Chapter 363: A Touch of Armor
I watched as Phonia, who had shrunk down while riding on Nil’s back, prepared for battle. Until yesterday, we had been taking turns dealing with the enemies that attacked us one after another, but today it was Phonia and Nil’s turn. It was indeed a turn, but…
“Well, it’s fine.”
“There are just a lot of them, so it should be okay.”
The enemies we had faced until now were elite fighters. The rabble gathered around this road were significantly weaker in comparison.
“Oh, it’s starting!”
Before long, a barrage of magical attacks was unleashed by the enemies. Their range seemed to be less than five hundred meters. I could see arrows flying in between, but only a few skilled archers had that kind of range.
That said, half-hearted attacks wouldn’t affect the TYPE Series. Even the lower-ranked TYPE Series had stats comparable to an A-rank Adventurer. Being metallic robots, their durability was top-notch.
“Wow, they’re not even putting up a fight.”
“Those monsters from the dungeon are just ridiculous…”
In some sections, loud explosions echoed, likely due to Phonia’s Fire Magic. Even without that, the TYPE Series were skillfully dodging the enemy’s ranged attacks and scattering the enemy soldiers with flair.
Within thirty minutes, the sounds of battle quieted down. It seemed some enemy soldiers had put up a decent fight, as one TYPE Series had fallen in battle. However, the enemy was literally annihilated. It’s said that a unit is considered wiped out if thirty percent are defeated, but it’s not that simple.
“Welcome back!”
“I’m back!”
“Are you hurt?”
“Nope! I’m fine!”
As the TYPE Series returned one after another, Phonia, still beaming, came back riding on Nil.
“By the way, what’s that?”
I pointed to what Nil was holding in its mouth, which was tossed to the ground with a thud, followed by a groan of “Gueh.”
“Well, it was wearing a pretty impressive armor compared to the others, so I brought it along.”
“Nice job!”
After patting Phonia’s head in approval, I praised Nil as well, giving it a fluffy rub. The man who had been dropped to the ground turned pale as he saw the TYPE Series gathering around him.
Since it would be a shame to let our capture escape, I decided to encase him in a cage and hand him over to El. With her Appraisal Skill, combined with her Charm Skill, getting him to spill the beans about his superiors or employers wouldn’t be too difficult.
“Alright then, now that the TYPE Series are all here, shall we head out?”
“Yay!”
Phonia raised her hand energetically while still riding on Nil. It seemed she had no intention of getting down.
After sending the damaged TYPE Series back to the dungeon for repairs, I exchanged it for a new one. I figured I might as well bring the TYPE Series along for a visit to the Royal Capital’s castle.
“Are we just leaving that behind?”
After walking for a while, I noticed the sight of enemy soldiers sprawled out on the ground all around us.
“Ah, well…”
I held no grudge against the regular soldiers who were just following orders, but it would be unfortunate if monsters attacked them while they were defenseless.
“Let’s just heal them a bit. The rest is up to them.”
With a nod, Rio cast a wide-area Healing Magic. It seemed she made it visually impressive, as the enemy soldiers began to rise one after another, making it clear that they had been healed. If they dared to attack again, we would simply counter them once more.
“Haha, it seems like no one is coming at us anymore.”
Ivan, looking somewhat relieved yet still tense, let out a small laugh. While we posed no threat, the sight of a thousand people charging at him might have been a bit much for his heart.
“Shall we head straight to the castle once we reach the Royal Capital?”
“Yeah, I think starting at the castle would be good.”
As I replied to El, I considered that if we took down a big target first, the rest would be easier. Once they realized that their higher-ups had no influence, they would likely lose heart quickly.
Before long, the northern gate of the city came into view. It seemed there were no ordinary citizens lined up in front of the gate, likely because a unit was deployed there. However, a few curious onlookers could be seen scattered about.
Seeing the TYPE Series approaching, several of them hurriedly retreated into the city.
“Stop right there!”
Just before we could pass through the gate, a tense guard called out to us. There was no need for him to be so stiff; we were just passing through.
“Yes, yes.”
When I casually responded, he flinched and froze. Assuming he wanted to see my identification, I presented my Adventurer’s Certificate that hung around my neck.
“…Uh, yes, please go ahead… but, um, what’s with those imposing figures behind you?”
I wanted to doubt whether he had properly checked my Adventurer’s Certificate, but it seemed he remembered his duties after his initial surprise. The guard, still pale, glanced nervously at the TYPE Series behind us.
“…They’re Golems. Don’t worry, they’re under control.”
I hesitated for a moment on how to explain, but then recalled someone mentioning Golems, so I went with that. I also called over the dog-type TYPE Series behind us, making it sit and shake hands.
He returned a strained smile, but it seemed he was mostly convinced.
With that, we stepped into the Royal Capital.