Side: Yuki

Well then, the princess and her people had escaped, and things with the village had at least reached a temporary resolution.

All that's left now is to construct our defensive fortifications and prepare for the inevitable arrival of the enemy's main army.

I’ll leave the task of rallying and organizing the demi-humans entirely to the village Elder and her staff. The political landscape out there is still far too volatile for us to get directly involved, and to be perfectly honest, our own military forces are already fully prepared, so we have absolutely no practical need for them anyway.

That being the case, the most important thing to do right now is to get along with Jessica Wide — formerly of the Jilva Empire’s Wind Princess Knight unit — who holds information on our future enemy, the Jilva Empire.

Which means the most important thing right now is getting along with our newest source of intelligence on the Jilva Empire—the nation likely to become our enemy.

They say information is more valuable than gold, after all.

"So, Jessica. What do you intend to do from here on out?"

For now, let's respect her will. Consider this the critical first step in raising her affection meter: showing basic consideration.

Even though she is technically a prisoner of war, as long as she doesn't attempt to escape, she remains an invaluable source of intelligence. Besides, Jessica herself hadn't actually harmed us.

They might have marched an army against us, but we sustained zero casualties, and our stockpile of physical resources barely took a hit.

The most we spent was some high-end liquor to reward Steve and the guys after our victory, the physical labor required to transport materials, and the rope needed to bind nearly 2,500 prisoners... Oh, and I suppose the medical expenses to patch them up?

Under normal circumstances, that would represent a non-negligible drain on resources, but because I have access to the dungeon system, I can instantly replenish supplies using DP, making the cost completely trivial.

Barring some absolute cataclysmic emergency, the probability of our DP completely drying up is virtually non-existent, especially with Weed's massive population of over 13,000 residents consistently generating points to support us.

"What do you mean by 'what do I intend to do'?"

"You're a prisoner, yes, but I still intend to honor the terms of my agreement with the Princess. As long as you don't try to flee, I have no intention of barking absurd commands at you. I want to respect your personal agency. Though, obviously, I’d appreciate it if you shared as much information with us as possible."

"Do you intend to launch an offensive against the Jilva Empire?"

"No, this is purely for defensive purposes. As you can see, our raw numbers are far too small. On top of that, from a geopolitical standpoint, we are technically branded as enemies of the human race. Initiating an unprovoked attack under those conditions would be the absolute height of stupidity, wouldn't it?"

"You're absolutely right. As for me, I'll be reported as dead. Running away means I'd have to defect to another nation. The Jilva Empire has taken care of me all these years. I have no reason to serve another country. As promised to Her Highness, I shall focus on either seducing you, Yuki, or gathering intelligence about this place."

"Hmm. A bold spy declaration. Though, I can't let you anywhere near our deep-level secrets, you know?"

"Understandable. Which is why I shall devote myself to winning over the leader himself. You may do as you please with me. There's no need to worry—I won't attempt assassination. You, Ria, and this mercenary group are valuable enough that sacrificing myself would still be a bargain. If necessary, I will sincerely fall in love with you."

Uh-huh.

Talk about a textbook career soldier.

Putting that aside for a moment, if I register her under our Designated Protection status, it will serve as both a safety net for her and a metaphorical leash for us, ensuring our collective security. Given her current compliant attitude, she seems highly likely to accept the terms.

Shall I give it a shot?

"In that case... if you're willing to accept my Designated Protection, I can show you a fair amount of information. What do you think?"

"What exactly is this ‘Designated Protection’?"

As expected.

She wasn't the type to agree immediately.

"Well... explaining everything from the beginning would take forever. To put it simply, you know those slave collars people use? Think of it as a simplified version of one."

"A simplified slave collar? In what way?"

For the sake of a quick review, I begin outlining the active auxiliary parameters of the Designated Protection status: within the dungeon's boundaries, committing lethal acts is physically impossible, movement can be restricted, the leakage of confidential information is strictly blocked, long-distance telepathic communication between registered individuals is enabled, and, naturally, executing an attack against me is completely forbidden.

Since tossing around the word "dungeon" wouldn't make a lick of sense to her right now, I omit the conceptual dungeon mechanics and focus entirely on the functional realities.

"I see. There is virtually no difference from a slave collar. The only distinction seems to be that you can ease restrictions out of kindness."

"Yeah, that's pretty much the gist of it. Though, conversely, I possess the authority to completely isolate a registered individual in a blank void if necessary, so in a sense, one could argue the absolute constraints are actually far more absolute than a physical slave collar."

Elju once remarked that Designated Protection felt significantly lighter than a slave collar, but that perspective only applies if you're looking at it from the protected party's point of view. If your primary goal is to completely bound someone's actions, it is an infinitely more troublesome mechanism than any physical collar.

"But in exchange for accepting this, you will truly reveal the secret behind the overwhelming strength of your mercenary group?"

"Well, it's not exactly a massive secret or anything..."

To be completely honest, dragging people down here without warning usually just causes their brains to completely short-circuit from the sheer cultural whiplash, which makes the onboarding process incredibly tedious.

Even someone as sharp as Jessica is going to have a hard time wrapping her head around it, so showing it to the Princess or the other high-ups would have been completely hopeless. In a way, I specifically took Jessica as our prisoner because I sensed she possessed the intellectual flexibility to handle it.

"Based on that reaction, can I take it that you're officially consenting to the Designated Protection status?"

"Yes. Please proceed."

And just like that, the status was accepted without any major pushback.

Oriel was really the only outlier who threw a massive fit over it, though I suppose that came down to our stark difference in structural positioning at the time.

"Alright, everyone! Jessica here is officially going to be our newest companion... well, sort of. Make sure to treat her well."

""""Okaaay!""""

"Sup."

My wives offer their standard, welcoming responses.

Steve looks incredibly awkward, probably because he was the one who personally went toe-to-toe with her on the battlefield.

Mobu's group just offer a brief nod and don't pay her much mind; that's just how veterans handle these transitions. No point holding grudges, I guess...? Or rather, Mobu's group is intentionally keeping its distance so it doesn't accidentally slip up and say something classified.

"Hello, Jessica-san. I am Sheila. I would be absolutely delighted if you could share some of your stories with us later."

"Hi, Jessica-oneechan! My name is Aslin. It's really nice to meet you!"

"And I am Filia!"

"I'm Labyris... fufu."

Compared to her brief exchange with Tori's group earlier, Jessica’s expression looks noticeably stiff while exchanging pleasantries with Sheila and the kids.

"Ah... yes. It is a pleasure to meet you all."

Yeah, her posture is definitely incredibly rigid. Is she bad with kids? I should probably dismiss Aslin and the others for a bit so we can speak more freely.

"Aslin, why don't you guys head back and start prepping for Jessica's welcoming banquet? I'm going to take her on a quick tour and status briefing, so tonight's dinner relies entirely on your hard work. Show me how much your culinary studies have paid off."

""Okay! We'll do our absolute best!""

"Understood. Take your time."

"Yuki. You've brought home another interesting one."

The younger group returned to the inn.

Just as I turn around to address Jessica, who is staring blankly at their departing figures...

"Yuki! Why on earth is this mercenary band dragging small children around a military encampment?!"

Whoa, what's with the sudden explosive anger?

"The burdens of warfare should be borne entirely by us adults! The children who hold the keys to our future should be allowed to grow up healthy and safe, at least until their time comes! Why have you brought them onto a battlefield!?"

Ah, I see. She really is an incredibly earnest, textbook white knight.

"I understand where you're coming from, but leaving them behind in the civilian villages we pass through would be a terrible idea in its own right, wouldn't it? There's absolutely no guarantee those villages will remain safe in the future."

"I am well aware of that! However, a massive conflict is scheduled to erupt in this exact region in the near future!"

"Oh? I thought you said your report was going to completely smooth things over?"

"You know exactly what I mean, Yuki. The Jilva Empire is far from a monolithic entity. There are plenty of factions actively plotting to engineer the Princess's political downfall."

"Figures. I figured your report would buy us some decent time at best."

"Then why?! Why would you keep such young..."

"Relax. The kids are here entirely of their own volition, and besides..."

"There is absolutely no way a child would willingly choose—"

Then I said something that immediately silenced her.

"—Did nobody bother to brief you? The force that completely dismantled the Princess's main vanguard consisted of my core squad and those exact kids you're worrying about."

"W-What!?"

"I've been telling you from the very beginning, haven't I? The Princess's army never posed an actual threat to us. We only opted for a peaceful resolution because actively fighting your empire makes our long-term operations incredibly tedious."

Sensing the shift in conversation, Lia steps up and gently takes Jessica by the hand.

"...Where are we going?"

"You want to know the truth, don't you? The reason why Yuki and the rest of our forces possess a tier of military capability that completely shatters standard common sense?"

"...Yes."

"In that case, please follow us. Aslin and the others will be waiting for us with dinner. Let's show her around before the food gets cold. That's perfectly fine with you, right, Yuki?"

"Yeah. It’s been a while since we did a proper tour of Weed anyway. Oh, Steve! Keep a sharp eye on our perimeter defense, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. Have a safe trip, Boss. Oh, by the way, pick up some Choco Flakes for me from Super Ratz while you're out!"

Man, he's still obsessed with those things.

With that casual promise logged, I lead Jessica past the threshold and straight into the dungeon.

* * *

"Alright, we've arrived. This is the metropolitan city residing deep within the dungeon. It wouldn't be the slightest bit of an exaggeration to call this place the most technologically and culturally advanced civilization on the entire continent: Weed."

"......"

Jessica's eyes have already turned into complete, unblinking dinner plates.

To save myself from having to explain every minor logistical detail from scratch, I decided to bring her straight to the central government office building.

The structure itself is a massive, four-story building that looks remarkably similar to a modern corporate office complex. Outside the windows, pristine concrete roads stretch out into the distance, lined with contemporary residential housing and a bustling commercial shopping district.

"Now then, here’s a pamphlet. Let's see... please turn to page three first."

"......"

She opens the booklet automatically, her hands moving entirely on autopilot.

Well, at least she hasn't started screaming about this being a hallucination or a dream, which makes her reaction a massive upgrade compared to how Crack or Arshtelle handled it.

I was watching from the sidelines while letting Ria do the explaining.

"Weed's total population has been experiencing a massive, non-stop upward trajectory. As you can see, our environment is completely divorced from the outside world—isolated, in the truest sense of the word. While the pamphlet states our population sits around 13,000, our latest registry intake just pushed the official count past 17,000 residents."

"Hm? Wait a moment. Why has the population increased so much?" I asked.

"Eh? Because Liliana-san has been sending sick refugees and citizens who can't afford basic living standards through the dungeon warp gates, hasn't she?"

Seriously!?

I left all the office work to Seraria and Eris.

Dealing with government paperwork is an absolute nightmare. A true bureaucratic labyrinth... Well, Earth's government offices weren't much different.

"To think... there's a city like this hiding directly beneath the ancient ruins..."

"Hm?"

"Eh?"

Ah, right.

Since their region doesn't have an active dungeon ecosystem, she doesn't even know what a teleportation gate is. Man, figuring out where to even begin this explanation is going to be a massive headache...

"Ria, let's put the city tour on pause for a moment. We need some background explanations first."

"You're right. I'll go ahead and clear an empty room for us inside the government building."

"What do you mean? Are we not currently standing directly underneath the ruins?"

"Well, yes and no. You're technically correct, but also completely wrong."

Would she believe us if we told her it was another continent entirely?

Man, this is exactly why explaining ourselves to someone from a less advanced civilization is so difficult.

"Yuki-san, I got us a meeting room on the third floor."

"Great. Let's go."

"Please wait a moment. Based on your explanation just now, you referred to this structure as a government office, correct? A facility dedicated to managing the sensitive data and registry of thousands of citizens? To think you can just casually lease a room in a high-security facility like this on a whim... Yuki, just who on earth are you people!?"

"Oh. Right. We should probably introduce ourselves properly in terms of Weed. I'm Yuki, strategist of the Weed Army, commander of the Monster Army, and deputy commander of the direct forces. I don't get involved much in politics, but I'm considered fairly important in Weed."

"And I am Ria. Secretary and bodyguard to Advisor Yuki... and one of his wives."

"Wha—!?"

Well, her absolute shock is entirely justified.

She thought she was dealing with a ragtag band of wandering mercenaries, only to discover she's standing right in front of the high-ranking leadership of a massive foreign military superpower.

"Oh, by the way. I'm sure you're dying to send an update back to the Princess, so feel free to write a letter and mail it out whenever you want."

Consideration like this is important.

"A-As if anyone in the empire would believe a single word of this!!"

Yeah, I figured as much.

Even if she wrote down a detailed description of what she's seeing right now, anyone reading it would assume she had completely lost her mind.

"Well, this is just the tip of the iceberg. For now, let's focus on teaching you the absolute basic baseline knowledge of this world."

"Indeed. Since our core common sense might drastically diverge in areas we haven't even realized yet, a thorough study session is definitely in order."

"T-This... this is just the tip of the iceberg!? P-Princess... the adversary we have been marching against... might genuinely be a legendary Demon King..."

Ohh. First my wives brand me as a Hero, and now our prisoner is calling me a Demon King? My professional career track is certainly full of dynamic job changes.

"Jessica-san, please refrain from making such rude and inaccurate statements regarding Yuki-san."

Ria chides gently.

"I-I apologize. It was just... completely beyond the scope of my imagination..."

Hm? Ria is getting defensive over the strangest things.

Even Derieu is a literal Demon King, so I don't see why being called one is a problem?

"Yuki-san already has me, a Hero, and Deriue-san, a Demon King, as his wives. Calling him merely a Hero or a Demon King is an understatement!"

Ah.

Ah, so that's the angle she's coming from.

Jessica turns her neck toward me with a stiff, mechanical creak, looking exactly like a rusted tin toy...

"Ria being a Hero..."

"...Yeah, it's a literal fact."

The moment I answered, Jessica crouched down and buried her face in her hands.

"This can’t be real. But the scenery in front of me is real. There's a Hero... and even a Demon King? It must be a lie. But with that strength... wait, then Yuki is even stronger? What kind of creature is he? A dragon? Ah, if he’s a dragon, it wouldn’t be strange for him to be stronger than a Hero or Demon King. He’s a dragon and this city is..."

Oh no.

She's completely broken.

At this rate, I wonder if we'll even make it to dinner on time.