I parted ways with Shamash-san and ran across the pathless terrain.

Our destination: the Cayantau Mine, located in Lucraella's largest slum

* * *

After contacting everyone via walkie-talkie, I was about to dash off blindly, desperate to act before things became irreversible, when Shamash-san stopped me.

"Hold on a moment, Ayase-kun. Do you even know where you’re going? You don't have any sense of the geography here, do you?"

"Ah, right! You’re right... Oyakata, can I count on you to lead the way?"

Dargos-san, the master dwarf, would certainly know the land. He might be a bit slow because of his age, but that was a minor detail.

"Well, I don't mind, but..."

"Then please, lead the way. We have to hurry; the speed those monsters were spawning at was insane. The situation is really bad."

I wasn't exaggerating. How many goblins had I killed today? It felt like at least a hundred.

If they were pouring out of the other mines at that same rate, Lucraella might already be a living hell. I needed to regroup with Diana or Rebecca-san and respond flexibly to the situation.

"Calm down," Shamash-san said firmly. "This is certainly an unforeseen situation, but it’s not hopeless. Lucraella won’t fall that easily. There are warriors stationed at the mines, and the people aren't helpless. They should be able to hold their own against something like goblins."

"Really? But I saw so many tunnel entrances on the way here. I can't imagine everyone being able to defend those."

"Those were abandoned mines, weren't they? The entrances to abandoned mines are properly sealed to prevent monsters from coming out. Currently, there are only four authorized mine entrances in Lucraella."

According to Shamash-san, there were only four tunnels that actually needed to be dealt with. That was far fewer than I expected. I’d seen at least ten holes in the mountain just on the trek up here.

When I asked, she explained: “Abandoned mines are dangerous, you see. They’re carefully sealed or collapsed so monsters can’t emerge.”

Since monsters spawn from deep within, the first few dozen meters are safe. Tunnels can apparently stretch as far as a thousand meters in some cases, after all. It reminded me of those abandoned-mine scenes in Laputa—like that kind of space going on endlessly.

Abandoned mines are apparently quite dangerous to begin with. Not only because monsters can emerge, but because the interiors branch like spiderwebs, making it easy to get lost, and there are also risks of toxic gases or oxygen deprivation. Apparently, people sometimes fall down vertical shafts without even noticing them.

For those reasons, unnecessary tunnel entrances are generally sealed.

Even in normal times, there’s a risk of monsters appearing, so they're managed quite strictly. Any active tunnel always has warriors stationed there—"anti-demon hunters" like Shello-san. That meant it wasn’t something that would immediately spiral out of control.

That said, Shamash-san mentioned that some extremely powerful monsters were also appearing, so there was no room for optimism.

“There are 'four' mines, but you can ignore the State-Owned one. They have a large contingent of warriors and excellent crisis management. They'll respond quickly. If we go there at all, it should be last.”

"So that leaves three?"

This actually felt manageable. This really was a world where monsters appeared regularly, so their risk management was properly in place.

The remaining three were:

Lillas Mine: The second most prominent, currently privately contracted.

Cayantau Mine: An ancient mine from the Spirit Civilization era. Now effectively abandoned, but the tunnels have been repurposed into a massive slum.

And—

"The last place is this tunnel where my house is located. Magic crystals are indispensable to demons, after all. On the condition that I manage it myself, I’m allowed to keep this mine active."

That was how it was. I’d initially thought Shamash-san was some kind of hermit, but she’s actually a functioning member of society. Despite being a demon, she’s quite friendly.

"For now, please take all of this, Shamash-san."

I handed over all the magic crystals I'd collected from the goblins.

I had no immediate use for them, and they’d be far more useful in the hands of a demon like Shamash-san. They were smaller than the ones skeletons dropped, and probably not worth much money anyway—and this wasn’t the time to worry about that.

Her summoning magic used a handful of crystals just to call one Twilight Mimic, so she probably needed as many as she could get.

"Are you sure? That helps a lot."

"Yeah. We don't have time to waste. Let’s go."

"Wait. It's better if we split up. I’ll go alone to seal the Lillas Mine. Ayase-kun, I want you to head to Cayantau. There are many poor people there; even if Lucraella acts quickly, that place is likely to be low on their priority list."

Splitting up made sense.

Well, Shamash-san was an overwhelming force by herself. She didn't need a chaperone.

"Got it. Oyakata, do you know the way?"

"Yeah, no problem."

Cayantau Mine is a slum... right? I'll be fine as a man, but what about Diana and the others? Going to eliminate the danger of monsters only to run into a different kind of danger is no joke.

Well, Marina would be there as her guard, so nothing too strange should happen... Or maybe Marina might actually be in more danger than tattooed Diana? She’s Tarc, though, and there’s usually no interest in them, so who knows. Rebecca-san or Elepipi might actually be the ones at greater risk.

"...Also, can I entrust Ion to you, Ayase-kun?"

That request came from Shamash-san just as I was worrying about pointless things.

Ion-san, huh... I didn’t really mind. In fact, I’d been half-expecting it. Ion-san wouldn’t be much help accompanying Shamash-san anyway.

But she herself seems dead set on sticking with Shamash-san. She was currently glaring at her while struggling under a heavy-looking backpack. That's silent pressure for you.

"I don’t mind, but Ion-san looks like she really doesn't want to."

"E-Eh... it's not that I dislike it, but you see... I have a prison crest..."

Right. Taking her into a crowded place might be dangerous. Shamash-san probably got away with it because she was a "terrifying Demon" which is a much higher tier of scary.

Taking Ion-san along meant protecting her as well.

"It'll be fine. We have an Elf in our group."

If we met up with Diana early and left Ion-san with her, there shouldn't be a problem. It'd look like an elf had apprehended a marked criminal, so people probably wouldn’t mess with her.

"Listen, Ion. To put it bluntly, you'd be a hindrance. If I'm alone, I can seal the tunnel before monsters even emerge."

Shamash-san stated bluntly.

"Fine, I get it... Just be careful."

"Thank you. Now, before that, let’s provide a guard just in case. It’s not that I don't trust Ayase-kun, but just a precaution."

She smiled mischievously and took a handful of magic crystals. Then, she began the incantation.

〈Black iron that reaps life, made law when blocked by Argent’s shield〉

〈The Eight Virtues of the Knight, a mirror of the living world, a blade hidden in shadow〉

〈Let there be light; open a jet-black corridor within the born shadow〉

〈I am the dream-wielder Nightmare, Shamash Aureole〉

〈Manifest according to my wish—Shadow Knight!〉

Shamash-san’s aura flared up like flames.

After a particularly brilliant flash, what appeared was a black humanoid silhouette.

"YESU YESU YOUR HIGHNESS!"

Something that could only be described as a shadow knight had appeared—shouting "Yes! Yes!" Its entire body was pitch-black, holding what looked like a sword and shield.

What even was this thing?

“It talks..."

"Of course. It's alive. Now, Shadow Knight. Your master is this girl, Ion. Protect her well."

"YESU! YESU! YOUR MAJESTY!"

"...Oh well."

Apparently, the monster-like beings Shamash-san summoned weren't monsters, but something called "summoned magical beasts" a category that still counted as living creatures. This small Shadow Knight, about 140 centimeters tall, was apparently alive too. Very fantasy-like.

It seemed she summoned them from time to time, since Ion-san didn’t look particularly surprised and accepted it calmly. Having a knight as a bodyguard might actually be reassuring.

Now that the plan was settled, I took out the walkie-talkie and explained the situation to Etowa.

"—And that’s the gist of it. I'm heading to Cayantau Mine now. Keep issuing evacuation advisories to the residents while you head toward Cayantau as well. We’ll regroup there."

『Understood! Ah, boss, Diana-neesan managed to get in touch with the Priestess-sama in Erische.』

"Oh? What's the news?"

Being able to communicate with Priestess-chan in Erische in real time was pretty impressive, now that I thought about it. I wondered if distance didn't matter. Was she emitting powerful radio waves, or were the spirits relaying the signal?

『She said they’re organizing a subjugation squad to send here. Also, Lucraella is organizing a subjugation squad of its own. There are adventurers in Lucraella who dive into dungeons for a living, so they’ve requested their cooperation too.』

“Oh, that's a pretty fast response.”

Wait, so adventurers actually exist? I felt like I’d heard about "dungeons" before, but adventurers, huh... Well, a dungeon was probably some old ruin or something, so they were likely like treasure hunters.

If monsters appeared, they could collect magic crystals, and I'd heard those sold for a decent price. Well, if those accustomed to fighting monsters cooperate, that's helpful.

『...Um, Boss. Also... is it okay if I make a suggestion?』

A suggestion from Etowa was rare.

『It was decided that Rebecca-neesan and Elepipi-san would act separately, but given the situation, wouldn’t it be better not to split our forces?』

"Meaning?"

『The demon-san is heading to seal the Lillas Mine, so wouldn't it be more efficient if we put all our effort into responding to one location? There are only six of us, so rather than trying to achieve a lot in multiple places, concentrating on one feels more efficient!』

I see. What Etowa said made sense.

I had unintentionally tried to handle everything ourselves, but that might have been arrogance. No matter how much combat power we had, there were only six of us. No, the ones with combat power were just me, Marina, and Rebecca-san.

Etowa couldn't fight, and Elepipi was basically an amateur. Diana could only use auxiliary magic. I had thought that since we had walkie-talkies, we could coordinate while moving... but that might have been a poor move.

Above all, there were only three locations where monsters were spawning that needed to be suppressed. It was better to concentrate our power in one place.

Yep. Etowa was much more level-headed. Perhaps being a mathematician allowed her to calculate things in numbers.

"Thank you, Etowa. You’re exactly right. Can you still catch Rebecca-san and the others? Let’s all gather at the Cayantau Mine. It’s a slum, so be careful. The public order seems bad."

『Understood! The blacksmiths also said they'd help, so the combat-capable young folks are heading to the Lillas Mine, the fast ones are going to the State-Owned Mine just in case, and the current master will guide us. We borrowed weapons that suit each of us!』

Etowa explained briskly. She was sharp and reliable.

After discussing the final arrangements one more time, we decided to head to the site.

"Well then, I’ll join you after sealing the Lillas Mine. Ayase-kun, I leave holding the line at the Cayantau Mine to you. Once Cayantau is sealed, we’ll go seal the State-Owned Mine. We should be able to manage with that."

"Understood. Please be careful too, Shamash-san."

"Thank you. Take care of Ion for me."

"Yes."

With that, Shamash-san literally flew away.

To be precise, she summoned a large bird and rode it... Summoning magic was absurdly versatile.

Alright, let's go too.

...Ah, I forgot to ask where that "strong monster" was supposed to come from.

Let's just hope it doesn't come out of Cayantau Mine.

* * *

Guided by the master, we made our way toward the Cayantau Mine.

Apparently, it was relatively close to Shamash-san’s mine. Since we had walked quite a distance from the city center, and the main mines are usually located near the town, it made sense that the slums would be out on the outskirts, just like Shamash-san’s place.

Ion-san was wearing a black hooded robe, dressed so that people wouldn't notice her Prison Crest at a glance. However, she still stood out. The black robe gave off a strong "I'm hiding from the world" vibe, which almost made her more conspicuous... Besides, if anyone saw her face, they’d realize who she was immediately, especially with those red eyes.

Still, there wasn't really a better alternative. Her condition was beyond what makeup could hide—those black patterns covered her entire body. If it were winter, we could have managed with heavy clothing and a balaclava, but it wasn't that season yet.

In the middle of the chaos caused by the monster outbreak, she probably wouldn't be outed so easily, but I didn't know exactly how much hatred the people of this world held toward those with Prison Crests. I wanted to believe they wouldn't just suddenly mob her and try to drag her away.

The guardian, Shadow Knight, was surprisingly high-spec; he was currently hiding inside Ion-san’s shadow. By "inside", I don't mean he had physically sunk into it and vanished; he was just using the refraction of light and shadow to stay invisible while still physically being there.

We reached the road leading to the mountain where the Cayantau Mine was located. At the foot of the mountain, shacks were lined up, forming a small settlement. People were loitering around—I couldn't tell if they were working or just killing time.

An old man of indeterminate age sat by the roadside, staring blankly at a bonfire. A youth wearing a tattered shirt that was barely more than a rag was polishing something with singular focus. Another old man inhaled smoke, coughed violently, and spat phlegm onto the street.

Umu...

Talking to these types of people takes courage. I didn't feel like they'd take me seriously at all... But this was an emergency with a mass monster outbreak; I had to warn them, right?

...Actually, there’s a saying: "the right person for the right job". My role this time was likely to fight. Yes, let's go with that.

"Oyakata. Sorry for acting weak all of a sudden, but I don't have the confidence that these people will believe me if I just say, 'Monsters spawned, run for your lives!' Can I leave the talking to you?"

They might listen to the master. He had the "authority of age" thing going for him. Plus, he looked intimidating. Originally, I thought I’d just explain it to whoever we met and spread the word that way, but I guess some people just aren't built for that!

"No, Danna. Let’s get to the mine first. If things have reached the point where monsters are down here, it’s already too late. We gotta stop 'em at the water's edge, right?"

Feeling a bit relieved by the master's suggestion, we headed up the narrow path lined with shacks. It was a slope leading toward the mountain. Occasionally, I saw people who looked like labor slaves. I wondered if the slaves working in Lucraella lived around here. Rent was probably free, after all.

For now, it seemed the monsters hadn't poured out yet. The news hadn't reached here either. Otherwise, the atmosphere wouldn't be this relaxed. Perhaps they were holding them back at the entrance. It wasn't that they weren't spawning—but when you kill monsters, they drop Magic Crystals, which can be exchanged for cash. Since this was a slum, an infinite goblin spawn might actually be seen as a "gold rush" event.

As we approached the mine entrance, the number of people increased, and the noise grew louder. People were fleeing. Shouts filled the air, and people even called out to us as they ran: "A ton of monsters spawned! It's dangerous that way!"

It looked like Diana and the others hadn't arrived yet. I must have been closer.

At the mine entrance, men were frantically trying to close the entry while fighting off the emerging monsters. However, they didn't have any proper materials. Wood was scarce; they were mostly carrying and stacking stones they could scavenge from the slag heaps, but it didn't seem very effective.

The entrance to the Cayantau Mine was quite wide. Like Shamash-san’s mine, it had a mysterious light source that kept the interior relatively bright. As far as I could see, quite a few dwellings had been built inside—mostly just shacks, but inside the mine, you were shielded from wind and rain, so it was likely comfortable enough.

At least the evacuation of the immediate area seemed complete. I didn't know if there were any casualties, but I didn't see anyone injured nearby.

"Oyakata, I'm going to help out for now. Looks like it's just goblins."

"Ou. I'll go explain the situation to the folks around here."

"W-What about me?" Ion-san asked.

I had planned to leave Ion-san in Diana's care once she arrived... What should I do?

She had the Shadow Knight with her, so it was unlikely anything would happen, but still...

“Oyakata, could you take Ion-san with you as well? There are a lot of men here who look pretty worked up.”

"Yeah, leave it to me."

“Ion-san, is that okay? Please try not to show your face.”

“Yes. I’m a little scared, though...”

That was understandable. She'd been holed up in Shamash-san’s tunnel for a whole year. As a fellow semi-shut-in, I got it.

"Shadow Knight, I'm counting on you too. But don't kill any humans."

I called out to the Shadow Knight hidden in Ion-san's shadow.

I had no idea what the mentality of summoned magical beasts was like. If someone threatened its master, it might act without hesitation.

"YESU! YESU! MY LORD!"

A cheerful voice rang out.

Well, it should be fine. I didn't know his exact combat power, but he wouldn't lose to an amateur, and most people would be terrified of a pitch-black entity like that appearing. The chance of a real fight breaking out was low... probably.

I drew my Magic Sword and headed toward the mine alone. Then I thought for a second.

Is it okay to just jump into the fight and help out? Would that be a "kill-stealing" violation of the rules?

No, with this many monsters, surely they wouldn't care. But then again, Magic Crystals were at stake.

Should I say, "I'll help, and you can keep the crystals"?

No, that makes me look like too much of a pushover. I’ll just act normal... Yep, normal.

"Are you in trouble? I’ve got some skill with a blade—mind if I help?"

I ended up sounding like some cheesy "cool guy."

This is why people with social anxiety shouldn't try to be smooth...

"Can't you tell just by looking?! No matter how many we kill, they keep coming! Help with whatever you've got!"

"I'm keeping the Magic Crystals from the ones I kill, though!"

As I spoke, I cut down a cluster of nearby goblins. Some were wearing armor, but before the sharpness of the Magic Sword: Heart of Blood, it was completely meaningless. Having fought so many earlier, I was already used to dealing with them.

Goblins were no longer a threat to me, but both Shello-san and Rebecca-san had drilled it into my head never to let my guard down. I wouldn't. I wouldn't even lick my lips before my prey. Kill them as fast as possible with full power. Apparently, that was the mercenary way.

I continued to take down the emerging goblins one after another.

—10.

—20.

There seemed to be about thirty of them near the entrance, and I managed to clear most of them out. But there were many more further in.

Occasionally, I heard sounds like animal cries. There might be monsters other than goblins spawning. If so, that would be troublesome.

I hoped Rebecca-san and the others would arrive soon.

"You saved us, kid. Who are you?"

An uncle who was fighting at the mine entrance called out.

Including this man, there were seven people engaged in the fight. All men—some young, many middle-aged. These were likely the people who normally hunted the monsters that spawned here.

Their equipment was crude. Iron spears and swords. At best, they had iron breastplates; most wore leather. Well, I wasn't wearing any armor at all, so I wasn't in any position to judge.

"The Knight Order. We are the Artemis Knight Order."

“A knight? You’re a knight?”

“Ah—no. I’m the owner. The knights themselves are running a bit late.”

"???"

It ended up sounding totally lame.

I tried to act cool by saying "Knight Order" and just ended up embarrassing myself!