Meanwhile, near the border of the demon race’s territory…
“…I’m warning you, it’s best not to cause any trouble.”
“Isn’t that getting kind of tiresome? I’ve probably heard it dozens of times now. At this point, your warnings are just giving me ear calluses.”
“Shut up already!”
A guard clad in shabby armor was pointing a crossbow at a young man cloaked in a hood as if escorting some criminal, trailing behind him like he was under arrest.
However, the hooded youth, Ain, didn’t seem to care one bit, maintaining a calm demeanor even with his hands bound.
They were currently walking through a city devastated by rampaging monsters.
Yeah, ultimately, the guard ended up letting Ain inside the city.
And why not? Just moments ago…
– “H-Help?! Help with what?! Stop spouting nonsense and…!”
– “I’m completely serious. If it makes you feel better, leave my buddy out here and just take me into the city tied up.”
– “…”
– “If I find or resolve the source of all this chaos, wouldn’t that clear my name with you anyway?”
At that, the guard seemed conflicted for a moment but eventually decided to let Ain enter the city.
Of course, Blacky—his mount—was left outside while Ain’s arms were secured with wooden handcuffs. To top it off, the guard kept his crossbow aimed at Ain’s head the whole time, treating him like a full-blown criminal.
But Ain didn’t seem to mind.
Or rather, he didn’t have time to mind.
“Huuuuh… haaah…”
“Damn it! He’s having seizures from the monster poison! Where’s the antidote?!”
“U-Uh, here it is, but it’s probably not enough!”
“Shit, shit… prep for amputation! We’re cutting off the bitten part!”
“Aaaaahhhhh!”
“Dear God… help us!”
“Is backup coming from another city? How long has it been since we sent the request? Why hasn’t anyone arrived yet?!”
“We got word it’ll take over a week… damn it…”
“Cough, cough…”
“Ughhhh…”
Screams, cries of pain, and desperate wails filled the air. The town was practically in ruins.
The cries of children, the screams of women, the final gasps of wounded soldiers—all of it played out before Ain’s eyes. Watching it all, he felt an unsettling calm settle over him.
It was strange. In the past, seeing something like this would’ve overwhelmed him emotionally.
Now, though, he remained eerily composed, his heart sinking deep within him.
Of course, that didn’t mean the sight wasn’t utterly despicable.
“…What a tragedy.”
“Huh?”
Without thinking, the words slipped out. When the guard questioned him, Ain replied,
“I think I understand how you feel, soldier. With the city in this state, it’s only natural to be suspicious of outsiders.”
“…What the hell are you talking about?”
“Let’s keep moving. First, let’s check on the captured beasts.”
“Hey! Slow down!”
The guard looked baffled, but Ain kept walking ahead without hesitation. The guard hurried after him.
Surprisingly, no one paid much attention to Ain or the guard. Or rather, they seemed too preoccupied to even notice.
For Ain, that was fine. He quickly made his way toward the cages where the surviving beasts were being held.
***
“ROOOAAARRR!”
“KIIIIEEEEE!”
“GRRRAAAAHHH!”
BOOM! CRASH! BANG!
Lions, giant lizards, bears—they were all trapped in cages, thrashing violently as they tried to break free.
Their bodies were torn and bleeding from repeatedly slamming into the bars, but they showed no signs of stopping. They appeared to be in a frenzied, almost berserk state.
Upon arriving at the cages, Ain stared silently at the beasts with a grave expression.
“Hey, staring at them isn’t gonna figure anything out. We don’t even know what caused this yet…”
“Just a moment.”
Ignoring the guard’s comment, Ain focused intently on one of the creatures.
“UUUUUUURRRGGHHH!”
In front of him was a beast that looked like a mix between a wolf and a bear. As he observed it closely, information popped up in front of him.
[Beowulf (Level 17)]
[A bear-like monster. Despite its lumbering appearance, it possesses surprising agility. A top-tier predator in the food chain.]
[Condition: Extreme agitation caused by magical incense designed to amplify aggression in monsters.]
“…”
A glowing blue status window appeared before him—another perk of being a player.
As Ain examined the window, his gaze darkened.
“Magical incense?”
Magical incense.
To put it simply, it’s a scent created using mana. It spreads through the air, affecting those around it. Creatures infused with mana, like monsters, are especially sensitive to it. Unlike regular scents or drugs, it leaves no trace because mana is always present in the atmosphere.
Thus, unless someone has exceptional sensitivity to mana, detecting it is nearly impossible. Ain’s expression grew darker.
“It’s definitely deliberate. But who…?”
Ain paused to think.
Magical incense isn’t commonly used in this world. It doesn’t have much practical use beyond affecting monsters, so it’s not widely researched.
While it might seem like something smaller factions of the demon race, who often domesticate monsters, would use frequently, that’s not the case. In fact, magical incense is never used for domestication.
Why? Because it acts as a form of torture for monsters, which are highly sensitive to mana. Breathing in the artificial mana from magical incense causes immense pain, making it unsuitable for taming or training purposes.
Think of it like this:
Humans and other living beings breathe oxygen. While they can tolerate other gases, inhaling high concentrations of non-oxygen gases can lead to poisoning and harmful effects.
Carbon monoxide or nitrogen poisoning are classic examples. And even oxygen itself can become toxic if inhaled in excessive amounts.
Similarly, monsters born with natural mana in their bodies are adapted to natural mana. Artificial mana from magical incense cannot be absorbed by them, despite being inhaled.
Worse still, the discomfort it causes is far greater than anything humans experience from similar toxins. That’s why even the demon races who raise monsters avoid using magical incense altogether.
Ironically, a small number of humans sometimes use it as a weapon against demon factions raising monsters, though most prefer researching more effective weapons instead.
“But this kind of magical incense… I’ve never heard of anything that could drive monsters this berserk.”
Such things aren’t developed overnight. Clearly, someone had spent considerable time researching and refining this.
After observing the frantic bear for a moment longer, Ain stood up.
“What? What’s going on? Did you find something?”
“Indeed, I did. This seems to be caused by magical incense.”
“Wh-what? Magical incense?”
“Yes. Just checking, but have you tested for any traces of drugs or substances?”
“O-of course! We’ve checked everything to identify the culprit. But…”
“And found nothing, right?”
“…That’s correct.”
“If there’s no physical evidence, then magical incense is the only explanation. It’s quite effective against monsters and leaves no trace on their bodies.”
“But… our kind doesn’t use magical incense…”
“That’s true.”
Not only as Ain, but also as Sung-Yohan, who had played [This Hero Gets Kidnapped Too Easily!], he had never encountered a single demon who used magical incense.
Which meant…
“…Hmm.”
“Hey! Where are you going again?!”
The guard hurriedly chased after him as Ain began briskly patrolling the city.
‘If my guess is right, it should be here somewhere.’
The city wasn’t very large—more like a small village really. It shouldn’t be hard to find.
After circling around for a bit…
“…There.”
He spotted someone and muttered to himself.
“I’ll wrap your wound for you. Are you feeling alright?”
“Ugh… I-I’m okay… thank you.”
“No need to thank me. It’s my job.”
Walking around the area, Ain noticed a thin young man with horns on his head tending to injured civilians.
Judging by his late thirties appearance, Ain approached him quickly.
“Thank you, sir.”
“Just rest. Let me…”
“Excuse me.”
“!”
“!”
Approaching the young man who was wrapping bandages around a patient, Ain greeted him politely. Both the patient and the healer turned to look at him.
Through their eyes, they saw Ain’s hooded figure.
The young man spoke.
“…Who are you? If you’re looking for someone injured, I’ll be with you shortly, so please wait…”
“No need to wait. You’ve got patients right here, don’t you?”
“…Huh?”
With a shrug, Ain pointed at himself with his bound hands, causing the young man to look confused.
“…You don’t appear to have any visible injuries. And why are you wearing handcuffs?”
“No, I’m injured. My heart is deeply hurt.”
“…What?”
“You asked why I’m in handcuffs, right?”
Smiling brightly, Ain answered the young man, who was now staring at him like he was crazy.
“I plan to heal myself with these.”
“…Huh?”
“With these cuffs, I intend to smash the head of the person responsible for hurting my heart.”
Before the young man could react, Ain swung the cuffs straight at his head.
