I thought that tidying up the rooms after taking my meal would be troublesome so I first went to place the beds in each room.
Since the rooms in the 2nd floor were 10 tatami mat in size, even if we place 2 beds in, it is just a space for sleeping so it can be said that it is wide enough.
As my subordinates conveyed their thanks to me, I headed to the kitchen.
Naria and, for some reason, Paula were in the kitchen. Even though I had just applied purification magic to the kitchen a while ago, I was now making an effort to sanitize every corner with purification magic.
Magic tools associated with cooking were installed everywhere in the kitchen.
I requested for this to be done when I went out to shop because I intended to cook after that, but there was something bothering me since a while ago.
“Paula, what are you doing since a while ago?”
Since just now, Paula was touching the magic tools, using them, and now she was picking them up and looking underneath them.
“I am interested in magic tools. When I was in grandpa’s workshop I often made them.”
Can magic tools be manufactured? I took out a mountain pile of magic stones from my magic bag and applied purification magic on them.
“I see. However, I plan to cook now, so you would be a hindrance if you stay here. Dolan is currently down below, so I will pass these to you if you swear that you won’t do anything dangerous.”
Paula nodded at high speed, she looked delighted as she hugged the magic stones and descended underground.
“Well then … Naria, I’m going to make dinner now, but before that, does Lionel eat a considerable amount?”
Naria showed that she was considering for a bit before she answered.
“Hmm. I think he is able to eat more than a normal person.”
As expected … I thought as I decided on the menu.
“Let’s go with curry and rice with a warm salad. For now, let’s make double of the number of members we have. Naria, wash the vegetables with Sparkling-kun, strip the vegetables with Slippery-kun on peeling mode, before changing it to chopping mode and putting them through. I’ll demonstrate once.”
After cleaning them with Sparkling-kun, I peeled them by putting them through Slippery-kun.
“Oh right. Place the skin into Dry Fertilizer-kun here which will convert them into fertilizer. Start it only after all the skin are placed in.”
“Erm? Why are you making this fertilizer?”
“I plan to have farming done someday. At that time, if we thinly spread this fertilizer on the earth and plow it, the soil’s fertility will surely recover slightly. It’s a trivial dream.”
I smiled while answering Naria, as I extracted multiple pots, vegetables, spices and meat from my magic bag, and began prepping them.
I collected water from the water filter into the pot and placed the meat in after the water was boiling on the magic stove.
Magical beast meat has a lot of scum and the smell of blood is strong so using them without prepping would make the dish taste bloody. When I was taught by Grulga-san and Granz-san, I was advised that only this process must absolutely not be skipped.
After about 20 minutes, the meat had boiled. I took them out and slice them with a fine kitchen knife before rubbing herbs on.
In the meantime, the vegetables were simmering in the pot. I adjusted the spices for the curry, removed the scum from the vegetables, before adding in the meat and spices, and continued to simmer them using low heat.
I repeated this 5 times. It was fine to keep any of the leftovers in the magic bag anyway. I didn’t have any problems with making too much.
All that’s left was to prepare the bread and rice.
“Naria, first of all, please call the Priest Knights and healers on the 2nd floor down.”
“Yes.”
After they had their meals, I, the 2 Priest Knights outside as well as the purchased slaves Lionel and group had our meals first.
The criminal slaves were shown that scene and were forbidden from speaking.
And then, we finished our meal.
“I have also prepared the share for you all. Today’s final order is to properly guard the exterior after your meal. The duration will be until tomorrow morning. If you accomplish that then you will get your breakfast. After your breakfast, 8 hours of sleep and break time will be given. As a general rule, other than during guard duty, you are forbidden from leaving the Healer’s Guild. Conducts such as discarding written reports detrimental to the Healer’s Guild or recent reports of yourself is forbidden. Once you all are accustomed to guard duty, I will assign your duties into shifts. If that happens, I believe that the task will be easier compared to now. As long as you all are sincere, I promise that the treatment regarding meals and room will remain the same as now. However, if you betray me I will have you drink this so keep that in mind.”
When I took Object X out everyone began trembling? Eh? Is this a hated object to that extent for beastmen? I wondered about that as I gave the permission to eat. Maybe because it was to their liking, everybody finished their food.
“Lionel and Cathy, I ask that you monitor them in shifts. Eventually, I plan to have the Priest Knights monitor them as well, but due to the long journey, I wish to let them rest for today at least.”
“We are slaves so there is no need to care for us to that extent.”
“That’s right nya. Leave it to me nya.”
“Thank you.”
The 2 of them have taken the same oath as to not betray us similar to the criminal slaves, but if possible, I wish to have them trust me, and let me, in turn, trust them … I wish to build such a relationship.
In the end, there was 10 person’s share of curry left over so I stuffed it into the magic bag.
Thereafter I began preparing for tomorrow’s breakfast. I permitted Naria to prepare tomorrow’s dinner if she wants to.
After I finished my preparations for tomorrow’s breakfast, I returned to my own room first.
“I have less time for myself than I had imagined.”
As I muttered the obvious, I closed my eyes and prayed using the magic communication bead to contact the Pope. Upon doing so, a voice echoed in my head.
《This is Fluna. Have Luciel arrived at Ienith safely?》
It was the Pope’s voice. After telling her that I have reached the Healer’s Guild in Ienith safely and about the events that happened today in minute detail, I told her about the countermeasures I have planned for the future and the direction I wish to take for the Healer’s Guild. After I obliged to contact her tomorrow as well, I cut the communication.
After that, I did some magical power training before going to bed.
Evidently, I had also accumulated fatigue from the journey as I immediately wandered into the dream world.
The next day, I woke up as normal … no, a huge 『DON』 noise just before woke me up from slumber.
“An attack?!”
I quickly transformed into my full equipment and left my room.
Similarly, my subordinates came out of their respective rooms.
“I have no idea what’s going on so all members temporarily gather here!”
I immediately deployed a 「Area Barrier」 and gave out instructions.
“The healers will standby at the 1st floor reception area. Priest Knights, please confirm the situation outside before joining up with Lionel and the slaves, verify their condition and return to me to report! If combat breaks out, we will fight back by barricading ourselves in the Healer’s Guild. Everyone descend!”
『Yes!』
Even though they had just woken up, everyone moved at a brisk pace.
“If Dolan’s around, can we escape from the underground?”
I asked as I descended down the stairs and headed to the underground floor.
What awaited me at the underground was an amazing sight.
“Ah, Luciel-dono, were we too noisy?”
Yes, the person who asked that in a carefree manner was Dolan.
His voice came from a considerable depth underneath but his words did not enter my head.
I surveyed the expanded underground 1st floor as I approached the center of the opened up area. That was when I grasped the entirety of the underground.
Yesterday, there was without a doubt only 3 rooms.
After returning from shopping, the area was widened by about 6 times, until the area was on par with the 1st floor.
And now, for some reason, there were a magic elevator and stairs installed in the center of the floor, with an increase of at least 4 more floors below.
“Oi~ Luciel-dono? For the time being I have completed the construction until the underground 5th floor. I constructed the underground 5th floor with the image of having it as a prison for misconduct. Next, for the underground 4th floor, I heard that Luciel-dono wanted a training ground to train with Lionel-dono so I made a training ground. There was a need to manufacture weapons for the guards so I made a smithy and magic tool workshop on the underground 3rd floor. I transferred the slave rooms to the underground 2nd floor, extended the height of the underground 1st floor and tried making it such that the horses can come down here from the stables outside to exercise. I also heard from Naria that you wanted to cultivate a field so I tried to combine a field into the floor as well. The magic stones were all used up for this, so the adjustments are still to come.”
Dolan explained to me while looking like he was feeling refreshed. Behind him, Paula was sleeping with a pleased look on her face.
I worked my brain desperately.
… It wasn’t an attack.
That’s good.
Eh? Didn’t I work out the details to perform the expansions little-by-little yesterday? Did I forget to tell Dolan? No, that doesn’t matter anymore … Are dwarves supposed to be so amazing? I’ll voice my questions first.
” … The noise this morning was?”
“That was the sound from when the magic elevator slammed to a stop because Paula accidentally miscalculated the movement range of the elevator. As you can see, after completing the fixes she went to sleep.”
Could Paula construct magic elevators? That’s shocking news! Even though it was a perfect scene with the grandfather smiling while looking at Paula, I had to ask what I had in mind.
“Paula can construct magic elevators?”
“Amazing right! She’s been swinging the hammer since young but she’s only focused on tampering with magic tools and she can now synthesize magic stones!”
Ah, he had begun boasting about his granddaughter. However, Paula is also amazing …
“By the way, can all dwarves accomplish such feats?”
“There’s no way that can be true. Only brother Grand and I can accomplish such a feat like this.”
Brother Grand?
“Is that Brother Grand your brother?”
“No, he’s my senior schoolmate.”
I see. So he is his junior …
“The legendary master craftsman blacksmith Grand-san?”
“Ooo! You know about brother?”
I had no idea how was I going to caution him when he was looking so delighted, so I decided to just say a word.
“Firstly, thank you for your hard work in expanding the place. However, we can’t manage anything more than this so please do not expand anymore.”
“Don’t worry. All that’s left to do is some minor modifications.”
After that, the Priest Knights came over to report that there weren’t any anomalies outside, but it goes without saying that they were all shocked stiff like me.
After carrying Paula to let her sleep in her room, Dolan explained to us each floor in order.
I used the magic elevator after such a long time … or not. It still looks dangerous after all. We descended down the stairs to the underground 5th floor.
“As explained earlier, these are the jails to lock up prisoners. Well, I made it just in case, I think we can use it as a storage as well.”
In spite of him saying that, the iron bars were securely made. Even when I pushed and pulled them they did not budge so they were very sturdy.
“Even so, isn’t 10 rooms a bit too much?”
“I have a feeling that some big shot will come who we won’t be able to convert into a slave.”
“Please don’t say such ominous things.”
“Okay.”
He might not be wrong altogether. We climbed the stairs under the atmosphere created by Dolan.
“For the training ground walls here at the underground 4th floor, unless it is of substantial force, even if magic hits the wall, there would not be any scratches on it. Paula and I collaborated to make this.”
The space was about 40 to 50 square meters. It was smaller than the one at the Adventurer’s Guild, but for training it was wide enough.”
“It’s true that I said that I wanted him to train me, but …”
I realized that he thought that I was a combat maniac equivalent to Broad-shisho as we proceeded to the underground 3rd floor.
“I had thought of asking for permission for these. But …”
Dolan’s voice became softer. But that’s to be expected, as there were 2 full-fledged workshops.
There were even signs hung up that said 〔Dolan’s Arms Workshop〕 and 〔Paula’s Magic Tools Workshop〕. It was clearly made with more care compared to the other floors.
“Well then, to the underground 2nd floor.”
“Luciel-dono! Please wait a moment.”
I was dragged into his workshop. After I handed over the equipment from the criminal slaves that they no longer needed and Grand-dono’s Holy silver sword, as they seemed like they could be broken down, together with purified magic stones, Dolan’s tension burst through the roof.
“Also, magic stones for Paula as well please! To create is our purpose in life!”
He stressed that point so I placed down the purified magic stones. Even though there weren’t many magic stones remaining, there wasn’t any use holding on to them, so I took out all the magic stones within my magic bag.
“I no longer have any more magic stones. Please use them for the Healer’s Guild’s sake first.”
“Luciel-dono, I give you my thanks.”
I was finally liberated after that. Temperature control functions were installed into the slave rooms in the underground 2nd floor, so I decided to have them installed in our rooms on the 2nd floor as well.
We finally arrived at the underground first floor where he created an environment for the horses to gallop but I told him to make some minor improvements.
While ensuring the safety of Fornoir and the others, Yanbus told me about a method to prevent them from accumulating stress, so I had Dolan create that environment.
“Understood.”
Dolan was brimming with motivation but I warned him that staying up all night is bad for the body so I instructed him to get proper sleep after taking his meal.
“It would be bad if people began to think that this is the underground facility of a regular Healer’s Guild.”
I muttered as I went straight to the kitchen after remembering that I had to prepare breakfast.
Author’s Note:
Thank you very much for reading.
For the time being, the framework for the Healer’s Guild’s underground is complete.
I will think of what to fill this place with eventually. (*^ω^)