50. Neighbors (1)
50. Neighbors (1)
- 1 -
"The Count's party, I see. You handled it better than expected, Leonis."
The report from Leonis regarding the instructions I'd given him to look into worthwhile noble house parties had arrived exactly two weeks after my return from the outing to rescue Serica.
- Ordinarily, it would be impossible to approach someone of that status, but fortunately, this time they had the pretext of gathering talents from all levels of society.
"Even if opportunity itself depends on luck, seizing it when it comes is skill. You did well enough."
- ...A demon like you...
Leonis, who had been looking at my face with a complicated expression for a moment, soon shook his head from side to side and returned to a serious expression.
- The party is in one week, and I will contact you again soon regarding the concept and dress code.
"Good. And was there something else you wanted to say?"
- ...That is.
"Sonia will be going with you."
- Ha. ... That is greatly appreciated. Then, I'll take my leave.
After watching Leonis, who wore an expression of displeasure but turned his head, his face unable to hide his excitement, I ended the communication.
He was quite a devoted man.
Though Sonia, because of her upbringing, would likely find it difficult to even recognize and accept the feeling of love. Because her body had stopped growing at a young age.
'Wait. Then Leonis is...'
I tried to cut off that line of thought. It was pointless, and it was about someone else's love life.
... It just didn't go as I wanted.
'Since she's actually an adult, there shouldn't be any problem.'
As long as Leonis didn't see Sonia's actual grown-up form and his affection didn't cool off, or something.
'... Surely not.'
If that were the case, I might have to worry about Leonis's very life. That wouldn't even be devotion, and moreover, the moment would come when Sonia and Leonis cease to be hostages for each other.
"Ahem."
- Dalkak?
"It's nothing. I was just thinking trivial thoughts. Rather, would you bring Sonia and Mariana here?"
- Tak!
Evangeline straightened her body as if acknowledging the order, and immediately, she pointed a finger at one of the skeletons; the skeleton answered with a salute and immediately moved.
Watching that, something came to mind. 'I need to complete the communication magic too.'
Magic that converts a summon's thoughts into words, enabling communication.
It was a goal I wanted to achieve, but its priority wasn't very high, so it kept being postponed.
'Making them speak is easy...'
It was easy to convert intent into the language of the soul and make it transmittable.
'The problem is that fixing that state is difficult.'
Because mana, like all fluids, had the property of trying to maintain an average density.
If you gathered and fixed it, it would normally scatter again.
To fix such mana and give it durability and self-repair ability, creating an artifact was the most common method... but artifacts were expensive.
If I tried to create and provide artifacts for all the summons that had gained intelligence, the dungeon's finances would be shattered before even half of them were supplied.
'In the end, I have to find another method.'
The problem was the test subjects for finding that method. 'The ones suitable as test subjects are, after all, my own children.'
To test whether communication magic works, naturally, the test subject had to be a summon with intelligence.
But since such summons—or the materials to create them—were hardly common except within my dungeon, choosing test subjects was bound to be a worry.
'There is another method, though.'
There was a method of summoning most of them as Cerebrum Skulls.
That way, there would be no problem with communication, but the problem was that filling the dungeon's entire force with them would be a truly foolish act.
Because Cerebrum Skulls consumed much more mana for maintenance compared to their possessed abilities, and their combat power was not guaranteed.
In the end, securing summons suitable as test subjects was the best method, but...
"What are you worried about, Lady?"
"Lin Xue... it's nothing. I was just pondering a little about magic."
"Whatever the Lady's worries are, they're never small... I wish you would talk to me about them too."
"That's kind of you to say."
When I lifted my head after hearing Lin Xue, I saw that Sonia and Mariana had already arrived in the room, and Evangeline was also looking at me with worry, like Lin Xue.
"Then, learn well and help me, you two."
"No, well..."
"... Yes, I understand, Master."
"Good work, Eve."
- Tak!
I immediately told the two what they needed to learn from Eve, sent Seth along with them, and while making eye contact with Lin Xue, who was kneeling before me and staring up, I pondered.
'Was there a need to worry?'
The conclusion that it would be fine to tell her quickly came to mind.
Since I never thought Lin Xue would spread my words elsewhere, there was no harm even if I couldn't get an answer.
If nothing else, speaking out would lighten my heart.
"Communication magic...? Why already...?"
But the immediate reaction was this. It felt like she was saying she had never thought of it—not because it was against common sense, but because it was something I could think about, yet far too soon.
"'Already'? Ah, so it is indeed too early to be worrying about such subsidiary matters."
"No, not at all..."
Seeing that reaction, I asked because a reason had come to mind, but Lin Xue quickly shook her head and sat blankly, seemingly thinking for a moment.
Then she said, "Lady. Would you like to meet another necromancer...?"
That was an answer I had not expected at all.
- 2 -
After sending off Lin Xue, who said she would contact the person first and give an answer, I thought about the person she promised to introduce.
[He's a demon, and someone you can trust...]
While credibility could be gained by not deceiving and by demonstrating that they possessed proper abilities, trust was something whose standards varied by individual.
The fact that it was Lin Xue, who clung to me like a puppy the moment she saw me, who spoke of that trust made me a little uneasy, but at least if it was someone she had gained trust in, they probably wouldn't harm me.
Considering her assessment that she had been rather surly toward other Lords, at least she wasn't someone who gave trust lightly.
'Then, why to me... Ah, this isn't important.'
What was important was the values of the person Lin Xue would introduce.
The problem was that a proper demon tribe member would likely hold values that don't align with mine.
'Perhaps they wouldn't understand cherishing summons or wanting to protect people. Well, still...'
Lin Xue wouldn't introduce me to someone she couldn't handle, so it must be someone with deeper knowledge of necromancy than me, but whose combat power isn't great or who doesn't harm others easily.
If so, even if it wasn't about the communication magic worry, they could help in other ways, so I welcomed meeting them.
From what I heard, they didn't seem to be a Dungeon Lord, so they weren't even a competitor.
"Well then, I'll think about it later."
- Deolgeok.
When a feeling of agreement came back to my muttering—something I hadn't really expected an answer to—I saw that Axe had approached my side at some point.
Probably Evangeline or Lin Xue, unable to see me alone, had sent him.
"Hey. Do you even know what I'm saying before you agree?"
- Deolkeok!
When I asked playfully maliciously, the fellow stiffened with a 'twing' feeling.
As expected, he probably had no idea what I was saying even then, but he seemed to have agreed first.
"I'm just teasing."
- Deolgeureok!
- Taktaktak!
- Dalgakdalgak!
When I said that with a laugh, the fellow rubbed his forehead with his hand in a 'Phew!' feeling of relief.
He was a fun fellow to tease because his reactions were as big as his size.
The playful ones making cackling sounds beside us seemed to know that too. Then, it was funny to see them get hit by Axe one by one and grow quiet while glancing around.
"You guys are still entertaining."
- Tak!
- Dalgurak!
At my assessment after watching that brief skit, the fellows similarly stroked their heads and laughed.
I had named the two fellows beside Axe 'Katar' and 'Hammer'. It might sound a bit careless, but since I named them after the traits they brought from life to death, it was appropriate.
Both were specialized in just one weapon each.
Katar for the katars, a dagger held horizontally and swung; Hammer for the warhammer, which served as both a blunt weapon and an axe.
Thanks to adjusting their stats to rival advanced level and assigning classes matching their weapons, they had performed reasonably well against adventurers in the last fight.
"Now that I think of it, this is good timing."
- Dalgak?
- Tak?
"Gather the children. Today I'll be looking around the surroundings."
Saying I'll look around meant checking the state of monsters and bandits near the dungeon, and hunting prey to use as sacrifices.
The wild monsters in this world, said to have been released and multiplied when dungeons of the past fell, were so numerous that even if they were periodically cleaned out, their numbers would quickly swell again.
Perhaps it was also because the areas where humans were active were not very dense.
After all, it was a world where cities needed fortresses and even villages had to build barricades outside to live normally.
Therefore, as the dungeon grew, the range of its influence also widened.
"It's about time I properly examine the surroundings and record the terrain."
To strategically utilize that range, I needed to know more about the surrounding ecology.
Even though I had gone to distant cities several times, I had barely ever properly examined the immediate vicinity.
Of course, I knew well the particularly peaceful hillside where I had spent time with Sonia.
- Tak!
- Dalgurak!
Thus, the two jesters who received my order saluted once, then one went this way and the other that way, and in just about thirty minutes they gathered the skeletons at the dungeon entrance.
Ten above official grade, and about twenty trainee grade.
It was about one-third of the total troops stationed inside the dungeon, and among them, those above official grade, though roughly at the level of children, all possessed intelligence.
- Dalgakdalgak!
- Dalgurak!
Thus, at the scene where they gathered, the sound of bones clattering was abundant.
So many emotions burst out that I couldn't define them as one meaning, but along with them came waves of feeling that I could tell were roughly joyful or happy.
If there was a difference between them and human children, it would be their thorough obedience and loyalty.
- Ttaak!
- Tak!
Chak!
As soon as I met one's gaze, all eyes gathered, and at a single command-like sound, everyone's posture was corrected.
"There's no need to be tense. Today I just want to properly check how the surroundings are; you just stay in the shadows and come out when I give the order."
- Ttak!
Wherever I looked, my army stood in correct posture without a single slacker.
Even when I spoke to them like that, the soldiers maintained their attention stance without slouching their shoulders or hips, and didn't waver.
They were literally elite. Whoever trained them did a really good job. Of course, I wasn't the commander of that training.
"Now then..."
- Dalgak.
"Hm? This is..."
As I was about to store the army with a heart full of satisfaction, Katar, one of the two jesters standing at the very front of the skeletons, held out something he was carrying.
When I looked to see what it was, it was a long, black parasol that seemed to match well with the clothes I was wearing.
"Thank you."
- Tak!
Of course, a Dungeon Lord's skin wouldn't burn without a parasol, but it wasn't entirely useless since the heat of the sun wouldn't completely disappear.
However, more than its practicality, the thoughtfulness of bringing it during the gathering was more delightful, so I somehow couldn't suppress a smile.
"Let's go. 「Void's Shade」."
Tak.
Hwiririk!
After opening the parasol and stomping my foot once, my army that had been lined up vanished without a trace.
'Hm. Still noisy with emotions.'
However, within my psyche and magical senses, a sense of their presence remained, and a feeling of security settled in a corner of my heart.
In that state, I set out to check the dungeon's vicinity.
The first inspection of the land that would become my territory.
But by that point, over two months had already passed since I came to this world, approaching three months.
- 3 -
"Welcome, noble one. Queen of the Dungeon."
"...Nice to meet you."
And that afternoon, I came to meet another queen who reigned in my territory.
I came to learn of the existence of different types of queens who each cultivated their own hideout near my dungeon.
Through a neighbor with large wings, whom I hadn't known existed until then.