“Now, tell everyone to gather.”
Celia’s voice rang through the dungeon.
After confirming the dungeon’s changed appearance, she gave an order to the skeleton knight.
Rumors about the dungeon were still spreading through the kingdom.
Soon, adventurers who had heard those rumors would come to the dungeon.
To prepare for that time, Celia assembled the monsters.
“Ah, tell Ms. Riche she doesn’t need to come. She can keep planting.”
Everyone was needed, except for one vampire who absolutely should not come.
“Clack!”
The skeleton knight saluted with his left hand and dashed outside.
A short while later, everyone except for some of the monsters guarding the dungeon had gathered in Area 1 of the second floor.
“Hmm. I will speak separately with Mr. Necros and Sir Death Knight when they arrive.”
Necros had become the master of the satellite dungeon and gained independence.
Death Knight had been dispatched to work on that satellite dungeon, so the two of them were not in the dungeon at the moment.
Still, since this was an important matter, she had summoned them.
There were limits to conversing through shadows, after all.
After confirming that everyone had gathered, Celia began the meeting.
“The reason I called you all here is simple. Adventurers are expected to flood into this place soon, so I called you in order to prepare for that.”
In short, humans were going to invade the dungeon.
Even after hearing Celia’s words, the monsters remained unfazed.
Not a single one was shaken or afraid.
After all, the mission given to them was to protect the dungeon.
Guarding the domain of the Great One was the most honorable duty of all, and so they did not even fear death.
Rather, they burned with the will to punish the foolish humans who dared to invade the dungeon.
However, Celia’s next words left everyone puzzled.
“However, you must not stop all of the adventurers.”
“?”
What did that mean?
At the sudden instruction, the monsters were clearly bewildered. Humans were going to set foot in this sacred place as they pleased, and they were to simply let them? It was a situation they could not understand at all.
Aside from the undead, whose expressions did not change, everyone wore a look that said they could not grasp the meaning.
“Krk, what does that mean? Aren’t we supposed to stop intruders?”
Even the Goblin Lord, who led the goblins, could not understand.
For those who did not understand, Celia briefly explained the current situation.
She continued by saying that, as adventurers had recently stopped visiting the dungeon, the number of offerings to present to Master had also decreased.
No intruders meant no offerings, and if that continued, Master might become angered. She explained it briefly.
“That is why we leaked the dungeon’s location to the humans. What we must do is make sure humans continue coming to the dungeon.”
Only then did the monsters nod as if they understood.
The act of offering sacrifices to Master was both sacred and a display of loyalty.
But not offering sacrifices?
A sense of crisis spread among the monsters that this might lead to a misunderstanding.
“Krk! That absolutely can’t happen!”
The Goblin Lord also realized the seriousness of the situation.
Since everyone now understood the gravity of the matter, Celia continued speaking with a somewhat more relaxed expression.
“So stop the adventurers with all your might. However, you must impress upon them just how dangerous and enticing this dungeon is.”
Even if the rumors were spreading among the humans, it was still too early to feel at ease.
Rumors were like flames.
At first, they would spread quickly, but without firewood, the flames would gradually die down.
That was why she intended to keep feeding firewood to this rumor.
But moderation was important in all things.
What would happen if too many adventurers were allowed to leave alive?
Then the rumors would spread even faster.
But the humans would look down on the dungeon’s strength.
Then even worthless insects would swarm here.
No matter how badly they needed offerings for Master, insects who were not even qualified setting foot in this place?
Celia could not tolerate such a sight.
“Even so, you must not block them too forcefully.”
If they responded too powerfully, the adventurers’ will would be reduced to crawling along the ground.
That would be the same as removing firewood from the rumors.
Before long, the adventurers’ interest would rapidly fall.
On the contrary, there was also the risk of attracting high-level adventurers or drawing the attention of other nations for no reason.
Celia wanted an appropriate level.
They were prepared to stop any enemy who came.
However, her ultimate goal was to offer the entire continent to Master.
She sought a process that advanced slowly, but steadily.
There was no need to draw attention too early and create variables.
Like other dungeons, she wanted a situation where adventurers continued to challenge it but could not subjugate it, while rumors spread far and wide together with the hope that the dungeon could be conquered.
“Now, I hope you will all think carefully, and then think again, about how you should stop the adventurers.”
Normally, it would have been right to explain in more detail. However, Celia left it to each of them to consider how they should deal with the adventurers.
From now on, the monsters had to learn how to think and respond for themselves.
At least, that was what Celia believed.
‘There’s no need to worry about Mr. Necros and Sir Death Knight.’
Death Knight was already serving as the mid-boss of Area 1, and Necros was the master who managed an entire dungeon, so she was not greatly concerned.
More than anything, Celia now intended to select monsters who began to stand out.
‘There must be a reason Master created a new dungeon.’
The creation of a new dungeon.
Could this truly be the only time he would create a dungeon?
Absolutely not.
For the sake of the future, Celia intended to thoroughly manage the monsters from now on and cultivate those who showed promise.
If a new dungeon appeared later, another monster like Necros would become the master of that new dungeon.
If their forces were pierced through every time that happened, it would be the same as failing in her duties as chief administrator.
‘This, too, is a test.’
With a firm expression, Celia gave a slight nod.
Was it not her mission to always discern the words and will of the Great One?
And so, Celia intended to use this opportunity to alter the dungeon’s system slightly.
“Next, we will select a candidate for guardian of the first floor.”
Of course, Celia did not have the authority to appoint a floor guardian.
All she could do was make a proposal to Master, but with Necros having become the master of a new dungeon, the position of first-floor guardian was currently vacant.
She had reached this conclusion because, considering future circumstances, they could not leave it vacant forever.
She planned to first select a candidate to become the floor guardian, then propose it to Master.
“Mr. Goblin Lord. I appoint you as a candidate for guardian of the first floor.”
Celia’s choice was, naturally, the Goblin Lord.
Whenever she, the chief administrator, left the dungeon, the Goblin Lord had taken on the role of managing the dungeon in her stead.
Most importantly, the scouting unit that patrolled the forest around the dungeon was also made up of goblins, and the firefighting unit established in preparation for fires was likewise composed of goblins.
In practice, since the goblins were responsible for most of the first floor, the Goblin Lord was also suitable as its floor guardian.
However, if that happened, the mid-boss position in Area 2 of the first floor would become vacant.
“Mr. Goblin Lord, please start thinking about a successor from today onward.”
The most likely successors were the half-goblins.
They were the only four-star goblins.
On top of that, as goblins born from humans, the amount of mana they held was extraordinary.
The one disappointing point was that the half-goblins were still young individuals.
Was it because they had been born from humans?
Their growth rate was noticeably slower than that of ordinary goblins.
Still, once they grew, they would surely be a great help to the dungeon.
“Understood!”
The Goblin Lord spoke with a solemn expression.
“And Area 3 is…”
Area 3 still had no mid-boss.
Originally, it would have been right for Baalcherit to become the mid-boss, but Celia had not permitted it.
It was not out of any emotion like jealousy.
Even the great Master had not seated Baalcherit in the mid-boss position, had he?
If he had needed to, he would certainly have done so long ago.
There was surely some reason, and so she excluded Baalcherit from being the mid-boss of Area 3.
After thinking for a moment, Celia called Aren.
“Aren.”
“Yeah!”
Aren answered Celia’s call in a bright voice.
“From today onward, Aren will manage Area 3. In return, I’ll let you eat as many bloodsucking butterflies as you want.”
In truth, since Aren did not belong to the dungeon, this should have been impossible.
Even so, had she not been contributing to the dungeon for a long time now?
Furthermore, the bloodsucking butterflies’ reproductive ability was endless, so Celia could grant that much of a benefit.
Celia selected Aren as the honorary mid-boss of Area 3.
“Good! Butterfly friends are tasty friends!”
Aren wore a delighted expression as she pulled her squirrel friend out of her pocket.
At that sight, the elf Nariel’s face twisted.
“No, Miss Aren. Squirrels aren’t for eating…!”
Before Nariel could even finish speaking, the squirrel friend entered Aren’s mouth.
Since Aren had become the honorary mid-boss of Area 3, every area now had its own system in place to some degree.
Celia continued speaking.
“Next, we plan to establish a new unit.”
At present, the scouting unit existed as an actively operating force.
However, the scouting unit’s main duty was to patrol the forest and detect threats in advance.
It was a defensive unit by nature.
But adventurers were expected to keep coming from now on, and the scouting unit alone would not be enough.
And so, Celia had given much thought to creating a new unit.
A unit with a different nature from the scouting unit.
“I will name this unit the Assault Unit.”
A unit that did not defend, but only attacked—the Assault Unit.
“Mr. Berter will serve as the leader of the Assault Unit.”
Berter was a four-star monster who had been killed by Death Knight and become a Dullahan.
As a being who pursued only strength, he was suited to be the leader of the Assault Unit.
“Demon… sword… demon… sword…”
Berter’s head, held in his hand, muttered something.
He did not seem to be in good condition, but he was a being with a clear goal of pursuing strength.
“Haah. Mr. Berter, you may take the equipment of any adventurers you defeat as you see fit. Well, if you’re lucky, there might be a demon sword among it, no?”
Along with Aren, Celia was also giving Berter a benefit.
Of course, there was no way an ordinary adventurer would possess a demon sword, but Berter was different.
“Demon sword! Mine…!”
As soon as Celia finished speaking, Berter’s head in his hand formed an eerie smile.
Then he went out of the dungeon.
“Demon… sword! Mine!”
Seeing that appearance, which even carried a hint of madness, there seemed to be no need to worry about the Assault Unit.
“We will have to replenish the Assault Unit’s forces soon.”
The Assault Unit’s forces were planned to be composed of skeletons and zombies.
Undead monsters, who charged into enemy lines without hesitation even in the face of death, were the finest soldiers suited to the Assault Unit.
Clap—
After finishing her announcements, Celia lightly clapped her hands.
Now, all the major matters had been conveyed.
The time had come for everyone to return to their respective duties.
“Now then, we will end this meeting here. Please do not forget what I said, and think carefully about how you will face the adventurers.”
When Celia smiled, everyone began returning to their own areas.