kscans

Chapter 108 - Chapter 9: Latter Half. The Weakness of Simplicity

DOKAA!!! GARI, GARI, GARI... GUSHA, GUSHA, GUSHA... BUSHU.... ......BISHAA

The two Slugs carved black gashes into the green meadow as they made a beeline for the campfire. Guided by the woodchips scattered on the ground, the monster train collided head-on. The kingdom's precious lumber shattered and flew apart. Splinters of wood rained down like hail, striking our carriage with a series of thuds. I instinctively covered my head.

"Oh, it’s stopped!" "Hurry, there’s no time!" "Light the arrows!"

Hearing the knights' voices, I cautiously peeked out the window. Where the campfire had been, there was now a white mass, looking as though two water droplets had merged. The spiraling red light that had been so distinct now faintly coated the entire surface, pulsing weakly. The mass trembled faintly but did not move.

"Fire!"

The monsters that had charged in to flank us were now themselves flanked by the divided knight orders. The Anti-Monster Knight Order and the Bertold Knight Order created a symphony of twanging bowstrings in unison.

Countless fire arrows rained down from both sides, surrounding the mass. The area around the original campfire was piled high with firewood, bamboo, and clay pots of oil brought by carriage from Bertold.

Though the arrows bounced off the monster itself, they simultaneously ignited the flammable materials scattered about.

In an instant, flames erupted around the mass.

"This has all gone according to your plan so far, hasn't it," Fulsy remarked, pointing his antenna at the monster.

"I just hope this is enough to finish it."

I looked at the radar aimed at the monster as if in prayer. Not that I could tell anything just by looking.

"This is bad. The magic waves are already starting to recover," Fulsy warned, looking at his measuring device. I strained my eyes. At first glance, there was no change to the mass of slime.

But on the monster, now a black lump surrounded by fire, a red light distinct from the flames began to appear. The crushed body of the slime mold started to slither and reshape itself into a circle.

The once chaotic red lights gradually fell into a pulsing rhythm, and several spiral patterns emerged.

The monster's coordinated movement, which we had nullified by crashing opposing spirals into each other, was now re-forming through self-organization.

The black mass began to twist like a vortex, and the charred pieces on its surface flaked away. Beneath them, white skin glowed red.

Soon, multiple spirals converged at the center of the mass, and in the next instant, it began to swell upwards.

"What’s the pattern, Director?"

"The same as when it charged us."

"So it’s no use."

My hope that it would simply form a fruiting body was crushed. A white pillar, twice the size it was before, rose toward the heavens.

"It's falling this way! Retreat! Retreat!"

With a ground-shaking tremor, the massive Slug toppled its elongated body. The troops in its path scrambled to escape.

DOOOON!!

The impact blew away the surrounding flames.

"Use the rest of the fire arrows! Get in any attack you can before it moves!" "We’re almost out!" "It’s starting to move!"

The desperation in the knights’ voices was clear. Despite its surface being charred by the surrounding flames, the giant body began to stir.

The Giant Slug, which had been writhing on the ground, reared its head like a cobra. In its sights was the city of Bertold. At this rate, Bertold would be assaulted by a battering ram nearly twice its original size.

Craig looked at me. Behind him, two carriages were on standby, filled with wood covered in cloth dyed with the same magic-dampening ink used on the walls of the academy’s head librarian’s office.

If we sent those carriages running southwest, we could at least divert the monster’s path away from Bertold. But there was no guarantee what would happen after that. The longer we delayed our decision, the more control we would lose over the monster’s course.

Another village could be destroyed. Or worse, we might fail to stop it from reaching Bertold at all. With every passing moment, our options dwindled.

Finally, the white giant began to advance on Bertold. Just as I was about to give Craig the signal, a wave of hot air washed over my cheek.

I signaled Craig. Extending my hand from the carriage, I pointed straight toward the Royal Capital. The cloths were thrown off the other carriages as they began to race eastward.

"We need to get some distance, too."

The sudden appearance of the lure in the opposite direction of its advance seemed to confuse the monster, causing it to curve into a C-shape.

GOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

The next moment, flames incomparably fiercer than before erupted. Centered on where the campfire had been, the very ground itself began to burn. Within the inferno, the slime mold writhed as if in agony.

The trenches we had dug around the campfire weren't just for guiding the slime mold. They were there to supply air to the peat layer beneath. The ground was now exposed, dry peat scraped bare by the monster's rotating movement.

The flames from the massive amount of fuel we’d brought from Bertold ignited it, triggering a peat fire.

"A two-pronged fire attack. Looks like it worked."

This was the very reason we lured the monster to this spot. In the thick smoke rising from the peat, the giant snake-like creature writhed like a black shadow.

Watching its movements gradually weaken, I finally let out a sigh of relief.

◇◇

Once the heavy smoke cleared, a scorched black mass lay sizzling on the ground.

A knight hurled a spear at it. The carbonized slime mold crumbled apart. The inside of the resulting hole was also pitch black.

"Monster’s death confirmed!"

Looks like it was cooked all the way through. A barbecue party with nothing but mushrooms. I never want to do that again.

"Behold, the calamitous beast has been vanquished!"

"""UOOOOOH!"""

Craig made his victory declaration. A roar-like cry of triumph rose from the Knight Order. Everyone was raising their arms in the air.

"Looks like we made it through this one with zero casualties. Thank goodness," I said, letting out a deep breath. In reality, several people had broken bones falling from their horses the other day. But unlike last time, no one had died.

"...I suppose so." "...Indeed." "...."

"What’s wrong? Try to look a little happier. I know it was a close call, but still. Ugh, the cleanup is going to be a nightmare, though."

"No, it’s more that you... well, it’s too late to say anything now."

"Senpai, you’re a flawless tactician... as long as your opponent isn’t human."

"Please don’t remind me. My head already hurts just thinking about what’s waiting for us back in the capital."

The disaster was averted. Now we had to deal with its cause.

We had thoroughly thwarted their plans, but just as Mia said, the people behind this were far more troublesome than any monster.

The only thing that bothered me was Lisabet. The fact that the wood acted as a lure all but confirmed that the Empire had instigated this.

So why would an Imperial Princess say something that would give us a hint?

Well, the affairs of the powers that be are a job for the Grand Duke and the Prince. Yep.