In the region of the Jura Great Forest, within the territory of the Palmoze Kingdom, there are several groups that protect this borderland.
The main force is the direct vassal knights of the barony.
The number of members is usually 100, but now, in an emergency, they have called back retired members, and the number has increased to nearly three times the usual, totaling 284.
Next, the ones who stand out are the adventurers affiliated with the Free Guild.
They receive commissions and are hired to hunt the monsters that pose a threat in the surrounding area.
However, since this is not an emergency mobilization, the problem is that they only act on their own initiative.
The border around the barony is guarded by mercenaries hired with money.
They range from skilled individuals to newcomers, but during this period when the movements of monsters have become more active, they are all hired for the purpose of guarding the surroundings.
Most importantly, because Baron Needle-Maigen used money like a miser, the reality is that they did not request anything beyond their guard duties.
So, who deals with the extermination of monsters that the Free Guild does not take on?
Usually, it's the job of the knights.
However!
"Idiot! What do you plan to do if monsters attack while the knights are away from the territory! Who will protect the village?!"
And so, the cowardly baron did not give permission.
He wouldn't spend money, and moreover, the knights wouldn't move to protect the village.
The surrounding villages are in a difficult situation.
Even if they complain about the damage caused by monsters, neither the guild nor the lord will take action.
However, in this case, the guild has a policy of not accepting requests for monster extermination that they cannot handle due to clear regulations.
They cannot afford to accept such requests lightly.
No matter what, to hunt a rank "B+" monster, several (at least three according to regulations) adventurers of the same rank are required.
Even if ten rank B adventurers go to exterminate it, some will definitely die even if they win.
It's impossible to send them to exterminate as soon as a monster's appearance is confirmed.
Under normal circumstances, a few rank B+ adventurers would be stationed in the border area, but the problem is that the frequency of monster appearances is too high.
Even if they had a hundred hands, it wouldn't be enough.
They receive a commission, go to exterminate, and return. The time lag is the issue.
An organization is needed to take on the role of patrolling the villages.
Hearing this situation, Baron Needle-Maigen had no choice but to prepare an organization.
Its name is the Border Guard. The number is 30.
These are people who, having lost their means of livelihood in the village, either turned to crime and were caught or caused trouble and were caught.
There is a facility that houses such minor criminals, a correctional facility.
They are forced to do the knights' dirty work and sometimes act as opponents in the knights' mock battles.
Thus, they are made to do various tasks under the name of correction.
One of them is appointed as the leader (in name only), and they are assigned to guard the villages.
For Baron Needle-Maigen, this is just a way to show that he is doing something for the villages.
Even if they die, it won't hurt his pocket.
Although they acted with such thoughts...
"Hmph, you rats. What, are you going to take it positively that you've been set free?"
That man, Yowm.
His permission to operate was granted.
Originally, he would have ended up as a minor criminal.
He might have risen to the level of a gang boss, but he would never have appeared on the stage of history.
Under his leadership, the Border Guard later showed brilliant performance and became the savior of the border villages.
Hugh.
The guild master of the Free Guild Brumund branch, which belongs to the small country of Brumund.
His skills are certified, and he has reached the "A-" rank, a highly skilled adventurer.
Following the agreement with Baron Veliard, he quickly and independently conducted an investigation.
As a result, he received information from the intelligence department that there was no movement from the empire.
He thought it was possible that the empire might not move, but there must be no mistakes.
He continues to monitor the empire, even though it's not originally his job.
In the meantime, another group's investigation team returned.
He entered the room and slowly sat on the sofa.
This is a reception room for confidential conversations.
Facing him on the sofa are three men and women.
Rank B adventurers.
Gid, specialized in stealth, is a "Thief" and an excellent man in information gathering.
Wig, with excellent defensive capabilities, is a "Heavy Fighter" and diligently performs his role as the party's wall. Though he talks lightly, he is very serious about his work.
Eren, specialized in special magic, is a "Sorcerer" and can manipulate a variety of spells, but is particularly skilled in movement spells. His resourcefulness in increasing the party's survival rate is noteworthy.
They were the team sent to investigate the cave where Beldra is sealed.
Initially, he was relieved that they returned safely!
The cave's appropriate level is "A-".
Even if he had moved himself, he would have found it difficult to do so alone. Most importantly, as the guild master, he cannot move freely.
In the midst of this, he entrusted the investigation of Beldra's current situation to them, even though they were rank "B+" adventurers.
The reason he entrusted it to them was their high survival rate and excellent information-gathering skills. For a task that required avoiding combat and gathering information, rather than extermination, he judged that they were capable of surpassing rank "B+" adventurers.
However, if something happens to them, the responsibility falls heavily on him as the guild master.
It would be a clear violation of regulations, carried out by the branch manager himself.
But he thought it was necessary to confirm it by any means.
Therefore, the one who was most pleased with their return was Hugh.
"Give me your report."
Hugh never shows his emotions and asks questions.
No matter how grateful he is inside, he doesn't say anything praising.
The three men and women, being used to this,
"It was tough, right? Really!"
"I want to take a bath quickly..."
"I think the hardest part was calming down the argument between the young master and the lady..."
Their response is as usual, a normal mission report.
However, their eyes did not show any playful color.
And they resumed their report.
The battle with monsters inside the cave.
Deceiving the detection ability of the guardian, Lamsa (Tempest Serpent), and infiltrating the sealed room.
Confirming Beldra's disappearance...
They reported that they spent about a week investigating the room and did not find any other presence.
And what worried them...
"So, here's the thing. After completing the internal investigation and coming out of the door... Lamsa was gone."
"Right! My escape spell didn't work inside the door, so I was really worried about how to escape from Lamsa!"
"My illusion and heat source bait didn't work! So, I was worried that going in was fine, but coming back wouldn't be..."
That was their report.
What happened? It's a rank "A-" monster, the strongest existence inside the cave.
Probably, a monster he himself couldn't defeat.
Because of its presence, the success rate of this mission was drastically reduced.
Hugh thinks.
Indeed, something is happening in that land. He needs to know what it is.
"Good, you three. I'll give you a three-day break. After that, go back and investigate the forest again!
This time, there's no need to enter the cave! Investigate the surroundings thoroughly and carefully!
You may go now!"
"You may go now! It's not a 'may'!"
"What? Three days?! Give us more vacation~!"
"Yeah, yeah... No matter what you say, it's probably useless, right?"
He heard such voices, but Hugh ignored them.
Instead, he organized the information he had just received.
What is happening in that forest...
Hugh deeply thinks.
Suddenly, he opened his eyes, feeling the resentful gazes of the three.
"What are you doing? Get out quickly!"
He said, and chased the three out.
Hinata Sakaguchi was bored.
In her personal room assigned within the palace of the Holy Papal Kingdom of Ruberios.
This world is boring.
When she fell into this world, Hinata was 15 years old.
On the day of her high school freshman enrollment, she went to school and returned home because she didn't want to be at home.
As she passed by the shrine she always passed, a sudden gust of wind blew.
She closed her eyes because she couldn't open them. When she opened her eyes again, she saw a landscape she had never seen before.
Hinata was delighted.
She thought she was free from her mother, who had become obsessed with religion and neglected the house.
Her father had disappeared long ago.
He boasted about hitting a big win in horse racing, but in the end, all that was left was a huge debt.
Unable to endure the violence of her father, her mother fled to religion.
Hinata, who rarely saw her father, thought she had killed him to get life insurance for her mother...
If she had waited a little longer, she could have gotten the insurance money.
She didn't make any mistakes that would expose her.
So, her father had evaporated. That was that.
Still, thinking about it, she needed to commit more murders.
She would have killed the religious figures who deceived her mother and eventually killed her mother herself.
Hinata is analyzing it coldly.
That's why she didn't want to be at home...
Here, she thought, there was no need for more murders. But...
"Hey! There's one here too!"
"Oh! A young girl? Great job!!"
"Can we taste her before selling her?"
The men surrounded Hinata, saying such things.
Ah... This place is the same.
The world is filled with despair.
She thought.
A world full of despicable people, let such a world perish!!!