Side: Liliana
My favorite things are burning away. How sad and hollow it all feels. In more ways than one, I feel incredibly frustrated.
To think that I was ousted from the throne of the Demon King by a pervert like that...
...No, I need to pull myself together.
The elimination of the Demon King—no, the pervert—is finished as planned. Next, we must head to the dungeon and rescue everyone from the peace faction.
"Yuki-san, that should be enough. May we head to the underground prison next?"
"Ah, yes. Wait a moment. Let me check the situation inside the castle. Milly, Tori, watch the entrances and exits. Ria, keep your shield up and watch the windows. Rurua, prepare the fake as planned."
"""Understood."""
Yuki-san immediately issued orders and everyone moved into action.
Ever since Yuki-san protected me in Weed, I've been watching how he acts. Honestly, isn't he fully utilizing the Dungeon Master authority he received and displaying its power to the fullest?
The core authority over the dungeon is held by Elju-san, but from everything I've seen so far, I do not think Elju-san is particularly suited to ruling—though saying so may be rude.
However, Yuki-san, who is effectively commanding this operation, is on a completely different level. His strategy planning, decisiveness, and masterful use of the dungeon's characteristics—this person is no ordinary individual. Undoubtedly, he must be involved in some way with Weed's staggering development and the implementation of policies based on entirely unique concepts.
Yet, he is not merely an intellectual... Truthfully, his magical power far exceeds my own.
This time, because of national appearances, he's holding back his personal combat involvement, but I doubt it would be possible to stop Yuki-san if he got serious.
I still find it questionable why someone like him is only serving as a staff officer.
"Operation Execution Team here. Reporting operation progress. We selected Spear. Target Arrow cleared. Moving to next target Beta. Current time 23:24. Operation progress is extremely favorable. Over."
『This is headquarters. Acknowledged. We pray for the success of the operation.』
『Onii-chan, Onee-chans, do your best!!』
『Nii-sama, Nee-samas, do your best!!』
『Fufufu, this is the retreat security team. No signs of the enemy noticing us yet. We will continue securing the route.』
Even now, they communicate as if they are standing right next to each other, sharing the status of the situation. From the speed of communication to their responsiveness, in every respect, the small nation of Weed stands head and shoulders above any other on this continent.
"Now then, reports are done. Let's see what's happening inside the castle..."
Yuki-san used his Dungeon Master skills to grasp the positions and status of enemy forces throughout the castle.
His actions were efficient and his decisions swift.
...Just how does one become this capable? I'm not sure even generals or royal guard captains could perform at this level.
"Alright, everyone listen while remaining alert. No need to open the MAP individually."
"""Yes."""
"Currently, roughly 70% of the castle has been silenced. As expected, we couldn't get everyone while they were hidden. There are three locations with strong resistance. First is the soldiers' barracks inside the castle. We sent 10 teams as reinforcements, so it should settle down soon. Second is the royal guard who were on duty. They immediately reported to their captain and are fighting back, but since it's night, they're not doing very well. Third is one of the remaining Heavenly Kings. Just as Liliana said, it's the power-pushing type, Jesta, right? Thanks to his high defense in addition to his attack power, we haven't been able to land a fatal blow yet. We're sending 30 teams each to support the second and third locations. The remaining 30% should be manageable with 40 teams."
I was stunned by Yuki-san's report.
The number of demon race working in the Demon King's castle isn't large compared to the total population.
However, there are at least 3,000. Of course not all are soldiers, but there are still around 1,500... And yet, 70% have been silenced in about 20 minutes? I understand the summoned monsters are powerful, but they shouldn't be opponents that demon race like us would lose to so quickly.
"No remaining enemies between here and the underground prison target. Yep, it's going as planned. The support magic from the Wight Noirs is terrifying. They put them into a deep sleep, then the Dullahan Assassins capture or kill them, while the Shadow Snakes take out the patrol soldiers."
I see. That's why they avoided doing anything that would wake the enemy.
Indeed, even if there are over 3,000 people working in the castle, most of them are asleep at night. This operation using these specific monsters was perfectly targeted. Furthermore, since those who were sleeping were bundled up like cocoons, it should be noted that far less blood was shed than might have been necessary.
"We'll begin moving to the underground prison at 23:30. Liliana-san, I'll leave the lead to you."
"Understood."
"Ria, what's the situation outside from the window?"
"It's quiet. Are there really people fighting?"
"The soldiers' barracks are in a separate building away from the main castle. The royal guard's station is on the opposite side. One of the Heavenly Kings is fighting in his personal room, which are located in the four cardinal directions. Liliana-san, once you regain power, I recommend reviewing the security system and placement."
...It's hard to imagine there being any commander or unit better than him.
"Milly, Tori, how's the outside?"
""No sign of anyone.""
"Rurua, how are the preparations for the Doppelganger?"
"Yes, all ready. Here is the pervert's Doppelganger."
Before us stood a doppelganger mimicking the Demon King — or rather, the pervert.
Well, since it was a doppelganger on the inside, this version was actually more decent.
"Alright, we'll take that fake with us. It'll make it easier for the people in the dungeon to accept the situation."
Certainly, rather than persuading them alone, making this fake pervert kneel before them would be more effective.
His head has barely been preserved intact, but that is for the people remaining at the checkpoint. The people imprisoned underground here are my allies within the peace faction, so unlike the checkpoint, there is no need for selection.
What mattered was the fact that they were liberated under the fake pervert's "rule" and that the monsters had been eliminated.
If we caused a clash with the hardliners here, word would definitely reach the Demon King's army currently on the march. Therefore, until we captured the fortress and this castle, we needed the pervert to remain "alive" — at least in name.
And once that plan was executed, even the hardliners would have no choice but to join the peace faction.
"23:30. Commencing operation."
As Yuki-san spoke, everyone moved quickly outside, maintaining a lookout while waiting for me.
Whether that plan succeeds depends on my ability to persuade them. Right now, I must focus on succeeding with the goal before my eyes rather than making optimistic predictions for the future.
I stepped out into the hallway and began to run through the darkness once more.
This is the path to the future.
