第１６１掘：まっとうな戦い？ 裏側
**Dungeon 161: A Fair Fight? Behind the Scenes**
**Side: Yuki**
"That’s the situation. Do your best."
"Don't give me that 'do your best'!! Are you mocking us? You’re definitely mocking us, Boss!!"
"No, I genuinely think you guys can do it."
"Im-possible!! No matter how you slice it, you want us to hold off 2,500 soldiers with just the Goblin squad?!"
"I’m not asking you to wipe them out or hold them for a year. You just need to draw their attention for about an hour."
"We’ll die!! We’re going to die!! That’s cruel!! Sending us to our deaths is just too heartless!!"
"Hey, I already told you what the intel said, right? Their Wind Princess Knight is the highest level at 72. The rest are around 30. Steve, your level is over 300. Your subordinate goblins are between 150 and 200. They’re high-tier, alright!"
"Don't talk like some TV shopping host!! The numbers are too different!! You’re always telling us to prepare for the worst-case scenario, aren't you?! Even if we’re over level 300, our base racial stats are low, so we’d lose to Seraria-ane-san anyway!!"
"You win sometimes, don't you?"
"Only sometimes!! Fine, then give us guns!! If we have those, I’ll wipe them out for you!!"
"Idiot. That would draw too much attention. Modern weaponry is for dungeon defense only. Otherwise, stick to the civilization level of this place. Swords and magic."
"Hiiiii!! What a backward era!! Swords and magic aren't even trendy anymore!!"
"Trendy or not, we have to do it. It’s to make our stance clear."
This time, we have to face the Wind Princess’s army of 2,500 with a force of about 150.
If we used modern weapons, it would be an easy win, but that would leave behind bad blood.
Both the demi-humans watching us—or rather, observing from the rear—and the Wind Princess’s army that attacked us would say the same thing: "They only won because they used those weapons."
That’s why, to ensure things go smoothly in the future, I have to make them believe we won through sheer skill.
Well, using modern weapons is part of our skill, but losers usually try to find differences between themselves and the opponent rather than admitting their own shortcomings.
It’s a correct way to analyze combat power, but using it as an excuse doesn't change the result.
If we wanted to sweep through this New Continent with a hardline stance, that would be fine.
Unfortunately for them, that’s not our goal.
So, we’ll crush the enemy head-on, in a situation where they think they have the advantage.
The enemy will understand that our raw power is simply on a different level.
Unlike being annihilated by incomprehensible modern weapons, they will definitely understand.
They will realize there is an absolute difference in strength.
And as for the fence-sitters who were preparing to run away because they thought we had little chance of winning with such small numbers—after this result, they won't be able to complain to us.
I explained all this to Steve. And yet...
"I don't like it. Even if it’s a level range within the safe zone, you never know what will happen on the New Continent. And that Wind Princess Knight? The magic sword she’s carrying is a mystery. There’s too much uncertain information. I can’t tell my subordinates to be decoys with that kind of risk."
"What is this? Who did you take after? This obsession with safety measures?"
"After you, Boss."
Am I really like that?
"But look, if you and the others don't go to the front, we can't flank them. Do you have a better plan, Steve?"
"Then, Riel-ane-san, please stand at the front with us. I’ll feel safer if there are more of us."
"No, no, Riel, Tori, and Kaya—the beastmen—have to be on the surprise attack team."
"Why?"
"Because the fence-sitters are going to say, 'They were only able to stop the enemy vanguard because they had demi-humans.'"
"Ah, I see. It’s not the enemy, but the people behind us that are the problem."
"Exactly. That said, I can't have myself, Ria, Mauve, or Aslin helping you guys out. The surprise attack has to be credited to our mercenary group."
"So, if it’s Riel-ane-san and the others' achievement, the fence-sitters will throw a tantrum?"
"Yeah. It’s better to minimize the hassle, right? Plus, from the enemy’s perspective, we have to make them think we’re easy to attack. Who would they be more wary of: a unit of just goblins, or a unit mixed with us?"
"As the ones wanting to launch a surprise attack, it’s better if it’s just our unit, which is easy to underestimate. After all, even on this New Continent, the goblin strength ranking seems to be low. The enemy will be happy to scatter us and either move to support the rear or head straight for the village."
Steve’s goblin unit is, from every angle, the perfect decoy.
Actually, in terms of combat evaluation, if we fought the Wind Princess’s army 100 times, we’d win 98 of them. Just with Steve’s unit alone.
The two losses would be Steve and his crew blowing themselves up, or slipping, falling, and hitting their heads.
In the first place, level-wise, only the Princess equipped with a magic sword could deal a fatal blow to Steve’s crew.
The others might leave bruises, but they wouldn't suffer fatal wounds unless they were forced into a one-sided beatdown.
After all, the goblins are equipped with a full set of cheat-tier gear that Narjia-san made to look like standard equipment.
"Sigh, fine. If we die, please put a Caesar salad on our graves."
"That’s your favorite, isn't it? Can’t you pick something else, like meat, since you’re goblins? Why are you copying Eris’s favorite food?"
"Even goblins think vegetables are delicious!! And I can’t help it if my favorite food overlaps with the Boss’s wife. Besides, I think Eris-ane-san’s favorite food is the Boss, you know?"
"What kind of favorite is that!? I’m not food!"
"No, I think she sees you as food."
That’s in a different sense, right? Eris was quite something at night.
"Let’s leave that aside. You’ve agreed, right?"
"Yeah, we have no choice."
"Good. Then here’s your reward."
"No, if the pay is the same, there’s going to be a riot."
"It’s something better than that."
As I say that, Aslin and the others walk in.
They are participating in the operation this time, too.
The other wives scolded me, saying that keeping them in the rear for too long was spoiling them too much.
So, using Steve’s unit as a decoy is also to help Aslin and the others.
"Oh, if it isn't Aslin-sama."
Since Aslin is the one who named him, Steve respects her even more than he respects me. Seriously.
The reason I brought Aslin is simple.
If he respects her more than me...
"I didn't really understand the complicated parts, but Steve and everyone are going to do their best, right?"
"Well, yes."
"Yeah. Thank you. Do your best, Steve."
" " "We will do our best!!" " "
The other goblin commanders waiting behind Steve respond with a grand shout.
"But don't push yourselves too hard, okay? Let’s all come back and eat a delicious meal together."
" " "Understood!!" " "
As soon as Aslin finishes, the goblins scatter in unison, and shouts of resolve echo from everywhere.
"Listen up, everyone! This battle depends on our effort!!"
"Aslin-sama said she wants to eat a delicious meal with us!!"
"Don't you dare die! Don't do anything that would make Aslin-sama cry!!"
" " "Understood!!" " "
And just like that, the goblins' morale hit its peak.
The result: the goblin unit wiped out the assault force, including the Wind Princess.
Thanks to that, our surprise attack unit easily crushed the main force in the rear and captured the enemy headquarters.
Of course, not a single enemy managed to escape.
Well, since we were on the surprise attack team, in a sense, *we* were the main force.
Now, the question is how to reunite with the Wind Princess.
That’s the behind-the-scenes story.
With the boost from Aslin, there wasn't a shred of a chance for them to win. lol
Phew, now it’s time to start negotiations with the Wind Princess.
Though, there’s a possibility her heart is already broken. lol
Also, I’m planning to take tomorrow off.
Writing is starting to fall behind a bit.
I’ve had to write over 5,000 characters a few times in the last two days, and I’ve used up all my energy.