落とし穴外伝：彼女がついてきた理由
Dungeon Pit Side Story: The Reason She Followed
The Reason She Followed
Side: Lilishe
When I first heard the story from Yuki, I thought, *Ah, so this time has finally come.*
In the past, there have been gods who stood against us, but we could at least hold a conversation with them. And while there were hopeless cases like Aquenoque, Luna-sama dealt with them personally with divine punishment, so that was fine. But this time, Yuki asked us to handle the cleanup as well.
In other words, this is a command to commit god-slaying.
I wonder if I’m the only one who truly grasps the weight of that fact right now?
The other goddesses are taking it quite lightly. They still believe there’s room for negotiation, and the wives all seem to think, *Well, it’s Yuki, so it’ll be fine.*
But Yuki is clearly fired up. He’s already moved past the stage of talking things through. That’s exactly why Luna-sama told him to just go ahead and do it.
Ah, no, that’s not quite right. Taizo-san, Souta-san, and perhaps Taiki-kun—though it’s hard to tell with him—probably understand.
Well, it would be nice if it could be settled through discussion, but I doubt the other side would ever agree to that. After all, they’ve already toppled three kingdoms with their own hands and taken countless lives. It’s a bit late for talk.
That is why Yuki is crushing them without hesitation, utilizing the full might of Weed.
What unfolds before my eyes is an efficient, ruthless assault born of science and magic. There is no damage on our side; there is only the relentless, continuous application of power designed solely to slaughter the enemy.
The people of the Ioa Kingdom, who said they would help, can do nothing but watch in stunned silence.
I was surprised at first, too. I hadn’t expected them to specialize so thoroughly in killing the enemy with such efficiency. But then again, this is also a way of cherishing one’s allies. Instead of both sides suffering wounds, they can achieve victory unscathed. That is significant.
That is why I do not deny this way of being. In fact, I am impressed. It’s staggering to see what humans are capable of. And it speaks volumes about how constant the warfare must have been in Yuki’s homeland.
That is precisely why Yuki and his people fundamentally loathe and despise war. Yet, that does not mean they will not fight. It means they show no mercy to those who violate their sanctity. I suppose that is the temperament of their home.
They are usually gentle, yet when it comes to battle, they are cold and fierce. It’s as if they cannot forgive those who return evil for good. Well, that is only natural, I suppose...
"They're fast, aren't they?"
I mutter this to myself, gazing at the mountain looming before us.
The mountain in front of us is where the former god known as the Demon King resides. Why are we here? It’s simple: the enemies surrounding the royal capital of the Ioa Kingdom have been literally annihilated.
They were wiped out by merciless bombardment, gunfire, and the overwhelming power of the enchanted equipment crafted by Narjia-chan. It didn’t even take half a day—it was over in an hour or two.
And they immediately began their next move. Usually, after such a bombardment, the ground would be cratered and littered with corpses, requiring time for cleanup and clearing the path. But...
*"Since it’s under the dungeon’s control, I can easily pave the way, so it’s no problem."*
With Yuki’s dungeon powers, he instantly transformed the terrain into a road suitable for tanks and infantry alike, and the march began immediately.
Whether it was luck or misfortune, it seems the enemy had gathered almost their entire fighting force for this one battle, so we were able to march straight to the mountain where the Demon King hides.
It has only been two days since we started. No, to be precise, perhaps a day and a half? It is 18:00 on January 4th in Weed. It still feels like the New Year.
No, that’s not it. It’s just that Yuki is merciless—or rather, it would be more accurate to say he has no shackles holding him back.
Until now, even with overwhelming force, he properly negotiated with other nations because he needed to maintain good relations with them in the future. But this time, this is the only remaining kingdom, and there is no need to worry about the relationships with others. Even if they become hostile, this country has no reinforcements and no national power. Everything is contained within this land.
Well, if it’s an opponent that bites the hand that fed it, other great powers won’t complain. In fact, they might even be happy to have a land where they can conduct exercises to their heart’s content. Yuki seems to have realized that possibility as well.
Still, we are relieved knowing he wouldn’t abandon the Ioa Kingdom. If he intended to do something unreasonable, he wouldn’t have brought us here, let alone shared the information with us.
As I am thinking this, a bowl of soba is suddenly placed in front of me.
"Lilishe-sama, would you like to eat?"
"I would. Thank you, Rurua-chan."
I take the tray with the soba and begin to eat at the table.
"I ate this before the New Year, but soba really is delicious, isn't it?"
"Yes, it’s quite good in terms of nutrition as well. It’s a crop that grows even in cold regions, and it seems it was eaten quite often at Danna-sama’s home."
"Delicious and nutritious. Ah, how wonderful."
*Slurp, slurp...*
No one gets angry at me for slurping the noodles like that. In fact, they say that making such sounds is the proper etiquette for noodle dishes. Well, hearing that sound...
"Oh, I’ll have some too!"
"Calm down. Hairen, it seems to be over there."
"That’s right. They aren’t going to run away."
Hairen-chan, Hifie-chan, and Senal-chan seem to have been drawn over to eat by the appetizing sound. It’s nice, isn’t it? The sound of something delicious.
"So, what about Yuki?"
"What do you mean?"
"The Demon King is right in front of us, isn't he? When will you launch the attack?"
"Ah, well, the sun is setting, so we’ll attack tomorrow at daybreak."
"Hmm."
So they do things properly after all. Well, there’s no reason to go out of our way to advance in the dark. You never know when the opponent might go berserk. It would certainly be troublesome to jump into the heart of the enemy in poor visibility and get surrounded.
"Um, Lilishe-sama, regarding the subjugation of the Demon King... that is..."
"It’s fine. I have no particular complaints about it. It’s just that when opinions clash, the outcome is inevitably a matter of life and death."
I know full well that Rurua-chan is concerned about my feelings regarding the killing of my own kind. That’s just the kind of girl she is.
"Besides, if you listen to Luna-sama, didn't this affect the Rogali Continent as well? That means the trouble reached our doorstep, too. I won’t just leave it be. If Yuki had refused, I would have gone in myself."
It is fine to abandon people. It is fine to destroy people as objects of hatred. But if that hatred reaches our domain, it is the same as picking a fight with me—someone who has decided to protect what my daughter has guarded. I will simply crush them.
When I said it so bluntly, Rurua-chan blinked in surprise, then immediately laughed.
"Lilishe-sama, you are unexpectedly a militant, aren't you?"
"That’s right. I’ve been training to beat Faide, after all."
I throw a few punches into the air in front of me.
"Ahaha... Please, not too much with Faide-sama... he is leading the agricultural reforms centered on Weed, after all..."
"I know that. You and Yuki are good girls for knowing how to handle that stubborn fool. You should work him even harder."
Having finished my light joke, I sip my tea and continue.
"Anyway, I just thought it would be nice to hear their final cry before they are struck down. They are my own kind, after all. And since I’m pushing the cleanup onto Rurua-chan’s husband, the least I can do is that much."
Normally, if a god needed to be stopped, it would be us, their kin, who would do it. The fact that we are leaving it to Yuki means we lack the strength to do it ourselves. I know that, but reality is a bitter pill to swallow.
Being able to provide support is the best I can do.
"Lilishe-sama..."
"Don't worry about it. I just came to see the ending. Still, it’s a bit scary that it’s all going to end so quickly during this season when the soba and mochi are so delicious. If I’m not careful, they might finish the subjugation while I’m still eating."
"Ahaha... I think that’s quite possible."
It seems Rurua-chan was thinking the same thing. It really is surprising how quickly they can do it when they show no mercy or restraint.
I’ll have to refrain from eating during tomorrow’s Demon King subjugation.
It has become unexpectedly long, but I plan to finish it in a few more chapters. Thank you for your patience. After all, there is no way the goddesses wouldn't follow along in this situation.