Chapter 74: The Tin Knight and The Land of Deep Green (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: The Tin Knight and The Land of Deep Green (4)
In truth, Dorothea's order was problematic in many ways.
And for good reason. The place called ‘The Garden’, contrary to its name, boasted a vast area.
In terms of sheer size, it was so large that most domains couldn't even compare.
Finding a specific target in such a place was difficult enough, but the only characteristic of the target was the extremely vague criterion of ‘boss-level’.
If this had been a military operation, it wouldn't have been strange for the staff officer who submitted the plan to be kicked in the shins by his superior.
Of course, the Tin Knight didn't overthink it.
It was the nature of a player to be able to leisurely defeat a demon king with nothing but a wooden club.
The Tin Knight firmly believed that it was the law of games that if you just beat up everything in sight, a big one would eventually pop out and the main story would progress.
Leaving the party to prepare for sleep, the Tin Knight walked straight ahead.
There was no great significance to walking in a straight line.
He wasn't entirely without the thought that a straight line of footprints would make it easier to return without getting lost, but that was a secondary concern.
Rather, it was more like the game of repeatedly stepping only on paving stones of a certain color while walking down the street.
The kind of thing that's unnecessary and meaningless, but for some reason, you feel proud after doing it.
A wild forest was not an environment conducive to walking in such a manner, but the Tin Knight didn't care.
He had the all-purpose, versatile resource of mana.
If there were tall reeds, he cut them down.
If there were tangled thorn bushes, he cut them down.
If there was a large tree, he cut that down too.
In the past, doing this would have immediately caused him to collapse from mana exhaustion, but thanks to the modification, or restoration, he received in Tik-Tok, his mana efficiency was greatly improved, so it wasn't a big problem.
Occasionally, wild beasts or magic beasts would block his path, but even then, the game of moving only in a straight line continued.
Still, he couldn't only move forward, so he occasionally moved backward, but the rule of only moving forward and backward, not side to side, was maintained.
The head of a wild boar that tried to ram the Tin Knight was split open.
A snake that tried to bite the Tin Knight's ankle was flattened like dried fish jerky.
A bear that tried to take down the Tin Knight with one punch was instead knocked down by a single shield bash.
The Tin Knight, in a cheerful, humming mood, grabbed the bear's leg and began to drag it along.
This was because it was the largest monster (including magic beasts, animals, etc.) he had hunted so far.
It was then that it happened.
-Grrrrrrr!
Making a sound like the disciples of the Tik-Tok dojo, a pack of beasts surrounded the Tin Knight.
Tawny fur. A flexible yet muscular body. Four legs that stepped softly on the ground and a long tail.
They looked roughly like feline predators, but the Tin Knight couldn't distinguish the specific breed.
It would have been very convenient if a health gauge, level, and name were displayed above their heads, but unfortunately, there was no such function.
However, that didn't mean the Tin Knight was completely ignorant about the beasts before him.
Even if he as a player didn't know, he as the Tin Knight fully understood how strong the opponent was.
And for good reason, as the one that appeared to be the leader of the beasts had an extraordinary appearance.
A build that looked like it could swallow a bear's head in one bite. Fur that was a distinctly deeper green than its kin.
And on top of that, mana clung to its teeth and claws like sword energy, not just enveloping its entire body.
The Tin Knight nodded.
He was delighted that his idea—that if he just kept slaughtering mobs, he would eventually reach the boss—was correct.
The Tin Knight was incapable of guessing that they had only appeared out of caution because some madman reeking of blood had wandered into their territory.
-Ghhk-rurrr!
The beast that appeared to be the leader let out a roar.
Unlike its healthy appearance, its cry was unusually hoarse and cracked compared to its kin.
However, the pack of beasts responded faithfully to its command.
Both legs, arms, and the nape of the neck.
It was a coordinated attack where a bite to any one spot would be a fatal wound, or a stepping stone leading to one.
And the Tin Knight met that attack head-on without moving from his spot.
He swung his sword, splitting a gaping maw in two, and crushed an enemy's skull with the edge of his shield.
The 'grrr' sound was similar between the Tik-Tok disciples and these beasts, but unlike the disciples who had to be beaten several times, the beasts were not given a second chance.
Because the disciples were subjects to be taught, but the beasts were not.
The beasts died with every strike, but due to their sheer numbers, some managed to reach the Tin Knight.
Crunch! Sharp teeth bit down and clung to the Tin Knight's limbs.
An attack that would have led to serious injury had his body been made of flesh and blood.
But for the Tin Knight, with his body made of a lump of metal, it was a futile attack.
The beasts' teeth couldn't pierce the Tin Knight's metal armor; instead, their teeth broke or their gums started to bleed.
The Tin Knight calmly swung his limbs, eliminating them as well.
Of course, even while doing so, he did not let down his guard against the boss.
When the Tin Knight showed no openings despite the harassment from the minions, the boss finally stepped forward.
With a hoarse cry that sounded like phlegm boiling, a massive yet swift strike descended upon the Tin Knight.
Even against an attack imbued with heavy weight and sharp claw energy, the Tin Knight did not waver.
His mana-infused shield deflected most of the attack's power, and in return, the Tin Knight's sword cut deeply into the boss's body.
The boss, flustered, created distance.
The boss prepared for the next attack, but strangely, the Tin Knight did not pursue.
The boss, though puzzled, tried to attack again, and the same thing happened.
The Tin Knight's defense was like a great mountain; it seemed it wouldn't budge no matter how fiercely it was assaulted.
But the boss did not give up.
For some reason, the Tin Knight seemed unable to move from his position.
No matter how strong an opponent was, if their feet were tied, there was a way to win.
The boss ordered its minions to attack, while it repeated shallow hit-and-run attacks without committing deeply.
The Tin Knight's body was still unharmed, but fine scratches appeared on his shield, and the aura surrounding his body could be seen gradually weakening.
Just as the boss became convinced it could win if things continued this way, the Tin Knight's right arm, struck by a minion's paw, dropped the sword.
The boss did not miss the moment the Tin Knight's posture lowered as if he were collapsing.
The moment a full-powered strike was swung towards the Tin Knight's head.
WHACK!
A surprise attack from a blind spot slammed into the boss.
Like a fly swatted by a flyswatter, the boss couldn't regain its senses and tumbled across the ground.
And then the boss saw it.
The Tin Knight's right hand, which had just dropped the sword and touched the ground as his posture broke.
Clutched in that right hand was the corpse of a giant bear.
If the boss could have spoken human words, it would have expressed its bewilderment with a single 'Huh?', but unfortunately, that was impossible.
Both in the sense that it couldn't speak human words, and in the sense that the Tin Knight wouldn't give it a chance to say anything else.
KABOOOM!
Grabbing the bear's legs with both hands, the Tin Knight slammed it down on the boss with all his might.
The sheer weight and momentum alone were not to be ignored, but as if that weren't enough, he was swinging it with mana infused into it, making the corpse itself no different from a giant mace.
The first strike broke the boss's limbs, the second crushed its chest, and the third pulverized its head.
After confirming the boss's death, the Tin Knight casually tossed aside the bear corpse and newly equipped(?) the boss's corpse.
Seeing the boss's corpse equipped by the Tin Knight, the remaining beasts seemed to take fright and began to flee hastily.
The Tin Knight did not chase after them.
He looked down at his own feet.
And then, he nodded.
It was the satisfaction of not having broken his rule of only moving forward and backward, not side to side.
Dragging the new boss monster's body, the Tin Knight resumed his straight-line advance.
But things in this world are never that easy.
Another formidable enemy blocked the Tin Knight's path.
Something that was not grass, nor tree, nor beast.
That's right.
It was a giant rock.
A rock that appeared to be about five times the size of the Tin Knight.
The Tin Knight agonized.
Common sense dictated that the wise thing to do here was to go around it, or at the very least, climb over it.
However, the Tin Knight did not want to do that.
A game, once started, must be seen through to the end.
As if to prove that nothing could stop his straight path, the Tin Knight began to gather power in the boss's corpse he held in his hands.
CR-AAAAACK!
*
An encroaching chill that seeped into her entire body woke Dorothea from her sleep.
When she pushed off the blanket wrapped around her, a pile of leaves that had accumulated on top cascaded off.
It seemed that despite her efforts to stay warm, it wasn't enough to overcome the cold night air.
They had managed to find the ingredients for the insect repellent magic right before bed, but the party had failed to acquire the catalyst needed for the magic to drive away cold and moisture.
She had thought they could manage for one night with the spare clothes and blankets the Tin Knight had retrieved, but when she actually tried to sleep, the conditions were more uncomfortable than she had imagined.
‘…I feel like I used to sleep just fine in situations worse than this. I guess I'm not used to it anymore after sleeping in the carriage all the time.’
Judging that forcing herself to sleep would only leave her in terrible shape the next day, Dorothea sat up.
Turning her head to the side, she saw Adel and Sophia huddled together like a single lump.
To be precise, Adel was curled up like a cat on top of Sophia, who was lying on the ground.
“What are you two doing?”
To Dorothea's dumbfounded question, the cushion on the floor—no, Sophia—answered.
“The weather must be cold, as Lady Adel was having trouble sleeping. She was rolling around on the ground with a pained look, going 'Ugh...', so I absentmindedly reached out a hand, and before I knew it, we were like this.”
“You didn't explain the important part at all. And can you even keep watch in that state?”
“Of course, I can. If I just put my mind to it, like so. Oh? Hmm. I can't seem to get up.”
“You're really useless in so many ways.”
Dorothea shook her head.
‘Well, it is cold, so I guess Adel just clung to something warm nearby… huh?’
A sudden question occurred to Dorothea, and she asked.
“But do you even have body heat?”
“I'm a bit on the cool side, but I have as much as I need.”
“A vampire?”
“Well, there's no rule that says vampires must have no body heat.”
“No, well, if you say so.”
Dorothea thought for a moment about Sophia.
Sunlight doesn't work on her. Running water has no effect. Even if her heart is pierced or her head is cut off, far from dying, she revives just fine.
Somehow, she seemed to have overcome all the so-called ‘vampire weaknesses’ that Dorothea knew.
She had even rarely demanded to drink blood—an act that should be essential for a vampire—after taking a small sip to recover a minimum of her strength when she was extremely weakened from her long sealing.
At this rate, she was less like a vampire and more like a separate, superior being that had improved upon those weaknesses…
“Um, Miss Dorothea, would you mind getting Lady Adel off me? Contrary to her appearance, her clinging strength is quite powerful, and I can't budge an inch.”
…It seemed she was just imagining things after all.
What kind of superior being can't even get a little kid off of them?
Ignoring Sophia, who was calmly requesting rescue while saying, ‘My limbs are starting to go numb from being crushed for several hours,’ Dorothea scanned her surroundings again and spotted the Tin Knight trudging toward them from a distance.
Seeing him dragging something, she initially thought he had brought back a new corpse as ordered, but she couldn't help but tilt her head in confusion.
“What is that?”
Something that was probably… a mammal was being held in the Tin Knight's hand.
If you were to ask why it was a guess and not a certainty, it was because the thing was so mangled and pulped that it was difficult to recognize its original form.
It was impossible to even distinguish what was bone, what was fur, and what was entrails.
Moreover, the Tin Knight's body was covered in blood and dirt, and the mana she had sent him off with, fully charged, was now at a critical level.
[The 'Tin Knight' sadly reports that he could not win!]
[The 'Tin Knight' bitterly admits that he still has much to improve!]
Seeing him so noticeably dejected, unlike his usual self, Dorothea was a little taken aback.
“Uh, well. So what if you lost once? You can just win next time.”
[The 'Tin Knight' is moved by Dorothea's consolation!]
“…Tsk.”
Dorothea, scratching her head awkwardly, changed the subject.
“More importantly, who was your opponent?”
Her voice held a hint of tension and caution.
It meant that an enemy strong enough for the Tin Knight, their strongest asset, to admit defeat was somewhere in The Garden.
They might even have to revise their plan to collect catalysts here.
[The 'Tin Knight' sorrowfully reports that he was defeated by a rock that blocked his straight path!]
[The 'Tin Knight' laments that he ground away 70% of its total surface area, but his weapon and mana could not hold out any longer!]
[The 'Tin Knight' steels his resolve, vowing not to lose next time!]
“……”
Dorothea fell silent.
She blinked a couple of times.
Tilted her head to the side.
And stared blankly at the moon in the sky for about five seconds.
CLAAAAANG!!
The cheerful sound of something striking the Tin Knight's head echoed throughout The Garden.