Chapter 73 Mercuria Kingdom Uprising (Part ④)
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Archer team, magic soldiers, take aim! Fire!” Morita Kazuo the Class Rep shouted.
A barrage of arrows flew from Aran Fortress [T/N: Northern stronghold], cutting down enemy soldiers. Magic blasts followed, engulfing those who dodged the arrows.
”Fall back!” an enemy commander yelled.
The invaders raised shields, blocking arrows while retreating in tight formation. No gaps for a counterattack.
Morita watched them withdraw, staying alert. Once certain they were done, he signaled to stand down.
”Good work, everyone,” Morita said. “No more attacks today, I think, but keep the watch tight. The rest of you, head inside.”
The soldiers exhaled, tension easing.
”Joujirou-sama, you were amazing,” Mel said, the former first princess of Mercuria Kingdom, handing Tsukamoto a cold drink.
”Koichi-sama, here,” Camil, Mel’s attendant, said, offering Kudo a cool towel.
Damn, they’re smooth, Kazuo thought, glaring at his classmates.
A tug at his sleeve caught his attention. Sumire Nozaki stood there, holding a bottle.
”Kaz, here,” Sumire said, shoving chilled fruit water into his hands before running off.
”What’s her deal?” Kazuo muttered, staring at the bottle.
”She likes you, Kazuo-sama,” Alusia said from behind.
”No way,” Kazuo said. “We’ve just been together since we were kids. Like siblings, you know?”
”You’d better learn how girls think, or you’ll end up like Kanata-san,” Alusia teased, giggling as she walked away.
No way… right? Kazuo thought.
* * *
”Ugh, what a hassle,” Tsubasa said, sighing at the monitor. “So, what’s the plan again?”
”Guide the advance unit to the second floor,” Sheila said. “But split them up.”
”Right, right,” Tsubasa said, adjusting the Dungeon Structure [T/N: Modifiable layout] to lead the unit toward a second-floor corridor. Once they entered, Tsubasa sealed the corridor behind them.
”Sending a hundred soldiers into a Dungeon? Idiots,” Tsubasa muttered.
When half the group passed a point, Tsubasa pressed a console button.
A wall rose, splitting the soldiers. Blocked, they tried to retreat but couldn’t turn easily, caught in chaos.
Tsubasa guided the front group toward waiting Orcs and sent Slimes and Goblins to the rear group.
”Six-person parties are ideal for Dungeons,” Sheila said, sighing at the monitor. “They should know that.”
Five thousand soldiers surrounded the Dungeon entrance.
Reasonable to secure it, but feeding that many in a remote forest? Good luck.
Six-person parties—two to three Vanguard [T/N: Frontline fighters] with a shield, two Rearguard [T/N: Support roles] with a healer, and one to two skirmishers—were standard, honed by experience.
Some parties went aggressive with three attackers or defensive with four magic users, but three or four members strained roles, and seven or more slowed movement and split loot poorly. Five to six was the sweet spot.
Yet, a hundred soldiers crammed into a narrow Dungeon? The monitor showed the result.
A pitfall trap opened.
The front soldiers stopped, spotting it, but the rear ones didn’t get the message. They pushed forward, bumping into the front, who stumbled into the trap.
In combat, narrow corridors meant only two or three could fight at once. A shield held the monster’s attention while attackers struck, with magic or ranged support from behind.
But with a hundred? The rear soldiers couldn’t see the fight, pushing forward, forcing the front to battle while watching for friendly fire. Weak monsters might fall, but stronger ones in numbers would shred them.
Ten minutes after Tsubasa’s split, the front group was down to ten, surrounded by Orcs. The rear group, also ten, fought desperately against Goblins.
An hour later…
”Seriously, is this commander an idiot?” Tsubasa groaned.
The invasion commander, seeing no return from the first hundred, sent five hundred more.
”Five hundred instead of a hundred? Half-assed,” Sheila said coolly. “Piecemeal deployment is the dumbest tactic. Though sending all forces would be worse.”
”Such a pain,” Tsubasa said, activating a pitfall trap in a wide chamber.
Soldiers relaxed in the open space, only to panic at the trap. Pushed from behind, half fell in.
The rest tried to retreat, but Tsubasa triggered more traps on their path. Only a dozen escaped.
* * *
”I beg you, stop sending large groups into the Dungeon!” an Unnamed Soldier pleaded.
Taniella, a knight of the Mercuria Kingdom’s Knight Order [T/N: Mercuria’s military], mustered her courage to speak to the commander.
”Dungeon conquest with large groups only hinders us,” she said. “I propose forming a small, skilled unit to advance carefully and secure it step by step.”
Nui Tanggamus, third son of the Count Tanggamus Family [T/N: Noble lineage], eyed Taniella suspiciously. “Who are you?”
”Sir, I’m Taniella, vice-captain of the 5th Platoon, 3rd Battalion,” she said, saluting.
”Taniella? What’s your family name?” Nui asked.
”I’m sorry, sir. As a commoner, I have none,” Taniella replied.
”Hmph. A commoner, huh?” Nui said, sneering.
Taniella tensed under his mocking gaze.
”Sir, large groups in the Dungeon restrict movement. A smaller unit would be more effective.”
Her body shook, but she forced the words out. A platoon vice-captain speaking to the supreme commander was unheard of.
She’d tried her superiors first, but platoon captains couldn’t challenge the commander’s strategy. Her pleas were ignored.
The result? Five hundred soldiers, including her 3rd Battalion, were sent into the Dungeon and nearly wiped out.
Her 5th Platoon’s captain fell early, and Taniella’s quick thinking barely got them out alive. Another reckless order would mean death.
Taniella had joined the Knight Order to protect the people, enduring hardships with endurance, perseverance to serve the royal family. But a coup turned the knights into the coup faction’s private army.
Dying for a senseless order would be a meaningless death. I have to fight to live, she thought, risking this direct appeal.
”Fine,” Nui said, staring at her. “I’ll give you a hundred soldiers. Do as you please.”
”Truly, sir?” Taniella blurted, stunned he’d agreed.
”You have a plan, right?” Nui asked.
”Yes, of course, sir,” she said.
”Then do it,” Nui said.
”Thank you, sir,” Taniella said, bowing deeply.
She’d heard bad things about Nui, but maybe they were just rumors. A commander this reasonable is worth serving, she thought, moved.
”But if you fail, you know what happens,” Nui said, his eyes crawling over her body.
Taniella froze. She knew that look. Her slender frame and large chest—over 98 centimeters, nearly a meter—always drew stares.
Men, especially nobles, often assumed she was easy prey as a commoner. One superior had groped her, and though she reported him, leading to his reassignment, the attention never stopped. They’re always waiting for a chance.
”If I fail, I’ll accept any penalty,” Taniella said, voice steady despite her dread.
Nui’s gaze and words made it clear. He wasn’t listening to her plan—he expected her to fail, giving him an excuse to do as he pleased. I was foolish to feel hopeful, she thought.
But she’d secured permission to act freely. Now, she just needed results to avoid a pointless death. That’s enough for now.
Taniella bowed again and left.
* * *
”How’d it go, Taniella?” Mary asked, rushing out of a tent as Taniella approached their platoon’s camp.
”Careful, Mary,” Taniella said. “It worked, sort of. He gave me a hundred soldiers to command as I see fit.”
”Awesome!” Mary said, hugging her.
”It’s not that simple,” Taniella said, gently pulling Mary away and leading her to her tent.
She explained Nui’s reaction as they walked.
”Well, you got his approval to do what you want, right?” Mary said. “That’s good!”
”Maybe,” Taniella said, hesitating.
Mary grabbed Taniella’s chest playfully. “Stop overthinking with these!”
”Eek! I told you not to—ahh, not there!” Taniella yelped as Mary teased her sensitive spots, her chest bouncing with each movement.
”Hah… hah… I said stop!” Taniella gasped, slumping.
”You’re worrying too much,” Mary said. “We’re ex-adventurers. We know Dungeons better than those noble brats, don’t we?”
”You’re right,” Taniella said, nodding. “We’ll be fine.”
”Exactly! Let’s pick our hundred soldiers,” Mary said.
”I hope they’ll follow us,” Taniella said, a bit anxious.
Together, they headed to the soldiers’ tents.
Notes:
• Kazuo – Silver-haired, confident class rep, natural leader and strategist, takes charge of classmates in the summoned hero scenario.
• Morita – Kazuo’s Family Name.
• Aran Fortress – A heavily fortified base raised by the Empire in Aran town, land claimed by Alfheim but surrendered under pressure. Officially built to fight Demonkin spilling from the Aaren Plain, it also secures a permanent Imperial foothold on Alfheim’s border. Local towns rely on the Empire’s protection, making resistance nearly impossible.
• Joujirou – A classmate and a wielder of Guardian’s Shield, anchors the training line with unyielding defense
• Mel – Former first princess of Mercuria Kingdom.
• Mercuria Kingdom – A neighboring human realm, introduced through Princess Alusia’s approach to Kanata after Flora’s fall, seeking advantage amid shifting power. Reminder: the kingdom that moved in after Flora Kingdom collapsed.
• Tsukamoto – Joujirou’s Family Name. The Defense of class who wield Guardian’s Shield.
• Camil – Attendant who serves Princess Mel. Appears at Aran Fortress, giving Kudo Koichi a cool towel after battle. Loyal and respectful.
• Kudo – A classmate and a Swordsman gift holder, slices through enemies with precision in training battles.
• Nozaki – Sumire’s Family Name. A Healer.
• Sumire – A healer preparing to mend classmates, supporting the team during training.
• Alusia – Fallen princess of Mercuria, clings to royal pride while navigating slavery, seeking vengeance. Appears: In a cramped slave trader’s carriage, shackled and reflective. Reason: Captured after her kingdom’s fall, now a slave. Event: Transported by slave merchants, intercepted by Kanata, beginning her servitude.
• Tsubasa – A classmate, and a gift holder of Creator. He has an androgynous charm, popular yet approachable, bonds with Taichi’s group. The only son of the Ninari Conglomerate family.
• Sheila – Adopted daughter of the Akart family, is captured by Kanata and knows her family won’t ransom her. Given the choices of ransom, slavery, or a 300-meter dungeon escape through ogres, she joins the attempt and sacrifices herself as bait. The escape fails, and in the end Sheila survives with Annamira and Rena by accepting slavery under Kanata.
• Taniella – Commoner knight of Mercuria’s Knight Order appearing after failed mass invasion of the Dungeon. Challenges commander Nui Tanggamus’s tactics to save soldiers. Commands 100 troops to prove her plan. Ally of Mary. Trait: brave, duty-bound.
• Nui – Third son of Count Tanggamus Family, commander of Mercuria’s Dungeon expedition. Authorizes Taniella’s small-unit test while expecting failure. Member of the coup faction. No tie to Kanata. Trait: arrogant noble.
• Mary – Former adventurer serving under Taniella. Appears after Nui grants command. Teases Taniella playfully and supports her Dungeon strategy. Trait: cheerful ally.
• May – Blonde, soft-eyed shrine girl. ch14–15. Gentle and pleading (“Please… just let us go…”), timid but loyal, relies on Mina’s strength. Came with Mina to save Sara, but was disarmed and bound by Kanata as his captive maid.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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