novelraw Chapter 111 : Chapter 111
Chapter 111 : Chapter 111
Chapter 111
The cheers pouring toward the Special Mission Unit gradually diminished as the unit approached.
Rumble.
A pure white Serpent, unrealistically gigantic, was being dragged along the ground by a mere hundred soldiers.
Rumble.
Only then did the soldiers on the walls feel the seriousness from the sight of the Special Mission Unit moving with hardened faces without even flinching.
If they had hunted such a huge monster, it would be normal to boast and ask for help, but the disparate appearance of the Special Mission Unit moving toward the fortress without even turning their gazes sounded an alarm.
"...Are they really okay?"
The appearance of the Special Mission Unit, becoming clearly visible as they got closer, was so messy that they couldn't be seen as soldiers returning from training.
Soldiers clad in torn and worn leather armor, and knights wearing only chain mail dangling, were far from normal.
"Shouldn't we help them?"
"It seems something happened..."
While thinking maybe there was an accident during training, some soldiers murmured.
"I don't see the Special Mission Unit blacksmith... and a few knights? Don't tell me the knights were defeated?"
"Over there, the soldiers in the back are carrying someone on their backs!"
"Someone quickly go and call the Commander!"
Despite the reaction of the fortress becoming chaotic in an instant, the Special Mission Unit silently dragged the corpse and moved their steps.
"Hoodwock, are you alright?!"
"Team Leader Hoodwock! Is the Commander, is Commander Vergil alright?!"
Even at the questions of the knights who recognized familiar faces, Hoodwock and the Special Mission Unit didn't even lift their heads.
Even the Northern nobles, who watched the Special Mission Unit from right next to them, averted their eyes from the Special Mission Unit's deeply sunken gaze, which was startling.
'What on earth happened?'
'What kind of event could make a human have such eyes?!'
The Special Mission Unit stopped only after reaching the front of the castle gate.
Even though it was the fortress gate, thicker and larger than other gates, that gigantic Serpent could not enter.
From Hoodwock's mouth, looking at the fortress gate, a voice dry as a desert flowed out.
"...Finally, finally we arrived."
With those words, Hoodwock and the members of the Special Mission Unit collapsed one by one as if crumbling down.
"Damn it! Hoodwock!"
"What happened! Potion, does anyone have a potion?"
"I, I have a little!"
The nobles, who ran pale-faced toward the suddenly collapsed Special Mission Unit, realized.
"...I, it seems they are sleeping?"
"H, here too, it seems they fell asleep?"
That the Special Mission Unit had simply collapsed from overwork.
* * *
"What...?"
Upon hearing the report, the Count pressed his brow with both hands.
"So where is that guy?"
"It is said that all members of the Special Mission Unit, including the Captain, collapsed from overwork."
"...From overwork?"
When the Count turned his head, he saw the gigantic Serpent corpse beyond the walls.
"Right, if they caught something like that, it's understandable they're tired."
Whatever it was, it was certain that the Serpent the Special Mission Unit hunted was not a normal Serpent.
It was so huge that one could believe it was a hatchling of a Leviathan, not a Serpent.
Moreover, since they dragged that heavy monster solely by strength, he would have been more surprised if the Special Mission Unit were fine.
"Even so, if they are tired, shouldn't they just sleep?"
Listening to the report, it was said that when the Special Mission Unit arrived, he was being carried on the backs of other soldiers.
That meant he didn't even have the energy to walk himself.
'...Why?'
The Count fell into deep thought with a serious face.
'Was the forest so dangerous that they couldn't even take a moment of rest?'
Currently, the forest bordering the fortress is empty.
From small demonic beasts to gigantic demonic beasts like Terror Bears, all beasts fearing the Orc migration have either hidden themselves deeply or moved their habitats.
Perhaps a new demonic beast had revealed itself.
If it was a guy who considered the outskirts of the forest his territory, he would have been displeased with the Special Mission Unit moving with a gigantic monster corpse.
'If not that...'
It was also disturbing that there were no wizards in the returned Special Mission Unit.
Since the relationship with the Magic Tower started with a threat, there is a possibility that the wizards betrayed them.
Fortunately, there were no injured or dead in the Special Mission Unit.
If there had been anyone injured, he would have found the two missing wizards first, even if it meant destroying the Magic Tower.
"Tell them to send whoever wakes up from the Special Mission Unit to me first. And tell them to inform me immediately if the two missing wizards appear."
"Yes, understood."
"Especially, tell the Young Lord and Vergil to come to me as soon as they wake up. No, actually move both of them to the next room right now."
"Yes? The room next to the Count's is..."
The next room was a room that had been unused by anyone since the Count's wife passed away.
A place he cherished so much that he didn't let anyone move a single item inside, yet never entered even once after his wife left.
"Hurry!"
"Understood."
At the Count's roar, the Secretary-general left the room with a faint smile.
* * *
One day before the Special Mission Unit returned.
* * *
At first, I thought my plan was perfect.
Just looking at the heat of the cave felt hot even with fire resistance magic, or the blood pouring from under his neck, it was as good as caught.
- Shaaaaaah!
"Disgusting bastard."
Looking at the guy who was fine even after two days of continuous battle, a tiny doubt arose whether the strategy was wrong.
"Asking just in case, if I say I'm leaving now, you won't let me go, right?"
- Shaaaaaah!
As if understanding my words, the guy raised his head and opened his mouth.
"I told you that doesn't work."
Quickly rolling my body at the pattern repeated dozens of times already, the venom falling behind melted the floor.
- Shaaaaaah!
The attack following the venom spray is a body slam using his gigantic body. The moment I dodged his attack along the wall, I felt intense heat.
"Resistance magic is ending! Switch!"
After quickly sending the knights who were doing suppressive fire, I took out a fire resistance scroll from my bosom and tore it.
'I must thank the Vice-tower lord when I return.'
To think the fire resistance scroll I thought was really useless would be this useful.
The Vice-tower lord clearly had foresight befitting a wizard.
'Remaining is... about 10 sheets.'
Since it's magic that lasts 2 hours per sheet, 20 hours.
There's no way we'll run out of scrolls.
Anyway, I can't last 20 hours either.
- Shaaaaah!
After striking the fangs he thrust forward with my shield with all my might, I threw my body backward using the impact.
"You don't know how glad I am that you are stupid."
If it were a monster with even a little intelligence, it would have escaped the cave instead of continuing the battle.
Then I would have been anxious the whole way back to the fortress after failing the hunt.
'There's no end to this like this.'
The blood flowing from his neck had already stopped, and the air in the cave was hot enough to make breathing difficult even with fire resistance on.
Even if I want to attack him directly, I can't penetrate those scales unless it's One Point.
Slaughter , which takes too long, cannot be used unless he stops.
While wrestling with him for a long time, I heard frivolous footsteps and urgent shouts from afar.
"Captain! I'm here!"
I grinned at the voice I wanted to hear.
It's a guy who has already lasted two days. If the strategy had worked, he would have died much earlier.
I told Jeremy to find another way a long time ago, and seeing Hoodwock so excited, it was clear they found a way.
"Took you long enough! What's the method?"
One-time fire magic won't work.
Magic that can heat the air of the entire cave by maintaining high heat is needed.
"The temperature will rise starting 10 minutes from now! Captain, you really have to be careful from now on!"
Even Garius said it was impossible to use other magic while maintaining the fire resistance magic for the Special Mission Unit.
In other words, from now on, the only ones remaining in this cave are the Serpent King and me.
- Shaaaaaah!
"Don't smile, I'll get attached."
The guy, flicking his tongue as if the annoying suppression finally disappeared, rushed toward me.
Clang!
Unlike until now when I bought time while running away, when I blocked his attack with my shield, he shook his head nervously.
'Phew...'
Now there is no Special Mission Unit blocking the entrance and suppressing him.
If I dodge attacks like I have been doing, he might run away toward the entrance to find easier prey.
'To keep his attention tied, I'll have to become more attractive prey.'
The scoundrel who soiled the nest of the sleeping Serpent King and cut his neck threw away the shield full of holes, raised his sword, and said.
"From now on, I'll take it all with my body, come on."
- Kyaaaaaah!
The Serpent King, letting out a shriek at Ian holding the sword, threw his body toward Ian.
* * *
"More, more, more!"
At the shout from the side, Jeremy scowled.
These ignorant humans clearly believed that shouting from the side would make the magic stronger.
Or maybe just to disturb him.
"Please be quiet!"
"Sir Jeremy! Make it hotter, I said, hotter!"
Turning his head to avoid the madman rolling his eyes, he saw Zehir.
Since he is extremely strict about principles and rules, he would understand the wizard's difficulties.
"Sir Zehir, Sir, please explain..."
However, the opponent was a knight said to have slimes roaming in his head.
"Wouldn't it get hotter if you inject more mana? Seeing you talk, it seems you still have some leeway..."
"Leeway?! Our Captain is dying from that monster inside right now, and the wizard has leeway?!"
Jeremy, who opened his mouth for nothing and got nothing out of it, quickly shouted.
"Everyone be quiet! If my concentration breaks and the magic is cancelled, your Captain will be in danger, won't he?"
At those words, silence finally fell.
'Stupid humans! Not knowing how important concentration is for magic...'
It was a miracle in itself that he, not even an archmage, was using magic in this situation.
There wouldn't be any wizard who could come to this cave in the deepest part of the swamp, but even if someone came, they wouldn't have been able to use magic in this environment.
While Jeremy was cursing the ignorant soldiers around him, a conversation that couldn't be ignored reached his ears.
"Did you hear? He said 'your Captain'?"
"What? Wasn't Sir Jeremy also part of the Special Mission Unit?"
'When was I! Do you think it makes sense for a wizard to belong to an army!'
"Don't tell me... is it betrayal?"
"Those wizard bastards dare...!"
'To betray, I must have given you trust first, you ignorant bastards!'
Jeremy, concentrating on magic, screamed with all his might inwardly, but it didn't reach the Special Mission Unit.
"Concentrate on the magic."
Jeremy, snapping out of it at Garius's voice, wrapped a thin mana film to isolate himself and began to concentrate on the magic.
The magic he is trying to attempt now is 'Phosphorous Fire ', a type of ignition magic.
It was advanced magic used to melt metals that cannot be melted by ordinary fire.
Of course, covering the entire cave with Phosphorous Fire was closer to grand magic that Jeremy alone couldn't even attempt.
"Almost, almost done."
As mana moved along the magic circle constructed by Garius, Jeremy's face became covered with awe and respect, and the mana of the two wizards fluctuated.
And finally, blue flames rose from inside the cave.
"Success!"
"We did it!"
The moment the two wizards, soaked in joy after succeeding in grand magic, shouted simultaneously, a sticky voice came from behind them.
"You guys are interesting."
A presence that neither the thirty-two knights, nor the hundred soldiers, nor even the wizard beyond the 6th star could feel, revealed itself in the air and smiled brightly.
"Interesting, and you look delicious."
As the woman covering her body with a huge hat and black robes opened her mouth, a sweet and sticky voice flowed out.
"By the way, what are you doing in front of my cave?