Chapter 45

In the west of Felskero, the battle between the knights and adventurers versus the horde of monsters quickly turned into a chaotic melee. Far from the initial plan to strike a decisive blow, there was no command or coordination. The knights and adventurers who encountered the horde of monsters felt that the only intention of the other side was to "charge forward." The objective of striking a blow to intimidate and slow down the overall advance had already collapsed.

Among the defense force was the 'Flame Spear Mercenary Corps,' which happened to be staying in Felskero, and a well-known Arbiter was leading the adventurers. Even with the seasoned Arbiter leading the mercenary corps, the variety of monsters made it difficult to handle. The main force of the horde consisted of three Death Mantis with their poisonous purple bodies. Each was as large as a small house, and it took five to six knights to deal with just one. Next were the Hornbears, which required two to three knights each, and with eight of them, these two types alone occupied more than half of the knights. There were also Gore Tigers and Gaur Lizards, whose heads and backs were covered with armor-like scales, and just dealing with them was a struggle. On top of that, there were ordinary bears and wolves to handle, and even rabbits and monkeys charging from the ground.

The defense force, composed of knights and adventurers, was gradually being overwhelmed by the horde. While the knights were evenly matched against the main forces like the Mantis and Hornbears, the horde itself was moving like an army of ants. The monsters that were not engaged in battle were advancing, and the adventurers in the rear were using the fallen monsters as barricades. The limit of this strategy was clearly approaching.

"Damn it, I told you to set up some tricks from the start!"

"What do you want to do, Captain? If we don't do something, the vanguard will be overwhelmed."

However, with the overwhelming numbers, it was only a matter of time before they were overwhelmed. From the start, there was no proper coordination with the knights' commander due to differences in opinion, and the support they provided backfired. The knights, who were usually stationed in the capital and had less combat experience compared to the adventurers, quickly fell apart when faced with the unpredictable actions of the monsters.

When Arbiter was about to choose between abandoning or helping, the situation changed, and not for the better.

With a light thud, a pink smoke appeared in the area, including the knights. The adventurers in the rear were not affected, but they frowned as the effects became apparent. Everyone who was fighting stopped their actions, including the knights. The adventurers in the rear, sensing something was wrong, took defensive stances as a faint white light enveloped the knights and the monsters. They all turned towards the adventurers.

"What the hell happened?"

"Be careful! They're not normal."

The knights, who had stopped with a vacant, unfocused gaze, began to walk towards them with a faint smile on their faces, still holding their swords. The adventurers were startled by this, and Arbiter, realizing it was some kind of magic, issued a retreat order to his deputy and other adventurers. The knights, now turned against them, made it difficult for Arbiter to make further decisions. The defense line was gradually being pushed back, and as they tried to maintain distance from the monsters, Arbiter shouted at the approaching sound.

"What the hell is that sound?"

"Captain! It's that!"

The captain and the other adventurers, including the deputy, were shocked to see something burst out of the forest north of the road, breaking through the trees. A brown projectile charged into the side of the monster horde, trampling them and emerging on the other side, disappearing into the southern forest. The monsters, hit by the heavy impact, were flung into the air, spinning and falling to their deaths. Most were already dead from the impact.

"…What the hell is that thing?"

"I think I've seen it somewhere before."

As everyone stopped to see what was happening, a familiar adventurer's summon appeared from the southern forest.

Beep!

"Ah!"

"…Captain, isn't that Kena's P-chan?"

The summon, which had previously made a heroic (or so it seemed) roar and puffed out its chest, was the same one they had seen before. Arbiter and the deputy were stunned, and Kennison pointed at the chubby Crimson Pig, P-chan. The Flame Spear Mercenary Corps members, familiar with the summon, thought, "Well, we panicked for nothing, but we're saved." However, the other adventurers, seeing an unexpected ally, suggested a quick retreat.

"Hey, Arbiter! If we don't retreat soon, we'll be caught in the crossfire."

"No, we're not retreating. We have reinforcements now."

"Wait, wait! If we get caught in a fight between those monsters, it won't end well!"

P-chan, now called a monster, was picking up and throwing the surrounding monsters with its snout, jumping and stomping them, showing a level of skill far beyond its cute appearance. However, its attacks were gradually approaching the knights, and Arbiter judged that they needed to act before it was too late. The knights were from his old unit, and he couldn't just leave them to die.

"We need to separate the knights from the monsters. She must be nearby!"

At Arbiter's command, the members began to prepare. Some prepared capture ropes, others equipped clubs to knock them out peacefully, and those with magic prepared paralysis and sleep spells. Initially, the adventurers were skeptical, but they realized that Arbiter and his members were genuinely trying to save the knights. Some laughed at the absurd idea, but others saw it as an opportunity and joined in.

"Hey, Arbiter! This is fun. We're in!"

"I never thought I'd have a chance to do the knights a favor. I'm in too."

"Knocking them out and pulling them away, huh? I never thought I'd have a chance to hit a knight, so I'll go all out."

"…Just don't kill them, okay?"

Arbiter, ensuring they wouldn't go too far, called out to the rampaging P-chan.

"Hey! P-chan!"

Beep beep?

P-chan, which had just sent a Death Mantis flying with a sharp scythe, turned to face Arbiter with a hopeful, sparkling gaze. Arbiter and the deputy were taken aback by the innocent look but quickly regained their composure.

"Where's your master?"

Beep beep!

"…Captain, I have a fundamental question."

"What is it?"

"Can it understand us?"

"…I just realized. I have no idea."

The members and adventurers behind them all facepalmed. P-chan was tearing and throwing monsters while beeping loudly, apparently communicating, but no one understood the language of pigs.

Meanwhile, the adventurers' vanguard engaged the disorganized monsters. They mainly faced the knights, while the Flame Spear Mercenary Corps members dealt with the monsters. With the main knights gone, they were now dealing with half the number of monsters. Despite this, the experienced mercenaries handled the situation well. With P-chan's attacks from the side, they didn't need to kill the monsters; just incapacitating them was enough. The members acted as shields, blocking attacks and striking from the side, working as a team to immobilize the monsters. The adventurers, meanwhile, neutralized the knights and moved them to the rear.

"Hahaha, I never thought I'd get to punch knights in public!"

"They act all high and mighty in the city. This is satisfying."

"Still, hitting them in the groin with a club might be a bit much, don't you think?"

Some smashed helmets, others used paralysis spells, and some cast lightning strikes, hitting vital points without mercy. Despite the lack of restraint, the experienced adventurers were careful not to kill. The knights, on the other hand, were getting what they deserved for their usual behavior. The pink smoke had been a charm spell, but it wasn't permanent. The knights, once hit, regained their senses. However, they were bound and gagged, so they naturally struggled. The adventurers, thinking the effects were still lingering, left them as they were, leading to growing resentment.

"Even if we deal with the knights, the monsters keep coming…"

"Where are they all coming from? There's no end to them!"

Despite P-chan's efforts and the adventurers' neutralization, the monsters kept coming from the other side of the road. The adventurers were running out of stamina, and Arbiter, frustrated, shouted out.

"Hey! Miss! If you're nearby, do something!"

"Sure thing."

[Skill: Flocking Sheep]

As soon as the voice was heard, the horde of monsters was suddenly covered by a large flock of semi-transparent sheep. They simply crossed from right to left, and the monsters were left lying on the ground, snoring. The knights, who were supposed to be neutralized and collected, were also sound asleep. Arbiter, surprised by the quick response, turned to see Kena emerging from the nearby forest.

"Sorry, I was dealing with a separate group."

"That's perfect timing. You weren't waiting for your cue, were you?"

"Hehe… No, I was just admiring the teamwork and wondering when to step in."

Arbiter, slightly taken aback by her honest response, scratched his head. Kena, apologizing sincerely, bowed, and Arbiter let it go, saying, "Well, no one died, so it's fine." By this time, the knights had been mostly collected. The remaining task was to deal with the large number of sleeping monsters, but they decided to retreat and observe to avoid a messy cleanup. The deputy explained the situation to Kena.

"Hmm, that's probably… a charm spell combined with a guidance spell."

"A charm spell on that many monsters? I've never heard of such a spell."

"Two hundred years ago, there were many users. The guidance spell makes them act towards a goal."

"So, if we find the source of the horde, we'll find the cause?"

"Right… For a horde this large, it's likely a significant entity."

Beep beep! Beep beep!

P-chan, which had been wandering around the pile of sleeping monsters, started to make a high-pitched noise. Kena frowned, drew her rune blade, and infused it with magic, forming a blue blade. She quickly returned to a combat stance, and P-chan stood by her side. Arbiter, realizing the situation, quickly ordered his members and the adventurers to retreat. He then spoke to Kena.

"Is it the one controlling them?"

"P-chan is on alert, so it's probably strong. P-chan, stay in the middle to protect the rear, okay?"

Beep beep!

Kena's request was met with P-chan moving to the back, raising its nose and standing firm. Arbiter, staying by Kena's side, was determined not to retreat without seeing the enemy.

"If something strange comes, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Don't worry, I won't interfere. I'm a warrior, after all."

The armed man and woman waited beside the snoring monsters along the road. A large, armored, lion-headed humanoid, wielding a long metal whip, appeared, growling and glaring at Kena and Arbiter. Kena, recognizing it, and Arbiter, seeing it for the first time, were both on high alert.

"…What is that? I've never seen a humanoid like that."

"Sure enough, it's Leohead… Good thing we put the monsters to sleep."

Arbiter, looking at Kena with a puzzled expression, noted that humanoids were generally reclusive and often hostile. Leohead, a level 430 monster, was a beastmaster and a boss in a quest that required 18 players to complete. Kena, prepared, used [Skill: Gravity King's Crushing] as Leohead raised his whip to attack. The spell created a dark sphere, 40 meters in diameter, covered in a transparent membrane, which expanded into a massive dark dome, 100 meters in diameter, engulfing the area. The dome, which absorbed light, was impenetrable from the outside, and the chaos inside was unknown. However, the dome itself was making ominous sounds as it sank into the ground, causing everyone to tremble in fear.

"Hey, what the hell is that magic…"

"It's a gravity spell. Be careful, it has a wide range."

Kena, throwing the sphere, watched as it expanded and engulfed the area, including the sleeping monsters. The adventurers, witnessing the destruction, were in awe of Kena's power.

"Whoa, what is that girl…?"

"What kind of magic is that…"

"You guys don't know because…"

"She's the mother of the High Priest of Felskero."

Silence fell as those who didn't know Kena were shocked. Those who did nodded, remembering the High Priest's embarrassing moments. Despite the potential for disillusionment, his frequent mother-complex comments kept him from losing his position. Instead, he became more endearing.

---

Meanwhile, Kena was facing a different crisis.

"Oh no…"

"Hey, isn't this a bit of a problem?"

"…It's different from the game, isn't it…"

The road, now a large, bowl-shaped depression, was a problem. In the game, the [Gravity King's Crushing] spell only crushed the enemies within the dome, but in reality, it had also destroyed the ground. Kena, realizing her mistake, was dejected. The adventurers tried to comfort her.

"Don't be too down, Kena."

"Compared to the potential damage, this is minor."

"Besides, if you hadn't taken care of it, we would have been in trouble. We're grateful."

"True, we got to get back at the knights, and no one died. It's a good outcome."

"…Yeah."

The remaining monsters, without their controller, had fled. Arbiter, still cautious, sent some members to scout the area. Kena, consulting with Key, searched for a skill to restore the ground. P-chan, relaxed, stayed by her side, making others hesitant to approach.

---

The main knight force, which had been waiting in the rear, arrived, led by Shining Saber, Skullgo, and Maymay. The children were surprised to see their mother, and the knight commander was shocked to see the captured knights. Before the knights' discontent could escalate, Arbiter explained the situation.

"By the way, what happened to the charm effect?"

"A strong shock will break it."

"…Why didn't you say that sooner!"

Arbiter, realizing the mistake, quickly freed the knights. They were angry but couldn't argue with the fact that they had been controlled. The adventurers, understanding the situation, smiled and didn't push the issue. Kena, petting P-chan, smiled at her children.

"Mother! Mom!"

"Oh, you two, what's the rush?"

"Mother, you didn't need to come out for Shining Saber's request…"

"We can defend Felskero on our own."

"But I'm here now, and it's over. I just caused some damage to the road…"

The children, understanding the difficulty, were relieved. Kena, more concerned about the road, was at a loss.

"Maybe we can use golems to transport the stones and then pour concrete."

'Let's find a stone mountain.'

"I'll take responsibility since I made the request. I'll inform the higher-ups, and I'll handle it."

"Really, Shining Saber?"

"Kena saved us from a disaster. It's time to repay the debt."

"Fair enough. I'll leave it to you."

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Shining Saber patted Arbiter's shoulder, and Kena, nodding, moved to join the adventurers. Arbiter and his team handed over the scouting and guard duties to the knights and returned to Felskero. Kena, about to leave, turned back.

"Skullgo!"

"What is it, Mother?"

"I have a question. I'll come to the church tomorrow."

"Tomorrow… I think it should be fine."

"Alright, thanks."

Waving goodbye, Kena followed the adventurers. Skullgo, surprised by the unusual request, was teased by his sister. Kena, thinking about Exis and the others, continued on her way.

---

In the capital, the giant turtle, which had been a source of heavy tension, stopped just short of the city walls. The queen, Sahara Shade, along with the remaining residents, ministers, knights, and adventurers, sighed in relief. The turtle's sudden stop was met with a collective sigh of relief rather than cheers. The immediate threat was over, and the remaining people erupted in cheers. The queen, hearing the cheers, finally relaxed.

"Phew, I was worried for a moment. We need to reward whoever stopped it."

"Indeed, it was a close call…"

The knight commander, overhearing the conversation, immediately sent his subordinates to secure the hero.

---

Inside the giant turtle's temple, the Hidden Demon and Exis were exhausted, lying on the floor. Quorke had been ejected earlier for making 20 mistakes. The temple's doors were now open, and Quorke, rejoining them, saw the counters above their heads: '39/18' for the Hidden Demon and '41/19' for Exis. They were on the brink,