Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: Became the Greatest Genius in History
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The sandworm was enormous.
Its overwhelming size rivaled the main building of Tristy Manor.
It was one of the infamous large demons from the eastern front, a terrifying predator that had claimed countless soldiers' lives with nothing more than the sheer mass of its massive body.
The mercenaries trembled as they gazed up at the sandworm.
"Aaaah..."
They were certain the colossal monster would crush them at any moment.
Fear filled the mercenaries' faces.
No sandworm had ever been sighted near Daibo Village.
Even for these seasoned mercenaries, it was their first encounter with such a large demon.
Sandworms were monsters that only occasionally appeared in the most dangerous zones of the eastern front.
How could a mere mercenary band hope to take down an enemy that required steam tanks and mana cannons?
Before the fight even began, the mercenaries had lost all will to battle.
"R-Run!!"
They screamed and started fleeing.
"Don't clump together! Scatter!!"
Carson and Johnson shouted themselves hoarse, but the mercenary band had long since lost all control.
"──────!!"
The sandworm's massive body slammed into the ground.
Along with the vibrations, the mercenaries who had been there crumbled like sand.
Amid the ferocious dust cloud, the sandworm let out a mighty roar.
"Young master, we must evacuate immediately. From here on, we'll have no choice but to travel by horse instead of the carriage."
Even with Dalpi's sharp insight, there was no way to defeat the sandworm in this situation.
Ian thought the same as Dalpi.
A sandworm was impervious even to a knight's sharp blade.
Unless everyone here was a knight, victory alongside these mere mercenaries was impossible.
It was unfortunate for the mercenaries, but the best course was to feed them to the sandworm and escort Esther Tristy to safety.
For Dalpi and Ian, Esther's safety was paramount.
But Esther's thoughts seemed different.
Esther shook off Dalpi's hand as she tried to lead him to the carriage.
"Why run away?"
Dalpi looked at Esther.
Her expression was serene, without a trace of fear.
Normally, the young master would be trembling as he spoke, but was this the power of that capable friend she had mentioned earlier?
"Young master... you must flee right now. A sandworm is a large demon. It's not something a mere band of mercenaries can handle."
Esther let out a small sigh.
And then.
"You're right that a sandworm is beyond a single mercenary band."
She tilted her head in puzzlement.
"But do your eyes see me as just another mere mercenary?"
"......"
"We're not retreating from this spot. There's no need to."
Esther advanced toward the sandworm.
Dalpi hurriedly followed behind her.
"Young master, but—"
"A sandworm is a powerful foe!!"
Ian, who had been preparing to mount his horse and flee, chased after her in a panic, continuing his words.
"We may or may not win, but there's absolutely no need for us to take that risk!! Your safety is the top priority right now!!"
Esther fixed Ian with a sharp gaze.
"Did you just say *my* safety?"
"Y-Yes, but—"
"Do your eyes see me as so pitiful that I'd feel threatened by a mere demon like that?"
Esther Tristy displayed extreme displeasure.
"If you're scared, feel free to run. I can handle this alone anyway. I've been thinking your protection is unnecessary."
He had no idea what Esther was thinking.
No matter that she was the genius young lord who had solved the Millennium Problem, the amount of mana she possessed was ridiculously low.
Dalpi and Ian's eyes wavered for a moment, but their duty was to protect Esther.
"Haa... Fine, if I die, I'll come back as a ghost to haunt you, young master."
"If you have a proper plan, please tell us. My role is to protect you. I can't just run away like this."
Esther nodded toward her escorts, who had finished preparing for battle.
"Killing the sandworm will take time. We'll need the mercenaries' help too. First, let's boost morale."
Esther ordered Dalpi and Ian to draw the sandworm's attention.
"Understood."
There was no hesitation from Ian and Dalpi.
They were the type who would do anything for Esther's safety.
Moreover, she was the genius young lord who had solved the Millennium Problem.
She must have seen a solution that others couldn't.
The escorts decided to trust Esther's arrogant demeanor.
Dalpi snatched a sword from a dead mercenary and headed for the sandworm's blind spot, while Ian charged straight at its front.
"Over here!!"
Dalpi and Ian swung their weapons at the gigantic sandworm.
In reality, it was nearly impossible to even scratch its tough hide, but their display was quite flashy.
They circled the sandworm like winged venomous insects, launching attacks whenever an opening appeared.
"W-Wait!! Everyone, look over there!!"
The mercenaries, who had once given up everything to flee, paused and watched the two valiant figures battling the sandworm.
"They're incredibly fast and strong."
"Both of them look like aura users...."
They were strong.
As expected of those escorting Esther Tristy, they were true experts.
Even with the vast difference in size, they showed no fear of the sandworm—their bravery far surpassed that of ordinary mercenaries.
While the mercenaries were captivated by the duo's prowess,
"Fleeing from this spot is pointless."
Esther's voice rang out across the battlefield.
No one could refute her scathing assessment.
It was simply the plain truth.
"Fleeing from a powerful enemy is the best choice you could make. You deserve applause for it. Life is precious, after all. However, you can't even flee properly right now."
If Ian and Dalpi hadn't acted,
More living mercenaries would have turned into corpses from the previous attack.
"It's meaningless. Haven't you realized that from your comrades' deaths? Stop repeating something pointless. The result will be the same. It's just futile. Why can't you understand this simple fact?"
The click of her tongue etched deeply into the mercenaries' ears.
Esther's words provoked the mercenaries.
Something began to boil within their hearts.
"If you don't want to die, pick up your weapons. Behind you are all the spoils you've earned from three days of backbreaking work. Do you really intend to hand your money over to some random demon for free?"
The mercenaries' eyes changed.
Confirming it, Esther began issuing orders.
With the skill of a commander who had worked with mercenaries for years.
She understood the band's entire chain of command.
"Halbond, Dvoa, Jeras, Devalio—you lead your teams to assist Dalpi and Ian in drawing its attention. Spread out as much as possible. It's not that fast. If quick-footed mercenaries like you dodge properly, you can manage. Gerald, fetch the Blue Drake oil. Derek, you handle the arrows...."
She had grasped every team's specialties and assigned personnel to roles that suited them best.
"......"
Carson and Johnson blinked.
In an instant, the band leader's job had vanished.
In just three days, Esther had turned complete strangers—mere mercenaries—into her loyal limbs.
It was an astonishing display of charisma.
This was the moment they understood why Esther Tristy had been dissatisfied with the Carson and Johnson mercenary bands.
No mercenary band in the Justina Kingdom could win over that genius's favor unless it was something like the famed Black Blade.
"Carson, Johnson."
"Yes, young lord!!"
"Join the attention-drawing mercenaries and keep issuing commands."
"Got it!!"
The two mercenary leaders drew their swords with crisp precision and charged at the sandworm.
"You lot!! Fight like your lives depend on it!!"
"Any slowpokes die by my hand first!!"
Arrows and swords danced in a brilliant display.
Countless cold steel weapons began pounding the sandworm's tough hide.
Esther stood with her arms crossed, quietly observing the situation.
It must have been the perfect moment when the sandworm's attention was fully on the mercenaries.
"Young lord!! We have the oil!!"
The mercenaries dragged over a cart.
Atop the cart were oak barrels filled with oil from the Blue Drakes—the most valuable loot from three days of hunting demons.
Esther hurled the oak barrels at the sandworm with telekinesis.
The barrels shattered, spilling their contents and drenching the sandworm.
Esther repeated the process.
The oil clung stickily to the sandy ground, and the sandworm lost its balance, slipping.
Thud—a small vibration echoed.
Flames erupted from Esther's hand.
The massive sandworm ignited in an instant, but
"Ah, it's still moving!!"
The sandworm was unscathed.
Rather, enraged by the flames, it began advancing toward Esther.
"Young lord!! You must run!!"
Even as the mercenaries screamed, Esther simply extended her palm.
And then, crack—
A fracture appeared in the sandworm's hide.
It was because a sudden wave of Esther's icy chill had swept over it.
When temperature changes rapidly, materials expand and contract repeatedly, eventually shattering.
The sandworm's tough hide was no exception.
The armor that had neutralized countless attacks until now began to crumble.
"Now."
The maid and knight leaped into the air.
The sandworm was resilient.
It clung to life even amid the blizzard and flames.
But now, with its sturdy armor gone, human attacks would be effective.
Under the coordinated assault of the many, the sandworm's exposed flesh was torn apart, and its breath was cut short.
Boom—with that sound, the sandworm collapsed to the ground.
"W-We took down the sandworm!!"
"Waaaaaaaah!!"
The mercenaries cheered.
In a battlefield once filled with screams and despair, they now reveled in the joy of victory.
"Young lord Esther!!"
"That was truly incredible magic!!"
Esther responded to the approaching Carson and Johnson with a casual wave.
Then she simply walked toward the sandworm's corpse.
With the solemn air of someone who had uncovered a vital truth.
***
"Haa..."
I discovered a strange mark on the sandworm's corpse.
To my eyes, it was just a black stone, but Nob AI saw it differently.
『The reason demons are appearing in Tristy Autonomous Territory is due to Insein's Curse.』
『Based on the data learned so far, Insein's Curse is some 'magic-like phenomenon' that forcibly spawns demons by utilizing the surrounding distributed mana.』
『The substance you're looking at is 'Recall Matter.' According to Mana Substance Advanced Theory Vol. 3, Recall Matter is not found in typical demons. It's a pure mana crystal rarely seen only in demons spawned from hotspots with mana density of 0.93 or higher.』
『Tristy Autonomous Territory's mana density is around 0.3 to 0.4. Even at peak curse intensity, the odds of a sandworm spawning are a mere 0.000000001%.』
『Based on this, combined with the current Insein's Curse...』
Explain it simply.
『Someone played a nasty prank.』
『Some 'magic-like phenomenon' that amplifies and accelerates Insein's Curse has been activated in the eastern region of the kingdom where Tristy Autonomous Territory is located.』
『The kingdom's magic institutions predicted the curse would peak in two months, but according to Nob AI's calculations, it will be approximately...』
Nob AI forecasted that exactly one month from now, disaster would strike the eastern Justina Kingdom.
A warning that, if left unchecked, countless demons would flood in like waves, leading to many deaths.