Chapter 37

A shadow flew straight through the vast, clear sky.

Ted and the others squinted their eyes, observing it, when Nere's calm voice came from behind them.

"Isn't that a Grinder?"

A moment of silence.

The gazes of Aldis and the others turned to a single point in the sky.

Various birds of different sizes are known to appear in this grassland, with over ten species recognized. However, apart from the carnivorous 'Killer Birds' and the 'Watchers,' all are small birds, no more than fifty centimeters in length. The shadow visible to Aldis and the others did not look like a small bird, nor did it resemble the silhouette of a Killer Bird or a Watcher. In other words, it was not a shadow they usually see on the grassland.

The next moment, the silence was broken by Ted's voice.

"Prepare for battle! Norris! Can you raise the signal flare!?"

"I'm getting ready now!"

"Orphelia! Keep your eyes on the sky! Aldis and Nere, get ready to intercept!"

A tense atmosphere spread through the party.

"Ted, the signal flare is going up over there!"

Orphelia noticed the signal flare rising from another location.

"Damn! The reward for discovery has been taken away."

It seemed that another team had already raised the signal flare for the Grinder. Two flares were visible to the north, and more were rising from other locations one after another. The news of the discovery would undoubtedly reach each team.

"The question is, where will it land..."

Aldis drew his shortsword as a precaution. The shadow that had captured their attention ignored them and flew straight east, quickly becoming smaller.

"That's the direction of the main force."

As Ted pointed out, the shadow was heading towards the main force. The main force, consisting of three squads, had more manpower than the others. However, considering the quality of the soldiers, it seemed unlikely that they could repel the Grinder.

"What do we do? I think it's too much for the pampered soldiers."

Orphelia pressed Ted for a decision.

"According to the pre-battle instructions, we should 'hasten to the aid of the squad engaged in combat'..."

The problem was that the possibility of making it in time was very low. They might be able to reach the neighboring squad or the one after that, but if the Grinder had flown all the way to the main force, it would be impossible to get there in time from here.

"We'll chase it anyway!"

They didn't know where the Grinder would land. Ted and the others began to move urgently in the direction of the newly raised signal flares.

"Ted, I'm going ahead."

Without waiting for a response, Aldis announced and started running with 'Floating Step.'

Leaving Ted's shouting behind, he headed east at an extraordinary speed. As expected, Nere, using 'Floating Step,' followed closely behind.

They overtook two squads along the way and, after about thirty minutes, caught sight of the main force.

"There are casualties."

Nere stated succinctly.

The main force seemed to have already engaged in battle with the Grinder, and the chaos was evident even from a distance. There was no formation or order, and the soldiers were frantically swinging their spears. The squad leader on horseback was flustered and unable to give proper commands. In the melee, the archers, who made up nearly half the squad, were completely ineffective.

As Aldis and the others approached, more soldiers fell one after another. At the center stood the massive Grinder, towering at about three meters tall.

Its head resembled that of a bird of prey, with thick horns like those of a buffalo growing on either side. Its upper body was covered in feathers, and it had two arms with three sharp claws each, and large wings on either side of its torso. Its lower body was supported by four powerful horse-like legs, and a furry tail could be seen swaying between them.

The Grinder spread its wings in a threatening manner. The size of its wings made the soldiers holding spears look like infants. The winged monster targeted a spearman, raising its sharp, hooked claws.

"Trouble."

Aldis was already within range of his sword magic, but he didn't want to use it in front of the soldiers. While he didn't want to cause unnecessary deaths, he also didn't want to show his abilities in front of the squad leader of the domain's army, especially when the soldiers were not acquaintances.

While Aldis hesitated for a moment, a dagger was thrown at the Grinder from his diagonal rear. It was probably Nere.

"Thanks!"

Aldis thanked him briefly and charged at the Grinder with momentum. Nere's dagger pierced the Grinder's arm, momentarily stopping its movement. Aldis leaped in, casting a physical barrier without incantation and simultaneously chanting an attack spell.

"From the ancient dragon's breath, born in the path of fierce flames—Inferno!"

Flames appeared from Aldis's raised hands and were unleashed at the Grinder.

However, the Grinder kicked the ground forcefully with its four horse-like legs and leaped sideways, evading the flame's trajectory. Some of the feathers covering its upper body were singed by the flames.

"Damn."

Aldis clicked his tongue. To avoid involving the surrounding soldiers, he had narrowed the range and aimed upward, which backfired.

"Keeeee!"

The injured Grinder recognized Aldis as a dangerous opponent. It immediately retreated into the air and created a storm with its magic, centered around Aldis.

The wind pressure was comparable to the advanced magic 'Razor Gale' cast by a skilled magician, assaulting the soldiers. Aldis, who was about to cast a magic barrier, realized that a strong barrier had already been set up in the surrounding area.

"Nere?"

Nere must have reinforced the defenses while Aldis was facing the Grinder. He immediately switched his focus to the Grinder's movements.

However, by the time Aldis spotted the Grinder, it had already escaped into the sky. There were many ways to finish it off without witnesses, but he didn't want to do it here. The Grinder glanced at Aldis and the others before flying west.

"Trouble..."

The direction the Grinder was heading was where Ted and the others were. If it returned to the Canobis Mountains, that would be fine. But to the west were not only Ted and the others but also domain soldiers, mercenaries, and travelers on the road.

"Nere! We need to chase it immediately!"

It was still visible. If they could catch up in an uninhabited area, Aldis could handle a monster of that level easily.

However, just as Aldis was about to chase after it with 'Floating Step,' a voice called out to him.

"Wait! Tending to the wounded comes first! You're magicians, right? Can't you use healing magic? If not, use healing potions to treat the seriously injured immediately!"

A man who seemed to be a squad leader on horseback spoke to Aldis and Nere.

"There's no way we can catch up with a flying monster!"

Aldis clicked his tongue, making sure the man didn't hear.

Indeed, it would be impossible to catch up with a flying monster under normal circumstances. But Aldis and Nere could do it. They could probably catch up now.

"Treat the wounded quickly! The squad leader, reorganize the squad! Once we're ready, form a formation and pursue!"

Aldis almost said, "Are you an idiot?" but swallowed his words.

The main force, the largest in number, was in this state, so it was impossible for the other squads, which were smaller, to handle the situation. Even if they joined forces with other squads, they would likely be defeated one by one.

The problem was that the forces were too dispersed. The Grinder was not an easy opponent that could be stopped by a dozen or twenty soldiers. By keeping Aldis and Nere here, the domain soldiers were being put in danger, but the squad leader didn't seem to realize this.

"What are you standing around for! Treat the wounded quickly!"

The squad leader urged them loudly.

This was a job they had taken to avoid drawing attention from the domain's army. It would be counterproductive to make a bad impression on the squad leader.

"My lord, what should we do?"

Nere, who had come to Aldis's side, asked.

"There's no choice. We'll help treat the seriously injured and look for an opportunity to slip away."

Looking around, many wounded soldiers were lying on the ground, waiting for Aldis and the others to help. Some were already dead, but others could be saved if treated in time.

The Grinder flying away didn't necessarily mean it would attack humans. It might return to its territory, especially since it was injured.

On the other hand, there were soldiers who would die if treatment was delayed. Weighing the possibility of danger against the seriously injured soldiers in front of them, Aldis's words were a compromise.

Aldis and the others provided their healing potions and helped with the treatment, trying to stay inconspicuous while looking for an opportunity. When the squad began to regain order, they quickly left the scene without being noticed by the squad leaders and started running west across the uninhabited grassland.

2017/01/04 Correction: "twenty centimeters or less" → "fifty centimeters or less"

2017/06/09 Correction: "but, on the day, there are also" → "but, to the west, there are also"

2019/05/02 Correction: "shortsword" → "shortsword"

*Thank you for reporting the typo.

2019/05/02 Correction: "different from the silhouette" → "different from the silhouette"

2019/07/16 Correction: "capture" → "catch"

2019/07/16 Correction: "organize" → "reorganize"

*Thank you for reporting the typo.