Chapter 171

I took out the magic tool.

It was the tool that we believed the dark ones used to get through the water dragon barrier.

“Philly, please look at this.”

“Oooh… It is made out of the Fool’s Stone… Hmm? Is this a tool to break through the barrier?”

“Very good. Exactly. But, it wasn’t the divine barrier, but the water dragons’ barrier.”

“Hmmm. How troublesome.

Philly muttered.

Tama looked at Philly with a worried expression and licked her hand.

“Groof.”

Grulf started to lick my hand, perhaps in imitation.

I turned to Shia and the others.

“Shia, Serulis and Nia. I heard you all did very well out there.”

Nia shook her head slowly.

“It is true that Serulis and Shia did a lot…but I was just running away.”

“That’s not true? I saw you fighting an arch vampire.”

“Oh, an arch? That is quite amazing.”

I said. Nia looked conflicted.

“That was…an accident.”

Nia said that she was desperately trying to escape the attacks of the automated magic machines.

It was all she could do to dodge them. She never had a chance to go on the attack.

But when she ran away, a vampire had appeared right in front of her with its back towards her.

“It had turned into mist so that it could attack a water dragon that was busy fighting a machine.”

“I see. And that’s how you did it.”

Nia was surprised at the sudden appearance and had swung her sword without thinking.

And then the arch vampires head had flown off.

“It was just a coincidence. I was running away.”

“I don’t think randomly swinging your sword without thinking usually results in an arch losing its head. It’s because of your daily training.”

Even if she hadn’t been thinking, her strength would have still mattered.

And so it was very impressive considering her age.

“Yes. You should be more proud of yourself!”

Serulis praised Nia with a pat on the head.

“If anything, it is I who barely did anything.”

“Yes, I let the water dragons take care of the magic machines…”

“Those machines are very strong, so it cannot be helped.”

And so I told them the general strategies that the dark ones liked to use.

About how they liked to turn into mist when the dragons were fighting with the machines.

Of course, they had probably noticed much of this already.

And there was one thing I could not forget.

“Lesser and arch vampires are one thing, but magic machines are much too dangerous.”

“…Are you suggesting that we shouldn’t help in defending the settlement?”

“Yes.”

They didn’t say anything. But their eyes were full of dissatisfaction.

“I know you did very well last night. But it’s getting to be too dangerous.”

“I understand what you are trying to say, Mister Locke, but…”

“You should know after yesterday. The machines are too dangerous.”

“Yes. So we will be very careful…”

“No.”

It’s not a matter of simply being more careful.

Serulis continued to argue, but Shia and Nia looked quiet.

“Yes… I did feel like it was too heavy a load for us… But I feel like the water dragons cannot defend it alone either.”

Shia was right.

If Shia and the others were not there, someone else must take their place.

But still, I could not take Shia and the others to a battlefield with those machines.

“…Still. It’s a no.”

“I’ll be so careful!”

You still can’t.”

Serulis wouldn’t back down. But I flatly refused.

She looked angry. Her eyes looked tearful.

I felt bad for her, but it was preferable to allowing it and having her die.

“It’s too bad… But I know I will just get in the way.”

Nia said. She was sad but also looked optimistic.

She understood that she needed to get stronger so that she wouldn’t have to run away anymore.

Shia looked to Serulis and said with a smile,

“Well, those pesky machines really are little out of our league!”

“But… If it’s just against the vampires…I can…”

“That may be, but then it won’t just be Nia, but both of us who get in the way.”

The water dragons were kind. They would protect them if they needed help.

Even if Serulis and the others were saved, it would harm the water dragons.

And even Serulis would not want that.

“Then Serulis, why don’t you join us beastkin wolves?”

“…Really?”

Shia looked at me.

“Mister Locke. You are currently trying to destroy their base, aren’t you?”

“…I’m surprised you know. Yes, we are.”

“Because things will only get worse at this rate.”

I hadn’t told them of my conversation with Eric and Dorgo yet.

She had probably just realized it was the right decision based on circumstances. She was a B-rank Adventurer, after all.

“His Majesty will come to us beastkin for information on the vampires.”

“He likely will, yes.”

“If there is little we can do in the water dragon settlement, we will just do what we can do.”

That was still dangerous.

But it was a danger that came with being an Adventurer.

“Shia. I would like that. Please take me with you.”

Serulis said with a bow.

Still, I couldn’t agree to it just like that.