Chapter 74: Chapter 74

Thanks to the same smell he had caught in the cave in the past wafting from the melted castle wall, he was able to guess that what invaded this place was a hydra.

Shan made the other subjugation squad members wait on standby, then ingested antidotes along with a few knights before examining the interior of the city.

The small city, where several hundred to a thousand people would have originally lived, was so quiet that not even the sound of grass insects could be heard.

“As expected, there are no survivors.”

“Whew…”

Those presumed to be the residents were piled up in a heap in the village square, turned into white bones with all their flesh melted away.

Most likely, the hydra bastard had moved its nine heads to melt the unconscious, fallen people one by one, sucked out their flesh, and then regurgitated their bones here.

Although they knew that what they were pursuing was a monster more than capable of destroying a city, knowing it only in their heads and seeing it with their own eyes was as different as heaven and earth.

When Shan and the knights left the city and informed those who had remained of the situation inside, they too were appalled.

“Why did it come all the way here and destroy a city?”

“Indeed. According to our hypothesis, that creature should be wandering around the marshlands.”

Feeling that the hydra pursuit might drag on longer than expected, the knights grimaced.

Not wanting to stay in this unpleasant marshland any longer than necessary was the common opinion of the subjugation squad members.

Right then, a soldier guarding the perimeter shouted in a low voice.

“Something is coming!”

Since they had already wandered through the marshlands and encountered monsters living here several times, the soldiers skillfully prepared their response.

However, for some reason, the figures that appeared to be bipedal creatures hesitated instead of coming straight forward, displaying a wary posture as well.

A moment later, their identity could be guessed by them waving their hands from over there.

“They were people!”

“And here I thought…”

Emerging through the fog and slowly approaching toward them were warriors dressed in attire suitable for active movement in this marshland.

Their number was roughly around thirty.

A young man who appeared to be the representative of the group shouted in a low yet distinct voice.

“This is the land under the rule of Viscount of Treba, lord of the marshlands! Who are you to invade this place with armed troops without permission?”

“We are an army serving Princess Cheryn, Duke of Reinel and daughter of the King of Pendia. We came after receiving information that a giant hydra appeared in this vicinity.”

Shan stepped forward while reciting the greeting prepared in advance.

Even though it was broad daylight, the situation was somewhat dark due to the fog, so his pair of eyes glowed softly.

“Those glowing eyes are…”

“Shan Barendil of Green Eyes?”

“He’s the Witch Princess’s knight!”

When Shan glanced slightly at the person who called her the Witch Princess, the man flinched and took a few steps back.

Turning his gaze to the one who seemed to be the representative, Shan asked.

“I actually needed to consult with Viscount of Treba, the lord of the domain, so this is fortunate. Are you people under the Viscount’s command?”

“I am Viscount of Treba.”

Surprisingly, the young man who had shouted earlier answered so.

Would he be in his late teens or early twenties now? Probably around Roden’s age, he was quite young for a titled noble.

Sensing Shan’s suspicious gaze, the young man explained.

“The former Viscount passed away a short while ago while fighting monsters. As his eldest son, I inherited the title.”

“Pleased to meet you, Viscount. I am Shan Barendil, Lord Protector of Duke of Reinel.”

“Lord Protector…”

Viscount of Treba, who wore a slightly surprised expression at the identity Shan revealed, bowed his head politely and introduced himself once more.

If he were merely the chief knight, it might be one thing, but if he was the Lord Protector, he was an existence that practically had to be treated halfway like a titled noble.

“You have gained a glorious title without my knowledge. I am Viscount of Treba, Niron Keyes.”

“I express my condolences for your deceased father.”

“Since he has received condolences from a renowned great knight, his journey to the Goddess will not be lonely. Thank you.”

*

After exchanging greetings, the two groups set up a temporary resting place in an open area with reasonably dry ground.

After sitting across from each other, Shan asked a question first.

“By any chance, did you see the hydra that invaded this place directly?”

“I did not. My father… the former Viscount heard that a hydra had appeared near the western fortress and went to subjugate it with his knights, but never returned. Fortunately, there were surviving soldiers, so I was at least able to hear the news of his death.”

It seemed they called that small city seen earlier the western fortress.

As if to swallow the grief of losing his father, the Viscount clenched and unclenched his fists several times before abruptly asking a question.

“By the way, how did the news of the hydra’s appearance reach Palles so quickly? It has been only a few weeks since that creature went on a rampage on this side as well.”

For such news to be delivered, one would have to head south along the Blade Mountain Range to the west, circle around the north of the Shedil region, and then go north again.

To his reasonable query, Shan immediately explained the inside story of the matter.

“There was a cave in the Blade Mountain Range connecting Palles and this marshland. That creature lived there for a long time before bursting out. We pursued its tracks here.”

“To think that…”

Thanks to Cheryn having given him advance instructions to say only this much when meeting the marshland people, Shan was able to explain the story relatively smoothly.

After all, the idea that the hydra had rushed out because of Palles’s alchemy waste was merely a strong hypothesis.

However, that story alone was enough to guess the context to some extent, so one of the Viscount’s knights muttered in a grumbling tone.

“So you failed to catch the hydra that was close to your domain and drove it here, causing our domain to be devastated like this.”

Before the knights from Palles could show displeasure, the Viscount turned his head and shouted fiercely.

“Watch your words, Sir Knight! Whatever the reason, subjugating monsters that enter one’s own domain is the lord’s duty, yet do you not know how ugly it is to complain that others did not do it for us!”

“However, Young Master, if what he said is true…”

“As I told you before, I am not the Young Master!”

“My apologies, My Lord.”

The knight who had sneered initially bowed his head and backed away.

The newly succeeded young Viscount seemed to possess a certain degree of authority as the eldest son of the former Viscount.

“Pardon me. Since many people lost their families and relatives this time, it is difficult for them to judge rationally, so please understand.”

“I understand.”

Since the Viscount had gotten angry first, adding anything extra here would be awkward, so Shan nodded.

He thought that perhaps the Viscount had gotten angry first aiming for this exact outcome.

“So, did you come to hunt the hydra?”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know much, but I heard you are in the middle of a war.”

“Precisely because of that, we intend to hunt it and return as quickly as possible. Might I ask for your cooperation?”

“What would we need to do?”

“Our other preparations are sufficient, so we would only like to ask for guides. Traversing the marshland was harder than expected.”

Originally, in monster hunting, one claimed as much as one contributed.

Asking for little help meant that the reward would not be large either.

“Lacking the courage to dare face the hydra, we only came to collect the remains of those who sacrificed their lives, so we should at least help that much. Please allow us to lend our strength.”

However, Viscount of Treba agreed to it without hesitation.

In the first place, if the Palles side did not hunt the hydra for them, it was a situation they could not possibly handle.

Besides, had not a considerable number of the domain’s capable knights passed away, including the former Viscount?

The knights who followed him now were either excessively old or greenhorns who had just been knighted.

In other words, for the Viscount, if they turned back without subjugating it, he would be in a position where he had to cling to them.

“We look forward to working with you.”

Shan shook hands with the Viscount along with a greeting.

Cooperation among humans before a powerful enemy was a common occurrence in this rugged land.

*

After promising cooperation, Viscount of Treba’s subordinates first searched for the corpses of the Viscount and his knights in the ruined castle.

Since they had brought plenty of antidotes, Shan personally gave them a few.

However, those who searched the castle for a long time admitted that they could not possibly distinguish the corpses and stepped back.

Distinguishing people when even the armor they originally wore had completely melted away and only bones remained was impossible.

“To fail to retrieve the former lord’s remains…”

“If this is the case, how are we to hold his funeral?”

Perhaps because the deceased former Viscount of Treba had been a person of considerable prestige, several of the elderly knights even had tears in their eyes.

Even the young Viscount, who seemed reasonably resolute, found it difficult to endure such a situation and wiped the corners of his eyes several times.

After spending some time mourning the deceased, they began moving along the tracks of the hydra that had torn down the city.

Here, the soldiers following the Viscount proved helpful.

“Here, weave these vines onto tree branches, bend them, and tie them to your shoes.”

“Oh…”

They simply constructed auxiliary gear that prevented feet from digging into the quagmire using only vine plants and tree branches growing nearby.

Thanks to this, when everyone from Palles, including Shan, put them on, their movement speed noticeably increased.

Moreover, among those the Viscount had brought along, there were exceptionally many priests.

Thanks to as many as fifteen out of thirty being priests, they could ask for blessings of vitality for soldiers or priests whose stamina was relatively low.

Hearing the story, it was said that this marshland was originally famous for producing more priests than other regions.

“There are many dangerous things here, including monsters and toxic substances. Without the help of priests, it is a place where it is hard to live a long life.”

“Indeed…”

Coincidentally, one of the human resources exceptionally lacking in the land of Palles was skilled priests.

That was because it was such a peaceful land that the demand for priests itself was not very high.

While thinking about whether there was a way to solve this nicely somehow, the scout at the front spoke up.

“Found it. Footsteps are coming from up ahead!”

“Everyone, quiet.”

At Shan’s command, those who were chattering softly all shut their mouths in an instant, maintaining silence.

As they steadily advanced, before long, slow, thumping footsteps were heard just as the scout had said.

“Everyone, ingest antidotes. Priests, grant protection against poison.”

Along with the order, the sound of pulling something out of pockets and swallowing it, as well as low prayer sounds, resounded.

As a bonus, Shan also had them remove the makeshift marsh shoes.

Although comfortable when walking around, there was a high probability they would be inconvenient when maneuvering quickly for combat.

After completing all measures and advancing, before long, the giant outline of the hydra was revealed through the fog.

“That bastard…!”

Seeing his father’s enemy, the Viscount revealed a bizarre mixture of anger and fear on his face.

The nine-headed serpent had dark brown scales and sharp teeth protruding out of its snouts.

As could be inferred from the footprints and the drag marks of its torso, its size was more than double that of a commonly known normal hydra, so it really looked like a walking fortress.

He had heard stories in the past that elephants of the Southern Continent were as big as mountains, but that creature was truly deserving of the description of being as big as a mountain.

Let alone a cockatrice, even the ogre he had seen before could not compare to that monster’s size.

However, one strange point was that peculiar patterns were engraved all over its body, glowing softly.

Just like ancient Alto relics did.

“What is that…?”

Frowning, Shan asked the mage accompanying them.

“Do hydras originally have patterns like that?”

“That couldn’t be. I have never heard of such a thing.”

The mage also showed a reaction of finding it strange.

As if the studious desire unique to researchers was shining, he showed curious eyes, but this was no time to mind such things.

Because one of the nine heads that had been tangled here and there caught sight of them.

“Everyone except combatants, fall back!”

At Shan’s order, the priests, the mage, and the soldiers guarding them immediately pulled back.

Viscount of Treba and those following him were the same.

Only the knights, and the squires who had to assist them, stood opposite the hydra as if confronting it.

Sensing the presence of the humans who had pursued it, the ancient monster roared in a bizarre voice.

[◇◆◆◇◇◇◆◆!]

A high-pitched, sharp roar that sounded like scales rubbing together, somewhat distant from the roar of a typical large monster.

Even so, its unique effect of oppressing mind and body remained intact, so the knights rallied their Fighting Spirit to withstand it.

‘Hm?’

At that moment, Shan felt a peculiar sensation and grimaced.

It was because the Thousand Shapes, which he had crafted into the form of a bracelet, had begun to vibrate faintly for some reason.

Regrettably, the situation was too urgent to pay mind to it.

Along with the roar, the hydra charged toward the knights with a thumping noise using its four legs, each thicker than a log.

At first glance, it seemed like a heavy movement, but because it was so massive, its actual speed surpassed that of a running horse.

“Dodge!”

Fortunately, the knights evaded the hydra’s charge with fairly nimble movements.

If they could not even perceive a linear movement that was merely fast but lacked maneuverability, they could not have been knighted.

However, as everyone knew, the hydra’s weapon was not merely a charge using its giant body.

“Ugh!”

The nine heads each opened their jaws wide toward the knights surrounding them.

What poured out from inside was purple venomous fluid.

No matter how much tolerance to poison they had gained, that was merely to the extent of preventing fainting when inhaling vaporized poison, so the knights avoided the venom splashing on their bodies in horror.

However, when everyone pulled back, only a single person stepped forward.

‘This way…’

Having heightened his senses to the extreme, Shan was able to capture in his vision every single droplet of purple venomous fluid splashing around him.

Thanks to exerting leg strength amplified by the power of his armor, he was able to penetrate through the venomous liquid into effective range.

Because of the wet and sinking ground, it was difficult to achieve the same speed as on normal land, but this was still enough.

The Spear of Intense Flames, thrust with all his might, pierced through the scales, lodged into the thick underbelly flesh, and exploded with a loud bang.

“Woah!”

“Sir Shan landed a blow!”

“Don’t fall behind!”

As fitting for a monster with outstanding regenerative abilities, its sense of pain was dull; even with an explosion bursting inside its belly, the hydra targeted Shan and pounced instead of twisting its entire body.

When three heads rushed in simultaneously, Shan bent his waist to barely dodge one, leaped onto it, and jumped to dodge the remaining two.

At athletic ability truly like that of a monkey, a knight beside him gasped.

“I’m next!”

Meanwhile, Ravana, who was watching for an opening from the opposite side, charged in and aimed for the hydra’s incredibly thick leg.

The axe blade filled with Fighting Spirit struck the knee joint area precisely and dug halfway in.

“Ugh…”

“Hup!”

The moment Ravana, who had expected to cut it off in one blow, flinched in fluster, Roden beside her struck the back of Ravana’s axe with all his strength using his flail.

As if kicking a log to snap it completely after severing it halfway, the axe dug deeper with the added force.

“Alright!”

Rejoicing lasted only a moment; as a shadow fell from above, Ravana’s rabbit ears twitched upon sensing danger.

She pulled back while embracing Roden, who was exhausted from overusing Fighting Spirit.

“Dodge!”

Fortunately, the moment another head spat venomous liquid targeting those two, two shield-bearing squires nearby accurately divided their roles to block it.

“Ugh…!”

“It’s damn poisonous!”

Even though they had deliberately used shields enchanted with corrosion prevention magic since the enemy was a hydra, the outer parts of the shields could be seen oxidizing along with a sizzling sound.

Had it been ordinary shields, they would have melted even their arms as they were; both recalled the exact same thought.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Shan (who had thrust his spear earlier) drew Guardian of the East as his second weapon and severed one of the hydra’s heads.

As the hydra’s equally toxic blood spurted up, he leaned his body back slightly to dodge it and hastily shouted toward the rear.

“Tavera! Fire!”

“Yes!”

At Shan’s shout, Tavera, who had stepped back in the rear, quickly threw the torch he was holding.

The handle of the torch spinning through the air was caught precisely in Shan’s grip.

Meanwhile, the creature’s severed neck began to grow anew at a truly unrealistic speed.

Guardian of the East was a treasure that Count of Shedil’s family had kept for a long time, but regretfully it had no function to prevent regenerative capabilities.

“Not a chance.”

However, when he brought the torch up to the regenerating neck, it began to burn blazingly.

The sticky liquid on the end of the torch smeared over the cut surface of the neck, and the fire burned continuously without dying out, cooking the flesh.

Though not to the extent of the ‘Flames of Purification’ boasted by the Old Faith believers, it was an alchemical liquid good for use against this kind of monster.

However, because it was expensive enough to make one’s eyes pop out, it was an item rarely used against trolls.

‘That aside, something is strange…’

Having succeeded in incapacitating one head, Shan backed away while frowning at a peculiar sensation.

The vibration of the ‘Thousand Shapes’ that had started earlier grew larger the closer he got to the hydra.

As if resonating with that creature.

The problem was that he could not make a judgment on what to do about it.

If at least Cheryn were beside him, he could ask her after hunting it, but was she not in Palles Castle hundreds of kilometers away?

Even while he stepped back temporarily to preserve his lost stamina and fell into thought, the battle continued.

Two knights combined their strength with spear and sword to cut off one head, and one knight struck by the tail broke his leg as he was and limped off the battlefield.

A squire drenched in blood spurting wild from a severed head let out a terrible scream.

“Gaaah!”

“Stay still, Kandal! I’ll sprinkle neutralizing agent on you!”

Another squire nearby hastily shouted and sprinkled neutralizing agent kept in his bosom onto the blood-soaked area.

Bubbles rose from the melting wound.

“Fall back and get treated by the priests!”

“Understood!”

The squire, who promptly answered his knight’s command, lifted his comrade in his arms and departed the battlefield.

Realizing anew that it was the middle of a fierce battle, Shan clicked his tongue with a tut and glared at the hydra.

‘Alright, let’s try it just once.’

What kind of result would come from that attempt could not be guessed at all, but ignoring it felt uncomfortable for some reason.

An ominous feeling that if he ignored the reaction and let the hydra die like this, he would miss something…

Shan circled toward the hydra’s flank, then leaped directly onto the creature’s torso.

To be precise, it was the hip area where the tail and torso joined.

“Huh…”

“It’s dangerous, Sir Shan!”

Since it was an excessively dangerous position even for Shan, several knights shouted in surprise.

It might be one thing if it were an ordinary monster, but climbing onto the body of a creature that had nine heads (though a few were severed now) and even a long, flexible tail was not a good choice.

Was that not why the other knights had also merely kept in check the heads trying to bite them before swiftly cutting them off?

However, Shan even took such a risk to avoid the eyes of others.

Because he believed that with his reaction speed and agility, he could dodge all incoming attacks even from up here.

As he transmitted his intent, the Thousand Shapes that existed in bracelet form on his left hand popped out from the seam at his wrist and transformed into a sword.

Without anyone noticing, Shan held it in his left hand and immediately stabbed it into the scales shimmering with magic patterns.

Pure white light poured out, swallowing Shan’s five senses, including his vision.