Trinitas Mundus

Episode Four: Harpy

The Rays, who escaped safely from the giant soldier ant, were on guard behind them at the rear of the line.

"Something's coming! It's the sky ahead!

To Stella's cry, Ray and Ashley turn forward at the same time.

"That's harpy. They're so close... Ray, Stella, go cover me. I'll take care of Shinji."

Ray was anxious to leave Ashley to one of his lords, but he said, "Okay. Don't push me," he says, forcing me to make a smile.

And he was letting Stella run the horse as she said, "Ask for cover while I use magic."

Harpy, a man-shaped demon with giant eagle wings, was attacking you in the front.

Grasping up the wretched with their long hook claws, they rise high in the sky.

"Guards move around! Archers keep shooting!

Some sword of escort scratches the harpy, but the demon persists in striking.

Three lords had already been lifted up into the sky, and taken away by the woods.

The rest of the harpies repeatedly descend, whilst making odd noises as if they were laughing at the guards on the ground.

Horses panic in that odd voice and big shadow.

One horse was injured with a hook claw and ran wild. Neither did the one who should suppress the horse care if he would not be attacked, and he could not stop the rampage.

After hitting two or three carriages, the runaway carriage flipped over every horse. Whoever is thrown out by the impact of a fall has struck his head on the ground or is unable to move.

One harpy comes down there with an annoying grin and an odd noise as if to express his joy.

And when he fell and grabbed the thighs of those who could not move, he tried to climb straight up into the sky.

At that time, a single arrow of light pierced Harpy's wings.

A few meters up, the unbalanced harpy let go of his lord and tried to rise above him again in an attempt to avenge the disturbed man.

But the moment that harpy spread her wings wide and tried to flap her wings, two arrows of light sucked into her neck and chest.

Harpy fell to the ground desperate without understanding what had happened.

Ray said, "I'll smack you down with magic! Stab the fallen enemy with a stop!" He was screaming and running his beloved horse, he had begun to cast a spell he had previously used against the wing demon.

"It is the god of the wind (Wentus) who brings many winds. Give me a rough tornado, a raging blade. I will not give you the power of my life. Tear my enemies apart! Blade tornado (tornado slash)!"

When he turns his left arm toward heaven, a vortex-like wind blows out of its flat palm. It gradually became more intense, stretching heavenly high as it wound up the surrounding sand.

The harpies dancing over the carriage were panicking about a sudden tornado.

He who tries to escape over the sky, he who tries to escape into the woods, he who tries to strike Ray who unleashes his magic.

They are swallowed one after the other by Ray's tornado, except for the wise who tried to escape into the woods.

Then, sprinkling brown wings, he fell to the ground one after the other to do a cone rub.

Though the mercenaries were dismayed by the sight, as Stella began to stab the stop, she poked her sword at Harpy, who was just falling and flapping her wings in the same way.

Harpy, other than the three who drew your man into the woods and the four who fled Ray's magic, is immediately stabbed to a halt.

Hank was surprised by Ray, who manipulated the magic, but had immediately switched his head and ordered everyone to move.

"We're all leaving! Get out of here! The fallen carriage will give up!

The wagons without you were boarded by the merchants who accompanied them, and departed immediately.

Hank stands at the head of the queue and drives the carriage, ignoring horse fatigue while guarding his surroundings.

"Stop and you'll be attacked again! It's the city of Caldbeck in a few kilometers! Until then, let me keep my horse!

As he screamed, he had doubts that Soldier Ant, Harpy and the demons he was not supposed to be in were attacked.

(Soldier Ant, Harpy...... they are both demons usually in the back of Aquila mountains. Even Rickadale, east of Periclitle - the stronghold for the demonic crusade in the Aquila Mountains - doesn't hear so many stories about it coming out. What's going on in the mountains?

He was bluffing his neck as he looked up at the Aquila Mountains, which swung to the east.

Nov. 2, 4 p.m.

The Rays arrived in the city of Cardobec.

Hank thought that five escorts, three lords and one carriage were lost, but given the number and ability of demons he met, he could have escaped into the city at a miraculously small sacrifice.

Cardobec serves as a relay point between the United Kingdom of Lax Sartous and the Union of Urban States in the north in a city bordered by forests extending from the Aquila Mountains in the east and the Saeum Mountains in the west.

For this reason, this land, which had no particular industry, was also thriving thanks to the merchants who came and went down the streets.

It has a population of about five thousand and is surrounded by stone walls about five metres high.

Originally also a front-line base in the northern part of the Caerm Empire, it was a city where the Caerm Empire changed its northern policy and developed as an autonomous city as a result of its constant state of war with the Holy King Luke.

The merchants the Rays escort through the city gates in such a way as exhausted by two raids.

The moment he entered the city, the merchants and the leader of the escort, Hank Barrows, were exhaling a great relief.

The city looks like a former fortified city, lined with stone houses, and many people come and go. But there were few smiles on that face, and many had an anxious look on their face.

As soon as we arrived at the inn, discussions were held between the representative of the merchant and Hank, the representative of the escort.

The Rays did not participate in the discussion and were taking care of dirty weapons and protective equipment in the battle.

The three Rays are summoned to Hank before dinner to see if the discussion is over.

He looks serious and cuts out the story "I want your opinion".

"The merchants say they are anxious in this escort. But I have to hurry up to Periclitle. Some merchants do. So I've suggested we split the squad in two..."

In his story, he was divided into a merchant who needed to rush to Periclitle and a merchant who waited for the other merchants to arrive here to form a large merchant corps.

Hank insisted that there was no prospect of more escorts even if he was here, but as far as the daytime battles were concerned, the opinion that it would be difficult to keep going took up a large part.

A merchant, who claimed to want to go ahead by splitting the squad, has asked Hank to escort him, but he himself, I think, will only cause more damage if he keeps going, and has put his answer on hold.

"Once we broke the escort contract with this merchant company, we agreed. Even if we move on, there are seven escorts because about half of them have been bullied in daytime fights. There are twenty carriages to protect, so it's pretty tough. So I want you to tell me what you're going to do."

Ray wonders what happened to the current contract,

"I mean, are we free now? He said it was like a halfway cancellation."

"That's what I'm saying. Of course, we'll pay you on the terms of the contract, but so far, we've been canceled for the guards after tomorrow."

Ray looked at Ashley and said, "What do we do? I ask," but she also seems a little lost, "let me think," he tells Hank.

Hank also nods without changing his expression in particular.

"By the way, only the younger guys have bullied me. Me in the fifth, three in the sixth, three in the seventh. This would be a pretty good bet if you guys, especially Ray, could use magic."

And as I stood up, I said, "Ask again after dinner. Come to a conclusion by then," he said, walking away from under them.

Ashley was troubled by Hank's suggestion.

(If you have as many enemies out there as you have today, it's pretty dangerous. Though there is Ray's magic, while protecting the carriage, then there are limitations... it sounds better after gathering the information...)

She tells the mercenary and adventurer guilds to go and buy information and get up.

Ray and Stella also decided to accompany them, and the three of us headed for the guild.

Organizing the information purchased in both guilds, it has been about the last ten days that more demons have been talked about, and the same thing has happened several times before. This time, due to the fact that many demons inhabiting the mountains are descending, it was wondered if there could be some variation in the mountains - there have been precursors to earthquakes in the past, large-scale lava flow outbreaks, etc. - happening.

At Adventurer Alliance headquarters in Periclitle, an investigation has been initiated to explore the causes.

In the Mercenary Alliance, merchants were told to ensure the number of escorts by increasing the size of the merchant corps. Meanwhile, he had filed a petition with Fortis' headquarters and Fonce's branch urging the return of mercenaries taking part in the Demonic Crusade.

(I wonder what's going on in the Aquila Mountains? Aquila...... PericLittle...... I can't remember. It's got to be very important...... damn it! Something, someone... I can't remember!

Ray was beginning to get annoyed by memories he couldn't remember as he listened to the information in his guild.

I'm done listening for information, I'll have dinner at the inn, but the conversation doesn't play at all because of Ashley, who's thinking about starting tomorrow, and Ray, who's thinking about getting his memory back.

At the end of the meal, Ashley showed Ray and Stella her own thoughts.

"I don't need to hurry, but as it is, I don't know when I can leave even if I'm here. Besides, I don't think it's safe here. Then I think riding Hank's invitation is one idea. Ray, let me know what you think."

"This trip to Periclitle is because I said I wanted to go. So if you want to be safe, you can put it off."

So I cut the word once and start talking again.

"That's what I'm trying to say, I'm really hooked. I've told you before, some of my memories are sealed. This whole commotion is really getting me hooked. I feel like something is going on..."

Ashley nods at his words and confirms Stella's opinion.

"I want Stella's opinion. I don't want Ray to go because he wants to, but I want Ray's, and our safety, answered first."

Stella slowly starts talking about her thoughts.

"I also agree with Master Ashley. There is no guarantee that an excellent escort will gather even if we wait here. In the worst case scenario, you will have to escort with a lower force than you do now. One more thing..."

Stella cuts the word once as she looks at the two of them.

"As another option, there is also the hand that we can run through alone. Given our safety, I think this is the best. But you two won't admit it because this is going to abandon Mr. Hank and the others."

Ray was surprised at the way she stood firm in her opinion.

(Stella started thinking about it. Plus, I know me and Ash very well...)

The three decided to take Hank's suggestion.

And it is suggested that Ashley take command of the escort from Hank.

"Ashley and the others are calmer than me. So, one of you three is in command. If you can, Ashley, the only daughter of Red Arm Hamish, I want you to take command."

Ashley says, "Ray is more appropriate," but

"You'd better have Ash in command. Guys, I expect a member of the Mercenary Corps of Mercenaries (Red Arms) to take command. Then if Mr. Hamish's only daughter, Ash, takes command, everyone's morale will rise more. Of course, Stella and I will do everything we can to support you."

Ray convinced me to do so, and Ashley decided to take command.