to confess...¡±

    ¡°I see if you invite someone to that tree and they say OK, at that point the confession will likely to be seeded? Hmm, this could work.¡±

    Rokuko nods her head.

    ¡°...Right, If the person being invited to know the legend that they will always be a couple if they confessed under that tree, then people would reject it if they don¡¯t want to. On the other hand, if the invite is sess and they [went] to it, the result will always be [sess]?¡±

    ¡°...it created a bit paradox, also a bit back and forth, but I guess that is true?¡±

    I guess that¡¯s what legends are all about. And since it¡¯s called a legend, it had to be widely known.

    ¡°It¡¯s like a big puzzle, isn¡¯t it? When you call me to that ce, you¡¯re already confessing.¡±

    ¡°But it¡¯s good to have at least one buffer to cushion your fall, isn¡¯t it? It would be less psychologically damaging than being directly rejected.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s one way to put it... Okay! Then let¡¯s start working on a n to build a park with a legendary tree!¡±

    Oh, so you¡¯re going to build it after all¡ªthe Legendary tree.

    ¡°You¡¯ll help me, right, Kehma? Promise?

    ¡°... Oh well, it cannot be helped. Just tell me where I should make it.¡±

    ¡°Yes!! And make sure you think about your confession speech!¡±

    Eh? Do I have to confess to Rokuko when it finished? But I cannot say anything to Rokuko that already drawing a map with an excited face.

 Chapter 495 - EXTRA: Narikin side.

    <h4>Chapter 495 ¨C EXTRA: Narikin side.</h4>

    ¡°...So, it¡¯s vacation time for us? we can go sightseeing as we like?¡±

    ¡°To put it simply, yeah. You have about a week. You still need to do your daily report, but other than that, it¡¯s free time.¡±

    Narikin(Kehma) told Narikin, who possessed a small bird. His Master said that he already reported the current situation to his boss, Haku-sama, who¡¯s the leader of the Raverio Empire, so it seems we could take it easy with the orchard matter.

    ¡°Certainly, Master.¡±

    ¡°Good, Rokufa, you understand too, right? and as a special bonus, you guys can spend up to five gold coins as you please.¡±

    ¡°......! Oh, thank you very much.¡±

    ¡°well then, I will cut off them.¡±

    Kehma then released his [possession], and Narikin released his well and returned to his own body.

    Rokufa huffed.

    Five gold coins are enough for an average family to live on for a couple of years. It¡¯s too much money to spend in one week.

    ¡°...Five gold coins in a week? It seems that the Master is very upset that Master Haku took his job, Narikin.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what to say. He said it was a special reward, but we didn¡¯t do anything special. This might mean that you have one week to produce something worthy of five gold coins.¡±

    Naana(Toy), the maid who was quietly standing by the wall of the room, shook her head as she listened to their conversation. She thinks Kehma was genuinely trying to give him a vacation and five gold coins. It is amon case for Hero who has be noblemen to have a loose sense of money. One of the reasons is also because he had earned so much money.

    ¡°No Husband, Wife. Why don¡¯t you just take Master Kehma¡¯s intentions at words, just take it easy, and enjoy the vacation as he literally said.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that the case. In the first ce, Master himself did most of the investigations at the suspicious ces himself, whichter he reported to Haku-sama, and we were just waiting as birds.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Naana, you only guard the birdcage too, right? I¡¯m sure that Five gold coins are obviously too much.¡±

    ¡°Oh? Did you include me in the calction of the bonus of five gold coins?

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious, you may have been transferred from the outside, but you are still my colleague. Right, Narikin?¡±

    ¡°Of course, then, I¡¯m counting on you to help me figure out how to spend this money.¡±

    Naana had assumed that she was being watched, monitored, and used. She was quite surprised to receive their acknowledgment as theirrades. [they are just as soft as certain someone] she thought. Kehma seems to be somewhat wary of Toy. Her original body may have been restrained, but still, he is soft enough to let her walk freely outside like this, and the surveince he gave is just a bare minimum.

    Naana scratched her head, thinking that if she didn¡¯t train her Master and his servant better, she would have a hard time turning them against her former Master, Leona.

    ¡°How about we start with five gold coins and see how much more we can get?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, you mean to do business? But isn¡¯t it bad for the intelligence unit to stand out?¡±

    ¡°The money would be useful for gathering information, but I don¡¯t think we should be using it for business.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. There is such a thing as gambling in this world, even here in Sunstar.¡±

    However,rge-scale horse races are only held once every few months in this area. In the past, the word ¡°gambling¡± naturally refers to a tavern where you could roll the dice and bet.

    ¡°...gambling, huh? I don¡¯t really like it.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re more likely to lose money than gain it.¡±

    The two prefer to be steady, like their Master. But Naana has decided to convince and let them take a vacation for a while.

    ¡°By the way, information is usually gathered in such ces. What do you think? I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fun to do some digging by disguising it as splurging at the casino.¡±

    ¡°I see, an Investigation, huh?¡±

    ¡°What does it mean, Rokufa?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I mean, Isn¡¯t ying casino is very much like a [vacation]?¡±

    ¡°...! I see!¡±

    Naana thought it¡¯s slightly different from the direction I imagined it would go, but can I count it as vacation if they can y in a Casino? I¡¯m sure Haku would already investigate such a ce anyway, and I doubt they will get any new information.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see, he said a week, so I guess I should spend about fifty silver coins a day?¡±

    ¡°No, Isn¡¯t that about eighty coins?¡±

    ¡°In case you¡¯re wondering, five gold coins or 500 silver coins divided by seven days in a week is about 71 coins.¡±

    ¡°... So, let¡¯s say we have to spend 70 coins a day, divided between the three of us.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, so, 30 coins each?¡±

    ¡°More like 23 coins for each person and have one coin left over. But I think it¡¯s more natural for a tourist to walk together than to split up. We are a couple, and it¡¯s servant after all.¡±

    Naana wondered if she should teach them math during their vacation instead, And she confirms it once again if they seriously going to include Naana in that calction, but of course, their decision was a firm one. The two of them are naive enough to let Naana keep the money without being watched.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I was nning to have Naana take Tran and Shiba with her.¡±

    ¡°What will you do if I leave the birdcage and run away?¡±

    ¡°My. I¡¯ve been asked by Master to keep an eye on them, but I believe Naana won¡¯t run away.¡±

    It¡¯s true that Naana don¡¯t have the intention to run away, but when two people who have no sense of crisis say so, she feels like doing something she won¡¯t.

    ¡°Whenever the money remains or increases, we will keep it and refund it to the master.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Naana, please give me the information about the casino.¡±

    ¡°... Yes, ma¡¯am.¡±

    Later, Naana took them both to the casino for a vacation of information gathering.

 Chapter 496 - Level Up

    <h4>Chapter 496 ¨C Level Up</h4>

    We decided to let Narikin¡¯s party have a vacation in the Holy Kingdom for a while and periodically report back to us if they noticed anything.

    And so began the new project that Rokuko was working on now, the n to build a park with a legendary tree.

    ¡°If you put it in a dungeon, you could make it into [Envy] trap for an adventurer without a girlfriend.¡±

    ¡°I wonder... should I make it into a room where you have to be a couple to get out? It¡¯s too difficult to tell that¡¯s it was [Envy].¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s a good idea to make a room where you can¡¯t leave unless you¡¯re in a lovey-dovey rtionship (without minding your ages). Well, in that case, it¡¯s not [Envy] but [lust]. And what if a party with only men entered the room in a group?

    ¡°Then... a room that won¡¯t open unless you kiss?¡±

    ¡°What if you¡¯re a soloist like Wataru?¡±

    ¡°Maybe..., kissing a picture of Nerune?¡±

    ¡°Is it okay to be that easy? I think it¡¯s better to leave a statue in that room to kiss. That way, the condition will be clearer.¡±

    But it came to me, wait, this is a good idea. Let us put some stone statues in the room, and you can¡¯t leave until you kiss the right one. And if I change the target every time people enter, it would serve as good harassment.

    [Envy] should be good enough with this setup, right, an envious statue that needs to be kissed.

    ¡°... By the way, what would happen if they broke all those stone statues.¡±

    ¡°Why did you ask that?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I was thinking about what would happen if Kehma statue is ced in that room. I mean, Kehma¡¯s lips are mine.¡±

    ¡°I do not deny it, but don¡¯t make it your property.¡±

    ¡°Well, uh, eh? ... you do not deny it?¡±

    ¡°... Don¡¯t ask me to go repeat that. It¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    Then, I decided to make some statues.

    The process is simple. First, prepare an iron te. Soften it with [Create Golem] and make a mold of the face. Fill the mold with stones I softened separately with [Create Golem], and remove the mold to make a stone mask.

    After that, you can paste it onto a mannequin made of stone and adjust it to suit your needs.

    ¡°It¡¯s a face... but it seems off. Should I put a wig on its head?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great, Kehma. Can I have this?

    ¡°Sure... What are you going to do with it?

    ¡°I¡¯ll decorate my room with it! I can make a stone statue of you as an exchange. Do you want to mold my feet?¡±

    ...wow, that¡¯s unexpected.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take the molds, but I think I can sell a stone statue of Rokuko to Haku for a good price.¡±

    ¡°Sure? You can sell it... but you¡¯ll give me a stone statue of Kehma too, Full body, of course. And it has to be a naked statue, with Kehma¡¯s clothes on it! Don¡¯t worry; naked statues are an art!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s say I made a naked statue of Rokuko. Do you think that kind of excuse will be eptable to Haku?¡±

    ¡°............................. Yes, I¡¯m sure!¡±

    ¡°That was a great pause. Okay, let¡¯s stop it.¡±

    For the dungeon¡¯s statue, I could get help from Rei to make the basic mold and then adjust the statue individually to make it into a different person.

    ¡°Kehma, can¡¯t you use your [Super Transformation] to be a lot of people?¡±

    ¡°It could work if I could use [Create Golem] during the transformation; right now, I can¡¯t. I need to level it before I can use my skill.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use the dummy core to raise your level? It seems you can use your skill when your [Super Transformation] reaches level 6.¡±

    ¡°...Where did you get that info? From Haku?¡±

    ¡°Toy was the one who told me.¡±

    In other words, it¡¯s from Leona, well sure, since she had [Super Appraisal] its possible that she could know the detail of a skill, it also possible that Leona can use [Super Transformation] secretly.

    ¡°During thest time with Soto, I lost a level and had to destroy one dummy core to get it back. I¡¯d like to save some leeway in case something happens again in the future...¡± {tln}

    ¡°Let¡¯s say something does happen. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to raise the level beforehand so that in the future, the level of the [Super Transformation] will be higher and can handle more things?¡±

    ¡°... Well, if it weren¡¯t for the Soto incident, I would have raised two levels by now, so I guess I can at least raise one more level.¡±

    I used 5000 DP to buy the dummy core. I will destroy it and raise the level of [Super Transformation].

    ¡°I wonder if Soto¡¯s [Weak Replication] will raise in level?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea. Soto is newborn; give her a year or two before we raise it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we don¡¯t want her to get out of control.¡±

    I ce the dummy core and take out a Golem Sword. Rokuko then put her hand on mine.

    ¡°Fufufu, did you remember the Pot splitting y we did in the Holy Kingdom?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this is the authentic version of it.¡±

    ¡°That time, it was Rokufa and Narikin, so let us do it again!¡±

    Is this okay? I don¡¯t know what will happen, but I still break the dummy core with Rokuko.

    The light that flooded out of the core entered me and raised the level of my [Super Transformation].

    I check the effects of the [Super Transformation].

    ¨C In 24 hours, you can transform into the object of your choice (or 6 times if you are Lv6).

    ¨C Lv1 effect: You can transform into the form of something real.

    ¨C Lv2 effect: imitate some of the abilities of the transformed object.

    ¨C Lv3 effect: Once every 72 hours, even if you die while transformed, you can untransformed and automatically resurrected.

    ¨C Lv4 effect: Can transform into something that existed in the past.

    ¨C Lv5 effect: Eases restrictions after transformation. Some unique abilities can be used.

    ¨C Lv6 effect: Able to use pre-transformation skills while transforming. (Hero skill is still restricted.)

    That¡¯s the detail of [Super Transformation: Lv6].

    ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, and it¡¯s just as you say, I can now use my skill while using [Super

    Transformation].¡±

    ¡°Hmmm? Does it mean that you can use [Create Golem] while transforming into golem?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    ¡°Can you use [Super Transformation] after transforming?¡±

    ¡°There should be a limit. But let¡¯s give it a try.¡±

    First, I turn to Niku, then I use [Super Transformation] to transform to Rokuko. I sessfully be Rokuko, eh? Does it seed? ...but then, when I undo it, my body returns to the state it was before the transformation.

    ¡°What does this mean... oh, I get it.¡±

    I cannot ovey it, it was treated as a new transformation, and of course, the daily limit was used.

    To this date, when I want to use another form, I need to cancel the ongoing transformation, but now I could use it without releasing the previous one. The weakness has decreased a little.

    ¡°Well, not so bad, I guess?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve got an idea. How about the magic sword, Kehma? You can transform into an orichalcum sword and also shoot magic with it, making it the most powerful magic sword ever!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too evil!¡±

    Oh, Rokuko, I can¡¯t believe you were the first toe up with such a vicious idea. ......! You¡¯ve grown up.

    Magic Sword Kehma:

    This magic sword was said to be the most powerful magic sword.

    The reason why it¡¯s the strongest is that it¡¯s all made from pure orichalcum, so it¡¯s simply durable, but the reason why it¡¯s the strongest is that it doesn¡¯t matter who wears it.

    This magic sword has its own will and can kills enemies automatically.

    It may be stronger when no one holds it, as it will lose its aim when wielded.

    Even if you kill its wielder, it will not do much good because the sword itself has its own will.

    The most useful way to use this sword is to throw it in the middle of the enemy¡¯s camp and make it kill everyone.

    ¡« (Excerpted from Meikyu Shobo: The Strongest Magic Sword Series)

    TL Notes:

    Ã÷Çò•ø·¿ : have no fukkin idea of how should I read this, its basically brilliant sphere library, if I just take the word as it is, so I leave it as it is.

 Chapter 497 - Magic Sword Kehma

    <h4>Chapter 497 ¨C Magic Sword Kehma</h4>

    ¡°...Master?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this is me. I tried to transform into a magic sword.¡±

    The strongest sword is the Hero himself!

    I¡¯m using telepathy skills that I learned using the scroll; that¡¯s why I couldmunicate while I¡¯m a sword. With that, I ask Niku to bring the sword (me).

    The dungeon master who can get the scroll they want using DP is cheat existence himself. I wonder how I could further boost my DP gain.

    ¡°What do you think? Can you use it?¡±

    ¡°...I wonder?¡±

    She nodded his head with her usual nk expression, but her tail was wagging as if she was looking forward to it.

    We came to the arena area of the dungeon to try it out. I prepared some Iron Golems as a test target for shing.

    ¡°Master, may I ask you to attack the target with magic while I do mock movement?¡±

    ¡°Oh, sure...¡±

    As soon as I replied, my vision moved in a circle. My target disappeared to who knows what direction.

    ¡°UWAAAaaaaaaaa!! Stop! Stop!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°This won¡¯t work!¡±

    I can¡¯t aim at it even if I want to. I¡¯m a damn sword. I don¡¯t know how I see things, but it¡¯s natural for my vision to move along with it!

    ¡°How about using a signal to attack in a certain direction?¡±

    ¡°So, you want me to channel my magic to signal you?¡±

    ¡°Oh! Great idea, it¡¯s just like a normal magic sword, let¡¯s try it!¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Niku wields me toward the iron golem and put let her magic power flo...

    ¡±...Ahahahaha, it tickles! Stop it, you tickling me!!¡±

    ¡°S-Sorry...¡±

    ¡°...I can¡¯t concentrate with that...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. How should I do it?¡±

    ¡°It might be better if you could activate a signaling device so I can see it and strike, but that¡¯s for another time. How about changing the cue, maybe changing the force of your grip?¡±

    ¡°If I weaken it, it will slip out, and if I grip it hard, will your body know?¡±

    ¡°Right... then another method, how about a switch? Something that you can tap when you wield me, where is the good spot?¡±

    ¡°right there.¡±

    ¡°Around your thumb. Okay, I get it.¡±

    I¡¯m using [Create Golem] to modify my body that was made from pure Orichalcum.

    I don¡¯t want to tickle myself while doing it, so I pour magic power carefully... then the switch was made, and it doesn¡¯t work, the switch is too hard, it was made from Orichalcum, After all.

    I use [Stone Pile] to create an iron material, and made a spring out of it with the [Create Golem], made the parts for the button, and drilled a hole in my body to incorporate it.

    ¡°Should be working now, press it.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it feels good to touch.¡±

    ¡°I could feel it clearly, too. I just need to concentrate my mind on the switch. I can do this!¡±

    Niku points the tip of her sword at the Golem again.

    I noticed that the switch had been pushed, and I cast a fireball. **BOOM** the magic hit iron golem.

    ¡°Then, the next step is to try it in live battle.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do this! Golems,e at me!¡±

    The Golem came at me with my deration (a telepathic one). I focused my mind on the switch as if I were blind.

    ......

    ......

    ......

    ......

    I¡¯m not sure if I cut it or not... oh, I did? I can¡¯t tell because I made it from Orichalcum. I¡¯m too sharp.

    ......

    ......

    Oh, I¡¯ve been pushed. Fireball!

    ......

    ......

    ......

    Oh, I¡¯ve been pushed. Fireball!

    ......

    Oh, I¡¯ve been pushed. Fireball!

    ......

    ......

    ......

    ......

    ......

    ......

    .................. This is really boring.

    Because I need to focus on the switch, I could not see anything else because my vision would swirl and I can¡¯t concentrate if I did. So I just wait for the switch to be pushed, and when it did, I shoot, This is Boring!

    ¡°Master.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Niku?¡±

    ¡°finished.¡±

    Is it over? When I open my vision, I saw Iron Golems lying around, destroyed into pieces.

    ¡°So, how did it go?¡±

    ¡°... The timing doesn¡¯t seem right.¡±

    It seems that if I don¡¯t shoot at the same time as I¡¯m pushed or at a perfectly consistent time after I¡¯m pushed, she can¡¯t match the sword timing during battle. It¡¯s just like ying a rhythm game without a sound.

    ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to stop when you shoot.¡±

    ¡°Why sword then? Isn¡¯t it better to be an essory, helmet, or armor?¡±

    ¡°... You¡¯re right.¡±

    I wonder if I choose sword form because I was using Aidi as an example; true, if you want to take advantage of the strength and lightness of the Orichalcum, armor is stronger, and It won¡¯t move your vision that much.

    ¡°You can also use magic at the discretion, Master.¡±

    ¡°Okay, wait a minute, shape change.¡±

    I use [Create Golem] to change my shape and transform it into a chest te. The belt part that holds it to the body can bebined like a watch band. I can tune the length of the belt using [Create Golem] too.

    ¡°[Stone Pile]¡±

    Stone cone grows from the breast ce. This is a great way to surprise your enemies by having spikes suddenly pop out from your armor.

    ¡°...this is sharp boobs.¡±

    ¡°If that was my intention, I would have grown two shorter ones.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    With that, she removed the stone cone from the te.

    ¡°By the way, Master...¡±

    ¡°mm? What? If you have an idea, let me know.¡±

    ¡°About that... I got this after watching Master wrangling himself to change shape... Can¡¯t you transform into an Orichalcum golem? You can move your body by yourself.¡±

    ¡°........... you are right.¡±

    So, the Golem I could make from the volume of the Orichalcum sword was as small as a 1/6th figure, so Itched myself to the Iron Golem I made earlier.

    It lookspletely like an orichalcum golem. ...... okay, it can move.

    ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°It looks strong.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an orichalcum, after all.¡±

    I tried running and jumping around the area. Great, it¡¯s stronger than my flesh body. It also can¡¯t get tired.

    Suddenly an ideaes to my mind. I can use my hand as a sword. Needless to say, I don¡¯t need to p my hand to transform it.

    AN note:

    (Orichalcon Alchemist)

    TL Note:

    Okay, Ziru is back? maybe? I dunno for sure, but if he started to publish new chapter then I will drop this.

    also there¡¯s one more chapter locked behind patreon, but I already put it on scheduled release, so yeah count it as 3 chapter tranted for this week.

 Chapter 498 - Unexpected pitfalls.

    <strong>Chapter 498 ¨C Unexpected pitfalls.</strong>

    In addition, the Orichalcum Golem was easier to use with ws growing out of the back of the hand than with a sword for an arm. It had wrists and fingers that could be fine-tuned too.

    However, it made me appear wiggly. Niku said, I looked like orichalcum slime.

    Anyway, we¡¯re done with that experiment, so let¡¯s transform back to myself. Oh yeah, now that my [Super Transformation] is at lv6, I only need to prepare a change of clothes and transformed into ¡°me¡±¨C

    ¨CThen I woke up while lying naked on the ground, and beside me, Rokuko was holding my clothes...

    ¡°Eh!? Wh-what happened?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake, Kehma. Don¡¯t you know you were dead and naked? ...Or should I say you¡¯re dead naked?¡±

    ¡°e?¡±

    ¡°Look.¡±

    Rokuko pointed at Niku, who was crying and trembling.

    ¡°Mashhtha.. is *hic* safhe...*hic*¡±

    ¡°Ye-yeah... Rokuko, what happened? Did I really died?¡±

    ¡°Yes, ording to Niku, a piece of the Iron Golem fell out to Kehma¡¯s body and crushed you.¡±

    ¡°eh..? wha...aat?...¡±

    Ugh, somehow I understand the gist of it. It seems that I died once. The cause of death was the sudden shape change, I was then crushed by golem fragments that remained above my body. The Iron Golem fragment floating above my head must have squeezed my brain and destroyed it, killing me instantly.

    And after that, the resurrection effect of [Super Transformation] brought me back to lifepletely naked.

    ... Wow, that¡¯s scary. I¡¯d have died for real if I had done what I always do, which is toe back to my real self.

    ¡°By the time I got there, you were already naked and asleep, but there was no blood on you.¡±

    ¡°...Niku... I¡¯m sorry... I must had startled you.¡±

    ¡°au... I thought... I thought Mastha is deadddd....¡±

    Niku continues to shed tears. I recalled, this the first time I had see so much reaction on Niku¡¯s face, I gently stroked her head.

    I have been loved dearly... Well... I guess it¡¯s partly because she was surprised when she heard something fall and turned around to see me as a freakish corpse.

    And by the time Rokuko rushed to the scene after noticing something was wrong, I was naked and lying next to a piece of a golem, with Niku clinging to me and crying; that was presumably what happened here.

    At any rate, I use [Cleanse] on her because she is covered in all kinds of stuff, and I tried to put some clothes on, but she won¡¯t let me go.

    ¡°Um... Niku, I¡¯m safe, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°uuu...¡±

    I guess I still need to use [Cleanse] again; a handkerchief won¡¯t be enough for this. I hugged Niku like I always did in her hug pillow duty and patted her back. My clothes get wet with Niku¡¯s tears, but there¡¯s absolutely nothing wrong with that.

    ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence, but with this, I could envision the result of eating Kehma as candy; you will return intact in the stomach. No, because the golem¡¯s fragments are lying beside you, it¡¯s possible that if you die, you¡¯lle back outside the stomach.¡±

    ¡°Oi, Oi, I just died, and you¡¯re cool with it, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°As I said earlier when I came in, there was only (usual) sleeping Kehma ¨C you are naked, though. And you woke up before I could panic.¡±

    So that exins her calmness.

    ¡°But if that¡¯s the theory, then I guess we can use the one-inch samurai strategy.¡±

    ¡°One-inch samurai...... Oh, that one? the one from the Beddishm Scripture.¡±

    I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯ve ever written one of these before, but probably I did in newer issues.

    ¡°The one where the protagonist gets swallowed whole and kills the ogre from the inside. I think it¡¯s about the lesson of chewing your food well?¡±

    ¡°Oh? Are you going to view it from that side? ... I think you could pass it as some warning about parasites in food.¡±

    Also, it¡¯s probably a good idea to transform into one.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t transform into an orichalcum golem if I die every time.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Why?¡±

    ¡°eh? ...no that¡¯s because... oh, I see.¡±

    Because she was looking at me curiously, I immediately realized what Rokuko wanted to say.

    ¡°Next time, I can just transform into an [iron-filled orichalcum golem]? Wow, very convenient use of [Super Transformation].¡±

    ¡°Oh, you mean like that? I thought next time, you can just throw away the extra padding and transform back, or at worst, you can use it once every three days.¡±

    ¡°... Well, anyway, the experiment can only be done after the remaining cooldown has been ended after 72 hours.¡±

    If I die, even identally, I can¡¯t be revived. It¡¯s better to do this kind of research when you are fully prepared.

    =====================================================

    ¡°... Oh, that¡¯s quite an interesting story.¡±

    ¡°Heh, right? So, Mister, as promised...¡±

    ¡°Of course. Here¡¯s the tip.¡±

    ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about! Hee-ha-ha, now I can gamble again!¡±

    In gambling den at the holy kingdom, on the main street. Narikin, who had been umting chips while enjoying a drink, roughly divided three chips (equivalent to three silver coins) with a man who was an informant.

    ¡°Um, sir? The information he just gave you didn¡¯t seem to be that useful, did it?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder what is useful from a ¡®story about a request to find a lost pet¡¯ good for? I think you¡¯ve been drinking too much.¡±

    As pointed out by Naana (Toy), Narikin¡¯s face was indeed red. Even though Narikin is in living armor, he has used his human form for infiltration purposes. Naturally, he had a body that could get drunk.

    ¡°But isn¡¯t it interesting that his pet crocodile almost got eaten when it wandered in?¡±

    ¡°Interesting, huh?¡±

    ¡°I had to buy it for a little more than the asking price to null the penalty cost, you know? As a service. Hahaha, it¡¯s not easy being an adventurer. It was his job to find it, so he should have let the client pay for it.¡±

    ¡°Huh. It would be perfect if the client were in on it, and it was a scam.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s also funny. Okay, I¡¯ll give Naana a tip too.¡±

    ¡°...Thank you.¡±

    Naana is in a good mood as he talks to Narikin.

    Well, her goal is to give the Narikin¡¯s group vacation, so she counts this as a sess.

    ¡°Speaking of which, this roulette game is a good way to keep the chips flowing. I like it.¡±

    Rokufa is ying roulette ¨C a gambling game that almost the same as its counterparts on Earth ¨C and after watching the dealer throw the ball, she gently ced half of her remaining chips, five, on the number 14.

    The number came up... it¡¯s 14, and the chips came back 36 times, totaling 180. The dealer smiles wryly.

    ¡°... Madam, normally, you would run out of money if you kept betting on a single number like that. You can bet in a wider range, right?¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t run out of chips, so it¡¯s all good.¡±

    Rokufa observed the trajectory of the sphere with her eyes and guessed where it would fall. As an angel race, she had a sharp eye for observation; they usually use it for battle.

    Of course, their predictions are not perfect, but they are urate enough to hit the jackpot every once in five times. Unlike the roulette wheel of Earth, the inside of the roulette wheel did not have a diamond-shaped protrusion, which also made it easier to predict the ball¡¯s trajectory. Her abilities were already in a realm where you could call it future sights.

    ¡°The rules are so simple that all you have to do is guess where the ball will fall.¡±

    ¡°I guess we can still y.¡±

    Narikin was smiling when he said he could y because he could work to gather information.

    Naana had five cards left and were about to leave when he hit the jackpot. She sighed as she knows that it was still going to be a long day.

    ... And all the information he¡¯s gathering is nothing. You can find many things that are not rted to the secret dungeon that you should be looking for information on, such as a lost yellow handkerchief, rats making a hole in some wall, or the owner of a tool shop having an affair.

    Even if I were to report such information to Kehma, he would probably just say, ¡°Oh. Okay.¡±

    ¡°Well, well, my wife has won again! My Goddess of fortune. Now, is there anyone who would like to take advantage of such good fortune? If so, bring me something interesting to entertain my wife with!¡±

    ¡°Sir, me, sir! Buy my story!¡±

    ¡°No, buy my story!¡±

    Ha-ha-ha, Line up then! Come on, you all, talk.

    If Rokufa had simply continuously made money at roulette, she would have been already banned. However, since Narikin was using it in a reckless way to spread the chips around, the store had no particr say in the matter, and a perfect bnce was established.

    Each customer would spend the tips that the Narikin spread out without hesitation, and they would splurge even more carried away by the momentum of their spending, which in fact helped to boost the sales of the store.

    Narikin himself generously distributes at least 25 silver coins per day. ...Theymented after returning to the inn that they had failed to meet their quota again.

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t this okay? Let¡¯s do it slowly because we are on vacation. Oh, excuse me. Fruit, please.¡±

    Naana paid the boy on the floor the tip she had just received and took a piece of fruit that looked like a grape. She popped it into her mouth and quenched her thirst with the sweetness and its juice.

    TL notes:

    Still on the stages of wait and see. If Ziru continue this, then you all know the answer.

    ah btw, I also looking for my next project. if you had any abandoned/new WN ideas, go ahead.

 Chapter 499 - Beehive

    <h4>Chapter 499 ¨C Beehive</h4>

    had some free time today, I spend it tranting this, hope you guys enjoy it.

    Wataru hade today.

    After receiving the usual 100 gold coins to pay his debts, the four of us, plus Rokuko and Nerune, sat at a table in the cafeteria, eating a C-rank set meal and talking.

    ¡°And that man, you know, he held up a tube like this, and pointed the tube at me while he saying, ¡®I¡¯m going to turn you into a beehive!¡¯¡±

    Wataru nces at me while posing as if he was holding a firearm

    ¡°then?¡±

    ¡°...then a bee really came out of that tube! It seems to be a species called a parasite bee, and they were literally nning to turn me into beehive!¡±

    Wataru nced at me again.

    That¡¯s too obvious. I¡¯m not falling for it.

    ¡°Hee~~ I don¡¯t know that kind of bee exist.¡±

    ¡°Parasites and such an amazing creature... So, is that a beehive or fake beehive?¡±

    ¡°Okay, what happen next?¡±

    ¡°...there¡¯s no next! that was the whole story!¡±

    Wataru was quite frustrated by our reaction. As Japanese, I think he expect me to react a little, but did you really think I will react to something of that extent?

    ¡°In my previous world, there this weapon called a gun, and bullets came out of a tube. The principle is different, but it¡¯s something like a [stone bolt]. When you attack an enemy with it, you get holes in your head. So there¡¯s a cliche line that refer it to beehive.¡±

    Did you punish yourself by exining what so funny by the story you told us?

    ¡°... I see! So the gun was held in the same manner of that cylinder right? it¡¯s amazing coincidence that they even had the same cliche line!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, thanks Rokuko, it¡¯s helpful that you understand it so fast.¡±

    ¡°...ah, I see, I also understand.¡±

    ¡°Kehma on the other hand is unnaturally slow. It¡¯s as if you¡¯re waiting for Rokuko¡¯s reaction before you say you understand.¡±

    Because I am.

    ¡°Ah that story, I¡¯m curious, is there was a magic circle in the tube?¡±

    ¡°Oh. That is right, there was a magic circle that elerated the bees and shot them out.¡±

    ¡°eleration? Can I see the cylinder?¡±

    ¡°Sure, here you go, Nerune.¡±

    ¡°Wataru! I love you!¡±

    Wataru hands the ¡°tube¡± to Nerune. It seems to be a mechanism that when the trigger is pulled, the lid at the bottom opens and the bees are released. Combined with its iron-like appearance, it certainly looks like a gun.

    Is it just a coincidence? But when you considering the user also saying the cliched line [I will turn you into beehive] this smells like something that Leona made up.

    ¡°This magic circle is at the bottom of the tube. ¨C it¡¯s deep inside... How did they do this? Master, how do you think this magic circle was carved?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? I think they carved it first then shape the metal into tube. You can easily bend metal sheet just by heating it, and it easier than carving a tube from a solid block.¡±

    ¡°I see! Then you don¡¯t need to be super skilled to make it! ah, you¡¯re right, there are some ces that look like joints.¡±

    Nerune is going crazy about the tube, leaving Wataru, who just received the love word from her,pletely out of picture.

    ¡°...Hey Wataru, are you okay with this...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. This is what I call happiness.¡±

    ¡°Well, ...I suppose she could at least let you pat her on the head? Right, Nerune?¡±

    ¡°eh? Be my guest.¡±

    Nerune tilted the top of her brown hair slightly toward Wataru as she looked at the tube.

    Wataru gently stroked her head, after she give her permission ¡°by my guest¡±. It was soothing to look at.

    ¡°...Speaking of which, Wataru likes Nelune, right?¡±

    ¡°BUH¡±

    Wataru clearly upset at Rokuko tantmentary.

    ¡°Eh? You want to confirm it now? In front of her?¡±

    ¡°You like her, right?¡±

    ¡°...I-I do like her!¡±

    His face turned red, but he finally said it, though regrettably Nerune is busy with the cylinder and didn¡¯t notice it.

    ¡°and just as you heard before Nerune also likes Wataru, so at least there¡¯s some feeling between you.¡±

    ¡°i-is that so? I¡¯m happy if it¡¯s true.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why! I¡¯m in the middle of making something good right now, I¡¯m going to make a little park.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m listening.¡±

    ¡°I need a little help with it, if you do, Nerune will be happy too, right? Nerune.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m happy!¡±

    I don¡¯t think Nerune understand what Rokuko mean, she just goes along with her words.

    ¡°Is that so! I will help you then!¡±

    ¡°...Wataru, if I may...¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t say it.¡±

    ¡°Well..., if it¡¯s okay with you, it¡¯s okay with me.¡±

    And Wataru was made to promise to help build a confession spot that Rokuko was nning.

    The main objective is to prepare the ce of the said park, which is still in a forest state, you need to exterminate its wild monsters, andter that ce will be the location of ¡®sure-fire confession¡¯ spot.

    ¡°Rokuko... isn¡¯t this... a scamming?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a problem, Wataru, let¡¯s say you both don¡¯t have mutual feeling of each other, then the confession won¡¯t even happen. The important thing right now is to create the park for those candidates of future couple.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you said it like that...¡±

    It should be noted that I am the first person that will do this, so it¡¯s not something that unrted to me.

    By the way Rokuko? I¡¯m counting on you to exin this whole thing to Haku.

    TL note:

    I FORGOT to post this... sorry

    and ch 500 is already scheduled for release.

    Lastly, if you like my works, consider supporting me via Patreon or ko-fi; every umted 50$ will be dedicated to the extra chapter in the public release, private release via Patreon, and ko-fi is unchanged you can unlock all pending chapter with any amount of donation you gave me.

    That¡¯s all I guess, oh yeah, I will continue to trante LDM until I catch up with the raw then I will make a pool on what to do next. The list is huge, thanks to your all suggestion (my brain almost fried from reading too much), I¡¯m trying my best to carefully sorting it, I suspect there will be only 3 or 4 candidates left from those myriads of suggestion.

 Chapter 500 - Narikinâ€™s Report

    <strong>Chapter 500 ¨C Narikin¡¯s Report</strong>

    I gave a paid vacation to Narikin¡¯s party and some bonus money, using said money to gather intel while doing their vacation. Right now, I¡¯m listening to their report from inside the birdcage while possessing the bird, Tran.

    ¡°...I see that you are very enthusiastic about your work.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very pleased with your praise.¡±

    I¡¯m using [Telepathy], with this I can receive the report while I¡¯m possessing Tran. it¡¯s a very convenient skill.

    I don¡¯t know why my subordinates are so passionate about their work; Rei was also like this, Even though I, as their Master, want to sleep as much as I can.

    ¡°So we went to the casino to gather information, and I got a lot of it. I think I have gathered most of the rumor that goes around here. The information we gathered is written in these documents.¡±

    ¡°Hmmm, for sure, I could see that you¡¯ve gathered a lot of misc. information.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to Rokufa and Naana. I was just throwing money around.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s all thanks to Narikin and Naana. I was just predicting the oue of the roulette wheel.¡±

    ¡°... I will take the credit then, Master Kehma. I was the one who tempted them to do this.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! We three worked hard!¡±

    For now, I¡¯ll ask Soto to bring me the information documents via the [storage].

    I want to scold them, but first, there¡¯s this one piece of information that piqued my interest.

    ¡°...a female adventurer used a magic potion to change her sex to male in order to gain more power. But when she had a male lover, she changed back to a woman, had a baby, and then changed back to a man. ......?¡±

    It¡¯s a story about someone who repeatedly did gender-swapping.

    ¡°Yeah. It seems that he is a famous A-rank adventurer who has dived into dungeons.¡±

    ¡°This... isn¡¯t this a magic potion from Chaos Pharmaceuticals?¡±

    Chaos Pharmaceuticals magic potion was a name for a magic potion produced by Chaos God Leona.

    In the Raverio empire, the potion was tightly restricted and regted. The reason for this is that they are often used for criminal purposes. However, if you have permission, you can use them; I don¡¯t know the details.

    ¡°Chaos pharmaceutical... I¡¯m not sure if it really them, but I did hear that the Holy Kingdom doesn¡¯t regte this kind of medicine at all. Ah, there¡¯s also this.¡±

    ¡°[One-night sex change festival. One night only madness and pleasure for you]. ...20 silver coins for participation. (the potion will only have an overnight effect)

    ¨CWow, I¡¯m impressed; you¡¯re even collecting information on events in the red-light districts. Good job.¡±

    ¡°Yes! Thank you! ... By the way, I heard that the first time this event was held, there was a lot of scream at the next morning. Hahahaha.¡±

    After that, they have to take proper after-service after such an event... but this proves that it¡¯s not regted enough to allow such an event to be held casually, and it seems to be avable quite often.

    But still, the drug with permanent effect is priced at thousand gold coins.

    ¡°Did they got this from the dungeon drop or...?¡±

    ¡°Well, if that were the case, it would be considered a banned medicine in the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°So, are they handmade? No, I¡¯ll check it out if it¡¯s avable in the DP catalog first. Hold on for a minute.¡±

    ¡°We will wait for your return.¡±

    Leaving Narikin and Rokufa down on one knee while watching me release my possession, I once again returned to my main body in the Cave of Desire.

    I immediately open the DP catalog to see if Chaos Pharmaceutical¡¯s magic potion was listed there.

    ¡°...wow, it¡¯s really here.¡±

    The potion of Chaos Pharmaceutical was listed perfectly inside the catalog.

    It says 10 million DP for a permanent effect, limited edition is... wait, limited edition? Is this also something that made by Leona?

    It¡¯s 100.000 DP for the one that willst one year, and I still can¡¯t find out how long the limited edition effectsts.

    As for the priceparison, I found a magic potion shop in Corkey when I went to the imperial capital with Wataru and the others, and the purchase price I know is exactly 1 Gold coin per 10,000 DP.

    ¡°...? Wait, how? I¡¯m not sure how she got her product into my catalog in the first ce. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible that it was adopted for the catalog without my permission ¡ª or it is...?¡±

    Ah, to think of it, this once happened before with Haku¡¯s [Introduction to Dungeonology]. Her book was listed without me being aware of it. Could it be that the DP catalog also has a function to sell something people produced?

    I guess I¡¯ll have to email Haku and ask her about thister.

    If this is the case, it¡¯s also possible that the magic potion is being created in a dungeon in the Holy Kingdom rather than being created by Leona herself.

    Eh, I almost forgot that Narikin is still waiting for me. I possessed Tran again, the little bird in the Holy Kingdom.

    ¡°Good work, sorry for the wait.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡±

    Narikin and Rokufa are still in the one knee position when they saw me off.

    ¡°... Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve been waiting in that position all this time? You should have made yourselffortable, just like that maid over there.¡±

    He looks at Naana, who is sitting in a chair while drinking tea.

    She even has time to lift her teacup and smirk, ¡°want some?¡± Really, what kind of maid are you? It¡¯s okay, though.

    ¡°I¡¯m a living armor by nature, so it¡¯s easier for me not to move.¡±

    ¡°Really? But think of Rokufa. She¡¯s different from you.¡±

    ¡°No need for worries, it¡¯s easier for us, angel, to stay motionless in this position, too.¡±

    ¡°...Don¡¯t push yourself, okay?¡±

    For now, I¡¯ll tell them that they can rest when I¡¯m not around. And¡ª

    ¡°The next thing I want you to check is the source of this sex change potion. I¡¯ll also send you some additional funds, just for precaution. ¡°

    ¡°Understood, thank you very much!¡±

    ¡°But you still had to take rest properly, have you done as I told? I¡¯ve given you vacation, but you keep working. At this rate, you¡¯ll ruin the name of Beddhism.¡±

    ¡°Eee, we went to the gambling den to y. That was our vacation. It was very worthwhile.¡±

    ¡°The information just came to us on its own, Master.¡±

    I nced at the maid who had nted the excuse in advance.

    ¡°If I hadn¡¯t put it that way, these two would really be doing nothing but work.¡±

    ¡°O-oh, I see, you also had it hard, huh...¡±

    ¡°I did, but this all for the sake of defeating Leona-sama, so be it.¡±

    She takes out a grape from the storage and crushes it with her bite, she shows off her true nature now, but overall I said she did a good job.

    ¡°Then continue your investigation. Also, make sure you take your vacation!¡±

    ¡°..........understood.¡±

    Looking at his reaction I thought, ¡°Oh, he¡¯s trying to find another loophole to work again,¡± that¡¯s why he replied after a short pause, but if he¡¯s going that far, I won¡¯t stop him... but please, take care of yourself.

    TL Note:

    Kehma is the ideal boss... that won¡¯t ever happen in reality tho.

 Chapter 501 - How to put it in the catalog

    Chapter 501 ¨C How to put it in the catalog

    If you want to put your creation in the catalog, you can ask [father] to register it for you, and he will include it if you want to reproduce it.

    ¡°Oh, so you can ask him to do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, the profit will be reduced, but there is almost nothing that [father] cannot replicate.¡±

    ¡°As expected from [father]! Isn¡¯t that right sister?¡±

    ¡°Grandfather is amazing!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Rokuko-chan, Soto-chan.¡±

    I listened to Haku¡¯s exnation in the suite, while eating together with Rokuko and Soto. The menu was, of course, the ¡°Greedy Set,¡± an A-rank dinner. At a cost as low as five gold coins, it could recover the cost for the bonus I gave Narikin¡¯s group with this one meal.

    but the content of our conversation wasn¡¯t something we had to keep a secret from Leona, so she didn¡¯t have toe in person to deliver it, she should have replied to me via e-mail, because there was no need to be wary of Leona eavesdropping. I¡¯m sure the reason why she visited me normally was because she wanted to see Rokuko, I¡¯m sure of it.

    ¡°So, the magic potion that Leona made can also be made using DP. But it still requires a dungeon. I believe the fact that the item is freely avable in the Holy Kingdom, which has a policy of destroying dungeons, means that Leona¡¯s base is there, OR there is a hidden dungeon producing it. It¡¯s probably one of these.¡±

    ¡°I entrusted the investigation of the dungeon to Haku and my hands were free. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve had my subordinate to investigate the source of the medicine.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s a good job well done from your side, Kehma.¡±

    When Niku gently put down another melon cream soda, Haku spontaneously picked it up and sipped it through the straw, thank you for your patronage.

    ¡°It¡¯s as good as ever, though it would be quicker if the cream soda could be purchased using DP.¡±

    ¡°...Come to think of it, my catalog and Haku¡¯s catalog have different prices and contents, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Kehma is from another world. That¡¯s why you have an ess to otherworldly goods.¡±

    ¡°Can I register those items?¡±

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t. You can only register items made by Rokuko-chan or Kehma yourself. So to register melon soda, you need to gather the ingredients without relying on DP, cook it, give the 10 products to [father], and ask him to register them. Such a procedure will be required. ¡±

    Also, it seems that you must make the item yourself, you can¡¯t just buy 10 products from the store, register them, and then use DP to increase the number of products as much as you want.

    Lastly you need to wait for [father] judgement as Dark god.

    It did look like it took a lot of work, but why did he need 10 items when registering? Oh, I guess it¡¯s like a samples?

    ¡°There are two ways to sell too. One is for the registrant to replenish their own supply. In this case, the number of units sold will be limited, but the price of the DP will be decided by the registrant, and if it sells, 80% of the DP will belong to the registrant. The other way is to let [father] to reproduce the item. In this case, the price is set by [father], and you get 10% of the DP when the item is sold. The number of supplies is unlimited.¡±

    I see. uou can either give 20% of the sales to [father] as amission for distribution and cataloging, and sell at your own pace, or you can sell the blueprints to [father] and get 10% of the sales. Hmm, sounds useful.

    ¡°I reality, not many people using this function.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°If you can make something that isn¡¯t in the catalog, we will use it as dungeon unique bait to attract adventurers and make a DP. unless it was something that you want it to spread like my book of [Introduction of Dungeonology] or Leona potion, in short we normally won¡¯t use it unless there¡¯s special circumstances behind those items.¡±

    If you want to exchange DP or goods among your friends, you can do it in person by arranging a meeting or something, and there¡¯s a hurdle to asking [father] in the first ce, you need to use GP or go talk to him directly. And in the end, the buyers are limited to dungeon cores. It¡¯s not a very attractive market. Not to mention that we already have a lot of product in our catalog.

    ¡°So, would you be interested in registering a melon cream soda? I can at least help you arrange the ingredients if you want. What do you need? Cherries? Melon?¡±

    ¡°If I make cream soda avable for purchase at DP, won¡¯t you lose one reason toe here?¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right. Let¡¯s not do that.¡±

    And Haku took another refill. Okay, let me put it in your bill, thank you.

    ¡°By the way, what kind of things do you have in your catalog, sister?¡±

    ¡°Since both Rokuko-chan and I are humanoid type cores, the basics listing won¡¯t have that much difference. In fact, I think Rokuko-chan¡¯s catalog is moreplete because the existence of Kehma. I don¡¯t have trump-card like item in my catalog.¡±

    To think of it, Haku¡¯s Master is Leon Raverio. Her default catalog was originated from the humans of this world and the human-type dungeon core. There wouldn¡¯t have been much variety to add to the catalog.

    ¡°Ah, That¡¯s right. Dolce, where¡¯s your report?¡±

    ¡°Understood, I will be using telepathy now, excuse me.¡±

    Whoa! Dolce appeared suddenly out of nowhere. I¡¯m not sure if Haku is the one who summoned her, but she appeared suddenly on the map. I want her to stop using this kind of entrance just because she¡¯s a wraith, it¡¯s not good for my heart.

    And to make it worse, I have no idea what she was reporting in front of us. Can¡¯t you submitted it via e-mail? Or is the content so sensitive that it can¡¯t be leaked to Leona? No, I¡¯m not going to ask what kind of report it is because I might as well get erased on the spot.

    ¡°......¡±

    ¡°Hmm. Okay.¡±

    ¡°......¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s good. As expected, Dolce is the right person for the job... I want you to visit the Imperial Capital once more, so have Soto send you there.¡±

    ¡°Understood, thank you very much.¡±

    Ah, yes. By the way, when Haku came to visit us this time, she went into Soto¡¯s [Storage] dungeon, then Soto was summoned here by Rokuko¡¯s dungeon function, Haku thenes out from Soto¡¯s [dungeon] and arrived here. thus shortened the travel time, by making it an overnight trip.

    She only knows this function only avable in Rokuko dungeon¡¯s function, and we still kept the secret of Soto¡¯s [storage] cheat transfer method.

    We cover it using a pretense that this is an ability that can only be used by me or Rokuko [Storage], but ever since I introduced this ¡®Soto transportation¡¯ method, Haku has been frequently making use of it.

    and because Haku, with her status as the founder of the Raverio Empire, wants to use it, a mere [storage] entrance is not a suitable choice, so the entrance at least must be a solid door that¡¯s been transformed into Soto¡¯s [dungeon], it also possible that was just Haku excuse, perhaps she simply wants to observes Soto growth up close? {tln}

    ¡°Soto-chan, Rokuko-chan. Can you do that for me?

    ¡°Yes! One sock or tights per person, please!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thanks both you. But... why socks? Well, it¡¯s the role of adults to apany children¡¯s games, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Soto, my daughter... I¡¯m d you can satisfy your hobby by using it as a transportation fee for Haku, but do it moderately, okay? Your father is drenched in cold sweat here.

    ANote:

    If it¡¯s a duplicated by avoiding it fat you can have a delicious fish without a fat! (genius!) ah, but in order to do that, you need to force Soto to eat a lot of fish.

 Chapter 502 - For now.

    <h4>Chapter 502 ¨C For now.</h4>

    TL note: starting this chapter (( )) is signifying the thought transmission / telepathy.

    I¡¯ve finished the information exchange with Haku; now, I¡¯ll send out instructions to Narikin¡¯s group to investigate once again.

    ¡°...and so, I want you to continue to investigate the source of the magic potion. How¡¯s the current progress?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master. The potion is apparently being shipped from the town of Kuromaku.¡± {tln1}

    ¡°Kuromaku, eh? hmm.¡±

    I¡¯ve heard the name of the town before, but ording to Narikin¡¯s information, the name ¡°Kuromaku¡± means ¡°big ck cloth¡±, ¡°dark curtain,¡± or ¡°one who supports and works in the shadows.

    ...in other words, the mastermind?

    No, I don¡¯t think they would have given it such an obvious name like a ¡°mastermind{kuromaku}¡± but... {tln2}

    ¡°Toy, do you know if Leona had some involvement in Kuromaku?¡±

    ¡°Well. I was positioned in Daedo, so I don¡¯t know. But if it¡¯s a magic potion from Chaos Pharmaceuticals, there¡¯s always a possibility that Leona-sama is making it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also very likely that it¡¯s being produced from the dungeon, and it would be a bad idea to confront Leona herself directly...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right. Our chance to win is currently none.¡±

    Also, she could expose my lies to Toy. As I was thinking, Naana interjected

    ¡°Oh, but...

    ording to the information which Narikin gathered, the supply is abundant, organized, and stable. If Leona-sama were the one who was making it, it would be hard to imagine that the supply would be this stable, so as Kehma-sama spected, the dungeon must be involved.¡±

    ¡°I also think that would be the case.¡±

    She is always traveling and quite whimsical; that¡¯s why It¡¯s hard to imagine she could produce a stable supply. Also... Considering that Leona went to the trouble of registering the medicine she made to the catalog, it is more natural to think that there are dungeon cores in this Holy Kingdom who resell Leona¡¯s medicine.

    That being said, it¡¯s also possible that this was a diversion she deliberately ced; if that the case, we will just have to deal with it when then the timees.

    ¡°So, Narikin. From here on out, I want you to move to Kuromaku to gather information.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    And just in case, let me give a warning about Toy.

    ¡°Narikin. Let me remind you, don¡¯t let Toy have any valuable possessions, okay? And Toy, don¡¯t forget that your body is under our control. Haku¡¯s people are watching you, too.¡±

    ¡°Certainly, sir!¡±

    ¡°Well, well, I guess Master Kehma doesn¡¯t trust me yet. But I¡¯m relieved. They were so defenseless that I thought I was the only one who cared.¡±

    Naana shrugs her shoulders.

    ¡°...Narikin, Rokufa. Toy is one of us, but she¡¯s still half of the enemy. So keep your guard up, okay?¡±

    ¡°Understood!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Master.¡±

    After receiving the final confirmation from my two subordinates, who replied while keeping their heads down, I released the possession.

    ¡°... oh, you¡¯re awake, Kama?¡±

    And when I woke up in my usual master room bed, Rokuko was gently, tightly snuggling with me.

    ¡°...Hey, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Haku came yesterday, didn¡¯t she?¡±

    ¡°She certainly did. That¡¯s why she won¡¯t being for a while. Forget about that; I need to talk to you about something.¡±

    Apparently, she has no intention of releasing me. Unfortunately, at a time like this, Rokuko bes quite stubborn, so I decided to listen to her first.

    ¡°Sister Haku told us about the catalog registration, didn¡¯t she? I was wondering if there was any way I could use it to my advantage.¡±

    ¡°Did youe up with a good way to utilize it?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. The problem is that the basic requirement is to produce something without any dungeon-rted materials; that¡¯s pretty strict, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The iron used in our vige is indeed made from iron golems. In other words, it¡¯s also a product of the dungeon.

    ¡°But to put it in another way, it¡¯s like saying that material that isn¡¯t from dungeons are more valuable.¡±

    ¡°Then the only things we can use are wood, leather, and dirt. Can you build a massage chair with that?¡±

    ¡°Certainly, that¡¯s not impossible to make.¡±

    The massage chair is made from abination of wood, leather, and the bed cover {ofuton} from DP. If you substitute the bed cover with ones that do note from the dungeon, it might be possible. {tln3}

    ¡°But there¡¯s no guarantee that the materials won¡¯te from another dungeon, right?¡±

    ¡°ah... I think it¡¯s alright if it something that came from another dungeon. Probably?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so. But, of course, if that¡¯s the case, we could get the Ontentoo to help us, but I doubt [father] would overlook that.¡±

    ¡°Right... there¡¯s no way that will happen.¡±

    If so, you need to choose your materials carefully, and if possible, you¡¯ll have to procure them yourself.

    ¡°But the massage chair is not good because I sold it to Haku, saying that it was only avable in our catalog. If it¡¯s registered now, our lie will be exposed.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right... really can¡¯t be helped, can it?¡±

    As I finished saying that, Rokuko hugs and cuddling with me.

    ¡°Is that¡¯s it for the consultation?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, wait a little more.¡±

    Then Rokuko rubbed her body against mine. She¡¯s almost like Niku right now.

    ¡°All right, I¡¯m going back to work. By the way, the park is progressing well!¡±

    ¡°oh, okay.¡±

    she seems satisfied with this and left the room.

    ¡°... I¡¯m going to sleep.¡±

    But it took me a while to fall asleep because I was somehow conscious of the warmth and smell of Rokuko left behind.

    TL note:

    1: written using katakana, but I leave it alone since they use its Japanese meaning a lot in this chapter.

    2: ¡°mastermind¡± = ü\Ä» = kuromaku/wire puller/ck curtain, the difference is this one written using kanji, while the town name is in katakana.

    3: That is not exactly right, I know, but it is as close as possible with its literal meaning.

 Chapter 503 - Sotoâ€™s Tea Party

    <h4>Chapter 503 ¨C Soto¡¯s Tea Party</h4>

    Kehma¡¯s daughter, Soto, has naturally blended into the vige of Gollen.

    Today, she holds a tea party to make more friends. She was using the Dancing Doll Pavilion inn dining room.

    ¡°I¡¯m papa¡¯s daughter, Soto Gollene! Please call me Soto-chan!¡±

    Besides Soto, the tea party participants were Niku, Maiodore, Michiru (an apprentice sister), and Shikina, totaling five people. The seats are empty because it¡¯s not a busy hour; the time was perfect for holding such an event.

    Served on the table are tea and pudding.

    ¡°I¡¯m Maiodore Shia, Kuro¡¯s fianc¨¦e.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m Michiru, an apprentice of the Beddishm Sisters!¡±

    ¡°... I need to introduce myself too? I¡¯m Niku Kuroinu.¡±

    ¡°I am the eldest daughter of (the great) Dain Kukkoro, the head of Kukkoro family; my name is Shikina Kukkoro. Don¡¯t you d to have me here?¡±

    By the way, Soto¡¯s full name is [Karinisoto Gollen Masuda LabyrintHeart], but since she is present herself as the daughter of the vige chief, she usually omits it.

    Cid from the neighboring vige of Drago also abbreviates his long name to Cid Pavuera, and Maiodore, who holds the highest position of the tea party participants, has a long middle name that she doesn¡¯t use unless she¡¯s on a very prestigious asion. And then there¡¯s this ¡®Shikina¡¯. pared to those two, her title is nothing}

    ¡°I¡¯ll be giving out a pair of socks, a sign of friendship! Don¡¯t worry. They¡¯re all fresh from the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s very kind of you, thank you.¡±

    Maiodore and the others received the new socks from Soto.

    They are not wrapped and are bare, but the quality is certainly very good.

    ¡°By all means, please try it now! Oh, and I¡¯ll collect your old socks!¡±

    ¡°Soto-sama. Master has asked me not to wear them to the tea party today.¡±

    ¡°Uuu, sis? No, papa... I¡¯ll remember that.¡±

    Just when Soto was about to unleash her perverted nature, Niku stopped her.

    For some reason, Soto¡¯s entricities ¨C namely, her sock collecting hobby ¨C had been tolerated until now, but that was because they were limited to Kehma¡¯s subordinates, the ves Niku and Ichika, and the dungeon monster girls, in other words, her rtives. You could say that it was tolerated because it was limited within her family.

    It would be safer not to let her do this to anyone outside our family. Thanks to Niku, it looks like we can start the tea party without any problems.

    ¡°Kuro-sama is Soto-sama¡¯s older sister, right?¡±

    ¡°Yes! Now that you mention it, That means I¡¯m also your sister... Oh, but... Mai-chan is my sister¡¯s fianc¨¦, right? should I call you sister-inw?¡±

    ¡°sister-inw...?! Yes! Please do!¡±

    Maiodore was delighted.

    ¡°For me, I¡¯m more surprised by the fact that Master already had a daughter.¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t Kuro-sama also Kehma¡¯s child? That¡¯s not so surprising.¡±

    ¡°...? But the family name is different, isn¡¯t it? And Kuro is a dog beastman. She clearly from a different species.¡±

    ¡°Kuroinu is a name I got from my mother; I had a different mother from Soto-sama.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Kuro-chan is an illegitimate child? Master must have his consideration then.¡±

    Shikina was convinced by Niku¡¯s excuse. By the way, her father is also different, but I¡¯ll keep that to myself. ck hair is rare, so if you don¡¯t make it clear, they¡¯ll automatically assume that we are rted.

    Next, Michiru, who had dutifully changed her socks, spoke to Soto.

    ¡°Soto-chan, Soto-chan!¡±

    ¡°What is it? Michiru.¡±

    ¡°Are you a Beddhist?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! I¡¯m a Beddhist!

    ¡°Yayyy!¡±

    ¡°Yayyy!¡±

    Soto and Michiru exchanged high fives. They hit it off immediately, then Michiru gently hands Soto a freshly removed sock hidden from Niku¡¯s sight.

    ¡°Soto-sama, I, Michiru, want to ask some favor for the uing church event.¡±

    ¡°Kukuku, aren¡¯t you a wise one. But okay, I shall speak to my papa for you...¡± {tln2}

    Such exchange between two corrupt officials was happening; thankfully the item that was exchanged is socks, not a [shiny yellow candy]{gold} keeping the scene like a child y.

    In addition, both of them are just doing it for fun, so there should be no particr evil scheme. I hope.

    ¡°...but still, the pudding in this inn is really perfect. I¡¯ve been trying to recreate it at home since I got the recipe.¡±

    ¡°My Lady, when did you get the recipe?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m Kuro¡¯s fianc¨¦e, after all?¡±

    ¡°How nice...¡±

    ¡°Why you say that? You can alwayse here to eat, can¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Michiru-dono, I will eventually return to my family home in the imperial capital. ...I wish to stay here for another ten years.¡±

    I was beginning to worry about Sikina¡¯s marriage. Will she be alright? But I shouldn¡¯t. Maiodore said it clearly. She¡¯s an elf, and it¡¯s another family business. There¡¯s no point in worrying about it.

    ¡°Indeed, the Capital city is quite far from here.¡±

    ¡°It would be a good idea to hire a storage specialist who will be responsible for delivering meals from this ce.¡±

    ¡°I see. someone like Wataru?¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that what the brave Wataru does, Kuro?¡±

    Apparently, purchasing rice here and transporting it to the Imperial Capital is part of Wataru¡¯s job. {tln3}

    ...For the record, they can and did brought as much as they want to the Imperial Capital using the dungeon function, but they seem to be using Wataru as a cover. (Well, exporting rice is one of the most important sources of ie for the Cave of Desire, including the rice that is being shipped via the White Sands.)

    ¡°Hmmm. I wonder what kind of socks the hero Wataru wears as he travels around the empire...¡±

    ¡°Soto-sama...¡±

    ¡°I-I know! Not today right? not today.¡±

    Soto is reprimanded by Niku.

    ¡°Niku, it doesn¡¯t bother me, okay? I¡¯ll ept Soto-chan¡¯s love, too, because that¡¯s what a Beddhist Sister is for!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so cute, Michiru! I love you!¡±

    ¡°Michiru! The way you called Kuro-sama is kind of...¡±

    ¡°... I¡¯d rather be called by that name, you know?¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do, Kuro-sama! It¡¯s a little vu-vulgar... bu-but when we are married, I¡¯ll call you that in our bedroom... Until then, please forgive me!¡± {tln4}

    Maiodore¡¯s face turns red.

    It¡¯s easy to forget that ¡®Niku¡¯ means ¡®meat¡¯ (prostitute) because our family casually called her Niku every day.

    ¡°Pst, Soto-chan, Mai-sama smells good.¡±

    ¡°Right, she¡¯s so cute, I like her.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you are indeed Master¡¯s daughter!¡±

    ¡°Wait! Three of you, what do you mean by that!¡±

    ¡°...Would you like some more pudding?¡±

    Just like that, they naturally epted Soto as their friend. ...natural if we consider she¡¯s Gollen Vige Chief¡¯s daughter.

    TL note:

    ...Haku must be the one who granted such a cool name to Soto...

    2: that escted quickly.

    3: WATARUUUUUUUU!!! One of the most tragic hero, ever!

    4: is this children¡¯s tea party...

    I struggled in thatst line, it read like this in raw ¡°they normally ept Soto, normal? In a sense that she¡¯s Gollen vige Chief¡¯s daugther.¡±

 Chapter 504 - The Town of Kuromaku

    Chapter 504 ¨C The Town of Kuromaku

    Narikin party has arrived in Kuromaku.

    I [possessed] the little bird, Tran, and rode on Narikin¡¯s shoulders to see the town. The town of Kuromaku was lined with ck square buildings decorated with ck cloth. Those clothes were probably sculptures or something because they didn¡¯t sway when the wind blew, but they were very frilly. On the other hand, the clothes of the people on the street were white, amon sight in the Holy Kingdom, and they looked like they were wearing curtains.

    I feel as if I¡¯ve wandered into a monochrome world.

    ((Kuromaku... the ck curtain, yeah, it¡¯s suited its name well.))

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s also meant a curtain that painted ck, ah, the dye is this town specialty product.¡±

    ((I see..., it also serves as promotion for their unique product.))

    ((Rokufa, what is that?))

    ¡°Eee, I don¡¯t know. Is it a... stall? Narikin, do you know anything about it?¡±

    Just so you know, Rokuko has also been possessing Shiva and rides on Rokufa¡¯s shoulders. She has also learned telekinesis. I noticed this quitete, but it¡¯s easier to [possess] the bird and rides on Narikin and Rokufa shoulders than to possess them.

    And just beyond my line of sight, there was a tent with fluttering cloth that could easily be mistaken as a fortune-telling hut, but the interior looked like a store of some kind.

    ¡°umm, from what I see, it appears to be a general store selling essories, madam.¡±

    ¡°Ah! He is right, Rokuko-sama.¡±

    ((essories! Jewelry is an essential part of the culture. Rokufa, I¡¯m going with Kehmater, so lend me your body.))

    ¡°Yes, with pleasure.¡±

    Rokufa nodded at Rokuko¡¯s request.

    It seems they already decided to switch bodiester, without even asking about my schedule.... well, I didn¡¯t have any in particr, though, not even a scheduled sleep at Beddhist church. Rokuko... you understand my schedule a bit too well.

    ¡°What shall we do, Master? Should we stop and choose a present for Madam for now?¡±

    ((I will do that when I possess youter, For now, take care of lodging first, we need to secure an inn.))

    ¡°Ack, you¡¯re right. I shouldn¡¯t let my wife sleep on the camp.¡±

    ¡°Well, you know... I wouldn¡¯t mind camping out with you.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do, this is an unfamiliar ce, and we are not on the road. How can you not take shelter when there is one? It¡¯s only natural for a Beddhist believer to seek for afortable ce to sleep.¡±

    Narikin and Rokufa then huddle together. They really look like a married couple, aren¡¯t they?

    But since Rokufa face is aplete copy of Rokuko¡¯s, it gives me aplicated feeling. And then, Rokuko jumped up and came to stand next to me on Narikin¡¯s shoulder.

    ((The two of you are so close, aren¡¯t you? We can¡¯t lose this Kehma!))

    ((Are wepeting?))

    Shiva (Rokuko) rubs her body against mine. Her feathers are soft and fluffy. She¡¯s a bird, so there¡¯s no sex appeal in this, but she¡¯s cute. Um, Rokuko, stop... Rokufa is grinning at us, and Naana is staring at you in disgust.

    In the end, we managed to secure an inn. We use one for aristocrats or wealthy people because they¡¯ll allow you to bring in small pets, but as expected, if the animal is too big, it will have to go to a stable, but if it¡¯s a small bird, there¡¯s no problem.

    ((The inn design is also... ck cloth.))

    ¡°Ah, Master. I¡¯ve heard that this is actually made of hardened cloth.¡±

    ((Oh, is that so?))

    Inded on Narikin¡¯s hand and stabbed the cloth with my beak, and it made a light and solid sound. I was wondering if it was made by soaking it in glue and letting it harden.

    ¡°It¡¯s this town special product, a dye that hardens in response to magic., and there are even cloth armors made of it. They say it¡¯s light and strong.¡±

    ((Hoo, interesting.))

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the dye is only avable in ck because the raw material itself is ck.¡±

    ((That¡¯s a little disappointing, though the ck is still a good color.))

    Sturdy cloth, huh? Maybe we can incorporate it into our cloth clothes golem.

    ......

    If I make ck knee-highs or ck tights with this dye, I can easily get a mold of someone¡¯s feet.

    Nah, it will be too hard to take them off. Let¡¯s forget that.

    We exchanged bodies in the inn room and came to the jewelry store.

    ¡°Now, Kehm... darling! let¡¯s see what they have for sale.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it would be bad if we messed up with each other name... What do you usually call her?¡±

    ((These days I call Rokufa as ¡®my dear wife.¡¯))

    ¡°My dear...¡±

    I looked amazedly at Narikin, who now possesses the little bird on my shoulder. This guy is really...

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s try this, dar¨Cling?¡±

    ¡°....ma-my dear wife, shall we go then?¡±

    ¡°~Yes!¡±

    And Rokufa (Rokuko) crossed her arm with me. Feeling soft in all sorts of ways, I entered the tent of the jewelry store.

    ¡°Wee.¡±

    The inside of the tent looked like a normal essory stall, with several cloth-covered wooden boxes on a simple table at the counter. Rings, nes, earrings, and other essories lined up inside.

    The boxes were divided into two categories: those with jewels and those without. Hmmm, a t rate of one silver coin for the ones without jewelry and five silver coins with jewelry.

    ¡°Can you show me your goods? Let¡¯s see. I¡¯m looking for something that will suit my wife.¡±

    ¡°Something for a couple would be good.¡±

    As Rokufa began to look at the items, the male shopkeeper came to assist me.

    ¡°Mr. Husband, are you looking for a gift for your wife?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Do you have any suggestions?¡±

    ¡°Well, all of our goods are top-notch... if you don¡¯t mind me asking, how many other wives do you have?¡±

    Ah, right. The Holy Kingdom is a polygamous country.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any other wives at the moment.¡±

    ¡°I see. Then this one is... Ah, but I guess it also a wise choice to buy a few more of these in case you get another wife.¡±

    ¡°E? Is that so?¡±

    ¡°Yes, even though some women say they don¡¯t care it, inside, they DO care about it, so buying some in advance will save you a lot of trouble. How about this one? Isn¡¯t the color of the magic stone is brilliant?¡±

    Magic stone? It seems that the jewel was a magic stone, so it was doubling as magic tools?

    ¡°Does this have any effect?¡±

    ¡°Ah¡ªI¡¯m sorry! Mr. Husband is a traveler? I¡¯m sorry, I thought you were from the Holy Kingdom judging by the clothes you wear.¡±

    Is there something in our conversation that pointed out that I¡¯m a traveler?

    ¡°...why do you think I¡¯m a traveler?¡±

    ¡°Because There is no such thing as an essory with a magic stone and has no effect. By the way, you can exchange magic stones in any town.¡±

    ¡°I see. Normally I would have asked what effect, instead of is there any effect?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also rare to find a couple of two if they¡¯re not tourists. In this country, there are many couples of four or more, even among themoner.¡±

    Is that how it is? I knew it a country with a polygamy system, but was it really thatmon?

    ¡°I was amazed at how people in other countries can take care of their children with only two people. Tourists are usually surprised when I say this, but all adults are married to multiple partners in our vige. Of course, some couples get along particrly well.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. It¡¯s muchmon than I imagined.¡±

    While we chatted, I bought some essories that Rokuko wanted.

    These earrings with red fire magic stones are also said to be an offensive magic tool that explodes when thrown. They are disposable, but they are popr because they are easy to use in times of emergency.

 Chapter 505 - Souvenirs from the Holy Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 505 ¨C Souvenirs from the Holy Kingdom</h4>

    AN: I got distracted by an interesting weic

    TN: me too.

    I bought a whole set of essories as souvenirs to take back to Nerune without Naana noticing.

    It¡¯s a bargain since buying all the exhibits didn¡¯t even cost me a single gold coin! ...Yeah, my sense of money is messed up already. I will need to be careful with that.

    Also, I could use [Super Transformation] to transform into a magic tool and have Nerune investigate it, but I don¡¯t really want to do that because it would mean she would be messing with my body. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re low on money. It might be a different story if I had that kind of fetish, though.

    Anyway, the fastest way to deliver it to Nerune is by using Soto¡¯s [storage] teleport, and the shipping cost is only one sock. Thanks to that, I could show it immediately to Nerune.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s not that exceptional for a magic tool. At most, I could say that this is an essory that can be used for practical purposes.¡±

    ¡°So... they have more value as essories?¡±

    But I think we can take advantage of this in the Raverio Empire. It¡¯s hard to be recognized as a magic tool even if you¡¯re wearing it. I show the magic stone to Nerune, so she understands what I mean.

    ¡°The explosion from that stone is too weak, and this water magic stone will only wet your throat if you suck it at best. Well... that¡¯s better than nothing, I guess?¡±

    ¡°Oi, this is a life-saving item in the desert. The teardrop shape and watery look is also a nice touch.¡±

    ¡°ee~? But we can make water with magic. Is it also cheaper that way, right? If I had to guess, I¡¯d say it¡¯s more suited for dungeons in Holy Kingdom.¡±

    The question is, is it really lighter than water, or is it more cost-effective than magic to produce water, huh?

    ¡°Was this wind stone ear cuff and ring is a reproduction of the [air voice]? If you use a better magic stone, you can increase the range of your effect. Aah, I see. The mark on the magic stone is only on the backside, where it touches the magic tool so that the front side can be polished like a jewel without any problem. Nn?¡±

    ¡°What is it, Nerune?¡±

    ¡°No, I think this means that if you talk to the ring, your voice will reach all the ear cuffs in the area of effect...? It¡¯s specified for everyone, not just you.¡±

    ¡°Maybe it¡¯s supposed to be used by the whole party.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see!¡±

    I think it could be used as amunication inte in family restaurants and the like. We can try to give it to Kinue and have her use it in the cafeteria. The fact that it¡¯s green with green elements is just perfect.

    ¡°These firestone earrings are a souvenir for Madam Rokuko, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I bought them for Rokufa, but I thought they would look good on Rokuko too.¡±

    ¡°Good choice, Master. It can explode, but there¡¯s insurance in various ways. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be pleased with it.¡±

    It¡¯s not like gunpowder, where you can¡¯t specify various conditions for the explosion. There are safety measures that only a magic tool can provide. It seems that even if it is smashed, it will not explode. It would be a disaster if it was broken in the middle of a battle, and my face was gouged by it.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to give it to the others. How about you, Nerune? This yellow stone bangle would look good on you.¡±

    ¡°This is a self-defense tool that can produce sand for blinding. Interesting.¡±

    Certainly, it seems to be quite useful for self-defense.

    ¡°What would be good for Rei? Since it¡¯s a rare opportunity, please pick one ording to the Master¡¯s judgment.¡±

    ¡°I wonder... wouldn¡¯t it be better to let her choose from among these?¡±

    ¡°She will be more delighted to know that Master has chosen for her.¡±

    Hmm, so that¡¯s how it is. I guess you can say that is the nature of dungeon monsters? Since Nerune also a dungeon monster, I believe it would wise to believe in her words.

    ¡°The same bracelet as Nerune¡¯s... No, it¡¯s not going to blind Rei if she uses it. would it?¡±

    ¡°She has zero attack power, so you may feel some difort when it gets in your eyes, but there should be no pain.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good to know, but that¡¯s kind of like, you know? It¡¯s making you feel creepy.¡±

    The fire element earrings are also the same. I was worried if the explosion is strong enough to blow Rei back if she ever uses it.

    The golem crossbow I made for Ray can get around her 0 attack power status by making the golem shoot onmand. But if she can put magic power into that magic tool to activate it, it¡¯s like Rei is the one who is directly attacking you.

    ¡°Items that seem to be useful in daily life seem to be better for her.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, how about this pacifier ne?¡±

    ¡°Pacifier. Wouldn¡¯t it be a hindrance to wear around your neck with the holy seal?¡±

    Another one that looks good is...

    ¡°Master, how about this pendant? It glows.¡±

    ¡°Instead of using [light] spell. A pendant that glows on its own... for vampires?¡±

    ¡°She can see in the dark, so she doesn¡¯t need it.¡±

    And it looks like a toy with LED attached to it, but I omitted that because it won¡¯t make any sense to Nerune. Well... next is...

    ¡°What about the dark attribute ones? I wonder what kind of effect these earrings have.¡±

    ¡°Is it a pierce type earring? Master will need to pierce it for her, you know?¡±

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass.¡±

    I¡¯m afraid of piercing people¡¯s skin. The effect was a thin blindfold for yourself, simr to sunsses. Was it a good enough substitute for an eye mask?

    No, people tend to take off their jewelry when they go to sleep.

    ¡°How about these bracelets? It¡¯s windy, and it¡¯s a bit like Kinue¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°Something that makes a breeze...I guess it could be used for lighting fires...¡±

    ¡°I think she can use it to have the wind blow against her when it¡¯s hot.¡±

    ¡°ahh, isn¡¯t that nice?¡±

    It¡¯s like a portable fan, but more convenient. If we could make it avable in dungeons, it might be more popr than we thought.

    ¡°The next one is for Niku-senpai and Ichika-senpai, right? Oh, do you need Soto-sama¡¯s portion as well?¡±

    ¡°...do I have to choose for all of them?¡±

    ¡°it¡¯s not a good feeling to be left out after all. But, well... I think it¡¯s okay to choose randomly.¡±

    ¡°...uh, I¡¯ll choose properly.¡±

    In the end, in addition to Rei, I still have to choose a magic essory for others.

 Chapter 506 - Souvenirs from the Holy Kingdom (2)

    Chapter 506 ¨C Souvenirs from the Holy Kingdom (2)

    Saying that Kehma handed Ichika a blue gemstone ne. The tear-drop, the water-drop-shaped blue stone, is quickly bing Ichika¡¯s favorite.

    ¡°What? Oh my, it¡¯s a pretty ne. Is it for me? If it is, I won¡¯t give it back even if you asked me to.¡±

    ¡°By the way, that¡¯s a magic tool. When you suck on it, wateres out.¡±

    ¡°Oh, so this is a magic stone... Hmm.¡±

    As soon as Ichika sucked on the stone, water began to seep out. Sure, you can use it to quench your thirst, but it¡¯s much faster to drink water from a cup.

    ¡°Mm-hmm. This is good.¡±

    ¡°I chose this because I thought it would look good on Ichika.¡±

    ¡°Eh, you choose it for me?¡±

    However, what bothered Ichika was the fact that this was a ne s magic tool. It¡¯s rare to see magic tools nes. It must be very expensive.

    Ichika looked to see if the name of the maker or the name of the workshop was engraved on it.

    If it was made by Kehma or Nerune, it would not have such a thing on it. If not, that would be a good indicator of the price and the fact that he had taken the trouble to buy it.

    If you look closely, you can see something that looks like ¡°Nayutashishido¡± engraved in an inconspicuous ce. It seemed to be the name of the maker. ...Ichika thought, so this is something that he brought for her.

    So this means¨C

    ¡°Don¡¯t show it off too much, especially around Dolce.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, okay, so that¡¯s what you mean, I got it.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m grateful that Ichika is smart and can understand it quickly. You saved me a lot of time exining things.¡±

    ¡°But I never thought Master would give me something so fancy...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you¡¯re happy with it. Well then.¡±

    And then Kehma left.

    So. Ichika has made her guess... This is a sign of a mistress proposal!

    ¡°...no, the meaning of giving ornaments to a ve is... That¡¯s it! Finally, I¡¯m going to be touched by Master.¡±

    In front of his wife, Rokuko, there¡¯s Dolce ¨C who acts as Haku¡¯s eye ¨C should she found out about this, it would put Kehma in a tight spot. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t exin much.

    ¡°Oh, I should go to the hot spring and clean myself up.¡±

    Ichika was in a good mood, humming a tune as she headed for the hot springs at the inn.

    On the way, she ran into Niku.

    ¡°Hello, Niku-senpai.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Are you in a good mood, Ichika?¡±

    ¡°What should I do~ mmmm... I¡¯m not sure if I¡¯m allowed to tell Niku-senpai... ufufufu.¡±

    ¡°?¡±

    Niku tilted her head while looking at Ichika, who is smiling from ear to ear.

    ¡°Did something good happen?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I got a ne from Master, and I was wondering if that¡¯s what it means.¡±

    ¡°Oh, everyone gets one of those.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Is Master trying to build a harem!? ...wait, everyone?¡±

    She then heard that not only Rei, Kinue, and Nerune, but also their subordinates, the Silkies, and Eleca, received magical essories. And this goes without saying, but Rokuko and Soto also received them.

    ¡°......mmm, if it¡¯s being handed out like that.... maybe I¡¯m wrong.¡±

    ¡°Master gave me this.¡±

    On both of Niku¡¯s arms were ornamental bangles with yellow stones.

    However, its construction is simple. It¡¯s different from Ichika¡¯s nes since it focuses itself on practicality.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bangle that produces a stone for throwing. When activated, it creates a stone in a position that is easy to grab. When you swing your arm while making it, it will fall in your hand, and you can throw it as it is.¡±

    ¡°An all-you-can-throw bracelet.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a prototype from Nerune. Nerune received the sand-blinding bracelet, which is the base for my bracelet.¡±

    ¡°Oh, senpai¡¯s bracelet is Nerune original prototype?¡±

    This means that it is homemade, unlike Ichika¡¯s ne. Was his intention is for ¡®that¡¯ purpose after all? {h*rny gurl}

    ¡°So, it¡¯s mean that Nerune received the original ones?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, beside her, Rei and Kinue also received the magic tools Master had purchased.¡±

    I heard that Silkies has a set of ear cuffs and rings that Nerune made a prototype of for them.

    Looking at this, it seems that the purchased essories are being given to the older girls and Nerune¡¯s prototype to the younger group.

    ...so, it had ¡®that¡¯ meaning after all? Ichika thought.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been told not to say too much, so Ichika shouldn¡¯t tell anyone either.¡±

    ¡°Is that what you¡¯ve been told?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Master also told the same thing to Niku that¡¯s been known as a hug pillow. Why is that? ...She wonder, is this really a night call sign?

    ¡°It¡¯s called magic essory, specialty product from the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Master went to the trouble of importing it?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been told.¡±

    Ichika thought that the transportation cost would be quite expensive, but at the same time, it suddenly urred to her that Kehma¡¯s has stationed people in the Holy Kingdom, and then she remembers Soto¡¯s transportation ability.

    ¡°Ah, I see now.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Niku nodded.

    Soto¡¯s power is what he¡¯s been hiding from Haku. Ichika finally understands why it must not be known by Haku¡¯s subordinate, Dolce.

    ¡°Sigh... and here I thought that he¡¯s talking about making me a mistress.¡±

    ¡°Mistress, huh? I think that also possible.¡±

    ¡°Well, which one is the truth, though?¡±

    Ichika was confused when Niku unexpectedly agreed with her.

    ¡°Which one? Isn¡¯t it possible that it¡¯s both?¡±

    ¡°Ummmm, I¡¯m not sure. I guess I should have asked for more exnation from Master.¡±

    Since he was wary of Dolce, Ichika couldn¡¯t me her Master for not giving a clear exnation, but he also couldn¡¯t me Ichika for just keeping quiet and taking his minimum instructions, which could lead to an idental leak of info.

    Nevertheless, Ichika is confident that she could keep quiet about both. And if this was a sign for mistress invitation, all she had to do is to wait until he called her... but still, she wants to make sure.

    ¡°All right! Then why don¡¯t we crawl into Master¡¯s bed now? Since Niku senpai is working as Master hug pillow, you must have unlimited ess to his room, right? Either way, we can confirm it on the spot. If it really a mistress invitation contract, I will just go for it!¡±

    ¡°I see! you are so clever, Ichika.¡±

    So, with Niku¡¯s consent, Ichika went to Kehma¡¯s room.

    They found out about itter, but as expected, Kehma only wants to keep a secret about Soto¡¯s ability.

 Chapter 507 - Start the Kuromaku investigation

    Chapter 507 ¨C Start the Kuromaku investigation

    Speaking of which, there was a quiver magic tool that makes magical arrows in the demon country, so I was thinking to make an arrow using stone making magic tools, but then I learn that the cost of magic power consumed jumped considerably when you try to make a shape.

    Nerune also says [But it¡¯s not something Master can¡¯t replicate, right?], true, but in my case, it was faster and stronger to attack directly using [Stone Bolt].

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª

    ¡°Ichika reports that the person who made this is [Nayutashisidou].... this name sounds familiar.¡±

    ¡°Nayuta? ah, maybe it¡¯s the girl who used to work at our inn?¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s very likely. It¡¯s Shishido. And it¡¯s rted to magic tool.¡±

    When I looked at it carefully, I saw that there was indeed a small engraving on it. Judging by Shishido¡¯s surname, it seems to be Leona¡¯s grandkid, and it¡¯s something that people who understand the significance of the name would immediately acknowledge.

    I remember that Nayuta used to make magic tools and sold them to me. I think she once confronted me with a magic tool that looked like a gun made by her. It was a long time ago, and I was already starting to forget it. Her sister, Setsuna, is a battle junkie, and she and Niku used to have mock battles.

    However, Nayuta was a dog-eared beast. She¡¯s a spy for Wakoku Country, but in the Holy Kingdom, the fact that¡¯s she¡¯s a beastman will be a liability.

    Even Toy is using a body of a human assassin, Naana, plus she also disguises herself as a maid. If she had remained in her beastman body, she would have had to wear a ve cor. That¡¯s how low the position of beastmen in that Kingdom.

    ¡°It also possible that Nayuta has been captured and enved... this actually didn¡¯t matter that much, but didn¡¯t we already tag her?¡±

    ¡°Tag? Oh, right, we can use it to establish contact and gather information.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re quick to catch on. Yes, I was thinking about that.¡±

    If she¡¯s been captured, she¡¯ll know what¡¯s going on inside, and even if she¡¯s not, she might be able to sell us some information if we managed to establish contact with her.

    It¡¯s more convenient for her to be a ve. We can get a lot of information in exchange for the help we will offer to her, or we could just buy her, we can extract all the information we want and even get information about Wakoku.

    ¡°So, Rokuko. Did we tag Nayuta?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure I did because I used to tag everyone who came to this vige. Especially when ites to someone connected to Leona.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Good job, Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Ehehe.¡±

    I gave her a pat on the head; she seems so happy with that.

    So this time, I decided to focus the investigation around this Nayuta Shishido as our starting point.

    The town of Kuromaku.

    Narikin opened the dungeon menu at the inn and checked the map.

    A map of the town appeared on the screen. ording to what he had heard from his Master, there was a beastman¡¯s girl named Nayuta Shishidou in this town. He also said that the person is tagged, so Narikin should be able to recognize her sign immediately.

    ... But apparently, there are several people in this town who have been tagged.

    ¡°Um? This is a little different from what Master had told me. There¡¯s 5 sign, you know?

    ¡°We can¡¯t see the name. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to tell which ones are the ones we¡¯re after ...What this is mean?¡±

    ¨CRokufa, who was looking at the map with me, nced at Naana.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see the ¡°map¡± to begin with, but I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s either spy who¡¯ve been to the vige of Gollen or adventurers or merchants who¡¯ve stopped by. At the very least, I¡¯m pretty sure they had a contact with Lord Kehma or at the very least has visited the vige.¡±

    ¡°I see. It is not only Nayutashi Shidou who came to the vige.¡±

    ¡°...... Shishido, ah, Nayuta is supposed to be her name, right?

    ¡°Hmm? Yeah, I guess so.¡±

    ¡°Nayuta, Nayuta... Yes, I remember now. That person is my sister. She¡¯s a dog-beastman, right?¡±

    Narikin only remembered that Naana(Toy) as a human, but Toy was originally a dog-beastman. He doesn¡¯t know because he never saw Naana(Toy) in that form.

    ¡°Well, if she¡¯s Naana¡¯s sister, wait, that¡¯s wrong, if she¡¯s Toy¡¯s sister like you mentioned, your other sister might be with her too, do you have any clue?¡±

    ¡°Another one? Is it another Toy? Or someone else?¡±

    ¡°Master says her name is Setsuna.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, that one. I heard there¡¯s one with that name.¡±

    Naana recalled her two sisters named Setsuna and Nayuta. When she shared this information with them, she knows it was that they were being cursed and yed with by Leona. Envy sported from her Toy¡¯s heart.

    But she has been instructed by Leona to actively cooperate, so she will tell Narikin every detail about her sister without any concealment.

    ¡°... that¡¯s about all, the information I know is probably outdated, but I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to identify her when I meet her.¡±

    ¡°is that so? you know her face?¡±

    ¡°... I don¡¯t know what they look like, but if I get close enough, I can tell by the smell. It¡¯s not about literal smell, more like in soul sense, so it¡¯s not a problem with this body.¡±

    Either way, it¡¯s a special characteristic of the lineage of chaos gods.

    ¡°For now, why don¡¯t you just tell me where it is, and I¡¯ll go check it out? Should¡ª¡±

    ¡°Hmm. it certainly easier if you know the face. Well, can¡¯t I just leave this matter to you?¡±

    ¡°... it is fine, but you¡¯re not going to let me go in there alone and unsupervised, are you?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. You can take Tran with you if you want. If Tran is watching, Master will be able to check on youter.¡±

    ¡°As I said before... a little bird won¡¯t be able to hold me back, you know?¡±

    ¡°But Naana won¡¯t run away, will she?¡±

    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t run away.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all good then. Right, Rokufa?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I agree. I¡¯m counting on you, Naana.¡±

    ¡°Ugh...¡±

    ...This couple is still too good-natured and careless. They must have taken it from their creator, Kehma and Rokuko. But it¡¯s not a problem. I¡¯ll cooperate as much as I can.

    ¡°I¡¯ll show you the map, and you can go check it out... look, there are five candidates.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me. I¡¯ll do a little research on the other candidate as well.¡±

    ¡°Naana is very reliable! I¡¯d like to learn from her.¡±

    ¡°...Why did you even show a map to an outsider like me ...ah, so this is how the dungeon function works, huh?¡±

    Narikin put a mark in the candidate locations on the map then he had set to disy. There are five tagged targets, but there is one particr ce that has a set of two tags, so if the sisters are together, this is probably the ce.

    ¡°You are a trustful one, letting me do what I want after having me check out the escape routes on the town map.¡±

    ¡°Is that so? It made me happy knowing I¡¯m one step closer to be like Master.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not apliment.¡±

    With a sigh of exasperation, Naana went out of the room to gather information.

 Chapter 508 - Kuromaku Survey

    Chapter 508 ¨C Kuromaku Survey

    Naana¡¯s investigation of the Kuromaku city revealed many things easily.

    And you, Narikin, even though we got Toy¡¯s body under our control, I still think you¡¯re giving this Naana too much freedom. It¡¯s okay, though. But you have even shown her the map.

    However, the map shown by the dungeon function is a normal map that is usually used around here. Somewhat that part is okay. And should he want it, Narikin can always get a detailed map by taking aerial photos with a little bird (trans), so honestly, it¡¯s nothing to be worried about.

    Ah, Still, I feel like I had to remind Narikin again not to tell anyone about Soto¡¯s [storage] transport ability.

    ¡°So, this dot here is Nayuta and Setsuna. The others are merchant, spy, and adventurer.¡±

    ¡°Mmm! So spies are infiltrating Gollen Vige? Master, this is a dire situation!

    ((No, that much is expected, Narikin. Think about it, Nayuta and Setsuna are also spies for the Wakoku. Instead, it was strange if our defenseless vige didn¡¯t have any spies at all.))

    ¡°Yeah, it seems to be better now since the White Goddess¡¯s subordinate is protecting Gollen vige, but I¡¯m sure there are spies who they deliberately let loose.¡±

    Because if you shut them outpletely, they will suspect that the vige has a critical amount of confidential information, and that will cause more trouble than it¡¯s worth. It¡¯s better to let the unimportant information flow moderately.

    ¡°It seems that they have a quota of two magical objects per day. That¡¯s quite a pace under normal circumstances.¡±

    ((They¡¯ve been captured?))

    ¡°Seems like it, but I haven¡¯t made any contact with her yet, though my sister might have recognized my face. That girl has sharp instincts.¡±

    Toy sister, Setsuna, is a skilled fighter on equal footing with Niku. she is a beastman, a mixture of a lop-eared dog and a rabbit, but her appearance somehow felt natural. Her bunny part was probably what gave her extra vignce.

    ((Did you find anything in your infiltration?))

    ¡°I was listening in, but it most unlikely that they are the source of the magic potion from Chaos Pharmaceutical. I highly doubt that Leona-sama is involved this time.¡±

    ((That¡¯s convenient, if you already have the information, they can cooperate with you, and the investigation will proceed quickly.))

    Naana nods. At the same time, Narikin put his hand on his chin and started thinking about something.

    ¡°Master, how should we move? What should we do to establish contact?¡±

    ((Ah, about that, just say you like the work and want to directly order it. You can tell the craftsman that you won¡¯t do the transaction unless you can meet the artisan, or you can try to buy Nayuta herself from them.))

    ¡°Naana is good at that. I¡¯ll leave it to her.¡±

    ¡°...Understood, sir... by the way, Master Kehma? I¡¯m not sure if I should say this, but doesn¡¯t this man trust me too much?¡±

    ((... It doesn¡¯t change the fact that you are useful as a servant, this time too, keep your guard up, Narikin.))

    ¡°Of course, Master, I¡¯m always vignt.¡±

    Seriously, be wary of her!

    ¡°But aren¡¯t Kehma-sama was the one who says [this time too], it means the other time is okay?¡±

    I will pretend I didn¡¯t hear that.

    3rd party POV:

    Naana immediately led Narikin and the others to the ce where Nayuta and the others were forced to work- the magic tool workshop.

    When they asked to speak with the artisan at the workshop (with some bribe, of course), they were taken into a reception room.

    ¡°My wife is very fond of this work. She would like to meet the artisan.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very honored. I am the maker of this magic tool.¡±

    The man who responded was an overweight, dark-skinned man.

    Of course, this man could not be Nayuta. He is not even a beastman. Rokufa noticed this and tilted her head, and said, ¡°huh?¡±. Naana predicted this kind of careless reaction. She immediately followed up.

    ¡°Oh, you noticed, Mistress? Yes, it¡¯s different. You¡¯re not the maker of this particr item. Are you?¡±

    ¡°Hm? But that magic tool belongs to my studio. In other words, it¡¯s my work as the head of the workshop.¡±

    ¡°My Madam was not talking about the whole jewelry itself. She was impressed by how beautiful the circuitry of the magic tools, isn¡¯t that right, madam?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, yes. This magic tool circuit is really well made!¡±

    Rokufa nodded her head in agreement with Naana¡¯s follow-up.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why we wanted to order it directly from the craftsman.¡±

    ¡°I see, I see. I¡¯ll let them know what you want.¡±

    ¡°You mean you can¡¯t let me see the craftsman? My wife wants to see him. I¡¯m sure the workshop manager can manage that. He¡¯s your subordinate, right? you can just call him.¡±

    ¡°Our craftsmen are very shy, and they are not used to talk with a customer.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡±

    Then Narikin puts a silver coin on the table.

    ¡°That¡¯s a problem...¡±

    The head of the workshop kept his eyes on the silver coin while looked troubled.

    ¡°Is there¡¯s a reason why you can¡¯t let me see him? For example, is it made by a ve?¡±

    ¡°Master, it must be that! It¡¯s made by a beastman ve! Madam, how it feels if it was made by a beast ve? Oh no, how dirty that thing is!

    ¡°i-I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. You must not nder people like that!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Naana. Naturally, people will be using the ve to make things, don¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°But when ites to beastman ves, it¡¯s a different story, isn¡¯t that right, Madam?¡±

    The workshop manager had no choice but to sweat profusely at Naana¡¯s usation since it was true that the beastman ves were the ones who were making his products.

    In this country, selling products made by beastman ves is a rather controversial issue. Many people don¡¯t mind it, but those who do will avoid it at all costs. The idea is based on the teachings of the Light Religion, which says that the human race is the most superior race.

    ¡°I don¡¯t particrly care for it, but... because this magic tool is a very wonderful art. Is it really impossible to meet the craftsman?¡±

    ¡°Madam! that¡¯s not good if¡ª¡±

    ¡°Well, I could somewhat understand since Naana is a native of this country. But stop it. I don¡¯t like how a mere servant is interfering with my wife¡¯s wishes any further.¡±

    ¡°¡ª i-I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to interfere.¡±

    ¡°...Well, Mr. Head Workshop. We are travelers, and we have no particr aversion to beastmen. We care not for what race he is. Call him.¡±

    Narikin added another silver coin to the stack. He one-sidedly assumes that the magic tools¡¯ craftsman is a beastman, but the workshop manager didn¡¯t seem to notice that. He gently snatched up the silver coin on the table and put it in his pocket.

    ¡°Oh, if Mr. customer is a traveler, then it cannot be helped. But I beg you to keep this a secret. Also, I¡¯ll need a bit of time to clean them a bit, if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Very well.¡±

    Thus, Narikin and the others seeded in making contact with Nayuta.

 Chapter 509 - Sisterly Contact

    Chapter 509 ¨C Sisterly Contact

    After spending quite a bit of money, we will finally meet Nayuta. Not long after, Nayuta arrived at our room.

    From the looks of it, she has been treated well. Her clothes are clean, her hair and fur are shiny. You can¡¯t have this luster if you clean it in a hurry.

    Well, Naana didn¡¯t say anything about her being mistreated... however, it¡¯s also true that making two magic tools per day is a pretty heavy task.

    ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Nayuta... I heard Mr. Customer wants to make a special order?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, or at least that¡¯s our excuse.¡±

    Narikin nced at Naana(Toy).

    ¡°...Master, did you perhaps forget the question?¡±

    ¡°No, not at all. I thought I should leave you alone for a moment. ...And to be sure, what should I have asked her?¡±

    Naana thought, really, this ¡®Master¡¯ of mine is... he probably thinking this is a precious time to meet between sisters, that¡¯s why he leaves this matter in my hand.

    Of course, it¡¯s also possible that Narikin just doesn¡¯t have the confidence to exin the situation well enough to get the information out of Nayuta, and It is also possible that Narikin really forgot about the question.

    ¡°Whichever it is, there¡¯s no point to think too deeply about it. Well, it cannot be helped then... I¡¯m sure she wouldn¡¯t answer if I approached her normally, so I guess it¡¯s my turn to do my best to force her.¡±

    ¡°? What is this all about?¡±

    Naana(Toy) bowed reverently, to Nayuta who tilted her head.

    ¡°Nice to meet you, Nayuta-sama, .......No, let¡¯s drop this... ¨C it¡¯s nice to see you in good health, Leona¡¯s granddaughter. ¡°

    When Naana said this, Nayuta cautiously crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.

    ¡°...Who are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m your sister, Toy. I move this body by using possession, but my original body is dog-beastman.¡±

    ¡°Toy. ...Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes ...I once work directly under Leona-sama, but currently, I¡¯ve rebelled against her. then I followed her trace and found some fragment of it in this country.¡±

    Naana smiled, and Nayuta looked at her suspiciously. She wasn¡¯t sure if Naana is telling the truth or not, especially with that Leona-like shady-looking smile on her face.

    ¡°So, why did you decide to talk to me? As you can see, I¡¯m working as a ve.¡±

    ¡°I know it¡¯s just a sham, sister. Please tell me what you are looking for and what you have found for your cute little sister.¡±

    ¡°... Well, if my sister begs me like that, I guess I have no choice.¡±

    Nayuta rxes her crossed arms, closes her eyes, and lets out a sigh.

    As Nayuta softens her attitude, Narikin and Rokufa look at each other.

    ¡°Umm, what¡¯s with that exchange?¡±

    Rokufa raises her hand and asks honestly.

    ¡°... Oh, right. If you¡¯re not a beastman, you won¡¯t understand. It¡¯s a matter of hierarchy. The big brother and sister have a greater position than the little brother and sister. But because they are greater, they have to protect and be respected by those below them. Otherwise, you can¡¯t proudly call yourself a big brother or big sister.¡±

    ¡°In other words, it¡¯s an advanced form of bargaining, saying, [I¡¯ll let you call yourself my big sister, but you have to give me somepensation.].¡±

    ¡°... I don¡¯t understand how you can say it so shamelessly...¡±

    ¡°Sister? You said you would give me your info. Are you trying to go back on your word?¡±

    ¡°I just want to tease you.¡±

    ¡°Ahh... I remember the days when I didn¡¯t have a sister and Leona was ying with me. Thanks to that, I can experience a lot of things.¡±

    Nayuta giggles and shrugs her shoulders, ¡°Oh dear, I totally get that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you all the information I have, although there¡¯s something I can¡¯t say because of this job.¡± {referring to her ve contract}

    ¡°Please phrasing it in a way to get around the question, sister.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, yeah. But I will leave it to you to pick up the meaning.¡±

    ¡°At least I know you¡¯re here for some job.¡±

    ¡°That goes without saying.¡±

    Thus the exchange was so sisterly that it was hard to believe they had never met before.

    ¡°... Hey, Naana. Did you really never meet your sister before? I mean, even your body is not your original, isn¡¯t she too quick to trust you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because we¡¯re sisters. If you want, you can think of it as a skill we inherited from Leona-sama.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Narikin is convinced that such skill is real.

    ¡°I think my Master(Narikin) is way more puzzling. I don¡¯t know why you trust my word so easily.¡±

    ¡°Toy, that¡¯s what we call a good person, or I should say a good employer?¡±

    ¡°Maybe that¡¯s what we called good-natured person. To think that I used to be enemies because of Leona-sama... And sister, please call me Naana when I¡¯m in this body.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Naana.¡±

    Anyway, thanks to Toy¡¯s efforts, they were able to get the information from Nayuta.

    ¡°By the way, I want to make some custom-made magic tools. I¡¯m going to take the money for it since I work here, but I will make it specifically for my sister.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, that¡¯s fine. Naana has been very good to me, so let¡¯s see what kind of design will suit her.

    I don¡¯t know if it will fit Naana¡¯s original body, but I would appreciate it.¡±

    ¡°Master, you¡¯re just too soft...¡±

    ¡°Indeed, you¡¯re a good employer.¡±

    Naana then smiled, not noticing Nayuta¡¯s warm gaze over her.

 Chapter 510 - Information is unconfirmed information until it can be confirmed

    510 ¨C Information is unconfirmed information until it can be confirmed. (a quote that just stating the facts.)

    [possess] is used to Tran, and I proceed to listen to Narikin¡¯s report.

    ¡°So, here¡¯s the information I got from Nayuta.¡±

    (Oh, there¡¯s a lot of information about the hidden dungeon. And this coordinate¡­ it¡¯s not that far away from the workshop.)

    ¡°Most of the work is done by Naana this time. Please praise her, Master.¡±

    (Yes, well done.)

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing much.¡±

    It seems that Toy used her position as a little sister to extract information from Nayuta easily. Well, I don¡¯t hate her method of using whatever is avable to get the job done.

    (¡°I¡¯ll report to Haku-san for the time being, but next time I¡¯ll send the rats in.)

    ¡°Good idea Master, I¡¯ll prepare it right away. ¡°

    Rokufa said while opening the menu.

    (Rokufa¡­ Just go on standby for now.)

    ¡°So-sorry. I¡¯m a bit hasty because I cannot contribute anything this time.¡±

    (Don¡¯t worry, for this information-gathering mission, I will give credit to the three of you.)

    Naana sighed at my words.

    ¡°Master Kehma. Mind if I ask? Why did you count me in?¡±

    (You¡¯re the one who got the information, so there¡¯s no way you¡¯re not included.)

    ¡°That¡¯s true¡­ but¡­¡±

    Naana sighs again. Don¡¯t sigh that much. You are wasting away your happiness. {this is some Asian urban legend. For every sigh you take, you will throw away your luck.}

    ¡°Still, aren¡¯t you giving me too much credit? I may be lying in this report, or let¡¯s say I did not. Nayuta could still lie to me.¡±

    (That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to investigate this further properly.)

    It¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to die if the investigation fails, and of course, I cannot give half-baked information to Haku-san. And in the worst case, if the info turns out to be a trap, we could be purged on the spot by her.

    ¡°¡­I hope that¡¯s is the case.¡±

    (Ah right, Rokufa, Give names to the rats you will summon for the investigation because I want to know if I can possess the rats you named.)

    ¡°Understood, Master. What should I name it?¡±

    (Let¡¯s call it Hamelin. With an incrementing number in its name, so it will be Hamelin One, Two, Three, etc.)

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll do that.¡±

    Naana then interrupted our conversation and smiled.

    ¡°Kehma-sama, is it possible for me to borrow one to apany you?¡±

    (¡­¡­You just need to keep watching monitor from over there.)

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved then. I don¡¯t know what to say if you really lend me one.¡±

    Don¡¯t just casually test me like that. It¡¯s troublesome.

    Now, it¡¯s time to investigate the hidden dungeon.

    As the sun went down, we moved the rats discreetly toward our destination.

    From the master room of the Cave of Desire, I could see the rats on the monitor, and there were six of them ¨C seven if you count the rat that function as monitor ¨C running in the night streets of Kuromaku.

    Their code name, or rather names, were Hameln 1-7, respectively.

    I can prepare as many as 100 rats if I want to, but arge number is not suitable for an infiltration mission since it will stand out. Just like God, Samurai, and Herb, seven should be a good number to go with. {7 samurai, 7 gods of fortune, 7 herbs}

    By the way, we have to pay a lot of DP formunication costs since we use the monitor continuously. But Haku-san is backing our operation this time, and she promises to reimburse us if we are listing it as an expensive cost. In exchange, we need to show her the video recording of this whole operation.

    Since she had given us the opportunity, I will abuse themunication without hesitation.

    ¡°The dungeon function is amazing. It¡¯s allowing you to investigate foreign countries from homefortably.¡±

    ¡°ehehe, it¡¯s not that amazing~¡±

    Rokuko looked pleased with my word, though I didn¡¯t mean topliment her directly. Is it because she and the dungeon are the same?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to see this far either. but Kehma said I could, so I tried.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s crazy that you can peek into foreign countries wirelessly. Except, this was done without wires or rys. I don¡¯t think we have anything like this even in Japan.¡±

    ¡°Huh? ¡­What are you up to? Why did you praise me so much? Do you want to use me as a pillow tonight? You can¡¯t!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just giving you my opinion. You don¡¯t have to do anything.¡±

    Leaving the red-faced Rokuko aside, we arrived at the target coordinates on the map. It was a small house covered with a ck curtain, like all the other buildings in Kuromaku. There are some fold parts that are unnecessarily stiff and hard, so there seems to be no trouble finding a good foothold to climb up.

    (Master, can you hear me?)

    I hear the voice of Narikin from the inn room. Not only can I hear him, but I can also see him. It was as if the vision and hearing of the little bird were being reflected directly on our other monitor.

    And our appearance and voice are also reflected on the dungeon¡¯s surveince monitor.

    ¡°I hear you. How¡¯s it going over there?¡±

    (I can hear Master¡¯s sound loud and clear, this is surely a convenient feature.)

    ¡°But themunication costs are consuming a lot of DP. Well, this time, Haku-san will pay for the expenses, but in the future, it would be better to possess Tran as usual for regrmunication.¡±

    (Oh, is that so?)

    I¡¯ll call this two-way monitor system¨C ¡­or simply a videophone.

    It disys Hameln 1¡¯s view as a monitor in the center and three other rats¡¯ views on each side. This kind of easy monitor maniption is another useful feature of the dungeon function. By the way, it seems that themunication cost remains the same even if you disy two-way or multiple monitors. I wonder if they use DP to open a dimension hole to connect two ces like¡­ Soto.

    ¡°Now, how do we get into this building?¡±

    (Master Kehma, in the structure of Kuromaku¡¯s building, there are venttion openings hidden in the folds of the cloth. Of course, a person cannot enter, but a mouse can. I think it would be a good idea to get in through there.)

    ¡°Well, in that case, then the first thing we need to do is to go to¡­¡­ did you know where this building venttion hole?¡±

    (We¡¯ll have to split up and look for it, I¡¯m sure it¡¯s on the low ground.)

    The seven rats split up to explore the folds and the rat that Rokufa was operating found the venttion opening. As Toy had predicted, it was low ground.

    (Found it, Master.)

    ¡°Good job, Rokufa.¡±

    The vent is a small window with an iron grate. It seems that rats can get inside. Even if there is some kind of trap, at worst, we will only lose seven rats. And I did was looking through the monitor. It¡¯s not going to hurt or irritate me.

    ¡°I will take it from here, give me the control of Hamelin One, and I will leave the rest to you.¡±

    (Right away!)

    Then the rats ran up to the building folds and snuck inside through a gap in the venttion.

 Chapter 511 - Rats, go to the underground passage.

    <h4>Chapter 511 ¨C Rats, go to the underground passage.</h4>

    AN: Sorry. I forgot about the DP cost ofmunicationst time, so I made some changes.

    To put it simply, it costs a lot of DP, but Haku-san will pay for it this time, so it¡¯s okay! I¡¯m sorry.

    ...The story about the Holy Kingdom ispletely different from the LN I¡¯m writing in volume 16, so it¡¯s confusing. That¡¯s the main reason why I¡¯m writing every two other weeks. I¡¯m sorry about that.

    We enter the house through the venttion shaft. Inside, there was only an entrance to a downstairs that looked like an underfloor storage room.

    Some weapons were hanging on the wall, but no tables or chairs in sight. There is only a staircase in the center of the room, or rather, this hut itself is nothing more than a camouge to hide the staircase.

    ¡°There is still a possibility that it is just a basement, but... this just too suspicious. The staircase doesn¡¯t even have handrails, which means they are usually covered?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. But it¡¯s open now. That itself is suspicious.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s convenient for us, but be prepared for a trap.¡±

    ¡°Oh. I don¡¯t mind the trap, isn¡¯t that¡¯s why we¡¯re using a rat?¡±

    ¡°...I guess you¡¯re right, well, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Rokuko is right. Even if we¡¯re trapped, it¡¯s just the rat that will get caught in it. I only prepare seven of them since I don¡¯t want to stand out, but if I want, I can send more in. after that, I formed a line of rats and sent them down the stairs.

    On the other side of the stairs, on the first basement floor, lies a passage with white walls. It¡¯s bright even without a light source, which is one of the unique traits of a dungeon.

    ¡°This is Dungeon, right? And it¡¯s very well maintained.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. It¡¯s hard to believe if you don¡¯t see it for yourself.¡±

    A dungeon in the Holy Kingdom, a Kingdom known for its dungeon killing, isn¡¯t this quite a scandal ?. It¡¯s also hidden in a hut.

    (Is it possible that this dungeon is under state control?)

    ¡°Since it was hidden, it also means there is something they guilty for.¡±

    Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t hide it in a hut. They could make it into a tourist attraction and open it to the public as a practice dungeon.

    ...are they worried doing such a thing will contradict their dungeon killing principle?

    (Master, I¡¯m going to keep going deeper into the dungeon.)

    ¡°Ok. ...How far does this passage go?¡±

    ¡°Can you show the map to me, Rokufa?¡±

    (Yes, certainly.)

    The dungeon is a beautiful underground passage. You can walk right underneath the ground and not worry about it copsing. In case there¡¯s something wrong, it should fix itself quickly.

    The map Rokufa had opened showed that they were heading towards the center of Kuromaku.

    ¡°... It¡¯s tantly heading towards the center. What¡¯s here? I can¡¯t really tell from the map.¡±

    Toy then cutting in.

    (Pardon my rudeness, Master Kehma. Let me answer that for you. It¡¯s the Church of the Light God.)

    The Church is ced in the center of Kuromaku.

    A special ce in the town of Kuromaku where there are no structures covered with ck cloth. A religious spot.

    (If we follow this map, we¡¯ll end up in the center of the city, or to be exact, underneath the church¡¯s headquarters, but it looks like there¡¯s a fork in the road. What should we do?)

    I paused and confirmed that there was a right-angled side path extending from the straight path.

    The passage is separated by a barred door, like a prison entrance, and it looks like humans can¡¯t get through unless they have a key ¨C well, unfortunately not for the rats, they could walk right through.

    ¡°Let¡¯s split up. Two should go apanying Hameln 5 to go straight. The rest are going to take the side passageway.¡±

    (Understood! Rokufa, take Hameln 5 and go onwards.)

    (Ok, got it.)

    I decide to let 3 of the 7 go straight ahead and let the remaining check the side paths.

    ...The straight passage also has a stone floor and white walls. The monitor rat also goes through this one.

    ¡°It¡¯s better maintained than most buildings. If it¡¯s a dungeon, then someone from the Holy Kingdom must be the dungeon master.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I guess so. Probably you could say that¡¯s what being managed means.¡±

    I¡¯ve been told that Haku-san is a traitor, but whoever is siding with the Holy Kingdom can also be called a traitor, right?

    ¡°Kehma, there¡¯s something in there.¡±

    ¡°oh, a room.¡±

    It¡¯s a small room without a dungeon door. And we found a ck dungeon core in there.

    ¡°Uwah, what is this... ughh.¡±

    Rokuko let out a troubled cry.

    Normal Dungeon core is supposed to be a glowing white ball the size of a basketball. However, this dungeon core was ck and had a number of cables connected to it. They were connected to the ceiling, the walls, and the stone b in the foreground. And The stone b is a board with nothing special etched on it, but it¡¯s... what it this.

    ¡°...... Rokuko, is this dungeon core, correct?¡±

    ¡°unnn, well, yeah, it looks like it, but... it¡¯s too weird. What is this?¡±

    She feels ufortable and disgusted to the extent that she can¡¯t confirm that this thing on the monitor is the dungeon core.

    ¡°But what the heck is the point of having a core in such a in corridor, especially when it¡¯s the first ce you find something? Perhaps this is a dummy core?¡±

    ¡°uhmm, I don¡¯t know how to describe it, but I don¡¯t think so.¡±

    Suppose the dungeon core itself says that, then I guess not. Then why the main body is in such close proximity to the entrance and ced in such a defenseless location? Something is not right.

    (Master. We¡¯ve arrived at the other end of the corridor after with Hamelin 5. It looks like a basement. There¡¯s a staircase going up.)

    Rokufa¡¯s rats have gone underground and arrived at the basement of the church, ording to the map at least, Is it connected to the building outside by an underground passage? Is this a secret route or something?

    ¡°Just mark it on the map for now. We will confirm it from ground levelter, but is it going to be difficult to get into the church? Or perhaps we can go there as civilians. ¡°

    (Okay... It also seems to be a dead-end here. We can¡¯t go any further because of the door.)

    At the end of the upward stairs in the church¡¯s basement, there was an ironttice door and an ordinary wooden door. We can¡¯t open the wooden door with rat.

    ¡°Okay, leave Hameln 7 there and the let rest go back, and 7, if someone opens that door, try to get through. In the meantime, keep a low profile.¡±

    (Okay. I got it, Master.)

    I¡¯m telling Rokufa to get the two rats to join the rest. There is only one straight corridor, a side path, and one room, but the map is steadily filling up. Let¡¯s continue to investigate this mysterious dungeon.

 Chapter 512 - The Mysterious Facilities of the Holy Kingdom

    <h4>Chapter 512¨C The Mysterious Facilities of the Holy Kingdom</h4>

    Further inside the dungeon, deeper than the room where the ck core was ced, we found another simple structure.

    It¡¯s way too simple to be called a dungeon. There were only seven rooms on one side of the passageway.

    Well, it was better than the ¡°just a cave¡± where Rokuko had been summoned me to, but this was almost like an apartment or something. It doesn¡¯t have a door, though.

    ¡°Let¡¯s take a look at the front first.¡±

    Looking at the first room, I saw arge ss tube that connected the ceiling to the floor. It wasrge enough to hold a person, and there is a cable connected to the tube. It seemed to be empty inside. There is also a stone b like the one that is connected to the ck dungeon core.

    ¡°...some kind of incubator? It looks like something to make a Kaijin.¡± {tln}

    ¡ºMaster, what is a Kaijin?¡»

    ¡°If I had to describe it... it¡¯s a human-sized, artificial creature, or you could also call it a modified human.¡±

    ¡ºThen I would proceed to assume that kind enemy is here. ¡»

    ¡º¡¯A monster the size of a man? That¡¯s a formidable opponent, Narikin!¡»

    ¡°The two of you are also human-sized monsters, so you¡¯re simr, right? ...Well, you might be stronger than a normal human, but to begin with, all humans in this world are like monsters from my hometown standpoint since they can use magic and skills...¡±

    For now, let¡¯s assume that such a monster might be hiding in here.

    ¡°Ah, is it simr to like Holy Kingdom¡¯s artificial Hero?¡±

    ¡ºOh. Artificial Hero? ... there¡¯s someone who can do something that Leona-sama incapable of? ¡»

    Naana (Toy) said, she sound dissatisfied while peeking at our monitor.

    ¡°Nn, is that so?¡±

    ¡ºAre you forgetting where wee from, Kehma-sama? The Toy series was created in an attempt to create a hero. The failed Niku that Kehma-sama loves, as well as me, the finished Toy, were unsatisfactory result to Leona-sama.¡»

    Seriously? So, Niku and Toy were born that way?

    They are actually very strong. But it is certainly not as good as a real hero like Wataru.

    As they grow up, it is not impossible that they will beat the current Wataru in the future, but Wataru will be even stronger by then.

    ¡ºand look at me, I¡¯m not a Hero. though I meet the criteria for talent, [You¡¯re just a toy]. That¡¯s what she told me. So, Kehma-sama. If Leona-sama couldn¡¯t do it, do you think that people who are not even close to her power can do it?¡»

    This is the first time I¡¯ve ever seen her like this, a rare and serious emotion. It seems that I had stepped on andmine. What I¡¯ve just said s nothing but a random thought, but yeah, if Leona fails even with her alchemy and cheats ability, then it might as well be impossible.

    ¡°Hmm, then a facility to make an enhanced human, simr to Toy series? Or probably a facility where Leona herself is involved in it?¡±

    ¡ºOh. That is possible. Then if that¡¯s the case, they¡¯re our younger siblings. It¡¯s getting interesting. ¡»

    Naana turned and looked at the monitor with excitement. ...Yeah, antagonizing Leona was Toy¡¯s goal now, wasn¡¯t it?

    If Leona finds out that Naana is working with us, it might get troublesome. But it shouldn¡¯t be a problem since it¡¯s a rat body that¡¯s hiding in the dungeon this time. The main body of Toy has already been secured and locked up in Gollene Vige.

    Now, let¡¯s continue our investigation.

    Up until the third room, the interior was the same as the one in front of us, and there was nothing to see, but the fourth room was a little different. There¡¯s something in the middle of it.

    It was twice asrge as the other rooms, and there was a metal hemisphere in the middle of the room. From the hemisphere, a number of pipes extended, crawling across the ceiling and floor to the walls. I wondered if they were connected to the ss pipes in the next room. There was a peephole, letting in a thin beam of light.

    And even though it was the middle of the night, there were four men who looked like researchers in whiteb coats and two guards.

    ¡°...... What kind of magic tools?¡±

    ¡ºSome kind of research facility. ...What do you think, Naana?¡»

    ¡ºThis must be the power reactor. Narikin, I can see the contents of the furnace through the viewing window, can you?¡»

    ¡ºLet¡¯s move Hameln 6. ...how about now?¡»

    ¡ºWell, it¡¯s a little fuzzy. I¡¯m not sure.¡»

    I check the view through Narikin¡¯s sight.

    Thi-this... divine light is!

    ¡°No way! God¡¯s bedding!?¡±

    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s definitely simr.¡±

    The white light had to be the very bedding of the gods, although the small peephole required a closer look to see what was inside.

    ...No, it could be some other divine tool or something. I¡¯ve heard that there are weapons and other sacred objects, and maybe that¡¯s what it is.

    ¡ºI¡¯d like to check the inside thoroughly, but people are in the way. Do I need to force it even with the risk of being found?¡»

    ¡°No, wait. There¡¯s no need for that.¡±

    I stop Narikin before he brute-forcing the investigation. If I can witness this clearly, I can use my Super Transformation to discover what¡¯s inside. That¡¯s right, just like when we took apart therge magical tools in the orchard.

    ¡°We¡¯ll find out what¡¯s in there. Let¡¯s check the rest of the rooms. ...Well, I expect to find at least divine tools inside.¡±

    ¡ºWow. Expected of Master, to know that much just by looking at it.¡»

    ¡ºHmm. So this is a trick to capture some power from a divine tool? What do you think, Naana¡»

    ¡ºThe Hero is the power of the light god. The bedding of the gods also contains the power of the gods. Seriously, the thing about this artificial hero is keep getting darker. Extracting divine power and imnting it in humans ¨C well, It is true that you may indeed, create an artificial hero if you can do that.¡»

    So they¡¯re trying to create a hero with the power of the Dark God? Well, that¡¯s a bit... hmm? Hmmmm?

    ¡°Hey, do you think it might be possible to create a dungeon core?¡±

    ¡°The dungeon core? By using [father] ¡®s power? ...Oh, that¡¯s it!¡±

    Rokuko is dumbfounded.

    If it¡¯s the power of the light gods, you can create a hero, but with the power of the dark gods? Yes, a dungeon. You can create a dungeon core.

    So, that¡¯s the origin of the ck dungeon core in the room right by the entrance. To think they were trying to make something like this here... I can¡¯t be sure yet, though. Still, it¡¯s a possibility.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re getting closer. We should report this once to Haku-san.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s pretty important. I can¡¯t believe they made a dungeon core out of [father] ¡®s bedding!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not confirmed yet.¡±

    But it is possible, given the strange dungeon core in the very first room.

    ...By the way, the remaining three rooms are the same as the three rooms in the foreground. There¡¯s one empty ss tube in each room. It seems that nothing is being made in this facility now. I would have liked to have seen a working room, but I guess it can¡¯t be helped.

    Tl note :

    Kaijin : kamen rider, that¡¯s should simplify the exnation.

    Well what Kehma said already exin it to some extent.

 Chapter 513 - Take-away investigation

    <h4>Chapter 513¨C Take-away investigation</h4>

    The facility is so small that we couldn¡¯t find any more rooms. But since there might still be some hidden ones, we decided to hide the rats in this facility. I handed control of Hameln 1 back to Narikin¡¯s side, ended the investigation, and cut off ourmunications.

    Now, let¡¯s investigate the magic tools we found in that facility; I will use the same method when checking the magic tools from the orchard.

    ¡°Then, Kehma, please use [Super Transformation] again!¡±

    ¡°Okay. But this one is huge. Can I do it here...?¡±

    ¡°We will only find it out after we try it, but right, I don¡¯t want to get crushed because we do it carelessly... I wonder if the arena area is big enough? I will also call Nerune.¡±

    Said Rokuko while sending me to the arena area. Currently, there¡¯s no oneing in, so that¡¯s good, but I¡¯ll keep a lookout in the front corridor, just in case.

    For now, I¡¯ll start with the room in the middle, the one that piqued our interest the most, and more than that, I¡¯m also curious about the sacred tools that were in there, so I guess I will start with that.

    Here goes nothing, [Super Transformation].

    ...it seems that I was able to transform at least, but did I really seed?

    ¡°I¡¯m homeee... Oh, it¡¯s huge, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Ara? I don¡¯t remember it looking like this ...Oh. I look it from the bottom; that¡¯s why there are more parts I didn¡¯t see.¡±

    What a surprise. It goes further down deeper than the facility itself. ... It¡¯s kind of amazing that they could make such a massive magic tool, isn¡¯t it?

    Anyway, I¡¯ve decided to leave the analysis to Nerune. ...All I had to do is let myself be dismantled, though.

    ¡°At this rate. I think I¡¯m going to be addicted to the immorality feeling of dismantling my Master...¡±

    Please don¡¯t, do not let your weird sexual fetish blossom.

    ===========

    .... Nelune¡¯s investigation, day one.

    ¡°It¡¯s beyond myprehension.... so big... I don¡¯t even know where to start. ...... It¡¯s soplicated, it¡¯s going to take me years to analyze it if I force myself to.¡±

    Just like that, she gave up.

    Basically, she said she couldn¡¯t do it, and I don¡¯t have a year¡¯s worth of time to let Nerune take apart my body, Nerune also has her own work to do. In the end, we decide that it would be wise to abandon the analysis.

    ¡°By the way... the area where the power reactor is supposed to be... it¡¯s empty.¡±

    Perhaps the skill decides that divine tools and magical tools were separate items. Oh well, I¡¯ll ask the rats that have been lurking to check it out again.

    ¡°Kehma, how much will you report to big-sis?¡±

    ¡°I think we should tell her that we found a strange dungeon core or facility, noting that it¡¯s only a possibility.¡±

    ¡°Ah, in that case, wouldn¡¯t it be quicker if Master used [Super Transformation] to show her the real thing? Haku-sama knows about [Super Transformation], doesn¡¯t she?¡±

    ... I see, that¡¯s a good idea. Haku might be able to tell us something if she directly observed it.

    ¡°E? Kehma¡¯s going to transform to that creepy ck dungeon core? Will you be okay? Won¡¯t it contaminate you or something?¡±

    ¡°...good point, Rokuko, I will leave the [God¡¯s rm] in your hands.¡±

    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s all good.¡±

    ¡°If it fails to de-contaminate me or cancel anything, you can file aint with your [father].¡±

    I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll do something since that rm was his masterpiece.

    ¡°By the way, since this is a good opportunity, I¡¯d like you to ask Master about something else I¡¯m curious about...¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What is it, Nerune?

    ¡°If I feed Master¡¯s transformed body to Soto, will she be able to use [Weak replication] on it?¡±

    .....? Nerune, did you just propose a bizarre idea of feeding a parent to his child?

    ¡°I mean... Master is going to [Super Transformation], isn¡¯t he? You be a big magical tool, then I¡¯m going to peel just a little bit off you so that you won¡¯t die ¡ª and then Soto-sama will eat it, you know~? Don¡¯t you curious...? if the one that will be duplicated is if a part of the Master or a part of magic tools? ... I¡¯m excited to find out!¡±

    ¡°...I wonder, it also possible that Hero skill and pseudo-Hero skill will cause a strange reaction.¡±

    And it would be a horror story if parts of my body were duplicated.

    ¡°¨CAlso, if I had Soto-sama duplicate a potion or skill scroll, would it be usable?¡±

    ¡°...Indeed, it would be very convenient if scrolls could be duplicated and used. Everyone can learn a skill with one scroll. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a bad idea to have her try it, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°That will be quite a cheat, but okay, you can check that out with Soto.¡±

    ¡°Yay~~ thank you, Master!¡±

    Thus, we decided to investigate Soto¡¯s abilities as well.

    ...as expected, Soto demanded a reward for her cooperation. Nerune socks will be used to pay for it.

    ¡°....You certainly takes after Kehma, your father.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re definitely the Master¡¯s daughter!¡±

    Uhh, I feel they will spread another unwanted rumor, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth saying anything. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any real harm in it, so I¡¯m not going to argue.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who passed the socks I was wearing to the handbag, but... when I saw she was squeezing it to her face...... it was embarrassing to me....¡±

    ¡°Oh, Nerune still has a sense of shame too? I thought since this rted to magic you will say that Soto can have as much as she wants.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll even gouge out my flesh and offer my blood for magic if necessary, but... when Soto-sama sniffed my socks and said, ¡°They smell like wind magic,¡± or ¡°This one is recovery magic,¡± or ¡°Next time, why don¡¯t you wet them with water magic and dry them?¡± I be so anxious... perhaps... this is love?¡±

    Nerune quickly put her hand to cover her rosy cheeks.

    Oh, my God. Wataru, if we don¡¯t do something, Soto¡¯s going to NTR Nerune from you. Wait, isn¡¯t that apliment?

    By the way, the result of our study is; Soto¡¯s scrolls and potions can be used normally, and the effects do not seem to disappear even after one hour, which is the time limit for a [Weak replication]. I¡¯m guessing that this skill was originally designed to allow you to use potions as much as you want with cool-down limitations.

    ...Well then, it looks like Soto¡¯s snack will be the skill scroll for a while.

    Tl note:

    As expected of hero skill, even if it is a pseudo one, it¡¯s still so freaking OP, not to mention her dimension storage teleport. Be d Kehma didn¡¯t feed her that miniature orichalcum golem.... or he did already?

    BTOGing soon, tbh I just forgot to post this one, this was finished about 4 days ago....

    also thank you my new patreon and ko-fi supporter, next month you all will get one extra chapter as promised, and please do support me if you have some penny to spare, a semi-lockdown in my country and my post covid medication is draining my wallet at very scary rate...

 Chapter 514 - Mogumogu Soto-chan

    Chapter 514 ¨C Mogumogu Soto-chan

    TL note: just in case you are not aware, ¡®mogumogu¡¯ is a Japanese sound effect for chewing, I cannot think of a proper alternate title, so I leave it as it is.

    I was resting in my room at the vige chief¡¯s mansion when Soto popped in from my [Storage].

    ¡°Papa, I¡¯m tired of eating skill scrolls for snacks!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯te in, but use the door when you enter a room. Don¡¯t your legs muscle will get weaken if you don¡¯t use it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a dungeon core. I¡¯ll be fine! And I don¡¯t want to hear that from papa.¡±

    Ugh, right... I¡¯ve been sleeping a lot and weakened too.

    ¡°Back to topic, about my snacks!¡±

    ¡°... isn¡¯t it because you¡¯ve been eating it with your mouth? Use your dungeon. You can eat it in an instant. There are also puddings and pastries too, didn¡¯t you also eat them as a snack?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but if I¡¯m going to go to all the trouble, I¡¯d like to see how it tastes.¡±

    Soto started to talk like some mangaka. {yeah, I don¡¯t know who he referred to}

    I wonder what the scroll tastes like? Do they taste like ink or parchment?

    ¡°The fire attribute tastes warm; the water attribute tastes moist. By the way an intermediate level spell has a stronger taste than the beginner level. The taste of Lightning Bolt is a bit tingly.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the taste changed depending on the attribute...¡±

    ¡°It seems that the ink used to write it contains magical stones, so it might taste like that because of it.¡±

    Well, it¡¯s not something you would normally eat, so it¡¯s not surprising. Maybe Soto has a special magical sense in her tastebud.

    I took out a fire magic stone to try and lick it, but it only tasted like stone. It was a little warm to the touch, though.

    ¡°There! I want to talk to you about this, papa, but I need you to transform the skill scroll a little!¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Hmm, you mean transform it using [Create Golem]?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I was wondering if you could turn the scroll into a sock.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I expect you would say that, but... what the difference it has when it is shaped like socks?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why we are experimenting! Plus, let¡¯s test if it¡¯s still fine if Kinue wears it for a day! She¡¯s the hardest working person I know, so she¡¯s perfect for the durability test!¡±

    ¡°For a day ...even if it seeds, won¡¯t Soto¡¯s replicated scrolls will smell like Kinue-san¡¯s feet.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the best part!¡±

    My daughter eyes sparkling as she said that. I know our biology is different since she¡¯s a dungeon core, but this is too advanced.

    But since I¡¯m the one who giving her a scroll as her snack, I¡¯ll cooperate as much as I can.

    In addition to the scrolls, I¡¯ve also told her that I¡¯ll give her one snack a day from my catalogue (I count this as a skinship between parent and child), but there¡¯s a high probability that she¡¯ll ask for more socks. I¡¯ve heard that she doesn¡¯t eat them but let¡¯s someone else wear them and then hangs them in her room.

    ¡°Papa, In the future, can¡¯t you make a rule that people need to offer socks that they¡¯ve been wearing for three days if they wanted a skill scroll?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. That would make it impossible for races with no feet or those who don¡¯t have the right size to learn skills.¡±

    ¡°Tsk... fine. Then try making one with this.¡±

    So, Soto produced a skill scroll using [Weak Replication], and I transform it with [Create Golem].

    ...damn, this is no good. When I poured magic power to transform it, it triggered the scroll activation instead and making it useless. I also didn¡¯t learn anything new since I already had the [Ice Bolt] memorized.

    ¡°This is no good.¡±

    ¡°Uuuugh...... Papa, don¡¯t you have a better idea!¡±

    ¡°How about we think the other way around? Like using the socks as wrapping or topping to change the vour?¡±

    Just like putting a Christmas present in a sock, she can put a scroll in a sock. This way, she can eat both the sock and the scroll. Just like a rolled crepe...... Yeah, sorry, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯m talking about.

    ¡°I see! Depending on my mood, I canbine Kinue¡¯s socks, Nerune¡¯s socks, and Rei¡¯s socks! It¡¯s a luxury ...uehehehe.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m starting to worry about my daughter¡¯s future, you know? I probably should have teach you the meaning of the word [self-control].¡±

    ¡°Papa, what are you talking about? I¡¯m still a newborn baby! And it¡¯s time for me to do things without thinking about the future! I¡¯m at the age where I want to put on my honey socks! By the way, [honey socks] is an Beddishm term for a symbol of happiness.¡±

    Yes, honey is poisonous to babies under one year old, and it¡¯s not a sock... that¡¯s not the point! I don¡¯t remember making up that term in the first ce, I¡¯m a the Beddshist¡¯s pope for God¡¯s sake!

    ¡°I¡¯ve added it to the original Beddhism Scripture! Rei-chan has already read it out at mass, so you can¡¯t take it back!¡±

    ¡°When did you....¡±

    ¡°Around the time when papa was busy with the Holy Kingdom, flirting with my mama, and sleeping on one bed at night with my sister Niku, also calling Nerune to strip you.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not wrong, but the way you say is....¡±

    I¡¯m just doing my job, except for the Niku thing! And that Niku, she¡¯s only a hug pillow, and I¡¯m not doing anything wrong!

    ¡°By the way, I did actually smeared honey on Rei¡¯s feet and licked her socks to create this story.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m jealou¡ªno wait! What are you doing?¡±

    ¡± Well, she doesn¡¯t mind you know? The golden honey on her white feet was the best. Papa, why don¡¯t you ask mama to do it for you?¡±

    It seems that ¡°honey socks¡± became a term to describe a situation where a person could benefit others while sleeping and not working. Thus, one strange anecdote was born in Beddhism....

    ¡°At any rate, it¡¯s a little toote if papa wants to change it.¡±

    ¡°You are one hell of a daughter.¡±

    ¡°Papa, I want to use my sister as a hug pillow too. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°...If she shows even the slightest sign of displeasure, you better back off quietly.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be going then. I¡¯ll hug Kinue-san as soon as possible today!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend you didn¡¯t thatst part! Promise me!¡±

    ¡°Okay!¡±

    With that, Soto jumped into the [Storage] dungeon.

    .......

    I should have another talk with Rokuko about Soto¡¯s education policy.

 Chapter 515 - Report.

    <strong>Chapter 515¨C Report.</strong>

    Today I report to Haku. As usual, we met at a tea party on the white beach, this time Soto ising with us.

    I didn¡¯t want to bring her along because I didn¡¯t know what she might do. ... though so far, She¡¯s been behaving. Please do not ask for Haku¡¯s tights again, okay? Please, you can¡¯t.

    ¡°... the Divine artifact probably powers the ck dungeon core and the giant magic tool. and that sums up our finding of the mysterious facility at Kuromaku.¡±

    ¡°... I see.¡±

    I told Haku everything that since she knew about my [Super Transformation], in hope, she would easily find out what kind of magic tool she could directly identify it.

    I do give up on trying to do aplete analysis. Still, I found out when I put the [Divine bedding] I had in my possession into the centerpartment ¨C the ce that seemed to be the power furnace ¨C the magic tool started up. This meant that we could assume that the divine light almost certainlyes from the Divine artifact.

    Personally, I hope that it was either [God¡¯s Night cap] or [God¡¯s Underwear], though it is also possible that it was some other Divine tools other than the [Divine Bedding] series.

    We didn¡¯t have enough information actually to assume anything, but at the very least, we know what we¡¯re going to do from this point on. That¡¯s why I report the result of my investigation, including the facility¡¯s shape and the images we got from the monitor.

    By the way, Haku has reimbursed the long-distance monitor cost we spent on this case.

    ¡°It¡¯s an interesting spection on artificial heroes, and you also assume a simr thing is the true form of the Nation-controlled dungeon?¡±

    ¡°Yes, if it the power of Light God, then heroes will be born. But if it the power of the Dark God, a dungeon will be created as a result.¡±

    ¡°...if we¡¯re talking about artificial heroes, there¡¯s a big chance that it was Leona-sama doing.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right Toy, it¡¯s certainly a possibility.¡±

    Haku-san takes a sip of her tea.

    ¡°It makes sense. Kehma, we will take care of that facility investigation from here. Now, for your rewards¨C¡°

    ¡°Wait, if possible, can you leave it to me? I want to steal the Divine Artifact so I can harass the Holy Kingdom and Leona.¡±

    ¡°Fumu... Well, it¡¯s okay. Then, Kehma will sabotage the facility. If, by some chance, you fail to deal with it, I¡¯ll take over. But for now, I¡¯ll leave it to you.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, if I actually failed, I will count on you.¡±

    ¡°Also, if you can, please get me some additional information.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll try.¡±

    When I put the [Divine Bedding] in the magic tool and tried to start it, I also knew how to reverse the process and retrieve it. Now it¡¯s just a matter of seeing how far we can go to destroy it.

    I¡¯m sorry to the people who work at this facility in the Holy Kingdom, but let¡¯s destroy it in a shy way, shall we? For now, let¡¯s try to destroy that ck dungeon core.

    ¡°Kehma, you¡¯re skipping something important.¡±

    ¡°Hm? what¡¯s it, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Rewards, you know, rewards. Sister, if this operation seeds, may I ask you to take care of the people who are sending assassins to us in the Holy Kingdom? Within a month of the sess report if possible.¡±

    ......! She¡¯s right. The reason why I sent Narikin to the holy Kingdom is because those assassins that been lurking in my vige. My daughter was born while we were investigating things, so Ipletely forgot.

    ¡°I get it Rokuko-chan, I did my investigation about that matter, don¡¯t worry about it. Kehma, I believe you have no problem with this?¡±

    ¡°...Yes, thank you, Haku.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then it means we can return sis Haku subordinate that has been stationed in Gollen vige!¡±

    ¡°Ara... Rokuko-chan, you can keep them in the vige as bodyguards. And besides, working in Gollen vige is quite popr, you know? There are hot springs, and the food is delicious. I really want to stay there myself, but¨C¡°

    Haku nced at Chloe, who was standing behind her in butler¡¯s uniform.

    ¡°My Lady. You have a job to do as the nation mother and grandmaster of the adventurer¡¯s guild, so you can¡¯t be away for long.¡±

    ¡°¡ªWell, as you can see....¡±

    ¡°I think she can stay with us once a month even after we return Haku¡¯s subordinate. I believe that much is still within Chloe¡¯s capability, right?

    ¡°...yes, it¡¯s possible. I¡¯ve been busytely with the work since I need to be away from the capital, but it¡¯s no problem as long as I can do my work. Besides, it won¡¯t be much of a burden if we all get inside Soto-sama¡¯s dungeon and then teleports to Rokuko-sama location.¡±

    Indeed, if Rokuko and Soto were to cooperate fully, evenmuting from the inn to the imperial capital would be no problem at all. Rokuko can use transfer to the beach from Gollen Vige, then Haku¡¯s dungeon function can move the rest.

    Still... entering Soto¡¯s dungeon = entering my storage... Well, let¡¯s ignore that part.

    Let¡¯s think it like this. I¡¯m a cab driver, the [storage] dungeon is a car, and Rokuko is the ferry that carries that car.

    ¡°That¡¯s why, isn¡¯t it better if we¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been a little lonelytely since my sister hasn¡¯t beening to the inn.¡±

    ¡°¨CChloe, hurry up and make the arrangements. I¡¯ll pay you in advance for your services.¡±

    ¡°Understood.¡±

    Isn¡¯t pay in advance just... prepayment?

    Well, it was a useless thing to think about it. More importantly, it means I cannot afford to fail now.

    And here¡¯s where Rokuko was secretlymunicating to me with her [telekinesis].

    <...I asked Chloe to keep my sister away from the vige because it would make Kehma too shy, but even if it wasn¡¯t my sister, Kehma would get tired of being watched all the time right? so in the end it¡¯s better to have her visit once a month or so.>

    <Wait, Rokuko! You¡¯re the one who made the four Heavenly Kings stay in Gollen Vige!?>

    This is quite shocking to think she would go this far to manipte Haku and her subordinate!

    <The assassin part wasn¡¯t just part of your plot either, was he?>

    <There¡¯s no way I¡¯m not going to go that far. The assassins who targeted Kehma and Rei are real.>

    <Is that so?>

    <Also, it doesn¡¯t make any difference if my sister doesn¡¯te if her guards stay. Chloe said she would take care of it, but then she went back on her words! Sister Haku must have told her not to let up the pressure!>

    Rokuko smiled while speaking in [telekinesis]. I¡¯m not sure if I should be happy that she¡¯s now able to scheme things this far?

    And if that¡¯s the case, Chloe was a subus who did the devil¡¯s work, fulfilling Haku-san¡¯s needs and Rokuko¡¯s, but frustrating both.

    She¡¯s a subus type demon, and she may have been working... in the hope that Haku will request her to take Rokuko form in her dream to relieve her frustration. It¡¯s scary to think about that possibility.

    Anyway, our next goal is to destroy that strange facility.

    We also received a separate reward from Haku for our information and decided to n a strategy to achieve that goal.

    TL note:

    This chapter iste because I was confused about some words.

 Chapter 516 - Letâ€™s Go Sabotage!

    <h4>Chapter 516 ¨C Let¡¯s Go Sabotage!</h4>

    A mysterious facility in the Holy Kingdom.

    I¡¯ve decided to sabotage that ce at Haku¡¯s request.

    Now, how should we destroy it? I could think of various ways to do it.

    Especially after I possess Narikin and go there, that will open up my option.

    Narikin was meant to be second body, so it was almost as good as I personally went there myself. There is a limit regarding the amount of MP we have, but it can be easily solved using mana potions.

    I¡¯ve made him learn the magic needed for the elemental burst, so he can shoot if I [possess] him.

    And if I also got him to learn [create golems], the need for key no longer exists.

    But I wonder if this is the right time to show my hands.

    It is true that if I use Narikin to sabotage, it will be easy, but there¡¯s also a great possibility that he will be no longer able to stay in the Holy Kingdom.

    And I have no n to abandon Narikin, so that¡¯s a rather tricky point. For now, I¡¯ll tell him to wear a mask to hide his face.

    ¡°Kehma, I have a good idea.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? What idea you have, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°You should change Narikin¡¯s face during the crime!¡±

    The dungeon¡¯s enhancement function has been used to humanize Narikin, but his face is that of an average adult male from the empire. And we could change his face using the humanization that what she was proposing.

    In other words, it¡¯s like a wanted criminal who gets away with stic surgery to change his face. Well, that¡¯s exactly what we¡¯re trying to do, and I¡¯m sure it¡¯s effective.

    ¡°Oh? you can do that?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you can. I¡¯ve been watching for an opportunity to turn Narikin¡¯s face into Kehma¡¯s. You can change his face for 500 DP.¡±

    And what kind of opportunity you were waiting for... well in short, you already confirmed that we could do that.

    Dungeon function is something that is determined by what people (the Dungeon core) believe they can do. If you believe you can do it, then you can do it.

    ¡°I mean, we can just change his face during the crime.¡±

    ¡°......ee, I want to make him look like Kehma all the time.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s possible that we can separate ourselves from the current face we¡¯ve been gathering information about and start the next town in a clean state. I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    It would be perfect if we could change his face before the crime and change it again after the crime. The total cost is 1,000 DP, which is a small price to pay for us now.

    ¡°If he die ¨C well, we can use DP to revive him, so that¡¯s quicker than getting caught. The DP for resurrection seems to be rather heavy, though.¡±

    The ce where he will be resurrected is a little bit of concern, but it doesn¡¯t matter where. Even if he revives in the morgue, he can be recovered using Soto¡¯s [Storage] dungeon.

    ¡°Well, if I get caught, I¡¯ll go to help with Rokufa.¡±

    ¡°Good idea. If the angels are backing us and ¡®told us¡¯ to attack that facility, we might im that justice is on our side.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go in there and ask my husband what the hell he¡¯s doing!¡±

    ...right, Narikin and Rokufa are set up as a married couple.

    ¡°I think I¡¯d like to see how they¡¯d react if a terrorist was called a husband by an angel.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I wonder how in the God of light religion people would react? Should we get caught on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Well, let¡¯s avoid getting caught for now.¡±

    When I think about it, we could count the Heroes in the game as a terrorist since they will take out the enemy head in small numbers.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to change my face and go on a rampage.¡±

    ¡°Okay, have a good day.¡±

    Just like that, we decide that the strategy is to [possess] Narikin and go on a rampage.

    *

    It was midnight, and I had reached the hut with the hidden passage. And although there seemed to be safe, I still let the rats go ahead of me through the air vents just to make sure that no one was around. After that, I gently reached for the door.

    The door was locked, I used [Create Golem], poured magic into the lock, and turned it into a golem. Then, after that, I only need to ask the door to open itself. I feel like cheating when using this, but it¡¯s the only surefire way to get a physical lock open.

    At the end of the stairs was the entrance to a downstairs staircase that looked like an underground storage room, but today it was covered with a lid made of wooden boards. It was carefully chained and locked. I wondered if someone had used it the other day and left it open.

    However, it¡¯s just an ordinary lid for me(mouse form). And even if the chain was made from orichalcum, I could just turn it into a golem.

    Well, considering I could break through a chain of orichalcum if I wanted to, I could be a world-ss thief if I wasn¡¯t a dungeon master.

    ¡°If you let the mouse remember [Create Golem], you can do a ridiculous thing with it, right?¡±

    ¡°Umm... Rokuko...?¡±

    ¡°I know, we¡¯re currently recording footage to give to Haku-nee-sama, so I¡¯ve [possessing] Rokufa to watch it. Of course, I¡¯ll edit that part.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll check out the footage before you submit it... by the way, you haven¡¯t shown it to Toy yet, have you?¡±

    ¡°Of course. The reason I possess Rokufa is because I¡¯m afraid Toy might see it if I leave it to her.¡±

    It¡¯s fine then. [Create Golem] is our trump card, so I have to edit it properly.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how it ys out!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like fun is entertainment... Well, okay.¡±

    When I took a sip of the mana potion, the potion disappeared into my body without lodging in my stomach, and my mana was restored.

    About the [Create Golem] for the rat that Rokuko talk earlier, there lies the same problem just like with Narikin, and we are talking about a rat with even less magic power, it won¡¯t be able to use the [Create Golem] properly unless you train them to the extreme.

    For now, the n is to destroy the ck sphereter and secure the power source first. After that, I¡¯ll destroy the giant magic tool and finally destroy the ck sphere.

    The reason for this is that if the ck sphere is the dungeon core, there is a possibility that it will copse and bury the entire facility as soon as it is destroyed. If you don¡¯t destroy the giant magic tool properly, they¡¯ll probably be able to use it again soon just by digging it back up.

    And, the pathway seems to be well maintained and reinforced, but if it were to copse, the people above ground would be in trouble.

    I¡¯d like to do as much as I can to help, but this is a dungeon owned by an enemy country, and I¡¯m not sure how much consideration I need to give to them.

    I guess I¡¯ll pray to the God of light that no one else gets involved.

 Chapter 517 - Letâ€™s Go Sabotage! (2)

    Chapter 517 ¨C Let¡¯s Go Sabotage! (2)

    After offering azy prayer to the God of Light, ¡°I¡¯m a believer in your religion, so protect me,¡± we immediately headed for the central power room.

    The magic tools won¡¯t move without a power source. And since it¡¯s a sacred tool, they won¡¯t be able to easily rece it.

    Wait, they are a religious nation, so I wonder what¡¯s their policy is for tools from different gods.

    They dare to use it as a power source for that suspicious giant magic tool, after all. And they may be ready to destroy it if the situation requires them to.

    I investigated the power room and saw four men who looked like researchers in white coats and two guards, and it was the same number I had seen the other day with the rats. The guards were standing there holding spears-like sticks, not even wasting time talking. Thank you for your hard work.

    ¡­ I decided to put them to [sleep]. Well, I don¡¯t like the idea of killing someone myself, and especially since I¡¯m the one doing the attacking this time.

    Our goal is to destroy the facility so we don¡¯t even need to kill anyone. Well, I¡¯ll take them alive and submit them to Haku as a source of information. I don¡¯t care if you make it out alive after that or if your fate is worse than death. But if you¡¯re going to die, please do it out of my sight.

    ¡°[Sleep]. Have a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡­Oh? one of them put up a fight.¡±

    Five people fell asleep, and only one guard seeded in resisting. It¡¯s not like the [sleep] ispletely ineffective, but this one guy got the guts to stick a knife in his thigh to stay awake.

    ¡°We have a situation! Intruder! ¨CGet up! We¡¯re under attack!¡±

    Damn, he got me I guess. Since I¡¯ve been spotted, I show myself and go into the room. Of course, I¡¯ve changed my face beforehand, so there¡¯s no problem even if they see it.

    The guard was about wake his colleague by using his leg, but he reacted to me and thrust his spear in my direction.

    ¡°Who the hell are you? How did you get in here?¡±

    ¡°How did you get in here? Well, I came in through the entrance unless that barred door is the back door.¡±

    While I was making fun of him, he prepared his spear to thrust my neck. Yeah, I¡¯m not going to let you do that, I ducked a little to evade his thrust and applied an additional [sleep].

    ¡°Here, you go to sleep, too. ¨C[sleep], [sleep], [sleep], [sleep] ¡­¡­ Oh, you¡¯re asleep.¡±

    ¡°Ug¡ªgh¡­.¡±

    After three additional [sleep], the guard finally went to slumber. You did your best, goodnight.

    With that, we conquered the central room. Let¡¯s get our reward right away.

    I took a mana potion and drank its content to recover.

    A thoughtes to me when I see six men lying on the floor. Because these guys are also a part of the ¡®reward¡¯, I don¡¯t think I need six to be a source of information. I guess I will leave that one guard who has seen my face, he¡¯ll serve as misdirection when they investigateter.

    I was finally ready to meet the power source with the five of them stored in my [storage].

    When I looked through the window attached to the power furnace, I saw a nightcap emitting a divine light.

    There¡¯s no doubt about it. It¡¯s the [God¡¯s Nightcap], I know it. All I have to do is open the lid of this power furnace and take it out.

    Thanks to Nerune, I know the structure of this thing, plus the procedure for opening it is ¨C well, OK, it worked. Prior research is really important, isn¡¯t it?

    I use a fallen spear to hook the nightcap and pull it out of the furnace.

    BANG! and sparks fly like a short-circuited electrical outlet, and the lights in the room go out. Apparently, the lights in this facility were also powered by this nightcap.

    It was dim for a moment, but perhaps it was the nature of the dungeon, and I soon felt no darkness.

    Everything was going well. Now all I have to do is destroy this thing.

    I pointed my hand at the empty power furnace and¨C.

    ¡°[Elemental Burst]¡­ uh?¡±

    The ray of light hit the power furnace, but it was soon reverted back to nothing. What?

    As expected of something that was used to lock up a divine object. It¡¯s tough. Or does it still have the power of a god leftover?

    Let¡¯s try the next move. [Create Golem] I pour in magical power in¡­.- Oi Oiiii? It¡¯s swallowing me up without limit. In fact, I¡¯m bing its power source. That¡¯s not good. I didn¡¯t expect this. I interrupt my cast and recover with a mana potion.

    ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t I just destroy the outer part? Well, let¡¯s just start with the ones we can see.¡±

    I don¡¯t know how much is enough to destroy, but if I can, I should destroy it as much as I can. If I managed to break the connection and destroy the other part, it might destroy its power furnace.

    I tied the guard who waspletely asleep with a rope, took him in my arms, and threw him out of the room. Then I fired [Elemental Burst] wildly throughout the room.

    The furnace is sturdy, but apparently, the rest wasn¡¯t. The magic tool was torn to shreds and full of holes.

    The power furnace was detached for the time being. In this state, I feel like I could destroy it with the Create Golem, but since it¡¯s a good opportunity, I¡¯ll just take it home with me. If it¡¯s so sturdy, it must have been made from good materials.

    It¡¯s too big to fit in the storage, but I¡¯ll connect my storage to Soto¡¯s storage dungeon and have her put it in there.

    When we¡¯re done with the central room, we¡¯ll have to destroy the one next door and the one next to it. We¡¯ll also have to make holes in the floor and ceiling and shoot giant magic tools at every inch of it to destroy them!

    I¡¯m starting to have fun. Destruction is the essence of being a hero, right? I cannot argue with that.

    After that, the sabotage proceeded smoothly.

 Chapter 518 - Letâ€™s go Sabotage! (3)

    <h4>Chapter 518 ¨C Let¡¯s go Sabotage! (3)</h4>

    The destruction was proceeding smoothly.

    As a result of me going rampage, the ce was in tatters. There¡¯s a hole in the ceiling and floor. It looks like ruin now.

    If I were asked to fix a huge magic tool in this state, I would say, ¡°It would be faster to build it from scratch.¡±

    ¡°Now, I¡¯m going to go and destroy that ck thing.¡±

    I carried the soldier that I had left lying in the corridor in my arms. He¡¯s sleeping soundly and hasn¡¯t woken up yet. ¡­ He¡¯s still alive, right?

    I went into a room with a ck dungeon core and attacked it with [Elemental Burst]. The surface of the core is cracked like a melon.

    It¡¯s pretty sturdy, one hit won¡¯t be enough to break it, so I give it one more [Elemental Burst].

    ¡°Ooh?! Something¡¯sing out.?¡±

    ck smoke was leaking. I quickly left the room reflexively and dropped the soldier I held. I want to pick him up, but if I did, I would likely get caught in smoke, so I gave up. I know I¡¯m the one who brought him here, but I¡¯m not obligated to go that far.

    The ck smoke stays in the room as if it has a will of its own and is absorbed into the soldier I dropped. What¡¯s going on here? The soldier didn¡¯t move a muscle.

    After the soldiers sucked in all the smoke, the ck core that had finished spewing out the smoke was crumpled into small pieces, creating a rough gravel pile.

    ¡°¡­.At any rate, there¡¯s no sign of the dungeon copsing.¡±

    I exhaled in relief. Anyway, I¡¯m not sure if the dungeon¡¯s passageway was somewhat sturdy or if there¡¯s some reinforcement in ce. It is also possible that the dungeon¡¯s power will remain for a while.

    At any rate, there was no sign of an immediate copse.

    I decided to leave the soldiers there. If the dungeon does not copse, then you can stay there.

    Above all, I refuse to get close to anyone who¡¯s inhaled that ck smoke. I don¡¯t want to be bitten by a zombie or something when I¡¯m carrying him¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to let you get away with it. I won¡¯t let you go.¡±

    On the same path, I hade in. An enemy was standing in my way on the way home.

    A familiar figure. A green-haired woman in a priest¡¯s uniform.

    It was Alca, the Saint of the Light God religion. {tln1}

    She stands alone in the corridor, without her followers. ¡­oh, by the way, she¡¯s an executive of God of Light Religion.

    ¡°I knew I¡¯d seen her before. I wonder why the Saint came all the way here.¡±

    ¡°Master Rokuko. This Kuromaku is the religious home of the God of Light, so it seems that we havee to the Saint¡¯s base.¡±

    I can hear the conversation between Lokufa(Rokuko) and Trans(Narikin). So this city is a religious base?

    ¡°¡­.Saint Alca. Are you alone?¡±

    ¡°You know me? Then please surrender quietly. ¡­Even if you breakthrough here, the soldiers are blocking the way, and there is no ce to escape.¡±

    The Saint holds a dagger in both hands as she says this. I think the weapon she used is different before¡­ Well, if you¡¯re dealing with a human in the corridor, a dagger would be a better choice.

    I tried to take out a golem de from [storage], but she instantly attacked me before I could get ready.

    Immediately I grab the de and pull it out of the [storage] to receive her attack.

    I guess this is the limit of Narikin¡¯s body.

    ¡°Now that you have drawn your sword, there will be no more questions. I will cut off your hands and feet to restrain you.¡±

    ¡°I sincerely hope you won¡¯t do that.¡±

    As I retreated to the back, I wondered what I should do against the Saint.

    ¡°- [Sleep]!¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t work!¡±

    I tried to put her to sleep for the time being, but I guess she has resistance skills, being a saint. Now, even if we can¡¯t win, how can we escape? ¡­If the soldiers are waiting for us even if we manage to avoid the Saint, it¡¯s better to return by using death, right?

    But I don¡¯t want to die.

    Oh, Right, I could do that.

    I took a distance, then pulled the sleeping soldier out of the [storage] and put my sword to his neck.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move. You don¡¯t care what happens to him?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­! Taking a hostage is cowardly ¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, say what you want, but if he dies, unlike the saint, he won¡¯te back to life, will he?¡±

    I¡¯m a viin anyway. Well, to be exact, a terrorist? since I¡¯m in the middle of a sabotage mission.

    ¡°But¡­ since he¡¯s a soldier¡­ I¡¯m sure he¡¯s prepared to die!¡±

    ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re abandoning him so easily, Saint.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure there were other people there in the first ce. And I believe you have finished them all! so, there¡¯s no reason for me to listen to your words!¡±

    ¡°For the record, I didn¡¯t kill anyone, okay? I just put them to sleep.¡±

    Well, it¡¯s doubtful that they will be safe after this.

    ¡°¡­Say that again.¡±

    The Saint¡¯s eyes glowed red. It¡¯s probably magic to identify lies. I¡¯ll dly answer then.

    ¡°I have not killed anyone. For now, that is! If you let me go safely, I¡¯ll let this soldier go without harm.¡±

    ¡°Damn you! but ¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°All right, all right. Then you can take the soldier thatying there as proof that I will properly release the hostage.¡±

    I opened the way for her. I said, ¡°Go ahead,¡± and urged her to go to the room, and she went while being wary of me.

    And I hurriedly made a hole in the ceiling with the [Create Golem] when the Saint went to the back and used the [Stone Pile] to lift the foothold and escape to the ground. I had already confirmed that there were no buildings above me using the map function. As soon as I escaped, I plugged the hole with the [Create Golem] again.

    ¡°Hahaha! Stupid, if soldiers block the passage, I¡¯ll just open another way!¡±

    Oh, I¡¯ll ce the soldiers I took hostage for a gift on the ground and leave them there. I may have a reputation for deceiving people, but not for lying. And I only need the researcher to get information out of this ce.

    I was about to say, ¡°Goodbye, saint.¡±

    ¡°Fireball, be a bullet and pierce the enemy!¡±

    ¡°Oou¡ª!¡±

    A fireball grazed my face and flew past me.

    The Saint followed me out of the hole I had blocked. Damn, I guess I can¡¯t just cover it up with dirt.

    ¡°How dare you destroy the workshop! How in the world did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Why should I answer?¡±

    Perhaps because we were in arge area, the Saint¡¯s weapon had also changed from a dagger to a spear.

    She is not a pride of the Holy Kingdom for nothing. I don¡¯t think she will let me go that easily. Let¡¯s try a little harder.

    ===.

    A note:

    (On a personal note, I got my second dose of vine, so give me some credit.

    Also, I couldn¡¯t buy the mochi dolls from Hololive: ¡­I want the Okakoro: ¡­I want mail order.

    TL note:

    Me too, got my vinne~~ yay

    {tln1} I already forgot her name; this one is from the wiki. forgive me if that was different from Ziru¡¯s version.

 Chapter 519 - Letâ€™s Go Sabotage! (4)

    <h4>Chapter 519 ¨C Let¡¯s Go Sabotage! (4)</h4>

    ¡°Wait, you saboteur terrorist!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s stupid enough to wait? ¡­¡­ I never thought I¡¯d say this line in real life.¡±

    I ran through the streets of Kuromauk, dodging the arrows and magic that the saint had thrown at me.

    Fortunately, the buildings in this town have fluttering decorations made of hardened cloth, and it is easy to climb on the roofs. And if you¡¯re close to the buildings, the saints will be afraid to attack, further creating a big window of opportunity to escape.

    It¡¯s because, at first, her stray bullets destroyed the buildings and crushed the soldiers who rushed to support her. Now, she¡¯s hesitating, and her arrow bes too weak even to pierce the walls.

    Kukuku, this saint, seems that she is used to running around the dungeon solo and is not good at cooperating with others.

    ¡°Dammit, I almost got him!¡±

    ¡°Ahaha, go get me if you can!¡±

    Well, being intercepted like this was also something we nned.

    Her rampage served as a diversion for Haku¡¯s spies to dig out more info.

    Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have been so rxed destroying that ce to the point that it got reported. And it didn¡¯t matter whether we got caught before or after the destruction was done. The imperative is, if we made a scene, Haku¡¯s spies could move in.

    It was also to lure them because there was something we wanted to investigate. If possible, I want us to take as much time as possible to rampage and then pull ourselves to the outskirts.

    I hadn¡¯t expected the saint to be my opponent, but it was a good miscalction because we could draw their trump card attention to this side. Plus, the ordinary soldiers are also chasing me, so there should be no problem.

    I¡¯ve changed my face, and I¡¯m going to show it off.

    By the way, I¡¯ve already handed over the researcher and [God¡¯s nightcap] to Haku¡¯s men and by boldly tricking her eyes to boot. After I handed them over, Haku¡¯s men ran toward the main street, looking like an ordinary person who had encountered terrorists and was running for his life.

    I¡¯m not sure how many of these people Haku has lurking around. Considering this, even if the surveince of the Four Heavenly Kings disappears from our vige, there will still be eyes watching us, mixed in with ordinary adventurers. Well, I guess that¡¯s one more thing I should be suspicious of.

    In the first ce, adventurers are like pawns for the grandmaster of the adventurer¡¯s guild, Haku. Anyone can be a spy if they are asked to investigate the mayor of Gollen Vige in the name of a quest.

    And as long as there¡¯s a vige with an inn operating in it, you cannot chase away those adventurers.

    ¡°Ice spear, pierce the enemy ¨C [Ice Javelin]!¡±

    ¡°Whoops.¡±

    A huge icicle the size of an umbre stabbed into the ground. If I think too much, I¡¯ll get attacked. Let¡¯s focus on the current situation.

    As the soldiers moved ahead of me to block the way, I ran up the ck cloth wall again to escape. Now I¡¯m on the roof, so I¡¯m vulnerable to the saint¡¯s attacks.

    ¡°EEI! I almost got him!¡±

    ¡°I heard it a while ago. You have a surprisingly limited vocabry, saint.¡±

    ¡°And you never stop talking! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s making me work hard in the dungeon, making me tired!¡±

    The saint follows me up to the roof and shouts while breathing heavily.

    As a living armor, Narikin¡¯s body doesn¡¯t feel much fatigue. Also, the only thing that is humanized now is his head, and I don¡¯t think he breathes.

    However, because living armor is a magical creature, it loses magic power instead of physical strength. I took out the mana potion from the [storage] and drank it down.

    ¡°How many stamina potions do you have ¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, this one is a mana potion, though?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­ [Body Strengthening] huh?¡±

    The mana potion is made by Soto herself, and she replicates a box of mana potions for me, so I¡¯ll never run out. I can exchange it using DP, but I¡¯ll have to take it out of the [storage] in front of the enemy anyway, so I told Soto that I would give half of the DP I saved to pay her, and she was happy to help.

    She even unpacks it from the box, so I had an easier time drinking it.

    To think of it, recently, we¡¯ve been doing a lot of parent-child activities, like getting my child to help me with a chore for free. The chore is sabotage, though.

    And now that we¡¯re no longer in the section of the city where the church headquarters is located, it¡¯s time to do something else to harass them instead of just running away.

    The saint wille back to life even if she dies, so there¡¯s no need to go easy on her.

    ¡°[Judgment Ray]¡±

    ¡°Kuh!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s diverted?¡±

    I release the [Elemental Burst] on the saint¡¯s magic. The appearance is very simr, so it¡¯s just right to disguise the original magic. The light was averted and disappeared into the sky.

    ¡°Yo-you diverted king ss light magic! Who the hell are you!¡±

    ¡°Would you believe me if I told you I was a messenger from God?¡±

    Well, I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m was sent by the God of light¡­ Wait, I was originally sent here as heroes, so it¡¯s not wrong.

    The soldiers surround me. I smiled meaningfully at the saint, who was observing me.

    I ask the saint.

    ¡°Did you think that God would allow something like that?¡±

    ¡°Something like that? What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Hm? I¡¯m talking about the facility you found me in. It¡¯s my bad, but it¡¯s my job to destroy it thoroughly.¡±

    It¡¯s not as if the saint who was the first to arrive there didn¡¯t know anything about it. The only reason she didn¡¯t bring other soldiers with her was that she understood that the ce was off-limits to unauthorized ess.

    In other words, it would be inconvenient for people to know about the facility.

    Why is that? Of course, it¡¯s obvious.

    ¡°It¡¯s a dungeon, isn¡¯t it? How can there be a dungeon in the town of Kuromaku? The Holy Kingdom? Oi, oi! Didn¡¯t God of Light tell you to destroy the dungeon?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Because this is a residential area, the people who heard me weren¡¯t just the soldiers.

    Still, It¡¯s a residential area at night. It¡¯s not really a popr ce to be, but it¡¯s a ce where people are sleeping in their homes, and there are many people. I¡¯m sorry to wake you up when you¡¯re asleep. Since you¡¯re here, I¡¯ll let you be the audience.

    ¡°Answer me, Saint Alca! Why was there a dungeon under this town?¡±

    In the midst of all this, I threw her a question that loudly questions her faith in the God of Light¡ªwell, well, how are you going toe out of this, Saintess?

    TL note:

    Holy shit Keima, I did not expect that. You are a genuine asshole. I almost forgot that.

    Well, first thing first¡­

    I might be slow in the past couple of days, for that I¡¯m sorry¡­

    the chapter is already tranted, but I couldn¡¯t find the time to proofread it, and when I did, my inte started to be unstable. I cannot do proofreading without Grammarly, and when the friggin inte is like that, it killed my whole mood to do it.

    Still, the amount of chapters I tranted remains stable. I should have no problem filling my Patreon promised chapter for this month.

 Chapter 520 - Terrorists who question a saint.

    LDM 520 ¨C Terrorists who question a saint.

    ¡°Answer me, Saint Alca! Why was there a dungeon under this town!¡±

    I say it again to make the people around me more interested in hearing what I have to say than what the saints say.

    I¡¯m not running away right now, and no one is even trying to catch me. ¡­.Oh, my dear saint, you¡¯re disqualified in many ways when you listen to the words of terrorists.

    ¡°Tha-that dungeon is ¡­¡­ good!¡±

    ¡°How can a dungeon be good or bad? Since when did the Holy Kingdom be a vassal state of the Raverio Empire?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re wrong! That dungeon is an artificial dungeon, created by human hands under the leadership of the Pope!¡±

    An artificial dungeon?

    ¡°It is the result of alchemy, the work of man. Therefore, even if God of Light sees it, there is no problem.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Have you confirmed this with the God of Light?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we did. The Pope can talk to God the Light.¡±

    Hmm, that¡¯s suspicious. Are you serious?

    But I can also talk to the dark god ¨C [Father], so I confirm that it¡¯s a lie. there¡¯s also possibility there¡¯s an angel that can act as mediator.

    Let¡¯s dig some more details from her.

    ¡°Hoo? Even a Hero can¡¯t speak freely with the God of Light, you know?¡±

    ¡°The Pope is special.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence that the Pope had words with the God of Light? About forgiving natural or artificial dungeons, or something like that, do you think the God of Light would actually say that?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­You¡¯re the one who seems to know the God of Light firsthand, right?¡±

    Well, I¡¯m somewhat of a Hero myself. To an extent, I do met with him directly, I couldn¡¯t see his face, though, because he was all lit up.

    ¡­Maybe I can shake her up even more by showing her that I¡¯m a Hero? I don¡¯t know the details, but there¡¯s a high chance that a Hero is revered being in the God of Light religion.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. I was asked to do a job directly by the God of Light to destroy the dungeon and not a word about overlooking artificial dungeons.¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Well, I was only asked to do it. I didn¡¯t actually do it.

    Wait, but I¡¯ve broken dungeon cores without number, and I guess you could say I¡¯ve done a minimum amount of work? At the very least. I do have the heroic skill [Super Transformation].

    ¡°¡­Hero¨C Are you really the Hero?¡±

    ¡°Before you ask me that question, answer me about the Pope.¡±

    The saint stares at me. Probably because my hair color ismon in this world, and so is the face.

    ¡°You said that the Pope made the dungeon ¨C is he human? Are you sure it Isn¡¯t that an inhuman being in disguise?¡±

    ¡°The Pope has a lot of suspicious things about him¡­ that¡¯s the truth.¡±

    Eh? Do you also have your suspicion?

    ¡°The Popes were¡­ always the same person for five generations dating back to the present.¡±

    ¡°Five generations, huh? That¡¯s confirmed then.¡±

    I don¡¯t know what kind of institution the Pope is, and if you¡¯re talking about four years per generation, well¡­ I don¡¯t know how long one generation is. But for now, I confidently nodded my head.

    From the way the saint talks, it seems that once the Pope takes the seat, they¡¯ll serve for a dozen years or so until they retires due to aging.

    And then I suddenly thought of something. The ck dungeon core ¨C a gift of alchemy. That means there¡¯s a very good chance that a certain chaos god, Leona, is involved.

    ¡°The Pope¨Cor any of his entourage or servant¡ªis there a ck-haired, red-eyed woman?¡±

    ¡°The Pope is an old man, and I have no idea if there is a woman with ck hair and red eyes. If such a person existed, it would be a topic of conversation.¡±

    I was wondering if Leona was involved, but even if she were, she wouldn¡¯t let me grab her tail so easily. ¡­¡­No, wait.

    ¡°What do you mean by that? Are they criminal or something?¡±

    ¡°No, that was the color of the first saint.¡±

    ¡°¡­the first saint?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The first saint had hair as ck as the dark night, eyes as red as fresh blood, and was said to use a phoenix.¡±

    Aside from phoenixes, ck hair is rare in this world. Even more so whenbined with red eyes. The first saint was gone a long time ago, but Leona is¡­ immortal.

    And there¡¯s no denying the possibility that slime who can turn itself into a wolf didn¡¯t turn into a phoenix¡­

    ¡°¡­well, that¡¯s okay. If there is no ck-haired, red-eyed evil woman, then the Pope is the evil that nests in the God of Light religion. It seems that he is the one who should be dragged down and brought to justice.¡±

    ¡°Evil¡­?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Your teaching says that you¡¯re to destroy dungeons, yet, you¡¯re building one, aren¡¯t you? Don¡¯t be ridiculous, artificial or not. A dungeon is still a dungeon! Isn¡¯t it! Weren¡¯t you guys supposed to follow the teaching to destroy dungeons!¡±

    Iposed myself and began my speech.

    For now, let¡¯s agitate them with their policy and make them suspicious of the Pope. I spread my arms and shout at everyone except the saints.

    ¡°Saint! What did the Pope say to you when he builds the dungeon? Is it because a country without dungeons will be inferior to a country with dungeons in terms of productivity? Is that why you¡¯ll be able to turn a blind eye to a little evil for the sake of endless resources.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s because¡­ we would manage the dunge¨C¡°

    ¡°What!? So, it¡¯s true? it seems that the Pope thinks that dungeons are useful! This is a terrible betrayal by a man who called as a Pope!¡±

    I interrupted the saint¡¯s answer and continued.

    No matter what her answer is, all I need is the fact that there was a man-made dungeon as the truth. The saint already affirms it, and regardless of what she says, it¡¯s now tied to the fact that the Pope [thinks that dungeons are useful]. For the Holy Kingdom, this is an act of betrayal ¨C not destroying a dungeon that can be destroyed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell God next time. I¡¯ll tell the God that the religion of light has been corrupted!¡±

    I thenughed.

    Well, even though I say God, the God I¡¯m reporting to is Haku, the White Goddess.

    Now, I think I¡¯ve bought ourselves a lot of time, but since the Pope seems to be suspicious, let¡¯s y at least one more mischief since the number of spectators has increased.

    ¡°Saint! The Pope is the evil one who protects the dungeon. Do you still want to protect him?¡±

    ¡°Th-That¡¯s¡­ugh ¡­¡­ who the hell you think you are!?¡±

    ¡°Whoever I am is nothing important! The teachings from God of Light or the Pope, which one are you protecting!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­the teachings from God of Light!¡±

    With two absurd extreme options presented before her. Of course, you have to say that God of Light is the superior one. And now that she has made her choice, the saint has no choice but to cut down the other one.

    ¡°Then what do you know what to do!? ¡°

    ¡°I¡¯m going to remove the Pope from his seat¡­¡­?¡±

    ¡°THAT¡¯S NAIVE!¡±

    BAM! I stomped my foot as a stunt; secretly, I created a small explosion without chanting and shook the air.

    The saint¡¯s body trembled at the unexpectedly loud sound.

    ¡°Bring down the Pope! Saint, that is exactly what God of Light teaches us to do!¡±

    ¡°yes!¡±

    ¡°Say it out loud! Bring down the Pope!¡±

    ¡°Br-Bring down the Pope. ¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Too quiet! Bring down with the Pope!!¡±

    ¡°BRI-BRING DOWN THE POPE!¡±

    ¡°BRING DOWN THE POPE! BRING DOWN THE POPE!¡±

    Bring down the Pope. I let her say it out loud to imprint it in her mind.

    It¡¯s even better if you make her repeat it over and over again.

    ¡°BRING DOWN THE POPE! BRING DOWN THE POPE!¡±

    ¡°BRING DOWN THE POPE! BRING DOWN THE POPE!¡±

    The deed I did was very simple brainwashing. This is amon method used by ckpanies.

    The saint forgot to question my words as a terrorist and called out, ¡°Bring down the Pope!¡± in public.

    ¡­.Anyway, that should be enough time for us, right?

    And just to make sure ¨C let¡¯s affirm her once more about the thing she must do, shall we?

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget your mission, saint. [Bring down the Pope!]¡±

    ¡°Yes! [Bring down the Pope]!¡±

    Uuuh, it works too well now she¡¯s be an idiot.

    I¡¯m not sure if there is a resistance to this kind of status ailment in this other world(isekai). But I still can¡¯t believe how easy she¡¯s to be swallowed into it¡­ Well, she¡¯s a saint, so her faith is supposed to be strong.

    Thus, I turned around and walked away while the saint just watched.

 Chapter 521 - Debriefing with Haku.

    Chapter 521 ¨C Debriefing with Haku.

    After I had talked with the saint and returned safely, I changed the face back to Narikin¡¯s.

    With this, we won¡¯t be found out anymore. But, if I change lodgings or run away in a hurry after this, that would raise some suspicion. And because of that, Narikin won¡¯t leave Kuromaku town. To see it the other way, it could be said that we cannot move right now.

    Since they may havee to their senses by now and areying siege to catch the terrorist(me) who escaped, that¡¯s why let¡¯s aim for their darkest blind spot.

    ¡°Use Kehma¡¯s face, please!¡±

    ¡°What will we tell the saint if she sees that face?¡±

    ¡°Just say [I¡¯m Kehma¡¯s twin brother, Narikin].¡±

    ¡°¡­ I guess so.¡±

    Well, since I have created arge number of witnesses, so even if they find Narikin and question him why he knows about how the saint was manipted, he can use an excuse [Of course, I know it, I saw it].

    But as long as the face has changed, there will be nothing to connect him to terrorists. That¡¯s why for now, I will leave it to Narikin to keep an eye on Kuromaku and the Holy Kingdom.

    Now I just have to wait for the melons and nightcaps I left with Haku¡¯s men to arrive!

    ===

    A few dayster.

    ===

    While we couldn¡¯t get any useful information from Narikin and the others because the gossip in town was all about terrorists and saints, we were invited to a debriefing in the name of a tea party by Haku.

    We arrived and found out Haku was waiting with a wrinkled brow on her face.

    ¡°Kehma. What¡¯s your excuse this time?¡±

    ¡°Haku¡­ I have no idea what you¡¯re trying to say¡­.¡±

    Haku then let out a big sigh.

    I¡¯m sure I¡¯ve done everything Haku asked me to do, including creating havoc to buy time.

    ¡°The Pope has disappeared.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    The Pope suddenly disappeared? Well, not that sudden¡­

    I look at Rokuko, and she only goes ¡®fumu¡¯ and nods.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that because Kehma provoked the saint?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no. My words back then are full of bullshit.¡±

    ¡°Rokuko-chan is right. After that incident, the saint led arge number of followers to storm the Pope. While screaming [Bring down the Pope] with her mass.¡±

    Wow, did she really charge into the church? I¡¯m sure she must have umted a lot of resentment over the years. Certainly, she was overly energetic when she shouted those words.

    ¡°I see. Yup, it¡¯s definitely Kehma¡¯s fault.¡±

    ¡°I heard that the Pope¡¯s room waspletely cleaned, along with various documents in it¡­ fortunately, we managed to infiltrate the room before the assault began, so there was not much problem on that part.¡±

    At least I¡¯m d to hear that I could buy enough time.

    ¡°Hadn¡¯t Kehma been informed of the revolution yet?¡±

    ¡°¡­ Well, yeah. Basically, we can only gather information through the rumor from my ce.¡±

    ¡°No word from that Chaos Dogs?¡±

    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t said anything to me. She¡¯s just there as a maid for Narikin.¡±

    Anyway. It seems that the saint really tried to subjugate the Pope, and the Pope fled.

    That Pope must have had something to hide.

    ¡°What they are going to do now that the Pope has disappeared¡­ To be exact, what the Light God Religion going to do?¡±

    ¡°ording to rumors that they are looking for the terrorist from that time to make him senior priest, well, why don¡¯t you do just that? If everything goes well, you can probably be the next Pope.¡±

    ¡°Saint¡­ why are you so easy to deceive¡­.¡±

    ¡°In the first ce, a senior priest was a position that should unconditionally be given to Hero. If Kehma took that position, we could safely say that there were no lies at all.¡±

    Was that like an S-rank adventurer in the empire?

    And apparently, they also served as Pope candidates.

    ¡°However, since no heroes have been summoned to the Holy Kingdom in over a hundred years, the only senior priests we have now are merely normal people. But now that the Pope has disappeared, a priest who is a former candidate for sainthood would be the most likely candidate.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t the saint be the Pope?¡±

    ¡°If that saint became the Pope, it would be the end of the Holy Kingdom, but fortunately or unfortunately, there exists a rule that a saint cannot be the Pope.¡±

    I see. If the Hero who was the main instigator of the Pope¡¯s expulsion enters the fray, there will be a good chance that he will be selected as the Pope.

    And right at this moment, a cut melon was served and ced on the table.

    It¡¯s the Holy Kingdom¡¯s melon that I gave to Haku¡¯s men. It¡¯s fresh and vibrant because time stopped inside the [storage]. And, I was already had enough of eating these¡­

    ¡°Come to think of it, what were you investigating in the town of Kuromaku?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s about the Pope¡¯s identity¡­ Oh, I have to tell you this. In fact, we¡¯ve nned several investigations into the Pope in the past. But each time, we couldn¡¯t find him, so we couldn¡¯t start.¡±

    Hmm? I tilt my head at Haku¡¯s strange phrasing.

    ¡°¡­Apparently, the Pope can [erase his existence].¡±

    ¡°Erase his existence? Like hiding from the world?¡±

    ¡°No, it was not like that; it was almost like he didn¡¯t even exist.¡±

    I see. In other words, Haku had been sending investigators every time, but since the Pope had erased his existence, it could be said that [they couldn¡¯t start].

    And because they don¡¯t even know where to start, even if she sent the same investigators to the same ce, the Pope would keep erasing his presence every time, which kept them in the loop¡­. What¡¯s with that ultimate skill at the first move?

    ¡°¡­ isn¡¯t that an ultimate move? How did you keep going after that?¡±

    ¡°It looks like there is some restriction, and it¡¯s not easy to use. In fact, this time¡­ it only thanks to Kehma¡¯s big effort, the information finally reached us.¡±

    ¡°Oh! That means Kehma yed a big role this time! You can expect a big reward from my sister for this!¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­ Haku. To [Erase an Existence] it¡¯s already not something a human could do, is it?¡±

    ¡°Yes. In other words, it is the work of the Light God. Since I, as a god, couldn¡¯t detect it, I¡¯m sure of it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. only a God of Light could deceive my sister¡¯s perception!¡±

    ¡°Or [Father], since he is a Dark God. But considering the opponent, it would be the Light God. Especially if you consider the effect, that only proved more evidence.¡±

    Yeah, it¡¯s a God of Light Religion, after all. And we talk about the Pope. It¡¯s only fitting that he¡¯s using the power of the Light God.

    ¡°Sister, so you¡¯re saying that the Pope is the Light God himself?

    ¡°That not the case, a God of [Father] ss can¡¯t be active in the mortal realm for a long time¡­ It could be an angel, but then there¡¯s no reason for it to run away. The fact that he ran away suggests that he is not a person¡­., but rather a being that is not good for the God of Light Religion.¡±

    Who exactly is the Pope? Before we could fully investigate his true identity, he vanished.

    ¡°Thanks to you, I¡¯ve got a lot of ideas of what is he. I¡¯m a bit bitter that the Pope escaped, but it was still the best thing that could have happened. Great reward ising for you, Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank you.¡±

    I¡¯ve also managed to sell a lot of melon, and it looks like I¡¯ll never be short of money. ¡­well, it¡¯s not like I was troubled by money.

 Chapter 522 - Email.

    <h4>Chapter 522 - Email.</h4>

    After reporting to Haku, we returned to our dungeon.

    No new work was assigned this time, so we could take our time to rx for the first time in a while.

    ¡°¡­ it¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t take it easy when you had a job.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of feeling. When I have something to do, I can¡¯t truly feel rxed.¡±

    ¡°Is that a truth?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m a serious person at heart.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡±

    Rokuko just nod, wait¡­ aren¡¯t you going to deny it? That¡¯s unexpected.

    ¡°When will you receive the [God¡¯s Nightcap] that you left with Haku-nee?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s should be here soon. Let¡¯s ask [Father] how to use it when it arrives.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, it might be toote to say this¡­ but aren¡¯t you pretty amazing since you can contact father without the need to wait for the usual Dungeon Core gathering?¡±

    ¡°Because he is a Dark God, afterall?¡±

    Well, there¡¯s a GP section in the menu that has a form for contacting [father]; using that form, even Haku can contact [Father] at will. Before the email function is implemented, this is the only way to get in touch with [Father]. Anyhow, Haku, the white goddess, already could do it.

    Nowadays, I just need to use the email function, though.

    Wait, using this logic, aren¡¯t Pope could also contact Light God by using the same method?

    I think the possibility is quite high since [erasing existence] is definitely the power of the Light God.

    And if you think about it, if Dungeon Core can make inquiries to the Dark Gods, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if I, as Hero, could make inquiries to the Light Gods. I don¡¯t know if it is possible since I never act like a proper Hero to this moment, or perhaps some special ritual is needed for that.

    ¡°¡­ No, wait? Can¡¯t I just send an email to Light God?¡±

    ¡°eh?¡±

    When I said that, Rokuko was speechless.

    ¡°What are you talking about? You want to send an email to the Light God?¡±

    ¡°If I can text the Dark God [Father], why can¡¯t text the Light God?¡±

    ¡°I mean, we¡¯re in different camps. ¡­ AH! Since Kehma is a Hero who is also a dungeon master¡­ it¡¯s not surprising if that can be done¡­ is it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I can do that. Welp, it¡¯s cost nothing to try anyway.¡±

    I opened the menu and started up the email function.

    The message is addressed to [Light God], and the content is.

    [Dear Light God.

    It¡¯s been a while. How are you doing?

    Thanks to you, I¡¯ve been in a lot of trouble.

    it¡¯s quite hard to exin this, but¡­

    I¡¯m enjoying my rxed life in a different world now.

    By the way, just the other day, I visited the Kuromaku town and the Light God religion church.

    Too bad that damn Pope has run away.

    I then wondered who the hell this Pope was and where he is now?

    So, if you know anything about him, I would appreciate it if you could tell me.

    That¡¯s all, thank you.]

    ¡°eh, is this alright?¡±

    ¡°It would be quicker if he could tell me who the Pope is and where he is, but I wonder if it will ever reach him¡­¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it didn¡¯t reach. The Dark God[Father] probably will deliver it directly.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean by Delivered directly?¡±

    Ignoring Rokuko¡¯s remark, I sent the email.

    Shortly after, I received a reply. the sender is¡­ [Light God]

    ¡°So¡­ it reaches Light God, too.¡±

    ¡°and It¡¯s not mailer-daemon either¡­¡±

    ¡°Mail demon?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what the system will send automatically as replies if the recipient of the email didn¡¯t exist. Well, it doesn¡¯t matter now, so don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    I opened the email from Koujin and read it together with Rokuko as she leaned in close and peered at it.

    [I¡¯m really surprised right now. I didn¡¯t expect you to join the Dark God faction.

    I thought it was a bad joke, but then I heard it directly from the Dark God as well.

    Really, I didn¡¯t know that a Hero could be a dungeon master!

    Ah sorry, time flows differently there than in the God Realm, afterall. Anyway, I¡¯ve known it all.

    Yeah, well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Also, Pope¡¯s true identity is a dungeon core.

    The Pope, who fled on his own, is now hiding in his dungeon in the Holy Kingdom.

    PS Your lucky item today is the [God¡¯s Comforter]!]

    ¡°¡­okay.¡±

    I (easily)found out who the Pope is. And where he is, at least.

    ¡°What, the Pope is a dungeon core? What does that mean?¡±

    ¡°Uh, yeah. I don¡¯t know what the meaning of this, still, I¡¯m going to email Haku about it.¡±

    I¡¯m a little curious how he heard about me directly from the Dark God, plus how time moves differently in the God realm.

    Did Light God and [Father] close enough to talk? I thought they were at odds with each other?

    Even though they¡¯re enemies, they can contact each other?

    Today, my lucky item is a [God¡¯s Comforter], which probably means I should use it now.

    ¡­but why? Well, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll understand after I use it.

    ¡°Rokuko, can I borrow your [God¡¯s Comforter]?¡±

    ¡°Okay, but is this really the lucky item as the Light God says?¡±

    ¡°We will never know if I don¡¯t use it, and it might get me in a lot of troubleter if I don¡¯t¡­¡±

    ¡°eh? What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°The letter is implying that he¡¯s going to meet me. ¡­geez, I didn¡¯t ask for that much.¡±

    I reviewed the text of the email, and there¡¯s no indication that he was angry.

    There is also an option of not seeing him or postponing the meeting - but that will probably make him angry, right?

    But there¡¯s also the possibility that if I meet him, he¡¯ll erase your existence¡­

    ¡­ Should I prepare to dogeza?

 Chapter 523 - Encounter with the Light God.

    <h4>Chapter 523 - Encounter with the Light God.</h4>

    January 23, 2022

    Anote: (Happy New Year and best wishes for the year ahead.)

    How can I meet Light God using [God¡¯s Comforter]?

    While bearing that question in mind, I borrowed the Comforter from Rokuko and went to sleep, then I found myself in a white space.

    ¡­well, I guess this is inside a dream.

    ¡°Yo Kehma. It¡¯s been a long time.¡±

    Light God was there waving at me. In this dream¡­ well, it¡¯s a dream, but at the same time, it¡¯s not, is it? Ugh, this is getting a little confusing.

    I couldn¡¯t make out his expression because he was glowing, but I could tell he was probably smiling. He¡¯s just too dazzling.

    ¡°Hmm? You seem to be confused. Is this the first time you¡¯ve used that Comforter?¡±

    ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve used them a few times, but¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. Oh, so you¡¯ve been on the [used] side all this time.¡±

    ¡°[Used]? What do you mean by that?

    ¡°That Comforter has a function to summon the person you choose, or in Kehma¡¯s words, it allows you to designate a hug pillow.¡±

    So you¡¯re saying that¡¯s how I can meet God? Do I just need to sleep while thinking I would meet Light God?

    ¡°If it¡¯s someone whose soul has returned to the wheel of life, then it¡¯s impossible. On the other hand, if it is still possible to physically meet the person, you will certainly meet them in the dream world. You can alter various causes and effects by inviting them using the Comforter. Once you use this function, you can¡¯t use it for a year. you should try it if there¡¯s someone you want to meet.¡±

    Light God also added if you invite a God, your invitation could be rejected, and it will be a year before you can try again.

    Then I guess it wouldn¡¯t work for Leona, the Chaos God.

    ¡­umm? The ability to share the same dream¡­ doesn¡¯t mean that when someone uses [God¡¯s Comforter], they will share their dream with the designated person. Or rather, the other person is an individual who got forcibly summoned into a dream.

    So, in short, it¡¯s like a remote meeting through a dream.

    ¡°Oh? don¡¯t you remember who ¡®used¡¯ you? No¡­ I guess you already knew.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°You certainly do, fufu, I see¡­ it¡¯s a child of the Dark God. Anyway, it¡¯s the owner¡¯s choice whether to keep the dream as memory or not or make it seem like it was a dream. However, one of those effects is certain to ur. So, if you don¡¯t remember, you know what it means.¡±

    ¡°I know¡­¡±

    Rokuko, we need to have some talk after I get back. Since I had used this with her, Twice, it was after the dungeon battle and at Haku¡¯s ce.

    Light God then pulls out two white one-seater sofas. He sat down on one and urged me to sit on the other.

    ¡°Well, sit down, don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t take your memory and eat you like your dungeon core.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, excuse me then.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s refreshing to hear you use proper honorifics.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I was so sleepy just now.¡±

    ¡°Nah~, it¡¯s okay. Consider that as payback because I sent you with your Hero skills sealed.¡±

    I apologized briefly, and Light God easily forgave me. And that¡¯s also a fact. I couldn¡¯t use my skill until I broke my first dungeon core.

    ¡°So you can seal our hero skills or something like that.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I can; I¡¯m the [father] of the Heroes, you know? Much like the Dark God is the [father] of the dungeon cores. Though I don¡¯t bother to hold Hero Gathering as he did.¡±

    I¡¯m d you didn¡¯t. If you did the Hero Gathering, I can¡¯t hide the fact that I¡¯m also Hero from Wataru.

    And once he recognizes me as a Hero, I can assure you that things will be even more annoying than they already are; that¡¯s why I will continue to hide it.

    ¡°You know what? That Dark God, you know, he¡¯s very meticulous. He makes all the food and drinks himself. Why don¡¯t he outsource it as he did with mail function?¡±

    ¡°About the mail function¡­ I never expect it will reach Light God.¡±

    ¡°The Dark God bragged about it and pushed it on me. It was very annoying.¡±

    I wondered if they were close enough to be pushy and annoying. But at least he made it sound like they were as close as bad friends.

    I thought dungeons and heroes were a proxy war between the Dark God and the Light God, but it seems they¡¯re not at odds with each other at all. Should I confirm this?

    ¡°What you¡¯re doing is not a proxy war between us.¡±

    ¡°Did you just read my mind¡­?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in a dream. I know what you¡¯re thinking. And it would be best if you didn¡¯t get the wrong idea. Since he is good at building things, he¡¯s always getting into Creator¡¯s good sides. I¡¯m not too fond of that side of him. So you can say we¡¯re much or less an enemy.¡±

    Creation God. It¡¯s a God with a higher position than Dark and Light God.

    ¡°Simply put, what we¡¯re doing is the work that Creation God asked us to do.. One should build dungeons, and one should destroy them with heroes. If destruction and creation are well bnced, the world will develop nicely. The other world¡¯s summoned heroes also will contribute by bringing in culture.¡±

    ¡°so¡­ we were God¡¯s subcontractors?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s more like a rtionship between a president and an employee. In your case, since you work for both, you¡¯re more like a spy or an operative.¡±

    I¡¯m a spy. If I¡¯m a spy¡­ Which side am I spying for?

    Well, considering what I know, it seems I¡¯m a spy from the Light God to the Dark God.

    ¡°Ah right. What do you mean when you say the Pope is a dungeon core?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what it means. What¡¯s so hard to understand?¡±

    ¡°¡­does that mean he¡¯s a spy too?¡±

    ¡°His dungeon is in the territory of what is now known as the Holy Kingdom. To survive, his best bet was to hide the dungeon with authority. But unfortunately, the one who got Pope¡¯s throne also got a way of contacting me, which forced him to side with me¡ªI wish it were that simple.¡±

    And the Light God shrugs his shoulder.

    ¡°He was nning to take the ce of the Dark God, and he was rather proactive in contacting me. The God of Light religion. Originally, the Holy Kingdom was prepared by my oracle to support the heroes, but because of this, the number of heroes summoned to the Holy Kingdom is so small you can count them in one hand. I¡¯m also sick and tired of him.¡±

    ¡°Is that¡¯s the reason why are you giving us this info?¡±

    ¡°You really are the perfect spy, aren¡¯t you? Or, in this case, a bridge between the two camps, I should say.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to antagonize either the Dark God or the Light God, so please do use me as the bridge.¡±

    ¡°Good. So, what do you want to know? I¡¯ll tell you. I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡±

    ¡­ I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯ll tell me the truth, but I¡¯ll leave it to Haku to judge the truth and just tell her, ¡°Light God told me¡±.

    I¡¯m more of a Homing Pigeon than a spy, aren¡¯t I? But that¡¯s okay.

    ¡°So what is the Pope¡¯s true identity, and what type of dungeon core is it?¡±

    ¡°Oh, he called himself Core Number Four or something. He was humanoid, but he called himself a slime-type core.¡±

    After saying that, Light God exhales.

    ¡°¡­well, it¡¯s a lie, though. Did he think he could deceive me, the Light God? The fourth core is the one that stole the first saint¡¯s hero. There¡¯s no way I could have made a mistaken them¡­ Utterly foolish that one is.¡±

    Then Light God reveals the true identity of the Pope this time.

    ¡°He is core number 10, an undead core.¡±

 Chapter 524 - Kehma the (Homing)Pigeon

    <h4>Chapter 524 - Kehma the (Homing)Pigeon</h4>

    January 24, 2022

    ¡°He is core number 10, an undead core.¡±

    After the identity of the Pope was (easily) revealed, I woke up.

    ¡°¡­¡­ number 10, an undead core?¡±

    I feel like I¡¯ve been forcefully woken up. I feel lightheaded and dizzy. I will have to write it down or tell Rokuko before I fall asleep the second time.

    ¡°Kehma, are you okay? You looked like you¡¯ve been having a nightmare.¡±

    ¡°Oh, Rokuko. You¡¯re here¡­?¡±

    ¡°Yes, of course, since the Comforter I lent you is here, there¡¯s nothing wrong with me being here, is it?

    Yeah, you¡¯re right about that, but¡­ isn¡¯t this my room? ¡­forget it, she¡¯s right. It¡¯s a good idea to keep it away from the possibility that Light God might have done something to it. Good job.

    ¡­Speaking of Comforters, I think there was something I needed to ask Rokuko about?

    Ugh, I wonder what it is. My memory is fuzzy, almost like I¡¯m still dreaming.

    ¡°Anyway, Kehma, what do you mean by number ten and the undead type core?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Oh. Light God said it was the true identity of the Pope is Core Number 10.¡±

    ¡°eh? Then I need to tell Haku-nee-sama about this.¡±

    Rokuko then operated the dungeon menu to bring up the email function. And personally, I think it best to leave the writing to Rokuko while I try to remember things

    I wanted to ask Light God more questions, but if I had asked him for too much, I would have been unable to remember the important parts. This is probably why God suddenly cut off themunication.

    ¡°¡­ah, yeah, please add a note that this is not a definite truth. There is a possibility that Light God is lying.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true, roger that, Kehma.¡±

    Not good, not good. I almost forgot the most important thing besides the information about the Pope¡­ just what did God tell me again¡­?

    ¡°¡­Yeah, Light God also said that the 10th core intends to rece the Dark God, [father].¡±

    ¡°!!! That¡¯s very important information. I¡¯ll be sure to write it down.¡±

    ¡°Also, the venue and food for the dungeon core meetings are handmade by [Father].¡±

    ¡°That one I know.¡±

    How did you know that? Let¡¯s see, what else¡­ what else I must tell you¡­

    ¡°The fourth core was a slime-type core, or so I heard.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. 4th Core is a slime-type core.¡±

    ¡°um, I mean, core number 10 told Light God that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? That doesn¡¯t seem to matter, though? We all know who it is.¡±

    ¡°Well, That¡¯s true¡­.¡±

    Let¡¯s see, did I manage to remember and tell Rokuko all the important parts?

    ¡°He also said that the fourth core was the one that stole the first saint¡¯s hero.¡± {tn: this part remain unclear}

    ¡°? Does it mean that the first saint was a Hero or if it takes the first saint¡¯s partner who was a Hero from her?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s the former. ¡­And that Saint is Leona, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Probably, it¡¯s all matched. Unless that was different Hero, anyway I will write this in email for Haku-nee.¡±

    Haku is probably the only one who could analyze this kind of information anyway. We really need her help.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess this is all the important info that I got from Light God.¡±

    ¡°Copy that. I¡¯ll email it to Haku-nee-sama¡±.

    I feel that there¡¯s something important still forgotten¡­ No, wait.

    If Light God just wants to convey this, he could write it in the email. Why did he bother to have me meet him in person? ¡­Was he wary of Leona¡¯s eavesdropping?

    ¡°Rokuko. Wait¡ª Core number 4 and Leona might be the enemy.¡±

    ¡°What? Yeah, I unde¨C¡­eh? Then, isn¡¯t it dangerous to write this in email?¡±

    ¡°¡­.exactly. Don¡¯t write it in the email. Instead, send an email to ask an audience with Haku in person.¡±

    ¡°Then let me rewrite the letter¡­. Ummm, Well, I guess I¡¯ll just send my sister an email asking for a tea party.¡±

    If Light God had been wary of Leona¡¯s eavesdropping, then it would be a bad move for us to email the info to Haku. I almost wasted his concern (I don¡¯t know if he did it on purpose, though).

    ¡°But does Light God know that Leona might be able to tap into this email?¡±

    ¡°He said the Dark God bragged about it to him while pushing the function one-sidedly, so he probably knows.¡±

    ¡°¡­Father and the Light God are surprisingly close, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°Apparently, they¡¯re both working for the Creator God.¡±

    ¡°The creator god? From The ancient Beddhist religion? ¡­Oh, right, [Father] also said that he woke up Creator God using God¡¯s rm clock and then Creator God broke it. Maybe there¡¯s some connection with that?¡±

    Rokuko nods.

    Now that I¡¯ve finished remembering what I wanted to tell her, I think I¡¯m going to go back to sleep¡­¡­. it was then I remembered the thing I wanted to ask when I saw the[God¡¯s Comforter].

    Because Light God had told me the true function of this Comforter.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°What is it, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to talk to you about the effects of the God¡¯s Comforter if it¡¯s okay with you.¡±

    Rokuko¡¯s cheeks instantly reddened and twitched.

    Rokuko easily admitted her crime, and not long after, Haku¡¯s invitation to a tea party arrived in the email.

    She¡¯s not only quick to reply, but she is also urging that she would like to meet immediately.

    ¡°Rokuko. You¡¯ll have plenty of stories to tell meter; as such, what did you do to me in the dream.¡±

    ¡°Eh? B-but¡­. i-I understand ¡­¡­.¡±

    Rokuko nodded shyly¡­ yeah, I will interrogate herter, after meeting at Haku¡¯s tea party. I need to prioritize the report that I got from Light God first.

    We used the dungeon function to move to the [White Beach] and headed to Haku-san¡¯s castle with [Transfer].

    But because Rokuko¡¯s face was still beet red when we met Haku, I was the first one to be scrutinized. Rokuko, please exin that it wasn¡¯t my fault!

    ===*

    ¡°¡­I see. I understand the situation.¡±

    Haku said after receiving Rokuko¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°Yeah, Rokuko been messing with me, so I¡¯m more or less a force majeure.¡±

    ¡°¡­I think you¡¯re probably right about the 10th Core being the Pope. But I didn¡¯t expect you to use the mail function to contact Light God. As usual, Kehma is reckless.

    Also¡­ Please redeem yourself by working hard for us, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    Aaand, here it is.

    ¡°By working hard? Okay, I understand.¡±

    For a moment, I noticed that Haku¡¯s wording was too vague.

    And I feel like I¡¯ve been working a lot, but there¡¯s no point in opposing Haku right now.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be the one who works for you, sister!! since it was my fault!¡±

    ¡°¡­ Don¡¯t worry, you can let Kehma do the work as usual. Since thanks to him all work is done quickly, isn¡¯t that right? Kehma.¡±

    Haku then put her hand in her temple and told us the content of the ¡®job¡¯.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you set up a dungeon battle against the rebel, Core number 10. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡­Haku. Is this your way of telling me to die?

    Tln:

    That Saint¡¯s hero part remains unclear, it doesn¡¯t specify if the 4th Core robbed the Saint Heroic power or it took away her Hero status. It was deliberate confusing phrasing. One thing is clear. It¡¯s not referring that Saint partner is a Hero.

 Chapter 525 - â€“ Meaning of traitor.

    LDM 525 ¨C Meaning of traitor.

    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t you think it would be difficult for Kehma to win against the tenth core?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not telling him to challenge it alone. I will send my faction member to dere dungeon battle at the same time.¡±

    Oh, thank god(dess), thank you for not being a demon.

    ¡°And as a matter of course, I¡¯ll give you support. Your opponent is a top ten ranker, after all. I have to send out an equal amount of forces, and if you want, I can lend you DP as an expense.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s reassuring. I understand. I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    If I were told to do it myself, I would probably choose to escape, but since I have a fixed base called a dungeon, that option is impossible.

    Luckily, I¡¯m a follower of Haku, who is also a top ten ranker, and one of the superior dungeon core.

    Then, I suddenly remembered. By the way, isn¡¯t our faction also called the [Traitor Faction]?

    But looking at what I do now¡­ isn¡¯t we doing the opposite? We are the faction who dispose of the traitor.

    ¡°Um, Haku. Can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Why is Haku called the ¡®traitor¡¯?¡±

    ¡°What about it?¡±

    Haku smiled at me.

    ¡°N-No, because we are pretty close with [Father], and now we doing the deed to dispose of the 10th core¡­. could it be, the traitor faction is actually the faction that gets rid of traitors?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if I told you, but myself was called a traitor because I dispose of dungeon cores, and for a side note, I cannot disclose my motive.¡±

    Haku lifted her teacup and took a sip of tea.

    ¡°Why do you let them call you that? You can easily intimidate them by calling yourself the executioner or something.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s useful to have them call you traitor because sometimes the actual traitors will try to contact you. And there should be no such thing as ¡®a core that rebels against [Father]¡¯, Kehma. That¡¯s why [Executioner] won¡¯t exist.¡±

    ¡°But there can be a¡­ [Traitors]?¡±

    ¡°The person I¡¯m betraying is not [Father], but a dungeon core. And I¡¯m only disposing of dungeon cores that I don¡¯t like bybeling them as enemies. fufufu .¡±

    Haku-sanughs.

    In Haku¡¯s eyes, betraying [Father] is not eptable, but betraying the dungeon cores is.

    ¡°So, in reality, the [Traitor Faction], is [the faction that takes care of traitors.].¡±

    ¡°Ara, Kehma, did you just realize it? Fufufu, I already knew!¡± Rokuko interrupts, ¡°Because Haku-nee-sama is in good rtion with [Father]. There¡¯s no reason to be hostile, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­Well, yeah.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious if you look at dungeon core meeting!¡±

    ¡°So that you know, I¡¯ve never been to one of those.¡±

    Before, I watched the dungeon battle between Tangerine and the 564th core in the guest room. You cannot me for not knowing.

    ¡°n? ¡­ So that means at least we¡¯re not going to be enemies with [Father], right?¡±

    ¡°Yes. But if Kehma ever wants to antagonize [Father], I will personally destroy you before anything can affect Rokuko.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have no intention of doing that. [Father] doesn¡¯t seem to be on bad terms with Light God anyway, so I really don¡¯t have any reason to.¡±

    ¡°Okay then.¡±

    Originally, I thought they were two opposing gods fighting a proxy war, but as it turns out, they were more like a rival colleagues in different departments. Thanks for being so confusing.

    ¡°¡­By the way, how much DP should be used for the dungeon battle?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure [Father] will scold us if we are too flexible, so please limit it to 1 million DP.¡±

    Was It a consideration not to hinder the healthy growth of the young core? By the way, when I was first doing this, she gave me 100,000 DP as preparation money for the dungeon battle, which was very limiting.

    ¡°Is it okay to give us up to one million DP now?¡±

    ¡°You have grown up a lot, and Kehma has been recognized by [Father].¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, that¡¯s what rising star is all about, Kehma! Oh, by the way, sister, apart from expenses, there is also the matter ofpensation, isn¡¯t there?¡±

    ¡°Of course, Rokuko-chan. How about [God¡¯s Underwear]?¡±

    God¡¯s underwear. It is thest piece of God¡¯s Bedding that we do not know the whereabouts of.

    ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s good. What do you think, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it either, but¡­ when did you get it?¡±

    ¡°I confiscated it from the Daido Country. It¡¯s under my possession now.¡±

    It was in the Daido? If I had known about this, I would have raided the treasury in the middle of the confusion!

    However, if the reward is the [God¡¯s Bedding], then there¡¯s no more reason to be afraid. It¡¯s a battle between Haku¡¯s faction and a 10th core, and it¡¯s a winning battle to begin with. I¡¯m already riding on a winning horse. {ah, he just jinxed it.}

    I¡¯m not sure how powerful the 10th core is, but it¡¯s hard to imagine that it¡¯s actually one of the strongest core. Considering it escaped from themotion we caused in the Holy Kingdom, and just by looking at this, it is clear that Haku is in a higher position than him.

    It wouldn¡¯t be good for us if Haku lost anyway, so the best thing to do now is to use everything we had to win this.

    ¡°Depends on the result, I will let Kehma use the [God¡¯s Mattress] and [God¡¯s Pillow] using my name. Now tell me, how motivated will you be with this?¡±

    Haku holds out her hand to me, and if I shake it back, the deal will be sealed.

    ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll do my very best. No matter how insignificant my power is.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m counting on you.¡±

    I promised and shook Haku¡¯s hand.

    I¡¯ll talk to Orange while I¡¯m at it. He¡¯s a dungeon core who¡¯s supposed to be my subordinate, and it¡¯s a good chance to put 564th core to work as well.

 Chapter 526 - Preparing for a dungeon battle (1)

    LDM 526 ¨C Preparing for a dungeon battle (1)

    A meeting with the dungeon executives in the master room.

    Me, Rokuko, plus Niku Ichika, Rei, Kinue, Neruneh, and Soto were gathered here. We wasted no time setting up a round table while Eleca, the dungeon management fairy who works in the master room kindly served us some tea.

    By the way, Narikin is also a member of the executive, but since he is in the Holy Kingdom, he can¡¯t participate.

    The current agenda for the executive meeting was, as a matter of course, the uing dungeon battle that Haku had requested from us.

    ¡°©¤¡­and that¡¯s what Haku asked me to do. What kind of preparations do you think we need to make?¡±

    ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it up to the Master to decide?¡±

    The one who reacted to my words was Rei, a Beddhist Saint with zero attack power.

    ¡°I want Rei and the others to have some experience in dungeon battles, while it¡¯s true if I use [possess] to Narikin, I can travel anywhere while staying in the vige. But should I be absent from this ce, there is a chance that all of you will be forcibly dragged into it without my aid.¡±

    ¡°I see, so you want us to be prepared just in case.¡±

    Also, if Rei and her team can get used to dungeon battles, I can send them to one if Haku asks me again in the future. And this time battle would happens not in our main base, the [Cave of Desire], but in the sub-dungeon, the [White Beach], so even if they lose, I could always retake it.

    ¡­Wait¡­, IF, if we lose [White Beach], wouldn¡¯t it significantly reduce the sudden visit from Haku & Co.?

    ¡°I¡¯ll help a bit, but I want Rei and the others to do most of it. And ideally, I¡¯d like to be able to leave all future dungeon battles to you all.¡±

    ¡°Master¡­! To think that you value us that highly! This Rei will vow to struggle and live up to Master¡¯s expectations!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do the same. Master, I look forward to your continued support.¡±

    ¡°I, too, will do my best for you, Master!¡±

    Kinue and Neruneh followed Rei¡¯s vow. As a dungeon master, I¡¯m very happy to see your motivation and loyalty, but ¡®struggle¡¯ is not a desirable result on the front lines. Don¡¯t forget that.

    Then Soto tugged on my sleeve a bit.

    ¡°By the way, Papa. Am I going to participate?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Haku didn¡¯t ask you to.¡±

    ¡°But I think I can at least help out! You see, my [Storage] Dungeon is useful in many ways, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Certainly, her [Storage] dungeon is powerful.

    If Soto is dealing with someone who doesn¡¯t have the God attribute, she can forcefully stop their time as soon as they enter her dungeon. With that power, Soto can probably overwhelm any small fry there is.

    However, if the opponent is a dungeon, core on demi-god level, it will prepare something to deal with that kind of situation; in the first ce, it¡¯s rare to see dungeon core being reckless (Demon King Faction is an exception).

    And this time, it¡¯s an invasion battle. There will be little benefit to putting the other party in storage because we need to go on the offensive from there on and destroy Core number 10. That¡¯s why it¡¯s hard to expect Soto to be our main force since she¡¯s just a newborn dungeon under our protection.

    Another reason why I was reluctant also because Soto¡¯s dungeon ability is something I have kept hidden from Haku as well.

    ¡°Ummm¡ªSoto power is too convenient, I want to keep you as my trump card. Then how about this? I will let Niku [posses] the Kobold and participate in this battle.¡±

    ¡°mm-mmmm, oh well, I understand. Anyway, this count as my help, right?¡±

    ¡°Yup, so it decided. Thank you.¡±

    I pat Soto¡¯s head, and she smiled while Niku nodded with full enthusiasm.

    ¡°Then Papa, I will have socks as my reward. Can you give it to me now?¡±

    ¡°Yup, I knew you were aiming for a reward. Ichika, take off your socks and give them to her.¡±

    ¡°What, right now? *sigh* I can¡¯t help it. Here you go, Soto-sama.¡±

    ¡°Yaay! Ichika-nee¡¯s maid white knee socks!¡±

    I requested Ichika, who was waiting behind me as a maid, to give Soto a fresh pair of her socks.

    Geez, just who this perverted girl takes after¡­ eh? It¡¯s me?

    ¡°Rei. The dungeon battle will be held in the [White Beach]. Please make the preparation there, also, Haku is going to drop a million DP as an expense, so make sure you bookkeep it.¡±

    ¡°¡­.bookkeeping?¡±

    Rei looks troubled by this. Oh right, I forgot that they¡¯re still struggling with four basic arithmetic operations. I guess I¡¯ll make a calctor golem for this¡­

    ¡°You¡¯ll be allowed to use 500,000 DP for preparation and the rest for the actual event. For now, I¡¯ll leave you with 500,000 DP to use, so let me know if you need more. Our main objective this time is to invade the opponent¡¯s dungeon, so we don¡¯t need to renovate the dungeon much.¡±

    ¡°I see, I understand. So the problem is what monster we should prepare.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but¨C¡°

    I was about to say, ¡°Save some of that for the maneuvers you¡¯ll use with the rats,¡± but stopped myself. In any case, if you have at least 10,000 DP, a lot of rats can be produced. And considering the cost of the food, it was a good idea to use it on D-Day and treat it like supplies.

    ¡°But¨C?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°Wait, Kehma, let me exin it to her. Rei¡­ don¡¯t strengthen yourself to fight on the front lines, okay? You¡¯re an executive, act like one and fight by controlling monsters.¡±

    That¡¯s what Rokuko said to link my words that I had withdrawn.

    But she¡¯s right. I remember that Rei once abused the DP I gave her to summon subordinates and strengthen herself instead.

    ¡°hahh¡­ I got it.¡±

    So you almost did again if Rokuko didn¡¯t say that¡­

 Chapter 527 - Preparation for dungeon battle (2)

    <h4>Chapter 527</h4><h4>527 ¨C Preparation for dungeon battle (2)</h4>

    March 15, 2022

    Tln: I keep writing Orange¡¯s name as Mikan, lol.

    Now that our dungeon is ready to go let¡¯s talk to my (dungeon core) subordinates, in other words, Orange and the others, about the rabbit dungeon next.

    And so, I moved to the [White Beach], and from there, I went directly to [Rabbit Rest Area], which is located in the back yard of the rabbit dungeon.

    ¡°Yo, Orange, you in there?¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you, Kehma. Why are you here?¡±

    Since I had emailed beforehand to let him know I wasing, this spunky orange rabbit-shaped dungeon core aka. Orange is now weing me.

    ¡°Oh, actually, we¡¯re going to participate in the dungeon battle proposed by Haku.¡±

    ¡°Woah, that¡¯s sounds very hard... do your best!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s do OUR best, Orange.¡±

    ¡°... nkyu?¡±

    Orange tilts his head.

    ¡°I mean, you¡¯re in too, right?¡±

    ¡°Eh? For what !? I¡¯m useless!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think like that, anyway. The more people we have, the better.¡±

    ¡°I just want to live in peace.¡±

    Said Orange while he stomped his feet.

    Well, it was only because of Haku¡¯s protection that he could live peacefully in this rabbit dungeon since his dungeon is located near the Imperial Capital of Raverio and the border of the Demon Kingdom.

    ¡°You¡¯re a member of our faction, so you have to oblige.¡±

    ¡°I know kyuu~, but am I going to be useful?¡±

    Mmm? I never thought about this, but I wonder how Orange will bepensated for his participation in this battle.

    Do I need to share from that 1 million DP reserve? Oh well. I¡¯ll mail Haku anyway, and if she doesn¡¯t answer, I¡¯ll split the DP with Orange. This should be the right course of action.

    ¡°Well, for now, I¡¯ll give you 100,000 DP., so get your squirrels ready on the day of the event.¡±

    ¡°Nkyu? Squirrel? Is that all you need?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve done a simr thing in the past dungeon battles, right?¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just like that one; just do the scouting part, Haku will handle the rest.¡±

    ¡°I see, roger that!¡±

    Orange snorts, somehow this has motivated him.

    And suddenly, I noticed a ck goat ¨C or rather, a Baphomet-type dungeon core, No. 564, peeking into the room from outside.

    ¡°...am I interrupting?¡±

    ¡°Nkyu? Ah, don¡¯t hide. Come in 564.¡±

    ¡°Mhm, now that you have requested my presence, I guess I have no choice!!¡±

    Core 564 Smugingly said that he had no choice and came in with an air of dignity around him. But I noticed that he¡¯s been sobbing just now. Was it just my imagination?

    And he also brings three cups on a tray.

    ¡°It¡¯s vegetable juice served at the rest stop. Drink it. It¡¯s popr among adventurers who y with rabbits.¡±

    ¡°eh, yeah, thanks? ....Oh, it¡¯s pretty good. It has this unique sweetness to it.¡±

    ¡°Well, it was my idea! Vegetables are also important for a strong body, but the sweetnesses from fruit!¡± said number 564 proudly.

    Anyway, a product of [Rabbit¡¯s Resting ce]? I guess Orange is getting creative now.

    ¡°Anyway! Am I allowed to join in that dungeon battle!?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? sure, you can join in.¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha! It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been able to go on a rampage! With 100,000 DP, I could get some good weapon!¡±

    Core 564ughing high. If I count him in... do I have to give DP to this guy too? Hmmm, I don¡¯t really want to... I wonder how much the maximum I can give him in case Haku doesn¡¯t want to pay for it...

    ¡°How about ten magic swords for you?¡±

    ¡°Hmm!? ...... how much are those ten magic swords worth?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s quicker to see it for yourself.¡±

    I opened [Storage], took out one golem de, and gave it to Core 564.

    It looks smaller than it should when it wielded by 564...

    ¡°Hmmm... a magic sword with increased sharpness. Well, it¡¯s not a bad magic sword, but it¡¯s not enough for me.¡±

    ¡°Not enough. How?¡±

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯d like to see a more, hmm more... chaotic design with a size more suited to my physique.¡±

    ¡°You have noints about its functionality?¡±

    ¡°I am a warrior who fights with my skills, not a weakling who relies on weapons. If I¡¯m allowed to ask for something more, I would like for it to be the sturdier type.¡±

    I see. So that¡¯s how it works for him. Aside from the size, the design (although It¡¯s not functional) is an important part of raising his tension.

    ¡°Then can you draw a picture of it? I will get you a magic sword as close as possible to it.¡±

    ¡°Moo! A-are you sure!?¡±

    Core 564 eyes shone happily when he heard that.

    Well, it seems that all he wants is a sword, not the DP itself. If that¡¯s the case, then I could do him some favor.

    ¡°I do have my own design book of magic swords. Wait a minute... here it is!¡±

    Saying so, Core 564 took out a bundle of papers bound with string from his [Storage] with [the strongest magic swords I have thought of] written on top of it.

    ¡°You are well-prepared... Why do you have all this stuff anyway?¡±

    ¡°? Isn¡¯t it amon hobby to think of one¡¯s ideal armament? Don¡¯t you also do something simr when you were a child?¡±

    ¡°Uh, okay... Anyway, the magic sword in this design book has things like [Never Breaks] and [shes fly when you swing it] also [it is covered in mes]...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I call youthful indiscretion! Just look at the design!¡±

    I see. It seems this core has caught Demon Kingdom¡¯s eighth-grader syndrome. {chuunibyo}

    ¡°Nkyu, doesn¡¯t this scythe thing would be suitable for 564?¡±

    ¡°Ooh? You have good taste, Orange. That scythe is one of my masterpieces! A scythe with ability that will shred your torso and rip your soul with a single blow.¡±

    ¡°Okay, then I will prepare ten magic swords of this design for you.¡±

    ¡°OOOOH!? Are you meant it, Kehma! In fact, you know? I had asked the cksmith from a nearby town to make a prototype for this one; I will lend it to you for reference!¡±

    ¡°Ooh, nice, that would help me a lot.¡±

    It seems to be a normal weapon and not a magical one, but I think the cksmith of Demon Kingdom had made a good profit from making a replica of [the strongest armament of one¡¯s dream].

    Not long after, I received a ck steel scythe made by a cksmith of Demon Kingdom; this would be the reference for his magic weapon, or to be exact his Magic Scythe.

    And to be honest, I could immediately turn the ck steel scythe I received into a Golem Scythe, but that would have exposed my trick.

    It would be a good idea if I told him that I made a Magic Scythe bybining this and one existing magic sword.

 Chapter 528 - Preparation for dungeon battle (3)

    <h4>Chapter 528 ¨C Preparation for dungeon battle (3)</h4>

    ¡°FUA-HAHAHA! Behold the sharpness of my [Magic Sickle ¨C Maren]!¡±

    Core 564 said while holding the scythe in a test run. The straw doll I had prepared for him was beautifully cut into circles.

    ¡°It¡¯s wonderful! Excellent, Kehma! This is my ideal ultimate magic scythe, the Ultra Death Scythe!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d you like it¡­¡±

    ¡°How could I not like this! I envy your dungeon catalog; you even have this unique magic sword. And what¡¯s more, it¡¯s exactly what I designed.¡±

    ¡°I had a curved weapon adapted to your design and modified it. It¡¯s very well done, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°I see¡­a curved magic sword! But Kehma, that means there are excellent cksmiths in yournd, aren¡¯t there? The nearby town cksmith had broken the magic sword when I asked him to modify it.¡±

    Anyhow, I don¡¯t care what name you give that Golem Scythe because it¡¯s a mass-production model, and I still have nine more of them. I could have made it out of ck steel, but then it would be hard to use the excuse that it was made by modifying.

    Also, the cksmiths in my vige are knowns for their iron products.

    ¡°Don¡¯t break it if you can help it. If it does break, I can rece it, but I¡¯ll have to charge you next time.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry! It¡¯s my skill not to break a weapon. A Ha ha ha!¡±

    So, this much is good enough for core 564. I guess all that left is to hand over the DP to Orange with a handshake ¨C but¡­

    ¡°Nkyyyyaaaa¡­¡­¡±

    ¡°Ahahaha! Fluffy~~!¡±

    ¡°He-help myyyeeeee¡­!¡±

    Soto, who followed me this time, was rubbing her face all over Orange.

    Soto is the type that pets avoid because her fluffing is too intense.

    ¡°Soto, it¡¯s time to let go of Orange.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a good opportunity, so please let me fluff some more.¡±

    ¡°You can mooch off the other rabbits, the three-horned rabbits!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wanna because the horn hurts. And if you are Orange, it means you can¡¯t disobey my papa ¨C in other words. You can¡¯t disobey me, your boss¡¯s daughter, so¡­ I can fluff you to my heart¡¯s content!¡±

    Soto further rubs and smothers Orange¡¯s nks with a smug look on her face. He¡¯s definitely in the tickle hell.

    ¡°Gyabaaaaa! Then, white rabbit! We¡¯re serving white rabbits at the rest stop.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t speak rabbit. If we can¡¯tmunicate, I can¡¯t understand them even if they don¡¯t like it, can I? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s very good to be pushy on someone who can¡¯t say anything.¡±

    But that doesn¡¯t mean that it¡¯s okay to be pushy to someone who can say things that they don¡¯t want to? You have a twisted personality. I wonder who you take after¡­ {tln: bro¡­}

    ¡°I think it¡¯s great that they let you do it even if they don¡¯t want to!¡±

    ¡°NOOOO! Kehma, I need your help, Kyuyooo!¡±

    Orange started to cry as he called out my name. I think it¡¯s about time I help him out.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already handed over the DP, haven¡¯t you? Let him go.¡±

    ¡°¡­.almost there!¡±

    ¡°I already received the full amount!

    Yes. Soto is in charge of DP delivery today.

    I sent an e-mail to Haku to inquire if the DP for Orange and Co. would be counted as a separate expense. The reply was, ¡°Oh, right, there was such a thing,¡± and that 100,000 DP for each would be allowed as expenses.

    So, I gave the Soto DP that Haku sent me for her to practice transferring DP.

    By the way, the 100,000 DP for Core 564 has be our ie because it is the cost of the magic sword. I¡¯m not cheating on him, okay? Even though it is made of iron, 10,000 DP for one magic sword is rather cheap, and the Core 564 is very happy with it.

    ¡°Miss Soto, if you like, you may fluff me. Look, don¡¯t you think this hair on his chest and fluffy?¡±

    ¡°Oh? 564? you smell like a sweat, so please stay away.¡±

    ¡°!!! D-do I smell that bad!?¡±

    You want to be fluffed, aren¡¯t you? But no thanks, I don¡¯t want this guy near Soto because he¡¯s Baphomet type, he¡¯s not cute looking, and I realized that he¡¯s not good for Soto¡¯s education in many ways.

    ¡°If you go near Soto, I¡¯ll castrate you, so don¡¯t go near her unless it¡¯s an emergency situation where you have to put your body on the line to protect her.¡±

    ¡°Castration! Why are you so cruel to me!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t like it? fine, I¡¯ll behead you.¡±

    ¡°Soto-sama! I will stay away from you, so please stay away from me, Soto-sama!¡±

    Such a thing happened. Anyway, Orange was finally released in exchange for a sock from his underling, Strawberry the Warrabit.

    #Rei Side

    ¡°And what should we prepare¡­?¡±

    While Kehma was in the rabbit dungeon ying ¨C I mean, working ¨C Rei was preparing for the dungeon battle as Kehma had ordered.

    She was thinking of strengthening herself and getting on the front lines if possible. Rokuko has forbid her to choose that option. What a shame.

    Speaking of dungeon battles, Kehma used to use arge number of cheap and small monsters. Then he will follow up with a suppression using arge number of golems ¨C yes, this could be called a monster wave tactic.

    But this is, so to speak, a basic tactic in every dungeon battle.

    This is simr to a warrior who only uses weapons without using any skills. Even the other dungeon cores fought by marching with their monsters. You can call this a normal attack.

    But, in Kehma¡¯s case, the tactics will lean towards [exploration]. The only difference was that he was more of a scout rather than a warrior.

    ¡°Then there¡¯s no point in preparing monsters for monster wave tactic¡­¡±

    And Kehma tactic could be used even with 10,000 DP. This is another advantage of Kehma¡¯s [Normal Attack]. If he bothers to give her 500,000 DP as war expense, there must have been some other intent there.

    Therefore, Rei will emphasize to herself that the monster wave tactic is not needed here.

    Traps that take advantage of the opponent¡¯s ability, surprise attacks by sending golems in advance, water attacks and iron ball gimmicks using the terrain, and fire attacks¡­

    [You don¡¯t have to think much about defense], Kehma said. Considering this, what is being sought is [Offense].

    If it is a defensive battle, you can intercept the enemy with a full array of Dungeon¡¯s gimmicks, but in this special case, they will be working with other cores against a single enemy, the Core number 10. One could say that this is a raid attack.

    ¡°Wait¡­ since the other cores will join¡­.¡±

    Here Rei finally got a clear picture of the day of the event.

    The other dungeon cores will have their own monsters lined up for the assault. That is, this is not much different from the basic tactic of the monster wave.

    Rei thinks that the only way to get credit for this is to get a little more creative¡­

    To be sessful in this war, one must stand out.

    The conclusion to be drawn from this is that¨C

    {TO BE CONTINUED. Not my fault.}

 Chapter 530 - Raid Dungeon Battle

    <h4>Chapter 530 - Raid Dungeon Battle</h4>

    The day of the dungeon battle against the 10th core.

    The deration of war and battles begin at the same time and date. And on this day, our dungeon going to be connected to the 10th core¡¯s dungeon by a gate.

    We were not participating using [Cave of Desire] but with sub-dungeon [White Beach].

    The most important point of this dungeon battle is right after the gate connection. Whether or not we win this initial assault will change the course of the battle.

    If we can win this, we can build a front line base on the 10th core dungeon side and unterally deploy our forces with arge number. This position will make it possible to attack with full force.

    But if it is not possible to stop the initial assault of the 10th core, the spearhead dungeon core will draw the enemy into its dungeon for a defensive battle. While the other dungeon cores will devote their forces to the help of the spearhead dungeon core and, in parallel, attack the thinned-out 10th core¡¯s dungeon.

    In either case, we could take advantage of our superior numbers, but the spearhead held the greatest risk.

    And this time, because our opponent is the first group of all cores, the 10th core, Haku as our team captain, she herself will be the spearhead of the attack to ensure there won¡¯t be any mistakes.

    We watched the situation on the monitor in the master room via themunication monster that we had left with Haku in advance. Monsters from other cores of our faction were also with us.

    ¡°There are all kinds of monsters here, but are they all faction members? There are twenty of them here.¡±

    ¡°There are dummies among them. The total number of faction members is a secret.¡±

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s a serious secrecy protection.¡±

    By making it difficult for the faction members to know who the real members are, they are trying to prevent betrayal and information leakage among members. It is a well-thought move.

    But I¡¯m sure the core members who have been participating for a long time can tell after a bit of observation.

    ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±

    Immediately after Haku says this, her dungeon and 10th core dungeon are connected by a gate.

    On the other side of the gate, I could see that 10th core side was filled with arge number of undead and zombies.

    ¨CAlmost instantly. A torrent of water overflows from Haku¡¯s gate.

    Therge amount of water swept away the hordes of monsters and zombies of the 10th core.

    When the enemy¡¯s formation was thus broken, and Haku¡¯s minotaur army wasted no time to overran it.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this the same tactic we used in the dungeon battle when Kehma go against Haku-nee before?¡±

    ¡°Is it possible to im a royalty for the use of this idea? ¡­and judging from the smoke and screams of the zombies that came in contact with the water, it seems that all of this is holy water? That¡¯s just too cruel.¡±

    As expected of Haku, she knew exactly 10th core would use an undead and prepared this beforehand.

    Holy water is amon weakness of the undead, but the use of holy water on this scale is unprecedented and must be the first time in history.

    It was said that holy water was sprinkled on the undead in funerals to prevent one from bing an undead, but the way she buried the undead with a torrent of holy water like this has literally be torrent burial. {Yu-gi-oh reference? In English, the card was renamed to Torrential Tribute}

    The first assault immediately ended with Haku¡¯s victory as soon as the gate was connected.

    And after establishing a frontline base, Haku herself moved there with the monsters who represented us.

    Beyond the gate connection, we could see the entrance to 10th core dungeon is filled with the corpses of undead covered in holy water.

    ¡°We¡¯ve established a base. Everyone, follow me.¡±

    ¡°The signal is given, Rokuko. Start the assault to 10th core dungeon.¡±

    ¡°okay.¡±

    A beat behind the spearhead, we connected the gate and sent in a fully equipped monster army. Everything is going as nned. If so, the rest is a battle for control. At this rate we¡¯re going to ride to victory! Everyone was in high spirits. And they are all in good shape.

    ¡°Kehma! My squirrel will be going ahead! I¡¯m going to be the first to go to an unexplored area!¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll leave the map exploration to you, Orange.¡±

    ¡°Fuahahaha! I¡¯m going to go on a rampage, get buried, oh my enemy!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t stick out too much, 564.¡±

    The squirrels controlled by Orange and No. 564 himself charge into the 10th core dungeon. The squirrels rush in and start their mapping by slipping under the feet of the other monsters and running deeper into the dungeon without getting involved in a fight. Yeah, I guess I can leave the map exploration to Orange.

    We should get going too.

    ¡°Rei, are you ready?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Giant Testor, is ready when you are!

    G-Testor. That is the name of the secret weapon that Rei and I prepared this time. It¡¯s a 14 meters tall giant robot. The looks are identical to the giant ck steel golem.

    But when I let it crawl through the gate, Haku raised her eyebrows and said, ¡°Oh my¡­¡± she is talking to me through the monitor since ourms are still connected.

    ¡°Kehma-san? Isn¡¯t this too big?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is. At least for now.¡±

    I snap my fingers to give a signal and answer Haku¡¯s question.

    ¡°G-Testor, dbined!¡±

    ¡°¡±Roger!¡±¡±

    Rei¡¯s subordinates, the dungeon management fairies Eleca and the others, answer.

    Soon after, the G-Testor detached its arms and legs from the main body. The torso is divided into several pieces to pass through the passageway.

    Each detached arm and leg is a separate individual. Because they were originally separate monsters, the form they were in just before is theirbined form. And as for how to connect them, I¡¯m using a slime inside the armor.

    By the way, these slimes were created by feeding on leftover food and waste from the [Gluttony] trap, so their maintenance cost is not even high.

    The concept is abined robot. In order to hide my golem creation skill, I have kept it within the scope of what can be done with existing dungeon functions and cksmithing, and the gimmick ofbining slimes is simr to the image of a group of slimes being united into one. While the rest uses a mechanism simr to that train coupling.

    ¡°Hoo? Is this slime? So you using the same principle as the armor slime?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Armor is exactly the right word. You could say that I put a golem-derived armor on a giant slime. The difference is that the actual main body is actually the golem, just like when I put on a cloth golem.

    Furthermore, the golem joints, which are responsible for the linking mechanism, perform admirably, and so the joints be the robot¡¯s weak point, resulting in a design that is very simr to that of a giant robot.

 Chapter 531 - Raid Dungeon Battle (2)

    <h4>Chapter 531 - Raid Dungeon Battle (2)</h4>

    ¡°G-Testor parts, GO!¡±

    Each detached part ran by itself and passed through the passage.

    The torso is divided into multiple parts, each of which has arms and legs or is carried by Slime-kun as a stand-alone shield armor.

    The limbs part did not undergo any transformation to keep their sturdiness, but each was fitted with wheels so that they could run on their own. £¨The slime is moved inside the body in the form of a seesaw trolley.)

    The head can fly by itself like a drone. Sadly, there¡¯s no escape mechanism with a cockpit or camera in it. So, it is not suitable for reconnaissance because of its weight. That part is just a decoration. The slime in charge of the torso is the one in charge of controlling it.

    ¡°Ah, I found a skeleton in the corridor. Launch Testor Punch!¡±

    ¡°Roger that, Testor Punch, fire!¡±

    With Rei¡¯s voice, the right arm elerates. The enemy skeleton was run over and crushed by Testor right arm. I could hear the sound of rocket punch and bones breaking from the monitor.

    Well, I guess this is one unique rocket punch, isn¡¯t it? Because it¡¯s a wheeled one.

    ¡°Hou¡­ It¡¯s power isparable to castle-breaking siege hammer. It has good offensive power.¡±

    ¡°I am honored by your praise, Haku.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right, nee-sama! it¡¯s a monster that our Rei came up with, with Kehma finishing touch.¡±

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re as amazing as ever, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    For some reason, Rokuko is very proud of this creation. And Haku, Rokuko wasn¡¯t involved in any of this, was she? Does the dungeon¡¯s member achievement count as the dungeon core¡¯s achievement? Well, if we follow the form dungeon = Rokuko, I guess that¡¯s true.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma, there¡¯s a monster from the other allied core that¡¯s been following Testor.¡±

    ¡°Well, they will get run over if they stand in front of us, so it¡¯s safer to follow from our behind.¡±

    Right, if it for the sake of efficiency, it is safer to proceed behind the G-Testor parts.

    Especially since we were used to marching on a map scouted by small animals, it was only natural that we would be the ones leading the way, taking into ount that G-Testor was also not slow on his feet.

    ¡°What should we do, Master? Shall we outrun them?¡±

    ¡°No, keep going as it is, Rei. We¡¯re allies, so let them follow us. And if we¡¯re in the lead, that means we can y an active role in the battle. You want to show off the G-Testor that you have built, right? Nerune?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve practiced a lot.¡±

    It¡¯s a win-win situation: our allies have an easy time, and we get to y with the G-Testor a lot. Win-win indeed.

    ¡­oops, we¡¯re not here to y. We¡¯re in a dungeon battle. It¡¯s work.

    ¡°Master. If you enjoy your work, you will get better results. And if it can be done like we¡¯re ying, can¡¯t we just have called it ying?¡±

    ¡°Kinue, in your case, your work is your hobby, but you¡¯re right about that.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Okay then, let¡¯s enjoy ying with giant robots to the fullest.

    As we proceeded with each part of G-Testor, we came across arge open area. It looks like a graveyard at dusk. Crosses and rusted swords are stuck on the floor. But ording to the Orange¡¯s scout squirrel unit that ahead of us, this ce was only an empty hall.

    ¡°Yeah, but our opponent is undead. That info is not going to tell us anything.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re out in a wide-open space, and I don¡¯t see any enemies on the map, but let¡¯s merge.¡±

    ¡°Copy that, Master! G-Testor! merge sequencemenced!¡±

    The next step is to merge.

    Following Rei¡¯s call, the parts quickly started to move. The coupling units werebined with a loud nk and immediately transformed into a giant ck steel golem in a sleeping position.

    I did say ¡®quickly¡¯¡­ but it still takes about 30 seconds. It¡¯s not quick enough. If there are any enemies, they will need to push the enemy away whilebining, or they will need to rely on the protection provided by the other monsters apanying them.

    ¡°I did it, Master. A new record, 28 seconds.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I saw that, Niku. You¡¯ve surpassed your practice time even though you had a bad foothold.¡±

    Niku proudly wagged her tail when I patted his head. Niku, by the way, was in charge of the body, which was the most difficult part that linked them all together. Although the golem canpensate for this sequence, the part where the couplers are ced close to each other with the angles aligned had to be done manually to some extent.

    I want to automate this. If I have the time and budget, that is!

    I had prepared the highest quality golem possible using the avable time and funds, but if I wish I could have used orichalcum¡­ well, that¡¯s fine. Let them do their best in this operation. I can see that Niku and Rei are rather more motivated with their work if it gives them some hassle.

    ¡°Runching G-Testor!¡±

    ¡°Hey Kehma, shouldn¡¯t we keep moving forward in pieces until we encounter the enemy?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, Rokuko. That one will definitely appear from this kind of ce.¡±

    ¡°E? you mean a ghost{obake} type?¡±

    ¡°No, the enemy is¨C I mean, it will be undead, so calling them ghost-type is not wrong.¡±

    And just as soon as all of our troops entered, the graveyard area was sealed off, then skeletons and zombies crawled out of their graves. Apparently, this area was a trap to get rid of the enemy.

    But small monsters of this magnitude are as good as sitting ducks for G-Testor. Well, when the big onese out, they¡¯ll be just the right opponent for it.

    ¡°Scoop them up and take them out at once.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    G-Testor caught the skeleton that had sprung up and threw them at other enemies as if spraying water at them. The bone of skeletons spread out like shotgun pellets and damaged the zombies.

    ¡°Hahaha! It is toying with its enemies. Bigger is stronger after all!¡±

    ¡°Is that how the big ones fight, Kehma?¡±

    I¡¯m tempted to say, [Cleave!]¡­¡­well it¡¯s not special move or something, we¡¯re just cleaving them using normal means. G-Testor only needs to swing its arm.

    Aah¡­ I hope the enemy prepared some monster like Gashadokuro (giant skeleton) so we can do giant battle.

    By the way, the zombie became a snack for Slime-kun, who was starting to feel hungry.

    ¡­No, to be precise, they actually tried to attack the joint, but they got devoured instead. This thing is a great.

 Chapter 531 - Raid Dungeon Battle (2)

    <h4>Chapter 531 - Raid Dungeon Battle (2)</h4>

    ¡°G-Testor parts, GO!¡±

    Each detached part ran by itself and passed through the passage.

    The torso is divided into multiple parts, each of which has arms and legs or is carried by Slime-kun as a stand-alone shield armor.

    The limbs part did not undergo any transformation to keep their sturdiness, but each was fitted with wheels so that they could run on their own. £¨The slime is moved inside the body in the form of a seesaw trolley.)

    The head can fly by itself like a drone. Sadly, there¡¯s no escape mechanism with a cockpit or camera in it. So, it is not suitable for reconnaissance because of its weight. That part is just a decoration. The slime in charge of the torso is the one in charge of controlling it.

    ¡°Ah, I found a skeleton in the corridor. Launch Testor Punch!¡±

    ¡°Roger that, Testor Punch, fire!¡±

    With Rei¡¯s voice, the right arm elerates. The enemy skeleton was run over and crushed by Testor right arm. I could hear the sound of rocket punch and bones breaking from the monitor.

    Well, I guess this is one unique rocket punch, isn¡¯t it? Because it¡¯s a wheeled one.

    ¡°Hou¡­ It¡¯s power isparable to castle-breaking siege hammer. It has good offensive power.¡±

    ¡°I am honored by your praise, Haku.¡±

    ¡°Fufu, that¡¯s right, nee-sama! it¡¯s a monster that our Rei came up with, with Kehma finishing touch.¡±

    ¡°I see. You¡¯re as amazing as ever, Rokuko-chan.¡±

    For some reason, Rokuko is very proud of this creation. And Haku, Rokuko wasn¡¯t involved in any of this, was she? Does the dungeon¡¯s member achievement count as the dungeon core¡¯s achievement? Well, if we follow the form dungeon = Rokuko, I guess that¡¯s true.

    ¡°Hey, Kehma, there¡¯s a monster from the other allied core that¡¯s been following Testor.¡±

    ¡°Well, they will get run over if they stand in front of us, so it¡¯s safer to follow from our behind.¡±

    Right, if it for the sake of efficiency, it is safer to proceed behind the G-Testor parts.

    Especially since we were used to marching on a map scouted by small animals, it was only natural that we would be the ones leading the way, taking into ount that G-Testor was also not slow on his feet.

    ¡°What should we do, Master? Shall we outrun them?¡±

    ¡°No, keep going as it is, Rei. We¡¯re allies, so let them follow us. And if we¡¯re in the lead, that means we can y an active role in the battle. You want to show off the G-Testor that you have built, right? Nerune?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve practiced a lot.¡±

    It¡¯s a win-win situation: our allies have an easy time, and we get to y with the G-Testor a lot. Win-win indeed.

    ¡­oops, we¡¯re not here to y. We¡¯re in a dungeon battle. It¡¯s work.

    ¡°Master. If you enjoy your work, you will get better results. And if it can be done like we¡¯re ying, can¡¯t we just have called it ying?¡±

    ¡°Kinue, in your case, your work is your hobby, but you¡¯re right about that.¡±

    ¡°I guess so.¡±

    Okay then, let¡¯s enjoy ying with giant robots to the fullest.

    As we proceeded with each part of G-Testor, we came across arge open area. It looks like a graveyard at dusk. Crosses and rusted swords are stuck on the floor. But ording to the Orange¡¯s scout squirrel unit that ahead of us, this ce was only an empty hall.

    ¡°Yeah, but our opponent is undead. That info is not going to tell us anything.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re out in a wide-open space, and I don¡¯t see any enemies on the map, but let¡¯s merge.¡±

    ¡°Copy that, Master! G-Testor! merge sequencemenced!¡±

    The next step is to merge.

    Following Rei¡¯s call, the parts quickly started to move. The coupling units werebined with a loud nk and immediately transformed into a giant ck steel golem in a sleeping position.

    I did say ¡®quickly¡¯¡­ but it still takes about 30 seconds. It¡¯s not quick enough. If there are any enemies, they will need to push the enemy away whilebining, or they will need to rely on the protection provided by the other monsters apanying them.

    ¡°I did it, Master. A new record, 28 seconds.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I saw that, Niku. You¡¯ve surpassed your practice time even though you had a bad foothold.¡±

    Niku proudly wagged her tail when I patted his head. Niku, by the way, was in charge of the body, which was the most difficult part that linked them all together. Although the golem canpensate for this sequence, the part where the couplers are ced close to each other with the angles aligned had to be done manually to some extent.

    I want to automate this. If I have the time and budget, that is!

    I had prepared the highest quality golem possible using the avable time and funds, but if I wish I could have used orichalcum¡­ well, that¡¯s fine. Let them do their best in this operation. I can see that Niku and Rei are rather more motivated with their work if it gives them some hassle.

    ¡°Runching G-Testor!¡±

    ¡°Hey Kehma, shouldn¡¯t we keep moving forward in pieces until we encounter the enemy?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll be fine, Rokuko. That one will definitely appear from this kind of ce.¡±

    ¡°E? you mean a ghost{obake} type?¡±

    ¡°No, the enemy is¨C I mean, it will be undead, so calling them ghost-type is not wrong.¡±

    And just as soon as all of our troops entered, the graveyard area was sealed off, then skeletons and zombies crawled out of their graves. Apparently, this area was a trap to get rid of the enemy.

    But small monsters of this magnitude are as good as sitting ducks for G-Testor. Well, when the big onese out, they¡¯ll be just the right opponent for it.

    ¡°Scoop them up and take them out at once.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡±

    G-Testor caught the skeleton that had sprung up and threw them at other enemies as if spraying water at them. The bone of skeletons spread out like shotgun pellets and damaged the zombies.

    ¡°Hahaha! It is toying with its enemies. Bigger is stronger after all!¡±

    ¡°Is that how the big ones fight, Kehma?¡±

    I¡¯m tempted to say, [Cleave!]¡­¡­well it¡¯s not special move or something, we¡¯re just cleaving them using normal means. G-Testor only needs to swing its arm.

    Aah¡­ I hope the enemy prepared some monster like Gashadokuro (giant skeleton) so we can do giant battle.

    By the way, the zombie became a snack for Slime-kun, who was starting to feel hungry.

    ¡­No, to be precise, they actually tried to attack the joint, but they got devoured instead. This thing is a great.

 Chapter 532

    Chapter 532 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battle (3)

    In an enclosed graveyard area, G-Testor reaps zombies and skeletons that have appeared inrge numbers. It¡¯s fighting using the advantage of the strength of itsrge size.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    However, here and there, enemies that have not been defeated remain. It¡¯s a ghost-type enemies.

    That¡¯s the thing about golems and slimes, they are strong against physical attack, but on the contrary, when the opponent is resistant to physical attack, things will get troublesome.

    ¡°But you have a secret weapon for times like this, don¡¯t you, Kehma?¡±

    ¡°Yeah ¨CBut hold it.¡±

    Just when I was about to use the secret weapon, a magic missile came from behind me.

    It was not aimed at G-Testor, but at the enemy ghost-type monster ¨C it was a carpet bombing-like magic attack.

    ¡°Golem. Leave the leftovers to us.¡±

    ¡°Spare us some, won¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°A ghost without a wall of flesh is just a moving target.¡±

    The dungeon core that controls myconids (giant walking mushrooms), a dungeon core that controls vampires, and the dungeon core that controls dog-shaped monsters called out to us.

    ¡°Right, we weren¡¯t attacking alone this time.¡±

    Yes, we weren¡¯t alone this time. This dungeon battle is not involving only us from the [Cave of Desire]. Other dungeons under Haku¡¯smand are also participating.

    To put it simply, we have a division of roles now. Our dungeon will take care of the physical enemies and leave the rest of the physically resistant but magically weak enemies to our friends. This is good. My job is clear.

    ¡°I will leave the zombies and skeletons to you; I¡¯ll take care of the ghosts.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Neers, you are too active. Please let the seniors have a little glory too.¡±

    ¡°Well, you won¡¯t be very good at cleaning the small ones with that big body. I¡¯ll take care of it.¡±

    The myconids and vampires deployed their magic circle all at once, and attack magic such as [Fireball] and [Ice Lance] was released simultaneously to sweep the ghosts. At the same time, the dog-type monster chewed up and broke the skeleton bones that the shot had scattered.

    It¡¯s so much easier when you don¡¯t have to do all the work.

    On the other hand, I feel a little sorry for Core 10th, who has to deal with all this by himself.

    Well, what can you do? That¡¯s just how it is.

    Anyway... I wonder if the 10th core has any faction or not? It seems that most of the other early core and the top 10 ten rankers usually have a faction. Haku, Great Demon King{Dai-Maou}, or Dragon King, etc. they all have their own faction.

    ¡°Come to think of it. I¡¯ve never heard of an Undead faction or anything like that.¡±

    ¡°eh? Is that so, Rokuko? I thought there would be a few undead factions... but then again... Senior Vampire is on our side.¡±

    ¡°To think of it... I¡¯ve never heard of an Oni faction either. Or is it normal not to care about other core? My sister is a special case after all.¡±

    By the way, Orange used to belong to another faction called [Beast King], but this faction almostpletely neglected its member. Because the faction leader, the Beast King, the principle is to cast the newly born one into the valley of trial, which fits him.

    ¡°Anyway... it is also possible that his faction member decides to leave him to die and pretend that they¡¯re not involved since 10th core already targeted be killed, and faction members can¡¯t reverse the war. If that was the case, then it would be helpful.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, I would rush in if my sister was in danger!¡±

    ¡°Well, I would too. I owed her that much.¡±

    But at the very least, that meant the 10th core had no such friends.

    Well, normally, the dungeon itself is already a collection of powerful individuals. There is little significance in the making a group further from there. It is more efficient to devote resources to oneself and one¡¯s subordinates rather than to help others thrive.

    ¡°?....but doesn¡¯t that make the Haku sisters listed in the top 10 rankings is kind of outrageous?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. It means there¡¯s more than just rank difference.¡±

    With Haku as the top rankers bringing other cores joining in as reinforcements, it is no surprise that the battle has be so one-sided.

    The battle in the graveyard area had already been decided, and it began to resemble an overrun.

    ¡°Kehma, there is some movement on the enemy side.¡±

    ¡°Oh, as expected, there¡¯s more toe.¡±

    Then, as if to begin the closing arc of the graveyard, the spirit of a defeated zombie and a defeated skeleton appeared and gathered. It then transformed into the Ghost King, a massive ghost with no physical attacks.

    ¡°Golem! back off. Ghosts aren¡¯t a good match for you, are they?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a massive undead summoning. Maybe we should try it too?¡±

    ¡°So, it¡¯s the time for our [trump card] that uses the graveyard area as a ritual site... okay then, let¡¯s show our juniors how good we are.¡±

    The seniors are trying toe forward saying so.

    How dependable. But.

    ¡°No, seniors. This is our prey! ¨CMode change, magic gauntlets!¡±

    ¡°Roger that! [Magic Gauntlet]!¡±

    Rei recited, and magic power covered Golem¡¯s fist. Then it punched King Ghost away.

    ¡°The physical attack worked! How!¡±

    ¡°Fufufu, this is our secret weapon, the Magic Gauntlet. For a short time, the slime will release its magic power with all its might to the point that it can even touch the ghost.¡±

    ¡°Ah, so it¡¯s a magic punch. The slime is going to be effective against ghosts as well. It¡¯s a good idea, junior.¡±

    ¡°...then cover me, I will begin magic chant now.¡±

    The slime stamina will get drained at terrifying speed, so I can only use it for a short time, and they need to rest after using it. But this is a special move that I had prepared for a ghost-type monster in this ce.

    ¡°It wouldst longer if it could be deployed only on impact.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t switch it on and off that finely with slime..... Also, thanks to slime continuously releasing magic, I could do THIS.¡±

    G-Testor catches King Ghost with its magic-d fist and strangles the King Ghost.

    ¡°Seniors! Shoot while I¡¯m holding it down!¡±

    ¡°Oh! good job. All personnel, attack with magic! But don¡¯t use thunderbolts!¡±

    ¡°Be careful not to hit the golem!¡±

    ¡°Release the magic, fire at will! our target is huge!¡±

    Thanks to our brilliant cooperative y, King Ghost disappeared.

    Slime, please rest well and let Golem take care of moving for a while.

    ===*

 Chapter 533

    Chapter 533 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battle (4)

    So we passed the graveyard area and marched further into the dungeon.

    As we separated into pieces again and drove through the dungeon corridors, I suddenly wondered about the invasion situation.

    ¡°Come to think of it, what¡¯s about the rest of us?¡±

    ¡°My sister has updated the map, so you¡¯ll know if you look there.¡±

    I examined the map in Haku¡¯s station through the monsters I had stationed there.

    I don¡¯t know how many levels there are, but it seems that we have conquered five levels now.

    This time, it was not enough just to go deeper into the dungeon. It was necessary to crush itpletely.

    That¡¯s why we call this a conquering, but as expected, if multiple cores challenge with all their might, it is possible to conquer at this pace.

    ¡°How many levels do you estimate?¡±

    ¡°I heard that the dungeon in Sister Haku¡¯s caliber has exceeded 150 level, and it should be the same with the initial first-born core as No. 10. Right?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then we¡¯re still in the early stages of the dungeon... Let¡¯s speed things up a bit.¡±

    I call out over thems to Orange.

    ¡°Hey Orange, how¡¯s it going over there?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Kehma-kyu? We¡¯re doing great.¡±

    Orange is ahead of us and is searching the surroundings. He disys the map to us.

    ...Yeah, it seems that the map search is over for this floor for now.

    ¡°How¡¯s the search going on the next floor?¡±

    ¡°Here is it.¡±

    ¡°....Hmmm, is the sixth floor only about this big? It is only half the size of the fifth floor.

    I guess we¡¯re not as far along as I thought we¡¯d be.¡±

    ¡°There are a lot of ces where squirrels can¡¯t go, and I have to avoid them.¡±

    Mainly poisonous swamps, it seems. I see. It¡¯s no wonder he¡¯s be slow.

    But...

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you force your way through? We can use the squirrels as footholds and pass using them.¡±

    ¡°Nankyuuah! Bu-but th-that¡¯s... really pitiful.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying in this middle of dungeon battle...¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re right, but...¡±

    So you¡¯re saying that you¡¯re emotionally reluctant to deliberately make sacrifices to move forward. All while realizing that we cannot advance without doing it.

    Isn¡¯t he surprisingly pure?

    ...Or am I the one who is too cruel?

    ¡°Then, this might be a little bit inefficient, but you could mix the engineers in with the group.¡±

    ¡°enji-what? What¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°If we use human terms, it¡¯s a soldier whose job is to dig holes and build bridges.¡±

    ¡°I see... but... can squirrels dig holes and build bridges? It¡¯s just a small task, but it takes a lot of time for them.¡±

    ¡°You going to give them a name and catalog privileges. Then you can give them a DP so they can get out a wooden nk. They can use it to cross the swamp.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s convenient!¡±

    There is the hassle of naming, and the DP must be deposited in advance, but squirrel¡¯s strength lies in their [cheapness], and don¡¯t forget there is the drawback that the engineers will be a target.

    However, it is good for Orange, who want to reduce the sacrifice of his fellow workers as much as possible.

    ¡°And if you want, you can increase the number of squirrels you have lost using them too.¡±

    ¡°Oh, wow. Then it is more like a captain than an engineer. Should I put a captain sash on him to mark his position?¡±

    ¡°That would only make them a target. Keep the same appearance.¡±

    ¡°Gotcha. I¡¯ll mix it in with the following group of replenishment squirrels right away!¡±

    This will speed up Orange¡¯s scouting task.

    ¡°Will you run rat squad now? G-Testor has more leeway than we expected.¡±

    ¡°Sure, we can put Ichika in charge of the rats.¡±

    ¡°Okay then... Ichika, it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir... but can¡¯t we have Soto connect us to the golem and buy them from here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a limit to the number of things we could im to be prepared in there, and I¡¯d like to keep it secret.¡±

    If you ask me if it¡¯s possible or impossible, it¡¯s possible. Because I know I have the slime that had learned [storage] mixed in there.

    ¡°Simr to what I told Orange earlier, I mixed them in.¡±

    ¡°We could have insisted that we were storing the DPs with the slime too.¡±

    Then... isn¡¯t it okay if we release the rats through the slime?

    ¡°Okay then, rat-funnel ejection! No, more like rat-familiar?¡± {fin-funnel lol, gundam reference.}

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll just go ask Soto-sama.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I better actually give DP to the slime and have it summoned locally.¡±

    It is the same thing if you are going to summon them with DP anyway. The price difference caused by distance is not so significant for rats.

    So I asked Soto to secretly connect the [storage] dungeon to the golem¡¯s right and left-hand slime, then I asked Rokuko to quietly give the slime some DP through the [storage] dungeon.

    I named the slime [{Naked}N-Testor] and gave it catalog ess privileges.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to go explore with gusto then!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, good luck Ichika.¡±

    ¡°Leave it to me! I¡¯ll do my best!¡±

    Ichika then remotely summoned the rats with DPs and manipted the rats that emerged from the golem with her dextrous hand. She really is a dependable friend.

    ¡°We¡¯ll continue to pilot the G-Testor, but Niku, Rei. You should take turns and have a rest. There aren¡¯t too many of them, so just take the lead and let the golems follow automatically. Well, two people should be enough to operate the golem.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Rokuko-sama..., I¡¯ll take care of the Golem first, so Niku-senpai should go to bed.¡±

    ¡°No. Ichika, had a job as Beddist Saint, so, rest.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine since I¡¯m paid for my work at the Beddist Church in conjunction with the dungeon battle.¡±

    Since Niku and Rei are good at piloting the Golem, they are the main pilots when theybine..., but neither of them seems to want to give up control of the Golem.

    I felt that sparks were scattered between the two of them...

    It¡¯s true that it¡¯s fun to move thebined robotic Golem, but if it¡¯s going to be a long day, you need to rest, or you won¡¯t be able to keep up with yourself, and your performance will suffer. I¡¯d love to see you take a proper rest...

    Meanwhile...

    ¡°...aah, then I¡¯ll go ahead and take a rest~.¡±

    ¡°Then excuse me, I will rest too.¡±

    Nerine and Kinue wasting no time to take a break.

    Rest when you can. That is the essence of Beddist teaching.

    ¡°Rei, let¡¯s decide which of us will rest first based on which can take down more. I¡¯m going to use the right half of the golem body.¡±

    ¡°As you wish. Then I¡¯m going to use the left half of body part.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, can you keep up with me?¡±

    Ugh, won¡¯t you two just rest obediently...

 Chapter 534 - Raid Dungeon Battle (5)

    LDM 534 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battle (5)

    A note: To you all who said: ¡°I will buy the novels when it¡¯spleted,¡± please buy it now, because volume 17 is thest.

    Tl note: ¡­damn it. (I said that)

    Damn that legs, Rokuko¡­

    ===*

    In the end, Niku won the battle for the main pilots, so Rei was (forced to) take a break.

    ¡­Nerune and Kinue are also taking a break, so what about the sub-pilots? But here¡¯s the one who came forward¨C

    ¡°Feni, you¡¯re doing a great job. I can¡¯t believe you can keep up with me.¡±

    ¡°Piii!¡±

    ¨CIt was Rokuko¡¯s pet. Feni the Phoenix is now moving the golem as a sub-pilot.

    And because he is a [named] monster, he has plenty of authority as one. But it is certainly a sight to see an animal-sized pet piloting the golem.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re humanoid, but we can move rats and other monsters like normal.¡±

    ¡°¡­ is that a problem?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the same thing. Even at Orange¡¯s ce, rabbits are moving monsters.¡±

    If you put it that way, true, there¡¯s nothing strange about this.

    ¡°Still, he is pretty good at this.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make them their dedicated machines? I¡¯d be happy too.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

    It will be a gift for the pets as well as a defense force for Rokuko. I think it¡¯s worth making.

    ***

    Well, in short, the attack goes smoothly.

    A leisurely pace that is aligned with the surroundings, but apparently, for the senior staff, it¡¯s different.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know which core it is, but they are mapping the dungeon at a great pace. The map is huge.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s natural thanks to this map would make the attack faster, but you shouldn¡¯t think this is normal¡­ Wait, but if it means that a core that can do this has joined our faction, then is this going to be the norm from now on?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s my subordinate, senpais.¡±

    ¡°Seriously? Oh, so that¡¯s why you were releasing rats from the golem earlier?¡±

    Oops, zombie ahead. Golem tackle! After the zombie limbs were dismembered, the seniors carefully tore him down with magic. Alright, let¡¯s keep going with this formation!

    ¡°Our juniors are so dependable; I will lose my face as a senior.¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡±

    ¡°Senpai, How often do we raid like this?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? I think we got this job every ten years or so, but it¡¯s the first time that the opponent is the 10th or higher core.¡±

    It seems that traitors are discovered and defeated at that pace. While attacking the dungeon, we gather information through chatting. Since we are already talking, maybe it¡¯s a good time to share some news too.

    Well, even though the other party is the 10th core, our pace is pretty easygoing. I thought it was supposed to be a strong enemy.

    Oops, a skeleton ahead. Once again. Golem tackle! The shattered fragments are carefully cleared out using magic by the seniors! All right, let¡¯s keep moving forward!

    ¡°Ah, a poisonous swamp. As expected, a golem can¡¯t advance here, can it?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s abination of a golem and a slime, so the poison doesn¡¯t work on them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s convenient. So this is golem and slime? it can¡¯t be poisoned then.¡±

    ¡°It looks like there¡¯s plenty of space. Can I ride it?¡±

    It would be my pleasure. I put the seniors on top of the golem and proceeded through the poisonous swamp as well. Rather than a bridge, the golem bes a foothold instead.

    Okay, let¡¯s keep going!

    ¡°But it¡¯s a good idea to give DP to monsters and use them in battle. I¡¯ll copy that strategy from now on.¡±

    ¡°Mykonid¡¯s not ashamed of imitating his juniors, is he? Well, I will do it too. Are you sure you¡¯re not veteran core?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just a newbie dungeon core. I¡¯m with the 600 series.¡±

    ¡°Heh, isn¡¯t 600s the newest batch¡­ are you serious? You¡¯re really talented. You know that?¡±

    He said with augh. I heard that the senpais were in the 300s or 200s. Since they don¡¯t give out their personal information, I guess this is the extent of information they would give me.

    Oops, it¡¯s a beast-zombie, bear-type. Again! Golem Tackle! I missed some of them, but my senpai carefully wiped them off! Okay, let¡¯s keep moving forward!

    ¡°I¡¯m not a core, by the way; I¡¯m a master.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? So it¡¯s the master¡¯s ability, then? Mykonid¡¯s is the same, but he¡¯s not aspetent as you. Well, the younger ones are more impressive.¡±

    ¡°Oi Vampire. Is that sarcasm towards our master? If you sell a fight, I will buy it. how about the first one to defeat the next enemy wins.¡±

    ¡°Oh, enemy.¡±

    Golem tackle! If they did note in waves, it doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a ghost or anything simr. I can still run them over with the magic gauntlet.

    ¡°Yo, Golem. Won¡¯t you leave some fight for us?¡±

    ¡°Really¡­¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha-ha, I ran over it nicely. But if you¡¯re looking for a fight, take the next one, senpais.¡±

    ¡°Nah, just take all the credit you want. I¡¯ll just take what they gave me, so don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not bothered even if Haku-sama did not reward me. I just don¡¯t want to be reprimanded, that¡¯s why I participate, but if I could take it easy, it¡¯s better for me.¡±

    We proceeded through the dungeon of the 10th core with ease. A dungeon that was full of the same old undead.

    After a short break, we reached the boss room on the 50th level.

    ¡°¡­is this the deepest level? That¡¯s great. Aren¡¯t we too fast to get here?¡±

    ¡°What? Already? I didn¡¯t have any problem at all¡­.?¡±

    ¡°No, no, no, it¡¯s strange we got here so easily!¡±

    ¡°No, it feels like there were a lot of obstacles¡­ but¡­. we were breaking through without being particrly aware of it. Our juniors are too dependable.¡±

    Generally speaking, that seems to be the impression we get when we reach the 50th floor¡­ well, Otento¡¯s dungeon was about 50yers too.

 Chapter 535 - Raid dungeon battle (6)

    Chapter 535 ¨C Raid dungeon battle (6)

    Tl note: for conversation, I decided to keep senior(senpai) and junior(Kouhai) in English, it won¡¯t make a big difference in meaning, but considering I had already used senior in many previous chapters, it feels better to keep using English word for this specific case since the conversation is using a lot of those words.

    ===*

    Floor 50, in front of the door that leads to the boss room in the dungeon of 10th core.

    ¡°What are we going to do? Do we wait for Haku-sama and the others? Or should we go?¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯vee this far, and we¡¯re first in line! let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go then! If we can wear down the boss, we can expect a reward from Haku-sama!¡±

    My seniors seemed to be very motivated.

    ¡°Pardon me, senior, but first, why don¡¯t we check the current strength of the team? For example, how much of Myconid-senior¡¯s nt warrior soldier nt do you have in stock?¡±

    ¡°How many are in stock? Well, about 100 units. It doesn¡¯t matter if you use them all. Haku-sama will reimburse me anyway.¡±

    The Myconid shakes his mushroom head, and a few seeds fall out.

    The nt warrior nt soldier is the main force of Myconid¡¯s core, which can be mass-produced with the strength on par with the iron golem. The advantage is that those soldiers can be carried in seed form.

    ¡°What about are the vampire and dog senior?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see. Thirty lesser vampires. But I think we¡¯re a little worn out.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t call me dog¡­ Anyway, as you can see, I have 10 shadow wolves, 20 me wolves, and 10 saint wolves.¡±

    Those wolves are slightly stronger than the Iron Golem on their own.

    And because the dog-senior is aware that he would face undead force, he prepared an advantageous attribute in advance; that¡¯s why his force strength can be considered one level higher when he goes against this dungeon.

    ...

    Andstly, myself with Giant Testor and a Rat Funnel.

    ¡°So, what do you think, junior Golem?¡±

    ¡°Why is a junior in charge? Not that I mind tho.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not really cut out for leader in group battle. So I¡¯m good with that.¡±

    The seniors look at me (Golem avatar), saying so. The decision was left to me.

    Now, which should I choose:

    Charge.

    Stand by.

    All right, my decision is¡­

    ¡°Okay! Let¡¯s ask Haku-sama for instructions!¡±

    Throw it all to my boss, Haku-sama!

    When I said so, the seniors turned their eyes toward me, saying, ¡°EHHH!¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ in this situation, it¡¯s better to report first. If any, this decision was better than charging on your own and getting scolded!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡­ I thought that the neers I have high hope wille out with his original tactic.¡±

    ¡°True, I¡¯d rather have Haku-sama¡¯s direction than being led by my junior, still¡­ it¡¯s a bit of a letdown.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s reasonable.¡±

    But for me, I choose this because this is the easiest.

    Let¡¯s say I will be told to think for myself. The responsibility will fall to the supervisor who delegated the task to me.

    So even if we go and attack with this team and get wiped out, it is the boss¡¯s responsibility.

    If we win, it will be our boss¡¯s decision and our achievement¡­ and our superior is Haku, so she has no choice but to give us direction.

    But really, personally, I think this faction is very white(clean/kind); well, it¡¯s Haku¡¯s (white), after all.

    I contacted Haku, and she said, ¡°It will take a while to control each floor. Do as you please. You can wait until we regroup, or you can challenge them first. But if you choose to challenge them, please share the result of your battle.¡±.

    She said that even if you can¡¯t beat them, the information you get will be your achievement. I¡¯m d to have a boss who appreciates my work.

    ¡°So, what are we going to do? I think it would be a good idea to have the golem¡¯s junior rat scout this ce as well.¡±

    ¡°What a coincidence, Myconid. I was just thinking the same thing! I feel the best course of action.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s got the easiest piece to be sacrificed after all. So, can you do it, junior?¡±

    ¡°Roger that. That¡¯s what rats are for. Leave it to me, senior.¡±

    I opened the door of the boss¡¯s room and sent a few rats as spearheads.

    Inside the room was arge temple-like space. The floor was made of white cobblestones, and the pirs were grooved like those of the Parthenon. The front of the room was several steps higher, as the entrance to a temple. However, the door was closed. Also, the walls were lined with what looked like drawers. There is no doubt that there is something inside.

    The whole area looks like a light goddess temple. The holiness that does not reflect the undead was there.

    It looks like I can fight it with G-Testor without any problems, but I¡¯m curious to see what kind of gimmicks they have in store.

    When the rats reached the center of the room, the entrance door mmed shut.

    An old man in luxurious vestments appears at the front, at the entrance to the temple, and at the exit of the boss¡¯s room.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s 10th core. I¡¯ve seen him at the meeting.¡±

    ¡°Is it really him, Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Even if it wasn¡¯t, you don¡¯t think there would be any ordinary old man in a ce like this, do you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, too. In any case, this old man is clearly an enemy.¡±

    ¡°Wee aboard, you little bug¨Chmm? Oi, where are you?¡±

    The old man scurried around the room.

    I and the seniors were sharing the view of the rats outside the door.

    ¡°Um, my core says that¡¯s the 10th core. What do you think, senior?¡±

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s 10th core for sure.¡±

    ¡°It is possible that he is making the monster look like himself, but at least that appearance is him.¡±

    ¡°But still, it¡¯s funny to see him greet a mouse after locking them up. *muffledugher*¡±

    Okay, at least my seniors agree that was the 10th core.

    ¡°Oi, Kehma, were you doubting what I was saying?¡±

    ¡°Not really. But it¡¯s better to get more confirmations.¡±

    While being pinched lightly by Rokuko, I looked at the 10th core with a mouse¡¯s eye.

    The 10th core finally noticed the rat¡¯s gaze and then shook his head while raising a metal cane in his hand and shouted,

    ¡°What kind of filthy lower life form is this? Hey! Get the hell in here! I know you are at the door! Darkness, take their life¨C[dark shot]!¡±

    The 10th core shoots dark magic at the rats and makes them disappear. He must be annoyed that his well-dressed greeting was received by a mouse.

    ¡°So it¡¯s true that he is the pope of the light god religion¡­. that means, the cemetery right here is the light god religion cemetery. There should be a lot of traps in there¡­. perhaps that drawer is full of corpses. I wonder if there¡¯s some undead in there?¡±

    ¡°Judging by its look, I think it¡¯s a human-sized corpse. And if we don¡¯t get in there at once, we¡¯re probably going to have to split up our forces. We need to send either a small elite team or force our way in all at once¡­¡±

    ¡°The metal cane was made of adamantine. Did he have that equipment made by a human? It has the ability to enhance the magic, but it could also be used for melee attacks. You can never be too careful.¡±

    My seniors looked at the image transmitted by the rat¡¯s vision and analyzed it.

    As one would expect from their analytical skills. It seems they are going to show that they are not just a senior in name only.

    ¡°¡­¡­ What do we do? It¡¯s a good enough achievement to confirm the appearance of 10th core? or should we go in?¡± Asked Myconid-senior as he shook his mushroom head.

    Either way is fine since our boss has said [do as you please], so there¡¯s no problem if we lose.

    ¡°I wonder¡­ if I send only rats, could I provoke him toe to us? And if he does, let¡¯s wait here and set up an ambush. I think it¡¯s better than going to a ce where they might be setting a trap and getting split up while we go in there.¡±

    ¡°The boss can¡¯t leave the boss¡¯s room, so he¡¯s going to send some kind of force, right? Oh, I see, so that¡¯s your aim.¡±

    ¡°I short, our junior will lure a part of their fighting force outside. I see. Even though it is before the boss¡¯s room, there is enough space to fight, so I think it¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    ¡°I never thought of letting the enemy attack while getting attacking inside the enemy¡¯s dungeon¡­. is this the power of a master?¡±

    The basic principle of dungeon battle is [everything fair]. And it could be argued that you simply build a base before the boss room to buy time.

    So, let¡¯s use the strategy of not going into the boss room full of enemy traps and fishing out the enemy.

    It is also fine if they don¡¯t get baited; we just need to wait for Haku to group up with us.

 Chapter 536 - Raid Dungeon Battle (7)

    Chapter 536 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battle (7)

    I spoke to Mushroom-senpai and the others from the avatar I was using after Vampire-senpai boosted my physical and magical defense, and Inu-senpai boosted my attack power.

    ¡°By the way, isn¡¯t this 10th core somewhat weaker than we expected?¡±

    There¡¯s no pressure at all. Everything has been going well, too well even. To the point where it makes us uneasy instead.

    ¡°¡­yes, it¡¯s been too well, even since golem juniors is the one tackling most of the problem. He hasn¡¯t shown anything resembling a hidden card. If anything, all he¡¯s shown is weakness.¡±

    ¡°Agreed, if only at this level, even if I get off to a rough start at first, I should be able to manage somehow. He is simply too weak. I feel sorry for Haku-sama.¡±

    ¡°Although the first holy water has taken care of most of the major forces¡­, it¡¯s too weak. I never thought I would be bullying the top ten series¡­¡±

    They are really fanning the mes toward the 10th core direction, while he is most certainly listening from the boss room.

    ¡°¨C[Megagravity]!¡±

    The door to the boss¡¯s room opens, and magic flies out from inside it.

    ¡°Guh, Dark Magic!?¡±

    ¡°Kyaaa!¡±

    ¡°Gufu!¡±

    Gravity presses down on monsters, rendering them unable to move or take any action. They might have been annihted on the spot if we hadn¡¯t buffed them.

    My slime also suffers a simr fate. Suppose I hadn¡¯t secretly incorporated some orichalcum into the golem¡¯s frame. In that case, both it and the golem could have been in danger.

    ¡°Even if I can¡¯t get out of the boss¡¯s room, I can still attack the outside from the boss¡¯s room, right? Still, how dare you talk to me like that? ¡°

    With a slow and steady footstep, the 10th corees close to the door.

    ¡°Fireball!¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t work, you small fry.¡±

    The fireball that the vampire-senpai¡¯s monster released while lying on the ground was swatted away lightly with the metal cane in the 10th core¡¯s hand.

    ¡°The dungeon is my domain. And yet you dare to run your mouth?¡±

    He said while smirking and giggling disgustingly with his old man¡¯s face.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°You are the vampire type ¨C I remember three cores that resembled vampires. Two of the three cores won¡¯t do well in this dungeon. In other words, you are 398th core. I will challenge you to a dungeon battle.¡±

    ¡°What? No, I¡¯m not her! But¡­ you should stop now because it would be rude to the transcendence beauty core 398-chan!¡±

    ¡°Oh right, certainly he¡­.¡±

    ¡°Dog! Don¡¯t say anything. You don¡¯t have to! Stupid mutt!¡±

    The senior vampire is obviously upset. It¡¯s as if she¡¯s already shown that the 10th core is right.

    ¡°And you! dog, it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    ¡°Ugh¡­..!¡±

    ¡°I believe youe from the 400 series, and you are supposed to belong to the Beast King faction. Oh dear, what would number 9 say if he knew this?¡±

    ¡°e? Dog? Are you a Fifth series batch? He¡¯s not younger than me!

    ¡°¡­¡­¡±

    I never thought that he would be able to identify an individual from a small statement.

    I guess he is not the oldest core member for show only. It seems that he has a lot of information.

    ¡°Ha ha ha! How do you like that? He who controls information controls the world!¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, what if you¡¯re wrong about that assertion, Number 10?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m wrong, then I¡¯ll just crush you and use you as material. You are a mushroom now, but your true body is a nt-type, right? Are you trying to fool me 219?¡±

    ¡°¡­.We-Well, I-I am not sure what are you talking about?¡± Mushroom senior said as his eyes swam around.

    10th core thenughs, ¡°kukuku.¡±

    Judging from how he responds¡­ is he really core 219th? Well, even if he finds out, it proves nothing more than revealing that he actually belongs to the traitor faction.

    ¡°Worry not. You are not alone. We have identified 90% of the cores that are attacking us. It¡¯s worth the effort I put in to cut corners. And I¡¯ve been leaking all your info while you all trapped here.¡±

    Don¡¯t tell me, the reason why our attack has been smooth sailing because this?

    ¡°From now on, I will sequentially destroy each dungeon by dungeon battle.¡±

    ¡°While being invaded by numerous dungeons?¡±

    ¡°You underestimate us too much, dog-boy. I have pawns just as you are pawns for that white pig.¡±

    ¡°¡­is that 10th core faction?

    ¡°Faction? It is not such an uncertain group. They are my faithful servants! What a funny sight you all are, ka-ka-ka-ka!¡± said 10th core as heughed at us.

    ¡°Now, you golem there, I hate you the most. Therefore, you will be my first sacrifice.¡±

    Saying that he pointed at my avatar.

    What, me? Seriously?

    ¡°oi oi,e on, you mean you know who I am too?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do, number 695. You can¡¯t pretend to be a man, okay? You¡¯re a neer, and yet you are ying an active role. How could it be possible without that white-pig help? The only neer core that linked to her is number 695!¡±

    More than half of it was an assumption! He is right, though!

    And you! Didn¡¯t I already tell my seniors that I am a master, not a core? You senile old man!

    Wait¡­ When I take a step back and give it some thought, I realize that he is also sloppy in his other deductions.

    ¡°Oi! No, I¡¯m not core 695. I can take the test to prove that you¡¯re wrong!¡±

    ¡°No need. Even if I¡¯m wrong, killing 695th core will do some psychological damage to that sow, and there¡¯s nothing wrong with that.¡±

    For you, Indeed, but there is a big problem for us!

    This is most certainly the beginning of a frontal assault from the 10th core.

    ¡°Tremble and surrender to the might of the dead! Command AA(All Attack): D(Dungeon 695)!¡±

    Immediately after Number 10 dered so in high spirits, derations of dungeon battles poured in against us, the [Cave of Desire].

 Chapter 537 - Raid Dungeon Battles (8)

    LDM 537 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battles (8)

    tl: special edit to differentiate between radiom and direct voice.

    There were 15 dungeon battle challenges applied to our dungeon, and that¡¯s not including the 10th core.

    1 versus 15, that¡¯s a ridiculous difference of power, not to mention the preparation time they gave us was only one hour.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a littlete to say this, but isn¡¯t it problematic that we cannot refuse this kind of dungeon challenge? Shouldn¡¯t it be fixed?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now! It¡¯s 15 core at once, Kehma! What are we going to do about this!??¡±

    Rokuko was flustered. Well, I also get a slight headache while wondering what to do.

    ¡°Yeah, at this rate, I may need to use my trump card¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then please use it and quickly turn the situation back to that 10th core! That old man called Haku-nee-sama a white pig! That¡¯s unforgivable! This is war, war, I say!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already in the middle of a dungeon battle to destroy 10th core, so it¡¯s already war!¡±

    Rokuko was furious; she was quite annoyed to hear Haku was ridiculed.

    ¡°I mean, Rokuko¡­ don¡¯t you have any doubt on my trump card? Our opponent is 15 cores, you know?¡±

    ¡°Because Kehma, you said you [may need to] use your trump card, right? ¡°

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°That also means you still have a chance to win even without it, but it¡¯s not a sure win without that.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­ Well¡­ perhaps it is, though?¡±

    As Rokuko said, if I use my hidden card, the win is guaranteed. The number of opponents be irrelevant, be it 15 or any number of cores thrown at us; this is a sure-win card.

    That¡¯s also why I hid it, if possible, I don¡¯t want to use it, especially in front of Haku¡­

    ¡°If so, I just need to persuade Haku-nee-sama not to look at our moves?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that will work, though? Well, first thing first is to report our current situation to Haku.¡±

    Yeah, let¡¯s first report this. I talked to Haku through my avatar.

    ¡°Hello Haku? I have a report for you.¡±

    ¡°¡ºIs there anything wrong at the front? ¡»¡±

    ¡°Sister! The 10th core is setting up the assault to directly attack my dungeon, and it¡¯s 15 core at once, including his subordinates!¡±

    Rokuko interrupts my transmission from the side.

    ¡°¡ºEEH!? Ok, wait, reinforcements, I¡¯ll send out reinforcements! Do you have their number? I¡¯ll set up a dungeon battle from here! ¡»¡±

    ¡°Um, about that¡­.¡±

    By the way, it seems that Haku had talked to [Father] about the dungeon battle against the 10th core, and the number of attackers from the [traitor faction] was hidden.

    On the other hand, the 10th core seemed to have applied for the dungeon battle suddenly without such a preparation, and the number of the other party was known as it is.

    ¡°Sister, we will be fine, so please do something about the core 10th core dungeon.¡±

    ¡°¡ºOh, you don¡¯t need reinforcements?¡»¡±

    ¡°About that, I will use my trump card, so please don¡¯t look at me for the time being.¡±

    ¡°¡ºBut I¡¯m worried¡­¡»¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Rokuko said confidently.

    ¡­.Well, it¡¯s true we will be fine if we use that.

    ¡°The number of the person who has been initiating the dungeon battle is now showing. Let¡¯s see¡­ it¡¯s 26, 66, 233, 42, and 7 core.¡±

    ¡°¡º! Well, well, that is strange¡­ That¡¯s all dead cores.¡»¡±

    ¡°huh? Is that right, sister?¡±¡®

    ¡°¡ºYes, I¡¯m sure of it.¡»¡±

    So does it mean that the 10th core is killing other cores and turning them into undead?

    I see. This means that core No. 10 is a genuine traitor, and these cores are servants, just as core No. 10 says. So his undead-like fighting style was effective even on the scale of dungeon cores.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem if I use my trump card! I will not forgive the 10th core for insulting my sister, and I will let himment his misfortune in targeting me first!¡±

    ¡°¡º¡­.Are you sure it won¡¯t be a problem?¡»¡±

    I felt like Haku¡¯s voice was directed towards me, not Rokuko, and I answered on behalf of Rokuko.

    ¡°If we use our trump card, it doesn¡¯t matter how many people we are dealing with.¡±

    ¡°¡ºI understand. I¡¯ll leave it to you then. I willpensate you for any damages and expenses.¡»¡±

    With that said, I was entrusted with the task, and we¡¯re done reporting. Now it¡¯s time for us to prepare for dungeon battle.

    Or, in other words, our preparation to use the trump card.

    ¡°Okay, so what kind of trump card is it?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ first of all, I should prepare socks¡­. or could I just pay herter? I¡¯m sure Haku would be more than happy to get them for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.socks?¡±

    Rokuko tilted her head.

    The first thing to do is to get a pair of socks for Soto; after all, she is the trump card.

    ¡°Soto? ¡­¡­ Soto is the trump card to win against 15 cores?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Yes.

    The dungeon of Soto, or ¡°[storage] dungeon,¡± has a number of characteristics that are not found in other dungeons, and not only they were quite unique, but their performance is the very definition of broken.

    One of the most dangerous power is that you can [open a path to any ce] through the [storage] of the entity with whom you have a soul connection.

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see, for example¡­ she could send enemy monsters to the Holy Kingdoms?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Cause we still have Narikin stationed over there, all we had to do is to have the monsters exchange DPs over there and have them learn [storage], then vi, the [exit] path isplete.

    After that, we only need to make the enemy monsters enter on the [entrance] side.

    ¡°But they have 15 cores attacking, right?¡±

    ¡°Then we only need to create 15 dungeon entrances.¡±

    It is alsomon knowledge that there is more than one entrance to a dungeon, and if you dealing with 15 core as opponents, then you only need to respond by making 15 entrances.

    ¡°But will they be able to conveniently enter the entrance so easily?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you cover the gate with [entrance], they will have no choice but to enter, won¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­? Covering the gate?

    ¡°Yes, in any dungeon battle, monsters will surelye and go through the gate. So, why don¡¯t we cover the gate directly with an [entrance]?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very unfair, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It sure is.¡±

    Moreover, the dungeon of Soto is a [storage] where time stops.

    If you don¡¯t have a countermeasure for time stop, just going in will be the end for you.

    ¡°At least with Soto here, we won¡¯t ever lose the defensive battle.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you; it is very unfair. Soto is one hell of a trump card.¡±

    That¡¯s why I will be spending a significant amount of DP to expand Soto¡¯s dungeon. After this, I will send the bill to Haku for the DP usage of the [Storage] scroll, which means the expense is practically zero for us.

    Then again, it would be very troublesome if the gate for dungeon battles appeared in some vige.

    ¡°Oh, can we pay GP to [Father] to fix the location of their gate? It would be troublesome to release them to outside, and it would be easier to do it in the warehouse area or some other less crowded ce with fewer witnesses. ¡­No, let¡¯s just have him connect the exit to the [white sand beach].¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, at worst, we won¡¯t lose anything even if that one is destroyed¡­ I believe Haku-nee-sama said she has requested [Father] to move our gate closer together, so maybe it¡¯s possible to make that kind of adjustment?¡±

    This is going to be a really easy fight.

    Just as Rokuko said, let¡¯s let the 10th corement his back luck for cing us as his first target.

    ¡­.In next episode! The 10th core will be dead! Just kidding~ because he is already (un)dead.

    Tl note:

    Did Rokuko pregnant? Cause that is clearly a dad joke.

    There were 15 dungeon battle challenges applied to our dungeon, and that¡¯s not including the 10th core.

    1 versus 15, that¡¯s a ridiculous difference of power, not to mention the preparation time they gave us was only one hour.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a littlete to say this, but isn¡¯t it problematic that we cannot refuse this kind of dungeon challenge? Shouldn¡¯t it be fixed?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not important right now! It¡¯s 15 core at once, Kehma! What are we going to do about this!??¡±

    Rokuko was flustered. Well, I also get a slight headache while wondering what to do.

    ¡°Yeah, at this rate, I may need to use my trump card¡­.¡±

    ¡°Then please use it and quickly turn the situation back to that 10th core! That old man called Haku-nee-sama a white pig! That¡¯s unforgivable! This is war, war, I say!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re already in the middle of a dungeon battle to destroy 10th core, so it¡¯s already war!¡±

    Rokuko was furious; she was quite annoyed to hear Haku was ridiculed.

    ¡°I mean, Rokuko¡­ don¡¯t you have any doubt on my trump card? Our opponent is 15 cores, you know?¡±

    ¡°Because Kehma, you said you [may need to] use your trump card, right? ¡°

    ¡°I did.¡±

    ¡°That also means you still have a chance to win even without it, but it¡¯s not a sure win without that.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way¡­ Well¡­ perhaps it is, though?¡±

    As Rokuko said, if I use my hidden card, the win is guaranteed. The number of opponents be irrelevant, be it 15 or any number of cores thrown at us; this is a sure-win card.

    That¡¯s also why I hid it, if possible, I don¡¯t want to use it, especially in front of Haku¡­

    ¡°If so, I just need to persuade Haku-nee-sama not to look at our moves?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if that will work, though? Well, first thing first is to report our current situation to Haku.¡±

    Yeah, let¡¯s first report this. I talked to Haku through my avatar.

    ¡°Hello Haku? I have a report for you.¡±

    ¡°¡ºIs there anything wrong at the front? ¡»¡±

    ¡°Sister! The 10th core is setting up the assault to directly attack my dungeon, and it¡¯s 15 core at once, including his subordinates!¡±

    Rokuko interrupts my transmission from the side.

    ¡°¡ºEEH!? Ok, wait, reinforcements, I¡¯ll send out reinforcements! Do you have their number? I¡¯ll set up a dungeon battle from here! ¡»¡±

    ¡°Um, about that¡­.¡±

    By the way, it seems that Haku had talked to [Father] about the dungeon battle against the 10th core, and the number of attackers from the [traitor faction] was hidden.

    On the other hand, the 10th core seemed to have applied for the dungeon battle suddenly without such a preparation, and the number of the other party was known as it is.

    ¡°Sister, we will be fine, so please do something about the core 10th core dungeon.¡±

    ¡°¡ºOh, you don¡¯t need reinforcements?¡»¡±

    ¡°About that, I will use my trump card, so please don¡¯t look at me for the time being.¡±

    ¡°¡ºBut I¡¯m worried¡­¡»¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry!¡±

    Rokuko said confidently.

    ¡­.Well, it¡¯s true we will be fine if we use that.

    ¡°The number of the person who has been initiating the dungeon battle is now showing. Let¡¯s see¡­ it¡¯s 26, 66, 233, 42, and 7 core.¡±

    ¡°¡º! Well, well, that is strange¡­ That¡¯s all dead cores.¡»¡±

    ¡°huh? Is that right, sister?¡±¡®

    ¡°¡ºYes, I¡¯m sure of it.¡»¡±

    So does it mean that the 10th core is killing other cores and turning them into undead?

    I see. This means that core No. 10 is a genuine traitor, and these cores are servants, just as core No. 10 says. So his undead-like fighting style was effective even on the scale of dungeon cores.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem if I use my trump card! I will not forgive the 10th core for insulting my sister, and I will let himment his misfortune in targeting me first!¡±

    ¡°¡º¡­.Are you sure it won¡¯t be a problem?¡»¡±

    I felt like Haku¡¯s voice was directed towards me, not Rokuko, and I answered on behalf of Rokuko.

    ¡°If we use our trump card, it doesn¡¯t matter how many people we are dealing with.¡±

    ¡°¡ºI understand. I¡¯ll leave it to you then. I willpensate you for any damages and expenses.¡»¡±

    With that said, I was entrusted with the task, and we¡¯re done reporting. Now it¡¯s time for us to prepare for dungeon battle.

    Or, in other words, our preparation to use the trump card.

    ¡°Okay, so what kind of trump card is it?¡±

    ¡°Well¡­ first of all, I should prepare socks¡­. or could I just pay herter? I¡¯m sure Haku would be more than happy to get them for you.¡±

    ¡°¡­.socks?¡±

    Rokuko tilted her head.

    The first thing to do is to get a pair of socks for Soto; after all, she is the trump card.

    ¡°Soto? ¡­¡­ Soto is the trump card to win against 15 cores?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡±

    Yes.

    The dungeon of Soto, or ¡°[storage] dungeon,¡± has a number of characteristics that are not found in other dungeons, and not only they were quite unique, but their performance is the very definition of broken.

    One of the most dangerous power is that you can [open a path to any ce] through the [storage] of the entity with whom you have a soul connection.

    ¡°¡­ Let¡¯s see, for example¡­ she could send enemy monsters to the Holy Kingdoms?¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good idea.¡±

    Cause we still have Narikin stationed over there, all we had to do is to have the monsters exchange DPs over there and have them learn [storage], then vi, the [exit] path isplete.

    After that, we only need to make the enemy monsters enter on the [entrance] side.

    ¡°But they have 15 cores attacking, right?¡±

    ¡°Then we only need to create 15 dungeon entrances.¡±

    It is alsomon knowledge that there is more than one entrance to a dungeon, and if you dealing with 15 core as opponents, then you only need to respond by making 15 entrances.

    ¡°But will they be able to conveniently enter the entrance so easily?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you cover the gate with [entrance], they will have no choice but to enter, won¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­? Covering the gate?

    ¡°Yes, in any dungeon battle, monsters will surelye and go through the gate. So, why don¡¯t we cover the gate directly with an [entrance]?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ very unfair, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It sure is.¡±

    Moreover, the dungeon of Soto is a [storage] where time stops.

    If you don¡¯t have a countermeasure for time stop, just going in will be the end for you.

    ¡°At least with Soto here, we won¡¯t ever lose the defensive battle.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, isn¡¯t this¡­?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you; it is very unfair. Soto is one hell of a trump card.¡±

    That¡¯s why I will be spending a significant amount of DP to expand Soto¡¯s dungeon. After this, I will send the bill to Haku for the DP usage of the [Storage] scroll, which means the expense is practically zero for us.

    Then again, it would be very troublesome if the gate for dungeon battles appeared in some vige.

    ¡°Oh, can we pay GP to [Father] to fix the location of their gate? It would be troublesome to release them to outside, and it would be easier to do it in the warehouse area or some other less crowded ce with fewer witnesses. ¡­No, let¡¯s just have him connect the exit to the [white sand beach].¡±

    ¡°Ah, right, at worst, we won¡¯t lose anything even if that one is destroyed¡­ I believe Haku-nee-sama said she has requested [Father] to move our gate closer together, so maybe it¡¯s possible to make that kind of adjustment?¡±

    This is going to be a really easy fight.

    Just as Rokuko said, let¡¯s let the 10th corement his back luck for cing us as his first target.

    ¡­.In next episode! The 10th core will be dead! Just kidding~ because he is already (un)dead.

    Tl note:

    Did Rokuko pregnant? Cause that is clearly a dad joke.

 Chapter 538

    <h4>Chapter 538</h4> <h4>LDM 538 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battle (9)</h4>

    October 11, 2022

    One hour after the siege is raised in the front of his boss room, the 10th Core is sent a challenge to battle for its first victim, the core 695th.

    The gates to the dungeons that had been set up as artificial dungeons in the Holy Kingdom were opened. They are undead dungeons built by the Pope in various locations. Or perhaps you could say that they are the faithful weapons that the 10th Core has been cultivating and preparing.

    He had those precious weapons saved with no chance of using them, so if not now and here, when would he use them? His opponents were the top ten rankers, the 89th Core and her allied forces. The 10th Core intends to use the undead dungeon to individually destroy each enemy and weaken the 89th Core. If he could do so, he would ultimately be the winner.

    If 10th Core killed a dungeon, he could turn them into undead Core and capture them. That¡¯s why the more he defeats them, the more strength he will have; also, he believes that time is on his side.

    ¡°Command A DB: A {All Dungeon Battle: Attack}¡±

    10th Core gives themand to its servants tounch an all-out attack.

    As for the preparation itself, it took them more than an hour; they had been gathering forces here as much as possible since the attack by 89th Core began.

    The rest is automatic once the order is given. Because they are undead, they have poor decision making ability, making it difficult to predict how well they will perform, but at the very least, they will faithfully carry themend. That way, the 10th Core can concentrate on the siege on his boss¡¯s room.

    ¡°Create Undead.¡±

    Using magic, he will kill the intruder; the one he targeted is the 219th Core, the nt Soldier ¨C after that, he will turn him into undead. Using this strategy will prevent the opponent from attacking with small fry. And should they do so, all he needs to do is turn them into undead and keep bolstering his strength.

    Therefore, the attacker¡¯s best solution is to wait until the elite of the raid to gather.

    If the elite gathers, he may finally be able to use his trump cards against them, and the elite he kills will be his strength. The more elite the enemy has, the more he will benefit from turning them undead¡­ which is why, in theory, his strength is limitless.

    And again, he believes that time is on his side.

    While they are buying time in this way, the undead cores will kill the 89¡¯s allied dungeon one by one. If everything goes his n, his victory is guaranteed.

    First and foremost, the opponent¡¯s invasion was clearly hurried. The first holy water attack was a quick attack with no regard for profitability. The amount of holy water used must have been quite costly, to the point that it¡¯s clear that they were trying too hard.

    Maybe there was a reason they couldn¡¯t take their time. As a result, the 10th Core takes it as evidence that time is on his side.

    ¡°Even so, it was quite painful to be one-sidedly attacked in the first sh¡­.¡±

    Of course, there is no doubt that the damage from that holy water was painful, and he will make sure to let that poormb (695th Core) pay for this pain.

    It was known that 695th Core is favored by 89. Right, this is his opportunity to use 695 to finish off 89, he bet she will make a wonderful face when the timees, thought 10th Core as he smiled sinisterly.

    The 600 series is considered as young and new dungeon, and the 10th Core believes it is about time he conquered 80 percent of it; after all, he has sent 15 cores attacking at once, there¡¯s no doubt that she will be easily overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the attacks.

    The 10th Core then confirms the information of the undead cores.

    ¡°Command D66 DB: M {Dungeon Battle: Map} ¡­¡­? What¡¯s going on? The map for 695th dungeon isn¡¯t showing up?¡±

    When you do a dungeon battle, the enemy dungeon is mapped and it is supposed to show the already invaded location. However, for some reason the map only disys information for the gate; even the green dots indicating allies are not shown.

    It was odd since he still could see the map on the undead cores side just fine.

    ¡°Is this a glitch? I¡¯ve never deployed so many at once¡­ Hmm, so thing kind of thing can happen.¡±

    He then sends his ¡®eye¡¯ directly by sending one zombie from the dungeon of the undead Core to the gate; the dungeon where he manifested his ¡®eye¡¯ is a cave-type dungeon since the Core was originally a beast-type core.

    After entering the gate from that dungeon, the 10th Core tilted its head.

    ¡°Mhm? It¡¯s pitch-ck beyond the gate. ¡­.ah, so she uses a dark zone.¡±

    A dark zone is an area that restricts all vision. It is a three-dimensional space of darkness, like a mass of ck fog.

    The map of a dungeon battle is updated as soon as an invading monster recognizes the terrain. Therefore, if there is a dark zone immediately after the gate that restricts their visibility, the map will not be updated immediately after passing the gate.

    However, if you take even one step into the dungeon, the floor will be recognized by the sensation of your foot, and it should be reflected on the map,

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s an instant death trap as soon as you step in?¡±

    And even though there suppose were such traps, the invasion consisted of over 1,500 monsters from 15 cores; they should been able to advance by stepping over the corpses of theirrades since they are undead.

    ¡°Then, is it the Dark God¡¯s involvement that the map doesn¡¯t show the invasion by the undead cores? Hmmm, I may have overdone it.¡±

    In this case, he had no choice but to check directly with his own zombie. Determined, he sends his zombie to the gate.

    Immediately after, the zombie¡¯s vision wentpletely dark; but that much was natural since the zombie had entered the dark zone ¡ª however¡­

    ¡°-Reaction Lost? Did it step on an instant-death trap?¡±

    10th Core clicked his tongue. As expected, it was killed immediately. He then summons the zombies again and sends them in.

    ¡°¡­¡­ Damn it, again!? Okay, [Command A DB: S {Dungeon Battle: Setup}].¡±

    After the reaction fades, he orders his subordinate undead cores to prepare their monsters, hoping that by incorporating his own zombie into a simultaneous 15-cores attack, he will gain insight into what is going on there.

    And now the undead cores have their monsters ready.

    ¡°Command A DB: A! {All Dungeon Battle: Attack}¡±

    Simultaneous invasion from 15 locations. For the first time, all the units went through the gate at the same time.

    ¡°WHAT!? That¡¯s ridiculous! All 15 cores had their connection lost!?¡±

    As the white hairs that had been growing out of his humanized body began to fall out, the 10th Core scratched its head and wondered what had taken ce.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me! the Dark God is interfering! Damn you!¡±

    The 10th Core thought of the possibility that this is a punishment for using an undead core, an existence that goes against the original rules.

    Agitated, the 10th Core opened the dungeon menu. He maniptes the GP in the dungeon menu and sends about 1,000 of his GP to the Dark God. It is a GP he has umted over the years of living as a pope in the Holy Kingdom.

    In the letter, he said, [[Father], please give me a break with this. At least give me a proper dungeon battle].

    Then a few secondster, he received a message from the Dark God. [Hi, number 10. I don¡¯t know what are you talking about? I didn¡¯t do anything.]

    Again he write another letter and said,

    ¡°[Don¡¯t lie! As the Dark God, you must have put your hand on this! What else could it be]?¡±

    And he adds, [There seems to be a problem with the dungeon battle gate, this is something that only [Father] could tamper.] and send it.

    Not long after, the reply came in.

    ¡°[That¡¯s because I really didn¡¯t do anything. I swear to God, I¡¯m not lying.] huh¡­?¡±

    If the Dark God, who is a senior deity, says, [I swear to God], then it¡¯s a definite proof that it is not a lie because if he is, the Dark God himself will disappear from existence. Then it means this statement is true.

    And the message continued.

    ¡°[I¡¯ll tell you something since you paid me 1000 GP; this is not a glitch, and it¡¯s totally your opponent doing] ¡­¡­Huh? So that means it¡¯s the work of 89!¡±

    Thus how the 10th Core came to the conclusion that the current phenomenon was a counterattack by the number 89.

    A note:

    Danbooru¡¯sic book has been updated. I forgot to announce it, teehee.

    Tl Note:

    So much copium in one chapter, I want to retort so badddd.

    <strong></strong>

 Chapter 539 - â€“ Raid Dungeon Battle (10)

    Chapter 539 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battle (10)

    We are having Soto help us in a dungeon battle to counter the simultaneous dungeon battle of 15 cores led by Core 10¡­ ¡­the 10th core was so pitifullyplete that I felt sorry for him.

    ¡°Papa, I feel like I¡¯m bullying the weak.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it, Soto. In case you don¡¯t know, the other side is a first-rate team, you know?¡±

    The time stops for all the monsters that are thrown into Soto¡¯s [storage] dungeon. And just like any other dungeon, it could be expanded at the cost of 10,000 DPs.

    The dungeon is still sending monsters into the [storage] dungeon, but there is still plenty of capacity, and if it¡¯s not enough, you can just expand it even more. The cost can be billed to Hakuter as a business expense, so there is no need to hesitate to do it.

    I asked [Father] Dark God to put 15 gates together in the arena area (and as expected, my request to connect them to the [white beach] is rejected).

    We put a [storage] dungeon on each of those gates. ¡­¡­ Hmmm, should we have at least one of them connected to our dungeon? Then again, we can¡¯t be that careless with them.

    ¡°By the way, what were the enemies that stopped you like?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s a lot of different things, Papa. There are Wolves, monkeys, golems, and so on. But they all look rotten, crumbling, or poisonous.¡±

    Soto then esses the monitor menu. Nothing could be seen because it was pitch ck, but when she tweaked it slightly, the enemy monsters appeared. Time had stopped for them, and they didn¡¯t even move an eyelid.

    ording to Soto, there are animal monsters like wolves and lizards, subhuman monsters like goblins and orcs, nt monsters like man-eating nts, and inanimate monsters like golems and living armors. It¡¯s a collection of 15 different types of monsters from 15 different dungeons. And each of them is battered and appears to be a corpse.

    The fact that they are stationary and don¡¯t move adds to the zombie-like atmosphere.

    ¡°Does that mean the monsters thate out are undead, too?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but it looks like it, Papa. They all stinky undead!¡±

    ¡°ording to my sister, they are all dead cores. I wonder if the monsters thate out of the dead cores will turn into corpses?¡±

    ¡°The fruit we got in the Holy Kingdom didn¡¯t look rotten, so it is possible that it is simply the hobby of the 10th core. Then again, they say that fruit tastes best when it¡¯s just about to go bad, so maybe it was just right for the fruit.

    ¡°¡­that fruit is not poisoned, is it? I¡¯m sure they¡¯re fine, right? I¡¯ve eaten several of them.¡±

    Rokuko mutters while looking at the [storage] dungeon, which haspletely stopped the enemy invasion.

    ¡°Still¡­ Kehma, isn¡¯t this too one-sided? Soto is too strong, even though she¡¯s our daughter.¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not without its drawback.¡±

    ¡°Drawback? Even when she¡¯s blocking her opponent so perfectly?

    ¡°Yes. You can still lose if you keep ying like this because, in a dungeon battle, you can¡¯t win unless you attack.¡±

    Unless there is a time limit or a separate victory condition in the rules beforehand, this time, it can be called a death match. At worse, there is a possibility that the dungeons that the 10th core is using will not stop even if the 10th core is killed.

    If the dungeons do not stop, 15 gates will remain connected to the arena area. Although the arena area is almostpletely deserted, there is no reason to leave the gates open for dungeon battles. We need to conquer the enemy and win from here.

    ¡­Wait, if the 10th core ispletely silenced and leftpletely alone, could it be left as a gimmick on the other hand? ¡­¡­ No, it would make it impossible to renovate the dungeon. Yeah, it¡¯s not a good idea after all.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m going to go and attack them directly.¡±

    ¡°Kehma, you¡¯re going to attack? ¡°

    ¡°Well, to be precise, I¡¯m going to [possess] Narikin.¡±

    If it is a named dungeon monster, it can be revived even if it dies. Of course, I don¡¯t intend to let them die.

    And if they are equipped with ¡°God¡¯s nket,¡± which boasts of invincible defense in the name of God, there will be no one who can touch them. And since Narikin is living armor, his only weakness, the sleep-inducing skills, can bepletely repelled.

    And if I possess Narikin¡¯s body, I can use an unlimited number of [Elemental Burst] since themon effect of the divine bedding is the recovery of stamina and magic power.

    You could also say if Narikin and I work together, we can create the strongest and most invincible mobile turret!

    In addition, we canpletely destroy the enemy¡¯s dungeon core and purposely get caught up in the dungeon¡¯s copse. Because with Soto¡¯s power, she can retrieve Narikin from the state of being buried alive using the [storage] dungeon.

    What an invincible mobile turret, with infinite continue.

    ¡°So there you have it, Soto. Secretly call Narikin from the Holy Kingdom.¡±

    ¡°Understood, Papa. I¡¯ll do it secretly so that Toy-chan won¡¯t find out!¡±

    That¡¯s my daughter for you. She immedicably understood what I meant by that.

    ¡°Then, should I get Rokufa with him?¡±

    ¡°No, I need to leave Rokufa there to return via the [storage] dungeon. Also¡­ I need Rokuko¡¯s support while I¡¯m in the enemy dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Hmn, it cannot be helped then. Leave it to me, Kehma!¡±

    Rokuko smiled in a good mood.

    I¡¯m going to get out some equipment for Narikin, too. I want not only ¡°God¡¯s nket¡± but also equipment for dungeon attack¡­

    ¡­well, if I give him DP, he can exchange it for tools from the menu there, and we can also exchange items via the [storage] dungeon, so he can be lightly equipped.

    Soto is really too much of a natural enemy of dungeons. If her abilities are discovered, all dungeons will be after Soto.

    Let¡¯s show Haku, our biggest protector, that we are not enemies. For that reason, we should destroy all enemy dungeons, kukuku.

 Chapter 540 - Raid Dungeon Battles (11)

    540 ¨C Raid Dungeon Battles (11)

    ¡°¡­.What the heck is this absurd monster?¡±

    I noticed this when the first undead dungeon was crushed.

    It was careless of me not to have noticed it until we had been attacked so far in the first ce.

    A monster in full body armor with a cloak. Living armor, perhaps. And when it thrust its hand forward, a torrent of light shot out and easily pierced the zombie wolf in front of it.

    It¡¯s probably a [Judgment Ray]. It is a light-attribute King-ss magic that requires a long chant and a reasonable amount of magic power consumption, but he used it on a single zombie wolf.

    No, that¡¯s not it. It must have enough magic power to use it on a single zombie wolf. Otherwise, he would not have used it without chanting, nor would he have been able to do so.

    If we calcte it backwards, that also means that the thing must have tremendous magical power. I wonder how much study he has put into this monster¡­

    ¡°Even if you¡¯re called a magic god, it¡¯s going to take a lot of work to chant [Judgment Ray] unaided. ¡­¡­? It¡¯s a king-ss light magic, even higher than advanced or special magic. At the very least, a hundred or two hundred years will not be enough. This must surely be the 89th¡¯s treasured power.¡±

    The 10th core assessed the enemy, thinking [They¡¯ve yed their trump card. ¡­¡­mm?] then The 10th core noticed something. The map of the dungeon being invaded showed that it had already been tagged.

    In other words, it was an enemy he had encountered before. And by looking at the tag, he knew who his opponent was.

    He was the one who had destroyed the artificial dungeon production area, the cause of the 10th core¡¯s having to flee the Holy Kingdoms. He is the one who ruined hundreds of years of 10th core life in just one night by inflicting unnecessary things on the saints and fools in the Holy City of Kuromaku.

    He is not a human being, but the 10th core guesses he was only humanized when he was undercover. He seems to be the right height, and most importantly, he is tagged. So there is no doubt about it.

    ¡°KUKUKUKU KAKKakakaka!! It¡¯s him! So it¡¯s this guy! Oooh, I¡¯ll kill you!!! I¡¯ll kill you for sure!¡±

    Core 10¡¯s body trembles with the desire to kill. It lit his spirit on fire. He is more than willing to take the fight,, and magical power unintentionally gushes out and overflows from his body.

    10th core knew before this dungeon battle was set up that the ¡°Rogue¡± was one of the hands of number 89. It was rather satisfying to know that he could confront him here.

    He sent an order to the undead core to spurn the monsters. The original dungeon here is a wolf-type dungeon, and various wolves and war wolves are monsters that can be produced.

    But it was no use. They are clearly being obliterated with excessive light magic, as they were earlier. Even attacking from multiple directions, firing in rapid session in multiple directions.

    ¡°is his magical power inexhaustible? ¡­¡­ No, wait. That cloak, if it¡¯s a God¡¯s equipment?¡±

    10th core, who felt ufortable with the enemy¡¯s consumption of magic power, which was clearly too much, looked at the equipment. It is a divine item. The equipment was made by the Dark God himself, for the God of Creation. The fact that it is a cloak means that it does not figure concealment ¡­If it is that cloak, he can leisurely walk to the dungeon core without being bothered by anything.

    ¡°If it is true¡­. then that cloak is effective means for defense and recovery.¡±

    Living armor is full-body armor, and its defense is naturally high, even in its bare form. If this is the case, then ordinary attacks will not be able to damage it in the first ce. How about a magic attack, then?

    The enemy is not only this monster. The invasion of the 10th core dungeon by the 89th core faction is still continuing. Originally, he had not nned to have so much trouble with the 695th core.

    ¡°If I want to concentrate on this living armor. Then I have no choice but to y two trump cards. First is the 89th. I¡¯ll send out the saintly undead.¡±

    The saintly undead.

    Stored in the drawer in the mortuary of the boss¡¯s room are the undead, processed from the corpses of the saints of the past. Originally, the holy attribute was a weakness of the undead, but this undead ispletely wless and has no such weakness.

    Their fighting ability is as good as before they were alive. Although she cannot use the skills she inherited and has passed on to the next saint, she is able to reproduce the key skill of resurrection through the power of the dungeon.

    10th core activated the saint undead and assigned it to defend the boss room while he concentrated the reverse invasion.

    ¡°Should I use the dungeon eater for 695th core? If it is a dungeon eater, it will not be affected by the dungeon traps and will be able to devour it. Once the gimmick copses, we can invade again.¡±

    Dungeon Eaters.

    A byproduct of research into artificial dungeon cores ¨C or the undead cores. It was Initially born as a small ck caterpir only a few centimeters long. It is a monster that grows to a gigantic body over a kilometer long as it eats its way through the dungeon.

    Its material is a piece of dungeon core as well as undead core, and it has properties simr to dungeon core.

    It can eat anything.

    It can devour traps, monsters, and even dungeon walls and floors.

    Perhaps one could say that they are like dungeon zombies, devouring dungeons as if they have a grudge against living dungeons.

    ¡°For now, I will throw five of them into the enemy gate. The dungeon was a pitch-ck dark zone, but the darkness did not matter to the dungeon eaters. Unlike the zombies, the dungeon-eaters did not react the moment they entered the dungeon. Perhaps because of their small size, the dungeon eaters were able to sessfully escape the enemy¡¯s deadly traps.¡±

    After confirming on the menu that they had safely begun to gnaw through the enemy dungeon, the 10th core was [transferred] to the living armor that was their revenge.

 Chapter 541 Full

    Chapter 541

    LDM 541 ¨C VS 10th Core

    October 26, 2022

    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t expect such a critical w.¡±

    I immediately attacked one of the dungeons under the 10th core. There was one problem discovered there.

    No, it¡¯s not the dungeon. The dungeon itself was very easy.

    It was just a maze with monsters, no notable traps, and only a few arrows flying around. The dungeon was nothing special except that it was an undead-like atmosphere.

    I let the rats get ahead of me, and I was through it in no time. The nket didn¡¯t take any damage, and with [Elemental Burst], the bosses were easy to get through.

    I am now attacking in humanized form, so it¡¯s easier to movepared to my living armor form, and it¡¯s not so noisy when I walk around.

    So? What is the w?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that destroying the dungeon core in a [possessed] state would raise the level of my heroic skills¡­¡±

    I¡¯m also a Hero, and destroying a dungeon core grants me a Hero skill or allows me to level up.

    However, it appears that if I allow the heroic abilities engraved in my soul to develop too quickly, the instinct to destroy dungeons will be imnted in me, and I will be a [God¡¯s Vanguard]. To avoid this, one could only raise their level by two or three points per year.

    This time the enemy seemed to be undead, but it was still a dungeon core, and it seemed to be effective in leveling me up¡­ Well, even dummy cores can level up. What I overlook is that they are not an enemy I could kill without worry.

    ¡°I wonder if I destroy all the dummy cores, I¡¯ll be leveled up to 15.¡±

    ¡°If you do that, your soul will be contaminated, and you¡¯ll be a God of Light Vanguard.¡±

    I had a little leeway for something like this to happen, but as expected, 15 is too many.

    I¡¯m going to try to release the ¡°possession¡± before destroying it next time, but if the result is something like [I¡¯m the master, so I¡¯m still going to level up because the underlying from my dungeon destroyed it], then it means I won¡¯t be able to do anything about it anymore.

    I was thinking that when I heard a voice from Soto.

    ¡°Oh, Papa. I¡¯ll take care of it then.¡±

    ¡°N? Won¡¯t Soto¡¯s [Lesser Duplicate] will go up too?¡±

    ¡°Ah, if it goes up, it might be a decent hero skill¡­ but even if I don¡¯t destroy it, if I put the dungeon core in my [storage] dungeon, you¡¯ll win.¡±

    ¡°Oi oi, that¡¯s like putting the dungeon core away in your [storage] you canno¡­ well, you can do that.¡±

    Indeed, if you think about it, before Soto was born, her core was left in my [storage].

    So, in short, the main body of the dungeon core can be put away in the [storage].

    ¡°Hee, that¡¯s a good idea, Soto. Then maybe the enemy¡¯s dungeon will be malfunctioning. Then again, you will separate the core from its dungeon. I guess that naturally will happen.¡±

    ¡°The dungeon core itself can move because of the divine attribute, but that¡¯s it. It can¡¯t do much. At the most, you can put out monsters that are stuck inside the core?¡±

    ¡°¡®Yes. If they are in my dungeon, you don¡¯t have to worry about their DP being replenished. You can just put them in a jail cell.¡±

    Then, you can destroy themter when you have more time to spare.

    ¡­Totally really ¡®useful¡¯ [storage] dungeon. {broken asf}

    ¡°Ah. What about the gates for dungeon battles? Won¡¯t they be left out?¡±

    ¡°It should count as a normal victory for us. Because if you touch the opponent¡¯s core body, it¡¯s a win in a normal dungeon battle. If you want, we can have Grandpa Dark God clean it up after we¡¯re done with the whole thing, right?¡¯

    ¡­Goddamn, my daughter is clever.

    ¡°That¡¯s a really good idea, Soto. So Kehma, get on with the dungeon battle!¡±

    ¡°Understood. Niku, which way should I go?¡±

    ¡°Yes, master. Go left at the next intersection ¨C Wait a minute; the enemy, the 10th core, has appeared. It seems to be waiting for you in the boss¡¯s room.¡±

    The 10th core. As expected, he cannot stand still after one of his subordinate dungeons got destroyed, huh? So he hase to stop us.

    However, right now, I¡¯m equipped with the strongest equipment, the [God¡¯s nket]. There is no need to be timid at all.

    ¡°Do you want to finish him¡­?¡±

    I¡¯m just got one level up by destroying a dungeon core. If I was going to finish him off, this was the only time I could do it.

    However, I need to keep in mind that the 10th core is the core of the highest level. He should be ranked about the same as Haku and Demon King. Even excluding the fact that he is in the middle of a dungeon battle and cannot devote his full strength to me, it is doubtful that I will be able to defeat him.

    But even if I can¡¯t defeat him, if I can attract the attention of the 10th core, the possibility that Haku can attack the 10th core¡¯s dungeon on the dungeon battle side will increase considerably.

    ¡°Okay, if I can finish him off, I¡¯ll finish him off. Rokuko, please inform Haku that we are going to have a battle with the 10th core.¡±

    ¡°Okay! All right, good luck, Kehma! I¡¯ll do something very nice for you as a reward if youe back safely!¡±

    What do you mean by ¡°something very nice¡±¡­¡­? No, to begin with, my main body is lying down in the master room, and if anything should happen to me, Narikin can be revived anytime. I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll be able to get home safely.

    Oh well. Let¡¯s see how far I can go against the 10th core.

    Then I headed for the boss room of the dungeon, the 10th core, guided by Niku¡¯s rat.

    ***

    The dungeon is a huge cavern of bare earth.

    An old man dressed in a robe adorned with jewels was waiting there, and when he saw me, he smiled ferociously like a predator who had found his prey.

    ¡°¡­Kukuku, I¡¯m d you¡¯vee. I will permit you to say your name, so tell me.¡±

    ¡°Okay then, my name is Leona Shishido.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Don¡¯t be silly, you. It is obviously a lie!¡±

    The 10th core, with its eyes glowing red, releases a menacing magic power. But I¡¯m still within the protection of [God¡¯s nket], so all I can feel is the air trembling.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Who are the fools that would tell you their name honestly? What if I¡¯m cursed?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, are you at least prepared for the bare minimum? Well, kneel down¨C[GIGAGRAVITY]!¡±

    10th core raised his metal cane and released magic, and a ck wave spread out as a horizontal circle. The name of the magic suggests that it is a higher-level version of the gravity attack [Mega Gravity]. But I didn¡¯t feel any effect.

    ¡°HUH? What did you do?¡±

    As a counterattack, I fired [Elemental Burst] at him. A torrent of white light rushes toward the 10th core body.

    ¡°As expected, that cloak is a defensive item from divine equipment, isn¡¯t it? Kukuku.¡±

    The light split in two just in front of the 10th core and hit the wall behind it,pletely avoiding the 10th core.

    ¡­.it doesn¡¯t work? And yeah, it was my main attack.

    And the 10th core, looking at the [God¡¯s nket] that I¡¯m equipping as a cloak, smiles wryly at me. ¡­.Maybe there is a way to break through this nket that has absolute defense other than sleep-inducing ailment? But just in case, I¡¯ll have my [Stun Resistance Lv 9] enabled. It¡¯s okay, I will be fine.

    ¡°Hey, you. Do you know how to kill God?¡±

    ¡°How to kill God? ¡­¡­ yeah, I¡¯ve heard of that? I think it could be done by taking away faith to make them lose authority, right?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha! Yes, that is true. But that¡¯s not the only way. There¡¯s a way to kill by force. I will show you an example by using your cloak that probably has God¡¯s protection.¡±

    Saying so, the 10th core raises his cane high.

    ¡°Activate super magic¨C [Enchantment Route: D] ¡­.this is the answer, if you are a God, you can kill a God! [F Force Gravity]!¡±

    Immediately after, I feel my body being pressed down hard against the ground. It is heavy, too heavy. Unable to stand, I kneel down. The weight felt as if my arms were going to fall off, so I put my hands on the ground.

    ¡°Gah¡­¡­, n¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°Kahahahaha! Yes, that posture is appropriate for being in front of me. But you can still speak. Your cloak seems to be an excellent piece of equipment.¡±

    Said the 10th core to me while I was struggling not to fall down and could not look up without hiding his joy.

 Chapter 542

    <h4>LDM 542 ¨C VS 10 core (2)</h4>

    December 24, 2022

    ¡°Kehma, deactivate [humanization]!¡±

    Following the instructions of Rokuko¡¯s voice, I release Narikin¡¯s [humanization]. Whoa, I can breathe now, well not, to be exact. Right now, I¡¯m not breathing because now I¡¯m a living armor. It doesn¡¯t have any lungs to be crushed by gravity.

    ¡°Kukuku, so that¡¯s what you bastard are! How do you like this? You filth!¡±

    The 10th core looks down at me with a twisted grin on his face and provokes me.

    But thanks to the fact that I¡¯ve been released from [humanized] form, I can think properly now.

    The 10th core has gone beyond the absolute defense of [God¡¯s nket] and passed a magic attack on me. It seems that God can kill God. Damn, I had never heard of such a thing!

    But it¡¯s not right toin just because the enemy has done something you don¡¯t know about in an all-or-nothing death match. It¡¯s my fault for being overconfident with the [God¡¯s nket]. I waspletely caught off guard¡­ I need to reflect on that for the next time. Because even if he kills Narikin here, I still have the next chance.

    ¡­.. No, wait. What if he attacks the soul that possessed Narikin, and I cannot be revived?

    I almost forgot that the 10th core can use a skill that [erases existence] in the first ce. Haku¡¯s guess is that it is the power of the Light God, and it is unknown if it is still possible for the current him to do that, given the situation where the Light God has abandoned him. But no, it was an unknown attack to begin with, which means it¡¯s not strange if he still has it.

    Should we retreat then? But should I was to retreat, I would like to retreat with Narikin.

    ¡°Now then, how shall we cook you¡­.? Well, living armor is notpatible with my power. It takes a lot of work to turn an inorganic object into undead.¡±

    Saying this, the 10th core approaches me. And I release [Elemental Burst] without chanting. Hees close enough to reach me. The light distorts, but it is still grazing the face of the 10th core, which was moving backward.

    ¡°Oops, you can still resist? ¨C[F Force Drain]!¡±

    A strong sense of tiredness falls into this body. It¡¯s the feeling of having your life force and magic power taken away from you. My power is drained while I am unable to resist the gravity effect enhanced by the [Force Gravity]. No longer able to support my body, I copsed and crumpled on the ground.

    CRASH! The head part, aka the helmet part, is stomped on.

    ¡°I took enough from you so that you won¡¯t die. Kukuku, you no longer have any magic power left to shoot the [Judgment Ray], right? And even more so without chanting.¡±

    I can see that Narikin was recovering rapidly under the effect of the nket tho, but I¡¯ll keep my mouth shut.

    Well, just now, my [Elemental Burst] was distorted, but the damage came through. And the 10th core already recovered by using a drain, but it also means it¡¯s notpletely ineffective. It can pass through the 10th core super magic [Enchanted Route: D] if I fire it at close range.

    ¡­? Enchant¡­?

    That¡¯s right, his skill is enchantment. Which means that there was a change of state. Not a normal state, that is to say, it was some kind form of abnormal state.

    If it really is ¨C it¡¯s worth a try.

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha! Fua Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Do you want my help, huh? You piece of shit armor?¡±

    I could hear *gung, gung, gung* as he kept stomping the helmet, but this did not hurt at all. It¡¯s just a helmet, after all. And while he was distracted, I secretly open [storage] within my armor body, and I bring out my trump card.

    Without wasting any time, I silently and immediately use my trump card ¨C [God¡¯s rm]. This is God¡¯s bedding that forces all conditions to be [normal]. My target is the 10th core, or rather, the entire space around here. Only my [possession] is exempted.

    ¡°¡­.? What have you done?¡±

    The 10th core clearly looked upset. From how he looks, I know that my n has seeded.

    At the same time, I hit the 10th core with [Elemental Burst], and while he tried to move away from me, I still managed to injure his leg. So it was also true that he won¡¯t escape unscathed at this close range!

    ¡°How did you break the super magic?¡±

    The heavy gravity imposed on me has returned to normal. As expected of [God¡¯s rm], it was truly [Father] ¡®s masterpiece.

    It¡¯s inconvenient that I can¡¯t speak, so I [humanize] again.

    ¡°It seems to have worked.¡±

    ¡°M-My super magic, how dare you! But, once again, I will just activate my super magic again!¨C [enchant route: M] ¡­¡­CK, I activate my super magic¨C [Enchant route: M Em]¡­¡­tsk, I activate my super magic¨C [Enchant route: M]¡­ [Enchant Route: 30S S] ¡­¡­ Oh, shit, oh, shit! What¡¯s going on! It¡¯s deactivated as soon as it¡¯s activated?¡±

    Yeah, because right now, the [God¡¯s rm] is still ringing. You can¡¯t hear the sound, though.

    ¡­now what?

    Can 10th really use an effective attack against me in this situation?

    But at least I had proven our attack could go through if I used [Elemental Burst] close quarters. If that¡¯s the case, we should start the counterattack.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get too close! [Dark Lance]!¡±

    The ck spear of dark magic flies toward me, but it pops right in front of my eyes. It¡¯s only as effective as a blindfold at best.

    ¡°Judgment Ray!¡±

    The 10th core holds his cane in front of him, distorting my attack and not allowing me to hit him.

    But it was fine. My aim was to stop his feet.

    I immediately approach him while throwing my attack at him. Take this! [Elemental Burst] directly from my fist!

    ¡°Judgment Ray Punch!¡±

    ¡°[Retreat]!¡±

    Within an instant, the 10th core disappears. The punch and [Elemental Burst] hit empty air.

    He seems to have escaped rather gracefully. As expected from a long-lived core, he properly knows when to retreat.

    ¡°Kehma now is your chance to go through the boss room. Why don¡¯t you just collect the core of this dungeon? I¡¯ve rewarded Soto with a reward, and she¡¯s ready to work for you.¡±

    ¡°Papa, I¡¯m ready¨C! ¡­*cough*sorry, I choked a little. Kinue¡¯s socks are the best!¡±

    Oi Soto, what are you doing at a time like this! Well, anyway, I¡¯m going to attack this dungeon core before core 10es back.

    I step into the core room and touch the ck core. At the same time, Soto retrieves it, and the core disappears from the dungeon.

    ¡°I guess we¡¯ve won now. Let¡¯s go to the next dungeon.¡±

    Bashnnnnn! A ck ssh popped out. It seems that something was hit and then nullified by the [God¡¯s nket]. I looked in the direction from which it flew and saw the 10th core staring at me.

    ¡°Damn you, what the hell are you? I just got closer, and my super magic is nullified!¡±

    ¡°Oh, you tried to activate it after moving away from me. I¡¯ll at least praise you for that.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, only now can you talk like that. ¡­¡­[domination]!¡±

    The eyes of the 10th core glowed red, but that¡¯s it. Nothing happens. As I watched him without moving, the 10th core suddenlyughed in a good mood.

    ¡°Kuka kaka! It¡¯s working! The curse mediated by the undead core has worked! This is the curse I put in ce to control the dungeon core. Can you resist it!?¡±

    Yes? ¡­Sorry, I don¡¯t understand? I don¡¯t know what you did to me.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you. This curse is a curse to control those who destroy the undead core. How do you like it? You can¡¯t move even a finger, can you?¡±

    ¡°¡­wa-what?¡±

    Come to think of it, after the first core was destroyed, I¡­ huh? I can think?

    I could normally reply just now. I mean, I can even move my fingers, right?

    ¡°Mmn, so you can still talk! Is that the resist effect of that equipment? Then it¡¯s better if I take care of you quickly. For now, kill yourself!¡±

    ¡°¡­n?¡±

    ¡°¡­..m?¡±

    Nothing is happening¡­ and after a short while, a transmissiones in from Soto.

    ¡°Papa! The ck core I just stored was destroyed by some strange caterpirs that were attracted to ¡­¡­ it! Oh, but those caterpirs suddenly died, as if they were eating poisonous dumplings?¡±

    ¡­¡­? I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s going on.

 Chapter 543

    <h4>LDM 543 ¨C It¡¯s Settled</h4>

    December 24, 2022

    ¡°Oi, you! Don¡¯t tell me you use curse transfer!?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember doing anything like that at all.¡±

    ¡°Then why is my dungeon eater dead? You must be the one who did it!¡±

    The 10th core rants and raves while saying things that make no sense.

    Wait, I see¡­ I think I get it?

    In short, core 10 put a curse on that ck undead dungeon core. A curse that would take control of whoever destroyed it.

    And it was true that I had already destroyed one, but I guess either the [God¡¯s rm] or [God¡¯s Comforter] had nullified the curse because I didn¡¯t feel cursed at all. I guess using the nket was worth the risk, after all.

    The dungeon eater, or whatever it¡¯s called, is the caterpir Soto was talking about. The name implies it was something that would literally eat a dungeon¡­ which seemed to have the propensity to attack dungeon cores. Just when did he nt such a thing in Soto? That was a close call.

    Anyway, that caterpir called Dungeon Eater attacked the ck dungeon core and destroyed it. And it was cursed instead of me. Then, the 10th Core ordered the cursed object tomit suicide, and as a result, the cursed dungeontermitted suicide.

    That should sum up this current situation, I guess?

    ¡°Soto, you said [caterpirs]¡­ is it not just one, but several? If so, make sure there aren¡¯t any left in you.¡±

    ¡°I understand, papa. I¡¯m not sure if they¡¯re going to eat me, but I¡¯m not going to! Niku sister, please check every inch of my body!¡±

    I whisper to Soto so that the 10th Core can¡¯t hear me.

    I¡¯m going to take a walk in the dungeonter with the [God¡¯s rm] ring, just to be sure. I don¡¯t know if it will work tho.

    ¡°Now, core 10. You decide here whether you want to run away again or you want to settle the score. It¡¯s too much trouble to anticipate another surprise, and I¡¯m good with either option, you know?¡±

    ¡°Damn it¡­.!¡±

    Neither super magic, the trump card of the 10th Core, nor the curse of domination can get through to me.

    Without any other trump card in his hand, my victory is unassable¡­

    Still¡­ I think it would be safer to have Haku attack the dungeon of the 10th Core by having him run away from me. If he did that, I¡¯d just go back to my simple job of attacking the undead core dungeon one after the other.

    ¡°On second thought¡­ please run away. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll let you go.¡±

    ¡°yo-you ¡­¡­ bastard!¡±

    10th Core charged at me after swallowing in his rage. Unfortunately, his presence only amounted to an old man brandishing a cane and attacking.

    I shoot an [Elemental Burst], and a torrent of light hits core 10.

    ¡°Ugh! Kuu-oOOOHH!¡±

    The 10th core barrier is popped. The barrier that was distorting my attack to prevent it from hitting the 10th Core from being hit may have been released by the [God¡¯s rm].

    ¡°Damn you, damn you, you dare to mock me! This great me!¡±

    ¡°Lance of light, pierce your enemies with your holy power. ¨CHoly Lance.¡±

    I chanted at random, and a white spear with a sacred aura flew to the 10th core direction.

    I was expecting some kind of magical spear with a shy effect, but it turned out to be a long white conical spear. With 20 cm thickness and about 2 meters long, core 10¡¯s eyes widen.

    ¡°What the hell is that? AAAAH!¡±

    ¡°¡­.does this thing have pierce effect?¡±

    Because the 10th Core¡¯s belly was pierced, apparently, this thing can breach the 10th Core¡¯s defenses even though [Elemental Burst] cannot.

    ¡°[Holy Lance], [Holy Lance], [Holy Lance], [Holy Lance].¡±

    ¡°Gah, GYAA, gafu¨C.¡±

    The whitences flew in session and stabbed mercilessly at the limbs of the 10th Core while he desperately protecting his head.

    Is this what they called [weakness attribute]? The 10th Core is a dungeon core that uses the undead, after all, so he may be vulnerable to the holy attribute?

    ¡°Wha-what is this! It¡¯s not the [Holy Lance] I know!¡±

    ¡°Oh, is that so? [Holy Lance].¡±

    ¡°Aaahhhh! I¡¯m losing my power! ¡­¡­ [Drain]! ¡­¡­ huh? It didn¡¯t work¡­¡±

    I pulled the spear stuck in his arm and threw it to the ground, where it turned into a particle of light and disappeared.

    So my [Holy Lance] is nothing like the original [Holy Lance]¡­ Well, if it works, then that¡¯s fine. I¡¯m not going to stop shooting until you¡¯re dead!

    ¡°¡­. ¨C this is the light god¡¯s¡­ ah, no¡­.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t run away? No, you can¡¯t anymore, huh?¡±

    ¡°Damn, I¡­ am¡­. the true God.¡±

    It seems that he had fallen too far¡­

    Though even if the 10th Core escapes, Haku will just attack the dungeon, and he will get killed anyway. And even if he continues to fight me, he won¡¯t win.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have any other grudge against you, but ¡­¡­ you were out of luck, 10th Core.¡±

    ¡®¡­¡­Damn it, damn it¡­.¡¯

    His hands dangle down, and he can¡¯t protect my head anymore. I shoot [Holy Lance] at the head.

    ¡°¡­¡­ curse you¨C¡°

    Was thest word he uttered after the spear pierced through his skull.

    Then the body of the 10th Core crumbles and disappears like sand.

    ¡­Is it safe to say that we have now defeated the 10th Core? Just in case of the curse, I¡¯ll use [God¡¯s rm] to cleanse my body.

    Then I call Rokuko.

    ¡°Rokuko, retrieve me. And call Haku, tell her we have defeated the 10th Core.¡±

    ¡°Kehma! I heard that arge number of 10th Core has appeared in the dungeons of his!¡±

    ¡°What¡­?¡±

    Oi, when is this thing over? I mean, was this guy a fake ¡­¡­ or a [possession]?

    ¡°Well, it cannot be helped then. Move me to their dungeon¡­.¡±

    ¡°N? Shouldn¡¯t we be giving reinforcements to sister Haku?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help her after taking care of all the undead dungeons.¡±

    In the first ce, it¡¯s not like Haku, and my seniors are ipetent enough that they can¡¯t do anything without me.

    ¡°I will respond if requested, but I am only one element of this battle. Just attracting the undead dungeon core attention should be enough contribution.¡±

    ¡°That sounds like Kehma indeed¡­ Okay, I¡¯ll send you to the next dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, and just in case, keep Haku informed of everything. Curses, undead cores, dungeon eaters, etc.¡±

    ¡°Roger that. Well then, good luck on the next dungeon.¡±

    I was relocated using Rokuko authority and started to attack the next undead dungeon.

    After attacking the 8th undead dungeon, Haku contacted us, [We have destroyed the 10th dungeon core. We have won.]

    Still, the undead cores still did not stop attacking, so Haku helped us to deal with the remaining undead cores. And finally, we had aplete victory over the 10th Core!

 Chapter 544

    <h4>LDM 544 ¨C Dismissed!</h4>

    December 24, 2022

    Starting at the far end of the dungeon of the 10th core, the dungeon began to copse as soon as the core of the main body was destroyed. Our transformingbined golem, G-Testor, was also buried alive.

    Haku was able topensate for this damage, so there was no problem at all, and we also made a profit because we secretly recovered them with Soto¡¯s help.

    ¡°We have confirmed the death of the 10th core.¡±

    Fortunately, confirmation of life and death is a matter of system certainty. Something the system had confirmed wouldn¡¯t go wrong as long as the dungeon battle was going on. This means the 10th core is officially exterminated.

    ¡°With this, this operation is nowplete. Thank you all for your hard work.¡±

    Haku dered in front of all traitor faction avatars that the raid dungeon to defeat the 10th core wasplete.

    The tense atmosphere began to loosen as I listened to her statement in my golem avatar, and I felt my subconsciously stiff shoulders begin to rx.

    The dungeon cores that were present exchanged a few words with Haku before disconnecting. The rewards, aside from the funds, will be delivered in secret at ater date.

    ¡°Now, my junior-golem, it¡¯s time to say goodbye. See you again when the timees.¡±

    ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll see each other again though, since there won¡¯t be an operation of this magnitude. Oh, and forget what the 10th core said; it¡¯s all bullshit! {referring to their identity} AH! I know! isn¡¯t it fine if I secretly visit you? As for now, take care, okay?¡±

    ¡°Golem¡¯s contribution is huge, and you should look forward to your rewards! See ya!¡±

    The seniors who had conquered the 10th core dungeon together also left.

    ¡°Although¡­ you were still so scared when 10th core appeared, right 564?¡± said Orange to 546th sore.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared! If you can scare me, you¡¯ve done a great job!¡±

    By the way, Orange is using a rabbit as his avatar, but 564th core did not. (And the other seniors seem to think that he is a loan from the Demon King faction.)

    By the way, therge number of fake 10th core were shadow warriors created using doppelgangers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t lie, I know you were scared when it all crumbled down, right?¡±

    ¡°¡­..I can¡¯t help myself; after all, the 10th core dungeon is a formidable huge after all.¡±

    The core 564 was going wild in his real body and was about to be caught in the copse and buried, but Orange was able to ¡°retrieve¡± him, so he survived. I didn¡¯t know master-ve rtionships could do that. That¡¯s quite convenient.

    ¡°I¡¯m going home, too! See you soon!¡±

    ¡°Goodbye! I¡¯m looking forward to the reward.¡±

    ¡°Ah, okay, see youter.¡±

    Finally, Orange also left, and only our avatars and Haku remained.

    ¡°Rokuko-chan. Kehma. Thank you for your hard work, it was a bigger sess than we expected.¡±

    ¡°I thought I was going to die when the undead cores initiated the dungeon battle, but somehow I managed to get it under control.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s truly an excellent job. Not only did you endure their assault, you even annihted them one by one. Plus, it was a big deal to attract the 10th core attention to yourself.¡±

    I wonder how much reward I should give him, Haku mutters, while putting her hands to her temples.

    I suddenly felt something strange about Haku¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°By the way, Haku, did you usually wear an essory on your thighs?¡±

    ¡°Hm? essory?¡±

    From the slit of the ao dai-like dress, which clearly showed her body line, you could see that there was a white jewelry essory attached to her body.

    I don¡¯t remember if she ever wears something like that¡­

    ¡°No? I have no such essory. Chloe, did you see it?¡±

    ¡°¡­no I ¨C wait, no way! a perception blocking? Is this some kind of curse? I didn¡¯t even notice it until you mentioned it.¡±

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this bad, then? If that was something that could get past through my defense, then it must be a strong one.¡±

    If it¡¯s thest struggle of the 10th core, we don¡¯t know what kind of curse it could be. I immediately call out to Haku and Chloe, who look a little flustered.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a curse, we can lift it. We have the [God¡¯s rm Clock].¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask you to do it. Let¡¯s meet at the White Beach. We can also discuss the reward. Bring Rokuko with you.¡±

    ¡°¡­roger that.¡±

    I thought it would be better to just send Narikin with an rm toward them, but it seems I cannot run from this one.

    * * *

    Thus, we came to the [White Beach], and it turned out that Haku and Chloe had already set up a table and a tea set on the parasol. They are ready for a tea party.

    ¡°Thank you for your hard work, Haku-nee-sama!¡±

    ¡°Yes, Rokuko-chan too, good work. ¡­.but please wait a bit before I hug you, Rokuko. The first priority now is to break the curse before it takes effect. If it was a contagious curse, then it would be all more dangerous. Though it seems to be weakening a lot now after it breaks through my defenses.¡±

    ¡°Oh, right. Kehma.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    I take out the [God¡¯s rm] from the [storage] at Rokuko¡¯s urging.

    But then I realized, what if I didn¡¯t break the curse right here? ¨C well, knowing it¡¯s Haku, she probably had other methods to do it, but then, her hug time with Rokuko would need to wait even longer. Still, I wondered if it would be possible to haggle for more rewards.

    ¡°¡­¡­ By the way, can I get a reward for this too?¡¯

    ¡°Sure. Do you have any requests?¡±

    ¡­.Can you please approve my rtionship with Rokuko as the reward for breaking the curse and my contribution to dungeon battles?

    That was the dominant thought that had been swirling inside my brain.

    I wonder if it¡¯s safe to say that¡­ I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any immediate rejection since Rokuko is here with us¡­ but damn¡­ I¡¯m so nervous¡­

    ¡°Um¡­ that¡¯s.. well¡­ I¡­¨C¡°

    ¡°Then, sister. I¡¯d like to ask Kehma to marry me. That¡¯s the reward for breaking the spell.¡±

    ¡°Oi? Rokuko!¡±

    While I was nervous and hesitant to say anything, Rokuko started to say something outrageous from the side, and then she smiled at me.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it okay? It¡¯s not much work to ring the rm anyway, so I¡¯ll just need that much for the payment.¡±

    ¡°No, that was actually a bit much¡­ right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, and I¡¯ve decided, so please, sister.¡±

    But you skip dating and go straight to marriage!

    ¡°My my¡­ Well, I understand. Then Kehma. Rokuko seems to be hellbent on this, so marry her.¡±

    ¡°¡­¡­!¡±

    Just like that, the approvales from Haku

    ¡­E? what is this? Did Haku get brainwashed by Rokuko?

 Chapter 545

    <h4>LDM 545 ¨C Rewards and Truth</h4>

    February 25, 2023

    (Will it end? I¡¯ve received somements that said that I might finish this after this arc, but I think it will continue as it should; it¡¯s azy(leisure) life of a dungeon master, after all.)

    ===*

    ¡°Kehma, Rokuko is hellbent on this, so marry her.¡±

    Haku said calmly, but I must have misheard. There was no way Haku would say such a thing. Oh, it must mean martial, not married. Damn you Demon Kingdom, you are a bad influence! {tl: you coward.}

    ¡°Kehma, that¡¯s why I¡¯m going to marry you, okay? Okay?¡±

    ¡°I understand. We¡¯ll do martial arts in the arena, got it.¡±

    ¡°No, we¡¯re not. The word marry, and martial didn¡¯t even sound simr. We¡¯re not going to some duel.¡±

    Oh¡­. they are twopletely different things in other worldnguages. So maybe I was the one who got it mixed up.

    ¡°Anyway, for now, let¡¯s get you engaged first. Where will you hold the engagement ceremony? I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s at the White God Church in the Imperial City. Considering his title, the marriage ceremony will probably take ce a year after that.¡±

    ¡°¡­I want to get married right away.¡±

    ¡°Formality is also important, Rokuko. Because in the end, you are still a nobleman of the empire.¡±

    ¡°Mm~~mm. Oh well, fine! Fianc¨¦e has a nice ring to it too. We¡¯re already living together. We have a daughter. We¡¯re practically married already, so a year or so won¡¯t matter.¡±

    I just listened to her voice while still not believing the reality of what had happened so fast.

    ¡°And Kehma? When will you break this curse?¡±

    ¡°Ack, sorry.¡±

    Haku urged me to ring the [God¡¯s rm], and the white jewel on Haku¡¯s thigh trembled and shattered.

    A plume of ck smoke billowed out and soon shaped itself into a humanoid shape, Or, to be more precise, a silhouette of the 10th core.

    ¡°¡­¡­ ugh!¡­..!¡±

    ¡°Oooooooooooh NOOOO! Nooooooooooooooooooo!!! ¡°

    The ck smoke screams with the voice of the 10th core. However, the [God¡¯s rm] is still ringing, and the ck smoke writhes as if holding its head as it disappears as if scraped by the sound.

    ¡°10¡­¡­!¡±

    ¡°Damn you 89, Damn you Dark God, aaaaaah¡­¡­! AAAaa It¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone¡­.. my pow¨C ¡­¡­.¡±

    The ck smoke disappears along with the 10th core fading voice. At the same time, the essory on Haku¡¯s thigh also disappeared as ck smoke.

    ¡°Phew¡­ I guess it was really the curse of the 10th core¡­, or maybe It was himself. If left unchecked, it would have be a type of curse that would have gained power and done something¡­.¡±

    ¡°Sister, are you all right?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine now. Come Rokuko. Give me a hug.¡±

    ¡°Yes, thank you, sister!¡±

    Rokuko hugs Haku, who wees her with open arms.

    By the way that 10th core¡­ is he not humanized but living as a curse? Is such a thing even possible? I don¡¯t know for sure if that smoke was just a curse or if it was his real self.

    ¡°Now then, let¡¯s talk about the other reward.¡±

    ¡°Eh, about that¡­¡±

    ¡°You have any objection, Kehma?¡±

    What happened to the marriage talk? Oh, well, I guess we¡¯re going to do it for real.

    ¡°No, nothing¡­¡±

    ¡°Good. Then how about 15 million DP in addition to thepensation and the [God¡¯s Underwear] that I had proposed earlier? Oh, and for Orange, I¡¯ll give him 5.5 million DP in addition to the 564 portions. He has done a lot of work this time¡­.¡±

    [God¡¯s Underwear] Thest divine bedding that we haven¡¯t got our hand into. The remaining [God¡¯s Pillow] and [God¡¯s Mattress] are in possession of Maiodore and Shikina in Zia and can be borrowed at will.

    ¡­wait. Do I get an additional reward besides marrying Rokuko? So suspicious, what does she mean by this? Is there still something she wants?

    ¡°¡­.Kehma? it feels like your mind is not here right now¡­ but I understand, if I were told that I could marry Rokuko, I would probably think [is it all right for me to be blessed like this]?¡±

    ¡°Eh, ah, yes. I guess?¡±

    But Rokuko seems displeased with my half-hearted reply.

    ¡°Sister, I think Kehma is still confused why you easily gave him your blessing rather than absent-minded because he is too happy to marry me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, my goodness, should I pull it off then? I also think it¡¯s better not to marry such a coward, right?¡±

    ¡°No! Or do you think there is someone more suitable for me than Kehma? Haku-nee-sama, all this time you¡¯ve been too mean to Kehma. That¡¯s why he¡¯s like this!¡±

    ¡°Well, I admit that I often arbitrarily pushed him into a corner.¡±

    Haku said while smiling ear to ear while Rokuko could only sigh at her.

    ¡°Kehma, you are the reason Rokuko is growing so fast, the one who can provide her with solid security and consistent ie, as well as someone who can win a dungeon battle against me ¨C If not you, who else would be such a good candidate for my dear sister? And, you know, Rokuko is madly in love with you. ¡­Rokuko will despise me if I reject such a man.¡±

    In other words, she never intended to reject me; everything she did was just harassment and a way to keep me in check.

    ¡°¡­¡­So what were you going to do if I had run away?¡±

    ¡°Ara? I wouldn¡¯t let that happen in the first ce, and if it does happen, I¡¯ll do everything I can to prevent it. Anyway, you didn¡¯t even want to flee anyway¡­ so there¡¯s no issue, right?¡±

    It seems by the time Rokuko fell in love with me, Haku already made up her mind not to let me go. Even if I died while trying to flee, I suspect she would resurrect me, even if it meant that I would be undead.

    There are not many cases where an individual can win against a country. And if I can win in the first ce, there is no need to give up on Rokuko and run away.

    And on top of that, she was harassing me just to keep my hands off Rokuko. What a troublesome perso¡ªDungeon Core.

    ¡°Are you convinced?¡±

    ¡°*sigh* well, in a manner of speaking, yes. So that means I can really marry Rokuko?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but if you ask me whether I like or dislike the man who took away my adorable little sister, I believe the answer should be obvious.¡±

    ¡°Haku-nee-sama! Will you stop picking on Kehma like that?

    ¡°Fufu, it¡¯s just a joke, a joke.¡±

    Personally, I think she was about 80% serious because her eyes were not smiling at all.

    But she won¡¯t do anything that makes Rokuko sad, which means that at least I don¡¯t have to worry about Haku trying to kill me.

    ¡­I know it¡¯s a bit sudden, but I am finally starting to feel the fatigue that has been piling up.

    ¡°Oh, by the way, it¡¯s still a hundred years too early for Kehma to use the effects of [God¡¯s Underwear], so use it only to ascend to a demi-god.¡±

    ¡°? Haku-nee-sama, what kind of effect does the [God¡¯s Underwear] have?¡±

    ¡°¡­um, it¡¯s¡­ uh¡­. well, it makes you more attractive, or something like that. You don¡¯t need to know about it, Rokuko.¡±

    Haku¡¯s eyes swim, and her words are muddled¡­ It¡¯s definitely something that has a bad effect on Rokuko¡¯s education.

    The [God¡¯s Underwear], is just like other divine bedding, was made by [Father] the Dark God for the creator god, right? What was he going to do with it, given that the effect makes people avoid talking about it? It had to be something silly.

    I mean, I don¡¯t know if ¡°a hundred years early¡± is an expression or literal. Then again, when you¡¯re a God, you could live even after hundred years.

    ¡°A-anyway! I¡¯ll give it to you now ¡­Maintain it well, and keep it out of Rokuko¡¯s hands.¡±

    I received the [God¡¯s Underwear] from Haku. As a matter of course, it was inside a normal box, not taken off in front of me or anything.

 Chapter 546

    <h4>LDM 546 ¨C Returning home</h4>

    February 25, 2023

    Haku¡¯s raid party disbanded, and the discussion was over, and we returned home to Gollen Vige. I pinched my cheek as soon as I arrived. Ouch, it hurts! So¡­ that was not a dream?

    ¡°? What are you doing, pinching your cheek as soon as you get back?¡±

    ¡°This? Uh, it¡¯s like a ritual to check if it¡¯s a dream or not.¡±

    Since I¡¯m always praying using Beddhist religious customs, now I have be such a professional sleeper that even in a dream, I could pinch my cheek to check if it hurts. If I doubt whether it¡¯s a dream or not,

    ¡°So now are you convinced that was not a dream?¡±

    ¡°Yeah¡­ So Haku has really approved of me and Rokuko¡¯s rtionship¡­¡±

    ¡°Of course; otherwise, my sister won¡¯t say that I could kiss you, although conditionally.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been saying that since earlier,¡± says Rokuko as she pouts.

    I suppose she did¡­ By the way, the condition was that she kissed Haku 100 times before Rokuko could kiss me once.

    ¡°So, Kehma, when are we having the engagement ceremony? My sister said it¡¯s fine anytime.¡±

    ¡°If we just suggest a random date and time, it seems like she¡¯ll cancel someone else¡¯s ns to make it happen¡­ We should have someone check for Haku free dates and times.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll have someone check as soon as possible.¡±

    Rokuko seemed determined to have it on the nearest avable day.

    To be honest, I wasn¡¯t against the idea of getting engaged. There shouldn¡¯t be any reason to be against it, but for some reason, I wasn¡¯t feeling enthusiastic about it.

    Perhaps it was because I hadn¡¯t fully epted Haku¡¯s approval of me.

    ¡°At any rate, we need to finish the park above the dungeon for the wedding!¡±

    ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t we just have the wedding at the Beddhist Church?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s one thing, but this is another! And there¡¯s no God to swear to in Beddhist Chruch.¡±

    She¡¯s right¡­ I don¡¯t know to whom or what I¡¯m supposed to swear in a church with no God.

    Especially since I am the founder of the church, should I swear to Rei or¡­

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we just pledge it to Soto? our child.¡±

    ¡°A marriage to a child, huh? I guess that means could have a meaning that children are a blessing¡­.¡±

    Certainly, it¡¯s not a bad idea. Soto is a demi-god; should we make her the official God of Buddhism?

    ===*

    While Rokuko went to make some arrangements, I went back to my room.

    I decided to check out the [God¡¯s Underwear] that Haku gave me.

    The [God¡¯s Underwear] in the box was a sexy ck woman¡¯s underwear, but when I picked it up, it changed to a man¡¯s underwear.

    I guess it means that the appearance can be changed ording to your preference, just like pajamas, etc.

    Wait¡­ does it mean the shape before was Haku or Clowe¡¯s preference underwear? No, let¡¯s not think too deeply.

    I mean, it was two parts, upper and lower, but now it¡¯s one part. How does this work? No, let¡¯s not think too much about it.

    As for effect, Haku said that it was [a hundred years too early] for me to use it. Does it mean if you don¡¯t use the effect, especially if you don¡¯t think of it, it won¡¯t be triggered? Then would it function just like [God¡¯s Comforter]?

    I¡¯ll email [Father] how to use it now so I don¡¯t use it by mistake.

    Well, let¡¯s try them on for now. Hmm¡­¡­

    ¡­¡­ Yes, it feels so good, as if I¡¯m wearing new underwear. As expected of God¡¯s underwear, they are veryfortable.

    ¡°hee, that [Father] is responding right away¡­ o-oh, okay, I see.¡±

    It seems that the inherent ability of God¡¯s underwear is something of charming effect used for the nightlife. So this is why Haku was hesitant to exin it.

    The other thing is that you can take it off while it¡¯s still equipped, or rather, you can make it disappear.

    The ability to equip stealth equipment may be really strong, but when I think about the purpose, you need to make it stealthy with that function,¡­ I have aplicated feeling about it.

    ¡°And the sanitary effect [purification] is there, but this one also has something like a constant activation?¡±

    Ah.

    Underwear is hygiene-rted clothing, so that actually makes sense.

    ¡°The default form is underwear for women¡­¡±

    I was a little bit surprised. Wait, the [God¡¯s Bedding] is equipment made for the Creator God, right?

    I wonder if that means that the Creator God is a woman.

    Hmmm. The world¡¯s birth mother, huh?

    ¡°Master. Excuse me. I¡¯m here to clean.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Is that Niku? please wait a minute.¡±

    I still was in underwear, so I put on [God¡¯s underwear] it transformed into a jersey. After that, I called Niku in.

    For now, I think this is enough study regarding [God¡¯s underwear].

 Chapter 547

    <h4>LDM 547 ¨C Extra: Wataru the Hero</h4>

    February 25, 2023

    At the dining hall, Wataru handed over 100 gold coins, and we had dinner together while chatting.

    Wataru ordered his usual ¡°kid¡¯s lunch¡± ¡ª I mean, the avarice set.

    ¡°I¡¯m home! I feel like it¡¯s been a while since I came back to the vige of Gollen vige.¡±

    ¡°Well, you must be tired then, wee ho¨C¡­ Wait, you¡¯re not a viger of this vige right.¡±

    Although Wataru had just visited the vige a month ago, it felt like we hadn¡¯t seen each other in a long time.

    ¡°Well, actually, my house is also built in this vige, you know?¡±

    ¡°What? If that¡¯s the case, then we can¡¯t let you stay at the inn. You should spend some money in the vige, brave Hero.¡±

    ¡°Hahaha, well, I have to pay off my debt. Anyway, I have a house, but I¡¯m not using it. I let Gozo and his group take care of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, is it the meeting hall?¡±

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s my house.¡±

    The house is a bit bigger than others and is a hangout for Gozo and other adventurer vigers.

    It ismonly known as the [meeting hall]¡­ but I had no idea it was Wataru¡¯s house.

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s why there¡¯s one room in that house that was forbidden to use.¡±

    ¡°Yes, that room is off-limits to me because it is my private room. I haven¡¯t actually used it, but it¡¯s for the feeling, you know!¡±

    Wataru¡¯s room is mostly used as a storage room, but with the use of an off-desk, he can sleep in it without any problems.

    But that means that you have your own house in the vige where you can sleep infort.

    ¡°So Wataru was one of my respectable viger. I didn¡¯t know that.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, chief. Well, in this world, the family register is very loose, you know.¡±

    ¡®Oh, I also pay a per capita tax as a viger of Gollene vige, okay?¡¯ Wataru added as he brought a hamburger steak to his mouth.

    ¡°Do Hero also need to pay tax too? is there no exemptions or something?¡±

    ¡°I do have that privilege, but it¡¯s just like a hobby. It¡¯s a small amount of money anyway.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Wataru, making it rain with money is your hobby? ¡­ that¡¯s a bad hobby.¡±

    ¡°Only the money rted to Gollene Vige though. I am very modest in my spending elsewhere.¡±

    [This vige is special, but don¡¯t make me say it], what his face wanted to tell me, I could see that Wataru was a little embarrassed.

    ¡°If it¡¯s¡­, does that mean that this monthly debt of 100 gold coins is also a hobby?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s kinda amazing that I can¡¯t say that your statement is wrong¡­.¡±

    Originally, this debt was the result of Wataru¡¯s strange sense of justice and his own sense of values ¨C in other words, his ¡°hobby¡± ¨C that led him to challenge me to a game, and the money was taken by me as a result.

    ¡°Oh. That reminds me, you are finally getting married, but before that, congrattion on your engagement.¡±

    ¡°N¡­. ah, yes? Oh, thank you.¡±

    I don¡¯t know why the debt reminds you of that, but thanks anyway.

    ¡°¡­but where did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°Miss Rokuko mentioned it while she was strolling around.¡±

    ¡°I see¡­¡­¡±

    Feeling a bit embarrassed, I scratched my cheek. So¡­ Rokuko is telling the whole world know about it.

    ¡­. I¡¯m a little embarrassed, but it¡¯s fine as long as Haku doesn¡¯t object, and it¡¯s also a fact. That¡¯s why there¡¯s no longer any reason for me to stop her. I¡¯ll let her do what she wants.

    ¡°I want to get married too¡­.¡±

    ¡°You should, there¡¯s a lot to choose from if you¡¯re Hero.¡±

    ¡°But the person I love is totally ignoring me¡­¡±

    ¡°Oh, well, that¡¯s tough.¡±

    Wataru directs his gaze to me as if to say, ¡®You know who I¡¯m talking about¡¯. Oh well, I had no choice but to call Nerune, the woman we¡¯ve both been thinking about.

    Right at this very moment, she was serving food in the cafeteria (so that she could deal with Wataru anytime she wanted to).

    ¡°Hey, Nerune. You can end your shift now. Also, you want to have dinner here with us?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯d be happy to join you.¡±

    I called out, and Nerune came to sit down with us in her maid¡¯s uniform.

    ¡°Now Wataru, which side do you want Nerune to sit next to you or across from you? Do you want Nerune to sit next to Wataru or across from you?¡±

    ¡°eh!? wait¡­! Let me think about it for a minute!¡±

    Wataru was struggling, wondering if it would be better for Nerune to sit across from him or next to him.

    However, while Wataru was worrying about it, Nerune took the liberty of sitting next to him. She was going at her own pace as usual.

    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t order her to listen to Wataru¡¯s wishes.¡±

    ¡°Is Kehma actually a demon or something?¡±

    ¡°The demon joke aside, I think I might be God if this continue.¡±

    ¡°Hee, what a big goal, but then again if it not at least that great, Haku-sama won¡¯t forgive you right¡­.? Oh, Nerune, what would you like to eat? I¡¯ll buy it for you.¡±

    ¡°Then¡­ pancake sandwich.¡±

    Pancake sandwich. It¡¯s a sandwich with pancake buns developed by Kinue. Surprisingly, it¡¯s pretty delicious ¨C it¡¯s like a crepe, so it works well with both sweet and savory fillings.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they had such a menu.¡±

    ¡°Well, yes. It¡¯s a secret menu that Kinue added mainly for Nerune¡¯s sake.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you know Wataru? The witch of the sandwich is said to referring to a witch.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s a theory like that?¡±

    After learning that the ¡°wich¡± in ¡°sandwich¡± can be pronounced as ¡°witch¡±, it has be a daily routine for Nerune to order menu items with good pronunciation rted to sandwiches.

    For this reason, she has an extensive repertoire of sandwich-based dishes for nothing, and pancake sandwiches are one of them. Well, it¡¯s basically a secret menu because the inn only officially sells set meals.

    ¡°Nerune, you really like magic and witches, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°I will be a witch in the future, just watch!¡±

    ¡°Since Kehma is going to be a God, and I think you can certainly be a witch. ¡°

    The fact she dares to tell Wataru that much, I guess, also means she trusts Wataru in her own way.

    ¡­.n? Oh, I see. Apprentice witches are demons in a manner of speaking.

    So, could it be that they can learn ¡®humanization¡¯ through reinforcement? She appeared mostly like a human, so I thought she wouldn¡¯t have needed it¡­

    I wonder if there is a possibility that she could develop normal emotions and be lovey-dovey with Wataru after she uses [humanization] someday?

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, Wataru. A pancake sandwich with sweetened beans as the filling is quite good, have it for dessert.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sweetened beans in pancakes¡­. THAT¡¯S DORAYAKI! I¡¯ll eat it! Of course I¡¯m going to eat it!¡±

    Well, maybe it¡¯s not exactly the same thing, but that¡¯s pretty much right.

    ¡°And by the way, these sweetened beans go well with whipped cream too, it¡¯s a wonder, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an irondbination! Let me buy some as souvenirs. I haven¡¯t had dorayaki for an ages.¡±

    While Wataru is excited, Nerune pulls his sleeve, and she looks a little unhappy.

    ¡°¡­ Wataru-san? It¡¯s wrong, isn¡¯t it? It¡¯s a pancake sandwich, isn¡¯t it? it¡¯s not that dora-?¡±

    ¡°U-um, right, It¡¯s a sweet bean pancake sandwich! I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± {folded like a paper}

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡±

    Nerune looked a little grumpy, but she soon regained her good mood as Wataru corrected his words.

 Chapter 548

    <h4>LDM 548 ¨C Park Creation.</h4>

    February 25, 2023

    ¡°¨C[Create Golem]!!!¡±

    Rokuko scatters magic stones and creates a y golem. Different from Kehma¡¯s [Create Golem], it is amon, ordinary [Create Golem].

    But it is enough to let them clear the ground for the park.

    For example, if you make a y golem right under a tree, it can pull out most of the tree when it forms itself, and if you help them with other golems, you can easily uproot them.

    Or if there is a big hole, the Golem can go in and fill it, or you can have the golems carry dirt to fill it up.

    This is only possible because Golem is both heavy machinery and material.

    They are unmatched when ites to civil engineering work, especially in pioneering and clearing thend.

    ¡°What do you think, Gozo, Roppe? This is the power of me, the owner of the Dancing Doll Pavilion.¡±

    ¡°Amazing, I never knew the golem woulde in handy to do the heavy lifting.¡±

    ¡°I see, so that¡¯s what happens if you make a golem under a tree.

    Gozo and Roppe, the hired escort and worker, were impressed by the smug look on Rokuko¡¯s face.

    The trees that had been uprooted and pulled out were processed into logs by the golems and carried away.

    The asional goblin, gray wolf, big buck, and other forest-dwelling monsters were either left to flee or crushed and felled by the golem hordes.

    As a result, the guards, who had nothing to do, were mainly tasked with collecting magic stones from the defeated monsters. The majority of the magic stones are useless, but there are enough to make disposable golems that move for a few dozen seconds to remove tree roots.

    ¡°The amount of magic stone required is amazing, but the means to replenish it is even more incredible.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I could win against this many golems; is Rokuko fine with summoning this many golems? Won¡¯t you run out of magic?¡±

    ¡°Running out of magic? No chance.¡±

    Rokuko said with a wide smile, and Roppe shrugged her shoulders with a wry smile.

    ¡°Unn, I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s joking or serious¡­ What do you think, Gozo?¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s no problem, I don¡¯t care. Either way, it¡¯s an easy job for us to pick up the magic stone.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. Rokuko, if you get tired, just tell me.¡±

    ¡°Okay dokey, Roppe is a worrier, isn¡¯t she? As side note,pared to Kehma, I¡¯m nothing.¡±

    ¡°True, he won against Wataru by turning him over with a golem. ¡°

    [I see] that one of its applications is to uproot a tree. Gozo nodded as if he finally got it.

    Rokuko again used [Create Golem] to uproot the tree by turning its soil into a golem, and the Golem, which was about to run out of magic power and stop, entered the hole and filled it.

    The repeated processes create an open space in the forest.

    The area was alreadyrge enough to amodate two or three more ¡°Dancing Doll Pavilions.¡±

    ¡°Hey, are you still pioneering in the forest?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? ording to our n, we still need more.¡±

    ¡°Wait a minute! This is a park, right? ¡°How big do you want it to be?¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t clear a certain amount ofnd, it will be dangerous to have a forest in the immediate vicinity of the park.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but if you put it that way, the idea of clearing out the forest to make a park in the first ce is a real problem, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    The idea of creating a ¡°park¡± with no productivity after all the hard work of cultivating thend is an unbelievable waste of time and effort for a pioneer vige.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just develop the functional Gollen Vige area?¡±

    ¡°The owner is the one who actually does the pioneering, and we¡¯re just hired guards with money, so we¡¯re in no position to say anything about it. ¡°

    ¡°I¡¯ve got permission from Kehma to do whatever I want.¡±

    ¡°Oh well, I guess it¡¯s fine then?¡± said Gozo as he scratched his head.

    ¡°Then¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better if there was a space around the park where you could set up a shop?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Roppe, that¡¯s a good idea! At first I was nning to build a wall, but if there were shop between the park and the forest, it would make the park a safer ce to y!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wait, wait, who¡¯s going to sell what there? Do people reallye to the park that much?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but if people don¡¯te to the park, what¡¯s the point of having stores if there are no people there? If there are stores, people maye for them.¡±

    ¡°In that case, why don¡¯t you just go to the Dyne¡¯s Store? It¡¯s already there.¡±

    ¡°Mmmm ¡­¡­!¡±

    The store first or the crowd first¡­?

    Rokuko then recalled that the history of Gollen Vige was that the inn was the first to be established, and people came to the vige.

    Although the premise is different, based on that history, it would be better to build the store first, Rokuko thought.

    ¡°Then¡­ I¡¯ll build the [Dancing Dolls Pavilion] No. 2!¡±

    ¡°Was there a shortage of lodging?¡±

    ¡°There will be from now on! We¡¯re building a park! So we have to build enough space for people to stay and y. We¡¯ll pioneer more!¡±

    Rokuko changed her ns and decided to further expand the nned park area.

    She unfolded a piece of parchment. It was a lightly drawn map of the area. She did not use the dungeon¡¯s map because she couldn¡¯t consult with Gozo and the others if she was using it.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to build a small mountain here and ake here. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°It looks like we¡¯re going to build a pretty big one¡­¡±

    ¡°If we dig up the dirt to make a small mountain, then the dug ce will be a hole, so we can make ake, right? It¡¯s a double-kill, killing two birds with one stone.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s going to make the water very muddy¡­ and where will you find that much water to begin with?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we have the same kind of magic tools we rent in Drago vige.¡±

    The dungeon gimmick isbeled as a magical tool that can secure water in the mountains. And Rokuko could have prepared that kind of thing in any number of ways.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know we have such a valuable magical tool! In some areas, it¡¯s the kind of thing that could cause a war.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. The only limitation is that there are too many restrictions on where it can be used. The only ce it can be used is near here. So there¡¯s no problem, Gozo.¡±

    ¡°Okay, I understand.¡±

    The statement was slightly slurred and suspicious, but since it was a magical tool that could have been used to start a war otherwise, Gozo decided that [even if it wasn¡¯t, it is what it is]. and stopped pursuing the matter.

    ¡°Well, if we¡¯re going to build mountains andkes, we still need more open area! We¡¯ll have to clear morend, along with clearing the ins! And if there are any areas that are already mountains, we can make use of them.¡±

    With these words, Rokuko resumed her work.

    If this were in Japan, this would be a crime of deforestation at an rming rate, but since the area under human control is still very small in this world, there is no such problem.

    Since no one (except Kehma and his friends) knew that the purpose of this park was for Kehma¡¯s wedding, Gozo and his friends were honestly impressed by the enthusiasm of the vige chief¡¯s wife for the vige¡¯s development.

 Chapter 549

    <h4>Raid Dungeon Battle</h4> <h4>Extra: That Christmas Thing</h4>

    Soto suddenly burst in as I was lying around leisurely in my room.

    "Papa, it''s a big deal! An emergency! Big news!"

    "Hmm? What''s going on, Soto?"

    "It''s Christmas, Christmas!"

    "¡­ Oh yeah, it''s already winter huh."

    Indeed, if we were still in Japan, it would be the Christmas season.

    ¡­ I wonder where she learned about Christmas?

    "Wataru told me about it!"

    "That guy, huh¡­ so what did he tell you about Christmas?"

    "He said it''s an event in Japan where they celebrate the birthday of a great person from another religion by crossing over to the next day! I thought it was quite strange!"

    Well yeah, when you put it that way, it did sound strange. It''d be like us suddenly celebrating the birthday of the Demon King as far as this world was concerned.

    But where''s the big news and the emergency in that?

    "And when you think about Christmas, you think of¡­?"

    Soto stared at me with an upward nce.

    How could I know the right answer when she asks me like that.

    "A Christmas tree, maybe?"

    "Hmm! Close! You know, it''s a living thing!"

    "A living thing? ¡­ Reindeer?"

    "A little further back!"

    "¡­ Santa?"

    "That''s right! Santa us, the creature that gives presents when good children offer their socks!"

    "Hold on, it''s one thing to describe Santa as a [Creature] but did Wataru really say that???"

    If that''s the case, I wouldn''t mind confronting him about what he''s teaching my daughter.

    "No, I heard about it from Niku Onee-chan."

    "Ugh! Ah, yeah, I think I might have jokingly told her something like that before."

    I remembered trying to collect socks as a joke back then.

    Looking back, I was quite¡­ well, that!

    Thanks to being red at by Rokuko, Christmas had been abolished from that year on!

    "So I was thinking of being Santa us. First, I''ll capture the real Santa us, then I''ll rece him!"

    "Wait, wait, wait."

    I stopped Soto right there¡­ she wanted to be on the giving side, not the receiving side?

    Well, she probably wanted to be the one being offered socks, knowing her¡­ yup, she''s definitely my child.

    "¡­ Soto. You''re one of the good kids, so you should just quietly receive the presents."

    "What kind of weak-willed talk is that, Papa!? I don''t think I''m a good kid at all and I should earn what I want by my own efforts! I should stand up to protect the socks of Golen instead!"

    "I''ll ask Santa to give Soto a present too, so please, could you just behave!?"

    "Huh? Can you negotiate with Santa us?"

    "¡­ I can, he won''t take socks away this time. Yeah. Then let''s have Santae this year. I''ll have to tell Rokuko too!"

    And so, Christmas was held this year for the first time in several years.

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    Since it''s been a while since we had Christmas, I managed to get everyone to tell me what they wanted in the form of "letters to Santa."

    "Hey, Kehma. Is it okay for us to read letters addressed to Santa?"

    "Well, parents act as Santa in Japan. We can''t just leave it all to a great person from another religion. This isn''t even Earth in the first ce."

    "That''s true."

    So, let''s open the letters and see what everyone wants.

    First wa Niku. The strongest fighter in Golen, a dog-eared ve girl who was also my pillow, a maid, and Soto''s master¡­ Yeah. She''s got a lot of titles. She must have a tough time.

    "Boots with concealed knives, huh? Hidden weapons. I''ll use a slightly better material for them."

    "If Kehma makes it, it''ll be good. I wonder why she wrote it in a letter to Santa when you''d usually make it for her if she asked?"

    "¡­ Well, Niku knows I have a connection with Santa. I got caughtst time."

    "Come to think of it, that''s true. Maybe she was being considerate."

    Next was Ichika. She was themon sense of our dungeon, a foodie, and a gambling addict who fell into very due to her bad habits. Even so, she was still ourmon sense.

    "Ichika probably wants curry bread¡­"

    "Hey now. I mean, you''re not wrong, but like¡­"

    "It''s not hygienic to put curry bread in socks though, right?"

    "I''ll put a curry bread exchange ticket in instead. I''m d she didn''t ask for a slot machine, those are a pain to make."

    "Isn''t it because she knows she''d have to provide the copper coins for the slot machine?"

    It was a usible exnation.

    Now, let''s see what the three monster girl executives want.

    Vampire Rei, who was also a saintess of Beddhist, head maid Kinue, who was in charge of cooking at the inn''s dining hall, and the Apprentice Witch Nerune, a magical tool researcher.

    So, what do these three want¡­?

    "Rei wants delicious blood, Kinue wants a ce to clean. Nerune seems to want a high-level magic scroll."

    "Nerune''s is the most expensive. She doesn''t hold back when she really wants something¡­ As for the blood, I''ll use DP to get some transfusion packs. I don''t know if it''s tasty, but it''s probably not a good idea to keep it in a sock due to preservation issues, so I''ll make it an exchange ticket as well."

    "What about Kinue''s request for a ce to clean?"

    "¡­ Maybe I''ll make a small shrine or something, like an altar for Beddhist."

    "It''s fine to have multiple altars for Beddhism. In fact, if we make one in each room, wouldn''t that grant our part of the wish as well?"

    And in Rokuko''s hands were letters from Kinue''s subordinates, the three Silky sisters.

    "Hanna, Nakoru, and Pio. All of them wrote that they want unrestricted work (housework) without Kinue''s interference."

    "Is Kinue really taking away that much work¡­?"

    "As Kinue''s skills as a Silky have improved, so has her work efficiency and quality."

    Meaning that she was taking away their work as a result¡­ If one person handled too much work, there wouldn''t be any recements when they needed a break, so if something happened, it''d be a big problem.

    Considering that, it might be a good idea to increase the number of small shrines that don''t require constant cleaning. After all, there are no gods in Beddhism who''d would get angry if the shrines were treated poorly.

    "This one''s an exchange ticket too¡­ none of the presents fit in socks, huh?"

    "That''s right, maybe except for Nerune''s scroll? Let''s splurge on it."

    "Hopefully it won''t ovep with Wataru''s present."

    "¡­ Let''s decide which one to choose after looking at Wataru''s present."

    It was finally time for Soto''s letter.

    "I''m a little scared to open it."

    "Just open it already, she''s our daughter. It''s probably something like Syuma-chan''s socks."

    "That''s what I''m afraid of¡­ uh?"

    [Dear Santa, please give me all the stuffed socks! If you don''t¡­]

    Hmm, she''s quite greedy! What''s that [If you don''t] supposed to mean? Don''t try to intimidate me.

    "What do we do with this?"

    "Ordinary socks probably wouldn''t be good enough. We should try to satisfy her with some rare socks that have a special feeling."

    "Hmm, Kinue''s socks¡­ maybe?"

    "Those would have a strong family feel, but we''d need Kinue''s cooperation to get them, which is a problem. I''d rather get something from outside Golen."

    Even if she said that, there''s no other ce in Golen where we could get socks.

    "Should we ask Narikin and Rokufa to get some from the Holy Kingdom?"

    "¡­ No, let''s ask Ten-san instead. If it''s the socks of that Silky from Haku-san''s [White Secret] management, it might feel rtively rare."

    "I see. If I also ask my sister, it should be foolproof. How about a four-heavenly-kings sock assortment?"

    "That''d be amazingly luxurious for a Christmas present."

    I''d actually want it for myse¡ª¡­ no, never mind.

    That was everything, at any rate. There were some other letters from the church''s novice sister Michiru and the daughter of the Tsuia territory''s lord, Maiodoru, but I discreetly forwarded those to their respective guardians, so they''d take care of them.

    ¡­ Huh?

    "Rokuko, why is there a letter from you too?"

    "Isn''t it obvious? I want a present from you too."

    "Well, you''re the reason I can even arrange the presents, so that''s fine. So, what is it¡­?"

    The letter simply read:

    [To Kehma. Can I have a kiss?]

    "¡­"

    "Wow, Kehma''s face is bright red. So, my present?"

    "¡­ On Christmas, yeah."

    "Hmm¡­ I''m looking forward to it, okay?"

    And so, everyone received their presents on Christmas and was delighted.

    ¡­ That included Rokuko.

 Chapter 550

    <h4>Raid Dungeon Battle</h4> <h4>Extra: That New Year''s Thing</h4>

    Wataru''s Christmas present¡ªthe advanced wind magic [Tornado Scroll]¡ªwas first handed to Nerune, then eaten by Soto, before finally being duplicated and used by Nerune.

    ¡­ Well, it made sense because that way Nerune would be able to use the scroll without limit. Still, it was a Christmas where Nerune''s usual dryness was palpable as she didn''t hesitate to let Soto eat the precious present she''d been given.

    (The Christmas present we gave¡ªthe intermediate space-time magic [Retrieval Scroll]¡ªwas treated the same way, so it doesn''t seem like Wataru''s favorability was low.)

    About a week had passed since Christmas¡­

    Surprisingly, Wataru was still in Golen.

    "Hey Wataru, so you''re going to be staying longer this time?"

    "Hehehe. Actually, I got a winter break from Haku-sama! I''m nning to spend New Year''s in Golen as well."

    Wataru seemed proud of himself.

    It seems that after defeating the 10th core, which had a significant connection, Haku-san had some more breathing room on her end and could afford to give him an extended vacation.

    ¡­ Apparently, the meddling from the Holy Kingdom has significantly decreased.

    That meddling was most likely led by the Core Number 10, their Pope.

    By the way, they were currently in the middle of an election to decide the next Pope (ording to Narikin''s investigation).

    It''s believed that they didn''t have the luxury to pay attention to the Empire right now.

    "Let''s make rice cakes! Oh, they''d be dango if we don''t use sticky rice though, eh?"

    "Rice cakes, huh¡­"

    I hadn''t eaten them in a while, so let''s do him a solid and make it so that sticky rice starts dropping..

    I want to eat some with red bean paste.

    "The gate decorations became trapsst time, but let''s collect and decorate them this time! It''ll definitely feel very New Year''s-like!"

    "Imposing one''s culture isn''t good¡­ but most things from a hero''s origin world are generally epted. Sigh, Wataru, you can do whatever you want if you take the lead."

    Golen, known as an adventurers'' vige with many adventurers, was very open-minded towards the culture from a hero''s origin world. Even Christmas was epted normally all said and done.

    "I''ve heard a little about it from my parents, but I don''t know the details."

    "Hmm. Then let''s start with the basics of whates to mind when talking about New Year''s!"

    "Do that with Nerune and the others. I''m going to sleep."

    I left the work to Wataru and Nerune and decided to sleep.

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    "Happy New Year''s, Goshuujin-sama. I heard there''s something called ''otoshidama''?"

    "Happy New Year! Papa! Give me some New Year''s money please~!"

    "¡­ Good morning to you both. Wataru told you two, didn''t he?"

    Damn you, Wataru. You''ve gone and done something unnecessary.

    Well, it''s not like I was short on money, so I didn''t mind giving them some extra spending money for the event.

    Let''s see, one silver coin each should be reasonable for Niku and the others?

    "Please give me one that''s wrapped up like a ball in a sock!"

    "Hey, Soto. What kind of New Year''s gift is that? Did you hear about that from Wataru too?"

    "I came up with it myself!"

    I knew it.

    I wonder how I could go about teaching my daughter some self-restraint.

    "You should be reserved when asking for spending money. Here, I''ll give you one silver coin."

    "Che. But I''ll ept it gratefully!"

    When I handed Soto a silver coin, she muttered how she''d use it to buy more socks. Well, how they use their New Year''s money is up to them. I won''t interfere.

    "I desire meatballs."

    "Actually, the silver coin would probably buy you more meatballs."

    "The silver coin then."

    Yeah, yeah. Happy New Year, Happy New Year. I handed a silver coin to Niku as well.

    "Alright. Now that it''s New Year''s, I guess I''ll go back to sleep. It''s [Sleep-In New Year''s] for me."

    "Ah, Papa. Kinue-san made osechi."

    "Hoh, osechi?"

    Osechi was a collection of dishes thatsted a few days, packed into a tiered box, perfect for lounging around during New Year''s.

    Spending the first three days of the year snacking on osechi and rxing was a definite fit with the spirit of Beddhism.

    Even the workaholic Kinue-san might have finally sumbed to taking it easy during New Year''s.

    "I also heard there''s ozoni, Papa."

    "Wataru did manage to get his hands on some sticky rice then. Good, good, everything''s going ording to n. Well, I guess I''ll go take a look."

    "¡­ I''m a bit shocked that it would take priority over you going to sleep, Goshujin-sama."

    Don''tin, Niku. Even I get hungry, you know.

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    "Hey, Kinue-san. I heard you made osechi?"

    "Master, Happy New Year. Yes, please have one, Master."

    "Oh, thank you¡­ Wait, you made a bunch of the same thing?"

    "Yes! I''ll be making osechi for the first three days of the year!"

    It seems that after trying to recreate the osechi dishes Wataru told her about, they became very popr as [Hero Lunchboxes] that people wanted to buy.

    ¡­ No one seemed to get the concept of taking time off for New Year''s¡­ despite being the most important part.

    "Osechi isn''t something you make for all three days, you know? It''s fine either way though."

    "I heard from Wataru that some of the dishes in osechi don''tst very long. Seafood like shrimp, for example. I got them from Pavuera, but¡­"

    Well, it can''t be helped if the dishes relied on modern Japanese transportation and refrigeration technology. Wataru, such a modern kid.

    Thanks to that, Kinue-san was having to work with gusto even on New Year''s Day.

    "Ah, we also have ozoni and other rice cake dishes, so please enjoy them."

    "I was hoping to try some."

    Well, service industries, especially hotels and inns, did work during New Year''s.

    It could even be considered their busiest time. I''d never tell them to take a break.

    "Rei is also keeping the church open for the first shrine visit of the year."

    "I see. I guess it can''t be helped if it''s for the first visit of the year¡­"

    Shrines also made a lot of money during New Year''s, after all. Can''t be helped. So many hard workers¡­

    "By the way, where''s Nerune?"

    "I asked her to help Wataru with the development of the osechi, so she''s taking a break now. She was enthusiastic about having magical elements in all the dishes, or something like that."

    "Ah, right, osechi is supposed to have a feeling of praying for health and longevity."

    Shrimp, for example, was a symbol of living a long life with its curved back.

    "Is there mashed sweet potatoes with chestnuts in it? It''s really good."

    "I did add some melon bread."

    Why though?

    "Melon bread is for living a long life, like the wrinkles in the melon bread''s pattern."

    "That seems a bit far-fetched."

    "Yes, that''s true, since Rokuko-sama doesn''t have wrinkles."

    ¡­ It''s probably because melon bread was Rokuko''s favorite. Even though Rokuko could eat melon bread anytime she wanted.

    "Others include shrimp, shellfish, kelp¡­ Hmmm. I''m surprised you found so many."

    "The ingredients were easily avable because they were being studied in rtion to Ishida''s recipes. We might as well say it''s thanks to the Food God."

    Hero Ishida was truly formidable. By the way, it seemed that Wataru did all the shopping while on a date with Nerune.

    I wonder if he properly paid for the ingredients?

    "By the way, is this squid cut into the shape of a sock? What kind of reason did youe up with for this?"

    "¡­ Well, when Soto-sama was trying to put real socks in and we pleaded that we couldn''t eat them, so as apromise¡­ um, so we could live as long as a sock?"

    "Wouldn''t it be better to say that it''s to be able to walk on our own for a long time?"

    "I see, let''s do that."

    Changing your reasoning after making it, huh? Well, that''s fine.

    "Next year, I''ll try to include some of those mashed sweet potatoes that you mentioned earlier in the osechi, Master."

    "That sounds great. It''s a lucky item for financial fortune holding the meaning [Golden Bed], it fits well with Beddhist teachings."

    "I''m all the more determined to include it in the menu now. Master, if there is some in the DP catalog, could I have it for reference?"

    "Sure, I want to eat it too, let''s do it."

    It sounds delicious, doesn''t it? Please do your best.

    By the way, the ozoni was just ordinary ozoni. It was the basic kind made by cutting up leftover vegetables and using rice cakes, it was quite delicious though.

 Chapter 551

    <h4>Undecided Title Arc</h4> <h4>[Super Transformation] Lv. 7</h4>

    By the way, my current Hero Skill [Super Transformation] hit Lv. 7.

    It just sort of leveled up during the Dungeon Battle with Core Number 10. I won''t be able to level it up again for a while.

    "But, even though it was quite amazing from the beginning, at Lv. 7¡­ it''s really dangerous."

    It felt like there was a rumbling power within me. Might''ve just been my imagination though.

    So, the effects of [Super Transformation] Lv. 7 were as follows:

    Can transform into an imagined object up to Lv times (7 times for Lv 7) within 24 hours

    Lv 1 Effect: Can transform into the appearance of something that exists

    Lv 2 Effect: Can partially imitate the abilities of the transformed object

    Lv 3 Effect: Once every 72 hours, if you die while transformed, you can revive by canceling the transformation

    Lv 4 Effect: Can transform into something that existed in the past

    Lv 5 Effect: After transformation, restrictions are rxed. Some unique abilities can be used

    Lv 6 Effect: Can use skills from before the transformation while transformed

    Lv 7 Effect: All skills after the transformation can be used

    ¡­ I could use all skills after the transformation! It turned into such an incredible ability.

    However, there were two drawbacks to this skill.

    The first was that Hero Skills, such as [Super Luck], were not applicable.

    That much was obvious though. Acquiring Hero Skills, things that ran the risk of corrupting someone''s soul, was dangerous. It was impossible for it to be risk-free and there was even the possibility of rapid corruption. If anything it''s great that it wouldn''t copy them.

    And the other one is that after transformation, there is no notification whatsoever about what skills you have acquired.

    In other words, if you don''t know the skills that the transformed opponent can use, you still can''t use them. Moreover, just like at Lv 5, the experience is not copied, so the transformation only results in a degraded copy.

    Of course, it''s different if the opponent is not good at using their skills.

    Still, even with those two drawbacks, it''s undeniably strong. It''s truly worthy of being a Lv. 7 Hero Skill.

    "But¡­ it''s really dangerous when you consider what the upper limit is¡­"

    As mentioned earlier, I''d heard from Leona before that acquiring Hero Skills could contaminate one''s soul towards the side of the Light God and that the limit was raising the level by three within a year.

    I had no clue if that information was really urate, but with the current situation of having my skills absorbed by Soto and repeatedly acquiring new ones, I couldn''t help but think that it might be extremely dangerous.

    "But then again, it''s not like there''s someone knowledgeable about Hero Skills and souls that I could just go and see, so I can''t even get a diagnosis."

    I couldn''t just ask the Light God about it via email. After all, if being contaminated by the Light God''s side was a convenient thing for the Light God, wouldn''t they just not tell me the truth? It wouldn''t be surprising if they said, [There''s no problem at all, and what Leona said was nonsense! Just hurry up and raise your level].

    I wouldn''t know whether it was true or not until it was toote.

    Having said that, there was no guarantee that Leona even told me the truth in the first ce¡­ but I had a mysterious conviction that it was.

    I think I probably sensed it when my level increased due to the Hero Skill.

    "Anyway, for the time being¡­ it''s better not to raise my Hero Level for a year. It might be a good idea to practice the Hero Skills though."

    With that so, I headed to the Arena Area. That ce was perfect for exercising while keeping secrets.

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    Niku apanied me to join in the exercise.

    "Goshujin-sama, what are you going to [Super Transform] into?"

    "Well, let''s start by transforming into one of my close friends."

    Considering how easy it was to understand, it would be best to start with Rei, who had a distinctive ability.

    After all, now that I could transform up to seven times in a day, I could afford to do it casually. I activated [Super Transformation].

    "How about that, Niku? Does anything seem off?"

    "Oh, amazing, Goshujin-sama. That smell is definitely Rei''s too."

    Niku sniffed my scent by pushing her nose up close to me.

    "Tei!"

    "Ata!"

    When I tapped her forehead lightly, Niku winced in pain¡­ Huh?

    "Huh? Goshujin-sama, that hurt just now."

    "Yeah¡­ So, Rei''s zero attack power isn''t a skill, but just a regr ability value."

    "So does that mean that your attack power is added on top of what you transform into, Goshujin-sama?"

    In that case, it''d mean that I be a little stronger than the original form when I transform.

    It was a problem (?) that I couldn''t make use of the reason I''d transformed into Rei, though.

    "Alright, let''s try the next one."

    "Who will you transform into next?"

    "How about our neighbor Redra? I want to try breathing a Dragon Breath."

    "That sounds fun. I''ll take care of your clothes."

    Oh, that''s right. Clothes don''t transform.

    I undressed¡ªafter undoing the transformation, I undressed and then transformed into Redra using [Super Transformation]. I became a Red Dragon.

    "When my body grows sorge it just feels like everything around me has be smaller."

    "I see, so that''s how it is."

    "Alright, Niku, you should stand back for now¡­ Dragon Breath!"

    <strong>FUUUUUUUUUUUU</strong>¡ª¡ª¡ª!!! I let out a sigh that felt like I was blowing out candles on a birthday cake.

    With the lung capacity of a dragon, the cake itself would get blown away.

    "¡­ How do I use Dragon Breath?"

    "I don''t know. Why don''t you ask the person herself?"

    "Yeah, I might ask her how she does it next time. Here goes, Dragon Breath-Ish¡ª"

    ¡ªBreath. I tried to release an Elemental Burst without chanting, pretending it was a breath attack. Yeah, I could properly use magic that Redra most likely couldn''t.

    "I want to test if I can use skills that I can''t normally use¡­ Ah, right. [Humanization]!"

    I used [Humanization] to transform into Redra''s human form.

    By the way, I wasn''t naked, I was wearing clothes.

    "Huh? You''re wearing clothes. What''s going on?"

    "To let you in on the secret, these clothes are simply a part of Redra''s body. Remember how Redra was wearing clothes when she humanized? I think her scales change into clothes."

    In that sense, it couldn''t be said that I wasn''t naked¡­ In retrospect, transforming into our neighbor''s wife and being naked might be a bit of a problem.

    I won''t say anything to Ontentoo since he might hit me if I did.

    "By the way, can you reproduce Soto''s [Minor Duplication]?"

    "I wonder? Let''s give it a try."

    I put my clothes back on and transformed into Soto¡­ Hmm, doesn''t seem like it. [Minor Duplication] appeared to be excluded just like regr Hero Skills. Oh, but I might be able to eat stones and stuff?

    "Would you like to try eating a sock?"

    Niku smoothly tries to take off a sock.

    "¡­ No, I''ll pass. I feel like I won''t be able to digest it once I untransform and it might give me a stomachache."

    "That''s too bad."

    I wouldn''t ask what exactly she found too bad.

    "I wonder if I can open Niku''s [Storage] while I''m transformed like this? Can I give it a try?"

    "Go ahead."

    "Alright, here goes. Oh, it opened! Wow, so this is how Soto always opens other people''s [Storage]¡­ wait, could I just casually open the [Storage] Dungeon too?"

    I opened someone else''s [Storage] as if I were unzipping their clothes. There wasn''t much difference between opening my own [Storage] and someone else''s, so I quickly got the hang of it.

    "Hey Niku, let''s scare Soto a bit. We''re always startled by Soto appearing out of nowhere, so let''s give her a surprise for once."

    "That sounds¡­ very fun. I''ll join you."

    Niku pped her ears and tail and huffed.

    It''ll be good for Soto to experience the surprise of someone suddenly appearing next to her!

    "My [Storage] is technically my daughter''s room, so Niku, you go in first. Stop me if it seems inappropriate."

    "Understood. Let''s go, please open it."

    "Alright. [Storage] Dungeon, open!"

    While turning sideways so I can''t see inside, I opened the [Storage] with a whoosh. When Niku peeked in first¡ª

    "¡­Huh?"

    "Ah, eh, wait, Niku Onee-chan!? I thought I locked the door properly!!"

    "Master, please wait a moment. She seems to have been ying in her room."

    "What!? Papa''s there too!? Ah! So it was Papa''s doing, right!? Pervert! Creep! Don''t wash my underwear with yours!"

    What''s with that usation? It''s like some adolescent daughter''s rant. That hurt my pride as a dad a bit, you know?

    By the way, it seemed she was ying byying out socks and rolling around on them. What is my daughter doing? Just take it easy already.

 Chapter 552

    <h4>Undecided Title Arc</h4> <h4>Haku-san''s Referral</h4>

    "Soto apparently told Kinue not to wash her underwear with yours for a while."

    "What did Kinue say about that?"

    "She was actually happy since it increased her workload."

    She''s such a hard worker. That''s Kinue for you, a workaholic.

    Maybe it would be better to force her to rest a little¡­

    "Kinue is irreceable, so it''s difficult to let her rest. The current shift scheduling is already tight, like in the dining hall."

    "What do they usually do for when she''s resting?"

    "They have her store prepared meals in [Storage]."

    I see, since [Storage] stopped time, the prepared meals could be stored fresh.

    "So why did Soto end up doing that?"

    "Well, I was practicing [Super Transformation] and thought it would be fun to surprise Soto."

    "The Hero Skill, right? ¡­ What level is it now?"

    "Level 7. I can use the skills of the person I transform into."

    "That''s amazing. So you can use Dragon Breath?"

    "I need to practice first. I''ll ask Redra to teach me next time."

    Dragon Breath could be a powerful finishing move.

    [Elemental Burst] was overwhelmingly faster and easier, but the visual impact of Dragon Breath while transformed into a Dragon was strong. It''d be very versatile as a showy technique.

    I should be able to adjust its power too.

    I''ll borrow the Dragon King''s form for practice.

    "By the way, are you okay with the soul contamination?"

    "Yeah, that''s what worries me¡­ I wish there was a hero I could hit up to check the contamination caused by the Hero Skill."

    "Isn''t Anee-sama researching Hero Skills?"

    "¡­ That''s true, huh?"

    The expert on heroes was''t a hero but a high-ranking official of the country that hired and managed heroes, Haku-san.

    It was the most suitable position for objective observation, but it was ironic that a Dungeon Core, which should be an enemy of all heroes, was in that position.

    "The level increase was from the recent Dungeon Battle with Core Number 10, right? Let''s have Anee-sama take care of your aftercare. I''ll send her an email."

    "Hmm, yeah. It''s probably better than diagnosing myself¡­"

    Amateurish attempts can lead to serious injuries. Yeah.

    "Oh, I just thought of a great way to make sure Kinue gets proper rest. Kehma can transform into Kinue and work in her ce. You can use the [Cook] skill too, right?"

    "Let''s have Kinue-san work hard from now on. Yeah."

    And so it was decided.

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    "My sister replied. She''s sending a Hero Skill expert."

    "A Hero Skill expert¡­? I didn''t know such a person existed."

    An expert on the skills of heroes, who are extremely rare beings.

    It''s surprising that such a person exists.

    "They''re apparently in Pavuera right now and cane right away."

    "Right away? Even if Haku-san contacts them¡­ Can they really get in touch that quickly? Maybe they canmunicate using the [Possession] skill."

    If that''s the case, they would be someone rted to the dungeon.

    However, it wouldn''t make sense to call any of the Four Heavenly Kings, like Dolche-san the Wraith, a Hero Skill expert.

    "What''s the person''s name?"

    "She just said we''d know when they arrived."

    "Hmm? So it''s someone we know?"

    Someone rted to the dungeon and who we know. Not telling the name means she wants to surprise us? Then it must be someone unexpected¡­

    "¡­ Wataru? No, Wataru isn''t really rted to the dungeon."

    "Why bother guessing when we''ll know when they arrive?"

    "It''d be fun if our guess is right. Yeah, I''ll give you a nice present if you guess right, Rokuko. Like a dress or something."

    "Really¡­?"

    Rokuko puts her hand on her mouth and starts thinking seriously.

    Her wide-open eyes were big and beautiful, attracting attention.

    "Ah!"

    A quiet exmation slipped out as if she had a sh of insight.

    "¡­"

    "What''s wrong?"

    "Well, I was just¡­ using the process of elimination? There was one person who seemed to fit the bill, but¡­"

    "Hmm? Who?"

    I urged Rokuko, who hesitates to answer.

    "First of all, the fact that they might be in Pavuera and that they''re someone we know narrows it down considerably. And if they know about heroes¡­ that alone would leave¡­"

    "Who?"

    "Only Leona."

    ¡­ Wait, Leona?

    She''s hostile towards Haku-san, so that''s ridiculous.

    "¡­ How about Ontentoo or Redra?"

    "Those two are in Mt. Tsuia, not Pavuera. They might know something about heroes, but Anee-sama would definitely know more, so they couldn''t be called experts."

    "Ah."

    Someone Haku-san would call an expert. In other words, someone who knows more about heroes than Haku-san. In that case¡­ indeed, I couldn''t think of anyone but Leona.

    "¡­ What about the Core Number 10 from the Holy Kingdom?"

    "No, we already killed that one. Besides, Kehma was the one who delivered the final blow."

    "I mean, like, what if it somehow survived?"

    "No way¡­ Even if it did, I can''t imagine Anee-sama introducing it as an expert."

    On the other hand, if it were Leona, she could evenmunicate via email. At this point, it was impossible to think of anyone other than Leona as the answer.

    "Doesn''t the possibility of it not being Leonae out now that we''ve built up this many gs?"

    "Who else could it be? Just say it."

    "¡­ O-Otou-sama, maybe?"

    "Actually, if it''s the God of Light, they might be considered an expert¡­ but the chance of them just happening to be in Pavuera is slim."

    Ugh. The Dark God and the Light God have a significant impact on the mortal world, so they can''t just casually descend.

    If we were to meet them, it would probably be in a dream world using something like the "God''s Futon"¡­

    "Well, all we can do is wait patiently. Since it''s an introduction from my sister, there must be some circumstances, and I''m sure they won''t do anything bad, right? There''s no need to be so frightened."

    "Y-yeah, I''m not scared. It takes a lot to scare me."

    "Yeah, Leona is quite something."

    I can''t help it, she''s myplete superior in every way!?

    At that moment, Niku arrived.

    "Goshujin-sama. A guest who is a hero expert¡­? Has arrived. Could you pleasee to the reception room¡­?"

    It was clearly earlier than expected. How far did they think it was from Pavuera to here even if they moved right after contacting us¡­? It''d be about right if they could use [Teleportation], but still.

    Niku''s eyes clearly looked confused and, as she guided us to the reception room, it seemed like she was thinking, [Why is that person a guest?]

    "¡­ Um, who''s the guest?"

    "Yes, well, um¡­"

    As I steeled myself and asked, Niku said the name.

    "Karinisoto-sama¡­"

    "Eh?"

    "Huh?"

    Rokuko and I tilted our heads.

    "Soto?"

    "No, not Miss Soto, but Karinisoto-sama¡­? Huh?"

    She put her hand on her cheek and her eyes were spinning in confusion. What''s going on?

    I looked at Rokuko. She shook her head sideways.

    "Sorry, I don''t know what''s going on either¡­ but let''s go to the reception room for now?"

    "Yeah, let''s do that. For now, let''s head to the reception room."

    With that, Rokuko and I went to meet the hero expert, Karinisoto.

    ¡­ What''s going on???

 Chapter 553

    <h4>Undecided Title Arc</h4> <h4>God''s Hand</h4>

    "¡­ Heeh, really!?"

    "¡­ Yes, really. Surprising, right?"

    I could hear lively conversation caning from the reception room. It sounded like two people were talking.

    However, the voices both belonged to the same person.

    "I''ming in¡­ Soto, no, are you Soto? Wait a second. Why are there two Sotos?"

    When I opened the door, there were two Sotos inside.

    One of them was definitely my daughter, Soto. But the other one had orange eyes and looked very simr to my daughter.

    "Ah, Papa! Look, it''s me, me! I couldn''t help bute to see you!"

    "Ah, Papa! I''m Karinisoto. Please call me Soto-chan¡­ If it''s confusing, you can call me Kari-chan too!"

    Their smiling faces are identical. They could easily be mistaken for identical twins.

    And when I think about it, my difort quickly fades.

    "¡­Karinisoto, so you''re also my daughter?"

    "Yes, I''m the Space-Time God Karinisoto. I''m definitely the daughter of [Keima Masuda]."

    As they spoke, the two Sotos held hands and smiled affectionately.

    The Space-Time God. In other words¡­

    "Are you the future Soto?"

    "You could say that, but you could also say I''m not. I exist outside of space-time!"

    "Uh-huh, so you''re still Soto. I don''t quite understand, but you''vee a long way."

    "Hehe, thank you."

    "Papa, this me is also like me, it''s surprising!"

    Yeah, I couldn''t tell at a nce which of the two was speaking.

    When I took a look at Rokuko, she seems flustered, not knowing what to do with her hands.

    "Ah-ah-ah. What should we do, Kehma? There are two Sotos! Isn''t my daughter twice as cute!?"

    "Calm down Rokuko. Just think of them as twins."

    "Twins¡­? What are twins?"

    "Like Niku and Toi. Think of this one as Soto and the other one as Kari, the Space-Time God."

    "Ah, I see¡­ Oh, the strange feeling went away."

    "Sorry for the trouble, Mama and Papa. I''m a bit special."

    Rokuko seemed to feel the same strange feeling as me¡­ Maybe Niku was in the same state too?

    "What does that mean?"

    "It''s hard to exin, but because of the paradox of having two identical people and the power of the higher gods, I''m an anomaly in this world. It creates something like a difort that gets stuck in your throat and makes you nauseous from not being able to digest properly."

    She went on to say that Haku-san''s condition was something like being unable to see her as a trusted acquantance, but also unable to recognize her as Soto. Niku seemed to have the perception that there were one and a half Sotos. And although our connection as Dungeon Master and Core was still strong, we couldn''t fully digest it and were in a state of confusion.

    On the other hand, Soto herself seemed to have no strange feelings at all. It seems to be rted to her potential to be the Space-Time God.

    "I can just barely manage to act by using the bodies of this world''s people."

    "Huh? Like a divine possession? So that''s not your body then?"

    "Correct! I took over it temporarily with their consent!"

    ¡­ Well, as long as it''s with consent.

    "Oh, and let me answer the question you''re wanting to ask, Papa. Your Hero Skill will be fine if you wait for one year, but if you level up within six months, you''ll go berserk. What Leona said is true, so be careful."

    "Huh? O-okay."

    "Specifically, due to the influence of contamination, you will be an abusive husband to Mama. Mama seemed fine with it, but in some worlds, it escted and she identally killed you, so I''m warning you just in case."

    I don''t want that. Also, what did it mean for Rokuko to be fine even in that situation? Is it something unique to women who can''t leave their abusive husbands?

    "Okay, I''ll be careful for a year so I don''t be an abusive husband¡­ I''m starting to understand what kind of existence you are, Kari. Like a monitor of the world?"

    "I am the Space-Time God, after all. I said world, but it might have been more appropriate to say future, though the possibility''s been destroyed now."

    Karinisoto, the Space-Time God, seemed to be entities that were like a time paradox.

    "Well, that''s why I intervened with Aunty Haku-san and had her introduce me. But it''s not just because I wanted to warn you about not bing an abusive husband."

    "Wait, are you not just here to give me advice on that?"

    "Of course not. I won''t deny that Mama was happy every time she was punched in the face and said [I''m loved!] ¡­ This is a message from the Creation God."

    "Wait a minute, Kari. Did I really be like that? It''s a lie, right?"

    The Creation God was an entity that existed above the Dark God and the Light God.

    I wonder why my daughter was asked to do something by such a person¡­ It must be because she''s the Space-Time God.

    Karinisoto, the Space-Time God, ignored Rokuko''s question and ced a can of tea on the table. It''s tea leaves.

    "When you use the [Divine Beddings] to be a god, if you drink this tea beforehand, you can meet the Creation God¡­ Whether to use it or not is up to Papa, but I''ll give it to me for the time being."

    "Kay~, I''ll hold onto it~"

    Karinisoto handed the tea leaves to Soto.

    "If you have no intention of bing the next Creation God, feel free to use it."

    Huh?

    "Wait a minute. Did you just say [if you have no] instead of [if you have]?"

    "Yes. If you simply just continue as you are, you will be the next Creation God. To be more specific, there is mental contamination involved, so it''s a secret¡ªah, and there''s the divergence. Okay! Task aplished! Well then, I''ll be going now!"

    Suddenly, the Space-Time God Karinisoto stood up¡­ I wanted to ask for more details, but I had a feeling that doing so would trigger a SANMental Condition check and reveal the truth of the world.

    "Isn''t that too sudden?"

    "I am using the best vessel, but I am approaching my activity limit soon. My contract begins to unravel once Iplete my mission."

    "I see?"

    I don''t really understand, but it seems that her goal was to create a divergence?

    ¡­ Specting too much might damage my SAN but maybe that''s the condition for the divergence that the higher god who couldn''t enter the world directly intervened for?

    "Oh, by the way, Papa. Do your best to get a present for Mama."

    "Huh?"

    With that, the Time-Space God, Karinisoto, shined bright.

    When the light subsided, there was a ck-haired, red-eyed, ponytailed girl there¡­

    "Oh, Soto-chan''s done already? ¡­Hm? Oh, it''s Kehma-san, long time no see."

    ¡ªLeona smiled and gave a little chuckle.

    Yeah, there''s no way a vessel of a higher god could be handled by an ordinary person.

 Chapter 554

    <h4>Undecided Title Arc</h4> <h4>Haku-san''s Referral (2)</h4>

    There''s no way an ordinary human could serve as a vessel for a high-ranking god. So it was fine that Leona, who was called the Chaos God, was the vessel.

    But that doesn''t mean it was necessary to release her in this room, right!?

    "Leona, why are you here? I mean, I understand that you were a vessel, but¡­"

    "Soto-chan, the Space-Time God asked me. I epted because it sounded interesting. Maybe you shouldin to your own daughter?"

    "Right, could you hurry up and go back? I''ll make sure to educate Soto not to choose Leona as a vessel¡­ Wait."

    Ignoring my words, Soto looked at Leona with sparkling eyes.

    "Soto?"

    "Huh? What is it, Papa? I''m not, like, in love at first sight or anything!"

    This is bad, it''s suspicious. The fact that the term [in love at first sight] came out even though I didn''t say anything was very suspicious.

    "Hey Leona, go home. Don''t confuse my daughter."

    "Oh?"

    Leona smiled at Soto with a grin. Soto''s her face turned noticeably red.

    "Hehehe, maybe it''s toote?"

    "Damn you, Space-Time God Karinisoto¡­"

    There''s no doubt she did this on purpose. After all, she''s my daughter; she wouldn''t make a mistake in such an important matter. Rather, Karinisoto must have already met Leona.

    And then she wanted to introduce Leona to her other self in this world-line, so she did this.

    "¡­ Papa. There''s one thing I want to tell you."

    "What is it, Soto?"

    "I''ve always thought I wanted to marry someone like you, Papa!!"

    "Why did you say that now?"

    Moreover, her gaze is firmly fixed on Leona.

    Somehow, lines like [I want to marry Papa] or [If I get married, I want someone like my father] might be among the top-ranking lines a daughter would want to say, but this definitely shouldn''t have been the situation for that.

    "Aah¡­ I see. What Soto says is reasonable, after all."

    "Wait a minute, Rokuko, whose side are you on?"

    "But Kehma himself said that Leona was like an upgraded version of him, didn''t he?"

    I did say that, but gender is¡­ Does it not matter when you be a god?

    "Well, it''s fine, Kehma-san. You defeated Core Number 10, right?"

    "Huh? What does Core Number 10 have to do with you¡­?"

    "Now that you''ve defeated Core Number 10, there''s no reason for Haku-chan and me to be hostile anymore. In fact¡­ what do you think the reward was for lending my body to Space-Time God Soto-chan?"

    Leona chuckled smugly.

    "What did you get as a reward?"

    "Information from Soto-chan''s memories, the ones of the Space-Time God."

    "Information from a god who has memories of different worlds¡­"

    "In one world, it seems that you and I teamed up and killed the Creation God. So, you and I aren''t mortal enemies. As heroes from Japan, let''s get along?"

    She smiled cheerfully. While I didn''t feel any hostility from her, it wouldn''t change the fact that she was a bundle of trouble, even if not as an enemy.

    Wait, I killed the Creation God? What''s that about?

    Doesn''t that mean that the Space-Time God Karinisoto, who had observed such events, was an existence beyond the Creation God?

    "Also, Haku-chan asked me to train you, Kehma-san."

    "Huh? Weren''t you supposed to be hostile to Haku-san?"

    "I just made it look like that for our Core Number 10 strategy. I was working too, you know? I crushed derivative dungeons behind the scenes so they couldn''t escape. If you think it''s a lie, ask Haku-chan."

    "Would Haku-san admit it and still pull such a prank¡­ Rokuko, can you check?"

    "Yes, I sent an email."

    "Don''t hack it, Leona."

    "Didn''t you ask that Otou-sama of your to make it impossible for me? I can''t get my hands on it anymore."

    Leona shrugged her shoulders with an expression that screamed [Good Grief].

    After a while, Rokuko received a reply from Haku-san.

    "The reply from Anee-sama says that she did indeed ask Leona. She didn''t mention her name in order to surprise us, but it seems like Leona was the expert in Hero Skills she was talking about¡­"

    "Ahh, it seems like the recognition has be me since Soto-chan returned. Interesting."

    "I have noints if it''s an introduction from Anee-sama. I''ll leave the matter of Soto aside for now."

    It seems that the event was confirmed by the fact that Leona came here through Haku-san''s introduction, and the influence of the space-time god Karinisoto was minimized.

    "Are the traces of the space-time god being removed by the world''s corrective force?"

    "Hehe. I guess it''s no wonder that the one who understands this is the so-called egg of the creator god. Well, there''s no need to think too deeply about it. Things will happen as they should."

    As Leona said that, Soto, who was sitting next to her, pped her hands as if she had thought of something.

    "Does that mean you will be staying in this vige for a while, Leona-san?"

    "Wait a minute, why would she?"

    "Because she''s going to train Papa, right? There''s no way it could be done in just one day. It''s a level that would satisfy Haku-sama, right?"

    "¡­"

    I couldn''t deny her anywhere there.

    "Leona-san, how much are you going to train Papa?"

    "For now, your [Super Transformation] has reached Lv. 7, right? If you can master it, you''ll be among the strongest. I''ll make sure you have the power to match that."

    "Oh, that''s great! It seems like it''ll take quite a while, so if you don''t mind, you can stay in my room during that time¡ª"

    "Soto. Leona will be staying at the church."

    "Oh, is that okay? To stay there?"

    "It''s an introduction from Haku-san, so¡­ugh."

    Soto''s room¡ªit''s better than letting her into the [Storage] Dungeon.

    Besides, the Subus Sisters at the church were originally under Leona''s care, so there wouldn''t be any problems.

    If the Subus Vige inside the dungeon was still there, I''d have pushed her there, but I''d dismantled it and moved them to the church during the dungeon''s renovation. Some of them have migrated to the neighboring vige, Draco.

    ¡­ No, should I create a separate room for Leona inside the dungeon and iste her?

    I need to create a monitorable environment in the near future.

    "Just so you know, Leona, don''ty a hand on my daughter."

    "Does that mean it''s not the case if I''m the one being pursued?"

    "That''s not allowed either. She''s a child, after all. Properly refusing is an adult''s discretion."

    "Can''t be helped. I''ll obey this time since it''s under Haku-chan''s introduction."

    Does that mean it won''t be the case if shees to the vige again after this matter is over?

    ¡­ I see, it seems I have to train seriously to protect my daughter¡­!

 Chapter 555

    <h4>Undecided Title Arc</h4> <h4>Training Start!</h4>

    And so, for one reason or another, I wound up receiving training from Leona.

    ¡­ Actually, thinking about it more calmly, why was I just believing what Leona said?

    Well, I can still believe in the Space-Time God Karinisoto.

    Damn, my head''s all confused! ¡­ It''s not one of Leona''s illusions, right?

    I tried ringing the [Divine rm Clock] just in case there was any mental contamination as it should have been able to dispel it, but my perception didn''t change. It really didn''t seem like my consciousness was tampered with. Gah.

    "Sigh¡­ Leona-san¡­"

    And Soto was sighing by the window like a love-stricken girl.

    Her expression clearly said [Status Abnormality: Love], but the rm clock''s effect didn''t work on her either.

    "¡­ Karinisoto Shishido, no, Shishido Karinisoto?"

    My daughter wasbining her own name with Leona''sst name like a teenager in the throes of puberty.

    "Wait a minute, Soto. Are you thinking of getting married? I won''t allow it."

    "Huh¡ª-? I-it''s not like that, Papa! I was thinking Leona Masuda Labriheart might be nice too!"

    "I''d rather not be one of Leona''s rtives¡­ wait, you could say that Niku is already rted to Leona¡­ That''s right, Niku would cry, right?"

    "If I made Niku Onee-chan¡­ Master cry, I''d be a terrible Dungeon Core¡­ hafuu."

    Not good, my daughter has fallen for a bad woman.

    What should a father do at times like this¡­!?

    Unable to the answer, the time for the first training session with Leona arrived.

    We were alone in the Arena Area. At the very least, Rokuko was monitoring through the dungeon function, so we could be pulled out immediately in case anything happened.

    "If you be strong enough to touch me with one hand, I''ll resolve it."

    "¡­ What are you talking about, Leona?"

    "I''m talking about Soto-chan. I don''t feel bad about it, but personally, I''m a bit hesitant to get involved with my grandchild''s partner."

    Leona, I''m honestly surprised that you have such sensibilities.

    "It would make the family tree quiteplicated. I might prefer things to be messy as the Chaos God, but right now I''m [Hero Leona]. I''m the teacher of Hero Kehma¡­ Ah, should we start with cutting arge rock? It''s a ssic for heroes."

    "Are you going to shield your disciple and self-destruct?"

    "Ah, I prefer masters who betray their disciples and be the enemy in the end. I don''t dislike the development where the master turns against you."

    While saying that, Leona cast [Super Alchemy] and created arge rock in the arena.

    "Try cutting this. [Super Alchemy], [Super Alchemy]. Here, use this sword. It''s just an ordinary iron sword."

    "¡­ You want me to cut the rock? With this?"

    As she said, it was just an ordinary iron sword without any peculiarities. I didn''t feel any strange magical power either.

    "Since this is special training for [Super Transformation], you just need to transform into someone who can cut rocks, right?"

    "Oh, that''s right. Just transform into someone who can cut rocks."

    "Also, you can transform into the peak of that person''s abilities, right? If you know about them, of course. Oh, by the way, don''t try to be a hero. Hero skills can''t be replicated by [Super Transformation] so you won''t be able to reproduce thempletely."

    In that case, it would be someone like Haku-san''s Four Heavenly Kings or the Imperial Knight Captain Sally-san. I also thought of the Demond''s Dungeon Core, Aidi, but that would likely require using her own magic sword.

    I used [Super Transformation] to turn into Sally-san.

    "Oh, how cute. You''re one of Haku-chan''s kids."

    "Well, I thought that if it''s Sally-san, I might be able to cut the rock."

    "That''s right. Sally-chan can cut it. Give it a try."

    I took a stance with the sword and tried to cut the rock¡ªkachiing! The sword bounced off, slipping out of my grip and flying away. My hand tingled with numbness.

    "¡­ I can''t cut it?"

    "Well, youck the technique. You should have enough strength, so it''s just that Kehma-san''s skills are really bad. But it''s fine if the person you transform into can brute force it with their strength."

    "I see¡­ That makes sense."

    It''s a simple story. To cut a rock, you need a hundred points. Sally-san has more than a hundred points in strength and techniquebined, but I don''t have enough technique to exceed the hundred point requirement.

    On the other hand, if I just be a being that surpassed a hundred points with just strength, I wouldn''t need technique. Then, if I could use technique on top of that, I could even overwhelm the original person.

    "Choose your transformations wisely. Since you can add techniques, a hero with [Super Transformation] could theoretically be the strongest."

    "So you actually can be helpful."

    "Nah, I was just saying what it''d be like for me. Also, use your skills. If you''re Sally-chan¡­ [Super Appraisal]¡­ yeah, you should be able to cut the rock with [sh] or something."

    Oh, woops. I''d forgotten skills were a thing. With [Super Transformation Lv. 7], I could use the skills of the person I transformed into.

    I picked up the iron sword and faced the rock again.

    "[sh]¡ªWhoa!"

    My body moved on its own with the skill. The iron sword swung down and sliced through the rock.

    ¡­ Martial skills are amazing.

    "Since skills make the appropriate movement for you, you can do this much if your body is strong enough. However, since their movements are almost fixed, they provide arge opening and experts could lose if they used one against each other¡­ It''s not good against opponents like the Demon King or Haku-chan."

    Of course, that also means it''s not good against Leona.

    ¡­ So I have to learn to cut rocks without relying on martial skills. I''ve got a long road ahead of me.

    "I''ll create a hundred rocks for you to cut. You can use skills for half of them¡ª[Super Alchemy], [Super Alchemy]¡­"

    "¡­ And what will you be doing?"

    "I''ll be reading a book at the church. Call me when you''re done. [Teleport]."

    Leona swiftly left the dungeon¡­ Well, I''m somewhat relieved that she seems to be providing me with ordinary training, but also not really.

    "Keima, Soto is heading to the church. Should I stop her?"

    "¡­ Yeah, do everything you can, Rokuko! Have Niku give her orders, okay!?"

    Will Soto fall first or will Iplete Leona''s training first¡­ Isn''t this bet way too unfavorable for me?!

 Chapter 556

    <h4>Undecided Title Arc</h4> <h4>Leona and the Subi</h4>

    As dered to Kehma, Leona was reading a book in the church.

    She was disguised in a nun''s habit, blending in seamlessly without disturbing the church''s atmosphere.

    However, the Subi Sisters who were left behind in the vige as Leona''s followers noticed her. In fact, the nun''s habit Leona was wearing had been provided by the Subi themselves.

    Although they had been asked to monitor Leona by Kehma and Rokuko, their gazes were sweet rather than stern, as if watching an idol from afar. As always, she was the object of their faith.

    Beddhism was a sub-religion that didn''t deny one''s primary faith. The Subi were still believers of Leona.

    Given that the Subi wouldn''t have been able to stop Leona if took any action anyway, their stance towards her was correct so far as monitoring was concerned. Kehma and the others didn''t demand that much so the sisters were secretly monitoring her as part of the dungeon side as well.

    "Leona-sama. It''s been a while."

    "Oh, it has been a while, Suira¡­ Now that I''m a sister, should I call you Sister Suira-sama?"

    "You seem amused."

    Nevertheless, Suira knew very well that Leona thoroughly enjoyed situations where such hierarchical rtionships were mixed up¡ªor in other words, chaotic situations.

    After all, Leona was the Chaos God.

    "So, Leona-sama. Please tell me all of your purposes for this visit. If there''s anything I can help with, I''ll assist you."

    "Oh? Won''t Kehma-san get mad?"

    "Founder-sama told me to [Find out her purpose, and if it doesn''t harm the vige, help her and send her home quickly]."

    It seemed to be with Kehma''s consent. There was still a question as to whether it was alright toe out and say it in such straightforward manner, but it was just as likely something that didn''t need to be hidden.

    "Well, it''s alright. Is Michiru doing well?"

    "She is, but what is your purpose?"

    "One of my purposes this time is to examine Michiru. She''s your princess, right? I need to give her a health check once in a while. I''m still her primary physician, after all."

    "That''s¡­ yes, thank you."

    "I''ll examine the other girls as well."

    Leona seemed to be in a good mood, chuckling to herself.

    Closing her book, she headed towards the back of the church. First, she was going to examine Suira, the head sister, before the other sisters arrived.

    "[Super Appraisal]¡­ Oh, you''ve grown quite a bit. You''ve been receiving vital energy from Kehma-san properly, haven''t you?"

    "No, Founder-sama doesn''ty a hand on us at all. He has his own exclusive Subus, so we can''t even sneak into his bed at night to show our gratitude."

    "Eh, seriously? How do you manage your vital energy then?"

    "When we work at the church, we often receive a considerable amount of affection¡­ And after confirming that such people have fallen asleep in the church, we visit them in their dreams."

    The Subi were able to enjoy delicious vital energy and their partners had their worldly desires cleared away, resulting in a win-win rtionship.

    "On the day of mass, it''s an all-you-can-eat feast. It''s amazing."

    "Surprisingly rational, as expected of Beddhism¡­"

    As Leona expressed her admiration, the other Subi arrived. Among them was a particrly young Subus, Michiru, so Leona decided to examine Michiru after Suira.

    "It''s been a while, Leona-sama!"

    "You seem to be doing well, Michiru. Leaving you in this vige was the right decision."

    "Yes, thanks to you, I don''t go hungry or shiver in the cold. I''m grateful to Beddhism and Leona-sama!"

    "Yes, then I''ll examine you. [Super Appraisal]¡­ Hmm, you''re progressing well. At this rate, you''ll be a Queen in no time."

    "Hoheh¡­ I can''t really feel it."

    Michiru''s reaction was a bit subdued, but the surrounding Subi suddenly became excited.

    "Oh, we''ll be able to overthrow countries!"

    "Regaining our power won''t be a dream anymore!"

    "Yes, we''ll take back the countries stolen by those Incubi!"

    In the midst of all this, Suira noticed Michiru''s troubled expression and gently patted her head.

    "Michiru? You don''t seem too enthusiastic."

    "Suira Onee-sama¡­ I think I''d be fine just staying in this vige as a sister."

    "Oh? Don''t you want to be a princess, Michiru?"

    "This vige is just toofortable."

    Suira nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, Golen was veryfortable. With Beddhism there was no shortage of food. It was truly a suitable ce to call a haven or paradise.

    "Also, Cid-kun is delicious¡­"

    "You mean the vige chief from the neighboring vige? If Michiru likes him, it might be a good idea to kidnap him when the timees."

    "No, that''s not okay. Cid-kun is working hard as the vige chief and he''s technically the top candidate for the next lord of Pavuera, right?"

    "It seems like his lineage is impable. Instead of abducting him, we could properly negotiate and wee him as the prince consort. He would be of higher status than a lord, so he might even be happy with that."

    "I have friends here too¡­ like Niku, Mai-chan, and Soto-chan."

    "We can invite them as well¡­ Leona-sama, is something wrong?"

    Suira spoke casually but noticed that Leona was looking at her and asked.

    "If you''re going toy a hand on Soto-chan, I''ll extract Michiru''s [Potential] right here."

    "¡­ Of course, she is Founder-sama''s daughter, we would never treat her so poorly."

    "Even so, it''s not eptable. Soto-chan needs to grow up happily here. The Space-Time God asked me to watch over her."

    "I understand, as you wish. Is that one of your purposes foring here, Leona-sama?"

    "Yes. I was promised a wonderful reward. So that''s also one of the reasons I came to this vige."

    Seeing Leona''s dreamy smile, Suira decided not to interfere.

    They were essentially unable to oppose Leona.

    "Don''t worry, Michiru. Suira and the others won''t be able to defy you, so you can live here as you please, okay?"

    "I see! Queens are amazing, huh?"

    "Besides, it''s not like you have to be a Queen and immediately defeat the Incubi, right? You''ll need some training, or you''ll be defeated instead. I''d like to see about five years of growth and training."

    "¡­ If it''s only that much, well¡­"

    Hearing Leona''s words, the Subi seemed convinced, mumbling amongst themselves.

    "Humans grow up quickly, so with him being a noble, he''ll be independent in five more years. Michiru, you should think about various things until then. If you take too long, time will fly by."

    "Y-yes, Leona-sama."

    After that, Leona conducted health examinations for the other Subi. As for Suira beginning to doubt whether Leona was capable of giving them proper advice just then¡­ well, that would remain a secret.

 Chapter 557

    <h4>Undecided Title Arc</h4> <h4>Mid-Training</h4>

    "Phew¡­"

    I exhaled in front of the split rocks, still in my [Super Transformation] Sally-san form.

    I was tired, but I''d managed to sessfully learn the rock-splitting technique.

    Sally-san straight up had the muscles to cut through rocks while ignoring the technique in her half-human form¡ªthat is, her normal form as a Living Armor¡­ can I still say muscles even if she didn''t actually have any?

    Then on top of that she had the technique for it, too. That''s Sally-san. Like I get she''s one of the Four Heavenly Kings and all, but isn''t she too strong? She could handle it from either a power or technical approach, let alone abination of the two.

    Still though, just relying on power wouldn''t be enough for me to defeat Leona.

    I deliberately tried to cut the rocks without using any skills in Sally-san''s human form¡­ Relying on the fact that she could do it in her humanized form, I''d repeated my attempts through trial and error to get it done. I had to keep fixing the iron sword as it broke, but I finally managed to figure it out.

    And since I could just use [Super Transformation] again to recuperate, I could keep practicing without bing fatigued.

    "Good vibes you got going there."

    "Leona? When''d you get here?"

    "Just now really."

    She''d juste and go whenever she wanted despite it being my dungeon¡­ She used [Teleportation], obviously.

    "Kehma-san, undo your [Super Transformation] and try cutting a rock in your own form."

    "Huh? There''s no way¡­ wait, maybe I can?"

    "If you have enough strength, you should be able to. You''ve been cutting rocks in a humanized form, so you should know."

    Although what Leona said was annoying, she was right.

    So I gave cutting the rocks once more in my own form a shot¡ª

    ¡ªand, with a thud, seeded in cutting through the rock.

    "¡­ Ohh."

    I couldn''t help but let out a strange sound. Deeefinitely didn''t think I''d actually be able to do that without Golem Assist.

    "See? You can do it if you put your head down to it, as expected of a hero."

    "Right, I''m a hero too, huh."

    I''d almost forgotten¡­ but I was technically a hero.

    With that being the case, it''s only natural that I''d be stronger as I trained.

    "If Kehma-san is a hero, does that make me the Demon King? Different from the Demon King faction, though."

    "Aren''t you an Evil God¡ªMiss Chaos God?"

    "Oh my, that''s true. Hehe."

    For some reason, Leona smiled happily at that.

    "A young hero girl and an Evil God in a romantic rtionship¡ªthat''s so chaotic, isn''t it?"

    "I''m gonna punch you."

    "You''ll have to get stronger if you want to do that, then. Should you call Niku over now?"

    Heroes are supposed to work together with theirpanions to ovee powerful foes. But what about solo yers like Wataru? Is he like the protagonist of Dragon Quest 1?

    "What about you, Leona? Have you ever had any experiences where you cooperated with allies to defeat an enemy?"

    "Well, it''s an old story. Before I merged with the Core Number 4, I was called a Saintess¡­ and I changed the name of the Light God Decree''s headquarters to Kuromaku and had some fun¡ª"

    "Wait, wait, wait, that''s way too much crucial information."

    Don''t just casually start talking about such dangerous information, c''mon!

    "It''s fine, Core Number 10''s already long gone¡­ Well, never mind that. Anyway, you can also support your allies in battle with [Super Transformation]."

    "¡­ Rokuko, please call Niku."

    "Okay!"

    With that, Niku was both called for and had quickly arrived.

    Niku looked displeased on seeing Leona. It was a very unusual reaction for the usually expressionless Niku.

    "¡­"

    "Hello, Niku. You can attack however you like, okay?"

    "Very well."

    Immediately drawing her Knife Golem, Niku shed at Leona, who managed to stop the attack with one hand. Pinching the de between her index and middle fingers, she twisted and threw Niku away.

    Niku didn''t hesitate at all just now. Well, not like she was an opponent who could be easily killed by a single sh.

    "See, Kehma-san? You should help too."

    "But I don''t want to mess things up by joining in and doing something wrong."

    "Hmm, that''s true."

    As Niku regained her footing, she attacked Leona again. Despiteing from behind, she did a half-sidestep and tripped Niku with her leg.

    "Niku, you need to cooperate with your Goshujin-sama properly."

    "Muu¡­"

    Niku nced at me. Well, let''s give it a try. I''ll support her with magic.

    "Here I go¡­!"

    "[Fireball]!"

    "Hmm, although Fireball is a decent choice here, I''d expect ance-type spell to deal more damage. Also, I could tank these sort of attacks all day and not break a sweat at my level."

    As if to prove her point, Leona dealt only with Niku''s attack. The Fireball hit her and burned out with a puff, leaving no trace. Leona''s hair wasn''t even singed.

    "¡­ [Fire Lance]!"

    "To¡ª-riyaah!"

    "Ah, hey now. That''s dangerous~"

    Leona knocked away the Fire Spear I shot out. Niku had jumped in right where I''d aimed and was almost hit.

    "Sorry, Goshujin-sama. I got in the way."

    "No, it''s my fault. I couldn''t even attack her openning properly. Sorry, Niku."

    "¡­ What, no thanks for little old me? Well, it''s fine. As long as you don''t die, I''ll heal any injuries with aplete recovery potion. Feel free to try whatever you want."

    Saying that, Leona repeatedly used [Super Alchemy] to create potions out of thin air.

    "Yeah, what the heck? What about thew of conservation of mass?"

    "It''s obviously prettyte to bring it up, but it''s that, you know? You know how [The sky is air]? I''m just transmuting the air into the potion bottle and its contents."

    That''s too absurd. It''s like a cheat¡­ Well, it was a hero''s skill, so I guess it being a cheat was the point.

    "Hey, Leona, can you heal yourself indefinitely or something?"

    "Well, these consume magical power to make, but I''m also wearing essories that helps with my natural recovery, so you could say I can heal indefinitely."

    It also appeared there were only some special conditions that she wouldn''t be able to heal herself continuously.

    "The ultimate point of this training is for you, Kehma-san, to be strong enough to defeat me or Haku-chan¡­ Well, I wouldn''t be using [Super Alchemy], but still."

    How the heck would I ever be able to beat her if he did use [Super Alchemy]?

    ¡­ And what sort of special conditions would disable her automatic recovery?

 Chapter 558

    <h4>Bridegroom Training</h4> <h4>Taking a break from training.</h4>

    I decided to use Niku as my body pillow and roll around in bed for a while.

    Today was a rest day from training. Leona said it wasn''t good to push yourself too hard, which was surprisingly reasonable given that it wasing from her.

    "But man, I''m a magic specialist but now I can even cut through rocks."

    "As Goshujin-sama grows stronger, I worry that my usefullness will decrease."

    "Don''t worry, I intend to make full use of you in the future, Niku."

    My body not being my own felt terrible. Let''s focus on rolling around in my room¡­

    "But I feel like I got muscle soreness from cutting those rocks¡­"

    "What are you talking about? You''re Kehma, cutting through rocks should be normal for you."

    As I thought about it, Rokuko spoke as she entered the room. She casually sat down on the opposite side of Niku and crawled into the bed. What''s she up to?

    Ah, maybe she''s just cold and wants to get under the cover? Well, guess I have no choice.

    "Why not use [Healing]?"

    "You didn''t know, Rokuko? It''s supposedly better to let the muscles recover naturally. It''s totally not just my excuse to roll around in bed either."

    If healing magic could make you stronger, Leona would probably have suggested something like [cut off your arm and heal it over and over to build muscle easily].

    "I never thought I could cut rocks¡­ but I don''t remember training that much? Maybe just a little in the Demonds."

    "Maybe you''re using some kind of body strengthening magic?"

    "Ah, I see. That makes sense."

    It would be strange if I could cut rocks without bing more muscr, and I was beginning to worry about it being difficult to adjust to having strength like that in daily life, but that was resolved in a sh.

    That''s right. In this world, I could use magic freely.

    I was already in the realm of superpowers and if I wanted to have something far awaye to my hand, I could activate wind magic without and incantation and make it fly over to me like nothing.

    It was a sort of magic I learned because I was toozy to get out of bed.

    I could also use magic to return things back to where I got them from, of course. I didn''t use wind magic for that, though, I used [Teleport].

    "Right, I remember Nerune praising what you did as the essence of magic whilementing its wasteful use."

    "What''s that? Like the whole [luxuries can only be afforded with money] kind of feel?"

    Either way, I used magic like it was my hands or feet. If I was unconsciously applying magic when moving my actual hands and feet, it wouldn''t be strange¡­ yeah.

    On the other hand, has my strength without magic decreased a lot?

    Maybe I''ve been too much of a sloth. I''ve been moving around with Leona''s training a lottely though¡­

    "¡­ I''m starting to feel like not getting a bit of exercise after training might be a bad thing."

    "Oh? Suira said there''s a good exercise for men and women to do together. Do you want to do it, Niku?"

    "Rokuko-sama, tell me more."

    "Wait. Don''t take what a Subus says at face value. Their race and culture is different."

    That''s definitely the type of exercise that would get me punched by Haku-san.

    ¡­ Wait, wasn''t I already given permission? Huh?

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    There were people referred to as [Viger Adventurers] in Golen.

    To be precise, they were people who started out as adventurers but ended up bing vigers as well. Though tracing back even further, I suppose they started out as vigers in the first ce since they tended to be farmers'' third sons or something like that before they became adventurers.

    These so-called viger adventurers generally made a living by hunting Goblins and Golems in the dungeon and receiving rewards from the Adventurer Guild.

    To lead a somewhat decent life, you need at least enough power to hunt Iron Golems at the party level, or it wouldn''t work out.

    Therefore, all the viger adventurers were actually quite skilled.

    Several viger adventurers chatted while drinking at the inn.

    "Don''t you think the vige chief has some kind of presencetely?"

    "Oh, you think so too? It''s like he''s got the aura of a strong person now."

    "I knew he wasn''t an ordinary person from the start, but it feels like the deceptive appearance is finally gone, ya know?"

    They were very sensitive to Kehma''s improvement in strength.

    Kehma, who had been going to the dungeon every daytely, seemed to be getting stronger day by day.

    "After all, he''s a man who can beat Hero Wataru."

    "He did have to cheat a bit though."

    "The vige chief himself says he can''t beat him, so even though it''s cheating¡­ If he challenged him head-on, wouldn''t Wataru get his first victory?"

    Indeed, they all nodded.

    "Hmm? Are you talking about me?"

    And then Wataru himself showed up.

    "Oh? Yo, Wataru. Did youe to make offerings to that witch again?"

    "Haha, well¡­ you''re not entirely wrong."

    Hero Wataru spoke while scratching his head in embarrassment.

    Despite having many women to choose from, everyone wondered why he was so smitten with the witch¡ªthat is, Nerune.

    Although she had a in appearance that didn''t stand out at first nce, no one could deny that she was beautiful.

    Moreover, her nickname as a [Witch] is not actually referring to her being a witch, but rather how she was a seductress who had the hero wrapped around her finger. (Nerune herself was quite fond of it.)

    "So is it true that Kehma has be stronger?"

    "Yeah, there''s no doubt about it. Well, he''s been strong from the start¡­"

    "That just makes it even harder for me to win."

    Saying that, Wataru seemed happy for some reason.

    "Between the witch and the vige chief, you''re pretty strange huh, Wataru?"

    "Like you enjoy losing. Well, not like it''s a big deal or anything."

    "I''ve won so many times that I''m bored of winning! It''s weird for me to say that about myself though."

    "Hahaha, well, you''re a hero after all!"

    The viger adventurer pped Wataru on the back in a friendly manner. The traveling merchant who had noticed Wataru and was watching from a distance trembled.

    "So, is there a reason why Kehma''s gotten stronger?"

    When Wataru asked, the viger adventurers all started talking up.

    "Hmm? Let me think. Until recently, his wife had a bodyguard sent to her, but that was withdrawn, right?"

    "No, he was justzy for a while after that. Right, it was his daughter''s birthday!"

    "Hmm, I can''t think of anything¡­ Oh,e to think of it, didn''t it start when that ck-haired woman came?"

    At the mention of [ck-haired], Wataru reacted sharply.

    "ck hair? Like mine and Kehma''s? With ck eyes?"

    "Yeah, she has the same pitch-ck hair as the vige chief. But her eyes were red."

    "ck hair, red eyes. Hmm, like Kehma, there''s a possibility that her parents are heroes. I''d like to talk to her a bit."

    With that, Wataru thought about meeting that person.

    He just couldn''t get the thought out of his mind.

 Chapter 559

    Ch. 559

    Released: 05/06/23

    Trantor: Ziru

    <h4>Bridegroom Training</h4> <h4>A Chance Meeting Between Heroes</h4>

    "Kehma-san, let''s have a match since I heard you''ve gotten stronger!"

    On the way back from the church''s mass, Wataru called out to me.

    You were here? And where did you hear that I''ve be stronger?

    "I''m tired from finishing my work. Talk about cowardly, a hero waiting to target me like that."

    "But you''ll just keep on dodging me to avoid my challenges if we don''t do it now, right? I need at least a promise for a match, even if it''s not right now!"

    He wasn''t exactly wrong.

    If it wasn''t for his timing, I could have made up some excuse like [I''m busy now] and avoided the whole thing¡­ How dare he learn.

    "Unfortunately, it''s true that I don''t have time to y around since I''m training. Maybe next time."

    "Eh, but you''ve be stronger, right? Won''t I be defeated with just a touch of your armor?"

    "What kind of magic armor can defeat someone with just a touch? Does my clothing look like that?"

    And then, he casually mixed in a weird four-character idiomwith just a touch that would be strangely tranted by the trantion feature. This guy is bing more cunning.

    "In that case, why don''t you just fight my clothes instead?"

    "Oh! That''s like the story of Ikkyu Zenji with the monk''s robe episode! He was turned away when dressed shabbily, but when he wore a gorgeous robe, he was weed. So, he left only the robe saying, ''It seems this robe is what''s being sought after,'' and went back!"

    ¡­ I wouldn''t mind if you''d be satisfied with me just leaving my clothes behind.

    Ah, but what I was wearing was the [Divine Pajamas] in jersey form, so never mind actually. Screw that.

    "Can I go home now? I''m tired and want to sleep."

    "Hmm, can''t be helped. In that case, please tell me about the ck-haired woman who''s been seen in this vige."

    At Wataru''s suddenment, I nearly burst outughing.

    "¡­ Where did you hear about that?"

    "Eh, just at the inn?"

    Leona was indeed being seen by the vigers. She was enjoying her life in the vige without hiding anything, so it''s no wonder Wataru heard about her¡­

    I had a feeling that things would get serious if I introduced Leona to Wataru though¡ª

    ¡ªNo, wait a minute. If I introduced Wataru to Leona here, coiuldn''t I shift their interest in me onto each other?

    ¡­ Even if Wataru found out that I''m a hero at that point¡­ there''d be another hero, Leona, so it might actually be a good thing. This could be the perfect timing to spill the beans.

    "Alright. Then, I''ll introduce that person to Wataru¡­ yeah, I''d rather not, but I''ll introduce you to the one who has be my master!"

    "Master! Hoh, now that sounds interesting¡­!!"

    Hook line and sinker. I knew Wataru wouldn''t be able to leave bait like that alone!

    I quietly checked the map and looked for Leona''s location¡­ She was at the cksmith. What''s she up to? The vige''s only cksmith, Kantra, and Nerune were with her too.

    "Over here, follow me."

    "Yay, thank you Kehma-san!"

    While wondering if it was really okay to let them meet, I took Wataru to the cksmith.

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    And so we''d arrived at the cksmithy. Leona was drawing a magic formation on a ckboard with chalk, though it wasn''t clear where she got it from.

    "Basically, by using this magic formation, you can freely add attributes to any material."

    "What a breakthrough¡­ I''m witnessing the dawn of a new era!"

    "Wow, Leona-san is amazing, we''re learning so much!"

    Hey, you damned Chaos God, don''t just casually bestow revolutionary technology!

    Seeing Kantra''s excitement, it must be quite a discovery!

    "Hey, Kantra. If you value your life, you should forget what you heard from her."

    "What are you talking about, Kehma-dono? With this magic formation, we could easily solve a difficult problem that hasn''t been solved in the area for 150 years!"

    "Oh. Well, she''s probably a demon who will take your soul as payment for solving such a problem."

    "Oh, dear. I don''t need that, I have more than enough souls as it is."

    Leona chuckled. Souls were in abundance for her, as expected of the Chaos God.

    "It''s just for fun, you know? I wanted to experiment with what would happen if I taught a remote vige''s alchemist and cksmith some cutting-edge technology."

    "Kantra would be forcibly turned into an extremely important person, right?! Fine, Kantra! We''ll discuss this matter thoroughlyter!"

    "Oh, alright. For now, I''ll try making a magic sword!"

    That''s not what I meant¡­ Forget it. It''s impossible. Making a magic sword is Kantra''s lifelong goal.

    He originally came to this vige to achieve it. Stopping him now would be a bit¡­

    Ah, geez, I''ve gotten myself into more troublesome work¡­!

    "So, Kehma-san, who is this person? She has ck hair and ck eyes¡­"

    "This is Hero Wataru, the Empire''s hero. Wataru, this is Leona, my begrudging master and Haku-san''s acquaintance."

    "Wataru here. Nice to meet you."

    "Oh, I''m Leona. Nice to meet you¡­ I see, so you are the [Super Luck] hero."

    Wataru, who offered a handshake, received a friendly smile and handshake from Leona.

    I was prepared just in case, but nothing happened.

    "You know about me?"

    "Yes, I''ve heard about you from Soto-chan just recently."

    "From Soto-chan? I hope she didn''t say anything embarrassing about me."

    "Don''t worry, she said you were a cool big brother, honestly."

    Suspicious! She was probably referring to Space-Time Goddess Soto, right? Just what did she say¡­?

    "By the way, Leona-san, does your ck hair have anything to do with being Japanese?"

    "Oh, I''m Japanese, so it''s natural for my hair to be ck."

    "Japanese! I''m¡­ I''m Japanese too!!"

    Wataru firmly dered that.

    He had never been able to say [I''m Japanese too] until now. Congrattions.

    "But your eyes are red. Is that due to some skill?"

    "Yes, it''s due to a skill rted to magical eyes, which changed their color. [Super Massage], a magical eye to pinpoint muscle stiffness¡­ Right here!"

    "Wow! I didn''t know I had shoulder stiffness¡­ And it was relieved with just one push?!"

    Wataru, feeling the lightness in his shoulder, rotated it round and round.

    By the way, I wouldn''t mention that Leona possessed arge number of hero skills.

    [Kehma-san, Kehma-san. I''m speaking directly to your mind right now¡­]

    [Come on man, directly into my brain!? ¡­ Oh, it''s [Telepathy] right? What''s up, Leona?]

    [You''re keeping it a secret that you''re a hero, right Kehma-san? I won''t tell anyone, so just think of me as a regr 17-year-old girl hero! It seems more interesting that way!]

    ¡­Well, that''s fine. But that lie seemed likely to be exposed soon.

 Chapter 560

    <h4>Chapter 560</h4>

    LDM Ch. 560

    6-7 minutes

    "Where did you live, Leona-san? I lived in Kanto."

    "Oh, are you thinking of meeting when we return to Japan?"

    "No, no, no. I just wanted to talk about our hometowns, it''s not like people from this world would understand."

    Wataru and Leona hit it off immediately at the inn.

    Moreover, Leona was supposedly 17 years old, so she was drinking juice, not alcohol.

    I''m not very good at drinking either, so I was also having juice. Ah, the fried chicken is delicious.

    I''d told Nerune to go back for now.

    For Nerune, we were talking about another world. Even though she could finally get a chance to talk about Japan, it wouldn''t be nice to disrupt the conversation by trying to join in.

    What about me? Well, I had Japanese parents and more than enough knowledge about Japan.

    And I don''t want to leave Leona alone, so I didn''t have a choice.

    "Heeh, so you came to this world when you were in high school Wataru-san?"

    "How long have you been in this world, Leona-san? If you need anything, I can arrange it for you, I am a recognized hero in the Empire after all!"

    Wataru proudly puffed out his chest.

    Too bad she was his senior by, well, a lot. Wataru''s reaction whenever he ends up learning the truth was going to be priceless.

    "Hehe, I''m doing fine. I''m enjoying this world too. I have the power of a Hero skill, so I can make it on my own."

    "She''s actually an assassin sent to train me by Haku-san. She''s definitely stronger than me, you should spar with herter."

    "Oh! I remember hearing about that. How does she fight with that massage skill? Like, massaging her own body to increase her abilities?"

    "I can also clearly see the opponent''s weak points. Fufufu."

    Leona spoke, her eyes glowing red.

    Ah, she''s using [Super Appraisal]. How bold.

    "Wait, you''re one of Haku-san''s, so that''d make you an Empire-recognized hero, right? So aren''t we colleagues then?"

    "I suppose, that''s one way to look at it. I''ve only recentlye to Haku-chan''s service, so we may see each other more in the future."

    Leona took a big sip of her fruit juice. A telepathic conversation ensued.

    [I''ve been avoiding his [Super Luck] all this time by not revealing any information. It''s unfortunate, but encountering me is considered unfortunate for him.]

    [I think that''s true overall, wish I had it too.]

    ¡­ It would''ve been great if I had [Super Luck] too though.

    "I want to talk more about Japan. Let''s see, what kind of music did you listen to, Leona-san?"

    "Hmm? Let''s see¡­ um¡­"

    Leona stumbles in her response.

    [Kehma-san, help me a bit!]

    [Why? Just tell him about some songs you remember.]

    [That''s five hundred years ago, I''ve almostpletely forgotten!]

    Right, Leona spent overwhelmingly more time living in this world than she did in Japan.

    I reluctantly told her about a nostalgic melody.

    "¡ª-And that''s one of the songs I used to listen to. Yeah. I haven''t heard it since I came here, so I only vaguely remember it."

    "Heeh, I''ve heard my parents sing that one. Was it the same for you, Leona-san?"

    "Y-yeah, I didn''t listen to music much myself, so it was just whenever I heard something ying."

    Hmm, a generation gap.

    [Kehma-san, don''t you know any songs for younger people!?]

    [I''m the type of person who doesn''t know much about recent songs.]

    Speaking of which, if Leona''s been living in this world for five hundred years¡­ doesn''t that make her a person from five hundred years ago?

    Five hundred years ago in Japan was the Sengoku period. There wouldn''t be any young people around from then, would there?

    [You''re off track there though? I''m a modern Japanese person from the 2000s, you know?]

    [Oh, right. You did mention something about games before.]

    [See? Ah, right. Maybe I should tell this hero about it too.]

    Saying so via [Telepathy], Leona pped her hands.

    "Do you know this? The flow of time is different between this world and Japan. So it''s possible for someone who was younger in Japan to be older in this world."

    "Oh, you''re quite knowledgeable! I was thinking the same. When I consider the story of the most famous hero, Food God Ishidaka, it seems like that."

    "Yes, that''s right. From what I''ve heard, even though there was a hero summoned after Ishidaka as far as Japan''s timeline is concerned, he was actually summoned a hundred years before Ishidaka in this world."

    I wonder if hero Ishidaka got lost when he was summoned? For about a hundred years or so.

    Leona sent me a telepathic message saying, [This hero here''s pretty well informedpared to you huh?] but I wasn''t particrly interested in that stuff, so eh.

    "The food that Ishidaka-san used to make was very much like the kind of food you''d find on a Japanese table. There were things like omelettes and mapo tofu."

    "The food culture had advanced several centuries by the time of Ishidaka. Many recipes that didn''t use rice seem to have been lost."

    "Rice, huh¡­ The dungeon here drops rice. I think there must be some connection to Japan. I''m sure there''s a clue to get back to Japan, at least that''s what I''ve been thinking."

    Leona nced at me.

    Speaking of which, Leona wasn''t particrly impressed when rice was served at the inn.

    She said she could make polished rice with her [Super Alchemy]. It was just annoying since it went one grain at a time.

    I''d wondered why she didn''t just make the seeds, but she wasn''t able to for some reason.

    "Do you want to go back to Japan, Wataru-san?"

    "Oh, no, I''ve resolved to rest my bones in this world."

    Wataru was searching for a way to return to Japan for the sake of other heroes who did want to go back. What a noble thing to do.

    [¡ª¡ªWhat''s with this guy, is he that good of a person?]

    [He''s ridiculously good. By the way, Leona, do you know a way to go back to Japan?]

    [I know a few ways to kill summoned heroes.]

    Apparently, there were various ways to get rid of heroes who were no longer needed five hundred years ago.

    [Haku-chan should have erased those records after she established the Empire.]

    Five hundred years ago sounds like it was a violent era.

    ¡­ I''m d Wataru and I weren''t summoned back then.

 Chapter 561

    <h4>LDM Ch. 561</h4>

    6-8 minutes

    "Fufufu¡­ It''s finallyplete."

    Rokuko smiled triumphantly in front of the sprawling park of rest and rxation.

    The park spread out on a teau between Golen, located above the dungeon [Cave of Desires] on the side of Mt. Tsuia, and the continuation of the mountain.

    There were even rivers and ponds created by magic tools equivalent to the one that produced a hot spring that they''d lent to the neighboring vige, Draco.

    Now cleared, the once-forest had grass grown, hills and paths for picking created, a symbolicrge tree nted nted, and the parks'' surroundings enclosed with walls. With theserge-scale civil engineering works out of the way, the park waspleted.

    The wall, no less formidable than the outer wall surrounding Tsuia itself, would be safe from generally anything other than if a Dragon happened toe out of Mt. Tsuia''s forest.

    Honestly, it wasrger and more splendid than the Golen. It was to the point that creating a new town right there wouldn''t have been an issue in the least.

    "Everyone, good work! Today is thest day, but don''t forget to receive your payment at the Adventurer''s Guild. I''m in a good mood, so I''ll give you a little extra."

    Staring at the park in front of her, Rokuko turned around and smiled broadly at the construction workers who were led by the carpenter Kusan, along with adventurers who had epted the request from the Adventurer''s Guild.

    "Ah, it''s finally finished¡­ It''s a bit lonely, but I''m proud."

    "I can''t believe it''s over¡­ It''s moving! We aplished this!"

    "Uooo, madam! What should we create from now on¡­? We''vee to know the joy of clearingnd! We want to keep developing!"

    Although Rokuko wanted them to leave quickly now that the job was done, she knew they were celebrating thepletion of the park, and she was in a good mood from seeing the finished work.

    "I''ll offer jobs like park security or maintenance if you want more work¡­ Also, maybe after a while, we can build an annex of [Dancing Doll Pavilion] nearby. The park should be a good attraction."

    "How long is ''after a while'', madam?"

    "When Kehma and I have a date here!"

    Rokuko pumped her fist excitedly.

    Yes, this park was made solely for Rokuko to go on dates with Kehma. The fees for mobilizing adventurer workers were paid from Rokuko''s pocket money. (She could have summoned monsters to do the work, but frankly, she had more than enough money from the inn''s ie, so she decided to make a request to the Adventurer''s Guild.)

    Now that it was finished, it had served its purpose. She would let the vigers use it as much as they wanted. More couples would lead to more families, more families would lead to more children, and more children would increase their daily DP ie. It was a grand n!

    Employing vige adventurers for the annex''s workforce could be an option too. Rokuko''s main job was managing the dungeon, so it didn''t matter whether it was profitable or not.

    "But where did you get that big tree? This ce used to be a forest but there weren''t any trees that big."

    "Call it the [Legendary Tree]. It''s an auspicious tree with a legend that couples who confess their love under it and be mutual lovers will be happy."

    "You''ve done a great job getting such a legendary tree¡­ As expected of the madam."

    Of course, she was nning on creating the legend from this point forward. Perhaps it could be said that just by mutually bing lovers, one could be considered happy, making the logic rather circr.

    But those who knew that Rokuko was the sister of the great Haku of the Empire recognized that she might have actually procured such a legendary tree from somewhere.

    Legends could be fabricated. Because Rokuko had dered it with such confidence, this [Legendary Tree] would be a genuine [Legendary Tree]. However, it being a dungeon monster (Mega Treant. Price: 7000DP) would forever remain a secret.

    "There''s a rumor that if you confessed under this tree, you would be a couple with 100% certainty."

    "Eh!? It guarantees bing a couple!? Uh, madam, please tell me more about that!"

    With her oh-so-casual statement, a particrly single adventurer took the bait.

    "There''s not much more to it than what I said though?"

    "That''s an amazing tree¡­ I should try inviting Rei-chan next time¡­"

    "However, until this tree gets used to thisnd, it won''t be 100%. You need to have several sessful confessions here, let the tree remember them, and then the legend will take effect."

    "I see!"

    Rei would definitely say no. That much was certain. To im a 100% sess rate and then have a confession fail would immediately expose the legend as a lie, so Rokuko quickly corrected the percentage.

    "You get it? Don''t make a confession that you already know will be rejected in front of this tree. If the tree remembers a failed confession and the sess rate decreases, it''ll be your fault."

    "U-understood! I''ll take it to heart!"

    "¡­ Now that I think about it, Wataru''s here right now."

    Rokuko remembered. She had promised to ask Wataru for various things to help. He had actually helped to clear the forest that was the park site and had eliminated the wild monsters.

    All that was left would be for him to keep his promise to provide a sessful confession case afterpletion.

    Originally, Kehma was supposed to confess to her first, and Rokuko was supposed to nod in agreement to make it the first sessful case, but she started to wonder if the park that she made was actually good.

    "I think I''ll let Wataru and Nerune date first. If there are any problems or improvements, we can fix them and then I can have a perfect date with Kehma. Fufufu"

    "Madam, we''ll rush over if you issue a request to the guild for those other projects!"

    "That''s a good attitude. I''ll be counting on you then."

    Rokuko grinned. It must be a divine providence¡ªprobably the work of [Super Luck]¡ªthat Wataru was here just as the park waspleted. In that case, it should be the right choice to let him go.

    "¡­ Well, let''s celebrate today since it''s a special asion. I''m in a good mood, so it''s on me!"

    "Yaaaayyyyy!!"

    "Hooray for madam! Hooray for madam!! Hooray for madam!!!"

    "Long live the vige chief''s wife! We admire you!"

    And so the private park in Golen waspleted.

    It''s name was still a work in progress.

 Chapter 562

    <h4>Bridegroom Training</h4> <h4>The Promised Date</h4>

    At the reception room of the vige chief''s residence.

    "So, Wataru, Nerune wants you to go on a date with her at the new park. Can you do it?"

    "Yes please!"

    Having received a request from Rokuko, I was now asking Wataru to do me a favor.

    He had basically no right to refuse, even ignoring how he had no reason to refuse in the first ce. In fact, there was no reason for him not to ept.

    "I mean, I''d be delighted to go on a date with her."

    "Ah, that''s great~. I do have one request~"

    Just then, Nerune made an additional request.

    "The purpose of this date is to increase the sess rate of confessions at the park made by Rokuko-sama~, so during our date~, please confess your feelings to me~. If you confess underneath the legendary tree~, I''ll answer yes~. Feel free to do whatever you like~."

    "Eh?"

    "Hmm~? Is anything wrong~?"

    Nerune tilted her head in confusion.

    "Um, I don''t mind fulfilling everyone''s request, but Nerune, are you okay with this?"

    "It''s Rokuko-sama''s request~, so there''s no reason for me to refuse~, right~?"

    "No, I mean, not that¡­"

    I quickly smacked Wataru on the head.

    "Shut up, Wataru. This isn''t something you need to discuss here."

    "Eh, but¡­"

    "Read the situation. If she didn''t want to, we wouldn''t force her to. Nerune is not refusing, and that''s all there is to it."

    "¡­!!"

    Indeed. Rokuko and I told Nerune, "If you don''t want to do it, feel free to say no."

    In other words, at the very least, Nerune does not dislike the idea of being confessed to by Wataru.

    To Nerune, whose thoughts had beenpletely absorbed by her magic research, this was a significant level of trust.

    You did it, Wataru. Your love is going to be realized.

    "As for the contents of your confession, it''s up to you. Just make sure it''s not something you''ll regretter."

    "Y-Yes¡­"

    Wataru nodded firmly¡­ So, what kind of confession will he make?

    I''m kind of looking forward to this.

    "You seem to be having an interesting conversation. Let me join."

    "Geh, Leona!?"

    ¡ªAnd, of course, the irregr who''de to this vige wouldn''t miss such an atmosphere.

    "Ah, hello, Leona. Were you also invited?"

    "No, I came on my own. I sensed something interesting¡­ So, I''ve heard the situation! Are you satisfied with a fixed match, where it''s unclear whether love exists?"

    "Uh, well¡­"

    Hey, Chaos God, could you not turn our nicely settled conversation upside down?

    "So, I''ll give a gift to Nerune¡ªyes, one of the ultra-rare magic scrolls I know."

    "Really~?"

    Nerune showed strong interest in Leona''s proposal.

    "I can make scrolls via alchemy. So, I can present you with any magic I know in the form of a scroll."

    "That''s very tempting, isn''t it? And what''s the price for that?"

    Given that scrolls could be created with alchemy, there was probably no scroll that Leona, the goddess of alchemy, could not make. Even when it came to divine magic.

    ¡­ But she was unlikely to give it away for free.

    "If you reject Wataru''s confession on your date!"

    "I see~¡­ So, that''s what you mean~."

    Nerune nods in understanding and nces at me.

    Her eyes seemed to be asking, "Is it okay if I reject the confession~?"

    "W-Wait, Leona!? Does that mean, it''s apetition between my confession and the magic scroll from you, to see which one interests Nerune more!?"

    "That''s right. Sounds interesting, doesn''t it?"

    Leona grins.

    "Hey Leona, that''s not fair."

    "Oh? It''s not a bad proposal for you, right Kehma-san? With just making her reject Wataru''s confession, your subordinate gets a significant power-up."

    Yes, that''s what''s so cunning about it. It''s not a bad proposal for me.

    After all, even if it''s just one scroll, it can be duplicated by Soto''s [Minor Replication].

    Every one of my dungeon subordinates would be able to learn one of the rare magics that Leona possessed.

    The Space-Time God, Soto, probably also knew about this and had told her about it.

    Furthermore, the phrase "anything you want" meant that one could not choose without seeing a "list".

    Being able to see the list of magic that Leona possesses is information I would like to have, considering the future.

    However, that would mean throwing away the sessful confession requested by Rokuko.

    "¡­ Guh¡­! You''re really so mean¡­!"

    This forced me to choose, in addition to whether Nerune epts or rejects Wataru''s confession, whether or not I should abandon Rokuko''s request and have Nerune reject the confession.

    That''s how attractive the reward of "a gift of one scroll of any magic Leona possesses" was.

    ¡­ The choice I should make here is¡ª

    "Alright, I understand. I''ll ept your proposal¡­ Nerune, you can decide whether to ept the confession or reject it and ept Leona''s magic scroll. Show it through the results of the date."

    "Really? Are you sure?"

    ¡ªThrow it to the flow! I will be a bystander and leave the fate to others.

    "Oh, that''s a boring choice."

    "I thought about it from another point of view. If there''s no loss either way, I might as well just watch."

    "¡­ Fine, this time Wataru-san and Nerune-chan are the main targets."

    Leona looked at Wataru with a smirk.

    "So, Wataru. If you want to win over Nerune, you should try to make your confession more attractive than Leona''s magic scroll."

    "Oh¡­ Yes, I understand. I understand perfectly. In fact, that''s exactly what I want!!"

    Well, it''s good to see Wataru motivated.

    ¡­ If it doesn''t work out, I''ll apologize to Rokuko.

 Chapter 563

    Ch. 563

    Released: 07/20/23

    Trantor: Ziru <h4>Bridegroom Training</h4> <h4>Wataru''s Consultation</h4>

    "Eh, even if Wataru gets rejected, it''s fine, really."

    That''s how Rokuko responded when she heard about what happened with Leona.

    "Are you sure? I thought you weren''t too thrilled about the park''s confession sess rate decreasing."

    "Don''t be silly. Kehma, aren''t you the one who said you can''t confess and kiss me unless it''s a romantic setting, making it so that I had to create the romantic park?"

    "Huh?"

    Was that the case¡­? Yes, it was.

    "So, if Wataru fails his confession, Kehma will take responsibility and confess to me, right? Very passionately, enough to clear away any bad reputation."

    "Oh, okay."

    "Haku-neesama has given her approval, so there''s nothing to get in our way, right? Don''t try to escape¡­ Ah, I wonder if it would be better for Wataru to be rejected? But being kissed out of obligation isn''t so great either¡­ Let''s just go with the flow."

    With a nod of agreement, Rokuko decided to remain a bystander in this matter. <h4>£ª</h4>

    "¡­ Sigh, what should I do to get Nerune to ept my confession?"

    With his date set for the next day, Wataru''s worries were piling up.

    As Wataru was drinking shochu at the counter seat in the tavern, Gozoh, a regr passerby (or perhaps a regr customer), spoke up.

    "Huh? What''s up, Wataru? Got a problem?"

    "Ah, Gozoh-san. Yes actually, I''m going on a date with Nerune-san."

    "¡­ You sure have strange tastes. What do you find attractive about someone who treats you like that?"

    As Gozoh took a seat next to Wataru, he ordered daiginj¨­. The master of the tavern, who also happened to be the deputy vige chief, Wozuma, filled a ss to the brim with daiginj¨­ and ced it in front of Gozoh.

    "Well, let''s see¡­ I like her casual attitude towards me, her lovely natural smile, her passion for magic, and her strong-willed personality. Sometimes she wears sses, and I find her freckles cute¡ª"

    "Yeah and her breasts are pretty big too."

    "¡­ That''s true as well. Well, you can''t help what you like. What do you like about Roppu-san, Gozoh-san?"

    "Huh? Let''s not talk about that now, we''re discussing your problem, right?"

    Gozoh steered the conversation back on track.

    "So, a date? That''s great. Did you know they''ve just built a park recently? I helped out as a dayborer."

    "Yes, I''m aware. I was requested to have the date there by Kehma-san."

    "Requested? That takes away some of the romantic appeal."

    Gozoh took a sip of his daiginj¨­. The strong, delicious liquor that even a dwarf would be satisfied with made him let out a cheerful, alcoholden breath.

    "Well, it''s still a date, even if it was requested. I had promised Kehma-san before to mediate my rtionship with Nerune-san, so maybe that''s why?"

    "Kehma, huh. So if the vige chief gives his permission, does that mean you''ll go all the way to marriage?"

    "Wha, ma-marriage!? Well, I would be happy if that happens¡­ Ah, that means tomorrow''s confession is even more important now."

    With that, Wataru too took a sip of his shochu. The liquor produced in the dungeon had a Japanese aroma that calmed Wataru down when he drank it.

    "¡­ Drinking calms me down¡­ am I bing an alcoholic?"

    He muttered. Being a hero, though, he''d be fine.

    "So, you''re going to propose?"

    "Pro-propose!? Well, um, before that, I think it would be more like asking her to be my girlfriend."

    "What!? You''re not dating Nerune yet?"

    Gozoh shrugged his shoulders in disbelief.

    "You should be more assertive in that regard. I won''t be responsible if someone else snatches her away from you, alright?"

    "Right, Nerune-san is very charming¡­ I need to establish a solid boyfriend-girlfriend rtionship!"

    "Just get married already. If you make her wait, she''ll hold a grudge against you, right, Wozuma?"

    At this point, Gozoh turned the conversation to Wozuma, the master of the tavern and deputy vige chief.

    "That''s right. My wife is a good woman who has stuck with me, but if we weren''t married, she probably wouldn''t have."

    "¡­ Wozuma-san, you''re married!?"

    "Yes, I used to work as a bureaucrat in the imperial capital. My wife supported me even when I was framed by a political adversary and had to quit my job. She''s a wife I''m proud of."

    Wozuma smiled proudly.

    "A bureaucrat!? You were an elite¡­ how did you end up in Golen?"

    "I lost in the power struggle. I was rmended this ce by an old colleague who thought that it might be a good opportunity to make a fresh start and contribute to a new vige. I also had a longing to run a tavern."

    "Let''s save that story forter. We''re talking about Wataru now."

    Gozoh again steered the conversation back on track.

    "That''s right. It was about my confession to Nerune-san¡­ Wozuma-san, what did you say when you proposed to your wife?"

    "Let''s see. It was an arranged marriage, so I think I said something like ''I hope we can get along''¡­"

    "That''s pretty nd. Well, I guess that''s how it is. In viges and towns, parents usually arrange marriages."

    "Ah, is that how it is in this world? I''ve heard that it used to be the same in my country¡­ How about re-confessing?"

    Wozuma seemed interested in Wataru''s suggestion.

    "That''s right, expressing my gratitude to my wife again¡­ might not be such a bad idea."

    "Now that we''ve decided that, let''s all think about what to say for the confession! Ah, Gozoh-san, you''re going to do it with Roppu-san too, right?"

    "You''re dragging me into this too!? Ah, well, I''ve been thinking about doing it properly for a while now."

    Wataru found someone to share his predicament with and smiled.

    "Then, let''s all think about what kind of confession would be good! You two should confess in the park too, you know? Ah, if it''s okay, shall we all go to the park tomorrow? It''s what they call a triple date."

    "¡­ I have to prepare for tomorrow, so it''ll have to be another day."

    "I''ve got ns to go to the dungeon, so maybe I''ll ask her on my next day off."

    "Hmm. Well, I guess that can''t be helped."

    And so, the three men discussed Wataru''s date n and the contents of his confession.

    However, they were unaware that Leona was quietly listening in on their conversation, having subtly concealed her presence. Wataru, the hero, waspletely oblivious to this.

 Chapter 564

    Ch. 564

    Released: 08/02/23

    Trantor: Ziru

    <h4>Bridegroom Training</h4> <h4>Golen Park''s Security System</h4>

    Late at night. There were shadows sneaking into the park built by Rokuko, the wife of Golen''s vige chief.

    "A magical tool that keeps springing water enough to create ponds and rivers¡­ If we can get it, our country will be saved¡­!"

    These were agents from a certain desert country who had happened to hear rumors about the park during its construction.

    There was a simr magical tool in the neighboring vige, Draco. However, it was being used for their livelihood, so for those who had deeply experienced the importance of water like them, it was hard to take it away.

    Here, however, the tool was used to create thendscape of a park.

    In that case, it would be better to utilize it effectively for human lives. They proposed this to their country and were able to get permission as long as they managed to not get caught, and, if they did, to never mention their rtionship with their country.

    The magical tool was quiterge and heavy, the same as the one in Draco.

    This meant that the object was at a level where it needed be put into [Storage] to transport.

    This was their only chance to steal it, before the official opening.

    "There''s no one around¡­ If we''re going to sneak in, it''s now¡­!"

    He moved his own wolf ears and confirmed that there was no security or anyone else around.

    Indeed, there were [No Humans] around.

    There was a rustling sound of leaves shaking¡­ The agents from the desert were slow to notice that the sound was unnatural¡ªthe trees were shaking without any wind.

    "¡­!?"

    Before they knew it, one of theirpanions had disappeared.

    What had happened? Had they been spotted? He almost cried out, but held back. He had already prepared to die; if it hade to this, he had to rush forward even if it was a bit forceful.

    Rustling leaves sounded out again. This time, he was able to find the cause.

    "¡ª-!? The trees are moving¡­ T-Treants? Why are there Treants here¡­!"

    The park''s trees were moving and restraining hispanions.

    Treants were weak to fire. However, if the Treants were to burn, they would definitely stand out. Moreover, with abundant water avable, the Treants could jump into the water and extinguish the fire at any time.

    It was all too convenient!

    That''s when he realized. These were the park''s security guards.

    Golen''s vige chief had skillfully manipted Golems to work in the inns and fields. Simrly, it wouldn''t be strange for him to have tamed Treants to use for the park''s security.

    Or perhaps he hired such talents. If the vige chief had connections to dispatch the Four Heavenly Kings of the Empire for his own security, it would be possible.

    And then he was startled. The magical tool that produced water. It was installed under thergest tree in the park¡­ This one too, no, could he even control a monster of that size¡­?

    "So, the security was perfect, wasn''t it¡­"

    ¡ªThe agents were wiped out.

    <h4>£ª</h4>

    "Well, today is finally the date between Wataru and Nerune! Let''s be perfect onlookers."

    "Indeed¡­ Speaking of which, there were intruders in the parkst night. There''s a report from Rei. They managed to capture about five people alive."

    The surveince cameras and security guards, the Treants, and their boss, the Mega Treant known as the [Legendary Big Tree], were amusingly treated as Rei''s subordinates alongside Eureka, the dungeon management fairy.

    And just to get it out of the way, the [Legendary Big Tree] was also its named title. Rokuko did the naming.

    "Oh? If there were intruders, they must be hung up by now and make a good decoration!"

    "¡­ What novel ornamentation. But it wouldn''t be suitable for dating atmosphere."

    "Well let''s dispose of them then. They can be buried and be nourishment for the Treants."

    "Hmm, wouldn''t that fill the park with resentment? That''s not good atmosphere dating either, let''s not do it."

    Rokuko struggled with theplex problem.

    Wait a minute¡­ But then again, there''s a romantic atmosphere created by the sacrifices of office workers with city night views, so maybe there''s a sort of romance in flowers blooming from the sacrifice of intruders too¡­?

    No, that can''t be right. That''s thinking a bit too inhumanely.

    "Hey, Keima, Rokuko. Could you give me those intruders?"

    "Whoa! Leona, don''t just appear out of nowhere, you surprised me!"

    Don''t stand behind me without any sound or presence! You''ll take years off my life!

    "Now, now. We''re fellow onlookers today. It''s good manners to erase your presence and bepletely unnoticeable. If you can''t do that, you''ll have to watch through the dungeon function."

    "¡­ So, you want the intruders? What for, to use as alchemy materials?"

    While hiding Rokuko behind me, I spoke with Leona. I wasn''t exactly opposed to giving her our newly captured intruders as long as she didn''t get too weird with them and paid well.

    "They seem to be wolf beastkin from a desert country. Beastkin are kind of like my followers, so I thought I''d turn them into [Screaming Living Magic Tools, Continually Producing Water] and return them to their country. You get to punish thieves, they get to achieve their dearest wish. It''s a win-win situation, right?"

    "Hmm, that''s pretty wicked."

    Are you saying they''re going to keep muttering ''¡­kill¡­me¡­'' in a half-living state? I really wouldn''t want to use that kind of water.

    "If you give me a [Skill Scroll to Create Skill Scrolls], I''ll agree."

    "That''s too expensive. At most, a few magic skills, or one imperial-level skill, that''s about it."

    "You''re obviously going to give me a bad reputation. It''s a reasonable request for the trouble."

    Upon saying that, Leona picked up a small stone and created a skill scroll.

    "Alright, [Super Alchemy], [Super Alchemy], [Create Scroll: ######Wildcard]. Here you go, a skill scroll for [Create Scroll]."

    "¡­ Huh, you actually did it. Let me see."

    Without channeling any magical power, I read the magic circle inside to check if it was genuine¡­ Create, skill scroll¡­ Huh? Low-level magic?

    "It says low-level magic."

    "Well, it''s not like I could give you a skill that allows you to create anything freely. But even if you can only create low-level magic, it''s definitely the [Skill Scroll Creation Skill] you asked for, right?"

    Damn, she''s right! I grimaced at her.

    "Tsk, a promise is a promise. You can take the intruders."

    "Hehe, thanks. I''ll finish them up before Wataru and Nerune''s date."

    Saying so, Leona disappeared as soundlessly as she had appeared.

    "We did it, Rokuko. The results are better than expected."

    "Didn''t you seem frustrated?"

    "I was just acting, just acting. There''s a lot to explore here. This is going to be productive!"

    Unfortunately, it doesn''t seem to be a magic skill, so it''s probably not modifiable¡­

    ¡­ But at the very least, I should be able to save on the cost of dungeon scroll drops!

 Chapter 565

    Ch. 565

    Released: 08/04/23

    Trantor: Ziru <h4>Bridegroom Training</h4> <h4>A Date With Nerune (1)</h4>

    "¡­ No bed head, no beard, clothes are¡­ yup, perfectly clean."

    I am Hero Wataru. Today, I am going to face the most important battle of my life¡­

    ¡­ Yes, my date with Nerune-san!

    It''s no exaggeration to say that this date would decide my future.

    Originally, it was supposed to be a guaranteed win assigned by Kehma-san to achieve a milestone for the park, but thanks to Leona-san''s meddling, the oue''s now left to Nerune-san''s discretion.

    However, that''s what a real confession is!

    Even if she had said yes to the confession as nned, I would have been left wondering if Nerune-san only agreed because Kehma-san and Rokuko-san told her to.

    Yes, that''s why this is even better! While it''s a harder mode with a higher hurdle than usual where my confession won''t be sessful unless it''s more important than her interest in magic!

    What''s a hero if he doesn''t face challenges!

    "¡­ Alright! I''ll win Nerune-san''s favor! I won''t lose to Leona-san''s magic scrolls!"

    With a p to my cheeks to pump myself up, I left the room at the [Dancing Doll''s Pavilion] and headed towards the staff dormitory where Nerune-san was waiting.

    The staff dormitory is attached to the inn, so I can move without going outside.

    Usually, only staff can enter, but today I had permission.

    I checked the namete and knocked on Nerune-san''s door.

    "Nerune-san, it''s Wataru. I''vee to pick you up."

    ¡­ I waited for a while, but there was no response.

    Huh? Is she not in? Let''s try knocking again.

    "Nerune-san? Are you there?"

    I should be right on time.

    I pulled out a pocket watch I got in the dungeon here to check the time.

    ¡­ Yup, it''s exactly the scheduled time.

    "Did she go out for breakfast? Maybe I should wait a little longer¡­ Huh?"

    Suddenly, I heard a loud thud from inside the room.

    "Nerune-san? Are you alright?"

    "Ow~¡­ W-Wataru, sorry~, I just woke up~"

    It seems she was sleeping. Very like Nerune-san. The door opened with a creak.

    "Yawn~¡­ Good morning, Wataru~"

    "Good morni¡ª¡­! Wh-ah¡ªI-I¡ªsorry, I didn''t see anything¡ª"

    A very lightly dressed Nerune-san appeared, yawning.

    Seeing her in nothing but a white shirt with a button undone at her chest and her hair all over the ce, I quickly turned around.

    ¡­ Even if she just woke up, she''s too careless¡­ Please put on a skirt!

    "Mmm~? Ah~, I''ll get ready~, so please wait a bit longer~"

    "O-Okay."

    I quietly stood in front of the door and waited. About five minutester, Nerune-san opened the door and peeked out.

    She was in her usual robe and pointed witch hat.

    Incidentally, I caught a glimpse of her discarded shirt carelessly thrown onto the bed inside her room.

    "Sorry to keep you waiting, Wataru-san¡­ Yawn~¡­ So sleepy¡­"

    "Didn''t get much sleep? Oh, maybe because you were excited for the date?"

    "Ah~¡­ I got caught up in some research~¡­ Yawn~"

    It looks like I was the only one who couldn''t sleep much from excitement for the date.

    Nerune-san was rubbing her eyes and blinking.

    ¡­ She carefully reached into her robe and pulled out a pair of ck-rimmed sses.

    She put the sses on her freckled face.

    The convex lenses of the sses made her eyes look slightlyrger.

    "¡­ ~Hmm. Shall we go with this look today~?"

    "Your sses suit you well, Nerune-san."

    "Ah~. You did like sses, didn''t you~? That''s convenient then~"

    Why would she say that!?

    "Ichika-san told me about it in our conversation at the bar the other day~"

    "Ichika-san did?"

    "She also chose my outfit for today. How do you like it?"

    She took a leisurely twirl. Her witch''s robe and dress floated up slightly.

    "It''s very you, and quite cute, Nerune-san."

    "Hehe~ thank you~. And Wataru-san, you¡­ um¡­ look different from usual~?"

    "Ah, you noticed? This shirt is actually new."

    "I can tell. There''s a [Purification] magic on it, right? That''s wonderful."

    Nerune-san nodded her head in agreement.

    She''s only interested in things like that, but I find that endearing.

    "Ah~, I also performed [Purification] on myself earlier~. I don''t smell of sweat, right~?"

    "No, you smell really good. Are you wearing any perfume?"

    "Ah, it might be from the herbs I use for potions~. I''ve been learning how to make potions from Leona-san~, it''s very advanced~"

    Nerune-san spoke proudly. Someone who was, in some sense, a rival for him came up.

    ¡­ But I''m a man ofposure! I''m not going to be jealous about every little thing.

    "Leona-san is good at making potions, isn''t she?"

    "Yes~, it''s almost godlike, you know~? She gives that sort of feeling~"

    "She''s not a hero for nothing."

    "Right~¡­ Ah~, I''m hungry, shall we go have breakfast~?"

    With that, Nerune-san started walking towards the inn''s dining hall. Finding her rxed pace endearing, I followed along.

 Chapter 566

    Ch. 566

    Released: 08/20/2023

    Trantor: Ziru <h4>Bridegroom Training</h4> <h4>Park Date</h4>

    Alright, so Rokuko and I were quietly watching Nerune and Wataru''s date.

    "Oh, good morning Kehma. Breakfast time is already over."

    When I woke up, the two of them were on their way to the park.

    "Good morning. They''re having their date at the park, right? I''m d I made it in time."

    "There was already a skirmish. Nerune won the first round, and Wataru is already flustered."

    "I see?"

    I wondered whether dating was an activity where one could win or lose, but decided not to dwell on it too much.

    "But to start with her sses, Nerune is really enthusiastic¡­!"

    "¡­ Wearing sses is her showing enthusiasm?"

    "Yes, it''s a fashion choice that caters to Wataru''s tastes. Wataru seems to like Nerune wearing sses."

    She had apparently gathered this information from Ichika at some point.

    There did seem to be some seriousness in her effort to look up such information.

    "So Kehma, would you like it if I wore sses?"

    "Well, it doesn''t matter whether you''re wearing them or not, but it might be a refreshing change since you usually don''t."

    "Then maybe I should try having you wear some. I think they would suit you!"

    I don''t have bad eyesight, but I wouldn''t mind wearing non-prescription sses.

    That aside.

    "If Nerune is enthusiastic, does that mean she''s leaning towards epting Wataru''s confession?"

    "She might reject it. Perhaps she wants to end things with a good memory¡­? That''s a possibility too."

    Rokuko spoke with a smug look, but it seemed like she didn''t really know.

    Well, if she knew, she wouldn''t have arranged a date for Wataru and Nerune before our own date. I don''t really understand it either.

    Just then, the two of them arrived at the park. Since we had promised to watch over them with Leona, we decided to actually go to the park and take a peek. Yeeeep, [Teleport]. <h4>£ª</h4>

    We arrived at the park. There was a small za along the walking path and some benches were avable.

    "Alright Wataru-san~, let''s fully enjoy this park that was created by Rokuko-sama~."

    "It''s more of a stroll. I helped out as well, and that forest was impressively cleared and developed."

    I''d helped out when I was asked to, but it was originally a dense forest. At the beginning, we used a big spell to create a rough clearing.

    "Ho-ho~! What kind of magic did you use~?"

    "I did use some magic, but mostly it was a full-power sh for wide-area control with my holy sword, Ea, which was bestowed upon me by Haku-sama."

    "¡­ Not magic~?"

    "I used a bit of magic for adjustments."

    "Was it earth-type magic~? Or maybe the kind that maniptes nts~?"

    Nerune-san seemed very interested in magic¡­ meaning that Leona-san''s offer would be a formidable foe no matter how he resisted.

    Next to the path, there was an open space of bare ground about the size of a tennis court.

    This area was apparently created as a magic training ground modeled after the ones in the Demonds.

    There were even some iron targets that were our vige''s specialty.

    "Okay, let me show you some magic I can use!"

    "Oh~! Wataru-san~ wants to show me~ his magic~?"

    I entered the training ground and stood facing the target.

    ¡­ What magic should I use?

    "I should probably stay away from using magic that''s too powerful and could destroy the training ground, huh."

    "Muu~. It would be problematic if we were to damage the park''s facilities~"

    Hmm. Nerune-san put her hand on her cheek, making a [What a pickle~] sort of pose.

    A magic spell that looks good but isn''t very powerful¡­ Hmm.

    "It seems like you''re in trouble."

    "Eh, Leona-san!?"

    "Oh~, hello there~?"

    Leona-san appeared suddenly in the training ground. I hadn''t noticed her¡­!

    Well, I figured she''d be watching from somewhere because of the contest, but I didn''t expect her to slip past my perception and get this close!

    "Today, as a special treat, I''ll set up a barrier for you. Inside it, you can use any magic you like, okay?"

    "Oh~, Leona-san is so generous~!"

    "Yes. I wouldn''t want you to have theme excuse of not being able to show off your magic here and getting rejected by Nerune-san. So go ahead and show off to your heart''s content, ''kay?"

    Leona-san looked quite pleased.

    "¡­ Are you sure it''s okay? I may not look like it, but I''m fairly confident in my strength."

    "Why not start with weaker magic if you''re worried? It''s okay, even if my barrier magic is broken and the training ground gets destroyed, I''ll take responsibility. I''ll apologize to Keima-san and the others, and I''ll fix it all by myself."

    Overflowing confidence. And Leona-san mentioned [Barrier Magic].

    Upon hearing that, Nerune-san adjusted her sses.

    This is¡­ a contest. Is my magic stronger, or is Leona-san''s barrier magic stronger?

    The one with the stronger magic would capture Nerune-san''s heart¡­!!

    "¡­ Understood, I''ll ept your challenge!"

    And so began the battle between Leona-san and me¡ª

    "¡ª[Thunder Pir]!!"

    A tower emitting lightning appeared from the ground, releasing countless bolts of lightning into the barrier.

    ¡­ But the barrier absorbed it, and the walls of the training ground didn''t even have a single scorch mark.

    "Amazing, Wataru-san~! A pir-type spell~!"

    "Ugh, the barrier is too strong¡­! What''s going on!?"

    "Hehehe. I have a bit of confidence in my barrier magic. Let''s just say my Hero Skill is involved."

    "So you have a magic type or support type Hero Skill!?"

    What a turn of events, my [Super Luck] couldn''t counter the barrier that''s enhanced withbat support Hero Skills¡­!

    I drooped my shoulders and hung my head. I lost¡­

    "Fufufu~, what are you doing, Wataru-san~?"

    "Well, uh¡­ uh, I''m sorry. It seems I can''t break Leona-san''s barrier with my magic¡­!"

    When I admitted my defeat, Nerune-san tilted her head slightly.

    "Hmm~? I''m quite satisfied because I got to see many of Wataru-san''s spells though~?"

    "¡­ If you''re pleased, does that mean I actually won?"

    "Was it even apetition to begin with~? I thought you were just showing me your magic~?"

    When she put it that way, I realized I hadn''t actually said a word about having a magicpetition with Leona-san.

    "Thank you for showing me a variety of magic spells~!"

    Nerune-san said with a beaming smile.

    ¡­ Yeah, once again, I couldn''t help but realize I liked that about her.

 Chapter 567: A Date With Nerune (3)

    <h4>Chapter 567: A Date With Nerune (3)</h4>

    We, having been watching Wataru and Leona''s magic duel from a distance on a bench, were approached by Leona.

    "Hehehe, I might have won in terms of strength, but I lost in terms of quantity. I won the match but lost the game."

    "Well, for Nerune, she''d probably prefer multiple spells she can replicate over a single advanced spell she can''t."

    Though she said she lost, she looked quite satisfied.

    Then, Rokuko clung tightly to my arm and red at Leona.

    "Leona, could you not get so close to Kehma?"

    "Ohe now, Rokuko-chan. Aren''t we fellow date watchers today? We''re friends, dear friends."

    "That''s one thing, this is another. I''m the one to protect Kehma."

    Rokuko, with the vigor of one about to bite. Ah, I love it. I''m being protected¡­

    "Hey, Kehma-san, did I do something to Rokuko-chan? She really seems to dislike me."

    "I don''t like you either, you know? You messed with my head before."

    "¡­ Did I? Mm, nope, sorry, I don''t remember."

    Leona apologized straight away. She genuinely seemed to have forgotten.

    It''s said that true evil is one whomits misdeeds without feeling guilty. She''s truly like a wicked deity.

    "First off, Leona, aren''t you an enemy of Haku-sama? There''s no reason for us to get along."

    "Oh? Didn''t I mention the other day that that was all just an act?"

    "That aside, I just don''t like you."

    "But I like you, Rokuko-chan? ¡­ And I''d like to get along with my inws."

    "I''m not giving you Soto!!"

    Hey Rokuko, my arm hurts. Loosen your grip a bit.

    "Oi, Leona. Didn''t you say something about notying a hand on your grandkid''s partner?"

    "It''s actually me who''s being imposed upon¡­ Kehma-san, what kind of upbringing are you giving to Soto-chan?"

    I''d been pretty hands-off, so being questioned on that stung.

    Huh? Because Rokuko and I aren''t making much progress, you think it''s acting as a bad example and pushing others to be more aggressive?

    There''s some truth to that.

    £ª £ª £ª

    After the magic duel with Leona-san, Nerune-san and I decided to have lunch on a pic sheet spread out on the park''s grass.

    I''d momentarily hoped it might be homemade by Nerune-san¡­ but it turned out to be sandwiches made by Kinue-san.

    "Kinue is really good at cooking. She''s what you''d call the perfect bride material, right?"

    "Indeed. She must be popr in the vige."

    "Among the three of us, she''s the most popr. Next is Rei, and I''m the least popr."

    "I like it, though? You, I mean, Nerune-san."

    "¡­ And~?"

    Ah. Right, not many would approach a woman who''s been involved with a hero.

    Even in Golen¡ªor, perhaps, being with a hero doesn''t matter. Unless the woman herself is uninterested.

    "¡­ Um, does that bother you?"

    "Not really~. I''m a huge introvert to begin with~, so I just concentrate on my magic research~."

    From how she spoke, it might sound like she''s sulking or ming, but Nerune-san''s grin suggested it was just a light-hearted joke.

    ¡­ Yet, the possibility that she might genuinely think that way was one of Nerune-san''s charming points.

    "Oh yeah~. It''s not like I can''t cook either you know~? Like, I can bake and slice bread~. Toasted bread with cheese is delicious~."

    "Ah, toast? I''d be able to make it if I had a toaster, but in this world¡­ ovens are the best you can get."

    "¡­ Ah~, yes~¡­ that''s right~, isn''t it~?"

    Ah. It feels like I just said something I shouldn''t have.shouldn''t have.

    "Could it be that you''ve¡­ made a toaster?"

    "Wha-what are you talking about~? I make bread in an oven~, really~, reeeeally~!"

    "Is it some kind of product in development? If so, it''s like a corporate secret¡­?"

    "Yes, yes~, that''s it~. You see~, there is a stovetop magical tool in the dungeon here, so I based it on that¡­? Or something like that~? It''s not impossible~?"

    It felt like she was hiding something, but I decided not to pry any further.

    "Any items you make that recreate Japanese tools or magical tools could be quite popr to sell. In fact, there are quite a few such items in the products from the [Hero Workshop] in the imperial capital. If I gave ideas to you or Kantra-san, would you make them for me?"

    "Ah~, we''d wee that~, especially ones for personal use~. But we''d have to charge for the production costs~."

    Nerune-san had her own work, so it looked like she didn''t have enough hands to produce on arge scale.

    If one wants tomercialize and sell at that level, it might be better to ask Kantara-san.

    "Handmade magical tools by Nerune-san¡­ I''d love that."

    "Handmade, you say~¡­ does that mean there are magical tools that aren''t handmade~?"

    "Huh?"

    I was momentarily taken aback by her question, but considering it, there aren''t any mass-produced items made in factories in this world. Everything is handmade by default.

    "¡­ Well, in my world, there were non-handmade items called factory products."

    "Ohh~, a system for mass-producing high-demand products~!"

    Despite me having no intention of going that direction, Nerune-santched onto the topic in an unexpectedly enthusiastic way. I then exined to her about conveyor belts, what factories entailed, division ofbor, and everything I could think of about factories.

    "Just like that. Machines¡ªthings simr to golems¡ªmake them."

    "I see! That''s very enlightening! Please tell me more!"

    Ah¡ªI love her.

    Looking into her sparkling eyes behind her sses, I really thought so.

    "Phew~. That was very informative~. Shall we get going~?"

    After our conversation, Nerune-san tightly grasped my hand.

    The soft, warm touch of her hand made my heart race.

    "Eh, where to? Fishing in the pond? Oh, I remember seeing Kehma-san and the others looking this way from the boat."

    "Do you think there are fish in this pond~? ¡­ That''s not what I meant though~. I was thinking of going to the [Legendary Tree]~.

    The [Legendary Tree]. The goal of this date.

    ¡­ Indeed, the sun was starting to set.

    The end of the date, the time for my confession, was approaching.

 Chapter 568: A Date With Nerune: The Confession

    <h4>Chapter 568: A Date With Nerune: The Confession</h4>

    "Such an unromantic topic¡­"

    We were openly eavesdropping on them as we rode in a boat on the park''s pond.

    ¡­ It might be more urate to say we were openly surveilling them. We were even using the dungeon''s functionality to overhear their conversation.

    "Factories, huh? If we were to make one in the future, we could even just say that Nerune heard about it from Wataru."

    "Are we going to make one?"

    "We have golems, so we could if we wanted to."

    Still, a boat on the pond. This is nice, without Leona''s interference, and we can rx.

    "Hey Kehma, how about some sandwiches?"

    "Oh, that sounds good."

    She pulled out a basket from [Storage] and ced it on the boat. There were beautifully cut triangle sandwiches inside the basket.

    Ah, egg sandwiches. I love these.

    "¡­ Hm? This tastes different from usual."

    "Oh, did you notice? It''s actually homemade by me!"

    "Really? It''s delicious. Maybe we could serve it at the inn? In limited quantities, of course."

    "Come on, I''ll only make them for you, Kehma."

    Rokuko seemed somewhat pleased by mypliment.

    "Anyway, it''s fun watching someone else''s date, isn''t it?"

    "I have a feeling that''s not the best hobby."

    "What are you talking about? I''m a dungeon; watching people''s activities should be seen as observing my own ecology. It''s just like Kehma having a thing for feet and liking to sleep during the day."

    "I don''t want to just sleep during the day though? And I''m not saying it''s a bad hobby."

    ¡­ Still, how long are Wataru and the others going to talk about factories?

    "They sure don''t get bored easily."

    "Right? ¡­ Mind if I take a nap?"

    "Would you like to use myp as a pillow? Or rather, you should. I think you deserve at least that much."

    Rokuko yfully patted her thigh.

    Wait, you mean I should just go for it?

    ¡­ Well, if you insist. But if your legs fall asleep, it''s not my fault. With that in mind, Iid down in the boat.

    After a short nap, I woke up to find them still talking. My head was ced on a folded handkerchief, and Rokuko trapped it between her thighs. It feels like Haku-san might kill me¡­ Ah, no, didn''t she forgive this much?

    "Oh, you''re awake?"

    "Yeah¡­ Mmm, judging from the sky, it''s almost sunset right? Does this park have any lights prepared?"

    "The main paths will light up for a while after sunset. Because of luminous stones¡ªI think they were called? Kantra mentioned them, so I implemented them."

    Heeh, so that''s a thing. The poles along the path must be those.

    "They''ll probably confess before it getspletely dark."

    "Yes, it looks like they''re making a move. We should go and watch!"

    And so, as Wataru and Nerune began to move, we followed them.

    ¡­ Leona''s probably watching from somewhere too.

    Now, what will Nerune decide to do with Wataru?

    £ª £ª £ª

    The [Legendary Tree].

    The main attraction of the park, a colossal tree that could be seen prominently even from outside the park.

    There''s a legend saying if you confess your feelings under this tree, your love will be reciprocated, or you''ll find happiness¡­

    ¡­ or so they''ve decided to believe, as Wataru had heard about the circumstances behind the creation of the park.

    So there Wataru stood, frozen with tension in front of the tree, ready to confess to Nerune. And right in front of him, bathed in the glow of the sunset, was his beloved Nerune.

    "Considering our positions~¡­ should we stand side by side~?"

    "Huh, does the positioning matter?"

    "It''s about the aesthetics~. It''s probably the most important part of this whole affair~, right~? I mean~, whether I ept or reject your confession might depend on how it looks~. Good position or bad position~?"

    Yes, Nerune was aware of the uing confession.

    And the answer to that confession depended entirely on her feelings.

    Upon further reflection, under normal circumstances, Nerune had considered that she wouldn''t mind if she agreed to Wataru''s confession.

    It was supposed to be a sure-win confession battle.

    But then, Hero Leona threw in her two cents.

    If Nerune declined the confession, she would be able to cash in on Hero Leona''s promise¡ª[I''ll teach you any magic I know]. Due to this, for the magic-loving Nerune, the temptation of magic had set a higher bar than ever before.

    ¡­ Even now, Kehma, Rokuko, and Leona were watching the pair.

    Although they weren''t tantly spying, they were discreetly observing to preserve the atmosphere.

    "¡­"

    "Alright~, go ahead~."

    Having found a satisfactory position, Nerune smiled warmly and spoke to Wataru. That unreadable smile was all the more endearing to him.

    "¡­ Nerune-san."

    "Yes~?"

    "I¡­ I love you, Nerune-san. I want to be with you from now on. Actually, I''ve secured a house in the vige for that very reason."

    "What~? When did you do that~?"

    "Actually, quite a while ago. Gozoh-san was thoughtful enough to¡­ well, it''s essentially the party house for Team Bhus, but there''s a dedicated room for me."

    However, since he mostly stays at the inn to be closer to Nerune, in reality, the house has primarily been used by Gozoh and Roppu. Given Wataru''s earnings, he could afford to build another house if he wanted to, but that was besides the point.

    "So¡­ um, w-would you¡­ live with me!?"

    Wataru knelt down, extended his hand, and made his confession filled to the brim with resolve¡ª

    "Eh~, I''d rather not~."

    "¡­ Is it no?"

    "It''s a no~."

    ¡ªand just like that, Nerune promptly turned him down.

    Feeling dejected, Wataru lowered his shoulders.

    "It''d be inconvenient for my work if I left the dormitory~. Living together is out of the question~."

    "So you don''t¡­"

    "Of course, it''s a no~¡­ Hm~? What''s wrong~? Aren''t you going to confess~?"

    "Eh? Uhh¡­"

    Wataru tilted his head in confusion.

    "¡­ I''m sorry, that was actually meant to be my proposal."

    "Oh?? Was it? In that case, I decline."

    In this world, preparing a home and asking someone to "live together" is considered a strong form of proposal¡­ or so Wataru had heard from the deputy vige chief, Wozuma. It seemed Nerune wasn''t aware of that.

    Thinking he should rify and try once more, Wataru began to straighten up when¡ª

    "Wataru-san~, may I ask you something~?"

    "Y-Yes? What is it?"

    "Would you like to go out with me~? I mean as in being lovers~."

    "Eh? I will¡­ Wait, what?"

    Nerune extended her hand towards Wataru, and he took it.

    "Eh? Wait, what?"

    "Well then~, I look forward to our future~. That''s settled then~. Is that okay~?"

    Nerune briskly turned to her side.

    Standing there was Leona.

    "¡­ True, I did say that if you rejected Wataru''s confession¡­"

    "Yes~. But there was no mention about a confession from me~, right~?"

    "Hehe, indeed. I never said you couldn''t confess to him¡­"

    Certainly, by this approach, after rejecting Wataru''s confession, Nerune could still meet Rokuko''s criteria for a sessful confession.

    "By the way, Wataru-san¡­ You proposed without even being lovers?"

    "Eh, now that you mention it, yes¡­"

    "Obviously, anyone would decline such a sudden proposal. You really got me there."

    With a sigh, Leona shrugged her shoulders.

    It was aplete victory for Nerune.

 Chapter 569: Bridegroom Training The Confession

    <h4>Chapter 569: Bridegroom Training The Confession</h4>

    After being rejected by Wataru and then confessed to, Nerune and he officially became a couple.

    Additionally, they managed to throw Leona for a loop.

    "That girl did well! She definitely deserves a reward."

    "I never expected Nerune to be the one confessing."

    "I didn''t ask her to go that far, but it seems Nerune had her ns after all."

    Watching the two of them holding hands in front of the [Legendary Tree], Rokuko nodded with a satisfied look.

    "Well, shall we go and celebrate?"

    "Yes, let''s!"

    They began walking towards Wataru and the others. Leona, who had been talking with Nerune, grumbled but looked somewhat pleased. Wataru probably noticed them approaching, as he waved when they got closer, all the while holding Nerune''s hand.

    "Hey, congrats, Wataru. But seriously, proposing out of the blue? It''s no wonder you got turned down. You need to take things step by step."

    "Uh, thanks¡­ Yes, you''re right. I got ahead of myself."

    "Really. If you were as close as me and Kehma, it might be different. But when you propose, you need to think about what''s best for Nerune. Did you even consider her feelings?"

    "Did I¡­ cause a scene?"

    Wataru hunched forward slightly in embarrassment.

    "Why did you even bring up a house, Wataru?"

    "Well, I thought proposing with a house would be the norm in this world."

    "So, the person you fell for¡ªdooes she have the typical tastes of this world?"

    "I¡­ made a mistake. No, she doesn''t. I''m sorry, Nerune."

    "Make sure it''s a proposal to my liking next time~, okay~?"

    Nerune teased, poking him.

    Yeah, they seemed closer now. This is what a couple''s intimacy should feel like¡­!

    "But you know, maybe that was a good example, right Kehma? Unreasonable confessions might be turned down, but reasonable ones might get epted."

    "Yeah. There''s also the possibility of the confessioning from the woman¡­"

    "Oh? You promised to confess and then kiss me, right Kehma? That''s a bit problematic. Kehma, please increase our sess rate. I''m good with a proposal."

    Pushing past Wataru and the others, Rokuko stood in front of the [Legendary Tree].

    ¡­ She wants it now!?

    "I thought we agreed on doing it after a date¡­"

    "What are you talking about? We had a date today, didn''t we?"

    "Huh? ¡­ What!?"

    Unintentionally ncing over at Wataru, he just nodded in agreement.

    "I was watching too, but you two were on a boat, and you even had ap pillow session. Isn''t that a date?"

    "Moreover~, you also ate a sandwich handmade by Rokuko-sama~."

    "That''s undoubtedly a date. In fact, I''m envious. I want to taste something homemade by Nerune too¡­"

    "If you want, maybe I''ll nt some tomatoes next time."

    "You''d start the homemade process from there!?"

    Was she really fine with peeping date? Is that even a thing?

    "So, what will you do, Kehma?"

    "Well, uh, Wataru and Leona are watching¡­"

    "Wataru and Nerune confessed knowing that we were watching, right?"

    "Well, that''s true, but still!!"

    ncing at Leona, she was indeed grinning ear to ear.

    I knew you were that kind of person, Leona.

    "Give me a break. I won''t tease you anymore¡­!"

    "In that case, can we at least hide somewhere we won''t be seen?"

    "Yeah! Let''s secretly watch Papa''s confession, ''kay Leona-san!?"

    "Geh, Soto-chan!? I thought I''d escaped! Ah, ah¡ªhold up, don''t pull on my clothes¡ª"

    Soto suddenly appeared and dragged Leona away just as quickly. What was Soto up to?

    I''m not sure what to do about her¡­ It''s quite a headache.

    ¡­ But seeing the situation, maybe Soto could be able to keep Leona in check.

    "Then we should hide too. Shall we go, Nerune?"

    "H-Huh?"

    "Good luck~, Rokuko-sama~."

    "Thanks, Nerune."

    With that, Wataru and Nerune also hid among the bushes.

    ¡­ Leaving Rokuko and me alone. Ignoring the also four people hiding in the bushes.

    The sun was setting, and it was just about night time. The sky had started to transition from red to a navy starlit expanse.

    Looking around, the [Legendary Tree] was illuminated by magical lights.

    This atmosphere was perfect.

    "Kehma¡­ Whenever you''re ready."

    Rokuko smiled, pressing a finger to her lips.

    She teasingly licked her lips, beckoning me.

    ¡­ Alright, let''s muster some courage.

    "Um¡­ I''m not good with words or anything, but¡ª"

    "Mm-hmm?"

    "¡­ I love you. Will you marry me and be my wife?"

    "¡­ Huh?"

    Rokuko tilted her head.

    "We''re already married, aren''t we? Can''t we go higher?"

    "Eh?"

    "Don''t give me that ''eh''. We''ve even exchanged rings, and we have a daughter. Isn''t it a bitte for that?"

    "¡­ I mean, is there something higher than being a married couple in this world? I wouldn''t know."

    "If there isn''t, then let''s create one in Beddhism."

    What would it be? Super-Marriage or something?

    "I want to¡ªyou know, kiss Kehma! That kind of rtionship!"

    "¡­ Isn''t that what married couples do?"

    "Then why haven''t I been kissed by Kehma?"

    Eh¡­ why, indeed?

    "Wait, was I the only one who thought we were a married couple¡­?"

    "Ah, well¡­ Maybe?"

    "We have a daughter! You''re such a wimp, Kehma! Even worse than Wataru!"

    Hey, Wataru''s listening over there, you know?

    "Haa¡­ well, if that''s the case, it''s fine. We''ll kiss and stuff when we''re officially married, right?"

    "Y-Yeah? Sure. Haku-san gave us her approval already anyway."

    "Right. So, from now on, we''re a couple¡­ okay?"

    ¡­ She was definitely, without a doubt, closing the distance between us.

    "¡­ Hmm."

    Rokuko lifts her chin slightly, gazing up at me.

    "¡­ Can I kiss you?"

    "Mm."

    With her eyes melting in anticipation, Rokuko nodded slowly.

    Her eyes gently closed as I took hold of her shoulders.

    ¡­

    S-So soft¡­

    The moment that thought crossed my mind, I suddenly felt a slippery sensation thrusting into me from Rokuko''s mouth and I instinctively pulled back.

    "!? R-Rokuko? Why the sudden tongue action?!"

    "Huh? It''s allowed from now on, right? It''s only natural."

    "Wait a minute! I wasn''t prepared! And we''re being watched¡ªwatched by Wataru and everyone!!"

    "You talk too much. Do you have any idea how much I''ve held back?"

    She gave a carnivorous smirk.

    Eek!

    After that, I managed to escape saying [Let''s at least go home first!] and teleported us back to the vige chief''s residence.

 Chapter 570: Bridegroom Training Post Confession Developments

    <h4>Chapter 570: Bridegroom Training Post Confession Developments</h4>

    In the underground of the church, in a cold room reminiscent of a cell, there was a tan-skinned girl with dog ears and an apprentice witch.

    "The confession operation went well~!"

    "Ah! Is that so? That''s splendid."

    "Yes~, I managed to uphold Rokuko-sama''s honor, captured Hero Wataru~, and even received words of praise from Master~. It was the best possible oue~."

    "Heh, hehehe. I would have loved to see Leona-sama''s begrudging face with my own eyes."

    The two exchanged smiles, pleased that their scheme had been sessful.

    This stark basement room, with nothing but a bed, was Toy''s room.

    She was Niku''s older sister, a former subordinate of Leona who was ordered to defy Leona and was pushed onto Kehma. A strategist known for her achievements, she could manipte an entire nation.

    She supported Narikin and the others who are on a business trip to the Holy Kingdom from Golen from here by utilizing [Possession], even though she physically never left in the vige. This was the task Kehma entrusted to Toy.

    She was currently meddling in the election to choose a new Pope for Church of Holy Light following the disappearance of the previous Pope.

    However, Toy''s main objective was not [Coborate With Kehma''s Faction]. It was purely [Obstruct Leona] and helping Kehma''s group was just a part of that process.

    In other words, Toy would dly cooperate in any situation where she could directly hinder Leona.

    "Consulting with you really was the right decision~, huh~? Confessing from my end was rather unexpected~, like a revtion~."

    "Hehehe, yes, yes. Consulting with me was the correct decision. It''s my mission to trip up Leona-sama, after all."

    However, if Toy were to directly show herself in front of Leona, she''d surely be on guard.

    Therefore, Toy provided a n when Nerune came to consult with her. And, brilliantly, they seeded in hindering Leona.

    "Your decision to consult with me was trulymendable, Nerune-san."

    "Since Master and Rokuko-sama were under Leona-sama''s watch~, consulting rashly might''ve led to additional conditions being imposed even before the date~."

    "The way you diverted attention by instigating Soto-sama was really brilliant. Using the romantic feelings of your own lord''s daughter, you truly are a crafty minister."

    "Please don''t put it in such bad terms~. I didn''t touch the matter concerning Soto-sama~."

    "Oh? Is that so? I thought for sure that you were the one who had Soto-samae to consult with me."

    Toy nodded thoughtfully.

    "Soto-sama came for advice~? What sort~?"

    "She inquired about the kind of underwear and socks Leona-sama prefers. I rmended something with sensualce."

    "Heh~? So Leona-sama likes that kind of thing~?"

    "She personally wears such items, so she likely doesn''t dislike them. For my part, I''m surprised she hasn''t made a move yet."

    "Hmm~¡­"

    Nerune pondered, cing a hand on her chin.

    "Well~, I do hope Soto-san''s romance flourishes~?"

    "Yes. If it''s Soto-san, she''ll definitely keep Leona-san on her toes. I have high expectations."

    "Oh~? You''re alright with that~? Leona-san might end up being happy you know~?"

    "My only directive was to hinder Leona-san. As for her bing happy, I''d genuinely celebrate that. If she were to be so engrossed in happiness to the point of being rendered inactive, that would be ideal. Soto-san has the potential for that."

    "Such a unique perspective~."

    Nerue chuckled, seemingly ying innocent.

    £ª £ª £ª

    Having served its purpose for Rokuko, the park was opened to the public.

    Additionally, the park was named the [Hero Wataru''s Confession Memorial Park].

    "¡­ Why did it turn out this way, Kehma-san?"

    "It''s the brand value a hero brings to the table, don''t make such a fuss over it. Oh, I''ve also had a bronze statue of you installed."

    "What about image rights and such? Just because it''s a different world doesn''t mean you can overlook these things!"

    "I got permission from Nerune."

    "Well, if that''s the case, I guess it can''t be helped¡­"

    Upon reaching the vige chief''s office, Wataru quickly withdrew hisints. Ah, he''s already whipped.

    Of course, the bronze statue was made using [Create Golem]. The park sign was added in the same manner.

    "Having a statue prepared in just three days¡­ Did you prepare it beforehand?"

    "Skills are really handy, especially Leona''s."

    "Right, she does have several hero skills, doesn''t she? That''s not surprising then."

    From my end, I wasn''t lying. Skills truly are convenient.

    "Considering it was a request through Soto-chan, you couldn''t have declined. After all, Leona-san seemed quite flustered by Soto-chan. She truly is your daughter, Kehma-san."

    Wataru seemed satisfied with his own understanding.

    For me, I''d really like to do something about my daughter getting involved with a bad woman, but there''s really nothing I can do¡­

    "Hmm. Come to think of it, you know Soto? I don''t recall introducing her."

    "She''s your daughter, right? We yed together several times when I came to the vige. She introduced herself to me directly."

    It seems Soto was watching his mock battles with Niku.

    When did that happen? ¡­ Ah, probably while I was asleep. That tracks.

    From the attitudes of Niku and the vigers, it was widely known that Soto is my daughter.

    Moreover, when I casually asked Haku-san, she replied, [Oh, Soto-chan? Yes, she''s the daughter of Rokuko-chan and Kehma-san]. Given this response, it seemed this wasn''t a matter of particr concern.

    "I thought for sure you''d say [When did you have a daughter?] or something."

    "Well, you already have Niku-chan, so I figured it''d be rude to ask in case you had your reasons."

    Despite that, you sure are prying into whether I''m a hero or not.

    "More importantly, Kehma-san. You can use ?[Teleport]?, right? And by yourself, too."

    "¡­ Oh, right. You saw that, didn''t you?"

    "Yes, I saw it very clearly."

    ?[Teleport] was, fundamentally, ritual magic. It wasn''t the sort of magic that individuals were supposed to be able to use. However, when Rokuko cornered me, I carelessly used it to teleport to the inn right in front of Wataru.

    "¡­ Well, please keep it to yourself. That''s a bit of a trick. Rokuko is involved and I can''t say more than that. I''ll probably get scolded by Haku-san for this time¡­ Sigh, it''s daunting."

    "Rokuko-san is¡­? Hmm. She''s Haku-sama''s sister. So she was trained to escape when needed and given the means to practically use it¡­?"

    I just nodded at Wataru''s guess.

    Yep, good imagination! You''re totally on the right track. Uh huh.

    Hopefully he understood my feelings (monotone).

    ¡­ Perhaps he''s convinced that he didn''t hear the chant because he was too far away?

    "But to use [Teleport] just to be alone together¡­ You must have had a good timest night, or rather, the other day."

    "Shut up. What about you, Wataru? Did you at least share a kiss with Nerune after all that?"

    "Eh!? Uh, well, that¡­ How should I put it? I was¡­ stripped naked. Yes, she just decided¡­"

    Nerune wanted to examine the hero''s body and, without hesitation, she used the excuse of [We''re lovers, so it''s okay, right?] to thoroughly check even the number of moles on his entire body. She even drew a little blood.

    Wataru, isn''t that more than just being ''whipped''? What''s Nerune up to?

    I really don''t get what''s so appealing about Nerune. But let''s leave it at that. To each their own, as they say.

    "¡­ Let''s leave that topic there."

    "Yes, let''s¡­?"

    Feeling awkward, Wataru and I decided to end the conversation there.

    "Help me, Kehma-san! Soto-chan is trying to seduce me!"

    Then, in that moment, Leona rushed into the office, almost in tears.

    My daughter was making a wicked god, whom not even I could defeat, cry.

    What''s with the women of this dungeon? Do they have some sort of hero-specialization or something?

 Chapter 571: Bridegroom Training The Escape of Leona Shishido

    <h4>Chapter 571: Bridegroom Training The Escape of Leona Shishido</h4>

    Leona was begging for help. The one cornering her? My daughter, Soto.

    ¡­ Wait a minute. I was worried for my daughter as a father, but isn''t she bing for resilient and reliable than me?

    "Uh, what happened¡ªLeona? What''s going on?"

    "That girl''s¡­ she''s more of a subus than a subus¡­ The little devil''s driving me mad¡­!"

    "Leona, don''t tell me you made a move on Soto-chan¡­!? You shouldn''t do anything with a child like that!"

    "I haven''t! I haven''t done anything yet! She made me promise something for when she grows up, though!"

    Well, even if Soto is an exception¡­ she''s a Dungeon Core, so she''d just need to use DP to grow¡­ wouldn''t it just take a moment then?

    Rokuko could switch between adult and child forms without using DP. So can Haku-san.

    I''ve never seen it, but it wouldn''t be odd if Soto had an adult form.

    "Hey Leona. You''re being tricked."

    "Huh? Oh,e on, Kehma. There''s no way I''d be deceived by a child."

    "But aren''t you basically being brought to tears by that child right now?"

    And she got outwitted by Nerune, too.

    Wait, could it be that, outside ofbat, Leona is pretty easy to get to?

    "¡­ At this rate, she might be in your bed tonight."

    "No way. Soto-chan wouldn''t just grow up overnight, would she? She''s a child who absolutely keeps her promises. She''d never break them!"

    Leona really seemed to trust Soto. Did she already fall for her?

    "Right, so if she does grow up, you''ll make her keep her promise. By the way, about Soto''s origins¡­ Leona, don''t you know what she is?"

    "Huh? Uh, well, I knew, but¡­ Oh."

    I spoke vaguely because Wataru was present, but it seemed Leona caught on.

    "Huh? Soto-chan is Kehma and Rokuko''s daughter, right? Is there something wrong?"

    "Do you know how old Haku-san is? Soto is the daughter of Haku-san''s younger sister."

    "I''ve realized that mymon sense doesn''t apply here."

    By the way, Nerune''s actual age was in the single digits¡­ not that I''d mention it, though.

    "¡­ Kehma! Today, I will conduct the final exam! Wataru can help, too. Beat me!! After witnessing that, I''ll depart!!"

    "Eh? I can help too?"

    "If you''re marrying Nerune-chan, then you can cooperate as one under Kehma-san."

    "Well, if you say so, I can''t refuse."

    Wataru nodded with a smug look. But like¡­ didn''t you fail to break through Leona''s barrier during the date?

    "Alright. I''m gonna give it hard, so take it easy on me."

    "Leave it to me. I won''t move an inch or attack. If you can break through my barrier, it''s a win for Kehma-san."

    Our interests somehow aligned here.

    And all of this was thanks to my beloved daughter, Soto! That includes the Space-Time God Karinisoto!

    "Huh? By ''final test'', you mean the results of our training, right? Is that okay?"

    "Don''t worry about it¡­ man, this is so tiring. Let''s get this over with."

    "That''s right. I want to keep my distance from Soto-chan, and Kehma-san wants to distance himself from me. Our interests align."

    Wataru tilted his head at Leona''s statement.

    "¡­ Um, do you dislike Soto-chan, Leona-san? From what I''ve heard, it doesn''t seem that way."

    "I like her so much that it scares me!!"

    "So it''s mutual love. You''re going to be Kehma-san''s future daughter-inw, huh?"

    Hey, stop it, Wataru. Having her for a daughter-inw sounds terrifying.

    "Age aside, are there any other problems?"

    "If you take one step closer, she''ll dive in a hundred steps deeper!! If I''m doted on by that girl to that extent, I won''t be able to do anything for about ten years. Well, if it''s only ten years, that might be a relief¡­"

    What is she, a machine that makes you useless? Was my daughter always like that?

    "I want to enjoy this world more. I can''t melt into her just yet."

    "I see. I also want to go ces like Wakoku, so is it something like that?"

    It looked like Wataru was more or less convinced.

    "¡­ [Elemental Shot]"

    "Ouch."

    A light beam shot from the fingertips and grazed Leona''s shoulder.

    Well, that shouldn''t have been just an ''ouch'' level of power. What kind of magical defense is that?

    "¡­ Um, Kehma-san? What are you doing?"

    "Huh? If it''s already started, isn''t it the fault of the person caught off guard?"

    "! That''s right, you pass, Kehma-san!"

    Oh, I did it. It seems that counts as a breakthrough.

    "Um, what about the part where I cooperate?"

    "You distracted Leona for me, thanks Wataru! It''s a victory of our friendship!"

    "Yes, that was a wonderfulbination! Well then, I''ll be off on my journey now. Take care, both of you!"

    No sooner had Leona finished speaking than had she quickly wrapped herself in a cloak taken from her [Storage] and flew out the window.

    She seemed very keen on putting distance between herself and Soto.

    "¡­ Wait, huh? Is this really goodbye?"

    "Well, we''ll meet again eventually if we''re unlucky."

    I leaned back into the chair, sinking deeply into it.

    ¡­ Next time shees, I should sic Soto on her.

    What, I should worry about Soto? It''s toote now, so I''ve given up as her father.

    I''d realized that if Soto really put her mind to it, I couldn''t really stop her. I had no clue when she''d even gotten close to Leona.

    ¡­ Suddenly, Wataru murmured.

    "With Leona-san leaving, won''t it be trouble for Soto-chan?"

    "Don''t mention it, Wataru. I was trying not to think about it."

    Out of the frying pan, into the fire. Although, it should be a slightly better fire.

    "¡­ It''s better, right?"

    "Well, I don''t really know."

    "I should tell Soto how helpful Wataru was."

    "Oh, that sounds¡­ uhh¡­ I''ll be leaving the vige soon too; I have a hero''s duties after all!"

    He''d stayed in the vige for quite a while since he''d officially started dating Nerune.

    "For the great Wataru-san, a special present!"

    "Whoa!? Soto!? Since when have you been listening!?"

    From under the desk, Soto suddenly popped out.

    "From when Leona-san came rushing in?"

    "From the beginning?"

    ¡­ She was surprisingly calm, considering Leona left the vige.

    "Soto-chan, what''s this present for me?"

    "Oh, right. This is an item that records Nerune''s voice. It''s atest item from a Dungeon!"

    With that, Soto handed a conch shell to Wataru.

    At a nce, it seemed to be a shell brought by a guest from Paveera, transformed into a Recording Golem.

    ¡­ I don''t recall creating it, but I had recorded the spell [Create Golem] used to make a Recording Golem and given it to Nerune.

    Introducing it as a dungeon-produced item implied that Nerune had learned how to produce them. I should reward her for this.

    "When you tap here lightly, her voice will y out."

    Soto tapped the pointed part of the conch, and from the shell, Nerune''s voice saying [Wataru-san~, please do your job properly~, okay~? I''ll give you a reward~] yed out.

    I wondered if that was okay, but Wataru seemed satisfied.

    "A voice-recording item? What a wonderful present!"

    "The voice will disappear when the magic runs out, so please replenish it before it does. I''ll teach you how to record without overwriting. There''s another one, so please record a message of love from you to Nerune in this one."

    "¡­ Right here and now?"

    "Yes! Go ahead!"

    "Eh!? Um, Ne, Nerune-san, I, I, I love you! I''ll earn a lot!"

    "Ah, sorry, it didn''t record properly. One more time."

    "Eh!? I love you, Nerune-san!"

    For Wataru to answer such a sudden request is truly fitting for a hero. Well done.

    ¡­

    After seeing Wataru off, Soto was still grinning and in high spirits.

    Why was she so happy even after Leona had left?

    As I pondered, Soto muttered¡ª

    "By the way, I''ve made the Recording Golem learn the [Storage] spell."

    "¡­ What did you say?"

    A Golem with [Storage]. The method is simple: possess it and use a [Storage Scroll]. It seemed the Space-Time God Karinisoto had taught her the method.

    However, the Golem itself didn''t have the capability to use magic, so it couldn''t activate the magic by itself. So it wouldn''t make a difference¡ª

    ¡ªfor anyone but Soto, that is.

    Soto could ess the [Storage] of dungeon-rted people at will.

    And by possessing it, the Recording Golem could be treated as a subordinate of the Dungeon¡­ meaning¡ª

    "¡­ So Soto, you can go to wherever that Recording Golem is at any time?"

    "Exactly. And I gave Leona-san one just like it this morning! She should cherish it, thinking it''s from me!"

    I see. Now I understand why Soto remained cheerful even after Leona left.

    "Should I call myself the Demon King?"

    "Don''t. There''s already a proper Demon King in the Demonds."

    ¡­ Leona, whether you like it or not, it seems the day I call you my daughter-inw is nearing.

 Chapter 572: Bridegroom Training Rei and Kinue Chatting

    <h4>Chapter 572: Bridegroom Training Rei and Kinue Chatting</h4>

    [The Dancing Dolls Pavilion], the employee break room.

    There, Rei and Kinue were taking a break and chatting leisurely.

    "¡­ You know, Kinue, there''s been a lot of talk about romancetely."

    "Yes, indeed."

    The topic was the recent love boom. With basic needs met and safety ensured, the natural course for living beings was to move towards romance. However, Rei and the others, being dungeon monsters born from DP, were exceptions to this flow¡­Except for Nerune, who''d started dating the hero Wataru.

    "First Master and Rokuko-sama, and now Nerune with Wataru¡­ Even Soto-sama doesn''te begging for socks as much as before."

    "Our princess is also experiencing [spring], I suppose. Hm."

    Rei nodded, pleased with Soto''s happiness. Then, she suddenly thought about something.

    "Kinue, doesn''t Niku-senpai have an engagement, too?"

    "Yes, indeed. She has Maiodoru-sama."

    "And Narikin and Rokufa are married, right?"

    "Yes. Master has decreed it, and they seem to be okay with it."

    Come to think of it, there were quite a few stories about such rtionships.

    "¡­ I envy them. I''m starting to want a lover too."

    "Huh? Wait a moment. Rei, are you and I not lovers?"

    "Huh?"

    Kinue tilted her head.

    "¡­ W-When did we be such a thing!?"

    "It''s a joke. Just a joke."

    "Oh, I see. You surprised me there."

    Kinue teased andughed yfully. Rei was a bit surprised that Kinue would make such jokes.

    "What about the Silky''s¡­ You don''t have lovers, right?"

    "We Silkies love all household chores, so if I had to say, the inns and the vige chief''s house are our lovers."

    "With buildings¡­ and polygamous at that."

    "I want to wash every nook and cranny of its body with my own hands. Poof!"

    Kinue ced her hand on her cheek, blushing.

    "As for Ichika-senpai¡­ well, meals are her lovers, aren''t they?"

    "She repeats new encounters and breakups with each meal¡ªa woman of many loves."

    "She''s an amazing viiness, devouring her love interests."

    "The children I have birthed¡­!"

    "Oh, so Kinue is a mom."

    As she cooked them, she was the mother. As for Ichika who ate that food¡ªwell, there''s really nothing more to think about. In fact, she was grateful that Ichika always ate her food with gusto.

    "Oh, speaking of which, Ichika-senpai did propose to me."

    "What did you say to that!?"

    "I answered, ''Let''s continue to be good colleagues.'' Ichika-senpai was joking too."

    "True."

    It was a not-so-sexy story for the sake of a meal.

    "What about you, Rei?"

    "I''ve pledged loyalty to Master."

    "That goes for me and Nerune too. Is there anyone good at the church?"

    "Even if you ask, there are only Subi. Work is our lover."

    And for Subi, since romantic affairs were nearly synonymous with meals for them, it seemed their conversations don''t develop into particrly seductive ones.

    "Anyway, it means we don''t have suitable partners, huh?"

    "That seems to be the case. Oh, so are you suggesting we be a couple, Rei?"

    "It''s toote to call us lovers, so I''ll pass."

    Yet, randomly choosing a viger and making them a lover wasn''t an option either. Bing romantically involved with someone who didn''t understand the dungeon''s situation would only cause harm.

    "Kinue, Nerune found a good partner, didn''t she¡­"

    "Yes, and her body is the closest to a human''s, plus she has a partner approved by Master¡­ Rei, it would be great if you could find someone approved by him as well."

    "¡­ A concubine for Master?"

    "Master already has Rokuko-sama and Niku-senpai."

    "Then I''ll refrain. Unless Master proposes to me."

    The feelings Rei harbored for the Master, Kehma, were not of romantic nature but of reverence.

    "I''vee up with a good idea. Let''s create lovers."

    "¡­ Huh? Kinue, what do you mean?"

    "With DP, you know. We receive DP as our sry, don''t we?"

    "Hmm."

    Rei nodded.

    "So, you''re saying create a partner who aligns with your values yourself¡­ I see."

    "By the way, I''ve only got about 500 DP since I''ve invested it in ingredients."

    "If you were a Goblin, you could have 25 boyfriends. Congrattions."

    "Hehe, thank you? So, Rei, how much have you saved?"

    "Just a moment."

    Rei opened the menu to check her savings. ¡­ She had umted about 20,000 DP.

    "I have 20,000."

    "Wow, each of us could use around 10,000 to 15,000 DP, right? That''s quite a bit!"

    "¡­ Certainly!"

    This DP was given as free-to-use DP. In other words, it can be interpreted that they were free to spend it on creating boyfriends!

    "Shall we try creating a vampire lover?"

    "What about the attack power?"

    "Of course, since it''s my ideal lover, attack power must be present in the right direction!"

    Despite utilizing various things, Rei had aplex about having zero attack power. She wanted her lover to have proper attack power to protect her. So, with the ideal parameters in mind, Rei started incorporating them¡ª

    "¡­It costs an insane amount of DP?"

    "I see. So having attack power costs this much¡­"

    With the same resistance, performance, and skillposition as Rei, but with normal attack power, it easily exceeded 1,000,000 DP.

    "So that''s why I had zero attack power¡­ Ugh, life is tough!"

    "We just have to save up DP."

    "I don''t feel like I can save it up on my own. Kinue, let''s save up together!"

    "Oh, I''m fine. My lovers are the inn, the vige chief''s residence, and the dungeon."

    "Three-timer!"

    Would spring evere for Rei? It seemed like nobody would be troubled either way.

 Chapter 573: Bridegroom Training Extra: Those Remembered

    <h4>Chapter 573: Bridegroom Training Extra: Those Remembered</h4>

    "Peaceful, isn''t it?"

    I hadpletely rxed, sunbathing in the vige meadow.

    "Oh¡­! I heard about it, but it seems to have developed quite a bit, Muzoh."

    "There was only an inn here before. Uzoh."

    Such voices from a duo reached me. They noticed me and approached.

    "Oh! Kehma-san! It''s Kehma-san, Muzoh!"

    "Yeah, Uzoh. It''s Kehma-san. Uh, feeling nostalgic, tears are welling up."

    "¡­ Uzoh and Muzoh, huh. Long time no see."

    For a moment, I wondered who they were, but since these two were calling each other by name, I quickly remembered. The Uzoh-Muzoh brothers, an adventurer duo who weren''t actually blood rted with each other. When this dungeon was still named [Ordinary Cave], they came to investigate the developed dungeon after a Dungeon Battle and got trapped in the [Magic Sword Trial Room], nearly starving. Later, the [Magic Sword Trial Room] was named the [Avarice Trap]¡­ In a sense, it became the origin of the name of this dungeon, the [Cave of Desire].

    "Oh, it''s been a while. You finally made it back."

    "Did Kehma-san create this vige? Amazing, there''s even a tavern."

    "Well, you could say I just made it¡­ In celebration of our reunion, I''ll treat you to lunch today."

    "Really?! I want to eat that stew with beef again. Right, Muzoh?"

    "Yeah, Uzoh. But I sense there''s something else delicious now."

    The Uzoh-Muzoh brothers seemed delighted. I owed them for giving me my beloved sword, Siesta. It was quite cheap to return the favor.

    "By the way, Kehma-san, what happened to that magic sword?"

    "You''re not wearing it today¡­ Did you sell it after all?"

    "No way. I use it a lot; I even lend it to my subordinates."

    It was convenient when conducting Mass at the church. Without resistance, only a few people could use it without falling asleep. Rei, who had resistance from the orb, could use it without any problems.

    "For inducing sleep¡­ that''s quite useful. So that''s how you''re using it, Kehma-san! Right, Muzoh?"

    "Absolutely. There was a fixed idea that swords and weapons are only for battle. He''s not bound by that, Uzoh."

    "Don''t let the believers know. It''s better if they find it mysterious without knowing."

    Yeah, yeah, nodded the impressed Uzoh-Muzoh brothers. Anyway, I took them to the inn''s dining room to treat them to some lunch.

    "Oh? If it isn''t the Uzoh-Muzoh brothers! Long time no see; are you still alive?"

    The representative adventurer dwarf, Gozoh, who happened to be in the dining room, called out. Apparently, they''d be acquaintances when I was active in Tsuia.

    "Oh! Gozoh-san! Yeah, still kicking. We were away for a bit. Right, Uzoh?"

    "Yeah. I went to the Demonds with Muzoh. It was an amazing ce, the Demonds."

    "The Demonds? Oh, Kehma went there quite a while ago, I recall."

    "We actually saw him there too."

    That was during the tournament, right? Just how did they see me in such arge city¡­ well, maybe us just being the same race in a sea of non-humans made it easier for them to see me. Moreover, ck hair is rare.

    "Kehma-san was really strong. I still remember the three-way finals of the martial arts tournament."

    "Yeah. He effortlessly blocked the attacks from Hero Wataru and another person. Essentially, it was a 2-on-1 situation. If not for that, Kehma-san would have won!"

    "Hmm, so that''s how the fight went."

    At that time, I was aiming for second ce, but because of Wataru and the others, I ended up tying for first ce. Due to that, we had to redo the finals with three people, dealing with various things.

    "By the way, Gozoh-san, could you teach us some money-making methods around here? We''re penniless."

    "We managed to return to the Empire by paying off the debt we umted in the Demonds. Well, it increased our strength, though."

    "Is that so? Well, if we talk about making money around here, it''s Golem hunting."

    "Golems, huh. It might not be the best match, but it should work, Muzoh."

    "Yeah, Uzoh. Without being attacked from behind by creatures like Squijira and Shironaga, it should be easier."

    Apparently, they were often attacked by aggressive creatures while working in the Demonds.

    "¡­ If you let your guard down, you get punched from behind. During work, you know?"

    "But being careless is your fault. Well, you get used to it¡­"

    It''s been a while since I heard about the Demonds. It''s a country of carnage.

    "I see. Considering your weapons, something other than Iron Golems might be better for making money."

    "I won''t ask for anything luxurious, but if there''s something else, it would be helpful if you could tell us. We''ll express our gratitude."

    "I can use a bit of magic now, but our partners are still these guys here."

    The Uzoh-Muzoh brothers each lifted their de Golems, still sheathed.

    "Oh! Those are magic swords from this dungeon, right? You''ve used them quite a bit."

    "Yeah. Kehma-san also taught us the maintenance tips. By the way, Kehma-san said he learned it from the vige cksmith. I''d like to thank that person too."

    "Kantra, right? He''s my rtive; I''ll introduce youter."

    Gozoh seemed a bit cheerful, perhaps because his family was praised.

    "Hey, speaking of which, I know I''m the vige chief and all, but is there any other way to make money in this vige besides Iron Golems?"

    "Hm? There are quite a few, like escorting delivery requests, guiding beginner adventurers, etc. Recently, guarding and maintaining the park, and working at stalls have been safe and lucrative jobs."

    Ah, so there are such things.

    "Also, helping with sugar production is rtively good. Most of the heavy lifting is done by the Golem lent out by the vige chief''s wife, so it''s surprisingly easy."

    "Hmm. When did Rokuko start making pocket money like that¡­"

    Note that the rental fee for the Golem was about half the daily wage of a hired adventurer. Perhaps Rokuko was making quite a bit of money? With the ie from the inn as well¡­

    "Both sugar and a dungeon¡­ It''s understandable a vige like this appeared so quick."

    "For now, let''s go hunt Iron Golems tomorrow and then take it easy looking at various things. I wonder if the dungeon has changed a lot?"

    After that, the Uzoh-Muzoh brothers apparently stayed overnight at Gozoh''s house. They exchanged various bits of information while having a home party. They apologized for not staying at my inn, but I told them to not worry about it. Business was booming, after all.

 Chapter 574: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Lets do a side gig!

    <h4>Chapter 574: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Let''s do a side gig!</h4>

    And so, the Uzoh-Muzoh brothers decided to settle in Golen. I had a vague feeling that this would happen, so it wasn''t particrly surprising. It seemed that the carpenter, Kusan, was going to quickly build a house for them. Their plot ofnd seemed a bitrger than the other houses.

    Oh, this is the nned construction site. The foundation''s already in ce; good job, Kusan.

    "Actually, we got promoted to B-rank! Our work in the Demonds was recognized."

    "So technically, we''re nobles. But, well, don''t worry about it."

    B-rank. A rank that granted the unique imperial title of Ventulier. I see, if they''re nobles, it makes sense that they have a bit more spaciousnd. By the way, their DP earnings per day significantly increased, with Uzoh at 250 DP per day and Muzoh at 230 DP per day. It''s clear that they''ve undergone considerable training.

    "Wow! Nobles, huh¡­ Wait, I''m a baron too."

    "What¡­? Hey, what''s the meaning of this, Muzoh?"

    "I''m in the same boat, Uzoh. We were outdone quite casually¡­ Truly, as expected of Kehma-san."

    "What, didn''t you hear from Gozoh and the others? They''re also B-rank. They went to the imperial capital together."

    "I heard that. They got the credit for driving away the dragon¡­"

    "Gozoh, you sly dog, deliberately keeping it quiet, huh!?"

    It was a usible story. Gozoh did like pranks.

    "Also, after returning from the Demonds, His Majesty the Emperor asked if we wanted to be A-rank adventurers. We declined, though."

    "Hold on, Kehma-san¡­!?"

    "Well, considering your performance in that martial arts tournament¡­ But to decline an offer from His Majesty the Emperor¡­"

    Hmm, a good reaction. I feel like all the various things we''d done were worth it.

    "But anyway, I was a bit curious¡­ Are you okay financially? Aside from the house payment, being an Ventulieres with taxes, right?"

    "¡­ Ah, yeah. The reason we''re penniless is because of taxes."

    "Well, we''re okay for now since we hunted two Iron Golems. We''re kind of running a tab for the house payment, but we n to pay it back soon."

    For now, it seemed that the B-rank adventurers had indeed seeded in hunting and bringing back two Iron Golems. They probably felt confident that they could live here by the dungeon, so they''d decided to build a house and settle down.

    "So, while our house is being built, we decided to go work in Tsuia for two or three days. Right, Muzoh?"

    "Yeah. And, if you''re up for it, Kehma-san, you could join us."

    "Hey, hey, I''m the vige chief; don''t invite me to part-time work¡ª"

    Then, I suddenly thought, maybe it would be good to head out now and then. The inn could run smoothly with Rokuko, and I could entrust the church to Rei and Suira. Me being the vige chief was mostly for show and there wasn''t anything urgent to get done. With Wozuma around, it should be fine for about three days. Although it''s entirely unrted, Rokuko has been looking at me with the eyes of a hunter ready for her prey night and day recently. Still, taking a short two or three-day trip might be alright. Even without using [Super Transformation], I''m confident in my skills as a mage. I''ve even learned to use a sword to some extent during my recent training with Leona. I have the Clothes Golem too, so I won''t be a burden.

    "Alright. When do we leave?"

    "Yeah, true. You''re the vige chief, so you must be busy¡ªwait, is it really okay, Kehma-san!?"

    "Oh, that''s reliable. How about starting from today at noon?"

    "Yeah, that''s fine."

    There''s no need to pack each item individually. With sufficient storage, I could start survival right away and easilyst a month. In fact, Soto will resupply me, so I could go for a year, and I can return in a minute.

    "¡­ While we''re at it, should we bring someone along?"

    "Tell me the details!!"

    Swoosh! With an unnecessary cloud of dust, a maid in the inn''s uniform appeared. No need to be so theatrical, Ichika.

    "Master! It''ll be a big help to take care of everything around you! Bring me along!! I''ll support you from morning to night!"

    "Hmm¡­ Well, I was thinking of bringing someone like Niku, but negotiation-wise, you''d definitely be better, Ichika. Well, that should be fine."

    "Alright, then I''ll push my shift onto Kinue! Uzoh-Muzoh, you''re good with that, right!?"

    Saying that, Ichika skipped away back towards the inn. Why were you in the residential area anyway? cking off? Also, pushing work onto Kinue-san¡­ Kinue-san would probably be happy to take over. Yeah.

    "¡­ An angel¡­!"

    "S-So that''s it. Ichika is Kehma-san''spanion¡­"

    "Come to think of it, when you guys were trapped, Ichika was with you."

    I briefly thought that maybe spring hade for Ichika, but upon closer inspection, these guys aren''t really her type. Anyway, I''ve decided to go to Tsuia after a long time. Alright! Time for a carefree holiday (side gig)!!!

 Chapter 575: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Dungeon: [Lights Paradise]

    <h4>Chapter 575: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Dungeon: [Light''s Paradise]</h4>

    "So, we''vee to Tsuia, but what do we do from here?"

    We''d arrived in Tsuia by a shared horse carriage. I asked since I figured the Uzoh-Muzoh brothers, who''d originally nned to work abroad, probably had some sort of n.

    "Ah, there''s a dungeon called [Light''s Paradise]. We''re nning to earn there, right, Muzoh?"

    "Huh? Wasn''t it [Light''s Garden], Uzoh?"

    "Both''re correct, ya two. I think it''s officially registered as [Light''s Paradise] with the guild."

    Ichika added the information. It seemed this dungeon was peacefully referred to as either a paradise or a garden.

    "Tsuia''s agriculture is thrivin'' thanks to the dungeon, Master."

    "Ah, I see. The area around a dungeon is good for crops, right? It''s the same in my vige."

    The mana emanating from the dungeon apparently aided in nt growth.

    "That''s part of it, but [Light''s Paradise] has a lot of nt-type enemies in particr. They make better fertilizer than goblins."

    "Huh, is that so?"

    Hearing about the nt-based dungeon, I remembered Myconid-senpai with whom I''d teamed up during that fight with Number 10.

    I recall that Myconid-senpai used a nt warrior called Soldier nt.

    "Do nt warriors like Soldier nts and Myconids appear there?"

    "That''s right. Especially Myconids, they''re delicious when ya grill ''em! I wanna to eat them butter-fried."

    "Hahaha, Ichika-san sure is eager to eat, right, Muzoh?"

    "That''s true. It''s pleasant to see, Uzoh."

    ¡­ Could it be that this is Myconid-senpai''s dungeon?

    Afterpleting our greetings at the guild, we immediately headed for the dungeon [Light''s Paradise].

    We didn''t forget to bring butter, of course.

    The dungeon was located east of Tsuia, outside the city walls.

    Surrounded by wheat fields, there was a barn that also served as the entrance to the dungeon. It looked like soldiers, ones not a part of the Adventurers'' Guild, were also stationed here.

    We presented our guild cards at the reception.

    "We''ll be diving in for two to three days. Here are our guild cards."

    "I''m one of this Baron''s ves, nice to meet ya~"

    "Yes, I''ve confirmed your identities. B-rank adventurers, I see¡­ Baron Kehma, Ventulier Uzoh, Ventulier Muzoh. I wish you good luck!"

    With a polite send-off from the receptionist, we entered the dungeon.

    Ichika and I were in the rear guard, with the Uzoh-Muzoh brothers in the vanguard as we proceeded through the dungeon.

    It was a bright and very green dungeon, bathed in light. The floors and walls were covered with lush, green vines. Considering the presence of nt-type monsters, I didn''t want to get too close to the vines. They could attack at any moment. Vignce was crucial.

    "It''d be beter to avoid usin'' water magic, so I''ll support with [Fireball] inbat."

    "Is it safe to use fire magic? Won''t everything catch fire?"

    "Maybe if things were dried out and all, but these fresh vines won''t catch fire so easily. If they do, I''ll be relyin'' on ya, Master."

    However, the shalloweryers were meant for beginners and each of us had enough skill to proceed alone (or at least, that''s what being B-rank implied).

    Although we remained vignt, we still had the luxury of chatting as we moved forward.

    "Still, I''m not quite used to being called a Ventulier. Right, Muzoh?"

    "That''s true. I''m not used to it either, Uzoh. Is Kehma-san ustomed to it?"

    "Nope, I rarely even get called Baron either, so it feels quite novel. I''m usually just known as the vige chief¡­ By the way, Ichika, why didn''t you present your guild card?"

    "It''s a bit cheaper this way. Master, you''re exempt from taxes, yeah?"

    ¡­ Oh, right, was there such a perk?

    "What! Exempt from taxes for such an achievement¡­ well, that makes sense. It''s fitting for a Baron."

    "Yes. Kehma-san, you''re amazing¡­ Ah, there''s an enemy already, I''ll take it down."

    As we chatted, we delved deeper. The enemy that appeared was a Brown Goblin. It was said to have a strong earth attribute, making it good fertilizer. Muzoh swiftly cut it down, harvesting only its ears and leaving the body behind. It was a smooth and efficient move.

    Oh, and now a walking carnivorous nt¡­ which Uzoh swiftly defeated and started collecting petals from before I could observe any longer.

    "It seems you''ve improved your skills a lot."

    "Not as much as Kehma-san. But, well, we''ve been through a lot in the Demonds¡­"

    "Ah, I''m d to hear that."

    The Uzoh-Muzoh brothers, although modest, smiled slightly with pride.

    It seemed he was basing his standards on my exploits in the Demonds, but it''s not like I had the same defenses with me anymore. Don''t expect that much from me, okay?

    "So, what''s our goal here?"

    "Ah, a fruit called Ambrosia. It''s supposed to be further inside."

    "It''s an ingredient for high-priced potions. It''s a permanent but B-rank quest, so it pays well."

    A single one was apparently worth fifty silver coins. Since it''smon to find several in one ce, it could yield a few gold coins.

    Ho-hoh. I secretly opened the menu to check what it was.

    They were 1000 DP a pop and looked like a yellow apple¡­ In the worst case, I could buy one with my DP. It''d be a profitable deal.

    "¡­ Fruit, huh. Sounds yummy¡­"

    "Hey, hey, Ichika. It''s for delivery, don''t eat it, okay?"

    "Well maybe we could taste one if we find a lot, right? We''re curious too, right, Muzoh?"

    "That''s true, it''s okay to try one. I''ll cut it up when the timees."

    "Yay! Ya understand as always! Eating is important! Right?!"

    Ichika happily patted their backs.

    Really, they''re quite lenient. They probably wanted to show their good sides to Ichika. I''m here for a break this time, so I don''t mind.

    "I should show off a little too. I''ll take down the next enemy."

    "Really? That will be interesting."

    "I can rely on Kehma-san."

    After walking for a while, we encountered a two-meter tall giant made of vines, an Ivy Giant. It looked like even a small hole wouldn''t weaken it much.

    [Elemental Shot] wasn''t a good match here.

    "Well, I guess I''ll just burn it¡­ Burn my enemy swiftly¡ª[Fireball]!"

    I tossed a fireball and the vine-covered giant was instantly engulfed in mes and burned to ashes.

    Yep, just as I imagined.

    "¡­ That one''s described to be like a moving wall, the general rule is to run so you don''t get yourself swallowed. Well, it''s Kehma-san, so this was expected."

    "¡­ Ah. Kehma-san. We can''t collect materials or proof of subjugation like this, so could you go a little easier?"

    "Oops. That''s true, my bad."

    Well, we are a B-rank group. Let''s not overdo it in a beginner''s area and head deeper.

 Chapter 576: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Dungeon: [Lights Paradise] (2)

    <h4>Chapter 576: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Dungeon: [Light''s Paradise] (2)</h4>

    So, we made our way deep into the dungeon.

    "Shall we take a bit of a break, Muzoh?"

    "Yeah, let''s. That okay with you, Ichika, Kehma-san?"

    "Sure is!"

    "Understood. Then let''s take a break."

    We took a rest in a passageway that served as a slope dividing the dungeon floors.

    Monsters seemed to appear less frequently near these divides.

    ¡­ Now that I think about it, managing monsters near these divides is troublesome for us too, so we try not to let them mingle there much.

    "But man, I feel like I''m the one draggin'' us down the most. My skills''ve really dulled."

    "You usually just eat and sleep, Ichika."

    "Nah, that''s not true! I work harder than Master, ya know?"

    For me, as the Founder of Beddhism, sleeping is a form of prayer.

    My magical power probably has actually increased too.

    "Look! I even maintain my figure with all I eat, yeah!?"

    "Well, I did think so a little."

    "If you want, I can strip down to prove it, Master."

    "I''ll pass on that."

    I had Rokuko, after all.

    "¡­ I can''t believe you can resist that temptation. That''s some incredible willpower, right Muzoh?"

    "Definitely. If it were me, I''d jump at the chance, Uzoh."

    "Don''t worry, I won''t seduce you guys. Think about your prospects."

    Ichika waved her hand dismissively, and the two men, both B-rank adventurers, looked dejected.

    Honestly, there were better prospects than a woman who was only good at blowing money on gambling and injesting gourmet food.

    The women in my vige tended to be a bit special, so it was probably better to look in Tsuia or Draco.

    "¡­ Maybe it''s a good idea to hold a matchmaking party in Tsuia? I''ll propose it to the lord."

    "Wait a minute. Did you just say ''lord''? Did you hear that, Muzoh?"

    "I heard it, Uzoh. He said something about proposing to the lord¡­ He can just casually propose that?"

    The lordes to our church for prayers weekly. His daughter Maiodoru lives in our vige.

    Maiodoru is engaged to Niku, and it seems like they''re nning to get married.

    ¡­ Well, Maiodoru would probably find a good match at the noble school she was about to attend. Probably.

    "Let''s get our meal out of the way now¡­ Kehma-san? What''s that?"

    "Hm? It''s food. Want some, you two? It''s on the house for the party."

    "Really? Then I won''t hold back!"

    With that, I handed the Uzoh-Muzoh brothers each a hamburger I''d taken out of [Storage]. Ichika was already eating hers.

    "Master, seconds, please!"

    "Alright, but only one more."

    "Is this what you call being a provider¡­ Can we have seconds too?"

    "Damn, the portable food we''ve been eating feels like woodpared to this, Uzoh¡­!"

    They''d been about to eat some homemade dried meat.

    I tried a bit in exchange for the hamburgers and it was really tough. I''d probably munch on it without a second thought out on a camping trip.

    "At least bring some tack bread with you. Soak the dried meat and bread in a water bottle to soften them, and eat it like soup¡ªthat''s the best way to handle it."

    "Wow, that''s an interesting way to eat. As expected of the Glutton."

    "nning to carry multiple water bottles, that''s hardcore."

    [Glutton] used to be one of Ichika''s old nicknames. Makes total sense.

    "Well then, shall we get moving? ¡­ Ichika, can your sense of smell tell where the Ambrosia might be?"

    "Hey, hey, Master. That kind of thing should be said to a dog beastkin like Niku-senpai."

    That''s true, but still.

    "Though, let me sniff around¡­ Yep, there''s a sweet scenting from over there!"

    "So it seems, what do you think, you two?"

    "¡­ Well, we don''t have any other leads, do we? Shall we go that way, Muzoh?"

    "Sounds good, Uzoh. I''m fine with it."

    And so we''d decided our direction based on Ichika''s nose.

    Along the way, we snapped a spear-wielding walking flower, split a giant seed that charged like a wild boar, and burned a man-eating nt dripping sweet nectar, making sure Ichika didn''t get too close.

    By the way, that nectar turned out to be a paralytic poison. It seemed to be worth some money.

    "Why are you licking it if you know it''s poisonous?"

    "I have poison resistance, so a little bit should be fine. Ah, the numbing sweetness."

    But honestly, the sweets in the vige are sweeter and tastier, so we didn''t overindulge and continued deeper.

    "Hm, there''s a dangerous, or rather, an odd presence ahead¡­"

    Muzoh said, stopping in his tracks.

    "What kind of presence? A boss?"

    "I''m not sure. But when there''s this kind of presence, it''s usually safer to avoid it. What do you think, Kehma-san?"

    If I trusted their intuition, it would be better to turn back.

    But we were pretty strong. We could probably handle most enemies.

    "Alright, I''ll scout ahead. My magic can handle many situations."

    Just to be safe, I turned on [ckout Resistance Lv9].

    "Got it. Tie a rope around your waist, we''ll pull you back if you copse."

    "Counting on you, Kehma-san!"

    "Come back safe and ya can do whatever ya want with me!"

    With that send-off, I went ahead alone to check the situation.

    Frost Lizard Gonta peeked out of my pocket. This guy could fight too so long as the Uzoh-Muzoh brothers weren''t around. Hehehe.

    "Alright, let''s go¡ª¡­!?"

    Upon entering that room.

    "Oh, Kehma? You''rete."

    "Yo! I''ve been watching your adventures, uncle! So much fun!"

    "Wee, d to have you here, Rokuko''s Master."

    Rokuko was there, leaning back in a white chair with armrests while sipping tea at a white table.

    Igni was reaching for the tea snacks.

    And the host of this tea party was a golden-haired beauty in men''s attire, pouring tea¡­ How could she pour so urately from such a height?

    In a brightly sunlit room, under a tree bearing yellow fruit, the three of them were having a tea party.

 Chapter 577: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Dungeon: [Lights Paradise] (3)

    <h4>Chapter 577: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Dungeon: [Light''s Paradise] (3)</h4>

    In the dungeon [Light''s Paradise], under a tree bearing yellow fruit in a sunlit room, three people were having a tea party.

    "Eh, what are you doing, Rokuko¡­?"

    "A girls'' day out, obviously?"

    Rokuko casually replied.

    "It just so happened to be scheduled for today. And since Kehma entered Dungeon Number 219, we decided to watch and have tea together."

    "Ehh¡­"

    As I stood there dumbfounded, a beautiful person in men''s clothing¡ªwho appeared to be Dungeon Core Number 219¡ªspoke up.

    "I''m Dungeon Core Number 219. Nice to meet you¡ªthough it''s not the first time, right? Remember this guy?"

    With that, Core Number 219 presented a Myconid. It looked familiar.

    "¡­ Is that Myconid-senpai?"

    "That''s right. Ah, yes. I realized that the soil attached to the golem was from Tsuia Mountain. More urately, that it was actually a golem from a nearby dungeon. With that figured out, I thought it''d be nice to invite you over for tea. Make sense?"

    She must have identified it based on theposition of the soil or something.

    Is that like stalking?

    "Rokuko. If you had an invitation like that, you should have told me. It turned out okay this time, but what if it had been a trap?"

    "Oh. That''s why I borrowed Igni from Redra. If anything happens to me, Igni''ll breathe her fire over everything."

    Rokuko gently ced her hand on Igni''s head, and a small me poofed out of her mouth.

    "Haha, don''t worry. I''m well acquainted with Tsuia Mountain''s Dungeon Number 112. I''ve been nearly killed by him several times, but we made peace about three hundred years ago."

    Core Number 219ughed, continuing on about how [that one used to be really fiery, so much that just approaching it was risking your life].

    Maybe the reason I can casually hang out with Ittetsu now is thanks to core number 219.

    "So, what now?"

    "What do you mean? Do you want some tea?"

    "Here, have a cup. Rokuko-hime''s Master."

    Saying so, Core Number 219 poured tea into a wooden teacup.

    "This is my specialty. I picked leaves from a nt Knight, chopped them, and fermented them to make this tea."

    "nt Knight? Is that something you can actually eat?"

    "It''s fine, humans can eat it too. Unless it''s the Assassin nt, they won''t be poisonous."

    I thought Core Number 219 was also a nt-type though?

    "Is it okay for nt-type Cores to drink tea?"

    "Hm? I don''t understand. nts don''t really have likes or dislikes like animals, do they? They consume everything and turn it into soil. nts are the pinnacle of the food chain, after all."

    "¡­ ¡­ The food chain I know is a bit different."

    "It''s just a matter of perspective."

    I took a sip of the tea it made for me. It had a refreshing aroma and a faint smell of apples or pears, which was nice.

    "¡­ ¡­ Well, we came to this Dungeon in search of Ambrosia. Would it be alright if we took some with us, Senpai?"

    "Sure. Do you need around twenty of them? They''re growing right over there."

    Core Number 219 had piled up the yellow fruit.

    Yeah, it didn''t look precious at all. It was even starting to feel just like a normal pear. Maybe I can give one to Ichika as well?

    "You''re quite cooperative, huh?"

    "What? You journey''s been enjoying to observe¡ªcough. You''ve entertained me. Consider it a small token of my gratitude."

    "Core Number 219 writes y scripts, you know."

    Rokuko added.

    "Huh, y scripts¡­ Then maybe next time I should show you the books we have at our church?"

    "Oh, that''s a good idea. I''ll lend them to you for our next tea party!"

    "Oya oya, would those books satisfy me, someone who''s devoured books from all over the empire?"

    "I even have books on agriculture from the heroes'' world. And stories too, of course."

    "Wonderful. Let''s add another twenty Ambrosias."

    Core Number 219 made it so much Ambrosia that I wouldn''t be able to carry it if not for [Storage].

    "Looks like you''ll be able to fulfill the request with plenty to spare, Kehma."

    "Oh, ah, yeah. Looks like it."

    Seeing Rokuko smiling brightly, I nodded.

    "¡­ ¡­ So, you''re going back today, right?"

    "Um¡­ I was thinking of taking 2 or 3 days to earn a bit more?"

    "Hmm¡­ Hmmm. I see."

    Rokuko took a sip of her tea.

    "Besides, if we have a tea party like this inside a Dungeon, adventurers might spot us."

    "Oh, don''t worry about that. Right, Core Number 219?"

    "Yes, it''s as the princess said. I''m the Core of this Dungeon and my Master is even watching over us. We''re fully prepared for anything."

    Well, I know that the Dungeon''s side can monitor things through the map and such.

    I wonder if the Master is in the Core Room. Or perhaps he''s deep within the dungeon?

    "Well, Tsuia Mountain is my domain, so I''m sure we''ll meet again in the future. I look forward to it, KouhaiJunior-kun."

    "So Rokuko is a princess, and I''m a junior, huh."

    "Yes. My lord is Haku-sama, after all!"

    At any rate, we shook hands in acknowledgement of us not being enemies, butrades in the same faction.

    "¡­ ¡­ I should be heading back soon. If I take too long, the Uzoh-Muzoh bros mighte to check on me."

    "That''s true. Core Number 219, what are they up to?"

    "Hm? Oh, they''re quietly waiting. But indeed, it wouldn''t be surprising if they start toe and check on us soon."

    Well then. I took out a wrapping cloth and bundled up the Ambrosia, putting half in [Storage].

    "Ah, by the way, the Boss of this floor is right over there. If you''d like, feel free to fight it before you go, Kouhai-kun. You should be able to win. It''s just a bit stronger than an Ivy Giant."

    "¡­ ¡­ Thanks?"

    I might as well take a peek since it rmended it¡­

 Chapter 578: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Giga Plant

    <h4>Chapter 578: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Giga nt</h4>

    I''d just brought back the Ambrosia from the tea party.

    "Wow! You found the Ambrosia!"

    "Wow, so much¡­ That''s plenty for the quest."

    "Master! With so much around, it''s alright if I eat one, right!? Right!?"

    Go ahead, eat. One won''t hurt.

    "Delicious. Juuuuicy! Kinda makes ya feel energized."

    "Should we try some too, Muzoh?"

    "Yeah, Uzoh. Let''s share one."

    I decided to try one myself¡­ It tasted pretty much like a pear. Sweet and delicious.

    There''s a bit of a medicinal vor to it too¡­ Like cough syrup?

    Uzoh and Muzoh also swallowed theirs.

    "Thanks for the treat. It really invades the body."

    "Did you find anything other than Ambrosia? I wonder what that mysterious presence was."

    I pondered for a moment on how to respond to Muzoh''s question.

    "¡­ Maybe a Dryad or some kind of nt spirit. I got the Ambrosia from them."

    "A Dryad! I see, that makes sense."

    "To think you could negotiate for Ambrosia. That''s impressive."

    Well, it''s mostly true. Core Number 219 was originally a nt-based monster, and being a Dungeon Core, it''s something like a spirit. Ontentoo actually was a spirits. So it wasn''t really a lie.

    "Anyway, that way is a dead-end. Let''s head this way."

    "Hm, understood."

    We headed towards the boss room rmended by Core Number 219.

    "¡­ Seems like there''s a strong presence this time."

    "Yeah, but apparently it''s not too strong."

    "Hm, you know about it?"

    "I''m told that it''s just a bit stronger than an Ivy Giant, so we should be able to win. ording to the spirit at least."

    Using the spirit as an excuse came in handy here.

    Otherwise, it''d be like [How do you know that?] I mean, I could have just charged into the boss room without saying anything, but still.

    The room was quite spacious¡ªinside was a giant ball of tangled vines, bigger than our inn. A giant red flower bloomed on its front, about four meters in diameter. With stamens and pistilsbined, it looked almost like a parabolic antenna.

    ¡­ Is that the boss?

    "Ah, that is¡­ a Giga nt!"

    "You know it, Muzoh!?"

    "Yeah. That''s a Giga nt. It''s one entity¡ªwell, no. It internally houses nt monsters, so maybe not just one? Anyway, it''s a huge monster."

    Giga nt. A giant nt that produces nt monsters.

    It''s a y on words with [nt] as in a nt and [nt] as in a factory nt¡ªactually, it also meant [nt] as in nters for growing nts, a triple meaning monster¡­!

    Though they shared the same etymology¡­ I wonder if it''s the same in this other world? Well, that''s not important now.

    The issue is that it''s literally like a factory, producing Soldier nts, ymore Self-Destruct Weeds, Cannon Flowers, War Cacti, and Ivy Giants.

    "¡­ So it''s an endless spawn of minions, then?"

    "That''s about right."

    Then, as if the Giga nt noticed us, a groan resembling the sound of machinery started.

    ¡­ She said it was okay to defeat it, so¡­ shall we try? Well, if it looks like we''re going to die, there''s always my [Super Transformation]. If pushes to shove, I can throw everyone into [Storage] and run.

    Ideally, it''d let us escape for Rokuko''s sake.

    "Shall we run, Muzoh?"

    "Seems so, Uzoh."

    Huh?

    "Eh, because there''s nothing else we need to do ahead. Right, Muzoh?"

    "Right, Uzoh. We have plenty of Ambrosia already. There''s no reason to fight."

    "¡­ Oh, okay. True."

    As if the Giga nt heard us discussing, it suddenly bloomed its flower in a panic. And just as quickly as it wilted, Ambrosia appeared on it.

    It kinda seemed like the Giga nt was proudly showing off its reward.

    "¡­ Look, it prepared some reward for us?"

    "No need, we''ve got plenty. Right, Muzoh?"

    "Getting greedy doesn''t end well. It''s crucial to know when to pull back. Right, Uzoh?"

    "¡­ But I wanna eat that one."

    Ichika''s opinion was ignored.

    "Lifees first¡­"

    "If we were the type to act recklessly here, we wouldn''t be alive. Well, yeah, we were forced into recklessness in the Demonds¡­ but we had strong support from ourrades."

    "You guys must''ve had it tough."

    Well, I never said we had to defeat it, neither did Number 219.

    That was a close one. I almost ended up working for nothing¡­!!

    So, shall we head back? Just as we were about to turn around, several flowers resembling trumpet guns bloomed wildly from the Giga nt''s body, shooting seeds at us in an attack.

    Wow, it''s like a battleship onnd. I created a wall without chanting to block the seeds.

    "Whoa, thanks, Kehma-san. Let''s hurry and get away."

    "Eh, did you just chant?"

    "I did, it''s Stone Wall."

    Well, it''s actually [Stone Pile], but I modified it into a wall.

    "Then, shall we go back? You remember the way, Muzoh?"

    "Yeah. Of course, Uzoh."

    "Right, let''s deliver the Ambrosia while it''s still fresh¡­ Master, can''t you just quickly go and quickly defeat that thing and get some more Ambrosia?"

    "Don''t be ridiculous. I can''t do it alone."

    I could probably manage if I went all out, but I don''t feel like showing that to the Uzoh-Muzoh bros or Number 219.

    I thought Number 219 might say something about not showing Rokuko something cool, but Rokuko probably doesn''t want to see me fight anyway. If anything, she''d probably just beughing heartily right now if she was watching.

    I know that running away in front of an enemy now won''t make me disliked.

    Because it''s not for the sake of our Dungeon''s defense. There''s no reason to go all out.

    I only need to fight seriously when my sleep is disturbed or when I need to protect Rokuko.

    So, sorry to disappoint Number 219''s expectations, but we turned tail and ran.

    We faced some interference on our way out of the dungeon, but we managed to escape without much happening.

    So tired¡ª

 Chapter 579: Taking a Break With a Side Gig The Womens Side

    <h4>Chapter 579: Taking a Break With a Side Gig The Women''s Side</h4>

    "Seriously! The stage I prepared for the princess is ruined! What is that man thinking¡­ Is he really a man recognized by our lord?"

    "Ahahaha, that''s just how my Master is, Number 219."

    With the Giga nt prepared in vain and Kehma''s team fleeing on the spot, 219 was greatly dissatisfied. On the other hand, Rokuko was in a good mood, finding it very "Kehma-esque".

    "Hey, Rokuko-obaachan. Why''d Oji-chan leave?"

    "Well, you know. Because it''s a hassle."

    "Oooh. That''s so him."

    "A hassle¡­ That man, for such a reason¡­ Doesn''t he want to show his good side to the princess?"

    Of course, Rokuko knew that Kehma could easilyhandle a monster like that with one hand if he really tried, considering he was trained by Chaos God Leona.

    ¡­ Well saying easily with one hand might''ve been a bit of an overexaggeration.

    He wouldn''t show off his power so recklessly, after all.

    The capable hawk hides its talons. The same goes for the Dungeon Master who wants nothing more than to sleep.

    "Showing off one''s power recklessly only leads to all sorts of trouble. Like Hero Wataru who alwayses to visit us."

    "¡­ Indeed, I also caused quite a stir when I mischievously burned down a field. Nunuu¡­"

    Igni grimaced as she remembered the time she meddled with the Golen''s fields.

    Scolded by her father Ontentoo, she and Kehma had to put on quite a show, and it was a huge hassle.

    "Doesn''t he aspire to be a hero?"

    "Kehma? No way. Besides, what''s the point of a Dungeon Master making a public appearance?"

    "Hmm. In that aspect, the Demonds shines more than the empire¡­"

    "And speaking of heroes, he once took down a dragon, right, Igni?"

    "Oh? Yeah, I remember being ''defeated'' by uncle."

    "A hero who ys dragons, huh? Nice, nice, give me more of that."

    "I''m not dead!!"

    Core Number 219 took out a notebook and began to furiously scribble in it with a feather pen.

    "But you know? ¡­ Kehma only really goes all out when he''s protecting me. So¡­ this is fine. Fufufu."

    "Oh? Is this some lovey-dovey talk? Wonderful. Let me hear more. And also tell me what happens when he goes all out."

    "I can''t reveal our battle strategies, but I''ll indulge you with some lovey-dovey stories."

    And so, a girls'' talk full of romantic stories and gushing began.

    Listening to Rokuko''s gushing, Core Number 219 continued to furiously write in her notebook.

    "If you''re talking about lovey-dovey stuff, my dad and mom won''t lose!"

    "Oh, that''s right, Number 112 and his Master are a married couple. Good one, Igni. Here''s some fruit as a reward, so keep talking."

    "Oh! So, this one time after taking a bath¡ª"

    As a reward for unlimited Ambrosia, Igni followed Rokuko''s lead and shared the Ontentoo and Redra''s lovey-dovey stories.

    Enthralled by their intense romance, Core Number 219 scribbled furiously with her quill pen with even Rokuko blushing uncontrobly.

    "¡ªAnd that''s what happened."

    "Hey, Number 219, could you write something with me and Kehma like that?"

    "Ha ha ha, I don''t mind writing, but remember, I''m a ywright¡­ Alright, I''ll get the nt Knights to act it out. I''ll do their voices."

    "If it turns out well, I''ll buy it!"

    Saying so, Core Number 219 summoned her nt monsters and controlled them.

    "Look, there''s magma in your hair. Here, let me get it¡­ Ah, don''t kiss me in the confusion, the kids are watching¡ª"

    The two nt Knights entangled in a lovey-dovey act while Core Number 219 changed her voice to add dialogue.

    Igni nodded as if to say [Exactly like that], while Rokuko watched with great interest, saying, [Wow, wow, that''s something].

    "¡ªMaybe we should build a theater next."

    "Ah, the sound of culture blossoming. Nice idea. Maybe I can introduce you to a carpenter who has built a theater before?"

    "Wait, doesn''t Tsuia already have a theater?"

    "More theaters are always better. Ah, Pavera has one too."

    Thinking about the two towns that already had their own theaters, Rokuko reconsidered.

    "Then again, going on a carriage date with Kehma sounds nice."

    "A carriage date, huh? Just the two of you on the road¡­ Yeah, I''m getting some good ideas."

    "Oh, speaking of which, when we were going to the Demonds by carriage¡­"

    "Oho, ap pillow¡­!"

    "Rokuko-obaachan is amazing!"

    Centered around gushing stories, their casual and aimless chat fulfilled the purpose of the girls'' night, strengthening the friendship between these neighbors.

    "By the way, Igni. Calling the princess ''Obaa-chan'' seems a bit off. Besides, aren''t you the older one, Igni?"

    "Eh? Well, she''s the partner of my dad''s friend and also Soto''s mom, so ''Obaa-chan'' makes sense yeah? Besides, Soto''s gotten really strongtely, wonder what kind of training she''s been through?"

    "What, Igni, have you been fighting with Soto?"

    "Like, even when I breathe fire, she sends it somewhere. Where does it disappear to?"

    Apparently, Soto''s [Storage] Dungeon had multiple instances of Igni''s dragon breaths ''saved'' in it, Rokuko realized.

    ¡­ It was isted, but it was probably better warn Kehma to manage it properly so he didn''t open that room and get burned.

    As the girls'' night went on, Core Number 219 eventually stopped caring that Kehma and his team had fled without fighting the Giga nt.

 Chapter 580: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Finishing Up the Quest

    <h4>Chapter 580: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Finishing Up the Quest</h4>

    Alright then. In Tsuia''s Dungeon [Light''s Paradise] we managed to gather Ambrosia andplete the mission, earning enough funds.

    "Thank you, Kehma-san! Thanks to you, it looks like we''ll manage for the time being. Right, Muzoh?"

    "Right, Uzoh. If things settle down, we might just manage with the dungeon in Golen."

    Mmm, that''s good.

    By the way, Ichika and I also got our share, which turned out to be a nice bit of pocket money.

    "I''m gonna to buy some snacks right away!"

    "As expected of the Gluttonous Demon¡­ Well, should we also indulge in a feast today, Muzoh?"

    "When you talk about a feast, it''s the set meal at [Dancing Doll''s Pavilion]. Well, for today, it should be fine to follow the Gluttonous Demon, Uzoh."

    "Leave it to me!"

    Ichika gave a big thumbs up.

    "By the way, Ichika. Do you have any new gourmet info from Tsuia?"

    "Ah. It''s true that I haven''t visited many ces to eat in Tsuia since ya bought me, Master¡­ But I''m choosing carefully! I can guarantee the quality!"

    Ichika, being the Gluttonous Demon, seemed to use the ie I give her to travel to Tsuia and Pavuera by shared horse carriage to update her food information.

    ¡­ I mean she''s obviously allowed to take holidays, but isn''t it a bit much for a ve to travel that far on her own?

    "¡­ Huh? Isn''t Ichika a ve¡­ What exactly¡­?"

    "Uzoh, her master is Kehma-san."

    "I see. I shouldn''t have been constrained bymon sense, Muzoh."

    Somehow, Uzoh and Muzoh also seemed convinced.

    Well, it''s fine. Shees back properly anyway. It''s okay to take a little trip on her holidays and spend the sry I give her.

    "Now that you mention it, she''s pretty free, isn''t she?"

    "Nishishi, I can''t go against Master, right? Well, Master Rokuko also told me to find a ce suitable for a date with Master. That''s part of the investigation."

    By the way, today she''s introducing a ce that''s [not romantic enough for a date but still delicious].

    Who knew there was such variation¡­

    Guided by Ichika, we ended up at a tavern-like ce.

    "So, this ce serves adventurer-styled stews. All three of ya okay with my rmendation? ''Scuse me, four servings of today''s stew!"

    Ichika very efficiently found us a table for four and ordered like a regr.

    "Ichika, what''s in today''s stew?"

    "It''s kinda like whatever meat and vegetables came in today, all stewed together."

    "¡­ Is that even good?"

    "The chef''s skilled. I''ve been here a few times, and it''s consistently delicious. Plus it''s cheap and there''s a ton of it."

    She''s been here more than once?

    "It''s a bowl full of stew with a mug of ale for just over ten copper coins¡ªa good bargain."

    "Wow! That sounds great, Muzoh. I''ll order an ale too."

    "Yeah. As expected of the Gluttonous Demon. It''s wallet-friendly. I''ll have one too. What about you, Kehma-san?"

    "I''m good. I don''t drink much."

    Too much and I won''t sleep well. Especially since I probably have to go back after this. It''s better if I don''t drink.

    "Then I''ll have fruit water too. Can''t drink and leave Master out, right? Master, that''s okay with ya, right? ''Scuse me, over here!"

    "Wow, Ichika really does seem like a ve, Muzoh."

    "No, Uzoh, she''s just ordering fruit water on her so she doesn''t leave Kehma-san out. It''s not that much."

    "Well, it''s nothing new that Ichika doesn''t seem much like a ve¡­"

    It''s not like I had any particr reason to punish her, so it''s fine.

    Soon after, our ordered stews and drinks arrive.

    "Look, there''s fish in it. Fish in Tsuia is rare, isn''t it?"

    "Not so much recently, Uzoh. We usually get dried fish¡ªsometimes frozen if ites in¡ªthanks to Golen."

    "Huh, frozen fish, huh? Depending on the season, I guess it''d just thaw by the time it reaches Tsuia from Pavuera?"

    "That''s right, Muzoh. It''s also booming as a trade route thanks to our vige."

    Setting that talk aside, we quickly started eating.

    There were tubors and leafy greens in the fish stew, sort of like a pot-au-feu.

    Well cooked, so there''s little worry about getting sick.

    "¡­! Ah, it''s well-vored!"

    "Pepper. Reminds me of the Demonds. The vors were strong there¡­"

    "This must be a product nowing from Pavuera."

    The soup had a good spice bnce and just the right amount of salt. Mmm, nice. The natural sweetness of the carrots and potatoes spread through my mouth.

    Drinking the fruit water, the fresh apple vor refreshed my pte.

    "¡­ Yeah, this is quite something. I quite like this vor."

    "That''s right, the chef here didn''t apprentice under Kinue for nothing."

    "Wait, what? I hadn''t heard that. Kinue''s apprentice?"

    Apparently, the chef hade to Golen to learn how to handle fish and spices.

    "The chef here had a stall in the vige for a while. That''s when he learned to use spices and dungeon-derived seasonings from Kinue. So he''s basically one of Kinue''s disciples."

    "I see¡­ So, does that mean he''s using soy sauce as a secret ingredient?"

    "Judging by the taste, probably."

    Ichika grinned, licking her lips.

    I had no idea Kinue was spreading such influence in this area¡­

    "Muzoh, so this ce is really an extension of Golen¡­!?"

    "Yes, Uzoh. Kehma-san really has wide connections¡­"

    "I haven''t done anything though?"

    If anything, it''s Rokuko''s doing. The owner of [Dancing Doll''s Pavilion] is quite the proprietess.

    Ah, another serving, please. Om nom nom.

 Chapter 581: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Extra: Warehouse Thief and the Panda Mimic

    <h4>Chapter 581: Taking a Break With a Side Gig Extra: Warehouse Thief and the Panda Mimic</h4>

    Golen Vige''s [Dancing Doll Pavilion] warehouse had been infiltrated by a lone man.

    He was not an employee. The inn employed only one man, and he was currently off earning money in Tsuia.

    In other words, the intruder was merely a troublemaker.

    "Heh heh heh, this ce is so affluent, borrowing a bit from the warehouse should be fine."

    The man muttered as he rummaged through the warehouse.

    Primarily stored there were foodstuffs¡ªincluding "rice", a product which could be sold at a high price elsewhere.

    However, it would''ve been too rash for him to take it. Such items were unique and easily traceable due to their weight and bulk. Nheless, it would simply disappear if eaten, making it somewhat preferable¡­

    He made a mental note to take some if there were no better options.

    There was also flour. While most was stored in the vige''s warehouse, some was kept here for immediate use at the inn.

    But taking flour wasn''t a great option either.

    It was toomon, which while that did mean it was less likely to be traceable back to him, it also meant less profit.

    The vegetables were the same in that they were hardly valuable.

    And so the man''s target was the agricultural tools stored in the warehouse.

    "There we go. Heh heh heh¡­"

    If there were farming tools made of iron, such as scythes, those would be ideal. Iron was rtively cheap in this vige due to the Iron Golems harvested from the Dungeon, but it could fetch a good price in other towns, especially since the local cksmith was a skilled dwarf.

    Of course, a hidden stash of wealth would be even better.

    However, it was unlikely that such treasures would be kept in a warehouse that wasn''t even locked¡ªjust as the man reached for a scythe hung on the wall, he discovered a small box.

    "What''s this? Could it be a treasure?"

    He reached for the box. It was a in, undecorated treasure chest which was small enough to be lifted easily with one hand.

    "This is just right, what''s inside?"

    Excited, the man opened the box.

    ¡ªImmediately after, the box unfolded as if turning itself inside out and a massive beast with ck and white fur appeared.

    "Yikes! A bear!?"

    [Gururururu¡­]

    A ferocious, belligerent ck and white pandaughed in a menacing manner. It was a magical beast unlike any he had seen. Panicking, the man tried to distance himself to escape from the warehouse.

    Key word: tried.

    "It won''t open!? But it''s just a wooden door without a lock!?"

    [Gegegege!!]

    The beastughed heartily, patting its belly. The man was frightened, but he steeled his resolve. He had to fight. Thinking this, he reached for the scythe on the wall¡ªand his hand whiffed through the air, not touching anything.

    The wall had moved away from his hand.

    "What? What is this!? Eh?!"

    He reached out to the wall, but it mockingly moved away from him, warping like misshapen y.

    [Gegegege!!]

    "What is this, what is this!!"

    The ck and white creature continued tough joyously, showing its carnivorous fangs menacingly.

    "Stop, help¡­ eek!!"

    The man had no choice but to beg for his life from the creature, knowing it was futile.

    But, naturally, the beast did not understand humannguage. In despair, the man found himself staring into the beast''s foul-smelling mouth.

    £ª £ª £ª

    While Niku was walking around, she saw Pack, Rokuko''s pet panda mimic, dragging along what appeared to be a man.

    The small panda, about 30 cm tall, was dragging the man by his leg.

    "Oh, Pack? What''s with him?"

    [Ge. Gege, Ge!]

    "Ah, you''ve hunted some prey?"

    Though she couldn''t really understand his words, Pack was smart enough tomunicate the situation through gestures.

    Hiding in the warehouse, he had caught a thief, and now it was up to Niku to handle it.

    "¡­ You saw him while you were hiding in the warehouse?"

    [Ge¡­]

    Niku shrugged in exasperation.

    "Then shall we take him to the church''s jail? Let''s have a Sister tamper with his memory."

    [Ge! Geffu!]

    "I''ll carry him, but you exin it yourself."

    [Ge!]

    Niku grabbed the man''s legs and, together with Pack, headed to the church. Pack turned back into a small box and rode on Niku''s head.

    ¡­ Since it was ufortable to have him on her head, Niku moved him to her right hand.

    [Gegege.]

    "No."

    The box creaked as Niku gripped it tightly, and Pack resigned to being carried this way. Niku held both Pack and the man''s legs in her hands as they headed to the church.

    It seemed that no one had witnessed them going from the warehouse to the inn, but they were seen by vigers and adventurers as they approached the church.

    "Kuro-chan? What''s with that man?"

    "This man entered the inn''s warehouse as a thief. He''ll repent at the church."

    Having gotten used to being called Kuro recently, Niku left the man and the small box, Pack, at the church entrance.

    She then took a book from the shelf and casually tossed it onto the man.

    The trap to catch book thieves was triggered, and a hole opened in the ground.

    [¡ª!?]

    "Thispletes my report."

    Yeah, such a shortcut! Trapped as a box, Pack and the man fell into the church''s underground jail.

    ¡­ Afterward, Pack had to exin to a Subus Sister that he had caught a thief entering the warehouse and also exined his mishap, sessfully getting the man''s memory altered.

    "Phew, it was a good idea to have you exin in a dream."

    [Gefoo.]

    "¡­ Still, to think you would be so talkative in the dream."

    [Geffu.]

    "You want to go back into your box again, huh¡­ pop."

    [Gegegege.]

    As for what the Subus Sister and Pack talked about in the dream, it was a secret between them.

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!