第１０１掘：これからどうする？ (Part2)
"I'll need to guide Reye and the others to our dungeon in the near future.
Man, the results have been far too fruitful. I originally thought this dungeon would just be a way to earn some DP, but to think it would be such a massive jackpot..."
"I'll prepare the guide to our dungeon and let you know once everything is ready. I could connect it right now—well, it’s already connected, actually—but I assume you can't just drop everything and leave immediately, right?"
"Yes, that would be far too sudden."
"Reye, are you not coming?"
"Brother, things are quite rushed on my end. Even if I were to go, I’d need to find a proxy to manage this dungeon, and well, everything is a first for me."
Hm? Something felt off about that.
"Hey, Reye. I felt a bit of unease in your words just now. When you say 'everything is a first'... does that include finding a proxy for this dungeon?"
"Yes. This is the first time I’ve ever left this dungeon."
"Is that the truth?"
"Yes. Anna and Riri have strictly warned me to put my own safety first. I don't know which of you brothers is the 'real' Dungeon Master, but we couldn't bring ourselves to take such a risk."
Wait a second. He doesn't even realize he's dealing with a Doppelganger? Ah, right, I had been running interference. But if he’s never left this place...
"Forgive me for asking, but are you aware that Gartz has the most dungeons among the four major powers?"
"Yes. I just assumed other Dungeon Masters had come here."
"Come here?"
"Yes. I became a Dungeon Master about 200 years ago. Back then, there were no reports of other dungeons. Or perhaps there was one?"
"Yes. When our country still existed, there was only one. However, about 150 years ago, the number of dungeons suddenly began to increase," Anna added.
"That means there’s at least one other Dungeon Master out there..."
"That would be the case. We only have this dungeon, and you brothers weren't aware of the others, were you?"
"No, we weren't."
Hmm. Should I call this a disappointment, or was it more informative than I expected? I had hoped Reye might be managing the dungeons in this region, but things are never that simple.
"Do you have any information on the other dungeons?"
"Hmm, Riri has been sent to other dungeons for work a few times, though."
"That’s true. I didn't see anything particularly strange, though. They were just ordinary dungeons?"
Right, I don't even know what an "ordinary" dungeon is supposed to look like. I’ll have to ask Rurua, Tori, or Riel about that later. With the support of the Adventurer's Guild, I should be able to gather most of the information I need.
"For now, let's leave it at this. It seems neither side is fully prepared to exchange information yet. Let's take some time. I'm still in the middle of negotiations with Gartz, too. Once that's settled, we can have a proper discussion."
"Yes, that would be for the best. And... will you be returning control of the dungeon to us?"
"About that. Just in case, I’m going to keep one floor for us and connect it to my dungeon. I’ll have Deryu act as the intermediary. No one will be able to travel between them without her permission. Is that alright, Deryu?"
"Indeed. Leave it to me."
"Yes, we would be grateful for that arrangement."
And just like that, the dungeon conquest ended with some unexpected gains. It was more than enough information for a single day.
Still, to be a Dungeon Master for 200 years and only have this one location... I probably shouldn't expect much in terms of technical expertise.
Now then, time to go hear Gartz's response.