“So, I made a grand store.”
“Yeah.”
“It looks like we can upgrade the inn too. What do you think?”
“Wait… what are you aiming for now?”
Seriously, though.
But once the grand store was built, the menu options unlocked, so it couldn’t be helped.
Inn Creation: Mana Cost: 30
Judging by the name and mana cost, it’s probably a big, fancy inn.
“Unlike Tokito and Okui, not being able to use the inn wouldn’t be a huge problem.”
“Right?”
“Also, having more customers would just be a hassle.”
“Yeah, I get that…”
For Rigma, having more customers might actually be an inconvenience.
Even so, he still works diligently, so it’s hard to tell if he’s serious or not.
“Like the shop, just hire some random employees for it.”
“If it’s employees, I’ll just collect some from the Goblin Dungeon.”
“I’d really appreciate it if the place could run without me.”
“Good luck with training them.”
“It’s hard to find someone trustworthy enough to handle everything…”
Maybe that’s Rigma’s true nature—diligence.
For now, leaving things to him shouldn’t be a problem.
“Rey~. The beastfolk are about to clear the dungeon.”
“Oh, finally.”
“Wow, I thought they were just dying pointlessly, but they actually pulled through.”
The view Pilkaya was watching was indeed the dungeon’s deepest area.
Normally, the room would be full of gargoyles, but now it was littered with the injured beastfolk and scattered fragments of stone at their feet.
As they mustered their last bit of strength to smash the gargoyles, the monsters were finally wiped out.
“This time, the reincarnator didn’t manage to clear it.”
“That’s because Rey-sama lured the reincarnator to our side beforehand. Your skill at capturing troublesome opponents and making them allies is impressive.”
It feels like they just fell into a trap and joined us on their own, though.
Still, maybe because of that, this dungeon yielded a good haul.
Dungeon Mana: 245
The dungeon’s mana has increased significantly. Even if a menu unlocks that I can’t use with my mana, I can use this as a backup.
And my stats have improved quite a bit too.
Izumi Rey
- Mana: 52
- Strength: 20
- Skill: 27
- Endurance: 29
- Agility: 21
I’ve pretty much given up on stats other than mana, but it’s nice to see my mana steadily improving.
Really, I owe a lot to the beastfolk. And, of course, the Goblin Dungeon that’s still doing its part.
…This makes me greedy. Running two dungeons has led to steady growth.
If I added another… No, the elves seem cautious, so things wouldn’t go so smoothly.
“Oh, they’re about to open a treasure chest. Wonder what’s inside.”
Lady Fiona seems way too excited about the beastfolk opening a treasure chest.
Does she not realize that if it contains something useful, it could pose a threat to us?
Well, she probably knows the chest’s exterior isn’t dangerous, which explains her composure.
“Hm? An Amulet of Poison Resistance?”
“…Would it be too late to activate a trap now?”
“Rey-sama, I understand how you feel, but please calm down.”
So it’s a no…
If rumors spread that everyone was wiped out after defeating the boss, this dungeon would gain an even worse reputation than the Goblin Dungeon.
I guess I’ll just have to hope they struggle with non-poison traps instead.
“Hmm… The poison maze floor was the only area those beastfolk had real trouble with. This could be bad.”
Pilkaya’s ominous comment would prove prophetic in the days to come…
“Ugh, not this again…”
The gargoyles were completely annihilated.
Despite being made of stone, they were effortlessly sliced apart by the lion-like beastfolk wielding a blade.
“Isn’t that guy as strong as Ido?”
Ruf
- Mana: 0
- Strength: 52
- Skill: 69
- Endurance: 44
- Agility: 66
Not quite, but close.
Even so, his stats place him among the top fighters I’ve encountered.
The gargoyles weren’t weak, but the intelligence gap between monsters and beastfolk seemed to show. With each battle, the beastfolk adapted.
My dungeon creatures are clever, but their learning curve doesn’t compare.
“If they keep clearing the dungeon over and over, it’ll drive away traffic.”
“Did you just call them ‘customers’?”
“They’re prey, though…”
You get what I mean. That’s enough.
“Hahaha…”
Why is Lady Fiona laughing so smugly?
It doesn’t suit her… even though she’s the Demon Lord.
“What’s so funny, Lady Fiona? Are you hungry?”
“What do you take me for?! I have a brilliant idea for you, Rey!”
“Thank you very much.”
“Yes, yes. Feel free to shower me with gratitude and praise.”
“Lady Fiona always helps me out.”
“That’s right! Now, let me share my genius idea with you!”
“I’m glad. It seems that this response was the right one.”
“Hey, Pilkaya and Rigma. Don’t say it’s easy. If you get caught, you’ll get in trouble too.”
As I anxiously hoped that their actions wouldn’t be discovered, Fiona-sama took out a small bottle. That’s…
“It’s finally time to gather the Four Heavenly Kings.”
“A revival potion… Fiona-sama, you’ve really worked hard, haven’t you…”
I couldn’t help but say those words with a deep feeling of admiration.
Honestly, even though it didn’t work out many times, she never gave up and kept trying.
When the light disappeared from her eyes, I honestly thought this world might perish.
“It feels like I’m being looked at with warm eyes… Well, it’s fine! Now, rise, Ripianem!”
When Fiona-sama declared this proudly, in her last remaining semblance of a Demon Lord, the resurrection of the humanoid demon started.
Unlike Rigma’s case, this time, it seemed like the demon had a similar appearance to us.
Soon, the resurrection was completed, and her figure became visible from where we stood.
With green hair and golden eyes, she gave off an impression almost reptilian.
Her sharp, narrow eyes exuded an emotionless air, much like Primilla ’s, showing no significant changes in expression.
She felt like a warrior-type woman.
“…Demon Lord-sama. I apologize for not fulfilling my role.”
“I forgive you. Please lend me your strength again, Ripianem.”
“Of course. This time, I will surely cut down every single one of the heroes.”
Even right after being revived, she immediately grasped the situation and bowed her head to Fiona-sama.
Fiona-sama also behaved like a true Demon Lord, her presence like that of the Demon Lord herself.
With this, all Four Heavenly Kings were revived. We had made the necessary preparations before the heroes could regain their strength.
Scene Break
“The Four Heavenly Kings: Ripianem. The Demon Lord’s enemy must be cut down.”
“…Be careful. She’s ridiculously strong.”
The woman boldly challenged the heroes head-on.
Her comrades were already dead, and behind her was only the Demon Lord’s throne.
Then, she decided that even if it cost her life, she would be the sword that protected the Demon Lord.
Her dignified posture, uncharacteristic of demons, made the heroes falter for a moment, but they quickly recovered.
She was the last wall before the Demon Lord. To break it, they joined forces.
“My sword skill, take it!”
“So fast!!”
“What kind of nonsense is this!!”
They had been preparing to fight the Demon Lord.
Despite that, all they could manage was barely dodging her attacks.
It wasn’t that they weren’t brave like Primilla .
It wasn’t that they had to defeat many enemies like Pilkaya.
It wasn’t like Rigma who could change his form at will.
She was simply fast and strong.
With just her sword speed and range, the heroes were continuously overwhelmed.
“If we’re struggling here, how are we going to defeat the Demon Lord?!”
But they had grown throughout this journey.
No matter how fast she moved, the Saint’s barrier would block her attacks.
By leaving the defense to their allies, the rest could focus solely on offense.
That slight advantage was enough to corner Ripianem.
“…This power is against my will, but I still cannot let you reach the Demon Lord.”
Ripianem threw away her sword.
It was like severing ties with herself as a swordswoman, and indeed, she was about to abandon even her human form.
Her human shape transformed into a massive reptilian form, and she roared loudly as if to intimidate her foes.
“An Ancient Dragon…”
Someone muttered that, but their voice was drowned out by Ripianem’s roar.
As if that was the signal, Ripianem once again attacked the heroes.
But this time, instead of sharp sword strikes, she attacked with sheer brute force.
Her violence, raw and primal, ravaged the heroes, and she certainly succeeded in protecting the Demon Lord.
Scene Break
“Oh, cute.”
“She’s pretty, huh. Unlike Primilla -chan, she’s more like an older sister.”
“She’s about to face the Demon Lord, so it’s not a problem.”
The carefree thoughts he had during the battle were already fading from his memory.
“No, no, no! This is impossible! How do you dodge this?!”
“The tracking ability and range are insane…”
“Don’t call yourself a swordsman. What kind of range attack is stronger than magic?!”
They piled up corpses before Ripianem’s sword techniques time and time again.
It seemed that they had finally managed to deal with it, or maybe they just got lucky, but they succeeded in cornering Ripianem.
“It’s a dragon!!”
“The fighting style changed too much in the second half…”
“Isn’t she stronger than the final boss?”
“Is this a losing event?!”
“How many times do you think we’ve died…?”
One step away from the final boss.
To take that step, they would need far more time than they ever expected.
The strongest of the Four Heavenly Kings, Ripianem, called the “Demon Lord’s Hero,” continued to slaughter the heroes over and over.
