第４８２堀：呼び出したのは英雄？ (Part2)
"Placing them at the top of the chain of command so suddenly will only cause chaos. There will inevitably be dissatisfaction. But with the situation this dire, I suppose we don't have the luxury of complaining, do we?"
"Right, let's start with the enemy's primary weaponry."
"Swords, spears, bows, and battering rams. Plus, a small number of mages."
"And the terrain around here?"
"Unfortunately, other than a large lake spreading to the south, it’s nothing but plains as far as the eye can see. There’s no terrain suitable for an ambush."
"Where are the enemy's deployment positions?"
"Their main camp is about three kilometers from the city. Since it's night, they’ve pulled back to the main camp, leaving only scouts behind."
"Night? Is it night right now?"
Huh? He’s fixating on something strange.
"Where we were, it was evening."
"Well, you were summoned from another world, so the time might have been offset. It’s already night, the time when everyone would normally be fast asleep."
"…Hey, hey. A time difference of over six hours? I wouldn't say we're on the opposite side of the globe, but that's quite a distance. Or maybe the forced summoning caused the time shift? I hope we’re not too far off..."
"?"
Wait, hold on. Come to think of it, did I stop summoning people from other worlds? If he came from this world, why is the time different?
"No, don't worry about it. It must be some kind of discrepancy from the summoning."
"Is that so?"
Hearing that, I stop thinking about the question that had just surfaced.
"Next, what about the monsters around here?"
"Monsters?" we both echoed.
Another strange question.
"You mean monsters, as in... monsters?"
"Monsters?"
"Did I say something weird?"
"No, monsters were supposed to have gone extinct during the war of the First Generation heroes 500 years ago, weren't they?"
"Yes. After the death match between the ancient heroes of the First Generation and the evil Demon Lord, monsters were wiped out, allowing humans to safely develop the land."
"But, I believe there are demi-humans like goblins and orcs, right?"
"They are gentle, good neighbors. They are said to be subspecies of the Spirit Maidens you have there. Well, some thoughtless people call them the remnants of monsters, but..."
"…Tell me, does 'Spirit Maiden' refer to women with animal ears and tails?"
"Yes? Nowadays, it’s considered impressive if a country has even a few, and some countries have none at all. Spirit Maidens are incredibly valuable because of their amazing physical abilities and their ability to use magic. They were members of the First Generation, so they are immensely popular. They’re practically symbols of a nation's power, aren't they?"
Why am I explaining such basics? Oh, right—he was brought from another world, so he wouldn't know these fundamentals.
"…I see. Well… for now, there are no monsters in this immediate vicinity, right?"
"Yes. Why?"
"Alright, last question. Have you ever heard the word 'dungeon'?"
"Dungeon? What would you do in a cave?"
"Some people call caves by that name, but I’ve heard you rarely find any treasure in them."
"Understood. Thank you."
*Phew.* At least I can avoid total chaos before morning.
"Well, we don't have much time. Could you untie us now? I need to relay this to everyone, or I won't be able to command the troops, and we won't be able to fight."
"Huh? Oh, no, that’s fine. It’s not necessary."
"Eh?"
Why would he say it’s not necessary after everything we just talked about!?
"You don't intend to sell us out, do you!?"
"How could you!? Please, stop!! That is not what a hero would do!!"
"They'll take all the Spirit Maidens there, too!! Stop it!! At worst, they'll kill us all!!"
Sending an envoy now wouldn't lead to a ceasefire, and there's no point in begging for our lives. To the enemy, if they conquer the city, they get everything anyway. The only difference is the scale of the casualties. Handing us over to the enemy in this situation wouldn't change a thing. Besides, there's no way they would understand our circumstances. I tried to convey this desperately, but Yuki replied with complete indifference.
"Who said anything about putting my wives in danger? To be honest, you lot are also a hostile force. It’s a hassle, so I’ll just suppress this city—Bide, was it?—by morning, and then I’ll openly suppress the enemy outside when the sun comes up."
"Hah!?"
What is he saying? Is this man an idiot? That’s impossible!!
"Just because you were summoned as a hero, don't get ahead of yourself!! You can't just do anything you want!! Face reality!!"
"…Explaining is a pain, and my wives and children are cold, so I’m going to go ahead and turn this place into a dungeon without reservation."
"Turn it into a dungeon? What are you talking about!? And what is that huge jewel!? Where did you pull that from!?"
"It’s an incredible size."
While we were bewildered by his nonsensical words, Yuki pulled a palm-sized, massive jewel out of nowhere.
...I feel an overwhelming amount of magical power? What? Does something like that actually exist?
"Labyris, what's the situation on the other side?"
"It's fine. Fortunately, there's a lot of noise, but I was able to communicate via call, so there's less chaos than I thought. Steve and the others are gathered and ready to move at any time."
"Good. Then tell them I'm installing the City Assault-Type Dungeon IN3."
"Understood. But are you sure? IN3 uses quite a bit of DP."
"I don't know if the gate will function properly. It’s safer to start with the highest level we can provide. The residential area is well-equipped, too."
"True. That’s for the best."
"I'll also install an anti-army dungeon so we can capture the enemy's main force."
"Got it."
"Initiating deployment."
With that, Yuki dropped the large jewel onto the ground. I thought the jewel would be damaged, but it was absorbed into the ground and vanished.
That’s impossible.
As I was thinking that, I realized a magic circle had formed on the floor...
"Alright. Everyone, we're transferring to the main base. Cleena, Samantha, take those two with you."
"Understood."
"As you wish."
Carried by the two mages, we entered the magic circle, and as soon as we did, we were enveloped in light...
"Eh? Eh?"
"Kagura, what on earth is..."
Don't ask me. Because...
"Why is it night, yet it's so bright in here!?"
We were in a room brighter than any torch or candle could ever be.
What in the world is happening? Yuki, who are you? A hero? Are you truly a hero with the kind of incredible power exaggerated in fairy tales?
Well, is he a hero? I’ll leave that for you to decide.