Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster - Chapter 10

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Mordor

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◈ Mistaken as the Dungeon Boss Monster ◈

Chapter 10: Somehow, My Ominous Premonitions Are Always Right

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Charlotte's level briefly turned pink before changing to a deep green.

The reason it changed again was simple.

Given her personality, she was probably thinking, 'Someone like me, a human, can't possibly admire my lord.'

'Good thinking. Being into bones would be a little much.'

No matter how much of a crazy psycho bitch Charlotte was, even she drew the line at necrophilia.

Until the Merchant Association arrived, Charlotte and I discussed which direction we should take the dungeon's development.

Isabella had tagged along beside us, but she was just a backdrop who nodded along. If she'd shaken her head instead, she could've at least been a fan.

Though I wasn't exactly one to talk, standing there with my arms crossed and only grunting now and then.

"The most important thing is listening to your subordinates' needs and complaints. The state of the dungeon depends on their morale."

The only subordinates we had were you and the vampires, though?

At that moment, Charlotte suddenly whipped her head around.

Isabella, who had been spacing out, flinched at Charlotte's abrupt glare.

"Do you have a complaint?"

"Huh? M-Me?"

With that stiff tone and expressionless face, she looked like a high school girl smoking in the street snapping at a passerby, asking if they had a problem with her handling things herself.

No wonder Isabella was terrified.

Charlotte was great in every other respect, but she seemed hopeless at dealing with people.

As the Boss, I should probably set an example.

I met Isabella's eyes and opened my mouth.

"What Charlotte means is, perhaps..."

"Eek!"

...Damn skull face.

Didn't undead have Polymorph? At this point, even I was starting to get hurt.

Ahem.

Charlotte cleared her throat and resumed.

"I'll assume there are no complaints. Returning to the matter at hand, now that we've repelled the intruders, this is the time to strengthen our foundation rather than our forces. Rather than expanding the current cave-like layout, I believe we should dig underground and turn it into a labyrinth."

Mm-hm. I see.

"The most important thing for a dungeon's continued existence is drinking water. Obtaining it from outside is difficult in many ways, so we should expand the labyrinth and become self-sufficient through groundwater."

"Ore veins are sometimes found near groundwater. If we can build a water source and mining base in the same place, it will reduce the labor needed."

A Boss didn't have anything to do anyway.

I just let it go in one ear and out the other.

"We should soon obtain seeds for Labyrinth Plants that can be used as medicinal herbs. This alone will minimize our expenditures to the Dungeon Association."

"Ah, and rather than relying on the Merchant Association, I'll also try recruiting monsters from outside. Even if individual monsters are weak, we should carefully select ones that are strong in groups or can use the terrain to their advantage."

"For the time being, we'll use the Minotaur's corpse for food. I've already frozen it with ice magic so it won't rot, so there's no need to worry. At that size, it should last us a week."

"Um, excuse me?"

Isabella cut in.

"Even so, wouldn't a corpse be a little... much? Ah! Come to think of it, we can't drink dead blood, can we?"

"It's possible. It just tastes bad. I've seen it myself."

"Uh... We're really fine. Really, we are, but... how will the Boss eat a monster corpse?"

"The Boss is undead and doesn't eat."

"Th-Then what about raising the Minotaur as undead?"

"Something that large is virtually impossible. Unless you're the Lich King."

"Ah..."

After that sigh, Isabella fell completely silent.

You'll never beat Charlotte in an argument. Just accept it.

Vwoooom!

That was when a pitch-black portal appeared.

A Demon Merchant leaped out of it and landed lightly, then bowed with perfect formality.

"It is an honor to behold you once again, Lord of the Dungeon."

Monsters continued pouring out of the portal behind them.

They all emerged like soldiers, in the same form and the same posture.

Before long, around a hundred of them were lined up in front of me. It was quite a sight.

They were human-sized and looked like a cross between moles and rats.

'Kobolds, as expected.'

I'd anticipated it from the moment Charlotte said we were expanding the dungeon.

A kobold's claws and front teeth were as hard as steel. Their specialty was using them like pickaxes to dig tunnels.

Kobold labor was essential for transforming a simple cave into a labyrinth.

"Kek! It is an honor to meet the exalted Master!"

"We will fulfill our duty with utmost loyalty!"

Kobolds could talk?

Just as I wondered that, the Demon Merchant added an explanation.

"I selected only highly intelligent kobolds. Every one of them considers it an honor to shape the new Abyssal Palace."

"Just leave it to us! We will do our best!"

Their way of talking was a little annoying, but they seemed reliable enough.

"The Iron Teeth Tribe. They should be of great help."

"Kek! Human! A human! Human intruder!"

"She is the adjutant. Watch your words."

Charlotte not only knew they were kobolds, but even knew their tribe's name. They must have been fairly famous kobolds.

After the kobolds, three demihumans emerged last.

All three had bodies as broad as mountains, yet looked like they barely stood a meter tall.

With their fierce faces and thick beards covering half their faces, it would've been stranger not to recognize them.

The dwarf who looked oldest among them approached me.

"I greet the lord of the new Abyssal Palace. This old dwarf is Belaum. It's embarrassing to say, but I'm one of the Merchant Association's finest dungeon craftsmen. And these are the fellows I'll be putting to work."

The other two bent over in a deep bow.

For a dwarf to introduce himself as a craftsman, he had to be the real deal.

Was this what it meant to be one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, even if it was a newly established dungeon?

I hadn't even asked, yet they had brought such high-quality workers. They were monsters, so calling them workers felt a little off, though.

"The kobolds will work as hired laborers, while we'll act as supervisors. Who should take overall command? We don't mind if the Boss does it."

Why would I do something that bothersome?

I casually glanced at Charlotte, then placed a hand on her shoulder.

Charlotte's shoulder twitched. For some reason, she looked slightly startled as her eyes met mine.

"My adjutant will handle it."

"...Boss?"

Charlotte's eyes widened. Her pupils were full of questions.

Who else would do it? Dungeon Bosses were basically figureheads.

"To give me another chance... Thank you. This time, I will devote myself wholeheartedly and live up to your expectations."

I'd interpreted it wrong.

From her perspective, she must have thought I was entrusting her with this despite her repeated mistakes.

I didn't bother correcting her. If she wanted to think that way and it improved her efficiency, I welcomed it.

"Good. Let's begin at once."

* * *

Two days passed after that. If I had to put it one way, they had been hectic days.

Everyone was so busy that I wondered whether the construction project would actually fall apart.

Everyone except me.

"How did I end up doing something this hard..."

"Hey, Vampire! Do your work properly!"

"I'm not just a Vampire! Can't you see these horns and fangs?"

"I don't care! Carry the bricks!"

"Ugh, I'm a True-Blood Vampire..."

I ignored Isabella, who had been worn out by the constant labor.

I couldn't let the Vampire rest while everyone else worked, so I put her to work too. As expected, she wasn't much help with hard labor.

'It really has changed a lot.'

The interior layout and scale had changed so much that anyone could tell at a glance it was a dungeon rather than a miserable cave.

Of course, since it was a dungeon, we couldn't approach it from an aesthetic perspective.

They said a maze-like labyrinth needed to look as confusing as possible at first glance. Either way, it was a flawless dungeon by that standard.

No matter how I looked at it, I couldn't tell what was what.

All I had to do was watch.

Ah, this was what a proper Boss and proper dungeon looked like.

Nothing was difficult for me because I was undead, but that didn't mean I wanted to do anything.

'Status window.'

When I had nothing to do, I looked at my status window.

[Lv. 44]

My level was still 44.

I'd killed Balm Monk, but the number hadn't changed.

Was it because I'd killed him through a bug? Or was my level simply a value that could never change?

'Or maybe I have to kill something with my own hands.'

I'd never killed anything directly, so I couldn't be sure.

Still, I figured my level would rise if I did.

With game bugs applying to reality, it made no sense for levels not to increase.

"Do you have a moment, old master? I have something to ask."

"Speak, Adjutant."

I stood idly beside them and quietly watched Charlotte.

In human society, Witches were classified as demihumans, just like dwarves.

Maybe because of that, Belaum and Charlotte got along rather well.

"From your perspective, old master, when do you think we can build the groundwater channel and Ore Vein Extraction Base?"

"Just laying the basic framework will take at least a day. The problem is finding a suitable location. We'll need to allow around three days for that. That's under normal circumstances, and if we're delayed, we'll have to widen the search area. That'll take even longer."

For the past two days, Charlotte had asked about mining bases whenever she had the chance. Naturally, I grew curious.

"Is mining ore really that urgent?"

It was practically a mutter to myself.

Maybe she had somehow heard it, because Charlotte looked at me and lowered her head.

"Yes. We must search for one as quickly as possible."

"Why?"

"To repay our debt as soon as possible, before the interest grows."

Interest? What interest?

When I stood there silently, Charlotte continued.

"The Merchant Association places high value on ore veins. Since they are easier to find in dungeons, paying with them is the quickest way to settle a debt."

"...A debt?"

"The cost of hiring monsters. We borrowed thirty million Cells to hire the Minotaur and Basilisk."

This crazy bitch.

She had obviously borrowed it under the dungeon's name, and I was the Boss.

In other words, she'd taken out a loan in my name.

Fine. Let's think of it positively.

We survived because of them, right? Without them, we would've died.

"Because it is one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, the repayment period was set with no due date. The annual interest rate is 5%, or 1.5 million Cells. As of today, three days later, the interest payable has grown to 12,200 Cells."

She was damn fast at calculating. Was she really from the Middle Ages?

Part of me wondered if this was really something to obsess over.

Maybe Charlotte sensed what I was thinking, because she spoke up.

"The Merchant Association rates a dungeon's credit according to repayment dates. A dungeon is its Boss. Delayed repayment means they are undervaluing the Boss's credit. As your adjutant, I cannot tolerate even the slightest blemish on the Boss's reputation."

Was Charlotte this thorough?

I knew she was capable, but I never expected her to have such a commendable side.

Fine, Charlotte. Do whatever you want. I take back calling you a crazy psycho bitch.

As long as you don't peel human skin in front of me.

* * *

Another week passed.

Fortunately, no outsiders intruded during construction.

I'd been very worried after Balm Monk died, but it turned out to be needless concern.

Information didn't travel very quickly in the Middle Ages, after all. It wasn't like they had a clear communication network.

For all I knew, the Empire's Extermination Command might not even know Balm Monk was dead yet.

"Good work, you rat bastards! Let's finish tidying up and withdraw!"

"Kek! Withdraw! Withdraw!"

"Rest! Rest!"

The dungeon's construction was completed in fewer than ten days.

What would have taken humans more than a year had been completed in nine days through the joint work of kobolds and dwarves.

The dungeon had now become a complete dungeon.

The sweat-soaked dwarves and kobolds let out thunderous cheers.

Charlotte approached me in the meantime.

"You've worked hard."

"Compared to you, Boss, my work barely counts."

Her loyalty was so excessive that she praised me to the point of making me uncomfortable, even though I'd done nothing.

Or was she mocking me? Judging by her deep green level, she was sincere, but it still made me uncomfortable.

"Heugh! Hff! B-Blood... Give me blood..."

Isabella lay sprawled out flat in the distance.

For some reason, she looked pitiful.

"It seems she needs blood to drink."

"She does not deserve it. Isabella has not accomplished even a tenth of what Balm Monk did."

Why would you compare her to Balm Monk?

He neither slept nor rested, and with a body over level 70, he was perfectly suited for physical labor.

"Wouldn't it be good for an adjutant to show kindness to a subordinate?"

"I will obey."

Only then did Charlotte roll up the sleeves of her flowing robe and head toward Isabella.

Seeing Isabella jump up while shouting, 'Blood! Blood!' and Charlotte let her drink without changing expression made it feel like I was watching a ridiculous little play.

It was a somewhat predictable setting, but in [72 Dungeon Strategy Record], Vampires were crazy about human blood.

I could use Charlotte's blood to handle Isabella from now on.

'I can't give her any because I'm undead.'

It definitely wasn't because I didn't want my blood sucked.

What could I do when bone marrow came out instead of blood?

"Lord of the Dungeon, it is incomplete, but I present a copy of the dungeon map."

That was Belaum.

When I held out my hand, he gave me a parchment scroll.

There wasn't just one map, though.

"The first map is of the dungeon itself. The red X marks indicate placed traps, the green triangles indicate the Adjutant's Room, and the gold ★ marks indicate the Boss Room. I've also marked the rooms best suited to growing Labyrinth Plants."

I studied the map as Belaum explained it.

Belaum pointed with his fingertip as he diligently continued.

"Here, we demolished the stalactite cave and built an Ore Vein Extraction Base. There happens to be a groundwater channel beside it, so it'll be easy to provide drinking water for the miners."

"Mm."

"This is the final area of the labyrinth. Its structure is ideal for defense and it's close to the waterway. There are no other passages, and the walls are thick, so an Extermination Party can't take a detour either. Wouldn't it be suitable to secure as a stronghold? If you're driven into a final stand, it would also be a good strategy to hold out here before the Boss has to step in."

"I see."

"It is still incomplete, so I haven't covered the resource ecosystem or the durability of the various walls."

"Mm."

Honestly, I had no idea what he was talking about, so I kept saying "Mm" and "I see."

"What are the other maps?"

"The second map shows the mountain where the dungeon is located and the nearby village. It includes the elevation and terrain features, the average time required to climb the mountain, the local flora and fauna, defensive measures that make use of the mountain, and the village's size."

Those were certainly things I needed to know for defending the dungeon.

"What about the last map?"

"This is a complete map of the Empire. Since this is one of the Seven Palaces of the Abyss, dungeon raids could turn into war. I'm giving it to you in preparation for that."

Sorry, but that would never happen.

"The map of the Empire already existed, so it is complete. I will bring the other two as soon as they are finished."

"Mm. Fine."

"If you find anything wrong with the maps or anything you'd like added, please let me know."

He had worked hard on expanding the dungeon and had taken mapmaking just as seriously. Well, that was why he was a dwarf craftsman.

"They look fine. Explain them to my adjutant in the same way."

"I will."

Belaum walked over to Charlotte on his short legs.

From a distance, Charlotte nodded along as though she really understood, then asked questions from time to time.

She really was a capable adjutant, unlike a fraud like me.

Once they finished their business, Charlotte came over to me.

"Excuse me, Boss. Before the kobolds withdraw, may I authorize them to mine the allotted amount of ore?"

"Because of the repayment?"

"Yes. The debt and dungeon expansion costs total exactly 100,036,600 Cells. I will have a small number of kobolds remain here, then monitor them as they mine only enough to cover that amount."

"Do as you please."

I couldn't help wagging my tongue in amazement at how thorough she was.

I didn't have a tongue because I was a corpse, but still.

Now that the dungeon construction was finished, it was time to finally enjoy some proper rest.

Even if an Extermination Party came, we had more than enough traps, along with Charlotte and Balm Monk. If things got truly dangerous, we could ask the Merchant Association for help.

Unless it was a Hero's Extermination Party, this would be a dungeon no one could dare challenge.

"It seems the merchant has arrived."

Following Charlotte's gaze, I saw a pitch-black portal open in the distance.

As expected, the familiar Demon Merchant emerged from it.

The Demon Merchant must have somehow known the work was finished and come to lead them away.

"I-I greet your great presence!"

Unlike usual, the Demon Merchant hurried over to me in a single rush.

Even after that, they fidgeted nervously and watched my reaction. What was wrong with them?

"L-Lord, I have something, something to tell you!"

"What is it?"

"A guest is expected! Ah, no, no! A distinguished guest! A distinguished guest!"

For some reason, an ominous feeling washed over me.