76: Boss fight, huh. Can't back down from that.

Summary

Craft and the others had set out to survey the forest west of Golden Dune, only to encounter the lizardmen—rumored to have long since perished.

And the lizardmen’s village was under attack by a giant frog!

Craft and the others moved to take down the frog leader!

Defeat the Titan Duke Frog!

The lizardmen’s village was overrun by a horde of giant frogs, and we stepped in to help.

No idea why, but the frog boss—the Titan Duke Frog—seems to be drawing in a massive number of frogs.

The frogs slow down at night, but fighting them in the dark marshland would be way worse, so we let the lizardmen handle the night watch while we rested up slowly.

With the sunrise, we set out to take down the frog boss.

At first, I was gonna fire off a wide-area fire or ice spell, but Raidock shot it down.

Turns out there’s a rule against offensive magic for a reason.

We got attacked by monsters over and over again during this expedition into uncharted territory. Sure, Raidock and the three Cassper sisters took care of them, but I still ended up joining in the fights.

One time, Eva looked at me casting a powerful offensive spell and kinda paused.

Then she asked me this:

“Craft. Could it be… the mana cost for magic tied to the mage’s sigil system is kind of high?”

“Huh?”

"Probably... the sigil of the Twilight Alchemist is just so good and complicated that it feels like it uses more mana than a mage's sigil. Crafting via alchemy can be done repeatedly, but isn't it hard to keep casting attack spells in quick succession?"

Evah’s advice hit me like a bucket of cold water.

From my own sense, I’d felt the mana cost had dropped drastically.

But that was only because I was comparing it to how it used to be when I was a mage. Back then, I’d drain massive amounts of mana just to conjure a little water in a cup. Even with my own reserves being plenty.

I focused on Evah’s words, carefully comparing the mana cost of alchemy to that of other magic.

Mana isn’t something you can measure in numbers, of course—just a feeling—but Evah’s guess was right.

In short, magic used by spellcasters consumes a lot of mana.

Probably, you couldn’t unleash it repeatedly if it’s a spell as big as a full-scale spell.

So Raidock gave strict orders.

“Craft. No attacking magic.”

I protested at first. But then they convinced me to make up for it with alchemy.

That’s why, in this “let’s beat up that annoying giant frog” plan (named Jitarou), I’m not counted as frontline.

But…

“Break-the-Skies Gale!” “Skyward Barrage!”

“Flicker-Dark Strike!”

Take that!

Just as dawn broke and the marsh finally brightened, we launched our suicide run against the Titan Duke Frog.

Bathed in sunlight, the giant frogs stirred to life—then one after another, they were torn apart by Raidock’s techniques.

Cheers came flying from the lizardman village behind us.

"Ooooh! Look! The humans! That Paralyzing Baron Frog is getting taken down one after another, like a bunch of toads!"

"What kind of technique is that!?"

"Still, humans are terrifying..."

"But they’re on our side now!"

"Are they really on our side?"

"Those guys... they’re something else."

Heh heh heh, you’re surprised, huh.

Raidock’s been getting better again, huh.

Even Jitarou’s putting in some work. Cutting through that massive horde of frogs like they’re nothing.

Still, the Titan Duke Frog’s far off. Looks easy to take down, but those Baron Frogs aren’t weak by any means.

"Got it! Your job’s getting the mage safely to Titan Duke’s front door! Craft! Stick to covering fire! Don’t cast any attack spells till I say so!"

"Damn, I know that already!"

I snapped it back on instinct, but still, a little support strike wouldn’t hurt—so Raidock’s warning came just in time.

Damn it. He saw right through me.

Even if it’s just a small spell, I figure it’s fine—nothing major. But Eva and Bardack both grit their teeth and keep their hands still.

We don’t know how strong Titan Duke Frog really is. Holding back our strength is non-negotiable.

"…Raidock! I’ll clear the way—leave it to me!"

"Got it! Leave it to me!"

I toss Healing Potions whenever any of my allies take so much as a scratch, to keep even the priestess Marilyn safe.

The magic needed to power the potion bottles is negligible—no issue there.

As we push forward, our party’s damage rate spikes all at once.

We’re wading deeper into the swamp now, and the water’s finally up to our waists.

A normal C-rank adventurer would be stuck here, immobile, and swallowed whole by the frogs by now. Yet we’re still wiping out enemies at the same pace. That’s not normal.

“Gah!”

“Jitarou! Don’t push too far ahead!”

“But Leifan’s sister—!”

“I’m fine! Step back! Craft!”

“Jitarou! Get back! The enemy’s blocking the line—can’t throw the potion!”

“Y-yes, I understand!”

Camille swiftly shifted Jitarou’s position and realigned the formation.

Blood gushed from Jitarou’s shoulder.

His bow was top-tier, but damn it—hunters and adventurers just didn’t sync up right.

I saw Jitarou in my sight and tossed the Healing Potion straight at him.

"Thanks a bunch!"

"Jitarou—stay beside Craft! You’re overcommitting! Stick to harassment!"

"...Yeah, okay."

Jitarou was scolded by Raidock, but he didn’t seem convinced.

"Jitarou. I know your bow’s reliable. I know you can take down a frog in one shot. But if you’re running all over just to get that shot, the line breaks. Just cover us from here with arrows."

"...Got it. Here I go!"

Of course there’s a difference between a hunter’s way—take the prey down in one blow if you can—and an adventurer’s style, which is just to keep slashing until the enemy’s dead, one after another, and stay safe yourself.

The problem only hit them now, after fighting monsters they’d encountered on the road. Either Jitarou or Raidock could’ve taken them down with near certainty. It was the first time it had really registered.

“Alright! Took down the enemy! Push forward!”

“““Yeah!!”””

From nowhere, they swarmed in—cleared out the Baron Frogs all around, opened the path to the Titan Duke Frog.

If we don’t hurry, the Barons still far off will climb over their fallen comrades and come after us.

“Raidock-sama! Attacking!”

“…Got it!”

The water reached up to chest level—just as the lizard men had warned. If it had been any deeper, we’d have been wiped out without a fight.

My toes sank into the mud. Movement was barely possible.

Yet Raidock, slashing through enemies with one clean blow, was a godsend.

And then, right before our eyes, the boss frog—massive, grotesque, utterly unnatural—appeared.

Even half-submerged, its body towered over the barons.

From a mouth like a bottomless pit, dozens of tongues slithered out.

Like the barons, this thing’s split tongues were more dangerous than they looked.

“Here we go… ‘Hellfire Crimson Spear.’”

“Take this! ‘Hellfire Burst!’”

Evra and Bardack’s fire magic exploded, wrapping around the whip-like tongues in a burst of flame.

Evra’s “Hellfire Crimson Spear” was a damn powerful spell.

The sluggish frog bastard couldn’t dodge it.

The air all around turned scorching hot. Titan Duke was wrapped in flames.

“Got ‘im!”

Jitarou cheered.

Stop, Jitarou! That’s a trap!

The hellfire vanished into the sky. Where the smoke cleared, Titan Duke stood, barely scratched, glaring at us with fury.

“Jitarou, you idiot—!”

Yeah, Leifan. I get it. Hurts like hell. But it ain’t Jitarou’s fault. Probably.

Sorry it’s been so long.

It’s calmed down enough now. I think I can start the serial again.

Gonna keep pushing. Please keep cheering me on!