So considering the special characteristics of earth-attribute magic, Memediga was using it well. Most living creatures couldn't separate themselves from the ground, so her magic was very effective.

But Vandalieu was thinking about something different as he looked up at her.

Her shining eyes, long ears, moist nose, white fangs, magnificent fur, skin that was just as beautiful as her fur, her generously-sized chest, tight hips and the tail that was wagging happily back and forth.

Memediga had been cute as a small child, but now she had become a beautiful woman. Vandalieu had heard that one feels a little proud when their childhood friend becomes a beautiful woman, so he realized that this was the emotion that he was feeling as he looked at her.

It was easy to understand that she would have a boyfriend.

「What's wrong, King?」(Memediga)

「No, it's nothing. Come to think of it, I saw Zemedo on the fourth floor; are you not getting along with him these days?」(Vandalieu)

「That's right. Listen, Nii-san is just annoying, complaining about every little thing.」(Memediga)

After that, Vandalieu heard enough of her complaints to think,「Ah, this is a common thing that happens during puberty.」

「But I do understand that Nii-san is just worried about me. Still, I think it'd be fine if he would trust me more.」(Memediga)

「Ah... Yeah... I wonder if things would be fine if you two just talked to each other sometime. Things might become too intense with just the two of you, so maybe include someone else in the conversation as well.」(Vandalieu)

「You're right, well then, I'll ask Berg –」(Memediga)

「Someone other than Berg.」(Vandalieu)

Bringing Berg would only cause a scene of carnage.

Normal Goblins and Kobolds didn't understand human language, but the reason Memediga, Braga and the other children could speak so fluently was because they had learned the language from Vandalieu and the Ghouls.

This was not a particularly special case; monsters of a certain intelligence tamed by Tamers could learn human language. Only a very small number of non-humanoid monsters were capable of having conversations, however.

After dealing with Memediga's problems, Vandalieu's party descended the stairs after not running into many battles on the fifth floor.

And on the sixth floor was where Garan's Valley really began... industrially.

『Cut it!』

「UOOOH!【Rock Cutter!】」

The Undead Titans were cutting square blocks of bright white rock out of the stone cliffs. They were the stonemasons of Talosheim.

White rock could be mined from the rock walls on the sixth floor of Garan's Valley. It was similar to Earth's marble, but perhaps because it originated from a Dungeon, it was a higher-quality stone that contained Mana.

Apparently through some secret processing technique, it could be turned into products that were harder than marble and more resistant to wear.

When Talosheim had first started trading with the Hartner duchy in the Orbaume Kingdom, the Titans were apparently surprised by the high price that they could sell the stone for.

But that trading had long since come to an end, and Vandalieu had already restored the royal castle, the town and the walls back to normal. So there shouldn't have been much demand for more stone, however.

「Look who it is! Have you come to the Dungeon for training, o Holy Son?」(Nuaza)

Standing there was Nuaza, wearing metal armor and holding a shield and a mace that looked as if could crush someone's skull like an egg. His appearance was rather un-Lich-like.

「Yes. What are you and the others doing here, Nuaza?」(Vandalieu)

「We have come to be in need of some stone.」(Nuaza)

Vandalieu's【Golem Transmutation】could be used to combine broken fragments of stone to reuse it. However, he couldn't make new stone out of nothing.

But why would new stone be needed?

「Could it be because I made too many Reversi sets?」(Vandalieu)

Had he gone overboard by making a hundred Reversi sets because everyone had liked it?

「No, that is not the case, o Holy Son. But I would like to request that you make one hundred more sets when it is convenient for you to do so.」(Nuaza)

The Reversi sets, Jenga sets and Frisbees that Vandalieu had created were currently very popular in Talosheim. The fact that everyone was so deprived of entertainment that they themselves hadn't realized it was one reason, but the fact that all of them had simple rules that could be learned quickly made them very well-received.

Thus, owning a Reversi or Jenga set had become something of a status symbol. Vandalieu was getting worried that their popularity had gone overboard.

It wasn't as if Vandalieu was being paid to make the sets, nor did it take much effort to make them. Giving it some more thought, he decided it wasn't a problem.

「And if possible, I would also like to request more Jenga sets and Frisbees.」(Nuaza)

「... I don't think you need to ask me to make them?」(Vandalieu)

Anyone should be able to make these.

「No, there is some meaning behind them being created by your hands, Holy Son.」(Nuaza)

It seemed that receiving Vandalieu's handmade toys were like receiving an award for the Undead. Even though they weren't such amazing creations.

Had he created a brand name without realizing?

「I understand.」(Vandalieu)

But if they were so happy about it, he would make plenty for them. Now that he thought about it, he wasn't paying the Undead Titans or Ghouls salaries or anything, so it was fine to do at least this much for them.

「So what is this stone going to be used for?」(Vandalieu)

「The plaza in front of the royal castle is empty, is it not? We thought that we would erect a stone statue there.」(Nuaza)

「A stone statue. That would be nice.」(Vandalieu)

The arts make the mind rich. The minds of Undead in particular were often more important than their bodies, so it was important for them to have stable minds.

「Yes, we have planned for the stone statue of the Holy Son to be completed by next spring.」(Nuaza)

「... Are you serious?」(Vandalieu)

「I am serious. You are the Holy Son of two prophecies, after all. For those of us who desire the restoration of the goddess Vida, you are someone to be worshipped, Holy Son.」(Nuaza)

「... I suddenly don't really want to go outside anymore.」(Vandalieu)

Of course, Vandalieu didn't feel negative feelings about being treated favorably, but would it be alright for him to go so far beyond that and become a religious symbol?

Well, it wasn't as if his face had the words「I am the Holy Son」written on it, so it would be fine as long as he kept his mouth shut about it when he went to the Orbaume Kingdom.

『Bocchan, it's something to look forward to, isn't it?』(Rita)

『Noblemen should keep at least one self-portrait or stone statue of themselves, so you shouldn't feel so opposed to it.』(Saria)

「Are there any noblemen who would have a stone statue of themselves erected in the plaza in front of the royal castle?」(Vandalieu)

Upon being asked this, Rita and Saria averted their gazes, so Vandalieu had a rough idea of how it was. The sisters showed plenty of expressions, even though they didn't have heads.

『Ooh, which means that there are none? In other words, you are the only one, my lord! Jyuuuh, my congratulations to you!』(Bone Man)

Bone Man congratulated Vandalieu sincerely.

Well, it was fine. It wasn't like anyone would be coming to Talosheim. The only ones who would see it would be the Undead Titans, Ghouls and those of the new races that Vandalieu had created.

「Well then, we shall be carrying this stone out, so excuse us.」(Nuaza)

With those words, Nuaza and the other Undead Titans set about carrying the stone out of the Dungeon. They would be protecting the stone that weighed tons and preventing it from being destroyed by attacking monsters on the way to the surface.

The monsters wouldn't deliberately aim to attack the stone, but if an attack happened to hit it, the stone would be cracked.

「Fugofugoh.」(Orcus)

「We'll protect the materials for King's stone statue.」(Orcus)

「So more Reversi sets for us, too.」(Orcus)

Gorba and the other Orcuses were in charge of guarding the stone. Unlike the Anubises and Black Goblins, they had not yet reached adulthood, but they already possessed enough skills and physical strength to somehow deal with Rank 3 monsters. In other words, this was perfect training for them.

「I'll make them after I'm done here. Come to think of it, won't it be hard to carry the stone up the stairs?」(Vandalieu)

『Don't you worry about it! We have something called know-how!』(Titan)

It seemed that there were various things they could use, including a Magic Item that turned stairs into a slope. And between the Undead Titans who didn't feel fatigue and the Orcuses, though they were still children, there was plenty of physical strength to be used. Worrying about them would be pointless.

Parting with Nuaza and the others, Vandalieu's party continued on, but perhaps the monsters had been cleared pre-emptively so that the stone-mining wouldn't be interrupted. There were almost no monsters appearing on the sixth floor.

「Why did we pass through here again? To observe everyone?」(Vandalieu)

「I know how you feel, but I'm sure there are still plenty of monsters beneath here. Let's keep going, Van.」(Basdia)