I had a memory of it from my past life.
A figure from a death game. It was an octopus monster.
When it comes to octopuses, I have my own thoughts on the matter, but my friend was a professional modeler.
I don't know what he was thinking, but my friend combined the octopus monster with a beautiful girl figure.
I really have no idea what he was thinking. But when I saw the finished figure, I was stunned.
It was beautiful.
Eight octopus tentacles grew from her back like wings, concealing various parts of the nude beauty's body.
It was provocative and possessed an inexplicable beauty.
The motif, apparently, was the Venus de Milo.
My friend said to me as I stared at it, transfixed. This is a demonic modification.
"A demonic modification...?"
Haiyarn tilted her head.
"The sound of that word is unsettling, desu," Shaldina remarked.
"A demonic modification... Is that the method by which I can become human, na?"
"Yes. Or rather, only Isibara can do it."
"Only I can do it, na?"
"Yes. Isibara can separate her soul from her body, correct?"
"Such a thing is possible?"
"Mm. It is possible. My true body is the dungeon core, after all, na."
"How amazing, desu."
We're not ordinary living creatures to begin with, like the rest of you.
Having lived together, I'd sort of forgotten about that.
Haiyarn showed interest after hearing my explanation.
"Oh. Interesting. So, Wof—what does this demonic modification involve?"
"It means taking the dark spider-woman body Isibara uses and making it look more human. That way, we won't have to build one from scratch."
"I see. So you modify that body."
"Is-is that really okay, desu?"
"I'm worried too, zo."
"......!"
"That comes down to whether you trust Haiyarn's skills and the lab's power."
The women's gazes converged on Haiyarn.
The rabbit chuckled softly.
"Getting popular, huh?"
"That's not it."
"It's not, desu."
"............"
Denied immediately, the women's gazes turned cold.
That's how things go.
"So, what's the verdict, really?"
"I can do it."
Haiyarn said with certainty.
She operated the console panel, and a different set of data appeared on the front glass.
"This is what, ha?"
"I can't say it too loudly, but a considerable amount of military data on monsters is stored in here. That includes things like monster-human fusion. Chimera experiments and the like."
"...So that sort of thing exists too."
"That's heretical, desu."
"..............."
"Anna Kreutzen. Would you mind stopping that piercing stare? I had no involvement in those experiments. If anything, I was on the opposition side and had more enemies because of it."
So Haiyarn had plenty of enemies even before becoming a rabbit.
Well, I can see why, though. She's the type that people in power hate.
In my past life's memories, there was a political reporter who was hated by politicians.
The way she clings on even when mistreated—it's similar.
"Then leave it to us. I'm counting on you, Haiyarn."
"Of course. Leave it to me. Now then—what kind of body do you want? Curvy? Loli? I can do anything from elves to beastkin. Fairials are out, though. Those require a Relic to exist, after all."
"Hmm."
For some reason, Isibara looked at me. Huh, what?
"What is it?"
"I don't know Wof's preferred type."
"Huh...?"
You understand?
"Oh my, oh my. So, Wof's preferred type?"
"That's definitely something I'm curious about, desu."
"......! ......!"
Haiyarn grinned. I'll hang that rabbit.
Shaldina's eyes sparkled like a child's. Yep. Cute.
And Anna Kreutzen's eyes were glinting, and, well, scary.
"My... preferred type? And why do you ask?"
"I thought that would be the key to smoothly running the dungeon going forward."
"Well, yeah, I suppose that's true, but..."
It sounds rational, but somehow I don't buy it.
Haiyarn wore an exasperated, hateful grin and said:
"Alright. Then let's start building your ideal woman right now. Say anything you want. I can make anything. Come on, come on. A witch? Pakira? Riv? Lupinus? Mineha? Munieka? Shiro? Bidd? Juicy? Chive? Megadia? The maids from Minosdoll? Honestly, the list is embarrassingly long. But I can make all of them—come on, come on."
Right. Time to hang her.
"That's a lot, na."
"............"
Anna Kreutzen. Um, look, I just happen to know a lot of women.
So please stop giving me that contemptuous look. Well, I guess even I'd admit there are quite a few.
For some reason, the number of women I know has skyrocketed since the start of this year.
My life has become incomparably noisier than last year, with nothing but unexpected things happening.
Never thought I'd end up creating a dungeon.
And then I'd have to find a successor to the King of the Wind of Death.
But there's a part of me that doesn't think it's bad.
It's not the slow life I wanted, but it has its own merits.
That said...
When someone asks me for my preferred type, what am I supposed to say?
Annoyingly, witches popped into my mind one after another.
Hm hm hm? That's strange.
Even though multiple names came to mind... I couldn't narrow it down to just one.
Huh? Do I have too many preferences?
No matter what, they all kept coming, so many of them, and there was no way to narrow it down to one.
This is... isn't this exactly like Haiyarn?!
"——Shaldina. I've thought about it a lot, desu, but I think it would be better not to make Isibara the type Master likes."
"Shaldina!?"
"What is it?"
"Why, da?"
Unexpected support from Shaldina.
"If, hypothetically, Isibara becomes Master's preferred type, and if the other women find out about it, a first-wife war will break out, desu."
First-wi... what?
"First-wi... what?"
Haiyarn and I said it in unison.
Shaldina continued matter-of-factly.
"Haiyarn. If it's discovered that you were the one behind it, then rabbit stewed in wine and sweet-and-spicy rabbit karaage will be unavoidable, desu."
"Wha..."
"That sounds delicious, na."
"Besides, I don't think Master's preferred type can be narrowed down to just one, desu."
Ugh, sharp. In the end, I couldn't narrow it down.
I just couldn't.
My preferred type is... everyone's good in their own way. Apparently.
There's a phrase close to that, isn't there?
Ah, "everyone's different, and everyone's great." Exactly.
Is that really okay with me? That's why they call me the Night King, isn't it.
I absolutely won't admit it, though.
"That's also true, na."
"That's also true, huh."
Isibara and Haiyarn accepted it without protest.
The former, I can't blame, but I'm considering using the latter as tonight's dinner.
Also, um, Anna Kreutzen.
Could you please stop giving me that wry, exasperated, resigned look?
"Then what should we do, da?"
"Just go with Isibara's own preferences, desu."
"That's the problem—I don't have any, da. I am the will of the dungeon, zo. I don't have the same sensibilities as a human."
She's right—she is the will of the dungeon.
But she doesn't have human sensibilities?
Is that really true?
If she were right, she wouldn't want a human body in the first place.
The reason she wants a human body is partly because Ennea turned out to be a huge deadbeat.
But really... isn't she just... wanting to become human?
"...Isibara. Between cute and beautiful—which do you prefer?"
"Cute, da."
"Hair—long or short?"
"Short, da. But I want it at least down to the neck."
"What color for the hair?"
"Black, da. Not the same as this body's hair, but because it's black, na."
"And eye color?"
"Black is fine as it is, zo."
"Height—taller or shorter?"
"This body is fine as it is. I'm used to it and I like it. Also, eye color is fine staying the same. But I want the body color to be skin-colored. Everything else can stay as is."
"Understood. That's what she said, Haiyarn."
"Mm. Something like that is easy enough."
Haiyarn held up a finger.
Isibara, suddenly struck, looked at me with a troubled expression.
"............Wof. I..."
"You do have them. Proper sensibilities."
I smiled.
"You told her you like that body, desu."
"......!"
Both Shaldina and Anna Kreutzen were smiling.
Isibara's cheeks flushed red, looking embarrassed.
Then she turned to Haiyarn. She bowed her head quietly and politely.
"Haiyarn. Please take care of this, desu."
Haiyarn returned the polite gesture.
And with that, Isibara's demonic modification began.
The demonic modification was completed without any particular trouble.
A few hours later.
Beneath the witch's house. Second basement level of the grand bath.
"...C-Chive-san..."
"Wof-chi..."
Fully naked, not bothering to hide behind our towels, we—