Monster Company Tycoon Chapter 14

Chapter 14

 

The conversation dragged on for quite a while, but…

In the end, my attempt to stop Ragner from entering the dungeon failed.

However, it wasn’t a complete failure.

He had entered the dungeon as a visitor rather than a challenger.

“Now that I’ve confirmed there’s a dungeon near the village, I can’t simply leave it alone as an adventurer. I need to see for myself whether this place poses a threat or whether we can coexist in an unspoken, mutually beneficial relationship.”

What a troublesome man.

In the end, I couldn’t stop Ragner, who refused to back down until he’d inspected the dungeon himself.

“You’re really just going to look around, right? Absolutely no fighting!”

“Yes. If I determine that there’s no threat, I won’t draw my sword first.”

Didn’t that mean he’d attack without mercy if he found anything threatening…?

I couldn’t just stand by and watch all the employees I’d worked so hard to recruit get slaughtered right in front of me.

They’d only just tasted their first victory and regained some confidence.

They were finally beginning to break free from their sense of defeat. If they suffered another overwhelming loss now, their morale would inevitably collapse. And how difficult was it to raise the spirits of employees whose morale had already been crushed?

“They’re all such good kids. They listen to instructions, too…”

“Monsters are good…”

I enthusiastically praised my precious employees while giving our visitors a tour of the dungeon.

“It’s really… an empty dungeon. Was it created only recently? Even so, it’s far too…”

After looking around the lobby, Ragner calmly gave his initial assessment.

His words pierced my heart like a dagger.

One day, I’ll make this dungeon so incredible that no one will dare look down on it…!

“Big brother, my wooden sword!”

“Oh, by any chance, did you find any lost property in the dungeon?”

“Haha, lost property? Yes, ah… Just a moment. Please stay right there. Don’t move.”

After repeatedly warning them not to leave the lobby, I stood in front of the first gate.

First, I took off my glasses.

Then I knocked on the door and urgently called out to those inside.

“It’s me. The manager! I’m not a challenger!”

When I carefully opened the door, the monsters, who’d been posing menacingly to intimidate challengers, greeted me in awkward, half-frozen stances. I frantically waved my hands to signal them to disperse.

Even then, I tried not to take my eyes off Ragner, in case he changed his mind.

His cold, half-lidded eyes were fixed intently on us.

Yikes…

“W-we’ve received a lost-property report! You know the wooden sword the previous challenger left behind?”

“My friend’s, too!”

“Two of them. Two wooden swords.”

I pointed to the two skeletons who’d received the wooden swords. Then, in a voice too quiet to carry all the way to the lobby, I whispered,

“I’m really sorry for taking back something I’d already given you. But next time, I’ll definitely get you better weapons. So… could you please return the lost property?”

“We are prepared to obey any order you give us, Manager. Rattle, rattle. There’s no need to feel sorry.”

They obediently handed the wooden swords over to me. I felt so guilty that my heart was practically breaking.

“Ahaha, it seems our employees were keeping your lost property safe. Here you go.”

I put my glasses back on and handed the wooden sword to Theon.

“Doesn’t it look a little more damaged?”

“What are you talking about? It was already like that from the beginning.”

Theon took the wooden sword and grumbled as he carefully inspected it from every angle.

“You found it, so that’s enough. You should thank her, shouldn’t you?”

“Thank youuu.”

“No, it’s only natural that we return it.”

I forced a smile and looked at Ragner.

“So… you’re finished here, right? As you can see, the monsters here are very docile, and they listen to me well. They’re not threatening at all. Right?”

Ragner stared at me without saying a word, then slowly shifted his gaze toward the gate behind me. His chilly eyes lingered there, as though they could see straight through whatever lay beyond it.

As he remained silent for so long, cold sweat trickled down my back.

He wasn’t thinking of wiping them all out right now, was he?

“Very well. I’ll leave things as they are for now.”

“Phew…”

“If all the monsters in this dungeon are at that level, I could clear the place out in no time whenever I wanted.”

I clenched my fists.

I’d barely managed to save my company from going bankrupt overnight!

“By the way, are you really all right?”

“Huh?”

He raised a hand and lightly tapped the area around his eyes.

Not understanding what the gesture meant, I absentmindedly copied him, only for my fingertips to bump against my glasses.

Had he noticed that I had trouble looking at monsters with my naked eyes?

“Yes, I’m really all right. I’m happy and enjoying myself!”

As long as you leave right now.

“…I see.”

“Well, that’s the end of the tour. I’m sorry, but it’s working hours right now, so I can’t entertain visitors for too long.”

When I ushered him toward the exit, Ragner finally walked out of the dungeon, seemingly giving in despite his reluctance. Once we were outside, he quietly spoke.

“You’d be wise to keep your contract with the Demon King as secret as possible. You shouldn’t casually let others see you spending time in the dungeon, either. Especially not the temple. Otherwise, you’ll be branded a heretic and executed.”

A chill ran down my spine.

Ah, I’d really gotten myself into a troublesome situation.

“Y-yes, I’ll be careful. You’ll keep it a secret, too, right? You said you’d cooperate with me.”

He’d said he’d leave us alone for now, not that he’d cooperate with me, but I decided to insist on it anyway.

Ragner then spoke in a languid voice, saying something rather ominous.

“Under normal circumstances, I should have taken you straight to the temple the moment I heard your circumstances.”

“…”

“But since I didn’t, I’ve also become guilty of turning a blind eye to a heretic. I don’t want to be punished, so I won’t reveal your secret.”

“Thank you…”

He’d nearly ruined my livelihood in a single day, but perhaps he was actually a decent person after all?

“I’ll manage this place properly myself, so you absolutely don’t need to worry. Ah, if you happen to come across beginner adventurers who’ve only just started out, I’d appreciate it if you could discreetly let them know about our dungeon. Only genuinely weak adventurers, please! We’ll go easy on them, too.”

“Beginner adventurers…”

“Yes, I’d really appreciate it. Well, goodbye!”

Please, let’s not see each other again for a long, long time!

I was already thinking that once they left, I’d like to sprinkle plenty of salt in front of the dungeon to ward off bad luck.

Just then, Ragner rolled his eyes slightly and made a completely unexpected suggestion.

“How about I invite you to my village?”

“…Pardon?”

“Oh! Big sis, do you want to visit our village? It’s a really nice place!”

Hadn’t he just been calling me a heretic? And didn’t he know I was on the same side as the monsters? Yet he was inviting me to his village?

“Didn’t you say you needed beginner adventurers? You might find a good opportunity in the village.”

A good opportunity?

“Besides, rather than continuing to live with monsters all the time, wouldn’t it be nice to spend some time with fellow humans and take a break? If you keep your circumstances a secret, you’ll look like an ordinary traveler from out of town.”

I hesitated. He did have a point.

I still hadn’t gotten used to the monsters’ hideous faces, so having to put on and take off my glasses every time I saw them was becoming rather inconvenient, too.

“Don’t try to seduce our Chihuahua! You’re trying to lure an innocent girl away by pretending to be nice, aren’t you? The dungeon will go bankrupt without our Chihuahua!”

Brownie, who’d been hiding in my hair the entire time because she was terrified of Ragner, suddenly burst out in indignation.

“Chihuahua, don’t fall for it! That guy’s completely rotten on the inside!”

“I have no ill intentions.”

“That’s a lie! He’s definitely going to pretend to be nice and then sell you out to the temple!”

“Then why don’t you come along, too? If people see you traveling with a fairy, they’ll assume you’re an ordinary spirit mage. Travelers and adventurers often visit the village, after all.”

At those words, my ears perked up.

“Brownie can come, too?”

“Y-you…! You’re trying to sell me off, too! You heartless, merciless, cruel bastard! You’re even more evil than monsters!”

But Brownie was a resident fairy bound to the dungeon. Wouldn’t that mean she couldn’t leave it?

Ah, now that I thought about it…

“I’ve worked hard to pick up coins that people dropped. I even resisted the temptation to eat candy and saved them up, so please use them wisely.”

Considering that she’d collected coins and even brought cleaning tools back from a garbage dump, she could probably travel as far as the village near the dungeon.

I adjusted my glasses. I could feel my guarded heart slowly beginning to soften.

Wouldn’t it be all right if I just went out for a little while with Brownie?

I was also a little curious about how people in this world lived…

“What exactly is this good opportunity you’re talking about?”

“It’s possible that you could get beginner adventurers to visit your dungeon regularly.”

At those words, Brownie, who’d been grumbling angrily the entire time, abruptly stopped moving.

“Really?”

She then looked at Ragner with sparkling eyes.

“Of course, I can only arrange the opportunity. Everything else will be up to you, Ms. Choi.”

So, if things went well, I could attract customers to the dungeon on a regular basis?

It was a rather tempting proposal.