Chapter 114

Elu’s report concerning the second horde of monsters came as a complete surprise to Harold.

Of course, this was mainly because the original story depicted no attack other than the one on Travis.

However, this particular anomaly couldn’t simply be attributed to Harold’s actions, especially considering the mention of signs of tampering in the tunnels dating back a decade.

That would have been two years before Kazuki Hirasaw awakened as Harold. Furthermore, for Harold to be involved, Justus would have had to take notice of him five years before he even joined the knight order.

In other words, it was possible that this wasn’t a change in the original story, but rather an event that occurred without being depicted in the game.

If so, there had to be a reason beyond Harold himself for Justus to have secretly prepared these things in Barston.

(Well, that’s only if Justus is actually responsible for all this, but maybe…)

“No, Justus definitely has something to do with it,” Harold reassured himself mentally.

Even without definitive proof, the information from the original story was enough for him to make that assumption.

Harold recalled a sky fortress that appeared at the end of the game’s story, along with a portal that supplied it with the energy needed to rise into the sky.

Much like the ruins, the portal and fortress were relics from ancient times. Justus had repaired them and made them operational again.

If that portal lay deep beneath Barston, it wouldn’t be surprising that Justus had been secretly preparing things in this town for ten years.

(The problem is that I don’t know anything about the portal.)

In the game, the words “Energy portal” only appeared a few times, but there was no information about its location, appearance, or how it worked.

Well, even if the principle behind it were explained, Harold figured he probably wouldn’t understand it.

Apart from that, there were other points of concern, but for now, the best Harold could do was assume the worst and get moving.

【”Something bothering you, boss?”】

A week had passed since Elu’s report.

By now, the entire group had reached the base of the mountain. They were currently traveling the rest of the ascent on foot.

The man who spoke to Harold halfway was Keith.

He was Frieri’s leading figure, second only to their boss, Harold, and their supervisor, Elu.

In fact, every member of Frieri present would probably agree that Keith was their “leader” or “commander.”

For a self-proclaimed mercenary, he was quite skilled. And while his manner of speaking wasn’t polite, he was surprisingly well-educated.

Elu’s opinion of him was, “We’re lucky to have gotten our hands on him,” which showed he was an excellent subordinate despite his rough exterior.

【”You mean, apart from your foolish assumptions? I’m merely thinking of a way to drive away that bunch of fools.”】

【”We’ve been calling it an evacuation, but we’re basically just expelling them, right? I bet they’ll be furious.”】

【”If so, that just means they’re clueless idiots who don’t know what’s good for them.”】

Harold was well aware of the chaotic situation, but he felt he could at least rely on Elu’s information.

If the monsters acted, Barston would likely suffer catastrophic damage.

Even if some survived, it would be difficult for them to return to their lives in Barston afterward.

【”Between leaving their hometown and losing their lives, the choice should be clear. I’m sick and tired of dealing with fools who can’t make the right judgment for themselves.”】

【”Haha, tell me about it! …Well, it’s easy for people like us without roots, but I guess the danger just doesn’t register with those peace-loving morons. It’s not that strange.”】

【”Humph.”】

Keith’s words made a lot of sense. Even if the people were warned, if they couldn’t feel the danger themselves, there were probably no words that would convince them to leave their town. Especially if those words came from Harold and Frieri, who weren’t officially an authority on anything, be it as individuals or as an organization.

From the townsfolk’s perspective, it would only seem like suspicious individuals were trying to drive them out of their homes with confusing justifications.

There was no way they would obey.

【”No matter. Before anything else, I want to assess the situation for myself.”】

【”Makes sense. Oh, we can already see the town.”】

Following Keith’s gaze in the distance, Harold began to see a stone wall and some structures through the trees. Barston was very close.

Elu’s claim that the monsters could attack at any time was probably out of caution, as they seemed to have yet to make a move.

Feeling relieved for now, Harold proceeded towards the town’s entrance.

As one would expect from a town founded on a mountain, the people had built a magnificent surrounding stone wall to protect themselves from the outside.

No monster would be able to break through easily, except for some large specimens.

Looking up, there were watchtowers here and there built on top of the stone wall.

(Maybe we could use the wall to keep the monsters inside and attack them from above.)

In the event of a siege, this wall would undoubtedly put the townspeople in a better position than any outside threat.

However, this time around, the biggest problem was the risk of being attacked from the inside.

【”I’ve been waiting.”】

As soon as Harold and Keith entered the town, a man in his forties or fifties called out to him. Harold had never met him, but he immediately recognized him.

【”You’re Elu’s subordinate.”】

【”Yes. It seems you’ve brought fewer people than expected.”】

【”A large group of people coming to a deserted town would be suspicious.”】

Harold didn’t want to attract the townsfolk’s attention from the outset, so he had taken precautions and chosen to infiltrate the town without drawing attention.

He had split his forces into two: the vanguard and the reserve troops.

There were about 20 people in the vanguard. Each of them had entered the town individually at different times.

Of course, it crossed Harold’s mind that there was no time to waste on such things.

Had he been met with the worst-case scenario, the vanguard and he alike would have had to enter the battle immediately in order to create time not only for the people to escape, but also for the reserve troops to arrive.

However, while things had been progressing rapidly lately, Harold didn’t truly believe the story would move forward only two weeks after the attack on Harrison’s mansion.

Moreover, the reserve troops also had the task of gathering some necessary items.

As for the vanguard, Harold had brought as many people as he could, but he had been in such a hurry that it only included those available on the spot.

【”Hurry and take me to the mine. As for you, join the others and remain on standby.”】

【”Understood.”】

【”Got it. Be careful, boss.”】

【”Humph, who do you think you’re talking to?”】

Naturally, “Thank you” was what Harold actually meant to say.

But Keith was used to this. He didn’t make a face or grunt, he simply left and headed towards a location under the influence of the Giffelt clan. This was where the vanguard team was supposed to meet.

【”It’s this way.”】

Meanwhile, Harold followed the man’s lead towards the mine.

There were very few people around. After ensuring no one was paying attention, Harold began asking questions.

【”What’s the situation like on the monsters’ side?”】

【”They’re still active. When we first found them, they were barely moving and groaning occasionally. But now, they openly scream and threaten each other.”】

【”Hopefully they’ll keep at it and destroy each other.”】

【”Their behavior is only natural, after all, they’re different monsters from different circles and races.”】

Well, the monsters killing each other was probably not a possibility, hence the assessment that they were being controlled.

More importantly, from all his experiences so far, Harold knew such troublesome matters would never be solved so easily anyway.

His only salvation was that he always knew to expect things to take a troublesome turn, so the psychological impact was minimal when trouble did arise.

【”No matter. What happened to that guy’s idea of blocking the entrances before the monsters can act?”】

【”Without even mentioning the cost, we have far too little time and manpower to do so. Even if we didn’t bother getting the town’s permission, it would likely be difficult.”】

【”What about magic?”】

【”I’ve heard of your prowess, I believe you might be able to collapse the entrances. However, if you alter the entrance without following the proper excavation plans, there’s an undeniable possibility of the tunnels under the town collapsing through a chain reaction.”】

What the man was implying was that the entire town could end up buried underground in the worst-case scenario.

This plan was far too risky to attempt without first evacuating the town.

On the other hand, standing around waiting for the monsters to appear everywhere wasn’t a solution either.

【”We have arrived. This is one of the entrances to the mine.”】

This entrance was located on the outskirts of the town, where there were few houses. It was a rectangular hole with a wooden frame built within the stone wall that was constructed along the mountains.

There was a fence to prevent entry, but it seemed hardly effective.

There was nothing to prevent the monsters from surging out of the tunnels if they so desired.

【”Excuse me! What do you think you’re doing here?!”】

Before Harold could step into the tunnel, someone interfered.