When I Was Reincarnated into the World of an Ultra-Difficult Game, I Ended Up As the Sole Subordinate of the Ridiculously Strong yet Incompetent Demon Lord, Tasked with Creating a Dungeon
“Since they’re small and agile, they can easily hide in blind spots.”
Indeed, goblins are smaller than us.
On top of that, their physical abilities surpass those of inexperienced humans and even some demons—though in this case, I mean myself.
So, there’s no need to have them wait stupidly in the middle of the dungeon room.
◇
“Oh, there aren’t many goblins here. This might be a good opportunity.”
A group of humans challenging the Goblin Dungeon discovers the next floor and the goblins within.
Since the floor lacks a door, they can see the monsters from a distance, making it easier to decide whether to proceed or retreat.
“Let’s go.”
However, they fail to realize it’s a trap.
“Guh!”
“H-Hey! Are you okay?!”
As soon as they step into the room, something drops from above, knocking one of them unconscious.
Fortunately, he’s still alive.
When they spot the goblin responsible, realizing their comrade was struck on the head by its club, they quickly dispatch the creature.
They then rush to aid their fallen companion.
The remaining goblins in the room are still some distance away.
They need to rescue their comrade before the goblins get to him.
“Ugh… Guh…”
“Wait, what—”
As they approach, goblins hidden in the room’s blind spots ambush them all at once.
From the hallway, the room looked clear—but in spots unseen from outside, numerous goblins had concealed themselves.
The adventurers never saw it coming.
Up until now, goblins hadn’t used such tactics, so their carelessness was understandable.
But because of that carelessness, they would all perish here.
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“Not just Ido—there are others who sometimes break the walls too. Though, Ido’s the only one who could destroy them enough for a person to pass through.”
“No repairs are necessary.”
“Huh? But if we leave the gaps and holes, won’t the maze collapse someday?”
“Before that happens, we’ll rebuild it. Or better yet, we’ll use it.”
◇
“Seriously… this damn maze changing all the time is a pain in the ass!!”
“At this point, who even knows if a map would help?”
As always, the labyrinth blocked the path of countless beastmen.
Even for other races, finding the correct path would be a struggle.
Of course, they had no way of knowing that the maze was periodically reconstructed for maintenance.
“Huh…?”
“What is it? We’re moving ahead.”
“Wait a second.”
“What now…?”
Frustrated from wandering the maze for so long, the beastmen’s irritation was at its peak.
But then, one of them noticed something.
“Isn’t this the mark we left last time?”
“What? No way—this damn maze is supposed to fix itself instantly!”
“Wait a minute! Maybe the dungeon’s magic is finally running out! This whole place is about to fall apart!”
That meant they had one last chance to conquer it before it crumbled.
If they could do it, they’d earn the title of dungeon conquerors—the title even the great warrior Ido couldn’t claim.
The beastmen, newly motivated, became determined to clear the maze.
“If our mark is still here, then that hole should still be there too, right?”
“Yeah. If we widen it, we won’t have to waste our time dealing with this stupid maze anymore.”
Taking an unorthodox route—
The beastmen chose what could be considered cheating.
They never imagined the punishment awaiting them.
“Alright, found it.”
“Nice. And we didn’t even have to deal with that annoying basilisk chase this time.”
The combination of the maze and the basilisk was a nightmare.
But after repeated attempts, the beastmen had learned how to take down basilisks, even when they tried to ambush them.
Though they still suffered from the poison, they could now reliably hunt fleeing basilisks, making the dungeon much more manageable.
“For now, let’s focus on breaking this hole open.”
“If it’s patched up by tomorrow, we’ll decide whether to mark it again or just tackle the maze properly.”
With that, they approached the hole, preparing to attack it.
And then—
They inhaled the poisonous fumes seeping from within.
“P-Poison…?”
“Damn… My body… won’t… move…”
That poison, ever so meticulously, was a paralytic toxin.
A direct hit at close range while completely defenseless.
That was more than enough to rob the beastmen of their freedom of movement.
The sound of their bodies collapsing echoed, and at last, the poison leaking from the hole dissipated.
This was because the basilisks, waiting just beyond the wall, had ceased their toxic spray.
Beastmen who were so careless would all become nothing more than food for the basilisks.
And even if they had not been careless, there was no way they could have dealt with an ambush of poison seeping through small holes, cracks, and gaps in the walls—something they had no knowledge of.
◇
“Sit properly in seiza.”
…Lately, Lady Fiona hasn’t been doing anything too strange.
So it’s been a while since I’ve seen Primilla in full-on lecture mode…
“I should be the only one punished. The one who made the wrong decision was me.”
While I was trying to escape reality, Dikitis unexpectedly stepped in to defend me.
Taking full responsibility, he tried to shield me from blame. But I wasn’t so heartless as to just go along with it.
“I was the one who made the final decision, so I take responsibility too.”
“Yes. Lord Rey, you understand well. Both of you are at fault.”
Yeah, that makes sense. We’re accomplices in this.
“Listen, Lord Rey. Your dungeon is not meant to mindlessly slaughter all intruders.”
“Yes… I understand.”
Maybe because I’m being scolded, I end up speaking in formal language.
“You don’t need to be so formal.”
And of course, she immediately calls it out.
…But come on. Talking normally to someone who’s angry with you is impossible. Is this part of the punishment?
“Dikitis did an excellent job, but what will you do if your dungeon, which was already well-balanced in repelling intruders, becomes an impenetrable fortress?”
“…The monsters were listening to me better than expected, and I ended up going overboard.”
“Lord Rey’s monsters are special. They’re talented, adorable, and reliable. That’s why it’s up to us—the ones in charge—to decide how much power they should use.”
“I was careless…”
Primilla gets along well with the monsters on the farm, so her words carry extra weight…
Dikitis may have been great at drawing out the monsters’ abilities, but now I’m starting to think Primilla is actually the best at it.
“Anyway, make sure to tell them not to go overboard. You’re not Lipianem—excessiveness is not good.”
“Fufufu… You underestimate me, Primilla. The Lipianem of reckless excess is no more! I have mastered control over my power!”
…That’s not the point.
She was literally used as an example of what not to do, and yet, she doesn’t seem to mind at all.
Also, when did Lipianem get here?
“Rey~ Lately, we haven’t been spending much time together. I demand that you set aside time for the Demon Lord!”
Oh no, Lady Fiona has arrived.
I’ll agree to Demon Lord Time, just please get me out of this lecture.
“But… that can wait. I’ll take my leave now.”
…She ran away.
Ah, Primilla caught her.
“Why did you try to run the moment you saw me?”
“It’s not about you exactly… It’s more about the situation… A-And I haven’t done anything to be scolded for!”
“Sigh… I already know that. But Demon Lord, Lord Rey, do you both think I enjoy lecturing you?”
…My bad.
Primilla has always been the one keeping us in check, so I guess we started taking it for granted.
She looks like a little girl, but giving out lectures isn’t something that should come naturally to her.
“…Honestly, I don’t want to lecture you, you know?”
“Huh?! Primilla, I thought lecturing was your hobby!”
“Demon Lord. Sit in seiza.”
“Wait! Didn’t you just say you don’t want to lecture me?!”
…Good luck.
That thought came to mind, but I wasn’t sure if it was meant for Primilla or Lady Fiona.
