Side: Yuki (Kazuya Torino)
It's been a while... though I suppose it's only been about twenty days?
The one-way trip to the royal capital takes 10 days. After the previous incident, the fake Elju and Seraria returned to the capital, and in exchange, Mobu and his gang came back.
During that time, I got to play around with DP quite a bit. Those four hundred elite guards from Roshure? I enjoyed every last bit of them.
Seraria seemed to be doing fine. I could tell she was energetic from the very first greeting. It did irritate me a little, though.
I expected her to take a little more time, but it seems she actually has quite the charisma and leadership skill.
"I'm ready for the report. Let's hear it."
『...Wow. Is that how you treat me after we haven't seen each other for so long? A bit cold, don't you think?』
Good grief... she's as high-maintenance as ever.
"I'm not being cold. Just as you've been busy over there, I have to listen to your report and get to work on the dungeon's infrastructure. You might be able to take a breather now, Seraria, but for me, the real work starts here."
『Fair point. Fine. For now, the number of immigrants to the dungeon is about 300, all of them slaves. I'm sorry, but I'm the only one who knows the true situation over there, right? The council wouldn't allow me to just throw refugees into a dungeon out of nowhere. So, we decided to send slaves ahead as a vanguard.』
They aren't criminal slaves, are they? It'll be a pain if I have to stay on high alert."
『Don't worry about that. Even if they're called "slaves," they're just people who were sold during the recent conflict. They're essentially no different from refugees. You can guess why they're being sent as slaves, right?』
"...Because they're from Gartz?"
『Exactly. If they were Roshure refugees, we'd avoid selling them as slaves as much as possible. Admitting we turned our own citizens into slaves during the war would be a national embarrassment. That said, I'm sure quite a few sold themselves just to put food on the table. But the majority are people believed to be from the Gartz Kingdom. Keeping them as refugees would just sow seeds of conflict; by pushing them onto you, if things go well, we can tell Gartz that we protected their citizens with sincerity. And even if it fails, the "seeds of conflict" are gone, so it's a win-win.』
Seraria wore a sour expression but spoke the plain truth. She's remarkably solid in these matters. Personally, I rank Seraria's competence higher than Elju's.
"So, by pushing them onto me, you figure you can reduce management personnel and costs. It's much easier than pioneering a new frontier yourself. For the Roshure Kingdom, this is just a convenient way to get rid of a nuisance. Anything else?"
『You understand that I'll be the public ruler of the dungeon, right?』
"Of course. I wanted Roshure's official recognition. In fact, it would be a huge problem if anyone other than you were the ruler. This is all according to plan."
Yes, that is Seraria's primary value to this dungeon: official recognition from the Roshure Kingdom. Endorsement by the Second Princess. You can't get much more official than that.
This makes the place look much safer to other nations than if I were just shouting "It's safe!" by myself. It creates a situation where people are likely to gather. Furthermore, with Seraria's name on the gate, petty nobles won't even be able to intervene. It's incredibly convenient for future developments.
『Well, it's just for show. In reality, you're the ruler, Yuki. I intend to take it easy. In addition to that, my personal unit will serve as the dungeon's guard and the escort for the slaves. As long as you go through me, you can use them however you like, within reason.』
"Heh, that's appreciated. You sure you want to trust me that much?"
『What are you talking about? You went out of your way to go easy on the army that attacked the dungeon and just chased them off. I understand that you don't do things without a reason, Yuki.』
Seraria certainly isn't a fool, though she does have some strange "warrior's policy" about combat.
"Anything else?"
『Well, since it's technically a pioneering project, I've received the formal budget and supplies. As for funds, it's about 300 platinum coins. It sounds like a lot, but it's nowhere near enough for development. A typical house costs 1 to 5 coins to build; a noble mansion is 10 to 40. And that's assuming carpenters and materials are nearby. Building houses for 300 people is a stretch, and that's the end of the financial aid. As for supplies, I have enough materials to build about 30 simple houses. It'll barely accommodate 300 people. Food is the bare minimum—15 days' worth. It takes 10 days to get there... but since we were moving with a small unit before and now we have immigrants, 15 days is cutting it close. They'll have to start hunting as soon as they arrive or they'll starve. The only saving grace is that there will be no taxes for about five years.』
"Well, well. Formally speaking, they're telling you to go die. Couldn't you have squeezed more out of the council?"
『I probably could have. But I thought this was just right. If we get too much support, they'll feel entitled to meddle once we've developed. By using this disadvantageous situation, I can repel any future interference. Or what? Are you saying you aren't prepared to support 300 people and us, Yuki?』
"No, I'm prepared... I can make ends meet. I was going to ask you to inflate the aid request, but hearing your side, that sounds like a bad move. Interference will come anyway, so we should minimize the excuses for it."
Strengthening Elju's support had this disadvantageous side to it. Well, I hadn't expected much anyway.
『What? Was there some specific aid you wanted?』
"...I'm planning to establish an employment system based on money within the dungeon. How much would it cost to employ all 300 people for a month?"
『Ah, I see. You don't intend to just keep them as pets using your Dungeon Master powers. That makes sense; you won't be there forever. A place that stops functioning the moment you leave is too terrifying to live in. You want to create a flow where the residents eventually live by their own strength?』
"Exactly. So, what's the estimate?"
『Hmm, this might not be a perfect reference, but the monthly salary for my unit is 3 to 5 gold coins. Private soldiers get 3, vice-captains 4, and captains 5. Didn't you hear from Elju? A typical family of four can live on 1 gold coin.』
"I'm just confirming. If I get it wrong, the price difference could cause a disaster."
『That's fair. I'll look into the standard wages.』
"By the way, will the unit's wages actually be paid?"
『Of course. Even with high loyalty, some members are supporting families with those wages. We have a system where a request for funds is sent to the dungeon every month, along with other reports. Well, since there won't be much to spend money on in the dungeon, unless they're single, they'll probably send their wages back to their families. They won't have to worry about food, after all.』
Hmm, wait. Isn't this a great chance to earn foreign currency?
"Hold on. Make sure the unit members bring a certain amount of cash with them."
『Why? It's not like there are shops in the dungeon, right?』
"There will be. I'm planning to build them. You know how it is—with DP, I can handle most things. I'm planning to sell the shampoo and conditioner you liked in the dungeon, though in limited quantities."
『What!? That's a big deal. If it were me, I'd bring a fortune. But that's not all, is it?』
"Well, I'm setting up an employment system. I plan to sell consumables, clothing, and food, too."
『...In that case, whether they're farming or hunting, they won't have to worry about starving in the meantime. But is that okay? If luxuries like that shampoo or soap get out, greedy people will flock here from all directions.』
"It won't happen immediately. You can't start without gathering people first, and no one approaches a place with no local specialties. I'd like to keep things quiet for two or three months until the former slaves get settled, though..."
『For that short a time, there's no need to hide it carefully. Without a skill like this 'Call,' information only moves at the speed of a horse or a man's feet. I'll tell my unit to keep their mouths shut. It won't be perfect, but if I set a date for when they can talk, they'll stay quiet until then.』
If you tell a human to stay silent forever, they'll want to spread rumors. But if you tell them to stay quiet until a certain date, they're surprisingly good at it.
...Seraria certainly has the qualities of a leader.
"Oh, right, Seraria. I want to set up an Adventurer's Guild in this dungeon. Do you know what's required?"
『Do you have a death wish?』
"No, no. Technically, you're the one in control of the dungeon, right? So, as proof of that, we'll build a training dungeon inside and use it as a spot for novice adventurers. It'll help gather people."
『Heh, you think of interesting things. Let me help with that dungeon-making. As for the Guild, I'll bring the necessary personnel from here. They'll jump at the chance if I mention the training aspect.』
Seraria started mumbling to herself, seemingly excited about making a dungeon... I just hope it doesn't turn into a map full of overpowered monsters.
"I hate to interrupt your brainstorming, but give me the exact numbers of people coming here. I have to build the housing."
『Ah, sorry. Let's see... parchment is so hard to use... I miss copy paper... here it is. 325 people. My unit is 54 people. Total is 379. It might increase, but I don't think it'll exceed 400. We don't have enough supplies for more.』
"Understood. I'll build houses assuming 400 people."
I glanced to the side and saw Eris and Ratz scribbling our conversation onto copy paper. They really are capable; they'd probably be great assets even in modern Japan.
"Alright, I'll be waiting for you. I'll contact you once the houses are ready."
『I'd appreciate that. Knowing there's a safe place to sleep makes a world of difference for my peace of mind. Also, it'll take another five days or so to get everything you asked for ready over here.』
"...So we can finally begin, Yuki?"
"Yeah. Labyris, we're about to get busy."
Labyris finally spoke up for the first time during the call with Seraria. She'd probably been waiting for the discussion to wrap up.
As I patted Labyris's head, Seraria looked at the screen with curiosity.
『By the way, who is that little girl?』
"A child Mobu bought... oh, that reminds me, Seraria! Can you gather more young children, primarily as slaves?"
『Eh? I mean, sure, but why? Is that your hobby? No wonder you didn't react at all when we bathed together.』
Labyris hugged me tightly.
...I felt like she was using a lot of strength, but maybe it was just my imagination.
"No, that's not my hobby. But I do like Labyris. See? Isn't she cute?"
"...Yuki, that's embarrassing."
I held Labyris up in front of the screen.
『...Her chest is unnaturally large for her size. Anyway, why children? Unless there's a reason, I don't want to bring extra baggage on a long journey.』
"Is there any place with less of a future than a place without children?"
『Well... I see. You want to raise them as the next generation.』
"Exactly. Oh, and try to make them girls if possible."
『Why?』
"Between men and women, who is more likely to be looked down upon?"
『Women... Ah, so you want to place them in leadership or high-ranking positions to eliminate the residents' discriminatory attitudes? Is that girl part of the plan?』
"Well, she's part of it. But our relationship is technically longer than the one I have with you, Seraria."
"...Seraria-sama. I am Labyris, Yuki's primary wife. Nice to meet you. And keep your hands off Yuki."
The air froze.
Wait. I didn't think Seraria had done anything wrong in that conversation.
『Huh?』
Seraria looked stunned, as if she didn't understand the words.
"Labyris-chan, you're quite bold! Then I shall introduce myself as well. I am Ratz, Onii-san's second wife. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Seraria-sama. Oh, and I don't mind at all if you 'put your hands' on Onii-san, you know~?"
Ratz joined the fray, and I could see the anger rising in Seraria.
『...Aren't you all living quite the luxury while I'm over here working myself to death?』
"Calm do—"
"—You're the one who dragged Yuki into this on your own, aren't you? Tiny-chested Seraria-sama."
『Wh-!? Size isn't everything! For your information, the military says my chest is beautiful, like a peach—』
"If it's not being used, it's meaningless, Seraria-sama. Is there even anyone to use them, like our Onii-san~?"
『...No, there isn't. I'm the Second Princess. I won't accept a man who isn't stronger than me...』
Ah, she started sulking.
"Well, well. It must be hard to find a man who meets the standards of the 'War Princess' Seraria-sama... maybe you should lower your standards a bit?"
Ratz offered some mock sympathy.
"...I said too much. Seraria-sama, if you promise to take care of Yuki, I'll share him with you."
Labyris offered her own "support."
...Wait, since when was I available for fractional sale?
『Really!? Yuki doesn't even react when we bathe together, I was starting to lose my confidence... that's why I was thinking 'next time for sure!'』
"Ah, I understand that. Onii-san has that annoying ability to control his mind strangely~"
『Ah, but it's not like I like Yuki or want him as a husband or anything!!』
"...What a difficult personality. It's fine. We'll help you bathe with Yuki."
『Well, if it's unavoidable, then fine! I'll bathe with him! Just you wait, Yuki!』
And with that, the screen cut out.
...Hmm. The important parts were settled, but... did something go wrong somewhere?
