33 – Episode 33
# 33
“It’s watching us.” The knights of the Santiago Order used axes, hammers, and bows as their main weapons. All the swords they usually carried were left at the temple. Swords were excellent weapons against humans, but were insufficient for monsters. How can one face a 3 or 4-meter tall monster with a sword that breaks like a twig? Even a lich would fare better with a long bow and spear. “Apply the spell now. Everyone should apply magical poison.”
The knights slathered their weapons with the plant oil they had received from Mani. As Mani exclaimed something in Maronius language, the oil instantly turned into a deadly poison. The knights stood tensely, peering into the darkness. Despite it being daylight, the forest was unnaturally dark. The Manticore, lurking amongst the trees and shadows, was hard to pinpoint. But they had the advantage of two wizards in their midst.
“To the east! Beside the large rock! It’s next to the bent black walnut tree!”
“…What’s a black walnut tree?”
“Broaden your botany knowledge, you ignorant fools!”
They might not have understood what a black walnut tree was, but they did get the signal of the bent tree. A knight wielding a bow shot an arrow into the darkness. Ian, who could penetrate the darkness, watched closely as to where the arrow was headed.
“It hit it, but it bounced off!”
“!”
Animal hide is thick. Animal bodies are made up of skin – fat – muscle – bone in order. And the part often branded as ‘injured’ is mostly the skin. The wilder the animal, the thicker their skin becomes. In the case of large animals like elephants, it’s not uncommon for the skin alone to exceed 30cm in thickness, that’s why, regular guns can’t kill elephants. If this applies to elephants which are considered monsters in reality, deflecting arrows would be a child’s play for the Manticore, a real monster in the realm of fantasy.
Gr-r-r-r…
The Manticore growled. The chills-inducing roar that echoed was eerily akin to a deranged old man laughing uproariously. Ian shouted out sharply in Maronius language.
“[Manticore!]”
The tension flowed as if walking on thin ice.
Before long, the manticore responded to Ian’s call.
[Oh, a human speaking to me. Interesting.]
When Ian attempted to converse with the manticore, the knights used the opportunity to catch their breath and get in formation. If Ian could persuade the manticore, they might be able to drive the monster away without any casualties.
Consequently, Elder was hanging a bit of hope on this.
“It would be great if this works out.”
But Mani knew that this was absolutely impossible.
“Ian will fail.”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Why?”
Mani laughed with a snort. She too was planning to prepare new magic while Ian was buying time.
“He’s too polite and gentle.”
“…? Is that a reason for failure?”
“You are not a magician, so it’s understandable that you do not understand.”
Just because the same language is used, doesn’t mean everyone understands each other. This is common sense and truth. Isn’t it that many Koreans cannot understand each other, although they use the same language?
“[I’m glad you understand me. I’m the magician, Ian.]”
Ian started with a polite greeting, recalling the time when he persuaded Drake Longtail. His actions were extremely commonplace.
If it were not for the manticore, this could have been a well-received opening.
[Damn. Eat sh*t. Damn humans.]
“…?”
[Oh! It’s fascinating. It seems that you understood what I said?]
Ian was dumbfounded.
What the hell? Is this nutcase serious with his unprovoked verbal abuse?
“[I’ve comprehended your insults, Manticoresir.]”
[Ah. Is that so? How’d you like my insults?]
“[They were… rustic.]”
It was beyond him why Ian, a Korean, would use the term ‘rustic’ to describe insults. What, did they smell like soybean paste or something? That did somewhat imply that they were sh*tty, though.
However, his words seemed to be positively received by the Manticore.
[Did you enjoy my insults? Are you a moron? You like being insulted? Have some dignity, loser.]
“[That’s not what I meant, your words…]”
[You still keep saying ‘your words’. Are you some bastard with no parents?]
“…”
Grrruowl.
The Manticore made a sound of crying. And Manticore’s cry was similar to human laughter.
Ian thought the Manticore was laughing at him.
And he was right.
With calm, composed eyes, Ian stared at the Manticore.
“[What are you?]”
[Ha hahahahaha! Now that’s more to my liking! Ditch the honorific bullsh*t. Magician Ian. What do you want from me?]
Your scalp. If I say this, a fight will break out…
“[Your scalp.]”
… It was obvious, but at some point, Magician Ian had forgotten to hold back. He was soaked in the sense of entitlement as a magician.
Upon hearing Ian’s response, the Manticore laughed heartily.
[Why I wouldn’t hesitate to give it!]
“[Really?]”
[“But what could you possibly do with my skin? I have a better idea. Wizard.]
[“A better idea?”]
[Joining hands with you, we will rip and kill those human creatures! I will feast on their slaughter, while you gather wealth and women! How about that?]
The power of level 3 summoning was magnificent to the point where a monstrous creature like the Manticore had a liking for Ian.
However, the Manticore’s affection, to Ian was as insignificant as grit in his eye.
[“Any conditions?”]
Ian asked with a promising heart, however, he did not expect a proper response.
Once again, getting along with mysteries is similar to the process of making new friends(not Oberon’s friend).
The first thing you need to make a new friend is…
That’s a commonality.
Whether it’s gender, age, life experiences, interest domains, hobbies, etc.
You need some overlap to get a chance to become friends.
However, the condition that Manticore proposed to Ian was… shock and horror, in itself.
[I want to see you enjoy your
“…!”
Only then did Ian realize that he had been used by the Manticore.
The Manticore had not seriously wanted to form a contract with Ian. It was just testing how well its imperial language would be conveyed to humans.
If Ian was truly evil and intended to use the Manticore to slaughter people, then maybe it would have agreed to a contract…
Mani was right.
The Manticore is a monster entwined with greed and evil, and unless you are equally wicked, it is an uncontrollable beast.
“Damn deceitful beast.”
Ian cursed, spitting.
“Keh keh keh… Yeah. Now you’re starting to look worth killing!”
The Manticore leapt dramatically towards Ian.
With his unimpressive physique, having only ever engaged in casual workouts and brick-laying, Ian had no chance of evading the attack. However, a seasoned ex-mercenary and a magician were waiting by his side.
“[Grow!]”
While Ian was stalling for time(?), Mani, who had previously scattered seeds, invoked a spell of rapid growth.
What grew at an incredible speed was the stem of a bean… in other words, a bean sprout.
Beans are a time-honored friend of the magician. This fact is also recorded in Jack and the Beanstalk.
You might wonder how mere bean sprouts could stop a Manticore… but Mani is not so foolish to overlook such a simple fact.
Mani planted enough beans to halt the Manticore’s movement.
Meaning, she planted a damn lot of them.
“Ee, elder! Wizard!”
“What, how can so many beans…!”
Bean sprouts sprung from the seeds scattered by Mani and spread in all directions.
The insane growth of the bean sprouts filled the vacant lot and the forest, and it still did not stop.
“Krrr!”
The Manticore, blocked by the wall of bean sprouts, could not touch Ian. So far, so good.
The problem was, the Santiago Knights also could not approach Ian’s position.
Even though the Manticore was blocked, Elder, trapped by the bean sprouts, could not hide his perplexion.
“Mani! What on earth did you do!”
“Don’t you have eyes? It blocked the Manticore!”
“What about the Knights? How can they help now!”
“Are they five-year-olds? They’ll fight it out!”
As if exemplifying the stereotype of the eccentric wizard, Mani puffed out her eccentricity with aplomb.
I created the wall of bean sprouts, but it’s not my responsibility thereafter!
And that was the average measure of a wizard in this age. Mani was not in any strange part.
“I must go to help.”
Elder made a move, and Ian joined him.
“I will go with you.”
It pleased Elder to see Ian voluntarily accompanying him. He had been worried after not being able to convince the Manticore, thinking that Ian might lose his motivation.
Yet contrary to Elder’s worry, Ian’s desire was blazing.
‘That bastard.’
The Manticore who had rambled bizarre things at Ian.
Knowing that the creature was a wicked bastard, he felt uneasy until he could rip out its tongue.
Unlike the two rigid men, Mani strolled with a leisurely step.
So, she was a little surprised upon arriving beyond the bean sprout wall.
“Errgh…!”
“Breathe slowly. Relax your body.”
At that place, traces of fierce battle were prominent, and several knights were rolling on the ground in utter exhaustion.
There were ones with broken and twisted arms and legs, and those who had been poisoned by toxic thorns.
“Extraordinary indeed.”
Elder closed his eyes with a sense of guilt.
The Manticore is a formidable opponent. After all, its body is not that of an ordinary lion.
Just as it would be a state of emergency if even a single tiger appeared in any peninsula country to the east, the monsters of this age are beings that are difficult to confront with a human body.
Especially the Manticore, which is armed with a body size that exceeds three meters, tremendous muscular strength, and a venomous tail, it would be impossible to go against it with an ordinary human’s physical strength.
Elder should have fought with the knights…
“Quick, take the antidote!”
Mani busily ran around distributing medicine. They started with the antidote that their lives depended on.
“…”
Mani stopped in front of an injured person.
It was the Di Hitri brothers.
One of them had a long tear in his skin, his internal organs exposed, slowly dying.
All the knights without injuries had gathered around Di Hitri.
“Brother…”
In Mani’s eyes and in the eyes of the knights, there was no possibility for Di Hitri to survive. The Manticore had ripped Di Hitri’s chain mail, and the torn pieces of iron had burrowed into every corner of his body.
Di Hitri opened his eyes just a little.
“Pray…”
The knights stood, holding each other’s hands in a circle – a ritual of the Celestial Religion.
As followers of the Celestial Religion, they were preparing to send his soul to heaven in accordance with their faith.
Then, Ian held onto Di Hitri’s hand tightly.
“Ian…?”
“Di Hitri. You told me when you taught me the scriptures… If you believe and pray, the heavens will open.”
Di Hitri smiled faintly.
“Yes…”
Ian said resolutely,
“Pray with me.”
Ian was feeling terribly awful.
He had never imagined that he would witness someone’s death, especially the death of someone he was rather close to. It was the fragility of a civilised man.
This place was neither a world where peace had become normal, nor a world where medical technology had advanced. It was a medieval fantasy world overflowing with monsters and wars, which had come all too close to the mundane. Death, which had been consumed as a subject of movies and dramas, was now close enough to watch clearly with our own eyes. That altered sense of distance was really sh*tty to Ian. “Almighty Sky.” That’s right. The Middle Ages are sh*tty. [Yes. Ian. Your Sky is here.] “…?” “Ian, should we continue praying?” But for fantasy, it wasn’t as sh*tty as one might think. “[Sky, your fan is dying. Could you do something about it?]” [Hmm. If Ian wants, should we try that?] That moment, the knights were surprised. Both Elder and Mani had their mouths wide open, unable to close them. “I, Ian?” “That is… what is…?” It was because from Ian’s hand, a brilliant sky-blue light was pouring out. It was the glory of God.
I love how god is so chill despite the happenings.