Lord of Avalon : Lost in Another World

Unfunny Hell Joke

The festival was in full swing. The villagers of Minori were chatting, laughing, and enjoying the food that had been prepared. However, as Ardi stood in the middle of the crowd, his next words made the entire atmosphere come to a sudden halt.

Ardi:

"So… I have something interesting to tell you all. There's a dungeon beneath this castle."

The moment those words left his mouth, the entire room fell silent. Everyone froze, their eyes widening in shock. Some turned to each other, as if to confirm whether they had heard correctly.

A loud laugh suddenly broke the silence. Amon, followed by the four demons, stepped forward with a relaxed demeanor, their human forms blending more naturally into the gathering. Despite this, the villagers instinctively made way for them, still somewhat uneasy about their presence.

Ardi sighed, noticing the tension.

Ardi:

"Relax, everyone. They're not here to harm you."

Even so, the elves, particularly Sylthara, still looked at Ardi with disbelief.

Sylthara:

"So you really do have a dungeon beneath this castle? Is this some kind of twisted game the demons are playing?"

Before Ardi could respond, Reinhardt stepped forward, his calm and wise presence helping to defuse the growing tension.

Reinhardt:

"Lord Ardi, I believe we need more clarification. What do you mean by this dungeon being under your domain? Was it created by the demons?"

Amon let out a quiet snort, clearly displeased by the assumption. However, before the situation could escalate, Ardi gave a relaxed smile, attempting to lighten the mood.

Ardi:

"Haha, sorry if I startled you all. I was just joking."

Sylthara crossed her arms, unimpressed.

Sylthara:

"Joking? This isn't the time for jokes, Lord Ardi."

Yui smirked, nudging him playfully.

Yui:

"Seriously, Ardi? Another one of your 'hell jokes'? When are you going to stop?"

Ardi:

"Aaah, that's tough! This kind of humor is a dying art! Why can't you all appreciate it?"

Yui pouted, shaking her head.

Yui:

"Because you always joke at the worst times."

Megumi, standing beside Yui, gave a small, gentle clap to calm things down.

Megumi:

"Yui is right, Ardi-sama. Maybe you should consider the timing of your jokes a little more?"

Ardi chuckled, raising his hands in surrender.

Ardi:

"Alright, alright, I'll try to be more careful."

With the mood slightly relaxed again, Ardi gestured for Reinhardt and the others to follow him. As they moved towards the dungeon's entrance, he began explaining further.

Ardi:

"As you can see, this dungeon is located directly beneath the castle. As its Dungeon Master, I control it, but I only use it as a resource to help the village grow. There's no real danger."

The dwarves, led by Thrain, immediately perked up, their eyes glinting with curiosity. Without hesitation, they moved closer to Ardi.

Thrain:

"Wait… Does that mean this dungeon produces ores?"

Ardi nodded, smiling.

Ardi:

"Yes. The dungeon generates Iron Ore and Copper Ore daily, some Mithril Ore every week, and even a few Adamantium Crystals every month."

Zrud, the energetic goblin leader, let out a loud laugh.

Zrud:

"Adamantium?! Hahaha, that's one of the rarest metals, Lord Ardi! This is incredible!"

Rila, the shy gnome leader, adjusted her glasses, her voice filled with disbelief.

Rila:

"A dungeon that produces valuable resources like that…? This sounds too good to be true."

Ardi grinned.

Ardi:

"It's real. And not just for resource production—this dungeon also acts as a secondary defense system."

The elves, however, were less enthusiastic. Sylthara frowned, clearly suspicious.

Sylthara:

"But how can we trust this dungeon? Dungeons are unpredictable, and many bring more harm than good."

Ardi raised a hand, reassuring them with a confident smile.

Ardi:

"Because I'm giving everyone access. Anyone who wants to inspect it for themselves is welcome to do so. This dungeon isn't just mine—it belongs to all of you."

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New Place for Newcomers

As the grand feast ended, the lively atmosphere of the castle grounds slowly faded. One by one, the villagers stepped out, their laughter and chatter lingering in the cool night air. The older residents of Minori Village welcomed the newcomers, offering them places to stay until more permanent housing could be arranged.

Standing near the castle gates, Ardi watched with a sense of fulfillment. However, he knew that not everyone would find a place so easily. Turning to Kazuo, his trusted carpenter, he gave a firm order.

Ardi:

"Set up three military tents near the barracks. It's not much, but at least they'll have shelter for now while we build their homes."

Kazuo nodded without hesitation.

Kazuo:

"Consider it done, My Lord. I'll have the men handle it before the night ends."

With that settled, Ardi turned to another issue—the upkeep of the massive castle. It was far too large for him to maintain alone. While Megumi and Yui helped, they couldn't handle everything. That's when he thought of Felina and her fellow Cat-Kin.

Ardi:

"Felina, can I talk to you for a moment?"

The energetic Cat-Kin perked up at the sound of her name, her tail swaying.

Felina:

"Of course, My Lord! What's up, nya?"

Ardi rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward.

Ardi:

"Would you and your kin be interested in working as castle staff? Cleaning, cooking, general upkeep... It's a big place, and I can't manage it alone."

Felina's ears twitched, and her golden eyes sparkled with excitement.

Felina:

"Really?! You want us to work in the castle? That sounds amazing, nya!"

Before Ardi could respond, Yui stepped forward, arms crossed, smirking.

Yui:

"Hmm… You're not using the same trick again, are you? Hiring a cute girl so she'll end up in your harem later?"

Ardi froze. His face twitched as the surrounding villagers burst into laughter. Even Megumi chuckled behind her sleeve.

Ardi:

"Yui, can you not? I'm being serious here..."

Yui just shrugged playfully.

Yui:

"Sure, sure. Just saying, Anata, you attract trouble whether you mean to or not."

Felina, completely unfazed, grinned.

Felina:

"Harem or not, I'm in! And I'll bring the others, nya!"

Ardi sighed, accepting his fate.

With that settled, he turned to Reinhardt and the mages.

Ardi:

"You're all welcome to stay in the castle as well. There's plenty of room."

Reinhardt stroked his long beard thoughtfully.

Reinhardt:

"I appreciate the offer, Lord Ardi. But mages like us prefer personal study spaces. We'll be fine in the village for now."

One of the archmages, a fiery red-haired woman named Seraphine, took a sip from her goblet before smirking.

Seraphine:

"Now, if you had a proper Mage's Tower, I might have considered it."

Her fellow archmage, a tall, stern man named Aldric, groaned and quickly apologized.

Aldric:

"My Lord, please excuse her. She's been drinking quite a bit tonight."

Ardi chuckled, shaking his head.

Ardi:

"Don't worry about it. A Mage's Tower, huh? I'll keep that in mind."

It wasn't a bad idea. Maybe one day, he could make it happen.

Just then, Amon, the towering fire-wielding demon, stepped forward.

Amon:

"My Lord, if it's alright, we'd like to live in the dungeon."

Ardi raised an eyebrow.

Ardi:

"The dungeon?"

Amon nodded.

Amon:

"The geothermal activity makes it the perfect habitat for me. It's much more comfortable than the surface."

The other demons agreed, asking for permission to carve out their own quarters within the dungeon walls.

Before Ardi could answer, Zrud, the goblin leader, stepped forward.

Zrud:

"If the demons get to stay in the dungeon, then I want the same for my kin. We goblins are more comfortable underground, too."

At that moment, Ardi noticed Rila, the Gnome leader, looking conflicted. She glanced at Zrud, clenching her fists.

Rila (whispering):

"I want to stay with him."

The other Gnomes exchanged glances before nodding.

Gildon:

"My Lord, we'd like to build a temporary settlement in the dungeon as well. Gnomes are used to underground living."

Rila's cheeks turned red, making Ardi suppress a chuckle.

Ardi:

"Alright. Just make sure not to disturb the dungeon's structure too much. We don't want any collapses."

Finally, Ardi turned to the Lizardmen.

Ardi:

"What about you, Varkas? Where will you and your kin stay?"

Varkas crossed his arms, speaking with pride.

Varkas:

"We'll stay in the barracks, My Lord. We don't need personal homes—our priority is training."

Ardi respected that answer.

Lastly, his gaze fell on Sylthara, the High Elf leader. The elegant yet distant woman met his eyes before responding.

Sylthara:

"The Elder Grove to the east of the village will be our home. We'll construct our own houses there, but we may need supplies and tools."

Ardi smiled.

Ardi:

"That's fine. Let me know if you need anything."

With that, everyone had chosen their accommodations. The village was growing rapidly, and there was still much to do. But tonight marked the start of something bigger—Minori Village was truly becoming a home for all.