CH 511

「Gurururu~……Guru~!」

With such a cry, Set swung down his claw.

His attack blew away the people who were attempting to invade the Silva family residence, who bounced along the ground several times until they fell unconscious about 10m away.

「Kuh, I didn’t know the Griffon would be here. Did it go to the Marschel residence!?」

A man who had been standing next to one of the people who had just been knocked away yelled in frustration.

The answer he got wasn’t another cry from Set……but words from a man standing next to him.

「Hah, so it was exactly as Elena and Vosk-sama expected. While drawing attention from the front, they would attack from the back. It certainly was a good diversion, but it seems they didn’t think they’d be seen through.」

With a spear in his hand, it was Essetus, the only member of Sonic Blades present at this location.

Of course, since they had long expected the enemy to show up here, it wasn’t just him and Set waiting there. There were about 10 other adventurers with them, all looking sharply at the people who had sneaked into the Silva family’s grounds from the back.

「Damn it……but, we can’t back down here……we have to at least achieve the minimum goal. Everyone, split up! Even if it’s impossible to assassinate our target, it’s fine to just cause a mess!」

『Understood!』

That man must have been the leader. At his words, the others all scattered in different directions.

Even if they stuck together, they wouldn’t be able to do anything against the combat force assembled in front of them. It was a decision based on that judgement.

Also, with the Griffon, Set, here, the chances of them successfully assassinating Vosk, their main target, was extremely low. Their second goal, capturing Elena, was also nearly impossible.

According to their original plan, if all of the Silva family’s forces had gathered near the main gate where there abnormal species were grouped up, there would still be a way to ambush them from behind or assassinate them with poisoned arrows. However, after they had been found out, the best they could to was to cause a commotion, through the Silva family into confusion, and use that opportunity to rejoin with Oricule and escape from Exil.

(As long as we……no, as long as Oricule-sama escape, it doesn’t matter what happens to the rest of the believers. If they don’t find any definitive proof, we can just make them martyrs of the Goddess of Holy Light. If that happens, depending on how negotiations go……it might not be so difficult to involve the upper echelons of the Mireana Kingdom and build up the power of the Church of Holy Light in Exil again.)

Quickly calculating in his mind, the man prepared himself to dash away……but the next moment, he noticed something approaching him and lowered his head on reflex.

Woosh-!

Cold sweat ran down the man’s spine from the attack that seemed to destroy the air itself.

If he had been hit by that attack, there was no doubt it would have struck his head.

At best, he would have been knocked out and unable to fight, but at worst, he would have been killed instantly.

The man immediately leapt back from where he was a claws swung at him again, with the supple movements peculiar to the feline half of the Griffon.

That wasn’t all. Without caring at all for the momentum from swing his front claws, Set dashed forward with his back legs to close in from the man, ramming him with his large body.

「-!?」

Realising that, the man was about to jump away again……when Set’s sharp cry sounded out.

「Guru-!」

「Guah-!?」

At the same time, some sort of shock wave suddenly hit the man’s right shoulder, throwing him off balance.

Even so, the injury wasn’t significant, so he held on as he tried to distance himself from the oncoming threat.

「Gurururururu-!」

But in that instant, Set closed in and used his front leg to slam the man into the ground, knocking him out before he could voice a single sound.

Around Set, many of the members of the Church of Holy Light who had scattered and were attempting to enter the mansion were either captured or violently killed.

Their miscalculation was purely due to the lack of awareness for their opponent’s abilities.

The people waiting here were some of the most skilled adventurers the Silva family had. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Essetus, who’s name was quite well known, would rank as having the least combat power here. Everyone here was an elite.

……Maybe that was why they let their guard down.

BOOOOM-! An explosion rang out from where one of the intruders had been, making a huge sound.

Even though they had been captured, the men who were still conscious started to move again.

「May the Goddess of Holy Light bless you.」

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM, BOOM.

Those that were pinned down, and even those who had been gagged, continued to explode while engulfing those around them.

「What!? Damn it-, get away!」

Hearing the shout from one of the Silva family’s adventurers, the other adventurers who had managed to capture the intruders immediately distanced themselves.

However, that seemed to be what the men had been hoping for. As soon as the adventurers holding them down left, they immediately forced themselves back up and started running.

All for their goal……all for the sake of the Goddess of Holy LIght. In order to fulfill the sacred mission given to them by Oricule, whom they idolised.

「What-!?」

Six of them managed to escape without blowing themselves up.

As soon as they escaped, they immediately started running for the mansion.

However……there was someone here that wouldn’t allow them, someone with abilities that surpassed human common sense.

「GURURURURU-!」

Let out a high pitched cry, Set used King’s Awe.

For a moment, the legs of the men running away all froze……creating a decisive opportunity for Set and the other adventurers.

「The Griffon’s cry scared them! Hold them down……no, kill them! If you make a mistake holding them down, they’ll blow themselves up again!」

Following that voice, the adventurers all attacked the momentarily frozen members of the Church of Holy Light.

Set also swung his claws to kill the men rather than capture them alive, crushing their heads.

「This one has been dealt with! how about that one!」

「Dead! If you kill them in one hit, they won’t blow themselves up……」

At the adventurer’s words, Essetus shouted back……as another explosion echoed out again.

Realising one of his fellow adventurers had failed to kill one of the intruders in time, the leader clicked his tongue.

Fortunately, the explosion had happened in the garden and not near the mansion.

「Kill them in one hit!」

Hearing the shouts, Set looked around sharply……spreading his senses into the darkness of night, he found a man hiding behind a tree in the garden with his skill Sense Enhancement: Smell.

「Guru~」

Instead of giving a loud cry like he usually did, Set used Optical Camouflage to hide himself before silently sneaking up on the man like a hunting cat……and silently thrusting his sharp beak at the man’s head.

The power of Set’s beak easily crushed the man’s head like an egg, killing them immediately without even giving them the chance to scream.

「Gurururu~」

After that, he canceled his camouflage skill before dragging the headless corpse out.

「Set……is it? The corpse the Griffon brought over makes six……all the ones who escaped are dead.」

The leader gave a sigh of relief.

Perhaps because he had encountered Set and Rei in the dungeon many times, he was only slightly surprised to see Set come out from nowhere.

「Anyhow, have we killed all the people trying to intrude from the back? To think they would really attack from the back as big bro Vosk and Elena said. It was more than I expected.」

When Elena had heard reports of an attack coming from the main gate, she immediately pointed out the possibility that it was a diversion and, after a few seconds, Vosk’s intuition agreed with her opinion.

Even so, the two of them dared to be the main force at the front gate because they had left the back to the leader of the adventurers, Essetus, and Set, their trump card. It was also because they had wanted to obtain definite proof that they were part of the Church of Holy Light.

However, that plan seemed to have failed. While holding them down to stop them from moving, with some even gagged to stop them from committing suicide by biting their tongues, the intruders had still found a way to blow themselves up.

(There’s no doubt that they were members of the Church of Holy Light, but even so, we’ve got nothing more than circumstantial evidence. We’ve failed to secure any solid evidence. ……I don’t have the face to see big bro Vosk.)

Letting out a small sigh, the leader shook his head slightly before starting to treat the injured.

「……I see.」

After the battle at the main gate ended and Vosk had finished taking out the residents from the slums, as well as the abnormal species, he was told about the events that had occurred in the back garden.

They had predicted, or in Vosk’s case his intuition had told him, that the attack at the front gate was a diversion. But even so, it was unexpected that the intruders would use their own lives to launch a suicide attack. Vosk gave a groan.

Elena glanced over at him, but after a moment of silence, she spoke.

「In the end, we were unable to obtain any decisive evidence here. Even at the main gate, we couldn’t find anyone who seemed to be controlling the abnormal species. I don’t know if they were controlling them from some place far away.」

「That’s right. ……Damn it, doing such an annoying thing as controlling abnormal species. How did they even get the monsters out of the dungeon? In those numbers as well.」

Vosk voiced his frustrations and, as if to calm his anger, brought a glass of cold water from his desk to his mouth.

「In order to confirm that, I think it would be better to attack the Marschel family. They took the initiative this time, but fortunately we managed to deal with it somehow. ……The adventurers from the Silva family seem to have taken some damage.」

Hearing Elena’s words, the adventurer who had brought the report to Vosk tried to say something, but was interrupted by Vosk slamming his glass onto the table. That sound echoed into the room.

「I know. I’m not going to let them get away with this either, after giving them such a beating. But it’s true that we’ve lost a lot of strength this time around. Because of that……no.」

Vosk stopped speaking halfway as he glanced at Elena.

Reason told him that he should wait to replenish his forces here. However, his instincts told him to attack immediately.

Vosk was someone who prioritised his intuition above other things……

「Since Rei and the others have infiltrated, their strength on that side must have naturally decreased, huh?」

「That, I don’t know. But Vihera is over there, the Mad Beast Vihera. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Marschel residence was half destroyed.」

Vihera engrossed in combat with Rei supporting from behind, followed by Byune and Nakuto.

Elena gave a small sigh as that scene suddenly popped into her mind.

(That scene just seems too expected.)

As she thought of that.

「……Alright. We’ll attack immediately!」

Even as Elena was thinking, various thoughts went through Vosk’s mind before he came to a conclusion.

And as characteristic of Vosk, once he made his decision, he was quick to take action.

「Sanctions!」

「Yes, you called?」

After Vosk called out, the door opened and Sanctions appeared.

Sanctions had also participated in the battle at the front gate alongside Vosk. The fact that he had no injuries was a testament to his ability.

「We’re going to attack the Marschel residence. Prepare our forces!」

「I don’t mind going on the offensive, but what about the residence’s defense? Since they’ve attacked once, there’s a possibility that they will target the opening when our main force is gone……」

「Contact the guild and call over people who can use healing magic. I’ll leave the guys injured in battle previously here, so they can defend this place once they’ve recovered. And……I’ll leave you in command. I’m heading out. Please protect the residence.」

「Yes. This residence is an important place for me. I will protect it by any means necessary. Vosk-sama, please use your strength to your fullest. Whatever happens to Exil is a matter of great importance.」

「I will, leave it to me. Elena, what about you?」

「Of course I will go. Set will naturally accompany me, not to mention Essetus.」

With that, Vosk headed for the Marschel residence with all the forces he was currently able to move.

To settle the recent disturbances that had been taking place in Exil.

Thus, the final battle would take place in the Marschel family’s residence.