Translator: Silver
「Chapter 16」
The entire city has been restless since this morning.
Unlike usual, the innkeepers were continually seeking out their adventurer guests and speaking to them more respectfully.
Outside, the feudal lord’s private soldiers moved the merchants and citizens into the city’s southern section.
The monster tide was about to begin.
“So, Kai-kun well be guarding the city this time.”
“Ah, just in case. I’ll be keeping an eye on the outside.”
“I see. Then Iー”
“Rue, your battle is with the others. Just having you there gives me peace of mind. Besides, have more healers is always a good thing.”
In the face of such an argument, Rue turned around and left.
If Rue wanted to, she could seal the city entrances with ice.
Well, some people might get frozen in the cross-fire.
Barricades had already been set up across the northern and southern districts.
They’d been placed there “In the unlikely event that the monsters try to go to Saltberg,” or so I was told.
I was making my way toward the, now ghost town like, northern districts.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Only one person stood outside the sealed northern gate.
As a precaution, I equipped abilities that increased my detection range.
『5 Senses Enhancement』
『Presence Detection』
『Sonar』
With all three of those equipped, I would immediately know if something happens.
Come to think of it, this resembled the “Situation” that Rue joked about before.
I couldn’t help but laugh despite current circumstances.
There’s no point in being upset.
Shortly after coming to this world, I realized just how much power I actually had.
There’s no such thing as an enemy that only came from one direction.
……It all depended on the numbers.
“Rather, it might be better to destroy the mine entrance.”
But doing that might create an overflow of monsters in other locations.
“Well, it’s about time to get started.”
It was a considerable distance away, but I faintly heard activity from the other side of the city.
There was a slight trembling at my feet.
This might be a more enormous horde than I thought.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“D-rank and above personal with ranged capacities are the first line! Report to your assigned positions!”
The adventurers followed the old elf, Cromwell’s, instructions.
His charisma was so great that the typically independent adventures acted as a disciplined army.
I was also a magician, but I’d been assigned the role of a suppressor.
Those capable of effecting an extensive range were told to only strike when a leader was spotted among the enemies.
“If I didn’t have to think about the aftermath, I could just freeze them all.”
Worst case, this city might be cut off from the outside world, and Saltberg might be destroyed, so that idea was rejected.
For the time being, let’s just freeze the ground a little bit away.
I stabbed the sword I got from Kai-kun in the ground and channeled my magic through it, so the people around me didn’t notice.
“Eternal punishment for the wicked, ‘Cocytus’.”
For the first time in a long while, I seriously cast a quick spell.
This should delay the monster horde’s progress for a little while.
The spell still freeze over the ground, but I suppressed the power enough so that the ice would eventually melt.
Come on, come on.
“Oh, are you also a suppressor?”
I intentionally stood further away from the crowd, but someone suddenly approached me.
When I turned around, I saw that it was the child Kai had reprimanded in the bar.
He was somewhat familiar, but unlike Kai-kun, I shouldn’t have had any contact with this boy.
“Yeah.”
“Well then, do your best. Ah, what’s your name?”
“Rue. I think you should’ve introduced yourself first.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m Ren. Even though I look like this, I’m a liberator.”
“……A liberator, huh.”
It seems a bit of dissatisfaction leaked into my voice.
Only Kai-kun was worthy of the title “Liberator” no one else.
To be honest, it didn’t feel right to call a human who wanted to undo the seven stars’ seals by that title.
And more importantly, why was he grinning like an idiot?
“You don’t seem impressed.”
“I’m not a fan. So unless you have any other business with me, I’ll be leaving.”
“Hey, are you alone, Rue?”
“I don’t remember giving you permission to address me like that, boy.”
If you had nothing else to say, I’d leave myself.
Instead, it was better if I was more mobile as a suppressor.
Maybe “遊” in “遊撃” stood for walking? (T/N: Showing my limits as a translator, but this kanji is what I translated as suppressor. A closer translation of 遊撃 would be “guerrilla fighter” but I changed it to work better in English. Also, this sentence only works in Japanese.)
“What’s with the attitude? I have something to do, so I’m talking to you!”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not the type of person that’s friendly to everyone. Let’s hear it then.”
“Let’s calm down. Rue-san, how about you fight with my party? There aren’t that many suppressors, and it’s dangerous to go alone.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll decline. Then, I’ll be off.”
“You! I’m saying it’s safer to come with us?!”
He didn’t seem like a bad child, but he was a bit naïve and immature.
……I didn’t know much about him, though.
I paid him little mind and began circulating mana throughout my body.
“……Ren, that person has more mana than me. They’ll be fine on their own…”
“Seriously? Hey, you, when this battle is over――”
“I already have a friend, and I won’t be speaking on this matter any further. See you.”
Was that childish on my part?
However, hearing him address himself as “Liberator” had put me in a bad mood.
Maybe I was becoming too attached to Kai-kun, but I couldn’t help it.
No matter what I did, my mind always wondered back to him.
“When this is over, let’s tour around the city together……”
“I can see it! The monster horde!”
“What can you make out……Zombie wolves! The monsters are undead!”
“It’s in the middle of the day! What’s going on?!”
I felt a bit excited as the battlefield suddenly became hectic.
How long has it been since I’ve fought against a horde with so many people?
I remembered my role in the old days.
“I wish I had that armor set……”
My favorite armor was sealed away.
That piece of equipment could be said to be my second skin. It boasted tremendous defense and allowed me to endure multiple attacks and protect my allies.
It’s a pity that Sole couldn’t be removed from the place it was sealed.
However, my robes should be able to withstand a few attacks.
I immediately cast defensive spells on myself.
“Diamond Prison, Mirror Castle, Hundred Walls.”
My body was hardened to the limit, while a force field that reflected all magic attacks and 100 magic barriers extended forward.
“I’ll kill the enemy’s momentum! Ranged Attackers fell in the gaps.”
“Huh! What’s with all these barriers?!”
“Incredible, it’s the legendary king-grade magic?!”
King grade magic? That’s the first time I heard that name.
I wonder if a new type of magic had been born?
Let’s check into it later.
“The enemy has come into contact with the magic barrier!”
“Fireeeeee!!!!!”
After confirming the salvo’s results, I immediately headed towards the monsters trying to circle around the barrier.
There was no worry because I could reflect misfires from behind.
……Could I hurt myself by reflecting my own attacks?
“Well, it’s been a while since I enjoyed close-quarters combat!”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
I’m free.
There were no enemies anywhere.
Maybe the abandoned mine clasped, and nothing could get through anymore?
The battle had already begun. The sounds of combat were gradually decreasing by the second.
This is really――
“It’s a monsterrrrrrr!!”
Then it happened.
That shout originated from closer than the battlefield.
No doubt that came from inside the city!
“Damn it, did they break into an adjacent tunnel?”
I turned toward mountains surrounding the closed city gate and saw monsters marching into the heart of the city along a sloped path.
……That was a tunnel Rue and I had fought undead in.
Was it connected to the abandoned mine!
“Damn, can I make it in time?!”
I rearranged my ability set to increase my movement speed as much as I could and set off towards the city.
I also changed into “that” form.
“These wings should be able to glide.”
I used “Flame Foehn” to create an updraft.
Even though I didn’t feel any heat because this was dark magic, it’s a mystery why the updraft occurred, but that didn’t matter now.
I immediately spread my wings and leaped into the air.
“Oh! It’s a bit conspicuous but fun!”
Flying to the middle of the slope created a feeling reminiscent of riding a hang glider.
The second I hit the ground, I activated a sword skill.
“Wave motion.”
It was a beginner swordsman combat skill.
Simply put, it fired off a weak sword beam from the edge of any one-handed sword.
The skill was praised for its wide attack range, especially for one-handed swords, but it required a bit of work to make to most of it.
In fact, the sword used in the attack mattered.
The attack’s range was proportional to the weapon’s full length used to launch the skill, and my sword was classified as a long sword.
Before the three-meter long sword beam hit its targets, I readjusted my stance and swung again until the immediate enemies were dealt with.
“That demon came from the sky?!”
“You lie?!”
I began issuing orders to the adventures at the bottom of the slope.
“This is EX-ranked guild member, Kaivon. This is an emergency order. All adventurers in the city are to form a defensive line in front of all other tunnel entrances immediately!”
“Black card?! It’s really there……”
“Understood, but what about protecting the citizens?!”
I planned to check the other tunnels just in case, but there wouldn’t be enough to protect the people if I allocate too many people.
It would be best to cooperate with the lord’s soldiers, but I didn’t have to authority to move them. In the first place, the EX-rank lacked military power.
However, I still had authority over the guild members.
The status of a low-tier noble was useless in this situation.
“A minimum detail should be enough for each tunnel. The citizens are on the south side, right?”
“Ah, I’m in the lord’s private army garrison.”
“The lord is probably aware of the situation, but contact him just in case. Also, I don’t need backup here, so please stay behind me.”
“Are you going to be okay alone……?”
“I’m fine, there’s no problem.”
The second group of monsters was already coming.
Fortunately, none of them could fly, but some of them were ignoring the sloped-path.
I didn’t want any monster to slip by me, so I retreated further down the path.
“……These guys aren’t undead.”
There were variants of the rare worms I saw in the mines and the wolf monsters that lived in Rue’s forest.
However, looking closer, I saw that all of them had ominous red eyes.
“Strengthened…… no frenzied.”
Standing firm, I launched a preemptive attack.
This time the attack reduced the leader of the pack to pieces.
“Come, let’s see if you can get past me.”
Translator: Silver
「Chapter 16」
The entire city has been restless since this morning.
Unlike usual, the innkeepers were continually seeking out their adventurer guests and speaking to them more respectfully.
Outside, the feudal lord’s private soldiers moved the merchants and citizens into the city’s southern section.
The monster tide was about to begin.
“So, Kai-kun well be guarding the city this time.”
“Ah, just in case. I’ll be keeping an eye on the outside.”
“I see. Then Iー”
“Rue, your battle is with the others. Just having you there gives me peace of mind. Besides, have more healers is always a good thing.”
In the face of such an argument, Rue turned around and left.
If Rue wanted to, she could seal the city entrances with ice.
Well, some people might get frozen in the cross-fire.
Barricades had already been set up across the northern and southern districts.
They’d been placed there “In the unlikely event that the monsters try to go to Saltberg,” or so I was told.
I was making my way toward the, now ghost town like, northern districts.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
Only one person stood outside the sealed northern gate.
As a precaution, I equipped abilities that increased my detection range.
『5 Senses Enhancement』
『Presence Detection』
『Sonar』
With all three of those equipped, I would immediately know if something happens.
Come to think of it, this resembled the “Situation” that Rue joked about before.
I couldn’t help but laugh despite current circumstances.
There’s no point in being upset.
Shortly after coming to this world, I realized just how much power I actually had.
There’s no such thing as an enemy that only came from one direction.
……It all depended on the numbers.
“Rather, it might be better to destroy the mine entrance.”
But doing that might create an overflow of monsters in other locations.
“Well, it’s about time to get started.”
It was a considerable distance away, but I faintly heard activity from the other side of the city.
There was a slight trembling at my feet.
This might be a more enormous horde than I thought.
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
“D-rank and above personal with ranged capacities are the first line! Report to your assigned positions!”
The adventurers followed the old elf, Cromwell’s, instructions.
His charisma was so great that the typically independent adventures acted as a disciplined army.
I was also a magician, but I’d been assigned the role of a suppressor.
Those capable of effecting an extensive range were told to only strike when a leader was spotted among the enemies.
“If I didn’t have to think about the aftermath, I could just freeze them all.”
Worst case, this city might be cut off from the outside world, and Saltberg might be destroyed, so that idea was rejected.
For the time being, let’s just freeze the ground a little bit away.
I stabbed the sword I got from Kai-kun in the ground and channeled my magic through it, so the people around me didn’t notice.
“Eternal punishment for the wicked, ‘Cocytus’.”
For the first time in a long while, I seriously cast a quick spell.
This should delay the monster horde’s progress for a little while.
The spell still freeze over the ground, but I suppressed the power enough so that the ice would eventually melt.
Come on, come on.
“Oh, are you also a suppressor?”
I intentionally stood further away from the crowd, but someone suddenly approached me.
When I turned around, I saw that it was the child Kai had reprimanded in the bar.
He was somewhat familiar, but unlike Kai-kun, I shouldn’t have had any contact with this boy.
“Yeah.”
“Well then, do your best. Ah, what’s your name?”
“Rue. I think you should’ve introduced yourself first.”
“Oh, that’s right. I’m Ren. Even though I look like this, I’m a liberator.”
“……A liberator, huh.”
It seems a bit of dissatisfaction leaked into my voice.
Only Kai-kun was worthy of the title “Liberator” no one else.
To be honest, it didn’t feel right to call a human who wanted to undo the seven stars’ seals by that title.
And more importantly, why was he grinning like an idiot?
“You don’t seem impressed.”
“I’m not a fan. So unless you have any other business with me, I’ll be leaving.”
“Hey, are you alone, Rue?”
“I don’t remember giving you permission to address me like that, boy.”
If you had nothing else to say, I’d leave myself.
Instead, it was better if I was more mobile as a suppressor.
Maybe “遊” in “遊撃” stood for walking? (T/N: Showing my limits as a translator, but this kanji is what I translated as suppressor. A closer translation of 遊撃 would be “guerrilla fighter” but I changed it to work better in English. Also, this sentence only works in Japanese.)
“What’s with the attitude? I have something to do, so I’m talking to you!”
“I’m sorry, but I’m not the type of person that’s friendly to everyone. Let’s hear it then.”
“Let’s calm down. Rue-san, how about you fight with my party? There aren’t that many suppressors, and it’s dangerous to go alone.”
“Thank you for the offer, but I’ll decline. Then, I’ll be off.”
“You! I’m saying it’s safer to come with us?!”
He didn’t seem like a bad child, but he was a bit naïve and immature.
……I didn’t know much about him, though.
I paid him little mind and began circulating mana throughout my body.
“……Ren, that person has more mana than me. They’ll be fine on their own…”
“Seriously? Hey, you, when this battle is over――”
“I already have a friend, and I won’t be speaking on this matter any further. See you.”
Was that childish on my part?
However, hearing him address himself as “Liberator” had put me in a bad mood.
Maybe I was becoming too attached to Kai-kun, but I couldn’t help it.
No matter what I did, my mind always wondered back to him.
“When this is over, let’s tour around the city together……”
“I can see it! The monster horde!”
“What can you make out……Zombie wolves! The monsters are undead!”
“It’s in the middle of the day! What’s going on?!”
I felt a bit excited as the battlefield suddenly became hectic.
How long has it been since I’ve fought against a horde with so many people?
I remembered my role in the old days.
“I wish I had that armor set……”
My favorite armor was sealed away.
That piece of equipment could be said to be my second skin. It boasted tremendous defense and allowed me to endure multiple attacks and protect my allies.
It’s a pity that Sole couldn’t be removed from the place it was sealed.
However, my robes should be able to withstand a few attacks.
I immediately cast defensive spells on myself.
“Diamond Prison, Mirror Castle, Hundred Walls.”
My body was hardened to the limit, while a force field that reflected all magic attacks and 100 magic barriers extended forward.
“I’ll kill the enemy’s momentum! Ranged Attackers fell in the gaps.”
“Huh! What’s with all these barriers?!”
“Incredible, it’s the legendary king-grade magic?!”
King grade magic? That’s the first time I heard that name.
I wonder if a new type of magic had been born?
Let’s check into it later.
“The enemy has come into contact with the magic barrier!”
“Fireeeeee!!!!!”
After confirming the salvo’s results, I immediately headed towards the monsters trying to circle around the barrier.
There was no worry because I could reflect misfires from behind.
……Could I hurt myself by reflecting my own attacks?
“Well, it’s been a while since I enjoyed close-quarters combat!”
＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊＊
I’m free.
There were no enemies anywhere.
Maybe the abandoned mine clasped, and nothing could get through anymore?
The battle had already begun. The sounds of combat were gradually decreasing by the second.
This is really――
“It’s a monsterrrrrrr!!”
Then it happened.
That shout originated from closer than the battlefield.
No doubt that came from inside the city!
“Damn it, did they break into an adjacent tunnel?”
I turned toward mountains surrounding the closed city gate and saw monsters marching into the heart of the city along a sloped path.
……That was a tunnel Rue and I had fought undead in.
Was it connected to the abandoned mine!
“Damn, can I make it in time?!”
I rearranged my ability set to increase my movement speed as much as I could and set off towards the city.
I also changed into “that” form.
“These wings should be able to glide.”
I used “Flame Foehn” to create an updraft.
Even though I didn’t feel any heat because this was dark magic, it’s a mystery why the updraft occurred, but that didn’t matter now.
I immediately spread my wings and leaped into the air.
“Oh! It’s a bit conspicuous but fun!”
Flying to the middle of the slope created a feeling reminiscent of riding a hang glider.
The second I hit the ground, I activated a sword skill.
“Wave motion.”
It was a beginner swordsman combat skill.
Simply put, it fired off a weak sword beam from the edge of any one-handed sword.
The skill was praised for its wide attack range, especially for one-handed swords, but it required a bit of work to make to most of it.
In fact, the sword used in the attack mattered.
The attack’s range was proportional to the weapon’s full length used to launch the skill, and my sword was classified as a long sword.
Before the three-meter long sword beam hit its targets, I readjusted my stance and swung again until the immediate enemies were dealt with.
“That demon came from the sky?!”
“You lie?!”
I began issuing orders to the adventures at the bottom of the slope.
“This is EX-ranked guild member, Kaivon. This is an emergency order. All adventurers in the city are to form a defensive line in front of all other tunnel entrances immediately!”
“Black card?! It’s really there……”
“Understood, but what about protecting the citizens?!”
I planned to check the other tunnels just in case, but there wouldn’t be enough to protect the people if I allocate too many people.
It would be best to cooperate with the lord’s soldiers, but I didn’t have to authority to move them. In the first place, the EX-rank lacked military power.
However, I still had authority over the guild members.
The status of a low-tier noble was useless in this situation.
“A minimum detail should be enough for each tunnel. The citizens are on the south side, right?”
“Ah, I’m in the lord’s private army garrison.”
“The lord is probably aware of the situation, but contact him just in case. Also, I don’t need backup here, so please stay behind me.”
“Are you going to be okay alone……?”
“I’m fine, there’s no problem.”
The second group of monsters was already coming.
Fortunately, none of them could fly, but some of them were ignoring the sloped-path.
I didn’t want any monster to slip by me, so I retreated further down the path.
“……These guys aren’t undead.”
There were variants of the rare worms I saw in the mines and the wolf monsters that lived in Rue’s forest.
However, looking closer, I saw that all of them had ominous red eyes.
“Strengthened…… no frenzied.”
Standing firm, I launched a preemptive attack.
This time the attack reduced the leader of the pack to pieces.
“Come, let’s see if you can get past me.”
