Manuke FPS Chapter 201

Published at 10th of August 2022 01:24:34 PM

Let’s turn back time a little. 

While Schwartz, disguised as Jonah, was returning to Daikokuya with the slaves, let us see what happened to the members of Sasanqua who received the join request from the Genereal Guild and the Margrave Dragrange. Frau, Miche, Ruu, Malinda, and their colleagues Ophelia Dragrange and her knight Virginia Barrenburg. 

“Let’s camp around here. Miche, please scout the surroundings. Ruu and Malinda, start preparing food.”

“Go it, nyan.” 

“Sure, leave it to me!” 

“Rogar that.” 

The group had left the forest city and headed for the mine labyrinth again. Frau has thought that if they left at sunrise tomorrow, they could enter the labyrinth by early morning. But… 

“Frau, something is wrong.” 

According to the report of Miche, there was little to no signs of beasts or monsters compared to their first pass. In that case, there was one possibility. Something was nearby that both animals and monsters were trying to avoid. 

“Is it Drak riders?” 

Ophelia guessed. 

“There’s a possibility. However, just like the Frontier Knights are prohibited from entering the mountains without good reason, so are the Drak soldiers.” 

“Drak hasn’t informed us about them entering the mountains. Moreover, it’s our turn to clean up the mountain anyway.”

“You’re right, Virginia. Then, what could’ve happened?” 

“I’m going to increase the lookout tonight to three people in the rotation. Anything suspicious, let me know immediately.” 

Fray determined the night watch policy. An existence that both animals and monsters were avoiding was wandering somewhere in the mountains. Judging by the surroundings, it was nearby. And a few hours later, they heard something. A continuous explosive sound that roared loudly throughout the mountain. So loud, one might’ve mistook it for a true dragon. 

“What is that? This is the first time I’ve heard something like that.” 

Ophelia and Virgina noticed first on their watch.

“This sound…”

Virginia heard Ruu mutter, who was the third watch. 

“Ruu-dono, have you heard those sounds before?”

“I’ve heard something similar before this. It’s a skill so accurate and unrivaled in long distance, difficult to see  through and difficult to survive once being hit by it.”

“What kind of skill is that…”

“Wake everyone up.”

“Indeed… I may have come here to the Devil’s Mountain to track Nekoyanagi, but I also have to investigate what is happening…”

Frau, Miche, and Malinda were asleep but woke up to the distant sound. 

“What is going on?” 

“A fight.”

“This sound.. Is he fighting?”

“No no no! He can’t possibly be here all the way in Devil’s Mountain!” 

“But Malinda, no matter who is fighting, we still need to investigate, Miche!” 

“It’s not that far-nya… The labyrinth… No, it seems to have originated from Druhm fortress.” 

“Get ready to leave.”

While the four members of Sasanqua discussed, Virginia cleaned up the camp and lit a torch. There was some time before sunrise and the six people would have to share it. Led by Miche, they started to move to the source of the still-echoing explosions.  

Shortly after the move, the six saw the early morning sky dyed red. The sky – which should have been dark – was illuminated from the opposite direction the sun should’ve rose from. They had a grasp of what that implied. Naturally, they increased their speed, ensuring their footsteps to be silent as they neared the area. The vegetation eventually thinned, giving way to a gravel wasteland. So Miche hid behind a large rock. 

“Druhm Fortress… It’s on fire…” 

“It’s dark, so I can’t see clearly, but there’s a battle out front.” 

Following Miche, Frau came with the rest of the group.

“Is it him?”

Ruu muttered, but Ophelia had another opinion.

“The fortress wall has been demolished… Are they being attacked by a swarm of monsters?”

“It seems like the battle is ongoing.”

They couldn’t peer inside the fortress from their location. But its obvious to them that the fortress was badly damaged. 

“What is it, Frau?”

“We should be the only one with permission to traverse the mountains, right?” 

“Indeed, we are. In order to keep this investigation and the labyrinth a secret, the Margrave had stopped other adventurers from hunting monsters. We have also advised the merchants from using the mountain road.”

“Is there any other adventurer who received the same request as we did?” 

“Not that I know of. If there was, then my father would most likely know –”

After talking so far, Ophelia and Frau noticed the fortress had gone silent. Miche and the others had already noticed and were staring as well.

“Is the battle over? Ophelia, let’s put that matter aside – for now..”

“Yes, let’s investigate what is really going on inside…” 

Standing before me was the adventurer party with their weapons out and beginning to chant their spells. I must’ve fought too flashily.. Between the M202A1, the missiles, and the sentry turrets, the sound must’ve been loud. They may have came here due to that. No one to blame but myself. However, to meet them face to face like this… Its a bit too early. 

“It’s not him.”

I could hear Ruu-san muttering

“I’m curious, who is this ‘he’ you’ve been mentioning?”

After the chanting was over and the spell was casted over their group, asked Ruu. But Ruu stared at me without answering. 

“An acquaintance, but I can’t talk about him in detail.”

Instead, Miche answered while keeping her eyes on me. It seemed they were still keeping their promise. 

“Don’t tell me that undead did all that by itself!”

“There might’ve been more, be careful.”

“Ruu is right, Miche, watch for our surroundings.” 

“Other than that one, I have yet to smell another monster!” 

“Fray… An undead that could cause this much destruction on its own, it might be comparable to a gate guardian, or even a labyrinth master.” 

“Ophelisama, Frau-sama, there is no way we can defeat that undead on our own…”

“But Virgina, what if we leave this guy alone here and it comes to Dragrange? If we don’t defeat it here, it will definitely harm the people who live in Dragrange!” 

Aiyah– they’re completely in battle mode… What to do now…?

My UMP only had 8 bullets with one spare mag left. I still had the silenced pistol with two spare mags. There were also three grenades for the grenade ax, but I had no intention to fight them in the first place. Maybe… If I had some simulation bullets ready, but there was no time to switch. If battle broke out, it’d most likely end with dead on both sides. There was some distance between us… If I want to run, this would be the time.

I tossed the M18 smoke grenade art Malinda who was about to attack. Using the moment the smoke came out, I retreated back to the fortress behind me.

“What is this?!” 

“Malinda, be careful! It might be a corrosive haze!”

I heard Frau-san calling out. It was just colored smoke though. 

“It’s escaping!” 

“Ophelisama! It’s too dangerous to go in alone!” 

Only one light spot came after me. I tried to return to the mountains from behind and hide myself in the wilderness, but it was annoying to move. I stopped and looked back at who was chasing me. 

Chapter end