The Way to Absolute Dungeon Administration – There Is No Reason To Meet With the Opponent!

Volume 02 Chapter 03: Fundamental Matters, in Many Senses

Side: Elju Lau Rocheur

Right now, I’m with Lulua-sama in Yuki-san’s bedroom.

The reason stems from the discussion about Lulua-sama’s fate this afternoon.

Ratsu-san agreed to shelter us but made an outrageous demand in return.

“The condition for hiding Lulua-sama is simple. From now on, you’ll handle Onii-san—Yuki-san’s—sexual needs indefinitely. Oh, and get pregnant while you’re at it.”

“What!?”

I’m speechless. To say something so cruel to a woman who was once a Saintess.

“Oh? I’m already compromising a lot here. Honestly, I’d prefer you sleep with a goblin, but if that broke you, we wouldn’t get any information. That’d go against what Elju-sama meant by ‘saving’ you, right?”

“Of course!! But there’s no way we could accept such a condition…!!”

“Elju-sama, please calm down. They want to see my resolve. Just as you staked my life to convince them, I need to prove to them that I’m trustworthy, that I won’t betray them.”

“Lulua-sama, you said you’d accept [Designated Protection]!! You’d provide information!! Isn’t that enough!? Does that not prove your trustworthiness!?”

“Those are things I’d do after being protected. They don’t show my resolve. I only said there’s benefit in sheltering me. [Designated Protection] doesn’t have the same binding force as a slave collar. That means I could lie about the information. So, by making me pay the greatest price I can offer, they’re testing if they can trust me.”

That’s right… To save Lulua-sama, I said I’d take her head if it came to it, convincing everyone.

That only proves they can trust me. It doesn’t prove they can trust Lulua-sama.

“As expected of someone once called Litea’s Saintess. So, will you accept? We’d love to trust you, Lulua-sama, but we can’t risk being betrayed. Even if you offer your body, that doesn’t guarantee you won’t betray us. But this is the condition we’re offering to accept you.”

Ratsu-san says, pressing Lulua-sama for an answer.

I can’t speak up. Doing so might only worsen Lulua-sama’s position.

“I’ll gladly take on Yuki-sama’s sexual needs. If I don’t conceive a child within a month, you may take my head.”

Lulua-sama responds without hesitation.

…Is this the world Lulua-sama said she didn’t want me to see?

A world where human dignity means nothing…

“Pfft!? Hold on, I was just sipping tea, and now it’s turned into this!?”

Yuki-san jumps into the conversation for the first time, sounding unusually flustered.

“No big issues here. We’ve settled on sheltering Lulua-sama, right?”

Ratsu-san replies in a slightly playful tone.

“No way!! That’s a lie!! Using Lulua for sexual service is outrageous, isn’t it!?”

“It’s not outrageous. By all accounts, it’s a fair and equal condition, and Lulua-sama agreed.”

“I look forward to serving you. It’s my first time, so please be gentle.”

“Yay, a virgin—!! You think I’d say that!? I might not touch her for a month, and even if I do, there’s no guarantee she’ll conceive!”

Yuki-san rants.

…Wait, conceive in a month…? That means, um, doing it every day and night, right?

“Oh? So, Onii-san plans to not touch her to get her killed? Or that she might just be unlucky and not conceive in a month… Hmm, that’s a problem. Labiris-chan, how should we handle this?”

Ratsu-san smirks mischievously, turning to the small girl beside her.

“…Simple. We’ll watch. If Yuki doesn’t do it properly, we’ll help him. We might need to show him how it’s done.”

“Oh, that’s a great idea. If she doesn’t conceive in a month, we’ll have been watching, so we can prove it’s not Lulua-sama’s fault, right?”

“…Exactly. And maybe one of us will end up pregnant, right, Yuki?”

“That’s your real plan, Ratsu!? And Labiris, you’re in on it too!?”

“Hahaha! We’re okay with it, but Onii-san getting all excited over Lulua-sama’s chest is the problem, isn’t it? Stop messing around.”

“…Rude, Yuki. I’ve got a chest right here too.”

The back-and-forth between Yuki-san and the girls continues…

“Oh, Lulua-sama, just to clarify, you’re to start handling Onii-san’s sexual needs from today.”

“Understood, Ratsu-san. I’ll serve with all my heart using these.”

“…Lulua-sama, you don’t have to come. We’ve seen your resolve. That’s enough.”

“No, I’ll keep my promise. From tonight, I’ll share Yuki-sama’s bed and serve diligently.”

For a moment, it seemed like sparks flew between Lulua-sama and Ratsu-san’s group. Was that my imagination?

And so, here I am with Lulua-sama in Yuki-san’s bedroom…

“Come on, Onii-san. Make too much noise, and you’ll wake Asrin-chan and the others.”

“…Just give up already.”

“No way! Someone—God, help me!”

That’s the conversation I barely caught by straining my ears.

…What’s going on? A man being stripped and resisting?

“As promised, I’m here. Lulua, at your service. Shall I assist?”

“Thank God!! Lulua, help me! These two are crazy!!”

“Oh? You actually came?”

“…What’s your game?”

“If I’m here, you have a pretext to be with Yuki-sama, right? I’ll help, Ratsu, Labiris.”

“Uh, um… Lulua-sama?”

I’m baffled, but Labiris-chan walks over and firmly shakes Lulua-sama’s hand.

“…I trust you. I’m sure we’ll become great comrades.”

“Yes, I think so too.”

“Gah! I don’t get it! What’s happening!?”

“Well, Onii-san, it’s the fiery bond of female friendship. I think I can get along well with Lulua-sama too.”

The conversation’s getting a bit loud.

At this rate, the adorable Asrin and Filia might wake up.

“U-Um, if you keep this up, Asrin-chan and the others will wake…”

When I speak up, everyone freezes.

“Alright, I’ve got something to say. Let’s move to the banquet hall.”

“““Tch.”””

Was it my imagination, or did everyone except me click their tongues?

As we leave the room, Oriel is waiting as usual.

“Oh? Not done yet… or so it seems.”

“Yes, Yuki-san has something to discuss, so we’re moving to the banquet hall.”

“…I see. No guts? Or no balls?”

“Hey, stop!! Don’t say things that’ll cause misunderstandings!!”

Yuki-san shouts in response to Oriel’s jab.

Yuki-san, where’s the composure you had at noon?

With that, we arrive at the banquet hall, sip tea, and take a breather.

“Now then.”

“Are we doing it here? Where’s the futon?”

“Lulua, enough with the jokes. You’ve got something to say, right?”

At Yuki-san’s words, Lulua-sama takes a deep breath and turns serious.

“I’m not joking. I’ll make sure to conceive within a month. But let’s set that aside. This is a continuation of our noon discussion. Your method… it’s democracy, isn’t it?”

“Huh, you know about it?”

Lulua-sama’s words make Yuki-san’s relaxed expression vanish, replaced by a serious one.

“Yes. About 200 years ago, a Hero-sama visited Litea Holy Nation, defeated a Demon King, and gained territory. He tried to enrich the people’s lives through democracy, according to records.”

“And the result?”

“It worked somewhat while the Hero-sama was active. But after he stepped back, a rebellion broke out almost immediately, and the method was deemed a failure.”

“Hmm. So, what’re you getting at?”

“…I’ll be blunt. That method will make it impossible to achieve your goal of building a village or town in this dungeon. Please reconsider.”

I see. Lulua-sama had a reason for speaking out so strongly against Yuki-san’s ideas.

Knowing it’s bound to fail, she can’t just let it slide.

I think Lulua-sama’s opinion is correct.

Sowing seeds of pointless conflict among people is unthinkable.

“No surprise there. Normally, it’d absolutely fail. That Hero was too idealistic. And I get what you’re saying, Lulua.”

“Then—”

“But I’m sticking with this plan.”

“Why? When you know it’ll fail?”

“Hmm, don’t you see the premise is different? Think about it. The people coming here are those who dislike other places, by design. It’s not like suddenly changing the laws in a village or town they’ve always lived in.”

“Oh.”

“The majority gathering here are people who reject the old systems. Those pushed out by the policies you thought were good. Also, you’re mistaken—this isn’t democracy. And that Hero’s attempt wasn’t democracy either.”

“What do you mean?”

“Because they’re following an absolute figure like me or that Hero. How’s that democracy? It’s only democracy if it holds up after we’re gone. Call it… Absolute Monarch Enforced Democracy? Bit of a mouthful.”

I understand Yuki-san’s point.

Introducing a new system to a place with an established one causes problems.

But here, it’s declared from the start to be different.

If it doesn’t suit them, people will leave.

Still, I have a question. Why pursue something with such a high chance of failure? I can’t help but ask Yuki-san.

“Um, Yuki-san. Is Lulua-sama right about it being democracy? Do you think it’ll be accepted?”

“Nah, it’s got a 90% chance of failing. If monarchy’s been the norm, there’s no foundation for it. Honestly, your way of building things is probably the most stable.”

“Then why go with this method?”

“Simple. That Hero didn’t prepare enough—or rather, the circumstances weren’t right. But in this dungeon, even if it’s called enforced, democracy will succeed. I’m immortal, after all. I won’t recklessly step into the open. And there’s the [Designated Protection] skill. As you know, it nullifies violence. That means the only way to appeal is through words. Everyone here, as representatives under [Designated Protection], will be involved in management until they die of old age.”

As Lulua-sama said, the reason democracy failed was because the Hero stepped back.

If Yuki-san, who’s immortal, stays, the system can be maintained almost indefinitely.

“Oh, I didn’t answer why I’m not going with the stable approach. Do you give up when someone says it’s impossible? It’s about the spirit of challenge.

Ratsu and the others are doing something new. Big or small, everyone’s tackling firsts. If there’s no precedent for success, it might seem reckless. But the founders of your nations did unprecedented, daunting things to establish them. Saying it can’t be done—isn’t that disrespectful to your ancestors? If we pull it off, you’ll see there’s possibility in anything, right?”

Yuki-san’s right. Our nation’s founders governed with the people’s prosperity in mind.

Ignoring that possibility would be a mistake…

“Now, Elju, don’t go copying this. This works because this place is untouched. Like I said, that Hero’s circumstances were bad. If you pushed democracy in your nations, it’d be a parade of civil wars and rebellions. Losing what’s familiar is terrifying. Your way isn’t wrong. But it’s not an opinion to force on me. Changing things gradually is fine, but not all at once. There’s value in what’s been built up—like tradition. Use this place as an example. Watch what we build and judge for yourself. It’ll be a good reference.”

Yuki-san’s telling us to observe their experiment.

And to adopt only what works for our nations.

“But isn’t that too unfair to you all!? You’re tackling something we’ve feared, and if you fail, we laugh. If you succeed, we cherry-pick the good parts… Why?”

“Calm down, Elju. You said it’s unfair, right?”

“Yes…”

“I don’t… no, we don’t think we’re unfortunate. Elju, don’t you sometimes feel you’re a pitiful victim of unfair treatment?”

“No, my life was saved. Sure, we’ve argued, but that’s just clashing opinions, right? I’d say I’m fortunate.”

“Exactly. But others will throw all sorts of opinions at you. You’re happy. You’re miserable. What do you think of that?”

“…It’s arrogance. Others only see a fraction of me. I don’t want them thinking I’m some pitiful victim treated unfairly.”

“Right, same here. People might say having great power makes me happy, like some storybook hero. Honestly, that pisses me off.”

“Huh?”

“You know how I got here, right?”

“…Yes.”

“This situation might be happy, convenient even. But I earned it with my power. My journey here, though, was anything but happy.”

Yuki-san says quietly, his voice tinged with sadness.

That’s right. We mistook him for some extraordinary being.

And we forced that image on him. That’s why we vented our frustrations.

Because he’s a dungeon master.

Because it didn’t fit a dungeon master’s logic.

We criticized him for making escape routes.

We criticized his unconventional tactics.

…Because we thought he could do anything.

But that’s only natural. He’s scared too.

Because he’s just a person.

Lulua-sama looks shocked, watching Yuki-san voice his frustrations.

Ratsu-san and Labiris-chan look stunned too.

“Whoops, sorry, sorry. Ratsu, Labiris, it’s not that I dislike you. Forgive me. I just… sometimes need to vent my weaknesses.”

“…Onii-san.”

“…Yuki.”

Both look at Yuki-san, who gives a wry smile and apologizes, with indescribable expressions.

“It’s pathetic, but deep down, I want to make this place a bit like my homeland. It’s not wrong to think that has benefits in many ways. So, Labiris, Ratsu, I’m a coward, but help me out.”

“Pathetic. We can’t leave Onii-san alone now. I’d be too worried.”

“…As I swore, I’m with Yuki to the end.”

I glance at Lulua-sama beside me.

“…I’ve still got a lot to learn. Elju-sama, I want to work hard with Yuki-sama from now on.”

“Yes, I’ll do my best to keep up too.”

My words seem to calm things down, and Yuki-san turns to me.

“Sorry, I showed you something unseemly.”

“No.”

“Oh, I forgot the main point. Lulua, Elju, why do you think I argued back when you gave your opinions?”

“Um, because we said things that didn’t make sense or pushed our views on you?”

I answer reflexively. Yes, blaming the Demon King, injuring Lulua-sama on purpose, and opposing Yuki-san’s plans for Lulua-sama’s future—all of that.

“That’s what I argued against, not why.”

“…Oh, what have I done…”

Lulua-sama seems to realize, clutching her head.

“Elju-sama, what’s wrong with it?”

“Elju-sama, even now, and I back then, we were in different positions.”

“Positions?”

“Would Elju-sama directly petition a foreign king just because you disagree with their governance?”

“No, that’d be too audacious… Oh!”

I understand what Lulua-sama means. What we were doing was…

“Yes. …Complete internal affairs interference. Without following any protocol. Like a commoner barging to the gates and demanding an audience with a foreign king… It’s barbaric.”

W-What have we done? We were utterly lacking in courtesy.

Oh, how embarrassing…

“No need to feel that bad. It’s a downside of democracy. Authority isn’t needed, but you have to be tolerant of opinions like yours. Since you’re foreigners, I could’ve just told you to shut up back then, but it was a good chance to motivate Ratsu and the others, so I used it.”

Tch, so cunning…

“Now that the punchline’s landed, let’s call it a night. We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.”

Yuki-san starts to stand, but Ratsu-san and Labiris-chan hold him back.

“No, no, the punchline’s not done. It’s time to get serious, Onii-san. Now that I know how you feel, this Ratsu will pamper you.”

“…Cry all you want in my chest.”

“No way! I’ve got pride as a man! Also, back in my homeland, I was aiming to be a 30-year-old virgin wizard…”

“…Stop whining. Lulua, help.”

“Of course, leave it to me.”

Matching Labiris-chan, Lulua-sama joins in with a playful grin.

It’s kind of fun. Rank, status, race—none of it matters.

Yuki-san and Lulua-sama call it an impossible dream.

…Yes, that’s why they aim for it.