Side Story - Side Braver Vii, Part One
We received news of a large-scale monster outbreak and quickly boarded a carriage arranged for us, heading towards the royal capital. Fortunately, the request we had received from the guild at that time was already completed, so there were no lingering worries.
On the other hand, what was unfortunate was that although we were able to learn about the news through the magic tool for communication owned by the guild, the town we were visiting would take a full day to reach even if we hurried with the carriage.
"I wonder if everything will be okay... in the royal capital."
As the carriage rattled along, I muttered to myself. We had been able to focus on preparing hastily after receiving the news, but now that we were on the carriage like this, there was nothing else to do. Unable to move our bodies much, I found myself focusing on worries instead, feeling anxious.
"...I think it'll be okay. The royal capital always has soldiers stationed there for defense, and there's also the court's magic division. We shouldn't fall behind too much."
Mayuri said, her expression tense. Maybe it was to convince herself, but it was also true.
"It's not just the soldiers and the magic division."
Gabert said, unlike the nervous Mayuri, he remained unchanged as usual.
"I heard that the scale of the monster that appeared is quite substantial. With a situation like this, even the Mercenary Guild, which has a large branch in the royal capital, can't ignore it. Besides, the kingdom also requests the guild's assistance."
"Wasn't it true that in emergencies, the guild has the right to forcefully assign mercenaries to requests?"
"Yes, that's correct."
Gabert nodded as if he had just remembered something Shion said.
"Mercenaries ranked 2nd and above are bound by restrictions during their promotion. If they violate those restrictions, there will be penalties of some kind. In severe cases, they might be demoted or expelled. Well, those who have risen to the 2nd rank are often a bit eccentric, you know. I bet they're happily fighting monsters right about now."
Gabert's words seemed reassuring, but they also made me feel strangely uneasy.
"Shion-san, in a situation like this, how will the Church respond?"
Mayuri asked, seeking Shion's opinion as a priest.
"Well, we'll probably take similar actions as the Mercenary Guild, but with extra caution. After all, Brave Relix is taking action, and we can't ignore that. I don't think we'll participate in combat, but we'll likely set up a field hospital. It's a matter of saving lives, after all."
"That's a rather unpleasant way to put it."
Mayuri furrowed her cute little brow, and Shion just shrugged.
"There are many faces to the Church. It claims to have extraterritorial rights, but that's not really the case in this day and age. Besides, the shady side of it is quite messy."
Even though he was supposed to be part of the organization, Shion spoke as if it had nothing to do with him.
He had a different vibe compared to the priests in my hometown village or the Church officials who had been in the royal capital. He might take his duties seriously, but his understanding of his role seemed different from others.
'Although he may lack physical strength compared to the rest of the party, his abilities as a priest on the battlefield are quite something. It's likely that him being by the window has something to do with his own nature.'
Leiva's words made Shion-san feel somewhat disrespectful, but deep down, there was a sense of understanding.
Anyway, it's good news that the royal capital still has enough forces to deal with the situation.
──After about a day, we finally arrived at the royal capital.
"Brave-sama! I can see it!!"
The coachman shouted as he controlled the carriage. We all looked up, ready to move at any moment. When we peered out from the carriage, we could see countless monsters and the humans who were there to fight them - the kingdom's army and mercenaries - in the distance.
"We'll get off when we get a bit closer. Then, you should evacuate to a safe place."
"Understood. ...Good luck to you."
"You take care too."
And then, we got off the carriage and headed towards the battle, nodding to each other.
* * *
Lots of different monsters were all crowded together, like Kobolds and Goblins, some looked like people, others like bugs, and there were even some that looked like wild animals. It was really chaotic, not like the Monster Rampage (Stampede) before, there was no real order to it.
But on the flip side, because there was no order, there wasn't really any leader-like creatures, it was just a big jumble of monsters.
It's like a group of weaklings gathered together. From what I can see, there aren't many strong monsters around here, like the Steel Mantis we defeated the other day. If we keep an eye out for strong monsters, then just the master alone should be enough to handle them.
Leiva was right. And above all, I've got reliable friends with me now.
Mayuri starts the attack with her wide-range magic, and without hesitation, Gabert and I charge in to break through. Shion, positioned at a higher vantage point, observes the situation and provides support with her backup magic, adapting to the circumstances.
As we push forward, dismantling the horde of monsters, we eventually reach the person who seems to be the captain overseeing the kingdom's army at the frontline.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)