Volume 3 Chapter 20 I'm Running Around, But...
If the magic circle was for summoning "monsters", there would be no delay. So, without hesitation, I aim for the "robed" head with the tip of my spear.
The robed figure seemed to be trying to fight back, and was extending their hand towards me. But before that, I split their head in two.
"You're as ruthless as ever! Wasn't there an option to ask about the situation!!"
"There's no way I can do something that clever."
It's no joke that amateurs do unnecessary things and make things worse.
I couldn't help but think about what if they were just an ordinary person, a good magician who just happened to be wearing a suspicious cloak, but the time had come.
"...In the worst case scenario, I might be wanted for murder."
As soon as they fell to the ground, their robe slipped, revealing their head.
Their head was split open from the top to their nose, making it difficult to make out their features, but at least they weren't a 'human' one that I knew of.
Their gray skin had sharp fangs and horns sprouted from their head.
Above all, the color of blood that still flows. The color that continued to spread on the ground contained 'blue'.
"Partner, your long shot hit the mark. This guy is a 'demon'."
──Demon. People who have been working behind the scenes as the Demon King's minions since long ago. Many of them must have been defeated by past Braves.
"But, in reality, I'm here and dying like this."
"It was you who fucked up though, partner."
Anyway.
"Partner, take a look around his neck."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously."
The demon's head looked miserable as I cautiously searched around its neck, feeling a chill run down my spine.
It seemed to be wearing some sort of necklace.
Decorated with what seemed like a broken sword halfway, overlapping an unfamiliar emblem. Not the best taste, I must say.
"Don't worry, partner. This is a symbol of a cult."
Gram said in a knowing tone.
"In this country, a sword is a symbol of 'Brave'. But this emblem, with a broken sword, goes against Brave. It's a symbol of a cult opposingBbrave. At least, not the kind of folks we'd want to associate with."
"...So, this wasn't just any ordinary friendly demon passing by."
For now, the possibility of being arrested for murder this guy was off the table.
"I had a feeling demons were behind this monster commotion. But, I never expected them to boldly infiltrate the 'heart' of the royal capital like this, especially not with the summoning circle outside. That was beyond my expectations."
Gram said that it had been passed down to numerous heroes in the past. But this seasoned warrior (?) didn't notice. Others would probably be the same.
We defeated the demon, but the magic circle at our feet didn't disappear.
"It feels like we're almost done. Even if we leave it alone, there won't be any problems, but if we just make a slight adjustment, monsters will come pouring out."
"How do we destroy it?"
The magic circle drawn on the ground is quite big. It would be quite troublesome to remove it completely.
"There's always a starting point for the magic circle. If we destroy that, we'll have no choice but to start over from scratch. I'll designate the location, so break through there."
I followed Gram's words and thrust my spear into a certain point of the magic circle. Then, a high-pitched cracking sound echoed, and the mysteriously glowing magic circle lost its color.
"Darn it, I really wanted it to be a wild goose chase."
I didn't actually notice the presence of demons. I just vaguely thought, "It would be bad if something happened in the undermanned royal capital." But it turned out to be a seriously bad situation. Seriously, I wish it had just been needless worry.
"..."
"What's up, Gram?"
"Well, even though I expected it to be a wild goose chase, I still respect you who can step on it properly, partner."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Gram is speaking in an unusually serious tone, which must make me look puzzled.
"Humans don't like wasteful actions. That's why people who perform useless actions are disliked. But partner, you don't shy away from unnecessary steps if it's necessary. That's why I think you're amazing."
It seems like I'm being praised, but I don't quite get it. There are more important things to do than that.
"Alright, let's go to the next place."
"Next? Oh, it's not guaranteed that the summoning magic circle is only here!"
"So, anyway, we gotta run around and smash it to bits."
Bad feelings tend to come true one after another. In such a big city, it's hard to believe there's only one summoning magic circle.
"Oh, but before that,"
I took out the 'magic tool' I had prepared for times like this from my bag.
"Partner, it's the one from the promotion test."
"Yeah. When you break it, it makes a really loud noise and signal."
After the test, I asked Mikage to lend me one. It's better to be prepared, as they say.
"I never thought the day would come when it would actually come in handy."
"...I seriously admire your thoroughness, partner."
Before making a retort about not having a head to wear a hat, I slammed the magic tool on the ground and quickly covered my ears.
In the next moment, a loud and colorful signal flare shot up into the sky, echoing through the quiet royal capital. Even though I covered my ears, the shrill sound lingered in my head. But compared to the last time, it was much better.
"Still such a loud noise."
"But with this, those who are left in the royal castle should notice."
"If they don't, we're in trouble."
It's impossible for me to cover the vast royal capital alone. The royal castle must have stationed forces, so I need them to help me and be aware of this anomaly.
"Well, let's go again."
I sprinted off.
First, I prioritized clearing out open spaces. If the opponents were to summon a large number of monsters, an open area would be more suitable.
Relying on the familiarity I gained since coming to the royal capital, I headed towards a place I had in mind.
As expected, when I arrived at the place I had a hunch about, there was a figure wearing a robe standing on a magic circle on the ground. It was probably a demon.
It seemed like I was a bit late, as the magic circle was already complete. It emitted a stronger light than the one I destroyed earlier, and the head of a creature that looked like a monster was emerging from the ground.
"Now, come forth, calamity! Spread despair upon this land with your tyranny!"
The demon raised both hands high in a triumphant gesture. Since I couldn't just leave it be, I threw Gram at their stomach, creating a hole.
"────Ugh!"
The demon fell to the ground while still in their raised position. I glanced at them and then ran towards the location of the magic circle, approaching the emerging monster.
The summoned creature resembled a humanoid monster, like a troll, and as soon as it saw me, it bared its fangs and emitted a sense of danger. But it hadn't fully emerged, only reaching up to its chest, so it couldn't move.
However, I wasn't exactly the type to wait patiently until its entire body appeared. Just as the troll's neck had risen to about its chest level, I drove a big hatchet into it, using the technique for chopping down trees. The thick muscles prevented a clean cut, but the blade sank in more than halfway, and the troll met its demise, blood splattering everywhere.
I called back the black spear (Gram) that was rolling in a distant location and destroyed the starting point of the magic formation before the next monster appeared.
"From what I can see, it's not a mass-produced type of summoning magic, but rather a regular one. As expected, it seems impossible to make elaborate preparations for infiltrating the royal capital."
"But even so, let the monster rampage in a city like this. The damage would be unimaginable."
Man, this royal capital is just a bunch of buildings packed together. It's one thing if it's a shopping city, but if a monster shows up right in the middle of the residential area.
"Ugh, what a pain!"
I muttered in frustration and annoyance, then dashed off again.
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