So, What Now?

After putting the negotiations with the black wolf on hold and returning to the inn, I had a visitor. A man with a turban wrapped around his head… uh, who was this guy again? … Ah, it's the shop owner. The guy I entrusted a hundred gold coins to. I forgot his name though. Wait, did I even hear it in the first place?

As soon as he saw me, he shouted in a panic.

"K-Kehma-han! I-i-it's terrible! T-there's been a m-major incident! A-a crisis for the villaaage!"

I could tell he desperately wanted to convey something, but I had no idea what the major incident was. Did someone get stabbed and die?

"A major incident? What happened, did you fail at managing the money?"

"T-that's fine! C-c-calm down and listen, okay?! Alright? Yeah?! Now then, good news and bad news, which do you want first?!"

You're the one who needs to calm down. This is the first I'm hearing about there being good and bad news.

"Then let's start with the good one."

"The good one, yeah, about that… The fourth floor has been cleared!"

The fourth floor… ah, come to think of it, I hadn't fixed the Puzzle Area. Crap.

"Ah, yeah, and?"

"Just like Hero-sama reported, there was a spiral staircase continuing beyond it. Well, they turned back for now though… Hmm, what's this, Kehma-han? Your reaction's pretty weak. Don't tell me you already cleared it too?!"

"More or less. So, is that all for the good news?"

"Nah, here's the thing. The riddle door was completely wrecked, and you can just walk right through. Even after watchin' it for a while, there was no sign of it fixin' itself. That means anyone can go to the fifth floor as much as they want now, where magic swords are sleepin' in droves."

Yeah, they can go all they want until I fix it. Haah, what a pain…

"Now here's the bad news! … There's a possibility that a boss-class monster has appeared on the third and second floors! This is bad! You see, Bancho-han was found dead. Bancho-han, the C-Rank adventurer who was almost about to reach B-Rank, was killed to shreds. Since it must have happened recently, the body was still there, but apparently there were marks like his armor had been bitten clean through…"

Yeah, that's about Rin… the black wolf. Also, I forgot to collect the body. Tehe. Actually, everyone forgot about it.

… Actually, both of those things are related to the black wolf. Thanks to that thing destroying the Puzzle Area, adventurers can now advance to the spiral staircase area, but there's also the question of what to do about it potentially roaming around the dungeon. In reality, it's sleeping in the Core Room, but they don't know that.

"… What do you think we should do, Kehma-han?!"

"Why not put out an investigation or subjugation request through the Guild? … Use the operating funds I entrusted to you for the reward. I'll leave the rest to you."

"O-oh! That's right! Leave it to me!"

The merchant ran off.

… Yeah, if they can handle it on their end, that works too. It's not like I absolutely have to make it a comrade.

Ah, wait, wouldn't this be treated as another transition phase and result in another lookout request?

What a pain. I've got a ton to do right now as it is. Can't I refuse using my authority as village chief or something～

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

Since the Puzzle Area was being watched and I couldn't repair it, I decided to just prepare the parts beforehand. This might also be a good opportunity to let adventurers into the Warehouse Area. I have more Iron Golems patrolling the Warehouse Area anyway.

And it might be fun to mess with adventurers using some unusual golems. I want to keep building up the dungeon's distinct characteristics.

So, while making various golems bit by bit, I gathered everyone to discuss what to do about the wolf. Though Nerune and Kinue-san aren't here since they're working at the inn.

"Now then, let's discuss our future plans."

"But Kehma, shouldn't you pick one or the other, making golems or discussing?"

When I grinned at Rokuko's wet-blanket comment and said, "Fool, if I can knock out annoying tasks at the same time, that means more sleep time," Rokuko nodded with an "Ah, that's so Kehma." I don't really get what she took away from that, but I'm glad she understands.

"First, about the dungeon. We'll add more floors separate from the current boss room. After the Warehouse Area, it'll branch into the boss room, the magma area, and a new floor."

"The adventurers are still fumbling around in the spiral staircase area for now, but won't they reach the Warehouse Area soon?"

"Yeah, can't be helped, so I'll spend DP to quickly build the entrance to the new floor… a new Puzzle Area. We'll build it fast and expand the dungeon further in. I'm making the golems needed for the Puzzle Area right now, so I'd like to leave the installation to you, Rokuko."

"Got it. Beyond the new Puzzle Area, we'll dig further with golems, right?"

The way she just got it right away. As expected of my partner.

"… So, what about that black wolf?"

"The black wolf… apparently its name is Rin. About negotiations with it… we could basically communicate with words, but whether we actually got through to each other was debatable."

"Well, you did get eaten, Kehma."

The Messenger Golem, that is. Right, I need to replenish those too. Let me make extras in case they get eaten again.

Then Ichika raised her hand with a question.

"So, Goshujin-sama. What was that wolf sayin'? We couldn't understand wolf language at all."

"Ah, I asked if there was something it wanted. What the wolf wants seems to be… a dwelling, and food."

"So if we give it that room and some food, it'll behave itself then?"

"… It'll behave, yeah."

Right now, Rin seems satisfied after eating the golem and is sleeping again. Good grief.

"For now, since we were able to communicate, if we patiently negotiate… it's a pain, but… we might manage somehow… but it's a pain…"

"Patiently, huh. Somehow that feels like it both suits you the least and also kind of does, Kehma."

"I feel like Master actually works quite a lot though."

… Yeah, now that I think about it, when I'm not sleeping, I do work quite a bit, don't I?

"Goshujin-sama sleeps durin' the time other people spend playin', after all."

"Plus-minus, my vote is that the sleeping wins out!"

"Even though the time you're awake is short, isn't Master's workload more than normal?"

Hey, you're getting off topic. Praising me is fine, but right now we're talking about the wolf, the wolf.

"So, the wolf… as for negotiations with Rin, I'll continue using the golem to negotiate. Since we could have a conversation to some extent."

"Kehma, you handle the negotiations. Nobody else can talk to the wolf."

When I negotiated with Rin before, apparently only my first "What are you?" was in human language, and everything else was in wolf language. Bark bark. The translation function really worked hard.

Since my first words in human language got through, Rin probably understands human speech. In other words, as long as I can listen to wolf language, I can speak to it in human language and it'll understand.

"Um, Goshujin-sama. May I?"

"Hm? What is it, Niku? Could it be that you can understand wolf language too?"

"Y-yes. Vaguely, but. I am a dog beastkin after all."

"Ooh! Niku, those dog ears aren't just for show! Good girl, good girl."

I rubbed Niku's ears. Being petted, Niku happily wagged her tail back and forth.

This is a pleasant miscalculation. With the shared connection of being black-colored and canine, she might manage better than me at negotiations.

"Alright, then I'll leave the next negotiation to Niku. Win over that wolf, Rin, and bring it to our side!"

"Yes! Leave it to me!"

For now, let me make a black Messenger Golem for Niku so Rin can tell it's a different person. I don't know if it'll be able to tell the difference though. Being black might be what matters… Maybe it'd be interesting to try kneading black paint into the clay instead of just coating it.