Otherworld TRPG Game Master

263 – Tail Catching -3

In the past, during a cold winter.

As snowflakes piled on the roof, an ominous creaking sound echoed, forcing one to climb a ladder in the dead of night to clear the snow from a small, shabby cabin.

Inside, there lived a pair of affectionate hunter siblings.

The younger sister, who had started to cough lightly a few days ago, picked at the appropriately roasted leg of an unknown bird, offering the rest entirely to Bennett.

“Bennett, I’m full enough, so you eat the leftovers.”

“…Don’t lie. Your stomach is still growling.”

“It’s not a lie.”

“Adults can see through everything. That’s a lie. I met kind Uncle Hans, and thanks to him, I ate a mountain of food outside. Don’t worry about me, just eat.”

“…………”

The boy Bennett wore a stern and resolute expression. This expression was a mimicry of his father’s. Though Bennett’s father had died young, he left behind quite a legacy.

A hardened face that concealed fatigue, calloused hands, and a heart that cherished family. All were virtues of the head of the household.

Then, the younger sister Verda, glancing around, pulled the plate closer and began to diligently nibble with her small mouth.

Both Bennett and his sister knew the truth.

The Uncle Hans that Bennett often mentioned was a nonexistent figure, and he was still starving today.

It was Bennett who had to go hunting again tomorrow, so logically, he should prioritize his own nutritional needs.

If things continued this way, they would both wither away, and if one wanted to survive, they would have to abandon the other.

They both knew it. The truth was evident just by looking into each other’s eyes. Instead of joy for having survived another day, only sorrow for one another filled their hearts.

Yet, there were only the two of them left from the Hilton family. Once one side disappeared, the word “family” would be erased, leaving only a solitary individual. Bennett feared that more than hunger.

He did not want to be left alone in this cold, merciless world.

Once the meal, short due to the meager portion, came to an end, the younger sister Verda moved to sit beside Bennett. This was for survival. It was a winter so cold that they needed to share warmth, even in this way.

Verda opened her mouth.

“You know, Bennett.”

“…Use honorifics. I’m your older brother.”

“What if I grow up enough to catch a bird? If I get strong enough to pull a bowstring? Will you teach me how to hunt?”

From noble mtl dot com

“I was already thinking that. If we hunt together, we could eat enough every day.”

If that could happen, it would be truly wonderful, they thought. The siblings dreamed in the cold cabin.

—

A few days later, Verda fell ill with tuberculosis.

Bennett entrusted his younger sister to the town’s alchemist, who sold the undoubtedly beautiful Verda to a slave trader.

Upon discovering this too late, Bennett killed the alchemist and began to trace the remnants of Verda, who had been sold away.

And──

—-

“⋯⋯⋯⋯.”

“Bennett? Are you unwell?”

The mad wizard gazed at Bennett with his characteristic vacant expression. Bennett blinked, shaking off the past.

And he reflexively replied.

“No, it’s nothing.”

“You seemed lost in thought for a moment… I would like to be understanding if possible, but the situation is what it is. Even if you’re not feeling well, please focus for a moment.”

What was that just now? It felt as if the past, stagnant at the bottom of a well, surged back to the surface in an instant. Why did that bitterly cold winter day come to mind?

Did his soul sense its fate? Or perhaps──

Was it waiting for a reunion that never happened?

After splashing his face with cold water, Bennett gathered his thoughts.

The mad wizard, seeing the clarity return to his eyes, began the briefing. It seemed he had picked up on some signs of danger.

“According to the tracking of the relic’s location, the red-flavored assassin is currently stationary. A thermal detection spell revealed some oddly shaped friends in the forest as well. They’re likely not resting from exhaustion, so it’s probably a counterattack.”

“Not a retreat, but a counterattack? Doesn’t that seem strange? That dark wizard participated in the tournament, so at least two of the members must know they’re up against a formidable foe.”

Cicel Yurensto, Bennett, and although not a fable, the mad wizard was also a tournament participant. Excluding the unverified Selvier, they were an impressive elite group.

No matter how tricky the fable might be, does that mean they are confident enough to overcome their numerical disadvantage? To prepare for a direct confrontation like this? It couldn’t be.

The puppeteer from Redburn had consistently shown a desire to conceal his identity, so he wouldn’t suddenly become a battle maniac now. The mad wizard nodded.

“Yes. There’s likely a hidden agenda.”

A trump card to turn the unfavorable situation around.

What sharp dagger might be hidden beneath the opponent’s cloak? However, the mad wizard also had a hidden sub-plan.

Rustle.

The bushes stirred, producing an ominous sound.

“Thermal signatures are approaching. Prepare for battle. We will fight while advancing. The primary target is to eliminate the girl with white hair. If we have enough leeway, please capture her.”

“Understood.”

“And, as I explained earlier… when Selvier activates the fable, Bennett, I ask you to defend. Sir Cicel, feel free to rampage as you wish.”

“Yes, understood.”

Silent forest.

In a forest where the chirping of birds and the cries of wild animals could not be heard, only the sound of rustling underbrush echoed, heightening the tension.

And at the critical point where the thread of tension was pulled taut.

“Kieeeeeeaaahhh-!!”

“Grurrrk, grurk!”

With a bizarre cry, monsters burst forth in droves.

Shapes that seemed to be a half-mix of deer and bear, a massive toad with eight legs, a spider with human arms instead of legs.

These were the monsters created from the faceless fable “The Art of Flesh and Blood.”

It was a deliberately designed grotesquerie meant to evoke horror in those who beheld it. The inexperienced would scream, their focus scattered by the rising nausea.

But Chisel and Bennett were veterans who had seen worse, and Selvier had been hardened by the tentacled mazes of a mad sorcerer.

None of the party were surprised; they responded with composure.

“‘Living Grasp’.”

Thud thud thud. The direction of gravity shifted, and Chisel Yurensto’s figure vanished with acceleration. When her form reappeared, a monster’s head flew into the sky.

A massive greatsword swung as if it were paper. The swift, heavy strike contained enough power to slice through steel. The knight tore through the battlefield, marking the threatening monsters as his targets.

“Alright, let’s incinerate all this unpleasantness… and continue our journey. ‘Flame Angel,’ engage!”

Whoosh!

A halo appeared above her head, and Selvier, engulfed in flames, initiated the bombardment. Even a simple fire arrow spell was amplified several times in power as it was launched.

Szzzzzz-!

The spiraling fire arrows pierced through the monsters, leaving behind charred holes in their wake. The fire mage effectively reduced the number of monsters with her firepower.

A few monsters that managed to break through the steel and flame filter reached the party.

“Mad sorcerer, duck.”

“Oops.”

Swish, clang-!

Bennett’s “Guardian” was wielded with precision. After swearing to protect Tara and Niore, he had adapted his swordsmanship to a more defensive style.

He deflected the claws of a grotesquely swollen monkey. Then, with a restrained blade path, he pierced and severed the deformed monkey’s vertebrae. A simple yet efficient movement.

They ground the continuously surging monsters to dust.

The mad sorceress watched this scene and pondered. The modified monsters were each as deadly and powerful as ogres, but from the perspective of the elite party, they were easy prey.

Why was the red-flavored assassin launching such meaningless attacks? Was she preparing an ambush? Or was she trying to wear them down with a war of attrition?

Her abilities were not of the kind that created something from nothing, so even if she had modified every beast in this forest, there would eventually be a limit. Thus, scattering these trivial monsters was a waste.

If she wanted to inflict even a little effective damage, she should have reduced the number of monsters and increased their quality… a small elite force would have been more efficient.

—

Whichever way it was, she seemed to wish for the prolongation of the battle.

And in a fight, one must not give the opponent what they desire. The mad sorcerer grinned slyly.

“Selbier. There are plenty of insects in the forest; shall we disinfect the whole place?”

“…You mean to unleash ‘Hwiryeom,’ right? But, the elves and our allies might get caught up in it. Honestly, I’m not confident I can control it.”

Selbier’s fable of the sun did not harm the mad sorcerer due to its peculiar nature. But others were not so fortunate.

Bennett was already sweating under the scorching heat. Once he started unleashing a small sun, there would be nothing left of the allies or the forest.

The mad sorcerer snapped his fingers.

“I’ve got that part all figured out. Right now, I’m a fire sorcerer, and… thanks to the crow, I’ve got my groove back, you know?”

In the end, a fable is about achieving difficult or intricate parts through the power of the mind. It’s about powerful momentary firepower, the ability to manipulate gravity, and properties that do not break.

If one pours magical energy on a city scale or uses powerful enchantment spells, it can be accomplished without a fable. It’s just that the difficulty and cost-effectiveness are atrocious, which is why it’s not done.

Conversely speaking.

“If you’re smart enough, a fable isn’t necessary.”

“…Brother, that sounds really obnoxious, you know?”

“I’ll show you something fun, Selbier. I’ve polished the theory neatly, so if you practice diligently, you might be able to use it later.”

The mad sorcerer closed his eyes and focused his mind.

Fwoosh, fwoosh.

Flames flickered on the ground, drawing the shape of a magic circle with soot. The complex and intricate magic circle signified stability, control, and repetition.

It was a fire magic he would no longer use once he returned to the purple tower. Thus, he wanted to play flamboyantly one last time, as a form of catharsis.

“Burn with love, burn with longing, and what does it matter if only ashes remain in the end? I shall even burn that ash with love.”

Kugugugugung──!

The ground trembled, and a massive serpent’s head began to rise from the magic circle. Selbier’s eyes widened in surprise. She had seen that form before. She knew.

The fable of the fire sorcerer Krabellin Render, who, even when rampaging through wooden structures, left only soot behind, demonstrating the extreme control of fire that did not turn things to ash.

It was something reinterpreted and created solely through magic.

“‘Academic Flame of Courtship.’”

Shaaak──!!

The serpent writhed, opening its maw, unleashing a soundless roar.

—-

A delay tactic? Go ahead and try.

The flame of courtship wastes no power. It absorbs all the heat that Selbier carelessly spills, acting as a regulator that controls her tremendous firepower.

Though the flame of courtship couldn’t swallow Selbier’s small sun and burst, the fable had the property of not harming me. Thus, this magic is valid. It could be called symbiosis.

—

“Chisel, sister-in-law! The casting is done, so take it easy; I’ll handle everything!”

“Yes. I’ll switch to a defensive formation and conserve my strength. But what did you just say…?”

Chisel, who had been beheading unique entities like an assassin, was also called back. Then, she began to move the flame serpent to start cleaning up the monsters.

With this, we could fight all day long while preserving our main forces.

Of course, I had no intention of dragging the battle out.

“Flame Angel, Level 1, ‘Radiant Gleam’!”

Whooom-!

A small sun created from concentrated heat. It felt as if another sun had risen in the sky, and the blooming radiance shone so brightly it hurt the eyes. It looked magnificent, but in reality, it was all a waste of energy.

“‘Love Flame’—bite.”

Ssssssssh-

The Love Flame rose up, gently biting the small sun floating in the air. It had the visual of a dragon holding a precious orb.

The light began to fade.

The light and heat that had brightly illuminated the surroundings diminished in an instant, leaving only a white orb in the mouth of the flame serpent. The immense heat was meticulously divided into several streams, twisting those streams into various spells.

As the size of the white orb shrank, dozens, even hundreds of flame spears were forged in the air.

Then, I projected a screen in front of me and cast heat-tracking magic. All the animals in the area had been transformed into monsters by the red-flavored assassin, making things easier.

If I shot magic at every visible heat source and burned them away, one of them would surely be the assassin.

“‘Radiant Gleam Scatter.'”

Screeeeeeeech──!

The flame spears shot out in unison, scattering flames everywhere.

Kaboom-!!

Explosions erupted in succession. With this power, I could have obliterated the entire forest within range, but I didn’t burn even a single leaf of anything that wasn’t a target.

And faintly, from far away, a scream was heard.

“──Ugh, aaah!”

Gotcha, you b*stard.

“You heard that, right? Let’s go. We need to take a look at that upper body.”

“…What did you just do? No magician on the Eastern Front has ever shown such magic.”

“It’s the power of friendship and love. I’ve been researching it quite diligently, and it wasn’t bad, was it?”

“Not bad? More like—”

Just as we were about to celebrate our successful hunt and move to confirm the red-flavored duke’s assassin, I felt a sudden jolt in my right foot.

Thinking I had caught my foot on a tree root, I looked down.

A chilling coldness emanated from the gaunt skeleton gripping my ankle.