第１３７掘：残り１日 (Part2)
The reason Mauve and his group reached the freshly created dungeon without hesitation was because they had sensed its magical signature. That was precisely why I had judged it dangerous to use the Demon Lord’s own talent for sensing magic; I had opted to build it directly beneath them, without an exit, to test the theory.
"But wouldn't that make it impossible to turn the Demon Lord's castle into a dungeon? I don't think we’d be able to observe the situation inside, either..." Shera pointed out the obvious.
"Ah, you’re right, Shera. However, back when I turned a certain cathedral into a dungeon, no one noticed."
"Come to think of it, that’s true."
"I was puzzled by that, but thanks to Zargis's research and the cooperation of the adventurers, we realized that while a dungeon does have a unique magical signature, the real issue is having only one entrance and exit."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Essentially, a dungeon is supposed to have only one ventilation shaft. But if you place the outside world under the dungeon's influence, you create more vents."
"I see. So, the larger the area, the more ventilation shafts there are, making it harder to detect?" Seraria seemed to grasp the point of my explanation.
"Exactly. That’s why we turned the Demon Lord's castle into a dungeon without anyone noticing."
"But couldn't it be that they are simply choosing to ignore it?"
"That’s possible, too. But last night, I placed a summoning circle inside Demon Lord Dekira’s bedroom and placed monsters there, yet he remained asleep."
"..."
"Well, he did wake up eventually, but I had already pulled the monsters back. And the line he said when he got up was..."
*'Hmm, was my control too lax? I'll have to make the room off-limits.'*
"..."
"Also, on the first night of the dungeon conversion, for some reason, there was a woman's garment in the Demon Lord's room, and he was sniffing it. I wonder whose it was."
*『I'll kill Dekira!!』*
*『Calm down, Leia. It’s disgusting, but it’s my own fault for being kicked out.』*
*『Well... I suppose it’s rather dull without the original owner present, isn't it?』*
It was a bizarre scene: Leia, who had been participating in the meeting, snapped, and Liliana—the primary victim—was the one holding her back.
"Ah, right. It was Liliana-san’s room, wasn't it? Then it’s no wonder whose clothes they were. But would it be rude to ask why he’s keeping such bothersome things?"
" " "He's a pervert." " "
A perverted Demon Lord—there’s no saving that. Though, in some places, he might be hailed as a hero by many men.
"Anyway, setting aside the fact that the Demon Lord is a pervert, according to Liliana and Leia, there’s no cultural custom of staying awake at night during this season. So, we’ll launch the assault tomorrow night."
"That’s good news."
"Well, there are always those who stay up, and there’s a possibility that everyone might be awake for some strange reason. Stay calm and be ready to react. Aside from that, I’ve compiled the enemy's strength and positioning based on my research, and cross-referenced it with Liliana’s map to check for discrepancies."
* No discrepancies on the map.
* Average enemy level is around 100.
* The Demon Lord is level 233. Well, I doubt this info is reliable since he’ll likely transform.
* As for the positioning, just take a look.
"The Demon Lord is 233? You intend to deliver the finishing blow yourself, don't you?"
"Naturally. I know it’s tough for level 150 monsters, but if we lose control of monsters over level 200, it becomes a real headache. 150 is the limit for us."
"Of course. I’ll handle securing the retreat; I leave the rest to you."
"For the rest of today, everyone, check your equipment and the operation plan. After that, take it easy."
Afterward, everyone spent their time preparing for tomorrow in their own way. While Seraria and the others were used to the equipment upgrades from Narjia-san, this was Ria’s first time, so I accompanied her.
"Ah, Yuki-san. How is it?"
"Yeah, it suits you. ...Narjia-san?"
"Fu-fu-fu, what do you think!! My latest masterpiece!!"
Ria, standing before me, was wearing the black-based dress armor she had requested... but every piece, from the gauntlets to the boots, was clearly of an extraordinary caliber. Despite the black base, it didn't feel evil; it exuded elegance, making Ria’s white hair stand out beautifully.
And what is with that black tiara!? Does that piece of equipment even do anything!?
"Ria-san, please channel your magic into it."
"Oh, yes."
As she did, a membrane of magical energy enveloped her body. Hmm, doesn't this resemble my own defensive barrier?
"Exactly!! I used Yuki-san’s ultra-sturdy magical barrier as a reference. The number of barrier layers is inferior to yours, but I’ve embedded barrier-deployment formulas into the armor at each location, allowing it to deploy a magical barrier in response to the user's magic."
"So, in other words, you’re creating one layer of defense for each piece: two gauntlets, two boots, one suit of armor, and one tiara?"
"Precisely! Since there are few places to embed them, the smaller the surface area, the weaker the barrier. But by equipping multiple pieces and covering the body with armor, I’ve managed to approximate your magical barrier!!"
I see. On top of my own magical barrier, she’s wearing even sturdier armor. I usually don't wear armor, after all.
"And!! Ria-san, please take this sword and shield!!"
"Oh, you made these black-based too. Thank you!!"
Wait, hold on—doesn't that sword have a revolver attached to it!? A gun-sword!? But there’s no barrel, so that’s pointless.
"I used the gun Yuki-san uses as a reference. Ria-san, do you know what a gun is?"
"Ah, yes. Steve-san showed me one."
"Then, please try holding the sword with that image in mind."
"Understood."
As she did, a barrel extended from the sword—a barrel made of magical energy. Perhaps responding to the sword's magic, a barrel of black magical energy formed.
"Now, imagine loading a bullet and fire it."
"Like this?"
Ria casually aimed at a large boulder in the garden and...
*BOOM.*
The boulder was pulverized into dust.
"What do you think? Magical bullets that destroy only the targeted object!! No friendly fire!! Isn't it amazing!! Of course, the sword is also reinforced by magic, so it’s fully capable of fighting as a blade as well!!"
"That’s beyond amazing..."
"With this, I can fight too!!"
I felt the Demon Lord’s chances of survival had just plummeted significantly. Oh, and the shield can deploy a directional magical barrier, allowing for parrying.
Ria is getting scary now.
Enemy intelligence should be gathered over a long period.
The perverted Demon Lord has one day left to live.
And a terrifyingly powerful hero’s equipment is complete.
Next time: Farewell, Demon Lord!!
That’s not a spoiler, is it?
The outcome is practically already decided.