“Now that I think about it, Libra is an Artificial Spirit assigned to monitor Lan, so as the understanding girlfriend with a heart as vast as the ocean, I’ll just consider this not cheating.” (Chihiro)

“O-Okay, thanks…” (Lanpeach)

The minor villain was feeling a strange pressure. That person’s name is Lanpeach. 

Even though he was just a thug you could find anywhere -in appearance alone- whose name wasn’t even worth remembering, his current predicament made him try to hide behind Mimi. It was a pitiful attempt, as Mimi squeaked sleepily in his arms and was trying to go back to sleep.

“Anyway, we need to get the Hunter Guild ready, right? You know, setting up a dungeon and stuff.” (Lanpeach)

“Yeah, I remember you mentioning that. But that doesn’t explain why Libra is clinging to your arm.” (Chihiro)

“Don’t think too much about it. Building trust is part of the job.” (Lanpeach)

“Then I’ll cling to your other arm… Mumumu!” (Chihiro)

Chihiro grabbed onto Lanpeach’s other arm, but Libra’s were squished like soft marshmallows, while hers were completely the same.

She bit her lip in frustration. It was clear the difference in ‘combat power’ was visible to the eye.

“I’m happy you are holding onto me.” (Lanpeach)

“! Really?! Right?!” (Chihiro)

Chihiro beamed with joy, her bright smile lighting up the room. Lanpeach felt relieved seeing her reaction, and he wasn’t just saying it to make her feel better. He genuinely meant it.

In anime, when the flat-chested heroine clings to the protagonist, they often say it’s not enjoyable. That’s a lie. Just the simple fact that a cute girl hugs your arm is already a reward for a guy. Also, he could still feel a little softness, and that made it all the more pleasant.

Of course, more would be nice, but that’s like comparing filet mignon to sirloin. It’s all good.

“Peach-oniichan sure has it tough. Think I’ll stay out of this one.” (Dry)

Dry, looking indifferent, decided not to join the competition for Lanpeach’s attention.

And so, the group made their way to the teleportation portal room.

“Koume wants Papa-shan to give her a shoulder ride!” (Kouma)

“Kyu~.” 

Thus, Lanpeach found himself giving Koume and Mimi a piggyback ride.

◇◇

The teleportation portal room set up next to the Hunter Guild was completely empty, intended only for future use. A separate room was reserved for teleporting to My Room.

The group -joined by Sage along the way- entered the bare, concrete room.

Trailing behind them were some curious onlookers, chatting as they followed Lanpeach, wondering what spectacle he’d put on next.

“What’s he up to this time?”

“Must be another festival.”

“Should we start prepping food stalls again?”

It seemed the onlookers knew how Lanpeach usually acts. They weren’t afraid of Lanpeach at all, possibly due to the comical sight of a young girl riding on his shoulders with a bunny perched on her head like a member of the Bremen Town Musicians.

“I’m grateful for your help. The Lanpeach City district has grown so large, we can no longer rely on small farms alone.” (Sage)

Sage spoke with a look of relief, clearly expecting Lanpeach to solve the issue. Or rather, it was clear he thought the Underground District’s experiments would do the trick. His trust feels a bit excessive.

Sage had been meaning to bring this up, as natural produce and products like eggs and chicken sold well, but their limited quantity was becoming an issue, even with the items the bunnies earned from the Dream Island Imitation.

“Maybe we don’t need to expand Lanpeach City so much? It means residents are increasing and jobs are decreasing, right?” (Lanpeach)

“I thought so too, but…” (Sage)

Sage trailed off and glanced out the window. Parked outside was the armored personnel carrier, Snow Bunny, used for transporting troops…

“Usaa! Today we’re taking over the northeast slums for Boss-usaa!”

“Hyahaaah, following you, Tete-sama!”

“Let’s show ‘em what we got!”

“Tete! Tete!”

On top of the vehicle, a rough-looking group cheered as Admiral Tete, the rabbit, adjusted its hat and bounced around excitedly. Its tail wiggled, and its nose twitched as it hopped along, and soon, the engine roared to life as the vehicle headed out.

“After conquering the area you assigned them, the bunny lovers have gathered and started taking down rival teams, expanding Lanpeach City bit by bit… The residents of the conquered zones have been moving into buildings near the Lanpeach Complex, looking for work.” (Sage)

“I see. Maybe I shouldn’t have left the Tagyo Squad unchecked. But still, bunny lovers don’t seem all that dangerous.” (Lanpeach)

Admiral Tete was the only one who acted aggressively. The other rabbits were always trying to slack off when given the chance.

“Well, leave it to me. This time, I’ll create a dungeon suitable for beginner hunters.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach entered the Teleport Portal room. A command menu opened and he began tapping away with a sinister ‘kukuku’ laugh.

“Alright, time to set up the teleport portal.” (Lanpeach)

The newly unlocked [Dungeon Creation] feature from hiring Mira allowed Lanpeach to generate dungeons. It required experience points depending on the level, but this time he had more than enough.

[Shallow Sea Island: Level 1. 3 floors. Requires 1,000 EXP.]

“That’s the one.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach looked through the dungeon catalog, searching for a cheap one, and selected this Free Dungeon.

A mini-Stonehenge-like machine materialized with a flash of light, forming a magic circle on the floor. Lanpeach grinned smugly internally as the crowd watched in awe, and stepped into the newly-formed teleport portal.

The others followed, squinting at the bright light, and in the next moment, they found themselves on a beach. 

The emerald-green sea stretched out before them, clear and inviting, while the sky above was a perfect blue with not a cloud in sight. The dry breeze and warm sunshine made for a perfect day.

“Lan, what is this? There’s a huge puddle here!” (Chihiro)

“Yeh, what is this? A pool?” (Dry)

Their innocent remarks made Lanpeach emotional. He never thought he’d hear those lines for real.

“Why are you holding your forehead like that, Lan?” (Chihiro)

“No reason, just feeling a little happy.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach smiled, overwhelmed with emotion, but Chihiro and Dry looked at him curiously. However, unlike them, who had never seen the sea before, Sage’s reaction was different.

“Could this possibly be…the ocean? I heard rumors that sea dungeons didn’t exist though!” (Sage)

Sage turned to Lanpeach in surprise, but Lanpeach waved it off.

“Well, it turns out they do. This first floor only has level 0 -or rather, Star 0 monsters, and the second floor has Star 1 monsters. So this first floor is basically a safe zone. The main feature of this dungeon is that more than half of the field is ocean.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach moved to the shoreline, dipping his hand in the cool, refreshing water.

“And you can even catch things like this.” (Lanpeach)

[Telekinesis]

Lanpeach lifted a fish out of the water and plopped it onto the beach, where it flopped energetically.

“What’s this?” (Dry)

“…A flounder.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach answered awkwardly, but since Dry had no knowledge of fish, she simply accepted it. The same went for Chihiro and the others.

[There’s no way you’d catch flounder in a place like this though.] (Libra)

[Shhh. They don’t know much about fish anyway.] (Lanpeach)

Libra-san, zip your mouth.

“So you can catch fish here?! Fresh fish?! That’s been nearly impossible to get due to the monsters!” (Sage)

“Exactly. You can catch horse mackerel, sardines, saury, tuna, flounder, flatfish, spiny lobster, and squid. You can also dig for a whole lot of clams on the beach.” (Lanpeach)

Yeah, creatures that you normally wouldn’t find on a beach, but this is a game world, so the rules didn’t matter. You could even fish for bluefin tuna or harvest seaweed and kelp.

“T-This is incredible! Fresh fish has become a luxury only the super-rich can afford, and now it can be caught easily here?” (Chihiro)

“Yup, and the monsters on the second and third floors are weak, perfect for beginners, don’t you think?” (Lanpeach)

“We should set up a fishing party. We can charge an entrance fee, and if fish can be caught in large quantities, this district could thrive on its seafood trade. Merchants and explorers will start flocking. It will be getting busy here! I need to start gathering a team and setting up sales routes immediately. Please excuse me!” (Sage)

Sage hurried off in excitement, muttering to himself that this would be far more profitable than selling eggs.

“Speaking of which, fish-based synthetic food isn’t common. No wonder, since people haven’t been able to eat real fish for so long.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach had considered which dungeon would allow ordinary people to earn a living when reviewing the dungeon catalog. He initially thought of a dungeon filled with chickens, but then remembered the scarcity of seafood and chose this one.

“Kyaa! Papa-shan, this water is shalty!” (Koume)

“Mimi’s tail is getting poked by fish~.” (Mimi)

Koume, filled with curiosity, and Mimi were already frolicking in the water, enjoying a seaside adventure.

“Alright, Guy. It’s opening day for the dungeon. Let everyone know that entry is free.” (Lanpeach)

“Got it, Boss. Let’s get a seafood barbecue goin’.” (Guy)

Guy announced the news at the dungeon’s entrance and people began flooding in.

“If everyone gets a taste of the fish here, word will spread quickly.” (Chihiro)

“And that’ll make the Hunter Guild busier too. Lanpeach City is entering its second phase.” (Lanpeach)

Lanpeach smiled warmly at Chihiro, who leaned closer to him, and returned her gaze with gentle eyes.

“I went into the ocean and turned see-through, Soldier!” (Libra)

Libra blurted out something stupid, but Lanpeach still had enough self-control to not face that way.

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