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 94

Episode 94

The person most likely to be able to determine where Princess René and Jez have teleported to is the alchemist Victor Alchemis. It has already been a week since the formation of the task force to search for him. On the day the unit was formed, all members gathered, and discussions were held on future plans.

This temporary task force consists of key figures such as Erin, Lilly, Miriam, and additionally Lucretia and Edelmar. From Al-Faz’s unit, Jamil and Fatima also joined. From the Holy Knights, Captain Alexia Grey and Vice Captain Katrina Rivera participated as leaders. The Holy Knights’ main duty is to guard the Saint, which results in a higher ratio of female members. Particularly, Lucretia’s Holy Knights tend to reflect this. The unit accompanying this mission is essentially the Saint’s royal guard.

Additionally, the Archbishop Edelmar’s direct Holy Knights are composed of seasoned, distinguished older knights. This group fought alongside Edelmar in the previous battle against the Orc King. Given the extensive travel expected during the search, all 100 members of the highly mobile and versatile Al-Faz’s unit were included. Al-Faz’s unit is always a handy team. 

The remaining forces consist of 50 Holy Knights and 50 members of Lilly’s squad. Another 50 members of Lilly’s squad were split into five groups of ten, dispatched across various regions of the Kingdom of Tashman as separate search units. From the Academy, aside from Miriam Stonewell, four more physically capable members also joined.

Thus, the temporary unit was formed with a total of 208 members. During the initial assembly and discussion, the command structure was confirmed first. By unanimous decision, Erin Saylor was appointed the overall commander of the 208-member force. Edelmar Solemnis and Jamil Al-Faz were chosen as vice commanders.

Once the chain of command was established, the conversation quickly shifted to where they should head first. This discussion was primarily led by Miriam and the Academy members, along with Lucretia. During this, Jamil and the Holy Knight Alexia left the meeting to prepare for the expedition. 

The Al-Faz’s unit and the Holy Knights were to follow their usual marching procedures. Since the Saint and the Academy members were also involved, and considering the large number of troops, three military wagons were prepared to carry supplies. These wagons were lent by King Ramses as part of the royal guard’s equipment.

As preparations for the departure progressed steadily, discussions continued in the meeting room regarding Victor’s whereabouts. Intelligence from the king and the prime minister’s spy network had been shared, allowing the group to trace Victor’s movements to some extent. 

Victor Alchemis had vanished after appearing above the royal capital about a month ago. He was last seen in the southern region of Kohane and then headed north towards the eastern front. Sightings of him were reported in the central city of Arden, as well as in the eastern frontline cities of Novalis and Voltia. Novalis and Voltia are fortress cities where the 5th and 6th armies are stationed. After these sightings, his trail went completely cold. Despite the unusual speed of his movements between these scattered cities, this point was set aside for now.

In any case, the intelligence agencies believe that Victor is somewhere along the eastern front. Considering Victor’s last words when he appeared in the capital, “I’m going on a journey until things cool down! Don’t try to find me, okay?”, he has likely gone beyond the eastern frontline cities into uncharted territory. 

Miriam also shares this view. She has known Victor the longest and used to drag him back to school whenever he disappeared during their student days. Furthermore, according to Saint Lucretia Alma, the angels have been causing quite a stir in the east. This was the deciding factor, and Erin’s temporary unit determined their course of action.

First, head east.

・ ・ ・

Dungeon Bureau Designated Management, Front Plaza of Okutama Dungeon, Tokyo.

Immediately after measuring an abnormal dungeon tremor, the Dungeon Bureau quickly dispatched a reconnaissance team from the Tachikawa garrison. Additionally, a regiment-sized force was put on standby, ready to deploy if necessary. The reconnaissance team is led by Takahashi Yuto, one of the ace lower-level explorers stationed at the Tachikawa garrison.

Their team, responding to an emergency request from the Dungeon Bureau, hurried to Okutama from the Tachikawa garrison by helicopter. After securing a vehicle at the local Dungeon Bureau office, they headed toward the Okutama Dungeon.

The Okutama Dungeon was thought to have ceased functioning after its inner alternate space disappeared. About ten years ago, both the resource yield and the frequency of monster appearances started to decline. Around two years ago, the dungeon completely stopped functioning. Although the Dungeon Bureau still managed it, it was little more than a simple cave—at least, until a few hours ago.

Then, a sudden dungeon tremor occurred in this supposedly dead dungeon, causing a major stir.

Takahashi’s team arrived at the plaza in front of the Okutama Dungeon. They disembarked from their vehicle, and cautiously deployed with their weapons in hand.

However—

“…It’s really quiet, isn’t it?”

There was no sense of anything abnormal. In fact, being a dungeon located in the mountains of Okutama, they were surrounded by lush nature. The only sounds were insects chirping, water trickling, and trees swaying in the wind. It was so peaceful that it made them question whether the dungeon tremor had even happened.

Takahashi started to wonder if there had been a false report, however unlikely. Itou Yuka, who was inspecting the area near the dungeon entrance, called out to him.

“Takahashi-san! Please take a look at this!”

When Takahashi approached where Itou had called him, he saw—

“…Footprints?”

“Yes, and they’re quite fresh.”

They couldn’t yet tell if the footprints were related to the incident, but the fact that someone had entered or exited a dead dungeon seemed suspicious.

Takahashi shook his head, thinking this might turn into a hassle. 

“Takahashi-san! The magic residue readings are complete!”

Tanaka Ryosuke, who had been using a detector to measure magical residue near the entrance, called out to him.

“I’ve detected a high concentration of residual magic. There’s a very strong possibility that something happened here.”

Although there were no signs of people or monsters inside the dungeon, the residual magic and mysterious footprints were concerning.

After a moment of hesitation, Takahashi decided,

“Let’s preserve the scene as much as possible and leave the investigation to the lab team. For now, let’s head deeper into the dungeon.”

With that, they checked their equipment and proceeded forward.