Episode 10
After parting ways with Goose and Roelotius, we roamed the Ivadale Mountains in search of rare equipment.
This was a particular cave, and at its deepest point lay the legendary bow known as the “Failnote.”
“What!? Is this… the Failnote, the one said to have been used by the legendary knight Tristan?” Nyuma exclaimed, an unusually high level of excitement in her voice. For any archer, the legendary weapon was a name they had heard at least once. It seemed even Nyuma was familiar with it.
“This place is… amazing. Or rather, Viper, have you found weapons in every cave we’ve been to so far?” Lamia wondered. Her guess was partially correct. I wasn’t really finding them; I was merely pretending to find the caves based on my memory.
I had “coincidentally” discovered the locations where Irio obtained the spear “Gungnir,” Lamia acquired the greatsword “Levantine,” Ryuuki got the “Aegis Shield,” and Elsha and Ariniki found the “Sage’s Bracelet,” each perfectly suited to their roles.
With all these items collected, our fighting strength was more than sufficient.
“Well, it’s just luck. Let’s hurry and get out of here,” I casually brushed it off and pressed a switch on the cave wall. The sound of grinding echoed, and a hidden door opened. This would serve as a shortcut to exit.
“Wow! This is amazing!” Irio’s eyes sparkled like a child’s as she dashed forward.
“Wait, wait! There might be traps!” Lamia hurriedly followed. The rest of us proceeded outside one by one.
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Exiting the cave, our eyes stung from the sudden brightness.
After a while of looking downward, our eyes began to adjust. It seemed like we had emerged near the grassy plains where Goose and the Hellhounds had been.
“The sun is starting to set. Shall we call it a day?” I suggested, and everyone nodded in agreement.
“Yes, that sounds reasonable,” Lamia replied.
We all started to cross the grassy plain. Suddenly, from the forest, we heard rustling sounds, and a pack of Hellhounds emerged.
“Oh, this is perfect. A test shot… Well, for me, it’s just practice, but it’s a good opportunity,” Nyuma said, nocking an arrow to her Failnote.
With a soft sound, she released the arrow. Around the arrow, there was a swirling jetstream-like effect, and it sped forward at high speed. The arrow pierced through one Hellhound, continuing through several more in its path.
“Amazing…” Irio murmured.
“Next, it’s my turn! I’m looking forward to this!” Lamia said, raising her sword. Blue flames erupted from the blade, and she swung it like a massive greatsword, cleaving a Hellhound in two.
“I’m going too!” Irio spun Gungnir and thrust it into an approaching Hellhound. With a resounding crash, the ground cracked beneath it.
Each weapon displayed incredible power.
“We really need to be careful. These attacks could easily kill someone,” I noted.
“Yeah… It feels like things are getting way out of hand,” Ariniki added with a concerned tone.
While some were innocently excited, Ariniki remained composed. With a wry smile, she cast a healing spell on a nearly defeated Hellhound that had been struck by Lamia’s attack. In an instant, the nearly lifeless Hellhound sprang back to its feet.
“Whoa!” Ryuuki rushed to protect Ariniki and the Hellhound with his Aegis Shield. It seemed the Sage’s Bracelet had a significant effect.
“Elsha, should you try it too?” I asked.
“Me? Well… I wonder…” Elsha contemplated.
“Well, after seeing what happened with Ariniki’s Bracelet, it’s not hard to imagine how much stronger the spirits have become,” I added.
“That’s right. But I’m getting hungry… Oh, Luciel too? …Yeah, that sounds good! Let’s have noodles today!” Elsha continued her conversation with Luciel, the unseen ice spirit. It seemed that the type of spirit determined whether they were visible or not.
With these mysteries in mind, we finished our training and descended the mountain, heading back to the inn.
