kscans

Chapter 140 - The Stalactite Cave Tea Party Incident, and the Spinning Summer Bird (Part 1)

We rushed to the door on the north side of the cavern. Unlike before, the area was brightly lit by torches that had been set up around us. They must have prepared them for us. But the biggest difference of all was that the once clear and transparent pools of water were now stained crimson.

"The whole place smells of tea…"

Mizuki and Famu were sniffing the air with small, delicate breaths. But even without such a gesture, the scent of tea wafted toward us. They had probably scattered tea leaves everywhere.

"What a waste,"

Mizuki commented. As she said, tea leaves, not just black tea, were a luxury in this world. They were undoubtedly produced on the surface and must have been purchased. There was no way they were cheap down here in the depths.

As if hearing our voices, several Earth Dragon warriors emerged from behind the door. Yanan was among them.

"It'll be here soon!"

Yanan shouted upon seeing us.

"So it seems."

A rumbling sound echoed from beyond the door. And the ground beneath our feet—no, the entire cavern—was vibrating finely. I drew my katana. The other members of Levante also readied their weapons. Yanan and her warriors stood where we were, extending their claws in anticipation.

"I'll confirm one last time, but the enemy is just the one Earth Dragon King, right?"

I asked Yanan.

"No, it's leading a dozen or so Earth Dragons."

"What?"

That wasn't what we were told. That changed how we would have to fight. But I wanted to be certain we could take down the Earth Dragon King. A single blow from a spear was preferable to a wide-area attack with Laciel's arrows.

"It's fine. We'll take care of the Earth Dragons. You all concentrate on the Earth Dragon King."

I couldn't help but exchange a look with Myra.

"We will protect you, Mash. No matter what."

Her hand rested on mine as I gripped my katana.

"Famu, as always, you're the leader if I go down. If things get dangerous, be the first to run. This country is a secondary concern,"

I told Famu.

"Understood. But I've always wondered about the phrase 'secondary concern.' Does it mean the second thing, or the third?"

"…Famu, you seem strangely calm this time. I'm counting on you."

I kept the vague anxiety I felt about her to myself.

"Hmph."

Cecily snorted upon hearing our exchange.

"Why is it always, always Famu?!"

"Because she was my first companion. Cecily, I need you to support her too."

"…I know,"

she replied.

The vibrations grew stronger. From the tunnel, several Earth Dragons appeared. The monsters were about to pour into the cavern. Cecily launched a fireball at them. It struck one, and the monster's body burst into flames. The fire illuminated the depths of the tunnel. I could see a black mass writhing inside.

"Careful, it's coming!"

Simultaneously with Cecily's shout, a wave like an earthquake rolled through the ground, and I stumbled. The rock slab above the tunnel collapsed, crushing the door. A deafening roar echoed through the cavern. Earth and sand were scattered, and from within, a giant black beast revealed itself. A spray of water and a cloud of dust rose into the cavern air.

"So that's the Earth Dragon King…"

It was far taller than me. It had massive forelegs and long, metallic claws that were longer than a person's height. A single light swing of those claws would send us flying, torn to shreds. A rain of arrows was definitely not enough. We wouldn't be able to wipe out all the enemies here.

"I wonder if a few of the Earth Dragons died in that collapse?"

Even Mizuki was saying something strangely devoid of tension. Was it because she was counting on Laciel from the start? I was tempted to shout that I couldn't summon the goddess anymore, just to see the genuine shock on their faces, but I figured they'd get seriously angry, so I held back. Thinking such things meant my own tension was slipping.

"KSHAAAAAAA!"

The Earth Dragon King's roar reverberated through the cavern. The air vibrated. It rose up on its hind legs, standing as if to look down on us. The sheer force of its presence made me gulp, and I took a step back, bumping into Myra.

"It really can't see, right?"

"That's what I've heard…"

she replied to my murmur. I shifted my gaze to Yanan. Unlike the members of Levante, the color of panic was plain on her face.

"Hey! I'm about to defeat the Earth Dragon King, just as I declared. I'm leaving the small fry to you!"

"G-Got it."

Her unreliable answer gave me a pang of anxiety. But they were seasoned warriors who had fought for supremacy beneath the great plains. I had no choice but to trust them. I raised one arm to call upon Laciel.

"Goddess Summon!"

A brilliant, rainbow-colored light enveloped the area. In the space just above my outstretched hand, the goddess Laciel materialized from within the light. She was clad in an iridescent robe, perched on her spear, floating in midair. Even after the surrounding brilliance faded, her form seemed to glow beautifully. Though there was no wind, her golden hair swayed. The expressions on Yanan and the others' faces twisted in astonishment when they saw her.

"N-No way… Laciel…-sama…"

Laciel glanced at them for a moment before turning her gaze to me. Her cheeks seemed to be puffed out slightly.

"Mash, this isn't what we promised, you know!"

"…Are you angry? It's spoiling your beauty."

"To think you'd call me for something so trivial…"

Laciel said, as if sulking.

"It's not trivial. The Earth Dragon Race is on the verge of their kingdom's collapse. I need you to help them."

"No. I'd rather you fulfill your promise to me! If you won't keep it, I'm going back."

"You can't be serious! You can't just be summoned and then go back without doing anything! Give me back my mana!"

She'd turned into quite the lewd goddess somewhere along the line.

"It's your fault, Mash. You look after all the other girls, so why won't you look after me? Since you laid your hands on me, you have to take proper responsibility!"

"You're a handful to deal with once you're summoned! I know it's my fault. I'll definitely fulfill our promise next time."

Once I summoned her, I couldn't do it again for two days. Since I never knew what might happen, I couldn't just call on her casually.

"…You'd better,"

she said. Was there really a god who would plead with a human? Wasn't it usually the other way around? But saying that seemed like it would just complicate things, so I kept my mouth shut.

"After Cecily."

"I was the one who made a promise with you first!"

she pouted, her lips pursed sulkily.

"I-It's fine if Laciel-sama goes before me!"

Cecily waved her hands frantically. Was she still scared of Laciel? I had to find a way to rid her of that fear.

"Hey, Cecily, she's just like you. A normal woman. You don't have to think of her as a god anymore."

"H-How could I possibly do that! She's a goddess! Mash, I'll do anything you say from now on, so please forgive me!"

"Anything, you say? So, anything?"

Cecily nodded her head up and down repeatedly. Then, as if seeking help, she looked at Aira. Aira flinched and stiffened.

"Aira, you too. Stop calling her with '-sama' all the time. Show some familiarity and just call her Laciel."

"…"

Was she playing dead? Aira didn't move a muscle. She seemed even more terrified of Laciel than of the Earth Dragon King. I felt a little sorry for her. But next to me, for some reason, Laciel was smiling a triumphant grin.

I'd gotten a bit carried away, but I took a moment to reassess the situation. Laciel was right next to me, perched on her spear floating in midair. The members of Levante were surrounding her. Further out, to the left and right, were the Earth Dragon warriors. I should probably call them knights or soldiers, but since they didn't wear metal armor and their weapons were their own claws, that was the image that came to mind. Yanan was staring at Laciel, her mouth agape. The other Earth Dragons were also frozen, seemingly stunned by the sight of Laciel. And before us was the Earth Dragon King, surrounded by a swarm of Earth Dragons. The monsters hadn't attacked while Laciel and I were bantering. It seemed Laciel's charm was effective on them too. The pressure from the Earth Dragon King's roar had been nullified by Laciel's presence. Moments ago, the Earth Dragon King had been the ruler of this place, but now, the master was Laciel. Her smile was transmitted to the monsters as a form of intimidation.

"Laciel, take down the Earth Dragon King."

"You mean the person acting all high and mighty in the depths of the palace? Shall I carve out the entire palace with my spear? Let my hand mark the end of this kingdom's time."

At her words, the Earth Dragons let out cries of "Eek!"

"I'm not talking about the king of the Earth Dragon Race. The enemy is that giant Earth Dragon in front of us."

I was about to get confused myself, but she was deliberately misunderstanding to enjoy our reactions. It was in poor taste, but if I were a god, I might end up the same way. After all, she had too much time on her hands and was starved for entertainment. She turned her gaze to the Earth Dragon King. Feeling her stare, the king seemed to snap back to its senses and started to advance.

"Mash, tell me again what you want to do."

"Laciel, the Earth Dragon Race here had their land stolen by the Earth Dragon King. I want to save them."

She nodded with a smile and, with steps as soft as dandelion fluff, descended to the ground between us and the Earth Dragon King. Then she stood, facing the approaching beast. Just as the Earth Dragon King raised its foreleg, she too raised her left arm. At its tip floated the spear she had been sitting on moments before. Its point was aimed at the Earth Dragon King, glowing with an iridescent light. The beast swung its arm down, trying to crush her and the spear together, but the spear was launched faster than it could move. Laciel's spear became a massive beam of light and pierced through the Earth Dragon King. The monster vanished without even a chance to let out a death cry. The spear's momentum didn't stop, gouging out a deep chunk of the wall behind the king. A crater formed with a thunderous roar.

The Earth Dragon King was gone. All that remained were the small fry.

"Yanan, as you wished, we have slain the Earth Dragon King."

At my words, she snapped back to her senses with a gasp. She bowed her head deeply to me and Laciel. Then, she gave the order to her equally stunned warriors to subjugate the remaining monsters. The battle between the Earth Dragon Race and the remaining monsters began. My Levante companions remained in a protective circle around me, not moving to keep the monsters away. My head was spinning as usual. I couldn't focus my thoughts. Laciel's face looked a little distorted. Just as she was about to speak to me, Mizuki cut in.

"Laciel, about that thing Mash asked you for the other day."

It was about how transmigrators could only live for ten years in this world, and how I'd asked Laciel to save at least Mizuki.

"Yes, what is it?"

"I'm angry! You dragged us into a world like this without our permission, and I'm really, really angry!"

"I do apologize for that. But you are happy now, aren't you?"

"Your apology doesn't help! Tell me. Tell me how all the transmigrators can be saved!"

Just as Mizuki shouted at Laciel, a new shattering sound thundered from the depths of the rock face that Laciel's spear had gouged out. Everyone's eyes shot toward it. The sound of rock breaking continued. It seemed to be getting dug out from the inside. Then, with a particularly loud crash, a giant claw emerged from the rock face. Following it, a massive Earth Dragon revealed itself. The monster crawled out of the earth and let out a roar, as if to intimidate us.

"No way, did you miss?"

Myra said. I had clearly seen the spear pierce the monster. Was it possible to miss? Had we been shown an illusion? But the Earth Dragon King that had just appeared was a size larger than the previous one.

"Damn it, there were two of them…"

I thought I'd spoken aloud, but it seemed no one could hear my voice. The members, except for Famu, took a step forward to protect me. My consciousness faded, and my footing became unsteady. Famu caught me. And then, I fell into darkness.