CH 30.2

“We have defeated a Queen Scarb before… Shouldn’t that have solved the problem?” (Litty)

“Well, it should have worked, but this situation certainly made little sense. What David did was something unnecessary, but it shouldn’t have ended like this. I could only imagine what might have happened…” (Dimos)

“There was something strange about Scarbs that attacked me. The size of their bodies and the antennae as well differed slightly from before…” (Litty)

“It could be a different type of Scarbs from those we encountered in the mine before.” (Roma)

Roma, who had been silent until now, joined the conversation. She had also been thinking about it for a long time. However, in this extraordinary situation, their own common sense meant nothing.

“What if David and the others have dug up another Scarbs’ nest?” (Roma)

“It’s certainly possible. We did not encounter any Scarb Soldiers even when we faced the Queen before.” (Litty)

“The quality of the monsters also seemed to be on a different scale, not to mention the size of the nest. It’s also possible that there are stronger species than Scarb Soldiers waiting for us ahead.” (Roma)

“Precisely. That’s what we’ve just been discussing here.” (Captain of guards)

The captain of the guards called out to all the adventurers. After examining some of the dead Scarbs, they learned it was most likely a different species than the one that had been in the Bikki Mine before.

The adventurers were shocked to learn that Scarb corpses had emerged from inside of some of the dead Scrabs’ bodies after they had been processed.

“So you’re saying that the Scarbs at the Bikki Mine were eaten by a new Scarbs from a new nest?” (Dimos)

“That’s right, Dimos-san. Scarbs are belligerent monsters that will not hesitate to attack and feed on their own kind. If my assessment is correct, there is a good chance that an even stronger Scarb Army is heading our way.” (Captain of guards)

“Oh, it’s over! There’s nothing we can do about such a thing!”

One of the adventurers exclaimed. If that happened, it would clearly not be a battle that he, a Rank 5, could survive. The captain’s words were more like the declaration that the next attack would mean the end for him.

Amid all this, Litty was pondering about something more important.

“If the previous Scarb’s reproduction was suppressed because we defeated the queen, then the new Scarb nest must also have a queen, right?” (Litty)

“That should be the case. But now that we’ve concluded that it was a new nest, we shouldn’t mess with it. If we could do something about it, the Branch manager Regal and the others would have already done it.” (Captain of guards)

“…Are they safe?” (Litty)

Litty knew that the question meant nothing. It had been days since then, and yet the situation was still this dire. Litty had no choice but to admit that it was a hopeless situation for them.

The adventurer from earlier put his hand on his chest and tried to suppress his trembling body.

“If we wait a little longer, reinforcements will soon arrive from the royal capital, right?!”

“I don’t know how many days it will take, and I don’t know if we’ll be able to hold out until then. Besides, there’s even a chance that they won’t be dispatched.” (Dimos)

“Dimos-san! Why are you saying that?”

“So why are you the one panicking? The ones who are the most worried are those people!” (Dimos)

Dimos pointed his thumb at the residents, who were looking at them. They were whispering something to each other, but Litty could not hear what they were saying. She saw their worries and rushed over to them.

“Everyone, please don’t worry! I will definitely defeat the queen and put a stop to this situation soon!”

It was not only the residents who could not accept Litty’s words but also Dimos and other adventurers who were the first ones who tried to stop her.

“What the heck are you talking about? Did you even understand the situation when I explained it to you earlier?” (Dimos)

“But even if we continue to fight, there is a high possibility that we might lose, especially considering Scarb’s reproductive capacity.” (Litty)

“But that doesn’t mean we have to go and serve ourselves to those monsters as a meal!” (Dimos)

“That’s what an adventure is all about, no?” (Litty)

Litty could no longer contain herself. She had been put aside by Regal and the other branch managers, and had been holding back what she wanted to say.

Dimos remembered his first encounter with Litty. Her gaze back then was as spine-chilling as it was now. The look in Litty’s eyes when she talked about her goal and motive was as if, no matter what obstacles lay in her path, she would crush everything.

Dimos couldn’t say anything back to her.

“I may die, but that’s what makes it thrilling for me, and if I keep fearing to lose my life, then I can never have a proper adventure. And I want an adventure.” (Litty)

“But the odds are against you…” (Dimos)

“No, Litty is right.” (Branch manager)

The branch chief of the Swordsmen’s Guild nodded his head many times to show his agreement. The branch manager of the Heavy Warriors Guild also stood on Litty’s side, expressing his silent support.

Dimos scratched his head and waited for the branch manager to speak.

“In theory, what Litty said is right. There is no guarantee that the fast horses we sent out would have made it to the capital. Besides, if the next Scarbs horde attacks us soon, they might end up getting into the city this time. With our current strength…”

“Then what to do? Who’s going to jump into the monster’s nest?” (Dimos)

“It is not something I can decide alone. Besides, we also need to ensure that the city’s defense is not lowered a lot.” (Branch manager of the Swordsmen’s Guild)

“Perhaps we should ask everyone to decide…” (Dimos)

The adventurers’ expressions all varied as they listened to the guard captain’s mutterings. Even the defense battle had resulted in a large number of wounded. Venturing into a monster’s lair would be nothing short of suicidal.

The adventures that Litty portrayed were only possible for people with sufficient power and experience. If a person did not know his own place, it would not be courage, but just recklessness.

If someone said that to Litty, she would have refuted this, but none of them would tell her this directly. No, they couldn’t.

“I’ll go.” (Litty)

She was the most successful person in the defense. Even in this situation, she was willing to speak and come up with ideas. She was also fearless.

She was not an adventurer who only considered themselves to be a whining, bawling mess. Also, not an adventurer who was discouraged and lacked strength and energy.

Those who were saved by her couldn’t help but stay silent after seeing Litty volunteering herself.