第４５８堀：奇妙なダンジョン (Part1)
**Chapter 458: The Strange Dungeon**
**Side: Steve**
Tch.
I had been thinking, "Man, John and Mino-chan have it so rough, I’m glad I’ve got it easy," but that turned out to be a lie. Who would’ve thought I’d be tossed into what looks like the enemy’s main stronghold three times over?
"Steve-san. That just goes to show how deep the Master’s trust in you is," Kirika said.
"I hope that’s the case," I muttered.
In reality, it’s probably because there’s a high chance people would look down on me if I were out in the open, so they keep me in the shadows. The Boss thinks about those things carefully. It’s a hassle if things get delayed or if we can’t get cooperation because people underestimate me. Even if they’re an allied nation, not everyone down the line is convinced, so leaving things to the intimidating John or Mino-chan is the right call.
And here I am, sneaking around. Being a small goblin is so frustrating! *Twitch, twitch!*
Well, at least having Kirika here makes it easier, right?
"Still, what could they be thinking? Both the Sword God and Bicks..."
"I honestly don't know the thought processes of those two."
"Well, thanks to them, we can infiltrate the castle at our leisure."
Thanks to those two idiots who marched off to the execution grounds in broad daylight this morning, we got the green light to start the search in earnest. The goal is to map out the castle and the dungeon. If we take control now, the castle’s master, Nogosh, or the dungeon master, Bicks, might sense it and return, so we’re preparing to strike all at once on the day of the execution.
"I’ll do my best so the Boss and the others don't have to worry about their rear on the day of. Things are going to be tough enough for them as it is."
The possibility of the Great Oni of Oeyama being resurrected is a massive pain. At worst, I’d rather avoid a head-on clash with Shuten-doji. We goblins are technically classified as part of the lesser demon tribes, after all. The Boss, in his consideration, has ordered the goblin squads to retreat if we ever face Shuten-doji. If we don’t, there’s a chance we’d be conscripted into Shuten-doji’s army. If things went south, we’d end up killing our own kin. I’d rather avoid that.
"Honestly, always getting in the Master’s way... If I only had the order, I’d take their heads myself..."
Kirika, standing beside me, started talking about the Boss, and her eyes lost focus. It’s terrifying. Why are all my coworkers like this?
"But, having infiltrated the castle, I’ve realized something..."
"There is definitely a dungeon installed here," Kirika noted.
She’s right. You can clearly feel the flow of mana unique to a dungeon. ...The concealment is pretty sloppy, too. Are they not expecting us to break in? Are they relying entirely on traps? Well, I guess we’ll find out once we head deeper.
"Alright, as planned, Kirika, I’ll leave the upper levels to you."
"Understood. May fortune favor you."
With that, Kirika immediately headed for the upper floors. I decided to hurry up and search the first floor and the basement. We’re splitting up to investigate, and the plan is to rendezvous as soon as we find the dungeon or a gate.
Of course, we’re using mana-blocking and optical camouflage devices, so we can’t be seen or detected by mana sensors. The only ones who could break through that are the dog-types. If it’s one of the canine monsters Princess Aslin keeps, they might be able to sniff us out. Zargis is currently working hard on research to eliminate our scent as well. Oh, and I mean *scent*, not *stink*. The female Dullahan-Assassin squad raised a huge fuss about that.
Anyway, we bathe regularly, so we smell like flowers. Probably. All I know is that we’re infinitely cleaner than wild goblins. Though, on long-term field missions, wiping ourselves down with a wet towel is the best we can do.
As I was thinking about that while searching, my eyes caught something in a room in the basement passageway.
"...That’s suspiciously luxurious."
Right in front of me was a door crafted with such care that it clearly didn't belong in a basement storage area. Compared to the size of the rooms before and after it, this one was tiny—barely the size of a three-mat closet. It’s suspicious, or rather, I’ve hit the jackpot. The flow of mana is leaking out of this door like crazy.
But it’s so blatant that it’s almost suspicious in itself. Is it a trap? For now, I’ll put this search on the back burner and finish the rest of the area properly. If I’m going to open it, it’s better to coordinate with Kirika.
First, I’ll focus on one of our initial objectives: creating a map of the castle. If we end up having to storm this place, having this map will make a world of difference. It’s the foundation for the Boss’s favorite strategy: gathering information to lock down the enemy completely.
"So, this is it. Any other suspicious spots?"
"None. Did you find anything on the upper levels, Kirika?"
"No. I checked every room, but I only found the communication magic tool that Nonoa-dono mentioned. It’s terribly inefficient, though."
"Ah, so that thing really was there."
"Yes. It was the same one Nonoa-dono used, so it was easy to identify. But who could have made such a thing? Zargis hasn't developed anything like that yet..."
"Well, we’ve never been short on communication methods, what with mana-based calling and radio waves. Plus, we have Taizo-san, the expert. As for that inefficient magic communication, there’s talk that it was probably created by some inventor from this continent’s past."
"The past?"
"Yeah. You know how when you order something from the DP store to communicate over long distances, the lineup is based on the user’s own knowledge? The theory is that Bicks chose that specific tool because it was the only thing he knew of that could communicate via mana."
"From the beginning...? Does that mean such literature existed?"
"Probably."
The Boss always said that in any world, ideas eventually end up being similar. Well, it’s only natural to want to communicate instantly.
"Anyway, leaving that aside, what do you think, Kirika?"
"I don't see any traps, personally."
The fact that we’re both inspecting the unnaturally luxurious door while chatting is a testament to the Boss’s training, I suppose.
"Still, there’s no one in this hallway."
"Yeah. If this is the entrance to Bicks’s dungeon, Nogosh might have told everyone to stay away for security reasons."
"Or there could be a gatekeeper on the other side of the door."
"Then let’s open it, keeping that possibility in mind."
"Understood."
I took the role of opening the door, and Kirika took the role of intercepting anything that might come out.
"Three, two, one..."
*Creeeeak!*
I threw the door open. Kirika’s expression turned serious, but nothing happened.
"...There are stairs," Kirika said.
"So the real deal is further in."
Kirika lowered her guard, and I peered inside. Sure enough, stairs leading further underground continued downward, illuminated not by darkness, but by the light unique to a dungeon.
"For now, let’s report to the Boss... and continue the search."
"Understood."
Kirika reported to the Boss, and then we began our descent down the stairs.