LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 66
The Elf city where the Mined Creatures were reported to have appeared was located at the northern border of the Empire.
Having used the powerful teleportation spell to arrive at Elvendell, it felt like a waste to head back toward the Empire. But with the Fairy King’s stern warning, there was no other option.
The journey itself wasn’t long.
We were lent a flying wagon by the Fairy King as a last resort. It was pulled by some fantastic creature, whether a unicorn or a one-horned horse — I wasn’t sure, but the ride was surprisingly smooth. Even Ophelia didn’t get motion sickness, so it couldn’t have been that bad.
Perhaps because of that, Ophelia casually brought up a topic.
“Hey, I’ve got a question.”
“What is it?”
“What do you think about that proposition the Fairy King made earlier?”
“What proposition?”
“The one about marrying that old man.”
Ophelia’s gaze turned toward Erwin, who was sitting across from her.
Erwin’s expression was smiling, yet it didn’t seem genuine.
A shiver ran down my spine.
“You’re not seriously considering that marriage talk, are you?”
Ophelia asked carefully, and Emily, who had been quietly listening, covered her mouth. For Emily, who loved gossip, our current conversation must’ve felt like a soap opera.
By the way, to directly ask about marriage — Ophelia had become remarkably bold since that day’s fireworks festival.
“Um…”
But Ophelia excelled when it came to teasing others.
Thus, I wore a faint smile and said,
“What if I seriously considered marrying?”
“…Pfft?”
At that moment, Erwin, who had just taken a sip of water, accidentally spat it out.
I intended to tease Ophelia but ended up snaring an unusual fish instead.
Erwin began to ramble.
“Y-you, Hero. I understand your feelings, but I cannot…”
“Cannot what?”
Ophelia glared at Erwin with gritted teeth, visibly annoyed.
“Did you just say ‘cannot’? Old maid?”
“Old, maid?”
Erwin also stiffened up at the mention.
I quickly pulled Ophelia toward me.
“What in the world is going on?”
“But that girl just called you ‘cannot.’”
“Does Ophelia want me to get married?”
“W-well, not that, but…”
“Then there’s no reason to be angry.”
“That’s one thing, and this is another!”
She butted my chin, furious.
I had no idea how to match that pace.
“Hahaha.”
Albrecht laughed out loud, but when met with Erwin and Ophelia’s sharp gazes, he cleared his throat and straightened up.
“…The future looks bleak.”
Azar shook his head disapprovingly at the chaotic situation.
*
The Elf city plagued by Mined Creatures was named Melt Rune; it was more of an extensive cluster of small villages than a city.
Such a loose environment explains why Mined Creatures could be rampant here.
The atmosphere of the city was chaotic to the point of being threatening. People — no, Elves — were all holed up inside, locking all doors and windows, showing zero hospitality toward outsiders.
Even the guards were watching us with sharp eyes.
Considering the Elves’ inherent disdain for humans, their treatment of us might be considered generous for an infrequent visitor.
“Those Ear Demons, what are we going to do now?”
Ophelia grumbled.
Erwin pretended he didn’t hear. It was quite the example of adult behavior.
“For now, let’s investigate the surroundings. We’ve chased Mined Creatures a few times before, so we can manage.”
This was the truth.
During my days with the Black Eagle Mercenary Group, we had successfully hunted down Mined Creatures that had been lurking around us more than once.
Azar seemed to have some experience as he nodded.
“It seems we need the guards’ cooperation. For now, Archery Master, please make sure to be cordial.”
At least, there was a silver lining: Erwin was the Chief of one of the Great Forest’s major clans.
The Fairy King likely paired Erwin with us for this reason.
She shrugged.
“Just leave it to this sister.”
“Stop calling yourself sister.”
Ophelia sneered, but Erwin ignored her once more.
*
“Excuse me, but this is our jurisdiction.”
And thus, Erwin’s bold enthusiasm was swiftly crushed.
A neat and tidy Elf man who sprang out from the guards shook his head and said.
“What do you mean? We came after hearing from the Fairy King. We’re here to help!”
“I know that. However, Melt Rune has its own rules.”
The man introduced himself as Commander Badarn.
“This is the settlement of our Redrick Tribe. As it’s in our jurisdiction, we can handle it.”
“…”
“I’m sorry, but please return. We will deal with the Mined Creatures ourselves.”
“I’ve heard there are already a lot of missing persons.”
As I chimed in, Badarn shot me a sharp glare.
It was an expression that said, ‘This is none of your human business.’
“Stay out of it. That too is the responsibility of our Redrick Tribe. Thank you for your concern, but it seems that an outsider, especially a human, shouldn’t meddle.”
“…”
Erwin bit his lower lip, looking flustered.
Contrary to my thoughts, the tribes in the Great Forest seemed to have a strong sense of independence.
Given Badarn’s confrontational stance, there was little Erwin could do. As the Archery Master, she was currently traveling with us and couldn’t exercise her rights as the Chief of the Vinheim Tribe.
In the end, we left the guards empty-handed, and the moment we stepped outside, Erwin slammed her fist down.
“Damn it!”
“Weren’t you just telling us to trust you?”
Ophelia asked, while Erwin’s eyelids twitched.
She kept slamming the railing and then suddenly turned her head sharply toward the guards’ building.
“Those Redrick Tribe folks have way too much pride. They think sending a supporter from the Fairy King to solve the problem would sully their clan’s honor. What a bunch of fools.”
“Sounds familiar.”
Ophelia chuckled as she muttered.
I playfully gave her a light nudge on the crown of her head.
“Anyway, if they’re going to be like that… what should we do?”
Emily spoke up, while Albrecht put his hand on his chin in thought.
“They’ll probably interfere with everything and try to keep an eye on us. I’ve seen conflicts like this escalate, resulting in casualties.”
“The Fairy King didn’t think this through, did he?”
It seemed the Fairy King’s mentioned headache was not limited to just the Mined Creatures.
Ultimately, we would have to catch the Mined Creatures while keeping an eye on the Redrick Tribe’s warriors as well.
It could be said that the difficulty level was much higher than in the original story.
“Isn’t there any way?”
Azar scratched the back of his neck, asking.
“Well, there is, but…”
I stood up.
“I’ve dealt with Mined Creatures several times during my mercenary days. Their patterns of behavior are simple. They’re smarter than monsters, but not superior to humans.”
I pressed firmly down on Ophelia’s crown while saying this.
“In other words, if we use our heads, we can make anything work.”
“Why are you using my head?”
“Well, because you’ll have to play a major role in this plan.”
I began to explain the gist of the plan.
Mined Creatures prefer weak humans as prey.
So, they usually target children or the elderly, who have little chance of resistance. However, most Mined Creatures are male and are often driven mad by one of humans’ three base desires — lust.
Once, Laila almost lost her dignity as a member of her species after being overwhelmed by a Mined Creature during an exploration beyond the barrier.
“What’s that got to do with us?”
Ophelia asked, somewhat annoyed.
“It means we plan to use bait.”
“Bait?”
“We’ll wander around the area disguised as the prey Mined Creatures crave.”
After some thought, I decided to name our operation.
“We’ll call it the Red Riding Hood Operation.”
“Red… Riding Hood?”
“Such a thing exists.”
I clapped my hands, replying to Emily’s mutter.
“And we’re thinking of luring the Mined Creatures with this operation. We managed to draw out a few Mined Creatures using this method in the north.”
Everyone seemed to understand.
Though I’m a bit hesitant to say it myself, I’m one of the humans who have killed the most Demons, Monsters, and Mined Creatures on the continent.
With that said, it lends credibility to my words.
“…Hmm.”
Of course, Ophelia had to interject.
“So, Elliot, if you’re right, one of us has to play the bait.”
“Exactly. We need a delicate young girl for the bait role, but she must also be able to fend for herself. For instance, she should be skilled in swordsmanship or able to use defensive magic, or ideally, both.”
“Where the heck do you find such a girl who can do both? Defensive magic? Swordsmanship? Who are you going to pull her out of your dreams?”
Ophelia sneered, but we didn’t bother to respond.
“….”
“….”
A moment of silence fell.
Everyone’s eyes shifted to Ophelia.
“…Me?”
Ophelia tilted her head.
*
“Damn it.”
Ophelia muttered like that.
The stones and twigs underfoot were bothersome.
Behind the rustling sound, a chilling wind whistled through the trees.
“Why do I have to endure such humiliation…”
The role of bait had been unanimously assigned to Ophelia.
It was indeed the only available option.
At first glance, Ophelia appeared delicate, like a frail girl. However, she was adequately prepared to handle Mined Creature attacks in close combat, and she could also spread barriers and unleash shockwaves with Holy Magic.
In short, there was nobody better suited for the bait role than Ophelia.
However, just because one understands does not mean one is convinced.
“How dare you shove me into this deadly situation? Elliot, that bastard!”
Naturally, the arrows of hatred turned toward Elliot.
It was cold.
More than cold, it was terrifying.
Since leaving the Cathedral, Ophelia had never ventured alone into the dark, dense forest where she walked.
As she attempted to steady her trembling legs and force herself to move forward…
“…”
She heard the sound of a twig snapping.
Right nearby.
Ophelia threw off her cloak and placed her hand at her waist.
At that moment.
Whoosh!
Something flew her way, and she raised her hand to cast Holy Magic.
A golden circle of light spread outward, illuminating the surroundings in an instant.
Then, the object thrown by the attacker paused mid-air before falling at Ophelia’s feet.
After that, no further attacks followed.
Confirming the absence of any presence, Ophelia looked down at the object on the ground.
“…An arrow?”
It was an arrow.
Tied with a small piece of paper at the end.
“…Elliot, do Mined Creatures use bows?”
She reached out through the long-distance communication magic that Emily had provided.
After a moment, he replied.
[No, it can’t be…]
“Then what’s this about?”
[It seems the enemy isn’t just Mined Creatures. Or perhaps, they weren’t Mined Creatures at all.]
That message sent an icy chill down Ophelia’s spine.