Chapter 74

It was a battlefield.

In the center of the village, the largest building was being defended by many lizardmen.

They were repelling the giant frogs invading from the swamp with bows and spears, but every time the frogs spat out paralyzing liquid, one after another, the lizardmen fell.

"Damn it! Get the paralyzed warriors inside! Anyone who can move, do anything! Throw arrows or pots at them!"

"Jurala! We're out of oil pots! We can't use fire anymore!"

"Damn... I didn't expect there to be so many barons!"

"What do we do!? Jurala!?"

"I'm thinking! For now, we need to reduce their numbers!"

"There are hardly any warriors left!"

"Damn! Should we have abandoned the village!?"

Among the warriors defending the log-built house, a man with a particularly reptilian appearance shouted as if regretting something. He looked exactly like the lizardmen described in the legends.

"Brother!"

Shiruru called out to the man.

"Shiruru!? Why did you come back!?"

"I brought reinforcements!"

"What... humans!? Shiruru! What are you doing! And your language!"

"Even now!?"

It seemed that the sturdy lizardman was Shiruru's brother. However, it was clear that he came from a strict family, as he was still correcting her language at such a critical moment. I had noticed that Shiruru's language was inconsistent, and this was apparently the reason.

There was no time to listen leisurely. I interrupted their conversation.

"Listen! We're here to help! We're on your side!"

"Humans!?"

"The lizardmen were thought to be extinct! But I met Shiruru! Do we need a reason to help those who can communicate!?"

"Ugh...!"

Jurala, Shiruru's brother, was speechless. Meanwhile, Raidock and the others were reducing the number of barons surrounding the building.

"Look at that! The barons are being taken down so easily!?"

"It's no good! That liquid is a paralyzing poison... but it's not working?"

"Humans!? Why are you here!? Was the gate broken!?"

"But it seems they came to help... "

"Someone, inform the village chief!"

"No! This battle has been entrusted entirely to the next village chief, Jurala! Wait for Jurala's orders!"

"What do we do!? Jurala!"

"Ugh...!"

Boom!

The resonating sound echoed again, shaking their stomachs.

"Bad! The wall won't hold! Jurala!"

"Understood! I appreciate your help! Come inside!"

Jurala made his decision. Raidock immediately gave orders.

"Alright! The rear and middle guards, inside! Raidock, Reifan, Camille, and Moda, we'll attack the group assaulting that wall!"

"Alright!!"

Following the plan we had decided on our way to the village, we split up. Raidock would command outside, and I would command inside.

"Alright! Jitaro, Soral, Eva, and Bardack, provide support from above!"

"Got it!"

"Leave it to us!"

The four immediately ran up the stairs. They were rangers and mages, tasked with defending the building and supporting Raidock.

"Alright! Bepp and Marilyn, start healing immediately! Marilyn, use this!"

I took out as many mana potions as I could from my spatial storage.

"Got it!"

Bepp distributed cure potions and mana potions, while Marilyn drank a mana potion and began casting healing spells one after another.

"Oh! I can move! I can move!"

"The paralysis is gone!?"

"Whatever, grab a spear quickly!"

"Wait! Drink this! It's an antidote!"

"Will it work against the barons' paralyzing poison!?"

"Yes!"

"Helpful humans!"

The lizardmen who had been groaning inside the building began to rise one by one.

"Use arrows! Quickly!"

I took out as many arrows as I could from my spatial storage for Soral and Jitaro.

"Wow!"

"Immerse the arrowheads in this liquid!"

I took out a small barrel and placed it in front of everyone.

"What is it?"

"Sharpness Oil! For spears and swords, apply it with a cloth!"

"I've never heard of it?"

"It's an oil that improves sharpness! Just apply it! Be careful not to overdo it! We don't have time to make more if it runs out!"

"Got it!"

While explaining, I took out my alchemy tools.

"What are you doing!?"

"Making antidotes and preventive potions! I don't have enough for everyone!"

Following Shiruru's instructions, we used the potions on the strongest warriors first, but there were still not enough.

"Making them... now!?"

"Don't worry! I have the materials!"

I had not only the materials but also intermediate alchemy ingredients. Spatial storage was truly amazing. I asked for some space and arranged the materials for easy use. The colorful array of potions was mesmerizing.

"Kind of... creepy, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

Strange... this faintly purple alchemy ingredient and the others look so cool in the dim building!

"More suspicious than an alchemist, but are you really okay?"

Without Reifan to back me up, the gazes of the others were painful.

"Just... watch!"

I put the materials and intermediate ingredients into a regular iron pot and activated the alchemy.

"Alchemy: Decomposition of Fifth Alchemy Ingredient"

A magic circle floated above the pot, and the filled liquid glowed.

"Wow!?"

"What is this!? Magic...? Sorcery!?"

"No, no, it's alchemy."

While calming the panicked lizardmen, I continued working. This completed the necessary intermediate ingredients. Without an alchemy pot, I poured in a lot of mana! This is why Raidock had forbidden me from fighting. Well, it couldn't be helped.

A large amount of mana was drawn through the crest, and I felt a slight dizziness as I completed the spell.

"Alchemy: Cure Potion!!"

The pot glowed again, and the necessary cure potions were completed.

"Alright! Give them out quickly!"

The confused lizardmen, upon learning that these were the antidotes for the paralysis, hurriedly gave them to the groaning ones or sprinkled them on them.

Most of those left were those who had been caught off guard, with fewer scales. Looking at them, some were almost human, while others were like upright lizards. It was interesting that Shiruru was the most human-like, while her brother Jurala was the most reptilian.

While distributing the potions, I thought about these trivial matters.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes... I can breathe again!"

"My limbs are moving!"

"Humans!? ...But thank you!"

One by one, they were healed.

"Alright, next is the preventive potion."

I alchemized the preventive potion in the same way and stored it in a barrel.

"I'm going upstairs. Bepp, Marilyn, I leave it to you."

"Got it!"

"Leave it to me!"

Bepp was familiar with handling potions, and leaving the injured and paralyzed to the skilled Marilyn was reassuring.

I quickly climbed the ladder to the roof.

"How's the battle going!?"

I caught Jitaro, who was firing arrows.

"The lizardmen who can fight have joined, so we're holding the line!"

"What about Raidock and the others?"

"As you can see, they're doing a great job."

I see, the barons trying to destroy the building had mostly been taken care of by Raidock and the others. The pace was slow because the barons were large, and their corpses were in the way.

"More importantly, there's something I'm curious about."

"What is it?"

"The giant frogs are hard to see because they're surrounded, but can you see that way, towards the swamp?"

"What...? 'Far Sight'"

Indeed, something was different in the direction Jitaro pointed. It was hard to see clearly with the constant movement of the baron army.

"There's a particularly huge baron there."

"What!?"

My mutterings were answered by Jurala, who had been wielding a spear on the roof.

"Does it have some kind of pattern on its body!?"

"Um..."

Using the 'Far Sight' spell, I managed to confirm the frog's appearance.

"Ah, it looks like there are many red-black lines on its body, like blood vessels."

It was hard to distinguish from the mud, but that's how it looked to me.

"Wha...!? T... That's a Duke! A Titan Duke Frog!"

"Wha... What!?"

A huge and ducal frog. What a combination!

What... what!?!