Chapter 131

When I Was Reincarnated into the World of an Ultra-Difficult Game, I Ended Up As the Sole Subordinate of the Ridiculously Strong yet Incompetent Demon Lord, Tasked with Creating a Dungeon

“I thought you had some strong opinions about plants… but to grow crops this well in a place without sunlight…”

“This is a special field created by Lord Rey. These little ones have been a great help, too.”

“The soil and magic here seem to be entirely different from what we know. Adding Lady Primilla ’s water to the mix, it’s no surprise that the results are this impressive.”

“So, does that mean the current setup is optimal?”

“Perhaps… the magic? The soil already contains an excessive amount of magic, so we just need to encourage growth without interfering too much…”

Since that was the original plan, the Dark Elves were already putting their knowledge to use in Primilla ’s field.

Even now, Primilla  was able to produce a large amount of medicinal herbs and crops in a short period, but with this, even better results could be expected.

…That enormous fruit—will it get even bigger?

◇

“Alright, it’s your own sleeping space, so make sure to keep it clean!”

“Yes! …But, Lord Rigma, we have a village. Would we not be living there rather than in this dungeon?”

“There might be times when you need to hide out here. No harm in being prepared.”

“We are allowed to live on the Demon Lord’s land…? We will do our best to be worthy of that honor!”

“Yeah, yeah, just make sure you work hard.”

A lodging house was also built in the dungeon where the Dark Elves were conducting their research.

Unlike the large inns that Rigma and, formerly, Karmal had managed, this one was built with minimal magic.

Apparently, since there was a possibility that they might live here in the future, it was best to prepare a place to sleep.

Right now, they were commuting from the village, so it wasn’t necessary, but if the entire Dark Elf population were to relocate, a large number of lodgings would be required.

“…Wait, are you training the Dark Elves just so you can make them work in your place?”

“Ugh, Karmal! What are you doing here?”

“Taking a break. Since you never take breaks, all you’re doing is adding more work for yourself.”

“Don’t say such ominous things! I plan to retire soon. Eventually, you all will be the ones managing the inn.”

“Even if that happens, I bet you’ll still find some new work to do…”

“See? Even Rey agrees.”

“Hey, stop that! If Rey says it, it might actually come true!”

If it does come true, it’ll be because Rigma secretly overworks himself.

So, they’re even training staff for the inn.

In that case, maybe a slightly larger inn… no, wait. That would require customers.

…Maybe we could combine Magirema’s restaurant with an inn?

“Hey, you’re thinking of something weird, aren’t you?! I’m not doing any more work! Ananta, stop him! Keeping Rey from going overboard is your job!”

“Calling it ‘going overboard’ is rude.”

It’s just an extension of the inn, and it’s still under Rigma’s jurisdiction.

Though, I suppose we should wait until the staff training is further along.

“Rigma’s the one who’s going to suffer, so I don’t really care.”

“Damn it! At this rate, I might have to make a ‘joyful yet terrifying’ facility that drags Ananta into this mess, too!”

“Don’t you dare involve me…!”

Two managers, huh…

In that case, we might as well make a proper, large lodging facility.

Not just a place to sleep and eat, but maybe a recreation room, too? This is starting to remind me of a hot spring inn.

…Hot springs. Could we make one?

◇

“Oh, so you don’t live solely on vegetables and fruits?”

“Yes, we’re quite omnivorous.”

“Getting to eat authentic Dark Elf cuisine was a great experience. I see, so it enhances magic power…”

As expected of a people who pride themselves on their expertise in magic, even their food helps boost magical power.

It wasn’t long ago that Lady Fiona happily exclaimed, ‘Ah, so this is where my missing point was!’ and ate some—only for nothing to happen.

Unlike Fiona, others did experience a temporary magic boost before their stats returned to normal, making it seem like a timed buff item from a game.

Fiona must have already maxed out her stats…

She looked dejected, but Magirema, intrigued by the Dark Elves’ culinary skills, happily enjoyed their dishes.

“Hmm. Would any of you be interested in working at my place?”

“If we can be of service, we would be honored.”

“Besides, I need to start training Nem-chan in fire handling soon, so more hands would be a good thing.”

“Leave it to me! As a dragon, fire control is second nature to me!”

“Nem-chan, you’re wind-attributed, though…”

Rather than controlling fire, she might accidentally fan it into an inferno.

Well, as long as Magirema is overseeing things, it should be fine.

“Still, managing such a large dining hall is impressive. Both Magirema and Lady Ripianem must be amazing individuals.”

“My sister just loves cooking.”

“I have confidence in my stamina.”

Handling that many customers requires some serious endurance.

“That said, just acquiring all the necessary ingredients must be tough.”

“That part’s taken care of by Rey.”

That would be the result of mine and Lady Fiona’s gacha pulls.

Last time, I spent 10,000 magic power, but instead of a resurrection potion, I got a ton of food supplies.

Not that having more ingredients is a bad thing, but when it’s not what you wanted, it’s a bit disappointing.

Fiona and I ended up consoling each other—more like licking each other’s wounds, really.

Well, as long as it makes Fiona happy, I suppose it’s fine.

◇

“I don’t really need this, though~.”

“I have no intention of taking Pilkaya-sama’s job. However, we believe that at the very least, we should be responsible for monitoring our own village…”

“Well, in that case, I would be the one taking over your job instead… Fine. I’ll keep watch, but you all need to be the ones to detect any threats to your village.”

“Yes! Leave it to us!”

It seems they are discussing the surveillance system with Pilkaya.

Indeed, Pilkaya has the ability to see across a vast area.

Ever since Fiona-sama gave them enhancement items, their abilities have become even more powerful.

However, even if Pilkaya can create duplicates of themselves, they are still only one person.

If the amount of information becomes too overwhelming, it would be impossible to process it all.

Thus, the Dark Elves had reasoned that, while Pilkaya could monitor things, they themselves should be responsible for detecting approaching enemies and other threats near their village.

“Well, just be careful not to let your guard down and get wiped out. If it looks like you’ll be captured and forced to talk about us, I’ll burn you first.”

“I apologize. In that case, we would be troubling you…”

If they truly gained Pilkaya’s trust, they might even be allowed to share their vision and help divide the surveillance workload across different locations.

Then again, knowing them, they would probably insist they could handle everything alone.

“…What? I don’t like being observed and analyzed by random strangers, you know.”

“M-my apologies! The Queen discovered traces of your presence, and while we were aware that you possessed immense magical power, it turned out to be far beyond what we had imagined, so we couldn’t help but…”

“Be careful. I hate being examined or appraised.”

…I didn’t know that.

But now that I think about it, there was that whole incident with Kunimatsu, so I can understand why Pilkaya dislikes being analyzed like that.

…Oh, wait. I also peeked at their status afterward, didn’t I?

I wanted to see the results of their enhancement from the Aurora Flame…

“Uh, hey, about that time—sorry, Pilkaya.”

“Hmm? What are you talking about?”

“You know, when you got stronger, I kind of checked out your magic power and all that without asking.”

“It’s fine. You’re different, Rey.”

I see… Well, it’s true that the Dark Elves are still meeting them for the first time.

Kunimatsu was an enemy in the first place, and maybe Pilkaya just doesn’t mind interference from allies.

“I got stronger, right? Didn’t I?”

“Yeah, you’re probably at the point where you could take down a Hero now.”

“Well then~. If you’re saying that, maybe I should go ahead and take down a Hero or two~.”

“Just be sure to prioritize safety.”

Well, then again, there’s no need to even say that.

For all their carefree attitude, Pilkaya is someone who knows exactly when to withdraw.

◇

“The Dark Elves seem to be working quite diligently.”

“Yes. They appear to have quite a range of abilities, so we will likely assign them to tasks that best suit their skills.”

“Hmm… It would be best to start them off with less critical tasks.”

“Since we never know when they might leave…”

It was still too early to fully trust them.

However, if what we saw today was their genuine attitude, then in time, they might be able to work as part of the Demon Lord’s army.

◇

“I’m surprised the work turned out to be quite normal, Your Majesty.”

“Indeed. I was expecting harsher, more grueling tasks, but…”

“…It seems that they are not the terrifying race that the Goddess made them out to be, after all.”

“They are probably just like us… Simply designated as an outlet for all kinds of negative emotions from other races. That is what it means to be a demon race.”

“Let’s work hard to become a proper part of the Demon Lord’s army and earn their recognition.”

“…I’m not so sure about that.”

“Your Majesty? Do you have something on your mind?”

“The ones trusted by the Four Heavenly Kings and at the heart of that dungeon… I don’t think the Demon Lord is the one truly in charge.”

“…Indeed, it did seem that someone else was managing things there.”

“Rey-sama… Perhaps he is the one truly leading the Demon Lord’s army? If so, then maybe he is the one we should be bowing our heads to.”