Water Magician

Chapter 54: A certain day in the City of Rune (2)

The next day, Tuesday, after 9 o’clock.

Since there was no harm trying, Ryo went to the South Library in search of materials about Akuma.

After having breakfast with Ryo, the three from Room 10 were in front of the guild bulletin board.

Niles and Etho performed surface requests on Tuesdays.

Amon decided to follow them too.

After all, if he did not fulfill surface requests, he will take considerably longer to reach E-rank.

Besides, diving in the dungeon for two days in a row was not recommended for mental wellbeing.

Well, that’s why they came to check the guild’s request bulletin board to accept surface requests …

“That note, it says that entering the dungeon is prohibited, right?”

Amon read the note on the edge of the request board.

“Yeah … that’s what is written …”

Yesterday, the receptionist Nina said she would put up a note saying, ‘Be careful because a Goblin Archer was found on the 5th floor.’ … For some reason, it turned out that entering the dungeon was now banned.

“I wonder if some additional information came in after that.”

Etho also tilted his head.

Around the same time, at the dungeon in the center of the City of Rune.

In front of the ground entrance, there were four Crimson Swords and twenty White Brigades.

“Morning, Phelps. Twenty members are half of the Brigade, right? The other half aren’t entering?”

“Good morning, Abel. The 20 of us are all C-rank and above adventurers. I can’t take D-rank adventurers to a place that is known to be dangerous.”

The White Brigade was like a party formed by forty people, a kind of ‘clan’ or ‘mutual aid society’.

However, not anyone could enter and only those who were adventurers of D-rank or higher and who Phelps verified that they had no personality problem were allowed to belong to the society.

Among them, the six most elite members, led by the leader Phelps and the deputy leader Sheena, were all B-rank and formed a B-rank party that Hugh called the ‘Core unit’.

That core unit was, of course, all present.

“Oh, Crimson and White are already gathered.”

Hugh, who was usually holed up in the guild headquarters, came out of the branch office.

“It’s unusual to see Guilmas at this branch office.”

Abel looked at Hugh with a face that expressed he saw something very unusual.

“That’s because I have to make a decision as soon as you all come back. I’ll be in this branch office today. Just as mentioned yesterday. Well then, please go ahead.”

Hugh then instructed the gatekeeper to open the door.

“Wait, Guilmas.”

“Hmm? What’s wrong with Abel.”

“I have a slightly unpleasant feeling. Rin, explore the first layer with the wind magic <Probe>.”

“Understood~”

Then, Rin stood in front of the entrance and chanted.

“Gather the heartbeat and existence of life and bring them to me <Probe>”

An investigative wave spread from Rin.

Rin’s complexion changed when the wave reached the first-floor hall, beyond the door and down the hundred steps.

“There are a lot of reactions on the first-floor hall. It is beyond hundreds.”

“Is the Great Tidal Bore already here?”

Abel frowned at Rin’s report.

“Damn. Everyone evacuate! Evacuate to the first wall. Contact the Knights Headquarters and Guild Headquarters. The Great Tidal Bore has already started. Monsters will be coming out.”

Hugh rapidly shouted out instructions.

They, including the staff at the branch office, headed to the stairs inside the defensive wall.

Those tasked to contact the Knights Headquarters did not go up to the ramparts and directly went out to the main street to rush to the Knights Headquarters in the north.

Those tasked to contact the Guild Headquarters went south.

“Master, everyone has evacuated inside the wall. The wall entrance has been sealed.”

The moment the report was made, the door at the entrance to the dungeon blew off.

“They are here …”

Originally, on Earth, 『Great Tidal Bore』 often referred to the large-scale reverse flow ‘Pororoca’ of the Amazon River.

It’s a magnificent and terrifying sight as if many creatures were swimming up the river at the same time.

The Great Tidal Bore in the City of Rune on 『Phi』 was just as terrifying.

Or rather, it was overwhelming in horror.

Near the entrance to the dungeon, the area surrounded by the walls was not small.

It was about the size of a 400 meters track.

A shape close to an ellipse with a length of 150 meters and a width of 75 meters.

However, monsters had overflowed to fill the entire area.

It was exactly what it meant to not have the slightest bit of space.

Neither the Crimson Sword nor the White Brigade spoke a word from the overwhelming sight.

And it was the same for Hugh McGrath, the Guild Master who should have experienced the previous Great Tidal Bore.

(What’s with this number … the last time it didn’t reach this point and there are even more stuck in the back.)

Unpleasant sweat dripped down Hugh’s back due to the excessive number of monsters that was more than expected.

That said, the action to take was already decided.

Annihilate the monsters.

If that was not possible, the monster would flood the city and the City of Rune would be destroyed.

“Shave off as many as possible with ranged attacks. Attack with magic and bows and arrows. The vanguard will cut down any arrows from the monsters and protect the Magicians and Archers.”

Although he spent most of his time wrestling with documents after retiring as an adventurer for nine years, he was still a former A-class adventurer even if he was out of his prime.

The number of bloodsheds he survived was greater than anyone present.

Although both the Crimson Sword and the White Brigade were a gathering of exceptional individuals, there was no clear hierarchy.

In that case, it was certain that orders from the “Guild Master” would cause the least confusion.

Unification of the chain of command was a protocol that was absolutely necessary for a battle.

Under Hugh’s command, the battle began.

However, it was a one-sided massacre rather than a battle.

The Crimson Sword and White Brigade attacked with magic and arrows from the top of the wall, which was about 10 meters tall.

There were also sporadic counterattacks.

From a small amount of Goblin Archers mixed in the majority of Goblins.

However, most of the arrows did not reach the top of the wall.

And even if they reached, the Swordsmen and Shield-bearers would repel them all.

The Crimson Sword and White Brigade were stationed on the south side of the wall.

That was because another group was planned to defend the north side.

And ten minutes after the start of the battle, the long-awaited reinforcements appeared on the northern wall.

The Knights of the Margrave of Rune.

“Reduce the numbers as much as possible with long-range attacks.”

Their basic plan was the same as the adventurers.

Of course, that was because Guild Master Hugh had a meeting with Knight Commander Neville Black the day before.

(We were busy but I’m glad I did it yesterday …)

Hugh thought seriously.

It would have been a serious blow if the number of allies decreased due to a sudden charge because of something like knight honor.

(Although Neville doesn’t seem to have that kind of attachment.)

Going back in time just a little bit.

When the incident at the entrance to the dungeon was transmitted to the Adventurer’s Guild, there were quite a few adventurers in the guild.

Those who were thinking of diving into the dungeon today.

Those who were thinking of accepting surface requests today.

Both felt that something unusual was happening.

Discussions and exchange of information with other parties were happening.

Everyone knew of the importance of information, regardless if they were A-rank or F-rank adventurers.

That said, there was currently no A-rank adventurer in the City of Rune …

Meanwhile, the messenger rushed in and shouted.

“The Great Tidal Bore is happening! Monsters are coming up to the surface.”

With just those words, the C-rank and D-rank adventurers moved without hesitation.

Immediately, they took their weapons and ran toward the entrance to the dungeon.

The remaining E-rank and F-rank adventurers didn’t have to hesitate for a long time.

This was because the voice of a guild staff echoed.

“The Great Tidal Bore is a phenomenon in which monsters overflow from the dungeon. This is an urgent quest of the highest importance. Everyone here should be able to attack from the top of the defensive wall around the dungeon entrance. Please head over immediately.”

The adventurers, who were wondering what to do, started to move all at once after they heard the instructions.

Niles, Etho, and Amon, who were exchanging information in the guild, also headed for the dungeon entrance.

At the entrance to the ramparts, bows and arrows stockpiled by the guild were distributed.

Even though they were stored at the guild headquarters, it was moved in advance because of the considerable amount.

That foresight came to effectiveness now.

For the time being, they could shoot without worrying about running out of arrows.

That also played a large role in keeping morale high.

After all, no matter how many they defeated, there was no end to the monsters surging out …

“Damn, it’s not reducing at all.”

Abel complained but kept shooting arrows without resting his hands.

Abel was a Swordsman but when it came to adventurers at his level, they would have decent means of attack at all short, medium, and long distances.

Naturally, Abel’s skill with the bow was also well above average.

Next to him, the priest Rihya was also firing arrows.

She was not as skillful as Abel but at this distance, she could hit the Goblins.

“It’s an endurance battle. But if we don’t defeat these goblins, the big shot won’t come out, right?”

The big shot … it seemed that the Goblins were the core of this Great Todal Bore … That meant that it will probably end if the Goblin General was defeated in the end.

To put it the other way around, it won’t end unless they defeated the general who had not come out of the dungeon yet.

“Rin, there’s still a long way to go. In the end, we and Brigade will be rushing in to defeat them so save your magical power.”

“Understood~”

“But if there is a magic that can wipe them out with a single blow, you can feel free to do so?”

“There’s no way I have such a spell! Don’t say that while knowing the answer!”

Rin, the Wind-Attribute Magician, sat down and devoted herself to recovering her magical power.

In that situation, her ability to continue the battle was significantly inferior to that of the bow and arrow.

A little further away from the Crimson Sword, Phelps, the leader of the White Brigade, a spearman, was also firing arrows as a matter of course.

Next to him, the Magician deputy leader, Sheena, was also firing arrows.

Twenty members of the Brigade who joined later were also gathered and all forty people took part in a corner of the wall as they launched long-range attacks.

About thirty of them were firing arrows.

There were only five professional archers but now it was a situation where quantity was more important than quality.

“Everyone, don’t neglect hydration. Only Goblins and a few Goblin Archers have come out so there’s a long way to go.”

Phelps gave accurate instructions without stopping his hand that was firing arrows.

Some members of the brigade were already having difficulty pulling the bowstrings, probably because they have kept shooting arrows for tens of minutes.

As they were not professional archers, they probably applied strength to unnecessary places.

The priests would heal them with recovery magic and they would return to the front line.

But … the end was yet to be seen.

Hugh was in command as he waited for a report.

(Our talented staff should be back soon …)

“Master!”

Outside the ramparts, a voice calling Hugh was heard from the street.

“Are they here!?”

“We have procured arrows from all the weapon stores on the south side of the city. The number is about 80,000.”

“Oh ~”

The guild staff around Hugh and the adventurers shouted in admiration.

“OK, assign them to the adventurers right away.”

“Master, the procurement unit on the north side has also procured nearly 70,000 arrows. They have reported that they are now carrying them to the Knights.”

“All right! We can continue the fight at long distances for a while.”

What were Niles, Etho, and Amon doing during this time?

As a priest, Etho roamed between parties on the ramparts as he cast recovery magic.

And Niles and Amon were delivering arrows to each party.

“Abel-san, here are arrows procured from a city weapons store.”

Niles carried two barrels of arrows to the Crimson Sword.

“Oh, Niles? That’s a great help. We were about to run out of arrows.”

Abel turned slightly toward Niles and nodded.

“Also, it’s a message from Guild Master. The Crimson Sword will charge in at the end, or so it seems.”

Abel laughed loudly when he heard that.

“I guessed it. Tell Guilmas that I understand.”

“Yes. Then, good luck.”

Then, Niles turned his heels back and ran to give Hugh Abel’s reply.

“It really makes me appreciate the importance of resupply, even if I don’t like doing it.”