After the deal with Mister Argel, he joined us for a few more days and departed to the port city a few days away from this village, he hired some hunters from us before leaving. I am also guessing they will be acting as guards for the carriage that will be bringing in the vegetables and other stuff.
After Blake told me the total headcount I immediately planned the next course of action. Even though we are already working on houses, we did not have an exact number of houses to build so we just focused on other things such as laying the main foundations. All houses were planned to be identical so that the foundations could be easily gotten rid of if we made too much.
We decided on 40 two-story houses with 2 bedrooms each. The total headcount is 110 but about 30 of them were minors, so each house will take in one of them. It was also decided that all couples would have to stay in one house and are required to take in one of the minors so it is easier to manage, this will also serve as experience for them in case they got a child. There was only a handful of them though.
As for the buildings themselves, they are to be made of reinforced stone bricks made of magic stuck together using lime mortar. I didn't want to make cement.
The rest would be made of light materials such as wood. This way the hunters and children who could only do delicate small jobs(such as carving spoons and forks) could also help. We're also reducing the trees around us. I thought that since this is going to be a village of hunters, we need to increase the visibility.
Speaking of visibility, we thought of making three watch towers for scouts to watch over the village. Two of them will be alongside the walls that will be built after all 40 houses are built. This also will be done by using magic. Such great amenity magic is.
And as I was messing with the flow of magic in my body to pass time and slept, 2 news came in. Bad and good news.
"So which should I start with?" Blake asked the sleepy me. Sleep isn't necessary as my body runs with the use of magic but that doesn't mean my body won't desire it along with its pleasant feeling. Also, mental fatigue is a thing.
"Do as you see fit," I simply replied before closing my eyes again.
"Understood- are you doing this on purpose?" He asked as he stiffened.
"What is?"
"That. Acting dignified all of the sudden, making me all tensed up."
"Isn't that just your imagination? Hurry up with it and let me go back to sleep," I replied as if annoyed.
"U-understood… arrgh, forget it… ahem, I'll start with the good news as it is connected to the bad one, is that fine?"
"As I said, do as you see fit."
"Urk…" He flinched.
(What is wrong with him?)
"Blake?" I called out to him.
"O-oh, it's nothing… seriously, sleeping in the middle of the day..? How free you are… The thing is, a group of young lads claims to have found the fruit you wanted, but since this is the first time we've seen it, we can't really confirm."
I heard that rude remark but I shall ignore it.
"Is that it? Then I will go and see it for myself to confirm," I stood and put on my coat. This coat was made by Lory. She is very reliable, like how she is usually taking care of cooking and chores. She has started learning my dishes lately, she was very eager for some reason.
"Well, there's that. There also comes the bad news…" he dejectedly said.
"Hm?"
"… a dungeon. They found the fruit inside a dungeon. It has not grown much since it is young, we know this because it wasn't there when we last scouted the area," He explained looking more dejected.
Dungeons. Based on the book I have read, they are formed in places with high spatial mana. They are not formed out of anywhere, they are formed when the mana is dense enough that an intelligent living creature is born and gets accustomed to the spatial mana around it. It then instinctively uses that mana to manipulate the space around it, making it its absolute domain that they can control. Dungeons are usually formed under the ground, no one seems to find this odd, but I think it is because the earth could be an easy way to conserve that mana.
What I find weird, however, is why is he so dispirited by its existence?
"Why do you look so pained by it? Isn't having a dungeon near the vicinity a good thing for hunters?" I asked while we head to where the fruits are.
"Well yeah, it usually is since the right to first explore it belongs to whoever found it, but the problem is what comes after that. You know how nobles like to hug things to themselves?"
"What about it?"
(Don't tell me…)
"Sigh, once you report it to the guild and explore it, they will send their personal armies to claim its core and enslave the master. There is an unwritten rule among hunters that whoever clears it gets to own it, along with the total land that it covers. His majesty has recognized this rule and has allowed it, so long as the land isn't a fellow noble's and is inside the kingdom's territory. Dungeons can infinitely expand as long as there is mana and land, you know? And they are rare, you know? Do you understand now?" After his explanation, his face was filled with sudden fatigue.
"Yeah, I think I get what the problem now is. Meaning, this land, and you guys will be in a pinch if some noble or any greedy person, in general, gets to clear it," I deduced.
"Exactly, who knows they might demand us to either work for them or force us to leave the land that his majesty granted us," he said all teary-eyed.
"Oh, there you are, ma'am! Please confirm if these are the fruits that you were asking for. We found them inside a dungeon. It was quite the weird dungeon actually, no monsters attacked us on the first floor and that very floor is filled to the brim with all kinds of plants that we don't recognize. We found a couple of trees that fruited and here they are," He explained while looking all proud along with the boys beside him. His party-mates, I guess?
I looked at the fruit that he handed over and sniffed on them. Yup, these are the right ones.
"Yes, I have confirmed it, these are definitely mangoes. Oh, and you are?" I asked.
"IT IS!? YAY! We did it, guys!" They let out cries of celebration after I verified it.
"Ahem!" Blake signaled to them.
"Oops, sorry about that! We were just so happy to finally be able to contribute to the village that we lost ourselves for a moment. My name is Wallack, and these three here are my siblings. We are all D-ranked, basically novices. Nice to meet you, ma'am!" He bowed and his siblings followed suit.
"I see, nice to meet you too. Can you bring me to where you found these?" I asked which they happily agreed to.
"Blake, have someone bring it to my workshop, bring that machine in my house there too. Be careful as it is very delicate," I ordered and warned.
"Sure."
"Also, I have been wondering but… why is your and your party's rank different from everyone here?" I whispered to him.
"Oh I thought you already knew, but that is the ranking system of the Hunter's Guild of the Hyuu Continent. If there is nothing else, I'll get going now. There is nothing else I need to do here now that you have confirmed its credibility."
(So that is how it is.)
"Wait, Blake! This Hyuu continent, where is it?" I called out to him and asked.
"South of this Human Continent," he said before fleeing to the almost completed houses.
(That is the continent that I and Lory are headed to. I guess I will ask him about it after this.)
"Now then, can you bring me to that dungeon?" I turned to the boys and asked. They all blushed for some reason, but I did not think about it.
"Y-yes, of course! Let us get ready though since it's quite far. Over the river we supply our water with," they all nodded and start to pack things up.
After that, it took us the whole day to get to the dungeon and back to the village.
I found all kinds of different medicinal herbs, mushrooms, and spices. I recognized all of them, strangely enough. There were ingredients that you would usually use to make curry, so I'm having my suspicions.
But that is not what is important right now, that comes later. What's important right now is how we should deal with this dungeon.
"So how are we dealing with it?" Kler asked. I heard he is the best alchemist in this village and has taken interest after I said that I recognize the herbs in the dungeon.
"Hmmm, first-
"Let's clear it," I interrupted Blake who looked like he was going to say something.
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"No, first we-
"I already sent someone to report it to the guild, so let's clear it."
"What about the-
"Alright, it is decided! We are conquering a dungeon this chapter!" I decided by myself.
"Do you even know how to fight, little girl?" Kler asked.
(Little girl? He should be blind so he should not know what I look like… either he was told about it or he is not someone to be taken lightly…)
"I will be fine, old man! I am pretty good at magic, you know? Ask Blake, he experienced it first-hand!" That should have conveyed what I wanted to say.
"Hmm, Blake huh… I see so that is how it is. I shall trust your confidence. And Blake… pft…"
"Eh? Was I scoffed at just now? Hey?"
"Anyway! Pack UP! We are taking over someone's house tomorrow morning!" I said in one breath. Sounding like a spoiled noisy child excited to go to her first school field trip.
"… she may seem like a capable adult but she is still a child just like how she looks like, huh…" old man Kler said.
"Yeah, makes you wonder where she originates," Blake sighed and replied.
"I can hear you two! Blake, tell your party that we're going tomorrow!" I said in response to their mocking.
Tomorrow came, and we are currently standing along with Blake's party and eight more hunters. Meaning there are twelve hunters here. I am not a hunter so I don't count.
"Well, then let me introduce them to you. First is with old man Kler's party, the twin sisters are Li and Lo and the party healer is Karl, the chubby one, they're a party of B-ranks with the exception of Kler being A-rank," He patted Kler's back and introduced them with a smile.
"I see, I'll remember it. And you guys are?" I asked in turn.
"Oh, we didn't really exchange introductions yesterday, did we? I'll go first, I am the leader, Wallack. These guys are, from the right is Angus, Alek, and Otis. As we have already said, we are a party of D-ranks. It's nice to meet you!" He exclaimed and bowed 90 degrees style, and his colleagues followed suit.
"I'll remember it, nice to meet you too," I replied with a cheerful tone and smile.
"So, when are we going?" Kler asked. He is wearing his blindfold as usual but this time his long hair is tied at his back and he is wearing iron gauntlets that is also holding onto a meter long thin cane. I'm assuming that cane is a sword under it but why the gauntlet?
"We can go now if you are all ready. Is that fine, Blake?"
"Oh? Yeah, of course. The faster we act the better. Also, I am assuming you have a plan yourself so there's that," He said as he packed his spear behind his back.
"Of course, I do." (Nope, none at all. I'm just planning to blast everything into smithereens with a rail cannon if anything goes wrong.)
"Well then, since everyone seems ready, I suppose we can depart now?" I asked.
"Yeah, but don't you need anything? All you're carrying are those two canteens and two boxes of lunch, will you be fine just with that? Even Bro Blake and old man Kler and their parties are holding into so much baggage," Wallack asked.
"That's not a problem, I am storing it in my item box," (Item box, my ass. I don't even know if that is actually a thing, plus there's actually nothing in it but my changes of clothes. Magic is all I have got, and an unreliable dagger mastery. Well, there is a kitchen knife in there though.)
"You have an item box? How envious… Let's go then!" Wallack and his party led the way and Kler and his party followed while Blake's was last. I was with Blake but I'm not a party member.
They seem to have not cared about the item box crap I threw. Why?
"By the way, Blake. Did you tell Kler anything about me? My appearance for example," I casually asked.
"Oh, I haven't actually. Someone might have told him, who knows. That old man possesses the greatest perceptions in this village, so he might have learned somehow. Maybe because he is blind that he is great at using his other senses, ask him yourself if you find the chance or the need to," He casually replied.
"Heeeh… I see," I simply replied.
*****
What is this!? No matter what I throw their way, they are breezing through them like nothing! Especially that silver-haired girl! What is she!? She is holding twin daggers but all she has done was throw water arrows at everything! The other four brats are weak but the other eight are no joke as well! That old man and that spear guy move as if they are walking through a park!
Not good! At this rate, they're going to reach the master floor! It's only been 3 hours ever since they left the first floor and they have already conquered half of my dungeon! What is that bullcrap!?
What should I do!? No no no, calm down self! They are your first visitors, after all. You're just panicking because it's your first time! Calm down.
I know! I'll tire them out, no matter how strong they may be, they are only humans after all, with the exception of one of them! That annoying Celestial Vampire! I'm a vampire too and I don't know what they are, but seeing this I can only think of her as trouble. And I can only tell that she is a Celestial Vampire through the menu, I have to see her personally and appraise her if I want to see her stats, UGH!
Alright, to tire them out, I know what to do! I have read this from a manga back when I was still a human. I just hope it works!
*****
"Is it just me or has it been nothing but stairs and traps? I'm getting sick of it! And they're going up and down, what is up with this dungeon!?" Lar complained like a child, thumping on the ground.
"Yeah, I think it's a good time to take a rest now… The problem is where tho, these steps and passages are way too narrow for us to take a rest in," Blake said.
"Wait, too narrow?" As I suspected, it suddenly started to vibrate increasingly every second.
"An earthquake?" Wallack asked.
"I don't think so," I said as I readied a little bit of earth magic.
"Little girl, what are you doing? What are you planning to do with that amount of mana?" Kler asked.
"Here comes," as soon as I said that, a huge round boulder came down from the stair we were descending from. When it got close I used the mana I gathered and stopped it just a meter away from us.
"Experiment successful," I exclaimed. What I did just now was lift the boulder and stop its momentum. I applied the same logic when I am controlling other attributes. Ice, earth, and water for example. How are they floating when they are being used? Simple, they're floating because of the user's imagination. I've seen others use magic, and when I asked what are the effects of their magic circles, they all said that it was to give shape to mana, amplify the effect and reduce the mana cost. None said that it was to make it float, so I assumed that it was their subconscious will that allowed it to float. After all, I am using imagination to use magic.
That said. "What are you guys staring for?" I asked the confused gallery.
"What was that just now? A boulder? Why did you not inform us if you knew it was coming? What's more, you used a dwarven technique that even I couldn't use! What was that!?" Garga the dwarf complained.
"Dwarven technique? I have no idea what you are talking about, and I didn't know that it was coming," I said before making the boulder crumble.
"Again! That was a dwarven technique! Everyone else except dwarves has to use magic circles to manipulate earth! Tell me, who are you and how you did that! If anything, I want you to teach me!" He said all in one breath.
"Maybe there are just exceptions such as myself? And if you're actually complaining because you want me to teach you, then I could."
"Hmm, now that you guys are talking about it, I have never seen you use magic circles when you were manipulating the earth back at the village. No, more like I have never seen you use any magic circles in general…" Blake said.
*****
Yeah, I have been wondering about that, too! I had to study how to utilize magic and you're just using it as if it's just another limb! What the hell are Celestial Vampires!? You're scary!
No matter, I'll hear it anyway if she teaches him here.
*****