第１０７９堀：鉱山に住まうもの (Part1)
Side: Yuki
The banquet that lasted until midnight had ended, giving way to a quiet morning. Everyone was tired from the revelry, freed from the worry of water, and sleeping soundly from the bottom of their hearts. Especially since I had gifted alcohol to the adults of the village, most people were now in a deep, deep sleep.
"Alright, before we check the answers, what's the situation with Princess Fiora and her group?"
"Yes, sir. All the subordinates are heading to their respective villages to install the Water Sprouter-kun. After all, they wouldn't be trusted if we just showed up out of nowhere. I'm surprised they're so dedicated to their duties after all that alcohol."
"Wow, that naming sense is as usual. No, is it okay to be so direct?" As I pondered Comet's naming sense...
"...Indeed. That was unexpected." My plan was for the drunken soldiers to slowly wake up, get ready, and then hastily depart around noon. However, perhaps they had a strong sense of responsibility to swiftly deal with the national crisis, because Princess Fiora, who should have been laid out from eating too much ice cream last night, actually woke up before dawn.
"Everyone, wake up! We will proceed with the installation of the Water Sprouter-kun in each village as planned! Each team, take your luggage and depart!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Hmm. Princess Fiora truly seems to be an excellent leader. However, it seems the ice cream damage lingered, as she is currently holed up in the restroom.
"Honestly, I don't think that's how you should treat a lady."
"I thought Shou might have stopped it?"
"Of course not. If I were to thwart Yuki-sama's intentions, I wouldn't understand why I'm cooperating. And above all, you're performing the dungeonification right before my eyes, so that takes absolute priority."
"Well, it's not really that spectacular or rare, you know."
"It seems so. Even during the snow mountain incident, it was installed before I even noticed. Well, thanks to that, I was summoned by His Majesty Eupia and even made it in time for the decisive battle."
"Should I say I'm sorry for that?"
"No, I was glad to make it in time for the battle where Zurabul became the ruler of the continent. However, I am dissatisfied that it resulted in an enormous amount of work."
No one wants to be busy by choice. If things can be handled leisurely, there's nothing better. But reality doesn't always allow for that, does it?
Setting aside the small talk, I took out the core and began preparations for dungeonification.
"Is that a Dungeon Core?"
"Yes. It looks very similar, doesn't it? Like a jewel, or a Magic Gear."
"Yes. Similar, or rather, the appearance is exactly the same. I heard its functions were limited, and that's precisely the case, isn't it?"
"That's right."
Magic Gear is something that restricts the core's power solely to summoning monsters. While its efficiency is improved, it's too sad that a dream core, capable of creating bases and supplies, can only be used in such a way. Well, over there, the DP efficiency was extremely poor due to Hiren's unreasonable barrier.
As I thought about such things, the core I dropped to the ground vanished as if sinking into water, just like always. With just this, the control of a one-kilometer radius was complete. That data was immediately sent to my wives and Steve's group, so everyone would deploy instantly. I had Shou stay by Rurua's side and confirm the situation in the same way.
"...So, how accurate is this data?"
"I'm about to confirm that now. Well, there's never been a discrepancy before, but I make sure to visually check it." After all, there's no telling when someone might interfere with our data. That said, for now, no method has been found to falsify topographical information. After all, we extract the topographical data first. That's why it's crucial not to let the enemy gain control of the land. In other words, having a core deployed means the same as being conquered. If that happens, what you can do is not to deceive topographical or other information, but to erase your own magic, go into hiding, and then use your own core to, conversely, seize control of the dungeon. However, doing so comes with high costs and high risks. If you're discovered, you'll be immediately surrounded, and escaping won't be easy.
Therefore, to quickly check for any hidden enemies, I turned my gaze to the footage captured by drones and familiars. Hmm, there's no discrepancy with the topographical data. Well, the positions of wild animals and monsters have shifted slightly, but there are no particularly problematic discrepancies...
"...To obtain such detailed topographical data so easily and instantly. Or rather, couldn't this have been used in the snow mountain investigation?"
"No, the snow mountain base should have been quite far away. We didn't know what effect the diffusion of magic from dungeonification would have on the monsters in that land."
"Ah, now that you mention it, indeed. I see, there was a possibility of causing a great stampede because of that."
"Exactly. Not only that, but there was also the possibility of an active enemy dungeon."
"It would also alert the enemy to our presence. Is that right?"
"That's right. And over there, Senal might not have been the only enemy."
Yes, the battle between the Zurabul Grand Empire and the Haine Imperial Kingdom had concluded. We had also captured the goddess Senal, who had interfered, but not all mysteries had been solved.
"There was also talk of Gaen being a Dungeon Master..."
"We need to investigate that too. But it's a matter concerning another country. We'd need the Zurabul Grand Empire's permission."
"No, that's quite a problem, so I request that you resume the investigation. I will speak to His Majesty as well."
"Alright, I understand. I wish I could just say that, but I've got a lot piled up on my end too."
By us going to the Kingdom of Dafayio this time, it means we can extend our reach to an even wider area of the Rogari Continent. And above all, I know that there are still numerous active dungeons on this Rogari Continent that I haven't taken control of. Yes, dungeons belonging to unknown masters exist, not those of my collaborators Reye or Arwin. Under these circumstances, I want to avoid leaving those dungeons unattended. I want to quickly crush any hostile Dungeon Masters. As for information regarding hostile dungeons on the Rogari Continent, a considerable amount has been gathered, mainly by Reye and Arwin, and thanks to my wives in various countries. We've already identified targets and established strategies for their conquest. In other words, the time for conquest has finally arrived. I'm not going to just blindly follow the whims of small nations. I'll make my own moves to make my work easier. Well, for small nations, dungeons are resources, so whether they accept the Weed group, famous Dungeon Masters, will likely depend on the threat level of the dungeons present. But I'll make sure to push for it.