Chapter 93

Today is December 4th!

"The Protagonist Isn't Me!" Volume 1 is on sale today!

I've summarized the information about bonuses and such in the activity report!

If anyone has bought the book, I'd be happy if you could write your thoughts on it there!

"---I'm the Guild Master, Verteran! Sorry to be abrupt, but I'll explain the emergency quest regarding the battle against the <Killer Ants>!"

Immediately after the attack on the town was successfully repelled, the adventurers were gathered in the guild's training ground, leaving the town guards to handle the situation.

Verteran, standing in front of a board he brought from the conference room, raised his voice.

"First, the town that was attacked isn't just here, Freelea. At the exact same time, the capital and the town of Niebar were also attacked by ants."

At Verteran's announcement, the adventurers began to murmur.

But, cutting through the noise, Verteran shouted with determination.

"However! Thanks to this, we've also discovered the enemy's base! Freelea, the capital, and Niebar all belong to different regions. If there's a place that can attack all three at once, there's only one! The mountain range spanning three regions, the <Tempest Mountains>!!"

Verteran slammed his hand on the mountain in the center of the map drawn on the board.

"The enemy is believed to have set up their base underground in these <Tempest Mountains> and is digging massive tunnels toward the three towns. From now on, we'll refer to these tunnels as the <Great Cavern>. We will launch the <Queen Ant Elimination Operation> in collaboration with the guilds of the capital and Niebar!!"

As soon as Verteran spoke, a thunderous cheer of "Uooooo!" rose from the adventurers.

(Really, they're such enthusiastic people.)

Well, it might also be due to the story's convenience, but the residents of Burebure, with a few exceptions like Lily from the game, are overwhelmingly good people.

It's a relief that no one stirs up trouble in situations like this.

"The <Tempest Mountains> are the dividing line between regions. It takes three days to reach them by carriage. So, we will invade from the opposite direction of the ants' entry point and advance to the base of the <Tempest Mountains> over ten days... or so, under normal circumstances."

At this point, Verteran looked at me meaningfully.

"Thanks to a tip from a certain adventurer, we might be able to reach the mountains in just one day, and even arrive there today."

The training ground buzzed with excitement again, and Verteran smiled slyly.

"...Hey, you guys? Don't you want to defeat the boss of these damn ants before the people from the capital or Niebar?"

***

Thus, one hour after the operation began, we were at the foot of the <Tempest Mountains>.

"I never thought we could actually shorten a three-day journey to just one hour..."

Rad, standing in front of a large ant nest at the base of the mountain, muttered in amazement.

"Old man! How the hell did you come up with such an idea?!"

"Well, I remembered there was an ant nest here."

I answered, subtly averting my gaze.

Immediately after the meeting, Verteran began recruiting volunteers to infiltrate the ant nest.

Surprisingly, almost all the adventurers present volunteered, but we couldn't take them all.

We also needed people to defend the town, and the ants in the <Tempest Mountains> underground were relatively high-level, unlike those that invaded the town.

If we took inexperienced adventurers, they might get killed.

Verteran and I selected elite members using our <Insight> and formed the assault team.

With minimal preparation, we all went to the largest ant entry point in the town, the abandoned house, and entered the <Great Cavern>.

---And there, everyone used the <Return Feather>.

This <Great Cavern> is essentially an expansion and merger of the individual <Ant Nests> in the attacked regions due to the event.

Even though they have merged into the <Great Cavern>, they are still considered three separate <Ant Nests> in the system.

Therefore, if you use the <Return Feather> immediately after entering the <Great Cavern>, you will be teleported to the entrance of the <Ant Nest> that originally existed in the Freelea region, not the entry point you came through.

(And the Freelea region's nest is the closest to the mountain range.)

The <Ant Nests> in the other two regions are located relatively close to their respective towns.

This teleportation significantly shortens the distance only for the Freelea side.

By saving nine days compared to the other towns, we gain a significant advantage in the quest to defeat the queen.

(And by defeating the "Queen" here, we might find out who the "Protagonist" is.)

In this <Queen Ant Elimination Operation>, you get rewards for each ant you defeat, but defeating the queen grants a large reward and a grand ceremony.

However, the "Protagonist" is usually not strong enough to defeat the queen at this point, and Freelea doesn't have many strong characters. So, either the elite team led by Ein from the capital or the star adventurer team in Niebar will defeat the queen.

Thus, most "Protagonists" can only watch the ceremony and think, "I want to be an adventurer like that someday."

There's also a scene where the adventurer who is honored throws a bouquet of flowers, and it lands at the "Protagonist's" feet.

This was a minor detail in the game, but if the story progresses the same way, it could reveal who the "Protagonist" is.

---This is the biggest reason I triggered the <Ant Invasion> instead of the <Bee Invasion>.

There are some obstacles, such as whether the "Protagonist" is even participating in this <Queen Ant Elimination Operation> and whether the person who defeats the queen will throw the bouquet correctly...

(First, if the "Protagonist" is active as an adventurer, the chances of them not appearing in this event are quite low.)

The capital, Freelea, and Niebar have many low-level hunting grounds.

The probability that the "Protagonist" is in one of these three regions at this time is quite high.

And the solution to whether the bouquet will be thrown correctly is simple.

(We'll defeat the queen, and have someone like Rad represent us.)

While I might be a bit uneasy about throwing the bouquet myself, if I ask Rad, who doesn't know the situation, to throw it, the event correction might just work to deliver the bouquet to the "Protagonist."

(But, it wasn't a waste to take on guild jobs.)

Initially, our plan was to infiltrate with just our party.

I never thought such a game-like strategy would be accepted by others.

(That it would turn into an infiltration with all the adventurers was unexpected.)

The biggest factor was having a connection with the guild master, Verteran, but it also seems that the adventurers from the other towns trusted me, and they executed my outlandish plan without a single complaint.

(I feel a bit guilty because I had ulterior motives, but, well, it's not too bad.)

---

Thinking this, I was shaken by Rad's anxious voice.

"O-Old man! Everyone's already inside the nest! We need to be the first to defeat the queen, right!? Can we really take it easy like this!?"

Thinking he was usually busy, I waved my hand, saying it was fine.

"I told you, we have a plan. We don't need to go straight in. We'll use a 'special path.'"

***

(...Yeah, the other adventurers are doing a good job of attracting the enemies.)

As I nodded to myself while advancing through the <Great Cavern> with almost no enemies, I felt a bit guilty for using the other adventurers as a diversion, but our success in defeating the "Queen" might determine the fate of the world.

Of course, if we defeat the "Queen," the ant invasion will end, so please bear with us.

"Is it... okay? We seem to have fallen far behind the leading group..."

"It's better this way. I think... it's around here. There it is."

Answering Nue's question, I pointed to a strange hole at the edge of the ground.

The hole, which was hard to notice unless you looked closely, looked like a lip made of a squishy material and was frankly disgusting.

"W-What is this?"

To Mana's clearly hesitant question, I replied.

"It's a dedicated transport route. To deliver 'food' to the ant larvae."

"O-Oh! The 'food' for the ants... you don't mean..."

"Exactly, 'humans.'"

This event is designed to be enjoyable for players of all levels and has quite generous penalties for failure.

New players can earn money just by defeating low-level ants at the entrance of the <Great Cavern>, while experienced players can earn huge rewards by defeating the "Queen."

Even if you reach near the center of the <Great Cavern> and lose, there's still a way to recover.

If you are defeated by high-level ants, they won't kill your party immediately.

When your HP reaches zero, you will faint and be carried away as 'food' and thrown into this hole.

After the "Queen" is defeated, you will be rescued by experienced adventurers and taken to the center of the <Great Cavern>.

"So this 'food' transport route is a direct path to the 'Queen's' lair."

As I said this proudly,

"---I see, that's what you meant."

Suddenly, something was thrown to the ground, and smoke filled the air.

"W-What is this!?"

Rad's panicked voice.

Over it, a man's voice echoed.

"Your brilliant strategy seemed a bit slow, so I thought something was up. Good thing I followed you."

This voice... a faint memory rang a warning bell.

"Brother, get down! Wind Thrust!"

Before the memory fragments formed, Leesia instinctively blew away the smoke.

When the smoke cleared, the adventurer I had seen in the game was there.

"---The secret exploration team, <Hounds>!"

As I shouted, one of the three adventurers in the group smirked.

"Oh, it's a pleasure to be remembered by the famous Rex. But... this time, we'll go first!"

There was no time to react.

The three men, the <Hounds>, turned around, destroyed the entrance to the 'food' transport route with magic, and jumped in without hesitation.

"Wait... gah!"

As they jumped, they used a smoke screen again to buy time.

By the time we cleared the smoke, they were gone.

"Damn! We have to follow!"

"R-Right!"

Chiding Rad and the others who were left behind by the sudden turn of events, we also leaped into the transport route.

(Who would have thought they would show up.)

The secret exploration team <Hounds> was supposed to appear only in the later stages of the game.

Their role, in a nutshell, was to bolster the mob adventurers.

As the game progresses, the level and ability gap between existing adventurers and players becomes more pronounced.

When this happens, there are no more mob adventurers to interact with players in in-game events, so the <Hounds> are one of the high-level adventurer teams introduced in the later stages to balance this.

(Well, in reality, not in a game, it's not strange for them to appear from the beginning!)

Their level is around the 40s.

In simple terms, they are like "Verteran and the others with higher levels," not as strong as the official cheat sword saint, but their stats are probably higher than Rex's.

I don't think I can't win in a direct fight, but they have enough power to take on the "Queen."

After passing through the transport route, we arrived at what was truly an ant nest.

Moreover, waiting for us in the nest were a large number of ant larvae.

"Those guys pushed the ants toward us!"

The <Hounds> are cunning and dirty, but not so evil that they would kill people.

They probably thought we could handle this level of ants,

"Those guys will definitely cry later!"

Forgetting the Rex role, I shouted and used fire magic to mow down the ant larvae.

Most of the ants were eliminated, but it would be troublesome if they attacked us from behind during our movement.

I also burned the eggs I saw on the spot.

"Old man! We have to hurry..."

"Calm down! We're still fine!"

I have faced the <Queen Ant> once in my fourth playthrough, and it's almost a gimmick battle.

The "Queen" boasts monster-like durability, and ants continuously hatch from the surrounding eggs, making it a grueling battle.

To defeat the "Queen," you need overwhelming power like Ein or Nylva, a large number of people to eliminate the ants, or "preparation for this battle."

I don't think they have that level of preparation.

"We're almost at the deepest part!"

Shouting, I burned the ants blocking our way, using up my MP.

Then...

"Did you hear... a voice?"

Prana's long ears twitched.

A moment later, the sound reached my ears.

The sound of metal clashing and a man's shout.

It's the sound of battle!

"They've already started! We have to...!"

Rad, who was leading the way, increased his speed anxiously.

"Wait! We need to prepare... damn!"

Even with our current strength, the "Queen" isn't that easy to defeat without a plan.

I wanted to avoid rushing into the battle unprepared, but there was no choice now.

"Let's go! Don't let your guard down!"

Shouting, I followed Rad, who had already started running, and dove into the deepest part of the nest where the "Queen" was waiting...

"...Huh?"

The scene that met my eyes made me freeze in place.

"...W-What is this?"

The same words slipped from Rad, who was standing at the entrance of the room, just like me.

---The room, which was supposed to be the final battle between the adventurers and the "Queen," was stained red with the blood of both sides.

The ant queen, who should have been a formidable opponent even for top adventurers, was dismembered and scattered on the ground...

Next to her, the three people who were moving just a moment ago, the <Hounds>, lay lifeless on the ground.

And...

"---Weak. I thought I'd entertain myself until the 'Hero' arrived, but this is boring."

A voice that should never be heard in such a place reached my ears.

...In the center of the carnage.

In the center of the blood-soaked room, "he" was there.

"Wh-What..."

As if the carnage meant nothing, as if he didn't feel our fearful and hostile gazes, he turned around calmly.

"F-Fucking hell! W-Who the hell are you!?"

Rad, his voice trembling, shouted desperately.

To his words...

"Me? I am the 'First to Arrive' and the 'Bringer of Calamity.'"

The man, dressed in tattered clothes, with eyes that couldn't hide his madness, grinned widely...

"---The First Demon King <Brill>."

I faced the <Demon King>.

The next update is tomorrow at 9 PM.