Chapter 16.2. The Mobs Are In Place

-Masatoshi’s POV-

But Yamiyo doesn’t know it’s a world in a novel and doesn’t know the story. She’s a character whose entire existence got cut from the anime. That’s the extent of who she is. It might be more dangerous to mess with them. In a case like this, beating around the bush could result in a snake coming out.

The self-proclaimed otaku ex-freelancer recalls novels and the like that have had disastrous results in my past experiences. However, I bite my nails crunchingly and irritably, because there could be a development here, such as ruin, if I don’t get my hands on it.

The group of dukes looks at the unmoving me from a distance and falls silent. They understand that speaking to me at a time like this would be a terrible thing to do.

If I take the real world and the fiction world are different, I gather information and confirm they’re well-matched.

Some of this information included the power among the nobles. It was a part that did not come out in the novel, and it was information that would destroy me if overlooked.

If I was going to make a move, it was now or never. The Marquis of Teijo is a family of warriors. Although it got cut out of the anime, its power cannot be underestimated, even by the dukes.

If I miss out now, it may be difficult to reach them. In my impatience, I decided to use a solution for now.

“Hey, didn’t we have a summoning stone for the meat shield?”

Standing up and dusting myself off, I call to the butler standing breathlessly beside him.

“Yes. I have it ready for you in case you need it, just as the young master told me to do.”

“Bring it to me.”

“? What are you going to use it for?”

“Just bring it.”

The butler nodded, went to the luggage area, and then came with a trunk case in my hand. I rattle it open, and inside is a small, pure gold box wrapped in shock-absorbent material.

I take the small box and pull out a key to open it. Inside were large gems, rubies, emeralds, and topazes. How many carats are there? The amount of money would easily exceed a hundred million.

And while even a mere gemstone would be worth more than a billion, there were burning flames, storms, and dust stirring inside the gem. It was proof that magic resided within those gems.

It was an item I had brought along just in case. I did not consider myself an ordinary mob hero. Because of my prickly thinking, I always considered the possibility I was in terrible trouble.

I try to suppress the outrageous things to a level the Duke’s power could cover. I consider the usual pattern, the sudden problem, the possibility of being attacked by a powerful monster or many monsters I’m a cautious man, I say of myself.

Therefore, I had prepared to summon stones that would serve as a meat shield so I could escape in such a case. These stones seal summoned beasts that are obedient to their owner.

After all, I am not well-liked. I believe when I get attacked by a powerful monster. My subordinates will abandon me and flee. I would use my power of money to solve the problem rather than behave decently and be gentle with my subordinates.

In the original story, there were occasional scenes in which the enemy used the jewel that seals monsters. There were many different kinds of monsters, and even the hero had difficulty dealing with some of them.

Knowing this, Victory bought and prepared this jewel. It cost a lot of money, but I asked my father to buy it. Then I learned why the enemy used it in large quantities and did not kill the protagonist. There was no way I could casually use a jewel that cost billions of dollars.

“Flame is no good. Wind and earth.”

I put a ruby with a fiery glow to the side. This one has too much killing power to fool around with if pursued.

I nod my head in affirmation as I look at the emerald glow. Then, shaking my head, I retreat to the side, as does Ruby. Wind summons have extremely weak defenses. They may be able to confuse demons, but they will not be able to confuse intelligent humans.

The wind summoner was also too powerful to appeal to the audience that it had no intention of killing them in the first place.

Then, there is only topaz left.

It is slow-moving, yet durable and powerful with a single blow. It would only die by accident. It would be possible to escape.

It could even pretend to be in a hurry and watch from a distance.

“Stone golem, break free from the seal.”

[Activate]

With those words as command words, the topaz shimmers, and an earth-colored magic circle floats above the gem. Everyone squinted and covered their faces with their arms as the topaz shone even more intensely.

Then, after the light subsided, stood the Stone Golem, a 5 meter tall puppet made of stone. With pillar-like limbs and a rock-like torso, the summoned beast stood meekly.

When I saw it, I approached it and gave it a whispered command.

[Go for a walk. Destroy any obstacles.]

As it did so, I slowly let a smile appear.