CH 509

At the Silva family’s residence in Exil’s north.

Adventurers were currently gathering at the location.

It wasn’t just the adventurers that worked for the Silva family who admired Vosk. There were also many adventurers who had nothing to do with the Silva family.

The number of adventurers had already passed 50 and was still increasing, albeit slowly.

「Damn it, I had just got back from the dungeon and was going to get a drink!　Then guess what? As soon as I got to the guild, they told me about this……ahhhh, my drink……」

Among the group of adventurers gathered in the Silva family’s grounds, a man in his mid twenties dressed in a typical adventurer outfit, wearing leather armour, and armed with a long sword muttered his complaints regretfully to a fellow adventurer next to him.

However, the man next to him, who was wearing a breastplate and holding a battle axe, just sighed and shrugged his shoulders.

The sun had already set, but this was the Silva family’s residence grounds. The garden, which was now open to adventurers, was lit up by a number of magic lights, letting people see clearly.

「Then you shouldn’t have accepted this request. Even if it’s the Silva family, they can’t force you to take on a request.」

「There’s no way I can do that, right? If I don’t accept it now, how can I face them later……in fact, you’re the same as me, aren’t you?」

He asked the other man as they were acquaintances, but the reply he received was different from what he expected.

「No, the Marschel family has been kidnapping the adventurers who have recently gone missing. One day, someone I knew suddenly disappeared. Maybe……」

The man stopped speaking at that point, and his expression looked like he had said something unnecessary.

The moment the man in leather armour was about to respond in an attempt to ease the awkward atmosphere.

『UOOOOOOOOH』

Loud cries came from nowhere.

It wasn’t just the voice of one or two people. It was the voices of 10, 20, or even more.

The voices were also filled with a rough feeling.

The man he was just talking to as well as the other adventurers gathered in the garden sensed the change and focused their attention, ready to move out at any time.

At that moment, an adventurer jumped in.

The adventurers in the garden immediately reached for their weapons, but after finding out it was a Silva family adventurer, they all gave a faint sigh of relief.

However, that only lasted until the adventurer spoke.

「The Silva family is under attack! Most of the attackers are slum residents, but it is likely that they were sent by the Marschel family! Please help us intercept them immediately!」

Hearing his shout, the adventurers in the garden grew very noisy.

It was true that they had been hired to fight the Marschel family, but they had thought they would be the ones attacking. There was no way they could have expected to have to defend themselves against an attack from the other party.

But, even so……the adventurers gathered here were those who challenged the dungeon, where things could happen at a moments notice, and even among them, those that were hired by the Silva family had reached a certain level of combat strength.

Most of the adventurers decided that they should retaliate immediately and headed straight for the main gate where the commotion was taking place.

The adventurer who had been lamenting missing out on a drink earlier and the man with the battle axe both headed for the main gate as well.

It wasn’t that far in terms of distance and they arrived at the main gate in a matter of minutes, where a melee had already broken out.

An adventurer working for the Silva family and servants, even if not adventurers, were fighting. Each of them had their own weapon as they took on an opponent in front of the gate.

There, they could see a 2m tall muscular man, who seemed like a chef, brandishing a huge frying pan, as well as a maid swinging a metal club, knocking down their enemies in single hits. In addition, a man who looked like a gardener was swinging a set of branch shears around, knocking away the assailants who seemed to be residents from the slums.

(Perhaps we’re not needed here?)

It wouldn’t be strange if someone hired as a gatekeeper, a security guard, or a bodyguard could fight off the attackers.

However, the ones fighting were the chefs, maids, and gardeners.

「-!? Hey, over there!」

The man with the battle axe shouted in surprise.

Hearing that, the surrounding adventurers followed his gaze……and the next moment they couldn’t help but hold their breaths.

There was a monster. ……And it wasn’t just one monster either.

Since there were summoners and tamers, it wasn’t strange to see several monsters in the city. But if the monsters were in a group of nearly 20, that would be a different story.

Goblins, Orcs, Kobolds, Soldier Ants, and Lizardmen, all were well known monsters. There were large Horned Rabbits, nearly 1m in length and with poisonous purple spots floating around their bodies, and also frog type monsters.

And……

「H-Hey. If I’m not mistaken, that Goblin looks bigger than an ordinary one.」

「Y-Yeah. No, that’s not all. Most of those monsters are different from usual.」

「The Lizardmen have two tails.」

「Even the Soldier Ants have bat like wings……」

The adventurers gathered at the gate all spoke in bewilderment at the monsters which looked different from the ones they were familiar with.

Eventually, one of the adventurers realised something as he voiced his thoughts.

「Abnormal species……」

Shock. The surrounding adventurers all froze.

One of them eventually spoke up with a nervous expresion. Hoping he was mistaken. Praying that he was wrong.

「W-What did you just say?」

However, his question, that was looking for a silver lining, was bluntly denied.

「They’re abnormal species. ……There’s no doubt about it. A little while ago, when we entered the dungeon to hunt a Grand Treant, we encountered a dog like monster whose head and tail had split into two. I don’t feel a pressure as strong as that time from these monsters, but it’s still the same feeling.」

「……You got to be lying……if they’re abnormal species, then why are they so quiet? There’s a human in front of them, right?」

「Looks like they’re controlling the abnormal species. I guess that has to be what it is. Not only kidnapping, the Marschel family is also involved with the abnormal species and are able to control them at will. That’s what I think is going on.」

As adventurers who explored the dungeon, they naturally all knew about abnormal species. Of course, they knew how dangerous they were, but above all, they had only appeared inside the dungeon up until now.

Even though there was a roar of battle taking place right in front of the gate, the adventurers could hear themselves gulping.

None of them moved, they couldn’t move.

In front of the main gate, the slum residents who were attacking the Silva family were nothing more than discardable pawns, who were being defeated by the Silva family’s servants and other adventurers one after another. That was fine, but if the slum residents, the enemy’s vanguard, fell, the forces behind them would naturally move forward.

In other words……that meant the abnormal species.

One by one, the slum residents collasped and the abnormal species gradually started to appear on the front lines.

Still the adventurers remained frozen.

Normally, inside the dungeon, they would have readied for battle and faced their enemies. But this was Exil. Monsters should never appeared here. This had caused the adventurers to fall into confusion, not knowing what to do.

Then, as a maid faced down an abnormal species Goblin……

「Don’t be scared!」

Along with that shout, a something flew out from within the mansion, piercing the Goblin’s head and killing the abnormal species in a single hit.

「Adventurers are supposed to protect innocent people! What are you going to do if you’re afraid of the monsters and freeze up! Stand up! Take action! Now is the time to show your strength and protect Exil!」

Just by hearing those words, their confusion subsided and fighting spirit started to overflow from them.

The owner of the voice walked out while recalling the weapon that had killed the Goblin.

She was a beauty that fascinated people, causing them to forget their fear of death. Her voice was filled with diginity. Combat strength that cared naught for abnormal species. While speaking, Elena held her sword whip in her right hand as she made her way to an opening provided by the servants of the Silva family.

It was as if there were no obstacles in front of her.

It wasn’t just the adventurers or the servants of the Silva family. Even the abnormal species were overwhelmed by Elena’s aura as they paused themselves.

If these abnormal species had been true abnormal species……that is, like the ones Elena had encountered in the dungeon, they might not have been so overwhelmed by her.

However, maybe it could be considered fortunate in this unfortuante situation, the abnormal species here were all limited to ones that could be completely controlled by those working for the Church of Holy Light behind the scenes. In other words, there were no powerful monsters here.

「Now then, let’s hunt these abnormal species! If we allow them to exist, Exil’s existence as a labyrinth city will be in danger! Everyone, follow me!」

he words that Elena shouted fell strangely easily onto the ears of the adventurers and servants of the Silva family……

『U……UOOOOOOOOOOOOOH-!』

Following after Elena, who led the way, they all raised a loud roar.

「Don’t you guys even think of doing this in Exil!」

With shout that resonated with the surroundings, Elena’s rolls of golden hair swayed in the wind as she swung her sword whip.

Like a whip……or a snake, it freely changed it’s path midair as the magic empowered blade flew towards the head of an abnormal species Orc that looked more like a boar than a pig.

The abnormal species Orc tried to block her attack with the spear it was holding, but the tip of the sword whip easily cut off the spear head before piercing into the head of the Orc.

The Orc’s brains, flesh, blood, bones, and even eyeballs, were scattered around, causing the other abnormal species to look at Elena in shock at the power behind that single attack.

The despair of the the abnormal species only grew from there.

「Get out of here-!」

Roar-!

Moving past Elea, a figure appeared on the front lines. The figure swung a claymore with a 2m blade, striking the body of a Lizardman with two tails and white body, who’s vision had been obscured by pieces of the Orc’s brain. A flashier explosion than than what happened to the Orc’s head occurred next.

「Sha……」

Perhaps it had yet to realise that its torso had completely disintegrated. The Lizardman just gave one sound……before it died and collapsed to the ground.

「Hey! What’s wrong with you all! You’re still adventurers! If you say you want to protect Exil, then take care of these abnormal species!」

The figure shouted while brandishing his claymore, that was almost as tall as he was. Everyone knew who it was.

Vosk Silva.

The current head of the Silva family, one of the three governing families of Exil, and someone who shouldn’t really appear on the frontlines of a battle.

However, the person himself didn’t feel that way at all as he swung his huge claymore around, matching the abnormal species while encouraging his allies.

There was something about his appearance that made the adventurers from Exil in the surroundings feel something.

「I’l do it……I’ll do it. Exil……we will protect it!」

One adventurer shouted out as he stepped forward with his spear to support the other adventurers who were fighting against the abnormal species.

It was the same for the others……the adventurers who had recovered from their temporary confusion turned to the offensive against the abnormal species alongside Elena and Vosk.