And So.

Regarding Toy's treatment… she was quickly introduced to the members of the inn and was decideded to treated as a part-time worker. The Golem-related matters were kept secret as much as possible.

As for sleeping arrangements, an additional room was added to the dormitory where Rei and the others lived. Niku, on the other hand, had a room in the village chief's house, which might indicate her having a higher status. Even if Toy had won, she probably wouldn't have wanted to stay at the village chief's house.

"It would have been fine having me live at the Beddhist Church as well, right?"

No way. I didn't want to involve Leona in this matter. Considering that, the employee dormitory was the best option.

"So, what should I do? I was the director of the Magic Research Institute, so I can do pretty much anything, Kehma-sama."

"Yeah… you'll be working at the inn's reception and serving in the dining hall."

"Excuse me?"

"You'll be working at the inn's reception and serving in the dining hall."

"… Are you really going to use someone of my capabilities for such tasks? Isn't that a tad luxurious?"

It couldn't be helped. There was shortage of hands for the dungeon work and there's nothing else to do! Besides, I didn't want Toy to do anything unnecessary, which is why I was going to push her onto Haku-san…

"I would prefer a job that makes better use of my abilities."

"But what can you do?"

"I can do assassinations, torture, abductions, spreading rumors, investigations, instigation, looting supplies, and sabotage activities, you know?"

Are you a ninja!?

… Wait, now that I think about it, arenn't there quite a few uses for those skills?

"Well then… how about investigating the identity of the assassins targeting me?"

"Capture and torture, right? Leave it to me. I'll catch one real quick."

Toy swiftly leaped and disappeared. Huh? Right now? As they thought that, Toy quickly returned, holding an unconscious man in their right arm.

"Sorry for the wait. Can I borrow a torture room? If not, a warehouse or something will do."

"Ah, yeah. There's a basement accessible from that well over there…"

"Wonderful! It's nice to have a room like that. Please hold me. Oh, should I have said [please make me a body pillow]?"

"Already have one."

"Oh, what a shame."

When I declined Toy's invitation, she took the unconscious man by the collar and entered the well… Toy briefly stuck their head out of the well and smiled.

"I will demand a reward depending on my results. Also, in my spare time, I'll work at the inn's reception and serve in the dining hall, as you said, to pass the time."

With that, Toy entered the well for real this time.

A reward… Well, a hamburger should be fine, right? It should be. She'll consider it as fine.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

With Toy's situation more or less settled, Rokuko smiled brightly at me. She seemed to be in a strangely good mood.

"Kehma, I lost the bet, so let's go on a date."

"Huh? Wasn't I the one who could give orders?"

It was supposed to be that the winner would grant one request, but…

"Even if I granted your request, it'd be best to do it during or at the end of our date. Yes, I'm a Dungeon Core who can read the atmosphere, so that's why!"

"… Huh? Are you going to shyly give me your freshly taken off socks during or at the end of the date?"

"Kehma?"

"Just kidding, I'm just kidding. I just wanted to tease you because the way you said it sounded like a fixed request for a kiss."

I withdrew my half-joking request under Rokuko's icy gaze. I'm a Dungeon Master who can read the atmosphere.

"Hmph, the way you said it makes it sound like you don't want to kiss me!"

"It's not that I don't want to, but Haku-san is scary, and… I don't know when Dolche-san will be watching, okay? Especially during a date, there'll absolutely definitely be eyes monitoring us. Two hundred sure of it."

"Mumumu."

Dolche-san's a ghost type, so it's scary to think that she might have invisible ghost minions that I, someone with zero spiritual sense, can't see. Invisible auto-tracking surveillance cameras are dangerous.

"Then let's have a dungeon date. If we're inside the [Cave of Desire], Dolche can't easily pass through walls and intruders will definitely be detected. It'd even be fine to kiss!"

"But there's Rei, Ereka, and other dungeon management monsters if we go into the dungeon?"

"I can just use my authority to make sure they don't see anything!"

"… But isn't the dungeon not really an interesting place for a date? It's a dungeon, you know?"

"… Are you saying my body has no appeal?!"

Ah, I see. To Rokuko, the dungeon is like her own self.

"Ugh… then I'll just create interesting facilities, okay!? I'll make something even more amazing than a date spot created by Leona, just you watch! I'll make her eat her words!"

"Wait, Rokuko. Direction. You're losing sight of the direction. The [Cave of Desire] wasn't originally a date spot, so it's natural that it's not interesting for a date. Can you stop? I don't want to use my precious request right to stop your rampage."

"Hmmph!"

Rokuko puffed out her cheeks, clearly unhappy.

But it seemed she understood what I was saying and she gave up on creating a date spot.

… Now, the problem is how to use this pending request without causing any offense.

I went along with Rokuko's bet on a whim, but when I think about it, I don't really have any use for it… It might have been better if Niku had lost instead. Well, that would have made dealing with Toy more complicated.

Rokuko usually listened to my requests without any fuss, after all.

Even though I'd never used my absolute command authority.

Well, maybe it's because I haven't made any significant requests?

But if I demand something like a kiss, Haku-san would hear about it so it was difficult to make requests in that direction. The request right was rather inconvenient to use. Rokuko wouldn't be satisfied with something trivial like [Please get that thing over there] either.

A moderate request… hmm.

"… Ah, Rokuko. So, I have a request."

"Hm, h-here? I mean, it's fine?"

Rokuko fidgets nervously. No, it's not a kiss.

"Let me use your Dungeon Core as a hot water bottle substitute next time. I've always been curious about it."

"… … W-wait, Kehma. S-so that's what you want… O-okay, sure, okay?"

Rokuko blushed and nodded. Good, it seems I've made just the right request. Phew. Made it through alive!