Chapter 124
Chapter 124
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 124
Chapter Title: The Raid Begins
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Time flowed, and a week passed. The day of the raid had arrived.
-Screeech….
The rusted iron gate, long unused, opened with a grating sound. At the same time, the elf who opened it spoke.
"Come out. You're released."
The figure who emerged from the cell was a red-haired man. As soon as he was out, the man stretched his arms wide, savoring his freedom.
"Arthur!"
"Arthur!"
As Arthur stepped out of the prison, the waiting heroines welcomed him. They immediately clung to him, showering him with all sorts of worries—asking if he was hurt anywhere, if he had been lonely. In response, Arthur smiled, pleased, and replied.
"I'm fine."
Getting doted on by such pretty girls... this could only happen in a novel. Thinking about it that way, his time in prison hadn't been so bad. Except for the rather cold bed and the fact that every meal was just greens.
Tia and Stella had also visited him every day, so he hadn't been lonely. Arthur was able to leave the prison safely, without a single problem.
‘I guess this counts as an experience….’
In his entire life, including his past one, he had never once been imprisoned. There was that time he was summoned to the imperial palace due to a misunderstanding, but thanks to Tia's help, he'd been released quickly.
This experience wasn't exactly pleasant, but they say no experience in the world is useless. …Probably.
"More importantly, girls. What's the situation outside?"
Enjoying their long-awaited reunion, finding and killing the one who framed him—all of that was good, but right now, something more important was at hand. His release meant a week had passed, and today was the day of the raid. He needed information about what had happened outside during his absence.
"...There was a bit of a problem outside," Tia said.
A problem? There shouldn't have been anything that could cause problems during the preparation period. Arthur decided to hear her out.
"We didn't see it ourselves, we only heard about it, but the seal was attacked. Two of the elves guarding it died as well."
"The seal was attacked…?"
"Yes. It caused quite an uproar. There haven't been any more attacks since then, though."
Elves died? That's strange. The World Tree was here, besides him. With her future sight, she should have been able to handle something like that, shouldn't she?
Not only that, but the S-rank adventurer Gideon should have been here too. And though he probably wouldn't have helped, that guy Luke should have been around as well. For something like this to happen despite all that…
"Where was Luke, and what was he doing?"
"Well…"
Arthur was shocked by Tia's answer.
"He's nowhere to be seen…?"
"Yes. It was probably about three days ago. He's been gone ever since."
Did he get scared and run away? So in the end, even he had to tuck his tail and flee in the face of an S-rank monster, huh?
But I'm different from a guy like that. The opponent is what it is, so I might not be of much help, but I'll pull my own weight and grow as much as I can.
"First, let's head to the World Tree. We need to hear what our job is."
"Um… Arthur?"
"What is it, Stella?"
"Is there really anything we can do here? With the Headmaster and other S-rank adventurers, plus the elves and the World Tree… Won't we just be in the way…?"
Stella's face was filled with anxiety and worry. …To be honest, I'm scared too. Even the original Arthur was just a supporting character in this episode. It was an episode that served as a stepping stone for him to realize why he needed to grow and to mature internally.
Until now, I thought anything was possible just because I was the protagonist, but being in prison made me realize something, whether I wanted to or not. This isn't a novel; it's reality. After going through so many things, I learned that wasn't the case. I had to admit that this time, if I messed up, I could really die.
"Stella. Everyone has a role to play. Even if we can't be of help this time, we can move supplies to help with logistics, or carry the wounded and save someone who would have died. So don't sell yourself so short."
Ugh—! Even I'm cringing at my own words. I have no idea how other protagonists say such cheesy lines with a straight face. It's hard to force a smile, too.
But what can I do? It's the protagonist's duty to be by a heroine's side and make her smile when she's down. At Arthur's words, Stella's tension seemed to ease a little, and she managed a small smile.
"Thank you."
"Don't mention it. Shall we get going?"
"Yes!"
The atmosphere was quite bright, but they were still at the prison entrance. They left the gloomy-looking place and headed straight for the audience chamber. Of course, the gazes of the elves were not kind. Even if it was a false accusation, to them, I was a criminal who had raped their god.
‘I don't know who did it, but I won't let them off easy when I catch them.’
Although he had no clues right now, he thought that when he caught the culprit, it would be his first-ever kill. Burning with thoughts of revenge, Arthur's party headed for the audience chamber. Standing at the entrance, they requested permission, just as the Great Warriors had done before.
"World Tree, it is Arthur. May I enter?"
Then, a voice echoed in his head.
[Yes. Come in.]
Permission was granted. They opened the massive doors and entered to find the World Tree sitting at a table strewn with papers.
"…"
[…]
They had entered, but what followed was silence. Although it was a false accusation, the current relationship between the World Tree and Arthur was that of a rapist and his victim.
‘I didn't even do it, so why do I have to feel so awkward….’
Arthur felt wronged. Acting timid here would be like admitting he wasn't framed, so Arthur decided to be bold.
"World Tree. Before the raid begins, we came to ask what we should be doing."
[Ah…]
Only after Arthur broke the ice could a proper conversation begin.
[Are you perhaps aware that the seal and the elves were attacked a few days ago?]
"Yes. My companions informed me."
[We suspect the culprits are demons.]
Well… that figures. When something bad happens, linking it to demons was usually the right answer. He didn't know how they'd manage with just the S-rank monster, and now demons were involved too. Arthur felt that things had just gotten a lot harder.
[And the culprit has not shown themselves since the first attack. I cannot confirm them with my future sight either.]
"That means… the culprit is still hiding somewhere in the forest."
[Unfortunately, yes. We anticipate that the culprit will strike during the raid. Sir Arthur and your companions, I would like you to stop the culprit while we proceed with the raid.]
"Understood."
[Thank you for your cooperation.]
After leaving the audience chamber, Arthur let out a sigh.
"Hah…"
"What's wrong?"
"No, it's just that there are demons on top of the monster. It's making me a little tense."
"I see… you're right."
Compared to the monster, the demons might seem trivial, but that was only in comparison. Demons themselves were a disaster for humanity. So it was impossible not to be tense. All they could do was prepare as much as possible and steel their resolve. For that, Arthur headed for his quarters, where his sword would be.
"Let's get ready quickly, too."
"Yes, sir!"
"Yes."
***
In a place near the seal, every elf, numbering over a hundred, had gathered. All forces, excluding the rear support, had assembled at the seal. Arthur, who had finished his preparations, was among them. A man with rare, long black hair approached the neatly aligned Arthur.
"Are you the one? The one who came to help with the raid?"
As Arthur identified the speaker, the first thing he noticed were the ears. They weren't pointed. Aside from himself and Luke, there was only one other human here, so Arthur knew at once who the man was.
"It is an honor to meet you."
"Hm? You know of me?"
"How could I not know of one of the only three S-rank adventurers on the continent?"
A monster on par with Headmaster Lucia. It was the Weapon Master, Gideon. At Arthur's words, Tia and Stella's eyes also widened in surprise. One would think they would have met at some point, but it seemed they hadn't crossed paths at all during the week.
"Haha. I didn't realize I was so famous."
Gideon extended a hand in greeting, and Arthur shook it in response. As he grasped Arthur's hand, Gideon smiled faintly.
"Are you nervous?"
"Pardon…?"
"Your hand is stiff. Don't be too tense. A moderate amount of tension is good for warming up the body, but too much will prevent you from moving properly."
"…Thank you for the advice."
After that, Gideon shook hands with Tia and Stella before disappearing somewhere. Then, the elf Pal-leun, who had guided Arthur's party before, approached.
"Human. Have you by any chance seen Evangeline?"
Evangeline. That was the name of the elf who guided Luke, wasn't it?
"No, I haven't. I was imprisoned for the past week."
"I see. Understood."
Then, an elf near Arthur spoke up.
"Sir Pal-leun. The guards on duty at the entrance a few days ago said that Lady Evangeline built a carriage and left Alfheim."
"A carriage…?"
After her role as a guide had ended, Lady Yggdrasil had not given her any other orders. Does that mean she acted on her own? But a carriage seemed strange for a solo mission. She had a horse, so if she were acting alone, she could have just ridden it instead of building a carriage. It might have even been faster to just run.
After pondering for a moment, Pal-leun stopped thinking about it.
"…Never mind. She must have her own duties to attend to."
She was a person who knew honor, so he figured she must be undertaking some other important task. Although losing a warrior of the Great Warrior's caliber was a huge loss, there was no turning back now. Afterwards, Pal-leun moved to a spot where everyone could see him and shouted in a loud voice for all to hear.
"Before the raid begins, from this moment on, in place of Lady Yggdrasil, I, Great Warrior Pal-leun, will command the field!"
In place of the World Tree, who could not leave Alfheim, the Great Warrior Pal-leun was taking command of the raid.
"The monster that made the continent tremble in fear—today, we will vanquish it with our own hands!"
-Shaaaa…
As Pal-leun finished speaking, green particles began to fall from the sky. Arthur, who had inadvertently touched one of the beautiful specks, felt a power surging from within his body.
"This is…"
Looking around, the elves were unfazed; only he, Tia, and Stella were in awe.
"Raise your weapons, warriors! The blessing of Lady Yggdrasil is with us!"
-Waaaaaaah!!!
A cheer filled the quiet forest. Their morale was so high that even an S-rank monster seemed no longer fearsome. Afterwards, the elves moved to their respective positions. Some went to the large, fixed ballistae, while others drew their swords and took the front line. Soon, a massive wave of energy swept through the forest. It moved from the direction of the World Tree toward the seal.
The characters on the sealing stones flashed blue once, then lost their light and crumbled.
-Thud!
As the stones all collapsed, one by one, a sudden vibration began, and the mountain started to move. It wasn't just a mountain, but a calamity with a will of its own. Just that simple movement was enough to make one gulp.
A red glow began to emanate from the moss-covered volcano, and soon, all the moss burned away, revealing its true form.
Legs emerged one by one from beneath its shell, three pairs of eyes, large and small, flashed open, and finally, a head jutted out.
-Krawwwwwwrrrrrrrr────────!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And with a roar that announced the revival of the Volcanic Horned Dragon, the raid began.