Chapter 47

John ran down the hallway and headed for the reception room on the first floor.

"Sir Shiro, it's an emergency!"

Without knocking, John burst in, and those inside turned in surprise at his sudden entrance. It was unusual for John, who knew proper etiquette, to barge into a room with guests without permission.

Shiro felt a bad premonition and stood up involuntarily.

"What is it?"

"The emergency whistle has sounded!"

"What!?"

Gaious and the others jumped up as if they had been startled.

"I understand! I'm leaving immediately!"

"I'm going too!"

Shiro and Gaious rushed out of the room.

"We'll help too!"

"“Yeah!”"

At Morgan's call, the members of the [Earth Giant] nodded in unison and followed John.

"Swage, get weapons for everyone! Ail, inform the maids in the garden! Poe, inform the ladies!"

"Understood!"

"Understood!"

"Got it!"

Following Morgan's instructions, the members dispersed. John and Morgan headed straight for the entrance hall.

"Edgar!"

"Wha!?"

Edgar, who was just about to open the door, jumped in surprise at the loud voice from behind.

"What is it!?"

Edgar's face contorted in fear at John's fierce expression as he charged in.

"The emergency whistle has sounded outside! Hurry! This is your moment to shine!"

"What!?"

Edgar forcefully opened the door, and John, Morgan, and Edgar rushed out of the entrance. Shiro and Gaious were already gone, leaving only the open front gate.

"Brawn!"

When Edgar called his partner's name, the summoned Tsuris landed on the ground.

"Go and scout the outside!"

Brawn let out a high-pitched cry at Edgar's command and flew out of the front gate. He climbed up the wall of the neighboring house and onto the roof. Once he confirmed that Brawn had reached the top, Edgar closed one eye and placed two fingers on it, channeling his magic to synchronize his vision with Brawn's, a technique known as Edgar's scout skill. Information from Brawn, who had run to the edge of the district along the roof, began to flow in.

"What...!?"

Edgar was speechless at the scene before him.

"What is it!? What can you see!?"

John, who had approached with a sense of urgency, made Edgar catch his breath before answering.

"In the outer district... a horde of monsters..."

"What!?"

Edgar's words were far beyond John's expectations.

"Giant Ants, Killer Mantises, Poison Spiders... so many, where did they come from..."

Edgar muttered in a daze. John stepped back from Edgar in silence. The capital Rethis, backed by the Rox Mountains, spreads out in a radial pattern from the castle, divided into the castle, inner district, outer district, and city district. During the old war, it was the front line, and the sturdy walls that encircled the outer district and the mountains behind the castle were so impregnable that they left a mark in history. Even the city district, which was built later, is surrounded by a sturdy wall. Therefore, monster attacks have never occurred outside the city district.

John turned his gaze towards the city district. He thought they might have entered from there, but there was no smoke rising from that direction. For a moment, he wondered if they had entered from underground, but immediately dismissed the idea. While it was possible for a horde of ants, which nest underground, to do so, they do not get along with other monsters and would not invade together.

If asked where else they could have entered, he had no idea.

(There's too little information...)

In the current situation, it was impossible to determine where was safe. As John frowned, the maids and a female adventurer named Ail rushed over from the garden, their faces pale with fear. The spirits were with them.

"Leader, it's an emergency!"

"Calm down, what happened?"

Morgan tried to calm his flustered subordinate. Upon closer inspection, the maids were also in a panic. Aika's eyes met John's.

"Dad! Have you seen Sir Will!?"

For a moment, John couldn't understand Aika's words. It was partly because his daughter, who didn't mix business with pleasure, had suddenly called him "dad." It was Ren, surprisingly, who approached the dazed John.

"Sir Will is nowhere to be found! John, have you seen him!?"

"N-no..."

As John was about to say he hadn't seen him, he remembered that he had only been away from the gate for a short time. What if... A bad feeling washed over him, and he turned his gaze towards the front gate. Everyone followed his gaze and their faces turned pale.

"C-could he have gone outside...?"

Elis's lips trembled as she whispered.

"Hold on! The outside is swarming with monsters right now!?"

"No, it's not certain that he went outside..."

John frantically searched for other possibilities at Morgan's words. Then, he sensed someone's presence and looked up.

"Will... outside...?"

It was Cecilia. She had come out of the entrance with the remaining servants. Tomason stepped in front of her, as if to block her path.

"Please wait, Lady Cecilia!"

"Let go! Let go, Tomason! I have to bring Will back!"

"It's not certain that he has gone outside!"

When Tomason firmly held her back, Cecilia stopped. Stella and Rosa supported her, who looked as if she might collapse. A heavy silence enveloped the scene. Unable to bear Cecilia's pained expression, John was about to move when—

"I found him! On the middle street! Up ahead!"

At Edil's shout, everyone sprang into action.

"Women, stay behind!"

Tomason gave the order on the spot. Serena and Nina remained inside the house. There was no time to split the fighting force; it was a desperate measure. The men rushed out of the gate and turned left. The outer district, which extends from the castle, has three major streets intersecting a single road. The location Edil had mentioned was near the Turcis residence on the middle street. It wasn't far, but—

"Master, that way is no good!"

Edil, still synchronized with Brawn's vision, shouted. He had clearly seen the monsters lurking in the direction Will was heading.