Aras Auto-6

I review the materials on the monster gathered from Coil.

As Coil said, there wasn't much substantial information, but it was just right for summarizing what had already been learned.

The bovine monster... its origin and purpose remain completely unknown. It primarily attacks travelers and wild animals, charging at high speed with its massive horn and killing them on the spot.

It primarily attacks for food, but occasionally exhibits behavior that seems almost playful.

Ordinary soldiers, once attacked, are extremely difficult to repel or defeat, with a high probability of death.

Currently, its detection capability is low, and it appears unable to recognize targets at a distance. However, under certain conditions, its detection ability can suddenly increase, causing it to charge forth aggressively.

Its skin and horns are extremely hard, resistant to blades. Therefore, methods involving heat or poison may be effective for defeating it. It also appears to have high regenerative abilities—possibly even recovering from poison or heat exposure.

Based on past combat results, one of its horns has been broken by Roll's attack.

Additionally, it has been confirmed that it can survive and continue breathing even while submerged in swamps. Thus, it remains a significant threat in underwater environments as well.

Its greatest strength lies in its ability to charge forward under any circumstances.

What could be the reason behind the monster's rapidly increasing detection capabilities?

Honestly, with only this information, it's completely impossible to tell. Although my lightning attack seemed to have an effect, it still withstood even its most powerful assault. In other words, it's impossible to defeat alone.

After two or three days had passed, my health had fully recovered. The secretary of the Roll Commander informed me of the rendezvous point for the extermination squad, so I headed there.

But before that, there was somewhere I wanted to visit first. I knocked on the door of a certain sickroom.

A reply came, and upon entering, I saw a man who looked a bit worn but greeted me with a smile.

"How are you feeling, Ian?"

"Not good, to be honest. But thanks to you, I'm getting better."

"Is that so... I'm sorry. Your arm... this..."

"Yeah, it's true, losing an arm is painful, but thanks to it, I'm still alive, and Taro did everything he could to treat me, didn't he? It's nothing unusual on the battlefield."

"But you were supposed to inherit your family's legacy..."

"Even with one arm, I can still work. Besides, I still have my dominant hand. More importantly, don't go and worry yourself to death—don't make my missing arm meaningless."

"Ah, I'll bring back something good for you to look forward to."

Without further conversation, he left the ward and headed toward the designated meeting point.

No more carelessness from now on. I'll definitely take them down. The thought came naturally, and his fist tightened with resolve.

The place they'd been told to meet was a large barracks—almost like a university lecture hall.

In the center stood a heavily armed roll captain and several middle-aged veterans, explaining something to the group.

The venue was filled with all sorts of people.

There seemed to be some differences based on affiliation. Some groups were neatly outfitted in heavy armor, while others clearly resembled rough-looking mercenary units.

And then there were groups like us—neither here nor there.

We took seats in the empty spots at the back, making sure not to disturb the meeting.

The roll captains were presenting their findings from the past few days of investigation.

Some listened attentively to details about the bovine monster they had discovered, such as the significant damage it had inflicted, while others heard the report half-heartedly.

As a general rule, the monster has low sensory perception. Therefore, we should set traps to immobilize it and attack from a distance using fire arrows or catapults. The monster's hide is extremely tough, making it impossible to defeat with ordinary blades. Thus, our ultimate goal should be to defeat it with heat or poisoned arrows.

However...

"I have a question. May I?"

A young man clad in pristine white armor raised his hand.

"Go ahead. What is it?"

"Thank you. I've heard that monsters possess considerable strength. Could they possibly break through the traps and escape?"

"Of course, that possibility is very real. Therefore, I intend to set multiple traps and repeatedly carry out the same kind of attack."

And if, by any chance, they manage to break through the traps and come this way, I'd like the knight corps' large shield unit to stop their advance first. In the meantime, the archer unit will fall back and reorganize their formation."

"What should we mercenaries do?" Another man asked next.

"I'd like you to assist with archery, setting traps, and supporting the large shield unit."

"Wait—so we're just playing backup? If that's the case, I could take down that monster's head myself!"

A clearly young mercenary steps forward, raising his voice. A few members of the knightly order show visibly displeased expressions.

But Captain Roll remains calm.

"An audacious young man like yourself won't be allowed to die so easily. This time, you'll follow our strategy."

He fixes the youth with a sharp, intimidating glare, silencing him completely.

The young man lets out a muttered curse, then refrains from pressing further.

In the end, no further questions were raised during the strategy meeting, and it concluded with only the决战 date and meeting location being announced.

The决战 date was set for the following morning, one week from now, with the plan to set traps downstream from the swamp, one by one, to eliminate the monsters.

Until then, the period would be dedicated to setting up traps and practice.

It was clear to me that my current equipment wouldn't be enough to face them.

I had been steadily developing magic items for a while, but had been unable to proceed due to lacking materials and a workshop. Now, I decided to push forward with development at this moment. Honestly, I'm not sure if these new gadgets will be enough to defeat them, but it's better than doing nothing at all.

These were items I'd been gradually developing over a long time, ever since I first started dungeon-clearing in the Empire.

Having heard the details of the plan, I turned to head back for preparations when Captain Roll stopped me. A few people stood behind Captain Roll.

"Sorry about this, Taro-kun, could you stay for a moment?"

A soldier had somehow appeared at the door I was about to leave through, arms wide open.

"It seems I don't have a choice, does it?"

"I'd really appreciate it if you could make this as smooth as possible."

Following the roll captain, I enter the inner room.

In the room sat individuals who appeared to be the leaders of their respective factions.

I am gestured to take a seat at an empty chair.

It feels just like I'm in an interview.

"What brings you here?"

"It's a critical time. Let me be direct. Will you cease your adventuring and become our nation's exclusive mage?"

I had a vague sense that it might come to this, but I didn’t expect it to be so direct.

"Thank you for the kind invitation, but I must decline. There are still things I need to investigate."

"Was it the legend of the Hero? Why are you looking into something like that?"

"Do you know of the existence of wanderers?"

"Those who, from another world, find themselves lost in our realm? Surely you’re not suggesting, Taro, that you’re one of them?"

"Whether or not you believe me is up to you. I'm investigating the method of travel back to my original world. And I believe the hero said to have existed 400 years ago also came from the same world."

"So you're studying records from 400 years ago... I see. Then I apologize for holding you back."

What? You've set up this situation, yet you're not pursuing it further?

"You're pulling back rather easily, aren't you? It's odd coming from me, but I'm no small expert when it comes to magic. And yet, you've gone to all this trouble... "

"Your skill is undeniably immense. But warfare isn't decided by individual strength alone. It's only through large groups organizing, coordinating, and functioning as a single organism that victory is achieved—especially when fighting against other people."

"In other words, having a single standout individual doesn't mean much if there's no coordination. From my experience, those who come in this way usually struggle with teamwork—though, of course, that doesn't mean you lack coordination yourself."

Taro's abilities go beyond merely being able to use magic. Though he may not realize it himself, his power is significant enough to drastically shift the course of battle. There are various political complications involved, especially right now...

Roul quietly pondered.

"I see, that seems to have solidified your conviction. If that's all, then I shall take my leave."

"Ah, sorry for holding you back."

I gave a brief greeting and left the room.

Inside the room, one of the remaining leaders who had stayed behind asked a question.

Still, is he really skilled enough for you to scout him? Judging by his build and equipment, he doesn't seem to have the kind of power that could drastically change the battlefield.

"Fufu, appearances can be deceiving... But I've seen it with my own eyes—the flash that shatters everything in a thunderous roar. Though still inexperienced due to his lack of combat history, if properly trained, he might just be capable of defeating a monster single-handedly. In war, he'd likely achieve monumental results on his own. Whether or not he desires such a fate is another matter entirely."

Surely, that isn't just a magician—could it be a sorcerer wielding power beyond even the highest order?

A mage said to command natural phenomena regardless of spellcraft or gem purity, even combining them to create entirely new phenomena... Such a being has only been confirmed in legends of the hero. Though said to exist across various nations, they're actually all impostors. Perhaps he might be the one who has reached that level...

He gently strokes the long mustache.

A quiet moment, wrapped in an inexplicable dread, passed through the room.