Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival (LN) - Book 6: Chapter 12

Stampede

Dragon──it was one of the strongest creatures in this world(Ciel).

Unlike monsters that were plants and animals that transformed due to magic particle, dragon was mythical beast and they even became an object of worship in some areas due to their mighty strength and high intellect. Even children knew of their existence.

But, unlike other mythical beasts, only dragon was well known because other than their mightiness, the biggest reason was their many “variety”.

There were the dragon subspecies wyvern and sea dragon, and then the low ranked dragon, elemental dragon, ancient dragon. Their strength was ranked in that order. And when it came to ancient dragon that had become rank 8 or above, they could use all kinds of dragon magic, and they possessed beauty that resided in their horn, fang, and scale that varied in color depending on their element, which charmed the people.

Therefore people feared and admired the strength of dragon. Many stories were made about them.

A type of that dragon, “earth dragon” had started to move from the depth of the ancient ruins Resvel toward the outskirt.

(……There are too much happening. Is Riezan Family breaking the arrangement and picked a fight with Munza Gang has something to do with this?)

The leader of Hogros Company and the adventurer guild, Jesha Hogros collected her thought inside the meeting room where the staffs were moving around busily.

The first report was brought from several adventurers who returned from their expedition at the early dawn last night.

The outbreak of great number of monster, stampede. Often the reason was the lack of food because of the sweltering heat, but if the stampede happened from Resvel then the most plausible reason was “group panic” because a powerful monster started moving from the depth of the ruins.

One of the possibilities was the existence of “earth dragon” that had been confirmed since around a century ago.

The adventurer’s report mentioned that they heard a [roar that struck fear into their heart] from far away, so the old dwarf, Jilgan who had experience facing the earth dragon just once in the past made a hypothesis that was more like a conclusion that the existence that started moving in the depth of the ruin was the earth dragon.

Dragon’s roar had the effect that struck “panic” into the weak. The roar of pseudo dragon had no such effect, but true dragon, even the low ranked could use the basic dragon magic, [Roar].

The earth dragon had the name “earth” crowning it, but it wasn’t an elemental dragon. The dragon with earth element was the gem dragon. The elemental dragons in this Thurs Continent were only fire dragon, water dragon, ice dragon, and wind dragon. At the very least dragon that was crowned with the name emerald or ruby had never been confirmed.

Earth dragon was a low ranked dragon. It didn’t even have wings to soar in the sky. It would become elemental dragon after spending centuries or millenniums eating elemental magic stone.

It was fortunate that the dragon nesting in Resvel wasn’t rank 7 elemental dragon, but depending on the situation it was also possible that low ranked dragon like earth dragon could become even greater threat than that.

The threat level of earth dragon was rank 6. There would be difference depending on how long it had existed, but its overall combat strength would be more than 4000 at minimum. But, unlike other rank 6 monster earth dragon had low intellect. There was case where it got manipulated by someone’s scheme.

(Is it the evil race making it move……?)

The dark elves who vanished. There was a glimpse of the shadow of evil race behind them. Was their movement matched with the action of Riezan Family? But, if we concluded that they were working together and there was actually another plan at play, we would be put on the back foot.

Then if the dwarves of Hogros Company stayed inside the town to deal with that, would the humans and beastmen be entrusted to deal with the rampaging monsters and earth dragon?

(No!)

Hogros Company was an organization of dwarves. Even Jesha who was one of the children of the company head wouldn’t wholeheartedly trust anyone who wasn’t dwarf. She was believing that the earth dragon could only be defeated by the dwarf warriors including Jilgan and her.

It was a settled matter that Jesha and around a dozen of dwarves would head out to exterminate the earth dragon. The dwarves below rank 3 and the other races could be told to deal with the other monsters.

But──.

.

「…………」

Ahead of Jesha’s gaze was just one person, a “human” whose existence couldn’t be ignored.

That girl’s name was Aria. She was a Melsenian woman with white skin which was rare in this region where Cruz people with dark skin color was the norm.

Jesha first heard about Aria from Jilgan who was her confidant and also chaperone. She was surprised when she heard him saying 『There’s an interesting human woman』 and became curious.

Jilgan should have eliminated her on the spot if she was an existence that would become danger. But Jilgan didn’t fight that woman. Was there no value at all in killing the woman, or was there other reason?

But that woman who was an adventurer never showed herself in the guild since then. When Jesha’s curiosity was starting to fade, one of Munza Gang’s elders, Kushmu contacted with a proposition that as an apology for laying their hands on the adventurer who caught Jilgan’s eye, they would yield exclusive supply of high class potion which was a precious item in this desert.

That adventurer who got into conflict with Munza Gang was none other than Aria. She was also the alchemist who could create high class potion.

She could understand why Munza Gang made a move on Aria if she was a skilled alchemist. As the result, Aria also got into quarrel with Kirly Company and as apology, Munza Gang apparently struck a deal with her that they would introduce a sales route to her.

Why Munza Gang that was in charge of the beastmen thugs ended up acting like that against just a single adventurer even though doing that could cause others to see them as “weak”?

Kushmu himself told her the reason. Jesha thought that perhaps he was joking when he heard it.

This town didn’t have “long range communication magic tool” which was the fastest method to send information. Its main way to obtain information was through the “rumors” that the merchants brought.

But, the rumors were mainly about the neighboring Carlfan Empire or United Kingdom of Ganzal. Rumors about other countries wouldn’t reach this far except of “interesting story” like assassination of king or the like.

There was the story of [Ash Crowned Princess] among those interesting stories.

Certainly she thought it was an interesting story. According to the story, a child joined an assassin guild, then she destroyed a single branch and turned the whole assassin guild into her enemy. She didn’t stop there and also picked a fight with the thief guild.

Those two were huge organizations that anyone, whether commoner or the underworld knew to absolutely never go against them. But this child faced the assassin guild and the thief guild head on and still lived even now……the story was that kind of urban legend.

This kind of story was more interesting than hearing about a king from somewhere becoming deranged. It became a good topic for drinking and it seemed natural that the rumor was spreading even until this faraway place.

But when she was told that the actual person of that urban legend was in this town, it made Jesha thought that she was seriously being made fun of and she almost smashed her precious wooden table with her fist.

Kushmu told her that Aria faced a pack of 200 beastmen head one and emerged the victor.

Although she was taking the story with a grain of salt, Jesha questioned herself if she would also be able to do the same if she faced a hundred people. Perhaps if it was just fighting them then she could. But she had no confidence that she would be able to survive. Furthermore if rank 4 Batil and Tous Brothers whose names were known even to Jesha were also present there, she couldn’t imagine just how it was possible to win.

There was no way anyone with normal nerve could do such thing. She thought that Kushmu only exaggerated a gossip and she asked some other beastman adventurers. But she saw how they were more scared of that one girl rather than of Jesha or Jilgan. They called that woman [Desert Rose] and wouldn’t say anything more.

They said that her figure made them thought of a single “rose” blooming in the middle of the desiccated desert.

Jesha thought “I see” when she saw Aria appearing for the first time in the adventurer guild. She could understand how those beastmen had such impression.

Pinkish blond hair was unusual not only among Melsenia woman, but even among forest elf. For the people of this area who were used to see black or brown hair, she truly looked like a “rose flower” in bloom.

Rose didn’t grow in desert. That was why the people of the desert prized “a single rose” that had been processed with sorcery that was brought by merchant as offering to organization even more than jewels.

For the people of the desert, “rose” was the symbol of beauty and admiration.

Aria was so young that she looked like she had just become of age. Her lithe figure that didn’t look like the build of a warrior at all made her looked like a noble daughter.

But Jesha thought 『This girl is bad news』 the moment she saw Aria.

A pretty blade? Wrong, this woman wasn’t anything like that. She was a sweet “trap” that lured prey and spread out deadly poison the moment she was touched.

The men in the guild was led astray by that appearance and underestimated her, but as a fellow female Jesha sensed her danger instinctually.

That combat strength wasn’t inferior even when compared to Jilgan who had fought at the frontline for dozens of years. But more than that, Jesha felt “something” shining deep inside those eyes. It made her realized that all the “rumors” she had heard until now were the truth.

She mustn’t make this woman her enemy──she thought.

.

The winning chance would definitely improve if Aria joined the dragon extermination. But as a daughter of Hogros Company, she couldn’t possibly let non-dwarf to accomplish great feat that surpassed them.

Personally Jesha could identity somewhat with Aria as fellow female warrior. Her relaxed attitude toward Aria was also only half acting, half her genuine feeling.

She held such sympathy but, this desert town Cutlass had to be protected by Hogros Company’s dwarves no matter what.

As Jesha of Hogros Company, if possible she wanted to limit Aria’s involvement only as potion supplier, but as a guild master she thought that not making good use of Aria’s combat strength was a bad move.

But at the same time Jesha understood that Aria wouldn’t listen to the guild’s demand anyway.

In that case what would be the best way to make use of Aria──.

「Aria, you can go protect what you want to protect.」

***

Jesha told me to move based on my own judgment as adventurer.

From the start my first priority was Elena’s safety. To achieve that I wouldn’t hesitate even if I had to fight a dragon, but I considered that Jesha’s words were hiding something.

Kushmu was killed by Riezan Family. At the same time the dark elves who were strong to some degree in this city vanished. And then a stampede was happening now…….

The start of this was me getting into conflict with Munza Gang and caused a hole to open in Munza Gang’s security. Riezan Family noticed that and made their move. That was how most people in this town saw it. But I was thinking that Riezan Family had been waiting for any chance to appear since the start.

Jesha was thinking that something was happening in this town.

The parent and daughter who I met the other day told me to leave this town as quickly as possible.

I didn’t know if they were referring to this stampede. But then there was no benefit for Riezan Family in this. Did they just want to crush one of the four organizations? If their objective was this town itself……?

Most likely the dark elves who vanished knew the answer to this.

.

I put on my cloak again and ran through the town in order to return back to the watchtower that was our base.

I didn’t notice on my way here but, perhaps the information about stampede was starting to reach the town. I could see merchants closing their shop to start running away.

I didn’t see anyone who seemed to be adventurer inside the town. They must have received the request from adventurer guild and headed out to deal with the monsters. But many of the people inside the town were also holding weapon. Was it because they were sensing the danger and acted as befitting as the hot-blooded residents of this town?

「…………」

On my way of leaving the town, I suddenly felt something out of place and stopped running.

Kirly Company that was mere merchant prioritized profit and didn’t choose to fight. Hogros Company and Munza Gang were sending their force to fight the stampede.

But, who were the armed bunch at the corner of the town……?

I slowly approached them.

Perhaps they noticed the abnormality that was going on in the town but didn’t understand what was actually happening, so they were doing what they could do to focus on defense. But in that case, if they were residents of this town, where did they got those spears and swords of somewhat good quality that should be outside the price range of low ranked adventurer?

「……What’re you looking at huuh?」

A Cruz person with tanned darkish skin threatened me with a stern face.

There were five Cruz people and one man who was hiding his face with a hood……. But, that hooded man was radiating the strongest “presence” despite being the thinnest.

I approached them until a distance where their weapon wouldn’t reach me before calling out to them.

「Nothing……. I just thinking why’s there a dark elf here when all of them had vanished.」

The hooded man instantly radiated killing intent while the men readied their weapon all at once.

It seemed that I hit bull’s eye.