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Chapter 48
Guess what? Vol.3 is here at last! Big thanks for hanging in there with me as I took a breather for a month!
I just gotta give a shout-out to all my awesome readers, backers, and subscribers during my journey with SOAT. It’s been crazy since I took up this novel last November, and honestly, I couldn’t picture myself still translating SOAT if it weren’t for you guys. You’ve made this all possible, so thank you. Plus, a massive thank-you goes to Cece for sponsoring the next 2 volumes of SOAT. Seriously, I’m over the moon.
Alright then, dive into Vol.3 and enjoy, folks!
SIDE STORY: Rei, a Member of the White-winged Knights
“Argh, grrr…!”
“Rei, be careful not to get surrounded!”
“I know, okay!”
I swung my sword at the great wolf with pale-brown fur that was approaching from the right. With a sharp point, I sliced the tip of its snout. The great wolf howled “GAAGGAA!” in agony, but it was not a fatal blow. Far from fatal, it glared at me with eyes filled with hatred and murderous intent, blood dribbling down its snout, and went charging at me. I twisted my body just in time to avoid the oncoming fangs of the great wolf, resisting the urge to curse out loud.
Three weeks have passed since my group, the White-winged Knights, along with the Black-winged and Yellow-winged Knights, collectively went to aid the city of Menonu. Since that day, the monster attack rate within the country has been increasing rapidly. Today, the White-winged Knights received orders to exterminate monsters appearing on the highway leading from the eastern gate of the capital. Until now, it was unimaginable that monsters would appear near such a bustling thoroughfare. But now, they have started to show themselves in the presence of humans.
“GAGUGUGU……!”
Ten great wolves had appeared on the highway. Twenty of us from the White-winged Knights, including me, were confronting them.
This situation was also strange. The great wolves, despite their large size, are typically cowardly monsters. If the size of the enemy group is larger than their own, they run away in an instant. But something had been wrong since the day the large swarm of monsters attacked Menonu City.
“Damn… get out of the way!”
As I swung my sword again, the great wolf nimbly dodged to the left. But that’s exactly what I was aiming for. I pulled out a small bottle of Elixir from the pouch on my waist and threw it at the great wolf. When the bottle hit its face and broke, the liquid inside splashed all over it.
“GYAAGGAAA!!!!”
“This is it—the final blow!”
Without missing a beat, I thrust my sword into the face of the great wolf, which was now rigid and screeching!
The tip of my sword that had penetrated the wide-open, bright-red mouth of the wolf went right through its skull. The great wolf, its brain impaled, convulsed, and jumped, and I tried to pull my arm back to draw the sword.
“Tsk, it’s stuck… excuse me, senpai, could you help me out a bit?”
“Huh? Ah, I got it. Wait a bit, I’m drinking a potion. Rei, you should drink one too, just in case. It seems like we’re done with the great wolves… but there’s always a chance of something unexpected.”
“Understood.”
The senior who agreed to help was about to open a bottle of potion. I also grabbed a bottle of potion, following my senior’s actions. Potions and Elixirs – innovative spiritual medicines invented by the Black-winged Knights.
A potion restores the drinker’s stamina and has the power to heal wounds. The Elixir has even higher properties, improving and restoring not only physical strength and wounds but also magical power. Moreover, as I did earlier, if it’s splashed on monsters, it can cause status abnormalities such as paralysis and poisoning. These two types of spiritual medicines are invaluable… You could say they are what allow the current Ritzheim Magic Kingdom to exist.
Without these spiritual medicines, it would have been difficult for the knights to cope with the increasing number of monster attacks. No, it’s more accurate to say that our victory in the recent Menonu city attack was made possible because of these potions and Elixirs.
However, while thinking about this, a disturbing thought crossed my mind. What would happen if the production of potions can’t keep up with the frequency of monster attacks?
Furthermore, while the royal capital and cities are protected by tall castle walls, once rural areas without such defenses suffer an attack by a horde of monsters, there would be no survivors. Inevitably, many casualties will occur. If those who lost their homes were to all simultaneously flee to the royal capital, the city would overflow with jobless individuals, lacking homes and money. And then…
“Rei! Run!”
At my senior’s urgent voice, I quickly lift my face. Looking up, I see the Great Wolf that my senior was supposed to have slain, getting up. It skillfully dodges the sword my senior hurriedly swings, and heads straight towards me!
“Da, damn it, my weapon is…!”
I instinctively reach for my waist, only to remember that my own sword was still stuck in the Great Wolf’s skull.
Moreover, the last elixir, my lifeline, I had used just a while ago. I desperately try to escape from its fangs, but trip over my feet and fall to the ground. Not missing its opportunity, the Great Wolf opens its mouth wide and charges.
My senior tries to rush to my side, but he won’t make it in time.
“―――GA, GU……?”
But right before the Great Wolf with its crimson mouth open wide could sink its teeth into the nape of my neck, something shining like a silver shooting star passed right before my eyes. The Great Wolf, cut off by the meteor’s flash, widened its eyes, its mouth still wide open.
Then, a second later, the Great Wolf thudded and collapsed to the ground. Dark red blood spurted out onto the ground. Looking closely, a glowing silver sword was beautifully piercing the Great Wolf’s neck.
“―Are you alright?” Then, a calm and composed voice echoed, out of place in the tense battlefield.
That’s when I realized. Someone had thrown a sword and slayed the Great Wolf, saving me. Slowly, I turned my gaze toward the voice.
And I gasped.
The black hair and eyes, the rare ivory-colored skin.
The young man, looking down at me while straddling a black horse with the sun at his back, was as beautiful as a painting. The black horse he was riding was also a magnificent creature, with a bulky, exceptional body and sharp gaze that exuded an unusual intensity. The young man lightly jumped off the horse with a graceful motion and offered me his hand.
Despite seeming around the same age as me, his neck and arms peeking out from his shirt’s collar were slender and finely featured. Seeing him made my heart pound uncontrollably. Hesitantly, I take his hand. The young man helps me up, supporting my body.
I knew this black-haired, black-eyed young man. After all, back then, he was the one who grasped my trembling hand.
“I’m glad you’re safe,” said Takumi, a member of the Black-winged Knights.
With a shy smile, he said this, not appearing at all like the man who had just slain the Great Wolf in one hit.