It's Dangerous Outside the Dungeon, Master

* * *

The name of the mountain range where my dungeon is located is Eisenlight.
This place is the border that divides the Heisen Kingdom and the Grand Duchy of Arilit, and at the same time, it's a natural fortress guarding the water trade route that flows through the eastern wetlands.

'It's common knowledge that monsters are hiding in high mountain ranges or deep forests, so troops can't pass through.'

Therefore, these places are reluctant to scout and subjugate due to the high resource cost, but at the same time, they were enough to be considered natural facilities that prevent bandits or pirates from invading.

"But now the situation has changed."

"Although no one knows it yet, my lord."

A Dungeon Lord has seeped into such a strategic point of trade.

Of course, it's me.

'My existence will be felt as a great threat to both Heisen and Arilit.'

Probably the moment it becomes known that a Dungeon Lord who has reached high rank is here, the two countries will gather their internal forces as soon as possible and send them to subjugate all the monsters in this mountain.

That force, as can be seen from the previous Copzerin war, is at a level that can never be handled even if a high-rank Dungeon Lord goes berserk.

'If that happens...'

The queens will have to hide again, enduring the loss of power, and the Dungeon Lords who were being raised by humans here will all die.

The problem is.

"I've felt this since Orea, but the queens are generally lazy. Even though I'm already sharing fate with them to some extent, they think first about cutting off a part of themselves."

"It's the danger of adaptation, isn't it?"

"As you say. ...It's incredibly complacent."

According to what I heard from Kamaya, the queens here are too accustomed to 'cutting off a part and hiding'. It's because they've lived as recluses for too long.

It's understandable since it's been at least decades, but it's an unacceptable attitude.

So now there are two things I need to do.

"I need to let them know that it's already irreversible."

One is to urge an awakening in the psychology of those who have developed such complacent habits.

Fortunately, the method for this is not too difficult.

"Will you use humans, my lady?"

"I suppose so."

It's just something that can be done with a little trick in the midst of what I'm trying to do this time.

The foundation for that has already been laid.

To the extent that I, the main instigator of the work, just need to go out as if on a simple outing.

"What are you going to do with the humans...?"

The other is to do the 'final organization' so that this place functions entirely as my territory.

If not, I'll end up having a leader with the possibility of betrayal and enemy-occupied territory in the middle of my demon realm.

Of course, those leaders are the queens.
And that occupied territory is.

"We need to clean up, don't we?"

"It's going to be a long outing..."

"Still, it will be much more peaceful than previous outings."

"Is that so...?"

The city of Solemio, and the surrounding villages that can quickly obtain information about that city.

* * *

Of course, not all humans in this world live only in cities.

There's too much leftover land for that.

Like Gwacheon or Uijeongbu for Seoul, there are satellite villages embedded here and there to distribute roles and living areas.

The village of Solux, the hometown of Sonia and Maria, was also one of such satellite villages of Solemio.

"Oh my. You've come, Magician."

"It's been a while."

"You've been scarce lately. Sonia! Are you doing well?"

"Ah, yes... Hello, Village Chief."

"You still lack energy! Eat your meals well!"

"Haha... Thank you."

This place is already under control.
It's a village of lumberjacks transporting ironwood from the Mistheim Plateau to Solemio, and given its location, there's no way I wouldn't have seized this place that's deeper in my territory than Solemio.

'When the time comes, I'll have to send everyone out of this village except for 'those who need protection or volunteer to stay'.'

Those who need protection are those who can even slightly guess about Sonia or Maria's affairs.

Those who volunteer to stay will be those who have nowhere else to go but this village.

Until then, I planned to remain in this village as a reclusive magician who is Sonia's master, the village's pride as a magician.At the same time, as a researcher interested in the ironwood of this place.

"Here. This is the amount of ironwood harvested this time, and this is... ah, a report on the rewards to be given to mercenaries and adventurers."

"Thank you."

I'm also acting as a proxy for the administrative officer dispatched from Solemio.

The original administrator? His body is probably waiting for the next victim to come in my dungeon by now. His knowledge has been extracted and inserted into one of my dungeon's slaves for use.

After receiving the documents from the village chief and immediately passing them to that slave, I promptly gave him one instruction.

"I have business to visit Solemio today, so if there are people to go together, select them in advance and gather them."

Many people were needed on the way to the city.

This is to hide the presence of monsters, which I don't lack, among people.

There are stories that sensitive adventurers or monster hunters can immediately recognize monsters even when they look like humans.

Ordinary people have their uses too, in a sense.

At least until the truth of that story is known.

"Understood, Magician. I'll select suitable people."

The village chief's posture, bowing so deeply that he almost touches the ground.

This was a deeper ceremony than I had seen before. As if dealing with a real nobleman rather than an ordinary magician.

"Your wisdom is excellent."

"..."

The village chief flinches and trembles greatly at my words.

Although an administrative officer from the city is higher than a village chief, usually those who come to such villages are more likely to be commoners with positions rather than nobles.

There's no reason to receive such respect.

In this world, there are quite a few people who have developed sharp intuition for their own survival.

After briefly observing his appearance and presence, I spoke to Sonia.

"You have things to talk about, right? Go and talk."

"What? Yes!"

"Maria. You too, go talk to the people you need to meet."

"Thank you."

"Both of you. Make sure to say your farewells properly."

"Yes."

I had told them to select those they were close to in this village.

Those who should be called into the dungeon if they are to stay, and those whose heads need to be 'carefully' touched if they are to leave.

Watching the two scatter into the village like that, I turned my back and headed to my destination.

"Do you intend to take them in?"

"Shouldn't I? They said there were people who took care of the two when they were young."

On the way to the logging site. I answered Evangeline's question like that.

"Took care of... I suppose that village chief is Sonia's godfather."

"That's what I heard."

As my attachment to Sonia and Maria deepens, it's also necessary to control their surroundings.

At the very least, shouldn't I prevent passing monsters from destroying their hometown village because they find it unpleasant?

Revenge is a given, of course.

"Then I'll increase the soldiers..."

"Hmm. Do that."

I thought for a moment at Xue's question, but nodded to mean she should do as she sees fit.

It's something I care about, but in fact, it's not something that needs much weight.

Even if ordinary skeletons guard it, who in this area would attack a village where I've stationed soldiers?

Unless it's a monster from outside.

But such monsters will be located even before they reach this village, and Axe, Mire, or the personnel left in the dungeon will handle them or engage in delaying tactics.

"Is this all?"

"Yes! Everything has been loaded!"

"Then, let's depart."

After my slave checked the quantity of ironwood and reported to me, we departed for Solemio that very day.

Since all the nearby monsters had already been dealt with, there were no obstacles on the way to the city.

"These days, goblins and orcs have been very quiet."

"Isn't it all thanks to the magician's grace?"

"Keep quiet, everyone. Can't you see he's reading a book?"

Humans would have felt 'the presence of monsters that should naturally be there' to some extent, but that's all it was.

"Sonia."

"Yes, Master."

"Did you talk well?"

"I, I reassured them..."

"Well done. Tell me everything later. It will happen as you said."

"Ah, yes... Thank you."

Sonia, who seemed somewhat anxious, calmed down when I patted her head and spoke comfortably.

"I can see it."

"Oh. You have good eyes, Magician."

The city of Solemio, which we saw after about half a day's travel, still maintained its appearance as a tranquil fortress.

A fortress surrounded by a small tributary that flows from the Lamia Queen's lake, encircling the north of Solemio and flowing to the large river used as a trade route.

"It's the Ironwood Manager! Pass through!"

Since I had also covered the presence of demon realm transformation that a high-rank Dungeon Lord possesses with an artifact purchased from the guild, passing through the entrance was no problem at all.

It was expensive because there was no stock and I had to have it custom-made, but I'm satisfied.

Like that, I entered the fortress as if entering my own home.

"This place is still the same."

As I entered, I saw the still leisurely street scene due to the small population for a fortress.

Especially since it's evening.

Light and laughter were still flowing from the few taverns, but the other houses on the street seemed to have already fallen asleep, with no lively presence.

"That's right... We've changed a lot."

"That's how the world is. Anyway, from now on, it will change a lot."

I felt Sonia looking at me with the same troubled gaze, but I just scanned the city.

The current city was even more leisurely compared to the previous Solemio, probably because it was a busy time when this city was supporting Copzerin before.

In other words, unless there's an issue of that magnitude, this city is unlikely to be thrown into turmoil.

"That's..."

"Looks like it's a guest of the lord. Don't mind it."

"Let's do that."

I saw people who were still on the street out of curiosity looking at a somewhat luxurious carriage coming in the evening, but soon turning their gaze away when they saw it heading towards the lord's inner castle.

"Welcome, Charlie. It's been a while... Huh?"

This is the first time I've come to this city as a manager.

It's natural for the city's administrative officer who came out to greet the carriage to freeze when he sees my face.

"Has the lord retired to his chambers?"

Penetrating the psychological gap created like that was not a difficult task either. Especially since the target doesn't have any particular power, and is just an ordinary clerk living comfortably in the countryside.

"Yes... You'll have to... greet him tomorrow morning..."

"I see. Please guide me to my lodgings."

"Understood, Manager."

This is how I seeped into the inner castle of Solemio.

"You say you're the administrative officer of Solux...?"

And the next day at noon.

I came face to face with the lord of this city.