The horde of monsters was successfully lured.
Medium-sized monsters were giving orders to small ones.
“McGillis… tear apart any human who throws even a pebble at your face.”
“Hahhh!!”
Adventurers positioned behind the subjugation force owed their lives to that.
However, their physical strength was at its limit, and their speed was slow.
Several were killed when small monsters latched onto their backs and ankles.
“Now’s our chance—!”
“This is it!”
The respective leaders urged them not to let this opportunity slip away.
They called out to their party members and nearby adventurers.
Some in the rearguard… began to sacrifice themselves, becoming monster bait to buy time.
“To be shown up by a child like that…”
“Can we really just run away?”
“Guoooon!!”
With a crunch, they were crushed by medium-sized monsters, equipment and all, and then torn apart flesh and bone by sharp teeth.
“I’m trying to save you—!? Why are you running to your deaths!? Give me back my hard work—!?”
Increase the number of people returned to town!
The penalty fees imposed by corrupt corporate powers, including the chief of the hated referral office!
Stage a protest (demonstration) to get them rescinded!
And yet, they’re going to their deaths voluntarily?
McGillis, struggling to lead the swarm of small monsters and a few medium-sized ones, became enraged at these pointless actions.
“…Me too…”
Phasis thought, “Doesn’t McGillis’s ‘my’ [ore no] hard work refer to ‘our’ [oretachi] hard work?” but stopped himself from saying it.
He imagined the monster horde McGillis was stirring up would rush towards him. Silence is golden, as they say. For now, he’d stay quiet, kick away the approaching small monsters, and lend his shoulder to the subjugation force so they could survive.
“Is that the King?”
At the rear of the monster horde.
A balloon-like reptile swayed from side to side.
“If someone plunged a sword into its belly, wouldn’t it pop?”
Visible from this distance.
Over 10 meters long.
If all that bulk was muscle or fat, it would weigh tens of tons.
Its defining feature was its balloon-like form. It reminded one of a blimp.
“Doesn’t it exist in some game? Something that round?”
“Well, forgetting that, we have these guys behind us.”
“Shaaaaah! Gaaau—!”
A horde of reptilian and beast-like monsters.
The subjugation force seemed to have fled quite far.
His enhanced eyesight made it difficult to gauge the distance to their safety zone.
McGillis’s physical specs are amazing! Haha.
“Alright then ♪ It’s time to end this game of tag with you guys. Dust.”
Using wind magic, he generated dust clouds behind them.
“GyaaaababAhh!?”
Next, he used earth magic to create a thick wall.
The leading group collided, causing a chain reaction.
Haha, monsters can’t stop on a dime, can they?
McGillis and the subjugation force safely arrived at the town of “Gallons Pay,” a frontier city… or, they had, but…
The guards blocking the gate were arguing with the adventurers from the subjugation force who had arrived earlier, refusing to let them pass.
“Fei, what are they babbling about?”
McGillis (the monster) referred to the guards as “that thing,” to which Phasis replied with a wry smile.
“They’re saying that those who failed to eliminate the monster horde aren’t allowed into the town… and they won’t let us pass.”
“Hey, hey, hey! Those are the people I went out of my way to save. What’s the point if they can’t enter the town! Screw those guys—!”
“The commander and the person in charge of the subjugation force, along with the leaders, are currently protesting!? Just wait a moment!? Let’s see how things go? If you go now, you’ll just add fuel to the fire!”
“Let go, Fei! I want to punch those guys!”
I’m telling you, that will only add fuel to the fire—
While Phasis and McGillis were arguing.
The deputy commander and leaders of the subjugation force were at a standoff with the captain and unit commanders of the guard.
“Please let us through! You’re the subjugation force, right—?”
Behind the guards… a third party emerged from the town.
“Huff… huff. Finally, they let us through…”
It was a messenger from the mayor.
“We would like to hear the details about the King and the scale of the King’s army from the representatives of the subjugation force.”
“…”
“…Tch.”
The guard captain silently gestured with his chin to his subordinates, ordering them, “Let them pass.”
After the subjugation force had passed, his subordinates let out small, almost inaudible clicks of their tongues. It clearly implied, “The mayor’s messenger showed up, lucky you?” to the subjugation force.
“…What?”
In response to them, the men of the subjugation force retorted, “Isn’t it lucky for you too, that the mayor’s messenger showed up?”
“…These damn freeloaders who do odd jobs.”
“Standing tall on the orders of the powerful, huh?”
Sparks flew.
Flames roared.
Once again, both sides were at a standoff.
“Stop—!! Conflict brings no good! Adventurers are outside the town! Guard soldiers are inside the town! If either side is missing, this town cannot function!”
“…”
“…”
Hmph!!
The mayor’s messenger quelled the situation on both sides. What masterful eloquence.
“That messenger… has the talent of a con artist.”
“Shh! Everything’s been smoothed over. Please read the room…”
McGillis’s remark shattered the atmosphere.
They didn’t hear me, did they? …Shew.
McGillis and his group, led by the mayor’s messenger, finally arrived at the Adventurer Job Referral Office without further incident.
Ignore the whispers of the residents pointing fingers as they passed.
Don’t listen.
“I hope nothing happens…”
“What are you talking about? The protest about the penalty fees is still on, isn’t it?”
