kscans

Chapter 164 - Briefing in the Royal Capital.

Meanwhile, in the Empire…

Emperor Yorune was working in his office.

The reports coming in from his subordinates were all about the border. The variety of monsters was increasing, their movements coordinated. And now, large monsters had appeared.

It was a scene reminiscent of one year ago.

After finishing the report, Yorune muttered to himself, clutching his head.

"To think it would come to this. What in the world is happening to the monsters?"

This was the most dangerous situation imaginable. The monsters had been ruled by a creature known as the ‘Queen.’

An intelligent being. At first, he had considered negotiating with this monster to end the fighting, but in the end, he never found out what kind of creature it was and decided to leave it be. And now, it had led to this.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. A maid entered.

"Pardon the intrusion. General Goltor wishes to have an audience."

Yorune replied, "Send him in."

He was honestly grateful for the general’s visit. Right now, the more opinions he had, the better.

The general entered the room.

"My apologies for the late hour. I thought it best to wait until tomorrow, but a concerning report just arrived from the border base."

At these words, Yorune braced himself.

"Is it so dangerous that you had to come now?"

"Yes," the general affirmed. "It was a report from a messenger bird. It seems the monsters were observed conducting reconnaissance on our positions during the night."

"That’s absurd," Yorune exclaimed. "Monsters acting like scouts? That never happened in past battles."

He clutched his head again.

His surprise was justified. The fighting at the border had always been confined to the daytime; at night, the monsters had slept quietly. That was why the night shifts were only for watch duty, not a state of constant combat readiness.

With a grim expression, the general said, "I feel the same way. Nothing like this has ever happened before. I can only assume a being skilled in strategy has appeared on their side."

His face was stern.

The general had first wondered if the ‘Queen’ had started something new, but the tactics felt far too human. Even knowing the circumstances, was such a drastic change possible? It was hard to believe.

Even humans could change rapidly, but they wouldn't do so without some kind of trigger.

If that was the case, then either a monster acting as a strategist had joined their ranks, or their ruler had changed. Either way, it was trouble.

"Contact the base immediately," Yorune commanded. "Tell them to tighten security. But add that they are not to overextend themselves."

"Understood," the general replied. "And, Your Majesty? What shall we do about the adventurers?"

"Continue recruiting only parties of C-rank and above. Forcing the issue won't bolster our forces. By the way, has 'Red Lightning' entered the country?"

The general shook his head.

"I see," Yorune said with a sigh. "If those two were here, perhaps some great change might occur. It's just a feeling, though."

But his expression was not one of utter despair. In truth, it was because of those two that the Empire’s crisis and the Church's upheaval had been averted. Of course, he wouldn't entrust everything to them.

No matter how much power one possessed, there was a limit to what an individual could accomplish. It was only when the people around them also fought hard and offered their support that miracles could happen. If that was the case, there was only one thing to do.

He had to ensure everything was in perfect order for when the two of them arrived. That was all he could do for now. He wanted to avoid launching a reckless offensive that could lead to an irreversible disaster.

"General," Yorune said, "in the morning, head to the base. Prepare our countermeasures and defenses. Conduct intelligence activities in preparation for a counterattack. I want us to be ready to move decisively when the time comes."

The general accepted the orders.

"Understood. I will do everything in my power to meet Your Majesty's expectations."

He saluted and left the room.

Left alone, Yorune gazed up at the night sky, wondering if this problem could be contained within the Empire. He couldn't shake a terrible feeling.

A feeling that a crisis was looming over the other nations as well.

What made him think so was a line in the report from the base.

The appearance of Skeletons. It was unheard of for the Undead to fight alongside monsters. The dead harbored nothing but hostility for the living. For them to fight together… it made no sense.

There was too little information to do anything more than speculate.

Yorune watched the crescent moon, his heart filled with unease.

The next morning.

We had a light breakfast and set out.

Traveling with the Goblin was a first for me, and frankly, it was unsettling. Moving alongside a creature I was supposed to hunt was distracting, even if it bore me no ill will. My mental fortitude isn't that strong.

If it were, my emotions wouldn't show during negotiations, nor would I pick fights with nobles just because they annoyed me. I want to be stronger, but this is something that can only come with experience.

With such thoughts, we traveled for several days.

Shortly after entering a rocky region within the Empire's territory, a troop of ‘Fighter Monkeys’ appeared from the side. We quickly hid, and they passed by without noticing, heading north.

"They're heading toward the border," I noted. "Are they planning to join the fray, just like those Lizardmen?"

The Goblin said something, so I used the translator.

{I..THINK..SO. THEY..WERE..SAYING..IT..SEEMED..LIKE..A..BIG..FIGHT..WAS..HAPPENING.}

So that’s what it said.

A big fight. Did that mean the border conflict was intensifying that much? It seemed things were moving faster than I’d thought.

"We need to get to the border base as soon as possible," I said.

Seeing my restlessness, Tina calmly interjected.

"No. We are here at the request of the Guild. Let’s head to the royal capital first."

Her calm words reined in my impatience.

I can't let my emotions get the better of me. I need to stay calm, or I'll lose a battle I could have won.

…Not that I know if we can win.

"You're right. My apologies," I said, managing a slight smile. "We need to go to the capital and gather information."

Tina seemed relieved and went back to keeping watch. The Goblin wore an indescribable expression, but I decided to stick with my policy of ignoring it.

During our journey, we were attacked by Wolves and Goblins, but we fought them all off.

The Goblin took the magic stones from its kin, while the Wolves were left as they were. I had worried our Goblin companion might interfere when I was hunting other Goblins, but it did nothing. I got curious and asked it why.

It replied.

{FIGHTING..HUMANS..IS..THE..MONSTER'S..CODE... IT'S..SAD,..BUT..I..MUST..NOT..STOP..YOU.}

Its face was sad, yet resolute.

"Don't worry," I said, my face unwavering. "I make effective use of my prey and hold a memorial for them. After taking the Goblins' magic stones, I burned their bodies as a rite. That is the duty of a hunter."

To simply kill and leave the bodies would make me no better than a plunderer. A true hunter utilizes the kill, and for the parts that cannot be used, a memorial is held. I don't know how other hunters do it, but that has always been my way.

Sometime later, we arrived at the royal capital.

Before we entered, I had the Goblin hide nearby. There was no way I could bring it inside.

A soldier at the gate said, "We've been expecting you. Please proceed directly to the Guild."

He opened up a shortcut for us.

This was a path exclusively for soldiers, built to allow them to reach their destinations quickly.

If civilians used it, it would get in the way during an emergency. We took the path and headed for the Guild.

Upon arriving at the Guild, a receptionist greeted us.

"'Red Lightning,' I presume. We've been waiting for you. The Guild Master will see you now."

She led us to a room on the second floor.

Inside the room, there was an office desk at the back and a long table with two sofas in front of it. The walls were decorated with vases, golden plates, and what looked like an expensive Orichalcum axe. The owner was clearly a show-off.

Sitting arrogantly at the desk was a middle-aged, overweight man wearing glasses. This was the Imperial Guild Master.

"Welcome," the Guild Master said. "I've heard about you from His Majesty the Emperor. Please, have a seat. I'll explain the situation."

He moved and sat on one of the sofas.

We sat on the other. From his demeanor, he seemed like the textbook definition of a nasty, underhanded boss. However, I couldn't afford to be too obvious with my disdain. I had to handle this calmly and deliberately. Compared to traveling with the Goblin earlier, this was a piece of cake.

The Guild Master began. "Now, to explain the circumstances. The fighting on the border has intensified more than ever. The monsters' offensive has grown stronger. Our soldiers, as well as the hired adventurers, have fought valiantly, but there is no sign of the situation letting up. Therefore, our Guild has decided to dispatch more adventurers. You will be joining them."

He wore a nasty smile.

Tina spoke up, her face serious. "We came here at the request of His Majesty the Emperor. Of course, we will participate. You need only explain the situation, Guild Master. Please refrain from unnecessary remarks."

The Guild Master's comment had irritated me, too. Why? Because it was so condescending. As a superior, I could tolerate a certain amount of that. Otherwise, they wouldn't be dependable, and those below them would lose the will to follow. However, being too arrogant is also bad. It creates an unpleasant and unmotivated work environment. A truly competent superior knows how to strike that balance. This Guild Master was, frankly, a bad boss.

"What a strange thing to say," the Guild Master retorted. "I'm merely stating the obvious. Even for someone as beautiful as you, on what grounds—"

Before he could continue, Tina cut him off, her expression blank.

"I said enough with the platitudes. Please give us the detailed explanation quickly. Our time is precious."

The Guild Master's face soured with displeasure.

"Very well. I shall explain. At the border, the number of monsters has increased to a level greater than a year ago; it's said to be comparable to the army of a nation. Among them are multiple high-rank monsters. Cyclops, Goblin Guardians, and Lizardman Hunters have been spotted. The country is producing and sending Edgesons, but the soldiers have voiced concerns about whether it will be enough to cover everything. Other adventurers are accepting the request and departing as soon as their preparations are complete. Anything else?"

His attitude was grating on me.

"No, that's all," I replied curtly. "In that case, we'll depart as soon as we're ready. Let's go, Tina."

We left the room without another word.

Left behind, the Guild Master fumed.

"Damn it!" he snarled, slamming his fist on the desk. "Just because they're recognized by two nations, they get so full of themselves! I used to be an A-rank adventurer, you know! Shouldn't they show a little more respect?!"

Should he complain to the state? No, a direct protest would likely be ignored. The duo's accomplishments were too great. Frame them for a crime? No, the timing was terrible.

Those two were essential for the battle at the border. Any clumsy move would backfire and only lower his own standing. Fine. Once this matter was settled, he would think of a good plan.

If he played his cards right, he might even be able to make the beautiful Tina his own.

He was a typical example of a man with excessive ambition.

And he was blissfully unaware that it would lead to his own ruin.