Thanks to the god’s efforts, the battle was over. I detected magical energy with【Wild Heart】, but the golem was no longer moving. It’s back to a quiet night with just the wind howling.
| You leveled up. You’re now level 20. |
I heard God’s voice.
It’s been a long time since I’ve heard that, so I was left with my mouth open.
I leveled up —I reached Level 20, which is also known as the entrance to the intermediate level.
“I-, I did it!”
Mia-san raised her eyebrows.
“Have you leveled up?”
“Yes!”
Compared to the days when I was going up two or three levels at once, I’ve leveled modestly lately.
Well, there is a period of time when some people are at the so called “standstill”.
Of course, in my case, there was also the fact that there were more parties of Raven Warriors, in other words, parties that share magical power has increased.
Or it’s that the zombie werewolves and Skoll were out of the norm. But it was certain that I was at a standstill.
This is a big step forward. It means that my body has become stronger by another level.
“Congratulations Rion!”
Solana congratulated me. Goddess’s words always make my heart flutter and warm.
“Thank you. But……”
But I can’t rejoice just yet.
I looked around me. All that remains of the mist-shrouded battlefield are broken trees and gouged ground. Just like in the Royal Capital, the scars of the battle are fresh. The place that was part of the square looked like it had been plowed by a giant.
The golems were strong, but the power of the gods is also outrageous. If the horn could be blown, it would be even more terrible.
“Well then….…”
Loki softly descends to the ground. The moonlight shone on his black hair and robe with a pale blue glow.
“Oh dear. Even though we went to great lengths to hide the battle, it doesn’t make much difference since there are so many traces left.”
That’s… true. It’s better than total chaos, though…
“Fufu, I know what you’re thinking. If I were to release the mist and leave this view like as is, everyone would end up being in a panic. That would mean there was a monster that caused this much destruction after all.”
Loki chuckled, his red eyes shining.
“I really wish I could just release the magical mist and enjoy the astonishment of the crowd.”
“Loki!”
“I know, I know.”
Loki shrugged after being scolded by Solana.
He waved his hand, and red lights lit up all around. They were the golem cores that had not been destroyed. There are about eight of them. Then the light gradually turned blue.
“I’ll do it right until the end.”
It was eye-opening. The soil and rocks that made up the golem returned to the ground. The hole created by the smashing disappeared as if nothing had happened here.
Loki explained proudly.
“It’s just a matter of moving a finger. Creating Golem involves taking in rocks and soil from the surroundings. If you reverse that technique, the soil and rocks will return to their original state.”
I remembered what I had learned in the study of the Temple of Odis. The golem changes its properties depending on the materials at the vicinity of the core.
The Mithril Golem in the West Dungeon is made of Mithril. The one that was rampaging earlier was probably the type that had absorbed wood, rocks, or even iron from weapons.
“Uhm……”
Therefore, if you reverse the occurrence of the golem, the soil and rocks will return to the original place…… is that it?
Felix-san stroke the coronet on his forehead.
“What an incredible feat.….. It’s like taking wheat out of bread. It’s out of standard, I would say.”
Sigris floated in the air softly.
“Then I will take care of the living trees.”
Her large spoon scattered particles of light. Broken branches and damaged trunks are healed back to normal.
Loki winked at me.
“With this, there are no traces left.”
He snapped his fingers.
“Well then, next is….…”
Loki spoke happily then he placed his index finger to his lips.
As we stood there, stunned, he pulled his robe up to his neck and pulls her hood over his eyes.
“Next, let’s play a little prank.”
The mist that covered the battle area thinned.
I could see the adventurers and Raven Warriors outside. Even from a distance, I can feel the tension of the people watching. Most of the people were holding weapons.
In this situation, how is it possible to settle the place without causing the slightest panic?
Solana and Thor returned to the gold coins.
Loki is the only one who remained outside.
“All we need is a made-up story. The kind that will convince everyone and help them sleep at night.”
Loki stretches out of the mist with a loud “Mmm~.”
It was so natural that I froze. Everyone’s eyes followed Loki.
Loki, they can see you clearly…..
“Uhm…”
“Shhh”
Solana’s voice interrupted me as I tried to call out to Loki.
Loki continued his performance. He stretched out his hands.
“Oho~, I’m glad I was able to do the experiment! It was fun!”
Adventurers gathered near us. There are more than 30 of them. Loki spins around, fluttering his robe in a showoff manner.
“Haha! Being outdoors is the best! Well, it was a bit loud, but—”
Then, as if suddenly noticing everybody else, he turned his head towards the adventurers who had gathered around.
“……Oh. Did I cause a commotion?”
The silence was momentary.
The temperature suddenly rose.
“My goodness!”
“It was just a magician’s experiment!”
“Give me back my sleep!”
“I thought I heard a loud noise……”
“I must be seeing things wrong! Where are the golems?”
There were swearing and complaining.
Loki quickly ran away. It looked like he vanished into the darkness, but he probably really did vanish with magic….
“Someone should call the guards!”
“That guy is ridiculous!”
Loki had left a mist behind so that we could escape. By simply following the blind spot, we returned to where the black dwarf had been.
Felix-san narrow eyes squinted even more. Then he looked dumbfounded at the late realization.
“Oh, I see…… Does this mean that the commotion was caused by an unknown magician?”
The gold coin trembled. Loki is back on the coin.
『Well, it will cause some anxiety, but it’s much better than having the golems go on a rampage, right? The temple can announce later that the magician has been caught and punished, fufufu.』
There was no such thing as an army of golems in the first place. That’s what he portrayed by acting like a foolish magician who caused chaos at night while doing experiments.
『Our journey will be covert as possible till we reach Alvis. This will suit our goal better. 』
I see, so you’ve thought that far……
Loki is indeed a trickster.
『Haha, well, it’s fun to surprise everyone, right? 』
『……That’s what you say.』
Sigris continued, 『Even then』, but she stopped talking.
What was it?
I think the gods’ mood had changed a bit.
“……What’s wrong?”
As I waited for a response, I noticed that one person was missing from the gold coin.
“Eh? Where’s Uru…… ?”
◆◆◆
A man was on the run.
Scratching the scar on his nose was a habit when he is impatient.
“Damn it! Damn it!”
It should have been an easy job. It was a job he had done many times before after all. He had been contracted by a magician in Alvis to transport the golem cores and magic stones.
Golem cores, especially powerful ones, were controlled by the kingdom and were considered prohibited goods, so secret transports could bring in loads of money.
He was used to it. But this time, he let his guard down. He neglected to keep an eye out.
What he regrets most of all is that he took the middleman’s offer seriously.
――A child adventurer with brown hair and a gold coin in his hand.
――Even the slightest bit of information could turn into money.
If he remembered correctly, he was called something like the “Wake-up caller.” There were many middlemen between him and his employer, so the information that came down was limited. But he remembered the smell of money.
So, when he saw a child who met the description, he wanted to make sure if he had a gold coin.
He put his hand in the boys’ pocket. If there were any, that was good. Even if there weren’t any, he’d been a pickpocket before. It would just be another thing to add to his record.
Fortunately or unfortunately, he hit the jackpot.
“If only I had known that they were such dangerous people……!”
He speaks scathingly of his employer, whom he has never even seen.
When he robbed the gold coin, he made fun of the coin case. The strange feeling of intimidation at that time frightened him very much. Even though he is a child, he seems to have tremendous power.
But, what’s the point of such a dirty coin case? He thought to himself.
“Damn it!” He can’t help but curse loudly.
All of his comrades have been caught. He was lucky enough to escape when the golem went on a rampage.
Whoooosh! An arrow moved past his head as he sprints.
“Hii-”
With his head down, the man lost his balance and fell to the ground.
He is now carrying a trunk on his back.
“W-what’s this, ……?”
Squirrels, bats, owls, rabbits, foxes —all the creatures in the forest where he had fled were watching him. It’s as if they’re watching him to make sure he doesn’t escape.
“Weren’t you told when you were a child? God is watching you, so you should not do something bad.”
Right in front of him.
A hunter-looking man came down from the tree. Immediately afterwards, a thick branch falls on the man’s head, knocking him unconscious.
“Alright, I’ve caught my prey. I guess I should head back now. It’s getting cold cause of the seal……”
Uru, the God of Hunting, picked up the man and walked back to his precious boy.
“By the way…… I wonder if anyone will come to pick me up……?”
There was a lonely breeze and the cry of an owl.
“Yeah, that’s what scouts are like…… I mean, I wonder if everyone is aware that I’m still working……”
Shrugging his shoulders, Uru moves on.
Reconnaissance, disturbance, lure and clean-up —the front line has always been a bit dark, even in the past.
This is translated by Yume Neiji. Kindly read at yumeineijiworks.wordpress.com.
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