Opening Success

(Kehma’s Point of View)

Alright, looks like the first win goes to us. I’d say it was a complete stomp in our favor, but I don’t know everything well enough to say that for sure.

Although I hadn’t really taken any measures against charm, it turned out well anyway and Wataru was able to easily deal with the succubi.

I never thought they’d love the rabbits so much… I guess cuteness really is justice.

I mean, I figured the better adventurers would have some means to resist it, but for everyone to?

I figured it would’ve worked out either way if the weaker ones ran away or something since Wataru was there, but I’m pleasantly surprised that didn’t happen.

What would I have done if Wataru was charmed? I just would’ve lost the first floor, that’s all.

Or perhaps I would have turned it into a charm showdown by having Meat turn back into Succubus Wanko again.

I could probably even get Wataru to give me that bracelet he’s wearing if it came to that. That’d be amusing.

“… I didn’t have a turn.”

“Yeah. Looks like it.”

“Yeah, Meat. Kehma’s plans are working.”

… It felt like there weren’t many monsters coming over, but it was probably due to how Aidi was straight up obliterating most of the gargoyles. She did say she’d be doing that beforehand though.

[I took care of what was most notable, Rokuko’s Master.]

“Sounds good. But isn’t it standard to keep your all-important summoners in a safe area? Why’d they leave that? Are they stupid?”

[Oh? There were no true safe areas though. Where would they leave them?]

“… Are you being serious?”

I took a glance back to Orange, the rabbit-type core standing beside me. Orange answered following a twitch of his nose.

“… Nkyuu, the inside of the Dungeon Core is safe though?”

“Right?”

Good, I’m not in the wrong here.

[… … … Oh, right, I suppose there is a safe area within the Dungeon Core. For Rokuko’s sort of strategy, that is.]

“I’m pretty sure it’s not just Rokuko’s… but I guess the inside of a Dungeon Core isn’t exactly considered safe for Demon King Faction cores?”

[Dungeon Core subspaces are obviously places to collect items and trophies.]

I see, so it was an issue of how it’s viewed?

It’s true that there wouldn’t be any safer of a place than there to store treasures. No one could get in without permission, after all.

[You wouldn’t leave important items outside, right? They’d be stolen.]

“Indeed. So the Demon King Faction… doesn’t treat succubi as important?”

[Aren’t monsters meant to be used and discarded?]

She was saying that they weren’t worthy to go inside. So where would they be put, then…? For him to treat them like that despite having them learn [Summon Gargoyle] was straight up wasteful.

Maybe it’s because the core’s position would be found out by tracing the gargoyles back to their spawn? No, they just had to change where they were coming from in that case… eh, oh well.

“… By the way, have any clue where about his Dungeon Core is?”

[Yeah. Inside the dungeon… likely not the highest floor of the mansion, but it’s basement—the underground labyrinth. Underground labyrinths are a bit troublesome. It would be a 500 series’ underground labyrinth, so I figure it would be considerably complex. At least ten floors.]

…?

“Wait. Ten? That’s all?”

[That’s all? What are you on about, Rokuko’s Master? It would take several days to traverse, considering its traps and structure. It’d be our loss if they conquered our side’s dungeon during that, you know?]

“That so? It’s fine, that’s way too shallow. I doubt it’d be big enough to take several days.”

[Eh? Too shallow?]

Yep.

I get the feeling that Aidi and I are thinking about two different things.

“I mean, you said ten floors. That’s shallow. That [White Beach] I made last year had ten floors.”

[… … … Oh yeah, it did, huh? But that was a straight path and easier to finish. If it was like how we were making our dungeon, it—wait, come to think of it, Rokuko and you all made it all the way in, huh… in a day…]

“Yep. It was easy.”

Rokuko answered in my stead. Yep. It really was an easy one to finish. The only hard part was that Aidi carried her Dungeon Core around, making it portable.

[… … … Rokuko. How long do you think the ten floors would take?]

“If it’s Kehma… a day! It’s just ten floors!”

[How reliable—as an ally, that is.]

Oi, I’m pretty sure it’d take two days. Five a day.

“By the way, I’ve been wondering. Does the Demon King Faction not put much value in [Dungeons]?”

[… Right. We usually use some form of mansion or castle… but there are things that extend underground. I mean, isn’t it hard to fight your enemies if you’re too far underground?]

I see. Muscle brain syndrome strikes again.

“Aidi, could you finish the first floor for now?”

[I checked through all the rooms I saw on the first floor. Should I record what I found above on a map?]

“Yeah, thanks. Please do. Light the building on fire while you’re at it. His furniture should burn nicely.”

[… Huh?]

“Hmm?”

[Did I mishear you? Just now, I thought I heard you say to light a fire?]

“I did say that though?”

[… Umm, Rokuko’s Master. Are you insane?]

And now Aidi’s doubting my sanity.

Well, maybe it won’t burn since it’s a dungeon.

“I’m fine. Lighting things on fire should serve to smoke out the remaining succubi and give us an idea of where the way up is connected by looking at the flow of the smoke, yeah? Meanwhile, you’ll be fine since you don’t have to breathe and can rely on something other than your eyes to see.”

[… Yeah, I guess you really are sane. I thought you were wanting me to burn the mansion down.]

“Well that too, of course. If you can burn down the whole mansion, it should make looking for the Dungeon Core proceed much quicker by eliminating the places it could hide!”

[You truly do have a weird way of thinking, Rokuko’s Master.]

Let’s try helping a bit by sending some gargoyles to use [Fireball].

Death by fire!

“Oh, Orange. Please send out some grasshoppers to scout the underground areas.”

“Gotchakyuu. But won’t a ton of them die? Wouldn’t squirrels be better?”

“Orange, how much do they cost according to your catalog?”

“Either are 1 DP, nkyuu.”

Hmm. Squirrels would be better than. Even I’d used rats on Haku-san back when I was staring out.

“Alright, start with a hundred squirrels.”

“Kyuu!? A hundred!? I can’t move that many!”

“That so? Oh well then. Meat, Ichika, lend him a hand. Orange, please use your menu to set the two to be able to operate them. Also, add more if the situation calls for it.”

“G-Got it!”

There’s a knack to getting used to swarm operation… Oh well, Meat and Ichika should be able to handle it.

“Kehma Kehma! Could I help?”

“Rokuko… go ahead and keep an eye on how many squirrels there are and instruct Orange on when to add more.”

“Alright! So, Orange! Go and add another hundred right away!”

“I still haven’t finished with the first hundred!?”

“We’ll need them either way so hurry it up!”

“Fuoooh, all the DP I saved….”

… Well, there are ten floors, so it should work out? I’ll leave it to Rokuko.

Lost in my plans, I watched over the Dungeon Battle.

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