Chapter 43 - Unexpected Reunion (1/2)

—Raust—

「…I know it’s a sudden request, but… please.」

While we were still dumbstruck by his request, Zieg-san earnestly asked us again as he thought he would be refused.

However, his concern was just needless anxiety.

「No, it’s okay! That’s also what we planned to do after all.」

The moment I said that to Zieg-san, I laughed.

I didn’t think Zieg-san would invite us to phoenix subjugation hence the moment of our silence.

However, I was just surprised, not opposed to his request.

On the contrary, the offer was also something that we wanted as well.

To be honest, Narsena and I had bad compatibility with the phoenix.

……After all, Phoenix was a nightmare for a vanguard, not only it mainly using long-range attacks, it was covered in an armor of flame.

For us who fight at very short range using dagger and fist, it was a difficult opponent to fight against.

「Onii-san and I were planning to challenge it into a sink or swim battle, I will appreciate it if someone like Zieg-san will come too!」

That was why, as Narsena said, if a talented person like Zieg-san came along too, there was nothing more reassuring than this.

Zieg-san was also a vanguard, but considering the great sword he carried, he had a long reach.

If Zieg-san becomes our main attacker, our winning chance against the phoenix would increase considerably.

I hoped so and smiled.

「I see, so both of you are aware of how dangerous that phoenix is…… No, I guess it’s natural for both of you, the people who defeated that hydra, to know 」

Zieg-san who saw my smile also smiled as he said so.

Then, I noticed that from his words that he might have the same concern with us.

「Perhaps, you also notice, Zieg-san……?」

I timidly asked Zieg-san, to which he answered with a nod.

That was the best evidence that Zieg-san had the same concern with us.

The possibility that the phoenix would mutate.

It took a considerable amount of time for super-high difficulty monsters to mutate, it took several months even when it was wounded, which was when it would absorb magic power more rapidly.

Considering that, as this was just a few days after the request, there should be time still before it was mutated.

……But knowing the exception that was the hydra that mutated in less than a month, I couldn’t help but worry.

Perhaps that hydra was just an exception, still, that didn’t mean we could just leave the phoenix alone.

If that happened again and a mutated phoenix showed up aboveground, I didn’t know how much damage it would cause.

Narsena and I knew the danger precisely because we fought against the mutated hydra.

……We only won against the hydra because of a miracle happened, that miracle was the kind that would never happen again.

I knew that we were at a disadvantage, even so, we still decided to fight the phoenix.

No matter how much of a threat the phoenix is, if we don’t defeat it before it’s mutated, then we won’t be able to do anything.

Because I had my determination, I was much more heartened than I imagined when cooperation with Zieg-san was decided.

Seemingly understanding that from my atmosphere, Zieg-san let out a smile.

「There is…… something I have to say.」

However, the next moment, Zieg-san opened his mouth with a cloudy expression.

He was going to say something difficult to convey.

「Actually, my party’s magician isn’t in a good condition, so the one that will come is me and……」

「Zieg-san! I finally found you!」

……But his words were interrupted by a voice from a girl in the distance.

That voice made me dumbfounded for a second.

Realizing that voice sounded familiar, I looked at the source of the voice.

「……Ehh?」

…Seeing the appearance of the former magician of Sword of Lightning, Armia, standing at that place, I was surprised.

◇ ◆ ◇

「Didn’t I say I’m alright?! I will also come along in the phoenix subjugation!」