It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

“A Count’s party. You did better than expected, Leonis.”

The report on my instruction to Leonis to look into noble family parties worth participating in came exactly two weeks after my return from the outing to rescue Serica.

-Normally, it would be a status that couldn’t be reached with just that much, but fortunately, they put out a pretext of gathering talent from all walks of society this time.

“Even if the opportunity itself is said to depend on luck, seizing the opportunity when it’s there is an ability. You did well enough.”

-…A demon like you…

Leonis looked at my face complexly for a moment, then soon shook his head and returned to a serious face.

-The party is in a week, and I’ll contact you again soon about the concept and dress code.

“Alright. Anything else you want to say?”

-…That’s.

“Sonia will be going together.”

-Ha. …Very grateful for that. Well then, I’ll be going.

I ended the communication after seeing Leonis turn his head with a face, unable to hide his excitement while making a displeased expression.

He was quite a devoted man.

Yet, due to her growth process, Sonia would have difficulty recognizing and accepting the feeling of love itself.

Because her body stopped at her youthful state.

‘Wait. Then Leonis…’

I tried to suppress my thoughts there. It was useless and also about someone else’s love story.

…It just didn’t work out as I wished.

‘Since she’s actually an adult, there shouldn’t be any problem, right?’

As long as it’s not a case where his affection cooled after seeing Sonia’s actual grown appearance.

‘… Surely not.’

If that were the case, I might have to consider Leonis’s very survival.

That’s not even devoted love, and in the end, it would be the moment when Sonia and Leonis are no longer hostages to each other.

“Ahem.”

-Clatter?

“It’s nothing. I had an idle thought. Rather, could you call Sonia and Maria?”

-Tack!

Evangeline straightened her body as if reporting and immediately extended a finger to one of the skeletons, which answered with a salute and moved immediately.

Watching that scene reminded me of something.

‘I need to complete the communication magic too.’

Magic that converts summons’ thoughts into words, enabling communication.

It’s a task I want to accomplish, but it’s a goal that’s being pushed back because its importance isn’t that high.

‘It’s easy to make them speak…’

It’s easy to convert intentions into soul language and make it transmittable.

‘The problem is that it’s difficult to fix that state.’

This is because magic power, like all kinds of fluids, is characteristic of trying to maintain an average density.

If you gather and fix it, it usually disperses again.

Creating an artifact is the most universal method of fixing and maintaining such magic power and giving it self-recovery power…

Artifacts are expensive.

If I try to create and distribute artifacts to all summons who have gained intelligence, the dungeon’s finances would be shattered before even half could be distributed.

‘In the end, I have to find another method.’

The problem was the experimental subjects to find that method.

‘The ones suitable to be experimental subjects are, after all, my children.’

To experiment whether communication is possible with communication magic, naturally, the experimental subjects must be intelligent summons.

But since such summons or materials to create such summons are unlikely to be common out there, selecting experimental subjects inevitably becomes a concern.

‘There is another way though.’

There is a method of summoning most summons as Cerebrum Skulls.

This would solve the communication problem, but the issue is that filling the entire dungeon’s forces with that would be really foolish.

Cerebrum Skulls require a lot of maintenance magic compared to their abilities, and they can’t guarantee combat power either.

In the end, securing summons suitable to be experimental subjects is the best method, but…

“What are you worrying about? Lady.”

“Xue… It’s nothing. I was just pondering a bit about magic.”

“Lady’s worries, whatever they are, aren’t small… I’d like you to consult with me too.”

“That’s kind of you to say.”

Hearing Xue’s words and raising my head, I saw that Sonia and Maria had already arrived in the room, and Evangeline was also looking at me worriedly like Xue.

“Then, learn well and help me. You two.”

“No, that’s…”

“…Yes. I understand, Master.”

“Good work, Eve.”

-Tack!

After immediately telling the two what they needed to learn from Eve and sending the three together, I pondered while meeting eyes with Xue, who was kneeling in front of me and staring up.

‘Is there a need to worry?’

The conclusion that it wouldn’t matter if I told her came quickly.

I didn’t think at all that Xue would spread my words elsewhere, so even if no answer came out, there was no loss.

If nothing else, speaking it out would lighten my heart.

“Communication magic…? Why so soon…?”

But this was the immediate reaction.

It feels like I heard something completely unexpected, but the reason doesn’t seem to be that it goes against common sense but that it’s too fast, even though it’s understandable.

“So soon? Ah, is it still too early to worry about such supplementary things?”

“No, no…”

After seeing the reaction, I offered a reason that came to mind, but Xue quickly shook her head and then sat blankly for a moment as if thinking.

Then, she said this.

“Lady. Would you like to meet another necromancer…?”

That was an answer I hadn’t expected in return.

* * *

After sending Xue away, saying she would contact the person first and give an answer, I thought for a moment about the person Xue said she would introduce.

[They’re a demon race, and someone you can trust…]

Credit can be gained by having proper abilities, showing that you have those abilities, and not deceiving, but trust has different standards depending on the individual.

It was a bit worrying that the person who talked about that trust was Xue, who clung to me like a house dog as soon as she saw me, but at least someone who gained her trust didn’t seem likely to harm me.

Considering her evaluation that she was rather prickly towards other Lords, it means she’s not someone who gives trust carelessly.

‘Then, why to me… Ah, this isn’t important.’

What’s important is the values of the being Xue will introduce.

The problem is that if they’re a proper demon race, they will likely have values that don’t match mine.

‘Maybe they won’t understand cherishing summons or wanting to own people. Well, still…’

It doesn’t seem like Xue would introduce someone she can’t handle to me, so they must be someone with deeper knowledge about necromancy than me, but not with overwhelming power or someone who easily harms others.

If that’s the case, it would be welcome to meet them first, as they could be helpful in other ways, even if not just regarding concerns about communication magic.

From what I heard, they don’t seem to be a Dungeon Lord either, so they’re not even competitors.

“Well then, I’ll think about it later.”

-Clatter.

When an emotion agreeing with my muttering that didn’t particularly expect an answer returned, I saw that Axe had approached beside me.

Probably sent by Evangeline or Xue, who can’t bear to see me alone.

“You. Did you agree knowing what I was saying?”

-Clunk!

When I asked out of petty spite, he froze with a ‘clang’ feeling.

As expected, he probably didn’t know what I was saying even now, but it seems he agreed first and thought later.

“I’m joking.”

-Clatter!

-Tack tack tack!

-Clatter clatter!

When I spoke again, smiling at that, he rubbed his forehead with his hand, feeling a ‘Phew!’ feeling of relief.

He was fun to tease because his reactions were as big as his size.

The mischievous ones making giggling sounds beside him seem to know that too. It’s funny to see them getting hit once by Axe and then quieting down while looking around cautiously.

“You guys are still amusing.”

-Tack!

-Clatter!

At my evaluation after watching the brief farce, they scratch their heads similarly and laugh.

I named these two beside Axe ‘Katar’ and ‘Hammer’ respectively. It might sound a bit lazy, but it was appropriate as I named them according to the characteristics they brought from life to death.

They’re both specialized in just one weapon.

Katar in the katar, a dagger held horizontally and swung, and Hammer in the warhammer, which serves as both a blunt weapon and an axe.

Thanks to matching their stats to be comparable to high-rank and attaching classes suitable for their weapons, they were ones who performed exceptionally well against adventurers in the last fight.

“Come to think of it, this is good timing.”

-Clatter?

-Tack?

“Gather the children. We should look around the surroundings today.”

Saying we’ll look around meant checking the state of monsters or bandits near the dungeon, and hunting prey to use as sacrifices.

The wild monsters of this world said to have been released and bred as past dungeons collapsed, are so numerous that even if cleaned up periodically, their numbers quickly increase when checked later.

Probably because the areas where humans are active aren’t that dense.

It’s a world where cities need fortresses, and even villages need to build palisades outside to live normally.

As much as that, the range that can be affected as the dungeon grows is wide.

“I should properly look around this area and record the terrain soon.”

To properly use that range strategically, I need to know more about the surrounding ecology.

Although I’ve visited the distant city a few times, I’ve barely properly looked around this area.

Of course, I know well about places like that unusually peaceful hill where I stayed with Sonia.

-Tack!

-Clatter!

The two jesters who received my instructions saluted once, then one went this way, and one went that way and gathered skeletons at the dungeon entrance in just about 30 minutes.

Ten formal ranks and above, and about twenty apprentice ranks.

It’s about 1/3 of the total number of soldiers stationed in the dungeon currently, and among these, all those formal rank and above have intelligence, though roughly at a child’s level.

-Clatter clatter!

-Clatter!

So at the scene where they’re gathered, the sound of bones clashing is full.

Along with a wave of emotions that can’t be defined as ‘this is it’ because too many emotions are bursting out, but can roughly be understood as joyful or happy.

The difference between these guys and human children would be their thorough obedience and loyalty.

-Tack!

-Tack!

Thwack!

As soon as I catch one’s gaze, everyone’s gaze gathers, and with a single sound like a command, everyone’s posture straightens.

“There’s no need to be tense. Today, I just want to properly look at how this area is laid out, and You just need to stay in the shadows and come out when I order.”

-Taddak!

The appearance of my army standing in proper posture without a single slack spot wherever my gaze turned was elite in every sense of the word.

I said that to them, but the soldiers still maintain their attention stance without loosening their shoulders or hips, not wavering.

I wonder who trained them so well. Of course, I wasn’t the commander of that training.

“Now then…”

-Clatter.

“Hm? This is…”

As I was about to store the army with a heart soaked in contentment, Katar, one of the two jesters standing at the very front of the skeletons, held out something in his hand.

When I looked to see what it was, it was a long black parasol that seemed to match well with the clothes I was wearing.

“Thank you.”

-Tack!

Of course, a Dungeon Lord’s skin won’t burn without a parasol, but since the sun’s heat doesn’t completely disappear, it wasn’t useless.

However, rather than its practicality, I couldn’t help but smile somehow because I was more pleased with the thoughtfulness of bringing it while gathering.

“Let’s go. 「Void’s Shade」.”

Tap.

Whoosh!

When I step once with the handed parasol open, my army lined up disappears without a trace.

‘Hmm. Still noisy with emotions.’

However, their presence still remains in my psychological and magical senses, so a sense of reassurance settles in one corner of my mind.

In that state, I set out to check the vicinity of the dungeon.

The first inspection of the land that will become my territory.

However, the timing was actually on a day when it was already over 2 months, approaching 3 months since I came to this world.

* * *

“Welcome to the visit of the noble one. Queen of the dungeon.”

“… Nice to meet you.”

And that afternoon, I met another queen who had been reigning in my territory.

I became aware of the existence of queens of different forms cultivating their hideouts near my dungeon.

Through a neighbor with large wings, whose existence I hadn’t known until then.