I Have Tamed a Spider Monster - Chapter 190, Chapter 191, Chapter 192 (Patreon)

A week later.
It has been a week since Rumaja arrived.
Although we are prepared to return, we have been unable to leave.
Marquis Vardmoi sent his men to investigate the western forest, as Rumaja suggested, and they found a pack of Ice Wolves lurking there.
Unable to deal with them, they had to return.
Alizée also advised against leaving now, deeming it unwise, so we are stuck in the Royal Capital.
There's so much to do once we get back...

Even though I know there's no point in rushing, I can't help but feel impatient.
We've been spending our days like this, but today, Alizée called me to the Trade Guild.
Apparently, there has been some progress regarding my new store.
Information exchanges have been carried out through the Tamers’ Guild's bird mail, and it seems they have been looking for my new store in Vardmoi.
And so, the new store they found for me...

"A store facing the main street near my house?"

"Yes. The current owner has agreed to sell. The building is old and needs renovation, so the timing of this offer worked out well for them. Their sales have dropped to about 70% of their peak, so they saw this as a good opportunity to relocate."

I see, a new store near my house.
That's convenient.
However, as the current owner mentioned, the building is old and either needs reinforcement or to be rebuilt from scratch.
Alizée recommended rebuilding.

"The current store operates as a high-end jewelry shop. If you're considering reinforcement, I would recommend rebuilding instead."

"I see. How much would that cost in total?"

"About 300 million Rubies. Recently, you have received payment for the Frost Spider Silk from Princess Rodenlight. Combined with that, we can proceed with the work immediately. Is that alright?"

"Yes, let's get it done as soon as possible. Princess Rodenlight has been urging me for the dress, after all."

"Understood. I'll send a bird to Vardmoi to proceed with the arrangements."

"Thank you. But really, how long will this situation last?"

"Who knows? It seems that no adventurers at the Adventurers' Guild are willing to take on that request. The unknown danger and lack of reward are deterrents."

"Exactly. I can't just step in myself, either."

"Please don't even think about it. Even with Red-rank adventurers as escorts, having a Green-rank adventurer from another town step in would undermine the local adventurers' positions."

"I know. But still, I want to get back to Vardmoi as soon as possible."

"Indeed. I also prefer working in a familiar environment."

It seems Alizée was also quite stressed.
Isn't there any way to resolve this situation soon?

----------

The 3rd Knights Order’s departure.
It has been another three days since Alizée called me in.
Although I’ve been holed up in the Marquis Vardmoi's mansion during this time, there seemed to be some commotion outside today.
Marquis Vardmoi's mansion is located in the prime area of the noble district, so it should be free from surrounding noise.
What’s going on?
I’ll ask one of the servants.

"Excuse me, is something happening today?"

"Yes. Today, by the order of the Minister of Military Affairs, the 3rd Knights Order is heading out to investigate the anomaly in the western forest. The lively voices you hear now are for their send-off."

"I see. So, will the western road be passable again?"

"Well... that remains to be seen."

"Huh?"

I assumed that if the Kingdom's Knights Order was dispatched, exterminating the monsters in the western forest would be a simple task, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.
Apparently, the 3rd Knights Order is composed of third and fourth sons of high-ranking noble families who have nowhere else to go.
They are not very strong.
I was told that they are not just 'not very strong' but outright weak.
The grand send-off they’re receiving seems to be a demonstration to motivate the spoiled 3rd Knights Order members.
Can a unit composed of people like that be relied upon?
Once the commotion outside dies down, I’ll head to the Adventurers’ Guild to gather information.

The lively send-off lasted for about an hour.
After things quieted down, I visited the Adventurers’ Guild with everyone from the Wildcat Claws.
However, the Guild was crowded with adventurers, and the atmosphere was tense.
What’s going on?

Keuko checked the situation for me, and it seems that not only merchants, carriages, and buses heading towards the western road from the Royal Capital, but all roads have been blocked for the past two days.
The gates are closed, so they couldn’t even go hunting.
This situation seems to be the reason why the 3rd Knights Order was dispatched.
Initially, the Ice Wolves were only spotted around the western forest, but now they’ve been sighted all around the Royal Capital.
This forced the Kingdom to reluctantly order an investigation.
The reason for this delay is that the country doesn’t want to spend its budget on national defense.
In the past, even when monster hordes attacked near the Royal Capital, the national army was not mobilized, and adventurers were left to deal with it.
Because the Kingdom didn’t pay adequate rewards at that time, a rift formed between the Adventurers’ Guild and the Kingdom.
Now, for any defense-related requests from the Kingdom, the Guild demands upfront payment; otherwise, the reward would be zero.
It must be frustrating for the adventurers.
By the way, weren’t the Dribs Golems also left unchecked?
I wonder what eventually happened to it.

There didn’t seem to be any more information to gather at the Adventurers’ Guild, so I returned to the Marquis Vardmoi's mansion and waited for the 3rd Knights Order to come back.
However, even by nightfall, there was no word of their return.
The outcome became clear the next morning when a few Knights came back battered and bruised.
Yep, the 3rd Knights Order was annihilated.
I had a feeling this would happen.

----------

After the destruction of the 3rd Knights Order Unit.
The fact that the 3rd Knights Order unit was destroyed, despite not being particularly strong, has caused quite a shock.
In the city, there were reports of food hoarding and riots almost breaking out, with constant commotion everywhere.
Even at the Adventurers’ Guild, it was no exception.
Keuko and the others went to check on things, and apparently, the adventurers were frustrated because none of the information that the 3rd Knight Order should have obtained at the cost of their destruction had reached the Guild.
The noble district may seem quiet, but according to Marquis Vardmoi's assessment, each household is actually making plans on how to escape from the Capital.
It's awful that even in times like these, they can't act united.

It seems the Royal family couldn't afford to stay idle in this situation either.
They've dispatched the 3rd Knights Order to maintain order and the 2nd Knight Order to defend the Capital.
However, by the time the 4th Knight Order tried to intervene among the residents, it was already too late.
Their attempt to forcefully suppress only further deepened the chaos in the Capital.
Additionally, the 2nd Knight Order stationed outside the Capital hasn't engaged in offensive actions; they were merely staring down the Ice Wolves within their established positions.
In the end, it seems the Royal family is unable to take any effective measures.

I wonder if the King of this country is alright.

Amidst the uncertain future, while considering what to do at Marquis Vardmoi’s residence, Rumaja visited once again.
It seems she has something to discuss with me this time too.
I wonder what it could be about this time?

"I apologize for coming over so late at night."

"No, that's alright. What brings you here?"

"We've been treating the injured members of the 3rd Knight Order who were hurt, but we heard some strange stories. I have a bit of consultation about that."

"Consultation? I don't have a good feeling about this."

"Don't say that. According to those who witnessed it, that Ice Wolves attacked suddenly without even a trace."

"That's terrifying. What about it?"

"The important part is that they attacked 'without even a trace'. According to some witnesses, it's as if the Ice Wolves suddenly sprouted from the ground and attacked."

Ice Wolves that emerge from the ground to attack... That's something I'd rather not deal with.

"Also, there's more to this story. There are testimonies saying 'the wolves didn't appear near the mages.'"

"Um, so what does that mean?"

"My deduction is this. The Ice Wolves have means of moving underground. But it seems it can't emerge from areas rich in magic power."

Hmm, I see.
That deduction makes sense.
But why did she choose to tell me this?

"So, here's where my request to Lily comes in. Could you accompany us tomorrow to investigate the western forest? I've heard you're an excellent mage. Of course, there will be a reward."

Hmm, it's an adventurer's request...
The danger level is unclear, so it's a tough decision whether to accept it or not.

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