“Finally, it seems the Gargoyle Massacre incident has come to an end, and I might have some leeway with my magic power again.”
“Yeah, every time we created them, those beastmen destroyed them.”
The beastmen that Ripianem took down were always destroying every last gargoyle. Thanks to the magic recovery potion that Primilla gave me, I was somehow able to gather the gargoyles together, but that meant I couldn’t focus on anything else except maintaining the dungeon’s status quo.
“I understand, Rey. Using magic only to have it be in vain. But I know well the suffering of having to keep using magic.”
“As expected of the Demon King.”
Don’t be fooled, Ripianem. She’s talking about that demon, Gasha.
The other three are aware of this, so they don’t seem impressed at all.
If I say too much, Primilla will get mad.
“Anyway, with this, the beastmen should stabilize again, so I’d like to try out a few things while I can.”
“If you make too many sudden changes to the dungeon, won’t the beastmen just give up on conquering it?”
“That would cause a drop in the number of customers at the old man’s place.”
That would be a problem in many ways.
So, I guess leaving the beastmen’s dungeon as is and maintaining the status quo might be the right choice.
“If you have enough magic power, why not create a new dungeon?”
“Ah, that might be a good idea.”
“What! Rey-sama can casually create dungeons?”
It’s not exactly casual, but at least it takes less effort than it would for other demons.
It’s a good idea to prepare while I can freely use my magic.
And if something goes wrong, I can always stop before finishing the entrance, so I can halt the process at any point.
“……”
What’s going on? It seems like Fiona-sama is thinking about something.
It’s probably about the treasure chest gacha, but I guess I don’t need to worry about it.
“How will you create the dungeon?”
“Eh, of course, with the Dungeon Master skill.”
What’s with the surprise? I’ve been doing it this way the whole time.
Wait, is she confirming this for Ripianem, who just got resurrected?
“Where will you use the skill?”
“Pilkaya is sharing their vision, so I think I can use it remotely from here. There’s no need for any fine adjustments this time.”
Using the skill from afar has a bit of a lag and inconsistent timing, plus there’s a slight chance the designated area can be off. So, fine-tuning and catching intruders precisely would require me to go in person.
But this time, that’s not necessary, so doing it from here should be fine.
“If it’s a new facility, I’d want to see it firsthand and might have to work on-site.”
“Then that’s fine. Please do your best to create the dungeon for my treasure chest.”
“Alright, alright…”
She has a cute face, but what she’s saying sounds like a gambling addiction…
This kind of flaw is probably what makes Fiona-sama, Fiona-sama.
“Would it be near the elves then?”
“Elves, huh… I’m fine with making one, but would they even enter something so suspicious?”
“Unlike the beastmen, they probably wouldn’t be easy prey.”
“They’re likely to be suspicious and not use inns or shops either.”
Yeah, elves are a no-go.
They don’t enter. They don’t fight. They don’t use shops.
There’s no incentive to create a dungeon for such a race.
“Why not make another one near the humans?”
“Wouldn’t that be suspicious?”
“They’d probably be on guard if they saw the Demon King move.”
“Unlike the beastmen, they have some level of caution.”
“I… don’t really know much beyond fighting, so I can’t say much.”
Fiona-sama’s ideas keep getting shot down.
Ah, she’s sulking again.
“Well, the humans are the most greedy, so if the rewards are right, I’m sure invaders will come.”
Since I was human before, I can say that with confidence.
The key is to make it look natural… For example, we could make them think it’s something that’s been there all along or that it’s an abandoned dungeon that’s just been left behind.
“See! Rey is on my side!”
“You can’t just spoil her.”
“Demon King, didn’t this happen before when humans broke in?”
“Demon King, please don’t add to Rey-sama’s burdens.”
Ripianem stays silent, but the other three are giving me a hard time.
“Rey! In that case, we’ll lock ourselves away for a thousand years, just the two of us!”
“Calm down.”
Fiona-sama grabs my hand, trying to drag me off.
Is she trying to take me with her like someone who wants to bring a pet when running away?
She’s still treated poorly despite being so adored as the Demon King.
“First, we’ll make the entrance hard to find. I want the humans to accidentally discover it.”
“Hmm… So unlike the goblins, you won’t just make it appear openly?”
“Maybe if we make them think it’s not newly created, but something that’s been around for a long time, it might not seem as suspicious?”
“However, if the monsters keep respawning, they’ll quickly realize it’s the Demon King’s power.”
“That’s why I’ll just give up on monsters.”
By doing this, I’ll create a dungeon that even the Goblin Dungeon couldn’t achieve—a truly inactive dungeon.
I won’t replenish the monsters or traps.
It’ll be a dungeon made only with traps that continuously operate once set.
“A dungeon where only traps are still active. If they think of it that way, they might believe it’s a dungeon Fiona-sama abandoned.”
“That’s true. The Demon King has created several dungeons that were left alone…”
“Even Ripianem!?”
“Ah, no. Giving up is a necessary skill for those in charge. If the Demon King deems it unnecessary, I’ll just follow that decision.”
“…Y-Yes, that’s right?”
Her voice is trembling. She probably gave up halfway because it got too troublesome.
However, if Fiona-sama did something like that in the past, it makes my plan seem even more likely to succeed.
“That might be a pretty interesting approach. But if the dungeon is just dangerous, they’ll probably give up on it quickly.”
“Yeah, so I was thinking of having Primilla pick out some high-value items, mostly stone-related ones, to place there. It’ll be fine to give them away, but I can’t leave them in a chest for too long, or other items might start generating. Even if I were to collect them regularly, it would stray too far from the concept of a ‘deserted dungeon,’ so I’m considering making it more like a mining area.”
“Yes! I can also judge the value!”
“Eh, but I don’t think I need Fiona-sama’s help for that.”
“I also want to show that I can be useful! And then, please praise me!”
“Eh… well, I don’t mind at all.”
I wonder if she’ll get motivated by being praised by someone like me? Well, it’s fine. It’s a good thing that Fiona-sama is willing to work, and there’s no need to spoil her enthusiasm.
“Well then, Pilkaya. Sorry, but could you go look for a suitable place for the entrance again?”
“I’m fine with that, but with what you’re thinking now, don’t you think there’s a more suitable race than humans?”
Pilkaya said while shaking her index finger left and right.
Could it be? I thought humans would be drawn in by jewels, but it seems like she has someone else in mind who might be more appropriate.
“When it comes to stones, it has to be the dwarves, right?”
“Ah… I see.”
I had been thinking of a mining area dungeon, and indeed, dwarves fit that image perfectly.
I haven’t met any dwarves in this world yet, but they’re known to be skilled blacksmiths, sturdy, and likely do mining as well.
“They’re not as easy as beastmen, but they can be stubborn and hot-headed, so they might make for some good prey.”
“Sounds good. Then let’s go after the dwarves.”
“Got it. I’ll go look for them, so just leave the main body at Rigma-san’s inn.”
With that, Pilkaya collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.
If you didn’t know any better, it would be quite a scary sight.
“Hey, wait! Geez… at least hear Uncle’s response first, will you?”
Despite saying that, Rigma picks Pilkaya up and carries her on his shoulder.
That must be why Pilkaya trusts him.
“Well then… I’ll think about what kind of dungeon to make.”
“If I may, I would be happy to assist.”
Primilla ’s offer is helpful.
I know my thoughts can get a bit narrow on my own, so I appreciate the input of others.
“I’ll help too!”
“I’ll lend a hand as well.”
Fiona-sama and Ripianem said so, but then Rigma, who had been trying to carry Pilkaya, turned around and spoke.
“Well, the Demon King has never made such a high-level dungeon, and Ripianem has probably never thought of traps.”
“Well… how about a pitfall under the treasure chest?”
“How classic.”
“What about a trap that teleports me?”
“Did you listen to Rey? Not only would it be unmanned, but if the Four Heavenly Kings are teleported in, it would be treated as an important stronghold.”
…It’s best to listen to their opinions a bit, but I think I’ll ask Primilla for advice instead.
