Really, terribly sorry...! (Author's Note / Title)
"I see, so this is the hidden passage~."
The Necromancer murmured to herself as she peered into the opening.
Stepping inside an unremarkable civilian house, she pried up the floorboards, which bore unmistakable traces of having been removed and replaced several times. Beneath them lay a stone door leading deep underground. When the heavily built undead attending her pried it open, a faint draft wafted up from the depths—proof that this pitch-black hole, seemingly leading into an endless abyss, connected to somewhere else.
Possessing operational bases not only in the Nagan capital but across various regions, she regularly utilized her undead to construct detailed, meticulously mapped layouts of major cities. Consequently, she understood exactly where this path led and precisely how it was structured. Ahead of this route lay the throne room; though it branched into other sectors, her target was the secret entrance concealed directly behind the royal throne.
She advanced into the depths, thoroughly enjoying the fact that her plan was progressing precisely as scheduled.
"...Ah, that's right. There are probably traps laid out, so shall we prepare a countermeasure~?"
This hidden passage had been engineered beneath the capital like a spider's web specifically to handle scenarios where its existence was compromised. While she had the layout fully memorized, it would not be beneath the Tactician to regularly alter the routes leading to the palace or install custom traps. Judging by the enemy's movements and rapid responses since she arrived in the capital, she fully understood that her assault had likely been anticipated.
In short, it was only natural to assume the Tactician had rigged this hidden corridor with traps.
"Dead Rats (Fresh Mice)? Time to work~."
As she waved her arm, four massive men slowly stepped forward from the crowd following behind her. They were tall and exceptionally broad, appearing to be incredibly large humans due to the thick layers of fat covering their bodies. However, looking closely at their skin, dozens of blinking eyes could be seen bubbling beneath the surface.
These entities were not human. They were merely an immense swarm of rats holding a human shape. And every single one of those rats was already dead.
As she nodded slowly, the rats maintaining the human silhouettes began to dissolve, surging forward into the darkness. They possessed only a single purpose: to sacrifice themselves to scout and map out the hidden passage. A single rat weighed roughly 50 grams—an incredibly light monstrosity even when factoring in undead modifications and enhancements. Assuming their combined weight in human form was around 200 kilograms per entity, approximately 16,000 undead rats were unleashed into the subterranean corridor.
"Normally I'd prepare a bit more, but I have my own capacity limits to worry about, so... it can't be helped~. Come! The little rats are doing their best, so let's move forward too~."
With those words, the Necromancer advanced.
While she was vastly enjoying the current situation, her joy did not stem merely from her plan working out; rather, it came from the thrill of dismantling what the "Tactician" had prepared for her. Fully aware that she could not defeat him in a straightforward battle of wits, she felt an immense wave of satisfaction knowing that her raw power was chewing straight through the strategies he had laid out.
Perhaps because of that, she was entirely certain—even before receiving the reports from her rats—that further traps were waiting ahead. There is absolutely something coming. If it was the Tactician who was supposed to defeat her, he would definitely have prepared something grand. To respond to this, she ordered 8 Dullahan equipped with heavy shields that completely neutralized the holy attribute to take the vanguard.
(The undead are weak against fire and the holy attribute. Fire can be handled easily enough by splashing water before it spreads, but the holy attribute won't be so simple~. These heavy shields were quite expensive, so I do hope they prove useful~.)
Simultaneously, perhaps remaining wary of a surprise attack from the rear, she deployed 12 Carrion Dolls (Fresh Dolls)—undead specialized in delaying tactics with the ability to infinitely multiply rotten flesh from any area that takes damage. Her intent was to force them into an internal clash if any anomaly occurred, effectively sealing the path behind her.
(...So far~, everything is going incredibly smoothly. But it can't possibly end with just this, can it, Tactician-kun?)
She placed absolute confidence and trust not only in her unique abilities as a Necromancer but also in her capacity as a standard mage, the sheer might of the undead she had accumulated, and her own intellect in commanding them. Yet, at the same time, she fully understood that this was a harsh world where a single moment of carelessness meant instant death, and that those who stood above her were too numerous to count on both hands.
(The Special Strategic Forces—the very symbols of 'monsters' in this world. The higher you go up their ranks, the more they can only be described as absolute freaks of nature~. Am I really going to pick a fight with them and have it go this smoothly~?)
If it was true—if things were genuinely going this perfectly—it would be a source of unparalleled joy. She had spent years working in the shadows, putting immense effort into ensuring her name never became famous. To stand upon the grand stage for the first time and carve out a brilliant victory would be the absolute best outcome. In a way, she had chosen the Nagan Kingdom as a touchstone to measure her own capabilities.
If this invasion succeeded, excellent; she would challenge someone even stronger next time. If it proved impossible, she would simply slip away, go back into hiding, and accumulate power once more. That was her mindset. Therefore, the plan progressing smoothly posed no issue in itself, but...
A certain "presence" had been flickering in the back of her mind the entire time. It was neither the Tactician nor the ostriches, but something far greater.
The catalyst that drove her to aim for the pinnacle was a certain heroine who, completely single-handedly, was holding back the Empire that sought to invade this southern continent by land. A monster holding the title of 'The Strongest on the Continent,' occupying the upper echelons of the Special Strategic Forces. That figure was vividly reflected in her mind. This Necromancer's ultimate dream was, quite literally, to construct the "Strongest Undead." To achieve that, she required the absolute greatest vessel.
(To construct an undead using the body of that woman renowned as the strongest... that is my final goal. To achieve that, I require 'overwhelming numbers' and an 'overwhelming individual.' I need to prepare both, and I'm doing all of this just to set those preparations in motion~.)
No matter how low the Tactician might rank among the Special Strategic Forces, he was not an opponent she could easily defeat. Thinking about it calmly, that was the reality. True, because she currently possessed the middle-tier Special Strategic Force undead crafted from the Beast King's body, she could rely on brute force. Yet, driven by her own growth and the desire to see how far she could go, she had deliberately chosen to engage in a battle of wits.
(So, in a way, I don't want it to end too easily... Oh! Here it comes, here it comes!)
Right on cue, a disastrous report—or rather, a joyous one—reached her.
The connection to nearly ninety percent of the 16,000 rats she had unleashed into the corridor suddenly snapped. Furthermore, the feedback from the Carrion Dolls she had stationed in the rear vanished entirely. Judging from her experience, she deduced that the corridor they were in had been completely sealed off, and a massive magic tool capable of neutralizing all external magical effects from within that sealed chamber had been activated.
It was a type of magic tool commonly found in the private chambers of nobles, or precisely, rooms belonging to people like the Tactician who thoroughly scrutinized information—only scaled up enormously. Simultaneously, the rats running ahead of her were disappearing at an astronomical velocity. What echoed through the tunnel next was the roar of a raging torrent. The resonance of water, its heavy vibrations, and the fact that the vanguard undead rats were vaporized in a single fraction of a second.
A strategy utilizing high-purity holy water as if it were mere tap water! A trap designed not only to vaporize undead but to simultaneously crush and suffocate the caster through hydrostatic pressure!
"Water! And holy water at that! Splendid, magnificent! It's absolutely wonderful~!"
A fiendish smile spreading across her face, she spun her thoughts at high speed. Looking as though she believed her dignity as a woman would be compromised if she didn't thoroughly enjoy solving such a massive contraption, she began barking orders to her undead. Standard holy-attributed attacks were one thing, but everything was utterly powerless before a tidal wave of holy water designed to sweep everything away. She instantly ordered the Dullahans to fall back, pushing a man with the head of a lion to the absolute front line.
"I had absolutely no intention of bringing this out so early! But since you've gone this far, I simply must return the favor! My absolute masterpiece! Unleash it at maximum output!"
While issuing commands to the corpse, the Necromancer forced several undead in her rear to wring out every drop of their remaining magic power, funneling it directly into the Beast King. The targeted corpses instantly turned stark white and crumbled to ash, but thanks to their sacrifice, the necessary magic power was successfully charged.
What the deceased king reproduced was the Beast King Cannon. A high-output variant of the Magic Cannon technique he had developed during his lifetime.
And she pushed it even further.
Emulating the very thing that caused his death: Wraith's magic cannon.
Ordinarily, it should have been unleashed as a beam of pure white light, but because the magic power had been compressed to an absurd degree, it luminesced with a pitch-black radiance.
"...[Darkness Beast King Cannon]."
The black light incinerated absolutely everything in its path.
The holy water that was supposed to crush the caster alongside her undead was completely vaporized in an instant; simultaneously, every single magic tool deployed to seal the chamber was shattered and erased. The subterranean corridor, which shouldn't have allowed a large number of people to pass through simultaneously, was blown wide open, leaving behind a perfectly straight highway leading directly beneath the royal palace.
"Aha! Ahaha! Incredible! As expected of the Beast King, he's just marvelous! ...The name of the technique is a bit tacky, or rather, reeks of chuunibyou, but well, isn't that part of his charm too?! I'm so glad I modified his brain in various ways so he could use his original techniques exactly as they were~! Yes, yes, my absolute masterpiece!"
Abandoning her usual slightly laid-back manner of speaking, she began rattling off words at high speed. To any outside observer, she was nothing short of a madwoman rejoicing over the quality of her creation, but her hands were already moving efficiently toward the next step, and her mind continued to race.
Because the Beast King had unleashed his attack, every single trap the Tactician had prepared aside from the holy water had been utterly incinerated. Simultaneously, the immediate danger assaulting them was the imminent collapse of the underground corridor. From any angle, the Beast King's attack had obliterated the very supports holding the tunnel together. Consequently, she utilized her undead.
"『Skeletal Rampart (Skeleton Wall)』."
Bone walls materialized to reinforce and shore up the newly hollowed-out subterranean pass. While this spell caused several more undead serving as magic tanks to crumble into nothingness, to her, it was a necessary expense. There were still plenty of undead accompanying her, and in the worst-case scenario, as long as the Beast King remained, she was perfectly content. Within the cohort she led, he was the most valuable asset next to her own life; everything else was a mere pawn that could be gathered again given enough time.
"...Now then, now that things have settled down, shall we pay a visit to the royal palace~?"
◇◆◇◆◇
For the Red Knight, the longest day of her life...
Was today, this very day.
Receiving instructions from the Tactician, she spent days running around the capital, clashing with undead that presumably belonged to the Necromancer's vanguard. Having faced opponents equivalent to or greater than her current self and somehow emerging victorious, she had grown—if only a little—and succeeded in breaking through her own personal walls. Ordinarily, she would have been granted a period of rest, using that precious time to train and digest the experience gained from this battle and her mock matches with the woman calling herself Amelia the Elf.
However, the instruction that flew down from above was not "rest," but an "urgent request." She was ordered to immediately position herself by the King's side and serve as his personal guard.
(To think I hold the highest military rank here...)
When the Nagan army initiates an operation, unless a specific exception is made, the individual holding the highest rank on the field takes command. In the past, she could only function as a mere pawn, necessitating a separate commander, but having thoroughly cleared her doubts, she was no longer a simple "pawn." If necessary, she would return to that role, but what was demanded of her now was her duty as a "Commander" and behaving as the "Most Powerful Combatant on the Field."
It was practically her first time occupying such a role, yet her opponent was a Necromancer likely occupying the Special Strategic Force class. No matter how much the Tactician's schemes were woven like a spider's web, and despite receiving instructions stating that 'whether we win or lose, it is fine as long as you survive,' the tension was far from ordinary. Furthermore, the place she currently occupied was the audience chamber—a location that naturally tightened one's posture. The room's decorations were far too extravagant; there was absolutely no way she could relax and do her job in a place like this.
(Lord Tactician~, I harbor a deep resentment toward you~!)
"Haha, Red Knight. You look quite worn down."
"Ah, Your... 'Majesty'... is the correct way to address you, right?"
"Indeed. Even so, this is a remarkably large-scale affair."
"It certainly is."
The man who spoke to her possessed a well-groomed beard, exceptionally sharp features, and a thoroughly trained physique. This very individual was the person who had united those harboring the ideology of "Human Supremacy" alongside those opposing it into a single entity, seeking to elevate this kingdom into a hegemonic superpower across the continent. The current King of Nagan.
Exchanging slightly relaxed words, they cast their eyes toward the specialized armaments surrounding the throne room. She understood these were items the Tactician had constructed by assembling researchers and engineers to pool their wisdom, yet they were weapons that had never been deployed in actual combat. Even now, engineers were desperately performing final checks, but if those failed, the Red Knight, Dorothea, would have to face that legendary Beast King practically entirely on her own.
(The scouts actually went and spotted the Beast King's undead... A massive beastman with the head of a lion is definitely him. Ugh, this is rough.)
In the Tactician's original strategy—the plan to defeat the Beast King back in the Heed capital—she had been assigned the role of delivering the final blow. If it had been her past self, she could have maintained her stance as a mere "pawn" and charged forward without thinking, but her current self possessed genuine emotions. Anxiety and terror; while she could easily switch them off the moment she engaged in actual combat, having nothing to do right now left her entirely at the mercy of those feelings.
They were supposed to be under imminent assault by the undead, yet a somewhat detached atmosphere drifted through the space.
As if to obliterate that very atmosphere, an astronomical magic reaction surged from beneath the floor. Instantly, a thunderous roar and a tremor that made it difficult to even stand upright struck them directly.
"...ッ! They're here! Your Majesty! Get behind me! All personnel, battle stations!"
""「Ha!」""
Issuing her instructions, she raised her heavy shield. Aligning with her command, the soldiers readied their weapons, the collective focus of their gazes locked onto the very place where the ruler of this nation was supposed to sit.
According to the Tactician's "script," the enemy would emerge from that exact location. The hidden passage located directly behind the throne in the audience chamber—a route designed to allow His Majesty to escape in an emergency. Tracing that path backward, the Necromancer was launching her assault.
The relaxed atmosphere from moments ago vanished completely; having switched entirely into combat mode, the Red Knight concentrated every nerve as she slowly drew her sword. Her signature style: crimson full-body armor, a heavy shield, and her favorite blade. All maintenance had been completed, making them look brand new. To lose with this equipment would simply be a reflection of her own lack of strength. Thinking so, she detected the anomaly ahead of anyone else and raised her voice.
"They're coming!"
In that exact fraction of a second, the throne was blown apart alongside a deafening roar.
The enemy had arrived.
"It's taking foreve~r."
"Is it our turn yet~?"
"Can we go squish the stinky things now~?"
〇 Meanwhile, at the Ostrich Victims Association
"...It's not tacky."
(Th-This is bad, General Delotado! The Beast King is pouting!)
(Th-This is terrible, Bobre! This is the kind of mood he drags out for at least three days!)
"They suddenly threw the task of naming the technique onto me, so I worked really hard to think of one! I spent about three days in our time thinking it over, coming up with all sorts of drafts, and even had the former King of Heed help me think of it... and yet..."
『The name of the technique is a bit tacky, or rather, reeks of chuunibyou』
"You two... think it sounds cool, right? Darkness Beast King Cannon."
(Nodnodnodnodnodnod!!!)
Progress Check
〇 The Necromancer's Ascent: Cleverly bypassed the Tactician's subterranean holy-water trap using the undead Beast King's raw power, blasting a direct highway into the palace audience chamber.
〇 The Red Knight's Stand: Stationed directly before the throne, Dorothea is ready to act as the primary defense line to protect the Nagan King, adhering strictly to the "script" provided by the remote Tactician.
〇 The Ostrich Factor: While the main flock is growing impatient away from the main scene, the overarching strategic trap laid out by the Tactician is about to spring.
Would you like to focus on the immediate clash in the throne room or the next shift in the Tactician's script?