Chapter 67

"Hey, I missed the announcement! Sorry about that!

But I managed to update consecutively!

I'll do my best tomorrow too!!

Looking down from above, I could see the swamp.

I was currently riding a dragon with Alice.

The mixed extermination team of the Mensis Knights and mercenaries had arrived near the swamp after passing through several villages.

The carriage is left in the village closest to the swamp.

Alice took care of the dragon during the journey, getting off the carriage.

It seems she was trying to communicate with it. I also got to practice riding with Alice.

The 10th Squad, which had been ahead, confirmed that Orthros had not moved from the swamp, left a few members, and rejoined our squad.

After that, the 10th Squad, along with their leader, headed back to the swamp on horseback.

Luke and a few other members are going around the nearby villages.

They said they would handle the evacuation orders and securing food.

The ride on the dragon was better than I expected.

Probably because Alice is a good pilot. There's an indescribable floating sensation, but it's not unbearable.

However, I'm currently clinging to Alice while riding the dragon.

I was quite confused by this position at first, but Alice told me it was fine because I was wearing leather armor.

As far as the eye can see, the grassland stretches endlessly, and the road extends far into the distance.

The swamp is on the right side of the road, blending with the forest and giving off a dark atmosphere.

The trees are so dense that I can't see Orthros from here.

The air is clear, and the sun is shining brightly for now.

If the weather stays like this, it will be a help.

"It's almost there..."

Alice murmured.

The figures of the knights can be seen through the gaps in the trees.

Led by their leader, they are heading towards what they believe to be Orthros' lair. They are almost there.

Several deep, bumpy hollows can be seen.

Fighting in these hollows would be disadvantageous for people and horses.

If they exchange magic, the cliffs might collapse.

One of the knights cast a spell at what they thought was the entrance to the lair.

At that moment, a sound that could be either an earthquake or a roar echoed through the hollow.

"It's here...!"

A large, black something is moving quickly between the trees.

It's quite big.

I can't see its full form yet, but it must be Orthros.

Tristan and the others keep provoking it with magic from a distance.

We also chased it in parallel while riding the dragon.

Orthros is heading towards the swamp, responding to Tristan's provocations, but it's still hidden in the bushes.

"Why isn't it coming out...?"

"---Roar!"

The air vibrated.

A howl that made me want to cover my ears shook my eardrums like a howling wind.

"Fog...!"

Fog began to form from nowhere.

Was Orthros waiting for this? Or does it have the ability to summon fog?

Orthros advances into the swamp, which is now covered in white mist.

The 6th Squad, lying in wait below us, forms their formation and prepares their spells.

The swamp water, mixed with mud, begins to freeze with a creaking sound.

They had set up a magic array in the swamp in advance.

Orthros, now immobilized, lets out a roar.

Tristan and the others try to approach, but Orthros raises its tail to prevent them.

"Damn, the fog is in the way...!"

Meanwhile, the fog is getting thicker.

It's unclear how long the immobilization will last.

At that moment, something caught Orthros' neck. It's the mercenary unit led by Quincy.

A special rope is entangling Orthros' neck.

The tail on the opposite side is also being restrained with a rope.

The mercenaries are tying the other end of the ropes to nearby trees.

"We'll cross from the right. I'll get as close as possible, so be careful...!"

Alice skillfully maneuvers the dragon to approach Orthros, which has a collar around its neck.

Orthros' two pairs of glaring eyes can be seen faintly glowing through the gaps in the fog.

"Alice, I got it! That's not Orthros!"

"What?"

"Just get to Tristan!"

The 3rd Squad, which was able to approach the target by restraining the tail, drove stakes into its legs.

Amidst the painful howls, the dragon carrying Alice and me descended to Tristan.

"---Tristan!"

"Noah, did you find out something?"

I shouted from a little distance above Tristan's head.

"Yeah, that's not Orthros! It's the three-headed Cerberus!"

"Cerberus...?"

The true identity of the monster is Cerberus.

Cerberus is a rarer monster than Orthros.

It should have three heads, but it seems to have lost one due to an injury. That might be why it left its original location.

Cerberus is a higher-level monster than Orthros. It makes sense that it's larger than Orthros.

"Cerberus' weakness is sound! Be careful of the flames it spits from its mouth!"

Tristan nodded firmly.

He remains calm even in such a situation.

"Noah, tell the 6th Squad about the weakness."

"Got it!"

Alice, who had been listening, met my gaze. When I nodded, the dragon took off again and flew towards the 6th Squad.

After I told the 6th Squad about the weakness, they started casting spells at Cerberus' face.

They are gradually dealing damage, but Cerberus shows no signs of weakening.

The fog is getting thicker, and clouds are starting to cover the sky, which was clear just a moment ago.

"...This isn't good."

Alice, observing from above, murmured.

If the visibility is blocked, it will be difficult to use magic.

If the battle drags on and the sun sets, it will be a very disadvantageous situation for us.

I made up my mind.

There's no time to think deeply.

"---Alice, I don't want you to tell anyone what I'm about to do."

Alice turned to me and smiled softly.

"Got it. I told you, do what you want. I'll support you."

Alice's words, as if to say it's obvious, made me a bit surprised.

I need to trust Alice.

I want someone to know me in this world for the first time.

"Thanks, Alice."

I smiled and listened to the sound of the wind.

'Noah, what's wrong?'

'I don't like it. It's noisy. Hey, what's wrong?'

The wind spirits gathered around, floating.

I asked them to clear the fog and shine the sun on the swamp.

"Since it's a nice sunny day, can you use your power to clear the fog and shine the sun on the swamp? If you do, I'll take care of Cerberus."

The wind gathered, and the dragon stopped flapping its wings.

A warm breeze enveloped us.

Even if Alice couldn't hear the spirits' voices, she could tell something was unusual.

Still, she trusted me and remained quiet.

'Sure.'

'Well, which one?'

'Let's blow it this way~'

Laughter echoed, and a warm wind blew away.

The trees began to sway in the wind, which blew strongly and horizontally, quickly clearing the hollow.

"Was that... No, it's better not to ask too deeply?"

"I'm not sure myself yet. ...Will you listen to the story someday?"

Alice nodded without a word, which was very reassuring.

As the visibility cleared, the knights' movements became more active.

The mercenaries focused on immobilizing Cerberus, while the 6th Squad thoroughly prevented it from spitting flames.

The 3rd Squad struck the tail, and the 1st Squad fought the two heads.

"Amazing...!"

"Yeah, they're doing great."

We were watching the extermination team's efforts from above Cerberus' neck.

Finally, the 3rd Squad cut off the tail.

With its tail injured, Cerberus went into a final frenzy.

Its strength was incredibly powerful.

One of the ropes that had been tied to a tree was pulled out with the tree.

The rope on the right head loosened and attacked the 1st Squad that was in front.

"Dangerous...!"

The 6th Squad provided support with magic, but the distance was too close to be effective.

A startled horse reared up, and one of the members fell off.

Tristan bravely moved forward to help the fallen member.

He deflected the approaching fangs with his sword and fought desperately, sometimes casting spells.

The mercenaries put a new rope on Cerberus' right head.

"It's about to spit flames! Fall back, Tristan!"

Smoke rose from the corners of Cerberus' mouth.

If hit by the flames head-on, there would be no chance of survival.

"Noah, take the reins. You should be fine."

"---Huh?"

Before I could ask, Alice jumped off the dragon.

True to her nickname, Alice became a flash of light, drew her sword, and pierced Cerberus' right head with ice.

Cerberus' front legs buckled.

The 6th Squad took advantage of the opportunity to attack.

Tristan, who had retreated, cut off the left head that was hanging down.

Cerberus sank its massive body into the swamp and never rose again.

Thank you for your warm comments.

I was very encouraged.

I often hear that I'm straying from the title, but I hope you can read with an open heart in a broad sense.

If you read to the end of the story, I'm sure you'll understand. I hope you will.

I'll do my best.

2015/01/12 Revised"