Monster Wave (2): Primordial Shadows
Riding in the golden carriage that Yurha Silverstar had provided, we were en route to the Ludbekia Marquisate. I and the other Old School Building Special Class students had just witnessed the monster outbreak in the northern monster-polluted zone of the marquisate via remote magic projection.
"As you can see, a massive swarm of monsters has appeared in the area designated for our Special Class practical training."
Yurha explained the situation to us in a calm voice, like a briefing operator.
"Normally, the leading class for the practical handles these kinds of issues, but this situation is a bit special, so I've decided to accompany you."
"A special situation?"
"Yes. A very special situation."
Yurha pointed at the black wolf-like monsters with a serious expression.
"These monsters are presumed to be a 'new species' not previously known."
"A new species..."
"What do you think, Gale?"
She deliberately used "Gale." Yurha wasn't presenting herself as a second-year academy student, and she was treating Rydmila Lionheart as an A-rank hunter. Rydmila, who had shown reluctance to be called "Gale" at the academy, responded without correcting the title, exuding the gravitas of an A-rank hunter known as Gale.
"Hm."
"They're black, but closest to wind-attribute monsters."
"Quadrupedal and wolf-shaped, but they seem to be monsters that exist yet don't—something like that."
Why? Because this was a situation where an A-rank hunter needed to take it seriously.
"From their behavior patterns, it looks like they can temporarily 'turn invisible' or 'go ghostly,' erasing their physical form and shifting to an incorporeal state. Or maybe from the start...? Is there a possibility they're gaseous monsters?"
"According to the observations from Silverstar Hunter Group's C-rank scouts, they definitely have physical forms. But they seem able to freely shift between maintaining a shape and dispersing it."
Just as Yurha was acting as a Silverstar representative, Rydmila needed to demonstrate her experience and skill as Gale.
"Based on scans of the confirmed 'cores,' the number of monsters in this outbreak is roughly 700. Among them, there's one massive wolf monster estimated at A-rank. It's probably around 10 meters in size."
"Hmm..."
"Gale. What do you think?"
"I'd have to face them directly to know for sure, but if we want a definite win, it might require an S-rank to step in."
In the worst case, it might even call for the White Sword Saint, not just Instructor Esta.
"There are two things I don't understand."
Rydmila glanced at me briefly, then held up two fingers.
"In this dangerous situation, is the reason the Old School Building Special Class students are being deployed because we need the 'buffs' from the freshman Phoenix?"
Rydmila's question was perfectly valid.
"Unia, Phoenix, and even Evangeline. Including me, the four of us have enough power to take down A-rank monsters. But that's for A-ranks with known strategies. New species are a different story."
"Right. Tackling them without strategies is extremely dangerous—I know that well."
"Yet you're still deploying us as combat assets without canceling the practical. Does that mean you desperately need the power of one of us?"
"Exactly. Especially you, Phoenix."
Yurha reached out toward me.
"I've reviewed your combat records, Phoenix. I saw clearly how you provide mana buffs through physical contact from behind Unia. And how you carried Evangeline to assist her dollmastery."
"So it's a situation that requires buffs for A-ranks, or even S-ranks."
"Yes. ...Hm?"
Yurha, who had been pointing at me, tilted her head.
"You're awfully calm about this, Phoenix."
"I have to be. The academy calling us for this as part of our training means the instructors have judged that, based on what we've shown so far, we can survive and return safely without dying."
No matter the monster outbreak, this was still just a 'practical training' exercise.
"It might be dangerous, but the academy doesn't assign tasks far beyond students' abilities. If they did, it'd undermine the academy's educational philosophy."
"Exactly right. The academy recognizes your skills and plans to evaluate your practical based on how you 'assist' in resolving the outbreak."
Assist. In other words, we weren't the main force.
"There's S-rank grand magus Marchioness Ludbekia, and the marquisate is full of hunters who hunt monsters. As long as they're there, even with the outbreak, it won't be too dangerous. Unless you charge recklessly at the new species out of bravado."
"I see. Then, my second question."
Rydmila extended two fingers toward Yurha.
"Why are you coming along?"
"Hmm... It feels like you know the answer but are asking anyway."
"Answer me."
"Simple enough?"
Yurha shrugged.
"Because that land, now called the monster-polluted zone, is mine."
Ah. Fair enough.
"Wait. Isn't that part of the Ludbekia Marquisate?"
"I bought it from the Ludbekia Marquisate for a hefty sum. Cash, one-time payment."
"......."
"After the incident ten years ago, it was called a mana stone barren land where monsters occasionally popped up. But real estate investment is about looking far ahead for profits."
Sound judgment.
"...Hard to believe."
Evangeline di Ershi tilted her head, staring at Yurha.
"Even for Silverstar, it must have been 'worthless land' back then?"
"You're talking economic value?"
"Yeah. Silverstar wouldn't buy land that makes no money. At best, maybe they let 'Hapsderk' collapse and then swallowed up the county."
"......."
"Unless you knew the future or something, why buy that land? Did you believe an outbreak like this would happen?"
"Well."
Yurha bowed her head briefly and gave a wry smile.
"I made a promise."
"A promise?"
"Yes. To someone, that we'd keep doing business forever."
She fiddled with the ring finger of her left hand with her other fingers, then turned her gaze out the carriage window.
"Someone promised to make a deal that profits for life, so I bought that land to keep it. Because people always come back eventually."
"......."
"That place has 'meaning.' Others might say it has no monetary value, but to me, it's had a powerful meaning since ten years ago—back when Ludbekia was Hapsderk."
Yurha flicked an imaginary gold coin with her finger and smiled at Evangeline.
"Sometimes, that meaning is worth more than dozens or hundreds of gold coins. Isn't it, Princess di Ershi?"
"...Hmph."
Evangeline clicked her tongue softly and turned to look out the window.
"......."
Unia, who had been listening quietly, poked my side.
For reference, inside the carriage right now, Unia was nestled in my arms just like when we first got in.
"What's up, Unia?"
"Um, Phoenix."
"Yeah? What?"
"Just wondering, but..."
Unia stared at me intently.
"Are you a little sleepy right now?"
"......."
"No, I mean, you're not saying anything and just listening. Normally, you'd be chiming in with all sorts of comments..."
"Hm. Busted."
To be honest.
"I was thinking I could catch a quick nap during the trip, but didn't want to interrupt while everyone was talking."
There was a reason I needed to sleep soon.
"If there are no ambushes, we'll arrive at the Ludbekia Marquisate around 5 a.m.," Instructor Esta, seated up front with the coachman, called back inside.
"I'll stand watch, so sleep soundly until then."
"You sure you'll be okay, Instructor?"
"I woke up three hours ago. This is daytime for me."
Not a lie. At S-rank level, shifting your body rhythm in a day wasn't a big deal.
"In that case, excuse me."
I quietly closed my eyes. The carriage wasn't bouncing too much, so I leaned deep into the backrest and let my consciousness sink.
"Wait, really...?"
"......."
There was plenty to discuss, but for details on the monster outbreak site, I could get 'quest guidance' style info after arriving. What mattered now was why this outbreak happened—and talking to the culprit.
... ... ...
In my consciousness, I met her.
"Oh my, oh my. Coming to see me already-nyang."
Absolute Gale's Fenrir. The culprit behind the monster outbreak in the northern monster-polluted zone of the Ludbekia territory.
"Oh, and just so you know, I'm innocent-nyang."
The moment we met, Absolute Gale's Fenrir—Kim Fenril—protested her innocence.
"The bad ones are the angels-nyang."
"...Yeah."
The bad ones are the angels.
"Shall I set up a Mock Battlefield first?"
"Anytime!"
Whoosh. Wind blew.
Amid the pack of black wind wolves, I and Kim Fenril created a mock battlefield manifested in the mental world.
"It's based on the magic projection Yurha Silverstar showed earlier-nyang. Might differ from the real thing, so keep that in mind."
"Of course. I didn't ask for it to confirm the terrain anyway."
I extended my hand toward a snarling black wolf with sharp fangs.
Shh. Like reaching into black smoke, its form vanished.
"As expected."
This was a space manifested from my memories, but the manifestation wasn't influenced solely by me.
"One of your kin has awakened?"
"Not likely-nyang. Anywhere else, maybe, but Ratatosk was here-nyang."
"Then these are..."
"Monsters that were eaten or killed by Ratatosk, mainly those with 'wind attributes.' They're... transforming now, in this place without angel abilities, to regain their true forms-nyang."
Kim Fenril extended her hand toward the black wolf.
"If I had to put a name to it, primordial regression."
Dropping her speech pattern, her mint-colored eyes sparkled as she unleashed mana like a baptism on the black wolf.
"Back to the 'ancients' from the era before angel abilities spread, when countless spirits mingled with humanity on the surface-nyang."
Fwaaah.
The black wolf slowly rose onto its hind legs. What had been a formless ghost gained substance, transforming into something almost human.
"...Beings from the mythic age, spirits."
Its true form.
"Cute, since it looks like me-nyang?"
A black-haired wolf-eared girl in a maid outfit.
"...Your taste?"
"No. Chang Yeom said it was your taste, so I dressed her like that-nyang!"
"......."
"Don't look at me like that-nyang. Mythic-era spirits basically didn't wear 'clothes' by default!"
"Ha."
Of course.
"Destroying such civilizations and driving spirits from the earth. The angels definitely need to be eliminated."
The angels are wrong.