第１０２４堀：第二目標ダンジョン 普 (Part1)
**Chapter 1024: Secondary Target Dungeon - Normal**
**Side: Kirika**
"Understood. Regardless of what happens... you must return. Not just to bring back the intelligence, but above all, for the sake of Aslin and the others."
"Yes, sir. I shall return without fail."
I ended the communication after my reply.
"As always, our Master is far too soft-hearted."
"What are you saying? As intelligence officers, bringing back information regardless of the circumstances is a matter of course. And returning safely to Lady Aslin and the others without a single person missing is our duty."
"Yes, yes. If the Captain says so, then it must be so."
My subordinates grumbled as they slipped away from my stern gaze. Honestly, these subordinates of mine. Did they really think our incredibly kind Master would ever give an order that treated us as mere sacrificial pawns? That sentiment of his was only natural. Though he may seem cold at times, he is a Master who never forgets to seek the best possible outcome!
But, putting that aside...
"Since we still have time before lights out, we will organize the dungeon information while we eat."
"Understood. It would be a laughingstock if we were outmaneuvered by the other side."
"Our technology and capabilities are overwhelmingly superior. We cannot afford to show such incompetence. However, if they manage to achieve something, we shall praise them—and then investigate them even more thoroughly. That is what our Master would desire."
"That sounds just like the Master. But, setting aside such impossible hypotheticals, let us first confirm the dungeon map we have obtained."
With a rustle, fifteen sheets of paper were spread across the table—the floor maps for the dungeon we were scheduled to conquer tomorrow. This meant that reliable information only existed up to the fifteenth floor.
"These are the ones sold generally. We have also confirmed that there are merchants and adventurers selling maps for the deeper levels on the black market at high prices."
"That is just like Weed. Maps for levels not officially conquered are traded at a premium. It is proof that they value information. That said, we haven't included those in our plans this time, as we cannot verify their accuracy."
It was a painful reality that we couldn't trust the maps beyond the fifteenth floor. If they were accurate, our conquest speed would have increased significantly.
"Captain. I understand that having even something like this is convenient for a conquest, but if we seize the enemy dungeon via the Core, wouldn't these maps become meaningless anyway?"
"Indeed, if we succeed in seizing it, that is true. However, we must act while considering the possibility that the seizure might not go as planned. That is why the lack of conquest information is a significant setback."
My subordinate asked knowing the answer; it was a form of confirmation. We had to act while anticipating the worst-case scenario. If we could succeed through an easier method, that would be fine. But what we needed to rack our brains over now was how to handle failure—thinking of the next move. We must not rely on everything going conveniently well, nor should we allow a single failure to ruin everything. We must always think of the next step.
Do not let failure be just a failure. It is our Master’s living philosophy: to keep moving forward, even if you are covered in mud and vomiting blood.
"If we only have confirmed data up to the fifteenth floor, we should assume it is at least double that."
"Yes. It is only a rumor, but there is talk of a party that reached the thirty-second floor."
"...Even if it isn't quite on the level of our Master's, we should assume it exceeds fifty floors."
After all, our Master’s dungeon exceeds one hundred floors. Moreover, that dungeon itself has a demonic specification where it is considered a "dud." Yes, we are the ones who challenge dungeons that possess such traits.
"But, in the end, it is only to that extent. We must not let our guard down, but there is no need to be overly intimidated. We have been thoroughly trained by our Master. We have survived all sorts of absurdities: traps in the hallways, traps in the rooms, the floors themselves being traps, the stairs being traps. There is no way we cannot clear a dungeon that is clearly just a standard one."
As I said this, everyone nodded. Our Master does not simply pamper us. It is precisely because we have conquered a demonic difficulty level, layering absurdity upon absurdity, that we have this confidence.
"As the Captain says, the Master isn't involved in this dungeon, and we have permission for 'weapons free' if it comes to it."
"Exactly. We have been told that the use of firearms is unrestricted. Monsters and traps are no match for us."
In terms of firepower, nothing in this dungeon town can compare to us from the start. Well, I don't intend to use armaments that would cause the dungeon itself to collapse, of course.
"What is required this time is speed. And we must not give the enemy any information. We will act with that as our goal."
Yes, speed. We must assume that we are already being watched the moment we entered this dungeon—no, the moment we arrived in this town. The longer we stay, the more our information will inevitably leak. To prevent that, a swift dungeon conquest is required.
"First, we will dash through to the fifteenth floor using these maps as a reference. Beyond that, we will use sonar to grasp the terrain and head to the lower levels. We will eliminate only the monsters that get in our way."
We held our meeting until just before bedtime, then rested our bodies thoroughly to welcome the next day.
"Five, four, three, two, one... zero."
As the countdown hit zero, we cut off our small talk with the surrounding adventurers and dashed into the dungeon.
"As planned, we head first to the unoccupied passage on the first floor."
"Understood!"
We weren't foolish enough to run at full speed while surrounded by people. We pretended to explore properly while intentionally veering into an alleyway.
"Is anyone following us?"
"No. We will continue to maintain vigilance."
No pursuers. Since we were intentionally taking the wrong path, if someone were to follow us, it would either be Zuraburu's unit, who had infiltrated with us, or some other troublesome entity.
"Then, we will immediately move to seize the dungeon using the Core. All-around vigilance."
"Understood!"
I took out the Core and dropped it onto the dungeon floor. Now, I hope we can seize it...
With that anxiety in my heart, the Core sank smoothly into the dungeon floor before my eyes. *Plop.*
Now, let's open the call screen. Is there enough DP? I opened the screen, cold sweat running down my back...
*“Dungeon seizure is possible. How would you like to proceed?”*
The success screen appeared. Before I could even rejoice, I immediately pressed "YES" to begin the seizure process and opened my mouth to report.
"Reporting to the Master. Target is capable of seizure. Currently in the process of seizing."