Chapter 51: Battle Royale
ㅤ”Seriously!?”
ㅤ
ㅤI unintentionally screamed, forgetting my manners in front of Okaa-sama. All four of the monsters that were on display were outside. For some reason, the cages that had been securely confining the monsters had collapsed simultaneously.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Oh dear……”
ㅤ
ㅤThe next thing that came out of my mouth was a complaint about the troublesome situation that awaited me, a situation that required immediate attention.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!”
ㅤ
ㅤScreams like that,
ㅤ
ㅤ”H-Help meeeeee!!!”
ㅤ
ㅤAnd cries for help,
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ㅤ――Guwaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
ㅤ
ㅤCould be heard mixed with the roars of the monsters.
ㅤ
ㅤDanna-sama stood in front of me and Okaa-sama without hesitation. Then, he immediately instructed us to leave the mansion.
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ㅤ”I leave Mother to you!”
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ㅤHe said to me and tried to run towards the direction of the pandemonium, so I hurriedly pulled on his clothes to stop him. No, no, no matter how you look at it, it’s my turn!
ㅤ
ㅤ”Reverse! Reverse! I’m more suited for this!”
ㅤ
ㅤThere are monsters flying in the sky, so a magician is more useful.
ㅤDanna-sama made a momentarily regretful expression, then said,
ㅤ
ㅤ”Be careful…… Once you get Mother outside the gate, I’ll be back right away!”
ㅤ”What are you saying!? Just protect your wife!”
ㅤ
ㅤOkaa-sama’s face was as pale as a sheet. Yet, she yelled at her son to protect me.
ㅤThis unexpected concern is appreciated, but I’ll do as I please.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Well then, Okaa-sama! See you later~!”
ㅤ
ㅤI quickly rushed to the scene, glancing sideways at Okaa-sama, who was shocked by my lighthearted farewell.
ㅤ
ㅤ’This dress is hard to move in!’
ㅤ
ㅤI never expected this to happen, so I came dressed properly. Well, this is the correct attire for the occasion!
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ㅤ”Edra! Gather the guests in one place and head towards the gate!”
ㅤ”Tempest!?”
ㅤ
ㅤWhy are you here!? She raised her eyebrows in surprise, but as expected, she swallowed her question and called out to the other guards and soldiers, guiding the fleeing nobles.
ㅤThankfully, the monsters were threatening each other, seeing each other as a much greater threat than the humans. Taking this as their chance, the ladies, who hadn’t run in decades, were fleeing for their lives without regard for appearances.
ㅤ”Whoa!”
ㅤ
ㅤOccasionally, stray attacks would fly by, so the adventurers, including myself, would deal with them to prevent them from hitting the fleeing people. The attacks of the large monsters were, as expected, large. Fireballs, lightning strikes, even just air cannons were gouging the ground.
ㅤ
ㅤ”My, how flashy……”
ㅤ
ㅤThe monsters were fighting in a manner befitting their rank and appearance. The Value Duke Residence was currently being utterly destroyed. The garden that had been overflowing with flowers, the glittering and luxurious mansion, were all crumbling with a clattering sound as a Luna Pheasant, struck by a Wyvern’s tail, crashed into them.
ㅤOf course, the one who was hit wasn’t going to lose either. With a roar, it retaliated with a fire blast. The Wyvern, unable to dodge, was burned by the flames and fell to the ground.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hot……”
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ㅤThe rubble started to burn. This is getting really bad. The Wyvern, still engulfed in flames, got up with a groan and, fueled by rage, soared into the sky…….I wonder if everyone has escaped by now?
ㅤThe ground team, the Werewolf and the Unicorn, were also engaged in a heated battle. Unicorns in this world are undeniably beautiful, but their ferocity increases in proportion to their beauty. So, I could tell that the Unicorn that just ran past me at breakneck speed was full of murderous intent.
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ㅤ”It’s no use! There’s a defensive magic barrier at the gate! We can’t get out!”
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ㅤI heard Edra shout as she came back to me.
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ㅤ”Huh!? Why!?”
ㅤ”I don’t know! The soldiers are looking all over for the magician who cast the defensive magic!”
ㅤ
ㅤ’We’ve been had!’
ㅤ
ㅤThis is a setup, isn’t it!? There are many noble ladies in this mansion who are likely to hold grudges.
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ㅤ’With so many high-profile targets, it would be easy to cover up an assassination attempt in the chaos.’
ㅤ
ㅤ”Hurry! Get us out of here quickly!”
ㅤ”Where is the magician who cast the defensive magic!? Make them dispel it quickly!”
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ㅤThe nobles weren’t fools. They had an idea why this was happening, why they were trapped in this space. They were afraid because they had a guilty conscience.
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ㅤ’But…… we can’t have them dispel the defensive magic either, can we!?’
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ㅤThe entire royal capital would be in chaos.
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ㅤ”The soldiers here are useless! They’ve been trained to fight humans, but their training against monsters is just for show.”
ㅤ”Oh dear……”
ㅤ
ㅤIt’s pointless to criticize why they held such an extravagant tea party in a place like this. What we need to do now is get the guests out and defeat the monsters.
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ㅤ”Edra, are you sure you don’t need to be by your client’s side?”
ㅤ”She told me to go ahead if I had a plan to defeat them. She’s a generous client.”
ㅤ
ㅤIndeed, the fact that she brought adventurer escorts to this tea party means she’s a relatively intelligent client. The best thing would have been to have some kind of excuse to decline the Duchess’ invitation…… I’m sure she’s regretting accepting it now.
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ㅤThe monsters were still in the midst of their battle royale, paying no attention to small fry like humans. We could wait for their numbers to dwindle……
ㅤ
ㅤ”We have to do something before we get caught in the crossfire.”
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ㅤEdra’s expression hardened.
ㅤ
ㅤ’Yeah, I know, right~’
ㅤ
ㅤThe other adventurers had gathered as well. They seemed to know Edra, and she had already spoken to them. They frowned when they saw my attire, so I said,
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ㅤ”I’m in a dress due to certain circumstances, but I’m a B-rank magician.”
ㅤ”Thank goodness! It’s a relief to have a magician. The soldiers here are useless. They have no idea how to fight monsters!”
ㅤ
ㅤThe soldiers who had bravely charged at the monsters were lying scattered around. Apart from the soldiers who were escorting the guests and the Value family magician who was desperately maintaining the defensive magic to prevent the ladies from getting hurt, there was no longer any order.
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ㅤ”So, that means the only ones who can deal with those are us adventurers.”
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ㅤAfter grasping the situation, the adventurers’ faces became tense.
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ㅤ”Which one should we take down first?”
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ㅤAs expected of adventurers, they were quick to get to the point.
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ㅤ”Let’s take them down one by one, starting with the weakest. Of course, while keeping an eye on the other monsters.”
ㅤ”So, that means the Luna Pheasant or the Unicorn……”
ㅤ”That White Wyvern is too strong, isn’t it!?”
ㅤ”What was it called again…… a mutant or something, with abnormally fast regeneration.”
ㅤ”We’ll leave that one for last.”
ㅤ”Let’s hope the Luna Pheasant puts up a good fight and take down the ground team first!”
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ㅤThe Duke’s residence was large, but it was still quite difficult to unleash my ultimate magic within it without causing collateral damage. Moreover, it was difficult to use offensive magic with the Duke’s soldiers lying around.
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ㅤ”You should have thought about what to do in a situation like this!”
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ㅤI was starting to get angry.
ㅤThe other adventurers probably felt the same way, but they knew better than to complain to the nobles. First, we split up and started dragging the fallen soldiers out of the middle of the battle. The uninjured soldiers, who had been panicking, finally seemed to understand what to do, and the area was cleared relatively smoothly.
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ㅤ”For now, have the soldiers escort the guests!”
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ㅤIt seemed unlikely that we could restore order among the soldiers. So, let’s just divide the labor. That way, we can fight with all our might.
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ㅤ”Do you even know where this is!? This is the Value Duke Residence! Follow my instructions!”
ㅤ
ㅤBut then, the soldier who seemed to be the captain suddenly started getting cocky. He seemed to dislike having his command authority taken away. I wish I could shove the Blood Territory Military Captain’s nail clippings down his throat.
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ㅤ”Huh!? We’re stepping up because you guys can’t handle it!”
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ㅤI was probably the only one who could stand up to this captain and complain. Everyone here had worked their way up the adventurer ranks. We knew it wouldn’t do any good to lash out at a client. Moreover, this soldier belonged to the Duke’s house. He was at the top of the list of people we didn’t want to mess with.
ㅤ
ㅤ’Doesn’t matter to me!’
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ㅤ”Who do you think you are!? Do you think you can protect the nobles in that dress!?”
ㅤ”We’re not talking about that right now! Just take your men and go over there!”
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ㅤDon’t change the subject just because it’s inconvenient for you!
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ㅤ”You should be grateful that someone of your lowly status is even allowed in the Value Duke Residence! Now, all you adventurers, defeat those monsters! That’s your job!”
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ㅤThe expressions of the adventurers clearly darkened.
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ㅤ”Idddddiot! We’re all adventurers hired for escort duty! And we weren’t even hired by the Value Duke House! We’re offering you a special ultra service that’s outside our contract, and you’re thanking us by demotivating us!”
ㅤ”That’s right. If you have any more complaints, we’ll return to our employers.”
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ㅤEdra muttered, glaring silently.
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ㅤ”Grr……”
ㅤThe frustrated captain left with his men towards the gate. Just you wait.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Thanks…… but are you going to be okay? Let us know if anything happens later, okay?”
ㅤ”That kind of guy holds grudges.”
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ㅤThe adventurers seemed to have enjoyed me talking back to him. It probably doesn’t happen very often.
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ㅤ”It’s okay, it’s okay. I’m the Duchess, after all. Now, let’s do this!”
ㅤ”What’s that supposed to mean!”
ㅤ
ㅤMy joke seemed to have landed well, and the adventurers seemed to have relaxed a bit. In a way, that captain had done his job by strengthening the bonds between the adventurers in the face of a formidable enemy.
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ㅤ”First, let’s narrow down their range of movement!”
ㅤ”Surround them!”
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ㅤAs planned, we started by taking down the Unicorn and Werewolf that were brawling on the ground.
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ㅤ’I can’t let my guard down for a second…… Once the Unicorn is down, it’s straight to the Werewolf!’
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ㅤBoth the Unicorn and the Werewolf started to get irritated by us adventurers, who were chipping away at them with small attacks. When they focused on us and went into attack motion, they would immediately be attacked by the monster they were fighting, so both were gradually cornered.
ㅤAnd the first monster to lose its patience and charge at the adventurers was the one to retire.
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ㅤ”Alright! First one down!!!”
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ㅤThe Unicorn collapsed to the ground with a thud. The Werewolf, which had delivered the final blow, pulled its sharp fangs out of the Unicorn’s body and glared at the adventurers.
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ㅤ”Let’s finish this in one go!”
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ㅤThe adventurers charged at the Werewolf, pressing their advantage. I continued to use magic to keep the monster’s fangs and claws away from the adventurers.
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ㅤ”Gaaaaaaaa!!!”
ㅤ
ㅤEdra’s dagger, thrust from the Werewolf’s blind spot, pierced its heart. It was the one Christina-sama had given her. It looked like a shallow wound, but perhaps due to the dagger’s special effect, its power was outstanding.
ㅤ
ㅤ”Nice assist! Your magic has really broadened!”
ㅤ”Ehehe! Nice k*ll, Edra!”
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ㅤWe high-fived and praised each other.
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ㅤ”Last time, you were the type to charge ahead and try to take it down yourself!”
ㅤ”People grow, you know~”
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ㅤI’d like to bask in my self-satisfaction, but we have to move on to the next one! Next! From here on out, I’ll be charging ahead.
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ㅤ”I’ll leave the sky to you!”
ㅤ”Got it! For now, I’ll bring the Luna Pheasant down to the ground first, and in the meantime, I’ll keep the White Wyvern occupied–”
ㅤ”Look out!”
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ㅤ――Giiiiiiiiiiiii
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ㅤThe Luna Pheasant, which had been ignoring us until now, suddenly swooped down. I instantly decided against using defensive magic and blew the adventurers away with wind magic.
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ㅤ”Ugh…… Thanks, Tempest……”
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ㅤThe adventurers thanked me as they rolled on the ground. I felt a little apologetic. I wish I could have handled it more gracefully……
ㅤ
ㅤRight in front of me, the Luna Pheasant started to devour the meat of the Unicorn and Werewolf we had just defeated. Of course, the Wyvern roared in anger, as if to say, “Don’t you dare do as you please!” and charged towards it……
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ㅤ”Whoa! It’s fighting back!?”
ㅤ
ㅤThe Luna Pheasant’s fireball hit the Wyvern directly, sending it flying.
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ㅤ”Has it powered up!?”
ㅤ”I’ve heard that eating Unicorn meat increases recovery power, and eating Werewolf meat increases attack power……”
ㅤ
ㅤHowever, both are rare monsters, so not many people have tried it. In a sense, this confirmed the effect.
ㅤThe adventurers looked at each other. Should we eat it?
ㅤ
ㅤ”No, no, no! The risk is too high! It’s too dangerous to even approach the Luna Pheasant……”
ㅤ”They say you don’t know what will happen if you don’t process the meat of high-ranking monsters properly……”
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ㅤThis is a problem! I never expected this to happen……
ㅤ
ㅤ”Look at the Wyvern!”
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ㅤAs if to say, “If you’re going to eat monsters, I’m going to eat humans!”, it headed towards the crowd of humans, towards the gate, ignoring the other monsters.
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ㅤ”Oh no!!!”
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ㅤI instinctively used magic. My body moved before I could even think. It hurt, but it was better than being too late.
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ㅤ”……Safe!”
ㅤ
ㅤI saw Danna-sama standing in front of the Wyvern with his sword drawn. However, between them was a transparent, yet sturdy barrier.
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ㅤThe ‘Witwish Shield’. A pure white light emanated from the brooch with a jet-black gem embedded in it, protecting Danna-sama and the others.
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ㅤ”Tempest!”
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ㅤDanna-sama had a worried expression on his face. You’re going to fall even more in love with me now.