横穴１掘：色々はじめて (Part1)
Side Tunnel 1: Many Firsts
This is a short story between Dig 10 and Dig 11.
It's about the first time Yuki met Seraria.
It will probably be deleted in a few days, so please enjoy it.
The reason is that various things are troublesome!!
Many Firsts
Side: Yuki
"Seriously, this has become troublesome," I muttered, watching the monitor in the dungeon's surveillance mode.
On the monitor, Oriel was approaching the dungeon, leading Elju and Seraria.
No, the Roschur army they would surely bring with them didn't matter.
Rather, the quick development was a relief. I also wanted to experiment with the dungeon.
But for me, the problem lay elsewhere.
Since Elju and the others had returned to the royal capital, a fair amount of time had passed, and I had remodeled the dungeon.
It was already in a modern Japanese style—no, I mean the residential area.
What even is a Japanese-style dungeon? Does the terrain change every time you enter? "Play 1000 times!"
No, in reality, no one would want to enter such a dungeon.
No amount of lives would be enough.
Well, if it could be done without sacrificing lives, it would probably be popular, but it didn't seem profitable.
Anyway, I had just arrived here, so I should slowly solve the immediate problems without thinking strange thoughts.
Ah, I've strayed from the topic.
It was about the residential area. When Elju and Oriel were here, I couldn't make improvements due to DP issues and because I hadn't disclosed information.
However, with the DP I earned before Mauve and the others, and Elju, received designated protection, and the DP income from wild monsters after Elju and the others left, I extensively improved the residential area.
Well, entertainment-related items had high DP costs, so just expanding my living space to the size of a detached house and ordering some furniture completely drained my DP.
Before, I only knew their identities through my Appraisal skill, but this time, due to my relationship with Roschur, Oriel also knew that Elju was a princess.
Therefore, I couldn't just shove them into the simple infirmary I had housed them in before.
I wanted to minimize the possibility of them finding fault with me in future negotiations.
So, it would be necessary to guide them to my own room, the most comfortable place in this dungeon.
On top of that, a strange one—Elju's older sister, Seraria, with her drill-like hair—was coming along.
I could probably skip some explanations for Elju and Oriel based on past events, but explaining how to use modern Japanese furniture and tools to *that* sister seemed exhausting...
Before that, I really didn't want to make a strange greeting and get scolded.
Besides, her level seemed high, and I didn't want to be carelessly cut down... Ah, maybe I should use a Doppelganger.
It could imitate and then be controlled, right?
I used DP to summon a Doppelganger.
"Damn it, that was my reserve DP, but I have to reduce any potential causes of getting killed, just in case..."
My DP was already tight from the Blood Minotaurs, dungeon remodeling, and residential area improvements, and now I had to use my reserve DP...
"It seems I need to secure a certain amount of DP quickly. Even considering that, forming a connection with Elju and the others might be a stroke of luck. If an army is chasing them, I should be able to replenish my DP sufficiently, which is fortunate."
For now, I felt the sensation of my bank balance approaching zero, so I tried to say something positive to calm myself down.
The Goblin unit was also attracting monsters, bringing them into the dungeon, killing them, and specifically turning them into DP, so it wasn't like I had no income every day.
It'll be fine, it'll definitely be fine.
As I was doing that, they arrived in front of the dungeon, with Oriel at the lead.
"Yuki, I apologize. As expected, the worst-case scenario has unfolded. Could you please shelter us?!"
"Oriel, what are you doing? If you shout in front of a dungeon, monsters will gather. More importantly, 'shelter us'? What do you mean? I thought we were going to a noble who would shelter us, but you intend to be sheltered by a dungeon? What kind of joke is this?"
"Ah, um, Chi-nee-sama, I didn't explain it in a hurry, but we were helped by the Dungeon Master, and he's definitely not a bad person, so I think enemies won't be able to easily lay a hand on us here."
"Hmm, well, if we can use a dungeon as a base, there's nothing more reassuring... But, Elju believes in him, so I'll endure it. However, if he tries to harm us, I'll cut down that so-called Dungeon Master, alright?"
Oh, scary, scary.
I seriously have no choice but to go as a Doppelganger.
"I'll keep Chi-nee-sama in check, so please allow us to enter the dungeon!"
Elju desperately pleaded as well.
Well, I intended to make use of this connection in various ways, and there was no need to refuse, so I'd send someone to meet them for now.
I sent the Goblin unit captain, who was nearby on the first floor, to greet them.
"Are you the Goblin from back then?"
"Gob!"
The Goblin nodded, saying so.
The Goblin captain who went to meet them had represented me in taking care of Elju and Oriel before, so I judged it wouldn't be a problem and sent him. It seemed fine.
After nodding, he immediately entered the dungeon and looked at Elju and the others.
"It seems to be a welcome. Seraria-sama, as you can see, there are no problems, so let's go."
"...It seems so. Honestly, it's the first time I've seen a Goblin not attack a woman."
The princess named Seraria had her hand on the sword at her hip, but she lowered it.
Once they were inside the dungeon, I checked her status. She was a frontline type, completely different from Elju, and her level was even higher than Mauve and the others.
Scary, seriously scary.
"Well, there's no point in being scared."
I had already set up a precaution with the Doppelganger, and I'd ensure their safety with designated protection.
Now, since they were princesses, I had no choice but to take them to my house after all.
"Hey, it hasn't been that long, has it? You came back quite easily."
"I apologize. Your unpleasant prediction came true. Not only Elju-sama, but Seraria-sama here was also targeted for assassination and poisoning."
"Ah, that Loire guy, right?"
"How do *you* know that?! You're not in on it, are you?!"
Whoa, I immediately recoiled.
Seraria had drawn her sword and pointed it at me.
"Chi-nee-sama, calm down. You must have heard it from Mauve and the others through the call, right?"
"Yes, Elju is right."
"Huh?! Don't you dare call Elju by her bare name!"
T-this is troublesome.
What's with this one-sided drill-haired woman? Is she a siscon? And a severe one at that.
"Anyway, this is no place for a standing conversation. I've prepared a room, so please come this way."