Chapter 78: The Moving Operation (2)
The soldier’s expression was far from good, and it seemed that something had happened. He pointed with his finger beyond the blocked road and said,
“Swordmaster Zaifa and her direct subordinates are conducting an operation nearby. Please wait here until it’s over or take another route.”
“Swordmaster Zaifa? The Zaifa I know?”
It was a name that had come up from time to time during his two lifetimes. The swordmaster who had risen to the position of the Empire’s greatest swordsman by defeating Navirose. Ronan raised an eyebrow at the news that someone he hadn’t actually seen even in his previous life was now in action.
‘Is this something big enough for Zaifa to come personally?’
No matter how significant the event with Wyvern might be, Ronan didn’t think it was a stage where such a bigshot would personally intervene. Ronan shrugged and asked.
“Why is Swordmaster Zaifa blocking the road?”
“I can’t provide details. It’s for the safety of the citizens, so please cooperate.”
“Oh, come on, just tell me a little.”
“I can’t.”
There was tension in the man’s face. The other soldiers were also on high alert. After a moment of hesitation, Ronan turned his head and said.
“Well, then, there’s nothing we can do. Take care.”
“Thank you for your cooperation. There might be monsters around, so try to stick to the main road if possible.”
Bothering the soldiers wasn’t to his taste. As Ronan was contemplating his next move, Aselle, who was sitting in the back, asked with concern.
“Wh-what should we do now?”
“Go back or take a side road. Besides, aerial reconnaissance can be done elsewhere anyway.”
It was troublesome, but there was no other option. While he was searching for a suitable detour, a loud shout erupted from among the people gathered there.
“These leeches who only suck our taxes! How long are they going to make us wait?”
“Keep your voice down. It could lure the monsters here”
“Lower your voice, my foot! My belongings are rotting away even as we speak!”
It was so loud that at first, Ronan thought monsters had appeared. He turned his head. A plump man was loudly complaining in front of the soldiers.
Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be a merchant. Behind him stood a shabby wagon pulled by two emaciated horses.
Flies swarmed from all directions, indicating that there was something foul-smelling in the wagon. Ronan chuckled.
‘He’s practically asking to be killed.’
Not only was he loud, but the stench was unbearable. He could have been a spy sent by Nebula Clazier to lure the monsters here.
Despite the warnings from the soldiers, the man continued to shout like a pig. While pondering whether to give him a hand, a lightning-fast idea flashed through Ronan’s mind.
“Oh-ho.”
It was absurd, but it was possible. Even if they couldn’t find Nebula Clazier, it was a plan that could provide some degree of safety in the surroundings. Pulling the reins to stop, Ronan turned to Aselle and said,
“Aselle, can you lift a wagon?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Without warning, Ronan jumped down from the horse. The merchant was still cursing and insulting everyone in sight.
“Damn scoundrels! I can’t believe you people have parents! You sons of demons!”
The soldiers’ faces were becoming increasingly distorted. Ronan approached the abandoned wagon.
It reeked of a fishy odor that made him want to gag. It seemed to be carrying some sort of pickled fish. The horses, too, were braying, apparently upset by the stench.
He took advantage of an opening that no one saw and struck a blow to the wagon. That included the link between the horses and the wagon. The horses’ eyes widened as the link broke.
“Neighhhhh!”
“Huh? Wh-what?!”
The two horses, now free, bolted away as if they had been waiting. The merchant, clutching his belly, tried to chase after them, but it was in vain. The horses that had left the road disappeared into the nearby forest.
“Hey, my horses are running away! What are you just standing there for?”
“We have to hold our position.”
“Hey, you guys! Come back!!”
No matter how desperately he shouted, the horses didn’t return. At that moment, the wagon, which had been standing still, collapsed with a crash. The merchant screamed and rushed to the wagon. The parts that had been intact just a moment ago were now all broken. An even stronger stench wafted out, as if something had spilled.
“Why… why is this happening to me…! No…!”
He couldn’t fathom the cause. In despair, the merchant sat down on the ground. The wagon that had once been his livelihood was now nothing more than a smelly pile of wood. Suddenly, Ronan, who had been quietly watching, tapped the merchant’s shoulder.
“Excuse me, sir.”
“Uh… uh… what?”
Tears resembling chicken droppings flowed endlessly from the merchant’s narrow, watery eyes. Ronan smiled amiably.
“Can I take this useless trash away?”
“Wh-what… trash?”
“Don’t even think about selling it. If we don’t get rid of this, everyone around here will die.”
For a moment, the merchant was speechless. Ronan briefly explained what would happen if the wood pile was left unattended. It was enough to convince him that wyverns’ favorite food was rotting fish.
“Keep going straight, Aselle. The scent needs to spread far.”
“Uh, okay… ugh.”
The two of them, having left the main road, were now crossing a sparsely wooded forest. The pile of wood that had once been a wagon was floating in the air, following the boys.
Fifteen barrels filled with pickled herring were inside the wagon. Ronan opened all the barrels and then tore off the roof of the wagon.
As a result, every time the horses’ hooves struck the ground, the foul stench wafted into the air. As Aselle roamed around like a meerkat, he screamed.
“Eek! Look ahead!”
“Huh!”
Ronan looked ahead. Twenty goblins armed with branches and farming tools were charging at them valiantly. He sighed.
“Damn, now even goblins are joining the fray.”
They weren’t even special creatures like Lunar Goblins but just regular goblins. Ronan drew his sword.
Swoosh!
As his body rotated widely, ten heads soared into the air simultaneously.
“Uh, are we really going to be okay…!”
“Don’t be scared, kid. We haven’t killed a single one yet.”
Despite what Ronan was saying, his body was drenched in blood. For nearly half a day, He had managed to slice through triple-digit monsters. Together with the pickled fish, they were like a beacon to the monsters.
Ronan grabbed one of the goblin’s heads. Sure enough, there was the mark of Nebula Clazier, just like the one they had seen on stone giants and ogres.
“These guys fell for it too. Anyway, these bastards are annoying.”
Ronan’s guess was correct. Nebula Clazier was behind gathering and agitating the monsters. He didn’t know why they were doing this again. However, Ronan had no intention of letting their plan succeed.
‘If we keep killing the monsters, something’s bound to happen.’
Ronan knew that killing or incapacitating the spellcaster would release the magic. It had been the case with Brighia and Cyril. However, at the moment, he had no way of finding the spellcaster.
So Ronan continued to kill the monsters lured by the smell. It wasn’t a losing deal since reducing their numbers would make Iril’s journey safer. Ronan looked at Aselle, who was riding on the horse, and said,
“Get ready to move, Aselle. Watch and learn…”
That’s when it happened. Ronan’s face stiffened. Aselle raised an eyebrow and asked, “Ronan?”
Ronan didn’t reply. His gaze was fixed not on Aselle, who was on the horse, but further up.
The beings soaring through the sky after the sun had set were unusually gigantic for birds. One of them was rapidly approaching. Ronan didn’t take his eyes off the sky as he spoke.
“…Aselle, move the wagon above my head.”
“Huh…?”
“Just hold it still. Understand? Wyverns leave openings when they snatch their prey.”
Aselle’s face turned pale as he understood the meaning. Soon, a shadow was cast beneath the boys’ feet. Ronan put his hand on the hilt of his sword.
“…Alright, it’s finally making its move.”
Now they could clearly make out its form. It was one of the wyverns, colored like clay, folding its wings and descending powerfully. As Aselle heard the fierce wind, he began to whimper.
“Ugh… Ugh…”
The creature was easily over 5 meters long, from head to tail. Aselle was doing his best to hold back his desire to faint as he moved the wagon. Ronan’s face remained stiff as he continued to watch.
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Aaahhh!”
Aselle screamed. Somehow the telekinesis didn’t work. Ronan swung his sword just as the wyvern’s claws grabbed the wagon. The blade smashed through the wagon and struck the wyvern in the neck. The crescent-shaped blade sliced halfway through the wyvern’s neck.
“Eek!”
“Good.”
The range was short, but the power was powerful. A fountain of blood gushed forth. The wyvern crashed to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. Then the sky roared once more. The two wyverns were descending on Ronan at the same time. He straightened up.
“Kyaaaaah!”
“Huh?”
Ronan’s eyes widened as he stared at the wyverns. There was a human on the back of one. A woman in pure white robes, desperately trying to stop the wyvern from descending.
“Wh-why is it suddenly…? Get a hold of yourself!”
“Kyaah!”
It seemed like the wyvern had suddenly gone berserk, possibly due to being turned to the rotting fish smell. Despite her desperate efforts, the wyvern didn’t change its course.
But what was important now was not that. The woman’s shoulders were emitting a familiar glimmer. Ronan ground his teeth.
“Nebula Clazier…!”
She must be one of the masterminds behind this frenzy. Just then, the wyvern that didn’t have anyone on its back descended towards Ronan. He knew that surprise attacks wouldn’t work anymore.
“Kyaaaah!”
“Get out of the way.”
Of course, Ronan wasn’t aware of what was happening. He didn’t hesitate, stepping on the remains of the fallen wyvern and leaping forward with a slashing motion of his sword. Dozens of crimson lines were drawn on the crocodilian face.
Bam!
The wyvern’s head, firmly thrust into the ground like a stake, exploded, sending blood, teeth, and fragments of brain flying in all directions.
“What?!”
Only then did the woman notice Ronan’s presence and turned her head. Ronan didn’t hesitate for a moment; he swung his sword towards the sky.
Swish!
The flying blade pierced the wyvern’s wing. The startled wyvern screamed in pain.
“Kyaah!”
“You nuisance.”
Ronan muttered under his breath. His strike had only torn the flesh of the right wing, likely due to the distance. The woman in white, her face now pale, screamed urgently.
“Retreat!”
The wyvern hastily changed direction and began to ascend. Ronan tightened his grip on the sword hilt. Just as he was about to launch another attack, Aselle, who had been watching, reached out his hand.
“Invisible Hand!”
“What?!”
An invisible force grabbed them. The unbalanced wyvern froze in mid-air. Ronan clenched his fist and shouted.
“Good, Aselle! Drive it into the ground!”
“Uh, okay!”
Aselle swung his clenched fist downwards. The struggling wyvern began to plummet. At that moment, the robed woman chanted something. Suddenly, an overwhelming force increased the weight of Aselle’s body.
“Kyaaa!”
“Hey, you idiot, let go quickly!”
Aselle released the gravity spell. Ronan, who had jumped to catch the falling Aselle, managed to grab him. The wyvern carrying the woman was rapidly getting farther away. They couldn’t afford to let it escape. Ronan held Aselle’s shoulders tightly and shouted.
“Aselle, shoot me!”
“What, what do you mean?”
“Throw me at those bastards! You can catch me later!”
Aselle’s pupils trembled, but he didn’t question. He silently grabbed Ronan with the invisible hand and threw him towards the wyvern. An immense pressure engulfed Ronan.
“Ugh…”
It reminded him of the mid-air battle with Ahaiyute. The wind roared in his ears, and the distance closed rapidly. Ronan entered the same trajectory as the wyvern, narrowly avoiding a collision. He calmly grabbed the wyvern’s tail.
“Kyaah! Wait, how?!”
Ronan didn’t answer. Instead, he drove his Lamancha into the thick part of the tail. The wyvern screamed in agony and writhed. Ronan leaped onto the wyvern’s back, hilt drawn.
“You foolish woman. Don’t you realize how important today is?”
“What, what’s wrong with you…? Who are you…?”
The woman in the robe, her face now filled with horror, took a step back. Ronan was about to pounce when a huge shadow fell over their heads. Ronan looked up. A wyvern so huge he could have mistaken it for a cub, swooped down, claws outstretched.
“Shit.”
Sure enough, the wyvern’s chest bore the mark of Nebula Clazier. It seemed like this was the final weapon in their plan.
The claws of the wyvern were less than two meters from his face. Quickly assessing the situation, Ronan was about to swing his sword when
Swish!
A whistling sound echoed, and suddenly, a colossal shadow appeared right before them. Ronan’s eyes widened.
“Beastfolk…?”
The shadow turned out to be a fully transformed Beastfolk, larger than any supernatural being he had encountered before. Its right arm, which appeared ready to explode, held a massive blade that seemed to stretch about 5 meters.
‘Where did it come from?’
For a moment, a chilling shiver ran down Ronan’s spine. He couldn’t sense any mana from the Beastfolk; it had leaped here purely through its raw physical prowess. The woman’s voice trembled with despair.
“Za… Zaifa…!”
“What?”
At that moment, the giant wyvern’s body split in half explosively. Blood sprayed across the sky like fireworks. Simultaneously, the wyvern Ronan was riding on also shattered into three pieces and fell to the ground. The Beastfolk, having turned around, wrapped both Ronan and the woman in its arms and began its descent.
