第７９４堀：ここはダンジョンです (Part2)
"Indeed. As I explained when you arrived, Weed is a dungeon nation. While you can see the sky if you look up, we are, in fact, located underground. Consequently, our fishing industry is essentially a matter of containing water and farming fish within it."
Though, to be fair, the beach area alone is four kilometers square, so it’s ridiculously vast. I said "containing water," but we have a proper circulation system with self-purifying functions, so I’m not even sure if "farming" is the right word anymore. It’s like a giant fish tank, but it’s so massive and maintains its own environment even when left alone that I’ve started to wonder if it’s just nature at this point.
General Lake, however, looked troubled.
"...My apologies. I do not mean to imply you are lying, but the notion that this place is underground is... difficult to grasp."
"Ah, I see. We should start there, then."
Since the number of countries aware of Weed has increased recently, I’d forgotten to explain the basics. Even so, the doubt of whether this is truly underground persists, so I have a demonstration prepared to prove it. It’s simple: we just walk up a flight of stairs.
This is meant to serve as a guide to prove that this is a dungeon—a cavern. However, since these stairs aren't used for daily travel and are located far away to prepare for enemy incursions, walking there would be grueling. We ended up using a vehicle to travel, and while General Lake and his men were surprised by the car, I’ll skip over that. It’s a reaction I’ve grown accustomed to. People are creatures that adapt, after all.
"From here on, we shall proceed on foot."
I stepped out of the vehicle and led them to a spot where the space—or rather, the sky—had a gaping hole, from which a staircase extended. Well, the sides of the stairs are just dirt walls; it’s only through magic that they appear to be the outside world. I touched the wall to demonstrate the illusion, and I had General Lake and his men do the same so they could feel the reality of it.
"...It really is a wall."
"It’s strange. It looks exactly like the scenery above ground, yet..."
"Was this place truly underground all along...?"
The guards and attendants who had accompanied General Lake were clearly stunned. General Lake, however, was not the type to show such surprise. He turned to me immediately.
"Yuki-dono. This may be a matter of national defense, but how many levels deep does this dungeon go?"
"No, that’s public information, so it’s fine. It’s difficult to give an exact number if you include the dedicated dungeon areas in the Adventurer District meant for serious exploration, but if we’re talking about the areas where people live their daily lives, I’d say roughly five to eight levels."
I’d added the beach and outdoor areas in separate spaces later on, so I wasn't sure if those counted toward the total.
"And is each level of the same scale as this commercial district?"
"That’s right."
"...That is staggering. To think a dungeon could be this size. Are there dungeons of this scale scattered about?"
"Usually, they aren't this large. Though, they are much more dangerous in exchange."
"Dangerous? What do you mean by that?"
"Ordinary dungeons are infested with monsters. Oh, that’s right—you don't have monsters where you're from, do you?"
I casually wove the topic of monsters into the conversation.
"...I see. Is that why King Haiden insisted on establishing relations with you, Yuki-sama?"
He nodded, as if convinced.
"Are you referring to the contents of the letter King Haiden saw? The one that prompted him to tell you to visit Weed?"
"Yes. There is no need for secrets now, I suppose, but would you mind showing me one of these monsters?"
Oh, he’s biting. So, the Kingdom of Sea-Cypher’s objective is related to monsters.
"I don't mind. Let’s head to the fishing area I mentioned earlier. There are plenty of monsters near the water."
"...Is there no danger?"
For someone from the New Continent, he seemed unusually wary of monsters. No, that would be a natural reaction if he knew what they were, but thanks to Hairen’s recklessness, monsters have been all but eradicated from the New Continent. That makes his caution seem out of place. Should I question him about it? No, I’ll take him to the fishing area first.
"Danger? Not at all. In this dungeon, the monsters are good friends with whom we can communicate."
"Pardon?"
For the first time, General Lake gave me a look that said, *What on earth are you talking about?*
Everyone, I know it’s old news, but Weed is essentially an underground city. General Lake and his men’s reactions were the normal ones. We then headed toward the dungeon’s port. A port? Underground? Ah, just think of it as a subterranean lake. That should satisfy them.