The Way to Absolute Dungeon Administration – There Is No Reason To Meet With the Opponent! - Volume 02 Chapter 04: Meeting, First Half

Volume 02 Chapter 04: Meeting, First Half

Side: Yuki

I managed to escape with my purity intact…

After that, Asrin and Filia came crying down the hallway.

They must’ve been terrified, waking up to find everyone gone.

No surprise there. As former slaves, they lived with the constant fear of being torn apart.

Waking up to an empty room would be horrifying.

Thanks to those two angels, I got through that night unscathed.

I’ll treat them to something delicious later.

Now, we’re all gathered in the banquet hall to discuss future plans.

“Alright, starting today, we’ll dive into deciding how to run this dungeon. I want to hear everyone’s opinions, so come prepared.”

I scan their faces.

“As I said yesterday, ideally, you former slaves will take the lead moving forward. But I know telling you to just ‘do it’ out of nowhere is tough. You probably don’t know where to start. So, for now, I’ll guide the meetings until you get the hang of it. Bear with me.”

Ratsu and the others nod.

“Good. First, if we’re building a village or town in this dungeon, what do we need? Let’s cover the basics thoroughly. It might feel tedious, but start by listing what’s necessary. You’ve got… copy paper in front of you. Write down anything you think we need. If you can’t write, team up with someone who can and brainstorm together. There’s plenty of paper, so don’t hold back. Take about ten minutes to think, then we’ll regroup.”

By the way, most people in this world don’t own clocks.

In villages and towns, bells signal the time.

Clocks are a luxury for royalty or those with means.

Everyone was surprised, but since it’ll be necessary, I taught them how to read clocks when they arrived.

As they start working, they naturally split into groups.

Those who can write become the center of each team. Expected, but they also pair up based on who gets along.

First, Labiris, Asrin, and Filia.

Those three are a set. No issues there.

Next, Eris, Ratsu, and Milly.

The scholarly group. Solid team.

Then, Tori, Riel, and Kaya.

The beastman trio, as expected. They might bring some unique beastman perspectives.

Finally, Elju, Oriel, and Lulua.

The princess squad. Elju’s technically a foreign guest and shouldn’t participate, but she bowed to Milly and the others to join.

She’s changed a lot in just a day or two.

With a talent like Lulua there, it shouldn’t be a problem.

Oh, and Mauve and the others are just listening.

I wanted them to pitch ideas too, but they brushed it off with a “too much hassle.”

Fair enough—having objective listeners isn’t a bad thing.

While thinking about this and setting up the whiteboard, ten minutes pass.

“Alright, let’s see. We’ll save Eris’s group and Elju’s for last since they wrote a lot. Labiris’s group or Tori’s—who’s first?”

“Hmm, let’s have Labiris-chan’s group go first.”

“…Okay? Thanks, Ratsu.”

Labiris hands the paper to Asrin and Filia.

“Um, well! We want a place to play!! It’ll definitely be fun!! Like a plaza or something!! And we need farmland. To grow lots of delicious food!!”

“And a forge where we can make all sorts of things!! I’ll work hard!!”

The first is Asrin, the second Filia.

Very much like them. These are essentials for a town.

Sure, suggesting that for a blank dungeon plain is a bit much, but for the future, they’re not wrong.

“…Pretty typical for these kids, right? For me, I think we need housing for the people who’ll live here.”

Labiris gives a practical suggestion. Without homes, nothing works.

“Got it, got it. Don’t act like it’s obvious, everyone. If you don’t speak up, we might miss something. Adding things after people settle in could cause a mess.”

I encourage them.

“Wow, I see. That’s why we discuss like this, huh? Thinking alone definitely leaves gaps. Like, Asrin-chan and Filia-chan’s ideas have other implications too.”

“Yes, Asrin’s plaza could mean a gathering place or a main street. Farmland’s obvious now that you mention it. Filia’s forge is probably because she wants to do it, but with more people coming, we’ll need one for crafting.”

Ratsu grasps the meeting’s purpose, and Eris, the knowledgeable elf, sees the broader benefits of Asrin’s ideas.

“Right. It’s a different perspective from what we wrote. Oh, speaking of farmland and forges, a question popped up. Is it possible for Yuki-san to use DP to create consumables? If so, wouldn’t that make farmland and forges unnecessary?”

Milly, the only human among the former slaves, nods in understanding but asks if my powers could cover everything.

“Sure, it’s possible. But that wouldn’t make a village or town. If residents don’t work, they’re no better than livestock. Early on, when things are lacking, I’ll use DP to fill gaps, but I don’t plan to rely on it forever.”

“Hmm, true, but… if Onii-san provides everything, wouldn’t that reduce conflict? It’d be a paradise. Safety, food, no work needed. Even if they slack off, they’d generate DP, right?”

Ratsu suggests taking the easy route.

“That assumes I’m always here and alive. If I die or leave, even for a moment—”

“…The paradise collapses instantly. I see. So, you want residents to be self-sufficient and protect themselves from the start?”

Ratsu gets my point.

“Exactly. If they feel they’re protecting this place, not just being protected, they’ll handle crises better.”

“Got it.”

“I’ll decide my involvement after hearing all your ideas. Addressing each one now would take too long.”

Everyone nods.

For now, I jot down their suggestions on the whiteboard.

“Next, Tori’s group. Ready?”

“Yes, we’re good. I think something like the open-air bath would make everyone happy!! It felt amazing. It’d definitely be popular!!”

Everyone goes silent for a moment.

It’s an even wilder idea than Asrin’s, but it’s not unnecessary.

“…I see, recreational facilities. Like a theater where people spend money, provided by us. That way, we can collect funds beyond DP. Tori-san, that’s brilliant. It suggests we should build other recreational facilities too. If we take the lead, it becomes a state-run business, showing residents clear benefits of living here.”

Ratsu expands on Tori’s idea, leaving her flustered.

“Uh, w-what? I didn’t mean it like that…”

“Hahaha. Tori had a different intent, huh? But I agree it’d be popular. Oh, Eris, how about special treatment for residents? Like half-price access. It’d attract more settlers.”

“Good point, Ratsu. You’ve got a merchant’s mind. But how do we verify who’s a resident for facility access?”

Eris and Ratsu dive deeper, leaving Tori behind.

“If we’re building an open-air bath for the village or town, please include alcohol!! No one would complain with booze!!”

Milly, apparently a huge alcohol lover, leans in eagerly. …Calm down.

“Eris, Ratsu, hold off. We’re not done with ideas. Milly, settle down too. I’ll write it down. Next, Riel and Kaya.”

As I scribble “・Open-Air Bath (Alcohol Mandatory) = Recreational Facilities” on the whiteboard, Riel and Kaya speak up.

“I want something like an adventurer’s guild, a place to stay active. A training ground, maybe?”

“…I want a grassy area or something with greenery. Outside towns are all dirt… It felt stifling.”

Riel’s idea makes sense. A training ground. Should it be part of an adventurer’s guild or separate…?

But Kaya’s idea—what’s that about? Dirt makes it stifling? In modern Japan terms, is she saying more greenery?

As I ponder, others unexpectedly agree.

“Yeah, I get what Kaya means.”

“Totally agree.”

“I was thinking that too.”

“What’s the deal? Is this important for beastmen or elves?”

“Well, Onii-san’s human, so you might not feel it…”

Ratsu starts, and Eris and Oriel chime in.

“For us elves and beastmen, our natural environment is lush with greenery, like forests.”

“If you’re born in a city, it’s probably fine, but for someone like me, raised elsewhere… the capital’s lifestyle, well, leaves something to be desired…”

“So, the environment’s too different?”

“It’s not like we’d die, but… it’s why most elves and beastmen live near forests.”

Eris sums up their feelings.

I see. Greenery’s more important to them than to modern Japanese.

That’s a blind spot. Forcing them to live here and stress out would be bad.

Kaya’s suggestion is a gem.

I scribble on the whiteboard: “・Greenery (Important).”

“Alright, Eris’s group next.”

“Yes, understood. I’m impressed by the ideas so far. Meetings are important. With that in mind, I’ll share my thoughts.”

Eris draws everyone’s attention.

“First, the basics. We need to decide which dungeon floor, where, and how large the village or town will be. Without that, we can’t plan where to put housing or the open-air bath. I propose we start with land selection.”

“““Oh.”””

The others freeze.

Exactly. This is the foundation. Everyone’s given great ideas, but we need the basics first.

They’re learning as they go, tackling something new.

It might seem amateurish, but everyone starts like this.

No shame in it. They’ll learn from here.

That said, unrelated to their ideas, I’ve made one firm decision.

Every household will get a toilet and toilet paper, supplied via DP.

For hygiene, I can’t have waste dumped all over the dungeon.

Reaffirming this noble vow to myself, the meeting moves to the second half.