Chapter 51

Tell me, Plot... how many more chapters do I need to post to finish the second part...!

Plot: "About 4 or 5, I think?"

Author: "I thought the same thing about 4 or 5 chapters ago..."

So, here's the latest chapter. Part of the reason is the focus on pacing, but updating daily also tends to make the text shorter.

(What incredible destructive power... Is this the power of a magic tool?)

The fiery magic sword that Node drew in an instant was truly terrifying in its power. The moment he chanted the incantation, the red blade made of magic stone lit up with fire and expanded rapidly, transforming into a massive fireball as large as Node's torso.

Aiming as he had been taught by the creator, Elyseo, who had given him this magic tool, the fireball shot out like an arrow and struck the lead spider directly.

At the moment of impact, the fireball exploded with a deafening roar, sending up a huge pillar of fire that engulfed not only the spider that was hit but also the surrounding area.

When the flames died down, what remained were the charred remains of the spiders.

(If this is intermediate magic, then mages are truly terrifying. It's no wonder they are in such high demand among adventurers.)

During his time as an adventurer, Node had never worked with a mage. The absolute number of mages who became adventurers was low, but more importantly, new mages with skills were often snapped up by powerful adventurer parties.

He was now realizing the reason for this.

The fiery magic sword that Node had received from Elyseo contained the power of the "Fireball" spell. This "Fireball" spell is of intermediate difficulty and can be used by any mage with average skill.

In other words, as long as a mage grows properly, they are guaranteed to reach the level of a Bronze-class adventurer like Node. If they can master higher-level spells, the possibilities are even greater.

In any case, the powerful magic was now in Node's hands, albeit with limitations.

If things went well, he might be able to drive away all the spiders. The sight of the fireball's power made Node think such thoughts.

(But... I remember it had a usage limit.)

However, there was no way things would be that convenient.

The red crystal-like blade of the fiery magic sword in Node's hand developed cracks. Then, with a crack, about a third of the blade from the tip shattered.

"It's a prototype, so I think it can only be used a few times."

Watching the fragments scatter like ice and dissolve, Node remembered the creator's words.

Judging from the visibly shorter length of the magic sword, he probably had one or two more uses left. That was the remaining number of "Fireball" spells.

"Well, it's a trump card for when things get desperate. I can't expect to have many trump cards."

The number of enemies was large. He needed to use it judiciously.

"Shaaaaa!!"

"Whoa, don't rush like that."

He cut down the knight spider that lunged at him, this time using his favorite sword made of jade steel instead of the magic sword.

By taking the initiative, he managed to make the spider stop pursuing Neut, but this also meant that all the spiders' attention was now focused on Node.

(Neut reaching the village and the villagers starting to evacuate... there's not enough time no matter how much we have.)

At Neut's flying speed, he should be able to reach the village by midnight.

However, this time of year, it remains dark even in the early morning.

Even in Alba Village, where many farmers start their day early, a hasty evacuation in the dim light would take a lot of time.

(Truly... it's going to be a long night.)

Node gripped the hilt of his sword in his palm again, tightening his grip.

§

The Alba Forest was rustling in the wind.

The trees in the forest, with their branches and leaves slightly withered as winter approached, swayed gently from side to side.

A full moon floated in the sky above the forest, shining down a bluish-white light from a place much higher than the peaks of the Northern Mountains.

And under that moonlight, a shadow was moving at high speed.

The shadow was Neut.

He was flying through the sky above the forest, his large wings flapping as he cut through the wind.

Reflecting the moonlight on his green scales, Neut flew as quickly as possible.

His destination, of course, was Alba Village.

Neut had a mission to deliver the letter entrusted to him by his master and parent, Node.

Ideally, Neut did not want to leave Node.

He did not want to leave his precious family behind with those scary, furry creatures.

However, Neut also understood that staying behind would not be of much help.

In the summer, when he was a bit smaller, Neut had been completely defeated by those furry monsters.

Now, he had the confidence to stand up to those furry creatures. He also knew that his parent, Node, had become stronger. Therefore, he did not think Node would struggle against those monsters. But—

Neut had keenly sensed that there were even stronger individuals in that group.

—While dealing with that strong one, can Node handle the entire group?

Neut looked anxiously in the direction he had come from, considering whether to turn back.

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought.

He had a mission given to him by Node.

He would return after completing it.

Neut flapped his wings strongly again.

The wind caught by the membranes of his wings was pushed downward, shaking the trees on the ground even more.

Ignoring all of this, Neut hurried forward.

Now, he was just rushing to the human who smelled like Node.

Today is February 15th (Saturday)!

Of course, it's a fixed day... yes, the day when guys who didn't get chocolate on Valentine's Day complain.

Also, it's the release day of my humble work, "The Adventures of the Poor Noble Node 1"!

Yay! Please check the activity report for details!

I wonder if it will sell... (´・ω・)