'Wow!　Don't come here!

　An adventurer with despair plastered on his face is killed by an orc with those last words.
　Not only that adventurer, but other adventurers who are supposed to have incomparable abilities compared to guild staffers like me are being killed by demonic beasts.

　...... In the midst of all this, all I could do was tremble and desperately shrink my body.

　After one of the top-notch adventurer's parties at the helm of the adventurers was destroyed and another party escaped, the war situation went from bad to worse as it rolled downhill.
　Most of the adventurers ran away to pursue the first-class adventurer who had escaped, and the battle lines easily collapsed.
　And what was waiting for them was a one-sided overrun by demonic beasts.

　In such a situation, there was no adventurer who would try to save me, Nancy, a mere guild employee, any more.
　Most of the adventurers didn't look at me and tried to run away, but they couldn't escape and were killed by the demonic beasts.

...... what to do, what to do, what to do.

　In such a situation, I was desperately trying to figure out how I could survive.
　I was going to use the adventurers as I had done before, and somehow survive.

　I also realized that no matter how much ...... thought about it, I was already wasting my time.

'Why am I doing this!

　When I couldn't look away from such a reality, the only thing that came to my mind was the regret of not running away from the labyrinth city. ......

　As a guild employee, I had been taught that when a labyrinth runaway occurred, guild employees and adventurers should never run away from the labyrinth.
　In the event of a labyrinth runaway, the guild's branch head or an adventurer who had previously commanded the guild was designated as the temporary commander, and it was agreed that he or she was to be absolutely obedient to that commander.
　It was also that those who broke it would be punished by the commander.

　However, the guild staff, including myself, had no intention of abiding by that agreement.
　They were aware that the would-be commanders, top-notch adventurers, were trying to protect their people as well.
　We couldn't allow ourselves to risk our own lives with the baggage we were carrying in such circumstances.

　So we decided to flee the labyrinth city by tricking the adventurers.
　That's right, we decided to flee to the next town.

　It's basically decided that running away to the next city immediately after a labyrinth runaway occurs is an absolutely unacceptable act.
　Except in certain circumstances, that act, which could put even the next town in danger, has been decreed to be an extreme punishment.
　But we were going to turn it all into a fear-driven adventurer's outburst.
　In other words, we were kidnapped by fear-driven adventurers, and so we thought we could get away with it by plot.
　No matter what the adventurers would say later, they would surely believe our words as guild officials.

　The plan should have been perfect all the way through.
　The foolish adventurers were quick to get on board as soon as we could incite their inferiority complex against Laust and tell them that the people were going to be helped by the very best adventurers.
　On top of that, all the blame lies with the head of the Labyrinth City Branch, and if we told him that we would cover for him, he easily agreed to be tricked and run away with us.
　It's a very good idea to have a good idea of what you're going to be doing.

　...... Our only miscalculation was our lack of awareness of the labyrinth runaway.

''Why would such a powerful demonic beast ......!

　I had knowledge from my papers about demonic beasts mutating during the labyrinth runaway.
　I knew it was so powerful that I decided to make my move to escape.

　...... is my perception of it as well.

　If a labyrinthine runaway occurs, absolute obedience to the commander.
　I now understood the reason for this seemingly strict arrangement.

　A labyrinthine runaway was a veritable disaster, where the risk to life was greater if a small number of people acted in a life-threatening manner.
　Without the right knowledge, it would only increase the risk of death.
　That's why it's absolute obedience.
　To prevent people who don't know anything from acting on their own.

　...... Yes, to stop people like us who don't know anything.

　After witnessing the horror of the labyrinthine runaway, I was finally able to understand.
　This is not something that an individual can do anything about.
　It was a natural disaster, rightly so, as if all the people in the labyrinth city were working together and might finally be able to survive.
　How foolish it was to have fled the labyrinth city to evade the increase in foot traffic.

　But it was all too late now.

''Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!''

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one.
　The next moment it appeared, crushing the adventurer, was the next.

''Fi─────i''

　The white fur that is so purely white that it feels out of place, and the purple light that runs through its fur-covered hulking body.
　I let out a small voice while capturing the unrealistic beauty in its eyes.

''...... Super Difficulty Demon Beast Fenrir.

　At that moment when I recognized the figure, I already understood my own mortality.

　The fear and despair I had swept away made me feel far away from myself.
　In the middle of all this, far behind Fenrir, I could see a group of tattered adventurers escaping from the swarm of demonic beasts and escaping to the labyrinth city.

''Fi──i.''

　That was the last thing I saw in my lifetime: .......




◇◆◇




"Huh, huh.

　How long have we been running?
　I was currently running to the next town with Alex in my arms.

　I run to support the fact that I can almost see the next town, but my eyes appear distorted from the fatigue of running all the time.
　Even in that situation, I can't stop running out of fear that if I stop, the demonic beasts behind me might come to me.
　...... but I was also aware that my body was nearing its limit.

''N-li, leader, run a little more carefully ......''

......!

　The words of Alex, who was holding me, created a strong irritation in my chest.
　It's a big disadvantage for me to escape with Alex, who doesn't have any physical strength.
　The only thing I can think of is that it's shameless to complain, let alone thank you for it.

　The thought of leaving Alex here, exhausted from running as fast as I could with one person in my arms, flashed through my mind.
　But I couldn't actually do that.

"Shit!

　Now that we've reached the worst possible time for super-difficult monsters to appear, we need to rub them against the neighboring towns in order to survive.
　In order to do so, we need to use Alex's magic to destroy the city walls that cover the neighboring towns to allow these monsters to enter the city.
　Hence, I couldn't take the option of leaving Alex here.
　Although I felt strong irritation inside, I re-hold Alex's body.

Thank you. Thank you.

　I'm even more annoyed with Alex, who sounds exhausted despite the fact that he's only holding me.
　But it's not just Alex that irritates me the most.

"I'm holding Alex, and you're leaning forward proudly ......!

　Far ahead, I can see the martial artist Maasval, who has been physically strengthened with magical tools.
　I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this as well.
　Probably Maasval is going to be the first to enter if Alex magically vacates the city walls as it is.

''Whoever it is!''

　I imagined that, and I let out a frustrated voice.
　Maybe it was fatigue or the fear of having a super-difficult demonic beast behind me, but I was getting easily irritated.
　I looked behind me and saw the adventurers who had followed me there.
　When Fenrir comes, those adventurers will be the first ones to use me as bait.
　However, there is no limit to the amount of time that can be earned by that.
　I have to get to the next town as soon as possible .......

　It was then that I saw what appeared to be a huge blue building in the distance, and that's when I saw it.

'......!　That one!

　The speed of Maasval in front of me is also mindlessly increasing.
　Seeing this, I am convinced that we have come a long way.

　We're almost to the next town, and I know that we've come to the next town.

'Well, perhaps we're already there!

　I smile, ignoring Alex, who can't see ahead of me because of the way he's holding me, and checking me out.
　But that smile turns into a question as Maasval suddenly stops in front of me.

'...... Maasval?'

　I quickened my steps to the next town, wondering about Marthbal's sudden actions.

''Wha?''

　It was in the next moment that I became aware of the reason why Maasval had stopped.

　As I approached the next town, my eyes were drawn to a barrier that emitted a blue phosphorescent light that covered the city walls.

　The sight of it made me stop in my tracks and stand there in a daze.
　I'm not a wizard, so I don't have much knowledge about it.
　Even so, I was able to understand that the barrier was made with extraordinary effort.

'When on earth?　Why do you put these barriers on ......?

　In the face of an overwhelming barrier, I blurt out in dismay.
　What brought me back to my senses were the words Alex let slip in my ear.

''No such ....... There's already a monster beast!

......!

　In response to Alex's words, I looked behind me and what I saw was the adventurers fighting the orcs.
　Apparently, the demonic beasts that had been chasing the escaped adventurers had caught up with them.
　Fortunately, there was no sign of the ogre or Fenrir.
　However, the fact that the magical beasts have come this far means that it's only a matter of time before they get here.
　Having decided that, I lifted Alex off my shoulder and shouted.

''Alex, quickly crush that barrier with the strongest magic!

Yes!

　Then Alex starts chanting.
　What comes to my face as I look at the figure is a strong sense of frustration.
　As for Alex's magic being able to break through the barriers, I don't doubt it.
　After all, the magic that Alex is trying to invoke is the one that injured that super-difficult monster.
　With that magic, Alex will be useless for a while, but the magic is sure to break through the barriers of the entire city wall.

　But I knew that that much magic would require a lot of chanting.

...... Hurry up and get it done, Alex!

　I imagine a future where Fenrir has appeared by then, and I mutter softly.
　There was an unconcealed frustration in his voice .......