第３７７堀：ダンジョンアタックする魔物たち (Part1)
### Chapter 377: Monsters on a Dungeon Attack
**Side: Steve**
It’s a sunny day.
Not the kind of cloudless blue sky, but a typical sunny day with a few clouds scattered about.
A pleasant breeze blows across the grasslands, making the grass sway; sunlight filters through the trees in the forest, where animals gather.
I suppose this is what people call "peace."
But I know that’s only one side of the coin.
After all, we aren't the ones enjoying that peace.
In the midst of this pleasant, peaceful weather, we are the ones lurking in the dim shadows, checking our gear, and holding our breath.
If a regular person saw us like this, they wouldn't call it peaceful, would they?
Well, I suppose we are working to maintain that peace, at least.
As I think about such things while checking my equipment...
*“From H to L, no changes to the schedule. I repeat, no changes to the schedule.”*
That message comes through.
"Acknowledged."
*“How is your side’s preparation?”*
"The deployment to all four ruins near Ex that we’ve discovered is complete. Currently, we are inspecting and double-checking our gear."
*“Understood. Finish the inspection promptly and be ready to breach at any moment. Popuri and the others who made contact with Noble are scheduled to attend the martial arts demonstration soon. The plan remains to use that window to infiltrate and gather various intel.”*
"Acknowledged."
I quickly contact each squad to confirm the status.
I’d like to ask why the Boss is operating the comms himself, but that can wait until after we’re ready.
With everyone’s preparations confirmed, I contact the Boss again.
"From L to H, all units are ready. We can begin the operation at any time."
*“Acknowledged. Stand by in that state.”*
"So, Boss, why are you the one operating?"
*“Ah, there are other operators assigned to each unit. I’m just acting as the general coordinator. I’ve got some spare time, so I’m speaking directly.”*
"I see."
*“Once you infiltrate and start sending in detailed reports, I won’t be able to respond. I’ll be too busy vetting the info. So, this conversation will likely be the only one. Anyway, don’t die.”*
"I’m praying the enemy hasn't set up any nasty traps."
*“Come to think of it, the place Steve is infiltrating is the main target, right?”*
"That’s right. We’ve confirmed human activity there through surveillance."
Yes, my assigned location is the only one of the four where human movement has been confirmed.
It is the most likely candidate where the enemy is up to something, and it’s said to be the most difficult of the four.
That’s exactly why I was sent there.
*“And, Popuri and the others have started moving. Synchronizing time. We begin the search at 1100.”*
"Acknowledged."
Everyone stares at their watches.
*“5, 4, 3, 2, 1... Operation start. I expect good work from you all.”*
Well, it’s finally begun.
"As per the plan, one person will monitor the entrance here. The remaining four will split into pairs to search and gather intel. Move out."
We, the infiltration team, quickly approach the entrance to the ruins.
Although there is human traffic, there are no guards standing outside, so approaching isn't a problem.
Well, that doesn't mean I’m thinking, "This is a piece of cake."
These ruins have a straight corridor at the start, so there’s a high chance of running into someone there.
Beyond that, we haven't done any advance scouting, so we don't know what’s inside.
There are plenty of worrying factors, but we’ll just have to overcome them with experience.
Once the area is cleared, my subordinate gives me a hand signal.
*(No presence in the area.)*
*(No reactions from night-vision, thermal sensors, magic sensors, or acoustic sensors.)*
Good.
Doesn't seem to be any problem.
*(Activate magic-dampening device. Use optical camouflage only when bypassing enemies. All units, begin infiltration.)*
We enter the ruins without a sound and walk down the straight corridor.
*“From H to L, your infiltration is confirmed. No particular reaction from Noble and the others. Continue the operation.”*
I don't reply out loud. I just listen to the report and continue the mission.
However, we’ve been walking for a while now, and there aren't any traps or anything.
Could it be that they just came to see if it was usable, and the real base is somewhere else?
That worry crosses my mind, so I check how far we’ve traveled.
*(How far have we gone?)*
*(It was a straight line, so approximately 700 meters.)*
About that much, huh?
Still, it’s longer than I thought.
Well, no use overthinking it. The important thing now is to head deeper.
After walking about twice that distance, I hear footsteps and voices coming from the direction we’re heading.
*(Everyone, prepare optical camouflage. Contact the scout watching the entrance. Have the standby unit follow them.)*
*(( (Acknowledged) ))*
Everyone stands perfectly still, waiting for the others to approach.
"Man, this corridor is long."
"Yeah. Well, it’s being repurposed, so it can't be helped."
"But still, couldn't they do research somewhere other than a place like this? Why is His Majesty doing it here?"
"Probably because it’s easy to guard. Like you said, the path is long, and while it’s not exactly narrow, sound echoes—if an intruder comes, you’d know immediately."
"Ah, I see. Is that why the gatekeepers are further in?"
"Exactly. If you guard outside, you don't know where a surprise attack might come from, and it’s basically like saying, 'Hey, we’re doing something in here.'"
"The higher-ups really think about everything."
"That’s how it is. Though, it’s a pain for us who have to transport the goods."
"Tell me about it. Seriously, I don't know if it’s worth showing this to the big shots at the Magic Academy or whatever."
"Nothing we can do about it. We just transport as ordered."
"Well, I guess it’s fine. We’re living a good life, and if His Majesty says it’s fine, then it’s fine."
The two of them pass by without noticing us while chatting.
*(Send that conversation to the Boss immediately. Our job is to gather intel. We’ll leave the thinking to them.)*
*(( (Acknowledged) ))*
I’d like to think about it, but that’s not our job right now.
Still, gatekeepers, huh?
It’s a pain if we can't get inside without taking them out.
We have a contingency for that, but it involves using one of our comrades as a decoy.
It’s high-risk, so I’d rather not do it.
Thinking about that, we reach a staircase.
*(Everyone, stay sharp. Stairs are a treasure trove of traps, so be extremely careful.)*
We descend step by step, surely and steadily.
We carefully observe our surroundings for pressure plates, tripwires, or magic-based traps as we go down.
But there are no traps, and we reach the lower level without incident.
It’s all very unsettling, but the people we passed didn't seem like they were particularly well-trained, so maybe they didn't bother with traps?
A little further in, we finally reach an open, hall-like space with a gate towering in the back.
It’s about 6 meters tall, I’d say?
There are four soldiers at the gate, and another four standing guard on top of it.
Looking closely, there are doors on both sides near the entrance to the hall, set up to immediately surround anyone who enters.
I see, so that’s why they didn't need traps in the corridor.
Walking through that corridor without making a sound is nearly impossible. You’d be noticed immediately, and they’d be ready to intercept you.
Even if you managed to make it this far, you couldn't go any further, and it’s obvious this is a military facility.
A mere thief wouldn't be able to do a thing against this.