Chapter 82

While Ardis and Nicole were battling the horde of monsters,

the deputy commander was observing the battle from atop the wall that surrounded the city of Reiting.

"It seems we might win after all."

A voice came from diagonally behind the deputy commander.

Turning around, he saw a man with long, burnt sienna hair, a kind and friendly smile on his face.

This man, dressed in leather armor and armed, clearly did not look like someone who made a living from battle.

His lanky build and age, which seemed to be in his mid-thirties, indicated that he usually lived a life far removed from combat.

Clearly out of place.

If he had to describe it in one word, it was precisely that.

"Yes, fortunately so."

The deputy commander gave a minimal response.

Ideally, he would have liked to scold the man and send him away, but there were reasons why he couldn't.

The man's name was Julius.

He was the president of the Jinbaryl Trading Company, one of the major trading houses in Reiting.

Of course, there would be no problem if Julius had volunteered as a militiaman and was fighting.

However, he had not come here to fight but merely to assess the battle situation.

His being armed was likely only to protect himself.

No matter how well-armed he was, it was unbearable to have someone come to a dangerous battlefield out of mere curiosity.

However, the Jinbaryl Trading Company had offered to cooperate fully and even took the lead in the current situation.

Not only did they provide supplies, but they also volunteered their contracted mercenaries to participate in the extermination campaign.

These mercenaries were all renowned warriors known across the continent.

The human side's advantage on the battlefield was due to their presence.

Indeed, the mercenaries who were leading the charge on the front lines, such as "Free Cloud," "Dragon's Vanguard," "Spirit's Guidance," and "Red Triad," were all summoned by the Jinbaryl Trading Company.

If they hadn't arrived in Reiting at the right time, or if the Jinbaryl Trading Company hadn't allowed them to participate in the extermination force, the battle would have been unwinnable.

That was why the deputy commander couldn't reprimand Julius for his self-centered behavior.

The soldiers and mercenaries around them also wore bitter expressions.

To them, it must have been infuriating to have someone who had no intention of fighting present on the battlefield.

However, the military and the government praised the Jinbaryl Trading Company's cooperation.

Moreover, the news that the company was actively supporting the extermination force had spread among the people, and the praise for the company's wise decision was greater than expected.

Especially if the battle ended in victory, the praise would only grow louder.

It was unfair to the soldiers and mercenaries on the ground, but he couldn't drive Julius away just because he was annoying.

"The mercenaries are doing their job well. I am grateful for your cooperation."

However, the deputy commander continued, as if hinting at something.

"Even though the number of flying beasts has decreased, this place is still dangerous. Why don't you leave the battle to us and return to the city?"

"No, please don't worry. I know I might be a bother, but I can't help being concerned about the outcome of the battle. As you can see, I have a guard with me."

Julius glanced at the man behind him.

The man was likely a mercenary. Unlike Julius, he exuded a unique aura of a warrior.

On the battlefield, any additional fighting force was a help, not a hindrance.

Even one more mercenary could reduce the number of casualties among the soldiers and militiamen.

It would be better to have Julius stay in a safe place and let the mercenary join the battle.

Although he thought this in his heart, he couldn't say it out loud.

The Jinbaryl Trading Company had sent a large number of mercenaries to the extermination force, putting their own interests aside. They were all renowned warriors.

To demand more cooperation would risk the military being criticized by the people.

"Most of the monsters seem to have been dealt with."

"Yes, that's right."

As Julius said, the tide of the battle had already turned.

Most of the monsters had been defeated, and the beasts were being driven back by the overwhelming numbers of soldiers and militiamen.

Of course, there were casualties on their side, but considering they had been attacked by thousands of beasts, including monsters, it was a relatively good outcome.

It was understandable that the deputy commander had relaxed his guard.

However, the situation did not end as he had expected.

The mercenaries of "Spirit's Guidance," who had defeated numerous monsters and seemed invincible, faced an unfamiliar monster.

When the deputy commander, who had been confident of victory, saw the monster, he witnessed something unbelievable.

The monster resembled a bipedal reptile, almost like a larger version of a Dispair.

Its color was a bluish-gray, and it had no visible front legs, with something attached to its head instead.

When a swordsman lunged at the monster, it captured him, and in the next moment, the area around it was filled with bright red flowers made of human flesh.

"Spirit's Guidance," which showed confusion even from a distance, was captured one after another by the monster before they could regroup, their bodies turning red with blood.

It was like a nightmare.

The renowned warriors who had defeated countless monsters and were famous across the continent were now victims of a one-sided slaughter.

Everyone doubted their eyes, but no matter how hard they rubbed them or stared, the reality on their retinas was too terrible to accept.

"Y-You must be joking... How can... 'Spirit's Guidance' be... one-sidedly..."

A voice murmuring in disbelief echoed strangely in the silent wall.

Julius was internally panicking.

The current situation was completely unexpected.

Born as the son of a famous mage, Julius had no talent for magic or sorcery.

His father had treated him as a failure, but he was blessed with business acumen.

After leaving his family, Julius started a business in Reiting and quickly amassed wealth, eventually becoming one of the largest trading houses in the city.

The items he had taken from his father's collection without permission when he left home had greatly helped his business.

He wanted to show his father that he was wrong. He wanted to look down on his father, who had treated him as a failure, and tell him that he was just a narrow-minded person living in a world of magic.

This was the only support and driving force for Julius.

In Reiting, no one was unaware of Julius's Jinbaryl Trading Company.

Now one of the major trading houses, if he could gain more fame and support, his position in Reiting would be secure.

For that, he needed a trigger.

So he came up with this plan.

The "Mystic Incense" he had taken from his family was something his father had discovered in an ancient ruin when he was young.

The Mystic Incense, as its name suggests, emitted a special scent that attracted beasts and monsters, drawing them to the area.

However, the scent was so faint that humans could not detect it, and it emitted almost no magical energy, so there was no risk of it being noticed.

When the large number of beasts attracted by the Mystic Incense caused chaos in Reiting, from top to bottom, he would have the famous mercenaries he had hired under the guise of a different commission join the extermination force. This would be done voluntarily by the trading company.

The more the mercenaries achieved, the more praise the Jinbaryl Trading Company would receive for its wise decision.

By providing weapons and supplies stored by the company for free, the company's reputation would undoubtedly rise.

The losses from the free provision could be recovered by secretly selling the catalyst ores, herbs, and medicines he had bought at high prices.

There were many ways to get these items into the market without revealing the Jinbaryl Trading Company's name.

Even if the losses couldn't be recovered, it would be worth it.

In the future, neither the country nor the military would be able to treat the Jinbaryl Trading Company lightly, and he had already taken steps to ensure the company would be favored over others.

Eventually, he planned to absorb the Ritt Trading Company and the Lovel Trading Company, making the Jinbaryl Trading Company a giant that dominated Reiting and extended its reach to his hometown city-state.

"What's going on..."

Julius muttered in a voice that barely reached his guard.

Until just a moment ago, everything had gone according to his plan.

The mercenaries he had hired had shown unparalleled performance compared to other mercenaries and soldiers.

They had easily defeated monsters that other mercenaries struggled with, playing a central role in the extermination force and performing heroically.

But now, those mercenaries were being scattered by a single monster-like entity that had suddenly appeared.

Julius stood in shock, staring at the blood-soaked area where "Spirit's Guidance" had been.

No, it wasn't just Julius. The deputy commander, other soldiers, and even the mercenaries were standing in disbelief.

Among them, the first to move were the "Dragon's Vanguard," who had been fighting nearby.

They must have judged that this was not an enemy to be left alone. They quickly dispatched the monster they were fighting and took a battle stance toward the gray monster.

As the people on the wall held their breath, the battle was quickly decided.

The gray monster effortlessly withstood the attacks of the "Dragon's Vanguard" and began another one-sided slaughter.

Swords were deflected, and fireball spells did no damage.

In contrast, the monster's attacks were steadily picking off the "Dragon's Vanguard" one by one.

With surprising agility for its size, the "Dragon's Vanguard" were being toyed with, turning red one by one.

"Free Cloud" and "Red Triad," who had seen the situation, were rushing to join the fight, but it was unlikely that the "Dragon's Vanguard" could hold out until they arrived.

(Not good...)

If this continued, the plan would be ruined.

Amid the shock of those around him, Julius quietly disappeared from the wall with his guard.

He had never intended to summon such a creature.

What he needed was a situation where the mercenaries could handle the threat, and the worst-case scenario could be imagined if the mercenaries were not present. He did not need an enemy that the mercenaries could not handle.

(The Mystic Incense summoning something like that... It's completely unexpected!)

Hiding his internal panic, Julius hurried back to the trading company's building.

The Jinbaryl Trading Company had successfully increased its reputation and presence.

The results were excellent, but if the defense of Reiting failed, it would all be for nothing.

He needed to stop the effects of the Mystic Incense as soon as possible.

"What was that monster?"

While heading to the warehouse behind the Jinbaryl Trading Company, Julius asked the mercenary guard, but—

"I don't know... I've been a mercenary for a long time, but I've never seen anything like that."

The mercenary gave a completely unhelpful answer.

Julius bit his tongue, about to ask if the mercenary could defeat it.

The mercenary was skilled, but not to the level of the famous mercenaries who had joined the extermination force.

Asking if he could defeat an enemy that "Spirit's Guidance" and "Dragon's Vanguard" couldn't handle would be a waste of time.

"Anyway, we need to stop the Mystic Incense as soon as possible. Damn it, everything was going according to plan until just a moment ago..."

Taking the elderly man he had left in charge and the guard, Julius hurried to the warehouse at the back of the property where the Mystic Incense was stored.

2019/07/16 Typo correction: "体勢を立て直す" → "態勢を立て直す"

*Thank you for the typo report.

2019/07/30 Typo correction: "例え" → "たとえ"

2024/06/08 Conversion: "空とぶ" → "空飛ぶ"