Текст книги "Overlord - The Invaders of the Large Tomb"

Автор книги: Maruyama Kugane

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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 17 страниц)

The workers that were present quickly focused their attention on the source of the disturbance. Some had already drawn their weapons and entered their battle state.

The source of the scream, which came from Eruya’s direction, was one of Eruya’s female companions, who was laying on the ground. Considering the situation, it seemed that Eruya was the one who had sent her flying. His face was distorted with rage, while a fearful expression could be seen on the woman as she begged for his forgiveness.

While desperately trying to suppress the feelings that fluctuated within his chest, the first thought that flashed in Hekkeran’s mind was his comrade—he hurriedly cast a glance at Imina.

Having made up his mind, Hekkeran eliminated the expressions on his face and remained where he was. However, the pressure that was emitted from Hekkeran suggested that if anything further happens, he would definitely be the first to strike out.

Hurriedly, Hekkeran signaled to Roberdyck and Arche, instructing them to stop Imina from taking any independent actions.

Personally, Hekkeran felt the same way as Imina. However, right now he didn’t have the right to meddle in other team’s affairs. Of course, if he really wanted to, there was nothing stopping him from taking action. It was just that he would then be required to take responsibility. Because of reasons like this, the other teams also didn’t show any signs of wanting to be involved and simply expressed their disgust.

In the end, Imina was finally able to come to her senses, and suppressed her emotions. She made a rude gesture towards Eruya’s back and spat on the ground.

"…It seems he can only match his swords skills with the Kingdom’s Warrior Captain. It would be great if he could also match his personality, but that’s just asking for too much. Well then, let’s just end the useless chattering here."

"…I agree. Since Hekkeran has already arrived, it’s time to decide on the most important thing."

"Since that guy has already backed out from this it’s just between the three of us, but who will take the overall command of this operation?"

Suddenly everything became quiet.

There were four worker teams here. The amount of combat potential from the combined four teams could already be considered as something remarkable, however if not properly commanded, much of it would be wasted. No matter how many arms one might possess, if one was unable to make use of them in harmony, it’s no better off than having just a single arm.

Managing multiple teams with a diverse range of personalities was already a difficult enough task to accomplish, to do so without receiving any complaints was even harder. Mistakes that occurred when giving commands could directly result in failure. And if the leader prioritized his own team first, then he could even end up being the target of everyone’s resentment.

To make it clearer, it’s a responsibility that requires ability, yet comes with more demerits than merits.

Knowing this, the leaders quietly waited while studying each other’s expressions. After nearly one minute of silence, the tired Hekkeran made a suggestion.

"Honestly, I think it’s better not to do it this way."

"This will only delay the problem. What if it gets messy once the battle starts?"

"…I propose we dost take turns. This way dissatisfaction can be kept to a minimum. We can also discuss this further after we arrive at the ruins."

"Ah—"

"That’s right."

Thus Greenham’s proposal was accepted by both Hekkeran and Parupatra.

"In that case, let’s use the arrival order to determine the turns."

"What do we do with Uzruth’s 'Tenmu'?"

"It doesn’t matter even if we skip that guy’s turn. After all, he isn’t capable of leading in the first place."

"I can only agree, elder. In that case, the first one to take leadership will be me, 'Heavy Masher', the one who proposed this system."

"We’ll be in your care then, Greenham."

"I’ll be relying on you, young one."

"Understood. However, the likelihood of us encountering dangerous monsters inside the Empire’s territory is almost zero. It’s only when we are in the Kingdom, near the Great Forest, that problems may occur."

"Ah, we should have reversed the order."

The two of them quietly laughed as Hekkeran face palmed himself when he stated that. However, they laughter quickly stopped when they noticed a man was walking towards them.

Light finally started to shine within the Earl’s courtyard when his butler made his appearance. Walking with his back straight and tightened, the butler walked in a manner which reflected the standing of those who served the Earl.

Arriving in front of the workers, the butler stopped and bowed. Although no-one returned his bow, the butler didn’t seem to mind and started speaking.

"Time is up. On behalf of the earl, I would like to express his gratitude to everyone here who accepted our House’s request. There will be two representatives from our House who will be coming along for this trip. Including the adventurers hired for the security of the carriages and a few other things, all together there will be six additional people. The destination is the unexplored ruins located near the border of the Kingdom—from the structure it appears to be a tomb. The designated period for investigation is three days. Additional bonuses will be given out after the Master has confirmed the received goods discovered from the ruin. Are there any questions?"

The details that were given by the butler were almost the same as the initial request. The only new information was that adventurers would be guarding the carriages.

Many were interested in the details about the chosen travel route, but as workers, one quickly learned to differentiate between which questions were allowed to be asked and which weren’t. It was clear that this was something the Earl did not plan to reveal, otherwise it would have already been made public.

If it was a clean request, they would have hired adventurers instead. Since it was dirty work, the requestor obviously wouldn’t reveal everything. Some things were simply safer not to know.

"…Well then, I will be leading everyone to the carriages we have prepared."

Without saying any words, the entire group followed the butler.

Hekkeran’s 'Foresight' was at the very back of the group.

"That eru-shit, he’s much better off dead. How about it? Should we do it?"

Unable to tolerate Eruya any further, Imina whispered this to Hekkeran.

"Although I’ve heard plenty of rumors before, but seeing it really shows just how despicable that man is."

"—Absolutely the worst."

The remaining two members also couldn’t hide their disdain.

To 'Foresight', this type of opinion came naturally. Since they’ve already made the woman Imina into their comrade, the things that Eruya did were unforgivable.

In Eruya’s team, except for himself, every other member was female. They were also elves.

If it was just that, then Imina and the others wouldn’t be expressing as much contempt. However, they did have their reasons as to why they considered Eruya as the lowest of the lowest lowlife.

The female elf members only possessed the bare minimum of equipment, their clothes were made from the plainest fabrics available, without any defensive capabilities. Furthermore, their short-cut hair revealed the stumps which showed the remains of what had been the distinctive long ears that elves normally possessed.

The reason why they, Eruya’s team members, were in this state, was because they were slaves bought from the Slane Theocracy.

Slavery also once existed within the Empire, but during the previous Emperor’s rule, many things were changed. Although they were still referred to as slaves, the meaning became completely different. However, nothing had changed for the demi-human slaves such as the ones fighting inside the arena.

The elf slaves that belonged to Eruya also fell under this category.

The Baharuth Empire, Re-Estize Kingdom, and Slane Theocracy, the percentage of human citizens living in these three countries could almost be calculated as 100%. Compared to other countries, these three clearly displayed more disdain towards non-human races. Because of this, even those who were half human—like Imina—had experienced difficulties.

The only exception were the dwarves. The Azellerisia mountains spanned the border between the Baharuth Empire and the Kingdom of Re-Estize, and inside these mountains existed the Dwarven Kingdom. As long as the Empire still maintained trade relations with the Dwarven Kingdom, the rights of Dwarves were protected.

"I do feel sorry for these elves, but right now isn’t the time to save them."

Imina sighed deeply, deep inside she was aware of that, but her feelings simply couldn’t be let go so easily.

"Let’s go."

As Imina began to walk ahead, Hekkeran and others hastened their pace to catch up. What they saw once they caught up to the main group made their eyes widen in surprise.

Two carriages had been prepared for the journey to the ruins. There was also a group of people surrounding the carriages. They must be the adventurers that had been mentioned before. The plates hanging from their necks were all brimming with a golden radiance.

However, what had surprised them wasn’t the carriages nor the adventurers, but rather the horses.

"—Sleipnirs."

The sound of surprise could also be heard from amongst the other workers.

With four pairs of legs, Sleipnirs were much larger in size compared to normal horses. Due to their superior muscle strength, endurance and mobility, Sleipnirs were regarded as the most versatile type of magical beast for travelling across lands.

Of course, the cost for one was also astronomical, enough to match the price for five or more battle horses. Even for aristocrats, it was uncommon for one to possess them.

Each carriage was pulled by two Sleipnirs. When taking into account the possibility of losing these horses during the adventure, the people that were aware of their worth couldn’t help but appreciate the generosity of the Earl. Or maybe he simply feared that normal horses wouldn’t have enough strength to pull all the treasures that would be found sleeping inside the ruins.

The others must have thought of this as well. The sound of people swallowing their saliva could be heard.

"Please make use of the carriages provided. Provisions have already been placed inside. For the safety of the carriages, as well as the security of the camp sites, we especially hired adventurers. Also, please be aware that they’ve signed an agreement stating that they will not enter the ruins."

Suddenly thinking ahead, Hekkeran left his comrades and headed towards Greenham.

"My bad, Greenham. There’s something that I wish to discuss."

"What’s wrong? What do you wish to talk about?"

"It’s about the pairing for the carriages, can you help me not being in the same carriage as 'Tenmu'?"

"En? Ah, I see. Thou unease is understood. It’s reasons to do with your companion right? In that case our team will pair with 'Tenmu' instead."

"Sorry about this, you’ve helped me a lot."

"Don’t worry about it, we’re all in it together as companions during this job. It would be bad if something happens before we even start the investigation. If—"

"—Is it really okay for us to be relying on these gold ranked adventurers? What do we do if the campsite was overrun before we come back? Or if monsters manage to break through the security perimeter of the campsite?!"

Suddenly, a voice as loud and clear as a burning fireball could be heard by everyone, causing Hekkeran and Greenham to turn their focus elsewhere.

Eruya’s words were directed towards the butler. However, he didn’t bother concealing his voice. It was as if time suddenly froze, the movements of the adventurers who were moving the luggage stopped on cue.

Naturally, for those who are aiming towards the top, it was obvious that the path became longer and steeper the further one travelled along it. Although it didn’t matter how far one could reach at the end, the effort required to get to where they were now wasn’t something that could be achieved easily. Their feelings after hearing what Eruya had said could only be described as unpleasant.

The profession of an adventurer was a highly competitive one, to have one’s ability doubted—especially by the commissioner—could heavily impact their future career. It would then be necessary to display their strength.

Regardless of whether they were an adventurer or a worker, to be able to fearlessly dish out these words, the speaker must at least be at a powerful enough position which allows them to get away with it. As such, Eruya did not seem to mind the current atmosphere at all, and continued on.

"Well, I have to admit they’re at least good enough to qualify as luggage lackeys, but when it comes to keeping everything safe, I’m not so sure."

Give me a break, please. It wouldn’t be good at all if things turn ugly. Those guys are also restraining themselves due to already being hired…

The workers currently present were all as strong as mithril ranked adventurers. In other words, stronger than those adventurers. However, there were still certain things that one should definitely not say, based on the given circumstances.

Can someone give him a beating so he can shut up?

The atmosphere amongst the workers also started to tense up as the majority of them began to glare at Eruya in disapproval. Looking around, Hekkeran hurriedly rushed to the side of Imina. It wouldn’t be good if blood started spewing.

However, the person that made the next move wasn’t a worker.

"You must be Uzruth-sama. I do not believe there will be any problems."

"…Is that under the assumption that we will also help in securing the campsite?? If it’s like that then I can still accept your reply."

"That’s not it. It’s just that we requested the aid of someone stronger than those of you present—Momon-san."

As if responding towards the words spoken moments ago, a warrior clad in full plate mail stepped out from one of the carriages. Due to the helmet he was wearing, his face could not be seen.

"Please allow me to introduce everyone. Reaching the rank of adamantite with the power of only two people, the adventurer Momon-san from the 'Darkness'. His teammate Nabe is also present. With these two to protect the campsite, this arrangement… I hope everyone is satisfied?"

The atmosphere suddenly became completely different. To adventurers and workers, the one standing in front of them was one who had reached the peak of their profession. Under the presence of the strongest, every worker, regardless of who it was, kept quiet.

Seeing how the workers reacted to the appearance of an adventurer of the highest rank, the mood of the other adventurers improved. An affectionate smile emerged on the face of the leader of the adventurer team as he conversed with the warrior in black.

"Please let us handle the rest. In the meanwhile, could Momon-san continue the exchanges with the workers? Also, please take over the role of leadership and advise us on the security plans for the rest of the trip."

"Understood. Although I am still lacking, if your team have no problems with it, I will accept. However, I will still be relying on you guys as the main security force. Your team contains more people. It will be more convenient for us to assist instead."

"No! What are you talking about!? You’re not lacking at all! Doing it that way will drag Momon-san—"

"No, your team will still be tasked with the main security. Do make use of us. Now then, Nabe."

Having ended the conversation there with a voice which carried the hint of a faint smile, Momon walked down the stairs from the carriage. The person following behind Momon was a woman of astonishing beauty.

Usually, when a beautiful woman appears, there would always be some kind of commotion. However, things became very different if the level of beauty was overwhelming. In the presence of a truly beautiful woman, the only thing one could do was have their eyes stolen.

"Hekkeran. That person…"

"Aye, Rob. I was thinking the same thing. We saw her at the North Market. Over there… Momon of the 'Darkness'. Having only one companion. If it’s like that, it seems like the rumor of defeating a Gigant Basilisk wasn’t as big of an exaggeration as I had initially thought."

"Giga—! About that, is that true?"

"Seems like it. There’s also a rumor that they defeated a demon with a difficulty rating of over 200 using a single attack. I heard this from Greenham."

"—That can’t be real right? A difficulty of over 200 is beyond the limit of human capabilities. That isn’t a territory humans could ever reach… Could it be that you misheard 100 as 200?"

"Even if it’s like that, it would still be amazing. Yet somehow I get the feeling that it really did happen like it was said in the rumors. At least, that’s how I feel."

Even though it was only a brief moment of conversation with the gold ranked adventurer, the personality of Momon seemed to have been made clear. It was consistent with what the people expected of adamantite ranked adventurers. The impression given off by Momon was that of a likeable man.

"Before we begin the exchange… there’s something I wish to hear from you guys."

Momon’s voice wasn’t particularly loud. However, the impression that one received when hearing the sound of his voice was that of majestic grandeur.

"Why have you decided to go to the ruins? Because you’ve accepted the request? However, different to how the Guild can sometimes force adventurers to take a request, there’s nothing preventing you from rejecting this request. What is your reason for deciding to go?"

The workers exchanged glances at each other, hesitating on who should respond. In the end, the first to speak up was someone from Parupatra’s Team.

"That’s obviously because of money."

The perfect answer to the question. There was no other reason. The reason why the workers hesitated to answer wasn’t because the question was hard, but rather, they were trying to determine Momon’s true purpose of asking such an obvious question.

After confirming that every worker agreed with the given answer, Momon continued to ask.

"In other words, the reward offered from this request is enough for you guys to risk your life for?"

"That’s right. The amount offered was enough to entice all of us. Also, bonuses will also be given if we discover additional treasures from the ruins. Isn’t that enough for us to bet our lives on?"

The one who responded was Greenham.

"…I see. So this was the final decision you guys made. Understood. Looks like I’ve asked a pointless question. Please forgive me."

"What you asked wasn’t particularly offensive… Please don’t mind."

"Hya hya hya. Looks like you are done with the questions. In that case, could this old man also ask something?"

"Please go ahead, senior."

"I’ve heard many rumors about you. Whether they’re true or not, this old man wishes to find out for himself."

"I see. Seeing something in person beats hearing a hundred tales huh? Alright. I’m fine with it. Then allow me to, no, allow us as the security guards to demonstrate our worth. In what manner would you wish to do this?"

"About that, obviously it’s to have you face off against an opponent right?"

Everyone present suddenly focused their attention towards—

"—Of course, it’ll have to be the one who proposed it. This old man himself."

"What? So senior wishes to choose himself? …I will apologize first then, but I’m not a man who is used to holding back when fighting. Although I may not have the intentions of wanting to cause injuries, I do not have enough confidence that I can control my strength properly—are you still fine with this?"

"Hya hya hya hya! As expected of the adamantite rank! This old man has already decided on taking the risk. I won’t blame you for anything that happens."

A faint laughter could be heard from underneath Momon’s helmet.

"That’s expected, senior. This is the difference in in battle strength—I’m strong. Stronger than everyone present. That’s why I’m adamantite ranked."

Overwhelming conceit, and an attitude as if looking down from above. However, not a single bit of unpleasantness was felt by the workers present. This was obviously due to the impressive pressure emitted from the man called Momon. His words were accompanied by an overwhelming pressure which gave the impression of staring at death itself, thus the words felt as if they contained the power of persuasion.

"…How amazing."

"…Aye, really amazing."

Most of the people in the audience couldn’t help but let out their voice due to the emitted pressure.

There were many women that fall for strong and powerful men. In terms of respect and admiration, many men were also fascinated by the strength of the strong. Like moths attracted to flames, the people living in this world of blood and steel couldn’t help being mesmerised by that irresistible charm, even though they were aware that they would get burned if they got too close.

"Hya hya hya! Looks like there won’t be anyone here objecting to you being adamantite ranked! Although I’ve said it this way, since it’s a rare opportunity, I will still carry on despite knowing that I will lose. The carriages over here are in the way. Can we use the empty area over there instead, butler?"

Having received the permission from the butler, Parupatra took the lead and went over to the empty courtyard. All of the workers followed. The adventurers and the butler also came.

"Judging from what Elder had said, it seems like we won’t be able to witness much."

"—That man seems really strong."

"Uun, not just strong, more like outrageously strong. It feels as if he’s stronger than any of the other adamantite-ranked adventurer teams in the Empire."

"Seems like it. The only reason the adventurer team ‘Silver Canary’ has the adamantite rank is because all of their members are people with rare professions. Although they possess strange abilities, their actual strength isn’t quite up there yet. 'Eight Ripples' made it to where they are mainly due to relying on their numbers and spectacular teamwork."

'Silver Canary' was a team lead by a Bard who had reached the heroic tier, while its members had many strange professions. 'Eight Ripples' had been founded by nine members, but due to their numbers, they were often regarded as a team whose individual members were not at the adamantite level yet. However, if it was about teamwork, they were known to excel beyond everything other adamantite-ranked teams could achieve.

Nevertheless, all of them were considered as having achieved the impossible feat of ascending into the realm of adamantite-bearers.

Whispers of such discussions could be heard from the team members from behind.

The contents of the discussions wasn’t only limited to the previous remarks. If one listened carefully, many things could be heard. The most discussed topic was how long Parupatra could last, things like that. There wasn’t a single person who believed he could defeat Momon. The primary reason for that was that the man known as Momon had emitted an amount of pressure only those of the adamantite rank would be able to create, even if it had been only for a brief moment.

While Hekkeran was deep in thought, someone walked up to his side. Considering the metallic sounds that were produced, it was obvious who it was.

"What does Greenham think about the upcoming fight between the two?"

"Although I feel bad to say this, but I just can’t see how Elder can win. At this point, what’s left is simply to see to what extend Elder can take it to, that’s all. Does thee plan on going next after Elder?"

"No way, please give me a break. What about you?"

"I will also give up. I’ll be satisfied with just witnessing the strength of a superior warrior. However, I hope to be able to receive some guidance on the sword during this trip."

"I’m also thinking about doing that– Oh!"

Arriving at the courtyard, Momon and Parupatra began to back away from each other as they started readying their stance.

Parupatra’s gaze was definitely not something an ordinary old man would be capable of making, they were definitely the eyes of a warrior who was used to combat.

The atmosphere gradually changed to one filled with killing intent, the peacefulness surrounding the courtyard no longer exists.

As the audience was watching, the tension created a feeling of anxiety and some of them even started to sweat.

"…Oh my, not good. Elder seems to be completely serious."

Greenham, who was standing by Hekkeran’s side, unconsciously exposed his true self.

"Against an opponent of the adamantite rank, it’s understandable for him to go at it as if his life is on the line—"

While replying, Hekkeran shifted his line of sight towards the warrior in black, trying to put himself into the elder’s position, and gasped.

He couldn’t feel a single thing from Momon.

Both of his hands were lowered by his sides without showing any signs of taking any defensive actions, meeting the bloodlust head on as if it was nothing. It was completely as if he was facing against a harmless child holding a sword, that kind of feeling.

"Ahriya! Amazing! Confronted with that kind of killing intent and not showing any signs of reaction. It’s impossible for him to not notice this amount of bloodthirst being emitted, could it be that he’s reached the very peak of the warrior, the ultimate mental state of nothingness!?"

"Swordless Heart? Or has his mental state reached the Realm of Cloud and Water? To be able to stand so fearless like that when there’s that much of a difference between the weapons of the two, he must really be confident of his skills… really, how terrifying. "

The spear in Parupatra’s hands was a magic item made from the tooth of a dragon, whereas the weapon that Momon was holding was a wooden staff borrowed earlier from one of the adventurers. No matter how you look at it, it was definitely not imbued with any kind of magic. Weapons imbued with magic could increases their sharpness, boost the user’s abilities and provide various additional effects. Looking at nothing but the weapons, Parupatra had an overwhelming advantage.

"No, I don’t think so. Although it’s true that there’s a strong difference in terms of weapons, Momon-sam’s armor should be well above Elder’s in terms of magical properties. Also, the additional magic items equipped should be better as well. The overall difference isn’t that large, but Momon-san should hold the advantage."

"Don’t you think it’s a bit early to come to a conclusion? I’ve heard that the number of magic items in Elder’s possession is far greater than what most adamantite-ranked adventurers could possibly have.. Elder has been adventuring for a long period of time, and has completed countless requests. If we consider just the amount of payment he’s received, no-one in the Empire has more than him!"

"No, no, wait up—"

"The one that should wait should be—"

While the two of them were still arguing, the tension within the courtyard had reached its climax and the first sparks of battle finally started to appear.

"Well then, let’s go!?"

"There are still important things that needs to be done after this. Don’t make it too hard for yourself and come at me, senior—"

Without even finishing the sentence, Parupatra charged towards Momon with a speed that most people would never imagine an eighty-year old man to be capable of. Smooth and with strength, he completed the action with such fluidity that his opponent Momon still hadn’t raised the staff in his hands.

"「Dragon Fang Thrust」!"

Hekkeran’s eyes widened in surprise at Parupatra’s sudden use of a martial arts at the very beginning of the fight.

A consecutive two-hit piercing attack with the spear bending like the tooth of a dragon. On top of dealing additional damage based on the attributes imbued by user, this martial art technique also included a homing effect which increased the chance of dealing critical damage. Using ‘Piercing Strike’ as the base, this technique was something Parupatra had created forty years ago. A well-balanced technique known by many and even now a lot of people were still studying it.

In addition to the ‘Dragon Fang Thrust’, Parupatra layered an additional ‘Blue Dragon Fang Thrust’ on top, which caused extra lightning damage.

Just what is that old man thinking! Even though we have healing magic at hand here, who really goes all out like that?

The effect of the used martial arts was that even a minor scratch would cause a considerable amount of lightning damage. It was most suited when fighting against opponents wearing armor made of metal. His decision to use this attack showed Parupatra’s seriousness.

However, for an attack that was known to be troublesome to deal with for those wearing metal armor, Momon easily avoided it like it was nothing. His actions made it seem as if he was wearing an armor as light as feather. The sluggish movements that normally should have been caused from when wearing full body armor did not show at all. What made it even more surprising was that instead of making excessive movements like leaping backwards, Momon was able to evade the incoming attack with minimum effort while standing still.

"Impossible! Just how good are his kinetic vision and physical capabilities?"

"—「Gale Acceleration」!"

Parupatra responded immediately with another martial art.

That old fart is going way over the top! Has his brain already become a fossil?

"「Dragon Fang Thrust」!"

Using the same technique as before, Parupatra struck once more at Momon. The blade of his spear was brimming with a white layer of coldness which came from the ‘White Dragon Fang Thrust’ he used this time.

A four hit consecutive attack that didn’t give the opponent any breathing room—

A commotion could be heard from amongst the audience watching.

Of course. Even an attack like that wasn’t able to land a single hit or scratch on Momon’s armor.

Parupatra quickly leaped away to create some distance from Momon. Sweat started to build up on his forehead. It wasn’t from exhausting his stamina, but rather from the sheer amount of mental pressure he received during the face off against death.