第１８９掘：魔剣と聖剣を追って
### Dungeon 189: In Pursuit of the Demon and Holy Swords
My apologies for the two-day gap in updates. Between catching a cold, feeling drained, and struggling with plot ideas, I’ve fallen behind.
Here is the latest chapter.
I’ve read all your comments thoroughly. Thank you, everyone.
***
**In Pursuit of the Demon and Holy Swords**
**Side: Yuki**
"Excuse me? Thirteen Holy Swords? Ah, that’s a classic fairy tale, isn't it?"
I held the book Aslin and the others had found—having secured permission to read it, of course—and decided to ask Jessica first, as she was one of our own and had been raised here in the New Continent.
"So, you’ve heard of them?"
"It’s a staple story. Even outside the Zilba Empire, it’s commonly told in other nations as well."
Hmm, I see. So it’s a story so deeply ingrained that it’s practically common knowledge in the New Continent.
"Then, what’s the difference between them and the Demon Swords I asked about before? They sound almost identical, don't they?"
"As I mentioned before, Demon Swords are legendary weapons forged long ago by someone called the 'Progenitor' to combat the demi-humans. The Holy Swords, according to legend, are the source—the originals, if you will."
"…In other words, the Demon Swords were made in imitation of the Holy Swords?"
"I’m not entirely sure, but that is likely the case."
So that’s the direction it’s heading.
However, the cores of the Demon Swords are made from Dungeon Cores. Even if the previous Dungeon Master had placed bulk orders, would someone really go through the trouble of mass-producing and distributing these so-called "inferior" replicas?
Hmm, I’ll need to look into this fairy tale in more detail.
"Let’s shift the topic a bit. The Progenitor who made the Demon Swords, and the God who supposedly bestowed the Holy Swords—do you know the names of either?"
"No. It’s unclear why the former is even called the 'Progenitor,' and the God said to have given the Holy Swords is just referred to as 'God'—there’s no other information to go on."
"Right, so basically zero information on both. In that case… how many Demon Swords are there currently? Or rather, do the Holy Swords even exist?"
"In the Zilba Empire, as you know, there are four: the Princess’s Wind Demon Sword, the sisters’ Fire and Water Demon Swords, and the Space Demon Sword held by the King’s Royal Guard. I’ve heard rumors that there are many more in other countries. The Enaria Holy Kingdom, which the Princess is currently attacking, should also have several Demon Sword users. As for the Holy Swords, no one has ever actually seen one. If they were in any country, it would have become a rumor and spread across the entire continent by now."
"I see. Both the Demon Swords and the Holy Swords are stories that make sense in their own way."
Still, for us, there’s just too little information.
"Are you dissatisfied?" Jessica asked, noticing me deep in thought.
"I’m not dissatisfied with you, Jessica. It’s just that the information is exactly what I expected. I didn't think I’d reach the answer easily, though."
"That’s true. But I heard you took an interest because you found out the Demon Swords were made with Dungeon Cores. Did you have any other strategy?"
"Strategy, huh? Information was the top priority. As it happens, we got involved in the conflict between the demi-humans and the Zilba Empire, which, in a sense, provided us with that information. Under normal circumstances, we’d still be fumbling in the dark."
"Well, I suppose you could call that bad luck, or perhaps good luck…"
"That’s the tricky part. Normally, you wouldn't even be able to decide on a course of action for a world-scale problem like this within a few years, let alone find an answer."
"Is that so?"
"It’s visible, but I doubt anyone realized it was a 'problem' until now, right?"
"That is true, but…"
"First, it’s difficult just to recognize an anomaly as an anomaly. Then, you need years of data to investigate what exactly is abnormal. Only then can you base solutions or investigate causes on that data."
"…When you put it that way, it’s certainly a matter of years or decades. Should we consider it a stroke of fortune that we found a lead in just five months?"
"Who knows. I came here already recognizing the problem and knowing that magic power depletion was occurring in the New Continent. Then, the Demon Swords appeared. Even if I hadn't been dragged into the conflict between the demi-humans and the Zilba Empire, I think I would have arrived at the same line of thought."
"We’re getting off track, but is it safe to say that your policy is to continue gathering information?"
"Yeah. We found objects that might be clues—the Demon Swords—but we need to gather information from multiple fronts, including that. The topic of Holy Swords has come up, so we might end up searching for those too."
*Sigh.* Demon Swords, Holy Swords… it feels like something straight out of a fantasy novel.
Well, it *is* a fantasy world, but the people and creatures living here are quite real. Aside from the strange rules of magic, their lives are no different from those on Earth.
I suppose it’s better than Earth in that we don’t have to conduct full-scale geological surveys?
Actually, I feel like searching for Demon and Holy Swords on Earth would be a "Very Hard" difficulty mission.
"Then, is there no change to the plan for us to accompany the Princess?"
"Right. Since it’s been revealed that you’re alive after this raid, Jessica, you can join up openly. Besides, thanks to your intel, it seems the Enaria Holy Kingdom has Demon Swords too, so we can investigate those while we’re at it. It’s helpful that the scope of our search is widening. It’s a shame we can’t follow the other generals, but since we don't fully understand each other yet, it’ll be easier to operate within the Princess’s army."
"…I suppose that’s true. We were thoroughly trounced, after all."
Moving separately is an option, but at the moment, there’s no advantage or information that warrants splitting up.
"For now, we’ll head into the Enaria Holy Kingdom’s territory to gather information. I’ll leave Zargis and the others in the Zilba capital to investigate things there. That side will continue their work as well. As for combat strength, we, the group heading to the Enaria Holy Kingdom, will be the main force. Though, we’ll still leave a decent amount of strength for dungeon defense and the Zilba Empire investigation team."
"I don't think we can do much about the dungeon’s military strength, though."
"It’s insurance and a deterrent. If we leave too little, someone might get the idea that they can pull something off. We shouldn't create situations that invite unnecessary trouble, right?"
"That is true."
As we were talking, Ria arrived with tea.
"You two have been talking for a while. Why not take a break?"
"Good idea."
"Indeed."
We both set aside our documents and pens, taking a sip of the tea Ria handed us.
"Still, drinking tea like this, it’s hard to believe a magic power depletion problem is actually happening."
"That’s how it goes. That’s the nature of world-scale problems. By the time it’s visible and people start panicking, it’s already too late."
"That’s why we have to do our best."
Ria made a gesture of determination.
If I did it, it would just look creepy, but when a beautiful girl does it, it’s actually quite cute.
"Anyway, once we finish this tea, we need to form the expeditionary force for the Enaria Holy Kingdom. Plus, the Zilba Empire dispatch unit, the dungeon defense unit… man, this is a hassle."
"It’s not that much, is it? We have units like Steve’s and John’s that are already independent; we just need to send them."
"Well, yeah, it’s just a matter of getting the paperwork in order. But getting that paperwork done is the annoying part. Calculating how many troops to mobilize, equipment, the amount of supplies, and so on."
"Isn't that what Steve and the others calculate?"
"Ria’s right, but it takes time for those reports to reach me, and after that, I have to look them over and get Seraria, Eris, and Ratz to approve them. Since money and supplies are moving, I can’t just force things through if there are questionable points. Three days is too short to get all of this done."
"…Indeed. For a normal army, it would be close to impossible."
The only reason we can do this in such a short time is because, in a sense, I hold the real power.
I can prioritize the most urgent tasks.
The ones I feel sorry for are the Weed City Hall employees who get bogged down because of this.
Since I’m monopolizing all the top authorities, the City Hall and the Commercial Guild end up in a situation where they can’t get the final "GO" sign.
The assistants can handle a certain amount, but there are still documents that Seraria, Eris, and Ratz have to sign off on.
"Well, tea’s finished. Time to contact the relevant parties and get things moving."
"Agreed."
"We need to get in touch with the wives in Weed and have them secure personnel and supplies. While we’re at it, Jessica, go back and get ready."
"Eh!?"
"I’m the representative for the Zilba-related matters; it would be strange for Jessica to be the substitute representative now, wouldn't it?"
"…The stares from everyone around me would be too painful."
"Ria, I’ll need you to act as my guard and assistant as usual."
"Understood."
Now, let’s get this show on the road.
Demon Swords and Holy Swords… it’s a pain to have to get involved in something that I already know is going to be troublesome.
So, we’ve decided to assist in the invasion of the Enaria Holy Kingdom in pursuit of the Demon and Holy Swords.
How will the formation turn out?
What methods will the enemy use? What is Marly’s combat strategy?
A large-scale clash between armies is about to occur, and how will Yuki’s mercenary group move?!
Stay tuned? Well, I think you already know.