55 44: Abyss Walker Countermeasures Meeting.txt (1/2)

The search for the Abyss Walkers using the Knights continued thoroughly for a week after that, but no other than those two bodies had been seen.

After receiving the report from Mais, Lloyd had lifted the blockade of the city as it was confirmed that it was safe for the time being.

At the same time, he had also issued a decision to make the search for Abyss Walkers in the Forest of Demonland a permanent request to high-ranking adventurers belonging to the Adventurer's Guild of the Yuguhanotes.

Once the blockade was lifted, the city had regained its composure.

However, the air in the city remained heavy with the appearance of a creature that made me feel the resurrection of Abyss Walker.

In the midst of all this, I had been called to Lloyd's mansion.

Right now, a meeting to counter the Abyss Walkers, chaired by Lloyd, is being held.

The attendees were Linus, Gawain, Noelia, Myth, the Adventurer's Guild Master, and me.

''Half of the knight's group continues to be devoted to the search for the magical forest, and the Adventurer's Guild has also requested that high-ranking adventurers be given priority to participate in the search. However, as of now, we haven't received any reports of discoveries other than those two.

The knight captain, Myth, was reading out the report that came up.

''You mean those two alone have been hiding in the Demon Forest for twenty years since the great attack?

''I thought that was unlikely. There are many demons in the Devil's Landing Forest, but adventurers who were looking for those demons were quite often on their way to defeat them, so I don't think it's possible for them to remain undiscovered for twenty years.

Mais had denied the question from Lloyd.

If I was that strong of an individual, I'm sure it would have been a pretty flashy battle against a demon, and I don't think that battle hadn't been found by the adventurers who had entered the forest of the demon world until now.

So I thought that it must have appeared in that vicinity anew recently.

''Doesn't that mean it's a new individual that crawled out of Abyss Falls?　You crawled out of that hole for the last big raid, didn't you?

Gawain, who had heard Myth's report, had opened his mouth to say so.

'But there was an omen in the last great attack. Before the Abyss Walkers crawled out, you may remember that a mysterious pillar of light rose up from the great hole. This time there was never any such omen.

This time, Lloyd was denying Gawain's story.

Had such a pillar of light gone up before the great attack occurred?

The adults in the village I was in hadn't talked about it, so it was new to me.

The information I had never heard of before made me realize once again that this was the front line in the great attack twenty years ago.

I'm sure you've heard that. I don't remember much about it because I was so busy with my sword, but I have a feeling a few people in town said something like that. If that's the case, where did those guys come from?

In response to Gawain's question, Guildmaster Arnold, who had been listening silently until then, modestly raised his hand.

''I am afraid to say this. As a matter of fact, there is a general meeting of adventurer's guilds in cities around the kingdom: ....... When I attended the last general assembly, I overheard that there were apparently some individuals in various places that resembled the Abyss Walker this time. I heard that the adventurer guilds in other cities don't consider the reports important and haven't done any follow-up investigation. ......

'What the hell?　Why don't you bring that up to me!　When did you hear that story!

Hearing Arnold's report, Lloyd's complexion was tinted with vermilion.

''Ha, yes. It was about six months ago, and ...... until now, reports of seeing Abyss Walkers, which were rare, had been raised in adventurer guilds around the country, but they were all false reports by fledgling adventurers. Because of this, the topic came up at the general meeting, but it was not considered important: ....... However, we had a bad feeling about this because we received a report from an adventurer who survived the attack, so we decided to report it to Mr. Lloyd: ......

'If the idiot ...... had told you that story less than six months ago, you could have done more. It's a blunder that can only be described as a careless mistake.

I'm sorry, too. I didn't think Abyss Walker was still around. I will take responsibility for this blunder and resign my position as Guildmaster.

When reprimanded, Arnold's face turned pale and his body shriveled as he bowed his head.

When Lloyd saw Arnold's condition, he waved his hand in annoyance.

I'm not going to let you take the blame for the blunder and dismiss the adventurer's guild as a whole. I have decided to blame Arnold's blunder on me for this one. And you can avenge it by doing your job.

Ha, ha!