Otome Game no Heroine de Saikyou Survival (LN)

Book 6: Chapter 15

The Master of the Ancient Ruins

Chako-neechan. Is everyone, okay

Theyre surely okay.

The dwarf Rana clasped the hand of the cat beastman Chako anxiously. The dark elf Noi was looking like he was going to cry, even so he glared at the outside firmly as the only boy present.

The youngest kid the dog beastman Nar went outside along and didnt come back. Everyone was all worried for Nar and wanted to go look for him, even so the three kids remaining here were aware that waiting home was also an important role.

Because that was what they were taught by Ron and Lena who went out searchingand also by Aria who returned after that.

(Aria-san)

Chako was slightly scared of Aria. She had cured Nois sickness and risked her life to save Chako from Munza Gang. But even knowing that, when she stood in front of the girl who she knew was living in a way that was even harsher than that of adult, she would shrink into herself wondering if she would get scolded for being so powerless.

Aria was harsh to herself and also to other peoplesurely she was a person who was kinder than anyone else.

She was a person who could risk her own life for someone else.

It was because Aria was like that, Chako was scared to tell her that Lena went outside to search for Nar.

Lena was the person who Aria wanted to protect the most. She was also feeling concern for Chako and the other children, but it was Lena who occupied the deepest place inside Aria.

Aria and Lena had no duty to protect Chako and the other children. Lena chose to save Nar because she had set her sight on a bigger world that Chako couldnt see, but how would Aria feel seeing Lena who she wanted to protect the most taking such dangerous action?

Would Aria get angry with Lena?

Would Aria become disillusioned with Chako and the others for dragging them into danger?

When she told Aria about why Lena wasnt here, Aria silently listened to her words before calmly nodding.

Chako considered Arias feeling and wondered whether she had to tell something to Aria. She then mustered her courage and when she was about to speak up, Aria suddenly put her hand on Chakos head and gently patted her.

Leave it to me.

It was immeasurable just how much that short sentence managed to calm down Chako and the others.

Her words were that powerful to make them felt like that. Aria understood that even just believing in friend and waiting for them to come back was scary.

Aria should be wishing to rush off to Lenas side as soon as possible, and yet she took the time to pat the head of Chako and the anxious children first.

Chako thought that perhaps she ought to at least say something about Lena, even if just a word to Aria who was like that. She tried to raise her voice, but she saw it just for an instant within the lightArias face seen from the side was slightly smiling as she headed outside. Chako felt the bond between the two and swallowed back her word.

Aria-sanI leave everyone in your hand.

***

When I returned to the tower, I heard the story from Chako and rushed out to the desert again.

I might be wrong because this was the doing of a child, but if Nar was looking for red grass to be used in alchemy, I had several ideas of the place where a kid might be able to reach.

Around an hour had passed since Elena and Ron left the tower. There should be no monster in this area that was beyond their ability to defeat, but the stampedes influence drove the monsters to drift out from the ruins, so we couldnt let our guard down.

Besides, there were also suspicious groups moving around, just like the dark elves and Cruz people who I saw at the town. Their motive was unclear but it mustnt be anything good.

I drank the mana recovery potion that I created and restored my mana capacity that had decreased until now. At the same time I used body strengthening to sprint through the desert.

If the two were moving while searching for Nar, they shouldnt have gone that far. I was running with triple the speed of the average person while directing mana into my eyes too. I focused on the flow of mana flowing in the air and faintly saw the water and darkness magic particles. They came from monster corpses, so I was convinced that something was going on in this direction.

If the two headed to a place where a lot of red grass grew, they would need to take a detour going around a rocky place. But I had no business with the safe route.

Iron Rose

After I whispered that name, my pink hair changed color to ashen iron color that was like burning ash. The light residues that my hair scattered form a trail behind me like a comet. The flowing scenery that entered my eyes accelerated up.

I took a deep breath and ignored the safe route. In order to speed up even more, I assigned the roses body strengthening to focus in speed.

A Re(Quick)-!

Because mana recovery potion disturbed the flow of mana, I was unable to finely control Iron Rose, but that rough control was enough if it was just for moving fast.

My body sped up even more and ran up the rocky wall even faster than a rock falling from cliff. An earthworm-like monster attacked me midway and I slashed it while passing through.

Tsu!

My strengthened search skill caught Elenas presence at far away.

At the same time I also sensed multiple presences. A faint killing intent. And then I felt gathering mana in Elenas presence. I quickly switched my awareness for combat.

I couldnt use throwing knife in my condition where fine control was impossible. I took out a small crossbow from my Storage and loaded it with steel arrow while leaping up on a rocky place. In less than a second my sight caught a hooded man who seemed to be a dark elf and judged him as enemy. I l fired my crossbow.

The arrow that I aimed toward the center of his face pierced the dark elfs right eye. In that instant, Elenas carefully aimed ice spear stabbed the mans chest.

.

Did I make you wait?

No, your timing were impeccable, Aria.

.

Elena smiled even while letting out a relieved sigh.

It seemed that I barely made it in time. Rons eyes widened seeing my sudden appearance. From how Nar and Ron looked, they didnt seem to be seriously injured. I turned my eyes toward the remaining Cruzian men after seeing that.

M-mister-!?

W-what happened!?

Someones on the cliff there!

The Cruzian men started making a ruckus and one of them yelled while drawing his bow. Seeing that equipment I judged that they were the same like the groups I saw in the town.

The man fired his arrow. There were also someone else who tried to do the same, but arrow wouldnt work against warrior rank 4 and above. As long as I didnt let my guard down, I could dodge something like arrow even after it was fired.

He flew!?

Without even running beforehand, I jumped more than ten meters to the other side using only body strengthening. I didnt need Iron Rose anymore. The cloak that I threw away midair and the light residue acted as bait while I dodged the arrow. I landed in front of them while slashing the throats of two men who tried to switch weapon to bow.

What the hell-!?

K-kill!

W-woman!?

The remaining threea Cruzian man in his forty and two Cruzian men in their twenty. The man in his twenty was the slowest one to pull out his weapon. The throwing knife that I pulled out and threw behind my fluttering skirt was planted between his eyes.

Aria-

Roger

I heard Elenas voice. I knew. I also had something to ask from them.

I stepped forward while fixing my grip on my black knife and dagger. The man who yelled first took a step back to look for a way to escape, while the other man was trembling in anger after his comrades were killed. He then attacked with his spear.

That man over there then.

Gugah

It would take time to interrogate someone who held strong feeling for his comrade. I pushed away the speartip that was thrusting at me and cut the mans carotid artery while passing him by. I slipped through before blood could spurt out from the cut and approached the other man. The last remaining man threw his spear toward me while easily turning his back at me.

Gua!?

My weight type pendulum struck the back of his head. The impact made the man tripped and fell on the ground. I caught the mans spear from the air and thrust it toward his neck.

If you want to live then can you tell us everything that you know?

***

DOURYAA!!

Jeshas two-handed axe split apart the head of an ogre.

Men! Show me your grit!!

The adventurers under Jeshas command had finished cleaning up the first wave of stampede that consisted of the quick-footed monsters. A lot of the monsters were low-ranked so there was no one who got seriously injured.

But, the second wave had sand ogres that were characteristic of this region mixed in. So people other than the shield bearers also started to get injured from the clash against the rank 4 monster.

You guys too, give me a little more space!

Were young misss bodyguard yknow? Dont ask for something impossible!

Jilgan-sanll murder us if we left young miss alone!

The dwarves who had been Jeshas long time subordinates replied to her yell with a laugh.

Sand ogre had the combat strength of lower rank 4, and there were also some veteran among them which would require multiple rank 3 to be dealt with.

There were also multiple rank 3 among the adventurers. Even so the injuries started piling up because the majority of the high ranked adventurers were staying around Jesha to guard her. Furthermore they were all like her chaperone Jilgan. They all had known her ever since she was little, so they prioritized Jeshas safety more than her order and would even ignore her command sometimes.

Right now the beastmen of Munza Gang were still doing hit and run so none of them had gotten seriously injured, but at this rate there would be no guarantee that things would keep going well.

You assholes

Jesha was grinding her teeth in respond to the troublesome fatherly dwarves, but the next moment she wore warlike grin.

No helping it then! Oi, tell those scurrying beastmen, gather the ogres at the center! Im gonna take em all at once!

OOOOOOOOO!!

The adventurers cheered at Jeshas roaring yell.

Four hours had passed since they fought the stampede. The number of monster they had defeated had already surpassed five hundred. Right now they also still had potions in reserve, and they had also refrained from using the high class potion they bought from Rose as much as possible. Normally even if a stampede occurred it would be over after they defeated a thousand monsters, but who knew if it would be the same this time.

There was a stretch of several hours between the first and second wave. During that time they could treat the injury and recover stamina and mana, but it was possible that even that wouldnt be enough depending on the composition of the third wave.

Even though Jesha was putting on a warlike expression, she was starting to feel anxious inside toward the stampede that was showing no sign of ending.

(Tsk, Im getting bad premonition.)

It felt like the monsters were stronger than the previous stampede. She thought that it was because the monsters were in a state of panic. The reason for that was most likely because that thing was approaching.

The objective of Jesha and her men was to subjugate it, but there was also the suspicious behavior of the human adventurers. If the next monster wave was also in the same scale then.

(I should have dragged Rose here too)

Jesha didnt request adventurer Aria to come to face stampede was because the dwarves were the main force no matter what and also because she wanted Aria to prioritize producing potion.

But if Jesha could be honest, because she arbitrarily considered Aria as her rival as a fellow woman and fellow rank 4, asking Aria for help would be like recognizing that her strength was insufficient. She didnt want to do that.

She understood that it was wrong of her to be like that as a guild leader, but as a mountain dwarf Jesha too was still a girl who just became of age.

Guild master! That!

What, the third wave

A female beastman scout rushed to Jeshas location and turned her attention toward the ruins. When she strained her sight, certainly she could see sand cloud approaching this way from the desert, but that wasnt the reason why the female beastman looked pale.

The third wave was made up of relatively slow monsters like rock lizard or sand lizard. They had hard scales but rank-wise they werent strong enemy. But.

Thatstsu!

Behind them was a silhouette that was like a slow mountain, advancing forward and driving on the monsters. Then its figure appeared from the sand cloud that was hiding it from view like a veil.

Sleek scales with iridescent color with black as the base.

Four horns that were smoothly growing to the back.

Reptilian eyes with color that was a mix of gold and silver.

It was walking on four legs with its head lifted up calmly. Just the height of its head would make them needed to look up at its huge body.

The master of the ancient ruins Resvel, the earth dragon found its new prey and let out a roar that shook the earth.

.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!

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Earth Dragon RaceLow Ranked DragonMythical Beast Rank 6

Magic PowerStamina

Overall Combat Strength