Extra in a Romance Fantasy - Chapter 122
122 – Intent (1)
The battle between the shapeshifting monster and Johanna unfolded in a more one-sided manner than expected.
Wielding two daggers, Johanna consistently overwhelmed the creature.
Of course, the monster did resist in its own way.
Though its appearance was grotesque, the power emanating from its massive body was quite destructive.
Every time it swung its arms, several trees in the forest would snap with a loud crack.
Moreover, its speed was also considerable.
One could easily suffer a fatal blow if they let their guard down.
In that light, it was fair to say that the unidentified monster’s specs were clearly superior to the golem encountered in the maze.
It was simply a matter of the opponent being inadequate.
Johanna’s skills were such that she could hold her own anywhere, and among the warriors gathered here, she was undoubtedly exceptional.
Ultimately, the end of the fight came sooner than expected.
“Ugh—”
Once again emitting an unwelcome groan, the slime monster slumped down and ceased to move.
“It doesn’t seem like such a dangerous creature.”
After finishing off the monster and sheathing her daggers, Johanna remarked.
“Seems that way.”
Pana agreed with her words.
I too, though I didn’t express it outwardly, found myself in agreement internally.
If this forest had only that monster to offer, as it had been in the maze, then breaking through the woods wouldn’t seem too difficult.
However, to put it bluntly, that was a hasty conclusion.
“…Another one has appeared.”
Johanna’s expression tightened slightly.
In the direction her gaze was fixed, a familiar grotesque monster was slowly revealing itself.
“Ughhh—”
At the creature’s bizarre cry, the group’s demeanor darkened further.
The greatest issue with the grotesque slime monster was its frequency of appearance.
Unlike the golem we had encountered occasionally in the maze, these creatures appeared before us at all times without warning.
—
How frequent their appearances were, it felt almost exaggerated to think that before taking ten steps, we would encounter the next one.
“…This could lead to more damage than we anticipated.”
I said.
The fact that such creatures appear often isn’t serious when considering the levels of Johanna and Pana.
But that’s only true for our party; for others, the situation could be different.
The level of this creature cannot be underestimated compared to the average level of the warriors gathered in the grave.
If such a creature were to appear at any moment, even if we managed to defeat the monster right away, it was clear that fatigue and injuries would accumulate quickly.
Once that happens, the subsequent flow would only worsen.
In the end, casualties would start to emerge one by one.
Johanna, upon hearing my words, seemed to grasp that reality, her gaze slightly dimming.
“It’s unavoidable.”
However, Pana’s reaction and expression were no different from usual.
“No one would have entered here without knowing it was dangerous in the first place.”
Though it might sound somewhat cold, her words were the truth.
No one had ever claimed that the inside of the grave would be safe.
It was even written in the inscriptions published by the scholars of Alundel.
A warning not to enter the grave recklessly.
Knowing that warning existed, they still walked into this grave of their own accord.
So, whatever happens here, it would be something they must bear.
“…That’s true.”
I was well aware of that fact.
Thus, I nodded heavily.
While I hoped the damage wouldn’t be too great, it was a situation where there was nothing I could do regardless.
“Max and Hector will be fine. They’re not the type to fall to something like this.”
At that moment, Johanna spoke quietly.
I expressed my agreement with a nod.
Max goes without saying, and Hector is certainly a capable fighter.
Even in a situation without companions, I wouldn’t worry about those two falling to these creatures.
And so, we began to move deeper into the forest once more.
Should I call it fortunate? The frequency of monster appearances did not increase beyond that.
—
—
Thus, we continued our journey, relatively free of twists and turns, but before long, we found ourselves stopping once again.
The reason was that night had fallen upon the forest.
Not in a metaphorical sense, but truly, night had arrived.
The sun that had existed above the forest disappeared, and the surroundings grew dim.
Recognizing this change, we decided to halt our progress for the time being.
There was the simple reason that it would be difficult to face monsters in the dark, but also the concern that the sudden change in environment could lead to unforeseen consequences.
This place was an artificial space created by magic.
We reasoned that such a space would not have been made simply out of boredom, to create a sky and a night.
Moreover, quite some time had passed since we entered the grave.
Unbeknownst to us, fatigue had begun to accumulate.
Of course, I, along with Johanna and Pana, were superhumans who could go days without sleep without showing significant effects, but it wouldn’t be wise to endure such fatigue in a place where we didn’t know what might happen or how long it would last.
In the end, we stopped our progress and set up a campsite within the forest.
Thanks to the supplies we had brought along just in case, each of us had a tent, making it easy to establish the campsite.
Just as we had done when we arrived at the grave, we had a simple meal of preserved food, set a watch schedule, and then began our camping.
When deciding on the watch schedule, I tried to extend my watch time since I hadn’t fought any monsters since joining, but my proposal was met with opposition from the other two and was ultimately dismissed.
Anyway, after that minor incident passed, time flowed, and it was soon my turn to keep watch.
In case of any unforeseen events, I did not light a fire, and I sat quietly in the center of the campsite, gazing up at the forest and the sky.
Just how intricately had the sky been rendered? Stars twinkled in the sky floating above the forest.
Stars so exquisitely crafted that they felt almost real.
As I beheld that sight, I found myself increasingly perplexed.
‘What on earth is the purpose?’
This space was likely created by the “Organization.”
Yet, it was utterly difficult to fathom their intentions.
And rightly so, for there was no clear purpose visible in this space.
I couldn’t even guess what the purpose was for creating this place or for gathering people here.
Even gazing up at the magically created night sky, the answer eluded me.
For a moment, I even wondered if this place was truly made by Verhabill, but I quickly dismissed that thought.
Setting aside various suspicious points, there were too many oddities to consider this space as having been created by Verhabill.
If Verhabill had truly made this place, and if this was indeed the hero’s grave, it wouldn’t have been constructed in such a manner.
Thus, my speculation that this was a space created by the “Organization” gained even more credibility.
—
And if that speculation is true, then naturally one piece of information can also be gleaned.
That the ‘organization’ has collaborators or members at the level of a grand sorcerer.
It is certain that the space I am in was created by magic, and that is something even an exceptionally skilled sorcerer would not dare to attempt.
Thus, it was only natural to arrive at such a conclusion.
“…Hah.”
I let out a small sigh.
In any case, I am in a position where I must stop the ‘organization.’
Regardless of the circumstances or the extent of their power, my actions would remain unchanged, but honestly, the path ahead was not without its daunting aspects.
Thanks to Sheryl, I have made progress in my abilities, and the situation has improved somewhat, but I still have not grasped even the outlines of it properly.
The only information I have is that their influence is formidable, so it was only natural that a sigh escaped me.
“…….”
As I gazed at the night sky, feeling the rising frustration, I shook my head to dispel the negative thoughts.
I was well aware that the power of the ‘organization’ was incredibly strong.
They could even manipulate the prince of Elbrent and move the sword master.
Adding even one grand sorcerer wouldn’t make a significant difference.
The fact that there are no clues about the ‘organization’ means that pondering it now won’t lead to any improvement.
It would only serve to agitate my mind.
So, I decided to cast aside unnecessary worries and simply look up at the magically created sky without any thoughts.
It was then that it happened.
Swish—
A tent opened, and someone emerged from within.
“…Johanna.”
That someone was none other than Johanna.
With a calm expression, Johanna stepped out of the tent and sat down across from me with a natural movement.
There was no trace of drowsiness on her face.
I couldn’t tell if she hadn’t slept at all or if it was due to her meticulous nature.
“…….”
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I quietly observed Johanna.
I didn’t need to say that it wasn’t time to wake up yet.
Though not a long time had passed, during the journey toward the grave, I had come to understand to some extent what kind of person Johanna was.
—
She was not the kind of person to act without meaning.
She was not the type to lose sleep over feeling anxious or worrying about her companions.
Yet, here she was, rising at this late hour and taking her place before me.
I felt certain there must be a reason for it.
With that thought organizing in my mind, I waited for her to speak.
How long had it been in that state?
As the starlight in the sky tilted slightly and the sound of rustling leaves passed by a few times.
At last, Johanna’s lips parted.
And she spoke.
“Andel, what if this space wasn’t created by Verhabill… what would that mean?”
A sudden and heavy question.