Anyi didn’t refuse because, as Eira said, Sisrine’s Prana attribute was also quite high.
Having two people with high mana would make it even more difficult for other monsters to target them.
Humans with low mana were like stray dogs on the streets.
Any monster passing by would want to kick them.
Don’t misunderstand, they didn’t have malicious intent.
They just wanted to kick them to see if they would die.
Monsters in this border area were uncivilized. High Intelligence didn’t mean they had morals.
Their malice was like that of a child, their initial attacks weren’t too heavy or too light, but monsters didn’t have parents teaching them kindness and compassion.
“Then… Mr. Carl, thank you.”
Along the way, Sisrine approached Anyi and said suddenly.
“Why?” Anyi asked.
“Actually… I thought you wouldn’t take me.” Sisrine smiled.
“Why?” Anyi asked again.
“Because going to the depths of the city is very dangerous, right?” Sisrine said.
These past few days, they had only been exploring the outskirts of the city.
The outskirts had many Class 3 and 4 monsters, and the depths of the city would have Class 5, or even Class 6 monsters?
That was definitely not something they could easily handle.
So they had only been exploring the outskirts and hadn’t ventured into the city.
“It’s dangerous, but since you’re willing to come, it means you’re not afraid, right?” Anyi tilted his head and looked at her.
“Yes…!” Sisrine hesitated but nodded forcefully.
Not afraid?
Of course, she was afraid.
But she wouldn’t give up because of fear.
As Eira said, if something happened, she could help Anyi and Ariana escape!
“If you’re willing to do this, then that’s enough.” Anyi said calmly.
“That’s right! If anything happens, Anyi will protect you!” Ariana said with a smile.
“Yes… Then I’ll rely on Mr. Carl!” Sisrine’s spirits lifted.
Anyi: “No, instead of me protecting you, you should be protecting me.”
Ariana: “?”
Anyi: “My skills haven’t recovered yet, if I’m injured, I’ll need your protection.”
Ariana smiled proudly: “Haha! I didn’t expect Anyi to say that!
I thought you would say something like, ‘Because I’m a genius, I can kill all the monsters and protect you’ or something.”
Ariana imitated Anyi’s calm tone, making Sisrine giggle.
“The situation is different. Before, we surrounded the monsters, but now, the monsters are surrounding us.
Saying something like that would make you look stupid.” Anyi said calmly.
(Hilo: “Ah!!” )
“It’s not good to talk about others behind their backs.” Ariana nudged Anyi.
Anyi: “I didn’t say anything.”
Sisrine also sighed.
She couldn’t do anything about her impulsive sister.
It wasn’t really overconfidence… it was absolute confidence in her own strength and speed.
After all, she had always crushed and killed monsters, she had never encountered an enemy that could give her a headache.
Of course, this “confidence” was a double-edged sword.
But in Anyi’s opinion, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
She had her own fighting style, and destroying her confidence would only make her lose herself.
Didn’t 【Mad Blade Hilo】 defeat a Class 6 monster because of her reckless courage?
In this life, it wasn't a big deal, but in his previous life, her courage had influenced many heroes.
She might have been reckless and foolish, but…
The ten years of fighting monsters in his previous life, the assault on the Demon Lord’s castle, were paved with the corpses of heroes.
Exterminating monsters couldn't be done without casualties.
This was a war!
There were countless powerful enemies among the monsters.
Even in games with strategies, there are times when things go wrong, let alone heroes facing unknown enemies!
Conquering monster territory without casualties?
What a joke!
Humanity only occupied one-tenth of the world’s territory, and yet, ten years later, they had conquered the Demon Lord’s castle!
At this stage, no one could imagine how cruel that war was.
Heroes paved their path with blood, risked their lives, and fought with a determination to the death against those seemingly unbeatable enemies!
【Mad Blade Hilo】 was their hero.
When they were exhausted and chose to perish alongside the monsters, the image of the hero would appear in their minds.
Remembering Hilo, they would remember their own identities.
That’s right!
They were heroes.
Fearless heroes! Heroes who weren’t afraid of death!
For the sake of humanity’s future! For the extermination of monsters!
What was a life?!
While teasing them, Anyi didn’t look down on those who had truly dedicated themselves to fighting monsters.
Especially someone like Hilo, who had a significant impact on the human-monster war in his previous life.
Of course, there were many other heroic figures in that war, but that’s a story for another time.
Thanks to Ariana and Sisrine, two powerful mages, they encountered no problems along their way to the city’s depths.
In the depths of the city, they occasionally saw monsters with similar physiques to humans.
With their size, their mana levels must be quite high; otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to survive here.
The roads outside the city were rough and uneven.
But in the depths of the city, perhaps because they were closer to the nobles’ residences, the ground was clearly paved, and there were far fewer large monsters.
In the earlier stages, there was basically an inverse relationship between size and mana.
In the early stages, the monsters they encountered had more or less obvious weaknesses. Even seemingly versatile demons, with their balanced attributes, had weaknesses.
Without any outstanding attribute, heroes in the early stages would definitely be able to overwhelm them.
High physical strength, low mana, high mana, low physical strength.
And those with high physical strength and high mana wouldn’t appear in these border cities.
Not long after entering the city, Anyi quickly noticed something striking.
On the side of the road, there was a huge notice board.
“Ah? Why haven’t we seen this outside the city?” Ariana also noticed it immediately.
Although she couldn’t understand the words, she knew it was a public notice board.
After all, there were no giant billboards in this world.
“Mr. Carl, can you understand the monster writing?” Sisrine looked at Anyi, slightly puzzled.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Anyi didn’t answer but widened his eyes, staring at the writing.
On the notice board, a large line of words was written—
《Congratulations to Baron Ferdinand on capturing the wanted monster 【Audrey Celeste】!》
He stood calmly, countless images flashing in his mind. Two words escaped his lips;
“Master…?”
“Hm? Anyi, what did you just say?” Ariana didn’t hear clearly.
Anyi came back to his senses and shook his head: “Nothing.
But this reminds us that we should learn the monster language and find somewhere with books.”
“Okay!” Ariana nodded excitedly.
Sisrine didn’t hear what Anyi said either, but she didn’t ask.
Finding a place that looked like a bookstore, Ariana pulled a seemingly easy-to-handle 1.8-meter-tall monster child to read the contents of the books, and then let the system automatically analyze and translate the writing.
Since they already knew how to speak, learning the writing with the help of the system would be quick.
Although Anyi was listening to the child reading, his mind was elsewhere.
He understood.
He understood everything.
Why could 【Mad Blade Hilo】 see the Class 6 monster? Why could she kill the Sword Demon who should have been in his mansion?
Why did the Sword Demon suddenly appear on the main street at that time?
Why could the three survivors escape when surrounded by Class 5 monsters?
Now, Anyi understood everything.
The history that hadn’t been recorded in his previous life had been revealed!
Because 【Audrey Celeste】 was here!
He reviewed everything that had happened.
Before Hilo killed the monsters around the city, the Sword Demon had captured a wanted monster.
【Audrey Celeste】 was a powerful elf. At that time, she had been pursued by monsters for a long time and was exhausted.
As she tried to escape to the outside of the monster territory, she was ambushed by a group of Class 6 monsters led by the Sword Demon on the border, and eventually captured.
Anyi knew that after capturing the wanted criminal, the monsters needed to notify their superiors to take it.
After confirming the criminal’s identity and handing it over to the Demon Lord’s city, the Demon Lord would grant a reward.
Individual monsters who handed over criminals would receive rewards and could even evolve to Level 3.
If a lord handed over the criminal, the entire territory would receive a buff, and the lord would also receive a significant reward.
And that would be a great celebration for the entire territory!
This notice board was naturally meant to generate hype for the transfer of the prisoner.
But… an unexpected event occurred.
Hilo happened to kill several Class 3 monsters at that time, alerting the Sword Demon.
It didn’t matter who captured the criminal, the one who handed it over to the Demon Lord’s city would receive the reward.
After the extermination of Audrey, the Sword Demon’s territory must have been severely weakened.
At this time, other territorial lords might try to steal the prisoner.
The sudden appearance of the killer might have been mistaken by the Sword Demon as a warrior sent by another lord.
This was the reason for increased vigilance.
The eight heroes had been waiting in the city for some time now, and the criminal still hadn’t been ceremoniously brought into the city.
Then, when would the opponent make their move?
Simple.
Three days later!
Based on the timeline of his previous life…
Hilo and her team entered the city earlier than this timeline.
Because they lacked a day of training.
They likely entered the city a day earlier, before the gate was sealed, so they didn’t need Anyi’s help.
The next part is crucial.
Hilo and her team didn’t understand the monster language or writing, nor did they know about the “killer”.
After meeting with other humans, they discovered that the city had suddenly become more guarded, so they stayed hidden in the city, not daring to explore.
But whether they arrived early or late, the transfer of the prisoner would happen three days later because of the “killer”.
Three days later, Hilo’s team noticed that the monsters in the city had suddenly lined up, stretching from the gate to the depths of the city.
They stood in two lines, as if welcoming something.
Then, Hilo’s team saw a carriage carrying the prisoner approaching.
The monsters began to cheer.
Inside the carriage was a woman with long blonde hair and pointed ears. Because she wasn’t a monster, her Bestiary entry wasn’t unlocked.
Surrounding the carriage were Class 5 and higher monsters, even Class 6 monsters guarding it!
Anyone with common sense would know that with so many “high-level” monsters guarding the prisoner, she must be incredibly powerful!
And without a doubt, the prisoner must be an enemy of the monsters!
At this moment, after several days of observing the monsters, Hilo’s team made a decision—
Steal the prisoner!
This was undoubtedly a very dangerous decision.
But, if they could successfully release this powerful prisoner, she could become a crucial asset in humanity’s fight against monsters!
Their mission in their previous lives was to gather information, but what could be better than a powerful monster prisoner to provide information?
Most importantly, regardless of whether she was an enemy or an ally, she would definitely cause trouble for the monsters!
If she was an ally, they could use her to kill many monsters and gather information.
If she was an enemy, she would first deal with the surrounding monsters.
The result was clear, the four, relatively small in stature, hid among the monsters. Both Hilo and Eira’s full-power attacks could break the prisoner carriage.
The carriage had a special formation to restrict mana usage, and chains restricted the prisoner’s movements.
But the carriage itself wasn’t sturdy.
As long as the carriage was destroyed, the formation would be ineffective, and the prisoner could use mana again, rendering the chains useless.
Anyi had stolen monster prisoners before, so he knew.
As for why they didn’t use stronger materials, it was simply because the wooden material of the carriage was made of special magic trees, and other materials hadn’t been developed yet.
After destroying the carriage, Audrey counterattacked.
She could kill a group of Class 3 and 4 monsters with a single move, causing the surrounding monsters to flee.
Class 5 and 6 monsters began to suppress her, likely using special magic items.
At this moment, the Sword Demon also arrived.
Seeing the opponent’s overwhelming attributes, the only thought in Hilo’s team’s minds was…
Run!
Run away!
This was an enemy they couldn’t defeat!
But the prisoner was already weak, and under the siege of Class 5 and 6 monsters, she was struggling.
If the Sword Demon joined the fight, the prisoner would surely die!
Moreover, their sudden attack had exposed their strength and position.
If they ran away, everything they had done would be in vain.
And it would be even more difficult for humans to infiltrate the city in the future.
They had to take a gamble!
Bring this powerful ally back to human territory!
So, Hilo made her move.
She confronted the Sword Demon directly, ultimately perishing together.
The three supporting members witnessed her death and were forced to escape.
Sadly, they didn’t bring back the prisoner.
Audrey fought and fled, and by the time they recovered, she had already escaped to the other side of the city.
When the humans encountered Audrey again…
That was already part of the Sword Hero’s story.
That night, back at the underground human stronghold, Ariana and Sisrine had learned some of the monster language.
A monster child had told them the words on the notice board.
Therefore…
“I know why they cared so much about the killer!
Because in a few days, a wanted monster will be brought to this city!” Ariana said.
“It’s the wanted criminal.” Hilo reminded them proudly, arms crossed.
“Ah… they weren’t protecting someone important, but preventing any unexpected incidents during the prisoner’s transfer?” Eira reacted.
“But how did you know?” Hilo couldn’t help but ask.
“They made a big announcement about transferring the prisoner.
We didn’t know how to read it, so we specifically learned how to read the monster language.” Ariana explained.
“I see…” Sephie frowned, “If that’s the case, everything makes sense.
Hilo killed the monsters before the prisoner was transferred. After the killing, they were worried that Hilo was an accomplice, so they hesitated to transfer the prisoner.
Because they had already announced it to the public, a large crowd would gather.
If they fought in the city, it would affect the civilians.”
Anyi: “…”
They were still using human logic to judge monsters.
What’s the impact on civilians? The deaths of thousands of civilians were nothing.
Tens of thousands wouldn’t matter either, as long as the criminal was handed over, citizens from other territories would come to help them replenish their numbers.
“Then, why not tell the citizens not to gather?” Layton asked.
“Hmph! Nobles don’t care about anything, but they care about face!
After announcing that we captured the criminal, changing our minds would be shameful!”
Hilo snorted coldly, recalling some unpleasant memories.
Eira pondered: “Face…
Yes, the Holy Maiden is right, they’ll transfer the prisoner in a few days.
Even if it’s not in a few days, it won’t be long.
Hilo is right, if it takes too long, the monster nobles won’t be able to maintain face.”
Sephie stood up, her petite figure not much shorter than when she was sitting: “I think…
We’re all thinking the same thing, right?”
“I have a daring idea!” Hilo said excitedly, then crossed her arms and shook her head, “But I won’t say it, you guys will just tell me to calm down.”
“No, this time we might be as impulsive as you.” Eira chuckled.
“Ooh!” Ariana also became excited, “It seems everyone is thinking the same!
Then! My answer is—
Steal the prisoner!”
“Me too!” Hilo slammed her hand on the table.
Sephie chuckled: “Ah, the monsters don’t know we exist yet.
They won’t be prepared for our attack.
If they don’t want the prisoner to be stolen, then that prisoner must be very important to them.
Saving her will definitely yield unexpected rewards!”
“I object, too risky.”
At this moment, a calm voice echoed.
Surprisingly, Anyi actively objected.
Before, no matter what decision they made, he had always said “whatever”.
Of course, Anyi wasn’t truly objecting.
He was just testing them.
Testing whether they were truly reckless, or if they already had a plan.
“I agree with Anyi, too risky.” Layton raised his hand.
Miruku also agreed, but she didn’t speak.
Anyi continued: “We don’t know the enemy’s exact strength, their numbers, or even the prisoner’s identity.
What if we successfully steal the prisoner, but our numbers are reduced, what if the gains don’t outweigh the losses?
This is monster territory, we can’t just come and go as we please.
Any monster could attack us.”
“Then we’ll run if we can’t win.” Hilo shrugged.
After she spoke, everyone fell silent.
Everyone was thinking, silence descended upon the room.
Hilo: “???”
Did I say something wrong?
“Hey… You guys are all silent! What did I say wrong?!” Hilo said anxiously.
“No, I think you’re right.” Eira said seriously, “Mr. Carl also reminded me…
We… were a little too careless.
We should be better prepared.”
Sephie also nodded gravely: “Yes.”
“Then… should we investigate for two days first?” Hilo, feeling her silence wasn’t the only reason for the silence, continued.
Ariana also nodded: “Alright, let’s investigate for two days first, at least we should confirm the prisoner’s identity before making a decision?”
“And we should also plan our escape route.” Sephie said.
“And set up ambush points.” Eira nodded.
“Ugh! So troublesome!” Hilo scratched her head impatiently, “Fine!
If we don’t get any results, we’ll retreat, okay?!
Our mission will still be considered complete.”
Immediately, everyone turned their attention to Hilo.
Hilo rolled her eyes: “What?!”
Eira twitched his lips: “Nothing, just surprised to hear ‘retreat’ from you.”
Ariana also forced a smile: “Yes… I usually do most of the talking.”
Hilo glanced at Sisrine, then turned her head away, humming:
“If there are stronger monsters, we’ll run if we can’t win!” She said.
It would be fine if it were just her, but Sisrine was also here.
In this dungeon where there were enemies everywhere.
She wanted to kill the monster noble with a single blow.
But, as Anyi said, avoiding risks was more important than taking them. They shouldn’t gamble their lives.
They shouldn’t gamble their lives for a prisoner they hadn’t even seen.
Anyi stood up, walked towards the large door of the meeting room, and stopped at the entrance:
“If you can’t come up with a plan with minimal risk, then my opinion remains the same as last night.
I strongly object to taking risks.
If you can come up with the best plan in these two days, I will consider your approach and assist you.
Otherwise, my top priority is to bring the information back to human territory.”
Having said that, Anyi opened the door and left the meeting room.
Hilo crossed her arms, wanting to say something but not knowing what to say.
Although she didn’t want to be lectured, Anyi’s approach was sound.
It was the safest.
...
Anyi walked out of the hidden underground stronghold, looking up.
Only then did he see the notice board on the street.
The notice board had always been there, but there were many large monsters outside, so it was placed at a height exceeding 4 meters.
It wasn’t an oversight, but the large monsters walking on the streets during the day made it difficult for humans to spot the high notice board.
It was like being in a dense forest, where you couldn’t see the sky, only leaves blocking your view.
【Audrey Celeste】
Anyi looked at the large characters, memories flooding back to that summer in the dense forest.
According to the timeline, that was the third month after Audrey escaped.
In a certain forest, Anyi had encountered Audrey, who had lost an arm and her right eye.
And a year later…
She delivered her final blow.
Ultimately killed by one of the Demon Lord’s seventy-two Servants.
Anyi reached out, as if trying to touch the words on the notice board.
He would save her.
No matter what the team decided.
Even if he had to kill all the monsters here.
He would save his mentor, the one who had influenced his life, in three days.