The Hero’s Mentor is a Demon (King) Witch

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During my few days in Normans, I gathered as much information as I could.

In particular, while mainly collecting data related to Asydia, I noticed something strange.

– A steel golem firing over 20 magical bullets per second.
– Destructive rounds bursting in all directions with a flash.
– Magic stones floating in the air before exploding.

These were familiar techniques.

The most outstanding aspect was the use of very peculiar “mechanical golems.”

Many adventurers were reportedly killed by these mechanical golems, unable to fight back properly, and I recognized them all too well.

“Why are Mammon’s toys here?”

Mammon’s creations were killing adventurers.

On the outside, they looked like toys little kids would play with, but inside, dozens of circular saw blades popped out, transforming them into killing weapons.

Human adventurers were falling victim to these aberrant entities using Mammon’s technology.

“Why are they using Mammon’s technology?”

What is Mammon’s technology?

It’s magic engineering.

A technology that combines alchemy and magic, and a prime example is the gun used by the Village Chief of the Village of the Holy Sword.

Items that allow anyone to easily use the power of magic.

It’s quite telling that it’s primarily utilized as a weapon, but truthfully, this magic engineering technology has benefited both the human world and the demon world.

In other words, magic engineering is technology that was exported from the human world to the demon world.

While similar technologies existed in the demon world before, the concept of ‘launching’ something ‘that stored mana’ was previously present, but the introduction of magical engineering technologies, such as guns and bombs, was clearly thanks to the demon race that traveled to the human realm.

Now, a curious question arises.

– Is the magic engineering technology of the human world the same as that of the demon world?

Decades might make them appear similar, but after a century, the context of technology would have changed significantly.

– What is this?
– Oh, that? A bomb that can blow up the Demon King’s Castle in one go.
– It’s an egg, isn’t it?
– It looks like an egg bomb. The moment you crack it open while cooking, whether you’re baking bread or making something else, boom! Hehe, how about that? Fun, right? Exciting, isn’t it? Kihahaha!!

– …….

Humans and demons have fundamentally different inclinations, and demons also have a different perspective on technology.

Even if higher demons or demon races summoned to the Intermediate Realm learned their technologies through sidelong glances or whatever, inherently, the magic engineering technology should differ between the human world and the demon world.

“But why is the technology of the demon world spreading?”

“When looking at the records of the adventurers who were slaughtered in the dungeon, it feels oddly like they were killed in Mammon’s dungeon located in the demon world.”

“Has Mammon ever unleashed his technology in the human world? He wouldn’t do something reckless, would he?”

“Besides, Mammon is a being of Demon King caliber, so if he spread his technology in the human world, wouldn’t he have also been summoned to the human world?”

“If so, someone would have dealt with him, so why is it so widespread?”

Even if the concept of magic engineering exists in the human world, “Mammon’s magic engineering” should not exist.

Yet, it exists.

That was the most incomprehensible part.

As I took each step toward the Abandoned Dungeon of the Dark Magician, my confusion only escalated.

And then.

“Stop.”

I raised my staff sideways to halt my party.

The distinct sound felt through that passageway was definitely “that.”

“Inspector Morzen. I’m sorry, but it seems the assessment isn’t important right now.”

“What? What’s with the sudden…?”

“It’s coming. Earth Wall.”

I thickened the earth beneath me as cover.

“Master, is it an enemy?”

“It is. Very dangerous.”

Despite my actions occurring without warning, the three rushed to my side, and soon a red light began to burst from outside the corridor.

Tatatatat!!

The sound of gunfire.

The sound of something rotating.

And a sound resembling rapid footsteps pounding the ground.

“Morzen. What level of danger is it if an automaton emerges?”

“Automaton? That’s at least a C-.”

Tatatatatatatat—!!

“It seems the enemies we saw in the guild have appeared.”

The sounds grew rougher and closer.

I signaled for the startled trio to be quiet, and while hidden behind my cover, I conjured a fireball.

Direction, distance, angle.

Calculations complete.

“Brace for impact.”

I gripped my staff tightly.

The mana escaping from my body intertwined with the fireball, soon connecting with my consciousness.

Whoosh!

“Fire.”

The flame soared swiftly over the cover.

The enemy’s shooting targeted the suddenly emerged fireball, but I moved my finger to alter its direction.

-Slider.

Whoosh!!

Avoiding the shots, the fireball veered like a swallow and struck the enemy.

Simultaneously, a loud bang echoed, and the flames exploded as I dashed forward, staff in hand.

“Intercept.”

Whoosh.

I placed one foot on the cover, swinging my staff in a wide arc, pointing the end embedded with a magic stone toward the other side of the corridor.

“Sorry, but we’re also quite skilled in this regard.”

Sniping.

Bang—!!

The arrow of flame burst forth from the staff’s tip, piercing the enemy.

As the magical arrow struck the body of the exploding automaton, it detonated once more, destroying it utterly.

“…….”

Time until the enemy’s ‘function shutdown’ was 7 seconds.

After retrieving my staff, I observed the enemy’s movements.

“Morzen. Since it exploded like that, it won’t resurrect, right?”

It won’t.

Having blown up its power source, I know it can’t move even if it wants to.

“It was noted on the guild’s bulletin board.”

“Oh, yes. Right. You’ve been quite observant….”

“We have to be prepared for anything.”

However, I feigned understanding of the newly emerged enemy’s identity due to my research and prep in the guild.

I wasn’t sure of the effect, but at least something like “How do you know that?” wouldn’t—

“That’s impressive, Witch. How did you know?”

“…Just a hunch.”

As Rosmas probed, it seemed a stretch to say I sensed it through hearing or magic.

So, I decided to brush it off as just a hunch.

“For now, can I approach that and check it, Morzen?”

“…There’s no way. Why would an automaton be here…?”

Morzen was in shock.

The person meant to lead us was panicking and unable to make a rational judgement, and I grabbed her by the collar.

“Inspector Morzen. I asked if I could approach and check that. Don’t you know?”

“Oh, uh… no. If it’s that destroyed….”

“Are you sure?”

“Master.”

Lucius approached me from the side, and I slowly let go, sensing Morzen was regaining her composure.

“First, Inspector, the situation has become quite strange. We should get out of here first—”

Screech.

A sound of something moving echoed from outside the corridor.

Rosmas turned pale, glancing back toward the entrance we had entered.

“The entrance…?!”

It was blocked.

“…It seems the owner of this dungeon has appeared or something like that.”

Perhaps we would have to fight with all our might.

“Damn it.”

If the automatons I know are the enemy, I might have just faced the worst foe.

“They don’t have magic stones.”

An enemy that won’t recover even if mana is used.

Worst case scenario.

Yet, there’s one thing I gained.

“Can I check that for a moment?”

“Master?”

What momentarily flashed in the fire.

It was definitely a seal I recognized.

I dashed toward the destroyed automaton to examine the burning traces.

‘Just as I thought.’

This machine.

I suspected it wasn’t an ordinary object, but I never expected to find a clue here.

-Killing Spider Mk-Ⅳ. SN : 1Q2W3E4R018

Model name and serial number.

And beneath it, the emblem of ‘Asydia.’

“I found it.”

Zephar, traces of the Demon King’s Army.

*

“Hmm….”

The owner of the dungeon and the mind, Shax, looked a bit flustered.

“Did the Killing Spider get subdued this easily?”

Creak, creak.

The arachnid-shaped automaton, Killing Spider, was so easily destroyed by the enemy’s attack.

“Hmm….”

The red witch.

Though appearing flustered, she deftly handled the enemies that emerged from within the dungeon.

“She’s no ordinary one.”

While others panicked, she alone erected walls from the ground for cover and hurled fireballs.

“Is that woman the leader of the party?”

I thought the man was the leader, but it turned out to be that red-haired witch.

“Then we’ll have to eliminate her. Those little fish… just let them die watching their buddies die. Now, Raising Undead.”

Bang!

As Shax fired his shotgun at the ceiling, numerous skeletons spread throughout the cave began to rise one by one.

“Sure enough, he caught on right away.”

I deliberately fired the shotgun to be heard beyond the passage, and the enemy’s movements were ominous.

Crackle.

Shax grabbed a skeleton nearby and laid it down neatly beside him.

Then, still holding the shotgun, he waited quietly for them to approach.

Clatter, clatter.

The skeletons began to pick up their weapons, rattling their spines.

Some took bows, others spears, and some axes.

One commonality was that all the skeletons wore similar armor.

Step by step.

Four adventurers emerged from inside the cave.

Shax greeted them with a smile.

“Greetings, unlawful intruders.”

“You are…?”

“The necromancer and owner of this laboratory. Shax.”

The adventurers exchanged glances, starting to size him up.

Shax found their actions aiming to fight him absurd.

“Are you planning to fight me?”

“…I’m Horra Morzen, deputy of the Adventurer Guild’s Adventurer Response Team.”

“The Adventurer Guild, huh.”

“This place has been the abandoned laboratory of the Dark Magician for about 30 years. The Adventurer Guild regularly handles the monsters that appear here….”

“I’m still alive, so why barge into someone else’s home and swing weapons at the owner? That’s quite absurd.”

Shax chuckled while aiming his shotgun at the adventurers.

“You lot who barged into someone else’s home….”

Click.

With the reloading sound, Shax aimed the barrel directly at the red-haired witch.

“Will be executed on the spot for trespassing.”

“Wait a moment. Let me ask one thing.”

“Oh.”

Shax couldn’t help but chuckle at the red-haired witch, who maintained her posture without averting her gaze, but since she was asking a question, he decided to grant her that dying wish.

“Ask anything. I’ll answer anything. Just one thing. Don’t ask me to spare you.”

“How about we have a go, you bastard Belphegor?”

“…….”

“This blasphemer!!!”

Bang—!!

As the trigger of the shotgun was pulled, the battle commenced.