“The Demon Realm Merchant Guild, huh…”
Azmo’s proposal was simple.
He was suggesting that, just like the Demon Realm Merchant Guild on the Eldorad Continent, we establish a similar organization here on Earth.
“Did you get some kind of inspiration while you were there?”
Azmo had also attended the social gathering hosted by the Demon Realm Merchant Guild.
He must have realized something after seeing various things there.
To be sure, Azmo’s proposal was a good one.
Hadn’t I also been freshly shocked by the sight of the guild?
‘To think that so many monsters would gather at one meeting.’
That alone spoke to just how great the guild’s power was.
It made sense that Azmo would make such a proposal after seeing that.
I remembered that Celia, too, had initially brought in monsters through the guild.
They had even expanded a dungeon through the guild’s power, so that said it all.
Just from that, I could tell how much influence the Demon Realm Merchant Guild had over each dungeon.
And now, I would be the one to make use of it.
“If this goes well, it could be good.”
According to Azmo, there was currently no place on Earth like the Demon Realm Merchant Guild on the Eldorad Continent.
In other words, there was no medium capable of tying multiple dungeons together.
Azmo advocated coexistence through conducting all kinds of transactions with other dungeons.
In that way, we could gradually exert influence over other dungeons, and that could even develop into a single faction.
For me, it was all gain and absolutely no loss.
“If this goes well, I won’t have to worry about money.”
At present, I was spending money out of my own pocket to manage the dungeon.
For now, I was making up for it by clearing dungeons together with Maru, but it wasn’t exactly a big windfall.
But what if we formally created a merchant guild on Earth and began operating?
By trading with other dungeons, we should be able to receive all sorts of goods in return.
“It won’t be bad for other people either.”
And I wouldn’t be the only one benefiting from this.
If I exerted influence over those dungeons and prevented monster waves alone, it would be quite a decent benefit for people.
“Good. Let’s start right away.”
I immediately approved Azmo’s plan.
Now that I thought about it, it was similar to the [Dungeon Support & Dispatch] I had done a few times before.
I had also come to know the current Azmo through dungeon support, and now he followed me, didn’t he?
“And this time, it’s something I’m taking the lead on, not the system.”
[Dungeon Support & Dispatch] was similar in that it supported and helped other dungeons, but in the end, it was nothing more than following the system.
This time, however, it was something Azmo and I were doing of our own accord, not the system.
“Hmm, I’ll have to think about how we should operate first.”
First of all, if it was a merchant guild, then we had to be able to go to other dungeons.
To begin with, the Eldorad Continent and Earth were different.
I didn’t know about the Eldorad Continent, but here on Earth, Hunters were far too active.
If Azmo came out of the dungeon, he would be discovered in no time.
But it wasn’t as if I could disguise him as a human…
As I thought quietly, one being soon came to mind.
“Come to think of it, didn’t he have a lieutenant?”
I had placed a lieutenant in the dungeon where Azmo was.
The lieutenant was a slime, but it wasn’t an ordinary slime.
It was a master of transformation that could transform into anything.
As soon as I remembered that, I immediately tapped the dungeon.
[Temptation of Illusion]
- Administrator: Azmo (★★★★)
- Lieutenant: Beter (★★★★)
“As expected!”
It was even a four-star slime.
It wouldn’t die miserably somewhere out there.
“This should be good enough.”
It would be better to use Beter for full-scale activities.
If Beter used its ability to transform into a Hunter, there shouldn’t be any major problem with its activities.
And I had already thought of who to make it transform into.
“What was that guy’s name again?”
There had once been a father and son who tried to ambush me.
“His name was definitely Ji… Ji something.”
It had been so long that I couldn’t even remember the name.
In any case, of that father and son, the father had met his end, and I had spared the son and thrown him into the dungeon where Azmo was.
“He should still be alive, right?”
It wasn’t a succubus dungeon but an incubus dungeon, so there shouldn’t be any major problem.
On top of that, the guy was already registered as an F-rank Hunter.
“I can just have him obtain something like a necromancer qualification, like me.”
As long as you had a qualification like summoner or necromancer, there wasn’t much of a problem with bringing monsters around outside a dungeon.
In other words, it would make it easy to move monsters from the dungeon.
“I’ll have to give the order right away.”
In addition, I decided to provide one more bit of support.
The place where I had caught that father and son before had been a skeleton dungeon.
At the time, I had been able to understand the skeleton soldiers in the dungeon, and because of that, the skeleton soldiers had started following me.
Of course, quite some time had passed, and I hadn’t paid them any attention for a while.
“Surely they haven’t disappeared, right?”
[Feeble Skeleton Dungeon]
- Administrator: Vacant
Fortunately, that dungeon was being maintained well.
Were those guys more capable than I thought?
Or perhaps it had been left alone because its rank was too low.
Either way, it was good news for me.
‘I should attach these guys to Azmo.’
Though they were the lowest-rank skeleton soldiers, they should be enough as manpower.
A rough outline had been drawn.
Now the rest of the plan was something Azmo and Beter could handle on their own.
Lastly, I decided to adjust the settings of the dungeon where Azmo was.
“I should loosen the restrictions on going outside the dungeon a little too.”
When the number of monsters inside a dungeon reaches capacity, a monster wave occurs.
Last time, I had loosened this too much and gotten burned once.
So I had been thoroughly controlling it all this time, but the situation had changed.
From now on, Azmo and Beter had to operate in earnest, and I couldn’t keep controlling everything forever.
I just needed to tweak the settings very slightly.
“Outings outside the dungeon are permitted only for matters related to approved special activities.”
Here, special activities referred to matters related to the merchant guild Azmo had mentioned.
With just this much set, they shouldn’t run wild in a monster wave like last time.
“There. Now the stage is all set.”
If I had done this much, then my work was done.
The rest was up to Azmo.
Well, if he needed major help, I could just send Maru.
“Phew. Should I rest a bit now?”
I immediately turned off my smartphone and was finally able to rest.
After resting a little, I’d have to check the housework and talk with the elf too.
* * *
Azmo began the day in high spirits.
His face was filled with a bright smile, and there was no other reason for it.
It was because the Great One had approved his plan.
‘Now I can finally show my worth.’
He had submitted the proposal two days ago, and the Great One had approved it immediately.
What could that mean?
It meant that the plan he had made had pleased the Great One that much.
‘At last, I can breathe easy.’
Once, through a wrong choice, he had caused a monster wave and offended the Great One.
As a result, Azmo had been unable to leave the dungeon, and even the dungeon’s location had been forcibly moved.
Of course, because it was the Great One’s will, he had obeyed without a single complaint.
‘It is astonishing no matter how many times I think about it. To move a dungeon so easily.’
The Great One’s abilities were amazing no matter when he saw them.
‘Someday, I too…’
Azmo held the hope that if he looked only to the Great One and pledged his loyalty, he too would one day become stronger.
He had fallen out of the Great One’s favor because of a momentary mistake, but now he had gained a chance to be forgiven.
Now, an organization like the Demon Realm Merchant Guild of the Eldorad Continent was to be launched on Earth as well, so he only had to devote himself to that.
If he showed tremendous achievements here, surely the Great One would look upon him as well.
Vowing that he would never make a mistake, Azmo called his lieutenant.
“Now then, Beter. All the preparations are complete, I trust?”
Azmo spoke in a solemn manner.
He was now the master leading a proper merchant guild.
Azmo himself paid attention to changing his own image.
“Yes, Administrator. As the Great One instructed, I went to the Awakened Center and completed all the registrations.”
His lieutenant, Beter, also answered Azmo’s question faithfully.
As soon as the proposal was approved, Azmo and Beter had moved frantically, and Beter had even gone outside the dungeon to make preparations.
Those preparations were visiting the Awakened Center and personally searching for dungeons in need of help.
Beter was undeniably a slime monster, but its current appearance was that of a youthful young man.
It was the result of utilizing Beter’s transformation ability.
Though it was a young man, it was not an imaginary being.
It was the appearance of a human who actually existed.
His identity was Ji Seongmin.
He was the human youth the Great One had given them as a gift, and he was a Hunter.
Of course, the fact that he was a Hunter was not important.
‘Since he was bestowed by the Great One, we did savor him.’
Incubi were monsters that fundamentally lived by sucking the life essence of humans.
The incubi of the dungeon Azmo managed were different from ordinary incubi, and the fact that the human Ji Seongmin was still alive was no coincidence.
It was because he was a gift bestowed by the Great One, so they had savored him.
Even if they had savored him, the real Ji Seongmin’s physical condition had grown more emaciated by the day.
Of course, that too was not something Azmo needed to concern himself with.
Still, what was useful right now was Ji Seongmin’s Hunter license and his very existence.
Beter immediately transformed into Ji Seongmin and took all of the real Ji Seongmin’s belongings, including his clothes and Hunter license, for itself.
Then, with those in hand, it left the dungeon and visited the Awakened Center.
The reason it visited the Awakened Center was to be certified as a necromancer.
All of this was the Great One’s command, so Beter, too, obeyed without a word of complaint.
In particular, thanks to Beter’s ability, activities outside the dungeon proceeded smoothly.
Because it had transformed into Ji Seongmin so naturally, other people did not suspect it.
It even completed its mission at the Awakened Center without much difficulty.
Furthermore, it was not difficult for Beter to prove itself a necromancer.
The Great One had introduced a skeleton dungeon to them, and Beter had brought one skeleton soldier from there.
Thanks to that, Beter became a Hunter who, in Ji Seongmin’s form, had even obtained necromancer qualification.
With this, when visiting other dungeons, it could bring a skeleton along without having to watch others’ reactions.
Even if it couldn’t bring them in large numbers, the start was what mattered.
Azmo focused on the fact that they were still at the starting stage.
“Mm, yes. First, after seeing the Demon Realm Merchant Guild in person—”
Azmo’s story began.
The experience he had undergone on the Eldorad Continent was a novel story even to Beter.
It listened attentively to Azmo’s story.
“It seemed that seizing the initiative at the very beginning was most important. The first part of that is splendor.”
Azmo placed a necklace made of pure gold around Beter’s neck.
Then he took out rings set with diamonds and put them all onto Beter’s fingers one by one.
Thanks to that, Beter became the image of a Hunter covered head to toe in accessories.
“Mm. I think it would be good if you frowned a little more there.”
Beter faithfully followed the suggestion, and Azmo nodded at the sight.
It had certainly become an impression so flashy that it could overwhelm the other party from the very start.
“The second is overwhelming firepower. No matter how splendid the outside is, it is useless if the inside is empty.”
When Azmo bowed his head, Maru appeared from behind.
“Since this is your first trade, power capable of overwhelming them is important. This is Lord Maru, who will assist you with this transaction. I made a special request to the Great One.”
Monsters were not delicate like humans.
It was safe to say that they decided everything solely by strength.
Beter was not weak either, but because they needed power that could overwhelm, Maru had come at Azmo’s request.
“I look forward to your guidance, Lord Maru.”
“Clack!”
Beter bent at the waist and greeted Maru.
In truth, Beter was quite shocked upon seeing Maru, because Maru appeared even stronger than during the last monster wave.
“Now then, Lord Maru, please rest for a while.”
When Azmo clapped his hands once, the incubi nearby approached with scented oil and brushes.
While Maru enjoyed a moment of pleasure, Azmo and Beter intended to carry out their final inspection.
Since this was their first trading partner, they had to prepare thoroughly.
“The dungeon that requested a deal is one ruled by kobolds. They say hunter incursions have grown frequent lately, and they’ve lost that many troops because of it. What they want in the transaction, too, is soldiers who can protect their dungeon.”
“Hmm.”
At Beter’s words, Azmo fell briefly into thought. Carrying out the immediate request would be no problem, since they had Beter.
However, in the long term, it was ambiguous.
After all, Beter couldn’t personally guard other dungeons forever.
Even if they dispatched skeleton soldiers, in the end, they were still only skeleton soldiers.
With that level of force, it would be difficult to subdue even F-rank hunters, let alone E-rank hunters.
“It would be better if we could simply move our subordinates openly…”
If they dispatched the incubi currently here, things would proceed smoothly.
The problem was that if they openly sent monsters out, the hunters would discover them in no time.
The skeleton soldiers had only been possible as a trick because Beter had obtained the necessary qualification.
“Is there no way to move them safely?”
Azmo found himself regretting that he hadn’t spent more time on the Eldorad Continent and learned the methods of the Demon Realm Merchant Association.
As Azmo pondered for a moment, Beter spoke up.
“In that case, how about attacking this body’s guild outright?”
“Hmm?”
Beter pointed to himself as he spoke.
At that sight, Azmo was puzzled.
“Ah…!”
Then he remembered one fact.
Come to think of it, the hunter Beter had transformed into had said he belonged to a guild.
‘It was the Black Sun Guild, wasn’t it?’
At the time, the man himself had said it was not an official guild.
Beter continued.
“According to Ji Seongmin, that guild is closer to a group of fixers who handle other people’s work for them. Would it not be better for us to simply take over this Black Sun Guild?”
“Hmm…”
“If we control the Black Sun Guild, we can carry out the merchant association’s work more easily. Moving Lord Azmo’s subordinates would become simple as well.”
The conversation between Azmo and Beter was so natural that it seemed as if they knew the human world well.
Of course, that was inevitable.
Azmo had always considered information from outside the dungeon important.
Whenever hunters invaded the dungeon, he would capture at least one of them and extract information.
It was the same for Beter.
He had spent long years confined in a laboratory, living as a test subject.
Back then, he had learned about the human world through the words of the researchers around him.
That was why their conversation was remarkably sophisticated for monsters.
“Furthermore, I view this current situation differently.”
Beter opened his mouth again.
“I do not believe the Great One sent Lord Maru merely to support the merchant association’s work.”
“Mm, you’re right.”
The merchant association business planned this time likely wasn’t that important from the Great One’s perspective.
And yet, if He was giving such generous support, there had to be another meaning behind it.
“Don’t tell me…”
Only now did Azmo feel as though the pieces of the puzzle were falling into place.
Ji Seongmin of the Black Sun Guild.
At first, he had thought it was simply a gift bestowed by the Great One.
And why had He sent him to the Eldorad Continent?
To a gathering hosted by the Demon Realm Merchant Association, no less.
Lastly, when Azmo had spoken to Him about matters related to the merchant association, the Great One had approved it immediately.
‘As if He had been waiting for this very moment…!’
On top of that, He had provided unsparing support by sending not only the Skeleton Dungeon but even Lord Maru.
“Don’t tell me all of this was…”
Azmo’s expression hardened as he looked at Beter.
“That is correct.”
Beter likewise nodded, agreeing with Azmo’s thoughts.
“The Great One is looking beyond the merchant association of the dungeons and toward the human commercial sphere itself. In other words, He intends to reign as the king of the world.”
“As expected!”
Azmo thought it was fortunate to have such an intelligent adjutant.