The secret talk with the three heavyweights of the Kingdom of Kurtrga in the office of Chancellor Bergman ended in a way that was convenient for . Count Crood and Count Teisen had already left the room, and after talking with the Chancellor about the details, I was about to leave the room to start the next preparation.
Wait, Schwartz. One last thingIve accepted this proposal, but as I advised earlier, I dont want you to delve too deep into the Kingdoms political affairs.
Of course, Your Excellency. I made that proposal after weighing both of my wishes and this countrys political stance.
Wish If I wanted to bring it into the Kingdom of Kurtrga, this story would have flowed. The original plan was ant to keep it in the buffer zone of the Devils Mountains.
My wishI dont really know what it was. Was it rcy for the fugitive slaves, because I never want to see the tears of the girl I saw in the southern sea again, or was it a mourning for those who were eaten by the ruthless reality on the lakeside of the mountains?
Or all of these I left the Royal castle and returned toDaikokuya, confused by my uncertain feelings.
On the way back to the store, I bought so miscellaneous goods that I needed from now on and prepared to return to the Devils Mountains again. From here on, its a race against ti. Before the Order of the Knights of the Frontiers can co near the Mine Labyrinth, Kotis hidden village must already be completed.
Returning to the underground warehouse in Jonahs form, I explained the situation to Koti and ordered him to wait for a few days. Of course, I havent talked about the secret agreent with the Kurtrga Kingdom, and its unpleasant to give the implication that the undead and the Kingdom are actually directly connected.
Afterward, I used the Royal Capitals transfer circle to return to the forest city Dragrange. Then scaled the Devils mountain to reach the Mine Labyrinth.
Around here, maybe?
Displaying the map of the surrounding area with the help of TSS, I asured the distance between the labyrinth and the nearest water source, in this case a lake. Then a mountainside to see which part is a suitable spot.
Once I decided on a location, all I needed to do was start working.
I summoned multiple Gift BOXs, then took out the materials and foods I bought at the Royal Capital, as well as the cheapest furniture I can buy on VMB. Finally, I took out the copy circle and deployed it. At the sa ti, I changed my avatar setting to Shaft as from here on, it will be his turn to act. Schwartz wont be scouring the mountain. It would be Shaft instead. Jonahs turn was ending here, as theres very little benefit for to continue masquerading as the undead. Hell be gone for good after this anyway.
Right after everything was ready, the copy circle started glowingand the next mont, the fugitive slaves and everyone that will work on the hidden village construction, including the dwarf Girim, erged from the circle.
Here isthe Devils Mountain? Who are you? And that guywhere is he?
Seeing Black Masked Shaft at the other end of the transfer circle in Daikokuya basent instead of Jonah, Girim and the others understandably stood their ground in suspicion.
Im the rcenary Shaft. Here as an escort until the work here is done.
Then where is he?
Do you an that skeleton guy? I dont know. I wasnt hired to know. Instead, start working already. The Frontier Knights should be heading here as we speak. You need to turn this place into a hidden village before they find their way here.
G-got it. Damn, I dont know anymorelets start working!
Despite everything not making any sense, Girim called out to the n who had followed him to start picking up the mining tools in order to make a cave in the mountain wall. Whilst watching them work, I leaned my back into a tree nearby. Staying alert of our surroundings.
Girims mining technique was brilliant. I couldnt tell whether its because of skill or magic, but they dug down through the mountain surface fairly easily, as if the dirt and rocks were made of tofu. The n who transferred along with him acted as his assistants. So were taking out the dirt and rocks he dug out while others were reinforcing the walls. Taking breaks in rotation, the construction work continued even past sundown. A group of kobolds appeared in the midst of that, but I quickly dispatched them.
Well, thats about it for now.
Around the ti when the sun was about to rise, Girim finally stopped working. A cave, created by carving and digging through the mountain, was completed.
From the outside, a short horizontal hole continues, and beyond that, a circular hall with a high ceiling and a eting place for residents is created. Around the circumference, there are private rooms and shared rooms, as well as rooms around water such as toilets and kitchens. The floors and walls were magically hardened and tiled.
The furniture that had been taken out was carried to each room, and the living environnt was set up for the ti being. A copy circle will be set up again in the circular hall to inform Koti and the rest who are waiting in Daikokuya basent that we are ready.
The transfer circle in the basent would shine dimly once its ready to use. But given the ti, they should co in pretty soon.
Its been prepared, Koti-sama
Girim, thank you-nya. As expected, your workmanship isnyaa?!
Girim greeted Koti as she arrived with the remaining fugitive slaves. Her eyes scoured the interior of the cave until she inevitably looked toward .
W, why is Shaft here-nya
If it isnt Koti its been a while.
As soon as I saw my face, Koti quiveredshe quickly pinched her nose with her right hand. Does sothing sll so bad here for her?
Wh-whay ish he heere-nya! Wh-whad khabbened wit Yonah-nya! (Wh-why is he here! Wh-what happened to Jonah-nya!
The little girls who were rubbing their sleepy eyes beside them looked up at Koti as she pinched her nose and raised a protest.Behind Koti, I saw the elf Flik and the cook Garard, the only other two who could recognize , just erging from the copy circle.
H, hold yer horses there! Does Koti-sama know this person?
That man is Shaftalso known as the Black Mask Shaft, a rcenary capable of conquering a labyrinth solo!
Flik gave the introduction rather politely instead, while Koti kept glaring at .
No need to worry, Im not your enemy at the mont. For now, Im just an escort hired by soone we both are acquaintanced with.
Huwha-huwhat!
Y-yes, thats right, Koti-sama. This person has been standing watch alone as an escort while we were working.
Well, I didnt even break a sweat.
The n who were working to build this cave dwelling tried to reassure Koti by explaining my work one after another. Listening to their story, I could see that the cautions of Koti and Flik were gradually released.
Is-is he really not an enemy-nya? Arent you still mad after last ti-nya?
Last timust have been when they tried to rob the labyrinth core.
In the end the labyrinth core is back with . It doesnt matter anymore. More than that, I have a letter from soone. For the sake of your own future, you should probably worry about that more than you do .
The letter that I had inside my overcoat was a statent that I decided after discussing with Chancellor Bergman. The senders na is Daikokuyas Schwartz, and the content is about how Daikokuya will take over the transaction of magic ore mined from the labyrinth in the future. A certain company in the forest city of Dragrange, which they had been secretly trading with until now, was sent to prison for guiding smugglers from other countries.
In addition, for the ti being to live here, it is necessary to live daily, such as setting up a front base of the Frontier Knight in a nearby place and accepting rchants who co to trade daily necessities and food there. The notice that various things will be done viaDaikokuya is written on the letter.
At first glance, Koti and this group may seem to have gained autonomy to live in the Devils Mountains, but the truth is that they have to deal directly with Kurtrga Kingdomunder the guise of Daikokuya. Koti might be dissatisfied with it, but crushing the fortress alone will not release the Devils Mountain from the Drak Kingdoms influence. Its a given since the mountain was a buffer zone.
It is difficult to avoid a conflict with the Kingdom of Drak and the Empire of Bashburn without monitoring and controlling the trends and establishing a system that can be kept in hand at any ti. As soon as she regained her composure, Koti received the letter and read deeply into the content. The girl is smart, she glanced at the letter and at alternatively, and seed to grasp my exact aning.
alright-nya, Ill make sure everything goes as agreed.
Are you sure, Koti-sama?
Its many tis better than having to return to our country. And if we expand hereit should be possible for us to help more stragglers.
That was the loophole.
The letter I prepared has no ntion about the fugitive slaves or the people who have escaped from the Drak kingdom. This Devils Mountains is not exactly the territory of Kurtrga either. There is no reason to bla the invasion of non-combatants from the Drak Kingdom unless they cross the border.
One piece of advice. Today, or tomorrow, the Frontier Knights of Dragrange city will be arriving here. And along with them, Ophelia Dragrange, who ca to this mountain specifically to hunt the phantom thieves. Do not let her see you, since the phantom thief Nekoyanagi is supposed to be annihilated in the labyrinth already.
I, I see-nya. By the way, where did Jonah go-nya?
He wont show up here anymore. Its just a coincidence that I was willing to take his request to escort this place. I have no shred of relation with that undead. That is all.
Koti was awfully different today. Where did the holiness that she exhibited when I confronted her as Jonah in Daikokuya basent go to?
It was the afternoon of that day that the Frontier Knights of Dragrange arrived at the Hidden Village.
The response of the GPS transmitter attached to Miche-san is also close. The Frontier Knights and Sasanqua clan seed to be acting together to search for the unique first-class undead Jonah whose species and rank are known. Count Crood, the Knights adviser, has instructed them to search the area before subduing the labyrinth.
The cave dwelling Hidden Village was nad Yorum in consideration of the future.
Three frontier knights, the Dragrange branch of Daikokuya, and four unfamiliar n who claim to be the branch managers ca to the Yorum. This Dragrange branch will support the future life of Yorum. While it uses Daikokuya na, the contents have nothing to do with , and the rchant directly working for Count Teisen is supposed to take charge as the branch manager. The representative ofYorumis the dwarven Girim. If Koti or Flik were to be the representatives, it would not be possible to avoid getting caught in the event of eting Ophelia.
After watching Girim, who is in discussions with the branch manager and Knights, I moved out to leave Yorum.
Where are you going-nya?
It was Koti who called out. I thought she was hiding in the back room of Yorum to avoid the eyes of the Frontier Knights. But here she was already, without seemingly getting seen by anyone.
With the Frontier knights in here, my job is over. There is no reason for to stay here anymore, so I should move on to the next job.
YesI have the next job, the task of conquering the Mine Labyrinth. Im not here just to help others.
O-of course-nya
I was wondering what to say after that, but Koti herself didnt seem to know what to say as well. I have nothing more to add. Ive prepared a place for them. What cos nextits all up to them. If I would do anything else for themI guess conquering the labyrinth and thus making the devils mountain a little safer may also count.
Sha-Shaft!
The mont I turned around to continue my path toward the labyrinth, Koti called out to once more.
Im sorry for the last ti at the Capital! And thank you for everything!
.dont wo
Leap!!
I was trying to tell her not to worry about it, but Koti had already leapt away before I could finish.
While seeing her leaping off, I exhaled and took the path to the Mine labyrinth.
One more thing to do.
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