Chapter 415 - Chapter 2: Exploration of the Silver Mine ⑨
It’s the fourth day. Finally, the mystery of the Demon Realm in the Northeastern Forest might be solved. Moreover, the opponent is not an evil spirit. It’s a worm. To be precise, it’s something that is presumably controlling the worm, but it doesn't seem to be an evil spirit. In other words, mages starting with Eleanor-sama can participate.
“Yo! You came! My son is going with you, so take good care of him!”
The Elf Elder’s character has changed. He was a calm, polite person suitable for the name Elder, but perhaps because he was quiet, the memory outweighed him; he’s become just like a middle-aged guy at a construction site.
“It is a joke. I thought he would have wanted to behave like that toward you.”
I unintentionally felt my knees give way. The Elf Prince is laughing.
According to the Elder and the Prince, it’s the result of a consultation among those who inherited the memories after the transmission ended. And, the atmosphere of the village has changed. In the direction the Elder and the Prince are looking, there are some who are laughing loudly together, perhaps some of those who inherited the memories. The people around them have also become somewhat brighter. The memories must have already been accepted. For the elf village aiming for reconstruction, vitality was needed more than silence. The lower-level elves who worked at the very front of construction sites are the very definition of people full of vitality. There’s a sense that the haughty, refined elves have come down to the common town, but that must have been for the best.
We jump with the dwarves’ Teleport. The ones exploring the mystery of the worm are Alex, the Elf Prince, Flora, two Goblins, and nine humans. It’s just like a mixed unit of spirits and humans.
When we came yesterday, we set a monster-repelling barrier at the exit of the worm’s cave, so the elves’ shelter became the base for this exploration. After confirming safety, Alex’s brothers jumped here along with the recovery team led by the Elder, and the work of recovering the remains began.
“Alright! We’re transporting the remains of our ancestors. Hey! Dwarves! Handle them with care!”
“We know, Elder. Leave it to us.”
“Ho ho! For an elf, you’ve got quite some spirit!”
“What are you saying! You dwarves!”
Before I knew it, it had become a noisy site.
“Elves have changed, too.”
Alex is laughing.
“Just for today. Probably.”
The Elf Prince also laughed.
Entering the worm’s hole, while the spirits watched from a distance, Eleanor-sama removed the soil and a magic circle appeared. It’s a barrier for spirits. Since the investigation in the hot spring town hasn't reached super-high class yet, it’s the first time I’ve seen it.
The one dug out was one where it was carved into the surface of a thick stone slab. Moreover, it wasn't just one. There were several vertically. Among them, there were some that weren't glowing, perhaps because they weren't active.
According to Eleanor-sama, since the magic circle itself doesn't activate infinitely, they might have been adding or replacing them. As expected, there is a mastermind.
“This is the forbidden magic barrier, isn't it. If possible, I’d like to take it back as it is.”
“If you completely block its activation, I could transport it for you.”
“I understand. Let’s try that later.”
So, it was decided to bury it back for now, place a mark, and jump over it with Teleport to move forward.
When searching with Sense Living, there was a reaction of a long monster. It’s a worm.
Proceeding as it was, we came out into a wide room. There are five holes serving as entrances/exits open on the wall we entered from, including the hole we passed through. On the opposite side, there is one large hole three times the width of the ones on this side. There is also one worm. When I release five Fireflies and have the Elf Prince control them to float near the holes on this side and illuminate the entire room, it slides away toward the hole on the opposite side.
The room itself has nothing in particular. We had monster-repelling barriers set in front of the six holes and decided to track the worm.
According to the Sense Living detection results, there should be five worms ahead of here.
As we proceeded, flames suddenly erupted from the back of the cave.
“Here they come. There’s definitely a mastermind of this Demon Realm in the back.”
The dwarf protected by the air wall is grinning. He spat on the hand holding the hammer and gripped it again. The dwarf, said to be bellicose, got motivated.
The Elf Prince had blocked the flames with a Wind Barrier. The source of the flames is likely magic, but since the origin is unknown, he probably can't dispel it. However, as expected of an elf. Without incantation or utterance, he produced the air wall just like that. Eleanor-sama, who tried to produce a Wind Barrier in a hurry, has stopped moving with her right hand thrust forward.
“As expected of an elf, you are fast.”
“Speed is our selling point, after all.”
Apparently, wind magic is their specialty, followed by water and lightning. Fire and ice are so-so, and earth is their weak point. They are the exact opposite of dwarves. Those two races have joined hands. No matter what comes out, it should be fine.
While moving the Elf Prince’s Wind Barrier forward, we proceed steadily.
The flames are likely Flame. They blow against us intermittently. Judging from the power, the opponent is apparently super-high class. Of course, it’s not a spirit.
The opponent also gave up, and it stopped for a while. Since we aren't being attacked, we proceed as we are.
“They’ve become quiet.”
“The opponent is quite a magic user. They dispelled my Wind Barrier. I anticipated that and made it double, and when the first layer was dispelled, I restored the second layer immediately, so it probably looked like they couldn't dispel it at first glance, though.”
When I asked the Elf Prince, he replied without even changing his expression. If they can use the same magic, they can dispel it. In other words, it means the opponent can also use Wind Barrier.
Proceeding through the worm’s passage as it was, we came out into a wide room. It’s quite wide. About thirty strides in both length and width. The ceiling is also high, about two stories. Perhaps they are preventing it from collapsing; pillars are left here and there. The worms are gathered on the opposite side.
“Hey, Jeanne. Try illuminating over there...”
Alex points to the far left corner. When I illuminate it as told, there was a pile of some kind of bones.
“They’re beast bones. Judging by the size, they’re monsters.”
“Monster bones...”
There are also heads with fangs. They are piled haphazardly, but the shapes are surprisingly intact.
“Be careful. Someone used magic.”
It’s the Elf Prince. He deployed Wind Barriers around everyone and made a defensive wall for us. Of course, it would be double.
When we all returned to the place we entered from all at once, a clatter-clatter sound came from the pile of bones.
“Wh-what a thing!”
Alex gripped his hammer again and readied it.
To my surprise, the bones are standing up as if they were alive!
“Alex. It’s surely Necromancy. Magic to control Revenants.”
I know all the types of magic humans use, except for Testament. I went for the investigation of the mountain.
“Revenant? Those are skeletons, aren't they?”
“They probably just lost their flesh. They must originally be Revenants.”
“What a thing! We spirits can't handle holy magic or forbidden magic.”
I know. That’s why the opponent used it.
When I look at Eleanor-sama, she’s already giving instructions to Beatrix and Lyudmila.
“Hey, shift the Wind Barrier!”
At Beatrix’s words, when the Elf Prince dispelled a part of the Wind Barrier in front of him toward the group of bones with a powerful gust, Eleanor-sama unleashed Shower, Lyudmila unleashed Favorable Wind, and Beatrix unleashed Freeze, respectively. The massive amount of water produced by the super-high-level mage Eleanor-sama was spread over a wide area of the ground by the wind raised by Lyudmila, and was further frozen by Freeze, making the skeletons fall one after another. Before long, she began to create a slope by adding thickness to the surroundings. The skeletons, whose feet have already completely frozen, are being gathered in the middle while repeating falling and standing, standing and falling.
“You’re doing it well!”
Alex claps his hands in joy. Eleanor-sama began to fly disk-like things made of hardened soil. It must be Clump Sand. When she flies them at the feet of the skeletons, the skeletons have their feet swept out from under them and tumble, falling apart. They are desperately trying to recover, but they can't stand satisfactorily and are being hit by the flying disks. The two Goblins are holding their bellies and laughing. I feel like the skeletons being controlled are pitiful, but it can't be helped now. Let’s perform a proper funeral rite for them later.
“Presumably, this is a feint. The main event is coming!”
At Eleanor-sama’s words, everyone gathered around me. Before I knew it, I was surrounded.
“Jeanne, we’re strengthening the Fireflies.”
Henry-sama spread a scroll. It’s Holy Lance.
The fact that Henry-sama moved must mean it’s the decisive moment. Let’s leave the skeletons to Eleanor-sama.
When I held out a Firefly, he used two scrolls to strengthen it. Since it’s quite hot, I let it float at a slightly distant position. Even through the Wind Barrier, is it dealing harassment-level damage; the worms began to dig holes in the wall in an attempt to escape.
While the worms were digging vigorously, all five worms vanished as if they had passed through the wall.
“It’s Camouflage. It seems they had plastered the surface with soil.”
Even the Elf Prince didn't know. Normally, one doesn't set up such tricks inside a wall. They have quite a nasty habit.
“From here is the real fight. Wait a bit.”
Alex digs a trench in the blink of an eye and piles a waist-high earthen mound on the inside. A dry moat, an earthen mound, and then the defensive wall of the Wind Barrier. A strong position was completed in the blink of an eye. Moreover, the rear is a retreat route as it is. There are also many allies.
Inside the defensive wall, Lewis-san, Bonnie, and the Goblin scout team ready their bows. The arrowheads are, of course, silver.
“They’re coming. Jeanne. Have the Fireflies ready.”
At Roberts-sama’s words, I aim at the place where the wall crumbled, and keep the Firefly in my hand wrapped in my sleeve. If it comes to it, the Wind Barrier will be dispelled. I’ll illuminate that spot all at once.
“Guaaaaaa!”
A roar was heard from beyond the Camouflage wall!
It’s a swarm of Orcs. They’re huge, or rather, I should say thick. Their chest plates are remarkably thick, and their arms are thick. Their faces look small.
“Leave it to me.”
It’s Robinson-san. The Wind Barrier is dispelled. With the Subordination he had finished chanting, he controls the Orcs and stops their movement. I point the light of the Firefly only directly upward. The Orcs, who had been screaming, became docile and started walking sideways all together just like that. They are looking this way, but they don't resist. Even with strengthening, they are D-rank. Ten or so are no match for Robinson-san.
“Let’s restrain them for interrogation.”
At Eleanor-sama’s words, Henry-sama and Roberts-sama struck the back of their heads with the shafts of their spears to knock them unconscious, then began to tie their hands and feet with rope.
Next, spiders came out in a swarm. These should also be strengthened. Their movements are fast, but this time Alex controlled them. Up to C-rank is a piece of cake for him. He controlled them and defeated them easily just like the Orcs.
“In other words, the opponent also controls C-ranks. Apparently, they are no ordinary person.”
It’s Eleanor-sama. If it’s humans or the former-human type, humans are more knowledgeable than spirits. The barrier against spirits and the use of forbidden magic can be explained.
“Are they a relative of the Ruined Town?”
The sensation of an evil spirit is not felt. That said, for the Demon Race, the attacks are weak. Moreover, they use forbidden magic.
“No, they are not a Revenant. The magic power is on a different level.”
“Then?”
“Presumably, they are a Lich, aren't they.”
“Lich...”
I was taught about them by Eleanor-sama before. They are a type of undead who extend their own lifespan with sorcery. They have extremely powerful magic control ability, and some even use holy magic. There are some who have magic control ability that goes even beyond the super-high class of humans or Revenants.
Going beyond super-high class... That’s why they can control C-rank spiders.
“If there are elves and dwarves, we can defeat them, right?”
“I wonder?”
Alex controls the three snakes that came out. They became docile safely, but at this rate, there’s no end to it. They send out various types one after another. I heard that Subordination can only control at most two types at a time. Just how many people are there on the other side?
“No, if they are trapping the monsters on hand with barriers, even one person would be fine. They just need to release them and send them in in order.”
Just as she was saying that, this time five Fenrirs came out. Of course they are strengthened, and as soon as they appeared, they unleashed extremely powerful lightning horizontally. The Elf Prince dispelled the lightning, and again Alex... and so on. Before long, corpses have started piling up. Arrows are also limited.
“It can't be helped. Eleanor-san, could you finish up over there and help us?”
Eleanor-sama unleashed two Glaciates and completely sealed the skeletons. However, she used two. The opponent’s magic defense is high.
“She used two.”
Beatrix is surprised. Size-wise, one should be more than enough.
“Yes, the magic defense of a controlled monster is proportional to the magic control ability of the one controlling it. They are not an easy opponent.”
Going beyond super-high class... Now, finally, I could feel it.
The mages, starting with Eleanor-sama, who had been playing with the skeletons, join the battle.
At Eleanor-sama’s instruction, Beatrix and Lyudmila dig holes under the monsters. The corpses fall in with thud-thud sounds. Eleanor-sama froze them by unleashing Freeze repeatedly.
“Jeanne. Make sure to send these guys off properly later, too.”
Matilda’s words probably represent everyone’s feelings.
I don't know what kind of guy a Lich is at all, but let’s definitely defeat him.