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Sir Pereyti of the Order of Saint Andrew has arrived here leading the knights.

The half-dozen knights following behind him showed no signs of fatigue even after climbing the rugged northern mountains.

“…Sir Pereyti.”

“Speak, Colonel.”

“Didn’t you just say you were with the knights?”

Pointing towards the knights at the back, Pereyti let out a hearty laugh as he understood my question.

“No matter how valiant the knights may be, we cannot lead that many troops up the mountain all at once. The main force is still working its way up down there! We are merely the advance party.”

“Oh, I see.”

I was already aware of the capabilities of the knight. Specifically, I had encountered that information in the internal documents of the Military Intelligence Agency while investigating local conditions just before being dispatched to the Order.

When it comes to issues related to demons, dark beings, heretics, and monsters, there’s hardly an army that surpasses the knights. At best, the Special Forces trained to handle large-scale magical battles or the elite investigators of the Magic Department who deal with exiled magicians could rival them.

While they are few in number, the knights are an entirely different story.

Of course, the knights weren’t the only ones who had come here.

“Seems like someone else also received a request for support apart from us. The situation must be quite urgent.”

“What do you…”

I halted mid-sentence, as new faces appeared behind Pereyti and the knights.

Unlike the silver-armored knights, they draped themselves in capes adorned with bizarre symbols.

“Just in time.”

Pereyti pointed at them with his thumb and told me.

“They’re from the Magic Tower.”

They were the magicians of the Magic Tower.

Episode 11 – No Issues on the Northern Front

The forces of the Cult and the Magic Tower had arrived to support the rift. They were the first ones to rush after getting in touch with Francesca.

Coincidentally, the leaders of each force were familiar faces to me.

“I am Juan Pablo Martinez from the Magic Tower Secretariat. It’s an honor to meet you, Colonel Nostrim.”

The one commanding the magicians of the Magic Tower was Juan Pablo Martinez. He was the head of the Secretariat’s sent personnel I had seen with Francesca at the hotel before coming north.

“I think we met once before.”

“That’s correct.”

“My memory hasn’t failed me. I was informed and hurriedly brought the advance party up.”

As we exchanged light greetings, Pereyti suddenly interjected into the conversation with a businesslike and polite suggestion.

“Forgive me for being presumptuous on a first meeting, but how about we put the introductions aside? We should first deal with the monsters, as time is of the essence.”

His words may not have been very endearing, but they were quite courteous for a priest addressing a magician.

However, perhaps feeling uncomfortable facing the knights, Martinez from the Magic Tower openly clicked his tongue and turned away.

As I watched his back as he moved away towards the magicians, Pereyti opened his mouth.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“…I’m not sure either.”

*

I led the two groups toward where Camila and Francesca were.

The two were preparing for the upcoming battle with the Imperial Army’s magicians. Fortunately, the monsters had yet to reach the defense line, so we had ample time for conversation.

“It’s been a while, Administrator!”

“Martinez of the Magic Tower Secretariat sends my greetings to the great magician!”

“Glad to see you. Let me give you a brief overview of the situation first.”

After gathering the people, Francesca began outlining the information.

The corpse spiders, which had suddenly appeared just a few days ago,

the spiders that had quietly been lurking but suddenly launched an attack,

Francesca checking the outpost and requesting support,

the emergence of a giant spider surpassing the size of three floors of a building,

the collapse of the defense line,

the ensuing bombardment from the Imperial Army,

the sight of monsters still alive and scavenging corpses after enduring the shelling,

and the monsters presumed to have some weaknesses tied to fire.

Even amidst the chaos, Francesca continued to explain calmly.

Her explanations were concise and to the point, and those listening filled in any gaps with questions for clarity.

Only after hearing all of that did Pereyti finally speak.

“Hmm! A spider that feasts on corpses!”

Pereyti stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“I’ve heard similar stories from priests who operated in the Mauritania continent. There’s said to be a spider that engages in cannibalism.”

“Do you think that giant monster is that spider?”

“Certainly not!”

Pereyti firmly denied it.

“The spider described by the priests was a much smaller creature. While it can’t be definitively concluded that it’s the only spider to engage in cannibalism, it does match some of the characteristics described by the Administrator. Of course, excluding the fact that it is enormous.”

“Is that so…? Did the priests ever mention why that spider feasts on its kind?”

“They said it seemed to occur when its mates were heavily injured or during the growth process when it craves the flesh and blood of its kin.”

Severe injuries.

As soon as I heard those words, the image of the wounded spider crawling out of a pit flashed in my mind.

The bombardment by the Imperial Army hadn’t killed it but had turned it into a mush. The exoskeleton that endured the tank’s fire was shattered, and one of its legs had been blown off.

If the reason it was eating corpses was to recover from its injuries…

A chill ran down my spine.

“Have you also heard of the ability to control spiders?”

“Yes. It’s something that only the queen, who governs the nest, can do. However, even the queen, which is large in size, is known to be no bigger than the palm of your hand.”

Pereyti shared quite useful information.

Francesca and Pereyti then began brainstorming together, discussing various things. They tried to use all their knowledge to analyze the weaknesses of the giant spider.

“Academically, such entities are sometimes referred to as alphas. Though this theory is yet to be proven.”

“Every year, new monsters keep getting discovered, so it’s inevitable that the theories are still lacking in substance.”

However, neither Francesca’s theory nor Pereyti’s information managed to yield a tangible solution.

“Hmm…”

Francesca’s gaze suddenly landed on a certain man.

The man who had been quietly listening to the conversation.

“Sir Martinez.”

Martinez slightly bowed his head in respect.

“Please go ahead.”

“I’ve heard you were active as an adventurer on the Mauritania continent. Do you have anything to add?”

At Francesca’s question, he raised his gaze.

“I also do not have any concrete suspicions, but isn’t there something more pressing than that right now?”

With that opening, Martinez continued his thoughts.

“It’s how we’re going to kill the monster.”

“……”

“It’s not something to brag about, but what I learned during my time as an adventurer is that beasts that seek human flesh and blood must not be left alive.”

All eyes turned to Martinez. He presented his harsh truth in a polite tone.

“Thus, it seems there is nothing more important than ending the monster swiftly. We can conduct the research after transporting that corpse to the Magic Tower.”

“…That certainly makes sense.”

“Then what shall we do now?”

Martinez insisted that we needed to figure out how to kill the monster urgently.

At that moment, I, who had been quietly listening from the corner, chimed in.

“Uh… wouldn’t it just work if we all charged in together and beat the heck out of it?”

“……”

“If worse comes to worst, we could just smash it with this.”

I shook the Camila that was in my hand with a jangle.

Camila, being held by the scruff of her neck like a cat, looked at me with bewildered eyes.

“I saw it earlier; it seems to endure the bombardment, but fire seems to work.”

“……”

“If we just beat it, won’t we figure something out?”

That was the right answer.

*

The trivial discussions came to an end in under five minutes. After sharing a bit of information, we stomped the ground. We headed towards the location of the giant spider.

About a dozen silhouettes dashed through the basin.

A cold wind swept through the abandoned northern military base, but rather than becoming sentimental…

There is no such thing as leisure.

Camila and I climbed onto Francesca’s golem. The ash-laden blizzard whipped through the crumbling ruins, stinging our faces.

There he was, where we arrived after slogging through the mud.

The shadow reflected in the thin mist was massive.

Even after taking the crossfire from the Imperial Army, the giant spider remained, hunkered down in the ruins, gnawing on corpses and exhaling breaths stained with pain and rage.

The creature, flanked by countless corpse spiders, was no ordinary big spider. It was a queen ruling a colony, a general commanding an army.

Thud.

Something fell from its mouth. It was a right arm attached to someone still clad in a shred of military uniform.

That horrific sight was etched vividly in my retina.

Pereyti of the Order of Saint Andrew spoke up.

“…A cursed monster.”

“I don’t know about curses, but it certainly is one hell of a creature.”

“Does the hero’s power really work on that monster?”

I turned my gaze to Pereyti. There was no need to respond. I lacked the energy.

“Understood.”

That was the end of my contemplations.

Pereyti stepped forward and raised his voice.

“Form up! Raise your weapons!”

At his command, the knights responded.

The armed knights formed ranks. The sound of clashing steel echoed loudly, and the silver armor began to scatter light through the mist.

“Paul! Antonio!”

The summoned knights replied.

Pereyti, wielding his sword, commanded.

“Clear the way.”

*

The two knights stomped the ground.

The sight of the knight shimmering with silver light was reminiscent of a meteor shower streaking across the night sky.

In a single stride, the two knights charged ahead, confronting the writhing mass of corpse spiders. It happened in the blink of an eye.

—Swoosh!

The swung sword carved a trajectory through the air.

The blade, gleaming with blinding light, sliced the foremost corpse spider cleanly in half and severed the legs of the ones to the left and right. The two knights plunged into the mass of corpse spiders, devouring the onrush of spiders from all sides.

A path was opened.

Like the miracle of Moses parting the Red Sea, the spiders split precisely in two. Through the gap in the sea of spiders, the knights rushed forth.

“Hah!”

Breathing in deeply and gathering his strength, Pereyti crouched low. Just as his taut muscles began to tense, mud erupted around his feet.

With a stomp, Pereyti launched himself like a cannonball.

Ignoring the ruins swarming with corpse spiders, he surged ahead.

Eventually, when Pereyti reached the end of the narrow path, his silver blade soared gracefully through the air.

—Kreeeek—!!

The giant spider screamed in agony.

The silver blade embedded halfway into one of its legs covered in a black shell. Having severed more than half of its leg with a single strike, Pereyti twisted his sword and pulled it free.

The creature’s leg, which had been unharmed despite taking a heavy hit, began to flail in the air like a marionette with cut strings.

“Tch!”

Seeing the spider wail, Pereyti clicked his tongue.

“It’s sickeningly resilient!”

“Commander!”

The knight’s voice pierced through the battlefield noise and reached Pereyti’s ears. The group of knights who had been racing down the narrow path was now positioned behind him.

Casting a quick glance at his subordinates, Pereyti took a step back and shouted.

“Finish it off!”

There was no reply.

The knights who had rushed in through the opened path hurled themselves at the spider, swinging their weapons. The silver blades sparkled brilliantly as they sliced through the spider’s legs.

Smack! A knight drove his blade into the hardened shell with extraordinary force.

The shell, previously untouched even after taking direct cannon fire, shattered into fragments, revealing the creature’s tender flesh beneath.

An impressive feat, but it was still lacking compared to Pereyti, who had severed more than half of its leg alone.

Just then, the last knight appeared and shouted to his comrades.

“Get back now!”

The knight pulled the trigger.

—Bang!

The firearm in the knight’s hand erupted with flame. Each pellet fired forth like a cascade of dragon’s breath.

Grimacing, the knight squeezed the trigger with all his might. His gun continued to spew flames, and the pellets, glimmering with light, shattered the spider’s flesh into a dark mass. The sight of an armored knight firing a firearm was bizarre, but at that moment, such trivialities didn’t matter.

Thanks to that, one of the monster’s legs was completely obliterated.

“Well done!”

Pereyti called out to the knight.

With the bullets emptied, the knight knelt, rummaging for more ammunition. The remaining knights, whose efforts had crumpled the spider’s legs, surrounded him.

With a hearty laugh, Pereyti kicked off the ground and soared into the air. Like a cannonball, he flew high into the sky and dove toward the ground.

His destination with the raised sword was the monster’s head.

As Pereyti, cloaked in brilliance, brought his weapon down with a fierce shout.

“Get back to where you came from! You cursed creature!”

The giant spider’s red eyes bulged.

Sensing death, it let out a pained scream, twisting its massive body to evade the blow.

—Crash!!

The silver blade sliced through the unfortunate muck below.

“Damn it!”

Pereyti’s face twisted as his full-force strike missed. The attack had failed, and the spider was quicker; now, all that awaited was its counterattack.

Just as expected, the wounded spider unleashed a ghastly roar and lunged at him with a ferocious onslaught.

Its legs, charged with enough power to flip a tank’s turret, swung towards Pereyti. As the sharp, glinting shell of the leg rushed at him through the mist, Pereyti’s eyes widened.

At the moment the spider’s leg aimed for his abdomen,

“This is why knights are a problem.”

A green barrier unfurled before Pereyti’s eyes.

The spider’s leg, thrust forward like a lance, was halted by the green barrier. The immense force caused the barrier to ripple, yet it showed no signs of faltering.

“It’s a wonder you charge ahead without looking back.”

Martinez appeared beside Pereyti, clicking his tongue.

Slightly relaxed, Pereyti flashed a grin, exposing his white teeth.

“You were the magician from the Guardian School!”

“Let’s cut the chit-chat and focus on the fight. We don’t need to waste time dealing with just that one.”

With those words, more and more people began to emerge from the path they’d carved through the sea of spiders.

“Commander! Are you alright?”

“Matteo went to aid Paul and Antonio!”

The knights of the cult.

“Mr. Martinez, shall we prepare the barrier?”

“The number of monsters is greater than expected. I’ll also distribute potions to the mages from the Empire.”

Mages from the Magic Tower and the Empire.

And then,

—Whooosh!

The creature, now missing a leg, staggered back as flames erupted from thin air.

Camila, having jumped down from the golem, glared at the monster.

“Superhero landing!”

“Enough of your nonsense.”

The battle unfolding within the isolated rift was already nearing its end.

 

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