TNZKMA 134

134 – Saine

 

Three days had passed since the stalls were abandoned, but there was still some edible food left. It seemed silly to talk about money or the absent shopkeepers in times like these, but the Reincarnator was overly concerned about it, he left money in the empty shops before eating the goods.

[Sometimes, it’s so bright it makes my eyes hurt.]

　He must have been tired. As the Reincarnator, satisfied after eating, drifted off to sleep, Dole glanced over and said.

[He doesn’t even complain about the runaway Dauntless or the Hero. I wonder what kind of mindset he has.]

[Who knows.]

　It seemed that, in Dole’s mind, the Dauntlesses and Heroes, who hadn’t shown up, had fled. The guards didn’t fully believe the rumors, but Saine didn’t bother to refute them. Whether they stayed in town or not, they wouldn’t be much help. After all, unless someone paid the Heroes, they wouldn’t act no matter what happened.

　Saine gently patted the Reincarnator’s head as he slept, still sitting up.

　It had been a year since they started living together, and Saine still couldn’t quite figure him out. He was full of emotions, but he never complained about anyone. Saine had never heard him badmouth or speak ill of anyone. It wasn’t that he was suppressing those emotions — it seemed they never existed in the first place.

[So, what’s the situation?]

　After confirming that the Reincarnator had fallen completely asleep, Saine assessed the situation.

[It’s awful. The monsters went through the back alleys. Behind the mansion, there are so many bodies you can hardly walk.]

[Same with the stalls. They should’ve just abandoned the stalls and fled, but it looks like they tried to take the money and goods with them. A lot of stall owners ended up dead. We shouldn’t stay here for more than two days. After that, the smell will start to spread.]

[The only saving grace is that the wind has stopped. Plus, if it’s just a bit of a smell, my barrier can hold it back.]

　Saine nodded knowingly. Considering the monster attack, it was easy to imagine the bodies had been left behind, unburied. He didn’t want the Reincarnator to see that.

[So, the Heroes really didn’t fight, huh?]

[Maybe they fought just long enough to help the rich escape. According to the guards who came from the west and south, the central plaza hasn’t suffered as much damage yet.]

　Saine let out a sigh, thinking, so this is how it ends.

[The buildings in the east were destroyed, but was it that huge of a monster?]

[No, not at all. It wasn’t big. In fact, it was about the size of that Reincarnator over there. But its strength was insane. It just swung its arm, and that created a wind. And that wind sliced like a blade.]

　Saine nodded, recognizing the type. There were similar monsters in the forest. It must have been a stronger version of those.

[The monsters lurking around are the ones that appeared in the east and the north. What about the one in the north?]

[The one in the north is beast-like, and the one in the east is humanoid. The northern one is fast, and it can leap over small walls. Actually, it runs right up the walls to get over them. In that sense, it’s more of a hassle than the one in the east. But the northern guards fought hard and managed to injure its hind legs, so I don’t think it can do that now.]

[Yeah, that makes sense. For the north, Dedd and I, along with the northern guards, cornered it. We targeted its already injured right hind leg, almost severing it entirely. Even if it stepped on some dour grass, it won’t heal quickly.]

　Vyrs crossed his arms as he spoke. He wielded a giant axe, which was strapped to his back even now. If that axe landed a direct hit, it could probably slice through a horse’s body in an instant.

[When the monster appeared in the east, I was at the mansion. The barrier I set in the eastern district connects at the top, and its threads are linked to the Daryss family. To put it simply, it’s like a spider’s web. If a monster tried to enter the eastern district, it would touch my barrier, and I would sense it. But when the monster appeared in the east, I felt nothing.]

[What if the monster came through the lower paths, emerged beneath the tower of the Blue Crest Ceremony, and then burst up from below?]

[…In that case, I wouldn’t have noticed. I never imagined the town’s underground would end up like this. That’s why my barrier only extends to about the depth of an arm.]

[Saine, what do you think? Could such a dangerous monster have been in the eastern forest?]

[You said it had a humanoid form, right? Is it changing its shape to become human?]

[From what I can tell, I think that’s its true form. Or at least something close to it. If it could drastically change its shape and still fight with that kind of strength, we wouldn’t stand a chance against it in its original form.]

　Shapeshifting wasn’t easy. Just like how Kyui would sleep for days after growing larger, it wasn’t simple for monsters to change their form either.

　If this monster could change its shape so easily, it meant its strength was on a completely different level from the usual monsters encountered in the forest or mountains.

[A powerful humanoid monster, huh… The only one that comes to mind is the Xibt from the mountainside.]

[But that one uses weapons, right? I don’t know what they’re made of, but aren’t they powerful bows?]

Saine nodded at Vyrs’ words. Humanoid monsters weren’t uncommon, but few of them used weapons.

[Was the humanoid one injured too?]

[No. No one could hurt it. Even if we cut it, it healed immediately. But… I think creating that wind took a toll on its stamina. It must’ve pushed itself beyond its limits when it fought us. Now, it’s probably resting.]

[I think so too. At first, with a single swing of its arm, it sliced the priest’s mansion cleanly. But before it disappeared, its swings could barely crack the rubble.]

　Loop had also fought the humanoid monster, and he chimed in, agreeing with Dole.

[This is bad… We need to find the humanoid monster and take it down quickly.]

[Yeah, but we’re searching every building from the barrier toward the square, one by one. But we can’t find it.]

[There aren’t many Dauntless around. We can’t send them out alone, so they’re working in pairs. The Dauntless from the west, south, and north are moving, but not all of them. They’ve got to protect their own districts, and some of them are injured.]

　Vyrs groaned. There were many unfamiliar faces in the guild; they were the Dauntless from other districts. But they were not numerous.

　Even so, they would want to protect the districts they belong to. Whether they receive rewards or not, that’s the spirit of the Dauntless.

[Once the houses are all checked, we’ll shrink the barrier. The smaller the barrier, the stronger it becomes… though not all the priests are that reliable…]

　Priests specialized in Ceremonies couldn’t even create a proper barrier. What Olphynn had feared had come true.

[First, let’s take care of the wounded beast. We’ll have to deal with the humanoid one when the time comes. Shrink the barrier bit by bit so we can gather quickly if it appears.]

[…That’s all we can do.]

[By noon tomorrow, we’ll gather what we need. Then we’ll return to the eastern district.]

　Olphynn stood up and headed into the priest guild after saying this. It didn’t seem like he planned to rest. With a quick glance, Dole followed him. Vyrs and Loop took turns patrolling the mansion’s surroundings, while Saine watched the square.

　Looking down, he saw the Reincarnator lying on the stone pavement, fast asleep. Just a little while ago, he had been sitting up. Saine let out a small chuckle.

　In this situation, could he be brave, or just innocent? Either way, it didn’t matter. Saine would make sure to protect a place where he could sleep peacefully.