CH 60.1

Chapter 60.1. The Battle Begins!

-???’s POV-

Since guards other than high-ranking noble guards were not allowed to enter the party hall in the noble section, the members of the Adamantine Fortress were looking bored in the party hall’s corner.

“Fuuh, I’m bored.”

A stout female warrior known as “Adamantine” was sleepily chomping on the free-of-charge crepe at the party venue. The taste of fluffy whipped cream spread in her mouth, and her face relaxed at the gentle flavor. She loves sweets.

As is customary every year, this festival is the only one that costs a lot of money. She’s from Saga, but was surprised when she came to Tokyo. In Saga. There was also a feast, but the number of people was completely different. She was astonished and excited to think that all Japanese had gathered here.

“We were so young back then!”

Remembering the old days, it’s full of people, people, people, people. She squints nostalgically at the people enjoying the festival in the vast garden. Some adventurers who have come as escorts must have just arrived in Tokyo. The young adventurers were chatting excitedly.

This is the party hall of the commoners’ section. It’s the largest garden in the imperial castle, where many people enjoy the festivities. It’s usually used as a training ground for the military and isn’t open to the public.

“Show your generosity and get popular. It’s hard for the Emperor.”

It’s said that a huge amount of money is spent on this festival yearly, and it all comes from the Emperor’s pocket. Every member of the royal family has a business of some kind and a way to make money. Of course, there are things like magic royalties for national defense and tax benefits because they are royalty, but his pocket money is great. People say the royalties have no access to government funds at all. She doesn’t know how much is true.

“Oh no, and there’s also the part about showing the state power, you know?”

“What? Isn’t it bad manners to eavesdrop on someone else’s mumble?”

The man who came up next to me, a middle-aged man about 20 centimeters shorter than me, smirked at me. He’s the leader of the Martini. He can use swords and magic to a certain extent and is versatile enough to act as a scout. But she remembers him complaining about his poor dexterity because of his lack of outstanding abilities.

She had checked him out in advance to protect the same people, and he’s rated as a leader with quick decision-making and leadership skills. That was good enough for her, and she envied him for being a better leader than her, who was swinging an axe in the vanguard, but each person has their way of thinking.

As a Martini leader, he envied the power of a blow like Adamantine and her hard defense. The grass on the other side looks greener.

“Well, that’s good. Everyone’s relieved to see the Emperor’s generosity and the country’s military.”

“Well, childhood memories are important.”

In the garden, many tables get set up for the party, with many food and drinks. Everyone was smiling and enjoying themselves, but one thing that didn’t fit the occasion.

It was the Iron Spider Type 17, a magic multi-legged tank. The surface of the heavy metal armor shone in the sunlight, showing a dull gleam. There were four vehicles. They are sitting at a little distance from the party venue for some reason.

No, not for some reason. She used to be impressed by the Emperor, but now she knows it’s an appeal, almost like pressure on the commoners. He’s advertising that our country has so many magical weapons and is strong.

“It’s a mass of power that’s easier to understand than a magician standing there. It must be hard for the Emperor to rule the country.”

“That’s not true. It costs hundreds of millions of dollars to move it. That’s why it is rarely moved and is nicknamed the capsule hotel.

“Don’t ruin children’s dreams by telling them the behind-the-scenes story. Let’s call it the guardian god of our country, it’s full of romance.

“Romance, huh? Well, I guess that’s correct. It’s better to have a visible deterrent. By the way, after today’s guard is over, why don’t we go out for a drink? Half of the party will be off, right?”

“You’re persistent, aren’t you? What’s so good about a big, sloppy, lanky woman like me?”

She returns a wry smile to the leader of the Martini group. The man is frequently asking for dates and drinks. She was angry at first, saying she wasn’t here for marriage activity, but she wasn’t so easily offended, so she accepted the invitation.

“A man who doesn’t know how good you are doesn’t have the eyes to see. I know a good tavern. Hmm? What’s that?”

Halfway through the conversation, Martini’s leader’s face turned slightly grim. Adamantine immediately notices the change and turns to the party members with a serious look.

“The iron spider has started to move? Did they have any attractions planned?”

“No, no.”

The face is already professional. In guarding a young girl who was a part of the marquis family, she thought a C-rank adventurer would be inferior in strength. But Adamantine understood that this man’s party had a high degree of professionalism, and she had a favorable impression of him, even though it was only a short acquaintance. Of course, she’s not a maiden enough to say that.

With a heavy bass sound, the iron spider walks out and starts zipping and zipping, making a big hole in the lawn. I wondered how hard it would be for the wizard to fix this lawn, and I looked at him to see what had happened.

The Martini leader, other adventurers, and the warriors on guard were all looking to see what was happening, and the commoners who were enjoying the party were wondering about it too.

But their question is soon answered. A man’s voice came over the loudspeaker from the iron spider.

“This is the Iron Spider Cavalry belonging to the Imperial Guard. We have confirmed that a swarm of monsters has appeared. We’ll eliminate them immediately, but please evacuate just in case. Please don’t panic, don’t make a fuss, and move calmly.”

These words startled the people, and a murmur spread, but only a few people rushed to escape. Most of them were disappointed that there was still some food left. They’re probably relieved to see how dependable the iron spiders are in fighting off demons and other monsters.

“The opponents are small but numerous. The warriors and adventurers will be asked to exterminate the escaped monsters. You’ll get rewarded later.”

The adventurers were excited by these words. They hadn’t expected such an extraordinary reward. And with a full complement of magical weapons and warriors, it was hard to believe they would get defeated.

A few adventurers were wearing magic armor, but even those who were not were happy at the prospect of earning unexpected extra money, and an atmosphere of easy victory began to prevail even though there were no demons in sight.

What was worse, most commoners were becoming onlookers, with food in hand instead of running away, just as the attraction was about to begin.