Chapter 9 “Parent and Child”

 Apparently the body repair and remodeling was quite fuel inefficient.

　It's a hunger like I've never had before. It's a little hard to endure.

　Fortunately, there is a dead Raptor I killed a while ago lying around, so I'm going to eat it.

　I don't care if it tastes bad or not anymore.

　I was fed up with the teeth breaking when I ate it, so I modified the jawbone and teeth.

I made them sturdy enough without changing the shape of my face.

In parallel, I will do the absorption with the roots. I can shorten the meal time if I do this.

　I don't understand what's going on in the details, but I made a conscious effort to make it sturdy anyway.

　As a result, the meal went on without breaking any teeth.

After devouring six of them, my stomach condition calmed down, but that's strange, isn't it?

　No one is coming....

　I wondered if someone would come to check on me soon. But strangely enough, no one came.

　Oh well.

　The bars are still closed and it's going to be hard after this, so let's save our food.

I'll continue eating until someone comes in.

　"Ew!"

　I shouted out.

I ate up all my food, but no one came.

Am I locked in?

　Could it be that the goblin from earlier tried to handle me alone and hid me?

　Is this a common type of monopoly?

　If they don't come, it's okay if they don't come.

If so, what should I do about the iron bars...?

For now, I looked at the iron bars that are attached to the path to the back, not the one I came from.

　It looks very sturdy. It looks like a type that can be opened by going up and down.

　It's standard for this kind of thing to have a handle hidden somewhere.

Tapping and touching around the area at random.

　There was a place that felt different when I touched it.

　Oh, it was really there.

　A section of the wall had come off and a dark hole had opened up.

　I stuck my hand in.

　There was something like a lever, so I pulled it, and an arrow flew out of the hole and skewered my heart.

　A trap. It didn't work on me, though. To tell the truth, I felt like I didn't need the heart anymore.

　I pull the arrow out and toss it to the side.

　I stick my hand in again to check the hole. Besides the lever...

　There was another one behind the one I just pulled. Ah, this one is stuck.

　When I pulled it, the bars started to slowly rise.

　Now, putting aside the details, let's meet the treasure first.

　A short walk down the passage behind the bars led to another prison cell.　

　I didn't remember this either.

　Again... all these memory lapses.

　I took a peek.

　I found the same elves as above.

　They were more handsome and beautiful than the ones I saw above.

　Does that mean these guys are treated as treasures, too?

　I looked at them carefully and noticed that their ears are strangely long.

　Could they be those? Are they the High Elves in the depths of the forest?

　But that's not the point.

　It's a double-opening iron door with three sturdy-looking locks.

　I tried to hit it with a rock I found lying around, but it was unharmed.

　There was no convenient way to find the keys hanging on the wall.

　What should I do...use magic?

I didn't want to use the fire system if it burned all the way inside, so I could cut it with the wind or smash it with the rocks on the ground...?

　I'll think about it after I do it.

　Let's try cutting the lock with Wind I first.

　I hold up my hand and fire.

　Roar.

　"...... ehh."

　I wondered if it would be better if it got even a scratch. But then the door itself deformed with a loud bang, and then blew up inward.

　"This is amazing."

　I muttered unintentionally.

As I was saying this, my finger fell off, so I ate off the affected part and made the finger regrow.

　I put the ring back on and went inside.

　The inside of the treasure room was amazing.

　Gold nuggets, silverware, expensive swords and armor, precious metals, and more.

　This was amazing. It was worth all the trouble.

Since I can't take all of it, let's pick and choose what to take out.

Let's just take as many gold nuggets as I can carry. I'll take a few pieces of magic equipment if there are any that I can use.

　But which ones to choose....

　First, four bangles and seven rings. That's all there is.

　I put them in the pouch since they looked like mere ornaments.

　Next, weapons. But they were not weapons, but rather decorative swords used for ceremonies.

　There was one with a jagged blade, so I decided to use that one. It looks hard to use, but it's the only one I could find.

　It didn't fit in the scabbard, so I hooked it to my waist belt.

　There was also a hammer with a long handle, so I took that as well.

　There are very few weapons and armor.

　Most of them are gold nuggets, and the rest are precious metals and jewelry.

　Maybe they are keeping some for use as weapons.

　The rest... what is this black cloth?

　At first I thought it was a rug, but it seems to be a robe. Just as well.

　My favorite rag is getting damaged, so I'll replace it with this.

　...The rag is all tattered from burning and Raptors' claws and such...

　I took out the spare I had folded and shoved into my pouch, unfolded it, and wrapped as much of the gold as I could in it.

　Black robe (with hood), Jagged sword at my waist, gold nuggets wrapped in rags on my shoulder.

　I put the jewelry in the pouch just in case.

　Okay, let's get out of here.

　I leave the treasury.

　I'm going to walk out without thinking about it. They'll be waiting for me around the square anyway.

　"Um..."

　I heard a voice. Who is it?

　Oh, it's the High Elf from the jail.

　I'm sorry. I forgot because I don't care.

"Um... sir... over there."

　I approach the jail.

　"Do you...no, do you understand the word?"

　After a moment's hesitation.

　"Yes, I do."

　I answered.

　As I had expected, it was a high elf who was being held captive.

He started telling me his personal story even though I didn't ask him, so I listened to him anyway, but to tell the truth, he wasn't that different from the guys above, so it was a waste of my time.

He went on an inspection tour with his family to a village near the mountains, got caught in a night raid, and was thrown into a cage. That's all.

I guess they treat him differently because he is a rare high elf, but since they don't seem to understand his value, I guess the men will be dug up and the women will be shoved into a whorehouse.

　I looked into the prison. There is a handsome man, his beautiful wife, and a child who is probably his daughter. Is it a girl?

　"I understand your story. What do you want from me?"

　Hmm?　Me(Watashi)? Is the way I speak gravitating toward Rothfeldt?　Oh well.

　"I just want to get out of here. Can you help us get out?"

"I don't mind if all I have to do is get you out, all right?　But what can you do for me in return?"

　"I'll be sure to repay you when I get out of ....... So..."

　Basically, strangers betray you.

　What's that anyway?

　1. Let them out. I have property in the village and I need a ride to the village.

　2. I go to the village. Surrounded by soldiers with bows and arrows, and shot dead as a result.

　This is the kind of thing that happens when you can't pay or it becomes inconvenient, right?

I'll give him the conditions.

　"Okay, but no thanks. But, thank you is fine."

　"What?"

　"In exchange, could you do me a favor?"

　"Well, what favor?"

　"It's a simple one."

I began to tell this handsome father of a High Elf what my "favor" was.

He graciously agreed to my request and I was to let him out of his prison.

Just like in the treasure room earlier, I smashed the reinforced wind I and destroyed the prison.

　Since it was the second time, I think the control was better than before.

　The people inside were unharmed, so it was better...supposedly.

　After the parents and children inside were let out, the shackles on both wrists were destroyed with the Wind I.

　I hid the part where the fingers were broken and the part where they grew by pulling my hands back into the sleeves of my robe.

　It seems that the manacles I destroyed have the function of inhibiting the activation of magic and decreasing muscle strength when worn.

Now that I've saved them, how good are they as a force to be reckoned with?

　I checked and found that the father is good at bow and wind magic.

His wife is good at bow and earth magic, and his daughter is useless in battle.

　I'll rely a little on the fact that they say they can handle combat without problems because they seem to have been eating regularly and are not that debilitated.

　There were no bows in the treasury, so the two of them should do their best with magic.

　As for the daughter...well, if she doesn't get in the way, it's fine.

For now, since it's not good to be unarmed, the father will get an ornate sword from the treasury, and the wife... whatever.

　We were ready to go, so we headed for the exit.

　The formation was: I was in the lead, with the father behind me. The wife and daughter further back.

　Basically, I was in the front and the father supported me. The wife was in charge of supporting with her daughter.

　There were not many of us, and it was impossible for me to command and coordinate with the others.

　I knew we would only be together for a short time anyway, so I decided to at least divide up the roles so we wouldn't be dragging each other down.

　The father seemed interested in my magic and background, but I told him it would be better for both of us if he didn't know. After that, we discussed the process of going up to the upper levels.

When I returned through the passageway to the square where I had fought the Raptor to the death, I found myself surrounded by goblins with bows and arrows and wooden crossbows.

There were 10 archers, 6 crossbows, 8 swords and 5 spears and 1 commander-like armor with a decorative sword.

　"You are surrounded. If you lay down your weapons peacefully, I'll spare your lives... and the high elf over there will come with me, okay?"

While saying this, the commanding goblin is licking his tongue while looking at the wife.

　Doesn't he have anything else to say? It's written on his face what he's going to do.

The wife seems to be in danger, though she doesn't understand what he's saying because it's in subhuman language.

She hugs her daughter and backs away a little.

Are these guys insane to think that the commanding officer is going to step forward?　

　I didn't need to listen to him, so I held up my hand and activated the Earth I and launched it at the commander.

　A huge chunk of rock flies toward the commander.

"What!?"

　The commander and the guy near him were crushed by the rock.

The survivors are shooting arrows at us with crossbows and bows, but the father magically creates a wind barrier to block it.

　I've heard about it, but it's useful.

　I put the ring back on another finger, stepped forward and slammed a hammer into the head of a goblin with a bow that was close at hand, causing his head to cave in.

I take the bow and arrow quiver and toss them to the wife. The father manipulates the barrier and lets the bow and arrow pass through.

When his wife receives it, she pulls out the arrow with a skilled hand, readies the bow, and shoots.

　The time it takes to ready the bow and shoot is terribly short.

　And it is fast. Just when I thought the arrow was released, she was already shooting an arrow at the next target.

The two crossbowmen who were hit by the arrows were shot through the forehead and in one of the eyes and fell to the ground.

　I swung my hammer to scoop up the spearmen as well. The spearman's head popped off.　

　I was about to kill the other one when I felt a strange sensation in my hand.

　The hammer suddenly became heavy.

　I ignored it, turned my body and swung.

　The crossbowman's head flew off.　

The commander, 3 swords, and 2 spears were crushed at the beginning earth I.

　I got 1 bow, 1 crossbow, 1 spear.

The wife killed 2 crossbows. Oh, I killed 1 bowman.

　That leaves 5 swords, 4 spears, 3 crossbows, and 8 bows.

If we don't kill the attackers soon, it will be hard for the father to move.

　Three sword-bearers cut at me at the same time. I smashed the front one with a hammer.

　It was getting too heavy to hold. The more I swing it, the heavier it gets.

　What the hell is this thing?

As for the other two, I rotated my body and smashed them with the hammer with centrifugal force.

Without stopping the rotation, I threw the hammer at the guy who was aiming at the father with the bow, destroying him.

　There are 2 swords and 7 bows left.

　The wife ran out of arrows after shooting two more archers. 5 bows left.

　The father has been maintaining his wind shield since a while ago and can't move.

　The bowmen, understanding that they would win if they killed the father, started shooting arrows at him.

　The wind wall is blocking the arrows, but they are not reaching him.

　I pulled out my sword and stood in front of the spear and sword holders.

　The wind barrier is very effective against flying weapons, but weak against melee, so I can't let these guys through.

　The goblins in the vanguard seemed to have decided to eliminate me first.

　The rest of the spears all thrust at me at once, and I catch them with my body.

　Four of the spears stabbed me in the gut.

　The rest of the swords swing their swords at my neck.

　I calmly cut off one of the heads with my sword, caught the other sword with my shoulder, then grabbed the head and bit off the throat.

　Zero swords left.

　The spear-bearer is trying to pull his spear out, but he can't.

　I guess I'll have to use the move I just thought of.

I accelerated the regrowth of my abdomen and let it heal the wound.

　The spear-bearer lets go of the spear and steps back. The timing of his letting go further stimulates regeneration, and the spear is pushed out.

I threw the dislodged spear back at the owner. It was not a great distance, so it hit the target in an interesting way.

Cutting off the heads of those who were in agony with spears stuck in their shoulders and stomachs.

　There were no spears left.

　With the vanguard gone, the rest of the rear guard rushed to the exit to escape.

　When they were all clumped up to enter the exit, I shot them with Wind I.

　The rest of them turned into a cloud of blood smoke.

The father was surprised at my fighting style, but he reconsidered and retrieved his bow and arrows with his wife, which were safe.

　The hammer is no good now. I could hold it, but it was too heavy.

I'll eat off the blackened parts so that the father and his family won't see them. Let the rest heal.

It seemed that they had finished collecting the bows and arrows.

　I nodded and turned to head outside.