Four Guys’ Subjugation Journey ②
Having passed through the Kurutta Plateau and Sanzan’na Cave, we’re now in the Oobora Wetlands. Eerie, drooping trees grow thickly, making it dim, and the ground underfoot is muddy and awful.
“You guys, be careful. Something’s here!”
Seriously? At Agaro’s warning, I draw my sword and stay alert.
Suddenly, the swamp water diagonally beside Hoss bulged slightly. Something’s there.
“Hoss, beside you!”
“What the—?! Guwaaah!”
Something leaped out of the swamp with its mouth wide open and lunged at Hoss.
He instantly blocked it with his halberd, and I slashed at it. It fell back into the swamp as if repelled.
“Are you okay?”
“That was close. Ya saved me.”
“Is this a Swamp Crocodile?”
It was a crocodile about half the size of a normal one. Since they lurk in swamps, they’re called Swamp Crocodiles.
Moreover, Swamp Crocodiles aren’t Monsters. They’re actually animals.
Honestly, without using a Relic, I can’t tell the difference between Monsters and animals.
Well, I just assume it’s a Monster if it has lots of eyes or something.
“Good thing it wasn’t a Swamp Shark.”
“So Swamp Sharks are Monsters, then?” Rell asks.
“Hoss. Are Swamp Crocodiles edible?”
“Takes time to get the mud out.”
“Alright, you lot. Let’s get out of here quickly. Spending a night in a place like this is out of the question.”
Indeed, I didn’t want to spend the night in a place like this.
We proceed, holding up lanterns.
“A swamp, huh. My Eighth Sister once said my Fifth Sister was ‘stuck in a swamp,’ but I didn’t understand what she meant. Still don’t.”
“What could that mean? Probably nothin’ good.”
“I’ve heard that expression before. Apparently, being ‘stuck in a swamp’ means being completely absorbed in a hobby.”
“I see. But I don’t know what my Fifth Sister’s hobby is.”
“It’s rare for you not to know somethin’, Rell.”
“Only that ‘roses bloom’ or ‘lilies bloom’…”
“What’s that? Flowers?”
“Like flowerbeds or gardens?”
Such a girly hobby, how heartwarming.
“…I think I’ve heard that too,” Agaro says.
“You know what it means?”
“I overheard Megadia talking about… how men together are ‘roses’ and women together are ‘lilies,’ but I have no idea what she meant. Do you guys get it?”
“No clue at all.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Isn’t it about flowers?”
Hmmmm, we all tilted our heads. It’s a mystery. This is why women are so hard to understand.
After that, we eliminated several more Swamp Crocodiles and encountered and fought a group of Swamp Goblins and Trolls.
Having wiped them out, we finally took a break. Just as the sun began to set, we finally made it out of the wetlands.
Beyond the wetlands lay a Forest. And then, the Misty Valley.
Tonight, we’ll camp in this Forest. The setup is almost the same as yesterday.
Unlike the wetlands, it’s quiet here, with a faint mist drifting through the air.
That’s because the valley is close.
“It’s ready. Mushroom and herb soup, grilled meat, and bread beans.”
“Ooh, looks delicious.”
The grilled meat was wrapped in large leaves.
The mushroom soup contained many different kinds of mushrooms.
“Made plenty, so eat up. Also, Agaro said he wanted a snack for his booze, so I whipped this up.”
“Oh? What’s this?”
“Crushed beans and nuts mixed with seasoning and stir-fried.”
“Hoh, it’s crunchy and tasty.”
Agaro immediately picks some up and eats it.
Let’s eat too.
“It’s mixed into the grilled meat too.”
Eating it with the bread beans, this grilled meat is delicious.
“Hoss. This grilled meat. What kind of meat is it?”
“It’s Mad Edge.”
“Eh…? That… rabbit from the Kurutta Plateau?”
“It tastes different from rabbit meat. More like pork,” Rell remarks, cutting the grilled meat on his own expensive-looking plate with his own knife and fork.
Seeing things like this reminds me he’s well-bred, a noble.
Well, ignoring the Mad Edge’s appearance, the meat is tasty. And the meat itself hasn’t done anything wrong.
Munch munch. “That happens a lot with Monsters, doesn’t it?”
It’s quite common for their appearance and taste to differ.
I was surprised when a deer Monster called a Water Elk tasted like tomatoes after I defeated it.
Rell murmurs absently.
“Different from her appearance, huh. My Sixth Sister is a mercenary. Right now, she’s serving as a guard for the Marquis Tasan Family.”
“The Marquis Tasan Family? You mean that major noble family?”
“That’s amazin’.”
“Hoh. But a mercenary? That’s unusual,” Agaro mutters. Indeed, in this day and age, it’s all about Seekers.
The mercenary profession still exists, but it’s mostly become a hollow shell.
“Yeah, she didn’t become a Seeker.”
“Why not?”
“Because she’s scared of Dungeons. She also really hates Undead in general. That’s why she’s the only one who hasn’t been to our Thirteenth Sister’s room—the Underground Crypt.”
“She’s scared of Dungeons because she hates Undead?”
Undead are Monsters only found in Dungeons.
If you don’t enter a Dungeon, you won’t encounter them.
“That’s part of it, but also because they’re cramped and dark.”
“Is that sister of yours a kid or somethin’?”
“And yet she’s a mercenary. That’s pretty interesting.”
“She likes fighting, though. That’s why she’s strong.”
“Well yeah, she must be strong if she’s guarding the Marquis Tasan Family.”
“What’s with almost all of your sisters bein’ so warlike, Rell?”
“No, no, my Fourteenth Sister isn’t like that. She has a quiet personality and excels at hand-to-hand combat.”
“Excellin’ at combat still sounds pretty warlike to me.”
“Also, I’ve been wondering for a while now, but is it really okay to tell us all this about your sisters?”
“It’s fine. It’s not like you guys will ever meet them anyway,” Rell says confidently. Well, it’s true I have no intention of meeting them. Hoss feels the same.
We finished eating while chatting like that, just as Rell was about to stand up for watch duty.
“Alright. Let’s talk about tomorrow. As you probably know, tomorrow we enter the Misty Valley and subjugate the Great Magic Sword Rhino.”
“…May I ask something?”
“What is it, Ax?”
“I was meaning to ask before the subjugation. Why are you doing this Great Magic Sword Rhino subjugation for us?”
“About that… have you guys ever fought a Monster or enemy wielding OOPArts?”
We looked at each other.
“Nope, never.”
“Haven’t.”
“I haven’t.”
Come to think of it, we’ve fought Monsters and enemies that use Relics.
But we have no combat experience against Monsters or enemies possessing OOPArts—so that’s why.
“Is it so we can gain experience fighting an opponent with OOPArts here?”
“Yeah, pretty much. An opponent with OOPArts that can adapt to Relics. As you guys raise your ranks, you’ll be exploring deeper floors, right? It’ll become common to find Monsters among them that possess OOPArts. Like humanoid Monsters and such.”
“…And that’s why it’s Gold Rank Middle Tier?”
“Well, it was a conveniently timed request. Besides, you’ll learn more watching from above, right?”
“Hmm. That makes sense. My Seventh Sister almost died fighting a Gold Rank Lower Tier one-on-one.”
“That makes no sense at all!”
Fighting a Gold Rank one-on-one is just too reckless.
“Well, we’ve come this far. Might as well learn all we can.”
“Right. The Great Magic Sword Rhino. What kind of Relic does it possess?”
“Ah, about that—we won’t know until we fight it.”
“It ain’t decided?”
Normally, the type of Relic is determined by the Monster species.
Thunder Horses have lightning attribute Relics. Fire Bears have fire attributes.
“We won’t know what Relic the Great Magic Sword Rhino has until we clash with it directly. That’s how it usually is with Gold Rank Monsters.”
“That’s how it is…?”
“Suppose so.”
“Hmm.”
Even we were bewildered and anxious now.
Agaro takes a drink of his alcohol and gives a wry smile.
“Oi, oi. You guys aren’t the main fighters here. You’re strictly support. Back us up properly, got it?”
“Understood.”
“Right.”
“Guess we gotta do it.”
No, no. I really need to get fired up for tomorrow.
And so the discussion ended, and we took turns keeping watch until the next day.
The thin mist constantly drifting through the Forest flowed in from the Misty Valley.
The Misty Valley lies just beyond this Forest.
Legend says it’s a valley ruled by the Supreme Treasure-class Monster, Mistranda.
“Alright, let’s go. Don’t let your guard down.”
With Agaro in the lead, we entered the valley. We proceeded cautiously, weapons in hand.
The valley floor was strange, with nothing but murky blue walls and rocks. The ground we trod on was also a hard, murky blue.
“Is it gettin’ thicker?”
“The mist is gradually getting deeper.”
“Well, it is the Misty Valley.”
“…Stop.”
We halted.
Agaro signaled with his hand, and when we looked in that direction… there it was.
A rhino. A rhino with a bizarre horn stood there.
It was so large we had to look up; it seemed about two stories tall.
Its body was a dull blue color. And its horn was incredible.
The horn was a thick, towering, straight blade, glowing white, occupying nearly half its head.
It looked exactly like a giant sword embedded there.
The Great Magic Sword Rhino.
They say the horn on its forehead is adapted with OOPArts.
“Is that it?”
“Gold Rank Middle Tier…?”
“……”
It hadn’t noticed us yet. There was still some distance.
Despite that, I felt its pressure. I could tell it was emitting an overwhelming presence.
Is this a Monster? It’s just like Agaro during training.
“Fang of Thunder. I’ll take the lead. You guys do what you always do.”
Laughing as he said that, Agaro drew his Flame Tongue while walking towards the Great Magic Sword Rhino.
A saber, swollen and curved like a tongue.
An OOPArts adapted to Agaro’s [Ruin] Relic. The [Ruinblade] itself.
At that moment, we were glared at sharply.
The Great Magic Sword Rhino’s single black eye looked at us.
It was then I realized I had been greatly mistaken.
The Great Magic Sword Rhino hadn’t just noticed us now. It had sensed us from the very beginning.
It had been issuing a warning.
Vmooooohhh
It let out a low groan.
The Great Magic Sword Rhino turned to face Agaro, raising its horn… the Great Magic Sword, as if showing it off.
What? The Great Magic Sword looks blurry.
“Alright, let’s kill it.”
Agaro’s Flame Tongue gradually turned red.
Vmooooohhh!!
The Great Magic Sword Rhino roared, its massive body trembling as it raised its upper body.
Without pause, it swung the Great Magic Sword up and brought it down at a slight angle.
The ground shook for an instant where it struck, and a slash flew out in an arc. Agaro instantly dodged and rolled away.
The hard, murky blue ground was split open.
“I see. So that’s its Relic.”
Agaro stood up, holding his bright red Flame Tongue in both hands.
This time, the Great Magic Sword Rhino lightly shook its head. The Great Magic Sword swayed, sending several small slashes flying.
“Annoying!”
When Agaro swung his Flame Tongue, flames spread out like a wall. There was the sound of something being repelled.
It was the sound of the slashes hitting the wall of fire.
Vmomoooohhhhooo!!
“Fang of Thunder! I’m counting on you for support!”
Agaro shouted and leaped, swinging his Flame Tongue from directly in front of the Great Magic Sword Rhino.
Black flames danced. It was the flame of annihilation. The horn Great Magic Sword and the Flame Tongue clashed violently.
“Nuoohhhhh!!”
Vmooooooooohhhhh!!
The Flame Tongue’s flame of annihilation cracked the Great Magic Sword.
He’s pushing it back. We can win! No, what’s this? The Great Magic Sword shone intensely.
“Uoohh!?”
Agaro closed his eyes, and seizing that opening, the Great Magic Sword Rhino swung its Great Magic Sword high.
Taking a direct hit from the blade, Agaro was sent flying.
He crashed into the wall high up, fell, and disappeared from view.
“Mr. Agaro!?”
Vmoooooooohhhhhh!!
The Great Magic Sword Rhino raised its upper body high and swung its Great Magic Sword higher and higher. This is bad.
The moment it swung down, a single arrow struck the side of the Great Magic Sword’s blade, causing an impact.
Vmomooohhh!!
The Great Magic Sword Rhino staggered. Surprised, I turned around to see Rell firing a second arrow.
It hit the Great Magic Sword Rhino’s head, generating an impact.
Impact Arrows?
Arrows with arrowheads made from Impact Stones, which cause the impact of a Legacy. Their power is high, but they are expensive and difficult to handle.
But even with two shockwaves, the Great Magic Sword Rhino kept its upper body raised. It’s tough.
Is this Gold Rank – Middle Tier?
“Taaahhh!”
Before I knew it, Hoss, who had circled around behind it, aimed for the Great Magic Sword Rhino’s leg with his Halberd.
Its blade inflicted a wound on the Great Magic Sword Rhino’s leg.
Vmomooooohhhhh!!!
The Great Magic Sword Rhino faltered.
“Ax. Go help Agaro.”
“O-Okay!”
Rell fired an Impact Arrow. It hit the Great Magic Sword, making it falter even more.
Hoss too wounded its leg with his Halberd. The Great Magic Sword Rhino swayed greatly.
While the two of them were keeping it busy, I searched for Agaro.
“Hey! Hey!”
“Mr. Agaro!?”
“Ax, over here!”
Looking towards the voice, I saw Agaro buried in rubble.
The wall he crashed into had cracked and crumbled, and it seems he got caught in it.
Fortunately, the rubble was something even I could move.
Even so, a crack in the wall… Following it with my eyes, it continued upwards. I could faintly see the top of the wall.
This… could it be?
Once I had cleared away a certain amount of rubble, Agaro crawled out. He sat down against the wall.
“Hah, haah… You saved me. Thanks. So, what about the Great Magic Sword Rhino?”
“Hoss and Rell are dealing with it.”
Even so, how long could they keep it up?
Agaro seemed to feel the same way. After checking himself for injuries, he stood up.
“Alright. Let’s hurry.”
“Wait— Mr. Agaro. I have an idea.”
“Oh? What is it? Let’s hear it.”
I explained the idea I’d thought of. When I finished, Agaro laughed.
“What do you think?”
“It’s interesting, and it certainly seems like it could work, but… during that time, Ax. Are you sure? Even if it’s just to buy time, you guys will have to deal with that thing alone.”
“We’ll be fine.”
We, the Fang of Thunder, will definitely pull it off.