LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 33: First Practice
“Ms. Merilyn.”
After a long silence, my mouth opened again.
Perhaps I had fallen asleep.
The sunlight that had been shining on the forest path was now a sunset, dyeing the world in shades of red and black.
“Ms. Merilyn, why do you travel?”
“That’s my job.”
Merilyn answered as if she had been waiting, despite the lengthy pause.
Even with my head resting on her lap, she stroked my hair quietly, showing no sign of displeasure.
Her hand was as careful and dedicated as if she were playing an instrument.
“At our first meeting, you introduced yourself as a jester, not a minstrel.”Her proclaimed mission surely involved more than just playing instruments.
I sensed it vaguely, even if I wasn’t certain.
Her hesitance came through the tips of her fingers even as she attended to me.
“Is there a reason you call yourself that?”
I wondered if she, so devoted to her mission, should be so absorbed in someone else.
As if to soothe my unease,
“…Because I have someone to serve.”
She took a moment before answering my question.
Then, she began to whisper to me in a low voice.
“If it’s about the person I serve…”
“They are someone to whom I’ve sworn sincere allegiance. They lifted me, a mere common beggar, into the world and showed me the glory that lies at its end.”
This person had given more time and heart to her than I, who had directly said she was special.
The weight of her heart for that person was as heavy as the lifetime she had dedicated.
They must have provided her with the reason to journey through this harsh world.
“They were someone who could achieve what none of us following them could. That’s why I swore allegiance to them. I hold the expectation that they will accomplish in my lifetime what I cannot, even if it costs my life.”
Life, dignity, and the effort and passion invested in life…
But why did her voice tremble, even as she claimed it was true?
“But perhaps they too were intoxicated with glory for too long?”
Slowly.
The touch of her hand began to lose strength.
Then, she let my hand drop to the floor, turning her head away to look outside the carriage.
“As memories fade on a long journey, so does the one seeking glory lose their smile along the way.”
“…Lost their smile, you say?”
“I wanted to make them smile again. That’s why I left their side and wandered the world.”
With the stories she had collected…
And if even those weren’t enough, she fabricated tales just to bring a smile to their faces.
“But I’ve come to realize on my travels that if it’s a problem a humble jester like me can solve, then anyone who serves them could…”
How much her heart must have twisted, repeating this endless journey over and over.
I could feel, through her mutterings at this moment, how much she had buried behind that laughter.
Why she regarded me as special from a single day’s meeting and why she leaned on me even now.
“So, perhaps I feel more drawn to meeting you.”
Yes, it was only the beginning, but I could still hold on to some hope.
“Being with you, I hope that a thirst no longer quenched by loyalty might be satisfied…”
Clatter, clatter.
The sound of wheels meshing broke the silence.
As I listened to that, I realized I had made one misjudgment.
Yes, it was just a memory.
But in such a shattered world of memories, if even one pillar that would never collapse appeared, wouldn’t that in itself be hope?
“…Ms. Merilyn.”
If only I, with my abilities, could satisfy her in this world.
And more so, if my fate, destined to die in the future, could be extended through her hands…
“If it’s alright, even after this mission…”
So, if we were drawn to each other, wouldn’t it be nice to be together in the future?
Clunk!
Before I could say anything, a loud noise erupted from the carriage leading the way. I raised my head that I had laid down, and my gaze quickly turned forward.
“It’s an attack.”
“It’s an attack!”
Even without precognitive abilities, I sensed it.
Had I not sensed such an ominous feeling, it would have been strange for me not to have perished in this world.
“Ms. Merilyn! Get down!”
We could confirm each other’s feelings after overcoming this crisis.
As I crouched down, holding a spear, Merilyn quickly jumped from the carriage into my arms.
In that moment, I realized her actions were quite agile, unlike her gentle appearance.
Kwaang!
But before I could even gasp in awe, something crashed into the luggage compartment of the carriage, shattering it completely.
A massive lump of rock with a huge mass…
Crunch!
No, the lump of rock was wriggling.
I instinctively knew it. This thing was clearly a ‘being with a consciousness.’
“…Monster.”
Monster.
Monsters, influenced by the pervasive power in this world, were abominations that gained self-awareness and instinct as they merged with their surroundings, the refuse of nature.
Their existence, originally scarce in this world, had increased exponentially after the Demon King and his army, who tore through dimensions into this world, arrived.
Scholars theorized that the birth of monsters resulted from beings like the Demon King interfering with dimensions, twisting the world’s laws, and causing objects to take on living characteristics…
Growl! Crack!
But whatever the reason, it was certain that monsters were dangerous.
These things, whose instinct was primarily predation, defined everything except their own kind as enemies and were hell-bent on devouring anything they encountered.
“Ms. Merilyn, would it be alright to ask for the performance you gave yesterday?”
As the lump of rock that had been gathering began to unravel and change into the shape of a monster, I, who had stepped back, gripping my spear, quietly asked Merilyn, standing behind me.
She stiffened her body and, in a cautious voice, looked at the monster that had appeared in front of us.
“I can do it, but it will be more dangerous.”
“Why?”
“Monsters are also affected.”
Of course, if it was a performance, the sound would reach everywhere within earshot.
Unless they were wearing earphones, there was no way to distinguish a friend from a foe, right?
Kyaaaah!
So, if it was to be dealt with, it had to be by my hands.
Feeling the sudden onset of my first real battle, the rock lump that had transformed into a monster charged at me.
If I dodged here, Ms. Merilyn would be hit. So, first, I must guard…!
Crack!
Good, I managed to block the first attack with my spear.
But being made of rock, it had quite a mass.
Colliding at a considerable speed, it inevitably put a significant strain on me.
Growl! Kaawaa!!
It would be dangerous to receive the following attacks as well.
Quickly using the lightness of my light armor, I rolled away, and the monster’s claws missed. Soon, its menacingly glowing red eyes started to turn toward me.
Good, this had diverted its attention away from Ms. Merilyn.
“Phew…”
I let out a deep sigh, gripped my spear tightly, and glared at the approaching monster.
Get your mind straight; don’t be hasty.
There was no need to overthink it. I just had to deal with this thing like I did yesterday.
Even without Merilyn’s support, I had thought about that sensation several times after she left, so it was definitely within the realm of reproducibility.
Kyaak!
The monster, screaming wildly, charged at me as I steeled my mind.
I followed its charge with my eyes and avoided the downward strike with a backstep.
Then, using the momentum of my landing, I moved forward again.
Thunk!
The moment my hand felt the spearhead pierce the monster’s shoulder with precision, I twisted the spear and swung it upward with vigor.
Crack!
The monster’s arm was severed and fell away, falling against my thrust.
Seizing its destabilized balance, I swung the spear tip powerfully, aiming for the monster’s head.
Though its body was hard, I didn’t hesitate in my attack.
The weapon I wielded was made of ‘Mithril,’ the most durable metal in this world.
Kwaaaak!
The monster’s head shattered under the sharpness of my weapon.
Soon, only its headless corpse sprawled on the ground, but I couldn’t afford to be intoxicated by this first victory.
After all, the carriage I rode in was at the center of the group, and the presence of monsters meant the entire group was in jeopardy.
“Monsters on the flank! Gather here!”
“I’m too busy shooting in front!”
“What the heck are the mages doing?!”
“We’re charging our magic, so just shut up and hold on!”
Rock monsters swarmed in from the front and flanks.
The adventurers blocking them worked to protect the evacuated merchants and exerted themselves to manage the threat.
Frontliners like shield bearers blocked their path, while close-range specialists like myself drew the enemies’ attacks.
Those who held dealer positions proved crucial in driving away enemies in such battles.
Kwaaak! Woosh!
When mages dispatched monsters with area attacks, those skilled in single-enemy combat, like archers or throwers, finished them off and cleaned up.
Despite their low rank, the adventurers assembled here seemed seasoned in combat, responding calmly to the monster attack and thinning their numbers.
Kwaaak!
But if the situation had been that easily resolved, I wouldn’t have called this world a dark fantasy.
The adventurers’ faces turned to shock as they saw a massive shadow loom before them.
“Damn it, what the hell is that?”
Growl.
The creature that appeared with a howl was several times larger than anything I had faced before.
The rock fragments protruding from its body were so sharp they changed the light touching its body into a blue reflective glow, emphasizing its presence.
Not only did it tear through the forest trees, but it also crushed a carriage with its body, showcasing its might.
“Shield bearers, guard the front, and the rest, fend off the ones coming from the sides!”
“Stop talking nonsense! How are we supposed to stop that monster…?”
“Eek! If you won’t block, move aside! I’ll blast it away with my magic!”
A combative mage stepped forward, pushing through the flustered vanguard.
He then gathered mana from the staff in his hand, beginning to form a giant sphere of electricity in front of him.
“Die, you monster! Taste the full force of the deadly magic I learned by pouring in all my fortune!”
Thunder! Rumble!
A beam of light struck the target area.
As the aftermath of the attack caused smoke to spread in all directions, the rear ranks, unable to bear the sudden action, grimaced and began to gather their strength.
“That guy’s really crazy!”
“Damn it, let’s just pour everything we have into this!”
The moment they launched a barrage as if resigned to their fate, as all attacks concentrated on one point, and smoke spread, one adventurer, watching nervously, opened his mouth and murmured quietly.
“Did we kill it?”
Keung!
A huge body collapsed where the smoke cleared.
The body of the monster, which had previously been threatening, was now miserably shattered, only convulsing.
Anyone could see it was a corpse undergoing post-mortem rigidity.
“We killed it!”
“Good! These things are weaker than we thought! Hard on the outside but totally hollow inside!”
“Sweep them all away!”
The monsters’ ambush was resolved more easily than expected.