episode_0051

“Are you going too?”

He asked Mirella, who suddenly leaped onto the deck.

“Then is there someone here who can deal with demons other than me?”

It would be nice if there were Ora, but she seemed to have been angry earlier.

Even though you may understand a teenage girl’s mind, you never really know.

“Why? Do you not want me to come with you?”

“No, it’s fine. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Geez.”

Mirella muttered something and leaned against the railing.

As I headed towards the front, I looked at the river that continued ahead.

If my expectations are correct, there will definitely be traces left behind.

A while later, when what I was looking for appeared in front of us, I quickly gathered people and distributed healing potions.

“Take one bottle each. Drink it when your mind gets cloudy. Mirella, you don’t need it.”

“Why?”

“It’s okay because you’re a woman. Crossbowmen, move forward!”

In response to my command, the knights with quarrels loaded in their crossbows moved forward into position.

“Do you see that over there?”

Over there, something shimmered faintly on the surface of the water.

Sirens. They lure sailors with their beautiful appearance and exceptional voices, then drown and devour them.

However, contrary to common belief, sirens do not have a female form.

In reality, they are grotesque half-human, half-fish creatures that use their enchanting voices to appear that way.

With my healing potion, I can somewhat block out their singing and kill them all in the meantime.

Sirens themselves are not particularly strong monsters in terms of combat power.

But why are sea sirens coming all the way here to freshwater?

“While the first row shoots, the second row distributes healing potions. After the shooting ends, the first row retreats and drinks healing potions. Fire!”

The first row, aiming while leaning against the railing, began shooting simultaneously.

Several quarrels shot out merrily and struck the water’s surface.

“Aaahhhhh-!!!”

As blood spread on the water’s surface and bones cracked, screams echoed.

“Ugh!”

One knight who missed the timing to drink the healing potion groaned and tried to jump off the railing.

“Grab him!”

As the knights rushed to pull him back, the crossbowmen of the second row stepped forward and shot quarrels.

“Aaahhhhh-!!!”

Sirens rose with quarrels stuck in them. Some managed to evade the attacks and swiftly swam towards us.

Their speed was so fast that it was difficult to keep track with the eyes.

“They’re coming aboard!! Everyone, be on guard!!”

As dozens of sirens clung tightly to the ship, the knights drew their weapons.

When the siren who first leaped onto the railing was seen, people recoiled in horror.

With its two eerie eyes, rotten corpse-like upper body, and foul-smelling lower body exposed without the enchantment.

This is the true form of a siren when not under the spell.

None of the knights dared to approach the sirens and hesitated.

Because they have never properly faced demons before.

“What are you waiting for!”

As the sirens continued to climb aboard, Mirella raised her aura and jumped into the midst of the sirens.

“Yaaahhh!”

Only when the siren’s head shattered against the hatch cover did the knights scream and charge.

Since sirens are relatively weak in combat power, the deck was soon stained with their blood.

In total, fifteen of them. This is an incredibly large number, especially in this freshwater environment.

Is there a problem?

“Oppa?! They’re coming again over there?”

Mirella leaned her upper body outside the railing and pointed ahead.

Turning around, another group of sirens could be seen approaching.

Why are there so many?!

This is bad. We only have two bottles of healing potion.

The healing potions people drank earlier won’t stop the second wave of sirens.

If they come up here now, everyone will die, won’t they?

“Mirella. Listen well. You’re the only one who can fight right now.”

He grabbed Mirella’s shoulders and spoke.

“Send the people below deck and destroy the stairs. Don’t let them come up. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“I got it. It’s to prevent them from jumping into the water because of the singing, right?”

He shouted for everyone to go below deck. People who didn’t know English pushed me down.

Then the sirens’ singing began to be heard.

People influenced by the singing started to climb the stairs again with a roar.

“Mirella! Destroy the stairs!”

“You have to go in too!”

“Destroy them!!”

At his urging, Mirella completely destroyed the stairs with a crowbar.

“Okay, let’s do this!”

Handing me a fallen sword, I stood next to Mirella.

Mirella looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“Why aren’t you going down?”

“You can’t stay here alone. The others are already mesmerized.”

“What help can you possibly be?”

“At least I can watch your back.”

“Just get out of the way if you’re going to be a hindrance! How are you going to fight the sirens with me?”

“We have two potions left. We can hold out with these.”

The sirens began crawling up the side of the ship.

I drank a healing potion and ran with Mirella to the railing, slashing at the sirens with a sword.

Siren heads extended over the railing began to shatter and split from my sword and crowbar.

This is surprisingly satisfying, like a whack-a-mole game?

But there are too many coming up.

Sirens slowly began to surround Mirella.

“Mirella! It’s dangerous!”

A siren swiftly crawled behind Mirella and brandished sharp claws.

I threw myself in front of Mirella, and the siren’s claw slashed across my abdomen.

I knelt as blood poured from my stomach.

It was just a monster in the game, but it’s no joke in reality.

Perhaps being a weak NPC made it even more deadly.

“Sister!”

“Mirella…! Don’t come! Focus on the battle!”

“No! Brother! You’re bleeding too much!”

“Take a potion to endure…!”

Despite shouting boldly, I soon groaned and slumped forward.

I shouldn’t have acted recklessly.

I never thought I’d end up like this from a hit by a siren.

What did I think I could do with the body of an NPC with 120 health points?

I wanted to develop the city to avoid dying, but now reviving the city has unexpectedly become the goal.

If I knew I would die so foolishly, I should have handed over all future plans to the magistrate.

“Brother! Snap out of it!”

Mirella cried out in distress while attacking the siren’s head.

I feel sorry for Mirella. She must have suffered a lot despite knowing my feelings.

But it couldn’t be helped. You’re still too young.

Maybe when you grow up, you can reconsider, but who knows. I might not be around to see that.

Everything brightens.

I might really be about to die. Could it be that God is coming to take me?

If so, let’s consider. Why did He possess me like this?

No matter what, how can I possess the shop NPC in Tutorial Village.

As the light grew brighter, my vision was dyed white.

Eventually, a tremendous roar engulfed me with a gust of wind.

* * * * *

Something soft presses against my lips. What could it be? It’s not a siren.

Perhaps God raised my will to save the village and sent me to heaven?

Are the lovely angels there kissing me?

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was red hair.

Warm steam rushed into my mouth, swelling my chest.

“Cough!”

As I coughed violently, Mirella, who had been giving me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, sat up.

“Brother!?”

“Mirella?”

“Brother!”

Mirella hugged my neck and started crying loudly.

What on earth is happening? I thought I had died surrounded by sirens.

Why is Mirella giving me artificial respiration?

“Are you awake.”

Turning to the voice, I see Liberonne in armor looking at me.

“Liberonne?”

“The Holy Knight saved us, Jack.”

One of the knights sitting next to Liberonne spoke up.

“We met them on the way to Odellin City.”

“Is that so…?”

Now I see the scattered bodies of sirens torn apart all over the deck.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Guardian Angel.”

Liberonne knelt down, gently touching my cheek.

“I’ve treated all your abdominal wounds, but don’t overexert yourself.”

“Thank you, Liberonne.”

“Thank Mirella. Without her, you would have really died.”

Liberonne says she jumped off the deck and swept me into the river.

Mirella jumped in and pulled me out.

I held Mirella tightly as she continued to hug me and cry.

“Thank you, Mirella. For saving me.”

“If you recklessly risk your life like this again, I’ll kill you if you die!”

Mirella shouted with a wet voice.

“Anyway, let’s anchor nearby and make some repairs.”

Under Liberonne’s command, the knights brought the ship close to the riverbank and dropped anchor.

At that moment, soldiers appeared through the forest by the river.

Judging by their attire, they belong to the Imperial Army. Why are they here?

“This is insane! They were really sirens, right?!”

A woman in a blue robe at the front exclaimed.

If she’s wearing a robe, does that make her a wizard?

“Hey! Excuse me! You there! The black-haired man! Are you Jack from the starting village?”

The woman presumed to be a wizard shouted, pointing at me.