Arc-7 Ch-36
154
Chapter
Trigger
2026
I continued walking while keeping myself as inconspicuous as possible, carefully watching the path ahead.
Whether formed naturally or built by human hands, a road is incomparably easier to walk on than grasslands or forests.
It requires less effort and takes less time. Anyone would think it foolish not to use one if it's available.
At the same time, if you're seriously at odds with someone, using a road also makes your direction of travel painfully obvious.
No scout or infiltrator worthy of the role would deliberately sneak in through the most conspicuous and heavily trafficked main entrance.
For thieves or spies, the proper approach is to discreetly observe the target first, then slip in through an accessible window or a back door.
While idly thinking about such things, I also kept watch behind us. My eldest son and daughter were not only quiet, they weren't even chatting.
These twins have completely opposite personalities, yet when they're left alone together they can talk endlessly.
I often find it amazing how they can chatter on about nothing in particular. Today, however, not a single word was spoken.
Their unusual silence made it clear they understood this wasn't an ordinary situation. That made them easier to command, though excessive tension can also make the body stiff and slow.
Commanding fresh recruits during their first real battle has always been difficult in every era. When those recruits are your own children, it's even harder.
"Stop."
I halted them with a quiet voice, then lowered my pack and hooked my fingers around a nearby branch that looked easy to climb.
I shifted my weight onto the gnarled trunk to test its strength, then alternated my hands and feet as I steadily climbed upward.
Warriors and soldiers require different qualities and skills. My personal belief is that warriors rely primarily on individual strength, while soldiers depend above all on sheer perseverance.
In other words, the better someone's basic physical abilities are, such as walking, running, climbing, jumping, and swimming, the higher the overall quality of the soldier becomes.
No matter how advanced firearms become or how much warfare revolves around high-performance armor, the most numerous presence on the battlefield will always be the individual soldier.
When I cooperated with the kingdom army's military reforms, I repeatedly argued that improving soldiers' fundamental motor skills would ultimately enhance group combat performance and the operation of armor.
The results, however, were disappointing. The highborn nobles in particular objected to the idea.
"Are you seriously planning to make noble sons do sprinting drills, climb trees, and practice swimming?!"
So I tried implementing it with the troops in my own territory instead. That only led to accusations that I was strengthening my army in preparation for rebellion.
Why are these nobles so rigid in their thinking, yet so quick to resent it when someone of lower rank achieves merit? If that's the case, they should simply work harder themselves.
Even while these foolish thoughts ran through my head, my hands and feet continued moving. After a few dozen seconds, I reached a position with a clear vantage point.
From here to the destination stretched almost a straight line across open ground. If I were the enemy, this would be the perfect location for an ambush.
I'd love to use binoculars, but elves possess excellent eyesight and hearing. Trying to observe them might result in them spotting me first.
Fortunately, I currently have the perfect tool for this task. In fact, you could say I built this reckless plan around the fact that I have him.
"Hey, ball thing. Are you there?"
『…………』
"If you're there, at least answer."
『I can hear you, Leon Fou Bartfalt.』
This Lost Item had absolutely no charm. Even so, despite spending more than a thousand years shut away in a warehouse, it possessed an annoyingly extensive vocabulary of sarcastic replies.
Whether a machine can truly possess feelings is questionable. Still, after spending so much time with it, I can somehow sense when it's in a good mood.
That ruin was almost certainly built by the same faction that created him. In other words, he's about to reunite with a long lost counterpart.
He probably expects some sort of touching reunion. From what I've heard, however, the people who created this Lost Item originally intended to wipe out modern humanity.
To be honest, I'd rather not bring him anywhere near that ruin. If they get along too well, it might mean the end of the world.
Even so, restoring Ange to normal requires him. If we also need to crush whatever suspicious scheme the elves are carrying out with that ruin, I'll have to rely on his cooperation.
And, why does nothing but trouble keep finding its way to me?
"...Can you invistigate the ruin?"
『Confirmed. It appears to be under a form of blockade, but I detect no human or elf presence in the surrounding area.』
"Is there any chance they're hiding? They might try to snipe us from long range once we get closer."
『No large organisms, including humans, are visible through optical or thermal detection. Unless the elves in this forest possess the ability to snipe through obstacles, there is no such threat.』
"Got it. I'll trust you. I'd really rather not get shot in the back by an elf hiding in a tree."
The ruin itself was well maintained, and the surrounding forest provided countless hiding places.
If I were setting up an ambush, this would be exactly the location I'd choose. Military history is filled with generals and strategists who suffered crushing defeats because they assumed the enemy couldn't possibly think of the same strategy they themselves had imagined.
For now, I climbed back down and called out to the twins. Taking too long and making Angie and the other children worry would only make things worse.
After walking a short distance through the forest, we reached an open clearing. At its center stood the entrance to the ruin.
They hadn't managed to completely block the massive entrance in just a few days. Using armor for earthworks would have made the task easier, but it's crude and difficult to clean up afterward.
They had hastily erected a barricade made of wood and iron bars near the entrance, securing it firmly with thick chains and heavy padlocks.
Most ordinary tourists would give up and turn back at that point. As a defense against adventurers, however, it was laughably naive.
Any tomb raider or shady adventurer would treat it as nothing more than a minor roadside inconvenience.
I briefly inspected the chain wrapped around the gate. It wasn't particularly thick, and several sections were already loose.
This hardly counted as an obstacle. It was more like a pebble lying beside the road.
I slid my favorite large knife, still inside its sheath, into one of the slack sections of the chain and began twisting it around. That alone was enough preparation.
Then, as if winding a clock spring, I gradually applied more force. The once loose chain slowly tightened, yet I continued increasing the pressure.
Eventually, one section of the chain warped under the constant strain and snapped, clattering to the ground. From observation to destruction, the entire process took less than two hundred seconds.
"...Father, you seem awfully experienced at that."
"You stayed silent all this time and that's the first thing you say?"
"No, come on. Normally you'd just shoot the padlock with a gun or smash the chain with an axe. That's the classic way, right?"
"You've been reading too many adventure comics. Shooting it makes a huge noise and sends fragments flying everywhere. A portable axe is useful, but it adds bulk to the load, so I didn't bring one today."
"Even so, your movements are freakishly quick and practiced."
"Stop wasting time with pointless chatter. Let's move."
"Ah, wait a second!"
If the reason I was so skilled at this came from completing dozens of legitimate adventures, it would look impressive.
In reality, most of my experience came from military scouting, sabotage, and espionage. It was nothing but shady and underhanded work.
Raiding ancient ruins for treasure like a tomb robber earns praise as heroism, yet quietly taking money from people living in the present gets you branded a thief.
The world is filled with contradictions like that. The boundary between law and crime shifts depending on the era and the circumstances.
At least in this situation, I was grateful no one was around the ruin. If guards had been posted, combat would have been unavoidable.
If I had more time and was alone, I could have quietly knocked them out one by one. With Lionel and Ariel accompanying me and time pressing, that wasn't an option.
The simplest solution would have been to kill anyone standing in the way. I wanted to avoid that if possible. As a father, I honestly didn't want to commit murder in front of my own children.
"…………"
"Father, is something wrong?"
"No, it's nothing."
The absence of even a single elf or human guarding the ruin's entrance kept nagging at the back of my mind. After all, this entire incident had begun because of this ruin.
Whether it was the current village chief treating it as a tourist attraction or the previous chief scheming something suspicious, the ruin filled with Lost Items made everything possible.
In a sense, this place was the elves' lifeline. It felt strange that the entrance had been left completely unguarded.
Wouldn't anyone think that leaving it like this was a serious problem?
Perhaps they had pulled their personnel away to deal with the aftermath of me beating down those attackers earlier.
That was certainly possible. If they were currently searching for us, leaving Angie and the others in the village chief's settlement might have been a mistake.
No, letting my imagination spiral toward the worst possible scenario was dangerous.
If I began hesitating now, the entire plan would fall apart.
A commander who stubbornly refuses to alter a once-decided strategy is troublesome, but one who constantly changes plans every time the situation shifts is just as problematic.
Still tangled in those thoughts, I stepped inside the ruin. As always, the oppressive metallic ceiling, walls, and floor made me feel slightly dizzy.
I was very familiar with places that had a similar atmosphere. The ruin where that Ball had been sleeping carried the same feeling.
I hadn't noticed it earlier because my focus had been scattered. Rescuing Angie had taken priority over paying attention to my surroundings.
If I had realized it the first time I visited this ruin, I might have handled things more smoothly. It seems I have a bad habit of overlooking important details whenever I rush.
I knew dwelling on it wouldn't help, yet the regret clung to me anyway. That was probably because Angie wasn't by my side.
"Hey, Ball. Can you scan the interior?"
『Please wait. Displaying optical overlay.』
The moment Ball's red eyes glowed, a projection appeared in midair. Even after more than ten years together, I still didn't understand how his super technology worked.
I once tried to replicate it, thinking I could make a fortune, but the results were predictably disappointing. I'm probably better off earning money the steady and honest way. It's safer that way too.
The map displayed with straight lines and curves revealed the structure of the ruin. Three red dots blinked within it.
"Wow, that's amazing!"
"Ball, explain it to them."
『Understood. The display shows the upper levels of the ruin. Our current position is indicated by the flashing marker.』
"There are several gaps in the map, aren't there?"
『Those areas have suffered severe structural damage and cannot be scanned.』
"Good thing we didn't bother bringing a map. This is far more detailed than anything sold in town for dungeon exploration."
『However, my scan only covered the upper levels. During your previous visit, there was insufficient time to scan the lower levels because Leon Fou Bartfort prioritized rescuing Angelica Fou Bartfort.』
"It couldn't be helped. She was in serious danger. Still, you make it sound like mapping the entire ruin would be easy."
『The upper and lower levels are managed by entirely separate systems. It is reasonable to conclude that the lower levels are what this ruin considers essential to defend at all costs.』
"Wait a second. Could you explain that in simpler terms?"
"Basically, the upper dungeon and the lower ruin should be treated as completely separate areas."
『Correct. Based on the structural layout, the upper levels appear to have served as living quarters and storage for facility workers, while the lower levels functioned as research facilities.』
"So most of the important stuff is down below, and what was up here wasn't particularly valuable, right?"
『To declining modern humans like yourselves, the products of ancient humanity might appear worthless yet still hold considerable rarity value.』
"Father, Lionel… isn't this thing actually insulting us?"
『Oh my. I assumed you possessed the lowest intellectual capacity in this group, but it appears you at least have enough intelligence to recognize my intention.』
"Grr… that really pisses me off…!"
"Just get used to it. I've been dealing with Ball for more than ten years. If you got angry at every single thing he says, you'd be exhausted in no time."
Leaving Ariel glaring angrily at the Ball, I focused on the projected map.
There were gaps in the dungeon's internal structure, and we had no idea what purpose those areas served.
Our top priority was finding a route leading to the lower ruin while avoiding combat with whoever might be inside the dungeon.
"Hey, Ball. How do we get down to the lower levels?"
『The primary elevators connecting to the lower levels are almost certainly unusable due to severe collapse in the upper structure. Several emergency stairwells leading to the lower levels are installed in various locations. Using one of those would be the most reliable option.』
"What about the hole Angie fell through last time?"
『Not recommended. First, the hole has already been sealed. Second, there is an extremely high probability that an ambush awaits there. Furthermore, descending through the hole would make it difficult to determine your position, which increases the risk of traps.』
"Yeah, that's what I expected. Then using a functioning stairwell to descend is probably our best option."
『Then I will display the locations of the emergency stairwells.』
New blue markers lit up at several points on the floating map. Those appeared to indicate the emergency stairwells.
They were placed at almost perfectly even intervals in every direction, up, down, left, and right. It showed that this ruin had been designed with practicality in mind.
Either way, this dungeon was as large as a small town. Without the Ball, exploring it would have taken several days.
Now all we had to do was check each usable stairwell one by one until we reached the room where Angie was being held.
"For now, we'll check every stairwell we can find. Lionel, Ariel, get your shotguns ready."
"...Understood."
"Yeah."
When I prompted the twins to prepare, they began readying the shotguns hanging from their shoulders.
Both of them had participated in feudal army training for several years. They had also learned proper firearm handling during the Royal Academy's practical classes.
Even so, training and real combat are entirely different things, and the world contains countless varieties of firearms.
Among the weapons we brought to the elves' village, the ones I assigned to the twins were shotguns.
Compared to rifles, shotguns hold fewer rounds, have shorter effective range, and possess lower power per projectile. In exchange, they cover a wider area, which makes it easier for inexperienced shooters to actually land hits.
Their low magazine capacity would be compensated by the twins working together. Meanwhile, I would carry the high power rifles with larger magazines.
"I'll explain the operational plan. Ball will handle navigation and enemy detection inside the dungeon and the ruin. You can detect enemies at a distance as well, right?"
『Yes. As long as they fall within the range observable by optical cameras and thermal detection. I can also calculate optimal routes.』
"And keep watch behind us too. I've got two civilians with me after all."
"Hey, that's mean!"
"Our formation will be me in front, Ariel in the center, and Lionel in the rear. Any questions?"
"Yes, Father. I think it would be better if you stayed in the center."
"That comes down to the difference in our weapons, and the fact that Ball is supporting us."
I took my favorite rifle off the sling on my shoulder. At first glance it looked like an ordinary mass produced firearm, but I had lightened the stock, replaced the barrel material, increased the magazine capacity, and made numerous other modifications.
It is common knowledge that the quality of a weapon greatly affects the survival rate of its user. Just as a swordsman never neglects maintenance of his favorite blade, I never cut corners with my own weapons.
With improved range, power, and magazine capacity, this rifle could reliably deal damage even to the monsters that had attacked Angie and the others. If I loaded magic bullets into it, its power would exceed any standard mass produced firearm by a wide margin.
"With the range of my rifle, I can reliably take down enemies from a distance. To be honest, the two of you still lack real combat experience, so it's better if you operate together as a pair."
"So you're saying Ariel and I should function as a single unit?"
"Shotguns sacrifice power in exchange for higher hit probability. Against humans they're deadly enough, but against monsters they struggle. So focus on volume of fire rather than individual power."
"So the two of us together make one proper fighter, is that it, Father?"
"If you've got a problem with that, turn around and go home right now. I'm not gentle enough to babysit children on a battlefield."
"...Fine."
"For now we'll head toward the nearest usable emergency stairwell and check them one by one. Never point your muzzle at an ally. Keep the barrel lowered and make sure no friendly enters your line of fire."
Friendly fire caused by panicked recruits spraying bullets around is a depressingly common occurrence in combat. Ideally I would give them more detailed warnings, but there wasn't enough time to explain everything step by step.
We continued moving silently through the sterile dungeon with our guns ready. How exactly had a simple family trip turned into something like this?
Next time we would take a proper family vacation with absolutely no mission involvement. Or maybe we would simply relax in our territory, till the fields, and get scolded by Angie.
I silently swore that I would never involve my family in another mission again.
※ ※ ※ ※ ※
"That makes five stairwells we've checked, and every one of them is blocked."
『Why not simply use the explosives you are carrying?』
"I have no idea how much force it would take to blast through them. Using explosives inside a crumbling ruin could easily trigger a collapse."
『Understood. Then let us proceed to the next location.』
"Wait. I want to revise the plan. We'll take a short break."
"...Father, you don't need to worry about us."
"Come on, let's hurry to the next one."
"No. If we push the plan forward and fail, everything will be meaningless. While I discuss matters with him, the two of you rest."
I calmed the impatient twins and had them sit down. Their first real combat experience was clearly exhausting their minds even more than their bodies.
Humans are strange creatures. When the mind becomes tired, the body soon follows. The old saying that illness begins in the mind was surprisingly accurate.
On the battlefield, forcing subordinates beyond their limits is sometimes unavoidable when the mission demands it. If they arrive too exhausted to fight, however, the entire operation collapses.
Any squad leader who has ever taken command has struggled with this problem at least once.
While giving them time to rest, I urged them to drink from their canteens. Until their stamina returned, I would consult with the ball.
"What do you think?"
『All emergency stairwells to the lower levels that we have inspected so far were blocked. It is highly probable that the remaining ones are obstructed as well.』
"Yeah. Since they turned the dungeon into a tourist attraction, it makes sense they'd seal off anything too dangerous."
When you think about it, blocking hazardous areas and hiding anything you don't want people to see is only natural.
I had hoped they might have overlooked one emergency stairwell somewhere, but it seemed I had underestimated the elves.
Repeatedly visiting marked points on the map only to find nothing each time was mentally exhausting. For the twins, who lacked experience, the strain must have been even worse.
About half of the marked locations still remained. If none of those worked, our only remaining option would be to descend through the hole Angie had fallen through.
『Based on the surrounding conditions, I estimate the stairwells were sealed long before these past few days.』
"They probably finished blocking them before developing the dungeon as a tourist site. So there's a chance every single one is sealed?"
『That is impossible. If the monsters encountered by Angelica and the others were produced in the lower levels, they should not have appeared in the upper levels.』
"Then there must be some inconspicuous location. Maybe even a hidden stairwell."
『This location is the most likely candidate. Of course, this conclusion remains speculative.』
The place Ball indicated was far from the densely packed central section of the dungeon map.
A long, narrow corridor extended outward from the crowded center, with almost no rooms connected along its length.
I had seen structures with this kind of layout before. High-ranking nobles often built emergency escape passages like this into their castles and mansions for use in critical situations.
"A hidden passage, huh? Why didn't you mention it earlier?"
『When I attempted to access the upper-level management system, there was no response. The probability that the structure in that area had collapsed was extremely high.』
"But that also means adventurers and tomb raiders wouldn't be reckless enough to dig through collapsed sections."
『What course of action would you like to take?』
"Fine. Let's go check it out. If it doesn't work, we'll just come back."
That would mean making the kids walk extra distance and waste their stamina for nothing. Even so, it couldn't be helped.
When it comes to making these kinds of decisions, the commander has to take responsibility. Anyone who can't accept that responsibility has no right to lead others.
I glanced at the twins. Their complexions had settled considerably, and they seemed to have regained some stamina.
For now, I decided to take a short rest as well. After drinking some water and doing a bit of light stretching, we would resume exploring the dungeon.
"You heard the plan. We're heading this way next."
"Yes."
"Yeah."
After hearing the twins' responses, I stood up. Our destination was now near one of the outer edges of the ruin.
As we moved in the direction the Ball indicated, the lighting gradually grew dimmer, and the damage to the walls and ceiling became more severe. Structures often begin deteriorating from their outer sections.
When we reached an area where the lights had almost completely failed, I had Ball activate the lights in his eyes. The guy really was far too versatile.
If it's personality were a little better, I might even have considered searching seriously for those so-called "old humans" who were supposedly his creators.
We advanced through the pitch-black corridor relying solely on the light from the Ball. At the same time, I continued giving instructions to the twins without pause.
I wasn't about to let them trip in the darkness or panic at some noise and accidentally harm an ally.
After walking through the darkness for an unknown length of time, a different light appeared ahead in the corridor. It wasn't coming from Ball-kun.
As we approached cautiously, we realized it came from a familiar type of portable lantern used for camping or cave work. My territorial troops carried similar ones.
It seemed our gamble had paid off.
『If you proceed straight ahead from here, you will most likely emerge near the village. It appears supplies for the lower levels are transported along this route.』
"So we can descend from here."
"Phew... thank goodness..."
"Don't relax yet. This is only the beginning."
I deliberately scolded the excited twins and continued moving forward. Then, quite suddenly, something felt wrong.
There was a presence ahead on the path. Living beings other than us.
"Lionel, Ariel. Raise your guns."
"Father?"
"What is it...?"
"Stop talking and raise your weapons. Now."
『An impressive instinct for detecting threats, Leon Fou Bartfort. You truly are an exceptional soldier.』
Ignoring Ball's sarcastic remark, I raised my rifle.
It seemed they had no intention of letting us reach the lower levels without resistance.
I ejected the standard rounds from the chamber and loaded magic bullets instead. These weren't meant for fighting humans. Their power was enough to kill most living creatures with a single shot.
The first thing that entered the edge of my vision was a woman crawling low across the ground. From a distance, her long hair might have made her look female.
But are there women in this world who have four arms and the lower body of a snake?
No. That was clearly not human.
Lionel and Ariel must have seen her as well, because both of them sharply inhaled.
They knew exactly what it was.
"Is that the monster you two mentioned?"
"...Yeah."
"Can we even defeat it?"
"Angie killed two of them, didn't she? Then we can kill it too."
『Two enemy monsters detected. No additional hostile presences behind them.』
"Then we can focus entirely on the ones in front."
A sour taste spread through my mouth. Whenever combat approached and my body grew excited, that flavor always rose from the back of my throat and stomach.
A violently savage part of me awakened deep inside, far beyond my control. From this moment onward, my thoughts would focus only on killing those monsters.
Please spare me.
I wanted to remain the kind of father my children could love.
You'll pay for this with your lives, so prepare yourselves.
With clear murderous intent, I placed my finger on the trigger.
Less than a second later, gunshots echoed through the corridor.
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Authors Note
┻━━━━━━━━━━┻
This chapter is being posted on the same day the Mobuseka comic serialization appears in Dragon Age and the final volume of that other series is released. You could also say the update was delayed because I was writing for another project.
In this story, Leon doesn't want to show his "soldier" side to his family, and he is also frustrated about Angie's current condition. Because of that, his mood is particularly irritable.
The twins have only experienced feudal training and practical exercises at the academy. They have never witnessed real combat. They are following Leon, an experienced soldier, while feeling somewhat confused and overwhelmed.
As a father, he wanted to keep his children far away from danger. In the end, however, he dragged them into it, and now the way they look up to him is moving in a direction he never wanted.
What kind of future awaits Leon?
P.S. At the request of the requester, illustrations were created by W様, 縹様, つな様, and オズワーニ様.
Illustrations previously received from 9430様 have also been posted on pixiv.
Thank you very much.
tooteki様 Pixiv（NSFW warning）
縹様 Pixiv
つな様 Pixiv
オズワーニ様 Pixiv（NSFW warning）
I would be grateful if you could share any opinions or impressions. Your feedback would be a great encouragement for future writing.
~~~End~~~