Several days had passed since Vergil last saw Creed and Nova returning to Nova's original world. Before they left, Vergil had offered Creed some final advice about the path he had chosen.
Around midday, while Vergil and Freya were training in the palace courtyard, a royal attendant approached and bowed politely.
"Lord Vergil, Lady Freya… His Majesty, Emperor Shiroi, requests your presence in the council chamber."
Vergil exchanged a glance with Freya. She gave a small nod, and the two immediately stopped their training. Without wasting time, they headed toward the meeting room inside the palace.
When they entered, Emperor Shiroi was already seated at the large council table. Beside him sat Lord Andrew and the Arc Wizard, Alexhandra.
Shiroi's expression brightened the moment he saw them.
"Ah, Uncle Vergil. Perfect timing," he said warmly. "Now that you're here, we can begin discussing the opening of the second Dungeon."
Freya raised an eyebrow slightly."The second Dungeon already? Isn't it a little soon?"
Lord Draven shook his head.
"Not at all," he replied calmly. "It's the perfect time for the Kainaldia Empire to open another Dungeon. The results from the Arudi Dungeon have exceeded all expectations. Adventurers across the empire have grown significantly stronger… even if none of them have reached the final boss chamber yet."
Vergil leaned back slightly in his chair.
"That's not surprising," he said. "Level fifteen is guarded by a dragon. Most adventurers simply aren't ready to face a creature like that."
Emperor Shiroi chuckled softly.
"They may not have defeated it," he said, "but they've already fought it."
Vergil blinked in surprise.
"Wait… you're telling me they actually challenged the Thunder Dragon I trained?"
Freya crossed her arms and smirked slightly.
"With the amount of treasure Dialga is guarding? Of course they did. Greed can make people incredibly brave."
Vergil snorted in agreement.
"You're absolutely right about that."
Shiroi leaned forward slightly, resting his hands on the table.
"That aside," he continued, "I believe I've chosen the perfect location for the next Dungeon. There's a village west of the Dark Village."
Vergil frowned slightly, thinking.
"That village?" he said. "It's newly built. It doesn't even have a name yet."
Lord Draven nodded.
"That matches the reports I've received," he said. "Apparently the village was founded by an unknown individual working together with several different races—Titania, Dragons, a few High Elf refugees from the Alkamina Mountains, and even Beastfolk from a village in the Karcomina mountain range."
Freya nodded in recognition.
"Mina and I visited that place once," she said. "The Beastfolk there are just ordinary villagers. Nothing unusual about them."
Lord Andrew folded his hands calmly.
"That may be true," he replied, "but the Kainaldia Empire's equal laws for every race have attracted a lot of attention across the Distopi Continent. Many races now want to become citizens of Kainaldia."
He paused before continuing.
"In fact… our influence is beginning to rival the Blackrot Empire in the western region of the Distopi Continent."
The room fell briefly silent as everyone absorbed the implications.
Arc Wizard Alexhandra leaned back in his chair before speaking.
"The second Dungeon is designed to be significantly more challenging than the Arudi Dungeon," he explained. "It will also be far deeper."
Vergil nodded in agreement.
"That's the right approach," he said. "Adventurers need a greater challenge now. If it's just the same difficulty as Arudi Dungeon, their progress will stagnate."
Alexhandra continued calmly.
"From a technical standpoint, everything is ready. The control room has been prepared, the internal systems are operational, and all dungeon staff—primarily golems—have already been constructed."
Vergil folded his arms thoughtfully.
"And the Dungeon Master?" he asked. "Who's going to manage it? As far as I'm concerned, only Anastasya has the experience necessary to oversee a new Dungeon."
Emperor Shiroi smiled slightly.
"Well… Alexhandra's second apprentice has proven fairly competent managing the Arudi Dungeon so far."
Freya nodded.
"That's true," she added. "I learned quite a lot about dungeon management from Alexia."
Before the discussion could continue, Vergil's gaze suddenly shifted toward a shadowed corner of the room.
Almost instantly, the two members of the Emperor Custodes standing on either side of Shiroi reacted. Their movements were sharp and precise as they raised their custome made spears toward the same spot.
The atmosphere in the room turned tense.
Vergil spoke calmly without turning his head.
"Lady Aria Nightshade… I suggest you reveal yourself. The Emperor Custodes are not ordinary soldiers."
For a moment, the corner remained silent.
Then suddenly, a woman stepped out of the shadows as if the darkness itself had peeled away from her. She had long hair and wore elegant formal attire. A soft laugh escaped her lips.
"Well, well… you noticed faster than I expected."
Lord Andrew sighed faintly.
"The other Guild Leaders are still on their way," he explained. "Lady Aria simply arrived earlier than the rest."
Emperor Shiroi raised a hand.
"Stand down."
The two Emperor Custodes immediately lowered their weapons.
"Lady Aria," Shiroi continued politely, "please take a seat."
Aria inclined her head slightly.
"My thanks, Your Majesty."
She took an empty chair at the table.
Not long after, a palace attendant entered the room and bowed respectfully.
"Your Majesty, all the Guild Leaders have arrived and are waiting outside the council chamber."
Shiroi nodded.
"Send them in."
Moments later, several guild leaders entered the room one after another before taking their seats.
Vergil glanced toward the doorway.
"All of my adopted daughters should join as well," he said calmly. "This meeting concerns matters they should hear."
Shiroi gave a small nod before addressing the room.
"Now then, let us begin."
He rested his hands on the table.
"The second Dungeon is ready to be constructed. Its location will be in a village west of the Dark Village."
Lady Nyra Shadowsrike, leader of the Ranger Guild, raised her hand slightly.
"I thought the proposed location was near the Kainaldia Empire's border. What happened to that plan?"
Shiroi shook his head.
"That location has been cancelled," he replied. "The terrain and surrounding conditions make it unsuitable."
Arc Wizard Alexhandra nodded in agreement.
"He's correct. From both a magical and structural perspective, that area would be far too unstable for a Dungeon of this scale."
Not long after, Vergil's five adopted daughters entered the chamber and quietly took their positions behind the seats of Vergil and Freya. The Emperor Custodes stationed around the room did not react in the slightest, maintaining their rigid discipline.
Arc Wizard Alexhandra continued the discussion.
"The location we've chosen has the potential to support a Dungeon reaching up to one hundred levels," she said confidently.
Vergil leaned forward slightly.
"I have another idea," he said. "Instead of one hundred levels, we limit the Dungeon to seventy."
Several people in the room looked at him curiously.
"At every boss level," Vergil continued, "there will be an empty chamber after the fight—a designated Safe Area. In that space, the Merchant Guild could open shops. Adventurers could rest there, resupply, or… handle whatever they need."
Cardinal Bradfort immediately raised an eyebrow.
"And what exactly do you mean by 'whatever they need'?" he asked directly.
Vergil answered without hesitation.
"It's simple. Adventurers can rest there. Priests or clerics from the Church could provide healing services." He paused before adding casually, "They could even conduct marriage ceremonies if two adventurers decide to get married mid-expedition."
A few people in the room chuckled.
Vergil then turned toward Lord Isolde, the leader of the Merchant Guild.
"In fact, the space could allow other merchants to operate as well—restaurants, supply shops, even bars. The real challenge of the Dungeon would begin around the sixth floor and continue deeper. But if adventurers choose to retreat, they would exit the Dungeon the same way they do in Arudi Dungeon."
Lord Isolde frowned almost immediately.
"That would be extremely inefficient," he said. "Merchants would lose a great deal of money if they had to repeatedly hire adventurers just to escort them back inside the Dungeon."
Freya glanced at Vergil.
"I agree with Lord Isolde," she said. "Is there a solution for that?"
Vergil nodded and looked toward Alexhandra.
"Would it be possible," he asked, "for adventurers to receive a magical tattoo on their hands? Then, outside the Dungeon, there could be a crystal that teleports them directly into the Safe Area."
Alexhandra thought for a moment before nodding.
"That is entirely possible. The magical energy around that location is extremely dense, but not dangerously unstable. A teleportation crystal could easily draw power from the Dungeon Core itself."
Lord Isolde leaned forward.
"So that crystal would also allow merchants to teleport directly into the Safe Area?"
Vergil nodded casually.
"Yes."
Shiroi spoke up with a small smile.
"So in other words, the crystal would function as a teleportation gate to the Safe Area—accessible from outside the Dungeon."
Lady Selene Ashborn, leader of the Mage Guild, nodded thoughtfully.
"I must admit," she said with a laugh, "Prince Vergil continues to prove himself a genius."
Arc Wizard Alexhandra added another detail.
"The magical tattoo would be permanent, but it would only function inside this specific Dungeon."
Freya nodded.
"That's exactly what my husband intended."
Alexhandra gave a confirming nod.
Lady Selene then asked, "If the tattoo only grants access to the Safe Area, that shouldn't be a problem. But will there only be one Safe Area?"
Vergil shook his head.
"The plan is to place a boss room every five floors. After each boss room, there will be a Safe Area. From there, a staircase will lead to the sixth floor of the next section. The pattern repeats—five floors, boss room, Safe Area—until floor sixty-five."
Lord Isolde, who had looked worried earlier, suddenly burst into laughter.
"So Prince Vergil has already thought that far ahead."
Vergil shrugged lightly.
"I like experimenting with new ideas. For example, this Dungeon will also include traps. Arudi Dungeon doesn't have any traps at all."
Lord Zareth Iron Claw, leader of the Fighter Guild, nodded firmly.
"That's true. In real adventures, no one ever knows what's waiting for them."
Lady Valeria Stormveil, leader of the Paladin Guild, raised another concern.
"If the Dungeon is that deep, will there be a special system to search for adventurers who go missing—or die inside?"
Emperor Shiroi answered immediately.
"I will assign one Chapter of the Grey Knights to act as a search and rescue unit for the Dungeon."
His tone grew slightly more serious.
"However, we cannot guarantee the safety of every adventurer. If they choose to push beyond their limits, death is a very real possibility."
Lord Khales Desmond, leader of the Thief Guild, raised his hand.
"Will all classes be allowed to enter the Dungeon?"
Shiroi nodded.
"Of course. Every class is welcome. Even groups that have formed their own guilds may challenge the Dungeon. As usual, all Dungeon-related quests will be managed by the Adventurer Guild."
At that moment, King Aidis—the king of the Dwarves and leader of the Blacksmith Guild—spoke up.
"Will my guild members be allowed to open weapon shops inside the Safe Areas?"
Lord Isolde nodded immediately.
"That was actually my next question."
Emperor Shiroi gave his approval without hesitation.
"That will be allowed. We will simply need to find a way to manage the smoke from their furnaces."
He paused before adding,
"Blacksmiths could also offer weapon repairs and appraisal services for the equipment adventurers recover inside the Dungeon."
Vergil added another suggestion.
"Tailors should be allowed to open shops there as well. They could repair leather armor and robes, while the blacksmiths handle weapons, heavy armor, and shields."
The guild leaders began discussing the concept among themselves.
After several minutes of debate, they all came to the same conclusion.
The Safe Area system was a brilliant idea.
Lord Draven leaned forward slightly.
"So when will the Dungeon be fully operational?" he asked. "The Kainaldia Festival is approaching, after all."
Emperor Shiroi nodded thoughtfully.
"If everything proceeds according to schedule, construction should take about a month," he replied. "Most of the work will be completed after the festival. Of course, delays are still possible."
Vergil suddenly seemed to remember something.
"Wait," he said. "That area is close to the territory of the Spirit Kingdom. The Spirit Queen might not be pleased if her domain is suddenly disturbed—even if it's already considered a forbidden zone for adventurers."
Shiroi shrugged lightly.
"If it becomes an issue, I'll handle whatever negotiations are necessary."
Freya tilted her head with a playful smile.
"Whatever she asks? Even if the Spirit Queen demands that you marry her?"
The moment she said that, Vergil's five adopted daughters immediately turned away, trying—and failing—to hide their quiet laughter.
Shiroi sighed.
"I have no intention of building a harem."
Lord Draven chuckled.
"Well, that's entirely Your Majesty's prerogative. An emperor can decide how many wives he wishes to have."
Arc Wizard Alexhandra laughed softly along with several of the guild leaders present.
After the laughter died down, Lord Draven glanced around the room.
"By the way… why isn't the leader of the Gunslinger Guild here?"
Shiroi smirked slightly.
"He's here," the emperor said. "Technically. He's observing this meeting from his office."
At that moment, Lady Nyx Graveborn, leader of the Necromancer Guild, raised a question.
"What kinds of monsters will inhabit the new Dungeon?"
Alexhandra smiled faintly.
"That," she said, "is a secret. It would ruin the fun if the surprises were revealed too early."
Shiroi then looked around the table.
"Well then," he said. "Shall we put it to a vote? Does everyone here approve the construction of the second Dungeon?"
One by one, the guild leaders raised their hands in agreement.
Lord Draven spoke up again.
"The Arudi Dungeon has already produced a large number of strong adventurers," he said. "Giving them a greater challenge is an excellent idea."
Shiroi nodded appreciatively.
"Thank you all for your support."
He stood up from his chair.
"The meeting is concluded. A banquet has been prepared outside for our guests. However, I must ask that the contents of this meeting remain confidential until an official announcement is made."
The guild leaders nodded in understanding.
Soon after, they began leaving the council chamber, their expressions filled with excitement at the prospect of the new Dungeon.