Chapter 464 - Seventh Tale: Gnome's Cave
Looking around, it's pitch black.
I don't even know what's around me.
Am I dreaming... or am I half-asleep and dazed after fainting again?
When I pinch my cheek just in case, it's plenty painful. In other words, I'm awake.
Um, let's calm down and remember. What happened before I came here?
I recall I was in the Wolf Man settlement. After being provided with a welcome banquet, I was taken to the grave of the Ancient Priestess. As requested, I offered a prayer, and in the middle, also as requested, I placed my right hand on the round stone of the grave.
At that moment, the surrounding scenery distorted for an instant, and everything went pitch black...
I see, Teleport.
Was I done in again? Come to think of it, I was called Dragon Killer quite a lot this time too.
For now, I'll illuminate the surroundings with Light... no, if the Wolf Men were also teleported together, I'd end up dealing them damage.
"Is anyone there!"
My own voice echoes. In other words, it's likely a narrow place like a cave.
"Wolf Man-san! Can you hear me! If you hear me, please answer!"
It's the same. No one answers. Since I haven't fainted, I don't think those sturdy-looking Wolf Men would have lost consciousness.
When I activate Sense Living in all directions just in case, there were several monster-like reactions scattered in front of me at a distance. Since they are moving, they are alive.
If they are Wolf Men, they'll take damage from Firefly. I'll make it a wall.
"Light!"
I create a round wall overhead. Usually, I face the front upward, but this time, since I don't want to illuminate the surroundings too much, I faced it downward... toward myself.
It's a cave. The walls and the ground are covered in green moss. In other words, some sunlight must be reaching here.
Strange. The sun was still high. Surely it's not possible to even change time. Which means there's a hole in the ceiling. I need to search. I weaken the output, turn it over, and illuminate the ceiling. It's pitch black. Part of it is because the light is weak, but the ceiling itself must be quite high. Since there was no change even when I let it proceed upward, I gave up and placed it above my head. If I do this, it's unlikely I'll be targeted from above.
After securing safety, I take a lantern and candles out of my supply bag. I have several, but they aren't very big, so one lasts about two hours. I struck a flint and managed to get some light.
Next, I call out Fiona. She can see as well as in the daytime even in darkness, and she's the strongest against monsters. In a pinch, if we completely merge, even holy magic is fine.
"It's pitch black, isn't it. To think you're alone in a place like this. What on earth are you doing?"
I was suddenly scolded, but she understood after I explained the circumstances like this and that.
"Hmm. It was tough, wasn't it. Sorry, I scolded you suddenly."
"It's fine. It's true I was careless."
"But I wonder if there's such a thing as a Teleport that activates just by touching a stone?"
"Hmm. I've never heard of it. Even Alex... he chants and makes a magic circle appear."
"Then, does it mean they have more powerful magic control than Alex?"
More powerful than Alex would be B-rank class or higher. Could it be the Demon Race?
"Jeanne, what were you originally looking for when you came this far?"
"Ah!"
"Did you realize? Maybe Gnome is the opponent."
There's no way I can win. No, it's an opponent I shouldn't fight.
When I hurriedly look at the ring I got from Dune, the brilliance has become small!
Mel's is too, and Salamander's.
I try calling out to them in a hurry, but there's no response. It's been blocked... I'm receiving a powerful interference like never before.
"This place... could it be..."
"Inside Gnome's barrier?"
"Probably. But since Sense Living activated, there might be magic we can use."
I can't use the final trump card of calling out spirits, but if there's magic I can use, I can fight.
When I use the Gnome Detection Stick just in case, the end is sinking and it's slanted. It's in the direction where there was a monster reaction.
"Jeanne. Let's calm down. The opponent is a spirit, so they aren't an enemy. Let's try our best to become friends."
"Y-You're right. Thank you, Fiona."
"Ufufu."
Fiona has been gaining strength remarkably lately. Since she's eternally seventeen, she's in an eternal growth period. According to the Queen of the Demon Realm, it seemed like she had no power on the surface because she was on a remote island, but as the daughter of a noble carrying the blood of the ancients, her potential is not inferior to the Queen's.
Perhaps because of that, despite being in what might be a critical situation in a sense, she is quite calm.
Since she's a ghost, the techniques she uses are like magic but not magic. She probably can use them even inside the barrier, so when I had her try to produce a single fireball, she succeeded. It's more reassuring than anything.
"The detection result of Sense Living was a monster, and it might be our ally the Wolf Man, right? Jeanne. Shall we merge? I'll protect Jeanne with blue flames. If the opponent isn't an ally, attack with Holy."
"Yeah. Understood."
At the same time Fiona entered me and merged, pale blue flames rose from my body. I put on leather gloves and took out the silver staff I had in a bag. Even when I hold it, the intensity of the flames doesn't change. It's not hot at all; in fact, I feel energized. Besides, even if I faint in the worst case, Fiona is here.
Alright! I think this might work.
If we merge, I can't use Fiona's scouting, but she says she can't leave me alone in the darkness. Fiona is so kind.
Since the merged Fiona is putting out pale blue flames, the surroundings have become easier to see.
"It's covered in moss, isn't it. But the ceiling is quite high. It's as if we're inside a crack in the earth."
Fiona can see far ahead.
"Hey, Fiona. Since moss is growing, I think sunlight must reach here. Maybe there's a hole in the ceiling. How high is the ceiling? Do you think I can climb it?"
"Let's see. Is it about twice as high as the Ghost Mansion?"
Are you serious? I definitely can't climb that.
"Right. Let's keep walking like this until we hit a dead end. You know the approximate positions of the monsters with Sense Living, right? Let's go confirm if they are beastmen."
She doesn't just protect me; she also gives instructions. After all, her teachers are those two. Should I just leave it all to her?
We proceed toward the direction where there was a monster reaction. Since we are illuminated by the flames Fiona emits, we can see the surroundings to some extent.
Fiona says that up to about half of the walls on both sides are covered in moss, and beyond that, craggy rock surfaces are exposed. The cave we are walking in seems to be a single path surrounded by cliffs on both sides. I made sure to walk while being conscious of the wall on the left just in case. It's an application of when I played along with the Earth Dragon's game. Just in case, I placed a scrap of parchment at the starting point and put a stone on it. I'll know if I return to the same place.
Before we had walked even half an hour, we encountered a single monster.
It's a Fenrir. It's lowering its posture and growling.
I deploy Magic Reflection overhead to prevent lightning and solidify my defense by creating a wall in front. The Fenrir must be at a loss for an attack, as it's just growling.
To encounter a wolf-type here...
"Hey, Fiona. Is it possible that's a Wolf Man?"
"Why do you think so?"
"I told you the story about the Earth Dragon transforming into a human form, right?"
"Yeah... I see, Transform."
There's no doubt I was teleported by Gnome. Since Gnome is a spirit, they wouldn't do something like torturing people to death for fun. However, just like the Earth Dragon, there's a possibility they are testing me.
"Hey, Fiona. I'm thinking of somehow knocking that Fenrir unconscious."
"Hmm. I don't know if we can do it, but shall we try and see?"
Since Fiona also got into the spirit, the operation is launched.
First, I swing the silver staff around. It's to give the impression that close combat is dangerous.
As expected, the Fenrir released lightning. But it's too naive. I have Magic Reflection deployed overhead. The lightning was reflected and hit the mossy wall, sending sparks flying.
At that moment, I increase the output of the wall of light slightly. The amount of light becomes strong, but it's probably not to the point of being blinding. It only backed away slightly, but there, a stone controlled by Fiona hit the back of its head.
"Gyaun!"
It must have been completely distracted by the wall; the Fenrir, unable to dodge the attack from Fiona, who had powered up and was using techniques equivalent to Clump Stone, collapsed onto the ground as if pitching forward and rolled over just like that. Its tongue is sticking out of its sloppily opened mouth.
"We did it, Fiona!"
"Yeah. It went well."
I run over and tie it up with the rope for monsters that Harrison-san taught me about. I tied the mouth so it couldn't open and also tied the front legs. It even restrains C-ranks. A Fenrir is D-rank, so it won't be able to move.
Now, it's all well and good that I've tied it up, but I don't know what to do after that. If its form was changed by Transform, it could probably be dispelled if Magic Break could be used, but neither I nor Fiona can use it. Though, even if we could use it, if Gnome cast it, humans probably wouldn't be able to dispel it.
"By the way, what are you going to do? With this Fenrir."
"Sorry. I only thought as far as capturing it alive."
When I said it honestly, she looked at me with wide eyes for a moment.
"Ahahahaha! Honestly, Jeanne. Get it together!"
On top of that, she's scolding me while laughing. I recall I was older, but she's become like an older sister figure before I knew it.
As a result of the two of us consulting, it was decided that a clone made by Fiona would keep watch.
"Then, I'll make a clone."
When she cut a lock of her hair with the knife tucked into her waist, she began to roll and knead it in her hands.
"You've become able to make clones, haven't you."
"Yeah. I've finally become able to do it recently. Though I can only make small ones yet."
Saying so, she blew a breath onto the original hair that had become like clay.
The clay floated lightly into the air and began to take a human shape.
As it moved as if rotating, it approached the ground, raised both hands, and landed with its extended legs together with a 'stan'.
The appearance is Fiona herself, but...
"Isn't it a bit small?"
It doesn't even reach my knees.
When I crouched down and put out my right hand, it shook it with its small hand as if intending to shake hands and smiled brightly.
Cute!
"Nice to meet you."
"Sorry, Jeanne. This is me too, you know."
When I greeted it, I was replied to naturally. Come to think of it, it was a clone.
"Since I'm still mid-level, I can't make it life-sized like Okugata-sama."
She says so while looking slightly downcast, but it's not something to be ashamed of.
"But it's amazing. It's small, but it's identical."
"Yeah. Okugata-sama praised me for that too."
A clone apparently inherits the abilities of the caster as they are. It's said that the more the appearance resembles the original, the more it possesses the same abilities as the main body. Does being small mean the output is insufficient?
"That's right. Only beginner techniques. But what this child sees and hears while here, I can feel it all too."
That's truly amazing. It's perfect for a lookout role. She's polished her skills as a scout more and more.
After spreading out one half of the one-person Teleportation Circle that Eleanor-sama had given me, I wave my hand to the lookout clone who is seeing us off, say "I'm going," and resume the advance. There were supposed to be four monsters... wait? One is missing. I recall I should have visited the grave with five people: four Elder-class and one leader. They might have been teleported to a different place...
It's a concern, but it can't be helped. I decided to continue the exploration as is.
The second one was a Gray Wolf. Unlike the Fenrir, it just jumps and tries to bite, so it's simple. Fiona took care of it while I was swinging my staff around.
"Hey, do you have many of those ropes?"
That's the problem. I only have two short ones so they are easy to carry. Since I used one for the Fenrir, there's only one left. There are still two monsters. The number is insufficient.
"It can't be helped. Let's somehow transport it to the location of the first one and tie them up together."
Saying so, she made many clones. It was just like a swarm of mini-Fionas.
I thought they were all the same, but each one seems to be slightly different, with quiet ones, noisy ones, ones looking away, and so on.
"Now, everyone, put this wolf on the magic circle."
Even so, when the main body gives instructions, they all reply "Yes!" and start carrying it with "unsho, unsho."
"They're cute, aren't they."
"Ufufu, they're like daughters. I wonder if this is what being a mother feels like."
The main body herself was adored by children at the orphanage. Rather than a powerful image like the Queen of the Demon Realm, this suits her better.
"Okugata-sama tells me that too. Okugata-sama was a Queen, even though the scale was small compared to the current country. I was a servant."
Looking at her holding the hand of a quiet-looking clone, I think that path is better.
Everyone worked hard to connect and tie the Fenrir and Gray Wolf with one rope, and leaving two clones as lookouts, we continued the exploration with the remaining clones.
The monsters I detected were ultimately the first Fenrir and three Gray Wolves. Since I was able to tie three wolves with one rope, I used the second rope for the fourth one. There's no sign of the unconscious monsters waking up yet. The three mini-Fiona lookouts are poking them with their fingertips, but fortunately, they remain with their eyes closed.
"Hey, Jeanne. What will you do if monsters other than wolf-types appear ahead?"
"Hmm. I want to try not to kill them just in case."
"It would be better if no very large ones appear."
"Yeah. It would be a problem if we couldn't tie them up."
If they are wolf-types, we might be able to manage two more, but if something big like a bear with thick legs appears, we won't be able to tie it up.
"Hmm, Serena might get mad if I peel off this moss, but why don't we dig a hole and put them inside?"
Fiona says that if we dig a narrow vertical hole, throw the Gray Wolves in, and place the tied Fenrir on top as a lid, it should be fine.
"Can you use techniques equivalent to Clump Sand?"
"Yeah. It's fine. I can use the equivalent of Clump Stone."
Apparently, those who can handle stone can generally handle earth. I didn't know that.
"Jeanne, you might want to study a bit more too."
Fiona, who is laughing with an "Ufufu," must have studied quite a lot.