"So many people…!" Ur and Levy froze for a moment at the sight before them. The beach was packed, a dark mass of bodies stretching across the shore.
Logically speaking, a place where monsters had been sighted shouldn't be able to hide from the public. By now, this area should have been deserted, maybe even completely abandoned.
So what was going on?
Ur swept his gaze across the crowd, confusion flickering in his eyes. It didn't take long for him to notice something unusual.
None of these were ordinary townsfolk. Every single person bore a guild mark.
Of course, that didn't mean they were all mage guilds. Even so, this many guild members gathering in one place was still startling.
"Don't tell me… they're all here for that demon?" Ur wondered.
He briefly wondered whether the local fishermen, worried that one guild wasn't enough to handle the threat, had gone around hiring multiple guilds at once.
But that idea lasted all of two seconds before he dismissed it.
Even if the final reward only had to be paid once, the commission fees alone for hiring this many guilds were more than a group of fishermen could afford.
Guilds weren't charity organizations.
Reward money only needed to be paid once, yes—but the up-front commission fees charged by guilds weren't cheap. They existed to keep guilds running… and to discourage people from posting missions as a joke.
Only the reward went to the mages who actually took the job.
"Ur…" Levy tugged on his sleeve, her expression uneasy. Clearly, she'd also noticed how strange this situation was.
Seeing this, Ur reached out and ruffled her hair, smiling. "It's fine. Let's just watch and see what's going on."
With that, he rented a fishing rod for the two of them, found a quiet corner of the beach, and began to fish.
His mood was surprisingly calm. Part of it was the confidence that came from his recent surge in strength. The other part was simply that things had become complicated; worrying wouldn't help in the slightest.
Besides, with this many guild members gathered here, even that demon might think twice before showing up.
In this world, until you reached a certain level of power, sheer numbers still mattered. Otherwise, nations wouldn't bother maintaining armies.
Even a member of the Ten Wizard Saints would struggle to defeat an entire national army head-on.
The arrival of Ur and Levy didn't stir up much attention. A few people glanced their way, then quickly looked back toward the sea, as if they were waiting for something important to appear.
Ur remained composed, but Levy was far from calm.
Partly because she'd always been timid and partly because facing the demon that destroyed her home left her emotions in turmoil.
Ur had chosen a more secluded fishing spot, but even here, plenty of others were doing the same.
His original plan had been to chat casually with fellow fishermen and gather information. Among mages, good information often determined half the outcome of any mission.
Not everyone had Natsu's level of ridiculous plot armor keeping them alive. But to Ur's surprise, he didn't even have to ask; the information came to him.
"Hey, buddy, you're here to make some quick cash too?" A young man with hair like a blazing bonfire plopped down beside Ur, grinning like they were old friends.
Ur blinked, then replied calmly, "What else would anyone come here for?"
"Right? Those rich folks must have money leaking out their ears. Offering ten million just to deal with a 'monster'? Unreal." The red-haired man clicked his tongue, clearly envious.
Ur were taken aback. So that was the reason so many people were here.
Just as he opened his mouth to ask more.
The line snapped straight as a bowstring, and the rod bent sharply into a half-moon arc.
Something massive was pulling it.