“Ugaaaaah! I’m tired aaaaaaah!”
Jigoro’s complaints echoed through the chaos as he landed a strike on one of the toadmen, causing its head to explode and scattering everything around in a messy display. It was messy, and I wished he would stop, but I had grown accustomed to it.
“Endure until Ruby comes back!”
Saying that, Genjuro swung his large sword, cutting several Toadmen in half. The cross-sections are not explicitly depicted, but the upper bodies of the Toadmen reach out their arms, and their separated lower halves twitched convulsively, which was gruesome. Well, I had gotten used to it too.
“Why do… you both have… so much time….to talk?”
Iris cried out in despair as she swung her hammer and axe. Her attacks paled in comparison to the cheat-like combat abilities of Jigoro and Genjuro, leaving her little room for composure.
However, from an outsider’s perspective, it might have appeared that the toadmen were recklessly charging into the raging multitude of tentacles only to meet their demise. Among the three, Iris was perhaps the most relentless.
“Crescent Magic Circle, activate! Dark Wave!”
I cast a ranged spell, conserving magic power while ensuring its power was enough to take down the enemies in one strike. The spell caught about ten of them, but under normal circumstances, that would have sufficed. In the current situation, though, it felt like a drop in the ocean. They just kept coming.
“Isn’t it over yet?”
“Not yet.”
We continued to fend off the advancing foes, focused and relentless. With so much to manage—my own magic, the three others’ health, and the timing for summoning the undead for support during recovery—I could only spare words when unleashing my spells.
Jigoro, quit complaining and get moving! You’re the most agile among us! While thinking about that, I swiftly used my [Scythe Mastery] to cut down an enemy that had approached Iris from behind.
How much time had passed since the battle began? My sense of time was fading. It felt like only five minutes had gone by, yet at the same time, it seemed like over an hour.
“Gerororoo! Gekokkero!”
“Geko!?”
“Geroro!?”
At that moment, we heard the deep voice of a burly toadman coming from a considerable distance ahead. As if in response to that signal, the toadmen, who had been fearlessly charging at us, turned their backs and began to retreat.
The source of the commotion was ahead—toward their nest. Something must have happened there. And undoubtedly, it was Ruby who caused that “something”. Well done, Ruby!
――――――――――
You have won the battle.
Race level increased. Gained 1 SP.
Job level increased. Gained 1 SP.
The level of [Staff Mastery] skill increased.
The level of [Scythe Mastery] skill increased.
The level of [Intelligence Enhancement] skill increased.
The level of [Spirit Enhancement] skill increased.
The level of [Health Recovery Rate Increase] skill increased.
The level of [Magic Power Recovery Rate Increase] skill increased.
The level of [Magic Control] skill increased.
The level of [Magic Control] has reached its growth limit. Evolution is possible.
The level of [Earthen Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Water and Ice Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Flame Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Storm Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Forest Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Lava Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Sand Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Mist Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Lightning Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Explosion Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Light Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Black Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Void Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Summoning Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Enchantment] skill increased.
The level of [Magic Circle] skill increased.
The level of [Necromancy] skill increased.
The level of [Curse] skill increased.
The level of [Trap Magic] skill increased.
The level of [Spirit Channeling] skill increased.
Newly learned “summoning evil spirits” spell.
The level of [Witchcraft] skill increased.
Newly learned “necrosis” spell.
The level of [Linguistics] skill increased.
――――――――――
It was over… Finally, it was over… It had been an intense battle, almost all of my combat-oriented skills had leveled up significantly. But we made it through! We had every reason to be proud.
“Is everyone okay!?”
“You’re back, our savior!”
Ruby, our savior, appeared from behind. It seemed she had taken a detour while escaping from the toadmen.
“Savior… Well, never mind that. Listen! This quest isn’t over yet!”
…Let’s hear the details.
◆◇◆◇◆◇
Before listening to Ruby’s report, we visited the village chief’s house in the Lizardmen village. Coincidentally, the warrior commander of the village was present, so he joined in the debriefing as well.
To sum up her story, Ruby had successfully infiltrated the Toadmen’s nest and assassinated the huge female toadman, which was producing an abnormal number of eggs. This caused the toadmen to panic and start withdrawing their forces.
However, upon the toadman’s death, it laid a massive number of eggs—an estimated few hundred. While she considered crushing the eggs, she had to retreat before getting detected by the enemy.
“…Um, excuse me, are you actually a ninja or something? I thought you were just there to gather information. Yet, you carried out the assassination of their leader alone, even if we were providing a distraction?”
“Hohoho! As expected of my granddaughter!”
Genjuro was overjoyed, but everyone else couldn’t help but be astonished. Look, even the village chief and the warrior commander were standing there with their mouths agape. For NPCs, this must be an extraordinary achievement. I’m relieved that it wasn’t just my perception playing tricks on me.
“Cough! Ah, Village Chief. I’m not familiar with the ecology of the toadmen, but do you have any idea about the huge toadman Ruby mentioned?”
“Yes! Yes, I do. Though I only know it from legends, it’s probably the Toadman Grandmother.”
“The Toadman Grandmother…”
What a long name! Well, that’s not important. From the name alone, it was evident that this was no ordinary toadman. I wonder what kind of creature it is.
“According to the legend, the Toadman Grandmother is said to give birth to the infant Toadman King.”
“The king of the toadmen…”
A king, huh? Just the other day, we fought the Ratman King. It was in a league of Its own in terms of strength. Sure, part of it was because we were significantly under-leveled, but even without that, it was incredibly powerful.
After all, it managed to exchange blows head-on with the Gravekeeper, who was more than 10 levels above it. Perhaps creatures with the title of “king” have a strength several levels above individuals in the same level range. That’s just my personal opinion, though.
So, the toadman with the title of “king”. The king of the creatures we were tirelessly defeating until a while ago… I can’t even imagine it.
“It seems that the village at that time was cornered and on the verge of destruction. They were saved thanks to Lord Agnasrelim’s timely intervention.”
“On the other hand, this means the other party was so strong that the Lizardmen couldn’t win without borrowing the power of the Dragon Lord, isn’t it?” I remarked.
The village chief nodded slowly. Of course, if the Dragon Lord had come out, they wouldn’t have had a chance to win. I don’t know how many years ago this happened, but the toadman must have been an overwhelming force that the village couldn’t overcome, no matter how hard they struggled. It was an opponent they could only defeat with such a formidable force.
“…Sir Dragon Bone, your task ends here. Please accept your reward.”
――――――――――
Hidden Quest: “Unravel the Mystery of the Toadman!” have been successfully completed!
Rewards will be given.
――――――――――
The village chief neatly placed five wristband-like objects in front of us. They seemed to be woven from ordinary vines, but they had a faint bluish hue.
“What are these?” I asked.
“These are amulets woven with the powdered scales of the one bestowed upon us by Lord Agnasrelium. We, the lizardmen, hold deep reverence for Lord Agnasrelim, and that’s precisely why no one would act disrespectfully and approach without due cause if you wore these. By wearing them, we will recognize you as beings favored by Agnasrelim and keep our distance.”
I see. If we wear these, the lizardmen will view us as beings favored by Agnasrelim and maintain a respectful distance from us. It’s quite convenient.
“With that said, I have a favor to ask! Could you please lend us your strength to help our village in this crisis!?” the village chief requested.
――――――――――
Emergency Quest: “Save the Lizardmen of the Lake!” Do you wish to accept this quest?
*If you decline, you will never be able to accept it again.
Yes/No
――――――――――
After the God Quest, the Hidden Quest, and now an Emergency Quest? I can’t believe how adventurous we are.
However, I couldn’t possibly decline at this point. After all, the other four members of my party were full of enthusiasm, and truth be told, so was I.
“We can’t just say ‘goodbye’ here, Chief. Let us lend you a hand,” I said.
“Oh, I am grateful!”
“Then let’s make a plan.”
“Indeed. warrior commander, could you gather the prominent members of the village for us?” the chief asked.
“Will do!”
Within a few minutes, the village chief’s house had gathered the leaders of various positions within the village: the warrior commander, the Farmland Overseer, the fisherman Head, the Ritual Head, and the Female Head.
Alongside the village chief, and the five of us, we formed a group of eleven people to devise a plan. However, there was only one course of action to take.
“I assume everyone has heard from the warrior commander about the Toadman Grandmother, who was born recently. Fortunately, Ms. Ruby, one of Sir Dragon Bones’ companions, has already subjugated her. But there is a high possibility that a Toadman King infant has been born,” the chief explained.
Tension filled the meeting room, which was natural considering the village was facing a crisis of destruction.
“However, the Toadman King, should not have fully grown yet. That’s why we will take the initiative and strike!”
The announcement left everyone here, excluding us and the warrior commander, feeling unsettled. But with a little thought, it became clear to them.
“…So, we’re going to defeat the threat before it can grow into something more dangerous?”
“Yes, precisely.”
The Female Head inquired, and the village chief nodded. There was a high possibility of an enemy trying to annihilate them, but if that enemy was still in its early stages of development, it presented an opportunity. There was no need to wait for the enemy to grow stronger; instead, they should strike while it was weak.
Cowardly? No, no, this was a survival strategy. Waiting for the opponent to grow stronger and then fighting fairly and honorably, that’s something for knights to do. We are monsters. It’s either eat or be eaten.
That’s all there is to it. Now, who should we choose to attack?”
“It’s already taken care of. We’ll leave five skilled warriors and five rookies. The rest will launch the attack. We can’t afford to let them escape under any circumstances,” the warrior commander replied.
This was the decision of the warrior commander. The plan was to attack swiftly and take down the young Toadman King without fail.
“As for the other adult men, they will join the defense of the village, and we’ll entrust the protection of the children to the women. And Ritual Head, in case of any unforeseen events, please deliver a message to Lord Agnasrelim.”
“Understood.”
Agnasrelim’s deployment would be the last resort. We couldn’t let a situation arise where we faced defeat after the Dragon Lord appeared. We would never allow such a thing to happen.
“Everyone, the fate of our village hinges on this battle! Remind those fools that Lord Agnasrelim is the ruler of this lake!”
“”””Oooooh!””””
The Lizardman warriors were highly motivated. It was only natural for a defensive battle.
Now, let’s prepare ourselves as well. Repairing our equipment, confirming new spells, and evolving our skills!
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