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~Chapter 117~
Kyaaaak!
The sky burned red.
Debris flew over from the slums into the city streets, sending up smoke.
“Help me!”
“Mom! Mooooom!”
“The building next door collapsed!”
Even as screams and cries filled the air, the woman couldn’t move.
A neighbor grabbed her.
“What are you doing, Velma! We have to go now!”
“But Tony…”
“Who cares about that dog!”
“He’s not just a dog!”
Whimper, whine.
Tony cried, trapped under the rubble.
He was the dog of her husband, who had gone north to fight monsters and never returned.
‘I know you don’t like dogs… but could you take him?’
‘I don’t have any other family, so no one else will look after him.’
That was how the dog had become family.
And now…
“Tony is the child he left behind!”
“Velma!”
“He’s my only family left!”
But in this urgent situation, a dog’s life was treated as nothing.
“You need to live first! Let’s go!”
“…Go without me!”
“You stubborn woman!”
Kyaaaak!
The neighbor went pale at the monster’s scream and ran away.
The woman stayed behind, desperately pushing at the rubble.
“It’s okay, Tony.”
She thought: if she couldn’t save him, she would just stay here with him.
She had neighbors and others to run to—but in this dog’s world, there was only her.
So she would not betray this small life.
No matter what.
“Everything will be okay.”
Her face streaked with tears, her hands bleeding as she clawed at the rubble…
Thud.
A heavy vibration came closer, and a massive shadow fell over her.
Kyaaaak!
“Ah.”
She didn’t even have the courage to turn around.
She bit her trembling lips and hugged the whimpering dog.
Bang!
A powerful gunshot split the air.
Thud! A massive body collapsed.
“Are you alright?”
She turned—and the light was so dazzling she couldn’t look properly.
“Join us over here!”
“….”
“Monsters are coming through! Staying here is dangerous!”
A small woman stood there, shining with light from her back.
In her hands was a musket, and in her arms, a child.
The golden glow around her gave her the aura of a saint.
“Waaaah! Mama!”
“Seril!”
A middle-aged woman ran up and took the child from her arms.
The small woman looked at Velma.
Somehow, despite her small frame, there was firmness in her presence.
And behind her, countless townspeople followed with torches and cloths waving.
“What are you doing? Get up!”
Velma stammered without meaning to.
“B-but my dog is here…”
“Where?”
Instead of telling her to abandon it, the small woman strode up, checked the situation, and wedged her musket under the rubble like a lever.
With a grunt, she lifted.
Woof!
Velma scooped up her freed dog into her arms.
The joy lasted only a moment.
“Follow me. I’ll take you to the shelter!”
“Shelter?”
Could she bring Tony there?
Would they throw the dog out to save room for people?
Hesitating in fear, Velma flinched.
The small woman patted her shoulder.
“There’s enough space, and people who fear dogs can stay apart.”
“…What?”
“There are kennels and stables there too!”
Velma, stunned, wanted to believe her.
The small woman squeezed her shoulder firmly, giving her one last reassurance.
“So come with me.”
A breeze tousled the small woman’s brown hair.
“Since I saved you, you’re my responsibility now.”
At that smile, Velma found herself moving forward, clutching her dog.
“Whew, that was close.”
I aimed my musket and shot another monster that had gotten over the wall.
There wasn’t just one breach—monsters were pouring in from other spots too.
And the smaller ones that looked more human—I had to subdue them instead of kill, which was harder.
They could be remnants of the back-alley boss’s men.
‘I’ll let Zeon handle purifying them later.’
I glanced back.
“Quickly, quickly!”
“This way!”
A line of refugees stretched behind me.
Our destination was the Grand Duke’s estate.
“Soon we’ll reach the shelter!”
“Over there! That door!”
More precisely—the underground prison of the Grand Duke’s estate.
I rushed to the door and placed my hand on it.
Click. It unlocked, recognizing me.
“One at a time! Keep order!”
Terrified but disciplined, the people entered.
I let out a sigh of relief.
‘Thank goodness this place exists.’
It had been about half an hour earlier…
‘The fire’s spreading already!’
‘This is dangerous!’
While I was dealing with monsters beyond the repaired wall, merchants had warned me.
‘Uncle! …Your Grace!’
‘Jeremy!’
‘When did you come out here again?’
Jeremy had arrived with elite soldiers of the estate.
‘And the Grand Duke?’
‘He was on his way, but another breach opened, so he’s there dealing with monsters.’
Looking back, I really did see smoke rising from multiple places.
The situation was worse than expected.
‘This won’t work.’
Even with the eyeball repairing walls, there was a limit.
‘First, we need to get the people somewhere safe… But where?’
Then it struck me.
‘…Jeremy. The underground prison—the underground town you took me to before.’
‘Why that place…?’
‘Can it be used as a shelter?’
It was perfect.
The burning ground wasn’t safe. Shelters were supposed to be underground bunkers anyway.
‘A large underground space for many people…’
That interrogation site would work.
Jeremy hesitated, then nodded quickly.
‘It should… it should work.’
‘Should? Be certain.’
‘The Grand Duke will trust your judgment.’
His words made my heart jolt.
‘While I was out meeting Karl… the Duke trusted me like this.’
But guilt had no place in an emergency.
‘Alright. Everyone, follow me!’
So I gathered people and led them here, tying the glowing eyeball to my back like a beacon.
I felt like a human lighthouse.
“Elderly first! Slowly!”
Even as people entered, distant explosions rang.
‘I need to go repair the walls again.’
Thankfully, others had taken up guiding duties with torches and makeshift flags.
“Over here!”
“This way is safe!”
Volunteers lit the path for others to follow, making a magnificent sight.
I watched for a moment, then ran on.
‘Where’s the nearest broken wall?’
Tap, tap, tap!
After running for a while—
Sizzle!
The eyeball on my back heated up.
“What? What’s wrong?”
I untied it, and it pointed somewhere.
Turning my head—
“There!”
I saw new Holy Knights running under Captain Ista.
‘Zeon got the message through!’
But my relief didn’t last.
“There’s the target! Don’t let it escape!”
“I don’t know why it’s back so soon, but this is our chance to claim it!”
‘Target?’
What were they after?
A bad feeling seized me.
I had suspected there might be infiltrators among them.
Thud!
I ran after them instinctively.
“Found it!”
Crash!
Buildings collapsed under the wingbeats of a flying monster, opening the space.
“Argh!”
“Take cover!”
Knights screamed under falling debris. I rolled to dodge—
“There it is!”
One knight raised his musket.
At the end of his sights—
Slash!
The wing of the monster was cut clean off.
And in the chaos, a dragon-head mask shone.
