Dungeon of Niflheim

Frost let Daki make herself at home in her new room while he gently pulled Maya to the living room.

"So….how pissed are you really?" His continued interactions with her allowed him to better glean her thoughts.

The smile on Maya's face quickly flipped.

"I wouldn't say pissed more…frustrated, annoyed, neglected even." She spoke from the heart.

Frost pulled her into his chest and rubbed the back of her head in a soothing manner. "I'm sorry you feel that way, I never meant to hurt you."

"I know and from what my instincts tell me Daki is a nice woman. It's just… hard." She leaned in, resting her head against his chest so as to hear his heartbeat, an intimate gesture that warmed Frost's heart. However a moment later he experienced a sharp twisting pain in his side.

"You smell like her." A fierce glint appeared in her eyes as her anger and possessiveness were stoked. Frost silently endured the quickly intensifying pain, treating it as penance. When the pain was about to overwhelm him he was suddenly granted relief before a set of sharp teeth dig into his chest, drawing blood.

"Mine." Maya declared while patting her handiwork and rearranging his robes. She then left to help Daki unpack with a smile on her face, feeling much better after discharging her anger.

"...Ow!" Frost groaned a moment later.

Thankfully nothing else happened after that little incident, Maya's smile never shifted. She even admired Daki's style in clothes, claiming she could never pull off certain looks while Daki encouraged her to try it on.

To Frost the whole thing felt kind of surreal but he knew better than to poke the bear, he kept his tongue and simply watched with a smile on his face.

"Master."

"Yes Nanna."

"You're going to have to buy a very nice bottle of wine."

"That bad huh."

"Un, at least that's what my intuition is telling me." The young girl felt it necessary to give her master fair warning, she didn't want him to suffer after all.

"Haaaaaa thanks Nanna." Frost rubbed her head affectionately as he mentally allocated a significant sum of DP for the 'very nice bottle of wine'.

Once Daki finished putting away the majority of her stuff the group partook in a sumptuous meal before continuing the great tour. There was lots for her to see and learn, best to do it on a full stomach.

Frost guided his girlfriend through several floors, highlighting its grandeur, purpose, as well as the usual residents. He already explained the aspect of DP and how he obtained it and to be honest she wasn't even remotely shocked or put off by the aspect.

Monster lairs had been around for centuries and were well known to feast on their invaders, turning them into the energy they need to sustain themselves and grow. It was an accepted fact known far and wide in adventurer community. People die all the time in Nova, whether it's from old age, illness, battle, or devoured the cycle of life continues.

In her opinion Frost wasn't doing anything wrong or beyond reproach. He was a sentient monster lair that needed to feed like any other creature.

Of course he brushed over some details, and she chose to ignore some others, but she had already made her bed and was still willing to lie in it regardless. Frost's ancestry certainly helped in convincing her.

She didn't know much in regards to monster lairs or military matters but what she did know was materials. Her eyes practically lit up whenever Frost brought her to one of his mines or quarries.

"The mines increase in quality as we descend, I'm sure you'll be jumping for joy when we reach the sixth floor."

"I hope so, 1 star iron and pykrete aren't exactly compelling materials for someone of my rank."

"Don't worry, we've got 3 star mines and I've put aside enough DP to buy another of your choosing." She beamed like a schoolgirl once he said that.

Frost received a prominent kiss on his cheek the moment he showed her the plot of her future forge.

"This place is perfect; the environment reminds of Kranor and there's mines and quarries within spitting distance all mine to play with hehehehe." She started drooling as she thought of the designs she could attempt with the Duram mine alone. Forging materials were the same to her as alcohol was to Maya.

"I'll assign a team of ronsos and ice dwarves to help you build your ideal workshop here in the coming days. The forge itself we can purchase through the dungeon menu."

"What about the mine of my choice?"

"We can look into that as well, but it won't be anything higher than 3 star, my budget and material access can't supply anything higher….yet."

"That's fine, 4 star materials are too complicated for me to use right now but the moment I break through…." She batted her eyes at him in an adorable manner.

"I'll provide you with a 4 star mine yes."

"Hehehe my boyfriend's so cool." She wrapped her body around his in reward, causing his mind to drift back to their activities the night before. Thankfully Maya wasn't present otherwise there'd be an additional nail in his coffin.

"I'm probably going to have to make it up to Maya for a while."

"I know. I had you for two nights it's only fair she get's her turn."

"….Sharing is also another option." A wild, predatory smile formed on Frost's lips as his eyes ran over Daki's white blouse.

Daki pushed herself away and looked at him with a look of contempt.

"Ok, let me get this straight your plan to make it up to your lover is to invite another into the same bed chambers after their very first meeting…. You're either really stupid, or really cocky and really stupid." Frost really didn't understand the heart of a woman if either was the case.

"I was just joking…. but a man can dream can't he."

"Yes he can, but there's a time and a place for everything." She thus promptly separated herself from him, depriving him of her body's warmth and perfumed scent.

"Tsk, I should have just enjoyed the moment." Frost clicked his tongue in complaint.

After showing her the mines on the sixth floor and the plot of her personal forge Frost brought Daki to the external camp where the vast majority of his forces were currently stationed.

"The area of the camp covers roughly 25km2, with a squared layout. Smaller than the likes of Furano but larger than a standard camp or town. It won't hold much in terms of high class residences, but I expect many merchants and even adventurers to settle down here on a permanent basis. The wall once it's fully furnished will provide a high level of protection alongside our ronso forces."

"Will they be your only defence teams?"

"In the short term yes. Since this area is rather close to the Northrend empire they're not used to being in the presence of monsters that aren't wild and aggressive. The ronsos provide a happy medium for such clientele."

"Good choice." Even someone like Daki would be heavily discriminated against if she travelled into the empire. Furano wasn't quite so bad given that it was on the borders but counties and duchies on the other side of the empire weren't quite so open-minded.

"Over there will be the lord's office, my chambers in the camp and the centre point of the camp's governance. Currently it's the only finished building." The monster forces were quite keen on establishing Frost's residence first before all else.

"While this will be the main economic district." He gestured towards a large area filled with pre-made foundations. Shops, workshops and other business oriented establishments would be placed in this district, including Daki's own shop.

"All the goods you manufacture in your personal workshop can be sold here." He brought her before the barebones of a functioning smithing shop that was very similar to the one she had in Kranor.

"I won't charge you rent or interfere in your business in any way but given that I'll be supplying the materials I'll take a small cut of your profits. Nothing too major just enough to sustain the supply."

"Sounds fair. Since you'll be the ruling lord you can't show too much favourability even to family, nepotism is really frowned upon when it comes to business." Daki even thought Frost was being too lenient given that she'd retain pretty much full autonomy over her shop and goods.

It'd be different if the shop was going to be managed and run by himself or the ronsos as they were indistinguishable from the development of the camp and dungeon. However in this case she was being treated as a partially separate entity, an entrepreneur, a sole trader whose business benefitted her rather than the dungeon…at least for now.

Frost was actually ok with this premise; he didn't want to stifle his girlfriend's personal ambitions and dreams. So what if he was being unfair to the other merchants or lost some money, Daki's happiness mattered more. In fact if Maya, Nanna, Loki or even Kiba wanted to start their own enterprise he'd be fully onboard and grant them the same benefits.

"I can decorate this place however I want as well?"

"Of course but please try to avoid relying on the dungeon system, it's not exactly favourable when it comes to infrastructure prices. Since there shouldn't be anything to technical required the ronsos and ice dwarves should be able to fashion up anything you need."

"True since it's only a display shop all I'll need is cabinets, counters etc.. does it have to pykrete?"

"No not necessarily but that's our most plentiful resource given our location." The dungeon was surrounded both internally and externally by trees, snow and ice. "You can use iron if you want, and I'll allow a small allowance of 3 star material but in the end it's just a transactional building. It doesn't need to be that high class, what matters is the products being sold inside."

"I know but sometimes the look of a shop can instantly deter or entice customers, we're very visual creatures after all."

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