Chapter 30
“Hey, hey! Careful not to get blood on you, kid!”
“This mutant looks like a crow crossed with a cow. What kind of oversized skull do these marauders have anyway…?”
The soldiers’ voices penetrated my fading consciousness, ringing through my head.
Then came the sound of flesh being sliced with a blade, and the dull thud of bones breaking, rousing me further.
I quickly opened my eyes and sat up, but an intense headache hit me soon afterward.
I was lying in the middle of a military carriage prepared for the mages. Apparently, my subordinates had even covered me with a blanket, befitting my rank as a general.
“…Just lie down a bit more.”
A delicate finger pressed gently against my forehead as I tried to rise from the carriage floor.
This gesture forced me back into the soft blanket.
The owner of the finger was Lir.
“…Where are we?”
I looked up at her, her hat pulled down lower than usual, and asked where we currently were.
“We’ve already arrived at Achilipthus Forest. The soldiers and other mages are dealing with the unconscious mutants right now.”
Whirrr…
“…May Astellara guide you all.”
Behind Lir’s response, the cold sound of an axe slicing through air echoed as Rex’s voice faintly reached my ears. He’d replaced one of his arms with a prosthetic.
When I glanced outside the carriage, it wasn’t hard to spot Rex. The towering orc stood out easily among the shorter dwarves.
“How’s the operation going? Have we even started building the forward base yet?”
“The archer units and mages are still clearing out traps. The commander said we’ll likely start road construction by evening.”
“…Then this isn’t the time to be lying around.”
I lifted my aching head again.
“Just lie down.”
“Nah, it’s fine. Even just standing might help.”
There’s no way I, a general, could lie here while everyone else is hard at work.
I gently pushed Lir’s hand away and stepped out of the carriage, planting my shaky legs on the ground.
“Manifestation.”
I whispered, focusing on the foreign energy within my chest.
Particles began to seep out of my pores and gather near my shoulder.
It was the crystal that had saved Lir’s life before, appearing once more.
The crimson crystal, following my will, emitted pulses of dark red light toward the motionless mutants, creating an unpleasant scent with each shot.
The greatest advantage of this crystal is that using it doesn’t require any physical or magical stamina.
Of course, saying “manifestation” and letting it hover above my shoulder isn’t as effortless as it sounds.
It’s hard to explain, but it’s like growing an extra arm and learning to control it. Or perhaps more akin to suddenly sprouting a tail and figuring out how to wield it.
In essence, it was the sensation of controlling an entirely new organ that had appeared in my body, one I had no prior experience using.
The more I use it, the more accustomed to this foreign sensation I’ll become. Eventually, I may reach a point where I can maintain it hovering above my shoulder all day. For now, though, I can only bring it out when necessary.
“…What is that? The magic that saved me last time? It doesn’t seem to be lightning magic… I don’t have extensive knowledge of other kinds of magic aside from lightning….”
Lir watched in amazement as I vaporized the mutants using the peculiar crystal and finally mustered the courage to ask.
“Ah, it’s not magic, it’s an artifact.”
“…An artifact?”
Lir’s large eyes widened as she repeated the word.
…Did I say something strange?
“Where did you get this artifact?”
Lir practically yelled the question, making her voice noticeably louder than usual despite only knowing me for a short time.
“It seems… artifacts are incredibly rare in this world.”
“It’s from His Imperial Majesty, right? No, even the emperor couldn’t just obtain an artifact… how on earth did you… No, wait! Did you conduct research? Did you attempt any disassembly? Does it contain magic or some other source of power…”
The usually reserved Lir was now loudly fussing over this discovery.
Given her reaction, one might imagine she’d faint upon seeing a map from a wiki site detailing the exact locations of artifact appearances.
“…I fell into a dungeon when I was young and happened upon it there.”
I looked up at the sky for a moment, then shut my eyes tightly and resolved with a serious tone to respond that way.
I couldn’t truthfully confess: “It was an item from the nest of a young dragon we all set out to capture together, but I ate it first because it seemed too important to share…”
“Was there any writing inside the dungeon? Wait, just tell me where the dungeon was. This is an opportunity. We could discover how the ancients lived and how such artifacts could exist for generations…”
It seems to scholars in this world, “artifacts” are relics of ancient civilizations.
…And here I was, having swallowed such a relic in secret.
“Sorry, but I don’t remember properly. It was too long ago….”
Another lie layered on top of the first.
I’m sorry, Lir.
But I couldn’t bring myself to admit the truth…!
How could I say, “It was actually in a young dragon’s nest, but I grabbed it first because I didn’t want others to take it. Hard work!”
“…”
Lir quickly calmed down, as if she had suddenly realized something.
Is she disappointed?
Why does the atmosphere suddenly feel so heavy?
“If the artifact was guarded in such a dungeon, it must have been quite challenging. What kind of childhood did you have…?”
Lir slightly bowed her head and gently patted my shoulder.
“I’m sorry for being so thoughtless… This probably wasn’t a pleasant memory if you don’t remember it well from such a young age…”
Ugh…
This wasn’t a scenario I anticipated…
“Hm, um… I have few memories of my childhood. I was just trying to survive every day, gritting my teeth… Yeah…”
I tried to quickly end this awkward exchange while pretending to sigh deeply, looking up at the sky as if it pained me somewhere inside.
Lir looked at me with a complicated expression.
My conscience was starting to hurt badly, but I gritted my teeth and didn’t let it show.
I’m sorry, Lir…
Next time I find an artifact, I’ll at least let you take a look before I eat it…
I managed a bitter smile, pretending to be someone with a tragic backstory, and then distanced myself from Lir.
…I couldn’t bear to look at her large, earnest eyes anymore.
“It’s finished faster than expected.”
I said aloud after noticing the surrounding area had grown quieter.
The mutants, standing motionlessly, were efficiently dealt with by the skilled soldiers wielding axes and swords.
Having completed the job, the infantry inspected their armor for any traces of poison from the mutants and carefully cleaned their weapons.
“Yes, yes, Master… Understood.”
While the soldiers cleaned their armor and weapons, Lir used a blue crystal to communicate with Alter.
“The main force is nearing the end of their operations; we should join them now.”
After finishing the communication, Lir approached and told me.
I didn’t rush and waited until the soldiers had fully completed their clean-up. It would be disastrous if the pestilence from monster blood caused an epidemic, jeopardizing our operation.
After about thirty more minutes, light chatter began among the soldiers.
I silently stared at Rex, who stood out among the dwarves due to his enormous size.
He correctly interpreted my gaze and signaled that everything was ready.
“Let’s head towards the main force. They mentioned most of the trap-removing work is done on their side as well.”
If we could transport the skillful dwarf soldiers into the Achilipthus Forest without any issues, my duties on this mission could be considered nearly complete.
The construction of roads and establishment of the forward base was the domain of the dwarves.
“Lir, let’s take a walk together once we reach the forest.”
So the next task will be my duty not as a soldier, but as a mage—searching for the Elemental of Lightning hidden somewhere within the forest.
“…Is this official business?”
“Huh? No, it’s not military-related, but it’s part of my duties as a mage. Why do you ask?”
“No, no… Never mind.”
Lir suddenly turned bright red after posing her question and pulled her hat brim down, retreating into her turtle-like defensive posture.
…This elf really is incomprehensible at times.
