Seisan Mahoushi no Rakuraku Henkyou Kaitaku – Saikyou no Ajintachi to Howaito Kokka wo Kizukimasu!

Chapter 88 – It Was A Spy!

“Good. Everyone is aboard now!”

I confirmed that everyone was in the boat, and then I used the oar to push us away from the pier.

The boat began to drift from the fortress.

And when I started to row with the oars, Iria said,

“Sir Joshua, allow me to row!”
“No, Iria! You deal with the enemy attacks!”
“Attacks!?”

Iria noticed it immediately, and turned to the riverside where the Minotaurs stood.

The Minotaurs had regained their calm, and they were now throwing boulders at the fortress and towards our boat.

Iria blocked the boulders with her sword, shattering them to pieces at a speed that the eye could barely follow.

Even while I rowed the boat, I couldn’t help but mutter.

“Am-amazing…”
“Joshua. Melk will row. Joshua should protect Iria with magic. Melk wants to row too.”
“Uh, very well. Thank you.”

While still in her wolf form, Melk took the oars and started to row the boat.
As her arms were stronger than mine, we moved a lot faster.

And so I cast magic shield to protect Iria, Melk and the boat.

On the other hand, the elves hid behind the walls and avoided the rocks that were thrown from the Minotaurs.
As the rocks near the riverside were not that big, the damage to the walls was minimal, but something would have to be done before they started throwing larger ones.

The elves waited for the right time between throws, and unleashed their own rain of arrows.
Of course, they targeted the legs with precision.
All of the arrows landed on the legs. Even the Kijins would not be able to aim like this.

“Garrrrhhh!”

The Minotaurs fell one after another and held their legs in pain.

“Good. We’re about to reach the other side!”
“Now I will cut open a path for us!”

Before we arrived, Iria jumped off of the boat.

And as she made her landing, she slammed the blunt side of her blade into the head of an axe-wielding Minotaur.

“If you value your life, then move out of our way!”
“You have a big mouth, heifer!”

And then the chief appeared with his great battle axe.
He really was big when viewed up close.
About three times as big as the elephants that I saw on the east continent.

Just then, Melk said,

“Joshua. Asuha found it.”

Apparently, she had found the person who was making the sound that controlled the Minotaurs.

Upon hearing this, Iria said,

“Ms. Melk. Go with Sir Joshua, and leave this to me.”
“But, if you’re alone…”

I started to say, but the surrounding Minotaurs began to charge at us with their axes raised.

“Don’t look away! We’re the ones who you should be fighting!”

The arrows of the elves pierced the legs of the Minotaurs that attacked us.

When I turned towards the wall, Monica and the others were waving.
They were saying that they would cover us.

“…Fine. Iria. But don’t do anything reckless. And if things go bad…”
“Oh, I will cut them down. Do not worry about me. Their attacks will not be able to hurt me.”

So saying, Iria started to run towards the chief.
Even as she ran, the other Minotaurs attacked her, but they were swiftly knocked down with a swipe of her sword.

“Joshua. Iria is strong. We should go.”
“Aye!”

And so Melk and I entered the forest.

After walking for some time, Melk suddenly started to run faster.

Even I could tell that there was something up ahead.
Something ominous… A concentration of magic energy.

In the dungeon on the other side of the river, I had once discovered a magic scroll.
And after using it, I was able to see the shape of mana, and detect presences that were around me.

Because of this, I felt anxious.

“Melk, be careful!”

I swiftly cast a thick Magic Shield around Melk.

However, a violent burst of wind immediately blew from up ahead.

We were in danger of being blown away.

“Tsk!? Melk, fall back!”

I saw that Melk moved behind me, and then I brought up my hands in front of me.
And like that, I managed to stay on my feet by sending the wind to Magic Workshop.

“Ho… I’ve never seen magic like that before. In that case…”

Rang the voice. And then, instead of wind, a black breath shot towards us.

“Is this shadow magic!?”

This too I absorbed into Magic Workshop.
But it would surely become full soon. And then I would not be able to contain it.

And so I began to unleash the absorbed breath after absorbing it.
By doing this, I managed to maintain the stalemate.

After this continued for some time, the breath finally stopped.

When the air was cleared, the person who stood there was clapping.

“You detected my presence and blocked my magic…that is quite impressive.”

The person who was standing there was a human who wore the coat of a noble.

They were wearing fox mask and stood with very straight posture.
Had they not said anything, I would have thought it was some masquerading human.
I couldn’t tell much about their physique due to the thick cape, but they seemed slender. And because of the tall height, I got the impression of a thin man.

What was most disturbing was that the mask looked like it was smiling. The corners of the mouth were raised in a mocking laugh.

“…Are you the one who is controlling the Minotaurs?”
“I am not that skilled a sorcerer. All I am doing is directing their anger where it belongs. I just released from the dark depths.”
“And then made them attack humans, the enemy of the Demon King… Is that who you work for?”
“…Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I am Kyuby, a spy of the Demon King.”

It was a rather high-pitched voice.
I did not know if Kyuby was a man or woman.

Still, they had readily admitted to working for the Demon King… But what spy would reveal that they were a spy?

I thought back on my homeland, which had been burned to the ground. It had been destroyed by the Demon King’s army.

But right now, I am representing Fendel.
If I could avoid a conflict, I would try to negotiate.

“Kyuby, is it? I am Joshua, representative of the Fendel Alliance.”
“Fendel Alliance? What is that? I thought I knew a lot about the human countries, but…”
“The Fendel Alliance is made up of demihumans.”
“Ah. I never thought those primitive creatures would work together…”

Kyuby was silent for a moment.
As I couldn’t see any expression, I had no idea what they were thinking.

But I decided to continue.

“Aye. And so we have no hostile intentions against humans or the Demon King army. Now, make the Minotaurs stop their attack.”
“What an amusing thing you say. But to us, humans and demihumans are the same.”
“Then I will just have to stop you by force.”
“Wait. I didn’t say that I wouldn’t stop them, did I?”
“How can I trust you? You speak with a mask on.”

I said, and then pointed my hand at Kyuby.

Melk was also moving slowly around to Kyuby’s back.
And from the sky, Asuha pointed her staff at them as well.

Kyuby let out a sigh.

“Unfortunately, I am not able to beat you… You win. I saw that when you absorbed my magic earlier. Perhaps only the Demon King can deal with you.”
“…? What are you talking about?”
“It means that this matter is out of my control. You say that you are not hostile, and so I must consider what to do…regardless of what I think of you.”

Kyuby took out something from their breast pocket that looked like a gemstone.

“And so I will make my leave for now. There are things for me to do in the north. Goodbye.”
“Hey, wait! Tsk.”

The gemstone had flashed, and then Kyuby disappeared without a trace.

There was no mana in the area to detect either. Asuha and Melk searched, but they could not find anything.

Melk muttered.

“Gone. No smell or presence. I’ve never seen such a thing.”

The gemstone must have been a type of magic tool.
There was a type of magic called teleportation magic, which required a tremendous amount of energy. But it was powerful, and allowed you to travel between points in an instant.

To the north… I suppose he was going to the human countries.

However, that had nothing to do with me right now.

“…Let’s go back to Iria then.”

And so we started to make our way back to Iria.