Thank you all. I'll take it from here.

When I told them that, I was feeling relief that the people of the city were safe and gratitude for the adventurers.

I'm sure you're aware of the fact that you're not the only one.

I'm sure I'm seeing Marnell and his friends getting used to the people of the city.
Still, in the back of my mind, I had the idea that when the time came, they would flee, leaving the people of the city behind.
But that idea was just my own selfish belief.

The sight of Marnell and the others, scarred and battered, still heading towards the hobgoblins, proved that more eloquently than anything else.

'I'll have to apologize to Marnell and the others later.

I mutter a small word and laugh.
Apparently, I should be talking to Marnell and the others more, I thought.
And in order to do that, I have to eliminate the enemy in front of me first.

''So, I'll make this quick and easy,''

The hobgoblins are still not completely out of their confusion at my sudden appearance.
Before those hobgoblins could understand that I was a threat, they stepped out of the way.

''Gee!''

A dagger wielded with the power created by his overwhelming physical strength.
It cuts off the head of a single hobgoblin.

Kiwotke: ......

It is only then that one hobgoblin, who finally recognizes me as a threat, tries to raise a warning, but the warning is cut off in mid-sentence.
Before I can say anything, I slice the hobgoblin's head open with my dagger.

The two hobgoblins were killed in the blink of an eye.

'Kakon deositsibuse!

At that point, the hobgoblins finally recognize that I'm a strong enemy that they can't afford to let down, and they begin to use their own physical strength to surround me.
It's a classic, yet effective strategy.

However, that strategy was not enough to overturn the overwhelming difference in power between me and the hobgoblins.
A swing of my dagger can render multiple hobgoblins incapable of fighting.

''Then it's as if they're here to be killed.

Giggling?

The hobgoblins slow down as I see the sight of several of my friends killed in an instant.
Finally, understanding that it's impossible for them to get past me and reach the people of the city.

'Hoka no ningen wo nerae!

In the next moment, the hobgoblins reversed and started running, as if it was a lie that they were so attached to the people of the city.
Ahead of them were the wounded adventurers.

That's right, the hobgoblins, realizing that they couldn't kill the people of the city, turned their attention to the adventurers and attacked them.
It is true that the adventurers are not as helpless as the people of the city, but if they are attacked en masse by hobgoblins, there will be no end to the damage they will cause.
The adventurers who have been desperately trying to protect the people of the city from the hobgoblins are severely depleted.

But the sight did not faze me.

I'm sorry ......, but I know how it works.

Facing the back of the hobgoblins pointed at me, I calmly hold my dagger at the back of the hobgoblins pointed at me.
I'm convinced that I can kill the hobgoblins before they reach the adventurers.

'That's ......,'

It was at that moment that I noticed something with blue hair coming towards me with all my might.
When I realized what it was, I laughed and released my stance.
I was convinced that there was no longer any need for me to travel here.

My prediction did not come off.

''Huh!''

Gigantic?

Without paying any attention to the stunned adventurers, the person who rushed between Marnell and the hobgoblins rushed in between Marnell and the others, and kicked several hobgoblins away with his momentum.

''Nah!''

Suddenly, not only the hobgoblins, but even the adventurers who were saved didn't understand what happened.
In the midst of all this, the blue-haired girlfriend - Narsena turned back to me and bowed apologetically.

''I'm sorry, brother. I'm so late. ......

I shake my head and tell Narcena that I don't care.

'Don't worry about it. I can understand the trouble that's happened to the guild.

Narsena smiled slightly at my words and turned towards the hobgoblins.
There was a sense of turmoil among the hobgoblins, who were now surrounded by Narsena and me.

''Once we get this stuff out of the way, I'll tell you everything I know!

Over the next few dozen seconds, the eradication of the hobgoblins was to end.



◇◆◇



''It's an adventurer's guild, but apparently the chapter leaders and executive level guild staff have disappeared, so there's a terrible mess going on right now.

After finishing the eradication of the hobgoblins, I listened to what was going on in the guild from Narsena as she treated the adventurers.
To be honest, I don't have very good feelings towards the head of this guild's branch, and I didn't expect that much.
But to disappear under these circumstances is just too much.

''...... executive class guild staff, so Hanzam disappeared too?

What came to my mind was the guild staffer I tricked when I was once entangled in an adventuring party called Wolf of Disaster.
I didn't realize that even that guild official named Hanzam was on the run.
It's not that I trusted you or anything, but I understood that Hanzam had some ability.
I'm not sure that Hanzam is going to be scared off by this, so I didn't expect him to run away.

''Now, is there any point in remembering the person who ran away ....... What about the rest of the guild staff?

''They were all left behind. Even the top adventurers who had a pretty close relationship with the guild were all left behind. ...... You could have just taken those guys with you.

When he finally blurts out, Narcena's face shows a sense of fatigue that he doesn't even try to hide, and I get the general idea of what happened in the Adventurer's Guild.

The more powerful adventurers are, the stronger they are, and the worse they are, the more problems they cause without even thinking about the situation.
It's a good thing that you're able to get a lot of work out of your adventurer, as he or she is one of the few people who can do what you say when you get stronger.

...... Thank you for your hard work. You're going to riot as you please in this situation.

''Some of the adventurers were even planning to take advantage of the commotion to steal the fire. If it wasn't for Lila-san, I feel like there would have been a killing spree between the adventurers. ......

"............... huh?

My head hurts as I realize that I have to do something about these adventurers who will do whatever they want in the future.
Now that we don't know what's going on, we can't disregard these adventurers, who are a valuable fighting force.

Especially in this situation: ......

He muttered as he looked at the city's adventurers moaning in front of him.
Ever since they started bringing materials into the city, Marnell and the other adventurers in the city had grown at an extraordinary rate.

An unusually strong hobgoblin that could only be defeated by ten beginner adventurer warriors or five intermediate warriors.
The fact that they were able to keep that herd in such a large number is the best proof of that.

Because of ......, it was quite a loss of strength that I couldn't count on the city's adventurers to be able to count on them.

I'm not going to be able to say that I'm not going to be the only one.
However, there's only so much I can do on my own, and less than half the number of people I can fight.
On top of that, the healers are exhausted and have run out of recovery medicine and other supplies.
I'm not going to be able to expect even half the usual strength in this situation.

''...... At the very least, we could make this available to normal healers as well.

A magic tool that enhances the healing magic I created, I couldn't help but mutter that when I saw it.
By using this grimoire, I can heal serious wounds with a mere "heal", or throw it to heal a person from a distance.
However, to activate it, you need to put both magic and qi into it, and only I can handle it.

If the magic tool could be used by other healers, I could ask other adventurers to heal the city's adventurers, but with the current situation where I don't know what's going on, they won't be able to heal this many people.
Despite this situation, or even because of this situation, it is the adventurers in this city that will work to help themselves survive.

...... At least, if only they would unite now.

I know this, and yet I let the words slip out.
Because I'm certain that the threat is not over yet.

I don't believe that this is the only attack of the hobgoblins.
As far as Narsena's story goes, the hobgoblins are no longer in the labyrinth city, and Marnell and the other people in the city assume that the battle is completely over.
And yet, I still can't get the chill out of me.
As if to let me know that nothing is over yet.

...... But even my vigilance was only a lukewarm thought in the face of reality.

''Brother, the monster beast is coming!

......... Huh?

Suddenly, Narsena speaks a word of warning.
I was pressured by the seriousness of her eyes, and I looked beyond Narsena's gaze, but the only thing there was the wall surrounding the labyrinth city, and there was no hobgoblin in sight.

I was trying to ask Narsena the meaning of the warning──and that's when Zeke-san, who looked impatient, came running in.

''New hands, the orcs are rushing in!

Wha...?



An unusually strong hobgoblin attack that plunged the labyrinth city into chaos.

...... It's only a short while before I realize that it's just the beginning.