04 — Earthquakes, Monsters, and Foreshadowing

04 — Earthquakes, Monsters, and Foreshadowing

The three healers were nowhere to be seen at the guild the next morning. They’d apparently stirred up trouble, shouting about how my actions were unbecoming of my station, which the guildmaster apologized profusely for. I needed to know more about whoever was responsible for choosing those people to join our ranks, so I wrote a letter to Her Holiness asking for details.

We hurried and purchased enough food to last us several days, then made for our next destination: Rockford, the city of artisans and crafters.

The trip west was smooth, without a single monster encounter for two days straight.

“Sure is peaceful out here,” Ketty commented loudly.

“Mister Luciel tends to find himself at the center of trouble, but we certainly don’t need any more of it,” Lionel remarked, just audibly enough for Kefin to hear.

“I’m gonna lose my mind,” the other man groaned.

Lionel and Ketty weren’t exceptions, but Kefin seemed particularly stressed out from driving the carriage for so long. The other two enjoyed tormenting him in their free time. He’d spent the past two days running around and doing what he could to loosen up.

We let our guard down that night, and that was when it happened. The occasional light tremor had become commonplace enough that we ignored it until they started getting bigger and cracks began forming in the ground.

“That’s a big one,” I said, lowering myself onto Forêt to keep my balance. The rumbling slowly dissipated. “Everyone okay?”

The question was unwarranted for one person in particular. Dhoran was hyperventilating, his eyes unfocused, and he looked ready to throw up. He was sweating bullets.

“Dhoran,” I called to him. “Hey, Dhoran. You okay?”

“I-I’m fine,” he managed to wheeze.

“You don’t look fine to me.”

I approached and cast Recover on him. His eyes gradually returned to normal as his panic passed. It was a textbook example of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and the quake must have been the trigger.

“Stop trying to act tough and tell me what’s going on. Does the shaking remind you of when you lost your arms?” I asked.

“Can’t hide anything from you, eh? I just...” He hesitated. “It happened so suddenly. Still can’t believe it. It was an earthquake. Gods, I can’t tell ya how many times I’ve thought to myself how things mighta been if that damn earthquake hadn’t come. I’d have never lost my arms. I’d have my forge. I’d...”

“Maybe. Maybe you would have all that. But would you still have Pola?” I continued to cast Recover.

“You’re right. I protected her. I’ve still got her.” He stared at his hands, opening and closing them repeatedly. It seemed to calm him. “And my arms now.”

Pola shot out of the carriage and ran to her grandfather. “Are you okay, grandpa?”

“I’m okay, lass. Honest. Have I ever lied ta you?”

“Sometimes.”

Dhoran chuckled. “Suppose I do.”

Some things were just impossible to cure with healing magic. Blood and broken bones were one thing, but wounds of the mind needed a more delicate touch. Sometimes what you needed was someone to lean on. Like family.

“I don’t know if I can really understand the pain you went through,” I said to him, “but what I can do is use my healing magic or just be an ear to listen if you need it. Talking can help sometimes. Just tell me if you ever feel off.”

“Y’know, I’ve done a lot o’ hating the lot life’s given me.” He smiled. “But that’s changed ever since ya found me. I’m grateful for that.”

Pola looked relieved to see her grandfather back to normal. “Thankfully” didn’t feel like the right word to use, but I was glad that she didn’t seem to share his symptoms.

I had one last thing on my mind, and it felt tasteless to bring up given the circumstances, but it was important.

“Have earthquakes been more common in Rockford in recent years?” I asked.

“Not exactly,” Dhoran replied. “Only about one a year or so, from what I recall.”

“I’m starting to want to change course to Merratoni.”

We wouldn’t have to worry about bandits and monsters with Master Brod around, we’d have delicious meals prepared by Gulgar, and Nanaella and Monica were there. Who said we needed to go to Rockford first? If my gut was right (and it probably was), the earthquakes were dragon-related, and dragons meant more labyrinths. Nu-uh, no thanks. But Dhoran wasn’t the giving-up type, and I guess I had to respect his wishes.

“I’m fine. Got promises to keep and graves to visit. I wanna tell the souls o’ my old pals that I’m holdin’ a hammer again.” The dwarf was back to his old self, determination in his eyes.

“All right then. How much farther is it?”

“Not far, but looks like we’ve got company first.”

Ketty yipped. “Chief, somethin’s crawlin’ outta the cracks in the ground! Ants!”

I used the hermit key. “Inside, Forêt. Lionel, your horse!”

“I will fight from the saddle,” he said.

“I’ll let you out as soon as I can,” I comforted my partner as I urged her into the extradimensional space. “I promise I’ll get better at fighting while riding you.” I shut the door behind her. “How many are there?”

“Twenty, thirty... More than fifty, looks like,” Ketty answered.

“These insectoids are sturdy and armored, but their joints are weak,” Lionel explained. “They attack by biting or spitting acid.”

“Got it.” I looked at Dhoran. “You’re sure you don’t need to rest?”

“What I need is to smash some bugs and get my hands on some earth-type stones.” Yeah, he was back on form.

“Good to hear. Go all out and let loose. As long as you don’t get yourself killed, I can save you.”

“Aye!” He readied his warhammer.

Pola summoned a giant golem next to her grandfather, the construct striking a fighting pose, preparing to intercept the incoming ants.

“Kefin, protect Estia,” I ordered.

“Yes, sir!”

The ants were on us moments later. But, to be honest, “on us” might have been giving them too much credit. The things were astonishingly weak. Their strength lay mostly in their numbers. I’d nearly forgotten how ridiculously overpowered my Holy Dragon spear and Illusion Sword were because I used them so often, but I was reminded of their strength when they sliced through the creatures’ exoskeletons like butter. I was never in any danger of being surrounded, which gave me enough time to survey our surroundings. We’d taken out fifty of them in mere seconds.

“Is it just me, or does it seem like there are more of them now?” I asked.

“There are indeed more of them,” Lionel said.

“They’re gettin’ tougher too,” Ketty added.

“Sounds like it’s our turn, Pola,” Dhoran chimed in. Pola nodded. “Take ’em out!”

At Dhoran’s cry, the three-meter-tall golem grew to five meters and began to squash the ants beneath its feet in a way reminiscent of a pro wrestling move. Or did I just think it looked like pro wrestling because of how I’d seen it fight in the labyrinth in Yenice? And now it was kicking the monsters around like soccer balls. It was absolutely destroying the ants. Where had Pola gotten the inspiration for its fighting style? Was there some sort of manual for golem combat? I received no answers to these questions, but they occupied my mind long enough for the fight to end.

“That golem would be unstoppable if it didn’t have limits,” I remarked.

“You’d have a hard time beatin’ it unless you knew a weak point or two,” Ketty agreed.

“Perhaps it would serve well for battle simulations against giants,” Lionel mused in his own battle-crazed way.

“It’s dark, so let’s save the dissecting for tomorrow,” I said, purposefully ignoring Lionel’s comment. “But let’s make sure they’re all dead first.”

I took some lights from the magic bag and handed them to everyone. Once we were sure nothing was going to get back up, I stored the corpses in the bag and cast Purification around the area to keep the miasma to a minimum.

“There were over a hundred of them,” I noted. “Is that normal for this area?”

“My familiarity with the region is a little outdated, but it does seem strange,” Lionel replied.

“We’re pretty much in Rockford’s backyard, right? I assume there aren’t any labyrinths nearby.”

“Several mines, but none have become labyrinths to my knowledge.”

So did that mean they could turn into them? No, I was surely overthinking things.

“Yeah, how would a mine turn into a labyrinth?” I asked myself.

“Can’t say.” Dhoran crossed his arms. “But you can tell if the creatures are from labyrinths by whether they leave corpses or just poof into stones.”

“Anyway, we’ll camp out for the night,” I said, changing the subject. “After dinner, I want the night watch in shifts of three.”

I lit the anti-monster incense I’d gotten from the Doctor’s Guild, but there was no telling how effective it would be outdoors. I’d sleep better knowing someone was keeping an eye out just in case.

＊

Estia and Ketty ended up on watch together. The healer woman had been keeping a close eye on Luciel since joining him, and there was something she had noticed but never had the chance to confirm. Tonight was the perfect opportunity.

“Ketty,” she said, “can I ask you something?”

The cat-woman narrowed her daggerlike eyes. “What?”

Estia recoiled in surprise at the lack of her usual cheeriness. “Um, well, I heard you were Mister Luciel’s slave?”

“You heard right.”

“I also heard that, um, you’re a slave by choice.”

“You heard right. Save your breath, I know you’re about to ask me why. You’re going to assume I’ve been ordered to do something against my will, and then you’ll offer to help rescue me. Did I hit the mark?”

Estia blinked. “Um,” she stammered, “I...”

“I know you’ve been snooping around. Not out of malice like the other three, but something disgusts you. You’ve been a slave before, haven’t you?”

“What?!”

How did she find out?! Estia thought frantically. I can’t stay here!

“To answer your question, I became Mister Luciel’s slave by pure coincidence. And frankly, I consider myself fortunate. I’m free, I can stay with my old master, we travel. As for why I prefer being a slave... Well, that’s because being an S-rank’s property has its perks, and he’s never once forced me to do anything.”

She’d sure hit the mark.

“How do you know everything I’m going to ask before I even ask it?”

“A kitty has her secrets.” The cat-woman struck a feline pose.

“Could you tell me what kind of person he is? From your point of view.”

“He’s a master of holy magic and the biggest goody two-shoes you’ll ever meet. A wimp. A bit of a loser. A whiner. But dedicated, strong-willed, and he keeps things interesting. Couldn’t care less about coin. He’s one-in-a-million. Any more questions?”

“No... No, ma’am.”

“You wouldn’t be the first person to have it in for healers, but I suggest you refrain from taking that out on Luciel.”

Estia put a hand to her mouth and began to cry. Ketty remained next to her in strained, awkward silence.

＊

No more monsters attacked us the next morning, but we did discover holes all over the ground about half a meter wide now that we had sunlight.

“So that’s where they came from, not the cracks from the earthquake,” I remarked. “We could get the carriage stuck in one of these if we’re not careful. Could even break an axle.”

“Considering their numbers, it may be wise for us to proceed slowly,” Lionel cautioned me.

“Yeah, guess we should. It’s been relatively smooth sailing so far, so might as well.”

What would we have done if we’d found a colony of giant ants while digging under Yenice? Heaving a sigh of relief that we didn’t exist in such a reality, I summoned the carriage from my magic bag and we resumed our journey. We were about three or four days out from Rockford.

“Those ants didn’t fly or spit acid or anything. They were pretty weak,” I commented. “Maybe they were scouts?”

“Perhaps,” Lionel replied. “My knowledge is limited, but multiple varieties of the same species of monster aren’t unheard of, so it’s possible.”

“Is there nowhere a guy can live in peace?”

“The headquarters of the Mage’s Guild, Neldahl, comes to mind. They have their share of run-ins with wyverns, griffons, and other winged beasts, but a barrier protects them.”

“That doesn’t sound very peaceful. Why only flying monsters?”

“Hundreds of years ago, the Sage of Time and a hero, with the help of spirit magic, lifted the city into the sky. I hear it maintains non-aggression pacts with the other nations to ensure it can never be ruled solely by one power.”

“A flying city? Wow, who would’ve... Wait, I feel like I learned about that before. Oh! Neldahl! The flying city-state!”

“The City in the Sky is a secretive entity. It’s said that it continues to fly to this day, but none know precisely where.”

Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen it on any maps. Now, that was pretty cool. I could see an elusive floating city being a good setting for an adventure.

“Wow. The City in the Sky.”

“There’s little combat to be had there, so it’s never particularly interested me. However, they have bad blood with the Healer’s Guild, if memory serves.”

“Why?”

“Something to do with a difference in the deities they worship.”

I figured Her Holiness would have the answer. Rumors had a habit of getting exaggerated, but then again, life had a habit of not being especially fair to me.

“I wonder if that monster radar’s as realistic as I think.”

“Regardless, I will be your shield against all threats, seen or unseen. You’ve no need to worry yourself.”

“I’m counting on you.”

Suddenly, the horses pulling Dhoran’s carriage reared up. Another earthquake. I grunted, waiting for it to subside.

“Good girl, Forêt.”

She hadn’t even flinched at the shaking. Lionel’s well-trained steed was also calm. It had only lasted about half a minute, but the carriage horses continued to panic, and I shut them inside the hermit key’s dimension to let them relax for a bit. Dhoran wasn’t looking so good either, so we took a break in the meantime.

“You seem a lot better than yesterday,” I said as I cast Recover on him.

“Thanks,” he said. “Managed to keep it together by focusin’ on my hands. Remindin’ myself I still got ’em. But it still had me shaking like a leaf.”

“These things take time.”

He looked pale but lucid, which was an improvement. He was a strong man, that was for sure.

“Ants again!” Ketty cried.

She and Kefin were already in offensive positions, and Lionel was in the thick of it.

“Hell if I’ll let them show me up,” the dwarf grumbled indignantly.

“Don’t push yourself.”

“The fightin’ll help distract me. And I wanna see that smile on Pola’s face when I bring her a heap o’ stones.”

True enough, I thought.

The same kind of ants as last time poured out from the holes in the ground, which was loosened from the numerous tremors. I cast Area Barrier on everyone, then moved out of the way where there were fewer monsters and started cutting them down with the Illusion Sword.

“Not sure I like looking at their guts in the daylight.”

They came in huge, relentless groups like before, but they still went down in a single hit, so I managed without a problem. Lionel turned waves of the monsters to burning corpses as he combusted the very holes they crawled from with his flaming greatsword. The ants were hopelessly outmatched. We couldn’t let our guard down, of course, but we were hardly struggling.

Eventually, we spotted a new breed emerging—a variety with wings. But a gust of razor-sharp wind, likely sent by Lycian, sliced the wings off swiftly.

“It’s only right that I make up for my uselessness in yesterday’s battle,” she declared when our eyes met, releasing a gust at another monster as it tried to take flight.

I’d overheard bits of her and Pola’s little spat yesterday, with Pola claiming that “those who don’t fight don’t get magic stones.” I couldn’t help but smile, recalling their antics.

The fight ended soon after, but, concerningly, there had been more of the creatures than last time, and stronger variants too.

“Are the earthquakes making them come out?” I wondered.

“That certainly seems possible,” Lionel concurred.

“Think Rockford’s okay?”

“No tremor could ruin that city. And no monster has ever invaded its streets.”

“That’s good to hear.” I collected the monster corpses, praying that his optimism was warranted.

After four days of scattered ant attacks, we arrived at the artisan’s haven of Rockford at last.