Fled Without Realizing I Had Prevented the Apocalypse

A premium delivery request from Count Araxis, with five hundred upfront and an additional fifteen million cells upon success.
On the surface, it might seem like an unreasonably large amount for a request, but considering that premium deliveries usually cost this much, it’s an average fee.
So, why do premium delivery requests, which are merely about safely moving an item, receive ten to a hundred times more money than regular deliveries?
“Unconditional adherence to the deadline.”
While there are many reasons such as the importance of the item, its price, and emphasis on safety, the most crucial factor is that it must arrive within the specified deadline.
For instance, the time it usually takes to ride a horse non-stop from the southern district of the merchant guild where I received the delivery item to Count Araxis’s residence is about ten days.
This deadline needs to be shortened to the specified time, which is within three days.
Moreover, for items that require premium delivery, there are many who target them, and you never know what situations might arise on the way.
There could be natural disasters, sudden incidents or accidents, or even situations where the courier gets injured.
Despite all this, it’s called premium delivery because the deadline must be met.

Usually, when such premium delivery is used, it means that the delivery item is that urgent for them, so even more so.
In this industry, even if you’re late by just a few minutes, you might not receive the remaining payment.
So, it’s important to rush without any delays, but…
“This forest is off-limits!”
“A Grade 10 Contaminant has appeared, so you must turn back until it’s subjugated!”
“An imperial decree from Her Majesty the Emperor has been issued, so the knights will be dispatched soon! If you secretly approach before that and die, it’s your own responsibility! Moreover, if you’re found inside, you may be judged as a Contaminant and disposed of on the spot!”
Knights blocking the fastest shortcut to Count Araxis’s residence.
Their armor bears a golden eagle, symbolizing their direct affiliation with the imperial family.
This means they’re not mere noble’s private soldiers, but knights directly dispatched from the imperial family.
These elites, who could chew up and spit out ordinary knights, are personally controlling the road.
“A Grade 10 Contaminant?”
“Just our luck. Of all places, for a Contaminant to be in this forest…!”
“We need to deliver the goods within a week, but if this road is blocked…”
Even the people from the merchant guild, known for their fierce temperament due to their origins, turn their carriages around without any objection.
If the reason was at least absurd, it might be different, but with the appearance of a Grade 10 Contaminant, known to make an entire city uninhabitable down to the last weed, there’s no room for them to negotiate.

For ordinary people not protected by mana, just approaching the vicinity of a Contaminant could cause their bodies to melt, so the knights’ control was natural.
Of course, that doesn’t mean I intend to turn back obediently.
“If I go around this forest, there’s no way I can arrive within three days.”
For a Grade 10 Contaminant, the forests in this area would probably all be closed.
So if I were to go around the closed areas, I’d have to take a long detour, and even if I rode for three days and nights, it would be impossible to arrive on time.
Going through the nearest shortcut is the only choice I can make.
If I go this way, I should be able to meet the deadline with plenty of time to spare.
Well, to do that, I’d have to violate the Emperor’s decree, but…
‘I’m already a wanted man anyway.’
With a bounty already on my head, I don’t think anything more will happen if I get caught here.
Even if I get caught, the punishment can’t get any worse from here.
Tap-!
Thinking this, I infused magic into my feet and kicked off the ground, cutting through the trees.
If I had come pulling a carriage like the other merchant guilds, I would have had to find a path, but the delivery item I need to carry is just a small box in my pocket.
So as long as the direction is right, there’s no problem cutting through the forest.
It’ll take longer than going along the original path, but it’s better than going around.

“By the way. A Grade 10 Contaminant…”
As I was cutting through the forest without any interference, I frowned at the ominous energy felt from afar.
“This is supposed to be Grade 10?”
Unlike ordinary monsters, Contaminants are impurities formed in this world due to contact with outer gods, essentially the remnants of outer gods.
They are like malicious viruses that have entered a computer.

Therefore, their very wandering in this world already causes great damage and becomes a harbinger of doom.
That’s why once a Contaminant appears, grades are created for each Contaminant to calculate their damage in order to dispose of them as quickly as possible…
“This is at least Grade 9.”
The Contaminant’s energy dissolved in the air tries to approach my body but is blocked by my magic power and scatters. Despite being quite far from the Contaminant, it’s struggling to expand its domain.
Its power and range might look like Grade 10 on the surface, but if you check the energy more closely, you can tell it’s definitely not Grade 10.
‘And the Imperial Knights missed this?’
I immediately frowned.
The Empire, which occupies the largest territory on the continent, and within that Empire, the Imperial Knights are known to gather the most excellent individuals.
Of course, they must have subjugated dozens of Contaminants, yet they still can’t accurately grasp the grade of a Contaminant.
“This is maddening.”
I stopped in my tracks and climbed to the top of the tallest tree nearby.

Then, in the distance, I could see a dark monster moving.
A huge body visible even without infusing magic into my eyes.
And the trees around it withering away in an instant.
As expected of the remnants of an outer god, causing damage just by moving around.
“How to deal with this…”
Seeing it in person, I become even more certain of my prediction.
This Contaminant is clearly Grade 9.
And the difference between a Grade 10 and a Grade 9 Contaminant is not something that can be dismissed as just one level.
‘Because from single digits, real fragments of outer gods start seeping in.’
Of course, in the case of Grade 9, it’s really just a tiny amount and not even that much, so it can’t be utilized for long, but just the fact that it exists already makes it incomparably more dangerous than a Grade 10 Contaminant.
That’s why from Grade 9, the imperial family would issue a mobilization order to nearby guilds or noble families to gather superhumans who could deal with the Contaminant.
However, judging by the knight’s words, the imperial family has judged this Contaminant to be Grade 10, and the Imperial Knights will be dispatched here.

And.
“They’ll be completely wiped out by that Grade 9 Contaminant.”
They probably won’t be completely annihilated.
They are the Imperial Knights after all.
They’ll likely retreat with half or a bit more than half survivors.
After retreating, while they issue a mobilization order and gather superhumans to subjugate the Grade 9 Contaminant, the Contaminant will continue to advance.
The Empire will send her down to make up for their mistake.
The Empire’s second star.
The first sword protecting the imperial family.
The commander with the authority to command all knight orders belonging to the imperial family.

5th Circle, said to have entered the ranks of superhumans.
Two steps further, a Sword Master who has reached the 7th Circle.
And, a crazy woman who draws her sword and challenges me to a duel whenever she sees me.
Scarlet Frausia.
She’s someone who could sense my presence from the imperial palace to the back alleys of the imperial capital, so if she comes down here once, she might be able to sense my presence.
No matter how much I try to avoid the Empire’s gaze and run away, I’m not confident in escaping from the sense of a 7th Circle Sword Master.
The best way would be to prevent her from coming here at all.
If I run quickly to meet the delivery deadline, I should have plenty of spare time anyway.
Shing.
Having made a quick decision, I drew the sword at my waist.
To catch the Contaminant before me.

“…That’s a Grade 10 Contaminant.”
Latua, a new knight of the Imperial Kantuma Knight Order, looked up at the giant creature moving in the distance.
A monster with its whole body covered in black, with a form difficult to describe in words.
Undoubtedly, it was the most repulsive creature among all the monsters he had seen.
He had caught low-grade Contaminants several times even before joining the Kantuma Knight Order, but for Latua, this was the first time facing a Grade 10 Contaminant, just below single digits.
He unconsciously gripped the handle of his sword tightly.
Noticing his tension, the senior knight standing next to him patted Latua’s shoulder.
“Is this your first time subjugating a Grade 10 Contaminant?”
“…Yes.”
“It’s understandable to be tense if it’s your first time. While it’s not comparable to single-digit Contaminants, even a Grade 10 is not something an individual can subjugate.”
The senior knight told Latua that a Contaminant of Grade 10 or above requires at least knight order-level troops or a superhuman to subjugate.

“Well, it’s fortunate that we discovered it quickly in a short time. If a Contaminant is left to wander for too long, the land mass can completely rot.”
“Yes, I’ve heard that even purification doesn’t work well…”
“It’s literally a Contaminant. I’ve heard that it takes dozens of clergy members to barely remove the contamination. And for single-digit Contaminants, it’s almost impossible.”
Saying this while twirling the sword in his hand, the senior knight put his hand on Latua’s shoulder and said,
“But well, it’s Grade 10, and our knight order has quite a lot of experience in subjugating such Contaminants.”
“…I see.”
A lot of experience in subjugating Contaminants.
At those words, Latua once again realized where he had entered.
This is the Imperial Kantuma Knight Order, directly under the imperial family. It’s a place where geniuses from all over the Empire gather. Of course, they would have a lot of experience in such subjugations.
Also, Latua could understand that the senior knight had said this to calm his nerves.
“So, there’s no need to be too tense.”
The senior knight’s considerate behavior.
Latua was about to open his mouth to nod in understanding of his consideration, but.
『Kneel.』
The next moment, he momentarily lost consciousness at the voice he heard.
An unidentifiable, chillingly smooth voice.
When Latua regained consciousness, his knees were already touching the ground.
And this wasn’t just happening to him.
“W-What is this?”
“Mind control? From a Grade 10 Contaminant?”
“That voice just now…”
The entire Kantuma Knight Order, gathered to catch the Contaminant, had their knees forced down as the voice commanded.
“Ugh…!”
Latua tried to exert force to straighten his kneeling knees, but they wouldn’t budge.
It was clearly his body, but it felt like it wasn’t his body.
As everyone realized they couldn’t move their knees, the sky rumbled.
『Behold me.』
The voice was heard once again.
Naturally, Latua’s head tilted upwards.
Then, the Contaminant that had been moving far away, the black creature, the god of the outer sea, was looking at him.
As their gazes met, their pupils overlapped. As the pupil is the mirror of the soul, Latua felt his soul being stared at.

The soul encounters the being. The being peers into the soul. It takes interest. It’s torn to shreds. It’s put back together. Assembly and disassembly. Birth and death. The doom that follows.
At this moment, the knight order and Latua were one in death.
In such death, Latua’s soul made one wish.
For someone to save him.
As his consciousness gradually faded away, Latua saw something.
A bluish light, as if capturing moonlight, cutting in half the monster that had swallowed him.