LGHTNOVELBOOK Chapter 34
Stampede Battle 2
Haise heads to the Adventurers’ Guild.
Inside the guild, it’s nearly empty.
The only person there is a rookie receptionist at the counter.
Noticing Haise, the rookie receptionist, who was slumped over the counter, springs up.
“W-w-wah!? H-Haise? Uh, do you need something?”
“Not a lot of people here.”
“Well, yeah. We’re not accepting new requests, and most existing requests, except for emergencies, are on hold. Besides, all the adventurers have joined clans temporarily to earn rewards from them.”
Adventurers are divided into three groups: solo adventurers like Haise, teams belonging to clans, and independent teams.
Currently, each clan hires independent teams with money to bolster their forces.
After the stampede, the Hilberg Kingdom will reward clans that contributed significantly to the battle with massive compensation.
It’s only natural to strengthen teams for the sake of a higher reward.
“To be honest, Haise, you’re the only solo adventurer left. All the others seem to have been hired by clans in the royal capital.”
“Yeah, figured.”
Haise chats with the rookie receptionist at the counter.
He doesn’t mind her straightforward way of speaking, unbothered by what others might think.
“A stampede, huh… What’ll happen to the royal capital, I wonder.”
“It’ll be fine. There are plenty of adventurers, and I’ll fight too.”
“Wow, that’s reassuring. Let’s see… Including reinforcements, there are about five thousand adventurers in the royal capital. And the number of beasts expected to emerge from the stampede, according to the Guildmaster, is… ugh, seventy thousand.”
“Fourteen beasts per person? Sounds pretty doable.”
“No waaaay… That’s definitely tough.”
“Well, I’ll handle a thousand on my own.”
“So cool!! B-but, don’t push yourself too hard, okay?”
“If I don’t push myself, the capital will fall. Probably, if it’s breached, the beasts will rampage and everyone will die in no time.”
“Gahhh…”
The rookie receptionist sticks out her tongue with a grimace.
Despite being around Haise’s age, she was surprisingly expressive.
“Hey, hey, Haise. If you survive the stampede, what’ll you do?”
“What do you mean? Life’ll just go back to normal.”
“How about starting a clan?”
“Nope. I’m fine being solo. I’ll start gathering intel on the ‘Six Forbidden Labyrinths’ and work on preparations.”
“You’re seriously going for that, huh…”
“Yeah.”
The Six Forbidden Labyrinths.
Currently, the only accessible ones are the Infinite Labyrinth of Dermadrome,
guarded by the desert nation of Dizarra, and Diloromans’ Great Salt Lake, a lake that never freezes, managed by the icy nation of Frizd to the west.
“I’ll head south to the desert nation first and investigate the Infinite Labyrinth of Dermadrome.
I’ll be away from the capital for a while.”
“Ugh…”
“What’s with the ‘ugh’?”
As Haise and the rookie receptionist talk, Geist descends from the second-floor stairs.
“Haise, got some business with the guild?”
“Yeah. I need to ask you a favor, Geist.”
“Wait, you didn’t come here to talk to me!?”
“Of course not. Geist, do you have a moment?”
“Come to my room. Mina, bring some tea.”
“On it!”
“……”
“Huh? What’s wrong, Haise?”
“Your name’s Mina, huh.”
“Whaaat!? You’re just finding out!?”
Haise heads to Geist’s room.
The tea Mina brought tasted awful.
Once alone, Haise quickly gets to the point.
“Geist. For the stampede battle… let me take the lead.”
“What?”
“For the stampede. A massive number of beasts will head for the capital, right? The rear guard will use their ‘abilities’ for long-range attacks to thin their numbers, and the vanguard will deal with the rest in direct combat. Before the rear guard launches their attack, let me make the first move.”
“…Do you have a plan?”
“I do. I’ll use my ‘weapon’ to reduce their numbers.”
“…Alright.”
“Huh…”
“But once the rear guard begins their attack, you’ll move further forward and strike from there.”
“A-are you sure?”
“Why not? You’re the one who suggested it.”
“Well, yeah… but I didn’t think you’d approve so easily.”
Geist had been appointed the commander-in-chief for the stampede battle.
Haise’s attack on the front lines hinged on Geist’s approval, and the ease with which he granted it left Haise surprised.
“I don’t know what you’re planning, but I trust what you say.”
“Geist…”
“Actually, Sasha came to me too. She asked for permission to enter an A-rank dungeon… Naturally, I declined.”
“……”
“I’ll place her team in the center of the front lines. If she proves herself there, no one will look down on her anymore.”
“Geist…”
“She’s straightforward. Too much so to understand your struggles. Haise… I’ll say it as many times as I need to. Get along with Sasha.”
“……”
“Heh, well, anyway. Don’t overdo it.”
“Got it.”
And so, Haise’s “battle” was about to begin.