No Regression for the Victor - Chapter 37

“What?”

Dungeon. For Mikhail, who had once worked as a mercenary attached to monster subjugation forces all across the Empire, it was a word far more familiar than the etiquette of the imperial palace.

Was there a dungeon in that area? Mikhail tried hard to recall the explanation his direct senior had given, which he had only half-listened to while dozing off.

There were a total of eight major dungeons within the Empire’s territory: three in the north, one in the center, and four in the south.

Among the southern dungeons, the Demon’s Lair in the Delwyn Mountains had been completely destroyed and closed by Mikhail himself, down to its core.

The most notable lair in the north was the dungeon in the Egeria Mountains. The dungeon in the northeast was…

“Ah.”

After rummaging through his memories for a long while, Mikhail finally remembered a brief explanation he had overheard as a side note.

The Demon’s Lair of Belgorg.

The last monster outbreak had been several decades ago, but since the monster core had not been destroyed, it was a dungeon that could become active again at any time.

Because of that, there had been a time when all nearby residents were completely evacuated. Now, people seemed to have quietly started gathering and living there again.

“But that place…”

Mikhail immediately furrowed his brows in doubt. It was true that monsters could burst out at any moment, but the core’s power was weak, so it shouldn’t have been a place capable of causing a large-scale break.

Seeing the perplexed expression on Mikhail’s face, Marcel listened for a moment to the messenger’s report coming through the communicator before speaking up.

“They estimate the scale to be at least grade 7, possibly up to grade 9. The order has come down: under no circumstances are we to open the Gate.”

As Marcel answered with a grim expression, Mikhail urgently asked again.

“Then what about the subjugation army? Don’t tell me they’ve ordered the army to travel on foot as well?”

Normally, by law, any dungeon break of grade 6 or higher was to be handled by the central authorities. Local lords could only respond independently up to grade 5. Anything beyond that required military strength comparable to a major war, which was not something a local lord could handle.

It made sense that the Gate had been closed to prevent monsters from spreading through it, but surely they should dispatch a subjugation force. As Mikhail pointed out the contradiction in the situation, Marcel delivered a shocking answer.

“That is…”

“Why? What in the world is going on…?!”

Marcel hesitated, uncertain whether he should really relay this to the prince, who was now visibly worried about what might have happened to the Duke. Of course, it was such a shocking decision that Marcel himself could only wonder whose idea it was.

“……”

As Marcel closed his mouth, the prince looked at him with an expression of mounting anxiety. Sooner or later, the prince would learn of this anyway, whether or not Marcel told him now. Taking a deep breath, Marcel spoke in a sorrowful voice.

“They’ve decided not to send a subjugation force from the Imperial Guard.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Not sending a subjugation force for a dungeon break of at least grade 7? Monster cores, unless destroyed or completely depleted of their power, continuously spat out monsters. Leaving a grade 7 or higher core unattended was the same as allowing monsters to rampage unchecked throughout the region.

“Then are they abandoning Parinell and the neighboring towns as well?”

If not subjugated, monsters would relentlessly absorb the life force around them and continue to grow in strength and numbers. If the core wasn’t destroyed immediately after a dungeon break, monsters would spread to the entire area and endanger all civilians.

The more he thought about it, the less sense it made, so Mikhail demanded a detailed explanation. Marcel pressed his fingers firmly against his brow, then answered with a long sigh.

“They say that a border wall was recently erected along the Jeromm Mountains. The Demon’s Lair of Belgorg lies to the north of that. The messenger’s report is that, since there’s no chance of monsters escaping beyond Quillan, there’s no need to respond…”