The strategy for this attack was apparently to follow the same approach as the Trombe subjugation. I would rain arrows from long range to weaken Tanisbefaren, and the knight apprentices would attack all at once. When they pulled back, I would rain arrows again, and we would alternate like that. Apparently, I had to be careful not to catch any knight apprentices in my barrage.
...That Chief Priest position from back then was pretty crucial, wasn't it? A huge responsibility, wasn't it?
It didn't seem like a role suited for someone like me who barely got any training. But before I could decline,
Watching the riding beasts spread out across the sky from my vantage point above, Tanisbefaren's multicolored eyes on its forehead darted back and forth as if struggling to decide which one to chase.
...Ugh, that's so gross!
Feeling goosebumps rise on my skin, I took aim at Tanisbefaren from the air and readied my water gun. I lightly closed my eyes and vividly recalled the Chief Priest from the Trombe subjugation.
...I'm going to become a hard-boiled egg!
"Lord Rozemine, Leonore has given the signal!"
I opened my eyes at
"Take this!"
Recalling the scene of the Chief Priest defeating the Trombe, I poured Magic Power into the shot, and the Magic Power fired from the black water gun became a black arrow that split into multiple projectiles raining down on Tanisbefaren.
"...Gyaaah!"
After seeing my attack, Judith struck as well. A black stone she had thrown flew toward a direction slightly away from Tanisbefaren.
I had thought it couldn't miss given the massive target, but Tanisbefaren, which had been staring right at us, dodged my arrow with startling speed. It then collided with Judith's thrown stone at the spot it had dodged to and let out a small shriek.
"...How?"
"I can't very well lose to Lord Rozemine in long-range shooting, can I? I have to read the enemy's movements one step ahead."
Judith flashed a proud grin as another of her black stones hit home. Tanisbefaren let out small shrieks while dodging my attacks yet again.
...This is infuriating!
Growing intensely frustrated that none of my attacks were landing, I began firing water guns at Tanisbefaren in rapid succession. But it dodged everything lightly, as if to say it had already seen through my trajectory, while Judith's attacks connected several times along the way.
...So annoying!
Tanisbefaren moved nimbly, its forehead eyes scanning the surroundings, which meant many of the knight apprentices' attacks were also being avoided. But since some of theirs were occasionally landing and mine weren't landing at all, I was clearly the only one missing entirely.
"...Lord Rozemine's attacks are the only ones not landing, aren't they."
Philine's observation pierced right through my heart. I know that—just stop pointing it out so calmly! Fighting back tears, I fixed my gaze on Tanisbefaren below.
"I believe the reason Lord Rozemine's attacks aren't landing is because Tanisbefaren is focusing entirely on avoiding her attacks."
I nodded firmly at Roderich's murmur. Those large red eyes refused to look away from me even for a moment. It was almost as if it thought it only needed to dodge my attacks and nothing else would matter.
...The reason my attacks aren't landing is because Tanisbefaren keeps staring only at me! Stop looking at me!
"Since it's always watching me, it can dodge. If I block its line of sight, my attacks should land too."
"Block its line of sight? How would we do that?"
When Roderich calmly asked me this, I was momentarily at a loss for words. How exactly do you block the field of vision of a giant feybeast? Nothing came to mind immediately.
"Um, well... let me think."
...Something to blindfold it with, something to blindfold it with... If only I had a really huge cloth.
I doubted I could blindfold Tanisbefaren and tie it tightly behind its head or anything like that. But draping a large cloth over it would certainly block its vision, even if only for a moment—and that momentary pause would be enough.
...If I could block its vision and make it stop even for just a moment, my attacks would land! For that, I need a cloth big enough to envelop Tanisbefaren!
"Ah! I have just the right divine tool. Ryuuken!"
"...A divine tool?"
I nodded at Philine's blank-faced stare and deactivated my water gun's transformation. Even after the transformation was undone, the blessing apparently hadn't worn off—the staff in my hand was still black. A little surprised by that, I lightly closed my eyes. There was a spell the Chief Priest had taught me as essential for defense.
"Finsunhan!"
My staff transformed into a black cloth embedded with specks of gold, like a starry night sky. Roderich, dazed, pointed at the cloth in my hand.
"Lord Rozemine, what is that...?"
"It's a mantle from the Darkness God's divine tools. With this, I can block Tanisbefaren's line of sight."
The Darkness God's mantle had the power to absorb Magic Power and make it one's own. Right now, with the blessing of Darkness active, there was a high chance the Magic Power wouldn't reach the god since it had been offered up and was being intercepted before arriving at me, though.
I spread the mantle wide like unfurling a night sky and flung it down over Tanisbefaren's head. Unlike arrows that fall toward a narrow target, the mantle expanded broadly at my will, and Tanisbefaren couldn't evade it. Its movements stopped as the black cloth blanketed its vision, and it flailed its forelegs trying to push the mantle off.
"Now my attacks should land too!"
The instant I pumped my fist in triumph, Philine tilted her head with her hand on her cheek.
"Lord Rozemine, you transformed your staff into a mantle and threw it, right? How are you going to fire?"
"Aaaaaah!"
I clutched my head upon realizing I no longer had a weapon. Cheers of praise came from
"Nice one, Rozemine! The immobilization worked!"
"Now! Everyone, attack together! Aim for the hind legs!"
The knight apprentices swooped in on Tanisbefaren all at once with swift precision. Their attacks concentrated on the hind legs of the thrashing feybeast, just as Brother Cornelius ordered, as it struggled to remove the Darkness mantle from its head.
Nearly twenty riding beasts raced freely through the air, their raised black weapons glinting as they moved in concert. Tanisbefaren's screams rang out simultaneously, blood flowed, and that blood began corroding the ground. I could see with my own eyes that it was steadily being wounded.
All I could do was watch everyone fight with a lump in my throat.
...You all look cool, but that's not the point! That's not it! Give me back my moment!
Wilfried appeared to have been infusing his black sword with Magic Power, ready to strike at any moment. Something that shimmered like seeping darkness enveloped the blade.
Wilfried raised his sword high. The lion crest on the hilt was visible—had he modeled it after his staff?
"Everyone, fall back!"
Brother Cornelius's hand already held a black sword brimming with Magic Power as he shouted that command. The Magic Power packed into it looked slightly less than what he had shown at last year's ditter—perhaps because he was matching Wilfried's output.
The knight apprentices ascended into the sky and clustered together midway between Tanisbefaren and us, raising their shields to protect us from the impact. I adjusted Lesserbus's direction as well, gripping the handle tightly in preparation.
"Here we go! Haaaaah!"
Shouting to psych myself up, Wilfried charged his riding beast toward Tanisbefaren's hind legs and swung his sword in a wide arc. A massive dark slash, laden with Magic Power, launched from the blade and flew straight toward Tanisbefaren's right leg.
"Yaaaaah!"
Almost simultaneously, Brother Cornelius unleashed his own slash aimed at the hind legs from a different direction than Wilfried.
The collision of the two slashes produced a tremendous explosion and a shockwave that rippled through the air.
I braced myself by gripping the handle, and while the shockwave did reach us, the distance and the knight apprentices' shields kept it manageable. It was probably less intense than the full-power attacks from the Chief Priests I had experienced before as well.
...Tanisbefaren!?
Once the shockwave passed, I squinted and peered down. The slashes had found their mark—the right leg was blown clean off, and Tanisbefaren let out a tremendous shriek before tumbling away, unable to withstand the follow-up impact.
"We got it!"
No sooner had I shouted that than Tanisbefaren scrambled back to its feet with the wild, reckless movements of a beast—ignoring the blood pouring from where its right leg had been torn away, ignoring the pain entirely.
The impact from being knocked over had blown the mantle off its head. The many newly revealed eyes were filled with pain and rage, and the gaze locked onto Wilfried, who happened to be directly in front of it as it sprang up.
"Brother Wilfried, get to higher altitude!"
I'm not sure if my desperate shout reached him, but Wilfried pointed his riding beast upward. However, he had apparently expended too much Magic Power in the last attack, and his mount's speed was far too slow. The knight apprentices immediately moved to rescue Wilfried.
But faster than any of them, Tanisbefaren—which had claimed Wilfried as its prey—lunged forward with terrifying momentum. Its speed was slightly reduced from the missing right leg, but still faster than Wilfried's riding beast.
In the instant the blood drained from my face, Brother Cornelius's roar of "
As if responding to Brother Cornelius's shout, Traugott gripped his sword and dove in a steep plunge. During his descent, I could see Magic Power flooding into him in waves.
Shrouded in darkness, his sword blazed with light.
Wilfried flew upward to escape Tanisbefaren, while Traugott dove straight down toward the feybeast with equal force.
The instant the two passed each other, Brother Cornelius's slash exploded against the base of Tanisbefaren's neck first. As the feybeast lost its balance and began to topple sideways, Traugott crashed into it and swung his sword through the shockwave Brother Cornelius had created.
"Taaaah!"
A massive detonation followed, and Wilfried was blown upward by the somewhat diminished shockwave. The knight apprentices who had put away their shields to rescue Wilfried were also thrown back by the blast.
I managed to hold my ground against the shockwave.
After the wave passed, I slowly opened my eyes. There was a large crater in the ground, and Tanisbefaren lay within it. Its legs twitched, but it couldn't get up.
"We did it!"
"Don't let your guard down!"
Leonore scolded the jubilant knight apprentices. Brother Cornelius and Traugott, with practiced ease, drove their swords into several spots on Tanisbefaren's body, making sure it couldn't move at all.
"Let's harvest the materials!"
Watching Traugott wave his arm broadly, the knights descended toward Tanisbefaren. I rode Lesserbus down as well.
"The materials you receive depend on your contribution."
Apparently, the materials from a feybeast defeated by a group were distributed based on each person's contribution. Brother Cornelius explained this to me and Wilfried, who weren't knight apprentices.
This time, the greatest contribution was Brother Cornelius's. Following him were Wilfried, then Traugott. Even I, who had immobilized it with the mantle, was recognized for my contribution.
"Don't forget
"And don't forget Leonore's contribution either—she had thoroughly studied materials on feybeasts that don't appear in the District Battles, even though she wouldn't normally have any reason to."
Brother Cornelius smiled faintly and nodded at Wilfried's and my words.
"I'd like materials that can be made into magic stones for Roderich's name dedication. I don't need anything else in particular, so please make sure I get good quality ones."
"Then how about the eyes on its forehead? The Magic Power it absorbed from attacks is separated by element, so they should make excellent materials."
Following Leonore's suggestion, it was decided that I would receive the wind and earth eyes—the elements that matched Roderich's.
"So go and collect them, Roderich. Please make a dedication stone worthy of me."
"Lord Rozemine..."
Roderich looked at me with an emotional expression, nodded firmly saying "I will," and climbed down from Lesserbus. Watching his retreating figure, I let out a breath of relief.
Since I had been helping with cooking in the Lower City, I had learned how to pluck bird feathers and skin them, but it wasn't something I was particularly good at or enjoyed.
...Prying out eyeballs is a bit much, though.
"Lord Rozemine, what will you do about the blessing? You can't recover the materials while the blessing of Darkness is still active. You'll keep having your Magic Power drained during the collection."
Snapping to attention at Brother Cornelius's voice as he prepared to gather materials, I looked around at everyone still holding their black weapons.
"If I cancel it, I won't be able to receive the blessing of Darkness again today."
"I don't think you'll need the blessing of Darkness multiple times in one day."
The knight apprentices nodded in agreement at Wilfried's words. I nodded too, saying "You're right," and spoke the spell to cancel the blessing.
"Entwaffnung."
Everyone repeated the incantation and canceled the blessing. Watching the black color fade from the weapons in their hands, I remembered that I didn't have a weapon at all. Looking around at everyone who had begun collecting materials, I called out, "I'm going to retrieve the Darkness God's mantle."
"Please wait. We need to assign a guard—"
"Brother Cornelius needs to focus on his own collection, doesn't he? I'll take Judith and Hartmut, so it'll be fine."
As the top contributor, Brother Cornelius had a lot of materials to gather. When I said this, Leonore, who had been helping Brother Cornelius collect his share, stood up shaking her head.
"I shall accompany Lord Rozemine. Cornelius, please leave my and Judith's collection to others as well."
"Ah, I'm counting on you for Lord Rozemine's escort."
I boarded Lesserbus and headed to retrieve the Darkness God's mantle I had thrown. My escort consisted of Judith, Leonore, and Hartmut.
"Lord Rozemine truly can create divine tools. I heard about it in reports from the practical session, but seeing it in person is truly moving."
Hartmut said this with a deeply satisfied smile, clearly delighted that the rigorous training had paid off.
"You see divine tools all the time at the
"Even when I go to the Temple to help with work, there are very few opportunities to actually see the divine tools."
Since I performed Magic Power offerings, I was constantly around and touching the divine tools. But come to think of it,
...Should there be more opportunities to see them?
While pondering this, I picked up the blown-off black mantle and caught my breath. The Darkness God's mantle absorbed Magic Power. I could see that the Magic Power in the area where it had fallen had been drained. There was no black sludge, but the ground had become completely dry and reddish-brown.
...I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I didn't mean for this to happen!
I hurriedly canceled the blessing and transformation, gripped my staff, and thought about using healing magic right away—then stopped. Shouldn't I heal the collection site before going any further? I hadn't landed a hit, but I had burned through a considerable amount of Magic Power firing water guns at Tanisbefaren in rapid succession. Rather than healing deep into the forest, I should prioritize the areas that still needed to be collected.
When I turned around to consult with Brother Cornelius, I froze solid and craned my neck with a stiff creak, averting my eyes.
"Lord Rozemine, what's wrong?"
I couldn't very well say I was scared of Tanisbefaren being dissected and didn't want to go near it, so I looked up at Leonore and gave a sheepish grin.
"I'd like to go heal the collection site. ...The material collection will take some time, won't it?"
"Healing, you say... What exactly would you do?"
Leonore tilted her head, not quite understanding. This was the same cleanup work done after the Trombe subjugation, but apparently she didn't know about it.
"I'd replenish the Magic Power in the land that Tanisbefaren drained."
"You can do that?"
It wasn't Leonore who stared in surprise—it was Hartmut. As an attendant who needed materials for his magical crafting, he had been worrying about what to do upon seeing the collection site devastated.
"It's a job at the Temple done after a Trombe subjugation. I am the High Priest, after all."
...It's not that I'm scared of the dissection! It's just that only I can perform the healing ritual!
Tanisbefaren has been defeated. From the perspective of the other knight apprentices, Rozemine proved her usefulness too. Next time: the healing ritual and the teachers from the rescue team.