Today, the monsters are once again helping out with the farm work.
It’s about time for a break. I’ll give the signal to rest.
“Alright, everyone, time for a break. Let’s distribute the rationed bread.”
The monsters line up in a single row, receiving bread from the rations officer as they head off to rest. During the break, they munch on their bread.
“This bread is amazing. Nothing beats the bread you grow yourself.”
“Aren’t you on blueberry duty?”
“Eh, don’t sweat the small stuff.”
Hearing this banter brings me joy, knowing the monsters are enjoying a fulfilling life, even during breaks. As our Dungeon Points (DP) continue to rise, we’re getting closer to expanding the hot springs.
After their break, the monsters return to work, and when they’re done, they head back to their shared sleeping quarters to rest.
Now, it’s about time I went to sleep, too. But before that, let’s check our DP.
[To dig a hot spring, 3000 DP is required (Current DP: 3118)]
“Whoa!”
I can’t help but let out a shout. This is a huge milestone.
We’ve gathered enough DP to dig a hot spring. There’s no choice—I have to go for it.
So, I decide to dig a hot spring in an empty spot within the dungeon. In this game, you can dig a hot spring anywhere within the dungeon—a rather unrealistic, but convenient feature.
If you think about it, it’s pretty absurd. But worrying about realism here isn’t the point.
It’s more important that the game is stress-free and enjoyable to play, rather than being hyper-realistic. It’s just like how you can fight at full strength even when your HP is low.
If the hot springs could only be set up in certain areas, it would be frustrating to not be able to place them where you want.
Setting that aside, it’s time to dig a hot spring right here!
I’d reserved this space in the dungeon for it. Though it would’ve been nice to use it as farmland, creating the hot spring sooner felt worth the sacrifice.
“Spending 3000 DP. Digging the hot spring!”
I issue the command to the dungeon crystal, and a loud rumbling noise echoes as if something is being drilled out of the dungeon.
When the noise dies down, I head to the spot I’d designated, and sure enough, there’s a hot spring there.
Steam is rising, making it look warm and inviting. I dip my hand into the water. It’s pleasantly warm—not too hot, not too cool—just the way I like it.
Alright, let’s jump in!
I strip, rinse off, and then slide into the hot spring. Even with my large frame, there’s plenty of room.
As I sink in up to my shoulders, the fatigue washes away. My body feels light, as if wings have sprouted from my back, ready to lift me into the sky.
“Ahhh…”
A sigh escapes me. After going without a bath for so long while working nonstop, this hot spring feels like pure bliss.
I feel truly rejuvenated. Well, technically, I’ve already died and been reincarnated once, but still.
As the night settles, with the humans gone and the monsters all asleep, I bask alone in the hot spring. The quiet solitude of the dungeon brings a profound sense of peace.
Thinking back, I’ve worked hard to expand the dungeon. Taking a breather every now and then is just as important.
We’ve reached a good level of food production and established a solid foundation. Living in this dungeon isn’t so bad, after all.
Honestly, I’m starting to feel like I could stay here forever.
Ah, I’m getting really sleepy now. As much as I’d love to doze off in the spring, it’s better to get out and head to bed. I step out, dry off with a towel that Geat and the others gave me as a gift, get dressed, and head to my sleeping quarters.
◇
“Lord Evilham! Good morning!”
Littleham has come to wake me up.
“Hm? Oh, is it morning already?”
“Lord Evilham, did you create something new again? There’s a steaming spring out there.”
“Oh, you noticed? Yeah, I made a hot spring. One soak in it, and you’ll feel all your exhaustion melt away.”
“I see, so a hot spring is something you get in?”
“Yep. Feel free to hop in during your free time. Just let the monsters know to share the space courteously.”
“Understood.”
They’re pretty straightforward, so I doubt they’ll cause any trouble as long as we teach them hot spring etiquette.
I step out of my room into the dungeon hallway, where I run into Geat.
“Well, if it isn’t Evilham. Did you really dig a hot spring in this dungeon?”
“Sure did. You and the others are welcome to use it, too. Consider it a thanks for all your hard work.”
Geat’s grin is unmistakable; this guy must really love hot springs.
“Working here is thanks enough. But thank you. It’s tough farming on our village’s barren land.”
“Even so, you all are valuable workers, and it’s thanks to you that I could gather enough DP to dig that hot spring.”
The DP system might be beyond Geat’s understanding, so I choose not to mention it.
When people live and work in the dungeon, eating meals here, they help boost DP.
Ideally, they’d stay overnight to generate more DP, but they have their lives back in the village.
“By the way, Geat, how’s it going with the landlord?”
“Hm? Oh, well, when you can’t grow anything, you can’t pay, right? The original agreement was to hand over a portion of the harvest, so if there’s nothing, there’s nothing to give.”
“That makes sense, but is the landlord okay with it?”
I do worry. Things are going well as planned, but the landlord may still have his side of the story.
If push comes to shove, I’m prepared to negotiate with him myself.
“He was pretty furious, so we’ve agreed to return the land. He’s planning to rent it out to people from another village.”
“Well, if that’s all he wants, it’s not too bad.”
At least he isn’t demanding back payments. I suppose the saying “you can’t squeeze water from a stone” holds true.
“Anyway, we’ll be working on your farm again today.”
“Got it. I’m counting on you.”
I used up a lot of DP on digging the hot spring, so there’s not much more I can do right now.
I’d love to take it easy, but after working non-stop recently, I feel restless when I’m not doing anything.
Not good. I’m starting to think like a workaholic manager. I need to rest when I can, as I keep telling the monsters.
I make sure we schedule a downtime period for the monsters as well. Pushing them to work when they should be resting is a no-go.
People need breaks, and monsters are no different.
Once we’ve saved up more DP, we can get back to work. For now, I’ll focus on checking our food and material supplies and planning for the future.
With that, I conduct an inventory check. Everything matches the recorded amounts, reassuring me that everything’s well-managed.
I’m relieved there are no unaccounted losses. I trust that none of the monsters would sneak food, but there’s always that slight worry.
All in all, the monsters here are a good bunch.
