第１４３掘：魔王城攻略 中編 (Part1)
**Dungeon Excavation 143: Conquering the Demon King’s Castle (Part 2)**
**Side: Seraria**
I couldn't exactly sit at home sipping tea while the campaign to conquer the Demon King’s Castle was underway.
And so, I joined the main camp the night before, and now, I’m standing right in front of the gate at the base of the enemy fortress.
According to reports from Eris and my husband, the forces at the First Gate are supposedly part of the peace faction. If Liliana’s inside work holds up, it would be a relief if they opened the gates for us without a fight.
I wonder how it will play out. I heard they’re keeping a close watch to ensure no betrayal occurs, and if we attack the First Gate, they have a contingency plan to use fire traps to incinerate us along with the gate guards. I’m not sure how we should proceed.
We had discussed various strategies beforehand, but since Elju is the commander-in-chief of this Allied Army, pushing my own opinion would be an overreach—a display of intimidation using my status as her older sister.
"Well, what should we do?"
"Indeed..."
"For the time being, shouldn't we wait for Liliana-dono’s inside work to take effect?"
"We must minimize casualties to ensure we have enough strength for what lies ahead."
The other leaders of the Allied Army were exchanging opinions, but no one seemed eager to launch an immediate assault.
Well, even if we burn through our forces breaking through the outer gate, we still have the main Demon King’s Castle to deal with, so it’s only natural to want to conserve our strength.
"Well, there’s no point in us just talking amongst ourselves. Let’s ask Elju for her opinion. She is the commander of the Allied Army, after all."
As Lowell said this, all eyes turned to Elju.
"Elju-sama, everyone is seeking your guidance."
"Eh? Oh, thank you, Oriel."
Oh my, was she distracted by something? She hadn't even noticed the attention on her. I wonder what she was focusing on until Oriel called out to her.
"Indeed. As everyone has said, in order to conquer the Demon King’s Castle ahead, we must minimize unnecessary sacrifices here."
Everyone nodded at Elju’s words.
"That said, if we just stand here, the enemy won't come out, and the situation won't change unless we make a move. I just received word from the contact Liliana sent."
"Oh? And what did they say?"
"It concerns the current defense of the outer gate. As you know, the gate is heavily fortified with double walls and double doors. I believe this is because this region is home to powerful monsters, and the demons have ensured their defenses are solid. The consensus from our meeting was that breaking the gate is the shortest path to victory. However, it seems the First Gate—the outer one we are currently facing—is being guarded by people whose families are being held hostage by the Demon King."
"What... how cowardly."
"Yes, but it gets worse. The Demon King’s direct subordinates are watching the First Gate from the Second Gate with bows drawn. If there is any sign of betrayal or if the guards are defeated, they intend to trigger fire traps rigged to the gate to incinerate us along with them."
"Typical of the Demon King... what scum."
"But one could also argue that the enemy is backed into a corner."
Hmm, so she chose to disclose the information she gathered. Well, considering the traps, it’s better to be aware of them, or we might get caught in the blast. Everyone reacts differently to such news, I suppose.
Personally, I’m thinking we should just ignore the First Gate and charge straight for the Second.
"That is the current state of the First Gate’s defenses. And, our contact has requested a specific action from us."
"What kind of action?"
"They want us to put on a convincing performance of a fierce assault. If we launch a heavy attack, the enemy’s vigilance will wane, and during that window, they will open the gate and disable the fire traps."
"Hmm, I see. That would be ideal if it succeeds, but if they open the gate only to have us ambushed inside with a rain of arrows and fire, it would be a wasted death, wouldn't it, Crack-dono?"
"No, that’s not what I meant. These are people who would use their own kind as shields. I was merely saying that if they see through our ruse... or if we act suspiciously, they might just decide to annihilate us all at once."
"That is certainly a possibility."
Indeed. Nothing is guaranteed, so we must remain vigilant. If the fire traps are already prepared, anyone could set them off.
As everyone pondered this, my husband stepped forward. As a strategist, he rarely speaks up in leadership meetings unless there is a significant risk to the operation or the army. Higil, Lowell’s strategist, stood beside him.
Oh my, it seems they had been whispering to each other?
"May I offer a proposal?"
"Brother-in-law... certainly. Do you have a clever plan?"
*Pfft!*
That was close. I almost spat out my drink.
Right, to Elju, my husband is her brother-in-law. I’ve only ever called him Yuki-san, so the shift in tone felt incredibly strange. Still, unlike when we are in Weed, we are in the middle of the Allied Army camp; I can't just call my husband by his first name so casually here.
"Yes. I have consulted with Higil-dono, and we propose that while we go along with the suggestion from Liliana-sama’s friend, we should also launch a separate maneuver."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I will explain the details. May I have the floor?"
"Please, Higil-dono."
"Thank you. The point we must focus on is that our objective is to defeat the Demon King in the castle. In other words, it is not strictly necessary to break through this West Gate."
"Then, are you suggesting we move to the South Gate? That seems like a waste of time, doesn't it, Higil?"
"No, General Lowell, that is not it. The important thing is why the enemy is defending these gates."
"I see. The gates are the key to their defense, preventing us from advancing to the Demon King’s Castle."
"Exactly, Crack-dono. Which means that even if the West Gate—where we are—or the North, South, or East gates fall, the purpose of their defense will be lost."
"So, you’re saying we should launch offensives on the other gates as well?"
"Yes. That will force the enemy to disperse their forces, and even the mere appearance of us moving will force them to split their troops. It will also prevent the enemy from forming a detachment from another gate to attack our rear."