Adventurers (interlopers) who appeared in a good location were pushed large monsters, and McGillis and his party came to another hunting ground.
Adventurers who were there first and were not interested in the commotion were hunting small monsters exclusively, keeping a certain distance.
“Let’s go a little deeper.”
“…Yes.”
Phasis followed McGillis (the monster) without resisting, with a resigned expression. He wished he wouldn’t encounter any large monsters.
Did his wish reach the gods?
They hunted a few small monsters.
They returned to town.
Hubbub.
Adventurers who narrowly escaped from large monsters were waiting with their arms crossed.
“Who are you guys?”
*Snap.*
Whether McGillis knew and said it, or said it without knowing, didn’t matter anymore. Anger welled up at his feigned expression and words (attitude).
“You—”
“What’s with that attitude!!”
Screeching!!
“I decided when I would talk!”
*Tch…*
While waiting. They had decided who would take responsibility for McGillis’s party being provoked by large monsters.
With a single shout from an adventurer who won that role, the adventurers who were making a disturbance and trying to gain personal or party profit were silenced.
“Hey, new face?”
“Huh? Are you talking to me?”
“…♪ (Yes! It’s a commotion! It’s hard for McGillis (the monster) to take all the responsibility now… but this gives me an excuse to leave ♪)”
While McGillis replied.
He pretended to be intimidated by the large number of people, asking how many women there were.
Phasis, finding himself in the first stage of the situation he had wished for, put on an act of watching the unfolding events with a timid demeanor like McGillis, telling himself not to laugh.
“It’s you. As representatives of those who suffered damage. You will take responsibility.”
“Responsibility, huh…”
“Responsibility…”
McGillis was disappointed that there wasn’t a single woman present.
Moreover, did the adventurer who called himself the representative and the others think they could be victims just by mentioning responsibility?
You were the ones who approached the flashy scene out of curiosity, weren’t you? Self-inflicted misfortune. It’s strange for me to take responsibility.
If I could have just said “because it’s self-inflicted misfortune,” would they have attacked?
Though it wasn’t peaceful, he tried to gauge the adventurers’ positions to see if he could find a way to get out of this situation.
Phasis found that things were going too well.
He desperately suppressed a giggle, saying the same thing as McGillis.
“Yes, it’s responsibility.”
“…Specifically, what? What should we do?”
After a pause, McGillis, feigning ignorance like a clueless child.
The representative adventurer’s mouth twitched into a smirk, but he forced his facial muscles into a neutral expression.
“An apology. Apologize to us, who suffered damage, and to the acquaintances of those who died. And, you must pay damages so that anyone can see that an apology has been made.”
Seeing that McGillis and his party weren’t going to argue.
The representative adventurer commanded, presenting their demands.
The people behind him cheered, “Good!” and “Well said.”
“Calm down, everyone. Well then, new face. You will take responsibility, right?”
“Absolutely not! Moreover, it’s your own fault, right? We have nothing to do with this responsibility!”
…
“Huh? HAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH????”
The victims were dumbfounded, never expecting the word “refuse” to be uttered.
As they finally understood, they voiced their disbelief.
“No, I mean. You came to where we and the monsters were fighting by your own will, right? You knew there was danger. Since you came knowing that. Responsibility to us? Damages? You just want to extort money, don’t you?”
“Guh, how arrogant for a new face…”
“Besides! You didn’t even help us. And on top of that, you let the monsters escape. We’re the ones inconvenienced, how about that? Hey, leader (senpai)?”
McGillis retorted, or rather, stated the truth? towards the representative adventurer.
He dismissed the representative’s counter-argument and the crowd behind him.
“Nnnh.”
“Hey? Our chosen representative is being outmatched.”
“What about our money?!”
“Those who died won’t rest in peace.”
“That’s right. What can we say to his friends?”
Whispering.
Whispering.
(No way!!)
And the most shocked person at this moment.
Was Phasis, standing next to McGillis.
Because he had been looking forward to finally parting ways.
The shock of still having to go together was immense. Too immense.
(There are so many of you, are you all just scarecrows?! Argue! Free me from this guy (the monster)!)
Phasis cursed everyone present with venomous words.
Then, recalling the faces of his deceased party members from the “Minamo” party.
“If I go there too, please forgive me, okay?”
He indulged in convenient self-talk and escapism.
“Well, we want to rest at an inn. We want to wipe our sweat with a wet towel. Here, let’s go, Fei.”
“…Huh? Ah, yes.”
“Wait!? Let’s at least discuss the money for those who died!”
“Don’t run away! You’ve been watching silently and listening this whole time. Stop spewing out nonsensical sophistry!”
“We won’t let you enter the town. You can pass if you pay! ♪”
The representative adventurer tried to stop them, attempting to negotiate.
However, the crowd behind him, unable to leave it to him anymore, began to surround McGillis and his party with threats and loud voices.
“Wait, you guys—!?”
The representative’s command was in vain.
Both parties moved, though their weapons were not drawn.
“In the end, it was about money.”
“Ah… yes.”
McGillis and his party turned back and ran the way they came.
“DON’T RUN-”
They were driven into one of the monster hunting grounds.
“You guys in heavy armor, fill in the gaps in the encirclement!”
“Idiot! Match your strides!”
“You’re the idiot! If you’re slow, we’ll lose them—!!”
“Without even preparing for camping, you’re trying to encircle us in a hunting ground. If that’s not idiotic, what is!?”
Their unity was only for money… and damages.
If money couldn’t be obtained.
They had to catch them first and gain the money for themselves and their party alone.
There was no way they could match their strides or cooperate.
The further they moved away from the town gate, the worse their relationship became.
Everything was part of McGillis’s plan, and they didn’t realize they were being toyed with.
Some of them might have realized, but those were party members. The party leader was enraged and couldn’t mention that they were being toyed with. A statement that poured oil on the fire. At worst, if they let McGillis and his party escape.
They would be sacrificed to vent their dissatisfaction and anger within the party. Therefore, they silently followed the leader’s orders.
“……..Grrr.”
They pursued, gritting their teeth.
There were no traps. There shouldn’t have been. They just had to be careful about encountering monsters.
Those who realized it strengthened their vigilance of the surroundings.
“Alright! ♪”
“We’ve driven them into the hunting ground! ♪”
“Encircle, encircle— ♪!”
*Whistle♪ Bang!*
Whistling and clanging their arms, they mentally pressured McGillis and his party with sound.
At the sound and presence of people, small monsters sprang out from their holes in the ground.
“Kyu—!”
“Kyu-kyu!”
“Monsters appeared—!”
“Get out of the way—!”
“We have no business with you!!”
