Entering a Company From Another World! – Chapter 141

“You damn idiot lord Ann! Are you trying to turn this town into a pile of rubble, nya!?”

It wasn’t an exaggeration to call it a strategic weapon, a colossal black iron giant that, by visual estimation, would be about thirty meters tall.
Seeing it reflected in the windows of the Adventurer’s Guild, far from the Dungeon entrance, the Guild Master’s patience, whose tolerance limit was named Kaha, was exceeded.
In short, he lost his temper.
With every hair on his body standing on end, he loudly berated the entity that must have activated it, like a cat hissing in warning.
If anyone were to hear him, he might well be arrested for insult, given how agitated the Guild Master was.
That said, everyone present, with minor variations, shared similar sentiments, so no one would admonish the Guild Master for his words.
For now, it seemed best to let the Guild Master calm down by letting him vent, as he showed no signs of settling down.

“Mait, can you send out a scout? I need information.”
“Yes, that seems like the best course of action.”
“I’ll send out some of my familiars too.”
“Master, what about me?”
“Stay put.”
“Mmmph.”

We’ll do what we can on our end.
Even though I’ve been here for less than a year, my mind, which has become capable of acting calmly without being flustered by anything other than extreme circumstances, was seeking information.
I could predict the outcome, but I lacked information about the process of how things would unfold.
A small, pale black light spirit, a fairy that Mait used, and Gray’s familiar bat flew out the window.
After waiting for a few minutes…

“It seems an army is being organized around the plaza in front of the Dungeon. Including those inside the Dungeon, it’s hard to get an exact number.”
“It appears they are forming a reconnaissance team and scattering them in four directions.”
“Thank you. Does that mean they’re making their decision assuming Himik is completely outside the Dungeon? …If so, I don’t think the numbers will increase further, but what’s troublesome is that we can’t confirm they’re enemies.”

Mait gathered information from an overall perspective and reported, while Gray gathered detailed information by discreetly flying around.
Information of two types, overall and localized, was being collected smoothly.
Honestly, I wish our party had this level of scouting ability.
No, I’m not complaining, but my scouting relies on the five senses, and neither Minami nor Amelia’s reconnaissance capabilities are this precise.
I understand the saying “the grass is always greener on the other side,” but it’s human nature to want to compensate for deficiencies.
Thinking of it as a future challenge, I decided on a course of action based on the data that was continuously coming in.
The situation was clear, but its very simplicity made it troublesome: the enemy was, in a way, an ally.
Normally, I would have attacked without hesitation, but this time was different.
Even if they were allies, it felt like distant, distantly related colleagues from a different department, but they were still allies belonging to the same organization.
If I were to attack them without question, even for the sake of victory, my position would be precarious.
If we were overwhelmingly outnumbered, we would have had the choice of fleeing or launching a surprise attack, but both options were now blocked, leaving us with no moves.
It would be best, in terms of appearances, to intercept them if they attacked, but that would put us on the defensive.
Fleeing for at least a week in this closed space was not a realistic option, and while we were discussing things now, the Adventurer’s Guild wasn’t entirely an ally either.
I couldn’t trust someone I had just met, someone who might stab me in the back at any moment.
But why did I always have to be put in such dire straits? I grumbled inwardly.
And for the nth time, the thought of going for an exorcism when I returned home crossed my mind. But then again, if I went for an exorcism, wouldn’t I just get entangled in some trouble? Even reaching that conclusion meant I was doomed.

“What should I do?”
“Do we really need to overthink this? If we can’t hand over this Fallen Angel, then the course of action is simple.”
“Is it okay to just go wild?”
“While not entirely their fault, if we have a justifiable cause, we can act.”
“That’s the difficult part, though.”

I already had an idea of how things should turn out.
The best-case scenario was to leave town without any incident and return to Japan to report.
The next best would be to somehow escape this town without being noticed.
The worst case would be all-out war and defeat.

“Well, that’s unlikely.”
“? What’s wrong, Master?”
“No, I was just thinking it would be good if you remained this still.”

The worst-case scenario was unlikely.
Fortunately or unfortunately, we had enough power to prevent the situation from escalating to the worst, or at least to one step shy of it.
Well, the fact that this whole situation was caused by him didn’t need to be dug up.
So, what was the problem? It returned to the question of what to do.
We couldn’t flee, talk, or fight.
No, to be precise, we could flee, but if we broke through the barrier, it would cause damage to civilians unrelated to this conflict.
We could also talk.
However, it would undoubtedly turn into a witch trial of sorts, like in some historical period.
There was a slim possibility that my subordinates were acting on their own initiative.
We could also fight.
We might have a chance if we attacked first, but they were allies, after all. If I said I attacked because I was about to be attacked, I’d be accused of being a rogue assassin.
Doing nothing would only be a waste of time.
We could find a way out, but it would come at a cost.
If we had to choose from these options…

“Haa, I guess we run.”
“Hmm? Master, you’re not going to fight?”
“I thought that option had the highest risk. I’m also counting on the possibility that if I just break through the barrier, they’ll understand if I explain the situation to the supervisor.”

My only option was to flee.
It was the judgment that involved the least hassle overall.
If communication failed and fighting would put us in a bad position, then fleeing, even with some damage, was the only option that could be compensated for.
If I let Himik go wild by fighting recklessly, the damage could be unimaginable.

“No, nya! No, nya! I said it before, nya! Breaking the barrier means significant damage to the ley lines, nya! My family lives in a village near here, nya! I can’t allow such a thing, nya!”
“Um, if possible, my family lives there too, so I’d really prefer if you avoided that choice, if you don’t mind, nya~?”

However, this choice wasn’t something we could agree to easily.
Naturally, there were opposing opinions.
Majority-wise, Mait and Gray, like myself, agreed with the escape option, so they nodded. But this was an opinion formed in the absence of damage; it wasn’t acceptable to those who would suffer it.
And besides…

“If you put it that way…”

As someone who would soon become a father, I found myself inclined to listen to arguments based on emotions, rather than power.
It was a human tactic.
If they were people I could dismiss as irrelevant, it wouldn’t be a problem.
The Guild Master and Amiricia weren’t exactly on hostile terms with me.
Haa, a sigh escaped my lips.
I couldn’t be ruthless when push came to shove.
It was frustrating that the other party wasn’t objectively evil from my subjective standpoint.
Is this what it means to be a “Japanese person who can’t say no”?

“Haa, I guess I have no choice. I really didn’t want to do this, but…”
“W-what are you going to do, nya? I’d prefer not to have that Fallen Angel move either, nya.”
“Hmm? Master, is it my turn?”
“You’re the last resort, so wait a little longer. Gray, Mait, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to take a few steps.”

The plan had to change.
If fleeing wasn’t an option, then it was time for the next plan.

“That’s fine, but do you have a plan?”
“Yes.”

To the two who inquired about the method, and somewhat to return the favor to Amiricia, who had helped me somewhat, I presented the best course of action available in the current situation.

“Yes, I do. It will take some effort, but how about we clash head-on and break their confidence from the root, as a way to blow off some steam?”

Well then, I’ll show you the brute force taught by my instructor.
I decided, cracking my neck with a “kuri,” facing the surprised gaze of my two adoptive fathers, Himik’s glittering eyes at the prospect of battle, and the questioning looks of the Guild Master and Amiricia.
By the way, I said fighting was troublesome, but I never said I wouldn’t fight because I would lose.

***

Another Side

The number of soldiers deployable to this Dungeon was approximately four thousand.
Normally, only about one-tenth of that number would be stationed there, but in an emergency, even a regional army could muster such a force.
Even with a Dungeon present, this was an extraordinary number of personnel for a small town.
Furthermore, due to the location, their equipment and training were top-notch.
And among the soldiers were many individuals called “General Candidates,” likely to rise in the ranks.
Having so much talent among the soldiers alone indicated that guarding this Dungeon was an important task.
Such soldiers are having a nightmare.
Their comrades are blown to pieces, roars turn into screams, and the soldiers are reduced in number with nothing they can do.
And all by a single person.
Seeing this scene, the soldiers likened it to hell.

A certain company commander was known to boast that he would become a general in the future.
In fact, he had shown glimpses of his talent by becoming a company commander at the young age of fifteen.
And this emergency mobilization was also an opportunity for him to gain merit for his advancement, so while he outwardly maintained a serious expression, he was inwardly overjoyed.
Although the details were kept from the regular soldiers, he, as a company commander, was given a certain amount of information.
When he heard that an angel, whom they were using as a substitute for a Dungeon Core, had escaped, he couldn’t help but laugh inwardly.
An angel was a legendary being. Capturing such a being would undoubtedly lead to his promotion.
He thought he could aim for a position beyond battalion commander in the central army, perhaps even higher, not just a regional company commander here.
The Demon Lord’s Army was a meritocracy; factors like seniority did not come into play.
Even if one was young, they would be appointed if they produced results.
That was the world.
He looked down on the other soldiers, who, though afraid, did not show it, thinking that if they couldn’t see this opportunity as a chance, they were simply mediocre beings.
After hearing the outline of the plan and confirming that the town was covered by a barrier, his company waited for the angel to appear.
The scouts had already been out for over ten minutes. It was uncertain if they would be found in such a short time, but his wish to see the angel appear soon was granted more quickly than he expected.
The trumpet sounded, and the company commander, who was thought to be slower, moved quickly.
He immediately relayed the battalion commander’s orders to his unit and began to move.
Information was already coming in that other vanguard units had begun combat.
If he moved slowly, he would miss out on the chance to gain merit.
Moving swiftly and accurately, the scene he arrived at was…

“What is this?”

Soldiers scattering in the air.
The words he uttered uncontrollably were a sight he, as a company commander, couldn’t believe.
If only one or two soldiers were flying through the air, it wouldn’t be that surprising.
But when dozens, even hundreds, were being blown away like a sandstorm, it was a different story.
And it wasn’t the angel doing this.
Contrary to reports, the angel, with its black wings, but undoubtedly matching the description, was at the center of the battle.
However, it was walking calmly, as if it had nothing to do with the fight.
So, who was fighting?
Humans.
Compared to the species of the Demon Lord’s Army, they were inferior in strength and magic power.
That was his common sense, but humans were raging so much that it overturned it.
The battalion commander’s voice echoed, ordering them to capture the angel, and soldiers continued to attack relentlessly, but every single one of them was blown away.
The human, with a smile on their face, as if enjoying the fight, was blowing away soldiers with a giant blade held in one hand, scattering them like a pile of paper.
The arm, though thick for a human, was slender compared to an Orc or a Giant. How much power was imbued in it…
Seeing this, cold sweat ran down the company commander’s forehead.
He, who had overcome harsh training and repeatedly hunted wild magic beasts, couldn’t afford to acknowledge that sweat.
With a gasp, he wiped his forehead as if shaking off the sweat.
Drawing his sword from its sheath with a sharp sound, he slashed at the human with a battle cry.
That one strike could slay a Chimera.
The man was convinced that he could slay even this human wielding a giant black sword with this single blow. His spirit was full.

“HAAAAAA!!”

He swung down with a cry, pouring all his strength from his entire body.
Clang. The sound of metal hitting metal.

“Kaha.”

But the sound didn’t come from the sword in his hand; it came from the armor on his abdomen.
His body, struck not by the blade but by the flat of the sword, with its momentum, sharpness, and power, couldn’t even contemplate bracing itself. It was swept away into the air along with other soldiers, as if the word “endure” had been erased.
Seconds later, he hit the ground, his lungs emptied of air, and his vision blurred.
In his fading vision, the last thing he saw was the figure of a human walking towards the feet of a giant golem, whose heavy footsteps thundered, holding a giant black blade, and the back of a Fallen Angel accompanying that human.
That figure was like a hero from a fairy tale, and he felt a longing for that back as he lost consciousness.

Side out

Today’s word:
The search for a compromise always faces difficulties, and the burden falls heavily on those who undertake it.

This concludes today’s update.
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