Since the arena was built, the monsters have gained energy and enthusiasm.
After all, even monsters probably need entertainment.
“Eh ho! Eh ho!”
The monsters are training during their free time after work.
The creation of the arena seems to have raised their motivation to become stronger.
At this rate, the monsters might end up becoming stronger than me.
If that happens, my authority…
Well, let’s not think about it. It’s not like the boss has to be the strongest.
In game dungeons, it’s often the monsters on the way that cause more trouble than the boss.
It’s also sad that even if I train and level up, my stats hardly increase. That’s been proven.
If that weren’t the case, I’d train along with them. Knowing your own potential can be cruel in some ways.
It’s painful to realize that all the effort might be in vain.
But, that doesn’t mean I have a reason to give up everything.
I’ll do what I can. I need to develop this dungeon and find something that can stand up to a hero.
“Evilham -sama, I have a report. It seems someone has arrived at the dungeon.”
Little Ham reported to me. The way his expression changed indicates that this is no small matter.
“It’s not Gito and the others, right?”
A sense of tension ran through me. Could the hero finally be attacking this dungeon?
“Yes. According to the lookout, it’s a strong man we’ve never seen before… What should we do, Evilham -sama? Should we handle this?”
Hmm… what should I do? I don’t know if this human is hostile.
Should I try talking to this person? But it’s dangerous for me to approach them alone, unarmed.
“Hey, you over there.”
“Huh? Me?”
I called over a goblin who was training for the next tournament.
“Come with me. We might have to fight the intruder. If it comes to that, feel free to cause some chaos.”
“Yes!”
The goblin responded with sparkling eyes.
While the tournament is a regulated fight, this battle against the intruder would be a no-holds-barred, serious fight. That’s probably more appealing to the monsters.
“That’s not fair! Evilham -sama! Please take me too!”
“Me too! Me too!”
A number of bloodthirsty monsters began to volunteer one after another. There were so many that it would be hard to control them if we tried to hold a discussion.
“Wait, wait. We can’t control that many. Let’s narrow it down.”
I gathered about five elite monsters and headed toward the dungeon’s entrance.
As I confirmed that the monsters were following me, breathing heavily, I began to hear the footsteps of the intruder.
There were multiple footsteps, and it sounded like more than one enemy. I began to feel uneasy about whether five of us would be enough.
The footsteps were getting closer. The sound grew louder, and it felt like my heart was racing in sync with them.
Cold sweat ran down my back. What kind of intruder could this be?
“Ah, so the monsters are finally showing themselves!”
I came face-to-face with humans. Three strong warriors, clad in armor and helmets for defense.
They were holding exposed swords, and their appearance suggested they were not here for a peaceful conversation.
However, what luck for me is that they are not the protagonists from the game I used to play.
That means they are just background characters. We might be able to defeat them.
“Hehe. I’m going to take these guys down and make a name for myself.”
I see. They’re adventurers trying to make a name for themselves by defeating monsters in the dungeon.
So, they’ve come to defeat us. It seems there’s no room for negotiation.
But, just to be sure, I’ll try talking first.
“You there. Why did you enter our dungeon without permission?”
“Hehe. Do you think we came here for tea just because you see these swords?”
The adventurers charged at us with their swords raised. This is clearly a declaration of war.
“You guys. Take them down!”
“Oooh! We’ve been waiting for this!”
Upon my command, the monsters immediately charged at the adventurers.
“Hehe. Do you think a goblin with a club can beat me?”
The goblin’s club struck the adventurer square in the face.
“Buh-huh-heyah!”
The adventurer flew back, blood pouring from his nose. A loud cracking sound echoed as his bones were struck.
It looked like it hurt a lot, but I wonder if he’ll be okay.
“Hey! Leader!”
“Take this!”
A Killer Beetle charged at another adventurer, knocking them into a dungeon wall with tremendous force.
The impact was so strong that part of the wall crumbled.
“H-hey! Please spare us!”
The remaining adventurers tried to escape, leaving their comrades behind. However, the bloodthirsty monsters immediately gave chase.
“Wait, you bastards!”
“Stop right there. Let them go.”
I stopped the monsters. There was no point in cornering those adventurers any further.
“Is it okay, Evilham -sama?”
“Yeah. There’s no need to push them when they’ve already lost their will to fight. Let’s just throw them out of the dungeon.”
The adventurers who were completely incapacitated by the monsters’ blows were weaker than I expected. No, maybe it’s just that the monsters in this dungeon have become unexpectedly strong.
The monsters, thinking they were finally getting a real fight, were left with a sense of dissatisfaction since the enemies were so weak.
After throwing the two unconscious adventurers outside the dungeon, we decided to return to our usual routine.
◇
A while later, Gito and the others arrived at the dungeon.
“Hey, Evilham . Can I talk to you for a sec?”
Gito approached me with a serious expression.
“Hm? What’s wrong? You look so grim.”
“Actually… there’s a rumor going around that the monsters in this dungeon are really violent. It seems there’s a commotion about it.”
“Huh? A commotion? Us being violent? What kind of joke is that?”
We’ve been living peacefully, but to be called violent is honestly upsetting.
“Adventurers went into the dungeon, and they came back all beaten up. That story has been spreading around.”
“Ah… I do remember something like that. But they were the ones who attacked first. We were just defending ourselves.”
We have our side of the story, but in the outside world, people will probably believe what the humans say.
It feels like I’m being judged in an absentia trial, and it’s not a good feeling.
“We understand that. But the general public sees monsters as dangerous, so that’s the perception.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true. You guys have your own position to consider. If you defend us, they’ll think you’re monsters too.”
“Evilham and the others are good guys, but it’s frustrating,” Gito said, looking like he had bitten into a sour lemon.
“That sentiment alone is enough. Anyway, even if those guys are that weak, our monsters can easily handle them. You don’t need to worry.”
“Hm… Is that so? The rumors about the monsters in this dungeon being dangerous have spread. There’s even talk of a hero from a nearby village coming here.”
“Huh? A… hero?!”
I felt the blood drain from my face. It didn’t matter how many weak adventurers showed up, but a hero was a different story. That guy is too strong. Is it because of protagonist bias, or whatever they call it? Either way, he’s not someone we can defeat.
“What’s wrong, Evilham ? You look pale.”
