107. The Stainer (1)
107. The Stainer (1)
- 1 -
The mountain range where my dungeon was located was called the Eisenlight Mountains.
This place served as the border between the Kingdom of Haisen and the Duchy of Aririt, and at the same time as a fateful rampart guarding the water trade route that passed through the eastern wetlands.
'It's common knowledge that monsters lurk in high mountains or deep forests, so troops can't pass through.'
Because of that, such regions were avoided—they required far too many resources to scout and subjugate recklessly.
Yet at the same time, they were considered perfectly adequate as natural fortifications to prevent bandits or pirates from invading.
"The situation has changed now, however."
"Though no one yet knows it."
A single Dungeon Lord had infiltrated this vital trade hub.
That was me, of course.
'My current presence will be perceived as a grave threat to both Haisen and Aririt.'
Most likely, the moment it became known that a Lord of an advanced-rank dungeon was here,
the two nations would scrape together their entire military strength as quickly as possible and dispatch it to subjugate every monster in these mountains.
That military strength, as the previous Coppherin incident had made clear, was a force that even an advanced-rank Dungeon Lord rampaging out of control could never hope to handle.
'If that happens...'
The queens would once again suffer the loss of their forces and go into hiding, and every Dungeon Lord being bred by humans here would perish along with them.
The problem was.
"It's something I've felt ever since Orea, but the queens are generally rather indolent. Even though I am already sharing our fates to some degree, their first thought is that they can simply cut off a part of themselves."
"That is the danger of adaptation."
"As you say. ...It's utterly complacent."
From what I heard from Kamaya, the queens here had grown far too accustomed to 'cutting off a part of themselves and hiding.'
It came from living as recluses for far too long.
Given that the period in question was measured in units of at least ten years, it was understandable—but it was an attitude I could not tolerate.
So now, there were two things I had to accomplish.
"I'll have to let them know it's already irreversible."
First, to urge a psychological awakening in those who had developed such complacent habits.
Fortunately, the method for that wasn't too difficult.
"Will you be using the humans?"
"I suppose I'll have to."
Because it would be possible with just a quick maneuver in the midst of what I was about to do this time.
The groundwork for that had already been laid.
To the extent that I, the actual mastermind behind the work, merely needed to come out as if on a brief outing.
"What about the humans...?"
The second was to perform a 'final cleanup' so that this place could fully function as my territory.
If I didn't, leaders with the potential for treason and enemy-occupied zones would be left right in the center of my demon realm.
Those leaders were, of course, the queens.
And those occupied zones were.
"They must be cleaned up, shouldn't they?"
"It's going to be a bit of a long outing..."
"But it will be far more peaceful than the previous outings."
"Is that so...?"
The city of Solemio, and the surrounding villages from which information on the city could be quickly obtained.
- 2 -
Naturally, not all humans in this world lived gathered solely in cities.
There was simply too much land to spare for that.
Using Seoul as an analogy, satellite villages like Gwacheon or Uijeongbu were dotted everywhere to distribute roles and living spheres.
The village of Solux, the hometown of Sonia and Maria, was one such satellite village of Solemio.
"Oh my. You've come, Mage-nim."
"It has been a while."
"You've been scarce lately. Sonia! Are you well?"
"Ah, yes... Hello, Village Chief."
"You still look so frail! Eat more and get around!"
"Haha... Thank you."
This place was already entirely under my control.
It was the village of the lumberjacks who transported ironwood from the Mistheim Plateau to Solemio, and being located deeper into my territory than Solemio itself, there was no way I wouldn't have taken control of it.
'When the time comes, I'll have to expel everyone from this village except those I must protect or those who volunteer to remain.'
Those to be protected were people who could at least vaguely guess at the circumstances of Sonia or Maria.
And those who would volunteer to remain would be people who had nowhere else to go besides this village.
Until then, in this village, I was the reclusive mage acting as the master of the mage Sonia, the pride of the village.
And simultaneously, I intended to remain as a fateful figure with an interest in this area's ironwood.
"Here. This is the amount of ironwood harvested this time, and this is... ah, a report on the compensation to be paid to the mercenaries and adventurers."
"Thank you."
I was also the person acting as the proxy for the administrator dispatched from Solemio.
The original official?
His body was probably waiting in my dungeon by now for the next sacrifice that would someday come.
I had extracted his knowledge and implanted it into one of my dungeon slaves to make use of it.
Having immediately handed the documents received from the chief to that slave, I promptly issued one instruction to him.
"I have business to visit Solemio today, so if there are others to accompany me, select them and gather them in advance."
I needed a large number of people for the road heading to the city.
This was to bury the presence of the monsters I could not help but bring among the crowd of humans.
There were stories that sensitive adventurers or monster hunters could sometimes detect a monster, even one that resembled a human, as being a monster at a glance.
Ordinary people had their uses in their own way.
At least until I could verify the truth of those stories.
"Understood, Mage-nim. I shall select suitable people."
The village chief bowed deeply enough for his waist to nearly touch the ground.
This was a deeper form of courtesy than I had seen before. It was as if he were treating a genuine noble, rather than a mere mage.
"Your wisdom is excellent."
"..."
The village chief flinched and trembled greatly at my words.
While the administrator from the city was of higher station than the village chief, those who came to such villages were usually not nobles but simply commoners holding a position.
There was no reason for him to show such deference.
There were quite a few people in this world with a surprisingly well-developed instinct for self-preservation, it seemed.
Observing his appearance and presence for a moment, I then spoke to Sonia.
"You must have things to talk about? Go and share them."
"Huh? Ah, yes!"
"Maria. You too, go and talk with the people you need to meet."
"Thank you."
"Both of you. Be sure to give them proper advice."
"Yes." "Yes."
I had told them to pick out from this village those they were close with.
Those who should be called into the dungeon if they were to stay, and those whose heads should be 'carefully' touched if they were to leave.
Watching the two of them disperse into the village like that, I turned my back and headed for my destination.
"Do you intend to take them in?"
"Shouldn't I? There are those who cared for them both when they were young."
On the way to the logging site.
I answered Evangeline's question like that.
"Cared for them... That village chief seems to be Miss Sonia's godfather."
"So I heard."
As my attachment to Sonia and Maria gradually deepened, it became necessary to regulate their surroundings as well.
At the very least, shouldn't I prevent a passing monster from destroying their hometown just because it found it displeasing?
Revenge was a given, of course.
"Then I'll station more soldiers..."
"Mm. Go ahead."
I hesitated for a moment at Shue's question, but I nodded to tell her to do as she saw fit.
It would take some effort, but it wasn't actually a matter that required a great deal of focus.
Even if ordinary Skeletons were guarding it, who in this region would dare to attack a village where I had stationed troops?
Unless it was a monster coming from outside.
But such monsters would be located before they even reached this village, and Axe, Mire, or the personnel remaining in the dungeon would deal with them or wage a defensive battle.
"Is this all of it?"
"Yes! It's all loaded!"
"Then, let us depart."
After my slave had confirmed the quantity of ironwood and reported it to me, we set out for Solemio that very day.
All the nearby monsters had already been dealt with, so there were no obstructions on the road to the city.
"Lately, the goblins and orcs have been awfully quiet."
"It must be thanks to the Mage-nim's grace."
"Quiet down. Can't you see he's reading a book?"
The humans must have sensed 'the natural presence of monsters that should be around,' but that was all it was.
"Sonia."
"Yes, Master."
"Did you talk well with them?"
"W-well, I reassured them..."
"You did well. Tell me everything later. For what you have said shall be done."
"Oh, yes... Thank you."
Sonia, who had seemed somewhat anxious, felt better once I tapped her head and spoke comfortably to her.
"I can see it now."
"Oh. You have good eyesight, Mage-nim."
The city of Solemio, which came into view after traveling for about half a day, still maintained the appearance of a quiet, serene fortress.
A citadel surrounded by a small tributary that began at the lake of Queen Lamia, encircled the north of Solemio, and flowed into the great river used as a trade route.
"It's the Ironwood Administrator! Clear passage!"
Since I had also concealed the demonic domain aura of an advanced-rank Dungeon Lord with an artifact purchased from the trading company, there was absolutely no problem passing through the entrance.
It had been expensive, since there were no ready-made items and it had to be custom-ordered, but I was satisfied.
And so, I entered the fortress as casually as walking into my own house.
"This place is still the same."
Upon entering the interior, the leisurely streets still met my eyes, the population being small for a citadel.
Even more so since it was evening.
Light and laughter still spilled out from the few taverns, but the other houses on the street had already fallen into slumber, with no lively signs coming from them.
"Indeed... We've changed so much."
"That's simply how the world works. In any case, from now on, it's going to change a great deal."
I could feel Sonia looking at me with a deeply concerned gaze, but I merely continued to survey the city.
The city was even quieter now than the Solemio I remembered from before, probably because the last time I was here, the city had been busily supporting Coppherin.
Conversely, this meant that nothing much would disturb this city's peace unless it was something of that magnitude.
"That is..."
"Looks like a guest of the lord. Don't pay it any mind."
"Let's do that."
I saw people still standing on the street glance with curiosity at a rather high-class carriage arriving in the evening, but then turn their eyes away when they saw it heading toward the lord's inner castle—presumably because they still had work to do.
"Come in, quickly. Charlie. It's been a while... Huh?"
This was the first time I had come to this city as the administrator.
It was only natural that the city's administrative officer, who had come out to greet the carriage, froze upon seeing my face.
"Has the lord retired to his chambers?"
And exploiting that psychological gap which had appeared was also not the least bit difficult.
Since the target possessed no particular power of his own, and was merely an ordinary office worker living comfortably in the countryside.
"Yes... Greetings should... be offered tomorrow morning..."
"I see. Please guide me to my quarters."
"Understood, Administrator-nim."
In this way, I infiltrated the inner castle of Solemio.
"You are... the administrator of Solux...?"
And then, the next day at noon.
I came face-to-face with the lord of this city.