Chapter 40: Monster Extermination Festival ②
For now, we ended up eating outside the defensive walls.
A mountain of skewered meat, prepared by the teachers, was placed on a stand.
We each took two skewers and filled our stomachs.
They were cold, so not particularly delicious, but I was grateful they weren’t preserved rations or anything.
Since all the students were gathered for the meal, you could see they were quite excited, but the teachers were emitting a tense atmosphere.
“It seems like the situation is pretty bad. Are you going to use that?”
Turning my gaze towards the voice, I saw Riana-san and Yukina-san standing there.
This was the first time they’d approached me to talk since that time.
“No, I don’t plan on using it this time. It’s for single targets, so magic is more efficient.”
“I see… S-so, I’m sorry for being so cold. After talking with my father, I realized I was the one who was wrong.”
Eh!?
Talked with her father… How much did she tell him?
Surely she didn’t mention the gun, right?
Perhaps noticing my gaze, she added, “I’ve kept your secret. Though I did say you were strong.”
“No, um. I’m aware I did something inhumane, so I don’t mind. More importantly, what did he say to you? Thinking about it normally, I’m the one who’s strange, right?”
Yeah.
After all, I killed an opponent who had clearly declared surrender and was completely unable to resist.
“He told me that, conversely, someone who wouldn’t kill in that situation is less trustworthy. That forgiving someone who committed such an act with a mere verbal apology either means you take the lives of those around you lightly, or you’re just a fool. He was furious about Listol’s actions. Said he was worse than a bandit. He even lectured me, saying that I, who harbored distrust towards someone who had merely done what was natural after being protected, was also the type of person who couldn’t be trusted…”
“Eeh!? But I trust you, Riana-san… You protected me, after all.”
Even though she was so put off, she said she absolutely wouldn’t let me become a criminal, and she followed through.
“That’s only natural. You were the victim, after all.”
“Your family is quite noble, Riana-san. Are nobles either noble or scum, with nothing in between?”
“…Now that you mention it, they often do fall clearly into one category or the other. I’d tilt my head if asked if I myself am noble, but that’s an apt way to put it.”
“No, Milady is noble,” Yukina-san stated.
“Yeah, that’s right. Milady is noble,” Hiroki chimed in.
“Hey! Stop teasing me,” Riana-san protested.
No, I didn’t mean to tease her though…
“But I’m glad. I’m a commoner, so we’ll probably grow distant eventually, but I’m glad we could talk like this before that.”
“I’m relieved to hear you say that. So, were you able to meet Lady Yurisia?”
I told Riana-san, who had finally adopted a softer demeanor, about what happened in Razbel, but she gave me a dubious look.
“…Will that really get through to her? Knowing her, if she had read the first letter you sent, she would have replied.”
“Yeah. I was worried about that too, so I went to tell her directly. The Knights Commander said he’d pass it on, so it should be fine, right?”
Right? I sent a glance towards Yukina-san, but she also shook her head.
“The fact that it hasn’t reached her means someone stopped it. If that someone is the Margrave-sama, then he will likely stop it this time as well.”
“Eh, am I, perhaps, disliked!?”
“I wonder. However, a commoner boy who seems likely to get close to his daughter would normally be detested,” Riana-san said.
…S-So that’s how it is.
What should I do? Seriously!
Eh, does this mean I might not be able to meet her ever!?
“Well, that’s something to think about after you become a soldier. If you serve for a long time, you might meet her eventually,” Riana-san advised.
Mmh. Is it really that difficult just to meet her?
No, well, whatever happens, I at least want to see her once and exchange a few words.
As I was groaning and wondering what to do, a voice cut through my thoughts.
“A report has come in via messenger that the main camp has engaged the enemy! It’s said they’ll likely flow this way as expected! Assume defensive formation to protect this position! Everyone, finish your battle preparations, group up with your parties, and await orders!”
We went outside and gathered with Hiroki and the others, Kyouko-chan, Riana-san, and Yukina-san.
With Riana-san joining us, Ami seemed a little scared, but she’ll just have to bear with it for now.
More important than that, I needed to worry about the monsters…
Wanting to grasp the situation as quickly as possible, I strengthened my Enhanced Hearing, but there were too many human voices for it to be effective. No matter how loud someone shouted, the volume wouldn’t rise to the point of damaging my ears, but with so much noise, it was impossible to distinguish distant sounds.
In that case, from a high place, I thought. I materialized magical power, and from a high platform, I scouted with a telescope. I could see Goblins sporadically running towards us.
I couldn’t just stay silent, so I reported to the teacher in a voice loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Goblins confirmed. For now, I think it’s a number we can handle with ease. You should be able to see them in a little while!”
“Ho, so you have a clairvoyance technique? Well done! Scouting is paramount. You continue doing that! As a guideline, for first and second years, up to the tenth rank in Class A will be the vanguard. For third and fourth years, up to the fifteenth rank will be the vanguard. Those in the rearguard can fall back regardless of rank. The objective is to protect the base while reducing enemy numbers. As long as you adhere to that, you can act on your own responsibility, but don’t get carried away and go out too far!”
Eh, wait… Isn’t it strange for me to just stay here?
I mean, I’m pretty confident I’m among the top students.
In fact, in terms of Floor progression, I’m at the top, right?
The dismantling guys told me so, didn’t they?
Oh well. I can still provide magical support from here.
Thinking that, I continued scouting, and then I saw them emerging from areas hidden by the forest as well.
“Ah, I have an update! They’re also emerging from the forests to the left and right, so please be careful. The density is low, so I think our extermination speed can still keep up, but we might not have the luxury of taking them down slowly.”
“Understood! Survey the entire area as much as possible, and carefully check if there are any superior species.”
Ah, so it’s not just regular Goblins, as I thought.
If it were, it wouldn’t feel like such an emergency.
“Hey, Rui! Look properly! It’s going to be okay, right!?” Naomi asked, her voice tinged with anxiety.
“Yeah. No problem at all. With a swarm of that size, I could even go in alone,” I replied, reassuring her.
Yeah. There are probably well over a few thousand, but they’re quite spread out.
I could probably keep fighting just by extending my sword and swinging it around.
“I can see them! Yeah, it still looks like we have plenty of leeway! Teacher, how far out can the vanguard go?” an upperclassman shouted.
“We’re not Knights. We’re Hunters,” the teacher responded. “To truly show our worth, we need practiced coordination and enough space not to worry about our surroundings. If you think you can do it, I’ll leave it to your individual judgment. However, you must obey any orders to retreat. Don’t forget that! If you don’t follow orders, you might get caught in an area-of-effect attack!”
“Roger! Well then, shall we set an example for our juniors!”
“Hey, it’s a festival, after all. Let’s go too!” another chimed in.
Two parties of upperclassmen charged out triumphantly.
Seeing that, about three more parties rushed out.
Hiroki and the others, hesitating whether to join the flow, looked up at me.
“Rui, do you think we should go too?” Hiroki asked.
“No, I don’t see any superior species for now, so either way is fine, but just in case, it’s better to take up a position near the base.”
“Oh my, if we’re protecting the base, shouldn’t we move forward a little?” Riana-san suggested.
“I’ll leave that to you. Just make sure you maintain a line where you can return to the base on your own,” I said.
Perhaps because they heard that conversation, the students other than our group were inspired by the fighting style of those who went out first and started moving forward.
Seeing that, Riana-san muttered with an exasperated look.
“Oh dear. They’ve certainly gone out too far.”
Just as she said, they had advanced quite far.
At that rate, Goblins that circled around would swarm towards us as well.
If that happened, those who went out too far would be isolated.
Well, if it’s just regular Goblins, their fighting style suggests they wouldn’t have a problem returning.
Just as I was thinking that, I spotted several exceptionally large Goblins.
“Teacher, I’m starting to see large Goblins.”
When I reported that, the teacher who was giving out instructions climbed onto the platform, so I handed him the telescope.
He peered through it, surveyed the area, then tossed the telescope back and climbed down from the platform.
“Those are Hobgoblins.”
Although he said that, he didn’t seem to be giving any particular instructions.
“Aren’t you going to send out a messenger or anything?”
“If it’s just regular Hobs, those guys can still handle them. Report if you see any with equipment or even larger ones.”
Ooh. For some reason, I’ve been fixed into a scouting role.
Not that I mind, but…
After watching for a while, I saw two parties retreating.
They were the first two parties that had gone out.
“Teacher, we can still go on, but shouldn’t we have them fall back soon?” one of the returning upperclassmen asked.
“It’s fine for now, but it looks like we’ll have to make them retreat eventually anyway,” the teacher replied.
“Alright, I’ll go tell them. Looks like this is turning into a battle of attrition,” the upperclassman said.
Saying that, he went forward again and called out to the vanguard.
Half of those who returned seemed to be entering the base to rest.
And then, finally, the battle near the base began.
Thanks to them returning before things got too backed up, we’ve also been able to maintain a stable fight, but Hobgoblins with equipment and the like have started mixing in, and our subjugation speed has dropped a little.
Amidst that, I saw several people running towards us.
“Sensei! Three adults are running this way!”
“What?! Don’t tell me something happened at the main camp…?”
While they were talking, three Hunters arrived, scattering Goblins with tremendous force.
The teachers guided them a short distance away from the students and began to talk.
“What happened? Surely there isn’t a problem at the main camp?”
I enhanced my hearing again to eavesdrop on their conversation.
“Yes. An Ogre King appeared, leading about a hundred Generals…
Fortunately, Owen-dono is with us this year, so we’re managing for now, but we likely won’t be able to spare any attention for you here.”
“Wha… An Ogre King, you say?!
Even an Ogre General is a 50th Floor class monster from here, isn’t it?!
A King is a national crisis-level disaster class!? Can the main camp really hold…?”
“This is a first for me too, so I’m not sure…
Right now, Owen-dono is holding back the King, so we’re just barely managing.”
Whoa.
What was that about needing to be past at least the 40th Floor to beat me?
Even fifty isn’t enough!
Well, it’s a good thing Sensei was here this time.
Ah, so Mr. Owen only started this year.
Could it be he’s teaching for Hiroki and Ami’s sake?
Well, that doesn’t matter right now.
“I see. So, should we retreat from here?”
“No, he wants you to hold out until the very last moment.
And one more thing. A message from Owen-dono: ‘If things get tough, put Rui at the front and hold on.'”
“We’ve heard about that. That’s why we’ve been having him conserve his strength…”
Huh?
No, no, I haven’t heard anything about that?
Eh, so that’s why you had me scouting?
“Well then, we’ll return while taking down as many high-ranking types as possible.”
“Understood. Thank you for delivering the message.”
As I followed them with my telescope as they immediately ran off, a very dense swarm of Hobs burst out from that direction.
Mixed in among them were some Goblins that looked like muscular Hobgoblins wearing armor.
“Rui, has the situation changed?”
“No, it’s starting to change. Could you take a look?”
Thinking it was better to show him than explain, I called him over to confirm.
“The students won’t be able to stop this. Rui, can I count on you?”
When I asked, it seemed they were Hobgoblin Generals. Around 30th Floor level, apparently.
At that level, I should be able to handle them without issue even as a front-liner.
“I don’t mind, but… I’m a student too, you know?”
“Hmph, you’ve already earned well over a hundred times the evaluation points needed for graduation.
No matter how you look at it, you don’t fit into the student category anymore.”
Oooh. Over a hundred times, huh?
Oops, if I want to stop at a point where I can still rampage freely, I don’t have time to grumble.
“So, that’s why. I have to go out front alone for a bit, so I’m off.”
“A-Alone…? Are you going to be okay?”
“Yeah, I have a secret weapon, so it’s fine, it’s fine.
If it’s just about returning safely, there’s no problem at all.”
I replied to Akito’s anxious voice with a smile, descended from the high ground, and converted the platform into a Maso.
Yeah. If I burn through enough Magical Power, I can probably annihilate the surroundings.
At this level, maybe it’s better not to use Light Magic?
No, it’s meaningless if I die, so that depends on the difficulty.
And so, having finally broken away from the front of our base, I extended my sword to fifty meters and slashed.
“Heeeave-hoooo!”
When I swung with all my might, it seemed to cleave everything in two, annihilating the small fry in front in one go.
“””””Huuuuuuuuh?”””””
“”Wait a minute, what’s with that length!!””
Some guys who looked like upperclassmen were saying something, but I don’t have time, so I ignored them for now.
If I don’t hurry forward, there’s a chance strong enemies will head towards Hiroki and the others.
For now, I moved forward about a hundred meters and swung my sword with all my strength, but as expected, the higher-ranking Hobs had equipment. My sword was stopped midway before I could cleave them all.
They closed the distance, and thinking this was bad, I cranked up my enhancement output about fivefold and swung my sword with all my might, sending dozens of Hobgoblins flying through the air.
“Woah. This is just like a game!”
A laugh escaped me at the manga-like scene.
However, the Goblins that were sent flying weren’t necessarily cut down.
Only Hobgoblin Generals remained in the vicinity.
Now, what to do?
If I want subjugation speed, there’s that Magic Tool I had made, but it’d be a problem if it got confiscated.
No, I can just request another one, so I wouldn’t mind offering it up, but it would be troublesome if my ability to use Light Magic became an issue.
Like, “It’d be bad if our exclusive secret art spreads, so kill him”?
Or maybe, “He’s too dangerous, so we can’t let him run wild.”
I might be overthinking it, but considering there are scumbags like Karl and Julian around, it wouldn’t be strange for such trouble to occur.
In that case, since I’m not cornered yet, regular Elemental Magic would be a good tactic.
However, I want to increase efficiency.
For that, I want to gather them in one spot as much as possible.
I could probably gather them if I made huge iron bars and forcibly confined them, but even if I take out everything from my Backpack, I can’t make a cage that big.
Ah, then the tactic I always use in Dungeons should be fine.
So, as if accustomed to it, I created a high platform, drew their attention with explosion magic, and gathered the Goblins in one spot using myself as a decoy.
As predicted, they jumped onto the base of the platform and started climbing.
When a large number had swarmed, I activated ‘Fire Wall’ from the ground and burned them all at once.
If I stopped the flames, they’d climb up again, so I repeated the process of burning and stopping them.
They swarmed foolishly, trying to be the first, so the consumption efficiency was quite good.
That said, if I did that to even regular Goblins, my Magical Power would run out quickly, so once I had pretty much annihilated the Hobs with equipment, I came down and swung my sword again.
Just as I was about to repeat that cycle, a voice called out from afar.
Telling me to come back for a bit.
Thinking, “If it’s okay to go back, I’ll go back,” I heard the voice, turned on my heel, and returned to the front of the base, but as soon as I arrived, voices rose up.
“””Uooooooh!!”””
“”You, just how strong are you?!””
“”You’re still a first-year, right? Amazing!””
“”What Floor are you on now?!””
Wh-What is this?!
Oooh, for some reason, I was met with thunderous applause.
This is Yuri’s position, though.
Usually, I’d be teasing her, saying, “Hey, hey, they’re calling for you,” but…
now that it’s happening to me, I can’t hide my bewilderment.
“Ah, thank you, thank you.”
I awkwardly bowed my head and returned to my Party, where Sensei was waiting.
“You only need to subjugate the Generals. We don’t know how many there are.
If it’s about this many, we’ll step in and manage somehow. Conserve your strength for now.”
Ah, I see.
Since the teachers can fight too, if they’re not swarming, it should be easy enough.
Thinking that, I relaxed my shoulders, and someone slapped my back.
“Heyyy! Just how much stronger have you gotten!”
“Is that really you, Rui?
Your movements were so incredible, I can’t believe you were weaker than me until recently!?”
“O-Oh… I was forced into a desperate life-or-death battle, and before I knew it, I ended up like this.”
Besides, I already told you guys I went to the 40th Floor.
“Hmm, I smell a good catch coming from Rui.
Should I… go for it? What do you think, Naomi?”
“Idiot. If you follow this death-seeker, you’ll just end up dead.”
Hey, I’m not a death-seeker.
Ami, you stop treating me like a meal ticket too.
“Ahaha, but Rui-san, there’s still more to your strength, isn’t there?”
Being told that by Kyouko-chan made my heart skip a beat.
I haven’t told her about the Gun or the Magic Tool…
“Why do you think so?”
“You defeated Baron Owen, didn’t you?”
“No, I didn’t defeat him, though?”
“Eh!?”
“Eh?”
Ah, I figured it was about graduation and explained how I earned ten times the points and got exempted, and for some reason, she muttered, “That’s insane.”
It’s not particularly insane. Earning ten times the evaluation points is way easier than defeating him.
“Hey, you there! Stop spacing out and get to the front line!
Rui-san, you too, when you rest, rest properly!”
“S-Sorry!”
“O-Oh. My bad.”
Receiving Riana-san’s scolding, I figured I might as well, so I climbed onto the high platform again and scouted while sitting on it.
As expected, a huge number of Goblins are still heading this way.
There are also places here and there with a high density of higher-ranking types.
It’s a range I can easily target with either the Gun or Light Magic.
It’s frustrating to have long-range attack methods but not be able to use them.
I could fire a Stone Bullet, but at this distance, they’d probably dodge it.
Well, she told me to rest, so I was thinking of leaving it to them for now, when I saw figures in the distance again.
This time, it was a fairly large group of people.
“Sensei, it looks like people from the main camp are retreating. Isn’t this bad?”
When I asked that, Sensei leaped up, confirmed it, and raised his voice harshly.
“From this point on, advancing is forbidden!
Depending on the situation, a retreat is also possible, so keep that firmly in mind!”
“Saying that, he shouted to me, ‘Follow me!’ and ran towards a group that appeared to be the main unit.”