Chapter 89 - Chapter 14: The Last Flame #4
As the morning sun came up, the world changed.
Spider Forest, which had expanded greatly under the green moon, returned to its original appearance and instead of roaring wildly, the beasts and monsters fell into a deep sleep.
After the encounter with Amita, the attacks stopped and the party took turns to rest.
Daphne, who was the last person keeping watch, explained the matter to the three lycanthropes who had woken up.
Caitlin and Seira were embarrassed by their actions last night. Felicia comforted them, then gave orders to Robin. She thought they had to send more news because the situation was worse than when Karma left.
After Robin left in beast form, the party ate breakfast, then headed to Spider Forest.
They didn’t encounter any beasts or monsters like they had during the wild night. The ones they did encounter were sleeping in a half-exhausted state, so there was no fighting.
In-gong led the way using his mini-map.
They were able to find Amita settled on the transparent wall of the barrier. The raccoon standing on the rock scowled at them.
"What, why did the number of people increase again?”
Amita’s sharp gaze headed to Green Wind as she stood next to In-gong. Green Wind, who was holding In-gong’s arm in an actualized state, declared words that were similar to Carack’s,
"Talking raccoon, I was beside Master yesterday. I should also get my share."
It was the elegant tone of voice that had first appeared on Enger Plains, but Amita frowned as they didn’t like the contents.
"You are a guardian. Why should I make equipment for you?”
Green Wind shook her head at Amita’s words and answered with an unconcerned look,
"I belong to Master and Master is mine. Well, yes, that’s right. So, I can receive Master’s praise. I want to become stronger so that Master doesn’t get hurt.”
Then after finishing her words, she smiled at In-gong. The look in her eyes was asking for a compliment.
As everyone gazed at them, In-gong stroked Green Wind’s head with a somewhat awkward expression while Amita was speechless.
Carack noticed and suggested quietly,
"I just wanted to tell you, this but one of my colleagues left the forest to call for support. He was with us yesterday.”
He was talking about Robin.
Amita simply growled instead of answering and glanced at those they hadn’t been able to greet yesterday.
"8th Princess and her aide?”
“Seira.”
“A talking raccoon is amazing!”
The first was, naturally, Seira, followed by Caitlin. Caitlin had exclaimed before realizing her mistake and all eyes fell on her.
Her cheeks turned red with embarrassment.
“I am the 8th Princess, Caitlin Moonlight. It is an honour to meet you, the last blacksmith.”
If he only looked at appearance, the calm Caitlin resembled the 4th Queen Elaine.
However, her cheeks remained red and after the greetings were finished, her eyes were filled with an aspiration that was difficult to express.
Amita laughed and asked,
"Why, what do you want to say?”
"C-can I touch you?”
Caitlin asked carefully and Felicia blinked in shock by her sudden behaviour. However, Seira just laughed with embarrassment like she had been expecting it.
Chris was Caitlin’s emotional anchor and the reins that controlled her. In Chris’ absence, Caitlin had no choice but to act differently from normal.
Amita seemed embarrassed but they nodded readily.
"I’ll allow it."
“Thank you.”
Caitlin rushed toward Amita with a bright face and carefully stretched out her hand. Her hands moved naturally to their head and Amita closed their eyes like they were enjoying the touch.
Green Wind narrowed her eyes at the sight and asked,
"Master, do I act like that when I get praised?”
"No, you are much worse.”
Green Wind’s eyes widened at his answer, but In-gong just stroked her head a few more times. She then frowned, but her face soon became peaceful as she smiled broadly.
Felicia interrupted this strange atmosphere.
"Hmm, hmm. About that… Let's cut to the chase.”
Amita was now held in Caitlin’s arms. Amita chuckled and said patronisingly,
"You can hug me as well. I’ll allow it."
“There is no need.”
Felicia seemed somewhat hesitant, but she refused, opening her fan.
However, thanks to Caitlin, Amita was feeling better, so they didn’t mind.
"Tonight, they will attack the ward. So, I’ve set up my own plan.”
Amita jumped from Caitlin’s arms and pulled out a piece of paper from thin air. In-gong didn’t know if it was inventory magic like his or a magic tool, but he focused solely on the piece of paper.
On the paper, there was a rough map of the terrain around a blue flame.
"Until now, the enemies’ pattern can be broken down into two major phases. In the first phase, the beasts and monsters, that were driven crazy by the spirits of insanity, will attack the boundaries of the ward. It is literally just attacking ignorantly. You should’ve seen the force of the monsters yesterday.”
They had rushed back and forth and definitely seemed crazy.
Amita glanced at Caitlin and Seira before saying to In-gong,
"The lycanthropes are susceptible to the spirits of insanity because of the wildness in their instincts. I hope you have prepared a method to counter that.”
"We've been preparing."
The group had discussed the specifics last night. Amita looked satisfied at In-gong’s blunt answer.
"When the ward is moderately weakened, the white giant appears in order to destroy it. Did you see the white giant last night?”
"Yes, a white light was shining from its whole body.
"It is made out of all the crazy guardians. The purple aura joins them together.”
The white giant had reached an estimated height of 20 meters. It was much taller than the zombie dragon, so he had been perplexed about how to deal with it.
"The pattern has been kept over a few days, so I think they will be doing the same thing tonight. My plan is clear and simple.”
Amita put some coins made of red metal on the paper. They seemed to represent the enemy’s movement path.
"By deliberately making a hole in the ward, the monsters will be guided there and you will defeat them in order to prevent the ward from weakening.”
Amita laid a blue metal plate in front of the red ones. Then they took out white metal plates and continued talking,
"If the ward isn’t weakened, the white giant won’t be able to destroy it. I have been measuring its destructive power during the last few days. So far, I’ve observed that they can’t maintain the white giant for long. I roughly understand the limits.”
Amita moved the red metal plates and tapped the boundaries of the ward with the white metal plate.
"If the ward isn’t broken by the time it is morning, they will go away and recover during the day. So, if we can endure the same thing for two days, it will be our victory.”
When Amita finished their explanation, Felicia kneeled on the floor so that she was at eye-level with Amita and asked,
"Are you saying that reinforcements will arrive then?”
Two days would be quite fast for the reinforcements that Karma had gone to call. However, Amita shook their head.
"There will be reinforcements, but it is more independent.”
Amita smiled and tapped the center of the paper.
"In the center, where the last flame is, my weapon is charging its power. Once it finishes charging, you can defeat the white giant with that weapon.”
Amita’s voice was louder than usual due to their pride in their weapon. Felicia’s eyes shone as she was interested in what the weapon was, but Carack was different.
"It shouldn’t have to be recharged.”
He wished they could use it right away.
Amita glared at Carack before pounding the ground with their tail.
"It isn’t a type of weapon in which energy can be stored in. Anyway, do you understand the plan?”
“Roughly. We just need to endure for two days?”
Felicia asked again and Amita nodded.
“That’s right. According to my calculations, there will be no need to fight the white giant.”
It was quite ideal. In-gong picked up a few red metal plates and asked,
"Amita, will the opponents follow the path we opened?”
"They will follow. It is a situation where they can’t think properly due to being possessed by the spirits of insanity. Aside from the white giant, those emitting the purple aura won’t be able to do any intelligent actions. So, you don’t have to worry about them."
Amita asserted before turning to Felicia, Caitlin and In-gong with a worried expression.
"The problem is whether you can stop the attacks. They will flock in huge numbers.”
It seemed like huge numbers would be mobilized. Felicia replied to Amita in a confident voice,
"If you have defined a position in advance, won’t we be able to fortify it? That means we can do it. Shutra and Caitlin are strong.”
In fact, Felicia hoped that the two people wouldn’t be in danger, but her trust in both of them was real.
Amita stared at In-gong and Caitlin and nodded.
"Hmm, okay. Then let’s take a break... What is with those eyes?”
Amita’s gaze was directed to Carack and Carack replied in a soft voice,
"Hey, is there really nothing you can do to support?”
"Support in what sense?”
"This is the raccoon’s fortress and we are fighting in that fortress. There should be some equipment for us.”
The meaning in Carack’s words was that this was Amita’s fortress and workshop. There was even a special weapon charging in the center, where the last flame was.
Amita narrowed their eyes.
"Are you talking about the pieces I have already created?”
"Oh, that's right."
Carack clapped like he had just thought about it.
"If you lend them to us during the battle, we will be stronger. Don’t you want us to stop the monsters?”
It was quite reasonable. However, instead of responding to Carack, Amita looked back at In-gong.
“You- Is he really an orc?”
"I am a pure blood orc. I don't have any other lineage.”
In fact, even In-gong suspected Carack’s identity sometimes.
Amita sighed and sat down on their tail.
"Okay, I’ll let you borrow the pieces that I have made. Do realize the honour. It is the first time you are using Amita’s equipment, even if it is just renting.”
"I feel honoured.”
Carack replied with a smile and Amita frowned again.
“It is really amazing.”
Caitlin hugged Amita in admiration. Amita’s face brightened in an instant as they laughed.
"Hmm, hmm. This level is nothing.”
They looked like a cute, genius raccoon, but they might actually be a perverted raccoon. Additionally, they seemed childish.
“Why? Do you want to hug me?”
Felicia shook her head at Amita’s question.
“There is no need. Please show me the equipment that we are borrowing.”
“Okay, get ready.”
Amita jumped from Caitlin’s arms and waved their tail.
&
Night came once again to Spider Forest.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that Amita had prepared a small fortress. Rocks and trees were piled to make a passage and there were also stacked wood to make roadblocks.
In-gong and Caitlin stood side by side at the entrance of this passage. Behind them, Carack and Seira were armed with weapons, while Felicia and Delia were at the roadblocks. Daphne, who would act as the party’s support, was located with Amita at the end of the barricade.
Caitlin and Seira were wearing pipes made of woven tree branches. They had been created by Daphne to dispel the spirits of insanity.
As they stood side-by-side, In-gong and Caitlin were holding hands. In-gong was wearing Earth Quaker while Caitlin was wearing a gauntlet made by Amita. However, the quad-core was triggered just like when they had been touching with bare hands.
In-gong and Caitlin, who had been focusing on their aura, woke up at the same time. Instead of looking at each other, they stared towards the front.
The world was glowing orange. Then it turned purple and became dark in a flash.
In-gong and Caitlin slowly took the posture of Divine Sura Authority.
White Eagle flew in the air while Daphne’s spirits energized everyone.
“They’re coming.”
Someone said.
The night started with a loud rumbling sound.