After Violet nodded her consent, Theodore was quick to follow up with

"Alright, well, shall we outline what everyone's expectations are in regards to this agreement? Why don't you start first, Miss Amara?"

Violet was surprised by how professional Theodore sounded compared to the previous times. It would seem Elder Kendric's interference the last time they had met had a rather profound effect, not that she was complaining. She didn't know much about making contracts and it was nice to have someone capable to look out for her best interests. Amara seemed nervous as she finally spoke

"Well... I plan to make a contract with the Goddess of Love and Beauty. As part of that, I will need to have access to a temple dedicated to her on a regular basis. It would also be ideal if I could share my new faith with others and be allowed to complete any relevant system quests. Lastly, while I won't be able to do so until I reach a higher-ranking, I would like to use this opportunity to help those in the community. I want to reduce meaningless deaths by appraising people so they know whether it is worthwhile to be risking their lives in dungeons."

Amara flinched as she saw Violet frown, but she hardly needed to speak her protests aloud as Theodore already knew her well enough to know what the problem was. He was quick to reassure them both

"In theory, that shouldn't be a problem, but I feel you may be misjudging the situation here. Violet wants the locals to enjoy her first floor as well as adventurers. She is even under contract to never have [Traps] on the first floor and she has spent quite a bit of resources and time developing the first floor in a way that makes it safe for anyone to visit. Actually, I'd recommend you don't try to visit the upper floors without her explicitly inviting you and, perhaps, even offering her escort, but you should feel free to explore the first floor."

"Oh... oh! That certainly isn't what I was expecting, but that sounds wonderful!"

Amara exclaimed. Solas was quick to add on

"Yes, it sounds like our interests may align far more than expected. As for my part of this, I am aware that a vital part of the recruitment process was that you wanted someone with sword skills to train Violet. Is she a warrior class then? I'm fully prepared to teach her as much as I can in return for safe passage in the dungeon for me and my wife as well as the monetary compensation you were offering. As a cleric, I may also be able to offer healing services for anyone on the first floor who might need it. My contract with the Goddess of healing does limit most of my class spells to those you might expect a healer class to have, after all."

Theodore looked at Violet, seemingly unsure of just how much to reveal. So, she took the initiative to answer the question herself.

"Actually, I'm not originally from this world, so I don't have a class at all. I was initially training with the sword with someone else, but they were problematic and so Theodore invited you here as his prospective replacement. In the early days of my dungeon, I had to fight off goblins and the undead by myself since my slime [Monsters] aren't very effective. My emperor rock slime seems to do a good job of taking out any beginner-level [Monster] intruders nowadays, though, and I have a whole second floor. Still, I'd rather not be a sitting duck and let my dungeon fall so easily, so I want to do what I can while finding a balance between dungeon defenses and helping the community."

Theodore nodded, smiling faintly as he interjected

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"Actually, many Dungeon Masters tend to confuse the purpose of dungeons. That used to be a problem with the general population as well and is something the council has been actively working to fix for centuries. Dungeons not only convert aether into mana, but they are supposed to have a symbiotic relationship with adventurers. That's why the system forcefully balances things out with [Monsters], [Traps], and everything else being slowly unlocked so the dungeon gradually gets stronger. If it was just about protecting the dungeon core, there would be no need for there to be such handicaps in the first place.

I won't lie, it's obvious that you've been making your floors progressively more dangerous. I'm sure that trend will only continue with this third floor you've unlocked. However, your desire to have a mutually beneficial relationship with the community is one I wish more Dungeon Masters would adopt. Anyhow, do you have any specific requests for your side of the contract?"

Violet frowned, feeling guilty as she replied

"I don't want to start things off on the wrong foot with you two, but I want more protection this time around. I still feel traumatized by my experiences with your predecessor. My recent hibernation helped with that a lot, but it also made it very clear just how much my view of the world has begun to change.

I don't want to be required to show up for training every day and I don't want them to come looking for me if I choose to take the day off. I'm fine with there being a stipulation of not having my dungeon [Monsters] attack them, unless provoked, in return for a stipulation that they never enter the dungeon core room and never purposely harm my dungeon. I don't want them to ever try to kill me either, even if I won't stay dead, I don't like it.

I'd actually like it if Amara did appraise those who visit the dungeon and Solas heals anyone who needs it, so long as they keep such activities limited to the first floor. Spreading the name of my deity seems like something she'd like and I can only imagine this world could do with some more love. Maybe it will even help drive the sort of traffic to my dungeon that I need in order to complete my own obligations.

Could you tell me exactly what sorts of compensation are being offered to them? As it's my dungeon, I'd like to help with that, if I can. However, I don't want them to take advantage of my kindness. This isn't meant to be some 'get rich quick' scheme."

Theodore laughed, but it seemed forced, as if he was trying to lighten up the mood. Seemingly sensing her discomfort, he tried to rush things along.

"All of that should be reasonable to include in the contract. Basically, everyone plays nice with each other and doesn't intentionally harm one another. Violet would actually really love it if the two of you would treat her like a friend in the genuine sense of the word. It was one of the requests she made when she asked me to put out the recruitment request.

A house has already been built for the two of you in the nearby city and you won't have to worry about paying any yearly taxes to the local Lord as that will be taken care of as part of your expenses. Violet, you will be interested to know that the local Lord has arrived and has not only lifted restrictions on entering the dungeon, but is actively encouraging new adventurers and merchants to move to the area. The adventurers' guild is now finished being built as of last week as well, so you should have fairly steady traffic.

Rather than you offering compensation, what if I include a stipulation that they don't have to offer you tribute? Since they'll be here every day, it would be more convenient if they didn't have to worry about that. They'll have to provide tribute to your deity often enough as is. We are allocating them a certain amount of gold each year for living expenses and some small luxuries, but it's certainly not enough to do anything too crazy with. Maybe you could offer to sell them [Items] on occasion while they promise never to directly approach you with the expectation you will sell them something. It isn't like one can get mad at local merchants deciding to close their shop for the day either, so that should be how things are done anyway, right?"

The two Elven individuals standing across from Violet most definitely looked confused as they listened to Theodore and Violet talk. While she could appreciate her privacy being maintained, she did feel a bit guilty about holding the mistakes of others over their heads. Still, with everyone's needs sorted, the contract was soon sorted and then signed by all parties. As it was night, the three left with Theodore, promising to be back soon. He still had to complete the mandatory dungeon exploration due to Elder Kendric's previous orders.