After everyone got up, I rang the bell and called Mr. Millet to bring the morning service to my room. The main dish was a bird-based demon egg dish called 'Sweet Bird', with the same demon's smoked meat on top. Both were quite tasty and suited all of our palates.

　The salad, which was said to be made from the stems of a plant-based demon called "goblin bush," had a watercress-like taste and texture, which wasn't bad with the sweet and sour fruit dressing. The roots look like the face of a child demon, but if you disregard that, they're said to be delicious with a turnip-like texture - although it didn't show up this time.

　After finishing breakfast, I finish getting ready to go outside. All the maids, including Mirei-san, line up at the entrance to see me off - I feel like I'm the master of the mansion.

''Well then, I'm off.''
Would you mind telling us what time you'll be back?
Um, I'd like to be back by 6:00 p.m.
Very well. I'll see to it that you're still on time for dinner. Then have a good day.
""Have a good day!"

　Everyone was overwhelmed as the maids, who numbered a total of ten, chanted beautifully. I remember when I once went to a maid cafe for social studies - although the maids in this world had more of an atmosphere of a real job than the maids in this world.

　◆◇◆

　Before bringing the runes and ore to the blacksmith's shop, we stopped by the guild first.

　There was a piece of paper with a motto in red letters posted on the bulletin board, and the searchers had gathered in front of it and were buzzing about it.

'Isn't Stampede going to have demons out there if we leave it alone?
This is the wrong place for a nursery swamp. People have been neglecting it for too long.

　I weave my way through the crowd and check the posted content.

　--The number of demons defeated in the "Noon Wetlands" has dropped extremely low, and we have entered the stampede alert area. If you are level 3 or higher among the searchers, please help us defeat the demons. The rewards and contributions will be 30% more than usual. The person in charge: Louisa Falmer

Louisa you sound like you're in some kind of trouble.

　When it comes to the postings she sent out, I want to help as much as I can. The exam is tomorrow, so I have no problem heading to the 'Noon Marshes' today.

'Aricht, what are we going to do?'

　Elitia will ask for instructions. Everyone else doesn't seem to know much about the Stampede, so I guess we'll have to find out for sure first.

'Elitia, what exactly is the Stampede?'
The demons in the labyrinth can breed as living things, but the labyrinth itself can also generate them in order to maintain a permanent environment in the labyrinth. But on the other hand, if the number of demons increases too much, the labyrinth will force the demons out from the entrance of one level. The state in which the number of monsters increases abnormally is called 'stampede'.

　The entrance to the labyrinth appears to be just a staircase, but I knew that it was a transition on the way down. However, I didn't know that demons could come out from inside.



　I was reminded of Ariadne by Igarashi-san's words. The Hundred and Seventeenth Secret God--that is, the
There are more than a hundred secret gods.

It's natural to think that the secret gods that lie there are closely related to the labyrinth. In other words, the agent of the labyrinth's will.......no, Ariadne didn't show any such pretense.)

　However, if all the labyrinths have hidden hierarchies with secret gods in them - finding a secret god other than Ariadne might give us a clue as to what the labyrinth is for.

'Good morning, Atobe-sama. I apologize for the disturbance.
'Good morning, Louisa. Something's going wrong, isn't it? Will you let us help you subdue the stampede?

　Louisa's eyes widen. I've been surprising her more often than not, but as for me, I thought it was an obvious offer.

''........Atobe-sama is about to run through this eighth district and yet she says such things without hesitation. How happy and grateful I am for that...

　Louisa wiped her tears with a handkerchief. That's how severe the situation was - the duty and pressure of the guild's staff when the stampede happened must have been considerable.

　There was no way to send explorers into a labyrinth where there were enemies that would set off nasty state disorders, and it was inevitable to some extent that only safe and easy to attack labyrinths would be explored. Even if you get a certain degree of strength, there will be many people who can't leave Akebono's field, where the view is good and easy to fight - I had no choice but to do so if I couldn't find my friends either.

''Well then, I'll tell you the situation we currently know about, so let's go to this room.......''

　Louisa was about to lead us to the guild's meeting room - that's when it happened.

''It's a demon, a demon has come into town!　Call the garrison!
'There's a lot of them, and if you're out in the open, take it easy and get inside the building... oooh!

　Outside the entrance to the guild, a non-human thing is flying - it attacks a person, and the seeker, attacked helplessly from the air, is wounded and falls down, fleeing into the guild. Louisa ran up to him and strained her voice stoutly as she looked at his condition.

''Arrange for a healer (healer) at once!　Everyone please calm down, the garrison will be there in a minute!
''Louisa, you can't do this!　The guards are guarding the entrance to the 'Noon Marshes' and it will take them a while to get over here!
Oh no, so what do I do now?

　In order to calm the upset Louisa-san, I hesitated a bit, but I put my hand on her shoulder.

''Huh.........A, Atobe-sama.......I'm sorry, I shouldn't have been so distraught as a guild employee.......''
'We can fight too. We've experienced flying demons, too, and you can leave it to us.........are you guys ready?

　When I turned around, I saw that they all already had their weapons at the ready. I don't know what's going on outside, but with all this commotion, the enemy's numbers don't seem to be enough for ten or twenty.

I'm sorry to trouble you, Suzuna, but I need you to take the 'heaping salt' skill. Louisa, do you have any salt?　That would prevent the enemy from going after the guild.

　There are many explorers here who are level 1 to 2 and are not well equipped. If that's the case, the guild building is a safe zone and we want to fight without any hindsight.

''Salt I understand, I'll bring it to you immediately. Atobe-sama, please keep this town........
I'll make sure you're safe.

　The people I met in the Eighth Ward have really taken care of me. The only reason I can survive as an explorer is because of the kindness of everyone, including Louisa-san who gave me the mercenary ticket.

''Aricht-san, the salt is ready!
'Yes!　Elitia, drop the enemies nearby first!　Then we'll be out there in one fell swoop, too!
Yes, sir!　Miss Theresia and I will follow Ellie, so Misaki, be careful and come from behind!
Yes I will follow as carefully as I can!

　Elitia takes the lead and runs out - the demon that was trying to get in through the open door was a strange demon whose entire body was covered in what looked like tentacles.

(First, let's see if I can use 1 even if I take 'Support Attack 2'... let's see if I can use 1... let's just make sure. (Activate 'Support Attack 1'........!

"--Haah!
'Kishaaaaah!

　Elitia unleashes a slash 'slash ripper' in the manner of an iaidoup while running. It's a very good idea to be able to have a good time with your friends.

　◆Current Situation ◆

　Elitia's Slash Ripper activates and hits the Flying Doom for 11 damage.
　Defeat one Flying Doom

　The enemy had already been cut to pieces. The demon that was split in two - the Flying Doom - jumped into the building with the momentum it was about to bite, causing the young adventurer to scream, 'Heeeee'. When you look at the demon that fell to the floor, its divided upper and lower jaws are lined with sharp fangs, and it is covered in green blood - with a demon like this, no one wants to go to the noon swamp.

　But now that I've assisted Elitia, I've learned that I can change to 'Support Attack 1' with just a reminder. I'd like to try 'Support Attack 2' next, but for now I should prioritize sweeping the area rather than testing it.

''Okay, people here, stay out!　Leave it to a skilled searcher, because the damage will be minimal!

　The level 9 Elitia called out to them and was very convincing. The explorers, who were only up to level 3, all followed her instructions.

　After going outside, Suzuna heaps salt on the guild entrance and windows - while I'm doing so, a flying doom appears further above the standing buildings and swoops down one after another when it spots us. I snipe at the individuals coming at me with my ebony sling, but I can't kill their momentum with a single blow--!

d*mn it...!
Rear, watch out!
-Oh!

　Igarashi-san literally spears the descending Flying Doom with a cross spear, and Theresia blows it away with 'Windslash'.

'-- Suzuna, Misaki!　You can take half a step in front of me, and then we'll chase after it!
'Yes, Mr. Aricht!　--Hey!
Eat my dice!

　Suzuna's arrow, and Misaki's dice are slammed into a flying doom that tries to bounce back into the wall after being blown away - if 22 support damage is put in, he could finish it off without Elitia.


'Alright, I get it. These demons are probably the ones that were let out of the labyrinth by the Stampede which means they should be springing up from the entrance to the Noon Marshes. The guards should be holding that place, so we'll go around separately.
""I understand!"

　These flying demons fly around in the sky over the entire area of the eighth district like they are their own. Accompanied by dozens of flying dooms, there is a mix of extremely colored, one-sized individuals.

　Probably 'named' - we have to defeat him at all costs. We'll help the townspeople and annihilate the enemy while increasing the safe zone with the heaping salt of Suzuna. Unexpectedly, a tumultuous day has begun.