Editing/Standardisation: Medicine Melancholy
Original Translation: Medicine Melancholy
Saul
“Monsters, you say?!”
The meeting room burst into chaos. Of course, this happened just as we were about to discuss how to deal with the looming monster threat in the town, after we had finally made the decision to silence the mayor who was about to interfere. What convenient timing.
“By any chance, are there any crystals or mutations anywhere on the monsters’ bodies?!”
I asked, praying that I am wrong. If it’s them, don’t tell me I’d misjudged when they’d start the assault…?
Whether fighting or evacuating, we were unprepared for the current situation… Reiji was now only equipped with a spare, unsuitable weapon for the time being.
“Eh? N-No, they’re just normal monsters we see in this area…”
His words almost brought a sense of relief to the meeting room, but soon everyone changed their mind, thinking that they should prioritize dealing with the current situation first, and left the meeting room in a flurry. We too, followed them outside.
“So, where did those monsters come from, the west or the east?”
“T-They’re everywhere! On both sides!”
“What?!”
“The scouts reported that a pack of White Fang was in the west side, while several Frost Panthers were seen in the east!”
Both are animal-type monsters, but the “Frost Panthers” in particular, were demonic beasts capable of using ice and snow-based magic. As for the “White Fangs”, they are generally the same as normal wolves except that their fur is slightly more resistant to ice and snow systems, but their coordination cannot be underestimated when there are many of them.
Nevertheless, there was no way such wild monsters could have come at such convenient timing. If so, were they led here on purpose…?
“…Reiji and I will take the east side and assist any soldier stationed there.”
“Would it be enough with just you two?”
“I see… Then please send some of the mercenaries, including Miriam, to cover us-”
Walking at a brisk pace, while hastily discussing battle plans with Philias-san, I was following the guards who were running out like bees whose hive has been poked when…
“Hey, that thing’s on fire!”
The sky in the east was awfully red and bright.
But both monster types attacking us were ice and snow type. Either someone screwed up in putting out the fire, or…
“…Huh?”
Feeling an uncomfortable gaze, I turned to see one of the guards looking toward the town with an extremely uneasy look on his face.
“You, over there, you don’t look so good. What’s wrong?”
“Ack?!”
As soon as we called out to him, he backed away and looked at us with frightened eyes… The frightened look seemed to be directed not at the monsters but at those of us who had come out of the meeting room…
“Hey, don’t tell me… that you know this would happen in advance?”
I knew it, someone was leading those monsters into town!
Animal-type monsters were relatively easy to lure, using food as bait or drug… There are more than a few people who use monsters for a living, even in the game, a beast taming class certainly existed.
“N-No, that wasn’t my intention, I mean, I didn’t expect them to go this far either!”
“Elaborate, now.”
“I-I didn’t do it because I wanted to… My family… they said they’d harm my family if I don’t do what they say!”
The officer continued with the questioning.
According to the guard, he was born in this town and lived with his wife, who’s currently pregnant, and his elderly parents to take care of them.
So the mayor’s goons held his family hostage and forced him to cooperate… Scumbags, all of them.
“I wish I could tell you more, but they only told me to signal them when you come here, that’s all…!”
“…You don’t seem to be lying.”
“I see… Now go back to the camp and do not leave! We’ll deal with your offense later!”
The guard walked back into the entrance from which we came out, looking exhausted. From the look of it, it doesn’t look like he’s going to run away.
“Those bastards… they must be the ones bringing monsters into this town and set it on fire.”
“It’s just speculation, but it’s very likely.”
“But that means he can’t stay in this town anymore, right?”
Who would support a mayor who would put his town in danger?
If he remained in this town, the previously oppressed people would surely revolt.
“…No, we’re looking at this the wrong way. He’s planning to ditch this town and run before the next goblin raid… So that’s why he caused this chaos! He wants to take his prize before he leaves!”
In the document I was just shown suggested the possibility of several secret deals with the western continent, using sea routes from a port town just to the south.
Unlike this country, where the slave trade is inherently prohibited, that side of the world, which is a country of merchants, has a thriving slave trade. If he’s setting out to kidnap someone to sell, then the most likely target is…
“Fuck! He’s going for Iris!”
“Let’s go, Reiji!”
I had expected that Aini-san’s clinic, which was located on a main street and highly visible, and where several patients were hospitalized, would not be conspicuous enough to be broken into by a well-known figure of this town.
But I clearly underestimated how low this scumbag could stoop.
Just as we were about to rush out…
“Reiji-kun!”
A voiced behind us called out, and when Reiji and I turned around, Reiji quickly caught the long, thin object in mid-air as it came flying at us at a fairly high speed.
“…A sword? Zeltis, isn’t this your beloved equipment?”
The man throwing the sword was one of everyone who was rushing toward us… Zeltis-san. He had already drawn one of the long swords he always wore at his waist, but the other was now in Reiji’s hand.
“But you already lost yours, didn’t you?! Take it with you, and hope you don’t mind that it’s not a size you’re used to, but I assure you it’s a work of art in its own right!”
“…I’ll take it, thanks!”
“Of course, I’ll only accept it back once you return it along with my princess!”
“Hey, who the hell are you calling ‘yours’?!”
I see those two are getting along as always, I thought so, but I didn’t speak up.
I just told them I was ahead of them and ran out as fast as I could.
The Frost Panther’s body crumbled to the ground.
Amidst the town with fire going up in several places… we approached the east district, just a few steps away from the vicinity of Aini’s store in the middle of the main street built along the stream.
But we encountered a monster that was closing in our destination, apparently following the scent of blood from the evacuated wounded.
Reiji pulled his sword, which had pierced the monster’s heart, out of its white body. The Panther’s white fur turned bright red with blood. There’s no sign that it would get up again.
“Saul, another one! It’s chanting magic!”
Apparently, while one Panther remained in the frontline and engaged us, the other had already fallen back.
On the roof of a one-story house, about 50 meters away from the other Frost Panther, a magic circle glowing blue, almost white, indicating that the magic was an ice-attribute, was deployed at the feet of the dead Frost Panther.
“Like I’d let you!”
“GAWR?!”
A lightning bolt from my sword pierced the Frost Panther and fizzled out the magic that was about to be activated.
These things could cast powerful spells such as “Blizzard”, an attack spell with a large area of effect.
In order to neutralize it as fast as possible while not damaging the surrounding, I fired a “Stun Piercer” to interrupt its chanting and immobilize it. The enemy rolled down the roof and hit the ground.
“Two down!”
Reiji quickly closed the distance and swung his sword at the helpless Panther’s neck. Its body jumped up, then never moved again.
After slaying several monsters on the way, we finally arrived at Aini-san’s clinic…
“Dammit, are we too late?!”
A kicked-over planter in a trampled garden. The yard had been so trashed that one could tell at a glance that there had been some kind of commotion.
Reiji approached the crowd of people sitting stunned at the entrance, who appeared to be evacuees and hospitalized patients.
“What the hell happened here?!”
“S-Swordsman-sama, the mayor… the mayor led his thugs here and…”
It was hard to get a coherent story from the crowd of frightened people, but in summary, amidst the chaos caused by the attacking monsters…
“They barged in here, took the patients hostage and escaped with Iris and Aini-san in tow…?!”
“That motherfucker…!”
“Hold on, Reiji! Excuse me, were the boy Aini-san picked up… were Hayato-kun here when it happened?”
Before Reiji could jump out right away and chase after the mayor, I asked the crowd about what I wanted to hear the most in the current situation… the third person who wasn’t present, other than Iris and Aini-san, who were taken away.
“Eh? No… It just came to my mind that he just kind of disappeared…”
“Thanks for the information, it’s very helpful.”
The corner of my mouth relaxed. As far as that boy’s concerned, it’s a good thing if he just looked like he disappeared.
“Hey, Saul, we must hurry…!”
“No, it’s no good chasing them when we don’t know where they’re headed… Found it.”
After a quick search of the surroundings, I found a single, unnatural piece of metal stuck in the road.
I pulled it out and took a look at it. It looked like a pair of black bare metal chopsticks, long, thin, and unadorned, with a small red piece of string tied to it… it’s the same color as Hayato’s scarf, isn’t it?
Suddenly, even at a time like this, a laugh escaped me.
I knew I could trust him after all. To come up with such a plan in a short amount of time, he truly is a reliable guy.
I must gather more and more allies.
On that fateful night, when I was ready to die fighting that crystal monster, I told Iris to “gather a group of people you can trust”. That thought had not changed even now that we made it through that night without incident.
That boy, while rough around the edges, had shown me glimpses that fully meet those expectations. That’s why I want him.
…Oops, now’s not the time to dwell on such thoughts. I tossed the metal rods in my hand to Reiji.
“…These must be his stick shurikens, without a doubt. Don’t worry Reiji, I had an excellent tracker following those two. Just follow the marks he left behind.”
“Tracker, huh… No wonder I couldn’t see him anywhere.”
“Leave the town’s defense to me. Go, and rescue those two.”
Fortunately, we had killed several Frost Panthers before we got here. I think there were about two or three more, at least in terms of the scale of the noise, and that would be enough for me, alone, to draw their attention, if not defeat them by myself.
…I let out a chuckle at how absurd things have been compared to my old world.
“Sure thing! That damn mayor won’t get away with this!”
He immediately ran off, his back vanishing in the blink of an eye.
…Let’s not stay here any longer, I still have work to do.
I then caught a guard running nearby.
“This area’s secure! You guys go back and help putting out the fire, but be sure to tell me if a monster appears!”
“R-Roger!”
And so I returned to the town, still in utter chaos.
APM - Translation 