When I was working as a civil servant, I was found out to be a muscle-brained knight by the princess knight and got sent to the front lines - Episode 104

Episode 104

In the unexplored lands of humanity, beyond the fortress city of Novalis at the easternmost edge of the Kingdom of Tashman, lies a cluster of ancient ruins.

An alchemist, bound tightly like a rolled mat, was lying on the ground. He was surrounded by people who, at first glance, appeared nearly indistinguishable from humans. However, they called themselves “Demons.”

There were about ten of them. Victor, while shifting his body slightly, surveyed his surroundings. The barrier he had prepared just in case had been completely neutralized.

Even though it was a simple barrier, it was still a magical tool crafted by Victor. Its performance was no trivial matter. Yet, these demons had effortlessly nullified it, proving their formidable nature.

Demons—the general term for a humanoid species not classified as human, though their exact name is unknown. Their existence is not widely recognized within the human domain, including the Kingdom of Tashman.

However, Victor had come across references to their existence in the forbidden books of the Academy and in the private collection of the Alchemis family. Additionally, the atmosphere surrounding the Divina Church suggested they too were likely aware of these creatures.

Isn’t it strange that more people don’t wonder what lies beyond these unexplored lands of humanity?

In the past, there were those who was driven by curiosity like Victor and ventured into these regions. And it seems that the few adventurous souls who did so encountered the Demons as they delved deeper into these uncharted territories.

Humanity’s territory has been strangely slow to expand. Even in stable times, the human population within the Azelion continent that was led by the Kingdom of Tashman has been consistently increasing.

Humanity has every reason to expand its dominion, and the Kingdom of Tashman at the forefront has employed various military and strategic measures to do so. Other countries within the human domain have also provided various forms of support to the Kingdom of Tashman. They helped despite their differing interests and primarily through trade.

Yet, human territory doesn’t expand easily, as though some unseen force is at work.

The recent Great Southern Uprising is a case in point. For the past few years, just as the Kingdom of Tashman was taking numerous steps to push forward the southern front, a massive invasion of monsters occurred. Similarly, prior to the Great Southern Uprising, there had been fierce battles in the north. As human activity intensified in the cold northern regions due to the improvement of magical tools, just as northern development began to advance, the monsters launched a large-scale counteroffensive.

Whenever humanity tried to push its frontiers forward, massive armies of monsters would appear as if in a strategic response.

Many before Victor had sensed the oddity of this pattern, leading to a theory: Could it be that the monsters themselves are moving strategically?

And from that theory emerged the idea of a leader directing the vast monster armies—an imagined figure known as the “Demon.”

With this background, Victor found himself deeply intrigued by the Demons. Since he was already planning to leave the kingdom for a while, meeting them had become a natural goal.

The northern and southern fronts of the Kingdom of Tashman had both recently been struck by large-scale monster invasions. Meanwhile, the eastern front remained eerily quiet.

As everyone speculated whether the next conflict would occur in the east, Victor made his move—and he found exactly what he sought.

The alchemist, still bound tightly and lying on the ground, twisted his mouth into an evil crescent moon-shaped grin.

・　・　・

Shinjuku Dungeon License Center. One of the several dungeon license centers scattered across Tokyo.

Managed by the Dungeon Bureau, this facility oversees all tasks related to dungeon exploration. They include explorer registration, achievement updates, and rank management.

Jez and René arrived at the center on a weekday afternoon to register for their dungeon licenses. While the facility was lively due to the time of day, it was not overly crowded.

Following the steps they had researched online, Jez and René proceeded with their explorer registration. After completing the various administrative procedures, they took a simple paper test that lasted about an hour, followed by a lecture.

Explorer registration consists of two parts: a paper test and a practical exam. For those enrolled in or graduated from explorer schools, the paper test is waived.

Both the theoretical and practical training sessions require ten hours each, as mandated by the government. Whether ten hours of training is long or short for preparing to face life-and-death dungeon exploration is a matter of perspective, but it is a certification system established after much trial and error.

Jez and René started their training on the first day without any issues.

They chose Shinjuku because it was close to Kichijoji and because René wanted to see a big city. When they first visited Shinjuku, René was awestruck by the towering buildings. Although she quickly got used to riding the trains, the sheer size of the city still surprised her.

The Shinjuku Dungeon Center is located in the West Shinjuku area, with the Shinjuku Dungeon situated within its grounds. When the dungeon first appeared in Shinjuku, it caused quite a commotion. However, thanks to the efforts of explorers and the Dungeon Bureau, it is now so well-maintained that even internet access is available inside the dungeon.

Today, the Shinjuku Dungeon is classified as a first-class dungeon and is strictly managed. Its upper levels are used as practical training fields for license examinations, while the mid and lower levels have become popular among explorers due to the convenience of the location.

On the first day of their training, Jez and René set foot inside the Shinjuku Dungeon along with the other participants for the very first time.