第３６６堀：ゴブリンたち動き出す (Part1)
### Chapter 366: The Goblins Begin to Move
**Side: Steve**
*Sigh.* I want to be a NEET.
No, wait, I can’t actually live like that, so a regular salaryman with no real hardships would be fine. Unlike in Japan, there are no quotas here. If I just go around the shops, I get paid—that’s the best!
"Changing jobs... maybe I should think about it."
Don't get me wrong, I’m grateful to the Boss. He gave wisdom to us Goblins—monsters who usually rely on sheer numbers and run around in loincloths—and he provides us with decent food and a good place to sleep. But why are Goblins doing...
"Sir Steve, could you please look over these documents as well?"
*Thud.*
Nearly ten sheets of parchment are added to the pile.
"Why are Goblins doing paperwork..."
And for another country, at that. Is the world broken? The people in Zilba don't even care about Goblins anymore, do they? No, this is clearly an attempt on my life! I see, this is a conspiracy! Zilba must be aiming to kill me through overwork and assassination!
...That sounded pretty clever, I should tell the Boss later. I feel like I might get a *zabuton* cushion for that one.
"Ugh, Battalion Commander. You called us, so what is it?"
"It’s just going to be more paperwork, isn't it?"
"Ugh, again? Can I just go back to sleep in the barracks?"
"Actually, I'm off-duty, so can I go home?"
...I gathered my subordinates to reconfirm the information based on what the Boss told me, but...
"You guys have zero motivation, huh."
Their motivation meters are hitting rock bottom. No wonder the Boss is worried. They aren't like John’s subordinates, who are soldier-farmers tilling the fields; these are just Goblins waiting around in Zilba. Well, some are doing odd jobs, but that’s mostly security for Weed and the like.
I heard from Milly-nee-san that some idiots have even registered at the Adventurer’s Guild as a side job recently. Since dungeon attacking isn't allowed, they’re apparently being steered toward miscellaneous chores in Weed... which is no different from our regular work. Why did they bother becoming adventurers? When I asked, it turned out they just have a hobby of collecting licenses, and they even got business permits. I was shocked. It looks like we might have Goblin-run shops soon.
Man, we’re a free-spirited race. Maybe I should think about changing jobs in that direction, too.
Well, whatever. Work is work. If they die, it’s their own fault. I’m always telling them to keep their guard up until I’m blue in the face.
"Alright, the reason I gathered you all is simple. We finally received orders from the Boss."
"Huh."
"It’s not another 'investigation in just a loincloth,' is it?"
"Ah, my squad is passing on that. There were too many complaints."
"Same here. Before the sortie, we have to take records in combat gear for unit verification, but the 'uniform' is just a loincloth. Why do we have to have our 'pervert' appearances recorded?"
"...So, what are the orders?"
*Guh.* It is one of the orders, and I honestly understand their frustration, so it’s hard to say. But this is serious business, and I need them to get into "serious mode."
"First, I’ll explain the situation. The Boss has reported that there is a possibility that the ruins around the Ex Royal Capital are currently active."
"..."
As soon as I said that, the lazy guys straightened up instantly. If they couldn't do that, the Boss and I would have fired them already. It’s a matter of life and death, after all. Well, I usually overlook their laziness. Goblins who are *too* motivated are a problem in their own right. I’m aiming for Goblins who are approachable and loved by the citizens.
"Furthermore, it seems they are bringing people inside and harvesting DP, just like in Weed. Now, I think you understand that this is a grave situation. Our urgent mission is to locate the active enemy ruins and confirm their scale. If possible, I’d like to drive them into dysfunction, but that will be decided after consultation with the Boss, so we’ll hold off on that for now."
I spread out a map of the area around the Ex Royal Capital. We’ve been conducting surveys of the vicinity ever since we were stationed in Zilba. Naturally, that includes the neighboring Ex Kingdom. This is why steady, ground-level work is important.
"Currently, through our 'looks like a wild Goblin in a loincloth' reconnaissance operation, we’ve confirmed four ruins near the Ex Royal Capital. I expect we’ll be sending squads to these four locations for deep exploration. Therefore, prioritize infiltration gear and select those with high solo-action, survival, and dungeon-attack capabilities. Also, thoroughly scour the area for any other undiscovered ruins. I’m going to take this to the Boss now—has any additional information come in?"
Well, things didn't go that smoothly, and there were no reports of any new, "this is the one" ruins. So, I left my deputy in charge and returned to Weed to report to the Boss and hand over the documents.
"No new information, huh... Well, that’s to be expected."
"Indeed. If it were that easy, we wouldn't have any trouble."
"Oh, right. I’ll distribute magic-dampening gear to the infiltration squads."
"No, we’ll suffocate. We need to breathe, you know."
"I know, I know. I’ve prepared small magic-powered oxygen tanks. They should last four hours. I’ll have them carry spares, so it should work out."
"In that case, yeah, that’ll work."
"I want to avoid the assumption that we’ll be caught by dungeon surveillance. Once you infiltrate, keep communication strict."
"Is every five minutes okay, per the manual?"
"Yeah, that should be fine."
We hammered out the details of the infiltration investigation. It wasn't just the Boss and me; we had input from Jessica-nee-san, Cleena-jou-chan, and various others. The opinions of amateurs are important, too. Sometimes, when you get used to things, you miss the obvious.
"Well, that’s about it."
"Yeah."
As the Boss and I took a breather...
"As always, this is incredible..."
"...Jessica-san, did you understand? I didn't understand half the meaning of the words."
"...Probably technical jargon. But the fact that Steve can speak it normally is what's abnormal."
How rude. It’s thanks to my daily "research"—also known as playing the *Solid* series. No, I did actual infiltration training, too! Don't be like that; you can't learn necessary skills just from games. But they are quite helpful. Man, games these days are amazing. It looks like VR games are coming out soon, too. If I were in a fantasy world... no, that’s a landmine. I’m fine with regular dating sims.
"So, Steve. Anything else?"
"Let’s see. Just one thing: where did this information come from? How credible is it?"
"Hmm. Only from one person. But rather than worrying about credibility, I think it’s important to investigate. We’ve confirmed that the surveillance of the Ex Royal Capital is sloppy, so I thought we should go in ahead of time."
"I see. So the plan is to update the info on that side and coordinate as we go?"
"Exactly. And the informant is coming soon, so I want you to listen in, Steve. As a commander, you want to hear from the source yourself, right?"
"That goes without saying."
As the Boss and I were talking, Kirika arrived in the conference room.
"Princess Dressa has been brought here safely."
"Good work. Is she still asleep?"
"Yes. But she will be waking up soon. I’ve already had Mauve-san and the others return from their Doppelganger forms, and they are waiting in the same room to explain things to Princess Dressa."
"Come to think of it, did you manage to get the room ready in time?"
"Yes. It’s not exactly the same, but it resembles the room at the inn where Mauve-san and the others were staying, so there shouldn't be too much confusion."
Ah, if she woke up suddenly and the room had completely changed, she’d be in a panic. Well, we can't just barge in, so I’ll kill time by listening to the current situation with the Boss.
"...Judging by the reports, the enemy really is sloppy."
"Well, they probably didn't think there was such a gap in technology. But don't let your guard down. It wouldn't be strange if they had forces that surpassed ours in localized areas."