The kids look more than pleased to get the weapons and armor I created for them. I guess that means enchanting and creation magic will become more important going forward. I ponder over the pretentious name of creation magic for a moment. That's what I've decided to call the whole material fusion thing I did to create the items. The name makes me grimace, but it's not wrong. I should probably ask Yasmin later if such a thing already exists.

For now, I set the kids to work using the weapons I gave them to get them warmed up. They need to get used to how the weapons feel in their hands and how the extra weight of their armor will affect them. As I watch them making practice swings and moving around, I wave my hands while manipulating the terrain.

For this room, I raise stone dummies from the ground for the kids to practice on. Unfortunately, they don't move like my golems, so they won't gain much from them other than getting used to their weapons' range and practicing their techniques. At the same time, I create five bedrooms for resting. However, the beds are basically rough stone slabs, so I'm not sure if I should really count them as beds.

Next, I turn another room into a kitchen. I have to keep things simple, so I create a firepit with a stone funnel above it that becomes a chimney. Can't have the smoke from cooking spreading throughout the building and choking everyone, after all. That's it for the basics, and I know I'll have to transport some food and other materials here to make it more comfortable, but I'll have to ask Davic for those things. I sigh as I think about the future. It'll take a lot of mana to make this dungeon functional, but I'm not worried about that.

For now, I'm focused on how I'll use it for training the kids. I need a training ground that can produce golems and monsters at will, so the kids can have some challenges while I focus on my own things. Maybe I could leave a boss here to keep an eye on them and order golems to come when they enter what will be the practical training room. That may be for the best since I'm worried I'll be too caught up in other matters to notice it myself when they enter it. Arachea would be the best option to do it without being noticed.

It can hide in the air vents around the building and act as a sort of guardian for the kids too. That way, if any other delvers reach this place, the kids will be safe if they don't have kind intentions. Well, I would hope nobody would turn on fellow delvers, but Yasmin said it can be a common occurrence in dungeons. So, it's best to be prepared, just in case. I finish the rest of my preparations and use the creation magic to create a hidden tunnel that connects to the central chamber. More importantly, it connects to the warrior golem spawner room. It's nothing fancy, but I make sure the secret door can't be opened from this side of the tunnel and that the door closes behind anything that comes out.

I create a few obstacles like pillars, walls, and platforms inthe room before summoning Arachea to keep an eye on things. As I explain to the kids about the training room and how to use it, I sense Arachea's discontent at being relegated to being a babysitter. But still, I'm glad I thought to place a small pillar out of sight of the secret door that the kids have to put their hands on to unknowingly signal to Arachea that they're ready to fight golems in there. I decide to leave the kids in the training room for now and return to my own duties. As I open the hidden door into the secret tunnel with my mana, I have a thought. If I make a map for the kids, it could be useful to get them out of the dungeon at any time without me watching over them.

I smile as I walk along the tunnel while using my senses to check on the other delvers. Their progress is slow, but that's to be expected. It's only the first day, so they're still getting used to the dungeon, and for many, this'll be the first time they've had to fight. It's just a matter of time before they'll get a bit more confident and take it more seriously. The other issue is that Grix and his party seem to be the only ones here that are actually competent at combat, the others seem to have some kind of crafting skill or at least a few combat skills. But they're not as adept as Grix, so he's doing most of the fighting. I'm still unsure of his motives for being here so I'll need to keep a close eye on him.

As I move into the central chamber, and create a staircase in the interior of the observational pillar, I send Athena a mental message to have the owls scout for more resources outside. Most of my projects are going to require a stable source of many things that Davic won't easily be able to send me. When I reach the platform at the top, I'm surprised to see that the young viscount to be is speaking to the guards around him. The kid looks around nervously as I approach, his eyes locking onto mine as I get closer.

"Ah, it seems our host has finally returned to us. I see you have been up to something quite entertaining." Davic says as he stands up.

Stolen story; please report.

"Well, that's probably one way of putting it. I see you have taken up your observational duties quite seriously."

"Indeed. It has been quite boring, to say the least. Though, it has given me some time to think." Davic says with a grin. "I was wondering if I could have a word with you in private?"

"Sure," I say as I guide Davic down the stairs I created a bit, before creating a small, intimate room inside the pillar with two chairs for us to talk. "You said you wanted to talk about something? I'm not sure what that might be."

"It's about my son." Davic starts.

I cock an eyebrow at him, as I sit in the chair opposite to him. The viscount chuckles at my expression as he waves his hand dismissively. "Yasmin used a spell so we could observe everything you were up to with those kids. It seems Henrick is quite eager to join them in your "dungeon school"."

Ah, I see. I'm guessing when he voiced his desire, the guards probably offered to accompany him to ensure his protection. Something tells me the young lord would rather just spend time with kids around his own age and be treated like an equal. However, if the guards join him, that'll give away his status, and the others would be forced to treat him with respect worthy of his station. I guess that makes sense.

"You want me to let him do that?" I ask, confirming my suspicions.

"I would appreciate it if you would. Henrick doesn't get the chance to interact much with children his age and having an opportunity to spend time fighting in a dungeon seems like an interesting learning opportunity for him."

"I'm sure you know your son well, but I can't say I really know what he wants from this," I say as I think about his request.

"Henrick knows what he is doing, I assure you. If you can ensure his safety, I won't force the guards on him. It'll be for the best if he gets to understand the plights of commoners and understand how privileged he really is."

"I see. You want him to do this to build his character. Which will make him more suitable to take over your territory one day."

"You're not wrong," Davic says with a sly smile. "But, that is not my main concern. I also want my son to find enjoyment in his life. I do believe he is far more suited to studying magic and other things rather than running a territory. Even though, it will be his one day."

I see. I guess the viscount has already thought this through. That's kind of impressive. I nod as I think about his words.

"I see. Well, if he wants to become a mage, work on his craft, and experience the lives of commoners, then that should be fine. I have no problem with him doing that here." I say with a smile. "He is my guest after all."

"That's perfect. I was expecting you to agree to my son's wishes. You seem to have quite the eye for character." Davic laughs.

I look around the room awkwardly as I consider my words. "I guess that's one way to look at it. So, did you want to ask anything else, or are you satisfied now?"

Davic nods as he stands up. "It looks like it's time for me to head back. The guards will lead the villagers out later for you, and I'll return to check on you as soon as possible."

I smile as I watch him leave. Well, I guess I'll just have to wait and see how things go now. As soon as Yasmin and Henrick escort the viscount out of the pillar, I sink it back into the ground and seal the ceiling of the throne room. I sigh loudly to myself while going over my to-do list. In the short time since I woke up, I've ended up with quite a lot to do.

It'll be difficult to manage all of these "projects" at once, but I'm sure I'll manage somehow. I have to make the best use of my time now and get the most out of these materials. I can start with some simple experiments on the items I've acquired. Then, once I'm done, I'll start experimenting with the dungeon's layout. The biggest problem is I have no idea what I can do. Well, there are a number of possibilities that come to mind, but the problem is that I don't know enough to work with them. I sigh again. There's only so much I can do alone and I'm still learning new things. I have a lot of new things to discover.

I check on the progress of my other delvers to kill some time and look for new ideas. Grix has left the entry part of my dungeon. He's wandering about looking for me, probably. I sigh again as I open another passage and step outside of my throne room. It looks like the rest of the delvers are wandering around. The villagers and guards are still fighting in my main maze, which is to be expected.

They're probably waiting for the golems to reset every thirty minutes so they can attack again. I decide to move around to the main entrance to keep an eye on things. After all, I'll have to introduce Henrick to the other kids as soon as possible so they can start bonding. Hmm, that's right. He'll have to continue his magical lessons. Maybe I can convince Yasmin to try teaching the other kids while she's at it? I'm no good for that role since the magic I can use is directly linked to things inside my dungeon body. It gives me a headache to think I still need to make any progress in normal magic. But that'll come in time. At least, I hope so.

Ah, right. Henrick will need a false name for when he meets with the other kids. I'm pretty sure they'd be able to put two and two together if I introduce him as Henrick. After all, the kids have seen and met Davic at the harvest festivals. So, I'm pretty sure Henrick's name will be well known. It should be something simple, yet close enough to his real name so he'll remember it. Hmm, what about Henry? Yep, that should do quite nicely.