Chapter Twenty-Five: The Medium

After the fierce battle, Eric inspected the remains of the carrion troll and discovered that his sword had been almost entirely driven into its body by a single swipe. He poked at it with trembling hands for a long time until he managed to expose a bit of the hilt, only to realize he no longer had the strength to pull the blade out.

"Someone... you, pull my sword out."

Eric plopped down onto the troll. He felt that the texture beneath his hands was quite disgusting, but he lacked the energy to lift his noble posterior, so he simply sat still.

Being a warrior was fine, but damn, it was exhausting. If he had a choice in his next life, he would definitely be a mage. He even considered just lying down right there, but his body, which had started to tilt backward, was quickly caught. "Hang in there, Young Master."

Eric had no strength to hang on. With his eyes tightly shut, he remained motionless. Leslie, unable to let go and also lacking the strength to support him, hurriedly signaled his men to carry the young master aside to rest. He himself had to be carried away as well. The task of cleaning up the battlefield was left entirely to the guards, who had barely exerted themselves.

After resting for a while, Eric opened his eyes to see a piece of rotting flesh that had fallen from somewhere right in front of him.

"..."

He cursed under his breath, sat up, and let out a heavy, weary sigh.

Leslie lay nearby, staring blankly at the floating light orb overhead, which had been replenished by Mother Superior Alaina.

"Young Master, we really pulled off something huge this time... If a troll this big appeared in the wild, the City Lord’s mansion would have to offer a bounty starting at twenty gold coins."

Eric glanced at him. "Then the troll's corpse is yours. Carry it back to the City Lord’s mansion and see if my uncle will give you twenty gold coins."

"Don't joke, Young Master..."

Leslie sat up as well, tapping his body here and there, working out his sore, aching muscles.

"A corpse this big probably won't even fit through the mine tunnel; it’s bound to get stuck," Eric said, looking at the troll's carcass, seemingly genuinely considering how to move it out.

Leslie looked at him, wanting to say something but stopping himself. "Young Master..."

"Didn't you say that a small group of villagers is still too afraid to return?" Eric stood up. "If we haul a troll this massive out, wouldn't it be the most intuitive way to prove that we have the capability to wipe out all the undead in the mine?"

Leslie was stunned, then realization dawned on him. He nodded slowly. "I suppose so."

At the very least, that is how it would appear to the simple-minded villagers.

"Cut it up," Eric said. "Since we can't move it in one piece, we'll chop it up, move it in sections, and piece it together outside. As long as it looks the part, that's enough."

"Yes." The captain of the guard pulled himself together and called over a few guards who had been tapping on the cave walls in search of hidden compartments. He ordered them to dismember the troll, then sent word to the villagers tasked with hauling the carrion to prioritize the troll's remains.

Eric scanned the area a few times, knowing there was likely nothing of value hidden here. Unlike other humanoid mini-bosses, the carrion troll possessed only the instinct to fight and no concept of hoarding treasure. For him, the greatest gain from this battle was internal: the massive amount of experience from killing the troll had leveled him up to 29, just one step away from his second advancement.

"The closer I get to the second advancement, the slower the leveling speed becomes..."

However, according to the current clearing progress, there were still plenty of carrion minions left in the mine. He should be able to reach level 30 before challenging the final boss. That necromancer would be a truly difficult opponent, not at all comparable to the necromancer apprentice he had encountered earlier who had tried to disguise himself as a minion to escape.

After wandering around the underground hall, Eric approached the Mother Superior, who was resting, and thanked her: "It was fortunate that Mother Superior Alaina observed so carefully and found the troll's weak point; otherwise, we wouldn't have been able to take it down in one go."

"That is only because I did not bear the pressure of facing the troll head-on," Alaina replied, shaking her head. "It is you who truly worked hard."

She raised her eyes to scan his body. Even though he hadn't taken a single direct hit from the troll, the dodging had left behind quite a few small scrapes, and a small wound on his forehead was still oozing beads of blood. He was an inscrutable noble, yet an unyielding warrior who did not shy away from danger... Each time she witnessed him in battle, this feeling in her heart grew stronger.

The Mother Superior shifted into a kneeling position. "Let me heal you, Mr. Eric."

He hadn't even felt his own wounds and looked down at his body. "Am I injured?"

"Some minor wounds," Alaina said, signaling him to sit. She held the pendant on her chest, leaned in closer, and placed her other hand hovering before his forehead, whispering a prayer.

This was a divine spell to accelerate wound healing, and it was particularly effective for such minor injuries. When Alaina lowered her hand, the cut on his forehead had vanished, leaving no scar, only a trace of dried blood. She moved to other areas, healing his wounds in the same manner.

"There." After checking once more and finding no other injuries, Alaina raised her gaze and discovered his eyes were fixed on her chest.

"...Is this also a divine spell that requires a medium to cast?"

Eric calmly shifted his gaze, circling around to the left and right before meeting her eyes again.

"Yes." Alaina said nothing more, stood up, and brushed off the hem of her nun's habit.

"I would like a pendant like that too." Eric stood up as well, circuitously emphasizing that he hadn't been staring at anything else. "Must one enter the monastery to obtain one?"

To cast more divine spells, he did indeed need such a medium. Whether for mages or clergy, the most common casting mediums were weapons like staves or scepters, followed by small accessories like pendants or rings.

"If it's just for a medium, you don't need to enter the monastery." Alaina shook her head. "If you wish, Mr. Eric, I could craft a medium for you, though the rank of spells you would be able to cast would be quite limited."

Eric was slightly surprised. "Mother Superior Alaina knows how to craft divine mediums?"

"I have learned a little; I am not an expert."

Although that was the case, crafting a medium would have to wait until they returned to camp. Alaina checked on Leslie as well. The latter had only suffered superficial wounds, so the Mother Superior did not heal him, choosing to trust in his self-healing ability as a fifth-tier warrior.

After a short rest, the group left the underground hall, returned along the same path to the fork, and reunited with the guards left on watch.

"How is it over here? No undead escaped, right?" Leslie asked.

"None," one of the guards replied.

The captain of the guard looked at Eric, who nodded. "Let's continue deeper."

"Yes."

The bold villagers who had followed were still busy moving carrion. Because the captain had ordered them to prioritize the troll's carcass, which had already been cut up, the two trailers that had just returned were loaded with the remains.

"Why is it so heavy... like a rock."

"Have you ever moved a rock this big? It would crush the cart, and you want to drag it up?"

"I was just saying. But this leg is really sturdy... sturdier than the sausages Aunt Mary makes... hey, why are you vomiting?"

"...If you compare this thing to food again, I'll cut a piece off and stuff it in your mouth!"

As they pulled and pushed, the heavy load made the rolling sound of the wheels much duller. The massive underground spiral lengthened the journey, but it also reduced the steepness, making it less strenuous.

Back on the surface, under the bright daylight, the enormous remains quickly attracted the attention of others at the mine. By the time Sophie heard the news and went over, most of the troll had already been pieced together on the ground.

"Good heavens, was a monster like this hiding in the mine... If it had escaped the mine..."

The village woman who had come with her couldn't help but gasp in a low voice and then began to pray silently. "Thank the gods for not abandoning us..."

"It was Mr. Eric who did not abandon you," Sophie blurted out. She met the surprised gaze of the village woman and froze.

"I mean... the gods... sent Mr. Eric and us... yes, because the gods did not abandon you, we came." Sophie scrambled to recover, and soon she accepted this explanation herself, speaking more and more fluently.

Perhaps because of this, or perhaps due to her status, the village woman believed her words implicitly. Her prayers of gratitude remained directed at the Goddess Yella, with the messengers sent by the gods added as an afterthought.

"Since even a monster like this has been defeated by Mr. Eric and the others, what other undead could stop them?" Sophie added, unconsciously aligning with Eric's expectations.

"Indeed, we really should have let the Hansen family see this," the village woman said. "They still don't dare to move back into the village."

She left the mine after saying this. Sophie turned her head to look, but paid it no mind. What she cared about was when the people inside would come out, and whether she would have another chance to go down and see for herself.

The troll's body parts were still being moved out bit by bit, gradually forming a whole, which attracted more and more villagers to watch.

"This head isn't right, why is it so small? ...I mean, it's too small compared to its body."

"That is its head."

"Too deformed."

"How could it be called a monster if it weren't deformed?"

The villagers discussed it fervently. Some tilted their heads, initially only daring to peek at the troll on the ground from the corner of their eyes, but as their gazes straightened, the worry and fear in their hearts slowly dissipated.

By nightfall, the party from the City Lord’s mansion and the last group of villagers moving the carrion emerged from the underground together.

"Mother Superior!"

Sophie, who had been looking around, quickly found her target and walked briskly toward Alaina in the group. "How was today? Did it go smoothly?"

A smile appeared on the latter's weary face. "We only encountered a little trouble; everything else went smoothly. Mr. Eric says it will all be cleared by tomorrow."

"That's wonderful."

Glancing at the young master of the City Lord’s mansion, who was dragging his body forward, Alaina pulled Sophie aside.

"Has the Saintess's reply arrived?"

"Huh? ...No. No, wait, I mean I don't know..."

That meant no.

Alaina hadn't yet figured out what kind of mood she should face this matter with, but she felt an unconscious sense of relief.

A day's delay is a day gained...