第１３５２堀：大氾濫の情報 (Part1)
Chapter 1352: Information on the Great Stampede
Information on the Great Stampede
Side: Milly
I was stunned when I received the message from Yuki-san.
To think, a Great Stampede.
I am, for all intents and purposes, a survivor of one.
The Great Stampede that struck my hometown back then was eventually repelled through the combined efforts of Mauve-san’s party and the local guilds, but I’ve heard from my mother and father that the damage was still catastrophic.
To be honest, I was just a small child at the time, so I don’t remember much of it.
That’s why it’s only natural that we would summon Mauve-san and his group.
“You didn’t receive any word on your end, did you, Milly?”
“Yeah. Nothing at all. What on earth is going on?”
Just as Rurua said, no report of a Great Stampede had reached me.
Even though I am the representative for the Adventurer District.
Well, when I think about it, I’m only an administrator for Weed, so it’s possible they intentionally withheld critical information from me.
Still, a Great Stampede significantly raises the danger level, and I couldn't help but feel frustrated by the lack of communication.
“Don’t get so worked up. The important thing is to stay calm and assess the situation.”
With those words, the Grand Master arrived, accompanied by Guild Master Rock and Vice Guild Master Kina.
“Sorry to bother you when you’re so busy.”
When Yuki-san said that, Rurua and I bowed our heads slightly in unison.
We certainly wouldn't forget to show the proper respect to the Grand Master.
“No, no, I’m sorry to trouble you all right after the holiday. I was planning to wait until the information was more concrete before reaching out.”
“Does that mean the Adventurer’s Guild had already caught wind of the Great Stampede in the Principality of Suls?”
When I asked that, the Grand Master nodded.
“Indeed. We received word from the Adventurer’s Guild stationed in the Principality of Suls. However, there were absolutely no prior signs. That is why we were hesitant to label it a Great Stampede.”
“Prior signs?”
“Yes. When a Great Stampede is about to occur, there are usually certain omens. If you’ve worked in the Adventurer’s Guild, you should know that, right, Milly-chan?”
“Yes. Things like the local monsters disappearing, or the sudden appearance of monsters that shouldn’t be in that habitat—those kinds of changes should manifest.”
It is said that before a Great Stampede occurs, there is a sudden, drastic shift in the local ecosystem.
Usually, this is because a powerful monster—a ‘boss’—has migrated into the area, or a swarm of monsters has relocated its nest.
After all, there hasn’t been a Great Stampede in over ten years.
The one that occurred in my hometown is the last recorded incident in recent history.
Well, it’s said that once one happens, the damage is horrific, so it’s not something anyone wants to see happen easily.
“Exactly. But this time, there were no such signs at all. We only received reports that a massive horde of monsters had suddenly descended upon them.”
No signs at all, just the monsters themselves.
That is certainly strange.
But…
“Could it just be a failure to investigate properly? Even if the Adventurer’s Guild and the country are conducting surveys, it’s impossible to cover every single inch of land, right?”
As Mauve-san pointed out, the guild and the state can’t possibly keep track of every corner of the territory.
I was just thinking that such a mistake wouldn’t be surprising, when Rock-san signaled Kina to spread a map out on the table.
“This is a map of the entire Principality of Suls.”
The map drawn on the paper could hardly be called a work of art.
…Well, that’s only because we’ve grown accustomed to the high-precision topographical maps Yuki-san creates.
Perhaps sensing that, Kina gave a wry smile.
“The maps you guys provide are the ones that are abnormal, you know. You’ll just have to bear with it.”
“Ah, right. Sorry.”
“Unfortunately, many small nations like the Principality of Suls haven’t installed gates yet, so we haven’t been able to acquire detailed maps. That’s another reason why our detection was delayed.”
“Well, that can’t be helped. Could you explain the situation?”
Yuki-san didn’t dwell on the quality of the map and instead demanded an explanation.
He’s right.
Information is what matters most right now.
“Right. First, the castle drawn in the center is the royal capital of the Principality of Suls. From there, there are towns and fortresses to the north, east, and west. The spring in the southern forest is the Spirit Spring that Yuki-dono is scheduled to visit.”
“One royal capital, three towns, and a fortress. Is that the scale of a small nation? What about villages?”
“I don’t know the exact number of villages, but there are at least twenty. In terms of scale, a town has at most five thousand people. As for soldiers, even if they conscript everyone, they’d barely exceed five thousand, and their standing army is less than a thousand.”
Wow. I hate to say it, but even Weed already has tens of thousands of residents, and my homeland, Gartz, has a total military force in the hundreds of thousands, with a population at least ten times that.
In short, I realized that the Principality of Suls is truly a tiny nation.
Well, it’s not like they have ten towns or anything.
Still, even I know that’s the typical scale for a small country.
Yuki-san isn’t ignorant of these things, but he never neglects to confirm the details.
“By the way, although they aren’t marked on the map, there are small forests and mountains scattered throughout the region.”
As he said this, Rock-san added markings to the map with a pen.
They were all located near the towns.
Well, they wouldn’t be able to secure resources otherwise.
Now, the question is where these monsters emerged from…
“The report came from here.”
Rock-san marked a spot with a red pen. It was at the ten o’clock position on the map, a place where neither forests nor mountains were recorded.
“What’s there?”
“Nothing.”
“““Huh?”””
We didn’t understand what he meant.
As we stood there, frozen, the Grand Master began to explain with a gentle smile, taking over for Rock-san.
“Nothing at all. Well, there are some monsters, but it’s just a grassy plain with weak ones like slimes and goblins.”
“Could it be a mistake in the observation?”
“That is the very possibility that made us hesitate to report it. However, given that the guilds in the other towns and the royal capital are reporting the same thing, it doesn’t seem to be a mistake.”
“Wait a minute. Appearing out of nowhere…”
Could this involve a dungeon?
I couldn’t bring myself to say it out loud, but…
“Does this mean there’s a high probability of a dungeon?”
Mauve-san said it for me.
That’s right. Monsters emerge from pools of magical energy, but if there are no signs or precursors, a dungeon is the most likely culprit.
After all, dungeons are hubs for producing monsters.