NOVEL NEXT
Chapter 69: Madegarsh (1)
It’s been about a month since Allen took his first magic class, and the first snowfall in December has just arrived. It looks like it’s about to start falling in earnest.
Today Allen was on serving duty. As it is a lunchtime service, it is quite light. In the evening, everyone gathers together for dinner. Sometimes not all members of the Baronial family get together for breakfast or lunch, but today everyone is present at lunch.
“Oh, Thomas. Don’t eat so much.”
The Baroness rebuked Cecile’s brother, Thomas.
Allen was put on hunting duty at the end of December last year and has been hunting twice a week almost without fail ever since.
As a result, he brings back nearly 100 kilograms of meat twice a week. Recently, in the winter, the only magical beast he hunts is the Horned Rabbits, but even so, it is still quite a large amount.
The meals of the Baron’s household, which had been quite frugal a year ago, have improved because of Allen.
If there is one problem, it is that Thomas eats quite a bit and the Baroness is worried about him eating too much. I have often seen her go directly to the Head Chef to ask him to reduce Thomas’ share.
Today, he was forbidden to take more bread from the basket of the table because they had reduced the amount of bread. Thomas apologized but did not put the bread back in the basket.
(Well, he’s eleven years old, he’s growing up, he should be able to eat that much. He’s also practicing sword fighting during the day.)
As I served him, I looked at Thomas, who was embarrassed at being warned. This year, Thomas started practicing with his sword. He has called in a sword instructor and is learning sword fighting in the garden. Seeing him practicing every once in a while, I wondered if it was the duty of a Noble to learn to use a sword, regardless of his Talent.
“Hey, Allen. When are you going to catch another White Deer?”
Thomas spoke to me.
“Yes, I’m thinking of looking for it when there’s a little less snow on the ground.”
Thomas told me that he was looking forward to it. Just when I thought it was going to be the same old Baron’s lunch, it was.
Tan-Tan-Tan
Tan-Tan-Tan
Tan-Tan-Tan
The city bells rang again and again. The sound of the bells echoing through the building never seemed to stop; the twelve o’clock bell had rung only a short time ago, and now was not the time to ring it.
“What’s going on?”
Baron Granvelle stood up. The Baroness and Thomas become uneasy. The ever-present ringing of the bells made everyone here uneasy.
“I’ll check it out.”
The Butler, who was standing beside the Baron, walked out of the dining room. Everyone waited in the dining room for the Butler to return. Allen was also one of them.
About 15 minutes later, the Butler returned with a Knight next to him.
“So what’s going on?”
“We’ve received reports of a Madegarsh approaching the city.”
The Butler answered the Baron’s question. The Knight beside him nodded strongly, out of breath.
(Madegarsh!?) freewebnove(l)
Allen reacted to the name Madegarsh. It’s a B-rank magical beast in the form of a large wolf. It’s the magical beast that Allen’s brother, Mash, was named after.
“What? Why didn’t you inform me earlier? When will it arrive?”
The Baron asked him a series of questions. The Knight from earlier kneeled down and answered the Baron’s questions.
He said that a group of Knights who were on patrol discovered the Madegarsh. It was heading straight for the city of Grandver. They tried to guide Madegarsh to change course from the city but failed and several Knights were killed on the spot. He said that the beast was running from the south, and if it continued, it would arrive at the south gate of the city.
The Madegarsh is predicted to arrive at 3 pm. We have less than two hours remaining.
“How may I help you, my Lord?
“Where’s Zenov? He’s not back yet?
“My Lord, the Knight Commander and the Vice-Commander are currently away on a mission to defeat a magical beast. They will not return for two more days.
(The Baron didn’t know that the Knight Commander was not here?)
“Call the Adventurer’s Guild for an ‘Emergency Quest’. It’s winter. There should be a lot of adventurers in town. I hope the Silver Fang of the Gale will be there.”
(Silver Fang of the Gale is the only A-ranked adventuring party in town, right?)
A particular gathering of adventurers is called a party. Adventurers Raven, Rita, and Milsy are also in an adventuring party. The party leader is Raven, and they form a C-rank adventurer party.
Raven told me that the majority of parties in this city are C-rank or lower, with a few being B-rank and only one A-rank party, the Silver Fang of Gale.
It’s winter right now. I heard that adventurers take it easy in the city. They don’t force themselves to hunt until March, when the snow melts unless they have a lot of trouble making a living. The only one who still hunts in winter is Allen.
“Yes. And, what about the gate, my Lord?”
While Allen was remembering what Raven had told him about the adventurer’s situation, one by one the Butler asked for instructions.
“The people on their way to the city will be unaware of the approach of Madegarsh. We can’t close the gate but don’t let anyone out from that gate!”
“But what if the Madegarsh enter the city?”
“The gate must not be closed, and the Knights and Adventurers must be instructed to drive the Mardergarsh away outside the gate.”
“Yes, sir.”
The Butler, having heard all the instructions that needed to be confirmed, left the dining room with the Knight who had come with him. This was because he had to issue instructions to the relevant departments in a hurry.
Allen watched the exchange without saying a word. He waited until the conversation between the Baron and the Butler had reached an end.
(That’s my job.)
“My Lord, may I also step outside the gate?”
“Nuh?”
Allen says it as if it’s obvious, but the Baron looks at him like ‘What is he talking about?’
“Whoa! What are you talking about? You heard what that Knight just said. Madegarsh is out! You are not allowed to leave!” (Cecile)
“Lady Cecile.”
“What?”
“I have been assigned the job of Hunting Guard by Baron Granvelle. It is my job to go outside the gate.”
“What?”
Cecile was surprised by Allen’s statement, but Allen thinks it is the job of the Hunting Guard.
-Hunt down magical beasts and get meat.
-If there are people in trouble with magical beasts outside the city, help them.
For the past year, Allen has been fulfilling his duties as the Hunting Guard. He has hunted magical beasts, obtained their meat, and helped the people and adventurers who have been attacked by magical beasts and are in trouble.
If today was the day of his hunting duty, he would have gone outside the city without asking the Baron for permission. It was Allen’s job to protect the people from magical beasts. Today is a serving day, so technically speaking, it is not a Hunting Guard workday, so he is asking the Baron for permission.
When Cecile stopped saying anything, Allen turned to the Baron again. The Baron lost in thought said nothing. Allen continued to appeal with his eyes for permission. 𝓯𝒓𝒆𝒆𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝙤𝙢
“…Hmm, well, Allen. You are a member of the Granvelle family. If you are willing to fulfill the position I have given you, there is no reason to stop you.”
Cecile tried to say something but swallowed her words. The Baron’s voice was very low and heavy. Allen’s words also made sense, so he seemed to have just barely swallowed the word “No”.
“Yes, then I will go. I will go in my uniform without wasting time.”
Allen said he would go dressed as a manservant.
“Mm, prioritize evacuation of people rather than to mess with Madegarsh.”
“Yes, sir.”
With a reply, Allen left the dining hall and started running at once.
(We’re running out of time. The city is in chaos. It might be too confusing to run. Should I go out through the gates of the Inner District and go around to the south gate?)
Allen’s location is on the north side of the city. To get to the south side of the city, it is much closer to go through the Inner District than through the outer length of the city. However, in this situation, the center and south side of the city would be confusing. He decided that it would be quicker to go out the north gate and go around the city.
(I don’t have enough mana. I have to quickly restore my mana.)
Nearly three hours ago, I spent all my mana and converted it into skill experience. I hadn’t anticipated something like this would happen today, as I didn’t need to reserve mana on days when I don’t go hunting. Currently, I have 0 mana.
I passed through the north gate and continued to run even faster in my manservant uniform.
After a little less than two hours, he reached the south gate side by taking the outer route. The gate was full of travelers queuing up.
The overflowing queue was desperately trying to get through the south gate.
A group of adventurers can be seen around it. A group of Knights can also be seen. They seem to be guarding the overflowing procession.
Then, a little further away from the city than the group, there is a huge mass over five meters long. It seems to be clutching something large. It was clutching a headless, or rather, upper body-less, horse. It was eating the horse, making a crunching sound.
“Madegarsh!”
I had heard that it was a magical beast in the shape of a wolf. But it didn’t look like a wolf. It had a face like a mangy dog. Its hands were large enough to hold a horse, and it had human-like fingers. Its arms looked like human arms. The lower half of its body was definitely that of a wolf. It had thick legs and a tail like a wolf.
Near the horse-eating Madegarsh was a carriage whose wheels had come off and were tilted.
If you look closely, you can see the wretched corpses of horses and people lay in countless dots, creating a bloody path suggesting that it was the path the Madegarsh had taken.
“Hey boy, what are you doing there? Run!”
One of the Knights seems to have noticed Allen and told him to run. However, Allen was busy observing Madegarsh’s behavior. The horse that Madegarsh was eating was a carriage horse.
Allen could spot the figure of a human in the carriage that lost its horse. There seemed to be several of them.
With his free hand, Madegarsh tore off the cloth from the top of the carriage.
“””!!!”””
There were adults and children huddled in the carriage, shivering. They seemed too terrified to scream. There was a mother desperately hugging her child.
Madegarsh’s face contorted, and a creepy smile escaped its mouth.
The Knights and adventurers seem to be focused on protecting the merchants and travelers who enter the gate. No one was trying to save the people in the carriage. However, this was not in Allen’s sight.
Allen took one of the iron balls from Inventory and grabbed it.