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CHAPTER 256: THE GREAT LIBERATION BATTLE 1

 

Three days after the Tekirana faction’s strategy meeting, just as the morning sun began to shine over the city of Wislo, we—Black Thunderbolt—arrived at the entrance of the Supreme-rank dungeon, the Dragon Tower.

This place, the Dragon Tower, always exuded a heavy atmosphere, but today it felt even more oppressively tense than usual.

The reason was obvious. Today at noon was the moment when the Liberation Battle would start. Calvados had to have caught wind of that intel beforehand. Naturally, their alert level was at the absolute maximum. Even at this early hour, groups of adventurers—presumably Calvados-affiliated—were frantically setting up makeshift bases. That scene alone made the gravity of the situation crystal clear.

Now that I think about it, fighting outside the dungeon is strictly forbidden in Wislo. Sure, there are still occasional assassinations and kidnappings, but even minor skirmishes or brawls can earn both sides penalties if spotted by the Adventurer’s Guild. And if a large-scale clan conflict were to break out in the streets, even the number-one-ranked clan might be dissolved outright.

But inside the dungeon, it’s a different story.

In this environment—a dungeon city where ranking disputes break out regularly—even the Guild can’t hope to fully monitor everything. So instead, they maintain a delicate balance of order by laying down a simple, clear rule: ‘No fighting outside the dungeon.’

So, when a Liberation Battle breaks out between clans under this rule, what happens?

First, wounded adventurers from the battle floor begin teleporting back to the entrance using labyrinth exit stones. Healers from their clans patch them up using magic or potions, and those who recover form impromptu squads with different comrades and charge back toward the frontlines.

Some get ambushed by dungeon monsters along the way and are forced to withdraw before they even arrive. Still, to replenish their forces, they push back into the dungeon again and again.

So what counts as a victory condition?

It probably boils down to the following:

• Either capture or kill the enemy Clan Master or a core leader figure.
• Render the enemy’s main fighting party incapable of continuing.
• Force the enemy Clan Master to admit defeat.
• Cripple the enemy’s rear guard—healers and item suppliers—so they can’t perform their roles.
• Eliminate supply units carrying potions and other provisions to the front, depleting the enemy’s ability to resupply.
• Force a complete retreat of all enemy units.

There may be exceptions where both sides agree on some rules to avoid unnecessary bloodshed—but this time, no such agreement exists between Tekirana and Calvados.

Tekirana’s goal is likely to win this battle and draw more clans away from the Calvados alliance, narrowing the power gap—or even flip the ranking order entirely.

On the other hand, Calvados aims to crush the Tekirana alliance completely, solidifying their dominance.

「Aniki, it’s looking pretty damn serious out here. Are we really just gonna stroll into the Dragon Tower like we’ve got nothing to do with this?」

「Why not? We really don’t have anything to do with it. We’re just here to clear the Supreme-rank dungeon. If anyone tries to get in our way, they’ll regret it, though.」

「Mhm. So if no one messes with us, we won’t mess with them either.」

「Exactly. If we start something, it’ll count as us interfering in the Liberation Battle.」

「Understood. I’ll stay alert so we can respond at any moment.」

「Since this is the Supreme-rank dungeon, it’s likely we’ll be attacked by high-ranked monsters. In that case, I’ll draw the initial aggro and attract them to me.」

「Got it. When it comes to monsters, we’ll stick to the usual. Shinku and Drake are up front. Kinu and Nelfie, you cover the rear. I’ll stay mid and handle roaming and overall command.」

「「「「Roger that!」」」」

◇　　◇　　◇　　◇

We arrived at the chamber that housed the entrance to the Dragon Tower. In its center glowed a massive, bluish-white magic circle—twice the size of the ones in the Advanced-rank dungeon.

Once all five of us stood on it, our vision darkened—and in the next instant, we were transferred to the top of a small hill.

The view from there made us gasp.

Below us sprawled an enormous city.

Broad stone-paved roads stretched out, flanked by rows of neatly constructed wooden and stone buildings.

And yet, there was an uncanny wrongness to it all. A subtle but unmistakable sense that something was off.

「What the hell… this is creepy. I can’t shake this weird feeling.」

「Aniki. Those monsters over there… they’re Ogres, right? But… aren’t they kinda small?」

Drake pointed, and sure enough, we saw an Ogre walking down the street. It looked like a Slaughter Ogre—an A-rank monster.

But it did seem small…

「No, it’s not that the Ogre’s small. It’s that the buildings are too damn big.」

The homes and roads were scaled for beings several times a human’s size. As if this entire city had been built specifically for Ogres to live in.

The sight led us all to the same inescapable conclusion.

This dungeon was created by something—or someone—with a sense of cultural design.

「Damn, this is wild. Never would’ve thought we’d have to conquer an Ogre city!」

「Yeah. And look over there.」

「Whoa, those are adventurers! The buildings are so big, they look like freaking hobbits. Judging by the timing, are they Calvados? Looks like they’ve set up on either side, flanking the city.」

「Seems like it. From this entrance, they’re trying to block both left and right flanking routes around the city.」

「Ahh, I see what they’re doing.」

Smart move by Calvados.

Most likely, the stairs to the dungeon’s second floor lie beyond this massive Ogre-infested city. By blocking the side routes, they force anyone who tries to push through the Ogre city to risk being surrounded—and to fight A-rank Ogres on top of that.

And if Tekirana tries to attack those flanking positions, they’ll have to split their already-limited forces even thinner.

If the fight drags on too long on this first floor—where recovery is relatively easy—it’ll become a war of attrition over supplies and reinforcements. And in that kind of fight, Calvados’s deeper reserves will slowly grind Tekirana down.

「So basically, they’re turning this into a war where the one with more gold coins wins, huh… Reaching the enemy base is gonna be hell for Tekirana.」

「Uh, Aniki… wouldn’t that go for us too? If we charge straight into the Ogre city and ignore those flank camps, we might get pincered too.」

「Mhm. That’s probably not an issue.」

「Wait, what do you mean, Kinu-neesan?」

「Calvados won’t break formation right now. Word that Seiha isn’t joining the Liberation Battle must’ve reached their alliance by now. And after the losses they took in the Advanced-rank dungeon, if they’re sending anyone against us, it’ll be a small elite force at best.」

「Ahh, yeah, true. That was the time when Shinku-neesan turned Calvados’ adventurers into ground meat back in the Lion Tower—」

「…Drake?」

「N-nothing! I didn’t say anything!」

「Anyway, that’s the situation! Stay sharp, but let’s stay focused on clearing the dungeon!」