Chapter 13: Control Tower
Chapter 13: Control Tower
AKI held her breath at the sight of a grotesque, gigantic bird hurtling through the air toward them.
Is that one of the monsters Elias told me about? Is this like encountering a monster on the Field in a video game? But this isn’t a game! If I get attacked, I’ll be hurt and if it’s a serious injury, we could even die. She shuddered as all the hair stood up on the back of her neck.
Delighted to have found its prey, the monstrous bird cried out in a piercing shrill to intimidate them. The hostile bray overwhelmed the unprepared Aki, inciting fear in every fiber of her being.
I-I’m scared! Her teeth chattered at encountering a creature the likes of which would never be in her world outside of the television screen.
The gigantic bird with enormous wings fell into a dive, increasing its speed as it descended. The monster’s ghastly appearance became clearer the closer it came. Aki stifled a small scream.
The bird had an emaciated appearance, with nothing but tight skin clinging to starkly visible bones. Its skin was the color of dark-brown blood. The sharpness of its long, crescent-shaped beak and talons looked as if they could pierce right through a person in one thrust. Its torso was massive, and with its wings spread out, it cast a shadow a hundred times their size. To Aki, it looked like a mutant crow.
Leo shouted sharply over his shoulder, “Elias, Johann, prepare for battle!”
Aki crouched to stay out of their way the best she could. The gigantic bird spread its talons apart and let out another ear-piercing shriek.
“You need to start taking this world seriously or you’ll get hurt.” Leo’s words replayed in Aki’s mind as she watched the monster in horror.
What did it mean to journey in this world she was summoned to? There were no convenient rules that let her reset everything if she failed. Others had insistently reminded her of that reality, but it took until she faced the risk of death head-on for it to finally sink in.
Taking a life and losing a life are a normal part of this world. It’s common sense here. Even more so if you step in to the Field where monsters call home. Yet I don’t have a single ability to fight. When faced with a monster like this, all I can do is quiver in fear as Elias and the others are stuck protecting me. I’m pathetic… Aki gnawed at her cheek, embittered over her helplessness.
Elias put his hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay, Aki? You don’t have to be afraid. Leo, Johann, and I are here. There’s nothing to fear. I feel a little funny saying this myself, but we are ridiculously strong.” He grinned confidently and glared at the gigantic bird hurtling toward them.
Aki timidly stole a glance of the Hero to see an almost tranquil calmness on his face as he stared down the monster. It was almost as if all emotion had slipped from his face to be replaced by chilling serenity. His battles with monsters from the day he could walk had desensitized him to fear and worry.
“…It’s almost time,” he muttered to no one in particular as Aki gasped beside him.
“Elias, watch out!” Aki screamed.
The monster swiped its talons to rip Elias apart. He drew the Holy Sword from his waist and swung it back as if he were waiting for that exact moment. He used the momentum from drawing his sword to slice the immense bird’s torso from the bottom up.
The way he finished the bird off with a single stroke of the sword was reminiscent of the Iai sword performances in Edo where a skilled swordsmen would cut down his opponent in one stroke and immediately sheathe his sword. The sword soundlessly cut through the air, leaving behind only a trail of light.
The gigantic bird had no idea what happened in that split second of action as its torso split in half and fell to the left and right of Elias’ strike. It plummeted helplessly to the ground spewing black blood. Its flesh and guts slammed against the ground behind Milsheep who continued running without minding her master’s battle.
Aki blinked. Elias’ attack truly happened at lightning speed and split a monster in two with a single stroke. He swung his sword once, sending the black, sticky clots of blood flying off it. The Holy Sword regained its former pristine with that single motion.
Elias’ expression shifted from the blank mask he had on when facing the monster to his usual gentleness as he exhaled. “All right, that’s one down. Anyhow, I didn’t think we’d face a gigantic bird first. We encountered a fairly formidable enemy from the get-go.”
Leo looked back at him with narrowed eyes. “…What’s so strong about a monster you finished off in a single hit?”
“Good point,” Elias laughed. Leo faced forward with a grin.
Their usual light banter helped Aki regain some peace of mind as she quietly took a deep breath. They only took down one monster. She wouldn’t last long if she trembled in fear at every monster they encountered.
Elias glanced at her and turned to get a better look at her face. “Were you scared, Aki? Are you okay?”
Saying she wasn’t scared would be a lie, but she didn’t want to trouble them by telling the truth either.
After worrying over how to respond, she waved her hand in front of her face in denial. “I-I’m all right! Completely okay…” she bit her tongue.
Elias offered a conflicted smile in return for Aki’s obvious attempts at trying to steer him away from how she really felt. “Aki, don’t push yourself. No reason to force it. I’m sure you were surprised seeing your first monster, but while we might not look like it, we’ve got a lot of experience. As long as nothing extremely out of the ordinary happens, we won’t lose. Plus, my Holy Sword is maxed for offensive ability, allowing me to take down most monsters in a single hit. I won’t let anything near you.”
CLICK! Elias drew the Holy Sword from its sheath and held it up to admire its blade. The spotless metal showed no signs of having split a monster in two.
Aki glanced at his gallant face before quietly lowering her eyes. She couldn’t deny how strong they were. Even as inexperienced as she was, she knew Elias’ strength was formidable. No doubt she would remain unharmed when monsters attacked as long as they protected her. She knew that, but…
She kept her head down so the others wouldn’t notice her biting her lower lip. If she leaned on their strength, she could probably get by okay, even as weak as she was. But if she did, she would only become a heavy weight dragging them down. She felt like she had no value as their travel companion, which was vexing, frustrating, and incredibly isolating. They were helping her rescue her sister and she did nothing for them.
I want the power to help Elias and the others! I don’t care how trivial it is as long as it helps. I want a power only I can use and will make everyone acknowledge me. Something that will make everyone think they’re glad I’m here!
A silver light burst from the notebook stuffed in her chest pocket.
“What’s wrong, Aki?!” Leo turned around in surprise at the blinding light coming from her. Johann and Elias both looked at her too.
Unsure of what was going on, she hastily pulled the notebook out of her pocket. The instant she got it into her hand, the pages started flipping as if they were being blown over by a strong gust of wind.
“Is this possibly the special power you told us about earlier?” Johann asked, staring at the notebook in astonishment.
Aki answered with a vague nod. “It is, but…it seems to be acting differently than before…”
It normally never emitted such brilliant silver light as if someone had turned a floodlight on. The Goddess must have really wanted to get her message across this time.
The notebook pages stopped flipping on a double-page spread. The silver light suddenly extinguished. Aki and the others carefully peered down at the notebook to find a sepia map permeating the surface of the paper. A single blue marker sat at the center of the map and several red markers were moving aimlessly around a slight distance away.
“I wonder what this is…” Aki muttered absently. She could tell it was a map, but of what?
Johann leaned forward and silently scrutinized the sepia map and the blue and red markers flickering meaningfully on top of it.
After a short pause, he thoughtfully assessed the situation, “…Is it possible the notebook is displaying the location of monsters? First of all, this is a map of the Field we presently find ourselves, making it a so-called Field Map. This blue marker is most likely Aki’s current position. Also, I believe the red markers are the monsters roaming nearby. For example, if we assume this red marker here is the gigantic bird Elias defeated…”
Johann pointed to the blue marker displaying Aki’s current position and ran his finger in a straight line to the motionless red marker behind it. The red marker faded from the map as if to affirm his hypothesis.
Aki looked at Johann in surprise. “It disappeared?”
“Yes. Elias defeated that monster, erasing the red marker displaying the monster’s position on the map.”
In summary, the red marker that disappeared displayed the location where the gigantic bird fell after Elias split it in two. The marker vanished when its life finally extinguished. It was safe to assume all red markers on the map were monsters then. There weren’t too many monsters, but if they didn’t strategically avoid them, they would have a high encounter rate.
Aki swallowed the lump in her throat at the new ability the Goddess imbued her with through the notebook. Knowing where the monsters were in advance would allow them to take a route with less encounters, remarkably decreasing their time in combat. In effect, it would also decrease fatigue and injuries, drastically increasing their rate of survival. They could proceed on their journey with a greater advantage thanks to her new ability.
Leo turned around and whistled at what he heard from the front of Milsheep. “Heh. That’s incredible, Aki! It’ll be hard for monsters to get the drop on us with your ability. It’s kind of similar to a control tower.”
“Not to mention there’s still no skills in this world that allow someone to accurately grasp where the monsters are. Your ability is unique to you, Aki. My secretary is as exemplary as I thought all along.” Elias beamed full of happiness as if he were the one who received the ability. Aki was moved to tears.
The Goddess granted my desperate plea! I can’t see her, but I’m sure she’s rooting for us wherever she is! Thank you very much, Goddess! Aki prayed in hopes her words would get across to the Creation Goddess and dropped her eyes on the Field Map.
Two red markers flickered on top of the map. They were visibly advancing straight for the blue marker—their current position. New enemies were coming!
Aki lifted her face from the notebook. “Two monsters are incoming: one from the right and one from behind. Please be on guard, everyone!”
“Okay.”
“Gotcha.”
“Affirmative.”
The three men answered, turning their attention to the directions Aki pointed out. Overjoyed didn’t even begin to describe the delight she felt at finally offering something to their Party as a fellow member rather than just baggage they had to protect.
“Ah!”
Aki heard someone say and strained her eyes. One monster came from the right and one from behind. Two black shadows gunned for them from the exact locations the red markers indicated. The monsters were the same species of mutated bird as the one Elias defeated. They had entered their territory.
“M’kay, guess I’ll be in charge of the critter from the right.” Leo sat with one knee up and leaned forward. He held the grimoire open in his left hand, quietly closed his eyes in concentration, and extended his right hand’s forefinger in front of him.
Aki knew that stance as the one he entered right before he was about to chant a spell. The air around him always sharpened whenever he was about to use magic. The power of nature seemed to gather around him. He had told her that Lunar Magic was used by gathering the magical elements in the atmosphere. The change in air around him was a concomitant of the accumulating elements.
Leo locked his gaze on the gigantic bird flying from the right and began drawing the magic circle in the air with his finger. Blue light vibrantly glowed following the path of his finger. The unadulterated magic circle gave off an aqua blue and dark-blue light.
“Penetratingly cold water current, slice through the silence and assail thy enemy.” Leo’s valiant and amused voice echoed through their surroundings. “Just you wait. I won’t let you get away.”
He finished drawing the symbols inside the magic circle and waved his other hand to erase it. Waving the hand to erase a magic circle was the command to activate Lunar Magic. The magic circle emitted the strongest flash of light the instant it disappeared. Leo’s robe billowed in the impact of the spell’s activation as a violent tempest concentrated into a massive sphere of water over his head.
Wh-What is that?!
The massive sphere of water hovered over his head as if it were waiting for his command. Water spells fell under one of the six elements Lunar Magic users could use. The gigantic bird didn’t falter at the bizarre bubble of water in the air as it let out a shrill cry and swooped down at Leo with its knurled beak open.
Leo lured the monster in as close as possible before he swung his extended arm back and then forward as if he were pitching an invisible baseball. The massive sphere of water took its cue to launch like a high-speed ball at their enemy. The sphere ruthlessly pierced through the bird’s torso and erupted in a splash on the other side of the sky. With a hole hollowed through its body by the sphere, their opponent limply plummeted to the ground.
Aki checked the field map in her notebook. The red marker on the right side steadily dimmed until it disappeared. The monster had died.
“Piece of cake,” Leo said, rolling his shoulders.
Aki clapped. “Wow, that was amazing, Leo! You took it out in one hit!”
Elias made quick work of a monster by cutting it in half with a single stroke, looking very cool as he did it, but Leo also put on an awe-inspiring display by taking the monster down with flashy magic.
Leo proudly turned to her and bragged, “Right? Right? Offensive magic is my forte. I’m not called the Genius Mage for nothing—”
“You left out the part about it being self-proclaimed.”
SNAP! Johann whacked Leo’s big nose hard enough with his staff to smash it. For some reason, his attitude toward Leo had less restraint than usual. At a glance, their relationship seemed similar to cats and dogs, but they found their own balance with it.
Johann turned his back on a trembling Leo and held his unfastened staff horizontally in front of him, concentrating on the monster charging them from the rear. The last bird circled overhead, watching their every move. Wariness dictated its movement, as it learned their strength through the loss of two flock members.
It let out one loud shrill of warning before abruptly descending. Just when they thought it was coming in for the attack, it stopped and sucked in a deep breath of air.
What is it trying to do?
“The breath attack is coming, Johann!” Leo shouted.
“I know! We won’t have a problem with it!” Johann quickly answered and closed his eyes to focus on his staff.
Silver light rose from somewhere below him, pushing up his silver hair and white robe. Unlike the swell of power that came with Leo’s magic, Johann’s magic emitted a gentle, soothing light. Perhaps it was a special characteristic correlating with Solar Magic’s source of power coming from the Creation Goddess.
“O, Creation Goddess,” Johann said in a clear voice.
It was Aki’s first time seeing him cast a spell. A silver light enshrouded him as he kept his eyes shut, giving him a mystical beauty. He partially opened his eyes and lifted one hand.
“Wrap us in a barrier of protection, making it safe to be here.” As soon as he finished the spell, a ray of light shot down from the sky on course for the end of his staff.
As the ray of light condensed into the staff, the gigantic bird exhaled a breath of flame, much like a dragon breathing fire. Aki instinctively closed her eyes and crouched with her hands over her head. She clenched her teeth to endure the pain of being burned alive, but the pain never came.
Thinking that was strange, she fearfully opened her eyes and sharply sucked in her breath. A thin dome-shaped silver shield enveloped them, intercepting the fire breath’s fierce attack. The flames ran along the outside of the dome-shaped shield without penetrating it. Johann stood beside her with his eyes closed, quietly concentrating on his horizontally pointed staff. The tip of his staff emitted the same silver light creating the dome-shaped shield.
“Johann, this is…” She stopped midsentence, thinking her question would distract him. He opened his eyes, flashing a small smile at her.
“Shield—one of the spells Solar Magic users have access to. Please rest assured no monster can ever attack us as long as I use this spell.”
Solar Magic primarily dealt with recovery and support class spells. Spells that could protect Party members from monster attacks suited the Priest Johann perfectly.
Leo let out an impressed sigh as he examined the shield. “Ooh, impressive as always. You’re about the only person who can cast Shield that fast.”
“Thank you for your words of praise. It is an honor to be complimented by the Genius Mage.”
Aki tugged on Johann’s sleeve. “Johann, is it difficult to use Shield?”
Johann pondered her question before answering, “You could say so for most people. There is not much difficulty in using Shield to protect the small sphere of space surrounding the castor, but it takes great effort to instantly deploy a shield large enough to perfectly protect four people. I have done my fair share of training to get to this point.”
“I see. In other words, you’re handy, Johann!”
“At least more than you are.”
“Hey!”
Johann chuckled at the look of dismay on her face. He didn’t need as much concentration once he cast the Shield. Elias readied his unsheathed Holy Sword.
“I’ll take care of the rest.”
Before he finished speaking, he swung his sword down and powerfully stepped forward with one foot. He soundlessly launched into the air and through Johann’s shield to the sky directly above the bird. He brandished the Holy Sword with both hands. Taken by surprise, the monster turned its large neck toward Elias, but it no longer had any chance to win. Elias’ green eyes twinkled.
“Too late!”
Elias brandished his sword faster than his enemy could defend. The slash connected, splitting its torso from its wings like cloth. It plummeted, letting out a death shriek sounding like nails on metal. Black blood rained down on them from above, but Johann’s shield cleanly blocked it.
Elias nimbly landed on Milsheep’s back and turned only his eyes toward Aki. “Any response from the monsters, Aki?”
“Ah, right! Let me see…”
She quickly looked down at the notebook—not a single red marker flashed near the blue marker. They annihilated the closest monsters. Relieved, she lifted her head with a smile.
“We are in the clear! There aren’t any monsters within proximity!”
“Good. Thanks. Looks like we safely ended the battle.” Elias shook the gore off the Holy Sword and sheathed it.
Still in an overexcited state, Aki replayed their battle in her mind. Elias’ swordplay, Leo’s offensive magic, and Johann’s support magic. Their battle was perfectly coordinated to make the best use of each individual skill. They had spent many days fighting monsters together to get to the point of being in perfect sync with each other.
I hope someday I can fight in sync with them too, Aki thought. I have to start by getting used to monsters first though. I won’t even be able to fight what I can handle if I tremble every time we encounter a monster.
The battle safely ended and Milsheep continued galloping across the Field with everyone on her back. The three men put away their weapons and relaxed on her warm wool.
Aki leaned excitedly toward them. “Elias, Leo, Johann, you’re all so strong! Adventurers are so cool!”
Nothing less could be expected of an occupation that made its living exterminating monsters. Johann tilted his head at her as her cheeks flushed with excitement.
“You have the wrong impression there. It would not be out of the ordinary for your average Adventurer to have sustained a severe injury taking on a gigantic bird.”
“Really? Why is that?”
Leo looked back at them and laughed. “It’s simple. Just means that it’s only because it was us that it went down without a problem. The average Adventurer’s level is somewhere around forty, compared to all of us being at level count stop.”
“Count stop?”
“Yup. Count stop refers to Counter Stop. It means we’ve reached an immeasurable level,” Elias explained like it was no big deal. Aki’s jaw dropped.
She always thought the Hero’s journey meant they would have to steadily raise their levels on the way, but it appeared Elias and the others had already breached the max level.
What a Hero Party! They are to be feared!
The day she could fight shoulder to shoulder with them was looking like an even further off future than she thought. She started feeling depressed, when Johann patted her on the shoulder.
“Aki, your notebook appears to be glowing again. Is it another divine revelation from the Goddess?”
Faint silver light seeped out of her chest pocket. Apparently, the Goddess was going to give her instructions on a regular basis. Where exactly was she watching them from?
I hope I can meet the Goddess someday… Aki absently thought as she pulled the notebook out and waited for it to automatically turn to the right page. The others gathered around her, brimming with curiosity to see a divine message come from the Goddess.
Written in the notebook was:
Next Plans:
1. Continue through the Field like this and stop by the Port City
2. Get an inn there and stay a night
The Goddess’ instructions were remarkably specific again.
Seeing her message firsthand awed Leo. “Heh. Is this really a message from the Creation Goddess?”
“We have no proof it is, but…I can feel her power from it. Her writing surprisingly looks like scribbles.”
“Well, she is Elias’ mum, so we can’t expect much from her writing.”
“What are you trying to say?” Elias narrowed his eyes on Leo.
Aki watched in exasperation as Leo and Elias started arguing again and turned to ask Johann a question instead of dealing with them. “Do you know where this Port City is, Johann?”
“Yes. I believe it is most likely the city we often stopped by when we were novice Adventurers. That would be the closest city to our current location.”
From what he said, it was a city they were familiar with. Just the name Port City, got Aki excited imagining a bustling city with a harbor lined with all different types of sailboats.
What is the city like? What kinds of people live there? Since the Goddess instructed us to, we’ll get to reserve an inn in the city and stay the night, right? Sounds like so much fun!
Aki couldn’t restrain her enthusiasm over what felt like the true beginning to an adventure. Elias fondly watched Aki grin away to herself as he pointed ahead of them.
“All right, let’s go! To our next destination: the Port City!”