Let's just say… Arthur's actions, along with those of his group, caused far more than simple repercussions.
One by one, all the races that inhabited the Jura Forest began to gather around the city he had built. A continuous flow of monsters, majins, and various creatures converged toward that new center of power.
In stark contrast, the clowns of the Moderate Harlequin Alliance were gripped by an almost palpable fear.
Although Clayman's injuries had not been fatal, the account of what had happened—coming from the Demon Lord himself—was enough to send a chilling shiver down the spines of everyone present.
A magic circle had appeared above the castle…
And in the very next instant, an absolutely catastrophic explosion was unleashed, annihilating everything around it.
That wasn't merely concerning.
It was terrifying.
Tear, a short girl with magenta hair tied into two short braids, dressed in harlequin attire and wearing a mask adorned with a teardrop motif and two red horns, broke the silence.
"Who would've thought our plans would go to hell so fast…"
Beside her stood Footman, a huge and burly man, also wearing harlequin clothes. His mask covered his entire face, featuring an absurdly large nose, a blue stripe, and a mouth whose expression seemed to move on its own, shifting between absolute rage and warped happiness in the blink of an eye.
"Our plan was about to succeed…" he murmured, clearly shaken.
The Moderate Harlequin Alliance was composed of extremely powerful majins created by Kagali. They were versatile individuals, capable of carrying out a wide variety of tasks. However, they possessed one absolute and unbreakable rule: never betray friends or clients.
Their trademark was their clown-like appearance, always accompanied by unique and unsettling masks.
The alliance's primary goal was clear and unchanging: to resurrect Kazalim, the organization's leader.
However, bringing someone back from the dead required a legendary supreme magic—something that would consume an unimaginable amount of magicules.
But now…
An insurmountable mountain seemed to rise directly before them.
"Do you really think I'll give up that easily?" Clayman snarled, completely consumed by hatred. "I'll make her pay for this!"
Never before had anyone dared to attack him in such a way.
Never.
"What do you intend to do?" Tear asked curiously, tilting her head slightly.
Clayman remained silent.
What should he do?
The more he thought, the more despair seeped into his mind.
To be completely honest… he had no idea at all.
The silence spread.
The clowns, usually so noisy and full of energy, sank into a deathly quiet.
"There is a way out…"
Suddenly, a weak voice echoed through the room.
"Laplace… you're still alive?!" Tear exclaimed, her eyes widening.
Beaming, she rushed toward him.
"Don't kill me before my time, Tear," Laplace mocked.
"You really escaped! That man isn't as strong as Clayman said!" Tear ignored his words as she spun around him.
Footman also burst into joy. "Clayman, I know you're scared to death, but you didn't have to exaggerate so much! Honestly, you almost made me believe our plan was completely ruined!"
Clayman opened his mouth to retort… but closed it immediately, unable to find any words to defend himself.
Even so, he didn't need to.
Laplace spoke first.
"The reason I managed to escape this time… is because that man didn't even move."
Tear: "…"
Clayman: "…"
Footman: "…"
The entire group was stunned.
He didn't move…
And yet, Laplace ended up like that?
Then what did he mean by "there is a way out"?
"Laplace, what do you mean by that?" Clayman asked, unable to ignore the suspicion that this might be a trap.
"Clayman, calm down," Laplace replied. "We cannot underestimate that man's strength. We can't draw his attention. However… even if we can't act directly, who said someone else can't act on our behalf?"
Even while seething with rage, Clayman clenched his teeth.
"Perhaps…" he murmured. "It's time to meet that… human."
---xXx---
While the Moderate Harlequin Alliance deliberated over their next move, the Kingdom of Blumund received a visit from an unusual group of adventurers.
At their head was none other than Yuuki Kagurazaka, the Grandmaster of the Free Guild.
Upon hearing Fuze's report, Yuuki's eyes immediately grew serious.
A single man had exterminated hundreds of monsters in an instant.
When the description of his appearance and the abilities he had used was detailed, Yuuki's eyes widened slightly.
It can't be him… can it?
The image of a certain extremely arrogant and sadistic blond man from a particular visual novel crossed his mind.
Where did he come from?
Was he summoned by someone?
Or was he an outsider… like himself?
Yuuki weighed every possibility before shaking his head, growing even more cautious.
Without sufficient information, he couldn't draw hasty conclusions.
"This is really troublesome… I need to deal with this as soon as possible."
But acting recklessly was definitely not his style.
"How long ago was he invited to fight the Orc Lord?" Yuuki asked.
"A little over two weeks," Fuze replied.
Two weeks… He has probably already defeated the Orc Lord…
But if he could obtain firsthand information about that battle, perhaps he could finally grasp that man's true strength—and confirm whether he really was who Yuuki suspected.
---xXx---
The next day, Yuuki led a group of Rank A adventurers toward the Jura Forest.
A day later, something strange caught his attention.
The monsters of the forest… weren't fleeing.
That detail stirred an ominous premonition within Yuuki.
Two days later, the group finally discovered the existence of a monster city led by a "Human" in the middle of the forest.
Immediately, Yuuki and his companions went on full alert.
And at the exact moment Yuuki laid eyes upon that city…
Shizu, who until then had been enjoying a peaceful dream, finally awakened.
(End of Chapter)
A/N: Sorry, this chapter ended up being quite short.