Heroine Survival Vol 4 Chapter 3

Assailant

We were riding Dalton’s large high-speed carriage to travel to the territory of Duke Fudale from the capital.

The carriage’s appearance looked like it was a noble’s carriage with  its ornaments removed. But, the ornaments were remove in order to  decrease the weight and increase the speed. It seemed that the cost of  the carriage was about the same with the carriage that the royal family  used.

It had plain appearance but the exterior was processed with alchemy  and sorcery it boasted an endurance that could endure even level 5 fire  sorcery according to the calculation.

「It actually never got hit by anything like that though.」

It was Viro who said that. It seemed that the carriage would be able  to endure such attack but the next attack would put it out of  commission.

The lower part had hollow space around dozens of centimeter where  weapons and equipments that couldn’t be brought inside were stored. They  could also be taken out from under the floor. The roof part was used as  space to store spoils of war. Both spaces had their capacity increased  using storage type darkness sorcery and also equipped with the function  to reduce weight.

The space between those two storages were for people to ride, but it  had enough room that there was still enough space even after the large  Dalton and Feld got in. It should be easy for the carriage to carry ten  people.

There were four horses pulling the carriage, but it seemed that the  carriage also had magic tool to move it. It seemed that by using magic  stone as fuel the carriage could run on its own to some degree.

「Listen well Aria. You’re recruited for your ability to use light  sorcery but, we don’t plan to waste your combat style. We’ll have you  act as scout most of the time.」

Dalton explained about my role inside the carriage.

「What’re we going to do for recovery during battle?」

「Recovery during battle is rare even when we got Samantha with us.  Usually we just take care of it with potion after battle. If anyone is  bothered with that method then they can learn it themselves just like  Feld.」

I too didn’t use healing in the middle of battle. I could use it if  there was a chance but, there was also times when such opening could  lead to death.

「Aria, you’ll heal only wound that might pose as obstacle for battle.  But, all of us are fighters. It’ll be pointless if you waste your mana  and can’t fight when needed. After all even with mana recovery potion,  it’s possible that its effectiveness will worsen if you keep drinking it  several times in a day.」

「Roger.」

I could agree with what he said so I had no objection. But, a party  wouldn’t be able to move smoothly if the role of each members weren’t  clear, whether it was for healing or for teamwork.

The current composition of adventurer party “Rainbow Sword” had this kind of form.

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Heavy Warrior   Role: Tank and Attacker

▼Dalton Rockwall　Race：Mountain Dwarf・Rank 5

【Magic Power : 250/250】【Stamina : 512/512】

【Overall Combat Strength : 1940 (With Body Strengthening : 2420)】

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Swordsman   Role: Frontline Attacker

▼Feld Lewin　Race：Human・Rank 5

【Magic Power : 212/225】【Stamina : 357/370】

【Overall Combat Strength : 1494 (With Body Strengthening : 1908)】

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Scout – Light Warrior   Role: Detecting enemy, removing trap, hit-and-run

▼Viro Dawn　Race：Human・Rank 4

【Magic Power : 220/220】△10UP【Stamina : 320/320】△10UP

【Overall Combat Strength : 1056 (With Body Strengthening : 1281)】

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Spirit User – Archer   Role: Attack and defense with spirit magic, detecting enemy, hit-and-run

▼Miranda Mormor　Race：Forest Elf・Rank 4

【Magic Power : 350/350】【Stamina : 175/175】

【Overall Combat Strength : 1097 (With Body Strengthening : 1321)】

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Illusionist – Assassin   Role: Healing with sorcery, detecting enemy, hit-and-run

▼Aria (Alicia)　Race：Human・Rank 4

【Magic Power : 270/270】【Stamina : 210/210】

【Overall Combat Strength : 916 (With Body Strengthening : 1123)】

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Other than combat strength and combat style, we also told each other  our special skill and trump card. Adventurer rarely told their trump  card to each other but, there would be no point of getting obsessed with  that if it might caused Elena getting exposed to danger.

My trump card was the body strengthening using the origin Battle  Skill, but in Mira’s case her trump card was also the weak point of  spirit. It really made me felt trusted when she told me that.

As expected with the rank 4 sorcerer Samantha retired, the overall  strength of the party had gone down, but according to Dalton the human  Feld and Viro were still growing, so he thought they would still be able  at the same level like before depending on Mira and my sorcery. Even so  I would replace Viro one day, so the party was still looking for a  sorcerer even now.

Our final destination this time was the large scale dungeon in an  island, so this carriage was heading toward a port city in Fudale  territory.

Normally we would pass the relatively safe main highway and entered  the duke’s city, from there we would head to the port city at the east  but, midway we left the main highway and used the route that passed  through a forest. This road was smaller than the main highway, but it  was rarely used by ordinary traveler so it was easier for carriage to  pass through unobstructed.

Like that we kept advancing inside the forest and soon the day would  turn dark. Just as we started thinking of searching for a camping site,  the coachman called out.

「Lord Dalton, it’s still far ahead but I heard the sound of sword  fighting. I can’t sense who’s being attacked and who is attacking from  here. What should I do?」

This coachman was the butler grandpa who was taking care of Dalton’s  mansion. Although his main occupation wasn’t a butler, he was a retired  former adventurer and had the strength of a rank 3 scout. His combat  strength was decreasing due to his age but, the information that he  gathered could be trusted.

「Is it a stupid merchant’s carriage getting attacked? Troublesome,  but it can’t be helped. You youngsters go out there and take care of  it.」

Dalton gave an instruction even while frowning. He was displeased  because he understood that this road was relatively unsafe compared to  the main highway.

Even if things like bandit, thief, or monster like wolf wouldn’t come  out, there were many other forms of danger. Even so there would be no  attack if the traveler had guard of some capability with them, but being  attacked mean that the victim didn’t have sufficient protection.

Carriage could move fast in a road where no ordinary people passed.  Even if there was danger there, one should just hire mercenary or  adventurer to take care of it, but stingy merchant who didn’t want to  lose money and met misfortune instead could always be found anywhere.

「Then let’s go.」

「Uh huh.」

Feld and I got down as Dalton instructed.

When Dalton said 『younsters』, Mira whose appearance was youthful  stayed sitting while nibbling on dried fruit, conversely Viro was about  to stand up but then his eyes met mine and he seemed to notice that he  wasn’t a youngster, so he lowered back his waist on the seat.

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When I got outside, certainly there was the sound of sword clashing  from afar. Feld also noticed and looked forward. His face turned just a  little grim.

「That’s not monster……the sound of weapons clashing is loud. It’s a fight between two people trained in combat. Be careful Aria.」

「Roger.」

Just in case, we told the coachman butler that information. Then in  preparation of melee, Feld held two hand axes in his hands instead of  his great sword, while I broke out running through the road that was  getting darker without pulling out any weapon.

I ran at the front seeing that I had good night vision. Feld followed  behind me. As expected from Feld……. Although he was wearing armor and  carried large weapon, it didn’t seem like I needed to slow down for him.

After running for several dozen seconds, light of sorcery and faint  light from torch came into view from the road ahead. The situation  became slightly clearer.

「The side being attacked is a carriage that seems to belong to a noble. The assailants are also seems to be human.」

「Can you identify the enemy?」

「Those hiding their face and wearing black leather armor are the assailants I think. And, are we going to help?」

「Isn’t it fine to help if the situation is that easy to understand?」

「Got it. I’ll go ahead.」

In that moment I rushed forward with body strengthening. Although  Feld and my agility parameter was the same, if it was just running speed  than I was faster than him because my body weight was lighter.

My Night Vision saw multiple carriages that seemed to belong to noble  far ahead. The number of bodyguard seemed few for noble but, they  seemed to be skilled. They were fighting evenly against assailants that  outnumbered them by several times more. ……No, looked like the guards  were in slight disadvantage.

Among them there was one knight who was having a hard time fighting  against three assailants. Seeing that I quickly moved into action.

「──Pain──」

I aimed while running and activated darkness magic the moment I was within range.

「Gugyah!?」

One of the assailants who was brandishing a spear screamed from the  intense pain of the illusion. The man beside him turned around in  surprise. The throwing knives I threw pierced his mask. My scythe shaped  pendulum then tore the neck of the man who was freezing from the pain. I  didn’t slow down and used the momentum to kick the face of the last  masked man with my heel while cutting his exposed throat with my black  knife.

I swung my knife to get rid of the blood while turning around. The knight who was under attack trembled for a moment.

「I’m a passing adventurer. Are your side the one that is being attacked?」

「T-that’s right-」

Although he was being questioned right after three black armored men  got killed in a flash, that knight nodded vigorously even while being  dumbfounded.

「Am I being too nosey? If it’s unnecessary then I’ll leave.」

「No, my thanks for the assistance. The assailants are more than  expected, so I’m worried about the carriage that has gone ahead. But  you’re…….」

「Adventurer, “Rainbow Sword”.」

「What-, you’re from Rainbow Sword!」

As expected it seemed the reputation of “Rainbow Sword” was known  even by noble. The knight’s face turned bright from relieve. In contrast  to that, the masked assailants around us seemed to think of me as a  hindrance and several of them moved toward me.

The combat strength of the assailants was around 250……they were upper  rank 2 or lower rank 3 from this number. It was hard to call them  expert but, depending on their resolve they weren’t an opponent that  could be underestimated. Even so they were wearing leather armor instead  of metal armor, perhaps because they prioritized laying ambush. In that  case even I could deal with them.

I quickly tossed weighted pendulum to the darkness and controlled it  to strike the head of the man at the forefront from the side. My skirt  flapped as I pulled out and threw a throwing knife from under it to  pierce his throat.

I pulled back the pendulum inside the darkness and with centrifugal  force the weighted pendulum drew a large arc and smashed the head of the  next assailant who approached.

「Shit-」

A masked assailant noticed that my weapon attacked from the darkness  and charged forward while covering his vital spots with his arms.

In respond I jumped and kneed from above the guard that was protecting the face.

「Gugah!?」

The assailant groaned and lifted his face. My arm snaked through the  opened gap in the guard and around his neck before I circled behind him  and snapped his neck.

「Watch out-!」

The knight I saved just now yelled. I instantly saw two assailants  charging in with sword in their hands──, “hand axes” flew from both  sides of the knight who was about to dash forward to assist. They  pierced the two assailants’ face.

「Aria, you’re too fast-!」

Feld complained while catching up. He didn’t slow down and pulled out  the magic steel great sword on his back and jumped forward while  bisecting another assailant into two.

「I-is he your teammate……?」

The knight’s voice turned hoarse seeing how strong the attack was. I  lightly nodded to that knight and called out to Feld who was looking for  the next enemy.

「The carriage that’s going ahead is also getting attacked.」

「Got it. Go there Aria. I’ll take care of the enemies here.」

「……Roger.」

I already knew but, as I thought Feld was strong. Against opponents  of this level, even if there were several rank 3 mixed in, he would have  no problem as long as he didn’t let his guard down.

「Come at me! You masked fellows!」

It was a bit concerning that he sounded somewhat muscle brained though…….

The assailants hesitated somewhat with Feld’s reinforcement. I  slipped through them and dashed away with a speed that nobody in this  place could follow.

When I passed the side of the attacked carriage, I caught sight of a  familiar crest from under a plank that seemed to be almost torn off from  being hit by an attack.

(……The royal family’s crest?)

The carriage that Elena rode in at Dandall’s recuperation resort also  had the same crest painted on. In that case this group was related to  the royal family?

Dalton told me that the route the royal family’s carriage used was kept secret for safety.

The possibility that came to mind was that this horse carriage  belonged to the crown prince or Elena who was heading to the dungeon,  but to think that they only brought this much guard. I didn’t understand  why they didn’t use the safe main highway then.

Viro should have told them about the possibility of attack at the  very least but, the royal family didn’t consist of just the two of them,  and if they passed through this kind of road then they might simply be  in a hurry to transport something. I hope that was the case…….

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Further ahead I saw the figures of people wearing black armor and  guard knights scattered inside the darkness. I didn’t need to check  whether they were still alive or not. With my eyes that could see magic  particle, I didn’t even need to use Appraisal to see whether the body  had any life force remaining or not.

Did they kill each other? Or there was still another skilled assailant remaining?

*HYUN!!*

A knife flew from inside the darkness of the forest in that moment. I  deflected it by immediately taking out the all-purpose type pendulum  from the Storage, then I also hid myself behind a tree while throwing  the knife that I pulled from behind the slit toward the silhouette that I  caught sight of for just a moment.

「…………」

The knife was most likely dodged. I didn’t know who it was inside the  darkness but, I was able to feel the opponent’s strength from the  silhouette of the magic particle that I caught a brief sight of.

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▼Unknown　Race：Human?

【Magic Power : 182/220】【Stamina : 221/260】

【Overall Combat Strength : 929 (With Body Strengthening : 1126)】

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The opponent seemed to have sensed my combat strength too. “Killing intent” that shook the dark forest surged out.

……I see. There is an “expert” here.

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