Chapter 37: Monsters Upon Monsters Pt.1

For the next 2 days nothing happened, even as the Subjugation team left for the Orc Camp in the [Dark Forest], along with Guild Master Rina and a few high-ranking adventurers with various classes, and a few high-ranking adventurers with the [Healing Magic] skill. Mirelle and I postpone going to the library and training ground, and focused more on doing quests for the past 2 days. 

Just as Mirelle and I ended the day and were preparing to sleep in the Inn, a loud banging of bells rang throughout Eisenwald, as voices could be heard from all over the place shouting one thing, over and over again. "A Monster Wave is approaching the town; all civilians are to stay within their homes and rooms!" repeated throughout Eisenwald. 

Startled for a moment, I looked towards Mirelle and Mirelle looked towards me in return. Noticing the seriousness of the atmosphere surrounding us, Mirelle took a much more serious appearance and spoke to me, "Lady Celeste, what do we do?" her tone heavy and serious. I thought for a moment about how little time I spent in Eisenwald, but remembering the people I met and connected with, especially Elaria and those who've been kind to us, I couldn't just stand still. 

With conviction in my mind, I stared at Mirelle for a moment, taking in the silence, before saying. "Mirelle, get ready... We'll head to the Guild immediately and help with the monster wave." 

As we stood outside the Inn, Mirelle simply nodded her head as she swiftly headed inside the Inn towards our room and gathered all equipment, we had prepared during my time studying in the library. Without a moment even passing by, Mirelle fell from the sky and landed in front of me. Mirelle had chosen to jump out of the window to me, to not waste any more time by taking unnecessary steps back out. 

Noticing this, I nodded to Mirelle mumbling "Good job, Mirelle." beneath my breath as we moved quickly towards the Adventurers Guild. Approaching the guild, people were already outside the guild running here towards the direction of the towns Guard's Tower in all sorts of direction. Mirelle and I continued to move inside the Guild, as we took a glance towards our surrounding. 

When Mirelle and I reached the Guild, a guild staff was guiding everyone to their positions, and calming those who were panicking, I quickly approach the guild staff with Mirelle following behind me. As I stood before the guild staff. "Mister, I'm Celeste and this is Mirelle, we're in the healing squad." I said to the guild staff without wasting a moment. 

The guild staff lifted his clipboard looking through the notes, and he stopped moving and looked towards us as he spoke. "Head to the Southern Gate, you'll meet your assign team." He said, turning to speak to the other adventurers continuing to guide the adventurers where to go, and doing what he had to. 

I said my thanks to the guild staff, as I bowed before leaving to the southern gate of Eisenwald. Mirelle and I were quickly running through the town heading towards the southern gate. "They broke through!" we heard someone shout, just as we were approaching the southern gate. "Mirelle, climb up the roof and make your way there." I said to Mirelle, as I pointed my finger towards to roof in front of us, Mirelle replied "Yes, Lady Celeste!" without a moment's hesitation. 

Mirelle swiftly leaped from our position to our position to the roof ahead of us, continuing to leap from one roof to another towards the southern gate to provide support. I stopped in my tracks for a moment, using [Mana Manipulation] letting it swirl around me, boosting [Mana Sense] and [Presence Sense] to filter through all the humans in the area, and lock on the Monsters who got through. 

Noticing that some areas had small clumps of Mana, I realized these were the monsters who slipped in. Finding where they were, I took out [Verdant Staff] out of the pouch, placing it in front of me. I quickly put myself in the stance of an archer shooting a prey. I quickly imagine an arrow clouded in light, which as it hit anyone, the light would burst brightly for a second, wrapping the being hit by the arrow of light with a harmless rope made out of light. 

I started chanting, as the image of the magic I had worked hard for the past few days in the library. "<<< {Radiant thread, weave your snare. Bind their steps, steal their sight—may they walk no further} [Light Magic] Hikari Kagerou! >>>" 

Suddenly, arrows started forming in the middle of [Verdant Staff], with its existence shimmering in golden hue, taking the shape of an arrow even more sharp, and another started to form and another but this time, it had formed all around me, firing and flying in all sorts of direction towards the small clumps of Mana in the surrounding area. One by one, burst of lights could be seen everywhere in southern part of Eisenwald. 

I didn't waste this opportunity, with the monsters now snared with magic momentarily, I needed to quickly to each location, while slowly moving to the not forgetting to move to the southern gate. I was reinforcing my legs, as I ran towards each location I had locked on earlier. Arriving it the scene, a wolf with red fur was squirming on the ground, surrounded by Eisenwald's people. 

I fired [Wind Magic] towards the wild squirming red wolf. "<<>> Fēng Lún!". The red wolf's head immediately fell to the ground, as the magic cleanly went through its neck, surprising the people around the red wolf. Ignoring them, I placed the red wolf's head and body into the pouch, quickly moving to the next location and discovering another monster squirming wildly on the ground, but this time, there was a wounded man near the squirming monster. 

Killing the monster quickly, I went to the injured man and healed him and when his complexion was a lot brighter, I went to another location, ignoring the man's shouts of gratitude. I kept moving and defeating all sorts of monsters who had slipped through the southern gate, healing anyone who was injured along the way. 

However, reaching one location, I had seen a man on the ground not moving one bit, surrounded by a few red wolves wildly squirming on the ground, and a few lifeless red wolves. I was too late, it was too late for him too, had I arrived sooner, I would've been able to save him. Killing the wolves quickly and just as I was about to move unto the next location with a sense of helplessness wriggling inside my head, I could hear a muffled cry near the lifeless man on the ground. 

Noticing the cry, I moved cautiously towards the man's lifeless body, and upon closer inspection, I could see that the man was on top of a child. The child was crying, tugging the man's clothes mumbling something over and over again. "Dad, please wake up..." 

I was shocked at the realization once again, had I come sooner the little girl in front of me, wouldn't have lost her father to these red wolves, but I can't just leave her here. Not when her father died protecting her, I should see to it, that she is safe. It was the least I could do for the man who had fought barehanded with the red wolves to their death while protecting their child. 

Approaching the child, I casted another [Light Magic]. "<<< [Light Magic]—Hikari no Kekkai>>>" 

Slamming the end of [Verdant Staff] on to the ground, a pillar of light burst from the head of [Verdant Staff] and dissolving into our surrounding, creating a small dome to house me and the little girl in front of me. The light barrier shimmered for a moment, before mixing itself with the space around it. It made the dome hard to see from the outside, while still having the defense of any regular barrier. 

Kneeling down, I looked at the girl who was under her father's lifeless body. "Litte girl, are you alright?" I asked the girl, reaching my hand towards her, but not all the way. I didn't want to scare the girl any further than she already was. "Don't worry, you're safe now." my voice filled with immense softness, and gentleness, I wanted to comfort the child in any way that I could. 

The little girl was now looking at me, with tears in her eyes and overwhelming grief in them. "Big sister, my dad isn't moving, he's been bitten by those bad dogs..." the little girl said, whimpering and crying as she talked to me, continuing to tug on her father. My heart kept breaking with the scene in front of me, her awareness of her father's death and the inability to accept it. 

I comforted the girl, telling her the most painful thing. I couldn't save her father anymore. "But, your father protected you till the end and he wouldn't want you to get hurt now." I assured the girl, that her father had protected her with love in mind, and the little girl finally crawled out under her father, running towards my arms, burying herself in my arms. 

I continued to comfort the girl, and after spending a little more time, I felt like I was running out of time. [Hikari Kagerou] wasn't permanent, it could allow for the monsters to escape and harm more people. Not sure, what to do, I pulled out something out of my dimensional pouch, a small red crystal shard was now in my hands. 

I couldn't really leave the girl here, but there were still other places where I had to go and I still had to go to the southern gate of Eisenwald, Mirelle was already there. But with so many places to go, me alone isn't enough to handle all of this. I needed another set of hands to be able to handle all of this, I wasn't even sure, if I am capable enough to protect someone. Especially more while doing something dangerous. 

With time not being a luxury at the moment, I decided to use the [Witch] class skills, one where I could summon a spirit, combine with [Golem Magic] I could possibly create another Mirelle. However, I wasn't sure even after spending all that time in the forest studying Mirelle and studying in the library, still it was the only option left. 

I had to create another companion.