Ch.222Episode 11 – All Quiet on the Northern Front

The Knights of St. Andrea’s Ferretti arrived at the location with his order.

The five or six knights following behind him showed no signs of fatigue despite climbing the rugged northern mountains.

“…Lord Ferretti.”

“Speak, Officer.”

“Didn’t you say earlier that you brought the entire knightly order…?”

When I pointed at the knights standing behind him, Ferretti, understanding my question, burst into laughter.

“Even the most valiant order cannot lead all their forces up a mountain at once. The main force is diligently climbing up from below! We are the advance party.”

“Ah, I see.”

I’m well aware of the capabilities of holy knights. More precisely, I learned about them from internal documents at the Military Intelligence Bureau while researching local conditions just before being dispatched to the Order.

When it comes to problems related to demons, demonic tribes, heretics, or monsters, few armies surpass holy knights. At best, only special forces trained for major magical warfare or elite investigators from the Magic Department who deal with exiled wizards can match holy knights.

Though few in number, holy knights are a different story altogether.

Of course, they weren’t the only ones who came here.

“It seems someone else also received a request for support. The situation must be quite urgent.”

“What do you mean…?”

I stopped mid-sentence and closed my mouth.

Behind Ferretti and the holy knights, new faces had appeared.

Unlike the holy knights in their silver armor, these newcomers wore capes adorned with strange symbols.

“They’ve arrived just in time.”

Ferretti pointed at them with his thumb and said to me:

“People from the Magic Tower.”

They were wizards from the Magic Tower.

Episode 11 – All Quiet on the Northern Front

Forces from the Order and the Magic Tower had arrived to support the rift. They were the first to respond to Francesca’s call.

Coincidentally, the leaders of each force were faces I recognized.

“I am Juan Pablo Martinez from the Magic Tower Secretariat. It’s an honor to meet you, Officer Nostrim.”

The one commanding the Magic Tower wizards was Juan Pablo Martinez. He was the head of the secretariat personnel whom I had seen with Francesca at the hotel just before coming north.

“I believe we’ve met before.”

“That’s correct.”

“My memory serves me right then. I received the message and hurriedly brought the advance party first.”

As we exchanged brief greetings, Ferretti abruptly inserted himself into the conversation. He proposed with a businesslike and courteous attitude:

“Forgive my rudeness on our first meeting, but shall we postpone the introductions? Given the urgency of the situation, let’s deal with the monster first.”

Though not the most charming delivery, it was quite respectful for a cleric addressing a wizard.

However, Martinez from the Magic Tower seemed uncomfortable with the holy knight’s presence and openly clicked his tongue, turning his head away.

As Martinez walked away toward where the wizards were gathered, Ferretti spoke while watching his retreating figure.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“…I’m not sure either.”

*

I led the two groups toward where Camilla and Francesca were.

The two were preparing for the upcoming battle with the imperial mages. Fortunately, the monster had not yet reached the defense line, so there was ample time for conversation.

“It’s been a while, Administrator!”

“Martinez of the Magic Tower Secretariat pays his respects to the descendant of the great mage.”

“You’ve arrived. Let me briefly explain the situation first.”

Francesca gathered everyone and began listing the information.

The corpse spiders that suddenly appeared just days ago,

The spiders that had been quiet until now but suddenly attacked,

Francesca who scouted the outpost and requested support,

The appearance of a giant spider with a body easily exceeding three stories in height,

The collapsed defense line,

The subsequent imperial army’s bombardment,

The monster that survived the bombardment and still breathed while craving corpses,

The monster that withstood merciless shelling and its presumed weakness to fire.

Despite the chaotic circumstances, Francesca continued her explanation calmly.

Her concise explanation was free of unnecessary details, and listeners supplemented their understanding by asking questions about unclear points.

Only after hearing the entire story did Ferretti finally speak up.

“Hmm! A spider that craves corpses!”

Ferretti stroked his beard with his hand.

“I’ve heard similar stories from priests who served in the Moritani continent. They spoke of spiders that practice cannibalism.”

“Do you think that giant monster is such a spider, my lord?”

“No, not at all!”

Ferretti denied it with a resolute voice.

“The spiders the priests mentioned were very small specimens. While I can’t definitively say that’s the only spider that practices cannibalism, it’s the most similar creature that matches the characteristics the administrator described. Except, of course, for the house-sized body.”

“I see… Did the priests ever mention why these spiders eat their own kind?”

“I heard they do it when severely injured, or during their growth process, craving the flesh and blood of their kin.”

Severe injury.

As soon as I heard those words, the image of the wounded spider crawling out of the pit flashed in my mind.

The imperial army’s bombardment hadn’t killed it but had turned it into a mess. Even its carapace that had withstood tank shells had fallen off, and one of its legs had been blown away.

What if the reason it devoured corpses was to recover from its injuries?

A chill ran down my spine.

“Have you also heard about spiders possessing the ability to control other spiders?”

“Yes, indeed. Only the queen who rules the colony can do that. But even the queen, known for her large size, is only as big as a palm from what I know.”

Ferretti shared quite useful information.

Francesca and Ferretti put their heads together and discussed various theories. They tried to analyze the giant spider’s weaknesses using all available knowledge.

“In academic circles, such specimens are sometimes called alphas. Though it’s not a proven theory yet.”

“With new monsters being discovered constantly throughout the year, it’s inevitable that theories remain underdeveloped.”

However, neither Francesca’s theories nor Ferretti’s information could produce a decisive solution.

“Hmm…”

After a brief pause, Francesca’s gaze settled on a particular man.

The one who had been quietly listening to the conversation all along.

“Lord Martinez.”

Martinez slightly bowed his head in respect.

“Please ask.”

“I heard you once worked as an adventurer in the Moritani continent. Do you have anything to add?”

Martinez raised his gaze at Francesca’s question.

“I don’t have any particular insights, but isn’t there something more important right now?”

Martinez continued after this opening remark:

“How to kill the monster, I mean.”

“…”

“It’s not something to boast about, but what I learned most earnestly during my time as an adventurer is that monsters craving human flesh and blood should never be left alive.”

All eyes turned to Martinez. He offered his candid advice in a respectful tone.

“So it seems nothing is more important than killing the monster first. Research can begin after transporting its corpse to the Magic Tower—it won’t be too late then.”

“…You certainly have a point.”

“Well then, what shall we do now?”

Martinez argued that we should devise a way to kill the monster as quickly as possible.

At that moment, I, who had been quietly listening from the corner, interjected.

“Um… Instead of wasting time talking, couldn’t we all just gang up on it and beat it down?”

“…”

“And if necessary, we can hit it with this.”

I jangled Camilla, whom I was holding by the scruff of her neck like a cat.

Camilla, lifted up with her nape gripped, stared at me with dead fish eyes.

“I noticed earlier that while it withstood bombardment, fire seemed effective.”

“…”

“If we just keep beating the shit out of it, won’t we find an answer?”

That was the correct answer.

*

The trivial conversation ended in less than five minutes. After sharing some information, we set off toward where the giant spider was located.

More than a dozen silhouettes dashed across the basin.

A desolate wind blew through the abandoned northern military base, but there was no time to indulge in sentimentality.

Camilla and I rode on Francesca’s golem. A snowstorm mixed with ash particles blew from the collapsed ruins, hitting our faces.

Wading through the mud, we arrived at the location where it was.

The shadow cast in the thin fog was enormous.

The giant spider, having survived the imperial army’s cross-bombardment, sat in the ruins, chewing on corpses and exhaling breaths stained with pain and anger.

The creature commanding countless corpse spiders wasn’t simply a large spider. It was a queen ruling over a colony and a general commanding an army.

Thud.

Something fell from the monster’s maw. It was someone’s right arm with scraps of a military uniform still attached.

That horrific sight was clearly imprinted on my retina.

Ferretti of the St. Andrea Knightly Order spoke.

“…A cursed monster.”

“I don’t know about cursed, but it’s definitely a pain in the ass.”

“Officer, will the hero’s abilities truly work against that monster?”

My gaze turned to Ferretti. There was no need to answer. I didn’t have the energy for it either.

“I understand.”

That was the end of the commentary.

Ferretti stepped forward and raised his voice.

“Form ranks! Draw your weapons!”

The holy knights responded to his command.

The knights with drawn weapons formed a formation. The clanging of steel resounded loudly, and silver armor began to radiate brilliance in the whitish fog.

“Paolo! Antonio!”

The named holy knights responded.

Ferretti, drawing his sword, said:

“Clear a path.”

*

The two holy knights stomped the ground.

The sight of the holy knights trailing silver radiance reminded one of a meteor shower crossing the night sky.

The two knights, who had advanced several meters in a single step, encountered the mass of corpse spiders. It happened in the blink of an eye.

-Swoosh!

The swung swords traced an arc as they extended.

The blades, imbued with dazzling light, bisected the foremost corpse spider in a single stroke and severed the legs of the spiders to the left and right. The two holy knights who had leaped into the midst of the corpse spider swarm mowed down the spiders rushing from all directions.

A path was cleared.

Like Moses’ miracle of parting the Red Sea, the spiders were split exactly in half. The holy knights dashed down the narrow path between the sea of spiders.

“Hup!”

Ferretti inhaled and let out a battle cry as he crouched. When his taut muscles began to surge, mud splashed up from beneath his feet.

Stomping the ground, Ferretti flew like a projectile.

He advanced forward, seemingly unconcerned with the ruins covered in writhing corpse spiders.

Finally, when Ferretti reached the end of the path, a silver oar gently cut through the air.

-KEEEEEEEK!!

The giant spider let out a painful screech.

The silver blade had penetrated halfway through one of the spider’s legs covered in black carapace. Ferretti, who had cut off more than half of the monster’s leg in a single strike, twisted the sword’s hilt to pull it out.

The leg that had remained intact even after being hit by heavy artillery now danced limply in the air like a puppet with cut strings.

“Tch!”

Ferretti clicked his tongue as he confirmed the screeching spider.

“Damn tough!”

“Commander!”

A holy knight’s voice reached Ferretti’s ears through the battlefield noise. The group of holy knights who had run down the cleared path now stood behind him.

Ferretti glanced at his subordinates and stepped back, shouting:

“Finish it!”

There was no response.

The holy knights who had rushed through the path cleared by their comrade charged at the spider, swinging their weapons. Silver blades flashed with dazzling light as they slashed at the spider’s legs.

Crack! A holy knight who had embedded his blade in the carapace swung his sword forcefully.

The carapace that had remained intact even after being hit by a main gun shattered into fragments, and another blade that appeared afterward sliced through the monster’s tender flesh.

It was truly an impressive achievement, but it fell short compared to Ferretti, who had severed more than half of the monster’s leg single-handedly.

At that moment, the last holy knight to appear shouted to his comrades:

“Fall back now!”

The holy knight pulled the trigger.

-Bang!

The gun in the holy knight’s hand spewed fire. Each shotgun pellet was accompanied by a light aura reminiscent of a dragon’s breath.

The holy knight, gritting his teeth, pulled the trigger with all his might. The gun in his hand continuously spewed flames, and the light-imbued shotgun pellets blackened and pulverized the spider’s flesh. The sight of someone in armor firing a gun was exceedingly strange, but that hardly mattered now.

Thanks to him, one of the monster’s legs was completely shattered.

“Well done!”

Ferretti shouted toward the holy knight.

Having run out of bullets, the holy knight knelt on one knee and took out ammunition from his chest. The other holy knights who had thoroughly minced the spider’s legs surrounded him.

Ferretti, laughing heartily, kicked off the ground and soared. Flying like a projectile, he rose high into the sky and then plummeted toward the ground.

The destination of his raised sword was the monster’s head.

Ferretti, surrounded by radiance, shouted as he struck down at the monster’s head:

“Return to where you came from! Cursed monster!”

The spider’s red eyes were bloodshot.

Sensing its impending death, the monster, in the midst of letting out a pain-filled scream, twisted its enormous body and dodged.

-Crash!!

The silver blade cut through the innocent mud instead.

“Damn it!”

Ferretti’s face contorted as his all-out attack missed. The attack had failed, and the spider was one step faster, so all that remained now was the monster’s counterattack.

Sure enough, the wounded spider let out a rage-filled roar and launched its attack.

A leg with enough strength to overturn a tank’s turret swung toward Ferretti. Seeing the sharp carapace gleaming like a blade in the thin fog rushing toward him, Ferretti’s eyes widened.

Just as the spider’s leg was about to strike his abdomen,

“This is why holy knights are problematic.”

A green barrier unfolded before Ferretti’s eyes.

The spider’s leg, thrust like a spear, was blocked by the green barrier. Despite the tremendous impact causing the barrier to ripple, it showed no signs of weakness.

“Rushing in without looking back, really.”

Martinez, who had appeared beside Ferretti, clicked his tongue.

Ferretti, slightly relaxing his tension, revealed his snow-white teeth in a grin.

“So you’re a wizard of the Protection School!”

“Let’s skip the small talk and focus on the fight. There’s no need to waste time dealing with just one of these.”

As he finished speaking, people who had made their way through the sea of spiders began to arrive.

“Commander! Are you alright?”

“Matthew went to help Paolo and Antonio!”

Holy knights from the Order.

“Lord Martinez, should we prepare the barrier?”

“There are more monsters than expected. I’ll distribute potions to the imperial mages as well.”

Wizards from the Magic Tower and the Empire.

And then,

-Whoosh!

The creature that had lost its leg to the flames that bloomed in midair retreated hesitantly.

Camilla, who had jumped down from the golem and landed, glared at the monster.

“Superhero landing!”

“Please stop with the nonsense.”

The battle at the isolated rift was now racing toward its conclusion.