In the Land of Leadale Vol. 5 Read online

  One went to the castle to seek the king’s guidance, and the gate commander used his own judgment to hire adventurers to scout the area and check the western trade routes. Fortunately, they caught up to the knights on patrol and informed the captain of both the situation and measures the commander had taken.

  The familiars of adventurer mages searching the area confirmed mixed groups of monsters, and similar reports came from other travelers as well. Realizing the situation was dire, top leaders held an emergency meeting and notified the entire capital to go on high alert. The High Priest’s approval expedited the process.

  Even the Adventurers Guild was called upon for service. Several parties were available, and about fifty people volunteered. Guard escorts were in high demand ever since the western trade routes reopened, and a considerable number of adventurers had answered the call. Fortunately, these groups had apparently avoided running into any hordes of monsters. The escorts guarding the attacked caravan had last departed from Felskeilo.

  The nobility sent their personal soldiers to defend the city, and the Academy’s master healers and apothecaries joined the main forces at their own risk as well.

  Mai-Mai, Academy headmistress, was conscripted by the knights since she had previous experience. High Priest Skargo, despite the opposition around him, chose to join his sister on the front lines. Kartatz, the boss of a large shipyard, had built barricades and a makeshift camp but brought his mace as well.

  “…Why are you both here?” Mai-Mai asked.

  “Hey, it’s times like this where I gotta show my stuff,” replied Kartatz.

  “Hmph,” said Skargo. “Injuries will happen regardless, so healers are essential.”

  Staff from the Academy, church, and workshop had all come together, and the hastily built stronghold was already overcrowded.

  “Looks like we’ve got the old A-team back.” Shining Saber, the knight captain who was commanding soldiers and knights alike, entered the packed central tent and looked around. He smiled awkwardly.

  “Oh, you’re just arriving now, Captain?”

  “As if I’m just gonna let the soldiers and knights run wild! Anyway, how’s the situation?”

  Question marks floated around Skargo, and Shining Saber answered his empty-headed comment with obvious irritation.

  The gate commander in charge of this zone rushed over to give an update.

  He reported the camp was still under construction, and the adventurers were using their familiars to reconfirm the scale on the monster horde. Shining Saber instructed the soldiers with him to help Kartatz and the others, and his second-in-command ordered the knights to either aid with the construction of the camp or deliver supplies to the main forces.

  As the soldiers and knights left in groups of twos and threes, Shining Saber gave a heavy sigh.

  “I’m too old for this…”

  “Isn’t it for the best? You must be tired of all the paperwork by now. This might even be a blessing in disguise.”

  “…Shut it.”

  Shining Saber made no attempt to hide the dejection his second-in command’s snide remarks wrought.

  “We don’t have many soldiers left to defend the city. The nobility’s personal guards are still around, but it’s a different chain of command. I dunno how we’re supposed to navigate that.”

  “The adventurers are away as well. It’s not ideal timing.”

  Complaints went flying now that their subordinates were out of earshot. As the two embarked on a hopelessly long tangent, Mai-Mai and Skargo exchanged strained smiles.

  The mages’ familiars confirmed the overall scale of the enemy forces in the early evening. The monsters and beasts were heading toward the national border. These included both predators like horned bears and prey such as rabbits. It was determined some artificial method might be forcing the creatures to go against their natural instincts. Since no one knew what might happen, a travel ban was enacted across the capital as a precaution.

  “Monsters and animals acting in groups? Have any giant monsters been sighted since the first victim?” Shining Saber questioned.

  “There’s been reports of goblins mixed in with wolves, bears, and rabbits, but no mention of anything particularly large,” replied the second-in-command.

  Their all-important mages had been defeated after only a few scouting trips. Sending out any more to collect evidence would be problematic. Mai-Mai raised her hand as the knights puzzled over their dilemma.

  “In that case, shall I dispatch a spirit?” she asked.

  This was a proposal by someone equal to Shining Saber. According to Cayna, Mai-Mai was raised to be a magic-attack specialist, so she could handle the task with no issue.

  “Hmph. I wasn’t aware you could use them, Mai-Mai,” Skargo said.

  “Come on, Skargo. Don’t assume I only specialize in Flame Magic. Mother taught me how to summon several spirits.”

  “I see. Well, that’s a relief. I’ll leave the matter up to you.”

  Skargo nodded with satisfaction, but Mai-Mai was two seconds from decking him when she saw dark clouds of anxiety roiling behind him. Everyone else secretly thought he would have deserved it.

  Mai-Mai’s Wind Spirit confirmed only monsters and beasts made up the enemy camp, but it unfortunately couldn’t tell if a giant monster was among them. Also, had the enemy’s numbers almost doubled since the initial reading?

  It took a full day to fortify the capital’s western gate. The following day, a barricade was erected a distance away from the city, and a basic defensive camp was laid out for students, priests, and patients. Volunteers were also heading to the battlefield, so those transported here would include the badly injured and lost causes.

  In addition, a main contingent of soldiers and knights was deployed to the front line, established several hours away. Bands of mercenaries and last-minute adventurers joined them, and the personal soldiers of the nobility were present as well. However, this last group made the adventurers uneasy.

  To prevent confusion in the chain of command, everyone was placed under the authority of the knight captain. However, the adventurers made sure they were allowed to flee if their lives were at risk. It was a situation where anything could go wrong. Meanwhile, Skargo and Mai-Mai remained in the rearguard, which obviously made a few people nervous.

  As morning dawned, a stream of reports came from their stronghold outside the city. All except the most urgent reports were handled by the second-in-command and sent to Captain Shining Saber. The dragoid had called upon Skargo and Mai-Mai and was presently conferring with them. As a combat engineer, Kartatz had his hands full constructing multiple barricades.

  The meeting discussed issues like transportation of the injured, first aid, and incorporating students who could cast magic.

  “First, our rearguard will carry out a preemptive strike on the monsters before falling back. Got it?”

  “There are many zealous youth, but we cannot simply throw them into a melee. Do keep this in mind.”

  “Do you really intend to join the front, Sir Skargo?”

  “I couldn’t possibly compare to Mother Dear, but I can cast defensive magic upon our forces. My only other option is to serve as a medic, but it is better to have none injured to begin with.”

  The High Priest’s presence on the front lines would raise morale, but it was undeniably dangerous. Still, the punch of a horned bear couldn’t leave so much as a scratch on either sibling, both of them at level 300.

  Only Shining Saber knew this, so everyone else begged Skargo to stay back. After all, whenever the High Priest made a rare speech before the people, he always gave the impression he was a sparkling, mewling, flowery mess.

  “Sheesh. I was really hopin’ my tenure wouldn’t include all-out war…”

  “Oh dear. That doesn’t sound much like the strong, brave Shining Saber I know,” Mai-Mai remarked.

  “Yeah, I’ve got strength and not much else. I’m used to leading the troops after all these years, but how was I supposed to know a war was gonna break out? We should just go out there already and shut those monsters down.”

  “Yes, I’m certain the three of us could take care of them. However, doing so would rob the knights of their purpose in life.”

  As Skargo, who had assigned master healer priests and sisters to each unit, offered his solemn opinion, the stronghold fell silent with an air of Wait, who is this guy?

  “What is it?! Why won’t either of you say anything?!”

  “…Huh? Well, y’know…”

  “Yes, I’m also wondering if he’s really my brother.”

  When Skargo’s mood suddenly plummeted and he began to retreat into a swirl of darkness, the two pulled him back and apologized: “It was a joke!” “Sorry ’bout that.” Skargo pouted sullenly—a rare sight any fan would have jumped at the chance to witness.

  The tension in the main camp had temporarily lifted, but Shining Saber’s next question quickly froze it back over.

  “Cayna still hasn’t replied yet. Did she even get my message…?”

  “Huh?”

  “What?”

  Skargo and Mai-Mai stared at Shining Saber blankly, and he explained how he had sent a Friend Message. The shocked pair flew off the handle.

  “Y-you asked Mother for backup?!”

  “How could you…? Are you trying to disrupt Mother Dear’s peaceful existence?!”

  “Um, she’s an adventurer. What’s wrong with askin’ for some help?”

  The siblings with a shared mother complex shot the baffled Shining Saber a look that could kill. Skargo in particular had the word shiver shaking and writhing behind him. The dragoid could practically feel the resentment rolling off him.

  As the second-in-command approached them, he tilted
his head at the perilous atmosphere but reported to his captain nonetheless.

  “The front lines have sighted the horde. Everyone, please take your positions. Furthermore, we have received a strange report from the lookout tower on the city’s southern wall.”

  “‘Strange’? What’s so strange about it?”

  “It appears someone or something is fighting in the southern forest.”

  “What? Wait, hold on. How do you know someone’s fightin’ there?”

  The southern wall had no gate, but the fields just outside the city sustained the poor living there. The surrounding area was covered in trees, however, so it was impossible to know what was happening inside the forest from atop the city walls.

  “It seems they reported howling from the forest and witnessed several unnatural bolts of lightning.”

  The three immediately frowned at the news and glanced at one another.

  “That must be Mother, right?”

  “Yes, it is surely Mother Dear.”

  “Why’s she fightin’ on her own? She didn’t even stop by…”

  Gripping his head, Shining Saber left the second-in-command behind and readied his army for the front. Skargo and Mai-Mai, who knew their mother well, sent out a notice to avoid the south if anyone wished to dodge her line of fire. After all, one could only guess how much damage Cayna’s most powerful magic attacks inflicted.

  Several hours earlier…

  Cayna teleported just outside Felskeilo’s east gate. Kuu still clung to her shoulder but hid under her cloak to avoid a repeat of the commotion in the village. The capital was on high alert, but the gates remained open. Soldiers were swiftly urging travelers and carriages to take refuge in the city, but the process seemed to be going poorly.

  This was mostly because everyone was staring up at the membraned reptiles flying overhead.

  “A ptera…?”

  Part of the Dinosaur Series, these monsters were commonly used in events back in the Game Era. Pteras were usually born from the mana-dense fossils excavated in mines and dungeons, and the strength of a single specimen could range between level 300 and level 500. The story behind its reappearance and subsequent attack on a town would always begin with some rich fossil enthusiast whose mansion was destroyed from the inside out by dinosaur monsters. It was an incredibly annoying setup.

  Pteras were modeled after the Pteranodon, a genus of the pterosaur. However, unlike the ones in the movies, it was about the size of a horse. There were five here, which was more than enough to pose a serious threat to people. The average soldier was no match for them, either. As the soldiers led travelers into the city, they unsuccessfully jabbed their spears at the pteras attacking from above.

  After carefully reviewing the situation, Cayna cast magic on the assailants.

  Magic Skill: Wind Cutter Zanza Shot: Ready Set

  Circular saw disks emanated from the hand above her head. Twenty, to be exact.

  “Slice!”

  On her signal, the four wind saucers converged on one ptera each and instantly chopped them to bits. Leaving no time for even a shriek, the gale storm tossed the monsters like leaves on the wind. Pieces of flesh falling to the ground dissolved in midair.

  “Oh, thank you! Are you an adventurer? We really owe you one,” the soldiers, who could only wave the dinosaurs off with their spears, exclaimed gratefully. There were a few injuries among them, but none were life-threatening. Some travelers and merchants unable to escape into the city had fallen victim to the monsters, and the thick scent of blood wafted by. Even those who did find shelter in the town walls undoubtedly had trouble avoiding an attack from above unless they ran into a building.

  Cayna had bigger priorities, though, so she asked the soldiers which direction the pteras came from.

  “You’re asking where those things came from?”

  “Yes. Do you know?”

  “We need to hold a service for the victims first. Help us bring them inside the gate, if you would.”

  “There’s no time! Where did they come from?”

  “R-right.”

  “You seem to be in a rush. Might I ask why?”

  Cayna’s intensity left the head gatekeeper at a loss for words. The soldiers who arrived from the city as backup tore her away from him.

  “The pteras… Those flying monsters just now were a vanguard. While you’re busy hanging out, their main forces are headed this way—including dinosaurs!”

  “““What?!”””

  Tension raced through the soldiers, who had failed to defend against the monsters the first time. By main forces, it was obvious more powerful foes were on the horizon. They didn’t stand a chance.

  In the Dinosaur Series, the pteras acted as the vanguard while tyrannos and triceras made up the main offense. Cayna wasn’t sure where they all came from, but the Abandoned Capital was a good guess based on what Cohral told her earlier. As former game enemies, any average soldier would be trampled by the level difference.

  “I don’t know the details, but they came from the south. Will that suffice?”

  “Yes. Thank you very much.”

  “What will you do with that information?”

  “Beat the livin’ daylights out of their main unit.”

  The soldiers’ faces twisted in shock as Cayna smashed her fists together and cracked her knuckles. She was terribly violent for such a sweet-looking girl.

  “I wish we could help you, but a horde of monsters is heading for Felskeilo’s western gate. We can’t leave this post. I’m sorry…”

  “I see. From the west, huh? And who’s handling that?”

  The commander bowed his head and roughly informed Cayna about the request for Shining Saber’s reinforcements. Once he arrived, the dragoid would be able to clean things up quickly as long as the monsters weren’t too high level. If he didn’t arrive, it meant he either got weighed down by the knight system or was surprisingly dedicated to his position.

  “We have the knights in addition to adventurers still in the city. Many others are also fighting alongside us… Oh, yes, I hear the High Priest Skargo has also joined the front lines.”

  “What?!”

  The commander didn’t criticize her cry of disbelief. He must have mistakenly assumed her heart hurt at the thought of the High Priest participating in battle.

  In truth, Cayna simply hadn’t expected to hear her son’s name and instinctively tensed.

  If Shining Saber has Skargo, maybe he won’t need me?

  “If the knights are on the scene, won’t Mai-Mai be assisting as well?”

  With two level-300 combatants and a level 427 at the ready, any half-baked enemy would be a breeze. Certain of this, Cayna decided to focus on the group (supposedly) coming from the south instead of sticking around to defend the west gate.

  “I’ll be back in a bit. Please close the gate as soon as possible.”

  “Ah! Hey!”

  Cayna bowed to the soldiers before dashing south past the main road and into the forest. She felt a presence try to pull her back but pressed on regardless. Protruding from Cayna’s cloak, Kuu grabbed her shoulder to avoid being blown away.

  “I’ve been running around since this morning. Maybe it’s just not my day…”

  “I wonder whose day will be worse.”

  “Shut it, Kee!”

  For better or worse, one could call Cayna an asset to Felskeilo.

  To prepare for the fight ahead, she cast multiple Active Skills. Fixing her eyes on the path ahead, she took the Rune Blade from her Item Box and released the magic staff from her earring. Weapons in hand, Cayna sensed a growing hostile energy as she wove through the forest.

  She had unlocked the map around Felskeilo, so it wasn’t long before a red enemy dot appeared. It seemed to be charging toward the east gate, and Cayna switched directions to face the horde head-on.

  Having perhaps run too far ahead, she was followed by some deinos from the Dinosaur Series. The Deinonychus-like monster was small, and its single claw on each hand was as sharp as a sickle. These scythes were big enough to slice a person in half but blocked the deino’s vision while walking. They were about the size of an adult human and incredibly bloodthirsty. Once it spotted prey, the deino would hop after it until it went for the kill. They were usually around level 200.