The Way to Absolute Dungeon Administration – There Is No Reason To Meet With the Opponent! - Volume 02 Chapter 06: Melon’s Feelings

Volume 02 Chapter 06: Melon’s Feelings

Side: Labiris

“Alright, since we haven’t heard from Rocheur Kingdom yet, we can’t dive into specifics. Let’s start with land selection for the dungeon.”

Yuki seems set on tackling the meeting’s outcomes in order of priority.

For now, land selection is what we can do.

Before starting, Yuki hands out rings to us.

“Don’t forget—these are the warp rings I mentioned. Say ‘Transfer,’ and you’ll come here automatically. If you name a floor first, then say ‘Transfer,’ you’ll go there. For now, gather at the edge of the banquet hall. You’ll transfer to this small stage. Watch—Transfer.”

Yuki puts on a ring, says the word, and vanishes, reappearing instantly on the stage.

This is a handy tool.

Even if I’m kidnapped, as long as they don’t take the ring, I can escape.

“No need to worry. If there’s an obstacle, it’ll shift you automatically, so you won’t end up mashed together in a gruesome mess.”

Hm? I don’t quite get what Yuki means. If you appear in the same spot, wouldn’t the first person get crushed from above?

When I touch Yuki, I see the image he’s imagining… Of all things, it’s me and Asrin…

My body suddenly falls apart, and Asrin grows out of it… Ugh…

That’s horrific… So that’s what he meant.

“Sorry, sorry. Showed you something weird.”

Seeing me feel sick, Yuki scoops me up in a princess carry.

…This feels nice. Is this how Ratsu felt?

I wrap my arms around his neck.

Shoulder rides are great, but this isn’t bad either.

Since I’m small, it quickly turns into a one-arm carry, which is a downside.

“Alright, everyone’s got their rings. Practice using them later. For land selection, let’s settle on a general approach. We can check the dungeon’s state with this map. The interior can be changed anytime with DP.”

He moves the whiteboard aside and displays the dungeon map and surrounding area, like when Lulua-sama fled here.

“Yuki-san, with all due respect, didn’t Selaria-sama mention something? Without knowing what or how much Rocheur’s sending, how can we choose?”

Eris raises a question.

True, we pick land based on circumstances. Right now, we can’t.

“Yeah, we can’t finalize details yet. But we can decide broad strokes—like putting residences on one floor, workplaces on another, or what else we need, like rivers or wells. Should residences be purely housing, or mix in some recreational facilities?”

“I see. Even without knowing their scale, we know what’s needed. Zoning by floor, right? I think that’s a great idea.”

Ratsu agrees.

Yuki’s always thinking about all sorts of things.

I don’t always understand, but he puts a lot of care into this dungeon and us.

And he’s concerned about using us for its management.

Making women and children like us representatives was part of his plan.

He knows we’ll likely be underestimated by future residents, yet he chose us.

This place will be where anyone can voice their opinion. That’s why women and children like us are fitting.

It also makes it easier to flush out those who’d harm us.

Anyone looking down on us doesn’t belong here.

I think it’s a brilliant idea.

Asrin and Filia might be scared, but then they don’t need to be representatives.

Those of us who understand, like me or Eris, can handle it.

They’d gladly stand at the forefront.

The future Yuki showed me looked wonderful. Helping him, who saved us from slavery, is only natural.

But he’s even worried about that.

He thinks he deliberately set things up for us to agree.

That he saved us, freed us from slavery, and treated us kindly to make us compliant.

That he’s manipulating our feelings.

If I told Ratsu, Eris, or Milly, they’d lecture him.

Sure, we might’ve been guided to agree.

But we think Yuki’s actions are wonderful and choose to help him ourselves.

He’s so kind, so sweet.

Too smart, so he worries about things like this.

If he’s still fretting in a couple of days, I’ll spill it to everyone for a group lecture.

For now, I want to savor this warm feeling he has for us… just me.

“Hm? Labiris, what’s wrong? Still feeling off?”

I didn’t realize I’d hugged Yuki tightly.

“…No. I’m just happy. Asrin and the others always get this, but it’s my first time.”

“Got it. If you’re okay, that’s fine. If you feel bad, don’t push yourself—speak up.”

“Sure.”

I’ll have to negotiate with Asrin and Filia later.

Maybe we can take turns?

But shoulder rides are hard to give up. Clinging to Yuki’s head is fun.

Pressing my chest against him seems to make him a little happy, and Asrin or Filia can’t quite match that… Tough choice.

“…So, I think we should build the town starting from the third floor.”

“Good point, Eris. If we’re attacked, the first and second floors buy time to activate our defenses.”

“Yes. We don’t know if we’ll station people on the first or second floors, but we can monitor movements in the dungeon. If a large enemy attacks, the distance gives us an advantage.”

“It takes longer to reach the residential area, but safety first. Merchants might complain when they start coming.”

“Pfft, let them, Onii-san. Safety trumps convenience. The first and second floors, planned as defense layers, won’t have monsters or bandits. They’re safe, so no one has grounds to complain.”

“Ratsu’s right. But maybe put an inn on the second floor. Bad timing could mean arriving at night.”

“We’d need people who can handle trouble. It’s a ways off, but worth considering.”

While I’m lost in thought, the discussion moves forward.

“So, the first and second floors as a buffer zone for defense?”

“Um, Onii-chan… Sorry, Yuki-san, I have a question.”

Asrin says “Onii-chan.”

She really likes Yuki.

Not romantically, I think, but she told me once.

If she had a brother, she’d want him to be like Yuki-san.

Yuki’s eyes widen at her call, but he quickly smiles, his warmth growing.

“Asrin, no need to apologize. I’m not much of a guy, but if you’re okay with it, call me Onii-chan. Filia, you too.”

“R-Really?! I’ll call you Nii-sama!! Nii-sama!!”

“Onii-chan’s amazing!! It’s okay!!”

Both get head pats, looking thrilled.

Everyone pauses the meeting to bask in the moment.

Wonderful job, Asrin, Filia.

You’re angels.

“Um, Asrin-chan, Filia-chan. You can call me Onee-chan too.”

Struck by their cuteness, Elju-sama steps forward.

But the two hesitate.

“Uh, but Elju-sama’s a Saintess…”

“And, um, Oriel-san…”

“I’m not a Saintess anymore… Oriel!! No interrupting!!”

“…I’m fine with it. Call Elju-sama your sister…”

Oriel’s got it rough.

“E-Elju Onee-chan!!”

“Elju Nee-sama!!”

“Eek!! Yes, I’m your sister!! I get how Chii Nee-sama feels now!!”

Elju-sama lifts Asrin and Filia, beaming… She’s just a fool now.

“Enough. Asrin, you had a question for me, right?”

“Oh, yeah. Onii-chan, this is inside a dungeon, so why’s there a sky and night?”

“That’s made with DP too. I can change the weather freely. Limiting it to specific seasons or climates makes it cheaper.”

I see. That’s why the inn’s outside had a night sky.

Ratsu speaks up.

“Wait, Onii-san. Weather’s important moving forward, but how much DP?”

“Let’s see. The inn’s lowest floor, with fully adjustable weather, costs 5,000 DP.”

“Pfft!? Even with 500,000 DP earned, that’s… pricey, isn’t it?”

“Maybe. For a small space, it’s steep, but it’s per floor. Larger floors make it more cost-effective.”

“I see. For farmland or ranching floors, we should take as much space as possible. No point wasting 5,000 DP per floor on small ones.”

“Yeah, probably… Wait a sec. A floor with just snow would mean unlimited skiing and snowboarding!! I just realized something amazing!! This dungeon’s a leisure paradise!!”

Yuki’s thrilled, nodding to himself.

What’s skiing and snowboarding?

Curious, I peek at his image—sliding on snow with wooden boards on their feet.

Huh, you can use that for fun?

“And when it spreads, we could hold a mini Winter Olympics…”

As Yuki mutters, a [Call Yuki] screen pops up in front of him.

On it is…

“Yuki, what’s with that weird face? We’re mostly done preparing here. Can I report? Excited, huh? It’s been a while, so you can just say you’re happy to see Selaria’s face.”

The moment I see her face, I’m irritated.