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 96

Episode 96 

The dragon scale—literally the scale of a dragon species—is an extremely rare and valuable material. Not only in Japan but globally, dragon materials are so precious that they are considered strategic resources. They are often restricted from export due to their immense value to national security.

Dragon scales can be simply processed into weapons and armor, or ground down and mixed with other materials to create special alloys. In any case, the material has broad applications and delivers powerful effects. So, to find a dragon scale lying around in a dungeon with no signs of monsters was an extraordinary situation.

Due to the rarity of dragon scales, few people have ever seen one in person. It would be difficult to blame Tanaka, who had innocently picked up and inspected the rare material. Takahashi, as an experienced leader, had participated in large-scale raid battles against dragon species in the past. It is why he was able to recognize it immediately.

Dragon species, with their overwhelming vitality and attack power, are classified as deep-layer or ultra-deep-layer monsters. They require raid teams of dozens of lower-layer explorers to take them down. Takahashi’s panic upon seeing the dragon scale stemmed from a specific reason: if dragon materials are not properly processed or sealed, they absorb magical energy, potentially causing powerful monsters to respawn.

Dragon species are inherently covered in highly dense magical energy. Even after death, their bodies remain highly compatible with magical elements. This doesn’t change even when they are reduced to materials; in fact, their capacity to absorb magical energy often increases, making them even more dangerous.

When stimulated, the balance of magic inside the material can collapse, causing a new monster to form with the dragon material as its core. This time, Tanaka’s careless act of picking up the dragon scale inadvertently triggered such a response.

Before their eyes, an undead dragon suddenly appeared.

The undead dragon, although one of the weaker types among dragon species, was still a dragon. Its combat abilities might be inferior to other dragons, but as an undead creature, it had many attacks that could induce status ailments. As a result, fighting an undead dragon usually requires preparation—holy-attribute weapons, holy water, and similar items should be on hand in large quantities.

Unfortunately, Takahashi’s team had none of these supplies. They were here on a reconnaissance mission, after all. Who could have anticipated encountering an undead dragon in the supposedly dried-up Okutama Dungeon?

To make matters worse, this dungeon was effectively new, meaning any existing maps were useless. Typically, when fighting high-rank monsters like dragons, the strategy involves large-scale raid battles, utilizing terrain advantages, laying traps, and luring the enemy into favorable positions. But here in the newly revived Okutama Dungeon, there were no maps, no traps. Takahashi’s team would be the first to engage this monster.

It was an unfortunate series of events, but lamenting wouldn’t help. Quickly assessing the situation, Takahashi gave an order.

“Everyone, retreat immediately!”

Upon his command, all seven members including Tanaka and Itou swiftly initiated their retreat. The dragon, observing them, began to move as well—slowly but surely.

・　・　・

How many minutes had passed since then? After a nerve-wracking withdrawal, Takahashi checked his watch, having already started losing track of time.

“…Only ten minutes have passed?”

It had taken them a little over an hour to reach the spot where Tanaka had picked up the dragon scale from the dungeon entrance. Considering their retreat pace, they should be able to make it out to the surface in about 20 more minutes.

If they ran full-speed, they could probably escape even faster, but turning their backs on a powerful monster and running was a foolish risk. Fortunately, all seven members were professional dungeon explorers affiliated with the Dungeon Bureau, so their movements remained coordinated. Even though defeating the dragon was impossible, they hoped to at least escape together.

But what happens after that? 

Although the regiment stationed at Tachikawa Base should be ready to respond, bringing an undead dragon to the surface was a grave concern. While the Okutama Dungeon was somewhat distant from civilian residential areas, this was still Tokyo. Ideally, they’d deal with the threat inside the dungeon itself.

After some consideration, Takahashi reluctantly decided to split the team to relay the situation. Though it wasn’t the best strategy, he now had a rough idea of the enemy’s strength after ten minutes of engagement.

“Tanaka! Itou! You two get out of the dungeon and report the situation to Tachikawa Base! Request reinforcements and have them issue a stampede warning to the surrounding area!”

Hearing Takahashi’s orders, Tanaka and Itou hesitated for just a moment. But as professionals, they knew what had to be done.

“…Understood! Good luck to you, Takahashi-san!”

・　・　・

Another 20 minutes passed. Takahashi and the remaining four members were battered and exhausted. They somehow managed to retreat back to the dungeon entrance. However, the undead dragon still persisted. It seemed they were about to bring it to the surface.

Tanaka and Itou had safely relayed the situation to Tachikawa Base, and warnings had already been issued around the Okutama Dungeon area. News helicopters from various media outlets were hovering at the edge of the warning zone, covering the unfolding disaster.

And then, the undead dragon finally emerged above ground.

In Japan, this was the first time in over a decade that a dragon species had appeared on the surface, making it a major incident. As the live footage streamed from the news helicopters, the people of Japan watched anxiously.

The undead dragon, having reached the open plaza at the Okutama Dungeon entrance, began unleashing attacks in all directions as it attempted to advance.

However, one news camera captured something unusual.

A lone figure stood on the path leading to the Okutama Dungeon entrance.

“…Is that a person standing there!? Zoom in! Can you all see this on your screens? A dragon has suddenly appeared from the Okutama Dungeon! And now, it seems like an explorer is facing it head-on!!”

As the entire nation watched the scene unfold through the broadcast, the explorer casually took a stance.

“Can you zoom in more!? …Blond hair? And that outfit… is that a military uniform? Is this some kind of cosplay?”

The distant footage from the news helicopter barely showed a figure with blond hair, wearing what appeared to be an official-looking uniform. And there were no visible weapons—just bare hands.

Could there really be a deep-layer explorer in this country who looked like that? The viewers were puzzled for a moment. Then, suddenly, the figure disappeared from view.

A thunderous crash resounded, and the dragon’s head snapped upwards.

“…Huh?”

The man in the uniform unleashed a flurry of attacks. With each explosive impact, he struck the dragon with tremendous force.

As the blond man’s coat swirled around him, he drove his fists into the dragon. Those watching the broadcast couldn’t help but think:

Why is he wearing a uniform…?