By Zephyria 
Recently, Monster Variants had simultaneously swarmed Grimsvein.
Monsters capable of using tools, like Orcs or Goblins, could easily steal human weapons in their wake. However, this was Bivan land. It was too far from the Duchy of Grimesbane. How could they carry Grimesvein’s belongings without humans in between?
The skin of these creatures was green. Most Monster Variants were said to have dark skin. That made it even more puzzling. Why would Goblins, whom we had never met, be hostile towards us? I examined them closely, wondering if the aura of Contaminated Mana was particularly strong.
While I ambled around, looking at the Goblin I had tied up and the Goblin corpse lying some distance away, Mage Boulder stood beside Rubel, chattering about what he knew.
“Even the most malicious monsters don’t hunt without purpose. What would be the point of severing a leg here? If this fellow were a treasure goblin out for plunder, he should have waited for us to approach, hidden, and shot poison darts. He would have had to steal our belongings.”
“What if it’s not a treasure goblin?”
“Then it’s even stranger. Generally, Goblins don’t approach living humans in their natural environment. Most of them are small and fear a grown adult male.”
Ivan butted in during the lull.
“Isn’t there a Goblin cave nearby? Perhaps they didn’t want humans coming close to protect their young… that’s possible.”
“Why specifically at the time we arrived at the bridge?”
“Well… he didn’t cut it while we were crossing the bridge, did he?”
“Mikael was on the bridge.”
“That’s…”
As the children bickered, the Goblin’s breathing suddenly changed. Had it woken up? It seemed scared too, so I let it pretend to be asleep by closing its eyes. I spotted the bundle on the back of the Goblin lying some distance away. A suspicious aura wafted from the large, round sack.
It was the moment I poked the sack with the tip of my sword.
“Screeeech—!”
“What, what is it?”
The tied-up Goblin’s eyes snapped open, and it let out a loud cry.
I had heard many Goblins squeal before, but never one that shrieked like this. It was so absurd that I let out a hollow laugh. Did this bundle contain something extraordinary? I hadn’t brought it too close to the group.
“Screech! Screeeech!”
“What… why is this Goblin crying like this?”
“No, this is insane.”
Mage Boulder’s face turned pale.
“That’s not a Goblin’s cry. It’s imitating a young Wyvern…”
“What?”
Without further explanation, Boulder plunged his staff into the ground between the group. Muttering an incantation, he took out a Mana Stone pouch from his robe, threw seven Mana Stones, then lifted the staff he had planted and spun around it three times, summoning Mana.
The fog that had densely filled the surroundings receded in a hemispherical shape.
It was a familiar magic. Shield.
Ruben forcefully jabbed the side of the shrieking Goblin’s head with his sword’s hilt to silence it. Ivan quickly counted the number of laborers and horses. I, too, left the bundle where it was and walked closer to the group.
Barely three breaths had passed.
CRASH!
A deafening impact swept over the group. Half the laborers fell forward, and the rest collapsed. Ivan, who was about to stumble from the strong vibration, was firmly held by Sienna as they braced themselves.
A black shadow covered the group’s heads.
The Wyvern was a large monster, measuring 30 meters from snout to tail. When it spread its leathery wings to their fullest, its appearance was truly comparable to a dragon.
Its savage hind legs, covering the shield, were similar to those of an eagle. As its fierce, hooked talons scraped against the outside of the shield, a grating, monstrous noise ensued.
How long could this shield hold?
I involuntarily looked back at Mage Boulder and let out a hollow laugh. He was gazing upwards with an expression of pure awe, tears welling up in his round eyes. His words were priceless.
“Wow… it’s a male.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Look. There are two large, round marks between its legs. It’s a male. Wyverns raise their young together, male and female. That’s why the male on patrol must have flown here immediately upon hearing the young’s cry. Isn’t it romantic? Monsters, the bigger they are, the smarter, more handsome, and more responsible they become. Absolutely the best.”
“Is this the time for such talk!”
Scolded by my exasperation, he quickly adopted a polite demeanor and spat out the little useful information he had. However, his expression was still one of rapture, and his gaze never left the exterior of the shield. That positive attitude was certainly something to learn from.
“Wyverns have strong innate Mana, so magic below the 7th Circle usually doesn’t work on them. However, if the target of the magic is not the Wyvern’s body but centered on humans and the earth, a defensive spell can provide a temporary solution. Wyvern Mana Rebound works on the principle that its body’s Mana Concentration is so dense that it reflects Mana of lower concentration.”
“Get to the point.”
“In conclusion, because a genius like myself exists, this shield can hold on precariously for fifty minutes to an hour and twenty minutes. By matching the Wyvern’s Mana Rebound rate with the Mana density on the shield’s surface.”
“…”
“You’re incredibly lucky! The Mana Concentration nearby is high, giving us some leeway for casting Circles, but more importantly, if there were three or more Wyverns, this shield would be cleanly shattered in ten minutes! But it’s just one? They must have been unsure if the sound the Goblin imitated was indeed a young Wyvern. After all, it was a bit weak in volume and its breathing was rough for a young Wyvern. Like one that hadn’t eaten for three months.”
The Wyvern’s eyes glowed fiercely as it thrust its head against the shield. Five people could fit in its eye. Its eyelids, like a lizard’s, covered it from bottom to top. The thin, leathery eye blinked and peered several times. It was clearly looking to see if its young was truly here.
The Wyvern’s hide was pitch black, and its eyes were blood red.
The horses all buried their heads on the ground, and several laborers fainted.
However, I felt no fear. Perhaps it was Mage Boulder’s excessive composure that rubbed off on me. Thinking about when I would ever see such a large beast up close again, I too found myself casually observing it.
Wyverns and Ogres were the most representative large monsters. When attacking large monsters, one had to target vulnerable areas like the eyes, mouth, and anus.
However, the Wyvern’s beak was sharp and robust, and its mouth was packed with dense, thorn-like teeth. I had no desire to crawl into a monster’s rear end in front of Rubel.
Wyvern bone and Ogre bone were treated as materials of the same grade. I already knew the robustness of Ogre bone. Its skeletal structure, which looked like a mix of bird and beast, made it difficult to immediately discern its bone structure. Targeting its joints would obviously be difficult.
It would be best to aim for the eyes first.
Meanwhile, Rubel asked Mage Boulder,
“So, if we wait like this… will it leave when it realizes its young isn’t here?”
“Well, they eat any moving meat as food. We look like a suitably sized and tender-boned meal, so it’s unlikely to give up easily.”
“…What about moving while maintaining the shield?”
“Oh, if it were just a Troll, it might be feasible. But this is impossible. If I move even five steps from here, the shield will break. See, even now.”
CRACKLE, CRACKLE.
“It’s scratching so fiercely. Every part it scratches needs to be immediately repaired… it’s like knitting. If a hole appears in the middle, the whole thread unravels. If it weren’t for a skilled and wise mage like myself in combat, I couldn’t have revived it this much.”
“…You said it could hold for an hour?”
“We have to defeat it before then.”
“How?”
Mage Boulder smiled broadly, his gaze never leaving the Wyvern. Rubel’s expression gradually darkened. The answer was obvious. With Mage Boulder immobilized, I was the only one with usable combat power. Would it have been different if Hugh and Elvin were here? I let out a wry smile.
“I’ll open a portal for you to exit from its side, so Lord Ernhardt can put on a one-man show. I wouldn’t normally tell a single Sword Master to face a large monster… but Lord Ernhardt’s Mana capacity is on par with a Wyvern’s.”
“…Hmm.”
“…Are there absolutely no other options?”
“If something more appealing and substantial to distract the Wyvern were to appear, like a herd of Orcs dancing their butts off, we could survive. Or if one of us were secretly a Dragon and unleashed Dragon Fear… That’s a joke. A joke. You look scary when you get so serious.”
“…”
Rubel, who had been glaring at Boulder, turned his gaze to me. There was only one thing I could say.
“…I’m going.”
“…”
“I’ll be back before this shield breaks. Don’t worry.”
“…Alright.”
Being by my side must involve countless moments of anxiety. I really needed to send Rubel back to the capital before a bigger fight occurred. Wouldn’t he be relieved if I handled things away from his sight and returned perfectly fine? Such thoughts kept surfacing.
Yet, why did I find that pained, beautiful face, etched with my worry, so endearing?
I couldn’t gauge my own greed. I forced a smile and squeezed Rubel’s shoulder once. Mage Boulder chattered behind my head.
“Some Wyverns of certain species can also spew Breath. It’s the Mana accumulated in their bodies imbued with elemental properties, so think of it as a Fireball or Iceball pumped up three times. Be careful of that, and there’s a poison dart at the tip of its tail. If possible, it’s best to cut it from the third scale from the tail tip. It’s a bit darker and shinier, so you’ll recognize it easily. Absolutely do not brush against it.”
“Yes.”
“And also… they fly very high. Riding on its back is fine, but don’t go too high. If the oxygen level drops drastically, even a Sword Master can sometimes be unable to cope. It’s better to wrap yourself in Mana and jump off midway.”
“Yes.”
I crawled out through the opening Mage Boulder created. The moment I slipped out, the shield closed without a hint of hesitation.
Simultaneously, the Wyvern’s eyes snapped towards me.