Chapter 69
HEL SCANS
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[TL/N: 69th chap hehe]
Located at the westernmost edge of the continent, Lonkers was a small village with just over a thousand inhabitants, but few in the vicinity were unfamiliar with its name.
Such conversations often took place in the cozy homes of nearby cities.
“You! If you don’t listen, I’ll send you to Lonkers.”
“…How can you say such things to a child!”
Rumours of gloom circulated in the abandoned mine: a diminishing population, lurking outlaws, poverty, and despair.
For the majority, Lonkers was not a place they wished to be close to.
‘Huh… Although it is a familiar hometown to me.’
Hans, a native of Lonkers, peered out from his hiding spot in a pit, only showing his head as he surveyed the surroundings.
His complexion turned pale, as if sensing impending misfortune.
The moon was as thin as a fingernail, clouds were dense, and darkness descended like mist.
The air, unpleasantly sticky, hinted at the impending doom.
It had been less than an hour since Hans set out for reconnaissance.
Clang-!
Krrrr-!
A pack of feral dogs rushed at him with their eyes glowing red.
Thanks to them, he lost the donkey he was riding.
Nevertheless, he thought it was too early to give up and continued a bit further.
Then, his vision strangely blurred.
Even if he held up a torch, the brightness didn’t extend beyond a certain range.
It was all due to the influence of demonic magi.
‘It’s more corrosive than I thought. Going further from here seems impossible without adequate preparation. Returning without any gains is disheartening.’
Facing a return without any income, Hans sighed as he tucked himself back into the pit.
It was disappointing to let down the expectations of the villagers.
“Huh… Are you, are you going back?”
Right next to him, a terrified whisper was heard.
It was his companion, Diontri.
“It seems like that’s the only option.”
“Well, I suggested staying in the village quietly. Why did you decide to go scouting and create this mess?”
Hans felt irritation on his forehead at his friend’s pathetic words.
A fierce whisper followed.
“So you want to just stay in the village doing nothing when people aren’t coming back? Do you want to act so cowardly?”
It’s been more than three days since we sent a plea to nearby cities and villages for help.
Enough time has passed.
But there’s been no news.
That’s why Hans, who’s known for using a sword in the village, decided to venture out with his friend Diontri.
Diontri also argued with a sense of injustice.
“…W-what can we do? Look. In the end, we’re in danger. Damn it, if we had stayed in the village, thanks to that craftsman, we might have at least saved our lives.”
“Shut up. Whether we get help from around or not, the result will be the same. Whether we die early or die late, it doesn’t make a difference.”
“I-if we endure, the extermination force might come, right?”
Hans let out a deep sigh.
“…Talking naively. Do you think they care about us from the center? The village atmosphere is already strange enough, and if we don’t do something…”
Hans’s words became muffled at that moment.
He reached out and covered Diontri’s mouth.
Grrrrr-!
Not too far away, a sound distinct from the cries of animals echoed, spreading terror.
As the horrifying noise repeated, piercing their eardrums, even Hans couldn’t help but shiver.
“W-what is this sound?”
“Hush.”
As Hans’s expression became serious, Diontri turned pale.
Soon, they could sense a very peculiar presence.
Ssswip.
In an instant, they understood.
This wasn’t the sound of a creature with a normal structure moving.
It felt as if mud was wriggling with a semblance of life.
…The problem was that the sound was getting closer.
Both exchanged glances.
Hans spoke first.
“…It’s a demon.”
“D-demon? Is it like those dog-like creatures from earlier?”
Diontri asked, even though he knew it wasn’t the case.
“……”
Hans remained silent, then sighed.
“It’s probably something much more horrifying.”
Squelch.
Hans’s hand, slippery with sweat, tightened around the hilt of his sword.
‘…I have to do it.’
Hans’s plan, just formulated, was as follows.
He could only strengthen the sword with magic for a brief 2 or 3 seconds.
Killing it with one stroke wasn’t his hope.
He aimed to sever its legs, impairing its mobility, and then escape with all his might.
Having concluded his thoughts, he kicked Diontri’s buttocks.
“You, just don’t do anything and run straight. If I die… I entrust Jennefer to you.”
“Oh, okay. If I die…”
“You won’t die, so shut up.”
“Uh, yeah.”
“Then….”
Go!
“Aaaah!”
Hans screamed as he leaped out of the pit.
Simultaneously, a faint light emanated from the tip of his longsword.
It was an absurdly feeble light to dispel the surrounding darkness.
As Hans turned his head towards the direction where he sensed the presence, he exclaimed,
“Ah…”
His concentration wavered, and his magical power scattered.
Unconsciously stepping back, he gazed at the ‘something’ in front of him.
‘Where are its legs?’
Diontri, who was rushing out behind him, froze in place.
‘…Is this a dream?’
The demon had such a bizarre form that it felt unreal, as if the most unpleasant parts of several people’s nightmares were put together one by one.
Being born in the western region, they hadn’t encountered demons frequently.
Seeing a mutated demon directly affected by the dense magi of the stake was unsettling, and they couldn’t adapt to it easily.
“Oh, no…”
Hans stared at the creature, which was emitting something that seemed to be either legs or tentacles, with a stiffened expression.
Slurp-!
The grotesque contraction and expansion of the appendage at the end continued.
Hans needed to avoid it…
“Bow!”
Hans couldn’t react in time to the voice suddenly coming from behind.
However, it didn’t matter.
His head, against his will, obediently bowed.
The demon’s tentacle barely grazed the back of his head.
‘Huh?’
Hans looked at his own neck with widened eyes.
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Something was entwined.
‘Is this… a thread?’
A thin thread pulled down his neck, allowing him to evade the tentacle.
Thud thud thud thud!
Startled, the sound of hooves echoed loudly in his ears.
A silhouette on horseback, charging towards the demon.
Countless threads were unravelling from her hands.
Swish-!
The threads, imbued with magical power, gained a high degree of sharpness and resilience.
They whipped through the air, cutting through the tentacles that lunged like whips.
The threads, emitting a blue light, left dazzling trails in the darkness.
And…
“Burn it.”
Another voice was heard, this time in a deep tone.
Hans looked at the man riding an unusually large horse.
Though he couldn’t see anything due to the deep hood, an overwhelming presence pressed down on Hans, leaving him breathless.
“W-who…”
As Hans stammered, the man reached out and grabbed the back of Hans’s clothes.
Like a kitten held by the scruff of its neck, Hans, who had always been larger than his peers, found himself awkwardly mounted on the horse.
It was a truly unfamiliar experience for him.
“N-no! Wait a moment!”
However, the mysterious man paid no attention and spurred the horse forward.
It happened at the moment he passed by the girl who was fending off the demons.
“The demons are swarming. Head to the village first.”
“Understood.”
“…Also, help the man who went into the pit.”
Whoosh-!
The girl rescued Diontri, who was shivering with his head in the pit.
He was still trembling and couldn’t even think about covering his wet trousers.
Frowning, the girl just extended her outer garment.
The man reassured them,
“Now you’re safe. Don’t worry.”
“Th-thank you. Sir.”
The only calm one among them, Hans, looked at the vast expanse of the man’s broad back with a bewildered expression.
‘W-who is this?’
…He didn’t have the courage to ask, so he just held onto the saddle in silence.
Clip-clop! Clip-clop!
The monstrously large horse carried the two riders swiftly.
‘…It’s the village.’
The homeland, which seemed even more welcoming from a distance, unfolded before them.
It was the moment when the hero and Nyhill smoothly entered Lonkers.
* * * The men we rescued were indeed residents of Lonkers.
They even claimed to be part of the local militia.
Thanks to that, we were able to pass through the gate without any inspection.
Fiddling with the forged identification nestled in his pocket, Hans looked at me.
I felt sorry for Nyhill, who had prepared it all.
“Hans, thanks for guiding us.”
“Haha, no problem. This is the center of Lonkers. It might be a bit modest, don’t you think?”
Although I wanted to deny it out of courtesy, it wasn’t a place I particularly wanted to stay for a long time.
Despite the late hour, it was excessively dark and quiet, with buildings stained by moisture and dust.
The occasional passersby had dark expressions, a mix of curiosity and hostility, casting glances at us.
A dead street.
The only bustling place was a store across the street.
Sounds of horses and the inviting smell of alcohol wafted from it.
I turned my gaze back towards the direction we came from, the wagon.
‘The artifacts mentioned by the guys we met at the checkpoint…’
Amidst everything worn and crude, they stood out distinctly.
I looked at the sophisticated and intricate structures of the Sumerian artifacts placed somewhat awkwardly on the wagon.
There was a sense of aesthetics that didn’t match this crude place.
Hans cautiously added,
“Are you here to find the craftsman who made those?”
I nodded.
“Do you happen to know him? I heard he’s been here in Lonkers for quite a while.”
“Well… I know, but I’ve only spoken a few times. In fact, there are hardly any locals who are close to him. Even for me, I only started talking because of the Sumerian artifacts.”
“Are you avoiding interaction as expected…?”
Hans widened his eyes.
“Do you happen to know him?”
“Well, something like that. So, where should I go to meet him?”
“Uh, that’s a bit tricky…”
Hans pointed across the village with his finger.
I squinted my eyes.
‘…The abandoned mine?’
It was the abandoned mine, the cause of Lonkers’ decline.
Under the faint moonlight, a vaguely visible path led to a moderately steep hill and mining equipment moving back and forth.
“…He spends time in the abandoned mine?”
“Yes. Except when he comes down to the village to buy essentials, he stays in the mine.”
“Why?”
“Well… I don’t know the details, but he bought the land as soon as he came here and settled down.”
I looked back at the direction of the mine.
Of course, Dwarves and Elves were not races that particularly enjoyed interactions with humans.
Even if they disliked getting involved with others, why would they choose to live in such a wretched place?
Since the mine had been abandoned for a long time, it might not even be producing minerals anymore.
Thinking about this, I was about to move my steps towards the mine.
“Alright then.”
“Oh, wait a moment!”
Hans urgently raised his head.
“You don’t need to go all the way there. It’s about time for him to come down.”
“What?”
…That strange sound was heard at that moment.
Whirring!
Clank.
“…?”
Whirring!
Clank.
…?!
HEL SCANS
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