Those who gathered to slay a single monster walked the streets like ghosts. Not a single person speaks. It’s a blessing in disguise that there was a carriage that was used to transport poison bait for the monster, and was then used to transport those who are seriously wounded, though can you even really call it a blessing?

The march was slow and those who walks, walks with a heavy step. It took them two mornings later to reach L’Ecole.

The next day Arngeil the guild master of the mercenary guild received a later containing accusation and shifting of blame from the knights. The lord’s army put all the responsibility for the failure towards the mercenary guild claiming that the mercenary guild failed to provide information about the new monster causing enormous damage on both of the party’s side and also claimed that the quick actions of the knights had reduced the number of the dead as much as possible, and because of the amount of wounded they aren’t able to mount a counter attack and was defeated.

They claimed all the credits. The lord acknowledged it and the responsibility for the failure is placed on the mercenary guild. Particularly, they strictly ordered to impose sever penalty to Dawn of War which had the experience in engaging it in battle once,

[Screw you! We gave all the information we had!]

Arngeil kicked his chair in fir of anger. However, the mercenary guild could not refuse the order of the lord, the position of the mercenary guild worsened due to the absence of war.

This is the end; the mercenaries are good sacrifice for the person in authority who did not want to take responsibility.

[Do I have to tell this again?..]

Arngeil looked at the letter on his desk with disgust.

A half destroyed merc company wouldn’t be able to accomplish the mission of defeating a disaster class monster. This in effect would be a death sentence, the mercenary will be blamed and disposed of. It will then result to the common trope of getting annihilated because of misjudgment.

Then, everything will go on paper and eventually be forgotten.

Also, Arngeil can’t do anything about the disappearance of another mercenary group and could only gnash its teeth.

=================================================================================

Diera, the mage walking alone in the town of L’Ecole, looking around the stalls. She had lost her new want in the previous battle and had spent her precious magic stone. And now she was looking an alternative for her equipment and she can’t help but browse to those cheap items. It’s only natural that magic items are expensive and if she’s not careful she wouldn’t have enough fund to return to Seizelia. This is why aside from examining the items she also examines the stores.

(The more I think about it the more I don’t understand a thing. What the hell is he?)

And the next thing I knew all I could think of is that monster. Monsters are the enemy of humans, and if you don’t kill them, they’ll kill you. That’s common knowledge in Seizelia. Our kingdom had always been plagued by monster ever since the beginning of time, the encounter was so high that even if you aren’t an adventurer, you’re bound to encounter monsters in there.

But even, with such common sense, knowledge and experience that new monster is unusual in every possible way.

I wonder how much damage would that monster do if left unchecked? It’s useless to think about it, so Diera shook her head and switch thoughts.

(Come to think of it, it seems like he remembered Orlando since they fought one-on one but.. where did he know of me)

A question comes to Diera mind whether monster can identify voice and faces. She doesn’t remember any cases where a monster is able to identify other being base on those two criteria aside from few exceptions like if they fought for a long time. This is why she is bewildered how the monster have remembered her

[No way! Is he that intelligent?]

She shook her head in denial, that was the worst-case scenario and is hardly possible. If such thing exists then the definition of monster would be shaken.

But Diera changed her mind.

(There should be something distinctive about me that makes it easy for me to be remembered by..)

Then she looks downward, but dismissed that thought by removing her gaze that was on her chest, thinking that this would be from a human perspective, but suddenly remembered something from their first encounter. At that time, she was naked and this time to she was naked on the upper half of her body after her struggling to break free from his grasp.

(Would it be possible that he remembered me by my breast?)

I wonder why he didn’t do anything to me? When she thought about it, a joke that seems to be not far off the reality she grinned

(It’s kind of rude to remember me by my chest)

then suddenly someone she is approached by a familiar figure.

[The leader is looking for you, could you please return to the base?]

Diera can’t remember his name but when she heard him speak, she remembered that he had seen him several time as a messenger. And since she had some business with them, she nodded and ask him to bring him straight to the base of Dawn of War

The young man tried to talk to her in various way to get her attention but with no success on getting her attention. When Diera arrived at the base, she was taken to the room she had been on once before where Orlando is waiting sitting in a chair. Beside him is Edward who seems to be talking to him with some documents and when she entered, he stepped back and tried not to interrupt their conversation.

Diera suggested to cut to the chase without any greeting with Orlando replying for her to go first and she nodded.

[I decided to return to Seizelia, that’s it for the deal.]

She started with the breaking of the contract where they are calmly listening to her as if they already expected it.

[In Seizelia, monster have to be exterminated as soon as they are found. Ever since the founding of the kingdom it was plagued by monsters because of our large area. The village that I was born from was also been swallowed up by monsters and this is the reason why plenty of people from our kingdom becomes adventurer.]

Orlando and Edward listen intently to Diera’s story intently. For whatever reason they wanted to listen to her first till the end.

[I understand that we shouldn’t leave the new species alone but that case is already out of our hands. It’s too much for the both of us too. Also, now that I have what I came for I don’t have anymore reason to continue working with you. It’s definitely a disaster class monster and it’s the problem of the kingdom of Canaan and I as a Seizelian citizen would like to refrain from getting involved.]

Hearing the reason for Diera’s contract cancellation Orlando now tells his business,

[I have another request. It’s urgent. I want you to come with me]

[I’m going back to Seizelia]

Her answer is immediate.

As long as she can recover the magic sword, she have no intention of staying anymore, and there’s some people who she have kept waiting and the urge to return home becomes more stronger.

But Orlando was waiting for her answer

[That won’t do we need as many people as possible]

[I can’t answer to that]

Diera said reluctantly

She was hired for the purpose of defeating the new species but the have no chance of defeating it. Since there’s no longer any reason to continue the contract, she no longer needs to be involved with Daw of War and normally she wouldn’t accept a job that does not have good chance of success.

As an adventurer, it is unforgivable to let a monster roam free but Diera wouldn’t accept it because of her own reasons

Edward who had been quiet up to this point, stepped forward and began to talk.

[We are currently tasked to subjugate a monster in a form of penalty and that includes you.]

[What do you mean]

Edwards’ word isn’t clear to Diera.

[what do we mean by that? You were with us as part of the Dawn of War in the battle against the monster so if you escaped you would be labeled as a fugitive. Since you are aiming to return to Seizelia d o you think you can get out of Canaan?]

Diera frowned unable to catch up with what he is saying.

Orlando supplemented the explanation.

[the knight who was leading the army put the responsibility of the mission’s failure to us. As a result we were force to subjugate a monster that we have little chance of winning. If we run away from it we would be charged with felony and even if we run away from this country we would be fugitives.]

Diera was about to say absurd but as countries change and so is the laws.

The two men’s resigned tone made her realize that the mercenary guild was not strong enough to protect the mercenaries leaving her speechless.

[Besides, the knights seem to have been obsessed with your body aren’t they]

Edward implies that they have no intention of letting them escape and at the same time Diera understand how would they react if she escaped, leaving her no choice but to cooperate. So she gave up and reluctantly asked what the job is about.

[So, what’s the target?..]

[The Giant Viper known as Mage Slayer]

Just after Diera said this with a smile as she threw a punch to his face.