Mistaken Pursuit
But at that moment, Duran's expression hardened.
Above!
“……!”
With Duran's low cry, a long black shadow streaked swiftly overhead. Duran had expected the figure to slow as it drew near, but the stranger passed them by as if they were of no consequence, quickly vanishing from sight.
“…….”
Geil stood motionless, watching the black shadow fade into the distance. The smile that had been on his face disappeared, and the sword in his hand lost its color.
“…What just happened?”
…It seems they were unaware of our presence.
The situation had not unfolded as expected, but Duran considered it a fortunate turn of events. Though he had only sensed it faintly, the deep darkness and the powerful presence of the summoned beast proved the opponent was no ordinary foe. A real battle against such an enemy was still too dangerous for Geil.
Yet contrary to Duran's thoughts, Geil suddenly leapt onto the griffon's back.
“Let's go, Jun! Duran!”
Wait, Geil……!
Before Duran could protest, the griffon soared into the sky at Geil's command, accelerating after the vanished enemy. Duran let out a short sigh. A green light enveloped him, and he took flight in pursuit.
Is this the right direction?
“Yeah.”
I answered Jequirak's question absently while scanning the barely visible terrain below. After Ryban's clones appeared, we had reported the fact to Medrup and the other nations. To avoid sudden chaos, the information had been passed on quickly yet discreetly, but the real problem was that we had no idea where Ryban would show up next.
Medrup believed the Minasid region, where Ryban's castle had once stood, was the most likely location. Other countries, however, could not afford to feel reassured, and with Ryban's current whereabouts unknown, anxiety was bound to grow.
In the end, Rowell and Aegina—who were the primary targets—decided to remain in the Ayman Kingdom at the request of the other nations, while Bagloros, Medrup, and I set out to search for Ryban's location. Naturally, the less promising areas fell to me.
Are you certain?
Jequirak asked, perhaps sensing my unease. I could not give an easy answer.
“…I don't know.”
Honestly, I had no idea. In the past, we had first encountered Ryban in this general area. I wasn't sure whether his clones would place importance on such an emotionally charged event, and with so much time having passed—and night having fallen—I could not be certain of the location.
Though I had come here at the request of the surrounding kingdoms, I had to admit the chances of finding Ryban's clones or any trace of them were slim. That was precisely why I had come alone.
“Let's start descending.”
I had hoped to spot the next village by its lights from the sky, but it had grown so late that not a single light was visible. At this point, it seemed better to spend the night in the study and resume the search tomorrow.
Jequirak descended without a word. Just as I thought landing would be impossible because of the dense trees, he unleashed attack spells, clearing the foliage below, and settled down.
“…There was no need to go that far, Jequirak.”
Jequirak snorted, making no effort to hide his displeasure.
I am not merely a mount for transportation. You form a contract with me, yet you never summon me for a proper battle. Are you mocking me?
I'm not the kind of person who fights everywhere I go.
“There simply hasn't been any situation worth summoning you for.”
Besides, our contract had been for transportation from the very beginning.
Did you not say you encountered a clone of the Beast Legion Commander?
“Rowell and Bagloros were there at the time. And do you really think you could have won?”
Of course, that imperfect clone's combat ability could not compare to the original, and Rowell had ended the fight in a single strike. Still, there was no guarantee Jequirak would have prevailed.
That is something we would only know after fighting.
Haah. He was even more troublesome than Orcan. At least Orcan had convictions. This one was simply a battle maniac. If it was the instinct of a magical beast, there was nothing to be done…
“Understood. I'll try to call you when a fight is possible.”
I raised my hand to signal him to return. He could create a return circle on his own whenever he wished. Yet for some reason, he remained motionless. Moreover, through our connection, I could faintly hear him laughing.
Then keep your word.
“What?”
I tilted my head at the incomprehensible remark when I sensed a strange presence approaching from behind.
“This is?”
They were slow to follow. I even deliberately slowed down midway.
From Jequirak's clearly amused demeanor, I could tell this was not a good situation, even if I did not fully understand what was happening.
“What did you do?”
There were some rather interesting fellows, so I simply flew above them.
“Interesting fellows?”
I extended my hand and began forming runes in the air. There was no time to figure out the exact situation. If Jequirak found something interesting, it could only mean combat, and some preparation was essential. Suddenly, Jequirak displayed strong displeasure.
What are you doing?
“What do you mean? Preparing for battle!”
Why would you summon others when I am here?
“When the enemy's strength is uncertain, caution must come first……”
There is no need to worry about their strength! It is only one brat, one griffon, and one annoying fellow. I alone am sufficient!
His confidence—or rather, his intense thirst for battle—made me dismiss the runes. The barrier was already in place, and I could summon help if needed. For now, letting him have his way was not a bad idea.
Good. You can trust me.
Satisfied, Jequirak raised his head toward the approaching presence. Now I understood why he had cleared the trees to create an open space—it had been in anticipation of this very situation.
A moment later, a green light and a large shadow appeared where his gaze was fixed, quickly descending before us.
“So you were waiting. Quite an arrogant move.”
As Jequirak had said, a young man sat atop the griffon. Beside him, a somewhat small deer-like creature wrapped in green light landed on the ground.
Under the pale moonlight and the adjacent green glow, the details were unclear, but the man had a somewhat cold impression and slightly reddish hair. Though I could not say why, his voice made it clear he was rather angry.
“Still, the fact that you waited means you are definitely willing to fight, right?”
The man drew a sword from his robes. Its blade shimmered red and green, as if enchanted with a spell.
Wait, Geil! Let's talk first……!
At the deer's cry, the man who had been about to charge forward hesitated. The real problem, however, was Jequirak.
What are you doing in front of the enemy!
The jewels embedded in Jequirak's body shone brightly as he spewed flames toward the man and the griffon.
Even I was startled by the sudden preemptive strike. I wanted to calm him down, but it was already too late. The flames engulfed them. Green energy from the deer's antlers shielded them, so they were not seriously injured, and Jequirak had not intended to deliver a fatal blow. Still, it was enough to put the other side on full combat alert.
“An ambush, as expected from that hideous appearance!”
Brat!
Since our souls were not connected, Jequirak's words did not reach the opponent. To them, it would have sounded like nothing more than an angry snort.
Jequirak's body swayed greatly as he swung his tail. The griffon nimbly took to the air to avoid the sharp tail lashing toward it, while the deer kicked off the air and leapt upward.
Slow!
At that moment, the jewels on Jequirak's body shone again, and this time shards of ice flew simultaneously toward the griffon and the deer. Of course, airborne opponents should have been able to dodge simply by virtue of being in the air, but Jequirak knew that as well.
He spread his skeletal wings wide and launched his massive body like a harpoon along the griffon's evasive trajectory. Given his size and speed, if that sharp beak connected, the opponent would surely be torn to pieces.
……!
Reflexively, I restricted his movements. I did not know the full situation, but I had no intention of killing the other side. His speed decreased slightly, and his displeasure and rebellious spirit were transmitted through our connection. However, my intervention had apparently been unnecessary.
The deer's body, which had suddenly moved in front of the griffon, swelled enormously in an instant and slammed its massive antlers down onto Jequirak's head.
Jequirak could not withstand the force and had his head smashed into the ground, but he quickly lifted it again to avoid the next attack. A resentful voice echoed in my mind.
Do not interfere, Contractor!
'There is no need to kill them!'
From my perspective, there was no reason to fight in the first place. While I was momentarily focused on Jequirak and the giant deer, the griffon charged toward me. Of course, I had the equipped barrier and had nothing to worry about, but Jequirak spewed flames in this direction.
It was not to protect me, but to attack them. The flames narrowly missed me, yet the heat triggered the equipped barrier.
According to the contract, a summoned beast could not intentionally attack its contractor, but Jequirak knew about the equipped barrier and was aware that he could not cause any harm, which made this possible.
“To take Duran's strike and remain unscathed, and to unleash attack spells—a giant serpent. Indeed, quite a powerful summoned beast.”
The griffon and the man, who had risen slightly higher to avoid the flames, looked down at us. Having confirmed the equipped barrier spread around me, they did not attack immediately as before.
“However, an equipped barrier! Does that mean you have no intention of stepping forward yourself, you coward!”
His provocative tone irritated me slightly, but this was not the time to be swayed by it. First, I needed to understand the situation. Thanks to Jequirak, a battle had begun, but I still could not comprehend what was happening.
Who was this man, and why had he suddenly attacked? Considering Jequirak's words and actions, it was possible he had done something, but the only thing Jequirak had done while flying here was fly a little lower and a little slower—which I had actually requested to better observe the terrain below.
We had done nothing to warrant being attacked. Moreover, the opponent's identity was a problem.
'A summoner?'
Given the griffon and the deer—which appeared to be a high-ranking holy beast—the probability that he was a summoner was high. Yet the fact that he had not summoned any other beasts and was trying to fight directly with a sword made it impossible to be certain.
“Who are you?”
I decided to speak first. As I had experienced with Elena, continuing a battle without any information was never a good idea. Jequirak seemed somewhat satisfied after desperately fighting the deer and being slightly pushed back.
“…….”
However, the man gave no answer to my question. Despite having spoken so much until now, he suddenly fell silent. Moreover, his expression hardened as if my question had wounded his pride.
Well, it did not matter. There was a possibility he had mistaken me for someone else or misunderstood Jequirak's appearance, and having already experienced something similar painfully, I decided to reveal my identity quickly.
“My name is Anak. I am known as the Summoner of Deception, the Second-Best Strategist, and I am one of those who fought alongside the Hero of Light, Rowell, during the last great war. No matter who you are, this pointless battle is unnecessary……”
Something was wrong. The moment I revealed my identity, his expression twisted rapidly and turned red with rage.
“…Anak, Anak, you say? Are you mocking me! Do not spout nonsense, you Dark Priest bastard!”