New chapter of Let’s Create a Dungeon is out! (2/4 chapters)

The Fugitive Dan Dastel

(Thank you for reading at bayabuscotranslation.com)

(POV switch – Dan Dastel)

It has been about a month and a half since I left the Empire. The person I met at the Adventurer Guild who gave off a strange aura. Strangely, the name of the “Mad Warrior” Colter Kash from the Empire floated to my mind. It’s a well-known story. Strong people challenge and kill each other, and it’s also the reason why I fled all the way to the Allied Nations. I fled from that strong man, Nobutsuna, because I feared he might kill me. It may sound exaggerated, but my unique skill, [Perception], had shown an unprecedented reaction. That’s a domain I should no longer get involved with.

So, I moved to the Allied Nations. I worked as an adventurer there, but it was certainly different from what I was used to. If it’s about strength, I could be among the top anywhere, but it wasn’t exactly stable. However, that was a while ago. Recently, I’ve finally started to understand the common sense of adventurers belonging to the Allied Nations.

First, I took an interest in the situation and politics. In the Empire, it wasn’t something you had to worry about too much, so I was confused at first. In the Allied Nations, you need to pay attention to the situation of the entire nations, the surrounding regions, and the city you’re currently in.

At present, there is a general movement to defeat the Demon King of the Great Forest of Owa. At first, there were only vague rumors about the military moving, but as time passed, more and more information has been revealed.

What can be understood from this is that the western part of the Allied Nations is dangerous, and there’s a possibility of food prices rising. Therefore, it’s a good idea to buy preserved food early.

The western part has many city-states that are close to the Great Forest of Owa. Even as adventurers, there’s a possibility they’ll be conscripted if they stay there. Moreover, even if a city-state is not directly adjacent to Owa, if the allied army suffers a defeat or barely wins against the Demon King, the Empire or the Kingdom might go to war. In that case, city-states near the Empire or Kingdom would likely conscript soldiers without question.

For these reasons, it can be concluded that the western part of the Allied Nations is dangerous. Food prices will rise because the allied army will be taking the supplies. So, I chose the Carnea Duchy, which is considered the center of the Allied Nations. Originally, I wanted to go to Dadara Mining Country, but due to the blacksmiths’ strike and the closure of the mines, there was too much political instability, so it was better not to go near there.

In contrast, the Carnea Duchy is the very definition of stability. A few years ago, the previous Duke suddenly died. He had two children, but without any power struggles, the older brother succeeded the title. It would have been expected since he was the eldest son, but the older brother was known to be incompetent while the younger brother was highly capable. It seemed like a situation where a conflict could arise, but this younger brother was reportedly always speaking of uniting the Allied Nations.

A long time ago, there was a time when the kingdoms of the continent were unified. The king of that era believed that humans were the supreme race among the human species and tried to place elves, dwarves, and other demi-humans as inferior beings below humans. Opposing this was the Duke Carnea. He declared independence by separating the demi-humans who were about to be discriminated against from the capital. The surrounding cities also supported this and declared independence.

The kingdom naturally sent its army, but it was defeated by the forces gathered under the Duke Carnea. The cities that had allied with him then became part of the Allied Nations framework, and the northern kingdom, which could no longer communicate with the capital due to the Great Forest of Owa, abandoned the name of the kingdom and each became small nations, plunging into a long period of war.

The younger brother of the current Duke Carnea reportedly brings up this history and insists that, since the cities gathered under the Duke Carnea’s banner, the Carnea Duchy should rule all the territories of the Allied Nations.

It may seem extreme, but it’s not an entirely incomprehensible argument.

At present, the most influential faction in the Allied Nations is the Carnea Duchy, which holds three cities and is responsible for about 30 to 40 percent of the food production of the Allied Nations. It is also the leader of the alliance. Then, there’s Dadara Mining Kingdom, which possesses mines and is home to skilled craftsmen and top-tier warriors. Next is the Zal Kingdom, which has five cities and is led by wolf beastkin. Though it’s not as strong as during its peak when they lost their wolf king who was said to be the strongest in history, it still holds significant power. Lastly, there’s the Yura Woodland Kingdom, where elves, known for their expertise in archery and magic, are the central figures. It is the closest kingdom to the Great Forest of Owa.

There are several other city-states, and it’s not easy to reach a consensus. Even if a decision is made, its implementation is very slow. If a country is attacked, they will quickly send aid, but when it comes to an invasion, it’s unclear which country will take the lead, who will command, who will provide the soldiers, and who will provide the food. These decisions are never made quickly.

Indeed, with this situation, it’s no wonder that there’s a desire for unification. The information that the military was moving originally intended to head towards the Kingdom, but there’s a rumor that Yura Woodland Kingdom twisted it and redirected it towards the Great Forest of Owa. However, few people agree with the younger brother’s opinion. The Duke Carnea’s influence is due to its past glory and overwhelming food production capabilities, and its military can hardly be called strong. If a war to unify the Allied Nations were to start, it’s likely that the Duke Carnea would be the first to perish.

No matter how capable the younger brother is, his dangerous ideology would never gain the support of his vassals. Fortunately, the Duke Carnea has many talented vassals, who quickly made the incompetent older brother the figurehead and are running the country themselves. Furthermore, the announcement of the Duke’s marriage to the princess of Dadara Mining Country has created a celebratory atmosphere throughout the Duke Carnea. As a result, there have been many lucrative requests from the Adventurers’ Guild.

For now, I’ll take advantage of the celebratory mood to earn some money. Then, I can slowly travel around the Allied Nations, and if I find a good place, settling there wouldn’t be a bad idea. Living in an inn like this isn’t bad, but it’s not always guaranteed that there will be an available room. During festivals like this, securing an inn becomes much more difficult. Even if I reach the city, I might end up camping out. In fact, getting a room this time was almost a miracle.

When I opened the window, even though it was still morning, the street was already bustling with people. Among them, there were probably many who had failed to secure a room.

The Adventurer Guild was probably overcrowded by now. Even though I couldn’t see it, I glanced in that direction, and for the first time in a while, [Perception] reacted. The quality of both the soldiers and adventurers in the Allied Nations was lower compared to the Empire, and it had been since I passed through the Yura Woodland Kingdom.

Given the crowd, it was impossible for [Perception] to pinpoint anything, so I was about to give up when I realized something unpleasant. The direction in which [Perception] had reacted was clearly not towards the Adventurer Guild, but rather towards the opposite direction which was near the castle gate. Moreover, there had only been one instance where [Perception] reacted without me looking before.

I turned around and leaned forward to see.

“Are you kidding me…” (Dan)

There he was. Even amidst the crowd, his massive figure stood out, his sharp single eye, and that overwhelming presence. In the crowded streets, there was a clear gap around him, as though people were avoiding him.

His name, if I recall correctly, was Nobutsuna. Could it be…he’s following me? That can’t be. There are strong people in the Yura Woodland Kingdom as well. There’s no reason for him to be chasing me. Yet, a chill ran down my spine.

I left the Carnea Duchy that very day.

The Allied Nations are no good anymore. I’m going to the Kingdom.

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