Kays Translations

47. the Undead mud

　In the still pouring rain, the group slowed down and proceeded carefully towards  what looked to be a reddish-black mountain in the forest.

“There is no sign of movement, or anything…… so far.”

　From a distance, it was impossible to tell what it was. Gilbert and his friends were reminded of what they’d seen in the village before, the group of small frog-like undead Beasts, but they also felt strange about the fact that it did not seem to be moving at all from a distance. It was eerie in its own way.

　They proceeded, cautiously observing their surroundings, and occasionally destroying the undead beasts that had been spotted by the clergy, but the number of medium-sized beasts was far fewer than they had anticipated.

　Eventually the view cleared and a small House  surrounded by a priest’s barrier came into view, just before the dark red mountain.

“It looks like someone is here.”

“The location of the house is just inside that barrier…”

　The sound of several carriages and horses’ hoofs brought people out from inside. It was an old Ziemeld knight and about five priests. They looked very worn out. They looked their way, their faces clear with surprise. But they just stood there speechless.

“Mr. Clark…!  you’re alright…!?”

　The old knight seemed to be the one called Clark by the young Ziemeld knight.

“You guys… and you…!”

　When the old knight Clark spotted Lionel in the group closing the distance, his face contorted as if he were about to burst into tears.

“Sir Lionel ……!”

　He muttered and fell to his knees on the spot. At first glance, he appeared to be kneeling in salute, but it also looked like he had lost his composure and could no longer stand.

　Just as they were about to listen to what he had to say, they sensed a slight movement from the dark red mountain in the distance, and at once, everyone turned in that direction.

“What…? That mountain just got a little lower, right?!”

“Look at the edge, it’s spreading …… a little bit. ……?”

　It looked just like muddy water slowly spreading over time, creeping along the ground.

“Hey, maybe that’s a slime…… the one found in ponds or swamps or something?”

“Hey, hey, please tell me you’re joking… then, that color…you’re not telling me it’s a slime that turned into an undead magical beast ……!” 

　The mercenaries who were well versed in magical beasts began to murmur.

　As its name suggests, the slime is a small, amoeba-like mass of fungus that has been transformed by magical power. Although it falls into the classification of living organisms, due to its inanimate nature, make it a far cry from being called a magical beast.

“There’s no doubt that it has become an undead beast…… It looks like a mass of miasma. ……”

　The clergymen replied with grim expressions.

　The most plausible answer seemed to be that the muddy water from the rotting swamp had crawled out as a lump with its own will. But the size of the thing was out of the question.

　Its surface was reddish-black and rotten, and although there were parts that looked like murky muddy water reminiscent of the surface of the water, it could only be called a mass of moving mud and rotting flesh.

“Hey!　Look over there!　Isn’t that armor ……?”

　Looking in the direction one of them was pointing, they saw part of a knight’s armor exposed in the mud.

“…Could it be that the knights who disappeared were swallowed up by that thing…?”

　

　Gilbert muttered, and the old knight Clark, sitting on the ground, raised his head with a pained expression. He tried to say something, but no words came out. His reaction seemed to affirm his point.

“If that’s a slime, then that knight might still be alive!”

　The mercenary man spoke up.

“In that state?”

“Yeah, there are many kinds of slimes, but most of them absorb living creatures and keep them in a state of suspended animation, feeding them with nutrients and consuming their magical power over time.”

“……A state of suspended animation. But if it were to swallow you, it would likely suffocate you.”

“Look closely at that place up there. You can see those bubble-like things floating around, right? They’re creating air bubbles inside so they don’t kill the creatures they capture.”

　Looking closely at the area the mercenary was pointing at, he could see a row of large, eerie looking bubbles that were repeatedly expanding and popping, as if they were breathing.

“The question is, how do we get him out of there …… Besides, even if we try to defeat it, It’s  too big…”

“Slimes usually stay quiet at the bottom of the swamp. Unless there is an incident where they infest in large numbers and swallow people, there is rarely any need to exterminate them.”

“What do you do in those cases?”

“We spray oil on them and set them on fire. But if they’re undead, fire won’t work. “

　Hearing this, everyone sighed in distress.

“It’s just a tiny lump of slime mold… It could probably be crushed to some extent with a blunt weapon, but I wonder how much of it could we reduced Slashing away With a weapon.”

“We don’t have the time to make a catapult here right now, can we?”

　Lionel frowned as he looked at his sword, while the priest clutched the bottle of holy water.

　Silence descends as each of them ponders.

　Dolph, who had been sitting in the driver’s seat of the carriage with his arms folded and eyes closed, watching the events unfolding, looked up.

“It can’t be helped now. When it comes to this…’It’s time to use our secret weapon.”

“What is it, old man? Do you have a secret plan?”

　Gilbert raised his voice in anticipation, and all eyes in the room, except for the old knight, turned their attention to him.

“…… Oh, ah, I see. You mean this battle-axe …….”

　Gilbert looked up at the edge of the battle-axe in his hand. The axe head was covered with tanned leather to prevent it from getting wet in the rain. With an awkward laugh, he removed the covering. The blade glowed faintly in the rain.

“Well, safety first. if you decide you can’t do it, run sway! Everyone, are you sure you’re up for it?”

　Upon hearing Dolph’s voice, Lionel also laughed awkwardly and nodded.

　The old knight Clark held his breath and froze when he saw the tip of Gilbert’s battle axe. He then bit his lip, lowered his head, and made a gesture as if shaking something off. After a moment, he looked up, his expression filled with determination.

“Umm, where the slime is, there is a duke’s villa. It’s where his Excellency Duke Ziemeld was recuperating.”

“…What?!”

　Everyone, including Lionel, looked at the old knight with shocked expressions.

“I don’t know if his Excellency is still alive. However, I would like to help him if possible. Please, help us…”

　Saying that, he kneels and bows his head pleadingly.

“I can’t promise anything right now. I’ll just have to do what I can.”

　Lionel replied with a grim expression, and Gilbert and the others nodded in agreement.

“By the way, wasn’t there a sorcerer’s barrier here until just last night? The barrier disappeared when…”

“He was already… swallowed by the ‘Undead Mud’ last night. But he won’t live… he was already at his limit.”

　With his knees still on the ground, the old knight Clark spins his words with bitterness, as if in penitence.

“This is the Undead Mud, made of undead magical beasts. Magical energy that was collected inside it crystallizes. This is what was used to maintain the barrier.”

.

“I can’t believe it’s a perpetual motion machine that extracts magical power. Did you try to take advantage of that?”

　The priest Sidney, who had been listening silently, raised his voice.

“No, that is merely a by-product… Once that is settled and we know whether His Excellency is alive or dead, I will tell you everything.”

　The old knight fell silent and hung his head. His shoulders were trembling, whether from fear or some other reason.

　Now that there was a possibility that there were survivors, there was no time to just listen; everyone there, led by Gilbert, sprang into action.

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