Making the Dungeon

First, we dig the dungeon.

To save even a little DP, I'm having golems summoned with DP dig holes using pickaxes and shovels.

This is the temporary Master Room inside the Dummy Core. For this Dungeon Battle, [Father] specially provided Dummy Cores that included a temporary Master Room as a place for seniors and juniors to relax. (I can't tell the difference from a regular Master Room, but according to Rokuko and Haku-san, it has "that kind of feeling.")

So I've holed up here, giving commands to golems and having them dig.

Anyway, dig. Just keep digging holes relentlessly.

"How stingy."

"Stingy is fine. It's not like we're short on time."

Haku-san said that while I was making the dungeon.

We collect the excavated soil and gradually expand the area. Occasionally I toss a magic stone onto the collected soil and use [Create Golem] to turn it into a golem, increasing our workforce.

"So, what will you do with this excavated soil?"

"I'll use it later to make walls or for landfill. As you can see, I can also turn it into golems."

"Hmm. Well, using what you can is fundamental… But this is how you've been saving? Using [Create Golem] on the excavated soil as materials is quite useful."

"Yeah, well."

These saving techniques are minor things, but this much is fine to reveal. It's just basic economizing, and it's meaningless to Haku-san. It's like talking about pinching pennies when managing a national budget.

Well, as long as my magic modification cheat that I mainly use for [Create Golem] isn't exposed, it's fine.

"Haku-san doesn't need to reference something like this anymore. You have abundant DP without needing to save."

"That's right… It would be useful in Dungeon Battles with DP restrictions like the one I had with Kehma-san before or this time, but I rarely do Dungeon Battles like that. Usually they're unrestricted."

Well, in my case, two out of three battles including this one have had DP restriction rules.

"Fufun, Kehma is good at being stingy with DP."

"Don't say stingy."

"Though it's a fact I have to acknowledge that you're skilled at it."

"Yes, Kehma is such a cheater that he could even beat Haku-neesama with the same DP conditions!"

"Hey, are you praising me or insulting me? Pick one."

"Eh? I'm praising you. Cheater."

Is cheater a compliment? Dungeon Core culture is terrifying.

Ah, by the way, Haku-san has finally started the impressive technique of bringing her paperwork outside to work while staying with Rokuko. So she's been writing documents and letters right next to Rokuko, who's supervising the golems' work.

"… Chloe-san. Is it okay for Haku-san to bring out documents that only she can handle?"

"It's not ideal, but if this level allows Haku-sama to work comfortably, there's no problem. If something happens, Haku-sama will simply take responsibility."

Ah, I see. Since the person with ultimate responsibility says she'll take responsibility, she can bring them out regardless of whether it's good or bad.

"Kehma, don't you have work as village chief?"

"Hmm? I've delegated everything to my subordinates. Well, I'd show up to solve any problems, but things are going smoothly right now."

Honestly, things might be going smoothly precisely because I'm not there.

"That's enviable. Oh, Kehma-san, could you help me with these documents for a bit? The income and expenses don't match, can you see where the problem is?"

"Isn't there just some noble lining their pockets? More importantly, please don't show me the Empire's confidential documents. Do you want me to be targeted?"

"Oh? Doesn't Kehma-san already know the Empire's greatest secret—that I'm a Dungeon Core? What are you saying at this point?"

Come to think of it, she's right?!

"Eh, then Haku-neesama has been targeting Kehma's life this whole time?! That's not allowed, Ane-sama! Kehma is my partner!"

"My my. It's alright, I'm not targeting his life, at least."

"Ah, good. Then it's fine."

At least… eh, doesn't that mean she's planning to do something as long as it doesn't kill me?

I carefully returned the documents she'd handed me without looking inside.

L-let's just focus on making the dungeon for now…

That said, it's just having golems dig holes and expand according to the plan we decided on, so I'm free for a while. I've already made plenty of digging golems. Since they absorb the dungeon's mana, they won't stop either.

… Ah, come to think of it, Rokuko also learned [Create Golem] at some point.

If I'm going to be idle anyway, I should just leave the dungeon work to Rokuko. Her [Create Golem] should be more natural-looking than mine anyway.

"Rokuko, can I leave this to you for a bit?"

"Sure, but what are you going to do? Sleep?"

"I'm going to think about what traps to use."

Normally I'd say I'm going to sleep, but with Haku-san here, I can't leave Rokuko to work and go sleep. Damn, doesn't it feel like I've been awake too much lately?!

Well, putting that aside, I'll think about what traps to use.

… Since we're flooding it, I want electric attacks. Maybe poison too?

But what should I do against inanimate-type opponents… Maybe I should follow Haku-san's advice and crush them with mass. Aah, if I could use [Create Golem], I could use all sorts of things for free, but I have to spend DP to make each one.

"Maybe falling rocks and skewering with needles would work."

By the way, the main forces I'm preparing are [School of Sardines], [Sharks], and [Mermen]. Mermen can fight on land too, so they're usable even if the water attack on the enemy dungeon fails.

As expected of Haku-san's choices… Oh, maybe I should add octopuses too. Octopuses, the ninjas of the sea. Smokescreens, camouflage, infiltrating tight spaces—they're quite excellent scouts.

As for traps, I need to set them up carefully to avoid affecting our own side.

The adjustments are going to require a lot of attention.

"Um, Kehma-sama. What is this Dagon? It's not in the Catalog I know of…"

While I was looking at the Catalog, Chloe leaned in and peeked at it.

I wasn't particularly hiding it, but… ah, she smells nice. Come to think of it, she's a succubus even though she dresses as a man.

But, I see. This mythological creature isn't in Haku-san's, or at least Chloe's, DP Catalog.

"… Ah, this is a mythological creature from another world. Please avoid saying its name out loud as much as possible. Don't look at it in the Catalog either. It'll drain your SAN value."

"Just looking at it makes you lose your sanity…? How frightening."

"Yes. It's not something to be touched."

I quietly hid Dagon from display. If it's not in Haku-san's Catalog, it might be due to me being from another world. So it exists as a monster, does it? Maybe I should pay more attention to which monsters I use.

For now, let's just use the safe monsters Haku-san suggested.