Dungeon Battle Strategy Meeting

I think it's about time to make a dungeon.

I've looked around the Imperial Capital and gathered various ideas to reference.

I've decided on the location, so all that's left is to dig the dungeon.

So today is the meeting to decide the dungeon's location. By the way, Rokuko was tired from playing around and fell asleep within seconds of the meeting starting. She has such a happy sleeping face—what a free-spirited girl.

Haku-san was allowing it too, even covering her with a towel blanket. I think she spoils her too much. This is supposed to be a discussion about Rokuko's dungeon, you know?

"So, Kehma-san. Where will you make the dungeon?"

"Yes, I was thinking here."

I pointed to a spot on the map.

… It was the sea.

"… Kehma-san, are you joking?"

Whoosh—bloodlust came flying at me along with a smile. Oh crap, I'm gonna wet myself.

"No, I'm serious, really serious! I'm not joking!"

"Please explain. We senior cores have received the right and obligation to hear explanations of strategy under the pretense of 'advising our juniors' from Otou-sama."

"Y-yes! I will explain the strategy for this battle!"

When Haku-san uses polite speech with me, her anger and intentions leak through. She's probably doing it intentionally, but it's super scary.

The gimmick I've been thinking about for this battle is an undersea dungeon.

Suppose I make a dungeon at the bottom of the sea. It's naturally the sea, so you can't breathe there.

Impossible to capture? It's just a dungeon that anyone can enter with a bit of water everywhere.

For capturing the enemy dungeon, I can use the water attack and water flea strategy we used at [Flame Cavern]… though water fleas would be difficult for active exploration, so I'll substitute small fish. I'll cause a tsunami in the enemy's dungeon and summon a massive amount of sardines.

This is a strategy unique to the sea. It wouldn't reveal too much of my hand. Haku-san already knows about the tactic of exploring with large numbers since I used rats before.

And if I can use sharks to destroy the enemy's Dummy Core, that would be perfect.

… Well, it might not work against Core 666 since they're the inanimate type, but at least it should be effective against the three-way deadlock group. If so, I can focus my countermeasures solely on Core 666.

"So basically, I plan to narrow down my Dungeon Battle opponents to just Core 666 and fight."

"I see. That does make sense… So, Kehma-san, how do you intend to make this undersea dungeon?"

"Well, like this, just fiddle with the menu a bit…"

"Working underwater, and in such deep areas… will 500,000 be enough?"

We have 500,000 this time, so I figured it would be plenty, but maybe not?

"… Besides, the minimum condition for creating [Corridors] and [Rooms] is that humans can survive there, so you can't create rooms underwater. Even if you could, I believe it would turn into something like a bubble dome with air inside. Moreover, it was terribly inefficient — constantly costing DP to maintain the walls."

So that's how it was. Also, from the way she's talking, she's actually tried it before.

… A bubble dome, huh. Sounds like it would be like the Dragon Palace.

"The dungeon walls would probably be constantly collapsing and repairing at extremely high speed to maintain their form. It didn't look bad, but still. Therefore, I cannot approve of the plan to make a dungeon on the seabed."

"I understand. Let's choose a different location then."

As expected of a senior with abundant experience. Her opinion was invaluable… Ah. This kind of information exchange and advice is probably exactly what this [Father] intended. Well, it's not a disadvantage, so it's fine.

"Then I'll choose here."

This time, I pointed to the coast.

"Oh, here? Why?"

"It's simple. If I can't make it in the water, I'll just make it and then sink it."

I know that you can flood it with water after it's made.

When I said that, Haku-san made a face like she had a headache.

"… Where do you even get ideas like this…"

"Is it no good?"

"No, it's possible. It's certainly possible. However, sinking a dungeon you built yourself is unprecedented… wouldn't it become unlivable?"

Hmm? What is she talking about?

"Why would you think about living there? Dungeons are places to kill enemies, aren't they? Especially since this dungeon is solely for the Dungeon Battle. Besides, I already have [Cave of Desires] as my home."

"… Ah, that's right. Kehma-san, you're human, so you don't think of dungeons as places to live… Just so you know, if you win, this place will become Rokuko-chan's vacation home. Wouldn't you dislike a vacation home that's submerged?"

Haku-san glanced at Rokuko. But Rokuko hasn't said a single word since this meeting started. She's been sleeping in her chair the whole time.

But since there's no objection to the submerged vacation home, I guess it's fine for now.

"Haku-san. In my homeland, there's a saying from a certain famous story."

"A saying from another world? What is it?"

I cleared my throat.

"Victory is all that matters!!"

There's no way people from another world would get this reference, but the nuance should have gotten through perfectly.

And the sleeping Rokuko jerked awake. "Fueh!? W-wha, ah, I-I wasn't sleeping!" she said, but her drool was all over the place.

"Um… In other words, winning comes first, and looking cool or observing etiquette comes after that. Rather, those don't matter—winning is the most important thing."

"… A ridiculous saying that really captures Kehma-san's thinking. Certainly, there's no such thing as cowardice in a Dungeon Battle."

"Eh, what, what happened? Kehma, tell me."

"I was just explaining and you were sleeping."

I explained the plan to submerge the dungeon to Rokuko again.

"Hmm, sounds fine to me."

"Fine, Rokuko-chan? Your vacation home will be underwater, you know? Are you really okay with that?"

"Eh? We just need to drain it after the Dungeon Battle ends, right? Right, Kehma?"

Oh, Rokuko made a valid point. That way, she could use it as a vacation home too.

Was she thinking about it while sleeping? I wonder who she takes after.

"Well, Kehma, do as you like. I'll handle the cleanup afterward."

"Yeah, I'm counting on you, partner."

"Leave it to me, partner. Fufufun."

When did she start saying such reliable things?

By the way, if we lose, the dungeon gets confiscated, so there's no cleanup. In a sense, this division of roles shows she believes I'll win… right?

"… It seems I've somehow lost my ability to think flexibly, haaah…"

"I haven't been hanging around Kehma for nothing! It's just experience, experience."

"Should I be happy about Rokuko-chan's growth, or lament that she's been dyed by Kehma-san's way of thinking…"

Haku-san was seriously troubled over something that didn't really matter.

After that, we refined the dungeon plan while having a meeting with Haku-san about specific flooding methods and dungeon monster selection. I learned a lot from her about handling cases where the enemy might have countermeasures—as expected of Haku-san. I was impressed all over again.

With this, it looks like I can win without using my trump card, the special golems. Or so I thought, but Haku-san warned me, "Core 5 and Core 6 are on the other side too." Right, the other team also has veterans. I can't let my guard down.

After a fruitful meeting, dungeon construction was scheduled to begin tomorrow.

What, Rokuko? She fell asleep again.

Well, whatever. I'll do as I please and leave the cleanup to you… better be prepared!