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A New Otherworlder Bursts Onto the Scene – Part 01

The Four Eastern Stars along with other parties, crossed the border and reached the holy city of Agiapole in the Theocracy of Bios. Unfortunately, there was no time for sightseeing in the city.

Their initial stop was the outskirts of Agiapole, where the Confederacy of Einbiest’s army had stationed its troops. Their numbers had dwindled to about a thousand, with many soldiers having returned to Einbiest. The remaining forces were handling the integration of freed Beastman slaves from Bios. While the turmoil within the holy city had significantly lessened, limited interactions with other cities led to a slowdown in the flow of goods and a rise in prices.

The most notable feature was the eerie mountain visible on the outskirts, wrapped in a creepy, malevolent miasma even to ordinary citizens.

A camp had been established at the mountain’s foot, jointly manned by the armies of Bios and Einbiest. Barricades were positioned facing the mountain. Occasional shouts indicated ongoing skirmishes with monsters.

Bios soldiers and Einbiest soldiers working together. A strange sight. Not too long ago, they were enemies, Selyse thought as she entered a tent within the camp.

Several adventurers were already inside, mostly dispatched from Ponsonia. The unfamiliar faces were likely adventurers registered in Bios. One thing was clear—the people gathered here were leaders of their party.

“Hey, you made it,” said the leader of one of the only two Rank A adventurer party in the Kingdom of Ponsonia. The other Rank A party had remained in the royal capital.

Selyse nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

“It seems everyone is here.”

An elderly priest emerged from inside. He introduced himself as a priest from the holy city. He was overseeing frontline operations, but had no experience fighting, so he sincerely sought everyone’s assistance.

“I’m skilled in healing magic, so I can help as long as your limbs are still intact,” he joked. But nobody laughed. “Uh, well… So, shall we have the commander of this outpost explain the situation?”

Feeling awkward about his joke not landing, the priest stepped back, making way for a woman.

Selyse was surprised to learn that a woman was commanding this base, but she immediately recognized her.

In the Confederacy of Einbiest, the position of Leader demanded strength. In essence, its people adhered to a very straightforward principle of “might makes right.”

The deciding stage for this was the Ruler’s Rumble Tournament, in which Selyse had participated last time—and fought against this woman in the quarter-finals.

The woman, wearing a tense expression as she appeared, was taken aback when she spotted Selyse.

“Selyse Lande?”

“It’s been a while, Miss Jillarte.”

It was Jillarte, the Deputy Leader of the Confederacy of Einbiest. Initially believed to be of the Half Dragon race, she and her people were revealed to be under a curse that was later lifted, turning her back to a human.

Jillarte’s face eased with relief. “Oh, right. If I remember correctly, you’re a Ponsonian adventurer.”

“Yes. We came a long way in response to a commission. I’d like to hear the details.”

“Of course.”

Jillarte spread a large map on the table, and the leaders of the adventurer parties gathered.

“At present, the defense line is set up right here where we are. The entrance to the dungeon is in the middle of this mountain.” She pointed to the mountainside. “There are thick forests on both sides, so if monsters spill from the dungeon and end up in those areas, we can’t do anything about it for now. Another problem lies beyond the forest. If monsters cross to the plains on the other side, they’d be right next to the major highways.”

“Are there troops over there?” Selyse asked.

“No,” Jillarte replied with frustration. “Bios believes Agiapole’s stockpile will last for half a year. So, even if the highways are blocked by monsters, it won’t be a problem for six months. In the meantime…” She tapped the entrance of the dungeon with her finger. “…they want to thin out the monsters, and if possible, clear the dungeon entirely.”

Upon hearing the words clear the dungeon, the adventurers swallowed hard. Clearing a dungeon was a dreamlike honor for adventurers, not to mention the expectation of finding untouched treasures within.

“Has the advance team entered the dungeon? I want detailed information,” said the leader of the Rank A party.

Jillarte nodded with a bitter look. “I’ve got the info summarized, so I’ll share the report with you later. If you want to check directly with the advance team members, we can set up a debriefing. However, we’d like you to depart as soon as possible.”

“Why? You said we have a six-month grace period.”

“Out of the 100 members of the advance team, five returned, while the rest are still inside trying to clear the dungeon. It seems they’re facing a tough battle, and we’ve heard that ten people have already lost their lives.”

Ten casualties, all Einbiest beastman soldiers. Faced with the high level of danger, the adventurers’ expressions turned tense.

“Our leader is also with the advance team.”

“What?”

“We want you to clear the dungeon, and we also need you to confirm the safety of our leader, Lord Gerhardt. Will you accept the commission?”

To Selyse, Jillarte didn’t sound like a Deputy Leader, but rather, a young girl asking for help.

A light van emblazoned with the name of a nationwide security company was parked in front of the Doyama residence. Despite the late-night rain, the name of the company could be clearly seen from a distance under the streetlights.

“Mr. Doyama, we’ll switch to nighttime security after 10 PM. If anything occurs, please press the call button immediately. We’ll respond ASAP, even to minor issues.”

Two security guards in gray shirts and vests, carrying batons, quickly entered the light van and drove away into the rain.

The passing van appeared oblivious to the two cars parked on the dimly lit side street. Five men lay in wait inside each vehicle.

The leader of the mafia team, a man with a scar on his cheek, received an incoming call on his smartphone and tapped the screen.

“This is Team B, standing by on site. No signs of people in the vicinity.”

“What about the personnel at the plant?”

“It seems to be unmanned at night. All the lights are off.”

“They assume nothing’s gonna happen, huh?” The man sniffed audibly. “It’s earlier than planned, but let’s start while luck is on our side. Is the explosive ready?”

“Yes. Ready for a big blast anytime.”

“Big blast?” The man’s voice turned icy cold.

“Oh, no, I mean, a small explosion. With that amount of explosives… only a small one.”

“Give accurate and concise reports. Detonate it immediately.”

Fearing wrath from a lame joke, Team B hastily began their operation. There were sounds of hurried movements, the sliding door of a vehicle opening, followed by a moment of silence. No sound came from the phone, but the call was still connected.

The interior of the vehicle remained quiet. Five minutes later, there was a boom, then the sound of someone returning.

“Mission accomplished. But the lights came on in the building. Seems there were still staff members at the plant. They came to check the situation.”

The man almost clicked his tongue at the oversight. Negligent pre-checks, perhaps. Such mistakes could lead to the failure of the operation.

“It doesn’t matter. They’ll probably call the cops anyway. Think of it as saving us the trouble of reporting the incident ourselves.”

They had already assumed that staff would remain at the water purification plant who would report the matter to the police. Employees from the plant would have more credibility.

“Get ready to pull out.”

“We’re good to go.”

Then came another period of silence.

“I can hear sirens in the distance.”

“Good. Team B, retreat. Make sure you don’t get caught.”

After ending the call, the man turned to the others inside the car.

“Team A, move out.”

Nodding wordlessly, his comrades exited the vehicle one by one. Additional men emerged from the other vehicle, all clad in black combat suits and ski masks and equipped with pistols, batons, and daggers holstered at their hips. They carried two long ladders and three unusually large sledgehammers.

The man with a scar on his cheek put on a ski mask and headed out into the rain.

The men swiftly propped up the ladders against the wall of the Doyama residence and climbed up. Their movements were swift and precise, not those of mere street thugs but of trained individuals.

While they presented themselves as flashy mafia members, all of them had once been members of the police or military. Team B, on the other hand, consisted of individuals with experience handling explosives. They all shared one thing in common: they were individuals who had deviated from proper duty.

Every single one of them had robust physiques, but a particularly large individual made the ladder wobble as he climbed. Nevertheless, he descended on the other side of the wall safely.

The last person retrieved the ladder while descending into the premises, leaving no trace of them on the main street.