Slum Patrol (1)
Night had fallen.
The mission assigned from the reserve platoon headquarters was a night patrol.
It was a task that cadets from the Golden Wings routinely undertook. But Lucia had been puzzled by my choice of location.
"I heard that Earl Yulian has the authority of a Golden Wings platoon leader. So there was no need for you to pick such a remote outskirts, was there?"
Lucia's question was perfectly reasonable.
The platoon leader authority granted only to the elite cadets of the Golden Wings. I had earned it through the previous combat evaluation.
Aside from the mandatory dispatch missions designated by the reserve platoon headquarters, a reserve platoon leader could freely select missions and platoon members with that authority.
So, cadets eager to rack up achievements would choose higher-grade beast subjugations. Those looking to curry favor with high nobles or the wealthy of the imperial capital in advance would typically opt for patrols in affluent districts.
'But I chose the slums of the Nerond District.'
I glanced around at the surroundings for a moment. With no moon tonight, it was pitch black.
However, as a swordsman who had mastered mana, I could make out the rough outlines even in this near-total darkness.
This was a slum in the truest sense. The Nerond District in the east of the imperial capital, closest to the old imperial capital and not far from the Pleasure Quarter.
Yet it was nothing like the Pleasure Quarter, where lights burned all night. Here, there wasn't a single flicker of light. For these people who faced grueling lives tomorrow, night was their one respite.
Lucia and I had been patrolling the alleys of this slum for hours now.
It was quiet here, save for the smells. I answered her in a low voice.
"A Golden Wings platoon leader shouldn't be picky about missions. Is there any reason to avoid the slums? No, on the contrary—these blind spots are precisely where Pantheon cadets like us should patrol in place of the Imperial Guard. For the sake of the capital's subjects."
Perhaps caught off guard by my words, Lucia's pink eyes widened again.
She wasn't one to hide her emotions well, often expressing her thoughts through those eyes.
"I... I see. Normally, even Silver Wings cadets avoid the slums... I just wanted to check, in case. But even so... with your platoon leader authority, you could have drafted Golden Wings cadets. I'm surprised you chose someone as unskilled as me."
"No. I know your skills well. We've sparred consistently this semester, haven't we? And we properly crossed swords in the underground arena too."
"No, compared to you, Earl, my skills are still sorely lacking..."
She bowed her head in response to my calm words.
As she said, it wasn't a place where cadets could gain much glory. It was filthy, reeking, and even if beasts appeared, they were low-grade trash mobs.
Beasts capable of forming sudden gates and dungeons were at least 3rd form on average.
'But beasts appearing near major cities are usually 4th or 5th form.'
In other words, no different from regular monsters. Not ideal for cadets to build experience. And for me, who could hunt 3rd form beasts solo, they were even less noteworthy.
So, unless they were low-rank reserve platoon members from the Bronze Wings or cadets burning with a sense of duty, no one came here.
'But this mission is different.'
When playing as Lucia, it was a main quest mission. Something would happen in these slums tonight.
As she said, I could have drafted Golden Wings cadets if I wanted. But it would mean nothing without Lucia.
'Of course, her current skill surpasses most Golden Wings cadets anyway.'
Lucia glanced around and continued.
"The mission request said monster attacks have been frequent around these slums lately. Even for the outskirts of the capital, it's odd since beasts in the capital area are periodically culled... Could it really be beasts?"
"Probably. The grace of the sacred obelisks doesn't reach slums like this. A sudden gate must have opened. That's all the more reason Pantheon cadets like us need to patrol."
Sacred obelisks that suppressed demon aura were installed in the capital's center and noble districts.
They prevented sudden gates from beasts, but this place was a blind spot outside their grace.
'And this spot was definitely marked by that Execution Squad member for experiments.'
At that moment, Lucia spoke in a low voice.
"...You're a remarkable person, Earl."
"What do you mean?"
"For a high noble and Golden Wings platoon leader to come patrol the slums out of service... It's not common. You're nothing like the image I had of high nobles."
I flinched inwardly. Lucia had the wrong idea about me.
My words earlier sounded noble enough. But the real reason I came here wasn't so lofty.
Still, if she thought well of me, it wasn't a bad thing.
She continued.
"And taking me to the underground arena... being kind to me. It's all so different from the rumors I heard last year... No, this must be your true self. Rumors tend to be exaggerated, after all."
In the deep night without a moon, on a mission with just the two of us, her voice was moist. Strangely sentimental.
She fiddled with the butterfly hairpin I'd given her—a disguise magic tool. But without mana infused, her pink hair was unchanged.
And this being the slums, similar to where she was born and raised, it must have stirred her even more.
But that sentiment shattered with a sudden sound.
Kyaaack—
A beastly screech, a horrific roar echoing everywhere. Followed by human screams.
"Earl!"
"I know. Hurry that way!"
The two dashed out of the alley.
***
A visceral disgust stabbed through my body instinctively. A sensation unlike ordinary monsters. It was a beast.
'This level of demon aura... not a high-grade one.'
The screams weren't far. Knowing roughly where it would happen, we'd been patrolling nearby.
"I sense demon aura. Not a high beast, but still very dangerous for the slum dwellers!"
Yet we weren't right upon the beast.
Moreover, this wasn't a dungeon. Detecting demon aura transmitted through the air meant...
Lucia's talent was impressive as always.
"Around 4th form, I'd say. But there seem to be quite a few. Probably multiple sudden gates. At least five beasts over there."
But seeing me sense not just the presence but the exact numbers beyond mere sensitivity, Lucia startled. Then her expression hardened as she grasped the implication.
"We need to hurry. That many beasts means far more summoned monsters... If we don't act, this place will be a slaughterhouse."
I nodded. Both of us cloaked in mana, we moved swiftly.
Lucia's determined sprint was incredibly fast—I could barely keep up.
Kwajijijijik—
We arrived at the scene. True to the slums, ramshackle wooden shacks crammed together.
Beasts and monsters rampaged, smashing the flimsy homes. Goblins massacred the terrified residents who fled out.
"S-save me!!"
"Run!! It's monsters!"
Even armed goblins were too much for ordinary folk.
Keekeeek—
Letting out nauseating cries, the goblins toyed with the residents. Dozens were surrounded.
"Call the Imperial Guard or military police quick! We'll all die!"
"Damn it, those fat-asses come to this shithole? Damn. Then the church priests..."
"Better to run to the church ourselves! Grab a wooden club if you wanna live! We gotta break the goblin encirclement somehow!"
"Agh!! My arm... aaaah!"
A few men grabbed crude weapons from their homes to fight, but they stood no chance. Into that panic plunged Lucia and I.
A blue-mana-clad sword traced a line through the air. The goblin pack lunging at residents.
About fifteen—not a small number—but I dispatched them swiftly.
One was a stronger beast goblin, but I severed its head in a single clash.
"Wh-what happened...?"
"Dunno! The monsters all dropped dead suddenly..."
The residents finally took stock. They raised torches to inspect the goblin corpses.
And spotted the two of us with drawn swords.
"Th-the Imperial Guard's here! We're saved!"
Robes over armor, imperial swords in hand—it was natural for commoners to mistake us for capital guards.
"Thank you! Knights!"
"We're all saved! Guard knights can handle goblins like nothing!"
Lucia corrected them.
"We're not the Imperial Guard. More precisely, a reserve platoon of the Guard..."
"Reserve platoon? What's that?"
"You idiot! Reserve platoon means Pantheon cadets!"
The residents' faces lit with greater surprise. They might not know swordsmanship well, but they'd seen us wipe the goblins in an instant.
"Pantheon? Different from those cadets who patrolled before? Those guys struggled even with goblins..."
A place even average cadets shunned for patrols. Those coming to slums were bottom-tier, unable to take better missions. Not wrong.
'They sometimes send first-years if patrol manpower's short.'
So it wasn't odd for some residents to look puzzled. They'd felt the skill gap.
"Figures proper folks wouldn't come here..."
"We complaining now? We saw their skills! Totally different from those rookies last time! Shut up and thank them first!"
A middle-aged man addressed the crowd. They bowed to us in unison, expressing gratitude.
"Thank you for saving us, my lord!"
"Thanks, thanks."
No time to dawdle. I spoke to the middle-aged man, who seemed reasonable.
"Not the time for thanks yet. From the looks, this isn't the first attack. Right?"
"Y-yes, my lord. Monsters have appeared more often lately... But never this many at once!"
He was right. The seal on the Kaotic Gate in the old imperial capital was loosening. Beasts around the capital had spiked.
'Especially noticeable without sacred obelisks.'
But tonight was different. Past appearances were natural disasters. This assault was deliberate.
"We took down one beast just now. Four more to go. Earl!"
As Lucia said, one down left four nearby. And these were just the first wave tonight.
'That woman's inducing sudden gates right now.'
Vairea Mercenary Corps. An Execution Squad member. The witch later called Rene the Fragment. She was hiding in these slums now.
A low-rank Execution Squad now, but a headache villain in Demon King Slayer Part 2. Tangled with Lucia, making her life more miserable.
'Better to nip it in the bud.'
That's why I chose this mission. I instructed the man.
"You've been attacked before, so you know. Hiding in houses just means slaughter. Isn't there an evacuation spot for residents, like a church nearby?"
"Yes! There's one run by the Roia Order..."
"Evacuate there. Safer than shacks with combat order's holy priests. Lucia! Help this man evacuate the residents. I'll handle the beasts."
Lucia nodded.
"But alone, Earl, it's dangerous..."
"You know my skill better than anyone. Join me once the evacuation's done."
With that, I hurried toward the next beast.
And racked my brain for where Rene might be hiding.