Chapter 36

"Stampede! ————!!"

A panicked voice could be heard. I could tell that the guild was starting to stir here and there.

Lebrant and the people with the Crimson Wings were steadily making preparations.

"Auwl, I'm going to the Merchant Guild to check the situation. If a full-scale stampede starts, we might run out of supplies, so we need to prepare now."

"We're heading to the Adventurer's Guild. There's probably detailed information there by now."

Lebrant's shop has become one of the largest in the capital, and they are A-rank adventurers. Their quick actions are truly commendable.

"Master, we should go to the Adventurer's Guild too."

"Hehe, I'll definitely protect Master!"

Reliable. It was really worth training them.

"Got it. I want to know the situation too, so let's hurry to the Adventurer's Guild."

"Yes!"

Upon arriving at the Adventurer's Guild, it was overflowing with adventurers, and among them were the people from the Crimson Wings who had gone ahead.

Soon, a man with a stern face appeared on a slightly higher spot.

The moment the stern-faced man appeared, the guild, which had been buzzing, fell silent.

Is he an important person in this guild?

"I am Barrack, the guild master here. I believe everyone already knows, but a stampede has occurred! Normally, there would be warning signs, and we could take some measures, but this time there were no such signs, and we are behind. Despite it being winter, when most monsters should be less active, for some reason, a large number of monsters are heading towards the capital! They will arrive in about 30 minutes to an hour! It is estimated that the number of monsters exceeds 10,000! The knights are also supposed to participate, but due to the winter, many are in poor health and cannot participate. It seems that the limit is about 400 knights! It's not an exaggeration to say that the capital is in your hands! Please, lend us a hand! As for the location, the monsters are surging from the Grueal Great Forest to the south of the capital! One of our staff, who was out on a survey, discovered a large number of monsters, which led to this situation! As for the reward, I guarantee 50 gold coins just for participating! Additionally, the monsters you defeat will be recorded on your guild card, and we will settle separately based on that! The king will also pay a reward! D-rank and above are required to participate, and those below are voluntary! That's all! Those who have completed registration, please head to the monster extermination!"

I see... There are a few points I'm concerned about, but for now, it's fine.

"Master, what should we do?"

"Well, we're F-rank, so it's not mandatory for us..."

That's right. No matter how strong Luna and Yomi are, 10,000 is a daunting number. It's even possible that there are more monsters.

"Master, please let me go! I don't want to lose anything else."

Luna... You're that determined, huh? It must be related to your past. I'll wait until you're ready to tell me.

"If Luna goes, I'll go too. Luna can't do it without me."

"Fine... I have something to do, but I'll definitely come after that. Hold on until then. And, show me your ringed hand."

This feature I secretly added, I didn't expect to use it so soon.

I cast a spell on the hands of the two, who obediently showed their hands.

I cast "Limit Release 'Thunderclap'" on Luna's hand and "Limit Release 'Water Dragon Summoning'" on Yomi's hand.

"This ring has one spell that I've taught it using my magic power. You can use it once, and it's a spell I haven't taught Luna and Yomi. In an emergency, Luna should shout 'Thunderclap,' and Yomi should shout 'Water Dragon Summoning.' Even without magic power, you can use it. Think of it as a special reserve."

Even with all this preparation, I can't shake off my unease. I need to finish my business quickly.

"Master, I forgot to explain. The ring you gave us the other day is a magical communication device. If you infuse it with magic power and speak, it will transmit your voice to the earrings we're wearing. Please contact us if anything happens."

Yomi showed me the earrings she was wearing. I hadn't noticed them before, but she was indeed wearing earrings.

This will be useful if something happens.

Ah, right.

"I forgot, I want you to wear the maid outfits. They're made from monster silk and have better defense than inferior armor."

"Made from monster silk... As expected of Master!"

"Hehe, to make you wear maid outfits even in battle, Master has a strong possessive desire."

"You two... And Luna, I'll ask you about what you mean by 'as expected' later! ...But don't die, okay!"

"Yes, Master!"

The two of them completed their registration and headed off to the monster extermination.

After seeing them off, I focused my attention on the presence detection and spatial awareness that had been active since the bell rang.

"Of course, this is the right timing, Baron Filere!"

The strong presence I was sensing was around Baron Filere's mansion. It hasn't moved yet, but it might be on par with the Emperor Dinosaur I detected in the past.

There are also a few other presences nearby.

...Yeah, it's definitely Baron Filere's. And one of the others feels familiar, but where have I felt it before...?

"Thinking about it won't help. I need to report this to Lebrant first!"

"Lebrant, are you here?!"

"Auwl? Over here!"

"Good to see you! Do you have a moment now?"

"A moment is fine, but what's up?"

"There's an incredibly strong presence at Baron Filere's place. It's on par with the Emperor Dinosaur!"

"What?! So... This stampede might have been orchestrated?"

"I don't have proof, but the timing is too perfect. The Adventurer's Guild also mentioned that this stampede is unusual!"

"Hmm..."

"Is there a way to artificially cause a stampede?"

"Artificially? There might be one way, but it's banned now."

"Really?!"

"It's called 'Magic Incense Powder.' I heard that in the past, a country was destroyed by monsters after the enemy spread this powder. In the end, the ones who spread it were also destroyed. Maybe they used it this time..."

"Such a dangerous thing..."

"But why would they do this?"

That's the thing. What's the purpose? The capital could be in ruins...

"What if they're selling the country to another country?"

"True, the Filere family doesn't have a good reputation, but that would explain a lot."

There are a few other points that are concerning, but first, we need to deal with the monster at the Filere mansion.

"Lebrant, I'm heading to the Filere mansion. If that thing is released into the capital, it will cause massive damage!"

"Got it. I'll report to the knights and the guild. ...Auwl, don't overdo it."

"I know. I don't want to die yet!"

The presence started moving. This direction... Is it heading to the castle? To control a monster that strong, what kind of cheat is this?

I can probably catch up in 30 seconds. I need to prepare. I can't use much magic in the city, or it will cause damage.

I'll use a weapon... I might as well use the sword I bought from Gal. This is the perfect first battle for it.

...

I arrived before it left the grounds.

"Hey, it's not the Emperor Dinosaur, but it's this guy?!"

The last page of the monster encyclopedia published by the empire lists a few monsters. One of them is known for its violent and cruel nature. It's about 6 meters long, with a lion's body and a snake's tail. It has a goat's head on its back, and a sharp horn on the lion's forehead. It can use magic, shooting lightning from its horn, fire from its lion's mouth, ice from its goat's head, and poison from its snake's tail. Its name is Horn Chimera.

The recommended rank for its extermination is S, but it's considered even more dangerous.

"What are you?! Whose property do you think this is? If you interfere, I'll kill you! This country will soon be mine!"

I ignored Baron Filere. I don't have the luxury to deal with him. The butler seemed to have fled back to the mansion.

Is there a shelter in the mansion?

Whatever, I need to take it down now.

I don't want to fight it, but I have no choice. The knights haven't arrived yet, but they will if Lebrant reported it.

Let's get this over with!

"Come at me, Horn Chimera!!"

I fired five Thunder Rays at the Horn Chimera, but it didn't even flinch. However, it now seems to recognize me as an enemy and is staring at me.

The battle between the Horn Chimera and me has begun.

---

**Side: Luna & Yomi (Luna's POV)**

After parting ways with Master, we headed to the Grueal Great Forest where the stampede was occurring.

The maid outfits Master bought us were light and comfortable. I just realized they can easily conduct magic power. This maid outfit becomes incredibly hard when infused with magic power, making it a wonderful piece of clothing.

"Hey, Luna, if we get a reward from Master after this battle, what would you want?"

Huh? That's sudden. But a reward... Hmm.

"Maybe the most delicious sweets I've never tasted?"

"Hehe, that sounds nice."

"What about you, Yomi?"

"I want to go on a date with Master!"

Yomi is so cute. But I do envy the idea of a date. When I became a slave, I gave up on living a normal life.

But meeting Master made me think that being a slave isn't so bad. Well, Master is special, so that might be why.

"I'd like to go on a date too..."

I didn't realize I said that out loud. Yomi looked at me with a happy smile.

"Let's earn the date money by hunting lots of monsters! And I'll pay for everything!"

"Sure! Let's do it!!"

"Let's stick together. Separating increases the danger. Thanks to Master's ring, we can sense the nearby situation, but we can't be too careful!"

Our performance was remarkable, and we exterminated a large number of monsters. The way we smoothly dispatched them was so impressive that even other adventurers and knights were in awe.

Most of the monsters were weak, like goblins, orcs, and gray wolves, so the damage was minimal.

The stampede occurring in winter was fortunate, as it limited the number and strength of the monsters.

Still, there were some strong ones, like the four-armed bear and the steel centipede, both B-rank, and the giant rhinoceros, an A-rank.

"Water Charm! Silver Thunder! Leave this to us, go ahead!"

Water Charm? Silver Thunder?

"Hehe, those are our nicknames. Didn't you know?"

"No! If I knew, you should have told me! It's embarrassing!"

Yomi... But nicknames are kind of cool! Focus!

"Yomi, let's leave the weaker monsters to the knights and other adventurers and focus on the higher-ranked ones!"

"Hehe, sure. Let's collect as many items as we can."

We continued fighting smoothly, and as the number of monsters decreased, something unusual descended.

---

"Strange... The capital should be in chaos by now, and this place should be in panic. Did that guy fail? Humans are so unreliable... Plus, this place should be in a much worse state..."

A man with dark skin and a casual demeanor appeared. From his words, he seemed to know something about the current situation.

"What is he? His magic power is extraordinary!"

"More than Master's? That's hard to believe..."

"Hey, you two are pretty strong for humans... Not as strong as me, though. So, this is because of you two? Hmm, maybe I should get rid of you!"

The moment he disappeared, the automatic multiple barriers from Master's ring deployed.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Bang!!!

He blurred, and the barriers shattered? Three of them! I don't know how many barriers there are, but there can't be that many...

"Hmm? I hit you pretty hard, but you stopped me. ...Interesting ring! I want one too!"

The man reappeared in the same spot, about 20 meters away. If he attacked and returned in an instant, he's a real monster!

"We won't give away anything Master gave us!"

"Right, it's a precious item Master created for us."

"Hehe, created by Master, huh... I'm getting more interested in this Master... I was planning to play in the capital, but it seems things didn't go well there. Plus, I'm upset that you couldn't control the Chimera I summoned for you!"

"Chimera?! In the capital?! Master is in danger!"

"Luna, we need to exterminate the monsters and this guy and get back to Master!"

I activated the magic Master taught us.

"Thunderclap!!"

"Water Dragon Summoning!!"

Thunderclouds and multiple water dragons appeared and automatically attacked the enemy. Fortunately, we were far enough from other adventurers and knights, so there was no collateral damage.

Lightning rained down, slaughtering the monsters one by one. The water dragons also targeted the dense clusters of monsters.

"Hmm? I need to defend myself from this..."

I thought the man wouldn't survive, but he casually defended himself while talking.

Impossible... Master's magic isn't working!

"This is the power of the ring? Your Master is getting more interesting. I'm quite satisfied this time, so I'll leave. I'll come back if I want to play again. Tell your Master I'll visit you next time! Hahaha~"

The space distorted, and a dimensional rift appeared, swallowing the man.

What was he?

"Luna! We need to get to Master!"

"Right!"

---

**Side: Auwl**

I'm struggling. I managed to keep the Horn Chimera within the Filere mansion grounds, but I can't do more. It's like a stalemate in chess.

Why aren't the knights here? What's going on?

I've been fighting for about an hour, I think.

Physically, I'm fine, but my magic power is gradually decreasing. If this continues, I might be overwhelmed...

I promised Luna and Yomi I'd come, but it's not going as planned.

But that's what makes life interesting.

Regular magic doesn't work, and strong magic would cause too much damage to the city...

"Hmm? Those thunderclouds... and water dragons? That means Luna and Yomi must be facing a tough enemy!"

This thing probably doesn't have a weakness. I need to deal with it physically.

Magic Barrier x 20! Physical Barrier x 20!

A myriad of magic circles and translucent physical barriers deployed like a mandala.

"Please hold!"

I can use sword techniques with a staff, but a sword should work too. This sword feels so natural.

If it doesn't work, I might die... No, don't think about that!

I focused, concentrated, and aimed for a precise breakthrough.

The Horn Chimera's attacks shattered the barriers one by one. It would be over in about 5 seconds.

4 seconds

3 seconds

2 seconds

1 second

Just in time.

*Staff Technique: Sword Form - Lion King Flash*

It's a grand name, but it's a technique where you dive into the enemy's guard and cut their neck like a lion pouncing on its prey. Of course, it's infused with magic power to enhance its cutting power.

The Horn Chimera, unaware it was cut, continued to attack, but its head fell off after a delay, and it eventually died.

"Phew... That was close..."

Just as I finished it off, two familiar presences approached.

"Master! Are you okay?!"

"...Is this a Chimera? If the Chimera is dead, Master must have won."

"Luna, Yomi. Yeah, I managed. Is the stampede under control?"

"Yes. When we used Master's magic, most of the monsters died. The remaining ones are few, so the knights and other adventurers can handle them."

"True, if we kill too many, we'll take away the earnings of other adventurers."

That's a good point. If they can't earn money, it's a problem.

"Well, I'll take this monster."

I promptly stored the Horn Chimera. I don't want the materials to be damaged!

"Should we capture Baron Filere?"

Baron Filere fainted when the Horn Chimera died. Maybe the link was severed?

"Luna, can you go get Lebrant? He's at the Adventurer's Guild. I'm sorry to ask when you're tired."

"Of course, Master! It's no trouble at all! I'll bring him right away!"

While Luna went to get Lebrant, I had a request for Yomi.

"Yomi, can you infiltrate the Filere mansion and secure important documents?"

"Documents? Understood."

I hope I'm not overthinking this.

I left Baron Filere tied up for about 20 minutes when Luna returned with Lebrant.

"Auwl-kun!"

There were also the guild master and a few others with Lebrant.

Is it okay for the guild master to be here during a crisis?

"Auwl! The monster was a Chimera, right...?"

Lebrant looked tense as he surveyed the damage.

This wasn't my doing, I swear!

"No, it's a Horn Chimera."

I took it out of storage as evidence, but that was a mistake.

"A Horn Chimera?! Where did you get that from?!"

Oops. I forgot the guild master was here!

"Anyway, the important thing is that Baron