Chapter 2 — The Starting Point (6)

Leonelle exclaimed, "Oh no, you don't!" as he infused his soles with mana and aura again. He had foreseen this situation and sprinted with all his might towards the kobold, gripping its head before hurling it in a different direction.

The kobold flew a few sword-lengths away, and shook itself to remove the rain. It then turned to face Leonelle with its menacing eyes, but this time the man's eyes were red with killing intent. The kobold seemed to be intimidated for a moment, but then growled defiantly, as if to show that it would not be cowed by the human.

Leonelle cast a quick glance at Drake, assessing his condition before focusing his attention back on the kobold. A single moment was all it took for him to realize that Drake was in bad shape, with ragged breathing and a significant loss of blood. Leonelle knew he had to defeat the monster quickly, before Drake's condition worsened.

To achieve this, Leonelle channeled his mana into his sword and used ignite to set it aflame, all without the need to chant the incantation typically required for the spell. This particular spell was capable of igniting anything that the user's mana touched, and with careful attention, it could be used even in the midst of a downpour.

Upon seeing the flames on Leonelle's sword, the kobold grew even more cautious, instinctively sensing the danger posed by the weapon. It let out a fierce growl and locked eyes with Leonelle, its own gaze glowing red with intensity.

Suddenly, the kobold lunged forward, claws outstretched and jaws gaping, intent on tearing Leonelle apart.

Leonelle watched intently, calmly raising his sword in preparation for the kobold's attack.

As the kobold charged towards him, it suddenly stopped in its tracks, feeling an unusual sensation. It felt as though something was burning inside it, and before it knew it, the intense heat became unbearable.

"Graaahhh!" the kobold screamed in agony, writhing on the ground as the flames consumed it from within.

As the flames consumed the kobold from within, its fur began to burn from the outside as well, causing the creature to writhe and thrash in pain. Despite the heavy rain pouring down around them, the fire continued to burn fiercely, and the kobold was unable to extinguish the flames.

Seizing the opportunity, Leonelle moved with grace and precision, delivering a final blow with his sword to end the kobold's suffering. He then quickly sheathed his sword, extinguishing the flame as he did so.

With a sickening thud, the kobold's head fell from its body, the rest of its motionless form standing for a moment before collapsing to the ground. Leonelle turned away, letting out a deep sigh before walking over to the lifeless creature and kneeling in the muddy ground beside it.

As Leonelle examined the fallen kobold's body, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Although it appeared to be a normal kobold at first glance, its behavior during the battle suggested otherwise. It possessed a level of intelligence that was not typical of its kind, leading Leonelle to suspect that there was something more to this creature than meets the eye.

"I don't understand why it has this capability," he muttered to himself. "It's certainly not a normal kobold."

After a moment of contemplation, Leonelle decided to leave the matter for now, focusing instead on the more pressing concern. He made his way back to the tree where he had left Drake, relieved to find that he was still breathing.

He muttered to himself, "I'll have to figure out what that kobold was later. For now, Drake's safety is my priority."

Carefully, he lifted Drake onto his back and began to make his way down the muddy path, trudging through the rain with determined steps.

*****

Elisa gazed out of the window, the relentless rain showing no sign of abating any time soon. The dark sky was so overcast that it concealed what lay beyond the clouds.

"I wonder when he will come home," she whispered to herself. Her thoughts were directed towards her husband, who had been patrolling the village all night in response to reports of monsters lurking outside. As the village's knight, it was his sworn duty to defend those under his protection at all costs.

"I just hope he's safe," she murmured to herself. It wasn't that she doubted his strength or capabilities. In fact, she was confident that he would return from any conflict unscathed. But something else was bothering her lately, keeping her up at night, an inexplicable feeling that she couldn't quite put her finger on.

As she gazed out the window, she realized that the feeling seemed to be intensifying, gnawing at her from the inside out. Elisa couldn't shake off the sense that she was going to discover something significant soon. She had no idea what it was, but it was as though some kind of premonition was brewing deep within her.

As she worried about her husband, a little girl came up to her, tugging on her sleeve.

"Mama!" the girl exclaimed. "I want to sleep in my brother's room again! Can I? Please?"

Elisa smiled and gently patted the girl's head. "Are you sure your brother won't mind?"

The girl nodded eagerly. "He said it was okay for me to sleep in his room with him!"

"Well, if your brother said it was okay, then I have no reason to refuse," Elisa replied with a smile. "Just be sure not to cause any trouble, okay? Your brother doesn't like it when you misbehave."

"I promise I won't cause any trouble, Mama!" the girl said, crossing her heart to emphasize her sincerity. "I'm going to go upstairs now. Bye!"

"Wait! Don't run up the stairs! It's dangerous!" Elisa called after her daughter.

"It's okay, Mama! I won't fall!" the girl shouted back, her footsteps growing fainter as she climbed the stairs.

"That's not the point!" Elisa shouted, but the girl was already out of earshot. "She really should be more careful," she murmured to herself, her voice barely audible above the pounding of raindrops against the glass.

As if in response, a bright bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the world outside with a brief but brilliant flash. Elisa shuddered, an inexplicable sense of foreboding washing over her. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was about to happen - something she couldn't control.

As Elisa was lost in thought, she heard a faint knock on the door. At first, she didn't register it, but then she realized it was there. The sound of the rain was so fierce that any other sound was almost impossible to hear. However, as an elf, Elisa had sharper senses than humans. Though, her hearing wasn't as good as the beast people's.

Elisa's pointed ears twitched, picking up the faint sound of a knock at the door. With a sigh, she rose from her seat, her mind still consumed by worry over the storm raging outside. As she approached the entrance, her senses were suddenly heightened by an unexplainable sensation, as if some unknown danger was lurking just beyond the threshold.

She hesitated for a moment, her hand hovering over the handle, before finally mustering the courage to open the door. What she saw on the other side made her heart skip a beat - her husband, Leonelle, standing in the rain, soaked to the bone.

"Leonell—" she began, relief and concern washing over her at the sight of him. But her words were cut short as she noticed someone slung over his back - a person she knew all too well. Another former adventurer like herself.

Elisa's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the person's pale, lifeless face. It was hard to believe that they were still alive, given the alarming lack of color in their features.

Instinctively, she slapped a hand over her mouth, the weight of the situation hitting her like a ton of bricks.

"W-What happened?!" she asked, her eyes darting from Drake's pale face to her husband's soaked form.

Leonelle shook his head, his face grim. "Let's discuss that later," he said firmly. "More importantly, he needs medical attention, Elisa. Can you please help him?"

Elisa's gaze flicked down to Drake's feet, or rather, the stumps where they should have been. They were bound tightly together to stem the flow of blood, but it was clear that the situation was dire. Her friend needed immediate medical attention if they were to have any chance of survival.

Without hesitation, Elisa nodded resolutely. "Let's go inside," she said, leading the way to the medicinal room where she spent most of her time making various medicines and elixirs.

The room was filled with the fragrant smell of herbs and plants, a testament to Elisa's extensive knowledge of natural remedies.

Elisa quickly unfolded a bed, motioning for her husband to lay her injured friend down. With great care, Leonelle carefully laid Drake onto the bed, eliciting a low groan of pain from the injured adventurer.

Elisa's eyes widened as she took in the extent of Drake's injuries. "This looks awful," she said, her voice filled with concern. "What could have possibly done this?"

Leonelle's expression was grim as he replied, "A lizardman..."

Elisa's eyes widened in surprise and confusion at the mention of a lizardman. It seemed impossible that Drake could have been injured so badly by such a creature.

But as she looked at her husband's expression, she knew that there was more to the story than she realized.