CH 56

(Ryo POV)

“Hmm. It’s reasonably tasty.”

We return to our base near the “Silver Snow Forest” and feast on the stripped Snow Bear and Snow Brown Bear meats.

However, since there are practically no seasonings such as spices, the dish is simply grilled.

Nevertheless, unlike conventional bear meat, it is tender and has a pleasant meaty flavor. That being said, I would prefer something a little more light in taste.

“Thank you for the meal. But to share my honest opinion, a little more spice and heating would have been better.”

With these words, Houki, who prepared this dish, casts her glance at the nearly empty bag and the almost extinguished bonfire that she borrowed from a nearby private home.

“But none of us can use the fire attribute. As far as the heating factor is concerned, there is nothing we can do, right?”

“Yeah. Even when it comes to spices, although the price is not as steep as in the days when pepper was exchanged for the same weight of gold, it still seems to have a commensurate price.”

Chirito and Aria, who have been savoring Houki’s cuisine, assemble their words with a bit of regret and resignation.

“If that’s the case, let’s head for the south someday soon. I’m certain they produce such things.”

Looking somewhat distant, I mumble something like that.

“And, Miss. Apparently, the enemies are here. We are surrounded.”

Houki abruptly remarks something like that.

“Yeah, nee-san. I think their number is four?”

Continuing on, Chirito seems to have sensed it as well.

“Then let’s have an exercise to settle our digestion, shall we?”

Following my words from there, Houki and Chirito are the first to leap out and prepare their daggers. After that, Aria follows suit and get ready to activate her skills outside the kamakura.

Then once we are outside, our sight is filled with 3 Yukijin wearing ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫ and a Snow Brown Bear.

(Third person POV)

“You are the dogs of the Fog King. Let us avenge our comrades.”

The leader of the Yukijin, aims the tip of his sword at Ryo and the others and says.

“I refuse. If you do not wish to be hunted, why don’t you stay inside the dungeon?”

In response, Ryo also directs the tip of her dagger at them and retorts.

“If that’s the case…” “Since that is the case…”

“You shall die!” “Let me return the favor!”

And at the moment they conclude their statements, a Snow Brown Bear from the Yukijin’s side and Houki from Ryo’s side rush forward, each with claws and daggers clashing respectively, the noise of metal scraping against metal reverberating throughout the area.

“GURURURU…”

“…!”

But as expected, Houki is gradually being pushed back due to the disparity in muscular strength. Therefore, Houki retreats while inflicting moderate wounds by utilizing ≪Cut Off≫.

“Chirito!”

Ryo shouts.

“I know! The opponent is 3 Yukijin and 1 Yukihiguma! The Yukijin possess 1 long-range magic type and 2 melee physical types! Unlike the others, the one who was drawing his sword at you earlier has the title ≪Knight of the Snow Sage≫! Watch out!”

“Mmm! So you are a practitioner of analytical skills!”

The Knight of the Snow Sage roars in reply to Chirito’s recognition of the enemy’s true identity.

“Well then, I will be the Yukihiguma’s opponent. Please take care of the knight, Ryo-san. And for the remaining two foes, Houki and Chirito, please handle them. ≪Mist Plosion≫!”

“GAAAAAAAA!!”

“I understand!” “Yes!”

While Aria informs them of their respective opponents, she delivers ≪Mist Plosion≫ towards the Yukihiguma.

And in the meantime, Ryo approaches the knight, while Houki and Chirito begin to engage the Snow Bear.

“GAAA!”

“How naive! ≪Mistbolt≫.”

Aria nimbly evades the Snow Brown Bear’s assault. And as she avoids the attack, she simultaneously launches ≪Mistbolt≫ at the Snow Brown Bear at a point-blank range.

Of course, the Snow Brown Bear has no intention of being vanquished for nothing, so it swings its arms vigorously to the right and left, and sometimes uses its ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫ at its joints to attack.

The Snow Brown Bear can prevail with a single blow, while Aria counterattacks tactfully while eluding all of its attacks.

As the battle drags on and the number of ≪Mistbolt≫ shots exceeds 10, the movement of the Snow Brown Bear begins to deteriorate. Then Aria seizes the Snow Brown Bear by the head,

“This is the end. ≪Mist Plosion≫.”

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAA!!”

The head of the Snow Brown Bear has been crushed by ≪Mist Plosion≫.”

“Phew. Now, how’s the rest of it faring?”

Aria then casts her attention on her surroundings.

Houki and Chirito, on the other hand, are struggling. But this is understandable.

Houki has mainly acquired skills in the field of covert operations, while Chirito is an expert in the field of analytical skills. Neither of them are the type to engage in direct combat.

In contrast, the two opposing Yukijin are very well-balanced: one is a long-range type who owns ≪Icebolt≫ and the other is a close-range type who carries ≪Long Sword Proficiency Ⅰ≫.

As a result,

“Hah, this is rough, huh?”

“B-but we’ll have to work it out.”

Both of them are already out of breath and are positioning their weapons with minor wounds all over their bodies.

“Hmph. If you surrender, I’ll let you have an easy death.”

“That’s right. Why don’t you stop resisting?”

In comparison, the two Yukijin are on their guard and ready to kill.

“Well, nee-san… Let’s go!”

“I know.”

Nonetheless, the pair does not yield, and they charge at the Yukijin. Of course, their attacks are blocked by the vanguard Yukijin just like before.

But there is a difference from the previous situation.

When Chirito’s attack is intercepted, Houki activates her ≪Fog Cloak≫ and ≪Covert Proficiency Ⅰ≫ to completely obscure her figure, and while in this state, she strikes at the Yukijin, the rear-guard with ≪Cut Off≫.

“What…! Gaaaah!”

With that blow, the dagger is inserted into a gap in the ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫ and severs the arm of the rear-guard Yukijin.

“You, when did you!”

“I won’t allow you to escape!”

“Damn!”

Upon witnessing this scene, the vanguard Yukijin dashes to the rescue of the rear-guard Yukijin. But Chirito intervenes by slashing at him from behind.

“This is… the coup de grace!”

“Gah!”

While Chirito is restraining the vanguard, Houki thrusts her dagger into the gap around the rear-guard’s throat to finish him off.

“Damn youuuuu!”

Yukijin, the vanguard, vivaciously shakes off Chirito and attempts to slash at Houki.

“I won’t let you do it.”

“You… that’s absurd…”

But then, Chirito pierces his back with a dagger in the style of breaking through the ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫.

Needless to say, a mere dagger cannot penetrate through Yukijin’s ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫.

However, since the dagger that Chirito is equipped with consists of Cuélebre’s scales, its sharpness intensifies with each usage. Furthermore, Chirito is the most advanced among the members in this group in terms of using the dagger. Therefore, at this very moment, Chirito’s dagger surpasses the strength of the ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫.

“Haa, somehow I managed to finish him off…”

“You did it…”

Thus, both Houki and Chirito collapse from exertion.

And Ryo at that time is… overwhelming.

“You aren’t much of a threat, you know.”

“Gah… guh…”

Ryo condescendingly stares down at Yukijin knight with an equanimous expression, while the Yukijin knight is in such a state that he cannot stand up even if he wanted to.

Nevertheless, this is a justifiable outcome.

In the first place, the Knight of the Snow Sage is at level 4, while Ryo is at level 7.

In addition, the status of the Snow Sage’s Knight has been lowered due to the out-of-dungeon correction, but Ryo has restored her status to its original state with the force of ≪Mantle of Fog≫.

On top of that, although the ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫ of the Snow Sage’s Knight is more solid than the ≪Frozen Silver Armor≫ of other Yukijin, it has virtually no significance against Ryo’s ≪Mist Slap≫.

Consequently, at the moment when Houki and Chirito won the battle while keeping each other in check, Ryo’s ≪Mantle of Fog≫ and ≪Mist Slap≫ are executed to KO the Knight of the Snow Sage in a single shot.

“Now, let’s retrieve Houki and Chirito and retreat, shall we?”

“Yes, indeed.”

With that, the battle ended, and Ryo and Aria leave the base with Houki and Chirito, heading for the nearest town.

A/N:

What happens if a level 7 kin attacks a level 4 out-of-dungeon compensation for a Kirijin with their original status? The result is shown in the last part of this story.