Chương 291: Mind Of The Horde

Hilene and her team originally only wanted to hunt down a monster and complete a quest–It was all supposed to be mostly routine stuff… They were used to dealing with creatures of all kinds, from the mindless monstrosities to the more cunning of beasts, but in Aesther, they had let their guard down because they were supposed to be in a safe environment. In such a scenario, they had believed that even if a monster were present, it would be unable to act. They had been sorely mistaken.

They–The Adventurers–Had been completely useless. A foul being had paraded in front of their eyes, just within arm's reach, but they had failed to see the fake maid's true nature. This would have been fine if not for the fact that they had lost one of their own because of this. Yeldt had been taken out of sight, and he had simply vanished.

His demise made little doubt, and if the false maid had been given more time, she certainly would have taken them all out one by one, using their ignorance and lack of perception to butcher each and every one of them. Hilene raised her sword, staring at the blurry reflection of herself in the blade. Now that Yeldt had been taken, it was no longer a matter of completing a job. It was personal. The culprit was also known. It was Mara Nebulo, a human-turned-monster…

It wasn't just about getting revenge or avenging the elf. It was a matter of principles. Those who hunt creatures for a living are very often also those with the most respect for these very same beings. Intertwining oneself into life-and-death situations with such creatures ironically made one better understand them. However, there was a very simple rule. An unwritten one. An unspoken one… When something kills a person, that thing must be put to death in the shortest of delays.

Hilene remembers the early days of her taking her theoretical swordsmanship into real combat situations. Back then, she had been by herself, without any real team, only temporary alliances. Back then, there was another newbie. A boy younger than her, too young for such a line of work, but alas, circumstances had forced him to find a way to make money by himself, and he thus put his healing talent to use by joining parties here and there. He was a scrawny, slightly awkward boy with a passion for magic.

It had always seemed odd how he had remained so boyish despite the harsh life he had led before ending up here. Strangely optimistic about his passion.

'They are a bit alike, huh…' Hilene shook her head, closing her eyes as she recalled the memories. This young healer truly had an immense talent. Everyone was happy to have him on their team, and it had quickly become clear that he would heal without expecting anything in return. He would say that it was just basic decency. Most would say that he was just silly. Hilene would say that he was a silly boy with a good heart. Unfortunately, one of the quests he participated in went wrong.

A simple job that the team he was with had completed countless times by now. It was just a matter of clearing pests, as was common in the area at the time. If it wasn't goblins, it was kobolds. At the time, everyone was a bit on their toes. There had been reports of a large monster in the area, but as it was believed to be a troll, the team wasn't too worried.

The only kind of troll that it could be was a kind that had no other choice but to hide in darkness when the sun rose, so they never expected to run into it in the middle of the day. It tore through their formation with ease, and they would have all died if not for the presence of a healer too stubborn not to immediately mend wounds as they appeared. This allowed the team to mostly regroup, but the healer became a target, and before anyone could do anything about it, he was struck and killed on the spot.

His body was left a shattered mess. The monster eventually retreated as it lost the element of surprise and received the full brunt of an experienced team of exterminators. As quick as they were to act, it was impossible to save the young healer. He had never stood a chance at survival after the blow he received. It was a tragedy that had hurt Hilene more than she had ever admitted to anyone, but in this moment of darkness, there was still light. Everyone came together as a single unit and hunted down the monster.

It got to experience the greatest strength of sapient species, and got to taste what despair felt like as it was put to death. Had it only been following its instincts? Certainly. But that did not matter. Sapients were more often than not extremely vengeful creatures. It was just a part of their instincts. Remembering this old memory, her hold on the sword tightened.

"To Hell with subtlety. You'll be put to death just like that damned ogre was…"

Early in the morning, when the sun was barely even beginning to climb the horizon, two figures walked through a town that would usually already be buzzing with activity, but was currently nearly deserted. The streets were lined with many stalls and shops whose primary clientele were adventurers, mercenaries, explorers, and the like. Currently, it seemed like they weren't expecting much business. One of the two figures grabbed a piece of rough paper as it flew by.

"Do you think they and we share the same target?"

"The description on this piece of paper matches what the fiend-blooded fellow told us, and I must say that this is not a common description at all""Indeed, and also… That is quite the list of foul deeds that is attached to this monster" The piece of paper was very simple. It was a call to arms against an individual monster. Creator of the Nightmare Plague Adventurer-Killer This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Child-Killer …

This monster does not hide in forests. It walks among us, and it has been allowed to do so for far too long! The figure folded the piece of paper.

"I never realised that there was such…Kinship between these people""They are certainly easily riled up. I hear that the movement is extending even beyond nations part of the Great Continental Alliance. Should we join in?"

"It would be best to observe from a distance. I doubt they'll be able to get their hands on the monster any time soon. She's too smart to let herself be surrounded""Pardon me, but with how many of them there are… I think they could surround an entire city""The movement is only getting started. They are standing ready for now, but only when the beast rears its ugly head will it truly begin""I see… I suppose it is indeed best for us to watch from a distance until she reveals herself.

Though I heard that quite a lot of notable names would be a part of this grand hunt""So did I" Eldewun and Relewen kept on walking as they spoke, eventually leaving the town they were in, and after traversing several plains and forests, they climbed over a small hill, their sight landing on the city of Randlac. Relewen snapped her fingers, causing a tree to burst out of the ground. Its trunk opened to reveal an abnormally large space hidden within.

"Let's wait""We have been patient for long already, a little bit more time will not hurt…"

"Master…"

"Yes, Heldion?"

"Is it… Is it true?"

"What do you mean?"

"People are talking about a heinous monster and… And it's circulating that this monster is your long-lost sister! Isn't that slander? Shouldn't… Shouldn't you do something about this? It will affect you too, as well!"

"Ah, that's what you're talking about. Don't worry about it, Heldion""But…"

"There is nothing that can be done about it. It was inevitable anyway""Huh?"

"It isn't slander, Heldion. It is nothing but the truth. My sister isn't a perfect person""But… But you spoke so highly of her""She was a great sister. Not so much a great person. Two very different things, Heldion–Tell me, if you learned that your parents had done terrible things out of love for you, how would you feel?"

"I… Huh… I don't know…"

"It is quite the conundrum. The man I have become can not reasonably be friendly toward her, but the person I used to be is still here, you know? I don't think it's possible for me to ever truly change how I feel about her" Heldion stayed silent, looking down at the piece of paper he had found whilst on a walk outside. A call to arms to hunt down a vile monster.

A monster that was very likely to be the same one he had been scared by way back when he and his friends had decided to enter the abandoned Nebulo household. He crumpled the piece of paper and threw it in the trash.

"Master, will you do something?"

"Right now? No. I'll sort things out when she comes here. I would be willing to try to stop them from doing what they are doing, but they won't listen""Stop them? To protect your sister?"

"Protect her? Heh… Silly, it's to protect them. It will be a bloodbath when she decides to do something about it. Most of these people are far too weak, and besides… Whoever decided to start this witch hunt clearly does not know the most basic thing about her abilities" Heldion blinked a few times.

"What are they ignorant about, Master?"

"Getting so many people riled up… Getting so many to learn about her existence, and give them reasons to be afraid, to hate her… It will only help her get stronger. That's why I would like to stop them, but there is no stopping this" Leton looked up at the ceiling. He seemed oddly relaxed, and a soft smile even formed on his face as he glanced at Heldion.

"Have you been practising the emergency confinement I showed you?"

"Yes, Master""Good. You'll need to do it quickly when she and I have our reunion. She won't spare you if you are in her way""... What about your wife, Master? Won't she be in danger?"

"I have made more than a single bunker, Heldion, and besides, I have the feeling that Mara wouldn't hurt Gallilah intentionally. She's family-driven, she wouldn't do anything that could be bad for her nephew" Mmh… I think I ruffled some feathers. Within the short span of a week or two, I started receiving a massive amount of negative emotions despite the fact that no one bearing 'Remember Me?' should currently be out and about.

Of course, Leou quickly informed me that I had been designated enemy number one by the whole click of mostly unemployed bums that were adventurers… But also by explorers, mercenaries, exterminators, slayers, and all of those folks. I never realised that they shared such kinship with each other.

The anger directed at me is freaking iridescent. It's like I killed all of their mothers and danced on the graves. Oh, well. Good luck to them if they want to get to me. I am basically impossible to track, and I am safely hidden away inside of Leou's tower, under her protection, in a city where she is the most popular and most beloved local figure. In the meantime, I'll enjoy the bountiful harvest they are providing me.

The only issue with this is that they exposed that I was the master of the Nightmare Plague, and also provided a description that is a bit too accurate. I fear that Lunovis could use this as leverage to get approval from the Heldinotian king… Which is why I was currently discussing with Mari about modifying my 'Base Form' enough to allow deniability that the monster is me.

I do not have in-built cosmetic options for this form, and the king knows how big I am supposed to be, so I can't really go into the 'Gynoid Form' and pretend that this is how I always looked. He might have never seen me up close or in detail, but he definitely saw that I was a big girl. In any case, discussing possible upgrades and modifications of this nature was also the occasion to take care of something else, which was why I was speaking to Mari whilst my 'Gynoid Form', and while holding her chin with my hand.

"You've proven yourself to be an excellent mechanist for me, Mari. I think it is time that our relationship sees an upgrade of its own. What do you think? Maybe it could be a reward once you figure something out to help with my current problem?" I formed a smile, an ability I had lacked in the real world for a very long time now, and Mari wasn't equipped to handle my charming abilities empowered by the 'Charm' innate ability of this form.

"I… I… I… I will do my best, Miss Mara!"

"Just call me Mara""Ooh… By the gods…" She's a mad stalker, but she's a cute mad stalker. But most of all, she's MY cute mad stalker. I am sure she'll be able to figure something out… I approached a window and looked out. Unfortunately, regardless of her success, it seemed like things were progressing toward an inevitable end. I had sown quite a lot, and it would appear that the world wanted me to start reaping. …Eventually, I wouldn't be able to delay it anymore…

End Of Volume 2: Mechanical Madness Start Of Volume 3: Rise Of Mara