42 Beast Tide II

Diether was making a report at the Association's building when he heard the news about Wang Lin's group and Orga's decision to help the young Arcanist at the frontline…

All these events happened very soon for the young and inexperienced Diether… However, because he had a reliable Arcana with him, he felt confident in the mission…

'Master, should I join the frontline?'

'Hmm… There will be a lot of Hunters there… So it shouldn't be as dangerous as it sounds. In case we truly need to escape, I believe that you already have an ability to do so.'

'Thank you, Master…'

Diether then left the headquarters and went to see the inn he was staying at. He wanted to know what the family plans to do.

As expected, he saw the place already closed and it seems that Yasmin and her family were also getting ready to fight.

"Why are you equipped? Even Aunt Jaz, I mean your mom… Was she a previous Hunter?"

"Not really… We're not going to fight out there… We just want to equip ourselves in case a beast manages to slip past their defenses."

Yasmin answered as she fitted her leather armguard.

"Ahhh… Now that you said it, I heard that this beast tide happens every four years or so?"

"Mhmm… But we are not expecting a beast tide this year yet… We should still have more than a year so I'm not sure what's really going on."

Diether also wanted to have some answers. Anyway, now that he was sure that the inn will be protected by the family, he now felt that he should try his best not to let any beast slip past their defenses.

"Where are you going?"

Yasmin asked as she saw Diether heading towards the forest.

"Ah… I'll be joining the frontline. I'm sure that I can help them with my skills."

"Are you serious? You weren't even that stronger than me… At most, we can be considered on par…"

During their previous combat practice, Yasmin learned that Diether wasn't that strong but his techniques were improving in a very fast manner like he has a teacher to guide him.

His movements were getting sharper and his attacks were getting more dangerous every time she saw him.

She was sure that he doesn't have one since she was seeing him practicing alone every day. She even joins her from time to time so that he wouldn't be too lonely while practicing alone.

"Well, I improved a lot recently and I also learned some moves I wanted to try. Just stay here and make sure that I still have a place to return to…"

Diether smiled confidently as he held his shinai firmly.

"Sigh~ Alright, then… Be careful and just escape if you can't hold on anymore. We have a lot of Hunters here. I heard that it will be Sir Orga supervising defense this time… Right, the Arcanist Association will also do something about it so don't try too hard."

"Hehe… I'll keep that in mind… Thank you."

Diether felt happy at the concern she was showing…

***

"Oy, Diether…"

"Sir Mark! You're here…"

"If even a kid like you will be here… Of course, you have to count me in…"

It was a good thing to have someone in his back so Diether made sure to have a good impression on all the hunters nearby.

The Hunter's group was divided into two groups protecting the left and right flank of the Academy student's group.

Diether was assigned at the left flank and met Mark, the Archer he was acquainted with…

"Did you hear about the Rare Apple Lure?"

"Rare Apple Lure?"

Diether asked as he was not familiar with the term. Mark diligently explained it to him while they still have some time…

Apparently, instead of having something like a crazed beast tide today, the beasts would be looking for something. However, based on Orga's announcement, the scent of the lure can be smelled almost everywhere to the point that it reaches the False Ivy around the village… The beast's frustration would surely ignite to something terrible if they were unable to find that fruit after searching for a long time.

When that happens, it's only a matter of time until the beasts would start attacking the villages around the forest.

"I see…"

"Ah, look… Those goats…"

Mark suddenly interrupted as he saw the eerie-looking goats approaching their area… They seem to be looking for something as they silently walk within the forest but it seems that they've been starved for a while now…

"There's five mid-grade and thirty low-grades…"

One of the hunters standing in front muttered. He was the leader of this 18-man team and Diether still remembers this guy… This was the same guy who took the Phantom Wolf's core when Wang Lin decided to take the wolf's body.

"Do you know him?"

"Eh? No, but I've seen him before."

Diether answered Mark as the latter saw him staring at the other guy.

"Mhmm… He's Trance… He recently became a 2-Star Hunter… He leads a group of hunters with him."

The young man nodded as he similarly focused his attention on the incoming beasts… They were seemingly harmless based on their outside appearance but these beasts had a bad reputation to the hunters and even to other beasts…

These goats weren't normal and they were called Blood Horned Goats of the Wailing Forest… They were called as such, not because of blood-colored horns but because of their behavior.

They were famous for their tough-as-steel horns and they were not afraid to fight any beasts. They are one of the few beasts that would ignore the territorial marking of other beasts and they would normally fight to the death once they decided to engage in a battle.

In short, these goats can be found just anywhere that would interest them and they are a battle maniac. Well, most of the information he knows was from the book he bought from Mapan.

"Brother Trance… The group of Arcanist was facing a swarm of Anchor Scarab while the right flank was dealing with a group of snake-tailed Tigers."

One of the hunters reported. They seem to have a method to communicate from a long distance aside from using a flare signal which looks to be convenient.

"Very well… We'll also be busy on our side…"

***

Diether readied himself for the incoming battle but it seems that Reiji noticed his nervousness…

"What are the fundamentals that one must learn in order to practice my swordsmanship?"

The young man who was focusing on the movements of the goats was surprised by the sudden question.

"Uhmm… Stance, Footwork, Swing Practice…"

"Yes… You learned two Stance and mastered one of them in a short time. Your footwork was also impeccable. I can hardly find any faults. You also have very decent striking skills due to your relentless swing practice…"

"R-right…"

"Not only that… You also tempered your amazing reflex…"

"Reflex?"

"That's right… So, don't hesitate… If you show good performance, I'll allow you to use one of my powerful skills."

"Really? A powerful skill?"

"Yes! It's called Overload…"

Of course, there are restrictions in using that skill but he didn't mention it for now. The important thing is to heighten Diether's morale so Reiji can also complete his other missions.