Chapter 140 - The Limestone Cave Tea Party Incident and the Nosediving Summer Bird (Part 1)
We rushed to the door on the north side of the cavern. Unlike before, the area was now brightly lit by torches that had been set up for us.
But the most significant difference was the pool of water, once clear and transparent, was now stained crimson.
"The air is thick with the smell of black tea…"
Mizuki and Fam sniffed the air, their nostrils flaring slightly. But you didn't need to make an effort to notice the scent; it hung heavy all around. Someone must have scattered tea leaves everywhere.
"What a waste."
Just as Mizuki said, tea leaves—not just black tea—were a luxury in this world. They were undoubtedly grown on the surface and purchased, so there was no way they were cheap down here in the depths.
As if hearing our voices, several Earth Dragon warriors emerged from behind the door. Yanan was among them.
"It'll be here any second!" Yanan shouted upon seeing us.
"Looks like it."
A rumbling, like the groaning of the earth, echoed from beyond the door. The ground beneath our feet—no, the entire cavern—was trembling with fine vibrations.
I drew my katana. The other members of Levante readied their weapons. Yanan and her warriors stood with us, their claws extended, waiting.
"I'm going to ask again just to be sure. The enemy is the Earth Dragon King, just one of them, right?"
I asked Yanan.
"No, it's leading a dozen or so Earth Dragons."
"What?"
That changed everything. Our entire strategy would have to be different. Still, I needed to take down the Earth Dragon King for good. A single strike from Racshell's spear would be better than a rain of her arrows.
"It's fine. We'll take care of the Earth Dragons. You just focus on the King."
I couldn't help but exchange a look with Maira.
"We will protect you, Mash," she said, her hand coming to rest over mine on the hilt of my katana.
"Fam, same as always. If I go down, you're the leader. If things get dangerous, you run first. The fate of this country is a secondary concern."
Fam nodded. "Understood. But I've always wondered about that phrase, 'secondary concern.' Does it mean the second priority, or the third?"
"…You seem strangely relaxed this time, Fam. I'm counting on you."
I kept the vague sense of unease I felt about her to myself.
"Hmph."
Cecily snorted, having overheard our exchange.
"Why is it always Fam?!"
"Because she was my first companion. I need you to support her, Cecily."
"…I know," she replied.
The vibrations grew stronger. From the tunnel, several Earth Dragons appeared, a flood of monsters pouring into the cavern. Cecily launched a fireball at them, striking one and engulfing it in flames.
The fire illuminated the depths of the tunnel, revealing a massive black object stirring within.
"Watch out, it's coming!"
As Cecily screamed, the ground buckled like an earthquake, and I staggered to keep my balance.
The rock wall above the tunnel collapsed, crushing the door beneath it.
A deafening roar echoed through the cavern. Dust and debris filled the air, and from within the cloud, a colossal black beast emerged.
Water and dirt sprayed everywhere.
"So that's the Earth Dragon King…"
It was enormous, towering over me. Its massive forelegs were tipped with long, metallic claws that were taller than a man. A single, casual swipe would send us flying, torn to shreds.
Yes, a rain of arrows felt far too risky. It wouldn't be enough to wipe out all the enemies here.
"I bet that collapse killed a few of the Earth Dragons, don't you think?"
Mizuki's comment was unnervingly casual. Was it because she was counting on Racshell from the start?
I was tempted to scream that I couldn't summon the goddess anymore, just to see the utter shock on their faces, but I figured they'd be genuinely furious, so I held back. The fact that I was even thinking such things meant my own tension was starting to fray.
"KISHAAAAaaaaa!"
The Earth Dragon King's roar ripped through the cavern, making the very air vibrate. It reared up on its hind legs, towering over us.
I instinctively held my breath and took a step back, bumping into Maira.
"It really can't see, right?"
"That's what I've heard…" she answered my murmur.
I glanced at Yanan. Unlike the members of Levante, she and her warriors were clearly shaken.
"Hey! I'm about to take down the Earth Dragon King, just like I promised. You handle the small fry!"
"R-Right."
Her hesitant reply sparked a flicker of anxiety, but these were seasoned warriors who had fought for dominance in the great subterranean plains. I had to trust them.
I raised one arm to call Racshell.
"Goddess Summon!"
A brilliant, rainbow-colored light enveloped the area.
In the space just above my outstretched hand, the goddess Racshell materialized from within the light. She was draped in a shimmering, iridescent robe, seated upon her spear as she floated in midair. Even after the initial radiance faded, her form seemed to glow with an ethereal beauty. Her golden hair drifted as if in a breeze that wasn't there.
The expressions on Yanan and her warriors twisted in utter shock.
"N-No way… Racshell… sama…"
Racshell spared them a brief glance before her eyes settled on me. She seemed to be pouting.
"Mash, this isn't what you promised!"
"…Are you angry? A frown doesn't suit such a pretty face."
"To think you'd summon me for something so trivial…"
Racshell said, sulking.
"It's not trivial. The Earth Dragon people's kingdom is on the brink of collapse. I need you to help them."
"No. Fulfill your promise to me before anything else! If you won't, I'm going back."
"Are you serious? You can't just go back without doing anything after being summoned! Give me back my mana!"
Somehow, she'd turned into a rather demanding goddess.
"This is your fault, Mash. You take care of all the other girls, so why won't you take care of me? You started this, so you'd better see it through!"
"You're just… a lot to handle once you're summoned! I feel bad, I do. I promise I'll make it up to you next time."
Once I summoned her, she was unavailable for two full days. Since I never knew what might happen, I couldn't just call on her lightly.
"…You'd better."
Was there any other god who begged a mortal for favors? Shouldn't it be the other way around? But pointing that out would only complicate things, so I kept my mouth shut.
"After Cecily."
"I made a promise with you first!"
She pursed her lips, pouting again.
"I-It's fine! Lady Racshell can go before me!"
Cecily waved her hands frantically. She was still terrified of Racshell. I really needed to do something about that fear.
"Hey, Cecily, she's just like you. A normal woman. You don't have to think of her as a god anymore."
"H-How could I possibly do that?! She's a goddess! Mash, I'll do anything you say from now on, so please forgive me!"
"Anything, you say? Anything?"
Cecily nodded repeatedly, then shot a desperate, pleading look at Aira.
Aira flinched and went rigid.
"Aira, you too. Stop calling her with ‘-sama.’ Just call her Racshell, like a friend."
"…"
Was she playing dead? Aira didn't move a muscle. It seemed she was even more scared of Racshell than the Earth Dragon King.
I felt a little sorry for them. But next to me, for some reason, Racshell was smiling as if she'd won a great victory.
I'd let myself get sidetracked. I took a moment to reassess the situation.
Racshell was floating on her spear right beside me. Surrounding her were the members of Levante. To our left and right were the Earth Dragon warriors. I should probably call them knights or soldiers, but since they wore no metal armor and used their own claws as weapons, the image didn't quite fit.
Yanan stood with her mouth agape, staring at Racshell. The other Earth Dragon people were frozen in place, stunned by the goddess's appearance.
And before us stood the Earth Dragon King, surrounded by its pack.
The monsters hadn't attacked while Racshell and I were bickering. It seemed her charm worked on them, too. The oppressive aura from the King's roar had been completely erased by Racshell's presence.
Moments ago, the Earth Dragon King had been the ruler of this cavern. Now, the master was Racshell. Her smile was a tangible pressure bearing down on the beasts.
"Racshell, take down the Earth Dragon King."
"You mean the person acting all high and mighty in the deepest part of the palace? I shall carve them out, palace and all, with my spear. Let me mark the end of this kingdom with my own hands."
Her words drew a collective gasp from the Earth Dragon people.
"Not the king of the Earth Dragon people. The enemy is that giant Earth Dragon right in front of us."
I almost got them confused myself, but I knew she was deliberately misunderstanding to enjoy our reactions. It was a twisted sense of humor, but if I were a god, maybe I'd end up the same way. After all, she had an eternity to kill and was starved for entertainment.
Her gaze shifted to the Earth Dragon King.
Under her stare, the King seemed to snap back to its senses and began to advance.
"Mash, tell me again. What is it you want to do?"
"Racshell, these Earth Dragon people have had their home stolen by the Earth Dragon King. I want to save them."
She smiled and nodded, then drifted down between us and the King, her landing as soft as a feather. She stood, facing the approaching beast. As the King raised its foreleg, she raised her left arm. Floating just beyond her hand was the spear she had been sitting on moments before. Its tip, aimed at the King, began to glow with a rainbow light.
The Earth Dragon King brought its claw down, intending to crush her and the spear, but the weapon launched faster than it could move.
Racshell's spear became a massive torrent of light that pierced through the Earth Dragon King.
The King was annihilated before it could even utter a death cry.
The spear's momentum didn't stop, gouging a deep crater into the cavern wall behind where the beast had stood. A tremendous roar echoed as the new hole was formed.
The Earth Dragon King was gone. Only the lesser enemies remained.
"Yanan, as you wished, the Earth Dragon King has been slain."
My words seemed to jolt her back to reality. She bowed deeply to me and Racshell.
Then, she turned to her stunned warriors and bellowed the order to attack the remaining monsters.
The battle between the Earth Dragon people and the remaining beasts began. My companions in Levante formed a protective circle around me and didn't move.
My head was spinning, as it always did after a summoning. I couldn't focus. Racshell's face seemed to warp slightly.
Just as she was about to speak to me, Mizuki stepped in.
"Racshell, about that thing Mash asked you for the other day…"
She was talking about when I asked Racshell to save at least Mizuki from the ten-year lifespan of transferred people.
"Yes, what about it?"
"I'm angry, you know! You drag us into this world without asking, and I'm really, really angry!"
"I do apologize for that. But you're happy now, aren't you?"
"An apology doesn't help. Tell me. Is there a way for all the transferred people to be saved?!"
Just as Mizuki shouted at Racshell, a new cracking sound boomed from the crater the spear had carved into the rock wall.
Everyone's attention snapped toward it. The sound of shattering rock continued, as if something was digging its way out from the inside.
Then, with one final, tremendous crash, a giant claw broke through the rock face.
It was followed by a colossal Earth Dragon. The monster crawled out of the earth and let out a roar, as if to intimidate us.
"No way… did you miss?" Maira said.
I clearly saw the spear pierce the monster. How could it have missed? Was it an illusion? But this new Earth Dragon King was a size larger than the last one.
"Damn it… there were two of them…"
I thought I'd spoken aloud, but it seemed no one heard me.
The other members, except for Fam, took a step forward to shield me.
My consciousness faded, my legs buckled. Fam caught me as I fell, and I plunged into darkness.
Thank you for reading. To those who have liked, bookmarked, and rated this story, your support is my motivation. And thank you so much for pointing out my typos.