Chapter 29
Chapter 29
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: The Cluster of Stars in the Night Sky is Said to be the Tears of God (6)
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Rolling my eyes, I examined the jewels again, ducked to avoid the spirits lunging at me, and then glared at Tenerife once more.
I need to find unusual jewels. Unusual jewels. Or a pair of two jewels.
Teide and Canary look almost identical. And they're not ordinary spirits.
“Let's end this now.”
As Tenerife raised his arm, the bracelet on his wrist came into view. The jewel embedded in it hummed and vibrated, spitting out a spirit.
In that moment, I realized.
“Accessories!”
Why hadn't I thought of that?
The jewels couldn't just be on his clothes. If he has a bracelet, he must have rings and earrings too!
I awkwardly pushed myself up on Manhole's torso. Yeah, now I could see it.
Teide and Canary's jewels!
They were earrings.
I'd been so focused on his clothes that I'd overlooked his face. The guy was wearing unusually long, dangling earrings. His idol-like outfit had made the accessories blend in without raising suspicion.
The earrings merely glittered without spitting out spirits.
Among all of Tenerife's flashy accessories, those couldn't possibly just be decorations. Plus, the right and left ones looked identical. At this point, it was reasonable to suspect.
“That might be the key. Manhole! Fall back! Get as far from Tenerife as possible!”
[Music to my ears!]
Manhole backpedaled and quickly retreated from the spot. Winged spirits chased after us, only to be blocked by a swarm of ants. It was time to end this drawn-out battle. First, rescue the Sugar Monarch. Even if it was just an ant, it was my most crucial asset.
I reached out toward the wave of spirits sweeping before my eyes.
“Sugar!”
It felt like plunging my hand into a cold whirlpool. It was so frigid I thought I'd get frostbite. Just as my fingertips began to sting sharply, something 'popped' onto my palm. I clenched my soft hand gently and grabbed Manhole's horn, twisting it.
[Sugar Monarch's message: Glorious return]
Glancing down after dodging aside, I saw the Sugar Monarch perched on my palm. It was disoriented, frantically rubbing its antennae and fussing about.
“The colony's fighting, so the monarch can rest a bit. Hey, hide this guy for me.”
Manhole rolled its eyeballs around before gaping its mouth wide. Purple saliva stretched like cheese inside.
“…You're not gonna eat it, right?”
Manhole shook its head vigorously, mouth still open, in response.
With no choice but to trust it, I placed the Sugar Monarch on its broad tongue. The Sugar Monarch scurried quickly into Manhole's mouth.
Dodging the spirits pursuing us, I leaned toward where Pippin was.
“Pippin! Stab one of the wolves deep! Anywhere's fine!”
“I'm trying!”
Pippin's voice came back sounding teary. He kicked away a wolf clinging to him. Snatching up the saw that had rolled far off with brute force, he leaped forward.
“I'll try harder!”
With a crunch, Pippin and the wolf tumbled across the ground as one. Blood sprayed amid the tangle of spirits. The startled wolf backed away. As the wolf's howls continued, even Tenerife lost his composure and turned.
“Teide!”
Tenerife moved. His hair swayed from the momentum. I focused on the glittering earring peeking through his fine locks.
Yes, my guess was right. One of the earrings began flashing an intense red.
“That's Teide's jewel.”
Now, if I could just snatch both earrings, victory would tilt our way.
“Of all the luck, I've got no weapons.”
I jumped off Manhole and flattened myself on the ground. If there were no good weapons, humanity's traditional tool—a 'rock'—would do. There's no law saying a duke can't use a rock.
It didn't take long to find a satisfying one. Manhole blocked the attacks pouring my way and shoved my body with its own to help.
My palm was scraped raw, but I'd picked up a rock worthy of a history textbook. It filled my hand about the size of an apple.
“How dare you torment my poor Teide. I'll turn you into Teide's snack.”
Tenerife's expression finally changed. He raised his arm with a blank face. The Necrophagas that had merely circled him until now wailed like it was in agony. It inflated its throat massively and vomited what looked like rocks toward the bushes.
Rocks? No. Fireballs.
“A hallucination dragon with all these tricks up its sleeve?”
Necrophagas moved nimbly, circling us and setting everything ablaze. It seemed intent on encircling us.
“Real fire? Or maybe that's an illusion too?”
Clutching the rock, I mounted Manhole and lowered my body. Manhole blinked and wagged its tail low.
[I don't know. First time seeing a hallucination dragon for me too.]
“I hope it's real fire.”
[What? You're crazy? Out of your mind. Figures. Hmph, insane.]
I'd already learned how to break Necrophagas's hallucinations. I closed my eyes and gripped Manhole tightly.
“Go toward the fire. Just graze it quickly.”
[Hing hing...]
Manhole whined cutely despite itself, then bolted at my request. I reached out following the hot aura. Wind whooshed from Necrophagas's wingbeats. The fire spread, and in a blink, I felt the heat.
“Whoa, shit! Real fire!”
I rubbed the flames on my sleeve against Manhole's back to extinguish them. Its back was surprisingly damp, so the fire went out fast. Of course, Manhole threw a fit about what I was doing, but I could placate it later.
Now I knew what to do.
“Hey, manhole lid. Charge toward Pippin.”
[You've been bossing me around too much! Scary! I'm at my limit just dodging!]
“Just charge! Grazing Pippin's spot is enough. I need Tenerife's cape that Canary left behind.”
[Cape? Cape? Shit! Cape!]
“Then graze near the fire next. You can do it! I know you can!”
Manhole hesitated, stepping confusedly, then lowered its head.
[Cape! Cape! Cape!]
Manhole charged toward Pippin like a bull.
“Pippin! Dodge!”
Hearing my shout, Pippin kicked a wolf away and leaped aside. Injured or not, his agility was unbelievable.
The kicked wolves lunged at Pippin, and Manhole barreled through them, brushing past. I flattened myself completely, hooked Tenerife's cape off the ground with my foot, and snatched it with my hand.
“Got it! Light this on fire! Over there!”
Maybe from all the orders, Manhole obeyed without complaint this time. It flapped the cape as it raced toward the fire. Tenerife's gaze was fixed on Necrophagas and the two wolves, making the reckless move possible.
The cape caught fire, filling the air with the stench of burning leather and fur. The two wolves turned toward me upon smelling it. But I trusted Pippin. He'd keep those beasts from interfering with me.
“Now charge the necromancer!”
[Eeek! Don't make me do that!]
Manhole leaped and dashed toward Tenerife. He'd spotted us, but didn't seem to see us as much of a threat. Blank expression. Utterly dismissive face.
Thanks for the complacency.
Teide and Canary blocked our path. I saw Pippin flailing his arms as he struggled to rise.
“Pippin! Body slam!”
“Huh?”
“Just crash into them! You can do it!”
“Huuuh?”
Pippin charged with eyes wide. The wolves poured over him like a wave. The impact was huge; neither the wolves nor Pippin could get up properly. Sorry, I'll treat you to something in the village later.
The next instant, Tenerife's robes billowed as a horde of spirits burst forth.
“Manhole! It'll be fine.”
Actually, this was a lie.
“Charge straight at Tenerife.”
[Like this? Straight ahead?]
“Straight ahead!”
[Waaaah!]
“And devour the spirits he unleashes.”
[Now that's my style! I'll do it!]
Manhole plunged into the spirit swarm. I rolled sideways off Manhole, clutching the burning cape, as it roared and chomped through Tenerife's spirits. At the same time, I deactivated the Black Eyes skill.
Yeah, just like Tenerife said.
Without skills, I'm no different from an ordinary person. Meaning the spirits won't obscure my vision.
As long as I don't chicken out. As long as I'm not afraid of getting hurt.
“I can win this.”
With the spirits gone, Tenerife's bare face came into view. He noticed me closing in too late, his expression turning dumbfounded. After all that smugness, that idiotic look actually suited his pretty-boy face pretty well.
“Fireworks.”
Black smoke and a sinister effect poured onto Tenerife's face. As the startled Tenerife recoiled, I hurled the burning cape at him like a dog shaking off water. The moment his vision was completely blocked, I threw myself at the hot cape.
“Gotcha!”
I pinned him down using my body weight. The sudden impact made Tenerife stagger. His legs buckled, and we collapsed together in a heap. I clung tight the whole time to keep the burning cape from slipping off him.
It was hot. Incredibly hot, stinging, painful—but not a bad feeling.
Because I could sense I'd won.
“What do you think you're doing!”
Tenerife, sprawled on the ground, flung the cape off his face. I grabbed it with my burned palm and slammed it back down onto his face.
“I'll spare your face.”
Spitting out a pretty villainous line, I shook his head side to side. Tenerife thrashed, but my weight pinned him, and my legs locked around his lithe body—it was holdable.
Soon, his clean ears were exposed. The earring glowing with that murky red light and the one sparkling silver. A matching pair in shape and size.
“This is it.”
I smashed the earring with the rock in my hand.
Clink. With a light sound, the jewel shattered. At the same instant, a 'Kyaang!' wolf howl echoed.
Correct.
Ah, I'd been worried I might fail. But it was right.
No time to check behind. I smashed the other earring too. Dog howls rang out again.
“Ha, haha!”
Tension released in a rush, my body going limp. Suddenly, Tenerife's hand shot up and gripped my throat. Only now did I realize he had pretty big hands. My neck fit in one palm.
“Urk...”
I scraped at the hand choking me with the rock. For a fleeting moment, I thought I must look like a caveman—and nearly laughed.
As I chuckled softly, Tenerife's rigid expression oddly softened. Looking down, I saw two weird blue blobs like baby goblins toddling toward Tenerife's feet: do-do-do.
“Master!”