I returned to Korea and headed straight to the dungeon.
My family was with me now.
Gomgom and woffy were being affectionate with the family they hadn’t seen in a long time, and Kkumuris was wandering around the village as usual.
The slimes, including Mark2, proudly showed off the freshly harvested crops before they all started feasting.
Although it had only been a few days, this leisurely and peaceful atmosphere was very welcome.
“Ah, yes, this is it. This is the life of slime welfare officer Lee Kyu-seong.”
“Kyu-seong Kyu-seong! What are you eating by yourself? What does it taste like?”
My parents, who had worried about us, came to the airport to greet us as soon as we returned.
Seon-ah also came running late, and since it was the weekend, we planned to visit the Dungeon of Gluttony.
“Is our Ara hungry?”
“Always hungry!”
-Gwoong!
“Gomgom is hungry too. Alright, let’s make something delicious together with grandma.”
“Good idea!”
-Kkuwang!
Leaving Ara with the family, I decided to head towards the goblins.
When I boarded Purr and checked the mini-map, I could see my current location, Ara, and Mammon’s icons.
‘The others aren’t showing up, huh?’
I wondered if only the Seven Deadly Sins were marked separately.
“I’ll go check the mines!”
“Alright.”
Since I had already told the family about the new settlers, I headed straight for the mines, bringing plenty of food along.
Even while I was away, the automated farm continuously produced crops.
Given the number of goblins, it was necessary to expand the fields.
Since I was expanding the fields, I planned to cultivate the land near the mines, letting a few slimes loose and having the goblins manage it themselves.
This way, I wouldn’t have to bother bringing them food.
As I rode Purr, the refreshing breeze wrapped around my body.
I could hear the rustling of leaves and smell the cozy scent of the dungeon.
-( ˃ ⩌˂)۶
-(๑˃́ꇴ˂̀๑)
The fairies we met along the way greeted us warmly.
Ah! Come to think of it, how are the Meluca flowers doing?
‘I should check on them first.’
We now had Mammon.
I wondered if I had to keep leveling up Poispois because of the poison, but now Mammon could replace that role.
As soon as I arrived at the World Tree Fairy Village, Frey came out riding a Starlight Bug.
-Lord!
“Frey, how have you been? How are the kids?”
-The little green guys? They’re utterly smitten with me! Hohoho! It must be my radiant beauty.
“……”
I wasn’t sure who she was calling little green guys, but it was a relief they were getting along well.
Since the goblin mine was close to the village of Alfheim, I had been a bit worried.
“How’s Meluca doing?”
-Hmm, there are bigger buds than before, but they don’t seem like they’re going to bloom.
“Really?”
When I reacted without much concern, Frey anxiously waved her hands.
-There aren’t many Meluca seeds left! What should we do, Lord?
“I have a solution.”
-Gasp! Really?!
I went to the field to check the flowers.
Not that my inspection would change anything, but I might as well check on the slimes while I was there.
“Oh, Poispois. You’ve dug up a lot.”
-Kwuleng-!
Poispois, who was in charge of the Meluca flower field, proudly showed the collected magic stones.
The horn filled with pride was visible.
‘Grade 1, Grade 1, Grade 2… Oh! There’s even a Grade 4.’
While it wasn’t a significant help in maintaining the dungeon’s magic, it was still quite profitable.
I had Bokkeum, whom I had brought along, collect them all, then I also brought Poispois.
“Frey, let’s go together.”
-To see the little green guys?
“Yeah. And Mammon will solve the Meluca flower problem.”
-The red guy?!
Her wide-eyed expression was cute.
She didn’t seem to know about Mammon’s poison abilities, so I decided to show her this time.
Including Poispois and Frey in the group, we rode to the mine.
It wasn’t far from the World Tree, so we quickly found the goblins.
-Kirik!
-Kirik! Kirik!
They jumped up and down like children when they saw me.
Looking to one side, I saw neatly stacked minerals sorted by type.
“Have you been well?”
-Kirik?
At that moment, a red goblin sprang out from the depths of the mine, holding a gemstone I had named Arabyul.
-You have arrived, my lord!
“How have you been?”
-I have been living very happily!
Seeing Mammon speak with such a bright smile lifted my spirits too. Then, Mammon’s eyes gleamed as he spoke.
-My lord! Our first masterpiece is finally completed!
“First masterpiece?”
-Bring the masterpiece, everyone!
At Mammon’s command, a few goblins scurried off and soon returned, dragging something with great effort.
It was quite large and covered with a cloth, so I couldn’t tell what it was.
“What is this?”
-Reveal it!
With a flourish, the cloth was pulled away, revealing a statue as tall as I am. No, it was a sculpture. And it looked exactly like me.
Is that supposed to be me?
“Uh….”
-How do you like it? Perfect proportions! Sharp nose and jawline! Even the delicate muscles!
“Is this really me?”
-Yes! It’s you, my lord!
The overly idealized version of myself made Frey, who was watching, blurt out.
-It doesn’t look like you at all.
-What, what are you talking about!? It’s a spitting image!
Either way, it hurt my feelings. It was like being hit twice as hard.
“Well, uh, thanks, I guess.”
-You’re welcome!
“Is this just stone?”
-Sometimes we come across large boulders during the mining process, so we decided to make something with it! We wanted to show you our skills!
It was indeed a display of exceptional sculpting skills. The fact that they made such a handsome and impressive statue showed their talent clearly.
-Hmph! We can do things like this too!
At that moment, Frey approached the statue and began to touch it. Mammon waved his hands in a panic.
-What, what are you doing!? How dare you touch the sacred form of our lord!
“I’m right here, you know.”
Frey and Mammon argued over the now more precious statue, but I soon realized Frey was adding small details.
“Oh, wow.”
She was decorating the previously plain statue with beautiful patterns and textures. While it was cute and mysterious, it wasn’t exactly to my taste, but it was undoubtedly impressive.
-Hmph, hmm.
Mammon watched Frey’s sculpting with a grudging admiration.
-How do you like it, my lord? Isn’t it much better now?
-Not bad at all.
Watching the two of them work well together, I just smiled.
“Nice. Both of you are very talented.”
-Hehe.
-All goblins are good at sculpting, but I have the skills to be called the grand master! Hahaha!
The two little ones looked pleased with the praise. Since things had turned out this way, I wondered if I should ask them to make statues of the others too.
“Is it difficult to make sculptures like this?”
-It is difficult, but we can do it!
So, it’s tough. That makes me hesitant to ask. But Mammon, with his newfound confidence, reassured me.
-The difficulty makes it more fun. It fuels our craftsmanship.
“Oh, so you enjoy sculpting?”
-Yes! In fact, where we lived, we didn’t even have rocks like these, so we used to dig up the dirt to make sculptures.
Mammon’s story made me feel a bit sad, but he seemed excited.
-But here, there are plenty of rocks! It’s not easy, but we’re all looking forward to working with the mined ores!
“Ah, I had something to tell you about that.”
-Please speak, my lord!
“First of all, in return for your work, you’ll naturally get food. We will also build a village here for you. And the minerals you mine? We’ll allocate a certain amount to you.”
-Gasp!
I still didn’t know the exact reserves of this mine, but given the size of the mountain, it was vast. I had thought about measuring its circumference, but it covered such a wide area that I hadn’t checked it yet.
‘Anyway, because of the mini-map, I’ll need to explore the dungeon.’
In the past, it would have been impossible, but now with Woofy and Purr, it seemed feasible to tour the dungeon.
“Store half of the mined minerals, and the other half, you can make whatever you want. Out of that, you can keep a quarter for yourselves.”
-A quarter of a quarter of a quarter of a quarter?
“I mean, you can keep a quarter.”
-Oh, ohhh!
The gathered goblins seemed puzzled, tilting their heads in confusion. Watching them, I decided to unload the supplies I had brought first.
When I set Bokkeum down, it automatically started unloading the food. The goblins’ reactions were quite a sight.
-Kirik!
-Kiririk!
Some goblins cheered, others prostrated themselves, and some even wept with joy, each expressing their happiness in their own way.
“Call everyone over. Work is important, but eating comes first.”
-A-Are we not slaves?
“…What are you talking about, Mammon?”
Wasn’t this the same guy who had said he was happy sculpting just a while ago?
Of course, considering how he became my servant, I could understand the confusion. But after all the crops they had eaten, did they really think they were slaves?
‘Those crops could fetch a good price if sold…’
I wasn’t doing this for money, but if I wanted to, I could become rich. Although I did want to be rich, it was a matter of pace—becoming wealthy naturally or aggressively.
My goal was to enjoy this peaceful life and be happy with my family.
“Don’t worry, just eat.”
-Aren’t you going to eat, my lord?
“Should I have a bite?”
I had planned to eat with my family later, but having a little here wouldn’t stop me from eating when I got back. Initially, I intended to use the time while the goblins ate to outline the village size and plot the fields.
As I sat down, Frey naturally took a seat on my lap.
“I brought some World Tree mushrooms. Would you like some?”
-I would love that!
I cut the mushrooms into small pieces for Frey and joined the goblins in eating the crops.
Since it was enough for 500 goblins, I couldn’t cook it all, so it was all raw fruits and vegetables.
“Mmm!”
-Delicious!
-Mmm!
It felt refreshing to eat the crops in their natural state after a long time. They were delicious even raw, so the satisfaction was the same.
Chomp chomp!
The goblins quickly gathered, chatting and laughing as they ate. Seeing their happy faces made me feel good too.
-Kirik! Kirik!
Some goblins approached me, chattering excitedly, and Mammon translated for them.
-They are grateful not only for the full stomachs but also for the delicious food they are tasting for the first time in their lives!
“Right, right. You are part of my family now, so it’s your rightful privilege. Anyone under my care will never go hungry and will always eat delicious food.”
-…My lord, sniff.
Mammon wiped away a tear, and I convinced myself.
Yes, I am a goblin welfare officer. I’m not trying to exploit them. Ahem.
“Oh, by the way, Mammon, I had a request for you.”
-Anything you need, my lord!
I said no one would go hungry, but there were some in danger of starving.
I looked down at Frey, who was eating mushrooms on my lap, and said,
“Can you make some poison for me?”
Cliche Novel 