It’s been a few days since Dungeon Tester and I, as part of the Tester First Division, officially began operations.
So far, we haven’t encountered any significant problems.
Thanks to deciding on a clear policy from the start, the newcomers have also been able to act with clarity and purpose.
I’ve read the first reports, and they aren’t just daily logs; they are proper reports that identify points for improvement and propose solutions.
If our first-year trainees had submitted such reports when they were newcomers, the dungeon difficulty might have risen even higher.
“So, this month’s conquest is the Machine King’s Dungeon?”
Satisfied with this, I focus on my own tasks.
Besides my duties as section chief, I naturally have my work as a Dungeon Tester as well.
“That’s right. It’s Amili-chan’s dungeon.”
“We need to get past that fort soon. We’ve been stuck there for quite some time.”
And so, our party, the Moonlit Perch, holds its morning meeting in the party room assigned to each squad.
Katsu and Amelia are at school today on break. Minami, who is at university for supplemental classes, is also not present.
The employees here are myself, Kaido, and Kitamiya, who has no lectures today, making for a rather offensively-oriented party composition.
“It’s going to be tough to conquer that fort without a healer and support.”
While agreeing with Kitamiya’s sentiment, I rack my brain, wondering if this party can really conquer this literal ironclad fortress.
However, without Katsu, our crucial healer, Minami, who has a broad perspective, and Amelia, who can be an ace up our sleeve in emergencies, conquering it is currently far from realistic.
“In that case, shall we go back a bit and work on improving other floors? I think we could do a lot of things there.”
Seeing my hesitation, Kaido offers an alternative.
“Then, let’s go to the fifty-eighth floor. That large Golem there would be good practice.”
Following that suggestion, Kitamiya expresses her own preference.
The floor she mentioned has a large, multi-legged Golem as its floor boss.
It shares many similarities with the spider-like Golem that guards the fort.
“That one, huh? It does seem like it could be a stepping stone to conquering the fort. We can probably take it safely.”
Golems continuously spawn, and magical artillery rains down from the ramparts.
It takes a lot of effort to conquer a place where we have no geographical advantage.
Even though I know it’s our job to conquer it, the hardship never ends.
Thinking that the road ahead is still long.
“What about the other parties?”
“Benny-kun’s group from the second squad is in the Demon King’s Dungeon with the fifth squad today. They initially said it was better to have more people.”
“The third and sixth squads are tackling dungeons separately. The third squad is in the Tree King’s Dungeon, and the sixth is in the Undead King’s Dungeon.”
“And the fourth squad is in the Giant King’s Dungeon.”
I believe the current operations are going well.
Our department is divided into three units.
Our first unit and the newcomer fourth unit.
Benny’s overseas group, the second unit, and the newcomer fifth unit.
Kato’s Fuji-ranger team, the third unit, and the sixth unit.
We call them Unit One, Unit Two, and Unit Three, and they support each other.
Unit One is responsible for the Machine King’s, Dragon King’s, and Giant King’s Dungeons.
Unit Two is responsible for the Demon King’s, Machine King’s, and Tree King’s Dungeons.
Unit Three is responsible for the Undead King’s, Tree King’s, and Giant King’s Dungeons.
The Tree King’s, Giant King’s, and Machine King’s Dungeons overlap.
The first two are prioritized because their overall conquest depth is shallow.
The Demon King’s Dungeon has progressed to some extent thanks to the efforts of the first-year trainees. For the Undead King’s and Machine King’s Dungeons, our efforts have paid off, and they are more progressed than the other four.
In the case of the Machine King’s Dungeon, it was an exception where the number of assignments doubled due to Kato’s strong request.
The Dragon King’s Dungeon is exclusively handled by our first unit.
It is too much for newcomers to handle.
It will be unlocked eventually, but only after they build up their strength, so that’s still some time away.
There may be changes as the conquest progresses, but for now, we plan to continue with this setup.
In the office, there is a display board showing which dungeon each party is challenging.
It’s like the ones in dormitories where you can tell if someone is out by hanging a board on a hook.
This is necessary to confirm that each unit is discussing which dungeon to conquer and scheduling accordingly, and that it is functioning properly.
“A smooth start.”
“Yes, there don’t seem to be any problems so far.”
“I hope it continues peacefully.”
And there’s a surprising lack of trouble.
We hear rumors from other departments, but they seem to be keeping their information sealed, so we only catch whispers of topics.
I feel I need to hone my ears for that eventually, but if there’s no trouble, it’s fine for now.
“Well, there’s no point worrying about it. Kaido, Kitamiya, let’s get going.”
“Yes! We have to show the newcomers how cool we are!”
“I can’t see it, but I don’t want to be seen slacking off, so I’ll do my best.”
Unburdened by the tension and excitement of the newcomers, we attire ourselves in our gear and head for the dungeon. As we leave the party room adjacent to the office and pass through the office towards the dungeon.
“Ah! Jiro-! Read this document after you get back from the dungeon! It’s from Evia-sama!”
“Understood! Please leave it on my desk!”
“Alright! Well then, do your best to help me improve my evaluation!”
“If you didn’t say that, I’d do my best more readily.”
Keiri-san, who was doing administrative work, waves a brown envelope.
From her lack of apparent urgency, it’s clear this isn’t an emergency.
Deciding it can wait, I ask her to leave it on my desk and leave the room. As we head down the path leading to the dungeon, we begin to see other testers.
“It’s quite refreshing, isn’t it? I didn’t used to run into colleagues when walking around like this.”
“Indeed.”
Kaido nods in agreement, looking back at the scene with deep emotion.
It’s certainly become much livelier.
When I visited the shopping street before, there were several shops bustling with activity, as if the previous emptiness was a lie.
Conversations between testers seeking new weapons or making preliminary visits, and store clerks.
This is likely the natural state of things, but for someone who remembers the past, it feels slightly out of place.
“However, I’m still not used to these gazes.”
“It can’t be helped. We are, after all, a top party. It’s part of the fame.”
I reply with a smile to Kitamiya, who laments the current situation in a slightly embarrassed tone.
The occasional piercing gazes are not malicious.
In fact, sometimes they seem to contain a hint of admiration.
These are not from the newcomers in our department, but from testers in other departments.
“It’s not that it’s bad, but it’s rather embarrassing. It feels… itchy, I guess?”
“Ah, I know that feeling! Sometimes it feels so awkward, doesn’t it?”
Celebrities might be accustomed to this, but unfortunately, we are people who were ordinary citizens until just last year.
We weren’t popular in school either, and we rarely experienced this kind of attention.
And then.
“They’re following us.”
“They are following us.”
Perhaps not a free ride, but behind us, there’s a palpable sense of anticipation, of opportunistic hope.
When one person gathers, then two, then three, more and more people arrive.
The presence of people keeps increasing, and they are all properly equipped, making it clear they are about to tackle a dungeon.
“Shall we… run?”
“I refuse to get tired before even entering the dungeon.”
“Even so, with our current strength, it wouldn’t be that tiring.”
“It’s tiring mentally.”
Although a large group of about twenty people has gathered, and I wonder if it’s okay to lead them, there’s no real way to deal with it.
We continue on to the floor in front of the dungeon entrance.
“Ugh.”
“No, Kitamiya-chan, I understand how you feel, but ‘ugh’ is a bit much for a girl, don’t you think?”
“What can I do?”
Upon arriving at the floor, we encountered a presence we’d rather not meet.
There’s always a chance of encountering them if we’re in the same company.
However, if asked whether we’d willingly meet them, the human answer would be no.
“Hey, good morning Karen.”
“…Good morning, Toru.”
Himusumi greets us with a cheerful smile, and behind him, his party members, Nanase and Kawasaki, are visible.
Several others are nearby: a large, well-built man, a tall, slender woman, and a petite woman.
“Are you heading to a dungeon too?”
“Don’t ask me to state the obvious.”
The atmosphere isn’t overtly hostile, but it’s certainly not good.
Kitamiya exudes an aura of not wanting to talk, while Himusumi projects a desire for friendliness.
Regardless of their intentions, it’s not a pleasant sight for onlookers.
“Don’t be so cold. I want to be friends like we used to be. We’re childhood friends, aren’t we?”
“Just a lingering connection. I have work to do, so can I go if you have no other business?”
To an outsider, their conversation might sound like a couple trying to get back together.
The problem is that the newcomers, who are unaware of the situation, are wondering what’s going on and are making speculations based solely on the atmosphere. I worry that the newcomers, and the others we’ve brought along, might start spreading rumors. For Kitamiya, who has been apart for over half a year, the relationship is something she’s moved on from.
“I do have business. There are things I want to ask you.”
Himusumi, whose recent behavior has been odd, still seems to harbor feelings and has an air of about to say something strange again.
Thinking, “Here we go again with the troublesome stuff,” I reluctantly intervene.
“Himusumi, sorry, but we’re in a hurry. If it’s not work-related, please postpone it.”
“…I apologize. I may have been too informal.”
I expected him to push back, but he seems to know his place and can suppress his emotions. He has also acquired the skill of closing his eyelids with a smile, making his emotions unreadable to his eyes. He’s learned to control his emotions with a pause.
“See you later, Karen. I’ll call you later.”
“…Let’s go.”
Himusumi, who seemed to be reflecting, extends an invitation to Kitamiya, but she dismisses him and begins walking towards the dungeon entrance.
“…Are you okay?”
“Do I look okay?”
“No, you don’t.”
I approach her as she walks quietly, feeling the gazes from behind, and softly speak to her. As expected, I hear Kitamiya suppressing her irritation. Kaido, perhaps having noticed, rests his arm behind his head, pretending not to hear.
“Ugh, I want to blast some big magic.”
“You can use it on the boss, but for now, manage your magic power properly.”
“I know!”
Thinking that nothing has gone right since this morning, I shift my thoughts. As I’m about to pat her shoulder to help her release some stress, I glance back and see Himusumi chatting with his party members as if nothing had happened.
Hoping for the best, I pass through the dungeon entrance.
Another Side: Sage
“Hmm, this should be enough.”
It’s been about a month since I established my base in this ancient dungeon, and preparations are going smoothly.
The number of subordinate monsters is steadily increasing. I’ve been extremely cautious, taking care to expand my subordinates slowly and subtly so as not to raise suspicion about an unusual surge in monster numbers.
“Whoa, why is Uncle working so hard? I noticed we’ve already conquered this entire forest. I don’t like it. I hate that my obsessive personality is being reflected in this way.”
My senses increase; eyes and ears multiply, bringing in more and more information. However, this is the frontier of the Demon World. Important information has yet to arrive. The small familiars I sent into towns, like rats and bats, cannot yet enter key locations, nor do I intend for them to. This man understands that such facilities are equipped with familiar countermeasures, and acting rashly would come with risks.
“Haa, having a deadline is also unpleasant. I need to hurry, but hurrying is dangerous. What kind of unreasonable demand is this, Princess? Why on earth did you assign me this job?”
While lamenting, the man’s hands don’t stop. He is steadily advancing his preparations to acquire a new ecosystem. Using the monsters he’s brought under his control, he gathers resources with utmost care to avoid detection. Before he knows it, the ancient dungeon, practically in ruins, has been transformed into a sage’s workshop.
“Haa, I don’t like it, I don’t like it. I don’t want to work, but expectations are telling me to work.”
He mutters to himself in such a place. Only the dominated monsters can hear him. There is no reply to the man’s voice.
“Once this job is done, I’m absolutely going to seclude myself in the frontier. I’ll buy some beautiful elf slaves to take care of me and live a leisurely, carefree life away from politics!!”
Even as he says such things, his hands don’t stop. And this man knows, even if this job is finished, the future he imagines probably won’t come. After all, what this man is doing is not creating peace, but rather pulling the trigger for the next war.
“Ah! I want to seclude myself!”
As the man shouts such things, subjugated monsters gather around him.
Another Side: Sage End
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*The first volume of the novel is published by Hayakawa Bunko JA.
It was released on October 18, 2018.
The e-book version was also released on October 31 of the same year.
Volume two was released on December 19.
The third volume was released on February 20, 2019.
The contents are a revised and expanded version of the story posted on Shosetsuka ni Narou, with the addition of unpublished interlude chapters.
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