Chapter 137
Chapter 137
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 137
Chapter Title: Coins and the Cartel
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Around the time the beings at the extreme entrance of the 1st floor had gathered.
Belesa reported the situation to Zarkan.
The two watched it unfold with warm smiles.
Just as they were about to discuss support for the 1st floor going forward.
"But Zarkan, what were you just watching?"
"Th-that... Ahem! Just a hobby, my dear. Just a hobby."
A hobby he had to hide so frantically?
Belesa sensed something was off.
Once the report ended, Zarkan seemed self-conscious and quickly dismissed Belesa.
But that only made her more curious!
In the end, during a break, Belesa called Ella over and began analyzing Zarkan's mana.
"Heh heh heh... If I may venture a guess, Zarkan was watching the 1st floor too, wasn't he?"
"No way he was watching Vallak, right?"
"Absolutely not~ And Belesa, you know better than that. All men are the same."
At Ella's words, Belesa suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
Zarkan had once watched something on the 1st floor with great interest.
N-no way!!
And so, through Ella and Belesa's pointless efforts, an old man's secret hobby was exposed.
Groooaaar!
Kyaaaaooo!
"This is that island with the massive reptiles, isn't it?!"
"You remember how Zarkan called those thick-legged bipedal reptiles 'endearing'? He must watch them whenever he's bored."
"...Is he feeling lonely or something?"
"No way that's it~ Belesa, want to try shifting our perspective?"
"See those reptiles through a dragon's eyes?"
"Exactly!!"
Soon, with Belesa's ability, they donned special lenses that allowed a dragon's viewpoint.
When they looked at the dinosaurs now, they'd appear anthropomorphized.
Fully prepared, the two burst out laughing the moment they spotted the mecha-glowing dinosaurs.
"Pffft!"
"Ahahaha! Wh-what is that?!"
That's right! Through the dragon's eyes, every dinosaur was now a strikingly beautiful woman!
Even their, uh, outfits!
From Zarkan's dragon perspective, the dinosaur park wasn't just endearing and beautiful.
It was a thrilling spectacle of wildly diverse, gorgeous girls and women locked in a fierce survival game on one island.
And these women transformed into even more stunning forms when danger struck!!
How could anyone resist that?!
"No wonder the old man loves watching this...."
"It's kinda eye-opening. But why are they all female?"
"Good question...? And these dinosaurs are all creations from the champion's imagination."
Thanks to Vallak, the dinosaur park kept adding new species.
Yet all the dinosaurs were inexplicably female in form, which baffled the two.
"Just a happy coincidence?"
"Probably."
"Hmm...."
"What's up, Belesa?"
"Dragons live well outside too. What if they saw this place?"
"Uh...?"
Even the extremely elderly Zarkan sought them out in admiration.
What would young male dragons do if they saw this?
"...Dragon birth rates might plummet. Nah, just my imagination?"
"N-no way."
And so, the two women entertained the worst possible scenario.
***************
While certain ladies on the 50th floor fretted over a race's future, the 1st floor had become a meeting ground.
"You're Yon, right? Thrilled to meet you!"
"Likewise, Your Grace Vallak."
"Oh, did Damphir tell you about me?"
"I heard from Miss Kairel that you were the reason the world shook last time. I thought it was absurd back then... but the world's vast indeed! Haha!"
The troll I'd met this time seemed like a worldly grandfather who'd seen it all.
He gave my proposal a very positive review.
"Who knew you could gamble with someone else's money... Brilliant."
"It could be risky, though."
"I know. But I trust you'll handle it, Your Grace."
Failure would unleash unimaginable fury.
And if the grade dropped?!
Oof....
That challenger would raze this place.
"I'll prepare the safest spot possible, so look forward to it. And you want to open a personal forge here?"
"Supplying weapons to the Nyaotribe through Miss Kairel sparked some ambition."
"But didn't you say blacksmithing was just a hobby? Turning a hobby into a job can be brutal."
"Hahaha... Honestly, I never expected this passion at my age."
Is this troll dancing his last dance?!
Fine, with that fire burning, he deserves top treatment.
But why's that white one so terrified?
"Ah... Your Grace must be bothered by Lily."
"She's been cowering behind Damphir since earlier... Hard not to notice."
[ Eek?! ]
That's the banshee, right?
The banshee shriveled up just from my glance.
Tsk tsk tsk... So incredibly shy.
If she were alive, I'd toughen her up. What a shame.
"Huh?!"
"Narin? What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing, master."
Why's Jan acting weird again?
Anyway, recruitment of the blacksmith was complete.
Time to spend those piled-up coins.
And for the troll joining my dungeon, introducing a dungeon merchant seems wise.
I summoned the dream demon right away.
"You called, Vallak~!"
"Belesa! Come in!"
"Hm? Your Grace Vallak, who might this be?"
"Allow me to introduce—"
After introducing the dream demon to the troll, it felt like dungeon upgrades were imminent.
The issue was the direction for the dungeon's growth.
Luckily, the highly capable dream demon—who handled a key merchant role—was here with me.
What if I called the demon lord administrator for a three-way meeting?!
Having a max-intelligence twin-winged advisor felt incredibly reassuring!
Ahh... This is perfect dungeon consulting.
One step closer to the ultimate dungeon.
By the way, should I have set up a way to contact the demon lord from last time?
Wonder when she'll show.
*************
As Vallak pondered dungeon upgrades.
A new wind blew outside.
The Empire was already fretting over beastkin causing havoc inside and outside dungeons.
And Vallak said just clear them out?
Ah~! No choice then!
Boom!!
"Urk?!"
"Throw them in prison. Now."
"Y-yes sir!"
They hired the Free Knights right away, tossing all the troublesome beastkin in Raider into jail.
Of course, the incident hit the papers.
Beastria's beastkin leaders protested.
But the Empire's empress held the blade.
"Then your taxes go up to 80%."
"Ahh! Those causing trouble abroad aren't true members of our race!"
"Tsk tsk tsk! Follow the laws of the land you're in!"
"Execute them or whatever."
The beastkin backed down immediately.
But it was just a stopgap.
Beastkin kept flooding out of Beastria nonstop.
They needed someone from their side to maintain order.
"Father, you want me to step in?"
"The Empire's sun named us former comrades directly...."
"Sigh... No helping it then."
"Use it to spread our name far and wide."
"Understood, Father. I'll make the Black Tiger Tribe renowned."
Thus, a Black Tiger Tribe princess led her followers to Raider.
City security restored overnight, and all praised the empress.
But the city powers thought differently.
Bam!!
"Isn't it always us suffering?!"
"Knights before last, then elves and their queen, now beastkin...."
"Next up, dwarves and mages. And what's this? Empire Academy dungeon training permit?!"
"The academy too...? Sigh, but is it true a dwarf king is coming?"
"Afraid so."
"Huh, kings are so footloose lately. Any word from mage guildmasters or towers?"
"Tower lords are itching to move, but I'm holding them off."
A new field of magitech had opened up recently.
Plus, the dragon-forged sword Hyrim received as a gift was revealed.
Turning near-mythical catalog top items into reality.
Towers were knocking to investigate.
City powers were truly suffering.
Their sole solace now?
"...Sold yet?"
"It's only going up. Never sell."
"Ahem... Every day brings joy."
Abyssal Coins soared despite the Empire's heavy restrictions.
City powers grinned nonstop at the daily gains.
But the workload was insane!
They finally visited the dispatched imperial clerk.
But no way!
"Th-the clerk retired yesterday, naming a successor?!"
"Damn!! He dumped first!!!"
The low-buy Abyssal Coin holder was the empress's aged relative.
He'd achieved financial freedom, named a successor, and retired comfortably.
Now they wavered!
"Here's an idea... Dump it all on our successors?"
"Honestly, even selling now leaves enough to last lifetimes. Time to relax."
"Elves and dwarves are infinitely buying anyway. Mass sell at a discount."
"Brilliant idea."
"When?"
"Worried about all at once or staggered?"
"My take is...."
Soon, this era's cartel emerged, and coin prices soon plummeted.
What happens then?
"Wh-what?! What the hell!"
"Damn!! Sell now!!"
"Arrrgh!!!"
Panic selling ensued.
Luckily, real goods were buyable with coins.
Abyssal Coins didn't vanish entirely.
Elves and dwarves who scooped up tons rejoiced.
The Empire raked in massive taxes happily.
City powers got rewarded for a year's toil and rebought coins cheap.
Some crashed to rock bottom, sure.
But if it stings, don't play coins.
Later, a bestseller [The Dangers of Abyssal Coins] by a coin-crash victim published, and time flowed on.