第１８１掘：ジルバ帝国の落日 ゴブリンの章
**Dungeon 181: The Sunset of the Zilba Empire – Goblin Chapter**
**Goblin Chapter**
In reality, there is no such thing as breaking the rules.
Rules are merely things that people have arbitrarily defined.
You could say they are tools for people to measure one another, designed to make things appear as equal as possible and easier to compare.
In other words, equality is impossible, and identical conditions do not exist.
If things were truly equal, the only possible outcome would be a draw.
The fact that one side wins and the other loses is proof in itself that they were not equal.
No, wait. If I think about it this way, it makes sense:
All living things are equal. The world affirms this by allowing any means necessary to survive.
From the very beginning, from the moment of birth, countless choices have existed.
The result of those choices is the present.
That is why you, too, must think for yourself as you live.
I will teach you many things, but compared to the sheer volume of information in this world, that is trivial.
What you feel for yourself is your own unique experience and information.
And as for you being a goblin—a weak, lowly creature—show those who look down on you that you are more than that.
Well, as a first step, we shall conduct combat training with me.
***
**Side: Steve**
This reminds me of the days I used to train with the Boss.
Because, just as I thought the Magic Sword-wielding lady had vanished from right in front of my eyes—
"Die."
I heard a voice from behind.
"Wh-!?"
Oh, that sound of surprise just now wasn't me. It was the Magic Sword lady.
The reason? Her "sure-kill" surprise attack was easily dodged by yours truly.
"Hmm. The concept isn't bad, but it’s amateurish to call out when you’re launching a surprise attack. Or were you just confident in your speed?"
I quickly turned to face the Magic Sword lady.
"…How?"
She looked so bewildered that I just answered honestly.
"Well, I just moved forward. If you aren't in front of me, you have to be above or behind. The front is the safest place to be."
"…There’s no way you could make such a precise judgment the moment an enemy disappears…"
Right, a normal person would stay put and search the area, checking their surroundings.
But unfortunately, I’ve already experienced that.
When I had practice matches with the Boss, it was standard for him to vanish from my sight and attack from some bizarre angle.
If anything, I learned that standing still is a death sentence.
On the battlefield, it’s vital to keep your head and body moving at all times.
But even after all this, I still haven't managed to land a single hit on the Boss.
He doesn't just charge in like this Magic Sword lady; he snipes from long range, and I can't dodge that.
Well, Deryu-san, who dodges by pure intuition, is amazing, I’ll give her that. But that’s a level of movement no human or goblin can replicate.
"Practice makes perfect. I’ve already experienced things like this… man, now I’m feeling kind of sad."
*Sigh.* If you asked me if I wanted to be a normal goblin, the answer is no, but this workplace is a bit too busy for my taste…
As I was lamenting my circumstances, the Magic Sword lady took advantage of the opening and vanished again.
"Geez, can’t you give me a moment to be kind to myself?"
*Clang.*
That sound came from my left.
"Too soft. Besides, if you can't even scratch this shield, this isn't a contest."
That’s right, I took the hit on purpose.
I don't know why she attacked my left side, where I was holding the shield, but honestly, it didn't matter where she attacked.
My equipment is enchanted with a multi-layered barrier spell, crafted by Narjia-san and modeled after the Boss’s own techniques.
So, attacks at the power level of this New Continent won't get through.
I actually thought it might at least leave a scratch, but the fact that it didn't shows just how massive the gap is.
Back in the Boss’s homeland, this would be considered a cheat. A total cheat.
Oh, in that case, maybe this line is appropriate?
"Fufufu…"
"What is so funny?!"
Oh, she took the bait when I chuckled.
"At this rate, you’re in for a rough time later. I’m the weakest one here, after all!!"
"Wh-!?"
Oh, she’s surprised, she’s surprised.
"Wait, isn't that a bit off?"
The Boss threw a question at me while casually dealing with the Magic Sword lady.
"Huh? Is it?"
"You said that like, 'I am the weakest of the Four Heavenly Kings!!'"
"Yeah, exactly."
"That’s a death flag, you know. The next guy usually says that right after you get beaten."
"Wait, did I just set a death flag?"
"I’ve rarely seen an enemy declare they’re the weakest on their own. If you were going to say something similar, it would be more like, 'I’m enough for you,' like some loyal aide."
"I don't want to go out of my way to increase my workload. That aide sounds way too diligent."
"That sounds like you, alright. So yeah, it’s a new genre."
"What kind of genre is that?"
"Ah, I don't know…"
As we were talking, the attacks suddenly stopped.
"Hm? What’s wrong?"
"Are you mocking me?!"
Oh, she’s angry.
"No, there’s nothing to mock here. Right?"
"That’s right."
There really wasn't.
"That’s a problem in itself. I have no reason to take this seriously when your skill isn't even enough to make Steve try."
"That is an insult!!"
Insult or not, that’s just how it is.
"Hey, you King over there, just standing around watching."
"Wh-what?"
"Can we get serious now?"
"What do you mean…"
"Don't ask, you know what I mean. Look at that Magic Sword user. If we all started moving for real, what do you think would happen?"
Ah, the Boss is threatening them. Poor things.
"Hmph. You’re just dragging out the fight because you can't defeat her. That goblin hasn't even attacked once. He must be too busy defending to do anything else."
"Oh, wow. It’s actually impressive that you can make a comment like that after watching this fight. Alright, Steve, finish it up."
"You got it."
If the Boss says so, the intel gathering is over.
Just as those sisters told us, there was one more Magic Sword user left in the royal castle.
I hadn't heard about the sword's ability, but I was surprised it was a teleportation type.
But with a user like this, it’s a real shame.
"Here I come!!"
Sorry to burst your bubble, but…
*THUD.*
After that sound echoed, the Magic Sword lady was embedded in the window.
Well, I was the one who did it, though.
"You had your sword raised, but you went with a kick? You’ve been influenced by me, haven't you?"
"Thanks to you, Boss. Besides, if I’d used the sword, she would’ve been sliced in two."
"Ah, is it really that bad?"
"It is. It’s really hard to hold back."
The gap is just too wide.
It’s shocking that we can have a conversation while doing whatever we want.
I’ve never seen teleportation wasted so badly.
Like the Boss, she could have teleported just the weapons into her body, or teleported half of me to slice me in two—well, no, that wouldn't work.
The Boss really is on another level.
"Hey, I feel like I was just mocked."
"No, I just reaffirmed that the Boss is a monster."
"You *are* mocking me, aren't you?"
"More importantly, are you done talking to the King over there?"
"Ah, right."
The Boss turned his gaze toward the frozen King and opened his mouth.
"Alright, I’ve defeated her… now, would you and everyone else like to try being like that too?"
An ornament embedded head-first into the window, huh?
If it were a woman, there might be some value in seeing her backside, but for a man, it’s just plain gross.
*The Teleportation Magic Sword User, Air, defeated!! By a kick.*