The Doomed Fief’s Dying Lord (44)

Ronari ordered the troops to assemble about half an hour earlier than scheduled.

The officers returning to the [0, 0] room were all grinning.

They must have brought good news.

“We’ve removed the originals, so the Dungeon should be nearly cleared!”

Something like that sounded from another room.

But what could they do now?

They had to face a rather unkind reality.

First, the staff officers wore grim faces.

“What’s the problem?”

A question along the lines of ‘Why such long faces?’ was raised.

The staff pointed to the center of the room.

What should that be called?

A pillar? A square wall?

Or… the entrance it used to be?

“What on earth is this…”

One of the Limone company commanders covered his mouth.

He looked back and forth between that former entrance and the staff.

His eyes asked a dumbfounded question.

‘How do we open this?’

The staff answered with silence.

The look asked again.

‘Have you tried to open it?’

Then Ronari glared at the company commander.

The meaning of that glare was simple.

‘You haven’t tried, have you…?!’

“Huh….”

Sighs escaped the returning officers’ mouths; some rubbed their faces.

Still, they couldn’t wipe the despair from their faces.

The first person to speak somewhat sensibly was Vittorio.

“Seems this doesn’t happen often.”

Alejandro answered him.

“To be precise, it’s the first time. We’ve never even seen this in a Grade 4 Dungeon.”

“…“

Vittorio looked up at the ceiling.

Impressive.

To keep such a solid poker face in a situation like this.

He seemed lost in thought while staring at the ceiling’s structure.

During that time, all sorts of talks passed between the staff and officers.

But none of it was original.

Why?

Because the conversation went like this.

“Like a key…”

“There’s no hole.”

“Still, maybe a crack or something…”

“You couldn’t even poke a paper in there.”

“Bring some of the guys over…”

“I guarantee you, you can’t open it by force.”

The solutions the officers suggested were things the staff had already tried.

The ‘former entrance’ seems unwilling to return to being an ‘entrance’ no matter what we do.

Like the relationship between ‘what was once a person’ and a ‘person.’

I quietly told Ronari that observation.

“Well? Pretty novel metaphor, right?”

“Terribly apt, though I’ll admit it.”

“But I gave up on saying that out loud.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s utterly horrifying.”

“Fair enough. But why did you tell me?”

“Haha.”

I thought you’d be okay with it.

‘Wow! We’re all corpses!’

…even if you declared that.

Ronari whispered to me.

“But aside from that nonsense, don’t you have anything helpful?”

“Nonsense? Harsh words.”

She poked my side with her elbow.

“Ugh.”

“Seriously, nothing? You’re supposed to be the protagonist. You take all the cool scenes. Now’s your chance to look impressive.”

“Wait a moment. I think I might remember something.”

“That ‘moment’ has already been more than twenty minutes…!”

Ronari’s voice, as she said that, was like a hammer.

She looked like she wanted to smash something right then.

Possibly my skull.

Scary.

Then Vittorio asked.

“I’ve heard the Denabi Corps are well-versed in Dungeons. Do you have no countermeasures for a situation like this?”

He directed the question to Alejandro.

But Vittorio’s gaze subtly turned toward me.

Well, I was the one who provided the Dungeon knowledge for this operation.

I’ll have to handle it for now.

I stepped forward and spoke.

“I do have an idea.”

“An idea?”

Vittorio turned his head fully toward me.

“It’s a bit complicated and still in the planning stage. It’s not something I can tell you yet.”

I continued.

“For now, what I can say for certain is that the tasks you perform will not change.”

“Won’t change? What do you mean by that?”

One of the Limone company commanders cut in.

I told him.

“Regardless of whether that entrance opens, the Dungeon must be cleared. The originals still remain and we haven’t found the Dungeon Core. I’ll think of a way to open the door, so please focus on the operation.”

“Hmm….”

The company commander stroked his chin.

Then a voice came from the Limone corps officers’ side.

“Can’t we just destroy the Dungeon Core? That should open the door, right?”

Several nodded at his remark.

A simple but decent approach.

But it’s not that simple.

“What if we destroy the Dungeon Core and it still doesn’t open?”

I asked them back.

One of them replied.

“Then we’ll find another way at that time. Any problem with that?”

“That won’t work.”

“Won’t work?”

I asked Alejandro.

“May I tell them? It won’t do wonders for morale, though.”

“Hmm. True. It might be better not to hear it for your corps’ sake. As my son says, we just do the work we’ve been assigned.”

But Vittorio did not agree.

“Let them hear it. It’s better to fight with anxiety than with questions.”

Other Limone officers nodded at Vittorio’s words.

So Alejandro had no choice.

He gestured to me.

‘Okay. So that’s the plan.’

Well, what else could be done?

You can’t turn your back on those who demand the truth.

But this is the truth you chose.

Don’t regret it?

I said to the Limone officers.

“Destroying the Dungeon Core doesn’t make the Dungeon disappear. Nor does it simply shut it down and leave it there.”

“…“

The Limone officers pressured me with silence.

“A Dungeon whose Dungeon Core is destroyed begins to drift again.”

“Drift?”

One officer echoed my words.

I nodded.

“Yes. It flows along the leyline mana currents to another land again, just like when this Dungeon came to Denabi.”

“Then what happens?”

“We become one with the Dungeon as well.”

“…?“

It was clear they found that hard to understand.

But some seemed to grasp what I meant.

Their expressions twisted.

Well, what can I say.

You asked me to tell you.

“Have you ever thought about where the ‘originals’ we hunt so desperately come from?”

More long faces appeared.

Still, I didn’t stop.

“Creatures caught up in a Dungeon’s drifting either dissolve into the leyline mana or become ‘originals’ within the Dungeon.”

“…“

Silence no longer pressured me to stop.

They seemed to wish I would just shut up.

‘But I wanted to shut up too!’

“Anyway, that’s why I said you can’t just destroy the Dungeon Core first and think later. Still, if it comes to it, you may have to destroy it. If we’re going to die, it’s better to die preventing a Mana Plague from spreading on the surface.”

“Th… that’s enough.”

One company commander interrupted me.

Then Alejandro stepped forward.

He quickly soothed the other officers.

“It’s fine. The Denabi Corps has never been completely wiped out inside a Dungeon in its history of clearing them. There will be ways to get out. My son is thinking of a method, so rest assured.”

Still, the Limone officers’ morale showed no sign of rising.

Then Alejandro’s tact came into play.

“If you keep clearing the rooms, you might find another exit.”

That idea perked up their ears.

At least it was much more attractive than ‘Shane Astrier is thinking of a method.’

A ‘maybe?’ atmosphere began to circulate among the Limone officers.

Vittorio rode that wave too.

“A reasonable suggestion. Let the combatants proceed with the operation as planned. If they find clues to escape, report them to command.”

“Good. Then rest until the next operation.”

Real commanders really have experience.

The pallid corps officers’ faces regained a bit of color.

Thanks to Alejandro and Vittorio steering things appropriately.

I returned to my seat and said triumphantly to Ronari.

“How was that? My handiwork.”

“Well done.”

“Ahem.”

“You really drove troop morale to the brink, young master. It’s a pity. You almost killed them.”

“…“

Ronari still seemed angry.

Should I appease her?

No, that would probably annoy her more.

But she spoke first.

“Why all of a sudden? That magic of yours—what is it?”

You ask too?

Someday I’ll have to gather everyone and hold an explanation session…

“At every point we thought we were short-handed, young master appeared and swept through. Thanks to you, attrition so far has been zero. Few soldiers are seriously hurt. All thanks to you. The soldiers will thank you, not me.”

“Hahaha….”

I laughed awkwardly.

She said with a pout.

“Cowardly. You used to say you’d leave everything to me. Then you bring alcohol and make strangers your comrades, and suddenly use magic… If you had such convenient abilities, you should’ve said so earlier. It throws off my calculations otherwise.”

“I couldn’t do that.”

“Why! Why are you doing that! Do you just want to be spiteful?!”

She looked up at me and scolded.

Her fist thudded against my chest repeatedly.

It hurt.

Is this the strength stamped into her bloodline?

“Isn’t it the way of heroes to appear in unexpected situations and look the coolest?”

“Hero?”

“It means a hero.”

I said.

“Also… Ronari, you should plan strategies assuming I’m not around. You’ve seen me; I’m not very durable.”

This body, Shane, has been pushed to the limit since shortly after I possessed it.

It’s already a weak body.

Living as the workhorse Lee Jungwoo’s lifestyle would be hard enough; being pushed like this can’t be normal.

Shane is on the verge of death without even worrying about the risks of magic.

I’m sorry to Shane’s family.

But what can I do?

If I don’t do this, the territory will be destroyed.

We’re working to survive, yet we must suffer as if to die.

Truly a ridiculous contradiction.

“So even if it’s unfair, keep doing what you’ve been doing. Become a Denabi that can win without me.”

“…Don’t talk like that.“

Ronari straightened her expression.

“Young master, you’re not a hero. You’re not someone who sacrifices yourself to save others. You said you’d become a Lord. You said you’d be the empire’s great ruler. A ruler becomes great on the backs of their vassals’ sacrifices. If you speak as if you’ll die first, what am I supposed to do?”

She had a point.

I had nothing to say.

She filled the silence for me.

“Please stay alive.”

Her fist tapped me one last time.

“…Take better care of yourself.“

Then she brushed past me.

She returned to the center of the staff.

She seemed intent on discussing the final operation.

A headache began to poke at me again.

Still, I had things to do.

One more task had just been added.

Ronari told me to live.

To stay alive, I first have to get out of the Dungeon, right?

I need to think of a way to leave this Dungeon.

“Busy, busy.”

My spine is going to melt.

This damned territory.

I’ll damn well keep it alive if it’s the last thing I do.

‘Then, for now….’

Shall I start from here?

“Vittorio. Wait, I have something to say.”