Chapter 28
“Porta!!”
I shouted and dashed forward.
I’d only caught a glimpse, but no matter how you looked at it, that mass couldn’t possibly belong to a small species. It was incredibly fast, too. I could only hope Porta was all right, but...
“You two, stay inside the cave!”
Surena, who had witnessed the same thing, ordered Nidly and Salikatz to stay put, then ran alongside me.
The exit was right there. We’d be outside in no time if we ran.
The two rookies seemed unsure what had happened, their reactions split between shock and blank bewilderment.
I hadn’t expected anything like this either! But expecting rookie adventurers to deal with such an enormous irregularity was too much.
Normally, this would be when Salikatz’s Magic Tool should have reacted.
But he must have let his guard down after reaching the deepest part of the cave. Understandable—though he outranked Porta and Nidly, he was still Silver Rank.
It was unreasonable to expect him to stay alert for something like this.
“!”
We burst out into a lush green landscape.
Waiting for us was a single large monster with powerful limbs and magnificent wings. Including its tail, it had to be well over five or six meters long.
There was only one name that came to mind at the sight.
“...A griffin?!”
I couldn’t help shouting the monster’s name.
A griffin.
It’s a bird-beast monster, classified as a large species.
It may have no special abilities, but its powerful, agile body, strong limbs, and hard beak make it more than enough of a threat to humans.
But I’d heard that their main habitat was mountainous regions. I’d never heard of one appearing deep in a forest.
Besides, ordinary griffins are supposed to have white fur.
It might be rude to compare it to someone like Surena, but I’d never seen—or even heard of—a griffin this fiery red.
“GRAAAAH!!”
Perhaps it saw us as a new threat—or as prey.
The red griffin opened its beak wide and roared.
――In that instant.
The griffin’s body was wreathed in wind as it soared into the air.
“...Guh!?”
I reacted instinctively to its sudden charge.
I set my sword against the oncoming beak and twisted my wrist and body, somehow deflecting the impact.
――That was close! How the hell is something this huge so fast?!
It was a blow I couldn’t have blocked if I hadn’t drawn my sword. If I took it head-on, I’d just be sent flying, so all I could do was deflect the impact with the tip of my blade.
My hand was throbbing. That was the impact from just one body blow. Even if I could keep fending it off, I wasn’t sure how much more my body and weapon could take.
“Right, Porta...!”
I dodged the griffin’s attack and glanced over.
In the direction I looked, Porta—who must have been sent flying at least ten meters—was slumped against a nearby tree.
...Porta was moving, ever so slightly.
Thank goodness. Porta wasn’t dead.
But if things continued like this, Porta would be in danger either way.
“Sensei! This isn’t just any griffin! Its individual name is Zeno Grayble! It’s a Specially Designated Subjugation Target (Named)!”
“A Specially Designated Subjugation Target—a Named?!”
I answered Surena without taking my eyes off the griffin.
Seriously? I don’t think I’m equipped to deal with this.
Specially Designated Subjugation Targets—Named monsters.
I’d heard rumors about them, too. They’re monsters given a name and a bounty by organizations like the Adventurers’ Guild and the Knights, which warn people about them and encourage their subjugation.
Normally, monsters are referred to by their species. All goblins are goblins, and all griffins are griffins.
But whether due to mutation or some other cause, every now and then a monster appears that’s far beyond the ordinary.
That’s what a Specially Designated Subjugation Target is.
What they all have in common is that they’re larger and stronger than others of their species.
Otherwise, they wouldn’t be given such a grand designation.
In other words, this thing standing before me was that much of a big deal.
Damn it all. I was seriously starting to wish I could go home.
“Grrrr...!”
The red griffin—Zeno Grayble—let out what sounded like a threatening growl.
Apparently, failing to kill me with its previous body blow had enraged it. Don’t get mad at me for that. Little humans like me hone our skills to stand against hulking brutes like you. Though, even I hadn’t expected anything quite like this.
“So this is why there were so few small monsters...!”
Surena spat the words out as she readied her twin swords.
Running away... would be difficult.
Zeno Grayble was unquestionably faster. And with an injured person to carry, escaping would be impossible.
On the other hand, if you asked whether we could defeat it right away, that would be difficult, too.
It was that big. I couldn’t imagine a few cuts would be enough to incapacitate it. We’d have to land a tremendous number of blows.
On top of that, its fur and limbs looked incredibly tough. I wasn’t even sure an ordinary blade could pierce them.
And we couldn’t take our time. Porta would die if this kept up.
I was probably the only one here who could move properly, along with Surena. It’d be far too reckless to count Nidly and Salikatz as combatants.
“...Surena. Do you have any potions?”
In the strange silence that settled over the area, I asked without lowering my guard.
Someone had to keep Zeno Grayble occupied while the other rescued and treated Porta. Then we could decide whether to flee or fight. That was probably our best option.
And that role would automatically fall to either me or Surena.
“...I have two. They’re magical potions.”
Good. That’s Black Rank for you. She had two of the most effective potions.
Unless the situation was truly dire, that should be enough to save Porta’s life.
“All right. ...I’m counting on you.”
Without taking my eyes off Zeno Grayble, I freed my left hand and held it out toward Surena. I knew it would attack the moment I looked away. Even I could read the situation that well.
――I’ll have Surena buy us some time while I rescue Porta.
Considering our abilities, that was the best move. No doubt about it.
“! ...Understood. Please!”
Even without spelling it out, I was sure Surena would understand.
And she lived up to my expectations perfectly.
Smack!
My left hand was slapped, and a satisfying sound echoed through the Azalamia Forest.
――Huh? Wait, what about the potion?
“I’ll save Porta! You keep Zeno Grayble busy, Sensei!”
N-no, that’s not what I meant!!
That’s not it! Not that! The other way around! Who said anything about a high five?! We completely messed up communicating!
“GRAAAAH!!”
For some reason, Zeno Grayble didn’t even glance at Surena as she dashed off, instead focusing squarely on me and preparing to charge again.
“...Damn it all!”
Zeno Grayble’s huge claws were closing in right before my eyes.