We put an end to our conversation in the dungeon and then returned to our mansion in Estalca.
“Congratulations on clearing the dungeon, master!” x around 30 people.
Said a great number of maids (including a few butlers) in unison as I opened the door. Looking around, I see the mansion interior was overly decorated.
[Oh, right, thanks…]
It was a sudden occurrence so I was somewhat surprised. No, I did notice people excessively gathering at the entrance though…
[Master, the party has been prepared. Please, right this way]
Lusia appeared dressed in maid clothes in front of me and lead us the way. Where we are heading to is not the room we usually have our meals. Is it because the party is decorated excessively…?
I guess it is, a dungeon capture is a great achievement in public perspective. It isn’t strange to hold a party for it. Well, they can’t talk about this outside of our group though…
[I have heard from Sakura-sama and Sera-san that you have cleared the dungeon, Master, so by your leave, I had the privilege of planning the opening of the party. We will remove it immediately if it troubles you though…]
[No, it’s not troubling me at all. I’m really happy to celebrate when something good happens, you now.]
My dungeon capture is certainly a happy occasion. Our conversation with Carro afterwards left me a bigger impression though…
[I am glad about that.]
Where Lusia guided us to was the hall. It is about the size of 2 high school gyms. It’s quite spacious, but I left the facility partially as it is since I had no reason to use it until now.
A: Maids are using this hall sufficiently. (for their believers convention…)
Oh, I see. So they’re familiar with it and all, right?
Cynthia and others seemed to be getting things ready here.
The hall had been decorated especially elaborately. Tables were lined up all over the place, and mountains of food have been placed on them. It looks like this is a buffet party. A hanging banner was hung at the front, with “Dungeon Capture Congratulatory party” written on it. The decorations looked like elementary school or kindergarten, but only what’s written there exceeded their knowledge.
I felt a little frightened when thinking that they may secretly remove these decorations and cooking if I were to say I don’t need things like parties.
I mean, they’ve been working this attentively until now and yet, there is enough chances left that their work will lead to nothing. Seeing how I’ve been acting until now, they should know that I’m not interested in “spending money” and “being extremely gaudy”. Despite that, they went out of their way to prepare a “gaudy” party with all their efforts.
It would be good if they are rewarded for doing their best. It would be good if the chances of that increases by showing their utmost. This may come to nothing by the feelings of the other party, regardless of their efforts or lack thereof. On the other hand, if I may become happy about it, then it means that will become their reason to show their utmost even if there is a high chance it will come to nothing. …I may have been a little optimistic about the whole believer thing.
A: ……
There were a great number of my subordinates in the hall too. There were quite a few unfamiliar faces among them. That said, the majority of them are yellow (believers) and the rest of them are blue(followers) though…
[Can we start eating this as we like?]
[Yes, it would be fine for you to do as you will, master.]
[So I don’t have to greet and all?]
There are also troublesome things when it comes to parties after all. I don’t want to do it if possible…
[If you desire so, master. We did at least the preparations for it just in case, but…]
[…I really don’t want to do it.]
[Understood.]
As I said that, Lusia gave some signal to one of the maids following us. Said maid bowed and ran off to somewhere. She must have made her to tidy up what they’ve prepared. …What on earth did they prepare for this?
We decided to start eating without any greetings. According to the conversations, there’s currently only a small fraction of my subordinates in this mansion. A small fraction they say…, there are around 150 people here… Are they increasing again?
A: They are increasing. They are increasing, one after another.
Oh, I see…
I was told that subordinates with a certain level of contribution drew lots and those who drew a winning lot got to participate this party as a guest and those who drew a blank as servants. Oh, Cynthia and her team seem to have drawn all blanks.
And so, maybe because most of the people here are yellow (believers), the girls (due to the majority of them being women) pointed their interests to me in full. They’re not openly gazing at me and such, but they watch me from time to time, and there are also shrewd slaves who are putting all of their consciousness this way while talking to other people.
We also split up and started eating as we like. Well, Maria is the only one who was behind me though…
For now, let’s put some of the food over there on the plates…or so I thought, but soon after, Maria handed over food served on a plate. …She’s too skillful.
[Here you go.]
[Right…]
I accepted the plate and started my dinner.
My subordinates on the guest side would talk to me or so I thought, but nobody came talking to me.
A: Lusia gave them detailed instructions beforehand.
Well, what the heck. If I have to say it, it means they’re personnel required to make things lively. The leading role is me, or the dungeon capturing party to be accurate, but using the hall for just that is lonesome. That said, as expected of the details, they can’t invite outside people. Then, meaning they would fill it with people from within I guess…
A: Just in case, subordinates who aren’t slaves have been invited as well.
Yeah, the royalties Sakuya and Cattleya and the follower monsters like Midori have also come. Oh, Mio’s familiar Potechi also here outside…
I’m looking around to find a person to talk with while eating the food Maria handed me.
Sakuya (with a pile of food on her plate) and Cattleya (with a pile of food on her plate) are having some talk with each other. Shall I try go to them?
[… And so what he had me do is get those kind of things ready.]
[But, isn’t it sort of late to give them goods from the dungeon which are this country’s local specialties?]
[That place is a place to make a display of your skills. I wonder if doing something about it by making that a bargaining tool would be the easiest.]
[I see, I did not know that]
They were talking with a serious expression for some reason. Could it be related to the country? I guess I’ll go to another place without talking to them since I basically don’t feel like cutting in to their conversation in country policies.
[Ah, oniichan! Come here!]
Since Sakuya noticed and beckoned me, I concluded that there’s no problem so I approached them.
[Again, congrats on clearing the dungeon!]
[Congratulations.]
[Ah, thanks. But don’t you have things you want to say, Cattleya?]
The dungeon of Cattleya’s country has been conquered after all. I’m sure there’s various things she’s curious about and things she wanted to say.
[Is it about you clearing the dungeon, Jin-sama? Is it about you having become a dungeon master? Well, I am surprised about both of them, but I thought at least that clearing the dungeon would be a matter of time. You had been aiming for conquering the dungeon after all…]
[Well, nobody among Onii-chan’s subordinates even doubted his conquer when he went to clear the dungeon.]
[Well, since I’ve said I’m going to do it, I’ll do it at any cost after all]
There is the matter with Azuma and I’m not going to give up as long as nothing serious happens.
[I am still not quite sure what a dungeon master can do, but it is not like this country will be ruined is it?]
[No, I’m basically maintaining status quo]
[Then, there will be no problem. It would just mean that this country has been placed under your control like Kastal after all.]
It’s not like I’m controlling Kastal itself though. I’m just saying that Queen Sakuya is my subordinate in the end…
[Thinking about it normally, this would be a serious matter though. Well, thanks to Kastal becoming Onii-chan’s, it’s been prospering insteadl.]
[Did it really?]
I don’t know such thing you know?
A: The maids have been doing various things.
Oh~… So their activities around there is now at a level that influences their “Prosperity”… Also, despite you saying “The maids”, Alta, you’re the one leading them right?
A: …
[Yup, onii-chan’s subordinates had set up bases in various places and thanks to them treating injured people at a low price and creating a stable supply of goods using teleport magic and