Arc-7 Ch-18

One of the most important elements that distinguishes beasts from humans is fire.

Certainly, there exist monsters that breathe fire and apparitions that wield fire magic, yet no creature other than humans employs fire so extensively throughout every aspect of living.

That the subjugation and mastery of fire brought about a dramatic leap in human civilization is an unassailable historical truth.

By firing clay vessels in flame, humanity rendered them durable and suitable for preserving food.

By illuminating the darkness of night with fire, people safeguarded their bodies from external threats and secured safety. By applying fire to cooking, they enhanced digestive efficiency.

By utilizing fire in the processing of various metals, they forged powerful weapons and armor.

Throughout human history, fire has been indispensable; therefore, those who skillfully command fire are deified as beings who govern both prosperity and destruction.

A renowned scholar of the Holfort Kingdom recorded in his writings that beings who govern fire appear consistently in myths across the world.

A symbol of power and a symbol of knowledge, the hammer of creation and the axe of destruction. I feel pride, and even a sense of intoxication, knowing that the magic dwelling within my body is fire.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※

I raise the flickering fireball hovering above my palm toward the shadowed region beyond the reach of the ruins’ artificial lighting. The flame, bearing warmth and heat distinct from artificial light, illuminates the figures that had been lurking there.

Though the passage is wide enough for humans, the massive bodies had been concealed by trees that pierced through and grew thickly from the metal walls.

The blasphemous monsters, which forcibly draw forth revulsion and nausea from anyone who beholds them, are not recorded in any academic text.

They possess upper bodies resembling humans, yet countless arms and legs sprout from them, with even wing-like appendages intermingled.

In contrast, their lower bodies are long and slender, twisted like those of serpents or insects.

I confirmed a total of three, and each possessed characteristics distinct from the other two, making it difficult to even determine whether they belonged to the same species.

The sole point they shared was that, after noticing us, they continued to observe our movements. From my position, I could not discern eyeballs set within sockets, yet I could clearly feel an intense gaze, interpretable as either hostility or curiosity, constantly fixed upon us.

BOOM!

The moment I strongly will it within my mind, the fireball expands and begins to radiate even greater heat and light. The fireball I create does not scorch or harm me; it exists solely to reduce to ash those who intend me harm.

I use this fireball to probe the monsters’ reaction.

Fire is the boundary that separates humans from beasts, yet the actions beasts take when confronted with fire vary. Some quietly retreat, believing a human to be nearby; others deliberately approach, seeking to attack the human as prey.

We have no intention of deliberately provoking a confrontation with unknown monsters within a dungeon we are experiencing for the first time.

If they withdraw quietly, that will suffice; moreover, I am concerned for the safety of those adventurers who appear to be injured.

The monsters display no reaction whatsoever.

It is not that they fail to recognize the fireball’s existence; rather, it is evident that even awareness of the fireball produces no change in their attitude toward us.

"This is troublesome"

I cannot help but click my tongue inwardly.

Any living creature, when faced with a threat to its own existence, will either evade it or attack in order to eliminate the danger.

The monsters before me show absolutely no such response; indeed, it is doubtful whether they even possess instincts.

One possibility is that they themselves wield fire, or that someone has trained them not to fear it.

Even to someone like me, who lacks deep biological knowledge, it is obvious from any perspective that these monsters are unnatural beings; they have clearly been created by trampling upon the dignity of life.

No bird exists that presses its wings against the ground in order to walk; no beast exists whose vision is obstructed by horns growing from its shoulders.

Living creatures evolve into forms best suited for survival within their environments, and within that process reside both the strength and beauty of life.

These monsters, which appear as though several disparate creatures were forcibly fused together, clearly deviate from the principles of nature.

Their grotesque forms and distorted movements are ill-suited both for concealing themselves in shadow and for ambushing prey.

The distance between myself and the monsters is roughly ten seconds at a full sprint. Supporting their enormous bodies, which surpass those of adult humans, are numerous human-like limbs protruding from their torsos and serpentine lower bodies.

The passages of these ruins were likely once smooth as mirrors, yet now weeds and trees sprout from the floors and walls, rendering swift movement difficult.

From the circumstances currently known, my own strength, the enemies’ strength, the distance between us, the available methods of attack, I derive the optimal solution.

Such combat calculations are better suited to Leon than to me. Somehow, I lack the ability to respond swiftly in emergencies. However, on this occasion alone, complaints are not permitted. Behind me stand my children and the injured.

“Lionel, Ariel. Protect yourselves with your own strength.”

As words spoken by a mother to her children, they are lamentably cruel, yet unavoidable.

I have never once experienced a battlefield, yet human society is filled with conflicts that go beyond mere violence, and those of high status pride themselves on keeping their own hands clean while forcing others to dirty theirs.

As the former daughter of Duke Redgrave, the foremost feudal noble of the Holfort Kingdom, and now as the wife of Earl Bartfort, a newly risen noble esteemed even by the royal family, having my life targeted is hardly a rare occurrence.

That such experience with harsh realities is now being applied to the extermination of monsters truly makes life seem mysterious.

As I pour even more intent into it, the fireball begins to vibrate, eventually expanding to roughly the size of a human head.

This is the limit of the flame I can produce; no matter how much I train, I have never been able to exceed it.

Unlike the saintess Olivia, I possess neither recovery magic, nor magic powerful enough to protect soldiers, nor the ability to interfere with others’ minds.

No matter how much I attempt to increase the fireball’s power, the limit arrives swiftly.

“What’s wrong with that?”

Leon once threw those words at me when I was struggling with my own growth. Leon excels in handling firearms, yet his proficiency in magic is little different from that of a noble child who has received standard training.

This is likely a disadvantage born from being raised as a low-ranking noble, practically akin to a commoner. In many territories, restrictions on commoners using magic still exist, as the mere possibility of commoners wielding magic may become a budding threat to those who rule.

For Leon, who was never treated as the heir, magic was merely one of many means of attack, and he never regarded it as proof of noble pride or strength.

Because of that, my own perception and use of magic, heavily influenced by Leon, have shifted toward a more practical approach.

I lower my hips slightly, draw my right hand back, and assume a throwing stance with the flickering fireball hovering above my palm.

The monster that had been observing my movements tilts its head in confusion. Witnessing a head so similar to a human’s twisting in a direction impossible for a human body sends a chill down my spine.

I inhale, then boldly step forward with my left foot and drive it firmly into the ground. Without tensing my shoulder, I extend my arm like a whip, sweeping it in a single motion from above my head down toward my knee.

The fireball has already vanished from my palm; scorching the air, it traces a crimson arc as it flies straight ahead.

Upon noticing the fireball hurtling toward them, one monster hastily presses itself against the right wall, another against the left.

The one positioned farthest back reacts too late, likely because the bodies of the front two obstructed its view.

Even as it attempts to cling to the wall, that space is already occupied by its companions who evaded the fireball; there is no escape.

Still, it twists its serpentine lower body and springs like a coiled spring in a desperate attempt to evade the fireball.

Yet its effort ends in futility.

The released fireball abruptly alters its trajectory, pursuing the monster like a living entity.

Magic reflects the will of its user and manifests various phenomena in the world; in a sense, it is a part of the user and the embodiment of their mana.

The fireball aimed at the monster possesses no mass and requires no air to sustain its flames.

It is even possible to release the fireball toward a target purely through intent; the earlier throwing posture was nothing more than an exaggerated feint, deliberately meant to guide the monsters’ movements.

DOOOON!

“UGYAHAAAA!!”

An unfamiliar shriek erupts from the human-like mouth, shaking the passage.

Upon impact, the fireball instantly spreads across the monster’s body, mercilessly scorching and tormenting it.

Hair-like, scale-like, or feather-like parts serve as perfect tinder; once ignited, there is no escape unless those parts are severed.

Flames manifested through mana are far more difficult to extinguish than those born of natural phenomena. Of course, the presence of a large volume of water would change matters, but I cannot imagine any water source existing nearby within these ruins.

The monster struck by the fireball desperately rubs its body against the floor and walls. It has not been completely neutralized, yet for the time being, its movements have unquestionably been halted.

While keeping my eyes on the monster writhing and screaming in agony, the remaining two turned to face us.

The cold brutality of not sparing even a glance for their wounded comrade, instead prioritizing murderous intent toward an external enemy, made me wonder whether they truly lacked emotions or had merely been conditioned to act this way.

One of them, seemingly wary of the fireballs, began to advance by slithering along the ground like a snake, clearly intending to conceal its body behind the trees and grass lining the passage in order to guard against attacks.

The other, far more horrifying, used the limbs sprouting from its body with unsettling dexterity to crawl along the wall, clinging perfectly to the ceiling as it closed in.

No matter how meticulously we cleaned the mansion, these oil bugs would always find a way to invade and devour our stored food. Imagining them magnified tens of thousands of times was enough to make my head spin.

It appeared that the monsters intended to attack me simultaneously. Whether their flawless coordination arose from instinct or had been implanted in them as cold-blooded executioners was impossible to determine.

Had the two succeeded in launching a perfectly synchronized assault, not only I but Lionel and Ariel as well would have been caught in it, resulting in three additional miserable victims.

However, they were far too slow. At that speed, there was absolutely no chance that your fangs or claws would ever pierce my body.

My perception of time stretched unnaturally, with a single second feeling like several. It was a peculiar state of concentration that only those who had stepped onto the boundary between life and death could ever experience.

Magic was woven at more than twice my usual speed, and fireballs once again materialized in the air. However, their size was not even half of the previous ones. In fact, they were less than a quarter.

The monster crawling along the ceiling noticed the reduced size of the fireball and abruptly increased its speed, closing the distance in a single burst.

It had likely underestimated the fireball simply because it was far smaller than the one that had repelled its comrade earlier.

The monster struck earlier by a fireball continued to writhe desperately, struggling to extinguish the flames still consuming its body.

If the size was less than a quarter, even a direct hit would inflict only minimal damage. The calculating beast clearly intended to exchange a minor burn for my life.

Another fireball was released from my palm. At the same instant, the monster released its grip on the ceiling with every limb and hurled itself toward the position where I stood, maneuvering its limbs with grotesque precision.

My time-dilated vision captured the massive body accelerating as it plummeted toward me.

It seemed the monster had completely abandoned any thought of defending itself against the fireball. Every limb sprouting from its torso had been committed entirely to the attack.

The fist-sized fireball made soundless contact with the monster’s pale, bloodless chest.

GUOOOOOONNNN!!!

A violent impact assaulted my body, shaking not only my eardrums but even my internal organs.

The monster that was blown away had its chest grotesquely gouged open. Its lungs, charred black by the flames, and its heart, crushed by the shock and still spurting blood, were laid bare.

The monster had unquestionably been killed instantly. Even so, relief was nowhere in sight.

There are documented cases of oil bugs surviving for several days even after their heads were severed, without food or water. There was absolutely no guarantee that this monster did not possess some grotesquely abnormal regenerative ability capable of restoring vital organs.

The magical power contained within the fireball that struck the monster was scarcely different from that of the previous fireballs. The sole distinction lay in its size.

In principle, it functioned no differently from a simple bomb. I had continuously compressed my own magical power, which forms the foundation of the fireball, forcing it into a smaller volume.

At the instant the fireball altered its form upon striking the target, the internal pressure became unbalanced. The magical power that had been driven inward expanded all at once, generating an overwhelming shock.

Rather than burning the enemy with flames, I killed through explosion. This was magic unique to me, born from repeated refinement after incorporating Lion’s perspectives on firearms and explosives.

It was not a matter of increasing the scale of the magic. By altering its shape and granting it directionality to amplify its destructive force, the lethality produced through such ingenuity was astonishing.

Under normal circumstances, compressing magical power would require more time. Ironically, the life-or-death crisis of being attacked by monsters heightened my concentration, allowing me to generate flames faster and more powerfully than usual.

“GIIIYYAAAAAHHH!!”

The final remaining monster suddenly unleashed a shrill cry and revealed its massive body from the shadows. Whether its intent was to intimidate me, its enemy, or to embolden its own terrified heart was impossible to tell.

The peculiar stench of scorched internal organs and the splatter of blood dulled both sight and smell. It appeared to be cleverly exploiting the deaths of its comrades to prepare an ambush against me.

Judging that it could secure victory by closing the distance in a single charge, the cunning it displayed inevitably made me feel that this monster had been specially designed to harbor malice and assault humans.

The monster’s judgment was correct.

The flames created by my magic cannot burn me, but the physical phenomena generated by magic can easily cause me harm.

If I touch metal heated by a fireball, I will be burned. The shock produced by a fireball also affects my body through the surrounding air.

Had I been even slightly closer to the previous explosion, I would have been slammed into the floor by a shockwave powerful enough to knock me down.

Sacrificing two comrades to gauge my strength and identify an opening was a level of intelligence that almost inspired admiration.

The instant the monster began its charge was nearly simultaneous with the moment I started forming a fireball.

This was a bold and fearless action, utterly unimaginable from the same individual that had previously advanced cautiously while hiding behind cover.

It must have concluded that it could kill me with certainty. A monster born from the fusion of humanlike vicious intellect and the ferocity of monstrous instinct made extermination alone an exhausting endeavor, both mentally and physically.

With a standard fireball, a brief opening exists between its manifestation and the moment it is released. A cunning monster would never overlook such an opportunity.

In the case of a compressed fireball, a direct hit at close range could result in flames and shock strong enough to cause mutual destruction.

It had charged fully aware of even that risk. There was no conceivable way for me, physically inferior, to resist.

However, that assumption holds true only if I am revealing the entirety of my power.

I have never said, nor have I ever demonstrated, that I possess no other magic.

When I overlapped both palms and focused intensely, heat and light began to leak from the narrow gap between them. Though my stance differed, the magic being woven was identical to before.

The only distinction was its shape. What appeared between my separated palms was not a sphere of flame, but a cylinder.

When I grasped the cylinder firmly with both hands, heat transferred from my palms. Under normal conditions, it would have been hot enough to scorch gloves, yet it caused no harm to my skin or even my clothing.

I poured in additional magical power and tightened my grip. The cylinder extended at terrifying speed until it surpassed my own height.

All magic possesses no fixed form. Depending on the user, it can take on countless shapes, sometimes to the extent that it is no longer recognizable as the same magic.

I cannot wield large-scale magic like Saintess Olivia. Therefore, altering form and enhancing destructive efficiency seemed the most effective approach. That was the conclusion I reached through conversations with Leon.

When I extended the cylinder to the maximum length I could control, I spread my feet, lowered my hips, stepped forward with my left hand and left foot, steadied my breathing, and assumed the stance.

It was a fundamental posture in spear technique, specialized solely for delivering a direct thrust toward an opponent directly ahead.

The moment I became aware of this, I tightened my grip on the cylinder, and its tip gradually began to change shape.

Thinner, flatter, sharper.

The tip of the cylinder slowly transformed into a conical form, and before long, what I held in my hands was a spear of flame.

Toward the spear’s tip, the heat of the flames grew increasingly concentrated, its color shifting from yellowish red to a brilliant white.

When the monster beheld the flame spear, its momentum faltered slightly.

Whether it instinctively sensed imminent death or merely perceived the abnormality of the weapon was unclear.

What was certain was that, because of that hesitation, the monster’s chance of victory was lost.

From the monsters’ behavior up to this point, I had concluded that their methods of attack were limited solely to sharp fangs and claws. Had they possessed poison or flame-infused breath, there would have been no reason to attempt closing the distance.

If their strategy relied on overwhelming numbers and physical superiority through a frontal rush, then there was no reason for me to indulge them.

“Hmph!!”

With a sharp exhalation, I thrust the flame spear forward with all my strength.

The monster, frozen by fear, failed to evade. In panic, it hurriedly raised its limbs to shield its head and torso.

That action was largely meaningless.

The concentrated flame bypassed the burning phase entirely and carbonized the monster’s flesh. Because the spear formed by magic possessed no weight, I felt no resistance as it pierced straight through the enemy.

Perhaps because the monster’s posture was already leaning forward, the flame spear penetrated its head and buried itself deep within the center of its torso.

Unless it possessed a life force capable of surviving with a gaping hole through its head and its heart and lungs scorched beyond recognition, the monster collapsed a few steps before me. After several violent convulsions, it finally ceased all movement.

“Haa…”

I resumed the breathing that had stopped. Even though I had repeatedly exposed myself to mortal danger, the relief of having survived made my legs feel as though they might give way at any moment.

I wanted nothing more than to collapse right there and rest immediately, but there were still several matters that required my attention.

Until one has fully returned from a dungeon exploration, one must never let their guard down. There are numerous records in the history of the Holfort Kingdom of renowned adventurers who, swept up in the exhilaration of discovering treasure, fell victim to traps on their return and ended their lives as nothing more than scattered bones.

I gathered my willpower and turned around, only to find the children standing there, speechless, staring fixedly at me. Now that I thought about it, there had never been an opportunity for me to fight in front of the children before.

Unlike Leon, I had never once participated in military training myself, and for my husband and me, adventuring or training had been little more than a form of courtship, so we had never brought the children along.

Even in the Holfort Kingdom, where martial spirit is deeply ingrained, it is rare for a noble wife or daughter to be capable of handling combat entirely on her own.

To the children, I, who normally devote myself to work in the mansion’s study or go out only for noble gatherings or business dealings with wealthy merchants, must have seemed wholly unexpected to possess this degree of strength.

“…Mother, you were actually this strong?”

“Were you surprised? I never particularly intended to hide it.”

After speaking, I clicked my tongue at myself for unintentionally replying to Ariel in such a curt tone.

Ever since a few years after my first childbirth, I had conducted myself as an elegant lady in front of the children so that our newly risen noble family would not be looked down upon.

The excitement and irritation brought about by the earlier battle had influenced my speech and behavior more than I had realized. At this rate, I was hardly in a position to lecture Leon or the children about their conduct.

“…Are both of you unharmed?”

“There is no problem, Mother.”

“What about the condition of the injured person?”

“They are breathing. There are no noticeable external wounds, but the possibility of broken bones cannot be ruled out. It would be better to have a doctor examine them.”

“Then we will withdraw immediately. There is no further business for us here.”

The long-awaited adventure had ended in a disastrous outcome. It was utterly infuriating.

With an injured person involved, it was highly likely that the dungeon would be closed.

Whether the closure would be temporary or result in a long-term entry ban was unclear, but it was almost certain that it would not reopen during the period of our stay.

If even I alone could defeat three of those monsters, then skilled adventurers or properly trained soldiers should be able to handle them without much difficulty.

Even so, they must not be underestimated. After all, elf villages and towns where tourists stay are located not far from this dungeon.

Just to be safe, I thought it best to check the monster corpses. The moment I turned back with that intention, I realized I had committed a fatal mistake.

“The number of monster corpses is fewer than it should be…?”

Lying on the floor were one corpse whose head had been completely burned away, and another whose torso had been deeply gouged out.

The monster that had taken the first fireball was gone.

I had been so absorbed in fighting the monsters that I failed to confirm whether they were truly dead. There was practically no way to know what had become of the one that survived.

We had no information whatsoever regarding the monster’s ecology or how it functioned within the dungeon.

If there was a nest, and not merely a few but dozens of such monsters existed, and if they intended to seek revenge against the outsiders who had killed their comrades…

The more I imagined it, the worse my premonition became. Eliminating foreign enemies that attack one’s nest is basic behavior for living creatures.

If this dungeon was their nest, then we were the invaders. It would be best to leave this place as quickly as possible.

“Both of you, hurry and leave the dungeon together with the injured person.”

“Eh, wait a moment. What about you, Mother?”

“I will cover the rear. I will prepare for an attack from behind, so evacuate as quickly as you can.”

“Mother, what are you thinking? How could I possibly explain this to Father if we returned after leaving you behind?”

“Stop babbling useless nonsense! Obey me at once!”

I sharply rebuked Lionel and Ariel, pressing them to evacuate. The situation may have already exceeded even my worst predictions.

It is a mother’s duty to offer her own body to protect her children. Even if they came to resent me, that would still be far preferable to the entire family perishing together.

Lionel hoisted the injured person onto his back, while Ariel tightly gripped the pistol she carried. Slowly, the two of them began to move away from me.

Carrying an adult was likely too much for him alone, but if the two of them cooperated, they should be able to reach the dungeon entrance.

After confirming that their figures gradually diminished and eventually vanished from sight, I turned to face the rear. Even then, there was no sign or trace of the monster.

To be absolutely certain, I decided to inspect the corpses. There are many accounts of vital clues regarding victims or weaknesses being discovered from the remains of defeated monsters.

As I approached the corpses with that thought, I felt a strange sensation beneath my foot. Had I been injured without realizing it?

Crack!

A crushing sound echoed out, and a small fissure appeared at my feet. It spread at a terrifying speed, not allowing me even the time to move my foot.

The ground that had unquestionably existed and supported me just moments earlier vanished. Wrapped in an uncanny floating sensation, I stretched my hand toward the sky, seeking help, as I plunged into unfathomable darkness.

However, perhaps because I had lived a virtuous life, hell seemed closer to the present world than I had imagined.

Only a few seconds after falling, I was slammed onto another surface.

“…Ah!?”

Though the distance of the fall was short, I was unable to properly brace myself, and the impact assaulted my entire body. My breathing grew ragged from the intense pain, and my consciousness began to blur.

Yet if I lost consciousness here, there was no telling what kind of disaster might befall me. There was even the possibility of being devoured by monsters while unconscious.

I desperately swallowed my screams and endured the pain. Compared to the six childbirths I had experienced in the past, this pain was still tolerable.

By the time I finally managed to stand, I no longer knew how much time had passed.

When I looked up, through the crack in the ceiling I could see the passage ceiling where I had been standing earlier. It seemed I had fallen straight down about one floor.

The flashy battle against the monsters in a ruin already overgrown with vegetation must have triggered the collapse.

That I was not crushed by falling walls or flooring from above, despite the short distance of the fall, was fortunate. Moreover, the fact that I had suffered no fractures or lacerations, despite being covered in bruises, could only be described as miraculous.

If I remained here without moving, rescue might eventually arrive. However, what would happen if the dungeon were sealed?

Furthermore, with an unidentified monster still roaming about, remaining in one place would likely make me an easy target. Above all else, the passage I had fallen into looked entirely different from the one above.

While the upper level possessed the atmosphere of a typical ruin-like dungeon, this lower level was far too well maintained.

The smooth walls and floor, devoid of rust or cracks, looked almost as though someone were still living here. Even though the lighting was dim, it was clearly a facility that remained in operation.

I felt an unpleasant presence. It was the same kind of presence I had sensed from that Lost Item that constantly clung to Leon.

While desperately calming my trembling heart, I gathered magical power and formed a fireball. At times like this, my magic was extraordinarily convenient as a light source.

After proceeding along the passage for a while, I reached a dead end. At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary metal wall, but a clear seam revealed that it was a door.

I hesitated over whether to turn back or continue forward, but passive waiting did not suit my nature. Steeling myself, I approached the door.

There appeared to be no lock. By some unknown mechanism, the wall slid open to either side, revealing a path that continued deeper within.

Beyond it lay a spacious chamber. Machines of unknown purpose blinked rhythmically, like a heartbeat, asserting their presence.

There was something here. This dungeon undoubtedly concealed something.

“Oh my, a rare visitor?”

A voice echoed down from above my head, its gender indiscernible, and it was unclear whether it was even biological at all.

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Authors Note

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Angie’s battle scene.

Since the opponents are artificial lifeforms, there is no experience points or funds gained. (Heartless)

“Angie is way too strong, isn’t she?”

Even if you think that, in the original work she was firing Fire Lances at summoned monsters and airships, so she has been nerfed here. (That reasoning is questionable anyway)

In this work, Leon cannot use Lost Items or his otome game knowledge, so he focuses on physical combat, firearms, and hand-to-hand fighting.

Angie, being his wife, follows a similar tendency.

The place where Angie fought is the same location where, in the original work, Leon and Marie fell.

What will happen to Angie from here?

To be continued in the next chapter.

I would appreciate any opinions or impressions you may have — it would serve as encouragement for future writing.