SWNOVELXO Chapter 105
– 1 –
The next day, after the meeting inside the dungeon.
“Talhan wishes to see the Master.”
“Come in.”
I welcomed Talhan, comforting him for his efforts and presenting him with the reward I intended to give.
His reaction upon hearing my words was quite intense.
“Is that… really true?”
His lips trembled, veins bulged, and the wrinkles on his face wobbled uncontrollably, with his eyes darting around chaotically.
One could tell he was deeply moved, but it was a sight that was hard to bear.
Eve stepped in to calm him down.
“Please, calm yourself. You’re falling apart.”
“Ah, Lady Evangeline… Thank you.”
She infused mana into his body to forcibly settle him down.
The Cerebrum Skull was merely a mimicry summon; it wasn’t truly his physical form, so if he panicked psychologically, it would manifest outwardly like this.
Because of this, I made an effort to ensure a state of mental composure was instilled when crafting the Cerebrum Skull.
Naturally, I couldn’t take action with the first being to show such a reaction, Talhan.
“Thank you for the grace and love as vast as the sea, my Master. I, Talhan, shall remain loyal for as long as this life endures…”
Just how much was he feeling touched?
Wary of seeing him fall apart again, I promptly presented him with a choice.
“Promotion and transformation, huh…”
“That’s right. No matter which one you choose, your desires will come to fruition.”
What I proposed were two options in total.
“The first is to advance to the next stage of your current being. While there are current restrictions in the dungeon, there’s no need to worry.”
The next stage of the Cerebrum Skull, the Corpus Skull, sheds both limitations of memory and stolen physical capabilities entirely, with some loosening of the lifespan limits as well.
“So if I choose this…”
“It means you can take the body of anyone living the life you desire.”
Of course, there would be no issues with adaptation.
While there were elite-level restrictions, I could easily increase mana by consuming residual core mana, so it wasn’t too much of a concern.
My presence would likely feel more significant to humans, but it wouldn’t be a huge difference from now.
“The second option is to become an entirely different existence.”
In this case, the specific selections would differ.
There are quite a few monsters with specialized mimicry abilities.
Just to name a few off the top of my head—vampires, slimes, and some demons.
Most of the traits he possessed would vanish, so he wouldn’t immediately become elite-level, but instead…
“You would finally gain the ‘human body’ you’ve yearned for.”
“A human, body… really?”
He fell into contemplation, but it wasn’t long before he replied.
“… I think it’s better to remain in this form for now.”
His answer was shocking enough to almost make my eyes pop out.
Considering the character he had been until now, I thought he would certainly choose one option.
Yet the sincerity in his refusal was palpable.
“That’s an unexpected answer. May I ask why?”
“Of course, my Master.”
Upon my inquiry, Talhan bowed deeply, raised two fingers, then folded one as he began to speak.
“First, the Master’s forces need to expand soon, and any change in my position, which handles information, could become a significant hindrance.”
“Indeed…”
That wasn’t an incorrect statement.
Regardless of his temperament, the role he was entrusted with was significant, and his body was vital for the Information Guild.
I had my own concerns about him, but dismissed them believing he could manage well.
“The next reason is merely applicable to the first option. The hierarchy within a faction must exist, and I shouldn’t be placed above the seniors who joined before me.”
“Hierarchy.”
This referred to respect for Mire and Axe.
The hypothesis that it represented a sincere commitment to achieve greater ambitions seemed plausible, but the emotion I felt from him was purely loyalty and faith.
There was not a hint of deceit, and my instincts and sense of ‘nobility’ confirmed that.
At the very least, it was clear he was genuinely serving me.
“And.”
“And?”
“Just the fact that you have not forgotten me is more than enough.”
“… I understood that your sincerity was genuine.”
Though unexpected, it was a joyful revelation.
So, it wouldn’t make sense for there to be no reward for sincere will and loyalty.
“Then, let’s proceed with the reward, shall we?”
“The reward, you say…?”
“It will primarily concern your appearance. Just let me know anytime. I’ll do my best to prepare you for the form you wish to take.”
“… Thank you, my Master.”
“And take this.”
What I offered him was an artifact I initially planned to present after he chose one of the paths.
“This is…”
His eyes widened as he received an accessory shaped like a talisman.
He must have known well the value and worth of the artifact.
It was a luxury he wouldn’t have received in his human days, ultimately signaling that I cared for his well-being.
“It wouldn’t do to not place protective magic on you while you’re out in the world. I prepared this for your sake. Cherish your body.”
“I will engrave your grace upon my soul. I swear once more here that I will become the red carpet laid down on your path.”
Talhan, speaking with a quivering voice, had a bit of that chaotic wobbliness within him but was relatively composed, perhaps due to the recent experience.
“I am already aware of your loyalty. I appreciate your vow. I too promise that your life will never be wasted.”
“Thank you.”
From his demeanor, I felt as if his turmoil had finally settled.
From this moment, he too was truly my servant.
– 2 –
“I wish to meet the Dungeon Lady!”
An aging demon, squawking with a scratchy voice as he bowed his head.
His skin was gray, and while his voice sounded somewhat weak and slick, his entire body was muscular, indicating his well-developed form.
A cunning attitude emanated from his lips, and his eyes brimmed with greed, revealing a glimpse of his true nature.
“Thank you for your hard work. I hope you do not feel burdened by receiving this reward. Your skills and attitudes have sufficiently pleased me.”
“The Gremlins never cease to desire more, so there’s no need to worry!”
He was one of the chiefs of the Elder Gremlins.
And today marked the day their clan completed the final touches on the dungeon.
Originally a two-floor dungeon above ground and one floor below, it had been expanded to five floors above and three below.
When I altered the dungeon’s appearance with my mana, I ensured to establish a consistent format that would follow.
‘There are still only a few rooms properly established…’
Currently, only up to the third floor above ground and the second underground were in use.
However, since they had done the foundational work thoroughly, I would be able to expand the floors and rooms as needed later on.
With the sturdy foundation laid, even if a situation arose where I couldn’t inject mana one day, causing collapse, or in the event of an attack, the outer walls wouldn’t simply be breached.
“Here you go. The ruby raw stone I promised.”
“Oooh… I was expecting this since you mentioned it, but the quality is evident at a glance!”
His mouth agape like a trap, his eyes nearly popping out as he gazed at the cart being taken away by the subordinate gremlins.
Seeing such a display naturally piqued my curiosity.
“Do you folks have a particular reason for liking precious metals? It’s just curiosity; feel free not to answer.”
“It’s not that. Firstly, as you might suspect, our magic is heavily concentrated in Midgaia…”
‘Midgaia’ refers to the material world in magical coordinates.
It connects with the spiritual world, Celestia, serving as the foundation for druidic and elemental magic, and primarily interacts with the elemental world, Terrarium, producing the elements commonly handled by mages.
However, it seems that the ‘Midgaia Magic’ they refer to implies a direct involvement with minerals.
But this is something I already knew.
The answer to my curiosity followed next.
“… Additionally, it serves as a delicacy and elixir.”
“Oh, I see.”
It appears that gremlins can digest human precious metals.
From gold to diamonds, raw stones can be processed, indicating it’s likely a magical trait rather than a biological one.
Just like elves draw vitality from plants and dwarves listen to the resonance of rocks.
“Because of this trait, gremlins born from the natural world of the demon realm have developed magic interfering with minerals, and have pursued interest in processing and sculpting those minerals.”
Just as humans elegantly decorate food on a plate, gremlins seem to have their own version of ‘plating’ as well.
I figure that their engineering and artistic knowledge developed from this.
“Interesting fact. I’m glad I asked.”
“Dungeon Lords and even those around them seem to not know much about such facts, so I feel I have indirectly sensed how sweet your attention is, my Lady.”
“You have good discernment, old man.”
Hearing the gremlin leader’s mixed compliments and flattery, Xue naturally responded, causing a chuckle to escape me.
What on earth was he trying to do having me right in front of him?
“You speak as if your tongue is coated in honey. No matter where you go, you must reap rewards with that knack of yours.”
“Oh… heehee. Now I understand what Scarlett meant while blabbering.”
“Hmm…?”
“Oh, it’s nothing. Well then! Thank you for everything thus far, my Lady.”
Having no clue what he meant, I let out a voice of confusion, and he soon shook his head as if nothing was said.
It felt awkward to pry, so I decided not to speak further.
“Call me again when you have good news!”
“Sure. I think I will have need of you.”
“Is that really so? I’ll be waiting!”
Either way, whether it’s here, Lan’s dungeon, or managing other invaded territories, I would likely summon the gremlins numerous times.
If I can properly understand one group, it would be considerably beneficial in many ways.
“Be healthy. You seem to be rather old, so even more so.”
“Yes, my Lady!”
The gremlin chief bowed deeply as he departed.
As I saw him off, I glanced at Xue for no particular reason.
“… What is it?”
“Nothing.”
It feels like Xue, Lan, and Eve are all eager to embarrass me for some reason.
But I thought if I spoke such things, later they would team up and do something even more uncontrollable, so I ultimately bit my tongue.
At least I was relieved it was the right time and place for this.
– 3 –
As the dungeon grows larger and further expands, there are more factors that require careful consideration.
This, of course, concerns the equipment of the summoned beings.
Most of the time, they appear carrying gear suited to themselves, but while that gear may be optimized, it isn’t necessarily the best.
““We humbly meet the Dungeon Lady.””
To ensure that best was attained, I summoned specialized weapon merchants from the demon world to the dungeon.
“The first merchant currently has contracts with five noble houses…”
The blue succubus Mari maintained a tense demeanor as she addressed me.
From the moment I first warned her, she had shown self-awareness, indicating continuous care would likely not be needed.
“Don’t be too nervous. As the intermediary, your tension may cause you to miss important details.”
“Ah, yes…!”
She seemed overly cautious about her guidance, to the point where I had to remark on it.
Regardless, thanks to Mari’s proactive attitude, there weren’t significant issues in choosing a merchant.
“Alright then. A collective of blacksmiths.”
“That’s right! My Lady!”
To be precise, it wasn’t so much a merchant as it was a group of blacksmiths who evolved into a merchants’ collective.
While their weapons do not carry any special abilities, they had plenty of artisans capable of mass production, ensuring a high level of quality.
With a pure artisan collective, there were no mages, so none of the items would be imbued with bizarre experimental spirits, which was worth noting.
“They look reliable. Let’s start with 30 blunt weapons and 30 axes.”
“Blunt weapons and… axes, you say?”
“Indeed.”
My first generation skeletons mostly came from bandits, including axes.
Thus, the weapons they wield were more often blunt instruments or axes that are easier to use and have a low damage threshold compared to swords or spears.
Certainly, we would need a wider array of weapons later, but that was not the immediate concern.
“Understood! If you choose the samples…”
“You folks, come here.”
Of course, the choice of weapons would also rest on my skeletons.
Since I was unaware of what suited their hands.
– Clank.
– Snap!
“Head honcho, come over here. I have a custom order.”
“Yes!”
I watched the skeletons exchange opinions before gesturing to the blacksmith leader, calling him over.
“I wish to order several items to etch my magic into. Please focus production on reliability rather than any other aspect.”
“By reliability, you mean…?”
“You’re aware that I’m not merely referring to durability.”
“Ah…! Understood!”
What I wanted primarily was not solely something sturdy and long-lasting, but rather weapons that would clearly show signs of impending failure, making them easy to maintain.
In other words, tools for those who hadn’t handled equipment before.
“First, we need three magical equipment.”
“Please hold on a moment. I have models prepared for you.”
The blacksmith leader shortly returned with three types of magical equipment.
Upon seeing him, I called out to my disciple.
“Sonia. Come here.”
“Yes! Master!”
“A human…?”
The orc blacksmith’s eyes were filled with disdain for humans, while at the same time, awe for me.
It was not common for an advanced dungeon lord, still unable to manage their emotions, to have a human servant.
He seemed to be trying hard not to show his aversion towards Sonia, which satisfied me.
“Choose what you wish.”
“Me? Is it for me?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you! Master!”
“Now, choose quickly.”
Sonia selected a staff.
I ordered for three types to be made with different designs and also placed an order for models for other servants’ equipment.
Even in the worst-case scenario that these artisans’ skills were not sufficient for high-quality production, it would aid in seeking other merchants.
I wanted the first proper equipment for my people to bear the mark of my hands.
“The weapons to arm another army can be created quickly, and I’ll show them to you when they’re ready.”
“Looking forward to it.”
It was indicated that the weapons for the army would take about a week, while the proper ones would take additional time.
Though it was a lengthy period, my anticipation was plentiful.
“I can’t wait…!”
“Neither can I.”
As I stroked Sonia’s head, her excitement visible on her otherwise stoic face, I smiled as well.
– 4 –
On a certain busy day, just before starting new undertakings, Serha visited the dungeon.
What she brought was the delightful news I had been waiting for.
“A summit.”
“Yes, my queen!”
I took the little harpy’s hand and led her to my private chamber to hear further details.
“When will it take place?”
“The day after tomorrow! They plan to gather near the dungeon, so you need only to come!”
“I see.”
The queens were gathering.
It would be for the first summit held after I had asserted my presence.