Chapter 8: Towards the Elf Village
The next morning, after finishing breakfast early, we set off once again along the highway towards Euron. I had Lady Hofena ride in the backpack from the start, urging everyone to walk at a brisk pace.
“Do you think someone is after my life again, Lord Soushi?” Shizuna asked as we walked.
“I believe there’s a possibility. If the circumstances surrounding this incident are as I suspect, it would be wise not to let our guard down until your innocence is officially established, Shizuna.”
“I see… It seems I’ve been caught up in a troublesome scheme.”
“But I think it’s impressive that you’re aware of such plots, Soushi. I’ve been so busy making medicine and treating patients that I haven’t had the luxury to think about anything else.”
Lady Hofena chimed in from behind me.
“Everyone has their own role to play. I can’t cure a plague, and that’s perfectly fine. Besides, I can’t even be sure if my thoughts are correct.”
“Yet, an assassination attempt has indeed been made, hasn’t it? At this point, that suggests your reasoning is sound.”
“To be honest, I’d prefer it if I were wrong. Being right means we’re likely to face more trouble ahead.”
That’s precisely why we were walking quickly, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that the ‘Bad Luck’ skill was about to make its presence known.
After all, there had been someone following us at a consistent distance for a while now. It was unlikely that a traveler would keep pace with adventurers, so it was clear they had some business with us.
“Hey, Soushi, I smell something strange up ahead. It’s similar to that Golem scent from before,” Larni said.
Her words were almost exactly what I expected. After all, none of the items belonging to the three members of Shizuna’s party had been related to Golem summoning. This meant it was almost certain that someone else was behind the summoning.
“Sfenia, keep an eye on the movements of the person behind us. If they make a move, feel free to attack. Frei, prepare ‘Divine Light.’ After that, I’ll need you and Shizuna to set up a ‘Barrier.’”
“Understood.”
“Yes, Lord Soushi.”
“What’s this? Do you all want me dead that badly?” Shizuna quipped.
“Seems that way. Shizuna, stay close to Lady Hofena.”
As we continued down the highway, a light tremor shook the ground, and the earth beside us began to rise dramatically.
What emerged from the ground was indeed a ‘Flesh Golem,’ but this time it was humanoid rather than crocodilian. Standing about five meters tall, its lower body was thick, likely for stability, which made its movements appear sluggish. However, its long arms meant we had to be cautious of its reach.
“‘Divine Light’ is ready,” Frei declared.
With her words, light enveloped the area. I always thought it was a tremendous advantage to weaken our foes right from the start.
Sfenia was focused on the person behind us, so this time there would be no magical support.
“Larni, look for an opening to attack its extremities. Don’t pursue too far if you get caught; it could be dangerous.”
“Got it!”
I stepped forward to face the Golem directly. As I braced myself, it came at me with a powerful kick from its thick leg.
I met that heavy blow head-on with my shield. Thanks to the ‘Stability,’ ‘Immovable,’ and ‘Steel Core’ skills, I only staggered back about a meter. Even so, the impact was considerable, making it difficult to counterattack.
“Here I go!”
Seizing the opportunity, Larni leaped up using ‘Swift Run’ and ‘Jump,’ slashing at the Golem’s arm with her flaming sword. While she couldn’t sever it completely, the Golem roared, indicating she had dealt significant damage.
The Golem attempted to strike Larni with its opposite arm, but she had already landed and dodged with a backstep.
I took advantage of that moment to dash towards the Golem’s feet. Thanks to the ‘Agility +1’ accessory, my movements were noticeably quicker. I swung my mace down at its thick leg, shattering the lower half.
“Grrroooaaar!”
With a growl, the Golem swung its arm at me. I raised my shield to block it, but I still knelt from the force.
“Now!”
Larni jumped again, attacking the previously slashed area, successfully severing the arm this time.
However, it seemed the Golem had been waiting for this moment, extending its remaining arm towards Larni, who was still airborne…
“Too slow!”
Using ‘Space Kick,’ Larni executed a double jump, quickly creating distance. It appeared her experience from the previous battle was paying off.
I regained my stance and struck the Golem’s leg once more. Its knee shattered completely, causing the Golem to lose its balance and fall.
Even as it lay face down, the Golem reached out towards me, but I smashed its arm with my mace, causing it to explode. I turned to see Larni on the Golem’s back, plunging her flaming sword into its skull.
The Golem belched flames from its eyes, nose, and mouth, but it continued to struggle for a while before collapsing like a marionette with its strings cut.
“Phew, we did it!”
“Yeah, that was a solid hit. Your aerial evasion was impressive too.”
“Hehe, I need to make sure I don’t repeat the same mistakes.”
As I praised Larni for her stellar performance, I returned to Frei and the others.
“Hmmm, so this is what D-Rank adventurers are like. Your movements are entirely different. I feel like I can’t even compare,” Shizuna remarked, impressed.
However, I suspected we were exceptionally strong for D-Rank adventurers. Still, as a former Japanese, I hesitated to voice that thought.
“Well, yes… By the way, Sfenia, what about the person behind us?”
Sfenia had been staring into the distance, but when I called out to her, she exhaled and turned to face me.
“The person who was following us seems to have left after witnessing the Golem’s defeat.”
“I see… It’s clear they were involved. Did you catch a glimpse of what kind of person they were?”
“They appeared to be a slender man, but his face was obscured, so I couldn’t see much more…”
“Even that much is impressive from this distance. I hope they decide to give up now.”
“Once we enter Euron and hand Shizuna over to the viscount, they likely won’t make any further moves. Anatoria is with the viscount, after all.”
“True enough. Let’s dispose of the Golem’s remains and move on as quickly as possible.”
We extracted the Magic Stone from the massive Golem and gathered its remains, asking Sfenia to incinerate them with her magic. Finally, we finished up with Frei’s ‘Purification’ and departed from the scene.
However, it was astonishing to think that someone could control such a massive Golem. But could such a person remain nameless?
If they were a well-known individual, wouldn’t they do everything in their power to complete their mission? Despite these concerns, the rest of our journey was uneventful, and we arrived in the town of Euron by midday the following day.