Side: Yuki

Well, it looks like Marley—the Wind Knight Princess, or simply "Princess-san" as I call her—has finally recovered enough energy to speak.

Given that she tried to leap at me the moment I walked in, I have to wonder where all that supposed terror went.

"Ria, let her go. I doubt this princess-san is going to attack us here."

"Understood. Though, to be honest, I highly doubt she possesses enough strength to successfully attack anyone right now anyway."

"Nugugu..."

Gritting her teeth in sheer frustration, Princess-san relocates herself properly into her chair.

"Well, first of all, I'm glad to see you're uninjured."

"...What do you intend to do with us?"

"Getting straight to the point, are we? And here I heard you were completely paralyzed with fear just a short while ago."

"That was when the demi-humans were the ones primarily handling us. Personally, I harbor no prejudice, but as humans, my nation has subjected them to a mountain of discrimination. It wouldn't have been the least bit strange if we were slaughtered out of pure historical retaliation."

"Ah, so that's what you meant."

That made sense.

Mobu and the others had said they didn't want to handle female prisoners and returned to the dungeon with Steve's group.

The goblins had also been the main force responsible for the battle, so aside from helping transport the wounded, they hadn't interacted much with the prisoners.

That meant Tori and the others had mostly been the ones looking after Marly and her soldiers.

Yeah, no wonder she had been scared.

"Well, that means we can have a normal conversation now, right?"

"Yes. There is no issue."

"Alright, regarding your treatment: since our mercenary group independent bypassed and broke your army, I hold absolute jurisdiction over all captured supplies, equipment, and prisoners."

In reality, I don't actually want or need any of it.

Normally, a mercenary bands would be throwing a massive riot over gold, food, and women—assuming we were living strictly by the standard lifestyle metrics of this continent. But for us, we can easily procure whatever supplies we want through the dungeon network, and my subordinates are paid properly and completely satisfied.

Plus, even if we took this continent's local currency, it holds zero value since it can't be spent back home in Weed. The only place my goblins can actually go shopping is within Weed's markets anyway. Furthermore, there is absolutely no risk of the female prisoners being violated. My goblins' collective personal motto is: "I'd rather just relax than do extra work."

According to the Guildmaster and Zargis, when goblins are provided a completely safe, stable living territory unlike wild ones, their biological drive for hyper-frequent reproduction drops drastically.

"Then... you have no intention of handing us over to the demi-humans?"

"Well, that's where things get a bit complicated. As a matter of fact, we're currently experiencing a slight friction with the villagers."

"What do you mean? I was under the impression that you were hired by them."

"Less 'hired' and more 'blackmailed,' to be precise. The demi-humans intended to use this victory over the Jilva Empire as political leverage to gather scattered tribes from all across the continent."

"What?!"

"And the ones who actually wiped out the imperial advance force that arrived before you... was us."

"Which means they intentionally let those initial soldiers escape just to draw you out here?"

"Exactly."

"I see... I thought it was incredibly bizarre. If an army of my caliber could be completely suppressed or killed, how on earth did the soldiers of that incompetent noble manage to flee back to town?"

"Ah, let's clear up a misunderstanding there. We 'captured' them, but we didn't kill them. Every single one of them is alive. We just inflicted heavy enough injuries to ensure they wouldn't cause a ruckus or try to escape."

The sheer disparity in our combat capabilities was just that vast.

"...So to you, we were little more than playthings."

"Let's set that aside for now. Right now, we're discussing your fate. Do you understand our exact positioning?"

"Yes. You have no reason to tie yourselves permanently to the demi-humans. Which means... if I promise to report to the Jilva Empire that your group is not an enemy, will you release us?"

"Wow, you're actually kind of an idiot, aren't you? The Jilva Empire's absolute peak military asset—yourself—along with your elite direct forces, was completely wiped out. Do you honestly think the Emperor or whoever runs your country is just going to ignore the mercenary band that accomplished that?"

"Tch... It seems you aren't fools either."

"My, testing my reactions when you're a prisoner? You've got quite a bit of nerve. Should I execute one of your subordinates right in front of you to teach you some manners?"

"Wh-?!"

"Look, I understand that given your status, you can't exactly grovel. But we hold absolute initiative here. Seeking a compromise is fine, but leave the testing behavior at the door. If we wanted to, we could completely exterminate your entire group in the truest sense of the word."

"...That would mean total war with the Jilva Empire."

"Only if someone survives to report it. You're talking about war when your entire force is dead or captured. The soldiers who fled before will likely keep their mouths shut to protect their own interests anyway. And even if your empire does choose to invade, we'll just wipe them out too—beating them so thoroughly that the thought of attacking this area never crosses their minds again."

"You honestly believe you can win?"

"Hey, don't ask that when you just lost to a force of 150 with 2,500 troops."

"That may be true, but the Empire's total military strength exceeds 300,000. If even ten percent of that force marches upon you, you will have absolutely no way to defend yourselves."

"We do."

There is absolutely no way we'd lose.

If push comes to shove and things get genuinely messy, I'll just unleash a relentless parade of modern military weapons.

Furthermore, she doesn't seem to comprehend that she would be picking a fight with Weed's entire military ecosystem. In terms of sheer numbers, if I wanted an immediate clash with the Jilva Empire, I could easily summon roughly 10,000 level 100+ monsters in an instant.

At that point, it isn't even a match anymore.

When you factor in our peak combatants, achieving a victory against us would require an empire to possess an equivalent level of technological civilization. With their current reliance on basic swords and magic, they are centuries behind us.

"Well, it's not like I actively enjoy fighting wars for fun. If you agree to keep completely quiet about everything regarding us, I'm willing to let you go."

"What exactly am I supposed to keep quiet about, and to what extent?"

"Let's see... everything about our mercenary group in general? Actually, never mind, it'll get leaked eventually anyway. Hmm, there's really no point in forcing an information blackout. Even if the news travels back and causes your military to mobilize another army, it'll take at least two or three months, right?"

"Naturally. However, another magic sword user will come. Indubitably. While they may be individually inferior to me, if they coordinate their efforts, they can completely surpass my capabilities."

"Heh. To think there are other magic swords out there."

I mean, I completely expected it. But seriously, why is it strictly limited to swords? Swords are so fundamentally inconvenient to use.

"An army numbering over ten thousand, including multiple magic sword wielders... You truly claim you can defeat them?"

"Ah—yeah. It'd probably be effortless."

"What did you say?!"

Ah, my true thoughts slipped out.

There's no way a magic sword could ever pose a genuine threat to us. Steve managed to deal with it with total leisure, so there's absolutely no way my wives or I would ever struggle against them.

Furthermore, from a structural standpoint, those swords are completely meaningless against me.

"I was defeated without ever getting the chance to utilize the full extent of my magic sword's power, but next time will not go the same way! The other wielders will know that I fell. They will unleash their absolute maximum power right from the inception of the battle! Do not underestimate them!"

"No, the only one underestimating things here is you... Oh, I've decided on your release condition."

A highly entertaining idea just popped into my head.

Ultimately, whether I execute the Princess or let her go, the enemy army will eventually march on this village sooner or later. However, killing her would only make the demi-humans happy, and given their utterly pathetic attitude toward us, wasting effort for their benefit is entirely pointless.

If I simply let her walk away for free, she and her staff will just report straight back to the Jilva Empire and return with a massive vanguard. While that might make things easier for us since the villagers would likely flee, if the demi-humans discover I let her go willingly, our relationship will collapse entirely. We still need to investigate the core cause of the ambient magic depletion on this new continent, so causing a massive political rift here is highly undesirable—especially if the depletion turns out to be directly tied to the demi-humans.

On the flip side, keeping them secured as prisoners indefinitely means an enemy force will inevitably come knocking to rescue them, and forcing ourselves to maintain and feed them is a massive waste of labor and resources.

"What is it? What must I do to secure our release?"

"You will duel me in a one-on-one match while fully wielding your magic sword. If you win, I will release you unconditionally. If you lose... let's go with Jessica. I will claim Jessica as our personal prisoner of war."

"What...? That condition is absurdly lenient. What could you possibly hope to gain from such a term? If Jessica happens to be your particular type, you have the military power to simply force her into your bed right this instant, do you not?"

"Sigh... I have a full house of wonderful wives back home, so I am completely full when it comes to women. I just noticed that Jessica possesses incredible administrative and clerical capabilities, which would be highly convenient for handling paperwork."

"Ah... Jessica's bureaucratic and organizational skills are indeed magnificent. I rely on her heavily."

"Then we have no issue. If you don't want Jessica stolen away from you, all you have to do is defeat me."

"No, that is not what I am asking! I am asking what strategic meaning this holds for you!?"

"No matter how this shakes out, someone is going to put a target on our backs eventually. To be completely blunt, I want to minimize the number of active enemies we make, as it will only hinder our true long-term objectives."

"Come to think of it, you mentioned earlier that you did not actively choose to join this conflict. Is that truly the stance of a mercenary band?"

"Well, I have absolutely no obligation to sit here and explain my life story to you. To put it simply, I have no desire to completely go to war with the Jilva Empire by executing you, and I also want to avoid a hostile relationship with the demi-humans. Therefore, I will create a scenario where it looks like you managed to escape our custody. Of course, letting you go completely free would be entirely devoid of artistic flair, so I figured I'd collect some data on these magic sword wielders while I'm at it."

"...I see. You require this duel to formulate tactical countermeasures against future magic sword users. Very well. I accept your proposition."

* * *

And just like that, the one-on-one duel against the Princess was officially locked in.

"So, what exactly are you planning, sir?"

"Zargis, you noticed it too, right? What did you think when you examined the magic sword I returned to the princess?"

"It was abnormal. To think a weapon could siphon that massive volume of ambient mana only to display that much level of power."

Exactly.

When I examined that magic sword, I felt a strong sense of discomfort.

The fundamental quality was entirely different from the enchanted weapons Narjia-san custom-makes for us. Or perhaps it's better to say the engineering philosophy itself is warped.

"I'll share the results of my appraisal with you, and make sure you don't blink during this upcoming fight. Pay close attention to that green orb embedded within the hilt. Despite its altered shape and coloration, that thing is undeniably a Dungeon Core."

"What!?"

Zargis froze.

"Furthermore, it has accumulated a massive amount of mana—or rather, DP. Given that it has been continuously deployed in active warfare, that's hardly surprising."

"...I see. So that excessive mana absorption is due to the active Dungeon Core's function?"

"Maybe. Though I don't know the exact details yet. That's precisely why I want to avoid keeping that specific magic sword anywhere near our primary assets."

"Agreed. If it truly acts as a localized core that actively absorbs a ridiculous amount of mana, we absolutely cannot afford to keep it in close proximity to our high-density magic environments."

"Yeah. I considered simply destroying it, but..."

"Given that we currently have no understanding of the true purpose behind the creation of these magic swords, recklessly destroying it or forcefully altering its ownership would be a highly ill-advised strategic move. Ah, so that is why you are engaging in combat—to actively extract operational data."

"Precisely."

While Zargis and I finished our quiet analysis, the Princess concluded her final briefing with Jessica, who served as the stakes for the match.

"Forgive me, Jessica. I swear upon my honor that I will secure our victory."

"Princess... I believe in you with all my heart."

How tragic.

Though, in reality, the terms are staggeringly generous. Even if she loses, the only consequence is that a single administrator gets transferred to our payroll.

"Well, shall we begin the match?"

"Hmph. This time, I am unleashing my absolute maximum power right from the inception. Do not assume your previous tricks will function against me so easily."

The Princess draws her magic sword, and a localized gale begins whipping violently around her frame. Could you please cut that out? You're kicking up dust all over the place.

"Ria and Jessica-san will serve as the official referees for this bout. Lethal force is permitted, but the moment our side deems a combatant incapacitated, the match is officially concluded. Please ensure you understand this rule."

Both sides offer a firm nod of acknowledgement.

"Awaited combatants, step forward... Begin!"

The moment Ria drops her hand, the Princess immediately unleashes a violent swipe of her magic sword from her starting position.

"I am fully aware of your raw physical power! However, let us see how you fare against a long-range engagement!"

As the magic sword carves through the air, a massive vortex of wind—a veritable tornado—manifests and surges directly toward my position. I wonder if I can simply cut through a vacuum wave?

Ultimately, my theoretical question never received an answer.

"Wha-!? It vanished?! The wind... disappeared!? How is this possible?!"

Naturally, it was the direct result of my localized Magic Nullification Field.

In standard atmospheric physics, a tornado extends from high-altitude atmospheric pressure down to the surface. Therefore, when introduced to a localized space completely stripped of operational mana, the artificial vortex loses its structural integrity and instantly vaporizes into a harmless mist.

Scientifically speaking, a tornado occurs when a highly developed cumulonimbus cloud generates a high-speed updraft vortex that extends down to the ground. If one were to meticulously follow those principles, generating a cumulonimbus cloud directly in front of the Princess and setting the ground connection point to myself would allow the vortex to sustain its physical form even without active mana.

However, because this continent relies far too heavily on lazy, all-powerful magic constructs to handle the heavy lifting, her spell behaves exactly like this when denied its fuel source.

"This... is the exact same technique you utilized to instantly extinguish that fireballs and my vacuum waves during our initial encounter, isn't it!?"

Hoh. To accurately deduce that mechanism after only witnessing it twice is highly impressive. Though, I'm far from nice enough to sit here and give her a full breakdown of my kit.

"Well, it's my turn to attack, if you're ready?"

"Guh... In that case, let us see how you handle a simultaneous multi-directional assault!"

The Princess swings her magic sword in a rapid, sweeping motion, sending a cluster of multiple tornadoes hurtling toward me from various angles.

How naive. I am actively maintaining a Magic Nullification Field. No matter how many individual projectiles you throw, the exact millisecond they cross the boundary into my zone, they are systematically neutralized into nothingness.

"W-Why... Why will it not pierce through!?"

"I assume this demonstrates my point perfectly. From the very beginning, the presence of a magic sword wielder holds absolutely zero strategic relevance to the outcome of this war. There is no 'underestimating' to be had here. And furthermore..."

I instantly project the Magic Nullification Field directly onto the Princess's exact coordinates.

"...? It will not manifest...? In that case, awake, my blade! Unleash your true potential!"

You really should have started the match with your absolute maximum power.

Wait... could it be... that? Like how unleashing the true potential of that magic sword inflicts backlash damage upon its wielder?

I stood there, fully waiting in anticipation for her ultimate attack to manifest...

...Silence.

Absolutely nothing happened.

"Why!? Why will the magic sword not respond!?"

Ah, I see.

So that magic sword behaves exactly like a common piece of iron when caught inside a nullification field.

Since my technique doesn't actively drain the core's stored internal pool but rather denies the environmental output mechanism entirely, she can't utilize any projection-type abilities whatsoever.

Well, I've gathered all the data I need.

"Well then."

"Eh?"

Though I deliberately pulled my punch to ensure it wasn't lethal, a single precise strike to her abdomen sends the Princess collapsing instantly into the dirt, completely folding over.

"The match is concluded! Jessica-san, do you accept the result?"

"...Yes. The Princess... lost."

Phew. That solved one problem.

I'll make sure to process Jessica's designated protection paperwork properly and integrate her into our staff as quickly as possible. This expedition team is severely lacking in high-level bureaucratic assets, after all.