Side: Eris
Today, we are gathered at the Adventurer's Guild headquarters in the Adventurer District. Even though it's called "work," our task is basically just to relax and monitor each dungeon's progress. Still, now that the dungeons are finally finished, I'm quite looking forward to it.
"Well now, I'm getting a bit nervous seeing them actually go into operation."
"True."
I chat idly with Ratz while waiting for the others at the guild.
Lately, we've finally been able to step back from directly processing immigrants and simply oversee things. We increased the staff at the administrative building with early settlers from Roshure, prioritizing training them as identity document clerks and instructors for the training center. This strategy for handling the later Rithea immigrants seems to be working well.
I mean, it's actually been about a month. We've done this so many times now. The first and second waves of Rithea immigrants have already moved to the residential areas and are self-sufficient. Soon, the third wave will leave the training wing, move into the residential district, and start heading out to their respective jobs.
"We were certainly put through the wringer after that defense battle, weren't we?"
"Yes, which is why we made sure to do a thorough job creating these dungeons."
Ratz and I recall the aftermath of that defense line.
* * *
"Yuki!! What on earth were you thinking!? One wrong move and the whole army could have collapsed, and we'd all be dead!"
Back then, right after the talks with Arshtelle concluded, Seraria-sama was seriously screaming at Yuki-san. However, Yuki-san just let it wash over him with his usual laid-back demeanor.
"Are you listening!? It was caused by the monsters under your command going berserk! Do you understand!? It's lucky we put out a total annihilation order for public appearances, but... the monsters under my command followed orders perfectly... so why did yours?"
Yes, the monsters under Seraria-sama's command hadn't gone berserk; they fought with perfect discipline. We had thought, as expected of Seraria-sama, but then her eyes widened as she realized something.
"...Yuki. You did it on purpose, didn't you?"
"Now, now. I didn't think Aslin would cry, though."
"That's not the point!! I see, so that's why the timing was so convenient."
"Um, what does that mean?"
I asked for an explanation, not quite following Seraria-sama's logic...
"...This monster rampage. Even if Aslin hadn't cried, Yuki intended to make them go berserk. On the surface, it was a rampage. But behind the scenes, it was a test to see if we could maintain control over our subordinates. Even though they 'went berserk,' they didn't attack us, nor was there any friendly fire. They focused entirely on annihilating the enemy. And the reason I'm sure of this is that even in that state, the monsters obeyed my voice..."
"Yuki-san, is that true?"
"Aww, calling it a 'test' makes it sound so sinister. Besides, Seraria, you're the one who insisted on letting beginners take command. That was a bit of a stretch to begin with, wasn't it?"
"Guh, that's..."
"But I understand Seraria's point. Everyone, I caused the rampage on purpose this time, but I've taught you what to do if a unit breaks or goes into a rout when I'm not around, right? Were you able to put that into practice?"
When he put it like that, we couldn't say a word. Rather, we just went with the flow to wipe out the enemy.
"Well, don't look so down. In reality, our losses were eight Goblin Army members and eight Slimes. Extremely minor."
"Auu."
Riel looks pained, as her squad accounted for the majority of those losses.
"For your first time fighting as a structured 'army,' you did well. In my book, it's a passing grade. But as Seraria says, an army is only effective when it's properly disciplined. No matter how strong you are, if you can't coordinate, you risk being picked off one by one. I'm sorry, but I doubt this will be the last battle. I expect you'll all have to step onto such a battlefield again. That's why I did what I did. I'm sorry."
Yuki-san bowed his head.
...That's cheating. If that's his reason, we can't complain at all.
"And from here on, a mountain of immigrants from Rithea will arrive. Not just the military, but every representative needs to lead their subordinates properly, or we'll all pay for it. I want you to take that to heart."
"...This battle was a crushing victory. I gave the final orders. Furthermore, I am also responsible for the failures this time, as I was meant to be guiding you. Yuki has made the necessity for reflection very clear, so that's the end of this matter."
Seraria-sama said this and then slumped over her desk.
"You okay, Seraria?"
"...Be quiet. In the end, we're all just dancing in the palm of your hand."
"Don't sulk. When we finally take a proper break, we'll all go out and have some fun. Everyone included."
Since we were all feeling a bit down, Yuki-san followed up to cheer us up.
"But, at that time, how did Seraria-sama stop the monsters?"
Ratz asked, remembering the scene. It was true; at that moment, the monsters had suddenly roared and lunged forward.
"Hmm? It was simple. I just shouted, 'Don't leave your posts without permission!!'"
"T-That's it?"
"......And you girls couldn't even do that."
"A-ha... our apologies."
"This is reality, Seraria. Individually they are outstanding, but command is a different beast entirely. They were probably just stunned when the monsters went wild, right?"
"You're right, Onii-san~ It was so sudden."
"I was in the wrong. But this was a good experience, wasn't it? You tried to contact Yuki, but there were plenty of things you should have done before that."
"Commanding really is tough~"
"I was able to do it right away, though."
"Well, you're royalty, so you're used to that kind of thing. Or is it just Seraria's talent?"
"Oh, are you praising me?"
"Of course. You're a huge help."
"Thank you."
* * *
"Honestly, I was really depressed back then."
"Yes. I thought I was being useful to Yuki-san—or rather, I thought I was fine just the way I was."
"Exactly~ We were complacent, thinking we were being useful to Onii-san. Even though there's no limit to how much we can improve."
"Yuki-san is also learning about the cultural differences between the various races every single day."
"Onii-san is working his heart out, and we were just oblivious."
"Thanks to that, I've really put some spirit into reviewing everything we've done so far."
"Re-evaluating it now, there really was a lot of waste. Let's keep working hard."
"Yes. First, let's start with this dungeon evaluation."
As I discuss our future enthusiasm with Ratz, people start gathering one after another.
"Yahoo! Oh, looks like we weren't the first ones here."
"Eris, Ratz, you guys beat us to it."
"...Did you eat lunch?"
As the beast-kin group enters...
"Phew, even with the teleportation circles, there's still quite a bit of walking."
"Seraria, surely that much shouldn't be a problem for you."
"Derieu-sama, it can't be helped. Lately, she hasn't been moving much, so her weig—"
"—Qual, if you say that in front of Yuki, I'll have your head."
Seraria-sama and the military group arrive as well.
"Vilia-chan, switch with meee!!"
"Aslin, I'm first today."
"Let go of Nii-sama's arm and get down!! Hiiro!!"
"Onii said it's okay."
"...You're quite popular, Yuki."
"...Coming from Labyris who's currently riding on me."
Yuki-san is as popular with children as ever.
"Um, is the clinic alright?"
"It's fine. The recovery mages trained by Elju-sama and Rurua-sama are still there."
"Yes, and if anything happens, they'll contact us via Call, so there's no need to worry that much."
Elju-sama and the others from the clinic arrive. Ah, she's called "Elju," but since she's used disguise magic to change her appearance, people seem to think she's a different person with the same name.
That looks like everyone. While we're all chatting, Milly arrives, leading the members of the Adventurer's Guild.
"Everyone's here? Let's see... yep, everyone. Let me introduce them properly. This is Rock-san, the Guildmaster in charge of the Adventurer's Guild for this dungeon. And this is Kina, the Vice Guildmaster."
"I am grateful to the representatives for personally making the trip here."
"N-Nice to meet you!!"
The Master and Vice Guildmaster bow to us.
By the way, why is Narjia-san with Milly's group?
"I've been put in charge of the dungeon item distribution this time, so I'm on the Guild's side."
"I see."
"Yes, it's interesting, isn't it? Handing over items we made ourselves to be placed as dungeon treasures."
While we chat briefly, Seraria-sama stands up from the sofa to greet them.
"It seems we don't need introductions. Rock-dono, Kina-dono, thank you for coming to a dungeon like this. I look forward to a good relationship with the Adventurer's Guild."
"No, this matter is incredibly helpful to the Guild as well. To have a dungeon created for us... it's incredibly convenient..."
As Rock-san replies to Seraria-sama, the door is kicked open.
"Hold it right there!! Why are we part of the exploration team!?"
Ah, I forgot about Mobu-san and his group.
Since they basically don't help with the administration and just lounge around their house in the Adventurer District or at the inn. I understood their role after hearing it from Yuki-san, but it still feels a bit unfair.
"What are you saying? You haven't been working while staying here, so you're going to work hard this time."
"Guh."
"As Rank 8 adventurers, you're perfect for this dungeon evaluation."
"But listen, there's no point in us diving into our own dungeon, is there? Is it one of the other dungeons you girls made?"
That makes sense. Mobu-san and the others had also made a dungeon.
"Um, since Mobu-san and the others have Designated Protection, won't that mess up the evaluation?"
"Don't worry about that. Mobu and his crew are specifically assigned to my dungeon."
"WHAT!?"
Ah, there are six teams that made dungeons. And there are eight dungeons. That leaves two empty. One is being used by Milly and the Adventurer's Guild as a training dungeon.
The final dungeon... was made by Yuki-san.
"Don't make such a reluctant face. It's a proper dungeon. You can clear it. Well, if you try hard enough. Because of designated protection, the monsters this time are in safe mode... they're equipped with stun guns, so it should be easier than normal, right?"
"You idiot!! I've seen the data for your dungeon, and there's nothing 'safe' about it! The average level of the monsters on the first floor is 20!? It's 50 by the 10th floor!! And the 30th floor at the bottom is level 120!!"
"You guys are around level 100 yourselves, right? Good luck, good luck."
"I'm telling you, it's impossible!! A stun gun is an 'out' if it even grazes you!!"
...Good luck.
"By the way, what about the safety of the other adventurers?"
When I asked, Rock-san nodded and provided an explanation.
"I have received 'Rings of Return' from Seraria-sama, for this occasion only. While evaluation is the priority, they have been told to clear the dungeon if they can. Naturally, there is a risk of death, but thanks to the rings, that risk is minimized as much as possible."
"I see."
"Rock-dono. Have the explanations to the adventurers been completed?"
While I was satisfied, Seraria-sama was confirming with the Master.
"Yes, the assignments for which dungeon each group will go to are already finished. All that's left is to wait for the authorization to begin."
"Then, I grant authorization. While the evaluation is underway, please explain how the Adventurer's Guild plans to manage the dungeons in the future. The single question Eris asked won't be enough."
And so, at Seraria-sama's suggestion, the adventurers began their exploration of each dungeon, while we sat down to listen to the explanation.
Ah, an alarm just went off. Someone has entered our dungeon. This is going to be fun.
