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Chapter 541
Chapter 541
Chapter 541: The Elder's Strategy
As much as I was running out of time, threatening to annihilate the forest with Silver Ray might have been too much.
Already having deployed the Silver Ray, ready to activate at any time, I found myself questioning my actions.
If asked if there was another way, I would say there wasn't, but I could have thought of a different approach.
"Hey, hey! There's no reaction at all!? What are we going to do!?"
"Just wait a little longer."
While responding to Sieg, I lightly look up at the sky.
I might have rushed things.
Even so, I can't say 'Actually, I'm going to stop now'.
If they don't come out now, the aftermath will be extremely troublesome.
Well, the assumption that if something happens to the front side of the forest, it will affect the backside should be almost correct.
That's why this threat should work.
The problem is if there are many who will not yield to threats.
"Orihime might get angry if I really annihilate it..."
This is a race that transformed Sieg into a bear.
Even if the front side of the forest is annihilated, they should be able to escape.
So, there should be no human casualties.
Unless they are extremely hostile to humans, they may leave the lost children behind.
Those who would do such a thing would surely execute those who wandered in.
Considering Sieg is safe, that possibility is thin.
In that case, the biggest issue is the act of destroying the forest in Mizuho Xian Kingdom.
If I do that, I may be spoken of in the same breath as the other troublemakers.
I'd hate that, I think as I wait a little longer.
And then...
"Finally, they've shown up."
Suddenly, an old man emerged from the forest.
A demi-human with two horns like a dragon.
The Dragonkin race, already the stuff of legends.
"Whoa! It's the old man, the Elder!"
"If it isn't the warrior who brought back Loretta. Why have you returned? And why have you brought such a barbaric mage with you?"
The elder, who was called so, glares at me.
In response, I shrug my shoulders.
"Well, sorry about that. But I need Loretta for something. Also, there are children who have wandered in, right? Can you help them out?"
"The law is the law. Humans who wander into the forest are not allowed out. The children are safe, but they cannot be let out. If you insist, the only way is to change their appearance like the warrior here."
"Well, making them like me is a bit... Can't you release them somehow?"
"Ordinarily, we do not interact with the outside world. We do not ignore those who have gone out, even if they have taken the form of beasts. Because the warrior here saved Loretta, we are turning a blind eye and even responding to this conversation."
"That is... I'm grateful... but the one who has undertaken the mission to save the children is that mage over there..."
Sieg turns his gaze to me.
Then, the elder shifts his gaze back to me.
After looking at me for a while, the elder casually swings his left hand.
At the same time, he sets up a barrier in the left direction.
A shock runs through, and the barrier crumbles away.
Is this what you'd expect from the elder of the Dragonkin race?
Even if it was a half-hearted barrier before the activation of Silver Ray, it was destroyed quite easily.
"Hmm... Ancient magic, huh? A troublesome mage."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Reviving a magic that even five hundred years ago barely had any users, you must be quite talented."
"Not particularly."
The lifespan of demi-humans varies.
There are races with lifespans similar to humans, and there are long-lived species like elves.
It seems that the Dragonkin race also belongs to the latter category.
From his words, it can be inferred that this elder participated in the Great War against the demons five hundred years ago.
"Undo your magic. I cannot let someone who maintains such a dangerous magic inside."
"You're going to let me in?"
"Would you leave if I asked?"
"I'm afraid that's not possible."
"Then undo your magic. I have no desire to confront someone who wields ancient magic."
With that, the elder tries to gauge my reaction. Reluctantly, I cancel the Silver Ray and land on the ground. The elder then begins to walk into the forest.
"He's saying 'Follow me', isn't he?"
"Something seems suspicious."
"But we have no choice but to follow, right?"
Sieg's words, uttered from my shoulder, were correct. Just because it's suspicious doesn't mean we shouldn't follow. This elder is our only hope. So, I slowly follow behind the elder. Eventually, we reach the center of the forest. Suddenly, a light begins to glow beneath my feet.
"Hey! What is this?"
"We've been tricked."
"Don't take it personally. This is for our survival."
At the same time as the elder's words, Sieg and I are instantly transported away. This must be a trap, using a fixed-point teleportation magic. Lure us in and then throw us somewhere else.
"That old man! He did it!"
Sieg yells in frustration. It's expected since the whole situation was nothing but suspicious. The elder who kept talking about rules suddenly started guiding us. Probably he thought that excluding us by force would be troublesome. Most opponents would be dealt with a single strike from the elder. It's a trap for those who could resist that. There might be more to come.
"Speaking of which, isn't it hot!? Where are we!?"
"Looks like we're inside a volcano."
There are rivers of magma flowing all around us. Because we're shielded by a barrier, we only feel the heat, but normally, this isn't a place where humans can survive. Hearing the word 'volcano', one place comes to mind.
"He teleported us into a volcano!? Is he trying to kill us!?"
"Seems like it. It's a good strategy to silence a formidable enemy they can't handle..."
I slowly turn around. Then, the magma behind me rises, and a huge red serpent's head appears.
"Hey, wait..."
"I've heard rumors of a monster living in a volcano."
"Is this the time to be calm!? This is a Hydra!"
As if responding to Sieg's words, more red serpent heads emerge from the magma. In total, nine heads. Underneath them is a massive body. This is a Hydra, a monster said to be a subspecies of dragons, its ecology not well understood due to its rarity. Moreover, an individual living in magma is definitely not normal.
"What an unbearable old man."
"Hey, hey, hey!! What are we going to do!?"
"Don't leave my side. If you step outside the barrier, you'll burn to death."
"Eh!? You had a barrier up!? And it's still this hot!? I'm going to die!?"
"That's why you shouldn't leave. I won't take responsibility if you do."
"Just run away already! You can teleport, can't you!?"
"If we just run away now, the elder will just try something else. It's a dead end. We need to make them realize that we're not an opponent to be trifled with."
"So basically..."
"We need to defeat this Hydra as quickly as possible, then return to the elder."
With that said, I prepared myself for the battle ahead.
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