Chapter 48

"Fast, so fast♪"

Will let out a delighted cry at the speed at which Clayman was running with him on his shoulders. The ride wasn't particularly smooth, but it wasn't as if he was going to be thrown off. Clayman was also adjusting his running speed, which was much faster than Will walking. The houses in the outer district were all large, and the next street was far away. People running in a hurry were surprised to see Will, but before anyone could call out to him, Will had already passed by them.

"We made it!"

The middle street in the outer district.

It was the widest of the three main streets. After getting off Clayman, Will adjusted his hold on Levi and entered the middle street.

"Huh?"

Will and his clones were all taken aback. There was a spider web.

A huge spider web.

Pure white spider silk was stretched in layers between the buildings, blocking the street. People caught in the same silk were crucified, and at their feet were the remains of large ants.

"Hmm?"

Will and his clones tilted their heads. The atmosphere didn't feel like a festival. Will, who couldn't quite grasp the situation, looked around. However, there was no one else besides the captives. The captured people looked down at Will with very sad expressions. There were noble-looking women, stout men, young knights, young women, and maids. Some children were crying. Will had no idea that these people were mourning their own impending fate and the young children who had wandered into this deathtrap.

"Hmm..."

Will was hesitant about asking the sad-looking people a question, but he decided to ask anyway.

"Um..."

The captives were startled as Will approached. It was clear that this place had become the territory of a spider-type monster. The captives understood that the children in front of them were too young to realize the current situation.

"Run away!"

One of the noble-looking women shouted in a trembling voice. The young knight also shouted.

"Right! Get away from here!"

"Uh?"

Will stopped in surprise. The adults thought that if they made a commotion, the owner of the nest might notice and come. However, if they could get the children away quickly, perhaps the children could be saved. But the adults' hopes were in vain. As a shadow covered the sky, the next moment, it landed with a thud next to Will.

Eight legs.

A black body with a purplish tinge and eight red, glowing eyes.

A large mouth with fangs dripping with poisonous saliva. A Poison Spider.

A monster that usually inhabits the depths of the forest, classified as a rank 5 or 6 monster. It is considered manageable by intermediate adventurers in direct combat, but the poison and sticky silk are troublesome, and it's not uncommon for intermediate parties to be wiped out by surprise attacks.

Such a monster had appeared in front of the children.

"Damn..."

The young knight groaned weakly. The last glimmer of hope in the hearts of the captured, who were already in despair, was once again extinguished. The Poison Spider chirped shrilly at the sight of Will.

A joyful sound at the sight of prey that had wandered in. The large spider would soon tear the children apart. The captives could only watch the gruesome scene.

(What kind of face are the children making right now...?)

The young knight thought and shook his head weakly.

(If they're going to be killed, at least let them not suffer...)

He cursed his own helplessness. Some of the other captives were sobbing at the impending tragedy. Everyone wished for a convenient savior to appear and simultaneously wished for the children to have a peaceful sleep.

Except for Will.

In front of the large spider making a chirping sound, Will's eyes began to shine.

"Whoa..."

Excited, one of Will's clones approached the Poison Spider and peered into its mouth without any defense.

"Ah!"

A maid who was captured let out a strangled scream. Ignoring this, Will looked up at the captives with a broad smile.

"Will knows! This is a Poison Spider, right? I've bitten it before!"

Will showed a triumphant face to the mournful people. Meanwhile, one of Will's clones was poking the Poison Spider's fangs with interest.

"Ah, it's dangerous... it's dangerous..."

The maid tried to warn them with a trembling voice. The next moment, Will's clone was bitten on the head.

"Ah, ah, ah!"

Everyone turned away. It was natural. No one wanted to see a little boy being eaten by a monster. But what they heard was not a child's scream but Will's bright laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!"

Will exhaled deeply in front of the people who were worried that he might have gone crazy.

"Clayman was eaten by the Poison Spider."

"Wh-what!?"

When the captives looked at the monster, there stood a clay figure without a head. The Poison Spider spat something out. The object that rolled out was a clump of clay. The headless clay figure picked up the clump and returned to its original size.

"Ah, the magic is gone..."

The clay figure had returned to its original state because the mist attribute magic had been destroyed. The large spider, having eaten the clay, let out an angry roar. The people, who had been stunned, came to their senses at the sound. The fact that the child was a clay figure was surprising, but nothing had been resolved yet. At that moment, someone appeared on the street, kicking the ground.

"Whoa!? What the hell is this!?"

The one who shouted at the sight of the street's condition was the bearded knight, Gaious.

"Ah, it's the bear uncle!"

"What!? Why are you here!?"

Gaious was shocked by Will, who waved at him. Seeing the excited Poison Spider next to him, Gaious stepped in without hesitation.

"Get back!"

He drew his longsword from his waist and swung it between Will and the Poison Spider. The Poison Spider retreated from the feint. It raised its front legs and threatened. Gaious, who had not slowed down, shielded Will with his back.

"Wow, bear uncle, you're cool!"

"Yeah, well, damn..."

Gaious, who was trying to say something about the abnormal situation, couldn't find the right words and cursed. Then, more confusion came his way.

"Sir Gaious!"

"What!?"

Looking up at the female voice from above, Gaious was speechless.

"L-Lily... Why are you here..."

Lily, the sister of Prime Minister Felix, was looking down at Gaious, leaning out from the spider silk that held her.

"Please... take this child and run away!"

"But... but..."

Gaious couldn't immediately accept Lily's desperate plea. As a knight, Gaious had the skills to handle a Poison Spider. However, that was only if he didn't have to protect anyone. With Will on his back, the worst could happen. But if Gaious took Will and ran, the captives would become the spider's prey.

"Abandon us and go quickly!"

"There's no way I can abandon you!"

Gaious, who didn't let his guard down, spat out the words. Will was here. If the servants of the Turkis family searched for Will, they could resolve this situation. Gaious believed that.

"Wait, Lily! Help will come! I'll protect you with my life until then!"

"...Your words alone... make Lily happy. So, please..."

Lily, trying to say goodbye with tears in her eyes, was not turned away by Gaious. He had decided to protect her to the end and tightened his grip on his sword.

"Wait for me, Lily! Help will definitely come! I'll protect you with my life until then!"

Will, who had been watching this exchange with a blank expression, tugged on Gaious's pants.

"Um, bear uncle?"

"What is it, Will? Please wait. Step back..."

"Um, Will, it's okay now, can I take care of the spider?"

Gaious didn't understand what Will was saying for a moment and asked for clarification.

"Huh?"

"Can you take care of it?"

"Yes, but..."

The opponent was a monster that could easily kill a person. It wasn't something a small child could handle. Normally.

"Come, purest of the water spirits! Mirror of the morning mist, transform my clay into a water mirror!"

Will waved his staff. The small spirit lantern hanging from his shoulder responded. Mist enveloped the clay figure, transforming it into Will's form. The small fist, now turned to rock, was enveloped by the hardening magic activated by the "Morning Mist Mirror."

"Come, purest of the wind spirits! Armor of the distant wind, grant me the speed of the swift wind, O Spirit of the Wind!"

The wind assistance magic then enveloped the clay figure that had taken Will's form, wrapping it in a green phosphorescence. The people who had witnessed the continuous casting of magic were stunned. The Poison Spider, now more wary, threatened the new Will clone.

"Let's go!"

Will gave an energetic signal, and the remaining clones took a supportive stance. In response, the Poison Spider let out a particularly loud chirp. The new Will clone's body sank slightly. The next moment, with a thud, the clone closed in on the Poison Spider.

"Huh...!?"

Faster than Gaious could say "fast," the clone Will grabbed the Poison Spider's fangs with one hand and smashed a rock fist into the base of the fangs. With a squish, the Poison Spider's mouth was destroyed, and its fangs were torn out.

Keeeee!?

In agony, the Poison Spider retreated. The clone Will pursued, not letting the distance open. He cornered it against the wall. The clone Will's rock fist was thrust upward, aiming for the lower jaw. The clay figure clone was unaffected by the Poison Spider's poisonous saliva. The moment the fist hit, the large spider leaped backward, sticking to the wall and climbing up backward.

Seeing the large spider escape to a safe distance, Will laughed, holding his stomach.

"Ha ha ha ha, that's funny."

One of the clones behind Will skillfully retreated, sticking out its buttocks. The remaining clones were laughing. The Poison Spider reached the top of the large building where the web was attached and jumped to the other side of the web. The large spider and Will's group faced each other again, separated by the web.

Keeeee!

"Ah!"

The captives were attacked by an unseen terror as the large spider circled behind them. Every time the large spider chirped, the captives cowered. This was a defensive stance that large spiders with nests take when in a difficult situation. It could also be seen as taking hostages. A standoff.

"Aww, it's no use doing that to Will!"

Will took a resigned attitude, as if to say, "What a bother." Levi, who was being held, sniffed at Will with interest. Will raised his staff and began to cast a spell.

"Come, purest of the wind spirits! Dragon's breath, crush my enemy with the wind's assault!"

The wind magic released hovered in the air and spread out. The wind mass, having absorbed sufficient magical energy, rained down on the Poison Spider and the web. Each impact prevented the Poison Spider from making a sound. Piercing, bursting, and shattering, the barrage of wind easily exceeded the spider's durability. The Poison Spider's long legs broke, and its body was torn apart. When the wind barrage stopped, the Poison Spider was in pieces, no longer moving. Will raised his staff proudly.

"Will wins♪"

The clones applauded. Gaious, who had witnessed the entire scene, stood there with his mouth agape, stunned.