Chapter 113

Monsters Attack! The Masked Boy
"Princess, I suggest you take temporary refuge in the sky aboard the airship."

Marza took a bow hanging on the wall and slung a quiver around his waist. It seemed he was going to fight with a bow and arrow, which made sense—just like me, close combat wasn’t suited for his build. Without a mix of defense and self-destruction tactics, I wouldn't stand a chance due to the physical difference.

"We’ll fight as well, for the sake of improving relations with the villagers. We have enough guards, and after all, these are just goblins."

"No, the ones living around here are the vicious Tyrant-type. They're violent tyrants. It's dangerous, so please retreat."

The Tyrant-type is a mutant of monsters. They're far stronger and more ferocious than ordinary monsters, but they seem to be unique to Arland. In other countries, they're rarely sighted, and they're even called mysterious variants. Since this village is in the northern part of the kingdom, they probably appear more frequently here. They also inhabit the northern regions of Arland.

Well, my number two in the Puppers Squad is precisely that kind of creature… Actually, I should probably start feeling a bit threatened since the Puppers Squad's power seems to be surpassing mine. It’s likely because of the silver wolf, but Mr. Coote’s presence has been growing stronger, and it feels like he's evolving.

Mr. Coote doesn’t tell me much, though.

"Alicia, is it weaker than Helios?"

"Which Helios are you referring to? In human form, it would likely be a crushing defeat, but… I’d say Princess, in his ancient dragon form, he shouldn’t have any issues."

"A-An ancient dragon?!"

Alicia had a resigned expression on her face. I don’t flee when faced with an enemy. I’ve never once followed an evacuation order.

"Open the gate."

I summoned the door to my Treasury. A grand, ornate door appeared, and as it opened, about ten of me came out pushing carts.

"The troublemaker is still at it, I see."

"I figured you'd open the gate. I made sure to prepare plenty of weapons."

"Just don't go inside. The last time I was making rockets, it blew up, and 20 of us disappeared."

"To be precise, we’re down to 78 now. Two more just disappeared from overwork."

"Kyaa—! Princess, just one! Give me one, please! I’ll cherish them forever... ehehe."

The clones inside the Treasury moved around freely. They're my clones, but there are some differences.

First of all, they don’t regenerate mana. Also, if they die, they disappear. Although I could transfer my spiritual body to them, they're generally autonomous. They think and act independently, disconnected from me. They're just replicas made in my image. Unlike Eibon’s case, where every body is part of the main entity, my clones aren’t quite like that, probably because Eibon’s physical body is already dead.

And no, I’m not giving any away. Who knows what Alicia would do if I gave her one of my clones.

The carts they pushed were lined with various firearms.

"I don’t need any of those, though. I already have this."

"A revolver? That's outdated. You should use a Desert Eagle."

"It’s heavy, and the recoil is huge. That’s why brute-force thinking doesn’t work. We should use Derringers that fit us."

"Not enough power, and it has too few bullets!"

"You don’t have many bullets, either!"

"We don't need handguns. The future is all about assault rifles."

"The shotgun, known as the masterkey, is the true treasure."

Even though I said I didn’t need them, for some reason, each clone kept pushing their respective firearms onto me. Sure, I can agree with their opinions, but I like my own gun. It's stylish, like a gunslinger.

"I called you all out because it would be easier to fight together. If you like your weapons so much, just use them yourselves."

[That’s it!]

They each started preparing… though I was the only one in armor. The children’s armor… or rather, the lady’s armor, was only available in the size I was wearing. Besides, they're just clones. No one would be troubled if they disappeared, and a few had already disappeared inside the Treasury anyway.

Stepping outside, I saw clouds of dust rising from the outskirts of the village. It looked like the battle would take place within the village. The children and women had gathered in a large building that seemed like a meeting hall, while the villagers formed a defensive formation around it. They likely didn’t have the strength to launch an attack. Alicia instructed the guards, who then formed up in front of the villagers. As the warning bells rang out, the airship began ascending. It would be a disaster if it got destroyed, and since it was just a transport ship without any weapons, it would only get in the way.

"Alright, split into firepower support and magic support to provide cover. I’ll be charging in."

"I object to the original's suggestion. Brutes should be sleeping, especially when they’re sleep-deprived."

"I prefer charging too."

"Supporting is a hassle. Burning everything would be quicker."

Sure, I’m sleep-deprived after returning from the dungeon, but…

"This is a final decision. Also, try not to use fire magic since it could cause a fire. Feel free to use all the support magic you have on the knights and villagers."

Reluctantly, the clones walked behind the guards. The guards and villagers stared in shock. Oh, right—I hadn’t told anyone that I could clone myself yet. The guards seemed to get over it faster than the villagers, though, muttering, "I guess this sort of thing happens too," and accepting it easily.

After a few seconds, black goblins invaded the village. It seemed their goal was the extermination of the villagers. Goblins usually abduct women and have the nasty habit of annihilating the men and plundering the village's supplies. That means they likely have a very intelligent leader.

"Die, die, die already!"

"You won't have my daughter!"

… The villagers were much stronger than expected.

When my guards joined in defending the building, the skilled villagers launched an offensive alongside them.

One of the villagers deflected a descending club with an upward punch, disrupting the stance of the black goblin. Then, grabbing its head, he lifted it and slammed it into the ground, crushing the skull. He might actually have better physical strength than my guards.

[Body Enhancement!]

With all the support magic cast by my clones, we quickly gained the upper hand. The heavily armored guards moved with afterimages, bewildering the black goblins and defeating them in one hit. The villagers also smashed clubs with their fists, initiating a human rampage.

The black goblins numbered around 100, but they were in complete disarray. Their comrades were being annihilated by the villagers and my guards, who were moving in ways they'd never seen before.

I used teleportation to get behind the goblins and shot them point-blank in the back of the head with my revolver. Occasionally, I cast magic on goblins attacking villagers, but my clones were providing excellent support.

"Ice spears, pierce my enemies, Ice Lance!"

Over 200 ice spears launched by the clones impaled the black goblins. While not strong enough to kill with one hit, the sheer number was overwhelming. With dozens of spears per goblin, even the black goblins couldn't resist and fell one by one.

When a third of their numbers were wiped out, the Tyrant Goblins began to retreat.

However, their leader, who had been hiding to issue the retreat, emerged from the forest on the outskirts of the village. It was probably a King-class goblin, far larger than the others. I teleported behind it and shot its knee without mercy.

Though blood gushed out and it knelt, it quickly stood up again. It seemed its knees were tough. It glared at me with a mix of rage and lust.

The screams of the retreating goblins echoed. When the Tyrant Goblin King glanced at them, its eyes widened. The fleeing goblins were collapsing one after another, their necks slashed in one strike. It was probably Alicetia.

"You'll pay for all the evil you've done."

"Grgyaaa!"

It roared in response, seemingly understanding my words. Then, it swung down its club, which was as thick as a log. I teleported behind it again.

[I summon the prison of absolute zero, Ice Age!]

When I struck the ground with my dragon staff, ice spread around us. The Tyrant Goblin King was frozen up to its knees, but before it could be completely frozen, it forcefully broke the ice and freed itself. However, the ice continued to spread, and I teleported to keep my distance. I extended ice spears from the ground toward the Goblin King, but its body was so hard that the spears shattered. Still, it was enough to throw it off balance.

Moreover, the goblin had little experience dealing with ice magic. It struggled to move, wasting its stamina in the process. Even when it smashed the ice with its club, the ice re-formed immediately. If it charged at me, I would simply teleport away. The frozen ground made it extremely difficult to walk.

"For the finishing blow, Flight!"

I lifted the now sluggish Tyrant Goblin King into the air using the Flight spell. My clones and I began chanting.

"~~~~♪"

It's been a while since I've used melodic incantations. The tip of my dragon staff gleamed as a magic circle formed and accumulated power. The overwhelming amount of magic made the Tyrant Goblin King struggle, but since I was maintaining the Flight spell, it couldn't break free unless it dealt with me. The Tyrant Goblin King had no long-range attacks. Its club had already fallen to the ground.

"Rainbow Blast."

A rainbow-colored beam of light shot out, obliterating the Tyrant Goblin King

"Hah... hah... hah... I knew it would tire me out."

As I dispelled the magic, the ice on the ground melted away and disappeared. I knelt down to rest.

"We're heading back to the Treasury for our research."

"You tricked us. We didn't even use our guns."

"We should hold a protest meeting in the Treasury."

Muttering complaints, my clones headed back to the Treasury. Well, I was worried they might misfire because of my poor aim, so it couldn't be helped. Even with the revolver, I have to be careful, so I can't let my reckless clones use it as they please.

Now, I need to treat the injured...

"Gugyagya!"

I noticed too late that another goblin was charging at me from behind a nearby tree, swinging its club.

Just as I was about to teleport in a panic, something resembling fangs suddenly protruded from the goblin's chest, and it fell to its knees. Someone was behind it. I hadn't noticed at all.

Before the black goblin collapsed, it hurled its club at me. It was probably a Tyrant Goblin Queen. Such incredible persistence. However, before the club could reach me, Mr. Coote knocked it down to the ground with a powerful punch. He's finally awake... Huh? The airship is flying about 50 meters above, and I didn't even summon him.

"I was suddenly kicked off the ship by one of your underlings."

Apparently, the crew got angry, wondering why he was sleeping, and knocked him off the airship. Mr. Coote s just a pet, after all, so he doesn't get any special treatment. In Arland, pets and familiars are treated separately.

Even a royal pet would be punished if it misbehaves, and the owner wouldn't be blamed for it. They probably thought, "Why is this guy sleeping when we're fighting?" Besides, falling from that height wouldn't even hurt him.

"You've been sleeping too much lately."

"It’s not like anyone can defeat you, right? So there's no problem with me taking a nap. Clearly, you can handle everything just fine without me."

Lately, his attitude has become unnecessarily bold. It seems like I'll need to discipline him soon. Even when I glare at him with half-closed eyes, he just scratches himself with his leg.

The Tyrant Goblin Queen stared at us in disbelief. Mr. Coote had no presence at all, and it’s true that things would be fine even if he wasn't here.

And then, the Tyrant Goblin Queen collapsed. Did she really die in a single blow?

Behind the Tyrant Goblin Queen stood... a boy? No, a young man, probably in his late teens.

He wore a mask made from the skull of a monster, his hair was wild and unkempt, with monster fur draped over his back like a cloak. He held sharp knives in both hands, likely made from the fangs of monsters. It seemed he was the one who took down the Tyrant Goblin Queen in a single strike. Though, he had let her throw the club at me.

"......"

"......"

A strange tension hung in the air between me and the young man. He looked even more feral than the villagers, almost like a shaman in his appearance.

"Thank you?"

"Who are you? You're not from the village, are you?"