As Diara and Gravel swiftly rode their horses down the path, they could clearly see a wagon racing toward them, pursued by a Rock Scraper.
Diara abruptly halted her galloping horse, pulled the reins to turn its direction, and pointed the tip of her staff toward the distant Rock Scraper.
"Vulpes Flamma!"
As Diara shouted the incantation, a red magic circle formed at the tip of her staff, and a blazing fox-shaped mass of fire materialized, glowing brightly. It shot toward the Rock Scraper in the direction her staff was aimed.
With a pointed snout, large triangular ears, and a tail that was thin at the tip like a flickering candle flame but thick at the base, it resembled a fox one might see in any forest. However, instead of soft fur, its body was enveloped in flames that seemed ready to incinerate anything they touched. The fiery fox darted forward and bit down on one of the Rock Scraper's pincers.
Startled by the sudden appearance of the flaming beast tearing at its pincer, the Rock Scraper let out a grotesque sound—similar to the creak of stepping on an old wooden plank—as it shook its burning pincer, trying to dislodge the fiery fox scorching its limb.
"HEeek!!"
The merchant driving the wagon, fleeing from the monster's eerie cries, turned his head and saw the creature flailing its burning pincer in the air. Realizing someone was attacking the monster to save him, he wiped the sweat from his forehead while gripping the reins.
"Are you alright?" Diara called out.
"Uh… Yes? Yes! I thought it was all over for me. Thank you for saving me!"
"Keep going down this path, and you'll find our group. Head there."
The merchant driving the wagon and Diara exchanged words as they passed each other. Meanwhile, Gravel, without slowing his pace, was charging toward the Rock Scraper.
'Time to practice the Singing Sword.' Gravel thought.
As he galloped closer, now able to gauge the creature's size clearly, Gravel tightly gripped the sheath at his waist with his left hand, strategizing how to deal with the massive, armored lobster-like creature before him.
The Rock Scraper, abandoning its burning pincer, turned toward Gravel and charged with ferocious momentum.
"Finally noticed me, you lobster monster?"
Gravel muttered as he leaped off his horse. The moment he jumped, he crouched toward his sheath, gripping the sword's handle with his right hand.
"Huuu…"
The amplified mana coursing through his body began to radiate as Gravel took a deep breath.
'Channel the radiating mana into the blade!'
Gravel's form momentarily blurred as he launched himself toward the Rock Scraper with a powerful step.
Like an arrow shot from a bowstring, Gravel flew forward, still gripping the handle of the sword in its sheath with his right hand.
-Kigigigik- With a strange screech, the Rock Scraper thrust its still-burning pincer toward the oncoming Gravel. But at that moment—
Boom!!
The Fox Flame gripping the pincer exploded, and with the sound of flesh bursting within the thick shell, blue blood sprayed as the pincer was torn from the Rock Scraper's body and fell to the ground.
"Perfect timing for the Fox Flame to explode!"
Gravel said with a grin, watching Diara's magic erupt before him.
Gravel moved so fast his form seemed to blur. At the same time, the Rock Scraper, which had been charging aggressively, froze. A single streak of light pierced through the creature. At the end of that streak stood Gravel, now behind the Rock Scraper, holding the Sword of East End, drawn from its sheath.
"Haha! This is incredible! It cut so smoothly I barely felt it slice through!" Gravel exclaimed, raising the Sword of East End to eye level, gazing at its mana-wreathed blade. He then sheathed the still-glowing sword.
Turning around, Gravel saw the Rock Scraper's corpse lying on the ground, its remaining pincer and head severed. Unlike the pincer blasted off by Diara's Fox Flame, the head and pincer cut by Gravel's sword had astonishingly clean, smooth cross-sections.
'By the way, I was trying to mimic a sword-drawing technique, twisting my body to maximize the speed of unsheathing… but it turned out way different than I imagined.'
Gravel had envisioned cutting the Rock Scraper the moment he drew his sword, but he forgot to sheathe it immediately after the strike. The Rock Scraper's head and pincer had been sliced off the instant his blade met its target.
Though he hadn't pulled off the stylish sword-drawing technique he'd imagined, Gravel could undeniably feel the real-world effectiveness of the Singing Sword. Standing beside the dead Rock Scraper, Gravel drew the Sword of East End again, swinging it while enveloped in radiating mana. At that moment, Diara arrived on horseback at the scene of Gravel and the Rock Scraper's corpse.
"To take down a Rock Scraper in a single strike…"
Diara said, staring at the severed head and pincers.
"It was only possible because your Fox Flame exploded at the perfect moment." Gravel replied, sheathing his sword again.
"The Fox Flame you taught me was easier to cast than any magic I've used before, and even though it's a Teta (4)-level spell, it consumed so little mana!"
"Yes, at the Theta level, it's the most efficient spell for its power. (Normally, it's a spell that can summon up to nine foxes with multiple magic circles… but that's probably too much for Diara right now.)"
After their conversation, while Gravel retrieved his horse that had run off, Iris, the soldiers, and the merchant's wagon joined them.
"Wow! That's one huge lobster!" Kein exclaimed.
"Ugh! What's that awful smell?" Kein added, quickly covering his nose and mouth.
"It's probably the stench of the Rock Scraper's flesh and blood burning." Diara explained.
"Huh? So we can't eat it? I was hoping for some giant lobster roast tonight…" Reave said, his voice tinged with disappointment.
"No, the Rock Scraper's blood is highly toxic, so it's inedible." Diara replied calmly.
"How about roasted apples, then?" said the man who owned the wagon chased by the Rock Scraper. He wore dark brown clothes, still stained with the cold sweat he'd shed while fleeing the monster.
"I'm Dianf, a merchant. If it weren't for you all, I would've lost my wagon and all the apples I poured my fortune into. Thanks to you, I can continue my business without any losses, so I'd like to offer these apples as a token of gratitude."
Dianf stepped down from the wagon and placed a large basket filled with red apples on the ground.
"Ooh! Apples!" Kein exclaimed.
"Whoo~ That wagon's packed with apples!" Reave added, helping Dianf unload the heavy basket.
"You're selling these, so we can't just take them." Diara protested.
"Oh, come on! I've got plenty in the wagon. If it weren't for you, the mage, and that swordsman over there, these apples would've been that smelly lobster's snack. So please, take them without worry." Dianf insisted.
After some back-and-forth between Diara and Dianf, they agreed that the group would escort Dianf's wagon to the Grand Market at the crossroads in exchange for a basket of apples. With that settled, the two wagons and four horses set off down the road again.
As night fell over the plains, campfires lit up the campsites of merchants and travelers. Diara's group also stopped their wagons to set up camp. Dianf's wagon, filled with apples, and Diara's wagon shielded them from the evening breeze, while the scent of apples wafted through the air, stirring everyone's appetites as they prepared for the night.
"I'll handle dinner tonight!" Dianf declared.
"We'll have a dish of pork roasted with the first apples harvested this year from the elven apple orchards, plus butter-roasted apples."
Sizzling sounds filled the air as chunks of pork were placed on a heated iron pan, followed by sliced apples, potatoes, and onions, creating a mouthwatering dish. Apples, slathered with butter and skewered on long sticks, were roasted over the campfire.
"Dianf, you mentioned these are elf apples. Did you travel through the Latulle cave path to the elves' lands?"
Reave asked, tossing a few more branches into the campfire while watching the cooking.
"No, these are elf apples grown in orchards near Valla-Glas. A few years ago, Count Tould received saplings from the elves and distributed them to orchards around Valla-Glas. Thanks to that, we can enjoy these apples without traveling far." Dianf explained.
"Ooh, the count… But are you sure it's okay to eat these? They're your goods for sale, and we're even feeding them to the horses…" Reave said, concerned.
"Hehe, it's fine. I trade by the bushel, so I brought plenty to eat, share with the horses, and give to people I meet along the way. Don't worry and enjoy." Dianf reassured, busily turning the apples over the fire to prevent burning and shaking the iron pan while continuing his conversation with Reave.
"By the way, what brings you to the Grand Market?"
"Hm? Oh, I'm hoping to sell some reindeer pelts at a good price. Black reindeer pelts, no less!" Reave replied.
"Ooh, the rare black reindeer pelts from Norwan! That explains why you're traveling with escorts."
"Yeah, something like that. They're valuable goods, after all… Haha!"
Since he couldn't openly discuss the stone statue, Reave was relieved that Dianf assumed he was a hunter or fur merchant with hired mercenaries for protection.
"Oh, right! Before dinner, try an apple. They say you can feel the mana most when they haven't been touched by fire." Dianf said, wiping his hands on his thighs and offering apples to the group.
"Have one." Dianf said, handing a large apple to Gravel.
"Thank you, I'll enjoy it."
Gravel replied, taking the apple and examining it. In the campfire's glow, the apple gleamed a deep red. He brought it to his mouth and took a bite.
"Mm?!"
The apple's flavor was as Dianf had boasted—a sweet, honey-like taste with a hint of tartness that tingled under the tongue and jaw, stimulating the salivary glands. The more he chewed, the richer the apple's aroma filled his mouth and nose, leaving a delightful aftertaste that made him crave more.
But what shocked Gravel wasn't the taste or aroma—it was the sheer amount of mana contained within the apple, more than any food he'd ever eaten.