I Didn't Want to Become the Emperor of This World

Chapter 161

The northern fortress of the Monster Mountains.

This fortress, built with the help of the elves, looked slightly different from the southern fortress of the Monster Mountains.

The southern fortress was made of commonly seen 'stone'. It was a castle wall built by stacking stones.

In contrast, the basic material of the northern fortress was 'wood'. Naturally, it was weaker, softer, and more vulnerable to fire than stone, so it wasn't a good material for building a fortress.

However, this 'wooden fortress' made with elven magic was different.

Phshk—!

"Kieeeeeek......!"

A 'wooden vine' pierced the heart of a goblin approaching the fortress. As if pierced by a steel spear, a clean, fist-sized hole appeared in the goblin's chest.

That wooden vine was one of the vines covering the wooden fortress made by the elves.

Like tentacles, the wooden vines protected the fortress.

—Ki, kiek!

"E-Elves! You cowards! Hiding behind a fortress like that!!"

Another nearby goblin took a step back.

'Th-this is the safe limit! If I go even a little further, the vines will come flying!'

Ahead, the ground was covered with monsters who had charged in without knowing any better and were pierced to death by the wooden fortress's vines.

From weak monsters like Kobolds and Goblins to Trolls and Cyclops—even Werewolves, rumored to have tough hides.

It seemed that 'wooden vine' possessed the strength to pierce through the hide and muscle of any monster.

"Kr, krr...... I've never seen anything like that! To think even elves can use such magic!!"

The 'War Bear' chieftain, who had been ordered by Krokas to capture the northern fortress, clutched his head in frustration.

'......I can't see any way to break through.'

When he tried to burn down the wooden fortress by shooting fire arrows, the distance was too great, and the fire arrows couldn't properly embed themselves in the fortress.

Compared to the elves' archery—no, even by general standards, the monsters' archery was pathetic.

If they lit a spear on fire and threw it with all their might, it would stick in the fortress, but that wasn't enough to set the wooden fortress ablaze. The humans would immediately extinguish the fire.

'Was there such vine magic among the elves' spells......? I don't think there was.'

The War Bear chieftain had reigned as chieftain for over 50 years and had fought the elves many times on the border between the Foothill's Rest and the Monster Mountains.

He had been chosen as the commander of the northern fortress's occupying force in recognition of that experience.

However, even the War Bear chieftain had never seen such magic.

"Krrr......"

This war of attrition, where they only suffered losses, had already been going on for over a week.

It was a moment when some kind of breakthrough was needed.

But nothing came to mind.

'Damn it! Where did those Anakros bastards suddenly go!!'

Originally, the Anakros race was supposed to take charge of breaking through the northern fortress of the Monster Mountains.

But on the day of their departure, the Anakros had vanished from the monster army's assembly point without a trace.

Trying to breach the fortress without the Anakros, one of their greatest military assets, there was no way he could see an answer.

'But if I retreat...... I'm a dead man.'

Krokas had no mercy. No forgiveness, and no understanding.

After the Minotaur was sealed, that tyrant would not listen to his excuse that he couldn't capture the fortress because the Anakros were gone. For origınal chapters go to NoveI-Fire.ɴet

'......It can't be helped. I didn't want to use it here, but.'

It was a secret weapon he had prepared to use later when attacking the royal capital.

The War Bear chieftain was about to use the secret weapon he had obtained from some nameless dungeon long ago.

"......Activate the Golems, 'Tairantus'. Both of them."

***

Atop the wall of the northern fortress of the Monster Mountains.

In complete contrast to the monster army, the soldiers defending the fortress were in a very calm state.

"......The elves' magic is truly incredible."

Ray, a high-ranking knight and the lord of 'Zakar Castle', a territory near the northern part of the Monster Mountains, muttered. He was the supreme commander of this fortress.

His adjutant replied, nodding his head reluctantly.

"Indeed. To think that so many monsters can't even approach....... It's truly amazing."

"Mm. Though it seems to be a very taxing magic for the elves as well."

Ray shifted his gaze slightly and looked toward the center, inside the wooden fortress.

There, thirty elves were injecting mana into the elf in the middle. A blue energy flowed from the fingertips of the thirty elves, and the one receiving it was the Elven Elder—Elvandor.

Woooooong—.

The Elven Elder's whole body glowed with blue mana.

His hands and feet had become 'tree roots' and were embedded in the ground. And those tree roots formed the foundation of the fortress.

"......"

Elvandor had been in that state with his eyes closed for a week already.

He neither ate nor slept, as if he had truly become a single tree. Though seeing his eyes closed, it also seemed like he might be sleeping.

'He said about three weeks. The time he can maintain that magic.'

Of course, it wasn't that the wooden fortress would collapse after three weeks. Only the wooden vine magic protecting the fortress would be dispelled.

'But if the monster bastards find out the wooden vines are gone, they'll launch a large-scale attack.'

When that time came, the wooden fortress would suffer from various weaknesses and disadvantages.

'So before that, I have to go out and intercept the enemy. I have to reduce their numbers. Should I try a raid at dawn today? It seems like those bastards are just watching from outside the range of the wooden vines. Since we have the elves' Gryphons, if I ask for their cooperation—.'

Just as Ray was thinking and muttering to himself.

Kooong......!

A 'magnificent' sound was heard from the direction of the monster army.

It sounded like giant, hollow iron spheres colliding with each other.

The soldiers gripped their spears tightly and watched the battlefield.

"Wh-what is that?"

"A monster...... is it?"

"I've never seen a monster like that before."

With the gradually setting sun at its back, something enormous appeared.

It was a giant stone statue. A moving stone statue.

Kooong—.

The moving stone statue stretched out limbs made of rough stone that seemed to have been carved by the wind.

Cracks had formed on its wide, crude chest, and a faint blue light pulsed from within each crevice like a heartbeat.

—Gulp.

That was clearly no ordinary enemy. Watching it move, it was somewhat crude and slow, but the approach of that giant 'lump of rock' was definitely accompanied by a brutish sense of pressure.

'......What is that?'

It was an enemy that even Ray, who had experienced the war against the demon tribe, was seeing for the first time.

As such, he had no idea how to deal with it.

But still, as the commander defending this fortress, Ray could not show a confused appearance to those around him. He tried his best to act composed.

But just then.

"Oh, it's a Golem? It's been a while since I've seen one."

"Hmm."

A rather calm voice was heard from behind Ray.

'That person...... Was it Paras-nim, the prince's cousin elf? And the one next to him is the elf who has strange rumors with the Commander-nim.'

"Do you two know the identity of that lump of rock?"

At Ray's question, Paras nodded while keeping his eyes fixed on the Golem.

"Yeah, I know. It's called a 'Golem'...... how should I explain it? A very rare stone that has accumulated mana by being in the ground for a long time, and when a lot of things die around it, souls enter it—."

"Paras, do you think he'll understand if you explain it like that? I'll explain."

Silvia chided her younger brother as if he were pathetic and began to speak to Ray instead.

After sharing her love with Jereuth, Silvia had come to adopt a considerably friendly and polite attitude toward humans.

"A Golem is an incomplete artifact in which multiple souls are trapped in a stone where magical power has clumped together. Since it's an incomplete artifact, it can't understand complex commands, but it is capable of simple acts of destruction. It's a dark magic that was created for that purpose in the first place."

Unlike Paras and Silvia, who spoke calmly, Ray's heart was racing.

This was because even at this moment, that giant stone statue—the 'Golem'—was getting closer to the fortress.

Ray said hurriedly.

"Then do you also know how to stop it?"

"Yes. It's not simple, but—."

As Silvia was speaking.

Phyooooo—!

Flap—!

"I was bored just staying inside the fortress, so this is perfect! Noona, you have to save your mana to give it to Father, so stay there! I'll take care of it!"

Before he knew it, Paras had mounted a Gryphon, flown over the fortress, and soared high into the sky.

Ray was surprised by Paras suddenly sallying out alone, and Silvia let out a sigh.

Haa—.

"When on earth is that kid going to grow up......"

"C-can he handle it alone? Paras-nim, that giant stone statue?"

At Ray's question, Silvia smiled lightly and nodded.

"Yes. Even though he's a fool like that, Paras is the best archer among the elves. He can barely use any other magic, but he has a unique ability to imbue his arrows with mana."

"The ability to imbue arrows with mana?"

"You'll know when you see it. He may be lacking in many ways, but he's still an Elder Elf."

"Ah...... yes."

Ray nodded reluctantly and watched Paras flying rapidly toward the Golem.

'I know that Elder Elves are exceptionally strong among elves, but just how strong is he to be like that?'

Just as Ray was pondering the question.

Phyooooo—!

Paras's Gryphon, which had been high up, began to dive sharply. It plummeted vertically from the sky, aiming precisely for the Golem's head.

Atop that Gryphon, as if defying the laws of physics, Paras was nonchalantly half-standing.

"......Wh-what?"

His surprise at Paras's incomprehensible action was brief.

Ray witnessed an even more astonishing scene.

Ping......!

Paras, while in a vertical dive, shot an arrow.

It was definitely an 'arrow'.

But then, a blue-green mana wrapped around the arrow.

Chwaaaaaak-!

The arrow tore through the air and embedded itself right in the center of the Golem's head.

Up to that point, it might have just seemed like a 'pretty arrow'.

However, what happened afterward surprised not only Ray but all the knights and soldiers.

As if a giant awl was drilling through stone.

The thin arrow shot by Paras penetrated the giant stone mass, which was over several meters tall, in a single blow.

Kwakwakwakwakwang—!

"......My goodness."

Ray muttered blankly, unaware of himself, as he stared at Paras. Not just Ray, but every knight and soldier followed Paras's Gryphon with their heads.

Phyooooo—!

As if it knew of the attention from the knights and soldiers, Paras's Gryphon powerfully soared up into the sky again.

It was probably preparing to deliver that tremendous strike from a moment ago once more.

—Waaaaaaah!

—Paras! Paras! Paras!

—The royalty of the elves! The royalty of humans!

While all the knights and soldiers were chanting Paras's name.

Silvia, who knew Paras's abilities and skills well, had a slightly worried look in her eyes.

'Hmm...... I guess it was a stronger Golem than I thought. To think he had to overexert himself to shoot such a strong arrow.'

No matter how strong Paras was, if he shot an arrow with such strain, it would be difficult for him to shoot again for a while. Just like a human body, an elven body also had muscular limits.

Moreover, directly expelling mana to the outside while overworking the body was a very difficult task.

'The fact that he used so much power must mean he wants to protect Leonardo's kingdom that much. And he must also want to protect his new 'human' family.'

It was the same for Silvia. She also wanted to protect her husband.

In the meantime, Paras's Gryphon began its vertical dive from high in the sky again.

It was about to repeat the attack that had destroyed the Golem a moment ago.

Phyooooo—!

Paras, riding atop that Gryphon.

A considerable amount of blood was flowing from his hand.

Just as Silvia had thought, the arrow from a moment ago had been reckless even for Paras.

***

Kooong......!

Watching the two Golems collapse in an instant.

The War Bear chieftain, who had lost his secret weapon so absurdly in a single moment, stared blankly at the wooden fortress.

'I expected there would be Gryphons since there were elves...... but I've never seen an elf who rides a Gryphon so well. Besides, what's with that arrow?! How can he destroy a Golem with a bow......?'

A Golem. It possessed a body that couldn't be broken even by the hard teeth and claws that the War Bear race prided themselves on.

But to think it was destroyed with a bow?

'Could it be an Elder Elf......?'

Come to think of it, it was strange. For so many elves to suddenly be helping humans.

But if an Elder Elf had formed some sort of relationship with humans and decided to help them, it was quite understandable.

'......That's not what's important. What's important now is what to do next.'

He couldn't retreat. If he retreated, he would only be killed by Krokas.

Then the only option was to attack. It would be a reckless attack, literally no different from a suicide mission, but he had no choice.

The War Bear chieftain stretched his body and spoke to the other monsters watching him.

"I will take the lead. We will bring down that fortress in an all-out attack in a single moment."