"A new species of monster suddenly appeared in large numbers. The balance of the ecosystem was upset, and monsters left their habitats and flooded into human settlements. An emergency order was issued to the national army, the feudal lord's army, the Hunter's Guild, the Mercenary's Guild, and... It's a rare emergency call from the guild, right? Anyone with a C-rank or above is required to attend..." (Mile)
Reina and the other two were silent in response to Mile's words. It was a system that was said to be activated only once every ten years, or even once every few decades, and which could never be abused. Yes, that would be the case in the event of a monster stampede, or if you were forced to fight an ancient dragon...
"What should we do...?" (Mile)
When Mile said that.
"Onee-san, it seems there's a letter, you know!" (Lenny)
The door was opened without a knock and Lenny-chan said this.
If the person in question was present, it was natural that the person should receive the letter and sign the receipt, not the inn staff.
"That's one after another. But, well, it all depends on the guild service, so I guess that's just how it goes..." (Mile)
Saying that, Mile hurried down to the first floor, not wanting to keep the delivery man waiting.
"Thank you for your hard work. I am the recipient, Crimson Vow..." (Mile)
Mile began to say this to the person who seemed to be the delivery man, but then stopped short. As she was holding what appeared to be a letter, it was almost certain that this person is a delivery man. Then why did Mile freeze? This was because the person in question was a Hunter around 30 years old.
It was not surprising that hunters delivered letters from guild branches to homes and inns throughout the town. Usually, this job was given to orphans or poor commoner children to earn some pocket money, but hunters might also take it. However, that was a request for a fledgling hunter with limited resources, and certainly not for a mid-career hunter over the age of 20 with a solid physique and properly equipped, fully-fledged hunter like this man.
...This meant that this male Hunter had received an emergency request, just like the emergency delivery from the orphanage in Aubram Kingdom that she had just received from Lenny-chan. A high-paid man who specialized in the delivery of urgent letters and documents, who could ride horses solo and had the ability to handle attacks from monsters. This was the report that a financially strapped orphanage chose to send. What that meant was....
Mile quickly signed the receipt, received the letter, and ran up to the second floor. Naturally, the orphanage deposited the delivery fee with the guild, so Mile did not have to pay it. Then, while everyone watches, wondering what is going on, Mile opened the letter and read the contents. Of course, with Reina and the other two peering in from both sides and from behind.
"...Th-this is..." (Mile)
The sender was Kingdom of Marlene orphanage. The contents were about the situation in Aubram Kingdom that they had heard from hunters and merchants, and about the increase in new types of monsters in his own country as well. ...The problem was that even though it was increasing, it is not a gradual increase, but rather a sudden, exponential increase. Yes, it's as if it just popped out of nowhere...
Naturally, just like in Aubram Kingdom, emergency orders and emergency summons were issued to the national army, the various feudal lord armies, the Hunter Guild, and the Mercenary Guild, and requests for support were sent out to neighboring countries as well... However, Aubram Kingdom and Kingdom of Marlene, which shared a long border, were unlikely to be able to support each other. Therefore, only the other countries adjacent to them, Kingdom of Trist and this country, Kingdom of Tils, would be able to send troops to support them.
"...Could it be that a dimensional rift has opened?" (Mile)
"Eh?" (Other 3)
Mile asked in question, causing Reina and the other two to gasp in surprise. Yes, a dimensional rift near the dwarven village that appeared to have remained open for quite some time. Other than that, every time it opened, it closed right away. But what if a rift formed again that lasted for a long time...or rather, that remained "open forever"? What if the short-term rifts that were opening one after another in various places were a result of the robot-like beings "Conducting trial and error experiments to open a permanent gate"?
The reason why the people who built the ancient civilization a long time ago abandoned this planet and fled. If science had advanced that much, wouldn't it have been easy to deal with a small influx of monsters? No matter how peaceful the world might be, surely, it's possible to turn something into a weapon if one so desired?
Knives were not only useful for cooking. It should have been easy to modify an ultra-long distance laser communication system for use in outer space into a laser cannon, or to create weapons to combat monsters. So why did they choose the difficult path of abandoning their home planet? Was it because they knew that even if they eliminated the monsters flooding in from another dimension now, the same thing would happen again someday? Or was it because they were too soft-hearted to take a life, even if against monsters?
Anyway, monsters came. Just as prehistoric civilizations predicted...
"...Are we going?" (Mavis)
Mavis, thinking that this was naturally the case, asked Mile, but...
"Hmm, what should I do..." (Mile)
"Eh?" (Other 3)
Naturally, it would be to rush immediately to Kingdom of Marlene. Reina and the other two, who had expected Mile to say that, were shocked and speechless.
"No, if it was like last time and the country or guild wasn’t aware of the danger, we could have gone and hunted down the unique species to make the danger known, but this time, both the country and the guild are already aware of the danger and explosive increase of the unique species… everyone over there calls them ‘new species’… and they’re using all the country’s strength to deal with it, so even if the four of us joined in, it wouldn’t be much use, right? In that case, we thought it would be better to do something that only we can do..." (Mile)
After hearing Mile's words, Reina and the other two calmed down and began to think.
"…Indeed, no matter how strong the unique species is, they can be defeated if surrounded by a large number of hunters and soldiers. It’s not like they’re dragon species or anything… It's only dangerous when a small party encounters an unexpected monster in the forest, but if a group of people who are well prepared fight a monster as expected, it's not like they can't win if they choose the right place and timing..." (Reina)
"I see. I guess you could say that there's no need for us to rush over when we haven't even received a request... No, if you think about it from the perspective of someone who belongs to this country, it might be more appropriate to prepare for damage to the country. Things like preventing monsters from flowing in across the border, or dealing with monsters that pop up within the country... Besides, we may soon receive a request from the higher-ups or guilds of this country who have received requests for support from both countries..." (Mavis)
Reina and Mavis also seemed to agree with Mile's opinion.
Yes, if someone who was unaware of its existence suddenly encountered it in the forest, they might be easily defeated. However, if they knew of its presence from the beginning and waited in the plains with sufficient forces, the coordinated soldiers and hunters who fought with superior weapons and tactics would not be inferior to the Orcs and Ogres, no matter how strong they were.
...But even so, there would still be a lot of casualties. Injuries, ...and even deaths. However, this was simply an everyday scene for soldiers, mercenaries, and hunters. Just as there was no war that could be avoided without a single death, there was no monster subjugation that could be avoided without a single death. Therefore, when the information was already known and the country was taking measures, there was no need for just four Hunters to rush over, and looking at the overall effect, it would be next to nothing. So, what the Crimson Vow needed to do now was...
"Now, at this very moment, a new character has deliberately tried to contact us. …That, too, is likely part of a defense mechanism left behind by the prehistoric civilization for their descendants. I think we should go there and listen!" (Mile)
Nod...
Reina and the other two nodded quietly.
Author's Note
Last week on the 14th, it marked five years since the publication of the first volume of "Noukin," and also five years since my debut as a novelist.
A few years ago, it was said that the five-year active rate for light novel authors was 41 percent, and I believe that today, especially for "Narou" authors, the rate is even lower. However, I feel incredibly fortunate that all three of the works I have written have been able to continue as serials, published in book form, and adapted into manga, and I owe this good fortune all to our readers.
Thank you so much!
I don't know how long this good fortune will last, but I intend to keep writing as best as I can, so please continue to support me. (^^)/
And on Friday the 21st, volume 7 of "I Shall Survive Using Potions!" will be released on Amazon Audible (professionally read aloud)!
It can be used as background music while doing housework or work, and also by people with poor eyesight.
"I'll Save 80,000 Gold Coins in Another World for Retirement" is also available on Audible.
We would appreciate your continued support. (^^)/
FUNA