Narsena At That Time

—Narsena—

「Is Onii-san alright, I wonder?」

I was at the location where we spotted the monster army when I muttered that, it was quiet enough it got swept away by the hustle and bustle of the labyrinth city.
While keeping my attention on the labyrinth further into the grassland right in front of me, with nothing else to do, I talked to myself to keep myself preoccupied.

「Onii-san, for some reason, he can’t refuse Ralma-san’s unreasonable request…… No, right now, I need to focus on myself.」

Like that, my mind seemed to drift away to Onii-san, but I kept myself together and thought about my situation instead.
It’s Ralma-san and Onii-san.
It’s unlikely they would be in a dangerous situation no matter the opponent.
Now I have to concentrate on my role rather than the two of them, and so, I kept my attention to the grassland again.

Currently, I was keeping watch for the first sign of the monsters that came from the labyrinth.
Normally, the task should be left to the lower-ranking adventurers, because as one of the leading forces in the labyrinth city, it was natural for me to rest so I was ready to fight at any time.
However, the current situation in the labyrinth city didn’t allow for that.

I didn’t know the reason, but for some reason, there were no protective walls in this labyrinth city.
Even though most labyrinth cities with the threat of labyrinth runaway had walls built to protect them from the labyrinth, and even nearby cities had walls.

There were only four white buildings made of something I didn’t know surrounding the labyrinth city, one of which I was using as a platform to observe the grassland.
There were no other large buildings in this labyrinth city besides these fours.

Right, in this labyrinth city, never mind using walls as a barrier to fight the monsters, it was a defective city that was forced into a crisis when monsters were approaching.

「……This labyrinth city is the one that needs walls the most.」

I couldn’t help but let out such a complaint to the unknown designer of this city.
In any case, the labyrinth city was currently in danger of being annihilated if the monsters weren’t defeated before they reached the labyrinth city.
That was why someone capable of strengthening their vision with body strengthening skills and being able to detect the monsters flocks quickly was necessary to stand on the lookout.

「…I have to make sure I don’t miss something like the orcs army from before.」

I recalled the orcs and lich I mentioned.
At that time, thanks to Ralma-san and Ronaldo-san, the two world-class adventurers, we were saved, but it should be considered lucky.
If Ronaldo-san’s response was just a bit late, the labyrinth city would have collapsed by this time.
We must avoid letting the monsters get so close to the city.

「Especially when I can’t trust any other adventurers besides Zieg-san and Marnell’s group.」

As I muttered this, I grimaced.
After the man who seemed to be the leader of that annoying Wargod’s Greatsword crushed by Onii-san, at a first glance, the adventurers were quiet.
However, I noticed something was wrong.

「I wish they could cooperate in a situation like this.」

The labyrinth runaway happening currently wasn’t just a trivial matter.
Because I understood that, I felt dissatisfied with the attitude of the adventurers.

There were more than one thousand and five hundred adventurers in the labyrinth city right now, but their strength couldn’t match their numbers.
If it were a simple matter of ability, the adventurers here would be quite good, but only on a party basis.
In a group battle, the adventurers here could run away without listening to the instructions from above.

「Even I have to put up from being together with Onii-san because of this situation…!」

I puffed out my cheeks on the ledge, taking advantage of the fact that no one was watching.
In truth, I also wanted to follow Onii-san who went to meet the guild’s branch chief.
Among the adventurers, maybe thinking that it was a chance as Onii-san had disappeared, instead of only looking at me like a creep, some even tried to reach out to me.
They were simply unpleasant, and that was why I wanted to be with Onii-san all the more.
As this was an emergency, I suppressed that feeling and kept watch here.

Nonetheless, the remaining adventurers had no shortage of things to complain about.
Every adventurer only thought about their own survival.

Without knowing that line of thought would only accelerate their death while in the middle of labyrinth runaway.

「Hahh~…… At least, I hope they fight properly when the monsters attack.」

While muttering that, I still kept my eyes on the grassland.
To make sure I didn’t miss any change that happened.
To make sure I could respond immediately.

……However, that vigilance was what delayed my reaction.

「……-!」

Suddenly, thanks to my enhanced hearing, I could hear the sound of what could be described as multiple people shouting and screaming.
Reflexively, I stood up when I sensed that something strange had happened.
But, that was all.
Unsure of what to do, or even what had happened in the first place, I only looked around the grassland in a daze.

「The monsters haven’t shown up, right?」

It was a confusion born because I was following my duty to the letter.
Because I kept my vigilance toward the grassland, when I heard those noises, I automatically assumed it was because of monsters.
All while forgetting that the adventurers behind me shouldn’t be able to notice any monsters.

However, my confusion only lasted for a moment.
I immediately realized that no one other than myself would be able to notice the monsters.

「I wonder if I’m nervous because Onii-san isn’t around…」

While thinking about Onii-san who seemed to be still talking to the Branch Chief, I muttered that and took my eyes off the grassland to look behind me.

And then, I saw an unbelievable sight.

「…………No way!」

There was a group of people running with full use of body strengthening skills.
After one beat, I realize what was happening now.

——-The adventurers were trying to escape from the labyrinth.

I saw them running while carrying the magician, the healer with body strengthening skills, and people who didn’t wear magic tools.
When I saw the scene, I muttered in dismay.

「What’s on their mind!?」

The adventurers were probably trying to escape from the labyrinth city as a result of their out-of-control thoughts of saving only themselves.
“I’m sorry but I don’t want to have to protect the townfolks,” something like that?

……But, I doubted the adventurers’ sanity because I knew that running away was the worst way to go.

Essentially, the adventurers contracted to the guild were obligated to cooperate in the event of an emergency like labyrinth runaway.
Escaping in a time of disaster like this, in particular, would guarantee them to become wanted as criminals.

And more than that, escaping while labyrinth runaway was occurring was just foolish.

If the monsters were overflowing from the labyrinth while they were in the middle of escaping to the neighboring town, they would get attacked while escaping.
There was no need to imagine how much damage would occur if that happened.
Even if someone was lucky enough to escape to the neighboring town while being attacked by monsters, it was nothing but bringing the labyrinth runaway to that town.

……If that happens, it would guarantee a death penalty.

I couldn’t hide my shock at the sight of the fleeing adventurers who didn’t understand this.

「Damn! Stop!」

It was the angry voice of Marnell and his peers who ran after the adventurers that brought me back to my senses.
I finally realized it was not the time for me to be dumbfounded.
I have to stop as many adventurers as I can.
At that moment, I activated body strengthening and jumped off the building.

I landed just in front of the fleeing adventurers.
The adventurers running at full speed were surprised when I suddenly appeared in front of them, their faces twisted into a scowl.

「…-! It’s the martial artist from that defect healer’s party!」

It was then I noticed that leading the adventurers was Wargod’s Greatsword.
When I realized the fact that this was the work of Wargod’s Greatsword, I glared at them in anger.

「…Why can’t you stop being a bother to Onii-san!」

At that moment, propelled by that feeling, I took off toward the adventurers.

My first target was the young warrior of Wargod’s Greatsword that jumped to protect their leader.
Without any hesitation, I hit that warrior.
That young warrior held a spare dagger so they could move easier while running.
The warrior raised their dagger to protect themselves, but their movement while running was too sluggish.
I quickly knocked the dagger away.

「Ah-」

Then I punched the stunned-looking warrior in the abdomen.
The warrior wore light equipment, but my fist with my skill activated sent a shockwave that passed through their equipment.

The next moment, the warrior lost their strength and collapsed.
The healer carried by the warrior was also thrown to the ground and, maybe from a bad fall, cowering with a high-pitched scream.

The two people sudden collapse slowed down some of the fleeing adventurers.
Taking that as an opportunity, I targeted the nearest adventurers I didn’t know who.

「Guh-!」

At that time, the healer lying on the ground was trampled and they raised a muffled scream.
However, without caring about it, I punched the adventurer I targeted, knocking them unconscious.

As the number of obstacles from the fainted adventurers increased, the movement of the other adventurers became even slower.

From then on, it was a massacre.

Maybe it was because they were focusing on running away, or maybe it was my skill that got better, but only a few of them could react to my movement.
Moreover, most adventurers were lightly dressed to escape and carried non-combatant.
Sometimes, some people attacked in desperation, but I easily dispatched them.

As a result, five, ten, twenty, the adventurers I incapacitated kept increasing.
……But the look on my face was one of undeniable frustration.

「So…many!」

No matter how many adventurers I neutralized, their number didn’t see a decrease.
It gave the illusion the number of people fleeing the labyrinth city was increasing instead.
……By that time, I also noticed that some of the non-combatant that the adventurers carried were guild staffs.
In other words, the grand escape of these adventurers showed that the guild staffs were also cooperating.
How many adventurers are on the run if the guild staffs helped them?
Such thoughts bring a strong feeling of frustration to my heart.
Still, I calmed my impatient heart and swung my fist at the adventurers in abandon.
For now, I decided these adventurers needed to be stopped by incapacitating them.

However, I was at the forefront of the adventurers and was swallowed by the waves of adventurers… And, before I knew it, groups of adventurers were overtaking me.
From behind, Marnell and his peers were trying to stop the adventurers, but it was like pouring water on a heated stone.
And so, the majority of the adventurers left the labyrinth city.

「Don’t let them!」

I still hadn’t given up yet even in that situation.
Even while breathing so hard it showed on my shoulder, I ran to the adventurers at the back and punched and kicked them to reduce the number of adventurers who were running away.
Catching up with the adventurers running in a group wasn’t difficult.

「If so-!」

I looked hopeful the moment I noticed that, and as for the adventurers, their expressions were full of fear as they ran away while looking back at me.
However, the next moment, when I noticed the direction the adventurers were running at, the feeling of agitation floated on my face.

「The grassland!?」

——The adventurers were escaping further into the grassland that had the labyrinth in it.

I realized the adventurers’ plan was more elaborated than I thought.
If I kept going, I would be caught by the monsters that came out from the labyrinth.
After being out of breath from rampaging to stop the adventurers, getting caught in that would be a nightmare.

I slowed down as I was at a loss.
Should I keep pursuing them, or should I give up?

When I looked behind, I saw many adventurers who had lost consciousness and collapsed.
However, the number seemed insignificant compared to the adventurers that were still on the run.
After a moment of hesitation, I decided to keep chasing after them.

「Narsena, fall back!」

「——!」

It was then Ronaldo-san commanded.

「You are more important than those lot! Give up and go back!」

Ronaldo-san was correct.
Still, I tried to chase after the adventurers…… and then I stopped.
Their backs were getting further and further away.

As for me…… I could only bite my lips as I watched them go.