Chapter 10

Did they figure out something about the core?

‘If so, that person must be the hunter.’

The streets were more than just quiet; they were desolate.

It was only natural, given the catastrophe that had occurred just the day before.

Half the shops were closed, and people were gathered, staring up at the spire.

Everyone’s face was etched with worry.

“Ah! Princess, that building over there is the Magic Tower. We’re almost there.”

The building Zenia pointed to wasn’t a tower, but an ordinary structure. Except for the images displayed on its outer wall.

I stared blankly at the images through the window.

“What’s that?”

“It’s showing the types of artifacts sold at the Magic Tower. What was it called? Something about materializing stored images with illusion magic?”

So, they were using the building’s exterior as a screen to display saved images for advertising?

“They say artifact sales have skyrocketed since they started this. Isn’t it amazing?”

“Whoever it is, they’re quite clever.”

“Right? I was so surprised myself. I heard the Master of the Tower changed recently, and that this was their idea.”

“What kind of person is the Master of the Magic Tower?”

“They’re someone who became the Master of the Tower despite being a commoner. There are also rumors they’re not from the Empire, but from Akron.”

This world is divided into two empires.

One is this country, the Taikan Empire, and the other is the Akron Magic Kingdom.

Taikan and Akron are different in many ways.

If Taikan is a nation founded by knights, Akron is a nation founded by mages.

Also, Taikan has banned slavery, while Akron still maintains it.

With such stark differences between them, the relationship between the two empires was not very good.

Then one day in the past, a great mage from Akron named Riwhenshato was demoted to a slave due to political strife.

But just before becoming a slave, Riwhenshato requested asylum in Taikan and came over to establish the Magic Tower.

From then on, the relationship between Taikan and Akron deteriorated drastically… Well, history isn’t what’s important right now, so let’s move on.

“If that rumor is true, it’s impressive they managed to come here.”

“It hasn’t been confirmed. They say he’s an incredibly handsome man with gray eyes and gray hair, but since he’s a warlock, the rumors about him aren’t all good.”

“A warlock?”

Just as I muttered that.

*Crash!*

Hail from a clear sky—no, a monster dropped from a clear sky.

“Kyaaah!”

“Agh! A-a monster! A monster has appeared!”

People who had been leisurely strolling down the street screamed and scattered.

Some ran into nearby shops, while others scrambled up the trees lining the street.

The monster that had turned the quiet street into chaos let out a long roar.

*Kuaaaak!*

The monster’s arms were severed, but its tattered side was halfway regenerated.

It must have been hiding in a nearby building, waiting for its wounds to heal.

Something only possible for one whose core hadn’t been destroyed.

I had expected this.

People were convinced that with the gate gone, all the monsters had been eliminated, but that wasn’t true.

The only condition for closing a gate is to defeat the boss.

This time, since it was a tutorial, there was no boss.

Normally, whether you wipe out the small fry monsters or not has nothing to do with the gate.

That’s why I thought there would still be monsters left near Hegeya Grand Plaza even after the gate disappeared.

In my past life, there were many cases of secondary damage caused by monsters that had been hiding and appeared later.

[Mission: Kill the monster within 5 minutes (2,000 points)]

[Accept] / [Decline]

I was going to kill it anyway. How thoughtful.

‘Accept.’

[System: 00:05:00 remaining until mission ends.]

“Shall we go earn some points?”

I secured my hood and stepped out of the carriage.

* * *

“H-help… help me!”

Sara screamed. Her voice, steeped in terror, echoed through the street.

But no one came to help. Though she cried and desperately pleaded for aid, everyone just looked away.

It was sorrowful, but she couldn’t blame them.

A normal person standing before a monster would only be throwing their life away.

She would have done the same.

Sacrificing oneself for others was something that only happened in fairy tales.

*Grrrrr.*

The monster’s grotesque roar sounded from right beside her. It felt close enough to touch.

She could no longer wait for help. Now, she had to survive on her own.

“Ugh!”

Sara tried to jump up, but collapsed back down. The leg she’d twisted while running wouldn’t move.

‘Am I going to die here, just like this?’

She had just stepped out for a short walk from work, only to run into a monster. It was utterly unbelievable.

“Please… please, someone help me!”

“J-just hold on a little longer! I’ll go inform the Magic Tower!”

A few people ran towards the Magic Tower, but Sara knew.

She knew she would be dead long before any mage arrived.

Having lost all hope, Sara shuffled backward on her bottom. Her injured ankle was visibly swollen, but she felt no pain.

*Thud—*

Finally, her back hit a wall.

A dead end. There was nowhere left to retreat.

“…Get away! Please, just get away!”

Sara flailed her arms wildly. She grabbed nearby stones and threw them indiscriminately.

But the monster didn’t stop. The distance to her death was rapidly closing.

The monster’s bizarre form came into clearer view.

Its large mouth, from which saliva dripped in long strands, and the tightly packed teeth within were vivid.

‘Oh god, it’s going to tear me apart with those teeth!’

She shuddered at the thought of the impending pain.

She had only one wish left.

‘Please, let it be over in an instant.’

Sara clasped her hands tightly and squeezed her eyes shut.

“…?”

Enough time had passed for her to have been devoured, yet she felt no pain.

Sara cautiously opened her eyes.

“…Huh?”

The monster that had seemed ready to devour her just a moment ago was flailing right in front of her.

Its large feet dangled in the air, twitching ridiculously.

Sara’s brown eyes widened as if they would tear.

A passerby, cloaked in a robe from head to toe, had grabbed the creature’s neck with one hand and was holding it aloft.

Judging by their build, they didn’t seem to be a man. How was something like this possible?

“W-who… are you?”

“Are you going to keep sitting there?”

“…Pardon?”

“I said get up, since your eyes are open.”

Sara clutched her injured leg, her face scrunching up. More than anyone, she wanted to get away from the monster.

“I-I want to, but, ugh! M-my leg…”

“Three minutes and forty-five seconds.”

“…What?”

“Nothing.”

The stranger muttered something incomprehensible, then looked around.

The onlookers, startled, quickly averted their gazes.

“You there.”

“…”

“You, with the blue hair.”

“M-me?”

“Yes, you. The one who’s just watching while someone is hurt.”

The man singled out by the stranger subtly took a step back. He’d rather be embarrassed and pretend he didn’t see than get involved and risk danger.

“If you keep wasting my time, I’ll throw this at you.”

But the stranger’s words stopped him in his tracks.

As the man froze, the stranger tilted their head.

“Come here and help this person up.”

“…Me?”

“Should I do it? You want to hold this thing?”

“N-no! I’ll do it. But that monster… is it really, uh, okay?”

“If you’re nervous, I could let it go and catch it again.”

“No! No! Just keep holding it! D-don’t you dare let it go! Don’t you dare!”

“I get it, so hurry up. Three minutes left.”

“Right!”

The man scrambled over and tried to help Sara up.

Then, deciding that wasn’t working, he hoisted Sara onto his back and ran for his life.

The next moment, the stranger threw the monster.

It didn’t look like they used much force. And yet, the massive body flew like a piece of paper and slammed into the side of a building.

*CRACK!*

A loud crash echoed, and stone dust rained down from the building.

Then the monster slid down the wall.

“*Gasp!*”

The onlookers’ jaws dropped.

The monster, which had been such a terrifying presence, was as helpless as a rag doll before the stranger.

The stranger strode over and squatted down in front of the dazed creature.

What were they going to do?

Just as the crowd tilted their heads, unable to contain their curiosity.

The stranger shoved their hand into the monster’s tattered side and pulled it back out.

*Squelch!*

The hand, drenched in dark red blood, was so slender and beautiful that it made the scene all the more horrifying.

The onlookers couldn’t believe their eyes.

Aside from the sheer disbelief, it was too gruesome to watch.

“Oh my! How dreadful…”

“Ugh, that’s a bit much.”

Some onlookers covered their eyes, while others collapsed to the ground and gagged.

The stranger paid no mind to their surroundings.

They calmly took the core they had pulled from the monster’s body and tucked it inside their robe.

“There, see? Hey, a monster’s dead once you remove its core, what are you talking about? Hah, these people are so demanding, really… Ah, fine. I’ll make sure. I’ve still got 52 seconds left, so why not.”

Muttering such incomprehensible words.