#520 Privatization

Alexander has come to our farm.

He, a Grauglintz Dragon, is the strongest dragon and perhaps even the strongest being in the world.

But as soon as our well-respected guest arrived, I got down on my knees and said...

“Please forgive me!!!”

“Um, for what?”

I started to think about his purpose for coming here.

Veil has been visiting him a lot lately->She must have done something terrible ->As her guardian, I must apologize in advance!

As I knelt, Junior waddled over and bowed next to me.

I know he’s simply imitating his father.

Take a good look, Junior.

You must learn to humble yourself and get down on your knees once you’re an adult!

“Let us not jump to conclusions. Veil is working delightfully at my dungeon. The ramen she makes is a big hit with the adventurers.”

“I-Is that so...!”

And here I thought his dungeon caved in because of Veil’s actions...

“I came here today for a different reason. But first, please lift your head.”

“Ah, yes, right...!”

Alexander may be a dragon, but he is still a person of character.

What kind of miracle has made him into such an ideal and strong person?

At any rate, I pick up Junior, who is still on his knees, and enter the house with Alexander.

After a brief exchange of formalities...

“Now, Lord Saint, are you well-informed about the state of affairs?”

“State of affairs...?”

In case anyone’s wondering, Alexander is now in human form.

The dignified appearance of an old man very much suits his personality.

Anyway, state of affairs.

I try my best to be as informed as possible, but in a world without the Internet, it is difficult to confidently say that I have heard and know everything.

I wonder what kind of recent changes in the world made Alexander come here.

“The Demon Kingdom is trying to recruit adventurers.”

“I’ve heard of that too,” says Platy while cuddling Junior. “Apparently, their army can no longer sustain the management of dungeons? I heard that disarmament is underway...”

“To fill the gap, they are trying to import the adventurer system from the Human Kingdom.”

My wife is so up to date with world affairs!

Well, she used to be a princess, so I guess that’s to be expected?

Junior, you should learn that from your mother.

Wisdom from your mother, and then kneeling from your father.

“The demon army has been exterminating monsters and managing dungeons. This may have been convenient for the Demon Kingdom to gain complete control, but it was only possible during wartime.”

“It would have been impossible to control every dungeon in the world without wartime mobilization. It’s no wonder they can’t support it now when times are peaceful.”

Hmm, I see...

I get it... That’s...That’s a lot of work! Yeah!

...Junior. It’s not that your father doesn’t know what’s happening and isn’t following the conversation, okay?

It’s just that Platy tells us everything we need to know first, so I don’t have to go out of my way to add to anything.

“...So, they want to outsource this shortfall to the private sector?”

“I believe so. Originally, the Demon Kingdom and the Human Kingdom had been dealing with the same problem of dungeons in different ways. They’re trying to change that by having one side emulating the other.”

“As in, the victorious Demon Kingdom is emulating the defeated Human Kingdom?”

“Indeed. It’s a very sagacious decision in terms of pride. The ruler of the Demon Kingdom is decisive with a keen eye on the practical benefits of his actions.”

Junior?

You’re walking much faster now!

Yes, that’s my boy! Keep it up!

“It was obvious that there would imbalance caused by the disarmament. Many people saw it as just a matter of time.”

“The reason it took so long was probably due to pride on the army’s side. It must be painful to be the strongest army on earth and yet admit that one’s strength is their deficit.”

...All right.

I should probably rejoin the conversation, lest I have my pride shattered too.

But I wonder when’s the right time...?!

“The other day, the former Human Kingdom’s Adventurers’ Guild was instructed to establish provisional guild branches in several locations in the Demon Kingdom.”

“Is that for dungeon management?”

“Of course, the intention seems to be to register retired soldiers as adventurers and solve the employment problem at the same time. They could also bring in active adventurers from the Human Kingdom, but that would leave the other side short on human resources.”

“That sounds like a good policy to me. At least, I doubt the adventurer system that worked so well in the Human Kingdom, where politics was a disaster, will be hard to accept for the demon population. It seems to be the best choice regarding security, economy, and other aspects, doesn’t it?”

“If only in theory.”

Alexander’s suggestive words make the atmosphere tense.

“People have pride. Sometimes that pride prevents us from following the path that we know in our heads is the right one.”

“Such is life.”

“The Demon King’s Army has been in control of dungeons for the past several hundred years and has kept them in check flawlessly. At the same time, they won the war and became the strongest army on earth.”

The army’s big pride became an obstacle to admitting their powerlessness. They couldn’t accept that they could no longer manage the dungeons on their own, nor were they willing to ask for help from the private sector.

“The army seems to be divided into two factions— those who accept the reform and those who don’t. And as such, its implementation has been delayed so long, despite the necessity.”

“People do tend to stagnate over the most trivial things.”

Don’t say that, Platy.

Sometimes, pride gets in the way of doing the right thing.

I know how that feels. I’m a man myself, after all.

“But the army is reaching its limits. So, they made a proposal to the Adventurer’s Guild.”

If your adventurers are truly elite, battle us.

“A battle?”

“They said that if the adventurers can beat them, the army will recognize their abilities and entrust them with the dungeons in the Demon Kingdom.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You’re telling me that they proposed the idea and then imposed the conditions on their opponent? That’s not very nice, is it?”

Platy is not one to mince words.

“It was the only way that could convince the entire army. Both sides will conquer a dungeon at the same time, and whoever achieves the best results by reaching the deepest part and killing the most monsters is crowned the winner.”

Since the demons expect adventurers to be good dungeon conquerors, it is more appropriate to have such rules than a blatant fistfight. 

“I understand that something troublesome is about to happen again between the Demon and Human Kingdoms. But why are you telling us about this, Alexander?”

Alexander is a super dragon that surpasses even the Dragon Archon—the Geyser Dragon.

For such a transcendent being, a conflict between humans is a trivial matter no more than buzzing insects, let alone bring the matter to our attention.

“Well, here comes the part that concerns you, Lord Saint....” he says. “This fight between the Demon King’s Army and the elite adventurers held as a dungeon conquest needs their stage.”

A stage?

“As in, the dungeon where they’ll be competing?”

Before I knew it, I was naturally joining in the conversation.

Woohoo, me.

“Yes, we initially discussed hosting the competition in my dungeon. It’s the best dungeon in the Adventurers’ Guild’s jurisdiction, so it’s an honor to be chosen.”

One of the things that makes Alexander impressive is that he speaks humbly, even when talking to humankind.

“But as we were talking, the demon army had a few words to say, saying that the humans would have a huge advantage by competing in a dungeon they frequent.” 

Oh, they have a point.

A game must be fair and square.

“But if that’s their concern, wouldn’t it be the same if it were in a dungeon within the Demon Kingdom’s territory?”

“Correct. Hence, a dungeon where neither side has ever visited would be an appropriate place for the match.”

Is there such a dungeon, though?

...Oh, I think there is.

“Precisely. If it’s one of the dungeons near Lord Saint’s farm, neither side would have experienced conquering because they don’t belong to either kingdom. That is, Veil’s dungeon and the dungeon ruled by the Immortal King, Sensei. Would you be willing to cooperate so we can use either of them as a place to compete?”