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A week passed, and it was finally raid day.

– Creak…

The rusty iron cage door, not used for a long time, groaned open. At the same moment, the elf who opened the door spoke.

“Come out. You’re free.”

The figure emerging from the prison was a red-haired man. As soon as he stepped out, he stretched his arms wide in liberation.

“Arthur!”

“Mr. Arthur!”

The heroines waiting outside the prison welcomed Arthur as he emerged. They immediately rushed to him, showering him with worries about any injuries or loneliness he might have felt. In response, Arthur smiled and assured them.

“I’m fine.”

Receiving concern from such beautiful girls is something only possible in a novel. Thinking like that, the prison time didn’t feel too bad after all. Except for the cold sleeping conditions and the meals consisting solely of greens.

Tia and Stella visited him every day, so he didn’t feel lonely. Arthur came out of the prison without a single problem.

‘If this can be called an experience…’

In his entire previous life, he had never spent time in prison. Although there was that one time he was mistakenly summoned to the royal palace, he got out early thanks to Tia’s help back then.

This experience wasn’t exactly pleasant, but wasn’t it said that there’s no experience that is entirely useless? …Maybe.

“By the way, guys. What’s the situation outside?”

Enjoying the long-awaited reunion and the revenge against the one who falsely accused him were all well and good, but there was something more important right now. It had been a week since he was freed, and today was raid day. He needed information about what had transpired during his absence.

“…There was a bit of a problem outside.”

Tia said. A problem? There shouldn’t have been any issues during the preparation period. Arthur decided to hear more.

“We haven’t seen it ourselves, but we heard that the seal was attacked. Two elves guarding the seal were also killed.”

“The seal was attacked…?”

“Yes. That caused quite a stir. There hasn’t been any attack since then, though.”

Elves died? That’s strange. There’s not just him here; there’s also the World Tree. The World Tree possesses foresight, so if something happened, it should have been able to respond accordingly.

Not to mention, there’s also S-Rank Adventurer Gideon. And even if he wouldn’t help, there’s that Luke guy too. Yet such a thing occurred?

“What was Luke doing during this?”

“Well…”

Arthur was taken aback by Tia’s answer.

“He’s been missing…?”

“Yes. He hasn’t been seen since about three days ago.”

Did he run away in fear? In the presence of an S-Rank Monster, even he had to tuck his tail and flee?

But I’m different from that guy. Although the opponent is formidable, I won’t be of much help, yet I will stand tall and grow as much as I can.

“First, let’s head toward the World Tree. We need to find out what we need to do.”

“Uh… Mr. Arthur?”

“What is it, Stella?”

“Can we actually do anything here? With S-Rank Adventurers like the Dean and the elves and the World Tree around, are we just going to be in the way…?”

Stella’s face was filled with concern and worry. …Honestly, I’m scared too. Even the original Arthur was just a supporting character in this episode. This episode serves as a stepping stone for him to realize the need for growth and develop internally.

Until now, I thought being the protagonist meant I could do anything, but being in prison made me realize. This isn’t a novel; it’s reality. After experiencing various events, I learned that not everything goes according to plan. I had to admit, if things went wrong this time, I could genuinely die.

“Stella, everyone has their own roles to play. Even if you can’t help this time, you can assist with supplies, or transport the injured, and save those who might die. So don’t diminish your own worth.”

Ugh─! Even after saying it, it feels cringy. How do protagonists say these cheesy lines with a straight face? Forced laughter is exhausting.

But what can I do? It’s the protagonist’s duty to bring a smile to the heroines when they’re in distress. At Arthur’s words, Stella seemed to relax a little, managing a small smile.

“Thank you.”

“Think nothing of it. Shall we set off?”

“Yes!”

The atmosphere was somewhat bright, but they were still at the entrance of the prison. Upon leaving that dismal place, they headed straight to the audience room. Naturally, the elves regarded them with less than friendly eyes. Although it was a false accusation, he was still considered a criminal who violated their deity.

‘I don’t know who did this, but if I find out, I won’t let it slide.’

Although there were currently no leads, Arthur thought catching the culprit would be his first act of murder. Thus, with a burning sense of vengeance, Arthur’s group proceeded to the audience room. Standing at the entrance, they sought permission, just like the great warriors of old.

“World Tree, it’s Arthur. May we enter?”

Then, a voice echoed in his head.

[Yes. Please come in.]

With the permission granted, they opened the huge door and entered to find the World Tree seated at a table with scrolls laid out.

“……”

[……]

Although they had entered, what followed was silence. Despite the fact that it was a false accusation, the current relationship between the World Tree and Arthur felt like that of a rapist and victim.

‘Why does it feel so awkward when I didn’t even do anything…?’

Arthur felt unjustly treated. If he played coy here, it would be like admitting that the accusations were true, so he decided to act boldly.

“World Tree, we came to ask what we should do before the raid starts.”

[Ah…]

Only after Arthur initiated the conversation did they manage to converse properly.

[Are you aware that the seal and the elves were attacked previously?]

“Yes. I received transmission from my party.”

[We suspect that the culprit is a demon.]

Well… That makes sense. Almost all bad events are linked to demons anyway. With an S-Rank Monster on the loose alongside that demon, Arthur felt that things were going to get very tough.

[Furthermore, the culprit has not shown themselves since the first attack. Even my foresight cannot confirm their location.]

“That means… the culprit is still hiding somewhere in the forest.”

[Unfortunately. We suspect that the culprit will attack during the raid. While we conduct the raid, we need you and your party to hold off the culprit.]

“Understood.”

[Thank you for your cooperation.]

After leaving the audience room, Arthur let out a sigh.

“Ha…”

“What’s wrong?”

“Well, it’s not just monsters; there’s demons involved too, so I’m a bit on edge.”

“That’s true…”

Compared to monsters, demons do seem pathetic, but that’s only when compared to monsters. Demons themselves are a calamity to humans. So it was impossible not to feel tense. All he could do now was prepare as best as he could. Thus, Arthur moved toward the lodging where his sword awaited him.

“Let’s get ready quickly.”

“Yes!”

“Sure.”

*

In a location close to the seal, over a hundred elves were gathered. All soldiers, except those providing rear support, had congregated at the seal. Among them, Arthur, who was all set, was approached by a rare black-haired man.

“Is it you? The one who came to assist with the raid?”

Upon recognizing the voice’s owner, Arthur’s gaze was instantly drawn to the man’s ears. They were not pointed. Since there was only one other human here aside from him and Luke, Arthur immediately knew who the man was.

“It’s an honor to meet you.”

“Hm? You know me?”

“How could I not know an S-Rank Adventurer when there are only three in the continent?”

He was a monster, like Dean Lucia. The Weapon Master Gideon. At Arthur’s words, Tia and Stella’s eyes also widened in surprise. It seemed they hadn’t crossed paths in a week.

“Haha. I didn’t realize I was so famous.”

Gideon, extending his hand in greeting, Arthur reciprocated by shaking it. Gideon smiled lightly as he grasped Arthur’s hand.

“Feeling nervous?”

“Y-yes?”

“Your hand is stiff. Don’t be too tense. A moderate amount of tension can warm up your body, but too much tension can make it hard to move.”

“…Thank you for the advice.”

With that, Gideon finished shaking hands with Tia and Stella before disappearing somewhere. Then, the elf Palun, who had guided Arthur’s group previously, approached.

“Human. Have you seen Evangelin?”

Evangelin. Wasn’t that the name of the elf who had guided Luke before?

“No, I haven’t. I’ve been imprisoned for a week.”

“I see. Understood.”

Then an elf nearby spoke up.

“Palun, someone reported that the guard at the entrance saw Lady Evangelin leaving with a cart a few days ago.”

“A cart…?”

Since the commands from the Yggdrasil hadn’t changed after the guidance, could it have been her own decision? But making a cart seemed strange. If she were making an independent decision, she could have simply ridden a horse and left; running might have gotten her there faster.

As Palun pondered over this, he soon dropped the thought.

“…It’s fine. She must have her own mission.”

As someone who knew honor, perhaps she was engaged in something important elsewhere. Though having a formidable ally like a Great Warrior missing was a significant loss, they couldn’t afford to dwell on it now.

Subsequently, Palun moved to a visible spot and shouted so everyone could hear.

“Before we start the raid, I will lead the operation on behalf of Yggdrasil! I, the Great Warrior Palun, will command here!”

On behalf of the World Tree, it was the Great Warrior Palun who took command of tonight’s raid.

“Today, we will defeat the monsters that have instilled fear in the continent!”

– Shaaaaa…

As soon as Palun’s words ended, green particles began to fall from the sky. Upon inadvertently touching those beautiful particles, Arthur felt a surge of power rising from within him.

“This is…?”

Looking around, the elves were calm, while only he, Tia, and Stella were in awe.

“Warriors, raise your weapons! The blessing of Yggdrasil is upon us!!”

– Waaaaah!!!

A roar filled the quiet forest. The momentum was enough to scare even an S-Rank Monster. Following this, the elves moved to their designated positions. Some moved to the big bows that were secured, while others drew swords to take the front lines. Soon, a massive wave surged through the forest. The direction was from the World Tree towards the seal.

At that moment, the runes on the stone marking the seal glowed a bright blue before losing their light and crumbling.

– Boom!

As the stones began to collapse one by one, the ground trembled as if a mountain was moving. It wasn’t just any mountain; it was a calamity that possessed a will of its own. Even that simple movement made it hard to suppress a gulp.

The moss-covered volcano began to glow with red light, and soon the moss burned away, revealing its true form.

Limbs began to emerge from beneath the shell, and several pairs of large and small eyes shone brightly until finally, the head burst forth.

-Kuwaaaak────────!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With that roar, announcing the resurrection of the Volcano Dragon, the raid began.

 

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