117. Magic Mirror (1)
117. Magic Mirror (1)
- 1 -
The dungeonification of Solemio's inner castle began immediately.
The first of those tasks was to create a door Fate (緣)-bonded to my dungeon.
Of the two conference rooms in the inner castle, the one on the second floor was left as Solemio's, while the grand conference room on the first floor was connected to the grand conference room in my dungeon's basement, and the lord's personal chamber on the top floor was connected to the hallway in front of my personal chamber.
Once all of these were Fate (緣)-bonded, movement between them was possible at any time.
"The doors will always be open, so come visit whenever you wish, Amelia. Whether it's you, or your family."
"Yes, Master."
Amelia's family, including her younger sibling, all came to belong to me, and her parents were made to reside in my dungeon.
Naturally, the contracts for all of them had been completed.
"How do you feel?"
"At ease, Master."
"If you need to make any new decisions going forward, ask me. If there are decisions similar to before, decide by referring to what I've already decided. I will take responsibility."
"Yes..."
Amelia, who had come to recognize her 'new freedom,' needed time to adapt to it.
"Follow along shortly."
"I'll finish tidying up and come right away."
After patting the head of Amelia, who had been demurely eating the grape I handed her, I moved to the conference room on the first floor of the inner castle.
- 2 -
"Kamaya."
As I made my way there on foot—preferring to walk rather than use short-range spatial teleportation—I met my 'friend' on the first floor.
A friend who, despite possessing giant wings, was walking on the ground nonetheless.
"Oh, Libertas. I had no idea that the sacred fruit you spoke of would be a human city."
Not a trace of fatigue was visible on Kamaya's face as she spoke nonchalantly.
It had to be one of two things.
Either she had always possessed an outstanding capacity for long-distance flight, or she truly hadn't expected me to achieve this.
'She does seem to have outstanding flight stamina, Harpy Queen.'
'Thank you for the compliment.'
In my opinion, it was the former.
Despite her massive build, she was a woman with more agility than one would assume.
"Come over here. I must escort the one who has shown us such a splendid achievement."
"Yes? Just a moment..."
This, I hadn't expected.
Kamaya, with a small smile that suited her size, lifted my body and held me in one arm, then walked toward the conference room that was her original destination.
It was possible due to the sheer difference in size between us.
"Please put me down."
"I am merely expressing my desire to attend to you, so bear with it a little, Dungeon Lord who is to become my Queen."
"Haah..."
When I tried to lean comfortably against her half-insistent form, I found myself pressed against the feathers covering her large breasts.
With nothing to hold onto, I ended up sitting on her arm with my back half-straightened as we moved.
"Your nobility is indeed worth taking note of."
"Is that so. Feel free to look up to me."
"Will that not be the case soon enough?"
Kamaya simply smiled when our eyes met.
Out of petty spite, I plucked a single feather from her arm, but.
"My plumage is magnificent, isn't it. Next time, I shall offer you an even more magnificent feather."
Only such a reaction came back, so I eventually gave up.
When we entered the first-floor conference room that way, the other queens had already all arrived.
"Oh my. You two look very close indeed."
Alraune Queen Nirvana.
"Welcome, Libertas. Kamaya."
Lamia Queen Echidna.
"We meet again, Libertas."
Myrmekian Queen Orea.
"I behold my Master...!"
And even the current Arachne Queen Fortuna, who follows my orders.
"This seat is indeed yours."
Including Kamaya who had come with me, that made five queens in total.
Kamaya, still holding me in her arms, approached the largest head seat and carefully knelt.
Using telekinesis—which I'd recently learned to perform with mana alone—I floated my body into the seat and looked around.
"Human fortresses are this large. So many humans live inside them too."
Echidna was expressing curiosity about the first human fortress she had ever seen.
She wasn't eager to actively interact with humans, but her great interest in their culture made her curiosity understandable.
"Echidna still hasn't seen the citadels in the north. Among human fortresses, there are many larger than this. They are cities whose entire perimeter is surrounded by walls."
"Is that true? I'd like to see one someday..."
"Fufu. Perhaps it will be possible in the future."
Nirvana was continuing her explanation, looking at Echidna as if she found her endearing.
True to the room's purpose as the designated meeting hall for the queens, she too had arrived here in her true body, not as a projected image.
However, her appearance was still one that was half-exposed.
Although covered by flower petals or stems, it was an appearance that clearly showed she did not mind the location.
"We meet again. You were Sanme... no, Fortuna, was it."
"Ah, hello..."
"You are still a coward, I see. From now on, you must possess the dignity befitting the title of queen."
Orea, seemingly curious about Tigris's third-born who had become the Arachne Queen, was conversing with her.
Fortuna, who had come to possess elite-grade power through the strength I granted, was another means of proving the legitimacy of my authority to the queens.
She conveyed the message: 'If you follow me, you too can become strong.'
"Still... I am merely a subordinate who follows the Lady Libertas. My... my dignity comes from her, so my conduct is not so important..."
"Orea is right regarding that matter, Fortuna. When you return, I shall assign you a teacher, so at least correct the habit of stammering."
"Yes, yes... My Queen."
Turning my eyes from Fortuna, who answered me with a tearful face, and Orea who was soothing her, I looked around.
"Lady Etna! You look healthy lately!"
"Perhaps it's because a great worry has been lifted lately. Don't you think things will get even better going forward?"
"Of course! This very gathering is meant to make things better, just like that."
"I am also looking forward to it."
The figures of the queens' attendants, including Serha and Etna, were also visible.
Among them, what drew my attention next after those two was the lizardman chieftain, who was touching the wall with an expression somehow filled with deep emotion.
"..."
I had heard from Echidna that this man named 'Jarax' had lost his father to humans, so it wouldn't be strange if coming to human territory stirred up complicated feelings within him.
Even if that father was by no means a good being, blood ties were still blood ties, were they not.
'Still, if this matter goes well, he will gain a way to resolve that grudge.'
Turning my head again, Kamaya had at some point taken her seat on my left and was looking at me as if asking my intention.
I stopped her action with a gesture, then flicked my other hand.
It was a hand gesture calling for someone.
"I apologize for being late, ladies and Queens."
"It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Queens of each race."
Those people were Yuran and Amelia.
Yuran was a dungeon lord, and at the same time, my close aide.
And Amelia was the lord governing human territory and the sole owner of the only castle currently in my land.
If the queens came under my command in the future, she would stand in the same rank as them.
Naturally, she was someone deserving of a seat at this round table.
"Welcome, Yuran."
"We meet again."
"To think a human lord would truly take part in this gathering."
Even the queens were aware of her, and none harbored great dissatisfaction.
"May I have your attention."
As Yuran and Amelia seated themselves on my right, Kamaya, who had the loudest voice among all the queens, raised her volume.
Once the queens' gazes had gathered, she turned her eyes to me again, her look asking for my intention.
"The reason we are gathered here today is something everyone knows."
Only after I nodded did she continue her next words.
She was clearly acting like a direct subordinate, but those gathered here knew that was the advantage of being the 'first to interact.'
After all, she had met me even before Yuran had.
That was why she was seated on my left.
"As of today, we shall withdraw our unilaterally supportive relationship, serve a single queen, become one body, and advance with one will toward one objective. If any here have dissent, step forward and state your argument."
This time, it was hard to suppress laughter.
In fact, there had rarely been a day when I was more grateful for 'nobility' than today.
I hadn't expected such words to come out here.
While inwardly thanking the trait that kept my broad grin to no more than a smile, I observed the queens.
"..."
None among them stepped forward.
"It seems there is no dissent."
Kamaya nodded, then looked at me intently, silently asking my opinion.
When I expressed affirmation again, she continued her next words.
"Then, from this very moment, Lady Libertas, who has become the one to lead us, will now speak."
The moment she finished speaking, I rose from my seat, floated my body with magic, and stepped up onto the round table.
"First, regarding one thing I have wanted to point out from the beginning."
After the surrounding queens raised their gazes to look up at me, I fired the opening shot of my explanation.
"I am not a queen. I am merely a Lord of a dungeon."
Looking down into the eyes of those wearing puzzled expressions, I pointed out one thing.
"And the same goes for you. You merely use the title of queen as representatives of a race; you are not actually kings."
This was a remark that sounded like a mere joke on the surface, but at the same time, it was sincere.
If a monarch were directly a king, then queen would be correct, but the position I desired was not that of a 'king.'
"You are merely the leader of a group, and I am the one who owns you."
Not a clumsy head of household, monarch, or king.
An owner.
Not an owner in name only.
I would of course cherish my property.
I would manage or remove the causes that would make my property cease to be mine.
And if there was a way to further raise the subject's value, I would spare no effort.
That kind of existence.
Thus.
"You shall call me Master."
I would not stop them from calling me Queen or Archduke externally.
It was a fact that such titles had already been fixed by other 'predecessors.'
But what I wanted was not simply that sort of loyalty or familial love.
It was the subject offering up everything they had.
Or me taking everything away from the subject.
One of the two.
"Yes, Master."
"That is good to hear."
Therefore, I liked this title immensely.
I liked that I myself became the standard for others.
I liked owning every single emotion, every single heart.
I liked that they fully enjoyed the 'freedom' I granted.
"Hear the first command of your master."
I turned around and looked around the round table, but not a single one met my eyes.
All of them had risen from their seats, bowing their heads as deeply as possible and keeping them down as they listened to my orders.
"Raise your heads and look up at me."
"I will not permit you to avoid my eyes."
But that was not what I desired.
To those carefully raising their heads to look at me, I showed a smile.
A fairly bright smile.
"Cause your groups to multiply and thrive. Until they fill all these mountains and fields."
"Make yourselves immensely strong, and do not cease training and learning. You shall confront the nobles of the demon realm alone."
"Even if I give no separate command, be sincere and diligent, and keep yourselves healthy. That will be my joy."
I would never let my property be taken, let others destroy it, nor let it ruin itself.
And so.
"Until all things in the world fall into my hands. Do not stop. My possessions."
"Yes! Master."
Upon hearing that answer, a sincerely joyful smile appeared on my face for the first time in a while.
'This emotion.'
What filled my inside was an emotion that could only be called possessiveness.
"Now. Let us begin the ceremony."
Now, this place was my demon territory.