Chapter 847 - Chapter 6: Beyond That ⑧
The Demon Lord's judgment was made. All the souls that had been taken in by the evil spirit were ascended. The source of the evil spirit was exterminated by Violet and me. In exchange, Violet was dropped due to the heavy damage to her stomach. The Wetlands Priestess and Fiona, who had become like evil spirits, were also dropped. That was the judgment. Because of the evil spirit that wasn't counted, three people were dropped.
When the decision to send them back was made, Violet was crying like a spoiled child and refusing, but as long as the contract isn't kept, it will be a total withdrawal. After being told that by the Demon Lord, she became quiet and was sent back.
Those who remained were Beatrix, Beowulf, and me. Since the next door is the seventh and should be the last, it will be a pair of a warrior and a mage.
From here on, we have to fight the magic beasts in the passages without Violet, and we don't have the cocoon of spider silk Violet made. According to the Demon Lord, as long as he is with us, setting aside encountering them in the passages, we won't be attacked during rest. Deciding to believe those words, we decided to rest with a simple barrier once we reached the door, and then challenge the seventh door.
"It reminds me of the first time the three of us did a monster extermination."
In this situation, Beowulf is smiling for some reason. By the way, the cart Violet was pulling is now being pulled by Beowulf. That said, the luggage has decreased quite a bit. It shouldn't be much of a burden.
"The equipment back then was terrible."
Beatrix was also deeply moved. Back then, we made holes for our heads and arms in hemp bags and wore them. It was an ingenuity to not get our clothes dirty in the underground sewers. Considering that it was the trigger for the development of Black-Purple and Green Marble so we wouldn't be reported to the authorities, it was a blessing in a way.
The equipment has changed quite a bit now. Beowulf, who had leather armor, a leather shield, and a steel sword, now has Eleanor's armor, a Lindwurm scale shield, and a silver greatsword... and since it's from the Primordia Royal Family, it has a jewel-like object embedded in it that increases attack power. Beatrix, who wore a hemp bag over ordinary cloth clothes, now has a tunic made by processing Lindwurm feathers, a red robe like a mage, and a staff with a large crystal ball. I'm wearing Green Marble over my priest's robes, so other than the silver staff, I look about the same, but I'm wearing the same tunic as Beatrix inside, and I'm dangling spirit stones all over.
The biggest difference is that the reward for each battle has become high! Back then we were counting copper coins, but now we're counting gold coins!
"But this time we're working for free, right?"
Well, that's true. It's as Beatrix says.
"In my case, no matter where I go or what I exterminate, it's become unpaid."
Royalty is like that. However, there's something called the Crown Princess's territory, and she's one of the wealthiest people on the White Island.
"Well, the town-building I set as a goal during my orphanage days has gotten on track, so it's okay once in a while."
"Thank you for coming all this way."
I'll offer my thanks, just in case. This time, so to speak, they're going along with my selfishness.
That said, I don't remember calling them. They came on their own. If there had been a sufficient preparation period, the current hero candidates from all over the White Island would have been gathered. It's no use saying it now, so I won't.
"It is almost time."
While the three of us were deeply moved and talking about the first rat extermination, the Demon Lord, who was leading, stopped and turned around. The last door seems to be close. As before, I'm asking him to be the guide for the passages. Until now, mainly because of Violet, we were illuminating the darkness with the spiritual flames of the Priestess and Fiona. The Demon Lord uses Light despite being of the Demon Race. So, now four fireflies are illuminating the surroundings grandly. Because the Demon Lord is at the very front and because of the effect of my Light, magic beasts have stopped appearing. No, to be precise, they are there, but they don't come actively. They're just watching. So, as soon as I find them, I illuminate them with all my might, and they are driven away by Beatrix's upper-level magic and the silver greatsword Beowulf swings. Since I haven't fired Sense Living, I don't know what's happening behind us, but so far we haven't been attacked. I wondered what would happen after losing Violet, but thanks to the Demon Lord leading us, we managed to pass through.
"Jeanne, can you go beyond the door as you are?"
"Yeah."
"You can rest, you know."
"I'm okay because I've only used Light. I'll just drink a mana recovery potion just in case."
I can probably fire three more over-ultra-high-level shots. If I'm prepared to faint, I can go one more time, but in that case, I'll probably be treated as needing to withdraw, so I can only use it when the two are in real danger. Besides, if I fall asleep, the light of the Light spell will disappear. I can't have us attacked while we're sleeping.
"Then, you will go without resting?"
"Yes. Please."
I was confirmed by the Demon Lord too, but I decided to go. I can guess the opponents. A pair of a warrior and a mage. It'll be two against three, so I don't know if we can win, but they're monsters despite being former humans. My Eight-Shot should be effective. I'll rest after breaking through.
When we went inside the door, there was a male-female pair as expected.
They were sitting on large stones as before. Since they weren't in the room where the evil spirit was, they might have moved here.
"You have done well to come this far."
The male one has a two-handed sword that can be handled with one hand. Is he a swordsman rather than a warrior?
"Really. I was worried you wouldn't be able to come because mana is thin lately."
The female one has a staff. She's a mage. From the color of the check pattern, she should be good at fire-based magic.
For some reason, there's a welcoming mood.
"Well, come in."
"You've brought a lot of luggage. You must be tired, so shall we fight after you've rested a bit?"
Is that okay?
We introduce ourselves to each other. Since the Demon Lord is a mutual acquaintance, we exchanged light greetings. After that, it's the usual banquet.
Since they're in the very back, I thought they might be the leaders among the legendary eight, and as expected, they were. I wonder how they were chosen? In the case of the Henry Party, the warrior from Primordia apparently wouldn't back down and they were in trouble. In the end, the eldest, Henry-sama, became the leader, but I heard it was a struggle to unify their opinions.
"No—we decided by fortune-telling. It was just by chance."
"Ufufu, that's right. Something like that."
Fortune-telling, huh. I wonder if they were looking at the shape of cracks in burnt bones?
"Back then, fortune-telling was sacred and absolute."
When I asked what kind of method it was, it was an oracle. That would certainly be absolute.
"Oh? Is it still like that now?"
"Yes. Resurrections of the Demon Lord or droughts are handed down by oracle."
"Ah, it wasn't anything that serious. Um, for example, if the road split in two, whether the right or left was better."
They were doing it even for such light things? It's like Eleanor-sama's dice.
"Dice? What's that?"
Since the two tilted their heads, Beatrix showed them what she had. I don't know why she has them. Probably because she's a mage. If you decide with dice, you won't hesitate even if you're lost.
"You roll this to decide?"
"That's right. Like this."
Beatrix rolls two dice. A one and a five came up.
"For me, it's six if you add them. Now, you try."
"Eh? Me?"
"Yes, it's easy. Add the numbers on the two dice, and if it's more than six, you win. If it's less, I win. If it's the same, it's a draw."
"A-Alright!"
When the swordsman rolled, a three and a four came up.
"Yessssss! I wonnnnn!"
He's incredibly happy!
"I-It's like this, deciding wins and losses."
While the opponent is grandly rejoicing, Beatrix is looking frustrated.
"Heh, that's interesting."
The mage also seemed to get into it, as she picked up the ones rolling on the floor and rolled them. A two and a six.
"Kyaa! Isn't it my win!"
"What! Does it work like that?"
"It does, right?"
"It does."
"See, it's my win!"
"O-One more time."
"Fine. Best of three? For now, it's one win for me!"
"Kh, fine. I'll take you on."
The two started rolling dice.
"Oh my, they've gotten heated. Maybe I should lure them into gambling and strip them of everything."
Stop that!
In the end, the match between the two was one win, one loss, and one draw—a tie.
"That was fun."
"Well, it's a reasonable result."
"Alright, then shall we do it?"
He slapped the hilt of his sword with a gashan.
Eh? Isn't that a bit light?
"I've understood what kind of humans you are through our interaction just now. Right?"
But we only toasted, introduced ourselves, and rolled dice. Only about half an hour has passed since we met.
"That's right. Being able to become friends with an enemy immediately is a special skill. You've even brought the Demon Lord along."
"Even the evil spirit, you didn't just defeat it. It's like that."
Do you know?
"I know. Except for my magic creature that was the source of the evil spirit, you ascended all the souls that were taken in. To think such a thing is possible."
Magic creature? What's that?
"Oh, you don't know. That magic creature actively takes in lost souls to power up. I'm the one who made that thing and trained it to that point, but..."
Made and trained it?
"Wait a minute."
"Eh? What?"
"Did you make that evil spirit?"
"That's right, it was hard work making it take in that many souls."
"Did you deliberately make lost souls be taken in by an evil spirit?"
"That's right. Because otherwise, I wouldn't be able to strengthen it sufficiently."
Good grief...
"As a priest, I cannot overlook this. Those souls should have been ascended. Much less making them be taken in by an evil spirit; it is outrageous."
Hearing my words, the female mage smirked.
"If it's outrageous, what are you going to do?"
"Please apologize to those souls. And you will also apologize to Violet, who was injured fighting that thing, and the two ghosts who were incapacitated."
"Hmm. And if I say I don't want to apologize?"
"I will subjugate you."
"Fine. Try it if you can."
The female mage, as soon as she said it, jumped back a long way to take distance. The swordsman did the same.
"Jeanne. That one's my opponent. You're support and recovery. Don't get your roles mixed up."
"Then my opponent is that swordsman."
Beatrix and Beowulf stood up. Almighty Guard is cast on them.
"It's two against three. Shall we?"
The swordsman drew the sword at his waist and got into a stance.
Um, aren't you all switching over too fast? They were people from the north... after all.
◆◆◆◆
On the left side from my perspective, the battle between mages began. Both have red as their basic color, symbolizing fire.
"I don't really like facing mages of the same system."
The female mage facing Beatrix said boredly.
"Would water or wind have been better? Am I not enough for you?"
Beatrix is grinning for some reason.
"Ufufu, it's just that a cancel battle is tedious. I didn't say you weren't enough. Here, Fire Storm!"
"Cancel! Curve!"
"C-Curve?"
A groove carved by Curve runs across the floor at the feet of the flustered female mage. The fragments of the floor being carved are hitting the female mage one after another. They probably won't do much damage, but they must be a nuisance. It's an intermediate-level earth spell. Among humans, users of this magic are rare, and that hasn't changed from the past to the present. Much less is it used by those who specialize in fire-based magic. Eleanor-sama is like that. Beatrix, who had been working on civil engineering projects with Dragonewts, knew that well.
"This is nothing but harassment!"
The female mage is jumping around to escape, but the two lines of Curve manipulated by Beatrix's hands are chasing after her and hitting her with fragments, so she doesn't have an opening to fire magic. In such a case, the one who takes the initiative has the advantage. Because if you're only on the defensive, the end is in sight.
"That's right. It's harassment. You're not an opponent I can beat in a head-on fight."
"What are you saying? You're an ultra-high-level protected by Almighty Guard."
"You're one to talk. You know our weaknesses."
The female mage suddenly fired a Fire Storm. With the effect of Almighty Guard, magic defense is increased, and in addition, the head and torso are protected by Magic Reflection. However, pain and heat are fully felt. Fire Storm creates a vortex of fire centered on the target. In other words, the effect of the magic isn't deflected, and it can continue to deal damage in the form of high heat—or rather, mental damage like when one suffers a major burn. Mental damage can sometimes be reflected in the physical body. As a result, Beatrix might lose the sensation in her hands and feet and become unable to fire magic. Or so Beatrix and Mary told me.
"The fact that you canceled it immediately means you read it, right?"
"Well, yeah. Fire users who like red preempt with fire."
"Then, are you an earth user who likes brown, even though you're wearing red clothes?"
"It can't be helped. I'm currently apprenticed to an earth-attribute Dragonewt."
"To a Dragonewt? Heh, that's amazing."
The two are continuing their offense and defense while exchanging light banter. The opponent is just dodging the flying fragments, and Beatrix is only firing two shots' worth of Curve. She won't be very exhausted. The female mage is aiming for a gap in Beatrix's offensive. Beatrix is manipulating Curve so that no gaps are created. It seems like it will continue for a while.
On the right side, a battle between a swordsman and a heavy infantryman is unfolding. Unlike the mage side, which is exchanging light banter, only sharp shouts and the sound of metal clashing can be heard. This means, in other words, that Beowulf's first-seen trick must have been dodged. On this side, unlike the mage side, the other side is pressing. Originally, Beowulf is not good at the kind of speed contest a one-handed sword involves. The opponent is a swordsman. She's being forced onto the defensive. However, Beowulf's fighting style is basically a charge. Every time the opponent swings his sword, she takes it with her shield or gauntlet and crashes into him. The opponent is dodging Beowulf's sharp charges every time he attacks. This in itself might be called an even match.