Dungeon of Pride, Laplace

Irene had already laid the foundation for him, now all he needed to do was achieve the result.

Using his enhanced senses which were further heightened by the Serenity stone, he attuned himself to the ebb and flow of mana. This was an intuitive understanding of the mystical energy that courses through all things.

Time passed by, as Simon felt his connection with the mana deepen, he could feel the sensitivity of the mystical energy like never before. It manifested as slight tingling, vibrations or even colours in his mind's eye.

He embraced this sensation and let it instinctively guide him. It needs to be mentioned that acquiring [Mana Sense] was not an easy thing. It requires diligent training and unwavering patience.

If there is even a slight chaos in your mind, the entire effort fails.

Who knew how many times Simon failed, but every time that he did, he started all over again. He would practice [Mana Sense] for hours every day after completing his dungeon master duties.

And just like this, three days passed by. On this day, Simon was practising [Mana Sense] just like usual, feeling like he had taken another step towards reaching his goal, when he sensed Emma approaching. He stopped what he was doing and looked at her.

Emma stopped in front of him, bowed her head in respect before reporting.

"M-Master… I-I came to report that… Maya and Jarred are here to meet with you" She reporte timidly.

Simon did not mind her fidgety and pensive behaviour, after all, that is how he programmed her.

He nodded his head and followed her back to the White Palace.

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Inside his personal office, Simon sat on his seat and quietly listened to the report.

"Master, I regret to inform you that the condition of adventurers within the dungeon has taken a rather alarming turn for the worse. It appears to be directly correlated with the recent decline in dungeon exploration".

Maya, one of the [Helpers] and his trusted aid, reported with a deep frown etched on her face.

"Go on, tell me everything that you have managed to discover about the mission that I gave you" Simon asked her to continue.

"Yes, My lord as you asked, I investigated the adventurers to gain more information on the tower town. The erratic behaviour of the adventurers is largely due to the changes that had taken place in Tower Town. The lawless place had become the breeding ground for all kinds of heinous people and criminal syndicates"

"All kinds of factions are fighting openly and secretly to take ownership of the town. Death, blackmail, abduction and extortion, all kinds of atrocities are being committed there. The changes in the environment of the tower town have affected the adventurers, merchants and everyone who came here to seek opportunities inside the dungeon"

"Their attitude seems to say that they have lost interest in the traditional aspects of dungeon delving. Instead, they focus solely on hunting monsters for their carcasses, leaving the dungeon's treasures and mysteries largely unexplored."

Simon narrowed his eyes at this revelation, such a shift in behaviour was deeply concerning. It was evident that the situation in the Tower Town had deteriorated far beyond what he had initially imagined.

It was no longer just a matter of disorganized chaos; criminal syndicates and factions were vying for control, plunging the town into a state of anarchy.

"Hmmm it is as I have thought, I cannot leave the Tower Town on its own or else sooner or later it would become a tumour that would slowly erode away at the dungeon. I will think of some measures to bring the town under control. Anyways, have you observed anything else unusual?".

The one to answer this time was Jarred.

"Indeed, Master. In recent months, I've witnessed a sharp increase in the use of slaves by the adventurers. They are being employed as bait to lure monsters and are treated as disposable commodities. What's even more unsettling is that some of these slaves were once adventurers themselves, individuals who had once delved into the dungeon. Now, they are being used as disposables, forced into servitude."

"Are you suggesting that the inhabitants of the tower town are being forced to turn into slaves?"…

"That's right master. At first, even I found it strange that they would willingly turn themselves into slaves without a fight. However, there seems to be more than what meets the eye. As Maya had said, abduction and blackmailing have become common in the tower town and with the neighbouring kingdom in chaos, all order and laws have ceased working"

"I have heard the adventurers cussing how their relatives and dear ones are being held captive and if they wanted to free them, they needed to fulfil their quotas. The situation has escalated to the point where those who fail to meet their monster carcass quotas are hunted down by criminal organizations and subsequently enslaved. Fear has gripped the town, and many adventurers and merchants have already fled in search of safer territories. Those who remain do so out of sheer necessity, living in constant dread".

Jarred's report made Simon realise that the situation was more dire than he thought. If the tower town was not governed properly, it might destroy itself which in turn would affect his dungeon.

"You two did a good job. Let others take over your duties and rest for a while".

After rewarding his subordinates for a good job, he dismissed them. As he sat on his seat looking out of the window, Simon mulled over the report, thinking over his options.

Should he out and wipe out all these criminal organisations that have taken root in the Tower Town? It shouldn't be too much of a problem to handle the likes of criminal organisations if he or his subordinates made a move.

However, using such a method might be too destructive and could potentially destroy the Tower Town. Besides, they have yet to identify the criminal organisation and if they cannot take them out by root, such incidents would be more frequent.

So what should he do? While he was contemplating his options, an idea struck him.

"As I thought, if I want to solve this problem, that woman would be essential"…

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Training Floor…

The place which once used to be an open space for training, had been expanded both horizontally and vertically in the recent times. Now it held not only the [Prison] area of the dungeon Laplace, but it also had a residential area specifically built for its guests.

The structures of the houses, while not extravagant by any means, exuded a unique and indigenous aesthetic. The houses were known for their sturdiness, reflecting the resilience of their makers, the orcs.

The orcs had carefully constructed these dwellings to withstand the tremors from the training, and their design incorporated elements of nature. The architecture harmonized with the environment, displaying the orcs' deep connection to the earth.

The buildings were crafted from robust materials found in the surrounding wilderness, such as timber and stone, reflecting their practicality and resourcefulness.

Inside one of these houses which served as the residence of the Princess of the Kingdom of Ellesmere, Cynthia and her comrades were currently gathered together to discuss something.

"All these months, he refused to see us or let us out of here. And now all of a sudden, he wants to meet you. I can't help but think it is some kind of plot" the old assassin named Brett spoke in a cautious tone.

"That's right princess, his subordinates always rejected me every time I wanted to meet the master of the dungeon. However, today all of a sudden the subordinate of the dungeon master comes to me with a message that he wants to meet and that too with the princess alone" the burly knight Burg added.

"Maybe it's not a good idea to meet him on your own princess. Let us come with you" the age Marba was of the same mind too.

Cynthia deliberated for a while before turning towards the last person who had yet to speak "What do you think?".

Alvara was silent, she looked at everyone before giving her own thoughts on the matter.

"I have known the dungeon master of this dungeon for a w while and although he might not be human like us, he did do us a favour a couple of times. From my perspective, he doesn't seem like a bad person".

"Wait Guard Captain, you are not saying that we should trust a demon, are you? How can you say that after how you saw he kept us like a prisoner here all the time? And if the off chance something happens to the princess, will you be able to take the responsibility?"

The assassin was sceptical. Having gone through a lot in his years, he knew a lot about people and their behaviours.

"Brett don't forget this demon is the one who saved you, the princess and all of us. He even sheltered us even though he had no reason for it whatsoever. And it's not just once that he did that. Are you still asking that after all that he did for us?"

Alvara's rebuttal shut Brett up. It was not only him, even Burg and Marba had nothing to counter against it. They all knew fully well in their heart's that Alvara words were the truth. The Demon had helped all of them many times. If even after all of this they couldn't trust him then wouldn't that make them out to be ungrateful?

"But sending princess there all alone"…