“Underworld Merchant Guild…”
Azmo’s proposal was simple.
It was a story about establishing a similar organization on Earth, like the Underworld Merchant Guild on the El Dorado Continent.
“Did you get some inspiration there?”
Azmo had also attended the social gathering hosted by the Underworld Merchant Guild.
He probably gained enlightenment by observing various things there.
Certainly, Azmo’s proposal was good.
Didn’t I also receive a fresh shock after seeing the Merchant Guild in action?
‘To think that so many monsters would gather at a meeting.’
In other words, it meant the Merchant Guild’s power was immense.
Indeed, seeing that, it was natural for Azmo to make the proposal.
I remembered that Celia had also brought in monsters through the Merchant Guild in the early days.
It’s saying a lot that they even expanded dungeons with the Merchant Guild’s power.
From this alone, I could tell how much influence the Underworld Merchant Guild had over each dungeon with.
Now, I would be the one to utilize it.
“This could be good if it works out!”
According to Azmo, there was no organization like the Underworld Merchant Guild on Earth, unlike on the El Dorado Continent.
In other words, there was no intermediary to connect various dungeons.
Azmo advocated for mutual coexistence by trading with other dungeons.
In that way, they could gradually influence other dungeons, and this could develop into a single force.
For me, it was a gain, never a loss.
“If it goes well, I won’t have to worry about money.”
Currently, I was spending money on real money purchases to manage the dungeon.
For now, I was making ends meet by clearing dungeons with Maru, but it wasn’t all that fun.
But what if we officially create a Merchant Guild on Earth and operate it?
By trading with other dungeons, I could obtain various goods in return.
“It’s not bad for others either.”
And it wasn’t just me who would benefit.
Even if I just exerted my influence over the dungeon and blocked the Monster Waves, it would be quite a good benefit for people.
“Yes, let’s start right away.”
I immediately approved Azmo’s plan.
Come to think of it, it was similar to the [Dungeon Support & Dispatch] I had done a few times before.
I had learned about the current Azmo through Dungeon Support, and now he follows me.
“And this is something I’m doing, not the system.”
While [Dungeon Support & Dispatch] is similar to supporting and helping other dungeons, it is still just following the system.
However, this time, it was something that Azmo and I were doing ourselves, not the system.
“Hmm, I’ll have to think about how we’ll operate.”
First of all, for a Merchant Guild, one must be able to go to other dungeons.
Fundamentally, the El Dorado Continent and Earth are different.
Even if it was fine on the El Dorado Continent, the hunters’ activities were too active here on Earth.
If Azmo came out of the dungeon, he would be discovered immediately.
But it’s not like we can disguise him as a human…
As I was thinking, a certain being came to mind.
“Come to think of it, didn’t I have a subordinate officer?”
I had also stationed a subordinate officer in Azmo’s dungeon.
The subordinate officer was a slime, but it wasn’t an ordinary slime.
It was a master of transformation, capable of transforming into anything.
As soon as I thought of that, I touched the dungeon.
[Illusionary Temptation]
– Administrator: Azmo (★★★★)
– Subordinate Officer: Betta (★★★★)
“As expected!”
It’s even a 4-star slime.
It won’t die an ignominious death anywhere.
“This is good enough, right?”
For actual operations, it would be better to utilize Betta.
If Betta uses his abilities to transform into a hunter, there shouldn’t be any major issues with operating.
And I had already thought about who to transform him into.
“What was that guy’s name again?”
There was a father and son who once tried to attack me.
“His name was Ji… Ji something.”
It’s been so long that I don’t remember his name.
Anyway, of the father and son, the father met his demise, and the son was saved and thrown into Azmo’s dungeon.
“He’s probably still alive, right?”
Since he was placed in an Incubus Dungeon, not a Succubus Dungeon, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
Moreover, he is already registered as an F-Rank Hunter.
“What if I get him qualified as a Necromancer like myself?”
If he has qualifications as a Summoner or Necromancer, it’s fine to bring monsters out of the dungeon.
In other words, it would be easier to move monsters from the dungeon.
“I need to give the order immediately.”
In addition, I decided to provide one more support.
The place where I caught that father and son was the Skeleton Dungeon.
At that time, I could understand the Skeleton Soldiers in the dungeon, which made the Skeleton Soldiers start following me.
Of course, quite some time had passed, and I hadn’t paid attention to them for a while.
“Surely they haven’t disappeared, have they?”
[Weak Skeleton Dungeon]
– Administrator: Vacant
Fortunately, the dungeon was well-maintained.
Were they surprisingly good at managing things?
Or perhaps they were left alone because their rank was too low.
Either way, it was good news for me.
‘It would be best to assign them to Azmo.’
Although they are the lowest-ranked Skeleton Soldiers, they should be sufficient for manpower.
The general outline was drawn.
Now, the remaining plan was for Azmo and Betta to handle it themselves.
Lastly, I decided to tweak the settings of Azmo’s dungeon.
“I’ll have to loosen the restrictions for going outside the dungeon a bit.”
When the number of monsters inside a dungeon reaches its limit, the Monster Wave phenomenon occurs.
Last time, I had let it loose too much and had a bad experience.
So, I had been strictly controlling it until now, but the situation had changed.
Now that Azmo and Betta were going to operate actively, I couldn’t just keep controlling them.
All that’s needed is a slight adjustment to the settings.
“Permission to go outside the dungeon is granted only for authorized special activities.”
Here, special activities refer to the matters related to the Merchant Guild that Azmo mentioned.
With just these settings, it wouldn’t explode into a Monster Wave like last time.
“Alright, I’ve set the stage.”
With this, I’ve done my part.
The rest is for Azmo to handle.
Well, if he needs significant help, I can send Maru.
“Phew. Shall I rest now?”
I immediately turned off my smartphone and was finally able to rest.
I’ll rest for a bit, then check the housework and talk to the Elf.
* * *
Azmo started his day with a good mood.
His face was filled with a bright smile for a reason.
It was because the Great One had approved his plan.
‘Now I can show my value.’
He had made the proposal two days ago, and the Great One had approved it immediately.
What did this mean?
It meant that the plan he had devised was well-received by the Great One.
‘Finally, I can breathe a sigh of relief.’
At one point, due to a wrong choice, I caused a Monster Wave and displeased the Great One.
As a result, Azmo could not leave the dungeon, and even the dungeon’s location was forcibly moved.
Of course, I followed it without complaint, as it was His will.
‘It’s still surprising when I think about it. Moving a dungeon so easily.’
The Great One’s abilities are always amazing.
‘Someday, I too….’
Azmo harbored hope that by looking only at the Great One and pledging loyalty, he would become stronger someday.
Although I had fallen out of favor due to a momentary mistake, I now had an opportunity to be forgiven.
Now that an organization similar to the Underworld Merchant Guild of the El Dorado Continent was about to launch on Earth, I just needed to focus on that.
If I showed tremendous activity here, the Great One would surely notice me.
Azmo vowed not to make any more mistakes and called his subordinate officer.
“So, Betta. All preparations are complete, right?”
Azmo spoke with a solemn demeanor.
Now, he was the master leading a Merchant Guild.
Azmo himself made an effort to change his image.
“Yes. Administrator. As per the Great One’s words, I visited the Awakened Center and completed all registrations.”
Upon approval of the plan, Azmo and Betta moved frantically. Betta even went outside the dungeon to prepare.
It was to visit the Awakened Center and scout for dungeons that needed help.
Although Betta is strictly a slime monster, his current appearance is that of a young man.
This was the result of using Betta’s transformation ability.
Even if he is a young man, he is not a virtual existence.
He is a real human being.
His identity is Seongmin Ji.
He was a hunter, a gift from the Great One. Of course, the fact that he was a hunter wasn’t important.
‘I cherished him because he was a gift from the Great One.’
Incubi are monsters that basically feed on human vital energy.
The Incubi in Azmo’s dungeon were different from ordinary Incubi. The human Seongmin Ji’s continued existence was not a coincidence.
It was because he was cherished as a gift bestowed by the Great One.
Even if cherished, Seongmin Ji’s physical condition deteriorated day by day.
Of course, that was not something Azmo needed to worry about.
However, what was useful for now was Seongmin Ji’s hunter ID and his very existence.
Betta immediately transformed into Seongmin Ji, took Seongmin Ji’s original clothes, hunter ID, and all other belongings.
Then, carrying those, he went outside the dungeon and visited the Awakened Center.
The reason for visiting the Awakened Center was for Necromancer certification.
Since this was all due to the Great One’s command, Betta followed without complaint.
Moreover, thanks to Betta’s abilities, the activities outside the dungeon proceeded smoothly.
Since he transformed into Seongmin Ji so naturally, others did not suspect him.
Even at the Awakened Center, the mission was completed without much difficulty.
Furthermore, it was not difficult for Betta to prove himself as a Necromancer.
The Great One introduced him to the Skeleton Dungeon, and he took a Skeleton Soldier from there.
Thanks to that, Betta, in the form of Seongmin Ji, became a hunter who obtained Necromancer qualifications.
This allowed him to take along skeletons when visiting other dungeons without hesitation.
He couldn’t take them in large quantities, but it was important to start somewhere.
Azmo focused on the fact that it was just the beginning.
“Hmm, well, when I directly saw the Underworld Merchant Guild…”
Azmo’s story began.
The experiences he had on the El Dorado Continent were also novel stories for Betta.
He listened intently to Azmo’s story.
“The first thing that matters is intimidation. The first is splendor.”
Azmo placed a necklace made of pure gold around Betta’s neck.
Then he took out rings embedded with diamonds and put them on each of Betta’s fingers.
Thanks to that, Betta became a hunter adorned with accessories all over his body.
“Hmm. It would be good if you frowned a little more.”
Betta faithfully followed the suggestion, and Azmo nodded at his appearance.
Indeed, it was more than splendid; it created an impression that could overwhelm the other party from the start.
“Second is overwhelming firepower. No matter how splendid the appearance, it’s useless if the core is hollow.”
As Azmo bowed his head, Maru appeared from behind.
“For our first transaction, overwhelming power is important. This is Maru, who will assist you in your transaction. I specifically requested it from the Great One.”
Monsters, unlike humans, are not delicate.
It’s safe to say that they decide everything by sheer power.
Betta was not weak, but he needed overwhelming power, so Maru was there at Azmo’s request.
“Please take care of me, Maru-nim.”
“Snap!”
Betta bowed his waist and greeted Maru.
Actually, Betta was quite shocked to see Maru, who appeared stronger than during the last Monster Wave.
“Well then, Maru-nim, please take some rest.”
As Azmo clapped his hands once, Incubi around him approached with fragrant oil and brushes.
While Maru enjoyed himself for a bit, Azmo and Betta intended to do final checks.
They had to prepare thoroughly for their first business partner.
“The dungeon that requested the transaction is owned by a Kobold. Recently, frequent incursions by hunters have led to a loss of troops. They need troops to defend the dungeon in exchange for the transaction.”
“Hmm.”
Azmo fell into thought at Betta’s words.
The request could be handled without issues as Betta was present.
However, in the long run, it was ambiguous.
Betta couldn’t personally defend other dungeons forever.
Even if Skeleton Soldiers were dispatched, they would still be just Skeleton Soldiers.
With that much strength, it would be difficult to subdue even an F-Rank Hunter, let alone an E-Rank Hunter.
“It would be great if I could openly move my subordinates…”
If the Incubi present here were dispatched, the work would proceed smoothly.
But the problem was that if they openly sent out monsters, hunters would quickly discover them.
The Skeleton Soldiers were a workaround, as Betta had obtained the qualification.
“Isn’t there a safe way to move them?”
Azmo felt a sense of regret, wishing he had learned the ways of the Underworld Merchant Guild more while on the El Dorado Continent.
As Azmo pondered for a moment, Betta spoke up.
“Then, how about we directly attack the guild of the main body?”
“Hmm?”
Betta pointed to himself and spoke.
At that, Azmo harbored a question.
“Ah…!”
Then I remembered one fact.
Come to think of it, the hunter Betta transformed into mentioned which guild he belonged to.
‘It was definitely the Heukil Guild, wasn’t it?’
At the time, he said it wasn’t a formal guild.
Betta’s story continued.
“According to Seongmin Ji, that guild is closer to a group of fixers who do things for others. How about we take over that Heukil Guild?”
“Hmm…”
“If we rule the Heukil Guild, it will make the Merchant Guild’s work much smoother. It will also be easy to move Azmo-nim’s subordinates.”
The conversation between Azmo and Betta was natural, as if they knew the human world well.
It was natural, after all.
Azmo had always valued information from outside the dungeon.
He captured even one hunter who invaded the dungeon to obtain information.
It was the same for Betta.
He had lived as an experimental subject, confined in a laboratory for many years.
Through the words of the researchers around him at the time, he learned about the human world.
Thus, their conversation was at a high level for monsters.
“Moreover, I am seeing this situation differently.”
Betta spoke again.
“I don’t think the Great One sent Maru-nim solely to support the Merchant Guild’s work.”
“Hmm, that’s true.”
In the eyes of the Great One, the planned Merchant Guild activities might not be of great importance.
Yet, the generous support surely meant something else.
“Could it be…?”
It felt like the puzzle pieces were finally fitting together.
Seongmin Ji, a member of the Heukil Guild.
At first, I just thought it was a gift from the Great One.
And why did He send me to the El Dorado Continent?
And coincidentally, to the gathering hosted by the Underworld Merchant Guild.
Lastly, when I reported about the Merchant Guild, the Great One approved it immediately.
‘It’s as if He was waiting for this moment…!’
In addition, He provided generous support by sending not only the Skeleton Dungeon but also Maru.
“Could all of this be…?”
Azmo’s expression hardened as he looked at Betta.
“That’s right.”
Betta also nodded and agreed with Azmo’s thoughts.
“The Great One is looking beyond the dungeon Merchant Guild to the human market. In other words, He intends to reign as the king of the world.”
“As expected!”
Azmo thought it was fortunate to have a smart subordinate officer.
