Chapter 11 - Volume 1 (1/2)

I was listening to a detailed story about the magic tool that the bandits had.

「What exactly do you mean by the City will cease to function?」

「The magic power and nutrients will be sucked away from the surrounding lands and converted into the golems. Right now, it just sleeps at the bandits’ lair, but at this rate, there is a danger that this area will completely dry up.」

「Hm? The bandit’s lair is close to the City of Stars?」

「Yes, it’s in the woodlands near the city. There are farms around the area, so the crops will be affected.」

「Aah, that is… Bad.」

I live in this city because in addition to being developed and having the Temple of Job Change in the vicinity, it also has delicious food and ingredients of fine quality.

「If they were to destroy the delicious food which is one of the good points about this the City, I’d be quite troubled.」

「Yeah! One shouldn’t reduce the quality of the food. It’s a grave sin!」

「How come the bandits had such a dangerous summoning item?」

「One of them was performing illegal research in the Capital. I destroyed the laboratory and disposed of deliverables and research materials but he was able to blend in with the bandits and then continued his research at the bandit’s lair, and so we went to destroy their lair—」

「——But they had already created a dangerous thing.」

Fang nodded to my words. Furthermore—

「And some golems were already made. As a result, some of the farmers seem to be suffering. Drained of the magic power and nutrition some of the lands became barren and shipping has stopped.」

「Are you serious…」

「Eeh, even though I like the taste of vegetables from this area…!」

That’s some bandits.

They did something rather outrageous.

「By the way, you can’t break that magic tool, right?」

「Yes. As you know I’m not very good at magic, and almost all of my skills are physical. As the appraiser from the mages guild has said, this magic tool can be destroyed only by magic or heat. According to preliminary calculations if one hundred《Advanced Magicians》cooperated and used 《Advanced Fire Magic》they might be able to destroy it somehow. 」

「That’s… Incredibly sturdy.」

「Yes. However, the City of Winds, of course, doesn’t have enough personnel for that and neither does Mages Guild. Even if you gather them, there will only be sixty people at most.」

To reach the rank of an advanced magician a considerable effort and talent are required.

Even in this country, the City of Stars and City of Winds are pretty developed, and since both cities combined didn’t have 60 of them, it seems that becoming an advanced magician is difficult.

「And, what are you going to do since you don’t have enough firepower?」

「The mages guild of this town has experimental magic multiplier device, destruction may be possible if it was employed. Therefore I requested for transportation.」

I see. The reason is well understood.

「Actually… If this was a job that could be done by you alone, then it wouldn’t be my place to show up, I don’t want to stick my neck out for no good reason. So I planned to refuse with some random excuse…」

I don’t like pointless work. I don’t feel like undertaking any work except for work that I want to do.

If it was simple destruction of a magic tool then it would be best to leave it to Fang and the mages guild.

But if our delicious meals are at stake then the story is different.

「——It can’t be helped. I’m in. I will cooperate with the destruction. It would be a waste if our delicious vegetables were turned into golems.」

「Yeah, me too! Payback for food is terrifying!」

「Thank you very much! I have high-speed magic horses prepared outside of the city, let’s head to the location of the magic tool.」

●

The travel to the bandits’ lair took only a few minutes.

While thinking that they were residing really close to us, I looked towards the lair.

「That’s some incredibly nice lair.」

The bandits’ nest was a large-scale hut.

Made by cutting down the trees in the area, leaving only a few in surroundings, they even made a sturdy looking outer wall from boulders.

In addition, the ground was bedded with stone making it easier to access with carriages.

「Looks like they even made a road to bring in the stolen supplies. But since it was far away from the main road it was hard to discover.」

「I see. And, where is the magic tool?」

「It stands conspicuously inside.」

Being told so, I entered inside the large hut. And what was inside there—

「…The heck is this huge tree.」

Sprouting from the bare ground, big enough to break through the roof and radiating with white light, an enormous tree was growing in the middle of the hut.

「This is a magic tool that sucks up the surrounding magic. Look, it’s already producing golems.

Fang pointed to the side of the giant tree.

There was a doll made of dozens of large branches entangling with each other.

And it also was coming towards us while raising up its fists.

「Is this a rampaging golem?」

「Yes, since it’s in an attack mode already, I will defeat it.」

As soon as he said that, Fang pulled a sword from his waist and split the two-meter golem in half.

That attack not only cut through the golem but also tore the sturdy stone outer wall to pieces.

「Well done.」

「Well, I’m already used to it. When I discovered this place, there were about one hundred of those things around here. And so I had to cut them all down.」

「Ah, so that’s why the outer wall is all tattered, it’s because you cut a hundred of them in here. Even though you have been fighting continuously since yesterday, you are still just as strong at solo-battles as before.」

「Because continuous battles and physical attacks are my only redeeming features. Tossing all of it to you would be rude, so I had to at least do a cleanup.」

And after letting out a laugh with hints of self-torture he stiffened his expression.

「Anyway, this is the golem generator. Can you carry it away?」

「Hmm, what about the root of this tree, or rather, what is going on under the ground?」

「I tried to dig a little a short while ago, and its roots are spread for about one meter.」

「Taking the tree itself into account it’s not like it’s a size that wouldn’t fit into the transportation bag but…」

But how do I put it in there?

Digging it out and carrying it is a bit troublesome.

I’m fine with carrying it, but I have no intention of doing something so troublesome.

「…Listen, Fang. In the end, it’s all about breaking it, right?」

「Sure. That’s right. Ultimately we are transporting this in order to destroy it.」

「Then, can we try our attacks?」

「Attacks…?　Eh, yeah, I don’t mind, but what are you going to do?　Physical attacks won’t go through, you know?」

「Well, a lot of things that I didn’t really fancy back when I was 《Dragon Knight》.」

Having said that I went outside with Berzelia and Fang.

And first of all, said the following to Berzelia.

「Berzelia, can you use your full strength and put that hut ablaze?」」

「My full strength? Are you sure?」

「Yes, I don’t mind. I will allow it.」

「Yes, Master. Then——【Inferno Breath]」

The moment Berzelia proclaimed so with her hand extended towards the hut.

*—Bang*

With that sound, the brightly shining flame erupted from her hand and struck the hut.

The flame emission lasts for a few seconds, rapidly burning the terrain.

Not even a shred of hut’s exterior remained, the slightly melted ground and flames envelop the large golem producing tree.