After finishing the explanation, I took out a sketchbook and described a plan to eliminate the Misuzu all at once.
In short, we would attack the Misuzu that had been blocked by the pest-control nets from the side, then place Miriel at their escape route. She would cast an extremely large sleep spell to capture them. Of course, putting all of them to sleep would be impossible, so we would also position those capable of attack magic and archery.
「I will leave the command to you. I do not have experience commanding a large force」
I was someone allowed to belong to Koraus. I needed to fulfill the proper obligations and duties, so I should make it clear that I stood under their command.
Among everyone present, Ride-san, the branch chief, held responsibility, so all eyes turned toward him.
「…Understood. Kazfil-san, please command the driving unit. As for the receiving unit, Takato-san will──」
「No, I will command the giants. Please take Kainzel-san, Miriel, Bisha, and Mebi and lead them. The receiving unit will have the most important role」
「Then, Kainzel-sama, I leave it to you」
「Understood. Takato, you are leaving Ladarion behind, correct?」
「I will have her stay behind just in case. Also, please take the Barrett with you. I bought extra ammunition. If you run out, please ask Miriel」
I turned my gaze toward the Barrett leaning against the Pioneer.
「Is something coming?」
「I do not know. I can only sense goblins」
「Understood. We will proceed with caution, assuming something may happen」
Kainzel-san understood what I meant without me needing to say more. He stood up, grabbed the Barrett, and lifted it.
He handled the Barrett, which weighed over ten kilograms, with ease. Truly a muscular man in his fifties.
Once more, we confirmed everyone’s positions using the sketchbook, and the receiving unit set out.
「By the way, will adventurer reinforcements be coming?」
「I sent Mishinie running to the town. I do not know how many will come, but they should arrive by noon」
「We have also sent messengers from the town of Misrim to the surrounding towns, so they should gather by evening at the latest」
So that means we have no choice but to handle this with our current numbers until noon.
「Then, Kainzel-san. Once you reach your positions, send Miriel back to the Home. I will have Ladarion waiting there」
「Yeah. From here to the Arut River will take about three hours」
「Please do」
The receiving unit departed under Kainzel-san’s command, taking eighteen people with him.
「Branch Chief. We will scout the surrounding area for a bit. We are not familiar with this region」
「If anything happens, please return immediately」
Kazfil-san’s team entered the mountains together with several young adventurers.
「Ride-san. About the captured Misuzu, would it be alright if the ones captured by the giants are sent to the giant village? I would like to give them as a reward」
Better to discuss the distribution while there was still time.
「That is fine. Misuzu meat is popular, but this time there will be more than enough. Disposal will likely be the harder problem」
That was good to hear. No, maybe not. There were enough to cause trouble just disposing of them.
「I understand now why Kainzel-sama follows you, Takato-san」
「What is this all of a sudden?」
「Well, in the past, Kainzel-sama was never blessed with good superiors and always ended up drawing the short straw」
Really? Even though he is capable enough to serve as acting lord?
「Personally, I would rather work under someone else. I never realized carrying the weight of lives would be this heavy」
Even if I was the one who drew everyone in, the burden of carrying people’s lives felt like it might crush me. I honestly wished someone else would carry it instead.
「That is precisely why Kainzel-sama follows you. He has finally met his ideal master」
Master? Me? I used to be a factory worker. Just an ordinary person born to a salaryman father and a mother working part-time at a supermarket.
「I heard it from Cyrus-sama. That you are a disciple of the goddess」
No, I am just an ordinary man who was forced into goblin extermination. I am nothing as grand as a disciple. Please stop overestimating me like that…
「Being able to serve under someone like that would be an honor and a source of pride for Kainzel-sama」
I no longer knew how to respond. I was not that kind of person. This felt heavier than carrying lives themselves…
「Haa… I will go check on the giants as well」
This was bad. If I kept listening to Ride-san, I would only feel more depressed. My confidence was starting to crumble. I am the type who gets stressed when overestimated and entrusted with work I cannot actually handle.
Carrying the Lynx, I headed toward Gorg together with the boys.
「Gorg! How is it!」
「We cannot hold them back anymore! The numbers are insane! The nets will not last!」
I could tell just from the noise. It had already reached the level of a deafening roar, and beyond the pest-control nets, Misuzu were packed together densely. If the nets had not been layered several times, they would have already broken through.
「Hold on just a little longer! The adventurers and Kainzel-san’s group are being positioned right now!」
「We will try, but it will not hold much longer!」
They had apparently reinforced the nets with assembled logs to keep them in place, but they looked ready to collapse at any moment.
「You boys, go tell Ride-san to start driving them immediately. If we reach our limit, we will begin driving them from here!」
「U-understood! We will tell him!」
Watching the boys run off, I grabbed a thick fallen branch and shaved it with my knife to make it easier to hold, then thrust it through the gaps in the net and pushed the Misuzu back.
I knew it was barely effective. Even so, we needed to buy time, so I had to do it.
Move back, you damn beasts!
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