【…Is it true?】
【Yes. Fortunately, it seems they haven’t yet found this place due to the barrier, but… they likely followed the traces left behind by the delegation.】
【…Those needlessly sharp bastards.】
【The hunters have erased most of the traces, so they won’t be able to find us any time soon.】
This smelled unmistakably like a quest, but I couldn’t say I’d grasped the situation yet. The Archmage’s serious expression suggested that something pretty significant had happened.
【Is it possible for us to send out warriors to deal with them?】
【There are too many of them. If our goal is not just to drive them away but to annihilate them, we’d need to send out most of the village’s warriors.】
【…The guest currently with us is the chief of Vigabol. If we deploy most of our warriors, they’ll definitely notice. We must ensure that they remain unaware of this.】
【Then what should we do…】
【Does the chief know about this?】
【No, he is conversing with the guests, so I reported to you first, Miss Priestess.】
【I see. I will inform the chief. Gather all the village’s hunters. Call only some warriors, to the extent that our guests won’t notice.】
【Yes!】
Ah, whatever. Haha. They’d explain it to me once they were done talking, anyway, so I might as well relax right now.
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I calmly sipped my tea. I wasn’t sure if it was the aroma or its actual taste, but it sure was delicious. If I were offered more of it, I certainly wouldn’t say no.
“Jatav, huh? It seems things aren’t going well.”
When I’d almost finished my second cup, the Archmage muttered something under his breath. Of course, it was another noun—it definitely wasn’t a verb—that felt unfamiliar to me.
“The Jatav are just as powerful as the Vigabol. Most warchiefs come from their tribe. From what I know, the reclusive nature of those residing in the forest is largely because of them.”
It sure was nice that the Archmage always provided an explanation. I couldn’t bring myself to ask for another refill, so I simply drilled this basic knowledge into my brain.
“But for them to have been spotted near the village right now… No matter whether they’re here to reduce Serhan’s firepower or stop the alliance from being formed, one thing is clear: they are very aware of the Katina period.”
So, regardless of whether they were aware of it, they were using force to disrupt things… was that right? These power struggles sure were intense.
“I suppose we should have left the village sooner.”
I fully agreed with that opinion. While I didn’t regret saving those people, dealing with the aftermath certainly was a hassle. Although I did sympathize with them a bit, I had no desire to get involved in someone else’s power struggle.
“But the biggest problem is…”
“…?”
I looked at the Archmage, who was staring at me, utterly clueless about why he was doing that.
What? Why was he doing that? What was he thinking? I prayed he wasn’t going to nag me for saving people. Seriously, please don’t nag me for saving people!
“Have more tea.”
Oh, thank you.
I gratefully accepted the tea, which I couldn’t dare request myself because I felt a little self-conscious. How delicious.
“People from beyond the Forest.”
At that moment, the Priestess, who had been speaking with someone who’d just come in, turned to us. Here comes the quest. I’d been through this so many times that as I waited for her words, I only felt calm.
“Please, help us.”
Her plea was sincere yet not servile, as the Priestess slightly bowed.
“I understand your situation, but we can’t do that.”
“I know this request is rather shameless, but we desperately need the strength of the warrior who defeated the Swallowing Green River.”
“We are outsiders. What would people say if we, complete outsiders, interfered in Katina?”
Fortunately, the Archmage could handle this situation. The Priestess bit her lip anxiously, not out of irritation but nervousness.
“That’s…”
【Miss Priestess, the Jatav have mobilized the Jahukaya!】
“…!”
Another person suddenly burst through the door. The Priestess’s yellow skin turned as pale as a white rice cake.
“The Snake that devours light…?”
The Archmage’s expression changed subtly, not because what he had heard seemed dangerous, but because he was trying to figure out what it was. It seemed like he didn’t know everything.
“I shall go first. Please forget my request and rest here comfortably.【Makaka, stay here and attend to our guests.】”
The Priestess hurried off with the hunters. The young girl who’d been assisting the Priestess looked incredibly flustered, glancing between the teacups before us and the tea leaves at the side.
“Uhm, w-would you like some more tea?”
Did she also know our language?
“What is the Jahukaya?”
As I got more tea, having drunk half of it already, the Archmage asked a question. The girl, eyes wide open, scratched her head with her free hand.
“I, erm, not very familiar with this language.”
【We can also speak in this language.】
【Then, I’ll explain. As its name implies, the Jahukaya is a snake that consumes light.】
【Light? Do you mean it uses something like photosynthesis to survive?】
【No, not that kind of light…】
The girl spread out one hand, holding it parallel to the ground. Soon, a small burst of light shimmered above it.
【It consumes this kind of light: Arcane Power.】
The Archmage leaped to his feet.
“Demon Knight, we have to catch it!!”
First, they start chattering in a language that only they understand, and now this? He might believe I was a polyglot like him, but I sure as hell wasn’t.
* * *
* * *
Apparently, the Jatav Tribe had been breeding snakes that could consume Arcane Energy.
It had started fairly recently, just a few months ago. We didn’t know how they’d managed to begin breeding these kinds of snakes, but for us, it was as if we hit the jackpot.
It was like they were serving a replacement for the snake we had to kill on a silver platter.
“Just one, no five snakes.”
Excuse me? Didn’t two come after one? Why did he jump all the way to five?
While thinking that, I wondered whether this was the right thing to do.
Was it right to secretly capture these Arcane snakes right after deciding not to get involved in their power struggles? And why was I, who specialized in frontal attacks, chosen for this task instead of Deb, a specialist in ambushes and theft?
“The Jatav Tribe greatly values the Jahukaya. If we miss this chance, we might have to go all the way to their main base.”
I understood why the Archmage was pushing for this so much.
It was easier to handle things physically than somehow join in on their negotiations.
In the end, I took off my coat and donned the hooded leather poncho that Makaka—the girl whom the Priestess had left behind—handed to me.
Given the racial differences, namely the different number of arms, I couldn’t avoid being noticed altogether, but that didn’t mean there was a need to show them my face.
I also put away all my usual weapons that could lead to me being identified. The provided machete would be my only real weapon. I doubted I would use it, though, since I wasn’t familiar with it.
“Erm, th-these are the Priestess’s clothes, so please take care of them…”
Makaka, who handed me the clothes, requested this of me while seemingly on the verge of tears. The Priestess had willingly lent them to me to deal with the snakes.
It looked like she had a lot on her plate as the Priestess’s servant.
“I will.”
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If a child asked me to take care of something, I would absolutely take care of that thing.
I passed by the warriors waiting near the outer wall.
They were preparing for the worst, still hiding behind the barriers concealing the village to avoid revealing its position through unnecessary movement.
As for the hunters? I’d heard they took some sort of back route. They were going to act as decoys.
This also posed a significant risk in revealing this place’s location, but they had no choice. Ignoring the present problem to prevent future problems was foolish.
【The barrier will be compromised if you go out there!】
However, they were still concerned about it. I kept thinking about what I could do and finally came to a decision.
When I was about ten meters from the barrier, I tensed my legs.
I gathered Arcane Power in them.
【What are you—!】
Boom!
The ground shook slightly as my body launched into the air. The dark poncho spread out like the wings of a hawk.
【…!】
By the way, it wasn’t just the Inquisitor who’d gotten some ideas from the Archmage’s special lecture a few days ago on the difference between Divine Power and Arcane Power.
I also got a few ideas, though it was more about understanding why my existing skills manifested in specific ways than learning new applications of my power.
However, that understanding wasn’t meaningless. Once I grasped a technique, I could create new ones much more easily.
【A black… trail in the sky…】
Thanks to that, I could try doing various things like this.
For instance, not just spreading Arcane Power over my body but spiraling it around me.
【Hey, can’t you hear some sound coming from somewhere?】
【Does that mean the Serhan’s base really is somewhere around here—】
【What’s that?!】
Was it a good way to apply my power? I didn’t particularly think so.
While it had become easier, it still required headache-inducing calculations, and externally expressing my Arcane Power didn’t affect my physical abilities at all. In other words, if I wanted to enhance my physical abilities, I would have to use my Arcane Power again.
And it didn’t even output an Attack Power equivalent to the Arcane Power I used. The power consumption was similar to one use of [Bombard], but its effect wasn’t much different from [Stinger].
But… It was still fine. Enhancing my body wasn’t the only important thing. I’d somehow found a way to extend my Arcane Power externally.
I hadn’t tested this skill’s defensive properties yet, but I’d created something resembling a shield. And I could use it offensively, as well.
I’d tried it once, but it didn’t really work out—not knowing at the time that a shield was so difficult to make, I’d tried molding it into the form of fabric—but having it was much better than having nothing.
As long as I kept creating things, there was room for development.
【A-A snake!】
Moreover, it looked pretty cool.
Pitch-black energy covered my rushing body in a spiral, pointed in front and spread out long in the back. Wasn’t that cool? My entire body, even my face, was covered in Arcane Power.
【S-Spare me!】
【Uwaaargh!】
Ah, so there had actually been no need to change into other clothes, right? Hmmm. Welp, it didn’t really matter. But now that I was thinking about my clothes, it felt like I’d forgotten something. Ah!
I’d totally forgotten to mention the broken seal. I would have to tell the Archmage as soon as I got back. I definitely wouldn’t forget this time!
However, I could only discuss the seal after this task was complete. I moved among the warriors, who were less than 100 meters away from the village.
They were easy to spot as they were covered in red mud. As soon as I appeared, they started screaming and fleeing in every direction.
I had no idea where that damn ‘Jahukaya’ snake was.
【Come back here, hiss! Hisss!】
Surprisingly, I found it quite quickly. Although I had no idea what it looked like, identifying the snake handlers was very easy.
They, too, were rushing to regather the snakes while attempting to escape. Because of this, I could easily spot their location, so I immediately rushed there.
【Argh!】
As I mentioned, this skill’s Attack Power was pathetic relative to its required Arcane Power.
A direct hit from it might tear apart grass or thin branches, but if it were to hit a tree trunk or a person’s body, it would just cause some superficial cuts. Of course, those cuts would still be quite deep and numerous, but anyway.
Rather than Attack Power, its knockback, which could push back almost everything, seemed quite strong. The snake handler was thrown to the side.
The snake almost got knocked away, too, but I somehow caught it. However, its skin was somewhat… well, torn, but it was still alive, so it should be fine, haha.
I ran around in all directions, gripping the snake’s neck tightly to prevent it from biting me. Fortunately, my hands were rather large compared to a snake, so I could hold two in a single hand.
【Retreat! Retreaaaat!】
【I-It’s a black snake. A black snake…! A snake that flies like the wind!】
I managed to catch a total of four snakes when I had about a fifth of my Arcane Power left.
I skillfully avoided the dispersing Jatav warriors while running to an empty space. I was a bit worried that what I was doing here might be a bit too obvious since I’d intentionally driven them toward the opposite side of the village.
After enhancing my body once more, I jumped up and landed tens of meters away after drawing a beautiful parabola in the air.
The remnants of Arcane Power surrounding me remained in the air like a long tail before disappearing completely.
Bang!
Of course, that wasn’t all.
I intentionally used [Ground Crash] as I landed. The ground trembled and seemingly roared loudly.
The nearby trees bent slightly, bushes were torn apart, and the ground cracked open. Anyway, it was quite the dramatic view.
For what it’s worth, I purposely left some traces further from the Serhan village. Even if the Jatav warriors later returned to investigate, they couldn’t cause us any harm, right…?
I was careful not to leave any traces of where I’d come from.
So, they wouldn’t find it, right?
Well, it was already done. I might have caused more harm than good, but still, I’d driven away the warriors without any casualties. With that thought in mind, I returned.
With huge trees in all directions, finding my way was a bit challenging, but using the traces of my rush, I vaguely knew what direction to head in.
【Our savior…!】
Moreover, some of the village hunters and the Priestess came running out themselves.
I threw the snakes toward the Archmage, who was sitting in one corner.
Although still conscious, the snakes were either dazed or close to death. There were also plenty of hunters around, so it should be fine.
【Wh-What just happened…】
Ah, had I known it would turn out like this, I would have just gone without putting on these clothes. They were unnecessarily troublesome.
【Just how did you just…?】
I unbuttoned the poncho with one hand. Fortunately, it had buttons instead of just holes for the head, which would have made taking off this thing pretty difficult.
Swish.
Thanks to that, I could slip it off easily.
Returning the borrowed cloak to the Priestess, I took the machete I’d yet to even draw into my hands. It, too, flew through the air and landed in the hands of a hunter positioned a bit away.
The hunter, who had been quite dazed, was startled by the machete appearing before him and quickly grabbed it. Had it not been in its sheath, he might have cut his hand on it.
Anyway, I finally made eye contact with the Archmage before asking a question.
“Is it not enough?”
“No, this is plenty.”
Good, what a perfect ending.
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