Ulbaniello (4)
How many days had it been since they spotted the sky-blue toucan?
Whether it was the blessing of the spirit or the goddess, they’d heard that they would reach the final ranch without any major trouble.
But as the saying went, whenever things went too smoothly, the ending was never a good one.
The change came without warning.
“I’m dying in this heat. Why aren’t we moving?”
“Wait. Balik went to check it out.”
“Maybe it’s because we’re almost there?”
“No. It’s not that. Something’s wrong.”
Lawrence’s party wasn’t the only one who sensed it.
From the other side, the mercenaries on guard were also beginning to murmur restlessly.
Before long, Balik came back after finishing his talk with Mupola.
“The cattle are gone.”
“What, is that all? They just wandered off from the herd?”
Like Garrick’s reaction, it didn’t sound like a huge deal.
They’d already had a cow or two stray from the herd on the way here.
Each time, the Ulbaniello had brought them back with a few mercenaries in tow, and this time they’d apparently been delayed because they were searching for the missing cattle.
“It’s five of them, including the young calves.”
“Five? No—how did that many go missing?”
“That’s strange. The Ulbaniello didn’t notice until five were gone?”
“This isn’t ordinary. If they only found out now, that means they all disappeared at once.”
Hearing how many cattle had vanished changed everyone’s reaction.
If it was only one or two, you might not notice them slipping away from the herd all at once.
It was human work, after all.
No matter how used to this the Ulbaniello were, they couldn’t possibly keep their eyes on every single one of hundreds of cattle.
Even so, five was too many.
“If it was a wild animal, that’d be a relief. But I doubt it’ll be that simple.”
“I think so too. The odds of snakes or jaguars are low. And this isn’t some other Ulbaniello—Mupola’s in charge this time. We should assume the worst.”
“The worst means… what?”
At Lawrence’s question, Balik’s face darkened.
“A bugbear. If five cattle disappeared, I doubt it was just one.”
“……”
Unfortunately, the bad feeling proved right.
As the party advanced carefully with eyes on the surroundings, a massive monster came into view.
“Bugbear!”
The instant that shout rang out, two mercenaries shot forward ahead of the others.
One was Balik. The other was Gaud.
Both men brought shields larger than their own bodies up in front of them.
Lawrence had always wondered why anyone would carry such huge tower shields around. Today, at last, he understood.
The bugbear’s club came crashing down.
Balik and Gaud, standing in the front line, took the brute force packed into that swing on their shields.
Bang!
The deafening impact rang out.
The backs of the two mercenaries, who had looked as immovable as mountains, jolted violently.
It was a contest of strength between man and monster.
In terms of raw power, there was no need to even ask who was stronger.
The growing commotion around them was irrelevant.
Focus. A moment’s response decided the course of battle.
Lawrence knew from experience how important rapid decisions were in real combat.
He raised Shadow Light.
Then he began preparing the next spell.
A crisis was also an opportunity.
And their opponent was a bugbear.
A simple Shadow Spear wouldn’t do.
At last, the time had come to put the Shadow Spear he’d practiced to use.
The bugbear that revealed itself was smaller than the one he’d encountered by the river before.
If memory served, it was perhaps a head or two shorter.
But that was only small by comparison.
When measured against a human being, it was still overwhelmingly large.
Balik and Gaud.
Even these two hulking men looked ordinary beside it.
As for the other mercenaries, there was no point in even mentioning them.
“Ulbaniello, fall back!”
“Wake up the idiots sleeping in the wagons!”
Chaos was momentary.
As befitted mercenaries who risked their lives and walked the edge of the grave for a living, their response was swift.
Balik and Gaud’s judgment was sound.
Because they’d stopped the bugbear’s charge with their shields, the comrades in the rear had time to get ready as well.
Ronan slipped in quickly and slashed the bugbear’s side with his sword.
No blood flew.
He had only scraped the surface of its hide.
Isolde’s arrow was no different.
Her shot, blocked by armor that looked like leather strapped over chain, dealt no damage at all.
If sword and arrow were like that, then the situation was even worse for Garrick’s dagger.
Still, the sword did not stop.
It cut again, and again, and kept seeking openings.
Ronan’s hands never stopped until blue blood began to spray.
“Ronan!”
Before Balik could even shout a warning, Ronan’s body slipped sideways.
The club skimmed past his hair.
As he dodged, his sword flashed back and cut at the bugbear’s ankle.
It wasn’t a fatal wound.
Just a moment’s hesitation.
And that opening was one Balik, a silver-plate mercenary, would not miss.
“Uwooo!”
With his shield, he surged forward with all his strength.
He pressed the attack.
The bugbear reeled as Balik drove into it, using his shield like a battering ram.
The mercenaries who had been waiting for a chance to rush in from behind reacted instantly.
“Now!”
“Kill it!”
Swords flashed.
A relentless assault poured over the off-balance bugbear.
Stab, slash, gouge. The mercenaries, who had swarmed it in an instant, attacked without mercy.
Kuooo!
For the first time, a painful groan escaped the monster’s throat.
“Looks like you don’t even need to step in.”
Thinking they’d seized the initiative, Garrick smiled as he threw a dagger.
It worked.
And right then, he realized just how naive that thought had been.
Behind the smiling Garrick, a mercenary flew through the air.
“Huh?”
Whose voice had that been?
In an instant, the area was filled with screams and groans.
“Ghk!”
“Uwaaaah!”
The mercenaries who had rushed in like a swarm of hornets were sent scattering through the sky.
Every time the club swung, screams rang out without fail.
At least five mercenaries were launched away.
And all of it happened after the shield charge ended.
Balik moved to the front, but by then the situation was already at its worst.
The formation that had advanced with shields in front had long since collapsed.
The bugbear no longer cared about Balik, either.
At the sight of their comrades being knocked down one after another, the mercenaries faltered.
But no one urged them on.
If they had eyes, they would have all seen it.
Mercenaries flying each time the bugbear’s club swung.
If they had ears, they would have all heard it.
Mercenaries screaming each time the bugbear’s club swung.
They needed time to reorganize their formation.
They could not win by fighting like this.
“Please tell everyone to pull back.”
This was enough to assess the situation.
The mercenaries were retreating from the bugbear.
Even Balik, shield in hand, couldn’t find a way to push back in.
On the other hand, the bugbear, now flushed with momentum, kept snorting and raging.
Its body was already soaked in blue blood, but there wasn’t a single wound that looked truly serious.
For all the attacks it had taken, it still seemed perfectly fine.
Its club, which it swung into the air again and again, made a vicious cutting sound as it split the wind.
The monster’s eyes burned ferociously, as if daring them to come closer.
“Balik!”
“We’re going back in!”
“Lawrence is preparing a spell.”
“Buy us time! Garrick. Ronan. Take the sides. Isolde! Aim for the face only. If you don’t want our friends hurt, go for the eyes!”
“That’s a difficult request!”
He cast Shadow Spear.
The shadow spear that rose beneath Shadow Light gathered a terrifying momentum.
He focused, and focused again.
That sharpened concentration, like a blade honed to a wicked edge, was drawn into Shadow Spear.
Above all else, destruction came first.
The bugbear had not gone down easily even after being exposed to the mercenaries’ assault.
He needed power that could pierce that ironclad hide.
In other words, he needed a spear with true one-strike killing force.
Believe.
There was no limit to magic.
Shadow Spear, unleashed through Shadow Light, would be enough.
The shadow began to burn brighter and brighter.
The wavering darkness turned to flame.
An impossible heat seared his face.
It was an illusion.
He knew that.
All of it was nothing more than the swamp’s oppressive heat.
Lawrence’s concentration did not waver.
As he forced more effort into maintaining and strengthening it, the pain in his chest deepened.
Not yet.
Not enough.
Don’t let go. Keep flooding it with mana until its power reaches the limit.
There would be no second chance.
He had to cut off the monster’s breath with the first strike.
Right now the mercenaries were drawing its attention, but the moment Shadow Spear was unleashed, the bugbear’s focus would turn to Lawrence.
No one here could stop it from reaching him.
The instant it noticed him, he would be sent flying on the club’s blow.
No. Don’t think about that.
There was no need to assume the worst every time.
The process neared completion.
A long, long strand formed beneath Shadow Spear.
It was like the tail of Fire Tail.
Or perhaps like the ropes the Ulbaniello used.
He did not grasp the spear’s shaft.
Instead, he took hold of the line with both hands and began to spin Shadow Spear.
It wasn’t being driven by hand strength alone.
He controlled it with his will, while also using his hands to strengthen the spell’s force.
It was the use of Shadow Spear he’d arrived at after much thought.
As for the form, he’d borrowed the idea from the Ulbaniello’s ropes.
Just because Shadow Spear was a spear did not mean the spearhead had to be launched first.
It merely took the shape of a spear; Shadow Spear was still magic.
No matter which part struck, the destructive force was the same.
He’d already confirmed that through repeated practice.
The Shadow Spear spinning above his head grew faster and faster.
Before long, the wavering shadow became a black ring.
Lawrence checked the bugbear’s position.
At a glance, the distance was well over a hundred meters.
It was a range impossible to cover with a simple hand-thrown spear.
He couldn’t even get it close to the target, let alone hit it.
But a spear throw using a line was different.
Even the awkward angle and aim had become easier to handle thanks to his will being fed into it, and the more he focused, the more accurate it became.
Of course, this was the first time he was using it in actual combat.
Still, he felt no hint that it might miss.
“Here I go!”
He gave the signal.
There was no time to confirm whether the mercenaries had fully withdrawn.
The Shadow Spear that had already painted the sky had long since reached its limit.
All that remained was to release it toward its prey.
Lawrence hurled the Shadow Spear with all his strength.
“It’s coming!”
“Dodge!”
It wasn’t remotely comparable to when it had been thrown by hand.
The Shadow Spear flew in the shortest possible line and reached the monster.
―!?
By the time the bugbear realized the shadow spear was there, it was already too late.
The Shadow Spear, now closer to a blade than a spear, severed the monster’s torso in a single stroke.
The bugbear’s hide and armor meant nothing.
Before the slash it had become, the creature was little more than a lump of fat.
Krrrack!
Even after killing the bugbear, Shadow Spear did not stop.
Every tree caught in its rotation was sliced apart.
One, two, three…
It was only after five trees had been toppled that the black blade finally vanished.
The bugbear reached toward its fallen lower half.
It couldn’t touch it.
The monster crawled forward on both hands.
But before it could even touch the lower body it had lost, the flame in its eyes went out.
The bugbear moved no more.
“……”
The silence fell in an instant.
Then, through that hush, the mercenaries’ shouts began to rise again one after another.
“Stop it!”
“What the hell are the silver-plate mercenaries doing?”
It wasn’t over yet.
Not yet.
There had been two bugbears that attacked the party.
The one Balik had been facing was down.
But the bugbear Gaud had charged toward was still standing.
Just as Lawrence was about to move to help clean up the situation, his head suddenly swam.
The ground seemed to rush up toward him.
The moment that thought flashed through his mind, someone grabbed his arm.
“Lawrence?!”
The smell of blood, thick and foul, hit him like a stench.
“Isolde. You stink, so could you back up a little?”
“Is that really what you should be saying right now?”
“I’m fine, so stop yelling.”
Even so, this was unexpected.
No matter how much he’d increased the power of Shadow Spear, he’d only used it once. He hadn’t expected a headache already.
This was bad.
His vision was shaking violently, though he hadn’t even closed his eyes.
It wasn’t enough that bugs were crawling through his skull; now they seemed to be burrowing into his eyes too.
The black insects crawling inside his head seemed to grind the world apart.
Without thinking, he clutched his chest.
He hadn’t noticed it in time, but the backlash from using Shadow Spear was causing severe pain there.
“Lawrence. If possible, one more—what’s wrong?”
“I can’t push it anymore, Balik. I guess that was a spell that took everything I had.”
“I see. Understood. Isolde. Take care of Lawrence. The rest of you, come with me. Gaud’s in danger.”
Lawrence sank down where he stood.
He couldn’t walk at all.
He closed his eyes so his vision would stop shaking.
“I’m sorry. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
“Sorry for what? You killed that bugbear.”
“You did well. I never thought your magic would be that strong.”
He couldn’t tell who was speaking.
Struggling, Lawrence lifted his head and smiled.
“Over here. Rest for a bit.”
Supported by Isolde, Lawrence sat down against a tree.
Rough breathing filled his mind.
He could hear the mercenaries shouting something, but his fading consciousness could no longer make out the words.
Dazed, he felt as though none of it concerned him.
That made him furious.
Only a moment ago, they’d all been fighting together.
Yet it felt as though Lawrence alone had been dropped somewhere else entirely.
He swallowed the anger down.
He quietly locked the burning frustration in his chest.
If he wasn’t careful.
The new Shadow Spear’s power was certain, but having no reserve after using a single spell was the worst possible outcome.
He couldn’t even guess how much mana it had devoured.
He’d pushed the power too far.
Not only had he killed the bugbear in one shot, he’d also dragged the trees behind it into the attack’s range.
Even if this had been the first time he’d strengthened Shadow Spear in real combat, there was still far too much to reflect on.
Training against trees was one thing.
The true power and destructive force of a spell could only be understood when facing monsters in real combat.
How far should he strengthen it?
How far could he push it before chest pain or headaches set in?
He could only learn these things in actual battle.
Even blood-and-bone training only gave him a rough estimate.
In combat, no two situations were the same.
That was what real fighting was: never knowing when a monster would appear.
His physical condition would change drastically from moment to moment, and there was no telling how the surrounding circumstances would unfold.
Just like today.
…A pathetic excuse.
Frustration made his fist tremble again and again.
He had gone too far.
He’d been too tense after seeing the bugbear’s overwhelming might.
So consumed by the need to kill it with one blow that he’d poured in almost all of his mana.
The thought that he absolutely could not fail had caused this disaster.
He would reflect on it.
He would not forget this anger, and next time he would not make the same mistake.
By the time the insects in his mind had quieted, Lawrence realized the surroundings had gone still.
When he opened his eyes cautiously, Isolde came into view.
“Isolde?”
“Oh? You’re awake. Feeling any better?”
“I wasn’t asleep. What happened?”
“It just ended. Seems like they managed to handle it on Gaud’s side somehow. All the silver-plate mercenaries who’d been resting joined in. There were injuries, though….”
As if reluctant to say more, she looked away.
There was no need to tell him.
Given how quiet everything was around them, the matter was already over.
Now it was time to check the damage.
Lawrence rose awkwardly to his feet.
She held out a hand as if to lend him her shoulder, but the boy politely refused.
He wasn’t so weak that he needed to be carried.
The pain in his chest had also eased somewhat.
He didn’t want to look frail in front of the other mercenaries.
Lawrence set off with Isolde.
* * *
Six injured. Two seriously wounded.
All the casualties were bronze-plate mercenaries.
And all because they’d only been attacked by two bugbears.
Nearly half the force had been rendered unable to fight.
The silver lining, if there was one, was that the Ulbaniello had come away unharmed.
“That’s incredible. I had no idea bugbears were this strong.”
“Our preparation was lacking. We never expected to run into them so suddenly. If we’d at least been able to prepare fire, it wouldn’t have been this bad.”
Balik shook his head, his mouth twisted sourly.
“Is fire their weakness?”
“Anything living has a weakness to fire. If you ask whether bugbears are strong or weak against it, I’d say strong. Otherwise they couldn’t possibly endure the swamp’s heat.”
“……”
“In other words, there’s no easy way through here. Still, that’s better than having none at all, right?”
Garrick, who had been listening, chimed in.
“The problem is that even if we know there’s a bugbear here in advance, we can’t prepare fire ahead of time in a swamp.”
“Why not…? Ah!”
Halfway through his question, Lawrence understood.
Using fire in the swamp was basically a suicide act.
Unless you wanted to attract venomous bugs and snakes, you had to handle fire only when absolutely necessary, and even then sparingly.
It was a place full of restrictions, one way or another.
“For now, Mupola says he’ll divide the men into two groups. He’s going to split us between those who return to town after reaching Randall Ranch and those who escort the Ulbaniello on their way up-river. So he wants everyone’s opinion.”
“It’s because of the wounded. If we keep going like this, we won’t save the lives we still can.”
“Then what about the other side?”
“I heard Gaud’s group will take that side.”
At once, everyone’s gaze turned to Lawrence.
The reason didn’t need to be asked.
On this request, the boy’s magic had already become indispensable.
The convenience of Shadow Light.
A mage powerful enough to kill even a bugbear in a single blow.
Even if Balik was the party’s leader, the direction of their course would change according to Lawrence’s decision.
After a moment’s thought, he opened his mouth.