第１３６掘：オマケの進軍開始 (Part1)
### Dungeon 136: The Extra's Advance Begins
**Side: Yuki**
The Allied Forces finally began their march.
As planned, the route would extend from Roschur toward the Demon King’s Castle.
However, the members of Weed who were supposed to be accompanying the army—Seraria, Elju, and myself—were currently...
"Ria, how about this one?"
"I think this one is good too, don't you?"
"I personally recommend this one."
Leaving the actual march to the Doppelgangers, we were busy fussing over the gear for our newlywed Hero, Ria.
By the way, I was sleep-deprived because Ria and I had been enjoying ourselves again last night. It’s certainly convenient to be able to skip the departure ceremony.
"Ria-san, since you’re a Hero, leave the weapons to me!! I’ll put my all into making them!!"
"Um, thank you very much."
"Fufufu, to think I’d get to work on the equipment of a Hero! It’s the greatest honor for a blacksmith!!"
Narjia-san was already fully prepared to burn through DP to create an unprecedented, cheat-level weapon.
"Hey, we’re supposed to be hiding the fact that Ria is a Hero, right? Maybe something less flashy..."
"That won't do."
"What are you saying?"
"How could you say that to a girl..."
Seraria, Deryu, and Elju all looked at me with expressions of utter disbelief.
"U-um, Yuki-san, if you’ll allow it, I’d like to wear something magnificent. After all, I’ll be standing by your side. Plus, I am your bodyguard."
"Well said, Ria."
"Indeed, a model wife."
Well, if Ria wants to wear it, that’s fine. I suppose it’s important for her to be recognized as my bodyguard.
"It’s fine, I guess. Just don't overdo it."
"Yes."
Ria answered firmly, so I didn't think she’d force herself.
For now, I put the girls aside to check on the Allied Forces' progress.
It had been about three hours since departure. They were currently 24 kilometers away from Weed.
Eight kilometers per hour. That’s abnormally fast for an army of over 10,000.
If it were just cavalry, it might be faster, but for a fully equipped regular army keeping pace, the speed usually drops significantly.
It seems the claim that they were an elite force wasn't a lie. Since this was a siege operation, the cavalry made up less than 10% of the total. For an infantry-led force, this speed was impressive.
Perhaps I only think 8 km/h is slow because I come from a scientifically advanced Japan. And when I say "per hour," that doesn't mean they walk for 24 hours straight. They spend about 10 hours moving, and the remaining 14 are for meals, sleep, and setting up camp. I suspect the marching speeds recorded in history books are the maximums, not the averages. I mean, usually, a walking march is listed at 15 km/h—that’s practically running. A human's normal walking speed is said to be 4 km/h, maybe 10 km/h if they’re fast. Considering that, this Allied Force was exceptionally capable.
It also highlighted just how abnormal our vehicle, the Marauder, was in this world. It could hit 120 km/h, after all.
Since we had to let the Allied Forces take the lead, we couldn't use our cheat items. Well, Ratz and the others were moving through the underground in the Marauder to get ahead, though.
"Ratz, how’s it going? Looking at the screen, it seems fine."
*"Yes, yes, no problems here. Since the ground isn't bumpy, I can really step on the gas."*
"Try to keep safety in mind."
*"I know, I know."*
After confirming that Ratz and the others were on a safe path, I looked back at the map, which was filled with various tactical notes.
The straight-line distance to the Demon King’s Castle was about 1,000 km. Based on their marching speed, they should arrive in under 20 days. Well, they had to take detours for the army to pass, deal with checkpoints, and climb mountains, so 30 days was a safe estimate.
Due to the nature of the operation, the Marauder was traveling through the underground along the march route, so it would take about four days. In a straight line, it would only take a day. Of course, we weren't driving for 10 hours straight.
"How about Surakichi-san?"
*"What a drag. The operation is proceeding without issues. As planned, they’ve gathered in the required numbers, and I’ve eliminated the powerful monsters you specified."*
"Wait, already?"
Fast. Too fast.
*"They show up on the map, don't they? We started clearing out the small fry along the route two days ago. You know that, Boss. You know my level and the average of my subordinates."*
"I know that, but to clear them out when they’re scattered like that... the distance is quite large, isn't it?"
*"Ah, that. Look, it’s an application of the Cannonball Tackle you taught me before."*
"You flew directly to the monsters?"
*"Yup. If you do that, you can jump to just about anywhere."*
The Cannonball Tackle—I’d taught that to Surakichi-san during the previous dispute with Litea. It involved using a magical explosion to turn oneself into a projectile. It provided quite a bit of range. Of course, it was only possible for someone who could reinforce their body with magic, or someone like a slime whose concept of a "body" was different.
"Just don't let your guard down. There’s no guarantee the Demon King won't make a move."
*"Yeah, yeah. I know. Though, dealing with the kids at school is more of a pain than this."*
*You don't even have bones,* I thought, but I managed to swallow the retort.
Still, if I left it to Surakichi-san, he wouldn't lose to any random monster or the Demon King.
Hmm, I felt like something was off, but I was definitely safe.
"It’s quite a luxury to use Surakichi-san, who could slaughter the Demon King, as a vanguard."
"Whoa, what’s up, Deryu?"
"Hmm? Ria is struggling with her outfit, and she wants to hear Yuki’s opinion."
"Ah, well, she is going to be in an official setting..."
I understood, but having the mental fortitude to assist women in choosing clothes is a tall order. I wanted to believe it was a unique cultural trait of the modern era, but when I looked toward Ria, there was an overwhelming number of clothes hanging on racks. Most of the wives were agonizing over how Ria should look.
"Well, I can understand the sentiment. A Hero has emerged from our own family. Have some patience."
"You’re a Demon King yourself, Deryu."
"Only Yuki is allowed to adore me as a flower. But, Ria is Yuki’s bodyguard, even if we’re hiding that she’s a Hero. If she looks sloppy, she’ll be looked down upon. Being looked down upon invites trouble. Wearing something appropriate is important."
"True. Fine, I’ll cooperate."
As I walked over to the group, all eyes turned to me.
"So, you’re stuck on an outfit?"
"Yes. Since I’m a bodyguard, I recommended full plate or a military uniform, but..."
"I understand what Milly is saying. But Ria is a wife before she is a bodyguard. I don't think a rugged look is right. Shouldn't she wear a dress-armor like me?"
Milly was pushing for military-style armor, while Seraria was pushing for dress-armor.
"I prefer something easy to move in, so I agree with Milly."
"I prefer something with a bit of flair, so I’m for dress-armor."
Riel, being active, didn't want a dress, while Tori was on the dress-armor side, saying she liked beautiful things.
"Um, Yuki-san, which do you prefer?" Ria asked, looking back and forth between the clothes with a troubled expression.
"Hmm. If you’re looking for pure cuteness, the dress-style is probably better, but as Milly and Riel said, it’s also battle gear. I’m torn too. If only there were a deciding factor."
"Fufufu, then let me provide the deciding factor!!"
"Oh? You have one?"
Seraria puffed out her chest confidently.
"Yes. Listen: if it’s dress-armor, you can do it with your husband just like that!! If it’s pants, you have to take them off!!"
"Hey."
She wasn't wrong, but she was wrong in so many ways.
"I’ll go with the dress-armor!!"
"Whoa!?"
Ria had made her decision.
"What have I done? That was a blind spot for me. I wear hot pants, so does that mean we don't do it as often?"
"I wear pants too, so does that mean he won't do it with me outside?"
Riel and Tori, the "pants faction," were saying some strange things.
After that, the wives all started wearing skirts.
Thanks to that, they stopped caring whether they were at work or not.
*End of digression.*