Irosun Rescue Operation
***---***
Surrounding Slakka was a wide variety of monsters, from Goblins and Kobolds to Rock Ogres and Minotaurs.
Looking from the sky using star-attribute magic, the 50 meters around Slakka were filled with monsters that had rushed in.
Due to Zeta-tachi's howls, the monsters near Slakka had stopped moving, but the monsters farther away didn't stop their progress.
Those monsters seemed to be attracted to the smell of blood and gathered from downwind.
I returned to the shadow space and gave instructions to all my genus.
"First, Flamme, it's your turn."
"Gotcha! Where is it? What should I burn?"
"This way. I'll open a shield of darkness, so after you've roared as hard as you can, fire a big one!"
"Gotcha! Roger that!"
The wind continued to blow loosely from west to east, so I put out a shield of darkness along the east wall and sent Flamme out.
"Guoaaaaa!"
After a roar that shook the air, Flamme spewed out a full-powered flame bullet.
A gigantic fireball with a diameter of about 10 meters rushed forward, leaving behind so much heat that I thought the sun had appeared in front of me.
The monsters, the trees in the forest, and even the ground were scorched, and a band of flames appeared in the Great Forest.
"How is it with this, Aniki!"
"Ehh, aahh ... Y, yup, I think it's fine."
[ Buhahahaha, Kent-sama, the adventurer on top of the tower fell down in fear. ]
For the time being, there would be no monsters who thought about approaching from the east side.
Let's push back the remaining north, south, and west.
"Zae and Kame go to the north side, Suo and Tala subdue the south. Kart, Kirt, Kurt collect magic stones and materials from the north. Kert, Kort, and Sart, please collect on the south side."
"Leave it to me, My King."
"Roger that, Goshujin-sama."
The Undead Lizardmen who jumped out swung their kukri knives like a black whirlwind and chopped up the monsters that were surging in.
After that, the Kobold Corps ran around here and there, collecting magic stones and horns, etc.
Yup, it looks like we'll be able to make a mountain of magic stones again.
[ Kent-sama, how about the west side? ]
Reinhardt, who pretended to be calm as he asked, put his hand on his beloved sword, Gram, and looked restless.
"Reinhardt ... Go!"
[ Acknowledged! ]
As if he had been waiting, the Metallic Skeleton flew out.
Uwaa, I guess he'll be covered in blood again ... I wonder if he was like that when he was alive? That's too scary, hey.
"Sirt, Surt, Sert, Sort, please go collect."
"Understood, Goshujin-sama."
"Zeta, Eta, Theta, can you drive the monsters outside further away?"
"Leave it to me, Nushi-dono."
Now, there shouldn't be any monsters trying to get close to Slakka, but it wasn't good to keep burning the forest forever.
I focused my attention on the flames burning on the east side of the village.
Since Flamme's fire attribute was given by me, I felt that I was able to put it under my control, just like I thought I would be able to do.
"Here goes! Uryaa!"
The band of flames that stretched for about 500 meters turned into a giant fireball that shot up into the sky and disappeared like fireworks.
For the time being, the fire seemed to have gone out, but just in case, let's use water attribute magic to sprinkle water on the wreckage.
"Ooohhh, as expected of Aniki. It's amazing how even the flames that raised in the forest can do what you want!"
Flamme nodded in admiration, but I was also stunned by the flame bullet you fired.
"Flamme, I don't think they'll come, but keep an eye on this side."
"Gotcha, roger that!"
With this, SLakka seemed to be fine.
Next, let's head to Moitaba.
Since the monsters proliferated, many of the settlements in the Irosun Great Forest had been abandoned.
That was because they didn't have walls or a moat like Slakka.
Moitaba, on the Marburg side, was the only remaining village other than Slacka.
Moitaba also had a wall made of logs, but Zeta-tachi didn't claim the territory like with Slakka.
"Basten, Fred, come with me."
[ Roger that, Kent-sama. ]
[ Hurry up ... Worried ... ]
Moitaba, where I rushed with Basten and Fred, was in a dire situation.
Part of the wall had already been destroyed, and the village was overflowing with monsters.
Even if I looked around while moving through the shadows, I didn't see anyone resisting the monsters.
"Damn!, I'm late ..."
[ Nope, Kent-sama. These settlements have shelters underground. ]
[ There's still hope ... Either the Guild or the garrison's basement ... ]
The garrison's post near the city gate had its door to the basement opened, and the Ogres entered and devoured the corpses.
On the other hand, at the Guild branch office in the center of the city, monsters had stepped into the interior of the first floor, but the door to the basement was cleverly hidden, and many residents were huddled together, trembling.
At first glance, it seemed there were about 200 people.
In the settlement, it seemed that there were more monsters than there were inhabitants, and it seemed that they were also lurking in the buildings.
It seemed to be difficult to bring the residents to the surface and move around while beating up the monsters.
Let's repatriate them out of the Great Forest at once.
I put out a shield of darkness at the exit to the surface, and called out from inside.
"Hello, my name is Kent and I am an adventurer belonging to Volzard. I'll come out in a moment, but please rest assured that I am not a monster."
After I informed them and went out, a clamor spread in the basement.
"Excuse me, who is in charge?"
"I am. I'm Lind, the head of the Guild's branch office."
"Right now, monsters have entered the village, so it's difficult to escape to the surface."
Hearing my story, the evacuees let out groans.
"I see ... You seem to be able to move in the shadows, but it that possible for us too?"
"It's difficult to move this way, so I'll use another way."
"Another way, you say, will we be saved?"
"It's a dangerous method, so could you follow my instructions?"
"If you are going to save us, of course we will obey."
"Then, everyone, please listen to me carefully. If you don't follow my instructions, you risk losing your life."
I explained the points to be aware of regarding the repatriation technique so that someone like Nakagawa-sensei during the first repatriation work would not appear.
"Then, I'll go to the exit of the Great Forest and talk to them. Could you wait a little longer?"
"Alright. But, do it as quickly as possible. In the unlikely event that a monster finds the entrance, the people here won't be able to deal with it."
"Don't worry, I'll have my genus guard the entrance."
Leaving Basten to guard the basement entrance, I moved with Fred to the entrance to the Great Forest on the Marburg side.
The entrance to the Marburg side was blocked by the Guild, causing chaos.
"No good, it's no good. You can't pass even if you put together a caravan. According to the people who went out for reconnaissance, the caravan that came out earlier was attacked by monsters and was wiped out."
"Then, when will we be able to pass."
"I don't know. Anyway, those who left Moitaba first thing in the morning should have arrived by now. Unfortunately, not a single person has arrived. Proceeding in this situation would be suicide."
From what I heard, it seemed that many caravans on the highway also suffered damage.
It seemed that the village was also crowded with people who had been stranded, and it seemed difficult to secure a place to repatriate the people of Moitaba.
While emerging from the shield of darkness, I called out to the person who was explaining the forced stay.
"Excuse me, may I have a moment?"
"You, where did you come from!"
"I'm an adventurer belonging to Volzard, my name is Kent."
"Volzard's Kent, you say ... Is it that Kent who stopped the dispute with Bakkenheim?"
"Yes, so, I'd like to bring everyone from Moitaba here, is that okay?"
"What's that, are there survivors?"
Hearing the word 'Survivor' caused a roar from the crowd.
"Yes, there are people taking refuge in the basement of the Guild's branch office."
"But, what are you going to do with them."
"I'll use summoning."
I explained the summoning technique and received permission to summon the people who were evacuated to the blocked road.
I hurriedly returned to Moitaba and let Tart, Tirt, Turt, and Tert hold ropes to determine the range and prevent interruptions.
I returned to the exit of the Great Forest again and activated the summoning technique.
"Summon!"
As with the Calvine Territory, I finished summoning 184 people in four batches, fifty at a time.
Since they were summoned in a place where people were stranded, it was conspicuous, but it couldn't be helped.
"We're really outside the forest ..."
"Thank you, you saved me!"
I asked the Guild staff to help the people of Moitaba who were raising their voices in confusion and joy, then returned to Slakka.
While the people of Moitaba were being evacuated, it seemed that the battle and the collection of materials were finished in Slakka.
Yup, there's a mountain of magic stones in the shadow space.
[ Buhahaha, I mowed them down, Kent-sama. ]
[ Reinhardt. After collecting the materials, move the corpses deep into the forest. ]
[ Don't worry, we have already started cleaning up. ]
[ Thank you, just in case, look around to see if any monsters are gathering. And ... You should bathe to wash the blood off, okay. ]
[ Roger that, leave it to me. ]
The highway was in a situation where even a caravan couldn't pass.
Even if I cleaned up the surrounding monsters, there was no choice but to temporarily abandon Slakka.
Slakka had garrison members, adventurers, and even though I couldn't see them right now, there should still be residents.
Evacuation was likely to be prolonged, so residents would want to take their belongings with them.
It seemed difficult to repatriate everyone out of the Great Forest today.
I went out of the shadows and called out to the garrison members, explained the situation, and asked them to guide me to the person in charge.
"I'm Daleman, the captain of the Slakka garrison. Are you the 'Monster User'?"
"Maa, it seems that's what I'm called."
"I'm grateful for the rescue. At that rate, we would have been annihilated."
"No, it was a nomination request from Master Reese, so don't worry about it."
"Master Reese? Has the news reached Bakkenheim yet?"
"No, I contacted her and accepted her request."
"I see ..."
As I was explaining what had happened since I received the news from Zeta and the others, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Kent! You, you must have been waiting until Slakka fell into a crisis. You must have increased the urgency and raised the reward for the nomination request. You coward!"
Ahead of my gaze was Graciela and her entourage called 'Aoki something'.(TN:The 'Blue Gale' people, also ... Graciela lost honorifics ... gg. Kent doesn't like her at all anymore.)
Hearing Graciela's words, the commotion spread to the nearby adventurers.
"Haa ... Is there seriously something wrong with your head?"
"What did you say, you!"
"I'm an adventurer based in Volzard. Here in Slakka, my genus just happened to misunderstand my instructions and made it their territory, so it wasn't always guarded. Even so, after my genus informed me of the danger, I immediately moved to the rescue. I have just escorted the survivors who were still underground in Moitaba out of the Great Forest. If you still don't like it, I'll discard the request to escort the evacuation from Slakka and withdraw, but what are you going to do?"
"Wait a minute! There are still many residents underground. We have no guarantee that we can safely pass through the Great Forest alone. We need you to continue the request!"
As soon as I offered to suspend the request, Daleman, the garrison captain, changed his expression and approached me.
"I also don't want to discard the request in the middle. However, I'm not an omnipotent god, so if you don't cooperate, I may not be able to protect you."
"Alright, I promise to cooperate fully. So, how are we going to move out of the Great Forest?"
"Let's see. In the current situation, you may have to leave Slakka for a long period of time. Please discuss evacuation with the residents. I will go discuss acceptance with Master Reese."
"Alright. While you're away ..."
"I will leave my genus behind as guards, so please rest assured."
"I see, thank you."
When I shook hands with Daleman and tried to dive into the shield of darkness, Graciela approached me furiously.
"Wait a minute, I haven't finished talking to you!"
"Stop! I won't allow you to get in the way of the 'Monster User'!"
Daleman-san stood in front of Graciela, who was about to grab me.
"Hey ... This guy put us in danger for his own gain ..."
"If so, show me proof of that. Does he have a reason to raise the amount of the request in the first place? Didn't he and his genus push back the hordes of monsters that we couldn't deal with even if we banded together? With that much power, wouldn't he be able to hunt monsters as much as he wants, and get as much money as he wants."
"B, but, the timing was too good."
"Have you forgotten the situation so far? Why didn't the monsters avalanche into Slakka? Not just today, but his genus continued to claim the territory, so the monsters probably hesitated to step in. Not only that, he stopped the conflict with Marburg and cooperated in subjugating the bandits. If you interfere with his activities by making ridiculous accusations and endangering the settlement, you will be exiled!"
"Idiot, what are you talking about. The settlement is in danger ..."
I was sure she wanted to say that I was the one putting the village in danger, but Graciela gritted her teeth and fell silent as the guards and adventurers around her gave her a cold stare.
"Daleman-san, I'm counting on you. My genus understand the language, so please call me if something happens."
"Alright, leave this to me."
[ Reinhardt, I'll leave here to you. Fred, come with me. ]
[ Leave it to me. ]
[ Roger ... ]
When I moved to the Bakkenheim Guild, Master Reese was facing a middle-aged man across the table.
Or should I say, this man was the one who was present when I reported the crisis in Slakka.
They had been speaking for a while, but were they talking about something that important?
"Sorry to interrupt when you're talking. Reese-san, the monsters that were approaching Slakka have been pushed back."
"Umu, as expected of Kent. So, what is the status of the damage and evacuation?"
"Yes, we were able to deal with the monsters before the entered Slakka, but Moitaba was invaded by monsters, and everyone except those who had taken refuge in the basement of the assembly hall were annihilated. As for the evacuation from Slakka, the number of people and the amount of luggage is still unknown. So, I would like you to be ready to accept them ..."
"Umu, is that so ..."
Master Reese cut off her words and turned her gaze to the man sitting across from her.
The man who caught her gaze spoke to me.
He was skinny with dull blue hair, had triangular ears on his head, and gave off a nervous impression.
"You are Kent Kokubu. I am the Lord of Bakkenheim, Andel Bakkenheim."
"Ahh ... I'm Kent. It's nice to meet you, my best regards."
I didn't think he was the Lord of Bakkenheim, so I bowed my head in a hurry.
Now that you mention it, I felt like he resembled Adelina, whom I met at the dormitory.
"Fumu ... He looks quite different from the rumors I have heard."
"Rumors ... is it?"
"A black-haired great person, a ruffian who behaves arrogantly ..."
"A ruffian ... is it?"
"Ku!Ku!Ku! ... Rumors that are quite different from Kent."
Andel-san cast a cold gaze at Reese-san who let out a joyful laughter.
Aahh, it seemed he wanted to make a demand in regards to her lewd attire.
"Kent-kun, I must thank you. I am truly grateful for stopping the conflict with Marburg and subjugating the Salamander."
"No, I just did that because I thought that many people would be troubled if the road stopped."
"That's right. Currently, it's difficult to pass through the Irosun Great Forest, but if the road had stopped at that point, it would have caused a lot of confusion. You ended up dealing with that situation by yourself ... As expected, it's more than S-rank."
"Because Kent doesn't seem to fit into the S-rank frame ... Let's establish a higher rank ..."
"No, no, I don't need it. S-rank is enough."
"Ku!Ku!Ku!, S-rank is enough ... that's proof that you don't fit into the S-rank, but, maa, it would be troublesome to make it, so let's leave it as it is now."
Reese-san was laughing happily, but even now, when I'm S-rank and need to present my Guild card, I'm nervous that they won't believe it's real, but if they created a new rank above that, I'm sure they wouldn't believe me.
"By the way, where should I take the refugees?"
"Kent-kun, do you know about the village of Kalash?"
"Umm, it's a village a little outside the Great Forest towards Bakkenheim."
"Right, about a day from Bakkenheim, I have already sent out a horse and told them to prepare for reception. Please bring them there."
"Understood. But, they're leaving the Irosun Great Forest, aren't they?"
"Umu, if you can't pass through the highway even if you form a caravan, you should consider that the density of monsters is higher than that of the Devil's Forest. If that's the case, it's possible for the Irosun Great Forest to overflow. In that case, the refugees will be forced to evacuate again."
"I see, so it's a consideration to not evacuate again and again."
Reese-san referred to Andel-san as a straight-laced person, but I felt that he was considerate of the residents.
"Then, I'll tell them right away ..."
"Aahh, wait a minute. Can't you ask your genus to send the message?"
"It's possible, but ... why?"
"Umu, I'd like to know a little more about the situation, so if possible, can we have dinner together? I wrote down the evacuation order to Kalash, do you know Daleman?"
"Yes, he's the captain of the garrison, isn't he?"
"Right, I want it delivered to him."
"Understood. Mart."
"Wafuu, you called? Goshujin-sama."
As soon as I called out, Mart suddenly appeared and surprised Andel-san.
After patting Mart's head with a 'Washi washi', I entrusted it with the document.
"Yup, can you deliver this letter to Reinhardt and tell him to give it to the captain?"
"Alright, I'm going!"
Andel-san asked after I saw off Mart who hid in the shadows.
"Is that your genus?"
"Yes, it is."
"Wafuu, Goshujin-sama, I went there."
"Yes, good job."
"That's ... have you already delivered it to Slakka?"
No sooner than diving in, Mart returned immediately, and Andel-san's eyes opened wide.
"Yes, if we move in the shadow space, we can move in an instant."
"Fumuu ... I see, I can understand why Reese supports you."
It was decided that we would change places and have a detailed conversation while eating dinner, but in the middle of the move Reese-san whispered in my ear.
"Hey, Kent, be careful not to carry unnecessary baggage on your back."
"Unnecessary baggage, is it ... ?"
Since the highway through the Irosun Great Forest could no longer be passed, did that mean that I should take over the transportation between Marburg and Volzard.
A system was already in place to transport goods between Breichberg and Volzard via the shadow space.
We could carry goods from Bakkenheim via Breichberg, and if we brought them to Marburg from Volzard, there should be no problem.
No, if you wanted to transport them from Volzard to Marburg, you had to cross the Rivarre Pass, so it seemed that it would take more time than transporting it directly from Bakkenheim.
Bakkenheim to Marburg could be reached in 4 or 5 days via the Irosun Great Forest.
If you went through Breichberg and Volzard, it would take three days to reach Breichberg and four days from Volzard, for a total of seven days.
You didn't have to go through the Irosun Great Forest, where monsters had proliferated, but you needed to be on guard against bandit attacks at Rivarre Pass, so you would still need an escort.
It would be nice to create a direct route from Bakkenheim to Marburg, but if that happened, the work of the adventurers who had been undertaking the escort work would be gone.
If transportation costs rose, it would have a negative impact on the economy, and if there were no escort jobs, adventurers' lives may become difficult, how could a balance be struck.
As I walked while thinking about transportation issues, I was guided to the cafeteria where Guild users had meetings.
Unlike the adjoining bar, you could have a calm conversation.
It was like the difference between an Izakaya and a Restaurant.(TN:An Izakaya is a casual informal Japanese bar for drinking alcohol and eating snacks, usually gone to in order to relax after a day's work. You see people go to them in various anime.)
Waiting there was Andel-san's daughter, Adelia.
Reese-san was talking about extra baggage, could it be ...
"Kent Kokubu, I am very sorry for the other day."
"No, that was just a misunderstanding, so don't worry about it ..."
"Hohou, did Kent know my daughter Adelia."
At Andel-san's words, Reese-san had a shameless ... it felt like she had a smile on her face.
"Umm, when I sent Baldini-san of the Volzard Family the other day, there was a slight misunderstanding ..."
"Hohou, well, well, I heard that my daughter was quite impolite ..."
"No, no, it's not a big deal, so please don't worry about it. More importantly, about the situation in Slakka ..."
"Ou, that's right. Then, let's sit down and listen slowly."
Adelia sat in front of me, and Andel-san sat next to her at a table seat for four.
No, no, in this case, shouldn't it be Andel-san in front of me?
Just as I was thinking that, Reese-san, who was sitting next to me, casually brought her chair closer to me.
No, no, I'm telling you, you're too close, the eyebrows of the two people on the opposite side are going up.
"S, so, about Slakka, by the time I arrived, several monsters had entered the wall ..."
When I talked about the situation from arriving in Slakka to driving away the monsters and returning here, sparks seemed to be flying 'Bachi bachi' between Reese-san and the Andel father and daughter pair.
Rather, these people aren't listening properly, are they.
"No, no, if a normal person were talking about it, it would be hard to believe, but to go this far ..."
"Yes, as expected of Kent Kokubu-sama. I am impressed."
"Ku!Ku!Ku!, repelling the maximum outbreak of Goblins in Volzard, and subduing the Griffon and Gigases, for Kent, the crisis of Slakka is like breakfast, no, like a pre-evening meal."
Maa, my genus are excellent, so it certainly wasn't a difficult request.
Even so, while Adelia looked at me with moist eyes, I raised my eyebrows to Reese-san, to put it nicely, she had a rich expression.(TN:'She' here is Adelia.)
To put it poorly, it was like a Chihuahua with intense emotional ups and downs.
"By the way, wouldn't you like to go to advanced school, Kent?"
"Ehh, advanced school, is it? Hmm ... I didn't even think about it."
"Having someone with outstanding talent like you is a good stimulus for those around you. Bakkenheim not only has academics, but also conducts practical academics and magic research, so we would like to have an outstanding user of dark attribute magic cooperate by all means."
While saying such, how about my daughter ... please refrain from sending such a gaze my way.
I can't increase the number of bridal candidates any more.
"Speaking of which, will there be a meeting of the seven Lords of Landshelt?"
"Umu, the Irosun Great Forest, I can't say that we won't do it with the situation so far ... But it will be difficult for the Marburg and Volzard Families to participate ..."
"If necessary, I will use the summoning technique to pick them up, but ..."
"Hou, is it possible to travel such a long distance?"
"Yes, from Volzard, I have already sent people several times."
"Then, as soon as the schedule for the meeting is decided ... No, I'll be asking you to contact me to coordinate the schedule."
"Then, I'll try to show my face here from time to time."
"I would appreciate if you would do that ..."
After that, while eating dinner, I was asked to stay at the advanced school, but somehow I managed to not carry any extra baggage.
(TN:Author note talking about the 2nd LN volume and giving a link to purchase it again.)
Irosun Rescue Operation
***---***
Surrounding Slakka was a wide variety of monsters, from Goblins and Kobolds to Rock Ogres and Minotaurs.
Looking from the sky using star-attribute magic, the 50 meters around Slakka were filled with monsters that had rushed in.
Due to Zeta-tachi's howls, the monsters near Slakka had stopped moving, but the monsters farther away didn't stop their progress.
Those monsters seemed to be attracted to the smell of blood and gathered from downwind.
I returned to the shadow space and gave instructions to all my genus.
"First, Flamme, it's your turn."
"Gotcha! Where is it? What should I burn?"
"This way. I'll open a shield of darkness, so after you've roared as hard as you can, fire a big one!"
"Gotcha! Roger that!"
The wind continued to blow loosely from west to east, so I put out a shield of darkness along the east wall and sent Flamme out.
"Guoaaaaa!"
After a roar that shook the air, Flamme spewed out a full-powered flame bullet.
A gigantic fireball with a diameter of about 10 meters rushed forward, leaving behind so much heat that I thought the sun had appeared in front of me.
The monsters, the trees in the forest, and even the ground were scorched, and a band of flames appeared in the Great Forest.
"How is it with this, Aniki!"
"Ehh, aahh ... Y, yup, I think it's fine."
[ Buhahahaha, Kent-sama, the adventurer on top of the tower fell down in fear. ]
For the time being, there would be no monsters who thought about approaching from the east side.
Let's push back the remaining north, south, and west.
"Zae and Kame go to the north side, Suo and Tala subdue the south. Kart, Kirt, Kurt collect magic stones and materials from the north. Kert, Kort, and Sart, please collect on the south side."
"Leave it to me, My King."
"Roger that, Goshujin-sama."
The Undead Lizardmen who jumped out swung their kukri knives like a black whirlwind and chopped up the monsters that were surging in.
After that, the Kobold Corps ran around here and there, collecting magic stones and horns, etc.
Yup, it looks like we'll be able to make a mountain of magic stones again.
[ Kent-sama, how about the west side? ]
Reinhardt, who pretended to be calm as he asked, put his hand on his beloved sword, Gram, and looked restless.
"Reinhardt ... Go!"
[ Acknowledged! ]
As if he had been waiting, the Metallic Skeleton flew out.
Uwaa, I guess he'll be covered in blood again ... I wonder if he was like that when he was alive? That's too scary, hey.
"Sirt, Surt, Sert, Sort, please go collect."
"Understood, Goshujin-sama."
"Zeta, Eta, Theta, can you drive the monsters outside further away?"
"Leave it to me, Nushi-dono."
Now, there shouldn't be any monsters trying to get close to Slakka, but it wasn't good to keep burning the forest forever.
I focused my attention on the flames burning on the east side of the village.
Since Flamme's fire attribute was given by me, I felt that I was able to put it under my control, just like I thought I would be able to do.
"Here goes! Uryaa!"
The band of flames that stretched for about 500 meters turned into a giant fireball that shot up into the sky and disappeared like fireworks.
For the time being, the fire seemed to have gone out, but just in case, let's use water attribute magic to sprinkle water on the wreckage.
"Ooohhh, as expected of Aniki. It's amazing how even the flames that raised in the forest can do what you want!"
Flamme nodded in admiration, but I was also stunned by the flame bullet you fired.
"Flamme, I don't think they'll come, but keep an eye on this side."
"Gotcha, roger that!"
With this, SLakka seemed to be fine.
Next, let's head to Moitaba.
Since the monsters proliferated, many of the settlements in the Irosun Great Forest had been abandoned.
That was because they didn't have walls or a moat like Slakka.
Moitaba, on the Marburg side, was the only remaining village other than Slacka.
Moitaba also had a wall made of logs, but Zeta-tachi didn't claim the territory like with Slakka.
"Basten, Fred, come with me."
[ Roger that, Kent-sama. ]
[ Hurry up ... Worried ... ]
Moitaba, where I rushed with Basten and Fred, was in a dire situation.
Part of the wall had already been destroyed, and the village was overflowing with monsters.
Even if I looked around while moving through the shadows, I didn't see anyone resisting the monsters.
"Damn!, I'm late ..."
[ Nope, Kent-sama. These settlements have shelters underground. ]
[ There's still hope ... Either the Guild or the garrison's basement ... ]
The garrison's post near the city gate had its door to the basement opened, and the Ogres entered and devoured the corpses.
On the other hand, at the Guild branch office in the center of the city, monsters had stepped into the interior of the first floor, but the door to the basement was cleverly hidden, and many residents were huddled together, trembling.
At first glance, it seemed there were about 200 people.
In the settlement, it seemed that there were more monsters than there were inhabitants, and it seemed that they were also lurking in the buildings.
It seemed to be difficult to bring the residents to the surface and move around while beating up the monsters.
Let's repatriate them out of the Great Forest at once.
I put out a shield of darkness at the exit to the surface, and called out from inside.
"Hello, my name is Kent and I am an adventurer belonging to Volzard. I'll come out in a moment, but please rest assured that I am not a monster."
After I informed them and went out, a clamor spread in the basement.
"Excuse me, who is in charge?"
"I am. I'm Lind, the head of the Guild's branch office."
"Right now, monsters have entered the village, so it's difficult to escape to the surface."
Hearing my story, the evacuees let out groans.
"I see ... You seem to be able to move in the shadows, but it that possible for us too?"
"It's difficult to move this way, so I'll use another way."
"Another way, you say, will we be saved?"
"It's a dangerous method, so could you follow my instructions?"
"If you are going to save us, of course we will obey."
"Then, everyone, please listen to me carefully. If you don't follow my instructions, you risk losing your life."
I explained the points to be aware of regarding the repatriation technique so that someone like Nakagawa-sensei during the first repatriation work would not appear.
"Then, I'll go to the exit of the Great Forest and talk to them. Could you wait a little longer?"
"Alright. But, do it as quickly as possible. In the unlikely event that a monster finds the entrance, the people here won't be able to deal with it."
"Don't worry, I'll have my genus guard the entrance."
Leaving Basten to guard the basement entrance, I moved with Fred to the entrance to the Great Forest on the Marburg side.
The entrance to the Marburg side was blocked by the Guild, causing chaos.
"No good, it's no good. You can't pass even if you put together a caravan. According to the people who went out for reconnaissance, the caravan that came out earlier was attacked by monsters and was wiped out."
"Then, when will we be able to pass."
"I don't know. Anyway, those who left Moitaba first thing in the morning should have arrived by now. Unfortunately, not a single person has arrived. Proceeding in this situation would be suicide."
From what I heard, it seemed that many caravans on the highway also suffered damage.
It seemed that the village was also crowded with people who had been stranded, and it seemed difficult to secure a place to repatriate the people of Moitaba.
While emerging from the shield of darkness, I called out to the person who was explaining the forced stay.
"Excuse me, may I have a moment?"
"You, where did you come from!"
"I'm an adventurer belonging to Volzard, my name is Kent."
"Volzard's Kent, you say ... Is it that Kent who stopped the dispute with Bakkenheim?"
"Yes, so, I'd like to bring everyone from Moitaba here, is that okay?"
"What's that, are there survivors?"
Hearing the word 'Survivor' caused a roar from the crowd.
"Yes, there are people taking refuge in the basement of the Guild's branch office."
"But, what are you going to do with them."
"I'll use summoning."
I explained the summoning technique and received permission to summon the people who were evacuated to the blocked road.
I hurriedly returned to Moitaba and let Tart, Tirt, Turt, and Tert hold ropes to determine the range and prevent interruptions.
I returned to the exit of the Great Forest again and activated the summoning technique.
"Summon!"
As with the Calvine Territory, I finished summoning 184 people in four batches, fifty at a time.
Since they were summoned in a place where people were stranded, it was conspicuous, but it couldn't be helped.
"We're really outside the forest ..."
"Thank you, you saved me!"
I asked the Guild staff to help the people of Moitaba who were raising their voices in confusion and joy, then returned to Slakka.
While the people of Moitaba were being evacuated, it seemed that the battle and the collection of materials were finished in Slakka.
Yup, there's a mountain of magic stones in the shadow space.
[ Buhahaha, I mowed them down, Kent-sama. ]
[ Reinhardt. After collecting the materials, move the corpses deep into the forest. ]
[ Don't worry, we have already started cleaning up. ]
[ Thank you, just in case, look around to see if any monsters are gathering. And ... You should bathe to wash the blood off, okay. ]
[ Roger that, leave it to me. ]
The highway was in a situation where even a caravan couldn't pass.
Even if I cleaned up the surrounding monsters, there was no choice but to temporarily abandon Slakka.
Slakka had garrison members, adventurers, and even though I couldn't see them right now, there should still be residents.
Evacuation was likely to be prolonged, so residents would want to take their belongings with them.
It seemed difficult to repatriate everyone out of the Great Forest today.
I went out of the shadows and called out to the garrison members, explained the situation, and asked them to guide me to the person in charge.
"I'm Daleman, the captain of the Slakka garrison. Are you the 'Monster User'?"
"Maa, it seems that's what I'm called."
"I'm grateful for the rescue. At that rate, we would have been annihilated."
"No, it was a nomination request from Master Reese, so don't worry about it."
"Master Reese? Has the news reached Bakkenheim yet?"
"No, I contacted her and accepted her request."
"I see ..."
As I was explaining what had happened since I received the news from Zeta and the others, a familiar voice interrupted.
"Kent! You, you must have been waiting until Slakka fell into a crisis. You must have increased the urgency and raised the reward for the nomination request. You coward!"
Ahead of my gaze was Graciela and her entourage called 'Aoki something'.(TN:The 'Blue Gale' people, also ... Graciela lost honorifics ... gg. Kent doesn't like her at all anymore.)
Hearing Graciela's words, the commotion spread to the nearby adventurers.
"Haa ... Is there seriously something wrong with your head?"
"What did you say, you!"
"I'm an adventurer based in Volzard. Here in Slakka, my genus just happened to misunderstand my instructions and made it their territory, so it wasn't always guarded. Even so, after my genus informed me of the danger, I immediately moved to the rescue. I have just escorted the survivors who were still underground in Moitaba out of the Great Forest. If you still don't like it, I'll discard the request to escort the evacuation from Slakka and withdraw, but what are you going to do?"
"Wait a minute! There are still many residents underground. We have no guarantee that we can safely pass through the Great Forest alone. We need you to continue the request!"
As soon as I offered to suspend the request, Daleman, the garrison captain, changed his expression and approached me.
"I also don't want to discard the request in the middle. However, I'm not an omnipotent god, so if you don't cooperate, I may not be able to protect you."
"Alright, I promise to cooperate fully. So, how are we going to move out of the Great Forest?"
"Let's see. In the current situation, you may have to leave Slakka for a long period of time. Please discuss evacuation with the residents. I will go discuss acceptance with Master Reese."
"Alright. While you're away ..."
"I will leave my genus behind as guards, so please rest assured."
"I see, thank you."
When I shook hands with Daleman and tried to dive into the shield of darkness, Graciela approached me furiously.
"Wait a minute, I haven't finished talking to you!"
"Stop! I won't allow you to get in the way of the 'Monster User'!"
Daleman-san stood in front of Graciela, who was about to grab me.
"Hey ... This guy put us in danger for his own gain ..."
"If so, show me proof of that. Does he have a reason to raise the amount of the request in the first place? Didn't he and his genus push back the hordes of monsters that we couldn't deal with even if we banded together? With that much power, wouldn't he be able to hunt monsters as much as he wants, and get as much money as he wants."
"B, but, the timing was too good."
"Have you forgotten the situation so far? Why didn't the monsters avalanche into Slakka? Not just today, but his genus continued to claim the territory, so the monsters probably hesitated to step in. Not only that, he stopped the conflict with Marburg and cooperated in subjugating the bandits. If you interfere with his activities by making ridiculous accusations and endangering the settlement, you will be exiled!"
"Idiot, what are you talking about. The settlement is in danger ..."
I was sure she wanted to say that I was the one putting the village in danger, but Graciela gritted her teeth and fell silent as the guards and adventurers around her gave her a cold stare.
"Daleman-san, I'm counting on you. My genus understand the language, so please call me if something happens."
"Alright, leave this to me."
[ Reinhardt, I'll leave here to you. Fred, come with me. ]
[ Leave it to me. ]
[ Roger ... ]
When I moved to the Bakkenheim Guild, Master Reese was facing a middle-aged man across the table.
Or should I say, this man was the one who was present when I reported the crisis in Slakka.
They had been speaking for a while, but were they talking about something that important?
"Sorry to interrupt when you're talking. Reese-san, the monsters that were approaching Slakka have been pushed back."
"Umu, as expected of Kent. So, what is the status of the damage and evacuation?"
"Yes, we were able to deal with the monsters before the entered Slakka, but Moitaba was invaded by monsters, and everyone except those who had taken refuge in the basement of the assembly hall were annihilated. As for the evacuation from Slakka, the number of people and the amount of luggage is still unknown. So, I would like you to be ready to accept them ..."
"Umu, is that so ..."
Master Reese cut off her words and turned her gaze to the man sitting across from her.
The man who caught her gaze spoke to me.
He was skinny with dull blue hair, had triangular ears on his head, and gave off a nervous impression.
"You are Kent Kokubu. I am the Lord of Bakkenheim, Andel Bakkenheim."
"Ahh ... I'm Kent. It's nice to meet you, my best regards."
I didn't think he was the Lord of Bakkenheim, so I bowed my head in a hurry.
Now that you mention it, I felt like he resembled Adelina, whom I met at the dormitory.
"Fumu ... He looks quite different from the rumors I have heard."
"Rumors ... is it?"
"A black-haired great person, a ruffian who behaves arrogantly ..."
"A ruffian ... is it?"
"Ku!Ku!Ku! ... Rumors that are quite different from Kent."
Andel-san cast a cold gaze at Reese-san who let out a joyful laughter.
Aahh, it seemed he wanted to make a demand in regards to her lewd attire.
"Kent-kun, I must thank you. I am truly grateful for stopping the conflict with Marburg and subjugating the Salamander."
"No, I just did that because I thought that many people would be troubled if the road stopped."
"That's right. Currently, it's difficult to pass through the Irosun Great Forest, but if the road had stopped at that point, it would have caused a lot of confusion. You ended up dealing with that situation by yourself ... As expected, it's more than S-rank."
"Because Kent doesn't seem to fit into the S-rank frame ... Let's establish a higher rank ..."
"No, no, I don't need it. S-rank is enough."
"Ku!Ku!Ku!, S-rank is enough ... that's proof that you don't fit into the S-rank, but, maa, it would be troublesome to make it, so let's leave it as it is now."
Reese-san was laughing happily, but even now, when I'm S-rank and need to present my Guild card, I'm nervous that they won't believe it's real, but if they created a new rank above that, I'm sure they wouldn't believe me.
"By the way, where should I take the refugees?"
"Kent-kun, do you know about the village of Kalash?"
"Umm, it's a village a little outside the Great Forest towards Bakkenheim."
"Right, about a day from Bakkenheim, I have already sent out a horse and told them to prepare for reception. Please bring them there."
"Understood. But, they're leaving the Irosun Great Forest, aren't they?"
"Umu, if you can't pass through the highway even if you form a caravan, you should consider that the density of monsters is higher than that of the Devil's Forest. If that's the case, it's possible for the Irosun Great Forest to overflow. In that case, the refugees will be forced to evacuate again."
"I see, so it's a consideration to not evacuate again and again."
Reese-san referred to Andel-san as a straight-laced person, but I felt that he was considerate of the residents.
"Then, I'll tell them right away ..."
"Aahh, wait a minute. Can't you ask your genus to send the message?"
"It's possible, but ... why?"
"Umu, I'd like to know a little more about the situation, so if possible, can we have dinner together? I wrote down the evacuation order to Kalash, do you know Daleman?"
"Yes, he's the captain of the garrison, isn't he?"
"Right, I want it delivered to him."
"Understood. Mart."
"Wafuu, you called? Goshujin-sama."
As soon as I called out, Mart suddenly appeared and surprised Andel-san.
After patting Mart's head with a 'Washi washi', I entrusted it with the document.
"Yup, can you deliver this letter to Reinhardt and tell him to give it to the captain?"
"Alright, I'm going!"
Andel-san asked after I saw off Mart who hid in the shadows.
"Is that your genus?"
"Yes, it is."
"Wafuu, Goshujin-sama, I went there."
"Yes, good job."
"That's ... have you already delivered it to Slakka?"
No sooner than diving in, Mart returned immediately, and Andel-san's eyes opened wide.
"Yes, if we move in the shadow space, we can move in an instant."
"Fumuu ... I see, I can understand why Reese supports you."
It was decided that we would change places and have a detailed conversation while eating dinner, but in the middle of the move Reese-san whispered in my ear.
"Hey, Kent, be careful not to carry unnecessary baggage on your back."
"Unnecessary baggage, is it ... ?"
Since the highway through the Irosun Great Forest could no longer be passed, did that mean that I should take over the transportation between Marburg and Volzard.
A system was already in place to transport goods between Breichberg and Volzard via the shadow space.
We could carry goods from Bakkenheim via Breichberg, and if we brought them to Marburg from Volzard, there should be no problem.
No, if you wanted to transport them from Volzard to Marburg, you had to cross the Rivarre Pass, so it seemed that it would take more time than transporting it directly from Bakkenheim.
Bakkenheim to Marburg could be reached in 4 or 5 days via the Irosun Great Forest.
If you went through Breichberg and Volzard, it would take three days to reach Breichberg and four days from Volzard, for a total of seven days.
You didn't have to go through the Irosun Great Forest, where monsters had proliferated, but you needed to be on guard against bandit attacks at Rivarre Pass, so you would still need an escort.
It would be nice to create a direct route from Bakkenheim to Marburg, but if that happened, the work of the adventurers who had been undertaking the escort work would be gone.
If transportation costs rose, it would have a negative impact on the economy, and if there were no escort jobs, adventurers' lives may become difficult, how could a balance be struck.
As I walked while thinking about transportation issues, I was guided to the cafeteria where Guild users had meetings.
Unlike the adjoining bar, you could have a calm conversation.
It was like the difference between an Izakaya and a Restaurant.(TN:An Izakaya is a casual informal Japanese bar for drinking alcohol and eating snacks, usually gone to in order to relax after a day's work. You see people go to them in various anime.)
Waiting there was Andel-san's daughter, Adelia.
Reese-san was talking about extra baggage, could it be ...
"Kent Kokubu, I am very sorry for the other day."
"No, that was just a misunderstanding, so don't worry about it ..."
"Hohou, did Kent know my daughter Adelia."
At Andel-san's words, Reese-san had a shameless ... it felt like she had a smile on her face.
"Umm, when I sent Baldini-san of the Volzard Family the other day, there was a slight misunderstanding ..."
"Hohou, well, well, I heard that my daughter was quite impolite ..."
"No, no, it's not a big deal, so please don't worry about it. More importantly, about the situation in Slakka ..."
"Ou, that's right. Then, let's sit down and listen slowly."
Adelia sat in front of me, and Andel-san sat next to her at a table seat for four.
No, no, in this case, shouldn't it be Andel-san in front of me?
Just as I was thinking that, Reese-san, who was sitting next to me, casually brought her chair closer to me.
No, no, I'm telling you, you're too close, the eyebrows of the two people on the opposite side are going up.
"S, so, about Slakka, by the time I arrived, several monsters had entered the wall ..."
When I talked about the situation from arriving in Slakka to driving away the monsters and returning here, sparks seemed to be flying 'Bachi bachi' between Reese-san and the Andel father and daughter pair.
Rather, these people aren't listening properly, are they.
"No, no, if a normal person were talking about it, it would be hard to believe, but to go this far ..."
"Yes, as expected of Kent Kokubu-sama. I am impressed."
"Ku!Ku!Ku!, repelling the maximum outbreak of Goblins in Volzard, and subduing the Griffon and Gigases, for Kent, the crisis of Slakka is like breakfast, no, like a pre-evening meal."
Maa, my genus are excellent, so it certainly wasn't a difficult request.
Even so, while Adelia looked at me with moist eyes, I raised my eyebrows to Reese-san, to put it nicely, she had a rich expression.(TN:'She' here is Adelia.)
To put it poorly, it was like a Chihuahua with intense emotional ups and downs.
"By the way, wouldn't you like to go to advanced school, Kent?"
"Ehh, advanced school, is it? Hmm ... I didn't even think about it."
"Having someone with outstanding talent like you is a good stimulus for those around you. Bakkenheim not only has academics, but also conducts practical academics and magic research, so we would like to have an outstanding user of dark attribute magic cooperate by all means."
While saying such, how about my daughter ... please refrain from sending such a gaze my way.
I can't increase the number of bridal candidates any more.
"Speaking of which, will there be a meeting of the seven Lords of Landshelt?"
"Umu, the Irosun Great Forest, I can't say that we won't do it with the situation so far ... But it will be difficult for the Marburg and Volzard Families to participate ..."
"If necessary, I will use the summoning technique to pick them up, but ..."
"Hou, is it possible to travel such a long distance?"
"Yes, from Volzard, I have already sent people several times."
"Then, as soon as the schedule for the meeting is decided ... No, I'll be asking you to contact me to coordinate the schedule."
"Then, I'll try to show my face here from time to time."
"I would appreciate if you would do that ..."
After that, while eating dinner, I was asked to stay at the advanced school, but somehow I managed to not carry any extra baggage.
(TN:Author note talking about the 2nd LN volume and giving a link to purchase it again.)
