66-066
On the morning of their departure, the sky was cloudless, which was unusual for this season.
After seeing Nyanta off, Minori and the others arrived at the Ancient Court of Eternal Ice and started to ride westward in a carriage.
Minori and her friends crossed the river with the High Coast of the Eight Canals on their left.
It is the river that was once called the Tama River in the old world. It is a large enough river in Cerdesia. This area was a familiar place for Minori and her friends. It was because this area, about two hours' ride from Akiva city on horseback, was full of wild monsters and was one of Minori's training grounds.
However, once you cross the river for a while, the land beyond is completely unknown.
This distance, which makes it difficult to make a day trip from the city of Akiva, borders on a realm that Minori and the others have never experienced. That said, Minori and the others were more excited than nervous.
The name of the zone switched to "Zululand's Meadow".
This area was a mixture of grassland and wasteland terrain with grass as high as Minori's waist. The grass waved in the wind, undulating like a wave. Here and there, the ruins of small buildings protruded from the grassy field. They were almost all unoccupied, providing roosts for the vine grass and animals.
'I see something that looks like a cow,'
'What? Where, where, where? Where is it?
Isuzu and Serara's voices could be heard from the back of the back seat, which was covered with a hood.
Minori, seated in the gohja seat, turned around after making sure Touya was holding the reins. Beyond the grassland that Isuzu pointed to was a group of large four-legged animals.
''I think it's a herd of 'grass hoof deer' (green elk).
Minori tells him. The fact that he had learned the characteristics and distribution of monsters from Shiroe came in handy early on.
'Is it dangerous?'
That's okay. It's far away and I'm told he's a quiet man.
In the Elder Tail, monsters are the enemies to defeat, but they vary in their aggression. If you are close enough, they will turn on you from a different distance. Some will attack you as soon as they see you, while others will ignore you unless you come close enough to attack them. And the Grass Hoof Deer belong to the latter category.
Minori and her team's carriage is on a red clay road.
Occasionally the asphalt would peek out, but basically the carriage was moving along the rutted red road about twice as fast as Minori and the others were walking.
The wind was still cold, but it wasn't a cutting winter chill.
It was the fresh, cool air of spring, with a hint of freshness.
It was a beautiful place, Minori thought, albeit a desolate one.
The road pulled into the grasslands with a very gentle curve. The road was supposed to be heading southwest, generally parallel to the coast, but it was several kilometers to the ocean, so they couldn't see it. It could be said to be hidden by undulating grasslands.
Minori remembered Shiroe's lecture.
This road was the National Road No. 1 on earth, once called the Tokaido, he said. Minori knew the word national road, of course, but she had never thought deeply about it. He only vaguely thought of it as a road with many lanes of traffic.
According to Shiroe, national roads are the main roads managed by the country called Japan. The national government manages the major roads that cover the whole of Japan, and local governments manage the medium or smaller roads that connect them. This efficient system of dividing up roads was devised in the Meiji era (1868-1912), and the highways that serve as the core of the system are called national roads.
National Road No. 1, the first road in the national road project, was formerly called the Tokaido, a highway connecting Tokyo's Nihonbashi and Osaka. I'm not sure I've ever seen such a thing.
In this Seldesia world, there is also a corresponding roadway. It can't be compared to a four-lane national road, but this red clay road that Minori and her friends are following is it.
"Hey Minori. It's a nice day, do you want to go faster?
At the sound of Isuzu's bouncy voice, Minori flipped through her notes.
--Does it look good?
--I can do it, I can do it!
--I'll do my best!
--There will be a path in front of Rundell House.
--Yes!
The voices of my friends pushed me to make a mistake.
Instead of stopping at the village of Calvet, they were heading down the red clay road in the late afternoon, when suddenly the trap that connected the horse to the carriage came loose.
The horse came riding up in front of a startled Minori and Touya, and after a single neigh of the horse, it ran off and disappeared into the horizon.
Minori and her companions looked at each other in amazement as they stared at the carriage stranded on the road, and then burst out laughing.
The time limit for the Lyman's Twin Horse Flutes had expired.
I laughed at the fact that no one had noticed that the six-hour-a-day time limit was almost up, but even more than that, I hadn't expected them to leave in such a hurry just because their time was up.
'Oh no, she ate the cabbage out of my hand, didn't she?
Me too!
'You really don't understand human nature anymore. You're a traitor!
He's a horse.
You're a traitorous horse, you know?
There's a horse. Horses. Horse. Stop it. "ha-ha-ha-ha-ha.
Isuzu and Serara laughed around in the carriage. Touya, Rundelhaus, and of course Minori laughed too. Isuzu and the others are saying things like that, but the horses were staring at them with so many dull eyes that even Minori was offering them vegetables. That twin horses must have been trying to get Minori and the others to give them a snack like that.
Their maneuvering, and the way they left without a second glance after their time was up, they were smart and hard to hate.
Minori laughed and was impressed that they were so much more familiar with the world than the twins themselves. A horseless carriage in the meadow at dusk. It's a huge failure to get stuck, but laughing too much has drained the venom out of Minori and the others.
'It can't be helped, Minori, see?'
Touya took Minori's hand as she continued to giggle, and the group got out of the carriage.
Touya helped them out of the wobble of their feet from the carriage ride. He was too good for Minori, and he was a well-behaved brother.
That night when he realized his love for Shiroe, Touya had been there to support Minori while she struggled in the darkness. He's the brother I'm proud of, though I won't tell him.
'The horse has run away, but isn't this refreshing?
Rundelhaus stretched out and looked around as he did, "So, where are we? And so on.
According to Minori's map, it seems to be somewhere between the lodge in Calvet and the settlement of Wistria.
But in either direction, with a horseless carriage, it would be a good place to reach in the middle of the night. Of course, the Lyman's twin flutes will be ready for use again after the recast time, but it will take another 18 hours. Tomorrow morning at ten o'clock, I guess.
The five of them decided that they should make up their minds to make camp.
They moved the carriage to the side of the road because they knew that it would be a problem if merchants and adventurers were unable to pass on this road due to Minori and her team's stranded carriage.
So Minori and the others began to prepare for the camp.
It was an encampment that embodied the phrase "hindsight is 20/20".
Because of Minori and her team's poor handiwork, the preparations had taken much longer than expected. Serara, wearing a new wife's apron, worked feverishly to make the stew, but it wasn't finished until after dark.
For Minori, a modern day middle school student, 16 o'clock, when her horse ran away from her, was only the afternoon. He spent the next hour and a bit of time wandering around the area looking for land suitable for camping, and by the time he started cooking, it was nearly dark.
It was probably around 20 o'clock by the time we got the fire ready and the tent set up, albeit unsuccessfully, in place.
The tent that Toya had put up with great effort was unbalanced and swaying to the right, which made the five of us laugh when we saw it. All of their hands were stained with dirt and grass juice, but even that was just material for them to point and laugh at each other.
The stew that Serara had made for us was watery and unflattering. When Rundelhaus pulled the carrot bellows connected at the end, Serara bowed her head over and over again in horror, but that didn't dampen Minori and her party's good mood at all.
The word "nature" came to Minori's mind from the nature park. A hiking course in the mountains of Oze on a school trip was the limit of Minori's imagination. Minori was surprised to learn that there were no more flat places in nature than she had expected.
The ground of the grassland on which he was sitting was covered in broken pieces of concrete, with tree roots undulating underneath the soil.
Tohya, who was sitting cross-legged, said, "Ouch! There were times when they would jump up and down, and I'm sure the inside of the tent was at an angle, and they might not be able to get a good night's sleep even with the nightgown.
But the five of us laughed and drank hot soup under the starlight.
The five of them stayed up late, breaking and distributing red bean paste from their luggage, reminiscing about their unsympathetic horses, stirring a bonfire for a quick spark, and examining the axles of the carriage by the light of the magic light, all under the bright, twinkling spring stars.
It wasn't the least bit commendable for a journey, and it was awkward and ill-advised, but for Minori and the others, this was their first expedition.
The thought that they were the only ones within a few kilometers of each other made even Minori feel nervous and buoyant, as if they were flying away.
Minori wanted a little strength to catch up with her favorite Shiroe.
It was a blessing to be able to go on a journey with a friend to get it.
All the trouble they'd encountered today and all the mistakes they'd made even seemed to bless Minori and her friends as they spun in circles through the spring evening. Events that would have made them want to leave in self-loathing if they were alone even seemed like a fun joke to Minori and the others now that they were on the trip.
Isuzu said, "Practice! The pretty number he began to play sounded repetitive. Minori and the others hummed until late at night.
It wasn't until the sky began to turn white that they realized they should have gone to bed earlier.
◆
It has been three days since they left.
Touya and his party were in the town of Southern.
They arrived at the village at a calculated hour of daylight, waved to the villagers from the carriage, and then moved on to the inn, which was marked with a horse sign.
The road they followed was called the "Road to the West" by the local residents.
For the residents of the area, the road is the main artery of Yamato, which boasts the largest traffic volume of any other road in the area. The villages along the road are larger than the surrounding fishing and farming villages, and they serve as the hub of the region's logistics, sometimes even hosting fairs. For this reason, there was a lot of trade and commerce, and it was common for them to have inns.
I had heard about it as prior knowledge, but Touya and the others had learned about it after the trip.
There's a reason for everything.
When I saw it on the map, I wondered why they would build a road like this, a winding road, etc. I thought it would be more efficient to make a straight road to the destination, but in fact, if you follow that road, you will find that it is easier to make a road that bypasses deep forests, dips and hills. In fact, if you trace the path, you will find that it is easier to get around deep forests, dips, hills, and so on.
The same is true for the location of a single village. The location of nearby water sources, the relationship between the village and the highway, the availability of cultivable flat land, and the distance between the village and the forest and other resource areas all intertwine organically to create a village in a position where, yes, it was the right place to build a village.
The village that is more convenient and has more inhabitants will expand in size and grow to the point where it is called a town. The town of Southern was a relatively large base of operations for the land and sea traders and fishermen.
The first floor of the inn was supposed to be a tavern, but it was more of a meeting place than a tavern or restaurant. It was a huge building made of majestic round wood, with a ceiling higher than a classroom on the first floor. It seems that half of the hall is covered with wooden planks, with brick-like blocks underfoot.
The receptionist and the bill at the inn were in one place, and orders seemed to be placed in a peculiar way, by shouting to an old man sitting in a good mood. The old man, with a huge dog at his feet, is dozing by the fireplace, informing his granddaughters, who run the bar, of his guests' requests.
At a large table, a reddish-black-skinned man of the sea, the Daichijin, was enjoying an early drink. Most of the items on the menu were seafood. And alcohol.
Thirty minutes after they entered the inn, Touya and the others were performing with their backs to the largest table in the house.
In the village of the Earth People, where entertainment is scarce, and where they don't charge much for their services, it seems that they have no intention of refusing.
Serara played a toy-like foot-stomping wind instrument, and Touya tapped the back of the crate. Isuzu and Minori took turns playing the lute, and the songs were sung by whoever was available on the spot.
The stage was more like a stage show for entertainers than a live performance, but the Daichijin, who had gathered in the assembly hall, seemed to be having a great time.
The innkeeper's granddaughters (there were a lot of them!) was red-faced and carried liquor like crazy and made record sales.
Toya and her friends got very excited when an old man with pure white eyebrows like a goat said to them, "You guys can enjoy the food and lodging for free. Toasts were made over and over again, and Isuzu in particular was surrounded by many of the "earthlings" and showered with praise.
Touya was having so much fun that he accidentally hit it so hard that it broke a wooden box that used to be a wardrobe. She even got angry with Minori for that. However, even Minori seemed happy about it.
It was said that the Rundell House was originally the "Earthling" aristocracy, but it doesn't fit the image of a nobleman that Touya had in mind, and even at a banquet like this, they seemed to be really enjoying themselves.
To begin with, Rundelhaus said to the innkeeper, "We are a group of adventurers, and our musician would like to perform here at the inn for the night. We won't trouble you, but may we have a place to perform?
After that, he was the first to go on stage and introduce me to Isuzu and Touya and the others. As soon as the band began to play, he would flock to the corner of the stage, his bright blond hair shining and his eyes looking at the funniest thing in the world, waving to us the whole time.
Rundelhaus was quite an amazing guy, Touya thought.
Touya couldn't cheer him on with that look on his face when he couldn't get himself into the football circle. That got stuck in his chest and he couldn't help but put some effort into his performance. I wondered if it was the same for Isuzu.
We stayed up pretty late that night.
The five of us sang as many songs as we could think of and played as much as we could.
Of course, there were intermissions for food and rest, but every time we took a break, a group of Daichijinshi would come in, who hadn't been in the hall before, and they would slump down, wondering if the performance of the day was over, or if they had missed it. The old man, the innkeeper, stood up and said, "Well, that's enough for today, we're all tired and we have work to do tomorrow! Go home, go home! It was like five hours past dusk when he shouted, "I'm not going to be able to get out of bed!
'The girls are going to bed now, Rudy, and you must dress warmly.
Mr. Touya, Mr. Rundelhaus, good night.
Good night, Touya. Mr. Rundelhaus.
After changing, the three girls disappeared into their assigned rooms.
There was no bath, but the innkeeper had been kind enough to boil water for the girls to wipe themselves and wash their hair with. Touya and Rudy briefly dusted themselves off and decided that the rest would be done in the morning.
The room was smaller and more organized than I had imagined it would be for a trading merchant's lodge. The board bed was covered with a thick quilt comforter and looked much more comfortable than the pebble-strewn encampment.
"Magic Light.
In the light that Rundelhaus had called up, they checked the luggage they had unloaded from the carriage a bit and sat down on the bed.
Their throats were rattling, their stomachs were full, and their arms were lazy.
It was all the fuss, but Touya and Rundelhaus were basking in the afterglow of happiness in their inn room.
Going to catch some of the Wyvern's material - not the trip they had imagined when they thought of it, but this is much better than that. Touya thought to himself.
Traveling through the wilderness with just the five of them together sounds like an adventure drama, but on the other hand, camping in the wilderness is a lot harder than you think. As much as I hate to admit it, Touya is a modern boy from city life, not a wild child.
Besides, the idea of stopping by the village to play music was a great hit and a very enjoyable experience. It was a dizzying and dizzying experience to be in the brightest spot in the center of it all, on top of being festive.
We stretched up on the bed, hemming and hawing, but the excitement lingered like a tidal wave and we couldn't seem to fall asleep.
'....Hmmm...'
...you know. Yeah.... yeah. ....once again!
A bouncy voice comes from next door, interrupting the quiet room. I can't make out the content of the voice, but I can tell from its tone and the voice room that it's Serara and Isuzu's voices. Minori seems to be joining in, too. The trio's little laughs sounded like giggles.
'You're fine,'
You're too energetic.
At the sound of Rundelhaus's stifled smile, Touya raised his body in agreement.
'I wonder what they're talking about,'
Brother Rudy, do you mind?
Of course not. I'm not so low key as to be interested in a lady's private conversations. I'm just amazed at how they have so much to say.
It's a girl.
Touya stifled a laugh and gave an unanswerable answer.
If you remember the school, you'll understand. Girls' chatter, once it gets going, is unmanageable. It's so much fun that a single sock pattern can get you going for half a day, or even all day, and Touya and the other boys can't understand it.
Minori seems to have a relatively calm personality among girls, but even that can get out of hand once things get heated.
But from the looks of it, even Rundelhaus seems happy. Although he's saying something to snicker at the girls' chatter, his expression is a smile, and he's polishing off his familiar
'Even brother Rudy is in a good mood.
Hm. This is because, well, you know, armor has to be taken care of at all times.
Hmm. Well, I guess I'll do the same.
Touya, too, began to inspect the leather straps of his armor that he had stored in his luggage.
Just before leaving for the trip, the group's armor is being examined by the craftsmen of the Weird Grotto. It's not possible for them to be damaged or broken in a few days, and when I say "care", it's 20% for precaution and the other 80% is just for show.
The time is already approaching midnight.
The adventurer's body is tired, and it is not absolutely necessary to take care of the armor. If you ask me why I'm up, it's because I'm embarrassed to say it, but I'm not willing to go to bed.
It was a magical night.
Touya and Rundelhaus continued to talk about the remnants of this night, as if there were still gems in it that they had failed to find.
About the carriage, about the horses, about the journey. About the food, the encampment, the battle.
The wild boar we had encountered before stopping in this village was easily fought off. Minori was being very cautious, but I heard that powerful monsters don't occur around the roads in the first place, and fighting in this zone seems to be no problem.
Then again, it was my friends.
With a pathetic face, Rundelhaus muttered with a sigh.
'Hey, Touya. Why is Miss Isuzu so innocent and innocent?
Did I ever do that?
For Touya, Isuzu doesn't seem to be so innocent or childish. It's not that he's calm or intelligent, but he's appropriate for his age. She is a good friend who understands the feelings of those around her. I think I can understand why he's become best friends with his sister.
You can't just hug her and then try to brush the hair out of her head.
Ah.
That's true.
But I would never do anything like that to Touya.
I feel like I'm being underestimated by her, but..." "Don't laugh, Touya. Don't laugh, Touya. I'm serious.
Stifling a muffled laugh, Touya fell back onto the bed and twisted around, clutching his stomach. She wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes and looked for an answer. It's a conundrum. No matter how you answer it, you can only say something interesting.
"Well,
Hmm.
That's what makes you special.
"Special?
Touya said as he stifled the urge to laugh. Isuzu, who was now in a kneeling position, snapped her mouth into a heap, "Rudy is special because he's my henchman! I imagined her saying, "I'm going to have fun with you," and it made my stomach muscles twitch even more.
Isuzu-nee does that when she's in that kind of mood to be close together.
Really?
Mmm-hmm.
Rundelhaus crossed his arms and growled. He's trying to come to terms with himself.
'But I don't think it's particularly beautiful, or particularly Amazing, or particularly Magnificent Strong,' she said. What does she think of me? You adventurers are a bit weird when it comes to emotions.
No, because brother Rudy's beau is a little funny, too.
And Touya didn't mention it. The bewildered Rundelhaus is an important older friend of Touya's. He is now a party companion and fellow adventurer. And now they are party mates and fellow adventurers.
"Even my brother Rudy often goes out with Isuzu-nee.
'You're not one to let a woman walk alone, are you? Miss Isuzu is a dainty woman. You might get into some unwanted trouble.
Touya wanted to praise himself for holding back, even if his tightly closed mouth was like a wavy line. Touya loved this blond young man. Last night's performance came back to her near her ears. His body felt itchy and wanted to run.
'That's fine. It's a group effort anyway.
Yeah, well, that's not entirely true.
Touya said, making an effort to look serious.
The Rundelhaus one accepted it with a twist of his head as if unconvinced.
Then the topic of conversation turned to their plans for the future.
We're going to follow the red clay road to Arriba's Abandoned Castle. The red clay road to the west, although not along the coast, generally runs from Akiba to Minami on the Pacific side of the Yamato. To get to our destination, the Redstone Mountains, we may have to turn off the road from Arriba's abandoned castle and choose a narrower route, or we may have to choose a roadless climb.
Touya didn't dislike fighting.
Of course it was scary, uncomfortable and painful, but it made him feel connected to his friends, and he felt like he had accomplished something. For those of us who are adventurers in this other world, the existence of monsters is a reality. If we want to live there, we had better have the ability to fight.
"From tomorrow, it's the Sakawa region in earnest.
Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to it!
Let's get to bed. You shouldn't get tired of traveling, Touya.
They lay down on their respective beds.
Then they went to sleep feeling satisfied.
◆
The Sakawa region is a flatland that includes Odawara in the Earth world.
Minori wasn't good at geography, but in this world, she had become strangely good at it. 'If we think of it as a place we're going to be going to, we'll be interested in it, and it'll get into our heads.
According to Shiroe's knowledge and the information she had researched in the city of Akiba beforehand, this area was a water-rich, agricultural-centered zone. Small settlements of the 〈Daichijin〉 were scattered around, mainly growing rice and wheat. That's what I'd heard.
The main type of enemies are nature-based, and there are many wild dogs, wild boars and plant monsters. But they too are found in the forests and mountains. The plains and rural areas are not absolutely safe, but the level of monsters encountered is relatively low, and their frequency should be low.
However, once they were in the Sakawa region, Minori and the others became more alert from the slightest sense of urgency.
It was just a small difference in the smell of the wind or the rustle of the treetops, but it certainly reached Minori and her friends, telling them that something was different. In fact, within half a day of their departure, they had seen demons fleeing in the distance twice, and a battle had occurred, albeit only in skirmishes.
Of course, there was no damage, but this was an omen that something was different from the past.
There's such a thing as a "demon rat" (diarat), isn't there?
That was a surprise.
As the group talked, they were advancing the carriage up a road that gradually increased in slope to higher ground.
As they slowly climbed up the gentle slope, Minori and the others saw a pure white landscape. The moment they first saw it, it looked like a snowy landscape, but the faintly sweet scent that reached their noses told them that it was a flower.
'Sakura! Is that cherry blossom?
No, Mr. Isuzu. That's a plum tree.
Leaning forward, Isuzu and Serara, who seemed to be supporting her, revealed themselves to me.
It was a plum village that seemed to rise up in the early spring landscape where the air was still cold.
'Good nii-oi,'
The scent of the plum tree was weak, but it had a definite presence in the field.
The downward slope of the hill was terraced with stone walls, which indicated that the hill had been manned. Here and there, plum trees were planted in the terraced fields. This side of the hill was a forest of plum trees, perhaps because of the sunshine.
Minori and the others followed the path around the hill to the west. We were off course, but there was a large river in our direction. They had to choose a place to cross the river.
The view of the white plum trees continued. Isuzu and Rudy were deeply moved, and Celara was giving them and Touya some explanations. According to them, right after the formation of the Round Table last year, they bought some plums with Nyanta, pickled them and made jam.
It was a tranquil scene.
The wind was still chilly, but the sun was shining brightly and the carriage was driving through the warm sunshine. As we got closer to the big river, the wind drains and lowers its temperature, and the atmosphere remains calm as we enter the shade of the forest.
We could hear the call of the earthlings in the distance, perhaps they were farming.
They might be working on a farm. The five of them listened attentively to the voice and smiled a little.
They were looking for a place to cross the river and were detouring through the forest along the river when the atmosphere changed. A sharp scream and a violent noise came from within the dense light that blocked out the light. Minori instantly recovered from the tension that had been building up since the morning and held her staff in front of her chest.
'Minori. I'll go ahead! There's something out there!
Touya! "Not anymore,
What, what?
A man stumbled out of the forest, wheezing more from lack of oxygen than screaming. An earthling. While he was looking at the burly man in brown and gray winter clothes, his companions, probably from the gloom behind him, came running out of the gloom as well.
Touya jumped down from the gohja's seat and rushed forward at several times the speed of their approaching companions.
'Enemy attack, get ready!' Minori shouted, then she waved her staff and applied the Misguided Barrier to her brother. The breath coming from the forest is like a beast, and it belongs to a man-eating ogre.
Cannibalistic ogres are a race of monsters that belong to the evil sub-humans.
They are similar to the Goblins that Minori and her friends fought in Choshi Town.
Man-eating Goblins are taller and stockier than the Goblins, and are taller and stockier than the Goblins. They are taller and stockier than the Green Goblin, and if you can stand up straight, they're as tall as Toya, and they're stronger than the Green Goblin. In return, he's not very good at cooperation or group work, and he's not that good with weapons.
Higher-level Green Goblins have a full complement of armor, and they can also master dire wolves and, in rare cases, magic.
Even at higher levels, man-eating demons rarely wear armor. They grow larger and larger, and their strength and endurance increase. They also use an unusual kind of magic called sorcery. In quests, they are famous for their names, such as Oe, which is why they have been known as man-eating demons.
Cannibal Ogres and Green Goblins are both found in a long range of levels, from low to mid-level, and when Elder Tail was a game, they were placed in different regions to give them a regional flavor.
In the eastern part of the country, from the Kanto region to the northeast, the Green Ogre is common. The field zones in eastern Japan, from Kanto to Tohoku, are dominated by the Green Goblin. Shikoku is home to the Lizard Man (lizardmen) and Kyushu is home to the Ugly Pig Demon (orcs). Each region has its own forces and unique quests.
All of this was taught by Shiroe.
And according to Shiroe's teachings, the distribution of monsters along the roads is quite low-level. Of course, we were told to be cautious because of the influence of otherworldliness, but even so, it seemed a bit odd. The "man-eating demon" we encountered during the day was at the level of 21. Of course, the current Minori and her friends would not be such a strong enemy, but isn't this the kind of monster you would normally encounter in the forests and mountains off the road?
Wolfie!
With Minori's cautiousness heightened by her discomfort, Celara dismounts from her carriage and summons her followers. A lovely gray wolf, not yet fully grown, appeared, its magic radiant, and circled around the group of the Earthlings. I'm going to be the bodyguard.
"For now, though...
That kind of power in Serara's eyes is strong.
He felt the same discomfort and made a generic move without forcing himself to chase Touya. With this, I can move forward.
''How's the situation, Miss Minori?''
A man-eating demon has come from the forest. They are hunting for you, Mr. Daichijin. We need help and protection!
Minori shouted as she ran out, passing the leader of the pack, the Daichijin, whose legs were tangled in exhaustion and he fell down. Touya has already gone further ahead and cut off the Man-Eating Demon. The enemy's levels are twenty-two, twenty-two, and twenty-one. There are three of them.
Strangely enough, they were at about the same level as the moving skeletons they fought in the Forest of Raglanda. However, Minori and the others had greatly improved their abilities in the six months since that summer's training camp. With 54 levels of magical power, Minori uses the "God's Curse of the Mirror". The light bullets from the magic mirror that appeared in front of Minori pierced the red-skinned demon, and healed Touya's wounds.
Touya chases after the man-eating demon pierced by the glow with a slash of the rice line. Using his momentum, he connected a half-rotation to the Ukibune Crossing and then the Kuruma no Tachi. The warrior is inferior to the attacker in terms of accuracy and damage, but he makes up for it. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to make it work.
''Minori-chan, Kikori-san is fine!
Serara shouted from behind me to inform me.
At the same time, the Frost Spear's magic blows off one of the cannibal's arms in a precise trajectory.
For this amount of time, they'll be fine. Against three monsters, we were able to overwhelm them with half the party's strength. We've grown enough in terms of our level and our fighting style. It's more than enough.
''Not yet, add(ad)six!
An unfamiliar but familiar voice echoed out of the forest and was spat out in a single mass. It was an unfamiliar black haze of monsters.
Minori, reacting through Shiroe and Naotsugu's rigorous training, drew one foot back and took an alert stance and checked its status.
Servant of the Dark Spirit, "Nightshade Servant". Level 40.
This is a much more powerful enemy than the Man-Eating Demon. There were six of them. Minori made a quick calculation. The Dark Spirit (Nightshade) is supposed to be a spirit-type monster. Depending on their lineage, spirit-type monsters have a high resistance to attribute damage. The dark spirits were resistant to evil poisons or spirit. They should also have been equipped with instant death resistance.
The term "servant" refers to the role or rank of the monster in its kind. This monster is a relatively low level fighter among the Dark Spirits. But even so, their level 40 is only ten times lower than Minori and the others, so they are not an opponent to be trifled with in this post-disaster world.
Perhaps victory is possible. But damage is also possible. But damage is also possible.
Without a moment's hesitation, Touya raised the fierce cry of the Samurai's Challenge.
He let Minori take command.
''Rundelhaus-san, concentrate your firepower, finish off the Man-Eating Demon! Isuzu-san, focus on defense!
I'm on it, Orb of Rava.
The mighty Pastoral!
They were probably waiting. The Rundel House's flaming bead of fire, which flew in immediately, struck the two 'man-eating demons' to put a stop to them. I'm sure you'll be able to find out more about this in the future. The battle line had grown too long. The decision to retreat in order to compress it was correct.
But on the other hand, behind the front row Touya and Minori, there should still be a group of the Daichijin. As long as Serara and Isuzu are in direct guard, this would rarely happen, but we can't afford to back down without restriction.
In the meantime,
A ray of crimson light was released at that Touya.
The light of Gojo is so strong that there is no way to react. Still, Touya did not avert his gaze. The barrier spell that Minori had put on her stopped the rays of light. The barrier strengthened by Suzune's Barrier intensified its brilliance and blocked the damage. The energy that can't be nullified dissipates as sparks in the surrounding area, and the ray passes backwards with it.
Support arrives from the forest with a force that seems to drown out the screams.
A woman with a white coat and glasses appeared with the wind in her face, and silent energy spouted from the tip of her staff. The magic infused summoning technique fills the area with a blue glimmer and the attackers unleash the compressed mainstream.
Summon your squire: Princess Wraith!
Summoning a squire is the basic attack method used by the Summoner. The Summoner summons a monster called a squire to serve him. Since it has no time limit, the Summoner's strength is equal to that of the Summoner and his squire, plus 11 other classes of the same level. Summoning a squire is not that powerful a single spell.
But that's only if they are of the same level.
''Let's introduce ourselves. My name is Roe 2 (Roe 2). I'm a Summoner. A traveling vampire on the road to the south I guess you could call me a traveling vampire.
The magic of the ninety level