Ch.410Collapsed Daily Life of an NPC. (4)

“…what the hell.”

When Gor made a fuss about the status window and I looked up, Behemoth’s head was split into three parts, revealing the elves and knights on the other side. Wow, whoever cut it did a clean job. This might even be edible…

-Kuuuung…

“Wait, is this thing still alive?”

[Yes, but it can’t move. And the status window shows it has a fatal wound. It will die soon.]

Huh? What are you talking about? I can’t see it, do you have access to some other world that only you can see? Feeling a glimmer of hope that Gor’s specs might have improved, I started walking slowly along the monster’s neck. Avalitia, who had brought me up here, flew ahead to the other side. Seems like Mr. Devil is over there.

“But what’s the big deal? We’ve already defeated it. Don’t tell me this bastard laid eggs or something?”

[No. It’s something worse. Please hurry in that direction.]

Doesn’t seem like a case of Luxuria’s power working too well, then?

Despite my doubts about the status window’s urgency, I quickened my pace. Well, if Gor is making such a fuss, there must really be some problem. If it’s a joke, I can always give him a smack on the head later.

As I follow the status window at a steady run, I can see in the distance a black-haired elf, and in front of her, Ms. Lizerotte with her golden bob cut, and blood-covered Chikuyo and Miho.

Hmm, looking at the status window, both of them have lost some HP, but that blood isn’t from their wounds. They’re standing properly on their own feet. But where are Ray and Ira…? Huh?

-Click, click. Thud.

“…ugh.”

-Clatter, clatter. Thud.

“……”

I spot familiar red hair among the people and start running without thinking. Then I recognize the blonde hair in front too, immediately identifying who they are. Wait, wasn’t Ira supposed to be at the evacuation center?! Why is she here…?

-Click, thud.

“Ugh.”

-Clatter. Thud.

“……”

“…?”

As I approach, Miho and Chikuyo step aside in surprise, and Green Stone turns his head, reaching for my shoulder before hesitating and backing away. Lizerotte somehow apologizes to me as she backs away with him, and through the gap they create, I see Ira and Ray in terrible condition, repeatedly grabbing something, piling it up, and watching it collapse again. What on earth…?

“I-Ira? Ray? What’s wrong…?”

“O-Oppa…!”

“…I-I’m sorry. If only I had been faster…! I’m sorry…!!”

-Clatter, thud.

-Click. Thud.

“What are you talking about? Why are you both like this? Are you hurt?! What are those stone fragments—”

[They’re me. Or rather, they were me.]

…What? Ray and Ira look at me with vacant eyes, unable to let go of the fragments they’re holding as they keep trying to stack them, their purple and blue eyes beginning to well up with tears.

Wait, that’s you? No way? You can’t mean…!!

[I’ve been shattered. Recovery is impossible; I collapsed completely without time to use slime liquid. They’re both trying to restore me somehow, but first, their recovery…]

-Thump.

I sit down without realizing it and examine the fragments I thought were just stones. I can make out pieces that look like Gor’s lower jaw and what might have been his chest area. So the two of them were collecting Gor’s shattered pieces? Gray stone fragments are gathered in front of their knees, stained with blood from repeated handling. Both Ira’s and Ray’s hands… I understand what happened even without seeing it—they desperately grabbed Gor’s sharp fragments without thinking.

“…I-I’m sorryyyy!! I said I wanted to help Gor!! And my friends almost got caught up in it!!!”

“Ugh, I’m sorry!! If only I had been faster!! If I had been stronger!! This wouldn’t have…!!!”

“……”

I have no words for the two sobbing in front of me. I think I understand. That insane attack that fell from the sky earlier—Ira and her friends must have done something then. And while I was taking the Pope down, Ira wanted to help struggling Gor and approached the monster with her friends. Then, the monster’s aggro completely shifted to Ira and her friends, powerful mage dealers, and Gor tried to protect them, and then…

“…Yeah. I understand. Don’t cry. I’m glad you’re both safe.”

“Huaa, huaaang!!! Gor!! Oppa!! Gooor!!!”

“S-sorry. I’m sorry, hic!! I’m so sorry!!!”

I grab the shoulders of the two who are crying as if they might die and pull them into my arms. Ah, so that’s why it was a big deal. Both of them were worried about you, and now they can’t speak to you, can’t stop this from happening. That’s why you said it was serious. You really…

“Huaaaa!! Huaaang!! I’m sorry!! Gor!! Sorry!! Pleeeease!! Oppa!!”

“Kugh… Jack, I’m sorry!! I-I tried!! I tried to collect all the pieces somehow…!! To find Gor’s fragments!! But!! I can’t, kugh!! I can’t see them!! The rest, the rest of the fragments…!! The core!! Ugh!! It keeps breaking!!”

“Yeah, yeah. I understand. Right, we need to find them. It’s okay. Don’t cry. It must have been hard. You did well. It’s okay.”

[Master. Please, please tell them I’m alive, that I’m watching from beside you, and that they should recover first…]

Looking at the status window beside me begging me to prioritize their recovery, I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

You bastard. If you ended up like this, you should have said so first.

Earlier, when you displayed that strange status window talking about damage or whatever, you were taking all of it instead, weren’t you? The sight of the two sobbing desperately as they try to find your body, crying that the pieces keep breaking whenever they touch them—it’s breaking my heart.

“…Yeah. It’s okay. Let’s try to save Gor somehow. It’ll be fine. He’s a golem, we can probably fix him with glue or something. Yeah. Come on, stop crying.”

[No, the core is gone, so glue won’t… Besides, I’m not dead, so what do you mean ‘save’…?]

Drawn in by the two crying in anguish, I start to cry without realizing it, and seeing Gor’s confused expression in the status window makes me even more emotional.

You jerk. If your body is shattered, you should report that first. You…!!

-Crunch!

“Yeah, it’s okay… Ah! It’s okay!! Oppa will, Oppa will figure something out! Ray, I’ll figure something out! You didn’t do anything wrong! So, yeah! Don’t cry!! Ugh…!!”

Final Field Boss Behemoth Neti Defense Battle Results:

[-Minor injuries: 623.]

[-Serious injuries: 11.]

[-Deaths: 0.]

[Neutral City. Land of Knowledge Neti Damage] – [City walls collapsed. City center destroyed. Civilian deaths: 0.]

[Damage amount: incalculable.] – [Enemy leader, Pope escaped. Continental Behemoth subjugation complete.]

“Somehow, I’ll restore you. Oppa, I promise…!!”

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[One privately owned golem completely destroyed.]

*

“Sigh, that damn Chancellor. I reported this disaster, but he doesn’t even think about coming. Is he insane?”

-Clang clang clang clang clang.

“…Haha, I agree. Acting Chancellor, about that… Could I possibly get a vacation…”

“Hey, Acting Vice-Chancellor. Want to write a resignation letter? Want to take a piece of city debris as your 18-year retirement pay?”

“…No. I’m sorry. Here are the documents related to disaster zone organization.”

“…… Ha! Write down all the professors who resigned just now. I’ll make sure they never set foot here again.”

“Yes, sir!!”

One week has passed since the Behemoth subjugation.

The citizens returned to the city, but everyone despaired at finding not a single piece of their hometown intact.

-Clang clang clang clang clang clang clang!

“Hey!! Help carry those materials!!”

“Yes, earth elemental. Please lift it slowly.”

[⎯⎯⎯⎯!]

If it had merely collapsed, they could clear the debris and rebuild, but the land itself had disappeared, and on top of that, the corpse of a massive monster was embedded in it, making it impossible to even think about where to start.

“Come on!! Let’s cut hard today too!!”

“”””Ooooh!!!””””

But those who survived the disaster didn’t give up. The reason was simple—despite facing a monster as large as the city, none of the city’s people had died. Moreover…

-Tap tap tap tap tap!!

“Hey! Elf! Don’t step on the roof!! It’ll collapse!! You bastards!!!”

“Sorry!! It’s urgent!! We’re using magic to run lightly, so please understand!!!”

The legendary elves of Siltra and the Ponia military, who had rushed in as reinforcements, began participating in the disaster recovery, taking the initiative before the despairing citizens. This gave those who were thinking of giving up the thought that maybe, just maybe, and forced them to move their bodies. Additionally…

“Aaaagh!!! Ragni Bluemoon!! What is this?!! How much money did you spend?!! Shit!! Are you trying to completely drain my account?!!”

“No, damn. Hey!! I said I’d cover it all?! I spent all my private funds too!! Do you know how many family members I have under me?!! Making such a fuss over a mere 80 billion cans…!!”

“80 billion? Hey, it says 50 billion here!! Mere?! MERE?!!! You want to die, seriously!! Come outside, you bitch!!!”

-Click.

“Sure! You bitch, I’ll kill you and sell all the demon materials too!!!”

“Haaa. Please, Chancellor. Mayor, please don’t fight. Oh, right. Mayor, this needs to be paid this week.”

“What? Wait, y-you crazy woman?! Have you forgotten I’m a demon?! Do you really want to die?!!”

“…People need to eat to live. This is actually cheap because Ponia is selling at a discount? It’s not much compared to 80 billion cans.”

“Wow! WOW!!! Are these bastards determined to kill the Seven Deadly Sins with high blood pressure?!!”

“Please die. I’ll put insurance on your head.”

With seemingly unlimited funds from unknown sources continuously being invested, people from nearby refugee camps and surrounding areas were all called in, and the city’s reconstruction caught fire on its own. Thanks to this, despite suffering city-wide destruction, Neti was being restored at an incredible pace.

“Come on, students!! Eat before you work!! Both studying and working should be done on a full stomach!!”

“Wow, we’ve been getting meat for days now, is this really okay?”

“Sigh, if only the Empire was still intact. Our family would have made a donation too.”

“The security force must be swamped with work, thank you!”

“Don’t say that, students! Even without your donations, you’re helping plenty by lending your hands like this! Come on! Everyone eat lunch and let’s keep up the good work this afternoon!!”

“”””Yes!!!””””

On top of that, with over 100 of the most powerful mages in history—no, in continental history—appearing to protect not only the ruined city but also maintain public order, unlike Aigram, there was no talk of Neti’s destruction throughout the continent despite its devastation. And then…

-KWAAAANG!!!

“Whew~!!”

“Impressive as always. But hasn’t he gotten stronger than before?”

“Hey! Young man!! Please help over there too!! This damn Behemoth is so tough that all our axes and saws are breaking!!”

“Yes. Coming!!”

A man who wasn’t even an adventurer was helping dismantle the Behemoth that seemed impossible to take apart with any tool.

“Oppa!! Come eat lunch!!!”

“Ah, I’ll help them with this part and be right there!”

“Okay!! I’ll wait!!”

[-Occupation: Ira’s Brother- Level: 912 Name: Jack. Age: 22.]

The Behemoth materials this man was tearing apart were being sold throughout the continent as the most expensive resources in human history, contributing to Neti’s reconstruction.