Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Handelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Permanent Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
“B-but even if it’s a dangerous monster, we defeated it, so there’s no problem, right!!”
Kaido tried to dispel the dark atmosphere, pointing at the defeated monster’s body with a cheerful demeanor.
However, neither I nor Memoria could respond with words of affirmation to Kaido, who was trying to change the mood.
“Memoria, do you think this is the only one of these monsters?”
“…No, I don’t think so. I must say your way of thinking, Kaido, is overly optimistic. Furthermore,”
“Is there something bothering you?”
“If this monster’s characteristics are as they were before, it shouldn’t reproduce or multiply. Therefore, as you said, it should end with us defeating it. However…”
“Is it naive to simply reuse a monster that has a history of being defeated? If I were to use it, I would at least modify its specs.”
“I agree. This monster is designed with the assumption of being attacked. Since it has been defeated before, it would be unnatural to not have any countermeasures in place.”
The excitement of anticipating the reward money had subsided, and instead, an indescribable anxiety simmers within me.
When I glance at the ominously sealed spoils of war, what initially seemed like a lump of gold now appears to be a troublesome item.
“…So, as Memoria said, it’s not impossible for it to have had its reproductive or multiplicative functions added.”
“It’s not uncommon for something impossible back then to be possible now, so we have to consider that too.”
“Ugh, does that mean there might be more of these things inside that dungeon?”
Kaido’s complexion turned pale as he imagined a scene of countless Evol Eaters spreading throughout the dungeon in his mind.
However, throughout our conversation so far, one thing bothers me more.
“…Memoria, do you think this monster was prepared by the Generals?”
“Huh? What do you mean? If it was in the dungeon, it means our company prepared it, right?”
“…I pray that’s not the case. If it turns out otherwise, this thing could become a serious problem.”
“???”
Kaido doesn’t seem to grasp what I’m trying to say.
He seems to understand that this monster is troublesome from Memoria’s explanation, but he hasn’t considered the background behind it.
“So? What’s the verdict, Memoria?”
“We have obtained physical evidence, but the details are too complex to make a definitive judgment based solely on that. Dungeons are facilities containing a massive amount of secrets within the Demon Lord’s Army. If the Generals were to prepare something that would make them consider self-destruction, let alone let it run wild, they could be suspected of treason. Considering how easily information about a monster prepared with such risks could leak out…”
“You’re saying the preparation was too sloppy?”
“Or it could mean there’s no longer any need to hide the information.”
“So what does that mean? Please explain.”
“It means there might be an internal conflict. No, it’s more accurate to say the seeds of internal conflict have already been sown.”
The bad premonitions are piling up.
If this were just a monster that escaped from a laboratory during an experiment and we defeated it, I could laugh it off as worrying for nothing.
However, this possibility is the least likely among the scenarios we can consider.
I take out a cigarette from my pocket and put it in my mouth.
I don’t light it.
The act of just holding it in my mouth helps me organize my thoughts for a moment.
“Listen, Kaido. While its existence is troublesome, in a way, it’s already over. No matter how troublesome it is, we already see a course of action. If there are others, we will find and eliminate them all. The process might differ, but the outcome should be the same.”
I voice my thoughts to Kaido, partly to organize them in my own mind.
And when I say that he should understand by now, Kaido nods in silence.
“The problem starts from here. The prerequisite for carrying out this task, finishing the extermination of the Evol Eaters, is that there is no interference. However, it’s not that simple.”
The fact that Memoria doesn’t interject means my thoughts aren’t entirely off the mark.
“The problem is whether this was brought in from the outside or originated from within.”
Saying that, I look at the remains of the Evol Eater.
Following my gaze, Kaido also looks.
“If it was brought in from the outside, this is a clear act of hostility towards the Demon Lord’s Army. If it originated from within, at best, the person in charge will be disciplined for insufficient supervision of an item that violates taboos. At worst, it means the one who released it into the dungeon has committed treason.”
“Do you understand? Either way, we are already involved in a problem. To add to that, if it’s treason, it means at least one General is now an enemy.”
I can’t say who has turned into an enemy here.
Because I have no idea who is responsible.
Even if I were to assume the Kuzuri (Queen of Insects) is the culprit just because this monster existed, there might be someone else who sent it to the Kuzuri’s dungeon.
Anything said here is mere speculation, just our own conjectures.
We are discussing the worst-case scenarios, but perhaps the reality is stranger than fiction, and the reason might not be as serious as we’re making it out to be.
I wish it were so, but my intuition tells me to face reality.
“…Isn’t that bad?! We have to report it quickly!”
“Calm down. Memoria has already made the report. The supervisor should be heading this way to investigate it.”
I try to calm Kaido, who starts to panic after a few seconds of realizing how troublesome the thing we brought back has become.
“It seems they’ve arrived while we were talking.”
“Is that them?”
“Yes, for now, we’ve only performed sealing procedures.”
“Understood. Begin the procedures.”
” ” “Yes!” ” ”
As if sensing something, Memoria looks towards the entrance, and we follow her gaze.
A few seconds later, the space distorts slightly, and about ten people teleport in behind her.
The supervisor, as if not wanting to waste time on greetings, confirms with Memoria and then gives instructions to a group of people in white coats, likely from the laboratory.
Dark Elves, Orc Shamans, and Demons, each in charge, release the seals and perform new procedures using not only magic but also tools.
Their movements are swift.
“You seem to have a knack for getting into trouble, Jiro.”
“It’s not that I seek out trouble, but…”
As soon as he finishes giving those instructions, the supervisor walks over to us.
“Is it a constitution or fate, well, it doesn’t matter, time is precious. Briefly explain the situation from the discovery of this thing to its defeat.”
“Understood.”
I omit the details of why we entered the dungeon and simply explain the process: the dungeon seemed strange, so we scouted it, encountered the monster, and defeated it.
“Jiro, when you cut this monster’s magic stone, it stopped moving. Is that correct?”
“I can’t say for sure. After all, most creatures die if they’re cut vertically. I only thought this was the core because there were no other magic stones, and I assumed it was the heart.”
“I see…”
“Evia-sama, as expected.”
“Ah, no doubt. There is a mother organism.”
Having grasped something from the explanation, the supervisor falls silent for a few seconds, then agrees with Memoria’s words.
“Do you have any basis for that?”
“You wouldn’t understand it as you’re not a specialist, but for magical creatures, the core is the most crucial part. It means the heart, of course, but more importantly, the nature of the creature as a being, how it exists, is engraved in this core. The spell determines the direction of its genetic makeup, so to speak. Look at the magic stone that became the core, which you cut. It has a clean surface, doesn’t it?”
“…Indeed.”
“A first-generation magical creature would have some emblem carved on it. This magic stone doesn’t. However, it possesses the characteristics of predation and growth as a creature. That means it has adapted to those traits genetically. From that, we can deduce that this is a second-generation or later creature.”
“So, there is an entity that gave birth to it?”
“Yes.”
Then, the remaining problem is where that entity is.
While we are discussing this, the opponent is multiplying.
We are falling behind when we shouldn’t be.
“Then, the problem is where it is, but-”
“There’s no problem. We have a rough idea where it is.”
The supervisor, as if gently chiding me not to panic, taps his heel once.
That alone activates a spell.
Two spheres float up and align in parallel.
Seven lines connect them.
“As I suspected. To think it even possesses spatial consumption… they were well-prepared.”
“Spatial consumption?”
“It’s exactly as it sounds. The ability to consume the invisible concept of space.”
“Is that dangerous?”
“It’s like swallowing a concept whole. If you’re directly affected, physical defense is meaningless. However, on the other hand, if it consumes too much indiscriminately, there’s the danger of falling into a sea of subspace and wandering forever in nowhere. In such a case, escape is impossible unless you have the luck to find a single grain of gold in the desert. Even if you could get out, the probability of reaching your destination is even lower. However, this time, it must have found some way to reach the dungeon, opened a side passage, and infiltrated. Otherwise, it’s hard to believe it could act so systematically.”
“I see.”
While listening to Memoria’s explanation, the supervisor traced each of the connecting lines between the magic spheres. His brow twitched for a moment, and he murmured that he’d found it, then dispelled the holographic magic.
“…Notification! Half of the personnel are to transport the monster upon completion of the sealing procedures! The remaining half are to notify each department! Issue an A-class emergency immediate response order. Suspend normal operations and prohibit the formation of military units and the entry of testers into dungeons.”
” ” “Yes!” ” ”
“That’s how it is, Jiro. If you value your life, gather your party and convey this information. Don’t forget to forbid them from speaking of it.”
The premonition had become reality.
The supervisor issued swift instructions, and after giving me my final order, he departed again via spatial teleportation.
As I began to take action to do what needed to be done in the face of a coming storm, another thought ran through my mind.
Jiro Tanaka, 28, has a girlfriend.
His girlfriend is Suella Handelberg.
Memoria Tris.
Occupation: Dungeon Tester (Permanent Employee)
Magic Aptitude: 8 (General Class)
Position: Warrior
Word of the day: Do what needs to be done, then think about what comes next.
This concludes this entry.
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