Chapter 92

Ichino changed Caro's job to Temptress.

The pheromones she emits are carried by the wind toward the north.

The scent won’t reach immediately.

I want to blow it away with wind magic, but my Wind is a blade of wind, and if I use it carelessly, Caro's pheromones might dissipate.

I have no choice but to wait patiently. The wind direction is correct.

My job has already been dyed entirely in magic, including the Apprentice Magician I have already mastered.

There are five types: Unemployed, Apprentice Magician, Magician, Apprentice Enchanter, and Enchanter.

My MP has also increased significantly.

...Huh?

Looking to the side, I noticed something was off with Haru.

For some reason, she was looking up at the northern sky.

Is something happening? Just as I thought that,

"Ichino, they're coming!"

Marina called out.

The monsters that were supposed to be heading east suddenly all turned toward us.

It's a success.

The effect of Caro's [Moon's Allure II] has kicked in.

The battle is about to begin.

"Master!"

Haru called out.

"Yeah, the battle is about to start! Haru, lend me your power—"

"That's not it, there are bats flying in the northern sky."

"Bats?"

When she said that, I looked up at the northern sky.

I couldn't see anything.

I couldn't see anything at all.

Thinking about it, I can't even see the people holding torches, so there's no way I could see bats.

"Haru, I understand that there are bats. You're telling me to be cautious of attacks from the sky, right?"

"...The bats have flown off to the northwest..."

Flown off?

If they've flown off, then there shouldn't be a problem, right?

"Monsters that Caro's power doesn't affect... Perhaps..."

Haru hesitated, as if considering some possibility.

"Perhaps?"

"No, I'm sorry, let's focus on the battle at hand."

Haru lowered her gaze and stared intently at the approaching group of monsters.

They were getting closer.

The first one leading the charge was a gray leopard-like monster.

"Alright, let's go! Fire!"

The fireball I released exploded among the group of monsters. Since they are attacking in a cluster, hitting any of them is a hit. This is almost like a bonus stage.

Next, Marina moved.

She drew her bow and arrow.

Then, arrows of wind took shape.

The moment she released the string, five arrows of wind hit the head of a dark-furred, cow-like monster running behind the leopard.

"Marina, all of them hit the forehead."

Not only did they all hit, but they all hit the forehead.

"Of course. I can't have my power underestimated."

The cow-like monster with arrows in its forehead disappeared.

"The monster disappeared? Are they from the dungeon?"

"It seems so, they dropped magic stones, Slash!"

Haru's Slash severed the legs of the leading leopard.

It didn't die immediately, so it didn't disappear. The leopard got in the way, slightly slowing the lead group.

Haru continued to use Slash to cut only the legs of the monsters, building a defensive wall.

Alright, I'll do the same.

Aiming for the legs of the largest monster,

"Slash!"

I released a Slash. It severed the trunk and face of the largest black elephant-like monster in the back, killing it.

"Excellent, Master!"

"Mr. Ichino's Slash is powerful."

"I can't fall behind."

They praised me, but I didn't intend to kill it.

Hmm, aiming precisely is not my strong suit.

"Charm!"

Caro cast her first spell.

Immediately after, the same black elephant suddenly went berserk, sweeping away other monsters with its massive trunk.

The surrounding monsters seemed confused by the sudden betrayal of their comrade, but some began to counterattack the black elephant, leading to a chaotic battle.

Alright, I need to avoid attacking that area.

We still had plenty of room to maneuver in the battle.

The battle with the ants wasn't in vain.

Caro's Charm spell and Marina's arrows of wind steadily reduced the number of monsters.

We controlled the flow of the battle.

Haru didn't miss a beat, cutting down the effective monsters on the spot to prevent the enemy from taking control of the battle.

I still had plenty of MP.

How many monsters can I defeat before my MP runs out?

The one most concerned about MP is probably Haru.

Haru seems to be aware of this, as she has only used Slash when necessary.

Instead, she is using the bow she received from the thief to shoot arrows.

When I looked at Haru, she nodded silently.

We can still keep this up.

I really want to use a more powerful spell to wipe them out, but is there a better way?

At first, I tried to mimic the Dacat army by setting the grass on fire to burn them, but the monsters kept coming even when engulfed in flames.

"Fire!"

The flames illuminated the darkness and exploded among the group of monsters.

However, the monsters showed no signs of fear.

Caro's skill is impressive.

"......Ah, by the way, this scene—Thunder! Ice! Stone!"

Whether it was fireballs, lightning, ice, or stone, the monsters charged forward without hesitation, scattering.

Seeing the monsters that kept charging eastward even when engulfed in flames, I recalled the earlier scene.

The monsters were being drawn to the east by something?

"Caro, change your job. There's something I want to check. Haru and Marina, stop attacking for a moment."

"Understood."

I changed Caro's job from Temptress to Farmer.

The next moment,

[Ichino's level has increased]

[Magician Skill: Magic Attack Boost (Minor) acquired]

[Magician Skill: Dark Magic has upgraded to Dark Magic II]

[Apprentice Enchanter Skill: Healing Magic II has upgraded to Healing Magic III]

[Apprentice Enchanter Skill: MP Boost (Minor) has upgraded to MP Boost (Small)]

[Apprentice Enchanter's level cannot increase further]

[Title: Master of Apprentice Enchanter acquired]

[Title Skill: Learning acquired]

[Enchanter Skill: Healing Magic III has upgraded to Healing Magic IV]

[Enchanter Skill: Shield Magic has upgraded to Shield Magic II]

[Enchanter Skill: Magic Defense Boost (Minor) has upgraded to Magic Defense Boost (Small)]

...My level has increased.

This means the battle is over.

Even with so many monsters, the battle is over?

"The monsters are leaving."

"More like, they seem to be heading back to Ferit."

As Haru and Marina said, the monsters really seemed to have lost interest in us and changed course to the east.

Indeed, they are being controlled.

Although not as strong as Caro's [Night's Allure Powder], the monsters are still being strongly influenced.

"Hahahaha!"

I laughed and collapsed at the realization.

"Mr. Ichino, my level has also increased, but... What did you do?"

"This is more than just a bonus stage. What the hell, I don't know who or for what purpose someone did this, or if it's a natural or supernatural phenomenon, but I've come up with an incredible idea!"

To quickly defeat the monsters.

I thought of a method and smiled wickedly.