“Greetings. Travelers?” the man asked, raising a bushy white eyebrow. “You might be the first ones in quite some while.”

“It wasn’t an easy trek,” Belmont said, skipping right over the pleasantries. “The forest had monsters in it.”

“We apologize for any difficulties you might have faced while getting here,” the woman on the left said, inclining her head ever so slightly.

“There’s no time for this,” Belmont said irritably. “When is the last time the local dungeon was cleared?”

The council members exchanged a quick glance, their brows lowering in anger.

“Young man, watch your tone,” the woman on the right said. “We may be an open council, but we will not tolerate disrespect.”

“He means no ill,” Malissa said, putting a hand on Belmont’s shoulder. “But he’s right – this is an urgent matter. We overheard that the dungeon hasn’t been cleared in months. If this is true, surely you realize that we’re in danger!”

“Why, I–” the councilmember on the left started

“Enough, Lucille,” the man in the middle said, massaging his forehead with a wrinkled hand. “They’re clearly adventurer’s guild members.”

“And we saw what happened the last time one of their groups came through here, Rovin” the woman on the right said irritably.

“We don’t have time to hold grudges,” Rovin said, heaving a sigh. He looked back to the Happy Sunflowers. “I’m afraid you’ve come to Red Mount at a bad time. It has indeed been several months since we last cleared the dungeon.”

“Then what are you waiting for?” Malissa asked. “Red Mount should have at least a few C rank adventurers, right?”

“We’ve already sent groups,” Lucille said, drumming her fingers on her leg. “They did not return.”

“So send more!” Belmont said, his brow furrowed in anger. “It’s our job as adventurers. You can’t let the dungeon overflow. The city could be destroyed!”

“We’re well aware,” Rovin said. The man pressed his lips together. “But two C rank teams have already attempted and failed to clear the dungeon. We cannot spare more. We’ve already sent for an independent B ranked adventuring team, and they’re on their way here as we speak.”

“Oh,” Belmont said, relaxing slightly. “That’s better. When will they be here? Today? Tomorrow?”

Rovin shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “One week.”

“What?” Belmont exclaimed. “A week? The town might be gone by then! Get them here faster! Drop the anti-magic surrounding the city so they can teleport in.”

“We can’t,” the woman on the right said, crossing her arms. “The guilds would destroy us just as quickly as the monsters would. We have put more thought into this than you. This is our city, after all. There are simply no further actions we can take but to wait. Our remaining adventuring teams are remaining near the wall, preparing to fend off a swarm if the B ranked team doesn’t arrive soon enough.”

“How many adventuring teams do you have?” Arek asked.

“I fail to see how–”

“Ten,” Rovin said, ignoring the glare the woman to his side gave him. “They’re trapped with us, Valea. They deserve to know.”

“That isn’t going to be enough to repel a full swarm,” Belmont said, pacing back and forth. “We need to do something. Thin the horde out, at least.”

“Are you offering?” Valea asked, raising a greying eyebrow. “What rank team are you?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Belmont snapped. “You hardly have the manpower to deal with things as they are. You need every body you can get, and we were strong enough to get up the mountain without help.”

“We could try to thin out some of the monsters that have already left the dungeon,” Arek suggested.

“That would be helpful,” Rovin said, giving them a tight grin. “And… much of the city is aware that we are in danger, but our people are doing their best to avoid panic. Please avoid spreading rumors of the situation.”

“Do they realize how close the dungeon is to overflowing?” Ming asked.

“They are aware of the situation,” Lucille said firmly.

Arek grimaced. The fact that the council was actually talking to them instead of having the guards toss them out proved that the situation was dire.

“How long has the dungeon been overflowing?” Belmont asked, his brows knit together in thought.

“Around a week,” Rovin said. “Do you have experience with overflowing dungeons?”

“Yes,” Belmont replied, not elaborating further. “I don’t think your team is going to make it. I’ve researched monster hordes extensively, and the dungeons can only handle overflow for a week or so at max. We’re unlikely to have more than a few days before a horde forms.”

The councilmembers went pale.

“We’ll have to hold until the B rank team gets here,” Belmont continued. “There aren’t many dungeons that B rankers can’t handle, so even a monster horde should be manageable if they arrive before the city is destroyed. Do we have enough food to withstand a siege?”

“We can last until the B ranked team arrive,” Rovin said.

“Good,” Belmont said. “The best way to survive a monster horde is to route them rather than completely stop them. Start freeing up areas of the city to surrender after they breach the walls. That will distract them and buy us time. They’ll lose some of their numbers advantage in tight spaces as well.”

“Hold on,” Lucille said. “We’ll happily accept your help, but you aren’t giving the orders here. You’re a no-name adventuring team, not experts on the subject.”

“I’ve lived through a monster horde and seen what it did to a town,” Belmont said. “I know more about it than you do.”

“His suggestions do make sense,” Rovin said, holding up a hand. “What else would you suggest?”

“Traps,” Belmont said. A grim smile stretched across the man’s face, but there was no joy within it. There was only determination and the slightest trace of fear. “Lots of traps.”