It's already been an hour since I crossed through the portal. Lune and I finished our enjoyable meal. Unfortunately, I failed again at opening the lid, but now I just accept it.

"So Lune, you remember well what I said?"

"...Could you explain one more time? Someone kept licking my ear so I didn't hear anything."

"If that's the case, it can't be helped. Listen well."

I whisper into Lune's ear again. This time I don't touch directly.

"Ride Andras and fly in the sky. Andras should be able to hold and fly with someone like you. And while scouting from the air, if you see enemy scouts, don't ask, don't question, just shoot them all dead."

"Yes. The ones we missed earlier, if they come again, I'll kill them right away."

Lune smiles and spits out brutal words.

"And if large-scale forces come down by any chance, come back immediately. If I'm at Ras Vegas, come right away and tell me, and if I'm not there, tell Eila to prepare defenses. You know how to do it all, right?"

"Yes. Stand guard until you come to Ras Vegas, Master?"

"Of course."

With the mindset of a 5-minute standby group, I'm always on standby. Didn't I deliberately have a picnic with Lune on the watchtower?

"From now on, I have to return to the dungeon. Since I don't know how long it'll take, if you scout, we can buy that much time."

"Yes, I'll do my best."

"And there's something I must do before going."

"What?"

I lift Lune's skirt.

"Wear this. Got it? Then let's go down."

"...Master, may I ask just one favor?"

Lune fidgets her fingers with a reddened face.

"I-I'd like you to send up the orc below first before going down!"

"It's okay to show me blatantly like this but you care about that?"

Lune can't answer. I examine Lune's below with my eyes. Below, something white and sticky is flowing down her thighs in streams.

"Can't be helped."

I stroke Lune's butt with my hand and lift her up high. Lune is held like luggage on my shoulder, and thanks to my hand pressing the skirt to her butt, her crotch isn't visible at all. Lune dangles her legs and makes a dissatisfied gesture, but I suppress that rebellion by slapping her buttocks.

"...How are you going to get down like this?"

"Airborne!"

I jump off the watchtower. I feel the orc below getting shocked, but I don't hesitate to jump from several meters high. I jump quite far, and Lune and I fall toward a house with a straw-covered roof.

"Master, it's a house!"

"I know!"

Crash!

The log collapses from where my feet land, and Lune and I successfully land safely on the second floor after breaking through the house ceiling. Though we got a bit dusty, I was able to protect Lune's below.

"Lune, isn't it because you didn't bring panties that the house collapsed?"

"Master. Couldn't we have just sent the subordinate up and gone down slowly...?"

"No. Then you'd leak on the way down."

"...Even so, a house."

Though Lune is dumbfounded, she doesn't argue further. I search the drawers and wardrobe of the collapsed second-floor house. Perhaps subordinates haven't looted this side yet, as several women's clothes are neatly organized. I pick up one cleanly laundered underwear.

"Wear this."

"Even so, wearing something a human wore is a bit much. I'll just walk."

"What if the wind blows while walking?"

"I can do this."

Lune wraps an old long-sleeved shirt around her skirt. Who knew I'd see that fashion here? I tightly tie the shirt sleeves Lune struggles to tie around Lune's waist.

"This way you won't get caught on the way."

"Master, can I go scouting like this?"

"If you wear it underneath. Put it on and wait at the portal."

"Yes! Heehee."

Lune descends from the house smiling broadly. The collapsed ceiling remains as is, and I descend after Lune without any hesitation. The city is mine anyway, and it's an ownerless house so it doesn't matter.

After leaving the house, I immediately head to the portal. It's already been well over an hour since I crossed through the portal, and I gave Hases and Rastujad enough time. I briefly cross the portal to instruct the ghouls to call Andras, then return to Ras Vegas.

After a bit of time, Lune comes running and pushes my hand below her. I definitely feel the texture of cloth. Though I wonder if I needed to confirm this way.

"You called for me?"

While I gently tickle above Lune's cloth with my hand, Andras crosses through the portal. I convey precautions about reconnaissance to the two again. Andras can sufficiently hold Lune and fly through the sky. That speed is faster than any harpies.

"Then the processing should be done now, I'm heading back. Both of you, please take care."

"Leave it to me."

"If anything comes out, I'll fly right over~"

After sending off the two scouts, I cross the portal again and run through the dungeon.

Grrrrr.

Befitting intelligent individuals, Hases and Rastujad appropriately left the cleanup to big slimes and are waiting. The two corpses have completely disappeared, and the knight and mage each became the blood, flesh, and evolution stack of the two ghouls.

"Preparation is complete."

[Monster Evolution: Evolving Hases (★★☆).]

[Expected Result: ?? ?? (★★★)]

[Evolution Conditions]

1).Reach Lv 35 ( 35 / 35 )

2).Consume ??'s corpse ( Knight / Knight )

[Monster Evolution: Evolving Rastujad (★★☆).]

[Expected Result: ?? ?? (★★★)]

[Evolution Conditions]

1).Reach Lv 35 ( 35 / 35 )

2).Consume ??'s corpse ( Mage / Mage )"

"Yes."

Goes without saying. I first push Hases onto the summoning facility. The purple smoke bursting from the summoning circle wraps Hases's body in white light, and I step back from that light.

'Surely they won't do that right after evolving...?'

[Notice: Oh, what's Hases's condition...?]

Thud.

Newly born Hases from within the white light kneels before me knight-like.

[Notice: Hases evolved into Ghoul Knight (★★★).]

A ghoul yet wearing full plate armor that covers the face? The design is full-body chain mail that you'd see in the Crusades rather than fantasy's characteristic sharp design. There's even a black-bladed longsword at the waist. Truly, Hases became a knight.

"A knight is a knight, but...."

How should I describe the design—in many ways, it's an appearance with considerable defense. To the extent you'd think it's a real knight if riding a horse, Hases's entire body is covered in chain armor. Even the head is covered with a great helmet, so who could imagine this is a ghoul?

'Honestly looks more like a knight than Eila.'

Sorry to Eila, but Hases seems more like the real deal.

"Good. Hases, wait over there for now. Next."

I move Rastujad to the summoning circle. Rastujad rubs hands on thighs unable to hide expectations after seeing Hases transform. Rastujad stares blankly at Hases while spinning hands like slashing with a sword.

"You're a mage, not a knight though?"

Grrr, grr.

Rastujad's arms droop down disappointedly. Though it's definitely not a cool design, ghouls seem to feel most attracted to practicality.

'Speaking of practicality, it's also Lich.'

The mage will be a being who can perform more on the battlefield than in the dungeon. Moreover, if they learn black magic well according to Gremory's information, they can really do all sorts of vicious things. I clear my throat.

"I, Rok, summon you, heed my command!!"

Flash.

[Notice: Rastujad evolved into Ghoul Mage (★★★).]

Like with Hases, the white light disperses and Rastujad reveals themselves. The ghoul wearing a black robe bows to me while holding a small magic staff about 30cm.

[Rastujad heeds your command. Lord of Wrath, your orders.]

"Oh, worth 3 stars. As expected, a mage."

I never imagined they'd be able to talk like this. Thanks to that, I freely asked what I was curious about. And most importantly, I need to confirm what black magic they can use.

"What's your class?"

[Necromancer.]

"Black mage? ...You can't do Coil Nova? Ah, not a Lich yet. Yeah, I understand. So what magic can you use?"

[I can make human corpses into ghouls and control them. I can strengthen ghouls to use them as my minions. For offensive magic, I can manipulate cold air.]

"Heh heh heh. I knew it. So how many ghouls can you control?"

[35.]

"...One per level. No, even 35 is something."

As always, the ways to utilize magic are infinite. And thanks to Rastujad, our dungeon will be strengthened even faster. 35 ghouls—I just need to think well about 'who to make into ghouls and how to utilize them.'

"Rastujad. You made 35 into ghouls right away today. And if one ghoul dies, what happens after that?"

[I can make a new corpse into a ghoul to command. However, in that case, I can only make one more ghoul. I also have limits to the magic power I can use. I cannot make more than 35.]

"Then say you made 35 into ghouls. But they got ambushed by unknown enemies and were annihilated. And how long does it take to make 35 new corpses into ghouls?"

[Making one human into a ghoul takes about 5 minutes.]

"So one turn in three hours. Heh heh heh.

All worries flew away with this. From now on, it's a fight against time.

"Rastujad. Your designated seat is here now, here."

I point to the Altar of Sacrifice right next to the summoning circle. The system where 'sacrificing monsters becomes experience.' If it's a sacrifice for simple experience rather than synthesis for evolution, level doesn't matter.

"Heh heh, 35 every three hours? Don't worry."

I felt thrilled just thinking about it.

"I have about 800 corpses."

For some reason, Rastujad's face has become pale like a skull. Leaving dazed Rastujad in front of the Altar of Sacrifice, I give instructions to Hases.

"Go tell them directly. Tell Eila to bring 12 corpses per hour from the ones scattered outside the wooden fence."

The magic stones were getting tight anyway, so this came at a good time. Unfortunately, the prisoners already became the ghouls' blood and flesh. So now I have to rush here every three hours for explosive strengthening, but for the legion's power enhancement, I can do this much.

[...Lord of Wrath, do I have to make ghouls 24 hours straight from now?]

"Wow, as expected of the next-generation Lich. Who knew you'd already intuit your fate? But...."

I place my hand on Rastujad's shoulder and raise my thumb.

"Surely a ghoul won't say they need to sleep or rest, right? Consideration for working hours applies to living people."

[....]

Rastujad falls silent. Hases who approached beside me draws the black sword from its sheath and dangles it toward the floor. I press down firmly on Rastujad's shoulder.

"Our ghoul mage friend, since you're born into this world anyway, are you just going to end as a ghoul? You should try becoming a Lich, go all the way to Elder Lich, right?"

[Of-of course. Lord of Wrath. H-however, according to your words, I'm a ★★★ monster. Don't I lack ★s to evolve into a 4-star Lich?]

"I'll fill the lacking ★s with monster synthesis. Heh heh."

[....]

The escape route is blocked. Rastujad eventually gives up, and I consider Rastujad and instruct them to work only about 15 hours.

"Just kidding. I don't plan to make you work that harshly either. But you know you have to work juuust a bit more than humans, right?"

[Yes. I fully understand. I heed your command.]

Rastujad stands at the Altar of Sacrifice just waiting for corpses to arrive. I worry anxiously whether ghouls outside will convey news of enemy invasion.

'Too bad Gremory can't use my facilities.'

It's regrettable in many ways that facilities within dungeons can only be used by dungeon owners. Though that's correct, to the extent it's regrettable, necessity is the mother of invention.

"Then make them into ghouls right away as they arrive, okay? I'll come back in about three hours."

Human corpses will be delivered, and they'll soon become ghouls. And the ghouls Rastujad makes will 'replace the role of magic stones.'

"Wonderful subordinates will increase. Though they'll all turn into Solomon's magic stones."

I felt naturally excited thinking about turning all the corpses into experience.

And.

I desperately prayed to Solomon and the goddess that enemies wouldn't attack until we digest all the corpses.

Did the two hear my prayer?

It took considerable time until the subjugation force led by the Baroness herself arrived.

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