Chapter 4.1
Chapter 4 – Abnormality in the Forest
The group picked up their luggage and got ready to depart . They had taken a break before preparing the camp, so they hadn’t unpacked yet, which helped .
“Okay, let’s go!”
“Roger!!”
“Yes!”
Cornelia, Kristoff, even Bernhart clearly replied with “roger”, followed by Roa . This exchange happened several times during battle too, but every time their reply was perfectly synchronized . They were completely in sync .
Roa was slightly embarrassed to be the only one to answer with “yes” . He then recalled that, just that morning, Dietrich had been ignored by the others when he raised his voice in town .
I see, so at that time, he tried and failed to do this…
It’s pleasant to hear companions reply in sync to a leader’s command . More than anything, it signals a sense of unity .
In a proper situation, it raises morale .
Only in a proper situation though…
Roa now understood well how wrong it was to do it in town at dawn, just to get on a horse carriage .
Roa started walking alongside Nostalgia’s members, lost in such thoughts .
Kristoff was in the lead, followed by Dietrich, with Roa in the center, Bernhart behind him and Cornelia taking up the rear . Kristoff was in the lead, but he wasn’t paying attention only in front, but in all directions .
What Kristoff used to do so was detection magic: it was a simple spell which used little magic power, but since it was necessary to keep constant watch of the surroundings, its mental toll was rather heavy .
In exchange for using it at all times, Kristoff would not normally join in the party’s battles . In other words, thanks to Kristoff acting as scout the other members only had to focus on fighting .
Bernhart too did not normally participate in the fighting . Magic power was limited: a single offensive spell was capable of completely changing the tides of battle, so they would not waste it on enemies that could be taken care of by other members .
Nostalgia’s fighting style consisted in Kristoff scouting any threats, Dietrich and Cornelia fighting, Bernhart assisting them whenever necessary .
“… . this is bad . They’re coming up from behind, heading straight for us . They’re definitely chasing us . Three units… . big ones . ”
Kristoff spoke a few minutes after the party started walking . His tone did not show any impatience . He knew full well that impatience would not help at all in the current situation and was keeping his feelings in check .
“Will they catch up with us?”
Dietrich’s tone was very quiet too . He talked while walking forward, not missing a step . Roa too, thanks to his many years of experience as All-Rounder, was used to such situations and was calm too .
“They’re not especially quick, but they are faster than us . Even if we start running, they’re going to catch up with us sooner or later . ”
“…I see . I wanted to use the shortest route out of the forest, but that won’t take us away from the valley . Supposing that the source of this anomaly is in the valley, the first priority is to get away from it . Let’s keep going at this pace, when they catch up with us we’ll counterattack . Let me know as soon as you can . ”
“Got it . ”
Dietrich chose to keep walking and counterattack the beasts because he didn’t want to risk being surrounded . As the magic beasts came from a single direction, if they kept advancing and quickly beat them back whenever the beasts caught up, they could avoid the worst outcome, to be surrounded .
This decision was backed by his assumption that they could take care of the monsters dwelling in this forest and Norfar valley without much trouble . It also signaled that Dietrich thought that the magic beasts’ attacks would continue for a while .
Why were magic beasts coming out of Norfar valley?
Why were they chasing after Nostalgia and Roa?
What was the cause of it all?
Dietrich reflected but could not reach a conclusion .
There were too many unknown factors . He was not confident in how to react .
Why didn’t I decide to turn back as soon as we detected an anomaly in the forest?
Dietrich regretted .
He did not show such regrets or lack of confidence in his expression or attitude, though . The worse the pinch, the bolder you must act . Any worry would infect the other party members .
He knew that such a thing would only lower their survival ratio .
“They’re coming! 3 units, from behind . ”
Soon enough, Kristoff spoke again .
“Roger! Let’s take them down . ”
Nostalgia’s members stopped, put down their luggage and prepared to strike back…then it arrived .
Heavy footsteps, the sound of crushed trees and plants .
What appeared from the bushes was a roughly three meters tall, giant human-like figure .
“… . a golem . ”
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Dietrich whispered .
Golems were not normally found in areas rich with nature . Dietrich also recalled that Silver Golems had appeared in the Norfar valley and an extermination requested had been posted .
He only knew because that same request had been accepted by the Hero Party Roa used to belong to . Coralde had informed them about how he expected the guildmaster to move, as well as about Crack of Dawn .
3 beasts . . no, 3 golems…
Dietrich corrected himself and tried to calm down .
The extermination request was supposed to be for 2 golems . But there were more .
Golems increased when they felt in danger . They increased their numbers in order to ensure their continued survival as a species . Based on this knowledge, Dietrich reached a conclusion .
“You messed up, blasted Hero Party!!”
Dietrich roared .
“Cornelia! Stop the one in front! I’ll take care of the other ones!”
“Roger!”
Cornelia smashed her shield against the golem in front . The golem’s powerful advance stopped instantly, almost incredibly . Dietrich passed next to her and headed towards the other 2 golems .
Dietrich guessed that Crack of Dawn had driven the golems into a corner, making them feel desperate enough to start increasing their numbers, then lost track of them . Assuming that this was the cause behind the anomaly, he felt increasingly irritated .
His conclusion was right and wrong at the same time .
Dietrich thought that Crack of Dawn had driven the golems into a corner through battle, but actually they had just scattered the monster repellent’s base liquid . What they failed at was just “not thinning the monster repellent base liquid” .
They didn’t lose track of the golems . They hadn’t even come in contact yet .
If Dietrich knew the truth, he would probably still be irritated at how ridiculous it all was .
Three Silver Golems . As the name said, their bodies were made of silver .
They had thick bodies, much thicker than human armor, completely made of silver . Normally, no sword could damage them . Mithril could, but it presented the same risk of damage to the blade as to try to slice a boulder with it .
What could he do, then?
The gryphon called the golems “snails”, but their nature was closer to beetles or crustaceans .
Silver golems were silver exoskeletons controlled by a slime inside . Just like beetles and crustaceans, their joints were thin and soft .
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“Rraaahhh!!”
Dietrich avoided the golems’ attempt to crush him with surprising agility and slashed them with equally surprising focus and precision .
He aimed at one arm and one leg . The elbow, then behind the knee .
He slashed their joints till half . It was enough to knock human-shaped beasts off balance .
Dietrich did so to both golems .
It was difficult to aim at arms and legs that were wildly moving to attack, but Dietrich’s speed and great focus allowed him to .
Golems, like slimes, had a weakness: the core inside their body . Destroying their armor and the core inside with a sword, however, was a difficult task . Compared to that, slashing the joints in their arms and legs was much easier .
“One more!”
Dietrich shouted and kicked the golem he attacked towards the second one . The golems, having lost their balance because of their slashed joints, helplessly clashed and rolled on the ground with a thunderous sound .
Dietrich had already turned to the golem Cornelia had stopped with her shield .
Thanks to Cornelia keeping the golem still, it was simple to cut off its joints . This time Dietrich didn’t just slash them, but completely severed them .
In a very short time, the three golems were collapsed on the ground . As long you didn’t go too close, they were just masses of silver thrashing about and crushing plants . Because of their weight, once they lost their balance they couldn’t move by themselves anymore . If left alone they would recover, like slimes, but there was enough time to finish them off .
“Cornelia, you have the Battleaxe, right? Go finish them off . ”
“Yessir . ”
“Kristoff, are there any more coming?”
“I have a bad feeling…”
Kristoff’s words meant that while his detection field did not catch anything, he could feel something was there . Considering the distance, it wouldn’t take much time .
“As soon as we finish them off, we’re going . I’m sorry, but give up on gathering materials this time . ”
Dietrich then flashed a confident smile to Roa and the other Nostalgia members . Inside, however, he was seething with anger .
Kristoff, Cornelia, Bernhart, Roa . I’ll never forgive them for putting my party members…my family at risk because of a stupid mistake . When we go back, I’ll have to think of some “punishment”…
Dietrich was smiling as he looked at Cornelia finish off the golems, keeping his rage sealed inside . He didn’t realize himself that he unconsciously started to think of Roa too as family .
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Golems were one and many at the same time . Each one had their own consciousness, but they also shared one with other golems . What one golem learnt and thought was shared with nearby golem packs . This was a characteristic of slimes, the base golems were built from .
Slimes simply shared where food could be found or dangerous locations, but golems could share thoughts of higher intellect .
Some of the increased golems had fled the valley . The survival of a few golems or the whole pack was not a big difference . The valley was a paradise for them, but it would be meaningless to stay there if it meant being wiped out . If the golems managed to defeat the source of the dangerous smell in the valley, the other golems would just need to return . Thanks to their shared consciousness, they would soon learn of the victory .
Where they fled to, however…in the forest, they found the same smell . It was definitely the same smell that made them fear being wiped out, but it was fainter . The golems thus concluded that it had to be “that thing”’s children .
Since the smell it emitted to mark the territory was fainter, it was natural for them to reach such a conclusion . A child would be weak now, but could grow into a threat for the golems . If they didn’t kill it while they could, they would be killed themselves one day .
The golems then headed straight towards the source of the smell . Coincidentally, some Rock Lizards which had fled the valley before the golems fought with the source first . As the lizards were easily defeated, the golems grew confident .
It has to be “that thing”’s children . Small, yet strong .
Dangerous .
It must be killed .
The golems approached the source and found that “that thing”’s children were five . The instant the golems reached the source, they were faced with killing intent . Intent to kill the golems .
Truly dangerous, after all .
The golems tried to crush the “children”, but were quickly wounded and rendered incapable of moving freely .
Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous…
The three golems were incapacitated .
Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous…
One of the golems was cut open by one of the “children”, its core destroyed .
The golems’ comrade has been killed all too easily .
Dangerous, dangerous…kill… . kill…kill…
When the three golems were killed, such thoughts spread clearly to the whole pack .
All golems which had crossed into the forest started heading towards the source .
A new pack also started moving in the valley .
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