落とし穴外伝：勇者と魔王を国として見た場合 (Part1)
Side: Yuki
The demon army that had been encroaching upon the Ioa Kingdom was eliminated as planned—or rather, with even greater efficiency than anticipated—and we were now ascending the mountain.
Well, "ascending" might be a bit of an understatement...
"This is just a normal drive, isn't it?"
As Taiki-kun noted, we were simply sitting in our seats, cruising along a paved road.
"It’s thanks to the fact that we were able to turn this into a dungeon."
"Indeed. It’s not that we couldn't climb the mountain, but it would have been a hassle."
As Taizo-san and Sota-san pointed out, we had managed to easily turn the mountain—which also served as the Demon Lord’s castle—into a dungeon. I could even pinpoint the Demon Lord’s exact location. Checking her level, it felt like she was roughly at the strength Lilishe was before she joined our party. Maybe just a bit weaker than Deryu?
All in all, it was a simple job.
"Are you sure the Demon Lord hasn't noticed yet?"
"Hard to say. It’s possible she knows but is choosing not to act."
Even as we converted the area into a dungeon, the Demon Lord hadn't moved; she remained seated on her throne as if nothing had happened. Was she unable to move due to some berserker state? I had assumed that as a former god, she would at least notice the fluctuations in the mana of the land she occupied. Of course, I had researched and implemented methods to mask such changes, but it would be overly optimistic to assume I had hidden it perfectly.
"At the very least, we can confirm her presence through the drones and the footage from our familiars."
Whether it was stupidity or something else, the Demon Lord had placed her throne in the crater of a volcano, leaving the airspace wide open. We had sent multiple scouts into that space, so her every move was laid bare. I showed the footage to Taiki-kun.
"Ah, that’s... blatant, isn't it?"
"Right? And look, there are people approaching her."
The footage showed monsters approaching the throne.
"Reporting in, perhaps? I wonder what they’re saying."
"Probably something like, 'Suddenly, a road appeared on the mountain and an iron carriage is approaching!'"
"I bet the Demon Lord has absolutely no idea what’s going on."
"I’d bet on that, too."
The sudden appearance of a road and the arrival of a car were likely beyond her comprehension; confusion was the only logical outcome.
"There aren't any scouts out, are there?"
"None. It seems they really sent almost everyone out. Even if she can command monsters, this is overkill."
Thanks to that, Steve and his vanguard were feeling let down. It wasn't even good training. They had been prepared for ambushes from behind cover, but of course, with the dungeon conversion, everything was transparent to us anyway.
"There are only about a hundred left, including the Demon Lord and those inside the volcanic dungeon. There seem to be some boss-types, too."
"Are their levels high? The basics start in the 20s, going up to the 40s as you go deeper, and the mid-bosses range from 70 to 120."
"It’s a textbook dungeon, isn't it?"
"It’s so by-the-book that I actually find it boring."
"Don't say that. It’s a standard precaution if you’re trying to solidify your defenses."
True enough. It’s only natural to build a more robust defensive network the deeper one goes. That said, for this type of Demon Lord, having the enemy penetrate deep into your own territory usually meant you’d already lost... Wait, was that wrong?
"I see. It’s different from a conventional war. Since the goal is just to defeat the Hero’s party, this is the optimal strategy."
"Ah, that makes sense. In a normal war, having the enemy enter your base is a guaranteed defeat. But this formation is designed to ensure the life is snuffed out of a small, elite group once they infiltrate."
"I see. I always wondered why the Demon Lords and bosses in games stayed in the back, but it makes sense—the best strategy for a boss is to wear the Heroes down before finishing them off."
"Exactly. I realized this after I started commanding armies. Heroes are just special forces infiltrating in small numbers. You have to leave them to the defensive network or wear them down until they can be struck down. Because for the Demon Lord, defeating the Heroes isn't the ultimate goal. The Heroes are merely an obstacle."
Yes, when you really think about it, as everyone said, the Heroes were just obstacles to the Demon Lord. There was a world to conquer beyond them. Therefore, she couldn't afford to go all-out. In this world, Heroes were certainly a special military asset, but the same could be said for us. The Demon Lord and her subordinates were also special assets, and they could be dealt with separately. I personally thought it would be better to integrate them into an army, but I suppose it comes down to which country they align with, given their immense individual power. In that case, those who were already thinking about the post-war landscape probably viewed Heroes as a nuisance.
"...I suppose that’s the best way to utilize them, even for their own allies."
"Indeed. It’s bound to cause friction regarding national affiliation, and one can only hope they manage to handle things properly after the war. Though, I say that as one of them."
"Well, that’s the nature of power without a backer. Especially in this world, where power is so easily concentrated, the threat level is high."
"Usually, they’d belong to the country where they were born and raised during that process, but... is it cruel to blame the individual for failing to think about the aftermath? Or should that be considered the duty of those who possess such power?"
"That’s hard to say. Knowledge and judgment differ based on the environment one was raised in. Well, it is a fact that learning increases one's options..."
As I said that, my wives, who had been listening, nodded in agreement.
"Learning is important."
"Indeed. It means you can't do anything if you don't have the foundation to think about those things."
"Yes."
Milly, Ratz, and Eris nodded particularly deeply. They had struggled through the hardships of national administration and were constantly studying through Japanese books and videos. They understood the value of that knowledge all too well.
As we were talking...
『General. We’ve arrived at the dungeon entrance. Should we begin the conquest as planned? Or shall we intervene?』
It seemed our discussion on how to handle the "Hero" asset ended there. We turned our gaze toward the path ahead...
"Of course we’re intervening. Focus on sealing the entrance as planned."
As if I’d let anyone go through a dungeon where they’d inevitably suffer losses.
"Any contact with the enemy?"
『No enemies near the entrance.』
So, no gatekeepers. I wondered how many forces she had sent out, but considering the "wear down the Hero" strategy, maybe it wasn't so strange? Thinking this, I activated *Dig-Dig-Woof-Woof*. I immediately initiated the terrain modification I had prepared.
『We’ve confirmed the path. We are beginning the advance and mopping-up operation.』
A straight road appeared without issue, with passages existing at regular intervals. Enemies who sensed the anomaly emerged, only to be processed the moment they poked their heads out. Even the high-level ones were dealt with equally, regardless of our firepower. We advanced through the gaps and headed toward the Demon Lord’s chamber, but...
"Gyaaaaaaah!?"
Just as that dying scream echoed through the corridor...
『This is Alpha. Neutralization of the target successful.』
It seemed it was over before we even arrived. Well, it was far better than a struggle, but I couldn't help but feel a bit unsatisfied. For the record, "neutralization" meant she had been completely incapacitated, both physically and magically. Still, one could never be too careful. It was a request from Luna, and the opponent was a former god. I intended to hear what she had to say, as there might be something to gain.
"We’re heading there as planned."
『Understood. Please be careful.』
We didn't even bother walking; we drove the car straight to the throne room, which was backed by a very conspicuous volcanic crater. There, a woman lay collapsed from the throne, bound in shackles that suppressed her magical skills.
"I’d heard 'Demon Lord' and assumed it would be a man, but..."