In the Land of Leadale - Volume 5 - Chapter Pr2

Prologue

A caravan made camp for the night after traveling about two days west of Felskeilo. They had only just begun to unpack, and there was still some time before twilight, but this group of small-time merchants stuck close together in self-defense. Unlike larger companies, this one lacked a bevy of staff, and the management had to handle everything themselves.

Accompanying the caravan was an envoy of three adventurer parties, fifteen people in total. They were divided into rotating lookout, standby, and counterattack units. The main road leading northwest had been closed thanks to a rash of bandit activity, but rumor had it two nations had combined their knight forces and flushed them out. Of course, the fact that a certain adventurer had captured the bandit leader was kept a secret from the general public. Conscientious merchants stayed quiet for the right price.

With the main roads now safe, this merchant caravan conducted business with local villages along the coast and stocked up on fish. Many were greatly relieved to see their livelihoods stabilize.

The adventurers protecting them, on the other hand, looked pale. Their benefactors might begin to question the safety of the roads, so they did their best to hide their unease. Besides, this return to business was a long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel. Vowing to defend the caravan from danger, the guards upped their vigilance.

“Any other weird changes?”

“Not yet.”

The leaders of each adventurer party exchanged questioning glances. The merchants didn’t notice anything amiss, but the three leaders knew full well there was something strange up ahead.

“The sky was all distorted.”

“Yeah. I’ve been adventuring for years and never seen anything like it.”

“I dunno about distorted. It was more like light beams shooting through part of the sky.”

“““What the heck was that thing…?”””

The phenomenon was inexplicable even to these three veterans. Nowhere else could someone watch the sky momentarily shake as light projected as if through a window. One might achieve the same effect by standing inside one of those glass conservatories afforded only to nobles while violent winds rattled outside.

“Also…our scout is taking a while.”

One of the leaders tightly crossed their arms as if to clear their concerns—as if to convince them that they were just imagining things.

After a round of discussion, the leaders decided to have their strongest member go check things out. “I’ll take care of it!” the chosen adventurer said easily before departing. With his cheer now gone, his companions’ mood darkened further.

“He’ll be fine, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then quit actin’ so depressed. Once he gets back—”

Just as one leader was trying to raise the others’ spirits, they sensed a bone-chilling presence coming from the forest the scout had just gone to investigate. Their eyes narrowed, and they faced the woods with weapons at the ready. Their pulses pounded in their ears like alarm bells; everyone broke into a damp, uncomfortable sweat. The source was still far-off, but they could clearly hear something approaching, trees snapping under its weight.

The roar of the falling trees told the adventurers the incoming creature was enormous—possibly a horned bear or similarly ferocious beast. One guard finally came to their senses and raced toward the caravan. The merchants had only just begun setting up camp, but evacuating everyone took priority.

Two of the adventurer parties fell back to help the merchants to safety, while the third raced into the forest to contend with the threat. They had to keep their back line fortified on the off chance the enemy might surround them. The three parties were following the established rotation, but the third one’s leader nonetheless sighed at the lousy timing.

“Sorry, guys…,” the leader told his party.

“Hey, it’s not your fault. We all signed up for this.”

“That’s right. You’ve got nothin’ to apologize for, so let’s hurry and take this thing down.”

“Sure, we’re one man short, but we’ve still got a job to do.”

His comrades’ excess optimism in the face of adversity brought a strained smile to the leader’s face. Courage welled up within the adventurers as they sensed the beast growing closer, violently ripping through the forest toward them. With a surge of adrenaline and fearsome war cries, the group sprang into battle. From that moment forward, they were ready to crush the enemy with their indomitable spirit. Perhaps they were overdoing it, considering they hadn’t even seen the enemy yet, but that passion was what made them model adventurers.

…If only their opponent hadn’t been an absolute nightmare.

When the forest-splitting, tree-smashing creature came into view, the adventurers realized it was much larger than they’d ever expected. Its head towered above them, and two legs as thick as tree trunks carried its weight. It was covered in tough, glossy scales like a dragoid, and a massive tail kept the creature balanced. A human hand dangled limply from its sharp teeth. Its vertical reptilian pupils contracted as it lorded over the puny adventurers.

This was enough to shatter the group’s resolve. One adventurer dropped their weapon, and another collapsed in shock. They never could have imagined such a monster in a million years and were utterly overwhelmed.

The caravan attempting to escape with their belongings fared no better.

Another such beast appeared. And another. Similar monsters continued to emerge from the depths of the forest unabated. Hysteria broke out among merchants and adventurers alike at the nightmarish scene. Some merchants ditched their wares and fled into the dark of night, while others jumped into unhitched carriages and started cracking their whips furiously. Most of the adventurers shirked their duties and even left their comrades behind.

But they all shivered in terror when they heard the horrid screams coming from the darkness. Roars and growls soon followed from the same direction—it was clear that many fearsome beasts were lurking within the abyss.

Before long, the monsters had the camp surrounded.