Chapter 52

In the midst of the residents of the capital, some were trembling in fear of the monsters and fell into a panic. These people sought help and headed for the castle. However, the gates of the castle were firmly closed, rejecting those who sought salvation.

Those who were turned away from the castle had no choice but to flee to the Association of Magicians. It was fine when there were ten or twenty people, but as the number exceeded fifty and then a hundred, the Association of Magicians began to struggle.

However, every time screams of terror echoed throughout the capital, more people sought refuge at the Association of Magicians.

On the other hand, the royal guards, who were dispatched to support the defense force, were scattered across the capital in units of about ten, fully dedicating themselves to the discovery and extermination of the monsters.

Lucas, a royal guard, ran through the streets near the port with his colleagues. In an open space, they encountered five Horn Wolves and entered a battle.

"The Horn Wolves move quickly; never fight alone. Work together in groups of two or more to take them down," the squad leader Gasparo shouted out instructions.

The five Horn Wolves targeted different guards and attacked. One of them leaped at Lucas. Raising his shield, he blocked the wolf's sharp claws and braced his feet. The impact shook his arm holding the shield, almost knocking it away, but he held on with all his might and pushed the wolf back.

The Horn Wolf that had been pushed back growled threateningly. Lucas flinched but kept his eyes on the wolf and tightened his grip on his shield.

The Horn Wolf leaped again. As Lucas blocked it with his shield, squad leader Gasparo thrust his spear. The tip of the spear pierced the wolf's shoulder.

The wolf rolled on the ground, bleeding, but got up with a low growl.

"Squad leader, finish it off in one shot," Lucas said.

"... It was just a bad angle," Gasparo replied.

The Horn Wolf stopped leaping and, with quick movements, avoided the shield and attacked Lucas's feet.

Lucas jumped back and struck the wolf's head with his shield. At that moment, Gasparo's spear pierced the wolf, impaling it from back to chest.

Just as Lucas relaxed, a guard was impaled by a Horn Wolf's horn and fell.

"Help him!"

At the squad leader's command, Lucas readjusted his shield and ran to the fallen comrade. He tried to stab the wolf that was about to tear into his fallen comrade's abdomen, but the wolf quickly dodged, and he missed.

"Damn, they're really quick," Lucas muttered.

Although he didn't inflict any damage, the wolf changed its target from the fallen comrade to Lucas and attacked.

Seizing the opportunity, squad leader Gasparo lifted the injured comrade and retreated to the rear.

Lucas defended against the wolf's attacks with his shield and sword but was gradually pushed to the edge of the open space.

"Damn, where's the squad leader?" he muttered.

At that moment, a spear thrust from the side. The tip of the spear, thrust by the returning squad leader, pierced the Horn Wolf's neck.

In exchange for defeating the five Horn Wolves, two guards were injured. Squad leader Gasparo, with a grim face, muttered, "We should have trained not only for human combat but also for fighting monsters."

While the number of monsters in the capital was decreasing due to the cooperation of the defense force and the royal guards, just when they were about to eliminate all of them, the defense force and the royal guards received news of new monsters appearing.

"What... A Flame Lizard has appeared in the workshop district," the news came.

The new monsters were not just the Flame Lizard in the workshop district. A herd of Tusker Boars appeared in the market district, and many of the defense force who tried to exterminate them were injured.

A messenger arrived at Gasparo's unit, instructing them to move to the market district. It seemed that the strategists of the defense force and the royal army wanted them to deal with the Tusker Boars.

"Tusker Boars... We need the support of magicians," Gasparo said.

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While the royal guards were fighting, a few men were secretly moving through the underground passages of the capital. Normally, part of the defense force patrolled these passages, but today, all of them were dealing with the monsters, leaving no one to guard them.

"We are heading to the castle. Myn and Movar, perform the [Monster Summoning] near the Administrative Office, while Basil and I infiltrate the Elder Hall."

The Administrative Office was where high-ranking officials worked, and the Elder Hall was where ministers and other important figures took their breaks.

"Myn and Movar, return to the hideout after the summoning. You won't be able to control the summoned monsters anyway."

"Understood. But, if the monsters can't be controlled, we don't know where they'll go."

"Can't be helped. If you encounter them, run."

Myn, one of the men, shrugged.

"If I'm killed by a monster I summoned, it won't be funny."

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When Isarco requested Ricardo to come to the Association of Magicians, Ricardo hesitated a bit because he had a family to protect.

"Ricardo, go. I'll protect Mother and the others," Antonio said to his hesitant brother.

"But, what if a monster that even you can't defeat attacks?"

Patrick patted Ricardo's shoulder.

"Don't worry. Councilor Isarco has instructed us to stay here and protect Ricardo's family," Patrick said.

Ricardo understood that something serious was happening and decided to go to the Association of Magicians.

"Everyone, be careful," his mother Julia said worriedly.

"You too, Ricardo," Tania added.

"Let's go," Tania said, and they hurried to the Association of Magicians.

On the way, they encountered two Goblins that the royal guards were fighting and quickly defeated them with a magic gun.

"I want one too," Tania said, looking at the magic gun.

"If you want a magic gun, you need to go to the Demon Realm and defeat the Demon Tree Tamiel to make it," Ricardo explained.

"The Demon Realm? It's too dangerous to go alone. Will you go with me?"

"Sure. If this kind of incident happens again, we might need to mass-produce magic guns."

"But, we need to defeat the Demon Tree Tamiel and obtain the magic vine, right?"

"I'm trying to figure out if we can get the seeds and cultivate them."

"Raising a dangerous demon tree might require the government's approval."

Until now, cultivating the relatively harmless Demon Tree Kumiri had not attracted administrative interference, but the Demon Tree Tamiel would likely be seen as more dangerous.

"If we have the support of the crown prince, it might be possible," Ricardo said.

"Yes, but we need to end this chaos first," Tania replied.

...Right. Who was behind this monster chaos? There were many enemies of the royal family, but only a few could cause such a disturbance.

"I think it might be the Kingdom of Claire," Tania suggested, naming the kingdom that was in territorial disputes with the Kingdom of Romanus.

The Kingdom of Claire was located to the east of the Boniperti Dukedom, and there had been ongoing skirmishes between the two.

"The Kingdom of Claire... It doesn't feel right," Ricardo said.

"Then who do you think it is?"

"I don't know, but if it's the Kingdom of Claire, they would target the Boniperti Dukedom."

Ricardo and Tania continued their conversation as they approached the Association of Magicians.

The reception hall in front of the Association of Magicians was overflowing with people who had sought refuge.

"Let's go to Councilor Isarco's office," Ricardo said.

They pushed through the crowd and headed for the door at the back of the reception hall.

"There are so many people," Tania said.

"The councilors are telling people to go home, lock their doors, and hide, but they are too anxious to return home," Ricardo explained.

There had been incidents where Goblins broke into houses and killed the residents, making it unsafe to stay at home. Many of the people who had sought refuge at the Association of Magicians were families with small children, and the sound of crying children could be heard.

After exiting the reception hall through the back door, they went to the Refinement Bureau and entered Isarco's office.

"I'm sorry to have called you here," Isarco said.

"There must be a good reason," Ricardo replied.

"Yes, I believe the current chaos is due to a few magicians using [Monster Summoning]. What do you think, Ricardo?"

"I agree."

"Then, you understand that we need to stop those magicians. No matter how many monsters we defeat, the chaos won't end until we do."

Ricardo and Tania nodded.

"Are you asking us to capture those magicians?"

"No, leave the capturing to the royal guards. I want you to go to the castle."

"Why the castle?"

"After defeating the Nether Wolf, I spoke with General Samuele. We agreed that the Nether Wolf, which should only exist in the Demon Realm, was likely summoned by someone."

"But, the monsters summoned in this chaos are Goblins, Ulfs, and Horn Wolves."

Isarco nodded deeply.

"There are reports of Flame Lizards and Tusker Boars appearing."

"It sounds like a job for magicians."

Isarco sighed.

"Director Sismund of the Extermination Bureau has dispatched all his magicians to the market and workshop districts where the Flame Lizards and Tusker Boars appeared."

Ricardo was relieved to hear that the magicians had been dispatched to the market district, where his family and friends were.

"General Samuele asked me to send someone to the castle who can defeat the Nether Wolf if a monster-related incident occurs in the capital."

Ricardo and Tania looked skeptical. The castle had court magicians.

"There are court magicians, aren't there?"

Tania asked.

"The prime minister and the general don't trust the head of the court magicians. They want skilled magicians on standby at the castle in case of an emergency."

"Understood. We'll stand by at the castle."

"I'll go with you," Isarco added.

The three headed to the castle and met the court magicians coming out.

"What's going on?"

With half the royal guards already in the city, the castle's security would be dangerously thin if the court magicians also left.

"I don't know. Let's ask the general."

They entered the castle and visited General Samuele's office, where he was waiting with a grim expression.

"General, what's happening?"

Isarco asked, and the general replied curtly.

"The king, on the advice of his close advisor, Baron Alfred, ordered the court magicians to be dispatched to the city where the Tusker Boars and Flame Lizards appeared."

Not all the court magicians were dispatched, but most of them had left the castle.

"Who do you think is behind this chaos?"

Isarco asked the general.

"We still don't know their goal, so we can't identify them."

There were more enemies of the royal family than Ricardo had thought.

At that moment, a massive amount of magic power was released from the direction of the Administrative Office.

"Councilor Isarco, something is happening over there," Ricardo said, pointing in the direction of the Administrative Office.

The high-ranking officials were waiting for the chaos to subside, worrying about their families. They wanted to rush home, but they had been ordered to stay by the prime minister.

One of the officials, looking out the window, screamed.

"No, no..."

Seeing his colleague's pale face, others nearby checked outside.

"Come on, this can't be. It's a monster. A monster has appeared!"

The scream caused a commotion in the Administrative Office.

A single Nether Wolf appeared at the castle.

"Close the windows."

"Evacuate to the upper floors."

The first floor residents moved to the second floor in a noisy rush.

The Nether Wolf began to act in a way that was different from its summoner's intentions. Instead of attacking the nearby Administrative Office as expected, it headed for the Governor's Hall where the king was.

Naturally, it ended up fighting the royal guards and the remaining court magicians who were protecting the Governor's Hall.

The Nether Wolf first attacked the royal guards, creating a hellish scene.

"Shield bearers, move to the front."

"It's no use. The spears can't pierce it."

The Nether Wolf was impervious to the royal guards' swords and spears. Instead, every time its claws flashed, red blood splattered, and the soldiers' screams echoed.

"What are the court magicians doing?"

In response to the royal guards' cries, the court magicians' attack spells hit the Nether Wolf. Four [Earth Burst Spears] and three [Flame Dragon Tornadoes] struck the Nether Wolf, causing explosions and fires.

A five-meter-high flame tornado surrounded the giant wolf, trying to burn it with intense heat. However, the Nether Wolf's fur had the fire resistance to withstand the high-temperature flames.

The Nether Wolf pushed through the flames and emerged from the fire tornado.

At the same time, Ricardo and the others, who had learned of the monster's appearance at the castle, headed for the Governor's Hall.

The Governor's Hall was a five-story stone building in the center of the castle grounds. The royal guards in front of the fortress-like building were lying in pools of blood.

"We're too late," Isarco muttered.

2017/9/24 Typo correction

2017/10/5 Typo correction