Chapter 197: What kind of dungeon?

From here on, Ryu would be working together with the Dungeon Master to construct the dungeon beneath the second estate.

The Dungeon Master floated gently in midair, swaying as it spoke.

“So, what kind of dungeon do you want to make, Ryu~?”

“…Even if you ask me that…”

“It can be rough~ really rough. Or you can just tell me the elements you need.”

“First, I want an environment where medicinal herbs can be cultivated.”

“Mm-hmm. And?”

“Let’s see… a mine, and a few structures for emergency shelter. That’s about it.”

“I see, I see~”

“The herb cultivation idea came from Estelle, and the shelters were Stingray’s request.”

“Nice, nice~ Didn’t the others have any requests?”

“I asked, but they said nothing in particular.”

“Well, you can always tweak things later when needed, so no rush~”

“Exactly. I’ll rely on you when the time comes.”

“So, what’s the mine for?”

“For the alchemist I mentioned the other day.”

“Ahh! That Sanjō-whatever girl, right?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. Both alchemy and blacksmithing require ore.”

“So, no monsters for now?”

“Not at the moment. By the way, how do you even make monsters live here…?”

“If you have their magic stones, you can create them. Even if they’re defeated, they’ll respawn after some time, so no worries!”

“…Wait. Does that mean even extinct monsters could be made to live here, as long as you have their magic stones?”

“Exactly! Though you’ll need to prepare an environment suitable for them.”

“You’re amazing, Dungeon Master.”

“Yay! I got praised! I’m so happy—ehehe!”

The Dungeon Master spun happily in the air.

Ryu couldn’t help but smile at the sight.

“But unfortunately, I’m not all-powerful, so I can’t just create everything you mentioned out of nothing. Buildings and fields are fine, but…”

“Judging from what you said about monsters, if I want specific ores, I’ll have to bring them in from outside, right?”

“Exactly! As expected of you, Ryu—you catch on fast!”

While the Dungeon Master could create mountains themselves, they couldn’t create ores.

For example, if Ryu wanted to mine gold, he would first need to give the Dungeon Master actual gold ore and have it embedded within the mountain. After that, just like monsters, even if it was mined out once, it would respawn over time, allowing for continuous production.

“While we’re at it, want to grow gemstones too?”

“You can do that?”

“Of course!”

“That would make my mom and Lena really happy.”

“Then go bring some~”

“Yeah, I will.”

Just like that, Ryu gained a new task: acquiring various minerals.

“By the way, don’t you want a sea? You’d be able to catch fish.”

“If we need fresh fish, we can just teleport them here from Arden’s port. No need.”

“Okaaay~ Let’s get started, dungeon building!”

The two began by creating the soil necessary for herb cultivation, along with a forest and a small stream.

Since Estelle had already given detailed instructions, there was no need to worry.

Surprisingly, the work was quite enjoyable, and progress came quickly.

──By evening.

A small figure descended gracefully into the dungeon.

“…And with that, once you have the seeds, you can start cultivating medicinal herbs right away.”

“Ohooo~ thank you kindly. This dungeon is amazing!”

“I made sure it doesn’t rain here, so you’ll need to water them regularly.”

“Mm. I shall raise them like my own children. Thank you as well, Dungeon Master.”

“I’ll do anything for my friends~!”

Estelle immediately began sowing herb seeds.

“Want some help?”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll be fine on my own.”

“Still, isn’t this taking a bit long for just sowing seeds?”

“Medicinal herb seeds are more delicate than they look. Each one must be planted carefully, one by one. Beginners should quietly observe.”

“And the lesson here is?”

“—Amateurs should keep their mouths shut.”

◇◇◇

The next day.

Ryu had planned to spend the entire day purchasing minerals, but early that morning, a letter arrived from the headmaster of the Imperial Academy.

“………………”

Lena had already left for the academy for student council duties, and about an hour later, another carriage departed from the second estate.

This carriage was usually used by Estelle for her commute…

“…Why are you tagging along so casually?”

“Well, even if you say that…”

According to the headmaster, there was a shortage of magic instructors this week, and as a last resort, Ryu had been summoned.

“You usually just sit around doing nothing in the carriage anyway, so it’s fine once in a while.”

“I am not doing nothing… I use this time to plan out the general flow of my lectures.”

“Ohh, that sounds pretty professor-like. Cool.”

“Kahaha. I am, after all, known as the Empire’s greatest pharmacology professor. You may praise me more, you know.”

“As expected of Estelle. Truly Est—”

“I won’t let you say it, you fool!”

The two were in high spirits as usual.

Through the carriage window, the massive buildings of the Imperial Academy came into view.

“Weren’t you supposed to have plans today?”

“Yeah. I was going to buy ores and gemstones to build a mine.”

“Hmm… gemstones can be purchased if you have the money, but ores require going through specific channels. Ingots won’t work, will they?”

“Right. I need unrefined ore. I was thinking of buying it from a blacksmith, but…”

Gemstones were simply polished minerals, so they were fine as-is. But things like iron ingots were refined from ore with impurities removed—essentially a different substance—so they wouldn’t work.

“Blacksmiths are a stubborn bunch. They might sell you ingots after refining, but I doubt they’d sell raw ore.”

“Yeah, merchants would suspect them of diverting goods.”

“Especially dwarves—they’re a stubbornly honorable race, for better or worse.”

Ryu rested his elbow on the window and let out a small sigh.

“…What should I do…”

“You can fly, can’t you? Wouldn’t it be faster to just dig it up yourself?”

“But there aren’t any good mines around here.”

“If you want multiple types of ore, then the mountain ranges are your best bet.”

“Ah… the closest would be the great northeastern mountains controlled by the Mondo ducal house.”

“Indeed. The place we passed through before heading to Hinomaru.”

While they were talking, the carriage arrived at the academy.

“Well then, I’ll come bother you again at lunch.”

“Very well~”

They quickly parted ways and headed to their respective classrooms.

◇◇◇

Class 1-A.

Homeroom had just ended, and they were now waiting for the instructor of the first period.

“Hey, Zex. Apparently today’s instructor has been sick for the past few days.”

“Is that so? That teacher was quite good—I liked them.”

“Well, they handle the top class, after all… I wonder who the replacement will be.”

“Probably some free instructor from another magic attribute. It’s still basic-level stuff, so specialization shouldn’t matter.”

“That sounds likely.”

…Just then—

The classroom door slid open with a rattling sound, and the instructor for the day entered.

The instructor placed the textbook on the desk in one smooth motion and said,

“Everyone, take your seats. Anyone not seated before the bell rings gets smacked.”

“—What…?”

“Hm? What’s wrong, Zex?”

Time stopped for Zex.

(Could it be… that person is…!!!)

“Ah, sorry for the late introduction. I’ll be teaching here for one week starting today. I’m your part-time instructor, Ryu Arden. Nice to meet you.”