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45. King

「The biggest problem right now is food supply.」

I have been on the throne for a week. I have grasped most things that need to be done.

Koe-san, Asagi, Shizuku, I, and several other villagers gathered on a hill that overlooked the village.

「Until now, the village was hunting monsters from the dungeon and surviving off of that meat, correct?」I asked.

「Yes. The forest here is small and there are very few animals, so hunting is not possible to sustain the village. We once obtained wheat seeds and tried to cultivate them, but… even if we were able to make some at first, the yield and quality gradually declined and it failed.」

「And so we went to the dungeon for food, but as expected, the monsters were tough and there weren’t many types that could be eaten…」

The villagers answered.

The population of the village was approximately 40 people. This number is probably the most that could be supported on this land. Now that the “King” of the dungeon was gone and monsters no longer spawned, securing enough food to fill the stomachs of these 40 people was an urgent matter.

「Right now, we are having the prisoners search for resources in the dungeon. If they manage to find them, we should have a good chance.」

「If I may, Marge-dono.」

The one who stepped forward was Asagi. Although he was relieved of his position as village chief when I became king, he still deserves recognition for his achievements in governing the village. Even now, most of the practical aspects are left to him.

A king should reign, but he should not govern. I heard there are historians who left behind such words in the past, and I quite agree with them.

「What is it, Asagi?」

「We will certainly be able to find valuable resources and treasures in the dungeon. I thought the same thing and ordered the prisoners to do so. However, how long can we continue this kind of method without even knowing what we will find? …Such a state of living can hardly be called self-sufficient.」

This is the good thing about Asagi. He is able to see things from a broad and long-term perspective without being distracted by immediate profits.

The only flaw with the dungeon exploration is that sometimes it takes a little too long.

「Yeah, I know. The resources I have them searching for aren’t just high-purity mithril or mana-hardened mikado stones.」

「Which means?」

「We’ll hear the results soon enough.」

My skill caught the explorers’ arrival. They were coming straight towards us.

「We found it! We found it!」

「The quality and quantity are sufficient! We even brought a sample!」

Running out of breath were Duke Abik’s elite soldiers – the swordsman and two mages who were Mello’s party members. Even now, after Mello revived them and she “escaped” from the village, they continued to explore the “Farthest Ends of Blue” every day.

「Before that, how was the cave itself? It’s been a week since we conquered it, and normally it should be collapsing here and there.」

「No, it was in perfect condition. It was so eerie that there were no monsters!」

「I don’t doubt you, but are you sure?」

「I swear to heaven! How can I do such a careless job with this life that Mello sacrificed her lifespan to get back?」

「Okay.」

We will use the dungeon. And not just for mining resources.

「Marge-dono, what are these people talking about?」

「I just tested something. I didn’t know if it would work, so I kept it quiet to not give false hope. Sorry.」

「No, not at all. So, what did you test?」

My goal was to preserve the “Farthest Ends of Blue”.

The keystone of the dungeon is the “King” at the bottom. A dungeon that loses its “King” will collapse like a bridge whose keystone has been removed. If that’s the case–.

「I thought perhaps we should prepare a new “King”.」

「Huh? Well, that may be true in theory, but… Where are you going to bring a monster that can serve as the “King” of an S-class dungeon?」

「I did bring one with me. It’s just an egg, though.」

「Egg……?」

S-class dungeon “Abyss Where Evil Comes From”.

I defeated the “King” – Immortal serpent dragon Vritra, and brought back a memento at that time.

「Vritra’s egg. By placing it in the deepest part of the Farthest Ends of Blue, the cave has become stable again.」

「Wow!」

「Even though it’s just an egg, it’s a dragon with the power to maintain a dungeon. I’m sure as it hatches and grows, the dungeon will become more enriched.」

One of the purposes of my trip was to find a place to raise the egg. It wasn’t a creature that could be raised in a basket and fed with bread, so I was looking for a place like this.

「This village will live together with the White Dragon and the Farthest Ends of Blue. The first step towards that goal was a success.」

And if the dungeon is able to last, the resource I was looking for should also be functioning. I turned to the prisoner swordsman to listen to his report.