Live Dungeon!

“Hey! Open up already!”

“Don’t push, damn it!”

“The monsters are coming! Are you planning to leave us here to die!?”

“Please! At least let the children in!”

The number of people pounding on the Shield erected by House Babenberg easily surpassed ten thousand. It had only been a few hours since the knights reported the influx of evacuees from the south to Christia, and the number had been steadily increasing ever since.

From the mix of voices crying out, mentioning multiple cities’ names, it was apparent that the evacuees did not all hail from one place. They likely converged along the way, but Christia suspected that the Stampede had directed them here.

Christia knew that this Stampede contained intelligent monsters. She also harbored suspicions about creatures capable of disguising themselves as humans or living among them.

To address this, Sentrea was currently sealed off, with the official explanation being for preparation purposes, but the impatient evacuees were venting their anxiety by pounding on the barrier.

[Man, what the hell is this, World War Z?] Tsutomu could not help but think to himself as he observed the desperate pounding, while Xeno beside him seemed to sigh with exasperation, pressing his fingers to his temples.

“Tsutomu, I have a good guess of how you feel, but don’t blame them. This whole situation started because of the Stampede, after all.”

“You could also say that they’re suffering from their failure to react quickly enough, though…”

From the appearance and circumstances of the evacuees, as well as the fact that most had arrived on foot, it was evident that they were not wealthy. Moreover, they carried few belongings, and it seemed there was little food left. That was why they were desperate to enter Sentrea instead of heading north to the Royal Capital — but that still would not save them, as there was a possibility that monsters might be among them.

“I mean, I guess they’re better than the Dungeon City folks who refused to evacuate because they wanted to see the Explorers, at least. But they didn’t listen to the evacuation advice from the Royal Capital and chose not to flee at first.”

“I won’t deny that, but these people never could have been sure which choice was right. It’s cruel to blame them. Besides, they’re here now because they feel they’re in danger, aren’t they?”

“Considering how many of them are flocking to Sentrea all at once, it’s likely that they were manipulated — guided here by the Stampede. They didn’t necessarily act on their own. And if that is the case, it wouldn’t be surprising if there are monsters among them.”

“In that case, there’s a possibility that some monsters may have slipped in already — among those who evacuated to the Royal Capital beforehand… Wait… If that’s the case… It’s quite worrying, don’t you think?”

“We’re facing a very real threat to humanity,” Tsutomu said casually.

“You should refrain from saying such ominous things,” Xeno promptly replied, wearing a serious expression, showing none of his usual joking attitudes, “This would be your problem as well, remember”

Xeno, clutching the engagement ring on his left ring finger as if in prayer, looked genuinely concerned. Tsutomu, looking slightly jealous but otherwise uninterested, turned his attention to the Labyrinth Conquerors who were getting ready for food distribution.

Christia had begun preparing meals for the evacuees as soon as they arrived, and a large quantity of warm food was already ready. She seemed to be trying to calm the people outside by filling their stomachs for the time being, as she hustled around with a bandanna tied around her head, busy delivering food.

“Hmm… Providing meals is a good move, but it won’t resolve the situation, will it? Miss Christia isn’t one to delay decisions, but I wonder what her big-picture plan is.”

“It’s not feasible to just leave them outside. They don’t seem to have the energy to head to the Royal Capital either. At this point, there’s not much else we can do.”

“But it’s strange that none of the evacuees seem to be injured. If they were deliberately directed here, you would think they’d send injured people to try and deplete our resources.”

For a moment, Xeno looked bewildered before rubbing his temples lightly.

“You sure say some ruthless things so casually sometimes.”

“Decent human being or not, anyone would think of something like that. Besides, you know…” Tsutomu trailed off, pondering with his arms folded.

“What if they had monsters chasing closely behind the wave of evacuees?” Another piece of opinion came from behind the two, “That way, House Babenberg and the Labyrinth Conquerors would have no choice but to let them in, considering their positions.”

Xeno, exasperated, turned around to see Leleia observing the evacuees while brushing her green hair behind her ears.

“Not you too, Leleia…”

“Decent Dragonewt or not, anyone would think of something like that.”

“What about Amira… oh, she’s a Dragonewt Deity. Not the same, huh?”

“……”

“Just kidding, just kidding,” Tsutomu promptly said and shrugged as Leleia quickly approached him with tranquil fury.

Xeno, looking at them, pressed his fingertips on his forehead and sighed dramatically.

“Tsutomu, it’s nice and all how you tore off your stoic mask, but your mannerisms are far from admirable.”

“I suppose that’s just how Clan leaders are. They feel reassured when there is someone less attractive than themselves.”

“So she says, Tsutomu. Any comment on that?”

“Well, not particularly — I don’t feel anything when I’m told I’m unattractive. If anything, I’d say people who can’t elevate their position without putting down others are the actual unattractive ones.”

“…Well, I see myself as fairly attractive, actually.”

“Oh… You do, huh?”

“……”

Leleia, perhaps irritated by how Tsutomu had seemingly seen through her, had her hand on her rapier’s hilt

“Whoa, whoa, whoa… You better not pull that sword out,” Tsutomu pointed that out, and she promptly clicked her tongue and withdrew her hand — this gesture of hers bore a resemblance to Amira’s personality in some way.

Avoiding Leleia’s gaze, Tsutomu shifted his attention back to the evacuees, observing that the tomato soup they were having actually looked quite appetizing, the tomatoes having been boiled to a fine pulp.

“Well, anyway… maybe there WILL be monsters coming after them later — who knows? Miss Christia seems insistent on keeping them out, but there’s no telling what final choice House Babenberg will make. The situation can go both ways at this point.”

“…Yes, I suppose you’re right. Perhaps House Kantjelucia would have been better for handling this. The Master would slaughter the evacuees without a second thought.”

“Right.”

“Excuse me, you two,” Xeno hunched his shoulders as if to say that he did not want to be around here anymore, “Some things are better not discussed in public.”

For some reason, however, Tsutomu puffed out his chest, seemingly full of confidence.

“Of course. We’re able to talk this much because it’s not our problem, and talking about ominous things in front of an actual crowd would only demoralize the people.”

“Hahaha… What about MY morale, hmm?”

“Now, I DO know who I should and shouldn’t talk about this stuff with. Surely you won’t confuse imagination and reality, Xeno.”

From Tsutomu’s perspective, it was not appropriate to discuss such a dark topic with Hannah in particular, as she would likely take it completely seriously and cause an unnecessary stir. While others like Garm, Daryl, and Korinna would react similarly to Xeno, they would at least understand, if not agree.

“Kyaaa!!”

As Tsutomu and the others conversed, a sudden scream pierced the air from outside the Shield.

“Monsters! The monsters are here!!”

It seemed a swarm of insect-type monsters had emerged from the ground, plunging the surroundings into panic.

“Help us!!”

“Please let us in! I have a son!”

“You gotta be kidding me! Open the hell up!”

Watching the scene unfold like something from a zombie movie, Tsutomu shook his head with resignation.

“Gah, I was hoping we weren’t right. So what do we do now?”

“Oh, looks like they’ve disengaged the Shield.”

In the end, the head of House Babenberg had apparently decided to let the people in, deftly manipulating the Shield to prevent the evacuees from trampling each other in their haste. Watching this, Tsutomu sighed heavily and pulled out the Undine from his pocket.

“First things first, we’ll get instructions from Miss Christia. Leleia, you’re with me. Xeno, can you go to the inn and get everyone?”

“Yes.”

“Seeing how you two and the enemy think so alike, I worry about our future…”

“Look, this time it’s MOSTLY Leleia’s idea. Don’t pin this on me.”

“We don’t have time for small talk. Let us hurry.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Xeno hurried off to the inn where the members of the Absolute Helix Clan were staying, while Tsutomu and Leleia, engaging in a light banter, headed toward where the Labyrinth Conquerors were stationed.

▽▽

Ultimately, the decision was made to quarantine ten-thousand-plus evacuees within a section of the Sentrea territory, while the recently arrived members of the Absolute Helix were tasked, under Christia’s orders, with exterminating the monsters outside.

The insect-type monsters that had emerged from the ground were not particularly strong, nor were they numerous, so they were swiftly dealt with. Emergency measures were taken to admit the evacuees inside the Shield, but with over ten thousand people, each requiring inspection, progress was slow. Exhausted from their journey on foot to Sentrea over the course of the day, the evacuees’ patience wore thin.

As the sluggish inspections continued, night approached. Despite using magical tools to illuminate the area for investigation, complaints began to surface.

“Are we supposed to sleep on the ground? You can’t treat us like this!”

“Where’s the food?”

“I can’t take it anymore!”

“Ahh!!”

“Gah, something stinks! Did someone pee on the ground!?”

Controlling a crowd of over ten thousand, especially an uneducated and non-affluent one, was nearly impossible. While there was no problem with the entrance procedure itself, what with it being overseen by the head of House Babenberg using the Shield, there were frequent instances of foul language and violence even among those who were already inside. With inadequate restroom facilities, some could not wait and ended up relieving themselves on the spot, further escalating the chaos.

“Settle down. We’ve got food ready, and more toilets are being set up.”

“Stop fighting.”

The knights, though somewhat stern with the Explorers, handled the complaining evacuees with sincerity. While the Explorers were superior in combat against monsters, the knights were more adept at dealing with people. With their image of authority, armed with sturdy weapons and armor, the situation gradually calmed down.

As morning approached, the evacuees’ inspections continued, yielding less-than-ideal results. At one point, a certain man with golden hair knocked on the Shield.

“Hey, lemme back in!”

It was Leon, who had returned from reporting to the Royal Capital and now sought entry into Sentrea. As the shield opened like automatic doors, Leon slipped through and glanced curiously at the multitude of refugees.

“What in blazes is going on here?”

Having run all night from the Royal Capital to Sentrea, Leon was unaware of the quarantined evacuees. Intrigued, he approached the group undergoing inspection, from which a young girl’s voice suddenly rang out.

“Ah! It’s Leon!” The girl, wearing an out-of-season black scarf, exclaimed joyfully upon seeing him.

Standing among the quarantined evacuees, she was pressing her face against the transparent Shield like looking at fish in an aquarium. Seeing her, Leon approached with a cheerful expression.

“Yup, it’s me, Leon! Where’d you hear about me?”

“My mom’s a fan of yours!”

“Oh-ho? So this beautiful lady is a fan, eh… Well, I’m honored!”

“…I’m not her mother,” the knight next to the girl informed Leon with a cold gaze.

Disappointed, Leon sighed, then glanced at the evacuees before posing a question.

“So what’s up with all the people in here?”

“…These people evacuated from the south yesterday. They’re currently undergoing inspection and have been temporarily quarantined inside the Shield.”

“I see…”

“You should head back to turn in your report. We’re under a tight schedule here — You’re in the way.”

“C’mon, can’t I get a break? I’ve been running all night, you know?”

“Just stick to your job, will you?”

The knight inside the Shield shot Leon a stern look and reluctantly proceeded to explain the situation, perhaps out of consideration for the young girl. Ignoring the knight’s gaze, Leon leisurely stifled a yawn before placing his left hand on the Shield, mirroring the sparkling-eyed girl who looked up at him.

“Okay, I guess I can’t slack off, then — Hey, maybe I’ll see you again after the inspection’s over with, eh?”

“Aww! Can’t you stay longer?”

“Hmm, maybe I can~~?” Leon cracked a joke for a girl who could not have been anywhere near his age, earning himself a disapproving glance from the knight.

In response, the girl clenched her slender right hand into a fist and thrust it toward Leon’s hand resting on the Shield.

“Hah!”

Suddenly, the girl’s hand, now blackened like an insect’s carapace, pierced through the transparent Shield and seized Leon’s left hand. Both Leon and the knight were taken aback by the girl’s effortless breach of the House Babenberg’s Shield.

“Gotcha!”

“…Wait, what? HOW!?”

Though weaker in strength compared to the Shield that surrounded Dungeon City, even Leon would have struggled to break through it. He could not conceal his surprise at how the girl did just that with her bare hand.

Subsequently, with her left hand transformed into a blade-like form, the girl sliced her way through the barrier as effortlessly as a heated knife through butter, approaching Leon.

“Monsters detected!” the knight said, “Come quickly!”

“<<Gold Bless>>!”

Leon, reacting to the strange situation, boosted his AGI and dashed backward. Yet the girl, still holding on to his left hand, went along with him without releasing her grip.

“Wow, you’re so fast!”

“–! What the hell!? I can’t shake her off!”

It seemed as though his hand and the girl’s right hand had melded together, with no sign of them coming apart whatsoever. Moreover, something resembling white thread began to emerge from her right hand, gradually enveloping Leon’s left arm.

“I’m Meena, by the way! You gotta come with me, Leon — if you don’t wanna get hurt!”

As the back of her shirt ruptured like a metamorphosing pupa, revealing numerous sprouting elongated appendages, Leon’s face turned pale at the sight.

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