Information From Haku-san
Several days after the sad event of the aristocrat’s murder in the dungeon (it seems the criminals confessed), Haku-san came to visit again.
How does this person possibly have this much free time? Well, even though I thought that, it seemed she had some business today as well.
She called me and Rokuko together to a room and looked at us while holding on to some cream soda.
“A hero is coming this time.”
It was shocking information.
“Eh, a hero? … Seriously?”
“Would I tell you a lie? Well, I understand how you feel though.”
“Huh? You usually say [G.o.d’s Vanguard], not [Hero] though? Haku Ane-sama.”
“Rokuko-chan is wise. Yes, since he has already went through brainwas.h.i.+ng training, he’s already under my control. You don’t have to worry about many things.”
I let out my breath, slightly relieved. Let’s not pay attention to her mentioning brainwas.h.i.+ng.
“There is a fool that performed the hero summoning ritual in my country at his own volition… Although he was barely an aristocrat, my plans went slightly awry and thanks to that I was able to come visit Rokuko-chan. His a.s.sets have been seized and the present head of the family was executed.”
Excuse me, your plans went awry from seizure and execution so you could meet Rokuko? Wait that’s not it, a hero summoning done on their own, is that fine? Is it?
Rather, a hero summoning is something that can be done that easily?
“It’s normally not something that can be done like that, it takes quite the preparation… Perhaps you understand if I spoke in terms of DP? 50,000,000,000 DP.”
This time, it seems to have been done with a special item that was used as compensation, [G.o.d’s Tear].
According to her, the item itself didn’t have much of a value, it was something that could be used to pay the cost of summoning a hero. Like a hero voucher or something.
“Why did that aristocrat summon a hero?”
“Likely for distinguished services, he was eyeing a piece of land that fell directly in the demon king’s territory, and if the demon was defeated by throwing the hero at him… well, it was like that.”
Demon king. Fantasy just came and slapped me in the face.
“By the way, the demon king’s true ident.i.ty is Dungeon Core No. 6. His dungeon’s name is [Demon King’s Castle], a castle-type dungeon.”
So the demon king is a dungeon core too? I heard something like that a while back, but it was true? … Huh? Wasn’t it said that it was already defeated?
“That was probably No. 66. The same type of dungeon core as No. 6, it was one of the demon king’s followers. There are some other followers as well… Perhaps it could be called the demon king faction?”
So dungeon cores have factions? … Let’s join Haku-san’s faction. We’ve gotten so much DP from her there’s no complaints from me.
“Well it’s fine, back on topic, that is why a G.o.d’s vanguard… a hero was summoned.”
“‘Was’, huh, that phrasing is a little worrying. When did the summoning happen?” [1]
“A guess should be alright. For the past three years, he has trained in that territory. Although he seems to have been educated as according to the [Hero Training Manual] I tentatively made… Although I wouldn’t have gone so far as to punish him for being in my presence if he properly reported it, it seems he thought that it would make for an outstanding achievement if he did so after defeating the demon king. The head of the family even two generations ago would have been less objectionable, as expected, humans are no good when the generations move on.”
Haku-san grumbled in complaint by the end there.
How old is she? I didn’t think that. If I thought that, she’d kill me. Thus I didn’t think it.
By the way, as for Haku-san’s carefully produced [Hero Training Manual], it was made for the sake of teaching G.o.d’s vanguard [Dungeons That Are Fine to Destroy] and [Dungeons That Are Not Fine to Destroy]. It was a very convenient way (for Haku-san) to plant knowledge in them.
Ah, by the way our dungeon’s previous name of [Ordinary Cave], as well as the current [Cave of Desires] is in the do-not-break category when going to the adventurers guild to find out. The empire’s foundation, Haku-san’s [White Labyrinth], goes without saying.
“… Ah, come to think of it, there are about six intruders captured and confined right now, could we become a [Dungeon That is Fine to Destroy]?”
“If you are exposed, yes. However, have you set up proper countermeasures? There’s no problem then.”
It’s a jail, but they are perfectly isolated. Their strength is falling, but since they’re in a room you can’t get to without the dungeon’s [Deployment] function, ordinary intruders would never be able to make it to the jail.
Although their strengths should be falling exceptionally, according to Rei, I’m told it’s fine since they have bodies that can’t run away and will never talk again… so it seems there’s no problem. I didn’t ask for any details.
Yep, it’s fine so long as we aren’t exposed. Although I myself rejected it since we didn’t have enough people or the know-how, human farms are still really useful facilities. I understand since there are a few people in the palm of my hand already, but just six people gives the huge profit of 1,300 DP per day.
Let’s be sure to be able to self-destruct them at any time, like a evidence self-destruction switch.
“Well, that hero heard about the method of those playing cards that come from your dungeon. He said that there may be some connection to his former world. According to Kehma-san’s plan, you have lured him in.”
“… Yeah, looks like it.”
Is that so? A dungeon that drops something that comes from the hero’s world would certainly be suspicious.
… Although it looks like I’ve somehow become an amazing tactician in Haku-san’s head, that wasn’t my plan at all. Sorry. It was a simple mistake. Let’s just hide it for now. I shook my head.
“Naturally, fufufu.”
“Well, although I don’t know what you are planning to do with the hero, since the hero coming this time, Nis.h.i.+mi, is under my control… while hiding the things about dungeon cores that’s in the [Introduction to the Study of Dungeons], could you please make best use of him and return him to me?”
“It can’t be helped hmm? Understood.”
“Fufu, I don’t dislike obedient children… Right, if there is something you want, how about I finance you a little?”
In that case please allow me to present to you this garter belt and stocking set—ah, I should stop. I really want to say it though.
… Oi, Rokuko, why are you staring? I won’t say it, I won’t say it!
“Then DP. I want to play around with a few ‘capturing alive anti-hero’ things.”
“As a reward for hearing my request, I will give you 200,000 DP as prepayment.”
This terrifying person can just give away one hundred days’ worth of our current income… that’s four hundred days’ worth of our income just a few days ago.
Moreover, she didn’t forget to tip Rokuko either. That Haku-san, her depths are incomprehensible…
Footnotes:
Little awkward in English but I think the point gets through. She uses phrasing as though it happened a while ago.