Ch.197197. Finding Traces (3)

My arrow, infused with a whirlwind, shot swiftly from the bowstring with a sliding release.

‘An arrow draws its most satisfying trajectory when its master believes in themselves without wavering.’

Just as I had told Sione when I first taught her archery.

My arrow, packed with deep confidence and conviction, simply flew straight ahead exactly as I wished.

Woooong─!

The sound of the arrow fiercely cutting through the air at increasing speed erupted.

“Kyaaak…!”

The sound of wind being sliced and the giant spider’s tearing scream intersected.

The arrow had lodged itself right between the grotesquely protruding eyes, in what could be called the creature’s brow.

Simultaneously, the whirlwind burst, violently shaking the creature’s head.

“Lady Sione, move back!”

“A-Alright…!”

The massive body of the spider, its head blown apart by a single arrow, began to collapse, losing control.

The enormous body that had risen into the air to pounce on Diolia fell powerlessly to the ground.

Boom!

Thick dust billowed up as the lifeless body slid forward.

The spider, now a corpse without a head, came to rest right in front of Diolia, who had retreated backward with Sione.

“You shot that quite impressively.”

“As expected… you aimed cleanly for the brow and shook it thoroughly this time too.”

Diolia with slight admiration for how easily I had dispatched a monster.

And Sione, committing to memory how my arrow had pierced the enemy as she observed the corpse that had slid right up to her.

I noticed Diolia glancing at me and taking a stance, while Sione, who had been deliberating between sword and bow, pulled an arrow from her quiver.

[You are entering combat alongside Sione Sianella.]

[A significant amount of restricted power will be released.]

The moment Sione showed her intent to engage in proper combat.

The status window that I had seen to the point of exhaustion during those days when monsters covered the area before the walls appeared after a long time.

Feeling my senses sharpen and my mana increase, I approached them thinking:

‘Now I can handle this level easily.’

It was a strange feeling.

Last year in the Beltrin Mountains, I had my left arm bitten off trying to kill a single spider. I lost consciousness and couldn’t use my left arm for days after waking up. Seeing how far I’ve come since then…

It was quite satisfying to know I could easily take down such large spiders on my own now, even without this restricted power being released.

But there was no time to dwell on my remarkable growth.

‘Now for the next ones.’

This spider was not our only enemy.

Where did all these bastards come from when they were nowhere to be seen before?

Despite the elves’ frenzied shooting of arrows and slashing with swords through flesh and hide, their numbers weren’t diminishing easily.

I pulled three arrows from my quiver and said:

“Lady Diolia, please take care of Lady Sione.”

I didn’t wait for an answer. Or rather, I couldn’t hear one.

She seemed not to have heard me properly as she began engaging with a monster that lunged at her.

Instead, I moved based on Sione’s small nod as she glanced at me slightly.

‘Orna, assist Sione.’

─Myaang!

The large ball of fluff flapped its wings, indicating it would help Sione too.

Those two would manage well together.

Now I only needed to worry about myself.

“Hoo.”

I took a deep breath, preparing to move quickly.

“Tania. You know─”

“Hmph, of course I know! How many times have we fought together in forests like this? I wouldn’t forget.”

…No, not that.

“…You need to control the fire more carefully. I have less mana than you think.”

No matter how much stronger and less mana-consuming a spirit’s fire is compared to one I make myself.

It’s still fire. Fire magic greedily devours mana with its powerful heat, so it’s better to be cautious.

At my words, Tania, who had been speaking confidently with her arms crossed, looked at me with what seemed like contempt.

“Hmph. I can handle that much on my own.”

Rising into the air and floating above me, surveying the surroundings, Tania said:

“You worry about yourself. It’s been a while since you fought in a forest like this, right?”

“I’ll manage.”

No need to worry.

This kind of forest is one of my favorite environments.

“Let’s begin.”

I started moving my feet.

Kicking off the ground, I threw myself forward without hesitation, quickly scanning between the tree trunks.

One on the right, two on the left. The left ones were closer.

However, the creature approaching from the right had its head obscured by a tree trunk.

“Hup!”

I slid forward and drew the bowstring simultaneously.

Skillfully squeezing mana from my heart to create a whirlwind, I achieved the perfect angle to target the creature’s head.

A beast with an elongated snout and sharp fangs ideal for crushing prey’s necks to cut off their breath.

Paang─!

The moment I released the arrow, without even confirming the hit, I immediately rolled forward.

“Grwaaaar!”

A bear-like monster that had approached from my left was now raising its vicious forepaw to tear me apart.

Feeling the cold earth beneath me, I immediately nocked one of my two remaining arrows.

I shot it with a sliding release, without infusing it with mana.

“……!”

As the arrow struck its right eye, the monster’s head jerked backward.

Not missing this brief opening, I quickly nocked my last arrow and gathered mana.

Rather than a whirlwind, I needed flames that could melt through the creature’s tough hide and ultimately bring down its massive form.

As Tania noticed my attempt to gather flames and hurried to assist—

Whoosh!

Brilliant red flames bloomed, heating the arrowhead.

Paang─!

Whoosh!

As the arrow deeply embedded itself in the bear’s head, cutting through the wind, the creature’s form collapsed.

Confirming this, I immediately slung my bow over my shoulder and said to Tania:

“Tania, please.”

“Got it!”

As mana slightly drained from me, a wall of fire created by Tania rose up.

The last monster, a wolf-shaped creature charging at me from the farthest distance—its vision was momentarily disoriented by the sudden appearance of the fireball.

But proving its intoxication with magia, it threw itself into the wall of fire like a rabid dog.

It snapped at where I should have been, aiming to tear at my neck and feast on my blood and flesh.

Unfortunately for it, I had already slightly changed my position and stance, ready to strike.

“Hup!”

The flames raised by Tania gathered.

They collected on the blade of my drawn sword and began to flicker.

As my sword slashed upward, the monster’s belly was cut open.

And at the moment when the flames fully coated my sword—

I brought the sword that had been pointing skyward down in a diagonal slash to the lower left.

Tssssss!!

The stimulating sound of burning flesh.

With my sword embedded in its neck, the creature lost its life, engulfed in the spirit flames created by Tania.

After confirming it would soon breathe its last, I retrieved my sword and looked around.

‘Friel─’

As expected. She was continuing the battle alongside Friel.

She seemed to prefer the sword over the bow, using a cold weapon longer than my short sword to subjugate monsters.

‘And Airine.’

Not far from Friel, the eldest daughter of House Ianet, Airine, was also clearing the situation around her through spirits.

Unlike Friel, she was operating three spirits simultaneously and supporting her spirits with a bow.

I pulled out the arrow lodged in the bear monster’s eye, took down one more enemy, and then began racing through the forest again as if it were my home.

“Tania, let’s go again.”

It seemed I would need to continue this fighting for a while longer before the battle ended.

* * *

“So those annoying pointy-eared women have finally found their way here?”

A cultist facing a woman alone. She kept her head deeply bowed as she quietly reported.

“…Yes, our sister has personally confirmed it. They are currently wandering around in this forest.”

“Hmm……”

The woman in the black robe, head bowed deeply, squeezed her eyes shut.

The blood scent emanating from the woman before her was so intense, and the magia leaking subtly from her being was so potent that it made her dizzy.

She had no choice but to do her best not to lose her mind.

This woman before her was one who commanded one of the greatest plans of those whom the world disparaged as cultists.

To avoid upsetting this woman with blood-red pupils as deep and rich as blood itself, and to avoid losing her life pathetically like the woman’s previous attendant, she must never show any unseemly behavior in her presence.

“Well, this is troublesome. But now that they’re here, what difference will it make?”

The woman, whose red glowing eyes and small lips were the only features visible beneath her robe.

The corners of her mouth turned up in a mischievous smile.

“Our preparations are almost complete anyway.”

The woman said as she slightly rose from the chair she had been sitting on.

With this, an even stronger blood scent and magia began to fill the room.

“The cold flesh and souls of elves should be sufficient as the final offerings, don’t you think?”

“…If we offer both the elves and the spirits they’ve contracted with as sacrifices, we could further accelerate His resurrection.”

“Good, then… go and call our brothers and sisters.”

A voice full of mischief.

She grabbed the nape of her servant, whose legs had given out, and forcibly lifted her.

“We should at least give a proper welcome to the foolish elves who have walked straight into danger.”