Chapter 62
EP.62 Dungeon Inspection by Arch Lich (1)
Celia returned from her mission on Earth.
She promptly resumed her duties.
To think so much work piled up in my absence
Indeed, Celias desk was filled with relevant documents.
Mostly letters from Princess Elena of the Sael Kingdom or information sent by shadows attached to Elena.
Occasionally, there were documents from the Demon Merchant.
She first examined the letters from Elena.
The contents were simple.
Firstly, a visit from the White Order to the Sael Kingdom was imminent.
Princess Elena will handle this well on her own.
Celia was not in a position to interfere in such matters.
From the start, she had decided to delegate all authority to Elena, as handling such tasks was better suited for someone adept.
Celia moved on to the next letter.
Again, it was a letter from Princess Elena.
Indeed.
The content of the next letter was as follows.
Once the Orders work was finished, they planned to transfer the mountain development rights to the nobles.
This, too, was a plan devised under Celias name.
However, another issue arose here.
Before Celia went to Earth to fulfill her Master command, she had ordered Elena not to allow entry into the mountains.
So far, so good. However, the contents of the next letter revealed that some nobles had harbored suspicions and secretly sent adventurers into the mountains.
Hmm.
Princess Elena had vowed to immediately find those responsible and punish them, but Celia didnt feel the need for such drastic measures.
Shadow, let this one slide.
During her time on Earth, Celia had a lot to think about.
Battle is not something done alone, it involves many factors.
Being strong alone was meaningless.
Wasnt that evident in the last battle?
Celia hadnt prepared the dungeon defenses perfectly before leaving her post.
If this aspect had been flawless, there wouldnt have been a need for an order prohibiting mountain entry.
Therefore, she decided to view the nobles sending adventurers as an opportunity rather than a problem.
Its a good time to assess their strength.
Celia had four dungeons under her command.
These dungeons were located in the directions surrounding Celias main dungeon, creating a protective structure.
In situations where the distances between them were not close, each dungeon needed to have minimal defenses.
Hence, it was even more critical to assess the power of these dungeons.
With Arch Lich currently inspecting, this could be quickly determined.
If the strength was below Celias standards, she planned to formally propose a merger issue to her Master.
Perhaps it was necessary to expand the scope of the Goblin Reconnaissance Unit she was currently operating.
Lets wait for now.
Celia unfolded the next document.
It was sent by Death Knight.
She immediately moved on to the following document.
This time its from Goblin Lord?
This document was authored by Goblin Lord.
The writing resembled worms crawling, making it challenging to decipher.
There were a few words that could be recognized.
Mana Gun Guard Unit?
Mana Gun.
Celia was well aware of this term from Goblin Lord.
He had acquired several Mana Guns during his battles with hunters to secure a route, as per her orders.
Hmm.
Celia pondered, trying to guess the words.
Perhaps Goblin Lord was suggesting creating a Goblin Guard Unit using the additional Mana Guns he had obtained.
Well, its a commendable idea to strengthen our forces, so I approve.
Thus, the dungeons power continued to grow stronger.
With the protection of the great master, there was nothing to fear.
Smiling, Celia continued her tasks.
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***
====
Arch Lich and the skeletons were strolling through the forest.
Their race was undead.
They didnt tire, nor did they need to eat anything.
So, not long after they set out, they arrived at the first dungeon.
[Red-Headed Tribe]
The owner of this dungeon was an orc named Squall.
He had surrendered first and now served as the dungeons Margrave.
In reality, his abilities were quite decent.
Arch Lich nodded and entered the dungeon.
Chwiik! Been waiting! Lord Lich.
The orc Squall, with red hair flowing, welcomed Arch Lich energetically.
Oh, seeing your energy has become even more powerful, cheers! It seems I should call you Lord Arch Lich!
Arch Lich, too, nodded at Squall.
[Information is slow. This is a deduction.]
Indeed, Arch Lich was a stern inspector.
As the chief of the tribe, Ive prepared a feast for Lord Arch Lich!
Arch Lich nodded and added a few words after the record he had just written.
[Information is slow. This is a deduction, but pursuing the beauty of slowness in a rapidly changing dungeon is commendable.]
Arch Lich followed Squall, recording the dungeon.
Squall showed and explained every corner of the dungeon to Arch Lich.
True to orc nature that reveres strength, weapons adorned the walls abundantly.
Some orcs were maintaining the weapons.
This is our warriors training ground!
Proudly, Squall pointed to a place.
It was a training ground.
Most orcs were spending their time training with vigorous shouts.
Though unarmed, their massive builds were threatening.
Some were even wielding weapons, engaging in what might seem like duels to an outsider.
To others, it might appear they were not sparring but rushing to kill each other.
Contrary to such concerns, Squall explained calmly.
Chwiik! We always worship strength! So, we train a lot. We work hard for the master!
Squall confidently raised his hand.
Orcs were training as if in real combat to gain strength.
[Power is good. The effort for Master is commendable.]
No one could deny this part.
In this aspect, Squall was making efforts to strengthen the dungeons power.
Arch Lich also praised him for this.
Then, Arch Lichs gaze shifted to another area.
There, goblins, not orcs, were gathered and living.
Oh, they are goblins!
Squall made a cheering sound and continued speaking.
Living together in the same place with orcs and goblins is not in line with our nature! So, we separated the areas!
As Squall said, the area where orcs and goblins lived was neatly divided in half.
Of course, Squall didnt like it from his perspective, but since it was the masters will, he took comfort in it.
Arch Lich nodded.
As expected! Is Lord Arch Lich recognized me!
Squall exclaimed with emotion.
[A dungeon owner managing by dividing rather than uniting]
This is a gift for Lord Arch Lich!
At that moment, Squall handed something to Arch Lich, who was recording.
Its an artifact called a fountain pen that I got from adventurers!
It looked like a sophisticated writing instrument.
Moreover, it was said to write smoothly even without dipping in ink.
Arch Lich cautiously received the item from Squall.
He immediately tried writing in his notebook.
The pen, smoothly releasing ink, was a delightful item.
[Attempting to divide responsibilities rather than unite while being the dungeon owner. A good attitude.]
Actually, isnt Squall saying that now?
So, according to their characteristics, I use goblins as reconnaissance teams!
Distributing roles according to each races characteristics was also part of the dungeon owners role.
Currently, Squalls dungeon had no issues, not only in terms of power but also in various aspects.
He was, in fact, doing well.
Arch Lich nodded, evaluating the dungeon.
[Red-Headed Tribe Dungeon, no problems.]
It was definitely not a biased assessment.
Arch Lich exited the dungeon as the inspection for the first dungeon concluded.
The skeleton on the left held a thick notebook, and the one on the right held a fountain pen given by Squall, not a feather quill.
The skeleton at the back was no longer holding a bottle of ink.
With the fountain pen Squall provided, there was no need for ink.
Instead, the skeleton held the small tokens Squall had prepared.
Perfect!
Arch Lich, along with the skeletons, immediately headed to the next dungeon.
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***
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A group of adventurers was climbing the mountain range.
But, is it okay for us to do this?
One of them raised a question.
Her name was Nariel.
She was lightly armed, wearing a large hat that was deeply pressed on her head.
She carried a bow on her back, presenting the appearance of an ordinary adventurer to anyone who looked.
Due to her agile abilities, she also served as the guide for the group.
In response to Nariels question, another member replied.
It should be fine. After all, its a request from Noble, right?
They were all members of the adventurer guild in the Sael Kingdom.
Even as adventurers, they often found themselves influenced by the policies of the Sael Kingdom.
It was no different now.
Currently, the Sael Kingdom was expecting a visit from the White Order.
Given the circumstances, the adventurer guild in the kingdom was keeping a low profile.
A typical example was the suspension of dungeon requests in the mountains.
Moreover, the royal family recently prohibited entry into the mountains.
In essence, ascending the mountains at this time was something to be avoided.
However, despite this situation, they were climbing the mountains.
Not only that.
They even received reconnaissance and subjugation requests for dungeons in the mountains.
Of course, it wasnt an official request.
It wasnt through the adventurer guild either.
Yet, they were able to do this because a noble had separately assigned a secret mission.
Furthermore, it wasnt just any noble, it was a noble from the Sael Kingdom leading this request.
Accepting this request meant rebellion against the royal family and, at the same time, disobedience to the adventurer guild. However, refusing was not an option because the amount offered by the other party was a ridiculous sum.
Of course, the background of the other party being a noble played a role, but it was the vast amount of money that moved their hearts. Moreover, the request was straightforward. It simply asked them to scout the mountains and check if there were any peculiarities.
Dungeon reconnaissance and subjugation requests followed a similar context.
I cant believe a noble from the Sael Kingdom would provide such a request
Even the adventurers who accepted the request expressed their confusion. It seemed odd for a noble to act in violation of the royal order.
Could a civil war break out at this rate?
Come on, surely not. If that were the case, we wouldnt have taken on dungeon requests.
Everyone expressed their thoughts on the current situation. However, they had already accepted the request. No fool would reject such a substantial amount of money. Besides, wasnt it just a matter of quietly completing the task?
Currently, both the kingdom and the adventurer guild controlled access to the mountains. If they quickly entered and exited in secret, there would be no chance of exposure.
So, without much thought, they were climbing the mountains. Nariel was also silently walking at the forefront. However, her expression was not very good.
Nariel, whats wrong? You look really unhappy.
One of the members approached Nariel. It was Isrin, who used ice magic.
Isrin
Isrin touched Nariels forehead with her hand.
Hee.
Nariel was startled when someone elses hand touched her forehead.
There doesnt seem to be a fever. Whats wrong that you look like this?
Just I just have a bad feeling.
Nariel expressed her emotions, her words trailing off. As her predictions had sometimes been accurate, no one took it lightly.
However, there was no intention of giving up the request. They had already received the initial payment for the task.
Even with just the initial payment, it was a staggering amount. How much more significant would the final payment be when they completed the request?
It was a situation where they could earn the most significant amount of money in their lives.
For the simple reason that she had a bad feeling, Nariel didnt want to give up this request.
Moreover, if they did give up, they would have to pay a penalty. The amount was several times the received payment, an unimaginable sum. Thats why they reassured Nariel instead.
Its okay. You must not be feeling well today.
Yeah, if youre too tired, do you want to rest a bit?
They called Nariels name with affectionate voices. Externally, they seemed caring, but within them, dark desires lurked. Nariel also noticed to some extent.
Now all she had to do was nod in agreement.
No, its fine.
Nariel forced a smile and continued walking forward. There was nothing else she could do. After all, she knew it too well. It was already too late to turn back.
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