第１０５２堀：定番トラップ発動 (Part1)
**Chapter 1052: The Classic Trap Triggered**
**Side: Yuki**
“...And that’s the plan. We’re going to drop that goddess and her ilk into a pitfall, so get the preparations ready.”
*“You make it sound so easy, boss. We don’t even have confirmed intel yet, right? And where are we pulling the personnel from?”*
“For now, I’ve dispatched Surakichi-san’s unit, which was on standby in Weed. If we’re fighting inside a dungeon, there’s no unit better suited for the job.”
I couldn’t very well pull the units currently deployed on this battlefield. So, I turned to Surakichi-san’s slime unit, who were essentially free since they were just handling tasks back in Weed.
*“Ah, that’s a relief then. But seriously, isn’t the opposing Dungeon Master an idiot? They’ve got a Dungeon Core, yet they’re launching an assault without even securing the territory?”*
“No, I doubt there’s an opposing Dungeon Master at all.”
*“How come?”*
“You saw her too, didn’t you? She’s part of the Mid-Tier God faction, and Luna had a warrant out for her.”
*“Now that you mention it, yeah, she did.”*
“Hey, is that all you’ve got? Use your head. The system that created Dungeon Masters was built by Luna, who calls herself a High-Tier God. That means…”
*“Ah, so from that goddess’s perspective, Dungeon Masters are just Luna’s lackeys?”*
“Exactly.”
That’s right. That goddess is a subordinate of a Mid-Tier God and is acting in direct opposition to Luna’s intentions. Therefore, there’s no way she would ever accept a Dungeon Master created by Luna.
*“Wait, if that’s the case, then there’s nothing for me to prepare, is there?”*
“What are you talking about? You’ve got that region’s dungeon under Steve’s management, making it independent, right?”
*“Oh, right, I forgot about that. Let’s see… the region currently under fire is here… so we’re making the Zurable army pull back, right?”*
“Yeah, that’s the arrangement. You leave the goddess and the monsters that fell into the dungeon to Surakichi-san’s team, and you handle the monsters left on the surface. Show says he’ll try to peel them away, but no matter how you slice it, a few are bound to remain.”
*“Got it. I’ll set the range to about this much. Send the data to Show-san.”*
While I was communicating with Steve, he sent over a map of the pitfall’s planned range. They said they’d handle things on their end, but having a reference point makes it easier for everyone.
I immediately shared the data via a tablet held by one of Kirika’s subordinates, whom I had stationed near the Emperor of Eupia.
“Emperor of Eupia, can you see the map on that tablet? It’s a real-time view of the battlefield from above.”
*“I see it… I never imagined such technology existed. Tell me, are you flying something up there?”*
“Yes. I’ll explain the details once we’ve survived this battle. Now, is Show-san there? The area marked on this map is where the pitfall will be triggered…”
*“Yes, I see it. I’m glad we hadn’t taken action yet. To think such a convenient tool exists… I would certainly like to procure these as supplies later. We will retreat to this point in ten minutes, so please trigger it all at once.”*
“Understood. Try not to push yourselves too hard.”
*“Indeed. I cannot afford to let my soldiers die in vain. We will use a simultaneous magical barrage to stun them before we make our run. I leave it to you.”*
“Leave it to us. Steve, make sure you finish off the ones left on the surface. If we leave those things behind, the damage will be too great to clean up later. We’ll take care of the extra guests on our end.”
*“Aye, aye. I’ll use stealth and wait in the sky.”*
*“I’m counting on you, General Steve. I entrust the lives of my soldiers to you. And I look forward to seeing the power of the General that Aslin praises so highly.”*
*“Ohhh! As expected of the Emperor of Eupia. You know exactly how to motivate me!”*
*“There is no one who wouldn’t give their all when expected to by Aslin. And whatever you do, do not die.”*
*“Understood, sir!”*
Hey, could you guys stop getting all fired up without me? Your employer isn’t Aslin or the Emperor of Eupia, you know.
While we were exchanging these words, the preparations for the pitfall were completed. They might be cracking jokes, but they do their jobs well. Well, I wouldn’t have appointed them as generals otherwise.
“Surakichi-san, are you ready?”
*“Yeah. I’m in position. Now I just have to pray that the goddess doesn’t have any weird abilities.”*
“Recover the core first thing. It’ll be bad if they use it to seize control of the dungeon.”
*“Understood. Priority one is core recovery, as planned.”*
“Right. Once we secure that, they can’t summon any more monsters. That leaves only the goddess.”
As we were finishing our final checks, the retreat time was less than a minute away.
*“Steve unit, in position. We can activate the dungeon whenever.”*
*“Surakichi unit is ready too. Whenever you’re ready.”*
“Good. Now it’s just a matter of whether the vanguard can pull back successfully under Show-san’s command…”
*“No problem. When Show says he will do something, he carries it out properly.”*
There wasn’t a shred of doubt in the Emperor of Eupia’s voice.
We watched the battlefield footage from above in silence as magic was unleashed upon the monsters. A massive explosion erupted, and simultaneously, the soldiers began to retreat in a disciplined, orderly fashion.
They were scrambling toward the designated line, but they hadn’t managed to hold back every single monster. Some were still in pursuit, but fortunately, the numbers were relatively low.
And then…
*“Yuki-sama, now! Drop them!”*
Show gave the signal earlier than expected. Even though there were still quite a few soldiers who hadn’t reached the designated line yet.
But those soldiers had likely stayed behind on purpose to hold back the pursuing monsters.
“Understood. Steve.”
*“You got it.”*
I didn’t hesitate. Those soldiers who bravely stayed behind were fulfilling their duty. And we had no right to say anything about that. They stood their ground for their country, for their comrades, and for their families.
A moment later, the pitfall opened. The enemy monsters, the goddess, and the vanguard of the Highne Empire—along with those brave soldiers—all plummeted into the depths.
*BOOOOM…*
With that thunderous roar, a thick cloud of dust billowed into the air.
Yeah, it’s a trick I use often, but it looks like a natural collapse no matter how you slice it. Even the Highne Empire would never dream that we had intervened.
But more importantly…
“Surakichi-san, if you can, please rescue those soldiers who stayed behind for their comrades.”
*“If I’ve got the spare capacity, sure.”*
I asked for the rescue of those brave soldiers. I’d already had them place cushion slimes in the pit, so as long as they weren’t taken out by the goddess or the monsters, they should still be alive.
*“But wouldn’t it have been better to just thin out the enemy with the pitfall?”*
“If we did that, they wouldn’t admit defeat. Besides, considering their levels, the soldiers might die, but the monsters likely wouldn’t. There’s no need to kill soldiers for no reason.”
*“Well, true enough. Alright, the slime unit is moving out.”*
Surakichi-san left me with those words and charged into the pitfall.
Now, all that’s left is to wait for the results. For now, even through the thick dust, the dungeon’s data confirms that while the goddess and the monsters have sustained some damage, they are mostly still standing.
The monsters that did perish were the ones whose health had already been whittled down by the soldiers’ fierce assault.