Chapter 164

Wyvern Extermination Battle (1)
We met up with Anon at the royal capital’s gate in the morning. I think I did pretty well. I’m incredibly sleepy. I was planning to summon some woofers to get some shut-eye on the way to our destination, like I did in the dungeon, but Alicia was against it.

She said, “The area outside the capital is full of dangers, so please don’t.”

That’s true. Sleeping would be dangerous. There are monsters and bandits out there.

“You look sleepy…”

“So do you, Anon…”

When I asked if she couldn’t sleep, she averted her gaze, which meant I was right. Of course, I was the same.

“Ugh~ Alice, take out an airplane.”

“There’s no runway. The one we flattened before is buried in snow. That plane needs a running start to take off. I’ll make a vertical takeoff and landing aircraft next time.”

Not that it would matter since I’d probably crash it from falling asleep at the controls.

As we stepped outside the gate, the familiar and annoying snowy landscape greeted us. I hate winter. But this year, I’m fine. The spirits are helping me. The fire spirits warm the air, and the wind spirits keep the heat from escaping. Apparently, they would have done this anytime if I had just asked.

Since I hadn’t asked before, they hadn’t done anything. On top of that, the earth spirits clear the snow from the roads, making travel comfortable.

Anon and I rode on Mr. Coote, while Alicia and Helios rode on Shadow Wolves. Since we’re moving at over 100 km/h, we should arrive at our destination quickly.

“By the way, is that knight some kind of bodyguard?”

While riding Mr. Coote, Anon asked about Helios. Come to think of it, with that full plate armor and his silence, she probably hadn’t realized.

“That’s Helios.”

“For real!?”

Well, Helios looks like a young butler, so she probably didn’t expect him to wear such heavy armor.

Thanks to Mr. Coote and the others, we arrived at a village near our destination before sunset. We should gather information from the village chief. The Shadow Wolvesslipped into my shadow since it's a dangerous species and could cause panic among the villagers. Mr. Coote is disguised as a wolf and wears a collar, so he’s recognizable as a familiar, making him less of a problem.

“Excuse me, is the village chief here?”

“Huh? Oh, travelers? That’s rare in this season. He’s probably at home. Follow me.”

I asked a nearby villager, who led us to the chief. After a short walk, we arrived at a slightly larger house.

“Hey, chief! Travelers are here to see you.”

After a moment, an elderly man opened the door.

“What? No one would come in this season. If you make a fuss, the wyvern will attack!”

“I’m an adventurer here to take down the wyvern. Here’s the request form and my guild card.”

“Hm… You’re young but seem capable. But if you rush to your death, that’ll be the end of you.”

At first, he was suspicious, but he seemed convinced after checking my guild card.

“At the very least, we’ll thin them out enough to reduce damage to the village. If possible, could you recommend an inn for us?”

“I’d be happy to. Let’s discuss the details in the inn’s dining hall.”

There was only one inn in the village, and it was completely empty. Apparently, winter is always like this, to the point where even the receptionist wasn’t around. The village chief walked confidently inside, and after a moment, a middle-aged woman came out looking surprised. Business must be slow.

Lunch was soup and bread. The meat was preserved food mixed into the soup. They could definitely use some improvement in their diet. Then again, Arland probably isn’t much different.

After the meal, the chief shared more details.

A stampede had broken out, forcing the villagers to evacuate to a nearby town. When they returned, they found that wyverns had nested in the rocky mountains nearby. They had put out multiple requests for extermination, but there were too many wyverns. Few adventurers took the job, and those who did ended up getting wiped out.

Ostland’s military was currently reorganizing and, with winter making movement difficult, wouldn’t act until spring. Until then, the villagers had no choice but to stay indoors.

So far, only livestock had been attacked. The kingdom had promised compensation for the lost animals and forbade anyone from provoking the wyverns. Adventurers were on their own.

Wyverns preferred livestock because they provided more meat. As long as they didn’t see humans, they only took animals. However, once spring came, they might get more aggressive.

“Hmm… Is there an elemental dragon leading them?”

“The villagers and adventurers say they haven’t seen one. But there is a larger Flying Drake among them, probably their boss.”

A Flying Drake, huh? That would be the kind that breathes non-elemental shockwave-like attacks. Just a small fry. If it can withstand a single punch from Mr. Coote, I’ll give it some credit.

This could be a good payday. Even though wyverns are the lowest-tier dragons, they still fetch a high price. Plus, I can take all the materials with me. Now I see why my father regularly hunts in the Dragon Valley. Of course, that place has way more than just thirty dragons. What kind of ecosystem even supports that many?

"Well, if it's wyverns, it shouldn't be a problem. We'll proceed with the hunt as planned tomorrow."

"Make sure not to overdo it."

With those parting words, the village chief returned home. Afterward, we held a strategy meeting in our room.

"Alice, you can take down wyverns, right?"

"Of course. I'm aiming to become a Grand Mage in the future, so as long as I don't get careless, a wyvern is no problem. And if things go south, Mr. Coote can summon the Woofers Squad, and it'll turn into a one-sided game."

Honestly, to the Woofers Squad, a wyvern is nothing more than a chunk of meat with bones. However, if I summon them, they'll eat the wyvern meat, which means we can't sell it. Less profit.

"First, we need to bring the flying wyverns down to the ground."

"If we shoot them down with an anti-aircraft gun, the guild will make a fuss about how we did it. Alright, I'll take it down myself. I've prepared a new spell. Anon, I'll leave the fallen wyverns to you."

"As long as it's not flying, I can handle a wyvern just fine."

Anon grinned mischievously. Wait… is Anon actually a battle maniac?

"Alicia, you'll be Anon's bodyguard. I'm safe this time, so I don't need a guard. Besides, if you're too close, you'll get caught in the crossfire."

"You've come up with another dangerous spell, haven't you?"

I'll prove that my sustained combat ability isn't low.

"Also, Anon, your equipment is ready, so put it on. Wyverns have venom in their tails, so you should wear good gear. This set is lighter than what you're currently wearing. But it's just on loan, okay?"

"Ugh… I don't want to learn anything anymore…"

You have to listen properly. Learning to read, write, and do math is important. If you struggle to write your own name, there's still a long way to go. (Apparently, she occasionally forgets how to write her own name.)

For now, she mostly relies on intuition for calculations.

Then, I explained the new armor. The cloak activates wind magic, allowing flight. The greaves assist in acceleration. As long as you maintain balance, you can even use them while running.

Additionally, the armor absorbs magic and channels it into the gear. While it can't lift boulders or anything, it can absorb temporarily conjured magical projectiles. There's also a small shield worn on the wrist that can emit a heat ray. The tiara provides magic defense for the head while also granting enhanced vision magic. In short, it's a full-body set of magical gear.

"… Amazing."

"………"

I gave Anon a thumbs-up. Cutting corners is unacceptable. By the way, even if the shield breaks, it won't explode, so no worries. Every piece of equipment is enchanted with a lightweight spell, making it feel as light as regular clothing.

"Well, what do you think?"

"This should be enough to take down a few wyverns. I won’t let my guard down, though."

"P-Princess… what exactly are you trying to turn her into?"

"By the way, there's a concentrated magic crystal on the back, so make sure it doesn’t get destroyed. It won’t explode or anything, but all the armor’s magic power is supplied from there."

"Protecting my back shouldn’t be a problem."

If the crystal breaks, the magic will dissipate, and she'll have to channel her own magic to use the gear. The armor isn't full plate but light armor, so some areas are exposed, but the magic defense ensures no actual gaps in protection. Even the parts that look unarmored are properly safeguarded.

That night, Anon spent time in the inn's garden, testing her new gear by flying around. I didn’t need armor because I had my new magic.

I sharpened my Gladius and explained its new magic to it. Gladius laughed excitedly. It must be bored when I don’t swing it properly. When I told it that tomorrow it would finally see action, it burst into laughter, so I quickly put it back in the Treasury. I might need to modify it to be quieter.

As for Helios, he would simply crush enemies with his club as usual. Alicia would use concealment magic to stay hidden and strike from the wyverns’ blind spot. Both Alicia’s sword and Anon’s sword are sharp enough to cut through wyvern scales with ease, so no problem there. Just in case, I put wyvern antidote potions in everyone’s pouches. If anyone gets injured, I can heal them, so it’s fine.

"This should cover everything, right?"

I prepared several safety measures. Anon's swordsmanship is high-level, so she should be fine. Helios doesn’t need any help, and Alicia is just as reliable. As an extra precaution, I'll have Mr. Coote act as a guard. Though I think we’ll be fine, Anon is still an unknown factor. Insurance is important.

"Mr. Coote, if Anon gets into trouble, go all out."

"Understood."

With Mr. Coote and Alicia, we should be fine. Helios tends to go berserk in battle, so he’s not suited for guard duty. He becomes a pure fighting beast. That’s why Mr. Coote always laughs at him. Even when Mr. Coote goes all out, he never forgets his role.

And then, as morning broke, the wyvern hunt began.

It was an ambush.

The sound of something being shattered and the screams of people echoed from outside. It seemed that the wyverns weren’t just after livestock—they were attacking humans, too.

What do you think about this chapter?