Her Majesty’s Swarm - Volume 2 - Chapter 2

The Adventurers’ Guild 

Once we had put all our belongings in rooms at the inn, we swiftly began our investigation of Marine. Frankly speaking, bringing down this city looked to be a cakewalk. The walls were built only as a precaution against smugglers, and there were very few men on patrol. Other than the soldiers walking about to keep the peace, the city’s protection consisted of only a single company of men garrisoned along the walls. 

None of them seemed to anticipate that this place could become a battlefield. Considering that their western neighbor had just fallen, I felt they were being careless to not even wonder when the monsters might show up on their doorstep. 

That said, the soldiers did seem to be working on reinforcing the city’s defenses to the best of their ability. They were carrying construction materials up onto the walls, but it wasn’t going to be enough. It was clear they lacked either the manpower or the funds to do it... or perhaps both. Anyway, it wasn’t as though they were completely unprepared. 

“All right, let’s gather some intel,” I said, leading Sérignan, Lysa, and the Masquerade Swarm into town. “Any ideas on how we should go about it? I’d like to get a grasp on the terrain right away so we can attack it whenever we like... but on the other hand, we should investigate Schtraut’s internal affairs in case we want to negotiate with them later. Where should we go first?” 

This world didn’t have newspapers or anything of the sort. Newspapers were a vital source of information about world affairs, so not having them made things difficult. Not that I could have read a newspaper if I did have one, considering I couldn’t read this world’s languages. 

“I really don’t know,” Lysa replied, shaking her head. “If this were the village, you could ask about pretty much anything by going to the meeting grounds. It was the one place everybody gathered together to talk.” 

“A place where everyone gathers together...” Sérignan mused. “Your Majesty, perhaps we should go to a tavern?” 

“A tavern...? Right. That does sound promising.” Having said that, I took a look around. 

Thankfully, I found one easily enough. I couldn’t read signs, but the giant image of a stein overflowing with ale outside the door said it all. 

“Let’s head on in.” 

“As you wish, Your Majesty.” 

I entered the tavern with the three of them in tow. 

“Huh?” 

The moment we entered, every pair of eyes in the place fixed on us. I was dressed in the refugee clothes the Worker Swarms had made for me—drab as the dress was, it was still a very nice dress—and Sérignan and Lysa were pretty enough to even draw the gazes of other women. It was only natural that we’d call attention to ourselves. 

“Ho there, missy... Do ya know what kind o’ place this is??” asked a smallish man sitting near the door—probably a dwarf. 

“I do.” 

“Then ya know this ain’t a place ya should be loiterin’ about, aye? This is where grown-ups sit down to chat. Yer a year or three away from sittin’ here with the rest o’ us.” 

“Oh, that’s what you were trying to say.” 

The dwarf was commenting on how odd it was for me to come into a tavern, given that I was only fourteen or so. That wasn’t something I had considered; I’d completely forgotten my current age. 

“I might not look it, but I’m actually old enough to drink. Right, Sérignan?” 

“Aye! I mean, yes! Her Majesty is most certainly old enough to drink.” 

“Sérignan!” I hissed, jabbing an elbow into her side. “You can’t call me that. Find a different name to use here.” 

“Hmm. Would ‘Miss’ do?” 

“I guess. Let’s go with that.” 

We whispered back and forth, trying to patch up our cover story. 

“Well, anyway, you heard her. Can you let us in so we can order something?” 

“Eh, do whatever suits yer fancy,” the dwarf said in a resigned voice before downing whatever was in his stein. “I don’t give a camel’s spit if yer head goes rotten ’cause ya become a drunk with half yer foot in the cradle.” 

I turned to my companions. “Let’s grab a seat by the counter. Keep your ears to the ground, all right?” 

“Yes, Your Majesty.” 

We grabbed a few seats at the bar. 

“What’ll it be, missy?” asked the bartender and apparent owner of the place. 

“Red wine, please.” 

To be honest, I didn’t need the dwarf’s warning; I wasn’t a good drinker anyway. The legal drinking age back home had been lowered to eighteen, so I had had a few drinks before... but I never found it pleasant. Perhaps I just wasn’t cut out for it. Still, I had to at least pretend to drink here in the tavern. 

“I’ll have milk,” chirped Lysa. 

“And I’ll have ale,” said Sérignan. 

Oh, I could have ordered milk instead. Well, drat. Still, walking up to a tavern and ordering milk feels wrong. Oh well. 

For now, we simply had to sit and listen. At any moment, someone might be loosened up enough by booze to say something important. 

“Have you heard about the Kingdom of Maluk?” muttered a patron after some time. 

“Oh, yeah, I heard about it, all right,” said his companion. “A whole country just wiped off the map. Terrible stuff.” 

Speak of the devil and he doth appear. 

“What does the duke think about it? If the monsters march north, we’ll have a bigger problem than the Nyrnal Empire on our hands.” 

“Nah, the Nyrnal Empire’s even scarier than them. They say Emperor Maximillian’s the real monster.” 

Hmm... So this country’s relationship with Nyrnal isn’t favorable. This is an opening we can take advantage of. 

“The people over at the Adventurers’ Guild sure have it easy. All they have to do is go spy on Maluk to earn some pocket money. Schtraut can go to hell for all they care; they’ll just take their business elsewhere, the damned peepers-for-hire.” 

“Don’t say that! Those adventurers put themselves in plenty of danger. There aren’t enough people to do all the quests the country needs doing. And it’s not like all of them are off to Maluk, you know. Even then, it’s been ransacked by some weird monsters... I’d be shaking in my boots if someone told me to go investigate the roost of some bloodthirsty beasts no one knows anything about!” 

Seems like some organization called the Adventurers’ Guild is looking into the Kingdom of Maluk. I’ll have to ensure any Ripper Swarms situated across the border are on high alert. Having them look into our internal affairs would be bad... We should close our borders. 

“Cheers to the ruffians from the Adventurers’ Guild! Glory to those bastards!” 

“Cheers to the reckless lunatics waltzing into the monsters’ nest in place of our cowardly knights!” 

The drunks raised their voices in a sardonic toast as they clinked their glasses together. 

“This Adventurers’ Guild sounds interesting. Do you know anything about it, Lysa?” I asked. 

“I don’t know much about it, sorry. But adventurers used to show up in our forest sometimes to look for escaped prisoners. I think they’re a bit like mercenaries?” 

“How about we try to join them?” Sérignan proposed. 

“That might be problematic,” I said. “We’re refugees; no one knows who we are.” 

“Refugees from Maluk, are you?” Apparently, the tavern’s owner had overheard some of our conversation. 

“Yes. We all fled the Kingdom of Maluk together.” 

“That little lady in the dress probably can’t do much, but you two with the armor and the bow look like you’ll do just fine at the Adventurers’ Guild. If you don’t have any other source of income, I think the guild might be a decent option for you.” 

I made a mental note that he was nonchalantly calling me useless. Still, maybe it’s worth a shot. 

“Where do we find the guild?” I asked him. 

“It’s on Duke Sven Memorial Street. There’s a big sign; you can’t miss it.” 

“Thank you. Here, have this. You helped us a lot.” 

I dropped a handful of coins onto the counter and left, the others tagging along behind me. 

“We’re going to look into this Adventurers’ Guild,” I said once we were outside. “First, we need to make our way into their organization. It’s already too late to get around to it today, but let’s go for it tomorrow. If they’re looking into what happened to Maluk, they might find out something we’d rather they didn’t.” 

“By your will, Your Majesty.” 

With that, we returned to the inn together. The beds were comfy, the food was delicious, and the view of the sea was lovely to behold. I committed my satisfaction to memory. 

Thank you, Sérignan. You might have a hidden talent for finding great accommodations. 

Just as I’d told Sérignan and Lysa, we headed to the Adventurers’ Guild the next morning. My exhaustion from our travels caused me to sleep in late; I did my best to keep it a secret, but my two closest companions simply waved it off with a smile. 

I’m sorry, you two... 

“The Adventurers’ Guild should be on Duke Sven Memorial Street.” I moved through the streets of Marine, looking for the one in question. “Oh, is that it?” 

After walking down the street with the longest name we could find, the four of us came to a large sign depicting a sword and a bow crossed over one another. Apparently, they were recruiting mercenaries or something. 

“This does look promising. None of the other nearby buildings seem to fit the bill, after all,” Sérignan remarked. 

“I wonder what it’ll be like inside,” Lysa said with a hint of anxiety. 

“Only one way to find out. We’re going in.” 

I stepped forward with Sérignan, Lysa, and the Masquerade Swarm following close behind. Incidentally, the Masquerade Swarm was so silent I couldn’t figure out what it was thinking. The collective consciousness didn’t really tell me much in terms of emotions or opinions, so I wondered if it truly recognized me as its queen, just as the others did. 

“You’ve nothing to worry about, Your Majesty,” the Masquerade Swarm said suddenly. “This Swarm will follow your every order.” 

I almost tripped in my surprise. Wow, you can talk. That’s a relief. 

“All right, in we go.” 

Just like that, we stepped into the Adventurers’ Guild. Actually, there was nothing particularly unusual about it. Inside was a sort of reception area and some desks for filling out paperwork, like you’d see in a government office. 

People of all shapes and sizes filled the place, including stout dwarves, dainty women, and burly men. On top of their dissimilar appearances, the sheer variety of weapons and armor that belonged to them prevented any sense of unity among the crowd. 

So, these are adventurers... Soldiers for hire. We hadn’t run into any during our conquest of Maluk, but now that I was seeing them in person—a disorganized mess of people with mismatched gear—they didn’t seem like a threat. Honestly, I didn’t think they would do very well if they fought in a group. 

“The Adventurers’ Guild, eh?” I whispered, looking around. 

“Welcome to the Marine branch of the Adventurers’ Guild,” said the female receptionist with a smile. “Are you looking to take on a quest?” 

“No, we’re not really here for adventures. We’re just looking around. Sérignan, how strong would you say these people are?” 

“It’s quite varied. Some of them are strong enough to give us trouble, while others wouldn’t even be able to beat a Worker Swarm.” 

Sérignan and I surveyed the guild carefully. 

“I can see there are some quests pinned up there,” I said. “Not that I can read them...” 

Unfortunately, while I could speak in this world’s common language, I couldn’t read it. 

“Perhaps we could work as adventurers?” 

“What? Why should we?” 

“Well, Miss, I believe that if we’re to look into the adventurers here, forming connections might be the best way to go about it. To that end, if we work as adventurers, we’ll naturally create those connections.” 

Sérignan wasn’t wrong; her idea made perfect sense. I asked whether Lysa and the Masquerade Swarm agreed with the plan through the collective consciousness, and they both nodded in unison. 

“Then it’s decided. We’ll join the guild. What’s our first step?” 

“I think we should register at the reception desk.” 

Right. I brushed the receptionist off once already, but this time we should really speak with her. 

“We’d like to register as adventurers,” I told her. 

“Oh, of course! I’m happy to be of assistance. Let’s start by creating your guild cards.” 

“Guild cards...? Do we need to pay a yearly fee to retain our membership or something?” 

“Erm, no. You simply need to complete a certain quota of quests; that’ll be more than enough to keep you in.” 

Back home, membership cards tended to come with a lot of annoying expenses and procedures. I certainly hadn’t expected this world to use such a system. 

“All right, then. Go ahead with it, please.” 

“Thank you, ma’am. Place your hand on this crystal, if you would. It’ll produce your card automatically.” 

I felt a little alarm bell go off in my head. What if placing my hand over this crystal revealed my true identity as Queen of the Arachnea? The Masquerade Swarm could be exposed, too. I glared at the crystal suspiciously. 

“Um, are you going to register?” 

“Yes, I am. But... could you explain something to me?” I began, lining up the questions in my head. “First of all, does this artifact read our personal information?” 

“The only personal information it can discern is your name and your stats. People have a right to their privacy, of course.” 

I see. That shouldn’t be a problem. 

“And it doesn’t read anything else?” 

“If we had a device that could read any more than that, the backlash would have been severe. Again, all it reads is your name and stats.” 

Yes, I suppose if someone made a device capable of forcibly reading one’s personal information, the police would be making some real strides in their work. If they’d used something like that back when we claimed to be refugees at the border, we probably would’ve had to spill some blood. 

“So are you going to register?” she asked again, her exasperation obvious. 

I felt bad for all the trouble we were causing her, the poor thing. 

“Yes. Sérignan, you go first.” 

Sérignan stepped up to the crystal. 

“I just need to place my hand here, right?” 

“Yes, that will do.” The receptionist watched as the crystal lit up and letters etched themselves onto the card. “So you’re Miss... Sérignan, yes? You’ve got very high stats. I think you’ll do fine in any party.” 

“I only serve the woman here at my side. I won’t obey anyone else.” 

“I-I see...” 

Please forgive us, receptionist lady. 

“Lysa, you’re up next.” 

“Okay!” Lysa placed a hand on the crystal. 

“Hmm. It says you’ve got exceptionally high agility and dexterity. Is that bow your primary weapon?” 

“Yes, I never go anywhere without it.” 

“That makes sense. It suits your stats.” 

Looks like Lysa has high stats, too. 

“Go on, Maska. Give it a try.” 

“By your will, Your Majesty.” 

Calling the Swarm by its full name could potentially expose its identity, so I quickly decided to shorten its name to Maska. Still, its guild card clearly read “Masquerade Swarm.” 

“Hmm. Mister... ‘Masquerade Swarm’? A bit of an odd name. Anyway, your stats are good for stealth, so you should make for a good scout.” 

The Swarm’s true name had been revealed, but in return, we learned that its stats were also high. 

“Just me, then.” I placed my hand on the crystal even as I tried to ignore the bad feeling tugging at the back of my mind. 

“Miss Grevillea, right? Your stats are... a bit on the low side.” 

“Give it to me straight, doc. How low are we talking?” 

“Significantly below average.” 

Aww, drat. I knew it. I can’t use a sword or a bow like Sérignan and Lysa. I’m as weak as a helpless civilian. 

“However, your intelligence and leadership skills are exceptionally high. I’m pretty sure that for those stats, you’ve set new records for the guild. In fact, those skills are high enough for you to become a general.” 

“Just what I’d expect from you, Miss.” Sérignan’s praise was rich with emotion. “Impressive as always.” 

“Sérignan, all my other stats are at rock bottom. Don’t compliment me. Anyway, is our registration complete?” 

“Yes. Feel free to take any quests you’d like.” 

I’ve been to video rental stores with tighter regulations than this Adventurers’ Guild. 

“Oh well. Sérignan, pick a quest for us,” I ordered. 

“By your will, Your Majesty.” With a nod, she headed for the bulletin board. 

She quickly chose a quest that had a lot of stars printed beside it and walked back to us without any hesitation. 

“Sérignan, isn’t this a really dangerous quest?” I asked her, grimacing at all the stars. 

“It will be fine. We can handle it.” 

“Lysa, what does it say about the quest itself?” 

“Hmm... ‘Please exterminate the griffins infesting the city outskirts. The reward is one million krans per exterminated griffin, and three million krans per captured griffin.’” 

Thankfully, Lysa could read the humans’ language. 

“Griffins, huh?” 

If I remember correctly, griffins are half-eagle, half-lion monsters that can fly. 

“Well, they shouldn’t be much of a challenge compared to angels. Let’s take it.” 

“Then I’ll go accept the quest at once!” Sérignan cried as she jogged back to the reception desk. 

Apparently, she was really pumped about fighting griffins. We breezed through the formalities, and thirty minutes later, we were heading out on our very first griffin hunt. 

In order to fulfill our quest, we trekked to Marine’s outskirts. The area was quiet and rural, creating a very peaceful atmosphere. It was hard to imagine that scary monsters might pop up at any moment. 

“Where are the griffins?” Sérignan asked, visibly itching to fight. “I was promised griffins.” 

“That’s what I want to know,” I said with a shrug. “This isn’t a griffin’s nest, though, so it’s not like they’re going to be here all the time.” 

“B-But if that’s the case, how are we going to defeat them?” Sérignan whined adorably. 

Sadly, now isn’t the time for me to appreciate her charm. 

“Don’t worry, I have a plan to draw them out. We’ll be using those,” I said, jerking my thumb in the direction of two cows I had brought along with us. 

“The cows?” 

“You see, I asked about griffins back at the guild, and apparently they prefer to go after carriages for the horses and farms for the livestock. I figured the best way to attract them was to use bait.” 

While Sérignan had been squealing over the prospect of slaying griffins, I had asked the receptionist some specific questions about the quest. Why griffins were infesting the outskirts, how people usually hunted them, those sorts of things. That was how I’d come up with my plan of baiting them out. 

“The griffins should be starving since all the livestock’s been removed from the area and carriages have started avoiding this road. I’m certain at least one of these hungry beasts will pounce on a couple of fresh cattle. Let’s tie them up right around... here.” 

At my command, Sérignan tied the two cows to a fence along the roadside. 

“We should hide downwind of the cows. Lysa, do you still have your bow?” 

“Yes, it’s ready.” 

Wonderful. We’re good to go. 

“Then the rest is up to you. Do as you see fit.” 

This humble bumpkin with low stats will make her way off the stage. Hmph. 

“I wonder what griffins are like,” Lysa murmured while we waited. 

“They’re sort of a lion-eagle hybrid,” I answered. “And they’re big.” 

“As a knight, I’ve always wanted to fight one,” Sérignan said excitedly. 

“I’m not surprised. A knight’s job is to slay monsters.” 

In addition to her profession, she had a competitive spirit that drove her to defeat monsters in battle. Even the mighty Sérignan had a childish side. 

“Is wanting to slay a griffin really that childish?” Sérignan asked with a pout, having picked up on my thoughts through the collective consciousness. 

“Urgh, sorry... I mean, collecting in-game trophies is just as childish, I suppose.” 

When I thought about it, the hunger for video game trophies and the knightly drive to hunt monsters probably stemmed from the same childish desire. 

“I’m kind of the same way, but in my case, the trophies I collect are countries I’ve conquered. And those kinds of trophies are much more bloody and dangerous to procure than yours,” I added. 

I was moving through this world as though it were a game, so I really wasn’t one to judge. If anything, I was probably the most incorrigible and uncute member of our group. 

“Your Majesty, I can hear flapping. Something big is approaching,” Lysa said, keeping her voice low. 

“That’ll probably be a griffin. All right, you three, get ready.” 

A few minutes later, our mark showed itself. Sure enough, it was a griffin. Just like in the legends, it had the upper half of an eagle and the lower half of a lion. It swooped down and grabbed a cow in its talons, then took off, its prey groaning in pain. The griffin’s razor-sharp talons dug into the cow’s flesh, leaving a trail of blood dripping from the sky. 

“Do it, Lysa.” 

“Yes, ma’am!” 

Lysa nocked back a specially made arrow with her longbow and took aim at the griffin. A moment later, she fired. 

“Skreee!” The griffin screeched and let go of the cow, and both rapidly fell to the earth. 

“Next, Sérignan! Masquerade Swarm!” 

“Roger!” 

Sérignan and the Masquerade Swarm leapt out of the bushes. The black blade of her corrupted holy sword and the ax the Masquerade Swarm had bought from a blacksmith swung through the air. 

My Masquerade Swarm was clad in used leather armor, but this only served as part of its disguise; its protective exoskeleton, hidden beneath the Mimesis, was much tougher. The only Swarm that truly wore armor was Sérignan. 

“Skreeeah!” 

The griffin shook off the pain of the arrow, or perhaps ceased to feel it as its blood pumped with adrenaline, then spread its wings menacingly at its attackers. This fierce, primal display almost matched those of the angels we’d fought in the Kingdom of Maluk. 

“Hiyaaah!” Sérignan bellowed a battle cry, swinging her sword down on the griffin’s neck. 

“Skree! Skreeaaah!” The griffin dodged Sérignan’s blow, thrusting its great beak at her. 

But the counterattack was too slow to hit Sérignan, who somersaulted backward and quickly struck its beak with her blade, splitting it apart. The Masquerade Swarm wordlessly struck out at one of its wings, but it was a difficult feat, given the griffin’s incessant flapping. Besides, the Masquerade Swarm wasn’t used to fighting in human form. 

“Ah! It’s trying to flee!” 

The griffin flapped its wings, soared into the sky, and flew far to the south. Lysa fired another arrow, which sunk into the griffin’s flank. Still, the beast didn’t fall. 

“It got away!” Sérignan exclaimed bitterly. 

“It’s all right,” I said, looking in the direction the griffin had flown off. “That arrow’s got a special trick: it emits a powerful aroma that the Swarm can track. Now we can follow it to its nest.” 

“Amazing... Only you could be this prepared, Miss.” 

“Well, I just figured that a creature with wings would try to fly away if it could,” I said, feeling a bit awkward from her compliment. “Anyway, let’s start tracking it down. Masquerade Swarm, if you would?” 

“By your will, Your Majesty.” 

Unlike Sérignan and Lysa, who had humanoid sensory organs, the Masquerade Swarm’s sense of smell was more acute and better-suited to track the griffin. 

I hoped it wouldn’t be too long of a hike, though. Wouldn’t want to tire myself out too quickly, what with my lower-than-average stats and all. Grrr. 

“It should be straight ahead.” 

After about forty minutes, we finally found what looked to be the griffin’s roost. 

“I’m pooped...” 

I was positively exhausted. The beast’s nest was in a cave atop a fairly high mountain, so the climb had been pretty tough. Just thinking about the trek back made me want to cry. 

“Are you all right?” Sérignan asked, looking concerned. 

“Not really. Let’s just get this over and done with.” 

The next five minutes were filled with the griffin’s screeching and the sound of clashing metal. 

“It is done, Your Majesty.” Sérignan presented me with the griffin’s disembodied head. 

“Good work.” 

“We also found three chicks in the nest,” she added. 

“Hmm, really? And what of them?” 

“They were still young, so I could not bring myself to kill them.” 

“That’s not good. Not good at all, Sérignan.” 

They might have been young now, but they’d eventually grow up and threaten the livestock in the area. Additionally, they might even attack humans because we’d killed at least one of their parents. 

“Now listen here, Sérignan,” I said. “You have two choices here. One: you go back in there and kill the chicks. Two: you take them under your protection, bring them back with us, and once they grow up, you place them in the Conversion Furnace and turn them into Swarms.” 

The idea of having Griffin Swarms was greatly appealing. 

“I will take it upon myself to raise them,” Sérignan concluded. “Griffins are powerful creatures, so I’m sure they will make a valuable addition to our ranks.” 

“That’s that, then. They’re your responsibility, all right?” 

With that, we completed our first quest as adventurers: griffin extermination. 

“Welcome back!” chirped the guild receptionist. “I’m surprised you managed to complete such a difficult quest right after becoming adventurers. No wonder your stats are so high!” 

With the exception of one significantly below-average bumpkin. Hmph. 

“I have a question,” I said. “How long does it typically take for griffins to mature?” 

“Griffins? Hmm... I think it usually takes about six months for them to reach adulthood. That’s why they’re such a nuisance. They grow up so quickly that it doesn’t matter how many of them we kill... It’s never enough.” 

“Think you can take care of them for the next six months, Sérignan?” 

“Yes, that would be a simple task.” 

The three chicks we’d taken were currently hidden away at the inn. Even though they were still babies, their appetite was out of this world; together, they had already managed to devour an entire sheep. 

“Anyway, congratulations on a job well done. Here’s your reward of one million krans.” 

She plopped a large sack of coins on the counter in front of us. 

“Well, well... This could help us a great deal in the long run.” 

Y’know, this whole “adventuring” thing might not be so bad after all. 

“Pardon the interruption, Miss, but I feel people staring at us,” Sérignan murmured, giving me a slight nudge. 

“Oh, those must be the other adventurers here. Evidently, we’ve piqued their interest... just as we planned.” 

Other adventurers had taken note of our success, which would allow us to forge relationships and draw out all sorts of information without rousing any suspicion. 

As if on cue, a young adventurer clad in plate mail walked up to us. 

“Say, are you the ones who killed a griffin?” 

“Yes, that’s us,” I said pleasantly. 

“You people are amazing,” he said, his eyes aglitter. “That kinda quest is really difficult, so no one’s been willing to take it on for a while now. I can’t believe newbies who just registered today could do it so easily. Where’re you all from?” 

The man was overly familiar, bordering on impolite, but maybe that was just how adventurers were. 

“We’re from the Kingdom of Maluk,” I told him. 

“Maluk, huh... My condolences.” His gaze turned sympathetic. “Are you refugees or somethin’ like that?” 

“Yes... Something like that,” I repeated, then regaled him with our fabricated backstory. “Anyway, how much do you know about the Kingdom?” 

“Just that the duke’s people have been putting up quests askin’ people to investigate what went down out there. They say Maluk’s bein’ controlled by monsters, so they’ve been sending adventurers to check the place out. No one’s come back, though. Their bodies don’t turn up, either. Seems pretty dangerous.” 

So they don’t really know what’s happening inside Maluk’s borders... My blocking off the border seems to be paying off. 

“Another question, then. Would you say this country is peaceful?” 

“Looks that way, but who can really say? Rumor has it that the Empire of Nyrnal’s demanding to station troops here in Schtraut. Frantz is pressuring the duke to join some kind of alliance, too.” 

Hmm... So the shadow of war is looming over this country. 

“Is Schtraut on bad terms with the Empire of Nyrnal?” 

“They’re pretty uppity folks, ma’am, if I’m bein’ frank. Think everything revolves around them and that the whole danged world should be in their hands.” 

So the Empire’s pretty haughty, then, eh? I get the impression they’re bad news. 

“Oh, and Schtraut’s been stocking up on supplies, too,” he continued. “Now that I think about it, maybe war’s comin’. Only two reasons a country buys that many supplies: war or a natural disaster.” 

Why not just say that in the first place...? They’re definitely gearing up for a war. 

“What do you think the Dukedom’s going to do?” 

“Duke Sharon—he’s the current leader, if you didn’t know—is trying to avoid war. He doesn’t want to fight anybody, not monsters, not Nyrnal.” 

I see. They don’t want to take part in a war, but they’re still preparing in case it happens. 

“You know, if you want, you could team up with my party,” the adventurer suggested. “I’m sure we could tackle the really high-ranking quests if we’ve got you guys on our side. In fact, there’s one up right now for exterminating manticores. How about it?” 

“Sure,” I said with a nod. “I don’t mind joining forces. Let’s do it.” 

The adventurer’s crew informed us that a manticore was a monster with a lion’s body and a venomous stinger at the tip of its tail. Allegedly, manticores were extremely dangerous and had a taste for human flesh. They were about as hard to dispose of as griffins, so most adventurers wouldn’t take on a manticore-killing quest unless they were very confident in their skills. This group only joined up with us because we had slain a griffin, from the looks of it. 

It kind of felt like they were piggybacking off of us, but I didn’t mind since we stood to gain renown from it all the same. The problem in question was how we would go about slaying a manticore. 

“Is there any good bait for manticores?” I asked the adventurers walking alongside us. 

“Only one thing tends to lure them out, and that’s human blood,” replied the guy in plate mail, who seemed to be the party’s leader. “One person serves as bait and sheds a little of their blood, then everyone else engages the manticore once the smell’s drawn it out. That’s the tactic adventurers usually use for hunting manticores, anyway. I think they’re probably easier than griffins, though, considering they can’t fly.” 

Human blood, huh? That means Sérignan and the others are out of the question. 

“Should I cut myself and spill some blood, then?” I asked. 

“Are you for real? The manticores go straight for anyone who’s bleeding.” 

“But I don’t have any other way of contributing. I’ll spill some of my blood, and you can protect me with all you’ve got. I don’t wanna be a manticore’s dinner, either, so I really need your support.” 

“Right. Well, don’t worry—you can count on us. We’ll keep you safe no matter what.” 

The party escorting us consisted of the young man in plate armor, another man clad in leather armor and armed with a bow, and a woman wearing what looked like a sorcerer’s robe. It wasn’t a large force by any means, but their experience was dependable. 

Right, experience. That was something we didn’t have much of when it came to hunting monsters. After all, we were actually the monsters who’d destroyed a kingdom, and we hadn’t yet run into any real ones during our defense of the elven forest. At best, we simply had to take care of a large bear every now and then. 

Come to think of it, the griffin had given us the slip during our earlier quest. I hoped we could learn some monster-slaying techniques from these adventurers without having to run after something again. 

“All right, let’s make our formation,” said the man in plate armor. “We’re gonna keep our little princess safe, you hear? Hey, knight lady and you with the ax, you’re gonna form the vanguard with me. Bruno and uh, you, archer girl... You stand behind us. Bridgette, you take the rear. We’ll keep it busy at the front, so strike it down with your firepower. Is everyone ready?!” 

“Wait,” Sérignan protested. “This positioning puts Miss in danger. I should be stationed at her side. As a knight, it is my duty to keep her safe.” 

“That’s a bad idea, lady. Our whole operation’ll fall apart if you do that. If the vanguard doesn’t hold the front and keep the ones in the back safe, we’ll allbe in some real trouble. Then hunting the manticore won’t be our biggest problem.” 

“No. I must stay at her side.” 

Well, if this isn’t a blunder. I’m glad Sérignan is so loyal to me, but at this rate, everything really will fall apart. 

“Sérignan, if you really want to keep me safe, do as they say,” I told her. “We came here to slay the manticore. If we can’t do that, then we’ve failed, and it’ll hurt our reputation. Most importantly, if you don’t follow through with the plan, it will put me in danger.” 

“M-My apologies, Miss!” Sérignan apologized profusely and then turned to the adventurers. “I will abide by your instructions, then!” 

I was grateful to see her backpedal as soon as I said something. At her core, Sérignan was an obedient girl who didn’t fuss too much. 

She’s so cute. 

“Are you ready, then?” 

“I’m ready.” 

Eventually, we reached the forest where manticores were said to appear. We assumed our positions, with Sérignan’s group in the front and Lysa’s group further back. Everyone hid in the bushes, awaiting the manticore. 

“Should I do it, ladies and gents?” I asked. 

“Go ahead,” said the party leader. 

I sliced my palm with a knife, allowing my blood to drip down onto the ground. 

“Do we really need this much blood?” I said with a wince. 

“Uh, no, the manticore would pick up on the scent of even a single drop of blood,” replied Bridgette, the woman in spellcaster garb. “They’re fundamentally gluttonous little buggers, so they’ll take any chance they can to chow down.” 

Gluttonous monsters that jump on any chance to eat, eh? Sounds like the Arachnea. 

“Stay close to me,” she urged with a wave. “If you leave my side and end up in danger, I might not make it in time to help you.” 

“Yes, I know. I offer pretty much no fighting power, so I’m depending on you, Miss... erm, Bridgette.” 

“Don’t worry, I’ve got your back. You can drop the ‘Miss,’ too. Just Bridgette’ll do.” 

“Gotcha. Thanks, Bridgette.” 

Mages had made life difficult for us back in the war with Maluk, but that didn’t mean all mages were bad people. Bridgette had an amicable, trustworthy demeanor. 

“Did you hear that?” whispered Bruno, the archer in leather armor. 

“I did,” Lysa whispered back with a nod. “Something’s headed this way.” 

That’s an elf for you. No one’s more dependable in a forest. 

“Heavy footsteps... Bigger than a bear’s, at least. That’s probably a manticore.” 

“Definitely. It’s heading this way, and it’s getting faster every minute. It’ll be right in front of us soon.” 

Eventually, I too could hear noises coming from the verdant forest—footsteps and a low, rumbling sound. Indeed, something was approaching, and it wouldn’t be long before it would be upon us. 

“It’s here...!” 

No sooner had the party leader said those words than a monster leapt out from the brush. The creature looked like a lion covered in crimson fur, and a scorpion’s tail extended from its backside. 

It was a manticore... and it really did look as dangerous as they said. 

“Vanguard! Surround it! Rear guard, cover us!” 

Sérignan’s group pounced on the giant manticore, which responded by baring its sharp fangs. It comped down on the party leader’s sword while thrusting its stinger toward Sérignan and the Masquerade Swarm. Naturally, my minions wouldn’t lose that easily. 

“Aim for the stinger! If you take it off, it’s just a lion!” 

“Haaaaah!” 

Sérignan lunged at the manticore, slashing off its tail in one clean swipe. The manticore snarled in pain and prepared to strike Sérignan in its rage. At that moment, however, the Masquerade Swarm interfered so as not to give it the chance to counterattack. 

“Now!” 

Lysa and Bruno unleashed their arrows. They both fired the same type of arrow, but Lysa’s—bolstered by her strength—penetrated deeply into the manticore’s skull, making it rampage all the more blindly. 

With strength like that, she’s a monster herself. 

“Magic, come forth!” 

Bridgette unleashed a magic attack to finish it off, enveloping the manticore in flames. The beast’s movements grew more and more sluggish, and it eventually became completely still. 

Is it finally dead? 

“We did it! We won!” the party leader cheered. 

“That was child’s play,” muttered Sérignan, looking dissatisfied. 

“Hey, you’re seriously amazing. You just cut down that manticore’s stinger like it was nothing! Most people couldn’t dream of pullin’ off a stunt like that.” 

“Hmph. It was like cutting through paper. I want to fight a more worthwhile opponent.” Sérignan turned to face the rear guard. “Lysa and your magician delivered the finishing blows, too.” 

“And you, your skill with a bow was impressive,” the adventurer said to Lysa. “You pierced through the manticore’s skull with an arrow! It looked more like a ballista bolt at that point, honestly.” 

“R-Really?” she said bashfully. “I just pinned it down so you could hit it.” 

“Pinned it down? For real? You literally nailed it in place!” 

Lysa sure had her own way of looking at things. 

“Well, I guess this concludes our manticore-hunting quest,” I interjected. “I guess my next question is... are there any monsters more dangerous than griffins and manticores?” 

“Griffins and manticores aren’t enough for you? Try the Nyrnal Empire’s wyverns, then. I hear they’re more frightening than anything else. Not that there’s any wyverns in the wilderness, so you’re safe on that front.” 

Something felt off about what he’d told me. 

“Hmm. You say there are no wild wyverns? Then where does the Empire of Nyrnal get its wyverns?” 

“I don’t know. Maybe they found some wyvern eggs and decided to hog them all to themselves. The Empire has too many secrets, so who can say?” 

It didn’t make any sense. Why was the Empire of Nyrnal the only country capable of using wyverns? 

“I might need to set aside some time to really think about this Empire,” I whispered to myself. 

“Anyway, that’s the manticore down. Let’s hurry on back to the guild and let them know we’re done.” 

“Sure. Oh, but could you tell me your name first? I haven’t heard you say it yet.” 

“Me? I’m Edgar. A pleasure to meet you, little miss.” Edgar gave me an exaggerated bow. “I hope we can quest together again sometime.” 

“Sure, if we get the chance.” 

With that, we returned to the guild to report our success. Having defeated both a griffin and a manticore in quick succession, our little group became quite famous practically overnight. This notoriety was the key to getting what I was really after.