This story is about [the MC’s] secret schemes.
I’ve added a bit of comedy, and I hope you enjoy it.
Here you go:
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, bachelor, girlfriend: Suella Handelberg.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee) + Recruiter.
Magic Aptitude 8 (General Class).
Role: Warrior.
“Alright, I think you’ve all calmed down after last night, so today’s theme is a vicious dungeon. Calmly and mercilessly, let’s come up with as many ideas as possible! I won’t hold back either. We’re doing a brainstorming session today, so focus on quantity, not whether it’s feasible.”
Two weeks have passed since the incident. The simmering anger from before had subsided, replaced by a cold, tar-like resentment that had taken root.
I was off from dungeon work today because I had been moving at full speed thanks to the summer holidays that started last week.
Standing in front of the rented whiteboard, the usual members gathered in the party room.
“Since the target is the Oni King’s Dungeon, perhaps we should include man-eating oni?”
“What about something like a Namahage? I feel like a Japanese-style horror monster might be better.”
“It’s more about cursing than eating. It’s a shift from brute force to cunning tactics. If it were me, I’d introduce NINJA goblins!! I’d mix them in with a horde of goblins for a sure kill!!”
They were all on the same page.
Anger, if not blinding, becomes the most accessible and explosive energy source.
The drawback is its lack of staying power, but that’s a matter of how you use it.
Instead of using it all at once, it’s simply a matter of deploying it incrementally.
For me, who spent my time plotting to entrap my superiors at my previous black company, managing schedules like this was second nature.
“Considering the cost, it’s better to make it seem troublesome from the start. We also need to re-evaluate the traps.”
“What if we made it easy to enter the labyrinth’s structure, but difficult to leave?”
“That’s right. If we devise a way to prevent them from retracing their steps, it will create a considerably troublesome dungeon unless they meticulously map it out.”
As a result, the whiteboard was increasingly covered in writing.
I thought it was fitting for the Demon Lord’s Army that the concept leaned towards harassment.
The target wasn’t heroes, but people like Himusumi and his group.
Well, since they were a hero-like party, it wouldn’t be a problem.
I realized over the past week that my party, including myself, had the potential to be corrupted by a black company.
And not just passively swept away, but the kind of talent that could exact revenge while cackling and still get overtime.
“What if we imitated the operational tactics of the Self-Defense Force’s special forces?”
“It’s difficult due to the lack of information, but the military’s operations in closed spaces should be a good reference.”
“Historical books might be available at the library, and past operational methods could also be helpful.”
Even in their current state, they were discussing it seriously, but there was a glint in their eyes.
“Can we use this to our advantage?”
“If we change this, can we trap those guys?”
“If we increase that, will it become more efficient?”
It wasn’t for show or whim that we had cleared up to the eighteenth floor of the Oni King’s Dungeon in just one week.
And this fact was known only to myself, Suella, and Evia, the Supervisor.
We were still supposedly lingering around the fifth floor.
“I look forward to your next report.”
The demon Supervisor, who had arranged for this, smiled gleefully and adopted my ideas.
Ah, it’s truly helpful to have a boss who understands me like this.
“Please don’t overexert yourself. Jiro-san was a little scary this past week.”
However, Suella, on the other hand, had become worried.
Due to my experience at my previous company, I tend to retaliate without directly confronting issues.
This habit, ingrained in a dog-eat-dog world, had led me to run a bit wild.
“I’ll help with what I can. So, let’s not repeat what happened that time.”
I owe Suella my gratitude for gently admonishing me to stop.
If I can brag a little, I felt apologetic at the time, but it was overshadowed by an overwhelming sense of affection, and that day was quite eventful.
“Eh? What happened?” Don’t make me say it.
Thanks to that, I can now act with the legitimate excuse of work, calmly.
“Alright, once we have a good number of ideas, we’ll start organizing them.”
After filling the whiteboard with black and red markers, the next thing we looked at were the report sheets on the table.
In modern times, handwritten documents are still quite common.
While many companies use PCs to format their documents, handwriting hasn’t disappeared entirely.
These are improvements compiled from observations made at the scene.
“Regardless of priority, it’s about doing things that will annoy the opponent. It might backfire on us, but that’s the job. Give up. Let’s create something that’s ridiculously impossible.”
“Prioritizing the ‘viciousness’… I’m fired up!”
“Senpai, our previous company’s motto was ‘Don’t look ahead, look at the present!’ We’ve tightened our own nooses enough times!”
“Isn’t that… not good?”
“Katsu, there will come a day when you understand. It’s already here, though. Anyway, our current work is the priority. Our evaluation will change depending on the content of this task. I’m tired of people thinking we’re just messing around. From now on, we will cast aside all… restraint.”
“Ah, that’s wonderful.”
“Our senpai may seem omnivorous, but is a carnivorous type adept at hunting.”
“Corner them without attracting attention from the surroundings, and then…”
“Hmph hmph, they’re wearing evil grins.”
Well, I’m aware that my own expression is similar.
After all, I can finally get my revenge.
It’s bound to be fun.
The improvement ideas for each floor were gradually filled in.
Whether they are possible or not will be determined by the personnel in the Laboratory and the Dungeon Department.
Our job is to compile ideas suitable for the dungeon and present them to the recipient in an easily understandable manner.
The self-made maps of our party, attached as supplementary documents, also serve as material for this purpose.
The dungeon’s structure might change based on this, but that’s not our concern; we’ll adapt and act accordingly.
And here again, Minami comes in handy.
“Oh, Min-chan, your touch typing is as fast as ever!”
“Nuhuhu, I’ve run several sites personally, and during online games, I used to give instructions while fighting, so this is child’s play.”
“That’s a secretly amazing skill.”
“They say I could get a job with this skill.”
“That’s for hobbies! It’s separate from work!”
“Such an immediate answer.”
“As for me, I don’t care as long as it’s useful. Well, if I were to give advice as someone who worked at a black company, it’s better not to show off such skills for your own good. Capable people get exploited and ground down.”
“Ew.”
“That’s reality.”
Minami, who received a considerable amount of money by running websites, her talent is reflected in this report.
She has arranged the text for readability in the format I prepared, making the content easy to understand.
Honestly, I feel like she’d be more useful working as an office clerk rather than as a dungeon explorer.
Well, she’s happy doing this now, but if she were reassigned, I’d never see her typing so rapidly while chatting again.
She can move nimbly because she’s motivated.
In a good sense, Minami is an example of that.
In a bad sense, she could be seen as a irresponsible person who only gets motivated by things she wants to do, but it’s my role to ensure she’s placed correctly.
“How about adding a pitfall here?”
“What about poison gas? Something that affects humans but not goblins.”
“Quoting from an erotic game, how about spraying aphrodisiacs? If you’re thinking about lewd things, you won’t be thinking about fighting!!”
“Exactly!!”
“We’ll have to consider purchasing gas masks, and then confirm with Suella about their deployment and how to obtain skills with abnormal resistance.”
“We might also need to increase the number of people who handle traps.”
“Right, that’s true. I’m leaving it to Minami for now, but it might be tough in actual combat.”
Kaidou and Minami got carried away, and Katsu and I started to focus on how to manage their excessive enthusiasm.
I wouldn’t say I don’t have the urge to question, “Is that a fitting idea for a woman?” but it can be dismissed with the words, “That’s just Minami.”
It may not be understood, but it can be accepted if you say that our hobbies are similar to those of male otaku.
Minami thought of it, and Kaido, who could follow to some extent, assisted.
A completed idea shouldn’t fit into a normal genre.
It is unbearable to charge headlessly towards a Dungeon with the content geared towards eroge, and even more so for genres that lean towards problematic directions.
It’s probably time to change course.
“Praying that it won’t be adopted, what about the deployment of other species?”
“It might be tough environmentally. Also, it would be difficult to deploy due to command structure issues?”
“It’s like that in reality. White people not following Black superiors, or Honya’s following Yellow people – it’s the reverse too, you know.”
“Having the right members is tough. It might be possible for some subordinates, but it’s difficult on a large scale.”
As expected, there are parts that don’t go smoothly.
It’s easy to point out traps, room placements, and passages, but when it comes to personnel? It becomes difficult.
In novels, it’s common for Goblins and Lizardmen to coexist, and sometimes they form mixed armies with Undead like Skeletons, but in reality, that seems difficult.
That’s understandable.
In the first place, if they don’t have the commonality of being humanoid, their ecosystems and living environments are vastly different.
Their values and methods of operation also differ accordingly.
In short, it’s a matter of compatibility.
Goblins and Dark Elves are probably a good example.
One is an object of lust, the other is prey.
Even if the commander of the army orders them to march together amicably, it’s unreasonable.
It’s often depicted that the Demon Lord’s Army loses to the Human Army.
The reason for this is often that the army with multiple tribes is outmatched by the unified Human army, and this weakness is exploited.
Of course, there are compatible species.
Rather, the armies under the command of their respective generals are composed of those compatible species.
This army seems to have such species control to avoid unnecessary conflict.
For us testers, it would be disadvantageous to distort this for the reason that they are strong.
“Let’s put this idea on hold for now. What about weapons and such?”
“The main armaments of Goblins are daggers, clubs, and bows. Some individuals also use magic.”
“It’s a relief that the Oni tribe uses combat methods similar to us.”
“It makes it easier for us to think tactically, you see.”
“Making the enemy stronger. It’s a strange job, though.”
Then, it’s enough to create diversity within the species.
Especially the Oni tribe, starting with Goblins, then Buta’oni, Ushi’oni, Ōni, and so on. This Dungeon, with its many humanoids, tends to be hot-blooded and a bit dim-witted, but their operation methods are relatively similar.
“I want swords.”
“? Why is that? Normally it would be spears, wouldn’t it?”
“That’s right. Others might say guns, but they’re meaningless in this world.”
“Even if the Demon Lord uses nuclear weapons, it’s said to only cause minor burns.”
Weapons without magic power have little effect within the Dungeon. Isal, whose power equals total magic power, can imbue even a pebble the size of a thumb with magic, but the amount is not significant. It’s a different story if it’s magic silver or magic stones, but Mithril costs tens of thousands per shot, and magic stones are cheap but brittle, shattering the moment they are fired. Even if magic is imbued into a missile, the magic doesn’t transfer to the explosion. At most, it’s the damage from the missile’s impact. It’s said to be like a baby’s slap to a General or a Demon Lord. In other words, it’s nothing more than a sense of having hit. Even for me now, if I were hit by a Magnum bullet, unless it hit a vital spot, I’d only get a crack. Please understand.
“Ah, do you guys know about the group killing technique of Jigen-ryu?”
“Jigen-ryu? You mean that Jigen-ryu where everything is gambled on a single strike?”
“Is it that Jigen-ryu where you let out a strange cry like the leader?”
“I saw them hitting logs on TV once.”
“Ah, you’re mostly correct… which is a sad thing. Anyway, that’s beside the point.”
“Is it okay?”
“It’s fine. My dojo was originally a Kendo dojo that branched off from Jigen-ryu. In fact, the master had studied Jigen-ryu. Well, thanks to that, I was made to practice diagonal slashes to the face countless times, and I heard this from the master then.”
Jigen-ryu, which requires no second strike. Its attack power, which gambles everything on a single stroke, has yielded results that still echo in my mind even in this life. Although not invincible in one-on-one combat, it has a track record of strength as a sword technique. However, in group battles, especially against multiple opponents, it immediately shows its weakness. There are methods for dealing with a missed first strike, but that’s not important now. Jigen-ryu also has group combat methods. Well, it’s not that deep as a tactic. Simply put, it’s just a matter of a group swinging a sharp blade with all their might at one person.
“A lynching, isn’t it?”
“It’s an ordeal, yes.”
“It’s a lynching.”
“But with the Oni tribe, who have many members and are strong, wouldn’t it be perfect?”
“No, it’s scary. A group attacking with their swords, throwing themselves into it?”
“It’s true that ‘simple is best’ is often said.”
“Therefore, it might be effective. While it might be a nightmare for heroes, it could be especially so for other party members, particularly human support roles.”
When I came up with this, I thought, “Huh? Isn’t this dangerous?”
No matter how many I parried, the blades kept coming down. If it were Golems, I wouldn’t mind so much, but in Onio’s Dungeon, the numbers are different. Once they get close, that’s it. They swarm in and swing their blades with all their might.
“Ah, and I’ll add one or two more refinements to this.”
I must have a wicked expression on my face right now. It’s understandable. Everyone probably makes this kind of face when they’re thinking of something devious.
” ” “Uwahhh!” ” ”
For objective evidence, I’ll ignore the disgusted faces in front of me.
“Alright, based on the above, I’ll compile the report. Leave it to me, Minami.”
“Roger that! As we come this far, it’s starting to get fun!!”
Raising her finger typing speed as she shouts, “I’m getting so excited!!” Whether it’s because this is a space with magic power or because it’s her natural speed, she types at a pace that literally surpasses that of machines creating strings of characters, without straining the keyboard.
“I wish I had this typing skill at my previous company.”
“In exchange, the workload might have tripled, though.”
“Damn it!?”
“Was it that bad?”
“The supervisor in my previous department was a relative of the president and they were good friends. The president is amazing, but it was a typical example of a poorly formed department where nepotism led to a situation where bloodline doesn’t equal competence.”
“They had about ninety percent of the department as enemies.”
“I was hated to the point where there wasn’t a day I wasn’t told to get stabbed.”
“How did you manage to keep working? Normally, one would quit, right?”
” “Who knows? Maybe because they’re insane? (Yeah!)” ”
Some of my former colleagues even performed Ushi no Toki Mairi (a ritual curse). The person who performed it calmly got a hole in their stomach, was hospitalized, and never returned. Well, they didn’t die, you know? They just submitted their resignation to that supervisor upon being hospitalized. Because of that, the Death March at the time turned into a Desperate Parade.
“Come to think of it, how is it that it didn’t turn into a murder case? I thought someone would eventually do it.”
“Isn’t it because they didn’t want to ruin their lives by killing a guy like that?”
“Ah, but wasn’t Yanagihara-san pretty messed up?”
“Ah, Yanagihara-san, who was planning a perfect crime during lunch break. He found a girlfriend before he could execute it and they both changed jobs.”
“…It’s tough out there in the world, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s an extreme case, so it’s not a very good reference, you know?”
“Yeah, you don’t have to despair. Just think of it as part of the darkness lurking in Tokyo.”
Hearing about a company that could be described as a quagmire rather than the rough waves of society, I may have crushed their future hopes. Katsu, honestly, I’m sorry.
“What kind of profession should I pursue?”
((Stay-at-home husband?))
The predictable question prompted a profession that immediately came to mind, but I managed to suppress it by firmly closing my mouth. Somehow, I felt that Kaido was thinking the same thing. That’s how it felt.
“Katsu, you should become my wife, gozaru!!”
” “A mother supported by a NEET??” ”
“I’m working, gozaru!!”
“I hope it stays this way.”
Once again, the words escaped my mouth.
Honestly, I couldn’t imagine Katsu and Minami being apart. Deep down, I believed that no matter what happened, these two would find their way back to each other. That’s why I simply voiced the future that naturally came to mind. While it might sound strange from an economic standpoint, in atmosphere, it felt perfectly normal. The way they understood each other’s unspoken intentions, even while complaining, made me think so. Katsu walked towards the kitchen, and Minami, stopping her typing, turned her complaints towards us.
“The way you treat me is horrible, gozaru.”
“Isn’t it business as usual?”
“Katsu!?”
“Or do you want us, the leaders, to treat you like you’re in a dating sim?”
“… I got goosebumps!?”
“You hate it that much!?”
However, their conversation quickly turned into the kind of banter you’d hear from a married couple, with Katsu in the kitchen and Minami in the living room. Minami’s final remark was surprisingly harsh.
“Well, I thought the leader might be barely acceptable as a ‘wild’ character, but then Suella’s bombardments flashed in my mind.”
“Ah, so that’s why.”
That explanation made sense. Goosebumps born not from excitement, but from fear. I should be careful too.
“And what about me?”
“You were simply impossible, gozaru.”
“That’s a bit harsh, isn’t it!?”
Tough luck, Kaido.
“Well, then, it means the current situation is for the best, gozaru.”
“Right? Here’s your cocoa. Leader and Kaido-senpai, you both wanted coffee, correct?”
“Thanks.”
“Ugh, am I really that kind of character?”
After handing the cocoa to Minami, who rejoiced like a child, I accepted the coffee on the tray that was offered to me.
“Minami, what about the report?”
“Hmm? Just a final check for typos, gozaru. It’ll be quite a lot when printed, you know?”
“Just give it to me in data format, that’s fine. I’ll check for typos myself, so please transfer it to the USB drive.”
“Understood, gozaru.”
“You spent quite a bit of time on this.”
“Yeah, that’s it for today. I’m planning to take tomorrow and the day after off, is that okay?”
“Heh, asking me that is a foolish question, gozaru!! I possess one hundred and eight ways to spend my time!! Holidays are supreme, gozaru!!”
“Well, I have assignments and Minami to look after.”
“I’m—”
“Don’t spend too much money at the facility in the back.”
“I know!”
As expected, once the facility was unlocked, Kaido became engrossed in it. Fighting stimulates the survival instinct. That’s why such facilities are necessary, or so I was told. He’d earned a considerable amount in two weeks, so there was no need to worry about the debt, but I decided to add a disclaimer about overspending.
“Alright, that’s it for today.”
“Good work.”
“Good work, gozaru.”
“Thank you for your work.”
We left the party room to pursue our individual plans.
“Now then, I suppose I’ll stay a bit longer for some overtime.”
I stayed behind, reviewing the report Minami had prepared and checking for any typos or omissions.
“All right, all that’s left is to hand this over to Suella.”
I could feel a grin spreading across my face. But not yet, I must suppress it. This joy will come after the results are in.
“Now, just behold the results.”
With the USB drive containing the report in hand, I too left the party room.
**Side: Raidou**
I’m feeling incredibly good right now.
“That guy came up with something interesting.”
I am not at the company or in a Dungeon. I am at my home on a continent that exists in the space between dimensions. I fell in love with the Japanese-style samurai mansion at first sight and had the giants build it, and it fits me better than I expected. I’m currently in one of its rooms, looking over documents handed to me by Evia. My subordinates would be surprised if they saw me like this. I initially had no intention of looking at such a piece of paper. I thought it was just the usual thing and didn’t accept it.
“This time, watch closely, you’ll see something interesting?”
Seeing Jiro’s name as the creator, I ended up accepting it.
“Kuh, so I was the one who was mistaken, just as expected of the Commander.”
Interfering with Dungeons. I wasn’t enthusiastic about it at first. I helped because it was the Commander’s request. That’s all. The other Generals probably felt the same. Perhaps it was because there was someone as strong-willed as Jiro that I and Nōraifu were able to fare as well as we did. But what about the others?
“Kukuku, there’s no point in thinking about such things.”
Now, I need to figure out how to make this piece of paper a reality. Even in the Demon Lord’s Army, which values meritocracy, one cannot reach this position through strength alone. Those who possess both literary and martial prowess become Generals.
“Father, magic is leaking outside. Shippū is surprised and fell into the pond.”
“Oh? My apologies for that. Are you alright, Ina?”
It seems I got carried away with anticipation for what’s to come and ended up leaking magic. Opening the paper door, which I believe is called a *fusuma*, my daughter appears, dressed in a Japanese-style outfit. The way she nods affirmatively resembles my wife.
“Father, what is that?”
“Huh? Work, it’s work.”
“That’s unusual.”
“Kuhaha! Perhaps so.”
“But…”
“Hm?”
“Father looks happy.”
“Ah, because something fun seems to be happening.”
“Something fun? Is it about that human named Jirou that you told me about before?”
“Yep! He brought an interesting story, so today the alcohol is going to taste even better than usual!”
“… Is Jirou strong?”
“What? Ina, are you interested in Jiro?”
“… Yes, if he’s strong, I want to fight him.”
Well, well, when I do something I don’t usually do, even my daughter catches on. Ina inherited my blood, so she’s strong. Of course, she’s still far from my level! Even so, she possesses enough power to overwhelm anyone ordinary. The same goes for my other children. That’s probably why. My children, including Ina, have no interest in the weak. They think of humans as beings that can be crushed. While that is not entirely wrong, it is also incorrect. Strength and weakness are individual matters, not dependent on species.
“Wait a minute.”
“Father?”
“Alright, Ina, do you want to try fighting Jiro?”
“Really?”
“Yeah, he’ll give you a good fight.”
Knowing that, Jiro will serve as a perfect teaching material. From my perspective, Ina has superior combat power. However, he has superior spirit. It will serve as practical combat experience for Jiro and as educational material for Ina’s growth. I hear there’s something called “killing two birds with one stone” in this country’s language, and this must be it. Furthermore, my intuition tells me so. Something interesting will happen. Today’s alcohol is going to taste truly delicious.
“… I’m looking forward to it.”
“Yeah, I’m looking forward to it too.”
Now then, I should make arrangements to clear away what Jiro brought and have my daughter fight him.
**Side END**
“Ngh!?”
“What’s wrong, Jiro-san?”
“No, I suddenly felt a chill.”
“Could it be a cold?”
“Even with Magic Crest enhancement, can you still catch a cold?”
“Yes, your immunity is raised, but it’s not absolute.”
“I see.”
“You’ve been pushing yourself quite hard lately, so let’s rest slowly today.”
“I’d like to say that, but it’s a bit cold today. Let’s warm up with Suella and then go to sleep.”
“… Yes, please come.”
Lately, I’ve come to categorize my premonitions. Among them is an intuition that warns of danger. I suddenly felt it on the bed and looked around, but nothing happened. I decided it must be work fatigue. For now, I’ll surrender myself to her warmth.
Jiro Tanaka, 28 years old, single, girlfriend: Suella Henderberg
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (full-time employee) + Recruiter
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
Quote of the Day: Humans can take any action if they set their mind to it. It’s nothing to overtake those who mock me. Just look down on me. You’ll be looking up next (smirk).
That’s all for this time, but how was it? I often read war chronicles, and I truly admire the authors who set up and resolve foreshadowing. I too will strive to set up flags, so please continue to support “Let’s Create a Dungeon That Even Heroes Can’t Conquer!”
