blueteamnovel Chapter 130: Finishing the Monster of the Lake
Chapter 130: Finishing the Monster of the Lake
Chapter 130: Finishing the Monster of the Lake
Daniel is kneeling down and laying against Gwenesphia’s back on the end of the tree trunk they’re making use of as her shooting bench. She’s too small to fire the ‘Dragonslayer’ safely, so Daniel’s shoulder will be the back stop as she does her best to aim from an awkward position slightly off to the side and under the stock of the heavy rifle.
She’s trembling a little, since it’s a great deal of pressure on her to be the one to slay Rohgattabor for her family’s honor, which isn’t lacking, but can certainly benefit from the boost. Her brothers, sister, and father are nearby, each still carrying the semi-automatic assault rifles that they’re sub-leasing from Aramellianna. It’s likely that enough ammo expended by them could bring down the ray-like monster, but the Dragonslayer should be able to do it in one shot. Now that he has learned some lessons, Daniel intends to make high explosive rounds a priority, as well as manufacturing more of the Dragonslayers to prevent the current shortage from hindering them again. As he ponders, he also considers making a ‘free sale’ version of his weapons, which can afford to be lost control of. He’d likely go with a break-barrel style of rifle with a single-action hammer. It’d be less convenient for the operators of such weapons, but he’d be a little more comfortable with selling them outside of the Fievegal, particularly in countries like Mattarglos, where they have very dangerous beasts and monsters to contend with. The appropriate blacksmiths will eventually figure out the alloys and tempering methods Daniel has had Xyreko use, meaning that cannons wouldn’t be far behind rifles of any kind. Ancient medieval cannons were large and heavier than their successors because enough metal can resist the forces and heat. Modern barrels were more efficient in mass because of the discoveries of stronger alloys and better techniques.
The Earthling has toyed with the idea of making even lighter and thinner-barreled rifles using mithril or sharmelkolle, but it feels a little wasteful -and extremely dangerous- to have such a valuable weapon when good ol’ steel can do the job plenty well enough.
It hits him that he can solve a couple of problems, potentially, by making a less efficient rifle that can use magical equipment.
And, that idea is to make an electrically-fired rifle.
For now, he is going to act as the backstop for the Dragonslayer’s recoil so that the pregnant gatonine, who isn’t quite starting to show yet, doesn’t take the brunt of the rifle’s kick.
“Y-You know, Daniel... I don’t mind if one of my siblings were the one doing this...”
“You’ll do fine. It’s just a bigger version of the rifle you have been using.”
“Y-Yeah, but this one... It actually... What if I miss?”
“Let’s hope there are no dragons on the other side of the lake then...”
Geirahoel, Reignleif, Ryuogriar, and Hekate all snicker, standing behind Daniel and Gwenesphia to watch over them. Doephluev is seated beside Daniel, staying out of the way but looming around him, as usual. Vaergraes and Senn are also on standby, waiting with Veiranoei, Goelselmo, Treia, and Peiburi. Across from them, relative to Daniel, are Kuboen and Lyrtef, who are protecting their sister.
“Father, when should I attack?” asks a voice that Daniel finds soothing, though it makes some of the gatonines tremble. It’s none other than Arachne, the death knight summoned by Vaergraes and further empowered with Hekate’s mana.
Gwenesphia’s ears pivot slightly to listen, and Daniel replies to the half-spider-like being. “I’d like you to read its movements and intercept any attempts at melee. But, your safety is just as important to me as everyone else, so don’t be reckless.”
“Of course, Father. I shall remain vigilant.”
Daniel looks at the sky over the lake, where Neith is orbiting while watching below. Roeta is under the water, and a large trail of bubbles indicates her movement in the water. Once Daniel revealed the simplistic diving helmet idea, which was easy enough to modify onto the dragon’s helmet, she was excited to begin the mission, since Dragons -especially lesser dragons with minimal mana- have to hold their breath to dive. As a mostly-reptilian species, dragons are well-equipped for long stints of low activity, as well as conserving oxygen. She even demonstrated how she intends to swim with her big wings that could only be seen as drag normally; the pink dragon is able to keep them mostly in their ‘stored’ position at her sides, but then flexes them in a wave-like pattern that creates thrust. It sort of reminds Daniel of how an octopus swims by pulling its body forward with a low profile and then spreading out and using the larger surface area for thrust by pushing backwards. It’s not exactly the same, but it’s fascinating to watch the avian titan swim, which tickled her even more to impress Daniel.
This, of course, means he and the Empresses will be swimming in the lake when they return to the Fievegal. They obviously weren’t jealous or anything. They told him so themselves.
They just want to verify that the lake is safe for their children in the future.
Or something.
Still, he’s happy to oblige. His family is quirky in their own ways, but it’s never not interesting to him.
The human mechanic notices Gwenesphia trembling under his chest, and he gently kisses her cheek. “Relax, Gwen. You’ll do fine.”
She blushes, glancing over her shoulder at him. “I... Thanks, Daniel... Um... Can I make a request after this?”
“Always.”@@@@
“Good. I’ll hold you to that, then.”
“Wellll, whether or not I grant your request...”
She scowls at him playfully, and he laughs. He kisses her lips this time, adding warmly, “For luck.”
She squeaks a bashful hum, facing forward suddenly. She whines softly, “That’s not fair... And, isn’t a maiden supposed to do that? F-F-For her lover?”
“Well if so, you’ve been neglecting your duties to me, haven’t you, wife?”
She hums, now even more embarrassed. She was trying to counter-tease him, but it has only made the hole she’s digging for herself even deeper.
She takes a deep breath and calms herself, ready to go. “Someone tell Dame Roeta to hurry up before my heart bursts!”
“Done!” calls out Hekate. “And I know your pain!”
The young feldrok girl glares at Daniel for a moment, repeating, “I said, ‘I know your pain’! Daniel! You butt!”
“Whaaat? I didn’t hear you,” replies Daniel loudly, causing several of the others to laugh. They’re not holding back at all this time, so he’s trying to lighten the mood.
“I SAID-...!”
“Wait!” calls out Reignleif. “Look! The bubbles are headed this way.”
“Got it! Thank you Reina-Mukori.”
Hekate stares with her mouth agape. Reignleif’s volume was half of what the young empress’s was just prior, and though the teen knows he was being a tease, she can’t help but display her utter disbelief.
“Daniel, I swear you will rue this day!”
He laughs, which prompts the little feldrok girl to growl and draw her ice blaster. “If I kill this thing before Gwen does, then I officially beat Doephluev. Right?”
The archoneldwyn in question flinches, turning a little pale and glancing at Daniel nervously. He’s her only protection from Hekate if she tries to change the rules.
And, Daniel plays right along. “If you do that, then it’s only fair for Doephluev to have a chance to strike as well, isn’t it, Sweetpea? Or, better yet, does that make Gwenesphia a part of your little bet, now?”
Both young women who wagered during the earlier parts of the mission flinch. They glance at each other, and Hekate huffs. She grumbles, “Fine. I’ll just freeze it in place if it gets too rowdy.”
Daniel grins deviously. He had every intention of ensuring Gwenesphia defeated Yaulwembor before the other two could finish their attacks, since the rifle should be able to finish it instantly.
And, as the bubbles denoting Roeta’s position get closer, Daniel urges gently, “Follow the line formed by the bubbles to a little ways ahead. In this case, we know the bubbles are behind where Roeta actually is. But, you also don’t want to hit Roeta, so make sure you check your target carefully.”
“I-I will.” The gatonine empress in his arms swallows hard, nervous about defeating a legendary monster on her own.
“It’s just like the rifle you’ve been using. You’ll be fine.”
“G-Got it...”
She flexes her shoulders and legs a little. Her tail flops against Daniel’s thigh, flicking back and forth as she tries to steady her nerves. Her expressive ears, much like Hekate’s, twitch and turn, listening to the world around them.
The bubbles are almost to the shoreline, meaning Roeta should appear any moment.
The bursts of rifle fire continue, making it hard to think for Roeta, since it does startle her with every single shot. Some of the bullets ricochet off of Rohgattabor’s claws, and the injuries appearing on its thick skin are miniscule.
The pink Valkyrie is ready to pursue the monster back into the water if need be. She can feel the air continuing to flow out of the bottom of her helmet, ready to provide her breathing if she has to dive in again. Her heart is pounding and she can feel the exertion it took to bring Rohgattabor this far, but she’ll uphold her duty.
KABOOOM!
The rose dragon flinches at the terrifying shout of the Dragonslayer, one of the few things in the world that can bring down the mightiest of beings in a single attack. A massive column of fire and smoke is projected by the barrel, while all of the gatonines and Hekate recoil from the painfully loud clap of thunder.
Blood sprays from Rohgattabor’s head, and the pectoral fins suddenly curl upwards as if the monster intends to take flight, while the striking claws stretch out, lifting the monster’s head. It holds this strange pose for a long time, even as its legs start to twitch and claw at nothing. Its humongous mouth hangs open as it looks up to the sky.
And, all at once, Rohgattabor collapses like a marionette whose strings have been cut. The massive beast flattens out, losing the luster in its eyes. Even its skin seems to dull as pinpoints of red appear all across its massive body.
Roeta relaxes a little, though she’s mindful of the water. Just because Rohgattabor was defeated doesn’t mean there aren’t other mantaroucks in the lake ready to pounce on inattentive prey. They might even attack her if they don’t realize she’s a dragon.
Once it sinks in, Baron Goelselmo and his family, as well as Treia, Gwenesphia, and Hekate all cheer. A whistle pierces through the sounds, and Roeta scans the group for the source; Daniel. He’s signalling everyone to fall in, and the pink Valkyrie lowers to all fours to trot towards the human Emperor, since her low mana isn’t enough that she can be liberal with it, even for taking off into flight. She can make herself weightless for an emergency take off, but now isn’t an emergency.
It’s a celebration.
Naturally, Neith is the first one to arrive and land, and he inspects the fallen graetcheth mantarouck carefully. He prods it and flexes its pectorals and mouth, attempting to provoke it. He also takes his massive custom-fitted helmet off to listen to its back, obviously listening for something like a heartbeat or other signs of life.
As she reaches the group, Neith nods at Daniel, declaring, “It’s dead, my Liege. Excellent shot, your Grace Gwenesphia.”
She goes weak in the knees as Daniel walks with her, and the human mechanic supports her. She stammers, “I... I really... Was this really... me?”
Everyone laughs warmly, and Daniel reassures her. “Of course, Gwen. You did this.”
Ryuogriar teases, “‘Empress Gwenesphia the Titansbane’ has a modest ring to it, yes? That is the human-kin way of naming their heroes?”
“‘Fiendslayer’,” adds Hekate cheekily. These two nicknames cause the gatonine woman to blush and become embarrassed. She stammers helplessly as the teasing continues.
“‘Gwen the Giant Crusher’,” declares Reignleif with a soft voice possessing a mischievous edge.
“Oooo! That’s a good one, Reina!” replies Hekate excitedly.
“Gwen the... the...” starts Geirahoel quickly, trying to join in, but she embarrasses herself when she can’t think of anything, and she whines. She finally blurts out, “Gwen the genius?”
A handful of the people present laugh, particularly Daniel, which prompts the orange dragon to storm over to him and grip his collar at the front, whining as she shakes him.
Roeta watches from above with a smile, since she and Neith currently tower over their humanoid forms. Geirahoel, and really any of the dragons, could snap Daniel into pieces with the force of strength they could generate. Even Hekate could likely kill him with a mere flick if she really wanted to.
Daniel is weak. And yet, he is powerful.
And, as she watches Geirahoel impotently express frustration on him, Roeta can’t help but let out a little laugh. Daniel’s real power isn’t from magic, but from how he surrounds himself with people who care about him as much as he cares about them.
Peiburi climbs onto the monster’s body, standing triumphantly as she cheers, “Hahahaha! This is incredible! Three of Mattarglos’s worst monsters, all in the span of a week! Gwen! Good job!” The younger sister makes a gesture with both hands in front of her close together. It looks like she’s repeatedly squeezing or kneading the air, a little playful gesture gatonines sometimes do called ‘scrunching’, which is sort of like an excited thumbs up.
Baron Goelselmo approaches and hugs Gwenesphia firmly. He begins laughing and crying at the same time, and the pink Valkyrie watches all of it with a warm expression hidden by her helmet. Before long, Gwenesphia joins her father in crying happy tears, and her brothers hug her and pat her on the back proudly.
Daniel steps away for a moment to approach Roeta, and she lowers her head so that she is as close to his level as she can get, which is effectively laying on the ground for her. But, she doesn’t mind.
She could easily defeat Daniel here and now, but she has no desire to. If anything, she would consider him a friend, now that she’s learning more about him. She wouldn’t object if she didn’t have Magnir and he asked her again to be one of his consorts. She doesn’t love him yet, but she admires him enough to get there if things were different.
Daniel bows his head respectfully, “Dame Roeta, you have performed your role perfectly. Excellent work, and thank you.”
“Th-Thank you, my Liege! This helmet worked perfectly. Your strange wisdom never ceases to impress me, even after my long life.”
“And, your bravery has continued to impress me. You’re in the inner circle though. I know there’s not an abundance of things I can give you off hand yet, but...”
“Speak no more of it, your Grace. It is my honor to live as I have been, and to finally serve a lord who...” She scoffs and smiles tenderly. “... Who simply thanks me for what I do.”
Daniel smirks. He adds, “I’m glad, but I will be compensating you fairly as well. Please continue to take care of us.”
“And, I ask the same of you, my Emperor.”
The Honeydip family of gatonines all approach to share their own gratitude with the pink Valkyrie, and she feels a little bashful, but graciously accepts the thanks. She glances at the Dragon Empresses, who are now standing with Daniel and Hekate towards the back, and Ryuogriar smiles warmly. “[Excellent work, my loyal sister. You do us dragons proud.]”
Pride flows through Roeta’s body, and it all feels worth it. Strength comes from many parts of a whole. If anything is to be learned from an otherworlder with no magic, it has to be that; the sum of the parts is what defines an outcome. Roeta was born with far less mana than any of the other dragons around her by orders of magnitude. And yet, she feels truly like a dragon for once; a being celebrated and respected by all, but because of what she can do, rather than hated for what she can’t.
Daniel looks at the water, and he says calmly, “Baron Goelselmo, if I may...”
The gatonine baron is still quite jovial from the defeat of one of the major plagues of the Honeydip domain. “Please, my boy! After all of this, you would honor me to call me ‘Father’.”
Daniel smiles warmly and dips his head approvingly. “I’m honored, then, Father, though please grant me leeway to get used to it.”
“Of course. You outrank me after all.” The friendly gatonine father, still with damp cheeks from crying in joy, laughs as he elbows Daniel warmly.
The mechanic, for his part, asks his desired question. “Will the ecosystem of the lake be irrevocably destroyed by a sharp decline in mantarouck population.”
This finally prompts everyone else to look at the lake, where alligator-like eyes are peeking above the water to observe the shoreline.
The baron turns serious, growling softly, “No. The world will not suffer if there are fewer mantaroucks. Many indigenous species have disappeared from these lands, thanks to the mantaroucks headed by Rohgattabor, but certainly not him alone.”
“That’s good, since it looks like they’re still hungry.” Daniel gestures to the water, and the others go on defense. Daniel requests, “Neith, Mukoris, please reduce yours and Dame Roeta’s size. Everyone else, ready for another round of battle.”
“Can we have the knights join us, Daniel?” asks Hekate.
“They should be able to handle it,” offers Vaergraes. “I’ve only witnessed a little of the Grand Duchess’s illustrious soldiers, but they are formidable warriors.”
“You don’t have to sell me. Signal them to join us in the fray. Avoid damaging the lake or shoreline any more than we have if you can. Whenever you’re ready.”
Neith nods, and begins the spell on himself, and Ryuogriar steps forward, casting the spell on Roeta to conserve the pink Valkyrie’s limited mana for emergencies.
Without the gigantic dragons present, it’s a smorgasbord of bite-sized prey for the giant-mouthed ambush predators lurking in the lake.
And, there’s still quite a few of them.
***