It’s Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

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– 1 –

“… Hmm. It was nice to voice it confidently, but this is something else.”

The Harpy Queen’s bold suggestion was immediately met with obstacles right from the start.

She proposed a ‘Meeting of the Five Queens’ at a secret meeting place they use via communication lines between queens, but two of the three other queens responded with immediate opposition.

“I’m sorry, but both of them are cowards.”

“No, as someone leading a group, being cautious about one’s own safety is another trait of a leader.”

“The new Dungeon Lord has quite a deep understanding.”

Although the Harpy Queen apologized for her boastful claims, it was not something that warranted an apology at all.

Just by informing me of the existence of the other three powers, she had already provided immense benefits.

The advantage of transforming potential unknown enemies into allies.

“I can’t say I don’t understand their position.”

Even if I were in the queens’ shoes, I wouldn’t want to allow ‘the unverified enemy leader’ to gain access to their secret conference room.

Placing a smile on their faces at the meeting and then possibly staging an ambush afterward? What a predicament.

So,

“It may be a hassle, but please pass on my suggestion. If they designate a location, I’ll visit. There shouldn’t be an issue with communication. If you already knew of my existence, then the other queens should also be aware of my dungeon’s location.”

“Indeed. I understand. If I can’t assist even with this, I’ll lose face.”

Fortunately, for my second proposal through the Harpy Queen, I received a positive response.

Not only that, but it seemed I also received a request to meet from another faction that was already positive about gathering at the conference room.

The identity of that faction was…

“Who are they?”

“Alraune. They inhabit the eastern marshlands based on your dungeon’s location.”

Luckily, this time, I was aware of their existence.

There was just one problem.

“So they have a queen as well. However…”

“Is there any problem?”

“The schedule might be a bit tight.”

The eastern marshlands where the Alraune reside.

That place was located a bit southeast of Solemio, right by a large riverbank.

In other words, a place that ordinarily takes four days to walk to as a human. Even if they come to meet halfway, it would still take two days to move.

Given that I need to depart within three days at least to attend the Count’s party, aligning the schedules becomes quite difficult.

“I guess I have to postpone the meeting with the others for now. I need to handle a fixed matter first.”

“Is that so? Then we have no choice. While you are absent from the dungeon, I will arrange the appointments from my side.”

For someone like me, who was completely an outsider, the importance of that appointment might be low, but since the Harpy Queen showed interest in our meeting, the other queens likely wouldn’t ignore me or easily become hostile either.

“It might be bothersome for you. Thank you, Queen.”

“Not at all. If I don’t do this, my pride as the leader of my group will suffer.”

“I’m even more grateful for that.”

So this was a significant help.

If I could repay her merely through words of thanks, it would be like owing her a tremendous debt from the heart.

And the fact that she was willing to forgive that debt made me even more thankful.

“Well then, I hope for an even better meeting next time. Queen of the Dungeon… no, Libertus.”

“I as well. Kamaya.”

That day, the Harpy Queen and I parted ways after exchanging courtesies.

Considering it a meeting I hadn’t expected, it ended quite pleasantly.

– 2 –

Having left the Harpy’s nest, I resumed my original purpose of checking the terrain around the dungeon, and I obtained some results.

For now, I organized the locations that would be tactically important and the distances between them properly.

In two ways.

“Honestly, it’s exactly as I thought. Not much to add or subtract.”

– Crack!

One is the magical distance.

Setting skeletons in each area, I measured how long it took for a magical signal of a certain strength to reach them, thereby confirming the efficiency of communication.

The second is the actual distance.

Checking the ground travel distance of the skeletons, which don’t tire like humans and move faster when healthy, against my flight to confirm the straight-line distance.

“With this, I can establish how to ambush and where to engage those coming in.”

At the very least, I aimed to make sure that ‘smooth supply’ near my dungeon would be out of the question. That was my immediate goal.

And for that, there were a few more things that needed improvement.

First, one thing that needs quick improvement.

“I didn’t expect all the other monsters would run away.”

Now, it seemed that the existence of a proper dungeon was known to the wild monsters, even if humans were unaware.

Because of this, the numbers of typical monster groups like Orcs and Goblins had significantly decreased near the dungeon.

At least within a range that could be confirmed in one or two days, there were no monster hordes at all, and I would have to venture further to really find them.

‘Kamaya and some strong groups seem to be staying around, though.’

It might be the case that, like Kamaya’s Harpy tribe, they have hidden themselves in ways that I’m not aware of, but I consider such cases outside the realm of possibility since I can’t find them anyway.

A few Ogre families remain, but with no other monsters nearby, they would likely relocate quickly due to the lack of food.

“I didn’t think I would have to worry about this… sigh.”

Naturally, just because the dungeon exists in one location doesn’t mean all the wild monsters would automatically bow their heads and enter.

Monsters that have already found ways to live in the wild have no reason to change their ways.

Because of this, they would likely form settlements away from the dungeon.

‘For a dungeon, it’s a problem that such wild monsters are not necessary at all.’

If I let things remain as they are, the location of the dungeon would naturally become known.

“‘There are strangely few wild monster groups in this area. There must be a dungeon here,’” they might think.

To create a ‘natural wild environment,’ I now find myself needing to reach out to some monster groups.

“There’s work to do, so it seems a bit much, but I’ll have to subjugate a few monster groups when I return. I’ll need to bring an army as well.”

Of course, the means to do so won’t be very gentle.

Most likely through force, at times killing, or occasionally using curses or mental manipulation.

– Clatter!

– Clop!

– Clank!

“Right. You guys will get to shine.”

From the shadows, I felt the sounds and emotions responding to my words from the Axes and the Comedians.

Their reactions were filled with a considerable amount of warlike emotions, it seems.

So a warrior is a warrior.

‘She was the same as well.’

Thinking of Kamaya made me ponder.

Since that initial meeting, after the reception was over, she had expressed a desire for something from me while patiently waiting.

“What did Kamaya want from me? Do you guys know?”

– …

The shadows fell abruptly silent.

Hmm. They wouldn’t know anyway. Before being clever or not, they wouldn’t have developed a mindset in that direction.

Perhaps that was a rather mean-spirited question.

Still, she seemed like a ‘warrior,’ and considering my children are also warriors, it’s reasonable to assume their mindset is similar.

‘A chance to fight.’

If I add ‘what one fights for’ to that notion, it might work. My soldiers are simply soldiers, but she is a leader.

‘If I think grandly…’

“The revival of the Harpies. Or something like that.”

For now, it was just a delusion, but I felt it was an intriguing guess.

Even if it’s not something grand, as long as the context is similar, her desires would surely become a great opportunity for me.

Of course, that is if my guess is correct.

‘By the way.’

Shifting back from my thoughts about Kamaya, I recalled the direction of improvement for the dungeon. This was the cabin I had used to care for Sonia, and it reminded me of the dungeon’s improvement direction I had been contemplating.

‘It’s tiring to have to consider parts that weren’t an issue when it was a game.’

For a dungeon to grow, it needs adventurers to devour.

Especially if using summons like necromancers that directly utilize human bodies, it’s even more essential to secure top-quality summons.

However, the way to make them willingly come to my dungeon, given that my dungeon’s location is right in the middle of humanity’s territory, poses risks even with considerable growth.

My dungeon improvement idea stemmed from this realization.

“It’s still uncertain if this will work…”

‘When thinking about it, there’s no need for the entrance to necessarily be by a mountain.’

Setting up ‘traps that activate teleportation into the dungeon when certain conditions are met’ across various human-inhabited areas like this cabin.

This idea brings about both pros and cons.

The advantage is that it would become easier to control information about my dungeon, while the disadvantage is the unpredictability of the materials and time required to implement this method.

I’d have to make the dungeon’s interior familiar to humans at the moment they’re teleported in, so they don’t realize ‘the place suddenly changed.’

‘Even considering those shortcomings, this is the benefit that I urgently need.’

Even now, the Cerebrum Skulls I’ve summoned are efficiently ‘misplacing’ adventurers all over the place, but I can’t control rumors indefinitely like this.

Currently, I also invest manpower in creating individuals who’ve heard rumors but still don’t come to the dungeon.

It’s also impossible to hide the very existence of the Cerebrum Skulls, who are actively causing disappearances.

However, creating a ‘place where people disappear’ only needs money and a little bit of rumor manipulation; it doesn’t require further investment to control its risk.

‘After all, if rumors about that place get too severe, I can just shut down the trap temporarily.’

It wouldn’t even be a disadvantage since controlling the levels of adventurers coming to the dungeon is challenging.

That’s the case already.

‘As long as I place restrictions so that a party of adventurers above a certain level can’t enter.’

That might ensure safety during entry, but that’s not a fundamental solution.

Having only adventurers below a certain level entering would also be problematic.

‘In fact, there are times when I should welcome such dangers.’

The dungeon grows larger the stronger the adventurers who come.

In that perspective, it might actually be better to refrain from controlling those dangers.

After all, right now there aren’t many elite adventurers in the mainland, so in this situation, elite adventurers would be more inclined to take higher-paying requests than simple investigations about a ‘place where people disappear.’

“Thinking about it takes me deeper.”

“What do you mean?”

“Nothing much. More importantly, are the preparations finished? Everyone.”

As I thought of asking Scarlett to estimate the cost for the dungeon renovations, I returned to the dungeon just as preparations for my second outing towards Copgerin were wrapping up.

This outing’s purpose was to release Alexis Julka into society, giving him time to build his reputation while also searching for clues about the dungeon core thief.

And in order to do that, attending one of the parties was essential.

‘A noble party in a fantasy world.’

Recalling that phrase suddenly made my heart race a bit more than expected.

‘I’m looking forward to it.’

Curiosity about an upper-class culture that’s difficult to encounter on Earth. Anticipation to see the real fantasy world’s nobility.

Both were pumping my heart.

‘It feels a bit childish, but…’

I decided to just let that feeling flow as it did.

It didn’t seem like a bad thought after all.

– 3 –

“What do you think?”

“What about Mother?”

After Libertus left the Harpy’s nest.

Kamaya, who had been drinking the fruit wine left as a gift, suddenly opened her mouth to ask, while her daughter Serha, lying in the bedroom, raised her body to reply.

As if it were a naturally expected conversation.

“I believe… she is fully capable of aiming for the ‘Demon Lord’ title.”

“I think so too.”

After a moment of contemplation, Kamaya expressed her opinion, and Serha nodded without hesitation.

“Really?”

“Yes. It’s quite rare for a young Dungeon Lord to display such calmness and prudence. If we assist her while her power is still growing, she will never forget this support.”

In the girl’s eyes, a sharpness was evident—something she had never shown to Libertus before.

It was a quality of a strategist that anyone could recognize.

“Since the queen and the heir agree, all that’s left is to give it our all.”

“Then we won’t be living as wild monsters anymore.”

“It’s been a long, nameless existence. And this is something worth walking for.”

After having a hearty drink of fruit wine, Kamaya placed the bottle down; there was a flame dancing in her eyes.

A long and arduous life of seclusion was simply unsuitable for a harpy who could soar the skies. Most likely, that was true for most intelligent races as well.

‘Having been born and equipped with intelligence for 50 years… it’s indeed been a long wait.’

She didn’t want anything grand. Just the kind of environment where she wouldn’t have to live hidden anymore.

Freedom, or perhaps fame.

Kamaya’s nature compelled her to live clenching either one, but until now, she had been unable to establish the right conditions to assert that will.

However, now, she discovered a seed to create that environment from a small-bodied Dungeon Lord.

“Then we must stylishly tackle the first challenge.”

“Will you do it?”

“If you move yourself, it won’t reflect well on you as a queen, will it?”

“Are you saying you just want to move and shape the situation?”

In response to her mother’s question, the daughter grinned and stuck out her tongue.

“Of course! How delightful it is for everyone to move according to my thoughts.”

“Be careful not to become too proud.”

“Yes!”

On the outside, she looked incredibly gentle. Yet, in those large eyes, a flame similar to her mother’s flickered.

An ambition that couldn’t be hidden.