Volume 6 Chapter 45 Trap Master
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”All right, slightly to the right… too far, back a bit… stop right there!”
I transferred the orc girl, Oka, and the goblin girl, Rin, to the top of a towering cliff and began setting up a boulder trap.
The names are simple but fitting. If I were to write them in kanji, it’d be Sakura and Rin.
I ended up thawing the goblin girl too, pushed by a strange mix of fatigue and mood after staying up all night. But the results turned out well enough. In games, goblins are usually weak early-stage enemies, aggressive but not much else. Rin, however, is nimble and skilled—more of a delicate craftsman type. She should prove useful as an assistant for precise tasks.
Oka’s brute strength covers all the heavy lifting, so the two complement each other perfectly as a team. They remind me of Ms. Ant and Ms. Ann from the Antfolk—both reliable and hardworking. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind having a whole squad of them.
For some reason, both Rin and Oka showed high loyalty from the start, which means I can freely move them in and out of my magic bag or reposition them with invisible hands. As long as they stay within the range of my invisible arms—just a few kilometers at best—I can teleport them instantly. It’s a cheat, really, considering climbing a steep mountain would normally take a whole day, even for experienced climbers.
Duke Mineley’s territory mostly consists of deep mountain valleys. The town streets are narrow paths clinging to cliff edges. In some places, there are wooden plank bridges hanging like suspension bridges over sheer drops. I can’t imagine how carriages don’t just fall off those paths. Traveling merchants must be terrified. Come to think of it, I haven’t seen any merchants with carriages in Kasgar.
Looking down from the cliffs onto the town streets, you can see the remnants of drop traps left over from ancient wars. They piled up boulders and logs ahead of time, then dropped them on enemy forces passing below. It’s basically a man-made landslide, but honestly, it could hold off an entire army of a million.
If you catch enemy troops beneath falling rocks, victory is effortless. Even if the timing is off, blocking the path below traps them anyway. Of course, this destroys your own transportation routes, so it’s a scorched earth tactic—used famously by the RoShea people to defeat great leaders like Napoleon and Hitler.
Tizzy told me it’d be fine to collapse the tower in Hollowvale to stop the enemy, but after inspecting its mechanisms, it’s clear the tower involves ancient technology. If possible, I want to avoid using it.
The tower’s collapse isn’t the only problem—it’s rigged with a safety valve deep underground that blocks steam pressure. If triggered, not only would the tower fall and block the path, but a massive steam explosion might follow, possibly erupting Hollowvale like a volcano.
Using such an elaborate trap to dispose of just a thousand enemies feels like extreme overkill. If anything, I want to lure all the Demon Kings into Hollowvale and wipe them out in one fell swoop.
This time, defeating the enemy is simple: just a trap.
About a hundred vanguard soldiers from the enemy army are advancing this way. We’ll test our defenses on them first.
We left Hollowvale and moved toward the enemy, setting traps along the route. The vanguard is rushing, so contact is inevitable soon.
We expected the clash tomorrow morning, but the enemy has marched nonstop all day and should reach our trap by evening. I decided not to shoot the Indra Gun at them yet, to save crossbow bolts. With several traps set, things are going smoothly.
Setting a basic trap isn’t difficult. The main challenge is finding the right spot—but since we’re reusing an old site, that wasn’t a problem.
The real issue was triggering the trap all at once. Without explosives, we designed a structure where removing a key stone would collapse the whole pile like dominoes. Easy to say, but at first, we had no concrete plan.
My rough instructions alone probably wouldn’t have worked, but Rin and Oka, already at the cliff top, quickly figured it out. The structure was impressive—just moving small stones in a specific pattern caused everything to collapse from the base.
Rin is especially skilled. Ordinary goblins wouldn’t pull this off.
Once the plan was set, we kept working. I sent rocks invisibly while Oka stacked them following Rin’s instructions. As they got the hang of it, they precisely matched the spots to increase efficiency.
We completed a trap even Pii-Pii, the pixie, can trigger, greatly expanding our tactical options.
Pii-Pii can fly faster than small birds and even jump into the Spirit Realm or Elemental Plane if needed, making it safe. It’s perfect for triggering the trap. I wonder if it’s okay to have it involved in combat, but at this point, it feels a bit late to worry.
”Listen, Pii-Pii. First, drop rocks on the front of the enemy column, down to the valley below. Then, use the rear trap to cut off their escape and trap them. Can you do that?”
Not aiming directly is partly because I don’t want to kill anyone outright, but mostly because timing is more precise this way. Keeping the enemies alive and trapped is more strategic.
From last night’s friendly fire incident, I learned that injuring enemies rather than killing them imposes a heavier burden. Potions and low-level healing magic can’t fully restore severed limbs, so severe injuries can’t be treated on the frontline. The Great Temple might help, but their prices are outrageous.
Even minor injuries inflicted on many enemies can drain huge amounts of potions.
The soldiers stranded on the cliff will weaken steadily if left alone. Rescuing them will be difficult, but abandoning them could hurt their army’s morale, so we have no choice but to act.
A traumatized survivor will surely spread anti-war sentiment without intervention. That’s more meaningful than just killing them outright.
A low rumble echoed. Turning around, I saw the bridge hanging from the cliff starting to collapse, falling into the valley.
Large rocks, like mustard seeds tumbling down, trailed dust clouds behind them. Up close, each was a dangerous landslide.
Too fast! Too fast, Pii-Pii! The enemy vanguard hasn’t even arrived yet.
But the enemy was more foolish than expected. Despite the loud noise, they marched forward to investigate instead of sending scouts ahead like normal.
And Pii-Pii was still too fast! The trap meant to block the path behind us now rained down right on the enemy column lined up in a long formation.
Since Oka sized the rocks for easy transport, each falling boulder weighed around 100 to 200 kilograms.
With rocks and debris crashing down, the thin wooden bridge stood no chance.
Despite the direct hit, the enemy’s losses weren’t severe. A few were swept away, but no one was struck directly. Maybe the arrow shield helped, I’m not sure.
More than half the vanguard were stranded on the broken bridge, while the rear panicked and fled back along the path. They pushed and shoved, creating a traffic jam on the narrow bridge. If they crowded too much, some would fall.
The support beams at the fight’s center finally gave way, and the bridge collapsed, taking about twenty soldiers with it. It was like watching a spider’s thread snap. A hellish scene, but from afar, it felt like observing ants.
I planned for the stronger soldiers to survive, but things aren’t going well.
Was it an accident? A mistake? Miscommunication? Pii-Pii isn’t at fault—it’s my responsibility.
I feel guilty, but at the same time, I’m relieved we achieved results. This is the cruel truth of war: the more you kill, the more merit you gain.
In the end, some enemy soldiers fled. After a few days, a rescue team should come. They won’t abandon their stranded comrades.
I could trap them again and create a double disaster, but I won’t. We’ve done enough. Even if the rescue succeeds, the enemy army won’t have the strength to continue.
Going all out is an option, but politically, I don’t want too decisive a victory. If cowardly Duke Mineley gets cocky, it’ll be a headache.
I don’t need to win big—just enough that both sides think they lost is fine.
Among the stranded soldiers, one wears noticeably superior attire. Could that be Baron Gorigan, the person I suspected?
From here… should I get a closer look at his face?
I pulled out prototype binoculars Mr. Ginchi had me check. They’re purely optical and seem comparable to Earth’s top models. However, the left and right lenses shake slightly, making me dizzy. Maybe I’m misfocusing, or the internal prisms have issues.
I’m afraid to dismantle them. Non-destructive calibration using unseen hands is possible but lacks the precision needed.
Looking with one eye works, but it defeats the purpose of binoculars.
The device calculates distance by comparing scales on the lens and enemy soldiers’ heights. The target is about two thousand steps away. The rangefinder isn’t user-friendly but quite accurate. Radar Scan gives a similar estimate.
It’s within my unseen hands’ range, but I won’t do anything unnecessary. I could have triggered the trap myself instead of relying on Pii-Pii.
The image is clearer than the naked eye but still too blurry to make out facial expressions well. I wonder if Radar Scan can help with that. Being able to identify faces from a distance would be invaluable for future missions.
I’d rather not look at men’s faces, but this is serious. I’ll keep working on improving it.
Baron Gorigan looks surprisingly handsome—maybe because I can’t see wrinkles. He has a beard and seems like a passionate man up close. The other soldiers look like military types too—pretty cool from here.
No women are visible. A few young soldiers stand among them.
Apparently, Gorigan is giving orders. Some lightly equipped soldiers seem to be searching for an escape route. Around the ledge, those who fell are still struggling. Fewer have died than I thought. Escape must be tough, though.
If they beg for rescue near death, I might retrieve them, but Pii-Pii’s mana is nearly gone. Ideally, I want them to escape using their own strength.
A rescue team probably won’t arrive for at least two days. I wonder if their water will last that long. I believe I brought someone with magic, but are they safe? I hope the enemy brought ropes to the battlefield.
* * *
”Sir Saburou, please listen. My father is an idiot. My brother too. They’re completely hopeless. After I caught them red-handed trying to frame Castor as a traitor and handed them over, guess what they did next? They turned to Castor and asked him to mediate their surrender.”
Behind the spirited and slightly exasperated Tizzy, Lady Shirakaba watched with an amused smile tugging at her lips. While the enemy’s proposal for a ceasefire was a stroke of luck, it seemed the rest of the Duke Mineley family was still floundering helplessly—Tizzy being the lone exception.
”The surrender prep is in total shambles. A disaster. They’re absolutely useless. Honestly, if Bespar came crawling to us for help, it’s probably because of you, right?”
I explained to Lady Shirakaba and the others that it wasn’t me, but rather my subordinates who handled everything. But in noble society, the deeds of one’s retainers are credited to their lord. So in the end, it’s all the same.
”Ah, so it was just a happy accident then? Guess the enemy’s luck really ran out.”
I decided to keep quiet about the traps. Best not to mention the unseen hands at work. I’ll need to dismantle the rest at some point. I got a bit carried away and set too many. If someone were to stumble upon them and put them to use… it could be dangerous.
”Would you like to meet the enemy commander with that wonderful luck? He’s currently in Kasgar for negotiations. I plan to introduce him to Lord Saburou as well.”
Things had taken an unexpected turn. With Duke Mineley’s younger brother and Castor’s faction—who had been eyeing the dukedom—left speechless, Tizzy had seized the opportunity. In what could only be called a soft coup, she had taken control of Kasgar’s capital. It seemed the knight Orlan and his allies had also played a part in this uprising.
By the way, I still had Orlan’s daughter stored away in my magic bag. She’d been completely reconditioned and trained, but returning her to her parents in that state might raise too many complications. She would need some form of rehabilitation first.
I also needed to quietly return Gorigan’s subordinates—whom I had bagged during the Hollowvale incident—without drawing too much attention. Honestly, it would be less trouble to simply erase them into the void, but that felt like overkill.
The place I was taken to resembled a reception hall, located in a separate wing of Kasgar Castle. Even defeated generals were afforded a level of dignity. Since the meeting was unofficial, there wasn’t much formality. Not that it mattered—I’m terrible at telling the difference anyway.
”I will now introduce His Majesty Saburou. This is the commander of the Eastern Expeditionary Force of the Kingdom of Bespal—Princess Auroora Kuna Ra Ayub. She is the elder sister to the crown prince of Ayub, and also my cousin.”
Wait… why is she here?
The woman standing before me looked like a slightly more mature version of Ms. Nina.
No, that couldn’t be right. Ms. Nina should still be in the regeneration tank, immersed in artificial amniotic fluid inside Ms. Mahal’s secret mansion in the capital.
Tizzy had introduced her with some long string of names, but I caught the one that mattered: Auroora. I had heard that name before. Ms. Nina once told me about her. This was the original—the princess from whom Nina had been copied.
In other words, this person was the true Princess Auroora.
It made sense. Ms. Nina had likely been duplicated a long time ago, so naturally the original would look more mature. An adult version of Ms. Nina… wasn’t bad at all.
For reasons unknown, Ms. Nina had been kept in storage within some dusty corner of the Hero Management Bureau’s warehouse. As a “defective” or outdated unit, she was likely assigned to me—an unremarkable hero—as leftover stock.
But because of that, I was able to meet her. For a failure like me, that was a rare stroke of luck. I couldn’t be more grateful.
Princess Auroora looked down at me with frosty eyes and finally spoke.
”It’s rather amusing that an otherworlder would claim kingship through borrowed strength, don’t you think?”
Her expression—fierce and unrelenting—was the same one Ms. Nina wore when truly angry. She wasn’t bluffing. This wasn’t negotiation. She was serious. And her voice… was exactly the same.
”The Great Temple recognized his sovereignty. Do you, a royal of Ayub, challenge that ruling? Now that is the height of absurdity.”
Tizzy’s rebuttal silenced Princess Auroora, who lowered her gaze with a pained look.
Ms. Nina had always been clever, but logic wasn’t her strongest defense. When pressed without mercy, she had a tendency to falter. On the other hand, Tizzy—despite having a supposedly saintly profession—was a natural in negotiations. If she turned serious, I wouldn’t stand a chance.
Princess Auroora had no hope of winning a war of words against her.
We should make use of this rare talent. Leaving Tizzy out of diplomacy would practically be a crime. If I could, I’d recruit her as our envoy on the spot.
”But the Hero Management Bureau is doing something wrong. This war… it’s about stopping the summoning of heroes.”
”You crossed a national border, invaded military land without a formal declaration, and now you speak of justice? Are you not ashamed? Are you truly my relative?”
”But…! The declaration of war is a trivial matter compared to the injustice we seek to address!”
”Trivial? For your justice, my citizens must die? Do you even realize what you’re saying? Do you fancy yourself some demon lord dressed as a commander?”
”I’ve never taken a single life!”
With a resounding slap, Tizzy threw a thick bundle of documents onto the table. Were I in Princess Auroora’s shoes, I might have yelped. But she held her ground, her eyes locked with Tizzy’s—courage clear in her gaze.
A different kind of battle was unfolding—one not of swords or sorcery, but of strength in conviction. Honestly, if these two turned their glare toward a Demon King, he’d probably run crying.
Aside from Tizzy, I had always thought Ms. Nina to be kind and gentle. I never imagined she could wear an expression like that.
”Forty-eight girls abducted. Thirty-two dead. Countless injured. Three entire villages destroyed. As for the plundered goods…”
Ah, this included the mess Gorigan had stirred up earlier. Duke Mineley had managed to gloss over it temporarily, but now that Gorigan had invaded again, everything had come flooding back. It was questionable whether old grievances could be used as justification in court, but in war, the victor writes the narrative.
Despite holding such a defensible position, Duke Mineley had been too soft in negotiations. That had been their undoing. Once Tizzy’s regime took over, such unjust invasions would likely come to a swift end.
For Princess Auroora, the idea that her forces were behind child abductions would be unthinkable. But now, they had evidence—concrete proof. Given her moral rigidity, it had to be a bitter pill to swallow.
I might be a little twisted these days, but I still didn’t believe Ms. Nina—or rather, her original—was a bad person. Even in defiance, she had her charm.
This could very well be the start of a long, grueling negotiation. Now that Gorigan himself had been captured, Tizzy would no doubt press her advantage.
He had hoarded food, abandoned his troops, and fled into the mountains, only to collapse from exhaustion. I didn’t do anything special. I just happened to find him after he passed out.
Would it have been better to leave him? Maybe. But having someone familiar around is often easier than dealing with a more competent replacement.
”This is an unofficial meeting, but allow me to say this: I personally oppose the summoning of heroes. It’s nothing more than kidnapping. Abducting someone from another world—especially royalty—is a crime, even here, isn’t it?”
I hadn’t planned to speak, but I couldn’t hold my tongue. I wanted to speak to Princess Auroora, even if just a little.
”I heard you’re a commoner. Is that true?”
”I am a person granted sovereignty under my nation’s constitution. Do you know what that means?”
When summoned heroes are asked about their origins, they often call themselves commoners. It’s not a lie, but it’s far from the full truth.
In this world, commoners are barely above livestock. To nobles and royals, they’re tolerated out of charity. The concept of sovereignty held by the people is unthinkable here.
In Japan, it’s perhaps better to say that everyone is royalty. Every citizen possesses the right to lead. It’s not perfect, but that explanation might get the point across.
”I’ve heard your world has no kings or nobility.”
”Think of it more as a nation where everyone is royalty. Everyone has the right to become the strongest. Though… few understand that properly. As far as I know, only Miss Floria in the capital truly gets it.”
I managed to drop her name into the conversation—something I read was effective when talking to women.
”You know Miss Floria?”
As expected, Princess Auroora responded with interest.
Ah… but wait. If she finds out I have a certain kind of relationship with the teacher, that’s going to be bad. Tizzy and Ms. Shirakaba might hear. That kind of thing is taboo.
It’ll probably come out someday, but not here. Not now.
If I’m asked what kind of relationship it is, I’ll just say we’re teacher and student. That’s safe.
But if I’m asked if it’s something more… Yeah, I definitely can’t answer that.
The chances of that kind of question coming up are low. But a woman’s intuition is a terrifying thing. And if Tizzy gets curious, she won’t hesitate to ask.
I need to guide this conversation carefully, so it doesn’t veer off into dangerous territory.
Please, Fraud Skill… lend me your strength now more than ever.
Notes:
• Ms. Ant – Level 20 ant soldier, over 2 meters tall in armor. Named by the protagonist due to lack of a previous name. Wields a huge battle axe, large round shield, and throwing axes. Seasoned warrior capable of taking down sub-dragons. Ms. Hóa’s prized secret treasure. Borrowed by the protagonist as a trial during his time in the royal capital
• Ms. Ann – Level 7 ant soldier, about 150 cm tall. Skilled in construction, carpentry, and cooking. Strong yet adept at delicate work. Trains in dual-sword techniques under Aqua’s guidance. Wields a slim one-handed sword and small round shield. Borrowed by the protagonist as a trial during his time in the royal capital
• Kasgar – The capital of Duke Mineley Territory. Located in a mining region, it is known for its acetylene lamps and mica windows. The city is bustling, with taverns and merchants, but it lacks the exotic charm of the royal capital.
• Tizzy – Claims to be Duke’s daughter, a noble with advanced magic skills. MC and Ms. Shirakaba lover.
• Baron Gorigan – A neighboring noble, managing a modest but wealthy mine; involved in recent conflicts and associated with a noble family with historical ties to the royal family.
• Ginchi – Male. A dwarf, scientist, artist, and seeker of truth. Ms. Mahal’s acquaintance. He is a skilled artisan, researcher of homunculi, and monopolizes high-precision glass tubes. He is wealthy, rational, and critical of both dwarfs and Earth’s civilization. He has a rivalry with Mr. Zenom.
• Shirakaba – A paladin who seems to be a skilled fighter. He’s introduced as someone with a strong defense and healing abilities.
• Ms. Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Nina – Doll Princess (Auroora 217), renamed by the protagonist. Beautiful blonde, ~168 cm, slim waist. Wears adventurer attire. Made from artificial parts and wooden limbs, resembling a princess. Knowledgeable, can read, write, and use basic healing magic. Reliable partner, often saves the protagonist with her skills.
• Ms. Mahal – A talented alchemist and old friend of Mr. Zenom’s; she is knowledgeable about homunculi and leads the protagonist to a secret underground passage.
• Mahal – A talented alchemist and old friend of Mr. Zenom’s; she is knowledgeable about homunculi and leads the protagonist to a secret underground passage.
• Miss Floria – Elegant, silver-haired noblewoman in her 40s, referred to as an ‘older sister’. Judge of the Supreme Court and Baroness. Former tutor of Princess Auroora. Initially stern but warms up, showing a playful side. Close with Ms. Nina (Princess Auroora’s doll copy), treating her like a sister. Trustworthy and explains legal matters clearly.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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