“So Ragner… defeated a Demon King?”
“You said you were an old friend, and you don’t even know that?”
“Pardon? Ah, um… he didn’t really talk about that much….”
My heart lurched, afraid my fake identity would be questioned, but Ruadis surprisingly let it slide.
“How unusual. I suppose you’re that type, then?”
“That type?”
“People like us who’ve adventured for too long often end up thinking that way.”
Adventuring? So Ruadis had been an adventurer too.
Well, that made sense—that’s why she was an instructor.
“Sometimes you want to set aside the title of adventurer and long for the life of an ordinary person.”
I was startled by the unexpected turn of the conversation.
“As part of that, people sometimes separate their relationships. Between the bonds they form as adventurers and the bonds they form as ordinary people. With the latter, they deliberately never bring up anything related to adventuring.”
Ruadis seemed to be misunderstanding something. But I didn’t feel particularly inclined to correct her.
Because I knew nothing about Ragner, and it was the perfect excuse to gloss over what I didn’t know.
The training ground was rather compact aside from the open lot, so the tour was over quickly.
About ten or so young adventurers around Teon’s age, along with beginners who had just taken their first steps, were sweating and throwing themselves into training.
“This is so boring. How long do we have to keep hitting these wooden dummies?”
“I want to fight monsters already.”
They sure had a lot of complaints….
When Ruadis glared, they hurriedly shut their mouths and focused on training, but their motivation looked a bit low.
Thanks to the training ground, this village was famous among nearby villages as a starting point for beginner adventurers, and Ruadis was someone with a long career as an instructor.
In other words, in game terms, this was essentially a beginner’s village or tutorial village.
After finishing the tour, Ruadis led me to a tree-stump table in the corner of the open lot.
“Now, let’s talk. I don’t think you came to find me just because you wanted a tour of the training ground.”
It was finally time to get to the point.
There had to be a reason Ragner had specifically said Ruadis was someone I could trust.
Perhaps it meant it would be better to be somewhat honest with her about my circumstances.
The place where our dungeon’s potential customers were gathered.
In short, this was a client I absolutely had to win over.
‘I’ve never done sales before, so I’m a bit nervous.’
I could feel Brownie tugging at my hair as if to cheer me on. There had to be a gentler way to show support.
“The reason I came here is….”
How could I win Ruadis’s cooperation?
In games, beginner-only dungeons tied to tutorial quests often appear.
There, monsters with low levels and simple attack patterns appear, helping players develop a feel for real combat.
If so… couldn’t our current dungeon play that kind of role too?
“I believe I can provide a place where the beginner adventurers of the training ground can develop a feel for real combat.”
“A feel for real combat?”
I would have to reveal my secret to persuade Ruadis.
My eyes happened to meet Ragner’s as he instructed the children. Seeing him nod silently, I took courage.
“Let me say this first—I am not a heretic… or anything like that.”
“Go ahead. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say without prejudice.”
Even though the word heretic had come out of my mouth, Ruadis spoke without hesitation.
Just from the fact that Ragner had introduced me, I could feel I was being trusted.
“There is a dungeon near the village. I made a contract with a Demon King and am managing that dungeon.”
Ruadis, who had been about to say something, barely closed her mouth and gestured for me to continue.
So she was at least going to hear me out to the end!
“First, I should introduce our company—no, our dungeon—in detail.”
I stood up from my seat and entered presentation mode. It would have been perfect if there were a whiteboard behind me.
The basics of any deal are trust. I’ll tell you everything, with nothing added or omitted!
Strength.
“Our dungeon is directly controlled by me, a human. The monsters are very gentle and cooperative, and their combat power is weak. Therefore, the probability of serious safety accidents is effectively zero! We offer constant monitoring and even a lost-and-found service.”
“…How unusual.”
Weakness.
“However, since the dungeon was only recently established, our facilities are lacking.”
Listing only good points could make it seem hollow.
“Unlike other dungeons, our respawn room is empty, and even if you successfully conquer the dungeon, we cannot offer good rewards. But in exchange, the usage fee is cheap, and the facilities will be improved gradually going forward!”
The best value dungeon you can use for just 100 eon!
Opportunity.
“How many beginner adventurers enroll on a regular basis?”
“Since they can enroll at any time, it isn’t periodic. Last month, five enrolled.”
“Is the number trending upward each year? The training ground must be too cramped to accommodate them all.”
“Adventurer is a popular profession, so it tends to be that way.”
“Then here’s the opportunity!”
“Hm?”
“The number of beginner adventurers is increasing, and demand for practical training is expected to rise along with it!”
“…….”
“Wouldn’t there be limits to training with only stationary wooden dummies? Now they can face weak, living, moving monsters and experience vivid combat! If you wish, we can even redesign the course exclusively for beginner adventurers according to your training manual!”
“Does that… really connect like that?”
Threat.
“But they could just go out into the field without bothering with a dungeon….”
“Of course, you may think it’s more efficient to just hunt weak monsters wandering in the field rather than go to the trouble of using a dungeon. But aren’t you worried that childish beginners like Teon might cause another incident?”
Ruadis made a troubled expression. Judging by that, it seemed hot-blooded kids causing trouble was not a one-time occurrence.
“Now you can safely lock them in the dungeon and suppress their wild energy! In other words, an after-school care service!”
“…….”
Was that a bit lacking?
“We also offer a preliminary inspection service. If you visit the dungeon yourself and point out improvements, we will review them first!”
“Hmm….”
“That concludes the presentation from Gong Choi of the Hermit’s Dungeon. Thank you.”
“…….”
“Ah, we also have a cute mascot, Brownie.”
“I am the household fairy Brownie! Lowly creature, bow before me!”
After hearing the full introduction, Ruadis rested her chin on both hands and said nothing for a while, as if lost in thought.
“What did I just… hear?”
“Shall I go over it once more….”
“No, there’s no need for that.”
At my ear, Brownie chattered nonstop about how good that had just been.
“First, I have a question.”
“Yes, please speak freely.”
“Why do you want my students?”
“Pardon?”
“Dungeons shouldn’t welcome adventurers coming and going, should they? There’s something to protect there, isn’t there?”
So this was how the world understood dungeons. In truth, it was the opposite.
Dungeons very much welcomed visits from adventurers of moderate skill. Because they had to operate!
“Um… monsters also need to earn money to make a living, after all.”
Ruadis’s expression scrunched as if she had heard something absurd.
“But monsters can’t exactly get jobs in human society, can they? So in a sense, the dungeon is their workplace.”
Monsters submit resumes and attend interviews too, you know.
“That’s the first time I’ve heard that perspective.”
They would have been too busy fighting each other on sight to have room to consider the other’s circumstances.
But then… could monsters and humans even understand each other’s speech?
They probably could have opened up about their circumstances honestly at least once. If they had, wouldn’t perceptions of dungeons have changed a great deal?
“Then what does your side gain from my students?”
“Th, that would be money.”
There was no need to mention extracting fear, was there?
“Money?”
“Yes, before challenging a dungeon, people put money in the donation box, right? That’s….”
Once again, Ruadis looked shocked.
“I’ve wondered where the money in the donation box went, but it wasn’t the temple collecting it—the dungeon was swallowing it….”
Oops!
“Th, that’s actually the temple collecting it! We just receive a small incentive, so to speak. For donation box management costs and such….”
“The temple gives it to the dungeon?”
“Not directly… um… they kind of leave it behind like alms…. Then we pick up a little and add it to our household budget, that sort of thing…. Yes, well…. The truth is, if a dungeon seriously decided to destroy the donation box, even the temple couldn’t do anything about it, right?”
Honestly, it was a bit awkward to come right out and say that they were paying a usage fee every time they entered the dungeon.
“That’s true. Hmm… hearing it like this, dungeons do seem like not such a big deal after all.”
“It’s an industry secret.”
What kind of dungeon manager in the world would go this far to do sales?
