The Bloody Valkyrie

“The best policy is to gather adamantium class and orichalcum class adventurers. Before that, let us first allow this city’s best adventurers to build a defensive net to stop the vampire’s invasion.”

“Wouldn’t this method be too passive?”

“Considering the worst possible development, this should be the best strategy. After all, isn’t the opponent a single person who is able to rival an entire army?”

“With a fighting power able to take on huge number of troops, scenes of terror in all sorts of places would appear… I honestly do not wish to imagine this happening.”

If the opponent was an army of ten thousand, their location could be easily determined from the marching. Also, to maintain such a large army, it would be necessary to prepare a large amount of rations, making it difficult to carry out a long-term siege.

But then, if it were a single person situation, how would this change? What’s more, if it were a person able to use different types of 「Invisibility」 magic, specialising in covert actions?

“However, about the Guild Leader’s opinion, speaking as an adventurer I say that establishing a defensive net is a very difficult task. This is because in order to harmonise each other’s movements, long-term training is necessary...”

“No need for that, it is enough if everyone is able to fight together. What do you think fellow gentlemen?”

The adventurers immediately raised objections to the mayor’s suggestion.

“It should not be possible. If we are to have a tacit arrangement for action, then it is necessary to devise of a tight-knit operational plan. But the more detailed the plan is, the more likely it is for mistakes to occur when unexpected situations arise. If it is like that, everyone acting by themselves instead of together might even be better. Speaking of which, why has the vampire appeared in that place? What has the Guild’s investigation come up with?”

“In this regard, because the opponent is an powerful vampire, the guild has no means to investigate finer details. Just as we were about to assemble an investigation group, the incident last night occurred, and our manpower was dispersed there.”

“... So that’s how it is. Are you concerned that these two incidents are related?”

“That is true.”

“Wasn’t the matter in the cemetery resolved by Momon-san? From the remains and relics of the first incident’s instigators was there anything to suggest a connection between the two incidents?”

This question made the place fall into a brief silence.

Ainz was puzzled. Before this the Guild Leader never hesitated in answering, yet for the first time his eyesight slightly turned towards the mayor. It was a asking-for-permission look. Just thinking about it a little, this could be related information to a terrorist attack against the city, and it was possible that some information but not all could be told to the adventurers.

“From the relics we gathered that the opponent was Zuranon.”

The three adventurer’s expressions turned serious.

But for Ainz, this was the first time he had heard of this name. He could not help praying to a god he didn’t even believed in, hoping that he wouldn’t be asked about things he knew nothing about.

Ignorance is frightening. I must gather intelligence as fast as possible.

“The secret organisation which deals with controlling the undead. Then it must be related to the vampire.”

“Problems arising at the same time both inside and outside the city… is the objective to divide our fighting force? Or both are diversions, and the real plan is about to commence… this would be too disastrous.”

“The priority of the task at hand should be to conduct reconnaissance. According to the ranger’s reports, there’s supposedly a bandit’s den close to the location where the vampire had been discovered... …”

“The possibility that the vampire has already left that place is high… but then again, the possibility of it still remaining there is not zero. People should be sent there first…”

The adventurer who was speaking suddenly stopped talking.

It was only a natural reaction, because heading into the most likely place to find the vampire for an investigation was tantamount to agreeing to jump into the most dangerous place. If there actually was an encounter, and if the vampire possessed the predicted battle prowess, it would be certain death.

The remarks just now was no different to politely asking someone to go to their death.

“...Let us put this aside for now. It is still more urgent to strengthen the city defenses first, because perhaps the vampire has already at this moment snuck inside the city.”

“... It is an easy feat to sneak inside the city just by using magic. This place is not like the Empire’s capital with sky cavalry and magic casters patrolling everywhere.”