For the next two weeks, Tet and I continued to undertake the herb collection request.
As a result, we rose to F-rank and became able to receive E-rank subjugation requests.
On the equipment side, I didn’t change at all–my staff and robe with hood plus my harvesting knife–but Tet slightly changed.
Her top was some easy to move attire–she equipped a leather breastplate protector–added some shin guards on the assumption she might kick and became more and more like a female knight.
Also, the number of Magic Crystals I created daily with my surplus mana has increased to 50 pieces and refilled them with mana little by little, so my external mana supply has become 50,000.
However, we haven’t been able to undertake a subjugation request yet.
“Phew, there’s a forest filled with monsters right before my eyes, but to think that’s it’s off-limits. I wonder if we should go to another town.”
Currently in the town of Daryl, due to the appearance of the orc king and outbreak of large numbers of orcs, the north of the forest was off-limits for E-rank and below.
In addition, because adventurers, including the Rising Falcon, might get in the way in the orc settlement extermination request, low-rank adventurers were prohibited from entering it/that part of the forest.
“Well, if everything goes well, the subjugation will end soon, shouldn’t it? Tet, it’s about time to go back.”
“Alright, Majo-sama!”
We collected herbs like usual, put them away in our magic bag, and headed towards the east gate.
Like usual, there was a line for adventurers, and when we were about to enter the town, a deep howl could be heard from the direction of the forest.
“Tet, be careful!”
“Yes, Majo-sama!”
Tet immediately pulled out her sword and became alert.
While the travelers and merchants were alert as they lined up to enter the town, 10 dark-red skinned humanoid monsters came running with all their might from the forest.
“It’s ogres! Run away!”
Because of the sudden appearance of ogres, which were famous for being a man-eating monster, everybody panicked and quickly rushed in to enter the town.
“Calm down! Slowly! Slowly enter the town!”
It seemed like the 10 ogres running at full speed arrived earlier than the people being guided in.
“Shit, why did 10 C-rank monsters appear! Someone! Go call for the adventurers from the adventurer’s guild!”
“The orc king subjugation is going on right now, so there isn’t anyone!”
“Even so call them and drive them away from the top of the rampart!”
“Protect everyone with the resolve to die! Call for backup!”
While the guards that protect the gate were shivering, they issued instructions one after another and appeared at the castle gate.
At this rate, the people outside the town are going to get run over…… Tet, how many can you take on?”
“Hmm? I don’t know! Even so, I’ll go fight!”
“Well, I guess we can only probe it out! Let’s go!”
It’s the first time I’ve seen this monster, but I didn’t feel the same pressure as I did with the stone golem boss that we fought in the dungeon.
Although they look big, their strength is most likely lower than its.
On one side, Tet held her sword and shield and slashed at the head of the ogre group, while I chanted flying magic.
“The win condition is to defeat the 10 ogres before they reach the front of the town. Or, buying time until everyone finished taking refuge, I think. —-<<Fly>><<Wind Cutter>>!”
Before, I was only able to float several meters off the ground, but now, the height and my sense of stability have increased.
From my overlooking point of view, I fired off a wind blade magic towards another ogre from the one Tet was facing.
However, even the magic that could cut orcs was defended against due to the ogre’s tough body and was stopped with a single layer of scratched skin.
“I see, body strengthening, is it?”
By cladding its body with mana inside its body, it seems like it boosts its defense power.
The stone golem may have been the superior individual, but because raw materials could be obtained due to it being a dungeon boss drop, there was no need to worry about the state of the damage of the corpse, so I fired off high-ranking magic at the stone golem.
In contrast to that, according to the guild’s monster field guide, various parts of the monsters that existed on the surface could be used as raw materials.
“Hmm. Even if I continue with these weak attacks, the raw materials are just going to get damaged, but just because of that, high-ranking fire magic is a bit……”
If it’s just defeating them, I could do it, but to defeat them without damaging the raw materials requires a bit of a trick.
And also—-
“Haaa!”
Tet’s swords and the ogre’s club exchanged blows, but Tet’s weapon was the one that broke.
“Ahh–! The sword I got from Majo-sama—-!”
At this rate, Tet was hit by the orc’s club and tumbled around 10 meters on the ground.
Screams rose from the people lined up outside the town.
“Ouchhh! I won’t forgive you anymore!”
However, Tet got back up as if nothing happened and challenged the ogre to hand-to-hand combat with her intense force.
With a large amount of physical strength and the magic power of a golem, Tet’s side was several times stronger. Tet’s one strike broke the ogre’s arm, through its foot, and caved-in into its chest.
“Gaaaaaa—-”
Three ogres rushed in for Tet. While Tet was trying to handle their punches, she broke the ogre’s legs with a low kick and reduced their mobility one by one.
However, Tet was being beaten back, being blown away, and her clothes and armor became tattered but continued to strike without any concern.
“Tet’s way of fighting is, practically like a warrior obsessed with battling. Well then, I’ll—-”
Even if I continue to rapidly fire wind cutters at the ogres that slipped past Tet and were approaching this direction, the ogre’s bodies would only get bloody and just provoke their anger. If that’s the case—-
“Using the Mana Crystal’s mana—-<<Hardening>>! Shoot!” 1
I launched Magic Crystals with my [Origin Magic] and invoked [Hardening] using the Magic Crystal as the reference point.
“Hmm. The experiment where the Magic Crystal itself is used as an attack is roughly a success I guess?”
A pebble could be thrown at the same speed, but it would be stopped by the ogre’s body strengthening magic and break into pieces.
Therefore, the Magic Crystal itself is hard and its mana neutralizes the ogre’s body strengthening and pierced the ogre’s physical magic.
“I wonder if the name of the magic <<Hardening>> is good.”
Once again, I invoked [Hardening] on the Magic Crystals that I loaded with mana with my Creation Magic, and shot it at high speeds with my own magical powers. 2 As a result, the Magic Crystal that was super duper strong flew the same way a pebble would have, pierced into the ogre’s head, and crashed into its brains.
“Yup. For the time being, the parts except the brain are completely intact, and I brought down the remaining ogres.”
The destroyed crystal that was shot destroyed the ogre’s brain in one shot.
Then, in a blink of an eye, the ogre’s corpses fell to the ground, and the remaining one became confused, turned around, and ran back towards the forest, but I shot at it without letting it get away and killed it.