Chapter 200

I moved to the sunroom, held the house key at the designated spot, and activated its hidden function.

After confirming that there was no reaction from anyone around the house, I next operated the items on my menu screen.

“…Hm, the maximum number of people for Order Summon is still one.”

Even though I’ve acquired the Dungeon Core, the number hasn’t increased?

I currently possess the Dungeon Cores for Yumeoka Great Forest and The Death Sea That Devours the Earth.

And yet, the number of people I can summon hasn’t increased… Could it be that my prediction—that the number would increase depending on the number of cores—was wrong?

“…No, there’s still a possibility.”

I still have the Yumeoka Great Forest Core without returning it to the land.

So far, the only Core I’ve returned to the land is the Scorched Valley Core.

What if the rule is: the number of people that can be Order Summoned depends on the number of cores returned to the land?

That would explain it.

I don’t plan to use the Yumeoka Great Forest Core in the future. I want to keep that forest sealed off—protecting Melt’s hometown and house from outside interference.

If that’s the case, then using the Death Sea That Devours the Earth Core here instead… might increase the summonable number?

Since having it without using it has no effect, I might as well use it here as part of the experiment.

I took out the Dungeon Core and held it up to the window.

“Administrator Information [Quantum Gazer] – Senior Authority Holder Felschuler recognized. Please select the jurisdiction management item.”

• “Reinforce Own Territory”
• “Reinforce Base”
• “Move Base”
• “Transfer Base”
• “Manage Base”
• “Construct Temporary Base”
• “Manage Vassals”

The menu display had changed slightly from before.

Presumably, the original owner of this Dungeon Core was a higher-ranked being than any Dungeon Master that came before.

Quantum Gazer was the name Felschuler used.

I imagine it’s some kind of organization in a world where higher beings dwell.

Probably, previous Dungeon Masters weren’t official members.

“To use the core… it was under ‘Reinforce Own Territory,’ wasn’t it?”

Selecting that item displayed the changes that would occur if I used it immediately:

“Reinforcing own territory requires surrendering authority.”
“Return operator Felschuler’s authority and reinforce own territory?”
“Normalizing sea currents and leveling the seabed of the territory will reduce defensive capabilities.”
“Stabilization of currents may also increase the influx of sea creatures and potential monsters.”
“Changes in water quality may allow certain displaced life forms to repopulate.”
“Confirm the map information and surrender authority if you agree.”

I see… by stabilizing the whirlpools and currents, more creatures will enter.

It might increase fishing yields, but at the same time, sea monsters could wander in.

…Sea monsters are basically just “large shrimp and squid,” so in a sense, they’re seafood, right?

“If I use this, I should report it to the country. I should’ve told the queen during the meeting that I planned to use it.”

I operated the menu and returned the Dungeon Core to the land.

This stops the disappearance of the dungeon and halts further seabed changes, but the areas already changed should revert.

“Next, I can check it from my own menu. Let’s open the Housing menu…”

I closed all the items displayed on the sunroom window and switched to operating my menu screen.

Since only I can see this screen, there’s no worry of someone spying.

…Well, seeing what I’m about to do would be a problem anyway.

“…Alright! The number of summonable people has increased to two!”

“Orderable Characters 0/2”

• Silent [Gatekeeper][Gathering]
• Rent [Gatekeeper][Gathering][Observation]
• Sheele [Gatekeeper][Gathering][Research]
• Seira [Gatekeeper][Gathering][Cooking]
• Shijima [Gatekeeper][Gathering][Blacksmithing]
• Selene [Gatekeeper][Gathering][Alchemy]
• Hash [Gatekeeper][Gathering][Composition][Performance]
• Rue [Gatekeeper][Gathering]
• Still [Gatekeeper][Gathering]

More character names are displayed than before.

As expected, it seems I can only summon characters I’ve actually used in this world to some extent.

As an experiment, I summoned Same and Sheele.

Silently, the two appeared in the sunroom.

…They’re really handsome and beautiful!

“Alright, this confirms the condition for increasing the Order Summon limit. Currently, this can only be done here and at the terminal in Yumeoka Great Forest.”

Actually, maybe it can be used in cleared dungeons as well.

For example, the Scorched Valley dungeon has disappeared; now it’s just a normal valley.

Somewhere there might be a terminal where the core can be used, visible only to the core’s owner.

…Yasha Island’s dungeon was underwater, so I might not be able to reach a place to use its Dungeon Core anymore. Maybe it’s on the beach somewhere.

“Next… I need to figure out how to project the summoned characters’ minds to the surface.”

I decided to directly ask the characters about the medicine Melt has been secretly trying to create within the mental world.

“Melt~? Can you come over here for a moment?”

“‘Yesss!’”

When Melt, who had been in the living room, entered the room, she froze in surprise at the sight of Same and Shire standing in the sunroom.

…When Melt gets surprised, her tail suddenly fluffs up and stands straight—she’s easy to read.

“Now there are three of you! Shizuma, Same, and Sheele!”

“Y-yeah, I can summon two people at the same time now.”

“Waaah! This feels so strange!”

Since I hadn’t given them any orders, the two didn’t move. Melt poked at them, tapping Same’s side and holding Sheele’s hand.

“Melt, you’re gathering materials to make that medicine that affects the heart, right? The ‘Heart-Silver’ we got in Izbel is for that too, isn’t it? And the materials you heard about on Yasha Island.”

“Ah… yes. I didn’t know how it would turn out, and I didn’t want to get your hopes up, so I kept quiet… How did you find out?”

“There’s someone knowledgeable about medicine inside my heart. They saw the book you showed me and realized you might be trying to make a medicine related to the mind.”

“I see, so I’ve been found out. Oh! Shizuma, that mysterious liquor you brought back from Grandma’s lab—can you let me examine it?”

“Ah, right. You should look at it somewhere calm, so please do.”

“I want to make a proper room for alchemy and analysis. This… is going to be really difficult work.”

I took out the strange jar—the heavily chained vessel.
Perhaps it was something made using “materials obtained by accessing the world where dungeon-controlling beings exist, through the dream-hill forest after it became a dungeon.”
…Just my own speculation, though.

“This… Shizuma, can I turn one of the empty rooms on the second floor into a workspace? I need clean cloths and spatial-sealing sigils to make it into a proper workroom.”

“I don’t mind. You’ll need to clean first—do you know where the cleaning supplies are?”

“I know, they’re upstairs! Then I’ll get things ready. I’ll be doing alchemy and mixing at the same time, so I’ll probably hole up in the room for a while… will you be okay? Not get lonely?”

“Hmm? I will get lonely, so make sure you come down for meals, okay? Let’s eat together.”

“Hehehe, alright! I’ll be back!”

With a smile, she headed upstairs.
Now then… Melt has already begun working toward her next goal. I need to plan my own next steps too.

“I’m curious how this country will change, and about the artificial dungeon… but there are no natural dungeons left on this continent anymore. Foos’ group, and that bitch who fled with them, won’t have many chances to return here… though I guess they could.”

They were looking for superior vessels, after all.
Isaka is dead, but Muraki is receiving treatment, and Kazunuma is alive though imprisoned.
And since Hishida-san is alive too, this country has three ‘excellent vessels summoned from another world.’

I doubt they’d cling to that so strongly, but I should stay cautious.

“…It might be time to start working on the next continent.”

I’ve heard the Riseark continent has many unexplored dungeons, and part of me simply wants to travel to places I’ve never seen.
But that means leaving this home, and Melt would be separated for a while from the friends she’s made.

Of course, that applies to me as Same, too. I’ll have to go around and greet people as Same before leaving.

“…It would be easier if your will could come to the surface.”

I said this to Same, who was still standing by, summoned but idle.

“…I wonder if Sheele really does want to stay inside my heart.”

I looked toward Sheele, also waiting, and remembered the conversation we once had inside my heart.

Shire had said, “I couldn’t integrate into Shizuma,” and “I couldn’t be together with everyone else.”
Because she was fundamentally an outsider, she couldn’t interact deeply with the others there.

Now that the round table had formed inside my mind, everyone could interact, and she had completely integrated into me.

That’s why… bringing her out into the real world at this stage—bringing her mind to the surface—might end up being my ego, ignoring her own wishes.

“…Melt hasn’t finished her work yet, the medicine isn’t complete, and there’s no guarantee it will even give someone a will of their own… but maybe I should talk to everyone once. That might be best.”

I ended the summon for the two who were on standby and let them return to my mind.

If… if I were to bring any two of them into this world—give them wills of their own, let them live here…

Then at the very least, I’d want Same to stay in this town.

He’s already become someone indispensable to this country, someone who’s woven countless bonds with so many people.

“Well… I was the one who messed around with everything in the first place, so dumping it all on Same feels kind of unfair too, though.”

Looking around the large lounge, I found myself imagining things.

Hash playing the piano in the sunroom. Melt and Sheele and Rent sitting on the sofa listening.

Rue and Same smiling as they watch. Silent and Shijima, acting awkward, drinking alcohol at the table.

Still sitting with them, having tea instead of alcohol, while Seira brings food, and Selene arrives with medicine for their hangovers.

There are still characters I haven’t brought to the surface yet.

But even so, all of them gathering here—our companions, our family—sharing this home with me and Melt.

…Yes. That’s the future. It’s not some impossible dream.

“…I’ve decided on my final goal. To recreate the real Brigade in reality.”

Saying it aloud, I reaffirmed it. That was my new goal.

Tonight, I need to talk things over with everyone inside my mind, and decide our direction together.