Limits

To reach the throne room, you need to exit the conference room, walk straight down the wide corridor to the end, and you'll find it there.

As I passed through the imposing door, which must have been over three meters tall, the grand chamber revealed itself before me. It was reminiscent of the place where that beautiful woman had been.

A crimson carpet led the way to the king's seat on the raised platform, followed by two of my subordinates. One was a leopard person named Leopardo, dressed in a maid outfit, and the other was a cross-dressing beauty in a tailcoat. I wasn't entirely sure if the cross-dressing beauty was one of my subordinates. Although she held the title of assistant to the administrator, she might not be truly under my command. However, as she was essentially an incarnation of the dungeon, it was her role to obey me as the dungeon's ruler. Therefore, it's not entirely incorrect to call her a subordinate.

I took a seat on the king's throne, positioning myself to start setting up the dungeon.

Though I could have worked in the conference room, the absence of others made it feel somewhat lonely. I decided to work quietly in the throne room instead. Despite its grandeur, this room, being so much larger than the conference room, surprisingly allowed me to concentrate better. Its vastness created the illusion that only a few meters of space surrounded me, immersing me deeply in my work.

Initially, I had planned to set up a teleportation device connecting different floors, but I decided against it. Since all my subordinates are equipped with teleportation rings, they can move freely to any location. However, a teleportation device will be necessary for the future development of the city. I decided to install just one on the first floor, allowing teleportation only from the first floor to the dungeon city's level, Floor 101.

Additionally, installing this device would make it too easy to access Floor 100, where the dungeon's contract board is placed, thus reducing the defense significantly. Therefore, I decided to eliminate the passage between Floors 101 and 100. This would mean that reaching Floor 100 would require a thorough exploration of Floor 1. It would be quite challenging for future residents of this dungeon to ascend to Floor 101 in the same way. The installation of the teleportation device is essential, but even if a hero manages to use the device to reach Floor 101, it would remain a separate dungeon city with no impact on the dungeon's defense.

How to handle visiting heroes will depend on their behavior.

If they intend to harm my precious subordinates, I will use all my power to expel them from the dungeon. If they do nothing particularly harmful, there is no need to interfere with them.

If they don't cause harm, I see no reason to involve myself. It's best to avoid unnecessary conflicts and disputes.

The teleportation device will be hidden on the first floor.

The first floor is a vast cave with confusing pathways, making it challenging to navigate to the lower levels. It's designed to repel intruders right from the start.

The teleportation device will be placed in a remote part of this labyrinthine cave. My subordinates will be informed of its location and will share this information selectively. Of course, the information will be restricted to those moving to the dungeon. However, managing information is often difficult, and it's not uncommon for it to leak. Therefore, setting up a branch in neighboring countries to collect relocation requests is advisable. Prospective residents would visit the branch, undergo an interview with my subordinates, register as residents, and receive directions to Floor 101. Anyone who leaks this information will face severe punishment and will be barred from entering my dungeon again.

Although I will leave the specifics of the punishment to my subordinates, this method should help prevent information leaks and gradually increase the number of residents.

The plan to establish branches in other countries is now a confirmed part of my strategy.

However, since constructing these branches will be outside the dungeon, it falls beyond my immediate control. Unlike building the castle, which could be done with a single board, constructing branches will require my subordinates to handle it.

-So, I'll need to create subordinates skilled in that area.

I'll tackle that task another day.

For now, my focus will be on promoting the dungeon. Those of my kin who hear rumors of this dungeon will need to be guided to the first floor.

However, since it's impossible to know exactly when someone will visit, I need to find a way to address this.

While I was contemplating this, Elrodea provided an answer.

"The management board has a wide range of functions. For instance, it allows you to monitor each floor. By selecting a floor on the board, you can view its map and tap on any location to see its footage. Multiple locations can be monitored simultaneously, allowing you to assess various situations at once."

It's like having surveillance cameras.

"There's also an alarm system."

"An alarm system?"

"Yes. There's a system that allows you to register special entities, like your subordinates. Currently, only the subordinates you created are registered, but as the city develops, many people will come and go. With the alarm system, any unregistered individuals will trigger a warning. So, registering residents and merchants during trade is essential. The alarm system is very useful it immediately alerts you if an intruder is detected, allowing for swift responses and preparation."

An alarm system seems indispensable.

Without hesitation, I set up the alarm system at the dungeon's entrance to notify the floor guardians and myself.

As I checked the management board for other possible settings, I found another useful feature.

[Link]

"What does this 'Link' option do?"

"It's a system that connects you to your subordinates. When a subordinate's status is linked, you receive notifications about their condition. For instance, if a subordinate far from you is critically injured, you'll be informed. This system works even if your subordinates are outside the dungeon."

The link setting is crucial to prevent subordinates from being killed by enemies. Since I'm mostly unable to leave the dungeon, all external negotiations and trades are handled by my subordinates. Thus, I can't monitor any issues that arise outside, making it vital to have this system in place.

"There's one more setting I'd like to have in conjunction with the link feature."

I promptly set up the suggested feature.

With this setting, I could now rescue my subordinates from dire situations. Well, it would be useless if I were incapable of fighting, but I'll work on that.

Having completed the setup, I decided to create a subordinate with culinary skills to finish today's tasks.

I accessed the board, selecting a chef from the diverse races available. I chose a new race, one not previously created, for the chef role.

The creature had a beautiful, fluffy brown coat, and its lovely tail was curled cutely. It was a squirrel-like species called the Ekiur, characterized by its blend of human and squirrel features. Although they didn't have any particularly outstanding traits, they possessed extensive knowledge about food and were excellent cooks, ensuring delicious meals.

Dressed in a fluffy white outfit, the creature had modest, triangular ears.

Chef: Enema Duralan

"Nice to meet you, Enema. From now on, you'll be"

...Huh?

Suddenly, my vision began to blur, and I lost control of my body. In the next moment, I felt a dull pain, and my consciousness was abruptly cut off.