Chapter 77

The square beyond the gate was in turmoil.

People who had just moments ago fled into the city, trembling with fear at the possibility of being attacked by beasts, were now a helpless crowd, unable to shake off their confusion and merely shouting aimlessly.

"I am grateful for your help. Without your assistance, there would certainly have been casualties."

As the elderly captain said, although there were many injured, there were no deaths among the residents or soldiers.

"Given the emergency, I will properly express my gratitude later."

After confirming Ted and the others' names and their inn, the captain led his soldiers toward the castle.

"Well... Let's see what has happened—"

"Aldis!"

Just as Ted was about to speak, a voice from the chaotic crowd caught his attention.

"Kiril?"

The voice belonged to Kiril, an apprentice merchant of the Lovel Guild, the boy who had been the catalyst for Aldis coming to Reiting. The small boy, who was twelve but shorter than his age, pushed through the surrounding adults and made his way to Aldis.

"Aldis, are you alright? I heard you went out early this morning to take on a hunting request and was worried."

"As you can see, I'm fine. But Kiril, what exactly happened? It seems like quite a serious situation after just half a day away from Reiting."

"Well... I don't really understand. Nothing unusual happened until after noon, but then suddenly this happened..."

Kiril's unease was evident in his deep blue eyes.

"Aldis, do you know what's happening outside? I heard rumors that a large number of beasts are heading toward Reiting."

"Yeah. A horde of beasts—more than usual—is surrounding Reiting. When I saw the east gate, there were over a thousand, but it might have increased since then."

"A thousand...!"

Kiril was speechless at the unimaginable number.

"That's... more than the regular troops of Reiting...!"

Of course, most of the enemies were insignificant beasts like the Glass Wolves. However, as Ted had just demonstrated, a 'Beast King' class would be a heavy burden even for regular troops. Additionally, from a distance, Aldis had also confirmed the presence of monsters.

"Too much for the Reiting army to handle..."

"There will definitely be a request for mercenaries to join the fight."

Ted spoke before Aldis could think it through.

"Anyway, let's head back to the inn. Whether there's a request or not, we should prepare as much as possible."

"That's right, as Norris said."

As Ted and the others discussed the next steps, Kiril spoke up as if he had just remembered something.

"Oh! That's right, Aldis! Marida was looking for you. Please go to the Ritt Guild after you return to the inn."

"...Marida? Ah, I see. I'll definitely stop by. What about you, Kiril?"

"I'm going to the 'cargo control' now."

Taking advantage of the soldiers' preoccupation with the external threat, looters often emerge during such chaos. In severe cases, ordinary citizens might even turn into mobs and start looting.

Therefore, each guild immediately dispatches capable individuals to their warehouses and loading areas to secure and protect their goods. This is known as 'cargo control' among merchants. A few burly men stood behind Kiril, and it was his job to guide them.

"I see. Sorry to have kept you. If that's the case, you should hurry."

"Yes, then we'll be on our way. Don't forget to go to the Ritt Guild."

With that, Kiril ran off with the men toward the loading area.

"Alright, let's head back to the inn quickly. What about you, Aldis?"

"I'll stop by the Ritt Guild first, then head back to the inn."

"Got it, see you later."

Aldis parted ways with Ted and headed to the Ritt Guild.

The main street, usually filled with pleasant chatter, was different today. While not as chaotic as the square in front of the west gate, the voices of the people lacked their usual cheerfulness.

"Is Marida here?"

When Aldis entered the first-floor shop of the Ritt Guild, he saw a scene reminiscent of a field hospital.

"--- We don't need that information! Right now, it's more important to figure out what the upper management is thinking! The nobles are only useful in situations like this! How can we not use that connection now? --- Coal and charcoal, and oil are the priorities! Food? The government will start controlling the trade soon! If we openly stockpile, we'll be targeted! Besides, making the residents hate us is the worst strategy! --- What? Why hasn't the cargo control been issued yet? The Lovel Guild has already sent people! What are you waiting for? Quickly find a couple of mercenaries and bring them here! --- Ah, Aldis! You're just in time!"

Marida, who had been giving rapid instructions left and right, noticed Aldis and called out to him.

"I was just looking for a capable mercenary! I'll pay one gold coin per day, will you be our bodyguard?"

"Refuse."

"Immediate rejection without even considering it!?"

"Is that all you wanted? If so, I'll be going."

"Wait, wait! Hold on! That's not it, I have something else to talk about! Come to the back!"

Marida handed the current situation to a middle-aged man and pulled Aldis up to the second floor.

"Hey, is it okay? I know I'm an outsider, but it's not good for the person in charge to leave during such an emergency, right?"

"Of course, it's not okay. But this is something I can't tell everyone."

As soon as they entered the reception room and closed the door, Marida wasted no time in speaking.

"How much do you know about the situation?"

"Only that a large number of beasts are surrounding Reiting. I just got back, and when I returned to the city, I saw some beasts being repelled at the west gate. It's strange that they're all heading straight for the city without any conflict among themselves. Why did they suddenly attack in a group?"

Marida nodded solemnly, which was unusual for her.

"About that... Could it be because of that sword?"

"Which sword? The red one Kiril brought back?"

"Of course, the only sword we both know is that one."

"Well... I don't know much about that sword."

"The timing of the abnormal situation right after the sword turned into a cocoon is too coincidental."

Indeed, since they obtained it in the Cossus Forest, it had been plagued by strange humanoid figures every night. It was a plausible suspicion. The timing also matched the sword being wrapped in a cocoon.

"What's happening in your dreams?"

"As I said before, if I knew everything from my dreams, it would be much easier."

Marida added that she had not anticipated this at all.

"...It's a troublesome power."

"Wha! Unexpectedly acknowledged!?"

The quiet murmur of Aldis's true thoughts subtly hurt Marida.

"If you're curious, why don't you check? If the sword is the cause, you could just take it far away and see if the situation improves."

"Hmm? Ah... I guess it's okay... But is it alright for you to do it...?"

Marida, who was initially hesitant, agreed on the condition that Aldis would only check if the beasts reacted to the sword, not necessarily to discard it.

"Alright, I'll take it. Don't worry, I'll bring it back."

Of course, if it turns out to be the cause, that might not be the case. With those words that seemed to fuel Marida's anxiety, Aldis left the Ritt Guild with the cocoon-wrapped sword.

"Well... If there are few sentries, I could go outside the walls..."

Aldis, now on the main street, looked around the walls that surrounded Reiting on all sides.

The walls were lined with torches, and small flames of torches moved along them. Even in normal times, there would be guard lights and personnel at night, but during this emergency, the number was significantly higher.

"...Maybe just send the sword flying."

Flying through the air would easily allow Aldis to cross Reiting's walls. However, with the increased vigilance against flying beasts, even with the night spreading, the risk of being spotted was high. Indeed, he could see archers repelling flying beasts sporadically.

Aldis climbed the clock tower, one of the tallest structures in Reiting, to observe the outside.

"They've increased."

The sight before him was the horde of beasts still swarming around Reiting's walls. When he and the others returned to Reiting, there were over a thousand, but now the number had grown even more.

The walls were not so weak that they would collapse from the beasts' charges. However, the long-term impact was uncertain, especially if powerful monsters were among them.

Aldis used magic to levitate the problematic sword and moved it to the outside of the walls, where the sentries' sight would not reach. He changed the direction and height, carefully observing the beasts' reactions for a while. Finally, he sighed.

"No reaction."

The beasts showed no reaction to the sword's movement, continuing to charge the walls of Reiting. Even when he moved the sword into the middle of the horde, there was no response.

As the night spread to the horizon, Aldis recalled the sword and descended to the ground.

"How did it go?"

When he returned to the Ritt Guild, Marida, who had been waiting, asked immediately.

"The horde and the sword are probably unrelated. They didn't react to it at all."

Aldis showed the cocoon-wrapped red sword as he answered, and the young guild leader showed a rare, troubled expression.

"Here, as promised, I'm returning it."

"No, you can keep it, Aldis."

When Aldis offered the sword, Marida waved her hands.

"What? Are you afraid to keep it now?"

"Not at all. I was planning to give it to you anyway."

Marida's casual response made Aldis narrow his eyes.

"Is that according to plan?"

"I'm not sure when, but you should keep it, probably."

Marida's statement suggested that she had seen Aldis holding the sword in her dreams.

"...I see. If that's the case, I'll keep it. But if anything strange comes out of the cocoon, I'll discard it without hesitation."

"Sure, sure."

Marida nodded cheerfully.

Aldis left the Ritt Guild with the sword in hand. While he felt like he had been given a troublesome task, he was genuinely curious about the sword. It was also significant because he had brought it back from the ruins in the Cossus Forest and because it was connected to Nere's hair.

He had stayed in Reiting for a few days to observe the sword, but if he carried it himself, there was no need to do so. Hunting with Ted and the others was not bad, but it was time to return home.

"I'll take care of the horde outside and head back."

With a light tone, as if starting a garden cleanup, Aldis walked down the chaotic main street toward the inn where Ted and the others were waiting.