It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

The place where the conference of queens is held.

It was a secret location created on the mountainside, constructed in a way that from the outside, one could never imagine that the inside was hollow.

Inside, there was a round table and six chairs.

"It's quite a proper place, isn't it?"

"Kamaya and Orea worked together on it. To be precise, Orea used her strength, and Kamaya provided the aesthetic sense."

When I looked at Kamaya with surprise at Echidna's words, she turned her head, hiding her embarrassment.

Come to think of it, considering the cave her tribe uses as a dwelling, it would be right to think that she has an eye for this kind of style.

That cave, sculpted by sunlight and shadow, was quite mysterious and beautiful.

"Whose is the empty chair?"

-One of the two is yours, Libertas. Originally, it belonged to another leader who lived in this area, but I heard you killed one of them.

"It seems that spider was also qualified to come here."

At Nirvana's words, I recalled Tigris.

Well, he had that much power and force, so even though he hadn't been here long, he could have claimed a seat.

If he had just stayed quiet and attacked in one go, he might have succeeded in attacking Orea.

Despite that power and position, he engaged in an all-out war with the Clever ant people and was killed in one go by Xue and Evangeline.

"Hmm. The other one died in a human war not long after this place was built."

"What kind of person was it?"

"He was strong enough to be one of us, but a bit... arrogant."

"He was a lizardman."

At Orea and Echidna's words, I momentarily looked at the lizardman chieftain standing next to her.

He, who had been politely looking down with half-closed eyes, raised his head for a moment, made eye contact with me, nodded in greeting, and then lowered his head again.

Echidna, who noticed my gaze, affirmed.

"Your thought is correct. He's the former lizardman chieftain. Because their power was halved by that incident, I took in the survivors."

"I see."

Standing on both sides of Echidna were a Lamia scribe like her and the lizardman chieftain. Hearing the background, I could understand why the lizardman had become her close aide.

It must have been Echidna's consideration to maintain the tribal status that the lizardmen had in the vicinity.

'He's a loyal talent, but not someone I should covet.'

I decided to give up on my desire for the lizardman himself.

In the first place, if I get Echidna, I can consider that he will come into my hands as well.

'It seems the others also have one or two such talents with them.'

Orea brought her sister and prime minister Etna, one ant general, and one of the two Arachne I had entrusted to her.

Kamaya only brought Serha in, but before entering here, she had sent three harpies to guard the surroundings.

Nirvana, the only one of the four queens who had difficulty moving freely, sent the Ent who had also come to me as an envoy, along with a small woman who looked like a fairy, and the red Alraune I had seen before.

Of course, Ran, Eve, and Xue were with me, and lastly, Fortuna was with us.

If I was going to make her the leader of the remaining spiders, I naturally had to make an impression on the other queens.

-Libertas's speed of movement is surprising.

"Is that so?"

The form of Nirvana talking to us now was a communication illusion projected by the fairy.

And now she was broadcasting an image of herself half-exposing her naked body while immersed in that swamp.

Wondering if this was a common sensibility for monsters, I looked around and saw that only the ant queen sisters were blushing.

It seems it wasn't completely common.

The rest were just bold or used to it.

-I don't know because I've never moved directly, but I heard it takes over 2 weeks just for travel time. But you called all of us here in less than a month.

"We are the weak ones in the human world. The weak must be diligent."

"I agree. In that sense, I would argue this about the purpose of this conference."

Kamaya, who nodded heavily in sympathy with my words, soon stood up and looked around at the other queens and spoke.

"We have been crouching until now, so once we start moving, we must move faster than anyone else in this world."

-Actually, weren't the harpies and myrmekians the only ones crouching? I've been interacting sufficiently with the human world.

"I find it hard to agree with that statement as well. We Lamias have also been diligently building up our strength."

Although the words seemed to express fierce opposition, the expressions of Nirvana and Echidna who spoke them showed only smiles, with no hostility visible.

Kamaya also responded gravely, without hostility.

"This is no time for wordplay. Queens of Alraune and Lamia. Our building of strength was merely meeting the conditions for survival along with seclusion. But now, we have before us the opportunity to stand proudly in the world."

Despite the strong words that could hurt their pride, Echidna and Nirvana showed no reaction.

Nirvana shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, but she didn't seem to be opposing Kamaya's words.

"If we are to show the strength we've built up to the outside, survive, and become free. I think you know that one condition is necessary."

"You mean the centerpiece of the alliance?"

"Exactly that."

After Kamaya nodded at Orea's words.

The queens' gazes all turned to me at once, and then they looked at each other again.

"It seems... no one is opposed."

-She showed her will, and showed strength to match it. There's no reason to oppose.

"She's cautious, cool-headed, and decisive. One could say she's fitting as a representative."

"Above all, she's a figure who has made us see hope."

After each of them said a word, they looked at me again.

And I responded to that as well.

"We shouldn't end with just shallow relationships like cooperation or alliance. Queens."

To demand even deeper.

Now that I have a firm goal, I had no intention of stopping what I had to do by being bound to them even a little.

If so, it would be troublesome to keep them in a simple cooperative relationship, as they were still accustomed to the position of 'recluses'.

If they tried to hide on their own, ignoring my requests when faced with a situation where it's somewhat difficult to use force, many things would go awry.

-Libertas?

"What do you mean by that?"

So.

"I'm saying that with an ordinary cooperative relationship, we'll have difficulty even surviving, let alone exerting our power."

I had to become their master.

I wanted to say, 'If I don't grab your leashes and wield them, won't you run wild when you go out into the world?', but that would be no different from picking a fight, so I held back.

"Are you saying we should come under you?"

"Hmm."

-...

"I don't know what you're thinking."

Echidna was somewhat displeased, Kamaya showed no reaction, Nirvana didn't seem to mind but didn't look particularly pleased either, and Orea's face showed quite clear opposition.

Although it was lighter or heavier in the order of their initial stance of supporting or opposing me, there was essentially no complete agreement.

"I'm not asking everyone to give an answer right away. Ran."

"Yes, my lady."

However, I had one way to change all this opposition into something positive.

At my signal, Ran approached and placed an object on the table.

An object shaped like an hourglass, but with mucus inside instead of sand.

"What's that?"

"It's a clock that measures a set time according to what's been set. It's an object made with Western Continent magic."

"I roughly understand. The question is why you showed this."

Facing the queens' faces full of questions, I smiled my usual gentle smile.

While tracing the wide plate on top of the hourglass with my fingertip.

"This clock is set for a maximum of two weeks. And before all this liquid drops. I will bring one achievement. Let's talk when you see that then."

-...I'm looking forward to it.

"Alright. Let's do that. Let's open the conference again in a week."

Now that a minimum cooperative relationship with the queens is guaranteed, and preparations have been made to spread my influence in all directions.

I was now thinking of pulling out the one stake that was deeply stuck in this area.

While it might be possible for the four who originally had friendships to deal with me if they gathered now, by then it would become completely impossible.

'When that happens.'

This area will completely fall into my hands.

* * *

"What do you think she plans to do?"

In the place Libertas left, Orea was the first to speak.

Among the four queens, Orea, the queen of the Myrmekians, had particularly strong wariness towards Libertas.

It's fortunate for both of them that it's not hostility.

'The Arachne King died without even putting up a proper fight. I don't know what method she used, but it's right to be cautious.'

The Arachne King was a strong being with power comparable to one of the queens.

Although Libertas was clearly showing a moderate stance unlike other Dungeon Lords so far, and there was also a situation where she had received a favor.

For Orea, she was still a strong being whose inner thoughts were unknown.

This thought was even stronger as she, unlike other queens, hadn't even had a proper conversation with Libertas.

"Well. Whatever it is, it seems clear that it's something we can hardly imagine right now."

Kamaya, the Harpy Queen who first conversed with Libertas and recognized her qualities, just smiled slightly with satisfaction while crossing her arms.

This was because Libertas had given her a little hint about what she was going to do from now on.

'Probably as a treatment for the first alliance, and at the same time, she needed a supporter to support her among these friends and block opposing opinions.'

Kamaya intended to perform that role entrusted to her silently well.

For Kamaya, she wanted Libertas to secure her position quickly without fighting as much as possible.

This was for two reasons.

One was that the more successful Libertas became, the greater the influence of her, the queen who recommended her, would become.

The other was because she believed that she was the person who would fulfill her wish.

'I want to break free from seclusion and be free.'

...Such a wish.

If she had to fight against the Dungeon Lord, she would probably take the side of the other queens who were longer companions...

But until then, she intended to support Libertas firmly.

For her own sake as well.

"As I said before, we can't stay trapped here forever. If this continues, won't our descendants also be stuck in this backwater forever?"

Therefore, she strongly expressed her thoughts based on such feelings, but it didn't receive much response.

-The backwater is only by human standards. Is this place really a backwater to me, where I can get everything I want and enjoy everything I can enjoy?

Although she held goodwill towards Libertas, Nirvana was a queen cool enough to separate personal emotions from work.

However, Kamaya didn't pay much attention to her opinion, which was close to opposition.

She knew that Libertas would definitely bring results, and if so, Nirvana would quickly reverse her hand and agree.

"Kamaya. I understand that this place is stuffy for you. But change always comes with risk. As one who leads a group, I can't help but worry about the safety of the group."

So Echidna's opinion, which needed to be focused on, was conservative.

As she had watched the downfall of the former lizardman chieftain from the side, she also had a greater desire for the safety of the group she led.

For such Echidna, an attack on humans could only be a signal of danger.

At the same time, Kamaya knew what the cause of that heart was.

"Don't you need revenge for his father, and their former chieftain? Echidna."

"That's..."

Feeling a flinching presence beside her, Echidna showed a troubled expression for a very brief moment before composing herself again.

There was no need to doubt the loyalty of the current lizardman chieftain.

But since the source of that loyalty ultimately started from the downfall of those lizardmen, there was also a duty as his queen to consider that heart.

"You've hit a blind spot. That's right, Kamaya. But that will only be after Libertas brings results."

"I know."

Echidna had no intention of avoiding it either, and Kamaya knew that well.

"But I believe. That she will show us something even more amazing than what she has shown us so far. When that time comes..."

"If she brings good results, this time I too will properly support her."

-I feel the same way.

The gazes of the three queens who had gathered opinions like this turned to Orea, who had not yet answered.

'I should have a conversation with her sometime... I don't know her properly. It's ambiguous to agree or disagree. Now I can only say to be cautious...'

"Sister."

"Huh? Ah."

She, who had been deeply lost in thought while holding her chin, came to her senses when Etna standing next to her poked her side and confirmed that the gazes of others had gathered.

Fortunately, as her sister was quite intelligent, she was able to catch the conversation that had just passed.

"Ahem. I agree as well. That the results she brings could be shocking."

"Then?"

"If all the other queens support her, I will naturally support her too. I've certainly seen that she has ability."

"Good."

Although Orea took a step back again, Kamaya decided to be satisfied with that.

While the Myrmekian Queen always maintained a safety-first stance, she was someone who would step forward more loyally than anyone else once the situation was decided.

"Well then, are there any other agenda items?"

-I have some imports from humans, I've sent one to each. I'll be there soon, so please check them.

"Thank you, Nirvana. And I have no other business."

"Thank you as always, Nirvana."

"If there's no other business, then this meeting is adjourned."

As this conference was not a regular one but to decide their stance on Libertas, the conference ended with that.

However, one curiosity remained common in the hearts of such queens.

The curiosity about what Libertas would show next.

It was exactly the level of reaction she wanted.

'I hope we can see each other again soon, Libertas.'

'Hehe. I wonder what she's going to show? I'm looking forward to it.'

'Ah... I forgot to talk about that massage.'

'I don't know. She's a mysterious being.'

It's just that there were 'likings' that she didn't know well included in it.