Chapter 20

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We sprint through Marhas, heading toward the new district. There wasn’t time to put on full armor, but as long as I had my weapon, that would have to be enough.

“What monster do you think it is?”

Rolo, running beside me, looks a bit uneasy.

“No idea. Most civilians don’t know monster names, so it’s faster to see for ourselves.”

And faster still to just crush it.

Some of the villagers in Marhas are already adapting to the frontier work. Take Conti, for example—he’s our age and has already started processing monsters. He tans their hides, extracts fangs and claws, turning what’s brought in into usable materials.

That guy’s sharp and forward-thinking. If Marhas turns into a full-blown frontier city, he’ll never go hungry with that line of work. And once the Adventurer Guild building is completed, he’ll probably find work there too.

Everyone’s moving toward the future. So that means I’ve got to do my part too.

“I see it! It can’t enter because of the barrier.”
“Forest Sharkhead…! It’s huge.”

Outside the barrier slithers a massive creature, its long body coiling like mist. The Forest Sharkhead, as its name implies, is a ten-meter-long serpent with the head of a shark—carnivorous, of course. In short, a man-eating monster in every sense.

“Watch out for its constriction. Don’t get caught in its coils, and keep an eye on your surroundings!”
“Got it!”

Rolo gives a quick nod as he casts enhancement magic on us both with a wave of his fingers. Impressive as always. As I lower my stance, I hoist my war mace onto my shoulder. Most creatures—monsters included—have weak points in the head, but something this big is hard to aim for.

Which means, I just need to lower its head myself.

As I sprint low to the ground, the Forest Sharkhead reacts. To it, I must look like a foolish prey that’s wandered out of the barrier. How convenient. Monsters from the unexplored regions haven’t developed caution.

“HSSSSHHH!”

It opens its massive jaws and lunges at me head-on. But Rolo’s magic stops it dead in its tracks—just for a moment. A low-tier spell, I think it’s called Shock or something. Not much on its own, but for me, it’s a golden opportunity.

“DAAAAAHHH!!”

I slam my war mace into its unprotected head with full momentum.

What, did you think being big made you invincible? Sorry to disappoint, but this “scoundrel’s” brand of violence is bigger than you.

I feel something crack and crush as its head caves in like a dented pot. The force of the blow collapses its neck, folding the skull inward like a collapsible bucket. Still, the Forest Sharkhead is known for its vitality.

No hard feelings. I’ll make sure you get turned into some delicious monster cuisine later.

…Thinking that, I follow up with a wide, horizontal second strike. With a dull thud, the heavy war mace smashes into its head, sending it flying and painting the forest in a rain of blood.

“Target eliminated.”

I exhale briefly and scan the area. Thankfully, this seems to have been the only monster to appear near the new district. Even so, a Forest Sharkhead has no business showing up in a place like this.

“We’re here to assist—whoa.”

Armed adventurers come running up behind us. Seeing the blood-soaked scene, they quickly grasp the situation.

“As expected of the ‘Skysunder’…!”
“Cut it out. Actually, perfect timing—I need hands. Take this guy to that Conti fellow in Marhas, would ya?”
“Understood. Happy to lend a hand. You heard him, move it!”

The middle-aged adventurer gives orders with a wry smile. They’re a squad dispatched from Hirte’s Adventurer Guild under a long-term contract, handling everything from guarding Marhas to general tasks. This particular party, led by their experienced leader, is especially good at filling in the gaps—we’ve come to rely on them a lot.

“But still, a Forest Sharkhead… The situation’s getting dicey, huh?”
“Yeah. Cutting down the forest might be stirring things up. We need to get this settlement looking like a real frontier city, fast, or we’re gonna get strangled at our own pace.”

Problems are piling up. The whole plan hinges on brute-forcing it with manpower, but who knows how many adventurers will show up after the public notice goes out the day after tomorrow? We’ve prepared a decent infrastructure for them, but if the turnout is too small, the whole plan falls apart.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Saran has something up his sleeve, but that guy doesn’t share anything beyond what’s necessary.

“I think it’ll be fine, though.”
“Now that’s rare—feeling optimistic?”
“Well, doesn’t it sound exciting? A ‘suddenly appearing frontier city in the wilds’—who wouldn’t be curious?”

At his words, I glance at the adventurers, and we all burst out laughing.

“You’re right. If it were me, I’d definitely want to check it out.”
“Same here. Heck, I’m already here! Gahaha!”
“Right? And it sounds like the rumors are already spreading in the Dairy City too.”
“With how loud we’ve been, I’m sure some adventurers in other towns are already packing their bags even before the notice.”

Adventurers live and die by information. Especially with frontier work like this, getting in early is a huge advantage. Wouldn’t be strange if some were already on the move.

“So until they arrive, let’s give it our all. I’m sure it’ll work out.”
“…You know, maybe you should’ve been the leader of ‘Mercia.’”
“No way! I haven’t even come to terms with that name yet, you know!?”

Rolo puffs out his cheeks and furrows his brows.

Ah… now I get it. I finally understand what Saran meant. He’s not exactly intimidating—more like, honestly, kind of cute. Yeah, he’s probably not suited to dealing with a bunch of rough adventurers.

“Hey! Yulg! What are you laughing at?”
“Nah, I was just thinking… Saran really sees things clearly.”

I can’t help but chuckle as I give Rolo a light pat on the back.

“Anyway, job’s done. Let’s get back to the next one.”
“…You’re not distracting me that easily, you hear!?”