Volume 12 Chapter 3 Channing Village Part Ii
Al placed three people on the 'Carrier' chair and flew about 30 meters (98ft) above Channing Village, heading toward the river in the south. Hiding behind a large rock by the riverbank, he spotted a few men watching a bear with spears and bows. One looked around 40, another about 20──likely Al's father, Nelson, and his brother, Jasper. With them was Neville, a knight with short black hair. All three held spears, bows on their backs, scanning the area. There was probably a Hidden Badger nearby, a creature that blends in by changing its fur color.
"Al, isn't that the Hidden Badger?"
Mary pointed across the river. Disguised as a large gray rock, it was definitely a Hidden Badger—about 2.5 meters (8ft) long and 500 kilograms (1,102 lbs), still small for its kind. With the river between them, they had some distance to prepare if it approached. Al nodded and slowly descended behind his father, Nelson.
"Alfred!"
The first to notice Al and the others was his brother, Jasper. His tense face relaxed a bit.
"Just in time! I heard from Orson that a Hidden Badger showed up, so I rushed over!"
When Al landed on the ground, Orson and the other 2 quickly stood up from their 'Carrier' spell chairs and started stomping their feet to feel the ground.
"Alfred, did you learn the 'Fly' spell? You're just like Grandpa! And you can carry 3 people too? That's amazing!"
Jasper happily patted Al's shoulder multiple times. Nelson watched, nodding, but then suddenly became serious and shook his head lightly.
"I have a lot of questions, including about the letter, but first we need to deal with the Hidden Badger. Will you help us take it down?"
Al wrote about Patricia in the letter to his father, but he wondered how much everyone else knew. If his sister Mary had heard, she would have asked a lot more questions. So, they probably hadn't talked about it yet.
In late autumn, bears usually go into their dens to sleep, having eaten enough to last until spring. A wandering bear hasn’t found enough food for winter and is often hungry.
The Hidden Badger is a magical beast, so Al wasn’t sure if that applied to it. Either way, they needed to take it down before it got too close to the village to avoid trouble.
"Of course, I'm in! But what's the plan?"
"Normally, a hunter can scare a bear away, but the Hidden Badger is a magic beast. We need someone to get close, throw a stone to lure it, and then ambush it with spears. Its skin is thick, so we should aim for its neck or thinner spots."
Al nodded at his father's words. The lure and wall roles were dangerous. Hidden Badger are fast, and if one charges, it will hit hard. The lure must keep it from gaining speed. He glanced at Orson, who also nodded.
"I'll lure it. Neville, can you be the wall?"
Mary raised her hand, and Neville nodded silently. Al wasn’t sure about Neville’s skills. It would have been reassuring if their older brother Gustave were here, but he was serving in the Margrave’s knight order.
"I'll do the luring. I can fly, so it's safer."
Mary looked disappointed but nodded. Using 'Magic Tornado' would be safest, but it would ruin the valuable fur and meat. They needed to avoid that. Even with tough wyverns, their leather had been damaged, so they couldn’t risk it with the Hidden Badger.
"I'll handle the wall too."
Orson raised his hand. Honestly, it was a relief. If the two of them worked together, the risk would be lower.
Everyone discussed where to ambush the Hidden Badger and which route it would take. It seemed that Nelson, Al's father, knew the most about this, and he listened to everyone's opinions while forming a plan. While listening, Al cast the 'Shield' spell on everyone one by one. This made them feel a bit safer.
"Okay, I'll go lure it,"
Al said as he floated up and gradually approached the Hidden Badger, which was searching for prey on the opposite shore. When he got about 20 meters (66ft) away, the Hidden Badger glanced at Al.
'Slow'
Al cast the spell on the Hidden Badger and quickly backed away.
"Grrr!"
The Hidden Badger growled angrily and started chasing Al. It tried to speed up, but it was only going about 20km (12.4 miles) per hour. The spell was working well. For Al, using the 'Fly' spell, that speed was nothing to fear.
He glanced at the opposite bank where Neville and Orson stood ready with their spears behind a big rock. Keeping his distance, Al crossed the river. The Hidden Badger splashed through the water, carefully navigating around rocks and bushes, leading it into an ambush.
'Telepathy.'
Al waved lightly to connect with Orson through 'Telepathy.'
'I'm almost there, heading your way soon.'
'Yeah, we're all set here. Come anytime!'
He jumped over the last bush. In front of him was the big rock where everyone was waiting. Al stood on top of the rock. The Hidden Badger burst through the bushes, looked up at the rock, and spotted the two standing there.
"Now!"
'Piercing' Thrust Spear Technique──Penetration
'Charged Thrust' Thrust Spear Technique──Damage Up
Orson and Neville thrust their spears almost at the same time. Orson aimed for a weak spot, and his spear pierced deep into the badger's left shoulder. An arrow followed, likely from Mary, but it bounced off the badger's fur.
'Magic Missile'──Focused Power
From the rock, Al shot a thick, pale blue beam at the badger's neck. The enhanced arrow created a fist-sized hole as it pierced through.
"Uggggggh!"
The Hidden Badger raised its hands, trying to stand up.
"Get back!"
Orson and Neville twisted their spears and pulled them out, quickly stepping back. Blood gushed out from the wound Orson made and the cut on Al's neck.
Still, the Hidden Badger let out a loud scream. Its eyes widened as it glared at Orson and Neville in front of it.
"Over here!"
Orson shouted back defiantly.
"O-Over here!"
Neville tried to mimic him, shouting with all his might. The Hidden Badger took a step forward, swinging its right arm to swipe at the two with its thick arm and sharp claws.
'Spasm.'
Al blocked the attack.
"Alright, one more time!"
'Piercing' Thrust Spear Technique──Penetration
'Charged Thrust' Thrust Spear Technique──Damage Up
Orson and Neville both lunged forward, putting their weight into their spears. Their spears aimed straight for the Hidden Badger's heart.
"Gaaaaaaaah!"
The Hidden Badger looked up to the sky and screamed again. Its voice gradually weakened. Finally, it seemed to run out of strength and collapsed to the ground.
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