New chapter of Let’s Create a Dungeon is out! (2/3 chapters)
Short Story (5)
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A report arrived under Shiba, who was guarding the dungeon entrance. It was not from the subordinates exploring the west, but from the subordinates forming the vigilance network. For some time, there had been such a tendency, and today, it had finally come. From past tendencies, the danger level was not that high. However, some measures must be taken.
After pondering for a bit, Shiba decided to head to the Demon King to receive instructions. Surely, was it that Ran’s place had completed the task and was to receive a name from the Demon King-sama? Then, let’s go there first.
“To become a close existence like family, was it. Then, from now on, call yourself Ichi.” (Nobunaga)
Arriving at the workshop and hearing of the Demon King’s visit, Shiba was guided by a nearby Arachnid, where he saw an Arachne just receiving a name. Receiving a name was something special, so Shiba decided to wait for a while.
“Yes! From now on, I will call myself Ichi.” (Ichi)
Apparently, the Arachne who had received the name, Ichi, seemed to be small overall for an Arachne. Shiba himself had recently learned that Ran was quite large among the Arachne.
Originally, since the species Arachnid was large, it was not noticeable, but comparing Ran and Ichi, there was a difference like that of an adult and a child. And as for that Ran, she was making a face as if she had swallowed a bitter bug. Even though the Demon King-sama was present, why, Shiba wondered, but no answer came to him.
“Maou-sama, thank you very much. Isn’t that great, Ichi? But you must not make too presumptuous requests, alright?” (Ran)
“No, I simply demonstrated my sign of reverence. Maou-sama responded to it. Besides, doesn’t the chief not change much either?” (Ichi)
Fufufu, while laughing, the two exuded an unusually intense hostile atmosphere.
Even from afar, Shiba wanted to tuck his tail and flee. Shiba had felt this atmosphere once before. It was when two pairs of mates had a dispute. Such things were common before coming under the Demon King, but at that time, both husbands had come seeking help from Chief Shiba. Normally, the husbands would settle it among themselves, but in that instance, it was decided by the wives.
If requested, the chief had to go. However, upon arriving at the scene, Shiba immediately regretted it. The two wives were emitting the same terrifying atmosphere as now. Moreover, when the husbands tried to intervene, both of them threatened them. They were smiling at each other, so it seemed like they were getting along, yet they were clearly projecting hostility beyond words. In any case, it was terrifying.
It was at that moment that Shiba understood how to handle it. That method was—
“Pardon the interruption. Maou-sama, I actually have an urgent report. May I?” (Shiba)
“Ah! I don’t mind. Well then, Ran, Ichi.” (Nobunaga)
To not get involved, to leave it alone.
The Demon King, seeing a lifeline, took up Shiba’s proposal. No one wanted to stay in such a place.
“You saved me, Shiba.” (Nobunaga)
On the way back to the throne room from the workshop, the Demon King expressed words of gratitude.
Even for the Demon King-sama, remaining in that place must have been torment, Shiba judged, and sincerely accepted the words.
“Please do not mind. However, what is Ran even doing? Does she not understand that Maou-sama is present…?” (Shiba)
Recalling the earlier scene, though it was not even his own matter, Shiba naturally bowed his head in apology to the Demon King, and considering that Ran and Ichi were probably regaining their senses now and being struck by remorse, he let out a sigh.
“Hahaha, it cannot be helped. Managing such a number of individuals, there will be differences in opinion. I have no intention of interfering in that. It is the role of the chiefs. Well, if I receive a request or judge it as an unavoidable situation, I will step in.” (Nobunaga)
The Demon King laughed as if completely unconcerned, but Shiba desperately searched for the true meaning behind his words.
It was arrogant to even compare, but the Demon King-sama united the chiefs and neither disputes nor conflicts occurred.
In other words, as long as it happens only a few times, he will overlook it, but as a chief, do your job properly. Do not cause unnecessary trouble.
Thinking that he should report this matter, including Ran’s incident, among the chiefs later, Shiba bowed his head to the Demon King.
“I will do my best to meet Maou-sama’s expectations.” (Shiba)
“I am expecting it.” (Nobunaga)
The throne room.
The Demon King was sitting on the throne, opening a book, and before him, Shiba stood with a nervous expression.
“Then, I will report on the exploration of the west and the report from the southern vigilance network.” (Shiba)
It was only natural to be nervous. For Shiba, who had not yet completed his task like Ran, this report would directly translate into his results. He could not afford to make a disgraceful report, but exaggerating was also out of the question.
“First, the west. I apologize. We have not yet found a place suitable for a quarry.” (Shiba)
He reported the failure honestly as a failure. No matter how pitiful it was.
“Also, the exploration of the west itself is struggling.” (Shiba)
“What?” (Demon King)
Upon hearing the report, the Demon King looked up from the book and directed his gaze toward Shiba. A completely dark abyss, without any light, stared at Shiba. What feelings resided within it, he wondered. Shiba was ready to accept any reprimand. He had been given orders for several months, yet he had yet to show satisfactory results, and to say that the exploration was struggling was hardly something to say proudly.
“Hmm, as expected, the west is far. Is the distance the cause?” (Demon King)
“No, distance is not a significant problem. There are two causes. One is the demons living in the west. As far as we have confirmed, there are goblins, kobolds, and other creatures of the same race as us, as well as lamias, but none of them are willing to submit to Maou-sama or cooperate. Moreover, perhaps they dislike us as enemies, as they attack us every time we encounter them. If the numbers are similar, we can drive them off, but the enemy always outnumbers us, and each time we meet, we are forced to flee, which has prevented us from properly carrying out the exploration.” (Shiba)
Shiba himself had not gone to the west, but according to reports, it was said that the enemies were not particularly strong, and their individual abilities, when compared to the training they received under Alice’s guidance, were inferior.
However, the entire western region seemed to be in a cooperative system, and if they fought, it would be an endless series of battles. The enemy outnumbered them, and they had no choice but to retreat before suffering serious injuries, making it impossible to proceed with the exploration.
“I see. It cannot be helped. Demons, even if they are of the same species, are nothing but calamity if they are not like the Demon King. If captured, they would be cruelly exploited. So, they cannot even consider joining, let alone cooperating. Their hostile actions are likely a warning to stay away from the west. It seems I must go there directly and speak to them. Well, how long will it be before I have enough time to go to the west? Can you wait until then, Shiba?” (Nobunaga)
“I apologize for troubling Maou-sama. Also, there is one more cause related to the monsters. For some reason, a few Rank 3 monsters were roaming around. A Rank 3 opponent is too much for us to handle, even in large numbers, so we had no choice but to either run or hide to avoid being detected, which has led to the exploration being stuck.” (Shiba)
He spoke plainly. In simple terms, they were weak and had run away, which was an embarrassing report. He thought that the Demon King would surely be enraged, so he gritted his teeth and waited, but no shock came. For some reason, Shiba, feeling uneasy, slightly opened his eyes and saw that the Demon King did not appear angry at all. He was just sitting, arms crossed on the throne.
“Rank 3 monsters in the west, huh? A Rank 3 monster should be rare. A few of them? Were there fierce battles? Perhaps monsters from the east or central regions were startled by my presence, or the Sword Saint’s, and fled to the west. As a result, territorial battles became intense, and the survivors became third-tier monsters? So, in a roundabout way, it’s my fault?” (Nobunaga)
The Demon King muttered something to himself. Even Shiba, with his sharp ears, could not catch everything, but from the fragments of information he could hear, it was clear that the Demon King had predicted the reason there were many third-tier monsters in the west.
“Understood. I will leave the Rank 3 monsters to Alice, not to me. Alice won’t be able to leave for a while, so it will be later. …Shiba, temporarily freeze the exploration of the west. Check if there are any forgotten areas to explore in the east or central. Do you have anything else to say regarding the west?” (Nobunaga)
“No, there is not. …Um, will there not be any scolding? I have failed to fulfill my duty and only now have encountered difficulties. I naturally thought I would receive a scolding.” (Shiba)
“There are times I will scold. However, after hearing the report, I have judged that there is no fault on your part. I am not so much a demon as to scold you for this. Shiba, continue to do your best.” (Nobunaga)
He had been prepared for a reprimand, but what he received was encouragement.
Shiba, stunned by the unexpected turn of events, was momentarily in a daze. After a short while, he returned to his senses and immediately bowed his head.
“Thank you very much! I will dedicate myself with a spirit of breaking bones and crushing my body!” (Shiba)
“Ah, but in moderation. Is that all regarding the matter of the west?” (Nobunaga)
With the Demon King’s encouragement, Shiba no longer felt nervous or afraid, and he nodded before proceeding with the report.
“Yes. The remaining matter is regarding the southern vigilance network. Actually, starting a few days ago, several humans have been appearing near the boundary of the Great Forest of Owa, but today, they have finally invaded the Great Forest of Owa.” (Shiba)
“Are those people heading straight for the dungeon?” (Nobunaga)
If they had come to the Great Forest of Owa now, then naturally their target would be the Demon King’s head. Or so he thought.
“No, it seems they are harvesting Wari fruit in the shallow areas.” (Shiba)
Their objective was Wari fruit. Or possibly medicinal herbs and such. There was no sign that they were searching for the Demon King. At this, the Demon King showed a surprised reaction, seeming troubled by how to respond.
“In other words, they came to the Great Forest of Owa not for my head, but seeking something that is here?” (Nobunaga)
“That is likely the case. What shall we do? We are monitoring them, so if you say they are unpleasant, we can attack them immediately.” (Shiba)
Furthermore, as the exploration of the west was currently struggling, additional personnel had been assigned to the vigilance network. The number of watchers and those maintaining the vigilance network was higher than usual. At this moment, they could eliminate every last one of them. However…
“No need. I do not wish to make a careless move right now. For now, continue monitoring the intruders into the Great Forest of Owa. If they go deeper, contact Rin while guiding the intruders toward the dungeon. The moment they enter the dungeon, hunt them. If you encounter an opponent that you all cannot handle, like Alice, immediately retreat. Make sure to bring back that information.” (Demon King)
As if he had wasted his nervousness for nothing, the Demon King gave his instructions and let out a deep sigh. Thinking they were enemies, they had turned out to be merely fruit gatherers. The difference was so great that he could not even react.
After finishing his report and receiving instructions, Shiba bowed and was about to leave when he was called out to.
“Oh, right, it seems that Ran and Ichi are feeling down. Go and console them.” (Nobunaga)
By now, some time had passed since that quarrel, and both of them had probably cooled their heads and were in the midst of self-reproach. And they could not ignore the Demon King’s words.
“Understood.” (Shiba)
Shiba thought about what words he should say as he left, but in the end, he could not come up with anything.
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