I wanted to stop by a bookstore, so I had Mugen-san drop me off in the city before we parted ways.

If I went to a large bookstore near the station, I figured I could find all sorts of useful books. There were very few days left until the Hitotsuzuki. I had to do everything in my power.

I bought the books I was looking for and immediately returned home. Crossing through the mirror into the other world, I opened my Vocation Board to check my "Guidance." Currently, there weren't many active objectives.

"...Yeah, the only one that looks like it can be cleared quickly is this one."

There were several key items for the Hitotsuzuki. It was a mass-monster-spawn event—or more accurately, a war. Strategy was necessary, but supplies were vital. Among them, weapons and Spirit Stones held the highest priority.

"'Conduct Business with an Imperial Merchant'... huh. I wonder if calling Efta now will be in time."

The objective to trade with a Purveyor had appeared quite a while ago. I had casually thought I'd just sell Efta something expensive eventually, but the timing was perfect. You can never have too many Spirit Stones, and I wanted to clear this now.

He was supposed to be in the city of Marishela, but how far was that again? Not close, but I recalled it wasn't as far as the Imperial Capital...

* * *

I left the mansion, ran for a bit, and poked my head in at Hetty-san's. She was in the middle of some sort of orientation with the Knights.

"Ara? What's the matter, Jirou-sama? I thought you went to meet the Archmage of Phantasms today."

Hetty-san noticed me and spoke up.

"Yeah, that's already finished... What were you all meeting about?"

"The thing is, it's not looking good. We received word from the Guild that they can only send a few reinforcements for this Hitotsuzuki..."

"A few...? Wait, that's impossible. I mean—"

Thinking back to the experience on Mount Lucraella, the monsters were dispersed across various tunnels and mostly contained by Shamash-san's magic beasts, and it was still intense. Here, we had the Knight Order, so we had the numbers, but that wasn't the point.

"If this place falls, the village and Erishe would be in danger, right?"

"Exactly. Shello Roth naturally protested, but apparently, a massive number of hunters have been hired away to the Capital and are currently absent. They can't provide what they don't have. It seems we'll have to make do with the people on hand..."

"That's some sloppy management."

The Hitotsuzuki was basically a war; they really ought to keep their numbers in order.

"I mean, we're fine here, but there should be several other monster spots around Erishe, right? A 'few people' won't cut it, will it?"

"We have Shello Roth here. That man is an S-Rank hunter."

"He's S-Rank...?"

"An S-Rank hunter is considered equivalent to more than ten B-Ranks. That's likely why they cut the numbers here. It seems they've secured about a dozen people for the other spawning sites."

"I see... Well, practically speaking, we have the Knight Order, so we'll probably be fine, but it's still a headache. Going off to work in the Capital at a time like this..."

Well, hunters had lives to lead, too. If there was lucrative work in the Capital, I guessed it was only natural they'd head out... maybe?

"...No. Hunters belonging to a Guild have an obligation to participate in the Hitotsuzuki of their district. That is a condition of membership."

"Hm? Then why did everyone leave for the Capital?"

"That is currently under investigation. I have Miya-miya looking into it, so we should have information soon."

So, a problem had occurred, huh.

I intended to do my absolute best for our sector, but for the other spots, the Mayor and the Guild would just have to do their best. I'd provide what cooperation I can, though.

"Well, putting that aside for now—Hetty-san. Can you get in touch with Efta-san?"

"Eh? Why? I mean, I can if I want to, but—"

Hetty-san was Efta's older sister. There was no way he could ignore a summons from his sister. I have an older sister myself, so I get it.

"Actually, the Guidance 'Conduct a trade with a Purveyor' has been active for a long time. I want to clear it and secure some Spirit Stones before the Hitotsuzuki truly begins."

"Such a Guidance was active?! But with the Hitotsuzuki so close, there's hardly any time... moreover, he's on Marishela..."

"Right... I should have moved a bit sooner."

As expected, we wouldn't make it? I was planning to sell Efta some revolutionary technology at a premium.

"Jirou-sama. If you absolutely must have him here in time, there is a way."

"There is?"

Hetty-san nodded firmly. It sounded like an "off-the-books" method.

"Is it okay? I mean, if it's impossible, it's fine."

The Guidance—or rather, the deal with Efta—was just one of several things I wanted to get done. Though, it wouldn't hurt to have another hundred Spirit Stones.

"It is not impossible. I will have him bring out a secret magic tool. If he uses that, it should only take about two days to get here."

Two days...? Marishela was quite far, wasn't it? What kind of secret magic tool was it...?

"I shall send word immediately. If we use Priestess-sama's emergency communication network, the message will reach Marishela in no time."

"Ah, Spirit Communication... In that case, tell him there's a business deal and to bring 100 Spirit Stones."

"A-A hundred?!"

"It's not an impossible number for him. In exchange, I'll be bringing a lead that will generate permanent profits."

"...Understood. I will tell him."

Good. That took care of Efta... or rather, the Guidance. Whether Efta actually bit on the deal remained to be seen, but if I explained it properly, he should understand. Relying on magic and Vocations forever only leads to a ceiling on development.

* * *

The next day.

I summoned the key members and informed them that there was a high possibility the next Hitotsuzuki would be a "Globe-Trotter."

At first, they were skeptical, but once they heard the "Archmage of Phantasms"—the hero of Erishe—had said so, the conversation changed. A strategy meeting began.

Basically, Shello-san and Rebecca-san took the lead. This monster spot was Schelo-san's jurisdiction, so that was only natural. We were technically just reinforcements.

That said, it wasn't someone else's problem, and I had no intention of withholding support. Especially if it was a problem that could be solved with money—I was willing to pour in as much as it took.

However, there was one person who couldn't accept it immediately. Diana.

Hearing my story, she was stunned at first, then suddenly began to burst out.

"T-That's impossible nodesu! A 'Globe-Trotter' Hitotsuzuki! We haven't had one of those in fifty years! Even if the star alignment suggests the possibility..."

The members hadn't panicked since they already knew they'd be fighting the Hitotsuzuki, but Diana was more shaken than I expected. That was how intense a "Globe-Trotter" must be.

After all, it was Number 3.

Since the ones above it were Heaven and Hell, it was practically the highest difficulty for mortals.

"Well, we don't know for sure, but let's just prepare. I heard that even during a 'Pendulum Fall' once, sixteen people died. And this is a higher grade than that."

"I-It's impossible! Everyone will die!"

"Die...?"

Even as I tried to reason with her, Diana couldn't stop shaking.

"When it comes to the 'Globe-Trotter,' even the Archmage of Phantasms barely repelled it, ending up battered and broken...! No matter how many Knights we have...!"

"It might be hard, but we have no choice. If the monsters spawn, we have to stop them somewhere, or civilians will die. We're the Knight Order. If we run now, we can never call ourselves a Knight Order again, right?"

Since we raised the banner of the Artemis Knights, we couldn't just tuck tail and run because the Hitotsuzuki looked tougher than expected. Of course, I cared about everyone. I didn't want them charging into a reckless battle.

But if we prepared meticulously and faced it, it shouldn't have been impossible. Humans in this world had coexisted with this system for a thousand years, after all.

"Besides... look at their faces... For me, I'm not a knight or anything; I could just run away, right? But looking at this, I can't really do that anymore."

The Artemis Knights were a group of women. But they were all certainly knights. They were casting sincere glances, filled with quiet fighting spirit, toward Diana.

Diana was a "Princess." Usually, they interact casually, but to them, Diana was still the object of their loyalty and protection. Having Diana tell them to stop because it was dangerous would likely have had the opposite effect.

"Princess. Marina will protect the Princess de-arimasu. I will even protect the Aruji-dono. The Hitotsuzuki will be absolutely fine. We have trained a lot, and we have comrades now."

"That's right, Princess-chan. We're not just putting on airs because we're knights. You can't live your life avoiding the Hitotsuzuki anyway... so let us protect you."

"B-But..."

Marina and Rebecca-san acted as representatives to persuade Diana.

"But I... I'm worried about everyone nodesu. Marina is an idiot, so she might just go and die..."

"Marina is different from when we first met de-arimasu! Marina will not die. And even if I am hit, I will have the Princess help me with her magic again de-arimasu!"

"...You dummy. That requires Spirit Stones... and it's meaningless if you actually die."

"Is that so? Then I will fight so that I definitely do not die! Is that still no good?"

Marina looked straight at Diana. Originally, this kind of persuasion was impossible for Marina. She was incredibly stubborn about things once she'd made up her mind.

"...Then, a promise... I want you to promise me. Marina... and everyone else... that you absolutely will not die."

Diana looked around as if confirming each and every face. It was a rare outburst of emotion for her. That's how much weight this Hitotsuzuki carried for her.

"For the Princess to make a face like that, it will snow tomorrow de-arimasu."

"M-Marina! Honestly, you..."

"It was a joke de-arimasu. Besides... it will be fine. Everyone—no one will die. Aruji-dono and the Captain will think of a plan so that no one dies."

"That's right. Like Marina said, I'll do my absolute best so that no one dies."

We just had to do our best. I'd clear this Hitotsuzuki with enough room to blow away all of Diana's worries.

If not, then it was just "aim and shatter." There was an old saying, wasn't there? Do your best and leave the rest to fate.

...Maybe that wasn't quite the right way to use it.

* * *

Touched by a side of Diana they rarely saw, the members gathered around her, turning the moment into a spontaneous initiation ceremony where each swore to be "the knight who vows not to die under the Princess." Some of the newer recruits even had tears in their eyes.

These knights really did love their rituals—perhaps because they'd been unrewarded for so long that their yearning for such ideals had only amplified.

Once things settled down, we resumed the strategy meeting.

Whether it was because of the moment with Diana or something else, the look in everyone's eyes had shifted. To fight through and survive—it was an obvious goal, but I was glad we reached a consensus. In a world where life is often treated as cheap, making survival the supreme priority is actually quite vital.

"This time, the combat personnel consist only of us de-arimasu. We experienced fighting monsters at Lucraella, but the Hitotsuzuki is a long haul. We should think of a strategy that takes endurance into account de-arimasu," Marina noted.

"We're actually in a better spot than most," Rebecca-san added. "We have a squad of proper warriors. I suspect the other spawning sites will have a much tougher time. We might even be asked to send reinforcements depending on the situation."

"Wahaha! Sorry about that, Jirou." Shello-san laughed. "The manpower was diverted to the other spots. In exchange, you get to keep all the stones dropped by the monsters here, so let that be your consolation. I'll be giving it my all for the first time in a while."

I understood why Diana was panicking. I'm no hero myself; if there were a way to run away, part of me would have wanted to take it.

But a crisis is also an opportunity.

If we can prove the Knight Order's worth here, we'll secure a rock-solid position in this town.

During the Hitotsuzuki, everyone in Erishe capable of fighting is called out. We'll need to monitor the other spots and send aid based on the combat status. Since an Elf is stationed at every site, information will be shared in real-time via Spirit Communication.

"Anyway, it's all about preparation. We'll do everything we can think of. We can recover the costs later with magic crystals, so don't be afraid to spend. Now, everyone, let's hear your ideas."

Since the Awasezuki had only just begun, we had about a week before the moons perfectly overlap for the actual Hitotsuzuki. We had to do everything we could in that short window.

We couldn't increase our numbers, and it was hard to suddenly boost everyone's combat stats. While they were gaining experience by fighting the early spawns, so far only Skeleton Warriors were appearing, so it wasn't much of a challenge.

Still, it was better than nothing—they needed to get a feel for those erratic movements. Though, I doubted the new recruits would be doing much melee combat.

"Then let me go first, if that's okay?"

Shamash-san raised her hand. That was rare.

"Regarding monster tactics: if I create a 'Monster Torch', I might be able to control their movements to some degree. Could we utilize that?"

A Monster Torch was a torch of black flame Shamash creates with magic that acts as a lure for monsters. If we could ensure the monsters always head toward a specific point, it would completely change how we plan our defense. That definitely sounded useful.

"Hm... In that case, simple walls might work," I said. "Depending on monster size, even just splitting them into two groups would help. Or we could create a one-way corridor so we only fight the lead monster at any given time. Actually, if we did that, we could line up ballistas and wipe out everything in a straight line..."

Monsters disappear and leave only magic stones behind when they die, so we don't have to worry about clearing away carcasses. The ballista strategy was definitely viable!

"As expected of Jirou-sama. Your thinking is quite ruthless—very much the mindset of a mercenary," Hetty-san observed.

"Is it? If the enemy is going to move predictably, it seems easiest to exploit that."

"Well, it's not always that simple in practice. There are many types of monsters."

True. A Skeleton and an Orc would move differently; Orcs have even been known to throw stones. It was dangerous to assume they would all be the same.

However, I did get some advice from Mugen-san.

First, our advantage: the Hitotsuzuki itself was a leftover from the game era, designed with a player's perspective in mind. In other words, it was tuned for groups with lower physical stats but high magic power.

Therefore, monsters were generally strong against magic but weak against physical attacks. Since our Knight Order had almost no mages and consisted almost entirely of physical brawlers, we already had an edge.

Our disadvantage, above all else, was that we could not lose. Unlike players, if we died, it was game over. There was a chance I might be able to respawn, but I certainly wasn't brave enough to test that theory.

"What about pitfall traps? Just like with walls, if we can shape the terrain to our advantage, we'll have the upper hand. Or we could build high walls and drop boulders on the monsters that gather at the base."

If we started now, we could probably make it in time. It was much better than a fair fight on level ground. I'd also got plans involving gasoline and kerosene, so I'll get those ready just in case.

"And most importantly, we need heavy weaponry."

"Heavy weaponry? Like ballistae?"

"Yeah. I brought some books from my world, so I'm going to have Oyakata to make some in a crash effort."

I'm all for swordplay, but using tools is far more efficient than going toe-to-toe with monsters. It might be hard to hit a human, but I bet it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel against monsters.

What I asked Master Dargos to make were large ballistas, catapults, and—

"What in the world is this?! Can we actually build such a thing?!"

Oyakata cried out in surprise as he looked at the blueprints.

"Theoretically. I'll provide the wire to hang the wrecking ball; if you can just cast the ball itself, Oyakata, do you think you can do it?"

"O-Oh... I can't very well say no to a challenge like that. But I'll need you to provide the iron for it."

"I'll have that ready too."

What I showed Oyakata were blueprints for ballistae, catapults, and a rough sketch of a "suspended wrecking ball." Yes, the kind used in the Asama-Sansou incident. Since I didn't have actual blueprints for a wrecking ball, I showed him my own hand-drawn sketches and photos of cranes.

If you swing a wrecking ball into things, you can use it repeatedly and the destructive power is immense—it has the impact of a car crash. I figured as long as we could lure the monsters into range, it wouldn't be hard to hit them.

The issue was the wire.

While there are probably materials in this world that can support a massive wrecking ball, they'd likely be incredibly expensive, so I decided to bring wire from Earth. It looked like it would cost about 200,000 yen, but I could afford that now. Transporting it might be a pain, but I'll manage.

With several other ideas on the table, the general plan was solidified.

The prep work was the biggest hurdle, meaning a lot of the burden fell on Oyakata and Shamash-san, who could summon golems for labor. But if we prepared properly now, I thought we could handle the early stages with ease.

Now, if possible, I'd like to see Mugen-san one more time to ask if there are any specific "walkthrough" tips. I should probably make a list of questions. I want to do everything humanly possible to ensure we clear this Hitotsuzuki safely.