CLOP CLOP CLOP CLOP
Rapid steps raced across the evergreen fields, panting and grunting ringing all the same. There was panic in the eye of the horses, pulling the wagons the best they could as they tried to run away from the vicious horrors.
The silhouette of the city was already in charge, yet despite that, there was not an ounce of relief in the hearts of the wagon riders. There was only fear and anxiety, everyone shaking in fear and praying for dear life as tears trickled down their cheeks.
The steeds ran at high speeds, a massive shadow chasing after them. There it was, flying high up in the sky and circling around the wagon. Its eyes were sharper than daggers, scales darker than obsidian, and wings firm and strong. It was a Wyvern.
"H-Honey, just hold on! We're almost there! I can see the city!"
"Papa... Hic... Hic... Papa... Mama... Hic..."
"It's alright, James... Hush... We'll be alright..."
"Yeah. Just hold on a little. We're almost there!"
Or so said the man, but deep inside, he was very nervous, heart thumping like never before. His hands were sweaty and eyes were shifty, but he didn't waver. The horses are already at their limits, but he couldn't stop. They need to keep on running.
It all happened so fast. He was just a small merchant, and with his family, he traveled to the city. However, since they took a shortcut, they never saw other people and so, never heard about the sudden appearance of Wyverns.
Now, they are racing for their dear lives, trying their best to escape the Wyvern tailing them from behind. It had been chasing them for quite a while already, and the man knew full well what was happening... It was just playing with them...
"Giddyup! Faster! Faster!"
However, despite knowing all that, the man could only grit his teeth tightly and cling to the slight glimmer of hope before him. He may be dying today, but he will make sure to deliver his family to safety. Determination burned in his heart.
The seconds passed and the city walls drew closer, the soldiers waving their banners towards him and they prepared to open the gates. But just when relief started to flood his heart, a black streak suddenly fell from the skies, and...
CRASH BOOM BOOM ROOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRR
... A massive figure suddenly appeared before them. The Wyvern had dived from high above and crashed right in front of them, blowing away their wagon and killing their trusty horses all the while, a large crater forming on the ground.
They were already too close to the city, and the Wyvern finally stopped playing around. It planted its foot firmly on the ground, its long and heavy tail swaying from left to right as it took its steps, drawing closer and closer to the fallen wagon.
Its low roars made the air tremble and its every step made the ground rumble. There was a menacing look into its eyes, striking fear into the hearts of merchant and his family members, the Wyvern clearly enjoying the torment of people.
"Men! Fire every shot you can! Don't let it do whatever it wants to!"
Shouted a knight as he ordered his soldiers to fire spells, arrows, boots, and darts towards the Wyvern. However, it was all futile. It may not be a full-grown Wyvern, but it was still a full-fledged B-rank beast. The attacks barely barely nicked its scales.
ROOOAAAAARRRRRRR BANG RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE
The Wyvern whipped its tail in retaliation, striking the wall as hard as it could. There was a barrier surrounding the city, however, it still made the whole wall shake from the sheer amount of force alone, tremors sent to the ground.
The walls, the barriers, the counterattacks, the crossbows and cannons... Everything was nothing but futile resistance to the Wyvern, and the knights and soldiers knew it well. The Wyvern was taunting them, snickering as it watched them struggle.
"Y-You d-damn lizard... I... I won't let y-you hurt my f-family...!"
Yet despite all that, the merchant still tried standing up against it. His hands were shaking and his mouth was stuttering, yet he held a sword as tightly as he could, pointing it towards the massive beast before it.
"H-Honey, take the kids and run towards the wall. I'll buy as much time as I can!"
"What are you talking about?! We have to go togetherー"
"Just go already! I won't be able to last long!"
He may be dying today, but he will die for his family. There was pain and hesitation brewing in her heart, but hearing her husband's resolute words, the wife could only grit her teeth and start moving, grabbing their children with them.
As for the merchant, he simply stood there, his feet firmly glued on the groundー no, rather... He was even able to move a muscle. He never held a sword before nor knew how to use it, but if it could buy time for his family, he would do anything.
"What are you looking at, you damn lizard?! Your opponent is over here!"
The Wyvern eyes shifted towards the running lady and the children, but before it could even have any funny thoughts of chasing them, the merchant immediately provoked it, throwing a rock straight to its face and grabbing its attention.
Wyverns may be smart creatures, but they are just as prideful and temperamental. For a prey it deemed nothing more than a worm to try and challenge it, it couldn't just let it slip, its eyes burning with rage as he glared at the man.
It was a glare which could paralyze even the most veteran of knights, and surely enough, it had great effects. The man's body was now shaking uncontrollably, his heart racing to the point of madness.
"What are you waiting for?! Come at me already!"
The man provoked the Wyvern once more, shouting his heart out. It was the final straw that snapped the Wyvern's patience, the massive and ferocious beast soon charging towards him, mouth wide open, ready to devour him whole,
Yet despite that, there wasn't fear in his heart, but joy. He was happy and smiling... It may be the last scene he gets to witness, but he saw it... His family had made it to safety. He couldn't be any happier as he welcomed deathー or so he thought...
One second... Two seconds... Three seconds... And a couple more...
However, rather than pain and misery, he felt nothing when he closed his eyes. It was strangely quiet, and not a single inch of his body suffering in agony. He soon opened his eyes, only to find an obscure and marvelous sight before him.
There she was, standing proudly in front of him, her silver hair fluttering in the air like a cascading river of stars, her sleek figure standing mighty, her eyes cold as the wind and beautiful as the sky, and an unwavering expression on her face.
"For a useless lizard, you sure have a lot of guts..." ［Yuna］
Her cold words drifted in the air, and all eyes were on her. Despite her delicate figure, she stopped the charging Wyvern with just a single hand. The Wyvern tried to exert more power, but the young lady just won't budge... She was immovable...
GRRROOOOAAAAARRRRRRRR
Annoyed and irritated, the Wyvern let out an ear-piercing roar, thundering all over the plains and reverberating towards the heavens. It soon lashed its heavy and deadly tail out towards the young lady, aiming to crush it in one fell swoop.
However, its expectations couldn't be further from reality. Rather than crushing the young lady, it saw a sudden streak of platinum flashing before it. The very next moment, its tail was cut off and shock ran rampant with the pain,
KHHIIIEEEEEKKKKKKKKKKKK
It took it a second to realize, but as soon as it did, the Wyvern writhed in pain and agony, flailing around its wings and shrieking with its sharp cries. Everyone was in shock at the unspeakable sight, astonished at the impossible.
"Waah... How loud... Shut up, will you?" ［Yuna］
Yet the Wyvern couldn't even shake off the pain, when suddenly, the young lady made her move. She branched her daggers once more, cold glints of platinum flashing down upon the Wyvern like a deadly and heavy downpour.
⟨⟨Execution⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
The platinum glints turned into streaks, and a cascading stream of blades rained down upon the unsuspecting Wyvern, riddling its whole body with cuts and wounds, the young lady slicing it up as if she was cutting up tofu.
In just a single second, the Wyvern's whole body was diced, blood rippling out like a sudden flood as the Wyvern was cut up. The once ferocious Wyvern is now nothing but a pile of chunks of meat, falling towards the ground with a series of thuds.
Everyone was speechless, unable to believe what just happened. It was especially true for the merchant. He was already ready to give up his life, but in a funny twist of fate, it seems like he gets to live another day. An angel had graced him.
"Sorry for being late. Are you okay?" ［Yuna］
"Ah, y-yes... Thankー Ah! Watch out!"
However, the one Yuna finished off wasn't the only Wyvern there was. Another one appeared all of the sudden and dove straight towards the young lady to avenge its fallen kin, heart fueled with rage and fangs ready to mutilate her.
Yet despite all that, the young lady's eyes didn't twitch a single bit. She simply stood there and watched the Wyvern rush towards her, not an ounce of fear in her heart... And just before the Wyvern could reach her...
BOOOOOMMMMMMMM FWOOOSSSHHH CRASHHH THUD THUD THUD
... An abrupt kick struck the Wyvern out of nowhere and sent it flying far away, soon crashing towards the ground with a deformed and shattered skull. It struggled for a little while, but after squirming for a hot minute, it soon lost its life.
Yet another figure had made its entrance, as flashy and conspicuous as could be. His black hair was even darker than the Wyvern's scale and his gaze were deep as the howling nights, eyes just as unimpressed as Yuna's. It was none other than Grey.
"Yuna, how could you just jump off life like that? You're really gonna give me a heart attack one of these days." ［Grey］
"Ehh～? It wasn't even that high though?" ［Yuna］
"We were above cloud level, you know?" ［Grey］
"Don't sweat the small stuff～! I'm fine, aren't I?" ［Yuna］
"You... Really... Haah... Forget it..." ［Grey］
Everyone was puzzled and nervous, yet Grey and Yuna's expressions couldn't be any relaxed. They were chatting ever so casually as if they were just a pair of friends chattering whilst lazing around their homes. It was a bizarre sight.
ROOOOAAAAARRRRRRRRR KHIEK KHIEK KHIEK
However, there was no time to relax. Just when Grey and Yuna took down two of the Wyverns, more suddenly appeared in the sky and started rushing towards them. It was quite the sight, the large winged lizards numbering almost a dozen.
There were a handful of adolescent Wyverns and some older juveniles, but there was not a single adult to be seen. Still, it was a massive flock of C-rank and B-rank beasts which could lay waste to a city any time... Not that the two would allow it anyway.
"Then, Grey, please heal this man over here. I'll deal with the Wyverns." ［Yuna］
"Huh? Don't just push the responsiー" ［Grey］
"I'll see you later～!" ［Yuna］
"... And there she goes..." ［Grey］
Grey couldn't even finish his words when the young lady suddenly bolted away, then leaping towards the charging Wyverns and leaving Grey and the merchant in quite the awkward situation. He soon started healing as he heaved a sigh.
As for Yuna, there was no need to worry. She quickly appeared before the Wyverns in just a couple seconds, and before the flying lizards could even hope to raise their guards, her hands already glowed a glacial blue glow, much colder than her eyes.
Yuna swiped her hand and the air suddenly turned cold. Snow formed and soon ice came into the picture, swilling ever so turbulently and turning into deep blue spears of frost and death, pointing towards the Wyverns without wasting a single moment.
⟨⟨Winter Gale's Parade!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
The spears soon bolted out and the silhouettes of frozen knights were painted in the eyes of theW Wyverns. It was the very last thing they saw, their chest soon pierced with frost as the frozen knights ran past them.
Shrieks and bellows filled the air, and some of the Wyverns struggled quite a bit. However, it was all futile. The more they moved, the quicker the frozen hands of death grasped them, swallowing them whole without hesitation.
Before long, the Wyverns' bodies were encased in unbreakable frost, falling towards the ground like flies and making a handful of craters on the ground. They all fell like flies, the young lady landing on the ground without making a single sound.
"Hmm... How weak... That was a little anticlimactic..." ［Yuna］
The battle didn't even last a single minute, all the Wyverns in sight wiped out by the young lady. Now, there are only frozen corpses lying on the ground, a few craters, and some broken pieces of wood, metals, and cloth.
It seems like it wasn't just the first time the Wyverns attacked wagons, carriages, and moving objects, a handful of debris scattered around the field. Yet despite all their tyranny, they couldn't even land a hit on Yuna... It was underwhelming, actually...
"You missed one, My Dear." ［Grey］
"No, I didn'tー Pomf." ［Yuna］
The only one who managed to take her by surprise was only Grey. He suddenly appeared behind her, and whilst prompting the young lady to turn around, he had prepared his index finger, the young lady getting her cheeks poked soon after.
Grey may have missed most of the battle, but it wasn't the only way to have fun. It was a childish move, but seeing Yuna's surprised and confused reaction makes it worth it all. The young lady soon puffed her cheeks.
"Hahaha. I can't believe you fell for that... Again..." ［Grey］
"Uuu... Grey... !You meanie! Bully! You mean bully! I hate you!" ［Yuna］
There was blood, gore, and corpses on the ground, but the two were just jokingly playing around, the young lady pounding her fiancé's shoulders as she puffed her cheeks in the most adorable manner... They are beyond common sense...
Shenanigans aside, Grey and Yuna soon moved their hands and quickly disposed of the Wyvern corpses on the ground, storing them inside the Inventory, and ridding the whole place of blood and gore while they were at it.
Soon enough, the two headed towards the city walls and chatted with the guards a little bit, discussing what to do with the broken wagons and the victims' belongings. There were quite a lot of them so it will take some time to sort it through.
"It may be too late to ask this right now, but... Are you perhaps Their Highnesses, Archduke Grey, and Archduchess Yuna?"
Asked one of the guards as they wrapped up the talk with Grey and Yuna. They already had guesses, and were quite certain after seeing their superior prowess which people only spheroid in legends and the tales of bards.
Normally, Grey and Yuna would have denied it and kept their identities hidden, but with the situation as difficult as it is and seeing everyone's anxious faces, it seems like they'll have to make an exception. A bit of trouble wouldn't hurt.
"Fufufu! That's right, that's us. We came from a request from the Guild, so you can rest assured. We will surely do our part." ［Yuna］
"Oh.. Ohh... Woohhh! It's them! It's really them! We're saved!"
"The heavens haven't forsaken us yet! This is great news!"
"Quick, go tell Her Excellency! The heroes have arrived!"
It was just a simple confirmation, but everyone was over the moon as soon as they heard Yuna's words. They all celebrated and rejoiced, some even shedding genuine tears of joy. Before long, a carriage arrived to escort the two to the Lord's Mansion.
It has been a couple of days since Grey forged his first Legendary-Grade item, and now, the two are on an S-rank quest to eliminate a flock of Wyverns near the city of Ortega, located in the neighboring Beast Kingdom of Gildanar.
Just as they predicted, with the Wyvern migration season on the high, there have been quite a number of Wyvern extermination quests throughout the Guild, posted every now and then as emergency quests.
In fact, just today, there have been 3 quests posted on Galderia's emergency board, one which Kris and Aria took, one that Grey and Yuna left to the familiars, and the other they took for themselves, currently occuring right now.
"Excuse me, can we ask you something?" ［Grey］
"A-Ah, of course! Please ask anything you want, Your Highness."
"Then, about the Wyvern infestation, can we ask how many victims the Wyverns had already? We'd also ask other details if possible." ［Grey］
"I'm not really sure, but..."
As expected, there have also been a lot of victims because of the Wyvern migration. According to the coachman, just in Ortega alone, the Wyverns already attacked and destroyed several carriages and killed a few dozen victims.
While they could fend off most attacks coming to the city, those who are still outside are all but sitting ducks waiting to be devoured. The adolescent ones were infamous for causing trouble, causing the most casualties.
However, things are much worse for more rural and isolated villages and hamlets. They don't have barriers and defensive artillery like the cities does, and would easily be wiped out by even a single juvenile. All they could do is hide in bunkers and such.
Even if the city could hold on from attacks, they would be in jeopardy sooner or later once the resources started running low. After all, all the trade routes had been cut off by the Wyverns, and not even small carriages could enter.
"Just yesterday, we were able to hunt a B-rank Wyvern, but... We lost a handful of good knights and valuable ammunition in the process."
"A B-rank Wyvern... That could be sold for at least a million kiels no matter how terrible its condition is, right?" ［Yuna］
"That's right, but considering the deaths of the number of victims and the resources to pull that off. I highly doubt that it's worth it. It would have been much different with a High-Ranker around." ［Grey］
"Unfortunately, we don't have such a capable person."
"Yeah... We could see that..." ［Grey］
Of course, the Lord and the Guild has also been using everything it can to whittle down on the Wyverns. The juveniles and youngs could easily be dealt with using some strategic planning, but the same couldn't be said for the adolescents.
It has only been 2 days since the Wyverns started troubling the city yet there already are a lot of victims. Thankfully, the True Wyverns, the adult ones, have yet to show themselves, else, there would have been a lot more casualties.
It was regrettable that they couldn't take the quest earlier, but Grey and Yuna weren't exactly free before either. They were exterminating Wyverns in another place, and a quest hasn't been posted for it yet. There was no use dwelling on it.
"How about the locations of the Wyverns? Have you figured it out yet?" ［Grey］
"Her Excellency has sent scouts to the nearby forests, but I haven't heard of any confirmation yet... Well, I'm just a coachman, after all."
"So we really need to meet the Lord, huh..." ［Yuna］
"How vexing..." ［Grey］
The coachman only knew of some general knowledge, but it was still better than nothing. Grey and Yuna continued to ask the man some questions, and the latter happily obliged to answer them to the best of his abilities.
Soon enough, the carriage finally arrived at the Lord's estate, and as one would expect from a Comital Household, it was quite lavish, about just as grand as the mansion the Aldridges own in the Royal Capital.
Unfortunately, they weren't there to go sightseeing, but to attend a formal matter. The coachman soon waved his goodbye to the two, and soon enough, a butler came to guide them, not towards the parlor, but towards the Lord's office immediately.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Your Excellency, I have brought Their Highnesses with me,"
"That's wonderful to hear. Please let them in." ［???］
It didn't take long before Grey and Yuna arrived before the Lord's office, a series of knocks echoing in the air and the butler informed the Lord of their arrival. There was no time to waste, and the Lord let them in as soon as possible.
The butler soon opened the door by his liege's command, and with a subtle creak, a surprising scenery was unveiled. The whole office was filled with all sorts of important documents from the floor all the way to the table.
It seems like they are mostly reports concerning the troubles the Wyverns have been causing the city and the nearby villages under the Lord's command. There were quite a lot of them, and it seems like the Lord has been sleepless, bags under her eyes.
"I apologize for the mess. I have been so busy so I haven't had the time to clean the office. It must be surprising, no?" ［???］
In the middle of it all was a lady in her late forties, small, round pointed ears on top of her head and a banded tail of black and white tucked behind her. She seems to be a member of the raccoon tribe, and the feudal lord of Ortega
"Pardon the late introduction. I am Tifania wen Valrosche, the Head of the Varosche Comital Household and the feudal lord of Ortega. It is my greatest pleasure to have you here, Your Highnesses." ［Tifania］
CHAPTER 476 END