Chapter 222 - Chapter Twenty-Four: Great Cave Exploration ③
The magic circle glowed.
The scenery before my eyes blurred for an instant.
When the light of the magic circle vanished, there stood a large creature with horns, standing on two legs, illuminated by torches.
From the waist down, it was covered in pitch-black fur, but its upper body was no different from a human's. Its two legs were bent like the hind legs of a horse, and two long, twisted horns grew from its head. It was tall, and even the large Beowulf barely reached its chest. Pitch-black wings grew from its back.
A giant sword hung from the belt at its waist.
It must be a member of the Demon Race. Surely, an executive.
What intense pressure. I felt like I was going to cower. Just in case, I had chanted [Skill: Calm], but it didn't have much effect. The opponent must be too overwhelming. I had finished the incantation for [Skill: Holy], but my concentration felt like it was about to break.
The Headmistress, who was next to me, patted my shoulder and said, "It's okay." If I hadn't cast [Skill: Mute], we might have been noticed.
I pinched my own cheeks. If I didn't do that, I would be overwhelmed by the intensity.
"Hmph. To think humans have come this far."
At the end of its downward gaze, the four vanguards stood ready, holding Lindwurm shields, clad in Eleanor's armor and helmets, and wielding silver weapons.
Their expressions were invisible since their face guards were down.
The four, who were about to challenge a Demon Lord army executive, did not move an inch.
The member of the Demon Race raised its right hand high.
Yellow light was crackling in its palm. It must be lightning magic. First, a powerful strike with magic. Fenrir was the same. It seems to be a standard tactic for monsters skilled in magic.
"[Skill: Magic Break]!"
Matilda, who was thrusting her mace forward, shouted.
"Hmph. Naive!"
She was holding a mace, but she wasn't wearing priest's robes. There was no surprise magic attack. It had probably finished its incantation beforehand. In that case, the basis would be a physical strike. It must have thought it could break through a human's [Skill: Magic Break] of that level...
Light flashed above the four vanguards, and lightning struck with a roar.
However, that lightning changed angle just before the vanguards and slammed into the body of the Demon Race member.
"What!"
For a moment, the Demon Race member faltered. An opening was created. The Headmistress stood up.
"Now! [Skill: Holy: Overflow]!"
She and Harris-sama did it together, two full-power shots each.
"Nuooooooh!"
White light intersected multiple times over the magic circle, and the body of the Demon Race member was swallowed by a vortex of light. As if to say "take this," we fired a barrage of amplified [Skill: Holy]. Marcelo-san was also firing mid-level [Skill: Holy] repeatedly.
"I've dispelled it!"
At the Headmistress's words as a signal, the mages added a follow-up attack. The light diffused, and the Demon Race member could be seen with its right knee on the ground. Attribute magic was concentrated there. [Skill: Prominence], [Skill: Cocytus], and a [Skill: Tornado Wind] involving two [Skill: Flame] shots were unleashed in order, and then two [Skill: Glacio] shots were used to seal it in ice. Because it was narrow, the ultra-high and high-level magic had their output considerably restricted, but even so, the destruction was on a different level compared to mid-level magic.
I cast double amplified [Skill: Resist] on everyone, so we should be fine, but normally our bodies wouldn't hold out.
I thought the ice would grow around the Demon Race member's body, but a roar echoed, and it shattered. The room shook as if an earthquake had occurred. Some of the scattered ice came flying.
However, this was within expectations; a [Skill: Wind Barrier] had already been deployed in front of us, and it deflected everything.
"Surrender!"
Matilda barked again.
"Don't underestimate me!"
The Demon Race member, who was on one knee, drew its giant sword and swung it horizontally in a flash, slicing through the four vanguards who stood ready in their unchanging postures. The four were cut in half at the torso, and then they returned to normal.
"Curse you! An [Skill: Illusion]!"
The Headmistress wasn't one to miss that moment. A log-sized [Skill: Holy] pierced through the body of the Demon Race member. At the same time as Henry-sama's shout, a large laceration appeared diagonally across the Demon Race member's chest. Pitch-black liquid sprayed from the wound. From behind the phantom, a silver arrow flew and pierced between its eyebrows.
"Now! Go!"
With that as a signal, the three vanguards leaped in, and their weapons were brought down upon the body of the Demon Race member. They brandished spears, slashed with swords, and struck with maces. Finally, the Demon Race member fell prostrate on the floor.
We emerged from the holes we had dug in the walls. We had been hiding in three separate locations, offset diagonally so our magic wouldn't hit each other. The combination of [Skill: Camouflage] and [Skill: Magic Reflection] discovered by the Jaeger unit was effective even against Demon Lord army executive-class enemies.
Matilda, who was hiding in the hole directly behind, provoked it after [Skill: Magic Reflection] was cast on the [Skill: Illusion] of the four vanguards with their face guards down. We surrounded the magic circle with [Skill: Magic Reflection], and taking advantage of the opening when it was flustered by the impact of its own magic backfiring, we reflected the diffusing light of the four [Skill: Holy: Overflow] shots fired from the back, concentrating them in the center of the magic circle. It was an application of the lighting device Lyudmila had devised. [Skill: Holy] pierces through the bodies of monsters. More than half of the light from the high-level [Skill: Holy], which radiated in almost all directions except directly behind, reflected multiple times within the magic circle, continuing to damage the Demon Race member. Moreover, it was four full-power shots. On top of that, we launched follow-up attribute magic. Even so, it released magical power to shatter the ice from two [Skill: Glacio] shots and counterattacked. Since we were attacking with attribute magic, we didn't use the Headmistress's barrier. Instead, Jennifer-sensei, Priest Williams, and Robinson-san activated [Skill: Wind Barrier] scrolls at the same time as the [Skill: Glacio] to block the flying ice.
The magic circle, exposed to fire and ice, was scorched, melted, and cracked in places. Upon it lay the Demon Race member, covered in burns and frostbite, lying on its back. To my surprise, there was no sign of it being pierced by the icicles of [Skill: Cocytus]. It had stopped them with magic defense. With an arrow deeply piercing between its eyebrows, a spear in its chest, both arms severed, and its head half-crushed, it was sinking into a pool of pitch-black blood, and yet, it was still alive.
"What were you doing here?"
When Eleanor-sama asked, only its eyes moved.
"If you want to know, why don't you investigate for yourselves?"
It spoke slowly while spitting black liquid from its mouth, which had two fangs. It might have been able to escape if it had activated [Skill: Teleport] immediately. Was its refusal to back down a result of its pride?
"The magic circle has already been deciphered. We even know the keyword for activation."
"Can you humans even vocalize it?"
Suddenly, a grating voice was heard. It was Flora.
"An Alraune was here? Come to think of it, you were originally a spirit."
"I am on the side of the humans. Monsters brought no benefit to my companions who have died."
"Hmph, benefit... if you want it, you should just take it."
It turned its eyes toward Flora and smiled defiantly. It was breathing painfully, wheezing, but it wasn't losing its composure. Perhaps it had exhausted its magical power; the intensity and pressure it had when it appeared via [Skill: Teleport] were gone.
"Where on earth did you all come from?"
I asked without thinking. If there was another world, I wanted to know where it had been summoned from.
"We have been here since ancient times. Do not lump us together with the likes of you humans."
What does that mean? Didn't they come from another world?
"If you want to know, investigate for yourself."
After saying that, it spat out a large amount of pitch-black liquid from its mouth and closed its eyes. The Headmistress knelt beside the Demon Race member.
"Jeanne..."
After a while, I was prompted by the Headmistress. It seemed it was dead. When I offered a prayer for the dead, the body of the Demon Race member crumbled like ash and turned into dust.
We defeated it safely. A single sword was left behind.
It was a broad, double-edged sword, pitch-black from hilt to blade, and about as long as my height. It was emitting something like a black light. Perhaps this is what is called miasma. Henry-sama told me to try firing [Skill: Holy] at it, so when I did, sparks flew as it hit the blade. I hurriedly backed away.
"It is a sword of the Demon Race. It must be destroyed."
It seems that even if it could be destroyed with a blade, it would cause so many nicks that the weapon would become useless.
"Then, it's my turn. I'll do it."
Matilda stepped forward with her mace in hand. She struck it with a gwan, but it didn't budge. She should have received the Headmistress's support magic, but it didn't work. Matilda's hands only went numb. I took away the pain with [Skill: Holy] and healed her with [Skill: Recovery].
"Matilda. Wait."
Jennifer-sensei began her incantation.
"[Skill: Enchant]!"
The silver mace was enveloped in a hazy, faint yellow light. The Headmistress held her hand over the tip of the mace.
"[Skill: Holy Lance]!"
As if the magic was being sucked into a magic circle, the log-sized [Skill: Holy] was absorbed into the tip of the mace, which began to shine with a strong light. Matilda's eyes were wide. In fact, most people's were.
"Matilda. Now is the time. I believe that mace will be fine. Strike it down as if you intend to destroy the floor."
"Are you serious? Th-This is amazing."
At Jennifer-sensei's words, Matilda looked back and forth between the tip and Jennifer-sensei.
"The effect will only last for a count of fifty. Please hurry."
Prompted again, Matilda shouted, "Usshaaaa!" and swung the mace she held overhead down toward the pitch-black sword. After the room shook and a gratingly loud sound that felt like it would pull out my spine echoed, the black sword was shattered into pieces, leaving only the hilt.
While Matilda let out a war cry, the mace gradually weakened its brilliance and settled back into its original faint silver glow.
"[Skill: Enchant], is it? It's my first time seeing it. As expected."
Marcelo-san had a very serious face. He seemed quite surprised.
"No matter how much I told her to stop, there was someone who would jump at a wild boar with just a single wooden stick for staff technique practice, so I learned it before I knew it."
At the end of her gaze, the Headmistress was letting out a war cry along with Matilda. I must absolutely not tell the Archbishop of Nakanohara Church. It would be terrible if he tried to imitate it.
"How is it, isn't it amazing?"
Henry-sama is the same as ever.
After the commotion died down, we dug a hole and offered a prayer for the dead Orcs. Since it was still the middle of the night, the Headmistress set up a barrier in front of the three-way junction, and we went to the executive's room to take turns resting.
In the box in the executive's room, there were three very large magic stones, though fewer in number compared to the Lindwurm, and the Marcelo Company decided to buy them. That resulted in an income of a bit over ten gold coins. If we successfully perform the feint, it will be a little less than thirty-two gold coins per person. It turned out to be more earnings than expected.
When I woke up, Eleanor-sama was making a map of the cave while interrogating the Orcs along with Flora and Wilson-san. When told that the executive had been defeated, the two Orcs were completely terrified and seemed to have become quite honest.
As far as the Orcs knew, there were no more rooms like this, and from here, it would take about half a day's walk to reach the cave where the Demon Lord lives. They said there were several junctions, but they were dead ends with nothing there.
When we asked the surviving Orcs about the Demon Race member's final words, they replied that they knew nothing. While we were at it, we asked where the Orcs were born, and they tilted their heads. They didn't even seem to understand the meaning of being born. Their first memory was already of acting as an Orc, and before they knew it, they had met companions, joined a certain pack, and were living as wild Orcs.
One day, an overwhelmingly powerful being came and brought them here. After that, they just followed orders. That was the Demon Race member we had defeated. When asked if they would return to being wild if they were sent back to the forest, they replied that if there were no strong ones around, they would become the boss, and if there were strong ones, they would just follow. The two survivors were keeping each other in check, wanting to compete to see which was stronger. In the end, strength seemed to be everything. One strange thing: the Orcs said they weren't born in the cave where the Demon Lord lives. It seems they were all gathered from various places.
Now, what to do with the Orcs. We had a discussion.
"Wouldn't it be best to let them escape beyond the Northern Pass where the Nakanohara Jaegers are?"
There are only wild ones in that area. It's better to return them to the wild than to have them join the Demon Lord's army. When I proposed this, Eleanor-sama also agreed, and they were immediately transported at ultra-high speed. Marcelo-san and Angelica-san had already connected the Demon Race's room and the withdrawal base with a [Skill: Teleport] magic circle.
Henry-sama, the Headmistress, and Jennifer-sensei were sitting down and keeping watch before the junction.
"Jeanne. Rest a little longer. Monsters have much higher endurance than humans. You won't last if you don't rest when you can."
"Thank you. I'll take another rest in a little while, so please let me stay here for just a bit."
When I sat next to the Headmistress, she hugged me and said, "You did well."
"About the meaning of the Demon Race member's final words..."
"It's better not to think too deeply about it."
"Yes. But, saying they had been on this island since ancient times..."
"That's right."
The Headmistress also didn't seem to understand the meaning.
"Jeanne. Those words can be interpreted in many ways."
Jennifer-sensei answered for me.
"First, it didn't say where they were. Also, it didn't say when 'ancient times' was. Furthermore, it didn't say 'I,' but 'we.'"
Come to think of it, that's true. It only said, "We have been here since ancient times."
"Even humans, for example, if someone living on the continent who came to this island for the first time asked where you came from, could give the same answer. Because humans have certainly lived in this world since what they consider ancient times by their own standards."
"Then, what about 'do not lump us together with the likes of you humans'?"
"It is a fact that the Demon Race and humans are fundamentally different. Also, what if it means they aren't living and dying like humans?"
"?"
For example, if they were to revive as they were after some time even if they died, or if the Demon Race actually came from another world from time to time—all such things that wouldn't apply to humans would be applicable. Even humans don't necessarily reincarnate. There are such ways of thinking, and there's also the idea that after death one goes to heaven and lives with the Goddess forever. There are ghosts and even Revenants.
"The Dwarf said it, didn't he? That the Demon Race cleverly deceives people. You mustn't think too deeply about it."
I was told again by the Headmistress.
After taking a break and waking up, Angelica-san was making breakfast. It was oat porridge with bits of Owen-brand dried meat, and it was delicious with a salty kick. Oats can also be used as horse feed, and since they're cheap and easy to cook, oat porridge is apparently the standard for army breakfasts.
"What are we doing today?"
The impatient mage was asking.
"First, we'll investigate the destination of the magic circle."
"How are we going to investigate?"
"We'll know if we actually go."
Um, won't that mean charging into a pack of monsters? At worst, to where the Demon Lord is...
At Eleanor-sama's overly bold statement, Beatrix's mouth was also left hanging open.
"With the combination of [Skill: Camouflage] and [Skill: Magic Reflection], we should be fine. I'll have Flora, Henry, Harris, Wilson, Williams, Robinson, Jeanne, and Fiona go."
We were told that if there were powerful monsters where we jumped, we should return immediately through the magic circle without leaving it.
"Flora. I'll leave the judgment of whether to return immediately or stay for a bit to you. Don't overdo it."
Goddess-sama. Please, I pray that we don't end up where the Demon Lord is...