"Huff... I... don't have time to explain right now. First... cough—"
I could feel blood rising up in my throat, choking my words. Rubia, who was standing beside me, gently wiped the blood from my mouth with a handkerchief and embraced my trembling body.
"The... the flute that man used earlier... cough... that flute summons every monster around... to one place... And, it... also... enrages them..." Blood filled my mouth again, interrupting my explanation.
"Yes, I understand. You don't need to say more. The important thing is we need to evacuate the villagers immediately, correct?"
I could only nod.
"But... since they're coming from both entrances, we'll have to block them at the gates and get everyone inside their homes as soon as possible."
Nod. Nod.
"If what the kid says is true, there will be around 20,000 of them soon enough."
"Well, looks like we're screwed, but I'll try to handle it."
Luchi began walking toward the villagers, shouting out to them.
"Hey! There are 20,000 monsters heading our way. Are you all just going to stand there doing nothing?"
The villagers only murmured amongst themselves, not showing any signs of moving.
"I also need a bunch of supplies. Are there any merchants here willing to hand them over? I'll pay you handsomely."
The villagers remained unmoved, ignoring him entirely. Watching this was driving me mad. Rubia, who was still holding me, let out a sigh as well.
"Well then, if that's how it is, you can't say I didn't ask. Whatever happens next is on you."
Luchi wiped the blood from his sword as he moved toward the villagers. Sensing that something was off, Heinzel rushed over and grabbed Luchi by the shoulder.
"Luchi. What do you think you're doing...?"
"If words won't work, maybe this will." Luchi subtly raised his sword.
"You've got to be kidding me." Heinzel muttered, clearly understanding Luchi's frustrations.
Honestly, I could see where Luchi was coming from. Time was of the essence, and convincing the villagers through dialogue wasn't going to work. Of course, the chaos was largely because of how things had been handled so far, but seeing the villagers' reactions, it seemed they would've treated us as crazy people no matter what.
So, I had no choice but to act as well. Sometimes you have to force people's hands.
I'd just scare them a little.
After all, I'm known as the 'Red Beast' That should be enough to intimidate them.
I gulped down a potion and slipped out of Rubia's embrace. Gripping my greatsword, I followed behind Luchi. If I just destroy that building over there, it should be enough to send a message. I wasn't sure if I could manage in my current condition, but if I focus on breaking a key pillar like I did back when I tore down Havlon's walls, it might work...
As I clenched my greatsword tightly, remembering that feeling, Rubia suddenly grabbed my shoulder.
"Noah, wait."
"Rubia... We don't have any other choice. If we don't do something—"
"No, that's not it. Let me handle this. It'll be much easier if I do it."
With that, Rubia quickly walked past me and approached Luchi.
"Luchi, I'll take care of this. You and Heinzel should focus on preparing for the fight."
"You're going to do it? Are you sure you can handle it?" Luchi asked, clearly surprised.
"It's not ideal, but there's no other option. I can't just stand back in a situation like this."
Rubia approached the villagers with slow, deliberate steps. Then, with a graceful motion, she pulled back the hood of her robe, revealing her face, and spoke in a voice dripping with false cheerfulness.
"Hello, everyone! It's been a while. How have you all been?"
"P-riestess?! It's the Priestess!"
"Priestess, it's been so long!"
As soon as they saw Rubia's face, the villagers began kneeling one by one, bowing their heads. Rubia greeted them with flowery words before calmly explaining the situation.
"Wow... Rubia is amazing..."
"Turns out there's something more effective than a sword after all."
"Well, that's a relief. Looks like we'll be ready in no time. little girl, do you know which entrance they'll come through first?"
"It'll be from the Ruins first. The gnolls are faster, so they'll reach us before the monsters from the plains."
"The Ruins, so the southern gate. Looks like there are quite a few adventurers in the village. How about we send them to the eastern gate and handle the southern gate ourselves?"
Luchi looked between Heinzel and me.
"Just the three of us?" I asked.
Luchi nodded, and Heinzel glanced at me before nodding as well.
"...That's over 8,000 monsters, though."
"8,000, huh... Heinzel and I will take care of 3,000 each, so that leaves 2,000 for you. Sounds fair, right?"
"Yeah, that seems like a good plan." Heinzel chuckled.
Luchi and Heinzel were making light of the situation, speaking of killing thousands of monsters as if it were nothing. Despite their banter, I knew the truth: even for warriors like them, this battle could mean death. But the way they talked, so casually, was their way of steeling themselves.
I decided to play along with their game.
"...I'll take care of 4,000. You two can split the rest. If you kill more than that, I'll be mad."
"Kahahaha! Sounds like a deal! How about the loser buys breakfast tomorrow?"
"For once, that's a decent idea. I'm in."
"All the jelly in the village... that's what I'm going to ask for. You two head to the south gate. I've got a few things to take care of first."
I turned away from the two burly men and made my way over to Rubia.
"Rubia!"
Rubia turned, her expression softening when she saw me.
"How's everything going? Are you okay?"
"It's fine. I've finished explaining everything to the villagers. They've agreed to gather the supplies we need. But they seem to trust me too much... It's a little overwhelming."
Rubia sighed and rubbed her arms.
"I don't think they fully grasp the gravity of the situation yet. It's understandable, but still... it makes me anxious."
"There's nothing we can do about that. As long as they stay inside their homes, they'll be fine. What about the adventurers?"
"The innkeepers are waking up all the adventurers and gathering them in the square. The merchants are also bringing the supplies we need to the square."
"Good... Now, could you lean down a bit?"
"Sure."
Rubia leaned down, and I stood on tiptoes to whisper something to her. I made sure to ask her to keep it a secret. It wasn't that it would matter if the villagers found out, but it would be more comfortable for everyone if they didn't know.
I whispered as quietly as I could.
"Did I hear that right?"
"Yes. You heard it right."
"Wait... you want me to—Mmph?!"
"Shh! I said it's a secret!" I clamped my hands over Rubia's mouth.
Silly Rubia... I just told you to keep it a secret!
"Mmph! Mmm!"
Rubia nodded that she understood, so I let go of her mouth.
"Alright. I'll get everything you asked for."
"And make sure to bring as much as you can. The more, the better."
"But why do you need all that at the south gate? Wouldn't it be better to divide it between the two entrances...?"
Rubia trailed off, looking at me, then stopping in realization.
"Noah, don't tell me..."
"Yeah, that's right. It's going to be me, Heinzel, and Luchi holding the southern gate. So, please make sure those supplies go to the southern gate. Oh, and we'll need about ten greatswords, and... maybe one more batch of potions."
"Just the three of you?!" Rubia's voice was sharp.
"Yes. You, meanwhile, should head to the west gate and help the adventurers there. Make sure the formation holds. If the adventurers work together, they'll be able to manage. And also, use that spell you used in the forest to block the scent... you know the one."
Rubia's trembling hands grabbed my shoulders.
"Don't say something so insane! How are three of you supposed to handle that many monsters?! It's impossible, even if Luchi and Heinzel are platinum-ranked!"
I held her shaking hands tightly.
"It's fine. Trust me. We don't have time for this. Just do what I say, okay? Once this is over, the four of us will go have a big meal together. Whoever kills the least amount of monsters has to pay, and it definitely won't be me, so feel free to eat as much as you want."
"How can you say that? Just three of you against thousands of monsters... it's absurd. Even if they're platinum-ranked, it's still...!"
"Rubia. Trust me. There's no more time to talk. Please, go. And don't forget the supplies I asked for."
I gently removed Rubia's hands from my shoulders.
"See you later, Rubia."
I turned and walked toward the southern gate.
Wait... did I just set up a death flag for myself?
"Uh... uh, don't say 'see you later' like that...!"
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Never mind! Goodbye!"
* * * *
At the southern gate, we prepared for the impending battle.
"Heh, what a sight... Even in the middle of the night, I can see those monsters swarming like wild dogs."
"You can see them, Luchi? I thought you'd have trouble with only one eye."
"Thanks to your shiny bald head, I can see everything just fine."
I ignored their silly banter and expanded my senses, focusing on the approaching horde. At the front were six distinct groups—around 1,200 monsters.
"Just as we expected. Six groups. We're sticking to the plan, right?"
"Of course. It's too early to use them just yet."
"Indeed. Good thinking."
Luchi drew his sword. Heinzel gripped his halberd. I placed the ten greatswords in the ground around us.
"Make sure you don't lose count this time. Especially you, Heinzel."
"I'll keep a careful tally this time. But are there no extra points for taking out leaders?"
"We can't have that... Heinzel would get confused."
"Haha, true. Noah's right."
"Hmph... well, I suppose you're both right."
Our conversation fell silent. The gnolls' savage howls, the trembling of the ground, and the shaking air grew louder.
"Let's finish this quickly and head out for that meal in one piece."
"Kehahaha! Of course!"
I nodded in agreement and opened my eyes.
[The subject is a character in a game]
[The subject is a character in a game]
[The subject is a character in a game]
[The subject is a character in a game]
Right.
They're just game characters.
This isn't real.
It's just a game.
So...
Don't be scared.
Just do it the way you always did it in the game.