John: "Put away your weapons. Step aside at once."
The guildmaster hurried forward, waving his hand to intervene and prevent a fight from breaking out.
"Guildmaster John, do you know this… towering figure?"
A nearby soldier asked. He meant to say 'suspicious,' but quickly changed his wording, afraid he might offend someone John knew.
John: "Is that… Tris?" He spoke, seeking confirmation once more.
Tris: "Guildmaster John, did you manage to kill her earlier?"
Hearing the familiar voice and tone, John let go of his remaining worries and breathed a quiet sigh of relief.
He turned to disperse the wary crowd, then answered Tris's question:
"Not yet. She used the tower's collapse to hide and escape. Even then, her head had only half‑regenerated."
Tris: "Tch. So the enemy has at least four of them. And it seems we haven't managed to take down a single one."
From this, John understood that Tris had not been able to finish off the dual‑blade wielder either. This did not surprise him.
What did surprise him was that Tris had returned safely, seemingly unharmed, after facing such an opponent.
After all, just looking at Orson's group was enough to see how strong those enemies were. John did not believe the dual‑blade wielder was any weaker than the archer woman or the silver‑haired woman mentioned in the adventurers' reports.
Although he himself wanted to hear more details about the battle between Tris and the dual‑blade wielder, since there were more pressing matters at hand, he instead asked:
John: "So you also know about the battle with the silver‑haired woman, and about Bishop Peter's and Captain Marcus's groups?"
Tris: "I only know clearly about the fight with the silver‑haired woman. As for the other two groups, I'm not certain. Judging from your reaction, they haven't come back yet?"
Hearing the answer, John sighed regretfully. He had hoped to learn more about them.
John: "That's right. They still haven't returned. It seems…"
Though John did not finish his sentence, Tris understood what he meant.
Tris: "It looked as though Bishop Peter had used his 'Divine Blessing'. If even with that he was defeated, then the problem is serious."
John's face grew grave as he silently nodded, agreeing with Tris's assessment.
Tris: "Without those two, you must be the highest authority here now. Do you have any plans or intentions for what comes next?"
John: "I've already sent word ahead to report the current situation, hoping reinforcements will arrive soon. In the meantime, we need to evacuate all the civilians to the nearest city for refuge."
Tris: "If I recall correctly, the nearest city is to the north, isn't it?"
John: "Yes. Fortunately, the weather has warmed, making travel easier. But because of that, the Magical Beasts are also more active. We must be extra cautious along the route."
Tris thought for a moment, then asked:
"Do you have a map with you?"
John: "A map? Yes, I have one. Do you want to check something?"
He pulled out a map and handed it to Tris.
Unfolding it, Tris pointed out a route and explained:
"You might consider moving along this path. It's a bit longer, but I suspect there's less chance of encountering Magical Beasts."
Looking at the route indicated, John asked curiously:
"Less chance? Why is that?"
Tris: "Just a hunch."
Hearing such a reply, John could only smile wryly and say:
"Very well. I'll send someone to scout it first and then consider further."
In truth, the route Tris pointed out was quite close to the area where the white spiders had been before.
Because of that, it would likely be safer than the other paths of travel.
Still, Tris did not intend to explain further or go into detail. After all, his own journey lay in a different direction from theirs, so the responsibility of considering and making the final decision should remain with John and the others.
"Bishop Peter has returned."
At that moment, a loud cry reached the ears of Tris and John.
The two exchanged a glance before quickly hurrying toward the source of the voice. There, they soon found Bishop Peter, who had just come back.
He was being supported by Clara, the Holy Knight who had accompanied him from the start.
The Bishop's face looked weary and haggard, visibly aged compared to the last time they had seen him.
John: "Bishop Peter, I'm so glad to see you've returned."
Peter: "Guildmaster John, I'm glad to see you're still well."
John: "What exactly happened? The others…?" He asked anxiously.
Peter: "They did not make it back."
The elderly Bishop sighed deeply, his sorrow plain to see. Then he continued:
"We lost. Lost miserably. The opponent we faced was a towering man with a bald head and a coarse face. Though he looked like a Warrior specialized in close combat, he was in fact a Mage, highly skilled in many forms of magic.
Even fighting with everything we had, all we managed was to force him to reveal his true form."
John: "His Demon form?"
Peter: "Yes. After transforming, his body grew enormous, easily over four meters tall.
His lower half resembled that of a dragon, with four massive legs and a thick tail.
His upper body was that of a Demon, with two arms and a frame packed with bulging muscles. Behind him spread a pair of dragon wings. His face became terrifying, with a huge jaw full of sharp fangs, and atop his head were the large horns typical of Demons."
Pausing briefly, he went on:
"After that, as I said before, we were defeated. In the end, Captain Marcus and Ethan chose to stay behind and hold him off, so the rest of us would not die there. Clara and I escaped with a small group of civilians, as you now see."
His voice carried bitter regret at having left comrades behind to save his own life.
John: "You've endured much."
He offered comfort, then added:
"But I hope you can set aside your grief for now, so we can focus on what must be done, urgently bringing those we've rescued to safety."
Peter: "You're right. Of course, I will provide all the help I can."
Hearing John's words, the weary Bishop regained some of his spirit and resolve, affirming his support.
Seeing this, John nodded in satisfaction.