It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

The dungeonization of Solemio's inner castle began quickly.

The first thing done was to create a door connected to my dungeon.

Among the two meeting rooms in the inner castle, the one on the second floor was left for Solemio, and the large conference room on the first floor was connected to the large conference room I created in the basement of my dungeon, and the corridor in front of my private room was connected to the top floor lord's private room.

After connecting everything like this, I made it possible to move at any time.

"I'll always keep the door open, so come visit whenever you want, Amelia. Whether it's me or your family."

"Yes, Teacher."

Amelia's family, including her sister, all belonged to me now, and I had her parents reside in my dungeon.

Of course, the contracts with all of them were completed.

"How do you feel?"

"At ease, Teacher."

"From now on, if you need to make any new decisions, ask me. If there are decision matters like before, make decisions by referring to what I've decided. I'll take responsibility."

"Yes..."

Amelia, who had become aware of her 'new freedom', needed time to adapt to it.

"Follow me in a moment."

"I'll tidy up and come right away."

After patting the head of Amelia, who was obediently eating the grape I handed her, I moved to the conference room on the first floor of the inner castle.

* * *

"Kamaya."

While moving like that, preferring to walk rather than short-distance teleportation, I met my 'friend' on the first floor.

A friend who was deliberately walking on the ground despite having huge wings.

"Oh. Libertas. I had no idea that the achievement you mentioned would be a human city."

There was no hint of pretense on Kamaya's face as she spoke nonchalantly.

It would be one of two things.

Either she was originally excellent at acting, or she really didn't know I would actually achieve this.

[Your acting skills are excellent, Harpy Queen.]

[Thank you for the compliment.]

In my opinion, it was the former.

Because she's a woman with surprisingly quick-witted aspects, unlike the impression given by her huge build.

"Come here. I should escort the person who has shown such excellent results."

"What? Wait..."

I didn't expect this.

Kamaya, with a small smile fitting her size, lifted my body and held me with one arm as she walked towards the conference room, which was the original destination.

This was possible due to the significant size difference between her and me.

"Put me down."

"I'm expressing my desire to escort you, so please bear with it for a moment. My Dungeon Lord who will become our queen."

"Haah..."

As I leaned comfortably towards her, who was half-forcing it, the thing next to my body happened to be the feathers covering her large breasts.

With nowhere else to hold, I ended up sitting on her arm with my waist half-straightened while moving.

"Your dignity is indeed noteworthy."

"Yes. Look up to me."

"It will soon be so."

Kamaya just laughed when our eyes met.

I plucked one of her feathers out of spite, but.

"My feathers are indeed beautiful. I'll offer even more beautiful feathers next time."

As only such responses came back, I eventually gave up.

Inside the first-floor conference room we entered like that, all the other queens had already arrived.

"Oh my. You two. You look really close."

Alraune Queen Nirvana.

"Welcome, Libertas. Kamaya."

Lamia Queen Echidna.

"Nice to see you again, Libertas."

Myrmekian Queen Orea.

"I see you, Master...!"

And the current Arachne Queen Fortuna, who follows my orders.

"Your place would indeed be here."

Including Kamaya who came with me, it's a total of five queens.

Kamaya approached the largest seat of honor while holding me in her arms, and carefully knelt down.

I floated my body with telekinesis, which I recently became able to do with just magic power, then sat down and looked around.

"Human fortresses are this large. And there are so many humans living inside."

Echidna was showing curiosity about the human fortress she was seeing for the first time.

Although she didn't actively seek to interact with humans, she was very interested in their culture, so it was understandable.

"Echidna hasn't seen the northern fortress yet. Among human fortresses, there are many larger than this. They are surrounded by walls around the entire city."

"Is that true? I'd like to see it someday..."

"Huhu. It might be possible in the future."

Nirvana was continuing her explanation while looking at Echidna as if she found her cute.

It was worth designating the first-floor grand conference room as the meeting room with the queens, as she too had arrived in person, not as a projection.

However, her appearance was still close to half-naked.

Although she was covering herself with flower petals and stems, it well showed that she didn't discriminate by place.

"We meet again. San... no, it was Fortuna, wasn't it?"

"Ah, hello..."

"You're still a coward. From now on, you need to acquire dignity befitting the title of queen."

Orea seemed curious about Tigris's third daughter who had become the Arachne Queen and was conversing with her.

Fortuna, who had acquired elite-level power through the strength I bestowed, was another means of proving the legitimacy of my power to the queens.

It was conveying the message that 'if you follow me, you too can become stronger'.

"Still... I'm just a subordinate following Queen Libertas. My... my dignity comes from her, so my conduct isn't that important..."

"Orea is right about that part, Fortuna. When you return, I'll assign you a teacher, so at least fix your habit of stuttering from them."

"Yes, yes... My Queen."

Turning my eyes away from Fortuna, who was making a tearful face while receiving my words, and Orea who was comforting her, I looked around.

"Lady Etna! You look healthy these days!"

"I suppose it's because a big worry has been lifted lately. Don't you think it'll get even better from now on?"

"Of course! This gathering is to make things even better."

"I'm looking forward to it too."

I could also see the figures of the queens' attendants, including Serha and Etna.

Among them, the one that caught my attention after those two was the Lizardman chieftain who was touching the wall with a somehow deeply emotional expression.

"..."

This man named 'Jarax', as I heard from Echidna, had lost his father to humans, so it's not strange that coming to human territory stirred complex emotions.

Even if his father wasn't necessarily a good being, blood is blood, isn't it?

'Still, if this works out well, he'll gain a way to resolve that grudge.'

Turning my head again, I saw that Kamaya had already sat down on my left side and was looking at me as if asking for my opinion.

I stopped her action with a gesture, then moved my other hand slightly.

This was a gesture calling for someone.

"I apologize for being late, Queens."

"It's nice to meet you for the first time, Queens of each race."

Those someones were Ran and Amelia.

Ran is a Dungeon Lord and also my close aide.

And Amelia is the lord ruling over human territory, and also the owner of the only castle currently in my land.

If the queens come under my command in the future, she would be on the same level as them.

Of course, she was worthy of a place at this round table.

"Welcome, Yuran."

"We meet again."

"To think a human lord would really participate in this gathering."

The queens seemed to recognize this too, as none showed great dissatisfaction.

"Attention, please."

As Ran and Amelia sat down on my right side, Kamaya, who had the loudest voice among all the queens, raised her volume.

When the queens' gazes gathered, she once again turned her gaze towards me, showing a questioning look.

"I believe everyone knows why we have gathered here today."

Only after I nodded did she continue her next words.

She was clearly acting like a direct subordinate, but those present knew that this was the advantage of being the 'first contact'.

After all, I had met her even before Ran.

That's why she was on my left side.

"From today, we will withdraw from a one-sided support relationship, serve one queen, become one body, and move forward with one will towards one goal. If anyone has objections to this, step forward and state your claim."

This time it was hard to hold back laughter.

I've rarely been as grateful for 'Nobility' as I was today.

I didn't expect this content to come out here.

While inwardly praising my characteristic that barely reduced my urge to burst into laughter into a smile, I looked at the queens.

""...""

None of them stepped forward.

"It seems there are no objections."

Kamaya nodded, then looked at me intently and silently asked for my opinion.

When I showed approval again, she continued her next words.

"Then, from this moment on, there will be words from Queen Libertas, who has become the one to lead us."

As soon as she finished speaking, I stood up, floated my body with magic, and stood on top of the round table.

"First, let me point out one thing I wanted to say from the beginning."

After the gazes of the surrounding queens rose to look up at me, I opened the speech.

"I'm not a queen. I'm just the lord of a dungeon."

While looking down at their puzzled expressions, I pointed out one thing.

"And the same goes for all of you. You use the title of queen as representatives of a race, but in reality, you're not kings."

This was a remark that sounded like a joke, but it was also sincere at the same time.

If a monarch is called a king, then queen would be correct, but the position I wanted wasn't that of a 'king'.

"You are merely leaders of a group, and I am the one who owns you."

Not a clumsy head of household, monarch, or king.

Owner.

Not just a nominal owner.

One who not only cherishes their possessions.

But also manages or removes the causes that would make the subject not my possession.

And one who spares no effort if there's a way to increase the value of the possessed.

Such a being.

Therefore.

"You shall call me Master."

I won't stop them from calling me Queen or Archduke externally.

It's true that such titles have already been established by other 'seniors'.

But what I want is not just such loyalty or familial love.

It's either the subject offering everything they have.

Or me taking everything from the subject.

One of the two.

""Yes, Master.""

"That sounds good."

Therefore, I loved this title so much.

I loved becoming the standard for others.

I loved possessing each and every emotion, each and every heart.

I loved them enjoying the 'freedom' I granted.

"Hear the first command of your master."

As I turned my body to look around the round table, no one was making eye contact with me.

They had all stood up from their seats, bowing their bodies as much as possible and lowering their heads to hear my command.

"Raise your heads and look up at me."

"I will not allow you to not make eye contact with me."

But that wasn't what I wanted.

To those who carefully raised their heads to look at me, I showed a smile.

A quite bright smile.

"Let your groups be fruitful and multiply. Fill all those mountains and fields."

"Make yourselves as strong as possible, and never stop training and learning. You will face the nobles of evil on your own."

"Be diligent and industrious, and strengthen yourselves even without my separate orders. That will be my joy."

I would never let my possessions be taken away, nor let others destroy them, nor let them break themselves.

And so.

"Until everything in the world falls into my hands. Do not stop. My possessed ones."

""Yes! Master.""

On my face, hearing that response, a sincere smile formed for the first time in a while.

'This emotion is.'

What filled me inside was an emotion that should properly be called a sense of ownership.

"Now. Let's begin the ceremony."

From now on, this place was my demon realm.