I go outside.
　At the same time, a figure attacks me.
　I drew my sword and responded to it.
　A flurry of side swipes.
　A light, crisp response.
　The demonic sword that entered from the side of the body makes the upper and lower halves of the figure's body cry out as it is.
　The corpse disappeared like smoke, and later a small black stone fell with a litter.
　A mere ping-pong ball sized magic crystal.
　In other words, this figure is a 'monster'.

　The hair on his head is almost bald, with hair to the extent of birthmark. The pointy eagle nose and large ears. Eyes that glisten. Pale ochre skin.
　They all carry crude daggers and hatchets, and some of them wear wooden shields and leather armor.

　Child demons (goblins).
　To use a word in my knowledge, this monster was just that.
　They attacked me, emitting a grating cry (perhaps it was goblin-speak), "Gah-gah-gah-gah-gah.
　There are 20 or 30 of them.
　From the response I got earlier, they must actually be weak. As long as you're careful about your opponent's attacks, it seems like you can't lose.

　No, you can't be too careful.
　It was the same with Skeleton, but we must not forget that no matter how weak they look, they are beings with enough offensive power to kill a human.
　In fact, if that hatchet hit cleanly even on the arm, it would be quite possible to die from excessive bleeding now that Deanna wasn't around.

　Nevertheless, to me, who usually trained with Shero-san, the goblins were slow and weak - to put it bluntly, they were small fry.
　I thought there would be a psychological hurdle since they were humanoid, but apparently they weren't gentle enough to devote that much of their hearts to a being that would only disappear if it died.
　I'm going to hunt them down more and more, starting with the ones in the vicinity.
　The demon sword is a double-handled long sword with an overall length of about 120 centimeters. It's a very long sword with a very long reach.
　The goblins are helpless in the face of a blow delivered from a distance where their attacks cannot reach.

　Hunt.
　Hunt.
　They hunt from one side to the other.

　If there's a concept of experience value like in games, even if the goblins' experience value is tiny, you'll gain experience value infinitely.
　It's fun to see how many demon crystals come out.

"Fuhihi.

　A sickening laugh escaped me.
　But it's a bit addictive. I don't think it's supposed to be a game: .......

　Now that I have a bit of room, I look at Shamash-san.
　Oh, did I mention that he said he was going to show me his magic? But he doesn't seem to be using magic.
　Does it take a long time to buzz off one shot?

　But instead of using magic, Shamash-san was standing there in a bong, with his cheeks red.
　I hunted all the goblins that were hawking around the house, so it's not too dangerous, but--

Mr. Shamash!
...... Huh?
What's going on?　There are still lots of demons coming, and it's dangerous to be bonkers. I thought you were going to show me some magic you're proud of?

　I run up to him and tap him on the shoulder.
　Shamash reacts as if he has come to his senses with a huff.

'Oh, oh ...... I'm sorry. I was out of it.

　Oh, come on.

Hey ...... are you sure you're okay?　You were attacked?　It looks intact for that, though.
Well, what is it? ...... Yeah. I've definitely been attacked. ...... That's a sight for a dried-up woman like me.
What's that, eye poisoning: ......
'Yeah. ....... No, it's okay. Forget it. ...... And more importantly, you said you wanted to see magic. Or would you rather see magic?
'Oh, yes. ...... I mean, is there a difference between witchcraft and magic?
''Yeah. The magic is the 'spirit magic' of the elves and the 'summoning magic' of the nightmare. There are a few more, but they are considered strictly different from magic, which is the art that anyone can use.
Really?

　So that means that Shamash-san, a nightmare tribe, can use summoning magic?
　I wonder what summoning magic is. I'm not sure if it's a good idea to summon something dangerous.
　When you achieve a guidance, the spirit pops up, and I wouldn't be surprised to see what comes out of the summoning magic now.

　While we were having this conversation, more and more goblins were coming out of the depths of the tunnels.
　The expression "gushing out" is a good fit. The dwarf goblins are about a meter tall, and their weapons are rusted from spilled blades.
　Although it is coming in a straight line toward us, it is only coming at the element of magic. It is not a coordinated attack, nor does it attack in any particular way.
　Instead, there are many of them. Shamash said it was like having a pair of sandhill cranes and a pair of hoopoe cranes in the mountain at the same time, but if this kind of thing happens regularly, the world of violence is at an all-time high.

　Since I usually train quite rigorously, I don't feel much of a threat when there are a lot of weak monsters out there, but for those that don't have the ability to fight, it would be a pretty scary situation.
　It's good as long as you're able to deal with it, but once you mess up, you're sure to be overwhelmed to death by the sheer volume of things.
　War is just a number, as they say.

'Mr. Shamash. There are too many of them anyway. We have to reduce them first.
Hmmm, yeah. Then let me show you some magic for now. ............ The thought of you watching me makes me nervous for my age.

　He says that with a slight upward glance while rubbing his hands together. Maybe he's a bit of a lunkhead.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one. ...... give the magic element a reason to do what it does--do what it says.

　Shamash-san waved his arm carelessly, and that's exactly what happened, as if by magic, countless icicles about fifty centimeters long appeared in the empty air.

''Oh. It's amazing. It's like a magic trick.

　I had the same impression when I saw it before at the Magician's House, but this indescribable sense of unreality can't help but make it seem more like a magic trick than a magic trick.
　It has a cheesy fantasy movie feel to it.
　It may or may not be realistic.

　Shamash waved another arm and a column of ice was shot out vigorously at the goblins coming out of the depths of the tunnels.
　The thin, sharp-pointed, cone-shaped icicle becomes a bullet, penetrating the soft goblin's body.
　The goblins dissipate as if they were bullets and turn into small black crystals.

''What do you think?　This is simple sorcery, but simple enough to be effective. I don't mean to brag, but there shouldn't be too many people who can shoot this in a row with this kind of accuracy.

　I'm not proud of it, but I'm pretty proud of it.
　While glancing at us with a smug look on his face, he keeps making icicles appear in the air and shooting them out.
　Apparently there's no need to mumbling and chanting like Deanna does when she uses spirit magic. She just waves her arms silently and the magic flies out seamlessly.
　If you want to give it a name, you could name it Ice Javelin or something like that.

　Slaughtering more and more goblins, Shamash-san's vicious magic.
　It's called accuracy, but it doesn't always result in a headshot, sometimes it sticks in the torso, sometimes it blows off an arm or leg. Sometimes the shards that hit the ground and shattered can pierce the eye or neck.
　But I see, this is indeed an amazing thing.

　I was honestly in awe.
　With that much stuff hitting them continuously from a long distance, those who can only fight at close range would be helpless.

　In fact, even goblins with that much stuff are unable to get even close enough to get a certain amount.

''Hmmm. What do you think?　You would have wanted me!

　Shamash-san, even though he ejects his magic so many times in succession, doesn't make a single breath.
　So the name of the demon race is not to be feared. Great fighting ability.
　Come to think of it, I remember Shero-san saying that she has fought the demon race before. I didn't know she had fought this kind of thing: ....... He's a sobering monster.

　But you'd want one, wouldn't you? --So...
　If they want it, of course they want it.
　I mean, I don't know if it's a natural or tribal trait, but I don't want to sound sensational every single time.
　I'm worried about this guy, if he's allowed to meet Deanna and the others. I'd rather not have any unnecessary friction: .......


　◇◆◆◆◇


　Shamash, having finished defeating most of them, relaxes his attack.
　He scrutinizes his eyes and looks at the goblins gushing out of the depths of the tunnels.

''Phew ....... But well, .......
What's going on?
...... Hey, Ayase. How much do you know about monsters?

　You're knowledgeable, right? It's just a fantasy world that's awesome.

The only thing I can think of is a demon ...... that arises from a pool of magic elements and rushes towards the nearby source of magic power.
Yes. Have you ever seen it in person?
I'm looking at it right now, but other than this, I've fought things like bones.

　Also, is the bear a monster, in case you're wondering.
　Well, that's too exceptional, and since it's derived from a magical map, I'm not sure how it's strictly speaking.

'Yeah. That's the thing. Normally, you know, bones, wooden dolls, moving stone statues, things like that spring up. You could say that magical creatures that have been given a temporary life are monsters. In some areas, though, they're the exception.

　I see. No, I seem to remember Rebecca giving me the same explanation.
　But it's obviously a subhuman or a goblin that's coming out now, and it doesn't feel like a living creature at all.

It's always a 'golem' around here, a doll made of earth, rock, iron, or in the case of Awasezukis, mithril. That's why goblins rarely spring up like this.

　If it's rare, does that mean it can spring up itself?
　I mean, a goblin is still a goblin: ....... Or maybe it's a translation convenience.

'But they do spring up, don't they?
'The trouble is. ...... Usually the only time these guys spring up is when it's Hitotsugi.
A pair of sandhill cranes. So, does that mean that you just had a visit from a pair of sandhill cranes?

　The Hitotsutsuki is said to be the moment when the two moons of this world completely merge into one, like a lunar eclipse, and become 'one moon'.
　During that time, a powerful monster that is said to be the child of the two moons will appear.
　Well, they said earlier that it was like having a Hitotsutsuzuki and an Awasezuki at the same time, so it must be a similar situation.

No, it's not a good time to be a Hitotsutsuzuki. The two moons don't even fit together yet. That's because it's ....... There's something else going on - something other than Hitotsutsuzuki. But there's definitely a Hitotsutsukian-grade one...

　Even as we talked, goblins were lurking around again, coming toward us.
　While I was cutting them down, I was trying to figure out the reason for this unusual situation.

　The timing of the sudden appearance of the monsters.
　A development of my guidance.
　It was the next to meet the Nightmare Tribe.

'Defeating the 'Argeese' of the Altar Seat (Alter) 2/3'

　Maybe it's irrelevant.
　I'd like to think it's irrelevant.
　But Mr. Shamash also said that there seemed to be some strong monsters springing up.
　The entire mountain has been sprung by monsters.
　If this many goblins are sprouting from all the tunnels, the situation must be so serious that it's not even a joke.
　I've seen at least 10 entrances to tunnels of all sizes before I got here.
　I've heard that many people live on abandoned roads.
　In this city that is nestled in the mountains, many people live near the tunnels.

　-- What if this mass outbreak of monsters is an event caused by my guidance?

　The goblins, with their rusty swords and spilled hatchets, strike without restraint. The red ball eyes, which are imperceptible to the emotions of the goblins, shine in the phosphorescence of the tunnels, and they attack without hesitation.

　In an instant, their entire bodies are fluffed up.

　If you have the means to defend yourself, it's fine.
　But for those who are not--

...... Mr. Shamash. If this phenomenon is a human crane, how can we get things back on track?

　There's got to be some kind of flag to end this.
　We can stop the situation now without causing more damage.

Hm?　Don't you know, Ayase? ............ all the (・・・・)monsters (・・・・・・)--until you kill (・・・・・・)--

...... Huh?

'The Human Crane is supposed to hire a bunch of hunters to eradicate everything at the point of origin, right?　If we don't take them all down in one place, they'll do more damage. But this time it wasn't possible. After all, it was all of a sudden.
How do you deal with it at ...... luclaera?
'Did you know that monsters use their internal energy to act?　Due to its characteristics, it is destined to run out of power and disappear one day. That's why we have decided to shut down operations and close all entrances to the mine during the winter, including those of us who live in the tunnels. That includes people like us who live in the tunnels. Even the most powerful monsters will be gone in a few days if left unchecked.

　So you're burying them alive and dealing with them?
　It looks like you're going to have to pry the door open to get out.

　Whatever it is, isn't that the end of the game once you defeat the boss monster .......
　...... No, he said this one was an anomaly. Maybe it's possible that defeating the boss will be the end of it.
　That's wishful thinking. ......

'Shamash-san, there's no end in sight, so let's go out for a while. If there are monsters springing up all over the mountain, I'd like to contact my friends.

　Or rather, it's unclear to what extent the residents of Luclaera are aware of the situation.
　In the circumstances, there are plenty of things that need to be done, such as getting a group of knights to be sent, calling mercenaries and hunters, or evacuating the residents.
　Once we're outside, we can use a walkie-talkie.
　Anyway, it has to be quick.

''Right. Then I'll use some of the Demon Crystals.

　A large number of demonic crystals from the goblins were scattered at his feet.
　I picked up Shamash-san a few dozen of them.

''Let me show you some magic(...).

　He just muttered and stared at the depths of the tunnels where the goblins were coming.

　And then he began to chant the incantation cheerfully.

　'The world is cut off, the wall is blocked, and it shall be a reason.'
　Twilight, the wolf of the evening, the golden dawn.
　"Guardians of the hour, open the gates of the Dragon's Sand Demon Castle!
　I am the Nightmare, Shamash Aureole, the dreamer.

　Be present when called upon!　Twilight Mimic!

　As if in response to Shamash's chanting, a fiery aura swelled up and rose up.
　The magic crystal on the palm of his hand melts and each time it does so, it changes to a powerful vermilion light.
　The visualized brilliance eventually focused on the space in front of Shamash, and the last word triggered an even greater brilliance.
　What was left after that was--.

What is this about ......?

　What was left was a blackish blur. A gas body, or rather .......

'It's a summoned demonic beast. Twilight Mimic. Even though there are many demonkind that can summon this thing, there shouldn't be many of them.

　And guess what!　And Mr. Shamash with his ample chest.
　'Whatever.

'Sure it's awesome, but does that help ...... this guy get out?
'Hmm, that's right. It's me - technically, this Twilight Mimic - who's closing down the tunnels at Luclaera when it's the Hitozuki.

　So that was it. It wasn't like he was completely immersing himself in the world.

'This kid's ability is to drag anything he touches into subspace by pretending it's a wall. She just waits for the wall to open its mouth and cannot move herself, but it works best against monsters.
'I see. So it's a trap, not a physical wall?
I see.

　As he says it, Shamash instructs the gas body to "set a trap in the passage over there".
　The gas body says, "Oma!　Oma! And--

I think I heard some kind of cries.
It's a beast. You're a hexenbiest.
He's alive?
He's a Hexenbiest. He's a Summoner. He's alive.

　So that's how it is.
　Even as I was doing so, Twilight Mimic-san turned into a pitch black wall by spreading her body out all over the passage.
　Apparently, if a goblin rammed into it, it would just say goodbye to the sub-space. It's pretty vicious.

　However, despite the fact that it's called a trap, it's highly suspicious, and even if it's unlikely to be prevented in total darkness, it's unlikely to be prevented in the brightly lit tunnels.
　Well, I guess it's effective against monsters that just blindly march towards the magic: .......

The only thing that matters is the fact that it's not a bad idea to have a good time. You're safe here now. Let's pick up the magic crystal and go outside. ...... And I'm sure Aeon will be scared, too.
'Yes. Let's hurry up.

　When I got back inside Mr. Shamash's house, Aeon was waiting for me with a bag full of stuff.

'You're late!　Shamash!

　The princess seems to be angry.
　...... No, or is it just bullshit?　For people in this world, Hitotsutsuzuki might be a really scary thing.
　Since Shamash-san isn't too scared, it's easy to be naive, but even the grand master is making it look pretty serious.

''Oh, bad Ion. Because of Ayase-kun's impassioned gaze to see how I fight, I got all worked up.''
'I didn't see that much!　Well, the magic and witchcraft were definitely amazing!
Oh, God!　Just come on, let's get out of here!



　◇◆◆◆◇



　Outside, the atmosphere was the same as when we arrived, a peaceful afternoon.
　Perhaps it was a common behavior of humans in this world that we all went outside and immediately checked the position of the moon.
　The two moons, Linklemy and Miss Mikandar, hovered above us without overlap. After all, it is not a human crane, it seems.

'Sir, what are you going to do?'
I'll get in touch with my people anyway.

　I pulled out my walkie-talkie and turned it on.
　The channel is already set. Turn up the reception level and I should be able to connect--

"...... Jiro, Jiro. Oh, please respond - please respond!　I mean, hey, is this really the right thing to do?　It's not a good idea to ask me about it. It's a good idea to be able to have a good idea of what you're looking for, but it's not a good idea to have a good idea of what you're looking for. It is ......

　It sounds amazing.
　I don't know, but it sounds like everyone is fine.
　I pressed the transmit button on my walkie-talkie.

'Chikuwa Daimaejin.'

Oh, I heard something! Wha... chikuwa? 'Was that the boss's voice?　I wasn't sure.' 'Maybe I should call on ...... again.' 'I'd like to go find Marina now,'

　They were all making a lot of noise over the walkie-talkie. I was just joking around.

'This is Jiro, this is Jiro. Rebecca, please respond.

Oh, I got it!　Jirou, are you okay?

We're fine. Where is everyone now?　

''I'm still at the blacksmith's shop. More importantly, the princess has been making a big deal out of it since a while ago, the mountains are currently buzzing with monsters, or so I hear.

　What kind of explanation is this? It's not like they're in a panic.

''Well, we've been able to meet up with the demon tribe, and we're able to see the situation. What Deanna is saying is true, and we want everyone to work as well.

'Oh, really?　They say that Awasezukis and Hitotsutsuzukis are here at once or something: ......'

'Really. So I think there will be casualties if we don't start acting quickly.

'Eh, it's not good. What are you going to do?　What's going on there now?

　Rebecca's voice sound changes. I can feel her upset.

'It's all right over here. In the meantime, please take over with Deanna.

'Oh, yeah. Hi.' 'I've replaced ....... 'Are you sure you're okay, master?　Right now, the mountain is supposed to be a monster's nest,''

　Deanna's dismayed voice.
　Didn't the priestess say that elves sometimes freak out when monsters spring up, due to the diluted spirit power around them. Shamash-san, who is a demon race, seemed to be able to afford it, but I see, maybe that's part of the difference between the demon race and elves.
　However, there are many jobs that only Deanna can do.
　Even if she doesn't have enough spirit power, she has to do it. Well, if it comes down to it, let's have her dope it up with spirit stones. I don't know if we can use it that way.

''It'll be fine. So, Deanna contacted the priestess via spirit communication first. Inform her of the emergency. We're going to need reinforcements from Elishe. I'm not sure if they have an army in Elishe, but if we fly in from Elishe we should be able to get here in a few hours. Furthermore, inform the elves in Luclaera of the situation and ask them for a course of action. Well, that elf is in the temple attached to the guild, and I'm sure the situation in the mountains has already been communicated to the city center.

　Even the elves in Luclaera are elves.
　Just as Shamash of the demon race and High Elf Diana noticed something strange, of course he has noticed it.
　If so, the city's course of action will soon be formulated. Evacuation instructions will also be issued. Maybe.
　Personally, I'd like to see an elf with fighting ability go into battle.

'Rebecca-san, please head up the mountain with Elepippi. The monsters are mostly goblins and are easy to defeat, but there are a lot of them. You can borrow or buy weapons from the blacksmith. Deanna, Marina and Etowah should do the evacuation advisory for the inhabitants. If Deanna is there, the inhabitants will believe it. Marina is Deanna's bodyguard. Etowah, I want you to be the messenger. Let Etowah have the walkie-talkie.

　Currently, this would be the only way to go.

　Rebecca-san is a good fighter, if it's only a goblin, it won't be a problem, and it will be a good training ground for Elepippi. Let's make sure I join you over there as soon as possible.

　Deanna will use the High Elves' authority to get them to give us an evacuation notice.
　It's not easy for humans to deal with a sudden, 'I've become a Hitotsutsuji, run away! It's a good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends.
　However, since Diana is the only one who can use recovery magic, the division of human resources is a matter of merit and demerit.
　At least by the time we have to fight a strong monster, we'll have to meet up with them.

　I'll let Etowah have the walkie-talkie.
　Etowah is the second cleverest after Rebecca. No, I think he might be the smartest.
　Let him manage the team's activities, including their assessment of the situation. Actually, it would be better if it was me or Rebecca-san, but there are reasons for strength, and Etowah should be able to do it.
　...... Well, it's going to be a running around job, actually.

'Sir, what are those tools?　Is there someone inside?

　The grand master asks me curiously.
　I guess it was a mistake to show the dwarf these mysterious items. I don't want you to pursue it too much.

Oh, yes. It's an item that can be used to talk to a distant companion. Oh yes, can I borrow a weapon from the blacksmith?　It would help if you had permission from the Grand Master.
I don't mind. And you get to talk to mine?
I can talk to you.
Do you mind if I borrow it?
Okay, hold on a second.

"Deanna, I need you to put the blacksmith on. I heard the Grand Master's been good enough to let us borrow his weapon.
I understand.

　Deanna responds.
　'Apparently he gave it to the grand master's son.

'Now you can talk. Press this button as you go.'

　He handed the walkie-talkie to the grand master.
　With his big, rugged hands, he gently pressed the button on the walkie-talkie.

'Oh, can you hear me, ......?　Dargos.

Oh, you're retired?

　The grand master peels his eyes in surprise when he hears the reply.
　He takes his mouth off the walkie-talkie once.

There really is a connection. It's amazing. Are you a magic tool ......?

Well, something like that.

　A random reply. There's no way to explain.

"Well, okay. I'm just a little busy right now.

　I say and press the walkie-talkie button again.

"It's me. Listen, this is an emergency, I want you to find out what's going on with the girls, and then I want you all to grab your weapons and head into the nearest mine. It's a monster slayer. And give the girls some of the best weapons you can find. Tell the people in the village that the monsters are swarming. It's not too late. We'll be right behind you.

"Li, OK. Good luck, master!

　I heard the blacksmiths are coming out to help.

'Thank you, Grand Master. Thank you.

"Sir, this is Lucraella's problem. It's Luclaera's problem, of course we'll take care of it. I'm the one who wants to thank you. The way you said it earlier, you're going to help me with the monster hunt, too.

I don't know how far you can go, but we're on board. I don't know how much I can do, but I'm on board. I hope I can at least buy myself some time.

　The boat I'm on and nothing else, it's like the sea has appeared around me. It wasn't decided that my guidance was the cause, but in any case, I couldn't let it go unnoticed.
　We had the fighting power, we were breathing down our necks to do the knightly forces, and here we are today.

'It's Etowah. What do you want me to do, boss?

　I can hear a puzzled voice from Etowah.
　I want Etois to go back and forth between all of us and tell us what's going on, and in some cases, even tell us what to do.
　You are in charge of looking around and making decisions.

Etowah, I'll join you, but for now, I'm going to stay with you and keep you informed of the situation. I'll join you, but for now, you're going to stay with Deanna and report back to me on the situation. Also, depending on the situation, I'm going to go over to Rebecca's place and see what's going on. It's going to be quite a run, but you can do it at ......?

"Okay, boss. I'll take care of it!'

　Good answer.

　Luclaera is not a big city.
　I think we can manage that.