Monsterification (1)
I heard a frantic voice calling my name.
“Rui! Are you okay!?”
The first to come running was Eila. In one hand she gripped a terrifying hand axe. Only after spotting me did she finally let out a sigh of relief.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Tell me.”
“I-I’m fine, but… you need to calm down first, sis…”
“Where’s the bear?”
“Hic.”
Her eyes turned ice-cold in an instant. If she found it, she looked ready to split the creature in two like firewood. Even if it was a wild bear.
Thud. Thud.
“I somehow managed to chase it off.”
“You did, Rui?”
“Yes. If I want to become a knight, I have to be able to handle at least this much.”
Eila stared straight into my eyes. After a long moment she finally nodded, a bright smile spreading across her face.
“Our Rui is amazing. When did you get so strong?”
The head pat was extra. It felt nice, but I was starting to feel embarrassed, so I pulled away.
“C-come on, sis…”
“Why? I do it for you at home all the time.”
“Shh…!”
That was a secret between just the two of us. No one else could ever find out…!
I quickly changed the subject.
“Ahem. Was the girl who ran away okay?”
“Yes. I told everyone, so they’re all on their way.”
“It really wasn’t that big a deal…”
“Everyone’s worried about you, Rui.”
Had my reputation in the village really been that good? Well, I did get along nicely with all the older sisters and aunties in the village.
Just then, from the other side, came the sound of countless torches and the voices of the villagers.
“Sorry for making everyone worry. Let’s go, Eila.”
“Okay.”
I walked with Eila toward where everyone had gathered.
“Rui? So what exactly happened…?”
“The beasts are turning into monsters, Chief.”
“Eh…?”
Nothing coherent came out of the village chief’s mouth. He had spent days drowning himself in alcohol, and even now his face was flushed red as he kept hiccupping. At this rate a proper meeting seemed impossible, so I quietly glanced toward Eila.
“Ahem. Then… are you saying the reason the bear became so violent was because of monsterification?”
“That seems to be the case, Miss Eila.”
Eila and Iselina naturally took over the discussion. It would not be an exaggeration to say the future of the entire village rested on their shoulders.
“Mother. I’ve heard that monsterification has been appearing frequently across the land lately?”
“That’s right, Selena.”
“The kingdom has already issued large-scale extermination orders to the guilds and the knight orders.”
“Ohh.”
I couldn’t help but admire Selena’s words. I had thought she only attended classes with me at the mansion, but she was surprisingly well-informed about the kingdom’s political situation and current events.
After that the conversation moved on to how to deal with the monsters and the topic of mana crystals, so I simply listened in silence. I kept quiet about the mana crystals because Hildegard had told me to keep it secret.
Anyway.
“So, what should we do moving forward?”
Eila, acting as the village representative, slowly looked around at everyone as she spoke.
“How about requesting help from the guild?”
“What if someone gets hurt while we’re waiting?”
“We were lucky this time that there was someone nearby…”
“We should prohibit all outdoor activity at night for the time being.”
“Ugh.”
The last statement came from Eila. Everyone nodded in reluctant agreement.
“Th-then how about forming a vigilante group?”
The image of myself stuck inside the mansion and the house all day suddenly came to mind, so I desperately made the suggestion. In reality, if we wanted to protect the village from beasts and monsters right now, this seemed like the best option.
The response was surprisingly positive.
“A vigilante group, huh…”
“That’s actually a decent idea coming from Rui.”
“I like it. Let’s organize a vigilante group and protect the village during both day and night.”
“Ohh!”
Bang!
Just then the door flew open and someone entered. A woman with beautiful golden hair tied in twin tails, radiating an extremely refined elegance. As soon as Angelica came in, she raised her voice dramatically.
“What an interesting discussion! If that’s the case, you should have asked for help from our Gluwin family from the very beginning. Don’t you all agree?”
“…….”
The villagers who had been in the middle of the meeting fell into silence. Displeased by the quiet, Angelica glanced behind her.
“What do you think, everyone?”
“O-ohh!”
“The young lady is right!”
Were they private soldiers belonging to the Gluwin family? A few of the soldiers who had come with her shouted enthusiastically.
“Lady Angelica. Who are those soldiers?”
“Ah, I originally brought them for this matter.”
Whoosh!
Angelica unfurled a single sheet of paper. What was written on it was none other than…
“Cough!!”
“Rui?”
It was a wanted poster with Hildegard’s face drawn large and clear, complete with a bounty. The vicious phrase “dead or alive” was written there as a bonus. I choked so suddenly that Selena patted my back firmly.
“…….”
“…….”
And in that moment, though no one else seemed to notice, I saw Melissa and Iselina exchange a meaningful glance in the strange atmosphere. I cleared my throat again with a loud cough.
“First-class wanted criminal, Hildegard von Adelheid. It has been reported that a person matching her description has been sighted in various villages recently. Not only in this area, but even as far as the royal capital and the border regions. Well, I simply came on the off chance. I’ll also help maintain public order in the village while I’m here.”
Whether her senses were sharp or dull, it was hard to say. It seemed she had received the wanted poster and happened to stop by our village. Since Hildegard hid her identity so thoroughly, there probably wasn’t much to worry about.
…But.
“Lady Angelica.”
“Ah. Yes, Lord Ruines. What is it?”
Angelica smiled brightly at me. I decided to ask her the question I had been holding onto for a while.
“Just what crime did this woman named Hildegard commit?”
Gulp.
I swallowed nervously without realizing it. Angelica read the wanted poster and recited in a calm voice.
“Let’s see. The major charges are insubordination, assault on royalty, and murder. There are also a long list of smaller offenses like threats, insults, and extortion. Would you like to hear them?”
“N-no, that’s fine.”
It was honestly shocking. That Hildegard, my master, was such a vicious criminal? No matter how I pictured her in my mind, I couldn’t imagine it. Hildegard was not an evil person. From everything I had seen of her, I believed that. No, I had to believe it. She had taught me the sword, shown me the path to becoming a knight, and…
“…If it’s murder, could you tell me who she killed?”
“That—”
It was then that Melissa cut in.
“That is something I will explain to you separately later. Right now, the safety of the village is what matters most.”
“Ah, as expected of Lady Melissa! How wise, befitting a former member of the Royal Knight Order!”
“Hildegard. Capturing that heinous traitor is the wish of my lifetime, but I cannot turn a blind eye to the village’s troubles.”
“Indeed!”
Angelica’s eyes sparkled. Come to think of it, Hildegard had once been the leader of the Royal Knight Order, and Melissa had practically been her disciple. So why was Melissa now calling Hildegard a heinous traitor? There was clearly something I didn’t know. The realization made my stomach churn.
“Rui. You don’t look well.”
“Huh?”
“Do you want to go rest?”
Selena, who had been beside me, asked. My expression must have been terrible.
“I-I’m fine. More importantly, we should focus on forming the vigilante group first…”
“That is not the priority. Lord Ruines needs to rest and calm down immediately. That is precisely why I brought the Gluwin family soldiers!”
Angelica spoke with complete confidence. Hearing her say it so firmly actually made me feel a little relieved.
Except for one thing.
“Um, Lady Melissa.”
“Yes.”
“Once I’ve calmed down a bit, I’ll come listen.”
“Understood.”
Melissa gave a quiet nod.
The meeting that night ended there. Leaving the village chief, who had long since fallen asleep, behind, Iselina—who was practically the village’s true representative—took charge of organizing everything. Eila helped her persuade the others.
First, several four-person patrol teams were formed for both day and night shifts. No matter how strong the women of this world were, they were still civilians. They incorporated one of Angelica’s soldiers into each team and established a clear chain of command.
The objectives were to locate beasts undergoing monsterification and to minimize harm to the villagers. With those two goals in mind, the people of Piren Village moved with perfect coordination.
Even though it was the middle of the night, the village was as noisy as if it were broad daylight.
And behind the village, in the shadows beneath a tree, I carefully asked Melissa.
“Lady Melissa.”
“Yes.”
“About that person…”
Melissa fell silent for a moment. Then she looked up at the sky and murmured softly.
“The moon is faint tonight. If you raise your Gigaam to its maximum, it should help.”
“…It would be better to hear it directly, wouldn’t it?”
“I believe so as well, but you don’t have to if you don’t wish to. You have already found your own sword and are polishing it sufficiently, Lord Ruines.”
It was sincere advice from Melissa. Hearing the story directly from my master Hildegard. I didn’t know the full details, but even from my perspective, all of the charges against her except one seemed entirely possible. And even for that one, there might be a reason I didn’t know about.
Therefore.
“No.”
“?”
“Right now, protecting the villagers is more important.”
“I see.”
“Yes. My Gigaam should definitely be of help…”
“Understood. However, it would be best if you rested for tonight.”
“Ah, yes. Just for tonight, then.”
My head was spinning. Supported by Melissa, I slowly closed my eyes.