Chapter 2 — Keima’s Perspective

“Town Chief. Count Lodol has challenged you to a duel,” Wozma announced while I was lazily signing documents in my office.

“Uh, what?” Why would he do that? I know at the start he was kinda viewing us as an enemy or something along those lines, but it really felt like things have been going well between us lately.

“It seems his goal is to apologize for scorning you while you were absent from the town, thereby disgracing your name as a Dragon-conquering legend. By holding a duel he hopes to show everyone your true power and remove all doubt as to your legitimacy. To this end, he will build an arena in Dragg with witnesses, and he would like for you to visit the town tomorrow at noon.”

“...Uh, in other words?”

“He is challenging you to a duel despite claiming to apologize. He has set the date and gathered the witnesses himself. This is clearly not an apology, but a direct challenge. Do not hold back, Keima. Destroy him with everything you have.”

Wait, wait, wait, wait. Why do I gotta duel him?

“Is not going an option for me?”

“Considering that it is beyond rude to schedule a duel one day after the challenge, refusing to go would be within reason, but I can already see them framing it as you fleeing from them like a coward.”

“I see... Could I have someone fight in my place?”

“You could, but as they have specified you in particular, well... Oh, though I suppose the challenge is issued to ‘the Dragon-conquering legend’ without any name in particular, so you could send someone else who has defeated a Dragon,” Wozma said with the devious smile of someone who just thought of an evil plot.

“Nice. I think I know what you mean by that.”

“The honorable Kuro would be perfect for this job, I believe. They might claim she is not a Dragon-conquering legend, but in that case you need only reveal her identity.”

“Perfect. Good job, Wozma.”

So yeah, when tomorrow came I had Niku Kuroinu serve as my representative Dragon conqueror. I went on over to Dragg, with Niku disguised as Masked Maid #2. This time we had people waiting for us as soon as we left the tunnel.

“So you have come, Keima Goren!”

“Yep. I got the letter, so here I am.”

There stood Count Lodol, not looking at all like someone about to apologize. Beside him was a man in full plate armor, with a well-dressed child standing not far behind him. There were also a number of villagers and travelers gathering nearby.

“Listen well, everyone! I am Count Ringen Lodol! I hereby declare that I challenge Keima Goren to a duel! Our gamble will be our honor! I say that now is the time for him to show us the power of a Dragon-conquering legend!” Count Lodol declared, in a needlessly loud voice. “Our witnesses shall be all of you gathered here today, as well as Lord Cid Pavella, the heir apparent of the Pavella house!”

Apparently, the kid was the heir of Pavella’s archduke. He looked about as old as Niku. Yeah.

“Now then! Do you accept, Keima Goren? Or will you turn tail and run? Bwahaha! If you wish to run, now is your only opportunity! BWAAAHAHAHA!”

“If I was gonna run, I wouldn’t have come all this way. Is it safe to assume you’re going to be the one fighting, Count Lodol?”

“Bwahah—Nguh?!” Count Lodol’s weird laughed morphed into painful choking. “I-I would never do something as crude as fight! Can you not tell from looking that I am having a representative fight for me?! This duel will be performed by Duston, the greatest knight of the Lodol house!” he declared, and the full-armored knight beside him took a step forward.

I glanced at the map and saw that Duston was earning us... 290/DP. Not bad, seems like he’s pretty strong. Ichika would probably lose to him. That said...

“Think you can beat him?”

“He seems weaker than Whatever the Hero, so I will be fine,” Niku said with a confident nod, her face hidden by the stone mask. Uh... I appreciate the confidence, but maybe don’t call Heroes “whatever”? I feel like that’s bad karma.

Anyway, Niku took a step forward in my place.

“Hrm? What are you planning here, Keima Goren?”

“Oh, well. I figured I’d fight personally if you stepped up to the plate, Count Lodol, but if you sent out a representative, I would too. It’s more fair if we both use representatives, right?”

“Hrmmm...?” Count Lodol looked Niku over from head to toe. “In other words, if this beastkin slave girl loses, it will count as your loss? And you are fine with this? Hm?”

“Yep. Totally fine,” I said, and Count Lodol instantly grinned. Well, I can imagine what he’s thinking. Niku definitely does look like a normal dog loli. It’d be hard not to think she’s a weak little child.

“Very well! I accept your representative! Know that her loss will be, in effect, your loss!”

Thus, the duel was established. Cid Pavella, the witness, looked a bit unhappy. If I had to put it into words, his dissatisfied expression was saying, “This is clearly bullying the weak, is it not?” He came here thinking he’d see a Dragon-conquering legend, only for a masked maid loli to come out instead. Understandable. As for Duston... Well, it was hard to tell since his mask covered his face, but his confident gait conveyed that he thought an easy job had just gotten easier.

“Lord Cid, may I ask you to kickstart the duel?” Count Lodol said, and at his encouragement Cid Pavella reluctantly nodded.

“Very well... BEGIN!” he yelled, and thus began the duel.

“Duston! Finish her off quickly! But do not kill her.”

“Masked Maid #2, finish him off quickly. Don’t accidentally kill him.”

Both fighters nodded, then moved to face each other in the center of the road. That was getting in the way of the traffic, but since Count Lodol was permitting this there was no problem with it whatsoever.

First, Niku stepped forward without drawing her weapon, instead holding out her hand—a clear request for a handshake. Duston saw that and, thinking nothing of it, shook her hand. But it was more of a trap than anything. The masked maid squeezed his hand in hers, then with raw strength threw him over her back and slammed him against the ground.

The crowd gasped. A small child had thrown a large adult man, in full armor no less, using just a single hand. It was so hard to believe that nobody could bring themselves to say anything.

But while everyone froze in shock, Duston included, the masked maid pulled his arm again and slammed him into the ground on the other side of her. Again. And then again.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

The sound was a bit more metallic and clanky since he was in a full set of armor, but he was being slammed against the ground like a bag of fruit being slammed against a table. Like a fish being hit on the floor of a ship to knock it out. Like a famed musician swinging a leek. The masked maid lifted her arm high in the air, and Duston in all his armor flew upwards before she slammed him down on the opposite side of her. Sometimes she slammed him sideways too.

Bang. Bang. Smash. Bang. Boom. Bang.

It was honestly quite the sight to see a tiny loli body in the center of a metal storm, the flashing gray of a giant metal suit being flung all over the place.

Y’know... It’s at this moment that I realize the ground is the most powerful blunt weapon of them all. I went ahead and put orichalcum in Niku’s Golem supports, but to think she’d be able to use the ground as a weapon so effectively. I’d expect nothing less from Goren’s strongest puppy. Oh, there goes his helmet, flying off into the distance. And his sword. Uh... I think his eyes are rolling to the back of his head. Guess that’s what happens when you pound someone’s head into the ground like a hundred times.

“Maid #2, that should be enough. Pretty sure he’s about to die.”

“I believe he will survive this comfortably, but understood.”

Niku threw Duston to the side, and due to being unconscious, he rolled across the ground like a doll before eventually stopping. He didn’t move after that. He is alive, right...? He must be, since he didn’t turn into DP. And why was Niku so confident he’d survive? Is she used to smashing people into the ground until all their armor flies off? Dang, this loli has a lot of experience smashing armored dudes into the ground.

“...Wh-What in the world was that?!” Count Lodol demanded, looking at me with shock.

“Uhhhh. Us winning, I guess?”

“You? Ah, wait, WHAT?! No, this cannot be! This is impossible! It’s not happening!” he shouted, but Duston was right there for everyone to see, out cold with his eyes rolled back. He was covered in lumps and bruises from being smashed into the ground.

Cid the witness rushed over and put a hand to his neck. “...He has a pulse, but he is completely unconscious.”

That’s good. I would’ve felt kinda awkward if he just up and died there.

“This does not count! Surprise attacks go against everything a holy duel stands for! She is a coward and a cheater!”

“The heck are you talking about? Lord Cid announced the duel’s start.”

“And what even is that child?! A female dwarf? I see, you tricked us into letting our guards down by giving her beast ears and a mask! It doesn’t count! It doesn’t, not in the least! I will not accept such an unfair representative fighter!”

“Can’t really back out now that the duel’s over. You recognized her right before the start. Am I right?” I said, looking toward Cid Pavella.

“He is right. You accepted her as his representative, Count Lodol. And thus the duel was fair! The winner is Keima Goren!”

It seemed that the kid was a pretty trustworthy witness, and he announced our victory honestly.

“Y-Y-You fraudsteeer! Gaaah...” Count Lodol groaned before suddenly falling backwards, unconscious. So pissed you knocked yourself out, huh? Not gonna lie, I know how you feel. Even I would want to call bullshit if I saw a loli like Niku beating the crap out of a fully armored adult male.

The unconscious Count Lodol was carried away by his steward and the guard I saw before. Uhhh, you’re forgetting Duston, guys.

“Hrm... I suppose I should cast some Restoration Magic on him. O Light, mend these flesh wounds... {Light Heal},” chanted Cid Pavella, having also been left behind. As expected of an heir apparent, he had already been trained in Restoration Magic. Maybe that was one requirement for being a witness for a duel.

Anyway, I’m not exactly sure what I should do now. Guess I’ll talk to Cid?

“Erm, excuse me. Lord Cid Pavella?”

“You may address me as Cid, Sir Goren. As I have no title yet, I am no Lord, and you do not need to treat me as one.”

“...Alright, Cid. Feel free to call me Keima. I’m still not too used to having Goren as a last name.”

“That will do just fine, Sir Keima. I believe I would like to be on good terms with you,” he said, and we shook hands while trying to get a feel for how close we should act with each other. Don’t worry, I won’t slam you against the ground.

“Aaah, how shall I put this... Ahem. The fight truly was stunning. All who saw it are at a loss for words,” Cid said, looking at the still-shocked crowd nearby.

“Uhhh, yep, and now it’s over. Can we just go home now?”

“I would rather like to talk a bit first... For example, is the girl who fought for you a famous warrior? Er, I hope she is, but...”

Hm. I guess it’s hard for the son of Pavella’s Archduke to accept that a knight serving his nobles got dominated by a plain ol’ loli in a mask. Well, I guess a loli smashing a fully armored knight against the ground is out of ordinary to begin with. This Cid kid seems like a nice guy, so I’ll be nice and tell him the truth. That should buy us some clout with him.

“Hey, don’t sweat it. That’s one of my party members, Niku Kuroinu. She was there when we took down the Dragon. She’s our best fighter, actually.”

Upon hearing that, Cid’s eyes gleamed. He looked like a kid beholding a legend... or, well, I guess he is a kid. And he is beholding a legend.

“...So she is the legendary Ebony Guard Dog, Niku Kuroinu?!” Cid exclaimed, and a stir ran through the crowd.

“Yes. I am the Ebony Guard Dog—Niku Kuroinu,” Niku said, dramatically removing her stone mask to reveal her face. And while she was in fact expressionless, her tail was wagging in satisfaction. Beastkin had a culture of giving names that held meaning, and they instinctively sought to live a life that would bring it honor. Thus, as a beastkin Niku seemed to really love the wonderful nickname she had been given, which meant “black dog” just like “kuroinu” did in Japanese.

...Wait. It just hit me that the stone mask doesn’t change much when Niku’s expression never changes anyway.

“Wh-Why are you dressed like that?”

“Because I am Masked Maid #2.”

“I-I see... May I address you as Dame Kuroinu?”

Niku glanced my way. Yep, that tail wagging means she wants to be praised as the Ebony Guard Dog even more. That’s fine with me. I’d like for her to forget the “niku” part of her name, or at least be fine with it meaning a frontline warrior. Please and thank you.

“Sure, whatever works.”

“So decrees Master. Feel free.”

Cid, having been given indirect and direct permission, nodded. “I thank you. Listen, everyone! This maid is the Ebony Guard Dog and the defeater of Dragons, Dame Ni... Dame Kuroinu! Her fighting prowess earns that title a thousand times over! Now, praise the victor for her success!”

Cid really hyped Niku up. The uncomfortable, frozen crowd bought into it, and they all let out excited cheers. I got the feeling more than a few of them were relieved that it took a Dragon-defeating legend to take down a knight protecting the duchy.

And thus, we all went our separate ways... Or so I’d hoped. Instead, Cid summoned his guards from nearby to carry Duston to the nearby Dragon Footprint Inn. He then took us to the chief residence in Dragg, that being Count Lodol’s estate.

The count was still unconscious, and so we just up and used the parlor without his permission. I wasn’t sure if that was a great idea, but given that Cid was the heir apparent of Pavella, I decided it would be best not to protest. The steward was sticking with us anyway, as a resident of the estate.

“Now then. Sir Keima, I truly disrespected you back there. My apologies,” Cid said with a bow of his head.

...Wait, hold it, hold it. Should a noble kid, and an heir apparent at that, really be bowing his head to some random town chief?

“Uh, Cid. Not really sure what to do here, so I’ll just say you don’t need to do that. I’m not even sure what you’re apologizing for.”

“Hm, I see. Then if you’ll excuse me,” Cid said before lifting his head. “There are two things I would like to apologize for. One is my fault—the rudeness of the duel.”

Oh yeah, Wozma said something about a duel ordering you to come over the next day being impolite.

“As the witness, I should not have allowed such a crude duel to happen.”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. I like getting pains in the neck out of the way fast and going back to sleep. Am I right?”

“Truly you are as compassionate as one would expect the pope of Beddhism to be...” Cid murmured with an impressed nod. “As for the other thing... This is about Count Lodol. It seems that he has been plotting to take over your town.”

“Well now. Is that so...” Hm... But I don’t really remember him doing anything to me. Right? Right. Nothing’s coming to mind. I mean, he did build an inn to compete with ours, but I actually asked him to do that. “Can’t say that really clicks for me, but don’t worry about apologizing for that either. Not like he did anything to us.”

“I-Indeed?”

“Well, basically. I just want our towns to stay on good terms. He built such a nice church and everything, so I’ve got no complaints.”

“I see... If that is how you feel, then I will continue to entrust Dragg to Count Lodol for now. Though naturally, I will keep an eye on him and put a stop to any foolish plots of his.”

Okay. But feel free to build more inns and take more work away from me, alright? I thought, and that was when I noticed Cid glancing Niku’s way.

“By the way, Cid. Did you look into our Dragon hunting at all?”

“Ah! Th-The truth is, yes, I did. After all, this is a Dragon we’re talking about. Of course I would be interested as a man of Pavella! In the distant past Tsia Mountain was once called Pavella Mountain, and even further in the past there were legends of the Red Dragon that protected this land! The Dragon is the subject of lullabies and tales all across Pavella! Its strength and awe-inspiring might is known by all! And in this age living legends were born that defeated this Dragon, and even made it serve them! Who would not be excited?!” Cid exclaimed, jumping from his seat and talking rapidly. “And that is why I agreed to witness the duel, so that I might see your true power. Still, I didn’t think this woman would be the Ebony Guard Dog herself. After all, given her name, I thought... Given her name, I, er... I-I knew there were deep circumstances! You can guess what I am thinking!”

Oooh, Cid knows the sexy version of “niku.” Peeerveert. His face is bright reeed. And that explains why he stumbled when naming Niku back there.

“Not to mention, there exists a man with the same name. He is betrothed to Maiodore Tsia, daughter of Tsia’s archduke. I thought he was the true Ebony Guard Dog, but to think she was indeed such a beautiful, ahem, such a cute, erm, such a pretty, no, um, to think she was such an alluring woman! I had no idea...!”

Uh, that’s actually the same person, I thought, but didn’t know if I should dump that info on Cid. I had actually kinda forgotten that Niku was betrothed to Maiodore on paper. And now that I thought about it, Bonodore had mentioned doing so to cancel an engagement in Pavella. I guess Cid used to be engaged to Maiodore, then.

This is probably stuff he’s better off not knowing. I’ll just let him keep his misunderstanding for now, then talk to Maiodore about this later.

“F-Forgive me. This sounds entirely like I am courting for Lady Kuroinu’s affections...” Cid murmured, his cheeks bright red. Uh oh. Did he fall in love with Niku? Damn, my girl sure is popular.

“Hey, any guy would find his heart beating fast around a Dragon-conquering legend, especially after seeing her fight up close.”

“I-Indeed, that’s right! There is nothing profound to this at all! The political resistance to me marrying an Avian girl was bad enough. I can only imagine how much pushback there would be to my marrying a dog beastkin slave such as Lady Kuroinu! Aaah, but as a Dragon-slaying legend, perhaps I could use her fame to crush such resistance...”

“Oh, look at the time!” I exclaimed. “Looks like we’ve gotta be heading back to Goren soon! Man, this happened so suddenly I had to leave pressing work undone. Definitely gotta get back soon.”

“Hrm, I see... A shame, and I would have liked to continue our talk.”

But no. Cid was starting to seriously think about marrying Niku, so I decided to cut the conversation short and hurry home. Considering how the duel was on such short notice, he wouldn’t be able to stop us if I said we had pressing business back home. Not that we actually do!

“Lady Kuroinu. In the future I would like to visit your town as well. Would you mind giving me a tour of Goren when I arrive?”

“...If Master permits,” Niku said, glancing my way. Cid stopped giving Niku a passionate look and shifted to giving me a pleading look.

“...If we have the time,” I replied, getting the feeling that if I didn’t grant permission here I would get caught in a “But thou must” loops until I caved. And with that done, we fled Dragg.

# Count Lodol’s Perspective

“H-Hrmmm... Ah! I recognize this ceiling! So I was asleep all along... Thank goodness that was a dream.”

“...Milord? Milord! Finally, you’re awake!”

Count Lodol woke up to find a familiar ceiling and his trusty steward by his side.

“Hm? Ooh, yes, today is the day we deal the final blow to that fraudster. I must prepare... Guh.” Count Lodol got out of bed, but found himself wavering on his feet. The steward speedily moved to support him. “Goodness gracious, what an awful dream that was. I dreamt that my greatest knight, Sir Duston, was pounded against the ground by that strange masked maid. That... That was a dream, yes?”

“Unfortunately milord, that was not a dream at all. It truly happened...”

“This cannot be...” Count Lodol’s strength drained, and he stumbled. But still, he couldn’t believe it. He just could not process that Duston had truly been trounced in battle, like a fish being knocked out by a fisherwoman.

“So you’ve awoken, Count Lodol,” came Cid Pavella’s voice. Apparently he was also in the room. Count Lodol had missed him because he was so sma—ahem, because he was standing behind the steward.

“Wh-Why hello, Lord Cid. It is a pleasure to see you.”

“Indeed. I will not charge you for the Restoration Magic,” he replied. Apparently, the two of them hadn’t been in the room by coincidence, but rather had been administering Restoration Magic under the steward’s watch. “Now then, Count, we have business to discuss.”

“...And what might that business be?”

“I have decided to live in Dragg for now, to ensure that you show no disrespect to Sir Keima Goren, the living legend.”

“Come again?! Ngh, grrr... L-Lord Cid, you are being deceived!” Count Lodol exclaimed. Having no idea what else to say, all he could do was continue to treat Keima like a liar. But Cid just looked at him with exasperation.

“If Sir Keima had not forgiven you, I was considering confiscating your land. You would do well to thank him.”

“But why?!”

“If you truly do not understand, there is no hope for you. Keima Goren is a true man of legend. There is no doubt that may be cast on that.”

“Impossible! That man could never be a legend...! Ah, I see! The only impressive one we saw was that slave girl! The man himself is naught but a fraudster!”

“Even if that were so, Emperor Lionel celebrated his accomplishments and granted him a noble title. Will you cast doubt upon the emperor’s decision?”

Not believing in Keima would, in other words, be not believing the emperor himself. Cid spoke to drive that point home to Count Lodol. However...

“I am a noble serving the royal Pavella king. Thus, there is no need for me to obey the emperor, and no need for me to accept a fraudulent legend,” Count Lodol spat out, twisting logic to his benefit.

One must understand that Pavella was once an independent kingdom. It became a duchy only after the Laverio Empire invaded and conquered it. The same was true for Tsia, and the royal families of both kingdoms switched to serving the empire, alongside their noble vassals.

However, that happened over a hundred years ago. That Count Lodol would bring up such ancient history to avoid accepting Keima was beyond exhausting.

Cid sighed. “The last Pavella king existed before I, my parents, and even you were born. What in the world are you even saying...?”

Still, it wasn’t unheard of for people to dredge up that ancient history to serve their needs, and Cid’s father had taught him a technique to use to deal with such people.

“In that case, know that I am the descendant of the last king, and that I accept Sir Keima as a true legend. If you say that I am being deceived, you are saying that the Pavella royal family itself are all fools. Are you prepared to die over this, Count Lodol?” Cid asked. There was no arguing with that. Count Lodol pushing his point would be disrespecting the Pavella royal family, and since they had their roots in pirates that conquered the coast, they traditionally dealt with disrespect by executing the offending party.

“...Your wish is my command,” Count Lodol forced out, bowing his head. He had no other choice.

# Keima’s Perspective

The duel was finally over. I called Maiodore over to my chief residence to talk about how I should explain Niku to Cid. While she was there, I could also ask whether she and Niku were still betrothed.

“You may count on me. I shall rub in his face how close Lady K—ahem, how close Kuro and I truly are!” Maiodore declared. And so, I decided to let Maiodore take care of things when Cid came over to visit Goren.

“Putting that aside, there is something we must discuss, Keima,” she continued.

“Yeah? What’s up?”

...Sadly for me, it was less that she wanted to discuss something and more that she wanted to loudly, thoroughly complain that I didn’t contact her as soon we got back. She came to Goren when Gozou and the others dropped by Tsia, but upon arriving here she realized she could have reunited with Niku much earlier, and boy did she really make me understand how mad she was about that. I mean... Fair?

“I am not made of free time! I am busy with my own studies and directing the tutors sent by the Dyne Company in the orphanage! And that is why! The time I spend with Kuro is very, very, very, VERY! PRECIOUS! TO ME!”

“Uhhh... Right.”

“ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING TO ME?!”

Ouch. Ever had a loli shriek into your ear? Let me tell you: It hurts real bad.

Anyway, it was only later after she left that I realized I forgot to ask her how I should explain everything to Cid, but, well, I could probably count on Maiodore to sort all that out. The less I had to get involved with that mess, the better.

And thus, several days later, Cid came to Goren as he had announced ahead of time. He was wearing normal townsperson clothes, but his hair and whatnot were so clean that anyone could tell he was a noble. His guard looked like a normal adventurer, at least, so they didn’t draw any suspicion.

“Hello there, Lady Kuroinu, Sir Keima. I’ve come to visit.”

“...Sure. Thanks for coming,” I said, welcoming Cid into the parlor of my chief residence. I went ahead and had Niku go get Maiodore.

“...Y’know, it just hit me that neither you nor Count Lodol speak in a Pavella Accent. I’ve got a lot of people from Pavella in my town, and I kinda thought they all talked like that.”

“Ah, yes. I follow the ways of the central empire. Although it’s known as the Pavella accent, nobles do not have it, and in our region it is known as the dialect of commoners.”

“Makes sense,” I replied. Apparently, his guards spoke thick with Pavellan accents to pass as proper adventurers.

It wasn’t long before Niku came back with Maiodore.

“It is a pleasure to see you again, Lord Cidolfus Pavella,” Maiodore said while giving a curtsy. Huh, guess Cid is just a nickname.

“Greetings. Nice to see you as well, Mai... Ahem, Lady Maiodore. Feel free to call me Cid. My full name is tedious to say, I know.”

“Oh, no no, I could never address a man I’m not even betrothed to so casually. Surely you understand that, Lord Cidolfus.”

“Yes, but we are also childhood friends... It saddens me to hear you say that.”

“Hmmm. Well, Lady Kuro... ahem, Kuro. What do you think? Should I address a man I’m not betrothed to so casually? Would you consider that shameless?” Maiodore asked, looking at Niku.

“...I think shorter names are more convenient.”

“At Kuro’s insistence, I will deign to shorten your name, Lord Cid. And as we are in fact childhood friends, you may call me Mai as well. But I am betrothed to someone else, so take care not to address me without a title.”

“Very well, Lady Mai.”

That conversation felt kind of above me, but it sounded like they had settled things on their own. Perfect.

“Well,” I interjected, “I remember you wanted someone to guide you around town, Lord Cid. And I think I have the perfect person for the job. Would you take care of him for me, Lady Mai?”

“Yes, you may count on me. Shall we go, Kuro? And you as well, Lord Cid.”

“Y-Yes, of course! Thank you for coming with us, Lady Kuroinu.”

“Okay. Goodbye for now, Master.” Niku gave me a small bow, then left with Maiodore to guide Cid around town.

...I should go ahead and make some hamburgers to give her later.

# Maiodore’s Perspective

At Keima’s request, Maiodore was guiding Cid around Goren. Their engagement had only been considered when the tunnel through Tsia Mountain formed, and their families were close enough that it would be difficult for either to reject the proposition without a good reason for it. But the Holy Kingdom was close to Pavella, and due to its influence the coastal duchy had a populace somewhat prejudicial toward beastkin, which made Bonodore the archduke of Tsia hesitant to send his Avian daughter over to be wed.

That said, Maiodore knew that Cid himself wasn’t prejudiced against beastkin in the least. They had played together at the imperial capital as kids before. She had no problem guiding him through town. In fact, it was like she was going on a walk with a neighboring kid.

“Now then, Lord Cid. I shall give you a tour of Goren. Please follow me.”

“Indeed. Thank you, Lady Mai.”

Maiodore took the lead, holding hands with Niku and guiding Cid. Incidentally, she was wrapping her fingers around Niku’s as they held hands, turning it into what was commonly known as the “Lover’s Handshake”—a hard to miss signal that they were close. Maiodore’s plan was to shove their close relationship into Cid’s face as soon as possible, and her success was so assured that Maiodore laughed to herself in confidence. After all, she had gotten straight to work showing how casually she called Lady Kuroinu just “Kuro.” Her plan started off with a powerful two-hit combo.

“L-Lady Kuroinu. I see you aren’t wearing your clothes from before.”

“Correct. That’s the inn’s uniform.”

“Oh, I see. Hm. It looked very good on you.”

Nonetheless, Cid was talking with Niku casually. Or, well, maybe his cheeks were a bit too red to call it “casually.”

“So, Lady Kuroinu, where will you be guiding me first?”

“...Where are we going, Mai?”

“Let me see... Where would you like to go, Lord Cid?”

None of them had thought that far ahead, however, so their questions looped in a circle. Cid fell into thought.

“I would like to see the shops first, I believe. I have heard much of the Goren Beet stands.”

“Not Goren Beets, Golem Beets. And might I say that I much prefer the Dragon Beets to them,” Maiodore said, correcting Cid’s mistake. However...

“Hm? I have heard that they were called Goren Beets as a fusion of Golems and Goren. Have you not heard of them?”

“...No, I haven’t.”

“This is the first time I’m hearing that name,” Niku added.

Neither she nor Maiodore had heard it before, but the merchants Cid had talked to had definitely spoken of Goren Beets.

“That is surprising. To think that they weren’t called Goren Beets despite being founded in Goren...”

“Sometimes mistakes are made,” Maiodore observed.

“Speaking of which, I’ve heard some people say they so rarely mention the town’s name that they forget it’s Goren entirely,” Niku added.

“Now that’s ridiculous!” both Maiodore and Cid said at the same time. Niku was, of course, referring to Keima. Though he was trying to use the name more and remember it now that there was a neighboring town.

In any case, the group went to Dyne’s store at Cid’s request.

“This is the Dyne Company. It’s the biggest store in Goren, and you can buy almost anything here,” Maiodore explained.

“Fascinating. I see there are not just daily necessities, but products aimed at adventurers as well,” Cid said while picking up a potion and holding it up to the sun to shine light through it. “The color is consistent without a speck of impurity. I see they deal in high-quality goods here.”

“Is that how it looks to you?”

“Yes. There are some exceptions, but in general the quality of a potion is reflected in the depth of its color. A solid color such as this will perform quality healing... That said, I suppose I don’t need to explain something like this to an adventurer of your caliber, Lady Kuroinu.”

“Oh, no. This is my first time hearing that. I’ve never used a potion before.”

“What? Truly?”

It was hard to believe that a frontline fighter like Niku could have survived without using potions. For a normal adventurer that would just mean not healing the wounds they received in battle, but Niku’s body seemed free of any marks that could be considered scars or wounds.

“When I get hurt, Master casts {Healing} for me.”

“I see. I forgot that Keima was a priest as well.”

“Right. He used it the other day when a wooden sword gave me a splinter.”

Cid considered that a little overprotective. Although she was a member of the party of legends that defeated a Dragon, Niku Kuroinu was still a slave. Or really, considering she was powerful enough to join such a party, it was unthinkable for someone to go out of their way and cast Restoration Magic on her over such a minor wound.

But Cid’s thoughts were interrupted by Maiodore beckoning him over and whispering into his ear. “Kuro is, in truth, Keima’s child.”

“Ah...!”

It all came together at once. They both had black hair and dark eye colors, after all. If her mother were a dark-skinned beastkin everything would click into place. Keima seemed a bit young to have such an older daughter, but it wasn’t rare for appearances to be deceiving.

“I-In that case, why does Lady Kuroinu have a slave collar?”

“Nobody knows. But even her name was given to her by Keima. There must be profound circumstances at work... Take care to tell no one of this, understand?” Maiodore said, and Cid nodded.

Next they went to a Golem Beet stand, or rather a Goren Beet stand.

“One dradragolgol, please.”

“You got it, miss! One dradragolgol coming right up!”

Maiodore smoothly ordered and paid for her food, having much experience doing so. A dradragolgol was slang for a set of two Dragon Beets and two Golem Beets.

“Lady Mai, I could pay for this.”

“No need. I shall treat you today. It may not look like it, but I am earning my own money.”

“Oh? Has the Tsia family started a business?”

“We have, but I am referring to the fact that Kuro and I work as adventurers together,” Maiodore replied, causing Cid to look at Niku. “That said... We are only doing quests that earn a minor amount of money.”

“I see. Still, it is impressive and admirable that you would work for your own money from such a young age. I imagine you’ll be safe with Lady Kuroinu at your side.”

“But of course. Incidentally, we have one more member in our party,” Maiodore said just as the beets were finished. Niku went ahead and got them.

“Mai. Here.”

“Thank you, Kuro. Ahaha. Dragon Beets always taste better when you give them to me.”

“Here, Cid.”

“Thank you,” Cid said before taking the Golem Beet and taking a bite. Niku went ahead and gave one to Cid’s guard as well, which Maiodore watched with a smile.

Indeed. That was why Maiodore had ordered four of them. It was a high-level technique that showed she and Niku shared the same ideas without even having to communicate them. All to shove in Cid’s face just how much th—

“Incredible! These certainly do taste better thanks to Lady Kuroinu handing them over!”

“Is it not because they are baked fresh?”

...Despite everything, Cid paid it no mind and spoke to Niku with a smile. Grrr. I suppose I am being too subtle... Maiodore thought to herself, grumbling but also finding the way her fiancée was nomming away on a beet to be cute. It felt like she had mastered the art of eating like a cute rabbit, which she had already been great at before.

“...Oh? Kuro. There seems to be one extra Dragon Beet.”

“He gave it to me for free. We can give it to Michiru later.”

“Hrm. Is that the third party member you spoke of?” Cid ask.

“Indeed. Which makes the church our next destination,” Maiodore said. And so the party went to the Beddhist Church with the Dragon Beet at the ready.

“So this is the main Beddhist church... Incredible. I never thought it would use this many magic tools.”

“Really? Is the church they built in Dragg really so different?”

“Very. Though there’s more empty space in there, giving it a nice breezy atmosphere inside. Hmm... I see the bookshelves here truly are filled with books. And you can read them as much as you like?”

“If you are a worshiper, yes,” Maiodore said before taking out a Beddhist holy symbol— a coin pendant with a hole in the center— from inside her shirt. Niku did the same, then clinked hers against Maiodore’s. It was the Beddhist greeting that had caught on at some point. Maiodore’s was made of silver, while Niku’s was made of bronze.

“I see. Then I can read them as well,” Cid said, taking out a holy symbol of his own. His was silver like Maiodore’s.

“My, my. I didn’t know you were a Beddhist, Lord Cid. But I’m afraid you didn’t go all the way. If you are undercover as a commoner, you must prepare a bronze holy symbol to wear.”

“Silver is fine, as this identity is a rich merchant.” Cid clinked his holy symbol against Niku’s and Maiodore’s.

I suppose that is smart. Better that than making holes in your cover, Maiodore thought.

“Sniff sniff... Ah! I smell a Golem Beet! Or actually, a Dragon Beet! Can I eat it? I can! Yaaay, thanks Niku! Nomnomnom.”

Out of nowhere, the group of three children had become four children. Eating the Dragon Beet Niku brought was a pink-haired loli nun named Michiru.

“Wh, wh-wh-wha... What in the world are you wearing?!”

“Hm? Oh, I’ve never seen you before,” Michiru commented before looking down at her clothes. To her, they were normal old nun clothes. But through some mysterious power they clung tightly to her skin, had thin fabric, and had white parts at her chest and stomach that made it seem like her bare skin was being exposed.

“...Now that you mention it, Lord Cid, Michiru’s nun outfit does seem a bit out of the ordinary.”

“You think so? I’m pretty sure it’s normal,” Michiru said. Maiodore glanced around at the other nuns working in the church. Their outfits were all skimpy like Michiru’s, and due to their curvaceous bodies they were all feasts for the eyes. Perhaps this was the work of Pope Keima.

“The fabric’s thin because I’ve worn it so much! And the rest is because of that static electricity stuff. It’s like, really easy for the outfits to stick to your body. This is totally normal! I read about it in the books!” Michiru said, puffing out her chest with pride. Cid averted his eyes. “So, Mai. Who’s this boy?”

“Lord Cid, an associate of mine.”

“...I’m Cid. If I may, I would like to suggest you, ahem, have a little more shame...?”

“Hi, I’m Michiru! And okay, you like girls who are shy and pure! I’ll remember that!”

“What?! L-Lady Kuroinu, do not get the wrong idea! I didn’t mean it like that!” Cid stammered, trying to defend himself. Toward Niku, no less.

Naturally, Maiodore picked up on what that meant. The subtext behind it all. And also, she remembered she hadn’t been clear about something.

“Lord Cid. There is one thing I have forgotten to tell you.”

“Hm? What is it, Lady Mai?”

Maiodore locked arms with Niku. “Lady Kuro is my fiancée, so you can’t have her.”

“...What?” Cid blinked in surprise. “You aren’t betrothed to someone of the same name?”

“There is nobody in the world with this name but her.”

“...Is she a guy?”

“No, both she and I are girls. Don’t you know, Lord Cid? There exists a potion to change your sex,” Maiodore explained coolly as Cid floundered. Thinking back, he realized that Keima had never said a single time that the Dragon-slaying legend and Maiodore’s fiancée were different people.

“...Th-That may be true, but, er... What? You’re both girls, and... your status...”

“Lord Cid. The Tsia house has declared it acceptable for me to marry Kuro. And I agree. I believe it is right! In fact, I want it more than anything! Make no mistake, it is virtuous and socially acceptable!”

“Ngh...!” Cid took a heavy blow from Maiodore’s deadly serious proclamation, but he managed to stay on his feet. “I-I see... You have my blessings then, Lady Mai.”

“I thank you ever so much, Lord Cid.” Mai bowed her head.

The truth was, Cid had been thinking many things over the past few days. “I might want to hand the archduke seat to my little brother and rule Dragg with Lady Kuroinu,” for one. He fantasized all the time, like, “If I were to marry Lady Kuroinu... W-Would she become Niku Pavella? N-No, perhaps she would be Niku Kuroinu Pavella, and I would call her Kuroinu...” But in the end, it was naught but a passing dream.

And as Cid slumped in sorrow, Michiru leaned forward to sniff him. “You smell super tasty, Cid! If you want, I’ll comfort you! You’re cool and handsome, so I don’t even mind sleeping in the same bed!”

“E-Er, no need... I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Michiru, it would be best to leave him alone for now... Lord Cid’s heart has been wounded by losing his first love.”

“No, if we’re talking about first loves, that would actually be you.”

“Did you say something, Lord Cid?”

“No, nothing.”

Maiodore pretended not to hear, and Cid rolled with it to cover. It was honestly kind of brutal that the girl he had fallen in love with was betrothed to his first love. All he could do was try not to think about it before the reality cut too deep. Still, it was beyond shocking in more than a few ways.

“Hm? Are you okay? Do you need to rest?” Niku asked, tilting her head.

“E-Er. I appreciate the kindness. However, I think I will just go home for today,” Cid forced out. Ngh. Her head tilting was too cute.

“Cid, feel free to drop by the church whenever you want! We of Beddhism accept everyone, and we’ll be glad to listen to all your struggles!” Michiru exclaimed, a bright smile on her face. The fact that her smile did shine light on his dark mood showed that despite her small size, she was still a proud Beddhist nun.

And so, Cid trudged his way home on wavering legs, held up largely by his sympathetic guard. Maiodore reported to Keima that Cid had in fact been in love with Niku, and that she successfully stomped all over his heart to make him give up on her. Keima could tell how devastated Cid was, and thus decided to keep the events of the day top secret.

# Count Lodol’s Perspective

Three days had passed since Cid had returned, depressed, and locked himself in his room.

“I believe now is our best opportunity to strike. What say you, good man?” Count Lodol said.

“No, no, no, no, Milord. You’re referring to your plan to conquer Goren, no? I think that would be unwise.”

“You fool! I was forbidden from doing so by Lord Cid! Silence yourself!”

“F-Forgive me, milord! What were you referring to, then?”

A grin came across Count Lodol’s face. “Indeed. I plan to learn from Goren and build similar structures. However, this is not intended to harm Goren whatsoever.”

“E-Erm? So, in other words...?”

“Truly you are slow on the uptake. I am saying that by building structures similar to Goren’s, some things may or may not happen that may or may not result in a tragic situation where I am forced to take control of Goren through no fault of my own!”

Building structures in the image of Goren was, in other words, a continuation of his former plot. Count Lodol was thinking about skirting around Cid’s control through clever phrasing. And that would probably work, given how depressed Cid was.

“I see! You truly are a genius, milord!”

“Bwahaha! So yes, I think it is time to approach an angle I ignored entirely before.”

“I see. And, erm... What might that angle be, milord?” The steward asked, waiting to hear what Count Lodol’s next plan was.

“I shall make a dungeon!”

“...A dungeon, sir?” The steward asked, unable to process what he had heard.

“Indeed. It is impossible to deny that Goren is built around its dungeon. And thus, I realized we would have no hope of beating them without one of our own.”

“Excuse me, milord. Is it possible to make dungeons?”

“Oh, you don’t know? Truly you are behind the times... Though that said, I only learned of this recently myself. It seems that the Holy Kingdom has developed the technology to make artificial dungeons.”

That was news to the steward. “I see. If that’s true, the Holy Kingdom is quite impressive.”

“Quite! And to that end, I bought one using my connections there.”

“Aha... Wait, you bought one?!”

“Though it’s just a contract as of yet. And to be precise, I bought the seed for an artificial dungeon.”

That was also news to the steward. But he could guess that cutting edge technology wouldn’t be cheap. He would have liked for Count Lodol to have informed him of this decision ahead of time, since he did manage the estate’s budget.

“And I certainly got the deal of a lifetime. The seed would normally cost five thousand golds, but I bargained it down to five golds and a piece of junk gathering dust in the storage room!”

“Er, m-milord. Did you get scammed?! You didn’t trade the Lodol treasure passed down through generations, did you?!” the steward stammered. The base price of the seed was exorbitantly expensive, but the price cut was unnaturally dramatic.

“Do not think me so lowly! I can distinguish between my family’s treasure and random junk! I truly did give them a useless, old piece of junk that holds no value. But apparently the High Priestess of Light has some history with it, and she wanted it for a museum.”

That was an understandable reason, more or less.

“I see, but... Are you certain you weren’t deceived? There aren’t any catches?”

“At most, I signed a document saying that on the day I conquer Goren, I will allow them the right to destroy its Dungeon Core. When that occurs they will also give me a new artificial dungeon seed, so I can replace the Core as soon as the deed is done and keep things functioning.”

“I see. So in the end you will just be replacing a dungeon with an artificial dungeon.”

It was a blank check for ownership of another dungeon. They were basically spending nothing to get it. The deal seemed too good to be true, but the Church of Light was founded on destroying dungeons. It made sense that they would put so much resources into the destruction of a dungeon.

“Not to mention, it seems that the difficulty of an artificial dungeon can be modified by hand! It will be a new era of dungeons regulated and controlled from above!”

“Goodness, that sounds fantastic. Almost as if this is a dream!”

“When I acquire two more seeds in the future, I will line up dungeons of low, medium, and high difficulties right next to each other! Impressive, no? The future is bright!”

“It will become a holy land where adventurers from all over gather!”

The fact that he would have to pay five thousand golds for the third seed had escaped Count Lodol’s mind completely.

And so, it came to pass that Count Lodol would be buying his own dungeon. But there were various restraints with artificial dungeons, and the Holy Kingdom sent over an expert to bring everything over. That expert’s name? Alca, the High Priestess of Light. Count Lodol had met her by chance in the past.

“Oooh, if it isn’t her holiness Lady Alca Lu Ri Chium Nicke Hydride. Thank you for coming.”

“...Allow me to correct you. The former High Priestess of Light is dead. My name is Alca Lu Nicke Hydride, and I have nothing to do with her. Please feel comfortable addressing me as Alca.”

“Yes, yes. Of course, Lady Alca. How could I forget?”

Alca the High Priestess had been forbidden from entering the empire. But that ban was for the former High Priestess, Alca Lu Ri Chium Nicke Hydride, and not the current one. Or that was her cover story, anyway. Given her importance in the Holy Kingdom, the steward elected to believe her entirely.

“I am truly grateful that you would accept my humble proposition, Count Lodol.”

“Bwahaha! What can I say, it sounded like a good idea to me, so why not go through with it? But truly, it is an honor to meet you again, your holiness... oh, excuse me! I forgot that this was our first meeting!”

“Indeed. But my predecessor also expressed her thanks to you. That I can promise,” Alca said with a smile. They both knew well what she really meant by that.

“Is this what you were looking for?” Count Lodol said, gesturing to the item beside him.

“Yes. Thank you very much,” Alca replied, and Count Lodol handed her the bag with the junk she wanted. She put it into her {Storage} without even looking inside.

“...You’re not going to check the bag?”

“You have my full trust, Count. Now, although this is a bit hasty, I say we go plant the artificial dungeon,” Alca said, standing up from her seat. Count Lodol also wanted his dungeon as soon as possible, and thus headed outside his estate, then outside the town entirely.

“There is a trick to finding a good place to establish an artificial dungeon. Mana flows through the earth, and you want to build it in a pure place, where the mana is not too thick.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. In opposition to standard dungeons... shall we call them natural dungeons? In opposition to natural dungeons, these are proper dungeons that do not block the flow of mana, so it is necessary they be placed in clean areas without thick mana present,” she said, narrowing her eyes and looking at things that Count Lodol couldn’t see. She kept walking, which meant the area around the town wasn’t suited for it. Count Lodol followed after her.

Eventually, some distance away from the town, she found what she was looking for.

“We shall build the entrance here,” Alca said while taking out a glass bottle from her chest pocket. Inside was a black, round, squishy-looking thing.

“This is the seed of an artificial dungeon... a Dungeon Seed.”

“Oho... It seems to be a black Slime of sorts.”

“Ahaha. If left to its own devices it will become an Artificial Core, then build an artificial dungeon around it.”

She opened the bottle and dropped its contents to the ground. The black Slime-looking thing melted the ground and absorbed the dirt while digging down until it was out of sight.

“The control room should be finished by tomorrow. We shall continue then.”

“Are the controls simple?”

“Of course. An artificial dungeon is a proper dungeon, run by humans in an effective manner.”

The next day, they returned to where the Dungeon Seed had been dropped, and found an entrance leading underground. A new dungeon had been born beside Dragg.

# Keima’s Perspective

Some strange news reached me through the Adventurer’s Guild. Cilia, the receptionist slash chief of Goren’s Guild branch office, was visiting my residence’s parlor due to them having a quest specifically for me. According to her, a new dungeon had appeared beside Dragg, and they wanted me to investigate it.

“... A new dungeon? Right by Dragg?” I asked. I didn’t remember making a dungeon over there. Maybe Ittetsu had stretched out his dungeon to give Igni a place to play, but a quick check confirmed that wasn’t the case.

“Indeed. It seems that Dragg developed it themselves.”

“Developed, huh? That’s a weird way to word it.”

“Reports indicate it’s an artificial dungeon built using the Holy Kingdom’s technology. They refer to it as a new, proper kind of dungeon that is entirely managed by humans.”

When she said ‘Holy Kingdom’s technology,’ the first person I thought of was Alca the High Priestess, who had been forbidden from entering the empire ever again. She was a dangerous woman that once used the opportunity of a Black Slime (Wolf) occupying a room of the [Cave of Greed] to try and destroy our Dungeon Core.

And now, her kingdom was introducing artificial dungeons. That was suspicious. A little too suspicious. Why would a kingdom literally built around destroying the crap out of dungeons go out of their way to develop the technology necessary to make dungeons of their own? They had to be plotting something. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind.

“I imagine,” Cilia began, “that considering how dungeons give birth to infinite wealth, they as a society were unable to keep denying their gifts.”

“And that’s why they made their artificial dungeons—‘proper’ ones, according to them.”

“That is the most likely explanation,” Cilia said, pushing her glasses back up. “Putting aside whether they are truly artificial, as a dungeon it needs a difficulty ranking set by the Adventurer’s Guild. What we’ve confirmed so far is that, erm, strangely weak Iron Golems can be found within.”

“Strangely weak, huh? Is that ’cause the dungeon’s artificial?”

“That is one possibility, but we had an alchemist investigate and they concluded that the iron within them is of extremely poor quality. And while it is of a fairly low amount, there is a mineral within the iron that is poisonous to the human touch.”

Uh, that’s pretty scary.

“Is that, like... fine?”

“The metal must be handled with care. As the Adventurer Guild’s representative, I have decided we will need to put an outpost by the dungeon entrance to inspect and purchase the metal right away. It is already being made posthaste as an in-progress quest.”

Incidentally, the Iron Golems in Goren’s [Cave of Greed] were known for their immensely high level of quality, and you couldn’t find better iron anywhere.

“So basically, you want me to check it out myself, just to be safe.”

“You do have a spotless track record in this regard. Who better to do the job?”

It was true that my accomplishments included covering every inch of the [Cave of Greed], down to the bottom-most floor, and making a perfect map of the [Flame Caverns’] first five floors. But those are all built on fraud! Under-the-table coordination! And so, I’m going to reject this quest. My B-Rank is just for show!

“I would like to refuse if I can, given how busy I am with my town chief and pope work. Surely other adventurers will be more than capable of this.”

“...If you insist, then. Given that the dungeon certainly is managed by humans, it is unlikely that it will be all that dangerous, and sending others should be fine,” Cilia said with a sigh. She sure backed off quickly. “If need be we will post a rescue mission for you to complete.”

“...Sure, alright.” I wouldn’t mind that if the dungeon really was being managed by people. But make no mistake—I know this artificial dungeon’s gonna fly off the handle and Dragg won’t be able to control it. I’m kind of an expert on these kinds of things.

Oh, I should go talk to Ittetsu about the artificial dungeon. And I definitely need to give Haku a report on this...

Anyway, the next day rolled around. I backed down on being too busy for the quest and went over to Dragg’s artificial dungeon. With me were Ichika, Niku, and Igni as an investigator from the [Flame Caverns]. The four of us would be heading into the dungeon. Ichika was in her masked maid outfit.

Haku knew about artificial dungeons as a concept, but she didn’t know how they functioned whatsoever, and Ittetsu hadn’t even heard of them at all—either way, I didn’t learn anything new from either of them. In fact, Ittetsu said he was feeling kind of off, and wanted to know if the artificial dungeon was at fault. That was why Igni was with us. On the surface she was fulfilling a bodyguard quest to help us, but she was stronger than any of us all on her own, so we’d be relying on her if the time came.

We showed our quest slip to the guild members at the under-construction office by the entrance, then found an abrupt set of stairs heading down. It reminded me of the rabbit dungeon, which also had a random staircase in the middle of a grassy plain.

“Hm. Seems like this dungeon is pretty new. There’re no cracks in the staircase, and no moss is growing.”

“Master, my man, I know you’re just copying what that veteran adventurer did back at the rabbit place. Plus we already, like, knew this was a new dungeon, remember?”

Look, I just wanted to try it too! Give me a break!

We started climbing down the staircase, and soon found a door on the right with an “Employees Only” sign on it. The dungeon proper was farther down the stairs, with the “control room” and the Artificial Core being on the right.

...Igni pulled on my sleeve. “Uncle, I wanna look in that room. Can we?”

“We can since we have guild permission, but they told us not to touch anything. Alright? Just look, no touching.”

“Okaaay!”

And so, we entered the control room. Inside was indeed a Dungeon Core. But it was pure black. It didn’t shine white like a normal Dungeon Core, instead having an all-consuming darkness that seemed to suck you inside of it. Honestly, one had to question if this truly was the Core of a “proper dungeon” as the Church of Light called it.

Not to mention, there was a cable connected to the black Dungeon Core, leading to a crystal screen monitor thing. The only problem was, the monitor was pitch black too. I could imagine that some things related to managing the dungeon would pop up there, but...

“Just looking! I’m just looking!” Igni declared while sticking a hand into her shirt and pulling out a sharp, angled rock. It looked like any old rock you might find on Tsia Mountain.

“What’s with that rock?”

“It’s not a rock! It’s a Rock Bug! I brought the smallest I could!”

Reptile legs extended from beneath the rock. It sorta resembled a crab, and apparently it was a monster type in the [Flame Caverns]. Oh yeah. They told us not to touch anything, but never anything about not leaving anything. That thing’s a living spy camera.

...But speaking of which, we were in a dungeon ourselves. It was possible our own actions here were being spied on. At the moment we couldn’t see anything, but with a monitor over there they could potentially be recording everything we did. Oh shit.

I hurriedly snatched the Rock Bug Igni was trying to set on the ground. “Hey, hey, hey! Don’t play pranks like that. I’m the one who’ll get in trouble here.”

“Wha! Quit it, uncle!” Igni hopped on the ground to try and get the bug back, so I leaned forward and whispered into her ear.

“...Igni, it’s a bit late for me to say this, but be careful about what you do and say here. This is technically a dungeon.”

“Wha...? Oh!” Igni fell silent, and I gave her the Rock Bug back. She put it away sadly. Yep, yep, she looks just like a kid who got scolded for a prank. Perfect.

That said, I did want a spy camera in the control room. Hm... Maybe I could send in a spider later. It wouldn’t be strange at all for a little bug to slip into a room people were going in and out of.

We left the control room and got back to exploring the dungeon. Next would be a place all adventurers could enter, rather than an employees-only section.

“Hey, hey, tiny girl. They said this place has Golems, right?” Igni asked.

“Yes, that’s what I heard,” answered Niku, and at that moment a Golem turned the corner we were about to reach, entirely as if it had been waiting for that question to be asked. Igni sucked in air, then—

“{Breath}...! Okay!”

—exhaled fire that melted the Golem in a split second. The pungent smell of rotten eggs filled the air.

Eugh, that actually hurts my nose. Is this, what, hydrogen sulfide? I thought, casting {Purification} while avoiding breathing any in.

“...Igni, don’t breath fire here.”

“Wait, why?”

“It stinks and I’m pretty sure the Golem air is poisonous. I kinda want a gas mask... Wait, Niku, are you okay?” I looked her way and saw that for once she was actually expressive—her nose was scrunched up and tears were in her eyes. Looked like the smell was a bit much for a beastkin nose.

“I’m not sho good...”

“You’ll probably get a bit used to it over time, but it did seem kinda poisonous... Hold your breath, I’ll cast {Purification},” I said before doing just that to cleanse the inside of her nose. Niku twitched and trembled for a second, then went back to normal. Meanwhile, Ichika and Igni investigated the Golem corpse. Ichika, the absolute mad ladette, ground a thumb against the Golem, then licked it.

“Oof. Most of this is iron, but it’s got a lotta other junk mixed in too—arsenic, lead, sulfur, and bronze for sure, and that’s just what I tasted from one lick.”

You can tell all that from the taste? What, does Ichika have a skill that lets her identify things from what she eats?

“Uh-huh, it tastes kinda good!”

“...Igni, girl, you eat Golems?” Ichika, the biggest hypocrite alive, asked.

“Uh-huh! I... u-um, not me, but Dragons! Dragons love eating these kinds of things!” Igni said, switching some words around after remembering my warning.

“Riiight. Reminds me of that weirdo wolf Slime that liked eating white plates. Guess monsters just, like, love eating things humans don’t.”

“My mom said poisonous stuff gives a nice sharp flavor that goes well with beer!”

“Girl, you know that poisonous metals, like, stick around in your body for a long time, right?”

Monsters were so biologically different from humans that they weren’t a very good reference when poison got involved. Living creatures were one thing, but Slimes and Ghosts were in just another realm entirely. I wouldn’t be surprised if Dragons could just excrete mineral poisons through waste or something.

“Either way, Master, looks like the report about the Iron Golems being hella poisonous was right on the money,” Ichika said. The Iron Golem we had just encountered did have more iron than anything, so it still counted as such. It was so weak because all the impurities impacted its structural stability.

We put the Golem’s corpse in {Storage} and continued our exploration, but all we encountered were more Golems.

“What’s with the lack of traps, for real? I know they said there wouldn’t be any, but this is kinda wack,” Ichika said, scouting ahead with a hand tapping the walls.

“Igni, can you feel anything?” I asked.

“Mmm. Dunno. It does kinda feel like it’s pushing into the [Flame Caverns’] territory, though?” she said, and with that in mind, the artificial dungeon was definitely to blame for Ittetsu feeling off. Given that he felt us opening a hole in his dungeon and came charging right over, he probably felt his body was being opened up from the side.

“How’re you holding up, Niku? Ah... Okay, no need to answer. Want me to carry you?”

“...Forgive me, Master. I am nothing but dead weight...”

I carried Niku on my back since she was still groggy from the Golem stench. Well, it’s thanks to Niku reacting so fast that I managed to cast {Purification} before really smelling it myself, so I guess she actually is useful? Don’t worry, Niku. And either way, my {Storage} is filling up so we’ll probably be going back soon.

The investigation concluded unremarkably. We cast {Purification} on our bodies, delivered the Golems to the Guild, and got our money. They gave us a third as much as the Iron Golems in the [Cave of Greed] did, but considering the low quality of the metal that was only fair.

...Also, I kept one of the Golem’s fingers to give to Igni. Looks like nobody noticed. These Guild workers sure are slackers. But you can’t really expect too much from humans.

Anyway, the plan was for us to go back there tomorrow, but...

“It is nice to meet you, Keima. I am the High Priestess of the Church of Light, Alca Lu Nicke Hydride. You may call me Alca.”

“...Uh, I’m pretty sure we’ve met before.”

At the dungeon entrance awaited a familiar green-haired woman—Alca, the High Priestess of the Church of Light. The heck is she doing here? Wasn’t she banned from entering the empire? Haku told me that herself.

“Ahaha, I see that I could not fool you, Keima... Truly, this is the power of love. But due to tragically unfortunate circumstances, we cannot presently engage in a holy union.”

“No, I mean, I’m pretty sure literally anybody could recognize you.”

“Incidentally, the official story is that I and the deceased former High Priestess, Alca Lu Ri Chium Nicke Hydride, are entirely different people. Please take care not to confuse this in public. Oh, and the name of the High Priestess is passed down from generations, so there is nothing suspicious about our names being similar.”

Man, she’s really just flat-out talking about her cover story here. I’ve gotta go tell Haku about this. Also, what do you mean “deceased?” You revive when you’re killed. I didn’t just forget about that.

“So, what brings you here, High Priestess?”

“Ahaha. The artificial dungeon, of course. I am in the process of managing it.”

“Ah, right. I did hear it was made in the Holy Kingdom.”

“Indeed. Shall I plant one by your town as well, Keima? So that your people may be blessed with a proper dungeon, instead of the demonic hellhole currently plaguing them.”

“No thanks.”

“...Ahaha. You are the same as ever, Keima.” Alca put a hand over her mouth and giggled in amusement.

...Yeah, this is gonna be a bit confusing since Beddhism has its own High Priestess. I hate to say it, but I’m gonna have to consider calling her by her name.

“Uncle, who is this person? Do you know her?” Igni asked, interrupting my thoughts with some pokes.

“Hm? Oh, yeah. She’s the High Priestess of the Church of Light. The farther you stay away from her the better,” I said. Igni moved to hide behind me, but Alca slid right past to talk to her. She held out her right hand with a ridiculously fishy smile on her face.

“I am Alca. It is a pleasure to meet you, young lady.”

“...Okay?” Igni tilted her head and shook Alca’s hand.

Alca then turned to Ichika in her mask and smiled. “Ahem, you are Ichika beneath that mask, no? What might be compelling you to disguise yourself?”

“Y’know, circumstances and all that. Pretty sure it’s something similar for the both of us,” Ichika replied. She had spent a lot of time serving the High Priestess back at the inn, and apparently they had gotten close enough for Alca to recognize her despite the mask.

In either case, Alca accompanied us on our second day of exploration. Just like the first day, we encountered only fragile Golems, and there were no traps to speak of. Alca took the lead and smashed through all the Golems with her massive battlehammer, which meant we didn’t have to fight any ourselves.

“Hammers truly are the best for fighting these Golems,” Alca commented. She didn’t use a hammer like that last time I saw her, but as the High Priestess of a religion built around fucking dungeons up, she had mastered all sorts of weapons and selected which one to use based on the foes she was fighting.

“Do you understand how safe this dungeon is now?”

“...Well, the Golems do seem pretty poisonous.”

“You think so? Their poison is nothing to one with a little resistance,” Alca said while hefting a Golem corpse. “If you are still worried, I can make special arrangements and show you the dungeon actually being managed, Keima. Special arrangements just for you.”

“Oh, you don’t mind?”

“Of course not. You and I are bound by fate and love. This is very... mmm, special treatment indeed.”

Alca’s suggestion came out of left field. We followed her into the employees-only control room from before. Just like yesterday, there was the black Dungeon Core with a cable connecting it to a stone tablet connected to a crystal monitor. Alca pressed a hand against the tablet without a moment’s hesitation, and within seconds a clear screen like a dungeon menu floated off the tablet. Oh, so that’s how it works. Neat.

“What do you think? This is the magic tool that controls the dungeon.”

“Consider me surprised. I didn’t think it was a magic tool at all.”

I leaned forward to look at the screen and saw that there were three gauges. One was for spawn type, one was for spawn rate, and one was for difficulty. They were set to lowest, medium, and lowest, respectively. I see. So the dungeon’s set to a pretty low level right now.

“This does seem to be good for managing a dungeon.”

“Wonderful, isn’t it? With this we can create dungeons ruled by human hands—proper dungeons, functioning as they should.”

“I see...”

It seemed like there wasn’t any way to precisely control the dungeon. In fact, there was no way to control the items or monsters specifically, and there didn’t seem to be a monitor function. Though it was still possible that they were just hidden somewhere I couldn’t see.

“Is there an option to see a map of the whole dungeon?”

“There is. You can even modify the dungeon’s structure to some extent if you attempt to do so,” Alca replied while turning off the menu.

Hm... There are still a lot of things I’m curious about, but I think I should be satisfied with just seeing how they run the dungeon for now, I thought, and despite our hesitation we decided to leave the dungeon for the day.

And so the second day of our investigation came to a close. I once again had Ichika write up a report and deliver it to the Guild. There were no traps, and the only monsters were weak Golems. It was safe to say that the dungeon was being properly managed at the moment, and if there were no problems with it, normal adventurers would probably be let in after a few more days.

As for Igni, she, as part of the [Flame Caverns], wanted to go in and investigate once more. As for me, I’ll go send some spiders into the artificial dungeon once I’ve finished writing a letter to Haku.

And so, while getting Haku to protest that the High Priestess was the same person with a different name, I spent the next few days just observing the artificial dungeon.

# Count Lodol’s Perspective

Several days had passed since the artificial dungeon, the [Golem Graveyard], was opened to the public. A branch office of the Adventurer’s Guild had been built nearby just as Count Lodol hoped, but the dungeon itself was quickly turning into a Goblin’s nest due to the lack of traffic—or rather, it would be if it weren’t for the poison driving even Goblins away.

“But why?! Why won’t those foolish adventurers go to my dungeon?!” Count Lodol complained while slamming a fist against his desk.

“M-Milord... I believe the problem lies with the unnatural nature of the Golems.”

“Is it not ideal for the enemies to be weak?! What, do they want a sense of pride and accomplishment or something?! Why must adventurers always crave such foolish things?! Money, it’s all about the money! You do work for money and nothing else! Do your jobs, adventurer scum!”

“Er, they are doing their jobs, milord. Just in Goren’s dungeon instead...”

“But why?!”

“Er, ignoring the monsters being weak, I believe the poison may be a problem?”

“Gr, grrr...!” Count Lodol grunted. He couldn’t very well argue against people disliking poisonous areas. And personally speaking, he wasn’t a fan of the name [Golem Graveyard]. It sounded entirely like undead monsters would appear there.

“I will never make my money back at this rate! Maintaining a dungeon is not free, you know!”

Indeed. It had been a great deal to establish the artificial dungeon for only five golds and some junk, but there was an operating cost to keep the dungeon running. In particular, it was necessary to feed the dungeon corpses—be they Goblins or animals—which hurt. Goblins could be found throughout the dungeon or within forests, but it was adventurers who hunted those. As manager of the dungeon, Count Lodol would have to go out of his way to buy them.

With the mountain of problems, Count Lodol decided to discuss matters with Alca the High Priestess, as she had been assigned to help him run the dungeon.

“Lady Alca! Is there anything you can do about this?”

“I sympathize with your plight, but the artificial dungeon needs energy to return mana to its proper place.”

“Can truly nothing be done? There is no end to the farmers complaining about us stealing the Goblin corpses they use as fertilizer.”

“Hm... A difficult issue indeed. The truth is, if many people enter and spend time within the dungeon, it will need fewer corpses to eat.”

“Truly?! But this is a problem precisely because nobody is visiting the dungeon!”

“What I am saying is that all your problems will be solved if only people were inside the dungeon. All I can say is, try thinking of a way to gather people within it.”

Count Lodol fell deep into thought. He thought, he thought, and finally inspiration struck.

“I’ve got it! Thank you, your holiness! The divine light of innovation has struck me!” Count Lodol exclaimed before rushing back to his estate. “Steward! Come forth, steward! Lady Alca has given me a hint to solve this! I need only buy slaves and stuff them into the dungeon! As for their food... We can have them hunt Golems and earn money from the metal! Bwahaha, this will make the dungeon turn a profit, an enormous profit!”

“Oooh! Is that so?! What a genius idea!”

“Indeed! Now, go buy them at once. Ah, and criminal slaves will do just fine. It will be best to buy cheap slaves who can die without issue.”

“Yes, milord, at once!”

And so, a bunch of criminal slaves were gathered into Dragg’s artificial dungeon, the [Golem Graveyard].

# Keima’s Perspective

Several days had passed since the [Golem Graveyard] opened to the public, but Ittetsu wasn’t having any further problems besides feeling off. Apparently, he had gotten so used to it that he didn’t even notice it anymore.

But despite the fact that only easy-to-defeat Golems were spawning, the poison within them made few adventurers eager to actively hunt them. They had gone so far out of their way to establish their own dungeon, and it wasn’t even earning them any money. The solution Count Lodol eventually came up with was to buy criminal slaves to explore the dungeon for him. Minus the fact that he was completely skirting around the core problem of his customers not visiting the dungeon, it was actually a pretty solid move. (Due in part to the Guild office by the dungeon—only adventurers were allowed in—but Count Lodol had registered all of the slaves as adventurers.)

“.........”

Anyway, they got slaves not just from Pavella, but from Tsia as well. Through one of my spiders, I could see the room in the [Golem Graveyard] that they were all stuck exploring, and suffice to say, something caught my eye. Most criminal slaves had nasty looks in their eyes and hardly listened to orders. They weren’t the happiest bunch. And yet, half the slaves in the dungeon were actively hunting Golems, each with bright, eager looks in their eyes.

They were the slaves from Tsia. And, to be clear, they were remnants from the Last Commune, that criminal organization I busted some time ago. And, to be even more clear, just in case, they were the people who I (as Succuma) had charmed to work hard and make up for their sins by doing good deeds.

“What’s wrong, Keima? You look upset,” Rokuko said, hugging me from behind as I looked into the [Golem Graveyard] in my room.

“Rokuko. Nothing much, I was just thinking about how the sins of my past have finally caught up to me.”

“Sins of your past, hm? Do those criminal slaves have something to do with it?” Rokuko asked, peering at the monitor I had up. She was close enough for our cheeks to rub against each other. I closed the monitor, feeling a bit thrown off by her softness and sweet smell, neither of which I was entirely used to yet.

“W-Well, pretty much.”

“Hmm. Are they connected to the criminal organization you brought down, I wonder?”

Ngh, she’s sharp. Rokuko’s been so smart lately it’s actually kind of a problem. That theory about the complexity of a dungeon being to a Dungeon Core like wrinkles on a brain are to humans is holding a lot more weight now...

Given that the criminal slaves were split into groups based on where they were bought, with only one group being sent in each day, it wouldn’t be too hard to make contact with just the Tsia side.

“Guess I should go see how things are myself...”

“Wait, won’t you get kidnapped again? Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“...Hahaha, I don’t think that’ll happen again.” But I should bring my Succubus ring just in case, anyway. Worst case scenario, I can use it to control them...

Yes, there was a time when I so foolishly thought that.

“Sister... I love you! I love you so much! Sniff sniff!”

“My lovely little sister! You came to visit me because I’m working hard just like you told me to, right?! I’m moved! Sniff sniff!”

“Mommy! Aaah, mommy! I’m so happy I get to see you again! Sniff sniff sniff!”

Yeah, yeah, here I am. It’s everyone’s cute idol, Succuma. Siiigh...

Like anyone else could have seen coming a mile away, I was surrounded by thuggish-looking guys sniffing my hair. I forbade them from touching anywhere else, but it still sent shivers down my spine.

I fucked up. Like, alright, here’s how it went down. I went to the dungeon to check things out, hanging some distance away from the dungeon’s entrance so I could spy on the criminals from afar. But as they left to return home, one of them noticed something.

“This smell... Big sis?” He said, and instantly every single one of them narrowed their eyes. They wore the looks of hunters searching for their prey. I ran away. At the time, I had thought I’d had a good idea, but the direction I fled in was the worst possible choice. If I had at least gone to the [Cave of Greed]’s territory, Rokuko could have picked me up, but instead I fled to a nearby forest. I was being hunted by criminal slaves who were used to capturing people in more ways than one, and I fled to a forest. Despite my golem assistance, they surrounded me in no time, providing me with no escape.

Once surrounded, they spoke quickly. “He looks familiar.” “No way... Could it be?” “Maybe it’s her, changing form?” “That’s possible.” “S-So this guy is actually her?” “Sister?” “My sister?” “My beloved daughter!” “Honey!” “My queen!” and so on. They called me by different titles, but still, they knew who I was. Criminals could be so perceptive it was scary. Maybe it was due to them always carefully observing their prey.

Having no other choice, I used the fact we were deep in a forest and away from prying eyes to transform into Succuma, which was so convenient and powerful of a form that my emotional resistance to it had fallen pretty significantly. Unfortunately, everyone lost their minds and immediately leaped right at me.

“H-Halt! Sit down, stay!” I shouted, and all the criminals froze with bloodshot eyes. But their restraint was like a thin string about to burst at any moment. I had to do something to calm them down, and that was how I got into my current predicament.

“Aaah, my lovely sister... Must I content myself with just your hair? Please, allow me just a brief touch of your skin...!”

“N-No, big bro. You’re still in the middle of making up for your crimes!”

“I-In that case, mommy, can I cut off some of your hair and bring it home with me?”

“I’m afraid not, son. You are still in the middle of (etc).”

“Big sis, can I lick your hair?”

“No, you are (blahblahblah).”

“Honey! Please give me headpats!”

“No, darling, you (blahblahblah).”

“My queen... Please step on m—”

“Nooope, (blahblahblah).”

And so, once they finally cooled down, I got to actually talking to them. Man, I want to cut off all this hair now, but I feel like they’d just take it all home with them. This sucks. Why don’t they feel off about all of them calling me different things? Wait, all of humanity is connected as part of a greater whole? All is one and one is all, so it makes sense I would have so many titles? Uh, this is a little too deep for me.

“So, mommy, what’re you doing here?” one of the thugs asked me with glittering eyes.

“...Ah, uh, I just saw you were all working hard and wanted to go check up on you.”

“Oh, wow! We are working hard! Are you proud? Are you? Are you?”

“Er, yeah, very proud. You’re all good boys,” I said half-heartedly, and they all smiled with sincere joy. It was a bit weird to see so many thugs smiling like that. Well... Guess I should use this opportunity to ask them about the artificial dungeon.

“So, about that dungeon over there. Is there anything strange going on there?”

“Why?”

Asking why, huh? Well, it should be easier to get the information I want out of them if they know what perspective I’m coming from.

“An artificial dungeon, of all things, popping out of nowhere has really got me worried.”

“I see. Sister, fear not. Your big brothers have been given work hunting Golems in the dungeon, but the only thing that’s dangerous there is the poison.”

“So you’re worried for us...! What a kind big sister...!”

“That dungeon’s real bad for making mommy worried!”

“Hold it, hold it,” I interjected. It felt like they were getting off track and taking things in a direction I didn’t want. Not like I ever expected too much from slaves being put through hard labor and everyth—

“Speaking of which, my queen. The amount of pure iron within the Golems has been steadily increasing over the past few days, although the price the Guild pays for it has been set to remain the same.”

“...Are you sure about that?”

“One hundred percent. It seems that they are steadily approaching the internal composition of Tsia Mountain’s lava.”

...And out of nowhere, the thug who called me a queen had given me some pretty valuable information. Apparently, he used to be an alchemist, and he had the knowledge to identify that sort of thing. He checked the internal composition on a whim after noticing that the weight of the Golems was changing each day. I dunno why a guy that smart was working as a bad guy in the slums, but, well, I’m not gonna ask. I feel like he’s giving me a long story I don’t care about.

“Nice. That’s some good info. I shall reward you.”

“Th-Thank you very much!”

I gave him a sharp slap across the cheek. Look, he actually likes this kind of thing, alright? I can tell through the power of my Succubus eyes.

“God, I wish that were me! Uhhhh, err... Ah! Sister, the Golems have been increasing in number a bit! Yesterday there were five, but today there were six!”

“No fair, no fair! Big sis, the Golems have been getting more slender too. That might have something to do with it.”

“They told us to regularly throw Goblin corpses into the dungeon! Did you know that, mommy?!”

“Right, right! Honey, the corpses just get sucked right into the dungeon floors! It was so shocking I want to show it to you sometime!”

“I licked the dungeon walls, and they’re undoubtedly of the Darkness element. They weren’t poisonous themselves, but they weren’t good for the body. I suggest not resting with your back to the walls, my beloved daughter.”

And so, the thugs hit me with a flood of surprisingly useful information. They sure have an eye for detail! Seriously, why are they so competent? If they’d just used these skills for good instead of evil, they probably wouldn’t be criminal slaves right now...

Ultimately, I ended up giving each of them rewards—head pats, hugs, slaps, stepping on them, and so on. The cost of all the valuable information was getting a heavy blow to my sanity. I would once again be sealing Kosaki away for my own mental health. I’ll give her to Niku for now... This power must never be used by humans. I’m gonna... I’m gonna have Rokuko cheer me up once I get home.

# Former Last Commune Member’s Perspective

Heya! I’m Wonome, the lost sheep! I’m in a pretty good mood, can you tell why? I’m sure you can! Indeed, it’s because I just met my beloved little sister again! She wept over my doing bad things in the Last Commune, and asked us to work to make up for my sins, so yeah. We ended up becoming criminal slaves to make up for everything! How long are we going to be slaves? I care so little I don’t even remember! Ten years and a hundred years are the same to me if it means cheering up my little sister!

And guess what! My little sister... she, she, she really came to see us! Aaah, I’m so happy! She’s the most beautiful girl in the world, and she calls me “big bro” in that cute voice of hers. That alone’s enough to give me the courage to fight a Dragon head-on!

She showed up disguised as a guy at first, but that’s all just a surface thing. She was probably just shy—once we got her alone, she immediately showed us her true form. Ah man, that was bliss... She cried about being worried for us as we smelled her, and honestly, I could die now and be happy. But that’s not gonna happen! I gotta keep working, for her sake!

Incidentally, I’m pretty sure she’s the Goddess of Beddhism. After all, a Beddhist holy symbol was hanging from her neck when she transformed. No way is she just a believer. Oh, I used to believe in the evil god, but I quit all that a long time ago. After all, there’s no god worth worshiping more than my little sister! Obviously!

When everyone noticed we felt the same way, we briefly had an argument over whether she was a goddess or a saint or a holy mother, but in the end we settled on “holy mother” due to her compassion and occasional strictness. Is there anything better than your little sister being a holy mother (mama)?

...Speaking of which, Hugo always used to call her mama. I wonder what he’s doing now? Eh, who cares. I need to get to work atoning for my past sins again! That said, we’re doing work in an artificial dungeon. My little sister didn’t look too happy about that. She didn’t put it into words, but I sensed the hostility in her. I’m good at noticing that kind of thing. Mmm, if she did ask me to destroy it, I’d ignore the collar on my neck and go all out on attacking it. It’d be the start of a holy war. My first target would probably be the employees-only room since there’s no boss rooms or anything in the dungeon.

Wait. Count Lodol’s lackey, a knight named Duston, strutted into the room where I was and looked down at me arrogantly.

“There’s a spider’s nest in the control room, go clean it up. Don’t do anything unnecessary!” he said.

Oooh. This seems like a good opportunity. Thank goodness for those spiders!

And so, with cleaning tools in hand I entered the employees-only room with the full blessings of its owner!

Oooh, is that black ball in the center that nasty little thing worrying my sister? Let me hit it a few times. Hmm, the black stuff isn’t coming off. That’s part of my cleaning, so this isn’t unnecessary at all. Let me really pound it with my fists.

Nothing happened. Really, it’s not my fault this pitch-black ball needs to be cleaned. Let me bust out this Gold Golem shard and grind it against the ball. Mmm, that put a crack in it, but looks like the ball’s black all the way on the inside too. Guess that means the ball isn’t dirty at all. I should leave it at that.

Actually, is this ball just for show or what? Meh, I guess it doesn’t matter. I’m just scouting out the enemy here. I need to be ready to attack the second my little sister asks me to!

...But for now, I’ll just finish cleaning. Let’s just swipe away this spider’s nest.

Also, what’s the weird tentacle thing stuck to the black orb? It’s kind of getting in the way of my cleaning. In other words, it’s necessary for my cleaning to get rid of this... Hmph! Hmmppph!

Guh, it’s creaking and stuff but I can’t get it off the ground. Enough of this, I’m just gonna leave it at that for today. Clean, clean, clean, clean...

But seriously, this black ball is pretty unnerving. If it’s gonna be black, it should at least be as beautiful as the night sky like my sister’s black hair is. Yeah, the fact that I just kicked it as hard as I can was a complete accident, not my fault. Too bad it didn’t shatter on the spot.

And so, after memorizing the layout of the room well enough to hit any spot of it with magic from the outside even with obscured vision, I finished my cleaning. Hm? I should go give my boss a report? He didn’t say anything in particular about a report, so I’ll just tell him I finished cleaning without any issues. Huh? You think there were some issues with what I did? Nah, I disagree. I was just doing my due diligence.

So yeah, sister! Your big brother’s gonna work hard to make up for his sins!