This place will serve as our command post!
With that declaration, I brought out an LED lantern and secured a light source.
「Miriel and the other women, sleep. Even if you cannot, lie down and try to sleep. If the adventurers do not arrive by morning, you will have to fight. The three men will keep watch around the area until dawn. Monsters may come under the cover of night. Do not let anything pass through here. I will go check on the giants」
「Takato-san, you have not slept at all! Please get some rest, even if only a little!」
「I am already used to staying up all night. Besides, I have learned how to recover properly, so I will be fine until morning」
To be honest, I was sleepy. Still, I doubted I could actually fall asleep even if I lay down. If that was the case, moving around would help keep my mind occupied.
「Anyway! Once morning comes, Kainzel-san and the others will arrive. We only need to endure until then. Focus on your own roles」
If it was Kainzel-san, everything would be fine. He would definitely come, and he was someone I could trust to handle things afterward. That was the kind of person he was.
「……Understood. Please do not push yourself too hard. You tell others not to overdo it, yet you are the one pushing yourself to the point of death……」
I was not trying to overdo it. I was simply unlucky.
「I will not overdo it. I promise」
No matter what I said, it would not sound convincing. Then the only way to prove it was to return alive.
I searched for Gorg’s presence and ran in that direction.
There were eight giants, so I moved carefully while checking my surroundings to avoid being stepped on. From a distance where Gorg would not accidentally crush me, I shouted.
「Gorg! After setting up the pest-control nets, buy feed corn and scatter it around the area!」
「Is that not gathering too many? Are you sure about this?」
「There is no good or bad here! We gather everything here and defend it here! Do you want to cause a food crisis? You experienced the last one, did you not?」
The boys and girls had not been mobilized, and from what I heard, it happened at least five years ago. In that case, Gorg should have experienced it himself.
「It is true the food shortage was terrible, but this is an enormous number. Nets like these alone will not be enough to hold them back」
「Once the adventurers arrive, we will manage somehow! Gorg, make sure nothing gets past here, especially Misuzu! I already have a plan!」
Though it was only a rough plan.
「Understood. I will trust you, Takato. You even defeated the Goblin King, after all」
「The one who defeated it was the Guild Master」
All I did was barely manage to defeat a higher species while struggling the whole time.
「But you were the one who led us there. Even Cyrus-sama said so」
「You are giving me too much credit」
The reason we succeeded was because the Guild Master, Gorg, and Kainzel-san were there. I did not lead the battle or create the situation myself. If Misaro had not withdrawn, we would have been the ones defeated.
…Ah, right. There was the matter with Misaro. I need to grow stronger before we meet again…
「Anyway! I am counting on you and the others to hold this place, Gorg!」
「Understood. Leave it to us」
Yeah, I will leave everything to you. I am relying on you.
I returned to the command post, rested briefly, then went back home.
After having a light meal, I took a shower and, wearing only my underwear, grabbed my tablet and bought the anti-materiel rifle I had been planning to purchase for a while, the Gepard GM6-Lynx (left-handed model), which was on a seventy percent discount sale.
「Alright. I name you Lynx」
I sincerely hoped there would never be a moment for you to be used, but the flow of events felt nothing but ominous. Especially the movements the goblins made. I wanted to believe it was just my imagination, but from past experience, dismissing it as nothing would be dangerous. There was no harm in being excessively cautious.
I bought four magazines and twenty rounds, then loaded the magazines.
「Should I bring the Barrett as well」
I decided to have Kainzel-san carry it in case the battle rifle could not handle the situation.
As I carried the two anti-materiel rifles outside, Bisha came running alone.
…Even if she was wearing glasses, was this girl not afraid of the night…?
「What is it?」
「Grandpa told me to stay by your side, Takato. He said you are probably pushing yourself too hard」
First recklessness, now overexertion. Well, I was not being reckless, but I was definitely pushing myself. I kept being asked to do things beyond my abilities every single time.
「Rest until Grandpa and the others arrive. This is an order!」
She snatched away the Lynx and the VHS-2 from me and made me sit beside the campfire.
「Please go to sleep」
I heard Miriel’s voice, and then my consciousness cut off. When I realized it, it was already morning.
Not understanding what had happened, I sat there blankly for a while. Then I realized I had fallen asleep. When I checked my Apport Watch, it was a little past seven.
「…What was I doing again…?」
I could not recall anything from before I slept. What was I even… right! Misuzu!
The moment I remembered, I jumped to my feet and saw many adventurers gathered around.
「You are awake. First, drink some coffee and calm down. Misuzu has not moved yet」
Kainzel-san held out a steaming cup to me. I stared at it for a moment before accepting it and drinking the hot coffee.
Little by little, my memories from before sleeping returned. Miriel’s sleep magic had definitely worked directly on my mind to force me to sleep.
Still, perhaps because I slept, the heaviness in my body was gone and my head was working properly again. Honestly, I could not even get angry about it…
「Thank you very much. I ended up leaving everything to you」
「That is my role, is it not?」
Kainzel-san smiled calmly. Truly, he was a cool man in his fifties.
「Takato-san. Now that you are awake, could you explain the situation?」
Near the campfire stood Ride-san, the branch chief of the town of Misrim.
There were also adventurers who looked like seasoned veterans in their forties. No, looking more closely, dozens of adventurers had gathered there.
After finishing my coffee, I told them about yesterday and explained everything I had done.
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