Three figures stood in an opulent room, their expressions taut with tension.
They stood ramrod straight, waiting for the owner of this room to arrive.
The owner of this room was— Kagurazaka Yuuki.
He had recently come to the Empire and, in the blink of an eye, secured the position of Corps Commander.
But to them, that was only natural.
After all, Yuuki was— "Hey, sorry to keep you waiting! You could've at least sat down."
As he said this, Yuuki entered the room.
Following behind him was
"Not at all, Lord Yuuki. We are but your humble servants. We require no such courtesy."
One man answered on behalf of all three.
His name was
A member of the heads of the secret society known as the Three Heads.
And these three figures were none other than the Three Heads themselves.
"Haha, ever the stiff one, Damrada."
Yuuki laughed it off and gestured for the three to take their seats.
As they sat down, Yuuki got straight to the point.
"So, Damrada. What's the situation with the Monster Nation? What's the trend in their military strength, and how's their technology development progressing?"
"Right! Their military strength is growing by the day. That country has completed domestic development on a scale capable of sustaining 200,000 people. Troop organization is advancing as well, and they've established connections with the Council and the new organization—the Committee. You could say that roots have spread throughout the other side of the Great Forest of Jura beneath the Monster Nation. Their currently organized military force numbers no fewer than 50,000. The numbers don't rival the Empire's, but individual combat strength is high and their coordination is masterful—they should not be underestimated. Furthermore, with mercenaries and other forces, there's still room for their numbers to grow. In total, I believe they could reach 120,000 to 150,000. As for technology development—currently, there appears to be no active development taking place within the Monster Nation itself. The barriers protecting the nation serve only to ensure the safety of its residents, not to prevent technology leaks. However, a so-called 'Magic Train' suddenly began operating and shattered all conventional wisdom about transport capacity. Development must have been continuing somewhere. Unfortunately, as a mere merchant, I was unable to gather further intelligence on their technology development."
"I see. So even a mere merchant like yourself could ascertain the size of their military?"
"Yes. They don't seem to have any desire to hide their military. It appears to be divided broadly into two corps. The First Corps, commanded by General
"High mobility? Do they use horses or some other means of transport?"
"No—I merely observed from a distance using magical tools during a military drill—but from a standoff position, the moment the signal was given, the entire force moved at an impossible speed. At that distance, the speed would likely exceed that of horses."
"Hmm… When I try to use observation magic, I get disrupted by interference spells. It's difficult to gauge the situation in the Monster Nation from here. The intelligence you've brought back is invaluable. But I don't think that accounts for their full strength…"
"Ah, now that you mention it—there's also a satellite city in that country called the Labyrinth City. There's a complex structure called the Underground Labyrinth, and the city has been built around it. There's been a rumor that there's a city inside the Underground Labyrinth."
"A city… inside the Underground Labyrinth?"
"Yes. Could there be a technology development hub within that city?"
"—I see. That's plausible. No, more than plausible—that's the logical conclusion."
Yuuki listened to Damrada's report and fell into thought.
The military numbers were about what he'd expected.
But the details raised questions. Having only two corps felt insufficient, given what he knew of Rimuru the Demon Lord's way of thinking.
And that country had multiple individuals of abnormally powerful caliber.
The so-called Four Heavenly Kings.
That only Gobta—the weakest of the Four—was given command of a corps felt suspicious.
No, more than suspicious, all of the nation's demons felt somehow dubious in general.
The fact that individuals on par with the former Ten Great Demon Lords were gathered under a single Demon Lord…
(Ah, failing to take out Rimuru-san really was a blow.)
No use lamenting it now.
Yuuki suppressed a sigh and continued his deliberation.
The knights and volunteers gathering from nations around the Great Forest of Jura were no threat. Numbers meant nothing; even massed together, they weren't a problem.
But the demons converging from the Great Forest were dangerous.
Normally, they could be dismissed as a rabble, but under Demon Lord Rimuru, it was safer to assume they would perform beyond expectations.
If that group received some form of technological enhancement as well, an unexpected blow was entirely possible.
Yuuki wasn't particularly concerned about damage to his own subordinates, but that didn't mean he was willing to slack off when it came to gauging the enemy's strength.
"
Yuuki turned to the one of the Three Heads who had been sitting with arms crossed, simply listening.
Vega—the Head who symbolized "force" among the Three Heads.
Vega nodded heavily and said: "Just crush them. If you're worried, crush them all! That solves everything."
He answered with supreme confidence, then grinned.
(He's strong, but this guy's got no brain—or rather, his brain is way too smooth….)
Yuuki sighed internally, though he also judged the idea to have merit.
If he was worried, he could simply have them subjugate the Underground Labyrinth and investigate its interior.
"Miranda, what are your thoughts?"
The last of the Three Heads—Miranda, the beautiful woman who presided over "beauty." She could pass for a girl or a mature woman alike—a figure who exuded an enigmatic charm.
"Well, now…
If the opposing Demon Lord happened to be male, we wouldn't need to deal with such troublesome matters…
Even if we wanted to bring back technical intelligence, we'd need to identify where the development is taking place before we could make any moves. I doubt there are loose-lipped technicians or leaders who are weak to women in that place. I probably won't be of much use in the war itself, though I could take over the investigation if you'd like…"
"No, I'll continue handling the investigation myself. That Demon Lord seems open to exploitation, but is surprisingly cautious. He won't let his guard down around strangers. Miranda, you'd stand out too much."
"Oh? Would I really?"
"That's right. Miranda, I'd like you to continue your work as commander of the Armored Corps."
"And I'll continue lying in wait, embedded in the Magical Beast Corps, same as before?"
"I'm counting on you, Vega. Just don't kill the corps commanders, okay?"
"Understood. I'll try."
"Lord Yuuki, may I borrow a few hands?"
"Sure, why not. I'll pick a few from the Hundred."
"Much appreciated."
The discussion was settled: they would subjugate the Underground Labyrinth.
The Three Heads took their leave.
The only ones remaining were Yuuki and Kagali.
In truth, preparations for the war were already complete. All that remained was gathering enemy intelligence.
Among the corps commanders, Yuuki had the most bandwidth, so he had taken on the intelligence-gathering assignment.
"Say, Lord Yuuki. Do you think they'll dance to our tune?"
"Who knows. If I can guide them well enough to scatter the destruction of war where I want it…"
"But we've finally come this far. The war will begin before long."
"Yeah. We'd better reap a good harvest of death."
And the two of them shared an evil laugh.
Their goal was not the Empire's victory. The arrangement was simply one where Yuuki's interests and the Empire's happened to align.
One must not be mistaken—Yuuki bore no responsibility for the Empire's success.
However, he believed that investigating the interior of the labyrinth was necessary. There were bound to be some manner of traps or mechanisms, and if the world were to be destroyed, there would be no point if enemies could retreat into the labyrinth.
It had been nothing more than a casual thought—let's at least do some investigation to find an opening for the subjugation…
But that casual thought would ultimately lead the labyrinth subjugation squad to deliver an unexpected report, something Yuuki could not have foreseen.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−− When Yuuki decided on the labyrinth subjugation, the Imperial Intelligence Bureau had received a similar report on the Monster Nation.
And Yuuki's agents had also begun moving toward the Monster Nation.
The man who received this intelligence—Lieutenant Kondo—was a taciturn man.
"I see. Good work."
That was all he said to the reporter. Nothing more.
He was not the kind of man who shared his thoughts with others.
His closely cropped black hair lent him a sharp, disciplined air.
Within his expressionless face, his eyes gleamed with a piercing light that seemed to see through everything and everyone.
He was a fine-looking young man. He still looked to be in his early twenties.
But there was no warmth in those eyes—they carried the shrewd wisdom of a man far older.
And rightly so.
Lieutenant Kondo—Kondo Tatsuya—was not the age he appeared to be.
Kondo Tatsuya was an Otherworlder.
In this Empire, Otherworlders were not particularly rare. The Empire's policy of protecting Otherworlders and delivering them to imperial territory was a major reason for this.
Tatsuya himself was one of those saved by that very policy.
This world had magic. That was why he could say his life had been saved.
When he first arrived in this world, he had launched a suicide charge against enemy forces, riddled with countless bullets and on the verge of death.
He had been lucky.
He happened to land near the capital of the Empire, and a mage of considerable standing happened to pass by.
Tatsuya's life was saved by that fortune. And he swore to dedicate the life he had discarded for the Emperor's sake.
Some seventy years had passed since then, yet he showed no signs of aging.
He remained forever in the form of his younger self, lurking within the Imperial Intelligence Bureau—a shadow that never appeared on the public stage.
The mage who had saved him was long gone.
He had taken Tatsuya as his apprentice, taught him all the magic he knew, and passed from this world. As all mortals do.
Thus, only a handful of trusted subordinates and the Emperor himself knew of his existence.
A phantom who fed on intelligence.
A specter who lurked in the Empire's shadows.
A man who was human, yet commanded demons.
He was feared by many names, but to a man who had no dealings with society, that was of no concern.
The rank of lieutenant did not truly befit him. In truth, the Emperor had granted him a far higher title.
But he remained a "lieutenant."
In his previous life—or rather, his original world—to honor the feelings of the subordinates who had fallen alongside him, he kept the rank of lieutenant.
Lieutenant Kondo: he was the Director of the Imperial Intelligence Bureau, a figure that even the corps commanders could not afford to ignore.
His true identity, however, was unknown, and he was a man feared by all.
Now, there was one more reason why the Empire had so many Otherworlders.
It was because so many had been summoned.
Kagurazaka Yuuki—the former supreme commander of the Free Guild, now an asylum seeker in the Empire.
The reason his asylum was granted so easily was that "Otherworlders" had already been protected and delivered to the Empire before his arrival.
There were a hundred of them.
Many of those hundred possessed Unique Skills, and quite a few served in the Imperial Guard.
Yuuki claimed he had coincidentally found them and taken them in, but investigation had long since revealed that to be a lie.
He looked like a boy, but his actions were those of a seasoned schemer.
Like Lieutenant Kondo, he was a man who should never be judged by appearances.
And Kondo had concluded that the only way Yuuki could have procured such a large number of Otherworlders was through summoning.
Using magic to summon was inefficient, depending on the individual's talent. However, it was possible to inscribe loyalty at the level of the soul during the summoning itself.
For preparing subordinates who would never betray, summoning was the most suitable method.
In truth, Lieutenant Kondo's suspicions were not wrong.
Not all of them, but among some, summoning-time commands did exist.
Some summoned individuals turned out to be different from their intended targets—like the Hero Masayuki—and others were summoned without the commands properly inscribed.
Those individuals tended to possess greater power, and despite the risk of not being fully under control, they were sent to the Empire regardless.
Masayuki's case, of course, was an exception. When a summon proved difficult to use and was expected to disobey orders, appropriate measures were taken to dispose of them.
Lieutenant Kondo knew none of these details, but based on Yuuki's words and actions over the past year, he had deduced the danger posed by those Yuuki had sent.
That assessment was frighteningly accurate—a testament to his terrible powers of insight.
He had also confirmed that the other corps commanders harbored unfavorable opinions toward Yuuki.
The Empire's system operated on the principle that "power is everything."
That was precisely why no one openly criticized Yuuki.
Few could afford to complain about a man who had risen to become one of the Empire's highest authorities.
But Lieutenant Kondo thought: (Dangerous, Kagurazaka Yuuki. You appear to be an entity that must be eliminated.)
Having individuals serving in the Imperial Guard—those sworn to protect the Emperor—pledge loyalty to anyone other than the Emperor was a serious problem.
For now, he could not move openly.
But when Yuuki showed unnatural activity, that would be the moment of his death.
As a specter lurking in the Empire's shadows, Lieutenant Kondo showed no mercy to traitors.
"Enjoy your little game while you can. Your life is already in my hands."
Cold light gleaming in his eyes, Lieutenant Kondo whispered quietly into the Empire's darkness.
−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−−− Under Yuuki's orders, three individuals were selected.
They were chosen from among the Hundred under Yuuki's command, on the condition that they belonged to the Mixed Corps.
The Empire was not so soft that simply being from another world guaranteed a high position within a corps.
But the Hundred that Yuuki had selected were all combat elites who possessed Unique Skills.
That was precisely why they all lived hidden within their respective corps, their fangs concealed.
They awaited the day when, upon Yuuki's command, they would rise simultaneously and seize control of each corps.
With Yuuki now in control of the Mixed Corps, everyone believed that day was near.
Against this backdrop, the three were unable to hide their bewilderment at the sudden order to subjugate the Underground Labyrinth.
The Empire was supposed to invade the other side of the Great Forest of Jura before long. To launch a labyrinth subjugation at such a time—doubt was only natural.
The plan had been for Yuuki's agents to stage a military coup once the Empire's invasion had begun and the front lines were stretched thin.
Through this, they would seize the Empire in one stroke and ride that momentum toward world conquest.
That was what Yuuki had explained to them.
The three—Tanimura Shinji, Mark Lorent, and
"Hey, hey, old man! You drag us all the way here and tell us to… subjugate the labyrinth? Give me a break! Or are you not taking us seriously?"
"Now, now, hold on, Mark. Yuuki-san must have some plan, right? You'll fill us in on what you know, won't you, Damrada?"
Shinji, calming the furious Mark, turned to Damrada with his question.
The Hundred were all combat elites, each possessing a Unique Skill.
Their pride was high, and they looked down on the Three Heads.
However, they held a measure of respect for Vega, the Head who symbolized "force." As for Damrada, whose specialty was said to be finances, few regarded him with any respect.
Among the Hundred, Shinji was one of the relatively closer to Damrada.
This time as well, he had volunteered to calm Mark's tantrum directed at Damrada.
Shin Ryusei—this man was a man of few words, and it was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
But whatever was asked of him, he executed flawlessly. His black hair was braided into three strands that draped down his back, and he wore Chinese-style garments similar to Damrada's.
Those garments were said to conceal a variety of hidden weapons underneath.
Shinji had naturally realized that he would end up leading this team.
It wasn't that he had no reservations, but these three were the labyrinth subjugation squad—officially, the Firepower Reconnaissance Squad—for this mission.
As team leader, he posed his questions to Damrada accordingly.
Damrada explained the situation.
That amid the preparations and intelligence gathering for the coming war, the interior of the labyrinth remained the only uninvestigated area.
That there was a possibility some secret was hidden within.
That it might be safe to leave it be, but this was an investigation of precaution.
(Actually, Lord Yuuki seems to have other plans in mind, but… even I'm not permitted to imagine what those might be. Better not to say anything careless.)
Judging that there was no need to reveal everything, Damrada concluded his explanation.
However, he took care to repeat his warning about the terror and caution of Demon Lord Rimuru multiple times.
The labyrinth that Demon Lord had confidently created.
As far as Damrada knew, no one had successfully subjugated it.
He had only heard the rumor that the Hero Masayuki had penetrated to the 30th floor.
"Whatever you do, do not let your guard down."
"Hey, old man! Are you not taking us seriously?"
"Now, now, Mark. Just hold on. Damrada, we understand the situation. Will you guide us there?"
"Yes, I've been assigned to serve as guide and handler on-site. Once you're ready, we'll depart."
"Roger."
And so, the next day.
Leading the assembled team, Damrada headed for the teleportation circle.
Could these three truly subjugate the labyrinth?
More than worrying about what was hidden inside, Damrada worried whether subjugation was even possible.
But he kept his mouth shut.
He knew perfectly well that speaking up would only earn him complaints.
He thought it would be good for them to take a bit of a beating.
And so, the challenge of the Underground Labyrinth by the three-member Firepower Reconnaissance Squad from the Empire had begun.