Chapter 79 - Harpy Subjugation
Traveled by carriage for a day, and then walked alongside the horses for another.
A group of thirty members of the Monster Subjugation Force and five mages were heading northeast of the capital, toward the mountains.
A harpy nest had been found between a cave in the mountain and the green trees that seemed to conceal it.
While there wouldn't have been an issue if the harpies had simply been living in the mountains, the village at the foot of the mountain relied on raising sheep for its livelihood.
At first, it was just a few stray lambs, but soon entire sheep were being abducted. The harpies, having developed a taste for them, began targeting the sheep consistently.
The village, at its wit’s end, requested the kingdom’s help with subjugating the harpies, prompting the dispatch of the unit.
"Have you confirmed the harpies?"
"Yes, it seems to be a small group. There are thirteen of them."
The mage, dressed in a black robe, layered a magic circle over a glass pane before him to confirm the sighting.
Unlike a telephoto lens, this magical tool had minimal distortion. However, the downside was that only the person channeling the magic could see the image, and those nearby were left unable to view it, making it a somewhat disappointing tool.
"They're regular harpies, no mutated ones."
The harpies flapping before their nest appeared to have the upper bodies of young human women, but from the chest down, their wings, replacing arms, were like those of an eagle.
They had green hair and ivory-colored skin. While their exposed chests could be seen as somewhat alluring, none of the team members took any pleasure in it. When it came to battle, they were terrifying monsters with claws and fangs.
"However, they are 'winged.' It would have been ideal if we could have borrowed some dragon knights for this."
"Unless we have a double-digit number of them, like in the neighboring country, it's going to be difficult to bring them along."
The kingdom had three dragon knights who rode small wyverns, but all of them were part of the Royal Guard. They were more like communication officers during emergencies than battle forces. Unless the situation was dire, they wouldn’t be accompanying the Monster Subjugation Force.
However, when there had been missing persons during subjugations in the past, they had stepped in to help, proving to be invaluable.
"For this mission, we are not aiming for total annihilation but to eliminate the nest itself. What do you think, Volf?"
"How about having all the mages and archers split up to target them? The harpies that fall can be dealt with by the team, and afterward, we can destroy the nest. Also, we could use earth magic to bury part of the cave to ensure that no other nests can be made there."
"I see. Let's go with that approach."
During the journey in the carriage, they had gone over simulations of the battle. It was a relief to see the plan approved without any issues.
The subjugation would take at least five days. The capital was far, and letters couldn’t be delivered.
Until last month, Volf hadn’t thought much about the distance to the capital, but now, it felt unbearably distant.
Afterward, the team members hid in the woods, ensuring they remained at a distance where they were still undetected.
About half an hour later, most of the harpies returned to the nest.
The harpies, perhaps due to a diet that consisted primarily of lamb, all had well-rounded physiques and glossy feathers.
Caught in their talons, as expected, were sheep.
Even though the villagers attempted to guard them, there were too many sheep to keep an eye on all of them, and it was impossible to keep all of them indoors.
"Those are harpies, right?"
"What else would they be?"
Though the harpies’ faces resembled those of humans, something about their expressions made them feel unnatural.
When they opened their mouths, it was far wider than a human's, revealing a deep red interior and long white fangs.
"If only they were a little more, you know, cute..."
"What are you looking for in a subjugation target, Dorino?"
"...It won't be long now."
In voices too faint to even qualify as whispers, they communicated through subtle movements of their lips, waiting for the signal from the senior leading the operation.
After a gust of wind blew with a distinct sound, magic from ice, wind, and earth were released all at once.
A split second later, several arrows pierced the bodies of the harpies.
With high-pitched screeches, a few harpies that had not been taken down plummeted toward the ground.
The knights, who had been waiting in reserve, immediately rushed toward them with all their might.
"Why are they falling over there?!"
"He's jumping higher than he did during training!"
Before the harpies even hit the ground, Volf slashed through the air, cutting them apart mid-flight. This sparked some complaints from the knights.
Nevertheless, the harpies were all slain within minutes by the knights.
Next, they began burning the grass laid out in the nest in order to destroy it.
Once the white smoke began to drift outside, the team members noticed a shadow on the ground.
"There!"
Perhaps acting separately from the rest, a lone harpy flew over to the nest.
However, what startled the team wasn’t this.
The harpy’s claws were holding onto a young child.
Whether the child was unconscious or dead, their limbs hung limply.
"Someone, use magic!"
"It’s impossible! It’ll hit the child too!"
"What about arrows?!"
"It’s no use if it moves like that!"
The harpy glanced at the knights in the nest, then changed direction to flee.
At that moment, the child seemed to have regained awareness.
As the child suddenly started crying and thrashing about, the harpy lost its balance mid-air. One of its talons loosened, and the child swung helplessly in the air.
"Randolf, shield!"
"Got it!"
Randolf knelt and held his large shield at an angle with both hands.
With all his might, Volf ran, using the shield as a foothold, kicking off and leaping into the air.
"That idiot!"
"Go, Volf!"
Volf had jumped from Randolf’s shield several times before, as it was useful for leaping onto large monsters.
After acquiring the sköll fang bracelet, he had lightly tested it during training at the practice grounds.
However, he had never attempted a jump over such a long distance before.
Despite pushing himself to his limits, Volf was still just a few meters short of reaching the child.
"Get there!"
As if in response to his shout, the wind seemed to carry him, and his body surged forward as though an invisible foothold appeared in the sky.
He collided with the harpy and caught the child just before gravity took hold.
The harpy and the two of them tangled together and fell into the forest.
"Hey, Volf! Are you okay?"
"I’m fine. Please finish off the harpy."
A knight who had been on standby in the forest drove a sword into the unmoving harpy. There was no cry—perhaps it had already been slain.
"Volf, are you sure you’re not hurt?"
"Yeah, I got snagged on a tree and the harpy cushioned our fall. The kid’s got a wound on his shoulder from its claws. We might need healing magic."
"I’ll go get Senpai. Actually, it’s faster if I take the kid. You should take off your armor and check yourself."
Dorino took the child and left in a hurry.
After a battle, emotions were often heightened, and one might not notice their own injuries. Especially after falling from the sky.
Even though Volf had the sköll fang bracelet, it was still wise to be cautious.
As Volf began to remove his armor, a black-haired mage approached him. He was a bit older than Volf.
"Volfred, do you have a moment?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"Can you use wind magic?"
"No, I can’t. My external mana is zero."
"Then, is there any possibility that you have 'late blooming magic'?"
"No, that’s not the case. You can even use a measuring magic stone to check."
"Late blooming magic" referred to a sudden surge in magic after growth, enabling one to use spells. However, this was extremely rare.
Volf himself had hoped for it many times, but each time the measuring result was the same: zero.
"I see. Your jump was so impressive that I couldn’t help but wonder if you might have 'late blooming magic.'"
The person speaking was a mage who loved magical tools and was leading the mages on this mission.
Volf had jumped without thinking, but hiding it and raising suspicions might cause trouble.
Fortunately, he had obtained permission to bring the bracelet into the royal castle. For now, he decided to explain it indirectly.
"I’ve been given permission to use a movement-enhancing magical tool. Due to our family’s circumstances, I would appreciate it if you could keep this confidential."
"Understood, I won’t spread it. May I see it?"
"Yes, but it can’t be removed, so please excuse me if I keep it on."
He removed his gloves and rolled up his sleeves slightly.
After about ten seconds of inspecting the silver bracelet, the mage in front of him gave a faint smile.
"I don’t know the exact mechanism, but there’s no waste in the mana flow. I believe it’s a good magical tool."
"Thank you."
Volf smiled, feeling as if he had been praised.
Behind him, knights came rushing in with hurried footsteps.
"Hey, anyone who can use healing magic, go to Randolf!"
"Huh, Randolf?!"
Volf hurriedly turned around when he heard the shout.
"Randolf’s hurt both wrists! He can’t let go of his shield!"
"Sorry! That was my fault! I’ll go apologize right away!"
It seemed that when Volf used Randolf’s large shield as a foothold for his jump, he had placed too much strain on him. Volf rushed over to his friend.
"Even with a good magical tool, if you have "no magic"... it’s tough to use it properly.”
As he watched the tall figure leave, the remaining mage muttered softly to himself.
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