Chapter 186: One in Ten Thousand Years
The Dungeon Master had finally fulfilled a long-cherished wish spanning tens of thousands of years—he had made friends.
However, Ryu and the others could not remain here forever.
Once they left the Gran Federation, there was no telling when—if ever—they would return.
…It was this perfectly reasonable concern that Stingray voiced to Ryu.
“Excellent question, Stingray. Actually… though before that, I’d like Lily’s group and the Hero party to step aside for a moment.”
“Ehh⁉ But we’re friends with the Dungeon Master too‼”
“Isn’t it a bit harsh to exclude us, Ryu⁉”
Lily and Takeshi protested loudly, but—
“To be blunt, I don’t mind you guys being here. The problem is, if this leaks to the Garcia Kingdom, it’ll become a massive headache. If anything, blame your homeland for constantly causing trouble for other nations.”
“…Well, that’s…”
“Indeed, there’s no guarantee the information wouldn’t leak.”
“If you’re willing to abandon your kingdom and come with us, that’s a different story. So? What’ll it be?”
“Ryu-kun, don’t be mean~. I can’t just abandon it—I’m in charge of a unit, after all. And besides…”
“There’s still plenty we have to accomplish in the kingdom.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m telling you to give up.”
“Jeez! Ryu-kun, you’re so stingy~!”
Grumbling all the while, Lily and the others reluctantly moved away.
“Alright, this distance should be fine. Dungeon Master, go ahead and bring out that and explain.”
“Got it‼”
The Dungeon Master reached into a tear in space and pulled out seven shimmering crystals.
“These are dungeon cores—something I can only create once every ten thousand years.”
A wave of astonishment swept through the group.
“D-dungeon cores, I understand… but what do these have to do with friendship?”
“Um, well… Ryu said that if we place these in the underground spaces of your respective mansions, it’ll work out.”
“I’ll explain that part.”
Ryu cleared his throat once before continuing.
“To put it simply—Dungeon Masters have the ability to freely teleport between dungeons they own. So first, we place these crystals beneath the Arden Viscount House, the Blanc Count House, and the Sakamoto residence, effectively turning those areas into dungeons.
Once that’s done, the Dungeon Master can warp to our homes whenever he wants… meaning he can come visit us anytime.
…but the real value of this plan lies beyond that.”
He paused briefly, letting the weight of his words sink in.
“If the Dungeon Master grants ownership of these crystals to us, we’ll effectively become provisional Dungeon Masters ourselves. That means we will also be able to warp between those locations.
In other words—we’ll gain the ability to freely travel between the Empire, Hinomaru, and the Federation.”
“““““Oooooh‼”””””
A question arose.
“Why didn’t the Dungeon Master use something so convenient until now? If it were me, I would have already created dungeons all over the place.”
“Well… I can send clones outside the dungeon, but they’re just clones. They can’t carry objects, can’t be seen, and can’t even speak. Inside the dungeon is different, but outside… not so much. Also, creating a dungeon from a core requires an enormous amount of magic power. So I need a trustworthy friend with a huge amount of mana to carry the crystal to the destination.”
“I’ll transport them to our mansions myself,” Ryu continued. “Then I’ll pour in enough magic to create the dungeon in place of the Dungeon Master. Once that’s done, he—being the original owner—can teleport there. And if we want, we can even have him design custom dungeons to our liking. Right, Dungeon Master?”
“Yep‼ I can make anything you want~! Oh, and as long as the crystal isn’t destroyed, the dungeon can be rebuilt as many times as you like‼ That’s how special they are—only one every ten thousand years‼”
“““““Oooooh‼”””””
“I have seven crystals in total,” the Dungeon Master added.
“One will stay with me as a spare. That leaves six… so I’m thinking of giving two to each household.”
“Onii-sama,” Lena spoke up, “if we create dungeons beneath the Arden estate and the capital’s second residence, and then the Dungeon Master grants Mother provisional Master authority as well… does that mean she can travel freely too?”
“Exactly. You’ll be able to see her anytime. She’ll be thrilled. And while we’re at it, we’ll have him grant it to Sebas and Silva too.”
Stingray blinked in surprise.
“W-would that really be alright?”
“Of course. You’re the captain of the Arden Knights.”
“Thank you very much‼”
“One more thing,” Ryu added, his tone turning serious.
“The Dungeon Master is kind—if you ask, he’ll probably grant this power to others as well. But only do so with people you trust completely. Even the slightest doubt, and you don’t grant it. And keep the existence of these dungeons as secret as possible. Understood?”
Everyone nodded firmly.
“Alright, Dungeon Master. Go ahead.”
“Oh, I already granted the provisional Master authority while you were explaining everything.”
“Oh? As expected. Thanks.”
“Hehe~ I got praised♪”
After going over a few more details, they called Lily and the others back.
“What’s with all the grinning⁉ What are you hiding from us⁉”
“Well then, shall we head back? The Dungeon Master will send us to the entrance.”
“Listen to me properly‼”
“I am listening. I’m just ignoring you.”
“Waaaaaah‼”
“Okay then, here we go~”
The Dungeon Master spread a massive magic circle beneath their feet.
Their vision was swallowed by white—
“Nuoh, it’s hot. Your turn, Daifuku-kun.”
“…………” plop
Before they knew it, they had been transported near the dungeon’s entrance.
“Is it already time to say goodbye…? I’m going to miss you…”
The Dungeon Master lowered his head sadly.
Then Lily stepped forward.
“Don’t worry‼ We and the Hero group will be staying in the capital for a while, so we’ll come visit you from time to time‼”
“Yay‼”
“Haha, you really are honest and adorable, Dungeon Master-kun. Unlike someone else…”
“But I have two beautiful wives. Unlike someone.”
“Gnnnngh…”
Lily clenched her teeth, struck by a painful counterattack. She still had a long way to go in verbal battles.
Before leaving the dungeon, Ryu leaned in and whispered to the Dungeon Master.
“Ryoma and I are dragons—we don’t age. And Estelle is working on an elixir of immortality. So just wait patiently for a few weeks until we return to the Empire.”
“So if I wait a few weeks… from then on, I’ll get to play with everyone every day for the rest of my life?”
“That’s right.”
“Ehehehe… then I’ll wait‼”
“Good.”
Waving their hands, Ryu and his party left the dungeon.
The Dungeon Master continued waving both hands until they disappeared from sight.
“They’re really gone… But if it’s Ryu, I’m sure he’ll call me soon‼ …Alright, maybe it’s time to go respawn Behi-chan~”
Meanwhile, the group made their way toward the Guild Headquarters to deliver their report.
“Onii-sama, after Daifuku-kun, we’ve made yet another adorable friend~”
“Yeah. Coming to the Federation was worth it.”
“Let’s enjoy the rest of our time here‼”