第１３９８堀：冒険者ギルドの介入 (Part1)
Chapter 1398: Intervention of the Adventurer’s Guild
Side: Milly
Following the update from Yuki-san, I found myself in the Adventurer’s Guild office, staring intently at a map and a stack of photographs.
“...Where exactly did the enemy originate?”
I began to re-examine the situation. According to the reports from Litea and the Guild, a massive horde of monsters had suddenly descended upon them, forcing the residents to flee in a panic toward the northern town.
“But the strange thing is, the point where the enemy was first spotted was between the northern town and the western town.”
In other words, the local lords had essentially funneled the townspeople directly into the path of the enemy. Ordinarily, one would expect them to flee toward the south.
“...No, perhaps it was an emergency, and they didn’t have the luxury of detouring south to reach the eastern town?”
On foot, travel is inevitably slow. In a crisis, with limited supplies, the risk of losing lives during such a detour would be high.
“But even so, the Royal Capital should have been closer in a straight line...”
Yes, on the map, the Royal Capital is closer as the crow flies. If they were going to risk a dangerous evacuation, the Capital would have offered more military strength and the potential for reinforcements. Yet, they chose to pass directly in front of the enemy, heading toward a northern town whose defensive capabilities were uncertain. Unless, of course, the goal was to reach Litea for evacuation or support... could that be the reason?
“I was so caught up in the panic of the Great Stampede that I didn’t give it much thought, but as Yuki-san pointed out, something is definitely off.”
I pulled my gaze away from the whiteboard and reached for the coffee on the table. I realized too late that it had gone cold.
“Well, this isn’t so bad.”
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean it’s undrinkable. In fact, it’s easier to drink than when it’s piping hot. When it’s hot, the aroma is stronger, which is delicious in its own right. It’s just a different way to enjoy the flavor.
“Right. Let’s map out the potential spawn points.”
The primary candidate was the location at the ten o’clock position where they were first sighted. But there were no traces left behind. Or rather, the fact is that we simply haven’t found any yet. Then again, if the enemy is capable of concealing their tracks, they certainly wouldn’t leave behind evidence of a dungeon. If Yuki-san were doing it, he’d go to those lengths. But that would only make the situation even more troublesome.
The second candidate is what Yuki-san suggested: the enemy spawning from within the town itself. That would mean a dungeon had formed inside the town walls. That, in itself, is a massive problem—it would mean the enemy had infiltrated and established a dungeon right under our noses. However, that contradicts the testimonies we’ve received, and it doesn’t explain why there was so little damage to the civilians.
“Is Yuki-san’s prediction a bit of a leap?”
People have this image of Yuki-san as someone who always hits the mark, but that’s not quite right. He’s the type to list every conceivable possibility and then eliminate them one by one. Even with the assassination attempt on Seraria, he had advised Mauve-san and the others based on one of many possibilities. So, it’s not uncommon for his predictions to miss. It’s just that when one misses, it usually means another one of his theories was correct.
“That brings us back to the need for a direct investigation of the spawn points. And an investigation of the western town as well.”
It all comes down to that. We can’t know anything without seeing the site for ourselves. Just as I was thinking that I couldn’t go without a guide, the door to the office opened. I turned to see...
“Grand Master.”
“Ho ho ho, excuse the intrusion, Milly-chan.”
“Please, come in.”
I immediately guided him to the sofa and served him some coffee.
“Is there something you needed?”
“I came to see your face. I wish that were all, but the situation is far too dire for that.”
“Are you referring to Suurus?”
“Indeed. Word has reached us as well. Or rather, I have been participating in the meetings with those kings. Yuki-dono has stated that as soon as he receives permission from Suurus, he intends to send a search party not only to the ruined western town but to hunt for the dungeon itself.”
“Well, that’s only natural.”
We can’t make any decisions without investigating the scene. Our opponent is a Dungeon Master. If we don’t gather information thoroughly, we’ll never be able to predict their next move. Yuki-san is intentionally leaking information about the dungeon—mixing in details about Labyris, or the fact that it was originally Elju’s—as a trap. It’s a way to see who the enemy targets, which route the information leaked from, and ultimately, who the enemy is. It would be ideal if they took the bait, but that’s wishful thinking. That’s exactly why we need to investigate on the ground.
“So, we have decided to send reinforcements not just from the western town’s Adventurer’s Guild in Suurus, but from other headquarters and branches as well. After all, this is a Great Stampede.”
“Certainly, the other branches and the main headquarters would want information on the Great Stampede.”
A Great Stampede is something that neither the nation nor the Adventurers—whose primary role is monster subjugation—can afford to ignore. It’s only natural for the Adventurer’s Guild to participate in the investigation.
“Regarding the selection of personnel, I would like the Weed branch to send a team, Milly-chan.”
“Eh? From Weed?”
I was surprised by his unexpected request. The Grand Master laughed.
“Ho ho, why so surprised? There is no branch more knowledgeable about monster ecology and the relationship with dungeons than Weed.”
“Well, I’m proud to say that’s true, but will the other headquarters and branches be satisfied with that? We at the Weed branch are still just newcomers.”
That’s the issue—it’s not about our track record, but the history we’ve built. Compared to other branches, Weed lacks credibility. We haven’t even been around for ten years. The Litea headquarters has been around for over a century. If you asked anyone which investigation they’d trust more, they’d say Litea’s. Even if I know our information is more accurate.
The Grand Master didn’t lose his smile.
“It will be fine. It will be an official order from the headquarters to dispatch personnel from Weed. In other words, it’s no different than being selected by the headquarters itself.”
“Ah, I see. So we’re being sent as the experts.”
“Precisely. Besides, with this Great Stampede, guilds that have dungeons nearby or within their towns are all scrambling to launch their own investigations. They aren’t managing them as well as Weed is, after all.”
“Ah, I understand now.”
So that’s it. This Great Stampede has the unmistakable signs of being intentional. It was triggered artificially. Of course, the Grand Master knows the Dark Guild is on the move, and that a Dungeon Master is suspected as their collaborator. Given that, it’s only natural that checking their respective dungeons has become the top priority.
“Well, that is the situation. Oh, and of course, we are sending our own personnel as well.”
“That’s to be expected. It would be problematic if it were just us. Who are you sending?”
“A monster researcher currently stationed at the Litea headquarters.”
“Hmm? You mean the one from the archives?”