East Road Quest

Chapter 82: The Ally

The number of Komoras had been increasing, and Buffalord was growing smarter by the day. The Komoras continuously pressured the nearby city of Taimon.

About three months before Merald met Jade, a plea for help came from the elf city of Torosimo in the ‘Little Oak Forest Region’ to the guardians of the Dark Forest.

In the Little Oak Forest Region, there were more Komoras than in the Dark Forest, and a monster resembling a cow was abducting elf children. The number of elves killed in the process was also much higher than in Taimon.

Merald realized a grave fact.

“Buffalord is not alone.”

The Komoras were also called shapeshifters because they were not creatures that suddenly sprang from the ground but were transformed from existing beasts.

Buffalord did not have the ability to create them. There was no confession from him nor evidence, but Merald was certain.

He was by nature a hunter. A hunter is an entity that destroys, not one that creates. It’s easy for a painter to learn sculpting and a hunter to learn butchering, but it’s hard for a painter to hunt wild boars or for hands accustomed to trimming meat to sculpt.

Moreover, Buffalord was not fast enough to alternate his misdeeds between the Dark Forest and Torosimo. This meant there was more than one demon of the same level. Perhaps there was an even greater force behind them.

Merald had a vague suspicion that there was a leader giving orders to Buffalord, and now he was certain. However, he was so entangled with the Dark Forest issue that he could not help Torosimo.

Merald desperately needed a mage who could wield the Light of Annihilation. If he could even obtain a demon’s weapon, he was willing to pay any price.

Then, the increase of Komoras halted. The elves of Taimon were finally relieved that the attacks had stopped.

“It’s not a good sign.”

Merald had detected that Buffalord had been roaming around a specific area for the past month.

Merald searched the vicinity and discovered a cave leading underground. The entrance was a natural cave without any artificial traces, but a little further in, it was blocked by gates and stone doors.

As he went deeper, the cave grew larger, and the unpleasant smell became stronger. It was a foul odor, a mix of fishy and rotten scents.

At the deepest part of the cave was a vast lake. A black sphere as large as a house repeatedly submerged and resurfaced in the water.

“You’ve finally figured it out, guardian of the Dark Forest!”

Rhynod, a Komora resembling a rhinoceros, discovered Merald and spoke.

“But it’s too late. The strongest creature, directly created by Watercon, has just been completed. Helldrasi, show your power. Oh, praise be—”

Merald cut off Rhynod’s song before it could start by slicing his throat and throwing his head far away.

“This one bursts into hymns all the time. One would at least listen if the singing was good.”

Every time, Merald cut Rhynod’s throat, but after a few days, he would be alive again.

“That one really needs to be completely incinerated with magical flames.”

Rhynod was oddly lucky.

This time, too, Merald was too busy searching the lake to find out what Helldrasi was to do anything but cut the throat. Probably by tomorrow, he would have his throat back and be singing hymns with a pig-slaughtering voice.

As Rhynod said, Helldrasi began to rise out of the lake.

First, a snake’s head emerged, followed by other heads in succession—a lion, a sheep, a skull, and an eagle.

It was so large that it made the spacious cave seem like a narrow pit.

When the snake’s head hit the ceiling, the supporting pillars collapsed, and cracks spread across the walls and ceiling.

Merald retreated without firing a single arrow.

“The reason the number of Komoras hasn’t increased until now is that they were focused on creating that thing. Who is Watercon? Buffalord’s master?”

For the past few centuries, as a guardian of the Dark Forest, it was the first time he had retreated with an enemy to eliminate right in front of him.

From that point on, the commanding Komoras, including Rhynod, began calling themselves Helldrasi’s Legion and advanced through the Dark Forest.

Their direction of advance was precisely towards Taimon.

“If only I had been a little faster… If only I had found out sooner and collapsed the cave…

Merald felt a great responsibility for not preventing the birth of this monstrous creature.

He was insufficient alone to stop Helldrasi’s army. If he killed a hundred Komoras, about ninety would be alive the next day. It seemed even these creatures had morale, for with Helldrasi as their ally, they were much more spirited than when Rhynod commanded.

The only way to stop their advance was to defeat Helldrasi. But burning down such a massive body was nearly impossible. He tried firing ten magical arrows simultaneously at one head, and it seemed to hurt for a moment before going out.

The power of magic could not handle the size of the target. All the magical arrows were made by Sage, and she too had not thought of a spell to burn Helldrasi.

“As far as I know, there is no magic that can burn a monster of that size. Only a demon can exist in that size,” explained Sage.

Merald asked, “Does that mean the Light of Annihilation can extinguish a demon regardless of size?”

“That’s right.”

“So what? It’s the same conclusion! Where am I supposed to find that mage?”

“I’m trying too. But what can I do if there isn’t one?”

Merald could not stop Helldrasi’s advance. Fortunately, the creature was too large to sustain itself by consuming nutrients, so it always moved during the day and remained still when the sun set.

After one battle, it would not move until the next day.

Merald continued to hinder its advance using this fact. However, it was merely delaying time, not a definitive solution.

In the end, Helldrasi’s legion approached Taimon within a day’s distance.

At that time, Tarragon, a general from Taimon, sought out Merald.

Most elves were reluctant to meet Merald because of his orcish appearance. However, Tarragon did not care about such matters.

“Allow me to assist you, Sentinel.”

Merald, not wanting to show his orcish form, hid behind a tree to converse with him.

“I need no help, Tarragon.”

“I am aware of your disposition. And I know you despise the elves of the forest. But this is not a personal matter, is it?”

“When I say I need no help, it means just that, devoid of any political reasons or personal preferences.”

Childish as it may have been, Merald had touched the general’s pride. Most elves would retreat in anger when treated thusly. But General Tarragon was persistent, unlike the others.

“This time, fighting alone is impossible.”

“I am aware. But without a way to kill Komora, ‘more troops’ simply means ‘greater casualties.’ If I die, then find a way to fight. In my opinion, evacuating all of Taimon’s residents to the north is the best course of action.”

“If we put our heads together, we might find a better way.”

“What good is it for an orc and an elf to put their heads together if not to fight?”

Merald did not want to speak further and walked away.

‘This might truly be my last battle.’

Merald had prepared a battlefield of a scale he had never attempted before. If all went according to plan, he could trap Heldra for at least two days.

Still, he had no other strategy but to delay time.

An uninvited guest arrived in the midst of the battlefield.

Ruby attacked Heldra, and Heldra strayed far from the path Merald had predicted. The carefully prepared trap became useless. Instead, Ruby’s fierce attack halted Heldra’s advance.

‘Humans? Now of all times? Such bad luck. Them or me.’

Merald was about to leave the interfering humans to their fate when he changed his mind.

One leaves natural events in the ecosystem alone. But if not, one helps… He decided to adhere to that principle.

And the person he saved was Jade.

And he was the Light Mage that Sage had spoken of!

Merald saved Ruby and Saph as well, bringing the three to Sage’s cabin. There, he laid bare the tale of Komora in the Dark Forest to Jade.

After hearing everything, Jade willingly offered his help.

It was a welcome and grateful turn of events. Yet, Merald harbored doubts.

‘Jade, how did you come at just the right time for such a period?’

Merald wanted to ask this question inwardly.

‘Who sent you?’

Riding on Campion, Merald looked back at Sage, who was following closely on a forest ostrich.

Sage asked quickly.

“If you have something to say, speak.”

“Did the old woman call for you?”

“Call for whom?”

Sage seemed utterly unaware.

“Never mind then.”

Only after Merald turned his head forward did Sage realize and say.

“Ah, those two? If I had called them, would I have dropped them in the middle of a battlefield? I would have carefully guided them to the forest’s entrance and then safely escorted them to my cabin under your protection.”

“That would make sense.”

Merald muttered inaudibly.

‘That’s no proof the old woman didn’t call them.’

Sage turned and said, “Go slowly. Jade is still a patient.”

Following the ostrich of the forest, Jade was being carried by a Campion. His Campion was precisely the same distance behind Merald’s Campion and Sage’s ostrich.

Of course, it wasn’t because Jade was driving well, but because the Campion was automatically maintaining the distance.

Campions are safer and more comfortable than any other forest mount, but not for someone who just had a hole torn through their side. Merald knew this too, but in his haste, he inadvertently sped up.

Merald slowed down the Campion, but Sage finished the scolding he had started.

“He’s the magician who will eliminate Heldra. We must take good care of him.”

“Why follow and nag? You should be baking cookies quietly at home.”

Merald’s words were out of concern, but when dealing with Sage, his tone always became brusque. However, Sage wasn’t hurt by such words; instead, he spoke to Merald as if dealing with a child.

“I’m not so weak as to need your protection yet.”

“That’s good. If a fight breaks out, I won’t have the luxury to protect you.”

Merald grumbled again with concern.

Soon, they left the Dark Forest and entered the ‘Great Oak Forest Zone.’

From here, the terrain was suitable for the Campion to pick up speed. Normally, it would take half an hour to reach Temon, but they couldn’t speed up because of Jade.

‘I should plan for about an hour. He’s a precious magician, as the old lady said.’

Merald further reduced his speed and pulled up beside the Campion carrying Jade.

“How are you feeling?”

Jade was holding onto the Campion’s horn tighter than necessary. Even on the comfortable back of the Campion, he couldn’t find a proper seat. Jade strangely complained about the discomfort due to the lack of a saddle.

‘Hunters of the Kun tribe have started using saddles lately. Then, for an ordinary human, Jade’s reaction is normal. It’s Saph who’s strange, climbing aboard as if he’s been handling it for ten years when he’s just seen a Campion for the first time.’

Jade answered with a pained face, pretending not to be hurt.

“There’s no problem using the Light of Annihilation. Don’t worry, Merald.”

Throughout the night, as they talked about demons, Jade had become somewhat closer to Merald. And Merald was wary of this. There was nothing good about getting close to humans. So, Merald maintained a more rigid tone than when they first met.

“Earlier, you and Saph were talking about ‘names’? Can you explain?”

“If it’s a demon with a name, we need Saph’s ‘eyes.’ But Heldra is clearly a nameless demon, so I can handle it alone. What worries me is something else.”

“Tell me.”

“Can I get close enough to that giant monster?”

“Don’t worry about that. Sage and I will handle it. Anything else?”

“When I annihilate a demon with light magic, there’s always a backlash. The bigger they are, the stronger it is. I’m worried about how big the backlash will be after annihilating such a large body, and whether I can withstand it.”

“That’s something I can’t help with. Any other concerns?”

“It feels empty without Saph by my side.”

When they first left the cabin, there was a long debate about who should go to capture Heldra.

Initially, it was decided that only Merald and Jade would go. But since Jade was injured, they changed it so that Saph, who could heal, would accompany them. Then the question arose, ‘Can Jade really get close enough to touch Heldra’s body?’

The Heldra legion wasn’t just Heldra. Hundreds, thousands of Komoras were with it.

It would be difficult for Merald alone to protect Jade and Saph while attacking Heldra.

That’s when Sage intervened. She suggested that she would protect Jade with her magic, so Merald should focus on Heldra.

Emerald opposed the idea of having to protect a large number of people, preferring to keep the count to a minimum. Consequently, Sage joined the group in place of Sapph. Someone had to stay by Ruby, who was still unconscious, and Sage possessed the strength to fight the Komoras alone if necessary.

Thus, it was decided that Emerald, Sage, and Jade would travel together.

Emerald was troubled by the notion of having to combine forces with someone else. Even when fighting the armies of the Rome Empire, Sage’s magical support wasn’t strictly a union of strength.

This was a first in several centuries.

“It can’t be helped. It’s a special situation,” Emerald thought as dawn light began to illuminate the Great Oak Forest, and the Elven city of Taimon came into view.