105. The Conference (1)
105. The Conference (1)
- 1 -
The meeting inside the dungeon concluded, and the next day arrived.
"Talhan seeks an audience, Master."
"Come in."
I summoned Talhan, acknowledged his hard work, and presented him with the reward I intended to give.
Talhan's reaction upon hearing it was quite intense.
"Is that... truly true?"
His lips trembled, tendons bulged, the wrinkles on his face rippled wildly, and even his eyes couldn't stay put, scattering every which way on their own.
I could tell how moved he was, but it was also a sight that was hard to watch.
Seeing this, Eve stepped in to assist.
"Compose yourself. Your form is breaking apart."
"Ah. Lady Evangeline... thank you."
She had forcibly stabilized him by channeling mana into his body.
Since a Cerebrum Skull was ultimately a mimic-type summon and not an actual body, when it became greatly agitated, its psychological state manifested outwardly like that.
For that reason, when I created Cerebrum Skulls, I always tried to instill a trait of mental calmness.
Of course, I hadn't been able to take that measure for Talhan, who was the very first specimen and the one who taught me that such a phenomenon occurred.
"For the Master's... ocean-like grace and love... I offer my thanks. This Talhan. I shall be loyal until this life is spent..."
...Just how moved was he?
Concerned that the disfiguring appearance would emerge from him again, I swiftly presented him with the path he needed to choose.
"Promotion and transformation..."
"That's right. Whichever you choose, what you desire shall be fulfilled."
What I proposed were two options in total.
"The first is the next stage of the entity that currently forms your true body. For now, the dungeon has its limits, but there's no need for you to worry."
The next stage of the Cerebrum Skull, the Corpus Skull, was an entity that completely removed both limitations of the previous stage's individual.
Both the limitations on memory and on the physical abilities of the resilient body were completely removed, and the lifespan limit of the body was also relaxed to some extent.
"Then if I choose this..."
"It means you can take the body of whoever lives the life you desire."
Of course, there would be no problem adapting to it either.
Right now, I was limited to elite-grade entities, but that wasn't something to overly worry about, since I could simply raise the mana to a sufficient level using residual core mana.
My presence might feel larger to humans, but it wouldn't be much different from now.
"The second option is to become a completely different entity."
In this case, the detailed choices varied.
Since quite a few monsters possessed mimicry as a specialized ability or trait.
Just off the top of my head, there were vampires, slimes, some demons, and many others.
In this case, most of the traits he currently possessed would disappear, so he wouldn't be able to reach the elite rank right away, but instead...
"You would be able to obtain the 'human body' you have desired so much."
"A human... body, you say?"
He fell into thought, but the deliberation didn't last long.
"...For now, I think it best to remain as I am."
It was an answer that nearly made my eyes widen on their own.
Given the character of the person I had observed him to be, I had assumed he would certainly choose one path or the other.
But the emotion I sensed from him as he spoke of refusal was sincere.
"An answer I hadn't expected. May I hear your reasons?"
"Of course. Master."
At my question, Talhan bowed his head deeply once, then raised two fingers and folded one as he began his explanation.
"Firstly. For now, your faction must expand, Master, and any error that changes my position, which is responsible for information, could soon become a great hindrance."
"I see..."
It wasn't an incorrect statement.
Whatever his nature, the role entrusted to him was currently important, and the body he possessed was also that of a key figure in the information guild.
I had worried about that too, but I had brushed it aside thinking he would manage somehow.
"The next reason only applies to the case of the first option. A faction must have a hierarchy, and it would be improper for me to rise above the seniors who joined the faction before me."
"Hierarchy, is it."
He was speaking of respect towards Mire and Axe.
The hypothesis that it was a practical demonstration of loyalty to achieve a greater desire was persuasive, but the emotion I felt from him now was pure loyalty and sincerity.
I didn't feel a shred of deceit, and my intuition and 'Nobility' affirmed this as well.
At the very least, it seemed certain that he served me with a genuine heart.
"And."
"And?"
"The fact that you have not forgotten me, Master, is more than enough."
"...I understand well enough that you are sincere."
Though unexpected, it was a happy matter.
Therefore, it made no sense for sincere will and loyalty to go unrewarded.
"Then, for now, I shall bestow upon you a secondary reward."
"What do you mean by secondary reward...?"
"For now, your appearance. Tell me anytime. The form of the appearance you wish to become. I shall do my utmost to prepare it for you."
"...Thank you. Master."
"And, receive this."
What I handed over was a single artifact I had originally intended to give him after he chose one of the paths.
"This is..."
As he received the talisman-type accessory, his eyes trembled greatly.
He must have known well the price and value of an artifact.
It was a luxury item he likely never received in his human days, and ultimately, it was like a signal that I cherished his personal well-being.
"I cannot leave you, who spends time outside, without protective magic. I prepared it for that purpose. Take good care of your body."
"I shall engrave the Master's grace upon this soul. I swear once more in this place that I shall surely become a red carpet laid upon your path."
Talhan spoke with a trembling voice, and though his body showed signs of twisting this way and that as before, it was at least under control, perhaps due to the experience from earlier.
"I already know your loyalty well enough. That vow. I accept it gratefully. I, too, promise that I shall never let your life go to waste."
"Thank you."
From that appearance, I had a feeling akin to a revelation that his wavering had disappeared.
Now, from this moment on.
He, too, had truly become my retainer.
- 2 -
"We are honored to see the Dungeon Lady!"
An old demon cried out in a squeaking voice, bowing his head.
His skin was gray, and unlike his voice, which sounded somewhat weak or sly, his entire body was muscular and well-developed enough to be noticeable at a glance.
Spitefulness lingered at the corners of his mouth, and his eyes were full of greed, so his true nature was easy to guess.
"You have worked hard all this time. I hope you will not feel burdened in accepting this reward. Your skill and attitude have satisfied me sufficiently."
"We Gremlins have endless greed compared to our station, so you need not worry, my Lady!"
He was one of the chieftains of the Elder Gremlins.
And today was the day the construction work on the dungeon that his tribe had been carrying out was finally completed.
Originally a dungeon with two above-ground floors and one underground floor, it had been expanded to five above-ground floors and three underground floors.
They had also established a consistent style so that the overall look would remain uniform even when I altered the dungeon's appearance with mana.
'Though only a portion of the rooms have been properly set up yet...'
Currently, only up to the 3rd floor above ground and the 2nd floor underground were actually in use.
But since they had properly completed the foundational work, I could expand rooms and floors as needed in the future.
The framework was already solidly established.
Even if an emergency occurred where I couldn't inject mana and the structure collapsed, or if an attack came, the outer walls wouldn't be easily breached.
"Here. The ruby ore I promised."
"Ooh... I had been looking forward to it since you mentioned it, but the quality is so good it's recognizable at a glance."
The Gremlin foreman's mouth hung open wide and his already large eyes bulged as if about to pop out while he stared at the wagon his subordinate Gremlins were taking away.
Seeing that, I naturally became curious.
"Is there a particular reason you Gremlins like precious metals? It is mere curiosity, so feel free not to answer."
"That is not the case. Firstly, as you might guess, my Lady, it is because our magic is extremely focused on Midgaia, and also..."
'Midgaia' was the term for the material plane in the coordinate system of magic formulas.
A place that connects to the spiritual world 'Celestia' to form the basis of druidic sorcery and spirit arts, and contacts the elemental world 'Terrarium' to create the elements primarily handled by mages.
But what they meant by Midgaian magic was probably direct interference with minerals.
However, this was something I already knew.
The answer that resolved my curiosity came next.
"...And because it is also our delicacy and elixir."
"Oh. I see."
It seemed a Gremlin's body could digest human precious metals.
Seeing that they could digest everything from gold to diamonds, from processed stones to raw ore, it likely wasn't a biological trait but a magical characteristic.
Just as Elves drew vitality from plants and Dwarves listened to the resonance of rocks.
"Because of this trait, Gremlins born naturally in the Demon Realm, not in dungeons, developed magic that interferes with minerals, and from there, they came to take interest in the processing and sculpting of minerals, you see."
Just as humans decorate food beautifully on a plate, Gremlins also did their own version of 'plating'.
Their knowledge of engineering and art had probably developed from there as well.
"A fascinating fact. I feel I was right to ask."
"That you are curious about facts that even those who live alongside us in the Demon Realm, let alone Dungeon Lords, do not know... I feel as if I indirectly sense how sweet the interest you show those around you must be, my Lady."
"You have a good eye, old one."
Seeing Shue naturally respond to the Gremlin leader's words, which were half praise and half flattery, an involuntary laugh escaped me.
Just what were they doing right in front of me?
"You speak as if your tongue is coated in honey. You have the eloquence to surely gain a reward wherever you go."
"Oh... Hihihi. I understand now what Manager Scarlet was blabbering about."
"Hmm...?"
"Oh dear. It's nothing. Then, I shall take my leave! Thank you for everything, my Lady."
When I let out a puzzled hum, he quickly shook his head, saying it was nothing.
Somehow it felt awkward to press the issue, so I decided not to ask further.
"Please call on us again if you have more good work!"
"Yes. I suspect I will have reason to call."
"Is that true? We shall be waiting!"
Anyway, not only here, but to manage Ran's dungeon or other occupied territories, I would have to call the Gremlins many times over.
Getting to know a single group properly would make many things convenient.
"Stay healthy. All the more so, as you seem quite advanced in age."
"Yes. My Lady!"
The Gremlin chieftain left, bowing deeply.
As I sent him off, I glanced at Shue for no particular reason.
"...Why?"
"It's nothing."
It seemed Shue, Ran, and Eve were all eager to embarrass me, honestly.
But if I said something like that, I felt the three of them might team up later and do something even more uncontrollable, so I swallowed my words in the end.
It was a relief they at least knew to distinguish time and place.
- 3 -
The more the dungeon grew and developed, the more I had to pay attention to one thing.
That was, of course, the equipment of my summons.
Most of them appeared carrying equipment suitable for themselves when summoned, but while that equipment was optimized, it wasn't the best.
" "We are honored to see the Dungeon Lady." "
To acquire the best, I had summoned trading companies specializing in magical armaments from the Demon Realm to the dungeon.
"The first company currently holds contracts with five noble houses, and..."
The blue succubus Mari still maintained an extremely tense atmosphere around me.
Since she had been mindful on her own ever since the moment I warned her once, I didn't need to pay constant attention to it.
"Don't be too nervous. If you, the intermediary, are in that state, you'll miss what you should normally see."
"Ah, yes...!"
In fact, she seemed so overly tense in guiding me that I even had to say something like this.
Anyway, thanks to Mari's proactive attitude, there was no major problem in choosing a trading company.
"Yes. A collective of smiths, you say."
"That's right! My Lady!"
To be precise, it wasn't originally a trading company but a group of blacksmiths who banded together and evolved into a trading company.
Their armaments had no special abilities imbued, but they possessed many craftsmen to the point of enabling mass production, and the quality was uniformly high.
It was also noteworthy that, being a group of pure artisans without mages, not a single item carried any odd experimental spirit.
"They look reliable. Let's start with 30 blunt weapons and 30 axes for now."
"Blunt weapons and... axes, I see."
"Yes."
Most of my first-generation Skeletons, including Axe, came from bandit backgrounds.
Therefore, many of their weapons were axes or blunt weapons, which were easy to use and had a high damage floor, rather than swords or spears.
Of course, I would have to prepare more diverse weapons later, but that wasn't for now.
"Understood! If you would choose the samples over here..."
"You all. Come here."
Of course, choosing the weapons was also a job for my Skeletons.
Because I didn't know what suited their hands.
- Clatter.
- Tak!
"Chief, come this way. I have a separate order to place."
"Yes!"
So, after watching the Skeletons exchange opinions for a moment, I gestured to the chief of the smiths and called him over.
"I wish to order several magical armaments to engrave my spells upon. Focus on reliability in production rather than other aspects, if you would."
"When you say reliability...?"
"You know that what I'm speaking of is not simple durability."
"Ah... Ah! I understand."
The first thing I wanted was not something solid and long-lasting, but a weapon that would clearly show signs of malfunction so it could be easily maintained.
In other words, it was for those who had never handled armaments well.
"First, I will need three sets of armaments for mage use."
"Please wait a moment. We have items to serve as models."
The chief smith returned a moment later with three types of mage armaments.
Looking at him, I called my disciple.
"Sonia. Come here."
"Yes! Teacher!"
"A human...?"
The orc smith's eyes gleamed with disgust towards humans, and at the same time, with respect towards me.
Because it wasn't common for a high-rank Dungeon Lord, who was usually still at a stage where they couldn't control their emotions well, to employ a human.
At the same time, he satisfied me with the self-restraint he showed in trying not to reveal his disgust towards Sonia.
"Choose one that suits your taste."
"What? Is it for me?"
"Of course."
"Thank you! Teacher!"
"Yes. Go ahead and choose."
What Sonia chose was a staff.
I ordered three types to be made with different designs, and also ordered the items that would serve as models for the armaments for my other retainers.
In the worst case, even if these artisans' skills proved insufficient for producing high-quality goods, this would help in finding another trading company.
For the first proper armaments for my people, I wanted them to be items that had passed through my hands.
"The weapons to arm the other troops will be made soon, so I will show them to you when we bring them."
"Yes. I look forward to it."
The reply was that the weapons for the troops would take about a week, and the weapons where they would truly demonstrate their skills would take longer from that point.
Though the time was somewhat long, my anticipation was sufficient.
"I'm looking forward to it...!"
"As am I."
As I patted Sonia's head, her innocent face glowing with excitement, I smiled as well.
- 4 -
One day, while busy with organizing the dungeon before starting new projects, Serha visited the dungeon.
What she brought was the welcome news I had been waiting for.
"A summit, you say."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
I took the little harpy's hand and led her to a private room. To hear the details.
"When will it be?"
"The day after tomorrow! We've decided to gather near the dungeon, so you need only bring yourself, Your Majesty!"
"I see."
The queens were gathering.
For the first summit to be held after I had revealed my presence.