CH 21

21. Strategy Meetings

I and Shura are walking through the forest to the south seaside.

If we walk along the sandy shore, we couldn’t move while hiding. And since in this situation Shura is more suitable than Ash, I decided to head from the forest where she can hide in the shadows…

After I told Shura what happened so far, Shura says, “It’s the worst!” with a loud voice.

“Seriously, you really did something unnecessary!… Only two people with you, and you want to go against that horde… it’s really the worst!”

“Well, it was certainly the worst until a while ago, thanks to the fact that you’re here now, it has become much better.”

“――Hmmph! where are my cane and clothes? “

“It’s at the meeting place.”

While watching out for monsters with Shura’s sense, we finally reached the south shore of the island.

It took us an hour.

“Yo, it’s been a long time. Are you guys okay?”

As I approach the shade of the rock, Carrs and Ignacio come closer with a smile on their faces.

“As expected of General! You can survive from that situation! You see, I was wondering if I should go to help just now. “

“Seal, I’m… really glad that you’re safe.”

Ignacio approaches me.

Her legs are shaking, she gently burying her face in my chest and putting her hands on my back.

As she keeps tightening her hands, the softness of her feminin――

My reaction to it was delayed. I mean, it was so sudden so…

But, what Ignacio is doing right now is an action that came out of the excitement of a comrade returning from the brink of death, that is usually called, ‘comradeship’.

I know that, but I couldn’t help but get excited because a man of my age is being hugged by a beautiful girl around the same age, I can’t help but to grin.

“Oi”

From behind, a voice mixed with light murderous intent.

“Move.”

I’m sure, in terms of meaning, it’s closer to ‘Get out of my away’.

Shura lightly stares at me and passes me from the side.

” ―― Oi, Ignacio. Are you not done yet?”

“Ah! ―― S-Sorry, I’m sorry… it was unintentional.”

Ignacio withdraws.

Well, it’s regrettable, but it can’t be helped.

“Tch!!!”

A bad… big clicking tongue.

It came from a brown-haired girl who is in a bad mood.

When Carrs sees Shura passing in front of him, he makes a surprised voice.

“Hmm? Hey, aren’t you that brown-haired lady?!”

“Haaah? Who are you?”

“This guy here, he seems to have seen the battle we had in the back alley from a distance.”

“Ah, I see. There is something I need from the bag behind you, can you move?”

Carrs moves away, “Oops, I’m sorry.”

“When did he arrive?”

“Just a while ago”

I feel another presence from the shade of the rock next to us.

There is a girl who is leaving her back on the rock. It’s the girl who was about to be eaten by a monster earlier.

“That girl… Is she okay?”

“Yeah, she’s finally calming down.”

“I just asked what happened so far ―― Seal. This island, if we left it alone, it might be hard to get it back.”

Ignacio told me the story about what the girl ―― Frederica experienced.

—————————————-

Frederica seems to have been a member of a certain guild.

The name of the guild is .

Basically, the members of the guild are engaged in activities such as hunting seaside monsters and managing uninhabited islands.

One day, a request came to the guild.

That was the request to subdue the monsters on this island, .

The client was anonymous and suspicious.

However, the promised reward is abundant.

the guild decided to receive the request. At first, Frederica hadn’t participated yet. Frederica… with the other second unit went to three days after the first unit disappeared.

When Frederica arrived on the island, the ship was burned like us, and everyone fell into the hands of monsters.

Where Frederica was taken by the monsters was―― a food warehouse.

It is the building on the three-row in the village. It seems that humans are being kept there.

Some were alive, while others were processed after they died. Frederica’s guild members, they weren’t there. Perhaps they had already been eaten.

Hunt and eat humans to create an army of . In addition, return the power of the {Corpse Emperor} to its heyday. That seems to be their purpose.

Ah, it seems since she is still young and has a higher amount of Mana than others, she was tied up in a central house as ‘first-class food’.

Three days after Frederica was captured, we arrived at this island.

And the situation came to now.

“Heyy, Frederica-chan. Who was the client of the request? I’m sure the client knew about this island.”

Frederica shook her head to Carrs’s question.

“I do not know. But….. There’s no proof, but I think that person is part of the Knights.”

“――What! Tha-that’s impossible! “

Ignacio denies.

“The Knights are proud messengers of justice! Something like teaming up with a demon… they won’t do such an outrageous thing!”

“Wait, Igna-chan. First, let’s ask her basis.”

“It is no exaggeration to say that the guild is an organization formed in opposition to the Knights… So, originally, the guild and the knights couldn’t join hands, but the guild master of my guild had an acquaintance with the knights and was occasionally asked by the knights… The request from the Knights was mostly high rewarding, and they would like to remain anonymous… Everyone in the guild knew that as a tacit understanding. This request was also highly rewarding and that person wanted to remain anonymous…”

“B, But then… it’s not 100% sure that the request came from the Knights, right? Maybe the request had nothing do to with the Knights, and was just a high reward with the client wanted to remain anonymous?”

“That’s why, I said there’s no proof…”

The Knights are pulling out behind the scenes … to kidnap humans in partnership with ?

If that is true, it would be dangerous if this information became public. Moreover, it is the members of the guild who are suffering. It wouldn’t be strange if the Knights and the Guilds, the two major organizations, might go into war with each other.

Oi, oi, somehow, the scale of this event is getting bigger.

“Anyway, that story, isn’t it irrelevant now?”

Shura who is wearing a shirt and short pants, cut the conversation in a boring manner.

“An assumption or something like that, do it after it’s over. Now, it’s more important to think how to subdue those monsters and release the captured ones, isn’t it?”

“Is it not good if we just escape from the island and get the help of the Knights and Guilds?”

“Do you think they will let us escape quietly?! If you use your Mana well, you can cross the sea with anything even if it’s just a small ship, but… that’s if we can sneak out without attracting their attention and go out to the sea.”

“So, that one has the bigger risk huh… “

For the time being, let’s put that talk aside and discuss how to hunt down the monsters.

“First, let’s review the three major forces of the enemy. Bone man monster, the horse {Orobas}, and the giant {Troll}… If we manage to get rid of these three, the rest will be small fry.”

The most dangerous is that bone guy… the {Corpse Emperor}.

Obviously, the quality of the Mana he has can’t be compared to others.

” ‘Reyes Rou Ampleur’ huh…”

“I never thought, it is on an island like this――”

Frederica responded when I spoke the name of the {Corpse Emperor}.

“Do you know the name?”

“The {Corpse Emperor} ‘Reyes Rou Ampleur’… It is a legendary monster that manipulated corpses with the Mana of Domination. It destroyed a country long time ago, used all the humans of that country, and became the king of a country… albeit temporarily. “

“――Seriously?”

So, he was such a big deal, that King of Bones.

” ‘Reyes’, is the name written on that talisman, isn’t it? Does it have anything to do with that coffin?”

I talked about sealing technique. But, only the main points.

“Sealing technique …”

Ignacio crosses her arms.

“Once upon a time, my uncle showed me a similar technique. His name is ‘Saurus Rosso’ … “

That is one of the names that the {Corpse Emperor} said in that village.

Based on what he said, did Saurus Rosso and old man sealed him…?

“Is that so? My Master said he was the only sealer in the world. “

“My uncle died five years ago in a disaster. So, Seal, if you met your master within five years, I think there is no contradiction in his remarks. “

Right, the only one in the world doesn’t mean the only one in history.

It is certain that the old man had a master and junior disciple. Perhaps the junior disciple is that――

“If that story is true, it could be an immortal or a monster that could reborn again, right?”

“I hear that the {Corpse Emperor} is a monster that could reborn again and again… a monster that regenerates no matter how many times it is killed.”

“That mean it’s higher than immortals. Unlike immortals who just don’t die but don’t regenerate their bodies, this one can’t die and could regenerate by themselves――We can’t really do anything to it then. Only you can defeat it, Seal.”

Well, I guess so.

Originally, the sealing technique was made to handle such a creature.

“That’s right. I’ll seal that b**tard. He probably lost his Mana after many years being sealed. If it’s now, I might be able to do something.”

I act tough.

But, to be honest, I don’t feel like I can beat it.

No, wait… if I could hit it once, it’s possible. The old man said that Sealing Technique is ‘a magic that can beat anyone if the conditions are met’.

I’m curious about the two talismans on that coffin. One to seal the corpse and the other is probably――

“Then, we will do something about the horse and, the giant. Let’s attract it so that Seal could fight the {Corpse Emperor}! “

“You and Red hair stay here――both of you will only get in my way.”

Shura simply said something I couldn’t say.

“You, tell them clearly!”

Shura points to me.

I’m sorry, there is no excuse for this.

“Anyway, it’s not like a person who can’t use Mana can compete with something like that! You can’t even land a scratch! “

“B, But――!”

“I’ll try to keep up with you. I don’t mind if I die. It’s impossible not to participate in such a fun battle.”

Shura has accumulated Red Mana in her fist.

――Ah, she’s going to stun them.

I stretch my right arm in front of Shura.

“Wait, Shura. Leave it to me. I’ll turn these guys into a useful force. “

“……How?”

“Well, just look forward to it.”

I look at Frederica.

“Frederica. Since you’re in a guild, are you a Magician? Can you fight?”

“Y, Yes! I, I can fight! “

“Alright――Give me 30 minutes. I’ll learn a new Sealing Technique in that time.”