“Now that the hero has arrived, it seems even the beastmen are getting serious about tackling the dungeon…”
“Sending a hero who’s not fully regained their strength probably means they’re seen as a threat.”
“However, considering that they’ve been sent in an incomplete state, they might think they can handle it with that level of force.”
It seems both Pilkaya’s and Primilla ‘s points have some truth to them.
The situation had clearly become one that the kingdom couldn’t overlook anymore, which is why Ido was dispatched, but the presence of the Four Heavenly Kings must have been completely unexpected.
…If Ido finds out about the Four Heavenly Kings, they’ll probably come with full force to crush them.
“So, in other words, it’s the same situation as when the kingdom soldiers were defeated in the Goblin Dungeon?”
“Does that mean the difficulty has increased too much…? Ugh, I’m sorry.”
I don’t know why Lady Fiona is apologizing, but the first part of her statement is correct.
If we don’t let them tackle the dungeon soon, even the beastmen might stop trying to challenge it altogether.
“So, what are we going to do? Are you saying we’ll remove the maze and traps?”
“No, that would be a waste. The maps in that area are getting more information, and more beastmen are able to break through. But most of them retreat there.”
“Yes, it seems that the antidotes and healing potions run out around that point.”
“Tokito said~. Those two run out quickly, and the beastmen are complaining about it.”
“Don’t they think of bringing their own…?”
“They’re beastmen.”
Once they get comfortable, they probably don’t want to carry their own supplies.
While it helps the store’s sales, it seems like we’ll need to support them in their dungeon raids if we don’t want things to go south.
“Maybe we should sell high-quality healing potions.”
“A noble effort to ease the difficulty, huh.”
Seriously, why do I have to worry about all of this?
For now, we’ve stocked up on plenty of healing potions. We’ve also started selling high-quality ones.
With the replenishment of goods, we’ve been able to openly set up treasure chest gachas, and Lady Fiona has been unusually cheerful, but the majesty of the Demon King has pretty much disappeared.
“Come to think of it, I wonder if the beastmen will actually come. Now that the hero couldn’t conquer the dungeon, they might hesitate, unlike before.”
…Wait. There are more beastmen than ever.
Could it be that the kingdom is now serious about conquering the dungeon?
“They’re coming in droves. Their enthusiasm is impressive.”
“So, it’s probably the kingdom’s order…”
“No? They’re fired up to conquer the dungeon that even the hero retreated from.”
Good. The beastmen are just like the usual beastmen.
…But is that okay for them?
“Eek! So busy!”
“Are we out of healing potions!? Give me some, even if they’re expensive!”
“Are we out of food and water!?”
“I-I’ll prepare them right away, so please wait!”
Even though we prepared plenty of stock,
It seems that with the Demon King’s army, they have connections, and we were able to secure more items than before, so I was relieved.
I thought this would satisfy the beastmen and make the store peaceful, but…
I’m an idiot for not asking to increase the staff!
“Hey, what’s wrong with this one? It stopped!”
“Serika! I know how you feel, but get moving!”
Ah… Looks like she’s at her wit’s end.
Alright, first, I need to handle this line.
“Hey, I came to help!”
“Dartle-san!”
Dartle-san, who’s working at the inn’s reception, came to help!
Thanks to him, we’ll be able to clear this line!
We need to keep working, or we won’t get anywhere!
“Alright, good work.”
“Ah, thank you!”
We finally managed to finish serving the beastmen and could take a breather.
Still, I wonder why we have so many customers today…
“How are you doing with handling customers, Dartle-san?”
“When the inn’s full, there’s nothing I can do, so I guess the beastmen will be camping out around the inn.”
“Sigh… It really is tough for you too, huh? I wonder why things suddenly got so busy.”
“Well, they’re beastmen. If they can conquer the dungeon now, they’ll achieve what even the hero couldn’t. I bet they’re more fired up than ever.”
“I see. The hero… huh? The hero came here?”
Considering the location, is it a beastman hero?
But didn’t they lose to the Demon King?
I’d heard they would be resurrected, but regaining their strength would take time…
“Oh, they came. After all, Okui-chan got captured there.”
“Eh!? Really? Eriko-chan?”
“She was dragged in, buried, and when she begged for her life, she was labeled a traitor. More of a barbarian than a hero, really.”
Dartle-san laughed, confirming this.
So that’s what happened… But still, being chosen as a companion for the hero must mean Eriko-chan is pretty amazing after all.
“Well, I’m off. Good luck!”
“Thank you!”
It seems Dartle-san went back to the inn, leaving me alone with Eriko-chan.
“But, even though you’re acting with the hero, you’re not doing what the goddess said, huh?”
“I got swept up in it. Plus, the goddess’s request was totally unreasonable.”
“Is that so?”
“If you met the Demon King, you’d understand. There’s no way we could win.”
Ah… That might be true.
Even I can tell the strength difference, and in every situation, if I betrayed the Demon King, I’d be dead instantly.
Honestly, if it’s this hopeless, I have no intention of betraying, so I wish those choices wouldn’t even show up…
“And even if, by some miracle, we managed to defeat the Demon King, can the goddess really send us back to our original world?”
“Huh? She’s a goddess, so she must be able to do it, right?”
“Given the situation… If the power of a god is enough to say it’s possible, then fine, but how much of that is actually true, I wonder?”
Is that how it is? Well, whatever.
In the end, it’s a matter that has nothing to do with us, who have become subordinates of the Demon King.
“Alright, go for it! Do your best!”
“Ah… That was close.”
“What are you doing, you guys?”
I had shared my view with Pilkaya, and got a bit too absorbed in it when Rigma returned.
“The beastmen have been so useless that I’ve started to cheer for them more and more.”
“Seriously, what are you guys doing?”
What are they doing…
It’s fun when the traps and gimmicks in the dungeon I created work well.
However, this time, I need them to break through, so in the end, I ended up cheering for the beastmen.
I wish they’d just conquer it already…
I’m creating a high-difficulty dungeon, but I’m also hoping they clear it quickly. I really don’t understand my own thought process anymore.
To become a proper dungeon master, I guess I have to let them clear this dungeon at least once.
Good luck, beastmen! I won’t reduce the traps or monsters, but I’m cheering for you.
And hopefully, once I’m a proper dungeon master again, I’ll create a dungeon where I can just mercilessly fend off intruders.
“Oh, they made it through the Gargoyle Zone.”
“Huh, really? Wow… they did well.”
“What’s after that floor?”
“A ceiling trap.”
“…Are you even serious about letting them conquer this?”
I can’t help it. When I made the dungeon, I wasn’t planning to let them conquer it…
It seems the beastmen still have a bit longer before they conquer this place.
