"Hahaha!" I laughed.
"What are you saying!?" I asked the ambassador.
I was sitting in my study on a padded wooden chair.
It hadn't been three days since my army had entered the dungeon, marking the beginning of the war against the Westmont Kingdom.
I was currently working on some documents aimed at helping the common people, including free schools and healthcare.
My mood was good until an incredible piece of news reached me... Not anymore!
"Repeat it... but make sure I understand correctly," I said slowly to the ambassador.
He repeated the message with a trembling voice, "Th-the dungeon is c-closed, which means it has reached its level cap."
I slammed my hand on the table to release my frustration, but it didn't break apart as it was made of special wood.
"How can this be!?" I asked rhetorically. "Just after four weeks?"
"Has its Death Field already started spreading?" I inquired.
"It's slowly growing," he replied.
I fell silent and contemplated.
Dungeons typically leveled up slowly, which was the curse of Manara.
The fastest dungeon ever to reach its level cap did so after 5 years, because it had a devastating war in it, in which many died.
Fortunately, it was destroyed before it could create its second floor.
The problem with a level-2 dungeon was that you didn't know which direction it had developed in.
What was even worse was the Death Field, which grew larger every day and could be deadly to humans in an advanced dungeon.
It continuously absorbed mana from its surroundings to sustain itself, like a parasite. And the stronger it became, the more it needed, to the extent that it could even drain the mana from living beings, causing them to die over time.
"Immediately evacuate all surrounding villages and cities within a 20 km radius," I instructed the ambassador. "Also, tell Daniel Whitaker to come to me."
He nodded and left the room in a hunched posture.
All this reverence was starting to get on my nerves. I became Emperor for two reasons: to help my people and to have the power to eradicate this pest.
I never wanted to be like the previous Emperors. I swore that to myself, especially not like my father, whom I personally laid to rest.
*ptui*
After a short wait, Daniel Whitaker arrived and greeted me as usual.
"Your Majesty!"
On his knees, head bowed, and right hand over his heart.
If I hadn't given orders, they would call me "Centrum Terrae," a name my great father had coined.
"It's good that you could come so quickly!" I said to Daniel Whitaker. "You've probably already heard about the problem."
"Yes, I have," he replied.
"Good, then have a seat, and let's find a solution to the problem."
He sat down opposite me on a similar chair, and we began to discuss.
It wasn't easy because we had many projects on our list, such as universal basic income, free schools, improving the slums, the overall quality of life for our people and more.
These were enormous tasks, but we knew our people deserved them after decades of tyranny.
We discussed for a long time, probably several hours, and decided to postpone some plans and focus on evacuating people from the danger zone to the capital for the time being.
This is where the authority of a monarch came in handy—orders were swiftly executed at my command.
Afterward, Daniel left to deliver the message, and immediate measures were taken to build temporary shelters.
However, I knew my empire was too vast to rule alone, and I wasn't as foolish as my father to risk it.
You can see what became of that.
The further one was from the capital, the poorer and more run-down things became.
So, I divided it into six parts. I ruled over the largest part, while Daniel Whitaker had no territory, but the other five were governed by noble men.
The capital was by the sea, where I lived, essentially the center, with the territories of the others forming a semi-circle around it.
The territories bordering the dungeon were governed by Brander Fierysword and Dominic Sterling.
Dominic Sterling wasn't a warrior; he was just a wealthy merchant.
I granted him his position because he was extremely rich and had assisted me in the coup. Plus, I could trust him, like the other five.
Brander, on the other hand, was a warrior. He lived for combat and possessed great strength. He was the strongest in the entire empire and only spoke in the face of genuine danger.
I always chuckled when I thought about it, the way he had told me.
These two were tasked with destroying the dungeon.
If I had the time, I would love to do it myself, but I could trust them.
Dominic hoped for a handsome reward, and Brander... well:
"I laugh in the face of danger! HAHAHA!" I imitated him when he took on the role of commander.
I always found it amusing because he said it with such seriousness that it left no room for doubt.