Episode 29 – Let’s do something about it within a year!

　We headed straight to the bottom floor to the Hardware Store.
　I left the Arrow alone for now, figuring that if he didn't need any food, there was no need to worry.

"Well, let's set the warp point for the lowest level first. It seems that the stone monument was indeed a transfer monument. Actually, couldn't you have returned to the ground from there from the beginning?”

　Normally, you would have to return to the ground from the lowest floor, so there is no point in making an unfriendly design that makes you return five floors higher. In fact, it seems that it can be used as a transfer monument now, so what's the deal?

"No way I could!　I tried so many times!　You saw me doing it, Maho."
"Sorry, sorry. Of course, you'd try it, right?"

　Perhaps it is a system that activates all the floors as a final bonus. Maybe I caused a bug after all of them opened, so now this one is usable?

"Well, either way, make sure you can use it, Fiona."
"Y-Yeah."

　When Fiona touched the transfer monument, the numbers of the floors that she could transfer to appeared on the surface.
　It seemed that she was able to jump to the 101st floor without any problems.

"Fiona, first of all, I'd like to confirm things. This dungeon is located on Fiona's family estate, and you wanted it to be managed and operated by your family. However, things have not been going well at all, and the minimum amount of magic stones to be paid to the country has not been collected, there are also debts to be repaid, so this is a tough situation…… Right?”
"Well, I guess you could sum it up like that."
"Can't you just hire explorers with money?”

　I don't really know much about Explorers.
　For the time being, one option is to use items from the Hardware Store to earn some money, and then hire a party of explorers to raid the area for us.
　Either way, we also want information about the inside of the dungeon.

"People who are already in a popular dungeon aren't going to come to a new one. After all, there's nothing to do here. If you pay a huge amount of money, it's different, but that would end up being a net loss."
"And there are no temples here, so there's no way they can be revived. I see."

　So it's hard to even carry out a strategy that involves spending money in a dungeon with no benefits.
　Once a region falls into a spiral of unpopularity, there will be no more explorers and the surrounding industries will not grow, so it will just continue to worsen and worsen.
　It's like the fate of a company that failed to make a good start.

　However, the fact that it is “unknown” after all is what is contributing to its unpopularity.
　Even if the monsters are strong, if people gather and the place becomes popular, a strategy for defeating them will eventually be found.

"Fiona. Do you know what the biggest problem is that needs to be fixed?”
"The biggest?　It's probably because there are no explorers, right?”
"That's the goal. If more people explore, we'll get more magic stones. The problem is why we haven't gotten there."
"Oh, you mean that the Great Labyrinth of Melquodia is too difficult?”
"Correct. That's the number one thing."

　It's a high-stakes job, plus it's difficult and doesn't pay well. What's more, there are no temples, so they can't be revived either.
　Of course, no one wants to dive into a place like that. Unless this was the only labyrinth in the world, but there are plenty of other dungeons out there, and they're all looking for explorers.

"In other words, running a dungeon well is like running a business."
"Running a business?　You're making it sound like the explorers are the customers."
"The explorers ARE the customers, aren't they?　You have to get them hooked on dungeon crawling and get them to keep going deeper and deeper. At the moment, people are looking at the entrance and thinking, 『This is no good,』 and giving up, right?　We need to start making improvements there."

　Well, calling them customers might be a bit of a stretch, but it's similar.
　If they make a lot of money and spend it, the territory will also prosper, so they are truly chickens that lay golden eggs.
　Perhaps the Labyrinth Administration Bureau is well aware of this. That's why they don't simply teach their know-how, but instead use the method of outsourcing, and keep the profits to themselves in a semi-monopolistic arrangement.

"Oh, by the way, didn't you say there were bad rumors about this place?”
"Yeah…… I heard that the explorers who were here went to other dungeons and spread the word. Even the kids I was working with before said they wanted to move to somewhere else because it was so hard here."
"Come to think of it, you were part of a party, right? Who are those children?”
"Apparently they reported to the buying office that I had fallen into the transfer trap, but since then I haven't heard anything. I wonder if they're working at some other place."
"Hmm. Were you not friends?”
"I'm not sure. I was desperate…… and I said some pretty unreasonable things."

　Fiona is a member of the nobility, so I guess they were probably a little cautious. Well, I guess there's no way around it. That's that.

　Anyway, explorers are in high demand.
　If the end result is the same in every dungeon, it makes sense that people would flock to the places where they can make money more easily and safely.
　It seems that they invested a lot of money in Melquodia at first, and it must have been well received, but now it's completely deserted.
　
"Anyway, it's probably impossible to make it a popular dungeon right away, but we'll manage one way or another."
"But, Maho. I don't think we have that much time…… probably. They won't wait that long for the repayment, either…… I mean, ten years might be a bit too much to ask……"
"Ten!?　There's no way that would be necessary."
"So, how long?　About five years?”

　Mm-hmm. Fiona doesn't really understand the might of the Hardware Store.
　The only question is whether we can attract explorers, moreover, it doesn't have to be an explorer. We can just raise them as explorers at home.
　What's more, Fiona is the daughter of a lord, so it's a given that her father, the lord, will cooperate, so I can't be so lazy.
　Not to mention paying off the debt, we also have to pay the tribute or tax money to the king, whatever that is. To be honest, I'm starting to feel like it's a bit of a waste to use the Dragon's magic stone.

"I'd say a year, at the most."
"O, eh?　One year?”
"Yeah. Let's make this the world's greatest dungeon in one year. Between you and me, Fiona."

　Fiona looked confused, with her eyes wide open, but we promised to go to school, so we can't take so many years off doing this.
　I'll have a clear plan in place in one year, then we'll enroll in school when I'm 16!　Though I still don't know what kind of school it is!

　◇◆◆◆◇

"Well, first of all, we need to know about the dungeon, so let's explore it normally. Didn't you get to the sixth floor, Fiona?　About what level is that?”
"I don't know much about the other dungeons, but I think they're a little above mid-level."
"I see. In that case, I think it would be better to grasp up to about 20 floors."
"What do you mean by “grasp”?”
"Well, we're trying to make money by attracting people to this dungeon. Then, we should know more about this place than anyone else, right?”

　Fiona wasn't managing this place, she was just diving around as an explorer. I guess it's like a pachinko parlor employee who just keeps playing pachinko. Of course that wouldn't make any money.

"Speaking of which, what about maps?”
"Maps?　I think the kid in the rear guard drew it at the last party."
"So you were drawing one?　Doesn't the guild give them out?”
"Not that I know of."
"What about the first couple of floors?”
“You have to go into the dungeon yourself and figure out its structure.　After that, you just have to remember it properly."
"ＯＨ……"

　This is more than just inconsiderate. If there's no map for the lower floors, that's one thing, but to make people dive into the upper floors without even a map!

"Fiona. Then, let's start by making a detailed map. The rest is strategic information. The types of monsters and traps. How to defeat the monsters and important points. And then there's things like how you act at a party…… well, there are lots of things needed."
"Eh, ehhh……?　Is that really necessary……?　Explorers are supposed to go into dungeons, defeat monsters, gain experience, and become stronger on their own, right?”
"You can't attract people with a Spartan-style approach like that, Fiona. Everyone inherently wants to earn money easily."

　Of course, the same thing applies to experience points, not just money.
　Everyone wants to get stronger while having fun. To make more money. To make life better……
　Everyone is like that. Even more so if you're a person who likes to explore.

"But Maho, it's fine to make a map, but are we just going to explore and make a map by ourselves?　It's probably quite difficult, but……"
"That is exactly the point. You've defeated the monsters in the lowest layer, so you've actually become quite strong. Wouldn't it be easy to defeat the monsters in the upper layers?”
"I……I don't know.…… I think it should be fine up to about five floors, but…… alright."

　It seems that Fiona also thinks it will be difficult for her.
　It certainly seems like it would take a reasonable amount of time to make a map by going on a serious exploration. Should we hire someone?

"Woof! Woof!　We will be with you, so don't worry, woof!”
"Whoa, it would be great if you guys were around, but there's the transfer monument issue. Can you even use this?　And even if you can use it, if you can't go to the upper floors――"

　While I was saying that, Pochi placed her paw on the transfer monument, and just like when I did, it flickered and lit up all the lights.
　Not only Pochi, but Tama and Kaiser also had the same result.
　Apparently, the transfer monument will malfunction if used by creatures from Earth.

"Can we go together now?　Master?”
"Let's go!　All right, let's all make a map of the first floor first!”

　――――――――

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