Chapter 2: Escape from the City
I trudged towards the city gates, lost in memories of the past.
This city exists because of the dungeon.
No, rather, the dungeon is why this city exists.
The dungeon is teeming with monsters.
Defeating them earns you a reward called a Drop Item, but adventurers risk their lives every time they fight.
A certain number of people are needed to circulate Drop Items and support adventurers.
And as the population grows, various industries spring up.
Naturally, cities tend to form around dungeons.
Besides, monsters sometimes emerge from the dungeon.
If it’s just a few, the surrounding adventurers can handle it.
But if hundreds or thousands appear, the situation becomes dire.
There have even been cases where entire cities were destroyed.
That’s what we call a Stampede.
There was a time when the cause was unknown, and people struggled to find countermeasures.
It still happens occasionally.
But it’s now common knowledge that Stampedes can be prevented if adventurers regularly explore the dungeon and exterminate the monsters inside.
That’s why cities secure a certain number of adventurers, and talented adventurers are highly valued.
We, “Senko,” were in this city on an escort mission during the Stampede that occurred three years ago.
It was a terrible Stampede. Many citizens died, and apparently, the lord’s wife and eldest son, who was the heir, also perished.
I was the one who defeated the Orc King, who was the boss of that Stampede.
Since then, at the lord’s request, I’ve stayed in this city, regularly venturing into the dungeon to thin out the monsters.
I even got engaged to Elanda, the lord’s daughter, who was acting as his proxy because he was bedridden with grief after losing his wife and son.
I planned to become the lord eventually, so I interfered with the guild’s management and trained the guards.
Since Elanda handled both domestic and foreign affairs, my role was mainly focused on the dungeon.
Then, a little over half a year ago.
We entered the dungeon as usual, exploring the upper, middle, and lower levels.
That’s when that scum… the Thief, Jekyll, triggered a trap.
The ground crumbled.
Spears and magic flew from all directions.
In an instant, our formation collapsed.
After confirming that Claire, who was in the rear, was not within the trap’s range, I switched places with Jekyll, who was about to fall, using magic, and fell into the hole.
As I fell, I saw Michelle shielding Jekyll, who I had swapped with, with her shield and magic, as a knight should.
No doubt about it.
And yet, this is how they repay me…?
Isn’t that too cruel?
“Halt!”
The ones who called out to me as I walked absentmindedly were the guards.
Some of them were guys I had trained before.
Laila was at the front.
I remember she actively participated in my training and had good potential.
However, I was annoyed by how she would cozy up to me after training and frequently invite me to meals.
Seeing that would put Elanda in a bad mood.
“What is it?”
“We are arresting you on suspicion of assaulting Jekyll-sama, the leader of ‘Senko’.”
“Oh? So you’re taking the side of scum?”
I wasn’t paying attention, so I don’t remember who was there earlier, but judging from her tone, she probably wasn’t at the guild just now.
“You’re the scum. You attacked Jekyll-sama, who safely brought back and rebuilt the party that was in dire straits after you fell into a trap. I’m disappointed in you!”
And at this rate, a conversation won’t be possible.
She probably went after that bastard the same way she went after me.
Maybe she’s his mistress or something now.
I don’t care, though.
“You think you can capture me?”
But are they serious, challenging me with only about ten people?
I’ve faced even larger groups in previous training sessions, you know?
“You’ve fallen from grace. We’re more than enough. We’ve been training under Jekyll-sama and Claire-san for the past six months! Surrender quietly!”
As soon as Laila finished speaking, the guards drew their swords and charged at me.
How troublesome…
That’s my honest thought.
No matter how much I explain my innocence here, it’ll be useless anyway.
But I don’t have the option of being captured.
Besides, didn’t they tell me to get out?
The guards’ swords are easier to deflect than the breath of a deep-level monster.
These guys were useless during the last Stampede, anyway.
They were so useless that even the lord, who was depressed, was worried about them and asked me to train them.
They’re at a level where they’d lose to Orcs, let alone the Orc King.
No matter how much they’ve trained, they haven’t actually entered the dungeon, and they have almost no practical experience.
I held back as much as possible, carefully avoiding using Mana, and knocked all their swords to the ground with a chop of my hand.
“Guh… you…”
Ah, I accidentally chopped Laila’s arm instead of her sword.
Laila glared at me, shielding her arm that was bent in an odd way.
“Do you understand that it’s impossible? See ya.”
Since I’m not interested in them, I left them there and started walking towards the city gates again.
It would be a pain if I was accused of assault, so I cast a healing spell on Laila’s arm, just in case.
Still, this city is full of unpleasant people.