第１５１掘：新大陸説明会
**Dungeon 151: New Continent Briefing**
**Side: Yuki**
"...And so, that’s the gist of it. I’ve essentially been thrown into this by Luna."
I stood before a whiteboard, explaining the details of the New Continent—as relayed to me by Luna—to the members who would be joining me on the expedition. Though, to call it an "explanation" is a stretch; it was really just: "Solve the magical power depletion problem!!"
"The magical power depletion problem, huh... I see. So that’s why we were called in."
"Exactly. Even if I say 'we're going,' the rest of the team is entirely female."
"That’s true. We don't mind operating separately, and we can certainly provide support as a decent fighting force."
The briefing room was unusually crowded, filled with members other than my wives and the district representatives. Specifically, men.
"Man, we couldn't do a thing during the Hero and Demon Lord incidents, so I’m itching for some action."
"True. Adventurers can't really stick their noses into national affairs. Even if we did, it’d just lead to a headache later on."
"Indeed. But the New Continent, huh... This sounds like the greatest adventure we’ve ever had."
It was the veteran trio of middle-aged adventurers: Mauve, Raiya, and Curse. Since they were seasoned, their levels were lower than the others in this room, but their experience was likely overwhelming. Personally, I was counting on them.
Besides, we were short on men!!
"Oh, by the way, I have a question. Is that alright, Yuki-san?"
"Hmm? What is it, Tori?"
It was Tori, the wolf-beastman, who asked—a rare occurrence compared to Riel. Tori had been an adventurer in the past, and while I couldn't say it in front of Riel, I was relying on her. After all, Riel had a habit of going berserk; it was like that during the battle of Litea, and apparently, it was the same back when she and Tori were adventuring together. She must have had a rough time.
I needed to listen to Tori’s question properly.
"Um, instead of going through the dungeon provided by Luna, if it’s located to the west of this continent, wouldn't it be better if you expanded your dungeon westward and investigated from the coast of the New Continent?"
Oh, that was a sharp question. If that were possible, it would indeed be the best approach. But due to various issues, that option was off the table.
"I wish I could, but it’s actually impossible."
"Why is that?"
"Weed is located in the center of the continent. Expanding the dungeon westward would mean creating a dungeon underneath other countries without their permission."
"Ah."
Exactly. That would be disastrous. If we were discovered, Weed’s position would be in jeopardy.
"But couldn't you just create it for a short time and then erase it? It’s deep underground; I doubt anyone would notice."
"I considered that, too. But if I push the dungeon west, there’s a chance our existence will be revealed to other dungeons. If things go poorly, I could end up in a war with other Dungeon Masters."
"O-oh, I see... That would be bad."
That was the primary reason I wouldn't build westward. I didn't want to provoke other dungeons unnecessarily. As I said, if a conflict with another Dungeon Master broke out, it would delay the investigation of the New Continent and cause a massive uproar on this continent as well. And we had only just finished dealing with the Demon Lord problem.
"Also, we don't know the scope of the magical depletion. If the ocean is part of that range, there’s a possibility that Weed’s DP, which is connected, could be drained dry. And we don't know what kind of impact a sudden influx of massive magical power would have on the New Continent. The most likely scenario is that monsters, which are said to be extremely rare due to the depletion, might suddenly surge in population. A swarm of dragons, for instance."
"Whoa, if that happened, wouldn't the New Continent be destroyed?"
Riel’s face went pale at the mention of a dragon swarm. Though, to be fair, the current Riel could probably hunt them down, dragons and all.
"Anyway, that’s why we’re connecting to an existing dungeon on the New Continent via a gate. If it’s just connected by a gate, Weed’s magical power won't be drained. Though, we will have to expend our own power to maintain that dungeon."
"Ah, come to think of it, doesn't that cost twenty times as much?"
"That’s right."
"I guess we can't just go around expanding dungeons recklessly, then. Or rather, given the depletion problem, it’s probably better not to expand at all."
Mauve answered his own question. He was mostly right. However, I had told Luna to stop the supply of magical power from the dungeon to the New Continent. As Mauve said, we didn't know what would happen to the ecosystem, and it would likely interfere with our search for the cause.
"So, that’s why we’re utilizing a dungeon already on the New Continent, Tori."
"I see. I’m convinced. It’s the safest method available right now."
"Though, for us adventurers, it’s the most dangerous."
"Wait, aren't we using the Doppels?"
"We plan to, but in the unlikely event that we can't, we’ll have to go in person."
Using others wouldn't achieve our goals, and they weren't stronger than us anyway. Either way, we had to go. I just hoped the Doppels would work!!
"For now, I understand why we’re going directly to the New Continent’s dungeon. So, what’s the policy once we arrive?"
Seraria, who had been listening silently, finally chimed in.
"Right. For a while, we’ll investigate the area around the dungeon. I’ll bring Zargis along to analyze the magical power and conduct experiments."
"Experiments?"
"To see if the mechanics of magic have changed on the New Continent. In the worst-case scenario, our own power might be diminished due to the lack of magical energy."
"Ah, come to think of it, there was that strange theory that levels rise as the body absorbs magical power."
"I don't know if that’s true, but it’s important to investigate. Once we confirm our own capabilities, we’ll begin the survey of the New Continent."
I finished speaking and looked around at everyone.
"Any questions..."
"Rather than just surveying, I propose we establish a nation."
Just as I was about to wrap things up, Seraria dropped a bombshell.
"The region is a hotbed of warring states. Even if we try to survey it, just traveling between countries will be a chore. It will take too much time. If we establish our own nation, we can reliably survey the territory under our control, and it would be easier to negotiate with other countries for further investigation, don't you think?"
Seraria’s logic was sound, but that was only from the perspective of the investigation. What I wanted to say was...
"Seraria. If we build a country, how much of it do you intend to take care of?"
That was the issue. I believed the best course of action was to leave it alone once the investigation was finished. If we built a country, we would have to protect its citizens. We hadn't even made our own continent peaceful yet; it was unreasonable to reach out to another.
"We can just manage it ourselves, can't we? Like, encouraging a democratic system, just like in Weed."
"Listen, Weed only functions as a pseudo-democracy because of the dungeon’s solid defensive capabilities. A democratic system takes an incredible amount of time to mobilize an army. You understand, right? In a monarchy, it takes one word from the king. You can move an army based on emotion. But in a democracy, you have to wait for the results of a council of many representatives. In a land of warring states, that sluggishness is fatal."
"Oh, that can wait until after we’ve pacified the New Continent. Until then, we can just prop up a king and keep the real power for ourselves."
...Are you a demon? The poor king who gets turned into a figurehead would be miserable.
"For now, I suggest we investigate, and then take over a country that’s easy to handle. The administrative work can be handled by the pregnant members staying behind."
"That sounds good. I’ve already told my subordinates that I’ll be away. It’s disheartening to just lounge around at home all day."
With Seraria’s suggestion, Ratz and the other pregnant members nodded in agreement. It seemed that even if I objected, a country was going to be built regardless... My wives had been getting quite pushy lately.
...Should I be the one to follow their lead?
"Besides, this is the world we live in. We can't just keep relying on you, someone who came from another world. Think of this as our first step toward saving our own world, won't you?"
As Seraria said that, everyone else looked at me.
"Are you aware that you’re almost entirely dependent on me?"
"But isn't it worse to not think at all? Or perhaps you prefer women who just obey everything you say?"
Seraria laughed as she said it. *Sigh*, what a formidable woman I’ve taken as a wife.
Well then, to the unknown kings, subjects, and soldiers of the New Continent whose countries are about to be contested: unreasonable forces are coming your way.
Now, let’s head to the New Continent!!